Robotics & Automation News

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New Suzuki factory in India starts operation

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Suzuki Motor Gujarat, a wholly owned subsidiary of Suzuki Motor for the production of automobiles in India, has completed construction of the Plant C, and started production from April 2021.

Suzuki established SMG in March 2014, aiming to secure production ability in preparation for the automobile market growth in India, as well as for expansion of exports from India.

The Plant A started operating in February 2017, and the Plant B and Powertrain Plant in January 2019. [Read more…] about New Suzuki factory in India starts operation

GM and LG invest $2.3 billion in second battery manufacturing plant in US

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Ultium Cells, a joint venture of LG Energy Solution and General Motors, is planning to make a “more than $2.3 billion investment” to build its second battery cell manufacturing plant in the United States. The facility will be located in Spring Hill, Tennessee.

Ultium Cells will build the new plant on land leased from GM. The new battery cell plant will create 1,300 new jobs. Construction on the approximately 2.8 million-square-foot facility will begin immediately, and the plant is scheduled to open in late 2023. Once operational, the facility will supply battery cells to GM’s Spring Hill assembly plant.

Mary Barra, GM chairman and CEO, says: “The addition of our second all-new Ultium battery cell plant in the US with our joint venture partner LG Energy Solution is another major step in our transition to an all-electric future. [Read more…] about GM and LG invest $2.3 billion in second battery manufacturing plant in US

Volkswagen expands production of battery systems

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The Volkswagen Group Components plant in Braunschweig is significantly expanding its production of battery systems for the latest electric vehicle generation. Following the first expansion stage with a maximum capacity of 250,000 battery systems, the second expansion stage has started up with the same capacity.

This means that once the site is fully ramped up it will now be able to fit up to 500,000 batteries a year for models based on the modular electric drive matrix (MEB) – in this case for the fully electric Volkswagen ID.31 and ID.42, as well as the Škoda Enyaq iV3, which should soon be quietly and powerfully cruising the streets of Europe with a battery heart from Braunschweig.

In addition to that, up to 100,000 battery systems for the beloved models e-up!4, SEAT Mii electric5, Škoda Citigoe iV6 and as well as for hybrid vehicles such as the Volkswagen Golf GTE7. [Read more…] about Volkswagen expands production of battery systems

ANYmal robot being put to work inspecting BASF facility

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Robot maker ANYbotics has unveiled its collaboration with BASF, one of the largest global chemical manufacturers, which involves the use of the ANYmal robot for inspections at Ludwigshafen, Germany. (See video below.) 

The two companies say the collaboration “displays the efficiency, quality, and scalability of robotic inspection and data-collection capabilities in complex industrial environments”.

On production floors, robotics and manufacturing have gone hand-in-hand for decades. But on industrial plants, repetitive inspections, environment mapping, and efficiency analytics have mostly relied on manual work. These physical efforts impact economic sustainability, as well as process reliability and data quality. [Read more…] about ANYmal robot being put to work inspecting BASF facility

Universal Robots develops interface for Siemens engineering portal

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Universal Robots, the world’s largest collaborative robots manufacturer, has developed an interface for the engineering portal of Siemens, one of the world’s largest industrial technology companies.

The companies say that integrating Universal Robots’ collaborative robots into complex machines and manufacturing environments will soon be a process machine builders and systems integrators can “seamlessly handle” through the Siemens Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) portal.

The UR collaborative robots will become part of the Simatic Robot Library within Siemens’ TIA environment through an interpreter interface planned to be completed within the fourth quarter of 2021. [Read more…] about Universal Robots develops interface for Siemens engineering portal

GE Digital upgrades its industrial control offerings for ‘modern’ workers

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GE Digital has unveiled enhancements to its Cimplicity and Tracker software that “provide critical decision support for operators to make them more efficient”, says the company.

Cimplicity is GE’s name for its human-machine interface and supervisory control and data acquisition (HMI/SCADA) solution, which provides client-server visualization to monitor and control operations.

Tracker, part of GE Digital’s Proficy Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) offering, automates routing and sequencing to accelerate time to market, reduce warranty and recall exposure, and support Lean operations and building right the first time. [Read more…] about GE Digital upgrades its industrial control offerings for ‘modern’ workers

FPT Industrial uses Sherpa autonomous mobile robots to increase production

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Powerful performance, advanced technology, real sustainability. And now, also a landmark target achieved. FPT Industrial announces the production of the 10,000th Cursor 13 NG engine, rolling off the line of its plant in Bourbon-Lancy (France) on March 9th.

First unveiled in Turin (Italy) in October 2017 during the FPT Tech Day, the Cursor 13 Natural Gas engine, in little more than three years, has won the hearts and the profit-oriented minds of even the most natural gas-skeptical transport professionals, reaching an ever increasing popularity and record sales.

Currently the most powerful 100 percent Natural Gas engine available in the on-road segment and the first purely NG engine specially developed for long-haul missions, the Cursor 13 NG is produced at Bourbon-Lancy, the FPT Industrial plant located in the Burgundy region of France. [Read more…] about FPT Industrial uses Sherpa autonomous mobile robots to increase production

Swisslog brings supply chain automation to vertical farming

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Swisslog, a provider of warehouse automation systems, is making a push into the vertical farming market and has demonstrated newly built technologies specifically designed for the sector. 

The company says its automation systems can bring scalability, flexibility and lower costs to vertical farming, allowing them to be installed and maintained in a wide range of pre-existing and purpose-built spaces.

These systems help broaden the applicability of growing crops and bring food production closer to consumers in densely populated urban areas. [Read more…] about Swisslog brings supply chain automation to vertical farming

Desmasa launches ‘mobile collaborative robot’

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A Spanish automation technology company called Desmasa has launched what it describes as a “mobile collaborative robot”, or MCR. 

Essentially, the machine comprises what’s widely known as an autonomous mobile robot, or AMR, which is a wheeled robotic platform, and collaborative robotic arm integrated on top.

Although the machine uses two familiar type of robots, together, they form a new type of robot for which specific standards are being developed by the relevant industry associations. [Read more…] about Desmasa launches ‘mobile collaborative robot’

GM to invest $800 million to convert existing facility into Canada’s first large-scale commercial EV plant

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American auto giant General Motors to invest $800 million to convert one of its existing facilities into Canada’s first large-scale commercial electric vehicle manufacturing plant.

Subject to ratification of a tentative 2021 agreement reached with Unifor and confirmation of government support, GM plans to bring production of its recently announced BrightDrop electric light commercial vehicle, the EV600, to its CAMI manufacturing plant in Ingersoll, Ontario (main picture, courtesy 3BL Media).

The nearly $800 million (1 billion Canadian dollar) investment will support GM’s timing to deliver BrightDrop EV600 in late 2021. The investment will enable GM to convert CAMI into Canada’s first large-scale electric delivery vehicles manufacturing plant. [Read more…] about GM to invest $800 million to convert existing facility into Canada’s first large-scale commercial EV plant

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