How PLCs and Smart HMI Design Keep Drugs Safe
STERIS Corp. helps keeps drugs safe and compliant with electronic data security rules with simplified PLC configuration and user-friendly interface via WinCC and touch panels. In pharmaceutical manufacturing, minimizing contamination is of maximum importance. In some drugs, even extremely minor contamination can ruin an entire production run or cause even greater problems if contaminants cause patient reactions in the field. At STERIS Corp.’s Life Sciences division, employees... Read More
New-generation ‘Soft’ PLCs Drive Oil Exploration
Apache Corp. shares the first-hand benefits gained by moving from traditional PLC racks to the WinAC software PLC to control oil-drilling rigs worldwide. Houston, Texas-based Apache Corporation is an oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in the United States, Canada, Egypt, the United Kingdom, North Sea, Australia, and Argentina. Recently, we had the opportunity to sit down with Jim Rogers, automation advisor at Apache, to talk about the work he is doing... Read More
PLCs help U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Deepen Critical Shipping Channels
The hopper dredge McFarland The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has a fleet of dredging boats that keeps 12,000 miles of waterways in the United States clean and navigable for recreation and commercial use. One of these boats, the hopper dredge McFarland, played a role in emergency dredging projects during the Gulf Oil spill crisis, and also participated in rescue efforts following the September 11, 2001, World Trade Center attack in New York City. An antiquated relay system... Read More
Wireless Networks and Machine Safety: Lessons Learned in a Non-Industrial Environment
February 28, 2013 by Totally Integrated Automation Admin+
Filed under Articles, Featured, Machine Safety, PLC
Safe control of large concrete doors when elephants are in outside pen. Designing a system to control a myriad of large hydraulic gates at the Elephant Community Center at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park provides lessons learned in an application that involves hydraulics, solenoids, wireless, and safety PLCs. Making sure he doesn’t scare elephants isn’t normally in Barry Stringer’s list of challenges for the day. But when his team was designing a control system... Read More
New Controls Bring Pixar’s Cars Movie to Life at Disney’s California Adventure
November 1, 2012 by Totally Integrated Automation Admin+
Filed under Articles, Communications, Controllers, Drives, Featured, PLC
Siemens PLCs, sensors and communications bring the 12-acre Cars Land to life The wildly successful Cars movie franchise comes to life in the Disney California Adventure theme park, giving visitors an exciting ride complete with storytelling. No GPS is required for the trip to Carburetor County to see Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater, Doc Hudson, Flo, Luigi and many more beloved characters. Covering 12 acres, Cars Land is one of the most expansive projects developed to date at the... Read More
Steel Mill Executes No-Risk Control System Conversion
September 27, 2012 by Totally Integrated Automation Admin+
Filed under Articles, Featured, I/O, Networking, PLC
Prism Systems explains how a phased, rack-by-rack implementation kept the mill’s PLC-and-PROFIBUS network up and running. When a major steel manufacturer found its operations hampered by a highly customized automation system provided by multiple integrators, it turned to Prism Systems and Siemens to rectify the situation. Mobile, Ala.-based Prism Systems has been a Siemens Solution Partner for more than a decade, specializing in controls for the food and beverage, marine,... Read More
Clip and Save this Must-have list of Key Safety Standards!
August 30, 2012 by Totally Integrated Automation Admin+
Filed under Articles, Featured, Machine Safety, PLC
A concise rundown on what you need to know for emergency stops, machine guarding, safety PLCs, motor drives and robotics. Understanding the differences of safety standards as it applies to different markets is a key element in developing a product development strategy for different installations and markets. Although in North America, many of the Functional Safety standards are derived from IEC or ISO standards, it’s important to understand how the requirements differ. This... Read More
Micro PLCs Power Greener Homes
July 3, 2012 by Totally Integrated Automation Admin+
Filed under Articles, Featured, PLC, Renewable Energy, TIA Wbinars, Webinars
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
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
New Features with the Release of TIA Portal – V11 SP2
January 5, 2012 by Totally Integrated Automation Admin+
Filed under Articles, PLC
Industrial automation systems will see vast improvements in speed with the recently introduced TIA Portal – V11 SP2, which operates with the 64-bit version of Windows 7. The shift to a faster operating system will let customers take advantage of the increase in performance for both the STEP 7 and WinCC within the Siemens TIA Portal. New tools for the S71200 PLC include an SCL scripting editor. This is a high level programming language that is similar to PASCAL and structured... Read More