Robotics & Automation News

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Xyrec painting robot to bring a world of colour to aircraft

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Dutch robot manufacturer Xyrec has successfully demonstrated a breakthrough in aircraft painting technology by printing a large digital image on an Airbus A320 fuselage. The demonstration took place in Hamburg, Germany.

This new and unique solution for decorating aircraft uses inkjet technology for digital printing and ink instead of paint.

The printer will be introduced in Xyrec’s Automated Paint Robot for aircraft, and will be the largest robot in the world, says the company.

[Read more…] about Xyrec painting robot to bring a world of colour to aircraft

First JAL A350-900 rolls out of Airbus paint shop

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The first A350 XWB for Japan Airlines (JAL) has rolled out of the Airbus paint shop in Toulouse, France.

The A350-900 is the first ever Airbus aircraft to be produced directly for JAL and features a special A350 XWB red logo on the fuselage.

The aircraft will now proceed to ground and flight tests, before delivery to JAL in early summer.

[Read more…] about First JAL A350-900 rolls out of Airbus paint shop

Airbus’ Skyways drone trials world’s first shore-to-ship deliveries

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Airbus has begun shore-to-ship trials in Singapore with its Skyways parcel delivery drone.

This marks the first time drone technology has been deployed in real port conditions to deliver a variety of small, time-critical maritime essentials to working vessels at anchorage.

The maiden shore-to-ship delivery flight was made to the Swire Pacific Offshore’s Anchor Handling Tug Supply vessel M/V Pacific Centurion, 1.5 km from the shoreline of Singapore’s Marina South Pier, carrying 1.5 kg of 3D printed consumables.

[Read more…] about Airbus’ Skyways drone trials world’s first shore-to-ship deliveries

Airbus satellite and space technology centre begins operation

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Airbus’ Friedrichshafen site in Germany has opened Europe’s most state-of-the-art satellite integration and space technology centre, known as the Integrated Technology Centre (ITC).

The ITC, which triples the area of clean room space to 4,200 m2, is dedicated to building satellites, probes, space instruments and experimental technologies. The centre took two years to build at a total cost of approximately €45 million.

“Space flight has undergone huge positive development over the past few years,” said Nicolas Chamussy, Head of Airbus Space Systems.

[Read more…] about Airbus satellite and space technology centre begins operation

Airbus backs world’s first electric aeroplane race

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Airbus has announced a global partnership with Air Race E, the world’s first electric aeroplane race set to launch its inaugural series in 2020.

Airbus is the Official Founding Partner of Air Race E. The competition aims to drive the development and adoption of cleaner, faster, and more technologically advanced electric engines that can be applied to urban air mobility vehicles and, eventually, commercial aircraft.

Air Race E will follow a format similar to the popular Air Race 1 series of the sport known as formula one air racing.

[Read more…] about Airbus backs world’s first electric aeroplane race

Airbus adds new service Verde to its precision farming portfolio

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Airbus has launched an innovative service called Verde that delivers detailed crop analytics from satellite imagery, perfectly clipped to the field and accurately de-clouded.

Served as plug and play API to any precision agriculture portal, Verde provides reliable and quantified measures of the vegetation, consistent over time and space, whatever the satellite used.

The new service primarily addresses in-season monitoring, to help anomalies detection, optimise field scouting, irrigation, seeding, fertilisation, and crop protection.

[Read more…] about Airbus adds new service Verde to its precision farming portfolio

Airbus and Dassault Systèmes to partner on digital transformation

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Airbus and Dassault Systèmes have signed a five-year Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to cooperate on the implementation of collaborative 3D design, engineering, manufacturing, simulation and intelligence applications.

This will enable Airbus to take a major step forward in its digital transformation and lay the foundation for a new European industrial ecosystem in aviation.

Under the MOA, Airbus will deploy Dassault Systèmes’ 3Dexperience platform, which delivers digital continuity, from design to operations, in a single data model, making digital design, manufacturing and services (DDMS) a company-wide reality for all Airbus divisions and product lines.

[Read more…] about Airbus and Dassault Systèmes to partner on digital transformation

Flying cars: A ‘near-term’ vision of a world where people get around in electric and autonomous cars and drones

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Airbus and the German car manufacturer Audi have teamed up to develop what they describe as “real, near-term urban mobility solutions”, which features electric and autonomous cars and drones – sometimes operating together as flying cars (main picture and video below).

Beginning this summer, Airbus – through its on-demand helicopter platform Voom – will partner with Audi to deliver an end-to-end transportation service, starting in São Paulo and Mexico City.

This partnership will provide premium ground transportation serviced by Audi vehicles and helicopter transport via Airbus’ Voom service, allowing customers to have a seamless and ultra-convenient travel experience.  [Read more…] about Flying cars: A ‘near-term’ vision of a world where people get around in electric and autonomous cars and drones

Airbus inaugurates Hamburg’s fourth A320 production line dominated by robots and digital processes

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Airbus has inaugurated the fourth Hamburg, Germany production line for its A320 Family of jet airliners.

Making use of digital technologies and a more flexible industrial setup, Airbus says the “innovative state-of-the-art line is a key enabler for ramping up the single-aisle programme to 60 aircraft per month by mid-2019”.

Frank Horch, Hamburg’s senator of economy, transport and innovation and Thomas Jarzombek, federal government coordinator of German aerospace policy, witnessed the milestone together with Guillaume Faury, president Airbus commercial aircraft, and 500 guests at a special ceremony in Hamburg.  [Read more…] about Airbus inaugurates Hamburg’s fourth A320 production line dominated by robots and digital processes

New Airbus chief wants more automation and digitalisation to increase productivity

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The new president of Airbus says he will accelerate the adoption of the latest automation technologies in an effort to increase productivity at the company.

In an interview with news agency Reuters, Guillaume Faury, says he believes new technologies would “transform aircraft factories” in the coming years.

These new technologies include robotics, automation and digitalisation, all of which will bring about the higher productivity that would be required to meet “strong” demand for its jet aircraft.  [Read more…] about New Airbus chief wants more automation and digitalisation to increase productivity