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Rolls-Royce to open new research facility in US

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rolls-royce purdue
Rolls-Royce will house an R&D group for its jet engine component research in a 40,000-square-foot facility in the Purdue Research Park Aerospace District in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Purdue Research Park image)

Rolls-Royce is to open a new research and development centre in the US. The company formally received the keys to the 55,000-square-foot facility in the Purdue Research Park Aerospace District in West Lafayette. 

Purdue Research Foundation and Rolls-Royce are scheduled to celebrate the building’s opening late March.

David Waggoner, head of programs, customer and operations, control systems in North America for Rolls-Royce, says: “This facility is a great opportunity for us to create something unique to North America but also unique to Indiana, and allow us to strengthen our partnership with Purdue.  [Read more…] about Rolls-Royce to open new research facility in US

New $10,000 collaborative robot can build copies of itself

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FRANKA EMIKA industrial robot
The Franka Emika industrial robot

The makers of a new, collaborative robot called Franka Emika say the machine could build copies of itself. 

In an article published in the IEEE magazine, the robot’s creator, Sami Haddadin, is quoted as saying “there will be Frankas building Frankas”.

The article also suggests that Franka’s price is around $10,000 – and reveals the prices of other collaborative robots:

  • Rethink’s Sawyer ~ $30,000; and
  • Universal Robots’ best-selling UR5 ~ $35,000.

The collaborative robots market is currently dominated by Universal Robots, which has sold so many robots, it’s made it on the list of industrial robot manufacturers with the largest install base, with approximately 10,000 sold worldwide so far.

Full article on IEEE Spectrum

Reassuringly expensive gear: Overcoming the challenges of the packaging industry

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Graham Mackrell, managing director of precision gearing specialist Harmonic Drive UK, explains actuators, boots and socioeconomic unfairness 

As a famous fictional policeman once said, “The reason that the rich were so rich… was because they managed to spend less money”. 

What he meant was that although the rich may buy more expensive things, they buy products that will last longer and are therefore a better investment.

Although the policeman in question was referring to boots at the time, the same is true of cars, phones, and even servo actuators used in packaging machines.  [Read more…] about Reassuringly expensive gear: Overcoming the challenges of the packaging industry

Foxconn to replace all humans with robots

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Hon Hai Precision, better known as Foxconn, says it will replace all its human workers with robots, according to a report in Futurism.com. 

Quoting DigiTimes.com, Futurism says Foxconn has announced a three-part plan to fully automate its factories in the hope of achieving 30 per cent automation by 2020.

Foxconn currently has about 40,000 robots – or Foxbots – working in its factories. The company says it has the capacity to produce 10,000 Foxbots a year.  [Read more…] about Foxconn to replace all humans with robots

US manufacturing growing at ‘fastest rate in two years’

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robots

The US manufacturing sector is growing at the fastest rate it has in more than two years, according to calculations produced by the Institute for Supply Management and published in Forbes, among other media. 

The Manufacturing ISM Report on Business figures show December was the best month for manufacturers in 2016. More components and parts were ordered this month than previous ones.

The ISM report is a survey sent out to a “manufacturing committee”, and collating the responses revealed that “of the 18 manufacturing industries, 11 are reporting growth in December”, according to ISM.

The ISM adds: “Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in December, and the overall economy grew for the 91st consecutive month.”

More details at ISM’s website

Siemens says it wants to strengthen its position as a ‘digital company’

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Siemens is expanding its open platform “Siemens Cloud for Industry” to form the basis of new digital business models for industrial companies. The new Connector Box is a Simatic IPC-based cloud gateway that transmits machine and system data easily and securely to the Cloud.

One of the largest engineering companies in the world – famous for making humungous, physical things for the real world – is increasingly enthusiastic about the digital world

Siemens says it aims to achieve double-digit annual growth in digital business every year through to the next decade. 

The company expects its software business, and its digital services and platforms to be the main growth drivers.

Its MindSphere cloud-based, open operating system was recently rolled out companywide, which has transformed many of the processes at Siemens.  [Read more…] about Siemens says it wants to strengthen its position as a ‘digital company’

US gives Midea green light to buy Kuka

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US approves Midea takeover of Kuka. Reuters/Wolfgang Rattay
US approves Midea takeover of Kuka. Reuters/Wolfgang Rattay

Reuters

China’s Midea said it will complete its takeover of German robotics maker Kuka in the first half of January after the United States authorities gave the deal a green light.

Midea, which launched a €4.5 billion offer for Kuka in May, said Germany’s markets regulator had approved the settlement of the transaction, allowing it to control a 94.55 percent voting stake in Kuka from January onwards.

The bid for Kuka, a high-tech robotics manufacturer, sparked controversy in Germany amid fears that key technologies were falling into foreign hands at a time when China protects its own companies against foreign takeovers.  [Read more…] about US gives Midea green light to buy Kuka

MTA 2017 to spotlight new technologies with specialised zones

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mta 2016 opening speech

In a global manufacturing outlook report, 49 per cent of manufacturers surveyed were reported to be investing six per cent of their revenues in research and development and innovation, in a push to transform their businesses.

Asian manufacturing companies surveyed exhibited the highest investment expectations, with a majority of respondents from China, Japan and India indicating they would spend more than six per cent of their revenues on technology and innovation.

Twenty-five per cent of the respondents have already poured investment in avant garde technologies such as 3D printing.  [Read more…] about MTA 2017 to spotlight new technologies with specialised zones

Robotics: The Bay Area and beyond

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san francisco golden gate bridge

By Thomas R. Cutler

While Silicon Valley is renowned for software and design prowess. The Bay Area’s four largest cities – San Francisco, San Jose, Fremont and Oakland – are teaming up to foster today’s manufacturing revival and create more entry-level and middle-class jobs.

Together, these Bay Area cities boast a robust manufacturing sector, sustaining nearly 108,500 jobs across 3,200 manufacturing companies – outpacing both the U.S. and California – and driving more than $55 billion into California’s economy.

In collaboration with nonprofit SFMade, these cities surveyed local manufacturing companies to find out what is most important for the industry; they created the first-ever Bay Area State of Urban Manufacturing Report.  [Read more…] about Robotics: The Bay Area and beyond

Manufacturing: Benefits of universal peripherals

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Benefits of using peripherals
Even drives with onboard brake choppers are not rated sufficiently for the braking demand of the application

John Mitchell, global business development manager of maintenance and repair specialist CP Automation, discusses the benefits of using a universal brake chopper that works with any inverter

There is a real danger in the specification of inverters for use in heavy-duty applications. Fresh from the manufacturer, most drives – even ones with onboard brake choppers – are not rated sufficiently for the braking demand of the application.

Non-specialist engineers face an extremely complex task when asked to choose the correct inverter, resistor and brake-chopper combination for a project.

To help counteract this problem, CP Automation recommends using an external brake chopper unit that simplifies the process of inverter selection. Where an inverter doesn’t feature a built-in brake chopper, the new CP Automation unit, manufactured to the highest standards, supplies that functionality. It’s a universal model that works with any inverter, from any manufacturer.  [Read more…] about Manufacturing: Benefits of universal peripherals