In many large medical research facilities, strict temperature control is essential for the storage of biomedical samples and other materials. Air handling units (AHUs) are one system that’s responsible for keeping the temperature constant.
Digital transformation. Smart manufacturing. Industrial Internet of Things (IoT). A connected enterprise. Industry 4.0. Whatever you call it, data drives it. Digitalization is a fundamental element of a food and beverage producer’s success. Getting it right from the start can be the difference between unlocking millions in operational savings, or losing the same in inefficiencies and wasted time.
We all know that we’re supposed to back up our data and secure our devices against attack. But too often we put it off until it’s too late. We’re busy, and we’ll get to it another day. And then, one day, we turn on our device, look for a file, and realize something is wrong. We’ve been hacked. The thought of losing our files, pictures, and data is scary. Scale that up to an entire company and the consequences can be severe.
The need for skilled workers with automation training certifications is growing. According to the Manufacturing Institute, there are over 600,000 unfilled manufacturing positions in the US, but many applicants lack the skills and training to do the job. In the next ten years, this gap is expected to grow with well over two million manufacturing jobs predicted to go unfilled as the number of manufacturing jobs requiring higher skills continues to outpace the pool of trained candidates.
Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish between types of circuit breakers, especially since in appearance they look so similar. In this episode, the focus will be on the differences between two types of circuit breakers: Branch and Supplementary.
The scenario
A local manufacturing company had several high-speed production lines in their facility. After making changes to improve the design of one of their products, the existing system was unable to cure the new materials required by the company. In response, the company began sourcing a curing solution that would be able to bond the materials when they ran the new product.
Crisis creates change – often permanent. Consumers behave differently. Industry innovates. Machine builds come with new expectations. In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the only surgical mask manufacturer in Australia, Med-Con, was asked to significantly step up production – from two million to 80 million masks a year.
Founded by Warren Osak, Electromate specializes in Robotic and Mechatronic Solutions, distributing AC & DC Servo and Stepper Motors, Drives, Controls, Positioning Systems & Robots to the industrial automation market. They are also ISO9001:2015 Registered Company and LEAN Process accredited. You can find their full offering HERE.
There are four methods for collaborative robot operation defined in the RIA 15.06-2012 safety standard, and each has its own place in manufacturing operations. Of the four, hand guiding seems to get the least amount of attention.
More frequent process changes. New technology. Larger datasets. Greater traceability and compliance requirements. Tighter budgets. Sound familiar? From oil refineries to food and beverage plants, process engineers are being asked to manage increasingly complex systems – and to do more with less. The good news is the latest distributed control system (DCS) platforms have kept pace with technological developments.
Light curtains go a long way in making your operations much safer for machine operators and maintenance personnel. That said, simply purchasing and installing one doesn’t ensure that all safety needs are fully met. It’s important to make sure that the light curtain meets all the requirements for reducing the risks of your particular application.
The phrase “up-time” is an oft-repeated phrase for IT professionals, reflecting the fact that a key measure of their success is service availability. Modern climate control systems support “up-time” but to understand why, you first need to consider the impact of poor climate control in order to decide which equipment to employ to take an installation to the next level.
Electrical enclosures need cooling units in order to enhance performance and prevent failure. The acceptable operating temperature for most electrical devices exceeds 40 °C (104 °F). Devices often placed in cooling enclosures include variable frequency drives (VFDs), servo drives, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), starter kits, power supplies, inverters, relays, terminal blocks, indicator lights, and transformers.
At BOLCi Bolu Chocolate, a Turkish manufacturer of elegant truffles and other delicacies, the opportunity arose for some improvements to its production system. With over 300 employees and a 20,000-square-meter factory, BOLCi has a product list of over 800 different items and produces and average of 200 tons of chocolate items each month.
A local manufacturer intended to complete the setup and installation of a high-speed printing machine as well as design and implement a packaging solution. They believed that the printing machine was ready to be deployed in their facility, and they were looking for a local company with automation expertise to fulfill this need.
In a joint venture, Pepperl+Fuchs, Neoception, and Bosch Connected Industries (BCI) have digitalized and automated the supply and picking processes of Kanban racks from end to end. In addition to automation expertise, Pepperl+Fuchs contributed the necessary sensor hardware—in particular a newly developed scanning sensor rail. Neoception was responsible for the software interface to the Intralogistics Execution System (IES) Industry 4.0 application developed by BCI.
This project is funded [in part] by the Government of Canada.
Ce projet est financé [en partie] par le gouvernement du Canada.
