Industrial Robot Arms
Epson Robots has announced new updates to its T-Series line of all-in-one SCARA Robots with the introduction of the T3-B and T6-B models. The robots aim to offer value to ease automation for new entrants and advanced users of robotics.
Read more: Epson Updates T-Series All-in-One SCARA Robots...
FANUC America has announced the M-1000iA robot, which can handle heavy products such as automotive components, construction materials and battery packs for electric vehicles. The robot is its largest serial-link robot to date, with a 1,000 kg payload, a 3,253 mm horizontal reach, and 4,297 mm vertical reach. Production units are expected to ship in Q1 2022.
Formic Technologies, which utilizes a Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) model that lets companies pay an hourly rate for robot usage, has announced raising $26.5 million in a Series A financing round. In addition, the company secured access to more than $100 million of debt capital to fund equipment purchases. Formic said it will use the funding to expand its operation to support the rapid deployment of its RaaS offering for U.S. manufacturers.
Festo has announced surging interest in its electric series (E-series) of intelligent magnetic grippers from Magswitch, based in Lafayette, Colo. Festo has been a Magswitch distribution partner since 2019.
Osaro, which develops advanced robotics automation systems, and Innotech, which provides advanced products for electronics and consumer industries, have announced a collaboration to create a demonstration for Rohto Pharmaceutical Co. using AI piece-picking robots. The two companies are jointly providing picking robots and building a system into a new factory production line, scheduled for completion in 2022.
Doosan Robotics has announced its entry into the entertainment industry marketplace with the unveiling of the NINA Camera Robot System. NINA, or “New Inspiration, New Angle”, is designed for prosumer content creators and mid-level enterprises to provide motion control through user-friendly software. The company said this will empower anyone to adopt professional cinematography skills and create production quality content at the highest levels.
The International Federation of Robotics said the use of industrial robots in factories around the world is accelerating at a high rate – 126 robots per 10,000 employees is the new global average for robot density in manufacturing. This is nearly double the number from five years ago (66 units per 10,000 in 2015).
ABB has announced the addition of two new members of its OmniCore controller family to help meet the demand for faster, more efficient production. Available for a range of robots across the company’s portfolio, the E10 and V250XT controllers offer best-in-class motion control, as well as 20% energy savings and future-proofing through built-in digital connectivity and more than 1,000 additional functions to meet changing requirements. ABB said the new controllers extend the possibilities for enhanced robot control in several industries, ranging from electronics assembly to automotive, logistics, and general manufacturing usages.
Heliogen, which provides AI-enabled concentrated solar power, has announced a new breakthrough in the production of low-cost renewable energy. In field tests at Heliogen’s Lancaster, Calif., facility, the company demonstrated an autonomous field maintenance system. The Installation & Cleaning Autonomous Robot & Utility Station (ICARUS) is expected to reduce the time to deploy Heliogen’s concentrated solar facilities, as well as the costs associated with construction and ongoing maintenance.
Berkshire Grey, which develops artificial intelligence-enabled robot solutions to help automate supply chain processes, has announced its next generation Robotic Product Sortation (RPS) system for order fulfillment. The high-capacity automation solution robotically picks, sorts, and packs individual items into outbound order containers without the need for operator interaction.
Read more: Berkshire Grey Launches New Robot Sortation System
Flexiv, which develops general-purpose robots, has announced it received CE and ETL approval for its Rizon 4 robot, awarded by testing, inspection and certification and assurance provider Intertek. Flexiv said this was the first-ever seven-axis force-controlled adaptive robot that achieved both certifications at the same time.
Read more: Flexiv Earns CE and ETL approval for Rizon 4 Robot
ATI Industrial Automation, which develops robotic accessories and robot arm tooling, has announced a new standard tool changing option for smaller robots. The QC-29 Robotic Tool Changer aims to bring the powerful and rugged technology of the company’s Heavy Duty Tool Changers to robots in the 25 kg to 35 kg payload class.
Universal Logic, which develops the Neocortex AI robot control software, has announced a deal for its fully integrated Neocortex Pallet Sorter system in several distribution centers of Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG).
Read more: Universal Logic Deploys Robotic Pallet Sorters...
SVT Robotics, which develops software to accelerate and simplify the integration and deployment of robotics, has announced raising $25 million in Series A funding. The investment was led by Tiger Global, with participation from Prologis Ventures.
Read more: SVT Robotics Raises $25M to Expand Integration...
Machina Labs, which aims to advance manufacturing through robotics and artificial intelligence, has emerged from stealth mode and announced it closed a $16.3 million Series A round of funding. The financing will be used to grow Machina’s team in Los Angeles and to expand R&D and manufacturing capacity to meet increasing customer demand.
Nala Robotics has announced the launch of its fully automatic robotic kitchen, which can cook millions of recipes from around the world without any human intervention. Through robotics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, Nala can “master any dish in a matter of minutes.”