Industrial automation designers now have a variety of ways to incorporate an open programming approach for their projects. Although industrial-grade digital technologies have been available for over five decades, much of that time the hardware and software has been specialized and even proprietary. This is at odds with a large segment of the commercial market,…
Motion-optimized PLC platforms combine traditional controls functionality with advanced multi-axis motion control, providing a streamlined automation solution. Industrial motion control applications range from simple to complex and are generally considered a design specialty. Currently, there are some entry-level solutions, and designers are also aware of high-performance motion control platforms. However, there are many cases where…
Edge-enabled PLCs are an accessible and affordable way for most users to collect and create value from use field-sourced data. While many operations personnel at production and manufacturing companies are aware that their automated equipment can be a source of valuable data for analytics and other purposes, far fewer companies are positioned to create the…
In 2022, OSHA reported 5,486 fatal industrial accidents. Many more accidents resulted in injuries or lost work productivity. These accidents may have been avoidable. Proper training and machine safeguarding could’ve prevented many of these accidents, reducing injuries, downtime, and deaths. Industrial safety starts with training. In addition to training, proper machine protection is another layer…
May 29, 2024 – AutomationDirect now offers custom paint selections for Saginaw carbon steel Enviroline series single-door enclosures with ¼-turn latches. These enclosures can be custom-ordered with one of 15 color options in addition to the standard gray or light gray color. Custom paint options include graphite black, gentian blue, light blue, pebble gray, traffic…
Improved technologies and expanded user demands have pushed the evolution of industrial automation technologies, and PLCs continue to advance and meet these needs. Almost a decade ago, Jeff Payne at AutomationDirect wrote a Control Engineering article titled Future of the PLC . At that time, PLC technology was already 50 years mature but still a…
This electrical contractor relied on AutomationDirect PLC and HMI hardware and software to rapidly rip-and-replace the controls on a failing rock crusher. Equipment used in rock quarrying operations is subjected to extremes of dirt, vibration, heat, and more, pressing mechanical and electrical systems to the limit. When the crushing equipment legacy automation at one site…
Once only suitable for sheltered office installations, Ethernet media and protocols can now efficiently serve and future-proof a variety of industrial applications. Once upon a time (think 1980s), Ethernet was a relatively specialized computer connectivity technology, administrated by experienced gurus under highly-controlled office settings. Since then, technology and performance have advanced incredibly, and much of…
Solar thermal installations need advanced control systems to optimize energy harvesting, storage, and distribution at remote mining operations. For certain applications in the right geographic areas, solar thermal can be a cost effective and low carbon way to supply large-scale heat energy. Flemming Jørgensen, of Jorgensen Thermal solutions, supplies these systems, and he needed to…
Modern multi-axis servo systems require a network for coordination of all the various movements. EtherCAT provides a high-speed cyclic mode that can update all the servo systems on the network within a few milliseconds. EtherCAT multi-axis servo systems can be created using the LS Electric XGB PLC in conjunction with LS Electric iX7 servo systems…