Latest Ag Equipment Articles

Pressure sensors are essential tools in industrial applications, required wherever there is a hydraulic or pneumatic…

Pressure sensors are essential tools in industrial applications, required wherever there is a hydraulic or pneumatic system to keep pressure quantities under control.

Calibration is performed on a regular basis to ensure proper measurement tool function, but how do we determine the…

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.

Seeing use in a variety of industrial applications for position sensing and object detection, inductive sensors are based…

Seeing use in a variety of industrial applications for position sensing and object detection, inductive sensors are based on the phenomenon of magnetism and its resultant magnetic fields.

SMC has added to its CXS product family with the CXS2 series of pneumatic actuators. The new series of dual rod cylinders…

SMC has added to its CXS product family with the CXS2 series of pneumatic actuators. The new series of dual rod cylinders is faster and has a higher kinetic energy capacity than SMC's previous offerings.

Many VFDs use digital inputs to control operation, rather than PLC-driven network communications. Learn about 2-wire and…

Many VFDs use digital inputs to control operation, rather than PLC-driven network communications. Learn about 2-wire and 3-wire digital input control schemes for ABB, Omron, Rockwell, and others.

There are many different kinds of electric motors used for industrial power transfer, but there are also hydraulic and…

There are many different kinds of electric motors used for industrial power transfer, but there are also hydraulic and pneumatic motors that can lend advantages in some situations.

Motor control is accomplished by circuit devices from simple contactors to complex frequency drive systems. Rockwell…

Motor control is accomplished by circuit devices from simple contactors to complex frequency drive systems. Rockwell Automation recently added a host of new features and upgrades to common product lines.

Bosch Rexroth’s new Hägglunds Quantum motors offer high torque at high efficiency—fit for use on mobile machinery,…

Bosch Rexroth’s new Hägglunds Quantum motors offer high torque at high efficiency—fit for use on mobile machinery, such as construction or mining equipment, or in stationary processing facilities.

Fischer Connectors has released several new series of heavy-duty cable layouts, allowing reliable fastening of…

Fischer Connectors has released several new series of heavy-duty cable layouts, allowing reliable fastening of single-pair Ethernet (SPE) and USB 3.2, as well as offerings for combined data and fluid connection.

A subset of light is the focused cohesive beams that make up lasers, which can be used in optical sensing. These devices…

A subset of light is the focused cohesive beams that make up lasers, which can be used in optical sensing. These devices provide benefits of greater range, precision, and even mapping for mobile robotics.

Teledyne DALSA has added new features to its vision processing software, increasing the software's accuracy and speeding…

Teledyne DALSA has added new features to its vision processing software, increasing the software's accuracy and speeding up its AI parameters and processing.

3D printers have come a long way over the years, but can we really expect to see them on the factory floor, taking the…

3D printers have come a long way over the years, but can we really expect to see them on the factory floor, taking the place of large machining centers? What benefits and challenges does printing offer to manufacturing?

Mitsubishi Electric releases a new module that combines IoT asynchronous messaging with deterministic cyclic messaging…

Mitsubishi Electric releases a new module that combines IoT asynchronous messaging with deterministic cyclic messaging typically found in field I/O.

Optical sensors are one of the most popular sensor types in industrial automation. This article covers optical sensor…

Optical sensors are one of the most popular sensor types in industrial automation. This article covers optical sensor basics and commonly used types, including fiber optic, photoelectric, and optical encoders.

Carlo Gavazzi has released a new family of full-metal inductive proximity sensors with an IP69K rating and standard…

Carlo Gavazzi has released a new family of full-metal inductive proximity sensors with an IP69K rating and standard IO-Link capabilities to suit any automation application.

Field-oriented control (FOC), also called vector control, can control 3-phase alternating current motors and brushless DC…

Field-oriented control (FOC), also called vector control, can control 3-phase alternating current motors and brushless DC motors. Read more to learn its advantages, how it works, and its best applications.

Motors consume the highest current during startup—this is a well-known fact. But logically, the slowest speed should…

Motors consume the highest current during startup—this is a well-known fact. But logically, the slowest speed should relate to the lowest power consumption. Why, then, is inrush current so high for motors?

Machine maintenance safety is a major concern for manufacturers, and Pilz hopes to increase efficiency through the use of…

Machine maintenance safety is a major concern for manufacturers, and Pilz hopes to increase efficiency through the use of card readers to reduce cost and improve the process over traditional methods.

Large motors require a circuit to turn on and off. This may be as simple as a single on/off drum-type switch or as…

Large motors require a circuit to turn on and off. This may be as simple as a single on/off drum-type switch or as elaborate as a VFD unit. Learn about some common control circuit designs for typical three-phase motor requirements.