Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.93
April 11, 2022
Comau LLC last week said that it has added the N-220-2.7 robot arm to its product portfolio. The Stellantis NV unit makes the robot with its fully automated production line in its Turin Innovation Center of Advanced Robotics in Italy. “This next-generation robot, which strengthens our product portfolio, generates clear customer advantages thanks to its innovative design and state-of-the-art advanced robotics technology,” stated Nicole Clement, chief marketing officer of Comau. “[It thus allows] us to better target new, high-growth industry segments beyond traditional manufacturing, with the aim of enhancing cost-effective automation for businesses of all sizes.” Comau provides industrial automation…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.91
January 21, 2022
While autonomous and semi-autonomous warehouse systems may not yet be commoditized, their ability to make the most of scarce labor is increasingly valuable. Phantom Auto this week announced that it has received $42 million in funding, as well as purchase orders from logistics providers ArcBest and NFI Industries for thousands of its Phantom-powered forklifts in the coming years. “We have seen an explosion in demand for remote operation across the supply chain as our customers seek innovative solutions to expand access to labor and fuel growth,” said Shai Magzimof, co-founder and CEO of Phantom Auto. “Logistics companies need workers to…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.91
August 28, 2023
Newegg Commerce Inc. wanted to automate repetitive and physically demanding tasks at its warehouse in Ontario, Calif. The global e-commerce provider of technology products today announced that it has deployed a shelf-to-person mobile picking system from Geekplus Technology Co. “We’re optimistic about seeing improvements in picking efficiency and storage space optimization with the new Geek+ robotics system in our Ontario warehouse,” said Tim Zhou, Newegg IT manager, in a release. “Newegg pursues advanced technology solutions throughout our business to offer the best services for customers, so this new system is part of fulfilling that commitment.” Founded in 2001, Newegg is…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.91
April 12, 2018
You didn’t have to walk far at Modex 2018 to see some type of material handling robot edging by. There were many small, cart-sized autonomous mobile robots (AMR) moving around tugging carts or rolling shelves, collaborative robotic arms that do piece picking, robots with tilt tray sorter attachments or roller conveyor sections on top of them, and bigger robots to move heavy loads. For all the eye-catching arms, grippers, and navigation sensors hanging off these robots, it can be easy to forget how software-driven they are. Robotics vendors may stress features like grippers, or specific material handling tasks their bots…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.90
May 17, 2018
John Hill knows a thing or two about technology innovation. In a career that spans 50 years, Hill was at the forefront of the development of industrial applications for bar code scanning and radio frequency identification and the first warehouse management software systems. There’s a reason he remembers that the first implementation of bar code scanning outside of point of sale in grocery and retail was in October 1971 at Buick’s Plant 10. “I carried the 50-pound scanner into Buick to give them the demonstration,” Hill recalls. Hill has not rested on his laurels. Still a director at St. Onge,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.90
September 29, 2020
Safety of Workers From appropriate personal protective equipment to maintaining physical distance from other employees, this is an unprecedented time with the pandemic and many companies are not sure what steps to take to ensure the safety of workers in the time of Coronavirus. There have been many different solutions proposed and implemented already. Due to COVID-19, it has become the new normal to conduct temperature checks of each employee, practice social distancing by ensuring employees stay six feet apart, monitoring occupancy levels, and keeping track of cleaning efforts to sanitize stations more frequently. Some have even staggered shifts to…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.89
June 10, 2023
Users increasingly need robotic grippers that can function similarly to human hands. That’s particularly true in manufacturing and order-fulfillment facilities, where robots may grasp everything from fragile fruits to delicate decorations. Researchers from Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Austria’s Johannes Kepler University and the University of Colorado at Boulder in the United States recently made a fully biodegradable artificial muscle from gelatin, oil and bioplastics. They called them hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic actuators. The team used them to move a robotic gripper. A YouTube video from the group indicated the muscles break down in compost bins after six…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.89
July 20, 2021
ABB Group today announced that it will acquire ASTI Mobile Robotics Group, a provider of autonomous mobile robots and software. ABB said the acquisition is part of its external growth strategy and will make “it the only company to offer a complete portfolio for the next generation of flexible automation.” The transaction was signed yesterday and is expected to close in midsummer 2021. Both parties agreed not to disclose any details regarding the purchase price. “With their industry-leading portfolio, comprehensive suite of software, and deep domain expertise across growth segments, ASTI is the perfect choice for us as we support…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.89
June 04, 2019
Holy robots! It seems that most everywhere you look in the past couple of months there are robots. And they are almost always doing something new. To start, look at the news coming out of the ProMat and Automate shows in April, where robots dominated even though there were many more than 1,000 exhibitors with supply chain solutions. The introductions ranged from collaborative robots to pick-and-place to autonomous mobile robots and beyond. Artificial intelligence and cloud-based systems figured prominently too. Meanwhile, you now have to watch out for mobile robots at your local store. When you go to Walmart, look…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.88
February 18, 2022
The speed with which e-commerce vendors delivered goods this past holiday season put smiles on millions of consumers' faces. But for vendors, there’s often a steep price—returns. Close to 30% of all e-commerce orders are typically returned by consumers. Projections indicated that by the end of January, consumers would return about $120 billion of goods following the holiday season. Keeping consumers happy while preventing returns from eating into profitability is the daily challenge of reverse logistics, an intensive, particularly labor-bound process that basically reverses the fulfillment process. In addition, there are more quirks and exceptions, like non-uniform packaging of items…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.86
June 13, 2022
DETROIT—At Automate 2022 here last week, mobile robot providers took center stage alongside industrial robot arm makers and component vendors. Zebra Technologies Corp. demonstrated its systems and discussed the best appoaches to applying automation. While 65% of the robots in the U.S. are used by the automotive industry, collaborative robots are democratizing automation, said Jim Lawton, vice president and general manager for robotics automation at the company. He previously worked at Rethink Robotics, Universal Robots, and Fetch Robotics. Lincolnshire, Ill.-based Zebra acquired Fetch last year. “Lean manufacturing practitioners used to hate automation because it was fixed infrastructure and needed custom…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.86
June 15, 2021
One recent trend in supply chain automation is toward larger and more capable robots. Mobile Industrial Robots ApS today launched the MiR250 Hook, which can tow loaded carts weighing up to 1,100 lb. (500 kg). The Odense, Denmark-based company said the patented MiR250 Hook builds on its fastest and most compact mobile robot to help further optimize industrial workflows. “At workplaces worldwide, humans move thousands of carts and transport cages manually between departments, a highly repetitive and time-consuming task,” stated Søren E. Nielsen, president of Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR). “With the highly precise and powerful MiR250 Hook, towing carts and…
