Automation/Robotics
Automation is the individual use or integrated configuration of computer software, machines or other technologies ranging from fully mechanical systems to fully virtual networks, very simple to intensely complex in functionality, to carry out a task that would typically be done by a human worker. Robotics is a segment of automation involving a machine (robot) capable of making independent movements programmed to perform complex tasks ranging from simple handling of parts to full machine tending, welding, grinding and other operations typically performed by a human worker.
The “Smart Factory Five” for Robotic Automation
There are key areas manufacturers must be mindful of when creating a completely integrated smart factory, especially where robotic automation is concerned.
There are key areas manufacturers must be mindful of when creating a completely integrated smart factory, especially where robotic automation is concerned.
Bill Berutti, CEO at Plex Systems, sums up the status of manufacturing and digitization: “Smart manufacturing isn’t something that will happen years down the road … it’s real, it’s imperative and it’s happening now.”
A heavy equipment manufacturer is using a 6-axis robotic arm equipped with a drilling spindle to very precisely make holes in structural steel up to 1 inch thick. The solution is one-third the cost of traditional drilling but performs many other applications and requires just one operator.
AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology President Doug Woods outlines the six transformative technologies that are helping companies meet swiftly changing market demand without sacrificing quality or employee safety.
Yes, collaborative robots (cobots) are easy to program, but there’s more to optimizing the technology than programming. Here’s how to avoid wasting valuable capital buying a unit that won’t be fully exploited – if used at all.
In Booth B-17048, Kawasaki Robotics (USA) Inc. (Wixom, MI) will feature a new addition to its R series of advanced general-purpose robot arms.
In Booths B-23022 and D-45535, FANUC America Corp. (Rochester Hills, MI) will feature the new model of its LR Mate series of tabletop industrial robots, the LR Mate 200iD/14L, among its products.
Zyter Inc.’s (Rockville, MD) Smart Factories offers an end-to-end intelligent solution connecting factory floor machinery, workers, and building systems by using the latest Internet of Things (IoT) technology devices on the company’s digital transformation platform.
Machining Industry News
