Articles and News

By Bill Lydon, Editor Over the years there have been only a handful of truly disruptive industrial automation and control technological shifts that significantly impacted manufacturing productivity and efficiency. With the latest technologies that are enabling IoT, we may be on the cusp of another shift.

Level sensors detect the level of liquids and other fluids and fluidized solids, including slurries, granular materials, and powders that exhibit an upper free surface.

By Nick Boughton, Boulting Technology The debate between upgrade vs. repair is by no means a new one, but it has become prevalent as most industries look to squeeze margins. This article discusses best practice for obsolescence management from a systems integrator point of view.

IFR says the international market value for robotic systems now lies at around 32 billion US dollars.

Peggie W. Koon, the first African American to have held the office of ISA president, will deliver a presentation at the 42nd Annual Conference of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), to be held 23-27 March 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Ecopetrol uses Rotork Schischek compact explosionproof valve for a critical petrochemical analysis process.

By Mike Hannah, Rockwell Automation Legacy networks with only a small number of I/O modules and other devices are being replaced with complex networks that have hundreds of I/O modules. EtherNet/IP features an active infrastructure and can accommodate an almost infinite number of nodes to give manufacturers optimal flexibility when either designing their networks at the onset or expanding them in the future.

By Shannon R. Foos and Kevin Zomchek, Rockwell Automation IP connectivity from the industrial control system through the gateway – either IO-Link or HART – closes the last meter to provide connectivity to devices that are sitting in the field. These two networks allow industrial operations to bridge to an IP network as seamlessly as possible, making today’s plants more future-ready for the industrial IoT.

NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Conditions Index (EBCI) for current conditions in North America fell back in February.

By Mike Marciante, TE Connectivity Both free-core and guided-core LVDT Linear Position Sensors provide the benefit of infinite resolution, with each type offering models that can operate in harsh environments. While free-core LVDTs are generally less expensive and available in many ranges, they are more difficult to install than guided-core sensors.