Posted on

RFID Journal Live…It was all about the “Bolt”

I have to be honest. It didn’t take much to lure me to Orlando following the Arctic winter which haunted pretty much everybody who lives north of Dallas. And, just as I had hoped, the sunshine was in full force and the bonus was Balluff being at center stage thanks to the Databolt and its recent success at GM.

If you missed this year’s edition of RFID Journal Live then you missed an opportunity to hear first-hand about the famous Databolt. Mark Chiappetta, The manufacturing Engineering Superintendent at GM in Tonawanda, explained to conference attendees how technology has improved overall efficiency in the manufacturing process at the plant. Of course, the Databolt was featured in his presentation which was followed by a wave of interest in the Balluff booth. Read the GM Databolt story: http://www.rfidjournal.com/articles/view?11329

Continue reading “RFID Journal Live…It was all about the “Bolt””

Posted on

New Guy Jumps in Head First at IMTS

Sandvik Coromant yellow bags are everywhere

Stepping off the escalator, I immediately begin searching for something recognizable to ease the anxiety that has been building over the 5 hour trip from northern Kentucky.  I am having a little trouble dodging and diving through the current of an estimated 100 thousand plus patrons who all seem to be toting a bright yellow messenger bag with their heads slightly bowed and eyes fixed intently on whatever information was just piped into their phone. Am I supposed to have a yellow bag?  I didn’t see it when I picked up my badge.  I know I am not one of them yet, but at least I can look the part, right?

As I continue to stutter step and juke my way through the steady stampede, I catch a glimpse of a vehicle that looks like Mad Max meets the X-games. So I dip off to the left to get a closer look.

Continue reading “New Guy Jumps in Head First at IMTS”

Posted on

Survey Says: “UHF RFID works”

To give you an idea of where I’m going to take this, let me ask a few simple questions. Would you buy a mattress without laying down on it to see if it’s comfortable? What about a motor cycle or car? Would you buy one without a test drive? In that same vain, would you want your company to invest in UHF (ultra-high frequency) RFID (radio frequency identification) equipment for a RFID project without anything more than specs if you didn’t have to? I would assume the answers are: “of course not”.
Continue reading “Survey Says: “UHF RFID works””

Posted on

5 Things You Need to Know about IO-Link

Industrial networks are nothing new; ASi, CANbus, DeviceNet, Profibus (to name a few) have all been around for years.  Designers of production equipment use networks for a variety of reasons: simplified machine mount I/O, motor starters, valve bank control, etc.  Each network has a limited number of devices that can be connected and each device is designated a node address or IP address.  IO-Link takes a standard network and expands it beyond its current capacity through flexibility and expansion.

Continue reading “5 Things You Need to Know about IO-Link”