Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Industry

HP and Deloitte partner to provide digital technologies for industrial companies

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HP, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of computer technology, and Deloitte Consulting have partnered to provide a range of products and services intended to help industrial companies to digitise their operations. 

The idea of digitalisation is still something many industrial companies are getting used to, and it’s something that has yet to be fully realised.

Many large industrials, such as Siemens and GE Digital, have demonstrated various facets of what digitisation means, but the reality may be that it’s too big and complex to even describe in a short time.  [Read more…] about HP and Deloitte partner to provide digital technologies for industrial companies

Oracle and Mitsubishi Electric to jointly develop internet of things platform for smart manufacturing

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Oracle is partnering with Mitsubishi Electric to develop an internet of things platform for smart manufacturing.

Mitsubishi Electric developed its new FA-IT Open Platform for factory automation with Oracle Cloud.

Using edge computing between devices and business applications, the new platform enables the rapid collection, analysis, and utilization of data at production site, says the company.  [Read more…] about Oracle and Mitsubishi Electric to jointly develop internet of things platform for smart manufacturing

Manufacturer adoption of collaborative robots is strong and growing, says report

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New distribution channels and market entrants are expanding availability 

A recent technology survey by ABI Research of management level decision makers at manufacturing companies revealed that the adoption of collaborative robots among manufacturers is strong and ongoing.

A full 13 per cent of the companies surveyed have collaborative systems currently in operation, a significant percentage especially given that commercial class systems only became readily available beginning in 2014.

Another 15 per cent indicated that they expect to have collaborative robots at work within the next 12 months, adds the industry survey, entitle Transformative Technology Adoption and Attitudes – Robotics.  [Read more…] about Manufacturer adoption of collaborative robots is strong and growing, says report

Automotive robotics market forecast to be worth almost $6 billion by 2024

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The market for robotics in the automotive sector is predicted to be worth almost $6 billion by 2024, according to a new research report by Global Market Insights. 

Growth in the automobile industry is creating positive impact over the implementation of advanced products to meet the customer demand, says GMI.

Improved focus of vendors on automation solutions to eliminate risk factors arising from labor will spur the demand for automotive robotics, the researcher adds.  [Read more…] about Automotive robotics market forecast to be worth almost $6 billion by 2024

Huawei and Festo link up for smart manufacturing and robotics as a service based on 5G slicing

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Huawei has partnered with Festo to jointly explore the 5G network application of manufacturing and to promote the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry with 5G slicing technology.

5G slicing refers to the practice of segmenting a portion of the 5G network for a specific client or requirement – it’s like what cloud computing is to the internet.

The agreement between Huawei and Festo is based on 5G cloud robotics to test the “robot as a service” concept, or RaaS, which is part of the manufacturing digital transformation that supports the shift from mass production to mass customizing and offers value-based services in smart factories.  [Read more…] about Huawei and Festo link up for smart manufacturing and robotics as a service based on 5G slicing

Siemens to acquire driverless car software developer Tass to strengthen product lifecycle management portfolio

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Siemens has reached an agreement to acquire self-driving software specialist Tass International. 

Siemens is said to be Europe’s largest engineering company and has been on the acquisitions and investments trail for some time.

Earlier this year, Siemens spent $4.5 billion buying Mentor Graphics, a builder of electronic hardware and software solutions. Last year, it invested more than $130 million in Bentley Systems, a developer of software solutions which can show factories in digital form.  [Read more…] about Siemens to acquire driverless car software developer Tass to strengthen product lifecycle management portfolio

Large textiles company and supplier to Adidas orders Soft Wear Automation’s robotic sewing system

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The textiles industry was one of the first and perhaps most famous examples of automation, having brought in the loom that so incensed the Luddites. 

But in the centuries since, the level of automation in textiles hasn’t really changed much, and the machines could only do the relatively simple tasks.

The automation machines available to the textiles industry today can be used in many parts of the process, from cutting to overlocking and so on, but the main thing they cannot yet do with equivalent skill is sewing.  [Read more…] about Large textiles company and supplier to Adidas orders Soft Wear Automation’s robotic sewing system

Anca launches multi-robot work cell for CNC grinders

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Anca, a provider of CNC tool and cutter grinders, has unveiled its first multi-robot production cell solution.

The company says the cell enables CNC grinders to integrate several manufacturing operations into a single production line.

Anca says the single-base cell includes automated part loading, high precision grinding, and quality assurance, outproducing the previous multi-machine process while checking part quality requirements.  [Read more…] about Anca launches multi-robot work cell for CNC grinders

Collaborative robotic arms + autonomous vehicle = a new kind of animal

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In what is probably a good illustration of how innovation can sometimes be bewildering at first, industrial robotic arms are being placed on autonomous robotic logistics vehicles to create something entirely new that doesn’t yet have a name of its own, and no one really knows how to describe it in simple terms. 

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Briefing on collaborative robots, free to subscribers

But plenty of people know what it does. Or what it could do at least.

In fact, anyone who’s seen a picture of one or has read the first paragraph of this article can probably imagine what such machines are capable of.  [Read more…] about Collaborative robotic arms + autonomous vehicle = a new kind of animal

Bimba launches multi-axis electric linear robot actuator

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Bimba, a supplier of pneumatic, hydraulic and electric motion solutions, has introduced IntelliAxis multi-axis electric linear robot actuators for either X-Z or X-Y motion applications.

Employing what the company says is “a one-of-a-kind two-axis system”, the unit features a single continuous belt that serpentines around the two axes eliminating the need for a motor in the Z- or Y-axis while driving a pair of coordinated motors in the X-axis.

These configurations, known as T-bot and H-bot within the industry, permit synchronized control for complex motion movement profiles such as circles, ellipses and sine waves.  [Read more…] about Bimba launches multi-axis electric linear robot actuator