OKW’s stylish DIATEC plastic enclosures for wall-mount and table-top electronics are now available in two standard colors: off-white (RAL 9002) and lava. These highly attractive enclosures are ideal for communications and network equipment, IoT/IIoT, gateways, peripherals, data systems engineering, security and access control, measurement and control, medical/wellness, and laboratory technology. DIATEC’s modern, flat design suits…
Pfannenberg PYRA and PATROL series signal beacons from AutomationDirect
AutomationDirect has added Pfannenberg PYRA and PATROL series heavy-duty signal beacons to their growing lineup of visual and audible signaling devices. These versatile devices can withstand severe environments, are suitable for indoor and outdoor use, and satisfy numerous alarm, warning, and indication requirements. The PYRA series focuses on visual alerts and is ideal for discrete…
18mm front/bottom threaded rectangular photoelectric sensors from AutomationDirect
AutomationDirect has added Leuze 28 series 18mm threaded rectangular sensors that feature flexible mounting options with front and bottom 18mm threads and 3.1mm through-holes, sensing distances up to 10m, and rugged ABS thermoplastic housings with an IP67 protection rating. These new photoelectric sensors are offered in diffuse, polarized retroreflective, and through-beam sensing styles, and in…
5G reliability enters the automated warehouse
The flexibility of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), which use a wireless navigation system to guide them around a facility, is the reason these self-sufficient machines are so popular in warehouse environments. However, 50 AMRs on the floor will overload the traditional WiFi network. That leads to network latency and interrupts communication between AMRs and the…
New online platform for selecting optimal machine vision components
Teledyne FLIR IIS is pleased to announce SightBase – an advanced Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform that accelerates the design-in cycles for imaging systems and reduces customer spending. This new platform includes a virtual lab that increases user confidence when selecting a system configuration to meet their vision application requirements. SightBase, now available online, delivers an intuitive […]
Emerson to showcase Floor to Cloud factory automation solutions at Hannover Messe 2024
Emerson: Global technology, software, and engineering leader, Emerson will present the future of automation through its Floor to Cloud approach and innovative automation solutions at Hannover Messe in Hannover, Germany on April 22-26, 2024. Emerson will demonstrate how real-time visibility and control can drive sustainability, enhance overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), and empower teams using data-informed…
MDX+ series: low-voltage integrated servo system 20% smaller than standalone
Applied Motion Products introduces the MDX+ series, a family of low-voltage servo systems that integrate a servo drive, motor, and encoder into one package. Solutions with 100/200/400/550W power output are available. The MDX+ product line supports pulse train-based control methods (Pulse/Direction, CW/CCW, encoder following), RS-485, CANopen, and EtherCAT. It also offers packages with electromagnetic brakes…
Remote robotic-assisted surgery system tested aboard International Space Station
Components from maxon are integral to the spaceMIRA surgical robot, which recently completed its first demo test surgeries in zero gravity on the International Space Station (ISS). The spaceMIRA, developed by Virtual Incision and researchers at the University of Nebraska, is a compact, lightweight surgical robot sent to the ISS on a SpaceX Falcon 9…
Datalogic PowerScan 960X handheld barcode scanners from AutomationDirect
AutomationDirect has added Datalogic PowerScan 960X cordless handheld barcode scanner systems to their Barcode/RFID/Vision category. These scanners feature an ergonomic shape with a rugged design that can withstand demanding environments. The new PowerScan scanners provide an omnidirectional reading of 1D stacked, 2D, and postal codes with 1280 x 800 optical resolution, and an inductive contactless…
The fundamentals of miniature gearing
Miniature and microgearing with high precision and tight tolerances is used to deliver accurate low-backlash power transmission complementing small electric motors in: • Medical devices and surgical tools • Aerospace rovers and satellites • Small motorized electronics. Such gearing is most often paired with small dc motors that is either brushed or brushless — with […]
Automation for North American EV battery production
By 2028, the 40-plus electric vehicle (EV) battery-manufacturing sites in the U.S. could annually output product capable of 1,037 GWh … tracking to increase by twentyfold from the size of the industry just a few years ago, according to the U.S. Dept. of Energy. One geographical corridor running from Michigan to Alabama currently dominates the industry,…
High-torque flexible servo couplings
By Chris Gumas, Director of Marketing, Ruland Manufacturing Matching high-torque applications with the ideal servo coupling demands careful consideration of several factors, including torque and misalignment capabilities, speed requirements, and spatial constraints. Ruland offers a range of high-torque servo couplings – bellows, disc, and slit – each designed to address these factors in unique ways. […]
DigiKey hosts Great Board Giveaway, technical demos, and more at Embedded World 2024
DigiKey will bring its refreshed brand and Great Board Giveaway to Embedded World 2024, April 9-11 in Nuremberg, Germany. The company will host a wide variety of activities, giveaways, and resources during the show at booth 4A-633. Visit the DigiKey booth during the show for the Great Board Giveaway and receive a random draw development…
M12 connectors now offered in versions designed for surface mount technology
binder, a supplier of industrial circular connectors, offers products from several M12 series as surface-mount devices (SMDs). These are suitable for further processing in fully automated processes, such as for the particularly dense, double-sided assembly of PCBs. They are also used in automation technology devices, sensors, actuators, and robotics. Features: Number of contacts: 4, 6,…
How are zinc oxide (sunscreen) WBG nanomaterials used in sensors?
Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a common ingredient in sunscreen lotions. Less well-known is the fact that it’s also a wide band gap (WBG) semiconductor (3.4 eV). As a nanomaterial, ZnO is being used to develop a wide variety of sensor technologies. Sensor applications for ZnO include health monitoring, chemical sensing, biomedical, and environmental sensors. Some […]
Streamlining automation with all-in-one control and visualization
By Linda Htay, IDEC Corporation When it comes to industrial automation applications, there has long been a degree of separation between “control” and “visualization” functions. Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and human-machine interfaces (HMIs) have evolved technologically over decades to perform distinct but closely related operational roles. A closer look reveals why this has been the…
AMUG names the 2024 Technical Competition winners
The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) today announced the winners of its annual Technical Competition, which recognizes excellence in additive manufacturing applications and finishing techniques. A panel of industry veterans selected entries from Point Designs and BuildParts by Cideas as Advanced Concepts and Advanced Finishing winners. AMUG Members selected the entry by Eaton for the […]
Frameless motors versus toque motors
Frameless motors are rotor-and-stator subcomponent sets that aren’t prefixed in a traditional motor housing. Here we outline some of their benefits … along with those of torque motors. By Lisa Eitel | Executive editor Frameless motors don’t include a motor housing or output shaft (or shaft-support bearings) either. Instead, the OEM or design engineer works […]
Hyson announces expanded Toolmind product line
Hyson, a business of Barnes Group Inc., and a maker of nitrogen gas systems for metal forming operations, announces the expansion of its Toolmind Secure Remote Monitoring System product line — empowering customers with more capabilities to enhance stamping operation control and efficiency. Hyson’s zero-scrap policy ensures that every production cycle counts and Toolmind plays…
Heavy Duty HEPA vacuum moves material with less water
EXAIR’s Heavy Duty HEPA Vac attaches to an ordinary open-top drum to turn it into a powerful, HEPA quality, industrial vacuum cleaner. The Heavy Duty HEPA Vac is designed to move more material with less wear. In addition, this vacuum has been engineered to filter contaminants to HEPA requirements in dusty environments requiring frequent cleaning.…
April 2024 Issue: Internet of Things Handbook
Engineering connections REMEMBER when the estimated number of connected devices in 2005 was around six billion, followed about five years later with the acronym “IoT” achieving buzzword/hype status? Now fast forward to next year, when that number is expected to skyrocket to a staggering 75 billion, or roughly nine devices per person on the planet. […]
Spanish manufacturing plant runs on 100% green power
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies’ newest production facility in Parets del Vallès, Spain (near Barcelona) is a fully carbon-neutral plant. The facility manufactures automotive components and replaces an existing plant at the same location. The company said it is boosting its production capacity by 15%. In all, more than 11 million euros have been invested in the…
Technical thinking: Nanoparticles in water
By Mark Jones “Scientists find about a quarter million invisible nanoplastic particles in a liter of bottled water” was a recent AP headline. It was one of hundreds of stories prompted by a recent scientific publication. In a first in this column, I’ll give you some fun experiments you can do with the water. You’ll…
Open-frame push type solenoids offer customizable options
Push Type Solenoids from Magnetic Sensor Systems (MSS) include a series of 18 different low-cost open-frame solenoids to select from based on the Voltage, Duty Cycle, Force of up to 96 oz (26.7 N) and stroke requirements of the user. These clean, high-efficiency, low-cost S-18-100-QH Open Frame Push Type Solenoids can be operated at a […]
How can you detect LEL?
For combustible gases, the Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) or Lower Flammable Limit (LFL) is the minimum concentration of vapor in air below which the propagation of the flame does not occur when it contacts an ignition source, such as a spark or flame. In a specific area or space, if the LEL of a gas […]