AUTOMATION & ROBOTS

4 Bright Ideas for Effective Lights-Out Machining

Adopting lights-out machining involves considerations when a machine shop decides to move forward with the process. Here are some tips to a successful implementation.
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Inside the Premium Machine Shop Making Fasteners

AMPG can’t help but take risks — its management doesn’t know how to run machines. But these risks have enabled it to become a runaway success in its market.

The Value of Auto Adjust Magazine Bar Feeders

This bar feeder is designed to offer the flexibility to enable CNC turning centers to perform short-run work that would otherwise require frequent setups over a range of barstock diameters.
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SMW Mechatronic Grippers Automate Key Processes

The Motiact mechatronic gripper series is designed to perform precise, consistent, accurately monitored gripping operations in automated work cells.

Okuma America Corp. Appoints New VP of Engineering & Factory Automation Group

Wade Anderson will lead Okuma America Corp.’s engineering department, which includes applications engineering, product engineering and quality assurance teams.

The Softer Side of Robots: Automating Additive Manufacturing

Robotic applications are expanding in additive manufacturing thanks to rubber and silicone-based systems that can easily adapt to parts of varying sizes and shapes without reprogramming.

Julia Hider Robots and Autonomy Correspondent , Gardner Business Media

Job Shop Discovers and Fills a Fishing Need

The promise of a product line for improved mounting of electronic fish finders led this Missouri job shop to an automated turning process.

A Tale About an Automation Solution Discovered in Production Machining

A CNC Swiss production supervisor took to LinkedIn to describe how he discovered a rotary parts collector in the pages of our publication and has since purchased and benefited from it.
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Robotic Automation Options for Vertical Turning Centers

Custom robotic machine tending systems designed for specific high-volume machining applications can yield significant productivity and product flow benefits.
#techbrief #horizontal-and-vertical-lathes

A3 Commemorates 50 Years as an Organization

The Association for Advancing Automation now represents more than 1,280 member companies around the world.

Hemco Corp. Enclosures Protect Robotic Processes

The enclosures are designed protect robotic processes from contamination and personnel from hazardous fumes.

Edge Technologies Bar Feeder Automates Short Production Runs

The Rebel 80 Servo v3 is a specialized solution for automating short production runs at an economical price.

UltiMaker Targets Light Industrial Applications With 3D Printer Designed for the Factory Floor

The company’s Factor 4 3D printer introduced this week is designed to complement conventional manufacturing equipment including CNC machining and automation.

Stephanie Hendrixson Executive Editor, Additive Manufacturing

VIDEOS

Using the Toolchanger to Automate Production

Taking advantage of a feature that’s already on the machine tool, Lang’s Haubex system uses the toolchanger to move and store parts, making it an easy-to-use and cost-effective automation solution.

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Replace Repetitive Measurement With DIY Robotic Automation

After minimal training, a shop can learn how to use this robotic inspection system configured for a shopfloor application to supersede repetitive, time-consuming, high-mix gaging processes. It can then be redeployed for another application somewhere else in the facility.

Reinventing the Wheel with Robot-Automated CNC Multitasking

One race team discovers how to efficiently manufacture a new wheel nut design for the next-generation NASCAR stock car with the help of a CNC mill/turn and a built-in robot.

The Softer Side of Robots: Increasing Automation’s Adaptability

Robotic applications are expanding thanks to rubber and silicone-based systems that can handle fragile materials or parts in varying sizes and shapes.

Julia Hider Robots and Autonomy Correspondent , Gardner Business Media

The Promise of a New Access-to-Capital Model

A free online loan prequalification tool currently offered in Colorado with the potential for introduction to other U.S. markets can enable manufacturers to more easily finance new technologies including automation equipment.
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New Partnership Advances Development of Autonomous Manufacturing Cell

Trak Machine Tools has partnered with Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology to support the development and use of a fully integrated, autonomous manufacturing platform.

Kuka Automated Mobile Platforms Streamline Operations

The KMP 1500P AMR features a 60-mm stroke and precision positioning, enabling it to transport up to 1.5-tons of materials and workpieces, picks good, supply lines and cells with materials and transport production parts in process linking.

An Automation Comeback Story

Alexandria Industries struggled with its first robotic machining cell. However, the aluminum extrusion components manufacturer — now with more than 20 robots — discovered that by simplifying and standardizing its automation strategy, it could reap the benefits of unattended machining even for relatively low batch sizes.

Walter Launches Metalworking Automation Service

Walter has partnered with a large network of North American system integrators and end-of-arm tool manufacturers to craft a turnkey automatization process.

ATI Tool Changer Enables Reliable Exchange of Robotic Tooling

The MC-50 provides a solution for quickly changing robotic end-of-arm tooling by hand.

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