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Material handling: An overview of a fast-moving market

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Material handling refers to the movement of items within relatively small spaces, such as a warehouse. 

In that sense, it’s different from logistics, which refers to movement of goods over longer distances, from city to city or across countries and continents.

But material handling falls within logistics, obviously, and can sometimes be categorised within intralogistics – as in, movement of goods within a company’s network of warehouses and manufacturing facilities.  [Read more…] about Material handling: An overview of a fast-moving market

Yaskawa Electric reports stunning 150 per cent more profits with robotics and automation leading the way

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Yaskawa Electric says it has achieved a staggering 150 per cent growth in net profit for the period from April to September, compared with the same period last year, according to a report on Nikkei. 

Nikkei says Yaskawa’s profits for the period were $184 million, beating its own previous records.

Yaskawa, which also owns the Motoman brand of industrial robot, says most of the growth was due to increased orders for automation equipment from China, Japan and the US.  [Read more…] about Yaskawa Electric reports stunning 150 per cent more profits with robotics and automation leading the way

Final call for Instructables ‘Design for Robotics’ competition

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Instructables is probably the most popular website for the maker community, and contains thousands and thousands of guides on how to make things. 

The website was bought by the Autodesk group, which owns the AutoCad and Fusion 360 range of software, and is offering free software to the education sector. 

A few weeks ago, Instructables launched a competition which it called “Design for Robotics”, in partnership with GE Appliances, which makes washing machines and similar household goods.  [Read more…] about Final call for Instructables ‘Design for Robotics’ competition

Robots in the cosmetics industry: Complex tasks for sophisticated machines

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Like most business sectors, the cosmetics industry is a growing market for industrial robotics and automation suppliers. 

At the moment, it’s a relatively small market compared to automotive, electronics, and other sectors, but according to a study by Alltake Market Research, unit shipments in the sector will grow more than 20 per cent by 2022.

However, Alltake combines cosmetics and pharmaceutical into one category for its projections.  [Read more…] about Robots in the cosmetics industry: Complex tasks for sophisticated machines

US trade boss warns of oversupply of bad robots because of Chinese government subsidies

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China’s appetite for industrial robots is big and growing. Already the largest buyer of the machines, domestic companies are being encouraged by the Chinese government to build more robots locally, not just import them from overseas. 

Such high-powered encouragement has led to the establishment of numerous robot manufacturers in the country, some of which take advantage of government subsidies.

This has prompted criticism from US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross (main picture), who grumbled about a range of issues, but singled out China’s burgeoning robotics industry, which he apparently believes is built mainly on government subsidies.  [Read more…] about US trade boss warns of oversupply of bad robots because of Chinese government subsidies

Spanish farm produce supplier reduces human workers from 500 to 100 using robots

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Spanish farm produce supplier El Dulze has reduced its human workforce from 500 down to just 100 with the use of robots, according to a report on FruitNet.com. 

The company is said to be using Fanuc robots – LR Mate 200iB models – which use vision systems to even out the production line so the vegetables are not bunched up too close together for packing.

The robots also appear to be picking heads of lettuce and placing them in containers, or plastic packaging.  [Read more…] about Spanish farm produce supplier reduces human workers from 500 to 100 using robots

Opinion: How assistive robots will transform the workplace and elderly care

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By Dr Antonio Espingardeiro, member of the IEEE

Robots can bring significant benefits to the workplace, positively impacting productivity, efficiency and quality.

There are challenges to realising these benefits – not least the complex subject of the degree and quality of human interaction that we want or need robots to deliver.

However, robotics offers tremendous scope for helping humanity, so the field will continue to develop the advanced technologies that make it possible.  [Read more…] about Opinion: How assistive robots will transform the workplace and elderly care

Nidec to launch factory automation robots

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Nidec is to start selling factory automation and robotics systems some time this year, according to a report in the Nikkei Asian Review. 

Japanese company Nidec already has a strong presence in the industrial space, and is a huge supplier of motors.

In the company’s own words, it specialises in and handles motor application products based on “everything that spins and moves”, and says its business is “centred on motors”.  [Read more…] about Nidec to launch factory automation robots

Technically speaking, South Korea just introduced world’s first ‘robot tax’

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It was kind of funny when the idea of asking robots to pay their fair share of taxes was first floated, but it seems some are taking it seriously. 

Bill Gates was one of the first to talk about it, but not many probably took him all that seriously.

But then, not many people take the universal basic income idea seriously either, but some countries have already introduced it.  [Read more…] about Technically speaking, South Korea just introduced world’s first ‘robot tax’

Kawasaki gloating over appearance of its robots in latest Transformers film

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Kawasaki is clearly very pleased with the appearance of not one but two of its industrial robots in the new Hollywood blockbuster film, Transformers 5: The Last Knight. 

The company has been crowing about its fame on its website.

The two Kawasaki RS010L robots make an appearance in the Transformers film.  [Read more…] about Kawasaki gloating over appearance of its robots in latest Transformers film