Focus on Automation

Peter Gasparini, Business Development Sales Manager for Werma USA, explains the multitude of applications and benefits of signal technology including safer manufacturing facilities and increased efficiency and quality control in production lines. With cutting edge solutions like sensors and automated communication alerts, factories can work weekends and overnights with far fewer workers needed on site. Listen to Peter explain how he calculates the ROI estimates and what he sees trending in the next 3-5 years in the manufacturing sector.

Universal Robots are on their 5th generation of cobots. The company has been at the forefront of a paradigm shift in industrial automation. In our latest episode, we "talk shop" with Silas Neale, Channel Development Manager, Universal Robots A/S. He explains how he identifies automation opportunities during a site visit; the importance of repeatability for cobot applications; the growing ecosystem of peripheral technologies that integrate into UR cobots; and more. Be sure to hear his prediction for which applications cobots will be used for even more in coming years.

Ofer Nir, CEO of Inspekto, takes us to a new dimension – 3D autonomous machine vision! The technology has tremendous impact in the manufacturing space as it’s used for QA. Moreover, it is incredibly simple to set up and only 20-30 perfect parts need to be shown to the camera before it is capable of identifying an item with a defect. For manufacturers concerned about quality control, this S70 system is a game-changer. Tune in to learn more about the world’s first autonomous machine vision system.

Jerred Davis, Sales Director and Rod Karch, Safety Products Specialist from Leuze join us to discuss the history of sensor technology in manufacturing and its evolution from quality control solution to safety solution. Tune in to learn about the types of sensor products Leuze produces, the safety services they provide, how their products are used on AGVs, and the importance of selecting the right sensor technology for your facility.

John W. Kennedy, CEO of New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP), covers a variety of topics related to the current day manufacturing community that encompasses 11,000 companies and 400,000 employees. NJMEP is addressing some of the biggest issues facing this sector such as workforce development and regulations and keeping the supply chain strong. He shares how many NJ manufacturers rose to the challenge as COVID arrived, retooling to make PPE and often donating their products. Tune in to hear him predict what 2021 will be like for manufacturing in our state.

In recent years, the County College of Morris heard from local manufacturers that they needed skilled labor and a way to provide higher-level training to existing employees as robotics and more automation. They set into motion a brand new Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Center. Hear more about the journey from Anthony Iacono, President, and Patrick Enright, VP of Professional Studies & Applied Sciences.

This podcast episode was recorded in January 2020.
Note: The Center's opening was delayed due to the pandemic.

We talk with Dr. Vacuum himself on how vacuum technology is more recently being adopted in the automation space. People are finding it suitable even for more challenging pick and place applications, such as heavy objects, items with strange dimension, or objects with porous surfaces. We'll discuss how to determine if vacuum is right for your application, choosing a specific vacuum product and how just about every industry could leverage vacuum technology. 

As Senior Manager, Strategic Marketing & Applications Development for Universal Robots A/S, Joe Campbell has a unique vantage point from which to comment on the manufacturing sector's need for and the industry's adaption of cobots, both on the factory floor and in warehouses. Our discussion with Joe addresses the current and projected labor situation in our sector, how companies decide to integrate a cobot, the timeline for ROI and much more.  

We speak with Rob Stramara, COO of NJMEP (New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program) about a variety of topics including Industry 4.0, manufacturing statistics from 2019, current state of the NJ manufacturing economy, 2020 predictions, trends over the last few decades, serious challenges that face NJ manufacturers today, what support we need from legislature, and how "Focusing on Automation and Technology" is helping businesses remain operating in NJ.

With 2 millions manufacturing jobs predicted to go unfulfilled by 2020 throughout North America, an interest in deploying automation solutions is on the rise. Cue the collaborative robots (cobots)!

Listen to Michel Beauchemin, Robotiq Channel Sales Manager, discuss the 3 steps for successful robot cell deployment and common applications.