Even Though You Have Two Eyes…
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Even Though You Have Two Eyes…

It’s a good idea to protect both. OSHA provides clear standards on the use of eye and other personal protective equipment, yet workers often choose to not to follow these rules. Certainly, there are places where protection must always be worn, so it’s best to offer workers comfortable and fashionable choices.
Easy Pickings for Controller Hardware and Programming Software
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Easy Pickings for Controller Hardware and Programming Software

When automating machines or processes, picking the right controller hardware is important, and the application often drives the selection process. However, the programming software can make development, startup and operation easier—and is therefore an important factor in the buying decision. Jeff Payne, the Automation Controls Group Product Manager at AutomationDirect, wrote an article titled How…
How to Choose a General Purpose Motor vs. Inverter-Duty Motor
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How to Choose a General Purpose Motor vs. Inverter-Duty Motor

General purpose motors have been around for many years. They are the workhorse of almost every industry. An inverter-duty motor is a much newer concept that became necessary as motors began to be driven by VFDs (inverters or AC drives). An inverter duty motor can withstand the higher voltage spikes produced by all VFDs (amplified…
How Do AC Motors Work?
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How Do AC Motors Work?

AC motors are electric motors driven by alternating current (AC). AC motors are widely used in industry, primarily due to their high efficiency, and their ability to produce constant torque up to the rated speed. AC Motor Types The two most widely used types of AC motors are induction motors and synchronous motors. How AC…
Pick the Right Solenoid Valve
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Pick the Right Solenoid Valve

To control pneumatic cylinders and actuators with fluid power, air flow must be reliably controlled, typically with a solenoid valve. Pat Phillips, Product Manager, Fluid Power & Mechanical Products at AutomationDirect, wrote an article titled There’s a Valve for That, which ran in the November-December 2017 issue of IEN magazine. In the article, he discussed…
Microcontrollers versus PLCs: There’s a Clear Winner for Your Industrial Applications
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Microcontrollers versus PLCs: There’s a Clear Winner for Your Industrial Applications

The world of single-board computers and microcontrollers offers interesting and inexpensive opportunities for automation applications, but can these components be trusted in critical production applications? The assortment of microcontrollers emerging in the “maker” world has been growing rapidly, with no signs of abating. These devices—including Arduino, BeagleBone, Raspberry Pi and others—offer extraordinary capabilities, along with…
System Integrator and AutomationDirect partner Affinity Energy Designed, Built and Installed a Research Chamber Temperature Control System
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System Integrator and AutomationDirect partner Affinity Energy Designed, Built and Installed a Research Chamber Temperature Control System

The University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill spends almost $1 billion on research annually, ranking eighth among universities in the U.S. However, it was spending too much money and time supporting an existing temperature chamber control system.