by Gary Mintchell | Feb 14, 2025 | Software
I just listened to the Under the Radar podcast by Marco Arment and David Smith commiserating about the evolution of iOS app development as Apple has matured into a different company. The excitement and community of the first decade of independent iOS development fades as the companies become larger and more mature.
I feel this during my third career thinking about technology development and application for production and manufacturing. We once had personal relationships with marketing and press relations people, as well as, with managers and executives. Now, “personal” emails are actually mailing lists broadcast widely with the feeble hope that enough media types will pick it up and publish the news. Not only is the relationship more transactional toward me, it is also transactional between the company and PR agency. “How many mentions did you get me?” “How many times did the CEO’s name get mentioned?”
I picked up this news from PTC from one of those emails. I’m reproducing a blog post regarding this latest addition to PTC’s Onshape platform. The news actually appears interesting and useful.
PTC is thrilled to announce CAM Studio Beta, the latest addition to Onshape’s suite of cloud-native features. CAM Studio integrates Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) directly into the Onshape platform, streamlining the connection between design and production workflows.
As the industry’s first cloud-native solution to combine computer-aided design (CAD), CAM, and Product Data Management (PDM), CAM Studio allows design and manufacturing teams to plan, simulate, and collaborate on machining processes. This release offers a complete design-to-manufacturing solution, enhancing productivity and creating new opportunities for Onshape users within global manufacturing brands.
“With the release of CAM Studio directly into Onshape’s cloud-native platform, users gain built-in version control and centralized storage for their manufacturing strategies,” said David Katzman, General Manager of Onshape and Arena, “This ensures seamless collaboration, eliminates the risks of file-based workflows, and provides unmatched traceability throughout the design-to-manufacturing process. CAM Studio reinforces our commitment to empowering teams with tools that enhance productivity and drive innovation.”
CAM Studio supports 2.5 and basic 3-axis machining, with the most common manufacturing strategies and machines. For users with advanced manufacturing needs, CAM Studio Advanced will offer enhanced capabilities, including advanced 3, 4, and 5-axis machining strategies.
Other features and benefits of Onshape CAM Studio include:
- Access to the latest manufacturing information faster, while utilizing Onshape’s built-in PDM functionality for G-code and tooling strategies
- Streamlined communication and easy sharing between CAD designers and manufacturing engineers
- All stakeholders work from a single source of truth, saving time and money while also reducing manufacturing errors
- No additional software installations, licensing costs or administrative costs
- Cloud-native accessibility anytime, anywhere
- CAM Studio is now available to Onshape users who are subscribed to the Professional and Enterprise plans.
For more information, visit our CAM Studio page on Onshape.com.
Alexis Scheinman is the Marketing Communications Manager for Onshape at PTC. She is responsible for increasing brand awareness and driving thought leadership for Onshape across all relevant media, social networks and industry segments.
Alexis earned a M.B.A. in Marketing and Data Analytics from Brandeis International Business School and a B.A. in Psychology from Brandeis University. She is originally from Las Vegas, but now calls Boston home. When not working, she enjoys traveling around Europe, taking her dog on walks, and going to concerts.
by Gary Mintchell | Feb 14, 2025 | Manufacturing IT, Operations Management, Software
Inductive Automation has released prebuilt, industry-specific solutions via their Ignition Exchange. These are designed to provide Ignition users a running start while building solutions for their specific industry. I’ve seen this idea pop up from time to time amongst software developers. I’m convinced they must be a great way for a developer to start a project. I’ve appreciated examples and starter ideas for projects I’ve worked on.
There are currently two Industry Packs available.
Water Industry Pack
The Water Industry Pack contains easily customizable resources to help you quickly build screens for water/wastewater facilities.
- Prebuilt components (including tanks, pumps, valves, and VFDs)
- A UDT that pairs with each component
- Advanced resources (like custom SVGs)
Data Center Industry Pack
The Data Center Industry Pack offers ready-to-use solutions for data centers. While it was designed with data centers in mind, it’s helpful for other industries as well.
- Widgets to display KPI details, input/output power, and more
- Dynamic popups (to display tag names and values)
- Faceplate & UDT pairs for UPS and AHU
- A Comtrade resource (to import and view Comtrade data)
Inductive Automation expects to expand these Industry Packs over time, and add more packs for other industries in the future.
by Gary Mintchell | Feb 5, 2025 | Robots, Software
No-Code tools appear in many applications. I’ve written about a software company with no-code tools talking with a customer about how easy (on a relative scale, of course) it was to develop new input forms for an added use case.
No-code has now invaded the robot interface arena. This from ABB.
- Unique software tool features drag and drop functionality for easy creation of customized operator interfaces for ABB robots and cobots
- Intuitive functionality and collaborative cloud-based library for application templates reduce set-up times by up to 80 percent
- No-code programming lowers the barriers to automation for beginners and experts
ABB launched AppStudio, an intuitive no-code software tool designed to empower users of all experience levels to quickly and easily create customized robotic user interfaces. With intuitive functionality and features including a collaborative cloud-based library enabling users to share application templates, AppStudio will reduce setup times by up to 80 percent.
“A growing shortage of skilled labor requires the further simplification of automation and programming, especially among small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) where complexity is seen as a major barrier to implementing robotic automation,” said Marc Segura, President ABB Robotics Division. “Designed for novices and experts alike, AppStudio is an exciting addition to ABB’s current software offering. By making it easier to create robot interfaces, it will save users significant time on setup and allow for fast and seamless robot integration across diverse applications.”
Compatible with all ABB robots on the OmniCore controller platform, AppStudio offers unprecedented flexibility and ease for creating customized robotic user interfaces. After installing the software, users can repurpose a previously used setup or select from a cloud-based library of templates, models, modules, and examples enabling them to select options in twenty languages. Alternatively, customized interfaces can be created to fit any device and application, including the OmniCore FlexPendant, tablets, and mobile phones.
AppStudio also supports customers migrating from the IRC5 controller to the OmniCore platform, significantly reducing the time needed to rebuild interfaces from days to minutes. This feature ensures a smooth transition to the latest technology, enhancing efficiency and productivity.
With intuitive drag-and-drop functionality, AppStudio offers simplified configuration where users can add icons, dropdown menus, buttons, and other functions to tailor the interface to their specific needs. It also supports more advanced users, who can build custom interface elements using a JavaScript-based component kit, enabling a high degree of customization. Once developed, these elements can be shared with other users for streamlined project collaboration.
Once an interface has been created, it can be deployed to the ABB robot or a digital twin in ABB’s RobotStudio programming tool. Through this connection, the robot can be programmed to carry out specific commands, such as performing an action or opening a gripper.
Together with ABB’s Wizard Easy Programming tool and RobotStudio, AppStudio makes the ABB robot portfolio one of the easiest to program, marking the start of a new chapter that will see robots being opened to a new audience of potential users.
AppStudio is available as a free download from ABB’s website.
by Gary Mintchell | Feb 5, 2025 | News, Software
More news from a company I’ve recently learned. Foxit develops document handling solutions based on the PDF format. I am using it instead of Adobe. I’m not a power user, but I find it an attractive interface and quite usable.
This news deals with a strategic partnership between Foxit and Pax8, a cloud commerce marketplace.
Foxit’s Tools, Including PDF Editor+ and eSign For Business, Now Available Through the Pax8 Marketplace
Foxit and Pax8 announced they have entered into a strategic partnership. Foxit’s PDF and eSignature solutions will now be offered via the global Pax8 Marketplace, backed by Pax8’s expertise. Pax8’s MSP partners will now be empowered to deliver Foxit’s cutting-edge technology to their end customers.
The following four Foxit solutions are now generally available through the Pax8 Marketplace:
1.) Foxit PDF Editor – A powerful tool for creating, editing, and managing PDF documents with ease and efficiency, featuring an AI Assistant that enables users to summarize complex documents, enhance writing, and translate documents in more than 30 languages.
2.) Foxit PDF Editor+ – An enhanced version of the PDF Editor with advanced features for professional users – including 80+ Smart Commands, legally binding eSign, and AI-powered Smart Redact.
3.) eSign for Business – A secure, seamless eSignature solution that enables users to break away from cookie-cutter eSign solutions and enable businesses to get documents signed, collect payments, and keep workflows moving.
4.) Foxit AI Assistant – An intelligent assistant that leverages AI to enhance productivity and streamline document workflows, providing its users with the ability to summarize documents in seconds, quickly rewrite documents with clarity and precision, and to chat naturally to make more informed decisions, faster.
by Gary Mintchell | Jan 29, 2025 | Manufacturing IT, Software
I’ve long been interested in the confluence of automation, software, and Lean. I reached out to a few leading Lean practitioners and consultants for the first issue of Automation World in 2003. They responded that Lean is a manual process and any hint that automation or software would be useful was unthinkable.
I convinced a couple that trustable data was essential for Lean and that data coming directly from the automation was trustable. So, I ran a Lean article for issue 1 revisiting the topic at times throughout my 10 years as editor there.
This article from Inductive Automation’s blog came my way the other day. It is a good look at the current state of MES and Lean. I’ll highlight a few topics. Check it out yourself.
Using MES Powered By Ignition To Accelerate Lean Manufacturing Goals by Danny Haskell, NeoMatrix, Inc., guest author.
Staying competitive means manufacturers constantly seek ways to enhance operational efficiency, minimize costs and waste, and maintain the highest standards of product quality. Whether a manufacturer is just beginning to explore manufacturing execution systems (MES) or looking to optimize an existing MES infrastructure, and whether they use Sepasoft’s MES modules for the lean manufacturing software Ignition or build their own custom MES solutions, Ignition MES offers manufacturers a versatile solution to streamline production, improve visibility, and accelerate lean manufacturing initiatives across the factory floor.
Data remains the key
Driven by advancements in Digital Transformation and the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies, MES solutions enable real-time data integration and enhanced automation, significantly improving production processes and promoting lean manufacturing. Manufacturers adopting MES solutions have reported improvements in operational efficiency of 15-20% and reductions in production lead times of 10-15%.
Haskell identifies some key trends:
- Predictive Maintenance: MES technology helps manufacturers anticipate equipment failures before they occur, reducing downtime and maintenance costs.
- Digital Twins: Manufacturers use digital twins to create virtual replicas of manufacturing processes and equipment, enabling manufacturers to simulate and optimize operations without physical testing.
- Reshoring and Local Production: With supply chain disruptions and the need for resilience, some manufacturers are reshoring their operations to reduce the reliance on overseas suppliers and enhance supply chain flexibility.
- Sustainability and Carbon Neutrality: Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives push manufacturers to adopt sustainable practices, such as reducing emissions, using renewable energy, and adopting eco-friendly production processes.
- Industrial Automation and Robotics: Manufacturers integrating robots and AI enable more autonomous and smart manufacturing processes, improving productivity and precision. This trend also extends to collaborative robots (cobots) that work alongside human employees to streamline operations.
- Advanced Data Analytics and AI: Utilizing data analytics and AI to monitor production, improve quality control, and predict maintenance needs is becoming increasingly important to optimize processes and make data-driven decision-making.
- Cloud Computing and IIoT: Adopting cloud solutions and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies, manufacturers can connect machines, systems, and processes for better data sharing and real-time monitoring.
He continues with several specific examples. Check it out for yourself.
by Gary Mintchell | Dec 4, 2024 | Automation, News, Organizations, Software
A marketing person offered a meeting with Sanu Warrier, Software Product Director at nVent during the recent Automation Fair. I have not kept up with all mergers and acquisitions. NVent is the parent company of Hoffman enclosures and much more.
My last update from this company was several years ago. I was familiar with electrical enclosure layout CAD software. A customer actually bought one from me in the 90s. But why would there be a director of software and a meeting?
This software has progressed from my time. It provides digital twin technology. Manufacturers, machine builders, and OEMs find this helpful. The software provides information for wire routing, hydraulics and pneumatics information, schematics, panel layout for hole drilling, components library. They incorporate one of my favorite applications included is workflow for building the panel, provides information for cutting and putting connectors of each wire, then information for which wire to assemble next and where to connect it. And, of course, work instructions.
The application is called Assembly Task Manager, Connected Assembly.
Very interesting.
