With cheap overseas labour, a high dollar and an ever-increasing global market putting pressure on Australia's manufacturing sector, many automotive companies are currently facing tough times - but new technology is available to improve efficiencies within the business and gain a strong advantage over competitors. [ + ]

Modern plastic bag-making machines often have two servomotor based axes - web feed and cut/seal - plus a mechanically linked third axis for 'picking off' the finished bags. UK machine builders Hartech Engineering and GPL Machinery have developed a machine that also implements servo control on the third axis to provide programmable control of the pick-off action. [ + ]

Operators of large production plants rely on the smooth operation of manual and automated process control systems to deliver results and maintain plant uptime. Modern technology and the constant need to further automate and centralise processes has resulted in legacy systems becoming outdated and, in some cases, obsolete. [ + ]

The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) has recently released its annual study of world industrial robot trends and predicts that the high demand for industrial robots will continue through to at least 2016. [ + ]

A successful company in the manufacturing and engineering sector is adamant Australia's belief that China is the 'be all and end all' in fabrication is something that it is mistakenly embedded in the Australian manufacturing psyche. [ + ]

It has often been said that we live in an age of solutions. Today, many vendors offer competing platforms for automation which accomplish much the same task, namely the automation of plant floor equipment and machinery. However, it is rare for manufacturing automation system users to properly investigate the total cost of ownership (TCO) for the range of automation platforms on offer. [ + ]

Energy-efficient manufacturing is critical as changing economic and environmental demands force manufacturers and plant developers to consider alternative forms of production. Cogeneration is an increasingly important energy option to consider. [ + ]

Conveyor systems play a major role in in the mining, minerals and metals industry, and unexpected downtime can be costly - but now there is technology that enables continuous monitoring of conveyor assets that can reduce maintenance costs and improve uptime. [ + ]

To comply with safety requirements, Macquarie Generation’s Bayswater Power Station underwent a routine inspection of its aging cranes. As a result, the company called on the domain expertise of Rockwell Automation to deliver a solution for the cranes to meet current safety standards. [ + ]

RS485 and ethernet are two commonly adopted communication interfaces used in data acquisition and control systems. Ethernet I/O devices are generally considered more sophisticated, RS485 I/O devices may be sufficient for budget-conscious system integrators. Nonetheless, there are still ways device manufacturers can improve on the lasting legacy of RS485 data acquisition devices. [ + ]

Managing cybersecurity risk is something the process industries are still coming to grips with. The information technology discipline has on average a greater level of maturity in understanding, but can your IT department help you? [ + ]

For success in making its high-quality decorative tiles, Southern Cross Ceramics requires a dry and contaminant-free tile surface to allow the screen printing process to be successful. [ + ]

Last week Garry Mahoney of Honeywell Process Solutions discussed bringing process data together to improve cost structures through better decision-making. Technology borrowed from the IT industry can help a great deal, but you have to spend the money to save money. [ + ]

Honeywell Process Solutions recently held its Honeywell Users Group Asia-Pacific forum in Perth. ProcessOnline caught up with Garry Mahoney, who had some interesting things to say on better decision-making through making better use of process data. [ + ]

If you are an operator in the resources industry, it is undeniable that the cost of doing business in Australia and New Zealand is rising. A higher price for labour, more taxes and greater regulation have all increased the cost of extracting resources from the ground. [ + ]