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Mitsubishi improves visualisation on its human machine interface

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The GT2107 Wide Series Human Machine Interface
The GT2107 Wide Series Human Machine Interface

Mitsubishi has updated its human machine interface and integrated what it says is improved visibility and performance. 

The company says the improvements to its GT2107 HMI were driven by “end user demand”.

Mitsubishi says the GT2107 is an interface that monitors and controls machine components with a graphical touchscreen that connects to equipment such as programmable logic controllers, variable frequency drives and servos.

The compact HMI features a 7-inch wide display with 800 x 480 resolution for clear image quality and is equipped with a remote connectivity option through a virtual network computing server. [Read more…] about Mitsubishi improves visualisation on its human machine interface

Yaskawa invests €4 million in production facility in Sweden, and partners with Midea in Asia

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yaskawa_new-swedish-facility
Yaskawa facility in Torsås, Sweden. Picture credit: Yaskawa via Evertiq

Yaskawa is expanding its manufacturing operation in Sweden, according to a report on Evertiq.com.

One of the world’s largest industrial robot manufacturers, Yaskawa is investing a further €4 million into the plant at Torsås, Sweden.

The work will eventually expand the facility by 2,000 sq m and is expected to be completed by summer 2018.  [Read more…] about Yaskawa invests €4 million in production facility in Sweden, and partners with Midea in Asia

The advantages of automation in medical diagnostics

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ats automation medical diagnostics

Technology in the fields of life sciences and medicine is constantly evolving. New manufacturing techniques have made it possible to make more effective therapies, and advances in research have led to more cost-effective solutions to conditions that were once considered too expensive to treat.

One of the most interesting aspects of the evolution of medical technology is the constantly increasing involvement of automation in various medical operations, particularly in diagnostics.

Back then, essential diagnostic procedures relied on manual procedures. While conventional methods were successful to a certain degree, they are hampered by certain limitations.

For instance, manual testing of specimens is slow and prone to mistakes caused by poor human judgment. Automation helps get rid of these limitations to achieve more accurate results in less time.  [Read more…] about The advantages of automation in medical diagnostics

Distec and Red Lion Controls host event to demonstrate smart factory technology

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distec red lion

Industrial computing specialist Distec is partnering with industrial automation and networking expert Red Lion Controls to host a smart factory day on March 28, 2017.

The event, which will be held at the De Vere Cranage Estate in Cheshire, UK is designed to give plant managers an overview of the benefits of smart factory technology.

The day will feature speakers discussing their experiences using the latest automation technology to build smart factory environments.

Plant managers and engineers can also view live demo kits to get a hands-on experience of the automation technology that’s helping to build the current and next generation of smart factory. Technical staff will also be on hand to answer questions about the technology and its use in factories.  [Read more…] about Distec and Red Lion Controls host event to demonstrate smart factory technology

Pearson becomes Fanuc certified servicing integrator

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Pearson Packaging Systems
Pearson Packaging Systems technicians have earned what they say is a much-sought-after accreditation

Pearson says its technicians have complete Fanuc’s extensive training program and earn a “hard-to-come-by accreditation” to perform robotic troubleshooting and repair work

Pearson Packaging Systems, a provider of automation solutions and longstanding Fanuc partner, has become a Fanuc-certified servicing integrator. 

Pearson is now able to augment its service offering to customers by taking full responsibility for diagnosing issues and executing warranty repairs that would previously have required Fanuc-direct assistance.

The Fanuc seal of approval is “held by less than 5 per cent of all authorized system integrators nationwide”, accorind to Pearson, which claims to be the only integrator on the West Coast with such an accreditation.  [Read more…] about Pearson becomes Fanuc certified servicing integrator

Boeing completes prototype parts for 777X wing at new billion-dollar advanced manufacturing facility

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boeing 777x

Boeing says it has completed prototype parts for the wing of its new 777X Dreamliner aircraft. 

The company is using advanced manufacturing methods, including additive or 3D printing, in the construction of the passenger plane at its new $1 billion Everett, Washington facility.

When completed, the wing for the 777X will be the largest wing Boeing has ever built.  [Read more…] about Boeing completes prototype parts for 777X wing at new billion-dollar advanced manufacturing facility

Construction: Interference could undermine development of crane technology

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crane collapse

Keith Armstrong, worldwide electromagnetic compatibility specialist at EMC Standards, looks at problems with electrical interference and how construction managers can minimise their risk

Cranes are synonymous with the idea of development. Typically used to construct buildings, cranes aid the economic and social development of a town or city. However, cranes suffer from a persistent problem that is indicative of a significant threat to the future of technology: interference.

In the early days of the UK Department of Trade and Industry’s EMC Awareness Campaign, there was an infamous incident where a man was crushed to death by a crane. In this case, electrical interference caused the crane to prematurely release its load while the man was operating it with his radio-control pendant. Unfortunately, this tragedy is not an isolated incident.

There was another incident with a company that claimed to have made the controls and drives for the first large scale hovercraft-testing tank in the late 1960s. It was, in effect, a sophisticated travelling overhead crane, which ran the length of a gantry along overhead rails and towed a hovercraft shape along a large pool of water in an even larger building. In those days, they used resistor-transistor logic, which ran on a 40 V rail to provide noise immunity.

[Read more…] about Construction: Interference could undermine development of crane technology

There will be data: Exclusive interview with Honeywell UOP cloud boss

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honeywell uop cps petrochemical plant

The oil and gas industry is the lifeblood and oxygen of the modern world. It produces the stuff that powers the power stations, providing the energy on which we all depend if we live in a country with even a moderate infrastructure. 

Much as we’d all like to live on fresh air, and run our iMachines on the light that shines in through our windows, the harsh reality is that the dirty and dangerous business of fossil fuels is still the biggest generator of energy in the world today.

No developed or developing economy on Earth can do without oil and gas, and no oil and gas plant can do without systems to prevent downtime. Every second of unscheduled downtime can cost the oil and gas company millions of dollars. Not only that, the secondary effects on all the businesses connected to the oil and gas company’s supply lines – which basically permeate the whole of society – could be devastating to a nation’s economy and wellbeing if those seconds turn into minutes, hours or days.  [Read more…] about There will be data: Exclusive interview with Honeywell UOP cloud boss

Distec signs distribution deal with Wincomm on industrial computers

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wincomm-industrial-computer

Industrial computing specialist Distec has agreed a deal to stock the Wincomm Range of 15″, 19″ and 21.5″ fully waterproof industrial PCs.

The Manchester, UK based company, which supplies touchscreens, PCs and computing accessories to sectors including the food and beverage industry, says it has chosen the Wincomm range for its high quality components, which make it suitable for even the toughest environments.

The Wincomm range is particularly designed for the food and beverage industry, abattoirs and chemical plants, where PCs can be exposed to dangerous or unhygienic solids or liquids. Wincomm industrial PCs are housed in stainless, high-strength, anti-corrosion housing, meaning they will not wear over time.  [Read more…] about Distec signs distribution deal with Wincomm on industrial computers

Rethink Robotics’ Sawyer signs deal with Korean company TPC Mechatronics

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rethink-robotics-korea

Rethink Robotics has reached a deal with a South Korean pneumatic equipment manufacturer and distributor. 

TPC Mechatronics will utilise Sawyer collaborative robots from Rethink Robotics in its own facility, as well as the facilities of its customers, in “an effort to move the entire industry toward smarter factories”, according to the companies.

The exclusive distribution partner of Rethink Robotics in Korea, TPC Mechatronics’ core customer base consists of a wide range of industrial manufacturers.  [Read more…] about Rethink Robotics’ Sawyer signs deal with Korean company TPC Mechatronics