, RedViking PostedJuly 12, 2018 AT 8:30 AM 5 Principles of Flexible Assembly Line Design https://www.automationworld.com/5-principles-flexible-assembly-line-design By following these principles of flexible assembly line design, manufacturers can pursue lean manufacturing in their current operation while also building capabilities to maintain or add lean improvements in the future. Read More
Vryan Constantino, Panacea Technologies Inc Lead Engineer PostedJuly 9, 2018 AT 8:30 AM Thin Clients, ThinManager and the Mobile HMI https://www.automationworld.com/thin-clients-thinmanager-and-mobile-hmi As you make your move to mobile human-machine interfaces, ThinManager is a good way to ease the integration and operation of your thin client. Read More
Luigi De Bernardini, Autoware, S.R.L. CEO PostedJune 29, 2018 AT 8:30 AM Digitalization Is Disrupting the Supply Chain https://www.automationworld.com/digitalization-disrupting-supply-chain A range of technologies have changed the industrial landscape. Companies that can successfully manage those technologies will also change the way they manage their supply chain. Read More
Michael Bachelor, Bachelor Controls, Inc. President PostedJune 21, 2018 AT 8:30 AM Oh, the Things We Can Do https://www.automationworld.com/oh-things-we-can-do When considering the important anatomy of an Internet of Things system, don’t neglect your focus on the ‘things’ themselves. Then you can worry about the cloud, analytics and dashboards. Read More
Stephen J Malyszko P.E., Malisko Engineering, Inc. CEO PostedJune 18, 2018 AT 8:30 AM Is Your Plant Floor Capable of Connection? https://www.automationworld.com/your-plant-floor-capable-connection All buzzwords aside, it’s time to start planning for the future if you’re not already doing so. Three important areas that manufacturers need to focus on are security, physical infrastructure and the logical topology. Read More
Thomas Roth, Hargrove Controls + Automation Industry Leader - Integrated Solutions PostedJune 7, 2018 AT 8:30 AM IT/OT Monitoring: Does Your Data Center Have a Check Engine Light? https://www.automationworld.com/it-ot-monitoring-does-your-data-center-have-check-engine-light Redundant designs have become so capable that we often don’t miss a beat when a failure occurs. Without monitoring these assets, issues can fly under the radar until a catastrophic failure occurs. Read More
Peter Kalish, Ramboll dire PostedMay 31, 2018 AT 8:30 PM Smarter Sourcing Is the Key to Smart Manufacturing https://www.automationworld.com/smarter-sourcing-key-smart-manufacturing Legacy procurement processes aren’t designed to handle the complexities of smart manufacturing. High-tech solutions that fail to rapidly deliver business results are all too common. Read More
Ray Bachelor, Bachelor Controls, Inc. Chairman of the Board PostedApril 23, 2018 AT 8:30 AM The Pluses and Minuses of Rockwell’s AOIs https://www.automationworld.com/pluses-and-minuses-rockwells-aois Although it might be natural to condemn add-on instructions when something goes wrong, they can be very useful for highly repetitive modules of code. Read More
Luigi De Bernardini, Autoware, S.R.L. CEO PostedApril 19, 2018 AT 8:30 AM Is Digitalization Different From MES? (Part 3) https://www.automationworld.com/digitalization-different-mes-part-3 Following on from a debate about manufacturing execution systems and how they relate to your digital initiatives, this third and final part of the series brings Industry 4.0 into the discussion. Read More
Stephen J Malyszko P.E., Malisko Engineering, Inc. CEO PostedMarch 19, 2018 AT 8:30 AM Automation Standards Help Manufacturers Save Money https://www.automationworld.com/automation-standards-help-manufacturers-save-money Avoid incurring an unintended higher cost of ownership by putting standards in place. Detailed here are three cases where things didn't go as hoped. Read More
Luigi De Bernardini, Autoware, S.R.L. CEO PostedMarch 1, 2018 AT 8:30 AM Is Digitalization Different From MES? https://www.automationworld.com/digitalization-different-mes The idea that new digital technologies replace the manufacturing execution system is confusing and risky. A serious digitalization initiative should start with a good MES/MOM system. Read More
William Aja, Panacea Technologies Inc VP of Customer Operations PostedFebruary 12, 2018 AT 8:30 AM Supporting Your HMIs Through Thick and Thin (Clients) https://www.automationworld.com/supporting-your-hmis-through-thick-and-thin-clients Modernizing physical interfaces to a server-client architecture brings a whole host of benefits to your operation. Read More
, Autoware, S.R.L. PostedJanuary 25, 2018 AT 8:30 AM Cloud: Operations vs. IT https://www.automationworld.com/cloud-operations-vs-it In the early days of cloud computing, IT insisted that cloud was evil. Now that they’ve learned the benefits far outweigh the risks, they need to pass the word along to operations. Read More
Brian Briggs, Avid Solutions Consultant IV PostedJanuary 15, 2018 AT 8:30 AM Manufacturing Data as a Motivation and Empowerment Tool https://www.automationworld.com/manufacturing-data-motivation-and-empowerment-tool The more understanding an operator has about his impact on the process and, ultimately, the performance of the line, shift, and plant, the more likely the operator is to make better decisions. Read More
Catherine Gutierrez, Parsec Automation Corporation Director of Inside Sales PostedDecember 19, 2017 AT 11:30 AM How to be Data-Centric in the Age of Big Data: 3 Steps As many manufacturers begin to embrace Big Data, they are realizing it represents both a big opportunity and a big shift. Big Data will allow an organization to set factory performance goals and track progress in real time; support Lean and other initiatives to improve quality, reduce costs, and increase responsiveness; and improve planning by connecting to ERP, batch, and other systems. Being prepared for this shift is essential to being successful in capturing the right data at the right time. Read More
Brian Briggs, Avid Solutions Consultant IV PostedDecember 14, 2017 AT 8:30 AM The Value of Thin Slicing an MES Implementation https://www.automationworld.com/value-thin-slicing-mes-implementation There are many variables that can drive an organization to investigate the viability of implementing a manufacturing execution system (MES). One of the more important things that can be overlooked in the effort to evaluate an MES plan is the value of a proof of concept strategy. Read More
, Autoware, S.R.L. PostedDecember 4, 2017 AT 8:30 AM Manufacturing Excellence: The MES Evolution https://www.automationworld.com/manufacturing-excellence-mes-evolution As the manufacturing industry adapts to technological and economic change, the role of manufacturing execution systems must change with it. Two factors currently influencing MES applications are mobility and the influx of a new workforce. Read More
Michael Gurney, Concept Systems Inc. CEO PostedNovember 13, 2017 AT 8:30 AM A Lesson From Early Technology Adopters https://www.automationworld.com/lesson-early-technology-adopters How to use proof-of-concept testing to identify potential automation risks early and understand mitigation plans for each. Read More
Luigi De Bernardini, Autoware, S.R.L. CEO PostedSeptember 12, 2017 AT 8:30 AM Manufacturing Trends and the MES Connection https://www.automationworld.com/manufacturing-trends-and-mes-connection Improve your decision making and efficiency by coordinating trans-formative technologies to work together, rather than considering them unrelated to each other. Read More
Luigi De Bernardini, Autoware, S.R.L. CEO PostedAugust 15, 2017 AT 8:30 AM How to Manage Change in Automation Project Scope https://www.automationworld.com/how-manage-change-automation-project-scope Changes in project scope are inevitable in most manufacturing execution system deployments. Here's how to get a grip on every automation project manager's nightmare. Read More