Human beings are visual creatures. It’s believed that our brains can process visual information 60,000 times faster than text, with 90 percent of information transmitted to the brain being visual and over half of the brain being devoted directly or indirectly to vision. Knowing that, it’s easy to see how a visualrepresentation of an automated…
August 9, 2023 – AutomationDirect has added AchieVe WDN series wire duct, providing more options for dependable wire management at great prices. This rugged, open slot, narrow finger, rigid wall wire duct is made of self-extinguishing UL 94 V-0 rated flame-retardant PVC material. AchieVe wire duct also features convenient upper and lower score lines to…
August 9, 2023 – AutomationDirect has added electronic position indicators from Elesa. These indicators are designed to accurately measure and display the position of a rotating shaft. They consist of a rugged polyamide housing, suitable for applications requiring frequent washing, with a clear and easy-to-read display and are attached directly to a rotating shaft. As…
ApplicationApplication StoriesFood and BeverageHMIIndustryIssue 51 2024Machine ControlOperator InterfacePLCProductProgrammable Control
In-House Automation Focuses on People, Plant, and Profit
A cheese manufacturer developed in-house automation capabilities to keep legacy equipment running and responsively adjust to production demands. Many companies rely on external firms for automation upgrades and changes, and this works well for countless applications. But Pacific Cheese Company faced a dual challenge of maintaining and improving manual and legacy systems, while at the…
August 2, 2023 – AutomationDirect has added an all-in-one RFID standalone R/W unit to their Barcode/ RFID / Vision product category. This unit comes complete with an RFID R/W device, antenna, and EtherNet/IP interface built in and is designed for easy integration into an existing EtherNet/IP network. This standalone unit is optimized for high speeds…
August 2, 2023 – AutomationDirect has added International Power regulated and unregulated linear power supplies to their current lineup of open-frame linear power supplies. The IH series regulated open-frame power supplies are designed to operate over a wide range of AC power sources. They maintain a constant output voltage, regardless of changes in input voltage…
July 27, 2023- AutomationDirect has added XGB PLCs designed and manufactured by LS Electric, a well-established global PLC manufacturer with over 40 years of experience. This PLC family offers advanced controllers geared for motion applications but with high-level features, such as IEC programming, that can be beneficial in any automated system. These stackable LS Electric…
July 19, 2023 – AutomationDirect has expanded their safety products line with additional Comepi safety switches. This offering includes new, more robust solenoid locking tongue interlock safety switches and RFID-coded solenoid locking tongue interlock safety switches. All switches have a 1200N holding force and require the solenoid to be energized to unlock the switch. The…
July 12, 2023 – AutomationDirect has added LUTZE SUPERFLEX® control cable that is well suited for short to medium length articulated drag chain (C-tracks) installations requiring moderate to high performance. The High Glide TPE insulation and PVC outer jacket provides resistance to sunlight, oil, and moisture penetration, and makes this cable suitable for indoor wet…
Compact and distributed automation elements, and smarter fieldbus-capable instruments, are reducing the size of and need for control panels. Chris Kregoski, product engineer for AutomationDirect, wrote an article for the July 2023 issue of Processing, titled Distributed Automation Enables Elimination or Shrinking of Control Panels. Here’s a summary, click on the link above for the…