Reader reaction to our first issue (June 1997) of Control Design included these remarks, which I guess you could take as restrained optimism that we might possibly survive another issue or two: "I don't know how you got my name, but I got your premier issue of Control Design and I'm glad I did...You had a lot for me in this first issue. I don't know if this was just coincidence or if you somehow managed to editorially tune in to the technical interests of engineers like me.  read more »

As I assemble our 15th anniversary issue, which looks back and excerpts our content over the years, I reread the first issue of Control Design. The leading industrial PC technology of the time had 200 MHz Pentium processors, 512 MB RAM, powered by Windows NT.

Manufacturers are gaining more trust in wireless technologies, and in some situations, wireless devices are the only answer. As freelance writer Hank Hogan notes in Control Design's May issue, wireless sensors can streamline and speed up production. They can even improve worker safety, as GE Aviation explains.  read more »

We're about ready to post our May issue cover story about machine safety. Here's an excerpt many of you will identify with: Many small builders are still left mostly to their own devices to figure out which standards to use and how to make their specific machines and users safer. "It's already confusing for builders and users to understand what standard to apply to their specific machine or production process," says T.J. McDermott, senior project engineer and manager at Systems Interface, a system integrator and control panel builder in Bothell, Wash.  read more »

Mike Carlson, safety products marketing manager of Banner Engineering passes along some tips on how to determine which type of resolution detection capability (high-resolution, medium-resolution or low-resolution) is needed in a safety light screen.  read more »

A press release from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (DTTL):

Global Skills Gap Leaves 10 Million Manufacturing Positions Unfilled  read more »

We just got word from our publisher that sister publication Control Global has gone live with The Flow Forum, a repository of best practices and other educational information related to industrial flow measurement.  read more »

The knowledge is about to leave the building. Baby Boomers are preparing to retire, and there's a significant gap in the skill sets of those who have spent a lifetime on the job, and the young'ns preparing to fill those shoes.

That's not only what we've been hearing repeatedly throughout the control and automation field, but frankly, within just about every professional environment we come in contact with. I belong to a couple editing groups on LinkedIn, and the conversation was brought up again there this morning, though couched in slightly different terms:  read more »

We work on older, hydraulically powered, multi-axis systems, so we have a big interest in them not all converting entirely to electrically powered alternatives. By sharing a pump across many axes of motion, we believe we can keep our per-axis cost in line with any solution. We'd like to hear what tips readers have for ensuring a well-tuned hydraulic system with emphasis on the controls and the embedded sensors.  read more »

An engineer found a magic lamp. When he rubbed it, a genie appeared. "I'll grant you two wishes," said the genie. "However, this magic lantern was designed by lawyers, so whatever you wish for, every lawyer in the world will have doubled."

"I'm OK with that," replied the engineer. "I wish for $50 million dollars." Just like that, the money appeared in front of him.

"But remember," the genie reminded him, "every lawyer in the world has $100 million now. What's your next wish?"  read more »