The importance of automobile safety has driven several key innovations over the last 50 years. It all started with the seat belt in 1966 when the U.S. Congress authorized the Federal Government to set safety standards for new cars. By 1968, seat belts, padded dashboards and other safety features … [Read more...]
Enhancing Automotive Wire Harness Manufacturing Through Digital Continuity
This white paper reviews recent innovations within COTS technology that are helping wire harness manufacturers deliver transformational manufacturing engineering automation and integration with other technologies in the process. This will enable a digitally continuous data flow that can remove … [Read more...]
Improve the Productivity of your Factory Automation Systems with Lightweight Gears and Actuators
After sliding from its peak more than 25 years ago, U.S. manufacturing appears to be on the way back. Factory automation is a critical element enabling U.S. manufacturing companies to effectively compete in the global marketplace. To maintain this competitive trend, modern robotic and automation … [Read more...]
Conveyor helps streamline small part handling manufacturing
To instantly download this case study and read how engineers were able to optimized the process of manufacturing butt splices and shorten production time, increased consistency and accuracy rates complete the form below. … [Read more...]
Processor power and energy efficiency
AutomationDirect announces the release of a new White Paper, “Processor Power and Energy Efficiency”, that explains how consumer electronic microprocessor improvements also provide a catalyst for industrial automation advancements. Modern electronic devices, such as smart phones, tablets, etc. … [Read more...]
A new foundation for 1-D barcode reading
If contemporary technology has a grand theme, it is that eventually digital will replace analog, and solid state will replace mechanical. Whether it be music or video, publishing or photography, telecommunications or engine control, the story is similar. Mechanical, analog machines have been around … [Read more...]
Precision Conveyance
Precision conveyors are a new category of belt conveyors used in applications when precise product movement or placement is required. Examples of these applications include; wide or sheet part handling, product elevation, robotic picking / box filling and automated assembly. Precision conveyors are … [Read more...]
Improving High-Speed Performance Of Hybrid Stepper Motors
Bipolar drives supply steppermotor windings with current waveforms that look like square waves when fully stepping or sine waves when micro-stepping at a high resolution. The waveforms shown in the oscilloscope displays illustrate the drive current in a half-stepping mode, which is two discrete … [Read more...]
Six Principles for Building Cost-Effective Wind Turbine Generators
The six principles are intended for wind-turbine manufacturers that are expanding in the growing U.S. market. Following the principles will assist the companies in delivering cost-effective, safer equipment that is compliant with appropriate standards. The paper is authored by Industry … [Read more...]
Next Generation Operator Interfaces Shorten OEM Time To Market
Operator interfaces accelerate time to market while enhancing machine functionality, quality, and reliability. Machine builders continually cope with increasingly challenging issues. OEMs, like most manufacturers, must do more with less, offer the latest technology, and deliver high-quality … [Read more...]