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Einride driverless trucks now powered by Nvidia chips

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Autonomous electric truck maker Einride says the next generation of its groundbreaking “Pods” will use the Nvidia Drive AGX Orin autonomous vehicle computing platform to handle high-speed, unmanned operations.

Pär Degerman, CTO of Einride, says: “Safety and functionality in autonomous drive are achieved in two ways: diversity and redundancy.

“To capture and account for the diversity in a myriad of operational scenarios, and to develop the redundancy necessary to improve functionality, we need the most advanced processors possible, and that’s where Nvidia Orin comes in.” [Read more…] about Einride driverless trucks now powered by Nvidia chips

SSI Schaffer provides Coop with ‘one of the largest automation solutions in the world’

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Coop, one of the leading food retailers in Sweden, has chosen SSI Schaefer as its general contractor for intralogistics to provide a highly automated logistics solution for the company’s new 77,000 sqm distribution center in Eskilstuna, Sweden.

Coop’s new distribution center, strategically positioned in the heart of Sweden, will handle the distribution of goods to Coop’s 800+ stores around the country.

The majority of the material flow will be processed by two highly automated robotic case picking systems for chilled and ambient products. The result will be a sustainable warehouse that will handle more than 600,000 units per day. [Read more…] about SSI Schaffer provides Coop with ‘one of the largest automation solutions in the world’

Top Australian retailer installs more than 100 Geek+ warehouse robots in partnership with Körber

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Geek+, a manufacturer of autonomous mobile robots, has been chosen by Catch.com.au, one of Australia’s leading online retailers, to provide more than 100 AMRs through its global integration partner Körber.

The companies say the partnership is bringing new opportunities for the e-commerce marketplace in Australia and New Zealand.

In the past year, Catch.com.au has seen its already rapidly growing business expand with thousands of additional SKUs being added to its already extensive range of brands and products. [Read more…] about Top Australian retailer installs more than 100 Geek+ warehouse robots in partnership with Körber

Automation association CLPA celebrates 20 years

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November 2020 marks a significant milestone for the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA), as the organization will celebrate its 20th anniversary.

Over the past two decades, the CLPA has been supporting automation vendors and end users worldwide to create converged Smart Factories by providing open network solutions that leverage the latest, most promising technologies, such as Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN).

Since its foundation, the CLPA has actively contributed to advancing manufacturing, such as supporting the current focus on Industry 4.0. [Read more…] about Automation association CLPA celebrates 20 years

ABB unveils new ‘compact’ robotic interior painting system

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ABB has unveiled a new “compact” robotic interior painting system, mainly aimed at the automotive manufacturing sector.

The Compact Interior Painting station enables automotive manufacturers to reduce the size of their vehicle interior painting stations by one-third, while saving costs and making automotive paint facilities more sustainable.

ABB says its latest innovative solution for automotive manufacturing – the Compact Interior Paint station – combines 12 robots to offer a space-saving alternative to traditional robotic interior painting solutions, helping automotive original equipment manufacturers reduce the footprint of their paint booths “by up to 33 percent”, while being able to paint a variety of vehicle types, from cars and SUVs to large MPVs. [Read more…] about ABB unveils new ‘compact’ robotic interior painting system

Rockwell Automation partners with PTC to add new capabilities to FactoryTalk

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Rockwell Automation has added a set of new capabilities for FactoryTalk InnovationSuite, powered by software company PTC to “simplify, scale and accelerate digital transformation for industrial organizations”.

This news follows the recent announcement that the two companies are extending and expanding the scope of their strategic alliance following strong market momentum and widespread industry recognition of InnovationSuite.

Since its original launch in 2018, InnovationSuite has successfully delivered a range of high-value solutions for the world’s largest automotive, consumer packaged goods, healthcare, oil and gas, and pharmaceuticals companies across 21 countries. [Read more…] about Rockwell Automation partners with PTC to add new capabilities to FactoryTalk

Cisco releases two new IoT sensor solutions

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Cisco has unveiled two new cloud-managed sensor solutions that the company says can help businesses simplify asset and facility monitoring across their organizations, from indoor IT closets to outdoor Operation Technology (OT) spaces at scale.

Many businesses today operate in commercial buildings with limited capacity and are supporting a growing mobile workforce. It is critical for business operators to have actionable data from their office space and assets to better manage network equipment performance and maintenance.

Remote monitoring using IoT sensors offers a list of benefits to help improve efficiencies including employee safety by preventing unnecessary site visits and equipment checks, reducing network outages and downtime and reducing costs for premature equipment failure. [Read more…] about Cisco releases two new IoT sensor solutions

Daimler Trucks and Waymo partner on the development of autonomous SAE Level 4 trucks

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Daimler Trucks and Waymo have signed a broad, global, strategic partnership to implement autonomous SAE Level 4 technology. Their initial effort will combine Waymo’s industry-leading automated driver technology with a unique version of Daimler’s Freightliner Cascadia, to enable autonomous driving.

Waymo brings over a decade of experience building what it has trademarked as the “World’s Most Experienced Driver”, having driven over 20 million miles on public roads across 25 US cities and 15 billion miles in simulation.

Daimler Trucks North America, Daimler Trucks’ US subsidiary, parent company of the Freightliner brand and the US market leader in commercial vehicle manufacturing, provides their experience in developing “state-of-the art Class 8 vehicles”. [Read more…] about Daimler Trucks and Waymo partner on the development of autonomous SAE Level 4 trucks

Volkswagen orders staggering 800 ABB robots to build its new electric vehicles

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ABB has received a massive order for 800 industrial robots from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles to support production of a new generation of electric vehicles at its plant in Hannover, Germany.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is modernizing its Hannover factory and is installing state-of-the-art facilities to build the all-electric ID.

Buzz van, which will begin production in 2022. ABB’s robots will be installed in the body shop to undertake a range of body construction tasks. [Read more…] about Volkswagen orders staggering 800 ABB robots to build its new electric vehicles

Yaskawa and Phoenix Contact partner to develop new PLC platform

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Yaskawa, a manufacturer of motion control, robotics, and variable speed drives, and Phoenix Contact, a manufacturer of automation solutions, have agreed a partnership to develop a new programmable logic controller platform.

The companies say they will utilize PLCnext Technology from Phoenix Contact in the development of the “next generation machine controller and PLC platform”, realizing the i3-Mechatronics solution concept lead by Yaskawa.

The common goal of both companies is to offer an open and future-proof ecosystem for industrial automation. In this context, Phoenix Contact has licensed its PLCnext runtime environment to Yaskawa and agrees on further joint developments. [Read more…] about Yaskawa and Phoenix Contact partner to develop new PLC platform