Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Luminary Series for Increased Savings and Productivity

When you’re in the OEM market, you want to keep costs down as much as possible while maintaining high performance. Your bottom line is directly related to the efficiency of the equipment you use, so getting the highest quality at the lowest price is important. The IIS Luminary Series is geared for just that.

The Luminary Servo Motion Series includes a versatile motion controller, a multi-axis servo capability, and hardware and software integration, all at a cost less than most competitors. With the Emerald Motion Language (EML) you will have complete access to any servo motors, external encoders, hardware switches and an array of sensors. All this packaged in a system that is smaller, and more practical, for the OEM market.

The Luminary Servo Motion Series can be used for a wide range of applications: everything from x-y tables to actuators to roll feeders. If true positioning with velocity and torque are required, this is the exact system to do it precisely as it was designed for the OEM in mind. Other control systems may have some of the same functionality, but with over 30 years of experience in the business, IIS offers quality in the automation industry that can’t be matched.


Regardless of what industry your business is in, IIS offers customizable features along with an intelligent drive series for your specific applications. We provide automation system solutions that are equipped to handle demanding applications that require high performance, high-quality positioning accuracy, high reliability and energy efficiency.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Sercos at the Industrial Automation Show

This year the Industrial Automation North America (IANA) show was held in Chicago, Illinois from September 8th through September 13th. Sercos International presented multi-vendor demos to show the advancement of interoperability by using automation products that connect by using their automation bus. Several of the devices showcased were the Bosch Rexroth XLC (eXtended Logic Control) PLC, various IO devices (Inline, S20, and more), and SafeLogic compact safety control, to name just a few.

Peter Lutz, the Managing Director of Sercos International, presented a lecture on the subject of “Trends in the Industrial Communications for the Factory of the Future.” Speaking on the blended infrastructure conceptual approach of factories, he elaborated on the benefits of integrating machinery in manufacturing applications. His approach to the subject stems from his basic thoughts on the matter in that there should be less complexity and easier integration while using fewer cables. Along with reducing the complexity of the integrated systems, this approach can also reduce overhead for many companies.

Industrial Indexing Systems has long believed that factory automation motor and control system design not only guarantees system performance, but provides application and system engineering support of the highest levels. IIS, with over 30 years of experience in the field, agrees that history supports Mr. Lutz’s position of the ability of integrated machinery to lower the cost to manufacturers.

Another interesting demo at the IANA show was the Cannon-Automata A2 PC based Intel Atom dual core which is equipped with a Programmable Automation Controller. The A2-PAC family of devices can to combine the many advantages of PC-based controls with features of both PLCs and motion controllers. Another display included the Bihl+Wiedemann’s AS-I 3.0 Sercos Gateway. This equipment is used for transmitting data originating from safety input slaves to output slaves by way of CIP Safety.


Overall, the IANA show had important information on some new technology and how to provide solutions for automation systems. This information is crucial for companies wanting to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to demanding applications that require both performance and accuracy while being reliable and energy efficient.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Learning in Chicago: IMTS 2014 and Toshiba Machine

At IIS, we truly enjoy learning about new technologies in the robotics and automation field. Recently, we took two important trips that we believe will make us a better and more responsive company. In this blog, we take a closer look at our time at IMTS 2014’s Industrial Automation North America and the Toshiba Machine American headquarters.

IMTS 2014

The IMTS (International Manufacturing Technology Show) is a bi-annual event that claims to be America’s largest manufacturing show. IMTS 2014 took place at the McCormick Place in Chicago, September 8-13. IIS was proud to attend the co-located Industrial Automation North America show at IMTS 2014. We had the honor to represent the SERCOS booth, where we showed off the new Emerald Automation Controller which features both SERCOS II and SERCOS III interface. Our time at both IMTS and IANA gave us the opportunity to meet and interact with both current and future customers. It was a great opportunity to have the chance to meet other leaders within your own industry. Needless to say, we plan on attending and showing at IMTS and IANA 2016, September 12-17, 2016 at the McCormick Center.

Toshiba Machine

During our time in the Chicago area, IIS made a very important side trip. Just over 20 miles outside of Chicago in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, sits the impressive U.S. headquarters of the Toshiba Machine Company. IIS has a long history of partnering with Toshiba on both robotics and automation equipment, so we were excited about checking out the latest technology from Toshiba. We got to view three different robots, and we were especially impressed with their latest articulated, 6-axis robot designed to handle a variety of applications including loading and unloading plastic molding machines. Of course these types of robots need to programed, so we are thankful that our IIS controllers are a perfect match for all of Toshiba’s innovative robotics.

Overall, our time in the Chicago area was extremely productive. Both IMTS 2014 and our visit to Toshiba Machine went a long way to making sure that IIS stays on the cutting edge of the robotics and automation industries. If you want to learn more about our work with Toshiba, please feel free to contact us directly today.







Friday, August 29, 2014

Automation at Industrial Indexing Systems

At Industrial Indexing Systems, automation plays an important role in our everyday services. Automation is a manufacturing process that allows certain products to be constructed in an efficient manner with minimal labor needs. According to Packaging Digest, automation also helps U.S. manufacturers stay competitive by cutting costs and increasing production speeds.

Automation systems have many capabilities that enhance the manufacturing process. For example, computer-controlled systems can ensure that products are made using the exact same specifications for each product, every single time. These processes also have the ability to decrease labor, energy, fuel, and production costs.

According to Consulting Specifying Engineer, the food and beverage industry is a good example of a product segment that utilizes automation control and software. Automation World reports that a craft beer maker can save time, labor, and increase production capacity in order to serve their growing number of consumers in diverse markets. Automation aids in the standardization of systems and enhances the production process for manufacturers.

Newer machines and technology make automation a reality for many manufacturers. Our products, such as the multi-axis and single-axis automation controllers, make automation possible for various production lines. Multi-axis and single-axis products allow the automation process to be tightly controlled and efficient.

The automation trend in manufacturing is increasingly seen as a way for manufacturers to cut costs and produce more products. More and more manufacturers will begin to use automation to benefit their companies.

Thursday, July 31, 2014

The Newest and Latest with SERCOS

There has been a lot happening in the SERCOS world recently. As SERCOS members, we are closely tied to the association and, therefore, are excited for all of the great things that have been coming out of that area. Not only was there the recent SERCOS PlugFest event, but we are also excited about the annual meeting and Board of Directors announcement.

SERCOS N.A. Member Meeting

The meeting, held June 17th and hosted by Bosch Rexroth, took members through the latest in the SERCOS world. First, there was a review of what has happened since the last member meeting, and then into the nitty-gritty of the association. SERCOS’ Managing Director Peter Lutz discussed the newest developments in the software and association as a whole. Then, there was a look at SERCOS North America, specifically at the past promotional and marketing activities, promotion plans moving forward, and administrative and management reports. As members, at any point in time, we have the opportunity to submit topics for review.

New Board of Directors

SERCOS recently announced their newest board of directors. The new board now includes Dr. Thomas Burger of Bosch Rexroth, Klaus Weyer of Schneider Electric Automation, Professor Alexander Verl of Fraunhofer Institute, and Matheus Bulho from Rockwell Automation. At the official meeting when the announcement was made, attendees were also privy to new technological development of the SERCOS software. According to a SERCOS press release, Lutz said, “Strong growth in the spectrum of manufacturers and providers accelerates the implementation of innovative automation concepts and is, as the same time, proof of the high level of acceptance of SERCOS in machine and systems engineering.”

As a company with strong ties to SERCOS, we are always excited to be a part of their events and hear about the latest news and developments. With that said, we are looking forward to what’s next!

Monday, July 7, 2014

Innovation is a Key to Improvement: A SERCOS PlugFest Recap

Innovation and technology are two ways to make your business better and stronger. Here at IIS, we not only look for ways to innovate and integrate the newest and latest into our products and services, but we also look to surround ourselves with the best and brightest. What is one way in which we do this? By being a part of SERCOS North America and utilizing the SERCOS automation bus in our servo products.

Recently, we were invited to attend SERCOS PlugFest, which took place in May and was an event catering to manufacturers of SERCOS devices. Specifically, twenty-five technology and automation companies attended the event and helped SERCOS International extensively test the interoperability between SERCOS devices. According to SERCOS, over thirty products were tested, including drives, CNC’s, PLC’s, and motion controllers, as well as pneumatic ancillary components.

As a result, SERCOS said in their press release that “a total of 100 master-slave combinations were also successfully tested. In addition, extensive network configurations were tested with drives and various slaves of different vendors.”

As a manufacturer of SERCOS products, we were honored to be invited to participate in the 13TH PlugFest, as well as help improve the SERCOS automation bus and ensure it is as efficient as possible. Innovation is an important asset to our company and any way we can help foster it, we do. Can’t wait for the 14th PlugFest!