Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Robot takes centre stage in designer retail shop window

The Bottletop shop boasts the title of world’s first zero waste store design, and has an interior that champions the use of waste plastic and advanced KUKA robotics.

The KUKA six axis industrial robot KR240 is currently in situ within a three dimensional print (3Dp) application at Ai Build, providing a means to deliver multiple, small scale three dimensional structures, that form the decorative interior at London retailer Bottletop’s flagship branch, on Regent Street.

The shop boasts the title of world’s first zero waste store design, and has an interior that champions the use of waste plastic and advanced KUKA robots. A key differentiator adopted by Ai Build; sustainable, functional construction aimed at providing clients with the quickest and most cost effective route to production.

Repeatability and accuracy, along a predefined trajectory, are key to the success of any three dimensional printed project that incorporates industrial robotics, as are reach and payload. Payload certainly when we consider the tools that might be introduced within a 3Dp application, incorporating an industrial robot; consider print heads used within additive manufacturing processes.

3Dp (three dimensional print) technology first encroached the manufacturing arena in the late 1980’s as a means to create prototypes for product development. Though back then the process of 3Dp was widely known as RP; Rapid Prototyping Technology.

Whilst the terminology has changed as the technology has evolved the primary purpose of 3Dp, or additive manufacturing, has remained the same; the rapid and flexible production of end-use parts.

Three dimensional printing has unparalleled flexibility within the manufacturing market. It presents the ability to create objects out of (almost) any material to include polymers and composites, metals and ceramics. Though this portfolio is also evolving as 3Dp is being applied to a wider spectrum of manufacturing and even construction processes.

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