Control Amplified: The process automation podcast

Deciding the right techniques for flow measurement

In this episode of Control Amplified, editor-in-chief Len Vermillion discusses flow measurement in the first half of a two-part series.

A half century of improving productivity and preventing downtime

In this episode of the Control Amplified podcast, publisher Keith Larson talks with Shalab “Shalli” Kumar, founder and chairman of EZAutomation.

What determines total cost of SCADA system ownership?

The classic economic definition of the total cost of ownership (TCO) is the purchase price of an asset plus its operating costs over the asset’s lifespan. While this may be relatively easy to calculate for hard goods like a piece of machinery, the cost factors for soft goods, such as SCADA software, are more complicated to ascertain due to their wide range of features and licensing models.

Control talked with Barry Baker, vice president of Trihedral Engineering Limited, to gain some insights from his more than 30 years of SCADA systems experience in many diverse industries.

Li-ion battery market working with process control

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are becoming more prevalent as electrification takes hold of energy and transportation sectors. The manufacturing of these batteries requires a production and distribution process model that can keep up with the growing demand.

Control spoke with Kenny Marks, Lithium and Battery Business Development Manager at Emerson, to get a sense of the challenges that customers encounter and innovative automation solutions that can help increase speed to market and help ensure reliable project execution.

Insights from 2024 Process Automation Hall of Fame inductee Mark Darby

Mark Darby works extensively with gas refineries and chemical processing plants. He also serves on the advisory board at Texas Tech University.

2024 Process Automation Hall of Fame inductee Marcos Peluso shares insights

Marcos Peluso served as director of development for fieldbus at Emerson. Peluso worked on many projects over the years, but his work on developing Foundation Fieldbus is the capstone to a stellar career.

A conversation with 2024 Process Automation Hall of Fame inductee Joe Weiss

Joe Weiss is managing partner of Applied Control Solutions Inc., and an ISA99 ICS cybersecurity pioneer and blogger.

Facing aging code and advancing SCADA solutions

You're probably aware of the important role that supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) software plays in managing automation systems used by water or power utilities, national broadcasters or scientists. You’re also likely aware of the role custom coding plays when configuring these applications for users. However, you may be less aware of the ongoing price of each line of code that, if not carefully managed, can reduce performance, reliability, and longevity of critical SCADA systems.

Control talked with Chris Little, media relations director for Trihedral Engineering Limited, to find out how systems integrators and in-house developers can create advanced SCADA solutions that aren’t limited by rapidly aging code.

How can distributed control systems catapult automation into the future?

Automation is becoming increasingly open and vendor-agnostic. Likewise, field devices that must be digitalized and interoperable for reporting, maintenance, analytics and decision-making are becoming more remote and automated.

Recently, Schneider Electric’s Marcel Rameil, global offer manager for Control Software for Foxboro DCS, and Thad Frost, business leader for Foxboro DCS, talked with Control about today’s best practices for all aspects of plant automation, and how autonomous plant operations can be achieved.

Solutions Spotlight: The current state of smart manufacturing

In this episode of Control Amplified, group publisher Keith Larson speaks to Gerry Abbey, manager of analysts, relations and insights at Rockwell Automation, about Rockwell's ninth annual State of Smart Manufacturing report.