Shipments of cutting tools, measured by the Cutting Tool Market Report compiled in a collaboration between AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology and the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI), totaled $188.7 million in September 2024.
Advancements in Contact Image Sensor (CIS) technology are transforming machine vision. They offer high speed, resolution, and a compact design ideal for tight inspection tasks in battery and PCB production lines. With features like high dynamic range and accurate metrology, CIS enhances quality control and efficiency in modern manufacturing.
Dustin Smith, metrology and software training lead at Assurance Technologies Inc., addresses common questions from his GD&T course. He emphasizes the need for everyone—from sales to engineering, production, and quality—to have a basic understanding of GD&T.
Modern vision systems need high-performance wide-angle lenses for applications like autonomous robots and agricultural monitoring. Rectilinear lenses offer straight lines and high resolution without the barrel distortion of fisheye lenses, enabling accurate object detection and real-time performance without the need for post-processing corrections.
Selecting the right lighting for machine vision is challenging, as achieving optimal contrast and consistent illumination is crucial for effective image processing. This article discusses the complexities of lighting design, including front versus backlighting and bright versus dark field illumination, and explores how LED technology and the lighting cube concept can streamline your vision system.
Many manufacturers miss out on automation’s potential for improving quality. To achieve these gains, quality must be prioritized from the business case to sourcing and implementation.
Manufacturers can significantly enhance product quality through automation, potentially reducing quality issues by 50-75%. However, to achieve these improvements, companies must integrate quality control systems, understand the costs of quality issues, and clearly define quality goals when sourcing automation solutions.
America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, welcomes Edward D. Herderick, Ph.D., as its new Director of Education and Workforce Development (EWD).
A recent Idera report reveals that many industries view artificial intelligence positively. Judy Bossi, Vice President of Product Management at Idera, discusses AI's potential in quality assurance (QA), the challenges to adoption, and steps to effectively implement the technology.
Autonomous systems, collaborative robots, AI-driven robotics applications and sustainable robotics are shaping a new era of automation and human-robot interaction.
Robotics is rapidly advancing from science fiction to practical uses across industries like manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare. Key trends include autonomous systems operating independently, robots collaborating with humans for improved productivity and safety, and AI integration that allows robots to learn and adapt. This technology enables both large enterprises and SMEs to optimize processes and meet growing demands.