Start with sugar, and you could end up with a sweet business.

Topics: Case studies, Process control, PACs, I/O, PAC Control

Although we may think of Middle Eastern countries as being oil-rich, that description doesn't always apply. The country of Jordan, for example, has typically imported 96% of its energy from neighboring countries.

But Jordan has plenty of sun, and the government is committed to investing heavily in renewable energy. 

Topics: Energy management, Case studies, groov, Internet of Things, IoT, optonews, Integrators, mobile, IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things, OptoNews 2017-02-01

Once a haven for pirates, today Nassau and nearby islands host thousands of tourists.

One essential to keep tourists happy and healthy is fresh water, and most resorts rely on desalination to provide it.

Topics: Case studies, Process control, Water & wastewater, optonews, PACs, Integrators, OptoNews 2017-01-04

• Think about how much computers have changed in the last 30 years.
• Think about the quantity of data that enterprise data centers (EDCs) process today.
• And think about how facility management priorities have changed to meet rising energy costs.

Now imagine what needs to be done to update a 30-year-old EDC.

Topics: Energy management, Case studies, Videos, optonews, PACs, Building management, Security, REST API, RESTful server, REST, OptoNews 2016-12-14

Graphite isn't just for lubrication and No. 2 pencils anymore.

Today it's a key ingredient in many industries, and the finest graphite is essential for nuclear power and semiconductors.

Toyo Tanso Japan was the first company to achieve mass production of this fine-grade isotropic graphite. Their subsidiary, Toyo Tanso USA, manufactures isotropic graphite and also provides graphite-related silicon carbide surface treatments to customers.

Topics: Case studies, Process control, groov, optonews, PACs, mobile, PID loop control, OptoNews 2016-10-26

Vista Irrigation District, near San Diego in Southern California, is no stranger to change. 

For nearly 100 years the district has provided reliable water to farm and residential customers—through population growth, drought years, and changes in land use.

Topics: Case studies, Videos, Water & wastewater, optonews, Integrators, OptoNews 2016-09-28

Tasty and wholesome, the frozen fruit bars made by Natural Fruit Corporation must be stored at precise temperatures.

Although their cold storage rooms were automated, on weekends operators used to have to stop by the company's factory to verify that systems were running and temperatures were within range.

Topics: Energy management, Case studies, Food & beverage, groov, Internet of Things, Remote monitoring, IoT, optonews, Building management, OptoNews 2016-08-31

How do you get fresh apples in March?

California Controlled Atmosphere (CalCA) knows the secret: strictly controlled storage.

CalCA builds produce storage systems for growers in California and all over the world. Each system must be flexible to accommodate fluctuating harvests and individual produce varieties.

Topics: Case studies, Videos, Food & beverage, optonews, PACs, OptoNews 2016-08-03

Getting Useful Data from Big Data

At the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC), researchers analyze mountains of data from widely differing fields, including:

• Supersonic aircraft
• The human brain
• Distant stars

Topics: Energy management, Case studies, optonews, PACs, Integrators, Building management, Modbus, OptoNews 2016-07-06

How do you control coatings on a device the width of a human hair?

In today's world, ultra-tiny micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) provide key capabilities in phones, cars, drones, and medical sensors, just to name a few places.

Topics: Case studies, Process control, Electronics, Machine builder, optonews, PACs, OEM, Integrators, OptoNews 2016-06-22