Control Engineering archiveScroll Through Current And Previous Articles
May 2013
Products to lower PLC software costs
How to avoid some software licensing fees from PLC vendors. » more
How to lower PLC software costs
PLC vendors make much more profit from software licenses than they do selling hardware. Smart shopping can avoid some of those fees. Advice for lowering PLC licensing fees follows. » more
Hannover Messe 2013: Kuka introduces lightweight robot, gives rides
Kuka Robotics LBR iiwa, a lightweight robot that is “sensitive and yielding,” makes its debut at the Hanover, Germany, trade fair. Hannover Fair 2013 (Hannover Messe in German) has an integrated... » more
How to use ISO functional safety standards
Navigate and apply ISO functional safety standards using this plain-English, journeyman’s roadmap for common-sense machine safety risk reduction. » more
Quality control measurements for smooth surfaces
Laser camera combination technology is ideal for surface measurement in many industries. The camera detects a laser line projected onto an object at a specific angle. Height and width information is... » more
April 2013
Automation project road map: Advice for the journey
Project management advice: Thinking of the automation project as a journey helps ensure safe and secure arrival, while keeping project detours and road bumps to a minimum. Planning, schedule,... » more
Automaker changes gears without changing grippers
When a major automaker sought a new strategy for automated transmission operations, an original equipment manufacturer put electric grippers at the cutting edge to eliminate costly changeovers. » more
Products used: Automaker changes gears without changing grippers
Original equipment manufacturer Moore Controls used Festo HGPLE electric grippers to help an automaker’s transmission operations eliminate costly changeovers. » more
Rapid expansion of embedded systems helps manufacturing
Time-efficient design, greater energy efficiency, and higher machine vision performance are among embedded system advances that help manufacturing and other markets, said the National Instruments... » more
Emulation, beyond simulation, for motion control
Get to market in half the time using emulation, even with highly complex motion control installations. » more
March 2013
Motor Summit 2012: More focus on motor-driven system efficiency
Presentations at this energy-efficiency conference went well beyond mere electric motors to the larger topic of “motor-driven systems.” Pumps, fans, drives, and other associated equipment have a... » more
Smart futuristic ideas to manage process control challenges
Emerging technologies, including safety, visualization, mobile computing, and alarm management, among others, were covered at the Yokogawa 2012 European User Conference, where the company showcased... » more
Automation future: Adaptable expertise for next-generation workforce
Human skills required include an understanding of the potential of automated technologies, how those technologies can be integrated, including with business and other systems, and skills in business... » more
Next-generation workforce: Process automation training
How to train the next-generation automation workforce: Employers need to provide advanced training; educators need to keep their training programs up-to-date to help next-generation automation... » more
February 2013
Servomotor technology contributes to productivity
Servo drive control: Improved computing power advances servo motor technology. Fast processors in PC-based controllers (especially multi-core PCs) enable updates to multiple servo control loops while... » more
Servodrive control: AC servo technologies, techniques can improve manufacturing productivity, energy efficiency
Smaller, more compact energy-efficient servos have faster response time speeds, higher accuracy and dynamic intelligence, along with advanced capabilities. Four enabling technologies are at work. » more
Trends in servo drives: productivity, speed, performance
Increased performance, support for up to 128 axes, and onboard Ethernet are among features in today’s advanced servodrives. » more
Delegate named for communication standard group
Bill Conley was named by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) as a delegate for oneM2M, which is a group dedicated to ensuring global functionality for machine-to-machine (M2M) systems. » more
Servodrive control improvements augment machine tool performance
Applied automation: Upgraded vertical honing machines introduce new capabilities, higher accuracy/safety, and new model designations. New servo technology for spindle, stroker, and tool-feed add new... » more
January 2013
Manufacturing IT book expands on Control Engineering advice from Dennis Brandl
Plant IT: Integrating Information Technology into Automated Manufacturing, a book by Momentum Press, expands upon many Control Engineering manufacturing IT columns by Dennis Brandl. » more
The next big thing is at hand
Engineering and IT Insight: For manufacturing, the next big thing has arrived. Have you noticed? The operator assistant, based on the second generation of smartphones and the software capability to... » more
Consider a sensor network to ease connections
Do industrial networks meet expectations? Bypass increasing Ethernet and other network incompatibilities at the I/O, sensor, and safety level by using a widely accepted sensor network. » more
Yaskawa commemorates first U.S.-manufactured MV1000 medium-voltage drives
The Kagami-Biraki sake ceremony celebrates the start of U.S. manufacturing of the Yaskawa MV1000 medium-voltage ac drives, first in that series of drives to be built in Oak Creek, Wis., with an... » more
Scroll Through Current And Previous Articles
That Have Appeared In Control Engineering Magazine.
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Products to lower PLC software costsHow to avoid some software licensing fees from PLC vendors. » more
How to lower PLC software costsPLC vendors make much more profit from software licenses than they do selling hardware. Smart shopping can avoid some of those fees. Advice for lowering PLC licensing fees follows. » more
Hannover Messe 2013: Kuka introduces lightweight robot, gives ridesKuka Robotics LBR iiwa, a lightweight robot that is “sensitive and yielding,” makes its debut at the Hanover, Germany, trade fair. Hannover Fair 2013 (Hannover Messe in German) has an integrated... » more
How to use ISO functional safety standardsNavigate and apply ISO functional safety standards using this plain-English, journeyman’s roadmap for common-sense machine safety risk reduction. » more
Quality control measurements for smooth surfacesLaser camera combination technology is ideal for surface measurement in many industries. The camera detects a laser line projected onto an object at a specific angle. Height and width information is... » more
Automation project road map: Advice for the journey Project management advice: Thinking of the automation project as a journey helps ensure safe and secure arrival, while keeping project detours and road bumps to a minimum. Planning, schedule,... » more
Automaker changes gears without changing grippersWhen a major automaker sought a new strategy for automated transmission operations, an original equipment manufacturer put electric grippers at the cutting edge to eliminate costly changeovers. » more
Products used: Automaker changes gears without changing grippersOriginal equipment manufacturer Moore Controls used Festo HGPLE electric grippers to help an automaker’s transmission operations eliminate costly changeovers. » more
Rapid expansion of embedded systems helps manufacturingTime-efficient design, greater energy efficiency, and higher machine vision performance are among embedded system advances that help manufacturing and other markets, said the National Instruments... » more
Emulation, beyond simulation, for motion controlGet to market in half the time using emulation, even with highly complex motion control installations. » more
Motor Summit 2012: More focus on motor-driven system efficiencyPresentations at this energy-efficiency conference went well beyond mere electric motors to the larger topic of “motor-driven systems.” Pumps, fans, drives, and other associated equipment have a... » more
How advanced technologies can meet process engineering challenges ahead
Challenges facing the process engineering sector and technologies can help, explained Dr. David Brown, chief executive of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) at the 2012 Yokogawa User... » more
Challenges facing the process engineering sector and technologies can help, explained Dr. David Brown, chief executive of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) at the 2012 Yokogawa User... » more
Smart futuristic ideas to manage process control challengesEmerging technologies, including safety, visualization, mobile computing, and alarm management, among others, were covered at the Yokogawa 2012 European User Conference, where the company showcased... » more
Automation future: Adaptable expertise for next-generation workforceHuman skills required include an understanding of the potential of automated technologies, how those technologies can be integrated, including with business and other systems, and skills in business... » more
Next-generation workforce: Process automation trainingHow to train the next-generation automation workforce: Employers need to provide advanced training; educators need to keep their training programs up-to-date to help next-generation automation... » more
Servomotor technology contributes to productivity Servo drive control: Improved computing power advances servo motor technology. Fast processors in PC-based controllers (especially multi-core PCs) enable updates to multiple servo control loops while... » more
Servodrive control: AC servo technologies, techniques can improve manufacturing productivity, energy efficiency Smaller, more compact energy-efficient servos have faster response time speeds, higher accuracy and dynamic intelligence, along with advanced capabilities. Four enabling technologies are at work. » more
Trends in servo drives: productivity, speed, performanceIncreased performance, support for up to 128 axes, and onboard Ethernet are among features in today’s advanced servodrives. » more
Delegate named for communication standard groupBill Conley was named by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) as a delegate for oneM2M, which is a group dedicated to ensuring global functionality for machine-to-machine (M2M) systems. » more
Servodrive control improvements augment machine tool performanceApplied automation: Upgraded vertical honing machines introduce new capabilities, higher accuracy/safety, and new model designations. New servo technology for spindle, stroker, and tool-feed add new... » more
Manufacturing IT book expands on Control Engineering advice from Dennis BrandlPlant IT: Integrating Information Technology into Automated Manufacturing, a book by Momentum Press, expands upon many Control Engineering manufacturing IT columns by Dennis Brandl. » more
The next big thing is at handEngineering and IT Insight: For manufacturing, the next big thing has arrived. Have you noticed? The operator assistant, based on the second generation of smartphones and the software capability to... » more
Industrial computer company acquires system integrator
Mergers and acquisitions: Axiomtek USA expands North American operations with acquisition of the Suntron Embedded Computing Solutions (ECS) business unit. » more
Mergers and acquisitions: Axiomtek USA expands North American operations with acquisition of the Suntron Embedded Computing Solutions (ECS) business unit. » more
Consider a sensor network to ease connectionsDo industrial networks meet expectations? Bypass increasing Ethernet and other network incompatibilities at the I/O, sensor, and safety level by using a widely accepted sensor network. » more
Yaskawa commemorates first U.S.-manufactured MV1000 medium-voltage drivesThe Kagami-Biraki sake ceremony celebrates the start of U.S. manufacturing of the Yaskawa MV1000 medium-voltage ac drives, first in that series of drives to be built in Oak Creek, Wis., with an... » more
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- 2012 Control Engineering magazine archive
- 2011 Control Engineering magazine archive
- 2010 Control Engineering magazine archive