Pipe fittings, also known as pipe connectors, are threaded fittings that are available in different shapes that attach one pipe to another in order to lengthen the run or change the flow direction in a plumbing system.  These are used to combine, divert or reduce the flow of fluids, and they come in a variety of sizes to fit the pipe they will connect.  Pipe fittings are also used to join pipe sections together with other fluid control products like valves and pumps to create pipelines.

Why use a Magnetic Gripper?

If you have an application in which you are moving a material that made of a ferrous material, a magnetic gripper might be a better solution than a vacuum cup or mechanical gripper solution.  Magnetic grippers can handle a variety of material sizes, attach and release quickly, and allow easy grasping of a wide range of product shapes including items with holes.

A disadvantage of vacuum grippers is that they are susceptible to malfunction and subject to wearing out.  Vacuum grippers also must be placed exactly depending on the work piece.  If the work piece has holes or is not perfectly flat, the vacuum gripper may not be able to lift and move the work piece when a magnetic gripper can move the work piece. 

Since SMC’s ISE20 digital pressure sensor is replacing the ISE30 and ISE40 sensor series, it is a good reminder of the main reason to install a pressure sensor is to know that your plant and machines are working correctly and efficiently.  Sensors allow you to monitor the consumption, allow for diagnostic and remote access making maintenance much easier.  Sensors can connect to a PLC or other central controller via fieldbus or IO-Link to enhance troubleshooting by decreasing diagnostic time.  Digital pressure sensors can also become the data source for providing better predictive analytics integral to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) or industry 4.0, all while potentially increasing working safety.

Industrial applications typically move something from point A to point B.  Accuracy and efficiency are extremely important.  Linear rails are assemblies that have twin parallel tracks containing load-supporting balls or rollers.  These rail systems provide low-friction guidance (the coefficient of friction on a linear guideway is only 1/50 compared to a traditional slide) and high stiffness for loads that can range from just a few grams to thousands of kilograms.  Their variety of sizes, accuracy classes, preloads make linear rails suitable for virtually any performance requirement.

SMC Corporation offers the JXC series of electric actuator controllers. They come in a variety of flavors; Ethercat, Ethernet IP, Profinet as well as IO link. But one of the cool things about this technology is they now come in batteryless absolute encoder, so you no longer need to rehome the axis after a power loss. It’s a Game Changer.

The SMC MHM magnetic gripper use a short body cylinder with a with a magnetic piston capable of handling most ferrous payloads up to about twenty pounds. It comes in three different payload ranges and with an optional cobot mount.

As technology continues to improve, SMC has been able to implement more functionality without changing the physical size of the switch. One of the most noticeable benefits is a multicolored three screen display on the new SMC ISE20 switch for negative compound and positive pressures.

So, the cool thing about MTS Sensors (now Temposonics) TempoLink Smart Assistant is there is two ways to connect to it. One is wirelessly. So, you can take a smartphone or a tablet or your laptop and just power up the TempoLink. And you will see a network called a TempoLink, you can connect to that use a serial number off the TempoLink Smart Assistant itself as your password. And then when you pull up a web browser and type in TempoLink.local, you have access to the information that we are going to look at next.

Hi, I am Steve Mathis, local account manager with Scott Equipment Company. Today I will be talking to you about SMC’s KQ2 fittings. One unique feature of KQ2 fittings is what SMC calls their unifit threads. Unifit threads allow you use one fitting for multiple different thread. This allows you to reduce your fitting inventory by using one fitting for multiple installations.

The SMC DAS-X946 deceleration controller allows adjustment of deceleration position (cusion timing) and deceleration speed (cusion intensity) in a high speed application.  Optimization of cushion timing and intensity reduces impact at the stroke end without the need to add and install shock absorber.  Example application is to reduce impact when opening/closing machine door.