In this issue find out about a new automation lab at Northern Illinois University, and how AutomationDirect products clean wastewater. Our guest writer, Brian Elliott, addresses Corona Discharge. Our cover story describes a fascinating new architectural concept underway in Chicago. There is a lot more packed in this issue.
– TJ Johns
Senior Editor
In this issue of the Automation Notebook…
In each issue of the Automation Notebook we feature a section of brainteasers. These are the brainteaser answers from Issue 12, 2008 of the Automation Notebook. The brainteaser questions are repeated in black. The answers to the brainteaser questions are highlighted in red with explanations. You can view the brainteasers from Issue 12, 2008 without the answers here: http://library.automationdirect.com/brainteasers-issue-12-2008/…
1. Tank You Very Much In a factory far, far away – a tank is filled 1/3 full with an unidentified liquid, and another tank of the same size is filled ¼ full with the same non-hazardous fluid. Both tanks are then topped off with water and mixed thoroughly. The resulting mixtures are pumped into…
+Tech TopicsAutomation NotebookIssue 12 – 2008Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueTechnical ReviewWhy HMI
C-more HMI With Enhanced Allen-Bradley PLC Driver Support
With the growing popularity of the C-more Operator Interface line, we have had many requests to add PLC protocol drivers. These drivers allow customers with different PLC brands to standardize on the C-more HMI product. This article takes a look at C-more’s PLC drivers and demonstrates how to import/export tags and optimize communication. Due to the abundance…
+Tech TopicsAutomation NotebookIssue 12 – 2008Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProductProgrammable ControlTech Thread
Designing a PLC Ladder Program
Thinking back on my first Computer Programming course, the instructor was adamant about flow charting, documenting, and using good tools to design the program. I was 18 at the time and thought, “Anyone can write a good program and documentation isn’t needed. Write it correctly and it’s done.” It didn’t take long to see just…
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookDrivesHMIIndustryIssue 12 – 2008Learning ResourcesMachine ControlNotebook IssueOperator InterfacePLCProcess ControlProductProgrammable ControlUser SolutionsVariable Speed DrivesWater/Wastewater
AutomationDirect Products Help The Environment
Treating waste water generated in industrial plants requires an efficient, easy-to-use process which yields minimal by-product; it must be reliable and durable too. Environmental Compliance Equipment, in Palm City, Florida, designs systems to meet these requirements. One such system is marketed as ClearFlow. The ClearFlow System Explained ClearFlow systems can be integrated in almost any…
Automation NotebookFeature StoryIssue 12 – 2008Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProductProgrammable Control
Educating Future Engineers Requires Teamwork
The goal of any technology or engineering educational program is to educate its students utilizing techniques built upon sound theoretical principles. But, how does one teach college level students to utilize automation components like robots, PLC’s, and sensors? The field of automation is constantly changing and educators need to maintain pace with these changes in…
Corona discharge happens when a conductor is forced to carry more electrons than it can accommodate. In these instances, the electrons jump to the air where they flow to any neutralizing charge that they may find. Near the conductor, the electrons have sufficient energies to ionize the air and force it to glow or, in…
We have added several exciting products since our last edition of the Automation Notebook. Here are some highlights about some of those new products including: 6” C-more Micro-Graphic Panels, DC Output Modules With Fault Protection, Think & Do 8.0. View More From 6” C-more Micro-Graphic Panels AutomationDirect’s C-more Micro-Graphic panel line now includes six-inch display models. The new…
Automation NotebookIssue 12 – 2008Learning ResourcesMechanical Power TransmissionNotebook IssueProduct
IronHorse™ Worm Gearboxes Now Available From AutomationDirect®
AutomationDirect has expanded its mechanical power transmission product line to include worm gearboxes in four frame sizes and six gear ratios from 5:1 to 60:1. Constructed of cast iron one-piece housings, the worm gearboxes feature a C-flange input and carbon steel shaft with either right-hand or dual shaft output. Manufactured by one of the world’s leading…
Over the past ten years the skyscraper has gone from an engineering marvel of mankind to being a creative marvel of mankind. Few structures capture the imagination more than the skyscraper. We often know where we’ve been because of the buildings that punch into the skyline – the Empire State in New York City, the…