There’s a delicate balance in the constant evolution of today’s assembly line. Once dominated by hydraulics, manufacturing floors are incorporating a growing number of electromechanical solutions to supplement legacy hydraulic components, particularly in lower force, linear motion applications. Manufacturers that recognize this trend and harness the benefits of both hydraulic and electromechanical solutions position themselves to optimize future operations, regardless of market trend demands.

A provider of engineering services in the hydraulic and pneumatic industry anticipates new orders in 2025 for movie prop platforms that use low-coefficient-of-friction Vesconite bushings. It hopes to produce several platforms in 2025, which will add to the number of platforms that it has produced since its first foray into the movie industry in May 2005. 

State-of-the-art doesn’t begin to describe ABB’s revamped robotics and training facility in Auburn Hills, MI. The upgraded factory serves as a U.S. hub for developing AI-enabled technology helping businesses respond to labor shortages, global uncertainty and sustainable manufacturing. 

In recent years, the power engineering manufacturing industry has been undergoing a significant modernization movement, driven by the rapid advancement of robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence. Amazon's recent announcement of its in Shreveport, Louisiana, serves as a prime example of this revolution in action. 

The applications are too numerous to list in their entirety. Coffee grounds. Eggshell waste. Pomegranates and pineapples. Manure and paper mill sludge. Tobacco. These are just a few of the materials that require dewatering, a process that—as its name suggests—separates fluids from solids, often converting what would otherwise go down the drain or end up in a landfill into saleable products.

Coverage of IMTS and MINExpo International will continue on the PTE website through the end of the year and into 2025. We're excited to share the stories and new technologies discussed at both trade shows in September.

Our next legacy entry is maxon, a global leading provider of electric drive systems. The company provides single-source DC and BLDC motors, gearheads, sensors, control electronics, mechatronic drive systems and more-from individual prototypes to large-scale production. The history of maxon begins with Interelectric AG in Frankfurt.

Dual loop control is often used to improve the performance of a motion control system. Although this appears more complex at first look, the overall system cost and complexity needed to reach the desired level of precision may often be significantly reduced. In the example system, mechanical stiffness was improved by a factor of approximately 100 by the use of a secondary feedback device.In the case of a single loop lead screw system, the feedback is usually located on the back of the motor. 

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation recently announced that it had been awarded a Guinness World Records title on May 21, 2024, for the fastest robot to solve a puzzle cube using the TOKUI Fast Accurate Synchronized Motion Testing Robot (TOKUFASTbot). The previous record of 0.38 seconds was trumped by TOKUFASTbot's time of 0.305 seconds. 

The manufacturing industry often sets the trends for technology adoption in industrial settings. For example, the automation journey began a half-century ago with the first industrial robot — a 2,700-pound behemoth Unimate prototype — installed in a GM factory in 1959. Since then, robotics technology has significantly evolved and expanded beyond traditional manufacturing. Today, robots are integral to various industries, undertaking tasks like automated bricklaying in construction, efficient goods handling in logistics and warehousing and critical functions such as dispensing medication within hospitals.