Where Innovation Meets Imagination
Yamaha Motor has selected Siemens to provide product lifecycle management software to support its digitalization initiative.
Yamaha will deploy the Siemens’ Teamcenter portfolio across all development divisions of their key business, motorcycle products.
Siemens claims Teamcenter is “the world’s most widely used digital lifecycle management software”. [Read more…] about Yamaha Motor opts for Siemens product lifecycle management to digitalise industrial processes
Energy technology company Itron is to acquire industrial internet of things company Silver Spring Networks for more than $800 million.
The two companies have signed a definitive agreement for Itron to acquire all outstanding shares of Silver Spring for $16.25 per share in cash.
The transaction is valued at approximately $830 million, net of $118 million of Silver Spring’s cash. [Read more…] about Itron buys Silver Spring Networks for close to a billion dollars
The Industrial Internet Consortium has launched what it calls the Smart Factory Machine Learning for Predictive Maintenance Testbed.
The testbed is led by two companies, Plethora IIoT, and Xilinx.
IIC says the testbed explores machine-learning techniques and evaluates algorithmic approaches for time-critical predictive maintenance. [Read more…] about Industrial Internet Consortium launches smart factory machine learning platform
HIT Robot Group, one of China’s leading manufacturer of robots, has launched an industrial robotics tutorial platform.
HRG says Haidu Academy is designed to help learners of different levels to improve their industrial robot-operating skills on various brands.
China is the largest and fastest-growing robot market in the world.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, in the first seven months of 2017, 71,600 industrial robots were produced in China, accounting for more than 30 percent of global output during the period.
Statistics also suggest an increasing demand for skilled workers. The Ministry predicts that China will need 200,000 skilled workers to operate industrial robots as of 2020.
[Read more…] about HRG launches industrial robotics tutorial platform
ABB has a significant lead in the industrial robotics and automation market in China, but it seems somewhat wary of Kuka.
The company recently decided it would double its investment in its research and development facility in China, and effectively make it the company’s global R&D HQ.
ABB currently employs 17,000 people in 139 cities in China. Its robotics division, though huge by itself, is just one part of the Swiss multinational engineering company.
Speaking to Bloomberg, ABB CEO Ulrish Spiesshofer says: “ABB is ahead of Kuka globally, we are ahead of Kuka here in the market and our ambition is to stay so.” [Read more…] about ABB doubling investment in China to see off challenge from Kuka and surpass Fanuc
Kawasaki Robotics is planning to manufacture significantly more robots this year than it did in previous years, according to a report on Nikkei.com.
The company is investing an extra $1 million in its Chonqing facility to increase robot production capacity.
The parent company, Kawasaki Heavy Industries employs around 35,000 people. [Read more…] about Kawasaki planning to manufacture more robots, possibly a collaborative one
Challenged with a hard-to-find human workforce, family owned company brings in a robot
Family-owned furniture manufacturer Moduform has given a job to Rethink Robotics’ Sawyer collaborative robot at its Fitchburg, Massachusetts facility.
Faced with a shortage of workers, Moduform brought in Sawyer to fill that gap.
The company says utilising the collaborative robot is also helping to improve innovation, create better jobs for existing employees and meet market demands in the furniture manufacturing industry. [Read more…] about Moduform puts Rethink Robotics collaborative robot to work making furniture
Scientists at the University of Illinois, in the US, have presented agricultural robot technology which they say can save significant amounts of time and money in farm labour costs.
The TerraSentia mobile robot for precision agriculture is being marketed by a startup company called EarthSense, presumably a spin-out from the university.
Developed with support from the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy, the TerraSentia costs $5,000. [Read more…] about University of Illinois presents its TerraSentia farming robot to investors
Engineering giant Siemens is establishing a robotics research and development centre in China.
The company says the facility will be a global research centre in autonomous robotics, and is part of its innovation strategy to “master technology fields that are critical for future success”.
Worldwide, Siemens is planning to spend $6 billion this year on R&D, and China is likely to represent a significant portion of that budget.
Siemens says the global research community in its China R&D centre will comprise experienced experts from around the world will focus on:
[Read more…] about Siemens to establish global robotics research and development centre in China
Synova, a provider of advanced laser cutting systems, has developed a new Computer Numerical Control machine with 5-axis capability to satisfy stringent technical requirements in the aerospace and energy sectors.
As engine manufacturers continuously seek to improve performance, high-quality machining of turbine engine components and process stability in production are critical to success.
The new MCS 500 with water jet guided Laser MicroJet technology allows precise and fast 2D and 3D laser cutting and drilling of hot section components used in modern jet engines and industrial gas turbines with high repeatability. [Read more…] about Synova launches five-axis CNC for 3D machining and hole-drilling
