“Contributing to the advancement of the science of robotics in the service of mankind.” This is the inscription on the medallion bestowed to the winners of The Engelberger Robotics Award each year. This prestigious award is named after Joseph F. Engelberger, the founding force behin

While much of West Virginia is made up of mining operations, the northern region of the state does have a rich history in manufacturing as the southern part of the Rust Belt. In the last 50 years, the region has lost more than 50 percent of its manufacturing operations. Some areas i

Tucson, Arizona is an area with a storied history. The town has exchanged hand so many times in the last 300 years that it has had five different flags flying over the region in the past – Spanish, Mexican, Confederate, American and the State of Arizona. The major employers in the a

Robots need to be kept in tip-top shape, since their work is critical to a company’s productivity. When a robot malfunctions, output can be seriously compromised. Even though human workers might monitor their robots closely, when malfunction strikes, it is usually too late: producti

For fabrication shops interested in enhancing welding productivity, the eCell robotic cell is the perfect solution. The eCell LR pre-engineered robotic welding cell is comprised of a fixed table, dual work zone unit. It is ideal for small to medium-sized parts that do not require po

Manufacturing has played a huge role in the economic fabric of Pennsylvania for decades. 90 percent of the exports that come out of Pennsylvania are manufactured goods. However, manufacturing only makes up 10 percent of the employment picture in Pennsylvania. That is due to young pe

With a population of over 30,000 residents, Hopkinsville, Kentucky is not exactly small. The area has a wide range of businesses and industry that one would not expect to find in a town that size. Over 50 companies make up the landscape, including international companies and Fortune

A structural element that has a length longer than width and thickness is deemed a beam. A slender element such as a beam can experience bending and deformation when it is subjected to an external load applied perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis. For example, a beam like a clos

Saginaw, Michigan was once a booming logging town. Then, after the logging industry moved on, Saginaw started to rise as a manufacturing hub in Michigan. Of course, like all other manufacturing communities in Michigan, the city was hit hard in the first part of the 21st century by p

The use of robots improves efficiency and accuracy on a variety of applications. Robot capabilities range from working on trivial tasks to industrial processes like welding and drilling to operating on humans undergoing surgery.Robots are appliances/machines that are controlled by a

When you think of manufacturing in Ohio, you may think of metal or coal manufacturing – the state’s old school manufacturing. However, there is a whole new school of manufacturing in the state that has to do with plastics, colorants and polymers. In places like Avon Lake, Ohio, thes

When people in Central Ohio think of car manufacturing, their first thought may go to the small town of Marysville, Ohio where there is a large Honda America manufacturing plant. The Honda plant in Marysville is responsible for building the Honda Accord and the Acura TL. The company

Living in the middle of the Rust Belt many cause many people to think of Ohio as a large steel, iron and overall metal working state. However, it isn’t just about metal these days. Now, plastics and other polymers are making their way to the front of the line for manufacturing and r

The history of metal fabrication in Michigan goes back to the car industry and probably before. Prior to the invention of cars and trucks, metal had to be fabricated for farm equipment like plows, as well as carriages to be pulled by horses. However, when the car business came to Mi

Automation has proved crucial to quality improvement and cost competitiveness in the textile industry. All processes of textile manufacturing have undergone automation, resulting in gains in productivity and efficiency. Fiber manufacturing automation has been beneficial to the indu

With a name like Ypsilanti, nicknamed Ypsi, it is hard to forget this small Michigan town of less than 20,000. Lying in the southeastern part of the state, Ypsilanti has seen its share of manufacturing history, playing an important role in the huge automotive industry in Michigan. N

Steel mills have been a staple of productivity in America for many years. As globalization occurs, steel mills have the opportunity to reevaluate their methods of production. No longer are paper and pencils necessary to calculate the right mix of iron ore. Robots have arrived. Afte

The Fanuc M6i is an earlier model robot from the Fanuc line. That is not to say that it does not have merit. Unlike other machines that can be obsolete, robots like the M-6i can last for decades, being retooled and refitted to perform all kinds of applications. Of course, this kind

The Motoman HP20 is one of the most versatile models made by Motoman today. The robot can weld, handle material and remove material with the best of them. It is used in industries around the world. However, it is not just the end-of-arm tooling that is important when looking at this

There are several jobs that don’t translate to the frigid temperatures of the Great White North – parasailing coach, beach volleyball instructor, swamp boat captain – but some of the more tradition jobs like manufacturing are going strong, even up in snowy Alaska. And what’s helping