Teachers often cover subject matter at the speed of the least experienced student, which is helpful for them, but is less productive for more advanced trainees. Classroom training in general can be quite tedious, and also very expensive compared to more modern alternatives.
Readers of Automation Notebook have their favorite section. For most, that section is The Break Room. This is often the first place many readers go to once they receive the latest issue.
Each issue of the Automation Notebook features a section we call, “The Break Room”. Now that you’ve successfully solved each puzzle, and before you brag to your coworkers, you can double check the brainteaser answers from Issue 34, 2016 of Automation Notebook below. If you want to return to the brainteasers questions, click here. 1.) Mirror, mirror,…
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookIssue 35 - 2016Learning ResourcesMaterial HandlingNotebook IssueOnline OnlyOperator InterfacePneumaticsProductProgrammable ControlUser SolutionsVariable Speed Drives
Riada Solves Difficult Packaging Problem
When selecting the right shampoo, what factors do you consider? Scent, ingredients, cost? How about packaging? That’s right, packaging. For the follicly-challenged, like myself, packaging may be a real decision maker. After all, luster, sheen and volumizing abilities are kinda lost on me. For most, packaging is an afterthought, if it is a thought at…
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookeBookIndustryIssue 34 - 2016Learning ResourcesManufacturingMaterial HandlingNotebook IssueOnline OnlyPackagingPLCPneumaticsProductProgrammable ControlSimple PLCUser Solutions
CLICK PLCs and Pneumatics Team Up for Success at Ridgeline Machine
Ridgeline Machine made extensive use of pneumatics when building a low-cost, small-footprint, portable traymaker to replace a manual process for one of their customers. Ridgeline Machine Design, LLC (RMD), founded in 2012, is primarily a packaging machinery producer, and the company’s owners have over 40 years experience designing and building custom machinery. RMD builds packaging…
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EtherNet/IP | Automation Notes
As technology advances, so does the speed at which it communicates. And with the advances made in industrial controls, the need for high-speed data transmission became a priority. As a result, Ethernet communication became more and more prevalent in industrial networks and prompted many industrial equipment manufacturers to implement their own Ethernet communication protocols. These…
Many control systems these days need a way to interact with the process or machine operator. Legacy systems might present a whole panel full of pushbuttons, lights and switches; the development of electronic HMI (Human Machine Interface) devices made operator control and monitoring operations much more flexible, presenting text, graphics and even video to help…
Most control systems have to make things move, and that usually involves motors. Lifting, pumping, robotics, conveyors, fans – pretty much everything uses a motor of some kind. General purpose one- or three-phase AC motors are great for simple on/off systems; Inverter-duty motors are specifically designed for operation with variable frequency drives or VFDs. General…
Drive or motor failures, lights flickering, analog signal variations and poor encoder count repeatability are all symptoms of electrical noise issues. Automated machinery is often the victim of electrical noise, and frequently also the source. Whether it’s electromagnetic interference (EMI) or radio frequency interference (RFI), there are many options available to reduce its effects. Both…
The Do-more™ is a super powerful PLC with a modern programming engine that utilizes today’s best programming practices… and that sets it apart from your typical PLC. Of course, that also means that getting your mind wrapped around these programming methods is the key to creating a successful Do-more project quickly and efficiently. We call it learning…