Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Mark Allinson

Heraeus inaugurates new facility in China

by

Heraeus Electronics Technology – a Germany-headquartered company specializing in the production of electronics components and special materials – has officially started operations at the Changshu New & Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone (CNZ), Jiangsu Province.

Heraeus produces electronics materials such as metal ceramic substrates, serves high-quality development in fields like electric vehicles and new energies, and says it “supports China in achieving the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality”.

Speaking at the inauguration of the new facility, Jan Rinnert, chairman and CEO of Heraeus Group, said: “Today marks a significant further expansion of our presence and coincides with the 50th anniversary of Heraeus in China.

[Read more…] about Heraeus inaugurates new facility in China

Alstom renews contract to operate and maintain automated people movers at Denver Airport

by

Alstom, a global company specializing in transportation and mobility systems, has signed a contract renewal with Denver International Airport to operate and maintain the airport’s Innovia Automated People Mover (APM) system – built by Alstom – over the course of next seven years.

The new contract will run from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2032. The contract will employ 91 Alstom team members at Denver International Airport, and is valued at €218 million.

Alstom employees will provide twenty-four hour a day, seven-day-a-week maintenance and operations for Denver’s Automated People Mover system. These services include the operations and dispatching of the APMs.

Alstom will provide maintenance of the vehicles and the 1.2 mile of loop track; power and electrification; signs, signals, and station platform doors; and the communications systems.

The contract scope includes cleaning services for the interior and exterior of the trains; tunnel floor cleaning, pressure washing, and floor drainage; facilities and platform doors; and the collection and disposition of hazardous waste.

Michael Keroullé, president of Alstom Americas, says: “Alstom is proud to be Denver International Airport’s partner of choice as they continue on their journey to modernize and expand air train service at one of the busiest airports in the world.

“Our expertise in the operations and maintenance of automated people movers allows us to deliver frequent, safe and comfortable service for travellers from around the world.”

Matthew Robb, senior vice president of technical operations for Denver International Airport, says: “Denver International Airport’s new operations and maintenance agreement with Alstom is one of many steps we’re taking to enhance the reliability and passenger experience of the train that moves people between the terminal and concourse.

“As a growing airport, it’s crucial that we provide a consistent service, especially as we continue our work toward accommodating 100 million annual passengers.”

Alstom recently entered a new chapter in its 30-year relationship with Denver International Airport by providing new Innovia APM R vehicles, which went into service in July 2024.

Manufactured by Alstom, these train cars increased capacity, efficiency, and comfort for people navigating the airport.

Alstom has been providing operations and maintenance services for the airport’s Automated People Mover system since the airport opened in 1994.

Across all our Innovia APM customers in the US, we average a performance of 99.5 percent fleet availability, through 24/7 operations and maintenance services.

Strong position in airport people movers

Alstom says it is “the number one provider and operator of airport people movers in the US”.

Alstom’s Innovia APMs have transported over 525 million passengers safely and efficiently at 16 airports across the nation.

Market leading for 50+ years, driverless Innovia automated people mover (APM) is an efficient transportation solution, specially designed to offer quick and convenient service for commuters between airport terminals, to and from airports or within cities.

Over 30 of Alstom’s APM systems have been delivered around the world and are in operation at 12 of the world’s busiest airports.

Alstom’s FlexCare Operate portfolio covers the full spectrum of customer needs, including operations for all types of fleets and maintenance for the full transit system.

Our customers benefit from reduced operating costs and increased operational efficiencies through technologies and best practices based on over 40 years of experience operating and maintaining trains and systems.

With over 25 active operations and maintenance projects worldwide, we are a trusted partner in helping transit authorities and communities achieve their mobility goals.

Relay Robotics calls for creation of SAE-style autonomy levels for indoor robots

by

Relay Robotics – a provider of indoor robots mainly used in hotels and hospitals to deliver small items – is calling for the creation of a framework for indoor robots similar to that for autonomous road cars.

The SAE – short for Society of Automotive Engineers – released a guidance in 2014 which defined levels of autonomy in automotive vehicles from 0 to 5, and this has become the standard reference for the automotive industry.

Now, in a detailed article, two robotics experts at Relay Robotics – Sonali Deshpande, senior navigation engineer, and Jim Slater, robot systems architect – have outlined a set of definitions which the company hopes will help the wider industry develop such a framework for indoor robots.

[Read more…] about Relay Robotics calls for creation of SAE-style autonomy levels for indoor robots

Geekplus launches ‘world’s most powerful robot management system’ in time for peak season holiday rush

by

Geekplus, the world’s largest warehouse robotics provider, has unveiled a “significant upgrade” to its Robot Management System (RMS) – just in time for the peak holiday season. The company says it is “the world’s most powerful robot management system”.

The enhanced RMS is capable of coordinating over 5,000 robots and processing 10,000 tasks per second, setting a new benchmark for high-volume logistics operations during the busiest time of the year.

As e-commerce orders surge during the holiday season, warehouses face the challenge of managing massive throughput without compromising speed or accuracy.

[Read more…] about Geekplus launches ‘world’s most powerful robot management system’ in time for peak season holiday rush

Why Cleanroom Apparel is Essential for Robotics and Automation Facilities

by

Cleanroom apparel serves as the first line of defense in protecting sensitive equipment, ensuring product quality, and maintaining the highest standards of operational excellence.

As technology continues to advance, the role of specialized protective clothing has become increasingly crucial in preventing contamination and preserving the integrity of sophisticated robotic systems.

The modern manufacturing landscape demands unprecedented levels of precision. Even the most minute contaminant can have a negative effect on sensitive robotic machinery. This can cause damage to these systems and cause operations to grind to a halt. [Read more…] about Why Cleanroom Apparel is Essential for Robotics and Automation Facilities

The Dark Side of Bad SaaS Design

by

The development of digital technologies has radically changed approaches to business process organization. Cloud solutions and software as a service (SaaS) have become integral parts of the working ecosystems of companies of various sizes and profiles.

Interface quality is becoming a key factor of product success in the context of fierce competition and ever-increasing user expectations. Bad SaaS design can become a critical barrier between user and functionality, turning even the most innovative solutions into a source of constant stress and loss of productivity. 

User experience determines a product’s usability and overall perceived value. The slightest UX miscalculations can instantly reduce user loyalty and lead to customer churn.

[Read more…] about The Dark Side of Bad SaaS Design

BMW awarded CE certification for its iFactory autonomous car facility

by

The BMW Group has been awarded the highly-prized CE certification for its automated driving “in-plant” – at Dingolfing, in Germany.

BMW is systematically advancing the digitalisation and automation of its production processes within the BMW iFactory framework.

Since 2022, the company has been testing “Automated Driving In-Plant” (AFW) for new vehicles at its largest European plant in Dingolfing. [Read more…] about BMW awarded CE certification for its iFactory autonomous car facility

Mercedes-Benz improves automated parking

by

Mercedes-Benz has further improved the Active Parking Assist with Parktronic, one of the company’s driver assistance technologies.

With a new speed of 4 km/h, the system now parks twice as fast as before, says Mercedes.

This brings significant added value for Mercedes-Benz customers, making parking easier and a lot more comfortable in everyday situations.

The driver can start the parking process via a digital button on the screen, and a status bar shows the progress. During automated parking, the system mutes the Parktronic signal tones. [Read more…] about Mercedes-Benz improves automated parking

ZF opens new e-mobility manufacturing plant in China

by

ZF has opened a new e-mobility plant, known as ZF Electric Mobility Systems, Shenyang.

As ZF’s third e-mobility plant in China, Shenyang plant gathers ZF’s advanced technology and innovative concepts, and will produce and sell advanced products such as electric axle drives for new energy vehicles, to provide more high-quality and high-efficiency e-mobility solutions for customers in China and the world.

The main products of the Shenyang plant are the electric axle drives for new energy vehicles. Its core components are based on ZF’s modular kit electric drive platform and cover both front and rear axles, including motors, power electronics and reducers. [Read more…] about ZF opens new e-mobility manufacturing plant in China

Payment Processing for Communication Platforms: Strategies by Blunative Corp

by

Check out Blunative Corp’s insights on providing secure, compliant payment processing solutions tailored for communication platforms entering the U.S. market.

Communication platforms have become a substantial part of our lives which includes not only personal but professional life as well. Apart from communication being the main feature, such platforms also often have payment systems. This is where many users raise concerns about whether these systems are secure enough to use them as payment options.

High-quality payment solutions not only help to keep the user data protected but also make the payment process seamless and friction-free which only increases user experience. One of the companies that provide such quality service is Blunative Corp. This company has vast experience in creating compliant payment solutions tailored to meet U.S. financial regulations. In this article, Blunative Corp reviews best practices of payment processing that help platform owners tackle compliance, streamline user transactions, and increase user trust through industry-leading strategies.

Overview of Blunative Corp

Blunative Corp is a company that provides businesses with B2B payment solutions that are created to be secure and easy to use for end users. Each product is also easy to tailor to any type of communication platform which makes it a very useful and popular option for many companies. Their services consist of the following things:

• Payment gateway integration. It allows us to easily connect the platform to the system network.

• Fraud prevention. Up-to-date security approaches allow companies to keep the system secured as well as user data and transaction history.

• Compliance management. It ensures adherence to U.S. financial regulations.

If you wonder if the company is legal, then you might sleep tight since the platform is legal. Blunative Corp complies with U.S. financial regulations as well as holds industry-standard certifications that prove their ability to provide high-quality security and correct operational protocols.

Key Challenges in Payment Processing for Communication Platforms

Since communication platforms are more about communication and not payment, it might be a bit complicated to correctly implement this system into the app. Additionally, if added incorrectly, such actions can decrease user experience, and thus make users leave the platform and for you – lose profit. Let’s walk through the most common challenge, which is oversleeping, which can cause serious issues.

• Subscription management. The challenge is to keep the recurring payments correctly to provide uninterrupted service.

• Diverse payment methods. Not being able to implement several popular payment methods (e.g., credit cards, e-wallets, or bank transfers) can lead to a smaller amount of users actually using your services.

• Data security. Not being able to protect user data from potential frauds and breaches.

• Scalability. The challenge here is to keep the payment system growing according to the growing user base.

If these challenges cannot be fixed as soon as possible, users might have multiple issues with the platform (e.g., payment failures, delays, or security concerns). It in turn will lead to them leaving the platform and decreasing trust level to the platform.

Best Practices for Setting up Secure Payment Solutions

There are many ways you can create a safe space for your users and let them have a positive experience with your payment methods. Some companies use multiple payment methods to allow different people to use the platform and not worry about their payment method being declined.

Others keep their security protocols updated to make sure users’ data is protected from breaches. There are many other ways to make it work and the most common ones we will list below for you to choose what works best for your specific case.

1. Data Encryption

IBM’s 2021 Cost of a Data Breach report revealed that the average cost of a breach involving 50 million to 65 million records is a staggering $401 million.

Use strong encryption methodologies over the data to be transmitted and stored. It keeps the data unreadable even if intercepted, apart from its owner. Implementation of such strong encryption protocols is one of the very basic steps that you need to take toward protecting user payment information.

2. Secure Server Infrastructure

Keep the payment systems on secured servers that have developed security measures such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems. Make sure to have routine patching and updating of servers to fix found vulnerabilities, so as to assure a secure environment in transaction processing.

3. Regular Security Audits

Periodically do security testing to detect any weak points that could be used in fraudulent activity and then implement appropriate fixes. Security audition would allow you to stay in compliance with industry standards as well as keep your platform safe from any new types of cyber threats.

4. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

MFA implementation provides an additional layer of security that requires users to provide two or more verification factors. Such actions reduce the possibility of unauthorized access and if there is any, the user will be notified immediately.

5. Transparent User Communication

Finally, always inform users about the billing process, associated fees, and security measures you implement on the platform. Transparency generally builds trust and allows users to understand how their data will be processed. Further, it will help to make sure users are confident with the payment system of the platform.

Final Thoughts

Communication platforms should be keen on ensuring that their users have trust in them and optimize transaction processing. Blunative Corp suggests implementing practices such as data encryption, robust server infrastructure, regular security audits, multi-factor authentication, and transparent communication with users to help effectively address common payment processing issues. Such policies create a circle of trust, which in turn increases levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty.

FAQs

What is Blunative Corp?

Blunative Corp focuses on the U.S. market entry for communication platforms. It is oriented toward financial partnerships and compliance solutions.

Is Blunative Corp legitimate?

Yes, Blunative Corp is a company focused on secure and compliant operations when communication platforms enter the U.S. market.

Why is compliance important for communication platforms?

It makes sure that the operation would lie under the legal circle, hence helping the platforms protect consumer data and gain the trust required for success in the US market.