The Design Engineering Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

This episode features Product Specialist at Omron Automation, Franz Ferre, who provides an overview of the I/O-Link communications protocol. The conversation progresses from the hardware and technical specs to how I/O-Link simplifies the installation, configuration and maintenance of field devices. 

In addition, he explains how the technology’s bi-directional communication, remote parameter configuration and data collection capabilities enables the implementation of IIoT and manufacturing data analytics.

www.omron.ca

This episode features an interview with Greg Dieck, product manager for motion control at Omron Automation - Americas. 

Drawing on his decades of experience as an engineer in the automation industry, Greg delves into what sets a pure play motion controller apart from other controller types (such as PLCs, machine automation controllers and IPCs), while taking into account the increasingly gray area between them. 

In addition, he discusses the trends guiding the present and future of motion control technology and lays out what a cutting-edge motion controller is capable of.

https://automation.omron.com

This episode features Jonathan Lussier, Director of Business Development of Kinova Robotics, a Montreal-based designer and developer of assistive, research and industrial robots.

During the interview, Jonathan details the features and capabilities of the company's latest release, the six-axis Link 6, and explains what distinguishes it from other cobots on the market.

www.kinovarobotics.com

This episode features award-winning Canadian business economist Jayson Myers, who serves as CEO of NGEN, the industry-led, non-profit organization that shepherds Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster.

During the interview, Jayson discusses Canada’s manufacturing supply chain, the challenges it faces and an initiative (lead by Martinrea, ThinkData and Palantir) to leverage artificial intelligence to make the supply chain less susceptible to disruptions like the COVID pandemic.

www.ngen.ca

This episode features an interview with John Hepburn, CEO of Mitacs, the Canadian not-for-profit that pairs private companies with research specialists at Canadian universities to drive innovation.

During the conversation, John delves into the organization’s history, explains how the Mitacs program works, and reveals how companies can affordably leverage Canada’s academic R&D expertise.

www.mitacs.ca  https://www.mitacs.ca/en

This episode features Mike Curry, Director General – Ontario for the National Research Council’s Industrial Research Assistant Program (IRAP), Canada's leading innovation assistance program for small and medium-sized businesses. In this episode, Mike explains how the IRAP program works, details how the program assists companies beyond just funding and gives practical advice on how to get a project accepted.

This episode of the Design Engineering Podcast continues the conversation with Mecademic Robotics co-founder, Ilian Bonev, about the company’s Meca500 six-axis robot.

In part 2, Ilian explains which applications the Meca500 is best suited for, details the challenges of singularities in six-axis robots, and provides a sneak peak of the company’s up-coming high-speed SCARA robot.

This episode of the Design Engineering Podcast features the first half of an interview with Mecademic Robotics co-founder and co-owner, Ilian Bonev. The Montreal-based company is known for its Meca500, the market’s smallest 6-axis robot, which has experienced a meteoric rise in the automation market in recent years.

In part 1, Ilian provides an overview of the Meca500, describes the robot's unique capabilities and delves into the advantages (and challenges) 6 degrees-of-freedom robots in general.

In part 2 of this episode on the ctrlX Core, Bosch Rexroth product manager, Allen Tubbs, explores how the machine controller fits into the company’s larger ctrlX Automation ecosystem, as well as how it can serve as a manufacturer's first step toward an IIoT digital transformation.

Product manager, Allen Tubbs, takes a deep dive into Bosch Rexroth’s CtrlX Core controller, including the Linux-based platform’s specs and capabilities, as well as its novel “smart-phone-like” approach to automation.