Leuze is introducing new tower lights for machine tools in a robust aluminium housing.Thecompany says that its TL 305 series impresses with bright and homogeneous illumination as well as an optional IO-Link interface.

Tower lights are indispensable in machine tools construction, making status, faults and ongoing processes clearly visible from a distance.The new Leuze tower lights of the TL 305 series can do all of this extremely reliably, reports Leuze,lighting up brightly, uniformly and fully. This capability enables optimum signalling, whether at the machine, on the conveyor belt or for access control. The compact towers are available preconfigured with three, four, or five segments.

Leuze’s new range of tower lights includes TL 305 models with a predefined colour assignment, as well as TL 305-IOL models with an IO-Link interface. The IO-Link variants allow different operating modes and provide an extensive selection of colours. On request, the tower lights are also available with an additional acoustic signaller.

System operators benefit from the immediate usability of the tower lights. The M30 thread and M12 connectors make them easy to install, while matching accessories simplify installation. A robust design characterises all models of the series, where the aluminium housing allows use of the tower lights even in demanding industrial environments.

The IO-Link version TL 305-IOL, with its different operating modes, offers maximum flexibility. It is possible to actuate segments such as colour, intensity and lighting sequences individually via IO-Link using ‘Segment’ mode. Users can also deploy ‘Level’ mode to visualise fill levels. If fast commissioning is required, users can actuate eight predetermined or user-defined configurations via the three external trigger inputs, even without an IO-Link connection.
For further information www.leuze.com

Omron says that its new 20kg payload collaborative robot (cobot) levels the playing field betweenpalletising using a traditional industrial robot anda cobot. Despite the 20 kg payload and 1.3 m reach, the footprint remains small, making the new cobot ideal for tasks such as palletising.

Recognising the potential of the TM20 and the new opportunities it could bring, Reeco a specialist in the manufacture and delivery of a wide range of palletising solutions – and an official UK solutions partner of Omron – was quick to adopt the TM20 and expand its palletising offering. The new RB2000 palletiser is a 20kg payload, cost-effective, market-ready solution that is said to make end-of-line robotic automation attractive to producers of all sizes.

Cobot palletising is ideal for manufacturers with limited space, working in tight spaces to perform a wide range of tasks. Additionally, cobots are safe to work alongside human operators, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries.

Another benefit is that cobot palletisers are very cost-effective. Cobots are significantly less expensive than traditional industrial robots, making them accessible to smaller manufacturers. They are also easy to program, reducing the need for specialised programming skills.

A cobot palletiser that can lift 20kg can be programmed towork with different types of products, pallets and packaging, providing greater flexibility than a human operator and making it a versatile addition to any manufacturing facility.

Garry Lewis, market development manager of Omron, says:“A cobot palletiser that can lift 20kg can provide significant benefits to manufacturing facilities. It can increase efficiency, improve safety, provide cost savings, offer flexibility and enhance product quality. As automation continues to transform the manufacturing industry, cobots are poised to play an increasingly important role.”
For further information www.industrial.omron.co.uk

In many plants there are cameras, lighting and other hardware that once formed part of a visual inspection system that is no longer fit for purpose. Zohar Kantor, vice president of sales at visual inspection software company Lean AI, explains why equipment-agnostic software technology could breathe new life into existing machine vision hardware.

Estimates suggest that between 2017 and 2020, approximately 270,000 machine vision systems were installed around the world. How many of these are still performing as intended? A common issue is the lack of interoperability between different hardware components, or between hardware and software. Some software solutions are vendor-specific,requiring the purchase of new cameras and other sensors.

Quality managers and plant managers are unfortunately not fully aware that there is an alternative solution in retrofitting. If a software solution is equipment-agnostic, meaning it can operate with hardware from different vendors, it is possible to bring new capacity to old investments.

If the existing image acquisition equipment is perfectly acceptable in terms of image quality and illumination, then software was the problem. Why not leverage existing hardware by finding a software solution that will work in tandem? Lean AI is currently putting this theory into practice with a leading powder metal company in Canada. Lean AI’s artificial intelligence algorithms work with any hardware, so the company can make use of cameras and computer hardware already in the plant, removing the need for the customer to rip it out and start again. Retrofitting in this way saves time, money and risk.
For further information www.lean-ai-tech.com