Factory automation

Advantech Industrial IoT Group launched the waterproof, anti-vibration and PLC compliant Ethernet Switch EKI-2528I-M12, aiming at any harsh environment with dust, high humidity and vibration. The EKI-2528I-M12 Ethernet switch is designed with high IP67 degree of protection, working perfectly under moisture condition to guarantee users a waterproof, dustproof and anti-corrosive network environment. Being compliant with…

Dorner has consolidated two existing product lines and unified them into a single platform, which is now called FlexMove. While the FlexMove name isn’t new to Dorner, it now incorporates the features and strengths of the former SmartFlex conveyor line. The FlexMove flexible chain conveyor brings the best engineering and performance standards in flexible conveying…

Schneider Electric announced a powerful new solution for the smart machine era.The new Modicon M262 controller is IIoT-ready for logic and motion applications. It offers intuitive, scalable and reliable machine integration into Industry 4.0 environment, machine to device, machine to human, machine to machine, machine to plant or machine directly to cloud. The Modicon M262…

The metal industry is not immune to the global trend away from bulk annual orders toward small-batch customer orders with short lead times. To handle this type of individualized production in batch sizes as small as one, manufacturing systems must become much more flexible. B&R’s booth at EMO (Hall 9, Booth F50) will showcase track-based…

To keep hackers from wreaking havoc in industrial networks, modern controllers employ measures that go far beyond ordinary firewalls. Laura Dickinson | Wago Corp. A few years ago, viewers of a TV series called Mr. Robot watched the main character try to destroy mag tape backups held at a data facility that was portrayed as…

Machine designers can use the new Allen-Bradley ControlLogix CIP Safety I/O modules to reduce panel space and setup time in larger applications that require a high-density I/O solution. The modules provide local, in-chassis safety I/O for GuardLogix 5580 controllers, eliminating the need for adapters that require panel space and additional configuration time. If desired, the…

The demand for touch displays for the professional/industrial sector is also continuing to grow constantly. In order to meet this growing and very different demand, such as for quantities, diagonals, technology etc., DATA MODUL is extending its offer of bonding technologies with an additional process: hybrid bonding.  This technology is new to the market and…

Solar Atmospheres recently installed another unique, all-metal hot zone vacuum furnace at its 1969 Clearview Road facility in Souderton, PA. This is Solar’s third all-metal hot zone furnace installation for their climate-controlled room.  The additional furnace increases Solar’s capacity for processing sensitive materials such as PH stainless, nickel-chrome based superalloys, titanium, and ferritic and austenitic…

Siemens entered into a cooperative agreement with the Italian robot manufacturer Comau and together they  offer the jointly engineered product Sinumerik Run MyRobot /DirectControl. This development enables the robot kinematics to be fully integrated into a CNC system. The Sinumerik CNC controls the articulated robot arm directly with the basis of complex algorithms without the…

Dorner’s AquaGard 7350 V2 Curve Conveyor chain features a center bearing to eliminate friction, carry a heavier load and allow four curves to be driven by a single motor. This unique design improves productivity, along with saving valuable floor space as the conveyor can make tight turns around existing machinery and equipment without being hindered…

The new Weintek cMT-iV6 touch panel with built-in cMT Viewer can connect with multiple cMT-SVR or cMT Series HMIs for monitoring. Equipped with a 9.7-in. 1024×768 touchscreen, built-in speaker, and high-performance 1-GHz processor, it delivers outstanding visuals, sound effects, and operation experience. The cMT-iV6 inherits most of its functions from cMT-iV5 — but has an…

Solar Atmospheres of Western PA recently installed a brand new, 14-foot long car bottom air furnace.  The furnace was surveyed in accordance with AMS2750 Rev F and is uniform within ±10°F (Class 2). With a working zone measuring 60” wide x 54” high x 168” long, the furnace will be capable of handling workloads up…

EXAIR’s new 30 Gallon Heavy Duty HEPA Vac is a powerful, HEPA quality, industrial vacuum cleaner. This smaller volume drum means that it will fit in tighter spaces and is suited well for less frequent or lower volume applications. The Heavy Duty HEPA Vac is designed to move more material with less wear. It has…

At this year’s PACK EXPO International show, booth C-2058, September 23-25 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV, B&R Industrial Automation Corp. will exhibit automation technologies that support packaging machinery performance and flexibility. B&R’s ACOPOStrak intelligent track systems enable what has become known as The Adaptive Machine, representing the fourth generation of packaging…

Today at the Battery Show Europe 2019 (Hall 1, Stand 349) Dow introduced its new DOWSIL EC-6601 Electrically Conductive Adhesive — a next-generation material engineered for reliable performance and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) in demanding electrical and electronics applications in the transportation, communications. and consumer markets. This novel adhesive combines strong electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding capabilities…

Zahoransky, a supplier for (tooth)brush production, packaging machines, and mold construction, recently integrated a monitored size changeover system, known as ERCO (Ergonomic Rapid Changeover), into the packaging lines for all types of blister packaging. For this application, it chose electronic position indicators for monitored size changeover from SIKO. The packaging machines with the ERCO system…

Tips on how you can reduce costs and time in all project phases – from machine design to building and testing of equipment, from shipping to installation and throughout the life of the production equipment. Rich Hansen, Senior Automation Engineer at Bosch Rexroth Corporation Manufacturers in the medical industry face unique challenges in terms of…

A major goal behind all of the IoT and IIoT efforts is to create smart factories that will autonomously optimize manufacturing processes. One of the keys to achieving this goal will be time sensitive networking. CC-Link Partner Association The time sensitive networking (TSN) protocol is an addition to the IEEE Ethernet related standards and is…

To further increase connectivity options in ultra-compact PC Control hardware, Beckhoff Automation has introduced the new C6032 Industrial PC (IPC). With dimensions of only 129 x 133 x 104 mm, the C6032 IPC enhances the scalability of the PC-based controller portfolio from Beckhoff. A high-performance device in a modular design, the C6032 adds two slots…

The POSITIP 8016 digital readout (DRO) with touch screen is for manual machine tool applications. With its sturdy machined aluminum housing, this DRO adds reliability and ease-of-use to milling, drilling, boring and turning jobs. The PT 8016 DRO has a multitude of functions including a Taper calculator, Bolt-Hole Pattern routine and Tool Radius Compensator. This…

Last month, I toured the brand-new manufacturing plant for Rittal in Haiger, Germany. Built a few miles from its current headquarters, the plant represents a 250-million-euro investment for the company, as well as a bold step forward toward the future of Industry 4.0. Uwe Scharf, Managing Director of the IT and Industry Business Units and…

TRINAMIC Motion GmbH & Co. KG now sells a TMC5160 SilentStepStick. Outpowering all other StepSticks on the market, this tiny breakout board with the TMC5160 can drive motors up to 3A phase current at 35V. The TMC5160 SilentStepStick not only extends the product family by a more powerful solution, it’s also more advanced than the…

EtherCAT (Ethernet for Control Automation Technology) is a high performance and very efficient Ethernet-based fieldbus system applicable for various types of devices in the industrial network systems. Thanks to these advantages, it is one of the most widely adopted industrial Ethernet technologies, and has gradually become a standard communication interface in the industrial field. Responding…

On a recent trip to igus’ Cologne, Germany headquarters, I had the opportunity to sit down with Stefan Niermann, head of the newly created Low Cost Automation business unit. igus has moved more and more into the so-called “rohbot” market (think raw-bot), a down-to-basics articulated robot arm model that takes advantage of the company’s decades…

Taboos against cannabis continue to go up in smoke, which has meant the rapid ascent of an entirely new industry. It’s also meant proliferation of new automated systems and machine designs for all stages of cannabis production — including growing, harvesting, processing, testing, packaging, and distributing of marijuana and hemp-based goods to satisfy demand. Before…