The Journal
from Rockwell Automation and Our PartnerNetwork™
The JOURNAL from Rockwell Automation and Our PartnerNetwork™ is a bimonthly magazine, published by Putman Media, Inc., designed to educate engineers about leading-edge industrial automation methods, trends and technologies.
Steps to Optimize Your Machine Safety Systems
January 16, 2019
Safety-system design, standard and technology changes now allow OEMs and end users to boost efficiencies and compliance and be more profitable.
Tips for Developing a Safer Chemical Operation
January 15, 2019
A proactive, standards-based approach that addresses a plant’s process safety throughout its life cycle can help reduce both risk and costs.
VIDEO: Predictive Maintenance System Uses IIoT
January 15, 2019
Grace Engineered Products shows its predictive maintenance system of smart devices that combine low-power wireless smart-sensor technology with advanced data analytics.
Polarization Cameras Advance Product Inspection
January 14, 2019
Production-line vision systems now can use cameras with polarized image sensors that remove glare from objects for more efficient product analysis.
VIDEO: IP69K Linear Motor is Liquid Cooled
January 13, 2019
In this video from 2018 PACK EXPO International, LinMot USA demonstrates three new features for its linear servo drives and guides.
Survey: Manufacturers Use Safety to Boost Profits
January 12, 2019
EHS, operations and engineering functions are collaborating to improve all aspects of safety, and thus efficiency and profits.
Security & Safety Work in Concert
December 6, 2018
Increasingly, network security breaches are creating safety risks for connected, smart manufacturing, so safety and security must be managed together.
Cybersecurity: A Process, Not a Project
December 5, 2018
Protect production, workers and intellectual property by maintaining cybersecurity with these best practices.
Polarization Cameras Advance Product Inspection
December 5, 2018
Production-line vision systems now can use cameras with polarized image sensors that remove glare from objects for more efficient product analysis.
Cyber Safety & Security: A Shared Responsibility
December 4, 2018
The emergence of physical and digital convergence requires an innovative fusion of once disparate disciplines: cybersecurity and physical safety.
Modern DCS Helps Convert Wastewater to Safe Water
December 4, 2018
Pollution control agency improves control over process and data, helps water treatment facility save millions and supply recycled water for crops.
VIDEO: IP69K Linear Motor has Liquid Cooling
December 4, 2018
In this video from 2018 PACK EXPO International, LinMot USA demonstrates three new features for its linear servo drives and guides.
What is Edge Computing, and Why Should You Care?
December 4, 2018
Not all smart devices must use the cloud. See how edge performs hosting, storage, computing and analysis and pushes aggregate data to a centralized plant.
14 Years and I’m Still Fascinated
December 3, 2018
In her December 2018 Editor’s Viewpoint, Theresa Houck says she’s still excited about our industry’s evolving technology after 14 years, and is sharing an Industry Trends Report.
Blind Spots in the Industrial Revolution of Things
December 3, 2018
When modernizing your network cybersecurity infrastructure and virtualized digital assets with processes and technology, don’t ignore the people factor.
Machine Vision Explained
December 3, 2018
Vision systems are used for manufacturing line inspection and non-inspection tasks, so here’s what you need to know about what’s right for your operation.
December 2018 Full Issue
December 2, 2018
Download the full PDF of the December 2018 print issue of The Journal From Rockwell Automation and Our PartnerNetwork.
How to Create Smarter Electrical Control Systems
November 26, 2018
System integrators can bring intelligent packaged power that integrate better with smart manufacturing operations than traditional electrical control.
Optimize Your Electrical Control System Upgrade
November 25, 2018
Unifying your electrical and process control systems into one digital infrastructure can provide greater plantwide visibility and boost productivity.
Poor Power Quality Costs You Time and Money
November 24, 2018
Ongoing testing and monitoring using tools to measure waste caused by harmonics and unbalance can determine waste and prevent work stoppages.
Designing a Panel? Contactors Can Help Cut Costs
November 23, 2018
Three features are engineered into modern contactors to optimize your budget through an improved coil, smaller size and expanded certification.
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Is Your Machine Built for Thin Clients?
November 5, 2018
More manufacturers are adopting a simpler centralized information management paradigm based on thin client technology and expect machines to conform.
The New Norm for Operational Security
November 5, 2018
As technology and connectivity advance, industrial control system engineers face new security issues.
Safely Use Mobile Devices in Hazardous Areas
November 4, 2018
Understanding ignition sources and levels of device protection are crucial to reducing risk.
Insights from TÜV-Certified Machine Safety Experts
October 15, 2018
Safety professionals with respected accreditations answer questions about functional safety and productivity, operational excellence and worker morale.
Improve Energy Management in Food & Bev Production
October 14, 2018
In four steps, manufacturers can use data and control to create an effective energy-management strategy: monitor, analyze, control and sustain gains.
Rockwell Automation, PTC Bring Next Step in IIoT
October 14, 2018
Strategic partnership provides integrated IIoT platform that gives users manufacturing analytics that matter to them and drive results.
3 Steps to Strong Cybersecurity
October 13, 2018
Benefitting from smart manufacturing requires a security strategy to help secure your infrastructure, protect assets and maintain network availability.
Data Mixed Just Right
October 4, 2018
See how modern batch systems can use The Connected Enterprise to deliver secure, data-driven control for flexible, optimized production performance.
Automation Fair Puts Future in Your Hands
October 3, 2018
See for yourself the digital technologies, converged networks and other smart technologies driving industrial automation trends.
Report: 9 Top Industrial Automation Trends in 2018
October 2, 2018
New eBook shows how the shift to smart manufacturing is affecting manufacturers, and highlights supporting technologies displayed at the 2018 Automation Fair® event.
4 Ways to Optimize Electric Actuator Performance
October 1, 2018
Use these tips to help get the most efficiency and reliability from your electric rod-style actuators in high-speed or high-accuracy applications.
How to Get a Connected Chemical Plant
September 30, 2018
Use of smarter, integrated technologies can help monitor and boost asset performance, enhance flexibility, reduce risk and improve maintenance.
Control System Drives New Polymer Plant
September 29, 2018
Learn how Mitsubishi Chemical sped up its polymer production site deployment for automotive airbags and used remote access to reduce start-up challenges.
NEC Code Changes That Affect SCCRs
September 28, 2018
Learn about some of the most significant new and updated 2017 NEC and how they impact you regarding available Short-Circuit Current Ratings.
2018 Digital Manufacturing eBook Now Available
August 26, 2018
Digital manufacturing is here and growing. This free resource dives into the nitty gritty of how smart manufacturing affects you.
Get More from VFDs with Predictive Maintenance
August 25, 2018
Variable-frequency drives run integral production operations, and predictive maintenance can help avoid unplanned downtime and unneeded replacements.
Learn About Temp Control in Thermal Processes
August 25, 2018
New white paper explains electromechanical contactors, solid-state relays and SCR power controllers.
Convert Traditional Starters to Soft Starters
August 24, 2018
Soft starters help boost efficiency, reduce motor wear and tear, and cut preventive maintenance costs.
When Did You Last Think About Your MCCs?
August 22, 2018
Motor control centers are the unsung heroes of almost every manufacturing facility, yet often don’t enough attention. What is the cost of their failure?
As Time Advances, So Will Your Operations
August 15, 2018
Take a look into the future to see how current control, analytics and safety technologies will reshape industries in the coming decades.
Automation Fair Event Returns to Philadelphia
August 14, 2018
The 2018 event boasts the latest information in control, power and IT/OT technologies and trends for industrial automation that are driving innovation.
Control Upgrade Helps Optimize Well Pad
August 14, 2018
Well-manager solution integrating a modern control system and HMI enhances flexibility, production visibility and safety in large oil and gas operation.
Reimagine Your Motion System
August 14, 2018
Smart motion control speeds up changeovers and boosts productivity with a flexible approach instead of conventional, complex mechanical systems.
Connected Enterprises Embrace Serialization
August 13, 2018
Integrating serialization and traceability systems with the enterprise helps manufacturers minimize risk while boosting effectiveness and productivity.
Security for Industrial Remote Access
August 13, 2018
How can you help keep your remote equipment network remains secure? These tips about protecting your infrastructure can help.
Ways to Merge Legacy Equipment with IIoT
August 12, 2018
You can implement Internet-based connectivity on older equipment to get smart manufacturing’s benefits of increased visibility, uptime and profitability.
What are Data Diodes?
August 12, 2018
Learn how and why these one-way devices are increasingly being used to help protect industrial networks against common cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
Editor's Viewpoint: One Question I Despise
August 11, 2018
In her August 2018 Editor’s Viewpoint, Theresa Houck says it’s easier to predict the future of industrial automation than to tell a job interviewer where you see yourself in five years.
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Improve Cybersecurity with Network Segmentation
July 2, 2018
An open and unsegmented network is a gift to cyber attackers. By using network segmentation, you can restrict their access and limit potential damage.
How to Design a Network Infrastructure
July 1, 2018
Industrial network switches range from unmanaged, to lightly managed, and even fully managed switching solutions. This guide helps determine the best choice for your application.
Oil and Gas Operation Gains New Visibility
July 1, 2018
Crude oil refinery reduces downtime and improves diagnostics and network security with control system upgrades and integrated asset management software.
10 Worker Safety and Productivity Tips
June 26, 2018
These insights can help you deal with challenges of finding skilled workers, globalization, automating, and safety and security worries.
Is It OK to Bypass a Machine Safety Function?
June 25, 2018
Find out why overriding a safety function still can allow a safe workplace and standards compliance — and why you need to assess how it might happen.
Design Your Safety System for Better Uptime
June 24, 2018
Familiarity with LOTO standards can yield significant cost savings.
Is Your Safety System’s Life Cycle Healthy?
June 24, 2018
Right-sizing your solution helps prevent the extra costs of over protection and the risks that come from too little protection.
More Data Than Meets the Eye
June 6, 2018
Smart machines can give OEMs new asset visibility to help reduce end-user downtime, meet performance guarantees and improve machine designs.
OEMs Aim for Speed and Agility
June 6, 2018
CPG and food packaging equipment makers are helping end users meet needs for personalization, ever-changing consumer expectations, food safety and more.
Virtual Commissioning Leaps Into Automation
June 6, 2018
VC creates easier, more powerful methods for model-based design by using a digital twin — a virtual representation of a corresponding physical product — and helps cut delays and costs.
White Paper: Electric Actuators and TCO
June 6, 2018
This free white paper explains factors to examine when determining whether electric actuators or pneumatic cylinders offer the best overall solution for plant optimization.
Yes, You Can Optimize Food Safety and Productivity
June 6, 2018
Smart manufacturing helps food and beverage producers get better quality data from production to help slash costs, boost throughput and identify issues before reaching consumers.
Risk Assessments and 2018 NFPA 70E Changes
June 5, 2018
We examine additions to the risk assessment procedure and how the Hierarchy of Risk Control pyramid can help employers and workers improve electrical safety by mitigating risk.
OEM Helps Reduce Waste Disposal Costs
June 4, 2018
Harmony Enterprises’ scalable PLC-controlled compactor cuts waste handling labor, hauling and recycling costs by 40 to 70%.
Editor's Viewpoint: It’s a Dance
June 3, 2018
In her June 2018 Editor’s Viewpoint, Theresa Houck says OEMs are doing some fancy footwork using cloud-based, smart machine analytics to help end users.
June 2018 Full Issue
June 2, 2018
Download the full PDF of the June 2018 issue of The Journal From Rockwell Automation and Our PartnerNetwork.
2018 Motors & Motion Control eBook Now Available
May 22, 2018
Whether performed through pumps, motors or linear actuators, motion control is essential for efficient industrial operations. The free “2018 Motors & Motion Control eBook” is now available.
Control Multiple Motors with 1 VFD
May 22, 2018
Consider design to see if you can simplify controls and reduce costs by using just one variable-frequency drive to control numerous motors.
Electrical Safety Requirements for Using DMMs
May 22, 2018
Learn about how to audit digital multimeter safety practices to help satisfy NFPA 70E requirements and comply with OSHA’s definition of qualified persons.
VIDEO: SCR Power Controller Converts AC Power
May 22, 2018
Advanced Energy, shows SCR power controller and optical temperature pyrometer; both have IIoT capabilities and Add-On Profiles for seamless integration into equipment and processes.
Benefits of Soft Starters on Resistive Loads
May 21, 2018
Two types of control, zero cross (SCR) and phase angle, can be used to cycle solid-state contactors on and off.
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VIDEO: Electrical Tester Measures Without Contact
May 19, 2018
Fluke Corp. shows the new T6 electrical testers, with FieldSense technology for AC voltage, current and frequency measurement without making electrical contact to live voltage.
Priceless Diamonds of Data
April 10, 2018
In this technology update, learn about the data-driven approach that lets workers explore production data and create new analytics in real time without the need for data professionals.
Smart CIP System Improves Performance & Reporting
April 10, 2018
Using a standardized control system platform, OEM’s modular clean-in-place system helps meet industry and regulatory demands while boosting efficiency and deployment.
Will the Absence-of-Voltage Test Become Outdated?
April 10, 2018
Thanks to updates to UL and NFPA 70E standards, there’s no limit to the advancements possible for absence-of-voltage systems.
Biopharma: Get the Most out of Your EBRs
April 9, 2018
Integrating electronic batch records with a manufacturing execution system can help you get to market faster, cut costs and improve compliance.
How to Develop a Data-Integration Plan
April 9, 2018
Proper planning and strategy will determine the quality of your production intelligence and the success of your smart-manufacturing goals.
Integrate Fire and Gas Safety with Process Control
April 9, 2018
Integrated safety and control systems provide critical functions such as warning and mitigating a possible hazard that could threaten workers or operations
VIDEO: Simplify Deployment of Industrial Networks
April 9, 2018
Learn more about Panduit’s network building blocks and physical infrastructure, VeriSafe for arc flash and electrical safety, and the SynapSense wireless sensing solution.
Confused About Temp Control in Thermal Processes?
April 8, 2018
Here are the basics of eletromechanical contactors, solid-state relays and SCR power controllers.
Electric Actuator and Pneumatic Cylinder TCO
April 8, 2018
When determining motor control total cost of ownership, consider utility costs, maintenance costs and product yield for the service life of each.
VIDEO: Planetary Gearbox
April 8, 2018
Apex Dynamics shows the new AP and AH series, a carbon steel planetary gearbox with less than 1 arcminute backlash in a single stage and a double stage, and up to 14,000 Nm torque.
April 2018 Full Issue
April 7, 2018
Download the full PDF of the April 2018 issue of The Journal From Rockwell Automation and Our PartnerNetwork.
It’s Awesome to See a Breakthrough as It Happens
April 7, 2018
Executive Editor Theresa Houck describes a software breakthrough: Project Scio, which lets workers see production data and create new analytics on the fly.
Navigate the Road to Smart Manufacturing
March 7, 2018
When planning a smart manufacturing strategy, focusing on four key areas can help drive a more successful IoT implementation.
Protect Pharmaceutical Firms from Cyber Threats
March 6, 2018
Digitization and connectivity can transform pharma operations, but first require a robust industrial-security strategy to safeguard intellectual property, product quality and more.
Should You Switch to Smart Sensors?
March 6, 2018
The latest smart sensors communicate detailed data and diagnostics, allowing machines to operate more effectively and operators to work more efficiently.
Free Webinar: Industrial Cybersecurity 101
March 5, 2018
You’ll learn where to start and what to do first when considering the imperative to secure your industrial networks, endpoints and control systems.
VIDEO: Communication Interface Converts Protocols
March 5, 2018
Molex shows its industrial communication protocol interface that allows CompactLogix and ControlLogix devices to translate to various networking protocols such as PROFIBUS and Modbus.
VIDEO: Infrastructure Aids Critical Applications
March 5, 2018
Frank Hill from Stratus Technologies discusses the company’s modern information infrastructure, which includes server virtualization, thin clients and fault-tolerant computing.
Optimize How You Install AC Drives
February 27, 2018
Consider these environmental and safety factors to help you improve safety and cut downtime and costs.
How to Round Up Your Pumping Application
February 26, 2018
Quick and proper detection methods help prevent flow and surge issues, pump cavitation and clogged inlet and outlets for pump control.
Motor Speed: Tortoise or the Hare?
February 26, 2018
Not every motor application needs to run at full speed, like a rabbit racing a turtle. Moving slowly might be what’s needed to get the job done.
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VIDEO: Circuit Disconnect Tool Helps Eliminate Arc
February 25, 2018
Hubbell highlights its IEC-rated pin-and-sleeve connector with integrated motor and branch circuit disconnect mechanism that eliminates potential for an electric arc.
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VIDEO: Machine Vision Recorder Has IP67 Enclosure
February 25, 2018
In this video, IMPERX, Inc., highlights updates to the company’s machine vision EtherNet/IP video recorder used to track machinery and process throughput.
VIDEO: Lifeline 5 Cable-Pull Switch
February 15, 2018
The Allen-Brady® Guardmaster Lifeline 5 cable-pull switch diagnostic capability allows you to address potential issues before they lead to unplanned downtime.
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VIDEO: Spectrum Adds Webport Unlimited VPN Service
February 13, 2018
Also, the new WebPort universal industrial gateway connects and configures multiple devices simultaneously.
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Shine a Light on Compliance
February 3, 2018
See how smart manufacturing and connected devices provide greater visibility into safety system performance and plant productivity.
How Auto Supplier Reduced Scrap by 50%
February 2, 2018
Plasan Carbon Composites used manufacturing intelligence software to cut high scrap rates and increase production volume by 6% on its new pressure presses.
2017 Automation Fair Event In Review
February 1, 2018
Attendees learned about the latest industrial automation solutions, trends and smart manufacturing developments, while also helping support Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.