Industrial Automation and Motion Control Blog | The Knotts Company

Another stamp in our passports as Suzanne Tracey (Business Development), Matt Howe (Robot Specialist), and I headed north to Canada for the Robotiq User Conference. Robotiq gave us a memorable experience, filled with learning, testing, networking, and eating, with a look towards the future while we spent our days in the beautiful 1887 Voltigeurs de Québec Armoury!

We returned home exhausted (we’ll why explain later), but we’ve recovered and can share the following: 

Topics: Robotiq, conference

With so much emphasis (and fanfare) on the machines that are powering and revolutionizing the manufacturing environment, we're glad to devote this blog to our Partner Unitronics' new products that make programming and controlling these machines possible! 

Introducing the UniStream® Remote I/Os and a PLC + HMI + IO (with a 7" screen).

Topics: monitoring, machine control, Control Panel, Controllers, Machine Controllers, PLC, PLC+HMI, HMI

We're really impressed with what our new Partner, ROEQ of Denmark, brings to the market. Its products integrate with MiR™ Robots and can serve in a variety of environments to transport items from place to place. 

Topics: ROEQ, MiR, manufacturing, medical industry, new product

This is the age of nanny cams and front porch video monitoring. While one need not worry that a cobot will let the kids watch too much TV nor could it steal an Amazon package, there is much to be gained by monitoring cobots. And, we have just the tool for you! 

Topics: Robotiq, collaborative robots, robot, monitoring

T-Slot Provides Flexible Solutions

From cycle time to throughput to changeover metrics, there’s no end to the daily concerns and issues that you deal with in an industrial marketplace. You’re tasked with continually improving key metrics as well as complying with evolving regulations, which means change is the only constant.

The structure of 80/20 profiles and accessories allow infinite positioning along the T-slot which equates to reduced set up times and faster changeover rates. With T-slot profiles you don’t need to compromise between strength, appearance and flexibility.

Topics: Products, 80/20, guarding, Machine Guarding

Our Partner, Bimba, is excited to announce the release of the IntelliPress™ electric bench top press. Complementing Bimba's line of pneumatic presses, the electric IntelliPress™ delivers high performance at a low price. Review its impressive list of features....

Topics: Products, bimba, IntelliPress, bimba pneumatic

Topics: Products, The Knotts Company, The Knotts Co, robot

One of the strengths of our President, Rick Howe, is looking broadly at our industry and our company, noticing things the rest of us may miss. He’s great at stepping back, analyzing things and sharing his insight. Oftentimes it’s a market opportunity we hadn’t considered before or a subtle industry shift that’s caught his attention, but recently it was far simpler a message than usual.

Topics: Products, The Knotts Company, The Knotts Co, robot

We were excited to hear the recent news that Universal Robots unveiled its new e-Series. We immediately ordered one to demo and it arrives in our offices in July. It will be a bit like Christmas morning as we unpack the box and gather the team to test this new cobot (collaborative robot). 

Universal Robots has a history of solid design and quality. We expect nothing less with the e-Series and look forward to offering it to our customers. Why will the new e-Series be a smart investment? Among its numerous benefits are:

• Quick activation and deployment: under an hour to unpack, mount, and program a cobot’s first task.
• Flexibility to change its nature of work over time as production line needs change. 
• A redesigned control panel for an easy user interface (for the humans that need to program and control it).
• Single phase A/C source compatibility (connect to any regular power outlet).
• 17 safety features like collision detection are built in.
• Space saving by design: compact and flexible. 
  
• All joints are field replaceable within 2-6 minutes.

Topics: e-Series, cobots, cobot, collaborative robot, automation, automation solutions, Universal Robots