This resort site uses AutomationDirect VFDs to control waterpark systems, in the process adding the capability to manage and upgrade their own equipment. When the Triple R Camping Resort enhanced their facility to include a waterpark with interactive water features, they also needed to upgrade some behind-the-scenes elements, such as pumps, and the VFDs controlling…
A modern PLC automation platform will keep a classic industrial machine running for years to come. Cotton production originated thousands of years ago, but modern machines, like the cotton gin and the cotton baler (or cotton baling press), have made its processing much more efficient over the past 200 years. These machines can be kept…
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…
These University of Colorado—Colorado Springs students performed their capstone design project by using AutomationDirect products to optimize operations for a master distiller. A team of electrical and computer engineering students at the University of Colorado—Colorado Springs (UCCS) got a flavor of industrial automation and the taste of success as they designed and tested an automated…
Many types of legacy equipment can last for decades from a mechanical standpoint, but periodic digital upgrades are necessary to keep these systems running efficiently. A significant amount of machinery used in manufacturing industries is built using electromechanical components that can be readily repaired or replaced to keep capital equipment in service for many decades….
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A team of students at the UMass Amherst College of Engineering recently completed a capstone project to allow remote monitoring of a wind turbine. This team of mechanical engineering students consists of five students, each with an area of primary responsibility: Jay Sant; Team Lead, Ryan Sullivan; Design Lead, Thomas Haley; Analysis Lead, Jack Drummond;…
Manufacturers are finding they can rapidly and flexibly adapt to changing production needs by engaging in-house personnel to deploy automation solutions. Automation is essential for improving productivity and quality, but many manufacturers serve markets where production volumes and product options vary drastically. As a senior maintenance and integration supervisor at Keytronic, Jose Luis Rodriguez Persona…
This company is using modern PLCs and HMIs to revamp existing agricultural equipment automation systems, improving efficiency and adding advanced IIoT capabilities. Modern agriculture relies directly and indirectly on automated equipment for growing, processing, and transporting product. Vinny Endres grew up in a farming family and quickly learned how to keep things up and running….
AutomationDirect’s BRX PLC brings new world capabilities to old world machines. David Adams founded Design Automated Controls (DAC) in Alabama to support clients with design/build capabilities and onsite service, and he has had great success using AutomationDirect PLCs and products. In an April 2022 Tech Briefs article bylined by David, titled Ginning Up a Modern…