Manufacturing and Automation White Papers

Are you truly maximizing the sustainability & productivity of your automation system? Your automation systems should do more than just keep up—they should drive your business forward. With Emerson’s Floor to Cloud™ portfolio, you can connect every level of production, turning motion control into a powerful source of productivity and efficiency. Selecting the optimal motion control technology is key. Download this whitepaper to decide which technology is most effective for you.

As industrial environments modernize and embrace IIoT technologies, the need for fast, scalable, and secure data exchange has never been greater. MQTT has emerged as the protocol of choice, offering lightweight, event-driven communication between edge devices and enterprise systems. But even the most elegant protocol is only as good as its implementation — and at the heart of that implementation is the MQTT broker. This whitepaper explores best practices for deploying MQTT brokers in operational environments where uptime, performance, and security are critical. Whether you’re working in water/wastewater, manufacturing, oil and gas, or energy distribution, these guidelines will help you build a robust foundation for MQTT-based data architecture. We’ll cover deployment models, security considerations, performance tuning, and tips for scaling across your OT/IT infrastructure.

In dynamic manufacturing environments, machine vision systems benefit from being adaptable and simple to setup. That’s why we created the white paper “The Benefits and Trade-offs of Modular Machine Vision Lights Form”. It explores how modular lighting systems can streamline development and improve performance across a wide range of applications. Designed for both engineers and system integrators, this paper highlights how modular lighting offers new levels of versatility, helping teams respond quickly to changes in inspection conditions.

If it’s been awhile since you did a formal strategic plan, we’ve compiled a list of questions to get the ball rolling. The text below goes into lots of detail and there are tips for people new to the whole process. After reading, you can download a streamlined and bulleted checklist of the questions and action items. So grab the beverage of your choice, settle in and ask yourself (and your team) the following questions:

Navigating cybersecurity for your shop can seem like a labyrinth, especially for manufacturers handling Federal Contract Information (FCI). With the DOD’s CMMC 2.0 final rule posted, we’re here to help simplify the process.

Data and analytics have changed the game in ways that almost seem impossible. These days, the world’s most valuable resource isn’t something that can be formed into a shape. Well, not exactly. This eBook takes a deep dive into how data can serve your manufacturing business. Learn about the three types of analytics. See how data can bridge communication gaps within an organization. Reimagine your research and development. Create more links to your supply chain. Integrate analytics with smart factory capabilities.

Discover which technologies can best help you unlock new opportunities and equip your business to meet future challenges. Distribution is an ever-changing industry, and the technology that enables digital transformation can help your business stay competitive. In this eBook, you’ll learn the six key technologies that are essential to digital transformation, what to consider when choosing each solution, and how to track and measure the performance of each.

In today’s fast-paced global economy, supply chains are more interconnected than ever, creating opportunities for growth but also introducing new challenges. Compliance has emerged as a critical factor to overcome to ensure that products and operations meet the requirements and standards used by regulators, suppliers, and customers. These three equally important elements (regulatory, supplier, and customer) form the ‘Compliance Triangle’, which serves as the foundation for supply chain efficiency, resilience, and growth. By integrating cloud labeling into your operations, you can streamline your compliance strategy, establishing a strong pivotal point for supply chain success.

Learn about our High-Performance motor platform for robotics. Read about our unique system features, core applications, and system integration considerations.

Backup was yesterday. Today, legally compliant archiving counts. Avoid audit risks - and reduce your IT costs in the long term. Read the whitepaper to find out why classic backups don't stand up to audits - and how you can ensure compliance and save budgets with structured archiving.

The white paper, “Accelerating Smart Manufacturing: Best Practices for Small and Medium Manufacturers,” draws on lessons learned from several recent NCMS initiatives as well as research conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and others focused on smart manufacturing implementation. Among the NCMS projects explored, two are highlighted as case studies for pilot projects. These offer insights into the benefits of implementing solutions such as adding business intelligence (BI) reporting capabilities, and upgrading enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.

The global industrial automation market is projected to grow to $395.09 billion by 2029 and early adopters are already gaining a competitive edge. As a result, failing to adopt this technology at such a crucial juncture can prove costly for your business. Specifically, we have found that investing in an autonomous DriveMod Tugger costs one-fourth as much as delaying your investment in automation. In this white paper, we explore that by doing nothing, your organization will face high, hidden costs related to labor, productivity, and safety.

This 40-page guide is the most authoritative introduction to date on metal binder jetting — the most promising ASTM-recognized 3D printing technology for the mass production of metal parts and products. This guide contains a comprehensive overview of high-speed 3D printing of metals without a laser. In binder jetting, an inkjet printhead — similar to those used in a paper printer — applies a liquid binder to powdered metal one layer at a time to create a desired object. Similar to parts created with Metal Injection Molding (MIM), the printed object is then sintered to high density in a furnace.

Third-party logistics (3PL) providers are under constant pressure to deliver flexible, scalable, and highly efficient operations to meet evolving customer demands. To help navigate this complexity, Softeon’s latest whitepaper, How 3PLs Can Select the Right WMS for Long-Term Success, offers a practical, actionable guide to choosing the right warehouse management system (WMS) for long-term operational success. This whitepaper was developed in partnership with Inbound Logistics, a leading supply chain industry publication that helps logistics and supply chain professionals make better decisions about transportation, warehousing, and technology.

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is an invisible but dangerous threat in electronics manufacturing. A single static event can silently destroy sensitive PCBs and microchips causing costly failures down the line. ESD incidents are responsible for an estimated 33% of electronic component failures (source: ESD Association), making ESD protection critical in sectors like electronics, aerospace, automotive, and data centers. This eBook explores how ESD Safe 3D Printing can quickly and affordably produce custom parts, including jigs, fixtures, housings, and enclosures, helping manufacturers safeguard components and meet stringent industry standards (ANSI/ESD S20.20, IEC 61340-5-1).

Is your cloud infrastructure strategy costing you more than it should? Discover the power of cloud repatriation and reclaim control of your IT infrastructure and valuable on-site data. Download our FREE white paper “How Cloud Repatriation is Shaping the Future of Business.”

Read on as we discuss the latest protocols that are shaping the future of machine vision, including advancements in communication, data processing, and interoperability standards.

Unlock the Power of Data to Lead with Confidence. In a world of constant change, traditional leadership methods fall short. Today’s successful leaders embrace data-driven leadership to navigate uncertainty, drive innovation, and make smarter decisions. Don’t let uncertainty hold your business back. Download this eBook to learn how to lead with clarity, confidence, and data.

Common challenges to supplying conveyor solutions are ensuring products improve operational efficiency, while also providing a maintenance cost reduction. The associated cost of breakdowns and downtime for maintenance are critical issues which can be addressed through the selection of specialist motors. In this whitepaper, you will learn about the different motor types, how to specify a conveyor motor, position control at higher levels of control and accuracy, and other considerations.

Tools based on piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers are increasingly used in medical applications, including minimally invasive surgeries and dentistry. Common instruments used in advanced procedures are ultrasonic scalpels, phaco handpieces, and scalers. These devices leverage acoustic waves to efficiently process both hard and soft tissues. For instance, during oral surgery, ultrasound enhances mechanical actions like drilling, offering additional benefits such as shock or cavitation effects, leading to faster, more selective processing that safeguards surrounding areas, like blood vessels.

From industrial robots and factory automation systems to medical devices, consumer electronics, and electric vehicles (EVs), motors drive the machinery that powers our modern world. In 14 Experts Discuss Motor Control in Modern Applications, engineers from ADI and other technology companies offer their perspectives on how ADI is helping meet the growing demands for intelligent, high-performance motor solutions.

Decentralized, fieldbus-based machine concepts with plugged-in sensors and actuators simplify design, project planning, installation and maintenance enormously and are therefore the first choice for future-proof machine tools. Only for safety applications, an elementary component of every machine tool, do many experts still consider a special approach to be necessary and choose point-to-point wiring in the control cabinet despite all the known disadvantages. With the “ONE” NC generation from Siemens, however, there is no longer any reason for this special approach.

TE Connectivity industry experts delve into how automation, connectivity, and other smart technologies are transforming traditional, linear processes into adaptable and customizable operations, ultimately optimizing the product-based supply chain.

In a quest to reduce waste, a company specializing in leak prevention discovered that an acoustic camera is the most efficient solution in the market to help lower the carbon intensity of compressed air systems and save energy costs.

Compressed air is used in almost every production process in the food and beverage industry. Undetected leaks can lead to serious consequences, such as contamination of products, reduced efficiency, increased downtime, and safety risks, which makes using effective predictive maintenance methods and tools absolutely critical.

The automotive industry uses vast amounts of compressed air, which means hidden air leaks are a common nuisance that requires timely detection. When left alone, undetected compressed air leaks can lead to high energy costs, significant financial losses due to unplanned outages, and even potential safety hazards. Leaks can also contribute to problems with system operations, such as fluctuating system pressure, excess compressor capacity, or decreased service life and increased maintenance of supply equipment. Maintaining compressed air systems by locating and fixing leaks in time is therefore one of the most effective ways of saving energy and improving both productivity and competitiveness.

Leveraging real-time data regarding asset conditions to inform maintenance represents an important shift away from reactive operations and can significantly reduce costs and improve business outcomes such as safety and sustainability. This paper assesses the current state of digitalization in manufacturing and evalutes the benefits of condition-based maintenance and increasingly proactive maintenance programs, based on research and analysis conducted by S&P Global Market Intelligence in March/April 2024.

Over the past two decades, we have had the unique opportunity to work with hundreds of factories producing high-tech products in industries ranging from defense, aerospace and medical devices to industrial electronics, heavy machines and precision laboratory instruments. A consistent theme has emerged: factory managers and executives are struggling to eliminate human errors in their manufacturing processes, while training has become a significant burden on their organizations.

Featuring the most up-to-date research on the secure and effective implementation of AI throughout the manufacturing sector, the white paper focuses on recent federal AI initiatives, including advancements in the Department of Commerce’s Supply Chain Center, as well as AI standards from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Specifically, the white paper details how two NCMS initiatives have contributed to solutions for three issues impeding more widespread adoption of AI in the manufacturing sector: (1) preserving data privacy, (2) creating a standard and secure way to selectively share data in useful forms to different organizations, and (3) helping SMMs see the benefits of using their manufacturing operational and product data to fuel AI models, and sharing this data with public-private partnerships that can contribute demonstrations of scalable AI solutions for a wide range of manufacturing problems.

New survey reveals the role that elevated flooring and mezzanines are playing in today’s warehouses and DCs and highlights the value of composite engineered wood flooring as a surface of choice for these structures.

Introducing the 2024 State of Industrial Networking Report for Manufacturing, offering key insights into how global manufacturing firms are enhancing security, boosting efficiency, and driving innovation with their industrial networking strategy. Look at what 700+ manufacturing professionals, from management to C-suite, across 17 countries have to say.

This comprehensive guide aims to break down important sustainability concepts and equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary to reduce carbon emissions in your business.

If you’re a business wondering whether to begin your decarbonization efforts, the answer is a resounding “yes.” Not just because it’s a current global trend, or beneficial to brand reputation, or the “right thing to do,” but because it costs you NOT to decarbonize. In more ways than you might think.

Actual costing, or keeping track of your actual costs, is vital for ensuring profitability, especially in industries where production costs fluctuate. Here is how and why to implement actual costing in your company.

Prototype quickly, integrate easily, and scale effectively with industrial computers you can depend on. Our embedded computers can be easily and quickly customized, putting the right product in your hands in days. Our systems have been certified to meet a wide range of industry-specific regulatory requirements, making it easier for you to gain full system certification for your products. And when you're ready to scale, we can help you simplify integration through our imaging and BIOS customization services to create a plug and play solution.

The benefits of Secure Boot and the ways to enable it. Enabling UEFI Secure Boot ensures that each element loaded during the boot process is digitally authenticated. This document breaks down how Secure Boot prevents the loading of unauthorized applications and provides details about how to customize the Secure Boot policy.

Discover how Autodesk Fusion extensions enhance your design and manufacturing processes with advanced CAM capabilities, including 4-axis and 5-axis machining, automation, and strategies for increased efficiency and growth.

Configurable BOMs enable companies to easily plan the manufacture of products with variations. Here is how they work and how they help.

Leading insights to achieve AI excellence in the manufacturing sector. Tap our latest research to discover how manufacturing organizations are overcoming industry challenges and harnessing AI to drive improved operational and business outcomes.

Do you need your products ready as soon as possible or just in time for the promised delivery date? Forward and backward scheduling are key concepts in production planning that allow production to be set up according to this fundamental question.

While stockouts may suggest that a product is popular, they are typically costly mistakes in inventory management that are far better avoided than managed after the fact. In this article, we look at what stockouts are, how they are caused, and what businesses can do to prevent them.

Inventory is any finite asset that a company uses for producing and selling its goods. In this article, we zoom in on the four basic types of inventory and how to manage them.