Machine Building & Automation
A new ‘all-in-one’ package to develop, build and install integrated Inspector vision sensors is being launched by Sick UK under its SystemsPlus service group. Now with the new Vision@SystemsPlus service, Sick Inspector vision systems customers can call upon Sick UK’s team to specify a Sick Inspector vision sensor and associated accessories and then install and commission it to achieve optimum production efficiency. A one-year training and support package is also...
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A 58-year-old woman, paralysed by a stroke for almost 15 years, uses her thoughts to control a robotic arm, grasp a bottle of coffee, serve herself a drink, and return the bottle to the table. A new study in Nature reports that two people with tetraplegia were able to reach for and grasp objects in three-dimensional space using robotic arms that they controlled directly with...
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Cambridge and Cranfield Universities are at the heart of a £16 million government initiative to boost the use of robotics in UK industry. The research project is a government-industry-academic partnership designed to develop smart machines that think for themselves. The research brief includes safe ways of monitoring in dangerous environments such as deep sea installations and nuclear power plants, ‘nursebots’ that assist patients in hospitals, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
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Cornell researchers have developed a new algorithm that allows a robot to learn complex grasping skills from experience, and to apply them in new situations. Inspired by the 'universal jamming gripper' created in the lab of Hod Lipson, associate professor of mechanical engineering and computer science, the new method is 'hardware agnostic' and will work with any type of robot gripper.
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Aerotech's latest brochure describes high-throughput micropositioning for manufacturing production, quality control, R&D, vacuum and cleanroom environments through a series of test related applications that include sensor testing, surface profiling, nondestructive test, semiconductor inspection and metrology, cleanroom and high-vacuum systems, and integrated automation and data acquisition.
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Flexible linear electric actuators for harsh environments (09/05/2012)
Festo has introduced a range of electric piston-rod cylinders with enhanced ingress protection up to IP65. The new enhanced IP versions of DNCE cylinders are available in 32, 40 and 63mm frame sizes and with standard stroke lengths from 100 to 800mm in 100mm steps, depending on size. All the cylinders employ a high performance ball screw drive and are capable of handling acceleration rates up to 6m/s/s. Each model offers a choice of two spindle...
Eaton offers SmartWire-DT connectivity for Ethernet/IP and Modbus-TCP (09/05/2012)
Eaton is now offering a new gateway for SmartWire-DT in order to connect to Ethernet/IP and Modbus TCP. The SmartWire-DT communication system for networking control circuit and switching devices can now also be connected to controllers via an Ethernet/IP or Modbus-TCP network, thanks to the new EU5C-SWD-EIP-MODTCP SmartWire-DT gateway, which comes with a 10/100Mbit switch. The additional diagnostics interface simplifies commissioning and helps...
Ethernet/IP provides support for energy management (03/05/2012)
The ODVA has released its first round of specification enhancements for 2012, including publication of expanded capabilities for the optimisation of energy usage on EtherNet/IP and other CIP Networks, including DeviceNet, CompoNet and ControlNet. The EtherNet/IP specification now includes a comprehensive set of functions for energy awareness and power management and allows users to conserve energy with reduced power usage during non-operational states of devices and...
A control centre for all Cognex vision systems and industrial ID products (03/05/2012)
Cognex has released the Cognex Explorer control centre software utility, which provides a graphical view of all Cognex vision systems, ID readers and visualisation systems connected over a network. It also offers powerful maintenance tools for backing up, restoring or cloning systems, carrying out firmware upgrades and more. Cognex Explorer features an intuitive point-and-click interface that is easy to use and requires no training. The...
Wieland’s new relays are smallest in their class (03/05/2012)
Wieland Electric has introduced a range of universal safety relays that are only 22.5mm wide. The SNO 4083KM relays are suitable for almost all safety functions, from conventional emergency stop and safety door monitoring and monitoring of electro-sensitive protective equipment to the monitoring of pressure mats or coded magnet switches with open/close contact pairs. Additional functions include a selective automatic or manual monitored restart...
New PACs deliver powerful performance for midrange applications (30/04/2012)
Extending the scalability of the Allen-Bradley Logix family of controllers, the new Allen-Bradley L1, L2 and L3 CompactLogix programmable automation controllers (PACs) provide a powerful, scalable Logix-based system for small-and mid-size applications. These controllers are suitable for smaller, machine-level control applications, which may also require integration into production lines. Sitting at the heart of this midrange product offering is...
Precise rotary positioning for heavier loads (30/04/2012)
The new IEF Werner MDV 80/100 manual rotary positioning unit from R A Rodriguez is suitable for applications that require precision rotary adjustment of loads of up to 10kg. It features a high specification worm gearbox to keep reversing backlash to a minimum, and spindle support bearing to absorb high torque capacity. The product is fully compatible with the full domiLINE linear motion range and extends the load bearing range of the previous...
EtherNet/IP-enabled servo drive provides co-ordinated motion for low-axis machines (27/04/2012)
The new Allen-Bradley Kinetix 350 single-axis servo drive from Rockwell Automation delivers high-performance motion control over an EtherNet/IP industrial Ethernet network. The drive can lower the cost to deploy integrated motion on low-axis machines. It can be used with the Allen-Bradley CompactLogix 5370 Series of programmable automation controllers and the PanelView Plus human-machine interfaces. When coupled with these other Allen-Bradley...
Siemens IA&DT pushes safety to the limit with new range (20/04/2012)
Siemens Industry Automation & Drive Technologies (IA&DT) has launched its first complete range of industrial and safety limit switches. Part of its Sirius family, the 3SE5 range features 92 product variants, including position, interlocking, hinge and RFID magnetic switches for the detection of hazardous machine part movements, the monitoring of protective guards and access control to Ple and SIL3 level. Flexible and modular in design,...