systems

How Automation is Disrupting All Kinds of Manufacturing in 2020

April 6, 2020 by Polly Leave a Comment

We are entering an era of smart factories and automated manufacturing. While many speculate it to be the end of manual labor as we know it, the evidence points in a different direction.

Industrial automation has ushered new ways that machines and human effort can collaborate to increase efficiency and drive down complexity.

This is especially true for the emerging automation technologies which, in the past few years, are disrupting all kinds of manufacturing. [Read more…] about How Automation is Disrupting All Kinds of Manufacturing in 2020

Open Manufacturing Platform expands with new industrial giants joining

March 13, 2020 by David Edwards Leave a Comment

The Open Manufacturing Platform has expanded, with new steering committee members and new working groups established.

OMP is an alliance founded in 2019 to help manufacturing companies accelerate innovation at scale through cross-industry collaboration, knowledge and data sharing as well as access to new technologies.

The OMP was founded under the umbrella of the Joint Development Foundation, which is part of the Linux Foundation. [Read more…] about Open Manufacturing Platform expands with new industrial giants joining

Farewell to the old assembly line: Automation is changing manufacturing processes in the automotive industry

March 12, 2020 by Sam Francis Leave a Comment

The world’s leading trade fair for intelligent automation and robotics, automatica, will take place in Munich from June 16 to 19.

One main focus of the event will be on making automobile production more flexible.

Numerous exhibitors will present alternatives to conventional assembly line production with stationary conveyor technology, for example driverless transport systems and, of course, cobots for human-robot collaboration applications. [Read more…] about Farewell to the old assembly line: Automation is changing manufacturing processes in the automotive industry

6 River Systems introduces ‘major enhancements’ to its mobile fulfillment robots

March 9, 2020 by Sam Francis Leave a Comment

6 River Systems (6RS), part of global commerce platform Shopify, has unveiled what it describes as “major enhancements” to its “wall-to-wall” fulfillment solution, including upgrades to its collaborative mobile robot, Chuck.

6RS says it provides warehouse operators the opportunity to “transform the entire fulfillment workflow from putaway, to picking, sorting and packing”.

Improvements to the solution’s order allocation algorithm and optimizations to batch, zone and other picking methodologies continue to reduce associate walking in the warehouse, says the company. [Read more…] about 6 River Systems introduces ‘major enhancements’ to its mobile fulfillment robots

NXP becomes lead partner for Arm Ethos U-55 machine learning accelerators

February 26, 2020 by David Edwards Leave a Comment

NXP Semiconductors has agreed a lead partnership role with Arm for Ethos-U55 microNPU (Neural Processing Unit), a machine learning accelerator targeted at resource-constrained industrial and IoT edge devices.

As an industry-leading innovator of microcontrollers (MCUs), NXP intends to implement Ethos U-55 in its Cortex-M based microcontrollers, crossover MCUs and real-time sub-systems in applications processors.

The expansion builds on the company’s growing ML offerings including the recently announced i.MX 8M Plus applications processors with a dedicated NPU. [Read more…] about NXP becomes lead partner for Arm Ethos U-55 machine learning accelerators

Maxim launches ‘industry’s smallest’ LiDAR integrated circuits

February 26, 2020 by Sam Francis Leave a Comment

Chipmaker Maxim Integrated has unveiled what it says is “the industry’s smallest light detection and ranging integrated circuits”.

The company says the ICs provide twice the bandwidth than competing ICs and are intended for faster self-driving cars.

Maxim says designers of automotive self-driving systems can now enable higher-speed autonomous driving through the industry’s fastest and smallest LiDAR ICs. [Read more…] about Maxim launches ‘industry’s smallest’ LiDAR integrated circuits

BICS powers first intelligent exoskeleton with global connectivity

February 22, 2020 by David Edwards Leave a Comment

BICS, a global communications enabler, is providing global internet-of-things connectivity and asset management for a pioneering exoskeleton developed by German Bionic.

The Cray X is the first connected asset from the Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) provider and marks the first instance of a European manufacturer developing, producing and deploying smart exoskeletons for use in industrial production.

Designed to support and enhance the wearer’s movements, German Bionic’s Cray X reduces the risk of accidents and excessive strain for employees in sectors that involve repetitive but unpredictable heavy lifting. [Read more…] about BICS powers first intelligent exoskeleton with global connectivity

Mercedes expands development of autonomous commercial vehicle systems

February 21, 2020 by David Edwards Leave a Comment

From project to product: With AXYARD, Lab1886 and Daimler Trucks automate the operation of commercial vehicles

The automated snow removal by two self-driving Mercedes-Benz Arocs in Immendingen shows a successful application for automated commercial vehicles in closed areas.

The joint project of Lab1886, the innovation unit for new business models within Mercedes-Benz AG, and Daimler Trucks, the inventor of the truck, has now become a product that can be used as a solution for various customer requirements in sectors such as on-site logistics and agriculture.

Lab1886 and Daimler Trucks, together with Fraport, demonstrated the operation of self-driving snow-clearing vehicles in non-public closed areas for the first time in October 2017 as part of a pilot project on the site of the former Pferdsfeld air base. [Read more…] about Mercedes expands development of autonomous commercial vehicle systems

MWES develops robotic system to increase case packing speed

February 7, 2020 by David Edwards Leave a Comment

With good labor getting harder to find and retain, Midwest Engineered Systems has found that automating the more redundant production processes has become a necessity.

Automating these tasks allows the transfer of valuable labor resources to more important tasks.

MWES’s robotic case packing solution does just that for bagged products that have previously proven difficult to automate. [Read more…] about MWES develops robotic system to increase case packing speed