Dan Sussman, for Control Engineering
Articles
Flowmeters – 2005-08-15
Flowmeters, which measure the amount of liquid, gas, or vapor flowing through pipes or troughs, are used in virtually every type of industrial process. While flow measurement is an ancient practice, dating back to at least 5,000 B.C., the past few decades has been a particularly exciting time, as vendors and users have adopted new technologies to improve the state of the art.
Operator Interfaces
The days of manual pushbuttons, analog meters, and clipboards to control, track, and record plant floor conditions are rapidly drawing to a close. Today, operators are able to exercise control and record operational history via modern, operator interface video panels. The term "operator interface" is a bit of a misnomer, as it suggests that the product is little more than a relatively "dumb" c...
Vision Systems
Although machine vision systems long have been a common fixture in electronics and semiconductor industries, dropping prices of components and integrated systems as well as improved performance are making them even more attractive additions to plants in a wide variety of industries, including automotive, consumer packaged goods, food and beverage, pulp and paper, and pharmaceuticals.
AC Drives – 2005-08-01
Adjustable-speed drives deliver precise speed control to motors in a variety of applications to make optimal use of consumed energy. Among the many benefits motor users can achieve through use of drives are lower power demand on startups, elimination of some mechanical drive components, and the potential to reduce power line disturbances with the use of special filters.