Top 5 Control Engineering articles, November 3-9: Engineers’ Choice finalists, tuning PID loops, automation vs. headcount, more

Articles about the 2015 Engineers’ Choice Awards Finalists, tuning PID loops for level control, automation vs. headcount, optimizing servo controls, and finding success in an engineering career through failure were Control Engineering’s five most clicked articles from last week, November 3-9. Were you out last week? Miss something? You can catch up here.

By Chris Vavra November 10, 2014

Control Engineering Top 5 most read articles online, for Nov. 3-9, covered the 2015 Engineers’ Choice Awards Finalists, tuning PID loops for level control, automation vs. headcount, optimizing servo controls, and finding success in an engineering career through failure. Link to each article below.

1. 2015 Engineers’ Choice Awards Finalists

The Control Engineering 2015 Engineers’ Choice Awards program features 94 finalists across 26 categories. Voting will close on Dec. 31, 2014; Details and photos are available for each product. 

2. Tuning PID loops for level control

One-in-four control loops are regulating level, but techniques for tuning PID controllers in these integrating processes are not widely understood. 

3. How many people will be running your plant?

Process manufacturers have to deal with basic head count challenges. The answer may be fewer people than you think, but how do you find the right number? 

4. Optimizing servo control with an adaptive nonlinear algorithm

Servo control software improves applications requiring accurate path tracking and low settling time, such as CNC and cutting, conveyor tracking, pick-and-place operations, PCB mounting, welding, as well as painting, coating, and gluing. 

5. Fail on your way to a satisfying engineering career

Think Again: Youth, especially girls, need extra encouragement in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) topics. Are you doing your part to help girls fail in STEM? ("Did he really just say that?") Let them know failure is OK on the way to a successful engineering career in manufacturing. 

The list was developed using CFE Media’s web analytics for stories viewed on controleng.com, November 3-9, for articles published within the last two months.

– Chris Vavra, production editor, CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com.


Author Bio: Chris Vavra is web content manager for CFE Media and Technology.