Innovations in mechanical and digital technologies have yielded accurate and simplified control for most industrial robots. The motors and actuators of today’s machines are high-precision, energy efficient designs that typically are optimized with drives and sensing equipment. Robotics can be synchronized and streamlined in new, imaginative ways. In other instances, magnetics are creating a highly adaptable means of material handling. And there’s even more to unlock with a digital enterprise that is actively monitoring each machine.
Overview
Digital and mechanical solutions have created a new era of motion control in robotics.
Robotic arms are still driven by some permutation of motors, gearboxes, actuators and pumps, yet those technologies have progressed with precision and accuracy. Combined with digital technologies such as advanced software, lasers or machine vision, it has created opportunities for robots in sensitive applications such a semiconductor fabrication, medical device manufacturing, welding and many other areas.
It is an effect felt across automation as a whole, as machines become easier to control, with better synchronicity and more predictable throughput. Getting parts or products across the factory floor or through the assembly process is easy as well, as AGVs, magnetic conveyor systems and other intelligent conveyance systems can coordinate to optimize part delivery and output to the right stations.
Speakers
Edgar Sotter is a Senior Director of New Product Technology in the CSA Group. His team looks to the technology horizon for new developments and applications that could present opportunities for CSA's Test, Inspection and Certification business. Prior to joining CSA, Edgar worked as Senior Director, Product Strategies & Client Solutions at Systems with Intelligence Inc. (SWI), a manufacturer of monitoring products for the electrical sector. Edgar has 20 years of combined academic, technical and business experience. He has a PhD in electronic engineering from Universidad Rovira I Virgili (Spain), an Executive MBA from the University of Toronto (Canada) and a Bachelor's of Science in electronic engineering from Universidad del Norte (Colombia).
Aaron Prather is the director of Robotics & Autonomous Systems Program at ASTM International, where he oversees standards development, training and workforce development efforts, and R&D funding. Prior to joining ASTM, Aaron was the senior advisor for robotics R&D at FedEx, where he developed and deployed numerous systems into their global operations. Prather has written numerous articles about robotics and their role and impact on workforce development. He is on numerous boards and committees that develop curriculum for robotics training.
Houk has been providing industry mechatronic solutions to address customer needs for flexible manufacturing. After his graduation from Purdue in 1992, he served as a motion application sales engineer for 16 years ,before joining Rockwell Automation as a technical consultant. In the 13 years since, he has held many roles, including technical lead and OEM sales leader. He is the current manager of go-to-market and sales strategies for Kinetix and independent cart platforms in North America.
Over the past 34 years, Dean Phillips has been a leader in the technology sectors and the world of smart manufacturing. His is a continuous advisor to the smart manufacturing advisory committees with Society of Manufacturing Engineers and PMA Precision Metalforming Association. Phillips has been a speaker on IoT, AI, robotics, VR and AR. He is the creator of reality safe, a VR / AR safety training solution for manufacturing, working with Purdue. Phillips has spent the majority of his time advancing IoT, maintenance and safety to be more predictive and develop outcome based solutions. He has been on the board of directors for SME and an advisor for TTU, MTSU and TCAT. He has been a contributing lecturer on big data and it’s value and need for artificial intelligence to filter the information into actionable items. Phillips provides safety and development to cobot users and assists universities to outline expectations from manufacturers.
Bryan is currently self-employed as a freelance and consulting roboticist. He previously spent 6 years working in Germany at ABB in the Robotics & Discrete Automation Division. Here, he was part of a team developing a new light-weight robot arm, or cobot. He was responsible for testing and analyzing the various sub-systems of the robot arm such as the drive unit and gripper as well as components such as slip-rings and harmonic drives. Bryan is particularly well-equipped to discuss these typical robot arm sub-systems and components. Bryan holds an MSc (Engineering) degree in Mechatronics, from Stellenbosch University. His master's thesis involved the development of a robotic arm concept for key-hole surgery procedures. The thesis also had a substantial computer vision component which provided the positional target for the robot arm.