Automation & Controls

In the past 18 months, several Whirlpool Corp. plants have added collaborative robots to the assembly process. Collaborative robots are at the forefront of manufacturing technology and are designed to work alongside their human counterparts. "Collaborative robots allow us to be much more flexible," says Eric Howe, Whirlpool senior engineer and automation lead.

PROMETEC, a manufacturer of monitoring solutions for machining processes and part of Sandvik Coromant, is releasing its new PROMOS 3+ system. This advanced connectivity solution, which provides a first look at the world of Big Data and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), is considered an important component for the Industry 4.0 initiative from Sandvik Coromant.

ANCA's new RoboTeach solution enables greater efficiency and accuracy when setting up robot automation on their CNC grinding machines. By automating the teaching of the RoboMate FANUC 200iD robot, the new product significantly decreases downtime, supports greater productivity, and reduces the need for specialized operator skills.

Guyson has just completed another one of its popular RB-9 robotic blasting systems. The customer had a demanding surface preparation specification that could only be achieved by precise robotic gun manipulation and part fixturing and the use of high-performance model 75/12 media cyclone.

The Nmark GCL controls Aerotech's AGV series scanners, reportedly resulting in industry-leading settling times, long-term thermal stability and micron-level tracking accuracy due to advanced features such as full-state feed-forward, 200 kHz servo rates, and look-ahead-based velocity control. The Nmark GCL uses advanced interpolation electronics to provide up to 26-bits of effective resolution.

Launching the LOXrail program, German manufacturer Losyco provides a round rail system that increases assembly line efficiency for large machine and product manufacturing processes. The new system, characterized by minimal rolling friction, is brought to the market by a team of accomplished intra-logistics industry experts, led by managing director Derek P. Clark. Loads as heavy as several tons can be moved manually or with a small auxiliary drive with much lower energy consumption and much less equipment compared to standard procedures using overhead cranes, SGVs or pallet trucks.

Siemens announced a new control-only retrofit program for CNC machines. Tailored precisely for milling machines up to four axes plus one spindle or 2- to 3-axis turning machines, users can gain new levels of manufacturing efficiency and productivity.

TM Robotics, in partnership with Toshiba Machine, announced the newest in Toshiba Machine's BA Cartesian series, the BAIII. Unlike most Cartesian suppliers, the Toshiba Machine solution is a plug-and-play offering as all cables, junction boxes, brackets, motors and controllers are supplied with the actuators. This means there's no need for calibration between the motor and the actuator or between the motor and the controller, which enables users to reduce their engineering costs – saving both time and money – and use the BAIII as soon as it's installed.

A new vision system from Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH is based on the triangulation method, which reportedly improves bin picking by ensuring greater accuracy, better component recognition and faster handling. The smart removal of workpieces from a random arrangement, so-called "bin picking," is a classic automation application. It provides higher productivity, less burden on human resources and lower unit labor costs.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering is the new home of a unique machine that is capable of 3D milling precise to one nanometer. The machine, called the ROBONANO α-0iB, is the first of its kind in North America, and it brings extremely advanced technological capabilities that could represent the future of advanced manufacturing. The ROBONANO, which is on a multi-year loan from the Japanese robotics manufacturer FANUC, is housed in the laboratory of Sangkee Min, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at UW-Madison. The ROBONANO's extremely precise capabilities offer Min and colleagues new research opportunities, which he hopes will open up improved and novel approaches to manufacturing.

CTEPLUS visits the ATS Systems booth at IMTS 2016 for a demonstration of the Xcelerate robot from Cellro, a robotic automation company located in Veenendaal, The Netherlands.

Methods Machine Tools showed off its 3D part-picking cell during IMTS 2016 held at McCormick Place in Chicago last week. Methods' Zachary Hallowell, Mechanical Engineer, Automation Team, provides a guided tour of the system.