Every day manufacturers struggle with questions about their DCS migration. The risks involved. The business case. How to get started. What’s at stake for your organization — and your career? To help you get the information you need, ISA is sponsoring a free webinar in conjunction with MAVERICK Technologies called Straight Talk on DCS Migration. [...]
Recently I watched the movie Apollo 13 again, this time including my four children who had never seen the cinematic classic. I’ve personally seen it too many times to count; it’s one of my favorites—partly because it’s based on a true story that I never tire of reflecting on and remembering
When I started my career, I could pretty much execute the entire automation system design from my desk using company standards, company specification forms, extensive vendor catalogs, and access to a host of company experts. I had the benefit of an eight-week internal training program on instrumentation and controllers. Now the mentors are gone, most [...]
This is a tip I simply cannot stress enough. If a team does not understand the intricate electrical details of the old control system and the new, really REALLY bad things can happen. Concept: Performing a control system retrofit without completely understanding the electrical characteristics of the old and replacement system I/O cards is a [...]
When I was 4 years old and sitting on my Daddy’s knee, he said, “Son, I have just two words for you: dead time.” I did not understand the significance of his words of wisdom for decades. The math in my control theory classes mostly served as a distraction from the essential truth, that if [...]
In the ISA Automation Week Mentor Program, I am providing guidance for extremely talented individuals from Argentina, Brazil, Malaysia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and the USA. We will be sharing a question and the answers each week. If you would like to provide additional answers, please send them to Susan Colwell at ISA. The twentieth question [...]
In the ISA Automation Week Mentor Program, I am providing guidance for extremely talented individuals worldwide. We will be sharing a question and the answers each week. If you would like to provide additional answers, please send them to Susan Colwell at ISA. The second answer to the sixteenth question from Bahtiar Abu Bakar in [...]
In the ISA Automation Week Mentor Program, I am providing guidance for extremely talented individuals worldwide. We will be sharing a question and the answers each week. If you would like to provide additional answers, please send them to Susan Colwell at ISA. The first answer to the sixteenth question from Bahtiar Abu Bakar in [...]
An analog electronic d/p transmitter has an output of 4-20 mA which represents 0 to 100 gpm (0 to 378.5 lpm). On a properly calibrated transmitter, what is the output in gpm (lpm), if the transmitter output is 12 mA? a. 25 (94 lpm) b. 33.3 (126 lpm) c. 70.7 (267.6 [...]
Automation Made Easy: Everything You Wanted to Know about Automation and Need to Ask by Peter G. Martin, Ph.D., and Gregory Hale provides a basic, functional understanding of industrial automation along with critical insights into essential terminology, new and leading technologies, and proper system application.
