November 8, 2018 – B&R Automation has developed the ACOPOStrak transport system for safe productivity at workstations with collaborative robots.

November 7, 2018 – AutomationDirect has added new stepper motors, encoders and inertia dampers to its SureStep system of step motor control.

November 6, 2018 – Vancouver's LMI Technologies, a specialist in 3D scanning and inspection, is revealing three new 3D inspection products at Vision 2018 in Stuttgart, Germany this week.

November 5, 2018 – Pilz is launching a new generation of field-level devices for safety and automation with the decentralized I/O system PSSuniversal 2, which consists of the PROFINET communication module and a selection of I/O modules.

November 2, 2018 – Siemens and Bentley Systems have announced PlantSight, a solution that uses as-operated and up-to-date digital twins to synchronize physical reality and engineering data in order to create a holistic digital context for any operating plant.

November 1, 2018 – Advantech’s IIoT Automation Group has launched a wired Ethernet VDSL package to allow users to reach remote places where Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) is unfeasible.

October 31, 2018 – Omron has announced the global launch of the TM series collaborative robot family, which includes 12 robots.

October 31, 2018 – Encoder specialist POSITAL FRABA has announced a new generation of analog rotary encoders for position control.

October 30, 2018 – Montreal, Quebec's Matrox Imaging has announced the new Matrox 4Sight EV6, the latest installment to the company's vision controller lineup.

October 30, 2018 – Balluff has expanded its family of rugged steel-faced inductive proximity sensors to include additional models in the M18 tubular form factor.

October 29, 2018 – JVL has developed a new high-capacity integrated servo MAC motor with rating of 3000W.

November 8, 2018 – The Ontario government is investing $13.2 million into its pre-apprenticeship training program for future skilled trades workers.

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.

October 25, 2018 – Give and Go Prepared Foods Corporation, a manufacturer of baked goods, has been fined $60,000 by the Ontario Ministry of Labour after a worker was permanently injured at Give and Go's Brampton, Ontario plant.

October 25, 2018 – Each year, Workplace Safety North (WSN) – the provincial health and safety association for mining, forestry, and paper, printing, and converting sectors – recognizes Ontario workplaces with a strong safety culture.

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 injuries 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.

November 8, 2018 – Information technology proliferation on the plant floor is transforming industrial manufacturing, driving innovation and providing countless benefits. Manufacturers are experiencing increased productivity, improved product quality, enhanced customer satisfaction and, ultimately, a better bottom line.

November 7, 2018 – Low margins, intense competition, and risk aversion in the digital era have become a formula for disruption in industrial manufacturing. So, how are you ensuring that your organization is on the right path not only to survive, but also to gain the digital edge over competitors?

November 6, 2018 – Robots are well on the way to becoming ubiquitous in manufacturing, where they are having an impact on the work environment and on jobs themselves. But what does this new world of work look like? How does it divide work up between humans and machines? And how might robots help create attractive jobs for people with disabilities so they can be participate in the workforce?

November 6, 2018 – Eastman Kodak and Evolve Additive Solutions have announced a technology partnership to further additive manufacturing.

November 5, 2018 – Advantech launched its newest IoT platform structure WISE-PaaS 3.0 and 32 IoT solution-ready (SRP) packages co-created with software and industry partners at the first Advantech IoT Co-Creation Summit last week in Suzhou, China.

November 2, 2018 – Canada is poised to become a future leader in robotics with the right government support in place, according to a recent study conducted by CATAAlliance and Sciencetech.

October 31, 2018 – Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC) has created EMC Secure, a new program for small and medium-sized manufacturing businesses to develop cybersecurity resources. 

October 31, 2018 – Universal Robots has had a big year. After creating the world’s first commercially viable collaborative robot (cobot) arm a decade ago, the Denmark-based manufacturer, owned by Boston automation supplier Teradyne, remains the biggest player in the industry with 60 per cent of the market share.

October 24, 2018 – The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) has launched the IIC Resource Hub, a new interface to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) industry resources.

October 23, 2018 – The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) has released the 2018 edition of the World Robotics Report, which shows that a new record high of 381,000 units were shipped globally in 2017 – an increase of 30 per cent compared to the previous year.

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.

November 12, 2018 – It is easy for me to identify the “true all-stars” on the teams I worked with over the years. They were the performers that not only got things done, but that products, divisions, and even companies were built upon. Some were diamonds in the rough, discovered along the way. Some were fresh graduates with that certain “spark.”

October 22, 2018 – It is official: recreational marijuana is legal in Canada with effect from October 17. With that comes a patchwork of jurisdictional laws establishing where and how marijuana products will be sold and used by consumers.

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.

November 12, 2018 – A Bombardier-Alstom consortium says it will supply Montreal's transport agency with 153 more Azur metro cars in an order approaching a half-billion dollars.

November 7, 2018 – POSITAL FRABA, a manufacturer of industrial position and motion sensors, has upgraded its facilities for producing Wiegand sensors.

November 1, 2018 – General Motors will attempt to cut costs by offering buyouts to about 18,000 white-collar workers in North America.

October 29, 2018 – ABB has announced that it is investing US$150 million to build what it says is the world's most advanced, automated and flexible robotics factory.

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.

November 7, 2018 – Parmalat Group says it has reached an agreement valued at $1.62 billion to acquire Kraft Heinz Canada's natural cheese division.

November 5, 2018 – Irving Pulp & Paper Limited was ordered to pay a $3.5 million penalty after being sentenced today in connection with three offences under the federal Fisheries Act.The New Brunswick Provincial Court in Saint John rendered the decision, which was the maximum allowable penalty.

October 30, 2018 – Emerson has completed a $73 million contract for automation systems and cloud engineering services at North West Redwater Partnership's new Sturgeon Refinery in Alberta.

October 25, 2018 – Resolute Forest Products Inc. has announced $40 million in investments at its Northwestern Ontario operations, in addition to $13.5 million in major maintenance repairs and the creation of 25 new 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.