Control Engineering articles from March 2009

Control Engineering archives from March 2009

Oscilloscopes explained.
March 1, 2009... Charlie Masi, Control Engineering Oscilloscopes are probably the most useful, and most used general-purpose electronic test instruments. In the hands of a knowledgeable test engineer, an oscilloscope can substitute for anything from a...

Efficiency improvements a recession breaker?
March 1, 2009... David Greenfield, editorial director Though it came a bit later to the automation industries than to much of the rest of the economy, the recession has definitely settled in and doesn't appear to be on its way to lifting any time soon. ...

Integrated Safety and Motion.
March 1, 2009... Frank J. Bartos, P.E., Control Engineering Safety functions combined with motion control systems allow simpler operations and cost savings. Previously separate systems were needed. Full shutdowns can be avoided in some situations. Not...

Manufacturing Visibility Achieved.
March 1, 2009... Jeanine Katzel for Control Engineering Once-simple manufacturing execution tools are blurring the lines between business functions and the plant floor. MESs now may be able to achieve the efficiency and agility manufacturers need to survive...

Broadway Automation: Behind the Scenes.
March 1, 2009... David Greenfield, Control Engineering Creating modular motion control systems that can move multiple pieces of scenery during the same show is all in a day's work for Hudson Scenic Studio. Over the past century, Broadway shows have...

Wireless on the Factory Floor.(dialogue with Bob Gardner, Jim Toepper and Robert Jackson)(Interview)
March 1, 2009... Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering Is the plant floor ready for wireless network communications? Yes, and here's advice, so you are not up in the air about wireless technologies. For those grounded in wired networks, untangling...

Time for China's OEMs to automate.(original equipment manufacturer)
March 1, 2009... Kenny Fu, Control Engineering China It is not my pleasure to talk about the economic crisis, especially referring to those Chinese OEM enterprises facing what some experts have called an "exporting Waterloo." There are currently about...

Generic Batch Procedures for Flexible Manufacturing.
March 1, 2009... Aaron Wood, Eli Lilly & Company Experience proves that production centers with established products and procedures can increase their flexibility to accommodate single-development product campaigns. Transforming a pharmaceutical...

Big Pay-Off from Automation Investments.
March 1, 2009... Mark Albano, Honeywell Process Solutions Phased transition from manual operation to sophisticated automation brings many benefits to large pharmaceutical producer in Poland. Pharmaceutical manufacturing is generally considered a hybrid...

Measuring Pressure in Steam Sterilizers.
March 1, 2009... Andrew Sim, Baumer, U.K. Keeping a lid on large sterilizers and autoclaves depends on careful pressure monitoring, but a wide temperature range and hygenic mounting requirements makes it a challenge. Whether it's a pressure cooker in...

Manufacturing intelligence delivers new analyses.
March 1, 2009... Dennis Brandl Business intelligence (BI) is the term given to the set of tools and processes used to make business decisions based on facts--instead of on guesses, intuition, and often irrelevant experience. Few companies can afford to...

Legal fine print in a recession.(Viewpoint essay)
March 1, 2009... Mark Voigtmann What is the role of legal "fine print" in an economic downturn? Is it something to ignore because of the overhead of dealing with it (lawyers, negotiations)? Does it go on the backburner because the most important thing...

Clarity, vision, foresight.
March 1, 2009... Mark T. Hoske, editor in chief It's understatement to say that these are distracting times. While I felt out of sorts considering the many ways we might jump start the economy, 789 billion ways has my head spinning. (Did anyone ask the...

Corporations, environmental groups agree on major climate initiatives.
March 1, 2009... Staff The U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP) has unveiled a comprehensive and detailed set of integrated policy recommendations for developing legislation that would create an environmentally effective and economically sustainable...

EDDL and FDT/DTM integration.
March 1, 2009... Staff The growing sophistication of smart instrumentation can't help you if you don't have the technology to put it to work. EDDL and FDT/DTM provide the means to integrate such capabilities with your larger control or asset management...

Industrial Ethernet cables, hardware selection advice.
March 1, 2009... Staff Commercial-grade cabling and hardware is not considered tough enough for use in harsh industrial environments. In these environments, networked devices and cables are routinely exposed to dust, moisture, vibration, extreme...

Forensics for industrial cyber security investigations.
March 1, 2009... Staff After a hacking incident or other cyber invasion in an industrial environment, is it possible to pick up the trail of the perpetrators? In the IT world such investigations are routine, but what about a plant control system? A...

Math scores improve, but children retain engineering misconceptions.
March 1, 2009... Staff As U.S. students math scores are increasing, more than 85% of youth ages 8-17 say they aren't interested in engineering as a future career and their parents aren't encouraging it either. In the Trends in International Mathematics...

Energy Efficiency Strategy & Tactics.
March 1, 2009... Staff When it comes to sustainability, it's not about where you stand on climate change, it's about where you stand on efficiency. This Webcast will get to the heart of three core approaches to efficiency improvement in manufacturing...

Correction.(Correction notice)
March 1, 2009... Staff In the Control Engineering Engineers' Choice Award printed supplement in the February 2008 issue, the wrong photo was shown for two of our winners. Aerotech Inc.'s LaserTurn 1 linear-rotary motion subsystem, which won in the category...

Quality practices of manufacturers vary in slumping economy.
March 1, 2009... Staff Many manufacturing companies are not in the crisis mode that might be expected in today's economy, according to the American Society for Quality (ASQ), which has issued the ASQ Quarterly Quality Report reporting insights gained from...

Simulation software shows how a drive works.
March 1, 2009... Staff Magnetek Inc. has released its new Impulse drive simulation software, a Microsoft Windows-based software program that lets the user program the functions of a variable frequency drive. The Impulse drive simulation software lets the...

ASU professor named chair of IEEE sustainability initiative.(Arizona State University)(Brad Allenby)(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Staff Arizona State University engineering professor Brad Allenby has been named chair of the newly founded Presidential Sustainability Initiative of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The initiative...

Submersible accelerometer for vibration measurements.
March 1, 2009... Staff Dytran Instruments introduces a new general purpose accelerometer with a factory molded urethane boot and urethane cable for underwater vibration measurements. It features shear design ceramic seismic elements for high natural...

Print hard copy of analysis screen or summary report on the spot.
March 1, 2009... Staff Larson Davis, a div of PCB Piezotronics, has introduced new firmware for its SoundTrack LxT sound level meter that supports a portable USB thermal printer. This new feature allows the user to print a screenshot of any analysis...

High-accuracy RTD thermometers.
March 1, 2009... Staff Wahl Instruments introduces its DST500 temperature indicator, and the DSX500 transmitter thermometers. These new digital RTD (resistance temperature device) thermometers use high precision measurement technology and feature a 1 in....

Explosion-proof electronic switches.
March 1, 2009... Staff United Electric Controls (UE) has added explosion-proof versions of its One Series line of digital electronic pressure switches and electronic temperature switches. Designed to meet the needs of harsh and hazardous applications, the...

Ethernet based instrumentation.
March 1, 2009... Peter Welander, Control Engineering From time to time we have looked at one of the great divides of industrial automation, that of extending Ethernet connectivity below the PLC barrier. While extending Ethernet to a PLC or DCS I/O block is...