Robotics and Automation White Papers

As many organizations move to build their automation capabilities, recent survey results suggest that certain best practices will differentiate successful efforts from others.

"With a theoretical bandwidth of up to 625MB/s, USB 3.0 (later renamed as USB 3.1 Gen 1) is definitely a leading contender for FPGA host interface. This large bandwidth and low latency can help improve FPGA based data acquisition systems, accelerated computing, and Test & Measurement while sticking to low BOM. Certain features available with off-the-shelf USB 3.0 solutions can offer sideband utilities such as FPGA configuration, board health monitoring with minimal added cost. This white paper is making a case for a complete FPGA host interface system using FTDI's USB 3.0 FIFO solutions."

When upgrading your hardware platform to a newer and more powerful CPU with more, faster cores, you expect the application to run faster. More cores should reduce the average CPU load and therefore reduce delays. In many cases, however, the application does not run faster and the CPU load is almost the same as for the older CPU. With high-end CPUs, you may even see interferences that break determinism. Why does this happen, and what can you do about it?

An encoder is a sensing device that provides feedback from the physical world; that is, it converts motion to an electrical signal that can be read by some type of control device, such as a counter or PLC. The control device then uses that signal to control a conditional event, such as activating a print head to create a mark at a specific location, or positioning a joint correctly on an articulated robot limb.

Many are unaware of the extent to which the theoretical field of computer vision has produced tangible benefits for manufacturing. Embodied in compact smart cameras as well as powerful, PC-connected camera systems, the brilliant work of academicians is being used daily to make industrial operations safer, steadier and more productive. The ability to automatically extract information from digital images opens many doors for manufacturers striving to cut costs, improve quality and streamline their processes overall. The primary uses of machine vision are inspection, gauging, and robot guidance. This white paper by Omron Microscan explores machine vision’s fundamental functions, benefits for industrial automation and real-world applications.

Brushless servo motors that utilize SLOTLESS technology yield more torque in a smaller package, can run to higher speeds, produce smoother motion and consume less energy. This white paper explains the technology and compares it to traditional slotted construction and discusses the pros and cons of the technology.

How have Japan’s 4 most prominent SMT brands addressed the challenges of an ultra-competitive industry? Find out in Best Practices for Real-Time Machine Automation Performance in IoT & Industry 4.0.

Sensing technology is everywhere today. Sensors are used to detect human touch on a smart phone, ambient temperature in a room, and even in non-invasive blood glucose measurement for diabetes detection. This whitepaper addresses the most common types of presence sensors used in industrial motion control including their application, design criteria, integration requirements, associated costs, testing and maintenance.

Vacuum-based systems for materials handling are used in many different industries, and regardless of whether a system is used to pick up cartons of food or consumer products, large metal sheets or tiny electronics components, the speed at which that system is working will impact the production rate. A more efficient vacuum system, capable of picking more per minute, will result in increased productivity. So, how do you make sure that your vacuum-based materials handling system is as efficient as possible, and how can such a system be optimized to pick more items per minute?

Selecting the right encoder for a unique application can be a daunting task for the design engineer. This whitepaper covers commonly asked questions when considering encoders for motion control applications. From basics such as mechanical configuration and absolute versus incremental to the differences in accuracy and resolution, "Encoder Basics for Motion Control Engineers" will shed some light on the encoder selection process.

Concentrated solar power (CSP) and concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) methodologies generate electricity by focusing a large amount of sunlight onto a much smaller area. To maximize efficiency, the sunlight needs to be accurately focused. Being off by even a single degree could result in a significant drop in efficiency, and the biggest impact to the cost of delivering solar energy is efficiency. As with most systems, the accuracy is limited by the accuracy of the sensors used in that system. There are a number of different types of sensors that can be used in these systems. This paper discusses why an absolute inclinometer is the most effective sensor solution and why the US Digital T7 is superior to other inclinometers available today.

Machine Vision is one of the driving forces of industrial automation. For a long time, it’s been primarily pushed forward by improvements made in 2D image sensing and, for some applications, 2D sensing is still an optimal tool to solve a problem. But the majority of challenges machine vision is facing today has a 3D character. From well-established metrology up to new applications in smart robotics, 3D sensors serve as a main source of data. Find out more in the freely-accessible white paper Parameters​ ​of​ ​3D​ ​sensing​ ​techniques​ ​in​ ​a​ ​nutshell, written by Photoneo CTO Tomáš Kovačovský.

This article explains the structure, the speed control principle, and the features of the following three product groups that can control the speed relatively easily by using an analog input: AC speed control motor & gear motors, Brushless DC motor & gear motors and Inverter unit

Many innovative companies are exceeding planned payback calculations and ROI parameters on the cost of their robotic palletizers. This white paper examines how to reconfigure, re-scale and redeploy industrial palletizing robots and automation to meet the demands of a growing operation while exceeding financial goals.