If you have old equipment, there is hope that you can keep what works and modernize it by pulling worthwhile information from it with instrumentation and controls.

Recent developments from energy providers and equipment suppliers are providing new ways to reduce energy usage and costs. We look at developments on the AI (artificial intelligence) front from Constellation (an Exelon company) and integrating process with heating/cooling systems from GEA, supplier of manufacturing equipment to the food and beverage industry.

The groov RIO Ethernet edge I/O now ships with PID, SSH, and LDAP support.

Centralizing and digitizing labeling in a cloud-based platform can drastically reduce recalls, make supply chains more transparent and ensure companies meet compliance.

UAK1000 plug-and-play SCADA kiosk combines PLC and PC power with preconfigured software that allows manufacturers to integrate SCADA automation right out of the box with no schematics and minimal engineering.

PepsiCo and Keurig Dr Pepper have signed long-term cloud contracts with Microsoft and Google Cloud respectively to improve their data operations and have a more agile IT infrastructure.

While not intuitively obvious, some processes lend themselves to having their control systems linked to a building’s control system, climate controls or HVAC. For example, a spiral freezer should be linked with process and environmental controls to save energy and improve the process. Other process applications that can benefit from further integration with environmental controls include drying, baking and other yeast-based processes.