Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.74
Cowen Inc. and MassRobotics yesterday announced a research report on the increasing role robotics is playing in helping companies achieve climate goals. Joe Giordano, a chartered financial analyst and expert in diversified industrials, automation, and robotics at Cowen, led the “Ahead of the Curve Series” report. It incorporated a survey from MassRobotics that polled manufacturers and end users to understand where robotics is positioned within their climate toolkit. “The robotic technologies we explore in this report are maximizing the output (GDP) per unit of carbon and minimizing the carbon needed to achieve a targeted level of activity,” Giordano said. “While…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.74
The familiar technology stack of warehouse management systems (WMS) to manage transactions and inventory at the distribution center level and then hand order requirements down to the automation layer is not as simple as it used to be. With the complexities of e-commerce fulfillment, the need to orchestrate and optimize operations is driving the need for advanced execution software in the middle of the stack and for more optimization tools. In short, the DC tech stack has changed. It’s no longer just WMS on top, warehouse control system (WCS) software in the middle, and automated materials handling systems at the…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.74
Robots are hot in warehouses right now, with strong double-digit growth projected by most analysts over the next few years. There’s a big difference, however, between knowing that robotics has market momentum, and knowing how to properly scope an automation solution. The dilemma with scoping robotics for a distribution center (DC) is that plenty of “it depends” are involved in finding a good fit. It depends on what warehouse workflow you want to automate. It depends on order mix and volume, product dimensions, layout and labor considerations. That said, if you back up from these parameters, some best practices emerge…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.74
Exotec SAS this month announced that it has produced its 4,000th robot. The milestone came just six months after the Croix, France-based company manufactured its 3,000th Skypod robot. “We’re extremely proud to have completed production of our 4,000th robot, with many more to come in the near future,” stated Romain Moulin, co-founder and CEO of Exotec. “Reaching this point so soon after our 3,000th robot milestone is a highlight of our manufacturing capabilities and a testament to the growing demand for our products globally.” Founded in 2015, Exotec said it combines hardware and software to drive operational efficiency, add resilience,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.74
Piab AB, which makes gripping, lifting, and moving systems, recently announced its new piSAFE program. The Täby, Sweden-based company said the program will include configurable and low-weight products for applications requiring safety, flexibility, speed, and performance. Piab last month also announced the MX suction cup for bin picking, order fulfillment, box depalletizing, and parcel sorting. Since 1951, Piab has been developing materials handling systems. The company has annual sales of about $175 million (U.S.), 650 employees, and a global presence in more than 100 countries. Patricia Industries, part of Investor AB, has owned Piab since 2018. Piab designs for flexibility,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.69
FANUC America recently unveiled its latest lineup of robot arms, cobots, and motion control systems at Automate 2024 in booth 1250. The trade show is being held May 6-9 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois. Attendance is free. A3 said this year’s show is the biggest yet, featuring more than 365,000 square feet of exhibit space, over 800 exhibitors, and an expected 30,000 registrants, with learning and networking opportunities. Attendees are able to see the latest in robotics, machine vision, artificial intelligence (AI), and motion control. “We’re excited to demonstrate our cutting-edge automation solutions at Automate,” said…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.69
U.S. manufacturers and warehouse operators are dealing with many challenges, including recession concerns. Hai Robotics U.S.A. Inc. said it is applying market research and lessons learned from the last recession to help facilities apply automation to their advantage during times of economic uncertainty. “In a slow market, many companies typically increase cash balances to fund operations,” said the company in a release this week. “As a result, we often see reduced budgets and delays in buying large capital expenses, but the need for automation does not slow down.” “Companies still face staffing concerns, operating costs still need to be reduced,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.65
Robots are moving goods in warehouses, packaging foods, and helping assemble vehicles—when they’re not flipping burgers or serving lattes. How did they get so skilled so fast? Robotics simulation. Making leaps in progress, it’s transforming industries all around us. A robotics simulator places a virtual robot in virtual environments to test the robot’s software without requiring the physical robot. And the latest simulators can generate datasets to be used to train machine learning models that will run on the physical robots. In this virtual world, developers create digital versions of robots, environments, and other assets robots might encounter. These environments…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.64
Clevon today announced that its robots have delivered close to 1,500 packages for DHL Express Estonia since they began their partnership in the summer of 2022. The partners reported that customers have welcomed the service, and they plan to expand their collaboration. “Initially, there was a lot of uncertainty because neither our nor DHL's global team had previously tested such a solution,” stated Kristina Laaneots, managing director of DHL Express Estonia. “However, over the past year, our extensive collaboration has proven that this technology has great potential.” DHL Express is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group, which generated revenues of…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.64
At Pack Expo in Las Vegas last month, Honeywell International Inc. announced its Smart Flexible Depalletizer. The system is designed to automate the process of unloading pallets, reduce the risk of injury, and mitigate the effects of labor shortages. Thomas Evans, chief technology officer at Honeywell, spoke with Robotics 24/7 about the Charlotte, N.C.-based company's latest technologies and its approach to developing for warehouses and distribution centers. How was Pack Expo 2021? Evans: It was busier than I expected. It was the first time I've given an in-person interview or had a live presentation rollout since the pandemic began. It…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.62
The COVID-19 outbreak has brought new realities to light that, just a few months ago, seemed unimaginable. Stay-at-home orders are keeping many people close to home. And social distancing – along with frequent cleaning of technology devices, hands, and surfaces – is widely accepted as the new norm. That doesn’t mean that adopting these new precautionary measures has been easy, though. Social distancing is not just about avoiding gatherings with friends and family, closing schools, or working from home. A strict physical distance must be kept in order to prevent the spread of contagions. Yet, front-line workers in healthcare, public…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.61
With a combination of mobile robots, easy-to-use interfaces, and real-time business intelligence, Locus Robotics Corp. is helping warehouse customers meet the demands of today’s growing e-commerce and other businesses, said Jasmine Lombardi, chief customer officer at the company. She spoke at the Reuters Supply Chain Execution 2022 Conference in Chicago earlier this month. Wilmington, Mass.-based Locus' autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and software serves more than 200 facilities spanning a dozen countries, as well as more than 80 customers. They include CEVA Logistics, DHL, Geodis, Material Bank, Shipmonk, and Taylored Services. Commissioning steps for a LocusBot Lombardi took the Reuters Supply…