Industry Insights

We’re experiencing the largest wave of industrial disruptions the world has ever seen: artificial intelligence (AI), the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and augmented reality (AR) are just a few of the technologies changing the way we do business. From big data to bitcoin and blockchain, the decisions you make right now will influence your business trajectory (and success) for the next decade and beyond. Full story

One of the foremost causes of costly downtime and emergency maintenance is not oil or contaminants, which are easily removed with proper filtration, but water vapor and the resulting condensed water that is trapped in factory compressed air. Water in facility airlines can cause corrosion, rust and pipe scale which can break loose to block or adhere to air passageways that can lead to increased pressure drop and loss in machine performance. Full story

Although the camera technology world hasn’t quite crossed over in the path of the IBM Watson arena we are seeing an incredible boom in regards to the use of creative algorithms which mimic user-defined rules and learning. Full story

Water is a chemical contaminant in oils and at 100% relative humidity will exist as bubbles in hydraulic systems. Where water is present in a system, the effects can be dangerous if not monitored and controlled properly. When free water exists in an oil, the bubbles it forms can interfere with particle counts, and therefore affect the desired outputs. Typically excess water will give a dirtier reading than actual system cleanliness. Full story

Safety and security have traditionally been viewed as separate entities, but in industrial production, your safety and security programs are inextricably linked. Full story

Safety and security have traditionally been viewed as separate entities, but in industrial production, your safety and security programs are inextricably linked. Full story

Safety and security have traditionally been viewed as separate entities, but in industrial production, your safety and security programs are inextricably linked. Full story

When deciding to repair your industrial automation equipment, there are key things to consider, and it starts with being clear about your priorities. Full story

In order to compete in the increasingly competitive job market or to accelerate within your current role, you will need to add to your automation skills with validated and certificate training programs. Full story

Prior to NFPA 70E 2018, the process electrical workers would use to verify the absence of voltage in a panel or other electrical equipment required the use of an “…adequately rated test instrument…” Full story

Organizations attempting to do comprehensive evaluations in-house often spend a year or longer just to collect hardware data from a single facility. SMC can help with an Installed Base Evaluation. Full story