Hingham, MA - Piab is happy to introduce piLIFT® SMART, promoting a pure breakthrough in vacuum lifting. Smarter, more energy-efficient, quieter, ergonomic by design, and using the same maxims of physics as all vacuum lifters, Piab's piLIFT® SMART symbolizes a paradigm shift as the market's first Industry 4.0 ready vacuum lifter. piLIFT® SMART takes ergonomic vacuum lifting to a new and higher level, crucial for meeting our customers' needs and to ensure the continued development and success of their industries.
 
Smart data services established on internet connectivity enable Piab's piLIFT® SMART vacuum lifter to deliver on the promises of Industry 4.0. Sensing and tracking activities and responding quickly to user intentions, the user-friendly vacuum lifter will lift and weigh loads simultaneously, collect and log data, making process statistics and analyses immediately obtainable to the user through web platform log-in.
 
As ergonomics is at the heart of all Piab vacuum lifters, every aspect of piLIFT® SMART has been created with ergonomics and natural movements in mind. From the shape of the handle (enabling right- and left-handed use), the hand guard and the possibility to clasp from the side and to rotate objects, to the placement of adaptable speed controls and a decreased functioning sound level, the design of piLIFT® SMART has been guided by ergonomics and the wellbeing of users. Considerably reducing the risk of staff injuries, Piab vacuum lifters can decrease the load on the operator's body by more than 80 percent, while at the same refining productivity.
With a limited power consumption of 76 %, this adds to the benefits of the patented technology underpinning the new vacuum lifter. With capability to lift objects weighing 90 lb, piLIFT® SMART offers the very best vacuum lifting technology to customers in a broad range of industries. In fact, the addition of low energy consumption, minimum sound levels and clever data features enables the quick and intuitive piLIFT® SMART to elevate vacuum lifting to a higher level where it reigns supreme.
 
'The capacity of piLIFT® SMART for gathering and analyzing data to use for the optimization of flows and processes is remarkable. I see great advantages for our customers in optimizing lifting techniques, ensuring the health of employees, and keeping their equipment in tiptop condition,' says David Collins, Vice President and Head of Piab's Ergonomic Handling Division.

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Quantum Devices is devoted to production high quality, high performance encoders and photodiodes for a multitude of industries with an attention on the Motion Control Enterprise.
 
Quantum Devices product lines include Optical Encoders, application specific Silicon Photodiodes and Light Emitting Diodes (LED) systems.
 
Quantum Devices QPhase™ Family of Encoders offer high resolution, increased frequency response and superior reliability over temperature (0 to 120 degrees C).  QDI incremental and absolute encoders set a new standard and are backed by a 2 year factory warranty.   QDI optical encoders offer numerous constructions to meet the wide demands of the motion control industry.


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January 24, 2019 - The Robotic Industries Association (RIA), the industry's trade organization, today announced a strategic partnership with Pittsburgh Robotics Network (PRN), a grassroots organization based in Pittsburgh designed to increase the awareness of the burgeoning robotics industry in the Pittsburgh area.
 
'Pittsburgh has a rich history in robotics and automation. We're excited to partner with the Pittsburgh Robotics Network to elevate its mission of growing and promoting the talent and products coming out of Pittsburgh's robotics companies and research institutions,' said Jeff Burnstein, RIA president.
 
RIA, which is part of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), is dedicated to supporting and advancing the inventions and technologies from robotics organizations across the country. The partnership will provide PRN and its partners access to the A3 network of more than 1,200 automation-focused companies in the robotics, vision and motion control sectors across North America as well as leading system integrators, distributors, and users of these technologies.
 
'We are a grassroots organization looking to support the wide range of companies and individuals in robotics -- ultimately to attract and retain technological talent in the Pittsburgh area,' said Kevin Dowling, Chair of PRN and CEO of Kaarta. 'RIA has been instrumental in touting the economic advantages of robotics, and we're thrilled to join its partner network to support all the exciting robotic innovations coming out of Pittsburgh.'


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Automatic loading and unloading of big parts for digital X-ray inspection is now available on the larger Computed Tomography systems developed by North Star Imaging (NSI). NSI's robotiX: https://4nsi.com/innovations/robotix. Larger parts, such as automotive carburetors and airplane blades, can perfectly be loaded, scanned, and unloaded into the NSI X-ray system using a simple program that allows users to create robotic control programs. These products allow for reusable safe zone sub-routines that speed up the programming process to ensure that your NSI X-ray or CT system is up and running quickly when programming new parts for loading/unloading.
Adding robotiX to your NSI system reduces cycle time, increases productivity and allows for more effective use of your X-ray equipment.North Star Imaging, an ITW company, manufactures, sells and services state-of-the-art X-ray Imaging systems and Computed Tomography equipment for industrial use, and designs and develops software applications for its systems. NSI has a standard range of 7 extremely flexible products to meet varied requirements.

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Industrial automation solutions specialist Omron Automation Americas recently proclaimed the release of a brand new FHV7-series smart camera with an all-new multi-color light and high-resolution image sensor for expert vision assessments on high-mix production lines.High-performance smart cameras like the FHV7 make it viable to easily adopt vision assessment into versatile manufacturing processes. Equipped with a multi-color light and an autofocus lens, the FHV7 can respond flexibly to changes in the color and size of objects to be checked. This removes the need for multiple cameras or manual lens alterations and guarantees compatibility with wide-ranging inspection criteria on lines producing many different forms of products in varying quantities.The smart camera’s image processing reaches industry-leading speeds, while its camera delivers industry-leading resolution for accomplishing higher precision in inspections and keeping quality without slowing production down. Added to these capabilities is a high-speed image compression algorithm that compresses data at double the typical speed, enabling all image data to be saved while in parallel inspecting a second image. This facilitates complete traceability in production processes where quality control is paramount.


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A new offer is available with this new version for Rhinoceros users.
The PLMXML import has been put to Datakit's Rhino import plug-ins bundle, at no extra cost. It is therefore possible to buy all of these plug-ins (twelve formats) for an unchanged price of $1500!
Users already having this bundle with an up to date maintenance subscription can take gain of this new PLMXLM import from now.
These plug-ins include, of course, also the news from V2019.1.
 
This version also benefits from the continued improvement of the dozens of CAD converters provided by Datakit. Indeed, they are maintained constantly, in order to improve their quality and to process new entities, while optimizing the execution time.
Users wanting to try Datakit software can download it and get a trial license on CrossManager and CrossCad/Plg official pages.
Software vendors interested in CrossCad/Ware can visit the API presentation page and contact Datakit to get information relevant to their activity.


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SCHUNK has expanded its portfolio with two rotary modules for automation, ushering in a new era of rotary motion. This can certainly result to speculation about how rotating and swiveling will progress and where the potential lies.Be it high loads or short cycle times - rotary modules and swivel units are always under pressure to provide even better performance when it comes to controlling and set up. In recent years, the competence leader for gripping systems and clamping technology, SCHUNK, has systematically increased its standard program for rotary movements, creating particularly dynamic, intelligent and adaptable components. The latest addition to the pneumatic segment is the SCHUNK SRM. The high-performance swivel unit outshines even the top seller SCHUNK SRU-plus and could soon lead the way as the new standard in pneumatic swiveling up to 180°.
 
Combined gripping and rotating with 24V
 
The world's most compact SCHUNK EGS electric gripping and swivel unit, enables constant rotation of the gripper without electrical feed-through. Pre-loaded junction roller guides which are free from play ensure high-precision gripping and virtually constant gripping forces along the entire finger length. The rotary gripper module provided with standard connections is controlled either via fieldbus distributor or via digital I/O, meaning it is compatible with all common control systems and no additional costs and delivery times demanded to be taken into consideration for the peripherals. All of the control and power electronics for decentralized control of the motor are directly integrated into the module. There is no need for any device terminals like on pneumatic rotary gripper modules or drive controllers in the electrical cabinet. This conserves space and a great deal of time when planning, procuring and commissioning. Both the speed of rotation and the gripping force can be regulated in several stages directly on the module by means of rotary switches. Angles of rotation between 30° and 270° can be attained. These are set mechanically directly on the module. Monitoring is possible via inductive proximity switches. Since the module is exclusively equipped with stationary, brushless and thus wear-free 24V DC motors, and does not need movable cables, slip rings or shock absorbers, it increases the process stability and availability of assembly plants. The noise level also drops.
 

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In the making of advanced gripping systems, a huge number of product versions are manufactured and provided in different batch sizes. So far, the grippers have been created manually on traditional assembly workstations. Associated with this are one-sided physical strain, the danger of injuries, for example during deburring, and comparatively high costs for purely manual activity. The goal of one HRC project at the SCHUNK Smart Factory was to use HRC systems to multiply employee flexibility, minimize workplace monotony, improve ergonomics and reduce manual cost per item.
 
Instead of completely automating processes, limited automation is currently gaining in benefit, in which the strengths of humans and the strengths of robotics are brought together synergistically. The driving makes behind human-robot collaboration (HRC) are easing the staff of disturbing or monotonous work steps, improving ergonomics in the workplace, especially against the background of demographic change, making work processes more flexible, boosting efficiency and optimizing logistics, handling and loading processes. This need for change also affects the production of SCHUNK, the competence leader for gripping systems and clamping technology.


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Like IDS NXT vegas, the two new IDS NXT camera families are defined by their highly versatile application spectrum. Users can create individual image processing tasks and install and execute them as vision apps on the devices. Application-relevant pre-processed data or results are easily relocated to a PC or machine control unit. The widely programmable platform is not connected to any predefined tasks. The possibility of installing any vision apps creates universal application possibilities in numerous fields, e.g. in optical quality assurance, as an analytical device in medical technology, for tracking tasks using face recognition or vehicle and person counting.
 
The prototypes unveiled at the VISION showed how IDS NXT rio & rome can also be used as a regular industrial camera in the future thanks to the 'Smart GenICam App' designed by IDS. In this way, two device classes will become one.
 
IDS NXT industrial cameras correspond directly with a PLC or other machine controls. IDS NXT rome also goes with IP65/67 protection, making it dust-proof and protected against water jets (nozzles) from any angle. The models will not only be available with sensors from different manufacturers and resolution classes, but also as board level variants for mechanical engineering.


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Having the EXO Crimp Frame with the EXO-EX and the EZ-RJ45 interchangeable die sets, the EXO Termination Kit supplies the crimp tool and connectors you wish to terminate Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6A cables. The EZ-RJ45 Die works with standard EZ-RJ45 connectors to terminate Cat5e cables while the EXO-EX Die works with the ezEX44 and ezEX48 connectors to terminate larger Cat6 and Cat6A cables. And with removable foam inserts, this kit provides you the capability to add whichever cutting and stripping tools you previously have in your tool chest.
 

• EXO Crimp Frame + EXO-EX Die
• EZ-RJ45 Die
• EZ-RJ45 CAT5e, 50 pcs
• ezEX™44, ezEX-RJ45, 50 pcs
• ezEX™48, ezEX-RJ45, 25 pcs

 
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OCP Group Inc is delighted to publicize its hottest addition to a increasing family of USB 3.0/3.1 external Cable Assemblies with compatible Panel Mount Assemblies. These positive retentions “Press Fit” assemblies feature a waterproof connection up to 1 meter with a Withdrawal force of 8N and 30V DC with up to 10Gbps rated signal.
 
They are preferably suited for Industrial, Outdoor or Marine programs. They can also be custom tooled for unique applications wanting Wearable or Portable power. A growing interest in the Medical Device market the Video transmission properties of USB 3.0 has also inspired several ISO 10993 Biocompatible configurations of the product.
 
One version of the product is also shaped fit compatible with the Amphenol LTW “Swift-LA” receptacle. The USB 3.1 Standard gives users transfer rates of up to 10Gbs with backward compatibility to the USB 3.0 and 2.0 specifications.
 
The new type “C” connector can be connected in either direction due to its classically simple redundant design. These distinctive designs craft the best practices of Industrial Design. High-quality items including gold plated contact pins and UL VW-1 flame rated cable ensure wide compatibility while easily delivering the high-speed transfer rate specified in the new USB 3.1 standard.

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A circular connector is a coupling tool built with a circular interface and cylindrical contact housing which comes with a large variety of materials, sizes, contact layouts & types, and coupling designs. These circular connectors are frequently utilized for data, signal and power connections in the automation, manufacturing, military, aerospace and transit industries thanks to their robust mechanical performance and ease of connectivity. They are also very versatile & flexible because of a wide range of contacts, voltages, and currents that can be easily featured based on the specifications of the applications.
 
Mencom is the leading manufacturer of circular connectors and their rugged solutions are engineered for trustworthy performance under the most intense use in harsh environments. Mencom provides a complete line of circular connectors, including but not limited to, M8, M12, 1/2”-20 and M23 threads and MINI-Change connectors (MIN) with 7/8″, 1”, 1 1/8” threads. For the higher voltage (600V) applications, Power Distribution PMIN series with 1” 3/8 thread is also available. According to their recent product announcement, the coupling nuts and housings of the cord-sets for 1” and 1 1/8” threads have recently been remodeled to deliver the better connectivity and stability. In extension to the power and signal connectors, Mencom offers M12 and 7/8” threads circular connectors for the industrial Network solutions such as DeviceNet, Ethernet, Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus, and Profinet.
 
Due to the many advantages of the circular connectors, it comes as no surprise that the military has manufactured the MIL-Spec 5015 series to meet the most stringent requirements to withstand the worst environments. Although the MIL-Spec 5015 circular connectors were actually designed for aeronautical and tactical service applications, they are becoming more commonplace in industrial applications that need the ruggedness of the MIL-Spec type, but do not need the military specifications. In order to meet the strong requirements from various industries, Mencom has designed and offers a MIL-Spec 5015 Equivalent connector series with size 10SL (0.625”-24NEF), 14S (0.875”-20UNEF), 16S (1”-20UNEF) and 18(1.125”-18UNEF).
 
Mencom circular connectors are UL listed and IP67 rated to offer the utmost protection and quality for harsh environments. Multiple pole configurations and cable jacket materials including PVC, PUR and TPR are available for over-molded connectors along with a full line of accessories such as field wire-able plugs, T-connectors, closure caps and plugs to name a few. Mencom has the greatest variety of mounting styles for the mating circular receptacles.  Also, all the circular connectors are customizable upon order with fast turnaround at low-cost costs. The range of the customization is from small changes to custom terminations and assemblies. Rugged armor options for extreme manufacturing environments are available for 7/8”, M12 and M8 circular connectors.

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Trolley BOT is an autonomous mobile platform, created for a large scope of applications from logistics & picking (e-commerce platforms, retails, drives), to collaborative maintenance and different control activities. Through Wifi or LTE communication, a remote access to the robot has many supervision levels and far distance software maintenance logs. Optional geolocation sensors will provide easy fleet handling. Fashioned to carry heavy loads up to 150Kg and to tow up to 300 kg, its driving capacities have been developed for both outdoor and indoor applications where agility, maneuverability, and flexibility will be forced. Trolley BOT is the perfect robot for “last mile delivery”. The platform navigates in either full autonomy or “follow-me” mode, following the authorized user's trajectory as well as detecting and avoiding obstacles in full security..

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The VPX570 provides an ADC supporting rates up to 5.4 GSPS and a DAC supporting rates up to 6 GSPS, both at 12 bits. The EV12DS460A and EV12AS350A both provide parallel interfaces to the FPGA, avoiding latency associated with serializing/deserializing data. The XCVU13P FPGA has large 360 Mb on-chip UltraRAM which, with the ADC and DAC selection, allows this module ideal for low-latency applications such as DRFM, radar simulators and smart jammers.
 
The FPGA interfaces directly to rear I/O via SERDES and LVDS, supporting PCIe, SRIO, GbE/10GbE/40GbE or Aurora backplane connections. General purpose I/O signals, e.g. for trigger, are routed to the front panel that also contains 8 LED/Bi-color.
 
ADC and DAC have a average sampling clock, which can be fed from front panel (Direct RF Clock) or from PLL locked to a 10/100 MHz reference clock sourced from front panel or backplane. Sampling clock selection is by ordering option.
 
The VPX570 includes platform health management/monitoring capability using VadaTech’s field-proven IPMI software. An on-board management controller has the ability to access board sensors and manage FPGA image updates.
 
The unit is available in a range of temperature and shock/vib specifications per ANSI/VITA 47, up to V3 and OS2.


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