Robotics & Automation News

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Sewbots prepare to take millions of jobs off humans in clothes manufacturing sector

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More and more companies in the textiles, clothing and footwear business are turning to advanced manufacturing technologies – robotic sewing machines and connected systems – to reduce the number of humans in their factories, along with the financial and social costs of employing them.

One of the largest apparel manufacturers in India, Raymond, which employs 30,000 human workers, says it plans to replace 10,000 of them with robots over the next three years. [Read more…] about Sewbots prepare to take millions of jobs off humans in clothes manufacturing sector

Automation fails without aligning materials support function with demand, says Synchrono

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By Thomas R. Cutler

Robot-to-person solutions are on a rapid trajectory for 2017 and beyond. Yet discrete manufacturing organizations which initiate material replenishment automation programs without properly analyzing processes and priorities for internal and external stakeholders, find far less value than anticipated.

Manufacturers are unsure about current replenishment capabilities within ERP (enterprise resource planning) and other systems, and are even less clear whether to fix, buy, or build a solution to gain the capabilities needed.

Too often disruptions in leadership and a change-averse environment can create barriers to improved production flow and automating processes.

The manufacturing sector is well-served when considering whether a replenishment solution can enhance flow and enable continuous improvements; often best practice robotic solutions follow.  [Read more…] about Automation fails without aligning materials support function with demand, says Synchrono

Omron to showcase 16,000 factory automation products

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omron

One of the world’s leading robotics and automation systems manufacturers, Omron, says it will introduce a total of 15,583 models in seven categories in its second wave of factory automation control devices built on a common design platform for unified product specifications.

Omron says it has been continuing to work for the innovation of making control panels which house and control factory automation devices on the production front line.

The company unified the design and size of factory automation devices, and introduced products in April 2016 which are built with the company’s proprietary wiring technology “Push-In Plus Terminal Block” for device and control panel makers in need of “downsizing and space-saving” of factory automation devices and control panels, “expedited delivery”, and “response to globalization”.  [Read more…] about Omron to showcase 16,000 factory automation products

Robotic process automation and artificial intelligence will ‘drastically transform modern workplace’, says IQPC

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Special offer for Robotics and Automation News readers: Use discount code VIP_RANEWS to get 20 per cent off

Forget the hype, robotic process automation and artificial intelligence are both a reality, says event organiser

Robotic process automation and artificial intelligence will drastically transform the modern workplace, according to IQPC, the organiser of the Robotic Process Automation and Artificial Intelligence Summit.

Will you embrace this technological change to make cost reductions, improve performance and enhance real-time decision making? When you think about it, this all adds up to massive competitive advantage, says IQPC.  [Read more…] about Robotic process automation and artificial intelligence will ‘drastically transform modern workplace’, says IQPC

Kuka selects Apttus digital commerce solution

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Companies say the new customer relations management system will lead to greater efficiencies in complex product ordering 

Software company Apttus has been selected by Kuka as its digital commerce provider.

Kuka is a German manufacturer of industrial robots and solutions for factory automation and has been a leader in its industry since its inception in 1898.

Kuka’s business is dedicated to providing its customers with specific, often customized, factory automation tools.  [Read more…] about Kuka selects Apttus digital commerce solution

Investing in robotics and automation: Why bother?

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In the second of our new series of articles about investing in robotics and automation, Brian Gahsman, managing partner and chief investment officer at GBSfunds, explains why his company, Gahsman Branton, is interested in investing in the robotics and automation market 

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Source: Gahsman Branton 

Check out realtime stock prices for companies in the robotics, automation and relating computing sectors

Robotics and Automation News: What is it about investing in the robotics and automation sector you find attractive?

Brian Gahsman: Years ago, one of my main focuses of investment was biotechnology and life sciences. During this time my research led me a couple of companies:

  1. Intuitive Surgical, which created the da Vinci robotic surgical system; and
  2. Organovo (main picture), whose technology is in the field of creating human organs from their proprietary biological 3D printing system.

I was fascinated by these companies’ seemingly game-changing technologies. I began exploring other companies worldwide involved in robotics and automation and found that these companies spanning multiple industries and sectors have emerged to become an entire industry group in itself and potentially an outperforming investment theme.  [Read more…] about Investing in robotics and automation: Why bother?

Investing in robotics and automation – part one

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investment
Picture credit: Flickr

Beginning a new series of articles about investing in robotics and automation, Brian Gahsman, managing partner and chief investment officer at GBSfunds.com, explains how his company, Gahsman Branton, approaches the market 

[visualizer id=”7245″]

Source: Gahsman Branton 

Check out realtime stock prices for companies in the robotics, automation and relating computing sectors

Robotics and Automation News: Tell us about GBS Funds and what its aims are. Tell us about the composite and investment fund for the “robotics revolution” as you call it.

Brian Gahsman: GBS Funds is an investment management company which was started by Rob Branton and myself this year. We are launching our first fund, the GBS Global Innovations Fund on October 1st 2016.

The fund’s main focus is investing in companies worldwide which play a critical role in the global robotics and automation revolution. The strategy will also invest in game changing innovations across other diverse industries and sectors.

In early 2014 I began to research the technological evolution of global robotics and automation comparative to capacity and demand which became a sub strategy of a previous fund that I co-managed.  [Read more…] about Investing in robotics and automation – part one

Industrial internet: 42Q launches new protocol capability for factory automation

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42Q, a provider of cloud manufacturing execution systems (MES), has introduced Semiconductor Equipment Communications Standard, Generic Equipment Model (SECS/GEM) protocol capability.

SECS/GEM is an industry standard factory equipment interface protocol for equipment-to-host data communications.

In securing SECS/GEM capability, 42Q says it greatly simplifies the implementation of factory automation, machine to machine (M2M) communication, real time in process data collection and data analytics, all key elements of Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

Several factories using 42Q have already deployed this new protocol in their operations, sasy the company.  [Read more…] about Industrial internet: 42Q launches new protocol capability for factory automation

Universal Robots says it has 10,000 collaborative robots installed around the world

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Universal Robots says it has shipped 10,000 of its collaborative industrial robots worldwide so far.

The company, which is believed to be the first robot manufacturer to have launched a collaborative industrial robot model, made the announcement through a Twitter post.

More as we get it…

Autonomous Tractor boss says new technology can help farmers halve their costs

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The Autonomous Tractor Corporation is close to launching a range of new technologies which it says will help farmers halve their equipment costs. 

In exclusive comments to Robotics and Automation News, Kraig Schulz, CEO of ATC, says the company’s latest eDrive system would cost between $250 and $500 per horsepower.

This is approximately half the cost of a new tractor, which costs anywhere between around $750 and $1,000 per hp.

Schulz says: “The system costs will obviously depend on configuration, horsepower, and so on, but we can have a retrofit eDrive system for a 325 hp sprayer done, installed, ready to go for about $75,000 which is a little less than having the whole thing rebuilt with hydrostatic drives – about $80,000. [Read more…] about Autonomous Tractor boss says new technology can help farmers halve their costs