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INDUSTRIALCONTROLS
Nick
Aug 1, 20231 min read
Pro-tip: Ghosts in the machine
Pro-tips are all dedicated to making you a more effective automation professional. A perfect example is "ghost hunting" inside of your...
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Nick
Feb 7, 20232 min read
How not to... Design local controls
How not to is a series dedicated to learning from the mistakes of others. While learning from your own mistakes is generally more...
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Nick
Jan 31, 20231 min read
Pro-tip: Tricks of the malicious operators
Pro-tips exist to make you a better automation professional. Or into an automation professional, as it may be. Plant staff will realize...
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Nick
Jan 24, 20233 min read
Pro-tip: Man versus machine
Pro-tips are designed to help you stand out as an automation professional. Remember: learning from someone else's mistakes is more...
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Nick
Jan 10, 20231 min read
Getting Started: Motor controls
Getting Started is a semi-ordered rambling of things I learned from absolutely great mentors. I can offer but a shadow of their wisdom,...
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Nick
Jan 3, 20232 min read
Getting Started: Relay (vs Ladder) Logic
Getting Started is a series dedicated to helping you enter the field of automation. These are aimed at the true beginner. Not knowing...
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Nick
Dec 27, 20222 min read
Having "The (Management) Talk"
Just a few days ago, I finally had "the talk" with my boss's boss. I was going to be an acting manager for my employer, covering a few...
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Nick
Dec 20, 20221 min read
How not to... Work with flammable powders
How not to is just that- an explanation of how not to do something. It is generally based on failures that have happened to others....
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Nick
Dec 13, 20222 min read
Pro-tip: Scripting
Pro-tips exist to help you stand out from the competition. These are not quite cheating, but I aim to make them as close as possible....
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Nick
Dec 6, 20221 min read
Pro-tip: Imports and Exports in Programming
Pro-tips are posts dedicated to helping you stand out in your career. Or, in this case, get home on time. One difference between you and...
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Nick
Nov 29, 20224 min read
How not to... build a panel
How not to... is just that. Examples of how not to do something. Industrial control panels regularly last decades. They are often...
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Nick
Nov 22, 20222 min read
Pro-tips: Switch and router configuration
Pro-tips are posts dedicated to helping you stand out in your automation career. Networking is an ever more important part of automation....
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Nick
Nov 8, 20221 min read
Personal Protective Equipment
PPE saves lives. OSHA will remind you, but let's cover the main few topics here... Eye Protection- If you move wires and do not wear...
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Nick
Oct 4, 20223 min read
Common alarm issues
Modern HMIs have nearly endless opportunities to display, organize and control alarms. However, they have been sorely outpaced by the...
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Nick
Sep 19, 20222 min read
Getting Started With CAD (for engineering drawings)
Disclaimer: I am highly biased, as I am old-school and work in North America. I accept that fact wholeheartedly. Engineering drawings...
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Nick
Aug 7, 20221 min read
Learn from my failures: Grounding
Last week, one of the panels I built blew up during a thunderstorm. Thankfully, it was in an unmanned building, but it still cost my...
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Nick
Aug 2, 20223 min read
Getting started: What are all these wires?
Everyone in the automation world has to deal with wires at some point. This seems like a natural place to begin. Basic (and I mean...
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Nick
Jul 30, 20222 min read
Getting started: Siemens TIA Portal (part 1)
This series will cover how to get started with PLC and HMI programming using legal licenses of Siemens TIA Portal. Specifically, we are...
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Nick
Jul 26, 20222 min read
Getting started: Definitions
How do I get started in PLCs? I have heard this question so much. PLCs are just one part of automation. Let's talk about some...
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