Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

precision

5 Industries That Can’t Do Without Custom Machining

by

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

New Scale Robotics launches its latest gripper for Universal Robots e-Series

by

New Scale Robotics has launched its newest gripper for the Universal Robots e-Series collaborative robot.

The company says its new technology “harnesses UR’s new high-speed communications interface to increase measurement precision and control multiple grippers on one robot”.

New Scale Robotics describes the new peripheral as “a precision electric parallel gripper for Universal Robots e Series cobots”. [Read more…] about New Scale Robotics launches its latest gripper for Universal Robots e-Series

Epson Robots wins Vision Systems Design 2019 Innovators award

by

Epson Robots was presented with a Silver-Honoree award in the Robotics category at the Fifth Annual Vision Systems Design Innovators Awards presentation, held recently in Chicago, Illinois.

The Epson Force Guide was recognized by a panel of esteemed experts from system integrator and end-user companies. The company was recognized the previous year for their Synthis T3 All-in-One SCARA robot.

Gregg Brunnick, director of product management for Epson Robots, says: “Vision Systems Design’s recognition of our new Force Guide underscores our commitment to meeting our customers’ needs for a revolutionary force control system that opens up possibilities for robot automation in areas that were not possible before. [Read more…] about Epson Robots wins Vision Systems Design 2019 Innovators award

The advantages of automation in medical diagnostics

by

ats automation medical diagnostics

Technology in the fields of life sciences and medicine is constantly evolving. New manufacturing techniques have made it possible to make more effective therapies, and advances in research have led to more cost-effective solutions to conditions that were once considered too expensive to treat.

One of the most interesting aspects of the evolution of medical technology is the constantly increasing involvement of automation in various medical operations, particularly in diagnostics.

Back then, essential diagnostic procedures relied on manual procedures. While conventional methods were successful to a certain degree, they are hampered by certain limitations.

For instance, manual testing of specimens is slow and prone to mistakes caused by poor human judgment. Automation helps get rid of these limitations to achieve more accurate results in less time.  [Read more…] about The advantages of automation in medical diagnostics

Self-steering Volvo truck set to increase Brazil’s sugar-cane harvest

by

Volvo Trucks has developed a new self-steering truck that it says could become a significant productivity booster for Brazilian sugar-cane growers. (See video below.)

The truck, which is used to transport newly harvested sugar-cane, is steered with “great precision” through the fields in order to avoid damaging the young plants that will form the following year’s crop.

At present, about 4 per cent of the crop is lost as young plants are run over and the soil is compacted by moving vehicles. This can translate into tens of thousands of US dollars in lost revenue per truck per season.  [Read more…] about Self-steering Volvo truck set to increase Brazil’s sugar-cane harvest

Spinea launches new servo actuator for precision motion

by

Spinea_DS

Spinea has launched its new DS 095 DriveSpin servo actuator motor for precision control.

Recently announced by Spinea and available in the UK from Heason Technology, the DriveSpin DS 095 series integrates the industry leading TwinSpin high-load capacity trochoidal gear unit and a powerful AC servomotor with servo feedback for a cutting-edge rotary actuator solution for precision motion applications.

The inline (non-hollowshaft) design of the DS 095 fulfils the gap between the DS 70 and DS 100 models to provide a rated torque of up to 85 Nm and maximum lost motion and hysteresis values of less than one arc-min.  [Read more…] about Spinea launches new servo actuator for precision motion

This time, it’s rocket science: Harmonic Drive gears used in space rover project

by

Space rover
Harmonic Drive’s strain wave gears are used on spacecraft

Graham Mackrell, managing director of precision gearing specialist Harmonic Drive UK, explains why its strain wave gears have been the top choice in space for over 40 years

Anything that goes into space is seen as the pinnacle of human creation. Astronauts are highly trained and are at the peak of physical fitness, space shuttles are crafted by large teams of expert engineers and all the technology used is so high-tech it’s as if it belongs to science fiction.

Many decades ago, the first Harmonic Drive gears were sent into space during the Apollo 15 mission. Even from the beginnings of the space race, the expectations for the technology used were high.

The equipment used in space had to be reliable, compact and lightweight and given the increasing demands on equipment in today’s space missions, it must also now be highly accurate with zero backlash and have high torque capacity.

When aerospace engineers were recently designing a new space rover, they looked to Harmonic Drive gears for reliability. Due to the obvious difficulties of performing repairs in space, a high mean time between equipment failures is a high priority. [Read more…] about This time, it’s rocket science: Harmonic Drive gears used in space rover project

Redesigning the gear: A closer look at Harmonic Drive’s new WavePlus technology

by

harmonic drive Waveplus

Graham Mackrell, managing director of precision gearing expert Harmonic Drive UK, explains WavePlus technology, an innovative development in strain wave gearing

Sometimes, you only need one small innovation to make something revolutionary.

Sliced bread, for example, simply took a stroke of inspiration for Otto Rohwedder to combine automatic bread wrapping equipment with cutting functionality.

The strain wave gear has been the pinnacle of precision gearing since the technology was first developed in 1957 by renowned inventor and founder of Harmonic Drive, Walton Musser.

Consisting of just three crucial components – the wave generator, flexspline and the circular spline – and ensuring zero backlash as well as a high gear reduction ratio, strain wave gears have long been the standard for critical applications.  [Read more…] about Redesigning the gear: A closer look at Harmonic Drive’s new WavePlus technology

Mecademic showcases ‘world’s smallest, most accurate’ 6-axis robot

by

mecademic Meca500

A company called Mecademic is showcasing what it claims is the world’s smallest and most accurate six-axis robot. 

The Meca500 is small enough to fit into a briefcase and its makers claim that the tiny robotic arm has a repeatability of just 5 microns, or 5 millionths of a metre.

The Montreal, Canada-based Mecademic was founded by Jonathan Coulombe, who is the CEO. His co-founder was Ilian Bonev (pictured, with one of the company’s tiny robots).  [Read more…] about Mecademic showcases ‘world’s smallest, most accurate’ 6-axis robot

Cambridge Consultants demonstrates tiny robot small enough to assist in eye operations

by

Cambridge Consultants has been demonstrating a tiny robot which is small enough to assist in eye surgery. (See vido below.)

The company says the “Axsis” robot heralds “the next wave of surgical robotics innovation.

Propelling surgical innovation to the next stage, product design and development firm Cambridge Consultants is showcasing Axsis – one of the smallest known robots for surgical use. With an external body the size of a drinks can and instruments only 1.8 millimetres in diameter, Axsis provides a glimpse into the future of surgical robotics.  [Read more…] about Cambridge Consultants demonstrates tiny robot small enough to assist in eye operations