EA January 2026
Robotics, Automation, and AI
- coming soon!
-
AI in Automation Testing: How AI agents may impact the role of automation engineers.
-
Power condition monitoring
-
Profit-focused accounting
-
Sarah Hilton, Empower Label
-
How AI Is Improving Comfort & Efficiency in EVs
-
Sprint Robotics Collaborative
-
Plant Life: Efficiency in your warehouse
-
Plant openings, closures
-
Important new products
-
Good news and bad news for electric utilities about AI
-
Organizations lay down ground rules for using AI
-
AI comes to the aid of water management
-
The annual Five-Year Index of Articles
ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | JANUARY 2026
EA Reader Profile
18 From non-profits to industrial label manufacturer
How Sarah Hilton built a career across industries, one conversation at a time
By Colin Gregory-Moores, EA Contributing Writer
Say It Right
21 Drop the high-falutin’ language!
Paring down your English — and using the active, not passive, voice — makes for better communication
By Richard L. Nailen, EA Past Engineering Editor
Electric Avenue
22 AI’s impact on EVs
How artificial intelligence is optimizing battery efficiency, personalizing comfort, and streamlining manufacturing
By Maura Keller, EA Contributing Writer
Automation
25 Our new teammate, AI
Artificial intelligence promises an engineering world unbound by human bias
By Fazli Acikgoz, EA Contributing Writer
Power Transmission & Distribution
29 Power plays
How to monitor and protect electrical power quality to prevent equipment damage and downtime
By David Bredhold, EA Contributing Writer
Index Of Articles
34 Our annual five-year index of feature articles, 2021-2025
By the Electrical Apparatus staff
Finance & The Workplace
42 Building a business structure that works
Learn which type of corporate entity is right for your needs
By William H. Wiersema, CPA, EA Contributing Editor
Plant Life
46 Efficiency hacks for the new year
Improve your operations with skills matrix staff scheduling, flex zones, and load-based scheduling
By Bill O’Leary, EA Contributing Writer
Power Transmission & Distribution
41 Starter pack
The basics of specifying and applying medium-voltage motor starters
By David Bredhold, EA Contributing Writer
Safety & Health
48 A double-edged sword
Robots require a new set of safety precautions despite the promise of making for a safer workplace
By Charlie Barks, EA Managing Editor
Energy
49 Take a peak
Energy investments are at an all-time high, whether green in the climate or on paper
By Charlie Barks, EA Managing Editor
Pump It Up
50 AI to the rescue
How artificial intelligence is making itself useful in all phases of water management By Kevin Jones, EA Senior Editor
ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | JANUARY 2026
Departments
04 The editor's comment
Robotics and automation: not so new anymore
05 Let's solve your problem
Answers to readers' questions about motor application and maintenance
06 Calendar
Events on HVACR, facility management, pumps, and manufacturing
08 Associations
Organizations lay down ground rules for using AI
10 Know your industry
SPRINT Robotics Collaborative covers the industry
14 Utilities
Good news and bad news for electric utilities about AI
20 Know your industry
The IFR - Just your friendly neighborhood robotics federation
16 Business
Manufacturers leading the charge in AI and automation
24 Names & faces
Changes at Conductive Containers and Apex Industrial Automation
24 Plant happenings
Plant openings, closings, and relocations around the U.S
24 Product showcase
What’s new in tools, materials, and electric vehicle chargers
52 Classified advertising
Your monthly marketplace for equipment, businesses, and more
52 Cy's Super Service
The electrical service industry’s most prominent curmudgeon
53 EA puzzle
A word search puzzle based on “Our new teammate, AI” (page 25)
55 Moe, Genny & friends
The surreal world of an anthropomorphized motor and generator
56 Direct & current
CWIEME Berlin gets a motor forum and U.S. trade deficit narrows
56 Advertising index
Who’s who—and who’s where—in this issue of Electrical Apparatus