News & Events
Expand Micro PLC Capabilities with IDEC MicroSmart FC6A Plus
The new IDEC MicroSmart FC6A Plus CPU has capabilities that go beyond micro PLC limits. With its 2,060 I/O capacity, this PLC can control large machines or entire small-scale manufacturing facilities to allow more capabilities for the most demanding projects. The MicroSmart FC6A comes equipped with: 511 analog I/O Bluetooth communication FTP Client/Server protocol SD memory for data logging Dual Ethernet ports WindEDIT Lite App for iOS and Android BACnet/IP protocol With the addition of [...]
Connecting Your Plant Floor to Prepare for IIoT
How Protocol Conversion can Connect Your Plant Floor to Prepare for IIoT Have you considered implementing a solution that would allow you to become more intelligent about your manufacturing plant, machines, and overall processes? The buzz around Industrial IoT is growing immensely as more and more industries realize the benefits connectivity can provide. These benefits include the ability to minimize downtime, increases efficiency, save costs, and more. How do I Prepare My Plant or Manufacturing [...]
Manufacturers’ Prices Adjust with Imposed Tariffs
Over the last couple months, the newly imposed tariffs have impacted the manufacturing industry. Concerns have been heard from manufacturers and consumers alike as more information comes to fruition about the impact these tariffs may have. The steel and aluminum tariffs are impacting manufacturers that rely on these products for their business. Steel and aluminum are among some of the most common materials within the electrical controls industry. Due to the imposed tariffs and continuing [...]
Automatically Verify Absence of Voltage with 6 Steps in 10 Seconds
Panduit VeriSafe™ Absence of Voltage Tester A voltage verification test is required when servicing electrical equipment to validate the absence of voltage. This is mandated by NFPA 70E, requiring workers to verify that equipment is in an electrically safe state, including the absence of voltage test. There are two common tools to measure absence of voltage – portable and permanent testers. With portable absence of voltage testers, the electrical worker performs the steps manually. These [...]
How to Reduce Energy Costs with VFDs and Power Factor Correction
VFD Energy Cost Savings Taking steps to reduce the amount of energy your business consumes provides year over year cost savings. There are multiple ways to reduce energy consumption and cost. Utility companies including Xcel Energy are also rewarding users for improving their energy usage through a rebate system. One way to save energy is by adding variable frequency drives (VFD) to your systems. Variable frequency drives are often used to provide energy savings – [...]
Reminder: SCCR 2017 NEC Code In Place
Is your facility up to the 2017 NEC® Code? As of May 9, the 2017 NEC Code is in effect in 20 states, including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska and more. One of the changes made in the 2017 edition was in relation to Short-Circuit Current Ratings (SCCR). Knowing that the NEC Code requires SCCR is only a small factor in compliance. SCCR is a safety rating that occurs under fault-current conditions and [...]
Pfannenberg Kinetic Cooling Transforms the Industry
NEW Pfannenberg PKS 3000 Series Air/Air Heat Exchangers Looking to reduce the energy, maintenance and footprint associated with traditional enclosure cooling units? The new Pfannenberg Air/Air Heat Exchanger may be the right solution for you. The PKS 3000 Series Air/Air Heat Exchangers uses Pfannenberg’s Kinetic Cooling System™ to exchange and remove heat from an electrical enclosure using the least amount of energy. This advanced solution works efficiently with the open loop designs that don’t prevent [...]
Warning: Arc Flash Occurrences Underestimated
NFPA 70E 2018 Code + Importance of an Arc Flash Analysis Did you know that each year, more than 2,000 people are treated for Arc Flash injuries? While many understand the hazards an Arc Flash event entails including heat up to 4.5 times hotter than the surface of the sun and explosive forces equaling 3 sticks of dynamite, the likelihood of these events occurring is often underestimated. According to the National Electric Code, 5-10 ARC [...]
ABB Smart Sensor Provides Smart Monitoring
Are you interested in extending the life of your motor, reducing energy consumption and minimizing downtime? The recently released ABB Ability™ Smart Sensor may be the answer for your motor. The ABB Smart Sensor converts traditional motors, pumps and mounted bearings into smart, wirelessly connected devices. This process is also known as smart monitoring. Think “Smart” – Reduce Your Risk The Ability™ sensor measures key parameters from the surface of the equipment – allowing users [...]