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GM begins autonomous vehicle manufacturing and testing in Michigan

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On the heels of the signing of the Save Act legislation to support autonomous vehicle testing and deployment in Michigan, General Motors says it will immediately begin testing autonomous vehicles on public roads.

GM also announced it will produce the next generation of its autonomous test vehicles at its Orion Township assembly plant beginning in early 2017.

General Motors chairman and CEO Mary Barra, says: “Revolutionizing transportation for our customers while improving safety on roads is the goal of our autonomous vehicle technology, and today’s announcement gets us one step closer to making this vision a reality.

“Our autonomous technology will be reliable and safe, as customers have come to expect from any of our vehicles.”  [Read more…] about GM begins autonomous vehicle manufacturing and testing in Michigan

Apple to expand manufacturing in America

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apple tim cook
Apple CEO Tim Cook during a visit to the company’s facility in Austin, Texas, where the Mac Pro is assembled. Picture courtesy MacRumours.com

Tech giant Apple looks to have decided to expand its manufacturing operations in the US. The company filed a notification in the Federal Register apparently to that effect. 

A statement on the Federal Register website says that Apple already has authority to manufacture within the Mesa, Arizona region. “The new request would add finished products and foreign status materials and components to the scope of authority,” it says.

TechCrunch notes that the statement included a mention of Apple’s plan to build data centre server cabinets, which is not a consumer product Apple sells and, therefore, TechCrunch presumes, would be “used for building out its own data centers”.  [Read more…] about Apple to expand manufacturing in America

Technical insight: The brake chopper size conundrum

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brake choppers

John Mitchell, global business development manager of maintenance and repair specialist CP Automation, looks at the dangers of taking your IGBT for granted

Many drives manufacturers design and build their products with a seventh Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT), in the form of a brake chopper, incorporated into the device. 

Manufacturers often include a brake chopper up to a certain size of inverter, but beyond that size, they will expect customers to use an external unit.

However, to reduce the cost of the drive to the end user, the seventh IGBT isn’t necessarily rated to the full power rating of the drive itself.  [Read more…] about Technical insight: The brake chopper size conundrum

HIT Robot Group unveils intelligently-controlled automatic jade production line

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HIT Robot Group, which claims to be China’s leading robotics developer and manufacturer, has launched a configurable and flexible automatic production line for high-precision jade processing.

This company says the intelligent production line exemplifies “a revolutionary transformation in design concept” from centralized control to enhanced decentralized control, which leads to scalable customization, greater flexibility for users, and therefore rapid response to market.

HRG says it has channelled its expertise in intelligent processing management into the new production line to achieve productivity and flexibility.  [Read more…] about HIT Robot Group unveils intelligently-controlled automatic jade production line

Nanotronics partners with Geometric Intelligence on AI for factories

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nanotronics

Nanotronics says new partnership with Geometric Intelligence will strengthen its artificial intelligence systems for factories

Nanotronics has extended a licensing agreement to continue to include Geometric Intelligence products and expertise along with its own artificial intelligence software for manufacturing. 

Nanotronics has provided AI tools for factories since 2014, and further developed its artificial intelligence with a view to making “continuous improvements in process control for industry”.

The two companies say they will “strive for provide the greatest convergence of hardware and software solutions on the market” to their semiconductor and materials science customers.  [Read more…] about Nanotronics partners with Geometric Intelligence on AI for factories

Integrating industry with the universe

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kuka robot at hannover messe
A scene from last year’s Hannover Messe, which attracted more than 200,000 visitors

lockHannover Messe is widely regarded as the world’s leading trade fair for industrial companies – particularly those in engineering, robotics, and automation.

Held in Germany every year in April, the event attracts more than 200,000 visitors and over 5,000 exhibitors.

Considered to be the most important exhibition of its type, last year the special guests were German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and US President Barack Obama.  [Read more…] about Integrating industry with the universe

Virtual factory: Visual Components launches new version of its industrial design application

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visual components robots

Visual Components has launched the latest version of its design application which the company says offers a number of new features and capabilities. 

Visual Components 4.0 is the company’s new range of 3D factory simulation products, designed for manufacturing professionals and built on a “powerful, flexible, and scalable platform”.

The company says the new version offers:

  • smarter simulation;
  • improved user interface refresh;
  • better performance;
  • advanced rendering; and
  • open architecture.

Visual Components was founded by a group of simulation experts with long experience in industry.  [Read more…] about Virtual factory: Visual Components launches new version of its industrial design application

Startup company launches DoBot ‘industrial’ robot at CES

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DoBot Magician robot
The DoBot Magician robot from Shenzhen Yuejiang Technology

lockA Chinese startup company has demonstrated what it calls the “first industrial robotic arm for small business”, and has raised more than $400,000 on Kickstarter. 

The company describes the “DoBot M1” as a “professional SCARA based robotic arm” suitable for desktop use by small businesses, makers and hobbyists. Dobot was unveiled at CES in Las Vegas.

Manufactured by Shenzhen Yuejiang Technology, the Dobot M1 is a robotic arm with a number of extensions. The robots can also connected together to form a multi-arm system.  [Read more…] about Startup company launches DoBot ‘industrial’ robot at CES

Manufacturing: Trump tempts Toyota with tax break if it builds cars in US instead of Mexico

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toyota mexico
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto with Toyota North America CEO James Lentz last year during the start of building the facility in Guanajuato

lockAfter apparently pressuring Ford to change its plans to expand its manufacturing operations in Mexico, President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly putting pressure on Toyota to follow suit. 

Ford had intended to build a plant in Mexico, but is now applying the brakes on those plans, according to the Economist.

A couple of days ago, Ford said it would cancel its $1.6 billion project in San Luis Potosí, Mexico and instead invest $700 million in its plant in Michigan, in the US.  [Read more…] about Manufacturing: Trump tempts Toyota with tax break if it builds cars in US instead of Mexico

Tesla begins production at its Gigafactory – said to be the largest battery manufacturing plant in the world

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tesla gigafactory
Tesla’s Gigafactory has almost 5 million square feet of operational space and when it’s completed, it will be the largest building in the world

lockTesla has started making lithium-ion battery cells at its brand new “Gigafactory” in Nevada, US. 

At almost 2 million square feet, the facility is said to be the largest battery manufacturing plant in the world – and that’s just for starters.

In a statement, Tesla says: “The current structure has a footprint of 1.9 million square feet, which houses 4.9 million square feet of operational space across several floors. And we are still less than 30 percent done. Once complete, we expect the Gigafactory to be the biggest building in the world.”  [Read more…] about Tesla begins production at its Gigafactory – said to be the largest battery manufacturing plant in the world