If the factory of the future will run on data, new types of hardware will be needed to collect, route, process and display it. That means more than just new PLCs, but gateways, edge computers, tablets and other hardware.

To get an idea of the importance of sensors to the factory of the future, head to upstate New York to General Electric’s sprawling assembly plant in Schenectady, NY, where the company makes sodium-nickel batteries for cell-phone towers and other applications.

For various reasons, the market for portable medical devices continues to significantly grow. Researchers say the global market hit nearly $47.73 billion in 2021, and project it to increase to about $77 billion by 2028.

Electromagnetic solenoids and actuators are popular in the automotive industry, and for good reason. Besides being much quicker and easier to install than pneumatic or hydraulic models, the components enhance vehicle performance and driver comfort.

Although fabricated metal parts are found in all types of products, not all fabricators are open to making multiple types of metal parts. Lancaster, SC-based Industrial Manufacturing Services (IMS), for example, specializes in producing components for OEMs in the heavy machinery industry.

Being able to identify parts and assemblies on the line is vital for a number of reasons. It ensures that the right parts are installed in the right products. It helps to keep track of production, inventories and supplies. 

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.

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.

Fully and semiautomatic wire processing machines can greatly increase quality and productivity—if they are set up and run properly. But, as the great Scottish poet Robert Burns reminds us, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”

Conveyors do more than simply move parts from point A to point B. They serve as the backbone of an assembly line, and, as such, help manufacturers move forward on their road to success.