Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Sam Francis

Large industrial robots finding their way into smaller enterprises, says Acieta

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acieta Welding_Am120i

Mark Sumner, national sales manager for Acieta, a provider of industrial automation solutions, says large robots which used to be the preserve of mega corporations are gradually finding their way into smaller enterprises

Robots benefit manufacturers in many ways: improved quality, increased capacity and a safer workplace. That’s why sales of robot handling systems increase year after year, and it’s not just high-volume manufacturers that are buying them.

Dramatic advances in robotic technologies and lower costs are reducing barriers to implementation, making them effective in medium- and low-volume environments.  [Read more…] about Large industrial robots finding their way into smaller enterprises, says Acieta

Advantech launches WebAccess 8.2 to round out the end-to-cloud IoT applications

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advantech webaccess

Advantech has launched WebAccess 8.2 to round out the IoT applications from the end to the cloud.

Based on the previous powerful features, the latest version supports MQTT protocol and adds two new drivers (Ethernet/IP for Allen-Bradley PLC and B+B Wzzard MQTT) enabling manager/administrator/System Integrator to effortlessly integrate more on-site devices and upload the front-end data to the cloud.

In order to push product performance to perfection, Advantech has enhanced Dashboard performance in this new release to ensure stable and synchronous data transmission.  [Read more…] about Advantech launches WebAccess 8.2 to round out the end-to-cloud IoT applications

Software for smart beverage production

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Software maker Copa-Data has demonstrated new solutions for smart breweries, comprehensive energy data management, flexible batch production and efficient filling lines.

Copa-Data also says the system has interoperability with the Weihenstephan and OMAC PackML standards, as a result of which machines and equipment can be more quickly integrated into existing manufacturing infrastructures.

Emilian Axinia, industry manager for food and beverage at Copa-Data, says: “Our software innovations for the smart production of beer and other drinks… demonstrate flexible batch production using an equipment model controlled by zenon. These are smart and field-tested software solutions from soft PLC, through ISA-88 Batch Control to mobile technologies.”  [Read more…] about Software for smart beverage production

Siemens offers its employees free charging for their electric vehicles

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siemens ev charging point

Free “refuelling” at up to 100 Siemens locations in Germany, with charging stations “internationally linked”

Beginning in 2017, Siemens employees at as many as 100 of the company’s locations in Germany can “fill up” their electric vehicles free of charge. This will apply not only to all-electric vehicles but also to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

For this service, Siemens will use its existing network of charging stations, which it is expanding with normal and high-speed charging stations.

To reduce their carbon footprint, the charging points will supply electricity only from renewable energy sources. The electricity and the use of the charging stations are likely to be free for the duration of 2017.  [Read more…] about Siemens offers its employees free charging for their electric vehicles

Bossa Nova Robotics partners with Digimarc on retail product scanning technology

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bossa nova robotics

Bossa Nova Robotics and Digimarc are collaborating to automate planogram compliance by combining the two companies’ scanning and robotics technologies. 

A planogram is a visual representation of the layout of a store and the arrangement of its products.

Bossa Nova says its robot would help retailers make more strategic, money-saving inventory management decisions.  [Read more…] about Bossa Nova Robotics partners with Digimarc on retail product scanning technology

Boeing completes prototype parts for 777X wing at new billion-dollar advanced manufacturing facility

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Boeing says it has completed prototype parts for the wing of its new 777X Dreamliner aircraft. 

The company is using advanced manufacturing methods, including additive or 3D printing, in the construction of the passenger plane at its new $1 billion Everett, Washington facility.

When completed, the wing for the 777X will be the largest wing Boeing has ever built.  [Read more…] about Boeing completes prototype parts for 777X wing at new billion-dollar advanced manufacturing facility

HIT Robot Group unveils intelligently-controlled automatic jade production line

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HIT Robot Group, which claims to be China’s leading robotics developer and manufacturer, has launched a configurable and flexible automatic production line for high-precision jade processing.

This company says the intelligent production line exemplifies “a revolutionary transformation in design concept” from centralized control to enhanced decentralized control, which leads to scalable customization, greater flexibility for users, and therefore rapid response to market.

HRG says it has channelled its expertise in intelligent processing management into the new production line to achieve productivity and flexibility.  [Read more…] about HIT Robot Group unveils intelligently-controlled automatic jade production line

Nanotronics partners with Geometric Intelligence on AI for factories

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nanotronics

Nanotronics says new partnership with Geometric Intelligence will strengthen its artificial intelligence systems for factories

Nanotronics has extended a licensing agreement to continue to include Geometric Intelligence products and expertise along with its own artificial intelligence software for manufacturing. 

Nanotronics has provided AI tools for factories since 2014, and further developed its artificial intelligence with a view to making “continuous improvements in process control for industry”.

The two companies say they will “strive for provide the greatest convergence of hardware and software solutions on the market” to their semiconductor and materials science customers.  [Read more…] about Nanotronics partners with Geometric Intelligence on AI for factories

Industrial design: Prepare for product as a service

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Bob Hillier, managing director of product lifecycle management solutions provider Design Rule discusses the concept of PaaS and the software tools that can help OEMs make the move to this new sales model

Global power systems company Rolls-Royce recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of its “Power-by-the-Hour” approach to engine maintenance management.

Since its introduction, we’ve seen companies from the automotive, aerospace and industrial sectors following suit, making product as a service (PaaS) plans available to their customers.

Offering PaaS involves a complete transformation of the original equipment manufacturer business model. It returns ownership and responsibility to the OEM, which drives the need for more reliable and higher quality products being delivered.  [Read more…] about Industrial design: Prepare for product as a service

Command and control rooms: Navigating the internet of things

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spock kirk bridge
“Sensor readings, Mr Spock” … “Captain, you must make me believe in luck”

lockWho doesn’t want a control room of their own? If you grew up watching the original Star Trek series, you still might warm to the idea of something similar to the bridge of the Starship Enterprise, which wouldn’t be bad at all. 

But, sadly, things have moved on.

Star Trek may have been decades ahead of its time – demonstrating such technologies as tablet computers, flip-top mobile communicators, and of course a truly space-age command and control room – but reality has now almost caught up with the visions of the sci-fi show’s creators.

Today’s command and control rooms may still have some of the basic elements of what we saw on the Enterprise bridge, but they’re a lot more complex and sophisticated, although that’s not for an absolute certainty since we don’t have warp speed to deal with yet.  [Read more…] about Command and control rooms: Navigating the internet of things