Racing as Field Lab for Automotive Design
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookAutomationDirect SpotlightData CollectionDiscrete SensingEducation/DIYIndustryIssue 16 – 2010Learning ResourcesMachine ControlNotebook IssueProductStudent SpotlightStudent Spotlight

Racing as Field Lab for Automotive Design

The University of Wisconsin Formula SAE team competes against over 130 universities from around the world in an annual competition held at Michigan International Speedway. The competition is based on the design and manufacture of a small scale open wheel, open cockpit racecar. Teams are usually comprised of engineering students who, in the fall semester,…
M.M. & I., Inc Provides Production Information 24/7 To Pratt Industries
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookData CollectionDistribution/LogisticsIndustryIssue 16 – 2010Learning ResourcesManufacturingNotebook IssueOperator InterfacePLCProcess ControlProductProgrammable ControlUser Solutions

M.M. & I., Inc Provides Production Information 24/7 To Pratt Industries

Michael Miles and Investors (M.M. & I.) has been in the commercial and industrial electrical markets since 1986. The company began by offering Web-based database and Visual Basic applications supporting school systems. In 1994, we ventured into the computer market, becoming proficient in information technologies and high level programming. In 2002, we saw a need…
Evolution of the ChemFreePro® Ion Generator
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookData CollectionIndustryIssue 16 – 2010Learning ResourcesNotebook IssuePLCProductProgrammable ControlWater/Wastewater

Evolution of the ChemFreePro® Ion Generator

In the 1960s, NASA conducted a research program to develop a small lightweight water purifier. The purifier was for use in the Apollo spacecraft, so low power usage and minimal maintenance were a must. The 9-ounce purifier, slightly larger than a cigarette pack and completely chlorine-free, was designed to dispense silver ions into the spacecraft’s…
Sam Flournoy - Biodiesel Entrepreneur
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookAutomationDirect SpotlightData CollectionEnergy/UtilitiesIndustryIssue 18 – 2010Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueOperator InterfacePLCProcess Sensing & ControlProductProgrammable ControlStudent SpotlightStudent Spotlight

Sam Flournoy - Biodiesel Entrepreneur

Sam Flournoy first contacted Automation Direct in February of 2009. As a 14-year old who had just finished building a biodiesel processor in his garage, he now wanted to automate the process. We immediately began looking around for the candid camera! But it turns out he was serious, as he was producing about 180 gallons…
How to Improve Process Control by Automating Data Flow
+Tech TopicsApplicationCommunicationsData and IIoTData CollectionData System MonitoringeBookFeature StoryIIoT and DataIssue 17 – 2010Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueOperator InterfaceProductProgrammable Control

How to Improve Process Control by Automating Data Flow

Whether you are responsible for a manufacturing facility, a utility plant or a bio-dome—you need to control and know what’s going on in your processes. Properly managing information is imperative to improving your process control—specifically controlling, monitoring and maintaining information flows into and out of your process control system. Most processes consist of the machines,…
The Future Of Technology - Ryan Andrade
ApplicationAutomation NotebookData CollectionIssue 15 – 2009Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProcess ControlProductProgrammable ControlStudent SpotlightUser Solutions

The Future Of Technology - Ryan Andrade

Who: Ryan Andrade From: Hollister, California College: University of California, Davis Major: Mechanical Engineering Graduation Date: June, 2009 What first got you interested in your area of focus? I am interested in design and control of electromechanical systems in the alternative energy industry. My interest originated from experiences I had as a 2nd year undergraduate engineering student in the UC…
Automating the Bottom Line
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookData CollectionHMIIndustryIssue 14 – 2009Learning ResourcesManufacturingManufacturingNotebook IssueOperator InterfacePLCProductProgrammable ControlUser Solutions

Automating the Bottom Line

Metcam is a manufacturing company located in Alpharetta, Georgia, just north of Atlanta. Founded in 1989, the company specializes in custom sheet metal fabrication serving a diverse industry base including commercial HVAC, healthcare, electronics, automotive, food service and air filtration. Metcam provides many value-added services such as metal finishing, custom coatings, electronic assembly, packaging and…
Sunlight Efficiency Detector (SLED) Chosen as Finalist in Freescale Semiconductor Contest
ApplicationData CollectionEnergy/UtilitiesIndustryIssue 11 – 2008Notebook IssueOperator InterfaceProductProgrammable ControlTechnology Brief

Sunlight Efficiency Detector (SLED) Chosen as Finalist in Freescale Semiconductor Contest

Announced in October 2007, Freescale’s first FTF Design Challenge encouraged embedded systems designers worldwide to “go green”. A team of engineers from FACTS Engineering, including Tom Moulton and Eric Wilhelmson, took up the challenge with their design for a SunLight Efficiency Detector or SLED. FACTS is a federation partner of AutomationDirect, and the supplier of…
Improving Factory Workers’ Efficiency is All in a Name
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookData CollectionHMIIndustryIssue 7 – 2006Learning ResourcesManufacturingManufacturingNotebook IssueOperator InterfaceProductProgrammable ControlUser Solutions

Improving Factory Workers’ Efficiency is All in a Name

As most everyone is aware, from a business standpoint, we live in a numbers-based society. In all businesses, whether a small company with a dozen employees or a large conglomerate of thousands, the focus is on the bottom line. Executives are scrutinizing annual, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and even daily reports to determine how productivity is…
Downtime Monitoring With PLC Technology
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookData CollectionData System MonitoringIndustryIssue 5 – 2005Learning ResourcesManufacturingNotebook IssuePLCProductProgrammable ControlUser Solutions

Downtime Monitoring With PLC Technology

When our company set out to design a basic system for monitoring downtime on customers’ factory machines, we were new to using PLCs and related technology. Four years later, by incorporating products from AutomationDirect, we are now able to offer our customers a comprehensive system for tracking uptime, downtime, production, efficiency, and more. Comprehensive Tracking…