Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

kawasaki

Kawasaki Robotics offers insight into how industrial robots are made

by

Article by Kawasaki Robotics

How are industrial robots built? In this article, Kawasaki Robotics, one of the world’s largest industrial robot makers, provides a guide on the components and the movement of robot arms.

One of the questions many may ask for obvious reasons is: “Are the structures of robots and humans the same?”

Robots and humans share a common feature. Humans and mechanical robots – as opposite as they may seem, they, in fact, share the same underlying structure of links (bones) and joints.  [Read more…] about Kawasaki Robotics offers insight into how industrial robots are made

ABB and Kawasaki partner to launch ‘world’s first’ operating system for collaborative robots

by

ABB and Kawasaki Heavy Industries are showcasing the world’s first common collaborative robot operating interface at the ongoing Automatica event. 

The two companies are among the world’s largest industrial robot manufacturers, with almost half a million installations worldwide.

The companies say the new common interface will help address the shortage of skilled workers in many industries. In Japan, for example, one person in five is within a decade of retirement.  [Read more…] about ABB and Kawasaki partner to launch ‘world’s first’ operating system for collaborative robots

Kawasaki duAro: Behind the scenes of collaborative robot development

by

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, or Kawasaki, has developed a large number of industrial robots since the launch of its first domestically manufactured industrial robot, the Kawasaki Unimate 2000, in 1969.

It released the dual-arm SCARA robot “duAro”, in June 2015. duAro is the result of the pursuit of the ultimate user-/human-friendly robot.

Shogo Hasegawa from Kawasaki was involved in the project from its conception and took part in its development.

[Read more…] about Kawasaki duAro: Behind the scenes of collaborative robot development

Robot used to remove burner in gas-fired power plant

by

Removing a burner from inside a gas turbine is a tricky task. Siemens decided to use a Kawasaki robot to perform this maintenance operation, which heralds the way for reduced outage times for power plant operators.

This Kawasaki MG10HL robot, installed at the Siemens Lausward power plant in Dusseldorf, has a payload capacity of up to 1,000 kg and a 4-metre reach. The powerful, extra large payload Kawasaki robot was installed to perform the dangerous, routine maintenance task of replacing burners and transitions on huge gas turbines.

Watch the video here

Kawasaki robots take the biscuit

by

Fox’s, a UK biscuit brand, has replaced SCARA type robots with Kawasaki robots to overcome efficiency issues relating to obsolescence.

Back in 1989, Fox’s Uttoxeter facility first implemented robotic handling of wrapped biscuits, reducing operators from 34 to just 14, using SCARA configuration robots.

Out of three replacement options proposed to Fox’s, Kawasaki suggested a move back to conventional six axes arms. Through simulations, Kawasaki Robotics UK was able to illustrate that the RS-20N Robots would cost effectively match, and exceed if required, the output of the existing SCARA robots.

[Read more…] about Kawasaki robots take the biscuit

Kawasaki ‘Successor’ to expand human-robot remote collaboration

by

Kawasaki Heavy Industries has a new robot system, Successor, that reproduces the movements of expert engineers through remote collaboration.

The company is first introducing the system into the robot manufacturing line at its Nishi-Kobe Works and will begin limited sales to select customers in FY2018, followed by general sales in FY2019.

Successor is a system that features newly-developed remote control devices that enable remote collaboration. Remote control will make it possible to apply robots to a wide range of fields, and the system is compatible with a wide range of Kawasaki robots.

[Read more…] about Kawasaki ‘Successor’ to expand human-robot remote collaboration

30 industrial robot manufacturers to watch

by

2018 looks all set to be a bumper year for sales of industrial robot arms across all categories – from the large, heavyweight class right down to the small desktop variety. 

With established robot makers expanding their range, and with new startups launching innovative new models, the market is more dynamic than ever.

Oversupply may be a problem going forward, especially as Chinese robot manufacturers step up their production, but even including the new companies entering the market, the number of industry-standard robot makers worldwide is relatively small.  [Read more…] about 30 industrial robot manufacturers to watch

ABB and Kawasaki to partner on collaborative robot automation

by

Two industrial titans – one from Europe and the other from Asia – have agreed a partnership relating to the development of collaborative robot automation.

The two companies – ABB and Kawasaki – are both industrial giants with wide-ranging business activities, and collaborative robots are actually a relatively small part of their respective operations.

However, it’s probably a sign of how important a technology collaborative robots represent that both are now combining their resources to build an automation ecosystem.  [Read more…] about ABB and Kawasaki to partner on collaborative robot automation

Midea’s new robots could replace 400,000 pharmacists in China

by

Midea, the Chinese giant manufacturing giant which makes household appliances such as washing machines and refridgerators, is launching robot pharmacists which would put 400,000 humans out of work. 

That may sound unlikely in the short term, but market analysts quoted by Bloomberg estimate that robots will account for 20 per cent of all pharmaceuticals sales by 2020.

Moreover, Midea chairman and CEO Paul Fang acknowledges the potential revolution the company’s robots could start.  [Read more…] about Midea’s new robots could replace 400,000 pharmacists in China

Kawasaki sells 2,000 duAro units in China, looking to sell even more robots amid labour shortages

by

 

Kawasaki Robotics has sold 2,000 units of its duAro dual-armed collaborative industrial robot in China, according to a report on Bloomberg.com. 

The company is now looking to increase sales to 5,000 units of duAro as the country’s industrial sector struggles with labour shortages.

As anomalous as it seems for a country with 1.4 billion people, China is facing labour shortages – believed to be caused by the one-child policy, introduced in 1979 when the country first started moving to a more capitalist-style economy.  [Read more…] about Kawasaki sells 2,000 duAro units in China, looking to sell even more robots amid labour shortages