Discover the latest developments in factory automation
New technologies are being adopted in industrial applications to drive up productivity.
These technologies will change the way large OEMs design their own machinery and influence the way machine equipment manufacturers develop their future products. These changes will impact all industrial manufacturers but especially those making good use of automation.
There is a global productivity gap between SMEs and large OEMs. Increased automation is closing that gap, making SMEs more competitive and profitable. As new technologies become more accessible, SMEs will benefit from higher levels of automation. The cost and the complexity of automation is being eroded by innovators who are leveraging new technologies to develop disruptive solutions.
Avnet is working with suppliers around the world to understand how technology for automation is developing and how it can be used. Avnet is using this knowledge to help its customers gain access to higher levels of automation.
What do you know about cobots?
The continued growth in collaborative robots, or cobots, is a good example of how access to automation is increasing. Cobots are smaller, less expensive, and less complex than large industrial robots. However, they do come with limitations. A new white paper from Avnet explores how cobots, machine vision and artificial intelligence are reshaping the factory floor.
Making cobots inherently safe
Cobots are designed to be safe for use around human operators. Manufacturers need to design safety into cobots as an overriding imperative. While this limits their capabilities, it also presents exciting new opportunity for automating many tasks. This article looks at how manufacturers make cobots that are inherently safe.
How to drive your electric motor
Electric motors are the enabler of factory automation. The theory of electric commutation is well understood and continues to be applied in new ways. Efficiency is now a high priority when developing automation equipment. Knowing which motor to use and how to drive it depends on the application’s needs. As these vary, so too will the choice in motor and drive method. New technologies, such as wide-bandgap power semiconductors, are having an increasingly important role to play here. We look at the most common electric motors used in industrial automation and how they can be used most efficiently.
Additive manufacturing takes on wiring harnesses
By combining robotics and additive manufacturing, Q5D has developed a robot cell that can print electrical conductors directly onto a product’s surface. It has the potential to revolutionize the wiring harness, removing weight, cost, and points of failure. Avnet spoke with Chris Elsworthy, Q5D’s Chief Technology Officer, to find out more.
Modular based design for industrial automation
By starting with an industry-standard compute board, customers can quickly customize a board to achieve exactly what they need. Avnet Embedded has a close relationship with leading semiconductor manufacturers and is an active member of compute board associations. This gives Avnet Embedded’s customers early access to the latest solutions that can be modified to meet their exact requirements.
Introducing Design Hub from Avnet
Design Hub is the latest innovation from Avnet. It gives customers free access to a growing repository of reference designs, block diagrams, and design calculators. Using these assets, engineers can make early design decisions faster and move quickly to the next stage. Discover how Design Hub could help you develop your next industrial automation solution.
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