Rockwell Automaton has added five new members to its Machine Safety System Integrator program. Created in 2014, the program helps industrial companies identify system integrators with current safety standards expertise and a proven track record in designing safety systems. “Our Machine Safety System Integrator program now includes 42 system integrators located around the world and…
New Festo Experience Center opens in Santa Clara, Calif.
Festo has opened its first North American Festo Experience Center in the heart of Silicon Valley. With the ever-increasing linkages between making things and controlling processes through cloud computing and Big Data, the company said Silicon Valley was the optimum site for its newest experience center. The 5,000 square-foot Festo Experience Center, Santa Clara, features…
Machine cutting leader improves productivity with E-Chains
One of the world’s most innovative businesses in machine cutting has improved its productivity with energy chains manufactured by igus in one of its flagship products. Engineers at Messer Cutting Systems, based in Wisconsin, worked with a team from igus to develop e-chains on its MultiTherm machines. Messer is a global supplier of industry-leading cutting…
Telling the stories of women engineers
My alma mater, Georgia Tech, is known as an engineering school. When I was in college a couple of decades ago, we didn’t have many non-engineering degrees even offered. If you decided you didn’t want to go the engineering route, you could go into business or architecture, but there wasn’t a whole lot more. As…
Wide and narrow views of position sensors
By Andrew Waugh, Product Manager, Sensor and Safety Products, AutomationDirect.com When the word “sensor” is used in industrial automation, it usually refers to presence sensing devices such as limit switch, photo eye (photoelectric) and laser sensors. There are many options and technologies to consider when specifying the use of these presence sensors in automated machines.…
Stainless steel cabinet “U” handles are angled, have tapped holes
JW Winco Inc., A Ganter Co., now offers GN 565.7 Stainless Steel Cabinet “U” Handles, Angled, with Tapped Holes. The angled cabinet “U” Handles, which are RoHS compliant, have a 35° angled contact surface that allows improved access even in tight spaces such as corners. Produced from profiled aluminum extrusions, the U Handles special features are…
Spring-loaded, hermetically sealed ac-LVDTs
Alliance Sensors Group, a div of H.G. Schaevitz LLC, has expanded its linear position sensor line with the LAS-19-A series spring-loaded AC-LVDTs (Linear Variable Differential Transformers). These rugged yet high precision linear sensing devices are spring loaded, hermetically sealed, contactless devices with an axial connector designed for industrial and commercial applications such as factory automation, […]
New miniature spiral bevel gearboxes from Gam
The VP Series Performance Plus miniature spiral bevel gearboxes pack high performance in a small package with the highest torque density, range of ratios, and torque capacity on the market. • Sizes 27, 33, and 45 mm • Highest torque density for the size • Ratios 1:1 to 4:1 • 98% efficiency • Hollow output […]
Plug-and-play Balluff safety light curtains add safety
A new family of safety light curtains with IO-Link connectivity is now available for increased safety with easy installation. These devices can be easily and inexpensively connected directly to the Balluff Safety Over IO-Link module, allowing integrators to implement a complete safety and automation sensing and network solution. Users can choose from finger, hand or…
Material & Design Solutions appoints Mark Bell as VP of Engineering
Material & Design Solutions (MDS), a leading supplier of high-performance elastomeric and thermoplastic components for critical service applications in the oil and gas, fluid handling, and semiconductor markets, has announced the appointment of Mark Bell, P.E. as Vice President of Engineering.Bell is a 35-year plastics industry veteran who brings an extensive range of expertise in…
Allied Electronics & Automation celebrating 90th anniversary
Allied Electronics & Automation is celebrating its 90th anniversary this month. The company was originally founded July 21, 1928 in Chicago as the radio distribution arm of Columbia Radio. The company moved to Fort Worth, Texas in 1970 when it was purchased by Tandy Corp. In a company-wide email, President Steve Newland shared this significant…
New material from igus stands up under the sun
igus introduced a new material for a bearing used in solar industry applications that offers superior UV and moisture resistance along with low coefficients of friction. Plain bearings are used as simple press-fit bearings and in some special forms, such as the solar industry. As such, they are exposed to UV radiation for long durations.…
Cadence expands CNC electrochemical grinding technology
Cadence recently expanded its Electrochemical Grinding (ECG) technology at the Cranston, Rhode Island facility. The latest equipment uses high precision, burr-free grinding with CNC control. This enables robust processing of harder materials such as spring tempered steel and heat treated stainless steel for profile grinding- shavers and related products. “This latest technology allows us to…
PTDA welcomes four new members
The Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA), the leading association for the industrial power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) distribution channel, recently welcomed four new member companies. Distributor members Misumi USA (Schaumburg, Ill.) currently serves more than 240,000 customers worldwide by supplying mechanical components for factory automation, press die and plastic mold components, cutting tools and gauges. Chuck Millstead, […]
Closed-loop motor feedback with the absolute advantage
Posital has expanded its line of kit-style encoders for feedback for servo and stepper motors with new models that use the same mounting form factor as incremental kit encoders from US Digital, Broadcom and other manufacturers. This makes it very easy to upgrade a motion control application from incremental to absolute position control. With Posital […]
Engineers reducing design time with instant 3D CAD models
Helix Linear Technologies launched an online product catalog of 3D CAD models for their popular configurable products, including lead screw technologies and PRA actuators. Built by CADENAS PARTsolutions, the configurator enables customers to instantly find, configure and download a digital 3D CAD model of the Helix product they need. A manufacturer of linear motion and…
ELX Series EtherCAT terminals from Beckhoff expanded with TwinSAFE SC technology
The EtherCAT Terminals in the ELX series from Beckhoff have expanded through the addition of analog input terminals with built-in TwinSAFE SC (Single Channel) technology. These highly compact I/O terminals can be used to support applications in hazardous areas that require both intrinsically safe signal transmission and functional safety capabilities. The space-saving ELX series terminals,…
Automated screw thread quality checking using SMAC LAR55 actuator
The requirement for strict specification and acceptance of all automotive parts and components has greatly increased in recent years. Screw thread inspection is no exception. The common practice of eddy current probes, lasers, proximity sensors or vision systems are only partly successful as they only inform you of the presence of a thread, not if…
Chuck Sena named industry manger – sanitary for Dorner
Chuck Sena has been named Industry Manager – Sanitary for Dorner. Within this role, Sena will be working with sales, marketing and channel partners to develop and execute strategic plans to drive sales of Dorner’s sanitary conveyor platform to both new and existing customers and markets. Sena brings nearly 30 years experience of conveyor, packaging machinery […]
Heidenhain announces new CEO
Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH has announced the appointment of David Doyle as CEO of Heidenhain Corp., effective Oct. 1, 2018. At that time, Doyle will assume full responsibility for the Heidenhain Corp. customer-focused operations for the U.S., Canada and Mexico. This change will complete the succession plan for Rick Korte, current CEO of Heidenhain, who will be retiring […]
Beckhoff IoT edge device provides path to Industry 4.0-enabled process technology
Modern smart factory concepts tailored to Industry 4.0 or the Internet of Things (IoT) offer numerous advantages for increasing process efficiency and quality while lowering costs. The ultra-compact C6015 Industrial PC (IPC) from Beckhoff is a suitable space-saving, high-performance IoT edge device that fully uses these advantages for new and legacy systems in the process industries. By integrating comprehensive IoT and […]
DENSO Foundation awards $1 Million in STEM grants to 25 college, universities
DENSO, one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers of technology and components, constantly searches for ways to increase young people’s access to technical education and help develop tomorrow’s workforce. Aiding this effort, the company’s philanthropic arm – DENSO North America Foundation (DNAF) – today announced it will donate nearly $1 million in overall funding to…
Customized bicycle parts reduce noise for cyclists
Cyclists can now enjoy a quieter, maintenance-free ride with customized parts, such as sprockets, that can be made with igus’ high-performance plastics and the company’s 3D printing capabilities. igus, the German-based manufacturer of motion plastics, runs its North American operations through its facility in Providence, R.I. Sales of electric bikes have increased dramatically in recent years.…
Kristin Werner named recipient of Richard C. Ryan Packaging Education Scholarship
Kristin Werner, a student at Hennepin Technical College in Minneapolis, has been named recipient of the 2018 Richard C. Ryan Packaging Education Scholarship, funded by Dorner. This $2,000 scholarship is awarded to a student enrolled in a two- or four-year program at any of PMMI’s partner schools. The scholarship was established in honor of Richard […]
Digital factory to premiere at Hannover Messe USA
A new Digital Factory special display area focused on integrated processes and IT solutions for plant operations will debut at Hannover Messe USA 2018. As part of the Integrated Automation, Motion & Drives USA (IAMD USA) trade show within Hannover Messe USA, Digital Factory will showcase Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions that optimize plant…