Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

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Kuka launches new robot controller that is ‘smaller and requires less energy’

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Kuka has launched a new robot controller which it says requires less energy than its predecessor and is at the same time “significantly more compact”.

The KR C5 and the corresponding KR C5 micro robot controller are designed for small robots and are described as “future-compatible hardware” which feature “smart software”.

Kuka says the controllers “slot seamlessly into existing IT and cloud environments” and will gradually support all current applications – while offering considerably more possibilities and even better results. [Read more…] about Kuka launches new robot controller that is ‘smaller and requires less energy’

Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers

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Sometimes described as “the workhorse of industrial automation”, a programmable logic controller, or PLC, is a computing device that is specially designed for use in an industrial operation.

A PLC can take many shapes and sizes, but in most instances it does not look like a conventional desktop computer like the ones you find in offices or in homes – a PLC has no display screen, no hard drive, and no keyboard.

PLCs started out in the automotive manufacturing trade, although they can now be found in almost all sectors, where they tend to replace relays.

Relays are devices that essentially turn machines on and off, and are said to be time-consuming and complex to use compared to PLCs. Relays also require more operational downtime when they need to reconfigured. PLCs are estimated by one research company to reduce downtime from 20 percent to about 4 percent. [Read more…] about Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers

Toyota offers free access to virtual crash test dummy software

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Toyota will make its Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) software freely available from January 2021 as part of its efforts toward a safe mobility society.

THUMS is a virtual human body model software program for computer analysis of human body injuries caused in vehicle collisions. Free access to THUMS, and subsequent use by a wider variety of users, is expected to enhance vehicle safety.

Designed to aid vehicle safety technologies’ research and development, and developed in cooperation with Toyota Central R&D Labs, THUMS was the world’s first virtual human body model software when it launched in 2000. [Read more…] about Toyota offers free access to virtual crash test dummy software

Hokuyo releases upgraded safety scanner

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Hokuyo, a global manufacturer of sensor and automation technology, has announced a new firmware update on the safety laser scanner “UAM-05LP-T301”. (See video below.)

The firmware has been updated periodically since the product release in 2015 and this is the fifth update. The firmware is updated to meet every challenging customer’s requirement and to adapt to the fast changing market trends. The newest version is 2.4.0.

With its small profile and 5 metre protection range, UAM-05LP-T301 is “the world’s smallest, longest protection range safety laser scanner”, says Hokuyo. [Read more…] about Hokuyo releases upgraded safety scanner

Electric vehicles drop in price, but ‘most remain unprofitable’, says Lux Research

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Electric vehicles have fallen in price, but “most remain unprofitable”, according to Lux Research.

The automotive industry is under pressure to reduce emissions, both from government regulations and from consumers who are growing more conscious about the environmental impact of their vehicles.

Electrified powertrains are a promising avenue to reduce or eliminate vehicle emissions for automakers. [Read more…] about Electric vehicles drop in price, but ‘most remain unprofitable’, says Lux Research

Lumotive claims ‘industry-first’ LiDAR using liquid its Crystal Metasurfaces and CMOS manufacturing

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Lumotive, a developer of scalable solid-state LiDAR systems, has launched the first two in a series of 3D-sensing products that utilize its innovative Liquid Crystal Metasurfaces (LCMs) manufactured in CMOS semiconductor processes.

The company says the new systems are designed to meet performance, cost and size requirements across a range of industries.

With samples available in the fourth quarter of this year, the Lumotive X20 and Lumotive Z20 LiDAR systems target the automotive and industrial automation markets, respectively. [Read more…] about Lumotive claims ‘industry-first’ LiDAR using liquid its Crystal Metasurfaces and CMOS manufacturing

Mazak launches new 5-axis vertical machining centre

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Yamazaki Mazak has unveiled a new high-accuracy simultaneous 5-axis vertical machining centre, the Variaxis C-600, suitable for a wide range of sectors, including the aerospace and automotive markets.

Mazak says the C-600, which is the successor machine to the highly successful Variaxis j-600/5X, is being marketed at a “highly attractive price point” to provide a high performance and cost-effective 5-axis solution.

The Variaxis C-600 is characterised by its highly agile performance, with no compromise on rigidity. The compact machine, capable of machining workpieces up to Ø730 mm x H450 mm and 500 kg in weight, has been designed with a large machining envelope and a high-rigidity structure featuring a Ø600 mm fully supported trunnion table with roller gear cam on the B- and C-axes. [Read more…] about Mazak launches new 5-axis vertical machining centre

NXP launches new bluetooth devices for automotive and industrial markets

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NXP Semiconductors has launched new devices within its KW3x range of microcontrollers (MCUs). The new KW39/38/37 MCUs add Bluetooth 5.0 long-range capabilities and expanded Bluetooth advertising channels.

These enhancements are made while offering seamless migration with hardware, software and tools compatibility with the previous generation of devices, KW34/35/36.

The connectivity MCUs allow Bluetooth LE devices to communicate at distances of more than a mile and increase the amount of Bluetooth advertising channels and advertising data within the Bluetooth standard, the predominant IoT protocol. [Read more…] about NXP launches new bluetooth devices for automotive and industrial markets

Kuka launches new industrial robot

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Kuka has unveiled a major new addition to its range of industrial robots – the KR Iontec.

The Iontec has a payload of 30 to 70 kilograms and a reach of 2100mm to 2500mm.

Introducing the robot on its website, Kuka says: “With the KR Iontec, you are opting for a highly flexible robot with the best work envelope in its class and a flexible mounting position for a wide range of applications.” [Read more…] about Kuka launches new industrial robot

ifm electronic launches new RFID system ‘ideally suited to production line’

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ifm electronic has launched a new RFID system which the company says has long user-adjustable operating range, robust construction and choice of fieldbus interfaces.

ifm adds that the HF RFID systems in the new DTE60x range “are ideally suited to production line applications”.

The new units provide RFID antenna, evaluation electronics and fieldbus interface in a single compact module, which makes them easy to install, even when space is limited. [Read more…] about ifm electronic launches new RFID system ‘ideally suited to production line’

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