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Opinion: Robotic end-of-arm tools are shaping the manufacturing industry

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By Thomas Knudsen, general manager Northern Europe, OnRobot

Within a diverse and innovative sector like the manufacturing industry, flexibility is key.

Robotics, a key enabler of this, has already taken this industry by storm, allowing factories worldwide to automate more and more tasks, cutting costs and increasing productivity.

However, simple automation is no longer enough. Manufacturers now require unique automation solutions for each specific production environment, to tackle the talent shortage they are facing, but can’t redesign facilities for every different process and application.  [Read more…] about Opinion: Robotic end-of-arm tools are shaping the manufacturing industry

NextShift Robotics receives patent for vertical lift capability in robotic picking

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NextShift Robotics, a provider of autonomous mobile robot solutions for automated order fulfilment and warehouse materials management, has been granted a second patent, US10214354B2, “Method and System for Automated Transport of Items”.

The patent pertains to operating a robotic picking system in which the containers to be picked are positioned on the shelves and within picking stations.

The patent covers the ability of the robot to raise itself vertically to access shelving of different heights in order to pick the appropriate container from a range of shelf heights and storage system configurations.

[Read more…] about NextShift Robotics receives patent for vertical lift capability in robotic picking

New robotic painting system saves ‘significant’ resources, claims Fraunhofer

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An automated painting system, involving an industrial robot, is claimed to save significant resources by its developer, the Fraunhofer Institute.

The robotic system – called SelfPaint – is said by Fraunhofer to offer reductions of 20 percent in paint use, 15 percent in energy consumption and 5 percent in production time.

These are “significant advantages” compared to manual painting operations, which have previously been the preferred option, adds Fraunhofer.  [Read more…] about New robotic painting system saves ‘significant’ resources, claims Fraunhofer

Hirotec on long journey towards lights-out manufacturing with robots from Otto and Yaskawa

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“Lights-out manufacturing” is a term to mean the method of making things in a way that’s entirely automated and does not need humans to be involved in the process. 

Of course, humans initially set up the process, build the factory and so on, but the factory which outputs the final product only requires robotics and automation technology.

It’s an idea that has probably been explored in science fiction many times, but in reality, a fully automated factory that needs no human intervention at all is still a distant dream.  [Read more…] about Hirotec on long journey towards lights-out manufacturing with robots from Otto and Yaskawa

Honeywell says its newest PLC dramatically reduces integration costs for industrial plants

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Honeywell Process Solutions has launched the latest version of its ControlEdge Programmable Logic Controller.

This release, combined with Honeywell’s Experion distributed control system, provides a “significant reduction” in integration efforts and project costs as well as increased security and availability through enhanced cyber security for industrial facilities, says the company.

The PLC is used in a variety of balance of plant applications, such as equipment and device level control.  [Read more…] about Honeywell says its newest PLC dramatically reduces integration costs for industrial plants

Cyber-physical systems and manufacturing’s new frontier

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The real world and its digital twin are collaborating to bring forth something called “mass customisation”, a new manufacturing culture which, as the term suggests, will be the basis for the most diverse ecosystem of engineered products ever seen. 

To understand and articulate some specifics about what’s being called “the new frontier of manufacturing”, one of the world’s largest management consultancy firms, Deloitte, partnered with the Singularity University, a forum for technology futurists co-founded by Ray Kurzweil, to organise a conference called Exponential Manufacturing, featuring many thought leaders working in the industrial sector.  [Read more…] about Cyber-physical systems and manufacturing’s new frontier

Comau provides glimpse into Maserati plant in Italy

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Comau has provided RoboticsAndAutomationNews.com an insight into its production processes at the Torino, Italy plant of the prestige car marque Maserati. 

Comau is part of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group, which also owns Maserati, along with a number of the world’s most famous and celebrated marques such as Ferrari and Alfa Romeo.

In this picture story, Comau shows its industrial robots performing complex tasks relating to body-in-white operations, spot welding and other crucial assembly functions.  [Read more…] about Comau provides glimpse into Maserati plant in Italy

What’s in the stars for manufacturing in India?

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Exclusive interview with Sharmila Annaswamy, India-based consultant specialising in industry

Apple recently established a manufacturing facility in India, through Foxconn, the Taiwanese company which makes its iPhones, iPads and other devices. 

For Sharmila Annaswamy, a Frost & Sullivan consultant specialising in industry, the tech giant’s decision is one of the “remarkable achievements” of the government’s Make in India campaign.

As well as Apple and Foxconn, a number of Chinese companies have set up manufacturing facilities in India. Huawei, for example, plans to make smartphones in the country.

In an exclusive interview with RoboticsAndAutomationNews.com, Annaswamy says: “Apple and other large companies moving into India is one of the good things that is happening with the Make in India campaign, which the government has been promoting on a large scale.  [Read more…] about What’s in the stars for manufacturing in India?

Cognitive technologies and AI poised to transform all manufacturing sectors, says Frost

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Partnership, collaboration, and technology investment crucial for growth opportunities, says Frost & Sullivan’s industrial automation and process control team 

The Internet of Things and data analytics are transforming the manufacturing space, and data is the new currency.

Currently, human intervention is needed for logical and reasonable decision making. However, with the rise of cognitive technologies, machines will be empowered to detect constantly changing manufacturing scenarios and respond in real time with minimum human intervention.

To be successful, manufacturers need to invest in artificial intelligence technology to improve plant efficiency and productivity, and build partnerships and collaborations that drive data-driven intelligence.  [Read more…] about Cognitive technologies and AI poised to transform all manufacturing sectors, says Frost

NarrativeWave claims first of its kind IIoT platform

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Today, large industrial assets, such as airplane engines and gas turbines, generate data through sensors.

In fact, there are around 6 billion connected sensors in the world today and by 2020, more than 20 billion sensors will be connected worldwide, according to Gartner.

During a commercial airline flight, data such as the engine’s health and status is sent to diagnostic engineers to be closely analyzed.

Approximately 1,000 gigabytes of data are generated per flight and with over 100,000 flights per day, this equates to over 100,000,000 gigabytes of commercial flight data every day.

That is what you call BIG data.

While big data can be a curse to manage, it is becoming the most critical asset. [Read more…] about NarrativeWave claims first of its kind IIoT platform