Blog

Some of the most important machines in a facility are also the least documented. Many plants rely on equipment that has been operating for decades. The mechanical systems are often still reliable and the process remains important to production. Over time, however, the...

In industrial automation, speed is often treated as the primary metric of success. Faster cycles, shorter ramps, quicker confirmation. In high-pressure hydraulic and pneumatic testing, that mindset can create blind spots. We recently developed a proposed refresh...

Test systems are often designed to report pass or fail conditions. The critical question is whether those conditions truly verify the original product requirements. A common gap in engineering occurs between product specification and test implementation. Product...

Precision in automation begins well before assembly or installation. It starts with clearly defined requirements that reflect how the system is expected to perform in real operating conditions. Many automation projects fall short not because of hardware limitations,...

High-performing automation systems are built on mechanical design that performs consistently and predictably over time. Controls and software often receive the most visibility, but long-term system performance is governed by the mechanical structure that supports...

The most frustrating issues are the ones that shouldn’t be happening. You’re deep into an R&D project or working through a production bottleneck. The root cause should be clear. Instead, the data doesn’t line up. The system behaves differently under load. A fix...

Automation does not live only in control cabinets and code. In many industrial systems, the real work happens in oil lines, manifolds, cylinders, pumps, and hydraulic power units. When hydraulics and automation intersect, success depends on understanding both...

A common concern with custom automation is simple: What happens after commissioning? At Arthco, our responsibility does not end when the machine is installed. We design and build automation systems that your team can confidently operate, maintain, and support for...

Every automation system has a brain. Whether it is a hydraulic power unit, a multi-station production line, or a high-speed test stand, the control architecture determines how reliably the system operates, how easily it can be maintained, and how well it can grow in...

In manufacturing hubs across Southern Minnesota, the most consistent challenge we hear from leadership isn’t about technology—it’s about people. Too much work and not enough hands has become the baseline reality. At Arthco, we view automation as more than a speed...