Robotics & Automation News

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Features

SIAF Guangzhou to feature sensor technologies and machine vision in the same hall for the first time

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With over 500 exhibitors confirmed to participate in the 2019 fair, SIAF has been receiving a positive response from industry peers, with the number of booths sold surpassing the previous edition at the same time of the year.

SPS – Industrial Automation Fair Guangzhou (SIAF) will return to the China Import and Export Fair Complex Guangzhou on 10-12 March 2019.

Backed by steadfast support of the industry professionals, SIAF will continue to showcase state-of-the-art industrial automation solutions revolving around six themes.  [Read more…] about SIAF Guangzhou to feature sensor technologies and machine vision in the same hall for the first time

AI, edge computing and AR/VR are ‘key enablers’ of future automation, says Frost

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Artificial intelligence, edge computing and augmented and virtual reality are “key enablers” for the future of automation and smart factories, according to new white papers by Frost & Sullivan.

“The world of manufacturing has never been as dynamic as it is today,” says the research consultancy.

Automation powered by AI, edge computing, and augmented and virtual reality are “driving a new chapter in the industrial revolution”, says the company.  [Read more…] about AI, edge computing and AR/VR are ‘key enablers’ of future automation, says Frost

Driving Agility and Flexibility in Material Handling Workflows

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By Daniel Theobald, CIO and co-founder of Vecna Robotics

Self-driving vehicles and their systems are driving agility and flexibility in a time of unprecedented business and labor demands. This is part two of a four-part series focused on robotic integration in the material handling value stream.

Increased customer expectations are affecting every part of the supply chain. People are spending an unprecedented amount of money, and they want more options and quicker service.

This is expanding the range of inventory, increasing inventory turnover rates from days to hours, and changing expectations from free two-day to free within the hour delivery.  [Read more…] about Driving Agility and Flexibility in Material Handling Workflows

Universal Robots celebrates 10 years of selling ‘world’s first commercially viable collaborative robot’

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Universal Robots is marking a decade of pioneering collaborative robots, now believed to be the fastest-growing segment of industrial automation.

The company says it is “poised for continued growth” as its cobots continue to lower the automation barrier within a wide range of industries.

When Linatex, a Danish supplier of technical plastics and rubber for industrial applications, bought a UR5 robot arm from Universal Robots to automate CNC machine tending in December 2008, they did something unthinkable.  [Read more…] about Universal Robots celebrates 10 years of selling ‘world’s first commercially viable collaborative robot’

Webcast: Mass customisation and the apparel industry

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In this presentation and interview, Eric Zhang, VP of engineering at Scalable Press, provides an insight into how mass customisation is applied in the company. (See video below)

Scalable Press can supply manufactured goods in batches of 10,000 or any number. But it’s the fact that it can also supply that “batch of 1” that makes its process an example of mass customisation.

A vast number of Scalable Press’ customers are individuals who may be buying a T-shirt online, through a store of some kind, and selecting their own, individual design preferences.  [Read more…] about Webcast: Mass customisation and the apparel industry

Mass customisation makes itself at home alongside mass manufacturing

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While many people might credit Henry Ford with the creation of the assembly line, it was actually one of his employees, Charles Sorensen, who “examined the relationship between people, machines, tooling, and products and organized them to achieve a continuous flow of production”, according to an article by Daniel Theobald, published today on Robotics and Automation News.

Sorensen’s innovation – albeit in Ford’s employ – could be seen as the first example of a cyber-physical system which optimised, indeed launched, a new era of mass manufacturing which emphasised efficiency and productivity.

Sorensen’s assembly line enabled Ford to build a Model T car in two-and-a-half hours instead of the 12 it had previously taken – without compromising quality, and possibly even improving it.  [Read more…] about Mass customisation makes itself at home alongside mass manufacturing

Robotic Solutions: The Next Phase of Lean Manufacturing

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By Daniel Theobald, CIO and co-founder of Vecna Robotics

This article takes a deep dive into the history and present state of Lean Manufacturing in materials handling. It focuses on the pioneers and innovations that brought us to the current state of material flow and the practice of waste elimination. It is part one in a four-part series focused on robotic integration in the material handling value stream.

Lean Manufacturing reduces production time and costs by eliminating waste (non-value-added activities). Its origins trace back to the concept of interchangeable parts; its evolution brings us into the term and process we know today.

Lean Manufacturing was molded by leading scientists, industrial engineers, and innovative organizations such as Ford and Toyota. The core concept behind Lean Manufacturing, waste elimination, is a valuable strategy to increase the bottom line while speeding up the rate of production. [Read more…] about Robotic Solutions: The Next Phase of Lean Manufacturing

Insight: How neural networks are powering autonomous delivery

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By Tanel Pärnamaa, deep learning engineer at Starship Technologies

Artificial neural networks are one of the main tools used in machine learning to convert unstructured, low-level data into higher level information. As the ‘neural’ part suggests, they are brain-inspired systems intended to replicate the way that humans learn.

At Starship, we are building a fleet of autonomous delivery robots using trainable units, including mostly neural networks, where code is written by the model itself. The robots are recording and processing large sets of data in order to recognise surroundings and how to react in real time as each situation requires.

To begin with, the robots start by gaining a sense of the world through radars, a multitude of cameras and ultrasonics. However, this poses challenges because most of this knowledge gained is low-level and non-semantic.  [Read more…] about Insight: How neural networks are powering autonomous delivery

Why investing in robotic packaging automation is right for your business

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Robotics packaging is being applied to an increasing number of industries as the advantages of robotics in packaging automation have become evident and identified as the future of production line packaging.

Production line automation allows companies to create efficiencies without sacrificing craftsmanship or quality. Using robotic package automation will reducing staff injury and provide the scope for expanding operations with accuracy and consistency.

Packaging robots are easily integrated into a workspace and perhaps the greatest benefit is that by using robotic packaging automation it reduces packaging time, it has the ability to lift larger items, automation means reduced labour costs and staff are free from time-consuming, repetitive and often dangerous manual tasks.  [Read more…] about Why investing in robotic packaging automation is right for your business

Siemens showcases sector-specific solutions and future technologies for Industry 4.0

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Siemens presented a range of sector-specific solutions and future technologies to enable the digital transformation of today’s discrete and process industries at the recent SPS IPC Drives event.

The central focus was on new products, solutions and services from the company’s Digital Enterprise portfolio designed to enable the merger between the physical and digital worlds to boost the flexibility, efficiency, quality, security and speed of their operations. To

get to grips with the rising complexity of production processes and leverage the many associated benefits, Siemens is continuously expanding and strengthening its portfolio with the integration of groundbreaking future technologies, from artificial intelligence to edge computing.  [Read more…] about Siemens showcases sector-specific solutions and future technologies for Industry 4.0