The Future of Manufacturing: Automation Technology in Process Manufacturing #atpm #wbf #pauto #manufacturing #mfg #automation

 IF YOU ONLY GO TO ONE CONFERENCE THIS YEAR, MAKE IT THIS ONE!

read more

HTCIA presentation, CISAC meeting, and continued lack of ICS cyber security understanding

I gave a presentation on May 10th at the High Tech Crime Investigation Association Meeting (HTCIA) in Menlo Park, CA on Industrial Control System (ICS) Cyber Security. As with most presentations, the unique ICS issues were new to most of the attendees but I wanted to share two tell-tale reactions from that day.

read more

Read the April 2012 Issue

In April's Control: Remote Access Goes Mainstream. Find out why it's one of the fastest-growing and accepted technologies to hit the process control industries; plus, how an upstate New York brewer saves $230,000 a year with a flow controls upgrade; what's new in SCADA; and the story of Southern States Chemical's new sulphuric acid plant, built with a combination of recycled equipment and the latest in processing technology. Also, don't miss this month's Control Talk, featuring Greg McMillan and Stan Weiner's column "New Paradigms for Lab Control Systems."

read more

Yes, There is an EXPENSIVE Large Skills Gap in Industrial IT in the U.S., Europe and the World

Hello All, Just got back from teaching in S. Korea the MESA Global Education Program's MES/MOM Methodology Program.  This class had 22 YOUNG engineers in the class. Most were between 28 and 32.  Most were end users and system integrators. All were seriously studying the MOM standards (ISA-88/95/99/100, SCOR, OAGIS, OPC) to understand how to architect scalable industrial IT architectures. All were applying the best practices in Korea and China plants to create more jobs for their countries by building the next-generation plants. This is a premeditated, pragmatic approach and business model.

read more

Checklist for Best Variable Speed Pump Performance

Variable speed pumps can save energy when the flow is reduced. However, the turndown of the pump speed may not achievable if there is overheating at low flows, excessive sensitivity at low rpm, and cycling at high destination pressures. Special attention to variable frequency drive (VFD), motor, pump, and piping system design is necessary to achieve the rangeability associated with the energy savings.

read more

Cybersecurity in Your Safety DNA

If Your Functional Safety and Cybersecurity Programs Aren't Intertwined, You May Not Be as Safe as You Think More...

PC-Based Control Comes of Age

Now PCs Are Used to Perform Critical Real-Time Control in Applications Closely Related to Process Plants More...

"Tomorrow Is Not Cancelled"

Automation Companies Want to Emerge from This Downturn in a Stronger Position than Before More...

Tuning Interacting Controllers

Is the Famous Ziegler-Nichols (ZN) Open-Loop Tuning/Closed-Loop Tuning Parameter Calculation for Interacting or Non-Interacting PID? More...

Control Valve Innovations

McMillan and Winer Asks Hans Baumann About His Most Notable Innovations in Control Valves. More...

Free Your Mind with OPC HDA ... and the Rest Will Follow

How Do I Access the Data Files/Tables on Your HDA Historian? More...

Pictures Beat Words

The Industry Needs Rebranding. Young People Today Think That Working in Power or Petrochemical Plants Involve Shoveling Coal, But A Graphical Presentation Can Easily Change This Point of View More...

Spring Is in the Air and Safety on Our Minds

Here Is Hoping for a Safe Spring and a Wonderful Summer for You and All Your Control Systems More...

Selling Diagnostics to Management, Part 2

Dear Plant Manager, We See a Chance to Get Distinctive and Strategic Value From Intelligent Devices; Give Us a Chance to Prove We Can Do It More...

The Future of Process Manufacturing

What Are You Going to Do When Your Most Experienced Operator Retires? More...