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Power for Control Circuits: It’s Not Just Power Supplies

Power for Control Circuits: It’s Not Just Power Supplies

Power supplies tend to get a reputation as one of the most important power considerations of a DC control circuit - but we can’t ignore other key players: power filters, converters, and backup power modules.


Festo Releases the First Pneumatic Collaborative Robot

Festo Releases the First Pneumatic Collaborative Robot

Festo has recently announced a new product, the first pneumatic collaborative robot, with the hopes of bringing automation to a wider range of customers and application scenarios.


News May 25, 2022 by Damond Goodwin
Acoustic Monitoring to Detect Hidden Machine Failures

Acoustic Monitoring to Detect Hidden Machine Failures

Hello acoustics, my old friend. I've come to monitor you again. Because a worn-out bearing softly creeping, slowly got worse while I was sleeping. And the vibration that was planted in my brain still remains… Within the sound of Maintenance


Using AWS Greengrass and SageMaker Tools to Detect Manufacturing Defects

Using AWS Greengrass and SageMaker Tools to Detect Manufacturing Defects

This article discusses Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon SageMaker and AWS IoT Greengrass, and how their capabilities at the edge can impact machine learning use cases such as defect defection.


Controlling Hydraulic Devices with Open and Closed Loop Systems

Controlling Hydraulic Devices with Open and Closed Loop Systems

What if you could control the end position and the speed of a hydraulic actuator accurately with just a simple signal? Some systems use simple open/close valves, but others require far more precision.


FANUC Corporation Europe Introduces New 35 kg Payload Cobot

FANUC Corporation Europe Introduces New 35 kg Payload Cobot

FANUC announces the release of its latest CR Series cobot, the CR-35iB, stronger and lighter for improved functionality and portability and faster installation.


News May 23, 2022 by Stephanie Leonida
New LEG Series from SMC: Electric Actuator with Battery-less Encoder

New LEG Series from SMC: Electric Actuator with Battery-less Encoder

SMC announces a new electric actuator series with high-rigidity guide rods, equipped with a battery-less encoder, driven by stepper motor and matching drive compatible with multiple networks.


News May 21, 2022 by David Peterson
Vision Systems and AI Make Smarter Marine Applications

Vision Systems and AI Make Smarter Marine Applications

Ships have navigated the face of the earth far longer than any other modern transportation vehicle. But what sorts of advanced technologies are being used to increase safety and reliability of ocean-going vessels?


News May 20, 2022 by Shawn Dietrich
Variable Frequency Drives: Managing Network Outage Responses

Variable Frequency Drives: Managing Network Outage Responses

Even with the most reliable networks, network outages are inevitable for a host of reasons, and managing these outages in VFD systems becomes critically important.


Control.com Announces Control Automation Day 2022!

Control.com Announces Control Automation Day 2022!

Control Automation Day 2022 will be on June 21st, focusing on PLC systems, packed with keynote addresses, educational live sessions, and exciting giveaways from your favorite manufacturers!


News May 18, 2022 by David Peterson
How-To: Implementing a Data Highway Plus (DH+) System

How-To: Implementing a Data Highway Plus (DH+) System

Allen Bradley’s Data Highway Plus (DH+) networking ability is still found commonly in interfaces with legacy equipment. Understanding this network structure can bridge the gap between old and new systems.


Visualizing Noise with Seven Bel’s Sound Scanner P132

Visualizing Noise with Seven Bel’s Sound Scanner P132

Seven Bel’s “sound camera” visualizes sources of physical sound to detect and isolate problems within industrial equipment, pinpointing and identifying trouble spots for predictive maintenance solutions.


News May 17, 2022 by Seth Price
DHL Pilots Robotic System to Increase Distribution Efficiency and Accuracy

DHL Pilots Robotic System to Increase Distribution Efficiency and Accuracy

Robotic sorting systems allow DHL to increase speed and accuracy for customers, but in a recent interview with Control Automation, we learned about some key exciting accomplishments of the new system.


News May 16, 2022 by Damond Goodwin
SGN and ULC Technologies Unveil World’s First Robotics Roadworks System

SGN and ULC Technologies Unveil World’s First Robotics Roadworks System

SGN and ULC Technologies introduce their all-electric autonomous robot for road and infrastructure repair, the Robotic Roadworks and Excavation System, which is set to begin UK trials in Epsom, Surrey.


News May 16, 2022 by Stephanie Leonida
Contactors versus Relays - Differences and Applications

Contactors versus Relays - Differences and Applications

Although the are similarities in operating theory, relays and contactors are used in industrial circuits for different specific applications, and should not be used interchangeably.


Robots and CNC Machines - An Assembly Configuration Made in Heaven

Robots and CNC Machines - An Assembly Configuration Made in Heaven

Our own Control Automation engineering staff had the opportunity to visit VersaBuilt, a CNC robotic integration shop offering an application system from the Universal Robots UR+ series.


Climate FieldView Links Ag Users to VariMax’s Irrigation Solutions

Climate FieldView Links Ag Users to VariMax’s Irrigation Solutions

Climate FieldView recently made an agreement with VariMax Systems to provide agriculture customers with VariMax’s N-CHECK and WATER-CHECK nitrogen and irrigation management tools.


News May 12, 2022 by Stephanie Leonida
Adlink Releases EOS-JNX Series AI-Capable Camera System

Adlink Releases EOS-JNX Series AI-Capable Camera System

Adlink’s new EOS-JNX Series vision systems are equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) capability and offer new possibilities in security and plant monitoring.


News May 11, 2022 by Seth Price
Kaman’s New ThreadChecker for Threaded Hole Drill Verification

Kaman’s New ThreadChecker for Threaded Hole Drill Verification

Kaman Precision Products, a worldwide leader in inductive sensing technology, released the ThreadChecker line of sensors for detecting the presence of threads in a drilled hole with speed and accuracy.


News May 10, 2022 by David Peterson
The Cat’s Out of the Bag - Demystifying Network Cables

The Cat’s Out of the Bag - Demystifying Network Cables

What’s the difference between a Cat 6 and a Cat 6a cable, anyhow? Ethernet cables must meet certain performance standards, and these standards can be quite confusing at first glance.