NEWBURY PARK, Calif., March 11, 2019 - Platinum Tools® (www.platinumtools.com), the leader in solutions for the preparation, installation, hand termination and testing of wire and cable, is happy to announce the launch of the new ezEX®38 RJ45 connector.
 
'Now available, the ezEX38 RJ45 connector is manufactured for smaller insulation diameters commonly found in Cat5e and smaller Cat6 cabling,' stated John Phillips, Platinum Tools, Inc. product manager. 'The ezEX®38 features the same distinctive integrated branded Hi-Lo stagger load bar, allowing the conductors to pass through the front end of the connector making it easy to validate the wiring sequence before terminating. This connector is typically utilized with Cat5e and smaller Cat6 cabling. The compatible crimping tool is our EXO Crimp Frame® and EXO-EX Die™ (100061C).'
 
Additional features and specifications include:
•              Simple one piece/pass through design, no bars or liners
•              Insulation Diameter (Conductor) Size range: .033in. - .038in. (0.84 -0.97mm)
•              Max Outer Diameter: .290in. (7.36mm)
•              50 micron gold plated contacts
•              5e/6/6A compliant
•              Solid or Stranded 24-22 AWG
•              TIA, TAA, RoHS, UL & FCC compliant
 
'Platinum Tools has been inquired by installers to create an ezEX that will work on the smaller insulation diameters, and we answered the call,' Phillips concluded. 'Now we can offer a full range of insulation diameters from 0.033 in. through 0.048 in.'
 
For additional pricing and more information on Platinum Tools and its complete product line, please visit www.platinumtools.com, call (800) 749-5783, or email info@platinumtools.com.


This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

Harsh winter weather and a limited government shutdown could be to blame for the smallest monthly job gains in nearly a year and a half.
 
According to the Bureau of Labor Statisitics, U.S. employers added only 20,000 jobs in February. This tepid speed comes after a huge 311,000 jobs were added in January. The unemployment rate decreased to 3.8 percent, which is near the best unemployment level in five decades.
The U.S. manufacturing sector also had minimal gains in February, posting only 4,000 new jobs. Over the past year, the sector saw average increases of 22,000 new jobs per month.
'Manufacturing scarcely continued a good run of job gains in February,” said Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul. “While it's too early to tell whether this is a trend or a blip, there are procedures that can boost factory jobs. Infrastructure investment, which has broad, bipartisan appeal, would be a good beginning.”
Employment in other major industries, including mining, retail trade, transportation and warehousing, information, financial activities, and government, showed little or no change over the month.
'The trade deficit with China may also be dampening the full potential of American manufacturing,” Paul said. “This makes a tough, enforceable deal with China even more important. We urge the administration not to settle for the sake of expediency.'
The Associated Press answers that unseasonably cold weather in February that hit some areas of the country could have affected job growth in some industries such as construction and restaurants. The 35-day government shutdown—which ended in late January — could have also affected job growth.
Despite the slowdown, most specialists hope growth to rebound in the April-June quarter. However, getting a specific read on the economy could be more complicated than usual as many data reports carry on to be put off due to the partial government shutdown.


This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

In big services, like industrial warehouses, manufacturing plants and distribution centers, monitoring air quality can be a challenge. There are a number of conventional options—exhaust fans, HVAC units, high-speed floor fans, swamp coolers––but these traditional routes often fail to provide comprehensive solutions. However, high-volume, low-speed (HVLS) fans mobilize and de-stratify large volumes of air in a way that truly “clears the air” in any facility.
HVLS Fans: What Are They?
HVLS fans vary from traditional high-speed floor fans in a number of ways, including their reduced noise, minimized energy consumption per square foot and significant cost savings—HVLS fans will need less than $1 per day to run. They also prove to be better than alternative options due to their cordless design, eliminating trip hazards—an important factor considering many plant and facility managers identify cords as one of the top workplace hazards.
Another distinguisher is that in addition to controlling warm temperatures, HVLS fans also focus on establishing and regulating cool climates, while conventional, high-speed fans serve as a single point source with a limited coverage area. During the warm summer months, one HVLS fan can replace as many as 10-20 floor fans or 12 48-inch barrel fans, effectively making a perceived 10-12-degree cooler temperature environment. Equally as important are the winter months. A quality HVLS solution will regularly push warm air captured  at the ceiling level back down to the floor, saving up to 30 percent on heating costs and evenly dispersing warm air.
The Benefit of Air Quality
The term “indoor air quality” refers to the air quality within and around buildings and structures, peculiarly relating to the health and comfort of building occupants. Poor air quality – which contains an excess of hot or cold air, indoor pollutants and stagnant air – can bring labored breathing and illness in employees while also posing product quality control risks such as condensation build up and spoilage.
In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) highlighted these dangers in their heat safety campaign and winter weather advisory – linking cases of cold stress and heat exhaustion in employees to extreme air temperatures and/or humidity levels.
However, it’s been proven that air quality can be improved by simply increasing air circulation. HVLS fans are particularly proficient at this, providing large-scale airflow that regulates temperature while preventing stagnant air and dust. High air turns also help eliminate toxic airborne chemicals. Additionally, HVLS fans can manage a facility’s moisture, which can form on the walls and equipment on the plant or factory floor between two different climate-controlled environments. Proper indoor air movement can quickly dry this condensation to reduce fall risks, pollutants and bacteria associated with unchecked moisture.
Conclusion
Regardless of industry, your company’s success is ultimately built off of the safety and health of your workforce. Managing your facility’s indoor air quality is one of the first—and most impactful—steps you can take to ensure workforce safety and overall employee comfort, and choosing the right HVLS solution is crucial to the success of this step. At Hunter Industrial Fans, we created a purpose-built product to make every space a better place.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

OSLO, Norway, March 6, 2018 – Zivid, the 3D machine vision camera company, will present at Automate for the very first time with newly appointed imaging solutions partner MoviMED (Booth #8114). The company will display the Zivid One 3D color camera built-in with a UR5 Universal Robot in a live demonstration of high-speed part inspection and quality control.
 
Using an advanced technique of time-coded planned light projection, Zivid’s real-time, high definition, color 3D cameras capture high-quality point cloud XYZ and RGB data to equip Industry 4.0 robotic and industrial automation systems with a human-like vision capability. With a 2.3 MPix image size, an acquisition rate of 13 Hz and unique HDR capabilities the cameras produce vivid high definition 3D color images of challenging semi-shiny, partly reflective and dark objects.
 
Complementing the live demonstration, Zivid will also be highlighted in the Automation Solutions & Innovations track of the exhibition conference. In a combined session, ‘The Latest Advances in 3D Vision’, on Monday, April 8, 2:30pm-4:30pm, Zivid’s VP of Sales and Marketing, Americas, Raman Sharma will give a presentation entitled, ‘Robot Automation Using Human-Like 3D Vision’.
 
Sharma’s 30-minute presentation will reveal how Zivid’s ground-breaking approach to 3D image capture effectively removes long-endured compromises between system accuracy and speed. And made to match the specific needs of a larger spectrum of robotic and industrial automation systems, the company’s new Zivid One Plus (Small, Medium and Large) camera range will also be reviewed.


This article is orignally posted on Tronserve.com

OSLO, Norway, March 6, 2018 – Zivid, the 3D machine vision camera company, will present at Automate for the very first time with newly appointed imaging solutions partner MoviMED (Booth #8114). The company will display the Zivid One 3D color camera built-in with a UR5 Universal Robot in a live demonstration of high-speed part inspection and quality control.
 
Using an advanced technique of time-coded planned light projection, Zivid’s real-time, high definition, color 3D cameras capture high-quality point cloud XYZ and RGB data to equip Industry 4.0 robotic and industrial automation systems with a human-like vision capability. With a 2.3 MPix image size, an acquisition rate of 13 Hz and unique HDR capabilities the cameras produce vivid high definition 3D color images of challenging semi-shiny, partly reflective and dark objects.
 
Complementing the live demonstration, Zivid will also be highlighted in the Automation Solutions & Innovations track of the exhibition conference. In a combined session, ‘The Latest Advances in 3D Vision’, on Monday, April 8, 2:30pm-4:30pm, Zivid’s VP of Sales and Marketing, Americas, Raman Sharma will give a presentation entitled, ‘Robot Automation Using Human-Like 3D Vision’.
 
Sharma’s 30-minute presentation will reveal how Zivid’s ground-breaking approach to 3D image capture effectively removes long-endured compromises between system accuracy and speed. And made to match the specific needs of a larger spectrum of robotic and industrial automation systems, the company’s new Zivid One Plus (Small, Medium and Large) camera range will also be reviewed.


This article is orignally posted on Tronserve.com

DETROIT (AP) — Volkswagen's Audi luxury brand is recalling nearly 75,000 cars and SUVs in the U.S. because fuel leaks in the engine could create fires.
The recall covers certain A6, A7, and Q7 SUVs from the 2016 through 2018 model years. Also included are A8 sedans from 2015 through 2018.
The company says in documents uploaded on Tuesday by the U.S. government that parts of the fuel injection system can drip, and if the fuel strikes an ignition source, it can catch fire. The documents didn't record any fires or injuries. A message was left on Tuesday for an Audi spokesman.
Dealers will replace the left and right fuel injector rails at no cost to owners.
Audi says owners will be notified by mail in mid-March.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

There’s no uncertainty that automating your warehouse can save you big bucks and lead to some important gains in terms of resources and efficiency.
 
Not that long ago, the idea of robots overtaking our day-to-day lives felt rather far-fetched. But today, with ridiculous new breakthroughs in warehouse automation becoming more and more of a reality — example: the world’s third-largest retailer, Amazon, developed its robot army to 45,000 this year — there’s no doubt that employees are feeling more vulnerable than ever. But will robots really take over the universal workforce? It’s a difficult, complex question, but the painless answer is no. At least not anytime soon.
There’s no hesitation that automating your warehouse can save you big bucks and turn to some considerable profits in terms of resources and productivity. In fact, Business Insider reports that automation could add more than $1.1 trillion to the global economy in the next 10 years. But does it have to come at the cost of a human workforce? Not yet. Despite the fact that robotic systems are certainly beneficial to a business’s bottom line, there still aren’t technologies on the horizon that can absolutely replace humans.
 
Robots Can’t Replace the Human Touch
The big concern on every warehouse worker’s mind is whether robots actually have the ability to replace the human touch. The fact of the matter is that regardless of huge improvements in the development of artificial intelligence, engineers still haven’t introduced the technologies necessary to give robots the same assets that make a human worker so valuable.
 
While robots can do crucial tasks, like swiftly apply shipping labels and seal boxes, they don’t yet feature the capacity to be empathetic, and they’re not privy to the same contextual experiences that make humans such good workers. The mark of a great robot-proof job is one that requires sympathy, creativity, and quick-thinking.
 
Engineers Make Robots to Enhance, Not Replace, Jobs
Even the most high-tech warehouse equipment isn’t developed to completely replace a person’s job. On the contrary: professionals say that the best automation hardware is designed to complement workers’ roles. For example, wearable robotic suits made by the Assistive Robotics Laboratory at Virginia Tech College of Engineering and Lowe’s Innovation Labs aided workers accomplish their jobs more effectively with less fatigue. When workers donned the high-tech robotic suits, they were able to take oversized and bulky products more rapidly than they could the old-fashioned way.
 
Additionally, many companies who have invested in automation didn’t cut back on human employees. When McDonald’s added automated ordering kiosks to some stores, for example, the fast food chain said it shifted its available human resources elsewhere instead of cutting back on employees. The U.S. Department of Defense has actually provided grants for roboticists to help them improve new technologies that focus on perfecting artificial intelligence without taking human jobs. A big part of this research is figuring out how robots and humans can work collectively to improve efficiency.
 
Robots May Actually Help Create More Jobs
No doubt about it: Automation has hurt the global workforce, and data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that 5 million manufacturing jobs have evaporated since 2000. But since then, new fields have changed the way Americans work and created new demands that have repositioned the workforce. And, of course, robots and artificial intelligence on their own have made new demands for manufacturing.
 
For example, the steady rise of e-commerce — which shows no signs of slowing, by the way — has placed warehouse workers in a special poposition. In some companies, robots help increase delivery times, which means more real human hands are needed for development and fulfillment. What’s more, where people used to spend their time driving to the store and searching for products on the shelves, now drivers and websites do those jobs for us.
 
Many of the companies who have switched to automated warehouse systems say that the rise of e-commerce actually introduced new jobs in the process. In other words, robots can’t take jobs from people if the jobs didn’t exist before. Let’s take Amazon as an example. While we know the e-commerce giant has hired plenty of robots in recent years, it also tripled its hourly workforce at the same time.
 
On top of that, some specialists argue that robots will help revitalize American manufacturing and bring more jobs back to the U.S. from China. Globalization no distrust had a major impact on the decline of warehouse workers, but automation could help the industry reclaim its territory by lowering manufacturing costs and improving efficiency. As a result, American companies would have to hire more domestic workers.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

Tesla CEO Elon Musk established on Twitter that the company's future vehicle will be unveiled on March 14.
 
The Model Y is an SUV and is anticipated to share many of the same underpinnings as its lower-cost sedan, the Model 3. That discussed technology should help expedite production. It also will be about 10 percent bigger than a Model 3, so cost about 10 percent more, Musk said in a series of tweets. Prices for a Model 3 start around $35,000.
 
Precise specifications on the newest vehicle will be introduced at the unveiling.
 
Tesla has a devoted fan base for its cars but it has fought with production issues for years. Musk insists the company has discovered its lesson and that by using some overlapping technology it can get the product to market quicker. Musk recently told investors that the Model Y will share about 75 percent of the same components as the Model 3.
 
The company has been attempting to move beyond its niche as a maker of luxury cars with a wider array of new products.


This article is originallly posted on Tronserve.com

For the manufacturing industry in certain, the strong gap between customer expectations and after-sales service realities has pushed manufacturers into major renovations to their businesses and, truthfully, the shift to servitization. This shift, where manufacturers must evolve from selling their products outright to selling the outcome or value that products deliver and guarantee maximized product uptime, means focusing more on repair prevention instead of retroactively fixing product failures once they have happened, or repair execution or break-fix.
 
The retroactive, break-fix model of manufacturing has practically been the way the industry has managed since day one. This, of course, implies that a complete upgrade – or even just a fractional shift – away from the break-fix model cannot develop overnight, given how ingrained it is within each aspect of a manufacturer’s business. In addition, achieving such a large shift in business operations comes at a significant upfront investment — including paying for technology costs, retraining employees, hiring and more — that may not be specifically attractive in the immediate term. So, getting buy-in from the boardroom level can be challenging. However, the pros of servitization are quite attractive once the shift is made.
 
I recently had a chance to chat with several service experts about what companies must do to hit the ground running to make the switch over to servitization. Below are a few key takeaways from my conversations:
 
Incorporate automation and machine learning. “Replace historically manual activities with automation and machine learning, like in your forecasting, for example. If you can apply machine learning and [historically excluded] data, forecast accuracy can ultimately make a huge impact.” – Kurt Ranka, Principle Director at Accenture
 
Study customer behaviors. “Look at everything that’s not a value-add to your customers and decide if it’s a priority to you. If the customer is not willing to pay for it, then you shouldn’t [spend time on it]. Time is the one commodity that you can buy, barter or trade, so the quicker customers can get to do what they want to do, the better. ‘Easy-to-do-business-with’ is more valuable than ever.” – Jon Dickinson, Director of Aftermarket Sales at Spartan Motors
 
Challenge, change and create. “I started in the business at Honda Motors and learned to always challenge, change and create. Go into things and ask why you do them that way; question it and try to create a new way to do them. Nokia lost their principle because they couldn’t execute this – they couldn’t transition into the smartphone industry and they got left behind.” – Jay Johnson, General Manager, Daimler Trucks North America
 
Traditional, break-fix service business models were intentionally created to fail at some time during their life cycle. This model created opportunities for manufacturers to sell high-margin parts and service, which worked initially because the responsibility of the repair (i.e. maintenance and uptime) fell on the customer. But that model won’t cut it any longer in today’s always-connected world, just where customers are demanding a change. In an industry that has been grappling with uncertainty for several years, the space is mature for innovation and to drive results. With servitization, manufacturers can modernize their operations, and align themselves better with customer expectations and needs. Moreover, it simply produces better results for customers and helps them drive revenue and growth in return. Each year presents new opportunities for manufacturers, and it’s always interesting to see how things materialize. 2019 will be no different, and it will be intriguing to see which companies adopt servitization and who wins the race.


This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

The Chinese tech giant Huawei pleaded not guilty Thursday to U.S. trade-theft charges in a case that has heightened a trade dispute between the world's two largest economies.
The pleas were registered in federal court in Seattle, where a 10-count indictment was unsealed in January against two Huawei units, Huawei Device Co. and Huawei Device USA.
Charges consist of conspiracy to steal trade secrets, attempted theft of trade secrets, wire fraud and obstruction of justice. The conspiracy charge carries a potentiality fine of $5 million or three times the value of the stolen trade secret, whichever is greater, the U.S. Attorney's office said Thursday.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez set a March 2020 trial date.
The U.S. has arrested China of using predatory tactics to turn Chinese companies into leaders in tech fields such as robotics and electric vehicles.
From 2012 to 2014, prosecutors allege, Huawei engaged in a scheme to steal the technology behind a robotic device that Bellevue, Washington-based T-Mobile used to test smartphones, in accordance to the charges.
Prosecutors say one Huawei worker even got rid of the robot's arm from T-Mobile's lab, took detailed measurements and photos of it, and then sent the information about it to China; the company says the worker acted separately and was later fired.
A federal jury in Seattle awarded T-Mobile $4.8 million in damages in 2017.
Huawei, the No. 2 smartphone maker and an a must player in global communications networks, has also been charged in New York with lying to banks concerning deals that violated economic sanctions against Iran. The daughter of the company's founder has been arrested in Canada and is awaiting extradition to the U.S. No arraignment has been set in the New York case, but Huawei denies the charges.
Trade talks between the United States and China are far from completion, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told lawmakers Wednesday, but President Donald Trump raised hopes earlier in the week when he said he would postpone a scheduled March 2 increase in tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com