Start 2026 at an Advantage in the Food Industry—attend PACK EXPO East!
Tackle new projects early in the year and find packaging and processing solutions for all types of foods, all in one trip to Philadelphia.

David Greenfield

Img 0817David Greenfield joined Automation World in June 2011. Bringing a wealth of industry knowledge and media experience to his position, David’s contributions can be found in AW’s print and online editions and custom projects. Earlier in his career, David was Editorial Director of Design News at UBM Electronics, and prior to joining UBM, he was Editorial Director of Control Engineering at Reed Business Information, where he also worked on Manufacturing Business Technology as Publisher. 

Processing Equipment
Is OEE too abstract?
OEE has long been a popular method for calculating asset performance, but some are beginning to question its value in providing direction to staff on how to improve production.
October 2, 2019
While few people argue against the use of OEE as a helpful guideline, some are questioning how much it can help direct specific production improvements.
IIoT
The intersection of IoT and sustainability
Georgia Tech hosts an event connecting the dots between the corporate and societal digital transformations.
August 30, 2019
Robert Schmid, chief IoT technologist at Deloitte Consulting, at “The Internet of Things (IoT) for Sustainability Is Smart Business” event.
Software
Resolution, Accuracy, Precision: What’s the Difference?
When it comes to selecting encoders for motion control applications, the terms resolution, accuracy, and precision are often used interchangeably. However, they mean very different things and understanding the difference can be critical to your application.
August 29, 2019
This image shows several encoder disks: lower resolutions are on the left and higher resolutions are on the right.
Conveying & Product Handling
Connecting PLCs for high-speed packaging quality
Stone Technologies creates an effective automated defect rejection process requiring deterministic communication between controllers on separate parts of a high-speed packaging line.
July 24, 2019
This sample image shows some of the capabilities of the turner/diverter/rejector table used by Stone Technologies in this application. Source: Stone Technologies
Facilities, Design & Infrastructure
Advice on scaling IIoT projects
Lots of advice exists on how get started with Industrial Internet of Things projects. Insights on how to scale those pilot projects are not so common and are now being figured out by companies in real time. Petasense CEO Abhinav Khushraj offers insights he’s learned from customers going through the scaling process now.
July 24, 2019
'Plan, but don’t overplan. Have a goal of where you want to be—starting with where you are today—and how you are going to get there, but don’t wait too long,” says Petasense's Khrushraj.
IIoT
Cloud service for industrial analytics
OSIsoft releases a cloud-native, real-time data management system designed to accelerate industrial analytics, data sharing and other digital transformation initiatives.
July 24, 2019
OSIsoft releases a cloud-native, real-time data management system designed to accelerate industrial analytics, data sharing, and other digital transformation initiatives.
IIoT
Open Industry 4.0 Alliance
Announced at Hannover Messe 2019, the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance is a group designed for technology suppliers and end users of all sizes to collaborate around an open framework from which to deliver interoperable technologies and services — with the aim of accelerating industry’s digital transformation.
June 24, 2019
The four layers of the OI4 platform.
Software
Approaching blockchain
At this point, there’s little doubt that blockchain will be widely used to verify industrial supply chain transactions in the not-too-distant future. The question is how to prepare your business for this data intensive verification platform.
June 14, 2019
Davide Picciotto of Siemens Industry speaking at the Manufacturing in America blockchain panel discussion.
Security
The Pros and Cons of Smart Instruments
Automation World has launched its new podcast series aimed at answering reader questions. The first question addressed in the series focuses on the difference between smart and traditional instruments, as well as concerns about smart instrument cybersecurity.
May 7, 2019
Automation World has launched its new podcast series aimed at answering reader questions. The first question addressed in the series focuses on the difference between smart and traditional instruments, as well as concerns about smart instrument cybersecur
IIoT
Global companies collaborate on the future of packaging
To connect the technologies used in food and beverage production, packaging, shipping and recycling, Tetra Pak is working with a variety of partners—including ABB, SAP, Ericsson, and others—to change how business is conducted in this industry and help reduce energy use and emissions.
April 18, 2019
At Hannover Messe, the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance was announced. It's designed to connect propreitary automation communication systems in order to connect every step of the manufacturing process.
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Top Stories
Through the Line: Packaging and Processing
Automation
Through the Line Podcast: Virtual Process Simulations for RTE Meal Producer
Uitgekookt, a Dutch company that prepares and delivers custom-made, RTE meals, is working with Visual Components to make use of a digital twin simulation. The simulation allows the company to see its factory processes, counter potential production issues, and reduce downtime.
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Processing Instrumentation
Software Innovations for Processing at Automation Fair: Manufacturing Execution Systems, Data Visualization, Model Predictive Control
Sessions at Automation Fair 2025 covered several ways innovative technologies can help to improve food and beverage processing operations.
Controls
Processing at Automation Fair 2025: Data Visibility for Yield Improvement, Predictive Machine Control, and Food Safety Traceability
Through the Line: Packaging and Processing
Industry News
Through the Line Podcast: Experts Urge Clear Framing on Ultra-Processed Foods
Sanitary Drum Filling System for Viscous Food Products
Sponsor Content
Sanitary Drum Filling System for Viscous Food Products