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What is a Safety PLC?

What is a Safety PLC?

This article investigates the basic qualities that make up a safety PLC, what distinguishes a safety PLC from a standard model, and the reasons for which a safety PLC may be critical.


Understanding RMS and True RMS for Meters and Mechanical Measurements

Understanding RMS and True RMS for Meters and Mechanical Measurements

Electrical and mechanical measurements are often labeled with "RMS" and "True RMS." Aside from the simple math definitions we learned in electronics class, why is this distinction actually important?


ATX West Heads to Anaheim, and Control.com Will See You There!

ATX West Heads to Anaheim, and Control.com Will See You There!

They said California’s is the place you oughtta spend time, so they loaded up the bots and they drove to Anaheim. Convention Center, that is. Automation cells, medical manufacturing…


News Jan 29, 2024 by David Peterson
 Siemens and AWS Open Up Access to Generative AI in Software Development

Siemens and AWS Open Up Access to Generative AI in Software Development

Siemens and Amazon Web Services have been partners for over 10 years, and their latest collaboration aims to alleviate the strain of the skilled labor shortage through the use of generative AI.


News Jan 26, 2024 by Damond Goodwin
Relays, Relays, and More Relays: 7 Kinds of Industrial Relays

Relays, Relays, and More Relays: 7 Kinds of Industrial Relays

Have you ever heard of a relay? Of course you have. There are many different kinds, plus hundreds of different trade lingo names. What are some of the most common, and how do we use them?


Advantech’s WISE-2460 and WISE-2460P Make Vibration Sensing Easy

Advantech’s WISE-2460 and WISE-2460P Make Vibration Sensing Easy

Advantech’s new smart vibration sensors are designed for advanced detection of failures, well before an unplanned downtime event spirals out of control.


News Jan 24, 2024 by Seth Price
A Better Fit: Comparing Electrical Systems vs. Pneumatic Systems

A Better Fit: Comparing Electrical Systems vs. Pneumatic Systems

Knowing what kind of control system to use: that’s a question that must be answered before setting up the factory floor. Why would someone choose pneumatic over electrical controls?


New Aircore EC Motors: Infinitum Eases Installation and Energy Burdens

New Aircore EC Motors: Infinitum Eases Installation and Energy Burdens

A recent innovation from Infinitum has seen the launch of the next generation of the Aircore EC motor lineup, with a PCB stator and greatly reduced weight for energy efficiency in motion industries.


News Jan 22, 2024 by David Peterson
Accurately Record Cable Cuts With Aufmaster and HELUKABEL

Accurately Record Cable Cuts With Aufmaster and HELUKABEL

HELUKABEL now offers the Aufmaster, a measurement tool that will digitize and track cable consumption in the office, warehouse, or on the job site.


News Jan 22, 2024 by Shawn Dietrich
Siemens, Mitsubishi, RoboSense, and Shift Robotics | Latest Technology at CES 2024

Siemens, Mitsubishi, RoboSense, and Shift Robotics | Latest Technology at CES 2024

Explore some of the latest industrial innovations exhibited at the globally renowned tech event, CES 2024, where artificial intelligence is today’s buzzword within the industrial metaverse.


News Jan 19, 2024 by Stephanie Leonida
How Do You ‘Megger’ a Motor? Understanding Motor Insulation Resistance

How Do You ‘Megger’ a Motor? Understanding Motor Insulation Resistance

Within motors, two very different types of resistance are evident. The resistance of the windings is measured with a normal multimeter. But what is insulation resistance, and how is it measured?


Electrical Drawings, Schematics, and Wiring Diagrams: How to Read Them

Electrical Drawings, Schematics, and Wiring Diagrams: How to Read Them

In order to trace control system problems to the core, the ability to read and interpret various resources, from facility-level diagrams to machine-level wiring layouts, is critical.


Mitsubishi Electric and TXOne Networks Team Up To Expand OT Security

Mitsubishi Electric and TXOne Networks Team Up To Expand OT Security

Mitsubishi Electric and TXOne Networks are addressing growing cyber threats in industrial operations by combining their expertise to strengthen their respective operational technology security businesses.


News Jan 12, 2024 by Stephanie Leonida
SMC Releases Dual-speed and Water-resistant Controllers for Flow Control

SMC Releases Dual-speed and Water-resistant Controllers for Flow Control

SMC has released two new flow control valves for controlling the speed of pneumatic devices, one fit for wash-down environments and one that offers metering-in and metering-out in one valve.


News Jan 10, 2024 by Shawn Dietrich
What is a Soft Start? Reducing Start-up Load on Motor Circuits

What is a Soft Start? Reducing Start-up Load on Motor Circuits

Controlling the startup of a motor not only reduces the wear on the motor, but eases the burden on the electrical supply, reducing infrastructure demands and the running cost of industrial loads.


HMS Networks To Acquire Red Lion, Expanding North American Presence

HMS Networks To Acquire Red Lion, Expanding North American Presence

HMS Networks is set to expand its influence in the North American market through its definitive agreement to acquire Red Lion Controls. The $345 million deal is expected to close in early 2024.


News Jan 04, 2024 by Stephanie Leonida
Data Flow Tutorial With Mage.ai | Part 6: Refined Data Presentation

Data Flow Tutorial With Mage.ai | Part 6: Refined Data Presentation

We conclude the data flow project with the step of developing a business intelligence dashboard to present machine data, at a reliable schedule, to a leadership or maintenance team.


Star-Delta Wiring for Reduced Voltage Starting of 3-Phase Motors

Star-Delta Wiring for Reduced Voltage Starting of 3-Phase Motors

Digital controls like VFDs and soft starts have advantages by elongating start time, but simple strategies for starting motors with a reduced current draw, like star-delta (or wye-delta) are common.


Doosan Group To Reveal Green, Autonomous Technology at CES 2024

Doosan Group To Reveal Green, Autonomous Technology at CES 2024

Doosan Group will be unveiling its latest innovations at CES 2024. The company will showcase its green-centric, future-thinking technology from Doosan Robotics, Bobcat, Enerbility, and HyAxiom.


News Jan 02, 2024 by Stephanie Leonida
SMC Releases New Condensation Checker and Flow Controller for Water

SMC Releases New Condensation Checker and Flow Controller for Water

SMC has released two new components: a digital temperature and humidity switch to monitor moisture in pneumatic systems and a flow controller for water to be used in cooling systems.


News Dec 31, 2023 by Shawn Dietrich