Robotics World articles from June 2004

Robotics World archives from June 2004

Adept founders launch new automation business.(News)
June 1, 2004... Brian Carlisle and Bruce Shimano, who founded Adept Technology in 1983, have started a new automation company, Precise Automation, after leaving Adept in December. Carlisle was CEO of Adept and Shimano was vice president of research and...

KUKA Robotics.(People)
June 1, 2004... Leroy Rodgers, who has been vice president of customer support at KUKA Robotics for the past three years, has been promoted to president of the company. Before that, he worked for 34 years at General Motors. Bernard Sagan, director of sales,...

Paolo Pirjanian, chief scientist at Evolution Robotics, has been awarded this year's IEEE RAS Industry Early Career Award.(People)
June 1, 2004... Paolo Pirjanian, chief scientist at Evolution Robotics, has been awarded this year's IEEE RAS Industry Early Career Award. Presented by the Robotics and Automation Society, the award recognizes innovators who have made significant contributions...

Mihir Ravel, vice president of technology and corporate development for National Instruments.(People)
June 1, 2004... Mihir Ravel, vice president of technology and corporate development for National Instruments, is leaving the company this summer to pursue his interests in globalized development and education.

Minarik Drives.(People)
June 1, 2004... Dave Witwer has been appointed national sales manager of Minarik Drives.

Praxair Inc.'s subsidiary, Praxair Distribution Inc., has renewed an agreement with Cloos Robotic Welding Inc. for the exclusive commercialization of the high-capacity MIG/MAG tandem welding process for all automated welding applications, including robotics.(Agreements)
June 1, 2004... Praxair Inc.'s subsidiary, Praxair Distribution Inc., has renewed an agreement with Cloos Robotic Welding Inc. for the exclusive commercialization of the high-capacity MIG/MAG tandem welding process for all automated welding applications,...

Trade shows.(Calendar)
June 1, 2004... 2004 Assembly Technology Expo 2004 Sept. 28-30 Rosemont, Ill. www.atexpo.com Plastics USA 2004 Sept. 28-30 McCormick Place, Chicago www.plasticsusa.org NEPCON Texas 2004 Oct. 20-21 Arlington,...

Chad Industries has returned to the market as an independent solutions supplier to the semiconductor, electronics and life sciences industries.(Quick Takes)
June 1, 2004... Chad Industries has returned to the market as an independent solutions supplier to the semiconductor, electronics and life sciences industries. Employees at Chad, which was acquired by Adept Technology in 2001, executed a buyout from Adept in...

Adept Technology recently delivered its 20,000th robot to Hutchinson Technology Inc.(Quick Takes)
June 1, 2004... Adept Technology recently delivered its 20,000th robot to Hutchinson Technology Inc., which manufactures suspension assemblies for the hard-drive industry.

Flow Robotics was named Motoman Inc.'s Integrator of the Year for 2003.(Quick Takes)
June 1, 2004... Flow Robotics was named Motoman Inc.'s Integrator of the Year for 2003 at Motoman's recent technical forum for strategic partners.

Bosch Rexroth AG has selected Wind River's VxWorks General Purpose Platform as the technology standard for its motion control devices.(Quick Takes)
June 1, 2004... Bosch Rexroth AG has selected Wind River's VxWorks General Purpose Platform as the technology standard for its motion control devices, and Yaskawa Electric Corp. has selected Wind River Platform for Industrial Automation as the device software...

Lincoln Electric.(Quick Takes)
June 1, 2004... Lincoln Electric's welding equipment, consumables and automation plants in Euclid, Ohio, have been certified to ISO 14001.

USMTC.(Quick Takes)
June 1, 2004... U.S. machine tool consumption totaled $272.34 million in March, according to USMTC, up 60.5 percent from February and up 56.2 percent from March 2003.

Messe Frankfurt Inc. and Mesago Messe Frankfurt are producing SPS Electric Automation America in Rosemont, Ill.(Quick Takes)
June 1, 2004... Messe Frankurt Inc. and Mesago Messe Frankurt are producing SPS Electric Automation America in Rosemont, Ill., a special-interest event to include both an exhibition and conference program for electric automation technologies.

RIA set to celebrate 30th Anniversary.(RIA update)
June 1, 2004... As RIA celebrates its 30th Anniversary, members look forward to another three decades of growth and progress within the robotics industry. The industry celebration will culminate during the 2005 International Robots & Vision Show and...

AIA to repeat workshop.(RIA update)
June 1, 2004... Driven by the continuing rapid advances in applying vision in robotic guidance applications, the second "Machine Vision for Robot Guidance Workshop" moves on to Nashville, Tenn., Oct. 5 and 6, 2004. Last year's inaugural event in Novi,...

16th Annual National Robot Safety Conference (NRSC) set.(RIA update)
June 1, 2004... The 16th Annual National Robot Safety Conference is scheduled for Oct. 18-21, 2004, at the Ypsilanti Mariott at Eagle Crest Resort in Ypsilanti (Detroit), Mich. The conference offers attendees an opportunity to hear robot case studies from...

RIA in-house training offered at summer discount pricing.(RIA update)
June 1, 2004... A variety of in-house training is available, including Risk Assessment, Robot Safety Standard Compliance, Fundamentals of Robotics, or customized seminars tailored to specifically meet your training requirements and is brought right to your...

Association events.(Calendar)
June 1, 2004... Assembly Technology Expo --Robotics in Assembly --Machine Vision for Assembly Applications Sept. 27-30, 2004 Donald E. Stephens Convention Center Rosemont (Chicago), Ill. Machine Vision for Robot Guidance Workshop ...

Machine vision for pharmaceutical & medical applications workshop.(RIA update)
June 1, 2004... Machine vision is playing an ever-increasing role in the pharmaceutical and medical industries. From checking labels, inspecting syringes or blister pack inspection--this AIA-sponsored workshop will provide solutions. Tabletop exhibits also...

Most robot accidents foreseable: people are smarter than robots when they pay attention and think ahead. When they don't, bad things can happen. Here are examples of real-life accidents we can learn from.(RIA Safety Column)
June 1, 2004... The Robotic Industries Association remains very involved in promoting robot safety and, for that matter, industrial safety in general. Industrial safety in North America has seen continual improvement in recent years, but even one accident is...

How motion control systems are improving.(Motion control)
June 1, 2004... Editor's note: Robotics World recently asked for examples of new technologies that are improving motion control systems. The following are two of the responses we received and more will be printed in the future. JOHN CALICO Senior R &...

Pouring of molten aluminum.(Robotics Case Studies)
June 1, 2004... Remtec Automation integrated a robotic solution for an aluminum-pouring system that originally was chain driven and mostly mechanical in design, with problems that included high maintenance, low accuracy and low flexibility. The volume accuracy...

Epson inspection/packaging application sorts out bad parts.(Robotics Case Studies)
June 1, 2004... Problem: A Tier 1 automotive supplier wanted to prevent the shipment of defective parts to its customers. Traditional methods had operators inspecting parts, separating known good parts from known defective parts. This manual method...

Palletizing with a gantry robot.(Robotics Case Studies)
June 1, 2004... A Parker Hannifin gantry robot is being used to palletize packages of finished pharmaceutical products. On separate conveyor belts, pharmaceutical tablets in bundles or in boxes are brought to the system. The pharmaceuticals are either stacked...

Robotic welding helps Ridgeview Industries edge out competition.(Robotics Case Studies)
June 1, 2004... Being able to provide its customers with complete assemblies has created a competitive advantage for Ridgeview Industries of Grand Rapids, Mich. With the help of new arc welding robotics, this 34 year-old company now can deliver a turnkey...

Cables: more than an afterthought.(Component spotlight: cables and connectors)
June 1, 2004... The wiring of industrial machinery requires special attention to cable selection, but it is too often treated as an afterthought. Experienced engineers know that choosing the right cable can make the difference in the success of their...

Belden AC motor cables.(Products)(Cover Story)
June 1, 2004... Belden Electronics Division's Variable-Frequency Drive (VFD) series of 1000V UL Flexible Motor Supply Cable, designed to carry power from AC drive systems to AC motors, have been constructed to handle the overall high power levels of the...

Igus Inc. data cables.(Products)(Cover Story)
June 1, 2004... Chainflex continuous-flex data cables from Igus Inc. are rugged enough to handle the intense motion of automated machinery on the factory floor while consistently delivering reliable, smooth data transmission. Factory automation systems...

Tyco lead-free and heavy metal cables.(Products)
June 1, 2004... Tyco Electronics recently announced the availability of Madison Cable brand lead-free and heavy-metal-free cables. These cables are designed with several national and international environmental initiatives in mind. The initiatives include...

Color coded connections by Phoenix Contact.(Products)
June 1, 2004... Phoenix Contact has added color coded connections to its Quickon-One connector, making it easier to terminate sensor wires. Four colors--brown, blue, black and white--have been marked on the connector to correspond with the color code of sensor...

BURNDY UNIRAP cable ties.(Products)
June 1, 2004... FCI-BURNDY Products has expanded and improved its BURNDY UNIRAP line of cable ties. The new BURNDY Cable Ties include Tefxel and Halar ties, aerial support spacer ties, identification ties, Velcro ties, mounting bases, tools and ties for...

Molex PolyPort junction boxes.(Products)
June 1, 2004... The new PolyPort junction box series from Molex Inc. delivers an alternative way to link up power in industrial control system applications. Available in four-, six-and eight-port sizes in a three-circuit configuration, the PolyPort junction...

Lapp lead-free cables.(Products)
June 1, 2004... Lapp USA recently announced that it has begun to manufacture its cables with lead-free compounds because of lawsuits in California against manufacturers of wire and cable products that violated the state's Proposition 65, as well as...

Anderson Power Products multipole connector.(Products)
June 1, 2004... Anderson Power Products (APP) now offers the highly durable SB350 multipole connector. To ensure greater conductivity and longer life, the SB350 connector has spring-loaded, silver-plated contacts that create a self-wiping action during mating...

Electri-Flex conduit.(Products)
June 1, 2004... Electri-Flex Co. offers a complete line of halogen-free, high/low temperature electrical conduits. These conduits provide excellent resistance to abrasion, sunlight, temperature extremes and many chemicals. Working temperatures range from...

Automation Systems Interconnect Inc. IEC terminal block.(Products)
June 1, 2004... Automation Systems Interconnect Inc. (ASI, Carlisle, Penn.), has announced the release of three new high-density IEC terminal block product lines. With this release of screw clamp, spring damp and insulation displacement connection terminal...

Lutze plug-in relay modules.(Products)
June 1, 2004... Coupling modules are widespread in automation technology. They minimize the financial costs of a control system, as relay cards are relatively expensive and inflexible when it comes to the number of outputs, which often drives the costs even...

VFD Lean TR is a flexible, shielded motor supply cable designed specifically to help reduce problems related to voltage spikes, harmonics and power distortions frequently associated with variable frequency drives.(Robotics World Showcase)
June 1, 2004... VFD Lean TR is a flexible, shielded motor supply cable designed specifically to help reduce problems related to voltage spikes, harmonics and power distortions frequently associated with variable frequency drives. 600V UL Type TC for tray cable...

Robotic rotary joint.(Robotics World Showcase)
June 1, 2004... ATI Industrial Automation bas just released a new product that allows unlimited rotation of end-of-arm tooling without tangling or twisting robot lines. 8y utilizing advanced slip-ring technology the Rotary Joint passes electrical and pneumatic...

Dynetic Systems is please to announce ...(Robotics World Showcase)
June 1, 2004... A smooth running, quiet, right angle gearmotor. These powerful, compact units boast highly efficient (up to 91%) worm gearing coupled with high torque DC motors to reach new levels of performance. Speeds from 260 rpm and torque up to 385 in/lbs...

Delta's new RMC70 Series motion controllers: offer more value for one- and two-axis applications.(Robotics World Showcase)
June 1, 2004... Targeting hydraulic, pneumatic and electric servo motion applications, the new RMC70 Series motion controllers from Delta Computer Systems, Inc. (Vancouver, WA) offer attractive price/performance for one- and two-axis systems. The initial...

JR3 force-torque sensors & receiver/ processors.(Robotics World Showcase)
June 1, 2004... JR3 produces a wide range of six axis force-torque sensors for use with robots and industrial automation. DSP based Receiver/Processor boards are available for PCI bus, cPCI bus as well as the ISA bus and VMEbus versions. Analog output sensors...