Micro PLCs Power Greener Homes

IMT SOLAR “REVTOS” Monitoring and Control system installed at the “Green Home” at Alfred State College in Wellsville, NY. Learn how Alfred State College showcases alternative energy, including geothermal, solar thermal, photovoltaic and small wind – and promotes the power of micro PLCs. As energy prices rise and the drive to go green intensifies, alternative energy sources are gaining momentum in the marketplace. Universities are responding by setting... Read More

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Serialization: How Will You Track Every Item?

Off-the-shelf solutions reduce your deployment risk of applying and tracking serial numbers to every single item you ship.  Over the past few years, the use of serial numbers has increased dramatically, driven by increased regulation and a desire to know exactly when and where units were produced. When serialization is required, production processes must be changed significantly to ensure the integrity of data for each component. When serial numbers are used, basic quality inspection... Read More

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An Automated Cash Crop in the Heartland

A new grain facility fitted with Siemens automation and power systems. The amber waves of grain have been more than a song lyric to Iowa’s farmers since the 1800s, but farming techniques in the 21st century bear little resemblance to those of horse-drawn plows. Modern technology is helping small towns compete with grain storage and distribution facilities in far larger cities. Goldfield, Iowa’s population may barely break 600, but the local Gold-Eagle Cooperative collects... Read More

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Are LOTO, Machine Guarding and OSHA Compliance Interconnected?

Understanding the high level approaches to removing hazardous energy from machinery is vitally important to employee safety and OSHA compliance. This article provides brief introduction into the Lock Out Tag Out approach and Machine Guarding. Is physically opening the main disconnect switch and locking it in the open position, i.e. LOTO (LockOut/TagOut), the only option when servicing machinery? The answer, it would appear, is no. There are codes and standards in the US and overseas... Read More

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How EN/ISO13849-2 Eases Validation for Programmable Safety Control

Understanding the validation requirements in EN/ISO13849-2 are critical in an efficient design process for the development of safety systems. This article provides some important points for both developers of the products or systems and for the validators. As has been well documented, EN/ISO13849 is now taking center stage in the machinery industry due to the implementation of this standard as of January of 2012. Therefore it would be helpful to have a better understanding of... Read More

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Innovative Online Software Speeds Machine Safety Compliance

Learn in five steps the process behind Siemens’ Safety Evaluation Tool to ease your transition to the new ISO 13849-1 machine safety standard. As of the end of 2011, the machine safety standard EN954-1 has been effectively replaced by EN/ISO 13849-1. The new standard addresses the latest technologies not covered by 954-1, imposing new demands on machine manufacturers under the EU Machinery Directive. The replacement occurred because EN 954-1 no longer represented the current... Read More

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Sustainable Engineering is Here

‘Reduce, reuse, recycle’ saves the engineering environment, too, when you replace standard coding with time-saving reusable software objects.  Industrial users all seem to have unique environments, even plants within environments like food processing or component manufacturing have requirements and processes that vary widely. But throughout the individual enterprises, there are usually many machines that are run using the same setup. That’s a vexing challenge... Read More

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New-gen Electrical Gear for Rural Markets

How charge controllers and photovoltaics lowered the cost of lighting for 50 families in a remote Guatemalan village. In La Nueva Providencia, a village of 50 families in central Guatemala, candles and kerosene have been the primary sources for lighting for years. Candles don’t provide much light, yet they’re costly – as much as 90 cents a day in a region where daily wages are around $4 when work is available. Years ago, their prospects for getting electricity would have... Read More

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Can PLCs Improve Your Golf Game?

Yes, and much more – when they transform a driving range into a fully automated entertainment experience. Programmable logic controllers aren’t usually associated with fun and entertainment, but an entertainment company is using PLCs to transform the driving range experience into a game-playing entertainment outing. PLCs work in conjunction with RFID-equipped golf balls, touch screen displays and other electronics gear to provide a new style of golf outing. Over the past... Read More

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Auto Manufacturer Looks to Scalable Solution for Increased Network Security and Performance

VPN routers save money and allow plant floor personnel to maintain and control access to their automation systems. Productivity pinch points always prevent processes from moving forward, regardless of whether the issues are related to workflow, product flow, or information flow. This is especially true when a plant floor control system doesn’t keep pace with advancements in industrial networking technology and modern manufacturing information systems. This was the case with... Read More

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