Top 10 Tips: Specifying VFDs (Part One of a Two-Part Series)
+Tech TopicsApplicationAutomation NotebookEnergy/UtilitiesIndustryIssue 20 – 2011Learning ResourcesMachine ControlNotebook IssueProductProgrammable ControlTechnology BriefVariable Speed Drives

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

This is part one of a two-part series on variable frequency drives. VFDs can reduce energy consumption, improve real-time control, and lengthen motor life; selecting the right one for your application requires asking the correct questions. Here are some expert tips to consider. Determine if a VFD is right for your application. The primary function of…
Sam Flournoy - Biodiesel Entrepreneur
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookAutomationDirect SpotlightData CollectionEnergy/UtilitiesIndustryIssue 18 – 2010Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueOperator InterfacePLCProcess Sensing & ControlProductProgrammable ControlStudent SpotlightStudent Spotlight

Sam Flournoy - Biodiesel Entrepreneur

Sam Flournoy first contacted Automation Direct in February of 2009. As a 14-year old who had just finished building a biodiesel processor in his garage, he now wanted to automate the process. We immediately began looking around for the candid camera! But it turns out he was serious, as he was producing about 180 gallons…
AAA Absolute Automation and Electrical Services, Inc. Implements Energy Savings Through Machine Control
ApplicationAutomation NotebookAutomationDirect SpotlightIndustryIssue 17 – 2010Learning ResourcesMachine ControlMotion ControlNotebook IssueOperator InterfaceProcess ControlProductProgrammable ControlSIDirectSystem IntegratorsVariable Speed Drives

AAA Absolute Automation and Electrical Services, Inc. Implements Energy Savings Through Machine Control

AA Absolute Automation And Electrical Services, Inc. is an independent control systems and industrial electrical company based in Covington, Georgia. They provide solutions to both end user and OEM clients in many industries including material handling, chemical processing, food and beverage, metals processing, plastics, recycling and general manufacturing. Services offered range from complete turnkey automation…
Ohio Energy Group Finds Alternative Control
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookEnergy/UtilitiesHMIIndustryIssue 13 – 2009Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueOperator InterfacePLCProcess ControlProductProgrammable ControlUser Solutions

Ohio Energy Group Finds Alternative Control

The Problem I am a member of a small alternative energy group in Ohio. Many of us generate our own power using wind turbines. These wind turbines vary widely from low power to high power and from homemade to high-tech. Among all of this diversity, we had one common problem – we were looking for…
Alternative Energy Helps Industrial Controls "Cut the Cord"
Automation NotebookFeature StoryIssue 13 – 2009Learning ResourcesNotebook Issue

Alternative Energy Helps Industrial Controls "Cut the Cord"

Let’s say you want to improve safety on a remote section of highway through a mountain pass via a road condition monitoring system. A small automatic weather station beside the road plus several cameras in key locations could provide a good approximation of road conditions. This information could be posted on dynamic message signs along…
Natural Gas Reclaimed from Expired Wells
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookEnergy/UtilitiesIndustryIssue 15 – 2009Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueOperator InterfacePLCProcess ControlProductProgrammable ControlUser Solutions

Natural Gas Reclaimed from Expired Wells

Natural gas can come from wells specifically drilled to reach gas trapped in pockets beneath the surface of the Earth. These wells produce huge quantities of gas which can be piped directly to distribution centers and then on to consumers. Some wells produce a lower-quality gas which has to be processed to remove unwanted components…
Transformers: Application, Construction and Efficiencies
+Tech TopicsAutomation NotebookElectrical PowerIssue 15 – 2009Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProductTechnology Brief

Transformers: Application, Construction and Efficiencies

Part One of a Two-Part Series Although most of us have encountered transformers in our professional lives, it’s surprising just how little the average designer or technician knows about them. A transformer’s principal function is to “transform” alternating current from an undesirable voltage to a voltage that is appropriate for the circuit at hand. A…
Industry Slims Down, Peps Up
ApplicationAutomation NotebookCover StoriesEnergy/UtilitiesIndustryIssue 15 – 2009Learning ResourcesManufacturingNotebook IssueOnline Blog

Industry Slims Down, Peps Up

Manufacturers Are Discovering That Producing Smarter Means Cutting Energy It now seems like a thousand years ago, but before the wave of economic bad news, many managers and executives had been weighed down by out of control energy prices, and with a fear that the world was reaching peak oil production and things would get…
Let the Sun Shine In: GA Tech Competes In The Solar Decathlon
Automation NotebookFeature StoryIssue 11 – 2008Learning ResourcesNotebook Issue

Let the Sun Shine In: GA Tech Competes In The Solar Decathlon

We hear every day about the importance of conserving energy and the increasing need to use renewable natural resources. To help educate people on ways to “go green,” various organizations sponsor events which display and explain unique ways one can conserve energy while maintaining an otherwise normal life. One such event is the Solar Decathlon….