Choosing the most effective controller requires careful evaluation of multiple requirements. Jeff Payne, Automation Controls Group Product Manager at AutomationDirect, wrote an article appearing in the August 2018 issue of Applied Automation titled How to Choose an Industrial Automation Controller. There are many important items to consider when choosing a controller for machine and process ... Read More
Jerry Reaves, PLC silo product manager at AutomationDirect, wrote an article for the July 2018 issue of Control Engineering titled Comparing ladder logic and object oriented programming In the article, he discussed how many young automation professionals are comfortable with object oriented programming (OOP), but Reaves says ladder logic remains the standard for industrial automation applications: ... Read More
The journey from theory to reality can be fraught with the unexpected and not as clear-cut as it seems on paper. Even the most direct path from concept to completion can have external influences, that might seem irrelevant at the time or might not be known at all, which can cause undesirable results in the ... Read More
Manny Salazar, the Manager at Automated Integration LLC, wrote an article titled Roller Coaster Overhaul for the April 2018 issue of Automation World. The article told the story on how Automated Integration replaced an old PLC, a bunch of relays and what seemed like miles of wire when upgrading the control and safety system on ... Read More
By now you know that CLICK PLCs are considered one of the easiest PLCs to use and the perfect choice for beginners and small applications. I know you know that, because I am one of the many who keeps bringing it up. As a technical marketer for AutomationDirect, my job is to let you know ... Read More
2017 proved to be a stellar year for U.S. manufacturing with strong growth in 16 of the 18 manufacturing industries polled for ISM’s December 2017 survey. With machinery and computer and electronic products leading the way, U.S. manufacturing is expanding at a rate not seen in 13 years according to a BloombergMarkets article on the ... Read More
Jeff Payne, the Automation Controls Group Product Manager at AutomationDirect, penned an article titled Product Design: Incorporating Commercial Technologies into Industrial Controllers for the February 2018 issue of Control Engineering. The article looked at some of the commercial off-the-shelf or COTS technologies used in industrial controllers. These technologies include Ethernet, FPGAs, USB, MicroSD and others. ... Read More
In addition to following industry regulations, internal company standards should be created and adhered to so existing and new plant automation system designs are consistent. These internal standards should help define best practices and provide clear guidelines for system design, and for hardware and software used on the factory floor. If not, you may have ... Read More
PMMI Media Group’s Automation World magazine announced the First Team category leaders in the 2017 Leadership in Automation Program on January 11, 2018. Automation World, a leading business magazine serving automation professionals, launched this community-based program in January 2017.
When automating machines or processes, picking the right controller hardware is important, and the application often drives the selection process. However, the programming software can make development, startup and operation easier—and is therefore an important factor in the buying decision. Jeff Payne, the Automation Controls Group Product Manager at AutomationDirect, wrote an article titled How ... Read More
