Archives for October 7, 2019

Traton plans to invest more than €1 billion into autonomous and digital innovations

Traton, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, says it plans to invest more than €1 billion into autonomous and digital innovations.

Andreas Renschler, Traton CEO and member of the board of management at Volkswagen, says: “We want to move into the digital fast lane and are continuing to evolve from a hardware supplier to a provider of software and services.”

Traton says it is making strides with networked vehicles, logistics, and autonomous driving. [Read more…] about Traton plans to invest more than €1 billion into autonomous and digital innovations

Nissan teaches robots to make replacement parts for old cars

Breakthrough could mean parts for discontinued models become more widely available for customers

Nissan has developed a new way to use robots to make car parts out of sheet steel, a breakthrough that could make replacement parts for discontinued models more widely available for customers.

Nissan hopes to commercialize the proprietary technique, known as dual-sided dieless forming. The technique involves two synchronized robots working from opposite sides of a steel sheet, using diamond-coated tools to gradually shape the steel.

Thanks to its flexible production, short lead times and minimal upfront costs, the new technique could make it commercially viable to produce and sell a wide variety of after-service and replacement parts in small volumes for cars that Nissan no longer makes. [Read more…] about Nissan teaches robots to make replacement parts for old cars

BMW shows off sporty version of electric and autonomous concept car

BMW has been showing off the sporty version of its electric and autonomous concept car, which it calls Vision M NEXT (main picture).

The BMW Vision M NEXT was one of the highlights at the #NEXTGen Event held at BMW Welt in Munich.

Visitors to the IAA Cars 2019 show were also treated to a glimpse into the electrified future of the BMW M brand (pictured below). [Read more…] about BMW shows off sporty version of electric and autonomous concept car

Formant launches cloud platform to manage robot fleets

Formant, a San Francisco-based startup, has launched its new cloud robotics platform, which enables businesses to automatically collect and analyze robotics data.

By centralizing all application data in a single web user interface, Formant allows business teams, operators, and engineers to improve the efficacy of their robotic workforce.

Jeff Linnell, CEO of Formant.io, says: “Robots are leaving the factory and adventuring into our world. They could use some guidance. This release facilitates this journey by enabling robot fleets to thrive through human observability and assistance.” [Read more…] about Formant launches cloud platform to manage robot fleets

Controlling complexity: Powerful new tech tools are bringing lean manufacturing principles to life

By Dan McKiernan, president of eFlex Systems

Lean manufacturing principles and practices aimed at minimizing waste and maximizing productivity, have been shaping the manufacturing sector for decades now.

The necessary end-goal for manufacturers is to ensure that products are built correctly, every time, even when changes are made in-process.

While this goal is nothing new, the rise of complexity and customization challenges presents a constant counterpressure against the continuing push for improved consistency and quality. [Read more…] about Controlling complexity: Powerful new tech tools are bringing lean manufacturing principles to life