Robotics & Automation News

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factory automation

The Convergence of AI, IoT, and Robotics in Modern Manufacturing

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Manufacturing had long relied on fixed schedules and manual control. Inventories were adjusted following shortages. Machines were repaired only after they broke down.

Production goals were frequently set on assumptions and not from real operational data. That model is changing quickly.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity along with robotics are propelling manufacturing into a more predictive configuration. [Read more…] about The Convergence of AI, IoT, and Robotics in Modern Manufacturing

ABB Robotics launches PickMaster Lite to ‘simplify and accelerate robotic picking’

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ABB Robotics has launched PickMaster Lite, a streamlined version of its PickMaster software suite designed to help packaging OEMs and system integrators deploy high-speed, vision-guided robotic picking applications more quickly and with less complexity.

Offering essential functionality for common picking tasks, PickMaster Lite reduces engineering effort and simplifies system setup, enabling faster commissioning and lower total cost of ownership.

Craig McDonnell, business line managing director industries at ABB Robotics, says: “Manufacturers are increasingly looking for automation that can be deployed quickly and reliably to keep pace with changing demand. [Read more…] about ABB Robotics launches PickMaster Lite to ‘simplify and accelerate robotic picking’

Comau and Aptiv partner on AI-powered robotics and autonomous industrial automation systems

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Industrial automation specialist Comau is collaborating with technology company Aptiv to explore the co-development of next-generation intelligent automation solutions designed to help industrial customers operate more safely, efficiently, and autonomously.

The agreement establishes a framework for the two companies to evaluate joint development in key areas of focus including advanced robotics, autonomous systems, and automated warehouse and logistics systems.

Jay Bellissimo, senior vice president and president, intelligent systems, software and services, Aptiv, says: “Robotics and industrial automation are evolving quickly, with systems that sense, think, and act in real time at the edge. [Read more…] about Comau and Aptiv partner on AI-powered robotics and autonomous industrial automation systems

Why most automation programmes plateau between cell and line

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A Tier 1 automotive supplier with three plants across central Europe finished its 2025 capex review with a slide that had been written four years running.

Eighty-six robots installed across the body-in-white area, cycle time at every cell inside its commissioning envelope, OEE figures the line manager could quote without checking.

Then, on the next slide, a line-level throughput figure that had moved 4% in three years against a planned 22%. The robotics team was performing. The line was not. The audit, when it came, traced the same pattern across all three plants. [Read more…] about Why most automation programmes plateau between cell and line

From Cloud to Robot: Why Network Infrastructure is the Critical Failure Point in Modern Automation

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Automation has advanced rapidly in recent years, driven by improvements in artificial intelligence, machine vision, and robotics hardware.

From warehouse robotics to autonomous delivery systems and industrial automation, the capabilities of modern systems are no longer the primary limitation.

Instead, the bottleneck is increasingly something far less visible: network infrastructure. [Read more…] about From Cloud to Robot: Why Network Infrastructure is the Critical Failure Point in Modern Automation

How Can AI Make Predictive Maintenance Work for Automotive Robots?

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The International Federation of Robotics projects 575,000 industrial robot installations globally were achieved in 2025, which would mark the highest annual total on record.

The automotive sector runs the densest robot fleet of any manufacturing industry – more robots per 10,000 employees than any other sector in Germany, Japan, the United States and South Korea.

With robots concentrations that high, automotive plants have more to gain from getting condition monitoring right – small improvements in uptime translate directly into outsized gains in productivity and cost efficiency. [Read more…] about How Can AI Make Predictive Maintenance Work for Automotive Robots?

How Procurement Automation Creates Audit-Ready Supply Chains in Manufacturing

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A tier-two automotive parts supplier processing 3,000 purchase orders per month discovered during a customer audit that it could not trace the approval history for 40% of its procurement transactions from the previous quarter.

The orders had been placed, the parts had been received, and the invoices had been paid. But the trail of who approved what, when, and against which budget was scattered across email threads, spreadsheets, and verbal confirmations that nobody had documented.

The audit finding did not result in a financial loss. It resulted in something worse: a conditional rating that put the supplier’s preferred status at risk. [Read more…] about How Procurement Automation Creates Audit-Ready Supply Chains in Manufacturing

Why AI Agents Could Be the Missing Link Between Factory Automation and Real Results?

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A recent report from Eclipse Automation delivered a finding that will frustrate anyone who has spent the last five years investing in factory technology.

While automation is now widespread across North American manufacturing, only a small fraction of businesses are achieving meaningful outcomes from it.

Machines are moving faster, arms are picking more accurately, and conveyor systems run around the clock, yet the productivity needle, for many, barely moves. [Read more…] about Why AI Agents Could Be the Missing Link Between Factory Automation and Real Results?

Hexagon and Schaeffler to install 1,000 Aeon humanoids across global factory network

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Hexagon Robotics and the motion technology company Schaeffler have announced the expansion of their strategic partnership to accelerate the rollout of humanoid robots, Aeon, across factories worldwide, following the successful completion of a joint pilot program in 2025.

Manufacturers are under growing pressure to increase flexibility, improve efficiency, and enhance sustainability.

This partnership marks a significant step toward bringing humanoid robots into production environments, as Schaeffler plans to deploy at least 1,000 Hexagon Robotics humanoids across its global production system by 2032. [Read more…] about Hexagon and Schaeffler to install 1,000 Aeon humanoids across global factory network

Flex and Teradyne Robotics expand partnership to scale intelligent automation across global manufacturing

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Flex – one of the world’s largest contract manufacturers – and Teradyne Robotics are expanding their collaboration to accelerate intelligent automation across global manufacturing.

Under the expanded relationship, Flex plays a dual role by deploying Teradyne Robotics solutions within its own production facilities while manufacturing key robotics components that enable scalable automation deployments for Teradyne Robotics customers worldwide.

Teradyne Robotics brands Universal Robots and Mobile Industrial Robots play a central role in the partnership. Flex manufactures key components for UR while deploying its collaborative industrial robots (cobots) and MiR autonomous mobile robots in Flex production environments. [Read more…] about Flex and Teradyne Robotics expand partnership to scale intelligent automation across global manufacturing