Using thermocouple sensors to measure temperatures in industrial applications. Temperature measurement is one of the most common requirements for any industrial automation or digitally-monitored system. It is often necessary to detect the temperature of gases, liquids, and physical equipment components. The primary contact-based technologies for doing so are thermocouples (TCs), resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), and…
+Tech TopicsDiscrete SensingLearning ResourcesProcess Sensing & ControlProductProgrammable ControlSensors Automation
Basic Sensors - PLC Fundamentals
For a PLC to monitor and in turn control its application variables, there must be a way for it to sense its surroundings. In today’s industrial realm, there are a huge variety of electrical sensors that provide the input data (position, distance, level, flow, etc.) that control systems need. These basic sensors can be broken…
A variety of analog signals must be transmitted to a PLC for monitoring and control, with each processed to ensure correct operation. Winn Paulk, the Automation Controls Group Product Manager at AutomationDirect, wrote an article for the November 2018 issue of Processing magazine titled Configuring analog devices to integrate with PLCs. All programmable logic controllers…
New design improvements have been made to AutomationDirect’s ProSense® line of temperature switches. TSDA25 series temperature switches are a direct replacement for the TSD25 series and provide higher accuracy and a standard sized 6mm diameter probe.
Sensors and transmitters convert a variety of physical properties into discrete and analog signals for use by automation controllers. AutomationDirect offers an assortment of these devices for use in the design and operation of machines and processes to create reliable, robust and consistent automation. It may only take a small change in a physical property…
AutomationDirect’s AcuAmp® line of power products now includes the CTF series 5A secondary current transformers. Designed for applications such as ammeters, wattmeters, panel meters, instrumentation, and energy management systems, these current transformers offer a compact, cost-effective means of measuring primary current.
I’d be willing to bet that the majority of you have come across temperature sensing in some way throughout your industrial automation career. Any takers? I’ll give you 3-to-1 odds! You’d be smart not to take that bet since temperature is one of the most measured parameters in automation. But how does it work? How…
+Tech TopicsDiscrete SensingeBookLearning ResourcesMotorsOnline OnlyPLC eBookProcess Sensing & ControlProductProgrammable Control
Ladder Logic in Action
Ladder logic programming for industrial controllers has evolved significantly over the years, and now supports advanced functionality such as process control, motion control, data manipulation, networking, and data acquisition. However, when you start with a blank page to design a new control system, large or small, there are many basic functions this tried-and-true language is…
+Tech TopicsApplicationEnergy/UtilitiesIndustryLearning ResourcesMachine ControlOnline OnlyProcess Sensing & ControlProductVariable Speed Drives
Trending Towards Green Machines
When wandering the plant floor, keep an eye out for energy wasting machines. Those running conveyors, rattling pumps and hissing air lines on idle equipment not only raise the decibel level in the plant—they also waste energy. With proper monitoring and analysis, machine energy use can be optimized, and these energy saving measures will also improve…
AutomationDirect’s ProSense FSA Series flow transmitters monitor liquid media and provide an analog output proportional to flow rate for various flow applications. Flow transmitters are ideal for applications with rapid temperature changes or where fast response time is required, such as machine tool coolant flow, HVAC cooling water flow, and injection molding cooling water flow….