A fully modular and easy-to-program robotics technology lets engineers and other plant personnel quickly select and connect kinematic modules to create industrial robot arms.

In this contributed piece, Kollmorgen engineers describe environmental factors to watch for that could affect the performance of robot motors, gears, and sensors.

When specifying or using step motors, it’s easy to make incorrect assumptions. Applied Motion Products offers some suggestions on how to avoid common problems.

Omron Automation Americas, a provider of end-to-end solutions for industrial automation, will be at the upcoming Automate Show to demonstrate applications for the factory of today and that of the future. Omron plans to display diverse technologies, including systems for traceability and flexible manufacturing. The biennial Automate Show gives attendees the opportunity to see many…

 It’s a common misconception that integrating robots means spending a lot to completely overhaul production lines and start from scratch. In 2016, Kawasaki introduced the industrial SCARA robot named duAro whose mobile design and safety functionality it said make it suitable for companies of any size. Integrating the duAro into a manufacturing process is…

In response to the rising demand for fast, flexible, and compact industrial robots in food and other industries, Kawasaki now sells two new 6-axis vertically articulated robots with a maximum payload capacity of 7 kg (15.4 lb.) and different reach. The RS007N and RS007L robots are new additions to the general-purpose R-series line of small-to-medium…

Steering design for advanced logistics vehicles and mobile robots starts with understanding design requirements; deciding if custom is critical; and choosing the best solution for specific application. By Will Hellinger • Engineering Manager | Allied Motion Logistics vehicles include stackers, forklifts, side loaders, pushers and tuggers, and even mobile robots. These move items from point…

OnRobot, a maker of end-of-arm tooling for collaborative robots, announced today it will be co-exhibiting next month with Futura Automation at the ATX West show, in Anaheim, Calif., February 5 to 7. OnRobot kicked off the new year by shipping pre-orders of its newly-available Gecko Gripper, that uses millions of micro-scaled fibrillar stalks that adhere…

Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), maker of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), is now in a global strategic collaboration with automotive technology leader Faurecia to deploy AMRs in manufacturing plants worldwide — and take the company’s automation to a new level. Faurecia has investigated and tested different solutions for automating its in-house transportation for years to optimize…

B&R’s integrated vision system features innovative lighting components. The flexible light bars and backlights ensure optimum results even in difficult lighting situations. Lighting control is synchronized with the automation system in the sub-µs range. As integral parts of the automation system, both cameras and lighting are easy to synchronize with other sensors, motor positions and…

Plastic grippers from a 3D printer and made with tribo-filaments from igus are 85% cheaper and 70% faster than most competitors currently being used in the packaging industry. 3D printing, one of the most impactful trends emerging in modern industry, allows for the single batches to become a reality and enabled for the personalized serial…

Visit Booth N-4740 at PACK EXPO 2018 where Omron will be displaying new technologies including sensing, control, safety, vision, motion and robotics that will help manufacturers upgrade their traceability systems and streamline their flexible production lines. This is essential to compete successfully in an industry where high variety and extensive customization is the norm. Flexible…

The characteristic light-blue jointed collaborative robot arms from Universal Robots (UR) will be spotted hard at work throughout IMTS in Chicago from September 10-15. Numerous IMTS exhibits using UR cobots are a testament to the wide range of tasks and solutions now automated by UR. The UR cobots will handle vision-guided product inspection, ride on top…

Expanding on its award-winning Flexion N-Series lineup, Epson Robots today announced the new Flexion N6 6-Axis robot. Featuring the world’s first folding-arm design and a strong footprint-to-reach ratio, this compact 6-Axis robot offers a powerful solution for tight or confined spaces in factory automation. The Flexion N6 is available from Epson today. With a unique…

At Autodesk’s Robotics Lab in San Francisco, Universal Robots cobots are proving it might be possible to automate portions of the construction industry. The projects span human-robot interactions, machine learning, drawing, and smart assembly systems. Some say robots are going to take over, and humans will have nothing to do. “But we wanted to explore…

Now a new ABB OmniCore robot controller offers tailored control for high-performance applications and seamless digitalization on the factory floor. The controller is flexible enough to serve in robot installations that output high-mix low-volume products 24/7. The ABB OmniCore controls deliver high path accuracy for top throughput and minimized cycle times. Plus OmniCore controls allow flexibility…

The Festo Bionic Learning Network has released it latest biomimicry innovations to support ongoing research in engineering, manufacturing, and materials science drawn from natural systems. Here are the 2018 additions to the Festo Bionic Learning Network: A transforming spider that rolls or creeps A robotic fish that autonomously maneuvers through acrylic water-filled tubing A semi-autonomous flying…

ATI Industrial Automation will be exhibiting at this year’s IMTS show in Chicago in Booth #236417. One product on display will be the manufacturer’s MC-10 Manual Tool Changer — a cost-effective solution for quickly changing tools by hand. Its compact yet robust design is optimized for collaborative robot applications. More specifically, the MC-10 Manual Tool…

The third-generation ABB Foundry Prime robot (called the IRB 6790) is designed to withstand high-pressure waterjet cleaning applications and harsh industrial environments with 100% humidity. Different parts can be cleaned in the same cell with zero changeover time. The ABB Foundry Prime robot is IP69-rated for superior protection from water and dust … and reduces…

Now a new tilt sensor module is available from ACEINNA — a MEMS-based MTLT305D dynamic tilt sensor module that’s suitable for robotics, offroad and construction equipment, automotive advanced drive assist systems, and wind-turbine towers. It combines accelerometers, gyroscopes and a temperature sensor with advanced calibration and correction algorithms to provide accurate 3D acceleration, 3D rate and Pitch…

Epson is currently showing a new Synthis T3 All-in-One SCARA robot at ATX East (at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York) at Booth #2115. The robot comes with a built-in controller, a new technology feature that is designed to reduce space requirements and simplify setup at an ultra-low cost. It offers an…

 Purple Robotics, founded by key developers at UR, now sells the PR10, an innovative vacuum gripper designed for collaborative applications. With its double-grip function, the PR10 can handle several items in a single operation, enabling small and mid-sized businesses to reduce production time by up to 50%. Unlike traditional vacuum grippers, the PR10 requires no…