Industrial Automation News for the Next Generation
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It can happen at the best workplaces and in the safest environments but it’s always chilling news when you come into work and hear that there has been a workplace injury. Whether you are in charge of safety, are a production manager, or are a plant manager, so many questions go through your mind at…
An AutomationDirect product manager provides industrial enclosure selection essentials for Control Engineering readers. Industrial enclosures protect essential automation components that otherwise wouldn’t stand a chance in the face of harsh factory and field conditions. As automation technologies are trending toward more instrumentation and greater decentralization, the role of enclosures is adapting. Control Engineering interviewed AutomationDirect’s…
May 24, 2023 – AutomationDirect has added the next generation of the popular C-more HMI product line. The CM5 HMI series offers lower cost, high-performance HMIs in sizes from 4 inches to an impressive 22 inches. These HMIs have an amazing 1.6 GHz processor in the larger units (10” and above), 43 Mbytes of memory,…
Modern VFDs can now perform torque control for winding/unwinding and other applications, expanding options for equipment designers. Variable frequency drives (VFDs) are commonly used by automation systems to vary the speed of an AC electric motor, but there is another class of applications where torque control, regardless of speed, is the primary goal. Kevin Kakascik…
Many types of legacy equipment can last for decades from a mechanical standpoint, but periodic digital upgrades are necessary to keep these systems running efficiently. A significant amount of machinery used in manufacturing industries is built using electromechanical components that can be readily repaired or replaced to keep capital equipment in service for many decades….
IIoT projects should begin incrementally at the edge, using proven combinations of fieldbuses and controllers. Basic hardwired connectivity has long been typical for automation system designs. However, this approach is shifting as digital transformation and IIoT initiatives are expanding. InTech April 2023 features an article titled Field-Level Comms Improve IIoT Implementations, where Bill Dehner at…
Modular gripper system kits provide a versatile way for designers and OEMs to quickly create material handling and robot end-of-arm tooling solutions. Many types of industrial equipment must reliably pick-and-place products, materials, containers, and other objects to perform their functions. Designers now have new options to accelerate creation of these gripping solutions, as explained by…
May 10th, 2023 – AutomationDirect has released several new modules for the Productivity family of controllers. Two new lower-cost, high-resolution, four-channel analog input modules, supporting current (0-20 mA) or voltage (0-10 VDC) signals, are now available for the Productivity1000 PLC. The ProductivityOpen Arduino-based controller line now offers a 2-port serial communications shield that provides a…
May 10th, 2023 – AutomationDirect’s newest addition of A-coded sensor and signal connection cables from Murrelektronik provides easy and reliable connections between panels and field devices. These cables offer several configurations including axial or right-angle female M8 or M12 screw-lock connector to pigtail, axial male to axial female with M8 or M12 screw-lock connectors, and…