What’s This About?
Thanks for visiting The Automation Primer! My goal on this site is to create a free community-focused resource dedicated to automation concepts and terminology. The tabs at the top of this page should help you find what you’re looking for…
I love what I do! I was not a good student in High School, in fact I failed to graduate. After joining the US Air Force following a series of minimum wage jobs, I found that I had an aptitude for electronics. This led to being a thirty year old Electrical Engineering student at the University of Tennessee, where I concentrated in control systems.
I spent the first four years following graduation learning all of the components and industrial landscape in my area, after which I started my first company back in 1996. I realized during this period that I had not learned the practical elements to be successful in either my field or in business. Much of what I learned during this time came from some very good mentors and lots of trial and error.
The Automation Academy is my full-time project now that I am nearing the end of my own career. This is a website that can help you define your career Goals and Path, learn valuable industrial automation skills, and interface with others who are also learning. It’s also a very inexpensive way to learn PLC programming and machine-building techniques!
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Engineers learn a lot of mathematical and scientific concepts that give them an excellent theoretical understanding of the field, but which fail to provide the necessary practical knowledge that normally comes from years of trial-and-error. I hope to fill in some of those gaps with the resources and posts on this site. This website is free and always will be. It has no advertisements (other than my own :-P) or annoying pop-ups.
Check out especially the Blog, PLC and Resources tabs if you are looking for something in particular, or contact me if you have any specific questions.
Books:
On this site, you’ll find samples of my book, Industrial Automation: Hands On, published by McGraw-Hill Professional, a complete tutorial on industrial automation. This book was my first, and much of the content came from this site.
A more recent general book you might like is Maintenance and Troubleshooting in Industrial Automation. It was released in 2022 and is less expensive than my first book, and is in color! You’ll also find articles here on PLC programming focused on making you comfortable using multiple platforms; for a good start on the subject check out my books PLC Hardware and Programming – Multi-Platform (NTHU) (2022) and Advanced PLC Hardware and Programming (2019) on Amazon and at other booksellers. Also stay tuned for my online courses here, on YouTube, and at the Automation Academy on my business website.
You’ll also find user-submitted articles and blog posts that run the gamut of automation techniques and tips. Have something to add to the discussion? Want to promote your product or site? Contribute an article. I’ll edit, format, and publish it with full attribution to you.
This is the site I wished for when I was getting started in automation.
—Frank Lamb
Author of: Industrial Automation: Hands On, PLC Hardware and Programming Multi-Platform (NTHU), Advanced PLC Hardware and Programming, Maintenance and Troubleshooting in Industrial Automation, How to Build your PLC Trainer, and PLC Hardware and Programming – Allen-Bradley Platforms (NTHU).
Founder, Automation Consulting, LLC and AutomationPrimer.com.
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I also provide automation training and services through my company Automation Consulting, LLC, located in Nashville, Tennessee.
Some of the subjects you will find covered on this site: Industrial Automation, machine design, control systems, software and programming, PLCs and HMIs, SCADA, motion control, robotics, sensors including proxes and photoeyes, systems integration, Six Sigma/Lean Manufacturing, packaging machinery, material handling and conveyors, machine vision, metalforming machinery, jobs and trades related to the automation industry, assembly machines, gauging and a host of other subjects. If you see something missing, let me know!
