We experience the world in analog. When you see something with your eyes, for example, that is an analog experience. Analog has its merits, but when you’re garnering data from a machine operation, the application will dictate whether to go analog or digital. We live in a digital society. Decisions often are made to install a digital solution without giving the analog solution consideration because we assume that the digital meter is more advanced. When obsolescence of components becomes an issue, it might be a perfect time to decide what sort of display is best for your application.

 Read our Real Answers article How Much Information Is Enough?

The approaches to designing machines and the methods for building them are naturally as different as the machines themselves. So, when I researched and wrote Control Design’s October cover story on modular machines, “Easier Pieces,” I found many different levels of understanding about modular machine building. For example, some OEMs build more Lego-like machines, so they can work better within production lines. However, others don’t need to plug-and-play multiple equipment because they only run one standalone machine in a small shop. Meanwhile, some builders are adding modular capabilities because their users demand them, while other aren’t going modular apparently because their users aren’t as demanding or perhaps because a few builders are ignoring their users. It can be hard to tell the difference between not having to innovate and not wanting to innovate or just being asleep. What do you think?

Well, maybe not Python, but how do you define a higher-level language? Is it based on how much the programmer is isolated from the actual code? Is it about a more-powerful control capability? There’s little consensus on what a higher-level language is for more complex applications for discrete/machine control. Is it C#, C++ and scripting? Are there others in serious play? What can they do that 61131 languages, for example, can’t? Does most automation supplier programming software use higher-level languages for some purposes?

Read our story Higher Ground—Part I on high-level control languages and their design.

Data acquisition can serve many purposes. From machine diagnostics to exporting to an ERP system, the use of data is varied. What are your customers using it for?

Read our story Machine Data Acquisition Capabilities Grow.

No matter where you are, machine automation does the same thing, but different areas put different restrictions on those controls. Tell Machine Builder Nation how geography impacts the machine controls you choose.

Read our article Adapt and Go Global.

Have you thought about rebuilding machinery instead of buying new? How far did you take that idea? Did you find a hurdle you just couldn’t overcome, or are you using rebuilt machines. Tell us.

You can read our article Rebuild or Buy New?

Discrete manufacturing inevitably leads to process control considerations and vice versa. Elements of one find their way into the other with regularity. Let us know about some of your more challenging and vexing hybrid encounters.

Read our story Semiconductor Fab Clears the Air.

Coverage from the ASBPE 2008 Conference in Kansas City, MO.

Katy Tomasulo, Deputy Editor for Building Products and EcoHome emphasized the importance of writing for the Web at the ASBPE 2008 Conference. Getting readers to visit the magazine’s website is essential. The question is how do we do this?

You (the user) want exclusive content. Offering you the same information you find on our print magazine is not the way to win your loyalty. You want new things like video, podcasts, whitepapers, products and web exclusive articles.

Luckily, we have been providing you with what you want out of our online product. Our print magazine gives you essential information on important industry subjects, then we tease you with our… “for more information check us online at….” Here, we give you all the additional information we couldn’t fit in the print magazine and we also create web exclusive content.

Tomasulo advised those print publications that have not successfully transitioned to the online world to do what we have been doing for a long time now.  Users want more content, more videos and more blogs. You want a unique online experience.

Now I ask you, do you think we are doing enough to satisfy your information needs online? If not tell us what you want to see on our website. We are here working for you.

Was your childhood scarred by science fairs? Did you work for weeks on a project that turned out to be incredibly lame compared to other kids’ stuff that was obviously done by their engineer parents? Here’s your chance to get even.
Maker Faire (makerfaire.com) is three-year old science fair open to all ages but dominated by adult projects. It is held twice a year, once in May in San Mateo, CA and once in October in Austin, TX.
The event has grown from humble beginnings to a major shindig. The most recent event in San Mateo in May featured projects from over 500 makers, record attendance of 65,000, and a new educational program.
Major companies are also getting into the act as sponsors and exhibitors. At the most recent event, Disney Consumer Products announced its entry into the robotic toy market. Other big name sponsors and exhibiters included Microsoft, Google, and IBM.
All prospective makers must submit pre-event proposals to the fair staff. Approved exhibitors are given a 10’ x 10’ booth space to show their wares. Although there are no prizes or judges, recognition is doled out by fair attendees and by media covering the event.
Commercial firms pay to exhibit at the event, no doubt hoping to promote their products to fair participants. Some companies such as Disney sell ready made toys at the event. Other companies such as sparkfun electronics (sparkfun.com) sell components that makers can use in their own projects.
Everyone likes to play with fire, so a blisteringly interactive large-scale fire toy that translates anyone’s movement into fire was a huge hit. A central stage was lined with proximity sensors and surrounded by an outer ring of flame effects, creating huge bursts of flame when a dancer moved onstage.
All of the projects mentioned above are described in more detail at makerfaire.com via words, photos, and sometimes videos. Evaluate the competition and join in the fun!

Many journalists don’t dig for data and don’t know how to analyze numbers using basic statistics. Instead, they present sensationalist headlines that generate visceral fears and inaccurately influence opinions.
For example, a common headline over the past few decades suggests that higher oil prices drive stocks down. You know that a declining stock market is not good for sales of your machines, for your career, and for your investment portfolio; so the recent rise in oil prices may be causing you great concern. Should it?
Using the Internet and Excel, you can run a correlation analysis between virtually any published data sets from oil prices to stock prices to machine tool sales.
The Excel function “=CORREL” checks correlation between two sets of data. Correlation values are always between -1 and plus 1. A correlation of 1 means the two data sets move in perfect lock step, a correlation of -1 means the data sets move in a perfectly opposite fashion. A correlation of 0 means the data sets are random and have no relationship to each other.
Put another way, correlation numbers near 1 or -1 mean that changes in one variable cause the second variable to change positively or negatively respectively. Correlation numbers near 0 mean that changes in one variable don’t cause changes in the second variable.
To check correlation of oil prices and stock prices, we found stock prices at yahoo.com and oil prices at inflationdata.com. We imported monthly data from January 1974 to November 2007 into an Excel spreadsheet.
The Jan 1974-Nov 2007 time period was selected because it had wide fluctuations in stock and oil prices, it is relatively recent, and it contains enough data points to generate a valid correlation. The S&P 500 stock index is a widely used index representing almost half of worldwide stock market capitalization.
When comparing virtually any economic data, one must first strip out inflation effects or else the correlation will always be strongly positive because prices tend to increase over time. This is done by comparing the percent change from month to month instead of the raw price data.
Comparing percentage change in monthly stock and oil prices over the specified time period yields a negative correlation of -.15. Per wikepedia.com, this is a very weak tending toward insignificant negative correlation. That means that stock prices go down a bit when oil prices go up, but not enough to matter or to worry about.
You can perform similar correlation analysis on any data sets of interest to you and your company and reveal the truth behind the headlines.