Robots. We work with them, take care of them, and rely on them in ways many people don’t even realize. We also — in movies — fear them, get killed by them, and use them in evil plots. With Halloween coming up this weekend, we’ll probably be dressing up as robots either evil or cute,… Read more »
Rexroth’s showing the new EasyHandling Cartesian Motion System (CMS) at trade shows this season. So what’s Cartesian motion? It’s motion along three axes. Not just up and down. Not just back and forth. This is fancy motion. Not as fancy as six-axis motion, but plenty fancy enough for curvilinear movements. Cartesian motion is named for… Read more »
We’ve speculated about the effect of increasing automation on human employment and we’ve reported other people’s speculations on the subject, too. A new white paper from the Association for Advancing Automation (A3) takes a completely different approach to the question, and concludes that robots are good for human employment. Here’s why: upswings in orders for… Read more »
Engineering, right? With a big side of practical experience. Maybe. Rexroth has been deeply involved in collaborations with high schools and colleges, helping to provide the kind of practical, hands-on training needed to jump right into a successful career in motion control. But it is still only a small fraction of interested individuals who have… Read more »
One thing you might think industrial automation would not have to worry about: cross-cultural communication. With Rexroth’s open source language available, all machinery can communicate freely and the Industrial Internet of Things is up and running. Think again. “In Germany it’s very systematic and process driven,” a Rexroth spokesman said at the Smart Factory Industry… Read more »
Rexroth exhibited new cabinet-free hardware at Pack Expo, but they also emphasized mechatronics, “the intelligent selection and integration of mechanical and electronic components to accomplish complex automated manufacturing tasks,” as Rexroth defines it. Rexroth’s exhibit, Mechatronics @ Work, focused on four key principles of mechatronics: Intelligent integration is the key to effective motion control. Energy… Read more »
Robot-assisted surgery has been around for years, and the advantages are significant. While it was originally intended for remote use, such as in surgeries on the battlefield, it turned out that the lag time was too great. Surgeons using the tools have to be very close to the patient. However, surgeons who tried the tools… Read more »
There’s a new IndraMotion MTX CNC in town. We’ve written before about a couple of hefty trends in industrial motion control: Industry 4.0 or the Industrial Internet of Things, and the desire for greater precision with a smaller footprint. The latest generation of IndraMotion MTX CNC solutions is ready for both. New demands require more… Read more »
A new report on servo motor markets tells us that Asia is the strongest market going forward. Countries like India, China, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Japan continue to be central to global manufacturing, and they’re trying to ramp up their capacity and to increase automation. North America and Europe are growing more slowly as… Read more »
Baxter, a versatile robot that costs less than a human worker, made a splash when it came on the industrial scene. Now Rethink Robotics, Baxter’s makers, have added a little brother to the line. Sawyer has some impressive specs: 1260mm reach, 4kg payload and 0.1mm task repeatability, and it weighs only 42 pounds. Its Build… Read more »
