January 1, 2010
Features
Getting a handle on gripping
What is a robot without its arm or means to grip and move objects? Not much. Technically, robots have existed for at least 100 years. Their rougher mechanical...
Waving goodbye to vibration
From heavy-duty tool presses to light and zippy semiconductor manufacture, all machines are subject to vibration. Minimizing oscillation boosts system...
Great Guides
Much time and attention is focused on choosing the best bearings for linear motion tasks. But what about the components that guide the application and...
Editorial
A new year, fresh start
The saddest kind of call I receive as an editor is from office managers and administrative assistants who phone to ask that persons be removed from our...
In response | Jan 2010
Innovation, education keys to future Will American workers need to lower their standard of living to compete with third world manufacturers? Some will....
Departments
Automation market poised for growth
It's no secret that the automation systems market for discrete industries began to slow rapidly with the economic downturn that started in 2007. The manufacturing...
Robotic safety standards evolving
It looks like robots are here to stay: Significant increases in microprocessing power and recent strides in automation and control technology have made...
Microcontroller supports New Year's resolutions
If you've resolved to exercise more this year, a new watch is here to help, especially if swimming is your game. Creator of swim training aids for the...
SERCOS lll master library available
SERCOS International (SI) announces that an open-source driver library for SERCOS lll realtime Ethernet communication is now available via the sourceforge.net...
Biz bits | Jan 2010
ROLLON appoints new general manager Linear motion products manufacturer ROLLON Corp., Sparta, N.J., announces that Richard (Rick) Wood has been appointed...
Safety first
One of the most important aspects of industrial automation is keeping workers and equipment out of harm's way. Whether safeguarding involves physical...
Abart Gear and Machine
A few months ago, we presented the mystery of Abart Machine and Gear Co., featured (left) in a 1959 issue of this magazine. The operation was acquired...
Handy shaft collars hold their own
Simple and ubiquitous, the trusty shaft collar is one of the most useful components in the power transmission industry. Used alone, collars act as mechanical...
Motion controllers | Jan 2010
Integrated machine control MC4U (Motion Control for You) includes the motion controller, drives, power supplies, and high speed PLC in one 9, 11, or 19-in....
New Products | Jan 2010
High-performance BLDC motor Size 23 BLDC motor features customized housing and shaft. Features & benefits Standard high-torque density design (P/N DIH23-30-BFNA)...
Web Watch: Links & Resources
Free online access to information and 2D and 3D CAD files is now available for more than 17,000 parts at www.wago.us/PARTCommunity.htm. Here, the WAGO...
