Automation

Survey: U.S. manufacturers ready to embrace Industry 4.0

The U.S. manufacturing industry is rushing to embrace technology as a critical part of its processes and plans to make new technological investments in 2017, but barriers to Industry 4.0 adoption still exist, according to Automation Alley’s 2017 Technology Industry Report. According to the report, 85% of national manufacturing executives said their company plans to increase budgets for technological advancements; nearly a third of them plan to increase their budgets by 10% to 15%.

Look Ahead: AI robot finds its way

03/17/2017

Author:

Michael C. Anderson

Omron Adept Technologies Inc.’s LD-series mobile robot can gather information about its surroundings and automatically generate a map with just one run through any given environment.

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EDM focus turns to throughput, ease of use, automation

03/09/2017

Author:

Michael C. Anderson

The major wire EDM builders are still in competition, of course, but on other playing fields. The latest developments in wire electrical discharge machining focus on throughput, ease of use and automation.

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Looking Ahead: Jobs That May Never Be Automated

In a recent article, a few Forbes Technology Council members examined what jobs they think will be automated in the next five to 10 years. But what about the flip side of the issue: What kind of positions or work will be safe from the automation process?

Sinamics V20 Smart Access Web Server Module

Siemens announces the launch of its Sinamics V20 Smart Access web server module, designed to mount directly onto the drive, transforming a mobile device or laptop into a virtual operator panel for drive control. By providing a wi-fi hot spot, the wireless connection on this module facilitates setup, programming, commissioning, production monitoring and maintenance on a variety of machines and production equipment.

Universal Robots Academy

Learning how to set up and program a collaborative robot – or cobot – no longer depends on real-life access to a robot or a training class. Now everybody with a desire to learn the concepts of cobots can log in to the Universal Robots Academy and get the introduction necessary to master basic programming skills.

“readychain” Ready-to-Use Robotic Dress Packs

igus offers standard “readychain” ready-to-use robotic dress packs for simple installation as well as multi-axis cable guidance and protection. In automated plants and other manufacturing facilities, downtime creates a critical situation. Once production stops, every minute counts, making new standard, fully assembled dress packs for industrial robots suitable to get systems back up and running.

Student apprentices showcase skills for industry reps

Student apprentices graduating from a new automated equipment program will hold demonstrations in front of high-tech industry representatives in February and March at Oakland Community College and Henry Ford College in Dearborn, Calif.

AI to guide cutting tool selection in the future

02/13/2017

Author:

Don Nelson

Engineers who currently ask humans for advice about cutting tool selection will one day direct their questions to advisers derived from artificial intelligence. So says MachiningCloud Inc. (www.machiningcloud.com), a single-source provider of digitized product data gathered from manufacturers of cutting tools and workholding devices.

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Robot workforce sees huge gains in quality, productivity

A growing global movement toward automation, and it comes at a time in China when demands for fair working conditions and wages have led to increased volatility, resulting in labor strikes in different parts of the country.