Factory Automation

With over 30 years of experience in the design and manufacture of products for factory automation and industrial applications, ST can help build the factories of tomorrow with solutions that aid developers in addressing design challenges. Watch the video 

Industry 4.0 is the next phase in factory automation, connecting up the equipment on the factory floor as part of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Being able to monitor and control the equipment from the cloud adds intelligence to the process without having to update the equipment. New equipment such as industrial robots can be added to the production facilities to enhance the efficiency of the process control. STMicroelectronics can help you make Industry 4.0 and Smart Industry a reality, today. Data from all the equipment, including robots, is collected and delivered to a database in the cloud for processing. This can provide a higher level of supervisory control via a data dashboard with a real-time display of the performance of the factory automation system, with alarms triggered if thresholds are exceeded.

Industrial robots increase the flexibility of factory automation systems. Two and three axis systems can be used to increase productivity.

Accuracy and repeatability are key measures for industrial robots. Repeatability is often the most important factor, ensuring that the same operations are delivered each time as part of the production system. 

Industrial robotics uses different levels of motion control. Simple pick-and-place assembly requires repeatably in a limited number of pre-taught positions, while applications such as welding and finishing require continuous control with accurate orientation and speed. 

Industrial robots can work closely with machine vision systems and machine learning to identify the correct positioning for the robot arms without the need for training. The machine learning algorithms can help improve the accuracy and repeatability of the process, boosting efficiency.

Some industrial robots use direct drive systems, connecting directly to an electric motor rather than using a system of gears. Direct drive motors with the latest power control systems can increase the efficiency of the system by reducing the energy consumption and providing more precise control in 2 or 3 dimensions.

Robot arms with precise motors can deliver a wide range of flexible operations, replacing multiple pieces of equipment. This increases the reliability and efficiency of the production systems and can be linked to the industrial wireless sensor network. Robots and manipulators are key to help increase productivity and relieve humans from heavy, repetitive or dangerous tasks.

ST has a long-standing cooperation with leaders in the field of industrial robotics. That's why we can offer products and solutions across the entire Bill of Materials (BOM) for robotics applications, including:

• STM32 microcontrollers iNEMO modules,
• Inertial Measurement Units (IMU), 
• STSPIN motor drivers, 
• Transceivers and network processors ICs,
• Teseo GNSS positioning chips.

And many other devices and ICs, such as precision amplifiers, power transistors and battery management systems.