Automation World Gets Your Questions Answered

Two of the biggest trends in automation over the past few years have been the trend away from closed, proprietary systems and toward open systems, and increased reliance on automation to achieve sustainability goals. In this episode, we connect with Michael Martinez of Schneider Electric to better understand the connections between the use of open industrial automation software and sustainability.

In this episode, we connect with Michael Guelker of Festo to learn about the different types of robot grippers—pneumatic, electric, vacuum, soft adaptive, and magnetic—and how to select them based on capabilities and robot/automation supplier relationships.

In this episode, we connect with Jacob Becker, system solution architect at system integrator Tri Tech Automation, to answer an Automation World reader question about how soft starters and VFDs compare.  We explore their differences and similarities regarding motor speed control, cost, performance parameters and tuning capabilities, and for which applications each technology make the most sense.

In this episode, we connect with Sean Gregerson, vice president of asset management at Aveva, to learn about: Information Digital Twins; data democratization and what it means for industrial use of operations data; and why the gap between collected data and analyzed data remains so large at most companies.

In this episode, we connect with Ross Turbiville, senior director of global industry sales of flow control products at Emerson Automation Solutions, to learn about the different types of commonly available automated valves, valve sizing and performance issues, how piping  and valve materials can impact valve choice, and deciding among electric, pneumatic, and hydraulic valve actuators. 

In this episode we connect with Chris Radebaugh of Emerson to learn how DeltaV Simulation Cloud is used to effectively train operators whenever engineering changes are made to production systems, what industries are using it, and how cloud-based engineering and simulation software stacks up to on-premises software.

In this episode, we diverge a bit from our typical course of answering listener questions about automation technologies to explore the surge in interest around investing in industrial automation. With our guest Jim Carlisle, managing director at Thomas H. Lee, a Boston-based private equity firm, we look at why investment firms are increasingly focused on automation and the factors they see impacting this market.

Learn the details of machine risk assessments, what types of equipment require them, who's responsible for them, when to begin the process, and how to comply with machine risk assessment regulations in this episode featuring Devin Murray, tec.nicum services manager at Schmersal USA.

In this episode, we connect with Doug Yerger of system integrator Grantek to discuss the differences among and preferences for Instruction List, Structured Text, Ladder Diagram, Function Block Diagram, and Sequential Function Chart PLC programming languages, as well as C and C+. 

In this episode we connect with Dan Riley of system integrator firm  Interstates to learn how digital twins are used to represent specific pieces of equipment as well as entire plant floor operations. We also discuss the specific value provided by a digital twin to improve production operations and what industry segments are using this technology most.