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Below you will find published articles written by Valin's own experts and information from our suppliers.   
Submitted by Ray Marquiss, Corey Foster || Valin Corporation
Mitsubishi Electric Melsec IQ-R Series Automation Controller

Avoid the allure of one-size-fits-all solutions and consider standardization, support and future-proofing for programmable logic controllers.

Submitted by Ray Marquiss || Valin Corporation

A little knowledge goes a long way — knowing and understanding the advantages and limits of encoders and limit switches can ensure the best possible motion system design.

Submitted by Corey Foster || Valin Corporation
Sensors in Condition Monitoring: Making Optimal Decisions

The key to making the proper decisions on condition monitoring is to understand what kind of information is required, how often that information is needed and what kind of budget is in play.

Submitted by Corey Foster || Valin Corporation
Condition Monitoring

The concepts of “preventive maintenance” and “condition monitoring” are not always characterized in a way that is entirely accurate. They sometimes seem to be treated as a “one-size-fits-all” service that many operators believe they need. However, these concepts can mean very different things depending on the application.

Submitted by James Walker || Valin Corporation
Understanding the Environment is Critical to Specifying Conveyors

Understanding the environment the conveyor is earmarked for is the most critical piece of the puzzle. Oversights on this part of the specification process can cause delays and corrections that lead to significant costs that could otherwise be avoided.

Submitted by James Walker || Valin Corporation
Considerations for Selecting Conveyors

Selecting a conveyor for an automation project is certainly not a “one-size-fits-all” scenario. Automation applications are incredibly diverse, and the options and features available on conveyors reflect that.

Submitted by Ryan Kraus || Valin Corporation
Watlow Circulation Heaters

In this article, featured in Process Heating Magazine, Ryan Kraus discusses the various criteria to consider when selecting a circulation heater.

Submitted by Corey Foster || Valin Corporation
Remote Access

As long as products have had ethernet ports, people have been asking for remote access to them. They believed they could just plug the devices into the internet, and it would all work. As more software tools became available and internet speeds increased, capable users found ways to give themselves access, however, there was a catch.

Steam vs. Electric Heating — The Basics

Most facilities in the chemical process industries (CPI) require some form of heat. The amount of heat required and the necessary level of consistency can vary from process to process. Regardless of the details, engineers must decide on a heating source that works best for a particular process.

Submitted by Randy Mulvaney || Valin Corporation
Silicon-Controlled Rectifier Power Controls: Worth the Investment

In terms of what matters to most in the field today, it is safe to assume that reliability, flexibility, accuracy and cost are at the top of the list. With these factors in mind, implementing a silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) control system for an electric heater is often an optimal approach.

Sensor Strategies to Optimize Automated Processes

Strategic implementation of sensors helps maximize a process from the start and equips operators with enough information to constantly be aware of everything happening in a line. So, what type of sensor(s) will work best for your environment?

Submitted by Tom Trinh & Corey Foster || Valin Corporation
mbConnect Remote Access for Original Equipment Manufacturer's

Looking for ways to support your systems more easily, more safely, and more quickly for your customers?  Perhaps you are wondering what remote access technology is for industrial control systems.

Submitted by Nathan Ehresman || Valin Corporation
Accutrace

An operator in a fluid handling process is only as effective as his ability to work with a given controller. If there are factors that keep this individual from doing what is necessary for a smooth operation, adjustments need to be made.

Submitted by Corey Foster || Valin Corporation
Automating a Manual Process

When manufacturing engineers are tasked with automating a process that is currently done manually, their main question for an automation supplier is "Have you ever automated this specific process before?" In complex applications, the answer is typically "no." Learn more.

Submitted by John Brokaw and Kent Martins || Valin Corp.

Engineers building linear-motion systems can use ground-up DIY approaches or purchase complete turnkey solutions. Here we explain where each tactic is most profitable.

Submitted by Bill Nevills || Valin Corporation
Electro-Pneumatic Pressure Control

In the last ten years, the design of pneumatic manufacturers' online tools for sizing components have evolved, the fieldbus systems are ever-changing, component designs are constantly improving, and network devices such as the Industrial Internet of Things have reshaped the industry. Learn more.

Submitted by Ray Marquiss || Valin Corporation

Robotics can be narrowed down to five types: Cartesian, Cylindrical, SCARA, 6-Axis and Delta. Each has specific elements (speed, size, workspace) making them ideal for certain applications. Knowledge of each type can help machine designers choose the best robot for their process. Learn more.

Submitted by Parker
Parker Fulflo® EcoBond Filter Cartridges

Parker’s Fulflo® EcoBond™ Cartridges are the most economical high purity filter cartridges available. Featuring a graded density matrix of uniform polypropylene fibers, the EcoBond™ provides consistent filtration for a wide variety of fluids. 

Submitted by Dan Colletto || Valin Corporation
the future of servo technology in Harsh Environements

The latest developments in servo technology allow for the benefits of high-performance motion control to be used in harsh environments.

Submitted by Bill Nevills || Valin Corporation

Electromechanical drives continue to capture more factory automation projects, but pneumatics technology still offers distinct advantages in many fields.

Submitted by Kevin Goodsell || Valin Corporation
The ABCs of VFDs

Inside of plants today, AC motors are becoming the industry standard. Many plants are shifting to AC motors from hydraulic motors or DC motors when powering heavy loads, which were more popular in the past. This shift can be attributed to a variety of reasons and most have to do with cost.

Submitted by Corey Foster || Valin Corporation
Motion Control vs. Robotics

For automation applications, one of the larger misconceptions in the industry today is that when someone uses the phrase "motion control," they can just as easily use the term "robotics," as if the two are interchangeable. Read more.

Submitted by Russell Rochambeau, Valin Corp.

Making smart design decisions, particularly in relation to the suction line, can avoid potentially severe cavitation-induced damage to hydraulic pumps.

Submitted by Corey Foster || Valin Corporation
Precision Automation Meets Advanced Product Demand

As electronics and technologies become smaller and more intricate, engineers are running into new challenges in automating manufacturing processes. The challenges of manufacturing new products extend beyond the capabilities of precise motion control mechanics to include environmental control.

Submitted by Omron

Omron has been providing automation solutions for more than 80 years. Their washdown rated products and extreme washdown products in the IP69k protection class help you deliver safer solutions to your customers.

Workplace Safety Still Needs a Human Component

Workplace safety is—or should be—a primary focus of every organization, regardless of whether we’re talking about a classroom, an office, a manufacturing facility, or an oil rig. Employees deserve a workspace that is as safe and secure as it can possibly be.

Submitted by Advantech
ProView Thumb

Advantech ProView Ethernet Switch is a SCADA manageable switches which are the convergence switches for process control and IT networking management.

Submitted by Russ Rochambeau, Valin Corporation

Cavitation is the 2nd leading cause of a pump system failure. It’s for this reason that a full understanding of what cavitation is, how it is caused and how it can be prevented is critical in the fluid power industry.

Submitted by Chad Lieber | Prozess Technologie and Brian Sullivan | Valin
Prozess

In a world where most information is available in an instant, plant managers and engineers are continuously trying to find ways to improve the efficiency of processes along the manufacturing line.

Submitted by Jamie Zachary | PROCESSWest
Multi-Megawatt Electric Heating System Solutions | PROCESSWest

Tasked with increased demand for high power output, many operators in North American sectors such as power generation, oil and gas, petrochemical and chemical have been challenged by low-voltage solutions and their associated logistical challenges.

Submitted by Jon Irvine
Best Practices in CONTROL

Considering the number of variables, gaining precise control of a process heating application can be a difficult task. In industries with a high demand for consistent quality, controlling the temperature of a substance from the start to the finish of a process is an absolute necessity. Learn more.

Submitted by IAI

IAI's new IXP Series Robots cost around 1/2 of that of a conventional model due to the adoption of the pulse motors. The IXP achieves a payload equivalent to that of a conventional model by adopting high-output drivers. All IXP models come standard with battery-less absolute encoders.

Submitted by Prozess Technologie

The Reveal™ optical spectroscopy-based measurement system will help customers increase quality, yield, and productivity while reducing both risk and downtime in the manufacturing environment. Its measurement capabilities are unmatched by legacy techniques.

Submitted by IAI

With air cylinders, a compressor is operated with electricity to generate compressed air, and generated air is supplied though a line to the air cylinder where it is then converted to linear-motion force. This mechanism is subject to significant energy loss.

Submitted by WIKA Instrument Guru
How Gauges Can Help Prevent Costly Loss of Containment

Loss of containment is one of the costliest things that can go wrong at a plant. Accordingly, smart enterprises employ a variety of measures that ensure loss of containment just doesn’t happen – or when it does, the adverse circumstances are kept to a minimum.

Submitted by Ric Leyva for Design News Magazine
Electric Actuators

As the automation and motion control needs of industries using control and drive functions continue to progress, the technology that meets those needs must adapt to the growing demand for connectivity, accessibility, and efficiency, all while maintaining a high level of quality and durability.

Submitted by James Walker || Valin Corporation
Understanding the Environment is Critical to Specifying Conveyors

Understanding the environment the conveyor is earmarked for is the most critical piece of the puzzle. Oversights on this part of the specification process can cause delays and corrections that lead to significant costs that could otherwise be avoided.

Submitted by Jon Irvine, Featured in Automation.com Magazine

A temperature sensor is a key component of any process heating application as it provides temperature feedback about the process, which can be used to monitor or control the process

Submitted by Jon Monsen and Peter Jessee // Valve Magazine
Noise from Cavitation: Bad for Control Valves and Equipment

Certain frequencies of sound can play havoc on industrial equipment. When control valves are not selected appropriately, there is an increased risk for cavitation, which causes high noise and vibration levels, resulting in very rapid damage to the valve's internals and/or the downstream piping.