Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

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Understanding machine vision in automation

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Article contributed by Wauseon Machine

Machine vision has become an integral component of automated manufacturing processes. In older automated manufacturing lines, less efficient methods were used to corral a product part down a conveyor and into a precise position for fixation.

This more manual process often required additional hardware to corral pieces down the assembly line in the proper direction or would require pre-fixturing a part with manual labor.

This not only was more time intensive but also made manufacturing processes more susceptible to alignment errors.

[Read more…] about Understanding machine vision in automation

Generative design: nTopology blazing a trail through 3D printing world

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One of the most impressive features of the nTopology design application is that it requires substantially less computing power. According to the company’s – and its partners’ – calculations, file sizes can be 99 percent smaller compared with traditional 3D design software. 

Traditional, long-established software for 3D design tends to be very memory-hungry and can seriously stress out processors. nTop, on the other hand, can provide the same functionality if used on a laptop as traditional 3D design applications would if run on a supercomputer – because nTop was specifically designed for today’s 3D printing and design requirements.

The way nTop does this is difficult to explain for a non-technical journalist, but essentially, the nTop software does away with such things as extrusion, which is a fundamental concept and requirement in traditional 3D design applications. [Read more…] about Generative design: nTopology blazing a trail through 3D printing world

Industrial robot components market set for higher growth over next decade

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The global industrial robot components market is expected to be valued at $6.3 billion in 2023 and it is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 13.9 percent to reach $23.2 billion by the end of 2033.

Over the 2018-2022 historical period, the global industrial robot component market registered a compound annual growth rate of 12.5 percent, according to Fact.MR, a market research and competitive intelligence provider, the market is projected to exhibit growth at 13.9 percent compound annual growth rate between 2023 and 2033.

Market share analysis of industrial robot components based on application and region is provided in a nutshell in the above image. Under the application segment, the robot arm/manipulator sub-segment dominates with a 29.1 percent market share in 2023. [Read more…] about Industrial robot components market set for higher growth over next decade

Human-like hands for robots move one step closer with Italian scientist’s invention

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An Italian scientist has invented a robotic end effector that could bring the goal of robots having human-like hands one step closer.

Corrado De Pascali and his colleagues on the Italian Institute of Technology have unveiled an end effector which uses tiny, 8-gram actuators to power many different joints in the complex component.

According to report in New Scientist and several other outlets, the actuators – although small – can actually lift “1,000 times their own weight”. [Read more…] about Human-like hands for robots move one step closer with Italian scientist’s invention

Danfoss installs 3D scanner robot that can measure components to within a micron

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Danfoss Power Solutions, a supplier of mobile and industrial hydraulics as well as electric powertrain systems, has invested in an advanced 3D scanner robot for its joystick manufacturing lines in Nordborg, Denmark.

The company says the new device is boosting inspection routines by measuring component dimensions to “micron-level precision, providing customers with even higher product quality”.

Danfoss Power Solutions’ Nordborg facility manufactures thousands of joystick variants for off-highway vehicles, such as forestry machines, harvesters, cranes, tractors and more. With the new 3D scanner robot, operators can tell immediately if a joystick component is within specifications. [Read more…] about Danfoss installs 3D scanner robot that can measure components to within a micron

Yaskawa launches new Motoman industrial robot for small component processing

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Yaskawa has launched a new industrial robot for small component processing, called the Motoman GP4.

The company says the new robot is “extremely fast” to enable maximum throughput, and is “highly precise”.

The GP4 robot is equipped with a 4 kg payload for high-volume small component processing. Axis speeds up to 1,000 degrees/s and incredibly fast acceleration/deceleration control for all robot positions optimize overall productivity. [Read more…] about Yaskawa launches new Motoman industrial robot for small component processing

More flexible gear machining for industrial robots

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Today’s industrial robots must fit into smaller spaces, so as much “manufacturing real estate” as possible is dedicated to production. This places pressure on manufacturers to machine smaller, tighter components for these machines. Here, Harish Maniyoor, global product manager for automotive at the machine tooling specialist Sandvik Coromant explains why power skiving is the answer.

The overall number of industrial robots operating in factories worldwide grew to 2.7 million in 2019, according to the 2020 World Robotics Report by the International Federation of Robotics. 

This was a 12 percent increase from 2018 and a historic high. Robots factor into a range of industries, from automotive and aerospace to the food industry and pharmaceuticals – yet all of these sectors have common requirements.

Not only must these robots be smaller, but also lighter with reduced inertia and able to perform more exact movements with optimal speed and efficiency. The challenge is on for manufacturers to machine smaller and more precisely engineered-components – like internal gear reducers – with more flexible designs. [Read more…] about More flexible gear machining for industrial robots

Do we really need a professional translator for instruction manuals?

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Whether we like it or not, it is a well-established fact that we need instruction manuals. Indeed, in some instances it may be a legal requirement for the manufacturer of the product to supply one.

In fact, numerous directives in Europe, the US and much of the rest of the world make it compulsory to provide information, most often in the form of an instruction manual. [Read more…] about Do we really need a professional translator for instruction manuals?

Ensenso 3D stereo camera system imitates human vision to make robotic inspection cells faster and more accurate

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The new Ensenso 3D stereo industrial camera system “imitates human vision” to make robotic inspection cells “faster and more accurate”, according to Imaging Development Systems (IDS).

Each Ensenso camera system contains two 2D IDS cameras to view the scene from different positions, similar to the way human eyes work, with artificial intelligence processing the data, rather like the human brain does.

“Special matching algorithms compare the two images, search for corresponding points and visualize all point displacements in a disparity map,” explains IDS. “This is then used to calculate depth information for the resulting point cloud.” [Read more…] about Ensenso 3D stereo camera system imitates human vision to make robotic inspection cells faster and more accurate

4 Solid Reasons Why You Should Buy a 3D Printer for Home Use

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With the advancements of 3D printing technology, many hobbyists and those who are interested in making various projects have gained the tremendous advantage of having a 3D printer in the comfort of their homes.

It also makes for a good tool that your children can learn a lot from just by playing with their imaginations and realizing some of it with the use of these machines. [Read more…] about 4 Solid Reasons Why You Should Buy a 3D Printer for Home Use