Automation & Assembly

Robotic setup just got that little bit easier through a collaboration of Denso Robotics (Long Beach, CA) and National Instruments (Austin, TX). The joint effort employs a set of easy-to-use graphical functions that enable users to control and program Denso robots and peripheral devices from within a single LabView application.

Hand-wiring and routing of dozens or even hundreds of parallel I/O terminals when connecting a robot control with a PLC can now be filed in the “no longer required” tray thanks to a development that accomplishes the task with a single cable. An Ethernet/IP cable from Denso Robotics (Long Beach, CA) that quickly and easily plugs into a dedicated port on both its RC7 robot control and PLC is the key.

Thermoplastics welding machinery manufacturer bielomatik (New Hudson, MI) announced yesterday the launch of a new welding unit able to combine three of the company’s welding processes in a single machine. For processors, the advantages are obvious, as a user is more flexible with regard to which processes he may use, and a single machine, with a single footprint and acquisition cost, can offer the same capabilities as what normally would require three purchases.

At last week’s Fakuma tradeshow, injection molding machine maker Engel caused a stir with its molding machines, but also with its newest entry into the linear robot market—its Viper range.

Cognex Corp. (Natick, MA) has added a new line scan system to its In-Sight 5000 Series vision system product line. The In-Sight 5604 line scan vision system combines industrially rugged In-Sight hardware and best-in-class vision tools with a high-speed, 1K line scan imager. This eliminates the need for PC-based vision systems and separate line scan camera heads.

Cognex  Corp. (Natick, MA) has announced the newest addition to its DataMan family of ID readers. The DataMan 200 adds Ethernet connectivity and liquid lens technology to the world’s smallest fixed-mount reader measuring the size of a matchbox. These new features enable faster communication speed, easier integration with factory controls, and software-driven autofocus for easy, hands-free setup.

RJG Inc. (Traverse City, MI) has assembled the Process Stability Dashboard to manage quality for all molds that run in a plant, whether they have in-cavity sensors or not. RJG notes that processes are often not set up properly as documented or they get changed after setup.

Officials at printing machine supplier The Sabreen Group (Plano, TX) say demand for the Vector Jet Laser Marking Technology introduced last year has surpassed all projections, with injection molded parts’ printing one significant reason.