Umm, Pete, the machine runs like a charm, but I think we better go back and review the criteria for "purpose" in the RFQ.

http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Most-Useless-Machine/

As we've monitored the progress that wireless technology had made in discrete automation applications---and there hasn't been a lot of it---it appears that the discrete crowd is reluctant to get very far into it until the wireless standards mess that's been accummulating in process automation begins to sort itself out.

Well, ISA would like to bring you into the discusssion a bit sooner regarding wireless apps at the sensor and actuator level:  read more »

If you follow us on the Web or in our print product, you know that over the years we've been trying to keep you ahead of the curve of how RFID might one day impact you as a machine builder or integrator.

You remember how RFID had been touted as the positively, absolutely, without question, bet the farm on it, identification method that would render all other forms of product ID irrelevant any minute now.  read more »

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