MBS ROUNDUP: GM and Cobots; Lightweighting; Toyota’s Fuel Cell Truck July 31, 2018 General Motors Co. (Detroit) is boosting its use of collaborative robots, a manufacturing executive said at this week’s Management Briefing Seminars (MBS).
How Factory Intelligence is Evolving May 11, 2018 Intelligent factories have existed since manufacturing’s historical inception, but intelligence—defined as the acquisition and application of manufacturing knowledge—resided only with the factory’s staff.
‘Digital Twins’ Have Positive Plant-Wide Impact May 11, 2019 One of the foundational aspects of Industry 4.0 protocols is the creation of electronic “digital twin” models of product data and production processes. This includes an exact replica of all machine tools, including complex work envelopes showing the particular spindles, fixtures, and cutting tools.
Get Fluent in Blockchain, Architect a Better Future May 13, 2019 These days mirror the late 1990s, when the Internet evolved to widespread use—and the topic bedeviled many. But others—in banking and entertainment, for example—who quickly learned the new lingo and jumped at the chance to explore the Web’s potential benefited greatly. Today’s tantalizing topic: blockchain.
Energy Industry’s Up-and-Down Cycle Continues December 6, 2018 The energy industry is often at the forefront of our minds as we watch fuel prices climb and then celebrate when they come down. We continually find ways to be as energy efficient as possible in our homes and workplaces. Media outlets keep us constantly informed of this often-volatile industry’s ups and downs.
Manufacturing in 2050: The World Turned Upside Down? November 26, 2018 Powerful trends will push manufacturing close to complete automation by 2050, while the people still working in the industry will be empowered to rapidly innovate like never before.
Simulation Software Spreads its Wings May 30, 2018 When wrestling with vexing issues such as product complexity, lightweighting, advanced materials and new manufacturing methods, today’s manufacturing engineers increasingly use high-fidelity simulations to visualize solutions to these challenges.
Finding the Right Fit with Your Cloud Manufacturing Software Technology May 9, 2018 An interview with Diego Tamburini, Principal Industry Lead, Azure Manufacturing Microsoft Corp.
Automated Coupling Slashes Robotic Welding Cell’s Downtime May 4, 2018 There is no better way to resolve a problem than by eliminating it entirely. At least that’s how KTH Parts Industries Inc. (St. Paris, OH) regarded its decision to automate a manual equipment changeover process for its robotic welding cells.
Will Automation and Robots Change the World? April 3, 2018 I’ve had quite a month, again, covering clever software and gadgets that continue to inch their way into performing tasks once reserved for humans. These tasks range from mundane material handling to highly skilled engineering design. It has made me think quite a bit about how our world of manufacturing and engineering will be affected by all this artificial cleverness.
