Motion Control Components

Could major corporation nose dives have been prevented with engineers at the helm? Could they stem the continued shrinkage in U.S. manufacturing base, maybe even rekindle an attraction for career engineers in North America? Would sharp thinkers with product design and development backgrounds fare better than business school accountants and economists?

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

The International Manufacturing Technology Show still fills Chicago's immense McCormick place to capacity every other year, but does a visit warrant the expense and time required — especially since the advent of the Internet?

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

The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, in force in England since April 2008, places full responsibility on businesses to put in place stringent health & safety practices. The punishment for a death occurring as a result of "gross management failure" amounts to no less than a business being publicly named and shamed, and fined up to 10% of its annual turnover. Is this a case of too much governance, or a step whose time has come?

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

Already "the programming standard" for industrial/process control in Europe, IEC 61131-3 is gaining ground in the U.S. as well as Asia. Have you had an opportunity to apply the hardware-independent control language to your automation applications — and if so, has the experience proven the promoters right?

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

Recent trends suggest that the industrial PC has reached a point where, with the right software, it's a cost-effective replacement for the PLC. Will the technology be applied only in new installations, or could operations such as yours benefit from switching over to this alternative automation technology? Are you, in fact, considering changing any of you equipment to PC-based automation?

What do other engineers think of this?
See for yourself at
CR4 — GlobalSpec's Engineering Community.

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