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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

Emerson’s Movicon.NExT software platform provides personalized visualization solutions

Deploy Mobile Devices on the Plant Floor to Maximize Operator Efficiency

Mobile devices give operators freedom to move about, but user interface design needs careful thought before implementation.

Wayne Labs

November 28, 2023

Mobile devices keep operators informed wherever they happen to be, improving their response time to upsets and changes.

SUSTAINABILITY

Develop a Plan of Attack to Save Energy

As energy becomes more expensive, formulate a plan to look at and meter all plant utilities—then take action to curb energy usage.

Wayne Labs

October 18, 2023

With climbing utility prices, even a little energy savings improves the bottom line.

Recording the chain of custody of olive oil

Automation Technology

Blockchain Technology: Slow on the Uptake?

Blockchain technology could solve a lot of food safety and supply chain problems, but acceptance has been relatively slow in the U.S.

Wayne Labs

October 11, 2023

Implementing blockchain technology needs some more time to gestate.

Getting a Handle on Software Compatibility Issues

Easier said than done, but compared to ten years ago, today’s tools in knowledgeable hands make connecting software a lot easier.

Wayne Labs

September 28, 2023

Minimizing software incompatibilities will take some organization and planning.

Processing Technology

Analytical Instrumentation: When Exacting Information is Needed

Whether it’s maintaining quality or proving authenticity, precise measurements provide the data to make informed decisions.

Wayne Labs

September 15, 2023

Beyond the normal process measurements needed to check that production is on track, analytical instrumentation can track important variables that can keep difficult-to-control processes on track.

ERP systems can give everyone access to key data.

Forecasting Production: Real-Time ERPs Keep Processors In the Know

Today’s ERP systems provide processors with real-time, actionable info.

Wayne Labs

August 24, 2023

It wasn’t that long ago that a guru was needed to plan production for products based on manually recorded sales and inventory levels.

Cyberattacks: What's in Your Wallet?

Cybercriminals custom-tailor their ransom demands to your budget.

Wayne Labs

August 10, 2023

Cybercriminals have done their research—not only can they log in to your system, they know how much ransom you can afford to pay.

Mission Produce’s avocado ripening and processing facility

Construction Survey

FOOD ENGINEERING’s 46th Annual Plant Construction Survey

Pandemic issues on the wane, but labor, inflation and equipment availability slow projects.

Wayne Labs

July 14, 2023

If you’ve ever played “Whac-A-Mole” on the boardwalk or at an arcade, you can get a sense of the frustration that both food and beverage processors and architecture/engineering/construction (AEC) firms are feeling in today’s economy—fix one problem, another pops up.