Additive manufacturing has revolutionized the way a great of deal of products are engineered and brought to life. By utilizing additive technology, manufacturers are able to quickly and easily create complex parts and products with greater accuracy and precision than ever before. A very popular material used for additive manufacturing via 3D printing is ceramics. Ceramics are widely adopted in 3D printing due to their strength, durability, and heat resistance. Ceramics are used in additive manufacturing for a wide range of applications, from aerospace and automotive industries to medical and dental implants. Ceramics are ideal for creating intricate components that require high levels of precision and accuracy. They are also being used to create prototypes and parts that cannot be manufactured using traditional methods. The use of ceramics in additive manufacturing is also being combined with automation technologies, such as robotics and machine learning techniques, to make the production process even more efficient. By utilizing this automation, manufacturers can reduce production time and costs while also increasing the accuracy and quality of the finished product. Automation also allows manufacturers to quickly and easily create complex parts and products with greater accuracy and precision than ever before. Additive manufacturing and automation technologies are revolutionizing the way products are created and manufactured. This technology is helping to make the production process faster, more efficient, and more cost-effective. In this article from MIT Technology Review, the invention of a new method of 3D printing using ceramics is discussed along with some benefits of the material itself. If you’re exploring making use of additive manufacturing technologies or interested in using materials like ceramics or composites, connect with the team at Intellimech today. Our highly-experienced engineers can leverage their knowledge and experience to help turn our partners’ visions into reality.
Becoming an Expert at (Robotic) Manipulation
A common challenge when examining manufacturing or laboratory processes is successfully manipulating an object with a variable presentation, i.e. a different orientation, dimension, color, texture, etc., when an element of that process requires uniformity. For instance, consider a pick-and-place system that’s packing ceramic tiles. If the tiles (or any process with a comparatively “large” batch size) are exactly identical, the only variability in presentation may be their orientation on a conveyor. A simple mechanical feature could be used to align the tiles uniformly before presentation to whatever is being used to perform the pick-and-place, whether a SCARA robot, a traditional robot, or a cartesian system. If the tiles (or any process with a “small” or individual batch size) aren’t exactly identical, a machine vision system could determine the color, position offset, and rotation, then communicate that to a motion system which would compensate for the orientation during the pick to place the tile neatly with its same color. Along the same lines, the method used to mechanically accomplish the pick would need to accommodate the product variability; this could be done using anything from vacuum to force-monitored grippers depending on the target. In this article from MIT Technology Review, a research project to develop a more dexterous robot using machine learning is investigated. No matter the challenge with your process, Intellimech’s engineers have the knowledge and experience to help realize your goals and minimize risk. Connect with our team today to explore your particular objectives and how we can help create the application solution you’re seeking.
Way More Than Meets the Eye
The prospect of implementing machine vision to successfully realize the goals of an application can sometimes seem daunting at first glance. Selecting an appropriate combination of camera, optics, and lighting for the specific task may be involved but can be critical in enabling the system to effectively meet its objective. Equally important as hardware selection is intelligently making use of software tools to process the visual information being captured. Whether our customers’ applications call for verifying the output from laser marking systems, providing color and fill level inspection for high-speed production processes, inspection of critical feature dimensions, or providing object counts and alignment information on a conveyor, our engineers have experience with integrating a wide variety of machine vision systems and sensors and using cutting-edge software tools to meet and surpass your performance requirements. In this article from MIT Technology Review, continuing development of vision algorithms and their impact on reducing the complexity of hardware required for self-driving vehicles is explored. If you have an application that may benefit from or definitely requires a skilled implementation of machine vision, Intellimech’s engineers are ready to leverage their knowledge to help you succeed. Contact us today to start working towards a solution that meets your needs.
A Little Communication Goes a Long Way
No one would argue that effective communication is a hallmark of any successful team. That same principle applies to successful automated solutions, as well. Communication in an industrial environment can take on many different forms, whether it’s an automated cell’s integration with a manufacturing execution system (MES) for recording part history and serialization, or different cells being coordinated by a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, or even sensors providing real-time measurements to a machine’s control system in microseconds in order to make precise adjustments to a process. The engineering team at Intellimech applies their comprehensive knowledge of industrial and machine networks, from Ethernet-based fieldbuses to office IT networks, to make the best possible use of available technologies to successfully realize our partners’ objectives. In this article from MIT Technology Review, the performance improvement in a robotic system employing effective real-time communication is explored. Whether you have an existing automated system that you’d like to examine your options for updating or are interested in a new turnkey system that integrates seamlessly into your specific manufacturing environment, connect with Intellimech today to learn how we can help you surpass your goals.
New Solutions for Old Equipment
Are you facing a decision about what to do with your older automated equipment? In both laboratory and manufacturing environments, the frustration and uncertainty associated with making a determination about how to proceed with older equipment is a common, frequent challenge. Some elements to consider when contemplating the decision are availability of support, the equipment’s current and anticipated reliability, required productivity and performance, and operator safety. Intellimech’s engineers intimately understand the complexities of automation and work closely with our customers to gain an appreciation for their unique circumstances. We can help you in making a well-informed, cost-effective choice whether a retrofit or update to your existing equipment would best meet your objectives. In situations where the advantages of a retrofit or update outweigh those of new equipment, we strive to minimize our customers’ downtime while providing a comprehensive solution that will deliver performance and value for years to come. If a decision about your machine is on the horizon, contact Intellimech today and let us help you avoid frustration and solve your challenges.