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Startup company Foamplant launches ‘world’s first sustainable foam’

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A startup company called Foamplant, based in the Netherlands, is launching what it claims is “the world’s first and only fully circular, sustainable open cell foam”.

Branded “Moorefoam”, the product will be officially launched at Foam Expo Europe (8-10 November, Stuttgart, Germany).

Patented Moorefoam technology enables circular production in the bedding, furniture, automotive and avionics sectors, says the company. Moorefoam is available to order now, with initial deliveries in mid-April 2023. [Read more…] about Startup company Foamplant launches ‘world’s first sustainable foam’

Digital manufacturing startup Bright Machines raises $132 million in new funding

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Bright Machines, a startup which describes itself as “an innovator in software-defined manufacturing”, has raised $132 million in debt and Series B equity funding.

The equity portion of the funding, worth $100 million, was led by Eclipse Ventures. The debt portion of the funding, worth $32 million, was led by Silicon Valley Bank, and Hercules Capital.

Bright Machines intends to use the funds to accelerate the company’s growth, which includes continued expansion into high-demand industry verticals, and the development of new software and service offerings to complement its existing portfolio of products. [Read more…] about Digital manufacturing startup Bright Machines raises $132 million in new funding

Galen Robotics closes oversubscribed $15 Million Series A funding round

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Galen Robotics, which describes itself as a “digital-surgery-as-a-service pioneer”, has completed the first close for an oversubscribed Series A round with $15 million in funding, including investment from Ambix Healthcare Partners, from Menlo Park, California.

Galen Robotics has submitted a new collaborative soft tissue surgical robot, intended to address unmet needs in the market, to FDA for consideration.

Galen plans to level the surgical playing field by erasing large capital expenditures associated with today’s surgical robots. Galen Robotics will be the first surgical robotics company to launch as “as-a-service” using the per-usage disposable model. [Read more…] about Galen Robotics closes oversubscribed $15 Million Series A funding round

T.I.E. Industrial purchases Robots.com and Robotworx brands

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T.I.E. Industrial, an aftermarket supplier of CNC parts, refurbished industrial robots and general automation repair, has acquired Robots.com and the RobotWorx name.

The asset acquisition expands the T.I.E. brand family, leveraging decades of experience in robotic equipment sales, repair and service to position Robots.com as an end-to-end partner in manufacturing automation.

T.I.E. Industrial did not buy the company but the remaining assets of the website Robots.com and the RobotWorx name. Robots.com is one of the world’s most popular resources to research and source automation solutions from multiple manufacturers. [Read more…] about T.I.E. Industrial purchases Robots.com and Robotworx brands

Numurus secures $2 million to grow its open-source robotic applications software business

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Numurus, a robotic solutions company and developer of NEPI, a commercial open-source software solution for robotic and smart sensing applications, has secured $2 million in funding led by Tokusui Corporation of America.

The startup says the funds will help it to establish its position in the rapidly growing robotics and smart sensing markets.

Combined with previous funding, this investment fortifies Numurus’ first-to-market entrance with its fully-developed NEPI software suite that focuses on edge artificial intelligence (Edge AI), sensor and data abstraction, and system interfacing. [Read more…] about Numurus secures $2 million to grow its open-source robotic applications software business

Ultimaker and MakerBot complete merger

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MakerBot and Ultimaker, two of the most well known companies in the desktop 3D printing market, have completed their merger.

Under the new brand, UltiMaker, the company aims to provide easy-to-use and accessible 3D printing hardware, software, and materials for any application, driving the industry to a future state of responsible and sustainable manufacturing.

Combining both companies’ products platform under one roof, UltiMaker will continue to offer a wide range of solutions to customers, with well-established brands such as the MakerBot METHOD, MakerBot SKETCH, and MakerBot Replicator 3D printers, and MakerBot CloudPrint as well as the Ultimaker 2+ Connect, Ultimaker S3, Ultimaker S5, and Ultimaker S5 Pro Bundle. [Read more…] about Ultimaker and MakerBot complete merger

Wolfspeed to build ‘world’s largest’ silicon carbide materials facility in North Carolina

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Wolfspeed, a developer of silicon carbide technology, says it will build a new, state-of-the-art, multi-billion-dollar materials manufacturing facility in Chatham County, North Carolina.

The investment is targeted to generate a more than 10 fold increase from Wolfspeed’s current Silicon Carbide production capacity on its Durham campus, supporting the company’s long-term growth strategy, accelerating the adoption of Silicon Carbide semiconductors across a wide array of end-markets and unlocking a new era of energy efficiency.

Gregg Lowe, president and CEO of Wolfspeed, says: “Wolfspeed is the industry leader in supplying the materials required to meet the accelerating demand for next generation semiconductors and creating a more sustainable future for all. [Read more…] about Wolfspeed to build ‘world’s largest’ silicon carbide materials facility in North Carolina

Automotive Cells chooses Comau to build battery production lines

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Comau has been selected by Automotive Cells Company – or ACC, a joint venture between Stellantis, TotalEnergies/Saft and Mercedes-Benz – to design and develop a “highly integrated” battery module production line for its future Gigafactory in Billy-Bercalu Douvrain, in the north of France.

With the projected capacity to ultimately ramp up to 40 GWh, ACC is set to become a European leader in enabling cleaner, efficient mobility for all. Under the terms of the agreement, Comau will supply ACC with the expertise and equipment needed to automate manufacturing of the next-generation EV batteries.

Featuring the inherent flexibility to handle both 8- and 16-cell modules, the Comau-designed lines will allow ACC to produce up to 8 Gigawatt hours (GWh) annually by the end of 2024. [Read more…] about Automotive Cells chooses Comau to build battery production lines

3 Practical Ways to Keep Your Employees Motivated

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A motivated employee is an asset to any company. They play a significant role in the success of an organization and have the energy and drive to perform their tasks optimally for the company’s benefit.

Without motivation, a company can start experiencing a decrease in productivity and may fail to achieve its objectives. Still, motivating employees is no easy task.

The working attitude and performance of your employees are essential elements for the company’s success. While it is true that people must work to earn, they must also be passionate about their job and share the company’s vision of success. If they are not motivated, they will likely be shirking responsibilities or working at a much slower pace than expected. [Read more…] about 3 Practical Ways to Keep Your Employees Motivated

Locus granted patent for machine learning models to ‘accurately predict traffic time’ for last-mile deliveries

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Locus, a logistics software technology company (not to be confused with Locus Robotics), has been awarded a patent for “Machine Learning Models for Predicting Time in Traffic”, the second patent awarded to the company in 2022.

Predictability of last-mile deliveries is a logistical challenge that continues to affect businesses across various sectors such as e-commerce, 3PLs, and so on.

Locus’ new patent will enable enterprises to achieve better precision in their last-mile deliveries by factoring in traffic patterns, which have historically been considered too dynamic to map. [Read more…] about Locus granted patent for machine learning models to ‘accurately predict traffic time’ for last-mile deliveries