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Toshiba launches new robot in Chinese market

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Toshiba Machine Co., Ltd.  has launched sales of its new THE400, a THL series SCARA robot, for the Chinese market.

The THE400 model is a high-rigidity SCARA robot which is said to feature the high responsiveness and high tracking accuracy needed in 3C (Computers, Consumer Electronics, and Communication) industries.

The THE400 model uses an all-new mechanical system design and control functions to provide accurate movement tracking combined with high-speed operation and high payload capacity, says the company. The cycle time reaches 0.3 sec (for 2 kg payload) for enabling operations, which is 19% faster than the previous model.

[Read more…] about Toshiba launches new robot in Chinese market

Opinion: Robots help close the gap between designing and making

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Andrew Watts, CEO Newtecnic, discusses the construction industry’s move towards robotics and mass-customization that brings designers and makers together for positive disruption within and beyond the industry

Digitalization, robotics and automation, have produced significant quality and productivity benefits in manufacturing over several decades.

In construction, however, while digitalization has very successfully automated design, the disconnect between designing and making is ripe for an industrial revolution.

And while innovative product manufacturers use technology to move from mass-production to mass-customization, the construction industry is only just picking up on DfMA (Design for Manufacture and Assembly) for repetitive mass production of standardized components.

This use of what can be considered an outmoded idea seems to be a retrograde step because the opportunity now exists for construction to deploy the very latest technology and thereby take the lead in manufacturing.  [Read more…] about Opinion: Robots help close the gap between designing and making

Siemens to present digital enterprise solutions at Hannover

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At the Hannover Messe 2018, Siemens will be showcasing a comprehensive series of examples which demonstrate how users can harness the potential of Industrie 4.0 by implementing digital enterprise solutions.

The focus will be on industry-specific implementation of digital enterprise solutions over the whole life cycle.

Examples from aerospace, automotive, food and beverage, electronics and machine building as well as the chemical, fiber and oil and gas industries illustrate how companies of any size and from any industry can increase their competitiveness with individual digital solutions – through greater flexibility, efficiency and quality as well as shorter times to market.

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Pick robot launched for warehouse automation

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SSI Schaefer has launched a new robot, SSI Robo-Pick, for warehouse automation that can carry out up to 2,400 picks per hour. The company claims it is the first fully automatic picking robot.

Picking,or putting together an individual item selection for a customer, is the most demanding task of warehouse automation.

All attempts to make order picking through pick automation more cost-effective and simpler have so far failed because of the lack of flexibility in image processing, says the company.

[Read more…] about Pick robot launched for warehouse automation

Universal Robots to show mobile Plug-and-Produce solutions at Hannover

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At the Hannover Messe 2018, Universal Robots will be demonstrating how ‘Plug-and-Produce’ facilitates simple and flexible automation solution implementation.

The collaborative robots company will be displaying practical application examples to show how integrated components are allowing companies to meet challenges, such as a growing variety of products and increasingly flexible batch sizes. Most of the applications’ accessories come from the Universal Robots+ ecosystem.

It will also show three UR3 robots that collaborate to screw torches together, insert a battery, and subsequently use a laser to label the lamps – an example of how complex applications are easy to automate with UR+ components (e.g., grippers from Schunk and Dahl, a laser from Telesys, and a force-torque sensor from OptoForce).

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Trump threatens to tax cars from Europe if EU retaliates over steel tariff

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US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a new tax on imported cars from Europe if the European Union takes retaliatory measures over the newly announced steel tariffs. 

Speaking through Twitter, Trump said: “If the EU wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on US companies doing business there, we will simply apply a tax on their cars which freely pour into the US.

“They make it impossible for our cars )and more) to sell there. Big trade imbalance!”  [Read more…] about Trump threatens to tax cars from Europe if EU retaliates over steel tariff

Milacron to launch biggest Roboshot at NPE 2018

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Milacron Holdings Corp., an industrial technology company serving the plastics processing industry, will have a large booth packed with technology at NPE, May 7th to May 11th.

The Milacron booth will be filled with industry technologies, including the Milacron-Fanuc Roboshot 500 – the largest tonnage roboshot ever in the Americas, says the company.

For over 30 years Milacron has sold and serviced the Roboshot machine across the Americas and has sold over 5,600 FANUC machines over that time and now announces the The Milacron-Fanuc Roboshot 500.

[Read more…] about Milacron to launch biggest Roboshot at NPE 2018

Demand for industrial robots to treble in automotive industry

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The automotive industry’s demand for industrial robots is forecast to treble in the next seven years, according to a new report. 

The auto industry has always been the biggest buyer of industrial robots, accounting for almost half of all units sold in North America, according to the International Federation of Robotics.

Now, a forecast by Grand View Research suggests the automotive robotics market will grow to $13.6 billion by 2025.  [Read more…] about Demand for industrial robots to treble in automotive industry

Faurecia to build $60 million manufacturing facility in Kansas City

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Car interiors manufacturer Faurecia is to build a $60 million, 250,000 sq ft facility in Kansas City. 

The company says the new factory will create 300 jobs.

Tim Cowden, president and CEO, Kansas City Area Development Council, says: “Kansas City offers a strong competitive advantage to growing manufacturing operations, particularly in the automotive industry.

“We are very proud to welcome Faurecia to our robust automotive cluster and look forward to the company’s success in our region.”  [Read more…] about Faurecia to build $60 million manufacturing facility in Kansas City

GreyOrange to unveil new Butler XL for supply chain automation

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Robotics and supply chain automation company GreyOrange will unveil its expanded range of Butler robots capable of managing a variety of payloads from 100 to 1600 kgs (220 to 3500 lbs) at LogiMat 2018 in Germany.

The goods-to-person Butler™ system lets warehouses run high-speed operations by automating inventory storage (putaway) and order fulfilment. It has been deployed in distribution centers in Japan, Hong Kong, India, Europe and the Americas for industries such as 3PL, e-commerce and retail.

The robotics systems handle a variety of items including apparel, home furnishing and personal care, reducing cost per shipment and enhancing productivity of warehouse operations by more than four times, says the company. [Read more…] about GreyOrange to unveil new Butler XL for supply chain automation