September 2008 Issue Preview

Ad Closing: August 15, 2008 | Material Closing: August 22, 2008

September Issue Value-Adds
We’ll preview ISA 2008, which takes place Oct. 14-16 in Houston. We’ve also

Cover Story:
2008 Readers’ Choice Awards Results
We’re counting ballots again. Readers of Control Design once again were asked to tell us which suppliers they turn to for best-in-class technology in instrumentation, control and automation hardware and software. We also asked them to tell us how those companies did in providing service and support. Editor in Chief Joe Feeley reviews the tally and reports on which companies the readers believe deserve high praise and recognition for the value they provide.

Operator Interface
Economical Data Collection
Improving technologies for data acquisition in factory settings are raising increasing interest among both machine builders and their customers, with machine maintenance and service called the biggest attraction but increasing capabilities for enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems also coming along. Contributing writer Phil Burgert looks at where the data is headed.

Machine Control
Simulation Tools
Simulation of machine performance impacts various facets of industrial automation, from mechanical to electrical to controls engineering. To the controls engineer, simulation might be described as virtual prototyping that reduces a product’s time to market and bridges the gap between production throughput and product quality. Contributing Editor Don Talend investigates how these tools can help.

Drives & Machine Control
Drives and Motors: Product Roundup
This issue’s Product Roundup focus is industrial drives and motors. Email us information on your most recent, most important product offering [one product only]. Indicate “CONTROL DESIGN Round-Up September 2008, [Company Name]” and attach a 300 dpi (at 2x2 in.) JPG, EPS, or TIF graphic. Direct it to CDRoundup@putman.net.

Also in September’s control design:

Input/Output Systems: The next generation of integration standards from the OPC Foundation abandons its Microsoft roots and embraces open, vendor-independent Web services. This month’s TechFlash explains how OPC UA ties together functions from earlier OPC specifications such as data access, historical data access and alarms & events, and enables a common services-oriented architecture environment.

Real Answers: Readers offer advice on the level of machine safety that is appropriate on custom machinery.

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:

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 web site. Send managing editor, digital media, Katherine Bonfante kbonfante@putman.net the details of important events, seminars, conferences, etc., that you want industrial OEM site visitors to know about.