Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Archives for October 13, 2022

BMC selects Zebra to automate operations

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Zebra Technologies, an industrial automation company, says Bespoke Manufacturing Company, an apparel manufacturer, has selected S&H Systems and Zebra’s Fetch autonomous mobile robots and fixed industrial scanners to improve visibility and productivity.

Zebra’s solution will improve BMC’s workflow visibility from the initial printing and cutting of fabric to the final phase of packing and shipping, increasing efficiency and productivity and allowing the manufacturer to scale up to meet growing demand.

BMC selected Zebra’s end-to-end industrial and robotics automation solution to enable front-line workers to focus on production. Its entire workflow logistics are delegated to Zebra’s Fetch AMRs and fixed industrial scanners which move, trace and direct workpieces to their destinations. [Read more…] about BMC selects Zebra to automate operations

ABB survey reveals re-industrialization ‘at risk’ from global education gap in automation

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A global ABB survey has revealed a growing trend in US and European businesses towards re-shoring or nearshoring operations to build resilience in the face of global challenges – but at the same time, a significant education gap in the skills necessary for these strategies to succeed.

Sami Atiya, president of ABB’s Robotics and Discrete Automation Business, says: “The world is constantly evolving – businesses are shifting existing structures and adopting new technologies to future-proof their operations for a variety of challenges and uncertainties, with robotic automation playing a key role.

“We need significant investment in continuous education to prepare our existing and future workforce to thrive in an age of robotics and automation, important not only to prepare for the widespread shifts we are seeing, but to create prosperous societies going forward.” [Read more…] about ABB survey reveals re-industrialization ‘at risk’ from global education gap in automation

Ultimaker and MakerBot complete merger

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MakerBot and Ultimaker, two of the most well known companies in the desktop 3D printing market, have completed their merger.

Under the new brand, UltiMaker, the company aims to provide easy-to-use and accessible 3D printing hardware, software, and materials for any application, driving the industry to a future state of responsible and sustainable manufacturing.

Combining both companies’ products platform under one roof, UltiMaker will continue to offer a wide range of solutions to customers, with well-established brands such as the MakerBot METHOD, MakerBot SKETCH, and MakerBot Replicator 3D printers, and MakerBot CloudPrint as well as the Ultimaker 2+ Connect, Ultimaker S3, Ultimaker S5, and Ultimaker S5 Pro Bundle. [Read more…] about Ultimaker and MakerBot complete merger

European Commission launches online ‘meeting point’ for robotics community

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The European Commission has launched a “meeting point” for the online robotics community.

TheEC says its European hub makes it possible to explore “non-technical aspects of robotics that impact society and our lives”.

Robospot: The Responsible Robotics Knowledge Hub is a platform created within the Robotics4EU project, free and open to anyone. [Read more…] about European Commission launches online ‘meeting point’ for robotics community

US Alliance of Robotics Clusters showcases at IMTS for first time

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This year’s International Manufacturing Technology Show marked the first time that three of the largest robotics clusters from around the nation exhibited together as part of the United States Alliance of Robotics Clusters, (USARC).

The shared goal of all three clusters is to amplify the solutions that the emerging industries of robotics, automation and AI are providing to the US, with critical industries facing labor shortages, aging infrastructure and supply chain problems.

“We want to help US SMEs reshore manufacturing, while showcasing our world leading technology innovations,” says a statement from USARC. [Read more…] about US Alliance of Robotics Clusters showcases at IMTS for first time

Wolfspeed to build ‘world’s largest’ silicon carbide materials facility in North Carolina

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Wolfspeed, a developer of silicon carbide technology, says it will build a new, state-of-the-art, multi-billion-dollar materials manufacturing facility in Chatham County, North Carolina.

The investment is targeted to generate a more than 10 fold increase from Wolfspeed’s current Silicon Carbide production capacity on its Durham campus, supporting the company’s long-term growth strategy, accelerating the adoption of Silicon Carbide semiconductors across a wide array of end-markets and unlocking a new era of energy efficiency.

Gregg Lowe, president and CEO of Wolfspeed, says: “Wolfspeed is the industry leader in supplying the materials required to meet the accelerating demand for next generation semiconductors and creating a more sustainable future for all. [Read more…] about Wolfspeed to build ‘world’s largest’ silicon carbide materials facility in North Carolina

Ava Robotics reveals latest autonomous security robot

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Ava Robotics, a developer of robots for workplace applications, has unveiled the latest version of its security robot at the recent Global Security Exchange (GSX) Conference 2022 in Atlanta.

The security robot, in partnership with Johnson Controls, increases workplace security and patrolling, facility inspections and event response with incredible reliability. The robot was demonstrated in the Johnson Controls Security Products “Demo and Innovation” Showroom at GSX.

This fully featured robot brings access control, video surveillance and robotics together for a comprehensive and efficient security solution, creating needed efficiencies in security operations while increasing operational competencies. [Read more…] about Ava Robotics reveals latest autonomous security robot

Cogniteam builds AI capabilities for robots on Nvidia platform

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Cogniteam has used the Jetson AGX Orin to enable AI on robots using the Nimbus Operating System.

Dr Yehuda Elmaliah, co-founder and CEO of Cogniteam, says: “The Nvidia AGX Orin is a huge leap for manufacturers and developers who want to see greater AI capabilities on their edge robots.”

Cogniteam, a robotics company and creator of the Nimbus low-code robot development operating system, has integrated the latest Nvidia Jetson AGX Orin platform into its existing robot software packets. [Read more…] about Cogniteam builds AI capabilities for robots on Nvidia platform

Smart Robotics unveils robotic palletizer for greater item stacking efficiency

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Smart Robotics is launching three freshly engineered versions of its Smart Palletizer. The collaborative robot-based palletizer is designed to optimise box stacking and is considerably user friendly – making palletizing in warehouses more resource efficient.

Eindhoven, the Netherlands, 8 September 2022: As of today, Smart Robotics, a global leader in warehouse automation and robotics, is announcing new versions of the Smart Palletizer cobot.

The new versions ensure that there are more versatile pick and place solutions available to help establish automated warehouses and optimise the quality of work for warehouse employees. [Read more…] about Smart Robotics unveils robotic palletizer for greater item stacking efficiency