A virtual machine is an emulation of a computer system, giving the user a completely separate, singular operating system installation on your regular OS. This duality can provide unique benefits to users, especially in the field of industrial automation. Below, we’ll walk through the primary advantages of a virtual machine as well as a few basic tasks that users can employ with the aid of a virtual machine.

Modern factory automation is a complex process. Oftentimes, there are dozens of machines communicating and relaying large amounts of information and intricate processes between each one another. With all these nuances and complexities, it isn’t difficult to see how things can quickly become confusing and/or overwhelming to even the most competent employee. However, the Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) Portal works to mitigate these potential roadblocks by providing your business with a complete range of digitalized automation services, from transparent operation to digital planning and integrated engineering. Below, we’ll walk through the basics of the TIA Portal, the advantages it offers - whether it’s shortening your businesses’ time to market or increasing your productivity through additional diagnostics and energy management functions - and how it can benefit your company in the long run.

Addressing Coronavirus/COVID-19

During this time of uncertainty, Advanced Controls & Distribution (ACD) would like to assure our customers and partners that we are actively monitoring the COVID-19/Coronavirus situation and are taking the steps recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health authorities to help keep our communities safe.

The task of choosing the right industrial motor can be daunting. There are a plethora of options, each specializing in a specific task or process. So how do you know if you’re choosing the right one or just wasting your money on something unsuited for your business? Below, we’ll walk you through the basics of the different types of industrial motors and help make sure you’re choosing the right motor for your company's needs. 

In the majority of plant environments, industrial motors are the heartbeat of the workspace. Motors drive production. Without a fully-functional motor, basic industrial tasks would be compromised and unable to proceed. Therefore, motor failure can prove extremely costly and disruptive to your business, resulting in unplanned work stoppages and burgeoning maintenance costs. However, by utilizing various motor testing techniques - both during periods of regular, routine maintenance and at signs of impending trouble - motor issues can be easily predicted, prevented, and therefore resolved with little-to-no service disruption. Below we’ll walk you through a handful of the many motor testing methods available that you can use to mitigate your business’ downtime.

With sensor technology becoming more ubiquitous in modern industrial plants, IO-Link devices are becoming increasingly sought after and vital in the workspace. By its definition, IO-Link is “an open-source, serial point-to-point communication protocol for connecting sensors and actuators to an automation system.” Simply put, IO-Link devices can offer numerous advantages over standard sensors, while also allowing laying the foundation for additional opportunities in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Below, we’ll give a brief overview of IO-Link devices, detail how they operate, and outline the specific advantages they offer over standard industrial sensors.

With each passing year, LED lights (light-emitting diodes) are continuing to offer better performance at a lower cost. Because of this, the main expense now associated with LEDs is the infrastructure in the conventional lighting fixture - the housing, connectors, PCB, optics, and perhaps most critically of all, the power supply. This has driven attempts to design and create more inexpensive architecture, specifically looking to reduce the cost of the power supply. Below, we’ll discuss the development of AC-direct LED systems and how it has helped to eliminate the need for a conventional and expensive AC-DC switch-mode power supply.

Understanding the distinction between AC and DC drives and their roles in the regulation of speed and power in electric motors can be critical to helping your business. Simply put, a drive is a device that is used to control the speed of an electric motor by altering the frequency of the electrical supply to the motor. AC and DC drives perform this action in markedly different ways and to differing effects. Below, we’ll discuss the distinctions between the two types of drives and help you determine which drive - whether AC or DC - would be best suited for your application.

The value of Machine Safety extends far beyond safe plant operations and reduced compensation costs. The concept is essentially a kick-starter for productivity and innovation, while simultaneously providing worthy data that can be used to gather insights into operations. There are multiple ways in which installation of machine safety apparatus – software and hardware – can sharpen the competitive edge of an organization.

From improved productivity and more organized asset management to reduced costs (due to the elimination of extraneous wires) and easier accessibility to plant information, wireless technology in industrial automation offers a wide range of benefits to help improve your business. However, in spite of the advantages, wireless technology can offer its own set of challenges, whether in fully implementing or overcoming regulation standards. Below, we’ll walk you through the basics of wireless technology in industrial automation - the pros and cons - and analyze why it could be right for you.