Automotive manufacturers are poised to hit the gas in terms of production in the coming years. Recent projections suggest that North American automotive manufacturing will grow by about 5% annually through 2031. This steady growth means manufacturers will need flexible industrial automation solutions that can quickly and easily adapt to changes in production volume and create more efficient, cost-effective workflows.
Efficiency on a large scale is paramount for integrators navigating multiple sectors, as maintaining operational efficiency across complex landscapes becomes synonymous with sustaining competitiveness. For a national integrator, the need to scale operations is imperative to continue growth and meet the multifaceted demands of diverse projects. A national integrator in the oil and gas, material handling, and logistics sector approached Rittal to address challenges hindering their scaling and business management. However, with Rittal’s comprehensive solutions and expertise, the customer was able to overcome complex engineering and manufacturing issues.
Panel building on machine tools is no longer as simple as wiring a few components and calling it a day. Now, there are more deadlines, cost pressures, standards, new directives, plus an increasing pressure to innovate. Besides commonly encountered problems related to time, cost, compliance and quality, there is also an increased degree of automation in the pre-fabrication of cables and the automated production of sheet metal parts. In addition to the mechanical design and development of the automation concept, planning of the electrical power supply and distribution is the third engineering discipline involved in the production of a new machine.
The Mt. Holly, South Carolina smelting facility of global producer Century Aluminum houses casting equipment to process nearly 230,000 metric tons of material into standard-grade ingot, HDC ingot, extrusion billet and other products. As the first primary aluminum plant in the world to achieve the ISO 9001 Quality System Standard, Mt. Holly has the highest standards for production efficiency, energy utilization and environmental control.
Digital transformation is converting outdated utility infrastructure into smart grids as the race to achieve net zero carbon emissions picks up speed. This model aims to improve energy management by collecting and analyzing data in real-time. However, maintaining a smart grid’s smooth operation is no easy feat, which has engineers scrambling for ways to enable timely notifications, data analysis, and acquisition among complex subsystems.
Clear wire identification with different colors is essential for the fast and safe connection of cables and wires. However, conventional marking methods also have disadvantages, such as environmental compatibility, for example. “Pastel B” is an alternative method for marking wire pairs in a more resource-efficient, low-CO2 and sustainable way. One potential application for the new marking method is four-pair data cables, such as those used in Ethernet cabling. In these cables, each pair of wires has an A and a B wire, which are color-coded for easy identification.
The automotive industry is in a period of significant growth, especially given the rise in demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and a more stable global supply chain. U.S. automotive producers have had to adapt to shifts and fluctuations in consumer demand to keep pace with the type and quantity of vehicles entering the market, and this has created some unique challenges in terms of creating an industrial automation infrastructure that can support increased productivity.
A recent survey of 200 global manufacturing decision makers found that the most pressing challenges manufacturers are likely to face in 2024 includes creating more agile and resilient production cycles. This is due in large part to the continued skilled labor shortage, and how increased consumer demand for a variety of goods is forcing manufacturers to figure out how to maintain productivity in the face of a limited labor pool. As a result, manufacturers are incorporating more advanced automation solutions to help unlock greater levels of productivity and efficiency in the coming year. In fact, creating a more connected ecosystem can accelerate the enclosure assembly and installation process, and this helps increase your speed to market and makes for more flexible production.
The energy and power industry is in the midst of a transformation. The continued evolution of renewable energy sources like wind and solar, along with the trend for engineering smarter, more robust grid systems, is pushing energy companies to adopt more flexible approaches to their industrial automation infrastructures. Not only does a more flexible architecture help energy companies scale based on demand, it can also help save time, money, and resources.
The use of satellites in space has historically focused on the aspects of science, communication, and military. This will change massively in the future. Whole swarms of small satellites orbit the globe and supply mankind with Internet access. Modern day satellites are packed with state-of-the art electronics. They must be as small as possible, light, and yet powerful. This reduces the cost of transporting them into orbit and enables them to function correctly. On the other hand, high-performance electronics must fit into the smallest possible space.
A digital twin is a virtual representation of an object or system that contain real-time data and information that allow engineers to assess a design without the need for a real-world object. This digital version can be used to measure, analyze, predict, control, or optimize its placement in the physical world – i.e., during product development or inspection, and postproduction to enable effective troubleshooting while minimizing downtime.
Packaging machinery customer, Balpack Inc., creates a highly precise capping machine with quick changeover functionality through programming expertise from HPE Automation and precision controls from Mitsubishi Electric. When Balpack Inc., packaging machinery specialists from Sarasota, Florida, were tasked with manufacturing a star wheel capping machine for a customer, they turned to automation vendor HPE Automation, a Diamond Partner Distributor Elite of Mitsubishi Electric Automation.
As the landscape of modern manufacturing continues to change and evolve, today’s manufacturers need increased industrial enclosure versatility, particularly when it comes to floormount enclosures. Recent trends, like retrofitting for warehouse automation and the need to reduce your automation footprint, are pushing manufacturers to source enclosures that offer high levels of protection and durability without sacrificing flexibility or ease of integration. The new Rittal VX SE Floormount enclosure system fits the bill.
A Control Circuit Device regulates and manages the operation of an electrical circuit by turning on or off the circuit. The control device regulates or limits the condition within the circuit by controlling the voltage and current. Examples of control circuit devices used are switches, solenoids, and relays. Noark is a reliable manufacturer of high-quality circuit control devices used in a wide range of industrial and motor applications. Learn more about circuit control devices and how you can partner with Noark.
EtherCAT offers numerous technological advantages, but it has also benefited immensely over the past two decades from the disclosure of the protocol and the foundation of the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) related with it. In the following interview, Martin Rostan, Executive Director of ETG, describes the most important aspects of these two sides to the EtherCAT success story.
eLearning is a form of self-study that has been well received and is becoming increasingly widespread. Eplan, the solutions provider, has made significant investments in this field since 2020 due to its customer-oriented focus and provides numerous eLearning courses at www.eplan.com, including courses for the new EPLAN Platform 2024. Eplan’s Head of Professional Education Dr Dusko Lukac explains: “Our goal is that our users work as efficiently as possible with Eplan. With the update trainings in the eLearning format, we present them the software’s new features. Our experience shows that when users make full use of the software, they also have the greatest success in project planning and engineering.”