The Brave New (and Old) World of Manufacturing March 2, 2018 My original intention for this column was to discuss a phrase getting a lot of buzz lately, artificial intelligence (AI). By any measure, interest in AI is expanding exponentially, both in the number of articles one can read on the subject and, according to Google Trends, the number of searches for those articles.
PLM, Augmented Reality Sharpen the Cutting Edge March 2, 2018 Aerospace and defense manufacturing is known for its complex designs, continual changes and the need to negotiate tight margin requirements. At Elite Aviation Products (EAP), a division of Elite Aerospace Group (Irvine, CA), we face these challenges every day.
Cloud Connectivity, Advanced Analytics Drive ERP Software March 1, 2018 Manufacturing operations depend on getting the right information at precisely the right moment, ensuring that products get built on time, to quality specs. With the latest enterprise resource management (ERP) software, this critical data flow is often coming via the cloud, as more manufacturers become comfortable with it as a repository for key manufacturing information.
Embracing New Technologies, Sharing Tools Can Help Unlock Keys to CAD/CAM Productivity March 7, 2018 Q&A with Ben Mund, Senior Market Analyst, CNC Software Inc.
Optical Comparators Adapt and Grow March 1, 2018 Beware predictions of the demise of any technology. If the early 1920s saw the dawn of the optical comparator, there has been much speculation about its sunset. That was especially true when vision systems started hitting their stride a few years ago. Many could see optical comparators were superfluous with the use of vision systems. Many thought the sunset of optical comparators was imminent. Many were wrong. Why?
Solving the Shop-Floor Data Analysis Puzzle February 2, 2018 As the move toward a more connected manufacturing industry gains momentum and manufacturers start collecting factory-floor data, the need for fast, efficient data analysis becomes ever more critical.
Extending the Life of Automation Assets February 7, 2018 If left on their own, material handling assets will slowly degrade and eventually fail, often at the most inopportune moment. But with a little planning, you can not only extend their useful life, you can also optimize performance.
The Three Best Practices For Implementing Machine Tending Cobots February 11, 2022 Unlike other forms of automation and what we now think of as ‘traditional’ robots, cobots are much safer for humans to interact with them. They can work side by side with humans. But this leads to new ways of thinking about automation. And there are misconceptions that persist around cobots.
Autonomous Material Handling – The ROI and How AMRs Advance Your Operations March 4, 2021 Jeff Huerta, Senior VP for Sales at Vecna Robotics, speaks on how successful companies are advancing their operations with fully autonomous material handling equipment, and how some facilities are achieving very quick ROI. He also describes the differences between an AMR and an AGV, and addresses the topic of safety. Lastly, he prescribes ways to get started with this equipment, including what upfront costs companies should be prepared for.
Bringing Automated Feedback to Machine Tools February 26, 2021 Today’s machine tools create an enormous amount of data. One way of using this information is to implement automated feedback processes that improve machining operations. In this episode, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Scott Mahrle, director of business development for Q-DAS and Hexagon Integrated Solutions, and Frank Krazer, system engineer for Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, about what automated machine tool feedback is and how it impacts the manufacturing process; how automated machine tool feedback can increase the efficiency of both people and equipment; how it can produce costs savings; and how manufacturers can build workers’ confidence in this process.
