When expanding out of panel building into more complex machine control builds, machine builders are encouraged to upgrade from old and basic electrical schematic software to a more integrated tool set. What are some of the important functions to look for in a good electrical CAD program including how to judge databases, training requirements, upgrades and support?

No matter where you are, machine automation does the same thing, but different areas put different restrictions on those controls. Tell Machine Builder Nation how geography impacts the machine controls you choose.

Read our article Adapt and Go Global.

Is machine-mount I/O worth it? In your experience, are the higher material costs up front outweighed by the installation, configuration and eventual maintenance savings? Stand up, be counted, and let us know.

Want more? Read our April 2008 article Out of the Cabinet, on the Job.

We recently posted a case history written by Paolo Catterina of EUROelectronics (Die Is Cast for FPGA Control), an Italian company that delved into using FPGA-based controller technology to handle a particularly demanding control app for position and speed of an hydraulic cylinder on a diecasting machine.

I liked this article because it's an example of a company that realized its tried-and-true, and overall quite satisfactory, PLC control scheme just couldn't cut it for the speed and precision they needed, so it had to think very differently.

I won't regurgitate the whole story line, but the decision to use FPGA technology revolved largely on the relationship they'd established over the years with National Instruments in Italy.

That's all well and good when you indeed have a good relationship with a vendor and can genuinely explore whether that vendor's flagship product really is right for you.

I wondered out loud if that's the only way to get a group of basically conservative machine control professionals to put on pioneer hats and charge out ahead on their own.

Recall that a favorite machine builder definition of "pioneer" is "those guys out there on the prairie, lying face up with arrows in their chests."

So, lacking that tight relationship that EUROelectronics has, what would it take for you to head out in the unknown to try a new technology that you think might give you a competitive advantage?

Read our April 2008 articles, "Die Is Cast for FPGA Control" by Paolo Caterina and "FPGA Can Speed Development."
Do you use FPGA-based controllers? Take our Web poll.

Relays used to run computers until semiconductors took over. But computers with relay-based brains are making a comeback. Read "Different engines: The return of the mechanical computer" in Computerworld and discover how nanotech relays will make computers better in some demanding applications.

You're planning travel, you will need Web access at the airport, and you're wondering how easy it will be to get online at the airports on your itinerary. Forbes has information on Web access at the world’s busiest airports. Check out the top 10. No cost registration required.

My machine-mount I/O feature in the April issue of Control Design will explore the recent growth of I/O devices that have moved from being installed mostly in cabinets away from their applications to I/O now located on or closer to production lines thanks to overmolded or otherwise IP-67 protected modules and cables. I'm trying to examine recent trends in this area, seek advice from machine builders and suppliers on the best ways to use these technologies, highlight instructive examples from end users, and give some direction on how machine-mount I/O is likely to evolve in the future. If you have some sage-like commentary and/or specific examples, please let me know ASAP. I can be reached at (630) 467-1301, x465, or via e-mail at jmontague@putman.net

We have a new Web poll on ControlDesign.com. This poll asks machine builders like yourself what type of controller they use as part of their machine safety system?

• Safety relay(s) with hardwiring
• Programmable safety PLC with hardwiring
• Safety controllers
• Programmable safety PLC with mix of digital safety bus and hardwiring
• Programmable safety PLC with digital safety bus
• Programmable safety PLC on same bus as the machine controls
• None. Safety is the customer's problem 

This is just one of three questions we have posted for you to answer.
What type  of controller do you use?
Log on now and participate.

Some machine builders say end users refuse to invest in new solutions because they just want to get by for today. Builders report that users often talk about trying and implementing new technologies, but always default to demanding the lowest possible price even though support may have to be cut and costly breakdowns may be likely to occur in the near future.

It's already 2008, right? You’ve been planning next year’s revenue goals and critical improvement projects for a few months now. Same here.

Give me a minute to highlight a few of our ’08 cover stories, so you can plan how you might want to contribute your thoughts. Note I said 'how,' not 'if'......that's a hint.....no, actually that's a plea for help.....but I refuse to beg...........at least not yet.....

We’re already underway with a January article that will look at how you deal with customer expectations, particularly when your ideas about machine controls don’t line up with those of the customer. We want to pass along tips from those of you who’ve had some success there.

For February, we’ll assemble your thoughts on the best way to build a controls engineer. Tell us what you need the engineering and technical schools to do better. Let us know what the first few years on the job should involve. What ongoing training is vital in order to have a seasoned employee with the right skill sets?

Some of you are telling us that “lean� manufacturing is the lynch pin of your company’s operating approach now. In March, we want to explore how that’s helping you reduce costs and stay at the forefront of machine technology.

Later in the year we want to test two machine automation design models. One is the “modular� build. Are you no longer building a self-contained machine, but now building roll-in/roll-out sub-assemblies that make your machines more flexible and easier to change over? How does the machine automation support that?

The other model is the “commodity� build. Have so many machine automation components become available via catalog or online with enough openness that you really can fill your shopping cart and build a complete machine control system that way?

We’ll also produce extensive coverage focused on machine safety, virtual design and prototyping, and ever-changing global competition challenges. We need you in the conversation. You only have to get in touch.