August, 2022

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Self-Service Analytics Aid Continuous Improvement

Automation World

Case study examples from DSM Dyneema and Hunstman Corp. illustrate how providing everyone with simple-to-use analytics tools can dramatically improve production and business operations.

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How to get a free STEM education

Design World

Teschler on Topic. Leland Teschler • Executive Editor. lteschler@wtwhmedia.com. On Twitter @ DW_LeeTeschler. If you are a kid living in the UK and want an engineering degree, you can get a free one by attending the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology. James Dyson—probably best known for his invention of the bagless vacuum cleaner—set up the Institute in 2017.

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Energybox uses Cisco IoT to power smart, sustainable business

Cisco Industrial Automation

We are delighted to have Tony Carrella, Co-Founder and President of Energybox Inc. as guest blogger on our channel. At Energybox we recognize that what’s good for the planet is often good for business, too. That’s especially true for our customers: large, multi-site businesses ranging from restaurants and convenience stores to retail and laboratory environments.

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Beyond Imagination receives order for 1,000 humanoid robots

Robotics Automation News

Robotics innovator Beyond Imagination has entered into an agreement with SELF Labs to provide at least 1,000 humanoid robots for use in agricultural “grow boxes”. This is believed to be the largest deal of its kind. SELF and Beyond are announcing a partnership to develop automated off-the-grid grow boxes. Each box will be equipped with […].

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How Legacy Tools Are Failing Inventive Manufacturing Engineers

Bringing new and improved products to market takes more than just good ideas. It requires agile, iterative production, and real-time collaboration. Most manufacturers recognize the risk of not adapting, but they’re hampered by technologies like MES that haven’t kept up with the pace of hardware innovation. As new manufacturers enter the market with technologically progressive ways of building at scale, existing manufacturers must adapt to stay relevant.

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Report calls Alliance to End Plastic Waste ‘greenwashing,' a ‘paltry' effort

Plastics News

A major industry effort to try to tackle plastic pollution in the developing world, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, faces charges of greenwashing and limited success. But AEPW says the work will take time.

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UK car production rises for third consecutive month

SMMT

UK car manufacturing output rises 8.6% in July, the third consecutive month of growth. Production of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles surges 24.7% in the month. Volumes year-to-date down -16.5% to 461,174, driven by falling exports and structural changes. UK car production rose for the third consecutive month in July, up 8.6% to 58,043 units, according to the latest figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

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From farm to fork: The role of bearings in the food and beverage supply chain

Design World

From the London Beer Flood of 1814 to the Tapioca Tanker Disaster of 1972, there has been a host of high-profile food and beverage disasters at all stages of the food processing chain. While innovative new technologies have been vital in continuing to improve the safety of modern operations, one small mechanical component is indispensable […].

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Advancements made in Australia’s largest defence shipbuilding program

Manufacturer's Monthly

Shipbuilders working on the Hunter Class Frigate program have constructed the first steel ‘block’ at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia. The first block, known as Block 16, weighs over 140 tonnes and is equal to the size of two average Australian houses. Its construction involved the expertise of 35 different trades, including engineers, boiler makers, welders, fabricators, and project managers, and took 45,000 hours to complete.

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IoT Basics: A Guide to the Internet of Things for Beginners

Robotics Automation News

IoT implies physical objects linked via wireless and wired networks. It refers to a group of internet-connected devices that communicate independently over the internet without needing a person to mediate the information exchange. You might wonder how this varies from the “internet” as most individuals realize it. It’s not that different; it’s just a form […].

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Dow temporarily cutting PE production by 15 percent

Plastics News

In an Aug. 24 letter to customers obtained by Plastics News , Dow officials said that the cutback was tied to "continued global logistics constraints," including port and rail congestion in the U.S. Gulf Coast and "dynamic conditions" in Europe.

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Mastering Digital Transformation: Your Guide to a Successful MES Implementation

70% of digital transformation projects fail (BCG, 2020). In an industry where most large software implementations falter, we recognize the importance of planning, optimization, and execution. With over 25 years of industry experience and countless successful implementations, MASS Group is opening the vault of tips and tricks to provide a complimentary step-by-step guide in implementing a Work-In-Progress (WIP) tracking software.

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New car registrations fall as supply issues continue to bite

SMMT

UK new car registrations fall -9.0% to 112,162 units as supply chain shortage continues to frustrate order fulfilment. Battery electric vehicles (BEV) buck trend, growing market share to 10.9%, but pace of growth slows. Industry outlook revised downwards, now anticipating a -2.8% fall in 2022 total new car registrations. SEE CAR REGISTRATIONS BY BRAND.

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Artificial Intelligence Autonomously Controls JSR Chemical Plant

Automation World

Using reinforcement learning AI developed by Yokogawa, along with other Yokogawa automation technologies, a distillation column at a JSR Corp. plant was autonomously operated for 35 days.

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FANUC America nearly doubles Michigan campus to accommodate automation demand

Design World

FANUC America , a supplier of CNCs, robotics and ROBOMACHINEs, announces a West Campus expansion that will push its operational space in Oakland County, Michigan, to nearly two million square feet. The construction will include a 655,000 ft 2 state-of-the-art facility to house manufacturing, engineering and R&D projects. This investment in Michigan’s growing manufacturing area includes the purchase of 67 acres of land as well as the site of the former Thomas M.

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Small business automation – why palletizing should be a priority

Universal Robots

Palletizing is the epitome of the kind of physically demanding and repetitive work that increases the chance of workplace injury when done for hours on end.

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Future Focus: Constructing Unshakeable Stability in Your Manufacturing Supply Chain

Speaker: Jay Black, Senior Account Executive

We’ve all heard the buzzwords to describe new supply chain trends: resiliency, sustainability, AI, machine learning. But what do these really mean today? Over the past few years, manufacturing has had to adapt to and overcome a wide variety of supply chain trends and disruptions to stay as stable as possible. Stability has become key in this post-COVID world, and will remain key moving forward.

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Telexistence to install AI re-stocking robots in 300 convenience stores across Japan

Robotics Automation News

Telexistence has started the mass production of its originally developed artificial intelligence robot, TX SCARA, to be installed in 300 FamilyMart stores, Japan’s top-tier convenience store chain in major metropolitan areas, starting later this month, validating its AI-based “robot-as-a-service” solution for grocery retailers. TX SCARA was created to do the specific task of restocking refrigerated […].

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What one Texas metal fabricator learned about having a robotic bending cell

The Fabricator

Garland, Texas metal fabrication shop TPI turned to a SafanDarley Mini Cell robotic press brake to stay on top of its bending jobs. The automation investment was a big step in the company’s growth.

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UK commercial vehicle output continues growth with best July for six years

SMMT

UK commercial vehicle (CV) production rises 43.9% to 8,097 units in the best July since 2016 and eleventh consecutive month of growth. Overseas demand increases by 34.2%, while production for Britain’s CV market grows by 58.5%. UK manufacturing is up 46.9% since January, at 58,693, the best year to date since 2012. UK commercial vehicle (CV) production grew by 43.9% in July, with 8,097 units of the latest vans, buses, trucks, coaches and taxis rolling off British factory lines, according to the

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Automation Use Expected to Surge with Reshoring and Legislative Support

Automation World

Multiple reports indicate the most companies—across multiple industries—plan to expand their use of automation and robotics. The resulting effects on the automation industry are likely to increase even further with passage of the CHIPS and Science Act.

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A Low-Risk, Incremental Approach to Smart Manufacturing for Small & Medium Manufacturers

This guidebook discusses how small/medium manufacturers have implemented Smart Manufacturing initiatives and realized benefits such as increased productivity as well as higher levels of coordination and speed within the enterprise and supply chain.

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ROI calculators quantify benefits of jet engine balancing systems

Design World

Two online, interactive ROI calculators are designed to illustrate the dramatic cost reductions possible when jet engine balancing is performed utilizing the PBS 4100+ and PBS eXpress advanced vibration analysis technology. These calculators contrast the total costs of both labor and fuel when utilizing the MTI PBS 4100+ system (for commercial jets) and MTI PBS… The post ROI calculators quantify benefits of jet engine balancing systems appeared first on Design World.

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The road to a circular economy is paved with recycled tyre rubber

Manufacturer's Monthly

Engineers in Melbourne have discovered a way to replace conventional aggregates in concrete such as gravel and crushed rock with rubber from discarded tyres that meets building codes. . The team from RMIT University says the new greener and lighter concrete also promises to reduce manufacturing and transportation costs significantly and boost the circular economy. .

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How to Get Your Kids Excited About Coding

Robotics Automation News

This article offers fair but impartial advice on how to get your kids excited about coding, but it is very important that you follow the guidelines to the letter. It is very important that you do not let your attitude or your enthusiasm affect your child because you may scare your child away from coding […].

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Autonomous Machine Vision Inspection Now Easier and More Powerful

Metrology

Inspekto has launched a new software version of its INSPEKTO S70 Autonomous Machine Vision. Based on accumulated customer feedback from numerous field deployments, the INSPEKTO S70 offers smart features such. The post Autonomous Machine Vision Inspection Now Easier and More Powerful appeared first on Metrology and Quality News - Online Magazine.

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Best Practices to Boost Marketing Efficiency while Decreasing Cost Per Sale

Speaker: Kristin Hess - Senior Product Marketing Manager, Drift; Will Lyon - Head of Vertical Marketing, 6sense

The past three years have forced nearly every industry to rethink their prospect and customer engagement strategy. But while we’ve all been thrust into digital transformation, we haven’t all made the transition efficiently. Now that we know digital selling is the new norm, how can we ensure our website is doing as much of the leg work as possible for us - even in the midst of economic challenges?

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The pains of routine machine maintenance in a job shop

The Fabricator

Barnes MetalCrafters manager Nick Martin ruminates about the pains of routine machine maintenance in a job shop, and recalls one particular Monday where one problem after another kept popping up.

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Robot Vision System Options

Automation World

If you need your robot to pick and place different objects or handle objects in different orientations, you’ll need a robot vision system. Understanding the differences among 2D, 3D, and 2.5D cameras is a major factor in your vision system choice.

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ITT expands portfolio with acquisition of Clippard cylinder product line

Design World

ITT Inc. has announced it acquired Clippard Instrument Laboratories’ product lines of durable, low maintenance, and cost-competitive interchangeable pneumatic cylinders. The product lines include stainless steel, brass and aluminum cylinders and volume tanks. These industry-leading components will expand ITT’s Compact Automation product offering of air cylinders, linear and rotary actuators used in applications such as robotics,… The post ITT expands portfolio with acquisition of Clippard

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Auto supplier Gissing enters Chapter 11, owes Tesla $13.3M

Plastics News

Bingham Farms, Mich.-based auto supplier Gissing North America LLC has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with up to $100 million in liabilities, including $13.3 million owed to Tesla Inc. Under an agreement pending approval, however, the electric vehicle behemoth and other customers, including General Motors Co., have agreed to keep the supplier afloat until it is sold.

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Innovations in Manufacturing: How to Become Your New Tech's Master

Speaker: Gary Mintchell, Founder of The Manufacturing Connection

In a world where new technology keeps popping up out of nowhere, it's easy to think that this new tech can solve any and all your manufacturing challenges. This is a dangerous assumption because thoughtless reliance on technology can become a liability. Yes, tech does makes work easier and faster, but we've learned in recent decades that projects can still fail if the new technology being used doesn't bring manufacturing, business, and go-to-market strategies together.

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What Are the Uses of Blockchain Technology?

Robotics Automation News

In the simplest terms, blockchain technology is a virtual ledger that keeps track of all cryptocurrency transactions. But what makes it so special? Unlike traditional banking systems, there is no central authority controlling the blockchain. There are various blockchain certification training courses available for you to explore. This revolutionary technology has drawn the attention of […].

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Summer STEM Challenge: Solar Spray Schooners

E&T

It’s a sunny day at the seaside. A high-powered jet ski whizzes across the sea, a jet of water shooting high into the air behind it, pushing it along. WRONG! That jet of water is NOT what makes jet skis go. They need a lot more power than that little spray. (Underneath they have a high-speed prop or a much more powerful underwater water jet.). That small jet of water – the ‘visibility spout’ or ‘rooster tail’ is mostly just to look cool, although it makes the jet ski more visible, and useful for

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Press brake tooling: Planer or precision-ground?

The Fabricator

A metal fabrication shop has used American planed tooling for three decades for its press brake operations. Should it upgrade to precision-ground New Standard tools? That depends on the parts being produced.

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Yokogawa AI Operates JSR Chemical Plant

Automation World

A look at how Yokogawa’s AI technology controlled a JSR chemical plant for 35 days and how manufacturers are using AI to analyze sensor data.

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The New Tech Toolbelt: Digital Twins, IoT, Cobots, & More

Speaker: Cory Skinner, Founder and CEO of FactR

From limited visibility and a lack of real-time data to a lack of agility and responsiveness to changing market conditions, there's no shortage of difficulties that today's supply chain professionals can encounter. What can be done to not only address these challenges, but overcome them? Supply chains need tools that elevate decision-making and boost ROI as well as respond effectively to demand fluctuations, customer preferences, and competition.