Robotics & Automation News

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Robotic Process Automation (RPA) vs. Intelligent Automation (IA). What’s the Difference?

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RPA and Intelligent Automation possess the potential to transform your company’s operations, improving effectiveness, output, and time-to-market.

Instead of displacing human workers, they aim to nurture a more efficient hybrid workforce that melds human skills with digital capabilities – a concept we refer to as “human+”.

This integrated strategy magnifies your organization’s human potential and delivers significant cost savings and time optimization. [Read more…] about Robotic Process Automation (RPA) vs. Intelligent Automation (IA). What’s the Difference?

Intelligent Automation vs RPA: How Do They Differ?

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By Priya Jain

The tech world loves the two or three-letter acronyms more than anything else.

Why?

Technologies like intelligent automation (IA) and robotic process automation (RPA) reduces tedious and repetitive tasks of employees, allowing them to concentrate on creative and innovative assignments. [Read more…] about Intelligent Automation vs RPA: How Do They Differ?

Fanuc launches new 1,000 kg payload industrial robotic arm

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Fanuc America, the world’s largest maker of industrial robots, has introduced the new M-1000iA robot capable of handling very heavy products including automotive components, construction materials and battery packs for electric vehicles.

The M-1000iA’s serial-link construction gives the robot a wider range of motion in every direction. It can extend its arm upright or rotate it backwards, which is not possible for typical heavy-payload robots with a parallel-link mechanism.

With a 1,000 kg payload, a 3,253 mm horizontal reach, and a 4,297 mm vertical reach the M-1000iA is ready to go to work for manufacturers looking to increase output and maximize their production line’s efficiency. [Read more…] about Fanuc launches new 1,000 kg payload industrial robotic arm

Fanuc expands range of SCARA robots

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Fanuc America has expanded its line of high-performance SCARA robots, offering more reach and payload options to companies with assembly, packaging, pick and place, and inspection processes.

Fanuc’s range of 4-axis SCARA robots has grown to include the SR-3iA, SR-6iA, SR-12iA, and new SR-20iA models with 3kg, 6kg, 12kg and 20kg payload capacities, and a 400-1,100mm reach, respectively.

The small SR-3iA and SR-6iA SCARAs have a compact footprint and space-saving design for maximum efficiency. [Read more…] about Fanuc expands range of SCARA robots

Desmasa launches ‘mobile collaborative robot’

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A Spanish automation technology company called Desmasa has launched what it describes as a “mobile collaborative robot”, or MCR. 

Essentially, the machine comprises what’s widely known as an autonomous mobile robot, or AMR, which is a wheeled robotic platform, and collaborative robotic arm integrated on top.

Although the machine uses two familiar type of robots, together, they form a new type of robot for which specific standards are being developed by the relevant industry associations. [Read more…] about Desmasa launches ‘mobile collaborative robot’

Robotics and Automation News Review: Fanuc and Kuka launch new robots, Pittsburgh ready to go to ‘infinity and beyond’, Foxconn moves operations out of China, and much more…

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Friday 14 August 2020: This is a new, weekly column – to be published every Friday – which rounds up all the most interesting news from the robotics and automation industry in the past seven days, in brief form. 

This Robotics and Automation News Review is also available to view on our YouTube channel.

Comau Robotics says it has created an “innovative, in-line testing and quality control system that optimizes the construction and assembly of batteries”. The company says the MI.RA / Thermography system uses thermal imaging and artificial intelligence to perform non-invasive automated assessment and control of welded joints, to ensure battery integrity and prevent waste.

Kuka Robotics has launched a new compact industrial robot. The company says its new KR 4 Agilus is “a hot candidate for first place in the small robotics charts from October onwards”.

Fanuc Robotics has launched a new “extremely compact” robot which it claims has the “best precision in its class”. The new M-10iD/16S robot is the most compact model of the M-10iD series, says Fanuc, adding that it combines the best features of its two predecessors, M-10iA/10MS and M-10iA/12S.

Hyundai Robotics has signed an agreement with Korea’s Asan Medical Center and KT for joint development and commercialization of smart hospital solutions on June 30th. The company is planning to prepare for the post-corona era with a smart hospital solution for infection management by ICT-based digital transformation.

Techman Robot, a manufacturer of collaborative robots, says it has adopted proactive steps against the new coronavirus. Techman Robot says it checks the health of its employees on a daily bases and collects global virus information. It also implementing prevention measures. The company maintains business communications online and is frequently in touch with all overseas offices, global distributors, partners, and customers.

HRG International Institute of Research and Innovation has unveiled a new floor cleaning robot, the SW10. The company says it is exclusively designed for floor cleaning tasks in commercial and industrial environments. The robot is combined with sweeping, mopping and vacuum cleaning functions and its work can maintain 2,000 square meters per hour.

Denso has established the Pittsburgh Innovation Lab, a new US research and development center designed to strengthen open innovation and enhance technology development that enables automated driving.

FedEx has installed industrial robotic arms to do what is considered the “most difficult” job to automate in a sorting facility in Memphis, USA. The logistics giant has integrated Yaskawa robots and software from Plus One Robotics into a robotic system that performs a task which involves picking up parcels or envelopes from a tray and placing them on a conveyor.

Foxconn, Apple’s main contract manufacturing partner, has moved a significant portion of its operations outside of China. The company has already moved an additional 5 percent of its operations to countries other than China, bring it up to 30 percent, compared with 25 percent last year.

Pittsburgh local authorities say they are looking to “infinity and beyond” after NASA awarded a local company, Astrobotic Technology, a $200 million contract to build and send the first-ever US robotic rover to the Moon by 2023.

Fanuc launches new ‘extremely compact’ robot

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Fanuc has launched a new “extremely compact” robot which it claims has the “best precision in its class”.

The new M-10iD/16S robot is the most compact model of the M-10iD series, says Fanuc, adding that it combines the best features of its two predecessors, M-10iA/10MS and M-10iA/12S.

The M-10iD/16S features high axes speed and best precision in its class. Made specifically for compact work spaces, this highly versatile robot can also be used for top mount applications. [Read more…] about Fanuc launches new ‘extremely compact’ robot

Fanuc showcases its robotic technologies at CES for the first time

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Fanuc, the world’s leading supplier of robotics, CNCs, Robomachines and industrial internet-of-things solutions, has been showcasing its technologies at the Consumer Electronics Show for the first time.

After nearly 40 years of providing robots and automation for manufacturing, Fanuc says it is experiencing “rapid growth in consumer-oriented and service markets including e-commerce and warehousing, food preparation, agriculture and entertainment”.

At CES, Fanuc offered visitors the opportunity to interact with its robots in a wide range of demonstrations and contests including a selfie station, a voice-activated gift selection, hand-guided robot programming, and speed and dexterity challenges. [Read more…] about Fanuc showcases its robotic technologies at CES for the first time

Fanuc says its new robot ‘raises the bar’ in collaborative technology

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Fanuc, the world’s largest supplier of industrial robots, says its new robot “raises the bar” in collaborative technology.

Fanuc says its new CRX-10iA and CRX-10iA/L long arm version collaborative robots “set new standards in terms of ease of use, reliability and safety”.

Fanuc introduced the new collaborative robots at the 2019 International Robot Exhibition, in Tokyo, recently. [Read more…] about Fanuc says its new robot ‘raises the bar’ in collaborative technology

Fanuc unveils new range of collaborative robots for arc welding

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Fanuc has unveiled its new collaborative arc welding robot range, showcasing it at the recent FabTech event, in the US. The CR-15iA and CR-7iA for Arc will be made available to the market next month. 

Fanuc is the world’s largest supplier of industrial robots and a leading supplier CNCs, RoboMachines and industrial internet of things solutions.

Fanuc says its new collaborative arc welding robots offer “the same high level of performance that Fanuc Arc Mate robots are known for, including world-renowned technology and proven reliability”. [Read more…] about Fanuc unveils new range of collaborative robots for arc welding