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IMI Invests $38M Toward Automation Manufacturing and Sustainability

IMI Invests $38M Toward Automation Manufacturing and Sustainability

Scheduled to open in 2026, the new facility in Lake Forest, CA will primarily be targeted at manufacturing for the CCI actuator and control valve product catalog.


News Feb 17, 2025 by Damond Goodwin
Actuator-Sensor Interface: ASi Installation and Commissioning

Actuator-Sensor Interface: ASi Installation and Commissioning

A common field-level protocol for automation is ASi or AS-interface–a method used to convey actuator and sensor data and commands between I/O devices and the PLC control system level.


DOE Adopts New Energy Standards for Expanded Scope Electric Motors

DOE Adopts New Energy Standards for Expanded Scope Electric Motors

The U.S. Department of Energy has updated its energy conservation standards for expanded scope electric motors, effective April 7, 2025, with compliance required by January 1, 2029.


News Feb 15, 2025 by Austin Futrell
Compact SA1N Sensors Join IDEC’s Expanding PE Lineup

Compact SA1N Sensors Join IDEC’s Expanding PE Lineup

IDEC’s SA1N subminiature photoelectric sensors, just 3cm long, offer built-in amplifiers, flexible cables, and adjustable sensitivity for tight spaces.


News Feb 11, 2025 by Joshua Tidwell
Advantech QFi Enables Long-Distance Vision for Compact Cameras

Advantech QFi Enables Long-Distance Vision for Compact Cameras

Long-distance cameras require high-speed communication technology such as fiber optic cables, but if your camera doesn’t support fiber, you can now convert it with the QFi from Advantech.


News Feb 09, 2025 by Shawn Dietrich
Hands-On with the Arduino Opta Using OpenPLC

Hands-On with the Arduino Opta Using OpenPLC

Using an Arduino Opta PLC, a few off-the-shelf electrical components, and the popular OpenPLC software environment, automation control concepts can be built on your own test bench.


EMIS Releases Three Phase Filter Series for EMI Mitigation

EMIS Releases Three Phase Filter Series for EMI Mitigation

The new TMF3333 EMI filter series is designed to suppress unwanted noise in high-voltage, high-current three-phase applications, specifically for motors and power drive systems.


News Feb 05, 2025 by Damond Goodwin
Capture Critical Data With Banner’s DXMR90-1XE Controller

Capture Critical Data With Banner’s DXMR90-1XE Controller

Banner recently expanded their Snap Signal portfolio, adding the DXMR90-1XE series of industrial controllers, allowing for data transfer with up to four independent networks.


News Feb 01, 2025 by Joshua Tidwell
Gill Instruments Offers Modbus Communication for WindSonic Line

Gill Instruments Offers Modbus Communication for WindSonic Line

WindSonic, Gill Instruments’ two-axis ultrasonic wind sensor line, can now be more easily integrated with existing industrial hardware thanks to the addition of Modbus.


News Jan 31, 2025 by Seth Price
Learn, Adapt, Perform: NEURA Robotics Leaps with NVIDIA Cosmos

Learn, Adapt, Perform: NEURA Robotics Leaps with NVIDIA Cosmos

NEURA Robotics is enhancing its AI capabilities by leveraging NVIDIA’s Cosmos platform. This platform combines synthetic and real-world data, enabling robots to learn and adapt faster.


News Jan 27, 2025 by Austin Futrell
Remote Networking: Explaining VPNs for Control Engineers

Remote Networking: Explaining VPNs for Control Engineers

It can be risky to adopt unknown technology; it poses serious security concerns if misused. The Control.com engineering team contacted our friends at OnLogic to gain some insight into VPN technology.


Beijer Electronics Replaces Ethernet Switch Series for Industrial Networking

Beijer Electronics Replaces Ethernet Switch Series for Industrial Networking

Beijer Electronics has released a new series of industrial-grade unmanaged switches that will replace the company's existing JetNet 3008 series. The new series includes models that support fiber optic connections.


News Jan 21, 2025 by Shawn Dietrich
The IDEC FS1B: Safety Control Made Simple

The IDEC FS1B: Safety Control Made Simple

The FS1B controller from IDEC simplifies installation without programming; simply wire and flip the DIP switches, and the FS1B will do the rest.


News Jan 15, 2025 by Seth Price
The Dirty Details of Electrical Power: Line/Load Reactors and Filters

The Dirty Details of Electrical Power: Line/Load Reactors and Filters

Filters and reactors can protect your electrical devices, but what is the difference between these two kinds of devices, and are they supposed to be installed before or after a VFD?


Shunt Resistors and Applications in the Field of Instrumentation

Shunt Resistors and Applications in the Field of Instrumentation

A shunt resistor connects in series with a load to measure the high current in the DC circuit. Using Ohm's law, the current value can be calculated by measuring the voltage across the shunt.


Intro to CODESYS: First Project Using CMZ Hardware

Intro to CODESYS: First Project Using CMZ Hardware

CODESYS is an automation software that is independent from any one vendor, capable of many PLC, I/O, and motion operations. However, being vendor-agnostic can present challenges. Learn how to get started.


Simplify I/O Junction Boxes with Banner Engineering’s I/O Block

Simplify I/O Junction Boxes with Banner Engineering’s I/O Block

Banner Engineering takes the complexity out of junction boxes with the new JB series I/O junction blocks, which have a number of available configurations and applications.


News Jan 07, 2025 by Shawn Dietrich
Lock Out/Tag Out: The Law, The Purpose, and The Details

Lock Out/Tag Out: The Law, The Purpose, and The Details

The purpose of LOTO is to create a method of reducing the chance that a worker will be exposed to hazardous energy. It’s important for companies to establish an SOP for standardized LOTO practice.


Turck Expands TNIC Line of Industrial Unmanaged Ethernet Switches

Turck Expands TNIC Line of Industrial Unmanaged Ethernet Switches

Turck has added new unmanaged switches to its TNIC series. These Ethernet switches are compact, rugged, and feature a wide operating temperature and voltage range, making them suitable for various industrial applications.


News Jan 05, 2025 by Shawn Dietrich
Pepperl+Fuchs Introduces RFID Read/Write Device for Multi-Tag Reading

Pepperl+Fuchs Introduces RFID Read/Write Device for Multi-Tag Reading

The newest ultra-high frequency RFID reader from Pepperl+Fuchs can read up to 200 tags at a time, enabling bulk tracking of assets and inventory, particularly in gate automation systems in logistics.


News Jan 04, 2025 by Seth Price