People's Choice for a Cost-Effective and Energy-Efficient Solar-Powered Home
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookAutomationDirect SpotlightDrivesEducation/DIYEnergy/UtilitiesHMIIndustryIssue 29 - 2014Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueOperator InterfacePLCProcess ControlProductProgrammable ControlStudent SpotlightStudent SpotlightVariable Speed Drives

People's Choice for a Cost-Effective and Energy-Efficient Solar-Powered Home

UrbanEden, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s entry to the Solar Decathlon 2013, is a concept home consisting of four connected indoor and outdoor spaces that create a unique
Switching to Do-more Saves Time
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookData System MonitoringEnergy/UtilitiesIndustryIssue 27 – 2013Learning ResourcesNotebook IssuePLCProductProgrammable ControlUser Solutions

Switching to Do-more Saves Time

Almost 14 years ago, I converted the controls in my 80KW hydro electric plant, located in the mountains of western North Carolina, from custom micro-controller cards I developed while at Georgia Tech to the DirectLOGIC DL205 PLC with a D2-260 CPU. In 2013, it was time to make some upgrades to the plant by adding…
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…
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…
Gas Turbine Repurposed With PLCs
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookAutomationDirect SpotlightData CollectionData System MonitoringEducation/DIYEnergy/UtilitiesHMIIndustryIssue 24 - 2012Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueOperator InterfacePLCProductProgrammable ControlStudent SpotlightStudent Spotlight

Gas Turbine Repurposed With PLCs

The Midwest Propulsion Group is a jet engine club dedicated to increasing the engineering knowledge and experience base of students by providing real-world engineering tasks related to gas turbine restoration and performance analysis, as well as finding vehicular applications for such engines.
Reducing Total Cost of Ownership
+Tech TopicsApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookCover StoriesEnergy/UtilitiesFacilitiesIndustryIssue 24 - 2012Learning ResourcesManufacturingNotebook IssuePLCProcess ControlProductProgrammable Control

Reducing Total Cost of Ownership

Automation is a key component when developing strategies to help customers reduce their operating costs. Many times when making buying decisions, people look only at the initial price of an item without considering other factors that contribute to the overall cost of owning that product. For example, a certain laptop may seem like a great…
Bio Diesel Fuel Gets a Boost from Automation
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookEnergy/UtilitiesHMIIndustryIssue 23 – 2012Learning ResourcesNotebook IssuePLCPneumaticsPneumaticsProcess ControlProcess Sensing & ControlProductProgrammable ControlSimple PLCUser Solutions

Bio Diesel Fuel Gets a Boost from Automation

Systems produce bio diesel for a total cost as low as 67 cents per gallon, turning waste into profit. Imagine if restaurants and other commercial food enterprises could turn used kitchen oil into fuel instead of simply disposing of it. Then imagine if they could do that in an economic and automated way for a…
Cellular Remote Access Gives Companies Competitive Edge
+Tech TopicsApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookData and IIoTData CollectionData System MonitoringFeature StoryHMIIIoT and DataIssue 22 – 2012Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueOperator InterfaceProduct

Cellular Remote Access Gives Companies Competitive Edge

Internet and cellular technology make monitoring and control easier than ever. The automation world, with its distant and often isolated sites, has long sought reliable remote access to cut costs and improve reliability. Instead of sending technicians to distant locations, operators can now access critical information and control systems quickly and easily.
+Tech TopicsAutomation NotebookIssue 21 – 2011Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProductTechnology BriefVariable Speed Drives

Top 10 Tips: Specifying VFDs (Part Two of a Two-Part Series)

This is part two of a two-part series on variable frequency drives. In Part One, we discussed how choosing the right variable frequency drive (VFD) can reduce energy consumption, improve realtime control, and lengthen motor life. Here are more expert tips to consider. Select the Proper Control Mode VFD control mode choice greatly depends on…