Going Green Drives Home the Lesson at Boston Children’s Museum Many historians reckon that the Boston Tea Party took place on the banks of the city’s Fort Point Channel. Though the site may be somewhat in question, the educational impact of another present day revolution taking place at Boston Children’s Museum is indeed very firm….
+Tech TopicsApplicationAutomation NotebookCover StoriesIssue 8 – 2007Learning ResourcesManufacturingNotebook Issue
Finding and Selecting a System Integrator
Successful automation projects depend on a number of factors, from process definition to system installation. The number of automation vendors, software components, hardware components, and related automation stuff is growing. As the products and product sets have become more complex, more end users are turning to system integrators to help them in product selection, development…
ApplicationAutomation NotebookCover StoriesIssue 9 – 2007Learning ResourcesManufacturingNotebook Issue
Made in America
Opinions abound, but the facts show U.S. manufacturing to be a global powerhouse evolving to meet tomorrow’s changing needs. Since the early American settlers began making their own goods in their new homeland, U.S. manufacturing has been an engine of incredible wealth. In simply meeting the essential needs of life – providing food, clothing, shelter,…
Automation NotebookCover StoriesEnergy/UtilitiesIndustryIssue 7 – 2006Learning ResourcesNotebook Issue
Fuel for Our Oil Addiction
Is there any doubt we live in an oil-based economy? With so much ongoing discussion about the price of oil, increasing refinery costs and concerns of availability going forward, this is one subject that has been discussed at some length. In fact, it is hard to tune out even if one grows tired of hearing…
ApplicationApplication StoriesCover StoriesIndustryIssue 6 – 2006Machine ControlNotebook IssuePLCProcess ControlProductProgrammable ControlWater/Wastewater
Dredging Up The...FUTURE
People around the world are aware of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina along the coast of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. What started around the southeastern Bahamas on August 23, 2005 as Tropical Depression number 12, quickly became the fourth hurricane of the season just 48 hours later. When her catastrophic winds finally subsided,…
In 1901, Guglielmo Marconi used Morse code to communicate the letter “s”. This transmission was an analog equivalent of a “digital” signal. By 1914, the Marconi Company was engaged in experimental voice transmissions that laid the groundwork for broadcast radio. With the advent of short wave radio, costs came down and reliability went up, ensuring…
The purpose of the National Electrical Code® (NEC®) is the practical safeguarding of persons and property from hazards caused by using electricity. The NEC is prepared by a committee made up of a Technical Correlating Committee and 19 code-making panels. The committee’s responsibility is to create documents specifying code, which when adhered to, minimizes the…
+Tech TopicsAC Motors and ControlsApplicationAutomation NotebookCover StoriesEnergy/UtilitiesIndustryIssue 4 – 2005Learning ResourcesManufacturingNotebook IssueProductVariable Speed Drives
AC Drives Focused on Energy Conservation
Today, energy conservation and cost-cutting solutions have become a major focus in the manufacturing sector. Energy costs continue to increase and the extreme growth in China is contributing to rising costs in other areas of goods, including steel and coal. Managers of manufacturing facilities are faced with many questions regarding energy conservation and efficiency. They…
Automation NotebookCover StoriesIssue 2 – 2004Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProductProgrammable Control
After the Blackout
Modernizing America’s Electric System Where were you on August 14, 2003? If you live somewhere other than the Northeast or Midwest, the date of North America’s largest blackout may not be familiar to you. I was working on my home computer, while my spouse was engrossed in vacuuming our cars. When everything came to a…
Automation NotebookCover StoriesIssue 1 – 2004Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProductProgrammable Control
PLC, PC, or Custom - Which Control Choice Is Right For You?
Choices and change are the only constants in control system technologies today. Current industrial controller products can no longer be classified by the internal design architecture they possess. More often than not, any type of modern controller uses some portion of Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) technology in its CPU, operating system, memory, or data…