Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

wood

NorDan becomes first timber products manufacturer to monitor tree health

by

NorDan, one of Europe’s leading timber composite window and door manufacturers, has become the first manufacturer in its sector to actively measure and monitor the health of the forests from which it sources its timber.

NorDan invited independent consultants Fortis Facades to analyse the Polish forests that are a vital part of its supply chain, checking important factors such as tree health, density and chronology of the trees, as well as the quality and yield of timber.

Fortis Facades’ “BIOME” division employed the use of scientific methods to assess the condition and sustainability of the NorDan forests in Poland. [Read more…] about NorDan becomes first timber products manufacturer to monitor tree health

Carpentry 4.0: When robots and saws take over the night shift

by

Autonomous and without statutory break times, robots can offer real value to carpentry workshops and boost production. However, acquiring such machines is often associated with high costs. Used machines might offer a viable solution.

Carpentry has been a traditional craft for centuries. Yet, this trade is not exempt from digitalisation and automation through the use of robots.

The development of digitalisation in woodworking began in the mid-1970s with the introduction of the first CNC and electronically controlled machines. By the late 1990s, the first high-performance assembly lines with robotic loading had hit the market. [Read more…] about Carpentry 4.0: When robots and saws take over the night shift

euroTECH’s Vacuum Lifter System Increases Efficiency and Ergonomics in Wood Processing

by

A long-standing wood processing company in the Black Forest, Germany, is facing challenges in maintaining efficiency and ergonomics in a tight labor market.

To tackle this issue, the company has implemented partial automation through the use of euroTECH’s vacuum lifter solution for loading the crosscut saw.

This system reduces the workload of employees, making the company a more attractive employer in a physically demanding industry. [Read more…] about euroTECH’s Vacuum Lifter System Increases Efficiency and Ergonomics in Wood Processing

Do Suction Cups Work on Wood? Best Suction Cups for Wood Surfaces

by

Timber or wood processing industry relies much on efficient automation production. However, the properties and characteristics of wood make it complicated for handling.

The application of vacuum technology in various industries works well. Meanwhile, can it handle the problem with timber well? Do suction cups work on wood? [Read more…] about Do Suction Cups Work on Wood? Best Suction Cups for Wood Surfaces

Using IDS cameras in fully automated wood parts inspection process

by

You always need and see them everywhere: in metalworking, on the construction site, in almost every toolbox… the good old hand brush.

Whether classic all-purpose brushes or brushes for special applications, the German-based company Lessmann GmbH has virtually all of them in its range.

The shape is varied, from straight to ergonomic. But they all have one thing in common: The wooden bodies are made exclusively from untreated red beech. Depending on the model, they also have two hanging holes at the end of the handle.

Production is fully automatic and highly rational. In order to ensure its own claim to the excellent quality of the hand brush woods, Lessmann has been relying on classic image processing for many years. [Read more…] about Using IDS cameras in fully automated wood parts inspection process

Wood that’s twice as expensive as gold? Really?

by

Apparently, first-grade agarwood costs $100,000 per kilogram, which is almost twice the price of gold, currently at around $60,000 per kg.

This is according to an interesting video published on Business Insider, which we have embedded below for your viewing pleasure (hopefully it will work).

No obvious connection to robotics and automation, although we did publish an article about using robots in the furniture-making sector recently, but it’s just one of those startling facts about the world we live in. [Read more…] about Wood that’s twice as expensive as gold? Really?

Origami-inspired miniature robot could open new era of surgical robotics

by

By Lindsay Brownell, Wyss Institute, Harvard University

Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery, in which a surgeon uses tools and a tiny camera inserted into small incisions to perform operations, has made surgical procedures safer for both patients and doctors over the last half-century.

Recently, surgical robots have started to appear in operating rooms to further assist surgeons by allowing them to manipulate multiple tools at once with greater precision, flexibility, and control than is possible with traditional techniques.

However, these robotic systems are extremely large, often taking up an entire room, and their tools can be much larger than the delicate tissues and structures on which they operate. [Read more…] about Origami-inspired miniature robot could open new era of surgical robotics