Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Mai Tao

PPG to invest $380 million to build new US manufacturing facility

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PPG says it will invest $380 million to build a new aerospace coatings and sealants manufacturing facility in Shelby, North Carolina Construction on the 62-acre site, which will initially include manufacturing and warehousing units, is set to commence in October 2025 and is expected to be completed in the first half of 2027.

The 198,000-square-foot facility will enable the company to continue meeting the growing demands of the aerospace industry. It will employ more than 110 people and produce the full line of PPG’s aerospace coatings and sealants.

The additional capacity of this new plant, combined with nearby transport links that improve supply chain and shipping logistics, will help improve service levels for customers. [Read more…] about PPG to invest $380 million to build new US manufacturing facility

Roche and Genentech to spend $700 million building new manufacturing facility

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Genentech, a subsidiary of the Roche Group, has unveiled plans to invest more than $700 million in a new 700,000 square foot state-of-the-art drug manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, North Carolina.

The project will add more than 400 high-wage manufacturing jobs when the site is operational and more than 1,500 construction jobs during site development.

The new facility will ultimately support Roche and Genentech’s future portfolio of next-generation obesity medicines and this initial investment could expand in the future based on business needs and the US policy environment. [Read more…] about Roche and Genentech to spend $700 million building new manufacturing facility

Universal Robots introduces its ‘fastest ever’ collaborative robot

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Universal Robots has launched what it describes as its “fastest collaborative robot yet”. The UR15 boasts unparalleled motion capability and a maximum speed of 5 m/s, enabling increased productivity and reduced costs across applications and industries.

Universal Robots (UR), the world’s leading collaborative robot (cobot) company, has today presented the newest addition to its portfolio, the UR15, at Automate in Detroit. The new cobot is available for orders now with shipping to begin in June.

With unparalleled motion capability and a maximum TCP speed of 5 m/s, UR15 is the fastest ever UR cobot, enabling reduced cycle times, increased productivity and reduced costs across applications and industries. [Read more…] about Universal Robots introduces its ‘fastest ever’ collaborative robot

Mitsubishi Electric Automation’s automated machine tending solution ‘triples output’ for customer

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Mitsubishi Electric Automation, says it has provided an automated machine tending solution which has “tripled output” for its customer.

TL Aerotek was looking for an automated solution to keep up with accelerating demand and found success using Mitsubishi Electric Automation’s plug-and-play machine tending solution, LoadMate Plus.

TL Aerotek, a small-job milling shop customer, experienced a large influx of orders. To keep up with demand, they sought a solution that would alleviate labor uncertainty and help to grow the business. [Read more…] about Mitsubishi Electric Automation’s automated machine tending solution ‘triples output’ for customer

Mitsubishi Electric Automation launches new ‘high-performance teach pendant’

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Mitsubishi Electric Automation, has launched a new “high-performance teach pendant for improved operability”.

The company says the new teach pendant, R86T6, evolved from the conventional, high-performance teach pendant to deliver customizable and intuitive functions to OEMs and end users alike.

The R86TB is designed with a 10.1-inch high-definition display so that any function can be easily visible and accessed from the customizable HOME screen or page list.

Major functions of MELSOFT RT ToolBox3, Mitsubishi Electric’s PC-based robot programming software, are accessible and equipped to provide program support functions, parameter and program screens, 3D monitoring, and more.

Additional features of the R86TB Teach Pendant include data analysis and real-time monitoring to perform trouble diagnosis, secure hardware buttons for tactile and consistent operation, improved processing speeds, and security functions.

Compatible with CR800 and CR700 series Controllers, R86TB allows customers increased visibility and operability to ensure smooth operations and high performance.

Patrick Varley, product marketing manager (robots) at Mitsubishi Electric Automation, says: “We are very confident that our customers will benefit from the enhanced functionality, durability, and performance that the R86TB provides.

“The large, high-definition display makes it possible to make program revisions without needing to bring a laptop onto the manufacturing floor. We have designed it to be backward and forward compatible so that it can be used on older CR700-controlled robots as well as our current and future generations of robots.”

TSMC and Japanese partners plan to build second semiconductor manufacturing plant

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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Sony Semiconductor Solutions, Denso and Toyota have jointly announced further investment into Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing, TSMC’s majority-owned manufacturing subsidiary in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.

The four companies plan to build a second fab, which is scheduled to begin operation by the end of the 2027 calendar year. Toyota will also take a minority stake.

Together with JASM’s first fab, which is scheduled to begin operation in 2024, the overall investment in JASM will exceed $20 billion with strong support from the Japanese government. [Read more…] about TSMC and Japanese partners plan to build second semiconductor manufacturing plant

Kawasaki Robotics partners with Olis Robotics to offer remote monitoring and control of its industrial robots

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Olis Robotics, a provider of remote error recovery systems for industrial robots, has agreed a new partnership with Kawasaki Robotics, one of the leading suppliers of industrial robots and automation systems.

The companies aim to offer their customers the ability to “restart production faster, reduce troubleshooting and downtime costs by up to 90 percent, and gain access to expert support quickly”.

Olis users connect directly to their robots through an on-premises device via a secure connection, avoiding the risks and complexities associated with cloud-based systems. [Read more…] about Kawasaki Robotics partners with Olis Robotics to offer remote monitoring and control of its industrial robots

Toyota and Gideon enter strategic cooperation to develop new automated solutions

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There is an increasing demand for automation and flexible robotics solutions on the market today.

To address this growing demand, Gideon and Toyota Material Handling Europe (TMHE) are joining forces through strategic cooperation on the development of new automated solutions.

Toyota Material Handling is the largest entity of Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO), the global leader in industrial materials handling. [Read more…] about Toyota and Gideon enter strategic cooperation to develop new automated solutions

Uber Eats, Cartken and Mitsubishi Electric partner to bring autonomous robot deliveries to Japan

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Uber Eats Japan, Mitsubishi Electric and Cartken have formed a partnership to provide food deliveries using autonomous sidewalk robots in Japan.

Robot deliveries facilitated by the Uber Eats app are scheduled to begin in a select part of Tokyo by the end of March 2024.

Following successful autonomous delivery operations in the US, Japan will be the first international market to have autonomous delivery available on the Uber Eats platform and can be leveraged for expanded opportunities in the Japan market. [Read more…] about Uber Eats, Cartken and Mitsubishi Electric partner to bring autonomous robot deliveries to Japan

Tokyo university finds way to use deep learning to predict ‘exciting materials’

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The method identifies magnetic materials solely based on their crystal structure, eliminating the need for time-consuming experiments and simulations

Single-molecule magnets (SMMs) are exciting materials. In a recent breakthrough, researchers from Tokyo University of Science have used deep learning to predict SMMs from 20,000 metal complexes.

The predictions were made solely based on the crystal structures of these metal complexes, thus eliminating the need for time-consuming experiments and complex simulations.

As a result, this method is expected to accelerate the development of functional materials, especially for high-density memory and quantum computing devices. [Read more…] about Tokyo university finds way to use deep learning to predict ‘exciting materials’