As with any engineering decision, it’s always best to put it on paper first to see the “big picture”. The same holds true when choosing the most effective PLC for your application. This choice depends on a number of factors and the following steps serve as a checklist of things to consider when determining PLC ... Read More
With the release of the Productivity1000, the newest and smallest of the Productivity Series controllers, we now have a scalable product offering that gives you the flexibility to design your control system program for a broad range of applications and sizes, without sacrificing functionality. The Productivity1000 (P1000) is a compact, stackable micro Programmable Logic Controller ... Read More
KCC Software fuels the safe and reliable upgrade of a highly flammable, corrosive and toxic gas distribution system for semiconductor tools. A semiconductor manufacturer of memory and drive head technologies, Headway Technologies in Milpitas, California is a part of the TDK group of companies, the largest independent recording head supplier in the disk drive industry. ... 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
