“Always use the right tool for the job.” The old adage is applicable whether you’re talking about a hand tool or something as sophisticated as an industrial robot.

If manufacturers are to survive in today’s dynamic and unpredictable world, they must be more flexible than ever. Track busway systems provide a competitive edge, allowing manufacturers to quickly make changes to power delivery with little to no interruption.

Like all manufacturers, fabricators know that they must change when the marketplace requires it. Some of them even welcome the chance to do different things, or at least do them differently.

Justifying automation has never been easier. The Covid pandemic, coupled with a severe worker shortage, a widening skills gap and the "great resignation," has increased demand for automated guided vehicles, conveyors, robots and other types of equipment.

Electric vehicles have been a vital element of the green-energy revolution for the past several years. Nonetheless, producing key EV components continues to present great technical challensges for many large and established manufacturers.

Step Feeder Supplies Magnets for Automotive Assembly; Two Feeders Are Synced for Assembly Automation; Hopper Keeps Feeder Bowls Topped Up...

Product life cycles are getting shorter. For example, 20 percent of consumers replace their televisions every four to five years; another 5 percent replace their sets every one to three years. Smartphones are even worse. On average, consumers replace their phones about every 2.5 years.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare industry faced a large-scale shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), which put frontline workers at risk of infection.

An automatic screw feeder can greatly increase the efficiency of a manual screwdriving operation. However, to reach the next level of productivity, assemblers should consider a robot. Screwdriving is a great application for Cartesian, SCARA, six-axis robots and collaborative robots. Now, several suppliers have introduced robots for installing large screws and bolts. Here’s a look at some of the latest developments.