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Opinion: The customer must be at the centre of the digital strategy

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By 

Colin Masson, global industry director of manufacturing solutions, Microsoft

Break down internal barriers to deliver highly tailored products and services

It’s easy to get obsessed with technology – it is the key enabler of today’s revolution – but the harder part of the transformation is cultural.

It’s about putting the customer experience and their business outcomes at the centre of everything. That means realigning engineering, manufacturing and the supply chain around delivering a world-class sales and service experience.

It means new thinking about optimising customer satisfaction and loyalty metrics such as Customer Satisfaction Scores or Net Promoter Scores rather than production efficiency.  [Read more…] about Opinion: The customer must be at the centre of the digital strategy

Logic Supply launches new ‘ultra small’ IoT edge device

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Industrial computer hardware manufacturer Logic Supply has unveiled its CL200 “ultra small form factor” edge device for networking.

The company says the device is “built to power innovation at the network’s edge”.

Surrounded by an ultra-durable cast aluminum enclosure, and configurable with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 4G connectivity, the CL200 has been engineered to bring reliability to the internet of things, says the company.  [Read more…] about Logic Supply launches new ‘ultra small’ IoT edge device

Fanuc launches new robot simulation software RoboGuide

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Industrial robot gigantico Fanuc has launched an offline robot simulation program called RoboGuide. 

The company says RoboGuide is a robot simulator that simulates both the robot’s motion and application commands, significantly reducing the time it takes to create new motion setups.

To ensure minimal impact on production, cells can be designed, tested and modified entirely offline.  [Read more…] about Fanuc launches new robot simulation software RoboGuide

Fanuc launches new version of Zero Down Time service

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Fanuc America says its Robot LINKi Zero Down Time (ZDT) service is now available to all automotive and non-automotive manufacturers who purchase Fanuc robots.

Launched in 2015 in collaboration with Cisco, ZDT is a predictive analytic service that identifies potential failures so customers can schedule maintenance and repairs, avoiding unexpected breakdowns during production. ZDT received a General Motors Innovation Award in 2016.

Today, over 16,000 robots in the automotive industry are operating with ZDT.

Since its introduction, Fanuc estimates that ZDT has saved customers over 1,300 hours of unexpected production interruptions, which equates to more than $4 million.  [Read more…] about Fanuc launches new version of Zero Down Time service

Kuka teams up with Homag to develop robotic solutions for wood processing industry

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Industrial robot maker Kuka is teaming up with Homag, one of the world’s largest suppliers of machinery and automation solutions to the wood processing industry.

The two companies their goal is the joint development of automated solutions for the wood processing industry.

The Kuka Group is represented around the world with its products and services for a wide range of industries, from the automotive industry and the electronics sector to the healthcare sector to name just a few examples.  [Read more…] about Kuka teams up with Homag to develop robotic solutions for wood processing industry

SCM to demonstrate robotic integration for woodworking

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SCM, a supplier and integrator of industrial machinery and components, is to showcase technologies for robotic integration into woodworking. 

The company currently provides a wide range of production technologies for furniture and housing sectors, supplying industrial giants and small workshops.

But while machinery has been used in woodworking for a very long time, robotics in the sector is relatively new.  [Read more…] about SCM to demonstrate robotic integration for woodworking

Are food manufacturers too slow in adopting new technology?

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By Rana Tarakji, PDF Electric & Supply

Modern technology has paved the way for many advances in various industries.

In food manufacturing, some of the new technologies has markedly increased efficiency and productivity.

Thanks to automation, better equipment, and innovative applications, the food manufacturing industry has gone a long way from the slow and tedious processes of long factory workers doing everything by hand.  [Read more…] about Are food manufacturers too slow in adopting new technology?

Flying ink-drops: Printing 2,000 products per minute

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At a bottling plant, a mineral water bottle speeds along a conveyor belt moving at 36 km/h. A few milliseconds later, the best-before date appears on the bottleneck.

This is made possible by Leibinger’s JET3up industrial inkjet printer, which prints up to 2000 products per minute with flying drops of ink.

Information such as best-before date, batch number and data matrix codes have become an integral part of most products. The small letters and graphics are on water bottles, milk cartons and beverage cans, on printed circuit boards for computers and on transparent medication packaging.

[Read more…] about Flying ink-drops: Printing 2,000 products per minute

Milacron to show huge injection molding machine at NPE

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Milacron Holdings Corp. will display the largest tonnage injection molding machine to operate at an NPE show – “The Cincinnati” by Milacron, with 2250 tons of clamping power at NPE 2018 in Orlando, Florida, USA, from 7-11 May.

The Cincinnati is a new large tonnage, true two-platen machine designed to meet the demands of the global automotive, appliance, and other large part molding markets.

The Cincinnati’s enhanced machine specifications and performance are powered by Fanuc servo motor power packs. The improved machine layout and enhanced access to the eject and die areas make operation, maintenance and servicing easier, says the company.

[Read more…] about Milacron to show huge injection molding machine at NPE

Universal Robots debuts at US supply chain expo Modex

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Universal Robots will showcase its collaborative robot arms in new application, at Modex, from April 9-12 in Atlanta, USA.

Warehouse processes such as order fulfillment require the ability to recognize and pick a wide range of items that are different sizes, weights, and materials, often jumbled together in bins.

While traditional industrial robots usually stay bolted down in protective cages, dedicated to one handling task only, collaborative robots, or cobots, effectively address this automation challenge with flexible implementation and low upfront cost.

[Read more…] about Universal Robots debuts at US supply chain expo Modex