Featured Articles

Analyzing Backfeeding Events With the Help of Power Supply Data

Analyzing Backfeeding Events With the Help of Power Supply Data

Backfeeding is a physical process that is highly desirable in many applications, such as electric vehicles, for the purpose of energy recovery. However, in an industrial setting, backfeeding can be a problem and lead to costly system downtimes if the power supply units fail. In this blog article you will learn how power supply data can help you to identify those backfeeding events and take measures.

Migration Strategies for Supporting Legacy Automation
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Migration Strategies for Supporting Legacy Automation

For a period beginning in the late 1990s, Windows CE was a popular choice as a lightweight operating system for industrial control automation platforms. Now, with the industrial internet of things (IIoT) revolution upon us and new generations of embedded technologies available and rapidly emerging, many end users are in search of a path forward for their legacy systems such as those based on Windows CE. If you can relate, the good news is there are options!

Semiconductor Plant Cleanrooms
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Horton Automatics Cleanroom Doors Play Important Role in Groundbreaking U.S. Semiconductor Plant Development

Horton Automatics, a manufacturer of premium access solutions, is pleased to announce its continued support of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) in the construction of a groundbreaking semiconductor manufacturing plant in Phoenix, AZ. This collaboration signifies Horton’s commitment to supporting technological advancements and driving the growth of the semiconductor industry in the United States.

Pave the Path for Green Mining via IoT and Energy Optimization
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Pave the Path for Green Mining via IoT and Energy Optimization

Electricity costs already account for 20 to 30 percent of operation costs and are rising. Driving new efficiencies in how electricity is used and managed will have a massive payoff for mining operations. Mine energy efficiency begins and ends with the site’s power infrastructure and management. Using their field-proven solutions, Eaton can help you improve the bottom line while reducing scope 1 and 2 emissions, and keeping people and equipment safe.

Preparing Your Facility for Mobile Robots: Key Considerations for Seamless Integration
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Preparing Your Facility for Mobile Robots: Key Considerations for Seamless Integration

Integrating autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) into your facility can optimize materials transport thanks to the robots’ ability to navigate autonomously, adapt to changing environments, and perform a range of tasks. However, successful AMR implementation requires careful consideration of several key factors: space analysis, floor conditions, and environmental factors, among others.

More Efficient Wire Processing

More Efficient Wire Processing

Optimized Processes and Coordinated System Solutions for Greater Efficiency in Wire Processing – Control cabinet builders face many challenges: international competition, the shortage of skilled workers, and financial considerations such as increasing labor and material costs. While panel shops have little influence over these external challenges, they can find ways to streamline in-house processes and structures.

Top Six Trends Shaping the Packaging Industry Today

Top Six Trends Shaping the Packaging Industry Today

Automation has been a game-changer in the packaging industry thanks to its significant impact on the efficiency, speed, and accuracy of the packaging process. As packaging companies adopt these new solutions, they’ll be increasingly capable of adapting quickly to meet changing customer demand and withstand the impact of stressors like the COVID-19 pandemic. This article will explore a few of the biggest automation trends in packaging.

Will Industrial HMIs go touchless?
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Will Industrial HMIs go touchless?

July 17, 2023 Human-machine interfaces (HMIs) are a crucial component of industrial control systems, as they allow operators to interact with and monitor the performance of industrial equipment. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in touchless technology, which eliminates the need for physical contact between the operator and the interface. This technology…

4 Things You Need to Know About Thermal Management for Enclosures
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4 Things You Need to Know About Thermal Management for Enclosures

Thermal management helps control the temperature within a sealed enclosure to prevent electronic components from overheating. Although individual manufacturer’s specifications vary, most electrical distribution and control equipment operates longer and more effectively under ambient air conditions ranging from 104° – 122°F [40° – 50°C]. Temperatures that exceed this range can damage electronics, causing outages or permanent failure.

Is Your Electrical Design Process Tailored Around Your Customer?

Is Your Electrical Design Process Tailored Around Your Customer?

All electrical designs start with an initial assessment of your customer’s desired outcomes.  How do you, the panel builder, and your customer both agree that what they asked you to design is what you are going to produce for them? When your engineers work without tightly defined specifications, they can produce designs that are essentially workarounds, rather than optimized systems. This costs you time and money. 

What the Growth of Plant-Based Foods Means for Food and Beverage Manufacturers
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What the Growth of Plant-Based Foods Means for Food and Beverage Manufacturers

There are more plant-based food and beverage products on the market than ever before. Whether it’s oat milk or meat alternatives, the appetite for plant-based foods is bigger than it’s ever been, with 6 out of 10 U.S. households purchasing a plant-based food item in 2022. The plant-based food market totaled more than $8 billion in 2022, and industry experts project the popularity and demand for plant-based food products will continue to grow and eclipse $160 billion by 2030. This means food and beverage manufacturers from traditional meat titans like Tyson to meat-free pioneers like Impossible Foods are accelerating their plant-based production to meet demand and lead the charge in the plant-based space.

Why Integrated Safety is the Right Strategy for Large, Complex Applications

Why Integrated Safety is the Right Strategy for Large, Complex Applications

During the safety design process for a machine or application, manufacturers must choose whether these measures will be implemented as a standalone or networked (integrated) safety solution. Basic safety solutions can work for smaller-size applications, but when people are talking about large automation production lines, for example, complexity makes these unworkable. Integrated safety isn’t just a highly effective way to mitigate risk. In fact, it’s a key element in building a high-performing, future-ready manufacturing facility since it’s capable of improving automation efficiency and boosting throughput.

How to Choose the Right Small Enclosures to Help Reduce Your Automation Footprint
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How to Choose the Right Small Enclosures to Help Reduce Your Automation Footprint

A recent discussion of current trends in the industrial automation world explored in part how manufacturers are striving for increased digital connectivity in order to leverage a more data-driven, transparent approach to manufacturing. While a more connected ecosystem has a number of benefits in terms of production efficiency, flexibility, and output, it does present some challenges in maximizing the space of your production floor. For example, a more connected automation infrastructure can mean an increased number of industrial enclosures to help power manufacturing equipment.

Discover EPLAN on the Cloud
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Discover EPLAN on the Cloud

What is EPLAN Platform as a service? EPLAN Platform as a Service is a cloud-based CAE (computer aided engineering) solution for electrical schematic and cabinet design. EPLAN Platform as a Service brings all of the benefits from the EPLAN platform, with the additional benefits of working remotely, reducing costs in IT infrastructure & operating costs, and less reliance on in-house hardware. Ultimately offering a flexible solution that is accessible for all.

Flexible Healthcare Systems Will Power the Future
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Flexible Healthcare Systems Will Power the Future

The importance of healthcare cannot be understated. Because keeping a hospital up and running requires a massive amount of reliable power, you need an essential electrical system that’s designed to help reduce energy costs, simplify maintenance and make it easier to comply with regulatory requirements. In the last five years alone, Eaton has completed a multitude of major energy projects at hospitals and far more targeted system updates and upgrades.