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…

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.…

Variable Frequency Drive problems seem to be common these days, and for a variety of reasons. Failures or frequent drop outs due to component failures are seen often, and the reasons are worth noting.   Manufacturers of drives and soft starters have reduced costs in some cases by eliminating internal fusing, leaving sensitive electronics vulnerable…

The Hoffman WEATHERFLO VFD Enclosure Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) keep industry in motion. Hoffman WEATHERFLO VFD Enclosures deliver active heat ventilation reducing heat buildup and VFD failure. The Hoffman WEATHERFLO VFD Enclosure provides heat ventilation for a VFD cooling solution that reduces heat to optimize Variable Frequency Drive Efficiency and reduce failures. Hoffman’s WEATHERFLO outdoor enclosure uses forced-air ventilation and…

What is a drive isolation transformer? A drive isolation transformer is first and foremost – a transformer. There is a primary winding and a secondary winding. So like other transformers they can “transform” voltage, for example 480 to 240. As the name implies, it’s the application that makes them different from most other transformers. The…

VFD load filters or VFD load reactors? In an earlier post we provided guidelines for selecting a general purpose line reactor. But what about load side VFD problems? When is it appropriate to add a load reactor? What is a VFD load filter? These questions are a little more difficult to address, but here goes.…

Why be concerned about high speed VFD fuses? A few weeks ago I was walking through one of our warehouses and noticed a stack of variable frequency drives (VFDs) awaiting repair. You may be aware that we offer repair services for industrial electronics, and so it is common to see I/O boards, instruments, and drives going out…

Short circuit protection for VFDs – is recommended branch circuit protection enough? As noted in a recent post, many drive manufacturers have removed semiconductor fuses from VFDs and provide protection guidelines per UL standards. There are multiple levels of short circuit testing and protection; and the manufacturer makes that choice. The question is could you…

  The benefits of the right line reactor – for drives and motors. A line reactor can enhance performance, life expectancy and efficiency for motors and drives. Line reactors serve as a current limiting device for harmonic and transient waveforms, and can make a tremendous impact. Nuisance tripping, heat, noise, and premature failure are a…

Don’t Get Caught Without High Speed Fusing Over the years major manufacturers have removed internal semiconductor fuses to cut costs. Most are recommending standard circuit breakers or fuses recommended by NEC for protection, again to minimize installed costs. While this will protect the circuit and the motor, the internal components of the VFD are unprotected.…

It’s not unusual anymore to see iPads or iPhones in use at the job site or on the job floor – somehow, someway, they’re slowly infiltrating their ways in your daily working habits. For some of our industrials, we’ve been offering i-View from ProSoft – a mobile application that allows for remote monitoring as well as control of process instrumentation under the umbrella of Ethernet and Wifi networks. Taking your plant oversight with you, and without the use of a desktop/laptop, is now a reality.