Robotics & Automation News

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collaborative robots

Doosan confirms entry into collaborative robotics market, shows off new cobot

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South Korean industrial giant Doosan is expanding into the collaborative robot market, which it expects to grow “at a rapid rate on the back of the fourth industrial revolution”, and has revealed a new cobot which it has dubbed the M1013 (main picture).

The company established Doosan Robotics in 2015, and recruited what it says are the industry’s top researchers and developers to lead its research efforts.

In that time, Doosan Robotics has developed four collaborative robot models with its own in-house technology and exhibited them for the first time at Robot World 2017.  [Read more…] about Doosan confirms entry into collaborative robotics market, shows off new cobot

RIA partners with OSHA and NIOSH to create unpronounceable robot group

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The Robotics Industries Association is partnering with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to create a new standards body for robotics and other relevant industries. 

RIA is the main industrial robotics association in the US and was established in 1974.

OSHA and NIOSH are both government agencies – OSHA is under the Department of Labour, and NIOSH is under the Department of Health and Human Services.  [Read more…] about RIA partners with OSHA and NIOSH to create unpronounceable robot group

IFR’s projected growth of collaborative robots market ‘in line’ with Universal expectations

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The International Federation of Robotics’ new report into the global industrial robotics market predicts significant growth in the collaborative robotics segment.

Universal Robots is widely regarded as the market leader in collaborative robots, having been the first to launch such machines almost 10 years ago and having sold more than 10,000 units since.

Having started out in Denmark, Universal Robots is now part of the US industrial giant Teradyne.  [Read more…] about IFR’s projected growth of collaborative robots market ‘in line’ with Universal expectations

Electronics industry boosting sales of industrial robots

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The global growth in the number of data centres, and the corresponding growth in the manufacturing of servers, could provide opportunities for robot makers 

The electrical and electronics sector is one of the fastest-growing markets for the industrial robotics and automation industry. 

The sector bought almost as many industrial robots as did the automotive sector, traditionally the biggest buyer of industrial robots.

This is partly confirmed by new data and analysis by the International Federation of Robotics, but mostly, it can be gleaned from anecdotal evidence all around. [Read more…] about Electronics industry boosting sales of industrial robots

Taiwan to develop ‘affordable’ industrial robots for factories and warehouses

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The Industrial Technology Research Institution of Taiwan says it is working with local manufacturers to develop what it says will be more “affordable” robots for factories and warehouses – in other words, collaborative robots.

This is according to a report in the Taipei Times.

Patrick Yu, acting division director of ITRI’s mechanical and mechatronics systems research labs, is quoted on the website as saying: “Traditional industrial robots are suitable for large-scale production lines. They need a lot of space and cost a lot of money, which small and medium-sized enterprises cannot afford.”

Traditional robots – the large industrial machines which tend to be caged off and require separate computers to run them, called programmable logic controllers – are said to be too big and expensive for a lot of smaller companies, says ITRI.  [Read more…] about Taiwan to develop ‘affordable’ industrial robots for factories and warehouses

Manufacturer adoption of collaborative robots is strong and growing, says report

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New distribution channels and market entrants are expanding availability 

A recent technology survey by ABI Research of management level decision makers at manufacturing companies revealed that the adoption of collaborative robots among manufacturers is strong and ongoing.

A full 13 per cent of the companies surveyed have collaborative systems currently in operation, a significant percentage especially given that commercial class systems only became readily available beginning in 2014.

Another 15 per cent indicated that they expect to have collaborative robots at work within the next 12 months, adds the industry survey, entitle Transformative Technology Adoption and Attitudes – Robotics.  [Read more…] about Manufacturer adoption of collaborative robots is strong and growing, says report

Collaborative robotic arms + autonomous vehicle = a new kind of animal

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In what is probably a good illustration of how innovation can sometimes be bewildering at first, industrial robotic arms are being placed on autonomous robotic logistics vehicles to create something entirely new that doesn’t yet have a name of its own, and no one really knows how to describe it in simple terms. 

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Briefing on collaborative robots, free to subscribers

But plenty of people know what it does. Or what it could do at least.

In fact, anyone who’s seen a picture of one or has read the first paragraph of this article can probably imagine what such machines are capable of.  [Read more…] about Collaborative robotic arms + autonomous vehicle = a new kind of animal

Glassblower Hofmann employs Universal Robots machine to manage delicate glass process

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Traditional glassblowing company Hofmann Glastechnik is utilising two collaborative robots to automate a part of the production process. 

The Universal Robots machines are tasked with picking and placing highly sensitive glass tubes into a forming machine.

This relieves the family-owned company’s human employees from what is one of the most repetitive and monotonous tasks in the facility.  [Read more…] about Glassblower Hofmann employs Universal Robots machine to manage delicate glass process

On Robot launches customizable grippers for collaborative robots tasked with multi-size objects

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On Robot, a Danish manufacturer of electric grippers for collaborative robots, has launched a “flexible and energy-efficient” gripper for cobots tasked with handling objects of various sizes. 

On Robot says the new gripper is easy to install on the arm of a cobot and simple to program.

The RG6 gripper is a bigger and stronger version of the company’s popular RG2, with higher payload than other two-finger collaborative grippers available on the market today.  [Read more…] about On Robot launches customizable grippers for collaborative robots tasked with multi-size objects