Robotics smoothes tote loading

Pack Flow Concepts showed a robotic system that takes individual packs from a tote or case and places them efficiently in a delivery tote.

Pat ReynoldsVP Editor Emeritus

Feb 4th, 2013

ERP’s Growing Importance to Production Operations

How manufacturers are leveraging the connection between ERP and plant floor systems to improve production operations.

Lucas Fetch Partner Nr

Improving Human-Robot Collaboration for Material Handling Tasks

A new partnership between Fetch Robotics and Lucas Systems aims to help combine human and robot labor more efficiently.

CPG manufacturers need to work with retailers, distributors, and supply chain partners to share sales information through the supply chain, from the farmer to the checkout line.

CPGs to Spend $23.8 Billion on Digital Transformation by 2030

As the sharing of information along the supply chain becomes more critical, CPGs are increasingly creating digital threads to inform their production plans with relevant data.

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Autonomous Mobile Robots and Wearables Come Together to Boost Warehouse Productivity

A new partnership between inVia Robotics and Rufus Labs aims to combine mobile robots, wearables, and intelligent analytics to improve human-machine collaboration and maximize labor efficiency.

Mars Partners with Microsoft for its Global Digital Transformation

The plan includes a “cloud-first” strategy, leveraging AI, IoT, and digital twins across its businesses, focusing on intelligent supply chains, and delivering hyper-relevant consumer experiences.

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Analytics Software Predicts Product Quality

Through its integration with SAP’s S/4HANA and Digital Manufacturing Cloud, Software AG’s TrendMiner software now enables manufacturers to offer supply chain partners greater visibility into quality metrics.

Molecular tagging and blockchain keep cannabis safe across the supply chain.

Securing Cannabis Across the Supply Chain

Applied DNA Sciences and and TruTrace Technologies team up to tag, test, and track cannabis products from seed to sale.

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Simulating Supply Chains to Conquer Complexity

The Industrial Internet Consortium’s Supply Network Dynamic Simulation Test Drive has been developed to help companies grapple with the challenges of their global supply networks.

Honeywell's PX940 industrial printer.

Blockchain for Label Printers?

Honeywell and iTrace Technologies integrate blockchain technology into industrial printers to track inventory across the supply chain.

Brian R. May, managing director, Industrial North America, Accenture

Making the Shift to Industrial Product-as-a-Service Work

As the demand grows, learn why companies are now shifting from selling a product as a one-time item to offering customers a Product-as-a-Service route.

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Automation and the Supply Chain

Connecting supply chain and production operations often stops at the ERP system. But given the disruptions caused by politics and pandemics, successful supply chain operations will likely require a closer connection to plant floor automation systems.

What Affect Does Automation Have on Supply Chain Management?

Learn about the connections between supply chain operations and automation technologies, ranging from analytics and MES to HMI and SCADA software.

The Robex Staxx palletizer is offered on the Flexx Machine-as-a-Service program.

Paying for Performance

The new automation model focuses on services that reduce a manufacturer’s financial risks by shifting the responsibility of asset acquisition on to the OEM or technology supplier via performance-based service level agreements or cloud-based subscription.

Software Helps Consumer Goods Manufacturer Thrive Amid Pandemic Uncertainty

Skin Actives proves that digitizing production operations doesn’t necessarily require big ticket software technologies. Modern Material Requirements Planning software can address every step in the production process, from order processing to fulfillment.

Brian R. May, managing director, Industrial North America, Accenture

Strengthening OEM Supply Chains for Challenging Times

Global supply chains are being impacted by COVID-19. In order to more effectively recover from the issues caused by the global pandemic and sustain success in the future, strengthening the resilience and agility of the supply chains is a must.

Luigi De Bernardini, CEO at Autoware, and president Autoware Digital,

Operations & Supply Chains After COVID-19

How supply chain operations and processes will need to change to have the best chance of success after the coronavirus, and where system integrators can play a role in the transition.

Why Conveyance Technologies Remain an Industry Lynchpin

Conveyor technology is no longer just about moving goods and components back and forth. Automation advances are transforming it into a core aspect of production strategy.

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Six Business Imperatives Driving a Connected Manufacturing Strategy

As industrial facilities become increasingly becoming connected, these businesses are also creating new connections to innovate how they leverage data for productivity gains, savings, and revenue growth.

Sven Hamann, SVP Bosch Connected Industry; Ralf Waltram, vice president IT Systems Production and Logistics, BMW Group; Dr.-Ing. Michael Bolle, member of the board of management, Bosch Group; Scott Guthrie, EVP Cloud & AI, Microsoft; Werner Balandat, head of production management, ZF Friedrichshafen AG

Open Manufacturing Platform Expands

Three steering committee members and new working groups have been added to the The Open Manufacturing Platform to help guide manufacturers through digital transformation.

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7 KPIs to Fix COVID-19 Supply Chain Problems

The pandemic put a spotlight on numerous manufacturing supply chain issues. The good news is that many of these supply chain insight problems can be addressed with existing automation technologies when aligned with the proper key performance indicators.

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Ralph Rio, vice president, ARC Advisory Group

Meeting the Capacity Requirements for Industrial Blockchain

Though blockchain, as it is configured now, isn't capable of meeting the transactions-per-second needed for full-production industrial supply chain applications, private and permissioned configurations may be the key to changing that.

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The Potential of ERP Amid a Pandemic

Automation on the plant floor can keep production flowing to refill store shelves. But the biggest problem manufacturers face right now is a disruption to the supply chain.

Swiss machine builder Credimex deploys Beckhoff transport technology to maximize small parts production.

Modular Machine Maximizes Production With Linear Transport Technology

With modular machines making their way onto the factory floor, the Swiss machine builder and system integrator, Credimex, took advantage of linear transport technology to enhance production and create flexible and expandable processing stations.

Larry White, Resource Consumption Accounting Institute

When to Drop a Product

After spending time and effort building a product, it's hard to see when the time has come to drop it. But it you pay attention to the signs shown here, you'll know when the product's time has come.

Meeting E-commerce Expectations with Automation

As online retailers shape consumer buying behavior by offering customized goods, manufacturers are turning to technology suppliers and machine builders to add flexibility into production, packaging, and supply chain processes.

Sawmill processing stations turn logs into finished lumber for crates and pallets.

Wood Packaging Producer Achieves Productivity Gains

Denmark’s biggest wood packaging producer recently upgraded to a CC-Link IE communications network to achieve an estimated $330,700 USD in annual savings.

Blake Moret, CEO and chairman at Rockwell Automation, on the Perspectives stage during Rockwell Automation Fair.

Rockwell Automation Launches Its Digital Partner Program

As more industrial companies look to digitally transform their operations, Rockwell Automation is growing its Digital Partner Program to help guide and simplify the deployment of advanced digital technologies.

Jeff Miller, director of project management, Interstates

Agile in a System Integrator World

From project development to general productivity, having an agile system in a systems integrator world is extremely beneficial. Jeff Miller lays out how your company can benefit from an Agile project delivery methodology.

Aveva Integrates EPC Software for Collaboration

Aveva Integrates EPC Software for Collaboration

The integrated portfolio of engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) software is designed to help customers streamline the way capital-intensive process industry projects are engineered and executed.

Bumble Bee Uses Blockchain to Track Tuna

Bumble Bee Uses Blockchain to Track Tuna

As the first food company to use the SAP Cloud Platform with blockchain-as-a-service, Bumble Bee can provide visibility throughout the supply chain by following the fish from the ocean to your table.

Blockchain and the Making of Machine-as-a-Service

Blockchain and the Making of Machine-as-a-Service

New technology platforms that leverage a secure, distributed, digital ledger will transform the way OEMs and manufacturers interact.

Walmart Gets Bold About Blockchain

Walmart Gets Bold About Blockchain

The retailer is mandating some suppliers onboard to IBM’s Food Trust platform as the need for fast and transparent traceability across the supply chain increases.