Automation

In early May, the driver of a Tesla S sports car died after a collision, prompting an investigation into Tesla’s self-driving technology. This has come months after Australia’s first-ever automated car trials in South Australia.

Argon has introduced its 21.3-inch rugged display, designed for command and control applications where maximum viewable surface area is needed in the smallest mounting possible. The ARD21 has a small bezel size, flexible mounting configurations, configurable I/O and universal AC/DC power supply. This makes it a suitable solution for mission critical applications. The product’s display … Continue reading New rugged display →

Any new technology is bound to have its share of challenges and barriers — for example the initial security concerns around cloud computing — and the Internet of Things (IoT) is no different. With smart devices adding billions of new access points into enterprise systems and communicating with the network, IoT security will be key. A number … Continue reading IoT and security: Hype, hysteria or cause for concern? →

While there is a global movement built around creating smart, connected factories of the future, a new trend towards putting the human touch back in production is transforming the manufacturing process.

KordaMentha Restructuring has said it welcomes the South Australian Government’s $50 million contribution to help secure the future of Arrium’s OneWhyalla business. Administrator Mark Mentha said the decision will go a long way towards assisting the town’s steelworks and mining operations. “It’s a great response to what has been an unbelievably strong display of unity … Continue reading Administrators welcomes SA Government investment in Whyalla, but wants more →

By creating a new business unit – Rittal Automation Systems – Rittal is building on its existing portfolio for panel building and switchgear manufacture. The enterprise is assuming responsibility for, and expanding, the product range provided by its sister company, Kiesling. The result is a comprehensive one-stop offering, from simple, manual tools to sophisticated, highly … Continue reading Company increases automation in enclosure manufacture →

TM Robotics and Toshiba Machine Industrial Robots have announced they have partnered with M.A.P Services to sell Toshiba Machine robots in Australia. After many years of searching for the ideal partner, TM Robotics finally met M.A.P Services at this year’s IREX show in Japan, where the two organisations discovered they were both looking for the same … Continue reading Toshiba industrial robots come to Australia →

As the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) continues to deliver value from connecting plant-floor devices to the enterprise, security remains an ongoing challenge. Therefore, Cisco and Rockwell Automation have collaborated to develop a deep-packet-inspection (DPI) technology for use in industrial security appliances. An industrial firewall with DPI technology extends visibility down to the plant floor, … Continue reading Enhancing security for the Industrial Internet of Things →

The world of manufacturing continues to change at a rapid rate from old school conventional turning operations with added milling less than 10 years ago to multifunctional machining with robotics, increasing machine utilisation, freeing up skilled workers from routine work and up-skilling for even higher levels of efficiency. At the forefront of these enormous changes … Continue reading Conventional turning to multifunctional machining to robotics – massive changes in manufacturing →

Attendees at this year’s National Manufacturing Week (NMW) will be treated to a demonstration of the latest collaborative robot technology, when Impact Robotics showcases the newly-released Sawyer ‘cobot’. Impact Robotics is the exclusive ANZ distributor of the Sawyer and Baxter robots by Rethink Robotics, and NMW will be the first exhibition in Australia to host … Continue reading Impact Robotics to demonstrate Sawyer “cobot” at National Manufacturing Week →

Sales of industrial robots topped 240,000 units last year, with automotive and electronics sectors again leading the way, though overall growth was down from a bumper 2014 year. The International Federation of Robotics’ annual World Robotics – Industrial Robotsreport recorded an eight per cent increase in sales, year on year. China led with 66,000 units … Continue reading Global industrial robot sales increased 8 per cent in 2015 →

The decision to replace Australia’s submarines has been stalled for too long by politicians afraid of the bad media about “dud subs” the Collins class got last century. Collins class subs deserved criticism in the 1990s. They did not meet Royal Australian Navy (RAN) specifications. But in this century, after much effort, they came good. Though they are expensive, Collins class boats have “sunk” … Continue reading Could robot submarines replace the ageing Collins class? →

For family-run businesses like Australia’s Prysm Industries, providing a high quality product while also keeping costs down can be a challenge.

“The alliance with WEG, will enable Direct Automation to offer a complete switchgear range to our industrial controls business,” said Katie Davies, Direct Automation’s Director.

Rethink Robotics’ Sawyer robot, announced in March last year, is available in Australia through distributor Impact Robotics.

Faced with increased international competition and a steep drop in mining construction, Doyalson-based Kmar Engineering sought to automate its structural steel coping process.

Though not a new term, “advanced manufacturing” has gained a lot of traction in Australia in the last year or two. There is no universal definition of the term, despite organisations all over the world making their own attempts to pin it down.

A new report by Bank of America Merrill Lynch has predicted a massive impact on manufacturing employment through the use of robotics.

Universal Robots recently hosted Manufacturers’ Monthly at the Clayton offices of a local supplier. Brent Balinski spoke to the company’s Andrew Pether about the UR3 tabletop robot’s features.

Also known as Variable Speed Drives, VFDs vary the frequency and voltage supplied to the motor, allowing for different speeds, torque or power to be used at different times (a high torque upon startup, and a lower torque during operation, for example).