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SEMI backs US government initiative to support to chipmaking in America

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Global semiconductor manufacturing industry association SEMI has expressed its backing for the US government’s initiative to support to chipmaking in America.

Facing a staggering “50 percent decline” in the US share of global semiconductor manufacturing capacity over the past 20 years, Congress has introduced the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America Act – also known as CHIPS for America Act.

The measures called for in the Act include a federal investment tax credit, which is “strongly supported” by SEMI, which represents the electronics manufacturing and design supply chain. [Read more…] about SEMI backs US government initiative to support to chipmaking in America

Groupe PSA restarts manufacturing at facilities in a ‘progressive’ way

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Groupe PSA – which owns automotive brands such as Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel and Vauxhall – says it is restarting manufacturing at facilities in a “progressive and secured” way.

The company says it has reinforced health measures, shared with the social partners, and deployed before any restart of activity with voluntary employees.

It says it will start an audit campaign to guarantee their “perfect implementation in 100 percent of the group’s industrial, commercial, tertiary and research and development sites”. [Read more…] about Groupe PSA restarts manufacturing at facilities in a ‘progressive’ way

Facilities management leaders call for strategic partnerships to drive robotics and innovation

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With cleaning robots increasing in number and being installed in many types of buildings, a study about the future of facilities management has been published.

In the survey, it was found that the vast majority of facilities management leaders across the EMEA region believe that technology suppliers should offer performance-based contracts in order to improve the success rate of innovation projects within facility management and commercial cleaning.

New research from SoftBank Robotics EMEA, reveals that 89 percent of supply side and 78 percent of demand side facilities management leaders think that performance-based contracts are positive for the cleaning industry. [Read more…] about Facilities management leaders call for strategic partnerships to drive robotics and innovation

Sesto launches mobile disinfectant robot

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Singaporean company Sesto Robotics has launched a mobile disinfectant robot that it says can provide “round-the-clock environment disinfection and surface hygiene”.

Aimed initially at the medical sector, the Sesto HealthGuard, the autonomous mobile disinfectant robot can disinfect high-touch surfaces with dual-operational abilities – a multi-nozzle sprayer and high-output germicidal UVC lamps – during and after operational hours.

Sesto says the robot has a “high performance uptime” of six hours, with battery hotswap possible in less than five minutes. [Read more…] about Sesto launches mobile disinfectant robot

Omron launches simulation software for automated factories

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Omron is making available its Sysmac Studio 3D simulation software available to industrial companies. (See video below.)

The company says it will be the first in the industry to provide such a system, which “can integrate and verify the movements of robots and peripheral devices that make up facilities”.

Omron says its “extensive knowledge and technology of control equipment”, including robots, helped in its development of the software. [Read more…] about Omron launches simulation software for automated factories

Sharp sends 36 tiny humanoid robots to Japanese hotel to help guests

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Electronics company Sharp has sent 36 tiny humanoid robots to a hotel in Osaka, Japan to help guests with various information requirements.

The Henn na Hotel Kansai Airport took delivery of the three dozen communication robots called “RoBoHoN”.

Each room has a seating type “RoBoHoN lite”, which provides information on hotel facilities and guest rooms. [Read more…] about Sharp sends 36 tiny humanoid robots to Japanese hotel to help guests

ExRobotics and Yokogawa to develop robotics for inspection of hazardous environments

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ExRobotics and Yokogawa Electric have signed a licensing agreement that will enable Yokogawa to sell and deploy ExRobotics’ inspection robot hardware and software platforms worldwide.

ExRobotics is a Netherlands-based developer of robotics technology for hazardous environments, and Yokogawa Electric Corporation is a global provider of industrial automation, control, and measurement technology.

ExRobotics was established in 2017 to commercialise robotics technology for use in the potentially explosive atmospheres found at oil and gas production and processing facilities, which are often in remote locations with harsh environments. [Read more…] about ExRobotics and Yokogawa to develop robotics for inspection of hazardous environments

SEAT invests €57 million in its factory in Barcelona

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SEAT has invested €57 million in a new metal press and two new hot stamping lines for its factory in Barcelona.

The new PXL press installed in SEAT Barcelona involved an investment of just over €31 million and it will boost the productivity of this metal press compared to the previous ones thanks to greater automation and manufacturing speed, as well as an advanced robot system.

A little over €25 million was also invested in two new hot stamping lines that will also help increase efficiency, speed and precision in the production process. [Read more…] about SEAT invests €57 million in its factory in Barcelona

Seat and Grupo Sesé launch a parts delivery service using drones

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The Seat factory in Martorell is the first Spanish plant to receive components via drone delivery. In collaboration with Grupo Sesé, the Spanish carmaker has a pioneering service connecting Sesé’s logistics centre in Abrera with the Seat factory using drones.

The first parts delivery service between two production plants in Spain by drone will deliver steering wheels and airbags to the Seat assembly lines.

The pilot project is being carried out under the supervision of the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency (AESA) and will go forward in an experimental phase with several flights per day.

[Read more…] about Seat and Grupo Sesé launch a parts delivery service using drones

Autonomous forklifts ‘raise the bar on safety’, says Seegrid

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Thousands of injuries related to manually driven forklifts are reported to US health and safety authority OSHA each year, and a fatal accident involving a manual forklift occurred approximately once per week in the US in 2018.

Many companies are adopting Seegrid vision-guided vehicles (VGVs) as a safe, efficient form of transport in their facilities.

There is no comparison between human industrial vehicle drivers and their Seegrid autonomous driving counterparts – the company claims that injury and fatality statistics prove that its technology is safer.

[Read more…] about Autonomous forklifts ‘raise the bar on safety’, says Seegrid