Latest Technical Articles

Air power drives a lot of modern equipment. Robot grippers, ejectors, actuators, and rotary tables are just a few of the…

Air power drives a lot of modern equipment. Robot grippers, ejectors, actuators, and rotary tables are just a few of the devices controlled by air. What’s inside those banks of solenoid valves, and how do they work?

Industrial communication channels often contain terms such as ‘Modbus over RS485’ or ‘CIP Safety over Ethernet’.…

Industrial communication channels often contain terms such as ‘Modbus over RS485’ or ‘CIP Safety over Ethernet’. What does it mean to send one network over another, and how does it work to your advantage?

Total laboratory automation (TLA) helps in workforce utilization, reduced costs, and management of routine testing. Learn…

Total laboratory automation (TLA) helps in workforce utilization, reduced costs, and management of routine testing. Learn about what TLA is, its components, and what to consider before replacing a traditional laboratory.

Learn how to streamline your ladder logic by searching and sorting arrays with the FSC and SRT instructions in the…

Learn how to streamline your ladder logic by searching and sorting arrays with the FSC and SRT instructions in the Rockwell (Allen-Bradley) Studio 5000 programming software.

Variable frequency drive units can be found inside tons of control cabinets, but what happens if you disassemble one to…

Variable frequency drive units can be found inside tons of control cabinets, but what happens if you disassemble one to see what’s inside and how it works? We did just that. The results might surprise you.

Network Manager SCADA is a real-time, modular system that is highly scalable and easy to deploy and maintain. The system…

Network Manager SCADA is a real-time, modular system that is highly scalable and easy to deploy and maintain. The system can grow with future needs and support a virtualized environment to decrease hardware cost.

Connecting a new motor without knowing the phase rotation of the electrical supply can cause damage to expensive…

Connecting a new motor without knowing the phase rotation of the electrical supply can cause damage to expensive equipment. By using a 3-phase rotation meter, you can save yourself time and money.

Learn about multi-dimensional arrays and how to work with them to perform math operations such as the AVE (Average)…

Learn about multi-dimensional arrays and how to work with them to perform math operations such as the AVE (Average) instruction in the Rockwell (Allen-Bradley) Studio 5000 programming software.

Network routers are designed to route and pass information between a system of connected computers and devices. Learn…

Network routers are designed to route and pass information between a system of connected computers and devices. Learn about the role of routers in industrial applications and how to properly maintain them.

No matter how robust an automated control system might be, physical damage is a reality that plagues all machines. Thanks…

No matter how robust an automated control system might be, physical damage is a reality that plagues all machines. Thanks to new breakthrough materials, some failures may be prevented—or even reversed.

With precise control abilities to manage speed, torque, and direction, variable frequency drives remain one of the most…

With precise control abilities to manage speed, torque, and direction, variable frequency drives remain one of the most common methods of driving 3-phase industrial motors. Below, we introduce a few leading VFD manufacturers.

Arrays can streamline data storage and math operations, but they can be difficult to understand for a beginning…

Arrays can streamline data storage and math operations, but they can be difficult to understand for a beginning programmer. Learn the background of array instructions in the Rockwell Studio 5000 software.

Safety is one of the most critical aspects of machine design. Today, with network connections between different machines…

Safety is one of the most critical aspects of machine design. Today, with network connections between different machines and control centers, safety signals must be shared logically and reliably across networks.

Many worldwide plants are still running the old Advant Controller 450 from ABB in their facility, with many plants using…

Many worldwide plants are still running the old Advant Controller 450 from ABB in their facility, with many plants using the latest System 800xA DCS interfaced with the existing AC450 controller.

Learn how to rapidly prototype an Arduino-compatible PLC automation circuit without using wires. This hands-on project…

Learn how to rapidly prototype an Arduino-compatible PLC automation circuit without using wires. This hands-on project will illustrate this PLC prototyping concept utilizing the Freenove Projects Kit board.

Using advanced sensing technology, robotic skin allows grippers and manipulators to “feel” and handle objects without…

Using advanced sensing technology, robotic skin allows grippers and manipulators to “feel” and handle objects without damaging them. While emulating human touch is still in its infancy, it does show promise for future applications.

Functional safety is the safety of a system and is critical for industries such as medical devices, automotive, railways,…

Functional safety is the safety of a system and is critical for industries such as medical devices, automotive, railways, and machinery. This article will focus on functional safety for machinery and the standards that help its implementation.

Servers are vital to the flow of information in and around organizations, acting as a hub for information transfer and…

Servers are vital to the flow of information in and around organizations, acting as a hub for information transfer and storage. Learn about the role of servers in industry and the potential challenges that come with maintaining them.

With the first fuzzy logic-based controllers on the market in 1983, learn how the Japanese-born automation company,…

With the first fuzzy logic-based controllers on the market in 1983, learn how the Japanese-born automation company, Omron, adopted fuzzy logic as a basis for the design of its current PLCs.