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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

Tech Update

Electrical systems and components: The lifeblood of your facility

Electrical systems and components run in the background, keeping your plant energized, but without maintenance and attention, things can go wrong.

Wayne Labs

June 5, 2015

From 2006 to 2010, 8,600 structure fires were reported at US industrial or manufacturing facilities, resulting in 11 fatalities, 230 injuries and $753 million in direct property damage, according to NFPA research.

Engineering R&D

A secure, reliable automation controller from the silicon up

Rather than apply Band-Aids to old technology, the designers of this automation controller started with a clean sheet of paper.

Wayne Labs

May 31, 2015

If you could design and build a new programmable automation controller, what characteristics would you include?

Tech Update

Cloud-based MES/ERP--No longer an oxymoron

Putting your MES or ERP system in the cloud may be more secure and reliable than your on-premises systems.

Wayne Labs

May 26, 2015

It wasn’t that long ago that you’d never think of putting any of your data in the “cloud.”

Engineering R&D

Extended Interview: Food-safe, surface enhancement process extends component life

This recently developed surface enhancement technology can extend the lifetime of grinders and other critical wear components from two shifts to many months with no peeling or flaking.

Wayne Labs

April 8, 2015

Food Engineering caught up with David Bell, founder, president and CEO of Phygen Coatings, to hear more about surface enhancement technology.

Plant of the Year

Food Plant of the Year 2015: Mars Chocolate is lean, green and poised for growth

Wayne Labs

April 6, 2015

As a kid growing up on a poultry farm, I couldn’t wait to help my dad truck cases of eggs to the local co-op, but I confess to an ulterior motive—hitting the candy machine just inside the door for a SNICKERS bar.

Tech Update: Model Predictive Control