Motion Control

RSS

New tools allow engineers to conduct in-process verification.

BOSTON—Rethink Robotics has released new positioning software for its Baxter collaborative robot that will enable the robot to manage and adapt to changing, real-world environments.

AUBURN HILLS, MI—Patti Engineering Inc., a specialist in control systems integration, will expand its collaboration with McClellan Automation Systems, a company that designs and builds automated assembly systems.

Manually assembling small parts isn’t that difficult. Inserting a screw into a hole or a wire into a connector is simply a matter of hand-eye coordination. Assembling larger parts, like, say, the multiton fuselage sections of a jetliner, is whole other matter.

Methods Machine Tools has built top-notch automation equipment in North America since the late 1950s. It has seven regional technical centers across the United States, including one in Wixom, MI, that focuses on automotive applications.

When designing a complex machine, engineers have two options. They can get all parts of the system—controller, drives, motors, I/O and human-machine interface (HMI)—from a single vendor. Or, they can pick and choose devices from mul-tiple suppliers.

Choosing between linear and rotary indexers for an automated assembly application depends on application requirements and space availability on the plant floor.

Air cylinders are offered in a variety of industry standards. Within these standards, air cylinders come in an assortment of shapes, sizes and types.

Regardless of its size, an airplane part needs to be monolithic, with minimal dimensional variation. Such parts ensure better control of the aircraft’s final weight.

High among the achievements of NITA Labeling Equipment—a Quebec, Canada, manufacturer of pressure-sensitive labeling machines—is being named the Innovative Company of 2010 by the Industrial Research Association of Quebec.