Sean Lafferty

Old PLCs and machines are running past obsolescence dates. Support is ending. But more critically, the engineers who know these systems are retiring. We're losing decades of tribal knowledge about these legacy systems. The laptops running their ancient software are barely hanging on. This obsolescence problem will force equipment replacement across industries. The good news? Next-gen equipment will likely emphasize simpler communications protocols between machines. What's puzzled me throughout my career: why every vendor creates completely different interfaces and systems. The learning curve for each new piece of equipment shouldn't be so steep. The future belongs to systems that talk to each other easily - but we need to bridge the knowledge gap first. Has your facility started planning for this transition?

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I spent some time crunching robot deployment estimates and the projected numbers paint an interesting picture. My best guess? Around 382,000 industrial robots are humming away in US factories right now. What jumped out at me was the Midwest concentration. Ohio's estimated 30k robots, Michigan's 28k, and Indiana's 17k suggest these states are punching way above their weight in automation density. The rust belt continues to be the backbone of American manufacturing. Of course, these are rough estimates based on available data… the real numbers could be quite different. Robot counting isn't exactly straightforward when you're dealing with proprietary installations across thousands of facilities. But the patterns make sense. Does your state's estimated robot count match what you're seeing on the ground? I'm curious if these projections align with the automation activity in your area.

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𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. Your software shouldn’t make them harder. That’s why IntelliSuite is built around the people doing the work - inspectors in the field, often offline, often under pressure. Simple workflows. Clear data. Smarter insights. Technology that supports decisions instead of slowing them down. Because inspection tools should feel human, not complicated. Explore More: https://lnkd.in/gNWnahfR #InspectionManagement #AssetIntegrity #IndustrialInspections #DigitalTransformation #FieldOperations Rohan | Jarret | Michael | Vishal | Raunak | Ashweyth | Prateek | Meet | Tanmay | Sumanth | Ajay | Sonali | P.S. Harish | Shreyance | Alekhya | Swaraj | Abhishek | Aman | Sabyasachi | Vikas | Nisarg

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What is MQTT? Why Most MQTT Explanations Suck—and Our Attempt to Fix Them' – my latest deep-dive article is out now. After 80+ hours of research and expert interviews, here’s the blunt truth: - MQTT’s low overhead barely matters in high-bandwidth manufacturing environments - MQTT QoS is basically a lie - The real reason to choose MQTT is simply its ease of use—not bulletproof reliability 👉 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eBVKzgBE United Manufacturing Hub (UMH) Alexander Krüger

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Cutting-Edge CNC Technology for Medical Device Production🩺 https://bit.ly/3Xs5hnL FANUC America's Aerospace and 5-axis Program Manager, Rick Schultz, has some advice for those in the medical device industry looking to advance production📈 this year. The key🗝️ to success could be in an unlikely place - 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗡𝗖⚙️ #cnc #cncmachining #5axismachining #machining #machinetools #medicaldevice #medical #industrialautomation #automate #automation #innovation #manufacturing #manufacture #mfg #machinetoolbuilder #machinebuilder

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Mentors are shaping the future by inspiring the next wave of innovators! Our Sr. Hardware Engineer & FIRST Robotics Mentor, James Reed shares why he is proud to be a mentor for the last 10 years. #MentoringMonth #LifeAtROK Learn more about Rockwell's involvement with other #STEM programs here: https://rok.auto/40GXHqb

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How are tariffs and labor shortages shaping automation demand in North America? A Site Manager at FFT Production Systems shares how macro uncertainty is impacting project timelines and whether OEMs like Fanuc, ABB, and Yaskawa can maintain pricing power amid potential delays: https://bit.ly/4mLLIkT

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We're back with more #AskJR-- A series showcasing the automation expertise within our team. This week, Engineering Systems Developer, Sean Nagler, shares the emerging technology he believes will have the most transformative impact on the manufacturing industry in the next three years. Want to hear more from our experts? Leave your questions in the comments below! #automationsolutions #emergingtechnologies

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🚀Just Published: UnMATCHed Performance with DISA's game-changing Speed Upgrade Kits for the 14/19, 16/20, 20/24 and 24/28 MATCH machines. We're thrilled to be featured in the June issue of Foundry Management & Technology, with expert insights from Sandra Calabrese, DISA's Sales Director in North America. She comments, "These software-driven kits optimize cycle times using advanced algorithms—boosting molding speed without compromising DISA's unMATCHed quality." The Result? Superior performance and real-world savings remarks Andrew Iannettoni, Ford Meter Box Foundry Technical Manager. "Implementing the DISA SpeedUp Kits on our two MATCH 14/19 machines let to a 10% productivity increase—an outcome that exceeded our expectations." 🔗 Read the full article and see how your foundry can benefit: https://lnkd.in/gzJ3QGNW

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Here’s a sneak peek inside one of the Wisecarver Automation division projects our engineers are working on! 🐄💉 The Sureshot System from Pharm Robotics is an upcoming automated vaccination delivery system to better keep a herd healthy. - Features a FANUC CRX-25iA Collaborative Robot with force sensing capabilities to ensure that the needle-less injection system delivers medicine safely   - Intel RealSense 3D vision is used to determine the location of the shot site rapidly using a machine learning model to account for different-sized cows   - Siemens controllers to ensure that medicine is stored in a cool and safe environment   - Custom-designed End of Arm tooling to allow for flexibility of vaccinations at once ➡️ Discover more about Wisecarver Automation here: https://lnkd.in/guQZgAAY #Automation #Robotics #AgTech #Cobot #MachineVision #Engineering FANUC America Corporation Siemens Intel Corporation

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How vision technology is reshaping automated manufacturing Advanced vision systems are now one of the most important tools in building high performing automation. They help teams drive quality, reduce risk, and keep production moving with confidence. In this video, Hector Herrera, a controls engineer from our Buchanan MI facility, shares how vision enabled equipment gives our systems the ability to identify, confirm, measure, and make decisions with consistency that manual inspection cannot match. Watch Hector break down how vision is improving accuracy, accelerating development, and raising the bar for automated systems. #VisionTechnology #AutomationSolutions #SmartManufacturing #EdgewaterAutomation

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