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Safety of employees is a top priority for plant managers.  In addition to the countless aspects that represent safety risks throughout a facility, the total cost of serious workplace injures exceeds over $1 billion per week according to the 2020 Workplace Safety Index.

This is HUGE, so we brought in a safety expert to get the low-down.

Dave Rice is the Territory Sales Manager with Datalogic's Sensors & Safety Division.  Dave has been in safety product sales for more than a decade -- Dave knows Safety!

When you listen to this episode you will learn more about Dave and Industrial Safety, as well as:

• Hard guarding versus Light-based guarding
  
  
• Who is responsible for what
  
  
• What are the Safety Categories
  
  
• Application examples - when to use light-based as opposed to hard guards

You'll also hear Dave's take on collaborative robot guarding.  Does he agree or disagree with Brandon's Brandology?

Stay tuned throughout the episode to learn about some innovative safety products that Datalogic offers.  

Datalogic does more than safety.  For a follow-up episode, which of the following would you like to learn more about?

• Vision Systems
• Barcode Scanning Systems (1D and 2D)
• Laser Marking Systems

Send us your comments or give us call us at (865) 409-1555.

Thank you for listening!

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Additive Manufacturing or 3D printing is bringing new perspectives to manufacturing, so we have a special guest, Matthew Stuckey, to bring us his fresh, new perspectives on the subject.

Matthew is studying Mechanical Engineering at the Tickle College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and is well versed in Additive Manufacturing.  Matthew interned at elliTek over the summer and is currently working with us when he isn't in class.

After listening to this episode, you will know:

• What Additive Manufacturing is
• Types or methods of Additive Manufacturing
• Advantages and disadvantages of the types
• Material attributes
• Our wish-list of attributes
• Application successes
• Solutions elliTek offers
  
  

There are more acronyms, so here is a list that we hope you will find helpful.

• A2:  Cold work tool steel that combines high toughness and good wear resistance. Often regarded as a "universal" cold work steel.
• ABS:  Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, primarily used with FFF or FDM 3D printers
• CRS:  Cold Rolled Steel
• D2:  Cold work tool steel that is harder and more wear-resistant than A2, but not as tough.
• FFF:  Fused Filament Fabrication, also known under the trademarked term FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)
• PETG:  Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol, a thermoplastic polyester
• PLA:  Plastic or polylactic acid
• POM:  Polyoxymethylene filament, aka Acetal or Polyacetal. DuPont trademarked the name Delrin™  for Acetal Resin.
• MIG:  Metal Inert Gas
• SLA:  Stereolithography, a type of 3D printing
• TIG:  Tungsten Inert Gas
• TPE:  Thermoplastic Elastomers, adds a little bit of flex to your part.
  
  

Additive Manufacturing and 3D printing is growing.  There are new changes and discoveries daily.  As Matthew says "Get out there and learn something for yourself because it's a lot of interesting stuff." 

Remember,  elliTek's engineers are also here to help when needed.  Reach out through our website or call (865) 409-1555.

Thank You for listening!

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In September 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new proposed rule regarding food traceability.  This rule, which would be part of Section 204(d) of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), establishes event tracking requirements for specific foods and ingredients throughout the supply chain.

Comments for the proposed rule have been extended until February 22, 2021, after which the FDA is expected to issue a final rule which would go into effect 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register.  The compliance date would be two years after that.

The new requirements will have a significant impact on the food industry, especially for companies that rely on manual processes.

What is the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)?

Prompted by a rash of produce recalls in the early 2000s, the original act was implemented in January 2011 to help the FDA respond and control foodborne illnesses.  FSMA gave the FDA more authority over recalls and also required the agency to create rules and guidance to help businesses comply.  Section 204 pertains to the plans that would enhance food tracking and tracing that includes a requirement for “Additional Recordkeeping Requirements for High-Risk Foods” also known as the New Proposed Food Traceability Rule (subsection d). 

What is the New Proposed Food Traceability Rule?

It sets new recordkeeping requirements for foods that are considered “high risk” for foodborne illness.  Here are the basics.

The rule establishes a Food Traceability List (FTL) that lists which foods will need additional recordkeeping.  These foods were chosen based on their level of risk for carrying foodborne illnesses.  The proposed requirements would only apply to the foods on the FTL.  The FDA encourages the voluntary adoption of these practices industry-wide.

Secondly, the rule identifies five Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) throughout the food supply chain:  Growing, Receiving, Transforming, Creating, and Shipping. 

Each of these “events” has several Key Data Elements (KDEs) that need to be reported on. 

In addition to the KDE records, the proposed rule would require businesses that manufacture, process, pack or hold foods on the FTL to establish and maintain Traceability Program Records. These records help the FDA regulators understand the terminology, methods, and systems a business uses in its traceability operations.

Lastly, businesses would need to make required records available to the FDA no later than 24 hours after a request. When necessary, a business would be required to provide the FDA with an electronic sortable spreadsheet containing traceability information on foods that are the focus of an FDA investigation. 

During this episode, we discuss the FSMA, Food Traceability List, Critical Tracking Events, Key Data Elements, and give examples.

It isn't all doom and gloom, there are solutions that can help businesses navigate these proposed traceability rules which we discuss along with the ISO 22005 traceability standards. ISO the International Organization for Standardization

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This is a fun season wrap up where we're reviewing our previous podcasts and looking ahead to 2021!

Industrial Automation - It Doesn't Have To... Be Engineered

elliTek's pre-engineered Smart Servo Actuators and Robotic Work cells are designed to help manufacturers save money. You do what you can do and elliTek can fill in the gaps. There are plenty of manufacturers that can program their own machines. This is a means of them being able to use their in-house capabilities to 1) reduce costs and 2) empower them to do what they can do well and leave this other stuff for whatever reason they don't want to do to elliTek.

Industrial IoT - It Doesn't Have To... Be Overwhelming

Industrial IoT, Industry 4.0, Digitization, Digitalization, MES, Cloud & Hosted servers, ERP, HMI, KPI, OE, OEE, OLE, OPC, OT...  these are just a few industry terms and acronyms that Brandon explains for the rest of us.

Industrial Automation - It Doesn't Have To... Be Unsecure

This episode was in conjunction  with Brandon's interview with Food Engineering magazine "Keeping machines and OT networks and IT safe from cyber-attacks".  We talk about cyber security including some vectors or points of entry for ransomware/malware attacks, as well as how manufacturers can protect their networks.

Industrial Robotics - It Doesn't Have To... Be Complex

Adding automated robotic systems to a factory can save money, create higher-quality parts, and increase production. We review the types of robots and how they're used in manufacturing. Sometimes adding an automated robotic system doesn't make sense - the wiggle jiggle example. That was Episode 6 "Industrial Automation - It Doesn't Have To... Be Hopeless".

Industrial Automation - It Doesn't Have To... Be Myopic

This was another acronym filled episode. We talk about the important Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) manufacturers can look at in order to get the bigger picture. Not every solution is the best solution, but sometimes it's the best for the situation. You don't have to have an automated system to get your KPIs. You can still go out with a stopwatch and measure your uptimes and downtimes and take those indications. The point is - just do it so you can make educated business decisions.

Industrial Automation - It Doesn't Have To... Be Hopeless

We review a few projects that were beneficial to our customers and why. An IoT Based project was for Traceability (also called Skip Check). The customer was thankful they didn't have to upgrade all of their equipment and legacy PLCs. The Smart Assembly Pack Out System helped a customer integrate to their ERP system. A Material Handling & Management system managed the ingredients. Lastly, we hear Brandon's Brandology about the 4 Reasons to Automate.

Industrial Automation - It Doesn't Have To... Be Unpredictable

For this episode, we interviewed Keary Donovan, owner of Pathways7. We delve into Keary's academic white paper "3 KPI Considerations for Maintenance and OEE".  Keary has a unique perspective of KPIs from a maintenance perspective.
     
Looking ahead to 2021, Brandon anticipates more automation so manufacturers can accommodate the six foot social distancing rule.

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This episode of elliTek's Industrial Automation podcast is about Predictive Maintenance.  We are talking with a  special guest, Keary Donovan.  Keary is the owner of Pathways 7.

Pathways 7 is a consulting firm helping SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) capitalize on up-to-date information systems so they can  become more competitive. 

Keary recently published a white paper about Predictive Maintenance titled "3 KPI Considerations for Maintenance and OEE."  

During this podcast, we interview Keary. You will hear more acronyms, as well as references to "Tennessee Talk."

You will need to listen to the episode to learn what "Tennessee Talk" is, but here is a glossary for the acronyms in the order in which they were discussed during the podcast.

• OEE:  Overall Equipment Effectiveness
• OOE:  Overall Operations  Effectiveness
• TEEP:  Total Effective Equipment Performance
• KPP:  Key Performance Parameters
• TPM:  Total Productive Maintenance
• CMMS:  Computerized Maintenance Management System

Stayed tuned throughout the entire episode to hear, Keary's insights into the interdepartmental conflicts and how those conflicts can be resolved.

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This episode is about thankfulness and gratitude. Industrial Automation can be hopeful and positive. 

elliTek is thankful for each of our customers, our colleagues, and our families. 

During this episode, we review some projects that our customer's have told us that they are thankful for and that they have benefited from. 

Hopefully, you will come away with a fresh idea or perspective that can make you hopeful.

The types of projects discussed are as follows:

• IoT Based Projects
• Smart Assembly Pack Out Systems
• Material Handling & Management
• Automated Robotic Handling

Stick around to hear the four reasons to automate according to Brandon's Brandology.

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Join us on the second Tuesday of each month as we talk about Industrial Automation and what it doesn't have to be!

elliTek builds custom machines for manufacturing systems, and offers comprehensive turnkey and design/build services, and technical training.

Our mission is to empower our clients. That's what this podcast is all about - empowering manufacturers, hopefully, learn a thing or two, and have some fun.

Brandon is the host, as well as the owner and president of elliTek. He's just about seen it all when it comes to manufacturing. Brandon provides easy-to-understand explanations for industry terms, plus a unique and candid perspective.

If you're in manufacturing or want to learn about the "real world" of manufacturing, we encourage you to listen - rate - review - subscribe!

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Myopic is being short-sighted -- unable to clearly see things that are far away. 

elliTek's mission is one of empowerment. We want manufacturers find a way to better position themselves moving forward. Our hope is that this podcast provides helpful perspectives.

This episode is about the tendencies we can have as human beings to focus on one piece of the puzzle but miss the picture as a whole. 

Brandon shares a customer experience where the customer's focus was on the "squeaky wheel".  You'll be surprised to hear what happened.

You'll also hear the important Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) used  in manufacturing and why they're important. Key Performance Indicators are anything that has to do with the performance of your process and gives an indication of that.

Brandon gives helpful definitions and examples for some industry terms listed below. 

• Process Data - A machine, cycle, process, or manufacturing process. Processes have faults and those are called downtime events.
• Production Downtime
• Production Volume 
• QA - Quality Assurance. Where quality and production come together.
• Production Costs - The cost of raw materials and labor, plus electricity, cleanroom environment (if necessary), and the equipment being used.
• OEE - Overall Equipment Effectiveness. Process based indicators that assess the scheduled efficiency. OEE basically decides how many good parts can be made across a time.
• OOE - Overall Operations Effectiveness. Operational efficiency KPI that decides how many good parts could have been made.
• TEEP - Total Effective Equipment Performance. Uses OEE and OOE to track the overall effectiveness of whatever it is being measured. TEEP measures the performance across all time, 24/7. It's used to make decisions such as adding another production line, identifying if a line is being underutilized. 
• OA - Overall Availability. This indicator is part of OEE, Overall Equipment Effectiveness.
• Product Data - Any data that has to do with the product being made. Traceability ties into product data. Used to improve your process
• Traceability - It's like a VIN on a car. It's used to retrace - see every process the product went through.
• Six Sigma - A quality program. A perfectly quality built and fully assembled ready to ship part. 
• Defect Flow Out Prevention - Eliminating the opportunity for the defect to have ever occurred.
  • Zero Defects - Part of Defect Flow Out Prevention. Zero Defects is removing the possibility of building a perfectly bad part. 
  • Process Skip Check - Ties in with traceability.  The next machine process is alerted as to whether or not  the part passed, failed, or didn't even go through the previous process. If the part failed or didn't go through the previous process, the next process is not given permission to stat.
    Process Skip Check is a method of Defect Flow Out Prevention. This leads to a cost savings, because a perfectly built bad part still uses resources and materials and ends up in the scrap bin. If the bad part is caught midstream, it can minimize the amount scrapped out.

elliTek's Workflow Manager  which is part of the IIoTA™ Platform allows users to easily build their processes, connect them for certain part numbers, and do one to many - many to one relationships. The Workflow Manager gives users the ability to do Traceability.

Dashboard tools to create drag & drop web-based dashboards to view the KPIs listed above for a specific assembly line or lines are included in the IIoTA­™ platform.

Lastly, there's

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Adding automated robotic systems to a factory can save money, create higher-quality parts, and increase production.

There are six types of industrial robots that can be classified according to the typed of movement, the application needs, reach and payload requirements, and manufacturing preference.

You will learn about the types of robots and how they are used in manufacturing, but first, Brandon gives us his definitions for some industry terms.

Application:  Deciding what it is you are trying to do. What you are trying to accomplish. The next step would be to decide feasibility. The feasibility of can you get there from here with this solution.

Axis:  The degree of freedom in which you can move in a direction or the number of moveable "joints" of a robot. The number and placement of the axes determine the flexibility and functionality of the robot. The more axes, the higher range of motion.

Cartesian Coordinate System:  Any point of the space using X, Y, and Z coordinates. X coordinate is the perpendicular distance from the YZ plane. Y is the perpendicular distance from the XZ plane, and Z is the normal distance from the XY plane.

Theta is if that Z coordinate can rotate.

Servo Motor:  DC Permanent Magnet Motor. DC is direct current; it's what comes out of a battery. AC is alternate current: it's what comes out of the wall. A servo motor is what moves the robots axes.

Actuator:  Converts linear motion into rotary motion.

Pitch, Yaw, and Roll:  a coordinate system, like a GPS that doesn't use latitude or longitude. It's used to define a point in space.

Kinematics:  Coordinate conversion. The study of motion that doesn't take into consideration mass and force. Forward and Inverse Kinematics takes into consideration the axes angles and end of arm tooling. If the axes angles and lengths are known, Forward Kinematics can be used to calculate the position of the end-of-arm-tooling (EOAT or end effector). If the position of the EOAT is know, Inverse Kinematics is used to calculate the joint angles and lengths.

Payload:  Anything that's gong to go on the end of the robot, including whatever you're going to use to do the work. It includes the part that's being picked up and the tooling at the end (EOAT or end effector).

Work Envelope:  The space in which the robot can reach. Vertical reach is the height of the robot from its base; useful in determining if the robot is tall enough. Horizontal reach is the distance from the base to the robot's "wrist" when it's fully extended.

Here you can see the types of industrial robots and brief explanations.

To help narrow down the robot choices, our engineers have prepared some tips.

So, you're armed and ready to buy an industrial robot. What next? Here's some advice our engineers have compiled.

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This podcast expands on Brandon's interview with Food Engineering magazine, "Keeping machines and OT networks and IT safe from cyberattacks". 

We take a deep dive into cybersecurity. Listen to the full episode to learn:

• Are cyberattacks evolving?
• Has automation technology opened the door to hackers?
• Is the Operational Technology (OT) side vulnerable to cyberattacks?
• What are some vectors that can infect systems?
• Does "unplugging" the control systems work?
• Is there a safe way for manufacturers to utilize remote monitoring?
• Is OT/IT convergence the only way for manufacturers to achieve digital transformation?
• Can manufacturers connect their OT and IT systems and still remain secure?
• What cyber security advice can manufacturers implement immediately?

Thank you to CSIA (Control System Integrators Association) and Food Engineering magazine for giving Brandon the opportunity to share his experiences and expertise!