Digital transformation is top of mind for business leaders, solutions providers and consultants these days. The multi-trillion-dollar predictions on everything from IOT to AI/Machine Learning are indeed staggering to think about. That said, when it comes to manufacturing systems our recent experience suggests that organizations are still cautious when it comes to investment and taking their first steps into the digital world.
The United Nations estimates that world population will climb from 7 billion to 9 billion by 2050. This means higher demand for food for the growing population, and more work for the farmers to produce more food. And they will need fertilizers to do it, which is where potash comes in, as 96% of the world’s production of potash is used in fertilizers.
A safety light curtain can help avoid serious accidents on the factory floor by ensuring that a potentially hazardous machine ceases operation before a person enters the hazard zone. However, this is only the case if the light curtain has been set up at a sufficient distance relative to the time it takes for the machine to stop.
There’s a contaminant that has long troubled water and wastewater operations, and you won’t find it in the water. Harmonic distortion is like a pollutant on a power line. It can cause electrical equipment to act erratically or shut off, resulting in unplanned downtime. And it can frustrate workers by making water treatment systems more difficult to optimize.
Harting Canada held their annual trade media luncheon in Toronto this past month to provide insight into the company’s direction moving into the next fiscal year. The event provided Panel Builder & Systems Integrator a fantastic opportunity to sit down with Carl Maalouf, the Canadian Director of Sales for Harting Canada, as well as Territory Sales Manager, Peter Hanna.
Cole Technologies, Inc, located in Columbus, Indiana, are a certified Universal Robots system integrator supplying automation systems specializing in pick and place, deburring, and plastic part trimming applications. One recent project involved the deflashing of molded parts where a more accurate robot path was deemed necessary.
Omron are committed to developing advanced technologies that maximize our customers’ potential for innovation. They invest 7% annually in research and development so that they can design and build products in-house that work together at maximum efficiency.
Many shops shy away from manufacturing jobs involving parts that require some form of gear machining operations. These shops believe that such work is very complicated and requires specialized expertise and equipment, including individual machines dedicated to gear skiving or hobbing.
It can feel like you can do anything with your smart machines today thanks to the near infinite potential of data, connectivity and IoT technologies. But one thing can still hold them back: their computing assets.
Food and pharmaceutical makers can better protect the integrity of their products using new hygienic industrial control hardware from Rockwell Automation. The new Allen-Bradley Kinetix VPH hygienic servo motors and a new stainless-steel version of the Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus 7 graphic terminal both help minimize contamination during production and ease compliance.
Significant business growth challenges can be turned into growth opportunities with careful planning and use of Canadian government funding programs.
The other day I came across an interesting article that takes us back to some early innovations regarding the use of electric motors in manufacturing facilities. The article titled “The Electric Motor in Factories”, and was published in Science by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1889.
Modern 5-axis and multi-tasking machines as well as high-precision machining centers for micro-cutting enable continuously new and improved machining concepts. In addition to the cutting edge, the choice of the tool clamping device is the main key to success. The range of technologies is correspondingly large. A systematic comparison helps to define the optimum clamping technology for the respective machining process.
The savings keep coming when you use a variable frequency drive (VFD) with synchronous bypass and transfer capabilities. It can help reduce up-front capital costs and long-term energy and maintenance costs in various motor-control applications. And along with the cost savings, the VFD can help you increase efficiency and achieve more flexible process control.
What do NBA sportsmen like the world champions from Toronto, The Raptors, and the workings of their teams, have in common with system technology from Rittal and Eplan? More than you might expect. In short, both operate on an “all for one and one for all” basis. Both demonstrate how coordinated systems that link together can tap into unimagined potential.
This June the Pepperl+Fuchs road tour made its way through Ontario and Quebec, visiting several automation providers and manufacturing facilities. During one of the stops at a manufacturing facility in southern Ontario I was able to tour the mobile exhibit with Richard Krawczyk, Account Manager of Factory Automation in Canada.
This project is funded [in part] by the Government of Canada.
Ce projet est financé [en partie] par le gouvernement du Canada.
