Control Amplified

What happened at AspenTech's Optimize 26?

Fifteen months after its acquisition by Emerson, AspenTech’s biannual Optimize 26 event on May 11-14 in Houston had a definite Emersonian flavor. Its keynotes and presentations, panel discussions, technical sessions and exhibits retained AspenTech’s cornerstones of innovation, software development, talented personnel and customer focus, but this time they also paralleled the structure and style of Emerson Exchange events.

In this episode of Control Amplified, executive editor Jim Montague discusses what he saw at Optimize 26.

Control's editors dive into the CSIA community

In keeping with its informal motto of “giving back 10 ideas for every one presented,” the Control System Integrators Association provided mass quantities of useful content to almost 500 visitors at its 2026 conference on May 4-8 in Baltimore. The event’s 15 educational sessions covered wide range of technical, economic, workforce and other skills that system integrators can take advantage of to run their businesses more effectively.

Control editor in chief Len Vermillion sat down with executive editor Jim Montague, who attended the conference, to learn about the insights gleaned from the event.

Driving sustainable transformation: Endress+Hauser CEO Peter Selders

Now in his second year as leader of the global process instrumentation powerhouse, Selders talks with Control's Keith Larson about the innovations, investments and company values that support the company's trust-based relationships with process manufacturers.

2026 Process Automation Hall of Fame: Peter Morgan understands what makes things tick

There are engineers who fall into their careers, and there are engineers who seem destined for them. Peter Morgan—newly inducted member of the 2026 Process Automation Hall of Fame is, by his own cheerful admission, somewhere in between.

Editor in chief Len Vermillion spoke with Morgan in the next podcast from the 2026 Process Automation Hall of Fame podcast and video series.

2026 Process Automation Hall of Fame: Manfred Morari's mentorship ripples across the industry

When Manfred Morari learned of his election to the 2026 Process Automation Hall of Fame, his first reaction wasn’t triumph, but humility. The list of past inductees includes several colleagues, whose work he admires and whose advice shaped his own career.

Editor in chief Len Vermillion spoke with Morari in this first podcast from the 2026 Process Automation Hall of Fame podcast and video series.

Relays in Industrial Control Systems: Trends, Benefits, and Applications

In this episode of the Control Amplified podcast, you will hear an informative discussion about industrial relays and their role in automation and manufacturing. Hosted by Len Vermillion, Editor-in-Chief of Control Global/Control Magazine at Endeavor Business Media, the conversation features Patrick Casey, Senior Offer Manager for Control and Signaling at Schneider Electric.

Together, they explain what relays do, why solid-state relays are gaining popularity, and how modern relay design is evolving. The episode covers key trade-offs such as heat, cost, lifespan, and speed, while also highlighting newer trends like slim relays, smarter connected relays with NFC programming, and improved wire management.

Len and Patrick also compare relays with controllers and contactors, and discuss environmental considerations, such as hazardous-location and hermetically sealed relays for harsh industrial settings. This episode provides a practical look at how relays continue to support reliable, space-saving, and increasingly intelligent industrial control systems.

April agentic AI preview with the editors of Control

Can't wait for the April edition of Control? Have no fear, because editor in chief Len Vermillion spoke to executive editor Jim Montague in this podcast about one of the biggest topics being covered in the upcoming issue: agentic AI.

How are controls engineers using it? And what are the implications for the automation workforce going forward? Montague gives a sneak preview of those questions and answers in this episode of Control Amplified.

From Control's editors: Combating freezing issues, selecting heat tracing materials and more

In this episode of Control Amplified, editor in chief Len Vermillion talks to executive editor Jim Montague about February 2026's ISA Will-DuPage Chapter Tabletop Show and Technical Conference. Jim learned about effective ways to protect instrumentation from freezing temperatures and more at this show on Feb. 26 in Joliet, Illinois.

Going beyond the pilot: Control editors talk AI, O-PAS and more

In a second conversation with Control editor in chief Len Vermillion and executive editor Jim Montague following ARC Advisory Group's February Industry Leadership Forum, the editors delve more in depth into the conference's most intriguing highlights: not just how artificial intelligence (AI) is being implemented into control systems, but also what it will mean for processing engineers; how O-PAS members are testing applications; what new innovations caught their eye; and more.

A conversation about ARC Industry Leadership Forum with Control's editors

Control's editor in chief, Len Vermillion, and executive editor, Jim Montague, attended ARC Advisory Group's February Industry Leadership Forum in Orlando, Florida. There, attendees heard industry experts discuss the most pressing issues in the process industries, from artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity to large-language models (LLMs) and system design.

For even more information on the conference, visit https://www.arcweb.com/events/arc-industry-leadership-forum-orlando.