Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

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Why Manufacturers Should Consider Using a Cloud-based MES Platform

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Traditional manufacturing execution systems are deployed on a single machine that might be networked to a handful of terminals inside of a machine shop.

While this made sense in an era before widespread Internet adoption, it’s hopelessly dated today. Few people have the technology needed to turn their smart devices into antique telnet clients, and there are even less who would want to.

Cloud-based technology is a much better alternative, but adoption has been surprisingly slow. That’s causing many industry sectors to play a dizzyingly fast game of catch-up. [Read more…] about Why Manufacturers Should Consider Using a Cloud-based MES Platform

Cheetah Mobile launches ‘smart vending robot’

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Cheetah Mobile has launched its intelligent vending robot, FanBot, to international markets.

In contrast to traditional vending machines, the FanBot can autonomously identify and approach potential customers in complex and high-traffic environments, such as shopping malls, retail stores, gyms, cinemas, libraries, hotel lobbies and airport terminals.

Through this targeted and proactive customer engagement, FanBot is proven to achieve sales volume four times that of a traditional vending machine, selling one beverage every 110 seconds. [Read more…] about Cheetah Mobile launches ‘smart vending robot’

Fanuc plans to triple its production of industrial robots

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Fanuc, the world’s largest manufacturer of industrial robots, with almost 500,000 units in operation at customer locations around the world, is planning to “triple current monthly production” at its main factory in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. 

This is according to a report by Nikkei Asian Review which says Fanuc is particularly concentrating on its CRX line of collaborative robots.

The term “collaborative robots” refers to a type of robot which is designed to work in close proximity to humans, possibly even directly controlled by human workers through touch and guidance. [Read more…] about Fanuc plans to triple its production of industrial robots

New tools of the trade: Can robots revive craftsmanship in furniture making?

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Although technically the opportunity has been available for many years, the level of automation in the furniture-making industry is a relatively low, if you consider robotic and autonomous types of automation as used by Moduform, for example.

Of course, basic automation technology of the type represented by electric saws, routers, drills and so on are widespread – not many people use hand drills nowadays. But if we put those kind of power tools aside in the “electrification” category, with no autonomous functionalities, then we can say there’s not really much automation in furniture-making.

It’s not going to be like that forever, in large part because of the emergence of collaborative robots, which, as readers of this website will know, are robots which are smaller, lighter and specifically designed and certified to be used directly by a human worker. [Read more…] about New tools of the trade: Can robots revive craftsmanship in furniture making?

ABB says its new 3D inspection robot cell makes quality control testing ‘10 times faster’

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ABB has unveiled a new 3D inspection robot cell which it claims makes quality control testing “10 times faster”.

The industrial automation giant says its 3D quality inspection (3DQI) robot cell is “capable of detecting defects of less than half the width of a human hair and imperceptible to the naked eye”.

It adds that the cell will “dramatically accelerate production by providing fast, accurate testing to make metrology easier and less time consuming”. [Read more…] about ABB says its new 3D inspection robot cell makes quality control testing ‘10 times faster’

Visteon shows off new dashboard technology

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Visteon, an automotive cockpit electronics technology company, has launched what it describes as its “breakthrough” microZone display technology.

The virtual dashboard element is said to offer offers “significantly higher graphics performance” than traditional LCD displays.

This new, patent-pending high-dynamic range display technology offers high contrast and brightness and wide color gamut that enables automotive displays to achieve parity with consumer mobile devices with life-like imaging capability. [Read more…] about Visteon shows off new dashboard technology

Factories can save up to 90 per cent in valve monitoring costs with wireless IoT sensors

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Factories and plants in industries – such as chemical processing, pulp and paper, water and waste-water treatment, have seen the benefits of remote valve monitoring.

Traditional retrofitted monitoring solutions, however, are costly and slow to deploy for factories with thousands of manual valves of different types.

There is a more cost-effective alternative – factories have evidenced a 90 percent reduction in retrofitting investment, by using industry-grade wireless sensors and Industrial IoT technologies. [Read more…] about Factories can save up to 90 per cent in valve monitoring costs with wireless IoT sensors

Scania unveils new driverless concept truck

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Scania has unveiled a new driverless – and indeed cabless – concept truck which looks to be aimed at the mining and construction sectors.

Describing it as “the latest member of our autonomous family”, Scania says the AXL is a fully autonomous concept truck, without a cab.

In what is another milestone in the development of heavy self-driving vehicles, a group of Scania experts in different fields have teamed up and developed a concept truck, which, even without the cab, has the company’s modular system at the heart of the design. [Read more…] about Scania unveils new driverless concept truck

Goudsmit Magnetics improves its gripper for picking up sheet metal

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Goudsmit Magnetics has unveiled its new and improved magnetic gripper for the automated pick-up, placement or positioning of steel or other ferromagnetic objects.

The company says the end effector is ideal for removing sheet metal from presses, de-stacking products from boxes (bin picking), assembling steel parts or handling of punched steel parts, blanks and perforated steel sheets in robotic applications.

The ultralight magnetic gripper is fitted with strong permanent neodymium magnets and is therefore extra safe. It can be used in grippers on robot arms. [Read more…] about Goudsmit Magnetics improves its gripper for picking up sheet metal

All Axis Robotics manufactures custom robot arm end-effectors with MakerBot 3D printer

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MakerBot, a 3D printing equipment supplier, says All Axis Robotics is implementing the MakerBot “Method” manufacturing workstation – or 3D printer – into its automation processes to produce custom tooling parts for its legacy machines as well as customers.

All Axis Robotics is a Dallas, Texas-based machine shop and a leader in turnkey custom robot solutions for other machine shops and manufacturing facilities in need of automated machine tending.

Customers enlist the expertise of All Axis Robotics’ mechanical and manufacturing engineers to streamline their manufacturing operations with robotic arms and custom end-effectors, including those for CNC machine tending, automated part sanding, and brake press machine tending, among others. [Read more…] about All Axis Robotics manufactures custom robot arm end-effectors with MakerBot 3D printer

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