Based in Torrington, CT, systems integrator Plastimation has been designing and building robotic automation systems for more than a decade. The company's portfolio ranges from simple projects, such as a machine-tending application in which a cobot unloads stacks of plastic lids from a molding machine, to complex ones, such as an automated line in which four robots assemble and test a medical device.

Wave washers, also known as wave springs or coiled wave springs, are used to absorb stress due to axial compressive loads, acting as a cushion. The waves of the wave washer provide three-, four- or six-point contact that results in greater load bearing capacity and a medium range of deflection.

A simple mechanical watch contains roughly 130 components. More complex watches contain hundreds of parts. A top-of-the-line model can have well over 1,000 parts.

No one wants to smell bad. Which is why deodorant is big business. The top 10 deodorant brands in the United States totaled more than $1.36 billion in sales in 2019, according to market research firm Statista.

Vibratory bowl feeders have long been the go-to device for supplying parts in automated assembly systems.

Plastic clips and fasteners are becoming increasingly popular in the automotive industry. They are lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and quick and easy to install.

Automation engineers have developed ingenious ways to mechanically singulate and orient parts in a feeder bowl.

Manufacturers of automated machinery often receive requests to feed and orient ordinary plastics caps, but even an ordinary cap can have features that can cause part "behaviors" that present challenges during the feeding process.

A construction equipment manufacturer needed a way to feed a family of large, heavy castings. The castings range in weight from a few ounces up to a few pounds and come in many geometric shapes.

Vibratory bowl feeders are not the only way to feed parts. One alternative is the centrifugal feeder. This type of feeder is comprised of a rotating center disc mounted on an angle and a horizontally mounted rotating bowl.