The Basics

A Human-Machine-Interface (HMI) is a user interface or dashboard that connects a person to a machine, device, or system. In industrial settings, HMIs can be used for a multitude of tasks including visually displaying data, tracking production time and trends, monitoring machine inputs and outputs, and much more. As industrial automation becomes increasingly digitized, HMIs have grown more and more essential to understand and interact with systems and various processes. However, there are certain roadblocks users may encounter when attempting to configure an HMI to a PLC should both products not be from the same manufacturer. Below, we’ll walk through the process of setting up and using a Siemens HMI with a non-Siemens PLC and discuss the advantages that an HMI can provide to your business.

The ability to analyze and understand large sets of data quickly and accurately is vital to success in modern factory environments. Critical factors such as big data and augmented analytics play key roles in a factory’s ability to operate efficiently, while avoiding potential errors. Below we’ll walk you through the concepts of big data and augmented analytics, the advantages they provide, and various ways they influence the modern factory environment.

As the technology and machinery involved in manufacturing processes become smarter and more advanced, so too does the factory environment. Intelligent spaces, or smart spaces, are “physical locations equipped with networked sensors to give owners, occupants, and managers more and better information about the condition of those locations and how they’re used." Below we’ll discuss the benefits of a smart space in the factory environment as well as some pertinent examples of technology being utilized to make a factory smart.

The Basics

A control loop is an increasingly integral device used in industrial applications. Simply put, a control loop is a “feedback mechanism that attempts to correct discrepancies between a measured process variable and the desired setpoint.” This process is controlled by a specialized computer fittingly known as the “controller”. Via an actuator, the controller makes essential corrective efforts that can drive the process variable up or down. A home furnace system is a pertinent example of a controller at work - using basic feedback from a thermostat to modify the temperature either higher or lower depending on the input.

The Internet of Things is a system of interrelated computing devices with the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-machine interaction. In a factory setting, the Internet of Things is even more specialized, denoted as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Below, we’ll discuss the specific advantages of IIoT and how utilizing this new interconnective technology influences the modern factory environment by saving time, energy, and money.

ACD Announces the Acquisition of Adcon Engineering

Two great companies become one outstanding organization! 

Burgeoning technology has given rise to time-saving and cost-cutting business opportunities. Whether it’s wireless sensors integrated with the Internet of Things or predictive analytics, new technology is spearheading the way for innovative business solutions. One such contemporary example is in natural language processing (NLP). Below, we’ll break down essentials of natural language processing, how it translates into voice interface technology, and the influence and benefits they both provide for the modern factory environment.

ACD Expands Into Columbus, OH

ACD is a new and exciting industrial automation supplier for the Columbus area. We offer industry-leading products from Siemens, Weidmuller, Yaskawa, Leuze Electronic, Murrplastik and Nachi Robotics and many others.

Along with these products, ACD provides unmatched technical support to ensure the success of our customers.

We Have Some Exciting News!

We have a new logo!

A motor control center (MCC) is an assembly to control some or all of the electric motors in a central location. With the emergence of the Industrial Internet of Things and the dawn of better, faster technology, smart motor control centers are beginning to come to the forefront as credible alternatives to standard MCCs. Below, we’ll walk through the basics of smart motor control centers. Also, we’ll discuss how a smart motor control center improves upon the functionality of a standard control center and how they can help your business for years to come.