Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

electrification

Volkswagen to invest €1 billion in new battery cell production facility

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Volkswagen is planning to move into the battery cell manufacturing market with an investment of €1 billion in a new production facility in Europe.

The automotive giant will set up the battery cell production facility in the Lower Saxony region of its native Germany.

The company is working with the local government to choose a suitable location for the factory complex, and is likely to partner with businesses from relevant sectors.

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UTC begins work on hybrid electric aeroplane

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United Technologies (UTC) has recently launched the advanced projects group within the company, which moves at speed to build and pilot ambitious product and service demonstrators.

The group’s first product demonstrator is a hybrid-electric X-plane under the project name, Project 804.

The number “804” represents the straight-line mileage between the Pratt & Whitney facility in Longueuil, Québec, and the Collins Aerospace facility in Rockford, Illinois.

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Denso to Invest $1.6 bn in automotive electrification

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Denso is to invest approximately 180 billion yen (US$1.6 billion) over three years – from FY2018 to late FY2020 – to support development and production of electrified automotive products, systems and technologies.

To accelerate business execution around electrification, Denso is establishing the Electrification Innovation Center at its plant in Anjo, Aichi, Japan, in May 2020.

The centre will conduct advanced R&D, develop and test prototypes, and launch mass produce newly developed automotive electrification products, systems and technologies.

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Robotics and automation news is good for ABB, says CEO

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Industrial giant ABB is reporting a 3 per cent growth in total orders across its operation, but most of it seems to be coming from robotics. 

Net income was $525 million – for the second quarter ending July 6. Gross profit, however, was down 5 per cent, and was only $1 billion. Total revenues were up 1 per cent at almost $8.5 billion.

ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer says: “In Q2, ABB continued to build its growth momentum as our targeted initiatives are delivering. Order growth was broad-based and across all regions.

“Our industry-leading digital offering, ABB Ability, is taking off and starting to contribute to growth.

“Operational performance in the power grids and industrial automation divisions was solid in the quarter. Electrification products and robotics and motion improved margins sequentially, but were not able to fully compensate commodity price headwinds and overcapacity during the quarter.  [Read more…] about Robotics and automation news is good for ABB, says CEO