Dear Valued Customers, We are pleased to announce that CBT Co. (formerly Cincinnati Belting & Transmission) has acquired the assets of FDL Automation & Supply in Sidney, Ohio. As of today, April 1, 2016 FDL Automation & Supply will conduct business under the name CBT Company. We are excited about the opportunities this presents for both organizations, our employees, associates, and most importantly, our customers. The mutual goal of both organizations during this transition is to ensure you are continually served with quality products and services.  We will continue to combine our operations in a very considered, careful manner to keep our efforts as seamless as possible to you. FDL Automation is a locally owned electrical distributor serving west central Ohio.  

Every year, tens of thousands of men and women across the United States are severely injured on the job, sometimes with permanent consequences to themselves and their families. On January 1, 2015, OSHA implemented a new program requiring employers to report any work-related amputation, in-patient hospitalization, or loss of eye within 24 hours. 

Last June, we announced we are moving our Cincinnati headquarters to 5500 Ridge Ave., in the summer of 2016. We were quickly outgrowing our West 6th Street facility and began searching in 2013 for a new location that could support our expanded product and service offerings for the next 30 years. We purchased the old Kmart facility at 5500 Ridge Ave. and developed plans for our new, 95,000 sq. ft. home. The facility incorporates a number of customer-centric features, including a 43,000 sq. ft. customer solutions center offering state-of-the-art training, demonstration, and application testing areas, as well as an expanded customer service area to help us better serve you. 

The MPI Group recently released its Internet of Things study, designed to evaluate the readiness of U.S. manufacturers to incorporate smart devices and embedded intelligence within their plants and processes. The study took a close look at executives’ plans to improve business performance via the Internet of Things and for developing and selling products with embedded intelligence. It provides a glimpse at how manufacturers hope to leverage the Internet of Things and the challenges they face to get there.

Approximately 3 million workers service equipment and face the greatest risk of injury if lockout-tagout is not properly implemented. Companies continue to struggle with this regulation – OSHA issued more than 3,000 lockout-tagout violations in 2015, making it the fifth-most cited violation. 

CBT partner Habasit has developed an engineering guide to help you master the most important aspects of the design of conveyor systems for light fabric conveyor belts. This guide enables you to confidently address issues with a positive impact on the belt’s operation and function within the production process.

While the benefits of server virtualization at the corporate data center are receiving a great deal of attention, its ability to address life cycle management issues might make virtualization even more compelling at the manufacturing plant. Along with the advantages, however, come additional challenges and risks. This article offers best practices you can use to benefit from server virtualization while avoiding mistakes that could affect the availability and performance of business-critical manufacturing IT.

A typical packaging line controlled and operated from a central location would involve an excessive amount of wiring for sensors, feedback devices, power, and much more. Smart devices eliminate the need for multiple I/O components, controller, and amplifier, and reduces the amount of cables and wiring required. Internet connected machines and mechatronics simplify the design and build process, provide enhanced functionality, and streamline commissioning, troubleshooting, and maintenance. Learn how you can cut overall costs and improve performance with smart Internet of Things mechatronics in this video from our partners at PBC Linear.