Manufacturing

As this Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute (ARM) project illustrates, ARM is placing a great amount of emphasis on sewing and textile handling. The reason is completely in keeping with ARM’s charter to “accelerate transformative robotic technologies to increase U.S. global manufacturing competitiveness.”

While the number of transactions involving robotics companies has held steady through this year, the total value in November 2020 was half of that in November 2019.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can improve many operational aspects of AGVs and AMRs, and increase worker satisfaction. As such, AI must be a fundamental building block in robotics design and harnessed by management.

Distribution Centers are exploiting data and using Labor Management Software (LMS) to optimize processes, overcome labor challenges, and drive automation deployments, including robotics systems.

Flexiv provides turnkey automation solutions based on adaptive robots powered by advanced force control, computer vision and AI technologies.

In this RoboBusiness Direct session, SWRI’s Matt Robinson describes how ROS can support complex, large scale, industrial automation. In a follow-on session, DreamVu’s Mark Davidson reviews the benefits of omnidirectional 3D vision for UV disinfection robots.

Although robotics investments, mergers, and acquisitions may have dropped a bit in October 2020, autonomous vehicles, drones, and healthcare applications continued to receive funding.

In this informative and wide ranging RoboBusiness Direct session, MassRobotics’ Executive Director Tom Ryden leads an all-star panel of robotics researchers and industry thought leaders to discuss that latest robotics and automation research and R&D initiatives, and the ways the resulting breakthroughs make their way into the commercial sphere.

Large companies are not immune to the negative effects of ‘Pilot Purgatory’ on their digital and manufacturing transformation initiatives, including their merger, acquisition, and divestiture efforts. Strategic, transparent, and cross-functional execution are key to avoiding stagnation.

ESMERA’s Anna Donato interviews University of Bozen’s Ilaria Palomba about Wire Robotic’s solution to improve the efficiency and safety of wire harness assembly using collaborative robots.

RBR’s provides hot takes on Tesla’s limited beta program for “Feature Complete Full Self-Driving” and the ARM Institute’s emphasis on robotic sewing, textile handling and apparel manufacturing.

With the announcement of eight new robotics technology projects, all involving collaboration between government, industry, and academia, the ARM Institute’s total for completed or ‘in process’ advanced robotics for manufacturing programs increases to fifty-nine.

It is flexibility – in terms of technologies, methods and partnerships – that is the critical success factor for Robot Nordic, a systems integrator and developer of custom robotics and automation solutions based in the heart of the Danish robotics cluster in Odense.

With ongoing supply chain disruptions, how can robotics companies bring new technologies and products to market? In this RoboBusiness Direct session, Nate Evans, Co-Founder of Fictiv, will describe how Digital Manufacturing Ecosystems provide a cost-efficient and low-risk solution to this challenge.

Dave Evans, CEO of Fictiv, reviews robotics manufacturability and the benefits of digital manufacturing. Also, Marc Alba, Senior Vice President, NTT, discusses Jibo’s future.

By leveraging a combination of sensing / digitalization and AI / ML, Omnirobotic provides “high-mix” manufacturers a spray, coating and finishing solution, delivered as a service, that reduces robot programming costs while increasing productivity.

Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) deployments are up substantially, with more to come. As the technology has proven to deliver business value, many new adopters are skipping long term pilot projects and moving directly to partial or full roll-outs.

The Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute’s Suzy Teele recently interviewed Yaskawa Motoman ‘s Roger Christian about the strategic advantages of partnering with ARM, and how the relationship benefits Yaskawa and advances the role of robotics in manufacturing.

The total number of robotics transactions held steady year over year, but the autonomous vehicle and manufacturing automation providers received less investment. Healthcare systems, field robots, and drones got funding in September 2020.

For small-to-medium manufacturers (SMMs), especially those with high-mix, low-volume production loads, collaborative robots provide many benefits over traditional industrial robots for certain tasks. But deploying cobots can be challenging. Thankfully, the US’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) can help.

RBR’s offers hot takes on ONRobot’s sanding solution, Brain Corporation’s new CTO, the US DoD seeking sensing solutions, and the Dive Technologies / Virginia Tech partnership.

Market research and consultancy firm Interact Analysis estimates that worldwide revenues for mobile robots will reach US $2.4B in 2020, representing a 45% increase for AMRs and 11% for AGVs over 2019. But that is only the beginning.

Purchasing robots, CNC machines and other industrial equipment for manufacturing operations can be a difficult process, and one fraught with uncertainty, especially for small-to-medium manufacturers. The US’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) has some suggestions and best practices designed to support decision making and reduce the risk.

Trade conflicts, geopolitical tensions, and now the COVID-19 crisis, is putting global supply chain at risk, and as a result companies are expected to reverse the multi-decade trend of offshoring. As robotics and automation becomes more capable, cheaper, and easier to implement, the technology is likely to accelerate reshoring initiatives.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, robotics investment and acquisition activity did not slow down in August 2020, with funding flowing to autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, and drones.