In-House Automation Focuses on People, Plant, and Profit
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…
Proof of Success: Crafting a Distillation Upgrade
Application StoriesHMIIssue 50 - 2023PLC

Proof of Success: Crafting a Distillation Upgrade

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…
Automation Keeps Capital Equipment in Service
Application StoriesHMIManufacturingPLC

Automation Keeps Capital Equipment in Service

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….
In-House Automation is the Key to Customization
ApplicationApplication StoriesHMIManufacturingOperator InterfacePLCProductProgrammable Control

In-House Automation is the Key to Customization

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…
Upgrading Agricultural Automation
Application StoriesCommunicationsHMIOperator InterfacePLCProductProgrammable Control

Upgrading Agricultural Automation

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….
Doing More for Small Manufacturers
Application StoriesHMIPLC

Doing More for Small Manufacturers

PLC and HMI automation helps even the smallest manufacturers and home-based businesses enhance efficiency and improve quality. Daniel Oberholtzer, an independent systems integrator consultant, wrote an article for the June 2022 online version of Machine Design titled Automation a Scalable Solution for Smaller Manufacturers. Here’s a summary, click on the link above for the full…
Controlling Keg Cleaning
ApplicationApplication StoriesIssue 49, 2023PLCProcess ControlProductProgrammable Control

Controlling Keg Cleaning

This microbrewery owner used AutomationDirect products to create a highly efficient keg cleaning system, which is used to improve in-house operations and support other similar small business owners. Microbreweries and brewpubs have gained in popularity in recent years. Many of these are smaller operations owned by passionate craftspeople who perform many of the brewing functions…
Making the Cut with Upgraded Automation
Application StoriesCommunicationsOperator InterfacePLCProductProgrammable Control

Making the Cut with Upgraded Automation

Using the AutomationDirect Do-more BRX PLC, an extrusion company progressively upgraded and simplified their legacy manufacturing lines, greatly improving performance, while minimizing scrap. The situation is common at many manufacturing sites: production equipment is old, degrading, and mismatched, leading to operational and maintenance inefficiencies and nightmares. In an April 2022 Automation.com article bylined by Gary…