Robotics & Automation News

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FRAI Robotic Technologies demonstrates mobile robotic work cell

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Automation tasks are becoming ever more challenging. Using intelligent software in combination with the relevant automation solutions not only enables workpieces to be loaded and unloaded but also means that machine tools can be set up fully automatically through automatic replacement of tools and clamping devices.

FRAI Robotic Technologies, an Austrian company which specializes in building tailor-made automation solutions, is developing “highly flexible” robot systems to respond to this trend. Concepts such as the mobileCELL are a complete first and enable a wide range of expansion stages, making them as future-proof and competitive as possible.

Different industries, series production, small batch sizes, a wide variety of machine tools and the uncertainty of many manufacturers as to whether the current product will still be in vogue next year or become a slow seller – all this calls for flexibility in production. [Read more…] about FRAI Robotic Technologies demonstrates mobile robotic work cell

Washington university develops 3D-printed robotic gripper that can pick up anything, no matter what its geometry

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At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, car manufacturing companies such as Ford quickly shifted their production focus from automobiles to masks and ventilators.

To make this switch possible, these companies relied on people working on an assembly line. It would have been too challenging for a robot to make this transition because robots are tied to their usual tasks.

Theoretically, a robot could pick up almost anything if its grippers could be swapped out for each task. To keep costs down, these grippers could be passive, meaning grippers pick up objects without changing shape, similar to how the tongs on a forklift work. [Read more…] about Washington university develops 3D-printed robotic gripper that can pick up anything, no matter what its geometry

Wyzo sidebot combines with Piab’s ‘extremely lightweight’ mini gripper

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Handling food or other small, lightweight products quickly and easily with human-machine interaction – that’s exactly what the Wyzo sidebot is designed to do.

With a maximum payload of one kilogram, the weight of the gripper is critical. So, what could be a better fit than Piab’s featherweight, the MCG, at just 270 grams, which also has “versatility and outstanding energy efficiency”.

Process automation continues to advance in the food, packaging, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and electronics industries. People in these sectors often work side by side with machines. [Read more…] about Wyzo sidebot combines with Piab’s ‘extremely lightweight’ mini gripper

Robotic grippers 3D-printed for packaging machines

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Plastic grippers made from 3D printing and tribofilaments from Igus are 85 percent and 70 percent cheaper than the majority of competitors in the packaging industry.

3D printing is one of the most important trends in the industry today. It allows single batches to become a reality, allowing for personalized serial production of watches, furniture, and shoes. Additive manufacturing can also be a benefit to the packaging industry.

Metal grippers can be expensive and take a long time to produce.A certain company, after trying to 3D-print grippers using standard plastics like ABS and PLA with poor results, turned to igus. [Read more…] about Robotic grippers 3D-printed for packaging machines

Pickit unveils its first gripper with integrated vision and software aimed at forging and automotive sectors

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Robot vision specialist Pickit has unveiled its first gripper. Aimed at the forging and automotive sectors, the end-of-arm-tool has integrated vision and software.

“The bin picking revolution is happening now,” says Pickit. “With matured 3D vision and software, the implementation risks for bin picking revolve around the gripper design. We have integrated gripper, vision, and software to achieve unprecedented reliability. Here’s our new Billet Picker for forging and automotive applications.”

The company’s new product is called the “Billet Picker”, and is a combination of Pickit EOAT + Pickit 3D vision + Pickit software. [Read more…] about Pickit unveils its first gripper with integrated vision and software aimed at forging and automotive sectors

OnRobot launches advanced new magnetic gripper for robots

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OnRobot has launched the MG10, which it describes as “a versatile, high-performance, easy to use magnetic gripper” for material handling, assembly and machine tending applications in manufacturing, automotive and aerospace environments.

Fully compatible with all major robot brands through OnRobot’s One System Solution, the MG10 offers unique adjustable force and grip detection features that provide users with unprecedented levels of control.

Standard magnetic grippers only provide simple on/off functionality. To adjust the force applied, users have to add rubber ‘feet’ to create space between the magnet and the part. [Read more…] about OnRobot launches advanced new magnetic gripper for robots

Piab introduces soft gripper range for industrial robots

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Piab has introduced a soft gripper – or end effector – for industrial robots. The company says its piSoftGrip range is developed for the automation of the food and chocolate industry.

Piab once again extends the pi-SoftGrip family with a new pinch gripper developed for the automation of the food/chocolate industry. The vacuum-based soft gripper can grip sensitive and lightweight oblong objects with odd geometries and/or objects with an unusual surface.

piSoftGrip has two gripping fingers and a sealed vacuum cavity, all made in one piece, resulting in a simple and robust product. [Read more…] about Piab introduces soft gripper range for industrial robots

MassRobotics chooses Festo as winner of its GM Gripper Challenge

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MassRobotics has chosen Festo, a MassRobotics partner, in collaboration with Magswitch, is the winner of the 2020 GM Gripper Challenge.

Festo’s design concept was selected for its ability to handle a variety of parts, in addition to avoiding occluding a part when gripped.

Joseph Cyrek, Magswitch CEO, says: “The technology challenge hosted by MassRobotics provided an excellent platform for collaboration and rapid development of innovative solutions.” [Read more…] about MassRobotics chooses Festo as winner of its GM Gripper Challenge

OnRobot launches new gripper for demanding applications

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OnRobot has launched a new gripper for demanding applications.

OnRobot’s cleanroom-ready, IP67-certified, collaborative 2FG7 parallel gripper is the latest addition to OnRobot’s range of all-electric gripper products.

OnRobot describes the 2FG7 as “a complete, low cost, easy to use, out-of-the-box, cleanroom-ready parallel gripper”. [Read more…] about OnRobot launches new gripper for demanding applications

Grote automates sandwich production using Stäubli robot to make one per second

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US-based company Grote specializes in automating production lines that slice, fill and cut sandwiches. Until recently, the upper and lower halves of the sandwich were put together manually. Now, Grote has managed to automate this process as well, using a Stäubli TX2-60 HE six-axis robot with wash-down capability.

Filling a sandwich is not a particularly arduous task. That is, unless it is being done on an industrial scale with a throughput of thousands of sandwiches per hour.

The raw materials – slices of sausage, cheese, tomatoes and lettuce – can be difficult to handle and the assembly process consists of many steps that can vary for each product. [Read more…] about Grote automates sandwich production using Stäubli robot to make one per second