Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

manufacturing

A new type of robotic ‘brain’ could transform modern factories

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By Richard van Hooijdonk

Industrial robots like the ones that assemble Tesla vehicles or Nokia’s 5G base stations are a sight to behold.

They’re critical for manufacturing automation and lead to improved product quality, shorter cycle times, and decreased production costs.

So, it’s no surprise that the global industrial robotics market is expected to reach a whopping $97.41 billion by 2026 as investments in this technology ramp up. [Read more…] about A new type of robotic ‘brain’ could transform modern factories

Elisa and NVision partner to provide IIoT and AI for manufacturers

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Elisa and NVision Czech Republic have launched a reseller and customer agreement to bring actionable, real-time insights to customers in manufacturing and industrial process businesses based on Elisa’s Smart Factory solution.

The solution automates customer data collection and integration, creates a 3D visualization of the factory and detects failures and bottlenecks in production.

Kari Terho, general manager, Elisa Smart Factory, says: “We are taking the complex process of messy industrial data into rich insights and visualizing it in a compelling, easy-to-understand way for factory management, production supervisors and operators. [Read more…] about Elisa and NVision partner to provide IIoT and AI for manufacturers

Mitsubishi Electric hosts its first ‘e-F@ctory Alliance’ in Singapore

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Mitsubishi Electric Asia’s Factory Automation Division partners with emerging industrial internet of things innovators in first e-F@ctory Alliance in Singapore

Mitsubishi Electric Asia, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, a manufacturer of electric and electronic equipment, is collaborating with partners and experts to form the first strategic partnership in Singapore, e-F@ctory Alliance.

The alliance is intended to help companies embark on a journey towards developing the internet of things and digital transformation.

Hosted by the Factory Automation division of Mitsubishi Electric Asia, the Alliance saw more than 20 companies present at the inaugural ceremony held at Shangri-La Hotel this afternoon, including Advantech, Hitachi Asia, Oracle and Sato Asia Pacific, among others. [Read more…] about Mitsubishi Electric hosts its first ‘e-F@ctory Alliance’ in Singapore

Opinion: Robotic end-of-arm tools are shaping the manufacturing industry

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By Thomas Knudsen, general manager Northern Europe, OnRobot

Within a diverse and innovative sector like the manufacturing industry, flexibility is key.

Robotics, a key enabler of this, has already taken this industry by storm, allowing factories worldwide to automate more and more tasks, cutting costs and increasing productivity.

However, simple automation is no longer enough. Manufacturers now require unique automation solutions for each specific production environment, to tackle the talent shortage they are facing, but can’t redesign facilities for every different process and application.  [Read more…] about Opinion: Robotic end-of-arm tools are shaping the manufacturing industry

Denso to Invest $1.6 bn in automotive electrification

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Denso is to invest approximately 180 billion yen (US$1.6 billion) over three years – from FY2018 to late FY2020 – to support development and production of electrified automotive products, systems and technologies.

To accelerate business execution around electrification, Denso is establishing the Electrification Innovation Center at its plant in Anjo, Aichi, Japan, in May 2020.

The centre will conduct advanced R&D, develop and test prototypes, and launch mass produce newly developed automotive electrification products, systems and technologies.

[Read more…] about Denso to Invest $1.6 bn in automotive electrification

Foxconn boss Terry Gou considers automating the entire population of Taiwan

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Foxconn boss Terry Gou has confirmed that he is considering running for president in Taiwan’s general election next year, according to the South China Morning Post.

“I will decide in the next two days whether to run for president,” Gou told reporters at a seminar in Taipei earlier today. “I hardly slept last night thinking of the future of Taiwan and its security issues.”

He added that the 2020 presidential election will be “extremely critical in determining Taiwan’s future in the next 20 years in the political, defense and economic sectors”.  [Read more…] about Foxconn boss Terry Gou considers automating the entire population of Taiwan

Doosan Robotics signs up RG Group as first US distributor and integrator

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RG Group has become the first US company to agree on a distribution and integration partnership for Doosan’s collaborative robots.

Doosan Robotics says its collaborative robots can be useful in different industries and processes ranging from assembly and inspection to gluing and packaging.

The company claims to have “the world’s most diversified lineup of collaborative robots” which boast high-performance torque sensors and the industry-leading collision detection technology.  [Read more…] about Doosan Robotics signs up RG Group as first US distributor and integrator

NextShift Robotics receives patent for vertical lift capability in robotic picking

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NextShift Robotics, a provider of autonomous mobile robot solutions for automated order fulfilment and warehouse materials management, has been granted a second patent, US10214354B2, “Method and System for Automated Transport of Items”.

The patent pertains to operating a robotic picking system in which the containers to be picked are positioned on the shelves and within picking stations.

The patent covers the ability of the robot to raise itself vertically to access shelving of different heights in order to pick the appropriate container from a range of shelf heights and storage system configurations.

[Read more…] about NextShift Robotics receives patent for vertical lift capability in robotic picking

Manufacturing and logistics: The common space between senior executives and operations managers

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By Carien Viswat, Oceaneering International

The automotive industry is most proficient in seeking manufacturing improvement through automated, efficient, and effective processes.

Automotive companies and their suppliers need to carry out lean manufacturing and assembly operations by handling a wide variety of components carefully and cost efficiently.

The deployment of automated material handling (AMH) equipment prevents damage to automotive parts, reduces the cost of unproductive labor hours by efficiently handling inventory, and maximizes storage capacity within available floor space.  [Read more…] about Manufacturing and logistics: The common space between senior executives and operations managers

Honda begins operation at new automobile production plant in Brazil

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Honda Automoveis do Brasil, the Honda subsidiary in Brazil, has started operation at its new automobile plant in the city of Itirapina in the state of São Paulo.

Honda had last year announced a plan to restructure its automobile production operations to strengthen the foundation of its automobile business.

In line with that plan, Honda began operation at its new automobile production plant in recent weeks, with the Honda Fit the first model produced at the plant.  [Read more…] about Honda begins operation at new automobile production plant in Brazil