October 17, 2018 – Pepperl+Fuchs has released its SmartRunner family of sensors, based on a combination of light-section technology and 2D vision, and tailored to the needs of specific applications.

October 16, 2018 – Encoder Products Company has released its Model A58HE and Model A58SE encoders, both EtherCAT-ready, multi-turn absolute encoders designed for harsh factory and plant environments.

October 15, 2018 – ABB has introduced its new invert-mounted IRB 910INV SCARA robot.

October 12, 2018 - Rolling Motion Industries is now offering two high-efficiency traction drives, the MAR-17-1-2.1 and the MAR-23-1-2.1.

October 11, 2018 - Moticont has released a more powerful high-speed, zero-backlash linear voice coil motor featuring an internal shaft and bearing.

October 10, 2018 - Rite-Hite has developed a new high-speed door that the company says is easy to keep clean in food operations.

October 9, 2018 – Liftomatic Material Handling has introduced a customized portable drum handler for C1 D1 applications.

October 9, 2018 - Moore Industries has released the HES HART to Ethernet Gateway System that converts signals from up to 64 wired HART devices to Ethernet MODBUS/TCP and HART-IP.

October 9, 2018 - Pepperl+Fuchs has introduced the ENI58IL rotary encoder with BlueBeam technology, which equips industry-standard rotary encoders with the precision required for rotational speeds of up to 12,000 RPM.

October 5, 2018 - The newest flow switches from Balluff's line of process-oriented sensor products alert users to potential failures due to a reduction in necessary fluid flow.

October 4, 2018 - AutomationDirect has added more AC, DC and analog I/O modules to increase the capabilities and versatility of the Productivity1000 micro-modular PLC.

October 12, 2018 – A new five-year partnership between Toronto's Humber College and KUKA Canada will outfit the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation (CTI) with the latest robotic technology.

October 11, 2018 – Toronto's Humber College and DMG MORI Canada have partnered to address skills needs for advanced manufacturing tooling processes and engage in applied research.

October 5, 2018 – Festo has debuted a bionic "kit" designed to promote enthusiasm for STEM subjects among youth.

October 4, 2018 – Sandvik Coromant has awarded nine students in their fourth year of the Machinist Apprenticeship Program at the North Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) with its annual scholarships.

September 14, 2018 - Toronto's Humber College will host a robotics competition in partnership with FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Canada from March 8 to 10, 2019.

August 31, 2018 - The federal government has announced up to $9.46 million in funding to the University of Ontario Institute of Technology to support its Automotive Centre of Excellence in Oshawa, and to create new research and development jobs in the automotive industry.

August 24, 2018 - Professors Angela Schoellig and Steven Waslander are representing the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) in the NSERC Canadian Robotics Network (NCRN), a consortium of leading robotics researchers from across Canada that includes members from universities, industry and government. The NCRN recently won $5.5 million in funding from NSERC’s Strategic Partnership Grants for Networks competition.

August 17, 2018 - The Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC) has announced that its two-year program to help manufacturers in Northern Ontario enhance their productivity, competitiveness and business management capacity was a success.

August 8, 2018 - The Canadian government has announced a $150-million investment in CAE – a simulations and training supplier for the aerospace and healthcare sectors – which will create up to 400 new engineering and manufacturing jobs over the next five years.

Jul. 12, 2018 - Humber College and SEW-EURODRIVE are entering into a five-year partnership agreement designed to build awareness and provide training and applied research opportunities related to Industry 4.0 technologies, a critical aspect of advanced manufacturing. The partnership will expand the knowledge of faculty, students and employees. It will also enable both large Canadian companies and small and medium-sized enterprises to explore how aspects of Industry 4.0 can help enhance their manufacturing processes and increase their productivity.

Jul. 9, 2018 - Durham College has announced the students enrolled in the Electromechanical Engineering Technology (EMTY) program will now receive the internationally recognized Fanuc Robotics Handling Tool Operations and Programming Level 1 certification in addition to their advanced diploma upon completion of the program.

May 28, 2018 - Sandvik Coromant and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) recently extended their contract until 2022. The partnership renewal ceremony took place April 19 at the NAIT Sandvik Coromant Centre for Machinist Technology in Edmonton.

October 22, 2018 – K-G Spray-Pak Inc., a manufacturer and packager of aerosol products, has been fined $75,000 by the Ministry of Labour after pleading guilty in a case that involved a worker being injured after being caught in a conveyor belt at the company's plant.

October 17, 2018 – Traditional material handling processes focused on moving products by the case or pallet from distribution centres to brick-and-mortar retail stores, where customers would do their shopping. Today, with the convenience of e-commerce, people are shopping over the internet more frequently and buying fewer items at a time. E-commerce has turned the traditional material handling and logistics landscape on its head, compelling us to rethink the overall approach to intralogistics operations within the four walls of the fulfillment centre.

October 17, 2018 – Uponor Infra, a Hamilton, Ontario company that manufactures plastic piping, has been fined $80,000 after pleading guilty to an offence that involved a worker suffering critical injustries after being pulled into a machine while it was still in operation.

October 16, 2018 – October is Fire Prevention Month, and Johnson Controls has shared some tips with us on how you can mitigate the risk of fire hazards in your plant and promote occupant safety.

October 3, 2018 – Experienced safety managers are usually well versed in the consequences of poor safety practices, which may include fines, worker’s compensation costs, high turnover, lost productivity, worker injuries and even fatalities on the job. Even so, misunderstandings about machine safeguarding requirements place many facilities at risk for noncompliance and serious accidents.

August 29, 2018 - Entries are open for Rockwell Automation's sixth annual Manufacturing Safety Excellence Awards.

August 7, 2018 - Rockwell Automaton has added five new members to its Machine Safety System Integrator program, including two Ontario companies.

Jun. 28, 2018 - Following guilty pleas, Belmont Meat Products was fined $35,000 and Betts Cleaning Specialists was fined $50,000 by Justice of the Peace Keon Lee after a worker who was cleaning a mixer/grinder machine was critically injured by a partly disassembled machine.

Jun. 25, 2018 - Following a guilty plea, Multivans, a company that manufactures truck bodies, was fined $60,000 after a worker suffered critical injuries while using an angle grinder.

Jun. 24, 2018 - When drives cause movement in machines and heavy rollers and blades rotate, there are multiple hazards that must be guarded against. It is not products alone that make machines safe, productive and easy to operate; integrated automation and safety solutions are required.

Jun. 18, 2018 - One of three people injured during a flash fire at the main propellant-manufacturing facility for the U.S. Department of Defence has died.

Jun. 14, 2018 - One of three patients being treated for injuries sustained during a fire at the main propellant manufacturing facility for the U.S. Department of Defence has been discharged from a North Carolina hospital.

October 19, 2018 – Centreon Software Systems, a European provider of enterprise monitoring solutions for converging and hybrid IT infrastructures, has launched in North America with an office in Toronto.

October 18, 2018 – Honeywell is partnering with Fetch Robotics to provide distribution centres with autonomous mobile robots to help them more effectively fulfill growing volumes of e-commerce orders.

October 9, 2018 – While futuristic technologies like autonomous machines, unmanned systems and smart devices are more prevalent in industrial business applications than ever before; however, manufacturing facilities continue to struggle with the pervasive connectivity required to create the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

October 5, 2018 – Apps have been around for years in the manufacturing sector and their use is only going to expand, due to the way they add so much intelligence and value in the quest to better manage assets and processes.

October 5, 2018 – We’ve compiled a partial list of some of the major apps in the manufacturing world. Companies not listed are welcome to alert us to your app.

October 4, 2018 – Siemens has acquired the mobile and web application builder Mendix, eight weeks after the transaction was announced.

October 2, 2018 - Bosch Connected Industry, an operating unit that combines software and services for Industry 4.0 under the name Nexeed, has announced a new partnership with management consulting firm Bain & Company to bring their collective Industry 4.0 technology and management expertise to companies seeking to maximize the benefits of digital within their operations.

September 28, 2018 - Bosch Rexroth and BigRep, a provider of large-scale 3D printers, have entered into a development partnership that will see 3D printers by BigRep outfitted with CNC control systems and drives from Bosch Rexroth.

September 28, 2018 - Agile Manufacturing, a Canadian provider of 3D printing and rapid manufacturing solutions, has installed a Markforged Metal X 3D Printer as part of its production lineup. The Metal X represents a complete metal solution for end-to-end manufacturing. 

September 27, 2018 - Emerson has announced a new program designed to help original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) improve the reliability and performance of the modular process systems they design and manufacture, often referred to as skids.

September 27, 2018 - Evolve Additive Solutions has secured an equity investment of $19 million from the LEGO Brand Group with participation from Stanley Black, Decker Investments and a third undisclosed investor.

September 26, 2018 - Manufacturing is the top sector for Internet of Things (IoT) spending, and there’s a good reason for this. No other sector can reap the financial benefits quite like it. From greater operating efficiency to minimal machine downtime, the industry is not only a big investor in IoT, it’s revolutionizing its use.

October 22, 2018 – Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) was, unsurprisingly, the topic of conversation at last month’s International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago. We’ve been writing about this monumental shift in the industry for years now, but connected manufacturing is really only starting to trickle down to the SMEs that make up much of Canada’s output. The reason why it’s been a slow start is obvious: cost. So maybe the better question to ask is, why now?

October 18, 2018 – Ten years ago, as the global recession waned, I observed the emergence of two major Lean trends – one that saw it deployed in a wider range of industries and disciplines, and another that has carried Lean thinking to the corner office.

October 12, 2018 – On the factory floor, every new connection point is an opportunity for operations teams to monitor, analyze and optimize performance. It’s also a security risk.

October 11, 2018 – Regular readers of this column probably wonder if I am still working, or if I’m retired, given that so many of the columns I’ve written highlight my recent recreational pursuits and adventures, many of them with my granddaughter.

September 21, 2018 - There are moments throughout history that change the way societies work and function on a daily basis. In the 18th to 19th centuries, rural societies became urban, iron and textile industries grew, and the steam engine made its mark on history. Fast forward to a paradigm shift that began in 1870: the world saw its first light bulb, as well as the invention of the telephone and electricity for mass production. More recently, digital technology has put a mobile computer in our pockets to communicate in ways once only imagined in science fiction films.

September 17, 2018 - Cannabis is set to be legalized for recreational use as of October 17, 2018. For many employers still struggling with how to accommodate employees who have been prescribed cannabis for medicinal purposes, this will create new challenges and questions. How do you define impairment and fitness for work? What types of tasks are safety sensitive?

September 12, 2018 - I’m pleased to introduce myself as the new editor of Manufacturing AUTOMATION. I come to the magazine from another trade publication in a different industry, so I’ve spent the past few weeks reading through back issues of MA to understand what trends, topics and challenges are most important to manufacturing professionals in Canada.

September 11, 2018 - In Manufacturing AUTOMATION's May 2018 issue, the results of the annual Canadian Manufacturing Study were revealed. Initially, as a professional in the IT industry, I was thrilled to see manufacturers prioritize IT investment. Twenty-five per cent, 17 per cent and 11 per cent of you, respectively, plan to invest in bridging the IT/OT gap, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and cybersecurity best practices over the next three years.

September 10, 2018 - The emergence of Industry 4.0 and the IIoT, or the Industrial Internet of Things, is causing equal levels of excitement and concern. Most manufacturers I visit have heard about its potential and are aware of the building hype, but don’t know how it will affect them specifically. Depending on a person’s age, the opinions vary from one extreme to the other, with a healthy percentage of indifference. There is often fear associated with it – and like all fear, it is caused by uncertainty and lack of knowledge, fuelled by myths and speculation.

Jun. 10, 2018 - When used to its fullest potential, laser scanning enhances the speed of a project, reduces costs, improves safety, and helps the project run more smoothly. One challenge to laser scanning is tailoring the approach to the specific project. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, so it is important to understand the project’s goals. Explaining the process and making sure all the key stakeholders are aligned and educated will ensure that laser scanning will achieve the desired outcomes. This is no small task. Here are insights and key benefits.

May 26, 2018 - While manufacturers around the world have reached new heights in technology adoption and equipment innovation, there are still many pain points that hinder optimization, efficiency and even safety on the plant floor.

May 15, 2018 - Every year the cybersecurity experts at Cisco release the Cisco Annual Cybersecurity Report, an industry tome that discusses security trends and emerging threats. In the 2018 report, the role of the Internet of Things (IoT) and its effect on cybersecurity was analyzed, particularly as it pertained to operational technology and networks.

October 3, 2018 – General Motors and Honda will team up on self-driving vehicle technology as big automakers and tech giants race to develop the next generation of personal transportation.

October 2, 2018 – Tesla Motors accelerated production of its pivotal Model 3 sedan during the summer just as CEO Elon Musk promised, vindicating the electric car maker's leader amid a backdrop of baffling behaviour that jeopardized his job.

September 28, 2018 - Honda of Canada Mfg. (HCM) has made a $50,000 donation through the Honda Canada Foundation to the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA) to build a new, accessible pathway in Riverdale Park in Alliston, Ontario.

September 27, 2018 – Ford Motor Co.'s historic Rouge factory complex will continue well into its second century of production with the announcement Thursday that it will make at least one version of the next-generation F-150 pickup truck.

September 27, 2018 - Orders for long-lasting U.S. factory goods rose at a healthy pace last month, though the increase was mostly driven by a surge in aircraft demand.

September 25, 2018 - Accu Tech USA, a distributor of automation and motion solutions, has announced the expansion of its current production facility in Youngsville, North Carolina.

September 18, 2018 - Nova Bus has won a contract to build four fully electric 40-foot LFSe buses for Montreal transit authority STM (Société de transport de Montréal).

September 17, 2018 - The Manitoba government says it will spend up to $1.48 million to help luxury jacket maker Canada Goose expand its Winnipeg manufacturing operations.

September 5, 2018 - GE Transportation will manufacture 60 additional locomotives for CN, expanding the class I’s 200-unit order placed in December 2017.

September 5, 2018 - Cascades has announced its intention to close two sheet plants in Barrie (Jellco) and Peterborough, Ontario by December 31, 2018.

September 4, 2018 - U.S. factories grew at a faster pace in August as American industry continues to show robust health.

August 30, 2018 - One of the world's largest semiconductor companies is making a $3-billion investment in northern Virginia to expand its manufacturing facility and add 1,100 jobs.

October 10, 2018 – Ahlstrom-Munksjö has recently completed a EUR 23 million investment in its plant in Madisonville, US.

October 4, 2018 – Cascades has announced that its president and CEO, Mario Plourde, received the 2019 Clean50 and Clean16 awards from Delta Management Group.

October 3, 2018 – Emerson, the automation supplier for process and industrial applications, has announced it will acquire Intelligent Platforms, a division of General Electric that offers machine control, industrial computing, input/output (I/O) and networking devices, project and integration services and other hardware/software solutions.

September 13, 2018 - The federal government has announced funding to support Indigenous jobs and manufacturing efficencies in Canada's forestry industry.

August 23, 2018 - Rockwell Automation has won a US$50-million contract to supply a mine control system to Codelco, the Chile state-owned copper mining company, for its Chuquicamata underground mine.

August 20, 2018 - KP Tissue and Kruger Products have released a plan for a capital investment of $575 million to construct a new state-of-the-art tissue plant in the Brompton area of Sherbrooke, Quebec.

Jul. 16, 2018 - The Bel Group will build its first Canadian plant in Sorel-Tracy, Que. The facility, whose commercial production is scheduled to begin in early 2020, will be fully dedicated to producing Mini Babybel cheese.

Jul. 13, 2018 - Michelin says it has reached agreement to purchase Quebec off-road tire maker Camso for about US$1.7 billion.

Jul. 3, 2018 - A manufacturing company is laying off workers in Ontario in response to American tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.

Jun. 29, 2018 - Maple Leaf Foods Inc. has signed an agreement to buy two poultry plants and associated supply from Cericola Farms, a privately held company.

Jun. 14, 2018 - Samuel, Son & Co., a metals distributor and industrial products manufacturer, announced an $18-million investment in its Brantford, Ont., automotive metal processing centre. The expansion is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2018, ramping to full production in early 2019.

Jun. 8, 2018 - Saskatchewan’s premier says the recently imposed U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum have caused some projects in the States to grind to a halt.