Latest Building Articles

Counting up and down are commonly required functions in PLC lagger logic programs for tracking inventories, placement…

Counting up and down are commonly required functions in PLC lagger logic programs for tracking inventories, placement patterns, and gaining informational insights about machine performance statistics.

Designing an obsolescence mitigation plan to detect and solve mitigation risks before they occur is key to avoiding…

Designing an obsolescence mitigation plan to detect and solve mitigation risks before they occur is key to avoiding costly downtime and a potential catastrophe in control environments. 

Control engineering is integrally woven together with electricity and electrical circuits. Even so, sometimes the most…

Control engineering is integrally woven together with electricity and electrical circuits. Even so, sometimes the most basic scenarios become misunderstood through lack of training or experience.

One of the most considerable risks in aging control environments is that eventually, spare parts become obsolete and…

One of the most considerable risks in aging control environments is that eventually, spare parts become obsolete and unavailable, and the lack of an upgrade plan can turn a simple failure into a catastrophe.

Credited with coining the name ‘PLC’, Allen-Bradley and parent company Rockwell Automation are major players in the…

Credited with coining the name ‘PLC’, Allen-Bradley and parent company Rockwell Automation are major players in the world of control systems. Learn how the hardware platforms have evolved into the familiar modern configurations.

Many companies offer automation solutions that work from the beginning to the end of a process. Not the progress of the…

Many companies offer automation solutions that work from the beginning to the end of a process. Not the progress of the product through the facility, but rather hardware from the shop floor to the cloud level and everything in between. We highlight here some solutions from Emerson and Bosch Rexroth from Automate 2022.

Universal Robots CEO Kim Povlsen is a self-described robotics geek who now runs one of the world’s leading…

Universal Robots CEO Kim Povlsen is a self-described robotics geek who now runs one of the world’s leading collaborative robot (cobot) companies where they strive to develop robots for the 98% of the market that doesn’t yet know they need them.

Using a combination of software, gripper, lift mount, and loading station, the OnRobot Palletizer is a flexible,…

Using a combination of software, gripper, lift mount, and loading station, the OnRobot Palletizer is a flexible, customizable option for all kinds of robot types and pallet-loading scenarios.

Invertek, a global manufacturer of VFDs for single and three-phase motors, announces its investment plans for growing…

Invertek, a global manufacturer of VFDs for single and three-phase motors, announces its investment plans for growing business in Germany and expanding operations into other areas in Europe.

The timer is a fundamental function of ladder logic programming. In this article, we discuss on- and off-delay as well as…

The timer is a fundamental function of ladder logic programming. In this article, we discuss on- and off-delay as well as retentive timers and define the inputs and outputs required to properly use them.

Power supplies tend to get a reputation as one of the most important power considerations of a DC control circuit - but…

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.

This article discusses Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon SageMaker and AWS IoT Greengrass, and how their capabilities at…

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.

Even with the most reliable networks, network outages are inevitable for a host of reasons, and managing these outages in…

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 Automation Day 2022 will be on June 21st, focusing on PLC systems, packed with keynote addresses, educational…

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!

Seven Bel’s “sound camera” visualizes sources of physical sound to detect and isolate problems within industrial…

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.

Robotic sorting systems allow DHL to increase speed and accuracy for customers, but in a recent interview with Control…

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.

SGN and ULC Technologies introduce their all-electric autonomous robot for road and infrastructure repair, the Robotic…

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.

MOV.AI and Lannar Electronics collaborate to provide an integrated computing and software platform to speed up mobile…

MOV.AI and Lannar Electronics collaborate to provide an integrated computing and software platform to speed up mobile robot development and deployment.

In honor of May the 4th, Star Wars Day, we compare the sources and applications of the two most common force-delivery…

In honor of May the 4th, Star Wars Day, we compare the sources and applications of the two most common force-delivery systems - mechanical and hydraulic.