Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Cross-Functional Food Innovation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • Newsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Home » Authors » Wayne Labs
Wayne Labs

Wayne Labs

Wayne Labs has more than 30 years of editorial experience in industrial automation. He served as senior technical editor for I&CS/Control Solutions magazine for 18 years where he covered software, control system hardware and sensors/transmitters. Labs ran his own consulting business and contributed feature articles to Electronic Design, Control, Control Design, Industrial Networking and Food Engineering magazines. Before joining Food Engineering, he served as a senior technical editor for Omega Engineering Inc. Labs also worked in wireless systems and served as a field engineer for GE’s Mobile Communications Division and as a systems engineer for Bucks County Emergency Services. In addition to writing technical feature articles, Wayne covers FE’s Engineering R&D section.

Senior Contributing Technical Editor
Articles

ARTICLES

Dairy processing tanks and sensors

Sensor Self-Calibration and Communications Set the Stage for AI-based IIOT

Sensor data is where an automated process begins, and digital communications delivers multiple streams of key process and device data.
Wayne Labs, Senior Contributing Technical Editor
Wayne Labs
November 12, 2024

With the rushed production schedules at plants, having key process information is not the only data needed, but key device data allows scheduled maintenance.


Read More
Overhead view of a packaging line

Do Your Packaging Machines Speak the Same Language?

PackML transforms the concept of individual machines in a packaging line to a single unified machine with component parts for packaging, making line changes and maintenance faster and easier.
Wayne Labs, Senior Contributing Technical Editor
Wayne Labs
October 21, 2024

While the vocabulary doesn’t have to be large, each machine should know about stops and starts upstream and downstream.


Read More
Two heat pumps
Chilling/Freezing

Upgrade Chilling Equipment to Industrial Heat Pumps

Industrial heat pumps provide chilling and freezing, and reclaim the heat energy lost in chilling to save money on heating water for cooking and cleaning—but is retrofitting possible?
Wayne Labs, Senior Contributing Technical Editor
Wayne Labs
October 10, 2024

Industrial heat pumps provide chilling and freezing, and reclaim the heat energy lost in chilling to save money on heating water for cooking and cleaning—but is retrofitting possible?


Read More
Firemen at dry process facility fire

Is Your Facility Safe In Processing Dry Products?

Pay attention to facility layout, airflows and cleaning to protect your employees, facility and product.
Wayne Labs, Senior Contributing Technical Editor
Wayne Labs
September 25, 2024

Unlike wet ingredients, the handling of dry powder ingredients and products usually requires specifically designed process areas to prevent dangerous situations that could result in worker injuries or death.


Read More
Yokogawa OEE

OEE Plus AI/ML Add Up to a Future of Autonomous Manufacturing

Over the years, data acquisition systems and sensor technology have made it easier to track and improve OEE scores — now AI and ML can find nuances in data to up performance.
Wayne Labs, Senior Contributing Technical Editor
Wayne Labs
September 10, 2024

While you can measure and chart OEE manually, today’s AI and ML-based technologies with smart sensors can help processors find the little things that can improve availability, performance and quality — leading to autonomous manufacturing.


Read More
Keyence’s IV4 Series vision inspection sensor
AI-based Inspection

AI-based Vision Inspection Systems Make More Informed Decisions

AI looks to be a panacea for making better inspection choices, but knowing specifically what the inspection criteria should be needs to be in place before employing an AI-based system.
Wayne Labs, Senior Contributing Technical Editor
Wayne Labs
August 22, 2024

AI looks to be a panacea for making better inspection choices, but knowing specifically what the inspection criteria should be needs to be in place before employing an AI-based system.


Read More
CrowdStrike Remediation Screen

When a Threat Detection System Becomes the ‘Threat’

Fixing issues related to the recent CrowdStrike update to Windows systems required personal onsite attention.
Wayne Labs, Senior Contributing Technical Editor
Wayne Labs
August 1, 2024

Chances are you could have been affected by the CrowdStrike update to Windows systems, but fixing the problem required personal onsite attention.


Read More
cybersecurity vulnerabilities
Cybersecurity

Considerations for Assessing and Mitigating Food Manufacturing Cybersecurity Risks

Wayne Labs, Senior Contributing Technical Editor
Wayne Labs
July 25, 2024

Ahmik Hindman, senior networks and security consultant at Rockwell Automation, recently spoke about how food manufacturers can assess cybersecurity risks, implement security patches and build a cybersecurity risk management system.


Read More
 keep track of maintenance

Make Maintenance Part of Your Digital Transformation Strategy

Today’s CMMS software not only keeps track of maintenance, but mobile versions with video show operators how to keep machines running.
Wayne Labs, Senior Contributing Technical Editor
Wayne Labs
July 18, 2024

Even though new processing and packaging equipment today has maintenance tools built in, proper planning and integration into an enterprise maintenance management system makes repair activities easier to track and helps prevent a stockroom full of expensive parts that are never needed.


Read More
Sensor testing station

Use Automation to Attract, Challenge and Keep Skilled Workers

It seems counterintuitive that automation could attract workers, but today’s younger generation is drawn to technology.
Wayne Labs, Senior Contributing Technical Editor
Wayne Labs
July 8, 2024

AI, machine learning and robotics not only improve product flow, but also can attract young talent that’s grown up with computers and easily adapts to new technologies.


Read More
View All Articles by Wayne Labs
Manage My Account
  • eMagazine
  • Newsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Food Engineering audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Food Engineering or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • AI-enhanced technology in CIP operations
    Sponsored byEcolab

    Using AI to unlock new value from your CIP processes

Popular Stories

CJ Schwans pizza plant

FOOD ENGINEERING Names 2026 Plant of the Year

Paris Baguette rendering

FOOD ENGINEERING’s 49th Annual Plant Construction Survey

Smithfield Sioux Falls Facility

Smithfield Foods to Build New Facility in South Dakota

Promo for 49th Annual Plant Construction Survey showing a plant construction site and promotional text in white with a blue background

Events

June 17, 2025

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ State of the Cold Chain

On Demand Kelley Rodriguez, Editor in Chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, will be joined in this 60-minute webinar by industry experts to help unpack the latest research.

July 23, 2025

Decarbonizing Process Heat: What You Should Know and Next Steps

On Demand Driven by climate goals, business risk, client interest, and resilience considerations, food and beverage companies are increasingly turning their attention to decarbonizing their production processes.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

See More Products

CHECK OUT OUR NEW ESSENTIAL TOPICS

Alternative ProteinAutomationCleaning/SanitationFabulous Food Plants

Food SafetyMaintenance StrategiesOEE

PackagingSustainability

Elevate your expertise in food engineering with unparalleled insights and connections.

Get the latest industry updates tailored your way.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Food Master
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • Newsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2026. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing