AutomationDirect’s Productivity Suite PLC programming software version 2.4 provides two new software communications enhancements for the Productivity series controllers. Custom Protocol over Ethernet (CPE) is a new feature that allows programmers to create their own Hex-based communications protocol between the Productivity series CPU
AutomationDirect has extended their line of Marathon motors. There are 10 New NEMA 182TC or 184TC frame Marathon motors with YxxxA catalog numbers that match frame size, horsepower and are equivalent in dimension, weight and performance to non “A” suffix models they replace. Refer to the motor drawings for any minor differences from the previous models.
Linear motion actuators are used in factories for pick and place operations, CNC lasers and routers, complex adhesive application or whenever super-precise and accurate positioning is required.
ApplicationApplication StoriesEducation/DIYEntertainmentHMIIndustryMachine ControlOnline OnlyOperator InterfacePLCPneumaticsPneumaticsProductProgrammable ControlVariable Speed Drives
The Halloween Box
In every haunted house, you’ll find automated props: chairs that rock on their own, slamming doors, rattling chains, drawers opening and closing as if by some supernatural force. These “tricks” enhance the “treat” of getting the life scared out of you. The process behind making a Halloween prop can be quite simple. Here is just…
October 5, 2016 – AutomationDirect’s SureMotion line of motion control products now includes additional synchronous timing belts and pulleys for small motor applications. An excellent choice for many industrial applications, SureMotion MXL series timing belts are 1/4-inch wide, have a 0.080-inch pitch, and are available in neoprene with fiberglass reinforcement and urethane with polyester reinforcement…
On a walk around most any city, you’ll discover dozens of gray “boxes” that are fast becoming an ordinary part of the landscape. You can see these “boxes” attached to utility poles, along sidewalks, and near businesses and schools. Such “boxes” are really enclosures that protect wiring and electrical components vital to our ever-increasing automated…
ApplicationApplication StoriesCompany TopicsDrivesEducation/DIYIndustryMachine ControlMotion ControlNewsOnline OnlyProduct
Lock-Jaw2 Robot Competes in BattleBots TV Show Using AutomationDirect Parts
Robots Activate! Is a familiar phrase to those fans who follow the BattleBots competition which just completed its 2016 season broadcast on ABC Television in the United States. One of the BattleBots competition veterans, Donald Hutson, has been involved since the show began and has been on the robot combat circuit since 1986.
Part presence sensing is a critical part of automation. A controller must often sense a part is present in a fixture, or sense the part position on a conveyor, to make logic decisions such as run, stop, etc. Presence sensor types include photoelectric, inductive, capacitive and others—and this abundance of choices can complicate specifying the…
AutomationDirect’s enclosure offering now includes rugged INTEGRA polycarbonate enclosures. Integra’s superior polycarbonate design provides an enclosure that is
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookEducation/DIYIndustryIssue 36 - 2016Learning ResourcesMachine ControlNotebook IssuePLCProductProgrammable ControlUser Solutions
Keeping the World's Largest Model Train Display On Track
Ahhh… model train displays. There is just something about walking into a showroom with model trains in operation. But what does it take to control the world’s largest indoor train display with over 80?