Keep Things Simple to Create Great Automation HMI Designs for Your Applications
CommunicationsProduct

Keep Things Simple to Create Great Automation HMI Designs for Your Applications

Human-machine interface (HMI) design standards vary and evolve, but end users always appreciate simplicity and clarity. Bill Dehner, a Technical Marketing Manager at AutomationDirect, wrote an article for the February 2020 Applied Automation supplement of Plant Engineering titled Configure Intuitive HMI Screens to Simplify Automation, detailing some HMI configuration best practices. Here’s a summary, click…
Automating the Hendrick’s Gin Grand Garnisher
Application StoriesDrivesHMIIssue 44 - 2020Notebook IssueOperator InterfaceProductVariable Speed Drives

Automating the Hendrick’s Gin Grand Garnisher

The Grand Garnisher has been turning heads as it tours the United States and Europe. AutomationDirect hardware and software automation underpins the attractive, steampunk contraption. By Stuart Ostroff, Salmon Studios Picture this: you are in the back garden of the grand duke’s estate, enjoying social hour with great company, a botanical cocktail in your hand….
CLICK PLC and C-more Integral for Emergency Ventilator
Application StoriesCommunicationsHMIIssue 44 - 2020PLCProductProgrammable Control

CLICK PLC and C-more Integral for Emergency Ventilator

Using readily available AutomationDirect parts, an Auburn University team converted a CPAP machine to a high-functioning emergency ventilator in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the threat of ventilator shortages during the COVID-19 crisis, various organizations called on developers to build “emergency ventilators”. A team at Auburn University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering went…
Pneumatic Air Preparation Basics
PneumaticsProduct

Pneumatic Air Preparation Basics

Top tips for supplying clean and regulated air for best pneumatic equipment performance. Kevin Kakascik, Technical Marketing Engineer at AutomationDirect, wrote an article for the January 2020 issue of Hydraulics & Pneumatics titled The Principles of Pneumatic Air Preparation. Here’s a summary, click on the link above for the full text. For industrial pneumatics systems,…
2-for-1 Control Panel Components Deliver Savings
Circuit ProtectionProduct

2-for-1 Control Panel Components Deliver Savings

Control panel real estate is always at a premium. These innovative solutions help designers save space, time, and money. Brent Purdy, Product Manager for Power & Circuit Protection at AutomationDirect, wrote an article for the January/February 2020 issue of Industrial Equipment News titled Saving Time and Money with Control Panel 2-for-1 Components. Here’s a summary,…
Surveying the Industrial Sensor Landscape
Discrete SensingProduct

Surveying the Industrial Sensor Landscape

With so many industrial sensing technologies available, a general understanding of benefits and costs helps designers select the best types for their applications. Andrew Waugh, Product Manager for Sensor and Safety products at AutomationDirect, wrote an article for the February 2020 issue of Design World titled A Look at the Industrial Sensors Landscape, providing an…
Water Utility Improves Operations with Standardized Automation
Application StoriesCommunicationsHMIIndustryPLCProductProgrammable ControlWater/Wastewater

Water Utility Improves Operations with Standardized Automation

See how a water utility standardized around AutomationDirect products to improve operations while saving time and money. A team of operations, maintenance, and engineering personnel at Helix Water District in San Diego, CA has retrofitted and constructed many sites using automation hardware and best practices based on AutomationDirect products. David Reagan wrote an article with…
ProductivityOpen - Maker In, Industrial Out
Issue 43 - 2020Open source controlProductProgrammable Control

ProductivityOpen - Maker In, Industrial Out

By Bill Dehner, Technical Marketer, AutomationDirect One of the most talked about new trends in industrial automation is the use of single-board microcontrollers. These controllers, along with their open-sourced programs, have begun to show up in industrial applications. Many up-and-comers, introduced to this type of control early on, are fueling this trend but if you come…
Does Your PLC Talk JSON?
+Tech TopicsIssue 43 - 2020Learning ResourcesProductProgrammable Control

Does Your PLC Talk JSON?

The newest PLCs can communicate directly with internet websites, creating new automation possibilities. By Eric Witcher, AutomationDirect The July 2019 issue of Control Engineering magazine featured a cover story describing how modern industrial controllers are now able to interact directly with internet resources. Titled Benefits of Connecting a PLC to the Internet, this article shows…