Advantech U.S.A., Industrial Automation Group 1-800-205-7940 SUMMARY: The combination of declining PC prices and increased robustness of operating systems and softlogic control applications have resulted in enormous growth in PC-based control since the mid-1990s. But while the basic PC is standardized, not all PCs are equal  particularly when it comes to operating reliably in industrial environments... SUMMARY: Over the last decade, there's been an increasing trend toward the use of PC-based automation solutions. In the early 1990's, large automakers and other manufacturers began using standard PCs for machine control. Machine Automation In the solar cell manufacturing process, cells need to be loaded into each in-line system and then unloaded after the process is complete. In order to properly handle these cells, the position control of the conveyor belt and robotic machines must be highly accurate, or there can be significant risk of damaging the cells or ruining an entire batch. Advantech PAC products helped create a solution for this complex solar cell loader/unloader project, which was aimed at reducing wiring costs and improving the reliability of communication. Automatic and highly accurate weighing & packaging machines are critical for many sectors, like pharmaceutical, medicine, food & beverage, jewelry, gold, silver, and more. After the weighing process, a conveyor system will transport the material to the packaging system. In recent years, these automatic weighing & packing devices have started to include intelligent features such as flexible orders and more detailed production systems. One client of Advantech 's was looking to upgrade their weighing and packaging machinery with a powerful PAC to achieve high-precision driving with high-end capabilities. Integrated circuit (IC) packaging is the final stage of semiconductor device fabrication, followed by IC testing. In IC packaging and test machines, providing a total solution from wafer probes, manufacturing, packaging, and testing to module assembly is the key to success. One machine maker wanted to develop advanced process technology for IC manufacturing, including thermally enhanced packages, flip chip packages and wafer bumping. They teamed up with Advantech to create a total solution, enabling them to vertically link up activities across the manufacturing value chain. An automated guided vehicle (AGV) is a mobile robot that follows markers or wires in the floor, or uses vision or lasers. They are most often used in industrial applications to move materials around a manufacturing facility. One of our customers was looking to build an AGV for use in their warehouse that could integrate sound, light, and computer technologies which could be programmed to communicate with other robots to ensure products are moved as intended throughout the warehouse, whether to be stored for future use or sent directly to shipping areas. Transmissions are one of the most essential components of an engine, increasing and reducing engine speed by increasing torque. Transmissions are also used on bicycles, fixed machines, and anywhere else rotational speed and torque needs to be adapted. Often, a transmission will have multiple gears with the ability to switch between them as speed varies. In order to make sure that transmissions are suitable for the variety of conditions that drivers will encounter in everyday use, they must be thoroughly tested under the most strenuous conditions. A machine equipment manufacturer in Singapore that manufactures laser processing machines was developing a system for marking and labeling finished disk media. Instead of using a conventional laser scribe to cut into the delicate disk surface, they wanted to create a system that uses laser marking to avoid disk media deterioration and contamination Highly accurate weighing devices are critical for many industrial applications, especially ones that require high-precision processing. In recent years, these devices have started to include intelligent features and energy-saving functions such as measured electrical data, computing, network communication, real-time automatic control, automatic device adjustments and system self-diagnostics. One client of Advantech's was looking to upgrade their jewelry weighing and packaging machinery with a powerful PAC to achieve high-precision driving with high-end capabilities. In the global electronics manufacturing market, multi-axis ceramic resistor test machines are widely used for quality testing and screening of micro-electronic components. Supported by various programs, these systems can realize diverse signals and integrate a wide range of functions and devices with real-time control such as motion, HMI and advanced testing instruments. The system highlighted in this application was created by Advantech to support dynamic displays and self-diagnostic functions. This combination of features has helped improve the system, increasing production efficiency and quality. A stator is the stationary part of a rotor system, such as in an electric generator or electric motor. External rotor stator winders are used for automated coil winding in the manufacturing of such devices, such as portable electric tools, small electric generators, and electromotors in vehicle engines. This external rotor stator winding machine was built with the help of Advantech, combining motion control and HMI to provide animated displays and self diagnostic functions.