Controls & Machine Components

'Why is PackML important, why is OEE important, and how can they work together in your machine-control scheme?'

That's the question Doug Meyer posed at Pack Expo 2013, just before he revealed the answers to attendees of his presentation on the topic...

November 7, 2013

Controls & Machine Components: Page 108

Controls & Machine Components

AutomationDirect: Cushioned pneumatic air cylinders

AutomationDirect’s NITRA® pneumatic product line now includes D-Series double-acting heavy-duty air cylinders ideal for use where abusive conditions exist.

November 7, 2013

Controls & Machine Components

Molex: Ethernet modules

Compact 30mm digital HarshIO modules deliver IP67-rated on-machine Ethernet connectivity between I/Os and control systems using a PROFINET fieldbus.

November 5, 2013

Controls & Machine Components

GE: Software for automation and control systems

Designed to improve production processes from common tasks to critical emergencies and minimize errors and risk, reduce waste, and ensure compliance, Proficy Workflow Version 2.1 from GE Intelligent Platforms is a software solution that also makes it easier to integrate with existing automation and control systems, speeding response to out-of-spec HMI/SCADA conditions with appropriate action.

November 4, 2013

Controls & Machine Components

Kollmorgen: Safe motion modules

Kollmorgen Safety Modules™ (KSM) help OEMs deliver higher productivity by combining Machine Safety logic and Safe Motion into one powerful package that integrates seamlessly with Functional Safety Devices.

November 1, 2013

Controls & Machine Components

Automated changeover for better CIP

Schneider Packaging demonstrates an automated solution for adjusting processes and boosting OEE for new or retrofit applications.

October 31, 2013

Controls & Machine Components

Aerotech: Compact lift stages

Aerotech’s MPS-SV series lift stages provide high-performance elevation motion in a compact, cost-effective design.

October 31, 2013

Controls & Machine Components

InfinityQS: OEE dashboards improve real-time visibility of quality, availability, and performance metrics

Powered by a Statistical Process Control (SPC) software analytical engine, ProFicient 5.1 from InfinityQS International, Inc. heightens visibility across the enterprise with Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) dashboards within the web-based Manufacturing Intelligence portal, ProFicient InSight, and helps executive-level management to monitor and improve manufacturing processes.

October 31, 2013

Controls & Machine Components

Is the U.S. dairy industry ready for better process control?

More tightly controlled automation systems can help dairy processors turn waste into resources and make the most of export opportunities. Is the slow-to-change dairy industry ready to invest in new technology?

October 30, 2013

Controls & Machine Components

AutomationDirect: Expanded line of pneumatics air preparation components

AutomationDirect’s NITRA line of pneumatics products has been extended to include more models of air preparation components (FRL), soft-start/dump valves, and distribution blocks.

October 30, 2013

Controls & Machine Components

PackML gaining traction

One thing I found especially encouraging at Pack Expo Las Vegas this time around is the number of times I heard or saw evidence to suggest that OMAC PackML is gaining some traction.

October 28, 2013

Controls & Machine Components

Yaskawa: Medium voltage AC drive

The MV1000 medium voltage AC drive family from the Drives & Motion Division of Yaskawa America combines compact modular design, high efficiency, low harmonics, and MTBF into a medium voltage drive solution that is compatible with Yaskawa’s 1000 series low voltage AC drive products.

October 23, 2013

Controls & Machine Components

ABB: Abbreviated switchgear

Developed to house Emax circuit breakers, the UR 1558 abbreviated switchgear offers the electrical community the flexibility and reliability required for the most demanding manufacturing environments.

October 22, 2013