Automation & Controls

Articles • June 2, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

One year into the future at GE

GE Power opened its "Factory of the Future," the 125,000-sq.-ft. Advanced Manufacturing Works (AMW) facility in Greenville, S.C., with great fanfare in April 2016. So, what's futuristic about the place?

News • June 2, 2017

Toolholding plays important role in process reliability

In 2016, Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. installed new manufacturing systems for machining structural parts made of aluminum. To achieve the desired surface quality and precision during high-speed milling operations, the aircraft manufacturer continuously relies on the solutions provided by Haimer: a large selection of toolholders and the corresponding shrinking and balancing machines.

News • June 1, 2017

Frost & Sullivan eyes future of AI in manufacturing

According to Frost & Sullivan's Industrial Automation and Process Control team, cognitive technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) are "poised to transform all manufacturing sectors." Partnership, collaboration, and technology investment are crucial for growth opportunities in an era when "data is the new currency." n

News • May 23, 2017

Heller Announces Tech Days 2017

Heller Machine Tools will open its doors for Tech Days 2017, July 26 and 27, at its facility in Troy, Mich. The machine tool builder will demonstrate new 4- and 5-axis machining solutions for automotive, oil and gas, heavy-duty diesel and general machining applications.

Articles • May 19, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Small shops warm up to work cells

As automation becomes more flexible and less expensive, work cells are propagating at smaller shops.

News • May 17, 2017

Identifying the immediate ROI in IIoT

By now, most manufacturers have heard of the promise of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). In manufacturing's future, newly installed sensors will collect previously unavailable data on equipment, parts, inventory and even personnel that will then be shared with existing systems in an interconnected "smart" system where machines learn from other machines and executives can analyze reports based on the accumulated data.

Products • May 17, 2017

Agile1500 Automated Guided Vehicle

Comau has commercialized an innovative AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) platform that is flexible enough to be deployed across a range of manufacturing and non-manufacturing scenarios. Agile1500 is the first automated guided vehicle within the new AGV platform and expresses Comau's open automation design approach.

Products • May 16, 2017

Industrial Ethernet Switches

To minimize such unexpected downtimes and provide reliable connections, Mencom offers a range of industrial Ethernet switches, such as managed switches, unmanaged switches, gigabit switches, harsh-environment switches, and EN50155-certified switches. The company also offers secure routers, media converters, serial device servers, modbus gateways and power supplies.

Articles • May 5, 2017 • William Leventon

Machine Technology: Automating one machine

Automation isn't just a boon to complex, multiple-machine manufacturing processes. It can also give a major boost to processes that involve only a single machine.

Products • May 5, 2017

HS Flex Handling System

Hermle's newest automation solution is the HS Flex. Attractively priced, the HS Flex handling system is a powerful and compact automation tool, the company reports.

Products • May 4, 2017

Program Templates for Industrial Automation

Robotiq offers new tools to help collaborative robots beginners save a lot of time programing their robot. Program templates are available and ready to be downloaded on Robotiq's online resource center. They simplify the robot's programming so it can be put to task in a record time.

Products • May 4, 2017

Industrial Robotic Calibration & ISO-based Performance Test Solution

Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence announced its new solution for the calibration and performance testing of industrial robot systems. The RoboDyn software package, created in collaboration with the developers of SpatialAnalyzer, works in conjunction with a Leica Absolute Tracker to allow for the direct calculation of robot characteristics such as base and tool alignments and full DH parameters.