All Industries

• How to Transition from “Prospect” to “Client”

  How to Transition from “Prospect” to “Client” Building relationships one conversation at a time The most common question that I am asked when it comes to building professional relationships is how do I successfully engage a prospect while earning enough trust to move forward? I have put together a few thoughts around how to accomplish […]

  Read MoreJoe Wright / Business Development / Industrial Automation Engineering / Manufacturing Operations Management / Manufacturing Process Control / Process Design / Planning / jwright /

• Matrix Technologies Named 2020 System Integrator of the Year

  Matrix Technologies Named 2020 System Integrator of the Year We are proud to announce that Matrix Technologies has been selected as the 2020 System Integrator of the Year by the editors of Control Engineering and Plant Engineering. Matrix is the only company to win this prestigious award four times. In 2008 and 2012, we were winners […]

  Read MoreDave Blaida, PE / Control Engineering / Control Systems Engineer / Integrator / Integrator of the Year / System Integration / Automation Integration / Improvement / Quality / dblaida /

• An Introduction to Relief Valves

  An Introduction to Relief Valves In this article, we will provide a brief overview of some of the history related to relief valves and how we document them. Because this is an introductory article, there are some simplifications of concepts and language. For ease of reading, we are describing many different types of relief valves, […]

  Read MoreCraig Miller, PE / Oil and Gas Engineering / Process Engineering / Relief Documentation / Relief Valve / Relief Valve Design / Safety Valve / Safety / cmiller /

• Building Industrial Water Resiliency

  Building Industrial Water Resiliency Many industrial facilities in the United States rely on a single freshwater source, either surface or ground water, to provide water for production and utility needs. A sole-source approach may prove inadequate in times of water stress such as droughts, floods or other natural disasters or if water prices should increase. […]

  Read MoreSarah Shank, PE / Cooling Tower / Cooling Water / FEED Study / Process Design / Reduce/Reuse/Recycle / Sustainability / Water Conservation / Water Quality / Water Resiliency / Planning / Process Design / seshank /

• How an effective kickoff meeting sets the stage for a successful project

  How an effective kickoff meeting sets the stage for a successful project Getting the right people together to discuss the right topics is key to success An important part of any project – one that can sometimes be taken for granted — is the initial kickoff meeting. With nearly 40 years of project management experience, […]

  Read MoreRob Goldsmith / Industrial Automation Engineering / Kickoff Meetings / Manufacturing Operations Management / Manufacturing Process Control / Project Management / Management / Improvement / rgoldsmith /

• How Designer-Led EPC Improves Project Outcomes

  How Designer-Led EPC Improves Project Outcomes Engineer-Procure-Construct (EPC) projects involve employing one firm to provide most or all the services required to complete a project. Previously, manufacturers would manage their projects with in-house talent, creating the need for large engineering staffs to manage a number of engineering and contracting partners. As manufacturers are now relying […]

  Read MoreJerry Francis, PE, PS / Construct / Design-Build / Engineer / EPC / Procure / Project Partner / Turnkey / gfrancis /

• Design and Implementation is Product of Automation Life Cycle Planning

  Design and Implementation is Product of Automation Life Cycle Planning After creating the roadmap during the automation life cycle planning process, the next step in the journey is the design and implementation of the plan. For smaller systems the design and implementation stages of a system upgrade can take weeks or months and not all […]

  Read MoreTony Ferguson / Automation Planning / Industrial Automation Upgrades / Life Cycle / Maintenance / Manufacturing Operations Management / Process Automation Engineering / Retrofit / System Upgrade / Improvement / Planning / Upgrade / Improvement / Upgrades / aferguson /

• How a Partnership with Matrix Technologies Benefits You

  How a Partnership with Matrix Technologies Benefits You We use loyalty programs daily for groceries, fuel, travel, clothing, entertainment and other purchases. These programs provide mutual benefit for the consumer as well as the business. Consumers receive incentives to patronize a particular business and the businesses receive more predictable sales. An engineering partnership is another […]

  Read MoreDeborah Zimmerman, PE / Industrial Automation Engineering / Managing Operations Management / Manufacturing Process Control / Standards / Budget / Schedule / Scope / dzimmerman /

• RS-232 is Simple, Robust Serial Communications Method

  RS-232 is Simple, Robust Serial Communications Method All communications are serial communications, from the high-tech data bouncing around satellites to synchronizing your phone to a computer. Even human speech is a form of serial communication. This article discusses a simple yet robust communication method that has been around for nearly 60 years: RS-232. RS-232 is […]

  Read MoreEric Tolles, PE / Industrial Automation Engineering / IT / Manufacturing Operations Management / Manufacturing Process Control / Serial Communications / Software Design / Automation Integration / Manufacturing / etolles /

• Protecting switch contacts when energizing DC contactors

  Protecting switch contacts when energizing DC contactors Companies often call on Matrix to help solve problems that arise during new installations, normal operations, and/or upgrades. This small case study examines how Matrix engineers helped an energy company investigate the cause of catastrophic damage to switch contacts encountered during an upgrade of their coke and by-products […]

  Read MoreDaniel Dionne, PE / Control System Upgrades / Interposing Relay Damage / Multidiscipline Engineering / Improvement / Safety / Electrical / DDionne /