LVDTs
One of the first applications I wrote about on this blog back in January 2011 was a Rocker Arm Cover gauge that used a number of LVDTs to calculate a plane and its intercept points. In that blog I concentrated …
Author: Frank
Electrical Engineer and business owner from the Nashville, Tennessee area. I also play music, Chess and Go.
ID Systems
Early in my career I became in involved in material handling systems more often than any other kind of project. For one thing, they were generally pretty simple from a controls perspective, just turning conveyor motors on and off, moving …
What do Systems Engineers do?
So I’m still out in Tucson writing specifications for a pretty big integration job that’s coming up quickly. This is really not my forte’, I’m more of a design and programming sort of guy. What my days have consisted of …
Web Handling
As I mentioned in my previous post, this week I am in Tucson again on a 3 week job assignment. I was supposed to be here Wednesday but ended up getting a short trip to Casa Grande added at the …
Ch-ch-ch-changes…
As I come closer to completing the content of my book The Automation Primer I have had to make some decisions on exactly what to do with the book, this website, and frankly, my life. I have already made the …
Looking for Feedback
One of my goals when starting this website was to make it an interactive site where other automators like myself could post some of the projects they have worked on in the past, maybe give others some tips or even just blatantly advertise their services and capabilities….
I am hoping to meet some contacts who are interested in guest writing some applications or informational posts. All you would need to do is send me an e-mail with some interesting automation stuff in it and I will format it complete with links to your site. As I mentioned above, this is a great opportunity to get some free advertisement and website traffic.
Welding
As I continue working on my book I have come to a section that has been difficult to classify. Chapter 7 concerns the various trades that are involve working in the automation field. The first part describes primarily engineering and …
Electrical and Controls Specifications
Recently my wife took a job with a multinational OEM as a panelbuilder. This company recently built a new plant in our area and moved their panelbuilding operation here from Texas. They build custom refrigeration equipment and the associated compressors …
HMIs and Operator Interfaces
HMIs (Human-Machine Interfaces) are used to allow machine operators to control a machine or system. It can consist of items as simple as pushbuttons and pilot lights or use systems of computers and touchscreens. In todays manufacturing world it typically …
Vibratory Bowls
Vibratory bowls and feeders use a variable amplitude control box to control a drive unit with thrusters oriented in the direction of part movement. A bowl with special tooling and tracks sized to the component is mounted to the drive …