BMW has been working hard to reduce emissions in all steps of the manufacturing process of a car, not only in the final product. For example, for the BMW i models, the Leipzig plant uses renewable energy almost entirely throughout the production process. However, today the Germans announced that yet another step in this direction has been made, launching the first fleet of autonomous transport robots in everyday operation. Autonomous driving seems to be the next big thing in the auto industry but while it will certainly be helpful on the road, it can also help out in the manufacturing…
Auto manufacturers are big proponents of 3D printing, but so far they have mostly used the technology for prototyping or reducing costs in tool and dye making. That could be set to change if a new partnership between Divergent 3D and automaker PSA Group achieves its goals. In September, PSA Group (which manufacturers the DS, Peugeot and Citroën brands) signed a strategic partnership letter of intent to work with Divergent 3D on metal printing projects. According to the company, PSA Group intends to improve manufacturing efficiency using 3D printing. “We are very impressed by the promising new opportunities in Divergent…
Peloton Technology, a connected and automated vehicle technology company dedicated to improving the safety and efficiency of freight transportation, has announced its participation in the Next-Generation Energy Technologies for Connected and Autonomous On-Road Vehicles (NEXTCAR) program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The project will apply next-generation truck platooning technology and concepts for smart, cloud-connected powertrains to achieve 20 percent fuel savings for tractor-trailers. Led by Purdue University, Peloton’s NEXTCAR project team also includes Cummins, Peterbilt Motors Company, ZF TRW, the University of Arizona and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Contributions from partners…
How does the old saying go—“It’s all over but the shouting!” Earlier this month, the KION Group AG announced that it had successfully completed the acquisition of Dematic. In the announcement, Gordon Riske, CEO of KION Group, said it marked the dawn of a new era for his company, Dematic, and their combined companies. “The transaction brings together the world’s most profitable manufacturer of forklift trucks and warehouse technology with one of the largest and fastest-growing warehouse automation and software solution providers,” he added. You can read the complete press release here. When I think about the past year in…
At Whirlpool Corporation‘s 2.4-million-square-foot plant in Clyde, Ohio, a fleet of 54 blue robotic tuggers wind their way around the floor, automatically delivering parts every 20 to 30 minutes to some 24 drop-off locations on the assembly and sub-assembly lines. Operating in a three-shift, five-day-a-week operating environment, the mobile robots are a key component in the lean and continuous improvement philosophy in Clyde—billed as the world’s largest plant manufacturing top- and front-load washing machines. They are also an illustration of the company’s “smart automation” strategy, explains Jim Keppler, vice president of integrated supply chain and quality for the Benton Harbor,…
Founded in 1978 and employing 130 people, Danish fireplace and wood stove manufacturer Scan A/S produces 14,000 stoves annually from its 107,600-square-foot facility. After deploying a mobile robot, the company has automated many kilometers of production floor deliveries, allowing workers to remain productive and producing a return on investment within one year. Previously, an employee had to push a trolley from place to place throughout the facility, a monotonous chore for highly paid manual laborers. “It is costly when internal transport costs man-hours,” says René Hannibaldsen, production manager at Scan A/S. “It challenges a company like ours because we are…
Robot orders and shipments in North America set new records in the first nine months of 2016, according to the Robotic Industries Association (RIA), the industry’s trade group. A total of 23,985 robots valued at $1.3 billion were ordered from North American companies in the first nine months of 2016, an increase of 7% in units and 3% in dollars over the same period in 2015, which held the previous record. Robot shipments to North American customers through September totaled 22,050 robots valued at $1.3 billion, breaking the previous record set in 2015 by 3% in units and 11% in…
While widespread usage of self-driving autonomous trucks is not upon us yet, it appears that things are now officially in the very early innings. And the reason is….(Budweiser) beer. OK, well, that is stretching it but maybe I have your attention now, grin. And the main party responsible for this development is the ubiquitous ride-sharing service Uber. Uber’s recent acquisition of self-driving truck startup company Otto last August turned a lot of heads in the trucking and logistics sectors, and this week it officially began to do the same over the road, hauling more than 50,000 cans, 51,744 to be…
Last-mile delivery, especially of parcels, has recently received lots of attention in the media and from investors. The cost of global parcel delivery, excluding pickup, line-haul, and sorting, amounts to about €70 billion, with China, Germany, and the United States accounting for more than 40 percent of the market. And not only is the market large, but it’s also highly dynamic, with growth rates in 2015 of between 7 and 10 percent in mature markets (such as Germany and the United States) and more than 100 percent in developing markets. The biggest driver of this growth, not surprisingly, is e-commerce,…
Management consultants at McKinsey & Company, maintain that the parcel market in the U.S. is set to double by 2025, with Same-day delivery and instant delivery to accounting for one-fifth of the demand. Furthermore, a new study reveals that one in two customers is willing to pay extra for faster delivery. These are the research findings contained in “Parcel delivery. The Future of Last Mile.” The analyses surveyed over 4,700 consumers in the U.S., Germany, and China. As the trend toward buying goods online increases, so too does the desire to receive the ordered products as soon as possible. The…
Management consultants at McKinsey & Company, maintain that the parcel market in the U.S. is set to double by 2025, with Same-day delivery and instant delivery to accounting for one-fifth of the demand. Furthermore, a new study reveals that one in two customers is willing to pay extra for faster delivery. These are the research findings contained in “Parcel delivery. The Future of Last Mile.” The analyses surveyed over 4,700 consumers in the U.S., Germany, and China. As the trend toward buying goods online increases, so too does the desire to receive the ordered products as soon as possible. The…
