Diagnostics, Asset Management
Apprenticeships help companies nurture skilled workforce
U.S. companies should celebrate the nation's last five years of economic growth, but they're going to need a lot more skilled workers to keep the party going, according to Thomas Malott, president and ceo, Siemens Energy & Automation Inc. (Alpharetta, Ga.).Mr. Malott says nine of 10 U.S. manufacturers surveyed recently lack qualified high-skill workers, and the U.
Analysis Software Answers Performance Questions
Several software packages help end-users design and tune their control loops for "optimal" performance. Some tuning tools work better than others, but it's not always easy to tell the difference because it's not always clear whether one design works any better than another. Controller A with one set of tuning parameters may eliminate errors faster than controller B with a different set of...
Off-line Programming
Dayton, 0.— ROTSY (Robot Off-Line Systems of Yaskawa) programming software is said to make robotic application development simple and reduces its associated costs by implementing robot simulation on a PC. ROTSY users can model a proposed robot cell and perform test cycles before the system is built.
What Isn’t an MES?
What isn't an MES? A recent manufacturing execution system (MES) model (one of eight) encompasses eleven broad functions, some not typically applied to MES software.There's something within the models to help everyone understand MES. Proponents suggest using a suitable model, selecting some MES software, and start realizing the benefits—an average 45% reduction in manufacturing cycl...
Is There a Shortage of Engineers?
Feel like there is not enough of you to go around? Maybe it's because there aren't enough engineers to do all the work.The U.S. Department of Commerce has released a study by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) showing a shortage of 70,000 computer scientists and systems analysts per year.
Data Dispels Manufacturing Myths, Equipment Expansion Expected
With apologies to Mark Twain, reports of declines in U.S. manufacturing are greatly exaggerated.A recent study, The Facts About Modern Manufacturing, describes manufacturing's pivotal role in the U.S. economy and combats popular misconceptions. Compiled by the Manufacturing Institute, an affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM, Washington, D.
Control Valves: Sizing, Design, Characteristics
C ontrol valves are devices with movable, variable, and controlled internal elements for modulating fluid flow in a conduit. The valve restricts flow in response to the command signal from a process measurement control system. Basically, a control valve consists of a pressure containment enclosure body and various internal elements--fixed and movable--commonly called the valve trim. While there are uncommon exceptions, control valves are designed to function in either a push-pull or linear sliding-stem manner, or in a rotary-stem manner.
Velocity Is Key to Motion Control
Motion control systems are generally designed to move a load along a specified path as fast as possible without damaging the load or the mechanism driving it. Heavy loads are particularly difficult to control since inertia tends to force the load off course during high acceleration maneuvers. Worse still, the stress of resisting the load's inertia can destroy not only the drive mechanism, but the load itself. Rotating machinery, linear conveyors, and multiaxis robotic arms all share these problems, but a more familiar example of heavy-load motion control is the passenger elevator.
Fisher-Rosemount Systems streamlines supply chain
Austin, Tex.—To streamline its global supply chain, Fisher-Rosemount Systems announced Feb. 9 that it has agreed with ACT Manufacturing, Inc. (Hudson, Mass.), a global electronics manufacturing services provider, to establish a global "straight-through" manufacturing process for components used in its automation system solutions, from circuit board manufacturing through final assembly.
Sinopec selects Aspen for 25 refineries
Cambridge, Mass.— Aspen Technology Inc. announced Feb. 14 an agreement to provide supply-chain planning and scheduling software to Sinopec, China's largest petroleum and petrochemical company. Sinopec will implement AspenTech's solutions to optimize crude oil selection and production scheduling among its network of 25 refineries.
