AutomationWorld’s “Leadership in Automation” program highlights preferred suppliers as identified by their readers across more than two dozen automation technology categories. Now in its fifth year, the program remains relevant as technologies change and supplier preferences shift based upon needs, and/or peer recommendations. Allegiance to a particular brand or resentment toward another brand may last…
Employee safety is paramount for all companies big or small and they spend big bucks to keep us safe while working. But, how many of those safety conscious employers place those same concerns on the wellness of their employees? And, at the end of the day does it make a difference? You bet it does,…
The annual Control Engineering Engineers’ Choice Awards program recognizes categories of control, instrumentation, and automation products, revealing the best of those products as selected by their readers. Established in 1954, Control Engineering is recognized as the global information leader for the automation engineers who design, implement, maintain and manage control/instrumentation systems, components and equipment. The…
+Tech TopicsAutomation NotebookeBookIssue 32 - 2015Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueOnline OnlyOperator InterfaceProductTechnology BriefWhy HMI
Pick and Place your HMI
There are many ways to irritate an operator working with automated equipment and a bad human-machine interface (HMI) implementation is right up there with the worst of them. Following these guidelines can help you pick the right HMI for your application, keep you on the good side of your operators and engineers, and also help…
+Tech TopicsIssue 32 - 2015Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueOnline OnlyOperator InterfaceProductTechnology Brief
Tips for a Better HMI Layout
Do you have an HMI project coming up? Here are some tips for you to remember during your planning and implementation. The following four design principles are a great start for any design project (and the four letter acronym is nothing if not memorable): Contrast – Make sure that items which are different/important stand out…
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookAutomationDirect SpotlightControl & Signaling DevicesEducation/DIYIndustryIssue 32 - 2015Learning ResourcesManufacturingManufacturingNotebook IssuePneumaticsPneumaticsProductStudent SpotlightStudent Spotlight
Ohio Students Improve Assembly Process for Employees With Disabilities
The annual SourceAmerica® Design Challenge is a national engineering competition to design workplace technology for people with disabilities. For this competition, high school students spend months partnering with a nonprofit that employs people with disabilities to invent a device, process, system or software for a more productive work environment. Kirby Harder, Copley High School’s (CHS) Industrial technology…
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookAutomationDirect SpotlightEducation/DIYIndustryIssue 32 - 2015Learning ResourcesMachine ControlNotebook IssuePLCProductProgrammable ControlSimple PLCSystem IntegratorsUser Solutions
The Bulgarian Bat Detector - Simulating Bat Echolocation
Over my years working as an Automation Systems Integrator, I occasionally get projects that are different from the normal industrial, process and manufacturing systems. I was recently asked to develop the controls for a museum exhibit to simulate a bat’s echolocation. The museum, Children’s Center of Sofia, in Sofia, Bulgaria, and I promptly named the…
One of the most popular sections of Automation Notebook has always been The Break Room. In fact, it’s so popular that many of our customers tell us that when they receive the latest issue, it’s the first thing they read. This time is no exception. Go ahead and expose your cranium to some cognitive stimulation, but…
Each issue of the Automation Notebook features a section we call, “The Break Room”. We know you successfully answered everything without having to ask your friends for any help (wink, wink). But, just in case you want to make sure we didn’t miss anything, below are the brainteaser answers from Issue 32, 2015 of Automation…
+Tech TopicsAutomation NotebookeBookIssue 34 - 2016Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueOnline OnlyPLC eBookProductProgrammable ControlTechnology Brief
What is Ladder Logic?
PLCs have exploded in the controls market and are used throughout the world. Over time they have advanced to become more user friendly, efficient, smaller and less expensive. Different types of programming languages have also been developed for PLCs but the most frequently used is still Ladder Logic. The Origins of Ladder Logic – Relay…