Daily Archives: March 8, 2017

ProMATIC Automation, Inc. specializes in the design and build of custom factory automation equipment to meet specific customer needs utilizing state-of-the-art automation technologies.

Watch this video to see an overview of the types of projects we have automated.

ProMATIC Automation has nearly 20 years of experience as a supplier of custom industrial automation services and equipment. Our highly skilled employees have the knowledge and experience to design and build everything from manufacturing lean cells to complex fully automated assembly equipment to our customers exact specifications.

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ProMATIC has extensive experience in Automotive applications involving assembly, material handling, and testing processes meeting the stringent quality requirements while maintaining aggressive program launch schedules.

With attention to clean-room requirements and FDA regulations, ProMATIC can deliver high-tech automation solutions for the medical industry and assist customers in the equipment validation process and documentation.

ProMATIC has developed automation solutions for a wide variety of general industrial clients including customers in the Electrical Equipment, Heavy Construction, Plastics Molding, Industrial/Mobile Hydraulics, Printing and Packaging Industries.

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Promatic Automation | Asheville NC

When it comes to depictions of futuristic societies in film and literature, science fiction nigh unanimously errs on the side of dystopia. So too do pundits and nearly half of young people in developed industrial economies, according to a 2016 poll by Future Foundation when the topic of automation of the labour force is discussed. Indeed, headlines often blare job losses to technological innovation in numbers that seem impossible: one 2016 report by the Mowat Centre, a public policy think tank, declared that a little over 40 per cent of Canadian jobs are highly vulnerable to automation in the next 10 to 20 years. And while high-risk occupations also tend to be low-income, illustrious STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) have also become increasingly susceptible to creeping automation due to some of the repetitive task-based elements that come along with high degrees of specialization.

While this isnt the Terminators famous Skynet scenario, the prospect of large-scale unemployment at the hands of robots may understandably foster hostility and anxiety in the minds of todays modern precarious worker, or alternatively, precariat. Another major factor in this potential discontent is the current status of social infrastructure in Canada and the West at large, which is frankly failing.

Unions have been falling both in terms of strength and membership since the eighties, and benefits for both the employed and unemployed have been subject to continual downgrades over the past few decades. Employed workers have seen their benefits shrink due to the spread of the gig economy, which has replaced traditional full-time employment and all the security alongside it with much more turbulent, part-time contract work. Meanwhile, the vast majority of the unemployed have seen their safety net shredded. In the past 40 years, the distribution of employment insurance has been halved, covering only 39 per cent of unemployed Canadians in 2016 as opposed to 82 per cent in 1978. At large, both local and global labour markets have become characterized by precarity.

It is speculated that the new digital economy will only exacerbate these woes. However, such a conclusion rests on premises of maintaining the ideological status quo: the assumption that labour regulations will continue to benefit owners at the expense of labourers. But rather than becoming mired in cynicism, we must at least attempt to summon the political will to change the course of the future for the better. That is to say, the automation of the workforce need not be a looming dystopia, but instead could be a gleaming utopia so long as the weaknesses in our social infrastructure are addressed.

Fears surrounding a robotic invasion of the workforce are largely influenced by the trenchant grip of late capitalism on modern society. With certain measures in place, mass automation of the labour force is not only permissible, but desirable: a pursuit worthy of all the political capital the left can muster.

A priority of any government allied both to the modern day labourer and economic automation should be the implementation of a robust universal basic income. Specifically, one with a progressive index that scales back the payable sums the higher a recipient falls on the income bracket. This is in order to ensure that those who are temporary or permanently displaced from the workforce can continue to live a reasonable lifestyle, and as a result are able to continue engaging in the economy.

Secondly, all industries that provide the infrastructure for automation must be nationalized. Otherwise, income inequality would soar as capitalists reap massive profits as staffing costs vanish altogether from budgets. To allow private holdings in critical industries of the digital economy would spawn a superpowered class of robo-capitalists, consisting of those who own the intellectual property rights to automation technology and those who own the companies manned not by salaried but automated workers. It would be nave to think the ensuing economic boom in the private sector wouldnt translate to a monopoly on political power.

Through nationalization, we can ensure that the fruits of automation are distributed appropriately and equitably. Not only would extreme class stratification be prevented, but re-energized profit streams on an unprecedented scale raised from booming business will fund a universal basic income scheme among other additions to the welfare state. These will include comprehensive skill-building programs needed for the maintenance of a smaller but more diversified economy as well as the resources necessary to integrate coding curricula into the education system. Both would be necessary for the maintenance of economy-wide automation.

With such measures implemented, a reduced workload becomes one of the stepping stones to enlightenment. Freed from the monotonous drone of an all-consuming work week, workers subject to automation will be displaced not only from their jobs but from being cogs in a machine. With widespread automation, once-workers will be able to invest in their creative pursuits, their relationships, and meaningful projects that genuinely attract their interest. Even those who wish to continue as career-driven will be free to do so without repercussions, as the types of employment primarily requiring human capital will be dynamic, complex, and richly engaging. Of course, this is all ideal speculation. Nevertheless, the chance of this never coming to pass ought not to dissuade our pursuit of what could be.

The drawbacks to automation on a mass scale stem not from the innovation itself but rather from the fact that modern social systems are woefully unequipped to deal with the upheaval that would follow from what is essentially an economic revolution. The welfare state in its current form does not have the resources to effectively cope with the aftershocks of widespread automation of the labour force. As the economy undergoes paradigm shifts, so too must public policy and the discourse surrounding it. Should we successfully reimagine the boundaries of this debate, past the neoliberal confines of free markets and small government, then society as a whole will reap the benefits. In terms of progress, the alternative simply does not compute.

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Automation isn't the problem, capitalism is - The Manitoban

For this years International Womens Day, expect to see numerous articles calling for more women in tech.

Theyre all right, of course a report released by Allbright earlier this week shows that a mere 3% of all VCs in Sweden are women, so little wonder that less than one in ten of VC investments in Sweden go to female entrepreneurs.

Sweden is at the forefront of gender equality across the board, but when it comes to the tech sector we have an embarrassingly long way to go. And unfortunately, its starting to get pretty urgent.

The advancement of tech and automation of jobs is waiting for no one. Arecent report from McKinsey shows that 46% of Swedish jobs are likely to be wiped out by emerging technology and female-dominated sectors like retail, administration and healthcare are taking some of the hardest hits.

This is not a bad thing per se quite the opposite. Innovation and new technologies should be embraced as important parts of moving countries and societies forward. Moreover, new jobs will be created en masse to build, develop and manage the technology replacing those jobs.

But considering thatwomen still make up of only a fifth of Swedens programming workforce, and less than 30% of the countrys STEM students, most of them risk missing out on the new opportunities that lie ahead.

Or, as areport from World Economic Forumput it given womens low participation in STEM professions (..) women stand to gain only one new STEM job for every 20 lost across other job families."

The same number for men? One new job for every four lost.

In other words, women's underrepresentation in STEM and technology combined precipitous job declines in women-dominated professions may well lead to women becoming grossly disadvantaged in the new, automated economy.

Regarding gender balance in tech, weve mainly heard concerns about women and girls not having enough role models, or too little female representation among VCs and founders. These are valid concerns but with jobs in female-dominated fields of work being wiped out in large numbers, women in tech is no longer a nice-to-have, but rather a pretty urgent need-to-have.

Failing to foster environments that encourage more women to approach STEM professions comes with the risk of excluding huge numbers of people from the general workforce benefiting no one.

Mina Hesar is the Head of Program and Culture at the Malm based accelerator Fast Track Malm.

Also Read:Here are Sweden's most powerful women in tech 2017

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With the rise of automation, women in tech is no longer a nice-to-have but a need-to-have - Business Insider Nordic

With pressure on machine builders and manufacturers to find ways to lower equipment costs, companies are looking to suppliers for helpand a good start is to lower the installation cost of cabling that connects I/O and field devices.

In an effort to meet industry needs, Beckhoff Automation introduced the concept of EtherCAT P (EtherCAT + Power) in 2015, with the EtherCAT Technology Group publishing a first draft of the official EtherCAT P technology spec at Hannover Messe last year. Last week, during PACK EXPO East, the company had the technology on display and highlighted its benefits during a presentation on the Innovation Stage.

EtherCAT P is an addition to the EtherCAT technology on the cabling level, enabling the use of the standard 4-wire Ethernet cable not only for data, but also for two electrically isolated, individually switchable 24V/3A power supplies. This technology facilitates the cascading of several EtherCAT devices and therefore only requires one cable to connect and power I/O and field devices.

With EtherCAT P, the Us (system and sensor supply) and Up (peripheral voltage for actuators) voltages are directly coupled into the 100 Mbit/s EtherCAT communication line, which leads to reduced cabling, compact, cost-effective wiring, lower system costs and smaller footprint for devices, equipment and machines.

Since EtherCAT P carries both power and data, which can be dangerous to transfer to a network that doesnt support it, the cable connectors are specially designed for EtherCAT P in order to prevent false connections.

And, while a cable that combines power and communications may not seem so remarkable, it can save a lot of time and money. One cable means stocking less parts, less potential for failure of parts and less commissioning time, said Andy Garrido, I/O market specialist at Beckhoff.

EtherCAT P covers all types of apps from the 24V I/O level to drives with 400V AC or 600V DC. A complete machine can be supplied with one line and include all of the advantages of EtherCAT, including choice of topology, high-speed and optimized bandwidth utilization. And, when designing the machine, connections and cabling, Beckhoff has software that can help calculate the maximum distances and loads without having to test it with hardware.

To summarize, EtherCAT P is one cable with power and data combined. We have a deterministic high-speed protocol to send and receive data almost simultaneously and a design tool and error-proof connectors, Garrido said. All of this increases production and decreases cost.

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One Cable Automation - Automation World

The global economy remains uncertain and volatile, which means companies must be ready to adapt quickly as elections in Germany and France will have a lasting impact, said Ulrich Spiesshofer, CEO of ABB Group, the Swiss engineering and automation company.

"For us as industrial leaders, it is very important for us to stay extremely agile," he said in an interview withTheStreet on Tuesday during CERAWeek by IHS Markit. "Brexit has a dampening effect on the European economy and what will come out of the major elections nobody knows at the moment."

The outcome of some of the European elections will have "quite a significant impact" on energy policy on the economies and market, said Spiesshofer.

While the impact of geopolitical tensions on the markets remain unknown, he remains optimistic about many regions of the world which are continuing to expand by adding infrastructure and other projects as the population increases.

The continued growth in China and India as well as Japan's "moderate growth pattern" are all positive indicators. The Middle East is "reinventing itself" as the region ramped up the use of renewable energy five years ago and presents "remarkable opportunities" as many countries are investing in infrastructure, he said. Africa demonstrates underlying opportunities with its strength in its natural resources as the continent represent one of the fastest growing populations, resulting in good market dynamics.

Spiesshofer believes that 2017 will likely emerge as a "transition year" for many regions of the world while the long-term sentiment of the U.S. is "very positive."

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ABB CEO Says Automation and Artificial Intelligence Will Increase Number of Jobs - TheStreet.com