Automation

Learning the future at Automate 2019

Based on the high level of traffic and activity that I saw at Automate 2019 combined with a U.S. unemployment rate of just under 4%, my hunch is that robot manufacturers will report impressive sales figures this year. This guestimate is a result of a conversation I had with Joseph Gemma, CEO of division industries – Americas for KUKA Robotics Corp., Shelby Township, Michigan. According to Gemma, as the unemployment rate decreases, robot sales increase. He emphasized that automation is changing jobs—not taking them away.

Leoni and relayr enter strategic partnership to raise production efficiency

Leoni, a global provider of energy and data management solutions in the automotive sector and other industries, and relayr, specialist in industrial solutions involving the Internet of Things (IoT), are entering a strategic partnership. The companies announced joint development work on linking intelligent cable and automation systems with innovative IoT technologies. The upcoming solutions are aimed at enabling carmakers and their suppliers to reduce unplanned downtime of robotic manufacturing lines and raising production efficiency thereby improving overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

The rise of smart, collaborative robotic EOAT: Opportunities and challenges

Industrial robotic applications have been growing exponentially across multiple industrial ecosystems, as value-addition to the existing operational paradigms become imperative. Rising eminence of collaborative robots (cobots) in the future is not surprising as automation continues to lie at the heart of industrial spaces for both regular and complex applications. Cost is also a key factor responsible for the rise of industrial robotics, owing to the fact that the average selling prices of robots have come down significantly over the past 20 to 30 years.

DA300 VMC Reduces Machining Time for Complex Production Parts

Inspired by the best design characteristics from both vertical and horizontal machine platforms, the Makino DA300 5-Axis VMC delivers the highest production capabilities for multi-axis workpieces in the very smallest of machine footprints. This DA300 combines a rigid structure and high dynamic motion control to significantly reduce part cycle times while maintaining very accurate performance. This highly productive machine is enhanced by an Erowa ERE pallet changer.

The New Standard in 5-Axis Machining

Take a look inside Okuma's GENOS M460V-5AX with Errol Burrell, machining center product specialist. Now with an increased capacity for 48 tools, this customer favorite just became even more appealing. With its hypoid gear drive, it features trunnion construction that offers exceptional accuracy, rigidity, and table rotation speed. If you're looking for a machine to manufacture high-precision parts and deliver impressive metal removal rates in a compact design, then the GENOS M460V-5AX deserves your undivided attention.

 

North American machine vision market grows nearly 10 percent in 2018

North American sales of machine vision components and systems that provide vision intelligence to robots and other machines reached $2.874 billion in 2018, an increase of 9.2 percent over 2017 and a new record for the market. According to statistics from the AIA, the industry trade group and part of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), application-specific machine vision (ASMV) systems led the growth with $1.998 billion in sales in 2018, an increase of 7.8 percent over 2017, followed by smart cameras with $466 million, an increase of 14.2 percent.