Industrial Automation

Too often, manufacturing companies define sound security as regulatory compliance, and their focus is on outside threats. Experts say real security requires companies to think beyond compliance and factor in inadvertent, non-malicious but negligent behavior that occurs within the factory walls. Does you company take this broad view of security, or does it limit its focus to vague threats from cyber terrorism?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Industrial Automation, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Industrial Automation today.

In 2010, Stuxnet made it clear to everyone that industrial control systems were vulnerable to cyber threats. Some manufacturers assert that isolation of critical control systems from business systems and the Internet is the best strategy for industrial security. Others propose that enterprise integration with common sense security delivers security and visibility, efficiency, and control of energy consumption. Is enterprise integration practical? To what extent should it be implemented?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Industrial Automation, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Industrial Automation today.

WirelessHART and ISA 100.11a are competing for dominance in the smart instrumentation arena, and the two standards are incompatible. This limits end user choices in instruments and vendors and makes wireless investments risky. Does this competition prevent you from moving forward with wireless? Should there be only one standard?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Industrial Automation, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Industrial Automation today.

A few years ago, many refused to use wireless in the manufacturing environments because of the absence of standards, shortcomings of batteries, and reliability issues. Now manufacturing has standards, energy harvesting, and reliable wireless technology. Have these advances removed the barriers to adoption? If not, what other issues block the way?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Industrial Automation, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Industrial Automation today.

The functionality of the iPhone and iPad is dazzling, and the range of applications of these devices is limited only by designers' imaginations. But with growing security fears and continuing concerns about the reliability of wireless sensors, is this the time to introduce smart mobile devices?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Industrial Automation, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Industrial Automation today.

Many Westerners believe that automation has reduced jobs, but workers in newly industrialized Asian countries would disagree. In the case of the latter, production has created revenue, revenue has been used to buy more equipment, and more equipment means jobs are created to build, operate, and maintain them. Can these two views be reconciled? If properly managed, does automation create jobs? What mitigating factors come into play?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Industrial Automation, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Industrial Automation today.