Articles

Compressed air efficiency
In this installment of What Works, Gatorade saved energy and cut operating costs with compressor controls.
Post Date: 11/26/2012
Author:

Gain control of your process
Sheila Kennedy says control systems can increase speed, security and reliability.
Post Date: 09/17/2012
Author: Sheila Kennedy, contributing editor

Power to the process
Why a standard is needed for work processes related to intelligent device management.
Post Date: 06/21/2012
Author: Larry O’Brien, Fieldbus Foundation; John Rezabek, ISP; and Herman Storey, ...

The year of the hack
Nitro and Stuxnet made 2011 a cybersecurity nightmare for plant managers.
Post Date: 01/18/2012
Author: Dave Aitel, Immunity

NAMUR NE 107 recommendations come to the United States
Diagnostic data served where operators and maintenance techs can use it.
Post Date: 11/23/2011
Author: Larry O’Brien, Fieldbus Foundation

Identify the symptoms of equipment failure
Production automation and control networks provide diagnostic data to get to the root of the cause.
Post Date: 11/14/2011
Author:

Control system helps to gather maintenance data
In this installment of What Works, a power company installs condition monitoring modules to make better maintenance decisions.
Post Date: 08/29/2011
Author:

Distributed control system with benefits
In this installment of What Works, a DCS upgrade enhances data acquisition and improves machine performance.
Post Date: 07/29/2011
Author:

Product Roundup: Manufacturing controls and automation
Instrumentation and controls make plants more efficient.
Post Date: 03/24/2011
Author:

Upgrade of legacy control system can improve productivity
Legacy upgrade: Optimize production flow and ROI with control system investments.
Post Date: 11/16/2010
Author: Michael Deitz, Graham Packaging

Automation Fair 2010: Explore wireless communication solutions
Curt Goldman from Rockwell Automation Encompass Product Partner FreeWave Technologies explains their wireless communication solutions that integrate with Allen-Bradley MicroLogix 1100 and PowerFlex drives.
Post Date: 11/11/2010
Author:

Compact, fully-automated painting lines
A flexible modular approach makes this possible.
Post Date: 08/12/2010
Author:

Design, install and maintain a reliable network infrastructure
As companies get more sophisticated about networking, they'll build reliable enterprise communication networks that they can grow with.
Post Date: 08/11/2010
Author: Sheila Kennedy, contributing editor

Don't gamble with control safety and reliability
Understand the benefits and limitations of safety instrumented systems.
Post Date: 07/07/2010
Author: Arthur Zatarain, P.E.

Sensors for extreme temperatures
Sheila Kennedy, contributing editor, says they go where humans can't.
Post Date: 06/02/2010
Author: Sheila Kennedy, contributing editor

Find proportional, integral and derivative
How to use Ziegler-Nichols principles to tune PID loop controls.
Post Date: 04/07/2010
Author: John A. Shaw

Online training for I&C
The ups and downs of learning instruments and controls over the Web.
Post Date: 01/13/2010
Author: N. (Bill) Battikha, P.E.

Remote monitoring through turbine retrofit
In this installment of "What Works," control update gives HPI the ability to protect, integrate and communicate.
Post Date: 12/08/2009
Author:

Industrial-strength RFID penetrates metals
Contributing Editor Sheila Kennedy demonstrates how signals from industrial-strength units can even penetrate metals.
Post Date: 04/29/2009
Author: Sheila Kennedy, Contributing Editor

Keep process analyzers on-stream
Despite computer operation simplicity, personal skills are still needed to achieve the full benefits of process monitoring.
Post Date: 04/08/2009
Author: Terry McMahon, Steve Walton and Jim Tatera