What You Need to Know…
What do you need to know to make a career in industrial automation? Do you need an advanced degree, or even a Bachelors? What kind of options are there? A large part of my career has involved teaching technicians and …
Category: Machine Design
Mechanical machine design, CAD, 3D design, drawing on napkins
The Complexities of Systems Integration
Have you ever wondered why some seemingly simple systems integration jobs take so much time and money to complete? The picture above shows a section of a film wrapper build by a French company, Cermex. I would estimate that this …
The Automation Academy
As part of an effort to bring more students to my training facility in Lebanon, Tennessee (near Nashville), I have started a new training course that I believe is one of a kind. I have been teaching PLC and HMI/SCADA …
How To Design And Build A Small Controls Project
Today’s post is a response to frustration. Some times when dealing with potential customers you waste a lot of time trying to save them money. They may want you to cut corners, spend a lot of your time (for free) …
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Make vs. Buy: An Infographic from Dorner Conveyors
This is a pretty cool article and Infographic from Dorner. I used to use them a lot in the old Automation Consulting Services, Inc. and working with NAS. As they mention in the infographic and in their blog, a lot …
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Building The Machine: A Bedtime Story
The following story is from my book Industrial Automation: Hands On (McGraw-Hill, 2013). I wrote it to illustrate how a machine or production line is concepted, purchased, designed, built and delivered. This is a pretty typical description of the procedures …
The True Cost of Custom Machinery
Its been about two years since I made Mastering the Machine available on this website. For those who haven’t read it, it is a short e-book describing the process of concepting, quoting, building and installing custom machinery. I have also …
Design By Committee
Several years ago at my previous employer, I was tasked to do a feasibility study for a large consumer products company. Their patent was about to expire on a product used in the medical field and their marketing department had …
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 …
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 …