White Papers

Conducted in Fall 2020, the Automation.com 2020 salary survey reflects the early effects of pandemic-related economic upheavals for engineering, business and technical professionals in manufacturing and industry.

This paper explores the benefits and limitations of the stepper servo control technique, also called closed loop stepper, and explains why it is attracting serious attention from machine designers.

This special report from Smart Industry features expert perspective from OSIsoft principals and partners on a range of topics in the world of digital manufacturing—from smart strategies to evolving processes to operating your plant as an innovation hub.

The whitepaper outlines why organizations need to move beyond IT/OT convergence to ensure full integration—for enterprise security.

In "Eliminating Friction," VP of Business Development Dave Westrom explains that the true cause of failure is the lack of getting to value quickly. After all, time is money, and the more time spent trying to launch a successful IIoT initiative, the greater likelihood it will fail.

Organizations need data-based energy management solutions to succeed in the era of digitalization, says a new ABB whitepaper.

To empower development teams to fulfill their objectives across the development cycle, it is important to consider a whole solution approach toward instrument selection.

This paper explores how Martinshof Werkstatt Bremen is empowering workers with handicaps to excel operating manual workstations, which are indispensable, despite advancing digitalization.

This paper uses a modified version of the Golden Circle, changing the original sequence to Why-What-How to approximate how organizations currently operate and thereby increase the chances of achieving the relevant UN SDG.

To develop insight about how organizations are keeping up with the changes and transformations taking place throughout the industrial sector, the Digital Transformation Council and ARC Advisory Group, in conjunction with ISA and Automation.com, conducted a survey of industrial companies. This white paper summarizes the results of the survey.

Collaborative automation has become a versatile,cost-effective, and user-friendly technology that allows businesses of almost any size (and any level of technical expertise) to increase productivity, improve quality, and respond more nimbly to changing customer demands.

Written for all IIoT stakeholders, the white paper explains why measuring the efficiency and efficacy of industrial digital transformation solutions across industries is essential.

Distributing water on a large scale has been a challenge that the world has tackled for decades. It is a particular challenge in high-rise buildings, and with a trend for designers to build up in urban areas, rather than out, it is a challenge that has become a new focus for design engineers.

This paper discusses the challenges faced in route planning and how existing algorithms are largely insufficient. It also discusses how the use of a hybrid heuristic method derived from the combination of straight line heuristics and real road distance metrics presents the best solution to solving the challenge of planning efficient routes at high speed for last-mile deliveries today.

The robotics revolution is rapidly accelerating, as fast-paced technological advances in automation, engineering, energy storage, artificial intelligence, and machine learning converge. The result will transform the capabilities of robots and their ability to take over tasks once carried out by humans.

When it comes to non-contact continuous level measurement, radar and ultrasonic are two of the most common technologies used. This paper will compare and contrast 80 GHz radar sensors with ultrasonic transmitters for liquid and solid level measurements.

The two types of non-contact level radar, Pulse Level Radar and Frequency Module Continuous Wave (FMCW) Level Radar have been widely used throughout the process industry.

This white paper is focused on helping readers understand in detail the Open Industry 4.0 solution reference architecture framework for interoperability. It provides a dive deep into key design principles of its members defined and supported end to end solutions

Position sensors and motors are crucial components in oil and gas equipment and must operate day in and day out in some of the most challenging conditions.

With the manufacturing sector facing a bleak outlook in 2019, we thought it prudent to share our projections for the growth and development of the programmable logic controller (PLCs) market in key countries and industries, calling out specific bright spots and those set to suffer more deeply.

As data, connectivity, and processing power expand, so do opportunities for industrial companies to extract value through innovative products, services, and business models. This McKinsey study delves further into how technology delivers value to today's industry.

Originally developed for audio speakers, voice coil actuation technology is now being used to provide precise and reliable motion control for a wide range of medical, industrial process and space applications.

Engineers designing systems for industrial and factory applications are adopting functional safety design practices to reduce the risk of system failures that could result in costly damage or injury.

Self-regulation or legislation does not stifle innovation at all. It steers the internet in the right direction. It is just an example, albeit a very important example, of market feedback for engineers and innovators to develop the right products.

If you have a ControlLogix PLC being used as the MCS, how can you make use of the OPC UA MDIS spec and bypass the old Modbus integration to the DCS? Softing has developed an OPC UA MDIS compliant server module that inserts into the ControlLogix chassis and creates the OPC UA provides a framework that can be used to represent field devices, for example.

This paper will explore how one construction materials hauling company used level measurement sensors and IIoT networks to better manage their operation.

To help make the process of selecting linear motors simpler, we’ll start by explaining the mechanics of a direct drive linear motor and contrast it with a more traditional indirect drive system.

Whether you’re tasked with recommending what to buy, a purchasing agent or the ultimate end user, you can ensure that you’re getting the right system by learning a bit about the most important parts to focus on.

This brief overview has been designed to help guide users through the basics of data loggers and how they can simplify data collection for an organization.

The IIoT connects devices with the digital world to provide data visibility. But the real value of the IIoT lies in how that data will be used by industry to realize the potential benefi ts of this connectivity.

Today’s smarter edge devices can streamline integration efforts while providing secure remote access for end users and machine builders, too

The World Market for Gas Flow Measurement examines the gas flow measurement market on both a worldwide and regional basis. It covers each flow technology used for gas flow measurement.

While serial bus systems will continue to play an important role in the future, solutions based on Industrial Ethernet are becoming increasingly common with Industry 4.0 applications. The focus is less on cable measurements, signal levels or signal shapes, but in the case of standards such as PROFINET, utilization and the greatest possible availability of the networks are the focus of interest.

The goal of an energy audit is to get accurate energy data that shows you where your facility’s energy went over the period; which equipment, circuits, buildings or divisions consumed the energy; and exactly when this usage occurred.

An explanation of what a gas spring is, component parts, and how they are both constructed and operate. It gives the reader a basic understanding of the workings and terminology used when specifying gas springs.

Wireless sensor networks (WSN), low power wide area networks (LPWAN) and cloud-based platforms are driving growth for the industrial Internet of Things (IoT)

The aim of an energy audit is to reduce usage and improve performance. It is becoming a standard practice for large industrial locations as well as smaller operations

Protecting sensitive data created, stored and consumed by sensor-driven Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology and applications is one of the foundations of trustworthy IIoT systems.

By Istec In this whitepaper we focus on the mechanical health and behaviour of reciprocating compressors with four important indicators; impact, temperature (valves and bearings), vibration and rod drop. Table 1 shows the typical measurements for reciprocating compressors.

Mobile devices can solve many challenges in hazardous industrial environments. But a device that lacks the proper protection could seriously compromise the safety of your plant and personnel.

Instrument transmitters became smart by integrating digital technologies, paving the way for instrument sensors to acquire a similar level of intelligence. As we move into the future, digital technology will continue to provide more information from instruments.

Effective cybersecurity management is essential for all organizations, regardless of size. This ISA document is intended to provide a starting point for small- and medium-businesses (SMBs), particularly those that manage industrial processes and employ some level of automation.

The Science and Technology Directorate's (S&T) Linking the Oil and Gas Industry to Improve Cybersecurity (LOGIIC) project is an ongoing collaboration of oil and natural gas companies and the DHS S&T. Formed in 2004, this project facilitates cooperative research, development, testing and evaluation procedures to improve cybersecurity in petroleum industry digital control systems.