Can you remember the first time you used the internet? If you're long enough in the tooth to recall your first time 'online', then chances are it was around the turn of the millennium. In 1995 there were just 16 million people with internet access... but by 2001 that number had risen to more than half a billion.
This was the 'S-curve' of new technology in action - steady growth transforming into exponential adoption in a short space of time. Today the same thing is happening with electric vehicles, renewables and now factory automation.
As sites open up and demand returns, immediate challenges take our attention - supply chains, material shortages, labour pressures. While in the background, new advances in automation and vision are entering the market, and being integrated into industry, on a scale not seen before.
We're heading up the automation 'S-curve' right now - the technology's becoming more affordable, the applications more ubiquitous, the return on investment faster.
In this month's Vision Update we look at the 'S-curve' in detail: the tech, from the incredible Cognex In-Sight D900 to the all-in-one FLIR A50/ A70; the returns on investment, from heavy industry to ecommerce; and the applications, with a deep dive into plastic-free packaging in our latest white paper.
Thanks for reading,
Martin
Case studies
Vision inspection at 130-metres per minute Read
about how we delivered this high-speed, high-performance quality control solution for one UK manufacturer on a line running at 130-metres per minute.
Solve complex OCR challenges with the Cognex In-Sight D900 The true power of the new Cognex In-Sight® D900 continues to amaze. The range of inspections that it’s capable of within the standalone camera is incredible – all thanks to its built-in ViDi™ deep learning software. Assembly
verification, defect detection and optical character recognition; it learns and makes decisions with ‘human-like’ ability.
The new FLIR A50/A70: Thermal and visual in one incredible camera
Meet the latest additions to the FLIR product range – the incredible A50/ A70 cameras. Its dual functionality combines two different spectrums – thermal temperature monitoring and visual inspection – within the same camera, without the need for a PC. What could this mean for your factory?
We helped one online retailer reduce manual labour costs by half with this world-class tote bin identification and tracking solution on a 500m conveyor.
Plastic was once packaging's wonder solution, but in the move towards greater sustainability, how can we reduce 'single-use' without compromising on productivity or pack stability? Chart your path beyond plastic with our latest white paper.
Last month I spoke to The Engineer about 'Lighthouse thinking' and the factories of the future, and how we in the UK risk being left behind unless we start being brave enough to fail. Taking calculated risks, testing out new forms of automation and data gathering and combining precision of concept with uncertainty of outcome - that is what's needed from the manufacturers of tomorrow.
