Industrial Automation and Motion Control Blog | The Knotts Company

Few things in recent memory have thrown the economy into a tailspin quite like the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies have had to deal with the consequences overnight and come to some quick decisions. As it has become more apparent that COVID is having greater than a short-term impact on people’s lives and the economy, it has become more pressing that companies seek longer-term solutions.

Topics: industrial automation nj/ny, automation, cobot, Universal Robots, cobots, covid

This post is brought to you by Bimba Technical Tips.

Steppers and servos can be used with Bimba OLE actuators. They are the best motor technologies for position control. The choice of which to use is dependent on speed, torque, price, and often lead time. The following discussion explains the differences between the two technologies.

Topics: industrial automation nj/ny, motion control, bimba, stepper motor, servo motor, electric actuator

Topics: cost savings, manufacturing, cost effective, industrial automation nj/ny, automation solutions, intelligent actuator

KnottsTech Automation and Control Expo was a success!

It was a beautiful spring day and everyone came out to see what was new in the world of automation and controls.  The regional sales managers from Omron, Dorner, and IAI were in attendance along with our own Steve Harrold.  Knotts Company product specialists Mark Howe and Mark Guida demonstrated the new product demos on hand.  

Topics: industrial automation nj/ny, automation control, conveyors, knotts company, controls

Topics: manufacturing, industrial automation nj/ny, automation solutions, robotics, motion control, solutions, automation

Topics: industrial automation nj/ny, automation solutions, robotics, technology, electric cylinder, motion control

Topics: industrial automation nj/ny, dorner, sanitary conveyor, stainless steel conveyors

For any food processing facility, the conveyor is a key component to insure products are delivered in a consistent and reliable method to the appropriate stage in the process.  The stage could be cleaning, cutting, adding or removing byproducts or additives, and various packing stations.  For food processing conveyors, FDA approved conveyors are mandatory.  FDA approved conveyors are designed to perform its primary duty while keeping food products and the employees who perform work safe and efficient.

Sanitary conveyors must meet FDA guidelines to insure the process is safe and the food products produced are kept safe from unintended microbials. Food processing plants should make sure their cleaning and sanitation procedures meet or exceed FDA requirements.  With the right conveyor equipment along with the right cleaning and maintenance practices, meeting these requirements should be an easy part of the plant maintenance process.  Some areas to review as part of a plant equipment cleaning and sanitation master schedule include:

Topics: industrial automation nj/ny, dorner, sanitary conveyor

Topics: industrial automation nj/ny, robotics, technology, electric cylinder, motion, motion control, assembly, automation, sensor, controls, vision, automated inspection, ethercat, industrial vision

You have an application that requires you to move product from point a to point b. The most logical method is to use a conveyor. Before you get overwhelmed by the different types of conveyors, you need to step through the application and answer a few simple questions.

Topics: industrial automation nj/ny, dorner