You know the weather affects the people in your plant. Humans may move slower when it’s hot, are grumpier when it rains, or not come in at all when the snow is on the ground. The weather can also affect the computers in the plant, which is why the temperature is usually controlled better in… Read more »

We specialize in legacy Indramat servo motors, drives, and controls, many of which are still going strong in printing and packaging plants after decades of service. Our typical customer doesn’t remember when Indramat existed as a company, and many weren’t even born when the Indramat components in their plants were installed. This makes us keenly… Read more »

The Chicago International Manufacturing Technology Show last month had more than 114,000 visitors, not to mention the first car built with 3D printed parts, lots of buzz about the Industrial Internet of Things, and a focus on security in the robotics area. But the biggest theme at the show was this: “Manufacturing is the place… Read more »

Lean manufacturing is focused on reducing waste. The standard approach looks at seven kinds of waste: 1. Overproduction Quite simply, overproduction refers to making more product than is needed. Raw materials are tied up in products that may not be sold, space is used to store extra product, and of course energy and resources are… Read more »

We’re not convinced that automation leads to job loss. Or not to the loss of jobs people actually want. Dale Hansen made this point in a new way in a recent column: Are there people clamoring for a return to using oxen to till the fields because it would create jobs? Think of all of… Read more »

The Main Post, a German newspaper, wrote recently about the 25th anniversary of the Indramat plant in Lohr am Main, a town in Bavaria. The former prime minister of Bavaria, Franz Josef Strauss, flew in by helicopter and shared his reminiscences. Turns out the 1965 Indramat plant was housed in an old laundry and employed… Read more »

A major packaging company is working on a major expansion project at one of its U.S. facilities. The company also has European and Asian facilities, but it’s building 126,000 square feet of office space and manufacturing space which will include customer collaboration space, room for kitting and packing, a railroad dock, and a means of… Read more »

Researchers set up a decoy computer and made it look as though it was controlling industrial activity. Then they waited for hacking attempts and mapped them. The legacy Indramat controls we specialize in don’t lend themselves to this kind of hacking. They’re not online and not connected with other devices. There are pros and cons… Read more »

Fossil fuels may be running out, but there is plenty of energy all around us — the hard part is capturing that natural energy and harnessing it for work. Think of ocean waves. If you’ve swum or surfed in the ocean, you know that there’s a lot of power in those waves. The first patent… Read more »

If you’re using Indramat legacy motion control components such as servo motors, drives, and controls, you might not be able to put your hand on the manuals easily. Those Indramat units were installed before you were born, most likely, and the manuals were guarded carefully on a special shelf for a few years. Then, since… Read more »