President´s Report

The catastrophe in Japan overshadows all

The whole world is concerned of the terrible catastrophe and the consequences which are still not fully apparent. On behalf of the IFR community, I would like to express my deep sympathy to our Japanese colleagues. In these days our thoughts are with all Japanese people.

IFR CEO Round Table Discussion on "Being competitive with robotics"

CEOs will discuss at AUTOMATE in Chicago

The first results of World Robotics 2011 will be presented and afterwards the CEOs of important robotics companies will discuss on "Being competitive with robotics".

International Symposium on Robotics ISR 2011

Conference starts on 21 March 2011

Join the ISR International Symposium on Robotics and learn from industry leading experts as they guide you and instruct some 22 sessions and 19 tutorials covering industrial robotics, the emerging service robotics field, cutting-edge research, machine vision, motion control and more.

Robot Manufacturers present Highlights

IFR Members exhibit at Automate 2011 Show in Chicago

Automation is helping companies in every industry become stronger global competitors. To succeed, you need the right solution providers, the right technology, and the right expertise. Automate 2011 will provide it all and more!

The demand for industrial robots will further increase in 2011

2010 was again one of the most successful years for robotics

"The robotics industry is looking back to one of its most successful years and is looking ahead with confidence to 2011," commented Åke Lindqvist, IFR President, based on the results of the IFR Quarterly Statistics on Industrial Robots on Monday in Frankfurt. "In all regions the investments in automation surged after the economic downturn in 2009!"

New IFR Member

Reis Robotics

We are glad to welcome our new member Reis GmbH & Co. KG in Obernburg, Germany.

Stäubli, France - IFR Partner

Robot-based plastic hybrid welding

LPKF helps automotive designers make their innovative ideas a reality - Metal and glass automobile headlight and taillight assemblies are yesterday's technology. Plastic is the modern material allowing the new trends to be set in car design. Now another design enabling technology opens up even more freedom for the design and size of automobile lights; the turnkey hybrid welding machine.

Kawasaki, Germany - IFR Partner

It's all about pallets

In the middle of the Emsland lies the Dörpener Palettenfabrik (DPF), a pallet manufacturer which is able to produce up to 6,000 pallets a day with the help of the latest Kawasaki robot technology. Together with their system partner VANDERLOO GmbH, Messrs. Kawasaki Robotics have designed and built a fully automated production line for the manufacture of pallets for DPF.  

Wittmann, Austria - IFR-Partner

Swiss precision in the clean room

Fully automatic production of medical micro-components: For the manufacturing of indicator wheels, housing parts and exiguous cog wheels Forteq Healthcare in Nidau/Switzerland is using WITTMANN linear servo-robots in the clean room. The target is: Shortest cycle times at highest availability.

KUKA Roboter, Germany - IFR Partner

A robot mills one-off workpieces

One of the oldest sewage systems in the world was discovered by scientists in Mohenjo-daro, near the Indus River in Pakistan. The walled drainage system, 4,000 years old, can still be seen today. In Germany, the oldest sewers are to be found in Cologne. They are made of clinker and are over 100 years old.

Kawasaki, Germany - IFR Partner

Sweet fruits efficiently packaged

For palletizing the finished products in the jam and spread section, ZENTIS decided to replace the out-of-date 3-axis set packing system by a new robot plant by Kawasaki. An important motivation for this decision was the precipitous increase in the variety of products and of jar forms.

Adept, USA - IFR-Partner

Adept Selected to Participate in Advanced Cancer Treatment Program

Adept Technology, Inc. announced it is participating in the CLARA (Lyon Auvergne Rhone-Alpes Cancer cluster) program with Lyon Civil Hospitals as the robotics component in a method for treating small cancer tumors.

Dürr, Germany - IFR Partner

The Painting Robot Success Story

Dürr sold the 5000th painting robot in an order to Volkswagen Taubate.  In future, the robot will be painting in the factory in Brazil together with 84 other new Dürr robots in two new top coat lines.

Schunk, Germany - IFR Partner

4th. SCHUNK ExpertDays on Service Robotics

Experts from all over the world met at the 4^th annual Expert Days on Service Robotics, hosted by SCHUNK, the competence leader for clamping technology and gripping systems. While the leading symposium for applied service robotics primilarly focused on the issue of applied technologies in the past, this year's topics were market development and efficiency. By means of numerous practical examples, it became clear that service robots have left the stadium of university research, and are increasingly used by industrial companies for specific applications.

Valk Welding, Netherlands - IFR-Partner

Valk Welding intensifies sales in Nordic market

From January 2011 Valk Welding has signed, trough its own subsidiary Valk Welding DK A/S, a strategic cooperation with A.H.International A/S, Denmark. Valk Welding DK A/S Nørre Aaby and AHI A/S from Kolding will be working closely to meet the increasing demand on the Scandinavian market.  

Danish Technological Institute, Denmark - IFR R&D Institute

Three Danish robot networks join forces

Why stand alone and compete when we are stronger together? The answer lies in the question and the three Danish network for users and developers of industrial robots, Danish Industrial Robot Association DIRA, UserNet and SupplyNet, has therefore decided to join forces in the new 'DIRA - Danish Robot Network' which is Denmark's largest robot network.

JARA, Japan - IFR Industry Association

Apply Now for iREX 2011!

International Robot Exhibition 2011 (iREX 2011) will take place at Tokyo Big Sight, Japan from November 9 through 12, 2011. 

RIA, USA - IFR Industry Association

North American Robotics Companies Post Best Year Since 2007

North American based robotics companies reported strong growth in 2010, posting the best year since 2007, according to new statistics released by Robotic Industries Association (RIA), the industry's trade group. North American robot suppliers reported orders of 13,174 robots valued at $845.6 million from North American based companies, increases of 39% in units and 49% in dollars.

RIA, USA - IFR Industry Association Member

News and Service Summary

News and offers from RIA to RIA members and non-members. Find out more ...

RIA, USA - IFR Industry Association

Don't Miss Automate 2011, McCormick Place, Chicago, March 21-24

Visit Automate and get first-hand knowledge on all the latest technology advances in automation. Use the broad array of integrated automation solutions to get ideas to use at your facility. Some 150 Automate exhibitors will demonstrate how the latest robots, machine vision, motion control and automation solutions can help your company succeed.

21-24 Mar, 2011

ISR International Symposium on Robotics

42nd International Symposium on Robotics during Automate 2011 Show

21-24 Mar, 2011

AUTOMATE 2011

Automation technologies such as robotics, machine vision, & motion control help companies in every industry become stronger global competitors.

22 Mar, 2011

Joseph F. Engelberger Awards

The Joseph F. Engelberger Awards presentation will take place during the ISR Gala Dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel.

9 May, 2011

IERA Award Presentation

The IEEE/IFR Invention & Entrepreneurship Award (IERA Award) will be presented for Outstanding Achievements in Commercializing Innovative Robot and Automation Technology during the ICRA 2011 conference in Shanghai.