Automation News Roundup: Wrapping up 2024

They say ‘no news is good news,’ but I tend to be more excited when there’s a lot of news. The end of 2024 held a lot of major tradeshows: IMTS, Fabtech, Pack Expo, SPS, an others. With so many events, the industry experienced a corresponding increase in new product and research announcements, and we’re happy to share some of those exciting new developments that show us where automation is headed as we prepare to begin a new year.

 

WERMA LineLIGHT Fusion

The latest product from WERMA Signaltechnik is the linear LineLIGHT Fusion indicator for new machines and retrofits. This signal arrangement, projected to be available in March 2025, uses 24 V signals in a variety of available colors and lengths, and an optional acoustic signal for maximum usefulness.

 

 

Machine status signaling is one of the few automation tasks that combines function and ergonomics with a pleasing aesthetic design. The new linear indicator from WERMA is modular, with lengths from 50 to 1500 mm and a robust IP65 design with flush edges to prevent the buildup of contaminants in hygienic environments.

 

Pilz Button Unit PITgatebox

The newest safety unit from Pilz incorporates RFID permission capability into a safety pushbutton box directly on the access point of the machine center, bringing together required mechanical inputs and smarter controlled access for better response and uptime.

 

 

How does RFID increase uptime? In a recent meeting with Pilz at Pack Expo, I learned about the benefits firsthand. With network access, personnel with various permission levels can enter the work cell, locking out all aspects of the machine as appropriate from a single point. When the repair is complete, everyone can exit the work cell and reset the system to order, again from a single point. Compared to retrieving and resetting multiple personnel lockout keys for multiple points around the machine, the system restoration is much faster.

 

SMC IO-Link Compatible Auto Switches

Detecting the position of a robot gripper or small actuator can be done with a single sensor, providing feedback for up to three position statuses: fully open, gripped, and error on gripping (no object detected). It could also detect fully gripped on two different objects.

 

 

The IO-link compatible sensor is designed to be mounted into the t-slot on the side of most grippers and cylinders, and can be programmed with a standalone unit or through the IO-Link connection in the controller. Through NPN/PNP discrete outputs or the digital IO-Link protocol, the sensor can provide the 3x digital set point signals, as well as a linear position value with a resolution of up to 0.1 mm when IO-Link is employed.

 

Techman Robot and AMET: AI Welding Robot

Early in November, Taiwan-based robot manufacturer Techman hosted a conference highlighting the cooperation between the US and Taiwan, showcasing a particular project that stemmed from a partnership between Techman and welding manufacturer AMET, based in Idaho, US.

 

 

This ‘smart’ collaborative welding cell was designed to incorporate features that make it easy to operate with an interface that doesn’t require extensive programming experience. The collaborative nature of the robot removes the need for costly and space-consuming fencing and barriers. Finally, the control system has been optimized for welding applications with complex geometries, like pipelines, with a high degree of finish precision.

 

IDEM Safety Skorpion Light Curtain Blocking Device

Light curtains are an essential safety component in modern machine centers, and the latest product from IDEM allows a secured method of blocking light beams, preventing unauthorized re-energization of the system with both a key and lockout hasp function.

 

 

The Skorpion Trapped Key system from IDEM provides a mechanical (non-electrical) authorization sequence by trapping and releasing keys in order to safely lock out a machine. The LCB (light curtain blocking) device is the newest addition to the trapped key safety system.

 

AutomationDirect AchieVe FDM Photoelectric Sensors

Industrial automation supplier and manufacturer AutomationDirect has expanded the catalog of AchieVe tubular photoelectric sensors with the new FDM 12 mm series.

 

 

The new sensor lineup is available in the typical sensing modes: reflective, diffuse, and through-beam, with IR and visible red for some models. The series is constructed from durable metal with IP67 ratings and an adjustable sensing distance of up to 4 meters.

 

AMR Vision System Inspired by Cat's Eye

Robotic machine vision isn’t the easiest technology to work with. It’s highly capable, and it’s enabled some of the most amazing machinery innovations in the past decades, but relying on a consistent input of lights, colors, shapes, and distances leads to infinite variations, and it’s really difficult to create a program based on these inconsistent variables.

A team of researchers from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) has designed a vision system based on the shape of a cat’s eye, enabling the feline to see in low-light conditions. The system includes a lens that shapes and filters the incoming light to focus more clearly on important objects in the frame of reference and a special reflective layer that gathers more light in darker conditions. This arrangement is intended for fixed and mobile machines that must gather data reliably when switching between workplace settings or adjusting to ever-changing conditions.

 

Stay tuned on Control.com to remain informed about the latest product, research, and company announcements that can shape the future of control systems for industrial automation!

All images used courtesy of the respective manufacturers