Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

parts

BWIndustrie installs world’s first UR16e collaborative robot to optimise throughput

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Universal Robots says that BWIndustrie, a French specialist in machining, assembly and robotics, has installed the world’s first UR16e heavy-duty payload collaborative robot.

It becomes the company’s sixth cobot from UR, where it is streamlining the time-consuming and labour-intensive process of deburring metal parts.

Launched at China International Industy Fair to wide acclaim, the UR16e enables BWIndustrie to overcome the barriers of traditional manufacturing by automating the deburring processes in a matter of seconds compared to the several minutes incurred by manual labour. [Read more…] about BWIndustrie installs world’s first UR16e collaborative robot to optimise throughput

Nissan teaches robots to make replacement parts for old cars

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Breakthrough could mean parts for discontinued models become more widely available for customers

Nissan has developed a new way to use robots to make car parts out of sheet steel, a breakthrough that could make replacement parts for discontinued models more widely available for customers.

Nissan hopes to commercialize the proprietary technique, known as dual-sided dieless forming. The technique involves two synchronized robots working from opposite sides of a steel sheet, using diamond-coated tools to gradually shape the steel.

Thanks to its flexible production, short lead times and minimal upfront costs, the new technique could make it commercially viable to produce and sell a wide variety of after-service and replacement parts in small volumes for cars that Nissan no longer makes. [Read more…] about Nissan teaches robots to make replacement parts for old cars

Goudsmit Magnetics improves its gripper for picking up sheet metal

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Goudsmit Magnetics has unveiled its new and improved magnetic gripper for the automated pick-up, placement or positioning of steel or other ferromagnetic objects.

The company says the end effector is ideal for removing sheet metal from presses, de-stacking products from boxes (bin picking), assembling steel parts or handling of punched steel parts, blanks and perforated steel sheets in robotic applications.

The ultralight magnetic gripper is fitted with strong permanent neodymium magnets and is therefore extra safe. It can be used in grippers on robot arms. [Read more…] about Goudsmit Magnetics improves its gripper for picking up sheet metal

All Axis Robotics manufactures custom robot arm end-effectors with MakerBot 3D printer

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MakerBot, a 3D printing equipment supplier, says All Axis Robotics is implementing the MakerBot “Method” manufacturing workstation – or 3D printer – into its automation processes to produce custom tooling parts for its legacy machines as well as customers.

All Axis Robotics is a Dallas, Texas-based machine shop and a leader in turnkey custom robot solutions for other machine shops and manufacturing facilities in need of automated machine tending.

Customers enlist the expertise of All Axis Robotics’ mechanical and manufacturing engineers to streamline their manufacturing operations with robotic arms and custom end-effectors, including those for CNC machine tending, automated part sanding, and brake press machine tending, among others. [Read more…] about All Axis Robotics manufactures custom robot arm end-effectors with MakerBot 3D printer

General Motors opens $65 million parts processing center in Flint

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General Motors has opened a new ACDelco and GM Genuine Parts processing center in the Flint, Michigan, suburb of Burton. The facility will employ more than 800 hourly and salaried employees.

GM now employs more than 9,500 people in Genesee County, including the Grand Blanc headquarters of the company’s Customer Care and Aftersales business and the Flint manufacturing complex.

Barry Engle, GM executive vice president and president, the Americas, says: “This new facility in Burton will help us continue to deliver the industry’s best possible sales, service and ownership experience. [Read more…] about General Motors opens $65 million parts processing center in Flint

3D printed diamonds: Large companies forecast to spend $3 billion on 3D printing by next year

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Sales of products related to 3D printing by large public companies is expected to grow by 12.5 percent to top $3 billion by 2020, according to a study from Deloitte.

Much of it will come from greater use of metal parts in applications beyond rapid prototyping – manufacturing and / or repair.

As background, the global manufacturing sector’s revenue as a whole totals approximately $12 trillion annually. [Read more…] about 3D printed diamonds: Large companies forecast to spend $3 billion on 3D printing by next year

Epson to showcase its latest robots at Pack Expo

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Epson Robots will be showcasing the latest 6-axis and SCARA robots as well as its integrated parts feeding solutions at Pack Expo Las Vegas.

Epson will also lead a discussion on how to plan and implement automation projects.

6-axis robots

Thanks to their SlimLine design, Epson 6-axis robots can save on valuable factory floor space and fit where other robots cannot – with no compromise to performance, speed and reach. [Read more…] about Epson to showcase its latest robots at Pack Expo

New lasers can weld ceramics without furnace, claim scientists

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Smartphones that don’t scratch or shatter. Metal-free pacemakers. Electronics for space and other harsh environments.

These could all be made possible thanks to a new ceramic welding technology developed by a team of engineers at the University of California San Diego and the University of California Riverside.

The process, published in the August 23 issue of Science, uses an ultrafast pulsed laser to melt ceramic materials along the interface and fuse them together. [Read more…] about New lasers can weld ceramics without furnace, claim scientists

5 Industries That Can’t Do Without Custom Machining

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Precision and efficiency have become the leading demands for manufacturing. Modern equipment is rapidly changing.

New, sturdier and harder materials are used, complex geometries with tight tolerances and fine surface finishes are required and all of that has to be done at a faster pace.

This race toward product perfection involves using professional custom machining services for more and more industries for a lot of different purposes. Let’s see, which modern industries simply can’t manage without custom machining. [Read more…] about 5 Industries That Can’t Do Without Custom Machining

Volume Graphics partners with industry consortium to improve rapid-prototyping of plastic mold inserts

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Volume Graphics, a provider of industrial computed tomography software, is partnering in a second joint project on “rapid tooling” with companies from a wide range of industries.

The company’s partnership is with the Kunststoff-Institut, in Germany.

As a project partner, Volume Graphics brings expertise in quality assurance and process optimization to the team via its advanced industrial computed tomography (CT) data-analysis software.

Christof Reinhart, CEO of Volume Graphics, says: “Working on this project with Kunststoff-Institut and partners is very important to us because we are convinced that industrial computed tomography can advance the future of rapid tooling. [Read more…] about Volume Graphics partners with industry consortium to improve rapid-prototyping of plastic mold inserts