Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

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Kuka develops mobile robot for semiconductor production

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Kuka has developed a mobile robot for semiconductor production. The system integrates a robotic arm with an autonomous wheeled platform.

Kuka says it developed the system because the production of semiconductors is particularly complex.

Until now there was no mobile, automated semiconductor production system that enabled component transfer from one step to the next. That has now changed with the Kuka wafer handling solution. [Read more…] about Kuka develops mobile robot for semiconductor production

BMW provides insight into how it uses artificial intelligence in production

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is on the rise in automotive production. Since 2018, the BMW Group has been using various AI applications in series production.

One focus is automated image recognition: In these processes, artificial intelligence evaluates component images in ongoing production and compares them in milliseconds to hundreds of other images of the same sequence.

This way, the AI application determines deviations from the standard in real time and checks, for instance, whether all required parts have been mounted and whether they are mounted in the right place.

[Read more…] about BMW provides insight into how it uses artificial intelligence in production

Hanwha Aerospace acquires US aircraft engine component manufacturer

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Hanwha Aerospace has signed a deal to fully acquire EDAC Technologies, an American aircraft engine component manufacturer. The deal is expected to be worth around USD 300 million, which will be finalised once negotiations are completed.

The Korean company made a preliminary bid for EDAC Technologies in April of 2019 and entered a period of due diligence before making a final offer.

EDAC Technologies is an aircraft engine component manufacturer based in Connecticut, with a workforce of 590 people. It recorded USD 150 million in revenue in 2018.

[Read more…] about Hanwha Aerospace acquires US aircraft engine component manufacturer

Lufthansa Technik shows off ‘world’s first’ plane cockpit-testing robot

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Lufthansa Technik has been showing off what it claims is the world’s first airplane cockpit panel testing robot, which it calls “RoCCET”.

RoCCET checks the functionality of LED lights and switches, says Lufthansa Technik, which is part of the Lufthansa Group.

The Robot-based procedure is currently in the integration phase.

[Read more…] about Lufthansa Technik shows off ‘world’s first’ plane cockpit-testing robot

Magna celebrates growing footprint in China with two grand opening events

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Magna held two grand opening ceremonies last month in China, for new factories in Changsha and Shanghai.

The new plant in Changsha, a joint venture with GAC subsidiary GAC Component Co., Ltd. (GAC Component), began production of composite liftgates for a global automaker’s crossover vehicle in late 2018.

Last month, Magna’s plant in Shanghai started production on active aerodynamic grille shutters for an American brand producing multiple vehicle platforms for the China market.

[Read more…] about Magna celebrates growing footprint in China with two grand opening events

Festo looks to AI to make automation more profitable

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Festo is looking to implement artificial intelligence systems to make automation even more productive and efficient.

The company says it currently offers intelligent component and process monitoring. But Festo intends to further increase the productivity of its customers by means of self-learning machines.

The company is relying here on AI at three network levels:

  • on edge;
  • on premises; and
  • in the cloud.

In addition to the complex services that can be offered in a cloud, Festo sees great potential in simple real-time data analysis by means of AI – either directly on the field component (AI on edge) or in the control of either the system or a production plant (AI on premises).

[Read more…] about Festo looks to AI to make automation more profitable

Sick launches new compact image-based code reader

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Sick has launched a new compact image-based code reader, Lector621, for reliable detection of 1D, 2D, stacked codes, and plain text.

The high-performance DPM – direct part marking – decoder can read laser or dot-peened codes perfectly, even in the case of low contrast levels, contamination, or poor code quality.

This fills a gap in Sick’s existing portfolio of code readers, by providing a compact solution with increased reading distance, resolution, field of vision, and scanning frequency. [Read more…] about Sick launches new compact image-based code reader

MRK-Systeme builds Kuka-based automation solution for BMW

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Human-robot collaboration-compliant Kuka robots put to work in quality assurance at BMW facility 

MRK-Systeme has developed an automation solution with human-robot collaboration capability for the BMW Group using Kuka robots for high payloads.

It enables the factory in Landshut, Bavaria to carry out quality assurance for crankshaft housing in an “ergonomically friendly manner”, says the company.  [Read more…] about MRK-Systeme builds Kuka-based automation solution for BMW

The future will be ‘highly automated’, says Schunk’s Steinmann

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schunk gripping robot

Humans and robots will cooperate more and more closely in the future

Efficient teamwork between man and robot 

During the ninth Schunk Expert Days on Service Robotics, Ralf Steinmann, director business unit gripping systems at Schunk, explained current developments and trends in the field of service robotics.

He sees the biggest growth potential in the industrial environment – in highly networked, autonomous collaborative robot systems for Industry 4.0.  [Read more…] about The future will be ‘highly automated’, says Schunk’s Steinmann