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System Integrators

CFE Media and Technology websites (Control Engineering, Plant Engineering, and Consulting-Specifying Engineer and Oil & Gas Engineering) include a section with updates on coronavirus impacts on engineers along with a related newsletter. Courtesy: Control Engineering
Business of Engineering March 17, 2020

COVID-19 impact on engineering, engineers

Engineers like facts and seek credible information sources on COVID-19 (Coronavirus) effects to the engineering-related world. Engineers also have technologies, processes and expert advice that can help. See Control Engineering highlights.

By Mark T. Hoske
RPI researchers have created a battery that uses potassium rather than lithium, which is cheaper and more abundant and more energy-efficient and could change how batteries are made. Courtesy: Chris Vavra, CFE Media and Technology
Energy, Power March 3, 2020

Metal battery using Potassium could be alternative to Lithium-ion

Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have created a metal battery that relies on potassium instead of Lithium-ion, which could create more energy efficient batteries for consumers.

By Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
Courtesy: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Safety Standards February 20, 2020

Cryptographic ID tag developed to stop supply chain counterfeiting

MIT researchers have invented a cryptographic ID tag that’s small enough to fit on virtually any product and verify its authenticity, which could help stop supply chain counterfeiting.

By Rob Matheson
A scanning electron microscope image shows two traces of laser-induced graphene on a polyimide film. A laser mounted to the microscope was used to burn the patterns into the film. The technique shows promise for the development of flexible electronics. Courtesy: Tour Group/Rice University
System Integration February 18, 2020

Laser-induced graphene for flexible electronics

Scientists are using a very small visible beam to burn the foamy form of carbon into microscopic patterns, which could lead to wider commercial production of flexible electronics and sensors.

By Mike Williams
HMI, OI February 16, 2020

Configuring HMIs and hiring SIs

Have a plan when it comes to configuration your human-machine interface (HMI) and hiring the next generation of engineering talent.

By Jack Smith
System Integration February 14, 2020

Building the perfect user interface

Automation design: Understand the user to create a useful, effective user interface.

By Petteri Hämäläinen
Left to right: Steven Schneebeli, lead and director of engineering/IT at Malisko Engineering; Nancy Lange, co-founder and COO at Malisko Engineering; Matt Scott, lead and director of mentorship at Malisko Engineering; Dave Blaida, president and CEO at Matrix Technologies; Jeremy Gibbs, director of sales and marketing, Matrix Technologies; Jeff Buck, vice president of engineering at Automationnth. Courtesy: Katie Spain, CFE Media and Technology
System Integrators January 17, 2020

Control Engineering hot topics, December 2019

Control Engineering's most clicked articles in December 2019 included stories about the System Integrator Giants, SIY winners, Engineers' Choice finalists, automation infrastructure, and more. Miss something? You can catch up here.

By Chris Vavra
Figure 1: FreeWave’s ZumLink IQ integrated with Inductive Automation’s Ignition Edge MQTT installed at one of Sylvan Lake’s field stations. Courtesy: Freewave
Remote Monitoring January 12, 2020

Real-time monitoring and control for a water, wastewater operation

Water and wastewater operations improved with an industrial radio with messaging queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) for faster communication and new supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) software. A system integrator used the wireless system to help improve reliability and reporting and reduce risk.

By Crayton White
The standard way to test new battery designs is time-consuming and expensive. A new research method from Stanford University, MIT, and the Toyota Research Institute aims to change that. Image courtesy: Chris Vavra, CFE Media
Energy, Power January 12, 2020

Researchers receive grant to enhance solar technology

Texas A&M researchers received $4.4 million to develop and demonstrate a cyber-resilient operation for power distribution systems with massively photovoltaic (PV) generation, such as rooftop solar panels.

By Deana Totzke
Control Engineering provides knowledge daily at www.controleng.com to improve the quality of automation, controls and instrumentation implementations. Courtesy: CFE Media and Technology
Automation January 11, 2020

How clear were 2020 automation predictions?

Think again: Did you have 2020 vision? How clear were your foresights? Predictions of automation, controls, and instrumentation for 2020 were spot on, though perhaps closer to the ideal than to where most are. Are you making these changes quickly enough to stay competitive?

By Mark T. Hoske