If you’ve ever chased a “random” leak or rattle on a line, there’s a good chance the root cause wasn’t the part. It was the bead. A few tenths of a millimeter in height, a skipped corner, or a start/stop blob can turn a solid design into a warranty headache. [Read more…] about Why Adhesive Bead Consistency Breaks Reliability in Automated Assembly
Industry
Robotics for good: Startups tackling social and environmental challenges
Robotics is most often discussed in terms of productivity, efficiency, and cost reduction. Factory automation, warehouse robots, and autonomous vehicles dominate the conversation.
Yet a quieter strand of innovation is focused elsewhere:
- on helping people live more independently;
- protecting fragile ecosystems; and
- responding to crises where human access is limited or dangerous.
This feature looks at a selection of startups and emerging technologies applying robotics to social and environmental challenges. The aim is not to romanticise the field, but to show how practical machines are being designed to solve problems that markets and policy alone have struggled to address. [Read more…] about Robotics for good: Startups tackling social and environmental challenges
ABB expands dam electrification and automation at Boliden’s Aitik copper mine
ABB has expanded the electrification and automation infrastructure at Boliden’s Aitik mine, enabling safe and efficient growth of one of Europe’s most important tailings facilities.
The upgrade strengthens water storage, recycling and monitoring capabilities, enabling Sweden’s largest open-pit copper mine to safely scale operations amid increased global demand for copper production.
According to the International Energy Agency, global refined copper demand is projected to grow by around 22 percent by 2035 under the Stated Policies Scenario. [Read more…] about ABB expands dam electrification and automation at Boliden’s Aitik copper mine
BTM Industrial to host massive online sale of industrial robots: ‘Everything must be sold, regardless of price’
Facility closure auction features more than 200 industrial robots and automated manufacturing support items and equipment
BTM Industrial, the world’s largest auctioneer of industrial equipment, is hosting an online sale of industrial robots and automated manufacturing support equipment and items, many new in box, on December 17 and 18, 2025. (See video below.)
The company is assisting a client liquidate inventory at its Chicago location, which includes more than 200 robots designed to automate tasks, such as welding, manufacturing, packaging, warehousing, and food processing.
This court-authorized sale requires the liquidation of all assets, “regardless of price”. [Read more…] about BTM Industrial to host massive online sale of industrial robots: ‘Everything must be sold, regardless of price’
Preventing Breakdowns in Industrial Centrifugal Blowers
In several manufacturing processes, industrial centrifugal blowers are very essential elements since they supply the environment with adequate air supply to cool, dry, provide ventilation, and move materials.
Due to their working under harsh conditions, these machines are likely to wear, change in their performance and sometimes fail. In case of problems, the efficiency of production may decrease and the use of energy may grow.
Learning how to troubleshoot and only solve the most common issues is the only way to ensure that everything works smoothly and the equipment lasts as long as possible. [Read more…] about Preventing Breakdowns in Industrial Centrifugal Blowers
Global Industrial unveils mobile robot stretch wrap machine to reduce forklift traffic and improve warehouse safety
Global Industrial, a national distributor and source for industrial equipment and supplies, has announced the launch of the Global Industrial Mobile Robot Stretch Wrap Machine, a self-propelled, semi-autonomous solution that enables facilities to securely wrap irregular or oversized pallets directly on the floor.
Designed to complement traditional turntable wrap machines, the Mobile Robot Stretch Wrap Machine travels to the load and wraps it in place, reducing forklift traffic and accommodating pallets that exceed standard turntable dimensions.
Its compact design and intuitive touchscreen support single-operator workflows in warehouse, manufacturing, and retail environments where floor space and foot traffic make fixed stations impractical. [Read more…] about Global Industrial unveils mobile robot stretch wrap machine to reduce forklift traffic and improve warehouse safety
IFS and Boston Dynamics combine Spot robots with agentic AI for autonomous field operations
IFS, a provider of industrial AI software, and Boston Dynamics, famous for its humanoid and mobile robots, have agreed a “ground-breaking collaboration to revolutionize how asset-intensive organizations manage and optimize their field operations”.
Uniting Boston Dynamics’ autonomous inspection robots with the power of IFS.ai creates a fully agentic AI system that seamlessly connects sensing, predictive decision-making and action in the field.
With labor and skills shortages impacting industrial customers, leading to service gaps and prolonged outages, there exists an urgent need for technology that can supplement field workers. [Read more…] about IFS and Boston Dynamics combine Spot robots with agentic AI for autonomous field operations
Forgis raises $4.5 million Pre-Seed funding to ‘rebuild the West’s industrial intelligence’
Forgis, a Zurich-based startup building the brain that makes plants autonomous, has announced a $4.5 million pre-seed funding round led by redalpine, with participation from Massimo Banzi, co-founder of Arduino, and other investors from deep tech and manufacturing.
“The West invented industry,” says Forgis in its press release, “and then forgot how to build. For decades, it outsourced factories, traded machines for spreadsheets, and watched production drift east. If Europe sparked the first industrial revolution, China is industrializing the second in the dark.”
During the last decade, China’s industrial robot stock grew from 200 thousand to 2 million, 567 per 10 thousand workers surpassing Germany, the US, and the UK combined. Forgis wants to help the West close the industrialization gap, not through protectionism, but through intelligence. [Read more…] about Forgis raises $4.5 million Pre-Seed funding to ‘rebuild the West’s industrial intelligence’
Azumuta raises €8 million to accelerate digitalization and AI-supported work instructions in manufacturing
Manufacturers worldwide still rely on paper, spreadsheets, and fragmented systems to manage shop floor processes. Azumuta, the operator-centric software scale-up from Ghent, Belgium, aims to change this.
Azumuta raised €8 million in Series A funding to accelerate development of its platform for AI-supported digital work instructions, quality control, and workforce training.
The round was led by Keen Venture Partners, with participation from Capricorn Partners and returning investors PMV, Angelwise, and Dirk Vermunicht. [Read more…] about Azumuta raises €8 million to accelerate digitalization and AI-supported work instructions in manufacturing
ADCERAX Launches Advanced Alumina Tube Technology to Support Industrial Automation and Robotics
Industrial automation and robotics are becoming increasingly dependent on materials that can withstand demanding thermal and mechanical environments.
To support this shift, ADCERAX has introduced a new generation of high-purity alumina ceramic tube technology engineered for high-temperature control, insulation, and structural stability in next-generation automated systems.
As robots move into more extreme operating conditions – industrial furnaces, precision thermal modules, semiconductor handling, and chemical processing – materials must ensure reliability at temperatures above 1500°C while maintaining dimensional precision. [Read more…] about ADCERAX Launches Advanced Alumina Tube Technology to Support Industrial Automation and Robotics