PLC Articles – Software and Hardware
Since I started this blog in early 2011 I have written a lot of articles on PLCs. The PLC is a major part of many industrial facilities and machines, and indeed has been an important part of my career. Now …
Author: Frank
Electrical Engineer and business owner from the Nashville, Tennessee area. I also play music, Chess and Go.
Jargon, Buzzwords and Acronyms: Understanding the Process
One of the best things about teaching technical classes around the country is getting to meet people from all kinds of different industries. Sometimes, like a couple of weeks ago in Raleigh, NC a class will have people from several …
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OEM Controls
* OEM – Original Equipment Manufacturer. Early in my controls career I had a symbiotic relationship with a machine builder. I went so far as to move my company a few miles down the road and locate right next door; …
A Service Application – Bottle Blower
Usually my work involves designing and building new equipment, or occasionally completely rebuilding and upgrading old machines. Last week I got an emergency call from an existing customer that their production line was down and they couldn’t get help quickly …
More on Life…
As I get older I often spend time thinking about the way my life has gone. I started with many advantages; I was born in one of the richest countries in the world during the most interesting… or at least …
The Art of Cross-Referencing
There are many reasons you may want to replace a component in your automated system with something else. Some of the more common reasons might include: 1. The manufacturer doesn’t make it anymore. 2. I can’t get it as quickly …
The Importance of Machine Documentation
Automated machinery can be very complex and cost millions of dollars. When it breaks down seconds can count… lost production affects the bottom line and can lead to lost customers when deadlines aren’t met. So why is machine documentation considered …
Miami Adventures
Last March I wrote a post on working in New England on a consulting project. Much of the post was about the travels during my days off from the project, describing what the area was like in the Winter. I …
Linked In and Networking
A couple of years ago I wrote a post just as I was resurrecting my old company about “The Automation Community”. In this post I mentioned that in all my years of business I had never been able to trace …
Plastics and Polymers
Today’s post is inspired by a project that I am going to have to redo at my house because of a property of materials that I didn’t take into account when I designed it. About three years ago we had …