Automation & Controls

Epson America Inc. showcases its high power and precision automation solutions in this video supplement to "Robot To The Rescue," a feature article in the September 2022 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

Automation Solutions LLC helps companies integrate automation into the manufacturing process. This video supplement to "Robot To The Rescue," a feature article in the September 2022 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine, provides a bit of insight into what it takes to set up an automation solution for a manufacturer.

Industrial automation is changing the way cutting tool manufacturers operate. Machines have taken on the heavy lifting at each stage of production, letting workers get on with less repetitive tasks.

Turn-Assist features an open-floor setup and area sensors to maximize operator safety and accessibility, while a pre-programmable FANUC robot loads blanks and unloads finished parts from the stocking table. Options are available that allows the robot to process shafts, rotate parts, and interface with a bar-feeder.

Bluetooth technology along with an IBT interface box in the droPWR system allows connection to multiple machine configurations in one tablet including for milling, turning, and grinding machines with up to six axes. Designed to be simple and functional, this tablet DRO can be moved and used with various machines, making it perfect for many production environments such as small shops and students in shop class.

Cutting tools are essential components across many industries, and as these industries expand their own product range and complexity, manufacturers increasingly demand high-quality cutting tools that meet unique requirements. For cutting tool manufacturers, deciding what technology to invest in should be driven by business goals, and at IMTS, ANCA will present the grinding technology that it says demonstrates the advantages of investing in a technologically advanced future.

The quality and value of a decision depends on the quality of the data on which it is based. As in any other aspect of maintenance management, decision-making and operational performance depend heavily on ensuring that the right kind of data is available when required by the relevant decision-makers.

No matter if your business is producing 1,000 or 10,000 products a day, the risk attributed to poor quality management remains the same. Having appropriate protocols in place to consistently deliver reliable goods is essential to not just maintaining customer loyalty, but to sustain a business's costs and profits.

Three benefits of automation that really can impact your machine shop.

Without skilled craftspeople, the Fourth Industrial Revolution won't have its anticipated impact.

Manufacturers are struggling to find employees and as a result have had to get creative by making investments, re-skilling staff and automating time-consuming manual labor, such as deburring and finishing. Automating these processes results in more consistent, quality products in less time.n

The most recent indexing plunger development is pneumatically actuated. In addition, the part also detects both end positions with just a single sensor. This makes the GN 817.7 a logical advancement over the manually operated indexing plunger GN 817.6. The GN 817.7 can replace the GN 817.6 without changing dimensions or signal processing. The new plunger can also be used in hard-to-reach locations and integrates into automated processes.