January 2012 Issue Preview
Ad Closing: December 12, 2011 | Material Closing: December 19, 2011
Cover Story
Machine Design and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
Customers of machine and robot builder OEMs want machines that are more flexible, faster to change over, more reliable with faster throughput, and more energy-efficient—all with diagnostics to minimize downtime. Senior Technical Editor Dan Hebert explains that these features reduce total cost of ownership (TCO), but can greatly increase the initial price tag unless automation is intelligently applied.
Drives & Motion Control
Linear Motion
More accurate, faster and better protected linear motion components are enabling machine builders and their end users to make a variety of performance gains from welding more and better-quality wind tower sections to building more precise and compact surfboard shaping machines. Executive Editor Jim Montague explains how they're doing it.
Machine Control
Power Supplies: Product Roundup
This issue’s Product Roundup focus is on power supplies. Email us information on your most recent, most important product offering [one product only]. Indicate “CONTROL DESIGN Roundup January 2011, [Company Name]” and attach a 300 dpi (at 2x2 in.) JPG, EPS, or TIF graphic. Direct it to CDRoundup@putman.net.
Operator Interface
Access Control: Real Answers
More automation is installed with Ethernet and web-based connections. This helps with remote troubleshooting and enterprise reporting, but some customers worry that their connected factory floor is vulnerable to internal input mistakes that can cascade through an entire process. This month’s Real Answers question asks what kind of prioritized operator and technician HMI access can protect the process, but still provide the links needed to the outside. Send a few focused paragraphs in response (not product plugs) to Aaron Hand (ahand@putman.net) by Friday, Dec. 9.
Measurement, Sensing & Vision
Presence Sensors: TechFlash
While the simple presence sensor is still around, more capable versions are now emerging. Through self-diagnostics, these sensors can tell when they aren’t working or need a bit of cleaning, making life easier for a manufacturing engineer. They also offer improved communications, increasing flexibility and ease-of-configuration. Contributing Editor Hank Hogan explains, however, that these capabilities come with a price—complex sensors cost more than simple ones, and so there’s a trade-off to consider.
Input/Output Systems
I/O Choices: ControlDesign.com
Digital Managing Editor Katherine Bonfante will explore the I/O Choices topic by detailing the articles, white papers and more available to readers on ControlDesign.com.
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 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 Aaron Hand (ahand@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.
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