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DMG MORI building Africa’s first machine tool factory

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DMG MORI, a manufacturing technology company with 12,000 employees in 87 countries and $2 billion in annual sales revenues, is building what it says is “Africa’s first machine tool factory” in Cairo, Egypt.

The decision was formally made at a meeting with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. In the presence of Prime Minister Dr Mostafa Madbouly, the company’s chairman, Christian Thönes, and AOI President Lt Gen Abdel Moneam Al Tarras signed the “pioneering cooperation agreement”.

Christian Thönes, chairman of DMG MORI Aktiengesellschaft, says:“Egypt is the door to Africa – a continent full of potential and high demand for future technologies. [Read more…] about DMG MORI building Africa’s first machine tool factory

How Automation is Influencing the Automotive Industry Today

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Last year, robot orders were up by 67 percent in comparison to the previous year. And according to the International Federation of Robotics, 1 in every 2 industrial robots sold globally is bought by US automakers. This goes to show just how much the auto industry appreciates the benefits of automation.

Automakers have always been pioneers of automation; they started using sensor technology and industrial robots in their assembly plants years ago to increase efficiency and productivity. Want to know how automation is influencing the automotive industry today? Read on. [Read more…] about How Automation is Influencing the Automotive Industry Today

Siemens expands robotic activities with Geekplus

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Geekplus, a manufacturer of autonomous mobile robots, has expanded its collaboration with electronic components manufacturer Siemens Switchgear Shanghai with the second phase of a smart manufacturing automation project.

The expansion introduces more of Geekplus’s goods-to-person picking and materials handling robots to the multi-robot configuration and opens up a further 3,000 sq m of automated warehousing space. The system achieved a delivery accuracy rate of 100 percent, with materials accuracy of over 99.98 percent in the production line.

Siemens Switchgear Shanghai first joined forces with Geekplus in 2019 and successfully built a full-process flexible automated intelligent logistics factory using four types of Geekplus robots: P800R goods-to-person picking robots, MP1000R moving robots, RS2 tote-to-person robots, and X-series four-way shuttles for high-density storage. [Read more…] about Siemens expands robotic activities with Geekplus

Robots in retail: Delivering the goods in 2022

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By Ritukar Vijay, CEO at Ottonomy

Retailers are feeling the heat from rising labor costs, and are increasingly looking to automated solutions to keep worker costs down.

According to a February 28, 2022 story in The Wall Street Journal, US retailers spent 4 percent more cash on labor costs in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to the same period in 2020.

Big box brands like Target, Costco, and Walmart are all raising wages above beyond the $15 minimum wage level to secure the staffing they need to stay competitive. For retailers, restaurants, and other consumer-facing businesses, the wage growth issue stems from a burgeoning problem – not enough workers. [Read more…] about Robots in retail: Delivering the goods in 2022

Ranpak launches new automated packaging machine

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Ranpak, a provider of paper-based packaging solutions for e-commerce and industrial supply chains, has launched “Flap’it!”, a highly efficient machine that automates the packing of a variety of small products.

The Flap’it! solution automatically adapts to the height of the item and secures the product in place with inner-flaps and integrated cushioning bumpers at the corners. This ensures that products are protected during shipment, significantly reducing costs, damage and product returns.

The system is run by a single operator and can easily be moved around the facility; additionally, it includes a number of safety features and has a small physical footprint. Flap’it! can pack up to 540 packages per hour, nine packages per minute – “five times faster than manual packing”. [Read more…] about Ranpak launches new automated packaging machine

Interview: BlueBotics brings warehouse robotics experts to your screen

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BlueBotics has been around for 20 years. And in that time, it has become one of the leading providers of navigation technology for warehouse robots such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots. In doing so, the company has become something of a fount of knowledge about the subject, and thought it would provide that knowledge as an online resource through its newly created website ANTdriven.com.

In this interview, conducted by Abdul Montaqim, Robotics and Automation News speaks to Matt Wade, head of marketing for BlueBotics, about the ANTdriven.com resource as well as wider issues relating to the entire warehouse automation sector.

This interview is available in video form on our YouTube channel, and is embedded below. Questions and answers have been edited for clarity and brevity. [Read more…] about Interview: BlueBotics brings warehouse robotics experts to your screen

BlueBotics launches new resource for warehouse robotics professionals

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BlueBotics, one of the leading providers of software for warehouse robots, has launched a new resource for professionals working with automated guided vehicles and autonomous mobile robots.

The resource, located at BlueBotics’ new website ANTdriven.com, is described as “an educational website for professionals interested in automated vehicle technology”.

The company adds that ANTdriven.com is a website for professionals interested in learning more about automated guided vehicles, automated forklifts and autonomous mobile robots – and the ANT navigation technology that drives them. [Read more…] about BlueBotics launches new resource for warehouse robotics professionals

Eyewear retailer brings in robot from Osaro to keep up with e-commerce orders

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Osaro, a developer of advanced robotics for e-commerce, has partnered with Zenni, an online eyewear retailer, to automate the “last meter” of Zenni’s fulfillment center in Novato, California.

Three Osaro Robotic Bagging Systems will take on the responsibility of readying eyewear orders for shipment to US customers.

The implementation is also an industry first. This is the first time a robot will be assigned the responsibility of working with an automated mechanical bagging system to ensure a customer’s unique order is placed into the correct bag for shipment. [Read more…] about Eyewear retailer brings in robot from Osaro to keep up with e-commerce orders

Worldwide installations of automated guided vehicles at seaports to exceed 150,000

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Seaports globally have increased their automation solutions or kickstarted automation initiatives to mitigate port congestion.

Equipment like gantries, automated port gates, stacking cranes, and horizontal transport solutions, such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs) that transport containers and loads to and from ships, have been the most productivity-enhancing solutions in seaports.

According to ABI Research, a global technology intelligence firm, worldwide AGV deployments in seaports will have a compound annual growth rate of over 26 percent from 2022 to 2027 and exceed 150,000 global deployments by 2027. [Read more…] about Worldwide installations of automated guided vehicles at seaports to exceed 150,000

Commercial vehicle maker MAN selects Magazino robot for warehouse work

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The robotics company Magazino wins commercial vehicle maker MAN as a customer for a pilot project with the SOTO robot.

The mobile robot SOTO automates the material supply between the warehouse and the assembly line, by handling and transporting small load carriers (KLT) completely autonomously.

The pilot operation started at the Nuremberg site in the engine production for trucks and offers both sides the opportunity to gain experience with the robot for a future live operation. [Read more…] about Commercial vehicle maker MAN selects Magazino robot for warehouse work