Once the preserve of high-volume operations at automotive plants, we´re today finding that robots are infiltrating all sectors of the commercial world. Even beyond traditional manufacturing, inspection and packaging operations, we see robots fulfilling tasks that extend from mining and space exploration, through to surgery and laboratory research, and even fruit picking. With such a vast repertoire of applications, the robots of today need one principal attribute: flexibility. Much of this (…)

AGILOX expands its product portfolio with an intelligent dolly mover. With the new AGILOX ODM, the AMR manufacturer is targeting a completely new area of application: the transport of small load carriers. After AGILOX ONE and AGILOX OCF, now comes AGILOX ODM. The company, which specializes in logistics robots, is adding an autonomous dolly mover to its range of intelligent transport systems controlled by swarm intelligence. AGILOX is thus targeting a completely new area of application: the (…)

Kollmorgen, a global leader in motion control systems, today announced the new TBM2G series of frameless servo motors, introducing features that simplify the design of collaborative, surgical, aerospace and defense and other robots while delivering optimal performance in a lighter, more compact package. These new motors will complement Kollmorgen´s existing TBM and KBM series of frameless motors. Resulting from several years of research, testing and customer feedback, the TBM2G series (…)

METAL LS, the Bulgarian manufacturer of door locking systems, door and window handles and building hardware, started planning the new automated assembly of door locks in 2019. The robotic systems that the company already used for other applications were too large for the planned production site, so the new solutions needed to be as compact and precise as possible, in addition to being state of the art. Door and security locks are precision parts with standard dimensions and components (…)

ABB is entering into a strategic partnership with Swiss-based start-up Sevensense, founded in 2018 as a spin-off from ETH Zurich, to enhance ABB’s new autonomous mobile robotics (AMR) offering with artificial intelligence (AI) and 3D vision mapping technology. The technology will offer customers unprecedented levels of flexibility as mobile robots will be able to navigate autonomously in complex, dynamic indoor and outdoor environments close to people. The partnership is another important (…)

ABB has launched a new family of modular machine tending application cells for the metals industry aimed at maximizing flexibility and machine utilization while minimizing lost productivity caused by unforeseen production stoppages. Featuring six different versions, the FlexLoader™ M family offers a variety of ways of loading and unloading machines based on the size, shapes and amount of the workpieces being handled, making it ideal for applications such as foundries and die casting (…)

Students of the ETH project Dyana are fusing animation and robotics together to create a cat-like character with realistic movements. To manufacture their intricate prototype, Andrina Grimm and her team also rely on Sintratec’s 3D printing technology. A unique animatronics Project Dyana began in autumn 2020 as an interdisciplinary focus project of the ETH Zurich and 3 other Swiss universities, in which 14 bachelor students were to design and build a unique robot. Engineering student (…)

ABB today released its white paper on the future of the logistics industry, ‘The new norm: How COVID-19 has accelerated the switch to robotic automation,’ detailing how the pandemic is driving investment in robotics and automation in the logistics industry, with the pandemic accelerating long-term industry trends, such as labor shortages, the growth of omnichannel distribution and the rise of e-commerce. The paper looks at the logistics sector in the post COVID-19 era and the trends (…)

Considered the most important trade show for the plastics processing industry, FAKUMA 2021 (Friedrichshafen, Germany, 12-16 October) is the ideal platform for presenting FANUC’s new ROBOSHOT α-SiB injection moulding machine (Hall 3, Stand B3-3211). The new machine operates at higher injection speeds, and is faster and more flexible than previous-generation ROBOSHOT models. For tool and mould makers, the trade fair premiere of the new ROBOCUT α-CiC wire-cut EDM machine will be the highlight. (…)

ABB today announced it will acquire ASTI Mobile Robotics Group (ASTI), a leading global autonomous mobile robot (AMR) manufacturer with a broad portfolio across all major applications enabled by the company’s software suite. This will expand ABB’s robotics and automation offering, making it the only company to offer a complete portfolio for the next generation of flexible automation. The acquisition, a key part of ABB’s external growth strategy, was signed on July 19 and is expected to (…)