Top 5 Plant Engineering articles, March 10-16

Were you out last week? Miss something? Here are Plant Engineering’s five most-clicked articles from last week, March 10-16, including articles about remote monitoring, manufacturing growth, autonomous maintenance, PLC programming, and reshoring.

By Jessica DuBois-Maahs March 18, 2014
  1. The rewards of remote monitoring for air compressor maintenanceThe Compressed Air and Gas Institute offered its views on the issue of remote monitoring as part of its effort to educate its members and others who use compressed air.
  2. Manufacturing is back. Now what?
    Three manufacturing-association presidents, NTMA, PMA, and AMT, discuss ways to ensure the manufacturing sector’s long-term growth.
  3. Autonomous maintenance
    Companies are still pursuing the dream of autonomous maintenance as taught by Tokutaro Suzuki in his book “TPM for Process Industry.” The theory is that basic tasks such as cleaning, inspecting, tightening, and lubricating can and should be done by the equipment operators because they are the equipment owners and closest to the equipment on a daily basis. 
  4. PLC Programming: 5 mistakes to avoid
    Every PLC programmer will make a mistake when he or she is writing code. Whether it’s the result of pressure by the customer, lack of coffee in the morning, or simply getting distracted at the wrong time, here are the top five mistakes to avoid.
  5. Five key factors driving reshoring
    At the annual MFG Meeting in Phoenix, John Walker, chairman of Oxford Economics, cited the five reasons reshoring is taking hold in the U.S.

 The list was developed using CFE Media’s web analytics for stories viewed on www.plantengineering.com, March 10-16, for articles published within the last two months.

– Jessica DuBois-Maahs, associate content manager, CFE Media, jdmaahs@cfemedia.com.