In an effort to ensure defense contractors are following best practices to protect sensitive data, Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Program (CMMC) rulemaking is inching closer and closer to finalization, with rules proposed by the U.S. Defense Department on December 26, 2023. While these rules are published for comment, the codified version isn’t expected to change […]
PDM, MDC and DNC software among the highest-sought Predator solutions supported by the manufacturing integrator Shop Floor Automations (SFA), a manufacturing integrator specializing in digitally transformative hardware, software and support solutions, announces its exclusive achievement as the top reseller of Predator software since 2004. This significant milestone represents the integrator’s deep industry and technical expertise […]
Your aged CNC machines and legacy Distributed Numerical Control (DNC) software can work fine…until they don’t. Maybe the PC communicating to the machines starts dropping characters while transmitting the NC code, scrapping parts being machined if not caught by the operator. Or the hardware that has been in place for years fails, sending you on a […]
As 2023 winds down, it’s an ideal time to consider manufacturing trends and predictions that may affect your goals, plans and budgets for the year ahead. Overall, there’s an expectation that interest rates will fall in the middle of 2024, fueling more consistent economic growth and acceleration by the end of the year, reports Dodge […]
PCMCIA card and card readers on aged CNC machines can, inevitably, fail. The reasons can run the gamut: excessive and prolonged exposure to heat, moisture or poor air quality, power surges, improper handling, wear and tear over time, and other factors. Add in the scarcity of viable replacements and, regardless of the cause, the malfunction […]
Over the years, Windows-based CNC machines, robots, CMMs, test stands and other manufacturing equipment have proven popular, largely due to their Ethernet-based networking using the corporate network. But as Windows operating systems (OS) reach the end of their lifecycle, Microsoft technical assistance, software updates or security fixes no longer become available. The options, then, for […]
One manufacturer with a 20-year-old CNC machine started having issues with its floppy drive corrupting and random file saves not working (and then later working). At the same time, they watched as the supply of floppy drive replacements available through eBay steadily decreased. Another manufacturer couldn’t determine how much time machines were broken down or […]
Comparing your legacy, aging equipment – your die-hard lathe or CNC milling machine – to new machinery options is easy to do. In fact, there’s a term for it: “appeal to novelty.” Equating newness to superior quality, writes educator Academy 4SC, is a logical fallacy in which something is claimed to be better simply because […]
Manufacturing integrator Shop Floor Automations (SFA) will showcase the AWS GovCloud-secure Scytec DataXchange machine monitoring solution for highly-regulated industries, including aerospace, defense and pharmaceutical, at FABTECH 2023. FABTECH is North America’s largest metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing event and will be held September 11-14 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. For manufacturers adhering to […]
When optimal productivity and efficiency are attained on the shop floor, why carry on equipment monitoring efforts indefinitely? When MOGAS, the leading manufacturer of severe service ball valves, began monitoring their equipment on the shop floor, they started realizing real value within the first two weeks. “I was receiving frequent machine alerts with operator notes […]