Control Engineering hot topics, July 2023

Hot topics in Control Engineering, for July 2023, for stories posted in the last three months included industry 4.0, PLC programming, artificial intelligence (AI) and more. Links to each article below.

1. Is Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing working for you?

2023 marks a dozen years of Industry 4.0. Control Engineering asked an Industry 4.0 expert how companies can tell if they’re moving quickly enough toward smart manufacturing and digital transformation. Are Industry 4.0 benefits passing you by?

2. PLC programming language fundamentals for improved operations, maintenance

USC Viterbi researchers proposed a framework to address challenges in computer vision, which could help autonomous vehicles and more process situations faster.

3. Lift: Advanced, automated metal forming, controls, training, optimization

Tour of the Lift manufacturing innovation institute reveals advances in automated metal forming, control design, control software, digital transformation, training and automation optimization.

4. Survey: How to use AI to identify, improve manufacturing production goals

A study of 500 global manufacturers identified top production goals when applying artificial intelligence (AI) and suggests how to better reach those goals. Other topics include challenges, roadblocks, sustainability, workforce, technology among others.

5. Automation mergers, acquisitions, capital markets analysis: July 2023

The Bundy Group reported 13 automation transactions in the month of July. Analysis on the acquisitions and reports are highlighted below.

6. Are you making the most of PLC programming standards from PLCopen?

IEC 61131-3 offers users a reliable framework to develop efficient solutions at all phases of their automation process, and is used to support PLCopen libraries.

7. Teaching robots to perform tasks faster

MIT researchers developed a framework that helps a nontechnical user understand why a robot failed and fine-tune it with minimal effort to perform a task effectively.

8. Quantum computing development made with magnetic twist

Researchers detected signatures of “fractional quantum anomalous Hall” (FQAH) states, which is a step toward a fault-tolerant qubit, which is crucial for quantum computing.

9. How to create PLC ladder logic code with Excel

Programmable logic controller (PLC) ladder logic code can be mass produced with Microsoft Excel to generate repetitive logic like I/O mapping and alarms.

10. AI in manufacturing: Where it’s been and where it’s going

Understanding the history of artificial intelligence (AI) can show where its future may be in manufacturing and what role it will play.

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