The challenge: Integrating a temperature controlled ventilation system with a very limited available space in an industrial control panel equipped with variable frequency drives. The application: PI Distribution in the food and beverage industry required the development of a new stand-alone system of cooktops that can be installed without the constraints of an overhead ventilating canopy.
Allied’s “Ask The Expert” series taps into the experience and expertise of key thought leaders and subject matter experts from the more than 500 global suppliers Allied works closely with to bring customers solutions for their most challenging problems (and the daily ones, too). Continuing their recent focus on women in tech, Allied had the pleasure of talking with Sylvia Feng, Product Line Manager at Belden Inc.
Remember when you were a kid playing outside in the summer and your parents reminded you every now and again to come out of the sun, have a cold glass of water, and take a brief time out to catch your breath? Yes, that was of course mildly frustrating as a young kid full of energy, but the goal was to make sure you didn’t overheat from exerting all that energy and to help ensure your body could continue to operate a peak performance even under the most strenuous of conditions.
There have been 3 important benchmarks or game-changing moments in industrial manufacturing in the last 100+ years. The first landmark moment occurred in the late 1800’s with the introduction of water and steam power; the second evolution ushered in the assembly line and the use of electricity in factories; and the third pivot point featured the advent of computers and the internet.
EN/IEC 62061 represents a sector-specific standard under IEC 61508. It describes the implementation of safety-related control systems on machinery and examines the overall lifecycle from the concept phase through to decommissioning. Mid February 2021 the new edition of IEC 62061 was published. The new edition is not only an update of the existing standard. For starter the standard is no longer limited to electrical system, but it can now be used with all kinds of technologies, for example for hydraulic or pneumatic systems.
Anyone who has been following the latest expert discussions on energy efficiency in machines and plants will have noticed that certain topics come up time and time again. The main examples are “variable frequency drives for optimum drive solutions” and “increasing efficiency in lowvoltage induction motors (EISA and NEMA Premium).” Yet low-voltage controls rarely enter into the debate. And that, as this article intends to show, does them an injustice.
Rittal North America recently donated $18,000 to the Urbana Youth Center in Urbana,Ohio, to support key educational, life skills, and career training programming such as homework assistance, nutrition programs, general operations, and upcoming programs on career readiness and placement.
Building systems, such as HVAC, consist of thousands of components that work together to keep occupants comfortable and safe. Preventative maintenance helps ensure all these pieces stay in good condition, through inspecting and checking for worn parts. However, inspections can’t find every issue. Even with a detailed maintenance program in place, you may not uncover some problems until it’s too late. The solution? Using a building maintenance system to reveal hidden issues.
UCEC has existed for more than sixty years by building the best control panels, period. To keep their focus on quality custom panels, they have never defined themselves as a “one-stop shop.” To be all things to all people with something as complicated as a control panel should send up a red flag. When panels shops try to do everything (a “one-stop shop”), that’s when things get diluted and messy.
With the increased demand on our industrial workforce, many facilities are expanding the “do more with less” approach when it comes to machine safety. Today, environmental, health and safety (EHS) and similar professionals are more likely to have their responsibilities expanded beyond programs such as Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) and Confined Space.
SCHURTER has a long tradition in the development and manufacturing of customized membrane switches for demanding applications. Based on their know-how, they find the optimal solution even for challenging applications and fields of use. SCHURTER’s high-quality membrane switches are characterized by their reliability in all production processes and environmental conditions and are produced using the latest manufacturing technology and in accordance with the highest industry standards.
Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) convergence in industrial operations is driven by the need for: better data visibility and utilization, full realization of system and software ROI, and enhanced cybersecurity. It’s also a key enabler for industrial companies to achieve their digital transformation goals. While the value of the business drivers is increasingly apparent, executing IT/OT convergence remains challenging.
What drives the requirement for accurate, high-quality labels? With so much hanging in the balance for manufacturers and retailers competing on a global scale, there’s no good reason to ignore the need for label quality. Mislabeled packaging could have consequences that range from wasted product to (potentially severe) consumer health issues.
Hammond Manufacturing uses a four step process for painting their enclosures, enclosure racks and rack mounts, which includes a four-stage pre-wash, bakes within specialized ovens for metal sheets, and application of a powder coat, all of which together reduces material waste by a significant amount according to Hammond.
Emerson, a provider in digital transformation solutions, recently announced it has successfully migrated the exploration data of Repsol, a global energy company, to the cloud. Cloud capabilities enable companies to securely store the data that powers vital analytics, helping optimize operations and achieve higher levels of performance. Migration to the cloud proved to be a cost-effective alternative for Repsol.
In its solutions for automatic seed sorting, VMek relies on EtherCAT from the very beginning. The fast real-time communication technology optimally supports the high data rates of the vision-based sorters. With a switch in the I/O level to EtherCAT plug-in modules, the company succeeded in further reducing costs, device footprint and commissioning times.