News & Knowledge

We’re your source for automation news. Keep up with the latest industry updates and E Tech employee spotlights, as well as tips and guidance from our manufacturing experts.  

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E Tech Group Automation Engineer Shares Expertise on Control Engineering Magazine Webcast

E Tech Group Lead Automation Engineer, Kevin Tom shared his knowledge and expertise on Best Practices for Effective Automation Applications for Control Engineering Magazine‘s webcast on August 16th, 2022, where he discussed the nuances of control system applications. When Should a Process be Automated? Kevin explains the criteria that a company should consider when weighing whether or not to apply automation to a process: What is being made and how is it currently being produced? Consider tools, parts, mechanisms. What is the environment like? Consider space constraints, equipment, hazards. What is the labor pool like? Consider union/non-union, labor shortages, turnover. In considering automation, goals and constraints must also be hashed out: Are we trying to replace human labor with mechanized processes? Are we trying to scale up operations/increase throughput? What is the capital we have to/are willing to invest in this project and what is the necessary ROI? These questions are all addressed early on in a project’s inception, as stakeholders hold the keys to the budget needed for an automation project. However, control system engineers should also be consulted early on to give insight into the specifics of these questions, like cost, ROI, improvement caps. Applying Automation is as Much Planning as Execution Kevin Tom’s cohost points out that much of the time, the options are: automate or die. It may sound histrionic, but the labor shortage is a real and pervasive issue, especially when manufacturers are trying to scale. Increased production goals means hire more people. But there aren’t enough people to be found, and/or high turnover, and/or lack of qualified professionals, which all present labor bottlenecks. Automation is the best (and only) solution to avoiding the obstacles associated with labor shortages. However, it isn’t as simple as design-build-implement. For the transition to automation to run smoothly, the system first … Continued

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What is the IT/OT Assessment Process?

In today’s increasingly interconnected world, it is more important than ever to ensure that your IT and OT systems are secure and reliable. The results of an IT/OT assessment can help you identify and prioritize any security risks that need to be addressed. The assessment can also help you develop a plan to improve the security of your IT and OT systems, and identify areas for operational improvement, such as bottlenecks and inefficiencies. How does an IT/OT Assessment work? What is the process? How does E Tech Group manage the process? And how do we break it down into an easy 1, 2, 3 process? Step 1:  One-to-two-day site visit photographing and documenting all panels and line OT assets – regardless of manufacturer – and running a facility IT network scan. Step 2: Collect, analyze, and grade all IT and OT Assets for security vulnerability & obsolescence.   Information presented back in an interactive Asset workbook and comprehensive written report. Step 3:  Client meetings with management and operations to review the data and discuss remediation plans. An IT/OT Assessment can prove an invaluable tool for a company facing operational difficulties, security breaches, or reliability in their automated processes. By understanding what’s right in your IT and OT systems – and what’s not – you gain the tools necessary for us to create a secure, custom automation system for your current and future needs. Learn more about IT/OT Assessments: the process, the benefits and how E Tech Group can be your partner through it all!

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E Tech Group Employees Earn PI Certification

Congratulations to our Principal Engineer, Matt Martin, and Senior Project Manager, Tony O’Deay on earning their PI System Infrastructure Specialist Certifications.To complete the PI System Infrastructure Specialist certification an individual must have one year of experience configuring the PI system, complete a set of training modules, and pass a 50-question final exam.  The certifications show our company has trained and is experienced with PI System. E Tech Group is committed to providing expert service and support for the PI system. Thank you, Matt and Tony, for pushing yourselves and sharing this expertise to E Tech Group and our clients!

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Making Cybersecurity Approachable

Providing cybersecurity context, encouragement, protection and detection for users in multiple process industries There’s no way to go it alone on cybersecurity. Because no one knows everything, even the most informed and competent end user is going to need help from someone more know-how and information about a certain device, software, best practice or other protection their process or facility requires. Mere mortals usually need cybersecurity help just to get started. Fortunately, there are many well-informed and generous sources, who can provide history, education, encouragement and solutions to make cybersecurity projects workable, efficient, thorough, cost-effective and reliable over the long term.  We spoke to an E Tech Group executive about cybersecurity: how do they handle securing a facility’s network and operations, and how IT and OT must be managed to minimize malfunctions and associated downtime. E Tech Group is an Ohio-headquartered integration and automation firm with 18 locations covering all of North America. IT vs OT to Ethernet & IIoT  Laurie Cavanaugh, Business Development Director at E Tech Group, reports that cybersecurity’s recent evolution is a natural outgrowth of operations technology (OT) and information technology (IT) learning to work together and speak each other’s languages. Cavanaugh explains that OT and IT must cooperate on their organization’s overall cybersecurity assessment, which will give a true reading of its OT assets, PLCs and unmanaged devices, as well as its network topology, managed switches, firewall protections and IT-related components. IT/OT assessments don’t only identify weak points in the network and prioritize the fixes they need; they help modernize automation platforms, which eliminates the risks that obsolete hardware poses. Moving to a plant-wide IIoT-driven control system offers an easier-to-understand IT-OT dialect. Un-flatten Your Network To beginning addressing some of the IT-based tasks that cybersecurity requires, individual process and site characteristics can show what gaps need to … Continued

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Cybersecurity Approachable

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GE Manufacturing Execution System & the Advantages of Proficy Plant Applications

GE’s automation software is some of the best on the market, and GE’s Proficy MES solution for plant automation is no different. GE Proficy Plant Applications optimize operations for all kinds of manufacturers – from food and beverage production to the aviation industry, with modules dedicated to process execution, quality and reliability. Data collection is extensive and integration/analysis lets operators focus on critical areas of their business knowing their systems are performing at best capacity. Advantages of this GE software include reduced waste and product recall, better decision-making with real-time reports, improved regulations compliance, the ability to change and specify processes, and a comprehensive view of the plant’s operations that allows better use of resources.