With force & compliance control you are able to set a path and program the robot to be compliant to a particular force in a determined axis. See why that is beneficial.
Articles and White Papers
Automation
Why choose Cross Automation as your Integration Partner? When looking for a manufacturing automation integration partner, we know you have a lot of choices. So why partner with Cross? Speed We know when you come to us, you have a pain point and need it solved as soon as possible.…
Why use a linear shaft motor instead of a U-shaped linear servo motor? With an independent review of energy efficiency, this article discusses the benefits of using linear shaft motors in place of linear servo motors.
A common trend in the industrial automation and robotics industries is looking for electric alternatives to pneumatic components. What is the benefit of switching from pneumatic to electromechanical actuators? Take a look at our top 5 benefits to see why it might be right for your operation.
Solenoid valves used in air manifolds can be direct acting or pilot operated. In the case of a direct acting solenoid valve, the coil acts directly on the valve spool to actuate it. In the case of a pilot operated solenoid valve, it uses system air pressure as a pilot to actuate the spool.…
Vertical Loads: When And How Should Brakes Be Used On A Linear Actuator? In Motion Control, there are many examples of vertical applications, and the examples can vary widely. Whether it’s a packaging gantry or a robot end effector, linear actuators commonly are used to lift loads against gravity. However…
Hose and Fittings
At Cross Hose & Fittings, our top priorities are providing world-class customer service and building safe, high-quality hose assemblies for our customers. Below are some of the ways we go above and beyond to keep you safe. 1) We never mix and match hoses and fittings from different manufacturers. Using…
At Cross, we take safety seriously. Our team works hard to ensure that we manufacture the highest quality, safe hose assemblies and train our customers to do the same. However, accidents can still happen and cause serious injury. While the first line of defense against injection injury is a safely…
In many industrial systems, hydraulic fluids may come into contact with sparks, flames or could be subject to extreme ambient conditions caused by nearby equipment. When these conditions are present, hydraulic system designers are tasked with selecting fluids that will safely withstand the presence of high heat or or other…
Compressed air literally keeps your facility running, but are you wasting time and money with copper or galvanized steel tubing? These old systems are time-consuming and expensive to install, and corrode over time causing poor performance and damage to your equipment. Switching to Parker’s Transair system can help save you…
Silica, a mineral found in stone, sand, and soil can cause serious health issues when inhaled. Using equipment such as a saw or jackhammer to cut or break up brick and mortar, causes silica particles to become airborne which creates a hazardous environment. Workers who inhale these silica particles are…
Can you Mix and Match Hose Manufacturers? Cross Hose & Fittings is a Parker distributor, providing precision-engineered products that meet or exceed a variety of industry standards. Parker is synonymous with quality, and their products can be found on and around any production operation with moving parts. Although there are…
Mobile Systems Integration
When electrifying your mobile equipment, thermal management is an important consideration. The thermal management needs of electric vehicles (EV) are significantly different from those of internal combustion engines (ICE) and must be considered when planning for electrification. Why are they so different? There are two primary reasons. First, ICE vehicles…
As the trend toward electrification of mobile equipment accelerates, it is becoming increasingly apparent that simply looking at the power rating of the current Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and using that to assume battery power requirements is not enough. In most cases, this leads to an overestimation of the piece…
The short answer is, likely yes. As a mobile systems integrator, we always have our eye on the future. An important part of predicting where the market is going is watching regulations that are impacting the consumer vehicle market. One of the major regulations right now is the ZEV (Zero-Emission…
It’s no secret that the automotive market is moving towards electrification, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the industrial mobile market is also headed that way. Whether the driver is energy costs, environmental concerns, or even the need to comply with new regulations, the move to electric can be…
Testing for Mobile Electrification Components, how does your equipment hold up in the field? For mobile machine builders, the push toward electrification is growing more popular every year. Environmental regulations are frequently being released in the U.S. and a focus on process efficiency is at the forefront of the industrial…
The mobile equipment market is moving steadily towards more electrification. As this occurs there is a growing demand for quality batteries for this equipment. The inevitable debate that comes up is whether to go with traditional lead-acid batteries or lithium-ion batteries. At Cross, we believe that lithium-ion batteries are the…
Precision Measurement
A robust quality control system should have controls in place to ensure that calibration accuracies and/or expanded uncertainties are sufficiently small so that the adequacy of the measurements made is not affected. The terminology utilized for the adequacy of the measurements has evolved over the years and can be a…
Warranty claims and recalls can quickly eat into your bottom line. Not to mention the risk of serious injury to your customers when a product fails. While not all claims and recalls can be avoided, using an embedded ISO 17025 accredited calibration provider for calibration and quality control can help…
Can using a single source calibration provider help with audits? If you’ve ever been through an audit, you know that the goal is to get the auditor the information that they need quickly and get them out the door. These days everyone has too much work to do and not…
The process of servicing and calibrating a video or optical measurement system is significantly different than a traditional calibration. When looking for a calibration provider there are some things that you should be aware of so you can ensure that your equipment is well taken care of and can provide…
How often are you having to replace load cells? You may be using the wrong load cell. Do you have load cells that repeatedly fail and need to be replaced? In most applications, a properly specified load cell should last for years. Picking the wrong one for your application can…
The need for data is increasing daily. This is just as true in a weighing process as it is in anything else in today’s world. We need information, we want it to be accurate and we want it fast. Real-time communication between devices, data collection, and process automation are just…
Process Solutions
In water treatment plants (WTP) ammoniators are critical in the chlorination disinfection process. The addition of ammonia is a common municipal water treatment method that ensures public water supplies are clean as possible for human consumption.
How can Cross help with your aging equipment? As your process equipment begins to age it becomes harder to operate your facility. Finding technicians and engineers who are familiar with the equipment becomes difficult. Older equipment doesn’t work as efficiently or reliably as it once did and finding replacement parts…
Are your valves lasting a year or less in your application? If the answer to this question is “yes”, then you may have the wrong valve for your application. There are several critical factors to consider when selecting a valve. Selecting the right valve for your application conditions can help…
Why you should choose FLEXIM ultrasonic meters for data centers If you are looking for flow meters for your data center, you have a number of options. If you want the most accurate and least invasive flow meter, we suggest FLEXIM’s ultrasonic meter. This equipment has several advantages that are…
When you need a valve quickly, Cross is here to help! Finding the parts you need, when you need them can be tricky. With the current supply chain issues, it can often be months before the part you need will arrive. The world of valves is no exception, but Cross…
Industrial control valves are constantly moving and therefore will wear faster than an on/off block valve. They require more maintenance than block valves and can be very expensive to replace. Proper material selection, sizing and maintenance are crucial to extending the life of control valves. Pneumatic Control Valves Pneumatic Control…
