Market trends and business perspectives
In today’s manufacturing technology, rapid tooling has become a more popular way for companies to create tools, molds, or prototypes for their products. But, is it better than the conventional tooling method?
In this guide, you will learn about the key differences between rapid tooling and conventional tooling and how rapid tooling can be better than conventional tooling. [Read more…] about What are the Differences between Rapid Tooling and Conventional Tooling?
Article by Mark Fairchild, Precision Drive Systems
Have you optimized the performance of your robotic arm as it performs milling operations? Machining with articulated robot arms is an attractive alternative to machine tools because they offer ease of set-up, repeatability, a large workspace, and versatility.
However, machine tools are as much as 50 times stiffer than robotic arms (details). This lack of stiffness in robots makes it challenging to produce the desired performance. Minimizing chatter is a frequent concern and should not be overlooked to ensure the right results the first time.
In this article, we explore some best practices for reducing chatter with a focus on the spindle and tooling. [Read more…] about How to Reduce Chatter in Robotic Milling Applications
Droplet microfluidics is a recent trend of laboratory automation technologies, which allow scientists to explore the biological world at an unprecedented resolution and throughput.
The new infrastructure is powered by innovative instrumentation, software as well as the consumable reagents and chips. In this context, plastic chips play a key role in enabling these applications, as they ensure a consistent and scalable droplet production. [Read more…] about Micromolding Service for Droplet Microfluidic Chips Market
Nauticus Robotics, a Houston-based developer of subsea and surface robotic services using autonomy software, has entered into an agreement with Shell, one of the world’s largest oil companies, to advance to the qualification phase for a more efficient means of acquiring subsea integrity data utilizing Nauticus’ Aquanaut and Hydronaut robotic platforms.
This collaboration will enable Shell to add an advanced tool to its subsea asset integrity management lineup with the potential to improve subsea operations.
Shell and Nauticus will collaborate with the industry’s leading inspection tooling service providers, leveraging their expertise and technology to fully integrate into Nauticus’ robotic service solution. [Read more…] about Nauticus Robotics wins contract with oil giant Shell for autonomous subsea operations
SME, a non-profit professional association dedicated to advancing manufacturing, and CESMII – The Smart Manufacturing Institute, are partnering to drive smart manufacturing further and faster by aligning their resources and educating the industry, helping companies boost productivity, build a strong talent pipeline, and reduce manufacturers’ carbon footprint.
Robert Willig, CEO, SME, says: “The past decade has revealed an unprecedented flattening and even decline in our manufacturing productivity by (per average) worker.
“Together, CESMII and SME will optimize our strengths and resources to accelerate the transformation and democratization of the smart manufacturing ecosystem and jumpstart productivity.” [Read more…] about SME and CESMII partner to accelerate smart manufacturing adoption
Trinamic Motion Control, now part of Maxim Integrated Products, has introduced an open-source, fully integrated reference design that it says simplifies the development of industrial robotic end-of-arm tooling (EoAT).
The TMCM-1617-GRIP-REF reference design integrates hardware-based field-oriented control (FOC) and three communication ports to “shrink the design size of electronic robotic grippers by three times, while reducing development time by half”, according to the company.
The reference design features Maxim Integrated’s industrial-grade MAX22000 high-precision configurable analog input/output and MAX14906 quad-channel digital input/output to adjust the multiple modes of the Trinamic TMCM-1617 single axis servo driver. [Read more…] about Trinamic’s open-source reference design ‘speeds development of end-of-arm tooling’
Acieta, an industrial automation specialist and a Fanuc integrator, has unveiled a “versatile robot” for repetitive and dangerous work on press brakes.
Operating press brakes is a potentially dangerous part of metal part fabrication. To produce more parts of higher-quality without adding risk to workers, Acieta introduces the new FastBEND press brake tending robotic cell.
The versatile FastBEND robotic solution can be integrated with new or existing press brakes and may be outfitted for bin, pallet and conveyor outputs to process a wide variety of formed parts. As a pre-engineered system, the FastBEND is ready for delivery as soon as twelve weeks. [Read more…] about Acieta unveils ‘versatile robot’ for repetitive and dangerous work on press brakes
General Motors has opened a 15,000-square-foot “Additive Industrialization Center”, a facility exclusively dedicated to productionizing 3D printing technology in the automotive industry.
GM says the AIC is the “capstone” of its expertise and increased investment in 3D printing over the past several years.
Audley Brown, GM director of additive design and materials engineering, says: “The core component of GM’s transformation is becoming a more agile, innovative company, and 3D printing will play a critical role in that mission. [Read more…] about General Motors opens new 3D printing facility
Automotive start-up VinFast has delivered Vietnam’s first mass-produced stamping parts in less than two years, in part thanks to tooling from Norgren, part of IMI, which is being used to produce the body panels on its flagship models.
To support VinFast’s Hai Phong site, which has the capacity to produce 250,000 cars per year, Norgren sites in China and USA collaborated to create the tooling, including saddles, sensors and tooling arms, which will be used to move panels through the VinFast manufacturing press process.
VinFast unveiled prototypes of its first two car models, a sedan and SUV, at the Paris Motor Show in October 2018, and Norgren was able to successfully deliver its tooling solution to VinFast earlier this year ahead of volume production. [Read more…] about Norgren helps VinFast to build Vietnam’s first mass-production stamping press
OnRobot, a global leader in robotic end-of-arm tooling, has launched a compact, single-pad version of its innovative Gecko no-mark adhesive gripper.
The new Gecko Single Pad (SP) gripper brings the previous model’s revolutionary adaptability to more varied applications with smaller payloads.
It is available in three sizes, SP1, SP3 and SP5, indicating the different grippers’ lifting capacities in kilos. [Read more…] about OnRobot unveils compact Gecko gripper for smaller jobs
