Food & Beverage

Mitsubishi Electric: ASSISTA Collaborative Robot from Mitsubishi Electric Goes to Market in North and South America
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Mitsubishi Electric: ASSISTA Collaborative Robot from Mitsubishi Electric Goes to Market in North and South America

Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc. has recently announced the launch of its ASSISTA collaborative robot in the Americas. As a collaborative robot, or ‘cobot’, ASSISTA is designed to share its workplace with humans in a safe and efficient manner. This makes it a useful solution across various industries with its internal wiring, rigid, industrial-grade design, and newly developed components.

 

 

 

Rockwell Automation Unveils New Capabilities in FactoryTalk InnovationSuite, Powered by PTC, to Accelerate Digital Transformation
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Rockwell Automation Unveils New Capabilities in FactoryTalk InnovationSuite, Powered by PTC, to Accelerate Digital Transformation

Rockwell Automation, Inc. recently announced a set of new capabilities for FactoryTalk InnovationSuite, powered by PTC to simplify, scale, and accelerate digital transformation for industrial organizations. This news follows the recent announcement that the two companies are extending and expanding the scope of their strategic alliance following strong market momentum and widespread industry recognition of InnovationSuite.

 

 

 

Greater Efficiency for the Tortilla Chip Production Line
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Greater Efficiency for the Tortilla Chip Production Line

The Belgian snack food manufacturer Poco Loco decided to modernise its plants to increase the efficiency of its production lines and thereby optimise its processes. The configurable small controller PNOZmulti 2 and corresponding software tool PNOZmulti Configurator is as an efficient and safe solution at Poco Loco. The manufacture of snack products requires a multi-part, interlinked production cycle. Previously the plant sections were regarded as individual units with separate emergency shutdown circuits.

 

 

 

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Batch Management Software: Upgrade for Flexibility and Uptime

Consumers want variety – and they want it now. A stroll down the aisles of the grocery store is all it takes to realize just how many choices are becoming available, from snacks and beverages to shampoos and medications. With tight competition and a demanding market, the need for manufacturers to provide a wide array of choices is here to stay. Not only is variety the spice of life – but it’s becoming mandatory to stay competitive.

 

 

 

Why the V275 Series is the Ideal Label Inspection Solution for Manufacturers Using Zebra Thermal Printers
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Why the V275 Series is the Ideal Label Inspection Solution for Manufacturers Using Zebra Thermal Printers

In industries like life sciences, food and beverage, automotive and consumer packaged goods, it’s imperative for companies to ensure that product and packaging labels show the correct content, are clearly legible, and meet mandated quality requirements. Otherwise, these companies could be liable for consumer safety issues and could be subject to costly recalls.

 

 

 

Extremely Fast and Highly Precise Meat Portion Cutter Leverages PC Control
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Extremely Fast and Highly Precise Meat Portion Cutter Leverages PC Control

Danish company Borncut A/S, located in Ronne, has developed what they believe to be the world’s fastest and most precise portion cutter for the food industry, based on specially developed software and the open control platform from Beckhoff. Fish or poultry is divided into exact portions in a flash – with knives that rotate at speeds of up to 200 km/h and can make over 2,100 cuts per minute.

 

 

 

Yokogawa to Release Collaborative Information Server
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Yokogawa to Release Collaborative Information Server

Yokogawa Electric Corporation has recently developed the Collaborative Information Server (CI Server) and will be releasing it to the market in January 2021 as part of the OpreX Control and Safety System family. The solution will integrate the handling of all kinds of data from plant facilities and systems to enable the optimized management of production activities across an entire enterprise, and provide the environment needed to remotely monitor and control operations from any location.

 

 

 

A Perfect Match – ABB Jokab Sensors and B&R Safety Technology
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A Perfect Match – ABB Jokab Sensors and B&R Safety Technology

ABB Jokab’s proven range of innovative safety sensors can now be used directly with B&R’s integrated safety technology. The ABB portfolio includes a complete set of gate closures, light curtains and safety mats. The broad selection will make it easier than ever to implement safety concepts. Safety products from ABB Jokab are simply wired to B&R’s safe I/O modules. Both B&R safety technology and the ABB safety portfolio satisfy the requirements of ISO 13849-1 up to PL e / Cat. 4.

 

 

 

Schmersal Presents Prototype for Wireless Data Transmission in Heavy Industry
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Schmersal Presents Prototype for Wireless Data Transmission in Heavy Industry

In cooperation with aconno GmbH, the Schmersal Group has developed prototypes of an Industry 4.0 switch capable of wireless data transmission over distances of several kilometres for use with extended conveyor systems. The integrated wireless transmitter in the HDS series switches transmits status data for each individual switchgear unit via a common wireless mesh network to a cloud system. The prototypes are currently undergoing practical tests.

 

 

 

Emerson’s New Motion Control Portfolio Delivers Flexibility, Scalability and Reliability
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Emerson’s New Motion Control Portfolio Delivers Flexibility, Scalability and Reliability

Emerson recently announced its new PACMotion servo motion control portfolio to offer an integrated automation solution for high-performance industrial applications. The portfolio includes a new motion controller that connects directly into the PACSystems RX3i programmable logic controller backplane for high-speed, high-precision performance with synchronized motion for up to 40 coordinated axes, enabling end users to scale up their motion systems without sacrificing performance.

 

 

 

Four Use Cases that Show How the Real-Time Insights from Predictive Maintenance Drive Costs Down
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Four Use Cases that Show How the Real-Time Insights from Predictive Maintenance Drive Costs Down

Unplanned machine downtime is a hude geadache for the business sector, especially as ongoing problems – aging infrastructure, skilled worker shortage, and recent societal disruptions – continue to drive up operational cost by reducing machine availability. To combat this, manufacturers are looking for solutions that go beyond standard preventive maintenance.

 

 

 

I/O Expertise for Series Production: Ethercat Plug-in Modules
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I/O Expertise for Series Production: Ethercat Plug-in Modules

The EtherCAT plug-in modules in the EJ series from Beckhoff, the specialist in PC and EtherCATbased automation solutions, offer significant efficiency gains when it comes to implementing medium to high-volume series production runs. The plug-in modules are based electronically on the established EtherCAT Terminals. Owing to their electromechanical design, these modules can be plugged directly into an application-specific signal distribution board with the wiring level being relocated to the PCB backplane.

 

 

 

Time Savings and Flexibility When Designing Control Cabinets
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Time Savings and Flexibility When Designing Control Cabinets

LÜTZE has expanded its proven AirSTREAM wiring system to include a modular mounting rail system that allows a previously unattainable level of flexibility and simplified frame assembly. The new AirSTREAM mounting rail system is suitable for users that want to design a mounting frame independently, quickly and easily on site. To this end, the LÜTZE engineers have expanded the modular system to include defined lengths and standardized dimensions in a 10, 25 and 50-mm hole pattern.

 

 

 

Stewart Connector Expands the M12 Harsh Environment Offering to Include M12 X-Code to RJ45 Cable Assemblies
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Stewart Connector Expands the M12 Harsh Environment Offering to Include M12 X-Code to RJ45 Cable Assemblies

Stewart Connector, a Bel group company and manufacturer of high-speed connectors used in data communication applications, recently added M12 X-Code to RJ45 cable assemblies to their offering of M12 harsh environment solutions. M12 X- Code cable assemblies are the ideal solution for Ethernet connectivity up to 10 Gbps in factory and industrial applications.

 

 

 

ABB Enhances Portfolio of High-Speed Industrial Robots With Codian Acquisition
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ABB Enhances Portfolio of High-Speed Industrial Robots With Codian Acquisition

ABB has acquired Codian Robotics B.V., a provider of delta robots which are used primarily for high-precision pick and place applications. Codian Robotics’ offering includes a hygienic design line, ideal for hygiene-sensitive industries including food and beverage and pharmaceuticals. With the transaction, ABB is accelerating its engagement in the growing field of delta robots.

 

 

 

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Industrial Automation Can Help Critical Manufacturers Adjust to Disruptions Like COVID-19

As the pandemic sent shockwaves through economies and supply chains across the world this year, manufacturers in critical sectors were forced to adjust quickly. To better weather unexpected crises, as well as industry shifts beyond COVID-19, manufacturers need to increase flexibility and resiliency in their supply chains. Increased automation and data availability in the plant can help.