HomeGreg FarnumContributing EditorNetworksConsolidated Monitoring: Risky Convenience or New Paradigm?Centralized monitoring of multiple sites from a single location—perhaps delivered as a service by a third party—offers a host of possible productivity and cost benefits and maybe even a radically new way of doing business. But how secure are the drastically expanded networks such monitoring entails?HomeVisualizing Energy ConsumptionHaving a clear view of your plant floor operations—knowing what to look for and instrumenting what you can—can cut industrial energy costs. Metering is the best and most accurate method, but mathematical models can help as well.HomeUsing the Performance Curve to ‘See’ Energy ConsumptionSam Pelonis, president of Pelonis Technologies, a manufacturer of AC and DC fans and motors, says one way to find the right balance of power and cooling ability, energy efficiency and maintenance cost is to use performance curves in design planning. These are graphical aids that can be developed for a number of conditions, including fan volume, system static pressure, fan speed and brake horsepower.MotionUnderstanding High-Speed Motion Control NetworksToday’s faster and more complex machines place new demands on motion control, particularly in the area of communication. While rivalries persist among automation vendors over hardware and network protocols for high-speed motion control, there is considerable agreement concerning what machine builders and users need to be aware of.
