Is it worth it to shop around for a good price when your Indramat components need replacement or repair? Here’s a simple quiz that will let you answer this question accurately. What do you do with your Indramat components? They provide motion control for a factory, printing press, etc. Nothing much; I’m just a collector…. Read more »
Automation is, we would say, generally good. It frees human workers from work that is dull, dirty, and dangerous. It lowers costs for consumers and increases opportunities for entrepreneurs. But our jobs aren’t under threat from automation right now. New research suggests that people whose jobs are in jeopardy have a different — and much… Read more »
The printing industry has been heavily affected by the pandemic. The total value fell from $814.7 billion in 2019 to $743.4 billion in 2020. Printers, with their need for a mix of precision and power, have been among the top users of Indramat motion control from the beginning. Now, they are experiencing severe disruption. Physical newspapers… Read more »
Plenty of Americans worry about robots taking all the jobs. At the same time, labor shortages are bedeviling employers across the nation. Robot orders have skyrocketed — 2021 is on track to be the biggest year for robot sales ever. Some people are seeing opportunities for automation in all this, while others are worrying that… Read more »
Indramat servos are used for plenty of different tasks, but one that’s interested us lately is metal feeding. Feeders often use Indramat servomotors. Press feeders push and pull sheets of metal up to six feet or more wide, often from coils of sheet metal, up to where they can be stamped and cut and crimped… Read more »
For the 11th year in a row, inadequate protection from falls is the top OSHA violation. Fall protection involves things like guard rails to prevent falls into vats of acid or onto conveyor belts, railings around holes in floors, and handrails on stairs. These are not cutting-edge new technologies. You’d think they’d be obvious enough… Read more »
The pandemic sped up automation in the workplace by a decade or two, experts say. First, keeping human workers apart and reducing contact among humans encouraged the use of robots. As contact-free interactions with consumers became more desirable and safety of workers occupied people’s minds, negative feelings about robots took a back seat to appreciation… Read more »
The economy is bouncing back from COVID-19 impressively quickly. Manufacturing has brought back 75% of the jobs lost in the pandemic. Unfortunately, that’s 75% of the job openings, not 75% of the workers. Manufacturing is facing a labor shortage, along with hospitality and retail. But manufacturing doesn’t face the same challenges as hospitality and retail…. Read more »
The pandemic pushed automation ahead of where we expected it to be, seeing increased use of AI and machine learning in a range of industries. One area in which it’s being especially successful is grocery stores. Especially grocery delivery. It was widely believed that groceries would be the last holdout for ecommerce. Grocery delivery was… Read more »
Katie Winkle pointed out in a recent post at IEEE Spectrum that female robots may be reinforcing female stereotypes. “Have you ever noticed how nice Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant are?” she asked. “How patient, and accommodating?” This isn’t just Winkle’s take on our female robot assistants. A UNESCO report on the subject didn’t pull any… Read more »