Control Intelligence: Recent Episodes
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Welcome to Control Intelligence, a ControlDesign.com podcast that goes deep inside the automation and technology that machine builders, system integrators and end users rely on to keep production humming efficiently
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore spoke to Jagannathan Raghunathan, director of cyberphysical security services at Bureau Veritas, about the recent CISA alert.
Raghunathan is also co-chair of the PLC Security Top 20 List. In this interview, he outlines how the PLC Security Top 20 List addresses programmable logic controller (PLC) vulnerabilities by offering practical, engineering-focused guidance across the hardware lifecycle.
The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an alert on July 30 regarding a significant increase in cyber threat actors targeting programmable logic controllers (PLCs) in the water/wastewater sector.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, Control Design’s longest standing columnist, automation industry veteran Jeremy Pollard, spoke with Mike Bacidore about the vulnerabilities of PLCs; the evolution of their connectivity to the Internet; the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) and gateways; and what machine builders can learn from this to keep industrial equipment secure.
A terminal block is a place to connect a wire to another wire and create a junction point. Picture a terminal block as an intersection on a two-way or four-way highway.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses terminal blocks.
Hardware independence is what PC-based control promised back in the 1990s. You can run any software on any hardware you choose.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor in chief Mike Bacidore compares the uses of PLCs and industrial PCs.
Factory OT uses wireless networks regularly to interface the physical world and the digital world. Transducers make this connection possible. A transducer is a component that converts one form of energy to another. Industrial controls capitalize on this device by utilizing the convenience of wireless in safety, remote and environmentally challenged environments.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore explains the role of transducers in wireless networks.
Using vibrational analysis tools that can sense wear, imbalance, noise or harmonics can help identify machinery issues prior to failure. This allows for correcting those issues at a more convenient time, such as scheduled downtime, and avoid costly catastrophic failure.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore shares how variable-frequency drives can be used for physical-asset condition monitoring.
Sometimes motors can run at 175% of their rated load continuously, but the conditions should be specified within boundaries of the system. When we talk about running a motor at 175% continuously, it means the expected current load or the torque will be at roughly 175% of its rated full load Amps.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, Mike Bacidore explains when a motor should be allowed to run in an overload condition.
Beckhoff’s XTS linear transport system, No Cable Technology and EcoLine motor modules are part of the Beckhoff mechatronics portfolio, which is under the supervision of Jeff Johnson, mechatronics product manager at Beckhoff USA.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, Mike Bacidore is rejoined by Dr. Brian Romano, director of technology development at Arthur G. Russell Company.
With more than four decades of experience in industrial automation and control systems engineering, Romano's career has centered around innovation, leadership and a forward-looking commitment to advanced technology in manufacturing. His work includes control systems architecture, enterprise connectivity, digital transformation and predictive analytics, even combining them to offer production-as-a-service capabilities by leveraging remote monitoring capabilities.
Beyond his industry leadership, Romano brings a passion for developing the next generation of engineers, serving as adjunct faculty at both Central Connecticut State University and the University of Hartford. His academic achievements, including a Ph.D. in Technology and Innovation, an MBA in Business and Data Analytics, and multiple national honor societies, complement his work as an entrepreneur, a published researcher and the 2022 Division Leader of Year with the International Society of Automation. He is also an ISA fellow.
Machine vision has long been used in factory automation for quality inspections, the final checkpoint separating acceptable parts from the rework pile or the scrap bin. Today, vision systems are no longer just inspectors. They are becoming adaptive, data-driven participants in the manufacturing process, capable of influencing outcomes rather than simply recording them.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses how artificial intelligence has impacted the reliability and accuracy of vision systems.
There is a growing trend to use laser scanning to create 3D images of the plant floor, of machine locations and of intricate areas that are congested with plant infrastructure to allow integrators to visualize how they can install new equipment or modify old equipment.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses how to combine 3D tools with engineering principles.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore spoke to Robert Little, founder and executive advisor of Robert Little Robotics in Raleigh, North Carolina, and the 2026 application winner of the Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Award. He will be recognized at the awards dinner during the Automate Show in Chicago the week of June 22.
With more than 40 years of experience in robotics, automation and manufacturing, Little serves as a Robotics Technology Strategy board member of the Association for Advancing Automation. He co-founded ATI Industrial Automation in 1989 and helped grow the company from approximately $1 million to more than $100 million in revenue. Under his leadership, ATI became a global leader in robotic tool changers, force/torque sensing and other end-effector technologies that expanded the practical use of robots in manufacturing.
Following the acquisition of ATI by Novanta in 2021, Little served as president of Novanta’s ATI business group and later as chief of robotics strategy. He now supports the robotics industry through his advisory firm, Robert Little Robotics, where he advises companies on business strategy focused on robotics and automation markets.
Whether they’re used for position detection on gantries, for detecting parts for assembly or for innumerable other cases, the use of non-contact presence sensors has been a mainstay of industrial controls since the development of the first versions in the 1950s.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses non-contact presence sensing technologies.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore is joined by an important figure in the controls and automation world, Dr. Brian Romano, director of technology development at Arthur G. Russell Company.
With more than four decades of experience in industrial automation and control systems engineering, Romano’s career has centered around innovation, leadership and a forward-looking commitment to advanced technology in manufacturing. He’s played a central role in aligning machine-building with data-enabled systems before Industry 4.0 was a thing. His work includes control systems architecture, enterprise connectivity, digital transformation and predictive analytics, even combining them to offer production-as-a-service capabilities by leveraging remote monitoring capabilities.
Beyond his industry leadership, Romano brings a passion for developing the next generation of engineers, serving as adjunct faculty at both Central Connecticut State University and the University of Hartford. His academic achievements, including a Ph.D. in Technology and Innovation, an MBA in Business and Data Analytics, and multiple national honor societies, complement his work as an entrepreneur, a published researcher and the 2022 Division Leader of Year with the International Society of Automation. He is also an ISA fellow.
Control Design editor in chief Mike Bacidore spoke Mark Arisman, manager of business development for control products at Nord Drivesystems, about Nord's advancements in drive technology and the digital twin.
The space shuttle had three computers and needed a two-of-three voting system to determine if a sensed variable was real or phantom. This would be a good thing regarding a leaking door seal on the capsule. Safety sensing isn’t a new technology, but it seems that understanding what a safety system function is might be lacking a bit.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor in chief Mike Bacidore talks about safety systems.
Controls engineers are surrounded by protocols. Proprietary protocols are less common today than before, but they are still around.
In this episode, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, Editor-in-Chief Mike Bacidore discusses how to choose between Ethernet IP and SSI.
In most factory lines, the soft PLC and PAC are commonly based on Industrial PC hardware. It is this hardware platform that has quietly become one of the most important components of a factory line’s control hardware.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses fanless controller housings.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch and originally aired in March 2025, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses the similarities and differences between PLCs and PACs.
It’s the beginning of the new year, and everyone’s capital budget is going to be reset and revised. People will come out with their five-year and 10-year and 20-year plans, and once again plant management will ask the question: “Can we upgrade the control systems?”
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses when to upgrade control systems.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses on-machine sensing and IIoT implementation.
Once you’ve finished listening to the podcast, take Control Design's quiz about on-machine sensing and IIoT implementation.
Many electrical engineers will ignore mechanical properties of a machine because it’s not their specialty. Control systems engineers cannot do that. Controls require an understanding of the electrical and mechanical interface.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses how to monitor and manage the health of hydraulic systems.
During commissioning and after, if you hear three definitions of I/O checkout and then get residual failures after a down and an install because no one is going off a commissioning plan, writing up a test plan or adhering to a commissioning plan, then there is a problem.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses machine commissioning and I/O checkout.
With the advent of common communication platforms, new layers of automation devices became available to control systems on the plant floor.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses the impact of I/O on the interoperability trend.
In factory automation, safety systems are no longer the peripheral add-ons of the past. They are integral to the design, operation and long-term viability of production lines. As automation increases and machinery becomes more interconnected, engineers are routinely tasked with specifying safety controllers, networks, sensors and safety I/O devices that carry a defined safety integrity level (SIL).
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore shares why SIL matters.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, which was written by contributing editor Shawn Cox in June of 2023, more than two and a half years ago, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses the predictions for control systems. Cox’s article was revisited by many as we closed out 2025, and it became one of Control Design's most popular reads in December. Let’s revisit his thoughts from the summer of 2023.
Control systems engineering requires a broad knowledge base of many components. Why? Applications of all shapes, sizes, functionality and needs are brought to machine-builder tables, and automation is requested to provide solutions to manufacturing problems.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses motor starters and variable-frequency drives.
Did Industry 4.0 go away? No. It seems that, behind the scenes, the open-source platform community is just working along, developing the next go-around of competitive devices for the traditional automaton folks to keep up with.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses Ethernet-APL.
Integration of PLCs and robots has become standardized. Standard robot command interface is a means for robots to increase its interface capacity with programmable logic controllers, but SRCI has been around for a while.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses the standard robot command interface.
Field-mounted devices change the way controls engineers approach industrial networking. The shift toward on-machine connectivity can simplify design, streamline wiring and enable strategies like conveyor zone management.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Rick Rice, editor in chief Mike Bacidore talks about how field networking unlocks automated setup and diagnostics.
While China's technical design report for its proposed circular electron-positron collider (CEPC) is still awaiting government approval for inclusion in the next five-year plan, hope is still strong that construction of the $5.2 billion supercollider could begin as soon as 2027 and be completed in a decade, surpassing CERN's large hadron collider (LHC) as the world's largest machine.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore talks about the race to surpass the world’s biggest machine.
The guest on this episode of Control Intelligence is Jeremy Pollard, who was a 10-year veteran of Allen-Bradley as a technical specialist. Pollard established Allen-Bradley's Toronto District Training Office where PLC-2, PLC-3 and PLC-5 courses were implemented, and more than 1,000 students were personally trained by him.
Pollard has consulted for SoftPLC, Flexis Control, Wonderware and IndX Software and was responsible for product development and direction for PLC support software packages under DOS, OS/2 and six different Windows iterations.
He is the former North American Managing Director of PLCopen, the international association for standardized control system solutions. Pollard has written countless articles for various automation trade publications, and he is our longest-standing monthly columnist on Control Design, where he writes the Embedded Intelligence column.
Pollard holds a diploma in electrical engineering technology from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto. He's worked on projects for companies ranging from Baxter Pharmaceuticals and General Motors to Chevron and Labatt Breweries.
For many years, real-time control software, whether running on a dedicated controller or an industrial PC, operated on a single CPU core. The runtime scheduler could precisely calculate scan times, and the engineer’s mental model of “one processor, one control loop” held true.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore shares how to handle determinism, jitter and load balancing in multicore control architectures.
The combination of technology and market forces is reshaping the automation supply chain for machine builders. Where can you turn for guidance?
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses automation distribution and Control Design's upcoming webinar on the supply chain.
At its core, an industrial machine vision system comprises high-resolution cameras, specialized illumination, image processors and software algorithms. The system captures images or video of products and processes and then analyzes this visual data to detect defects or anomalies, measure dimensions with high precision, verify the presence or position of parts and guide automated equipment or robots.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Charles Palmer, editor in chief Mike Bacidore shares how vision systems impact industrial productivity.
Industrial enclosures and human-machine interfaces (HMIs) represent a pivotal advancement in automation and control. These integrated systems enable seamless interaction between operators and complex machinery, offering robust protection for sensitive electronics and user-friendly access to real-time data.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Charles Palmer, editor in chief Mike Bacidore talks about the relationship between enclosures and HMIs.
In factories, motion control systems are more complex than ever. Multi-axis machines, integrated robotics and tight production schedules leave little room for trial and error. For decades, programmers have had to wait until the first machine was assembled to test their code, often discovering issues once it was most costly to fix them.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses motion control digital twins.
There are many applications in the industrial automation realm that benefit from state machines. Therefore, it was surprising to hear from an industrial programming specialist who says he does not like state machines and was adamant about their not working.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses state machines.
Control systems use direct current (dc) motors for many applications. Many systems displace dc with alternating current (ac) technology because ac motors are more cost effective and lower maintenance than a dc motor with brushes. But are they?
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses ac and dc motors.
It has become a de facto standard in plants and machines for interconnecting systems and in fact individual devices. So, what happens when it fails? What would make it fail?
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor in chief Mike Bacidore network-troubleshoots dos and don’ts.
In 2023, the Control Intelligence podcast on RS-232 was greeted with immediate popularity, and it remains an often-downloaded podcast episode. Electronic Design, an EndeavorB2B partner brand, republished the podcast episode, initiating some feedback from listeners.
Hear their stories, and revisit the original podcast, in this refreshed Echolocation Episode.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore is joined by Mike Devereux and Tim Finerty from national accounting and consulting firm Wipfli.
Mike Devereux is a partner at Wipfli in the St. Louis area. He is a certified public accountant (CPA) and certified manufacturing professional (CMP) and the author of "More cash, better machines: your guide to the new tax law". He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants (MOCPA) and the Associated Industries of Missouri. He is also a board member of the Manufacturers Association of Plastics Processors (MAPP), chairman of Allinial Global’s R&D Tax Credit Community of Practice, executive board member of the Manufacturing Services Association (MSA) and president of Manufacturing CPAs.
Tim Finerty is also a partner at Wipfli and has co-written "Money on the table: Taking advantage of the R&E tax credit" and "What comes after COVID-19?" Working in the Detroit area, Finerty is a board member & International Business Advisory Council member of Automation Alley, a nonprofit technology business association and Digital Transformation Insight Center. He's also an Affinity Program member of the Control System Integrators Association, a member of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3) and a member of the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants Task Force.
In 2021, Control Intelligence spoke with Austin Park, winner of the first ever Acopian Power Supply Scholarship in 2017.
Park had completed his master's degree in energy resources engineering, Cleantech, machine learning and decarbonization at Stanford University and was working as a machine learning engineer at Gridmatic, where he's now been for almost six years. At Gridmatic, located in the San Francisco Bay area, Austin's responsibilities include designing, extending and improving wind, load and solar models, primarily focused on deep generative spatiotemporal sequence settings; building infrastructure to support model viz and evaluation; fetching and transforming new features; and leading quantification of Gridmatic's carbon impact.
When speaking with Park four years ago, he talked about his education at UCLA and Stanford, how his scholarship benefitted him and his goals for his career in engineering.
This week’s guest on Control Intelligence is Tobey Strauch, senior staff electrical engineer, project manager and one of Control Design's most trusted controls engineers.
Over the course of her career thus far, Strauch has accumulated valuable experience with a variety of industrial heavy hitters, including DWFritz, International Paper, Doosan Fuel Cell, Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force. She is a regular contributor and columnist to Control Design.
In 2020, editor in chief Mike Bacidore spoke with Mattias Altendorf, then- CEO of Endress+Hauser Group. Much has changed since then. Since January of 2024, Altendorf has moved from the CEO role to become the president of the supervisory board for Endress+Hauser Group.
He also founded Bionic Leadership, which applies evolutionary principles to modern management, extending to evolutionary economics and economic bionics. His organization explores the fusion of nature-inspired strategies, technologies and effective leadership in shaping organizational excellence.
During this conversation, they discussed sustainability, sensors, cybersecurity, component interoperability and IT/OT convergence, as well as the impact of those topics on machine builders and system integrators. Altendorf’s insights still hold true in 2025, and his foresight on many topics was spot on.
The “safety PLC” is no longer more expensive for the hardware. Availability still may be an issue at times, and the programming costs may go up, but the safety chassis is becoming a mainstay.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses CIP Safety and FSoE.
At the end of 2023, the Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) sponsored a report from consulting firm BCG called “The US Needs More Engineers. What's the Solution?” in December 2023. It showed that the United States is facing a massive shortage of engineers.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses IEC 61131-3 language portability.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from the month of July.
The landscape of industry is undergoing a profound transformation, largely driven by the increasing integration of robotics. Once confined to the realm of science fiction, industrial robots are now an indispensable part of manufacturing and production processes worldwide.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Charles Palmer, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses robotics.
Many times, in industrial automation we hear the term “safe speed” in motion conversations. It’s important to define safe speed and how it applies to control design, in relationship to functional safety.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses how smart control design implements safe speed principles.
Two technologies that have risen to prominence in industrial settings over the past few years are light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and IO-Link. The discussion, popularity and implementation of both continue to rise.
Aaron Rothmeyer, manager, market product manager, at SICK, explains why in this episode of Control Intelligence.
Industrial panel displays have undergone significant advancements in recent years, driven by the growing demand for better performance, durability and functionality. In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Charles Palmer, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses displays.
Commissioning a stand-alone machine project based on control with a programmable logic controller (PLC) and a human-machine interface (HMI) has many facets to the successful implementation of the equipment that the control system is controlling.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, Mike Bacidore discusses machine commissioning steps.
A programmable logic controller (PLC) is essentially a term used for any controller these days. A programmable automation controller (PAC) is the alternative. It could be looked at as a flip phone vs. a smart phone. However, there are distinguishing characteristics.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses PLCs, PACs and code.
In the world of motor encoders, there are two main types – incremental and absolute. Incremental encoders do not retain their actual position upon power-up, whereas absolute encoders do. They both give position feedback, which the motion controller can use to calculate velocity, acceleration and jerk. These parameters are necessary for a fully capable motion control system.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses absolute encoders.
Managing editor Anna Townshend spoke with two team members at BioMADE, which is one of nine different Manufacturing Innovation Institutes started by the Department of Defense. This particular group is focused on building the U.S. bioindustrial economy. There are many companies and scientists doing great work using chemical waste products to create new products that we often lack a domestic supply chain for, and the organization is also focused on commercializing and scaling the technology needed to do this work and the workforce to support the industry.
Jill Zullo, executive vice president and chief operating officer at BioMADE, has a long career supporting sustainable products and focused on new bioindustrial markets. Most recently, she worked at Cargill, as interim president & CEO of NatureWorks, a Cargill joint venture focused on biomanufacturing development to replace fossil fuel-based materials.
Tim Dobbs, data architect for BioMADE’s data science team, is a chemical engineer with a degree from the University of Connectivity and a master’s degree in Life Sciences. At BioMADE, he designs, models and deploys data models to BioMADE’s member organizations. He and the technology team at BioMADE provide the unified computational infrastructure for bioproduction-centered collaboration across industry, academia and government.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from the month of May.
This week’s guest on Control Intelligence is Patrick Bunn, owner of Bunn Automation Consulting in Birmingham, Alabama. Bunn’s career has included valuable experience with CMC Steel Alabama, Revere Control Systems, EC&S, Hargrove Controls & Automation and Enercon, as well as his volunteer work with younger people in technology, engineering and automation.
He will be one of the presenters at OT SCADA CON this July in Houston, where he'll be discussing industrial network protocols and how to use Wireshark software for troubleshooting, as well as the OSI model, which he wrote a very popular on for Control Design. He will speak at the event on July 24 at 3 p.m.
This week’s guest on Control Intelligence is Stu Shepherd, co-founder and president of Shepherd Solutions. Shepherd was selected as the winner of the 2025 Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Award for Leadership. He will be recognized at the awards dinner during the Automate Show in Detroit the week of May 12.
Shepherd is nearing 50 years of transforming manufacturing in the Americas through robotic automation and capital equipment-related new business development. His past service includes being chairperson of the Robotic Industries Association (RIA) and the Association for Advancing Automation (A3).
In addition to having chaired both A3 and RIA, Shepherd continues as an A3 Robotics board member. He is also a safety committee member and a member of the American Welding Society (AWS), serving on the D16 Robotic and Automatic Welding Committee.
Prior to founding his consulting firm, Shepherd's past professional experience includes automation integration roles at General Motors, a well as sales and leadership roles at FANUC America, KUKA, Güdel and Universal Robots. He’s also held consulting roles at Gain and HowToRobot, which merged in April 2024.
The decentralized MX-System achieves completely cabinet-free automation of machines and systems. Beckhoff has bundled more than four decades of automation expertise into the MX-System, which performs all of the tasks and gives individual externally mounted components the protection of a classic control cabinet.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore talks with Brandon Snell, MX-System Product Manager at Beckhoff Automation about all thinks cabinet-free automation.
This week’s guest on Control Intelligence is robot royalty. Joe Gemma was the 2024 winner of the Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Award for Leadership, but that was just a touchstone along a career that continues to move robotics and automation forward.
Gemma serves on the board of directors for the Association for Advancing Automation, A3, which hosts the annual Automate Show, this year taking place in Detroit the week of May 12.
He’s also past president and board member of the International Federation of Robotics. He’s been the CEO of KUKA Robotics Americas and CEO of Staubli North America, and this month he was named CEO of Wauseon Machine, which specializes in automation, endforming equipment and precision machining, where he’s been since 2022.
Message queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) is a protocol. It has a broker and a client and can run over Ethernet.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses MQTT and how it is used in different industries.
Manufacturing is wrought with safety devices. As we progress further along with cobots and mixing humans and automation together, presence sensing becomes more important, not only for operations, but for functional safety.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses machine safety, specifically presence-sensing technologies.
Spring is sprung, and it’s time to start making plans for upcoming conferences and trade shows. In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore shares two of his favorite upcoming automation events—Automate and the CSIA Conference—and what attendees can expect.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from the month of March.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Charles Palmer, editor in chief Mike Bacidore explains the different types of industrial sensing technologies and why they're critical to ensure safety.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses remote monitoring and diagnostics, and how they require security.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore shares the similarities and differences between programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and programmable automation controllers (PACs).
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses industrial PCs, IT departments and software updates.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from the month of February.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor in chief Mike Bacidore explains the many advantages of variable frequency drives.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses which IEC 61131-3 programming languages are best for safety controllers.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by Larry Stepniak, electrical engineer at Flint Group, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses voltage spikes.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from the month of January.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore explains what unified namespace is and why it's beneficial.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses presence sensing technology.
In this episode, written by Tom Trinh, senior application engineer of automation at Valin, a subsidiary of Graybar, editor in chief Mike Bacidore dissects four types of industrial robots.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares which news stories made the biggest waves in the automation industry in 2024.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor in chief Mike Bacidore debates the merits of different network protocols.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses wireless battery-less technology.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses how Rockwell Automation is introducing artificial intelligence into its portfolio of products.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from the month of November.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Rick Rice, editor in chief Mike Bacidore explains the differences between machine vision and computer vision.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore shares what uninterruptible power supplies are.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses the uses of wireless HMI.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from the month of October.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore shares how to troubleshoot electrical noise in composite enclosures.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses object-oriented programming in PLCs.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor in chief Mike Bacidore differentiates between programmable automation controllers and programmable logic controllers.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from the month of September.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Rick Rice, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses how to protect HMIs in hazardous environments.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore shares four use cases of radio-frequency identification.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses how industrial networks differ from commercial networks.
In 2025, AVG Automation, parent company of EZAutomation, a midwestern U.S. manufacturer and factory-direct purveyor of industrial automation systems and components, will celebrate 50 years since its founding in 1975. The automation technology landscape has changed dramatically since that time, but many of the underlying industry needs remain unchanged.
Control Design editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore spoke to Shalli Kumar, founder and chairman of EZAutomation and its parent company in this episode of Control Intelligence.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from the month of August.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses cybersecurity-enabled controllers.
In this Control Intelligence podcast, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore explores networking capabilities with sensing devices.
Pepperl+Fuchs’ Michael McCabe explains standardized tags, data transfer rates, capabilities, security and integration
In this episode of Control Intelligence, Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from July 2024.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore explains how new frontiers in machine control have their upsides and their limitations.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses what makes stepper motors more energy efficient and reliable.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore shares highlights from a panel discussion that took place at the CSIA Exchange.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Charles Palmer, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses lasers and other position sensing.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from June 2024.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses the future of PLCs in machinery used in a modular, connected factory or plant.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend discusses emerging technology and the introduction of autonomous manufacturing for CNC operation.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore explains how variable frequency drives provide efficiency, reliability and safety in manufacturing.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from the month of May.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses how x-ray vision systems have advanced defect detection.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses the evolution of input/output technology.
For those of you interested in testing your knowledge and understanding of the evolution of I/O technology after this podcast, visit www.controldesign.com/ioevolution and take our quiz of the subject.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses the impact of robotic development on other areas of motion.
After the podcast, test your knowledge of robotic development with this quiz at www.controldesign.com/robotimpact.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from the month of April.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore, who attended CSIA Exchange in Dallas, shares memorable insights from the event.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by managing editor Anna Townshend, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore recaps the answers to a Control Design reader question about digital twin technology.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore explains the importance of reliability and speed in emergency stop buttons.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses remote human-machine interface technology.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Charles Palmer, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore talks about four techniques used to mount sensors.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Shawn Cox, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses eCAD and how it empowers engineers.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, Mike Bacidore discusses what's in and what's out with machine safety.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Shawn Cox, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses the benefits of remote monitoring technology.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Charles Palmer, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore talks about the applications of sensor feedback.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore celebrates National Engineers Week and recaps the week that was in news.
In this episode of Control intelligence, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses what organizations have been doing to recover from the pandemic-related microchip crisis.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Rick Rice, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses industrial enclosures, their design and the protection they offer.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses how machine-mounted sensing and remote monitoring have changed predictive-maintenance capabilities.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses proximity switches and their roles in a manufacturing line.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Charles Palmer, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses the various components in a motion-control system.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributor Joey Stubbs, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore explains how EtherCAT unleashes industrial fieldbuses for high-performance controls automation technology.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses the features, locations and best practices of e-stops in industrial safety.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore explains the history of RS-232 and its role in industrial manufacturing.
Founded in 1985, Advanced Micro Controls is a U.S.-based manufacturer with a global presence. AMCI industrial control products are designed for PLC-based automation systems with specialized position sensing and motion control technology.
Matthew Tellier has been with the company for nearly 30 years, starting off as an applications engineer. He earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering from University of Connecticut.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore and Tellier talk about motion control and position sensing.
Mike Bacidore explains how VFDs compare to motor starter, inverter or variable-speed drives in this episode of Control Intelligence.
Editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses the history behind the PLC and its applications.
New England is a hotbed of growth, from turning live cells into tissue and organs to turning apples into hard-cider blends.
Digital transformation can enable sustainability when done in an environmentally responsible way. Responsible digital transformation can be achieved through digital technologies that support resource efficiency — such as energy, water, raw materials and reduced waste; to support data-driven decisions that promote sustainability; to support remote access and collaboration, which reduces the need for travel and associated emissions; and to support supply-chain transparency by identifying and eliminating practices that are harmful to the environment; and to support the circular economy, leveraging artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things to reuse and recycle resources.
Uninterruptible power supplies are common devices found in almost every enclosure to protect against outages or disruptions. The uninterruptible power supply (UPS) can vary in input or output ranges, and a fundamental choice between alternating current (ac) and direct current (dc) needs to be made.
Emerson’s UPS knowledge and offerings span the spectrum from mounting suggestions to communication options.
Two decades after its introduction, machine safety technology keeps getting more interesting. Safety in a machine-control context was born in 1996 with the EN 954-1 standard allowing only relay logic or simple electronics. Although process industries have widely used programable safety controllers since the 1980s, it wasn’t until 2002 that NFPA 79 finally allowed for programmable safety controllers in machines.
Today, integrated safety logic has found its way into a great variety of industrial devices, such as DIN-rail or machine-mounted safety I/Os and servo-drive systems. This proliferation of safety hardware and architectures means machine builders can introduce far more safety functionality in more places to better protect people, equipment and products.
WESCO builds, connects, powers and protects the world. Delivering ingenuity and expertise to approximately 150,000 customers worldwide, WESCO helps businesses run smoothly by providing solutions that can increase profitability, improve productivity and mitigate risk. With nearly 1.5 million products and locations in more than 50 countries, WESCO delivers what companies need when they need it.
AUTOMATION Studio is the bread and butter of software development at B&R. All B&R hardware is programmed with this integrated development environment. The mechanisms for compiling, creating installation packages and deploying the software are usable outside of Automation Studio itself (i.e., via the command line). Also, the source files within the Automation Studio project are stored in plain text. This makes for easy integration with DevOps practices.
While many facilities have started to move some components out of the cabinet and onto the production line, many are still kept in the cabinet. For those that are in the cabinet, ensuring that panel design encourages component cooling and safety are still essential. In this episode, Control Design Editor in Chief Mike Bacidore speaks with Omron Automation's Matt Mohr about the ins and outs of enclosures.
Learn more about Omron Automation: https://automation.omron.com/en/us/
Read the transcript: https://controldesign.com/21545740
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore talks to Daymon Thompson, senior software product manager at Beckhoff USA. They talk about how machine builders can get off on the right foot in the IoT journey, and how analytics can establish compelling competitive advantages to optimize machine efficiency, and even to create new revenue streams.
Learn more about Beckhoff USA: https://www.beckhoff.com/en-us/
Read the transcript: https://www.controldesign.com/podcasts/control-intelligence/connecting-data-and-unlocking-new-opportunities
Many pieces of the control system require dc power in order to operate. A power supply failure for a critical process controller or device can lead to an unplanned shutdown of critical plant equipment or processes. Without critical event visibility, plants don't have the necessary tools to troubleshoot issues before they become catastrophic. Fortunately, there are solutions to these problems. Now, there are power supplies that can give you a window into their health. In this episode, Mike Bacidore is joined by Jay Hendrix, product marketing manager of Connected Power at SolaHD Emerson, to discuss the capabilities of smart power supplies.
Learn more about SolaHD Emerson: https://www.appleton.emerson.com/en-us/solahd
Read the transcript: https://www.controldesign.com/podcasts/control-intelligence/your-power-supply-has-something-to-say
In this episode, editor in chief Mike Bacidore is joined by Derrick Stacey, global product manager for ACOPOS 6D and SuperTrak Product families at B&R Industrial Automation, to talk about transport and process functions, as well as the distinctions between a platform and a group of products.
Learn more about B&R Industrial Automation: https://www.br-automation.com/en-us/
Read the transcript: https://www.controldesign.com/podcasts/control-intelligence/driving-value-through-adaptive-manufacturing
Some manufacturers believe IT departments can protect their infrastructures, but what happens when that fails or a saboteur is able to bypass the surrounding network and connect directly to the automation system? In this episode, editor in chief Mike Bacidore is joined by Luis Narvaez, who is the product marketing manager for industrial security at Siemens Digital Industries, U.S.A, to discuss network vulnerabilities and who's responsible for cybersecurity on the plant floor, as well as defense-in-depth strategies.
Learn more about Siemens Digital Industries: https://new.siemens.com/
Read the transcript: https://www.controldesign.com/podcasts/control-intelligence/defense-in-depth-leads-cyber-strategy-for-ot-security
The Fourth Industrial Revolution with its digitalization and networking of machines has been changing our lives for some time. In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore talks machine data and digitalization, as well as remote monitoring, analysis and diagnostics with Divya Prakash, director of business consulting, Industry 4.0, at SICK Sensor Intelligence.
Learn more about SICK Sensor Intelligence: https://www.sick.com
Read the transcript: https://www.controldesign.com/podcasts/control-intelligence/how-to-unleash-the-power-of-data-through-machine-sensorization-and-digitalization
From batch-size-one production to the implementation of algorithmic intelligence, editor in Chief Mike Bacidore and Mike Chen, senior director of solutions and technology development at Omron Automation, discuss the ways that integrated, intelligent and interactive technologies are impacting automation implementation for today's manufacturers in this new episode of Control Intelligence: The podcast from Control Design magazine.
Read the transcript: https://www.controldesign.com/podcasts/control-intelligence/integrated-intelligent-and-interactive-technologies-put-the-innovation-in-automation
The use of robotics in factories continues to proliferates, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic showcased the benefits of digital technologies. In this episode of Control Intelligence: The podcast from Control Design, editor in chief Mike Bacidore speaks with Omron Automation’s Alex Bonaire about how robotics controllers and software solutions are being implemented today.
Learn more about Omron Automation: https://automation.omron.com/
Read the transcript: https://www.controldesign.com/podcasts/control-intelligence/integrated-control-for-simplified-robotics
The warehouse and distribution center sector has seen an uptick in automation implementation. In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore is joined by Mike Milligan, industry segment manager, warehouse automation, Misumi, to discuss automation solutions that are being implemented in these environments.
Learn more about Misumi: https://us.misumi-ec.com/
Read the transcript: https://www.controldesign.com/podcasts/control-intelligence/warehouse-automation-misumi-brings-technology-to-distribution-centers-and-fulfillment-centers
Anna Townshend, managing editor of Control Design, discusses today's motion technology trends with ANCA Motion's general manager Paul Bocchi. Bocchi explains how ANCA Motion is managing these trends in its product development as well as what they mean for the future of the automation industry.
Learn more about ANCA Motion: https://motion.anca.com/
Read the transcript: https://www.controldesign.com/podcasts/control-intelligence/motion-control-design-trends-drive-convergence-of-engineering-and-it
In 2017, Austin Park had received a bachelor of science (BS) in electrical engineering from UCLA and was beginning his master's degree at Stanford University, where he was accepted into the masters of science (MS) program in energy resources engineering. He was also the recipient of Acopian Power Supplies' first-ever scholarship the same year. In this episode of Control Intelligence, digital engagement manager Amanda Del Buono catches up with Park to find out where is now and how the scholarship helped him reach his goals.
Read about this year's Acopian Power Supply Scholarship winner.
Read the transcript.
Editor in Chief Mike Bacidore and Dave Emory, director of end user sales at B&R Industrial Automation discuss adaptive machines, the future of machine control automation and B&R's ACOPOS 6D.
Learn more about B&R Industrial Automation: https://www.br-automation.com/en-us/
Read the transcript: https://www.controldesign.com/podcasts/control-intelligence/solutions-spotlight-the-evolution-of-acopos
Jeff Johnson, mechatronics product manager at Beckhoff Automation, joins managing editor Anna Townshend to discuss the company's XPlanar technology, how it differs rom traditional designs and how it applies to a variety of applications.
Read the transcript: https://www.controldesign.com/podcasts/control-intelligence/a-look-at-beckhoffs-xplanar-motor-system
In this episode of Control Intelligence, our host Anna Townshend continues the discussion with two experts from accounting firm Clayton & McKervey. Part 3 makes the case for why now might be the time to develop new products and services—yes, even during a pandemic. Bryan Powrozek is industrial automation manager and Tim Finerty is industrial automation practice leader and shareholder at Clayton & McKervey. These two work closely with many industrial automation businesses and here they share their tips with us about what's available through programs like the CARES Act and other government funding as well as how businesses can focus on their own internal processes to prepare for the future.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, our host Anna Townshend continues the discussion with two experts from accounting firm Clayton & McKervey. Part 2 goes over how businesses can look at their internal processes, playing off of what we've all learned from the pandemic about cash flow, data analytics, and finding the best talent for your business. Bryan Powrozek is industrial automation manager and Tim Finerty is industrial automation practice leader and shareholder at Clayton & McKervey. The full-service public accounting firm specializes in tax, assurance, accounting and consulting services. If you think now is not the time to think about developing new products or services, improving business processes or exploring new business opportunities, Bryan and Tim have some reasons why some businesses might want to rethink their plan, and some sound advice for how to do it.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, our host Anna Townshend talks with two experts from accounting firm Clayton & McKervey about what’s next after COVID-19 and how businesses can prepare for the long-term and be ready to capitalize on opportunities post-pandemic. Bryan Powrozek is industrial automation manager and Tim Finerty is industrial automation practice leader and shareholder at Clayton & McKervey. The full-service public accounting firm specializes in tax, assurance, accounting and consulting services. If you think now is not the time to think about developing new products or services, improving business processes or exploring new business opportunities, Bryan and Tim have some reasons why some businesses might want to rethink their plan, and some sound advice for how to do it.
Altendorf started his career with Endress+Hauser with vocational training as a mechanic, followed by studies, stays abroad and further education. He joined Endress+Hauser’s Executive Board in 2009 and then took the helm as CEO in 2014. Visit controldesign.com/endress+hauser for more information.
The case for integrated safety systems. Today, machine designers have more advanced safety tools at their disposal, including highly integrated programmable safety solutions. The best offerings include safety solutions that can leverage standard hardware, software and networking infrastructure to implement high levels of safety up to SIL 3 according to IEC 61508 and ISO 13849.