Robotics & Automation News

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Traton plans to invest more than €1 billion into autonomous and digital innovations

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Traton, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, says it plans to invest more than €1 billion into autonomous and digital innovations.

Andreas Renschler, Traton CEO and member of the board of management at Volkswagen, says: “We want to move into the digital fast lane and are continuing to evolve from a hardware supplier to a provider of software and services.”

Traton says it is making strides with networked vehicles, logistics, and autonomous driving. [Read more…] about Traton plans to invest more than €1 billion into autonomous and digital innovations

ABB to electrify automated vehicles for new port in Singapore

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Powering zero-emission, autonomous container transportation with direct current charging infrastructure

ABB has won a contract from ST Engineering Land Systems to deliver and commission integrated smart charging points for automated guided vehicles (AGV) in the new Tuas port of Singapore.

Deliveries of the vehicles, which will be deployed to transport heavy shipping containers at the port terminal, are scheduled to begin from September 2020 through to August 2022.

The ABB chargers and supporting infrastructure are set to be installed towards the end of 2020. [Read more…] about ABB to electrify automated vehicles for new port in Singapore

Stäubli charging system installed for electric vehicles at Long Beach port

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Stäubli’s Quick Charging Connector (QCC), a rapid charging system for the automatic charging of electric vehicles, have been incorporated in high powers chargers installed by Tritium at the Port of Long Beach, California, USA.

SSA Marine, which manages the terminal at the Port of Long Beach, is transforming 33 diesel-powered tractors by retrofitting them with all-electric drivetrain systems.

Tritium, an Australian company that designs and manufactures fast-charging solutions for electric vehicles, will install its Veefil High Power Chargers (HPCs), type PK 175kW DC to power SSA Marine’s fleet of terminal tractors.

[Read more…] about Stäubli charging system installed for electric vehicles at Long Beach port

Volvo Trucks autonomous vehicle to link logistics centre and Gothenburg port

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Volvo Trucks’ electric, connected and autonomous vehicle Vera will form part of an integrated solution to transport goods from a logistics centre to a port terminal in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The assignment is a result of a new collaboration between Volvo Trucks and the ferry and logistics company, DFDS.

The purpose of the collaboration is to use Vera in a real application, enabling a connected system for a continuous flow of goods, from a DFDS’ logistics centre to an APM Terminals port facility in Gothenburg, for distribution across the world.

[Read more…] about Volvo Trucks autonomous vehicle to link logistics centre and Gothenburg port

Traxens joins French ‘Smart Port in Med’ initiative to facilitate digital transition of Port of Marseille Fos

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Traxens, a company providing data and services for the supply chain industry, is joining the French Smart Port in Med initiative as an associate partner. Traxens is the only IoT company supporting the association.

The project was officially launched in October 2018 as part of First Smart Port Challenges by the port authority of Marseille Fos, the Marseille Provence Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Aix-Marseille University, with the aim of supporting the digital transformation of the Port of Marseille Fos.

Key strategic objectives include the economic and environmental improvement of the port and its ecosystem, the creation of new job opportunities, the strengthening of the relationship between the port and the local community, and positioning the Port of Marseille Fos as an innovative digital port in the Mediterranean. [Read more…] about Traxens joins French ‘Smart Port in Med’ initiative to facilitate digital transition of Port of Marseille Fos

Chinese exporters accuse Trump of not playing by the rules

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Chinese export companies have strongly criticized President Donald Trump for deciding to increase tariffs on imports into the US by another 10 percent, bringing them up to 25 percent for hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of manufactured goods.

Comments reported by the South China Morning Post say Chinese exporters are decrying Trump as a business “killer” who “never plays by the rules”.

One exporter, Liao Yu, who produces bags and suitcases, said: “A 25 per cent [tariff] will kill everyone.”

[Read more…] about Chinese exporters accuse Trump of not playing by the rules

TMEIC automates Khalifa Port’s Phase II Expansion at Abu Dhabi Terminals

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Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation (TMEIC) has been chosen to provide industrial drive and automation solutions, including automation of the Landside Transfer Zone (LSTZ), for a second major expansion at Abu Dhabi Terminals (ADT).

The Phase II expansion project includes 54 Konecranes Automated-Stacking Cranes (ASC) at the Khalifa Port Container Terminal (KPCT).

TMEIC previously provided automation solutions for 52 Konecranes ASCs during Phase 1 of the project, commissioned in December 2012.

[Read more…] about TMEIC automates Khalifa Port’s Phase II Expansion at Abu Dhabi Terminals

‘World’s first’ fully automated port terminal opens in Melbourne

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The Port of Melbourne is the site of what is said to be the world’s first fully automated container handling terminal.

The system was developed and delivered by Kalmar, part of Cargotec, and Navis, part of Kalmar Business Area within Cargotec.

The automation solution is called OneTerminal, and was supplied to International Container Terminal Services Incorporated at the Port of Melbourne, Australia.  [Read more…] about ‘World’s first’ fully automated port terminal opens in Melbourne

TMEIC to supply Virginia port with world’s largest automated cranes system in deal worth $670 million

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port of virginia
Port of Virgina. Picture courtesy PortStrategy.com

Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation has been selected to provide industrial drive and automation solutions for The Port of Virginia’s historic expansion project, totaling 86 Konecranes Automated-Stacking Cranes (ASC) at the Norfolk International Terminal (NIT) and Virginia International Gateway (VIG) facilities.

This is the largest ASC order TMEIC has received to date and the largest single ASC order ever placed by a port.

“TMEIC has been a longtime, proven partner with Konecranes and The Port of Virginia, including the construction of VIG and the original ASC implementation there in 2007,” TMEIC president and CEO Dale Guidry said.  [Read more…] about TMEIC to supply Virginia port with world’s largest automated cranes system in deal worth $670 million

Logistics companies utilising robotics and automation at ports to optimise operations

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This season’s CeMAT Port Forum is themed Seaports as Opportunities for Logistics Chain Optimization and will feature high-power speakers from government, port companies and port customers.

Keynote topics this year include shippers’ rising expectations of the quality and punctuality of international and intermodal logistics chains and the growing capacity shortages in hinterland infrastructure, as well as robotics and automation. Intralogistics topics will also be on the agenda.

Port operators are increasingly meeting these challenges through ongoing investment in modern handling, warehousing and IT technology. Moreover, logistics companies are increasingly exploring new robotics and automation technology for ports and warehousing operations.  [Read more…] about Logistics companies utilising robotics and automation at ports to optimise operations