Automation

Teradyne Inc., North Reading, Mass., and the shareholders of Mobile Industrial Robots ApS, Odense, Denmark, announced the acquisition of privately held MiR for €121 million ($148 million) net of cash acquired plus €101 million ($124 million at the current exchange rate) if certain performance targets are met extending through 2020.

While manufacturers around the world have reached new heights in technology adoption and equipment innovation, there are still many pain points that hinder optimization, efficiency and even safety on the plant floor. Sensai, an augmented productivity platform for manufacturing operations, unveiled a list of the top five plant floor risks that reduce efficiency, drain productivity and negatively impact business results if left unattended.

Myths and debates swirl around the questions of using robots to automate CNC operations. From “Should we automate?” and “Can we automate?” to “How should we automate?” Are they true or not? Let’s look at a few of the most-discussed topics regarding robotic CNC automation.

Tooling Tech Group, Macomb, Mich., acquired Century Tool Group, which is composed of Century Tool & Gage Co. in Fenton, Mich., and CTG Bel-Kur Automation in Temperance, Mich.

Rego-Fix Tool Corp., Whitestown, Ind., announced that Pascal Forrer joined the company’s Tenniken, Switzerland-based management team as its global sales and marketing director.

Lately, a very different trend has begun to manifest itself: Manufacturers have started replacing robots with humans. This is not driven by nostalgia or from a desire to provide more manufacturing jobs. It is simple, practical self-interest on the part of manufacturers.

There’s a new woman in my life, and my wife is jealous. Really? I admit that I’ve been a little preoccupied lately with automating my house, but to say that I talk to Alexa more than the mother of my children is unfair. No, it’s not obsessive behavior; it’s an experiment in what’s possible.