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cobots

Universal Robots to show its latest cobot solutions at Automate 2019

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At Automate 2019 in April, Universal Robots will showcase new cobot-powered solutions for machine tending, packaging, assembly, and processing.

The company says new applications debunk myths on what cobots can handle while also addressing industries experiencing hiring issues.

When U.S. manufacturers were asked to describe their primary business challenge, it wasn’t the increase of raw materials cost, trade uncertainties, or rising health insurance expenses that topped their lists.

[Read more…] about Universal Robots to show its latest cobot solutions at Automate 2019

Universal Robots develops automated pizza-making system

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Universal Robots has been chosen by the French start-up EKIM to design its pizzaiolo robot: PAZZI. Created using Universal Robots’ UR10 and UR5 arms, PAZZI is capable of preparing up to 10 pizzas simultaneously from nearly five million recipe combinations, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

EKIM aims to use this project to offer an optimal and high-quality catering solution in high-traffic areas (railway stations, airports, main boulevards, shopping centres, department stores or campuses).

PAZZI, marketed by EKIM, is a turnkey “tech good food” concept, providing quality pizza based on healthy and natural ingredients, 100% autonomous, from order to delivery.

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SwRI launches collaborative robotics laboratory in Texas

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Southwest Research Institute has established a collaborative robotics laboratory to deliver advanced automation technology to the heavy industry and manufacturing sectors. (See video below.)

The facility features collaborative robots, or “cobots”, in a flexible lab where engineers can develop agile, mobile, automated capabilities.

Lab facilities include meeting rooms for industry events and training.  [Read more…] about SwRI launches collaborative robotics laboratory in Texas

Rethink Robotics signs up new distribution partners

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Rethink Robotics has signed deals with seven new distribution partners throughout the United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific to increase the availability of its smart, collaborative robots.

The company’s Sawyer robot is a smart automation solution to address challenges such as labour shortages and improve efficiencies across industries such as plastics, packaging and co-packing, metal fabrication, electronics and the automotive supply chain.

The new partners will join Rethink’s existing suite of partners to help meet the growing demand for Sawyer in North America, Europe and Asia. Rethink Robotics’ cobot solution includes industry-leading Intera software and the Clicksmart gripper technology, which make it easy to train and deploy.

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Industry robotics: How will it affect you?

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Sponsored

Robots have evolved, creating an era where machines are used on the factory floors, in manufacturing warehouses and in logistics.

The robotics industry is booming with global research predicting that the industrial robotics industry is set to surpass $80 billion by 2024.

But does this mean the world is ready to replace man with machine? A daunting concept for some, for others an opportunity to underpin the capabilities of collaborating on a whole new level.  [Read more…] about Industry robotics: How will it affect you?

IMTS: World’s largest industrial technology show to highlight automation trends

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The world‘s largest industrial technology show will highlight key automation trends with a view to helping visitors understand how they will affect manufacturing and other sectors.

Organisers of the International Manufacturing Technology Show – scheduled to take place in Chicago, in the US, from September 10th to 15th – say the event will bring people and automation closer together – literally – with exhibits highlighting the benefits of collaborative robots, or “cobots”.

Mike Cicco, president and CEO, Fanuc America and a board member of the Association for Manufacturing Technology, which owns and produces IMTS, says: “Automation suppliers have made tremendous leaps with software, control and sensor technology that enable quantifying what the robot ‘feels’.  [Read more…] about IMTS: World’s largest industrial technology show to highlight automation trends

The collaborative robotics revolution: A panacea for low productivity and an ageing work force?

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By Andrew Dyer, investment manager at Baird Capital

Industry 4.0, the catch-all phrase to describe industry’s embrace of Big Data, the internet of things and robotics, tends to inspire equal feelings of excitement and anxiety.

Excitement for the manufacturers who dream of lower costs, greater efficiencies and faster and greater outputs, anxiety for the millions of workers around the world who fear that the robotic revolution will leave them without a job.

A new study by the OECD suggests, however, that they needn’t be too worried. Whereas previously pundits warned that close to 50 per cent of American jobs would soon be lost to automation, the OECD now predicts just 14 per cent of jobs in OECD countries could now be lost to robots.  [Read more…] about The collaborative robotics revolution: A panacea for low productivity and an ageing work force?

Schunk demonstrates how the electronics industry can be made more collaborative

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Schunk is now showcasing on a demo system to show how depanelling machines can be made collaborative for the electronics industry.

The depanelling machine, from its subsidiary Schunk Electronic Solutions, uses a robot arm for the loading and unloading processes, so that a single employee can operate up to five machines simultaneously.

The automated system consists of the SAR 1700 depanelling machine and a UR5 six-axis robot arm from Universal Robots equipped with a Schunk Co-act EGP-C gripper.

[Read more…] about Schunk demonstrates how the electronics industry can be made more collaborative

Cobots halt slide to overseas manufacturing

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The long-standing industrial practice of outsourcing manufacturing operations to low-cost parts of the world to keep manufacturing costs down has recently taken a turn.

A report from Boston Consulting Group has shown that ‘the share of executives saying that their companies are actively reshoring production increased by 9% since 2014 and by about 250% since 2012. This suggests that companies that were considering reshoring in the past three years are now taking action.’

With rapidly rising labour costs in traditional low-cost countries such as China, manufacturers are now experiencing that the financial advantages of manufacturing overseas are being seriously eroded.

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Cobots set to become fastest growing robotics sector

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ABI Research, a market-foresight advisory firm providing guidance on the most transformative technologies, has identified collaborative robotics as one of the fastest growing segments of robotic systems.

Small-to-medium sized businesses are driving the increased demand for collaborative robots, as cobots provide solutions that allow for a more flexible kind of manufacturing that makes no assumptions as to volume levels or types of products being manufactured.

From 2016 to 2025, the global revenue of collaborative robotics shipments is set to enjoy a compound average growth rate of 49.8 per cent, compared to 12.1 per cent for Industrial robots and 23.2 per cent for commercial robotics.

[Read more…] about Cobots set to become fastest growing robotics sector