production

Automation is a ‘critical technology’ to help people during coronavirus crisis, says A3

April 9, 2020 by Sam Francis Leave a Comment

Automation technology is playing a critical role helping safeguard people and processes during the global coronavirus crisis, according to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3).

A3 is a US industrial association representing members in robotics, vision and imaging, motion control and motors, artificial intelligence and related automation technologies who are now part of the large ecosystem taking part in the battle against Covid-19.

Jeff Burnstein, president of A3, says: “These critical automation technologies are keeping people safe, helping develop new medicines and treatments, producing key products people need today, and filling other essential roles. [Read more…] about Automation is a ‘critical technology’ to help people during coronavirus crisis, says A3

Kuka secures contract worth ‘millions’ to supply automation technology to manufacture battery packs

April 9, 2020 by Sam Francis Leave a Comment

Kuka, one of the world’s largest industrial automation companies, says it has secured a contract “worth millions” in the future-oriented market of electro-mobility.

Kuka says it won the contract for the planning and supply of a fully automated battery pack line. It adds that it is a “major double-digit million euro order”.

Starting 2021, battery systems for fully electric vehicles in the premium segment will be manufactured in this production facility, which will feature at least 50 Kuka robots. [Read more…] about Kuka secures contract worth ‘millions’ to supply automation technology to manufacture battery packs

The Motorcycle Industry and the Use of Production Robots

April 7, 2020 by Polly Leave a Comment

In recent years, the use of production robots has revolutionized the motorcycle industry. The use of robots is a new trend that is implemented by many brands because of the improvement in productivity.

When it comes to this industry, robots are used for a large array of uses, from painting, to the actual assembly process and welding.

So, let’s take a look at the companies that started using robots and what they have to say about the results of this transition. [Read more…] about The Motorcycle Industry and the Use of Production Robots

How Automation is Disrupting All Kinds of Manufacturing in 2020

April 6, 2020 by Polly Leave a Comment

We are entering an era of smart factories and automated manufacturing. While many speculate it to be the end of manual labor as we know it, the evidence points in a different direction.

Industrial automation has ushered new ways that machines and human effort can collaborate to increase efficiency and drive down complexity.

This is especially true for the emerging automation technologies which, in the past few years, are disrupting all kinds of manufacturing. [Read more…] about How Automation is Disrupting All Kinds of Manufacturing in 2020

Open Manufacturing Platform expands with new industrial giants joining

March 13, 2020 by David Edwards Leave a Comment

The Open Manufacturing Platform has expanded, with new steering committee members and new working groups established.

OMP is an alliance founded in 2019 to help manufacturing companies accelerate innovation at scale through cross-industry collaboration, knowledge and data sharing as well as access to new technologies.

The OMP was founded under the umbrella of the Joint Development Foundation, which is part of the Linux Foundation. [Read more…] about Open Manufacturing Platform expands with new industrial giants joining

Farewell to the old assembly line: Automation is changing manufacturing processes in the automotive industry

March 12, 2020 by Sam Francis Leave a Comment

The world’s leading trade fair for intelligent automation and robotics, automatica, will take place in Munich from June 16 to 19.

One main focus of the event will be on making automobile production more flexible.

Numerous exhibitors will present alternatives to conventional assembly line production with stationary conveyor technology, for example driverless transport systems and, of course, cobots for human-robot collaboration applications. [Read more…] about Farewell to the old assembly line: Automation is changing manufacturing processes in the automotive industry

InoBat Auto secures funding from Slovakian government to build €1 billion ‘Gigafactory’

March 9, 2020 by Sam Francis Leave a Comment

InoBat Auto, a battery production company providing new energy solutions for electric vehicles, has secured funding to build a research and development centre to support the construction of a 10 GWh Gigafactory in Slovakia – the world’s biggest car producer per capita.

The investment from the Slovakian Government has contributed to the €100 million first-phase fund raising to deliver the Gigafactory, which will deploy state-of-the-art battery technology with the potential to provide an estimated 240,000 electric vehicles with cutting edge batteries by 2024.

InoBat Auto says its planned Gigafactory will catapult Europe to become a leading global force in the electric vehicle battery industry. [Read more…] about InoBat Auto secures funding from Slovakian government to build €1 billion ‘Gigafactory’

Special report: Robotics and automation in automotive manufacturing and supply chains

February 24, 2020 by Sam Francis Leave a Comment

in association with SICK AppSpace

The automotive industry is undergoing the most fundamental transformation in its history and, as this article suggests, a flexible approach to software development will become essential to companies that want to stay competitive.

As well as applications development, industry is experiencing the impact of other key technologies such as:

robotics and automation;
supply chains, warehousing and logistics;
digitalisation;
electric engines;
autonomous systems; and
connectivity, or the internet of things.

Clearly, it would be almost impossible to go into any great depth in a 2,000-word article, but we will at least bring to your attention the new technologies that are already changing the automotive landscape. [Read more…] about Special report: Robotics and automation in automotive manufacturing and supply chains

MWES develops robotic system to increase case packing speed

February 7, 2020 by David Edwards Leave a Comment

With good labor getting harder to find and retain, Midwest Engineered Systems has found that automating the more redundant production processes has become a necessity.

Automating these tasks allows the transfer of valuable labor resources to more important tasks.

MWES’s robotic case packing solution does just that for bagged products that have previously proven difficult to automate. [Read more…] about MWES develops robotic system to increase case packing speed