Engineering Insights
The Mexx Engineering Knowledge Centre shares practical insights from automation, robotics, and plant engineering projects.
These short articles explore topics such as digital twin engineering, industrial robotics, and structured front-end engineering used to reduce risk in capital projects.
Many of the concepts discussed here are applied during early-stage project definition and feasibility engineering.
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Why Automation Projects Fail During Procurement
Most automation and robotics projects do not fail during installation.They fail much earlier during procurement phase. If equipment is ordered before system architecture, integration constraints, and operating scenarios are fully defined integration risks appear later in the project when they are most expensive to resolve. Common issues include: • Throughput assumptions that do not match…
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Industrial Robots Are Safer and Easier To Use Than Most People Expect
Some companies hesitate to adopt industrial robotics because they assume robots are difficult to operate or unsafe to work around. In practice, modern industrial robots are designed with multiple layers of safety and operator control.For example, robots can be manually controlled using a teach pendant with a “Deadman switch”. This allows operators to safely jog…
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Digital Twins Reduce Commissioning Risk
Automation systems are traditionally tested for the first time during physical commissioning. At that stage equipment has already been purchased, installed, and integrated. Any design errors discovered during commissioning can cause delays, redesign work, and operational disruption.Digital twin technology allows the system to be tested long before equipment is installed. A working virtual model of…
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Strategic Engineering & Feasibility Session: De-Risking Capital Before Procurement
Early engineering definition is the lowest-cost risk control available in automation and robotics capital projects. This overview explains how structured front-end engineering prevents scope creep, integration risk, and late design changes. The Strategic Engineering & Feasibility Session is a structured 90 minute advisory engagement designed to stabilise project definition before Feasibility begins. The overview below…
