Preparing Your Facility for Mobile Robots: Key Considerations for Seamless Integration
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Preparing Your Facility for Mobile Robots: Key Considerations for Seamless Integration

Integrating autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) into your facility can optimize materials transport thanks to the robots’ ability to navigate autonomously, adapt to changing environments, and perform a range of tasks. However, successful AMR implementation requires careful consideration of several key factors: space analysis, floor conditions, and environmental factors, among others.

Siemens’ Automate the Future Tour 2023 Transforms the Every Day Across Canada
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Siemens’ Automate the Future Tour 2023 Transforms the Every Day Across Canada

Siemens Canada recently completed their “Automate the Future Tour.” This cross-Canada tour showcased the most recent innovations in manufacturing and process technologies. Customers were invited to explore and engage with all aspects of factory automation, motion, and process automation solutions that are transforming operations and helping companies succeed in today’s highly competitive marketplace. Attendees were presented with the newest solutions in factory automation – from the hardware to the software that drives it.

FANUC: Tablet TP Plug-in SDK – Customizing Your FANUC Cobot’s HMI

FANUC: Tablet TP Plug-in SDK – Customizing Your FANUC Cobot’s HMI

Cobots are flexible for all types of applications, and with FANUC’s Tablet Teach Pendant (TP) Plug-in SDK, so are the User Interfaces. Plug-in SDK, short for Software Developer’s Kit, is an HTML5/JavaScript-based platform enabling the creation of specific icons for the Tablet TP’s timeline editor as well as to make dedicated screens on the HMI. The customized screens are full-sized pages, which allow the setup of peripheral devices or interactions with the work cell on the Cobot’s Tablet TP.

Why Integrated Safety is the Right Strategy for Large, Complex Applications

Why Integrated Safety is the Right Strategy for Large, Complex Applications

During the safety design process for a machine or application, manufacturers must choose whether these measures will be implemented as a standalone or networked (integrated) safety solution. Basic safety solutions can work for smaller-size applications, but when people are talking about large automation production lines, for example, complexity makes these unworkable. Integrated safety isn’t just a highly effective way to mitigate risk. In fact, it’s a key element in building a high-performing, future-ready manufacturing facility since it’s capable of improving automation efficiency and boosting throughput.

Vision Sensors—Use Cases for Industrial Vision in the Automotive Industry (Part 4)

Vision Sensors—Use Cases for Industrial Vision in the Automotive Industry (Part 4)

The range of tasks for vision sensors in the automotive industry is as diverse as the sensor technology used. The detection of fasteners in automotive construction, optical identification in the high-temperature range, and the detection of components in car body construction are only a few of the use cases for vision sensors in the automotive industry. Learn more about these three examples and the advantages of the vision sensors used in this blog article.

Enhancing Servo System Performance and Reliability: The Critical Role of Regulated Power Supplies in Modern Control Applications
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Enhancing Servo System Performance and Reliability: The Critical Role of Regulated Power Supplies in Modern Control Applications

In a servo system, the choice between a regulated and unregulated power supply is crucial. It can significantly impact the performance, stability, and longevity of the system. While regulated power supplies are generally recommended for servo systems due to their stability and performance benefits, there are some cases were using an unregulated power supply might be considered advantageous.

FANUC’s Cobots: Higher Payload Capabilities for Heavy Lifting and Much More

FANUC’s Cobots: Higher Payload Capabilities for Heavy Lifting and Much More

FANUC America has introduced two new higher-payload capacity collaborative robots to meet the needs of companies looking to relieve workers from heavy lifting tasks. Whether it’s palletizing heavy boxes, putting parts on inventory shelves, or any number of backbreaking and repetitive jobs, FANUC’s Cobots now offer payload capabilities from 4kg to 50kg.

Festo’s Electric Motion Sizing (EMS) – Helping the Automotive Industry Enjoy a Smooth Ride

Festo’s Electric Motion Sizing (EMS) – Helping the Automotive Industry Enjoy a Smooth Ride

When a Tier 1 Automotive Supplier in Ontario wanted to manufacture shock absorbers for a leading auto maker, they used Festo’s Electric Motion Sizing software to help them get the job done right. And in record time. A good suspension in your vehicle ensures that your drive is safe and smooth by absorbing the energy from kinetic impacts like bumps in the road. It also helps your tires to maintain contact with the pavement by increasing tire friction.

More Efficient Wire Processing
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More Efficient Wire Processing

Optimized Processes and Coordinated System Solutions for Greater Efficiency in Wire Processing – Control cabinet builders face many challenges: international competition, the shortage of skilled workers, and financial considerations such as increasing labor and material costs. While panel shops have little influence over these external challenges, they can find ways to streamline in-house processes and structures. Due to the sheer number and variety of manual activities performed, the process chain in control cabinet building offers significant potential for efficiency gains, both in engineering and production. Panel builders can achieve more efficient and economical processes by implementing more coordinated systems.

All You Need to Know: Disconnect Switches from ABB

All You Need to Know: Disconnect Switches from ABB

Disconnect switches are essential safety devices that play a critical role in electrical circuitry, both in industrial settings and in everyday life. These switches are designed to ensure the safe de-energization of electrical circuits during emergency stoppages, maintenance, or repairs. ABB offers a wide range of high-quality disconnect switches suitable for various applications. Let’s explore a what disconnect switch is, how they work, where they are used, and how ABB contribute to electrical safety.

Four Reasons Why Omron’s F440 is a Perfect Smart Camera for Embedded Applications

Four Reasons Why Omron’s F440 is a Perfect Smart Camera for Embedded Applications

Many applications in the life science, food and commodity, and other industries require small-form-factor smart cameras to be embedded within a machine. Understandably, OEMs with such needs are looking for smart camera technology that can fit in cramped spaces without sacrificing power or quality. Omron’s new F440, which is the latest offering in their smart camera product line, combines top-of-the-line mechanical design with the AutoVISION software platform’s power and ease of use. The F440 features a state-of-the-art, high resolution Sony Pregius 5 MP global shutter vision sensor with 35 frames per second.

SCADA Master Serves as Data “Hub” for Enterprise Software Integration

SCADA Master Serves as Data “Hub” for Enterprise Software Integration

For smaller municipal utilities and co-ops, it can be a challenge to upgrade and automate existing distribution substations and support infrastructure due to constraints in space, budget, labor, technical skills, and system compatibility. Many still have not installed SCADA systems for the remote management and control of multiple substations.

Rockwell Automation Study Reports 85% of Automotive Manufacturers Plan to Maintain or Increase Workforce

Rockwell Automation Study Reports 85% of Automotive Manufacturers Plan to Maintain or Increase Workforce

Rockwell Automation, Inc. has recently announced the results of the 8th annual “State of Smart Manufacturing Report: Automotive Edition”. The global study encompasses the responses of 197 companies from automotive manufacturers, automotive suppliers, and electric vehicle manufacturers across 13 manufacturing countries. This year’s report emphasizes the evolution of the automotive industry with a focus on the pursuit of quality, the impact of process automation, the adoption of smart manufacturing, and the essential role of technology when mitigating risks, navigating workforce challenges, minimizing costs, and boosting production.

Emerson Helps Optimize Innovative Recycling Process That Increases Sustainability of Waste-to-Energy Industry

Emerson Helps Optimize Innovative Recycling Process That Increases Sustainability of Waste-to-Energy Industry

Emerson is helping the Swedish cleantech company HaloSep to optimize their unique process that turns hazardous incinerator flue gas residue from waste-to-energy plants into usable materials. Emerson’s control technology and software is being deployed at HaloSep’s plant for optimization, research and technology (PORT) in Gothenburg, Sweden, to manage an innovative chemical separation process that recovers valuable salt, metals and minerals from fly ash.

Efficient Power Supplies – An Investment in the Future

Efficient Power Supplies – An Investment in the Future

In the search for a suitable power supply, the costs play a major role, alongside the technical requirements. The focus is often on the initial purchase price, while other potential costs that may be incurred during the operation of the power supply are not taken into consideration. In this blog post, we demonstrate why the decision to purchase a high-quality power supply is a profitable investment for your company, by taking a close look at all the costs involved.

Q&A with HELU: Oil & Gas Instrumentation Cables

Q&A with HELU: Oil & Gas Instrumentation Cables

Reliable data transmission is a must, even under the most extreme mechanical and environmental conditions such as those found in the oil and gas industry. Cables must be versatile to perform whether it is on a ship at sea or in a refining plant on land. Instrumentation cables are the backbone to keeping the industry’s sophisticated machines online and operating at peak performance. Regional Sales Manager Andrew Gill answers some of the questions he hears in the field regarding these low-voltage cables.