Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Archives for May 7, 2019

US Steel to invest $1 billion in new facility

by

United States Steel Corporation says it will make an additional investment of more than $1 billion into its Pennsylvania operations.

The investment will be used to construct a new sustainable endless casting and rolling facility at its Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock, Pennsylvania, and a cogeneration facility at its Clairton Plant in Clairton, Pennsylvania, both part of the company’s Mon Valley Works.

The “cutting-edge” endless casting and rolling technology combines thin slab casting and hot rolled band production into one continuous process and will make Mon Valley Works “the first facility of this type” in the US and one of only a handful in the world, says the company.

[Read more…] about US Steel to invest $1 billion in new facility

Firestone unit opens first facility in Germany

by

Firestone Building Products, a subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas, has opened its first greenfield plant in Heinsberg, Germany.

The facility, which broke ground in March 2017, employs a workforce of approximately twenty and is located in the Dremmen District of Heinsberg, Germany.

The new facility represents an opportunity to supplement Firestone insulation production in North America in order to meet the growing demand for complete roofing solutions in a global market.

[Read more…] about Firestone unit opens first facility in Germany

GM’s autonomous driving business Cruise raises another $1.15 billion

by

The autonomous driving business which General Motors acquired three years ago, Cruise, has raised more than $1 billion in its latest funding round, bringing total capital raised to approximately $7 billion.

Cruise says the equity investment of $1.15 billion is from a group comprising institutional investors, including funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, and existing partners GM, SoftBank Vision Fund and Honda.

Dan Ammann, Cruise CEO, says: “Developing and deploying self-driving vehicles at massive scale is the engineering challenge of our generation.

[Read more…] about GM’s autonomous driving business Cruise raises another $1.15 billion

AMD claims its Frontier is ‘the world’s fastest supercomputer’

by

Chipmaker AMD claims its new “Frontier” system will be the fastest supercomputer in the world.

AMD is working with the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and supercomputing specialist Cray on the system.

The three jointly announced what is expected to be “the world’s fastest exascale-class supercomputer”, scheduled to be delivered to ORNL in 2021.

[Read more…] about AMD claims its Frontier is ‘the world’s fastest supercomputer’

Chinese exporters accuse Trump of not playing by the rules

by

Chinese export companies have strongly criticized President Donald Trump for deciding to increase tariffs on imports into the US by another 10 percent, bringing them up to 25 percent for hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of manufactured goods.

Comments reported by the South China Morning Post say Chinese exporters are decrying Trump as a business “killer” who “never plays by the rules”.

One exporter, Liao Yu, who produces bags and suitcases, said: “A 25 per cent [tariff] will kill everyone.”

[Read more…] about Chinese exporters accuse Trump of not playing by the rules

Oceaneering selected to ‘digitally’ transform Pacific Drilling’s global fleet

by

Oceaneering International, Inc., and Pacific Drilling have entered into a five-year Digital Services Package agreement to provide Pacific’s customers with better reliability and improved throughput enabling streaming video and real-time data.

This will allow the provision of emerging services such as remote ROV piloting, surveying, and automation aboard Pacific Drilling’s high-specification drillship fleet.

As a result of these efforts, Pacific Drilling’s customers can benefit from higher security, increased access and management of third parties as well as new and expanded digital services.

[Read more…] about Oceaneering selected to ‘digitally’ transform Pacific Drilling’s global fleet

Ekso Bionics in $100 million joint venture to develop the exoskeleton market in Asia

by

Ekso Bionics, Inc. is to establish a joint venture to develop and serve the exoskeleton market in China and other Asian markets and to create a global exoskeleton manufacturing centre.

It will partner with Zhejiang Youchuang Venture Capital Investment Co., Ltd (ZYVC) and Zhejiang Silicon Paradise Asset Management Group.

The joint venture will develop, sell and support exoskeleton products into China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia, and will be capitalized at greater than $100 million over its term.

[Read more…] about Ekso Bionics in $100 million joint venture to develop the exoskeleton market in Asia

Komatsu develops electric mini excavator

by

Komatsu Ltd has unveiled its electric mini excavator, based on its accumulated technological expertise of hybrid construction equipment and electric forklift trucks.

Equipped with an in-house developed new charger, high-voltage converter and other devices, it offers excavation performance on a par with the internal combustion model of the same power output, while achieving zero exhaust gas emissions and a dynamic reduction in noise levels.

Komatsu expects a wider range of applications for this machine, including construction work near hospitals or schools or in residential areas, where contractors pay special attention to exhaust gas and noise during work, as well as inside tunnels or buildings.

[Read more…] about Komatsu develops electric mini excavator