An uninterrupted power supply (UPS) is used to provide backup power for a certain amount of time to your devices. It is a battery-operated device that is plugged into the mains (power at the wall) and converts the power from AC to DC and then back to AC and provides backup power for your critical…

One of the most prominent systems in modern industrial automation is the AC inverter duty motor and associated Variable Frequency Drive (VFD). From winding nonwoven fabrics onto cardboard cores for manufacturing N95 respirators to crushing granite boulders to pave the way for our first responders and truck drivers, the VFD plays a critical role in…

Throughout the many applications and instances of automated industrial systems, motor control is a hot topic. One particular component that has a prominent role in this space is the variable frequency drive (VFD). There are three basic ways to control motors – an electromechanical starter, a reduced voltage soft-starter, and the VFD. The electromechanical starter…

Some common mistakes in the field are people referring to switchgear, switchboards, panelboards, and motor control centers as all the same thing. This can be confusing for people coming on site to work on equipment or trying to figure out what equipment needs to be supported. A good place to see a lot of different…

A Circuit Breaker (C/B) is a mechanical device that will involve a magnetic solenoid and bimetallic strip inside. When the strip heats up due to current, it will bend and activate the solenoid to trip the circuit breaker and stop the flow of power.  A Fuse is a type of insulating material with a filament in the middle of it. When…

ANSI stands for American National Standards Institute is a nonprofit association that has been around since the early 1900s. They are more focused on making sure that product is built to a certain standard to ensure it functions properly and has a certain longevity. ANSI is for here in the US. UL stands for Underwrites…

What typically comes to mind when you hear Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO)? Safety is usually the number one thing that comes to mind. Being able to safely lock out a piece of gear so that work can be performed. There are several different types of energies that are involved with LOTO. The most common…

Some of the first things that stand out before entering an electrical room is the general cleanliness of the environment. Are they cluttered? Are there trip hazards? Is it a dual-purpose storage room/electrical room? Other things to consider is the condition of the equipment itself. Is it clean? Does it have open doors or cardboard?…

Consider the following basic objectives when defining an intelligent motor relay: Increase reliability, improve safety, and reduce the operating costs of motor systems. Minimize time to commission and maintain. Standardize real time motor and operational data for integration into control system for process optimization. Access and integrate all available operational and diagnostic data for immediate…

Why is Preventative Maintenance (PM) important? Much like doing things around your house such as changing your HVAC filters or changing the oil in your car, gear in your facility needs regular maintenance too. By performing PM you are catching issues ahead of time and helping to prevent costly repairs in the future. PM work…

There are some basic processes that will enhance electric motor reliability. Let’s review some of the high-level items that will give you a great start: Ensure motor design meets application requirements. What are the power demands of the driven load? What will typical operation look like for this application? Will the motor be operated on…

There are some critical pieces of information you should complete on your electrical distribution equipment. These items include Arc Flash Analysis, Load Flow, Short Circuit Study, Harmonics, and Coordination Studies. Once you have these items you can safely move to beginning phase 2 of a testing program in your facility doing more of your own…

So, just what is an arc-flash study? With a need to understand what dangers may exist in your electrical system, the arc-flash study takes a holistic look at the entire electrical power system, all the way down to the individual piece of equipment that is being reviewed. Through the process of an arc-flash study, you…

Soft starters are an excellent method of controlling your motor, given that the application fits the bill. With the three prominent methods of controlling a motor in industrial applications – across the line contactor, variable frequency drive (VFD) and soft starters, where would you normally see a soft starter being applied? In most applications, a…

With so many different applications in industry and numerous variances of an application types, such as water/wastewater, paper mills, nonwovens manufacturers, where do you begin selecting the correct drive type for your application? First off, you need to understand what the differences between a soft starter and a variable frequency drive (VFD). The Differences between…

To get started let’s define low voltage (LV) and medium voltage (MV). LV would be anything up to 1000 V. MV would be above 1000V up to a certain point (typically at the utility). In industry, LV is usually considered defined as anything up to 600 V and this is what you are most likely…

One-Line visualization is an interactive diagram of the electrical distribution system in a facility. In that interactive environment, we aren’t looking at a static view of equipment, but we get real-time live information around the status of equipment, feedback on the conditions of the system and critical status of parameters that make an impact on…

Let’s get real for a minute. When it comes to Ethernet IP – Rockwell comes to mind.  When we hear Profinet – Siemens comes to mind. While they are not the only vendor that utilizes Profinet they are the heavyweight user. So, which one is better? Prepare for a Ford/Chevy type of debate if you bring this up. Typically, regions follow protocols. For instance, in Europe Profinet is heavily installed while in…

Power monitoring can be the crystal ball that a facility needs to understand and analyze the present, past and future regarding power consumption and it’s demand and anomalies. This technology allows consumers the ability make better decisions based off factual data versus being reactionary to given circumstances. Where To Start Your Power Monitoring Solution Beginning…

We want to promote the right practices in industries around how to safely rack in and out circuit breakers. There are too many instances where what gets attention is when things go wrong. While that’s important to learn what not to do, we want to celebrate the heroes of the industry that do things correctly day in and day out and keep America’s…

Interoperability is the ability of a machine or product to exchange or send information and the ability for a node receiving the data to process and utilize the information. The key to success is open platforms where nothing is proprietary and for those platforms to work with other products, present, past and future to operate…

Today, Industrial networks are tasked with moving huge amounts of data, include process critical items, at a staggering pace. So how do you know if you have a safe, well-designed network or if you are at risk? A great place to begin is with an industrial network assessment. Cataloging devices is important and most of…

Best Practices for Racking a Circuit Breaker In and Out Racking a circuit breaker in and out is one of the riskiest actions taken by an employee when it comes to safety and Arc Flash potential with Low Voltage and Medium Voltage gear. This is especially true when it comes to an aging electrical infrastructure.…

The Arc Quenching Switchgear is Game Changing Technology For those that have experienced an arc flash incident you know the impact it can have on your facility and more important to the personnel that potentially could be exposed to these events. Many times, when an arc flash incident happens equipment is lost, and down time…

Imagine if you could take your single line and bring it to life with data! It’s possible and in this video, Mike Rathbun walks you thru how to begin implementing this technology inside your facility.  As technology continues to evolve the ability to visualize data in a format such as a live single line and…

The Future in Circuit Breaker Technology is Here. The ability to access critical live data at the circuit breaker level exists and Eaton’s Power Defense line of breakers is the solution. In this video you’ll see how to maximize the data that is generated from this powerful line to impact your facility. Creating access to…

How to Start Monitoring Power This video tackles the journey that many people face when deciding to implement power monitoring at their facility. With so many different protocols, devices and networks it can be overwhelming to know where to begin. Whether you are just getting started with power monitoring or have a system in place…

The Importance of Purchasing from Authorized Distributors In an internet connected world, shopping online is becoming the new norm. Price matching and bargain hunting is so easy thanks to the information age. But in the search for the best price, would you buy something as important and sensitive as a circuit breaker, MCC, or VFD…

There are several factors to consider when evaluating equipment requiring a new installation of power distribution equipment. Typically, these decisions will start at the utility to understand what they can support for large load connections.  It is important to make educated recommendations for the proper voltage design as it impacts the project as things progress. …

A single line diagram, also referred to as a one-line diagram, is usually a single page document that represents a facilities electrical distribution infrastructure. It will have one single line shown for bus (or cable) to represent all three phases. It will also have symbols that represent breakers, meters, relays, and any other control items…

Are you responsible for maintaining the electrical distribution system at your facility? Tired of hearing “we’ve always done it this way?”. But knowing where to look and what to focus on can be overwhelming.  Fortunately, there are governing bodies that provide a framework for prioritizing what is important from a testing standpoint as it pertains…

It’s easy to get overwhelmed researching what your preventative maintenance for electrical distribution and switchgear There is more information out there than ever. Some have several hundred pages with only a few pages of relevant items that are actionable. You can spend hours reading and skimming through these documents only to be frustrated. To give…

How Close Can I Get To My Gear? The first and most important thing to consider when being around electrical systems is to determine if a hazard is present. A hazard is defined by the NFPA 70E as “A source of possible injury or damage to health”. There are two major hazards associated with electrical…

You’ve heard about Smart Manufacturing and it seems important. You understand that a lot of current equipment is nearing obsolescence and now is the time to upgrade. But, how do you move from your current state of equipment to smarter data-enabled devices? These devices are the building blocks of Smart Manufacturing, and becoming familiar with them will empower you…

Much of America’s electrical infrastructure is aging toward obsolescence. In fact, $65 billion worth of legacy automation systems are reaching end of life, according to a 2011 ARC Strategy Report. Take a sip of your coffee and let that information roll around in your mind for a minute. The thought process of many plant managers is to maximize the…

The design and maintenance of an industrial Ethernet system is now a professional field with certification. Our advice is to get professional help early. Whether you train your own staff or contract the work out, this is not your office Ethernet. EtherNet/IP can be reliably implemented for high performance motion and safety applications, but only…

Your network is the ultimate source of the freedom produced by smart manufacturing. A well designed and installed network can level even the most onerous challenges, but a poor design can be a source of inconsistent results and worse, intermittent outages. Most people are familiar with “office” Ethernet. This section will explore what you need…

In our last two posts we’ve discussed our three-step process to modernization. This post provides templates to help you plan your progression for modernization and define your requirements around your most important goals. The IBE will help define priorities for system upgrades, and there are usually implications to capital planning over a multi-year period. Combined…

In an earlier post, we introduced a functional, three-step approach to smart manufacturing. The first step is conducting an Installed Base Evaluation (IBE), which you can read about by clicking on the link. The second step is the Smart Tech Review. Building on lessons learned from IBE activities, a good Smart Tech Review is a great intermediate…

In our last post, we talked about step one of our progression plan — conducting the Installed Base Evaluation (IBE) as a blueprint for modernization. Conducting an IBE can help manufacturers get a handle on what they have, what they don’t have and what they need in the plant. This was the case for Oreo-brand…

When it comes to planning and prioritizing your modernization efforts, the best starting point may be the installed base evaluation, or IBE. The IBE is a great investment. It is surprising to sit in on a typical “after IBE discussion,” where you may hear: “How did that even get there?” “Those drives should have been…

So far we have introduced the concept of smart manufacturing, building on the topics of network connectivity, smart devices and progression. The need to modernize aging equipment is usually the basis for action, but other events such as emerging projects could also spawn activity. This post introduces a three-step, functional smart manufacturing process, to identify…

U.S. manufacturers are lagging when it comes to smart manufacturing (SM). According to a 2014 Manufacturing Outlook Survey by the American Society for Quality, only 13 percent of U.S. companies are implementing SM. However, it’s important to note that of those organizations that say they’ve adopted SM: 82 percent claim they have experienced increased efficiency 49 percent experienced fewer…

The single greatest impediment to the adoption of smart manufacturing may be the absence of information goals. Manufacturers do a great job promoting the network, the devices and technologies. But what is the end goal we are trying to realize? The concept of progression enables us to get started on the path, without necessarily having…

What defines a smart device? First and foremost, smart devices communicate. Outside of their basic function, such as circuit protection, they share valuable data. They enable collection of data, even high speed data, via Ethernet and managed switches. Smart devices share diagnostics (time running, temperature, others). This data can be used to improve both process…

Fully realizing the vision of smart manufacturing requires massive change. Connectivity requirements alone demand that hundreds of smart devices be introduced, as well as reels of network cable. And that is just the beginning. There is a learning curve to overcome, requiring a degree of experimentation. Unprecedented amounts of new data will be accessible, which…

Interoperability is a characteristic of a product or system, whose interfaces are completely understood, to work with other products or systems, present or future, in either implementation or access, without any restrictions[1]. Read that again. Completely understood, work with other products, present or future, no restrictions. Interoperability, together with standards, makes integration so much easier. It…

EtherNet/IP vs Profinet – a Comparison There are two clear leaders when it comes to Ethernet protocols – EtherNet/IP and Profinet. Each command a whopping 30 percent of worldwide market share or 60 percent combined[1]. But why? Are these networks truly superior? We say no. Neither network is as deterministic as Profibus, DeviceNet or ControlNet.…

The concept of smart manufacturing, as we’ve mentioned, is predicted to be the next Industrial Revolution. And it is driven by connectivity and the unprecedented access to data[1]. The data has always lived in your devices; it’s just become much easier to access and act on — provided that you have network connectivity. A fully…

There is a new Industrial Revolution on the horizon, one that promises to turn the current state of manufacturing as we know it on its head. This new future blends information, technology and human intelligence in a way that will fundamentally shift the way products are made, sold and delivered. In its simplest definition, Smart…

When he’s not casting from his fishing boat at midnight on Smith Mountain Lake, Brian McDonaldson is likely monitoring operations at one of Rockingham County’s largest manufacturing plants – from his smart device. McDonaldson is the reliability manager at WhiteWave Foods, makers of Horizon Organic milk, Silk Soy milk, International Delight coffee creamers and other…

The traditional manufacturing business model – making products and selling them for a profit — is increasingly on its way out, given rapid advances in smart technology and changing consumer demands. Instead of just accepting what’s mass produced out of the factory – as we have done for the last century – with converged technologies…

It’s been a long time since any real revolutionary change occurred in our industry. There have been incremental improvements over the years, to be sure. The late ‘80s and early ‘90s were great for PLC programmers, when there was a race to adopt the new technology. (See our infographic on the history of the PLC.) There…

Interesting fact: The concept of the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) was born on New Year’s Day in 1968. For nearly 50 years, the PLC has been crucial to the advancement of manufacturing globally. From the earliest Modicon models to the latest Allen-Bradley components, PLCs have given manufacturers the ability to increase proficiency and market value. “There was…

Thermal management is gaining recognition as a ‘best practice’ for customers who are confronting the reality of overheating in their power and control panels. The arrival of warmer weather combined with heat producing electronics such as VFDs creates overheating problems in control panels causing a number of problems with VFDs, power supplies and other electronics.…

Shrinking size of power and control electronics such as VFDs has enabled manufacturers and panel builders to place more devices in the control panel resulting in higher panel density. A consequence of this phenomena is increasing heat levels in the panel which has focused greater attention on the issues that inevitably come with higher heat levels.…