Vote now for 2019 Engineers’ Choice Finalists
The official ballot is open for voting for Control Engineering North American print and digital edition subscribers, for a limited time. Review finalists and vote by using CFE Media's New Products for Engineers platform. (Voting closed Jan. 4, 2019.)
How much control goes to the cloud?
Cloud computing is gaining ground as industrial plants become more efficient, but it’s important to recognize where computing is needed and where it should be taking place.
Part singulation system benefits for robots
Part singulation can help companies who are considering using robots for assembly, picking, and palletizing applications.
Process control safety and compliance advice
Process safety regulations, standards, and loss prevention practices are derived from a tangled web of documents and it's vital for a company to know the different agencies, standards, and other groups involved to reduce potential confusion.
Five safety fencing benefits and considerations
Safety fencing plays an integral role in protecting employees from hazards posed by industrial machinery and companies need to consider aspects such as operator safety and the ease of installation and modularity.
Choosing between a sectional or monoblock valve
Sectional valves are the most versatile and configurable valve type for hydraulic systems, but a monoblock brings many added benefits when properly applied.
Focusing on controller choice, Lean
Many plant-specific factors affect controller criteria, but choices unique to controller type exist as well.
Alternatives to axles: Hydraulic direct wheel drive motors
Designing a frame to accept a hydraulic direct wheel drive system will greatly increase the available space for other system components.
How to choose an industrial automation controller
Choosing the most effective controller requires careful evaluation of multiple requirements.
OSHA and energy control
Be especially careful with the minor servicing exception in the Lockout/Tagout standard from OSHA. Certain kinds of “minor” activities that occur during normal production operations may not be covered by LOTO (but are covered under other OSHA standard provisions) and other “minor” activities are covered by LOTO; do you know which?