Automation blog

Data paradise factory floor: get more out of your machine and production information

25 Septembrie 2020 Strategic Data Science is an essential pillar of every Industry 4.0 scenario. A four-step data mining approach based on CRISP-DM supports successful projects.

Get the full value from your factory floor data with data sciences

19 Iunie 2020 Industry 4.0 and IIoT have been buzz words for several years and these concepts are actually implemented on more and more machines. A huge amount of data becomes available: machine data, data of the production process and data regarding the manufactured product. Big Data has entered the factory floor.

Energizing European battery cell production

01 Mai 2020 What can European automotive companies do to future-proof their production lines, especially in relation to battery manufacturing? Robotics, automated quality control and artificial intelligence (AI) can help companies to tackle the strong competition they are facing from Asia.

Smart machines: laying the golden egg?

16 Octombrie 2019 Greater manufacturing efficiency: it’s the golden egg we’re all looking for. But it’s getting increasingly hard to find. The solution could be smarter automation, which involves lots and lots of data (‘big data’) and data collection and data-driven modelling. The smart machine then uses the models to automatically adjust its own behaviour (i.e. machine learning).

Improve OEE with Artificial Intelligence at the Edge in Food Manufacturing

16 Octombrie 2019 Implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in food manufacturing is picking up speed. Many F&B companies are realizing that AI presents an opportunity to increase not only the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) – and therefore combine reduced costs with increased productivity – but also to improve the analysis of data to support continuous improvement programs such as reducing waste or process operations variability.

Edge, Fog and Cloud clarified

16 Septembrie 2019 What do the terms Edge, Fog and Cloud mean in relation to artificial intelligence in industrial manufacturing? They are actually different layers of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Here is a quick overview on how we at Omron describe these terms in relation to AI, using an analogy with a nervous system.

Artificial Intelligence and the future of manufacturing

16 Septembrie 2019 The discussion about ‘Artificial Intelligence’ (AI) in manufacturing is now gaining momentum. This is mainly due to the availability of greater processing power and increasing volumes of data (the ‘sensorisation’ of the industry). A key factor that will help manufacturers to gain the maximum benefit from these recent advances is the use of adaptive algorithms. This in turn is a major stepping stone towards the development of ‘the factory of the future’.

ControlTec ajută spitalele din Polonia în lupta cu pandemia cu un robot mobil UVC

15 Februarie 2021 Utilizând un robot mobil OMRON LD, ControlTec a fost una dintre primele companii din lume care a creat un robot de sterilizare echipat cu un iradiator UVC.

Patru recomandări importante pentru proiectele de automatizare din industria alimentară şi de băuturi

29 Ianuarie 2021 O provocare accelerată de pandemia de Coronavirus i-a făcut pe producători să fie nevoiţi să aleagă între proliferarea pe termen mai lung, centrată pe cerinţele clienţilor şi reducerea gamei (codurile unice ale articolelor SKU), cauzată de comercianţii şi clienţii care îşi modifică rapid comportamentul de cumpărare. Companiile care câştigă teren prin utilizarea de tehnologii inovatoare nu obţin doar rapiditate, ci reduc şi deşeurile, riscul de contaminare şi pierderile.

Transport rapid şi sigur în hala de fabricaţie

18 Ianuarie 2021 Eficienţă îmbunătăţită şi aprovizionare neîntreruptă cu materiale: în Austria, Philips automatizează transportul de materiale utilizând roboţi AMR de la OMRON.

Flexibilitate, agilitate şi trasabilitate îmbunătăţite, cu roboţii mobili pentru Normagrup

06 Ianuarie 2021 Normagrup, cu specializare în iluminare avansată din punct de vedere tehnologic, trebuia să automatizeze transportul materialelor între trei zone de producţie, zona de asamblare şi un depozit automatizat. Aceasta includea deplasarea prin spaţii înguste, folosite în comun cu personalul fabricii.

Roboţii mobili optimizează livrarea de alimente

30 Noiembrie 2020 De curând, pe holurile unui centru comercial din Helsinki, Finlanda, a fost văzut circulând un robot mobil autonom fluierând. Operat de partenerul de soluţii al OMRON, Dimalog, robotul făcea parte dintr-un program de testare cu durata de o lună a serviciilor de curierat automatizate pentru livrare „Acasă, la cerere”.

3 moduri în care COVID-19 afectează operaţiunile de logistică din Regatul Unit (şi ce se poate face în această privinţă)

04 Noiembrie 2020 de Stuart Coulton, manager regional, OMRON UK North

What to consider when selecting a mobile robot for heavy loads

11 Septembrie 2020 Five questions to ask when selecting autonomous material transport technology for industrial applications.

Factory automation: four tips for the future of food & beverage manufacturing

16 Iulie 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has posed major challenges to organisations of all types and sizes. In the food and commodity industry, companies have faced significantly reduced consumption and disrupted supply chains, while at-home consumption increased, and out-of-home consumption came near to a standstill. But how can manufacturers adapt their business strategies and production processes both now and in the longer term? The pandemic may provide an opportunity for rethinking outdated processes and procedures and enhancing them with concepts such as innovative robotics, sensor technology and holistic automation strategies.

Cobots give gear manufacturer a competitive production edge

14 Mai 2020 Danish gear manufacturer, Fischer Gears, has boosted the competitiveness of its  production process - especially on larger series – by installing two Omron TM robots. The collaborative robots (cobots) free experienced employees to focus on more value-adding tasks.

Producţia la comandă cu o flotă avansată de roboţi mobili

11 Mai 2020 VOLA, un producător danez de accesorii de lux sanitare şi de bucătărie, a deschis o fabrică nouă care include o flotă de nouă roboţi mobili de la Omron.

Mobile robots smarten up Toyota’s new parts centre

28 Aprilie 2020 Intelligent robots and sophisticated design are helping Toyota to achieve a higher level of efficiency at its new warehouse in Sydney, Australia. 

Cobot and flexible production - Future-proofing SMEs?

17 Martie 2020 Many countries in Europe, such as the UK and Germany are likely to experience serious labour shortages over the coming decade, especially in relation to technical specialists. At the same time, product lifecycles are becoming shorter. Despite this, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) might be reluctant to invest in additional automation. However, collaborative robots (cobots) are easy to set up and offer a quick and cost-effective solution. They can increase the flexibility, quality and speed of production and enable companies to respond rapidly to changing market conditions. Omron’s TM series of cobots are a good example of this versatility.

Data paradise factory floor: get more out of your machine and production information

25 Septembrie 2020 Strategic Data Science is an essential pillar of every Industry 4.0 scenario. A four-step data mining approach based on CRISP-DM supports successful projects.

Get the full value from your factory floor data with data sciences

19 Iunie 2020 Industry 4.0 and IIoT have been buzz words for several years and these concepts are actually implemented on more and more machines. A huge amount of data becomes available: machine data, data of the production process and data regarding the manufactured product. Big Data has entered the factory floor.

Integrated data control, motion control and machine vision for next-generation automotive production line

24 Aprilie 2020 The Mexican regional headquarters of a leading manufacturer of premium air brake actuators for global on-highway and specialty markets required a new automated production assembly line. One of the company’s key performance indicators is to deliver a fully assembled product every 30 seconds, and it is with this end goal at the forefront that the team started the process of automating the production line.

Smart machines: laying the golden egg?

16 Octombrie 2019 Greater manufacturing efficiency: it’s the golden egg we’re all looking for. But it’s getting increasingly hard to find. The solution could be smarter automation, which involves lots and lots of data (‘big data’) and data collection and data-driven modelling. The smart machine then uses the models to automatically adjust its own behaviour (i.e. machine learning).

A practical illustration of IoT and Industry 4.0

01 Octombrie 2019 The Internet of Things (IoT) is a relatively new phenomenon. Prof Dr Thomas Pospiech, a teacher of Production and Process Management at Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences, was interviewed recently about the ‘IoT box’ he’s developed to give his students a practical illustration of this fairly abstract concept.

What is the effect of Brexit on automation in the UK?

26 Septembrie 2019 Currently, workers from the EU have the right to travel and work freely across European borders. However, key statistics of net migration from the Office of National Statistics in the UK, show that net migration to the UK has been significantly reduced since 2016. With the announcement of Brexit, and the ensuing uncertainty around it, UK factories are perhaps no longer a viable destination for European workers.

Industry 4.0 - hot topic or hot air?

19 Septembrie 2019 Industry 4.0 is defined by Wikipedia as “the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies”. But what does that mean for you and your customers? And it isn’t really a new topic. At Omron, we’ve been working on manufacturing automation and data exchange for years.

How smart is your packaging line?

17 Septembrie 2019 Industry 4.0 is changing the way in which manufactured goods are produced, through the use of automation and data exchange. By incorporating it into your packaging line, you can start to enjoy a range of benefits, from better data management to improved efficiency. Moving to a modern, flexible and smart line will bring the most benefits, but replacing a complete production line might not be a viable option if you’re operating with tight margins. However, even small changes to your existing facilities can significantly boost your efficiency.

Factory automation: four tips for the future of food & beverage manufacturing

16 Iulie 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has posed major challenges to organisations of all types and sizes. In the food and commodity industry, companies have faced significantly reduced consumption and disrupted supply chains, while at-home consumption increased, and out-of-home consumption came near to a standstill. But how can manufacturers adapt their business strategies and production processes both now and in the longer term? The pandemic may provide an opportunity for rethinking outdated processes and procedures and enhancing them with concepts such as innovative robotics, sensor technology and holistic automation strategies.

Six challenges for brand protection

19 Noiembrie 2019 Brand protection is an important topic for any business. But as industrial companies invest in new technology, such as smart robotics, artificial intelligence and vision systems, are they aware of the key challenges that could affect their brand?

Legacy of machine vision

16 Octombrie 2019 Did you know that for more than 40 years, Omron has developed vision sensing technologies for factory automation, surveillance and transport systems, and more recently for facial recognition and image processing for mobile phones, and even driver monitoring for autonomous driving?

Late-stage customization in pharmaceutical manufacturing

16 Octombrie 2019 As a result of serialization legislation, pharmaceutical manufacturers must now ensure that labels printed at a late stage contain all of the data required for compliance. This includes customizing product labels for certain markets, customers or products by adding variable data to labels or packaging. This avoids the need to stock individual packaging materials for each variant.

How to secure FMCG supply chains with traceability?

02 Octombrie 2019 The traceability of food and drink products throughout the production and distribution process can be a complex issue. For example, alcoholic drink producers need systems that enable them to comply with local regulations regarding food traceability, as well as tax legislation.

Barcodes: keeping track of product quality

02 Octombrie 2019 For many years, barcode technology has proved to be an economical and flexible identification technology. It has continued to develop and as a result, 1D and 2D codes (such as Datamatrix) are now used almost universally. Their versatility have made them a popular choice for streamlining many key supply chain processes, including production, logistics and item traceability.

Is your production line ready for inspection?

12 Septembrie 2019 Quality inspections are a critical requirement for all manufacturing and packaging lines. Being able to identify defective products before they are shipped to customers can bring significant savings in both time and money. It prevents costly product recalls, wasted production and potentially expensive legal costs.For perishable products – from food to pharmaceuticals – quality inspection of the packaging is also vital. An unreadable barcode or a wrong expiry date could lead to perfectly good products being discarded. And increasingly strict legislation is making clear marking a top priority for all types of products.

Patru recomandări importante pentru proiectele de automatizare din industria alimentară şi de băuturi

29 Ianuarie 2021 O provocare accelerată de pandemia de Coronavirus i-a făcut pe producători să fie nevoiţi să aleagă între proliferarea pe termen mai lung, centrată pe cerinţele clienţilor şi reducerea gamei (codurile unice ale articolelor SKU), cauzată de comercianţii şi clienţii care îşi modifică rapid comportamentul de cumpărare. Companiile care câştigă teren prin utilizarea de tehnologii inovatoare nu obţin doar rapiditate, ci reduc şi deşeurile, riscul de contaminare şi pierderile.

Factory automation: four tips for the future of food & beverage manufacturing

16 Iulie 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has posed major challenges to organisations of all types and sizes. In the food and commodity industry, companies have faced significantly reduced consumption and disrupted supply chains, while at-home consumption increased, and out-of-home consumption came near to a standstill. But how can manufacturers adapt their business strategies and production processes both now and in the longer term? The pandemic may provide an opportunity for rethinking outdated processes and procedures and enhancing them with concepts such as innovative robotics, sensor technology and holistic automation strategies.

Improve OEE with Artificial Intelligence at the Edge in Food Manufacturing

16 Octombrie 2019 Implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in food manufacturing is picking up speed. Many F&B companies are realizing that AI presents an opportunity to increase not only the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) – and therefore combine reduced costs with increased productivity – but also to improve the analysis of data to support continuous improvement programs such as reducing waste or process operations variability.

3 Steps to Optimize Operational Efficiency for the Future of Manufacturing

02 Octombrie 2019 Operational Excellence is required to maximize capital expenditures. But at the same time manufacturers are challenged to move away from traditional high volume, low mix production runs, to more complex high mix, low volume production with consumer demand linked directly with production. How to optimize operational efficiency to be ready for the future of manufacturing?

The power of collaboration between machines, people and teams

01 Octombrie 2019 With today’s rapid advances in technology, the manufacturing sector needs to be increasingly agile, ready to adapt to changing demands. Production lines must be more flexible, so that they can cope with shorter production runs, more varied products and tight deadlines. So how can manufacturers address these challenges? The solution lies in more advanced, interconnected and intelligent systems that can be programmed to handle a range of tasks.

Minimum complexity, Maximum yield

08 Iulie 2019 Omron's leading position in packaging automation in the Food & Beverage industry is based on smart and simple solutions that result in solid success. A concept that we dubbed Perfect Packaging. Omron's Perfect Packaging approach structurally eliminates risks and boosts production even in tough situations when high throughput is required. But also optimises your filling. Minimising under- or overfill.

At Omron we serve to protect Package Integrity!

08 Iulie 2019 Protecting a product is the main purpose of any package. Food packaging that is not closed completely airtight can cause a whole range of problems resulting in huge expenses and problematic long-term consequences for manufacturers. Loss of nutrients and aroma to premature spoilage are the least problematic relative to the costly aftermath that easily comes around the corner when consumer health is at stake and recalls enter the media.

Perfect Packaging, ordinary packaging executed extraordinary well

08 Iulie 2019 Packaging processes rarely harbour extremely surprising variables. From manufacturers to system integrators, machine builders and industrial automation providers, we all know the essentials that make packaging production a definite success. However, the everyday reality on the factory floor is that small imperfections in the process result in major output disturbances. That is why Omron introduces its Perfect Packaging concept featuring smart innovations that ensure that ordinary F&B-packaging is executed extraordinary well. We help make your bottom-line top!

Go with the Adaptive and Dynamic production flow!

06 Mai 2019 Flexible and fast responses to changes in market dynamics improve performance. Made-for-me production flows are the future of manufacturing coherent with Industry 4.0. A reality that Omron already provides today through its cutting edge innovative-Automation approach. Turning factory floor data into highly valuable information, we realize intelligent automation solutions for manufacturers around the globe.

Smart sensing for multiple materials!

06 Mai 2019 You know the routine. Switching from one product to another on your production line means a costly full stop, making all kinds of changes, starting up again, discarding the materials and packaging already fed into the line together with start-up rejects, and only then can production resume. Well, have we got good news for you: smart sensing for multiple materials!

Rock solid results with flexible production & robotics!

06 Mai 2019 Today's market requires an increasingly agile production environment. Traditional industrial automation and robots are often too inflexible to successfully accomplish mass customization. Omron is enabling smart Industry 4.0 scenarios with a rare combination of intelligent automation solutions and robotics. Perfecting seamless human-robot collaboration and making more and more use of AI-driven possibilities, we assist manufacturers in realizing rock solid results with flexible production and robotics.

Direct link IT & OT puts factories on cloud nine

25 Februarie 2019 Just imagine getting rid of cumbersome middleware or PC data concentrators at your production locations and being able to enjoy the benefits of direct database connectivity. Where Information Technology (IT) & Operational Technology (OT) come together something beautiful happens. We have created a production environment in which databases and machine controllers are best friends and keep in touch continuously.

Moving to e-mobility: seven tips for success

08 Septembrie 2020 The automotive industry throughout Europe is changing. It’s been badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated declining sales. And there have been other problems. For instance, the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) forecasts that German vehicle manufacturers and suppliers could lose a quarter of their total workforce by 2030. A similarly gloomy picture is also emerging in the UK. Offsetting this is a growing demand for electric cars, which could lead to many new jobs being created.

Energizing European battery cell production

01 Mai 2020 What can European automotive companies do to future-proof their production lines, especially in relation to battery manufacturing? Robotics, automated quality control and artificial intelligence (AI) can help companies to tackle the strong competition they are facing from Asia.

Integrated data control, motion control and machine vision for next-generation automotive production line

24 Aprilie 2020 The Mexican regional headquarters of a leading manufacturer of premium air brake actuators for global on-highway and specialty markets required a new automated production assembly line. One of the company’s key performance indicators is to deliver a fully assembled product every 30 seconds, and it is with this end goal at the forefront that the team started the process of automating the production line.

ŠKODA AUTO uses LD mobile robot at Vrchlabí plant

17 Martie 2020 The autonomous robot contributes to the continuous improvement of work safety in Vrchlabí and helps to minimise work risks. It recognises people crossing its path as well as other vehicles and stationary obstacles.

Green is key: sustainability in battery manufacturing for E-mobility

05 Februarie 2020 Today, sustainability is no longer a niche topic, but something that companies are integrating into their business strategies. Not only are sustainability practices necessary to answer the changing demands of consumers, the marketplace and governments, they are also increasingly being seen as a competitive strength. That’s because sustainability practices reduce energy consumption and waste, and also help companies use their resources more efficiently. They even help companies optimize their manufacturing agility and enable them to respond to fluctuating demand and the growing need for personalization. And finally, sustainability can play an important role in acquiring and retaining customers, as well in developing new market opportunities.

Agili şi inteligenţi: roboţii mobili personalizaţi

10 Octombrie 2019 Un important producător auto german optimizează eficienţa şi supremaţia în domeniul inovaţiei legate de manipularea materialelor cu roboţii mobili LD de la Omron şi cu accesorii de transport de la cts GmbH.Producţia de automobile şi producţia de pe linia de asamblare au fost dintotdeauna strâns corelate. De-abia în anul 1913, când Henry Ford a început să utilizeze benzi transportoare în uzinele sale, automobilul a putut să cucerească lumea ca produs de masă. În prezent, o zi de lucru fără linii de asamblare este de neconceput la uzinele BMW. Grupul se bazează pe transportul şi pe logistica inovatoare pentru creşterea eficienţei şi a flexibilităţii, pentru o mai bună legătură între procesele de lucru şi pentru a degreva angajaţii de activităţile repetitive şi mari consumatoare de timp. Aceste concepte includ roboţii mobili LD de la Omron pentru transportul de materiale, care asigură o rentabilitate deosebită a investiţiei (ROI). Aceşti roboţi mobili autonomi sunt prevăzuţi cu un turn cu conveior - un dispozitiv cu înălţime reglabilă pentru manipularea încărcăturilor, realizat de integratorul de sisteme cts GmbH. Interacţiunea dintre angajaţi şi roboţii de transport la BMW demonstrează în mod incontestabil implementarea armoniei în fabrica viitorului.

Mobile robots speed production at new ‘smart factory’

26 Septembrie 2019 Showcasing flexible production in real life, a new ‘Smart Factory’ in Norway uses a variety of robots in a system developed and implemented by system integrator Intek Engineering.

How to design integrated safety into machines from the start?

19 Septembrie 2019 Safety is a vital element of any modern production or packaging line. Safety systems protect employees and prevent malfunctions from causing damage to valuable products and equipment. If there’s an issue, a good safety system will stop the line to avoid any potential accidents, which also allows the line to be restarted quickly.