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Hexagon unveils automated platform to accelerate autonomous robotic quality assurance

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Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division, which supplies smart manufacturing technologies to giants from Volkswagen to Boeing, has unveiled its HxGN Robotic Automation, which it describes as a “pioneering robotic programming and control software” that enables non-specialist quality professionals to program industrial robots to perform fully automated quality inspection.

The platform enables manufacturers to equip greenfield factories or retrofit existing production lines with state-of-the-art autonomous optical inspection cells, accelerating time to market by eliminating historic bottlenecks while providing more complete data direct from the production line as products are made.

HxGN says its robotic automation enables manufacturers to accelerate adoption of Industry 4.0 by intelligently devising optimal inspection routines in a single step; a task that would typically demand significant time and attention from both a metrology and robotics professional. [Read more…] about Hexagon unveils automated platform to accelerate autonomous robotic quality assurance

Sarcos Robotics ‘merges’ with Rotor Acquisition

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Shareholders in Rotor Acquisition, a publicly-traded special-purpose acquisition company, have approved what’s being described as a “business combination” – possibly meaning a merger – with Sarcos Robotics, a maker of exoskeletons.

Upon completion of the transaction, subject to the satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions, Rotor will change its name to Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corporation.

The post-closing company’s common stock and warrants are expected to commence trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbols “STRC” and “STRCW” respectively. [Read more…] about Sarcos Robotics ‘merges’ with Rotor Acquisition

ABB claims 20 percent share of $14 billion distributed control systems market

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ABB claims it has “global market leadership” in the distributed control systems market, and that this claim has been confirmed “for 22nd consecutive year”. The industrial giant is making the claim after a report by the ARC Advisory Group.

ARC’s report calculates that ABB’s Distributed Control Systems (DCS) maintained a “leading share” of around 20 percent in 2020 in a market worth more than $14 billion .

During 2020, ABB saw growth across key regions, despite the impact of the pandemic on the DCS market across industry. [Read more…] about ABB claims 20 percent share of $14 billion distributed control systems market

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems predicted to grow to $63 billion by 2024

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The global market for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) is projected to be valued $63 billion by 2024, according to a report by Accurize Market Research. 

The sector is expected to see a compound annual growth rate of 10.7 percent from 2017 to 2025.

Advanced driver assistance systems, or ADAS, are systems developed to automate, adapt, and enhance vehicle systems for safety and improved driving to assist the driver in the driving procedure. [Read more…] about Advanced Driver Assistance Systems predicted to grow to $63 billion by 2024

Berkshire Grey introduces new robotic product sortation for warehouses

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Berkshire Grey, a provider of robotic solutions that automate supply chain processes, has introduced its next generation Robotic Product Sortation (BG RPS) solution for order fulfillment.

This high-capacity automation solution robotically picks, sorts, and packs individual items into outbound order containers without the need for operator interaction.

The latest version of BG RPS includes a host of new features including a unique dual wing design that increases speed by over 25 percent and doubles the simultaneous order processing capacity. [Read more…] about Berkshire Grey introduces new robotic product sortation for warehouses

Mercedes-Benz receives ‘world’s first internationally valid system approval’ for conditionally automated driving

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Mercedes-Benz says it has become the first automotive company in the world to meet the demanding legal requirements of UN-R157 for a Level 3 system.

The German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has granted system approval for this on the basis of the technical approval regulation UN-R157, thus paving the way for offering such a system internationally, provided that national legislation allows it.

Germany has taken a pioneering role in this with the opening of the Road Traffic Act (StVG) for Level 3 systems in 2017. [Read more…] about Mercedes-Benz receives ‘world’s first internationally valid system approval’ for conditionally automated driving

Door locking systems manufacturer turns to Delta for machine vision robotic solution

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Metal LS, a Bulgarian manufacturer of door locking systems, door and window handles and building hardware, started planning the new automated assembly of door locks in 2019.

The robotic systems that the company already used for other applications were too large for the planned production site, so the new solutions needed to be as compact and precise as possible, in addition to being state of the art.

Door and security locks are precision parts with standard dimensions and components stipulated in DIN standards. Therefore, quality and precision were especially important deciding factors for Metal LS. [Read more…] about Door locking systems manufacturer turns to Delta for machine vision robotic solution

Robot-assisted assembly of high-voltage connectors for electric vehicles

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Assembling high-voltage connectors for electric and hybrid vehicles at a rate of 5 million per year calls for sophisticated automation solutions. Especially when regular retooling for new models and variants is the norm. Against this background, a pioneering system with six Stäubli robots, 13 image processing systems and inline quality control at every stage is now ensuring highly flexible production.

Electro-mobility is the buzzword of our times, and the market for vehicles with electric drives is steadily gaining momentum worldwide. For some time now, this trend has also been spurring demand for the type of assembly solutions for electric components offered by specialized machine builders such as Eberhard. The company, based in Schlierbach near Stuttgart, Germany, was recently asked by a multinational automotive supplier to implement a complex project.

Specifically, it involved the planning and realization of an assembly line for high-voltage connectors. The system would have to not only perform the actual assembly work, but also the visual inspection at each stage, the testing of every single connector for leak-proofing, and finally the packing of the finished high-voltage connectors in trays. [Read more…] about Robot-assisted assembly of high-voltage connectors for electric vehicles

Panasonic Robot and Welding expands collaboration with Claas Saulgau

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Panasonic Robot and Welding System Solutions, a business unit of Panasonic Factory Solutions, and Claas Saulgau GmbH, a producer of agricultural machinery with over 100 years of experience, say they have “intensified” their existing collaboration.

Claas Saugau is extending its production facilities with three new welding systems with a total of five Panasonic welding robots of the latest generation and technology.

Frederik Kahlbau, key account manager for Claas Saulgau, says: “We delivered the first Panasonic welding system to Claas Saulgau GmbH in 2014. [Read more…] about Panasonic Robot and Welding expands collaboration with Claas Saulgau

Winners of the Robotics and Automation News Awards 2021-22

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The votes are counted and decisions made, so… Congratulations to all the winners of the Robotics and Automation News Awards 2021-22, in association with SICK Sensor Intelligence. 

Download a copy of the publication: Robotics and Automation News Awards 2021-22

Watch the video below or on YouTube: Robotics and Automation News Awards 2021-22

The awful coronavirus pandemic has changed many people’s lives forever. Many have lost loved ones and many more have suffered illness and inconvenience to their lives and livelihoods.

For businesses in many sectors, it has been extremely difficult to keep going through lockdowns which reduced their income to zero or thereabouts. And despite previously unimaginable levels of government support, they were forced to wind down, perhaps to fight another day sometime in the future. [Read more…] about Winners of the Robotics and Automation News Awards 2021-22