Learn industrial automation the practical way
Clear, vendor-neutral tutorials on PLC, SCADA, DCS, MES and instrumentation, plus free engineering calculators you can use on the job.
How a factory's technology fits together
From a sensor on a pipe to the ERP system: pick a level to start learning.
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Level 4: Business planning and logistics
ERP · SAP · supply chain
Plans what to make, buys materials and books costs, in days and shifts.
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Level 3: Manufacturing operations
MES · MOM · historian · batch · quality
Executes orders, tracks materials and genealogy, records quality and performance.
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Level 2: Monitoring and supervisory control
SCADA · HMI · DCS operator stations · alarms
Gives operators a live view of the process, alarms and trends, and sends supervisory commands.
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Level 1: Basic control, sensing and manipulation
PLC · DCS controllers · I/O · drives
Reads sensors, runs control loops and interlocks, and drives valves and motors, in milliseconds.
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Level 0: The physical process
Sensors · transmitters · valves · motors
Where material is actually heated, mixed, moved and measured.
Learning paths
Step-by-step tutorial series, from fundamentals to real projects.
Instrumentation & Electrical Systems
Measurement, P&IDs, control valves, motors, drives, power systems and maintenance.
PLC
How PLCs work, hardware, programming languages, best practices and troubleshooting.
View all PLC lessons →SCADA
Architecture, RTUs, HMI design, alarms, data acquisition and real-world applications.
View all SCADA lessons →DCS
Distributed control architecture, control loops, strategies, HMI and alarm management.
View all DCS lessons →MES
Production execution, ISA-95 integration, quality, scheduling and implementation.
View all MES lessons →Industrial Networks
OT network design, OPC UA, MQTT and Sparkplug B, certificates and troubleshooting.
View all Industrial Networks lessons →SAP
How SAP S/4HANA plans and records production: PP, PP-PI, QM, PM, EWM and SAP–MES integration.
View all SAP lessons →Runbooks
Step-by-step OT procedures: backup and restore, migrations, shutdown and startup.
View all Runbooks lessons →Industries
How refineries, power, pharma, food, water, cement, steel, mining, car and chip plants are automated.
View all Industries lessons →Free engineering calculators
4-20 mA scaling, DP level, OEE, PID tuning, RTD tables and unit conversions.
Open the tools →Engineering calculators
Fast, free and they work on your phone in the field.
4-20 mA Signal Calculator
Convert between mA, percent and engineering units, with square-root extraction.
DP Level Calculator
Calculate differential pressure range and level for tanks.
OEE Calculator
Availability, performance, quality and OEE from shift data.
PID Tuning Calculator
Ziegler-Nichols closed-loop and open-loop tuning rules.
RTD Pt100 / Pt1000 Calculator
Resistance to temperature and back, using IEC 60751.
Engineering Unit Converter
Pressure, temperature and flow unit conversions.
Guides and standards
In-depth references on smart manufacturing and industry standards.
SAP for Manufacturing
PP, PP-PI and SAP–MES integration
Smart manufacturingIIoT
Connectivity, OPC UA, MQTT and edge computing
Smart manufacturingData & Analytics
Historians, OEE, KPIs and dashboards
Smart manufacturingAI in Manufacturing
Predictive maintenance, vision and optimization
StandardISA-95
Enterprise and control system integration
StandardISA-88
Batch control and recipe management
StandardISA-99 / IEC 62443
Industrial cybersecurity
StandardFunctional Safety (IEC 61511)
SIS, SIL, safety lifecycle and proof testing
StandardComputerised System Validation
GAMP 5, CSA, Part 11 and Annex 11 for automation
StandardData Integrity (ALCOA+)
Audit trails, access and electronic records
GuideHow a Factory Works
Follow one measurement from sensor to PLC, SCADA, MES and ERP
GuideIndustry Guides
How process, utility and discrete plants are automated
Recently updated
Fresh and improved articles from the library.
DCS Hierarchy and Layers: Levels 0 to 4, Where Each Function Belongs and How Data Flows
The layered structure of a distributed control system mapped to ISA-95 and Purdue levels 0 to 4: what sits at each level, time scales, which functions belong where, how data and commands flow up and down, where the SIS fits, security zones, and common allocation mistakes.
IndustriesAutomotive Manufacturing Automation: Press, Body, Paint, Final Assembly and Battery Plants
How a car plant is automated: press shop, body shop with welding robots, paint shop with pretreatment and e-coat, final assembly with sequencing, torque control and end-of-line testing, and EV battery assembly; control architecture (PLCs, robots, safety, networks), MES functions such as sequencing, build instructions, error-proofing and traceability, and typical challenges.
InstrumentationBimetallic Thermometers: How They Work, Selection, Installation and Checking
Bimetallic dial thermometers explained: the bimetal principle and helical coil design, typical uses as local indicators and temperature switches, selection (range, stem length, dial size, connection, thermowell, accuracy class, filling), installation, response time, checking against a reference and common faults, compared with filled-system and electronic thermometers.
MESMES for Process and Batch Manufacturing: ISA-88 Recipes, Weigh and Dispense, Genealogy, EBR and Continuous Operations
How MES works in process industries: batch, continuous and hybrid production, what makes process MES different from discrete, ISA-88 recipes and the split between MES and batch control, weigh and dispense, potency adjustment, genealogy through tanks, electronic batch records, production accounting and industry requirements.
PLCHow PLCs Work: The Scan Cycle, Process Image, Tasks, Response Time and Watchdog
How a PLC executes its program: the scan cycle, input and output process images, cyclic, periodic and event tasks (Siemens OBs, Rockwell tasks), asynchronous I/O, scan time and worst-case response time with a worked example, the watchdog, operating modes, retentive memory and scan-related programming mistakes.
SAPSAP EWM and MM for Production: Staging Materials, Production Supply Areas and Goods Movements
How materials reach the production line in SAP: MM goods movements and reservations, production supply areas, EWM staging methods (pick parts, release order parts, crate parts), consumption and backflush, finished goods receipt, Kanban, and integration with MES.
Written by an engineer, for engineers
MFG Tech Hub is written by Bhargava Reddy Kapireddy, a manufacturing and control systems professional with 16 years of experience across power generation, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals and process manufacturing. Every tutorial is vendor-neutral and focused on how the technology is used in real plants.
New to automation? Start with Instrumentation, then PLCs, then SCADA, DCS and MES, or follow the automation engineer roadmap.
About MFG Tech Hub