How to Control a Stepper Motor
Motion ControlProduct

How to Control a Stepper Motor

Stepper motors use specialized control methods to achieve better precision than standard variable speed motors, while avoiding the expense and complexity of servo systems. For industrial automation, the term motion control usually means using an electric motor to positively drive the position, velocity, and acceleration of a physical system. Pneumatics are economical, and hydraulics can…
What is a Safety Laser Scanner?
ProductSafety

What is a Safety Laser Scanner?

There are many safety devices available to ensure machine safety and to detect personnel entering unsafe areas. Cable pull switches, safety light curtains and interlock switches (non-contact and the many types of tongue interlock switches) are just a few of them. Most of you have probably heard of, or used, these devices in some capacity,…
Automation Designed for Resiliency
Programmable Control

Automation Designed for Resiliency

To achieve the automation resilience needed for most industrial applications, a balanced combination of products and practices must be integrated. Bill Dehner, technical marketing engineer for AutomationDirect, wrote an article for the May 2021 issue of Control Engineering titled Automation Built for Resiliency . Here’s a summary, click on the link above for the full…
Modern PLCs Break Out of Industrial Automation Limitations
Issue 46, 2021Notebook IssueProductProgrammable Control

Modern PLCs Break Out of Industrial Automation Limitations

Old-fashioned automation architectures suffer from complexity and slow communications. See how today’s PLC advances boost simplicity and performance. Damon Purvis, PLC Product Manager at AutomationDirect, an article for the April 2021 edition of Machine Design. The article is titled The PLC Breaks Out! and it looks at how modern PLCs can streamline classically rigid architectures…
What is VFD Safe Torque Off, and How Does it Improve Safety?
AC Motors and ControlsIssue 47 -2022MotorsProduct

What is VFD Safe Torque Off, and How Does it Improve Safety?

The safe torque off function built-in to modern VFDs significantly improves the integration of emergency stops. Kevin Kakascik, Technical Marketing Engineer with AutomationDirect, wrote an article for the May-June 2021 issue of Industrial Equipment News. The article, titled Motor Drive Safe Torque Off Improves Equipment Safety, explains the capability and how to use it. Here’s…
What is a Solenoid Valve?
PneumaticsProduct

What is a Solenoid Valve?

Valves are fundamental devices for controlling gas and liquid flow, and adding solenoids enables them to be remotely controlled and automated. Valves come in many shapes and sizes and are a basic type of mechanical component used in all manner of equipment, machinery, and processes. Valves can physically be opened or closed completely, and sometimes…
Electronic Circuit Breakers Provide Smarter Protection
Circuit ProtectionProduct

Electronic Circuit Breakers Provide Smarter Protection

New technologies deliver higher performance and advanced monitoring and control capabilities as compared to traditional fuses and circuit breakers. Kevin Kakascik, Technical Marketing Engineer with AutomationDirect, wrote an article for the April 2021 issue of Design World. Titled Machine Circuit Protection Gets Smart, the article describes traditional circuit protection methods and how there is now…
The ProductivityOpen Chosen as Plant Engineering 2020 Product of the Year Grand Award Recipient
Company TopicsIssue 46, 2021NewsNotebook IssueProductProgrammable Control

The ProductivityOpen Chosen as Plant Engineering 2020 Product of the Year Grand Award Recipient

The innovative AutomationDirect ProductivityOpen controller combines the IT-centric open-source capabilities of an Arduino® microcontroller with the robust reliability needed for industrial OT applications, leading to end user recognition for Plant Engineering’s highest award. AutomationDirect’s ProductivityOpen controller was announced as a Plant Engineering 2020 Grand Award recipient. This is the highest award a product can receive…
Managed vs Unmanaged Switches?
Communications

Managed vs Unmanaged Switches?

Unmanaged switches may be able to do the job in some applications, but managed switches deliver improved performance and cybersecurity. Bill Dehner, technical marketing engineer for AutomationDirect, wrote an article for the February 2020 issue of Applied Automation titled How to Choose Between Managed and Unmanaged Switches. Here’s a summary, click on the link above…
White Paper: When to Use Steppers for Motion Control
Motion ControlMotorsProductUncategorized

White Paper: When to Use Steppers for Motion Control

Stepper motors can be the best option, even for precision motion control applications, while avoiding the expense and complexity of servo motors. Standard AC induction and DC motors can only produce basic motion control, and servo motor solutions provide exceptional performance but drive up costs and complexity. For many motion control applications, stepper motor solutions…