Cook County manufacturers can get grants to fund automation projects

Grants for Automation Projects for Cook County Manufacturers

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle joined the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC) to announce the launch of Manufacturing Reinvented, a $5 million grant program that will support local, suburban manufacturers with the implementation of projects to improve a business’s competitiveness and resiliency in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic environment. As a part of the program, Cook County will reimburse companies located in suburban Cook County for eligible expenses associated with an approved project after completion and verification. The program will also provide advising services to manufacturers in need of project consultation.

For more information, visit www.fpeautomation.com/imec

FPE Automation is proud to partner with both IMEC and the Elk Grove Village Business Economic Development team. Together, we're cultivating talent and creating local jobs and opportunities that will last for generations to come. When our local manufacturing businesses win, we all do.

 1-PAGE FLYER
 FULL PRESS RELEASE

Come to our Automation BBQ - where we will be cooking up live automation demos!

 

Automation BBQ

Tech showcase event. 

Get on the guestlist for our upcoming automation BBQ!

We'll be cooking up more than just a great meal. You'll see all the latest automation on display:

• Robotics
• Vision
• Machine Tending
• Palletizing
• Industrial Components

... and more!

Choose your date and location:

• 9/29/22: 12951 Gravois Rd., Sunset Hills, MO
• 10/6/22: 350 Kent Avenue, Elk Grove Village, IL

Both events take place from 10am to 4pm. You can come anytime! A delicious BBQ lunch will be served.

Register here.

New adjustable gripper tooling from PHD is ideal for cobot applications

New Product Release: PHD Inc. Introduces Click & Grip Adjustable Robotic Gripper Tooling

• Ideal for cobot applications and proof of concept 

• Fast configuration and reconfiguration 

• Flexibility with interchangeable components

 DOWNLOAD THE BROCHURE

Available now at FPE Automation

The NEW UR20 from Universal Robots packs 20kg (44 lbs.) of payload into a collaborative robot

Product Launch: Introducing the New UR20 from Universal Robots

Introducing the new UR20 from Universal Robots. 

Record-setting performance and an increased payload capacity are not the only advantages. Learn more about the new UR20 collaborative robot here. 

Work here! FPE Automation is hiring...

Jobs in Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Come out and see us at the job fair at Elk Grove High School on June 16, 2022. Once again, we'll be participating in this local event.

Work in one of industry's most cutting-edge fields - automation, robotics, AI and more. FPE Automation is a great company to work for. Local since 1963. We're hiring! 

Find out more here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/area-wide-job-fair-registration-337466660867

If you know anyone who might be interested in this, please share! EOE/M/F/D/V/SO

IO-Link: a connectivity tools guide + free download

Taking the Guesswork out of IO-Link

By: Sandia Harrison, FPE Automation

We are living in an era in which groundbreaking advancements in automation are unprecedented. After decades of solid process improvements, today we are experiencing rapid growth in innovation like we've never seen before. The way we manufacture, position, and produce goods today is transforming every day. 

If you ask nearly anyone in automation or process control, they'll probably tell you that connectivity is at the top of the list. Devices talking to one another through Ethernet, or any other communication protocol, are game-changing. 

Just a few short years ago, IO-link would have been considered an emerging technology. Nowadays, there is a robust ecosystem of products. Companies are doing remarkable things with this technology. So, more recently, the question has evolved from "if" to "how". 

That's where FPE Automation's team of expert engineers comes in. I consulted with them with the goal of putting together an ordering guide to help you quickly source essential products for your connectivity needs. 

Beyond Products

If you need application assistance, please reach out to our ACD team. They are here to help!

Here are some of industry's top products suitable for almost any IO-link application. Click the brochure to download a PDF copy, or scroll down for a complete list: 

FPE Automation IO-Link Product Guide

Master Modules

Murrelektronik Impact67 Pro: 8 ports, class A, class B

Murrelektronik Cube67+: 4 ports, class A, class B

IO-Link Hubs

Murrelektronik D1016 (59719), plug and play

Sensors

Photoelectric Sensors 

Datasensing: S5N tubular, S100 miniature, S8 compact, S300 PA/PR maxi, TL46 contrast/luminescence, S65-M measurement series

Leuze: 3C retro-reflective and through-beam, 3C, HT10, 25B, 46B, 46C diffuse with background suppression, 18B polarized retro-reflective/contrast, DRT 25C dynamic reference diffuse, 

Omron: E3AS distance-settable with user-friendly display, E3Z-IL standard sensor with I/O link, E3S-DC with color mark detection on any type of packaging. 

Panasonic: FX-550L photoelectric sensor with IO-link

Proximity Sensors 

Omron: E2E NEXT standard proximity sensor, E2EW welding proximity sensor, E2EQ NEXT spatter-resistant proximity sensor

Panasonic: GX-300 standard inductive proximity sensor

Fiber Sensors 

Datasensing: S70/S7/FY series

Panasonic: FX-550L series

Distance Sensors 

Datasensing: UM1, UK1, UK6, UT1B, UT2F, UT5L, UFT/UFK, ultrasonic distance sensors

Leuze: ODSL, ODS optical distance sensor, HRTU, DMU series ultrasonic distance sensor

Panasonic: HG-C1000L laser distance sensor

Flow Sensors 

Omron: E8FC series

Pressure Sensors 

Leuze: DP-100L

Omron: E8PC series

Fork Sensors 

Leuze: GSU, IGSU, GSX label detection, GSL04B, GSO8B, GSL08B object detection

Area Sensors 

Datasensing: CR retroreflective polarized area sensor

Safety Light Curtains

Leuze: CML, CSL

Omron: F3SG-SR / PG

Panasonic: SF4D series

Lights

Werma: eSIGN stack lights

Murr: Comlight56 status lights, available in 3 colors

Vacuum Products

Piab: PiCompact vacuum pumps and ejectors, 10X and 23 SMART series

Valves

MAC Valves: MIO-67 Fieldbus. Simplifies wiring needed for control of valves, digital I/O, and analog I/O over a single communication cable

Air Preparation

Norgren/Bimba: Excelon Plus air preparation equipment 

Motors

JVL: MAC/MIS/MILxxx stepper and servo motors

Analog Converters

Murr: I/O link analog convertor, converts devices to I/O link

---

 

The above is only intended as a guide, may not be all-inclusive, and is subject to change. This article is not to be reproduced in whole, or in part, without express written permission from authorized parties at FPE Automation. 

For pricing quotes or additional information, don't hesitate to contact us. 

What single factor matters the most when automating?

 Automation Success Made Easy

By Sandia Harrison, Director of Marketing, FPE Automation, Inc.

Whether you are in the process of automating for the first time, adding additional automation, or optimizing automation you already have in your production environment, the process can be a bit daunting. There are so many solutions out there. It takes a lot of expertise and experience to make all the components work together. There is no single roadmap to success. To complicate things even further, a lot is at stake. Streamlining your operations has a big impact on your company's profitability. We understand that you will also want to make the most of your investment, in terms of ROI. 

The single most important action step you can take when automating your business is finding the right partner. You've probably heard that before, it's a mantra that is often repeated. Turns out, there is a lot of truth to it. 

One thing that is always true: successful automation is made up of components. You may need a robot, conveyor, certainly the right end-of-arm-tooling or gripper, perhaps a camera or entire vision system. It takes expertise to determine which of each of those is the best choice for your application. 

Most solution providers can easily come up with an adequate list. Here's the tricky part: what happens next? 

If you chose FPE Automation as your partner, that decision would already have been made. We take the time to get to know you, and what it is you want to accomplish. We will ask you important questions. This sets us apart, and allows us to accomplish what others can't. Do you have the expertise in-house (and the bandwidth) to implement this yourself? Or, would you prefer that the FPE Automation team assist you with your project? If FPE Automation isn't the right implementation partner for you, we have longstanding, solid relationships with CSI partners. We will add one into the conversation if it best serves your purpose. 

Automation doesn't have to be so complicated. FPE Automation helps companies large and small to accomplish things never imagined possible. We've been doing this since 1963, and winning multiple, prestigious industry awards for our innovative solutions. 

To read more, download this one-page flyer.

Check out our Handshake Solutions, which puts you in the driver's seat. 

Or, reach out to us. We'd love to hear from you!