Considering Flexible Automation? Try Our Complexity Calculator
We know many companies are considering flexible automation solutions to solve a variety of challenges such as labor shortages and safety concerns. Cobots are a type of flexible automation solution that boast easy deployability and the potential to be repositioned and repurposed within your facility. While some might believe that anyone can deploy a cobot due to its simple interface, setting up a dependable and consistently functioning cobot cell might still require the expertise of a skilled programmer.
But where to start? Do you buy a cobot and integrate it yourself? Do you hire an integrator? Something in between? The experts at Cross Automation built this complexity calculator to help you decide. Simply rate your application on a scale of 1 to 10 in areas like throughput, reach, payload and connectivity to discover the best path to automating your dull, dirty or dangerous tasks.
What's New at Cross
Testing Manually?
Consider an Automated Custom Test Machine
Product testing plays a critical role in ensuring quality, reliability and performance in the motorized vehicle industry. If you’re testing products manually, you may benefit from an automated test machine created specifically to your test procedure. Cross’s engineering team will review your existing internal, ISO, or ASTM test procedure and work with you to develop a machine to automate the process. Our custom test machines will also collect test data so that you can make decisions in real-time to improve your manufacturing process.
Case Study: To Break into Formula 1, Manufacturer Upgrades Inspection Capability with new LK CMM
While CNC Consultants had previously machined jigs and fixtures for F1 teams, in order to break into supplying parts for the race cars, they needed to improve their inspection procedures and quality reporting. The parts have drawing tolerances down to 25 µm true position, which meant they couldn’t use their current portable arm.
Cross partner LK Metrology not only demonstrated several different ways to combine their ALTERA C CMM with scanning and touch probes, but they also reduced the standard height by 100mm to fit through the door of CNC Consultants’ new quality lab.
Did you know?
Learn More About GD&T
GD&T (geometric dimensioning and tolerancing) uses symbols and notations to define the shape, size, and tolerances of a part, creating a manufacturing blueprint.
For each feature, it contains all information such as symbol, tolerance, and datums like planes, cylinders, and circles to ensure consistent measurement references. After a part is manufactured, highly precise measuring equipment like CMMs are used to compare the part to the drawing, to ensure it meets specification.
Cross partner Kreon has compiled this e-white paper which gives a thorough overview of GD&T and why it’s so important.
How to select the right counterbalance valve for your mobile machine
Counterbalance valves—when placed between a directional control and the head or rod end of a cylinder—play an integral role in the important task of safely controlling an actuator that may be holding a load or a person in the air. They work in three distinct ways to ensure success while raising, lowering, and holding loads during linear or rotary motion.
- Load holding: Counterbalance valves prevent the cylinder from unwanted downward drift
- Load control: Counterbalance valves also control loads by preventing actuators from running ahead of the pump due to energy created by the load
- Load safety: If a line breaks, a load holding valve directly mounted to the actuator will prevent uncontrolled and unsafe load motion.
Cross partner Danfoss has put together this comprehensive technical guide to help select the correct counterbalance valve for your particular application. It covers the different types of valves, applications which use them and the types of valves which are best for each job.
Cross Provides Tangible Value for You
Improve Efficiency
The Mitutoyo QuantuMike achieves a spindle speed that is four times faster than standard micrometers. Its spindle is specially designed to move 2mm per thimble revolution compared to the normal 0.5mm of other micrometers*.
An internal Mitutoyo test shows the QuantuMike can save up to 60% in positioning time and up to 35% in measuring time while maintaining the same exceptional accuracy as Mitutoyo Digimatic micrometers with an accuracy of ±1µm/.00005”.
For a limited time, Mitutoyo is offering the QuantuMike at a fantastic 20% discount.
Improve Efficiency
With increasing levels of automation on the plant floor, gripping components must be both flexible and easily networked. The new EGU universal gripper from Cross partner Schunk has a long stroke and integrated gripping force maintenance, to reliably load or unload rough or finished parts of different sizes. It has a sealed design which can stand up to harsh temperatures or contaminants in the environment.
Improve Efficiency
Cross partner Prolink Software makes SPC data collection easy so you and your team aren’t wasting time manually collection data. In the fall, their flagship products, QC-CALC and QC-Gage will have major upgrades.
Since many customers are still running version 3.4 of their software, which will no longer be supported, they are offering customers who own version 3.4 software and do not have maintenance in place a chance to upgrade their software at a 40% discount off normal upgrade charges and will also receive 50% off maintenance when purchased at the same time.
