All Posts

Health and safety is not simply a legal obligation in industrial environments, it is a fundamental driver of reliability, productivity and long-term operational success. Poorly designed or inadequately assessed machinery exposes businesses to injury risks, unplanned downtime, regulatory action and reputational damage. In contrast, safety-led engineering creates robust, efficient systems that protect people while supporting performance. At DelaControl, health and safety is emb

Industrial equipment is routinely deployed in some of the hottest environments in the world, from desert manufacturing plants to steelworks, power stations and outdoor process facilities. While high ambient temperatures present obvious challenges, modern industrial equipment is specifically designed to operate reliably under extreme thermal conditions. Designed for High Operating Temperatures One of the key reasons industrial equipment can withstand heat is its design standar

Predictive maintenance is transforming the way industrial assets are maintained by shifting maintenance strategies from reactive or time-based approaches to data-driven decision-making. By continuously monitoring equipment condition and performance, predictive maintenance enables organisations to anticipate failures before they occur, reducing downtime, maintenance costs and operational risk. What Is Predictive Maintenance? Predictive maintenance uses real-time and historical

Effective cooling is critical to the reliability and longevity of industrial control panels. Modern control panels often house PLCs, variable speed drives, power supplies, industrial PCs and networking equipment, all of which generate heat during normal operation. Without adequate thermal management, excessive temperatures can lead to premature component failure, nuisance faults and unplanned downtime. Why Cooling Is Essential Electrical and electronic components are designed

Automation is often portrayed as a threat to employment, with concerns that machines and software will replace large sections of the workforce. While automation does change the nature of work, history and modern industrial experience show that it does not eliminate jobs wholesale. Instead, automation reshapes roles, creates new opportunities and supports long-term economic growth. Automation Replaces Tasks, Not People One of the most important distinctions is that automation

Industrial PCs, commonly known as IPCs, play a critical role in modern industrial automation by providing robust, flexible and high-performance computing in harsh factory environments. Unlike standard office PCs, IPCs are specifically designed to operate reliably under conditions such as vibration, dust, electrical noise and wide temperature ranges, making them suitable for continuous industrial operation. One of the key advantages of IPCs is their versatility. They can be us

Engineering is often misunderstood as a narrow or exclusive profession, reserved for a specific type of person or academic background. In reality, engineering is one of the most diverse and wide-ranging career paths available, united not by stereotypes but by a shared focus on problem solving. At its core, engineering attracts people with curiosity, creativity and a desire to improve how things work. Engineering Is About Solving Real Problems Engineering is fundamentally abou

The Quiet Giants Who Gave the World Its Industrial Brain Whenever the history of modern industrial control is told, the narrative almost always leaps straight to 1968, and an American engineer named Dick Morley working in a Massachusetts garage. That story is true, but it is only half the picture. Long before the first Modicon PLC flickered into life, Britain had already laid the theoretical foundations, built the world’s first programmable electronic computers, and installed

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are rapidly transforming how industrial training is delivered. As factories become more complex and digitally connected, traditional classroom learning and on-the-job shadowing are no longer sufficient on their own. AR and VR provide immersive, interactive training environments that improve safety, reduce errors, and accelerate workforce competency. What Is AR-Driven Training Augmented Reality overlays digital information onto t

The SINAMICS S220 is Siemens’ latest high-performance servo and motion-control drive system, launched in 2025. It has been developed to meet the growing demands of modern industrial automation, offering high power density, compact design, multi-axis capability and deep digital integration. The S220 is positioned as the successor to existing high-end servo platforms and is designed for complex, future-ready machine applications. What the SINAMICS S220 Offers The SINAMICS S220

Edge computing is rapidly becoming a core technology within modern industrial automation. As factories generate increasing volumes of real-time data from machines, sensors and control systems, sending everything to the cloud is no longer efficient or practical. Edge computing brings data processing closer to the machine level, enabling faster decisions, greater reliability and improved cybersecurity. What Is Edge Computing Edge computing refers to the processing of data local

AI-Driven and Intelligent Automation Artificial intelligence will be central to industrial automation in 2026. Systems will move beyond monitoring and analysis to active decision-making, managing production scheduling, quality control and asset optimisation with minimal human intervention. Generative AI will also support faster automation design by assisting with control logic creation, system configuration and optimisation. Edge Computing and Local Intelligence Edge computin

Siemens Engineering Copilot TIA is an advanced artificial intelligence-based assistant integrated into the TIA Portal engineering environment. It is designed to support automation engineers by simplifying, accelerating and improving the quality of engineering tasks. By allowing engineers to interact with automation software using natural language, the Engineering Copilot represents a significant step towards more intuitive, efficient and intelligent automation system developm

The Industrial Internet of Things, commonly known as IIoT, is transforming the way industrial systems are designed, monitored and controlled. It refers to the network of connected industrial devices such as sensors, machines, controllers and software platforms that communicate with each other to collect, exchange and analyse data in real time. Within industrial automation, IIoT is no longer an emerging concept but a core enabler of smart manufacturing and digital transformati

Reconfigurable production lines are becoming an essential part of modern manufacturing as businesses seek greater flexibility, efficiency and resilience in their operations. Unlike traditional fixed automation systems that are designed for a single product or narrow process, reconfigurable systems are built to adapt quickly to changes in product design, production volume and process requirements. This shift reflects increasing demand for customisation, shorter product life cy

Control panels are the heart of industrial automation, housing critical components such as PLCs, HMIs, relays, contactors, drives and power distribution equipment. When a control panel fails or malfunctions, production comes to a halt. Troubleshooting control panels is therefore an essential skill for engineers, electricians and maintenance teams. Common issues in control panels Power supply problems • Blown fuses, tripped circuit breakers or failed power supplies are among t

Industrial robots have become essential to modern manufacturing, from automotive plants to food factories, driving efficiency, quality, and resilience. Collaborative robots, known as cobots, offer a flexible, accessible option for businesses of all sizes. Together, they are redefining automation, with global installations reaching 553,000 units in 2023 (International Federation of Robotics). Boosting Efficiency and Output Industrial robots excel in speed and endurance, operat

In today’s competitive manufacturing landscape, scaling production efficiently is one of the biggest challenges. Growing demand, tighter delivery schedules and rising quality expectations mean that traditional manual production methods often cannot keep pace. This is where automation, from robotics and PLCs to SCADA systems and digital twins, becomes transformative. Automation does not simply replace manual labour; it enables businesses to expand capacity, improve consistency

In industrial automation, motors are the workhorses that power conveyors, pumps, fans, compressors and countless other machines. However, it is the drives, also known as variable frequency drives (VFDs), variable speed drives (VSDs) or inverters, that transform motors into efficient, controllable and intelligent assets. The importance of drives in motor control cannot be overstated, as they improve performance, save energy, enhance safety and extend equipment life. What are D

The next generation of UK automation companies is transforming how factories operate, combining robotics, digitalisation and intelligent control systems. These emerging firms are agile, innovative and focused on delivering smarter, more efficient manufacturing solutions that meet the demands of Industry 4.0. Geku Automation (Kent) Geku is evolving from a traditional robot integrator into a forward-thinking automation company. It delivers turnkey robotic cells using Cartesian,