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By Cory Thiel, WAGO Product Manager – Interconnect In today’s increasingly automated age, it is somewhat bewildering to realize that hand soldering of electronic componentry remains a viable connection technique. But then again, why not? We have been doing hand soldering by some estimations since 3000 BC in Mesopotamia. Of course, the soldered joints at…

Implementing modern (and easy to adopt!) practices for PLC workflows helps avoid costly downtime and recover quickly when it occurs With real-world hazards from fires and floods to cyber attacks on the rise, and more than just production at risk, it’s more important than ever for industrial manufacturers to implement smarter workflows, protect assets and…

By Kevin Siegel, Marketing Manager HELUKABEL® offers diverse Industrial Ethernet solutions to face the challenges of evolving industries. Our HELUKAT® cables are much more than your average Industrial Ethernet cables. Communication Protocols: PROFINET (Type A, B, C, & R), Ethernet/IP, EtherCat, CC-Link and others. Maximize Speed:  Cat 5 through Cat 7 available. The higher the…

By Michael Boudreau, P.Eng., Application Engineering Manager As a relatively young technology, and with their initial applications being in heavy industries such as injection molding, roller screws are often considered to be best suited for applications where they replace hydraulic cylinders or other high-load drive mechanisms. And, yes, some roller screw designs are ideal for…

Custom or standard, Smalley takes great pride in its unparalleled dedication to delivering quality wave spring solutions for a variety of industries. Both wave springs and traditional coil springs fall under the category of compression springs. While the primary function of a compression spring is to provide axial load, wave springs have a few key differences and advantages when compared to coil springs. Wave…

Streamlining PLC workflows with modern DevOps efficiencies Until now, code development for industrial automation has not been able to take advantage of modern DevOps processes that have transformed traditional software development, due to the visual nature of PLC programming and the variety of development environments. New solutions are aiming to change this, with tools tailor-built for…

By Reese Weber, Senior Application Engineer, 3M Industrial Adhesives and Tapes Division and Bridget Nyland, Global Marketing Manager, 3M Industrial Adhesives and Tapes Division COVID-19, supply-chain issues, an ongoing labor shortage and greater sustainability requirements have accelerated the need to reassess all aspects of production, including fastening methods and automating production. Tapes and adhesives provide…

Maintenance-free and torsionally stiff connecting elements for smooth stable running For many decades engineers have turned to the flexible disc pack coupling for applications requiring maximum reliability and uptime, minimizing wear on adjacent equipment, and eliminating the need for lubrication or maintenance of the coupling itself.  Before disc couplings were invented, flexible couplings nearly always…

Safely and Easily Secure Your High-Speed Rotational Needs! Rotational capacity requirements for modern applications are higher than ever, especially in electric motors, gearboxes, and automotive transmissions. As the market leader for innovative retaining ring solutions, Smalley has been continually investing in ongoing research and development to meet the demand for high RPM requirements. Smalley’s latest…

By Charlie Norz, Automation Product Manager The networked, intelligent, self-controlling, self-optimizing, and resource-efficient production is the central scenario of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) – the smart factory. Despite the alleged advantages that IIoT appears to offer, questions remain for many companies, such as: Why is it even necessary? What level of their own…

Apply smart climate control principles to reduce energy usage and help ensure long service life of your equipment Why Enclosure Climate Control is More Important than Ever Electrical systems are becoming increasingly compact and the number of circuits per unit volume is growing, leading to higher heat generation per unit volume. The rule of thumb…

By Kent Tabor, President, CTO and Founder, EmbedTek, LLC The accuracy and reliability of Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology means that whatever application it is used for, you can be confident you have the best technology to detect a contact event. UWB is a wireless technology that uses radio frequency to measure distance precisely and securely over…

By Steve Sullivan, Training Supervisor, Rittal North America LLC The materials you chose for your industrial enclosures will impact the lifespan and performance of the electronic and automation components housed within. With numerous materials available, each offering different protective advantages, how can you be confident in your choice? The answer: it comes down to your…

Economical multi-strand roller chain and timing belt conveyors from Glide-Line By Kevin Mauger Roller conveyors are perfect for most applications but when it comes to conveying wide or awkwardly shaped parts, they can present some challenges. The primary concerns for engineers come into play with either assembly automation processes on the line, or generally avoiding…

Ultra-wideband (UWB) used to be a well-kept secret. The wireless technology uses radio frequency to measure distance precisely and securely over a short range. And for about 10 years, UWB was almost exclusively used for real-time location systems (RTLS) to track and manage assets inside of warehouses. There was one dominant UWB chip manufacturer and…

By Kevin Siegel, Marketing Manager HELUKABEL, one of the leading global manufacturers and suppliers of cable, wires and accessories, recently announced that multiple PVC-jacketed control and motor cables have recently been tested and certified by ECOLAB for use during washdown processes found typically in the food and beverage industries. The newly certified control and motor…

The following is an overview of different technologies available when selecting the correct electronic valve for your application. Spider Valve Technology Invented and patented by Clippard, this deceptively simple design features only one moving part with a mere 0.007″ of travel. The spider is an armature spring that undergoes a variety of proprietary processes, including…

By Justyna Rapacz, Marketing Engineer Smalley Spirolox Retaining Rings are the trusted industry solution because of their unique configuration, reliability, and convenience across thousands of applications. While we have five standard types of retaining rings broken down into 30 configurations, we also know that every application is unique. If one of our standard retaining rings does not…

By Tom Quartararo, Mechatronics Engineer Integrated actuators are quickly becoming the preferred solution for a majority of industries including industrial automation, unmanned vehicles, and laboratory applications for reasons including higher reliability, ease of use, and cost/space savings. The recent advances in microcontrollers and digital signal processing have enabled manufacturers to build highly capable motor control…

Press Release Stuttgart (Germany), 18 March 2021 Oskar Lapp was a great inventor and a passionate entrepreneur. Together with his wife Ursula Ida Lapp, he has created a company with a global reputation. The LAPP Group founder would have turned 100 on 20 March 2021. His inventions have shaped connection technology worldwide to this day.…

Developments in Semiconductor, Microscopy, and Analytical Instrumentation are driving the need for motion control systems to operate faster, more precisely, and with greater throughput. Motion requirements in vacuum and atmosphere applications, are being specified with dimensional stability at the 1nm level, along with higher duty cycle and reliability. Nanomotion’s new SE motor family increases the…

As machine builders strive to meet consumer demands for more customization, they are looking for more variations in their industrial machinery (IM) equipment. Some machine builders are finding ways to build their machines using more modular components and arrangements of subassemblies. However, this comes at the cost of integration challenges. Every change in software, hardware,…

Supreme 10HT has demonstrated superior strength properties, proven by several research studies. Master Bond Supreme 10HT has demonstrated superior strength when used to bond surfaces under challenging conditions. It is a toughened system that is cryogenically serviceable from 4K to 400°F. It withstands mechanical and thermal shocks, meets NASA low outgassing specifications, and withstands 1,000…

By Kate Nadeau, mk North America, Inc. When you think of a conveyor you may think of a simple device, maybe with a belt or a set of rollers or both, designed to move product from one point to another. Or maybe you think of the check out counter at the grocery store. Or perhaps…

Drills, saws, sanders, and grinders – what do all of these power tools have in common? Retaining rings keep them from falling apart. A retaining ring’s function is to hold components or assemblies in place. For a retaining ring in a power tool, this is no easy feat as it is regularly exposed to high axial and…