The Automate Show was held June 6-9 in Detroit. More than 550 robotics and automation vendors exhibited. Here are five new products on display at the event.

If you think banks, insurers and credit card companies are the only enterprises that need worry about cybersecurity, think again.

A slightly crooked painting gets most people’s attention, whereas very few people will notice a car door that is askew by less than a millimeter. Catching that imperfection is often reserved for trained personnel on an automobile assembly line.

Based in Genoa, Italy, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) is one of the best research centers throughout all of Europe. Researchers there focus on several specialties, including robotics, computer vision and optical microscopy.

Because safety is a big concern for bike riders, it is also important to bike manufacturers. This is the case for BMC Switzerland AG, which has designed and built road, mountain and commuter bikes since 1986. 

Recently, I hired professionals to cut down some large, dead trees near my house. I then used a chainsaw to cut the trees into smaller, moveable pieces that I could chop for firewood. 

Traditionally, electric traction motors use permanent magnets made with rare-earth metals. However, materials such as dysprosium and neodymium are a limited resource.

Some of the largest machinery in the world depends on the smooth operation of tiny ball and roller bearings. Knowing this, manufacturers do all they can to make sure that the bearings they purchase for their equipment are completely free of defects.

Everybody loves a train, but not necessarily for the same reason. Some people enjoy the rhythmic sound of the moving wheels or the challenge of counting all the railcars as they pass by. Others appreciate the important role that trains play in transporting all types of products across America.

Manufacturers love automation, regardless of whether they make super-large items like airplanes, or small commercial products such as disposable razor blade refills. The reason for this affection is simple: Automated equipment makes things more quickly, accurately, consistently and cost-effectively than people.