PLM, Control Design
Five safety fencing benefits and considerations
Safety fencing plays an integral role in protecting employees from hazards posed by industrial machinery and companies need to consider aspects such as operator safety and the ease of installation and modularity.
Choosing between a sectional or monoblock valve
Sectional valves are the most versatile and configurable valve type for hydraulic systems, but a monoblock brings many added benefits when properly applied.
Focusing on controller choice, Lean
Many plant-specific factors affect controller criteria, but choices unique to controller type exist as well.
Alternatives to axles: Hydraulic direct wheel drive motors
Designing a frame to accept a hydraulic direct wheel drive system will greatly increase the available space for other system components.
How to choose an industrial automation controller
Choosing the most effective controller requires careful evaluation of multiple requirements.
OSHA and energy control
Be especially careful with the minor servicing exception in the Lockout/Tagout standard from OSHA. Certain kinds of “minor” activities that occur during normal production operations may not be covered by LOTO (but are covered under other OSHA standard provisions) and other “minor” activities are covered by LOTO; do you know which?
Integrating IIoT equipment into manufacturing systems
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) equipment should be integrated even into older manufacturing systems to optimize facility and system operations. Think you’re using IIoT technologies? Are you adding sensors in 12 steps or 6 steps?
Motion control standards drive IIoT
Among the most important standards for industrial motion control are open networking standards for interoperable communications, but don’t overlook the importance of standard naming conventions to ease system integration and promote Industrial Internet of Things and similar initiatives.
How digitalization helps machine tool builders
Inside machines and embedded systems: New technologies will drive the digital factory of the future inside a machine in three ways. Greater efficiency and reliability will add value; new services will add revenue.
Aerial robot that changes in flight
Scientists from the Étienne Jules Marey Institute of Movement Sciences (CNRS/Aix-Marseille Université) are developing a robot capable of altering its profile during flight like a bird.