Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 7

Benefits of Connecting a PLC to the Internet PLCs have traditionally excelled at using wired inputs and outputs (I/O) to execute automation logic quickly and reliably. Now, users are recognizing the internet contains a wealth of information useful for PLC applications either directly in the logic or for operator displays. Many websites can programmatically deliver information such as weather forecasts, sunset/sunrise times or even commodity prices. With the right software tools built-in, modern PLCs can access this information. Read more

Choosing the Right HMI End users expect intuitive operator interfaces, and for industrial automation this means using touchscreen human-machine interfaces (HMIs). HMIs are valuable for complementing or superseding the capabilities of switches, buttons and lights in a control panel. The most reliable approach to choosing the right HMI is to examine the specific needs of the target application and work backwards to confirm all necessary options are available. Read more

Now Available

Single-Phase Open Core Industrial Control Transformers  starting at $29.75	STRIDE Pocket Portal IoT Bridge Cloud Data Logger with IO  IoT Bridge priced at $120.00 Cloud Data Subscriptions starting at $8.00/month	Cut-to-Length DLO Heavy Duty Power Cable  starting at $0.80 per foot​​
Precision Touch Limit Switches  starting at $41.00	Safety Mats, Edges and Bumpers  Diamond plate safety mats start at $480.00	Universal Input Signal Conditioners and Isolators  starting at $157.00

Pneumatics for Mechanical Motion For equipment and machinery, fluid power is a term describing how mechanical motion can be achieved via hydraulics using incompressible liquids, or pneumatics using compressible gases like air or nitrogen. Pneumatics provides several advantages over hydraulics in many applications and has been a popular choice for industrial applications for over 100 years. Many consider compressed air a fourth utility after electricity, natural gas and water. Read more

Bypass-Resistant Safety Devices Ensure Effective Machine Guarding The most important machine design step is ensuring operator safety. During the design process, hazards are often identified that can be removed, but when a hazard cannot be removed, then various levels of safeguarding must be provided. These typically take the form of machine access guarding and point-of-operation guarding. A best practice requires the selection of safety devices that are difficult to bypass. There have been many cases where guarding has been bypassed, often with disastrous results. Read the article

Pneumatic Actuator Control Options Pneumatic actuators are a popular way to achieve motion for equipment and machinery because they are simple, cost-effective and durable. They are compact and powerful, and work well when the right configuration is selected. This article reviews some pneumatic actuator basics. Read the article here

Summer Safety Quiz Think you know everything about Safety? Take our quiz to find out. Each quiz taken between 7/22/19-8/11/19 will be entered to win a WERA screwdriver set. Open to residents of the US only. One random winner will be chosen. Score of the quiz doesn’t affect chance of winning. Take the quiz for a chance to win!