Control Amplified

Can AI help solve industry’s worker shortages?

By their very nature, the metals, minerals and mining industries have often set the standard for jobs that are at once remote, dirty and dangerous, and as such are facing a particularly acute shortage of workers as Baby Boomers retire. But new cutting-edge technologies such as AI are poised to change that outlook, according to Derain Pillay, global vertical lead for the MM&M markets with Honeywell Process Solutions. Control’s Keith Larson caught up with Derain at the company’s recent Honeywell Users Group meeting in San Antonio to discuss how technology is reshaping how work gets done in this essential global industry.

How Trihedral shares SCADA data

Supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA) play a critical role in collecting process data from across distributed systems and making it available across an organization. But what if you need to share that data beyond your firewall? What are the keys to doing so efficiently and safely?

In this episode of Control Amplified, editor in chief Len Vermillion talked with Chris Little, media relations director for VTScada by Trihedral, about new and not-so-new ways to share data on a massive scale.

How AI is reshaping industrial automation

Control’s Keith Larson caught up with Rahul Negi, director of digital and autonomous operations for Honeywell Process Solutions, to discuss AI’s rapidly evolving capabilities: from assisting human-decision makers to manifesting aspects of true autonomy.

The infinite possibilities of AI applications in process control

It's hard to escape artificial intelligence (AI) these days - the industrial sector is both enamored and perplexed on how to best apply it to process control. While there's no shortage of questions that need answering, Curtis Thompson, DeltaV product marketing manager of AI at Emerson, spoke with editor in chief Len Vermillion to tackle some of them in this episode of Control Amplified.

The distributed control system turns 50

Control’s Keith Larson talks with ExxonMobil’s David Patin and Brian Reynolds and Alicia Kempf of Honeywell Process Solutions in this episode of Control Amplified.

Schneider Electric and Intel: pioneering open automation solutions

Most proprietary and closed automation systems are 20-30 years old and quickly becoming obsolete. However, by bridging information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT), open automation can help lead industry into a more secure future.

A collaboration between Schneider Electric and Intel focuses on the integration of Intel Policy Engine technology with Schneider’s EcoStruxure Automation Expert. The collaboration is an example of how industry can move from proprietary systems to open automation and avoid hitting the brick walls of obsolescence and experience.

To learn more, Control Amplified spoke with Andre Babineau, director of strategic initiatives at Schneider Electric, and Stan Woody, senior manager of product and business development at Intel.

Modern SCADA: ensuring safety, relevance and convenience

SCADA applications are responsible for far more than facilitating real-time process monitoring and alarm management. The process history they compile over time is critical to providing the data-driven insights that industry relies on when optimizing their systems to control costs, maximize uptime and increase the life of infrastructure. Modern SCADA systems must ensure data is safe, relevant and easily shareable with a company’s own team or third-party reporting solutions, business systems and artificial intelligence (AI) platforms.

Control Amplified talked to Chris Little, media relations director, Trihedral Engineering, about straightforward principles to ensure that your SCADA data is ready to go to work.

Leading factory floor monitoring with Hope Industrial Systems

Every control system on the factory floor needs reliable monitors, touchscreens and related products to keep their operation running efficiently. For the last 25 years, Hope Industrial Systems (HIS), based in Atlanta, Ga., has been at the forefront of manufacturing monitors and supplying them quickly to customers all over the world. How did the company succeed, so it can celebrate its 25th anniversary? Mike McGraw, president of Hope Industrial Systems, talked with Control's editor-in-chief, Len Vermillion, to explain what sets the company and its products apart from the field.

2025 Process Automation Hall of Fame: Sandy Vasser shakes up the industry

Editor in chief Len Vermillion is chatting with the newest inductees for 2025's Process Automation Hall of Fame in this Control Amplified mini-series. In his final interview of the series, he and industry legend Sandy Vasser discuss a lifetime in process control.

Achieving smart factory connectivity with product modification

Editor in chief Len Vermillion speaks to Felix Dozzi, customer services supervisor for Pro-face America, Schneider Electric, about how coordinating HMI with other devices and customizing the applications in smart factories can create more effective workplace solutions.