Analyzing Competing Controller Platforms

Webinar will examine Siemens SIMATIC S7-1200 and Allen Bradley MicroLogix platforms.

Electronic system architectures provide different benefits, giving customers alternatives that suit their requirements. Getting an independent analysis of the benefits can help potential buyers determine what the tradeoffs mean to them, but finding third party analysis of industrial systems is sometimes difficult.

An upcoming webinar, An Unbiased Comparison of the Siemens SIMATIC S7-1200 and AB (Allen-Bradley) MicroLogix, focuses on the technology behind these two popular controller platforms. Nick Shea, project engineer for DMC Inc., an engineering and software company based in Chicago, IL, will provide details based on his extensive work with several installations... Read more

New Tools Help Reduce Energy Consumption

The benefits can be significant when meters, software and other equipment are employed to trim power consumption—both on and off the plant floor.

The potential for steadily rising energy prices, coupled with a desire to go green by trimming usage and emissions, is shining the spotlight on energy management. Industrial users are finding they can gain significant benefits by closely monitoring equipment usage and performing simple tasks such as powering down machines when they're not needed.

At a societal level, facilities that consume less energy take pressure off utility companies so they can meet peak demand without building new power plants. That's important as more companies and legislators call for smaller carbon footprints. At the same time, facilities that trim power consumption can also help their bottom line when they reduce their utility bills.

In some cases, there's even the opportunity to make money. Brown University recently employed Siemens WinPM.Net software to employ its backup generators to do peak demand saving... Read more

Safeguarding Wireless Communications

Protecting wireless nets isn't difficult, but it takes additional security steps.

Over the past few years, wireless communication systems have proven they can be reliable in harsh industrial environments, sparking solid growth. This popularity has unfortunately attracted the attention of hackers and other intruders, bringing the issue of wireless security to the forefront.

There are many reasons to add wireless to a facility's networking scheme. One of the most important is the low cost of installation, particularly for the majority who use a variation of IEEE 802.11, commonly called Wi-Fi. Routing cables is a pricey undertaking, one that can cause significant disruption.

With wireless communications, nodes can be located almost anywhere without concern for where wires may run. Another benefit is that users can quickly set up temporary nodes when they need to closely monitor a specific machine, for example... Read more

Video Tutorial: Machine Safety Demonstration

Part 3 - Technology Walk-thru of the Siemens Safety Innovation Tour Demo

Learn how Siemens Safety Integrated systems can eliminate maintenance and troubleshooting problems often encountered in traditional hardwired machine safety systems. This is part 3 of a multipart series taped live at our Safety Innovation Tour showcasing time and cost saving benefits when implementing Siemens Safety Integrated systems. Full self-paced CD available upon request with complete video series and flash animation safety demonstrations... View now

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