Collaborative robots helped manufacturers keep production lines running during the pandemic. They're accessible to small- and medium- sized businesses. And their simplicity just may help to shrink the skills gap.
Collaborative robots, or cobots, help humans and robots work together safely. Small, medium and large companies are increasingly choosing these human-friendly versions over traditional industrial robots, which are complex to use and are typically relegated to safety cages.
Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning are interrelated concepts involved with computer-based learning from vast amounts of data – and then making predictions based on that information. This article will show how these technologies can provide good alternatives to traditional image processing, and how software works to make this happen.
A smart sensor is simply a sensor that can communicate to provide real-time diagnostic data and adapt based on that data. The data can be used to optimize a system, reducing costly downtime and increasing quality.
Cylindrical ring gages have a number of inspection purposes. They are used as Go/No-Go gages to inspect the outside diameter of a shaft or rod. They are masters for dial bore gages, internal micrometers and coordinate measuring machines (CMMs).
Over the past 50 years, computer programming languages have made several significant advancements all focused on making a computer easier to use in a more human-readable format. If you wanted to learn programming in the early days you would have had to learn Assembly Language, a set of binary machine operation codes that instructed the microprocessor how to perform each step.
The pandemic has turned the global supply chain on its head. Manufacturers of materials and finished items are under unprecedented pressure to manage a disrupted workforce, while responding to ever-changing customer demands, in many cases with profound urgency. It’s enough to make one’s head spin.
Force testers and material testers have expanded into industries such as medical, plastic, and aerospace to assure that strict product performance and reliability standards are met.
Deciding whether to purchase a force tester for basic testing or a material tester for advance testing could be a challenge based on the multitude of options and functions which are available today to meet your test requirements.
To a qualified and well-equipped nondestructive testing technician, few inspections present an insurmountable technical hurdle. Technicians have a range of testing methods at their disposal, from sophisticated ultrasound and eddy current technologies to manual processes like liquid penetrant.
Handheld X-Ray Fluorescence (HHXRF) analyzers verify materials quickly, reliably and cost-efficiently. They can identify a material’s elemental makeup within seconds, making it easier for manufacturers to select the right metal grades and tolerances for their needs.
The days when only large companies could adopt automation are long past. Collaborative robots (cobots), lightweight industrial robot arms (LIRAs) and affordable peripherals such as vision systems and grippers have created a new paradigm by making low cost, easy to use automation solutions available to small-to-medium sized companies for the first time.