Together, shipping, receiving and storage count for less than half of all warehouse activity costs. The lion’s share of expenses – a whopping 55% – is bound up in order picking. Breaking down the various activities associated with order picking, it is found that over 60% of time is spent walking, with writing, searching and picking tasks comprising the other 40%.
As machines become more connected, the need to service equipment remotely is escalating. Production is often running 24/7 and manufacturers expect immediate action from machine specialists. Not having a remote solution creates challenges like high travel costs, whereas some remote solutions cause a loss of data control and increase vulnerability.
Manufacturing organizations know that unplanned downtime is costly. What may be less clear is the impact that cyberattacks, like ransomware, have on downtime. Simply put: successful attacks on manufacturing mean downtime – not measured in hours or days, but often weeks or longer.
IMTS 2022 – The International Manufacturing Technology Show, which runs Sept. 12-17 at Chicago’s McCormick Place, is chock full of exhibitors, conferences, and other attractions focused on advanced manufacturing technology. For attendees to get the most out of their time at the show, it’s imperative to prepare a plan in advance. This year, AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology is offering IMTS Preview Days, a new, three-episode video series that helps attendees prepare for their visit to IMTS 2022.
Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) is seen as one of the most important trends shaping the future of industrial communication. Advantages of this new connection technology featuring only one conductor pair include high-speed data transmission, reduced space requirements and lower costs. But where will it be applied in the future, which cable types will be required, and how will SPE perform compared to existing communication standards?
Master Electronics is a global authorized distributor of electronic components. For more than half a century, this family-owned company has remained focused on strong relationships, responsive service and added value. Their suppliers recognized these qualities and honored Master Electronics with seven awards at the 2022 EDS Leadership Summit in Las Vegas.
On Tuesday, July 12, Southwire was presented with the inaugural Energy Matters Award for Best Sustainability by a Large Company by Tim Echols, vice chairman of the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC). “At Southwire, we continue to build on our commitment to environmental stewardship by supporting the wellbeing of our communities and environment and this award is a testament to those efforts,” said Rich Stinson, Southwire’s president and CEO.
Recently, Allied Electronics & Automation was named one of the 2022 Top 50 Inspiring Workplaces in North America by Inspiring Workplaces. Inspiring Workplaces annually recognizes 50 organizations that exemplify the elements of culture & purpose, leadership, well-being, inclusion, communication and experience. The 2022 Inspiring Workplaces Awards recognized companies in the EMEA region for the second consecutive year and marked the first annual awards in North America.
The use of sophisticated electronic and sensing devices to improve and expand manufacturing, machining, and production processes in industrial applications is only possible if all components survive the difficult environment. Systems must endure hot, humid, and harsh conditions and destructive electric and magnetic fields. The specific environmental conditions in which a product is used affects its specifications.
Many manufacturers employ Lean Six Sigma process improvement methods aimed at eliminating waste and reducing variation. In this context, waste is defined by the pneumonic device “DOWNTIME,” which stands for defects, over-production, waiting, non-used talent, transportation, inventory, motion and extra processing. In the industry, there are three of the most common types of waste – defects, motion and extra processing.
When HELUKABEL receives a request for a custom cable from one of their customers, the work begins in their cable design department. Their task is to develop solutions that meet unique and often technically complex requirements. For this, a lot of know-how and expertise are essential. Custom cable manufacturing is one of HELUKABEL’s greatest strengths – and would not be possible without the “Cable Design” department, which is based at their production plant in Windsbach, Germany.
Siemens AG has launched an open digital business platform, Siemens Xcelerator, to accelerate digital transformation and value creation for customers of all sizes in industry, buildings, grids and mobility. The business platform makes digital transformation easier, faster and scalable. Siemens Xcelerator includes a curated portfolio of internet of things (IoT) enabled hardware, software and digital services from across Siemens and certified third parties.
Global technology and software company Emerson has been selected by Albioma, a French independent energy provider, to help transition its coal-fired Bois Rouge plant to 100% renewable energy. As part of Albioma’s wider mission to transition all of its existing fossil fuel plants to renewable energy, Emerson’s automation systems and software will enable the coal-fired power station to convert to biomass feedstock.
One of the easiest ways for manufacturers to transform their operations with IIoT capability is to use IO-Link. This internationally accepted platform allows sensors to go beyond a simple ON/OFF reading and communicate details about fault detection, condition monitoring, and component identification, and more throughout the system. Thanks to IO-Link, manufacturers can shorten commissioning time, minimize the impact of downtime, and boost their production availability.
Predictive maintenance (PdM) is transforming manufacturing operations and growth with technology that includes the Internet of Things (Iot), the Cloud, mobile applications, AI/ML to analyze and predict insights using data, and web applications to share entire operations data in one place. The tools and technology of Industry 4.0 have turned PdM from an abstract concept into a practical solution.
Probably most of us already have noticed the effect of an AC inrush current in our homes – e.g. when the refrigerator, power tools, vacuum cleaner or the air conditioner turn on. The surrounding lights may dim shortly, a sign that the AC voltage is being drawn down by the switch-on process of this device. Fortunately, in the home environment, flickering lights are typically the worst condition that occurs.
