Nidec Corporation prides itself on being an international conglomerate that handles “everything that spins and moves.” Similar to an NBA star who can spin a basketball with expertise, skill, and passion, Nidec continues to thrive with expertise, skill, and passion in the industrial motor industry. Nidec is the world’s number one comprehensive motor manufacturer. Nidec’s…
Once only suitable for sheltered office installations, Ethernet media and protocols can now efficiently serve and future-proof a variety of industrial applications. Once upon a time (think 1980s), Ethernet was a relatively specialized computer connectivity technology, administrated by experienced gurus under highly-controlled office settings. Since then, technology and performance have advanced incredibly, and much of…
April 10, 2024 – AutomationDirect has added more power output options to their selection of WAGO Pro2 series performance power supplies. The new additions include 12 VDC single-phase power supplies with 120 or 180W outputs, 24 VDC three-phase power supplies with 120 or 240W outputs, and 48 VDC single- and three-phase power supplies with outputs…
Solar thermal installations need advanced control systems to optimize energy harvesting, storage, and distribution at remote mining operations. For certain applications in the right geographic areas, solar thermal can be a cost effective and low carbon way to supply large-scale heat energy. Flemming Jørgensen, of Jorgensen Thermal solutions, supplies these systems, and he needed to…
April 3, 2024 – AutomationDirect has added Leuze 28 series 18mm threaded rectangular sensors that feature flexible mounting options with front and bottom 18mm threads and 3.1mm through-holes, sensing distances up to 10m, and rugged ABS thermoplastic housings with an IP67 protection rating. These new photoelectric sensors are offered in diffuse, polarized retroreflective, and through-beam…
April 3, 2024 – AutomationDirect has added Datalogic PowerScan 960X cordless handheld barcode scanner systems to their Barcode/RFID/Vision category. These scanners feature an ergonomic shape with a rugged design that can withstand demanding environments. The new PowerScan scanners provide an omnidirectional reading of 1D stacked, 2D, and postal codes with 1280 x 800 optical resolution,…
Modern multi-axis servo systems require a network for coordination of all the various movements. EtherCAT provides a high-speed cyclic mode that can update all the servo systems on the network within a few milliseconds. EtherCAT multi-axis servo systems can be created using the LS Electric XGB PLC in conjunction with LS Electric iX7 servo systems…
Check out the answers to Brain Teasers from Automation Notebook below: Qualified Distributions Answer Starting with the lead electrician, the starting (and ending) lug quantities must have been 12,10,8,6,4,2,0. To reason this though, start with the last electrician – they must be left with 0 lugs, because the last redistribution is for THAT last electrician…
March 20, 2024 – AutomationDirect has added Helukabel TOPFLEX 600V VFD cable designed to handle the power needs of VFDs and limit the effects of electromagnetic interference, helping to prevent costly machine downtime. This cable is available in 16 AWG to 2 AWG sizes with individual class K flexible stranded tinned copper conductors covered with…
Learning how to catch and clean a fish, how to change a flat tire, and how to drive a stick shift are some of the many important life lessons I learned over my years. Those lessons have served me well, but at this stage of my life I have found another, equally important lesson and…