Innovative Thinking

Whether it’s a PLC, a PAC or a PC, a controller is a fundamental piece of hardware required for an automated system to function. Controllers have been around for decades, and have faced great technological automation. Specifying controllers for a particular application has gained increased amount of complexity due to the many options available. Quality, cost, ease of use, functionality, etc. are just some of the factors that have to be taken into account before specifying a PLC.

Be True to the Requirements

Every project has its own specific requirements. When working with a controller, it’s important to know its functionalities and limitations. There’s nothing worse than selecting a particular device and then uncovering its pitfalls halfway in the project. Before you commit to a controller, its best to bench test the process.  

While robots do bring numerous benefits in terms of efficiency, safety and reliability for an industry, at the same time they tend to overwhelm workers with the notion that their jobs are going to be replaced. The reaction is quite common, especially in small to medium sized firms for whom automation is more of a necessity to stay competitive.

A technological evolution is underway in the Heavy Fabrication industry, particularly those that involve large-part & large-plat foundry applications. Conventionally, the industry has relied heavily on human labor, hoists and cranes to get the job done, but the downward trend in the cost of robots has allowed these industries to look towards robotic automation.

At one point or another, system engineers have to go through the challenging task of replacing a component with a new one. It may be due to a vast amount of reasons such as:

• The manufacturer discontinued support
• Lack of reliability in terms of procurement
• Overly-inflated cost
• Frequent failures
• Technical conflicts

However, replacing a part isn’t that easy, especially when choosing it in the first place required going through a lengthy process. The major problem is the absence of a direct cross-reference pointing to the new item. The entire product specifications have to be dissected and then searched through various manufacturers’ products.

The Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) has been one of the most evolving components of the automation industry, quick to take on changes that would enhance its capabilities and functionalities. PLCs have become completely assimilated into all major industries that require some sort of automation to complete their processes.

A typical busbar system is made up of copper busbars and splice connectors, and provide a standard way of making connections to panel mounted and bus mounted components. A high degree of safety is maintained throughout all such actions. Busbar power distributions systems are gradually taking over conventional wiring methods as they have a number of benefits attributed to them.

Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison are two polarizing figures in the field of electricity, both being equally credited and acclaimed for their inventions and innovations. As we know AC, or Alternating Current, was invented by Tesla while Thomas Edison put his DC power to work, with both sides trying to prove their technology’s worth. At the time DC won the battle but in the long-run lost the war, as eventually the entire global electric infrastructure adopted AC as the standard for transmission and distribution.  

Uncertainty in global markets acts as one of the biggest motivator for optimization of all sorts. The recent oil price slump was alarming for all, from government-owned oil companies to century old gas-giants. In such situations, every dollar saved per unit is rewarded, as the stakes are simply too high. Process Optimization is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve profit margins and drive a company through prolonged market slumps.

Internet of Things has brought several changes to the conventional manufacturing landscapes, one of the major ones being the new wave of data streams due to a wide variety of sensory devices. Industrial Analytics is a concept that sits at the helm of all this, turning raw machine data into information that can be used to drive intelligent operations and processes.

AC Drives vs. DC Drives is a battle that’s been going on for too long, and even though AC may have emerged the victor in several fields such as generation and transmission, DC is still a force to be reckoned with.