Robotics & Automation News

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factories

Adapting Robotic Production Lines for a Titanium-Focused Economy

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With the post-pandemic recovery well on its way, the new jobs market has placed a clear focus on hygiene.

According to CNBC, 66 percent of workers want cleaner, even sterile, working conditions, and that’s independent of their industry. Creating the tools and surfaces required to meet this demand will fall on factories and robotic, or automated, machining.

In turn, this will require innovation to work with materials that are conducive to that sterile environment – which poses a challenge to manufacturers and their robotic factory lines. [Read more…] about Adapting Robotic Production Lines for a Titanium-Focused Economy

Kuka to build smart factory for digital construction company Admares

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Industrial automation giant Kuka is to build a smart factory for digital construction company Admares.

The two companies say the project will “revolutionize the construction of buildings”.

Admares is said to be “the world’s leading provider of alternative real estate and pioneering construction methods”. And the company is pursuing the vision of future-oriented smart factories. [Read more…] about Kuka to build smart factory for digital construction company Admares

What are smart factories? 7 misconceptions and a definition

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By Sharmila Annaswamy, IoT Analytics

IoT Analytics, a provider of market insights and competitive intelligence for the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0, has published a 163-page Smart Factories Insights Report 2021 discovering 80 smart factories, portraying 10 of them in detail, and highlighting commonalities and best-practices.

Our analysis of these also uncovered some common misconceptions about what it takes to realize a smart factory. [Read more…] about What are smart factories? 7 misconceptions and a definition

International Examples Give Inspiration to American Industry

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American automation has, over recent years, come to somewhat of a standstill.

The impact of the international coronavirus pandemic clearly illustrated this; NASDAQ highlights how industrial production dropped to a ten year low, with only the arrival of new automation tools creating any sort of relief within the industry.

The need for automation is clear, as the impact of a total industrial shutdown causes far more harm to the economy and jobs than the jobs lost to robotic and automated systems. While America might have a lot to do to catch up, other countries have carved out a trail that can provide inspiration. [Read more…] about International Examples Give Inspiration to American Industry

Nidec to open new factories and launch business in Serbia

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Nidec is to open new factories in the city of Novi Sad in Serbia, and held an event today to mark the beginning of the project. 

At today’s event, held at the office of president, Serbia, and attended by President Aleksandar Vučić, Mayor Miloš Vučević of Novi Sad, and Japanese Ambassador to Serbia Takahiko Katsumata, among others, the company announced its plan to launch business in Serbia.

Yesterday, on April 8, the company held a ceremony to open a new business office in Novi Sad to start preparations to start up the factories in full scale. [Read more…] about Nidec to open new factories and launch business in Serbia

Automation association CLPA celebrates 20 years

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November 2020 marks a significant milestone for the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA), as the organization will celebrate its 20th anniversary.

Over the past two decades, the CLPA has been supporting automation vendors and end users worldwide to create converged Smart Factories by providing open network solutions that leverage the latest, most promising technologies, such as Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN).

Since its foundation, the CLPA has actively contributed to advancing manufacturing, such as supporting the current focus on Industry 4.0. [Read more…] about Automation association CLPA celebrates 20 years

Mattress Automation: Now And In The Future

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The idea of cold, calculating machines helping us get things done might have seemed a little scary a few decades ago, but industries are starting to see computers and machines as more than just lifeless equipment.

There isn’t a single industry that hasn’t made use of automation. We can now get things done faster and in a more efficient way and we can eliminate the risk that comes with human error. From manufacturing equipment, to data collection and even e-commerce. We’re already seeing the impact automation is making in the mattress industry. [Read more…] about Mattress Automation: Now And In The Future

Global Industrial Impact of Covid-19

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Covid-19 is not just a global pandemic and public health crisis. Industries around the world are adjusting to a new normal, but normal is no longer an option.

Strict social distancing rules have left many manufacturing businesses with fewer staff and, in some countries, these industries have had to close their doors to try and flatten the curve of infections.

As many manufacturing plant managers know, switching production on and off is not an easy or affordable task. Below we have highlighted just a few of the ways Covid-19 has impacted global industrial manufacturing. [Read more…] about Global Industrial Impact of Covid-19

Denso unveils new IoT platform to link 130 factories

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Denso, one of the world’s largest automotive component manufacturers, has launched a Factory-IoT Platform that connects 130 production factories worldwide using information technology and the internet of things technologies, based on the concept of “as if under one roof.”

This is the first in-house development of a cloud-native platform using open-source-software in the automotive supplier industry. Cloud-Native refers to a system development method that uses open-source-software to cooperatively control multiple applications on the premise of operation in the cloud.

Open-source-software is free software that anyone can use. The newly developed platform stores data collected from a range of equipment at various production sites in a single cloud that can be used freely across Denso’s organization network. [Read more…] about Denso unveils new IoT platform to link 130 factories

Fanuc plans to triple its production of industrial robots

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Fanuc, the world’s largest manufacturer of industrial robots, with almost 500,000 units in operation at customer locations around the world, is planning to “triple current monthly production” at its main factory in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. 

This is according to a report by Nikkei Asian Review which says Fanuc is particularly concentrating on its CRX line of collaborative robots.

The term “collaborative robots” refers to a type of robot which is designed to work in close proximity to humans, possibly even directly controlled by human workers through touch and guidance. [Read more…] about Fanuc plans to triple its production of industrial robots