Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 1.59
January 11, 2021
…is still a large untapped industry worth, according to Quicktron. Growth in this sector has also accelerated as the COVID-19 pandemic has fueled the need to reduce reliance on manual labor in logistics In today’s announcement regarding the C+ funding, Quicktron didn’t state the dollar amount of the funding round.
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.84
January 07, 2021
…the pandemic A major shock to supply chain operations, COVID-19 exposed the weaknesses of the current supply chain paradigm and forced firms to consider the challenges of rebuilding their supply chains due to supplier exits. For some industries, the pandemic even forced a major rethinking of business models. And while these are all valid pain points, there’s a silver lining to all of this: The pandemic is giving companies a chance to rethink supply chain resilience. In this keynote session, Steven Melnyk, professor of operations and supply chain management at Michigan State University, discusses how companies will rebuild while also…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 1.01
January 06, 2021
…sophisticated autonomy through a warehouse execution system, or WES. COVID-19 and warehouse automation The impact of COVID-19 on warehousing and distribution could well outlast the pandemic itself, as labor health concerns, hampered supply chains and a new wave of automated warehouses and distribution centers continue to emerge. Warehouses, distribution and fulfillment centers were crippled, as health and safety issues became top of mind, especially as cases spread in high-profile operations like Amazon. However, the impact of the pandemic has also prompted renewed assessments of DC operations on everything from the degree of automation and advanced software necessary in a warehouse…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.39
January 06, 2021
…underscored by the havoc wreaked this year by the COVID-19 global pandemic, is mounting pressure on societies, government and health care systems to innovate bolder, more patient-specific solutions more quickly than in the past. This push for heightened design innovation is tempered by the reality of skyrocketing development and clinical trial costs, which can make the journey of launching new devices increasingly unsustainable. That’s where simulation and modeling come into play. The technologies are already helping medical device manufacturers explore more design possibilities virtually, at less cost than building physical prototypes. New simulation modalities and multiphysics capabilities, coupled with the…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.18
January 05, 2021
…for 3D printing materials has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but plenty of market drivers point to a strong future, according to research by business intelligence firm IDTechEx, published as “3D Printed Materials Market 2020-2030 - COVID Edition.” Indeed, IDTechEx forecasts that the global market for 3D printing materials will be worth $18.4 billion in 2030. Dr. Jonathan Harrop, director of IDTechEx, has recently published an article on the topic of 3D printed materials. This article follows the release of the new IDTechEx report, “3D Printed Materials Market 2020-2030: COVID Edition.” 3D printing is moving into mainstream manufacturing and…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.44
January 04, 2021
…to be best prepared to combat the spread of COVID-19. Design and simulation software is in the spotlight more than ever, as it’s an instrumental way to create solutions and help many overcome obstacles, problems and challenges that have arisen due to the coronavirus and all that goes with it. “Engineering simulation software technology has been able to address critical issues at the personal, societal and business levels. Engineering simulation software is being used in a variety of ways as part of the pandemic, used to model both the protection of the general public as well as patient treatments,” says…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 1.37
December 31, 2020
…Chain Stratasys Organizes 3D-Printed Protective Gear Drive to Fight COVID-19 Frontline 3D Printing During the shutdown, Greg Paulsen, director of Application Engineering for on-demand manufacturing service provider, Xometry, says he saw among his customers, “the willingness to explore 3D printing as a way to make end-use products.” He adds, “Some customers found that the lead time to move to molding or casting just didn’t fit their deadline. We made a lot of them believers in AM.” The pandemic is not over yet, but manufacturers are finding ways to reopen and resume production while adhering to social distancing and safety requirements.…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.71
December 30, 2020
…finding that during the two early months of the Covid-19 disruption—April to May—consumers spent $153 billion online, up 7% from online spending during the 2019 holiday season that ran from November to December. The latest Department of Commerce numbers show e-commerce growing by 30% during the first half of 2020—compared to the same period in 2019—while e-commerce sales now make up about 16% of all U.S. retail sales, up from roughly 12% during the first quarter. The disruption has seen innovation thrive in 2020. Ship-from-store and curbside pickup have pushed micro-fulfillment centers—smaller sites that leverage goods-to-person automation to fill online…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.29
December 28, 2020
…take off, right now might be it. With the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating e-commerce for many types of goods, fulfillment centers and manufacturing plants need to move a high volume of pallets to keep stores stocked up and e-commerce order picking systems or manual pick locations topped off with goods. And while unemployment has risen since last year, it remains challenging to secure enough workers—including skilled lift truck operators—to keep goods flowing to consumers. Sales of driverless robotic trucks stand to benefit under these conditions. Vendors say that return on investment (ROI) in two years or less is possible for automated…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 1.07
December 28, 2020
…additive manufacturing to withstand supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19. Use of this technology for the production of electronics, however, has been limited due to barriers. Electronics manufacturers must use materials that meet electrostatic discharge (ESD) safety requirements to avoid damaging a product or critical component during production. Now, with the launch of Onyx ESD, electronics manufacturers can utilized additive manufacturing. This material is a high-performance static-dissipative version of Markforged’s flagship composite base material Onyx, a micro carbon fiber-filled nylon that yields accurate parts with quality surface finish, the company says. Onyx ESD was developed to achieve a tight surface…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 1.18
December 14, 2020
…a major theme of 2020 because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and seen retailers and merchants looking for ways to meet consumer demand, which is impacted by a retail environment that is often difficult to navigate. “PLG has been a Locus customer since deploying our solution in its New Jersey warehouse location,” said Karen Leavitt, CMO Locus Robotics, in an interview. “The success they are having at this site led management to further expand the Locus solution to other locations with the same goal in mind: to optimize productivity, lower operations costs, and meet the growing volumes that come with…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 1.40
November 30, 2020
…from 7% last year to 14% in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the rise in AM use—companies surveyed said they were using AM processes to make quantities of supplies at scale or at least to create the molds used to make the products so assembly lines could keep moving. Fifty-seven percent of manufacturers surveyed said they increased 3D printing for production parts to keep their supply chains flowing during the pandemic; in addition, nearly a quarter (24%) have gone all-in with AM while another quarter are ramping up to meet supply chain needs. “As borders closed to prevent the…
