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Connecting revolutions: Exclusive interview with Stäubli Robotics automotive boss

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A range of Stäubli robots
A range of Stäubli robots

Stäubli is one of the first industrial automation companies, having been established all the way back in the late-1800s and quickly developing what was then advanced technology for the weaving industry before the century was out. The company even owns Jacquard machines, Jacquard being the pioneering manufacturer of looms that defined the original Industrial Revolution – and the inventor of punched cards to control machines, from which flowed computer programming principles. 

Then in the early 1980s, Stäubli bought the Unimation business from Westinghouse, Unimation being the company which developed the first industrial robot arm, the Unimate.

Today, Stäubli is still one of world’s largest industrial robotics and automation companies, and its product manager in the US is Paul Deady.  [Read more…] about Connecting revolutions: Exclusive interview with Stäubli Robotics automotive boss

Yaskawa showcases Neocortex robotic work cell for material handling

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Yaskawa has introduced a new robotic work cell developed in partnership with Motoman and Universal Robotics.

Yaskawa says the Neocortex Goods to Robot Cell is a “complete, pre-engineered adaptive picking solution”.

The system is the result of a collaboration between Yaskawa America, Motoman Robotics Division and Universal Robotics.  [Read more…] about Yaskawa showcases Neocortex robotic work cell for material handling

Video: Latest list of the world’s leading industrial robot manufacturers

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Mitsubishi currently has 70,000 industrial robots installed worldwide, Robotics and Automation News has learned.

As a result, the company is now included in the Robotics and Automation News list of the world’s top industrial robot manufacturers.

Other companies in the new list are Stäubli and Universal, which makes collaborative robots.  [Read more…] about Video: Latest list of the world’s leading industrial robot manufacturers

Mitsubishi says it has 70,000 industrial robots installed worldwide

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mitsubishi-robots

Mitsubishi Robotics currently has 70,000 industrial robots installed around the world. 

A reliable source close to the company made the information available to Robotics and Automation News exclusively on condition of anonymity.

Mitsubishi Robotics is now the eighth-largest industrial robot maker on the Robotics and Automation News list of the top industrial robot manufacturers in the world.

Audi smart factory ushers in new era of manufacturing

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Audi has opened what it calls a “smart factory”, in Mexico, the first such plant opened by a leading automaker in that country.

Professor Rupert Stadler, chairman of Audi, says: “The plant in Mexico is a milestone in the history of our company and an important step in our internationalization.

“It is one of the most modern factories on the American continent. With this facility, we have established an important site for the export of our automobiles to customers all over the world.”  [Read more…] about Audi smart factory ushers in new era of manufacturing

Etalex increases sales by ‘40 per cent’ by using robotics and automation technology

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Canadian company Etalex says it has achieved a 40 per cent increase in the past year, partly as a result of integrating collaborative technology from Universal Robots into its process

Founded in 1966 in Montreal, Canada, Etalex manufactures commercial interiors, specializing in metal fixtures, shelving, wood furnishings and heavy-duty racking systems. The company has 120 employees and has been mainly concentrating on the Quebec market. 

Etalex says it has introduced robotics and automation technology into its production and this resulted in increased competitiveness and a 40 per cent rise in sales last year.

As a result of its growth, the company says it is now ready to compete in the New York and Ontario markets as well.

  [Read more…] about Etalex increases sales by ‘40 per cent’ by using robotics and automation technology

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

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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

Chinese company Delta launches new industrial robot

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Delta has unveiled the latest version of its articulated industrial robot.

The Chinese company says its DRV90L / DRV 70L series can be “perfectly integrated with AC motor drives, motion control systems, sensors, machine vision systems, advanced host controllers and more, to construct high-end automation machines and systems”.

Delta’s senior vice-president, Simon Chang, says: “Our articulated robot solutions are already applied at our factory in China and have proven to enhance productivity and product quality.  [Read more…] about Chinese company Delta launches new industrial robot

Cern introduces Tim, the tunnel-checking robot

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The name’s TIM, Robot TIM – meet the spy patrolling the 27-km tunnel of the Large Hadron Collider.

TIM, the Train Inspection Monorail, is a mini vehicle transporting a set of instruments along tracks suspended from the tunnel’s ceiling.

This smart machine is used for real-time monitoring of the LHC tunnel: the tunnel structure, the oxygen percentage, the communication bandwidth and the temperature.  [Read more…] about Cern introduces Tim, the tunnel-checking robot

Equashield claims ‘world first’ with new drug robot

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equashield-pro

Equashield says it’s the world’s first robot with closed system transfer device to further protect pharmacy staff during hazardous drug compounding

Equashield, a provider of “closed system transfer devices” for safe and simple handling of hazardous drugs, is expanding its range of solutions and products offered by entering the field of automation.

Its newest product, a compounding robot named Equashield Pro (pictured), will be introduced at the upcoming ASHP Midyear Meeting.

Marino Kriheli, founder of Equashield, says: “The throughput capacities of current compounding robots and their ability to prevent contamination by hazardous drugs is near its peak efficiency, defined – and limited – by the robotic ‘arms’ mimicking dose preparation with a needle and syringe.”  [Read more…] about Equashield claims ‘world first’ with new drug robot