Automation & Controls

Hermitage, Pennsylvania-based Solar Atmospheres of Western PA (SAWPA) now offers in-house metallographic testing, with its purchase of a Zeiss AxioVert A1 Inverted Materials Microscope, with an accompanying Axiocam digital camera and Zen Core Materials Analysis software package. The investment represents the continued commitment by SAWPA to anticipate and meet customers' needs.

Precision Cutting Technologies Inc., Rockford, Illinois, has acquired Supermill LLC. Precision Cutting Technologies holds Alleghany Capital's investments in the precision automated machine tool and high-performance cutting tool sectors. Headquartered in Berlin, Connecticut, Supermill is a leading manufacturer of high-performance carbide endmills.

MC Machinery Systems Inc., Elk Grove Village, Illinois, has announced that Carlson Fabrication Solutions Inc. and Cimarron Industrial Sales are distributors for its laser and press brake machinery.

Twenty proven software and hardware kits for the most popular cobot applications are available on the UR+ platform, a large and comprehensive ecosystem of products certified to integrate seamlessly with cobots from Universal Robots.

Robotiq announced new functionalities for its Finishing Copilot software. Designed for manufacturers with polishing or sanding processes, the software's new weaving motion and variable trajectory planning enables a cobot to adjust its own path. This means cobots can finish a family of parts without the operator having to adapt the program.

Noblesville, Indiana-based Index has named Iniram Precision Machine Tool as its distributor of record for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, western Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia. The move reflects Index's ongoing strategy of partnering with distributors who can offer standard-setting service and support to help meet the needs of a rapidly expanding customer base.

OnRobot continues to drive innovation with the release of the compact, large-stroke 3FG15 three-finger gripper.

February 26, 2020 – Beckhoff Automation LLC has moved its regional office in Charlotte, North Carolina, to a larger location to meet constant growth in customer base and market share in the area. Boasting nearly 4,400 sq. ft., the new office offers exciting advantages compared to the previous Charlotte location that Beckhoff opened in 2012.

Workpieces with a maximum weight of 800kg and a size of up to Ø850 mm x 1,000 mm can be loaded onto the machine tool safely and reliably. The Robot Easy 800 is optimally suitable for moving pallets from our EROWA MTS system, which are predominantly used for milling and grinding.

Marposs has announced its new Artis GEMDS system, which uses data from a noncontact eddy current sensor to provide real-time monitoring of spindle elongation on machine tools due to temperature changes or other causes of displacement. By detecting spindle anomalies in real-time, shops can prevent damage to the machine and avoid out of tolerance components, thereby reducing scrap and improving productivity.

Fairlane Products announces the launch of the web-based GripShape application that allows users to design and purchase custom robot gripper fingers, available online at www.gripshape.com. GripShape offers design services, a design configurator, and manufacturing services for tooling robot grippers. The interface is easy to use and requires no CAD experience to customize a one-of-a-kind design in minutes.

Jacob Schieffer has joined Beckhoff Automation LLC as central regional sales manager. Based at the subsidiary's headquarters in Savage, Minneapolis, Schieffer will oversee sales development of new and longstanding customers throughout the Midwest, covering all key automation markets and centers of innovation.