Could’ve been perception was altered due to watching one too many Jetsons’ episode or because the rapid advancement of technology at the time brought with it high expectations. Regardless, the reality of one of those things happening wasn’t bad!

Fast forward to the present as robotics and automation are yielding unprecedented results

Today, sans flying cars and house maid robots, businesses across the globe are being transformed through robotics and automation. New technologies are constantly emerging, bringing with them an increased ability for tasks to be completely fulfilled by robotic solutions.

The shift from human performed functions to partial or fully automated tasks has been greatly influenced by the pandemic workforce exodus. With labor shortages and new hire difficulties, it’s estimated that industrial robots are now operating within warehouse, logistics and manufacturing facilities worldwide, performing repetitive tasks, simplifying manual processes and overall, improving productivity, throughput and profit.

If there has been one positive takeaway from these tumultuous times, it’s that the implementation of robotics and automation solutions have proven to mitigate workforce issues, resolve challenging production demands and garner relatively quick .

The BOOM – A bubble or sustainable option for the future?

Robotics and automated solutions are here to stay. Capabilities continue to increase and costs as related to ROI are extremely palatable, making highly coveted aspects of business-like expansion, scalability and production optimization possible.

The advent of automated technologies that allow humans to seamlessly work alongside their robotic counterparts is also a huge factor. This coupled with the ability to redeploy valuable staff to other functions within a facility makes automation even more appealing and viable for many. Plus, businesses utilizing multiple robots, cobots, AMR’s and machine vision systems throughout their facility can integrate additional technological capabilities to tie everything together – making manual tracking, sorting and managing a thing of the past and more accurate.

What does this look like in applicable terms for many industrial applications?

Automated solutions come in a variety of forms. Most common for industries such as warehousing, manufacturing and logistics operations are: Robots, Cobots, AMR’s and Machine Vision Systems. When integrated to perform automated tasks, solutions can make production processes faster and more efficient. Plus, they significantly increase the potential for companies to save time and money on everything from labor to inspection and tracking.

Move it. Pick it. Pack it. Store it. Inspect it.

Common applications of automation and robotic solutions include: Assembly, Pick and Place, Material Handling and Transport, Palletizing/Depalletizing, Packaging and more.

Robots are ideal for repetitive tasks where payload and reach may exceed human capabilities and productivity. Robust, industrial robots are reliable, easy to operate and offer a great deal of flexibility in handling many application specific functions.

Cobots, provide an equal value as robots when it comes to executing automated tasks with the added benefit of being collaborative. These systems can work alongside humans safely, are often portable and easy to configure.

AMR’s or Autonomous Mobile Robots provide industry with the ability to eliminate wasted travel time, transporting materials throughout a facility, providing material handling and cross-docking capabilities, safely and efficiently. The ability to redeploy valuable personal to other functions has been a key decision-making factor for many companies incorporating AMR’s into their automation mix.

Machine Vision Systems are a key advantage in many environments. Providing more consistency than the human eye with up to a 99% accuracy rate, they eliminate the need for manual inspections, sorting, tracking and traceability functions.

Then, now and beyond.

Technology will continue to advance, and in many aspects so will the needs of business and industry along the way. As hiring remains a challenge, wages continue to escalate and inflation doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, robotic solutions remain a cost-effective option to combat these variables.

Easy to deploy, reliable, efficient and safe with not much down time, automation makes it possible to run shifts 24/7 at maximum speed and capacity. This translates into increased productivity, process optimization and long-term profitability.

Chat with an automation expert today to see what solutions are right for you – you may be surprised at how easy, seamless and effective they can be.

Let’s face it—change is hard. As creatures of habit, we take comfort in the routine. Change can quickly jolt us from our comfort zone, manifesting uncertainty that can derail positive momentum. However, when embraced correctly, change can propel progress and potential to new heights.

In a manufacturing plant, logistics facility, or distribution center, implementing new technologies, like autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) or automated guided vehicles (AGVs), brings on changes to workflows, processes, and procedures. It is important that the human workforce feels comfortable and confident working alongside and collaborating with the automation technology as they adjust to their new processes.

Facility managers should aim to minimize the discomforts of change to gain acceptance from the human workers and maximize the value of the automation investment. Further, managers need to ensure that operators remain confident throughout the entire automation journey. The most effective way is through one word: understanding. With structural support and enablement, offering education, training, and information, you can empower employees to achieve greater levels of success.

There are several benefits to developing a knowledgeable workforce. Here are three advantages you can gain by ensuring your employees have the information they need to drive results.

1. Increase Adoption and Knowledge to Accelerate Your Industrial Automation Success

To effectively achieve your automation goals, employees must utilize the automation technologies correctly. With their day-to-day workflows changing, it’s normal for employees to initially resist new processes. People like to do things the way they are used to doing them.

To overcome this, empower your employees to understand, use, embrace, maintain, and manage the technology. When facilities provide quick and easy access to the right information, training, resources, and reinforcement to help the employees get up and running, the rate of adoption and overall support for the technology accelerates.

Provide information that is relevant to the employee’s application, and ensure that they can easily understand why the technology was implemented, how to properly use and maintain the technology, and how it can positively benefit them in their role. Confidence can create a sense of ownership and establish trust. Ensure that operators have access to the information they need, when they need it, with straight-forward, centralized resources and support.

People want to be part of a successful, winning team. Leverage an AMR vendor who provides services, such as on-site training, self-led educational resources, on-demand knowledge portals, and continued support to help employees become more skilled, involved, and focused. Developing a confident, knowledgeable team will fast-track your automation success for a faster return on investment.

2. Elevate Productivity and Evolve to Grow
As your workforce begins using the AMR technology effectively, you will quickly see major improvements in your performance metrics, including reduced costs, improved��safety, boosted throughput, and improved worker��productivity. But it doesn’t have to stop there.
Employees can become material handling automation experts by sharpening their skills and expanding their knowledge to safely operate, maintain, and manage their��AMR fleet. After learning how to use the technologies, then they can identify, recommend, and put automation solutions into action based on their new skillset and first-hand knowledge of your business priorities and goals.

For example, employees can learn how to utilize AMR fleet analytics software, like Fleet Geek®, applying their competency in the mobile robot fleet and leveraging actionable insights from the software platform to continue advancing. When companies establish an environment where teaching and learning are embraced, facilities will continuously improve, driving safety, efficiency, and growth even further.

3. Empower Teams for Operational Agility
When teams have the ability to access the information they need, when they need it, and at a pace and format that complements individual learning styles, knowledge becomes a support system for both employee development and operational agility.

Levels of expertise will vary across a material handling facility, which is why it’s important to provide a wide range of educational resources. For example, new employees can easily be brought up to speed with introductory, on-demand training courses. More experienced employees who are already collaborating with mobile robots can quickly find and implement a solution when faced with a new challenge, ensuring that production doesn’t get disrupted. Advanced users can discover new ways to optimize workflows by accessing on-demand, interactive learning modules specifically focused on interpreting fleet data.

Other team members may prefer to self-serve to find answers to their questions. A knowledge base, like Seegrid Help Center, offers immediate responses to a variety of questions, sourced from the combined expertise of Seegrid engineers, service, and support teams. With the ability to access a centralized resource center of information, your team can tap into automation expert tips, tricks, and best practices that are accurate and easy-to-understand—around the clock. When teams have the flexibility to access resources, they, in turn, become a more agile team that is armed to overcome any operational hurdles.

Create a Winning Automation Team for Fast-Tracked Success
Seegrid understands that automation is paramount to productivity and growth, and that success with technology initiatives comes from building a confident workforce. Knowing that humans play a huge factor in enabling success with mobile automation technology, we offer a number of ways to ensure our customers have teams that are confident and capable from day one. During deployment, our implementation specialists work alongside your employees, providing them with the information, hands-on training, and support they need to feel comfortable and confident working alongside the robots and managing their AMR fleet.

Once up and running, your teams have access to Seegrid Learning, an extensive selection of courses and materials that provide customers with critical knowledge about the use, performance, and maintenance of Seegrid Palion AMRs to streamline adoption and ensure ongoing optimal fleet management. Seegrid customers have 24/7 access to our robust online training portal—a user-friendly centralized library that contains Seegrid Learning courses, materials, and resources to help you and your company benefit quickly from the use of your Seegrid mobile automation solutions.

We know questions come up, so we’re ready to help in many ways. In addition to our dedicated support team—committed to rapid responses to inbound inquiries—Seegrid also offers customers self-service assistance through Seegrid Help Center. Seegrid Help Center enables self-service access to timely, relevant, and expertly sourced information on the use, maintenance, and management of Seegrid Palion AMRs and Fleet Central enterprise software solutions. The user-friendly, online knowledge base is available 24/7, and helps customers quickly identify, troubleshoot, and resolve issues to optimize your entire team’s ability to move material safely and efficiently with Seegrid mobile automation solutions.

Power your facility with a confident, knowledgeable workforce by partnering with an AMR provider that offers the right resources and tools. Educational support can facilitate employee adoption of the technology, create a skilled workforce of automation experts to drive continuous improvement, and help you create operational agility to achieve both short-term and long-term goals. Ensure that your workforce is confident in using and maintaining the automation technology to maximize your investment and streamline for even stronger performance in the future.

A cancerous cell could appear in a number of sizes and shapes, and its various forms are, in most cases, more different than they are similar. It’s effectively impossible to teach an inspection system to identify all possible anomalies without extensive programming, and even then, the possibility of false identification or rejection is high. In a situation like this, deep learning-based image analysis in unsupervised mode offers a highly accurate and efficient mode of inspection.

In our cell abnormality detection application, a training engineer uses sample images of possible cell abnormalities, like cancer, to teach the software to conceptualize and generalize the normal appearance of a cell or cell clusters. These slides are labeled as “good” examples of healthy cells and take into consideration normal healthy cell variants, like mitosis. Then, during runtime, any variations are flagged as anomalous and likely exemplifying cell damage. This application requires one further step.

Once a cell or cell cluster is flagged, the particular region of interest needs to be dynamically segmented in real-time for further review. The cell exhibits potential damage, after all, because its appearance strays from the norm, but it is not necessarily cancerous. These deviations could be caused by artifacts on the slide.

Normally, a human inspector—likely a pathologist—would have to review this subset of samples to make a firm diagnosis. But again, Cognex’s deep learning-based software can re-run its algorithm over the subset target zones—this time with retraining in supervised mode–to parse between “good” (tolerable, non-damaged) and “bad” (pathological, damaged) cells.

Life Sciences Optical Character Recognition

Many medical suppliers rely on automatic identification for traceability and to meet safety regulations. Human-readable alphanumeric characters can easily present as deformed to the camera of an automated inspection system if it is present on stretchable, moldable material like an IV bag. Specular glare and reflection can also confuse the system, obscuring and changing the code’s natural appearance.

Even without these visual variations, it can still be immensely time-intensive to teach a vision system to recognize different fonts, such as in the case of optical character verification (OCV), when the inspection system can’t anticipate what font style it will encounter. This is where a pre-trained, omni-font library can come in handy. A deep learning-based tool that it pretrained to recognize various fonts essentially works out-of-the-box; there is no upfront image-based training required, and the minimal training that does occur only happens on missed characters to refine the model’s logic.

Fast, easy implementation and limited application adjustments make deep learning-based OCR an obvious choice for applications involving deformed, skewed, and poorly etched characters or in verification applications when the camera is sure to encounter a wide range of unknown fonts.

Life Sciences Assembly Verification

Lab automation devices such as clinical analyzers and in-vitro diagnostic devices rely on machine vision to ensure that samples are perfectly inserted and aligned for optimal testing conditions. Diagnostic device manufacturers’ success relies on the accuracy of their machines’ measurements and results. Perhaps most importantly, they rely on accurate test set-ups and deck assemblage, which provide the device with precise data so that the tests are performed correctly and uniformly.

The correct assemblage of testing samples—blood, urine, or tissue—in what’s known as a pre-assembly verification is essential to reduce any potential errors which could threaten contamination, mix up or mislabel diagnoses, or slow down or break expensive equipment. During these inspections, the automated system must verify that there are no misaligned or absent test tubes, caps that haven’t been removed, or extraneous vessels loaded into the analyzer’s rack. Verifying that the equipment’s rack has been populated completely and correctly involves managing several factors: sample and reagent tubes and vessels vary by manufacturer in shape, size, and dimension, and it can be impossible for the machine to predict the position of samples on the deck.

With these unpredictable variations in test set-ups, it makes sense to use deep learning to perform assembly verification. Cognex deep learning-based software can learn the varying appearance of different samples and reagents, as well as their unpredictable and varying locations, based on a set of training images.

The tool generalizes the distinguishing features of the samples and reagents based on their size, shape, and surface features and learns their normal appearance, as well as their general location on the deck’s racks or microplates. In this way, deep learning is able to automate and solve a previously hard-to-program application in a quick, highly accurate, and easy-to-deploy manner.

Life Sciences Classification

Ascertaining the quality of a blood sample still requires a significant amount of human judgment. This is because a properly prepared sample which has been centrifuged and indexed needs to receive individual scores for turbidity and plasma color. Based on how the samples are loaded into the analyzer machine, their appearances can vary and blood can appear relatively more or less separated. This affects indexing.

For example, a sample with more clearly stratified plasma, buffy coat, and red blood cells would be rated more highly than one with less distinct phases. But in a highly automated lab environment which relies on good workflows, this approach is not ideal. Thankfully, deep learning-based image analysis can mimic human intelligence and assess the quality of a centrifuged sample’s separation. But the quality management process involves one further step: classification.

Only those samples with a passing grade will be allowed for testing. This makes it imperative for the inspection system to be able to generalize and conceptualize the appearance of “good” (i.e, well separated) red blood cell phases. It does this based on factors like plasma color, turbidity, and buffy coat volume, which are all criteria used in sample processing.

Deep learning is the only automation tool able to intelligently classify, sort, and grade multiple objects within a single image. In this case, Cognex Deep Learning is able to sort multiple classes within a single vial of blood to identify and pass only those samples which meet testing criteria.

As the latest automation solution for complex life sciences applications, Cognex’s deep learning-based tools are conveniently available as both off-the-shelf and OEM systems to be designed directly into lab automation devices. With highly reliable results and low demand on additional infrastructures like CPUs or embedded PCs, Cognex’s deep learning-based software is a natural addition to the life science industry’s arsenal of machine vision inspection tools.

We are living in the future.

It’s easy to ignore all of the technological advancements in society. That’s what happens when you live beside them every day. It becomes easy to overlook them.

Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, algorithms, and even robots are accomplishing jobs done by humans. Some people think it’s a bad thing. But, if there’s ever a serious labor shortage, we need all the help we can get.

One of the industries where robots are making the biggest impact is in the manufacturing space. Warehouse and inventory tasks are starting to be handed off to robots. These particular types of robots are called autonomous mobile robots.��

But, what are autonomous mobile robots?  in the workplace may be a new concept to you. If they are, that’s ok. We’re here to clue you in on everything you need to know regarding autonomous mobile robots.

We’ll talk about what leveraging their automated labor can do for your operations management. Finally, we’ll discuss some leaders in the space and go over the products that they’re offering.

By the time you’re done reading, you’ll be your team’s resident autonomous mobile robot expert. But, there’s a lot of information to cover. 

Let’s get going!

What Are Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs)?

Autonomous mobile robots are robots that involve a complex system of electronics and computer programming. Because these robots are so complex, they are able to complete tasks a human would do. They also have the ability to complete these tasks on their own.

Once a robot knows its job, that’s it. Automation engineers can set the robot to work and it will continue to do its job with very little monitoring.

Leveraging this technology has a lot of benefits for manufacturing companies. These benefits can then be passed along to you, the customer.

Although there may be people that disagree with the growing use of robots and AI, the end result is a net positive for everyone involved.

Life Before AMRs

AMRs can be a big improvement in a manufacturing setting. The parts and inventory companies store in warehouses gives these robots plenty to do.

AMR technology is not something that’s brand new. Companies within the manufacturing industry have been leveraging automation technology for decades. This automation has come in the way of long lines of conveyor belts and automated guided vehicles (AGVs). 

Leaders within the manufacturing industry are optimistic that AMR technology can improve upon the current automation. Manufacturing companies see AMRs as an improvement because they require less clumsy technology than their predecessors.

Long lines of conveyor belts spanning the entire length of a warehouse or factory can be bulky. They can take up so much room that they make conducting business difficult for the warehouse team. 

AGVs are no different. They may no take up as much room, but they require additional equipment to work properly. Manufacturing warehouses need wire strips or magnetic tracks on the floor to help guide the AGV’s path. 

If an AGV gets off-track for some reason, it needs to be corrected. Otherwise, it may constantly be running into the wall like your Roomba vacuum at home.

How Are AMRs Different?

 than conveyor belts and AGVs without as much of the extra technology. This is because AMRs operate on an advanced system that leverages LIDAR technology.

LIDAR technology works by using light detection and ranging. AMRs use LIDAR along with their other onboard technology to navigate through a warehouse or factory environment. They can find their way through the workplace just like a human can.

This is because, in addition to LIDAR, AMRs have their own onboard collision detection and intelligence systems. Much like us, AMRs are able to choose the best route to a destination every time. And it’s all because of these systems.

Benefits of AMRs

Starting to leverage the technology of AMRs can really transform a manufacturing company’s workflow. AMRs have several other benefits, as well.

Using . As a result, manufacturing companies experience significant cost savings that directly affect their bottom line. AMRs can be expensive. Knowing that they are going to offer an immediate return on investment makes pulling the trigger to purchase one much easier.

In addition to cost savings, AMRs can help manufacturing teams maximize the space in their warehouses or factories. There are no magnetic tracks or wire strips necessary for AMRs. This allows warehouse managers to focus on configuring their shelving in a way that works best for the company.

Conveyor belts and AGV tracks no longer have to dictate the company’s warehouse layout.

The Future of Manufacturing

Another benefit AMRs provide is allowing companies to keep up with the latest trend in manufacturing. That trend is .

Rising real estate prices are causing plant, warehouse, and factory space to become much more expensive. As a result, manufacturing companies need to do the best they can with what they’ve got. This makes the need for adaptive manufacturing higher now than ever before.

AMRs allow companies to design their floorplans efficiently. They can really shrink the size of their layout and make changes on the fly. Companies that can grasp this concept and put it to work will be miles ahead of their competition.

In addition, certain industries need to adapt to new shipments on the fly. Certain industries have to implement adaptive manufacturing based on their shipments. One such industry is consumer electronics.

These businesses have new inventory coming in every couple of weeks, or even every couple of days. Without the help of AMRs, they wouldn’t be able to adapt to this frequency of shipments.

Companies would be left applying and reapplying magnetic tracks for their AGVs to accommodate each shipment. With AMRs, warehouse managers can simply rely on the robot’s programming and allow it to find the best route on its own.

Challenges Facing AMRs

It’s easy to see the many benefits using AMRs can provide. However, industries like manufacturing are dragging their feet with AMR adoption. One of the reasons is that manufacturing is a historically risk-averse sector of the economy.

Upper-level managers of many manufacturing companies see the benefit of using mobile industrial robots. The problem, however, is they’re afraid of adopting the technology too soon. Using the technology before the industry is “ready for it” could result in significant revenue losses for the company.

Most companies also struggle with the price tag for AMRs. It’s not so much the price tag, but the fact that they’re paying a lot of money for a robot that can only perform one task. As a result, the AMR industry is moving toward creating robots with multi-modal functionality.

One such company is Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR). Automation engineers at MiR are working on AMRs that can accomplish multiple functions within the manufacturing space. The hope is that providing a robot that’s able to accomplish more than one task will justify the upfront costs.

MiR hopes to do this using a unique “plug and play” design. Where other AMR companies offer general use robots, MiR plans to offer a robot that focuses on integration. MiR’s new multi-modal robot will integrate with other pieces of hardware to help you get more done.

Think of the robot as a “blank slate” that can adapt to whatever tasks are necessary.

MiR’s Latest AMR Ģ����Ƶ

With that theme in mind, MiR is beginning to launch two new AMR products. These new robots are generating a lot of buzz within both the AMR and manufacturing communities. The new models are the MiR600 and the MiR1350. 

Let’s take a look at what they can accomplish for you and your team.

MiR600 Facts and Features

The MiR600 is one of the safest robots around. It complies with all of the highest safety standards within the industry. It’s also been engineered to handle any fluids, dust particles, or debris your warehouse can throw at it.

The MiR600 has the ability to “see” completely around itself. This AMR misses nothing thanks to its 360-degree vision capability. The robot’s vision also extends as high as two meters above the ground.

Another amazing feature is the robot’s autonomous navigation. The MiR600 can find the best route to its destination all on its own. On its way to its destination, it will maneuver safely and effectively. Warehouse managers can also load palettes onto this robot with ease.

The MiR600’s flexibility and user-friendly features make it one of the leading AMR products in the industry.

MiR1350 Facts and Features

The MiR1350 boasts all of the features of the MiR600 and much, much more. This cutting-edge robot can handle heavier payloads within your factory or warehouse. The MiR1350 can handle payloads weighing up to 1350 kg or 3,000 pounds.

You can rely on the MiR1350 to literally do your heavy lifting. 

The MiR1350 has the same autonomous navigation, safety, vision, and longevity as the MiR600. It also can be fitted with special palette lifters provided by MiR. With these palette lifters, the MiR1350 can replace any standard palette loader or truck.

Engineers can operate both robots from their smartphone, tablet, or computer. MiR’s operation interface is user-friendly and allows for amazing ease of use. There isn’t much of a learning curve with MiR’s newest technology.

You’ll have your robots up and running quickly, putting in an honest day’s work on the warehouse floor in no time.

AMRs and the Current Labor Shortage

Another area where AMRs can help manufacturing and industrial teams in the current labor shortage. 

As we mentioned earlier, some people are afraid of robots like AMRs taking their jobs. But, in manufacturing, the jobs being done by robots haven’t been done adequately by humans anyway.

Companies are seeing startling numbers of absences from their human workforce. In fact, one industry leader reported as much as 25% of their workforce being absent on any given shift. This can severely reduce the effectiveness of your production line.

This is all the more reason for companies to leverage AMR technology. Even if a large portion of your human workforce is absent, your company’s downtime would still be limited. AMRs can step in and pick up where the human team left off. 

AMRs can also help in a labor shortage by drastically reducing the number of employees necessary. AMRs can handle the heavy lifting both literally and figuratively. They can move your heaviest palettes, but they can also assume the responsibility of the mundane day-to-day tasks.

Using AMRs for the small stuff will allow your human team to focus on the more high-value, high-dollar tasks.

It may take a little training, but your warehouse staff will quickly become familiar with working with these autonomous mobile robots. Training your employees to work with these robots will also help your workforce.

If an employee on your team can become a skilled operator of AMRs, it’s another skill they can add to their resume. Adding marketable skills to their toolbelt is one of the best moves human employees can make during a labor shortage.

Robots to the Rescue

There you have it! Everything you need to know about autonomous mobile robots. We hope you enjoyed this article and came away with a new perspective.

AMR technology can do a lot to grow your business and help your team thrive through the current labor shortage. 

Our team at Ģ����Ƶ offers a wide variety of AMRs including the latest products from MiR. If you have any questions or are looking to start implementing AMR technology in your business, contact us today. 

Summary:��

A global manufacturer of heavy equipment��was looking to��automate the transportation of material between two areas within its��Central PA based manufacturing��facility.�� The��plant��has significantly grown since the facility was first built decades ago.����It��was built into the side of a hill so as square footage was added,��the new buildings were constructed at an elevation that was different from the older parts of the building.�� The buildings are connected via ramps but the 10% slope of those ramps made it impossible for material handling equipment to use them as a means of transporting materials within the facility.������

The current process for material transport between��subassembly and final assembly areas��was very manual and inefficient.����The ramp��that separates the two areas measures 35 feet in length and has a 10 degree incline.�� Because of this the ramp��was historically limited to��foot traffic only.�� Due to the size and weight of the subassemblies, all material��has always been transported��by forklift.�� However the only way for a forklift to travel between��subassembly and final assembly was to exit one building through a large overhead door, travel across pavement and reenter the other building through another large, overhead door.�� This path of travel became the only way to get from one area to the other.�� This meant that fork trucks traveled outside, carrying materials, no matter the��temperature and weather conditions.������

The customer understood that this was an inefficient process and was interested in a way not only to retain material transport within the buildings but also to do so in an automated fashion.������

Requirements:��

The customer’s requirements were to move a multitude��of products ranging in size, weight and dimension��from multiple pick up locations in subassembly and drop off to several locations in final assembly.����These items would be transported in totes approximately the size of a standard pallet.��Empty totes needed to be returned from final assembly to the appropriate area��in subassembly.�� The solution would have to eliminate the need to travel outside.��The max payload that was to be transported between the areas was not to exceed 2000 lbs.�� The system needed to seamlessly integrate with their production planning system��which would determine when and where materials were needed to move��from one area to the other.����The solution needed to be flexible and adaptable to ongoing production floor layout changes.��

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Solution:��

Ģ����Ƶ’s Industrial Automation team developed and implemented a concept that exceeded the customer’s expectations.�� The concept involved the following:��

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A 1000kg (2200 lbs) payload autonomous mobile robot from Mobile Industrial Robots was designated to the subassembly area. The AMR was outfitted with a roller conveyor top module from Nord Modules, that allowed totes to be transferred from the staging area conveyors to the AMR.

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Totes and pallets��traverse the 35 foot, 10% sloping ramp by implementing a��fully redundant motor driven belt��lifting mechanism.�� The lifting mechanism moved a powered roller conveyor between the two elevations.�� Material transfers from the AMR��to the��lifting mechanism’s powered roller conveyor platform which transverses the ramp transporting material from one elevation to the other.

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A duplicate 1000kg (2200 lbs) payload autonomous mobile robot from Mobile Industrial Robots was designated to the final assembly area. The AMR was outfitted with a roller conveyor top module from Nord Modules that allowed totes to be transferred from the lift mechanism to the AMR which would then deliver the material to its final destination.

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Fleet and Process management – An MQTT server-based software application developed by Ģ����Ƶ would act as the conduit between the mobile robots and the customer’s production planning system and manage the traffic and flow of material. This software application would allow the material to move seamlessly from pick up to drop off without any human interaction. It would manage the fleet of robots as well as manage the logic needed to control the lifting mechanism on the ramp.

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Engineering, deployment and support – In addition to providing the items described above Ģ����Ƶ provided onsite services to ensure a successful installation and system deployment. We mapped and configured the AMR’s and all of the points of interest like pick up and drop off locations. We provided oversight on the installation of the lift mechanism. We provided onsite engineering and commissioning of the system and provided basic user and technical training for the customer.

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Why Ģ����Ƶ:

The customer had received proposals from other solution providers, Ģ����Ƶ was the only integrator that was able to use their existing ramp without causing major changes to the layout of their plant’s footprint. It was our ability to leverage COTS technology like the MiR AMR’s and roller conveyor top modules along with a completely custom engineered lifting mechanism and fleet management software application that delivered a spot on solution for this customer.

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Let us help you find the right��solution for your working environment. Contact Ģ����Ƶ for more information.

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We have scoured the globe to find the most innovative robotic applications. Read on to see our pick of��five industrial robot examples you have to know.

1. Braking

Automotives have long been on the path to an automated robotic future. While that has been visible in the addition of GPS systems and in-car touchscreens, developments under the hood have mostly gone unnoticed by consumers. However, everything from fuel consumption to heating is now automated, and robotics are beginning to help the management of your car engines.

Motors are an intrinsic part of any robotic machine. However, their efficiency is now being used in as electrical brakes take over mechanical. These applications are also being used in industry, with electrical braking being faster and��safer all around.

2. Material Removal Robots

One example of an industrial robot that shows how precise robots can be are those tasked with the removal of materials and substances. Due to the unpredictable nature of the task, these jobs were previously believed to be the hardest jobs to replicate, due to the thought and dexterity of a human hand. However, advances have now meant that even these jobs can automate.

Robots mounted on a mobile track conduct paint removal and sanding. Advanced sensors allow them to be precise, and they can drastically reduce the time and cost of these applications.

3. Aircraft Inspections

A to work in partnership with a human, and none of them work as well as the Air Cobot. This wheeled robot platform drives at around 5mph and has bumpers to detect obstacles. It began life in 2013 as a project to inspect the lower halves of aircraft but has since taken on more responsibility.

The Air Cobot comes equipped with two onboard computers, a GPS system, and multiple scanners and cameras. It is manufactured in France and they are used by aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing.

4. Industrial Robot Examples in Agriculture

Farming robots are becoming a huge��help during the harvesting season. Not only can they spot and treat weeds, but they can also hoe and spread fertilizers.

Robots are also used in the fruit picking industry, with robots developed that can pick a piece of fruit every 2 seconds. They are already being used commercially in Spain to pick strawberries.

5. Picking and Packing

Not only are industrial robotic examples found on the production line, but they are also located in the warehouse. Order picking robots are becoming the mainstay of warehouses, with their efficient processing, lightweight machinery, and fast turnaround times. In fact, they also have automated storage, retrieval, material handling, and sorting capabilities.

Stay Ahead of the Tech Curve

Now you have read these industrial robot examples, you can start to stay ahead of trends and current news in technology by making our blog a regular stop. Read our articles on business, finance, and technology to keep your business up to date.

Introduction:

As recently as a few years ago it seemed that labor savings was the driving factor in leading manufacturers to investigate automation.�� Return on investment was largely calculated by the number of people that the automation would replace.�� And if that ROI was less than a few years, automation projects were often greenlit.�� More recently however, we started seeing that labor scarcity was quickly becoming more of a motivating factor for manufacturers to consider automation.�� The lack of available workers was preventing some manufacturers from scaling production or keeping up with ever changing customer demand.�� The COVID-19 outbreak has shone a bright light on some of the dreadfully out-of-date, manual manufacturing practices that will prevent so many companies from recovering quickly when restrictions are lifted.

Help Wanted:

Suppose a large, distribution warehouse opens down the road from a manufacturer.�� They need to hire 500 workers to get up and running quickly. To fill those jobs are offering higher pay, full benefits and paid vacation because business is booming.�� If you were working at the manufacturer doing tedious, repetitive work would you remain at that job?�� Or would you go to the new, bright, clean warehouse down?�� True, the work may not be any less mundane.�� But you are compensated better and there is a perceived “cool” factor to your employment there.

This is happening to manufacturers all over America.�� And not just those located in rural areas where labor is scarce but also in major metropolitan areas as factory workers are looking for better opportunities.�� This situation leaves the manufacturers in a constant cycle of hiring and training only to have the best employees leave to better work elsewhere.

This has been the reality for most manufacturers for the last few years.�� A 2018 study by Deloitte revealed that 2.4 million manufacturing positions will go unfilled between 2018-2028 as a result of the skills gap.�� When you couple the added complexity of manufacturing while adhering to social distancing guidelines, manufacturers are left with an almost impossible task of growing their businesses while relying heavily on humans to perform the work.

Role of Automation:

Today’s automation and robotic technologies are still limited in their ability.�� There are simply many, many tasks that people are better suited to perform.�� Manufacturers need to focus their human talent on those jobs or tasks that require critical thinking, complex manipulation or a personal touch.

Amazon’s e-commerce fulfillment centers are a terrific example of a how a company has leveraged technology to perform trivial tasks and the result has been explosive sales and employment growth.�� According to reports they have deployed over 200,000 robots in their distribution centers while adding over 300,000 jobs to meet demand.�� Mobile robots move across their distribution center like an army of ants operating in concert bringing goods to employees that verify the products and place them into boxes for fulfil orders.

Here are the most common applications manufacturers are automating today.�� The tasks are broken down by the technology that enables the automation and is followed by the benefit to the manufacturer.

Machine Vision:

• Product Inspection – Preventing defective product from reaching customers
• Packaging Inspection – Ensuring product quality, quantity and accuracy prior to shipment
• Barcode reading – Providing tracking and traceability information for compliance or recalls

Cobots & Robots:

• Machine Tending – Reducing repetitive loading and unloading of product into machines
• Packaging – Reducing labor cost associated with placing product in cases or cartons
• Palletizing – Reducing workplace injuries from repetitive handling of heavy boxes or cases

Autonomous Mobile Robots:

• Goods to line delivery – Enabling just in time delivery of goods to the line without human labor
• Intralogistics of raw materials and finished goods – Increased safety and lower labor cost by reducing fork truck traffic

Automation Trends:

If you haven’t been paying attention, in the last few years a lot of things have been changing for both automation providers and automation users alike.�� Let’s take a quick look at some of the trends that are pointing towards the likelihood that further adoption of automation is on the horizon.

For Manufacturers:

1. Labor shortages
2. Increased reliance on overseas suppliers
3. Desired agilty to produce customized products and to scale production up and down quickly
4. Increase of low volume, high mix production
5. Increased expectations for product quality
6. Desire for manufacturing to occur as close to the customer as possible (onshoring)
7. Establishment of Industry 4.0 and IIoT initiatives to deliver real time data to the cloud

For Automation providers:

1. Increased technology capabilities while prices of those technologies has dropped
2. Advances in sensors, AI and machine learning that has opened new potential applications
3. Flexible COTS items with improved ease of use that allows automation deployments in weeks
4. Additive manufacturing allows quick prototyping that reduces project risk
5. The proliferation of Robots-as-a-service (RaaS) and other finance models that reduce upfront investment
6. Open communication standards that unlock machine to machine connectivity eliminating islands of information

Complications for automation adoption post-COVID-19:

In recent weeks, essential manufacturers have experienced significant workforce backlash as a result of potentially dangerous work environments as a result of a lack of safety supplies and manufacturing processes that are designed around close human interaction.

Without significant changes to the configuration of production lines, manufacturers will be facing a significant challenge to produce enough goods to meet demand while satisfying safety concerns of their employees.

Worker safety, combined with the strong headwinds of labor scarcity leads us to believe that COVID-19 will be an accelerant to increased adoption of automation technologies.�� Now is the time for everyone in the supply chain to evaluate and test new technologies that could eventually roll out company wide and fundamentally change how goods are produced and delivered.�� Even retailers like Walmart and Kroger have been testing robots in limited fashion for years and have plans to scale deployment in the coming years.

There will be a tidal wave of automation companies bringing robots and other technologies to market that will be designed to automating tasks that we hadn’t needed until the COVID-19 outbreak.�� For example, disinfecting areas of the plant floor where workers congregate.

In addition to new technology offerings, there will be many new applications for existing automation technologies.�� Could we seem more robots deployed in less industrial settings like retail and fast food.�� We suspect we will as they struggle with the same challenges of attracting low wage workers while abiding by social distancing guidelines.

Summary:

Work from home mandates, increased e-commerce activity and home delivery requests as a results of the COVID-19 pandemic calls for a critical review of all facets of manufacturing.�� Most notably it draws attention to the areas of robotics, supply chain and digital transformation.�� Automation will not solve all problems for manufacturers and other companies that seek to thrive in a post-COVID-19 world.�� We do not believe that widespread adoption of automation is the answer for all companies but do expect to see a steady replacement of monotonous, manual tasks with automation in the coming years where employers can redeploy skilled employees to tasks better suited for humans.�� Additional workers will be needed to manage and maintain the automation once it is deployed.

Automation technology will continue to drop in price and will become simpler to apply and simpler to support.�� So companies that wait for better, cheaper technology may find themselves years behind their competitors that are figuring out how to leverage automation today.

Author: Mark Proud
Proud Automation – Division of the Ģ����Ƶ

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As technology continues to advance, robotics is playing an increasingly important role in industrial operations. There are many different kinds of robotics solutions that today’s businesses use. One important distinction is the difference between robots and COBOTs. How are robots and COBOTs different?��While typical industrial robots work on their own and fully take over a given task, COBOTs are collaborative robots. They work with people, not in place of them. COBOTs help to create a hybrid work environment that improves efficiency and safety across a wide variety of industries and tasks.

Some of the ways that cooperative work with robots helps are through:

• Assistance:��Traditional robots perform tasks without any human interaction or oversight, but some tasks are too complex for robots alone. That’s where COBOTs differ from industrial robots. COBOTs help human workers and assist them, to speed up tasks or take over monotonous or tedious work, leaving the more complicated stuff to the human workers.
• Seamlessness:��COBOTs use a variety of technologies that help them work with humans. With environment-sensing software, mobile programming and safe designs, these COBOTs can be near workers, while helping to improve their efficiency. COBOTS, intended to be in close contact with humans, put safety at the forefront of design.
• Adaptability:��The COBOT is typically easy to program and does not require any advanced coding capabilities. It is versatile, adjusting easily to different parts of a workplace and learning about its new environment.

COBOTs offer unique benefits and are useful across industries. They’re rising in popularity and can help businesses improve their efficiency in any number of ways.

Robotics in Manufacturing

From the automatons of ancient Greece to the rise of Numerical Computing and integrated circuits, robotics have come a long way. So has the idea of automation in manufacturing. Henry Ford is an essential figure in the history of automation. Ford cars were one of the first mass-produced items to use an assembly line. This concept restructured how workers would do their jobs for both skilled and unskilled labor.��, Christoffer Polhelm developed a machine to cut cogwheels with the help of hydropower. These men, along with several others in the industrial age, were part of bringing automation into manufacturing, improving the efficiency and changing the landscape of mass-produced items.

In the 1880s, Herman Hollerith developed another piece of technology that proved influential to the world of robotics. He came up with the Electric Tabulating Machine, a punch card system that analyzed holes and “non-holes” within a card. The United States Census even adopted this method by 1890, and it was a significant component to the start of IBM as a company.

As the digital computer came around in the 1950s, things took another turn as information-processing systems could be automated alongside manufacturing. Numerical control also developed around this time, making more advanced programming possible with computer numerical controls (CNC). Shortly after, in the 70s, came the integrated circuit, or microchip, which enabled more advanced electrical circuitry in a small, mass-producible method.

In between these developments came a prototype of an industrial robot, built for a General Motors (GM) factory in 1961. Plenty more were installed in Ford factories in the following years, ramping up the hype about industrial robots. Many of the first robots were hydraulic or pneumatic and capable of handling larger loads than those on the assembly line but were not particularly fast. This situation created a perfect niche for faster electric robots that didn’t need to lift heavy items. They could repeat tasks at high speeds and shorten the cycle time.

These powerful technologies paved the way for modern industrial robots that could perform a wide variety of functions, including:

• Welding
• Painting
• Assembly and disassembly
• Palletizing
• Packaging and labeling
• Materials handling
• Pick and place

Of all these tasks, industrial robots tend to take on tasks that humans can’t do or ones that would improve worker safety or efficiency if performed by a robot. Arc welding, for example, can involve hazards related to heat, fire and explosions, along with possible eye damage from ultraviolet light or the inhalation of dangerous substances. Even simpler tasks, like assembly or disassembly, can have high risks of injury, depending on the job. Lifting heavy objects or using sharp tools can cause harm if an employee makes a mistake.

Assigning these tasks to robots allows people to be safer overall and avoid the most harmful jobs. Plus, many of these tasks require extensive personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety precautions, which creates additional costs and liability concerns for the company. Robots eliminate many of these issues by taking over either the entire job or the more dangerous parts.

Another benefit of delegating to robots is that it frees up employees for other tasks that may be more suited for human work. The robots can take over repetitive, tedious tasks and allow employees to take over more skilled responsibilities. Programming and engineering are some of the jobs that workers can lean toward instead to improve the efficiency of the manual tasks.

What Are COBOTS?

All of those above features apply to traditional robots, but they typically apply to COBOTs as well. These little machines are ideal for marrying the work of humans and technology. They focus on collaboration and teamwork, with features to make workers’ jobs easier and faster without requiring any advanced programming knowledge. Some of the jobs they look to accomplish include those that are repetitive, hazardous or tedious for humans. Safety, versatility and assistance are key features in the design of a COBOT.

The COBOT is smart and learns on the job, understanding the movement of items and speeds as it adjusts to the world around it. And while a COBOT typically has lighter-weight load capacities, it offers exceptional agility and speed, perfect for tasks that require 100% accuracy and faster results.

Below are just some of the benefits that a COBOT can offer.

1. Partnership and Collaboration With Humans

The COBOT works more like a partner than a fully autonomous robot. It can assist with a repetitive task such as picking an item up and placing it somewhere else. It might sit directly beside a person, instead of enclosed behind a safety fence. A COBOT has an intelligence to it, so it can learn about its environment and dynamic surroundings, working in close quarters with human workers.

The collaborative nature of COBOTs makes them easy to work with, while their ease of use reduces the need for advanced programming expertise for small changes, making them a flexible option. Working with people is a foundational aspect of COBOTs.

2. Ease of Use and Training

COBOTs are made to work with all humans — not just those who are programming experts. They are easy to operate for almost any employee, regardless of their technical skill or experience. Employees can even “train” the COBOTs. Often, they do this by merely manipulating the arms and walking it through the process. The COBOT then learns the steps and can replicate them. Many COBOTs even use advanced behavior-learning methods and artificial intelligence to adapt to the task at hand. These traits help make them usable by your everyday employees.

3. Easy Programmability

In addition to training and use, setting up and programming a COBOT is also easy. It doesn’t require advanced programming skills, and employees can reprogram the COBOT for plenty of different tasks.

4. Versatility and Functionality

You can’t pin COBOTs down to just one intended task. They can perform a wide range of jobs and combinations of them, including welding, assembly and pick-and-place. COBOTs move freely, with designs that are lightweight and easy to move. They can stay in one spot and help with repetitive tasks, or you can move them around the facility, with easy reprogramming options and learning capabilities to make the merge to a new environment smooth and productive. Different COBOT models are typically designed to specialize in certain areas of production. In the��, for instance, we offer models like the M0609, intended for repetitive tasks at high speeds, the M1509 for heavy object handling and the M0617 for multi-tasking and long-range use. Many of these bots are 6-axis articulated collaborative robots with 360-degree joint movements.

5. Increased Safety

One feature that separates the COBOTs from industrial robots is their approach to worker safety. While industrial robots are often autonomous, they also tend to be isolated. They might be blocked off to keep them separated from workers for safety reasons. COBOTs include a variety of design features that make them ideal for use in close contact, such as smooth, rounded edges and advanced sensors. They monitor their surroundings to identify people in the area and can stop wherever they are in the production cycle if someone gets in the way.

In terms of their core functioning, COBOTs also increase safety by reducing the need for human operators to put themselves in dangerous situations. For example, by using a COBOT to apply a coat of paint, human operators can stay away from any hazardous fumes that some paints or coatings produce. A COBOT can also help reduce problems associated��with����that create occupational hazards.

6. Fast Setup

The setup process for COBOTs often only takes a few hours. These bots mount onto many different surfaces and can even be moved throughout the facility as needed. With the fast reprogramming processes we discussed, this task allows you to move the COBOT as much or as little as needed.

7. Increased Productivity

The COBOT gets all the typical benefits you’d expect from a robot. It doesn’t get tired or hungry or try to get out of doing work. It focuses on the task at hand and can move more quickly and accurately than humans. Some COBOTs can even learn as they work, suggesting more efficient methods of getting the job done.

8. Cost-Effective

COBOTs are smaller than many industrial robots and can accomplish numerous tasks. With their wide variety of usage options and effects on productivity, COBOTs can offer significant benefits to a company’s bottom line.

Common Misconceptions About Collaborative Robotics

COBOTs offer many benefits, including improved efficiency and safety, but they do have their place. Some people get the wrong idea about what exactly a COBOT can do.

COBOTs are not supposed to replace workers. They are meant to assist and improve existing tasks. Remember that the key difference between industrial robots and collaborative robots is that industrial robots can entirely automate a process without human interaction, while COBOTs work with humans. COBOTs also cannot take on some of the heavy-duty manufacturing jobs that should be performed by an industrial robot. Industrial robots are still necessary for many applications, and COBOTs aren’t merely a lower-cost replacement.

Industries and Processes That Benefit

Due to their versatility and mobility, COBOTs are found in a wide range of industries. They can work with delicate electronics or aerospace parts, help move food items down an assembly line and tend to CNC machines. Nearly every industry, from pharmaceuticals to automotive parts and everything in between, can use COBOTs to improve processes.

Some of the tasks that a COBOT can assist with include:

• Pick and place:��This is an extremely repetitive task that is perfect for COBOTs, avoiding injury and mistakes that can happen with human workers. Pick and place involves moving an item from one location to another, typical in packaging and assembly line applications.
• Packaging:��Shrink-wrapping, assembling boxes and moving products are all tasks that a COBOT can accomplish.
• Welding:��COBOTs can eliminate the repetitive motions and occupational hazards of welding.
• Machine tending:��Machine tending involves placing an employee at a machine for long hours to address needs like tool changes or adding materials. COBOTs can free up that operator and tend to multiple machines at once.
• Moving pallets:��Some COBOTs, like��, can even maneuver around a facility and deliver pallets to new locations.
• Quality inspection:��Between sensors, cameras and other attached technology, COBOTs can help employees inspect finished products.����can be equipped with FANUC’s intelligence features, like iRVision, 3D Vision with FANUC 3D Area Sensor and FANUC Force Sensors.
• Glue application:��This is another repetitive task that a COBOT can perform.
• Finishing:��Grinding, polishing and other finishing tasks can cause a repeated vibrational force to the worker, forming another occupational hazard. COBOTs can eliminate this risk.

Improve Operations With COBOTs

As you can see, COBOTs are powerhouses for added productivity in the workplace. From eliminating repetitive tasks to offering faster, more accurate results with 6-axis industrial arms, they can improve operational performance in a myriad of ways. Plus, they can make the job safer for employees by taking over dangerous tasks.

If you think your operational procedures could use the help of a COBOT, call Ģ����Ƶ today. Our in-house engineers have the technical expertise to help you find and implement a COBOT in your business. We can help you install your COBOTs and teach you how to use them effectively. When you choose Ģ����Ƶ, you can rest easy with the knowledge that you are partnering with an industry leader with over 60 years of experience. To learn more about COBOTs and industrial robots and how they can work in your business,��contact us today.

Industrial vacuum pumps are designed to pump gasses and liquids out of sealed containers to create a vacuum. Though this technology has been , it has only recently expanded to a range of industries. From household electronics to aircraft equipment, vacuums are needed in countless applications. 

While vacuum pumps are all designed to create vacuums, different types of pumps create different outcomes. Pumps that work well in one environment or application may fail in another setting. Knowing the right type of vacuum pump for a specific application is essential to keep systems running properly.

Types of Vacuum Pumps

All vacuum pumps operate on the same principle — they remove air and gas molecules from a vacuum chamber. While all pumps are designed to accomplish this goal, their methods differ. 

Vacuum pumps are split into two primary classifications:

• Positive displacement pumps create vacuums by acting on a constant volume of air and generate high vacuum with little flow.
• Nonpositive displacement pumps accelerate air out of a system to create a vacuum at an inlet port but generate little vacuum with high flow.

Many vacuum pumps are positive displacement pumps, and they are further divided by their function. Some of the mostcommon types of industrial vacuum pump systemsare:

1. Rotary Vane Pump

Rotary vane pumps are positive displacement pumps that work through the use of rotating vanes in a cylindrical case. As these vanes slide in and out around the eccentrically mounted rotor, the pump traps air and moves it from the inlet port to the outlet port, generating vacuum. In total, rotary vane pumps typically generate , though some two-stage designs gan generate up to 29.5 inHg vacuums. 

• Advantages: Rotary vane pumps are effective, compact and inexpensive. Though these pumps are small compared to other types, they have a high flow capacity for their size and are much less expensive than pumps with similar vacuum levels. Additionally, they operate very smoothly and quietly without vibrating, generating as little as 45 dBA of sound.
• Disadvantages: Rotary vane pumps are in the middle-ground of vacuum pumps ⁠— they aren’t as powerful as other types, like piston pumps. 
• Applications: Because of their compact nature and efficacy, rotary vane vacuum pumps can be found in a , especially in environmental, medical and commercial industries. They are commonly used in air conditioning and aeration systems, but may also be found in food processing, surgical suction and even pond aeration applications.

2. Rocking Piston Pump

Rocking piston pumps are positive displacement pumps that use a rigidly mounted piston and an eccentric connecting rod. As the crankshaft rotates, the piston rocks back and forth, pushing and pulling air with an elastomeric cup serving as a seal. A single pump , while a two-stage design can generate up to 29 inHg.

• Advantages: Without the wrist pin found in diaphragm units, rocking piston vacuum pumps are much lighter and more compact than many other options. They are also relatively quiet during operation, operating at sound levels as low as 50 dBA.
• Disadvantages: Rocking piston pumps cannot generate much airflow — even the largest models have flow rates under 10 cfm.
• Applications: Rocking piston pumps are commonly used in pond aeration systems, but their quiet operation makes them a good choice for noise-sensitive environments like medical, dental and laboratory applications. Rocking piston pumps are also used in beverage dispensing systems, automotive suspension systems and even paper counting machines. 

3. Reciprocating Piston Pump

Reciprocating piston pumps have one or more pistons attached to a rotating crankshaft. As the crankshaft turns, the pistons reciprocate, and the alternating piston action moves air to create a vacuum. These positive displacement pumps generate relatively high vacuums .

• Advantages: Reciprocating piston pumps generate relatively high vacuums and work well in a wide variety of operating conditions. They also have long lifespans.
• Disadvantages: The primary disadvantages of the reciprocating piston pump system are that they are heavier and more expensive than many other systems. They also have limited capacity and typically operate at higher noise levels than other systems.
• Applications: Reciprocating piston pumps are best suited for applications in harsh conditions, making them ideal for volatile applications and the petrochemical, menthol and aromatic industries. 

4. Diaphragm Pump

In diaphragm pumps, the fluid chamber is sealed from the pumping mechanism. Instead, an eccentric connecting rod flexes a diaphragm inside this chamber, which generates the vacuum. Diaphragm pumps provide moderate vacuums, with single-stage versions , and two-stage units reaching 29 inHg.

• Advantages: Diaphragm pumps have a low compression ratio with low flow, large diameter and short strokes. This means these types of pumps operate very quietly. They are also exceptionally reliable and cost-efficient.
• Disadvantages: Diaphragm pumps produce somewhat lower vacuums compared to other positive displacement vacuum pumps.
• Applications: These types of pumps are very popular in the medical industry due to their reliability and quiet operation. They are often used for blood pressure monitors, breast pumps, sterilizers, aspirators and various types of mobile equipment. They are also commonly found in air and water sampling, water purification and general laboratory equipment.

5. Dry Claw Pump

These positive displacement vacuum pumps use two claw-shaped rotors, which run in opposite directions. These rotors do not touch each other or the pump chamber, meaning that they sustain less wear over time.

• Advantages: Dry claw vacuum pumps have long lifespans due to their low-wear designs. They also do not use lubrication, which eliminates contamination of processed substances. They are also some of the quietest pumps on the market.
• Disadvantages: Dry claw pumps are heavy systems designed for industrial applications, so they are not suitable for smaller-scale applications. They also work poorly at higher altitudes.
• Applications: Dry claw pumps are designed for industrial environments and are commonly found on production lines, pneumatic systems and central vacuum supply systems.

6. Liquid Ring Pump

Liquid ring pumps work using an eccentrically-mounted impeller with multiple blades. As the impeller rotates, it moves liquid inside of its case to form a liquid ring. The expansion of the air space during this rotation creates a vacuum, which is used to compress and discharge air at rapid speeds.

• Advantages: Liquid ring pumps are effective at absorbing the heat generated during the compression process. The liquid in the system also serves as a way of trapping any powder or liquid in the air. These pumps are also known as some of the quietest in the industry, .
• Disadvantages: Liquid ring pumps are larger in design and are best suited for large-scale industrial installations.
• Applications: These pumps are most often used in industrial applications, most often in applications that benefit from the air-purifying properties of the liquid-ring design. Some examples include the chemical, environmental, mining, petrochemical and textile industries.

7. Rotary Screw Pump

Rotary-screw vacuum pumps are positive displacement pumps. In this design, two helically-shaped rotors turn in opposite directions, trapping air and moving it through the chamber to create a vacuum. Though this design allows for high airflow, it achieves relatively low vacuums .

• Advantages: Unlike piston pumps, screw pumps work through a smooth, continuous motion, which means the pumps do not have the pulses often seen with piston-based designs. 
• Disadvantages: Due to the size of the necessary parts, rotary screw pumps are cumbersome at smaller sizes. As a result, they are most often seen in larger installations. They also do not produce as much vacuum as piston-based designs and have lower inlet capacities. Additionally, screw pumps sometimes encounter issues with lubricant migrating into the pumping chamber over time, which can result in maintenance problems.
• Applications: These pumps are often found in large-scale industrial applications that handle clean gasses.

High vs. Low Vacuum Pumps

In addition to the various types of industrial vacuum pump systems, pumps are also split into categories by the amount of vacuum they can generate. Levels of vacuum are divided into four levels defined by the level of pressure within the vacuum chamber. These are represented below in torr units of pressure, though mmHg is also commonly used. For reference, of atmospheric pressure. 

The categories of vacuum are as follows:

• Low vacuum: Low vacuum is any pressure level above one torr. All vacuum pumps can achieve this level, and most mechanical vacuum pumps operate within this range. Also called a rough vacuum, the majority of industrial-level vacuum units are considered low volume vacuum pumps and generate this level of vacuum.
• Medium vacuum: A medium vacuum has a pressure level between one and 10^-3 torr. Most pumps providing this range are mechanical. Process application vacuum units are typically made to produce this level of vacuum — this includes vacuums made for spraying or gas removal processes.
• High vacuum: High vacuum is indicated by pressures between 10^-3 and 10^-7 torr absolute — any lower than 10-7 torr is considered very high vacuum. High vacuum is only required in specialized industrial and lab applications and is often achieved through the use of non-mechanical vacuums. Very high vacuums are even more specialized, needed mostly in laboratory applications and space simulations.

How to Choose the Right Vacuum Pump

Choosing between the different types of vacuum pumps can be difficult with so many options available. The choice often comes down to a few factors, such as:

• Level of vacuum: The level of vacuum needed is one of the primary factors to consider. These categories tell the user how much vacuum the pump can generate.
• Usage: Larger units are typically designed and rated for continuous duty, while smaller units are made for intermittent duty. Smaller units applied in a continuous manner typically encounter functional limitations that decrease their vacuum generation capabilities.
• Rate of removal: Pumps are flow rated based on the volume of air they can handle. High flow rates mean that the pumps can remove air more quickly.
• Power requirement: Vacuum pumps typically require little power input, but not all pumps are made the same. Though the power requirement for a unit doesn’t necessarily affect functionality, it does affect your business’ power usage and efficiency. 
• Time: If it is essential that a certain vacuum level is achieved within a specific time frame, a high volume vacuum pump will be the best option. If time is not important, a small pump will suffice.

Common Vacuum Pump Applications

Vacuum technology is everywhere in industry, with businesses relying on vacuums for a range of processes and production methods. Some common examples are:

• Automotive: Vacuums are required in the function of vehicles and in their production and maintenance. Cable pressure and automotive suspension systems are often maintained using vacuum systems, while auto detailing and tire inflation equipment use vacuum pumps to build pressure for their systems.
• Medical: Vacuum pumps are used in a wide range of applications throughout the medical industry. Various types of ventilation equipment and oxygen concentrators use pumps for respiratory therapy applications. Surgical teams also use vacuum pumps to power various types of equipment and sterilization systems. Even medical pumps themselves, including breast pumps, and suction units, use vacuum pumps.
• Dental: The dental industry commonly uses a range of vacuum pumps in various applications. Dental compressors and portable dental equipment often use vacuum pumps to build pressure in systems, while vacuum ovens are used to mold implants.
• Environmental: Air sampling and soil aeration equipment both use vacuum pumps to power their processes. Vacuum pumps are also an essential part of any air supply system or sewage aeration system.
• Food and beverage: Food processing and water purification systems often use vacuums as part of their processes. From aeration and mixing to packaging, vacuums are used throughout this industry.
• Agricultural: TheAgriculture industry often uses vacuum pumps in the development and application of agricultural sprays. Pest control equipment and crop sprayers are often powered by vacuum pumps. Milking equipment also uses vacuum pumps.
• Electronics: Many electronics require vacuums to function. The most common example is the electric lamp — light bulbs require a vacuum in order to function, so a vacuum pump is needed to take gas from the bulb. Semiconductor production also requires the use of vacuums.
• Arts and printing: Airbrushes, ink-jet printers, framing equipment and other staples of the printing arts are powered by vacuum pumps.

Choose Ģ����Ƶ

With so many industrial vacuum pump sizes and types available, it’s important to know your options. Different technologies can be used to generate a reliable flow of vacuum, but no single technology achieves optimal efficiency at every level of vacuum. The right type of vacuum pump will serve your application smoothly, while the wrong one may result in significant costs and future down-time. We know that the choices can be overwhelming, so Ģ����Ƶ is here to help.

For over 60 years, Ģ����Ƶ has been an industry expert in vacuum technology solutions, providing trusted expertise in selecting and installing solutions from a variety of manufacturers. We offer an extensive line of air-moving products from industry-leading manufacturers GAST and Atlas Copco., including Gast vacuum pumps, compressors, air motors, gear motors, vacuum generators, and regenerative blowers. By combining the two global leaders, the Ģ����Ƶ Solution incorporates a wide variety of vacuum pump models to choose from, ensuring you’ll be able to find the right one for your applications.

Whether you need a simple fix or a custom solution, Ģ����Ƶ can help with our team of experts and our global network of sales representatives, service facilities and distributors. Whether you’re located in the United States, Europe or China, we can help you get the parts and services you need.

Contact Ģ����Ƶ today to learn more about our fluid handling and motion control solutions, as well as our quality industrial parts and services.

Ball valves may be small, but they are critical components in many industrial applications. Because ball valves control the flow of fluids, they see extensive use across just about every industry. It’s important to know how to tell which industrial ball valves are best for different applications, especially those involving hazardous chemicals, which can easily destroy some types of valves.

Corrosion poses serious financial risks to any industry, as well as obvious structural risks. According to the National Association of Corrosion Engineers and the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, the total annual cost of corrosion in the United States across all industries is��, or about 3% of the United States’ GDP. Your company can reduce your risk of financial loss from corrosion, though, by using chemical-resistant ball valves.

At Ģ����Ƶ, our��Parker ball valves��offer heavy-duty durability to fight against chemical corrosion. The premium quality and reliability of this brand of ball valve make it stand out from the rest. Our Parker valves function reliably in temperatures ranging from 0 to 360 degrees Fahrenheit, and they can withstand pressures of up to 6,000 psi. They come in a variety of styles, materials and diameters optimized for different industries and applications.

The wide variety of valve types on the market means finding the right ball valve can be tricky. Fortunately, we’ve put together this handy ball valve buying guide. Below, we’ll explain the benefits of chemical-resistant ball valves and help you figure out how to choose the ball valve that’s right for your application.

Types of Ball Valve Body Styles

Ball valves come in :

1. Trunnion-Mounted Ball Valves

Trunnion-mounted ball valves contain a pivoting point where a shaft rotates inside part of a cylinder. This construction allows for shutoff and switching through the use of upper and lower bearings. The additional top-and-bottom anchoring of trunnion-style valves also keeps the ball from floating in the fluid. This construction allows for larger valves that function at peak performance in high-pressure operations and with higher flow capacity because the ball has more support, which reduces the friction against it.

Ģ����Ƶ’s trunnion-mounted ball valves can withstand pressures of up to 10,000 psi and provide dependable switching and shutoff capabilities. The design of the upper and lower bearing in these high-pressure ball valves helps provide seizure resistance and extend the valve’s lifespan, even in rigorous applications.

2. Floating Ball Valves

Floating ball valves are one of the most common types of ball valves. Their����allows for strong performance even under challenging pressure and temperature conditions. Unlike the balls in trunnion-mounted valves, the balls in floating ball valves are attached only to the valve stem. The advantage of this construction is that the ball can float in the liquid and press against the seat of the valve, creating a positive seal. A positive seal is useful because it allows for zero leakage from the valve, an essential quality in many gas operations, among others.

These ball valves are designed for process and instrumentation applications and can streamline fluid flow to enhance those operations. They offer rapid on-off control and can withstand pressures of up to 6,000 psi and temperatures of up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

These valves are useful in facilities such as chemical plants, refineries, power plants and petrochemical plants. They provide a range of functionalities, including flow diversion and flow selection, and are often critical parts of quick-fill systems, process-mixing systems, instrument panels and remote shutoff with actuation. They are also typically less expensive than trunnion designs.

Ģ����Ƶ’s floating ball valves are generally available in stainless steel and brass, with specific alloys available upon request. The ball bearings feature microfinishes for a positive seal, and the valves allow for a straight flow path that reduces pressure drop. Our products also offer optional features such as pneumatic and electric actuation, live-loaded PTFE stem seals, nonadjustable O-ring stem seals, upstream and downstream drain models and stainless steel and extended handles.

3. Rising-Stem Ball Valves

Rising-stem ball valves contain a stem that allows the ball to tilt within the valve. When the valve is closed, the ball nestles snugly against the seat – the disc-shaped material designed to provide a watertight seal. When the valve is open, the ball moves away from the seat, allowing liquid to flow around it. This capacity for repositioning prevents the ball from rubbing against the seat and causing the valve to fail. It decreases wear and minimizes the need for maintenance.

Ball Valve Port Styles

In addition to their different body types, ball valves also come with different port configurations. The ball of a ball valve typically contains a port, or a bored opening, through its center. When the bore is aligned with the valve body, liquid can flow through. When the valve is rotated 90 degrees and the bore is perpendicular to the valve body, liquid can no longer pass through. These ports are designed in different ways for optimization in a variety of applications.

1. Full-Port Ball Valves

A full-bore ball valve has a sizeable ball with a large bore diameter—often itself. This large orifice allows for a higher flow of liquid, thus reducing friction and pressure loss. The large bore diameter is also ideal for valves that may clog and require pigging to remove the blocked material.

2. Reduced-Port Ball Valves

Reduced-port ball valves have smaller ports to restrict the flow of liquid within a narrower path. These valves are typically smaller and less expensive, and they are useful in applications where pressure loss is a minimal concern.

3. V-Port Ball Valves

In a V-port ball valve, either the ball or the seat of the ball contains a V shape. The advantage of the V shape is that it allows the valve to open and close more easily. When the valve is closed, the smaller, V-shaped end typically opens first, allowing��for greater stability and control of liquids’ velocities. For this reason, V-port ball valves often function as control valves, especially in industries such as the . However, because they require more stability to function, these valves are not suitable for use in all applications.

Ball Valve Body Materials

Ball valve bodies come in a few different types of materials. The three most popular materials we offer at Ģ����Ƶ are brass, carbon steel and stainless steel, but many other possibilities exist as well.

1. Brass and Chrome-Plated Brass

Brass ball valves offer the virtue of reliable performance at an economical price. They typically feature a brass body with a chrome-plated brass ball, and they provide superior corrosion resistance over plastic valves while remaining feasible for most budgets. Our brass ball valves offer long-lasting operation and come with a variety of options to suit different applications. In addition to being corrosion-resistant, they are heat-resistant as well. They function well at temperatures ranging from -50 degrees Fahrenheit up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Unlike other types of ball valves made of materials such as bronze, brass ball valves contain very little lead, so they are safer for use in applications where lead contamination is a concern.

Brass is also a key component of Parker brass compression fittings. These utilize a brass compression piece to compact around the pipe and hold the valve securely in place.

2. Carbon Steel

are exceptionally rugged and durable. They typically consist of carbon steel bodies with steel balls, and they are designed for demanding applications in which valves must stand up over time to harsh working conditions. They are often used in heavy-duty truck manufacture and agricultural, construction and industrial applications.

Carbon steel ball valves are useful for fuel line shutoffs in gasoline- and diesel-powered equipment and are also common features of hydraulic lines and in plant design plumbing that requires complete shutoff capability. They can function effectively in temperatures ranging from -20 degrees Fahrenheit to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Stainless Steel

Stainless steel ball valves��are��well suited for all-purpose industrial use because of their excellent chemical resistance. They provide the best corrosion resistance of any of the ball valves we offer. They can stand up to the harshest chemical conditions and are particularly recommended for use in marine environments because they resist the corroding effects of saltwater as well.

Stainless steel ball valves are often used in industries such as petrochemical, steel, agricultural and food processing. They are also common components of fuel lines, chemical lines, washdowns and plant plumbing that requires complete shutoff capability.

4. Bronze

Bronze ball valves are resistant to cracking because of the high malleability and ductility of bronze. Bronze ball valves also resist corrosion very well and are relatively inexpensive, providing beneficial cost savings to many industries when compared to valves made of materials like brass. They are often used for direction control, flow shutoff and a variety of other functions.

5. Chrome

Chrome is useful for making ball valves because it provides strong resistance against wear over time. It also helps the ball move smoothly as the valve opens and closes and allows for excellent corrosion resistance. Chrome is more porous than many other materials, though, so if a chrome valve contains chrome plating over another metal, the porous nature of the chrome can sometimes allow water to seep through and corrode the underlying ball structure.

Many ball valves have a protective coating made of materials like chrome. A chrome coating can make a ball valve as . It is susceptible to corrosion by seawater and chlorine, however.

6. Titanium

Titanium provides a high level of corrosion resistance and abrasion resistance for ball valves. It is an ideal material for ball valves that will be used in����(HPAL) scenarios, which make use of highly corrosive acids, often 98% sulfuric acid. Titanium ball valves are also ideal in pressure oxidation (POX) applications, such as in autoclave plants for steam sterilization. They are optimal for use in plant maintenance and emergency shutdown applications.

7. Nylon

Nylon valves are common across a range of industries. They are inexpensive to produce and have good chemical and mechanical qualities.

One of the nylon-bodied ball valves Ģ����Ƶ offers is the . The nylon construction of this ball valve makes it lightweight and ideal for use in compact operations and where quick installation times are a priority. These valves offer full flow capacity and stable performance. They are often used in pneumatic applications, as well as in factory and process automation, packaging, petrochemical facilities, semiconductors, machine tools, robotics, vacuum lines and textile operations.

8. PVC

Plastic ball valves like PVC valves are useful because of their high corrosion resistance. Because they are plastic rather than metal, they provide superior resistance to rust and corrosion, and they are also more inexpensive to manufacture than many metal ball valves. Because of their light weight, they are also economical to ship. They are not suitable for certain demanding industries because they cannot stand up to the same temperatures and pressures that metal valves can. But in many applications, such as in swimming pools or irrigation systems, they make an excellent cost-effective alternative to metal valves.

9. Polypropylene

, also made from plastic polymers instead of metal,��provide extreme resistance against harsh chemicals and corroding agents. These ball valves are ideal for applications such as water filtration units, coffeemakers, cold beverage machines and other applications whose parts need to stay in pristine condition.

Chemical Resistance of Ball Valve Seals

The seal is one of the most important ball valve components. The seal forms a tight connection between the ball and the seat material to prevent liquids from passing through when the valve is closed. The right seal can make an enormous difference in functionality, maintenance time and costs.

Common ball valve seal materials include the following:

• EPDM: EPDM rubber is a type of synthetic rubber made of ethylene, propene and a diene monomer. It is one of the best-performing types of seal materials and provides a particularly effective seal in hot water and steam. It is also optimal for use with alcohols, low concentrations of acids and alkaline substances and more. It has limited resistance to grease, oils and solvents, however.
• FKM: FKM is a fluoroelastomer that provides more heat and chemical resistance than most rubbers. It offers resistance to a broad spectrum of chemicals and is also resistant to many oils. It does not perform as well with hot water and steam, though, because it tends to expand at high temperatures.
• PTFE: PTFE — commonly known as Teflon — is hard and rigid, unlike EPDM and FKM. It is resistant to many chemicals, though, and its hardness allows it to withstand extreme temperatures and pressures.
• NBR: NBR is nitrile rubber. It provides strong resistance to compression and wear, and it stands up well to alcohols, oils and nonpolar solvents. It is sensitive to fluctuations in weather and temperature, though.

Ball Valve Applications

Ball valves find uses in a number of different industries and applications, from gas processing and oil refining to fuel lines, flowing systems on ships and many more. The rugged performance of chemical-resistant ball valves makes them incredibly well suited to demanding manufacturing and industrial environments.

Industries that involve hazardous chemicals need the right kind of valves to ensure that their processes run efficiently and effectively. Chemical-resistant valves have the durable construction to withstand harsh, hazardous substances and keep performance high and maintenance requirements minimal.

Contact Ģ����Ƶ for Chemical-Resistant Metric Ball Valves

In any industry, it’s important to choose the right ball valves, and it’s also important to have the facts you need to make an informed decision. The consequences of choosing the wrong ball valves can have a dramatic impact on your business, so it’s always best to get the decision right the first time.

Partner with Ģ����Ƶ for the best motion control and fluid handling solutions and quality products. We can help you figure out how to find the right ball valve for your specific application. And the technical expertise of our engineers means we can answer your questions about choosing chemical-resistant ball valves and give you the highly functional and long-lasting products you need.

Contact us today to learn more.