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,…
Integrated linear-motion variations becoming the norm
Automation over the last several years has expanded use of electric linear actuators to leverage their technological advancements in smart homes, aerospace, defense, and industrial applications. In fact, the global linear actuator market could (in large part because of electric options) surpass U.S. $52.67B this year and grow at a compound annual growth rate through […]
Trends: Automation in agriculture and off highway
In smart agriculture applications, companies are leveraging motion systems to improve reliability in their designs. Advances in automation technology as well as related advances in sensors, imaging, and communications have meant improvements to the kinds of motion control systems employed in agricultural applications as well as other off-highway uses. That means that the smart agriculture […]
New motor designs redefine capabilities
Electric motors are at the core of industrial motion control. From servo and stepper motors to various linear motor designs, demand for these motors across a wide range of applications is only expected to increase. The rise in automation and ongoing electrification calls for more efficient electric motors and more diversified and specialized designs to […]
Driving change in packaging automation
Many trends in general automation have impacted the packaging industry. Some of these include the multiple benefits of better efficiency and increased speed and accuracy of automation systems in general, leading to improved packaging machinery. At the same time, there is more concern with sustainable practices and design, which means more emphasis on biodegradable materials […]
Trends in artificial intelligence for 2024
According to Gartner’s research, up to 25% of organizations surveyed annually since 2019 said they plan to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) within the next 12 months. However, only up to 5% have deployed AI to production. Companies know that generative AI can dramatically improve operations, but inexperience and potential risks postpone the benefits. Predictive maintenance,…
Advances beget advances in laboratory automation
According to Global Market Insights, laboratory automation’s market size was 6.7 billion (USD) in 2023. The site also reported an expected CAGR of over 6.7% between 2024 and 2032. What’s expected to account for this growth? What specific trends will act as the catalyst for bringing the laboratory automation sector into the double-digit billions? We…
Trends: Drives and controls incorporate more safety and feedback
The last decade has seen advancements in controls and motor drive technologies to boost efficiency, safety, and ease of use. Now commonplace are drives that: Let end users leverage autotuning functions for faster commissioning Detect and correct for vibration issues — including the shaping of power into motors to avoid resonances Spur increasingly compact motors…
Hannover Messe focusing on AI’s impact for 2024 trade fair
This year’s Hannover Messe trade fair (said to be the world’s largest industrial trade show) takes place from April 22-26 in this northern German city, and some may say the outlook for manufacturing is uncertain. For sure, in his opening remarks, Dr. Jochen Köckler, Chairperson of the Managing Board, Deutsche Messe AG listed many reasons…
New Renishaw TEMPUS technology achieves up to 50 percent reduction in additive manufacturing build times
Renishaw’s new TEMPUS technology enables users of RenAM 500 series metal additive manufacturing (AM) systems to reduce build times by up to 50 percent. The technology uses advanced scanning algorithms that sequence the layer data in a way that maximizes productivity while maintaining part quality. The optimization suits some part geometries more than others, but…
Where OT and IT meet
By Barry Turner, technical business development manager, Red Lion Exploring some of the challenges and opportunities for successful OT and IT integration in modern manufacturing environments. The worlds of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) in manufacturing plants have traditionally functioned independently of each other. The goal of OT was to keep the plant…
The smart future of agriculture
How can the earth feed nine or ten billion people? “Smart farming” is an important part of the answer to this existential question: Extremely high efficiency in food production through the targeted use of the latest technology, computer-supported and — where possible — fully automatic. Seeds are individually and precisely placed; fruits carefully picked by…
What’s stalling energy storage system production in 2023?
Jabil announced the findings of its 2023 global survey of energy storage and battery solution providers. The results reveal a steady expansion in the production of energy storage systems (ESS) to ensure a consistent energy supply while increasing power grid stability. Amid intensifying global energy demands, 88% of the survey participants are struggling to scale…
Danfoss to power all North America facilities with solar energy by 2025
With an eye toward achieving their global decarbonization goals, Danfoss North America recently signed a power purchase agreement with CIG Capital, a U.S.-based project financing firm, to purchase about 75 MW of solar power from a solar farm in Texas, starting in 2025. The initial agreement term is 12 years, allowing Danfoss to fully replace…
Top trends in linear motion technology: Part 2 of 2
For the annual Design World Trends issue, we asked industry experts to share their insights into linear-motion trends. Here’s more of what they had to say on linear actuators, linear guides, and stages. Meet the experts Dave Walden | Applications engineer • PBC Linear Eric Rice | Product market manager — electric automation • Festo Samuel Orozco | […]
Top trends in linear motion technology: Part 1 of 2
We recently asked several industry experts about trends they’re seeing in the design and use of linear actuators, linear guides, and stages. Here’s what those experts had to say. Meet the experts Saurabh Khetan | Product line manager — Leadscrews • Thomson Industries Inc. Justin Lackey | Product manager — Systems • Bosch Rexroth Kelly Walden | V.P. […]
The latest technologies for agriculture and off-highway automation
With the rise of smart farming in agriculture, equipment manufacturers face the challenge of maximizing machine uptime in harsh and extreme environments. Companies are leveraging different types of motion systems to improve reliability in their designs, with technology evolving alongside farming practices. Such systems take advantage of advancements across automation more generally, which includes robotics,…
Automation’s evolving uses for motors and drives
As automation continues to expand in existing as well as newer applications, the enabling automation technology is evolving to keep pace with these changes. Motors and drives are no exception. In particular, motors have gotten smaller to accommodate space and size restrictions in new, unique applications. There have also been changes to how motors are…
Engineer’s update on encoder, sensor, and feedback technologies
Recently, a number of encoder, sensor, and feedback industry experts answered several questions about trends they are seeing with these components and the industry more generally. Here’s what they had to say. MEET THE EXPERTS Bill Paczkowski | Senior product manager for PACEdge • Emerson Robert Cachro | Program manager – growth and innovation •…
How design support and e-learning are addressing labor shortage
We recently asked several industry experts about trends they’re seeing in engineering training, software tools, and support. Here’s what those experts had to say. Meet the experts Nathan Andaya | Director Techline SBU • LINAK U.S. Boaz Eidelberg | CTO • SAAR Inc. James Gallant | Director of operations • ISL Products International Ltd. Chris…
The latest in EV, eBike, and AGV motion systems
We recently asked several industry experts about the trends they’re seeing in the design and use of electric vehicles (EVs), scooters, eBikes, and autonomous ground vehicles (AGVs). Here’s what those experts had to say. MEET THE EXPERTS Ian Blasch | Senior director— business development • Jabil James Gallant | Director of operations • ISL Products…
The automation best addressing supply-chain and labor issues
In its wake, the COVID pandemic left lingering supply-chain issues that are still affecting manufacturing and other automated industries. Now some slowdowns at least have cleared. By Lisa Eitel | Executive editor The last few years’ supply-chain issues have featured container ships waiting weeks for cargo unloading; empty shelves at stores; year-long waits for appliances;…
15 industry experts on relentless semiconductor woes — and fixes
Semiconductor products were more affected than any other by COVID-induced supply-chain issues felt around the world. International political tensions have only prolonged and exacerbated the problem. By Lisa Eitel | Executive editor Every modern gadget, vehicle, smart device, and appliance is peppered over with semiconductors galore — offering that singular function of processing power that…
Top industrial connectivity and digital-transformation trends: Part 2 of 2
In the first part of this Design World Trends series, we heard from industry experts about discrete automation’s edge devices; efforts to promote standards for increased system compatibilities and interoperabilities; and the rise of fog computing as well as industrial uses for wireless technologies such as 5G. In this follow-up piece, we detail the holistic…
Top industrial connectivity and digital-transformation trends: Part 1 of 2
Discrete automation’s edge devices include actuators, sensors, and connectivity components such as gateways and motor-mounted controllers. Many of these components feature computational capabilities to minimize data bandwidth and latency issues associated with legacy versions of centralized control. Their installation at the furthest reaches of automated equipment means their processing power is situated to filter and…