Control Intelligence

ARMI/BioFabUSA and Downeast Cider House address manufacturing scalability

New England is a hotbed of growth, from turning live cells into tissue and organs to turning apples into hard-cider blends.

Can digital transformation go hand-in-hand with sustainability?

Digital transformation can enable sustainability when done in an environmentally responsible way. Responsible digital transformation can be achieved through digital technologies that support resource efficiency — such as energy, water, raw materials and reduced waste; to support data-driven decisions that promote sustainability; to support remote access and collaboration, which reduces the need for travel and associated emissions; and to support supply-chain transparency by identifying and eliminating practices that are harmful to the environment; and to support the circular economy, leveraging artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things to reuse and recycle resources.

Selecting and communicating with uninterruptible power supplies

Uninterruptible power supplies are common devices found in almost every enclosure to protect against outages or disruptions. The uninterruptible power supply (UPS) can vary in input or output ranges, and a fundamental choice between alternating current (ac) and direct current (dc) needs to be made.

Emerson’s UPS knowledge and offerings span the spectrum from mounting suggestions to communication options.

The evolution of integrated safety logic

Two decades after its introduction, machine safety technology keeps getting more interesting. Safety in a machine-control context was born in 1996 with the EN 954-1 standard allowing only relay logic or simple electronics. Although process industries have widely used programable safety controllers since the 1980s, it wasn’t until 2002 that NFPA 79 finally allowed for programmable safety controllers in machines.

Today, integrated safety logic has found its way into a great variety of industrial devices, such as DIN-rail or machine-mounted safety I/Os and servo-drive systems. This proliferation of safety hardware and architectures means machine builders can introduce far more safety functionality in more places to better protect people, equipment and products.

Helping OEMs get what they need

WESCO builds, connects, powers and protects the world. Delivering ingenuity and expertise to approximately 150,000 customers worldwide, WESCO helps businesses run smoothly by providing solutions that can increase profitability, improve productivity and mitigate risk. With nearly 1.5 million products and locations in more than 50 countries, WESCO delivers what companies need when they need it.

Automation software development using DevOps strategies

AUTOMATION Studio is the bread and butter of software development at B&R. All B&R hardware is programmed with this integrated development environment. The mechanisms for compiling, creating installation packages and deploying the software are usable outside of Automation Studio itself (i.e., via the command line). Also, the source files within the Automation Studio project are stored in plain text. This makes for easy integration with DevOps practices.

Life is simpler with absolute positioning

Mike Bacidore is joined by Jim Stevens, encoder product specialist, Posital Fraba.

Solutions spotlight: Make the most of cabinet automation

While many facilities have started to move some components out of the cabinet and onto the production line, many are still kept in the cabinet. For those that are in the cabinet, ensuring that panel design encourages component cooling and safety are still essential. In this episode, Control Design Editor in Chief Mike Bacidore speaks with Omron Automation's Matt Mohr about the ins and outs of enclosures. 

Learn more about Omron Automation: https://automation.omron.com/en/us/ 

Read the transcript: https://controldesign.com/21545740 

Connecting data and unlocking new opportunities

In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore talks to Daymon Thompson, senior software product manager at Beckhoff USA. They talk about how machine builders can get off on the right foot in the IoT journey, and how analytics can establish compelling competitive advantages to optimize machine efficiency, and even to create new revenue streams.

Learn more about Beckhoff USA: https://www.beckhoff.com/en-us/ 

Read the transcript: https://www.controldesign.com/podcasts/control-intelligence/connecting-data-and-unlocking-new-opportunities 

Your power supply has something to say: Smart power supplies share their health status

Many pieces of the control system require dc power in order to operate. A power supply failure for a critical process controller or device can lead to an unplanned shutdown of critical plant equipment or processes. Without critical event visibility, plants don't have the necessary tools to troubleshoot issues before they become catastrophic. Fortunately, there are solutions to these problems. Now, there are power supplies that can give you a window into their health. In this episode, Mike Bacidore is joined by Jay Hendrix, product marketing manager of Connected Power at SolaHD Emerson, to discuss the capabilities of smart power supplies.

Learn more about SolaHD Emerson: https://www.appleton.emerson.com/en-us/solahd 

Read the transcript: https://www.controldesign.com/podcasts/control-intelligence/your-power-supply-has-something-to-say