As brewing company AB InBev reaps the benefits of digitalisation using COPA-DATA technology and enhances its sustainability, Stefan Reuther, member of the executive board at COPA-DATA, sheds light on innovation, trust and the role of independent software vendors (ISVs).

When a major UK pet food producer wanted better machine utilisation with the aim of raising its OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) by 3 points, it asked experts at bearing specialist NSK if they could evaluate processes and systems to help with this improvement goal.

When a meat processing plant operator needed a solution to check that transportation bins had been emptied prior to being sent to an automated wash station, it turned to Contrinex. An ultrasonic sensor mounted above a conveyor looks down into the bins and diverts contaminated bins from proceeding to the wash station.

When an automotive manufacturer needed a low cost, easy-to-implement solution to add RFID verification to the automated tooling change system, for a small robot working as a machine tender to an expensive and delicate machining centre, it turned to Contrinex.

Supporting a bachelor thesis project at The Vienna University of Technology, Norelem has provided a range of components to enable students to make their idea a reality.

See Schaeffler at MachineBuilding.Live, 4 October 2023, on stand 69

Installing a robotic pick-and-place and integrated conveyor solution has increased productivity for a pharmaceutical manufacturer while maintaining regulatory compliance. Combining a vision system optimised for accuracy that assures end-to-end traceability, a single controller from Trio manages both the robot and conveyor axes, increasing reliability for the end user.

See Omron at MachineBuilding.Live, 4 October 2023, on stand 44

Emka has worked with Italian control cabinet manufacturer MP Gamma to develop a newly designed handle with changeable lock inserts, with the enclosure company looking to modernise the design of its portfolio.

Integrating Mitsubishi Electric’s robotic solutions, Horizon Instruments and the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), part of the University of Warwick, have created the first automated solution which combines two key operations in rotor assembly.