Issue 31 – 2015

AutomationDirect has added a new line of distributed field I/O to its product offering. The new Protos X expansion I/O allows you to easily add low-cost I/O points to your programmable logic controller (PLC) or PC-based control system without investing in additional controllers. Designed to save space, a single Protos X system can save users…

Issue 31 of Automation Notebook is jam packed with new product information. Highlights about some of those new products include: additions to the Productivity3000 product line, enclosure accessories, NITRA pneumatic parts, farm-duty motors, sensors, aluminum worm gearboxes, visual and audible signal devices, and more. New Serial Communications Module for the Productivity3000 Controller The Productivity3000 programmable controller is…

When a new production line is needed, which is the better partner, an original equipment manufacturer or a system integrator? Many production facilities do not have the resources to plan, specify, design, build, start up, and validate new production equipment as it requires a significant number of mechanical engineers, controls engineers and technicians. On large projects,…

EtherNet/IP™ is a widely used industrial communications protocol governed by ODVA Inc. The EtherNet/IP protocol combines standard Ethernet technology with the media-independent Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) to create what is considered the world’s number one industrial Ethernet network. Here we review some of the features and answer several frequently asked questions about EtherNet/IP and its…

Opening the hood of your car will reveal a mass of cables and hoses running around the engine block. Somewhere in there is an alternator, which helps keep your car supplied with electric power when it’s running. When an alternator goes bad, most mechanics will replace it with a used unit that has been remanufactured,…

Pneumatic systems are widely used for many reasons. They’re durable, clean, affordable, and fairly easy to install and maintain. They move loads in a variety of ways: pushing, pulling, lifting, lowering, and rotating. And they can handle widely varying payloads. While not ultra-precise in terms of positioning capabilities, they are accurate enough for countless applications….

Protective relays are specialized devices designed to sense abnormal conditions in electric power systems, commanding circuit breakers to trip or close when needed. These relays are absolutely essential to the reliable operation of the electric power generating stations, substations, transmission lines, and distribution systems that comprise any large-scale electric power grid; they are increasingly finding…

Fitting Splitting Two engineers went to the AutomationDirect Web store and bought 30 NITRA pneumatic quick-disconnect fittings (some with chrome-plating, some without). As they discussed divvying up the cost, Fred pointed out that his portion of the order contained half of the chrome-plated fittings, but only one third of the plain fittings. He also declared…

In each issue of the Automation Notebook we feature a section of brainteasers. These are the brainteaser answers from Issue 31, 2015 of 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 31, 2015 without the…