Digital champions must address cultural upheaval May 12, 2020 There is very good technology available today that helps manufacturers solve real problems, but that is not what digital manufacturing is about.
CESMII Releases Two Waves of Smart Manufacturing Roadmap Project Solicitations May 13, 2020 CESMII project calls target development of core smart manufacturing technologies and solutions
Mass customization will only work if we return the power to the people October 16, 2019 As I walked the floor this spring at North America’s largest trade show for automation technologies, Industry 4.0 was on everybody’s lips. One of the more complex of our industrial revolutions, Industry 4.0 has been about the Internet of Things: digitizing and connecting things.
One way to calculate business value with AM October 16, 2019 For years, companies have struggled to understand how additive manufacturing (AM) can add value to their businesses. This makes sense because for a long time, additive tech didn’t meet the threshold for producing industrial-grade parts.
American, German, Swedish manufacturers gladly adopt factory-within-factory concept October 14, 2019 Manufacturers of all sizes see an uptick in productivity after adding a factory within a factory via an automated machining cell. The cells are small-scale, clearly defined production units, often for a family of similar parts or a product, and they typically include a robotic arm and one or more machine tools. These can include horizontal and vertical lathes, machining centers and grinders. The cell may also include a conveyor component.
IoT + analytics = cool new stuff to sell October 16, 2019 Put the paper and pencil away. Hybrid data management and analysis systems-where users combine paper tracking with computer processing-are no longer meeting the needs of manufacturers for speed, accuracy, traceability and compliance with regulations.
Barriers to robot deployment falling one by one October 16, 2019 Industrial robots are becoming easier to program, more versatile, more cost-effective, more accurate and more mobile. These changes are lowering barriers to entry, shortening return on investment and making robots a more practical investment.
At long last, IoT is breaking down walls between IT, OT October 16, 2019 With an influx of investment in digital factories, the playing field is changing and the ROI for digitizing production is becoming ever more apparent. However, restraints, such as company size and a disconnect between IT and OT, means the road to a successful digital transformation is one very few will be able to do alone.
Going digital helped mailbox maker supersize its product October 16, 2019 Cloud technology presents manufacturers with opportunities to improve the flexibility, scalability and efficiency of their operations. Realizing these benefits will require more than simply doing a one-to-one transfer of current technology to cloud-based servers.
Hey, machining automation is growing up. Time to mark ‘2.’ October 16, 2019 The second level of machining automation is here. It may not be at every shop or factory yet, but it’s coming.
