Breakthroughs in robotics continue to make headlines. Most of the interest generated by the dramatic reduction in system cost for the new class of “human safe” robots. Most…
Position sensors enhance motion system accuracy
by Steve Meyer, Contributing Editor Improved position sensors can reduce motion system cost and increase performance. Motion control is, first and foremost, about control. The old engineering adage…
Internet Factorynet
The Internet of Things has spawned a lot of hype in the last couple of years. Lately there have been a number of themes around specific segments and…
Magnets and Magnequench
In a recent television broadcast a story is told about the importance of rare earths and magnets. Molycorp and Magnequench are the lead businesses in the story. Problem…
You Can Fix Stupid
Ron White has famously said “You Can’t Fix Stupid”. And he’s right, of course. We all do stuff that’s a little crazy and generally, we live longe enough…
Tech
ShareTechnology is everywhere. Better get used to it. Especially in the presence of high powered processors under $1 and System-on-Chip solutions that can cost as little as $10….
Tech
ShareTechnology is everywhere. Better get used to it. Especially in the presence of high powered processors under $1 and System-on-Chip solutions that can cost as little as $10….
IDEC’s solid state relay for high repetition and power requirements
IDEC Corporation announces the addition of the RV8S solid state interface relays to its existing RV8 DIN rail product line. The RV8S features 100mA to 3A switching capability in a compact 6mm wide space. Other leading RV8S features include high switching cycles, extended operating life and high-speed load switching. A common application is as an…
Processors Everywhere
In a world where compute capability continues to increase and costs continue to decrease, it’s hard to predict where the progression takes the industrial controls field. The latest…
Processors Everywhere
ShareIn a world where compute capability continues to increase and costs continue to decrease, it’s hard to predict where the progression takes the industrial controls field. The latest…
Motors and Drives – Part 3
The difference between rating a solid state device and an electric motor can make all the difference in actual practice. Since we know that solid state electronics can…
Motor and Drive Sizing – Part 2
Sizing a motor correctly is easy. It’s all about the load conditions. Starting and running. Those are the two operating points we have to know about in order…
Motor & Drive Sizing
It has been over 100 years since the invention of the AC motor by Nicola Tesla. Yet, after all this time, one of the most common difficulties in…
Time and Turing
Alan Turing’s genius as a mathematician was recognized in his day for ability to solve the most sophisticated encryption algorithms of the Second World War and recreate them…
Energy and the Balance of Power
In modern times the backbone of the industrialized world is energy. While electricity is the dominant form of energy for manufacturing, the dominant form of energy in…
Energy
Energy is one of the crucial building blocks of an industrial society. We heat, we cool, we pump water and we move around our geography with relative ease….
Man and Machines
Machines are systems that convert energy and do work. Machines come in large classes that can be sorted by industry and activity. Transportation systems such as cars, trains,…
Rise of the Machines?
Artificial Intelligence is a major software technology that has been under development for decades. As with many forms of technology, the current hype around artificial intelligence doesn’t really…
Internet of Things Hype
The Internet of Things continues to generate a lot of “buzz”. One market research firm forecasts $1.9 trillion in revenue by 2020 in global economic value created by…
Technology Applied
Technology is a term that is broadly used and highly misunderstood. It is the art of, or skill that is based on the underlying principle of a certain…
Technology Defined
Webster’s dictionary defines technology as “the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area” and “a manner of accomplishing a task, especially using technical processes or methods”….
Bringing Balance to the Force
There is a delicate balance between electric motors and the power electronics that control them. This is because power electronics conduct electricity in a completely different way than wire…
Electric Motor Application
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, we can only change it from one form to another. Sadly, that transformation always causes losses. Most of the time those losses…
Design Integration
There are a number of definitions for the word ‘design’. A broad definition is based on conceiving or planning something. The object of the design could be anything,…
1 + 1 = 3
The business world sometimes likes to use the “1 + 1 = 3″ for mergers and acquisitions where businesses seek to leverage the strengths of two complementary businesses….