The Material Handling Blog

It’s always good, especially around the holiday season, to give thanks for all our good fortunes and blessings. In a professional setting, I especially like to give thanks to those who have made my job more fulfilling, challenging, and successful. At the forefront of those whom I am always most grateful for are my customers.

Robotic automation is becoming more commonplace in the manufacturing realm, with general industry and automotive parts suppliers leading the way. Modernizing factories throughout the Americas, the expected benefits have contributed to an increased number of robot installations, but the unexpected benefits have rapidly accelerated the pace of those installs.

Numbers are an extremely powerful tool. They can help us calculate, quantify, and analyze just about anything. But what makes them so important? In the ever changing world of industrial robotics, what can we learn from them? As it turns out, we can learn quite a bit.

The modern-day industrial robot is one of the most robust technologies and will generally last for years, even decades. However, as with all good things, they eventually move toward the end of their useful life. When this occurs, a robot-owner is presented with a few options...

The current manufacturing landscape is subject to rapid changes in demand, presenting the need for highly efficient, customized technologies. This is why flexible automation is critical for companies who seek to remain competitive and grow their business. With shorter production runs between SKU and packaging material changes, flexibility is a key feature in a manufacturing environment, especially when it comes to packaging automation. This is why industrial robotic systems are an excellent option.

Remember when Rosie the Robot, the famous maid from The Jetsons, was a fantasy character every human wished they had available in their own home? Why should we have to do regular household chores when a robot could do them for us? Then we could focus our efforts on more important things, like watching a baseball game or going out of town on a family vacation. Well folks, I have news for you: Those robots are REAL! Read: Rosie the Robot is Real

A key component in our sales process is the creation of 3-D renderings and simulations. With advanced modeling and software tools, Bastian Robotics can bring 2-D drawings to life with highly accurate renderings and illustrations that can alleviate many system concerns...

Machine tending can be some of the most grueling and hazardous work conditions for an industrial operator, so if you need to increase throughput, it often means a reduction in quality. With the help of industrial robots you can maximize both of these requirements while providing your operators with a safer working environment.

If you work with robots every day like I do, it feels almost second nature when selecting the right one for any given application. There are plenty of people, though, who when they hear robot think of Terminator or I-Robot. Industrial robots are a little different than the aforementioned Hollywood versions, so if you are interested in using robots to improve your business, it helps to understand your options.

Due to the complexity of certain industrial robot projects, a Proof of Concept (PoC) is sometimes required to verify functionality and key components of a design prior to commencing a full project. Here are the benefits and specifics of arranging a Proof of Concept...

Although handling pallets might seem simple, there are many considerations when selecting the right equipment such as pallet type, pallet condition, and pallet load stability. Here are a few items that you should consider before selecting your pallet handling equipment...

As a Robotics Application Engineer, I work to develop systems that are innovative and push the boundaries of my own creativity. If you are not continually pushing yourself to improve and innovate, then your skills will become static. This is the same thinking behind National Robotics Week. It is important to celebrate how far the robotics industry has come, but we also want to encourage continued education and growth in the field.