Featured Articles

Pfannenberg: Control Cabinet Heaters – The Safe Choice

Pfannenberg: Control Cabinet Heaters – The Safe Choice

Control cabinet heaters: For many, just a cuboid designed to ensure that critical components in control cabinets or electronics enclosures don’t get too cold. Oh yes, and of course that no condensate is formed. Electrical components don’t like that, of course! If one has recognized that a heating must be already, the following questions follow: How many watts are needed? Where is the space? Is the solution worth the price?

How To Avoid Being Left Behind in Electrical Design

How To Avoid Being Left Behind in Electrical Design

The aim of all computer-aided design (CAD) systems is to improve design efficiency, and the way that these software platforms enable better practices, greater accuracy and increased productivity is changing all the time. The latest generation of electrical CAD platforms, such as EPLAN, incorporate a wide variety of digital automation features to boost efficiency, encourage greater standardization and save engineer’s valuable time.

Why Material Handlers Are Retrofitting Distribution Centers for Warehouse Automation
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Why Material Handlers Are Retrofitting Distribution Centers for Warehouse Automation

The material handling industry is projected to eclipse $300 billion in market size by 2029. Couple this with a recent report that found up to 25% of material handlers are currently experiencing labor shortages and you have a pathway for evolving warehouse automation to help material handlers process increased parcel quantities while also overcoming their staffing challenges. But there’s more to this story than a fast-growing market and labor shortages. Let’s look at a couple of other reasons why material handlers are retrofitting distribution centers for warehouse automation, and what automation designers and engineers should consider when retrofitting existing facilities for an industrial automation framework. 

EAO Launches New Website

EAO Launches New Website

Easy to navigate, tailored to the target audience and in a modern design: the EAO website www.eao.com has got a new shine. The online entity for this global HMI developer now showcases user-friendly information architecture, a smart product configurator and striking imagery. With eight languages available, the website is able to address individual national and regional dialogue groups as well as to present country-specific content.

Why PMAC Controllers Are Essential for Manufacturers Looking to Reduce Costs and Increase Efficiency

Why PMAC Controllers Are Essential for Manufacturers Looking to Reduce Costs and Increase Efficiency

Manufactures in Semiconductors, Electronics, Automotive, Packaging, and Machine Tooling industries face pressures to reduce costs, minimize downtime, optimize space and flexibility, and increase production speed. The PMAC controller family has been able to transform manufactures operations to meet these unique needs. By providing engineers and programmers with real-time monitoring, modification, and control capabilities encompassing motion, IO, programming, and communication, it allows for high-speed operations and exceptional machine performance.

A+T Instruments logo

Enthusiastic Response to A+T’s Ethernet-Based Instrument Systems

No one puts up with slow data connections in the home or office, why do so on board a yacht? As experts in improving system performance, A+T have seen an increasing number of super yachts and race boats moving towards an Ethernet based instrument systems because in our modern era information flow is expected to be fast and readily available. The current installed base of A+T Instruments includes over 500 of the largest and fastest boats on the planet and this is growing fast.

Molex Unveils New Connectivity Industry Report, Revealing a Robust Future of Technology Advancements and Product Innovations
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Molex Unveils New Connectivity Industry Report, Revealing a Robust Future of Technology Advancements and Product Innovations

Molex has recently released a new industry report that highlights opportunities and obstacles facing product design engineers as the future of connectivity continues to unfold. The report, “Predicting the Connectivity of Tomorrow: Innovations Driving the Connected World,” offers compelling insights into the transformative powers of next-generation connectivity, which is poised to unlock ground-breaking product innovations.

Future-Proof Plant Automation

Future-Proof Plant Automation – Digitalization for the Process Industry

Future-proof digitalization concepts are becoming increasingly important in the process industry. Predictive maintenance, data-based process optimization, or targeted plant modularization are intended to increase efficiency, output, and availability. With automation technology from Beckhoff, you can flexibly digitalize your process plant.

PlantPAx DCS Helps Country Maid Ramp Up Production

PlantPAx DCS Helps Country Maid Ramp Up Production

Who is using PlantPAx DCS to help Country Maid Inc.? Meet Ray Berning, an automation manager with Interstates. They’re a global provider of electrical, automation, and operational technology solutions and were recently designated a Rockwell Automation Platinum System Integrator partner. Country Maid, Inc. a manufacturer of seasonal and specialty bakery items, is a long-time Interstates client. Facing growing product demand, Country Maid wanted to increase production and efficiency without having to expand their facility.

Laser Cladding With TwinCAT CNC: High Speed and Precision Perfectly Aligned in Software-Controlled Solution

Laser Cladding With TwinCAT CNC: High Speed and Precision Perfectly Aligned in Software-Controlled Solution

Today, laser cladding is often used for coating rotationally symmetrical components. Ponticon GmbH, based in Wiesbaden, Germany, is expanding its range of applications to include coating and additive manufacturing of any geometries with the pE3D system. The requirements regarding the precise control and coordination of the tripod, rotary/swivel table, and laser would have been difficult to implement without TwinCAT CNC, EtherCAT, and eXtreme Fast Control Technology (XFC) from Beckhoff.

How A More Connected Ecosystem Can Help Manufacturers Overcome Their Panel Modification Challenges
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How A More Connected Ecosystem Can Help Manufacturers Overcome Their Panel Modification Challenges

One of the challenges panel builders and systems integrators face is the time-intensive nature of their manual panel modification processes. The labor intensive nature of manual modifications already results in extended throughput times, and recent market forces like labor shortages and supply chain disruptions only serve to exacerbate these issues. This is part of the reason why manufacturers are moving to a more connected ecosystem in order to unify the parts of their panel modification process.

Noark Electric’s Breaker Modification Center is Expanding to Better-Serve Electrical OEMs Across North America

Noark Electric’s Breaker Modification Center is Expanding to Better-Serve Electrical OEMs Across North America

Noark’s Mod Center is Expanding to Better-Serve Electrical OEMs Across North America – Noark is a global manufacturer of low-voltage electrical components for industrial applications and their specialties involve motor control and circuit protection products for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Their entire portfolio of products is designed for ease of manufacturing and assembly. Each component is developed in-house by their engineering team to meet the strictest standards and performance requirements and is covered by their exclusive five-year limited warranty.

How RFID Technology is Expanding Manufacturers Traceability Capabilities
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How RFID Technology is Expanding Manufacturers Traceability Capabilities

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology has been making great strides in expanding the capabilities that manufacturers have in Traceability. Due to its industry-proven, robust, short, and long-range design to identify, track, and trace products and carriers, RFID offers solutions beyond optical barcode reading. It can also be easily integrated into automation platforms using standard Network protocols like EtherNet/IP.

IP or NEMA: Which Enclosure Rating is More Important When Designing Electric Vehicle Charging Stations?
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IP or NEMA: Which Enclosure Rating is More Important When Designing Electric Vehicle Charging Stations?

A recent update from the Biden Administration revealed that there are more than three million EVs on the road in the U.S., and more than 130,000 EV charging stations currently in use. The President’s goal is for EVs to make up 50% of all new car sales by 2030, and this benchmark also calls for a nationwide network of more than 500,000 EV charging stations. IP and NEMA ratings certify an enclosure’s capacity to perform in harsh environments, but the unique nature of EV charging stations can leave designers a little unclear as to which rating system carries more weight for this kind of application.

What Is the Meaning of the IP Ratings for Power Supplies?
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What Is the Meaning of the IP Ratings for Power Supplies?

The IP rating indicates to what extent an electrical device is protected against the penetration of foreign objects and moisture. In this blog post, you can find out which IP codes there are, what the differences are between them and what you need to pay attention to when choosing a power supply. Environmental influences such as dust or moisture can prevent the electrical components in a power supply from functioning correctly. In addition, the interior of the power supply may need to be protected from penetration by foreign objects, such as tools, screws and wires, and from accidental contact by the user.

Eaton Invests more than $500 Million in North American Manufacturing to Support Electrification, Energy Transition and Digitalization across Industries 

Eaton Invests more than $500 Million in North American Manufacturing to Support Electrification, Energy Transition and Digitalization across Industries 

Intelligent power management company Eaton has announced significant investments in its North American manufacturing and operations to support rapidly growing demand for its electrical solutions. The company is expanding manufacturing and bolstering resilience to increase the supply of its solutions for customers in utility, commercial, healthcare, industrial and residential markets across North America. The majority…