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Editor's Note
Who doesn’t love going to the beach? I
know I do, at least for
the first few days. Then
the sand begins its
advance and outflanks
my defenses. Children
are its ally, and before
you can say, “Don’t
shake that!”, it’s every-
where. But besides the
sandy blitzkrieg, the
beach does offer a lot
of fun. One activity that everyone seems to enjoy, at least where I’m from, is heading to the beach late at night with flashlights and nets to catch sand crabs. You may know them as ghost crabs, but they are impressively quick and built for their environment. For one, they blend in perfectly with the sand. As mentioned, they are super quick and I’ve read they can reach speeds up to 10mph! For food, they can survive on almost anything including clams, decay- ing material, and, if needed, other crabs. Their eyes can swivel 360° to detect predators or a meal. To escape predators, they hide in deep burrows they’ve dug in the sand or make lightning-fast escapes into the water. But for all their prepared- ness, it’s obvious they never expected a child, at night, with a net and a flashlight. This just goes to show that even the best laid plans and preparation can go awry and have to be modified in an instant. As your supplier, we understand that unexpected things can happen, and that’s why we offer has- sle-free returns and 30-day money back guarantees on most products. Our webstore is open 24/7/365 so you can order any last-minute items you need, and our 2-day shipping will get it to you fast.
This issue of NOTEBOOK is loaded with infor- mative articles such as our Tech Brief, which looks at some important PLC fundamentals. We also have a great Cover Story on how recent advancements have expanded the role of PLCs in
enterprise data collection and analysis. The User Solutions show how ProductivityOpen was used to increase heat exchanger efficiency and how ABS- certified Productivity PLCs are helping modernize the luxury yacht industry. Our PLC Speaking section discusses a common coding technique used to pro- gram package tracking applications. For informa- tion about exciting events happening in and around AutomationDirect, take a look at the Business Notes. In this issue, you’ll also find information on our newest products, such as the new CLICK PLUS PLCs, IronHorse ACN Series NEMA 4X AC drives, the NITRA Pneumatic Automation Link (PAL) system, Saginaw enclosures, Datalogic safety laser scanners, and more. As always, the Break Room is stocked with fun and challenging brainteasers, so give them a try and see how many puzzles you can solve.
Editor's Note www.automationnotebook.com | Issue 46