For flexible packaging pioneer Liquibox, sustainability has always been a priotiry. The company has more than 50 years of experience supplying pouches and bag-in-box solutions to food and beverage companies, and its liquid packaging withstands hard shipping conditions, dispenses perfectly into any machine. and maintains a small environmental footprint.
Read more: How Omron's Motion and Control Helped Liquibox...
Gartner predicts that by 2022, or perhaps sooner, more than two-thirds of companies that have implemented IoT projects will have launched at least one digital twin in production.
Founded by Warren Osak, Electromate specializes in Robotic and Mechatronic Solutions, distributing AC & DC Servo and Stepper Motors, Drives, Controls, Positioning Systems & Robots to the industrial automation market. They are also ISO9001:2015 Registered Company and LEAN Process accredited. You can find their full offering HERE.
Read more: Motion Control Q&A with Electromate CEO Warren...
Light curtains go a long way in making your operations much safer for machine operators and maintenance personnel. That said, simply purchasing and installing one doesn't ensure that all safety needs are fully met. It's important to make sure that the light curtain meets all the requirements for reducing the risks of your particular application.
Read more: Five Things to Consider When Selecting a Safety...
Electrical enclosures need cooling units in order to enhance performance and prevent failure. The acceptable operating temperature for most electrical devices exceeds 40 °C (104 °F). Devices often placed in cooling enclosures include variable frequency drives (VFDs), servo drives, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), starter kits, power supplies, inverters, relays, terminal blocks, indicator lights, and transformers.
Given that many manufacturing processes involve high heat, powerful washdowns, dust, oil and other potentially harmful conditions, it’s essential to have a means of indicating the degree to which individual components can resist their operating environments. In fact, the standardization of these qualities has become a matter of international importance.
The world stands still as COVID-19 continues to turn it upside down. No more social contact. No more ‘business as usual.’ In fact, no more ‘normal’ for many. Now, we stay home to save lives. But there are some brave souls who cannot stop like doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. And, hidden in the background we find manufacturers, machine builders and their suppliers. These are the people responsible for producing food, life-saving medicines, masks and wipes.
In times of increasing uncertainty, it is becoming a key criterion for many companies to be able to quickly adapt their production. Flexibility is not only required of employees – the systems also need to be flexibly transformable to new production processes. New solutions have to facilitate easy and quick adaptation and just as fast commissioning.
Based out of Toronto, David Willick, VP & Regional Segment Leader for Mining, Metals and Minerals, Schneider Electric, is a mining industry veteran.
The ability to size servo motors correctly is imperative for motion-controlled applications, and it can be much more involved than sizing AC induction motors. Acceleration, deceleration, and running torque must still be taken into account, but the servo’s ability to dynamically control the load’s speed and position is also important.
Read more: 4 Key Factors to Consider When Sizing Servo Motors
Editor's Pick: Featured Article
Put to the Ultimate Test – Part 1: Torsion Tests by HELUKABEL
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
Sponsored Content
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Festo Didactic at the Forefront of Developing Canada’s Future Work Force
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
Product News
New Emerson Valves Deliver Proportional Flow Control Performance in Exacting Applications
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 Announces New Ladybug6 Cameras for High Accuracy 360-Degree Spherical Image Capture
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