Manufacturing and Automation White Papers

In the next decade, Digital Manufacturing technologies will allow companies to connect physical assets and processes by a "digital thread" - unleashing a seamless flow of data that will link every phase of the product lifecycle.

The Emory University Future of IIoT Predictive Maintenance research study was designed to identify the gaps between the high-level strategic and business drivers of change and the reality of implementation. For this purpose, we interviewed Maintenance and Reliability professionals responsible for Predictive Maintenance in their organizations.

In SME’s second report of the series, we’ll dive into how to get started defining strategies and implementing solutions by identifying 7 essential critical technology elements (CTE) building blocks. The important topic of finding and training skilled workers is the subject of SME’s third and final Smart Manufacturing Report coming later this year.

The Smart Manufacturing Report Series helps manufacturers consider, evaluate and execute strategies to become strong entities as the industry shifts to integrated and flexible advanced manufacturing technology and tools. Upcoming reports provide a roadmap for manufacturers who want to adopt these practices, outlining the right technologies and solutions, and how to recruit and train a “smart” workforce.

As part of the Industry 4.0 area at the recent EMO 2017 trade show, HEIDENHAIN presented a system of production in which all work steps are networked—from the design to the deliverable component. The core components of the network showcased were the software solutions of Connected Machining. They provide TNC controls with access to all order-related data in the company network, so the specialist at the TNC control can become a director of the process chain. This details much of that system.

Many are unaware of the extent to which the theoretical field of computer vision has produced tangible benefits for manufacturing. Embodied in compact smart cameras as well as powerful, PC-connected camera systems, the brilliant work of academicians is being used daily to make industrial operations safer, steadier and more productive. The ability to automatically extract information from digital images opens many doors for manufacturers striving to cut costs, improve quality and streamline their processes overall. The primary uses of machine vision are inspection, gauging, and robot guidance. This white paper by Omron Microscan explores machine vision’s fundamental functions, benefits for industrial automation and real-world applications.

With the explosion in adoption of IIOT applications utilizing MQTT as the messaging protocol, it is critical to implement cyber security at the forefront of its enablement. As with any other computer network, an IIOT application is only as secure as the weakest link in the infrastructure. This white paper will discuss some of the best practices in implementing a secure MQTT infrastructure.

The need for real-time uncompressed video places a significant burden on networks. In industrial vision systems, glass-to-glass latency thresholds are in the order of 130 milliseconds (ms) or less. For image-guided surgery or military closed hatch driving applications, designers aim for end-to-end latency of 85 ms or less.

Learn how by Implementing Connectors and Power Bus Systems. Today’s manufacturers are making the switch from hardwiring to connectors in applications such as power distribution, machine connectivity, and motor control. Choosing connectors over hardwiring produces significant cost and time savings as well as increases automation system reliability. Read this white paper to learn about the design, integration and installation considerations to help you determine if a connector solution is right for your application.

How have Japan’s 4 most prominent SMT brands addressed the challenges of an ultra-competitive industry? Find out in Best Practices for Real-Time Machine Automation Performance in IoT & Industry 4.0.

Thanks to turn-key functionality for complete quality control and data security, Aegis’ FactoryLogix MES is ideally suited for highly-regulated industries. For K2 Energy, implementing the system has not only provided these benefits but also helped drive the company from a small business start-up to a leading supplier of energy storage systems.

With proprietary and particularly user-friendly software tools for a generic input/output (IO) technology, Piab is taking their first step towards smart sensor and actuator communication.

Predictive maintenance is widely considered to be the obvious next step for any business with high-capital assets: harness machine learning to control rising equipment maintenance costs and pave the way for self maintenance through artificial intelligence (AI).

Manufacturers are optimistic about their industry and the U.S. economy but concerned about the ongoing struggle to find qualified workers, according to the 2017 Manufacturing Report from professional services firm Sikich LLP. In the firm’s third annual report on the manufacturing industry, nearly 80 percent of respondents said they are more optimistic about the U.S. economy compared to last year while 66 percent said the same about the manufacturing industry. And 69 percent expect headcount to increase. Even so, respondents identified addressing workforce challenges as a top priority for their companies, and nearly 60 percent pointed to a lack of qualified workers as a barrier to business growth.

Sensing technology is everywhere today. Sensors are used to detect human touch on a smart phone, ambient temperature in a room, and even in non-invasive blood glucose measurement for diabetes detection. This whitepaper addresses the most common types of presence sensors used in industrial motion control including their application, design criteria, integration requirements, associated costs, testing and maintenance.

Whether you’re new to the injection-molding process or a veteran of manufacturing, our comprehensive Designing for Moldability white paper is a quick reference guide to wall thicknesses, surface finishes, tolerances, materials, and other thermoplastic molding insights. It’s a thorough look at injection molding that might just provide a few tips to help you make better parts.

Our 3D printing white paper examines the various additive manufacturing technologies—SL, SLS, DMLS, FDM, PolyJet, and others—being used by today’s product designers and engineers to build prototypes and even functional, end-use parts.

Concentrated solar power (CSP) and concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) methodologies generate electricity by focusing a large amount of sunlight onto a much smaller area. To maximize efficiency, the sunlight needs to be accurately focused. Being off by even a single degree could result in a significant drop in efficiency, and the biggest impact to the cost of delivering solar energy is efficiency. As with most systems, the accuracy is limited by the accuracy of the sensors used in that system. There are a number of different types of sensors that can be used in these systems. This paper discusses why an absolute inclinometer is the most effective sensor solution and why the US Digital T7 is superior to other inclinometers available today.

Machine Vision is one of the driving forces of industrial automation. For a long time, it’s been primarily pushed forward by improvements made in 2D image sensing and, for some applications, 2D sensing is still an optimal tool to solve a problem. But the majority of challenges machine vision is facing today has a 3D character. From well-established metrology up to new applications in smart robotics, 3D sensors serve as a main source of data. Find out more in the freely-accessible white paper Parameters​ ​of​ ​3D​ ​sensing​ ​techniques​ ​in​ ​a​ ​nutshell, written by Photoneo CTO Tomáš Kovačovský.

“How Integrated Thermal Protection Technology Can Prevent Solid State Relay Failure in Industrial Systems” describes the future generation of SSR power protection for industrial refrigeration and manufacturing systems. Solid state relays provide robust solutions for electronic switching in load control applications and offer many performance, design and reliability advantages over electromechanical relays. Since the 1970s, these solid-state relays have been a proven electronic power switching solution for a variety of industrial and manufacturing applications, providing a longer lasting, more versatile, flexible and robust solution than electromechanical relays. However, this technology has now taken a giant leap forward with the development of new solid- state relay designs with integrated thermostats that prevent overheating, protecting component and system operation from potential damage or shut down. This product evolution will undoubtedly change the game in thermal protection for a wide range of industrial applications.

This White Paper discusses post-processing considerations for 3D printed advanced polymers, including FDM, SLA and Polyjet. Learn more about the current state of post-processing techniques for additive manufactured advanced polymers and innovations for optimizing the critical support removal step to enable full-scale production.