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Drives & Controls - UK’s leading magazine for automation, motion engineering and power transmission Home Menu Events Automated piece-picker works with any cobot, bin or gripper The Italian automation developer Comau has unveiled a piece-picking system which works with any cobot, bin or gripper to grasp and remove random-placed items from the bin, without needing information about their size, shape, colour or other characteristics. The AI-enabled Mi/Ra/OnePicker system uses a vision system to guide the gripper and determines the most effective way to empty a bin, saving time, energy and costs. Software workstations replace PLCs in ‘breakthrough’ At the Automate 2024 show in the US, Siemens has unveiled a breakthrough” software-based workstation technology that is designed to replace traditional hardware PLCs, HMIs and edge devices. The company is hailing its Simatic Workstation as a breakthrough in the longstanding challenge of closely managing numerous hardware control points throughout the factory”. The technology ushers IT workflows into OT (operational technology) environments, it adds. Mitsubishi and Rockwell expand production in India Mitsubishi Electric and Rockwell Automation have both announced plans to expand production of factory automation (FA) equipment in India. Mitsubishi has just opened a plant in Maharashtra state that will produce inverters and other automation products, while Rockwell plans to open a manufacturing facility in Chennai in the first half of 2025, which is expected to employ around 230 people by the end of the year. BMW uses robot dog to gather data for digital twin at UK site BMW is using a four-legged robotic dog to gather data for a digital twin at its Hams Hall engine production plant in UK. The robot – a Boston Dynamics Spot model, which BMW has renamed Spotto – will also act as a watchdog and oversee maintenance of the site’s facilities. Large robots cut cycle times by 25% and energy use by 30% ABB Robotics has added two new machines to its portfolio of large modular robots, which now spans 46 variants, capable of handling payloads from 70–620kg. The new IRB 7710 and IRB 7720 robots include 16 variants offering class-leading” path accuracies of down to 0.6mm, and speeds of up to 1,600mm/s. AI tool turns failure predictions into maintenance plans Rockwell Automation has announced a generative AI software package that converts predictions of equipment failures into detailed, actionable work orders for maintenance teams. Called Fiix Prescriptive Maintenance, the tool is an add-on for Rockwell’s existing Fiix Asset Risk Predictor software, creating what it describes as the first complete predictive and prescriptive maintenance solution to help manufacturers eliminate unplanned downtime”. The AI can be set up in as little as two weeks and then starts to predict asset failures days in advance. Modules combine control and switching functions At the 2024 Hannover Messe show, Phoenix Contact unveiled a modular device that combines the roles of controller and a switching device. The PLC logic modules can be easily and securely integrated into higher-level automation systems using a built-in RS-485 interface that allows easy integration into Modbus/RTU networks. Over-moulded connectors resist contamination Binder has equipped the straight versions of its 709 and 719 snap-in series connectors with a new over-moulding that supports single-handed mating and un-mating, and improves resistance to contamination. The connectors with snap-in locking are characterised by high retention forces for their size, but can still be mated and unmated quickly. Belfast will host the UK’s £37.6m Digital Twin Centre The UK is creating a £37.6m digital twin centre of excellence, aimed at revolutionising how UK industries develop products, services and systems. The UK Digital Twin Centre, located in Belfast and led by the Digital Catapult , is being backed by Innovate UK, Belfast Region City Deal and three industrial partners: Thales UK, Spirit AeroSystems and Artemis Technologies. The centre is due to open later this year. Control Techniques and KB adopt new Nidec Drives brand Japan’s Nidec corporation is bringing together two of its drives-making subsidiaries – Wales-based Control Techniques and US-based KB Electronics – under a new Nidec Drives brand, with effect from 1 May, 2024. The change will not affect any of the products or services currently offered by CT or KB which will continue to be sold under their existing names. There will be some changes to branding on social media, product labels and brochures, but customers are not expected to see other differences. Carbon fibre rings tackle the scourge of bearing currents Bearing currents – a longstanding problem for some industrial motors – can also affect electric vehicle drivetrains, potentially leading to premature failure of bearings and other components. SKF has come up with a way to tackle the problem using conductive brush rings that provide a reliable electrical connection between an EV rotor shaft and its housing. When used in combination with ceramic ball bearings, they can alleviate bearing current effects, making EV drivetrains more reliable and longer-lasting. Low-cost VR technology controls robots remotely Mitsubishi Electric has partnered with the UK robotic software specialist Extend Robotics to allow robots to be controlled remotely using off-the-shelf consumer virtual reality (VR) hardware, thus slashing set-up and training costs compared to bespoke systems. Extend’s Advanced Mechanics Assistance System (Amas) platform is now compatible with Mitsubishi’s Melfa industrial robots. Smart motor control centre helps users to raise productivity At the recent Hannover Messe, Rockwell Automation launched a low-voltage motor control centre (MCC) for IEC markets which integrates smart motor control devices to deliver real-time operational and diagnostic data. Rockwell says that the Flexline 3500 MCC will help users to unlock production data and increase uptime and productivity. Hitachi buys MA micro automation to boost SI business Hitachi is buying the German robotic and automation technology specialist, MA micro automation, for €71.5m and plans to combine it with its US-headquartered systems integrator JR Automation Technologies (which it bought in 2019) to accelerate the expansion of its automation activities. IE6 motor is ‘the most efficient industrial motor ever created’ The Brazilian motor-maker WEG has announced an electric motor that version combines two technologies – permanent magnet (PM) and synchronous reluctance (SynRM) – to make it the most efficient industrial motor ever created”. The W23 Sync+ Ultra delivers IE6 efficiency levels and achieves this unparalleled” efficiency across varying speed and load conditions. Automation is biggest challenge for 81% of UK industrial users More than four in five industrial technology users in the UK (81%) regard adopting automation successfully as their biggest challenge, according to a new survey published by Automate UK – the automation and packaging trade organisation formerly known as PPMA. Particular factors that they cite include: the challenge of automating bespoke products; the level of skilled labour needed to support automation; and the difficulty of keeping abreast of developments such as AI and cobots. Online hub ‘could save manufacturers £20,000’ A new AI-powered digital marketplace could save UK manufacturers up to £20,000 in just 20 minutes, according to its founders. The Manufacturing Connections Hub is an online platform that connects manufacturers to suppliers, customers, investors, partners, academics and the government. Generative AI is now an industrial tool that generates PLC code The first generative AI product dedicated to industrial engineering has started to roll out into practical applications. Pilot trials of Siemens’ Industrial Copilot for TIA Portal Engineering are now underway and the software will...