May 9, 2019
Proax Technologies was proud to be involved with the the 6th Annual Windsor Great Lakes District, First Robotics Competition which took place on March 29th-30th 2019 at the St. Denis Centre. Not only was Proax a proud sponsor for the SAINTS BOT TEAM but Cathy Campbell was selected to sit on the panel of judges for the competition. Here is a recap of her experience at this event which saw 1500 high school students representing 40 Robotics teams from across Ontario enjoy fun and educational competition.
This year's challenge theme was called "Destination: Deep Space", presented by Boeing Company, commemorating the 50thAnniversary of the first moon landing.1
What is a FIRST Robotics Competition?
FIRST Robotics could be described as the following : Combining the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. They call FIRST Robotics Competition the ultimate Sport for the Mind. High-school student participants call it “the hardest fun you’ll ever have.”
The FIRST acronym stands for For Inspiration & Recognition of Science & Technology.
Cathy's Experience
"It was really inspiring to listen to these kids and seeing their excitement for the robotics program. The co-founder of First Robotics, Woodie Flowers came to this event for the first time and I was able to meet him, the kids were totally pumped that he was there. The last picture shows him with the team."
The Saints Bot team came in 3rd place at the quarter finals but were beat out by a team from the GTA area. They did end up winning the safety award though, which is an impressive recognition. Notice the ROBOTUNITS assembly they constructed for their “pit” area. Robotunits is an aluminum extrusion system with connectors and accessories that do not require drilling or welding to create extremely rigid connections. Contact your local Proax office for further information on this or any other product.
For more information, visit HERE.
With Canadian manufacturing suffering from a growing labour shortage, the participation of industry in skills development is emerging as a vital component in hiring and retention.
The needs are stark: The Canadian Exporters and Manufacturers Association says almost 40% of its members have jobs they can’t fill. Five years from now, 60% expect to be short-staffed, especially when it comes to skilled trades. Statistics Canada forecasts the country’s labour force growth rate will remain below 0.2% for the rest of the decade, below replacement levels.
This growing shortage is affecting companies of all sizes. Already, some manufacturers acknowledge losing out on contracts because they can’t find the manpower to fulfill them.
In reality, the challenge is two-fold: to replenish and expand the workforce to help close the gap between the number of job seekers and vacancies through 2030 when the last baby boomers reach age 65, and ensure workers get opportunities throughout their careers to upgrade or add to their skillset as current technologies evolve and new ones emerge. Festo, through Festo Didactic, one of the world leading provider of equipment and solutions for technical education, intends to help Canada meet this challenge on both fronts. In essence, the approach Festo has always taken is that the learning never stops.
Read more here
New Product
Emerson recently introduced the ASCO™ Series 209 proportional flow control valves, which offer the highest standards of precision, pressure ratings, flow characteristics and energy efficiency available in a purpose-built, compact architecture. With this combination of size and performance, Series 209 valves allow users to precisely regulate the flow of fluid in a wide range of devices that require exacting performance, like those found in the medical equipment, food and beverage, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industries.
Accuracy, response time and repeatability are critical in high-precision flow control applications, such as controlling tool speed in dental chairs, the flow of steam in coffee makers, water flow in cooling systems and hydrogen flow in fuel cells. Series 209 valves have low hysteresis (less than or equal to 5%), excellent repeatability (less than or equal to 1%) and high sensitivity (less than or equal to 0.2%) that contribute to their precision.
To find out more, click here
Featured Product
Teledyne FLIR Integrated Imaging Solutions is pleased to announce the all new Ladybug6— the latest addition to its field proven Ladybug series. Ladybug6 is the leading high-resolution camera designed to capture 360-degree spherical images from moving platforms in all-weather conditions. Its industrial grade design and out-of-the-box factory calibration produces 72 Megapixel (MP) images with pixel values that are spatially accurate within +/- 2 mm at 10-meter distance.
“The new Teledyne Ladybug6 is designed for mobile mapping and all-weather inspection projects requiring excellent image quality and high resolution,” said Mike Lee, Senior Product Manager at Teledyne FLIR. “With the addition of Ladybug6, we are now pleased to offer a wider variety of spherical cameras with higher resolutions ranging from 30 MP to 72 MP.”
To learn more, click here
