Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

orders

Foxconn to manufacture ‘95 per cent’ of new Apple iPhone 8

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iphones

Foxconn is to produce 95 per cent of the new Apple iPhone, the eighth incarnation of the device, according to a report on PatentlyApple.com. 

It’s not clear from the story whether any of the production will take place in the US, although that’s unlikely given that Foxconn hasn’t even chosen where in the US to expand its manufacturing operations.

The Taiwanese manufacturer has been considering its options, and Michigan is said to be one of the locations being scouted.  [Read more…] about Foxconn to manufacture ‘95 per cent’ of new Apple iPhone 8

German industrial orders increase

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siemens robotic electronics factory

DW.com: Orders for German industrial goods have increased sharply, according to a report on the Deutsche Welle website. 

Domestic demand incrased 6.7 per cent while foreign orders were up 3.9 per cent.

The higher demand for capital goods contrasts with business morale in Germany, which DW.com says fell in January.

Giant distribution centers look to robots to deal with increasing e-commerce orders

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axium Distribution-center-robotic-depalletizing

Changes taking place in consumer behavior have drawn a new map, a new type of building and a new kind of automation for the retail sector.

Growth has taken place in both the number and size of the facilities that turn e-commerce orders into product deliveries. The distribution center, or operation fulfillment center, is increasingly emerging in locations that experience low real estate costs, offer tax incentives to locate there, have an available workforce for seasonal surges and offer multiple ways of transporting goods from their locations.

In the US, that means areas close to major metropolises, such as New Jersey and Oakland, CA, Midwestern hubs that are unencumbered by traffic-congested highways, such as Omaha, NB and Kansas City, MO, and traditional port cities such as Houston, TX, Norfolk, VA, and Savannah, GA. [Read more…] about Giant distribution centers look to robots to deal with increasing e-commerce orders

Kuka reports record sales for first quarter of 2016

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Industrial robot manufacturer Kuka says it has received a record number of orders during the first quarter of 2016. 

The company has reported its results at a time when its share price was fluctuating somewhat, and the positive financial statement could steady or increase the company’s market value.  [Read more…] about Kuka reports record sales for first quarter of 2016

North American robotics market sets new records in 2015

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Robots at Tesla auto factory
Robots at Tesla auto factory
Robot orders and shipments in North America set new records in 2015, according to Robotic Industries Association (RIA), the industry’s trade group.

A total of 31,464 robots valued at $1.8 billion were ordered from North American companies during 2015, an increase of 14% in units and 11% in dollars over 2014.

Robot shipments also set new records, with 28,049 robots valued at $1.6 billion shipped to North American customers in 2015. Shipments grew 10% in units and nine percent in dollars over the previous records set in 2014. [Read more…] about North American robotics market sets new records in 2015