The increasing use of collaborative robots in industrial production is not only transforming production processes, but also placing new demands on employees.

Images

At SPS 2023, Ulrich Leidecker, Chief Operating Officer of Phoenix Contact, spoke about the company's economic development.

The new F3300 printer from Stratasys has been nominated in the Product of the Year competition in the Additive Manufacturing category. Thanks to greater precision, extended operating time and twice the performance, it aims to pave the way for more demanding areas of application in manufacturing.

Replique has been nominated for the Additive Manufacturing category in the Product of the Year 2024 competition with an open material database for additive manufacturing. The company is thus making material expertise available to the entire 3D printing community and simplifying the industrial use of additive manufacturing.

Cold Metal Fusion is a 3D printing process in which SLS 3D printers from Sintratec are used to produce metal components. The process has been nominated in the Additive Manufacturing category in the competition for Product of the Year 2024.

The highly mobile robot WATCHER with modular sensor technology from the United Robotics Group is suitable for inspection and maintenance in indoor and outdoor areas. It has been nominated in the competition for Product of the Year 2024 in the Robotics category.

A sustainable cable with a PVC sheath from Lapp has been nominated in the Drive Technology and Automation category in the competition for Product of the Year 2024. The Ölflex Classic FD 810 is the prototype of a cable with a sustainable PVC sheath.

For the Drive Technology and Automation category, a test system from Tenta Vision was created as a team effort: Equipped with Rexroth aluminum profiles, a lightweight robot from Kassow Robots and connecting parts from the PTS Group, the test system opens up a wide range of possible applications.

In the manufacture of agricultural vehicles, great importance is attached to individual configurations and superstructures.

Images

The flexible ZiMo robot cell enables a safe and cost-effective entry into process automation. The solution for small, medium and varying batch sizes has been nominated in the competition for Product of the Year 2024 in the Robotics category.

Images

Is a machine still safe after it has been converted, retrofitted or extended? Machine operators must ask themselves this question if they want to use their system for a different purpose or modernize it to bring it up to the latest state of the art.

FKM Additive Manufacturing and AM Solutions are now working together to optimize SLS printing. The aim is to solve the conflicting goals of high quality and cost-effectiveness with various intelligent post-processing solutions, particularly with regard to series production.

Images

The shortage of labor has become one of the biggest challenges for SMEs in OECD countries. The manufacturing sector is currently experiencing record levels of unfilled vacancies. In light of this development, SMEs are accelerating automation. The IFR has developed an online platform to support them.

Handling and assembly are just as important in an industrial environment as the actual production. We have compiled this market overview to help you maintain an overview.

The heart of metalworking will beat in Stuttgart in 2024 when the industry meets at AMB from September 10 to 14. Following the end of the registration phase in October 2023, the project team will now begin planning the halls.

Images

Sick and Endress+Hauser want to work more closely together. The two companies are aiming for a strategic partnership for Sick's process automation business field and have signed a joint letter of intent to this end.

Lapp presented the expansion of its Epic Power series at SPS 2023: four new M23 circular connector inserts and three new M23 housings. The special feature: all housings can be combined with any of the four inserts.

Images

The browser-based Safety Distance Calculator software tool from Pilz enables users to calculate safety distances for all standard safety light grids quickly and easily. The digital calculation tool determines the necessary safety distance based on the values entered.

Jakob Antriebstechnik presents the new SKW-KP safety clutch. It is designed as a flexible and backlash-free overload clutch for direct drives and combines a metal bellows clutch attachment with a safety clutch.

Production reliability through innovative data management: Octoplant software automatically backs up configurations and project statuses for a wide range of automation devices from different types and manufacturers. Constant access to the current set-up and the transparency of all changes prevent production downtimes and increase production efficiency.

Images