Robotics & Automation News

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Industrial robots

Pick robot launched for warehouse automation

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SSI Schaefer has launched a new robot, SSI Robo-Pick, for warehouse automation that can carry out up to 2,400 picks per hour. The company claims it is the first fully automatic picking robot.

Picking,or putting together an individual item selection for a customer, is the most demanding task of warehouse automation.

All attempts to make order picking through pick automation more cost-effective and simpler have so far failed because of the lack of flexibility in image processing, says the company.

[Read more…] about Pick robot launched for warehouse automation

Universal Robots to show mobile Plug-and-Produce solutions at Hannover

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At the Hannover Messe 2018, Universal Robots will be demonstrating how ‘Plug-and-Produce’ facilitates simple and flexible automation solution implementation.

The collaborative robots company will be displaying practical application examples to show how integrated components are allowing companies to meet challenges, such as a growing variety of products and increasingly flexible batch sizes. Most of the applications’ accessories come from the Universal Robots+ ecosystem.

It will also show three UR3 robots that collaborate to screw torches together, insert a battery, and subsequently use a laser to label the lamps – an example of how complex applications are easy to automate with UR+ components (e.g., grippers from Schunk and Dahl, a laser from Telesys, and a force-torque sensor from OptoForce).

[Read more…] about Universal Robots to show mobile Plug-and-Produce solutions at Hannover

Demand for industrial robots to treble in automotive industry

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The automotive industry’s demand for industrial robots is forecast to treble in the next seven years, according to a new report. 

The auto industry has always been the biggest buyer of industrial robots, accounting for almost half of all units sold in North America, according to the International Federation of Robotics.

Now, a forecast by Grand View Research suggests the automotive robotics market will grow to $13.6 billion by 2025.  [Read more…] about Demand for industrial robots to treble in automotive industry

Hanwha partners with PBA Group to open collaborative robot production facility in Singapore

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Hanwha Robotics, part of the South Korean industrial giant Hanwha Group, is partnering with engineering company PBA Group to open a collaborative robot production facility in Singapore. 

The facility will be located at Yishun Industrial Park on the tiny island city-state, according to ChannelNewsAsia.com.

PBA is a Singaporean company and has also reached an agreement with local engineering giant ST Kinetics – part of the group which recently bought Aethon – covering a wide range of activities relating to robotics and automation projects.  [Read more…] about Hanwha partners with PBA Group to open collaborative robot production facility in Singapore

Mecademic sells ‘almost 200’ of its tiny industrial robots

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Mecademic has sold “almost 200” units of its tiny industrial robot, according to a source close to the company. 

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source claims he spoke to someone at the company and that they told him that business was going “well”.

The startup company, which currently has fewer than 10 employees, is hiring more people to cope with increasing demand.  [Read more…] about Mecademic sells ‘almost 200’ of its tiny industrial robots

Flexible ‘robot hands’ pack delicate herbs

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It takes great finesse to cultivate and deliver tasteful, fresh herbs. It requires intelligent automation to ensure that production is efficient, competitive, and creates a good work environment.

That is why Denmark’s largest producer of herbs and mini plants, Rosborg Food Holding, chose to invest in sensitive, flexible robot grippers from On Robot to handle the plants.

The use of herbs dates back to Babylon 4000 years ago. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks developed and refined the cultivation of herbs for the emerging medical sciences and culinary delights.

[Read more…] about Flexible ‘robot hands’ pack delicate herbs

Foxconn to invest $4 billion in new robotics and automation technology

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Hon Hai Precision, better known as Foxconn, is planning to invest $4 billion into increasing the amount of robotics and automation technology used in its factories, according to a report on Nikkei. 

The business news website says Foxconn’s profits are coming under pressure because of rising labour costs.

Foxconn, a Taiwan-headquartered company with extensive operations in China and around the world, is the main contract manufacturing partner for Apple, and makes the US tech giant’s iPhones and other devices.  [Read more…] about Foxconn to invest $4 billion in new robotics and automation technology

Kawasaki ‘Successor’ to expand human-robot remote collaboration

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Kawasaki Heavy Industries has a new robot system, Successor, that reproduces the movements of expert engineers through remote collaboration.

The company is first introducing the system into the robot manufacturing line at its Nishi-Kobe Works and will begin limited sales to select customers in FY2018, followed by general sales in FY2019.

Successor is a system that features newly-developed remote control devices that enable remote collaboration. Remote control will make it possible to apply robots to a wide range of fields, and the system is compatible with a wide range of Kawasaki robots.

[Read more…] about Kawasaki ‘Successor’ to expand human-robot remote collaboration

Universal Robots opens repair center in Shanghai

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Universal Robots‘ newly renovated location in Shanghai will handle all repair requests as well as house a complete inventory of spare parts for Universal Robots collaborative robot arms, servicing the entire China mainland region.

Universal Robots General Manager in China, Adam Sobieski, said: “In China, which is developing very fast, not only the system integrators but also the end users prefer just-in-time services and solutions,” he says.

With the 200 sqm new center in Shanghai and support from a local technical and application team, Universal Robots China says it is able to deliver a timely after-sales service locally.

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South Korean government to expand robotics and automation sector to $6 billion

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The South Korean government has decided to invest significant resources into expanding the country’s production of industrial robotics and automation systems so that it’s worth $6.15 billion by 2022.

This is according to BusinessKorea.com, which says the plan is intended to increase the number of small and mid-size robot makers with sales of more than $46 million to 25.

The report says government-backed organisations, academic and research institutions, as well as private enterprise will take part in the new initiative.  [Read more…] about South Korean government to expand robotics and automation sector to $6 billion