Control & Automation Features

Drones take to the skies as aerospace sector targets diversification

A recent Protolabs Aerospace report shows more than half of people believe commercial drone deliveries will be commonplace by 2023, as governments and firms find new ways to guarantee services.

Mini factories in containers reduce mask shortages

Protective masks have been in short supply. An innovative containerised production facility that enables businesses and healthcare organisations to produce their own masks to order could solve the problem. Developed in just six weeks by Mikron, with engineering support from Festo, the mini factory uses a scalable system that can produce 50-100 face masks per minute.

Pick-and-place robot cell is cost-efficient for small batch sizes

Sensor manufacturer Lenord + Bauer has used a MELFA RV Series robot from Mitsubishi Electric to optimise its manufacturing production cycle for frequent product changeovers.

Robot helps horses sleep soundly

Metsä Wood UK’s head office in Boston, Lincolnshire is just one of many sites across the globe which specialise in providing sustainable, premium-quality wood products for many industries including the construction and industrial sectors.

More Control & Automation Features Features

Kawasaki robots raise the roof in quality homebuilding(29/05/2020)

Japanese manufacturer Kyushu Sekisui Heim claims to be one of the oldest established manufacturers of new homes using the ‘Unit Construction’ method in Japan, a process by which thousands of housing units of different designs and layouts are made using a modular system.
Automation branches out: 3 ways that robots are diversifying manufacturing(12/05/2020)

In 1969, Victor Scheinman invented the Stanford arm, the first all-electric, six-axis articulated robot. Here Jonathan Wilkins, Director at EU Automation, discusses how robots have diversified in weird and wonderful ways since 1969.
Bringing the edge and cloud together(01/05/2020)

Data is at the heart of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Smart Manufacturing. By setting up suitable platforms to collect and analyse data, it is possible to gain in-depth, unique insights into manufacturing processes that can lead to their optimisation.
I/O at 200 miles per hour(01/05/2020)

It’s not controversial to suppose that Formula One (F1) is a sport of extremes. The drivers are the best, the cars are the fastest and the races the most intense. Another aspect that pushes boundaries is the data collection, handling and manipulation infrastructure that enables car condition monitoring, race timing and much more.
Feeding the digital brain(01/05/2020)

Upgrading to digital measurement tools can be the first step on the road to factory management systems capable of learning and making suggestions for improvements. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are forming the ‘digital brain’ that has the capability to revolutionise the efficiency of today’s industrial plants.