Easy, Educational, and Entertaining Automation
At AutomationDirect, the goal is to educate customers on the best industrial products for their applications. The mission is also about making industrial control easy — and sometimes even entertaining. In this issue of NOTEBOOK, we demonstrate how AutomationDirect delivers on these important objectives.
Here, we focus on modern PLC programming methods. Specifically, the transformative power of no code/low code and open-source platforms that are enabling more integration and innovation. Using visual interfaces and drag-and-drop programming to reduce coding requirements, these platforms can extend the reach of the controller to integrate Internet of Things (IoT) and other application programming interfaces (APIs). The simplicity of the interface enables non-programmers to participate without having to learn an advanced programming language.
AutomationDirect is supporting the low-code and no-code programming movement with its CLICK PLUS PLC and the C2-NRED intelligent option module enabled.
Another benefit of modern PLCs is the accessibility to industrial data. As more manufacturers depend on data to improve quality control, equipment uptime, and operational responsiveness, they are finding ways to extract, aggregate, and analyze data. Find out how to mine this digital gold in the tech brief Unshackling Industrial Data Access. And do you know how manufacturers get all that digital data? Sensors. These little collection points are constantly capturing information on position, speed, proximity, etc. Choosing the right sensor for the job, however, can be overwhelming. We’re making it easy for you.
Now for the entertainment! We all know it’s hard to get young people interested in engineering when we are competing with social media content creators. But add some animatronics and special effects into the mix and the dynamic changes.
The team at Heemer Crafted is rooted in the “edu-tainment” industry by applying industrial automation to create interactive attractions that can be used across a variety of industries. In the article, Heemer Crafted founder Justin Hiemstra explains how AutomationDirect delivered the technologies needed to create interactive attractions in an agri-tourism environment. This is an interesting success story that is sure to make you smile!
Speaking of success stories, Mel-O-Cream Donuts International is incorporating automation into its operations to ensure product consistency and improve process efficiency. Find out how this 90-year-old company is baking in HMI, sensors, stack lights, and more to perfect the art of donut making.
Of course, there’s so much more to explore in the pages of NOTEBOOK.