Market trends and business perspectives
Yaskawa is expanding its manufacturing operation in Sweden, according to a report on Evertiq.com.
One of the world’s largest industrial robot manufacturers, Yaskawa is investing a further €4 million into the plant at Torsås, Sweden.
The work will eventually expand the facility by 2,000 sq m and is expected to be completed by summer 2018. [Read more…] about Yaskawa invests €4 million in production facility in Sweden, and partners with Midea in Asia
ABB has installed three YuMi robots on a new production line at its electrification products plant in Ede, the Netherlands.
Designed for use in small parts assembly, the three YuMi robots will assemble a new cavity wall socket called HW52-F.
ABB says that, due to its “inherently safe” design, the YuMi collaborative dual arm robot solution will ensure the safety of those around it and elevate the nature of work at the plant by performing repetitive tasks to perfection. [Read more…] about ABB puts YuMi collaborative industrial robot to work making wall sockets at its factory in Holland
Scaled technology and functioning interfaces are essential for Swiss Can Machinery, which is why the company’s filling and packaging systems have a modular design throughout, and why it uses a product program with a scaled structure for the drive technology.
The filling and packaging systems at Swiss Can Machinery – which was established by brothers Marc and Michael Grabher – shows how this objective can be achieved.
The company turns to stainless steel motors for the actuators; for example, when these systems are used for filling and packaging pharmaceutical products. [Read more…] about Got milk? How a Swiss company builds filling and packaging systems for milk, coffee and other products
Japanese robotics maker ZMP has partnered with a taxi operator in Tokyo, as part of its plans to launch a self-driving taxi in the city in time for the 2020 Olympics, said CEO Hisashi Taniguchi.
Japan’s taxi industry, faced with a labour crunch due to an ageing population, has been looking at new technologies to drive growth. The sector may also have to deal with more competition in the future if the government allows ride-sharing services such as Uber to operate across the country.
“Autonomous taxis and the taxi industry can grow and prosper together,” Taniguchi told reporters, after announcing ZMP’s partnership with Hinomaru Kotsu. [Read more…] about ZMP partners with Tokyo taxi operator to launch self-driving cabs for 2020 Olympics
Audi has demonstrated its autonomous car – which it calls “Jack” – in a road test featuring a humanoid robot called Sophia, developed by Hanson Robotics.
Audi’s head of concept development, automated driving, Klaus Verweyen, was sitting in the driver’s seat of the car, while Sophia was in the passenger seat.
Verweyen chatted away to Sophia as though it was the most normal thing in the world. Meanwhile, Jack drove itself from Audi’s facility onto a main highway and back again. [Read more…] about Audi autonomous car tech boss chats with humanoid robot as though it were entirely natural
