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Industrial robots

Universal Robots delivers high double-digit growth again

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Jürgen von Hollen, the new president of Universal Robots
Jürgen von Hollen, president of Universal Robots

Universal Robots has continued its rapid expansion worldwide with a growth rate of 62 per cent from 2015 to 2016.

The company that pioneered and commercialised collaborative robot technology continues to leverage its first mover advantage and market leadership position.

Cage-free, user-friendly collaborative robots of all sizes have now become the market driver within industrial robotics.

The 2016 annual result of Universal Robots is a testament to that market growth, with revenue reaching $98.4 million and delivering a profit of $13.7 million before tax.

President of Universal Robots, Jürgen von Hollen, considers net income to be satisfactory and expects revenue growth of 50 per cent or greater in 2017, which means that the company will stay on target to reach $148.6 million by the end of 2017. [Read more…] about Universal Robots delivers high double-digit growth again

Stäubli launches new collaborative industrial robot

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staubli tx cobot TX2-60

Stäubli has unveiled a new collaborative robot which it says represents the company’s “next generation of fast and precise 6-axis robots”. 

Stäubli is releasing two models of the TX2 – the TX2-60 and the TX2-60L. The specifications are listed below.

staubli teach pendant

Gerald Vogt, Stäubli Robotics general manager, Germany, says: “The new machines are lighter in weight and therefore more dynamic and more energy efficient.

“Safety was a main criterion for the development team.

“In this regard, it has been possible to integrate pioneering safety features that present new scope for human-machine co-operation.

“The TX2 generation is opening up new areas in which man and machine will be able to work hand in hand in the future.”

ModelTX2-60TX2-60L
Degrees of freedom66
Nominal load capacity3.5 kg2 kg
Maximum load capacity*9 kg5 kg
Reach at wrist670 mm 920 mm
Repeatability ±0.02 mm±0.03 mm
Protection class (*wrist)IP65 (*IP67)IP65 (*IP67)
Attachment methodsFloor, wall or ceillingFloor, wall or ceilling
Stäubli CS9 series controllerCS9CS9
* with specific configurations

Robot ethics: Three things industry can learn from new robotic standards

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Ethical robots

Graham Mackrell, managing director of robotic gearing specialist Harmonic Drive UK, explains the three things industry can take away from the new standard

The British Standards Institute recently released a new set of standards for the ethical design of robots and robotic devices.

The standards highlight the growing need for guidelines on robotic safety, contact with human beings, robotic deception, addiction and possible sexism or racism exhibited by self-learning artificial intelligence systems.

When science fiction writer Isaac Asimov wrote about the three laws of robotics in his book Runaround in 1942, little did he know they would one day become a reality for a world filled with robots.

From automated manufacturing plants, medical and pharmaceutical applications to military, agricultural and automotive systems, robots are everywhere in our modern world.  [Read more…] about Robot ethics: Three things industry can learn from new robotic standards

Fanuc leads rising tide of industrial automation in the US

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The ongoing global trend towards greater industrial automation is being reflected in an increase in the number of industrial robots into the US. 

According to a report by Panjiva, a global trade platform, the upswing is likely to continue.

Chris Rogers, Panjiva research analyst, says industrial robot manufacturer has been one of the leading beneficiaries.  [Read more…] about Fanuc leads rising tide of industrial automation in the US

ST Robotics launches new ‘super-fast’ industrial robot arm for $18,000

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ST R17HS

ST Robotics has launched what it says is a high speed version of their five-axis vertically articulated R17 robot arm.

The company says its new machine compares favourably to the Universal Robots UR5 model.

ST claims its new ST R17HS is one of the industry’s fastest robots. Standard tool speed is “over four times as fast as the nearest competitor”, yet it’s less than half the price, says the company.  [Read more…] about ST Robotics launches new ‘super-fast’ industrial robot arm for $18,000

Comau agrees new distribution partnership with South Korean company

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comau snj robotics deal

​Comau has selected SNJ Robotics as an official distributor in South Korea.

SNJ will offer the full robotics portfolio, representing the Comau brand and providing local customers with top level services.

In a joint statement, the three key people involved in the deal say they are looking forward to “this important step for both companies”.  [Read more…] about Comau agrees new distribution partnership with South Korean company

Kuka plans to open TechCenter knowledge facilities worldwide

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kuka TechCenter

Kuka has opened the first of its so-called “TechCenter” facilities in Augsberg, Germany.

The company says the centres are designed to provide consultation and support services for customers and partners worldwide.

In particular, the TechCenter is aimed at the development of joint solutions or the performance of feasibility studies with and for Kuka, its customers, integrators and system partners.  [Read more…] about Kuka plans to open TechCenter knowledge facilities worldwide

‘Innovative’ Škoda factory introduces human-robot collaboration with Kuka LBR iiwa

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Škoda Auto, Matador Group and Kuka have come together in the town of Vrchlabí, Czech Republic, for what they say is “a manufacturing initiative without borders or fences”.

The project is being undertaken in an automobile factory which produces direct-shift-gearbox automatic transmissions.

There, an industrial robot does what industrial robots do best: grow productivity, reduce costs and improve output quality.  [Read more…] about ‘Innovative’ Škoda factory introduces human-robot collaboration with Kuka LBR iiwa

Rethink Robotics launches ‘first-of-its-kind’ software platform

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Rethink-robotics

Rethink Robotics has launched what it describes as a first-of-its-kind software platform that connects everything in a smart factory.

The collaborative industrial robot maker says the extensible software is “redefining automation deployments and providing a gateway to the factory of the future”.

Rethink Robotics calls its software platform Intera 5, and says it “connects everything from a single robot controller, extending the smart, flexible power of Rethink Robotics’ Sawyer to the entire work cell and simplifying automation with unparalleled ease of deployment”.

Built on the backbone of the Rethink robots’ train-by-demonstration software, Intera 5 is designed to pave the way for connected manufacturing environments and helping companies build factories of the future.  [Read more…] about Rethink Robotics launches ‘first-of-its-kind’ software platform

Heard the one about the robot barista?

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Man walks into a coffee bar and says, “Waiter, coffee, black, no sugar.”

How anyone can drink coffee without milk, cream or sugar is beyond our understanding of human taste buds, but anyway…

A robot barista would not be making such judgments, and would serve up the coffee just as the man who walked into the bar had ordered it.

It might take a few years, but sooner or later, you will be served some drink or food somewhere by a robot.  [Read more…] about Heard the one about the robot barista?

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