Automation & Controls

Regardless of which area of the world you're in, lack of labor is a pervasive problem that has the potential to cripple the global economy. Fortunately, automation in many forms can help bridge the gap and fill holes on the factory floor, doing jobs that humans just don't want—and can afford to turn down.

Auto industry interest puts machine tool builders back in twin and multi-spindle production.

With unmanned production capabilities, the Supercell-300G 5-axis horizontal manufacturing cell can hold 20 pallets in a 149"-wide footprint.

Industry 4.0 is often referred to as "Smart Manufacturing," where technology enables interconnectivity for machines and manufacturing software and systems. It also provides big data, increased visibility and remote access to manufacturing assets. The rush towards Smart Manufacturing, which drives manufacturers to connect their systems to the IoT, has led to an inviting number of security gaps that are easy targets for hackers.

The GPL-V (shaft) and GPL-H (hollow) are the company's lowest backlash (≤ 0.1 arc minute) planetary gearboxes for horizontal and vertical robotic applications. A patented design guarantees that the backlash will not increase over the life time of the gearbox.

When I'm visiting CNC operations around the country, shop managers often start our conversations like this, "Labor is killing us. We can't find enough good operators and we're losing some of our experienced operators to competitors. What are my options?" The manager often goes on to describe operational issues related to labor that are typical in high-mix CNC manufacturing. This article describes automation options for CNC shops, specifically focusing on those processing parts in CNC milling machines with batch sizes between 10 and 1,000 pieces.

JETCAM International s.a.r.l. and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation today announced a partnership by signing the Developer Agreement of "LA-Module" with subsidiary company Mitsubishi Electric Mechatronics Software Corporation whereby JETCAM will develop enhanced support for Mitsubishi's range of CNC laser machines.

Sudbury, MA, U.S.A. (June 22, 2018) – Methods Machine Tools, Inc., a supplier of precision machine tools and automation, has announced two key management appointments.

A new, free-standing robotic loading and unloading platform that makes automation affordable for any size CNC shop is available from Automation within Reach. Load & Go is simple to install and operate, using an intuitive, menu-driven HMI that eliminates the need for advanced programming skills.

The TNC 640, HEIDENHAIN's high-performance mill-turn control, is popular with users thanks to its workshop-oriented operational design. Now the TNC 640 is, and will only be, available with groundbreaking touch technology that supplements the TNC 640's field-proven cycles and functions. It allows the user to operate the control screen with gestures, similar to smartphones or tablets.

Combining software, sensors and robotics enables companies to provide both speed and volumetric accuracy in QC

Like their 5-axis machining center cousins, 5-axis multitask lathes are breaking the traditional part-processing rules and taking manufacturers in bold new directions.