Many Functions, One Brain

One of the biggest reasons I became a journalist is because I love to learn about new things (I would've just stayed in school for the rest of my life, but that doesn't pay as well as you might think). These past couple weeks, I've been learning everything I can about integrated automation.

It's the topic of Control Design's July cover story. It's not a new topic, certainly, so as I gather the background information I need to do the reporting, I'm also looking for the new developments, new angles--the information that will help you design and build better machines.  read more »

A Workforce Solution

We've run our share of articles and debates about the purported lack of skilled workers available in the manufacturing industry these days. We've also talked about whether America's education system is giving students the kind of teachings they need to learn technical skills. But how about the companies that are willing to step up and really do something about it?  read more »

Read the April 2012 Issue

In April's Control: Remote Access Goes Mainstream. Find out why it's one of the fastest-growing and accepted technologies to hit the process control industries; plus, how an upstate New York brewer saves $230,000 a year with a flow controls upgrade; what's new in SCADA; and the story of Southern States Chemical's new sulphuric acid plant, built with a combination of recycled equipment and the latest in processing technology. Also, don't miss this month's Control Talk, featuring Greg McMillan and Stan Weiner's column "New Paradigms for Lab Control Systems."

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Make Your Own Music

DNA Traits Every Company, Organization or Department Should Have More...

HMI in the Sky

With iSCADA, There Is a Fast Response Rates, Enabling Users to Deliver a Remote HMI Experience in Near Real Time More...

A Time to Reflect. A Time to Act

Stop Trying to Pre-Determine Results, Allow the Results to Happen More...

How to Raise Motor Efficiency

Striving for More Efficiency Can Entail Examining Everything From Motors to Entire Systems More...

Encoder Resolution for the Taking

Encoders Today Can Do Everything a Resolver Can Do More...

Turn On the Right Alarm

Designing an Alarm and Monitoring System or an Operating System Are in No Way the Same Thing More...

The Keys to Operator Performance

Operator Error Rates Double on the Ninth Day of Work After Eight Days of Consistent Performance More...

Safety Relays or Better Diagnostics?

Where Do Machine Builders Draw the Line Between Diagnostic Needs and Safety? More...

Zombie Survival Guide

If Humanity Can Become Extinct, Couldn't Machines, Too? More...

Step-by-Step Safety

Evaluating Safety in Devices, Production Lines, Facilities More...