SINDELFINGEN, Germany—With customization key to wooing modern consumers, flexible and adaptable human workers are reclaiming space from robots at the Mercedes assembly plant here.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands—Researchers here have developed a unique assembly line that combines robotic pick-and-place technology with additive manufacturing.
MARNE, MI—Metal fabrication shop DeWys Manufacturing Inc. has developed a robotic cell that automatically installs up to eight self-clinching fasteners in sheet metal.
ANN ARBOR, MI—Robot orders and shipments in North America set new records in 2015, according to Robotic Industries Association. A total of 31,464 robots valued at $1.8 billion were ordered from North American companies during 2015, an increase of 14 percent in units and 11 percent in dollars over 2014.
DETROIT—Working with robotics manufacturer FANUC, networking giant Cisco, and hardware maker Rockwell Automation, GM has installed a “mother brain” at its Lake Orion assembly plant. The system accepts data flowing to and from robots, conveyors, temperature sensors and other devices and sends that information to a cloud network. That enables plant managers and supplier technicians to monitor assembly technology and prevent mishaps.
Transmission manufacturing requires several high-precision tasks. This is not news to Škoda Auto, a Czech automobile manufacturer founded in 1895 as Laurin & Klement.
There are many ways to run a custom machine building business. Some systems integrators are dedicated to a particular industry, such as auto parts manufacturing. Others specialize in a particular kind of assembly machine, such as high-speed continuous motion systems.
WASHINGTON—The National Institute of Standards and Technology is launching a simulation-based competition aimed at making robots more capable, versatile and collaborative, as well as easier to program.
SEATTLE—Boeing has been granted a patent for a fully automated assembly system for making airplane fuselages. The system consists of six assembly cells, a feeder line, and a robot holding area.
JACKSONVILLE, FL—Stenner Pump Co., a manufacturer of water treatment equipment, has deployed a two-armed Baxter robot from Rethink Robotics at its assembly plant here for machine-tending applications.
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