Design World

In this Technology Tuesdays podcast, Marissa Tucker of Parker Hannifin chats with Design World’s Lisa Eitel about IEC 61131-3 and the industry’s new programmable automation controllers (PACs). Tucker details how open languages can help design engineers pick the best technologies for their machine builds and other designs; she also explains how basing design choices on standards (not hardware brand) can help experienced engineers be productive faster ... even after switching projects or even organizations. Listen in for: • Reassuring words on the enduring value of (and support for) ladder logic; an explanation of where function blocks improve designs • Details on the benefits of "blended" or hybrid control schemes that leverage the best of the IEC 61131-3 framework • A candid exchange about the supremacy of technical support and lead times. Marissa Tucker is product marketing manager of controls and HMIs at Parker Hannifin. She’s a mechanical engineer with a background in product development and product mana