Industrial Automation and Motion Control Blog | The Knotts Company

It's almost time for the International Manufacturing Technology Show at McCormick Place in Chicago. Taking place September 12th - 17th, this show comes around every two years and is one of the largest trade shows. They have more than 2,000 exhibiting companies and 114,147 registrants.

Robots are not new to the American manufacturing industry. Assembly line robotics have been instrumental in improving quality and efficiency in automobile assembly, electronics, furniture and more. But the autonomous mobile robot is a new venture that is sure to help factories even more.

This post is brought to you by Dorner.

There are many factors that drive food processors to upgrade their conveyor systems to a more sanitary platform. Leading the charge is the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which takes a more proactive approach toward food safety by adding safeguards to try and prevent contamination or problems from occurring within the nation’s food supply in the first place. Besides the FSMA, companies cannot afford to have a contamination outbreak traced back to poor sanitary designs in their equipment. The risks to their reputation and to their customers’ well-being are too great.

This post is brought to you by Humphrey Products.

New from Humphrey, the iDP Series of inert Diaphragm Poppet valves contain features ideal for hazardous liquid applications.  iDP valves are constructed with material suitable for bodily fluids, aggressive chemicals & cleaning fluids and elevated liquid temperatures.  The engineered diaphragm feature isolates the liquid media from the solenoid element ensuring long life and sustained performance.

The Knotts Company has added 4 new employees over the last 12 months and we are excited to share more about them with you!

Article posted 7/27/2016 by Kagan Pittman on engineering.com

Manufacturing industry tools, systems and factories are becoming “smart,” thanks to the approach of the so-called fourth industrial revolution.

In trying to keep up with this technological evolution, the factory mainstays of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are meeting their match in the next generation of technology for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs).

This post is brought to you by Universal Robots.

Who cannot relate to this? You are driving to work, listening to the radio to brighten up the dull commute. But listening quickly becomes boring if the radio keeps playing the same five hit songs over and over again. Similarly, packing goods in a production can be a very dull task and while some people can make the best out of almost every boring situation, nobody enjoys doing the same repetitive job day in and day out.

This post is brought to you by Dorner.

In certain production processes, product is random, misaligned or spread out. This can occur either on purpose or as a result of the process.  For example, in an oven, product should be spread out to allow for even baking. However, further down the line the product needs to be reoriented or placed in specific rows and spacing. The challenge is how to take randomly spread product and create neat rows with spacing. 

This post is brought to you by Humphrey Products.

 If your company produces medical devices, contract manufacturers can provide flexibility, expertise, and experience. Choosing contract manufacturers who are certified can offer an array of benefits: 

• Access to growing markets around the world
• Demonstrable commitment to efficient, safe processes
• Protection against audits and litigation
• Marketable dedication to quality
  The question? Which standards are relevant, and what certifications to look for.

Read on to discover the requirements and applications of the medical device industry’s manufacturing standards.

This post is brought to you by Universal Robots.

“Man vs. Machine?” – A plea for rethinking their collaboration

On the way to Industry 4.0 many people wonder: “Will machines substitute human workers?” Since its beginning, the fourth industrial revolution has been discussed alongside with this question. It is as old as automation itself; however, it looks at the winds of our times from the wrong perspective. It is not about “man VS machine”, but “man WITH machine”.

According to a study carried out by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), the number of robots sold globally will have doubled to about 400,000 units by 2018. 70 per cent of total turnover is generated in China, Japan, USA, South Korea and Germany. Here are some figures to compare: South Korea employs 478 industrial robots per 10,000 employees, in Germany, this figure currently stands at 292 units. Of course, this number will not stay at 2.9 per cent robots among 10,000 employees, but even with this number going up, the density of robots dampens the widespread fear of losing one’s job.