FORT COLLINS, CO—Robert Harvey disputes the claim that robots are job killers. In fact, the sales manager at custom automation supplier CBW Automation says it’s the opposite—robots keep U.S. companies competitive.
“Wire forming is our business,” automotive supplier JR Manufacturing writes on its Web site. As proof, the company points to the fact that it currently makes more than 100 wire seat components for major automakers, including Acura, Chrysler, Honda, Lexus, Mitsubishi and Toyota.
Fifty milliseconds may not seem like a lot of time. Indeed, the human eye takes between 300 and 400 milliseconds to complete a single blink. And yet in the context of a high-speed automated assembly system, in which a single linear actuator might make more than a dozen moves per minute, 50 milliseconds here and there can really add up.
Engineers have developed several ways to detect extension or retraction of a pneumatic cylinder. Anisotropic magnetoresistive and giant magnetoresistive sensors are smaller, faster and reliable alternatives.
Producing a reliable vision system is no accident. It begins with creating a strong specification that carries through to component selection, system development and, finally, deployment.
When preparing parts for assembly, automakers can
always use an extra hand or two. One automaker has found those hands at the end
of a dual-arm robot. For the past four years, the automaker has used the dual-arm robot to shorten
the cycle time to treat the front and back surfaces of a suspension component.
Lasers are used extensively by medical professionals to surgically remove tumors or repair skin, eyes and hair. Interestingly, these types of lasers are also being used by medical device manufacturers to mark codes directly on their products as a way to improve traceability.
RSS