IFR RSS Feed

Universal Robots, Denmark - IFR-Partner

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:39:02 +0000

June 2013 Automation of small companies? So far unthinkable. Automation has been considered too expensive, robots too clumsy, programmable only by specialists, and too difficult to integrate in production. This is why small industrial companies with typically less financial means have so far been reluctant to introduce industrial robots in their production. The company TS Metallbearbeitung GmbH & Co. KG (Thiele) situated in the city of Herrenberg is such a company. Thiele was looking to extend its production of small series without employing additional workers or purchasing new machinery. The automation solution had to be affordable and easy to operate for employees with no programming experience. As Thiele's production consisted of primarily milled products in small series, the robot solution had to be mobile in order to move quickly between the various machines. Safety was also of top priority as the robot would be running extra unmanned shifts during the night. The Danish producer of light weight robots, Universal Robots, tailored a solution for Thiele and made all this possible. Thiele is a classic small tool production company. The company has around 10 employees and primarily manufactures individual parts and small series. Thiele develops individual solutions for the construction of processing, testing, measuring and leakage testing equipment, manufacturing the parts on CNC controlled machining centres. Thiele has a very short chain of command and is therefore able to react quickly and flexibly in response to specific industrial inquiries and orders. Primary customers are within the automobile industry, aeronautics, space technology and plastic production.

The robot takes over at night

Employing the UR robot means that Thiele can now run extra unmanned productions shift to supplement the existing machine fleet. The integration of the UR robots was performed by systems integrator Faude offering Thiele an individually adjusted industrial robot system that features the lightweight robot UR 5 as base module. Faude has subsequently equipped this module with special catchers. The robot weighs only 18 kilos and is easily moved around between various machines ensuring an extremely flexible production. The robot does not require a particular programming language and uses an intuitive graphical user interface that employees without any previous experience can operate with ease. The solution has turned out to be a great success for Thiele: Once the manual single production is ended by the day shift, the robot is placed at a milling centre and runs during the night in an unmanned production of small series. It relieves employees from monotonous handling work and frees hands to carry out far more challenging tasks. Today, the tasks relating to milling of small series at night no longer require human interaction: The robot opens both gates, feeds the raw material, fixes it in the machine vice, removes it following milling, and puts it aside.

No need for safety guarding

The robot also carries out quality assurance by means of an imaging system that Faude has developed and integrated in the solution from Universal Robots. As Thiele employs a machine fleet of an earlier date without today's standard interfaces, Faude also developed a universal interface to secure the entire electronic and pneumatic supply for the robot. The machine vice that had so far been handled manuall, is now automated by means of a pneumatic cylinder that is also connected to the system. Thiele did not need to make any constructional changes in order to implement the automated solution: The industrial robot from Universal Robots has been certified to work directly next to human beings without the need for additional safely shielding. This is in particular important to small businesses as the production working area is often limited and employees sometimes have to work at the same machine as the robot.

Costs a third of the competitors' solutions

"Small businesses can't just buy a robot with standard tools. They need an individual solution suitable for the company's environment and special working requirements. Until recently, the price for robot systems has been too high for them and systems were technically far too complex," explains Dieter Faude. The lightweight robots from Universal Robots cost only a third of similar solutions, giving smaller companies a whole new perspective with regard to industrial robots.

Ready in just 4 weeks

Thiele's investment in automation has really paid off: The robot solution was developed and integrated in just four weeks in January 2010. Since then, the system has run without any problems. The acquisition cost for the entire system including imaging will have paid itself off in only 10 months with single shifts. If the robot is used for 2 shifts, it will actually have paid itself off in only seven months. This positive experience has already made Thiele consider a future expansion of the production of small series. For this purpose an automatic storage system is currently being setup to store more raw materials enabling the robot to run for longer periods and subsequently produce larger series. See video on YouTube. Pay-back period: 300 days

Fanuc Robotics Europe - IFR Partner

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:31:26 +0000

June 2013 The customer, Trioplast AB in Smålandsstenar (Sweden), manufactures and markets stretch film, agricultural film and recycled products for the European market. To become more competitive and cost efficient, the company invest SEK 250 million in new machinery and automation. The investment means big business to JL Sweden AB. "Our plan is to deliver the first construction in September 2013 and be completed by 2015", Johan Lindvall says.

Robots with excellence

The automation covers the entire production line including robots as well as machinery for bobbin handling, packaging and palletizing, to name a few parts in the production process. Built-in vision systems for all robots make this solution to a leading-edge product. The progress of automation and robots are of great importance to JL Sweden AB. Automation is a must. "There is no other way to go", Johan Lindvall says. "Some industrial work tasks are monotonous, heavy and dangerous to health. Those tasks have to be automated." CEO Johan Lindvall emphasizes how the technical models and solutions that characterize the FANUC products contribute to a solution for automation that meets capacity and safety requirements from the customer. Johan Lindvall has cooperated with FANUC Nordic for two years and he believes that the company will grow strongly in Sweden.

Quality and safety

To meet the quality requirements of the automation, several variables need to be fulfilled. First of all, the robots should be able to keep the capacity requirements from the customer. "Robots are no Formula 1-cars", Johan Lindvall says, "but the speed needs to correspond to the capacity requirements. There shouldn´t be any unwanted production stop. The accessibility should be high." Another important variable for quality is the reliability of the product development. JL Sweden AB has a well-developed concept of controlling and monitoring robots. With a user-friendly focus the automation will also be easy to operate. Safety machinery is always at the center for JL Sweden AB. The automation must be designed to protect from human mistakes and machine failures. Johan Lindvall says that one of the points in common with Trioplast AB is that they use the CE marking-tool CEDOC. CEDOC is developed by JL Sweden AB. It is based on CE-experience from various industries and is used by more than 250 companies. That is why the tool is of outmost importance for quality and safety assurance.

Overall solution

All of the automation platforms will be constructed and tested in Skara the headquarters of JL Sweden AB, until delivery. Trioplast AB will be involved in the testing. With an education in robots included in the offer JL Sweden AB will make sure that the customer gets an entire solution that fulfills requirements of capacity as well as quality and safety. An agreement of service is included for all automation. Each business offer from JL Sweden AB is discussed within an especially constructed group, called the pessimist group. "If the pessimist group doesn't believe that we can guarantee the customer needs, we will not take up business", Johan Lindvall says. This way each business offer is very precise in both great and little things. The preciseness is one of the strengths in the overall solutions from JL Sweden AB.

Confidence makes the deal

CEO Johan Lindvall tells that it has been a long way to a final business agreement with Trioplast AB. Occasional discussions started during the fall 2011. The conversations grew to an intense collaboration of a solution for the automation. The discussions continued until the end of 2012. The business agreement with Trioplast AB is not decided by the price. Johan Lindvall points out that in the end, it is all about confidence. The confidence from the customer is a driving force in this business agreement. This time the confidence from the customer led to the largest order ever for JL Sweden AB. The order ensures that the company will be busy the years to come. JL Sweden AB is the leading robot supplier in Sweden and the order will enhance the position and make the company grow. FANUC Robotics Nordic got their largest order in Sweden - so far.

Valk Welding, Netherlands - IFR-Partner

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:24:56 +0000

June 2013

For the welding of aluminium silo segments, Jansens & Dieperink in Zaandam, a worldwide leader in aluminium silos, has switched to welding robots.

For years, Jansens & Dieperink used the semi-automatic longitudinal seam welding machines for full length welding in linear movement. Due to the disturbance sensitiveness this process is less reliable, leading to further delays in the manufacturing process. The Valk Welding supply consists in two welding robot cells, one of which is provided with an Arc-Eye seam following system. Ronald van Halderen, Manager, states, "As a market leader we want to be at the forefront. These high-end welding robot installations are an important step towards automation, with the benefits of continuity, higher and constant quality, so that less manual labor is required."

Experience with new process

The single welding of the four segments is performed in the first cell. Ronald van Halderen explains, "This first cell has taught us what can happen when you orientate your process in a different way. Jointly with Valk Welding we have struggled with the wire feeding and there was a time that we found tolerance issues. Once this was under control, the advantages of the constant output became evident in the further processes. That is when you start looking for other parts in the welding process where semi-automatic welding is used."

Search with laser sensor

"Shortly after, we replaced the longitudinal seam welding machine for the large segment length with a welding robot installation. The cell supplied by Valk Welding consists of two above-pending welding robots, which in a 19 m longitudinal movement operate on two worktables. Jointly, these Panasonic TA 1600WGH3 welding robots are able to weld segments with a maximum length of 7 m simultaneously." Jansens & Dieperink has also decided to equip the new robot installation with a welding seam monitoring system, although this was not necessary for the straight welding seams. Jansens & Dieperink is planning to continue the automated welding work by implementing welding robots. For this particular process mostly round and conical molds are involved, for which this kind of welding seam monitoring system is required. "The experience we have acquired with this system will be very useful for the future."

High-end welding robot technology

The Panasonic TA arc welding robots with last generation G3 robot control provide Jansens & Dieperink with advanced robot technology. Panasonic offers a complete system, developed for the arc welding process, in which all components, such as the robot, control, laser camera, wire feeding, and software are manufactured in-house. The advantage to this is that these components will form a perfect match. Ronald van Halderen asserts, "Valk Welding has also the expertise to integrate these seamlessly into a customized installation."

The silos supplied by Jansens & Dieperink worldwide, are manufactured in segments in Zaandam, the mounting of which is performed on-site. The length, width, and plate thickness differ according to the size of the silo, with maximum segment sizes of 7 x 2m. All planes of the segments are welded through an extruded profile on a flat plate and rolled according to the required radius. The segments are then ready for on-site assembly into an integrated silo.

Fanuc Robotics Europe - IFR Partner

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:53:32 +0000

June 2013
The multinational company FANUC has located their new office in bright and open premises in the heart of Denmark - more accurate in Forskerparken in Odense.

FANUC has 28 subsidiaries around Europe and our new office in Odense is a part of our strategy for the Nordic countries. Odense is an important steppingstone in our growth plan for the Nordic Market and our office here enables us to even better assist the needs of our Danish clients. Forskerparken in Odense offers a central location, an innovative environment and a number of strong business partners as for example Developing Fyn. We look forward to building even stronger relationship to our partners in Denmark and beyond, says General Manager of FANUC Nordic, Bob Struijk.

The CEO at Developing Fyn, Mads Graves Larsen, is glad to welcome FANUC:

FANUCs arrival strengthens the robot technology cluster at Fyn and in Denmark. FANUC is one of the strongest players in their field and they can create more jobs, maintain the best brains and boost the innovation in our area. On the other hand we can provide highly specialized local integrators and thereby ensure that FANUC gets access to valuable networks. It is a win win situation.

Global market leader

FANUC is among the largest producers of industrial robot technology on the global market; is ranked 165th largest company in the world (Financial Times, 2012 Global 500) and is among the most profitable companies in Japan. They operate in five continents in more than 22 countries through joint ventures, subsidiaries and sales offices. In Odense, FANUC starts with 4 employees, a number that General Manager Bob Struijk expects to rise to 8 in 2014. FANUC already collaborates with several Danish companies for instance Gibotech A/S which provides, installs and services FANUC products for the Danish industry. Gibotech A/S played a significant role in attracting FANUC to Odense.

We have had a close relation to FANUC for a long time, says Henrik Anker, CEO at Gibotech and continues:
To get one of our main suppliers as our neighbor will definitely make our cooperation more smooth and thus our customer service even better.

The celebration

The opening is celebrated at an event at Forskerparken 10, 5230 Odense M, on Wednesday June 19th (13:00) where invited guests and the press can hear the introductory speech of the Mayor of Odense, Mr. Anker Boye, as well as hearing what is coming up for FANUC in the near future. There will also be a visit to FANUCs new Danish office and some time to meet and greet.

Fanuc Robotics, UK - IFR-Partner

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:12:04 +0000

June 2013 Investment in two new six axes robots has helped Certwood Limited to become a competitive option to offshore trade moulders. Increased accuracy, flexibility and the innovative application of two FANUC M-10iA robots are retaining large contracts in the UK. Certwood, based in Luton, is a busy trade moulder producing 500,000 components per month for three core sectors; automotive - a tier one supplier of technically complex interior mouldings, stadium seating and its own storage tray system used by schools and laboratories. All 20 moulding machines at Certwood are equipped with robots to unload mouldings so process automation is second nature to the organisation. The new FANUC M-10iA robots are six axes arms providing increased flexibility over conventional 'Beam' three axis robots commonly used by the plastics industry. Steve Dennis, Managing Director of Certwood, explains, "An automotive customer asked us to look at a process improvement on a current product with a view to introducing it later into a proposed new product. The original process involved manually applying a label to a moulding which we first had to cool down to allow gases to fully disperse. Time taken to accurately position the label and the risk of it bubbling were two key areas to address."

The Solution

"We worked with plastics automation specialists Hi-Tech Automation to identify solutions and focused on In Mould Labelling (IML) which is more common in the food packaging sector. The process offers a neat solution as the label is positioned in the mould tool and the part is moulded around it making it non removable, an essential requirement for a safety critical component, and the need to cool down the moulding is eliminated."

The six axes FANUC robot is equipped with end of arm tooling to handle a label, a moulding and a static discharge device. The robot vacuum grips a label from a dispenser cassette and waits for the mould tool to open. When it opens the robot tooling grips the ejected product and moves the label to within 5.0mm of its position on the tool. A static charge is then applied which allows the label to be held accurately in place once the robot has positioned it. The robot moves out of the mould tool and the moulding cycle continues.

Automating the process has provided an aesthetically improved moulding with a more accurately positioned label that cannot be peeled away. Production time has been reduced and storage issues removed with the elimination of the need to cool prior to labelling.

"We met our customer's request to research improvements in this labelling process delivering both quality and economic advantage," continued Steve Dennis, "IML is now an established part of our service offering, it illustrates that manufacturing innovation gives added value to our customers and also gives Certwood a process that takes it up a level and supports customer retention."

Yaskawa, Japan - IFR Partner

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 09:55:39 +0000

June 2013 YASKAWA Electric Corporation has developed a robot system using own dual arm robot for pre-analysis work of reagent and specimen in the biomedical research field. Until now, complicated and delicate work has been carried out by manual labor in the medical and the bioresearch field, such as making full use of plural analytical instruments and perform minute analysis after dispensing, stirring, and isolating a very small amount of reagent and specimen in several kinds of small container as pre-analysis work. However, these manual labors have potential problems such as unevenness by individual differences and mistakes, dangers of touching powerful medicine and germ, and long-time routine work. The robot system can set a researcher free from such a dangerous environment and long-time routine work. In addition, the robot system has high flexibility and extensibility because an analytical instrument or the container which a person had used conventionally can be used by using dual arm robot for the system. Furthermore, the robot system has better repeatability than human does and it is able to provide reliable experimental data. This robot cell is an innovative solution for a large scale proteomics (*1) research and quantitative experiment that high repeatability is required for. (Collaborative R&D: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) Molecular Profiling Research Center for Drug Discovery)

* 1 Proteomics: Generic name of the technique to analyze structure and a function of protein made with in vivo cell and tissue generally, the result is available for an altitude medical technology for clinical medicine and pharmaceutical products development.

Valk Welding, Netherlands - IFR-Partner

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:10:47 +0000

June 2013

Following an intensive, multiple-year partnership and plenty of testing, Maschinenbau KARL HUGO AG and Valk Welding have succeeded in designing a robotized solution for welding stainless steel pressure vessels. The application for these products is viewed as a huge achievement for the industry, considering the level of complexity, the extremely close tolerances, and the high demand set on the density of the welding joints. The small quantities were initially seen as a negative parameter; but, Valk Welding found a solution for that as well. The switch to the robotized welding system means that the machine building company can produce better quality pressure vessels with a much shorter operation cycle.

Welding this type of pressure vessel (autoclaves), used for sterilization purposes in hospitals, etc. is very labour-intensive; the welding seams must be one 100% secure. Director Bernd Hugo explains, "We want to set a new benchmark in quality for the market with the introduction of these sterilisation systems. However, we kept running into difficulties due to the limits of the manual welding process. You can only fine-tune the welding process well enough to achieve, and maintain, the highest standards of quality by means of robotized welding."

This solution required a system supplier with a constructive approach to the problem

KARL HUGO AG first met Valk Welding in 2009, after which both parties came together to discuss solutions for welding stainless steel pressure vessels. This meeting resulted in an intensive course of action that led to the success of the project. Bernd Hugo adds, "An automation problem of this level of complexity requires a robot supplier who can deliver a complete system solution, not just a robot. Most welding robot integrators only sell machines, but Valk Welding could offer us a solution that guaranteed success. We realized that Valk Welding was a flexible company with the necessary know-how on arc welding and who appreciated the project as an interesting challenge."

The switch to robot welding

Welding and machining operations are KARL HUGO AG Maschinenbau's two core competencies; the machine building company has a hall specifically designed for these operations. Due to its high precision machining operations on large pieces weighing as much as twenty tons, KARL HUGO AG is a level above its rivals on the market. The competitive advantage of the company can also be linked to its ability to hermetically seal, by welding, larger pieces on pressure and vacuum vessels for the power industry, the health-care sector, the chemical industry, "raw materials", etc.

Bernd Hugo continues, "The new welding robot system is particularly suitable for the employee a great support to cope with the day job and the production volume. The change from using a welding torch to a teach-pendant is an interesting and informative move for a skilled worker, just like the previous transition from conventional metal-removing operations to CNC metal-removing operations."

Getting to know the process

KARL HUGO AG's welders learned, step-by-step, about robot welding by using a rented welding robot; which allowed them to weld and test the first pressure vessel prototypes internally. The test phase is essential since the welding seams shall be according to the requirements of DIN EN ISO 5817 B. The finished product may only be delivered after our own quality control department has examined them following the guidelines of the 97/23/EC Pressure Equipment Directive, Module H, H1. The company always discussed the results with Valk Welding during the test stage so that we could develop the process from the angle of the supplier as well. The order for the construction and delivery of the welding robot equipment in its definite form was placed in late 2011.

A welding robot on a portal system

The robot welding installation had to be suitable for welding pressure vessels that varied between 1.3 and 12metres in length. Accordingly, the Panasonic TA 1800 welding robot is suspended from a five meter-high moveable construction that can be driven along an eight-meter track.

To prepare for the delivery in 2012, three employees attended a programming course at Valk Welding's offices in Alblasserdam. Bernd Hugo articulates that "We spent a lot of time during the first six months getting to know the new equipment, the process and the programming, but now we are working at our top manufacturing capacity and we can weld high-grade, double-walled pressure vessels in series. Both the welding process and the finished products are 'TüV geprüft'. In addition to saving a considerable amount of welding time, we have managed to reduce the target time to minimum."

Ready for more expansion

Currently, KARL HUGO AG delivers one pressure vessel per week, but expects that these numbers will multiply in the coming years. According to Bernd Hugo, "The changes have created more capacity, and we're looking ahead to the anticipated growth. Besides, we want to weld other products in small batches using the robot welding equipment, and this welding robot means that we hold a competitive position, allowing us to explore new markets."

Universal Robots, USA - IFR-Partner

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:17:39 +0000

June 2013 Sixteen new distributors are now selling the innovative robots from Denmark to a diverse range of industries all over North America. Ed Mullen, Universal Robots' National Sales Manager, says the company was able to "cherry pick" the most successful and competent robotics distributors: "We've received tremendous interest from many distributors wanting to add Universal Robots to their line card. Our final list reflects the best out there." Scott Hendrickson, Founder and CEO of Olympus Controls, is excited to be a new channel partner with UR robots in Northern California, the Pacific Northwest, and the Gulf states. He says the UR5 and UR10 robot arms address client applications they haven't previously been able to solve: "The quality of new leads has been off the charts. Most of existing clients are Fortune 500 companies, but now we're able to better service small business owners on Main Street as well," he says, attributing the growth to the cost and ease of use of the UR robot: "In typical robot solutions, you multiply the robot cost by three or more to get the end price due to safety guarding and expensive programming. None of this is necessary with Universal Robots," says the Olympus CEO, who believes the robot soon will cross the chasm between early adopters and mainstream users. Bryan Kelly, Sales Engineering Manager with In-Position Technologies, who sells the Danish robots in the Southwest, says the average ROI of 6-8 months really resonates with customers: "This is the solution for industries that don't need a big robot with heavy guarding. Lab automation and CNC machine tending are two applications in which we're seeing a big response." Canadian distributor, Mark Schick, President of Advanced Motion & Controls Ltd., sees his company as pioneering the collaborative class robot in Canada: "We're excited about the market development and know this is a good thing for Canadian Manufacturers. This product is a game changer and will do to for Canadian industry users what the ATM did to banking customers," he says explaining that the flexibility and portability of the robot is a perfect match for the country's diversified manufacturing base.

"Most of us envision more automation, safety and satisfaction within modern work environments as this new century unfolds. Universal Robots will help provide solutions that will make the Canadian industry leaner, smarter and more adaptive."

Richard Greene, owner of the Richard Greene Company, covering the Midwest, says the robot has been easy to explain to customers: "The responses we're getting are amazing. We've shown it to customers within assembly and packaging and they've all been very impressed. We're all trying to find the next big winner in industrial automation, and we believe to have found that in Universal Robots."

Jeff Butler, Technical Manager with C&E Sales, distributing the robots in the Midwest and South, says his company has not seen this much excitement about a new product in a long time: "It's a product which has a tremendous amount of opportunity to solve our customers' need for automating repetitive actions. To meet the significant demand already generated, we are considering alternate methods of presenting the product to get it in front of more people in a shorter amount of time."

Thomas Visti, VP and CCO of Universal Robots, is pleased to have the North American distributor network in place and looks forward to leveraging the strong sales channels created: "We can now focus on developing key accounts with applications that will demonstrate the power and benefits of the UR5 and UR10 to anyone interested in our collaborative robots."

RIA, USA - IFR Industry Association Member

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 09:36:10 +0000

June 2013

The New Safety Standard is now available!

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has approved a new American national robot safety standard. Developed by Robotic Industries Association (RIA), the ANSI/RIA R15.06-2012 standard has been updated for the first time since 1999 and is now harmonized with the International ISO 10218:2011 standard for robot manufacturers and integrators. Purchase your copy today

Mark Your Calendar and Join us for the 25th National Robot Safety Conference

RIA's 25th National Robot Safety Conference is the world's leading event for industrial robot safety and compliance. You'll be introduced to the new R15.06 (2012 Edition) of the Robot Safety Standard. In-depth coverage of the globalized standard that includes the requirements of ISO 10218-1:2011 and the ISO 10218-2:2011 standards. Three-day event: Conference sessions and workshops on robot safety, machine and robot standards, plus case studies, tabletop exhibits and more. This is training that you simply can't get elsewhere! October 14-16, 2013 Who should attend? Engineer or other manufacturing personnel involved with industrial safety. Gain a better understanding of safety standards for a safer workplace. For more information contact Jackie Kazaleh at jkazaleh@robotics.org

Reis Robotics, Germany - IFR-Partner

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 08:58:02 +0000

June 2013

In connection with the expansion of its international activities Reis Robotics has taken an important step: with the opening of an own plant in China the brisk activities in the country are intensified further and the presence on this important market is even reinforced. The plant sized 11,000 sqm is in Kunshan, east of Shanghai. Already today Reis Robotics China with 200 staff members achieves a leading role in equipping Chinese foundries. Thus, meanwhile more than 70% of the cylinder heads produced in China are cast fully automatically and with highest quality in Reis systems. For various other application fields, too, Reis Robotics delivers complete systems in China and in the month of opening the plant alone, received orders in the double-digit millions. Walter Reis, founder and chairman of the supervisory board of Reis Robotics pointed out to the long years of experience and technological competence being the key to the success for Reis Robotics. In the presence of the deputy General Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany and high-level Chinese government representatives the facilities were inaugurated with about 200 invited guests, among them many important customers. Turnkey robot systems especially for the Chinese market will be planned and realized here in future.

Fraunhofer IPA, Germany - IFR R&D Institute

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:42:13 +0000

June 2013

At REHACARE 2012, Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation unveiled a pioneering mobile emergency assistance system that combines an independently navigating, interactive service robot with a stationary sensor system designed to deliver external support to elderly and infirm persons to enable them to live longer in their own homes and with an improved quality of life. In the meantime, researchers at Fraunhofer have made significant advances in readying the system for market: "MobiNa" has been made smaller and more manoeuvrable and serves its owner not only as a dependable helper in emergency situations, but also as a continuously available mobile communication system - on a robust and simple platform that can be reproduced at low cost. "MobiNa is a mobile communication system in the same price class as a high-grade consumer electronics product or good robotic vacuum cleaner. In other words, it has been designed to be affordable for anyone who needs it," says Dr. Birgit Graf, Group Manager for Domestic and Personal Robotics at Fraunhofer IPA. In everyday use, "MobiNa" serves as a "tablet computer on wheels" with video call functionality that also allows the user to skype with their grandchildren or to be reminded to take their medication. In an emergency, the mobile assistant, which operates in combination with a stationary sensor and camera system installed in the user's home, detects the situation and, if necessary, establishes autonomous contact with an emergency call centre. "A mobile communication system such as 'MobiNa' offers clear advantages compared to a conventional home emergency call system," explains Ralf Simon King, research assistant in the Domestic and Personal Robotics group at Fraunhofer IPA and MobiNa product designer. Whereas an elderly or infirm person always needs to carry a conventional emergency call button around with them, "MobiNa" independently monitors the user's situation and, if necessary, establishes immediate contact by video phone with a human at an emergency call centre, who can then assess the situation, give advice or, in critical cases, alert an emergency service. "This effectively avoids unnecessary callouts and false alarms," says Ralf Simon King.

In the event of a fall,
MobiNa autonomously
makes its way to the
person in need.

While, in terms of quality of the available functionalities, no compromises have been made in comparison with the system presented at REHACARE, which was based on Fraunhofer's "Care-O-bot 3" ("MobiNa" uses the same software, for example), the new system's focus on communication has considerably reduced costs and therefore brought it closer to market. Intuitive interaction with the robot now plays a special role: the display is tiltable and if necessary, MobiNa can be moved aside by using the two handles provided. In addition, "MobiNa" employs an LED light indicator to signal its status if, for example, it detects a problem. Also, if it needs to intervene in the night, the LED indicator allows "MobiNa" to shine a light on the user to enable a human at the service call centre to better assess the situation.


The sensor-system for fall detection can be placed up on high furniture or it will be mounted on the ceiling. The robot serves as a mobile communication system.	Mobile emergency assistant "MobiNa".

"The handy size, yet firm design not only addresses practical considerations, it is also consistent with the wishes of the target audience," says Ralf Simon King. Polls conducted prior to the start of work on "MobiNa" found that elderly and infirm persons are negatively disposed towards robots in human form, for which reason the researchers at Fraunhofer opted for a functional design. Also, if the assistant is too big in size, it is perceived as an alien body in the home. The researchers at Fraunhofer are now in search of an industrial cooperation partner to develop "MobiNa" to production readiness. Extensive laboratory tests have already been conducted, the next step is to carry out a series of trials in realistic applicationscenarios in order to guarantee a user-focused product design consistent with realworld needs. From May to September 2013, "MobiNa" will be on view in numerous German towns aboard the exhibition ship MS Wissenschaft as part of an exhibition on demographic change.
Video on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfkslJbNlDU

ISR 2013 - 44th International Symposium on Robotics

Tue, 4 Jun 2013 11:22:15 +0000

Welcome to ISR 2013!

It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the 44th International Symposium on Robotics (ISR2013), which will be held from October 24 to 26, 2013, at the KINTEX in Seoul, Korea. The theme of ISR2013, Human-Robot Coexistence, intends to have a harmonious integration of robot and human beings. The significant progress in all aspects of research, development, and application will cover this theme with other relevant events.

Extended Regular Paper Submission Deadline: June 10, 2013 (Monday)

In response to the request of participants, the organizing committee of ISR 2013 has decided to extend the deadline of regular paper submission to JUNE 10 (MON.), 2013. Information regarding the regular paper submission can be found on our website. (http://www.isr2013.org/0302.php)

Important Dates:

Deadline for Organized Session: June 10, 2013
Deadline for Regular Paper: June 10, 2013
Notification of Acceptance: July 15, 2013
Deadline for Camera-Ready Form: August 15, 2013
Deadline for Advance Registration/ Hotel Reservation: August 15, 2013

Journal:

All authors who have submitted final papers and complete a full registration, will have a chance to submit their papers to the journal described below.

Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology (JMST)

The JMST is one of the Asia?s leading scientific journals in the field of mechanical engineering, with a characteristic blend of theoretical and applied papers of archival, lasting value, reporting cutting edge research results, jointing published by springer and the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers.

The International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing (IJPEM)

"The International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing" accepts original contributions on all aspects of precision engineering and manufacturing.

Plenary Speakers:

Prof. Ren C. Lou (National Taiwan Univ., Taiwan)
"Perspectives of Cognitive Robotics : People Centred Design Thinking and Service Innovation." Prof. Alin Albu-Schaffer (DLR (German Aerospace Center), Germany)
"Soft Robotics Design and Control Concepts for Robots Interacting with Humans and their Environments"

Invited Speakers:

Dr. Sung Hyun Jung (Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., Korea)
"Introduction to Medical Robotic Technologies" Prof. Carl D. Crane (Univ. of Florida, USA)
"The Control of Contact Forces as Related to Safe Robot/Human Interaction" Prof. Cortesi Agostino (Ca' Foscari University of Venice., Italy)
"Static Analysis Techniques for Verification of Robotics Software" For more information, please visit our website (http://www.isr2013.org)

Robot World 2013:

In conjunction with ISR 2013, Robot World 2013 is held at KINTEX during October 24 - 28, 2013. Robot World 2013, the best robot festival, will provide exciting opportunities by bringing together professionals from robot industry, and robot enthusiasts. If you have already registered for ISR 2013, you can enter the Robot World Exhibition for free by wearing your name tag.

ISR2013 Secretariat

Tel : +82-42-472-7460
Fax : +82-42-472-7459
E-mail : isr2013@isr2013.org
Web : www.isr2013.org

Joint CRIA-IFR CEO Round Table at CIROS Show in Shanghai on 1st July

Wed, 29 May 2013 10:49:35 +0000

May 2013

One of the main focal points of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) is the promotion of the global robotics industry. Since 2010, once a year the IFR organizes a press event called "IFR CEO Round Table" discussion with robot suppliers. The CRIA-IFR CEO Round Table is organized in co-operation with the Chinese Machinery Industry Federation (CMIF) and the Chinese Robot Industry Alliance (CRIA) who are sponsoring the event.

Time:	1^st July 2013, 14:00-17:00hrs (2pm - 5pm)
Title:	CRIA-IFR CEO Round Table
Sponsored by:	China Machinery Industry Federation（CMIF） International Federation of Robotics（IFR） China Robotic Industry Alliance（CRIA）
Venue:	Holiday INN Shanghai Jinxiu (No.399, Jinzun Road, Pudong Shanghai)

Agenda

Welcome of the IFR President Shinsuke Sakakibara
Speech of Professor Song Xiaogang, Executive Vice President of CMIF, Executive Chairman and Secretary of CRIA
Presentation of the preliminary results on World Robotics Industrial Robots 2013 by IFR
Ms. Zhao Xinmin, Director of CMIF Statistics department and Chairman of CRIA Statistics working group, give a speech on the current information of Chinese industry Robot based on CRIA preliminary Statistics.
CEO Round Table moderated by Tony Feng, Chief Editor in MMChina. The topic of the discussion will be: The Future of Robotics in China
Questions of the audience, free talking (45 minutes)

CEO Round Table panel

	Dr. Chun-yuan GU, Head of Discrete Automation & Motion Division, ABB China
	Dr. Stefan Sack, CEO, Comau (Shanghai) Engineering Co
	Qian Hui, President, SHANGHAI-FANUC Robotics
	Alwin Berninger, Executive Vice President Asia/Pacific, KUKA Roboter
	Seigo Nishikawa , Director General Manager, Robot Business Management Department, Yaskawa Electric(China)Co. LTD.
	Qu Daokui, President, SIASUN
	He Minjia, President and Managing Director, GSK CNC Equipment Co., LTD

There will be simultaneous translation English/Chinese.

The Tibion Bionic Leg Wins the IERA 2013 Award

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:04:28 +0000

Karlsruhe, 8 May 2013 - The 9th annual Invention and Entrepreneurship Award in Robotics and Automation (IERA) was presented to Robert Horst, AlterG Inc. (former Tibion Corporation) for the Tibion Bionic Leg, at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Karlsruhe, Germany.

"The awards committee had a difficult choice to make with three excellent finalists. In the end, we picked the Tibion Bionic Leg for the following reason as noted in the citation for the award: 'A breakthrough product for rehabilitation of stroke patients at an affordable price, and offering a compelling story of an entrepreneurial journey with typical ups-and-downs culminating in a successful business'", commented Raj Madhavan, Vice President of IEEE-RAS Industrial Activities Board and Chairman of the Awards Committee.

"I was very happy to accept this award for the AlterG Bionic Leg because it acknowledges the growing importance of robotics for rehabilitation. It is gratifying to receive such a prestigious award after our team has worked so hard to perfect the Bionic Leg and introduce it into physical therapy. I am looking forward to working with the expanded AlterG team to accelerate the availability of Bionic Leg therapy and develop future innovations in rehabilitation robotics" stated Robert Horst of AlterG.

Left to right: Peter Staecker, President IEEE; Alexander Verl, awards committee; Robert Horst, AlterG, IERA Award winner; Martin Bühler, awards committee; Raj Madhavan, Awards Chair

The Tibion Bionic Leg (TBL) is a wearable, battery-powered, robotic mobility assistance device. It is a robotic trainer that is activated by the patient's intent to move. The TBL is used by physical therapists for patients with impaired mobility and is designed to strengthen stance, improve gait, and enhance active motor learning while protecting its users. Tibion Incorporated was founded in 2002. Robert Horst started research of the Bionic Leg years after his knee surgery. After developing the hard- and software of the product, Tibion sold the first Bionic Leg in 2009. By today the company has sold more than a hundred units. Tibion is now part of AlterG, Inc., a company who is revolutionizing modern rehabilitation through the use of the cutting edge Anti-Gravity Treadmill® and Bionic Leg. The Bionic Leg is currently available in over 100 hospitals, physical therapy facilities and skilled nursing facilities worldwide. The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill® technology was originally developed for NASA and is the first FDA-cleared medical device that uses patented differential air pressure technology. AlterG products are used by major medical centers, leading physical therapy clinics, top professional and collegiate teams and athletes, and individual sports and fitness programs worldwide.

The awards committee cited the other two finalists as follows:

The Thymio II Educational Robot by Stéphane Magnenat, ETH Zürich and Fanny Riedo, EPFL, Switzerland
"An inspiring product motivating young boys and girls to enter science, technology, engineering and math disciplines."

Intelligent Grit-blasting Robots for The Surface Preparation Industry by Professor Dikai Liu, University of Technology, Australia
"A good example of bringing robotics and automation technologies to tackle dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks, and to improve infrastructure maintenance."

In 2005 the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (IEEE/RAS) and the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) agreed to jointly sponsor the Invention and Entrepreneurship Award. The purpose of this award is to highlight and honor the achievements of the inventors with value creating ideas and entrepreneurs who propel those ideas into world-class products. At the same time the joint disposition of the award underlines the determination of both organizations to promote stronger collaboration between robotics science and robotics industry. The annual presented award consists of a plaque and a $2,000 honorarium.

Previous winners are:

2005 Joe Jones, (i-Robot, USA), Roomba vacuum cleaner robot
2006 Rainer Bischoff (KUKA Roboter, Germany), collision-avoiding industrial robots
2007 Hugh Durrant-Whyte (Patrick Technologies, Australia), port automation robotic systems
2008 joint-winners
- Mick Mountz, Pete Wurman and Raffaello D?Andrea (Kiva Systems, USA), Cooperating mobile robots for logistics
- Thomas Brandstetter, Dieter Steegmueller and Michael Zuern (Daimler, Germany), Cooperating stationary industrial robots used for assembly
2009 Yoshiyuki Sankai (Cyberdyne Inc., Japan), Robot Suit HAL
2010 Alexander Verl (Fraunhofer IPA, Germany), Inline Measurement Robots
2011 Bruno Maisonnier (Aldebaran Robotics, France), Humanoid Robot NAO
2012 joint-winners
- Gino De-Gol (RoboCoaster Ltd., UK), Passenger Carrying Industrial Robotics
- Thomas Visti and Esben Østergaard (Universal Robots Aps, Denmark), UR5 - a flexible and eco-friendly robot arm

Universal Robots, Denmark - IFR-Partner

Thu, 2 May 2013 13:48:54 +0000

May 2013 With assistance from a Universal Robot, the Czech producer of pigment pastes, Replac-BM, can now mix and test new samples not only with lower costs, but also with far greater accuracy. Thanks to the automation of most of its operation with the help of a UR5 robot, Replac-BM can now create new mixing formulas with a guarantee of repeatability. This has enabled purchasers to mix coloured paints for their customers exactly according to their colour charts when keeping to the mixing formula and tested primary colours. Replac-BM guarantees the exact shade of colour through a unique production-control system: an automated process for mixing colour shades where after testing is performed using a spectrophotometer.

The automated application

According to Roman Berný, the owner and director of Replac-BM, the main motivation for the acquisition of a micro-dispenser and a spectrophotometer as well as a UR robot to operate both, was the aim to increase production quality. Replac-BM wanted to increase the accuracy and reliability of the result and achieve a paint hue corresponding to the exact area of the colour spectrum. "Our goal was not to replace our technicians with a Universal Robot, but to bring the whole process of developing mixing formulas to a much higher level", says Berný. "We are able to reach this level thanks to significantly reducing the potential for human errors and increasing the accuracy of our results. This is what is crucially unique about our company and highly valued by our customers." The journey to a perfectly matching colour shade begins in the micro-dispenser - a custom-made machine with a carousel for 32 basic pigments. The UR5 robot from Danish company Universal Robots equipped with a special gripping device places an empty cup on a high-precision weighing machine under the micro-dispenser. The machine then mixes a combination of pigments into the cup according to a formula - with a precision to 0,001 gram. A soon as the micro-dispenser finishes dosing the pigments, the robot grabs the cup again, removes it from the machine, puts a lid on it and passes the cup into a feeder loading cups into the mixing machine. Here, their contents is mixed with a filler (white base colour), resulting in the final hue of the finished coloured paint. The next step in the process of making new paints has to be taken care of by a human operator, as the sensitivity of the human hand is not replaceable for some functions. A laboratory technician applies the already mixed paint to a contrast card in the exact same layer that will be used in the final coating. Once the paint on the card dries, the next step is again carried out by the UR5 robot. Previously, a laboratory technician had to take every card, insert the colour code into a computer and measure the hue with the spectrophotometer. Today, all the work is taken care of by the robot: The UR5 works alongside the laboratory technician and automatically removes finished cards, puts them into a bar code reader (where the specific hue code is scanned) and then measures the hue with the spectrometer. The complete data about all mixed hues is then saved in the computer. The UR5 robot manages this process completely on its own and approximately ten times faster than a human technician. After evaluating the scanned shades, a colourist specialist just checks the measured results and takes care of any eventual deviations that exceed the limits designed for the colour spectrum values.

Robot designed to work with people

When selecting the robot, a particular emphasis was placed on safety and requirements for space to operate and control the robot. Therefore, it was not necessary to move the entire operation to another, larger facility. Because it meets the required parameters, Universal Robot's UR5 has a crucial advantage over its competitors. If the robot comes into contact with an employee, it automatically stops operating. The force delivered in a collision does not cause bodily harm, adhering to the current safety requirements on force and torque limitations. Another advantage of the UR5 robot is the standard interface that supports a wide range of interchangeable gripping devices and special handling devices, used for very fine and precise handling of objects. Since the robot used in Replac-BM was to perform several different activities, it was necessary to equip it with several gripping devices. For example, the company had a special gripping device manufactured according to its own design equipped with suction cups that is used for handling and closing the cups with colour pigments. Even when programming its UR5 robots, the operator does not depend solely on the manufacturer or authorised seller. As mentioned by Ladislav Mysak, a sales representative of EXACTEC , the Universal Robots distributor in the Czech market, programming of the UR5 robot for processes carried out in Replac-BM took approximately one day. Training Universal Robots operators is very fast, also thanks to the fact that the graphical environment of the control console is available in the Czech language. In light of the energy prices rising, the robot operational consumption is, of course, worth attention. UR5, which is able to manipulate objects weighing up to 5 kg, boasts a full-load consumption of no more than 200 watts. Certified service of the Universal Robot is provided by EXACTEC following the rated cycle, i.e. every 10,000 work hours.

Next up: A UR10 robot

Replac-BM does not quantify the robot's benefits in financial savings or turnover increase. The owners focus on maximizing the quality of the process of developing colour shades and the ability to realise even the most demanding and extensive projects for major customers. Further development of automation is planned. Roman Berný reveals his plans: "We would like to use the larger UR10 robot for loading containers with pigments to a new mixing machine which we would like to offer to colouring laboratories around the world." Universal Robots are suitable for automation of significant parts of the production process in many industries. "We are still in the early stages of robotics development in the segment of small and medium-sized companies, where new models of machines will work hand in hand with people," says Ladislav Mysak.

ABB, Sweden - IFR-Partner

Thu, 2 May 2013 13:45:08 +0000

April 2013 What is the lifetime of an ABB robot? That's a question one Swedish manufacturer can't answer yet - four robots it installed nearly 40 years ago are still polishing bends today. When ABB robots were first installed at Magnussons anonymous looking building in the midst of rural southern Sweden, ABBA topped the charts worldwide, oil cost $13 USD a barrel and the world's population numbered 4 billion. Almost four decades and 7.7 million cycles later, the robots are still at it, picking up and polishing tube bends with a touch that seems almost human. In 1973 Leif Jönsson, CEO of the family run engineering firm Magnussons, came across an ASEA stand at an exhibition in Stockholm. ASEA, today known as ABB, was displaying the world's first electrically driven, microprocessor-controlled robot, the IRB 6. Jönsson immediately saw the robot's productivity potential for his business and purchased one; today the workshop is still running, with three additional IRB 6s that Jönsson bought soon afterward.

The reasons for investing in robots, such as safer working conditions and higher productivity, are the same today. "This is dirty, monotonous, repetitive work," says Mats Jönsson, who has worked at Magnussons since joining in 1980 at age 18. "It's tough on the shoulders when done manually, and the women who did the polishing before the robots arrived would get injured over time." Mats estimates that a robot is about 25 to 30 percent more productive than a human. "An experienced worker could probably work as fast as the robot," he says, "but robots don't need breaks."

Yellowing newspaper clippings from the 1970s kept by Magnussons carry headlines such as, "An employer?s dream-worker: no sleep, no holiday, never sick." Another proclaims: "You have no chance: here is the robot that will put you out of a job." Mats says, "Robots were new and revolutionary then, and some of the workers thought, 'The robots are coming - we're going to lose our jobs!'" But despite employees' initial fears, no jobs were lost at Magnussons; the workers who had done the polishing by hand were put to work on other tasks. Huge international demand for Magnussons' bends in the 70s and 80s meant that four robots worked every day, all day. "My father would finish work at four, then come back here at 10 in the evening to fill up the magazines," says Mats. "And the robots would carry on for another six hours. The only limitations on running them unassisted are that the magazines require filling up with new bends, and the sandpaper wears out and needs replacing." "Touch wood, we haven't had to do many repairs," says Mats. During the last six years the robots have only caused three stops. After almost two million cycles each, the robots are still fairly low-maintenance. Mats just needs to check on them from time to time as he works with other tasks. He says of the robots, "They are worth their weight in gold." So how much longer can these robots keep going? Magnussons has no idea; but it plans to produce bends in the same way for years to come.

Watch the YouTube movie ABB Robotics - where it all began. Author: David Marshall, ABB

RIA, USA - IFR Industry Association

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:41:16 +0000

April 2013 North American robotics companies shattered previous opening quarter records for robots ordered and shipped in the first quarter of 2013, according to new statistics released from Robotic Industries Association (RIA), the industry's trade group.

A total of 5,833 robots valued at $341.2 million were ordered from North American robotics companies through March, an increase of 14.5% in units over the same period in 2012 and 10% above the previous first quarter record set in 2005.

First quarter shipments to North American customers totaled 5,736 robots valued at $369.5, breaking the previous records for an opening quarter set in 2012 by 24.6% in units and 23.3% in dollars.

The activity was especially strong in automotive components, food & consumer goods, semiconductor & electronics, life sciences & pharmaceuticals, and plastics & rubber, all of which posted double digit growth year over year.

"It is great to see the record demand for robots continuing into 2013, following our record-breaking year in 2012," said Jeff Burnstein, President of RIA. "While activity continues to be strong with automotive OEMs and tier suppliers, the real story is the resurgence of other industries. Non-automotive orders grew 15% over 2012."

The biggest unit growth in applications came from arc welding (46.2%) and material handling (25.1%), both of which have historically been two of the strongest applications for robotics.

RIA estimates that some 228,000 robots are now at use in United States factories, placing the US second only to Japan in robot use. "Many observers believe that only about 10% of the US companies that could benefit from robots have installed any so far," Burnstein said, "and among those that have the most to gain from robots are small and medium sized companies."

RIA members can login to the Member Control Panel to access the complete RIA Deluxe Statistics Report along with previous reports. For more information about the RIA statistics and the robotics industry, or about membership to access the full report, visit: www.robotics.org or contact RIA Headquarters at +1-734-994-6088.

President´s Report

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 10:56:19 +0000

March 2013 Dear Reader, Robots improve manufacturing success and create jobs! This was the result of the update of the IFR research study titled "Positive Impact of Industrial Robots on employment" conducted by METRA MARTECH Limited, London, UK. Two robot users from the United States, Drew Greenblatt, Marlin Steel and Matt Tyler, Vickers Engineering confirmed this during the IFR CEO Round Table discussion at the Automate in Chicago back in January 2013. Both companies integrated industrial robots in their manufacturing processes and increased productivity, competiveness and jobs. Robots have helped create opportunities for safer and more interesting jobs. As a result of their success the companies are paying employees higher wages and providing them with better benefits. The CEO Round Table and the results of the study created a strong media interest and initiated lots of discussions on robotics. Despite the weak global economic development in 2012 the demand for global robot sales almost reached the all-time-high level of 2011. Investments in robotics and automation are ongoing worldwide! China is becoming the most important robot market. We are looking forward to the China International Robot Show CIROS from 2 to 5 July 2013 in Shanghai, where the Chinese and international robot suppliers will show their innovations and solutions. The IFR will have a booth there. An IFR CEO Round Table on "The Future of Robotics on China" is scheduled as well. We expect a great media interest.

By the way, IFR is tweeting now: Follow us!

More information on the robotics industry, events, new products, cases studies and press releases are provided in this Newsletter.

Best regards Dr. Shinsuke Sakakibara
IFR President

RIA, USA - IFR Industry Association Member

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 10:22:33 +0000

March 2013

2013 Joseph F. Engelberger Awards: Nomination Deadline is May 15

The Engelberger Robotics Award is the world's most prestigious robotics honor, presented to outstanding individuals to honor excellent achievements in leadership and application. RIA is accepting nominations through the deadline of May 15 for the 2013 awards, which will be presented in Seoul, South Korea, during the 44th International Symposium on Robotics in October, 2013. Nomination form, details.

Automation Industry Association Criticizes 60 Minutes Segment 'March of the Machines'

The Association for Advancing Automation (A3), the global advocate for the automation industry, is disappointed in how 60 Minutes portrayed the industry in Sunday night's "March of the Machines" segment.

"While the 60 Minutes depiction of how technological advances in automation and robotics are revolutionizing the workplace was spot on, their focus on how implementation of these automation technologies eliminates jobs could not be more wrong," said Jeff Burnstein, President of A3, a trade group representing some 650 companies from 32 countries involved in robotics, vision, and motion control technologies. "We provided 60 Minutes producers several examples of innovative American companies who have used automation to become stronger global competitors, saving and creating more jobs while producing higher quality and lower cost products, rather than closing up shop or sending jobs overseas. They unfortunately chose not to include these companies in their segment. With respect to MIT Professors Brynjolfsson and McAfee who gave their viewpoint in the piece, they are missing the bigger picture." please read the whole story on RIA webpage

Association for Advancing Automation Launches New Website

The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) has launched a new website, www.A3automate.org. A3 is the umbrella trade association for the Robotic Industries Association (RIA), AIA - Advancing Vision + Imaging, and the Motion Control Association (MCA).

"The launch of our website is the next step in our strategy to engage stakeholders from around the world and demonstrate to them why automation transforms the way business is done," said Jeff Burnstein, President of A3. "The website will be used for informational and educational purposes as we continue to advocate for the industry. It will also track major industry news stories, such as the recent 60 Minutes segment on the robots vs. jobs debate and our response." please read the whole story on RIA webpage

Panasonic, Germany - IFR-Partner

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 10:22:27 +0000

March 2013

So far the programming of new work pieces was complicated and very time-consuming. For the company MÜNCH GmbH, based in Karlstadt in lower Franconia, Germany, this was the main reason to invest in a new welding robot system from Panasonic.

Bernd Wittmann, technical manager at company MÜNCH GmbH, knows very well how he can respond flexibly with innovative technique to his customers' requirements. The company MÜNCH GmbH has grown exactly with this flexibility. Started in 1947 as a locksmith's shop it became in the year 1994 to a reliably supplier in the field of machine construction after the takeover of Mr. Gunther Petershofen. The range of services covers among other things laser cutting on own systems, folding and pressing as well as mechanical processing. These are the best possible conditions for the fully-automatic welding as all relevant preliminary work are progressed in-house. The Panasonic welding equipment is an ET-2PD-XL system.


Welding cell ET-2PD-XL of the company MÜNCH represented with the Panasonic simulation software DTPS	Welding cell ET-2PD-XL of the company MÜNCH

Due to lot sizes of 50 till 400 pieces the flexible use and the fast production changeover times were important points at the installation layout. The types of customers range from machine construction to medical technology, which shows the high quality requirements. In combination with the MÜNCH own fixture construction it can also react quickly to changes of work pieces and new orders.

To keep the costs for part modifications and prototyping as low as possible the company MÜNCH decided to choose the TAWERS welding robot system from -Panasonic with G3 controller. By the use of the integrated "Weld Navigation" function it?s possible to solve welding tasks within a very short time. "Weld Navigation" provides the perfect welding parameter including the torch position. Therefore it's only necessary to additional input the material thicknesses, joint type and design of throat thickness and the robot controller calculates automatically the recommended parameter. With that the time-consuming search for voltage and wire feeder speed belongs to the past.

The responsible programmer, Mr. Patrick Schneider, appreciates this unique function since it makes programming much easier and faster for him. Furthermore the unnecessary loss of sample parts will be avoided by which additional costs can be saved.


Mr. Patrick Schneider during programming with TAWERS "Weld Navigation"

This unique functionality of TAWERS welding robot is possible by its optimised construction for welding tasks. Instead - as normal - combining a robot with a power source, in case of TAWERS the power source is part of the robot controller. Thereby it allows to control ideally the motion functions as well as the welding parameter by one CPU unit (= central processing unit). With that an accelerated welding start as the control uses the robot movement as a part of the wire feeder / retraction movement. This works completely automatic and the user can be pleased about the cycle time optimisation. As an operating unit a less than 1kg light and ergonomic teach pendant is used. The "Weld Navigation" function will also be graphically displayed to avoid misunderstandings.


Panasonic teach pendant with graphic representation of TAWERS "Weld Navigation"

Basic Vision Guided Robotics - Free Webinar

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:27:28 +0000

This webinar will describe basic techniques in Vision Guided Robotics (VGR). Concepts of X, Y centroids, part angles, and gripper offsets will be introduced.

25th National Robot Safety Conference

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:23:36 +0000

INNOPROM

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:44:07 +0000

INNOROM 2013 is the main international industrial trade fair in Russia

Robot World 2013

Wed, 29 May 2013 14:30:46 +0000

Robot World can be summarized as an international robot exhibition which encompasses service robots as well as industrial robots and parts and components of robots of all over the world.

TIROS 2013

Thu, 2 May 2013 10:59:22 +0000

TIROS 2013 is the biggest international robot exhibition in Taiwan

AUTOMATICA 2014

Thu, 2 May 2013 09:53:40 +0000

AUTOMATICA is the central meeting point for manufacturers and users of assembly and handling technology, robotics and machine vision. It is equally ideal as a platform for suppliers of the associated technologies.

AUTOMATE 2015

Thu, 2 May 2013 09:49:19 +0000

Automate showcases the full spectrum of automation technologies and solutions. From traditional industrial applications to cutting edge new technologies, you'll find ways to automate every process in your company.

European Robotics Week 2013

Thu, 7 Mar 2013 10:35:30 +0000

The European Robotics Week offers one week of various robotics related activities across Europe for the general public, highlighting growing importance of robotics in a wide variety of application areas. The Week aims at inspiring technology education in students of all ages to pursue careers in STEM-related fields, i.e. science, technology, engineering and math.

Brazil Automation ISA 2013

Tue, 5 Mar 2013 10:01:14 +0000

Besides representing technological trends and the most important launches on the world market, Brazil Automation ISA 2013 will provide technical qualification and ample integration among users, manufacturers, distributors, researchers, students, service providers and other professionals of the area.

EURATHLON

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 08:46:54 +0000

EURATHLON is a new robot competition supported by the European Commission in the FP7.

ISR 2013

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:12:28 +0000

This year, ISR 2013 held in Korea promises to be the most interesting and remarkable symposium. Korea, where cultural heritage and modern culture are developed with harmony, will provide you an unforgettable experience. Notably, the world best robot festival, "Robot World 2013", will be held concurrently in KINTEX. This event will provide exciting opportunities by bringing together professionals from robot industry, and robot enthusiasts.

IERA Award Session and Presentation

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 10:44:56 +0000

The finalists of the IFR/IEEE Invention & Entrepreneurship Award will present their applications at the ICRA Conference in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Robot Safety Standard (R15.06) & Robot Risk Assessment Training Seminar

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 10:39:45 +0000

RIA opens its popular In-House Training seminar to the public. This one-day robot safety seminar means less training time out of the office for your employee(s) in a cost-effective format useful for training limited number of workers. Your ticket to a safer workplace begins in Apex!

Robot Safety Standard (R15.06) & Robot Risk Assessment Training Seminar

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 10:33:42 +0000

Robot Safety Standard (R15.06) & Robot Risk Assessment Training Seminar

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 10:26:42 +0000

Robot Design, Integrated Controls & Software Architectures of Industrial Robotics Webinar

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 10:22:48 +0000

This webinar will describe relevant industrial robot designs for various applications and how they have improved for better performance. It will also describe integrated controls on increasingly powerful and capable robot controllers with multiprocessing, multitasking and coordinated device control. Lastly the webinar will describe software architectures common in industrial robot platforms and their evolution, enhancements and use in current applications.

Basics of Robot End Effectors Webinar

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 10:15:41 +0000

This webinar will describe robot end effectors such as parallel jaw, vacuum and magnet based solutions. Solution approaches such as two or three position grasps and servo based designs will be discussed. In addition, force and torque sensing techniques will be described. The webinar will cover grip compliance, collision avoidance and breakaway options. Finally the webinar will illustrate these technologies with application videos.

iREX 2013

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 11:06:47 +0000

This show is designed to provide a place to exhibit robots and peripheral equipment in order to enhance market awareness of new technology.

IATF 2013

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 11:01:21 +0000

India's first ever world class Automation show on a premier platform. The India Automation Technology Fair, IATF 2013, is designed as a premier Asian B2B event with participation from India and across the world.

ICRA 2013

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:40:57 +0000

The conference theme is "Anthropomatics - Technologies for Humans", highlighting the paramount role of Robotics and Automation in improving human quality of life. It is organized by an international committee of experts in various fields of research.