When it comes to any manufacturing process and not just improving robotic welding automation, companies should be asking what their goals are. “People starting doing things without knowing what the end goal is, and that can be very costly,” said Will Healy III, industry strategy manager at Balluff, in his presentation “5 Steps to Creating […]
The top 5 most read articles online, from Sept. 6-12 2021, for Control Engineering covered Engineering Leaders Under 40, control system improvements, APC improvements, factory of the future and effective process safety. Links to each article below. 1. Engineering Leaders Under 40, Class of 2021 Meet the engineers who are exceeding expectations and improving operations as […]
Learning Objectives Linear servo motors come in many types, and each have their own strengths. Cost, environment, length and load mass are among many considerations users should take into account for linear actuators. Long-term cost and performance is another critical factor for linear actuators. It is beneficial to know when and how to apply […]
Manufacturers in process manufacturing have heavily invested in the people and technologies required for effective digital transformation including machine learning (ML) software. As a result, data scientists are in high demand, data storage and migration strategies are rapidly evolving and cloud-native analytics offerings are flooding the market. A specialty chemical manufacturer used ML tools to […]
Learning Objectives Digital twins are replicas of physical devices. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for remote access. Augmented reality (AR) helps users enter situations they are physically unable to. A digital twin is a digital replica of a physical device. The session at ARC Industry Forum “Digital Twins for Improving Operations and […]
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed materials that can be used to create structures capable of transforming into multiple different architectures. The researchers envision applications ranging from construction to robotics. “The system we’ve developed was inspired by metamorphosis,” says Jie Yin, corresponding author of a paper on the work and an associate professor […]
Learning Objectives Hear personal experiences and lessons learned from DCS migrations. Examine positive and negative aspects of today’s DCS designs and migration costs. Learn ways future DCS migrations to open systems can be easier, less costly, and create more value. System integrators often help with effective process control system migrations and open systems make […]
With the addition of computers, laser cutters have rapidly become a relatively simple and powerful tool, with software controlling shiny machinery that can chop metals, woods, papers, and plastics. While this curious amalgam of materials feels encompassing, users still face difficulties distinguishing between stockpiles of visually similar materials, where the wrong stuff can make gooey […]
Natural gas emissions are a growing focus for government and industry. Methane, the major component of natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas. Though carbon dioxide emissions in the United States were nine times higher than methane, methane inflicts eighty-four times more environmental damage in a typical ten-year period. In an effort to curb greenhouse […]
Learning Objectives Calculating return on investment (ROI) is critical for a smart manufacturing project. Benefits include increased revenue, reduced risk and more. Cost sources include staff support, planning and project development. After a long search, you have the project that will turn the company around. The technology is the right fit for the process, […]