Open-Source Controllers Now Fit for the Factory
Application StoriesPLCProductProgrammable Control

Open-Source Controllers Now Fit for the Factory

The AutomationDirect ProductivityOpen is a versatile Arduino-compatible controller designed into a tough form factor suitable for industrial environments. Hobbyist-grade Arduinos and other microcontrollers are interesting for a variety of applications, but they are simply too frail for any type of industrial application. AutomationDirect has listened to the needs of end users, systems integrators, OEMs, makers,…
Industrial Data Rises in Prominence
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Industrial Data Rises in Prominence

Accessing actionable data is just as important as delivering reliable automation in some applications. Damon Purvis, PLC Product Manager at AutomationDirect, wrote an article for the January 2022 issue of Control Engineering. The article is titled Getting Actionable Data from an ICS and it examines how for all types of industrial systems, accessing data is…
StrideLinx’s IEC 62443 Conformance Helps Machine Builders with Their Own IT/OT Cyber Security
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StrideLinx’s IEC 62443 Conformance Helps Machine Builders with Their Own IT/OT Cyber Security

Applied Risk, a trusted partner in cyber security, has audited StrideLinx on the IEC 62443 security standards. By seeking compliance with the IEC 62443 standards, StrideLinx supports machine builders with getting their security in place. StrideLinx’s mission is to unburden machine builders in terms of security and offer them a helping hand in completing their…
Cybersecurity Best Practices
CommunicationsProductProgrammable Control

Cybersecurity Best Practices

Contemporary industrial cybersecurity measures require the right hardware and software technologies, but must also incorporate user best practices. Damon Purvis, PLC Product Manager at AutomationDirect, wrote an article which posted to the January 2022 publications Control Engineering and Industrial Cybersecurity Pulse. The article is titled Cybersecurity-Centered Systems and Fundamentals (also found at Cybersecurity-Centered Systems and…
The CLICK PLUS PLC Wins the 2022 Control Engineering Magazine Engineers’ Choice Awards for the PLCs, PACs Category
Company TopicsIssue 47 -2022News

The CLICK PLUS PLC Wins the 2022 Control Engineering Magazine Engineers’ Choice Awards for the PLCs, PACs Category

AutomationDirect’s CLICK PLUS PLC is the next generation platform for delivering reliable and familiar functionality for basic control applications, combined with advanced features like Wi-Fi, data logging, and increased security measures. All starting at just $89! On February 7, 2022 the AutomationDirect CLICK PLUS PLC was announced as the Control Engineering 2022 Engineers’ Choice Awards…
Connecting AI to the OT
ApplicationApplication StoriesIssue 48 -2022Notebook IssueOpen source controlOperator InterfacePLCProcess ControlProductProgrammable Control

Connecting AI to the OT

This greenhouse automation startup shows how AutomationDirect controllers are a flexible platform for connecting cloud-based artificial intelligence to practical operations manufacturing automation. Connecting AI concepts to age-old agricultural operations using modern IoT methods is the ambitious undertaking of Kenneth Tran and his team at Koidra. The resulting “artificial intelligence of things” (AIoT) is yielding positive…
Supplier Profile: Schmalz
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Supplier Profile: Schmalz

In 1910, Johannes Schmalz opened a razor blade factory in Glatten, Germany. Soon afterward, customers around the world clamored to shave with the company’s “Glattis” blades. Fast forward more than 100 years and, today, Schmalz is the global market leader in vacuum automation and customized ergonomic handling solutions as measured by revenue and breadth of…
Building User-Focused Water/Wastewater Utility Systems with AutomationDirect
Application StoriesPLCProductProgrammable Control

Building User-Focused Water/Wastewater Utility Systems with AutomationDirect

Many water utilities could benefit from using robust and standardized PLC automation, instead of enduring inconsistent and difficult to troubleshoot custom control systems. While many people settle for things that are good enough, sometimes it takes relatively little extra effort to make things excellent. Dennis O’Hara experienced this many times as he progressed from getting…
Industrial Automation Mobile Access on the Rise
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Industrial Automation Mobile Access on the Rise

Proactive risk mitigation strategies and enhanced technologies are leading more end users than ever before to adopt industrial automation mobile access. Bill Dehner, technical marketing engineer for AutomationDirect, wrote an article for the November 2021 issue of Plant Engineering titled Industrial Access On the Go. Here’s a summary, click on the link above for the…