Students help Manufacturing Center See AND Do More
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookData System MonitoringEducation/DIYFacilitiesIndustryIssue 27 – 2013Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueOperator InterfacePLCProductProgrammable ControlStudent SpotlightTest and Measurement

Students help Manufacturing Center See AND Do More

When the mechatronics students at Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) in Hickory, North Carolina, went looking for a suitable project to challenge their recently acquired PLC and HMI skills, they didn’t have to go far. The Problem The college’s Manufacturing Solutions Center (MSC) in nearby Conover needed a way to monitor the status of a…
DaMan Revealed During the Final Four Activities in Atlanta
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookEntertainmentIndustryIssue 26 – 2013Learning ResourcesMachine ControlNotebook IssuePLCProductProgrammable ControlUser Solutions

DaMan Revealed During the Final Four Activities in Atlanta

Earl Bouse, with E. Larue Enterprises in Dahlonega, GA., has been developing his idea of the “perfect” automated basketball defender for the last two and a half years. Although Bouse says that his DaMan creation is not quite ready for prime time, he is ready for prospective customer feedback and field tests.
Automation ‘Lifts’ Purdue Theater Production of Medea
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookAutomationDirect SpotlightEducation/DIYEntertainmentIndustryIssue 26 – 2013Learning ResourcesMachine ControlNotebook IssuePLCProductProgrammable ControlStudent SpotlightStudent Spotlight

Automation ‘Lifts’ Purdue Theater Production of Medea

From Wikipedia[1]: “A mechane (pron.: /’mɛkəniː/; Greek: μηχανή, mēkhanē) or machine was a crane used in Greek theatre, especially in the 5th and 4th centuries BC. Made of wooden beams and pulley systems, the device was used to lift an actor into the air, usually representing flight. This stage machine was particularly used to bring gods…
PLCs & PACs Simplify Data Acquisition | White Paper
ApplicationData and IIoTData CollectionIIoT and DataLearning ResourcesProductProgrammable ControlWhite PapersWhitepapers

PLCs & PACs Simplify Data Acquisition | White Paper

In today’s competitive market, companies need detailed and timely information about process variables, and production amounts, as well as alarms in real time. In the past, PLCs did not have the capabilities to provide such information, and PACs were not yet widely available. Fortunately, newer PLCs and PACs can perform many data acquisition tasks within…
Illinois Institute of Technology Competes in Hybrid Racing
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookAutomationDirect SpotlightEducation/DIYEnergy/UtilitiesIndustryIssue 25 – 2013Learning ResourcesMachine ControlNotebook IssueOperator InterfaceProductProgrammable ControlStudent SpotlightStudent Spotlight

Illinois Institute of Technology Competes in Hybrid Racing

A student team, lead by Donald Ruffatto, from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) SAE International chapter contacted AutomationDirect in late 2011, asking detailed questions about our Productivity3000 Programmable Automation Controller (PAC). They were planning to use it to control an electric car that they were building for the Formula Hybrid International Competition, hosted by…
DG Controls
Automation NotebookAutomationDirect SpotlightIssue 25 – 2013Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProductProgrammable ControlSIDirectSystem Integrators

DG Controls

In this issue of Automation Notebook, we introduce you to Dan Gulley of DG Controls in York, Alabama. With over 30 years of designing and troubleshooting industrial machine controls and system integration, they are experts when it comes to custom control panels and retrofitting equipment. How did you get started in your Controls/Engineering career? My…
Automating a Donut Packaging and Labeling Line
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookDrivesFood and BeverageFood Beverage AutomationIndustryIssue 25 – 2013Learning ResourcesMachine ControlMaterial HandlingNotebook IssuePackagingPLCProductProgrammable ControlUser SolutionsVariable Speed Drives

Automating a Donut Packaging and Labeling Line

When people hear the name Mel-O-Cream, they usually think of donuts. Founded in 1932 as a retail shop in Springfield, Ill, Mel-O-Cream International (www.mel-o-cream.com) manufactures bakery products, primarily for wholesale distribution to supermarkets and bakeries.