Automation Control System
The image gallery above, based on Modern Machine Shop magazine’s Modern Equipment Review Spotlight, features a variety of automation equipment, from pallet handling to programming and modeling software. Swipe through the gallery for details, and follow the caption links for mo
Teradyne Inc. and the shareholders of Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) have announced the acquisition of MiR (Odense, Denmark). MiR is a supplier of collaborative autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for industrial applications. “We are excited to have MiR join Teradyne’s wideni
ATI Industrial Automation’s U1-050 universal compliance compensator (UCC) has a variety of features for adaptability in tasks such as automated assembly, bin picking, machine loading and unloading, and robotic finishing. The UCC complies in a range of directions to ov
Liebherr Automation Systems’ PHS Allround pallet handling system is designed to enable flexible production with four- and five-axis machining centers in a range of shops. The modular concept, available in three capacities, can handle loads weighing up to 3 tons and can be individually configur
Güdel introduces ArcTrack, a flexible, pre-configured robot track motion module for arc welding applications that can reduce lead time by as much as 40 percent, according to the company. The pre-engineered TrackMotion Floor (TMF-2) configuration has an auxiliary shelf
Featuring power- and force-limiting technology, Yaskawa Motoman’s six-axis HC10 collaborative robot (cobot) works safely with or near humans by stopping in the event of contact with an operator. Dual torque sensors in all joints continually monitor force to quickly react to
WorkNC from Vero Software introduces two tools to its portfolio: a direct-modeling CAD system and a robot module. The company claims these tools make off-line robot programming easy, even for inexperienced users. WorkNC Designer enables users to create designs or modify existing geometry from third
Suhner has released the RobotSander, an adaptive surface treatment solution suited for the automotive, aerospace, appliance, off-highway and outdoor power equipment markets. It can benefit operations including material protection, surface brightening, paint preparations and CFRP activation
Fastems will exhibit its automation management software and equipment, including a variety of extendable and flexible manufacturing systems and robot applications, advanced MMS (Manufacturing Management System) controls, stacker cranes, conveyors, loading/unloading stations, pallet magazines and ass
By combining processes such as machining and measuring with automation, transfer lines can increase productivity. However, the complex and diverse requirements of manufacturing components for cars and other commercial vehicles can complicate the development of transfer lines for the automotive indus
Heidenhain introduces encoders designed specifically for the requirements of the robotics, medical and drive technology industries. The ECI 4000 absolute inductive rotary encoder is designed for hollow shaft diameters of 180 mm. This modular system with scale drum and separate scannin
TM Robotics introduces TSAssist software, a programming tool. The software assists with all phases of automation, including planning, design and improvement. This software package reduces potential calibration issues that result from using multiple software platforms. 
Abco Automation (Browns Summit, North Carolina), designer and builder of factory automation systems, has signed a value-added reseller (VAR) agreement with Visual Components (Helsinki, Finland), a maker of 3D simulation software for manufacturing. Abco will add the company’s simulation softwar
FANUC (Rochester Hills, Michigan) recently announced the production of its 500,000th robot. “Automation and robotics are key drivers of manufacturing competitiveness,” says Mike Cicco, president and CEO of FANUC America. “More companies are using automation to overcome ineffi
SW North America Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Germany-based Schwäbische Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH, recently opened a 40,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in New Hudson, Michigan, with managing directors from Germany, local and county officials, and invited suppliers and customers in att
With the promise of “quality parts, made to print, delivered on time,” Walt Machine of Lumberton, Mississippi, prides itself on its reliability, but it struggled in the face of a potential bottleneck. Every year, the company uses a single CNC machine to produce thousands of camera housin
This article from our January issue describes how a job shop increased its capacity by using a flexible, easy-to-program system for automating part loading and unloading. Kilgore Manufacturing in Columbia City, Indiana, was looking for automated part-loading option adaptable to small-batch product
Liebherr’s LP 100 gantry portal has a flexible design suited for smaller, lighter components and in-line production. The design can meet a range of production process requirements, including the option to set a wider clearance between uprights, for multiple design and installation options. It
The video details how vision and robotics enable two robots to keep production running rapidly through two small vertical machining centers. The robot inside the machines is gray because this is a corrosion-resistant robot suitable for use in an environment of flood coolant.
Roboworld’s Pendant Armor protective frame is a shock-absorbing bumper designed to protect robot teach pendants from damage when accidentally dropped. The bumper protects the most vulnerable part of the machine-user interface like a ruggedized smartphone or tablet case, saving shops from the c
Automation Control System