Top 5 Plant Engineering articles, December 8-14: PID loop tuning, workplace safety trends, managers and leaders, more

Articles about PID loop tuning advice, workplace safety trends, the differences between managers and leaders, valve failure solutions, and selecting inductive proximity switches were Plant Engineering’s five most-clicked articles from last week, December 1-7. Were you out last week? Miss something? You can catch up here.

By Chris Vavra December 15, 2014

Plant Engineering Top 5 most read articles online, for Dec. 1-7, covered PID loop tuning advice, workplace safety trends, the differences between managers and leaders, valve failure solutions, and selecting inductive proximity switches. Link to each article below.

1. Learning PID loop tuning from an expert

Hands-on experience helps accelerate the PID learning curve. 

2. Plant Engineering 2014 Safety Study: 9 workplace safety trends

According to the data in this report, the importance of safety on the manufacturing floor is more recognized now than in previous years by plant workers, resulting in fewer incidents and lower workers’ compensation and insurance costs. 

3. Four differences between managers and leaders

There are four distinct differences between leaders and managers. We believe we have a world full of leaders, yet for some strange reason, there are very few managers who are leaders. Those who do meet this criteria, that will be discussed in this blog, are truly a blessing to work with. 

4. If it’s not working, look at the big picture

Valve problems can be a headache, but sometimes the pain actually originates elsewhere in the system. "Valve failures" can be design problems or failure of other equipment in disguise. 

5. Selecting inductive proximity switches

Follow these guidelines to select the right inductive proximity switch for your application. 

The list was developed using CFE Media’s web analytics for stories viewed on plantengineering.com, December 8-14, for articles published within the last two months.

– Chris Vavra, production editor, CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com.


Author Bio: Chris Vavra is web content manager for CFE Media and Technology.