Current flow in wires is often modeled with a perfectly circular cross-section, with the size of the wire being responsible for the maximum current. This is true, but there’s more to the story.
October 18, 2023 by David Peterson
Temperature profiling is an effective tool to monitor thermal properties in process equipment. This article defines temperature profiling, discusses the process components, and describes the various benefits it offers.
June 13, 2023 by Muhammad Asim Niazi
Designing, installing, and maintaining control systems involves a lot of wires. Each wire has a purpose, often indicated by the color of the insulation. But what are the common colors, and what do they mean?
May 15, 2023 by Seth Price
Calibration is performed on a regular basis to ensure proper measurement tool function, but how do we determine the proper interval? Factors include environment, usage, and level of dependence on proper function.
April 17, 2023 by Muhammad Asim Niazi
Safety is a concern in any system containing potential energy, whether electrical, chemical, or fluid. Each has methods of protection, and for fluid systems, certain shutoff valves are used in situations when excess pressure can be a problem.
March 20, 2023 by David Peterson
Total laboratory automation (TLA) helps in workforce utilization, reduced costs, and management of routine testing. Learn about what TLA is, its components, and what to consider before replacing a traditional laboratory.
December 05, 2022 by Muhammad Asim Niazi
Functional safety is the safety of a system and is critical for industries such as medical devices, automotive, railways, and machinery. This article will focus on functional safety for machinery and the standards that help its implementation.
November 07, 2022 by Muhammad Asim Niazi
Protection systems are critical in today’s fast-paced industrial revolution for the safety of people and processes. This article discusses electronic protective relay types and how they differ from standard relays.
October 31, 2022 by Muhammad Asim Niazi
Industrial control panels are at the heart of control systems. Learn about the standards and regulations that dictate industrial control panel design for safety and efficiency, including NFPA 70, UL 60947-4-1, and NFPA 79.
September 27, 2022 by Antonio Armenta
Whether open or closed, industry standard or built for tough environments, or modular or customized, it is important to follow a set of repeatable tasks when designing industrial control panels for efficiency and safety.
September 20, 2022 by Antonio Armenta
Robots are no longer unanimously just "robots"—there are specific tasks and functionality of each kind. Learn about the technology differences between fixed-location robots and mobile robots and why no one robot is like another.
August 18, 2022 by Damond Goodwin