Robotics & Automation News

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industrial software

Why Factory Automation Now Depends on Software-Savvy Workers

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Automation is becoming a software problem. The deeper robots move into production, the more workers need to be confident handling dashboards, updates, alerts and data-driven decisions.

The old image of factory automation was a robot arm behind a safety cage, doing one repetitive task faster than a human being ever could. But whilst robots weld, lift, assemble and pack at speeds fast enough to warrant their own keepers and still save thousands of man-hours, the knowledge of that robot engineer is increasingly software-based.

Meanwhile, the International Federation of Robotics said that, worldwide, more than half a million industrial robots were installed in 2024 alone, topping up a figure approaching 5 million robots in operational use. [Read more…] about Why Factory Automation Now Depends on Software-Savvy Workers

Kollmorgen launches layout analysis tool to improve mobile robot performance

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Kollmorgen has introduced a new software tool designed to help companies plan and optimize the movement of automated vehicles and mobile robots inside factories and warehouses.

Called the NDC Layout Assistant, the tool is aimed at improving how routes are designed for automated guided vehicles and autonomous mobile robots. (NDC stands for Navigation and Driving Control.)

These machines typically move materials around facilities such as distribution centers, factories, and logistics hubs. [Read more…] about Kollmorgen launches layout analysis tool to improve mobile robot performance

New technology uses lasers to bend glass ‘with speed and precision’

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The glass industry is entering a new era of digital precision as a result of an EU-funded DiMAT project, which is helping companies like Hegla-Hanic transform complex production processes into more sustainable operations efficiently driven by data.

As demand grows for spectacular glass façades and free-formed 3D designs in modern architecture, like the Vaghuset Business Centre in Gothenburg, Sweden, for example, manufacturers face increasing pressure to deliver ever more complex, high-performance glass products.

Hegla-Hanic, part of the Hegla Group based in Beverungen, Germany, is a leader in ERP and MES software for glass manufacturing, and is collaborating with Fraunhofer IMW in the DiMAT project to bring cutting-edge digital tools into the glass forming process. [Read more…] about New technology uses lasers to bend glass ‘with speed and precision’

Addverb ‘reinvents’ its factory automation development with Siemens Xcelerator

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Addverb Technologies, an Indian warehouse automation company, is using software from the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio to “deliver intelligent automation solutions faster and more efficiently while maintaining high product quality and scale its automation offerings across diverse industries globally”.

Addverb has adopted Siemens’ Teamcenter software for Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) to streamline product development, ensure data consistency, and enhance cross-functional collaboration across engineering and manufacturing teams.

Additionally, Tecnomatix Plant Simulation software from Siemens enables Addverb to virtually design, validate, and optimize entire production systems and logistics processes before building any physical hardware. [Read more…] about Addverb ‘reinvents’ its factory automation development with Siemens Xcelerator

Top 20 industrial software suppliers: There’s an app for that

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As the manufacturing sector transforms under the weight of digitalisation, software has become just as critical as machines on the factory floor.

Industrial companies are increasingly reshaping themselves as software-driven organizations, not only offering physical products but also integrated digital solutions that optimize everything from design and planning to execution and maintenance.

This trend is far from new, but it is accelerating at an unprecedented pace. The growing reliance on software platforms such as PLM, MES, SCADA, ERP, and factory automation systems is fueling the evolution of smart factories and the wider Industry 4.0 movement. [Read more…] about Top 20 industrial software suppliers: There’s an app for that

Rockwell launches new software for human machine interfaces

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Rockwell Automation has updated its HMI software to “equip industrial workers with better information to run and maintain their systems”, according to the company.

New features in the FactoryTalk View software version 10.0 include greater access to information, new mobile device support and better cross-software integration to improve productivity.

Operators can now use the TrendPro tool in FactoryTalk View Site Edition (SE) software to overlay alarm information on trend data.  [Read more…] about Rockwell launches new software for human machine interfaces