具体描述
Hailed as the most comprehensive introduction to PLCs on the market today, this newly updated 5th Edition covers theory, hardware, instructions, programming, installation, startup, and troubleshooting in a way that is easy to understand and apply. New material has been added to explain communication networks, basic control signals, linear scaling of analog process signals, and Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) instructions used by many PLC applications. Supplementary programming examples utilizing the PLC instructions in the book impart a better understanding of the various instructions and how they can be combined to create simple yet effective control logic solutions for today's world.
The Artisan's Loom: A Comprehensive Survey of Traditional Textile Arts in the Pre-Industrial Era Book Description: This exhaustive volume delves into the intricate world of textile creation before the advent of mass mechanization, offering a granular exploration of the techniques, materials, and cultural significance of fabric production across diverse global traditions spanning from antiquity through the late eighteenth century. The Artisan's Loom moves beyond a mere cataloging of tools, instead positioning the weaver, dyer, and embroiderer as central figures in the economic, social, and spiritual fabric of their respective societies. The narrative begins with a foundational analysis of early fiber sourcing. We meticulously examine the cultivation and preparation of natural filaments: the laborious processing of flax into linen across the Nile Valley and Western Europe; the complex sericulture practices that guarded the secrets of silk production in Han Dynasty China and later, the Byzantine Empire; and the painstaking collection and spinning of wool, charting regional variations in fleece quality and preparation unique to nomadic pastoralist communities versus settled agrarian societies. The structure includes detailed photographic plates and technical drawings illustrating historical hand-spinning implements, such as the drop spindle and the great wheel, analyzing the physics behind achieving consistent yarn weights crucial for complex patterning. The core of the book is dedicated to the mechanics of weaving. It features an in-depth examination of the evolution of the loom itself. Starting with the simple warp-weighted loom ubiquitous in the Neolithic period, the text transitions to the complexities of the two-beam and four-harness looms that facilitated early twill and satin weaves. A substantial section is devoted to the technical intricacies of the draw loom, particularly its Chinese and later adapted European forms. We dissect the role of the draw boy (or the increasingly sophisticated system of pattern sticks and cords) in controlling the warp threads to create intricate brocades, damasks, and velvets. Regional case studies illuminate specific loom configurations: the rigid heddle looms favored in parts of Mesoamerica for their speed in plain weaves, versus the highly tensioned floor looms necessary for maintaining the structural integrity of heavy tapestry warps in medieval Flanders. Statistical analysis compares the average daily output of a pre-industrial weaver specializing in utility cloth versus one working on luxury brocade commissions. Color theory and application form another significant pillar of this research. The dye section is organized geographically and chronologically, tracing the mastery of colorfastness. We explore the socio-economic monopolies surrounding prized pigments: the Phoenician extraction of Tyrian purple from Murex snails, the methods for achieving brilliant reds using cochineal (introduced to Europe post-1492) versus the older, less vibrant madder root; and the complex, multi-day processes required for indigo vat dyeing across Java, India, and West Africa. The book painstakingly reconstructs historical recipes for mordants—the metallic salts essential for fixing the dye to the fiber—detailing the often-hazardous substances employed, such as alum, iron sulfates, and even urine. Furthermore, the book analyzes resist-dyeing techniques, providing comparative schematics of Indonesian Batik (wax-resist) application methods, Japanese Shibori (tie-dyeing), and Caucasian patterned dyeing approaches, focusing on how subtle shifts in tool application dramatically altered the final chromatic effect. Beyond structural weaving, The Artisan's Loom provides rich documentation of surface embellishment traditions. Needlework is treated not as a secondary art, but as a primary means of visual communication and status display. Chapters focus on the development of embroidery stitches, tracing the transition from utilitarian securing stitches to highly pictorial forms. We analyze the significance of Opus Anglicanum in medieval ecclesiastical vestments, demonstrating how gold and silver-wrapped thread was manipulated to create a high-relief effect rivaling metalwork. Similarly, detailed chapters examine techniques like quilting, appliqué, and lace-making. The emergence of bobbin lace in sixteenth-century Venice and Flanders is mapped out as an industrial phenomenon of its time, requiring immense capital investment in skilled labor and patterns (pricked charts). The social context of lace production—often undertaken by women in specialized workshops or domestic settings—is contrasted with the highly visible, guild-controlled world of tapestry workshops. Finally, the concluding section addresses the intersection of textiles with broader historical themes: trade routes, sumptuary laws, and mythology. The book explores how certain textiles became embedded in ritual—funerary shrouds, marriage dowries, and ceremonial banners—acting as tangible repositories of lineage and belief. It examines the role of textile metaphors in early literature and iconography. By synthesizing archaeological evidence, surviving textile fragments, guild records, and contemporary inventories, The Artisan's Loom presents a holistic, deeply textured portrait of the human ingenuity and sustained labor that clothed the pre-industrial world. This work is essential reading for historians, curators, textile artists, and anyone seeking to understand the tactile language of history before the roar of the mechanized factory drowned out the rhythmic clatter of the artisan's shuttle.