Grippers are essential components of industrial robots and handling systems because they are the connection between the handling system and the workpiece. Grippers function using pneumatics, electrical power, vacuum, or a combination thereof to manipulate the workpiece or tool and achieve their desired task. Festo has a vast portfolio of grippers and accessories to support automated handling applications across a range of industries.
In the fast-paced automotive industry, every second of manufacturing uptime counts. With potential losses of over $30,000 per minute, minimizing downtime is not just important – it’s crucial. Enter the game-changers: remote I/O and IO-Link technologies. These innovations have transformed the landscape, enabling automotive plants to significantly reduce downtime and shift towards proactive maintenance strategies.
Automated Test Equipment (ATE) and Automated Test Systems (ATS) serve the critical purpose of ensuring that electronic devices operate according to specifications in the field. As such, these systems are widely utilized for testing automotive electronics, batteries, telecom infrastructure, renewable energy systems, and consumer electronics. The aerospace and defense sectors also make substantial investments in ATE due to the criticality of electronics utilized in military equipment such as aircraft, naval vessels, and ground vehicles, as well as in various systems like weapons, radar, and wireless communication.
Canada is Partner Country of HANNOVER MESSE 2025, underscoring the strong economic and political ties between “The True North” and Germany. Canada announced its Partner Country commitment in August 2022 when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hosted German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Canada. Canada’s starring role from 31 March to 4 April 2025 at HANNOVER MESSE will demonstrate how global partnerships will propel the world to a smarter and greener future.
PECM (Pulsed Electrochemical Machining) is a fast corrosion process that can form complicated geometries atom by atom. It is therefore ideal for the precise manufacturing of metal parts for high-tech applications. To integrate the core process into a fully automated, high-throughput production line, Voxel Innovations and Palmetto Mechatronics relied on the open PC-based control technology from Beckhoff.
Digital twins are a key component of the factory of the future – in fact, they are a key component now. The ability to create a digital model of any process, asset, product, and even facility—regardless of the complexity—transforms how manufacturers design, build, commission, maintain, and decommission all aspects of their operations. Rockwell Automation and Microsoft are helping manufacturers deploy digital twins to automate and optimize production, create resilient and predictable supply chains, empower the workforce, drive sustainability and ESG initiatives, as well as accelerate business transformation.
In this rapidly changing world of industrial automation, the terminal blocks remain some of the unsung heroes. Small but mighty, they make sure that connections are seamless and that all machinery and systems which constitute modern industries are running smoothly. But like everything else in technology, they too have not remained static. Very recently, innovations seek to not only make them more efficient but sustainable and smarter than ever before.
Electrical enclosures are critical to safeguarding sensitive IT and electrical components, but they can be vulnerable to extreme temperatures and humidity. This is where enclosure heaters come in—compact, efficient systems designed to maintain a stable internal environment within your enclosures, regardless of external conditions. This article will explore the three primary benefits of enclosure heaters and why they’re essential for protecting your assets and ensuring operational reliability.
Relays serve as the backbone of industrial control systems, enabling the control of high-power circuits using low-power signals. Understanding different relay contact configurations is crucial for designing effective control systems. This article will explore the various types of relay contacts and their applications in industrial automation.
The Safety Functional Requirements Specification (SFRS; sometimes referred to as SRS or Safety Requirements Specification) is the plan for the safety controls on a machine and is the second step of the safety lifecycle. The SFRS document serves as a framework for the safety control system design, is informed by prior work done in the risk assessment, and directly impacts the design and validation of the control system.
Endress+Hauser’s Asset Health Monitoring Solution–Rockwell Edition, now available for installation, provides operators with a centralized, digital overview of plant-wide device health to avoid unscheduled shutdowns and accelerate troubleshooting. It not only presents early visibility of problematic devices but distinguishes itself by adding likely causes and remedies to such a report so problems can be fixed faster and often remotely, optimizing workflows and maintenance scheduling. Trips to the field are minimized. The software adds remote device configuration, advanced diagnostics and preventive maintenance capabilities to any existing or planned Rockwell Automation control system.
Explore how Omron’s latest X-Ray machines and AI-driven solutions are setting new standards in manufacturing efficiency and quality control. The manufacturing landscape is swiftly evolving, and Omron is at the forefront with its innovative PCB inspection machines. These systems offer profound insights into SMT production process, enhanced quality control, and can significantly reduce labor costs. Advancements found in Omron’s technology are pivotal for staying competitive and efficient in a dynamic industry.
Software is playing an increasingly important role in mechanical engineering. What used to be mostly solved mechanically is now done by electronics and the associated software. “With KUKA Digital, we are expanding our offering in order to position ourselves broadly for a market with strong growth potential. Our customers need products, solutions and consulting approaches to digitalize faster, more efficiently and more easily,” says Quirin Goerz, KUKA Chief Information Officer and CEO of the newly founded digital segment.
In today’s industrial environments, flexibility and reliability in safety solutions are essential. Proax is proud to introduce the tGard series: a medium-duty range of configurable access and control solutions from Fortress Interlocks. When manufacturing and industrial automation applications call for a system that is versatile yet compact, tGard can be configured to meet your exact safety needs.
Smart manufacturing faces a myriad of challenges: a shortage of skilled labour. supply chain issues, and technological advancements that, for companies who cannot keep pace, threaten a competitive edge. Solving these problems today, and into the future, is critical to ensure the success of the industry. Empowering the next generation to explore careers in the skilled trades – especially smart manufacturing – provides considerable benefits for young people and the society in which they live and work. Networks such as Manufacturing USA play a key role in these efforts by sharing information and a united vision for the future of manufacturing.
When it comes to selecting a VFD for a motor, many professionals start with the values provided for Normal Duty (ND) and Heavy Duty (HD). It seems straightforward — these ratings supposedly help match a drive to a motor based on its operating cycle. But here’s the truth: these numbers can be misleading. In fact, the Heavy Duty rating is essentially a derated version of the VFD’s Normal Duty value.
This project is funded [in part] by the Government of Canada.
Ce projet est financé [en partie] par le gouvernement du Canada.
