Industrial Robotics Editorials

Top 10 Benefits Of IoT For Manufacturers

POSTED: 05/17/2019

Chances are you have come across the terms Internet of Things (IoT) or the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). These are networks of connected devices that communicate data to a central system in order to make sense of it all. These networks consist of connected edge devices, terminals, and machines

7 Steps To Budgeting Process Improvement

POSTED: 05/17/2019

What Is Budgeting Process Improvement? When it comes to gauging corporate performance, the less time spent on non-revenue generating processes, the better. Unfortunately, the budgeting process is essential to proper performance and forecasting. That means mistakes can't be afforded. Not only do you want to reduce the time and errors associated with manual

Now is the Time to Prepare for Next Year’s Taxes

POSTED: 05/15/2019

This year marked the first of many under the new tax regime set in motion by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Now that you have one year of experience under your belt, you can pivot your strategies to optimize your tax positions under the new legislation. Let’s walk through

Vigilance Helps Defend Cyber Attacks

POSTED: 04/08/2019

Situations You’ll Want to Avoid You have undoubtedly heard it before:  When it comes to opening emails, clicking links, and browsing – – “Be vigilant.”  But why? In short, because not only are cyber security breaches in the news on the rise, but because issues are already happening at our clients. 

Are You at Risk of OSHA Citations for Robot Safety?

POSTED: 03/12/2019

Robots have been a part of the industrial landscape for decades. As the world of industrial automation progresses, the number of employees and robots working in close quarters with each other continues to grow. With the increase in automation and the use of mobile and industrial robots, regulations are being

Risk Assessment Methodology for Robots and Other Machines

POSTED: 03/12/2019

Assessing risk has always played a vital role in the development and implementation of industrial machinery. Industrial robots, in particular, and other machinery are evolving, and therefore so are the needs and regulatory requirements for the identification and understanding of the risks involved in working with these machines. Thanks to

Heriot-Watt Laser System Facilitates Breakthrough In Welding Technology

POSTED: 03/06/2019

The manufacturing industry has experienced a recent breakthrough in welding technology thanks to the efforts of scientists from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. The new Heriot-Watt laser system facilitates the fusing of metal and glass together. These two materials are difficult to join due to their strikingly disparate thermal properties. The

Automate 2019 | Automation And Robotics

POSTED: 03/05/2019

Don't miss this automation event in Chicago, IL April 8-11. Automate 2019 will deliver insights, education and networking opportunities surrounding automation in all its forms. Encompass Solutions will exhibit at Booth #9245 (www.automateshow.com/exhibitors/encompass-solutions)  and deliver an introductory breakout session on automation and robotics (www.encompass-inc.com/automation-and-robotics-presentation-automate-2019) with steps you can take now toward implementing in your facility.

Speaking like dolphins, a robot fleet takes on underwater tasks

POSTED: 12/17/2018

In a Navy shipyard in San Diego, a new generation of underwater robots are learning to communicate and collaborate in order to inspect boats, bridges, pipelines, and other underwater structures. Developed by Joshua Mangelson, a University of Michigan doctoral student in Robotics, the autonomous vehicles overcome the many challenges posed

2018 Year-end Business Success Promotions

POSTED: 12/04/2018

With year-end right around the corner, there is no better time to leverage 2018 business promotions to boost your active and planned projects for growth in the new year. Are you in a spend it or lose it situation with your annual budget? Use your 2018 budget surplus on a

The Complete Business Year-End Checklist

POSTED: 11/26/2018

November is usually the month where businesses big and small are mobilizing in their effort to tie up loose ends and prepare for the new year with a business year-end checklist. December is crunch time, and the more room to operate you leave your business before year-end, the better. Finish

The story of Ice: How automation is going to change everything

POSTED: 11/15/2018

I grew up in Michigan. One of the most striking vistas in Michigan is the coastline of the Great Lakes in arch winter. From the shore, the Great Lakes look like an ocean — they stretch on beyond the horizon and wind drives mighty waves crashing onto rock or sand.

Virtual reality job trials for collaborative robots

POSTED: 10/30/2018

Robots seem a perfect match for many of the exacting, tedious, and repetitive jobs that occur on a construction site, and they can free up human workers to take on more complex tasks. However, introducing robots capable of nailing drywall or laying loads of brick can introduce unfamiliar dangers to

The Prosperity Chain: How Technology (and robots) Allow Us to Do Good

POSTED: 10/24/2018

There is much hype and debate in the media these days pitting robotics and automation against jobs. When someone worries about losing their job, it can cut to the core of their confidence and positive outlook in life. That is part of what makes this such a sensitive and complex

Steelworker Strike Averted With Tentative Agreement

POSTED: 10/16/2018

On Monday it was announced that a U.S. Steel and United Steelworkers Union deal has been reached as a “tentative agreement”. The consensus has helped to avoid a steelworker strike that would involve more than 14,000 steelworkers in tubular operations, domestic flat-rolled steel, and ore mining facilities throughout the eastern