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Deloitte unveils ‘first-of-its-kind’ smart factory and warehouse in Canada

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Deloitte Canada has opened what it says is a first-of-its-kind facility showcasing an interconnected ecosystem of more than 20 cutting-edge solutions and technologies and intent on transforming manufacturing and warehousing through digital transformation.

The facility has been named The Smart Factory @ Montreal.

Anthony Viel, CEO of Deloitte Canada, says: “As Canada’s largest professional services firm, we care about the future of the country. [Read more…] about Deloitte unveils ‘first-of-its-kind’ smart factory and warehouse in Canada

Tesla releases stunning videos showing car production facility

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Tesla, the electric car maker, has released a number of visually stunning videos showing its car production line in Berlin, Germany.

The facility is Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg and some of the robots used include its so-called “Godzilla” robot and “Giga Berlin”.

Tesla has made a number of videos available to view on Twitter, and most of them seem to use drone footage quite liberally, making for some amazing shots travelling through the factory. [Read more…] about Tesla releases stunning videos showing car production facility

Mitsubishi Electric Automation releases new 3D simulator software

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Mitsubishi Electric Automation has released its MELSOFT Gemini 3D Simulator Software to allow users to expedite the design and construction of manufacturing projects as they introduce new automation components to their facility.

By connecting to a variety of software and factory devices, Gemini provides visualization, simulation, and the streamlining of work processes.

Gemini operates using a PC-based 3D digital space and connects directly to factory devices without having to go through an OPC server. This enables 3D data to be updated in digital spaces approximately 12 times faster than OPC environments. [Read more…] about Mitsubishi Electric Automation releases new 3D simulator software

Radial selects Covariant to automate e-commerce fulfillment with AI-powered robotics

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E-commerce company Radial, a Belgian Post group company, the leader in e-commerce solutions, has agreed a new partnership with Covariant, an artificial intelligence robotics company, to automate sortation in their batch-picking operations through the installation of 12 Covariant Robotic Putwalls.

The Robotic Putwalls sort a high variety of health and beauty items for one of the world’s leading retailers in Radial’s fulfillment center in Louisville, Kentucky.

The integration of Covariant’s Robotic Putwalls into the existing facility operations delivers more optimal e-commerce fulfillment performance and accuracy – providing high quality, reliable and consistent customer experience for Radial’s clients. [Read more…] about Radial selects Covariant to automate e-commerce fulfillment with AI-powered robotics

Electric Future: Battery production facilities bloom on both sides of the Atlantic

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Battery production plants are popping up and blooming on both sides of the Atlantic, with one or two exceptions, such as BritishVolt, which went into administration recently

Viridi Parente, a developer of battery storage technology, has selected Bright Machines to digitally transform the company’s US electric battery manufacturing facility.

Bright Machines Microfactories, the company’s full-stack assembly automation solution, modernizes manufacturing by leveraging data and artificial intelligence, providing Viridi with new capabilities to meet the increasing demands for its zero-carbon emission energy battery solutions.

Viridi manufactures battery energy storage systems on a 42-acre campus in Buffalo, New York. Its efforts have and will continue to lead to significant job creation in the historically disadvantaged East Buffalo community where its facility is situated. [Read more…] about Electric Future: Battery production facilities bloom on both sides of the Atlantic

Autonomous truck startup Einride raises $500 million in new funding

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Autonomous electric truck startup Einride has secured $500 million in financing, including both a Series C equity raise and a debt facility.

The debt financing, which is the largest asset-backed facility to date for heavy-duty electric vehicles, will provide transformative funding for Einride’s fleet of electric vehicles across the world.

The Series C provides a next step in the funding of new developments and deployments across Einride’s autonomous and digital offerings, as well as expanding Einride’s offerings to new markets and clients. [Read more…] about Autonomous truck startup Einride raises $500 million in new funding

ABB opens state-of-the-art robotics mega factory in Shanghai

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ABB has officially opened its state-of-the-art, fully automated and flexible robotics factory in Kangqiao, Shanghai, China. (See video below.)

The 67,000 sq m production and research facility represents a $150 million (1.1 billion RMB) investment by ABB and will deploy the company’s digital and automation technologies to manufacture next generation robots – enhancing ABB’s robotics and automation leadership in China.

Sami Atiya, president of ABB Robotics and Discrete Automation, says: “Building on three decades of success in China, the opening of our new mega factory is another milestone in helping our customers grow sustainably, address labor shortages and create high-value jobs in a new era of automation. [Read more…] about ABB opens state-of-the-art robotics mega factory in Shanghai

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

DHL to build new €100 million facility at Munich Airport

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DHL Express Germany has marked the official start of construction for its new, €104 million Munich Airport facility with a groundbreaking ceremony.

The building, which is being built on parking lots P 80 and P 80 West, will boast a gross floor area of over 11,000 square meters. This will make the facility almost seven times larger than the warehouse DHL Express currently rents at Munich Airport’s cargo center.

DHL Express will build and operate the new site on land leased from the airport operator Flughafen München. [Read more…] about DHL to build new €100 million facility at Munich Airport

Seoul Robotics demonstrates technology that enables cars to park themselves

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Imagine driving a car – one without self-driving capabilities – to a mall, airport or parking garage, and using an app to have the car drive off to park itself. Software company Seoul Robotics is using Nvidia technology to make this possible – turning non-autonomous cars into self-driving vehicles.

Headquartered in Korea, the company’s initial focus is on improving first- and last-mile logistics such as parking. Its Level 5 Control Tower is a mesh network of sensors and computers placed on infrastructure around a facility, like buildings or light poles – rather than on individual cars – to capture an unobstructed view of the environment.

The system enables cars to move autonomously by directing their vehicle-to-everything, or so-called V2X, communication systems. These systems pass information from a vehicle to infrastructure, other vehicles, any surrounding entities – and vice versa. V2X technology, which comes standard in many modern cars, is used to improve road safety, traffic efficiency and energy savings. [Read more…] about Seoul Robotics demonstrates technology that enables cars to park themselves