Industrial Automation - It Doesn't Have To... Be 2020

Industrial Automation – It Doesn’t Have To…

This is a fun season wrap up where we're reviewing our previous podcasts and looking ahead to 2021!
Industrial Automation - It Doesn't Have To... Be Engineered

elliTek's pre-engineered Smart Servo Actuators and Robotic Work cells are designed to help manufacturers save money. You do what you can do and elliTek can fill in the gaps. There are plenty of manufacturers that can program their own machines. This is a means of them being able to use their in-house capabilities to 1) reduce costs and 2) empower them to do what they can do well and leave this other stuff for whatever reason they don't want to do to elliTek.
Industrial IoT - It Doesn't Have To... Be Overwhelming
Industrial IoT, Industry 4.0, Digitization, Digitalization, MES, Cloud & Hosted servers, ERP, HMI, KPI, OE, OEE, OLE, OPC, OT... these are just a few industry terms and acronyms that Brandon explains for the rest of us.
Industrial Automation - It Doesn't Have To... Be Unsecure
This episode was in conjunction with Brandon's interview with Food Engineering magazine "Keeping machines and OT networks and IT safe from cyber-attacks". We talk about cyber security including some vectors or points of entry for ransomware/malware attacks, as well as how manufacturers can protect their networks.
Industrial Robotics - It Doesn't Have To... Be Complex
Adding automated robotic systems to a factory can save money, create higher-quality parts, and increase production. We review the types of robots and how they're used in manufacturing. Sometimes adding an automated robotic system doesn't make sense - the wiggle jiggle example. That was Episode 6 "Industrial Automation - It Doesn't Have To... Be Hopeless".
Industrial Automation - It Doesn't Have To... Be Myopic
This was another acronym filled episode. We talk about the important Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) manufacturers can look at in order to get the bigger picture. Not every solution is the best solution, but sometimes it's the best for the situation. You don't have to have an automated system to get your KPIs. You can still go out with a stopwatch and measure your uptimes and downtimes and take those indications. The point is - just do it so you can make educated business decisions.
Industrial Automation - It Doesn't Have To... Be Hopeless
We review a few projects that were beneficial to our customers and why. An IoT Based project was for Traceability (also called Skip Check). The customer was thankful they didn't have to upgrade all of their equipment and legacy PLCs. The Smart Assembly Pack Out System helped a customer integrate to their ERP system. A Material Handling & Management system managed the ingredients. Lastly, we hear Brandon's Brandology about the 4 Reasons to Automate.
Industrial Automation - It Doesn't Have To... Be Unpredictable
For this episode, we interviewed Keary Donovan, owner of Pathways7. We delve into Keary's academic white paper "3 KPI Considerations for Maintenance and OEE". Keary has a unique perspective of KPIs from a maintenance perspective.
Looking ahead to 2021, Brandon anticipates more automation so manufacturers can accommodate the six foot social distancing rule.