The basic role of a safety door switch is easy to grasp. It provides a physical barrier that prevents people from bypassing the safety systems that protect them from bodily harm and nearby equipment from damage.
For utility workers such as linemen maintaining electrical lines or natural gas infrastructure one of the most critical, yet undervalued, tools of the trade have been headlamps. In low light conditions, these essential tools enable technicians to clearly view the task and surroundings under bright light while freeing up both hands.
In today’s industrial manufacturing space, it’s never one thing. Processes are connected, workflows are unified, and decisions in one arena have ripple effects that can impact an entire industrial ecosystem.
With the advancement of technologies and robotics, as well as the increasing challenges facing the agricultural industry (e.g., labor shortage, high labor costs, etc.), robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) are widely considered as an approach to revolutionize farming.
For those working in automaton and control there is no need to stress the importance of automotive manufacturing in Canada. As a country, Canada produces roughly 2 million light vehicles a year through 5 main OEM’s (Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, and Toyota) that contributes roughly 19 billion annually to the GDP.
Robotic solutions can dramatically sharpen your competitive edge as a manufacturer, but they can also introduce more complexity into your operations. To address this issue, Omron have recently introduced their most full-featured machine automation controller to date.
Global certification service provider TÜV SÜD has confirmed the cybersecurity of Siemens Energy’s proven SPPA-T3000 control system by awarding IEC 62443-3-3 and IEC 62443-4-1 certifications. This makes Siemens Energy the one of the few major suppliers of power plant control technology to hold this certification.
SMC Automation Canada, Ltd will move its Canadian warehouse to Noblesville, Indiana in an effort to consolidate certain business functions. They are pleased to announce that Proax Technologies Ltd, Canada’s fastest growing automation distributor, will take over their 76,000 sq. ft. facility at 6700 Millcreek Dr. in Mississauga.
Traceability is essential, and yet it can interfere with the flow of operations if you’re not using state-of-the-art technology. In industries like food and beverage, life sciences, and packaging, traceability often means reading multiple codes simultaneously while items are either stationary or moving by at speed.
One platform, multiple solutions – the Eplan Platform offers engineering software such as Preplanning for systematic preliminary planning, Electric P8 for preparing circuit diagrams and Pro Panel for 3D enclosure planning, all from a single source.
Printed pressure sensors are a well-established technology, having been used for applications such as car occupancy sensors, electric pianos, and some medical devices. To date, such sensors have always been based on piezoresistive materials, in which applying pressure increases conductivity.
At utility substations, Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) are critical components used for monitoring circuit breaker positions, alarms, voltages/currents, temperatures, and additional data from a variety of wired sensors. They can also control breakers, tap changers, and capacitor banks.
Just before the end of 2021, Mechatronics Canada had the opportunity to chat with Kim Povlsen, President of Universal Robots (UR). Kim took over the reins of UR in March 2021 and has continued the legacy from his predecessor Jürgen von Hollen.
In the IIoT era, previously unconnected systems are now connected over private or public networks in order to gain more insights and improve productivity. The downside of this greater connectivity is that industrial networks are no longer immune to cyberthreats.
Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are self-navigating entities that dynamically move material through challenging environments, including narrow passages and peopled locations. Unlike traditional autonomously guided vehicles (AGVs), Omron AMRs require no facility modifications.
To ease the emotional isolation due to the COVID-19 crisis, many have turned to pet adoption. Canadians spent more than $5.7 billion on their pets in 2020, an increase of about $300 million compared to 2019, according to German market data firm Statista.
This project is funded [in part] by the Government of Canada.
Ce projet est financé [en partie] par le gouvernement du Canada.
