For decades, or centuries, there’s been much discussion and lamentation about the inevitable disappearance of the factory worker. Why would jobs in manufacturing disappear? Robots, of course. Here’s how the cycle goes: Improvement in manufacturing technology Predictions of mass unemployment People still work in manufacturing Some say that the coast is clear and others say… Read more »

Stanford researchers are developing an electronic glove that would provide machines with a robotic sense of touch. The glove is equipped with three-layered sensors that mimic the human skin’s ability to detect pressure, which is what allow us to pick up small, delicate objects. Although these sensors are being tested by performing trivial tasks -picking… Read more »

A rose is a rose, but not all servos are the same. Indramat servo motors don’t fail very often. When they do fail, however, you can’t just call in any random handyman with a wrench. The differences between Indramat servos and other types of servo motors, and the importance of precision and accuracy to motion… Read more »

Cybersecurity is a growing concern for businesses, manufacturers, and consumers alike as we move closer to the next industrial revolution. From work to social interactions to entertainment to housekeeping, our lives are becoming increasing digital, and technology continues to find its way into more and more aspects of everyday life. Everything is going to eventually… Read more »

Even if you don’t realize it, you’re probably familiar with the story of the “Elves and the Shoemaker”. It’s been told, referenced, and used as inspiration in pop culture for a couple of centuries now. Like many great folk and fairy stories, it comes from Grimm’s Fairy Tales, first published in 1812. Believe it or… Read more »

Humans have always been better than machines at problem-solving. Machines aren’t able to adapt to unexpected situations. They tend to flounder with variations and factors that don’t quite meet their expectations. Even with deep learning datasets and thousands of different pictures of pears, a machine gets stumped if they come across a particularly lumpy or… Read more »

A risk-reward ratio compares what you stand to gain and what you could potentially lose. The risk is the negative outcome and the reward is the positive outcome. You can view practically anything in terms of risk vs. reward, including Indramat repairs. Not all repairs are the same. It’s important to understand what’s at stake… Read more »

We take our senses for granted. We simply see, or taste, or hear, or feel, or smell. There’s nothing special about these things; they just happen. This may be true as far as carrying out our daily routine is concerned. Once you try to recreate human sensation in robots, however, you realize that our senses… Read more »

Upton Sinclair famously described workers falling into rendering tanks in his 1904 novel The Jungle. A lot has changed since manufacturing was a deadly occupation, but it didn’t happen overnight. While warehouses aren’t as odious as the factories of old, there’s still a lot that needs to be done to improve warehouse jobs. Manufacturing was… Read more »

We know that poor employee health can negatively affect productivity. A recent study suggests that poor community health leads to lower worker productivity, as well. People who live in areas with poor community health – higher prevalence of poverty, homelessness, family dysfunction, drug use, and care giving burdens – were more likely to get to… Read more »