Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Sam Francis

Festo and SAP combine to offer insight into the future of manufacturing

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Companies say their Open Integrated Factory is designed to help people understand Industry 4.0 concepts

What will manufacturing processes of the future look like, and what will be their defining features?

Festo Didactic and SAP created the Open Integrated Factory giving an example on how shop floor and a Manufacturing Execution System can be linked successfully in the era of Industry 4.0.

Work pieces in Festo Didactic’s CP Factory “tell” the machine how they should be processed.  [Read more…] about Festo and SAP combine to offer insight into the future of manufacturing

Comau signs new partners in the US as it showcases its industrial robots in China

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Comau is continuing on with its ambitious growth plan with the signing of two new partnership agreements in the US, and with the presentation of its industrial robotics and automation solutions at the World Robot Conference in China. 

In California, Comau signed a partnership agreement with Valencia, California-based distributor Pacific Technical Products.

Since 1985, PTP has been a provider of industrial automation products and services, and specializes in industrial automation solutions.  [Read more…] about Comau signs new partners in the US as it showcases its industrial robots in China

B&R gives its industrial PC more power with Intel Xeon processor

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B&R’s Automation PC 910 is now optionally available with an Intel Xeon processor to make it more powerful, says the company.

The new microarchitecture provides a “50 per cent increase in performance” compared to the previous high-performance Core i processors, adds B&R, which was recently acquired by industrial giant ABB.

This level of performance allows effective handling of all applications that require fast analysis of large amounts of data, such as machine vision, data preparation for cloud applications and data mining for collection and analysis of quality data.  [Read more…] about B&R gives its industrial PC more power with Intel Xeon processor

Clearpath Robotics partners with iRobot for next generation Turtlebot based on Intel Euclid Development Kit

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Clearpath Robotics, a provider of mobile robots for research and development, in partnership with iRobot, has launched the TurtleBot Euclid – the next generation all-in-one mobile robotics platform for learning the Robot Operating System.

TurtleBot Euclid is designed to be an easy-to-use and cost-effective solution for enabling students and educators to accelerate robotics learning.

Clearpath’s TurtleBot is based on the Intel Euclid platform which itself is based on the Ubuntu open-source operating system.  [Read more…] about Clearpath Robotics partners with iRobot for next generation Turtlebot based on Intel Euclid Development Kit

Defining a robot is more complex now, as market grows and diversifies

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The definition of a robot is in flux, says Tractica in its introduction to its report, Robotics Market Forecast.

Traditional robot manufacturers that have been building and supplying robots for decades have seen this industry undergo a dramatic transformation in the past few years.

Robots have either been part of popular culture and science fiction or have been the workhorses of industrial shop floors until now.  [Read more…] about Defining a robot is more complex now, as market grows and diversifies

Samsung acquires permission to test autonomous vehicles in the US

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Electronics giant Samsung has acquired a permit to test autonomous vehicles in California, according to a report by Reuters. 

The company is spending $8 billion acquiring Harman, which makes in-car entertainment technology and other car components.

Harman is what is called a Tier 1 supplier to the automotive trade, which means that they are one of a relatively small group of companies which supply parts or systems directly to car manufacturers.  [Read more…] about Samsung acquires permission to test autonomous vehicles in the US

HRG Robotics unveils products and ‘Robotics Biosphere’ vision at World Robot Conference in China

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HIT Robot Group, one of China’s leading robot manufacturers, unveiled more than 50 products and introduced its vision to build the “Robotics Biosphere” at the 2017 World Robot Conference in Beijing.

The company announced that it has successfully laid the groundwork of a unique biosphere for global robotic innovation, entrepreneurship and industry.

In his keynote speech at WRC, the company’s senior vice president Yu Zhenzhong said: “HRG Robotics is committed to building an industrial incubation platform that encompasses the robotic sector as a whole so as to realize optimized integration of all resources based on industrial layouts.”  [Read more…] about HRG Robotics unveils products and ‘Robotics Biosphere’ vision at World Robot Conference in China

PTC’s product lifecycle management bookings double over last four quarters

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PTC says bookings for its product lifecycle management software-as-a-service solution have doubled over the last four quarters.

This expansion complements PTC’s new subscription model and aligns with the recent findings of a cloud PLM study conducted by CIMdata, an independent global strategic management consulting and research authority focused on the PLM market.

According to CIMdata, 95 percent of current and prospective cloud PLM customers surveyed plan to purchase PLM Cloud in the next 24 months, while 72 percent plan to in just 13 months.  [Read more…] about PTC’s product lifecycle management bookings double over last four quarters

Product lifecycle management provider Arena receives strategic growth investment from JMI Equity

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Arena Solutions, a provider of cloud-based product lifecycle management solutions has received an investment from JMI Equity, a growth equity firm focused on investing in software companies. 

Arena describes itself as all-in-one product development platform that unites PLM, application lifecycle management, supply chain collaboration, and quality management systems.

Founded in 2000, Arena claims it invented cloud-based PLM and today provides an all-in-one product development platform that unites PLM, ALM, supply chain collaboration, and QMS for the design and manufacture of complex electronics.  [Read more…] about Product lifecycle management provider Arena receives strategic growth investment from JMI Equity

HP and Deloitte partner to provide digital technologies for industrial companies

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HP, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of computer technology, and Deloitte Consulting have partnered to provide a range of products and services intended to help industrial companies to digitise their operations. 

The idea of digitalisation is still something many industrial companies are getting used to, and it’s something that has yet to be fully realised.

Many large industrials, such as Siemens and GE Digital, have demonstrated various facets of what digitisation means, but the reality may be that it’s too big and complex to even describe in a short time.  [Read more…] about HP and Deloitte partner to provide digital technologies for industrial companies