How Omron’s “Three I’s of Automation” Create a Roadmap for the Factory of the Future

July 6, 2022

DCS Omrons Three Is of Automation Create Roadmap for Factory of the Future 1 400

What will the factory of the future look like? This is the question that many professionals in the automation and manufacturing industries are seeking to answer. While most proposed descriptions are lofty yet lacking in concrete details, there are also many attempts to extrapolate from cutting-edge technologies that already exist. What we need to do is connect the grandiose vision with the minutiae, and its sweeping (and yet unrealized) capabilities with today’s real-world applications that sit right on the boundary between practical and experimental. Omron’s “three I’s of automation” – integrated, intelligent, and interactive – offer us a way to do this.

Integrated Technologies Are Key for Interoperability

At Omron, they make sure that all their technologies are designed to work seamlessly together as complete, end-to-end factory automation solutions. This is important not just for mitigating the performance-hampering impact of using technologies from multiple platforms, but also for ensuring interoperability for their customers.

Automation customers are seeking greater levels of interoperability between devices comprising a total solution so that they can focus on their strengths of designing and producing products rather than managing the automated system. Omron robots and vision systems, for example, can be tied together with laser marking to simplify error proofing.

Integration will be a key driver of the factory of the future because it enables customers to pivot faster in response to changing consumer demand. Flexible manufacturing is more effective when technologies are fully integrated and modular.

Intelligent Technologies Help Manufacturers Make Better Business Decisions

Recently, a lot of attention has been paid to “tribal knowledge” in manufacturing since the nuanced and qualitative know-how of experienced professionals nearing retirement is central to concerns about the industry’s labor shortage. With so many experienced manufacturing workers retiring all at once, it can be difficult to get new hires up to speed.

Intelligent automation devices can help solve this problem by aggregating and storing the knowledge that would otherwise go out the door with retirement-age professionals. Machine learning algorithms can recognize what constitutes abnormal machine behavior, allowing inexperienced workers to discover a potentially urgent issue and initiate repairs.

Machine learning also helps manufacturers make more informed decisions based on trends that even the most experienced workers might not see. In the factory of the future, autonomous systems will identify subtle trends, make informed decisions, and communicate these decisions to other devices without necessarily needing human input.

Interactive Technologies Improve Usability and Safety

Omron’s vision for the factory of the future rests heavily on the concept of harmony between humans and machines. In this view, intelligent devices aren’t meant to replace human workers, but rather to enhance their skillset by taking care of repetitive tasks, heavy lifting, and applications that involve hazardous materials and hard-to-reach areas.

Technologies that are designed to be interactive, like the Omron TM Series collaborative robot, include safety measures that let operators work alongside them without incident. These devices also have user-friendly features that allow even a new hire to easily set them up for a new application.

Interactive technologies are an essential component of a flexible, future-ready manufacturing environment because they make it easier for companies to accommodate changing market demands as well as the varying needs of their workforce.

Interested in learning more about Omron’s vision for the factory of the future? Check out Omron’s Episode 11 podcast, featuring special guest Mike Chen, by clicking here

Source

Put to the Ultimate Test – Part 1: Torsion Tests by HELUKABEL

DCS Put to the Ultimate Test Part 1 Torsion Tests by HELUKABEL 1 400x275

Cables and wires in industrial robots and other moving machine parts are often required to withstand extreme stresses caused by torsion. Constant repetitive movements put materials under considerable strain. At the same time, operators expect components to function perfectly and reliably throughout their entire service life to avoid disruptions, outages and safety hazards.

For this reason, at HELUKABEL, we simulate intensive and continuous torsion stresses under realistic conditions with our high-tech testing equipment in Windsbach. We have several types of apparatus for doing this because some of our customers, for example those in the automotive industry, have very precise specifications for how a torsion test is carried out. The tests show that our cables and wires withstand speeds up to 1,000°/s, accelerations up to 2,000°/s² and torsion angles up to 720°. Hence, we make sure that each product always meets our customers’ high standards, and that they receive the impeccable quality they rightly expect from us as a leading supplier of cables, wires and accessories for more than 40 years.

What Is Torsion?

To learn the answer, click here

30 Minute Live Webinar 2:30 PM ET January 19th, 2023

With PC-based automation, you can implement applications and solutions that far exceed the functions of a classic controller. SIMATIC PC-based products offer you a flexible, innovative platform with long-term availability that give you a home field advantage when meeting the challenges of the digital factory for your machines and plants.

Festo Didactic at the Forefront of Developing Canada’s Future Work Force

DCS Festo Didactic at the Forefront of Developing Canadas Future Workforce 1 400x275

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.

Product News

DCS Control Techniques Adds Wall Mount Packages 1 400x275

Control Techniques Adds Wall Mounted Packages to ...

When working with industrial pumping, such as crop irrigation or wastewater ...