Control Amplified

ControlGlobal

The Control Amplified podcast offers in-depth interviews and discussions with industry experts about important topics in the process control and automation field, exploring underlying issues affecting users, system integrators, suppliers and others in these industries.

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25 episodes
fortnightly
Avg 21 min
English

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#161
November 4 · 11 min
Tianxin Pharmaceutical: Rebuilding with a focus on Ethernet APL and HART-IP
In this episode of Control Amplified, editor in chief Len Vermillion shared his thoughts on this year's Plant of the Year honoree, selected by FieldComm Group: Tianxin Pharmaceutical's Jiangxi Leping Factory.
#160
October 21 · 27 min
Top 50 automation suppliers 2026: How AI, M&A and market turmoil are reshaping industrial automation
Tariffs, supply chain disruptions and war in the Middle East haven’t stopped automation suppliers from growing. On this episode of Control Amplified, Larry O’Brien, vice president of research at ARC Advisory Group, talks about what’s behind that resilience and what the October Top 50 rankings reveal. O’Brien calls this “the most significant shift of our lifetimes” for the automation market. He covers AI’s move from hype to real deployments, a record year of mergers and spinoffs, and why the industry may be headed for a long stretch of stronger growth. Key takeaways AI is delivering real value. O’Brien says the industry is past the peak of the hype curve. Most automation software now has AI built in, from cybersecurity tools to operator copilots that flag abnormal situations early. The hard part is getting your data ready for it. A record year for deals. Emerson completed its Aspen Tech acquisition, ABB bought Rotork, Schneider bought Cognite, and Siemens bought Altair and Dotmatics. Honeywell also reorganized to focus on automation. Hear which moves matter most and why software is driving the shopping. Sustainability isn’t going away. Most new power capacity in North America is still wind and solar. High energy prices and the power demand from AI data centers are adding momentum, and growth in industrial cybersecurity is accelerating alongside them. Autonomous operations are the endgame. O’Brien says AI could finally deliver on long-promised capabilities like autonomous operations, and he explains where humans will stay in the loop. Listen for: O’Brien’s view that AI won’t replace automation workers, but people who know how to use it may replace those who don’t. Find the full Top 50 list at controlglobal.com. Don’t forget: ARC Industry Leadership Forum will be held Feb. 22–25 in Orlando.
#159
October 7 · 26 min
Insights from Edgmont's Community Career + Education Forum
Every manufacturer, every system integrator, every process plant operator I talk to says the same thing: we can’t find enough technicians, we can’t find enough engineers, and we can’t find enough people for sales and support. We talk about that shortage a lot. What we talk about less is what anyone’s doing about it, and when. Editor in chief Len Vermillion took a drive to Edgmont, Pennsylvania, to get a first-hand look at what two companies are doing to inspire and inform students, parents and teachers about all the future career opportunities in process control and automation, and why it’s an important outreach for the industry. There, he spoke to Kevin Lavelle, general manager of Eastern Controls; Nicole Otte, director of workforce development at Endress+Hauser; and Dan McGrath, Eastern Controls’ new workforce development specialist. Here's what they had to say.
#158
September 30 · 24 min
Separating signal from noise
Every control engineer knows measurement noise is a problem, but not all noise is the same, and the wrong fix can make things worse. This episode digs into how noise distorts what you think your process is doing, and what to do about it.
#157
September 16 · 14 min
Thoughts and reflections from YNOW2026
Editor in chief Len Vermillion reflects on his time in New Orleans at Yokogawa's YNOW2026 event, which took place Sept. 1-4. From delicious gumbo to the AI bubble, everything you need to know about the conference is here. Plus, check out all the articles from the event, written by Vermillion, Control Design's Mike Bacidore, Machine Design's Rehana Begg and Automation World's Chris McNamara.
#156
August 19 · 17 min
How Honeywell modernizes OT infrastructure
At the 50th Anniversary Honeywell Users Group meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, Keith Larson was joined by Honeywell's Rick Stopf and Paul Hodge, product management leaders for the company's Experion PKS process automation system to discuss major trends impacting OT infrastructure today.
#155
August 12 · 18 min
Rethinking LNG performance in a volatile world
In this episode of Control Amplified, Honeywell's Marcos Detilio, global vertical lead for Honeywell's LNG and gas processing business, talks about the role liquified natural gas is playing across a dynamic energy landscape.
#154
August 6 · 22 min
An overview of Honeywell’s Experion Cognition
Honeywell's Colin Hams, offering manager for the company's Experion Process Knowledge System, joined Control Amplified at the 50th Anniversary Honeywell Users Group meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, to talk more about Experion Cognition, which puts the Knowledge into PKS.
#153
July 22 · 24 min
A future framework for resilient operations
In this episode of Control Amplified, Keith Larson is joined by Vishal Mehta, vice president and general manager for Honeywell Connected Industrial Solutions and Autonomy X enterprise consulting practice, to talk about how energy companies are adopting a new framework for resilient operations.
#152
July 15 · 22 min
How to build a strong process engineering workforce
In this episode of Control Amplified, executive editor Jim Montague spoke with Brian Romano, technology development director of Arthur G. Russell. They discussed engineering workforce development issues, the ensuing brain drain, and how to build, recruit and retain operators and engineers.
#151
July 8 · 16 min
Automating energy resilience with modular solutions
In this Solutions Spotlight episode of Control Amplified, sponsored by Honeywell Process Automation, Keith Larson reports from the 50th Anniversary Honeywell Users Group meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. He was joined by Russ Ford, Honeywell president of projects and automation solutions, to discuss modular approaches to energy resilience and how they can help industrial organizations protect themselves from production interruptions.
#150
June 17 · 30 min
Alarm management, AI and more with Applied Control Engineering
In this episode of Control Amplified, executive editor Jim Montague spoke to Christopher Hudson, operations manager at independent system integrator Applied Control Engineering.
#149
June 3 · 25 min
What happened at AspenTech's Optimize 26?
Fifteen months after its acquisition by Emerson, AspenTech’s biannual Optimize 26 event on May 11-14 in Houston had a definite Emersonian flavor. Its keynotes and presentations, panel discussions, technical sessions and exhibits retained AspenTech’s cornerstones of innovation, software development, talented personnel and customer focus, but this time they also paralleled the structure and style of Emerson Exchange events. In this episode of Control Amplified, executive editor Jim Montague discusses what he saw at Optimize 26.
#148
May 27 · 21 min
Control's editors dive into the CSIA community
In keeping with its informal motto of “giving back 10 ideas for every one presented,” the Control System Integrators Association provided mass quantities of useful content to almost 500 visitors at its 2026 conference on May 4-8 in Baltimore. The event’s 15 educational sessions covered wide range of technical, economic, workforce and other skills that system integrators can take advantage of to run their businesses more effectively. Control editor in chief Len Vermillion sat down with executive editor Jim Montague, who attended the conference, to learn about the insights gleaned from the event.
#147
May 13 · 15 min
Driving sustainable transformation: Endress+Hauser CEO Peter Selders
Now in his second year as leader of the global process instrumentation powerhouse, Selders talks with Control's Keith Larson about the innovations, investments and company values that support the company's trust-based relationships with process manufacturers.
#146
April 29 · 31 min
2026 Process Automation Hall of Fame: Peter Morgan understands what makes things tick
There are engineers who fall into their careers, and there are engineers who seem destined for them. Peter Morgan—newly inducted member of the 2026 Process Automation Hall of Fame is, by his own cheerful admission, somewhere in between. Editor in chief Len Vermillion spoke with Morgan in the next podcast from the 2026 Process Automation Hall of Fame podcast and video series.
#145
April 8 · 33 min
2026 Process Automation Hall of Fame: Manfred Morari's mentorship ripples across the industry
When Manfred Morari learned of his election to the 2026 Process Automation Hall of Fame, his first reaction wasn’t triumph, but humility. The list of past inductees includes several colleagues, whose work he admires and whose advice shaped his own career. Editor in chief Len Vermillion spoke with Morari in this first podcast from the 2026 Process Automation Hall of Fame podcast and video series.
#144
April 3 · 17 min
Relays in Industrial Control Systems: Trends, Benefits, and Applications
In this episode of the Control Amplified podcast, you will hear an informative discussion about industrial relays and their role in automation and manufacturing. Hosted by Len Vermillion, Editor-in-Chief of Control Global/Control Magazine at Endeavor Business Media, the conversation features Patrick Casey, Senior Offer Manager for Control and Signaling at Schneider Electric. Together, they explain what relays do, why solid-state relays are gaining popularity, and how modern relay design is evolving. The episode covers key trade-offs such as heat, cost, lifespan, and speed, while also highlighting newer trends like slim relays, smarter connected relays with NFC programming, and improved wire management. Len and Patrick also compare relays with controllers and contactors, and discuss environmental considerations, such as hazardous-location and hermetically sealed relays for harsh industrial settings. This episode provides a practical look at how relays continue to support reliable, space-saving, and increasingly intelligent industrial control systems.
#143
March 25 · 25 min
April agentic AI preview with the editors of Control
Can't wait for the April edition of Control? Have no fear, because editor in chief Len Vermillion spoke to executive editor Jim Montague in this podcast about one of the biggest topics being covered in the upcoming issue: agentic AI. How are controls engineers using it? And what are the implications for the automation workforce going forward? Montague gives a sneak preview of those questions and answers in this episode of Control Amplified.
#142
March 11 · 15 min
From Control's editors: Combating freezing issues, selecting heat tracing materials and more
In this episode of Control Amplified, editor in chief Len Vermillion talks to executive editor Jim Montague about February 2026's ISA Will-DuPage Chapter Tabletop Show and Technical Conference. Jim learned about effective ways to protect instrumentation from freezing temperatures and more at this show on Feb. 26 in Joliet, Illinois.

Showing 1–20 of 25 episodes