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Mass customization platform KBMax named ‘visual configuration leader’

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KBMax, a company which provides mass customization services to the manufacturing sector, says it has been named “visual configuration leader” by G2 Crowd, a website which collates and presents reviews from users of software.

KBMax mainly offers its services through its website, and primarily categorizes itself as a “CPQ” platform, a well-known term in sales and marketing which stands for configure, price, quote.

Traditionally, CPQ platforms have not included visual configurators, which enable the customization of a product using online 3D computer-aided design software.

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BASF invests in quantum computing startup Zapata

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BASF Venture Capital is joining a group of prominent investors in the Series A investment round of Zapata Computing, Inc.

Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Zapata is developing both a powerful software platform as well as specific applications for Global 1000 companies to effectively use a range of emerging quantum computing hardware.

By investing in Zapata, BASF Venture Capital supports BASF’s strategic goal to take advantage of the opportunities that digitalisation offers along the entire value chain.

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Swisslog wins major order from Ikea in Malaysia

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Swisslog, a warehouse automation company, has received a major order from Ikea Supply in Malaysia.

The contract is valued at approximately €43 million.

The project comprises of 215,000 pallet locations of clad-rack, 21 warehouse pallet stacker cranes Vectura, the pallet conveyor system ProMove, the electric Monorail System and the core of the system, the Swisslog software SynQ.

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Fujitsu begins production of post-K supercomputer

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Fujitsu Limited has announced that, working with RIKEN, it has completed the design of Post-K, the successor to the K supercomputer.

The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) is aiming to start the public service of Post-K around 2021 or 2022.

Fujitsu has now concluded an official contract with RIKEN to manufacture, ship, and install hardware for Post-K.

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B&R software better utilises the potential of robots

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B&R Automation has added new functions to its mapp Motion software package. It is now possible to represent the structure of a complex machine intuitively in the configuration.

The various subsystems of a machine can be linked together. The movements of robots can be easily synchronised with gantry systems or workpiece tables with no additional programming.

The “Frame hierarchy” function can be used to represent the actual structure of a machine. Coordinate systems can be positioned at key points, such as the tool mounting flange.

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Robotic toymaker Anki to close down

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Anki, a startup company which made robotic toy cars and trucks, is planning to close its doors, according to a report on the Recode website.

The company had raised more than $200 million in funding for the venture, and generated $100 million in revenue in 2017, but is now making all of its 200 employees redundant.

In a statement to Recode, the company says that it had been left “without significant funding” which meant it could not finance its hardware and software development plans going forward.

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Festo looks to AI to make automation more profitable

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Festo is looking to implement artificial intelligence systems to make automation even more productive and efficient.

The company says it currently offers intelligent component and process monitoring. But Festo intends to further increase the productivity of its customers by means of self-learning machines.

The company is relying here on AI at three network levels:

  • on edge;
  • on premises; and
  • in the cloud.

In addition to the complex services that can be offered in a cloud, Festo sees great potential in simple real-time data analysis by means of AI – either directly on the field component (AI on edge) or in the control of either the system or a production plant (AI on premises).

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Dyndrite in line to raise $10 million for its 3D design software

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A startup company called Dyndrite is set to raise more than $10 million to bring its computer-aided design software to market.

The privately held Dyndrite says Gradient Ventures, Google’s AI-focused investment fund and an early Dyndrite investor, will lead the company’s $10 million+ Series A financing round.

Cota Capital joins existing investors, Amplify Ventures, The House Fund, and private investor and former president and CEO of Autodesk, Carl Bass.

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Swisslog wins two large orders in Scandinavia and Southeast Asia

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Swisslog has been commissioned to carry out the comprehensive automation of the Coop warehouse in Langhus.

The delivery includes a high-bay pallet warehouse with six Vectura stacker cranes and a conveyor system, which are controlled by the intelligent Swisslog software SynQ.

 The new distribution centre will be in full operation at the beginning of 2021.

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ADAS: Top 40 advanced driver assistance systems companies

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The term “advanced driver assistance systems”, or ADAS, refers to a collection of automotive electronics technologies which are designed to enable vehicles to operate autonomously in certain situations.

The market for ADAS is forecast to be worth around $70 billion by 2025, according to Grand View Research. And although it’s already a huge market, a lot of the activity now is with the future in mind, a future in which many believe autonomous and electric cars will dominate.

A longer list of ADAS functions can be found elsewhere on this website, but examples include cruise control, lane-keeping, self-parking, and collision avoidance.

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