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Clarifying Misconceptions About Theoretical vs Physical Circuits

Clarifying Misconceptions About Theoretical vs Physical Circuits

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.


Universal Robots Demos New Cobot Solutions at Automate 2022

Universal Robots Demos New Cobot Solutions at Automate 2022

UR, one of the leaders in cobot technology, displayed a variety of machine tending and tool-holding applications at the recent trade show, as well as one unique, eye-catching concept cobot.


News Jun 15, 2022 by Damond Goodwin
Obsolescence in Control Systems - Disaster or Opportunity?

Obsolescence in Control Systems - Disaster or Opportunity?

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.


Yaskawa Showcases Latest Technologies at Automate 2022

Yaskawa Showcases Latest Technologies at Automate 2022

Yaskawa Motoman unveils its HC Series collaborative welding bots, Smart Pattern extension, and Smart Pendant software version 2.1 at the Automate 2022 show.


News Jun 14, 2022 by Stephanie Leonida
Allen-Bradley PLCs - A Hardware History

Allen-Bradley PLCs - A Hardware History

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.


End-to-End Automation Solutions: What Does That Mean?

End-to-End Automation Solutions: What Does That Mean?

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.


News Jun 09, 2022 by David Peterson
Siemens Highlights Digital Twinning as Part of Automate 2022 Technology Demonstrators

Siemens Highlights Digital Twinning as Part of Automate 2022 Technology Demonstrators

At the Detroit show, Siemens is displaying developments in areas that include digital twins, robotic integration, CNCs, PLCs, and Real-Time Locating Systems. Their portfolio of products and services are part of their Total Integrated Automation (TIA) engineering and automation platform.


News Jun 08, 2022 by David Peterson
Podcast: Universal Robots CEO Kim Povlsen on Collaborative Robots for the 98%

Podcast: Universal Robots CEO Kim Povlsen on Collaborative Robots for the 98%

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.


News Jun 07, 2022 by Dale Wilson
Kawaski Robotics Joins Forces with Realtime Robotics to Accelerate Collision-Free Training

Kawaski Robotics Joins Forces with Realtime Robotics to Accelerate Collision-Free Training

Realtime Robotics motion planning and collision avoidance software will be employed on Kawasaki Robotics industrial robots the two companies announced today at Automate 2022.


News Jun 06, 2022 by Dale Wilson
Control.com Will be Attending Automate 2022

Control.com Will be Attending Automate 2022

The reappearance of the Automate show in Detroit is an opportunity to witness some of the most innovative, exciting technology displays from manufacturers around the globe. If you see us, stop and say hello!


News Jun 05, 2022 by David Peterson
Invertek Drives Expands its German Operations into the DACH Region

Invertek Drives Expands its German Operations into the DACH Region

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.


News Jun 01, 2022 by Stephanie Leonida
Ewon Launches New M2Web for PLC Data Access

Ewon Launches New M2Web for PLC Data Access

Remote access to equipment offers the benefits of both data visualization and remote programming ability for faster operation. Ewon’s recent announcement of the free M2Web offers remote access solutions.


News Jun 01, 2022 by Damond Goodwin
Understanding PLC Program Commands: Timers

Understanding PLC Program Commands: Timers

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.


RoboDK Releases TwinTool For Robot Calibration

RoboDK Releases TwinTool For Robot Calibration

Industrial robots use various methods to supply position data for the end-of-arm tools. Many are known to be far less than perfect, but RoboDK is attempting to solve this challenge with TwinTool calibration capabilities.


News May 31, 2022 by Shawn Dietrich
Scaling Values: Linear Versus Non-Linear Changes

Scaling Values: Linear Versus Non-Linear Changes

Scaling values has a wide range of applications and helps to match output values to their real-world applications. Most scaling is linear, but many of these real-world changes are not quite so simple.


Plug and Play End of Arm Tooling for Cobot Applications

Plug and Play End of Arm Tooling for Cobot Applications

In the world of modern manufacturing, we want the tools to be effective, safe, and very easy to install and commission. But when we say ‘easy’, how easy can it really be to commission robotic tools?


Industrial Cabling Solutions: HELUKABEL Acquires EKD and Sangel

Industrial Cabling Solutions: HELUKABEL Acquires EKD and Sangel

HELUKABEL adds EKD Systems and Sangel Systemtechnik to its network to become a complete electrical connection system solution provider.


News May 26, 2022 by Stephanie Leonida
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.


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


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.