Emergency shutdown systems are lifesavers, literally and figuratively. An emergency shutdown system is designed to automatically respond to crisis conditions in order to prevent or contain the failure of a system. Different kinds of equipment that involve the use of emergency shutdown systems tend to have a few things in common. First, they all tend to be expensive, and their emergency shutdown systems are designed so that an error and the consequences of that error can be contained so as to limit damage to the system. Many varieties of equipment that involve the use of Continue reading →

Pressure switch image courtesy of Ashcroft.

Automation is the wave of the future for industry. As the words “lean manufacturing” work their way into the vocabularies of a higher number of professionals, automation and all of the components that contribute to it are increasing in their popularity within industry. Manufacturers see the benefits in terms of reduced labor costs and increased efficiency, and the transition to automation simply makes sense. But the fact is that the trend toward automation has been a long time in the making, and Continue reading →