Due to the increasing cost pressure in the medical technology sector, effective production automation is increasingly becoming a key competitive factor. This is particularly evident during the assembly process, where components need to be provided fast and precisely, for feeding into pre-defined positions for various processing steps.
While manufacturers would love to have a 100 percent modernised factory with all new bells and whistles, in reality, this is never going to be the case – it is still common to have decades-old equipment doing its part on the production line. Here, Adnan Khan of Beckhoff UK, explores how new and old equipment can work together seamlessly when industrial PCs (IPCs) come into the picture.
A perfect storm of environmental and economic issues is turning intelligent, networked workspaces into a new business imperative. EnOcean’s CEO Raoul Wijgergangs examines what’s involved.
Combine the highest welding quality with green technology, and you have friction stir welding (FSW), the optimal process to use for non-ferrous metals with low melting temperatures and for metallic materials. KUKA applied its expertise in this area to put three friction stir welding cells into production for a major car manufacturer.
How can we standardise tasks and stabilise productivity? How can we fill the gap in the proficiency of workers? These are perennial issues facing the entire manufacturing industry.
Comau has developed an advanced welding solution for Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive Co., which will help support an annual production capacity of 50,000 units.