Dennis Nash, Control Station, Inc. President PID Tuning Fundamentals: Collecting Good Data PostedOctober 4, 2018 AT 12:55 PM At one time or another we’ve all heard the old adage: Garbage in, Garbage out. While it’s an old saying, it’s a good one and it’s highly relevant to PID controller tuning and process optimization. Read More
Dennis Nash, Control Station, Inc. President PID Tuning Fundamentals: Good Control Should Be SIMPLE PostedSeptember 25, 2018 AT 10:06 AM After all these years the Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller remains the workhorse for process manufacturers. Still, after more than 50 years of use in industry many practitioners continue to view the tuning of PID controllers as a “black art”. Read More
Michael Bachelor, Bachelor Controls, Inc. President Oh, the Things We Can Do PostedJune 21, 2018 AT 8:30 AM https://www.automationworld.com/oh-things-we-can-do When considering the important anatomy of an Internet of Things system, don’t neglect your focus on the ‘things’ themselves. Then you can worry about the cloud, analytics and dashboards. Read More
, Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) Rick Caldwell, President of SCADAware - Interview with a System Integrator PostedApril 3, 2018 AT 8:30 AM http://talkingindustrialautomation.com/rick-caldwell-president-of-scadaware-interview-with-a-system-integrator In this episode I spoke with Rick Caldwell, President of SCADAware, a system integrator based in Bloomington, IL. Rick grew up plumbing with his dad but realized 10 years into his career that he had penchant for electricity instead of water. After changing his focus to computer science and electrical engineering, he had a serendipitous moment in meeting Dick Morley, the father of the programmable logic controller, otherwise known as the PLC. Enjoy getting to know Rick Caldwell. Read More
, Loman Control Systems, Inc. Viewing System Integration From the Inside PostedMarch 5, 2018 AT 8:30 AM https://www.automationworld.com/viewing-system-integration-inside A collection of thoughts from system integrators about the state of automation and controls in manufacturing, along with some advice about how to get where you’re going. Read More
Mike Triassi, Optimation Technology, Inc. Business Development Manager Analytics Options for Automation Improving With PaaS PostedFebruary 8, 2018 AT 8:30 AM https://www.automationworld.com/analytics-options-automation-improving-paas From suppliers of infrastructure as a service (IaaS) has sprung platform as a service (PaaS). Just as companies have analytics capabilities in PaaS, there are opportunities around automation PaaS as well. Read More
Georgia Whalen, Rivergate Marketing Founder An End User’s Perspective on System Integrator Selection PostedNovember 30, 2017 AT 8:30 AM https://www.automationworld.com/end-users-perspective-system-integrator-selection A professional engineer with more than 35 years of experience in process automation shares his thoughts on why choosing the right control system integrator is so important. Read More
Jeff Miller, Interstates, Inc Director of Project Management The Importance of Project Kickoff Meetings PostedOctober 17, 2017 AT 8:30 AM https://www.automationworld.com/importance-project-kickoff-meetings Before work on an automation project begins, a foundation of communication and understanding must be fostered. Read More
Allan Evora, Affinity Energy LLC President, Executive Management Just Because You Can, Doesn't Mean You Should" and other SCADA Implementation Pet Peeves PostedSeptember 19, 2017 AT 8:30 AM Overspecifying or underspecifying device points needlessly drives up SCADA implementation costs Read More
Luigi De Bernardini, Autoware, S.R.L. CEO Agile Project Management Questions Answered, Part 1 PostedJuly 25, 2017 AT 8:30 AM https://www.automationworld.com/agile-project-management-questions-answered-part-1 In response to an earlier post on agile project management for MES and MOM deployments, readers had a number of questions about putting this process into practice. Read More
, DenTech How Dynamic System Design Helps Facilitate Change PostedJuly 18, 2017 AT 8:30 AM https://www.automationworld.com/how-dynamic-system-design-helps-facilitate-change Understanding that change is inevitable and anticipating potential changes are essential in managing frequent project revisions. Read More
Allan Evora, Affinity Energy LLC President, Executive Management 5 Quick Ways to Optimize SCADA Alarming PostedJuly 11, 2017 AT 8:30 AM 5 Quick Ways to Optimize SCADA Alarming Read More
Luigi De Bernardini, Autoware, S.R.L. CEO Agile Project Management for MES Deployments PostedMay 23, 2017 AT 8:30 AM https://www.automationworld.com/agile-project-management-mes-deployments Successful MES or MOM implementations require a more nimble project management style than traditional project management. Managing in “sprints” is more effective for these long-term, high-risk projects. Read More
, Interstates Control Systems, Inc. RFID: Getting the Best Read PostedMarch 7, 2017 AT 7:30 AM https://www.automationworld.com/rfid-getting-best-read Every application of radio frequency identification in industrial manufacturing presents unique challenges. Establishing performance expectations early on and fine tuning for the specific facility are necessary for a successful implementation. Read More
Michael Gurney, Concept Systems Inc. Owner How Laser Scanners and Non-Contact Encoders Are Changing Robotic Applications PostedFebruary 28, 2017 AT 7:30 AM https://www.automationworld.com/how-laser-scanners-and-non-contact-encoders-are-changing-robotic-applications Painting robots can save time and waste, and the technology is not as far off as you may think. Read More
Luigi De Bernardini, Autoware, S.R.L. CEO CSIA Certification Is More Relevant Than Ever PostedFebruary 27, 2017 AT 10:30 AM https://www.automationworld.com/csia-certification-more-relevant-ever In the age of Industry 4.0, some aspects of certification for system integrators are becoming significantly more important. Read More
Michael Gurney, Concept Systems Inc. Owner Reduce Risk and Costs by Improving Project Selection PostedNovember 8, 2016 AT 12:58 PM http://www.automationworld.com/reduce-risk-and-costs-improving-project-selection Why taking the time early on to devise up-to-date project specifications saves time, money, and risk in the long run. Read More
Bret Van Wyk, Interstates, Inc Director of Client Support Corporate IT vs. Manufacturing IT PostedAugust 16, 2016 AT 8:26 AM http://www.automationworld.com/corporate-it-vs-manufacturing-it It’s no secret that significant tension exists between corporate information technology (IT) departments and those who are charged with securing plant floor automation. The key to resolving this tension is for those responsible for manufacturing IT to realize that an "island" mentality no longer works. Read More