Research
Automation helps combat labor shortages
Think Again: Are automation and controls helping to fill the growing manufacturing skills gap? Control Engineering research, “Purchasing Considerations for Automation Systems & Control Systems” shows an increase in spending for the next 12 months in most categories.
Automation experts wanted: Hire, retain the best, webcast says
Research and advice assist with hiring and retaining automation experts, according to a May 25 Control Engineering webcast, citing recent research, with system integration help.
Control Engineering Career and Salary Survey, 2022
Solve the workforce challenge: Automate, innovate, hire and retain great workers. Lack of skilled workers, materials and the economy are biggest threats to manufacturing. Lack of available skilled workers jumped from 37% in 2021 to 57% in 2022.
Supply chain shortages encourage automation interoperability
Automation users are more likely to purchase from companies supporting standards that promote interoperability: Among findings in Control Engineering research.
Control Engineering Career and Salary Survey, 2021
Career update: COVID-19 accelerates innovative technology implementations; engineering salaries increase; job satisfaction is high. The lack of skilled workers, economy and lack of necessary materials are biggest threats to manufacturing.
OT, IT collaboration helps IIoT
Recent research indicates more operational technology and information technology collaboration, and 40% are spending more to do it. See a dozen bits of OT/IT collaboration advice.
Hot topics in Control Engineering
Research: For 2021, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), control system integration, instrumentation, industrial wireless, industrial PCs, industrial Ethernet, and advanced process control are among hot topics; 18 topics are in the top 10; 62 are in the top 20.
Research: Controller programming methods, advice
Control Engineering 2020 research on industrial programmable controllers said ladder logic continues to dominate programming, software integration and simulation capabilities are increasing, and survey respondents seek programming flexibility. See six software-related programmable controller changes since 2018 and nine programmable controller bits of software advice.
Top products since COVID-19 pandemic relate to air control, cleaning
In the New Products for Engineers Database by CFE Media and Technology, 5 of the top 6 products cover control of air or cleaning, since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11.
Control Engineering Career and Salary Survey, 2020
Career update: Many subscribers work in critical industries; half of non-salary compensation relies on profits, some changed by COVID-19. Lack of skilled workers continues to be the top threat to manufacturing for the survey period ending March 16, before more recent COVID-19 impacts.