Where Innovation Meets Imagination
Mercedes-Benz Vans has invested a large amount of money in Starship Technologies, the maker of small delivery robots making the headlines for taking pizzas here and there.
The company says the move furthers its strategic future initiative, dubbed “adVANce”.
Mercedes-Benz Vans calls Starship Technologies “the world’s leading start-up company for the development of ground-based, autonomous delivery robots”. [Read more…] about Mercedes invests in Starship Technologies delivery robots
The head of logistics at software giant SAP says the future of the digital supply chain is robotics and automation.
SAP is one of the world’s largest software companies in any sector, with more than 300,000 clients in around 190 countries, and its logistics division has customers such as luxury automaker Porsche, and large transport operations such as Trenitalia.
In an interview with em360tech.com, Hans Thalbauer, SVP of extended supply chain and IoT at SAP, says industries are becoming smarter because of these technologies.
However, Thalbauer adds that robotics and automation needs to be effectively integrated into the overall business processes, otherwise they won’t work. [Read more…] about SAP logistics boss says ‘robotics and automation are the future’
Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation has been selected to provide industrial drive and automation solutions for The Port of Virginia’s historic expansion project, totaling 86 Konecranes Automated-Stacking Cranes (ASC) at the Norfolk International Terminal (NIT) and Virginia International Gateway (VIG) facilities.
This is the largest ASC order TMEIC has received to date and the largest single ASC order ever placed by a port.
“TMEIC has been a longtime, proven partner with Konecranes and The Port of Virginia, including the construction of VIG and the original ASC implementation there in 2007,” TMEIC president and CEO Dale Guidry said. [Read more…] about TMEIC to supply Virginia port with world’s largest automated cranes system in deal worth $670 million
Graham Mackrell, managing director of precision gearing specialist Harmonic Drive UK, explains actuators, boots and socioeconomic unfairness
As a famous fictional policeman once said, “The reason that the rich were so rich… was because they managed to spend less money”.
What he meant was that although the rich may buy more expensive things, they buy products that will last longer and are therefore a better investment.
Although the policeman in question was referring to boots at the time, the same is true of cars, phones, and even servo actuators used in packaging machines. [Read more…] about Reassuringly expensive gear: Overcoming the challenges of the packaging industry
Amazon, by far the world’s largest online retailer, bought Kiva Systems a few years back.
At that time, Kiva was a small robotics company appreciated by logistics customers for its autonomous warehouse vehicles.
Now, repackaged as Amazon Robotics machines, those vehicles or their descendants are working in Amazon warehouses – and in very large numbers. [Read more…] about Amazon has 45,000 robots working in its warehouses
Yaskawa has introduced a new robotic work cell developed in partnership with Motoman and Universal Robotics.
Yaskawa says the Neocortex Goods to Robot Cell is a “complete, pre-engineered adaptive picking solution”.
The system is the result of a collaboration between Yaskawa America, Motoman Robotics Division and Universal Robotics. [Read more…] about Yaskawa showcases Neocortex robotic work cell for material handling
Yusen Logistics, a provider of contract logistics and air and ocean freight forwarding, has selected Swisslog warehouse and distribution Solutions to deliver the “innovative AutoStore Automated System” in Singapore.
The autonomous robots, which sit on the top of an aluminium grid as part of the innovative storage system, is expected to go into operation in 2017.
This light goods automatic storage and retrieval system (AutoStore) investment is a result of Yusen Logistics’ insight into the philosophy of the shared economy and the need to manage rising business costs in the current global, lower-growth economy. [Read more…] about Yusen Logistics awards Swisslog automated warehouse contract in Singapore
BMW has been showing off and testing its latest technologies for the future of autonomous and connected vehicles for the logistics industry, although the innovations are intended for application in its own supply chain.
The company says it will increasingly rely on innovation, digitalisation and sustainability for logistics in the future.
A fully-networked supply chain, autonomous transport robots and the use of existing vehicle information for the delivery process will make logistics even more flexible and efficient, says BMW. [Read more…] about BMW demonstrates future autonomous and connected logistics technologies
Audi has been demonstrating its advanced manufacturing technologies, much of which went into building its newly opened smart factory in Mexico, where the automaker’s Q5 vehicle is being produced. [Read more…] about Audi shows off its smart factory technologies
By Thomas R. Cutler
Consumer spending trends suggest this holiday season for retailers and logistics companies will drive an improvement of 15 per cent year-over-year.
With retail sales in the US expanded 0.8 per cent in October after a strong 1 per cent gain in September, the Wall Street Journal’s Josh Mitchell reported, in the best two-month stretch of sales in at least two years.
The brisk spending is a strong sign that the economy is picking up steam, with both wages and employment rising. The expansion, mostly e-commerce, proves that once again online sales are growing at triple the rate of overall retail sales. [Read more…] about Consumer demand, and the demanding consumer, for the holidays
