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manufacturing

Hyundai Robotics receives order for 370 industrial robots

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Hyundai Robotics has won what it describes as “a giant deal” from the Hyundai Motors Indonesian automotive plant for industrial robots.

Hyundai Robotics, which was officially launched as a new company on May 1st, 2020, says the order is for 370 industrial robotic arms for the new facility.

Located in the Deltamas Industrial Complex near Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, Hyundai Motors’ first manufacturing plant in southeast Asia will be completed in 2022. [Read more…] about Hyundai Robotics receives order for 370 industrial robots

Coronavirus ‘exposes industry’s need to modernize operations’

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The coronavirus pandemic has “exposed industry’s need to modernize operations”, according to Hitachi.

The industrial giant made the assertion as it launched an expanded set of digital services through its Hitachi Vantara subsidiary to help manufacturers accelerate “Manufacturing 4.0 initiatives” and to assist with safely restarting production in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

For many manufacturers, the pandemic has not only affected worker health and safety, it has impacted demand, interrupted production, exposed vulnerabilities in supply chains, and driven an urgent need to modernize operations. [Read more…] about Coronavirus ‘exposes industry’s need to modernize operations’

ESMERA releases list of 20 new robotics projects in line to receive €75,000 each

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ESMERA, the EU-funded program to develop the European robotics sector, has released a list of 20 new “experiments” that will receive support from the organisation.

The 20 new experiments started within the ESMERA project as of May 1st, 2020. The word “ESMERA” is short for European SMEs Robotic Applications.

Within the project’s second Open Call, which ended in December 2019, 69 applications were registered, all proposing to solve either a pre-defined robotics challenge or bringing with them their own challenge provider and challenge. [Read more…] about ESMERA releases list of 20 new robotics projects in line to receive €75,000 each

Laser interferometry: An enabling technology for optimized automated manufacturing

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By Tyler Steele, product manager – laser interferometers, Zygo

In this article, precision Beryllium mirror manufacturer Cambridge Technology explains how the use of interferometry hardware and software solutions has streamlined its manufacturing processes and added efficiencies as well as time and cost-savings across the company. 

Technological advances over recent years have elevated metrology from being a “necessary evil” in manufacturing scenarios to enabling technologies, allowing the measurement of previously impossible part characteristics and therefore driving innovation across numerous industry sectors.

It is arguable that best-in-class metrology solutions are the catalyst that drive the trend towards miniaturization, higher precision, faster throughput, and fewer rejects.

As the old adage goes, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t make it”, but if you can measure to the required accuracy repeatably, then the sky is the limit in terms of producing cutting-edge parts and components. [Read more…] about Laser interferometry: An enabling technology for optimized automated manufacturing

Are You Ready to Survive the Future of Manufacturing?

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By Darrell Adams, head of Southeast Asia and Oceania, Universal Robots

For many ASEAN nations, manufacturing takes up a sizable chunk of the national GDP. For example, manufacturing in Singapore contributed 20.9 percent of Singapore’s GDP in 2019, according to the department of statistics Singapore.

Successful companies readily acknowledge one key factor contributing to their achievements – hardworking, committed and skilled employees who are the foundation of the companies.

However, manufacturers today face the primary challenge of filling open positions with skilled workers, which in turn affects overall productivity and growth. [Read more…] about Are You Ready to Survive the Future of Manufacturing?

Inspection and Diagnostic Robots: What they Mean for Society

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Seventy percent of robots in the United States are employed in just four industries: auto-making, electronics, plastic and chemicals, and metals manufacturing.

Inspection and diagnosing play an important part in all these industries, so a variety of robots have been programmed to inspect equipment and diagnose problems as they arise.

Of course, inspection and diagnosis are not limited to manufacturing; they are the safeguards of society. AI diagnostics and autonomous inspection are helping us in more ways than we can imagine. [Read more…] about Inspection and Diagnostic Robots: What they Mean for Society

Brain Corp raises $36 million to meet ‘growing demand for autonomous robots’

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Brain Corp, a developer of artificial intelligence systems for the robotics industry, has raised $36 million in Series D funding to “help meet the growing demand for autonomous mobile robots”.

The company says the growth is being generated by retail, healthcare, airports, education and other industries now on the front lines of the coronavirus health crisis.

The round was led by returning investor SoftBank Vision Fund 1, and includes new investors ClearBridge Investments, and Satwik Ventures, and an additional investment from Qualcomm Ventures. [Read more…] about Brain Corp raises $36 million to meet ‘growing demand for autonomous robots’

Velo3D raises $28 million to expand additive manufacturing business

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Velo3D has raised $28 million in a Series D funding round, bringing total funding to $138 million.

New investors Piva and TNSC joined the round, along with existing investors Bessemer Investment Partners, Playground, and Khosla Ventures.

Benny Buller, founder and CEO of Velo3D, says: “With the Velo3D integrated solution of Flow advanced pre-print software, Sapphire printer, and Assure quality management software, companies can finally break free of the constraints of existing metal additive manufacturing processes. [Read more…] about Velo3D raises $28 million to expand additive manufacturing business

nTopology and Oak Ridge National Laboratory partner to develop additive manufacturing technologies

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nTopology has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to advance the capabilities of additive manufacturing through integrated software toolkits and embed ORNL expertise into nTop software.

The plan is for these capabilities to be made available commercially to the broader advanced-manufacturing market.

The collaboration incorporates foundational nTopology software with ORNL-developed machine control capabilities on large-scale polymer additive manufacturing systems. [Read more…] about nTopology and Oak Ridge National Laboratory partner to develop additive manufacturing technologies

Omron launches simulation software for automated factories

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Omron is making available its Sysmac Studio 3D simulation software available to industrial companies. (See video below.)

The company says it will be the first in the industry to provide such a system, which “can integrate and verify the movements of robots and peripheral devices that make up facilities”.

Omron says its “extensive knowledge and technology of control equipment”, including robots, helped in its development of the software. [Read more…] about Omron launches simulation software for automated factories