Controversy continues to rage when it comes to the question of whether robots threaten our jobs. A new article in Wired brings up a different point, though. Author Matt Beane, who has been studying the subject for seven years, agrees that robots can take on dangerous, dull, and dirty work for humans. He just doesn’t… Read more »
Rexroth has a long history of focusing on training. From its apprenticeship programs to online training options, Rexroth is an industry leader in this area. And now there is a new tool in the Rexroth Training kit. Cyber Physical System (CPS) i4.0 uses new hardware and software in a networkable cube assembly system. The cubes… Read more »
A recent poll found that 90% of manufacturers are committed to Industry 4.0 — gathering information throughout the supply chain, using that data to make decisions, and eventually seeing much of that decision making done in the cloud by artificial intelligence. Or something like that. Because 60% of respondents had only the vaguest idea of… Read more »
In the fantasy classic series, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, there is a planet called Golgafrincham. On this planet, the powers that be saw that doom was coming to the planet, so they built three arks/ spaceships to take everyone to safety. Ark A was for leaders and scientists and such. Ark C was… Read more »
Robots automate the milking of cows, using sensors and phones to gather information about the cows and to communicate with dairy farmers about the cattle’s health and habits. In the video above, an American dairy farmer celebrates the freedom this gives her cattle. They can go out and play, hang out with the other… Read more »
Everything’s humming along, pushing out rows of whatever you make at your facility, and then it’s not. Once you’ve smothered the sparks and quieted the screeching, you have a question to answer: repair or replace? A new study reported in The Guardian says that consumers in general would rather repair machinery than replace it. You… Read more »
When people first started trying to explain the human brain, they chose clockworks as the most similar systems. Clocks were, at that point, the most complicated system available to use as a metaphor. Once computers were developed, we were able to switch over and describe the human brain as being like a computer. New robotics… Read more »
The Rexroth Linear Motion Designer has been updated to offer a more intuitive user interface. Enter dynamics, mass, force, and other process data, and the Designer uses an updated algorithm to calculate maximum torque drive and the correct dimensions for your linear motion system. At that point, you can download a CAD model without entering… Read more »
Friction. This word doesn’t always mean what you think it means. As an engineer, you have a certain understanding of the word “friction.” But it’s also used to describe human interactions and transactions. Specifically, a transaction that flows smoothly without requiring attention is a transaction without friction. You’re heading in to work with a lot… Read more »
You can buy Indramat drives, servos, and controls on eBay, no question about it. I checked just a minute ago and found more than four thousand choices for a simple search on “Indramat.” The question is not, “Can you buy Indramat on eBay?” The question is, “Should you buy Indramat on eBay?” At first glance… Read more »
