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Introduction to Safety Light Curtains: Operation and Installation 

Introduction to Safety Light Curtains: Operation and Installation 

Light curtains serve as an invisible barrier, keeping workers out of harm's way and protecting machinery from damage. Learn about safety curtains, how they are installed, and their programmable functions.


Siemens’ 120 V Solid-state Circuit Breaker Now UL Listed

Siemens’ 120 V Solid-state Circuit Breaker Now UL Listed

Siemens breaks new ground by having a solid-state circuit breaker UL listed for residential, commercial, and light industrial use.


News Oct 12, 2022 by Shawn Dietrich
Doosan Robotics Partners with Air-Oil Systems to Integrate Cobot Solutions

Doosan Robotics Partners with Air-Oil Systems to Integrate Cobot Solutions

Continuing to expand its market reach, Doosan is teaming with Air-Oil Systems to distribute its popular M, H, and A-SERIES collaborative robots to customers in the Mid-Atlantic.


News Oct 12, 2022 by Caitlin Nicholson
8 Steps To Successful Predictive Maintenance Implementation (with examples)

8 Steps To Successful Predictive Maintenance Implementation (with examples)

We'll run through the eight basic steps for implementing a predictive maintenance strategy in your business to improve critical asset availability, reduced maintenance costs, and enhanced revenues over time.


ABB Ability Smart Sensor Now For Use With General Machinery

ABB Ability Smart Sensor Now For Use With General Machinery

ABB expanded its Ability Smart Sensor capabilities to allow customers to perform predictive and preventative maintenance for not only powertrain equipment, but now general machinery and industrial motors.


News Oct 10, 2022 by Gunner Scott
Info Byte: The Mystery of Ice Cube Relays–Coil Polarity

Info Byte: The Mystery of Ice Cube Relays–Coil Polarity

Relay and other coil devices pose a few confusing questions: How can the relay still work if you connect a DC supply in reverse? How can an alternating voltage attract and hold the load consistently?


Banner Engineering Now Offering Industrial Cloud Data Services

Banner Engineering Now Offering Industrial Cloud Data Services

The newly released Cloud Data Services (CDS) from Banner Engineering is a web-based platform for collecting and storing data in a cloud-based system, providing users an affordable and efficient IIoT solution.


News Oct 04, 2022 by Shawn Dietrich
Why is 4-20 mA Current Used for Industrial Analog Sensors?

Why is 4-20 mA Current Used for Industrial Analog Sensors?

Industrial analog sensor devices primarily use 0-10 volt or 4-20 milliamp. For those mA signals, learn the reasons for why the lower and upper limit standards were determined as 4 mA and 20 mA.


“iisy Does It”: KUKA Releases Two New Cobot Models

“iisy Does It”: KUKA Releases Two New Cobot Models

KUKA announces the release of two new lightweight, long-reaching industrial cobots for flexible automation applications—the “big iisys.”


News Sep 28, 2022 by Stephanie Leonida
Keyence’s Electromagnetic Interlock Switch Solution for Safety Fencing and Guarding

Keyence’s Electromagnetic Interlock Switch Solution for Safety Fencing and Guarding

Keyence releases new safety-rated interlock switches for monitoring and locking the position of guarding and fencing. Unlike traditional door switches, the GS-M series switches use electromagnetic technology.


News Sep 26, 2022 by Shawn Dietrich
Uncontrolled Machine Vision Lighting for Infrared and Robots

Uncontrolled Machine Vision Lighting for Infrared and Robots

Ambient light, reflection, and transparent objects can all cause difficulties during machine vision applications. Learn about these issues and some potential solutions to better ensure safety and quality.


Doosan Robotics Partners with Industrial Automation Supply to Expand Reach in US

Doosan Robotics Partners with Industrial Automation Supply to Expand Reach in US

In a boost for manufacturing across the Northeast US, Doosan has announced a partnership with Industrial Automation Supply as a reseller for the popular collaborative robot M, H, and A-SERIES models.


News Sep 14, 2022 by Caitlin Nicholson
KUKA Expands KR SCARA Series for Standard and Cleanroom Applications

KUKA Expands KR SCARA Series for Standard and Cleanroom Applications

KUKA adds to their product line of SCARA robots. SCARA robots are great for applications with fast, short movements. By adding to its SCARA lineup, KUKA is ensuring its foothold in the industrial robot market.


News Sep 13, 2022 by Shawn Dietrich
End of Arm Tooling: Power Sources and Sensors

End of Arm Tooling: Power Sources and Sensors

An EOAT, located at the end of an industrial or collaborative robot arm, is entirely customizable with nearly unlimited possibilities. Learn about the five main methods of how EOATs are powered and the sensors that they use.


Yaskawa Releases Extended-Reach 8 kg Payload GP8L Robot

Yaskawa Releases Extended-Reach 8 kg Payload GP8L Robot

Yaskawa announces the release of its long-reaching, six-axis GP8L robot for maximum productivity in limited spaces. With easy installation and use in a variety of applications, the GP8L stands apart from similar products on the market.


News Sep 12, 2022 by Stephanie Leonida
Industrial XR: Are Virtual and Augmented Reality Living Up to the Hype?

Industrial XR: Are Virtual and Augmented Reality Living Up to the Hype?

The extended reality market is predicted to grow nearly 60% in the next five years and is seeing increasing use in manufacturing. Below, we’ll take a look at some of the ways AR, VR, and MR are being used in various industrial processes.


News Sep 06, 2022 by Caitlin Nicholson
3-phase Motor Types: Synchronous and Induction Motors

3-phase Motor Types: Synchronous and Induction Motors

In this article, we will take a look at the differences between synchronous and induction motors, as well as the two types of induction motors: squirrel cage and wound rotor.


Technology Differences: Stationary Robots vs Mobile Robots

Technology Differences: Stationary Robots vs Mobile Robots

Robots are no longer unanimously just "robots"—there are specific tasks and functionality of each kind. Learn about the technology differences between fixed-location robots and mobile robots and why no one robot is like another.


Collaborative Robot Cells: Simple and User-friendly Design Priorities

Collaborative Robot Cells: Simple and User-friendly Design Priorities

Learn about the common applications, programming procedures, and safety protocols of collaborative robot work cells, which are often simpler and less expensive than industrial robot work cells.  


Configuring a Network With Pneumatic Valve Manifolds

Configuring a Network With Pneumatic Valve Manifolds

There are many distributed fieldbus capabilities for valve manifolds that can save on network overhead and wiring. In this article, we will look at PLC programming of fieldbus manifolds highlighting Festo's CPX layout.