October 2010 Issue Preview
Ad Closing: September 15, 2010 | Material Closing: September 22, 2010
Cover Story
Legacy Systems
Senior Technical Editor Dan Hebert gives the pros and cons for upgrading existing machine and robot automation systems. The best reasons to upgrade are examined, and some instances where it's best to just leave well enough alone are discussed.
Drives & Motion Control
Speed Control
Numerous industries have championed significant developments in drive applications within the past decade. They have been creating a new generation of safety-related applications. This article from Germany’s TÜV Rheinland Industrie Service outlines the general requirements regarding drives, particularly the EN 61800-5-2 standard, and discusses the implications for the new European Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.
Operator Interface
Panel Meters: Machine Builder Mojo
Panel meters provide multiple benefits to machine and robot builders. In this month’s Machine Builder Mojo column, Senior Technical Editor Dan Hebert illustrates these benefits by examining machine and robot builder panel meter applications.
Input/Output Systems
Terminal Blocks & I/O: Product Roundup
This issue’s Product Roundup focus is on terminal blocks & I/O. Email us information on your most recent, most important product offering [one product only]. Indicate “CONTROL DESIGN Roundup October 2010, [Company Name]” and attach a 300 dpi (at 2x2 in.) JPG, EPS, or TIF graphic. Direct it to CDRoundup@putman.net.
Measurement, Sensing & Vision
Color Sensors: TechFlash
In this month’s TechFlash column, Executive Editor Jim Montague explores some of the latest advances and trends in color sensing technology, such as how fast they're now able to perceive different colors, how well sensors are differentiating between difficult shades and how quickly the price of color sensing is coming down for users in lower-budget applications.
Machine Control
Programming Software: Real Answers
Customers often ask for control software compliant with the IEC 61131 standard. One machine builder sees the commonality benefits, but doesn’t find the portability argument very persuasive. This month’s Real Answers investigates whether the standard-based software packages really do help with portability.
For advertising information, get details at www.controldesign.com, contact your account manager, or call Anetta Gauthier at 630/467-1300. Send insertion orders to Anetta at control design, 555 W. Pierce Rd., Itasca, IL 60143; Fax: 630-467-1124 agauthier@putman.net
Plus Ongoing Digital Opportunities:
Virtual Panel Discussions
Sponsorships are available for these new webcast-format panel discussions on a variety of industrial automation-related topics. Panelists will include sponsoring vendors and one of the vendor’s machine builder or integrator customers. The questions for the discussion will be created by the Control Design editorial staff, and the moderator will be a Control Design editor. Ask your Account Manager how to take full advantage of sponsoring this extraordinary opportunity.
ControlDesign.com Products Section Now Features Videos
Our New Products section can now accommodate videos of control and automation components and applications in action. Send us a video (5-7 minutes is optimal length, but this is merely a suggestion) of your product’s features being demonstrated in an application, and we’ll include it with your product listing on our site. Preferred video specs are FLV format, 400x300. We also can convert AVI (720x480 or 640x480), MOV (720x480 or 640x480), WMV or MPEG (640x480 at minimum of 1Mbps or 400x300 at minimum of 500 Kbps). Please send video to or contact Mike Bacidore (mbacidore@putman.net).
ControlDesign.com Call for White Papers
We’re populating our ControlDesign.com white paper library with automation topics relevant to each website channel. If you have a paper that is an instructive, generic treatment about a topic in the areas of Control Platforms, Machine Safety, Motion Control, Operator Interface, Machine Vision, Industrial Networking or Sensing & Measurement, contact Joe Feeley at JFeeley@putman.net.
The website also provides opportunities for your “sponsored” white paper to be prominently identified to site visitors and/or to be singled out as part of our expanded newsletter content. Your Account Manager has all the details.
Events Calendar
ControlDesign.com wants to include your events info on the website. Please submit the details of important events, seminars, conferences, etc., that you want industrial OEM site visitors to know about at http://www.controldesign.com/events/submit_event.html.
.