Matt Minner
Convergence of IT & OT is Critical to Helping Manufacturers Optimize Productivity
Increasing cost pressures are forcing companies to use scarce resources more efficiently than ever. At the same time, computing power is becoming stronger, which makes access to Big Data (large data sets that can be analyzed using computers to reveal patterns and trends) easier and less expensive. This perfect storm of needing to get more […]
Read More...Recap: Digital Transformation for Manufacturing
Digital Transformation, like so many other terms in the Industry 4.0 buzz word bingo wheel, can easily get lost in translation and be dismissed as another “sounds neat, but not realistic for me” technology topic. The panel discussion held on March 24th at the Pittsburgh Technology Council offices at Nova Place, showed that it was […]
Read More...U.S. Army Pittsburgh Technology Hub: Why Regional Manufacturers Should Stay Tuned
On August 5 the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) hosted an event in conjunction with AIM Higher partners Carnegie Mellon University, the ARM Institute, and Catalyst Connection to connect with the regional Department of Defense (DoD) supply chain. The focus of the event was to better understand the Army, namely the Artificial Intelligence […]
Read More...NIST Robotics Lab Visits SWPA
Over the past three years, PA MEP and Catalyst Connection have lead two NIST funded embedded projects to connect the MEP network (Manufacturing Extension Partnerships, like Catalyst) to Manufacturing USA institutes, namely America Makes in Youngstown, Ohio and ARM in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In addition to forging strong working relationships with the institutes, it has also […]
Read More...Purchasing your First Industrial Robot? Follow these 3 Easy Steps.
The advanced robotics industry is trending towards providing flexible and accessible automation options for small and medium manufacturers (SMMs). That means there are more and more companies looking at robotic implementation for the first time. Following 3 easy steps up front – determining your needs, picking the right robot, and proper preparation and implementation – […]
Read More...4 Types of Robots Every Manufacturer Should Know
There is a lot of buzz these days in the manufacturing sector about robots — and how they can help manufacturers address some of the challenges they face in today’s market, such as increased productivity and the scarcity of skilled workers. But what exactly do analysts and automation experts mean when they use the word […]
Read More...4 Ways Robots Deliver ROI to Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturers
Robots present a common conundrum for small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs). On the one hand, they can help smaller operations improve efficiencies and become more competitive within their industry. But are they worth the initial investment, time, resources, and risk to implement? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, SMMs (manufacturing organizations with under 500 employees) make […]
Read More...5 Recommendations to Avoid Robotics Project Missteps
Every project manager has a checklist of aspects that he or she will watch out for before, during, and after the project. Things like build a strong team, establish and agree upon objectives & deliverables up front, watch for scope creep, and validate results of project. Taking that a step further, here are 5 recommendations […]
Read More...Are you ready to implement robotics? Answer these 7 Questions First!
Implementing robotics in manufacturing can inject greater flexibility in product customization and increase productivity from the workforce. With simplification being a key trend in this field, robots are becoming smarter, faster, cheaper, and more accessible to a wide variety of SMM operations. Here are a series of questions to consider when determining if the time […]
Read More...Industry 4.0 is all about data: TAKTL Case Study
Guest Blogger: Ben Bird – Director, Information Technology, TAKTL Industry 4.0 is all about data. Data collected from machines, operators, systems, robots, products, customers, and every other process along the value chain. The data is captured, analyzed, and studied, and then it teaches us something about the chain. The generated knowledge drives deliberate actions relative to product […]
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