by Anna Townshend in Control Design

"A Control Design reader writes: Technology suppliers are continually offering automation components that are easier to integrate and install, and many markets these plug-and-play products as a solution to the growing worker shortage. Who in the industry is asking for these types of solutions—machine builders, system integrators or end users? All of the above? Is this trend industry-led or industry-specific? As an automation engineer for a machine builder, we do have trouble finding young talent, but I worry that the democratization of automation technology might still put me out of a job someday. I think the idea is to use our engineering talent for more important work, but, as a manager, I would still be uncomfortable with less-qualified people working on our machines. What am I missing here? Should I be thinking about this differently or thinking about managing our engineering talent differently?"
  "This trend of plug-and-play automation products might be cast more precisely as natural product evolution. As time marches along, the forces of competition inevitably lead to products and processes that are easier to implement and use.

The goal of easing the integration of devices into control systems is to take away the busy work of controls integration. Hopefully, engineers’ time is not consumed by mundane tasks of trying to get Box A to connect to Box B, which will in turn pass data to a device. The engineer should be free to concentrate on building an elegant, robust and effective control design. The aim should be to allow humans to do what they do best, apply creativity to technical problems, and not have to worry about the repetitive work of connecting a series of devices together and making them communicate.

Even with plug-and-play products, you will always need highly skilled engineers to understand the machine and choose the best components, whether they be plug-and-play components or a more specialized combination of products, all depending on the needs of the machine, the customers and the market competition.

Continue focusing on hiring top-notch engineers. If plug-and-play components allow some portions of the job to become streamlined enough that they do not require advanced engineers, you may be able to fill some roles with technicians. In any case, you will always need some top engineering talent so that your machines maintain an edge in the marketplace, whether that edge is features, pricing or both. If you don’t, competitors will step in and do it."

AirHydroPower of Louisville, KY, is Delta Motion's distributor serving customers in Northern Kentucky and Southern Indiana. AHP has a long history of hydraulic service and support since its founding in 1961. In addition to the standard hydraulics offerings like hoses, fittings, piping, filters, and fluids through their Parker Stores, AHP also offers value added services for material handling and electrical and hydraulic automation services. AHP's Engineered Solutions team provides customers with complete motion control solutions. Other services include machine vision, automatic product labeling solutions, and machine safety equipment. 

A big thank you to the team at AHP for their support of Delta, congratulations on over 60 years of business success and customer support, and we look forward to continued growth in the future!

 

 

    

Fig. 3 - Input Estimated status bit

 

Please check Delta's Trade Shows page regularly for updates. Here are the upcoming shows we will be attending in the 2nd Quarter of 2023. We hope to see you; come and say hello at our booth!

Automotive Testing Expo China


Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Expo


FABTECH


Automotive Testing Expo USA


PTC Asia