WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF ROBOTICS RELY ON?
CHALLENGING ROBOT ENVIRONMENTS
LATEST ROBO BUSINESS NEWS
ISSUE 07 - JUNE 2019
AUTOMATE DANCES TO A NEW TUNE
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ROBOTICS PROFESSIONAL
ROBOPRO TEAM
CONTENTS 4
ED’S WELCOME - The Global Robo Expo.
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NEWS - Catch-up on the industry.
Publishing Director alex.sullivan@mvpromedia.eu
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LMI - 3D smart sensor technology.
Cally Bennett
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AUTOMATE - Automate discovers a new soul.
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CANONICAL - Why the future of robotics relies on a secure iot ecosystem.
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ROBO BUSINESS - Round up of the news.
Neil Martin Editor-in-Chief neil.martin@mvpromedia.eu
Alex Sullivan
Group Business Manager cally.bennett@mvpromedia.eu
Sean Welch Sales Manager sean.welch@mvpromedia.eu
Rachel Bray Head of Design rachel.bray@cliftonmedialab.com
Georgie Davey Junior Designer georgie.davey@cliftonmedialab.com
Visit our website for daily updates
www.mvpromedia.eu
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MVPro Media is published by IFA Magazine Publications Ltd, Arcade Chambers, 8 Kings Road, Bristol BS8 4AB Tel: +44 (0)117 3258328 © 2019. All rights reserved ‘MVPro Media’ is a trademark of IFA Magazine Publications Limited. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in any printed or electronic retrieval system without prior permission. All material has been carefully checked for accuracy, but no responsibility can be accepted for inaccuracies.
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THE GLOBAL ROBO EXPO The Global Robo Expo, which is held every year in Spain, was an interesting show in many ways. It’s certainly not what you would call on the main route of robotic exhibitions and nothing like the size of Automate. Indeed, when I arrived at the windy venue on the outskirts of Madrid in early May, it looked like a ghost town. Okay, I had arrived at 9.30am when the doors opened at 10am and okay, I first wandered into the wrong exhibition (on plastics, not robots) and got thrown out, but it looked like it would be me and a couple of cleaners trawling through the 100 odd booths.
gets the blame. WeAreCobots could be the way UR and its partners make a serious statement about the quality of their products and services to the fledgling cobot market. Which makes for a fascinating story as the market develops from niche to mainstream. As always, any thoughts, give me a shout. All the best, Neil Martin
I needn’t have worried, things got busier over the next few hours and it quickly became apparent that the footfall, although not massive, seemed to be of a high quality. Booths were busy and there were plenty of handshakes. Which was a good thing, because the robot industry seems particularly keen on marketing their wares via trade shows, perhaps unsure, in a still developing industry, how to promote their message in other forms of media. I guess the trade show format offers comfort in the fact that there is something physical to demo, and you will get people come and talk to you. What was very interesting was a separate piece of real estate within the show that was an initiative from Universal Robots. It was labelled WeAreCobots. The area, of around 800 square metres, was made up of 25 UR partners, and was, said UR: “...born with the aim of making known the possibilities offered by the collaboration between humans and robots in the work processes, as well as analyzing future trends and the latest innovations in this field.” Word was that it was also a positioning statement. Competition is getting greater within the cobot space, more players want to play and that is driving down prices, and quality. There is a worry that in the rush for sales, certain cobot accessory companies are not maintaining quality standards and if a cobot fails because of poor endof-arm tooling for example, then the whole piece of kit
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Editor Neil Martin Editor neil.martin@mvpromedia.eu Arcade Chambers, 8 Kings Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4AB MVPro B2B digital platform and print magazine for the global machine vision industry RoboPro B2B digital platform and print magazine for the global robotics industry www.mvpromedia.eu
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MIR 1000 RANGE ON OFFER FROM RARUK RARUK Automation is now offering the MiR 1000 range. The MiR 1000 extends the payload capacity of the fleet to 1000kg making it the perfect choice for heavier pallets said RARUK, providing a safe and efficient alternative to traditional forklifts and trucks.
safety features including dynamic safe zone monitoring that ensures the robots manoeuvre efficiently around people and objects, even in highly dynamic environments.
With optional pallet lifts, the MiR 1000 can pick up and transport Euro and other pallets onto pallet stations ensuring their smooth and seamless delivery to the destination. Flexible deployment for different tasks is made possible by a choice of top modules which allow a wide range of items to be transported. Both the MiR 500 and MiR 1000 operate without the need to change the layout of the warehouse or factory as the function of guidewires, magnets and QR codes is replaced by sophisticated navigation software. They are also designed to be collaborative and have multiple built-in
ROBOROCK TARGETS EUROPE Chinese intelligent home robots company Roborock is targeting Europe as it plans for significant growth over the next two years.
designed, effective devices that make their homes smarter, freeing up more time to live their lives better,” said Richard Chang, founder and CEO of Roborock.
The company was founded in 2014 with investment from Xiaomi amongst other investors, and specialises in the research, development, and production of smart home appliances, specifically robot vacuum cleaners.
“Roborock is now focused on expanding its footprint in Europe with the belief that we can add value to a market where there is growing demand for smart home devices and in particular, robot vacuum cleaners. Our upcoming product launches will focus primarily on key European countries and promise to demonstrate real innovation in areas of intelligence, powerful cleaning, and convenience,” added Chang.
Roborock’s products include the bestselling robot vacuums in China. Since launching its flagship model, the Roborock S5, and its E series line-up internationally in 2018, the company has experienced significant growth, with 173% increase in sales revenue year-on-year and net profit equivalent to 10% of revenue. “European consumers are very tech-savvy and have high disposable incomes that they are willing to spend on well-
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The company already has a presence in Europe through a number of retailers, including Amazon, MediaMarkt and Fnac Darty.
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ROBOTIQ INTRODUCES NEW PRODUCTS Gripper company Robotiq has introduced its newest products for manufacturers looking to automate packaging, palletising, and sanding applications. Included in the new lineup is an expanded range of highquality grippers. The company said that its AirPick and EPick give manufacturers full control over their automation process, while being easy to programme, fast to install and fully customisable. Robotiq also explained that its new Sanding Kit turns a multi-hour, multi-day programming job into a five-minute
task. It said the only hardware and software solution for Universal Robots that enables manufacturers to save hours of programming time, increase quality and productivity and ensure consistent force is applied at each cycle. Jean-Philippe Jobin, CTO and co-founder of Robotiq, said: “AirPick, EPick and the Robotiq Sanding Kit were all engineered with helping manufacturers start production faster in mind. We wanted to support manufacturers in automating their cobot applications by offering solutions that are easy to use, safe, and flexible.”
WINNERS OF THE 2019 ENGELBERGER ROBOTICS AWARD ANNOUNCED The Robotic Industries Association (RIA), the industry’s North American trade organisation, has announced the winners of the 2019 Engelberger Robotics Awards. It is considered the world’s most prestigious robotics honour. The winners are Catherine Morris, group leader and director of automotive sales at ATI Industrial Automation and long-time RIA board member and former chairperson, and Dr Howie Choset, robotics professor at Carnegie Mellon University and co-founder of the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute. The award is named for Joseph F Engelberger, known throughout the world as the ”father of robotics.” Engelberger was founder and president of Unimation., the world’s first industrial robot manufacturer. The Engelberger Robotics Awards are presented to individuals for excellence in technology development, application, education and leadership in the robotics industry. Each winner receives a $5,000 honorarium and commemorative medallion with the inscription: “Contributing to the advancement of the science of robotics in the service of mankind.” The awards recognise outstanding individuals from all over the world. Since the award’s inception in 1977, it has been bestowed upon 128 robotics leaders from 17 different nations. Catherine Morris is honoured in the category of Leadership. “I can think of very few people in the history of the robotics industry who have been as committed to the growth of our industry as Catherine,” said Jeff Burnstein, RIA President. “In addition to helping build ATI into a global leader in robotic
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accessories and robot arm tooling, she has been a tireless advocate of robotics and the important role that groups like RIA play within it. In fact, over the past two decades she’s found time to hold virtually every key position in our trade group, from Membership Committee Chair, to Automate Show Committee Chair, to overall Chair of RIA (the first and only woman to hold that role to date), and now serves as a board member of our parent group, the Association for Advancing Automation. She’s also been an outstanding role model and mentor for women in robotics — getting more women involved in robotics will be a key to the long-term success of the industry. In her role at ATI since 1995, she has positively impacted the success of robotics end users, robot manufacturers, and system integrators through her high degree of process and mechatronic knowledge.” Dr Howie Choset will receive the award for Education. “In addition to being an inspiring professor in the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon, Dr Choset has lead key research efforts to help solve significant problems in diverse areas such as surgery, manufacturing, infrastructure inspection and search rescue,” Burnstein said. “Additionally, he has co-founded several companies, including Medrobotics for surgical system, Hebi Robotics for modular robots, and Bito Robotics for autonomous guided vehicles. His FDA-approved surgical snake robot has been in use in the US and Europe since 2015. Add to that his role as a co-founder of the ARM Institute that is aimed at advancing technology development and education for robotics in manufacturing, and his role as a founding editor of the journal Science Robotics, and you see that Dr Choset is well-deserving of our industry’s highest honor.”
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BIG DATA SITS ALONGSIDE THE MCDONALD’S BIG MAC McDonald’s is about to super size its artificial intelligence. The famous fast food chain is buying Israeli start-up Dynamic Yield for a rumoured price tag of some $300m. For that its gets AI which can automatically change menus to suit the time of day and weather. The idea is that it will bring data-driven mean choices for its huge, global customer base, which numbers over 60 million every day.
McDonald’s chief executive Steve Easterbrook is keen on the technology mainly because it will help flatten out the peaks and troughs of food demand, and the help his outlets develop a much more personalised service. William Hill and IKEA have been past users of Dynamic Yield technology.
The system would be able to tell customers which of its products are trending on a particular day, at a particular hour. It will also use camera recognition technology to spot the cars of regular customers and provide them with their usual choices. US drive-through outlets are thought to be implementing the technology first.
RARUK INTRODUCES PICK-IT M-HD HIGH DEFINITION 3D CAMERA RARUK Automation has introduced a high definition 3D camera to its Pick-it 3D Robot Vision system which was launched at last year’s PPMA Show. The Pick-it M-HD high definition 3D camera can detect almost any small and medium size objects, made from any material, with even higher accuracy said the company. Pick-it allows any camera supported automation application to be built without expert help. There’s no need for complicated programming. And Pick-it guides the robot to see, pick and place products from bins, boxes, pallets and tables onto a CNC machine, assembly line, conveyor belt, welding station or work bench.
The system can also be connected to the internet for remote monitoring, extending Pick-it’s potential for lights out operation and integration into the smart factory environment. And as Pick-it can find parts in any location and layout there is no need for a bulky feeding line with inflexible and expensive elements. As with the other Pick-it cameras in the range, the new M-HD model uses structured light to calculate the 3D images. The big advantage of this over the traditional 2D camera is that it does not require special lighting and is immune to reflections.
RARUK told RoboPro Magazine that simply show an example part to the plug-and-play camera, save this into the teach detection engine, tell Pick-it where to look with a click and drag tool and Pick-it will guide the robot to the nearest pickable part. A typical detection cycle takes less than a second and Pick-it can find multiple parts in one cycle.
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CIMCORP TO OPEN NEW OFFICE IN CHENNAI, INDIA Cimcorp (Ulvila, Finland) a manufacturer and integrator of turnkey robotic handling solutions, will open a new office in Chennai, India, this June.
service network we provide in partnership with our parent company, Murata Machinery Ltd.”
It will, Cimcorp told RoboPro Magazine, enable the company to serve Asian customers better and faster, and, as an addition to the group’s existing locations in Asia, the new Indian office supports its growth strategy.
The company added that its decision to establish a base in Chennai is in response to growing demand for automation in India’s tire industry and strengthens the company’s position as a leader in material flow automation for tire manufacturing.
Masatoshi Wakabayashi, CEO at Cimcorp: “The decision to expand our presence into India is a logical step at this point. Our office is located in Chennai to enhance our ability to serve both current and future customers in India. The facility will also be our customer support location for Indian clients,enabling us to expand the comprehensive
Cimcorp has appointed Pekka Natri as Head of Operations in India. He has a long track record in international business, and has worked in India before – first during the 1990s and then for a longer period in 2007-2011. “I am excited to step into this role and help Cimcorp to reinforce its presence in Asia,” he said.
THE MEARM ROBOT ARM KIT LAUNCHES The MeArm robot arm kit has been launched to inspire children and adults to enter the world of robotics engineering. Kitronik, its creator, is an electronics company that specialises in developing project kits for schools and the maker community Kitronik said that The MeArm is an easy to build robot arm kit which can be built with nothing but enthusiasm and a screwdriver. The only tool necessary is a hex key which comes with the kit! It enables users to build, code and then control their own robotic arm, similar to those used in engineering and manufacturing. Imaginations can run wild as the power of the MeArm robot is set to work on functional tasks when combined with other models and construction kits. It has been designed from the ground up to be easy to build and use and to be relevant to all experience levels, with simple coding capability which means enthusiastic schoolchildren (and their teachers!) can begin coding the device as soon as it is built. Its compatibility with the BBC micro:bit, Arduino and Raspberry Pi ,and its use of different coding editors, means that MeArm can suit every ability level. The MeArm can be controlled directly through the onboard joy sticks or it can be made to move using one of the programming languages supported by the BBC micro:bit, Arduino or Raspberry Pi.
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Kitronik co-Founder and Director, Kevin Spurr said: “What better way of inspiring children to become interested in robotics, technology, engineering and programming than by enabling them, with the help of their teachers, to create their own version of a piece of technology that is used in the real world, and in careers that they could be inspired to enter into.” “We believe that children should begin to learn to code as early as possible and have therefore deliberately kept the coding language simple and accessible. We hope that everyone will enjoy this introduction into the world of robotics.” The MeArm has been developed over the last five years by Dr Ben Gray who has since joined Kitronik to oversee the product’s further development. Kitronik has struck an exclusive deal with Dr Gray to manufacture and distribute the MeArm as part of their range of BBC micro:bit, Adruino and Raspberry Pi compatible electronics kits and accessories. Dr Gray added: “I am pleased to see the MeArm project come to life and I look forward to seeing more students and makers using the device. My aim for the MeArm was for it to be accessible and easy to build so I am confident that enthusiastic electronics experts of the future will have fun with the device and, hopefully, develop a love for robotics and coding.”
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FANUC UK EXPANDS M-20ID AND ARC MATE 120ID SERIES FANUC UK has expanded its range of industrial robots with two new models: the M-20iD/25 handling robot, and the ARC Mate 120iD welding version. Controlled by the R-30iB Plus Controller, both new robots are characterised by higher axis speeds and a large working area relative to previous models. The M-20iD/25 is suited to handling tasks including loading and unloading machines, and parts manipulation. Its slim, lightweight design, combined with a compact arm and wrist, is designed to provide maximum reach even in crowded production environments. It is capable of lifting payloads of up to 25kg at a range of 1,831mm. It also has an IP67 protection rating, suitable for applications under adverse environmental conditions, such as grinding or deburring.
The ARC Mate 120iD, in possession of a maximum payload and range identical to that of the M-20iD/25, is designed for welding applications. As with the M-20iD/25, the ARC Mate 120iD has a slim, articulated design, allowing it to weld in narrow machine tools and jigs. “With its superior dynamics and seamlessly integrated welding equipment, the ARC Mate 120iD will ensure that customer productivity increases,” FANUC’s UK Sales and Marketing Manager, Andy Armstrong said. “Customers can also be confident of reduced assembly effort and lower operating costs thanks to smooth surfaces and recessed bolts, which aid in preventing dirt build-up. “The introduction of the M-20iD/25, alongside the ARC Mate 120iD, represents our determination to provide customers with a comprehensive range of robot solutions. Both robots are uniquely suited to operating in tight environments, able to reach closer to their own base than predecessor models with an active stroke range of 1,585mm.”
TECHMETICS LAUNCHES TWO NEW LINES OF AUTONOMOUS ROBOTS IN THE US Singapore-based Techmetics has launched two new lines of autonomous robots in the US.
The robots are divided into two main groups: •
Techi Butlers deliver guests packages, food and beverage orders, linens and towels. They engage with users through a touch screen interface which allows them to speak in different languages as well as call or text users to their cell phones;
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Techi Cart series consists of a food cart, linen cart and a high payload cart which autonomously pick up and drop off linens and food carts. Each cart model can facilitate back-of-house services from areas such as laundry rooms, kitchens and housekeeping departments. The Techi Carts can deliver between 220 pounds to 550 pounds depending on the model.
The company told Robopro Magazine that with the Techi Butler and Techi Cart series, they hope to “..revolutionize service in the hospitality and healthcare industries.” Using its proprietary technology, the Singapore-based said it has introduced the first-ever fleet of multi-point delivery robots with a multilevel fleet management system in the US. The robots are programmed to navigate autonomously through multiple floors and ride the elevators, transforming the way people receive room service while efficiently assisting housekeeping departments and kitchen staff with bulk delivery needs.
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SPONSORE D FEATU RE
SCANNING GLASS AND OTHER SPECULAR SURFACES WITH 3D SMART SENSOR TECHNOLOGY
Glass enclosures are rapidly becoming the standard in mobile device design such as cell phones, tablets, and watches. This is primarily driven by the larger trend toward 5G connectivity, where use of metal enclosures interfere with signal strength. Glass, shiny metal, and plastics pose a major challenge for quality control inspection as these materials are highly specular and not well-suited to traditional laser measurement technologies.
TYPES OF SURFACE REFLECTIVITY There are two main types of surface reflection relevant to quality inspection. First, specular (i.e., shiny) materials such as glass and highly polished metal reflect light in a single direction, like a mirror. Second, on diffuse materials such as plastic, reflected light scatters in a multitude of directions. Both types of reflection cause noise in 3D scan data. And, in many consumer electronics (CE) scanning applications, specular and diffuse materials have to be scanned at the same time.
tolerances. This requires a sensor that can sample data at 8 microns across a gap (X resolution) and deliver repeatable height data down to 0.2 microns (Z performance) to measure offset. Other critical requirements for the sensor in this application include low sensitivity to the target angle; the ability to eliminate noise caused by laser scattering at the edge of the target surface; accurate measurement of different surface types (e.g., coated, glossy, transparent); and a low total cost of ownership. In addition, scanning and inspection must be carried out at speeds greater than 5 kHz in order to handle a continuous flow of production.
THE CHALLENGE The problem is that no solution on the market meets all of these application requirements. Standard laser profilers are highly sensitive to target angle and are therefore unable to generate sufficient data on specular surfaces. Coordinate measurement machines (CMMs) use probes that cannot measure the narrow gaps between glass and frame. Confocal technologies are relatively large and expensive with limited fields of view and measurement range.
THE SMART 3D SOLUTION FOR SCANNING GLASS
APPLICATION EXAMPLE: CELL PHONE COVER GLASS ASSEMBLY In this application, a laser sensor has to scan the cell phone glass edge and generate high-resolution 3D data. The data is then used to extract edge and gap features, and to measure flushness and offset of the glass and metal frame
THE REQUIREMENTS High resolution is required for this application in order to accurately measure demanding flushness and offset
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GOCATORÂŽ 2512 SCANS EDGE OF THE CELL PHONE COVER GLASS To address this market need, LMI released the GocatorÂŽ 2512, a new breed of smart 3D laser line profiler precision-engineered to scan glass and other specular surfaces such as polished metals and plastics. This sensor not only provides high-performance glass inspection, but overcomes the aforementioned limitations of standard line and point laser profile sensors, CMMs, and confocal scanners.
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SPONSORE D FEATU RE
The 2512 delivers superior 3D data on glass and other specular surfaces at 8 microns X resolution and 0.2 microns Z repeatability, with onboard software to not only scan but carry out measurement and decisionmaking at speeds up to 10 kHz. Specialized laser projection technology allows the 2512 sensor to be mounted at a variety of surface angles for superior performance on a wider range of surface materials (e.g., anti-glare, coated/uncoated, low/high contrast, transparent, glossy).
PRECISION-ENGINEERED FOR SCANNING GLASS and Other Specular Surfaces
GOCATOR® 2512 CAN EVEN SCAN SPECULAR AND DIFFUSE MATERIALS SIMULTANEOUSLY. The sensor scans the glass and metal frame simultaneously
THE IMPLEMENTATION A Gocator® 2512 laser line profiler scans the edge of the glass in its frame, generating high-resolution 3D scan data, and then applies built-in measurement tools to inspect for gap, flush, and offset.
The high-resolution 3D scan of the glass edge (top). Built-in measurement tools are then used for identifying the glass and frame edges and applying flushness and offset measurements (bottom).
THE SOLUTION IS SMART 3D 2D technology cannot be used for cell phone glass assembly inspection because 2D vision is unable to generate shape data. Gocator® 2512 sensors, in comparison, provide height information at a density which allows users to identify and inspect surface edges and gaps between mated components (e.g., RB glass and frame) with micron accuracy.
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2512 THE SMART 3D LASER PROFILER FOR GLASS AND SPECULAR
www.lmi3D.com/2512
AUTOMATE
DISCOVERS A
NEW SOUL
It’s goodbye Chicago as the North America’s largest automation show is moving to Detroit for 2021. Automate 2019 was keenly anticipated and the show didn’t disappoint. RoboPro Magazine was there and below Neil Martin features some of the news which came out of the exhibition.
The announcement that the move to Motown was being planned came on the first day of Automate 2019 and caused a ripple of excitement amongst the attendees. The next event will now take place at the Cobo Center, on 1720 May, 2021. So make a space in your diaries. The reason for the move is the size of Automate - it has grown to more than 500 exhibitors, over 20,000 attendees and 1,000 paid conference registrants - and the fact that the show has come of age and does not now need to colocate with other events. Automate has grown and now needs a location to reflect its growing statue within industry. “To continue our rapid growth, and better meet the needs of our exhibitors who look to Automate to reach new potential customers, we’ve decided that now is the right time to move Automate to its own location – and Detroit is an ideal fit,” said Jeff Burnstein, president of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), the show’s organizer. “Detroit is turning into the next major technology hub in the United States. This is an exciting change for us and our exhibitors, allowing Automate to expand in size and technology scope as the automation industry continues its steady growth.”
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DETROIT I’ve never been been to Detroit - it’s one of those US cities I’ve missed for some reason - so it was handy of the Automate organisers to point out that it was named one of Lonely Planet’s top cities to visit in 2018. What’s more, studies from the Brookings Institution have rated Detroit number four on a list of the country’s hubs for advanced technology employment, with nearly 15% of the workforce in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area working in areas such as research and development and engineering. Though known as a traditional automotive hub, the region is growing in other industries such as aerospace, logistics and advanced mobility. “We’re very excited that Automate will be moving to Detroit in 2021,” said Mike Cicco, president and CEO of FANUC America, a leading supplier of robotics and automation based in Rochester Hills, Mich. “It’s evident that Michigan is quickly regaining its strength as a manufacturing and technology powerhouse, and we’re proud that our headquarters has been in the Detroit Metro area since 1982.”
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“Detroit is so pleased to be welcoming Automate to our destination next year because it makes sense for a region whose future success, particularly in the automotive sector, is dependent on new technology improvements and automation for the making and delivering of products and services,” said Larry Alexander, president and CEO of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Our hospitality community will roll out the welcome mat in our vibrant city for the nearly 20,000+ attendees of Automate.” For its last blast in Chicago (it was an eight year run), Automate went out on a high, with record attendances and lots of praise. According to the preliminary figures released by the organisers, more than 20,000 walked the show floor at the biennial event – an increase of 25 percent over 2017 – to see the advancements in robotics, vision, motion and advanced automation technology from over 500 exhibitors from around the world.
Toothless Gearbox Takes Home $10,000 Prize in Launch Pad Startup Contest Winner of the event’s $10,000 Launch Pad Startup competition was Innovative Mechatronic Systems Its Archimedes Drive is a toothless gearbox with speed reducer technology which, they said, brings groundbreaking improvements in performance compared to current drive solutions. Founder Thibaud Verschoor and six other finalists had five minutes to present their innovations before the judges chose the winner. One judge, Oliver Mitchell of Autonomy Ventures, wrote that IM Systems “universally stood out for its important contribution...with potential to generate a billion-dollar valuation with its promise of bringing down the cost of adoption and quickening the speed of deployment.” Automate now moves onto to Detroit, flushed from success at Chicago and hoping that by the time it lands in 2020, it will be able to replicate that success.
Burnstein said the majority of the largest exhibitors have already reserved their spots for 2021 in Detroit, all citing the strong connections they were able to make at this year’s show. “Automate has proven once again to be an ideal venue for manufacturers to find the latest innovations in automation, from collaborative and mobile robots to artificial intelligence, machine vision and motion control. From what we’ve heard from exhibitors and attendees alike, the show was a great success, generating thousands of valuable leads as business leaders learned how the various innovations can help their companies thrive in today’s highly competitive global environment. We can’t wait to do it all again in 2021, this time in Detroit!” Sector companies were happy to add their support for the event. Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) used the event to launch the MiR1000 and add an AI-based navigation system for its entire fleet (more on that below). Ed Mullen, MiR’s vice president of sales for the Americas, said: “Automate attracts thousands of companies from across the United States, which makes it an ideal venue for us. The massive amount of highly qualified leads we received at Automate this year compared to when we first launched in North America in 2017 completely validates our decision to exhibit at the show. We’re looking forward to 2021.”
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MOBILE INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS Autonomous mobile robot firm MiR uses exhibitions as a key marketing channel, so it was no surprise that it used Automate to make a big announcement. And up stepped the MiR1000 which can be used to automatically pick up, transport and deliver pallets and other heavy loads up to 1000 kg (2200 lbs) through dynamic environments. Like the MiR500, introduced in 2018, the MiR1000 is a collaborative, safe and flexible alternative to potentially
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dangerous and expensive forklifts on the factory floor. The MiR1000 joins the manufacturer’s family of AMRs for heavy and light transport that optimize logistics throughout the entire production chain, from the warehouse to the delivery of goods.
“Customers have seen that with our other robots and will experience the same efficiencies with the MiR1000 and much heavier loads.” The MiR1000 has two flexible pallet lifts for the two most commonly used types of pallets: the EU pallet and the 40” x 48” pallet. Like MiR’s other AMRs, the MiR1000 can be programmed via the intuitive user interface, or through the MiRFleet robot fleet management system, which makes it simple to automate new tasks for a company’s entire fleet of robots. The AMRs can also easily integrate different top modules such as pallet lifts, conveyors, a robot arm or other options to support a wide range of applications. MiR also announced another industry first—artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities across all of its AMRs for improved navigation. With AI capabilities incorporated into the software and strategically placed cameras that function as an extended set of robot sensors, MiR has enabled its robots for optimized route-planning and driving behaviour.
The MiR100, MiR200 and MiR500 are already installed in more than 45 countries at companies such as Airbus, Flex, Honeywell, Toyota, Visteon, and Hitachi. According to MiR CEO Thomas Visti, MiR built the MiR1000 in response to strong demand from customers of the smaller robots who also want to transport heavy materials such as those in the aerospace and automotive industries. “With the MiR1000, we are once again extending the possibilities for automating internal logistics, especially for those who want to transport very large materials without reconfiguring their infrastructure,” Visti said. “Manufacturers today must deal with ever-changing customer demands, which means they need flexible and easily adaptable production facilities. Conventional logistics solutions like forklifts and conveyor belts and even traditional automated guided vehicles (AGVs) haven’t been able to support this type of production. “With the MIR1000 and our other highly flexible autonomous robots, none of which require rebuilding infrastructure or extensive programming capabilities, we have made it especially easy to optimize the transportation of all types of materials,” he added.
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The cameras, called MiR AI Camera, enable the robots to detect and recognize different moving obstacles and react accordingly. For example, the robots will continue driving as usual if they detect a person but will park if they detect an AGV so the AGV can drive by. The robot can also predict blocked areas or highly trafficked areas in advance and reroute instead of entering the blocked area and then re-routing.
ENERGID Energid used Automate to highlight extensive enhancements to its Actin 5 software development kit (SDK),a robotic software for real-time, adaptive motion control. Actin‘s advanced adaptive motion control capabilities help robotic system developers quickly and easily design,
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model and control complex robotic systems from proof of concept through deployment/execution. Its new features facilitate the process even further: •
eight new training examples show developers how to load a robot simulation model, execute simple motions, change motion constraint sets, and coordinate multiple manipulators;
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a Group Motion Manager allows developers to queue up a group of motions and control the execution of the motions using a predefined state machine;
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expanded support for Universal Robot’s E-Series and CB3 robots.
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technical demonstration of Automated Bin Picking – This interactive tabletop demo shows how Actin applied to bin picking simplifies the user programming of picking parts while at the same time enabling hundreds of potential pick poses. In addition, it shows how the environment is trained using real-world inputs of collaborative robots which enables collision-free motion planning within the space.
EPSON Epson showcased its line of SCARA and 6-Axis Robots and also introduced three new robotics solutions. With more than 300 models, Epson’s SCARA robot lineup - the G-Series, LS-Series, RS-Series and T-Series All-in-One - make Epson a world leading SCARA robot manufacturer. Starting at $7,495, Epson SCARA robots provide payloads up to 20 kg and reaches ranging from 175 to 1,000mm. Available in a variety of configurations, these robots deliver extraordinary cycle times and extreme precision with repeatability down to 5 microns.
6-Axis Robots “The new features we’ve added make it even easier for robotic system developers to build advanced robot applications,” Energid CEO Neil Tardell said. “The flexibility of the Actin SDK allows customers to easily build advanced motion control capabilities.” One of the most challenging and time-consuming problems robotic systems developers encounter include coordinating multiple robots to work together; adding a 7th, 8th or 9th degree of freedom to a 6-axis robot such as a rail, gantry or mobile base; integrating vision feedback with real-time robotic control; or moving complex systems through confined spaces. Energid’s two demos showed how these problems can be solved: •
Actin – In real time, the software adapts to the changing robot base position while performing a task. Once the system is modeled in Actin, the robot designer is free to focus on the application happening at the end of the arm. This can be applied in applications such as mobile robots, underwater robots, and robots mounted on additional axes, such as rails;
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Epson’s space-saving 6-Axis robots, including the C4-Series, C8-Series and N-Series, enable a wide range of motion with few mechanical restrictions. With its SlimLine design, Epson 6-Axis robots can reach into confined workspaces from many angles with ultra smooth motion, making these robots some of the most flexible 6-Axis robots available in the market today. Epson will continue its heritage of innovation by introducing a groundbreaking ultra-low cost 6-Axis robot at Automate.
Integrated solutions Epson offers a provides high precision robotic guidance, enabling developers to quickly build applications and reduce overall development time and cost. Force Guide takes automation to the next level by delivering fast, tactile feedback to guide robots for high-precision parts placement. Both solutions have an easy to use point-andclick setup and are fully integrated within the Epson RC+ development environment for easy configuration. Epson will add to its solution portfolio by unveiling a revolutionary integrated parts feeding solution at Automate.
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ACIETA To give job shops and manufacturers a system that is easy to utilize to offer a high-quality FANUC collaborative robot, Acieta has launched the new FastLOAD CR2000 standard machine tool cell. The new cells are designed with all components fully integrated for fast delivery and start-up as well as at a low cost.
To overcome capacity challenges, labor shortages and quality variability, the FastLOAD CR2000 collaborative machine tool cell can help companies maximize efficiency and profitability, increase profits, address labor shortages and improve operator safety. For high efficiency, the FastLOAD CR2000 can tend two machines simultaneously so an operator can load and unload parts while the robot is working on the other machine. It features a FANUC CR-15iA collaborative six axis robot, an intuitive touchscreen interface with easy in-shop wifi programming, and gripper fingers that allow for parts ranging from 5/8” in. to 5 3⁄4” in. diameter.
KISTLER Kistler, the Swiss measurement technology expert, demonstrated its comprehensive measurement chain for press-fit and joining processes including force sensors, light barriers, maXYmos monitoring units and robotics application.
“Companies want to address their manufacturing problems quickly, and with our FastLOAD CR2000, we can deliver a high-quality system with an aggressive lead-time,” said Mark Sumner, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Acieta. “Utilizing a FANUC collaborative robot in this system provides manufacturers a great way to drive increased productivity in a small footprint, a safe work environment, and at a high return on investment, so succeeding with robotics is easier and faster than ever before. It’s changing the way people think about robotics.”
Kistler offers a range of monitoring and control solutions for press-fit and joining processes, including sensors,
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measuring chains, monitors, evaluation units and joining modules for automated assembly and robotic applications. In a demo set-up at the booth, a light barrier triggered a measurement: the robotics application with integrated force sensor tested the medical device. Next, the measurement curves were displayed on the maXYmos monitor, which distinguishes between good and bad assessment results, thus helping manufacturers eliminate faulty products.
double-seal construction on all axes and waterproof electrical connections, offering an IP67 classification for the wrist and IP65 for the remaining axes.
Also, as part of the Innovation Showcase Presentations, Frank Kirgis, Head of Kistler’s Industrial Process Control Division, gave a speech on “Smart applications with sensors and monitoring solutions: making the difference in IIoT & Robotics” at the “Win the Future” theatre.
KAWASAKI Kawasaki has added new high-speed, low-payload robots to its lineup. It said that in response to the rising demand for fast, flexible and compact industrial robots in food and other industries, Kawasaki developed two 6-axis vertically articulated robots with a maximum payload capacity of 7 kg and different reach. The RS007N and RS007L models are the latest additions to the company’s general-purpose R series line of small-to-medium payload (3-80 kg) robots ideal for a wide range of applications including packing, material handling and machine tending. The Kawasaki RS007N and RS007L robots continue to offer the operational advantages of the R series robots while incorporating a newly redesigned arm structure and main-unit weight reductions. By redesigning the arm structure and adjusting the acceleration rates in accordance with load weights and robot positioning, the RS007N and RS007L models offer consistently optimized performance by significantly reducing cycle times. These enhancements also result in the fastest operating speeds in these robots’ class (12,100 mm/s) along with increased working ranges. The RS007N robot features a 730 mm reach and the RS007L a 930 mm reach for greater flexibility in production facility layouts. The small installation footprint and greater speed and reach of these robots provide automation flexibility for high mix, low volume production, and can minimize changeover times. Both models feature a
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Kawasaki’s newest F60 robot controller comes standard with both models. This state-of-the-art controller helps manufacturers digitally connect their machines and extract value from the Internet of Things (IoT), and features enhanced data collection and transfer capabilities to support overall equipment efficiency (OEE) calculations and smart manufacturing. The Bluetooth enabled controller allows for the collection and analysis of both robot and production data and provides the ability to link to the cloud, other robots or machines, tablets, vision cameras and various fieldbuses. With a compact design, industry leading speed and reach, and an enhanced communication controller, the RS007N and RS007L robots meet the demand for smart and flexible manufacturing, enabling efficient small batch production and minimizing changeover times.
DUARO With a small footprint and low price tag, the easy to program and deploy “duAro” offers robot automation possibilities to companies of all sizes.
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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 highly innovative human-friendly industrial SCARA robot named duAro whose mobile design and safety functionality make it ideal for companies of any size. Integrating the duAro into a manufacturing process is a relatively simple change that can benefit the bottom line and relieve employees from performing menial tasks. The duAro is the first dual-armed horizontal articulated robot to operate on a single axis. This configuration enables the robot to perform coordinated movements, much like a human, making it perfect for applications such as small-part inspection, assembly, material handling, material removal and machine tending. As the robot is designed to fit into a single-person space, it can easily be deployed without modifications to any assembly or manufacturing line. The mobile base on which the dual-arms are placed also accommodates the controller, allowing the user to move the unit to any location desired. The duAro’s design also reflects the need to keep its human co-workers safe. Low-power motors, a soft body, speed and work zone monitoring, and a deceleration function allows the duAro to safely collaborate with humans in work operations. In the unlikely event of a collision, the collision detection function instantaneously stops the robot’s movement. The duAro robot is not only safe but it’s also smart. The direct teach function allows for the user to teach the robot tasks by hand guiding its arms. In addition, the robot can be programmed through a tablet terminal by entering numerical values indicating the direction and distance of each movement. This user-friendly robot with a small installation footprint and mobile base is also perfect for high mix, low volume production. Two Kawasaki dual-arm duAro robots were installed at a Tier 1 auto parts supplier to work together in a machine tending application. With the implementation of these two robots the supplier was able to double their throughput and eliminate errors. This turnkey solution took about 9 weeks to implement from initial design to commissioning, and an additional week was used to train employees on how to operate the system. The design, build and commissioning of a single unit to a turnkey system can range anywhere from a week to 2-3 months. With a base price of $33,000, the duAro is a safe, affordable, easy to operate, collaborative robot that can meet the demands for flexible manufacturing.
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KOLLMORGEN Kollmorgen brought their motion-centric automation solutions to the show for the first time. Visitors saw a variety of product exhibits and exciting live demos, including Kollmorgen’s servo boxing robots. Demos and other exhibits have been designed to show how Kollmorgen’s next-generation technology helps OEMs increase efficiency, uptime, throughput and machine life. Demos will included. AKD2G/AKM2G System Demo: Kollmorgen’s AKD2G and AKM2G product lines offer OEMs the best power density on the market, and enough flexibility to achieve “just right” fit and performance to match the machine and application for maximum efficiency. The dual-axis AKD2G Servo Drive substantially reduces mains wiring, fuses, and filtering to save significant panel space and cost. Industry 4.0/IoT ready, the AKD2G shares data with the Cloud and upstream controls, as well as communicating status, diagnostics, and predictive maintenance in real time. Safety is seamlessly built into the drive with Kollmorgen Safe Motion. The AKM2G Servo Motor delivers the best power and torque density on the market, offering OEMs a way to increase performance and speed while cutting power consumption and costs. Highly configurable, with six frame sizes with up to five stack lengths, and a variety of selectable options (such as feedback, mounting, and performance capabilities), the AKM2G can easily be dropped into existing designs. Robotic Gearmotor Demo: Kollmorgen’s frameless motor solutions integrate seamlessly with strain wave gears, feedback devices, and servo drives to form a lightweight and compact robotic joint solution. Kollmorgen’s standard
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and custom frameless motor solutions enable smaller, lighter, and faster robots.
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STF Stepper Drives that support a range of industrial Ethernet and Fieldbus network protocols including EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, CANopen, Modbus, Ethernet and RS-485, as well as a proprietary Serial Command Language (SCL) for efficient network communications over Ethernet (UDP or TCP) and RS-485. Using STF Stepper Drives, system designers and machine builders have the flexibility to control step motors using the network protocol of their choice;
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SV200 Digital Servo Drives that operate on 24, 48 or higher DC supply voltages for space-constrained and multi-axis motion control applications. Applied Motion Products specializes in high-precision, cost-effective motion control products including stepper and servo motors, drives, controllers, gearheads, and power supplies.
Frameless Motor Demo: TBMTM frameless motors into any application requiring a compact, lightweight, and torquedense solution. Servo Boxing Robots: A game of “servo boxing” that highlights a complete Kollmorgen machine automation solution. Industry 4.0/IoT/Cloud capabilities are demonstrated using remote monitoring and predictive maintenance examples. AGVs and Mobile Robots: Showed attendees how they could learn about Kollmorgen’s flexible, scalable vehicle control solutions for material handling for smart factories and warehouses with AGVs and mobile robots.
APPLIED MOTION PRODUCTS Applied Motion Products demonstrated a selection of new integrated motors and drives for both servo and stepper motors at the Automate Show.
The company serves a diverse industrial and OEM customer base with both standard and RB customized products.
Products on display included: •
MDX Integrated Servo Motors that combine high torque density, low inertia servo motors with on-board drives and controllers to create all-in-one integrated motor solutions that save on space, wiring, and cost over conventional servo systems with separate motor and drive components;
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StepSERVO Integrated Motors that provide costeffective and high-torque motion control for high throughput applications such as packaging and labeling, automated test and measurement, and automated assembly;
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A PRECARIOUS RELATIONSHIP:
WHY THE FUTURE OF ROBOTICS RELIES ON A SECURE IOT ECOSYSTEM Building a robot is like a game of technical dominos
By Eric Jensen, Head of IoT Product Management at Canonical – the company behind Ubuntu Building a robot is like a game of technical dominos, with individual components combining to create something new and exciting. One chink in the chain, however, and the big picture can be spoilt. This domino analogy also relates to the robotics industry as a whole. Both businesses and consumers are getting to grips with the potential of machines – in healthcare, retail and agriculture – meaning one issue could have a ripple effect and stunt uptake in robotics before it ever gets going. One of the biggest weaknesses remains the Internet of Things (IoT), which allows smart machines to communicate and process data at the edge. Without a secure IoT, robotics will always be vulnerable, and its potential never fully realised. The IoT is now a mainstream concept, but it remains
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a taboo where security is concerned. That’s because as the market for connected devices grows, so too do the points of vulnerability; access points multiply; and security concerns skyrocket in turn. As a result, trust in IoT is precarious. Gemalto found that ninety per cent of consumers now lack confidence in connected devices. And these concerns are more than valid, as nearly half of companies are unable to detect when an IoT breach occurs, and only 15 per cent of budgets are earmarked for IoT security specifically. Still, the future of robotics rests firmly on the shoulders of IoT. Robots act as one part of intelligent ecosystems: they depend on the IoT to link various sensors and smart metres, pass data to and from third parties, and increasingly allow machines to ‘understand’ the world. The self-driving car, for example, is a robot orchestrated by various smaller devices and smart sensors. In fact, robots are being created to tackle every conceivable problem. Take the Googlefunded RangerBot – an underwater machine designed to track down one species of starfish responsible for coral reef destruction, or Small Robot Company, a start-up tackling farming deficiencies with bots that autonomously feed, seed, and weed arable crops. Rising levels of sophistication within robotics, however, goes hand-in-hand with more targeted and damaging attacks. Telesurgery uses robotics to help surgeons perform
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procedures remotely – a malware bug in this scenario could mean the downing of tools, threatening the patient’s life. Researchers at Brown University proved how easy it is to hack robots – the industry will simply not be sustainable without the backing of a secure, connected IoT network. Robot manufacturers, therefore, must build with a ‘securityby-design’ mindset. This begins by selecting a robust operating system from the outset – secure now, but also ready for future market demands. Hackers are constantly evolving their activities and businesses must be flexible in their approach to security, shedding the old hardwarecentric view of IoT security. Software can no longer end when a device is shipped. It must align to the lifespan of a robot and be able to update whenever there is a potential flaw. The world of mobile took many years to get to grips with this – robotics and IoT developers should learn from their mistakes. One way developers can safely build and secure software is through snaps – containerised software packages, an open platform for building and publishing applications to an audience of millions. If a security vulnerability is discovered in the libraries used by an application, the app publisher is notified so the app can be rebuilt quickly with the supplied fix and pushed out. This allows for developers to stay focused on innovation while ensuring the longevity of robotics hardware.
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It remains unclear where the onus lies for IoT security, with nobody holding anyone else to account. Market constraints often prevent device makers from putting more budget than what is absolutely necessary into design security, when there is so much pressure to innovate ahead of competitors. But it’s no secret that we need to do better when it comes to regulation. The IoT Code of Practice in the UK introduced last year was a good start; however, it’s still not compulsory for companies to adhere to it. Similarly, the Cybersecurity Act in the EU remains leaves compliance largely voluntary. It may be that binding government legislation, where there are serious financial consequences for negligence, is the only remedy. This would make it impossible for companies to turn a blind eye to security. When people think about robotics, innovation will always trump the more mundane aspects of software security and maintenance. However, if the industry is to succeed and make a real impact on society, both manufacturers and technology suppliers must not ignore the basics. Every industry goes through a process of maturity when it first moves from theory to practice. Robotics is still in its infancy, meaning time is still on the side of those championing a more robust security framework. Without it, robotics and the IoT risks tearing down the foundations that have only just been built. RB
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UR/MIR PARENT ANNOUNCES FIRST QUARTER FIGURES Teradyne, parent company to Universal Robots and Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), has announced its first quarter earnings for the three months to 31 March 2019. The figures were ahead of estimates with quarter one revenues rising 1% to $494m; the market was looking for $476m. Q1 adjusted EPS rose 20% to $0.54, exceeding estimates of $0.44.
execution against its longer-term opportunity set, whilst navigating short-term pockets of weakness in some of its more cyclical end-markets. We continue to like Teradyne for its dominant position in collaborative robots as well as other industries with secular growth opportunities. Whilst shares are trading above historical averages on 20.3x December 2019 consensus earnings, we believe estimates could see upgrades as we go through the year.”
The Industrial Automation division revenue increased 35% in Q1, driven by a 16% increase in Universal Robots, as well as reflecting the acquisition of MiR in the prior year. The outlook for the full year remains essentially unchanged, as pockets of strength such as 5G test are offset by softness in areas such as automotive test. Guidance for the second quarter of 2019 is for revenue of $520m to $550m, with adjusted EPS of between $0.56 and $0.65 per diluted share, compared to consensus estimates of $0.58. UK investment house Killik & Co said in its daily note: “This is a solid start to the year from Teradyne, highlighting steady
CIMCORP ENTERS RUSSIAN DISTRIBUTION MARKET Logistics automation specialist Cimcorp has partnered with Russian technology integrator FL Group to offer its robotic solutions to customers in Russia. Cimcorp told RoboPro Magazine that it was entering the Russian distribution market in response to growing demand for increased speed in fresh produce logistics. It is represented by FL Group, an industrial automation integrator based in St Petersburg. Kai Tuomisaari, Cimcorp’s Vice President of Sales, said: “Grocery retail distribution in Russia is ripe for automation. Our robotic handling solutions enable retailers to maximise product freshness, which is key to optimising sales and enhancing the customer experience.” Tatiana Borisova, CEO of FL Group, added: “Russian retailers need to respond dynamically to market demands to ensure operational cost efficiency and low pricing, while at the same time providing their customers with high-quality products and services. The quality issue is always critical for fruit and vegetables, which is why I believe that Cimcorp’s automation for fresh produce distribution has huge potential in Russia.”
every SKU, ultra-fast handling and total picking accuracy. “This means shorter lead-times and improved freshness for perishable products,” explained Tuomisaari. “Maximised shelf life can secure vital competitive advantage for our clients in the fresh produce, bakery and dairy sectors.” Cimcorp’s automation combines buffer storage and order picking in one efficient, flexible and scalable operation. Products are handled gently in plastic crates, which are designed with excellent ventilation and are stacked directly on the floor. By avoiding the need for racking, the system ensures maximum space utilisation and also allows the entire working area to be cleared, full automatically, for hygienic cleaning. A standard robotic module – 30m long, 12m wide and 6m tall – is easy to install in existing warehouses, even in city locations. Computer control of all material flows ensures full tracking and traceability.
Using robots that operate from overhead gantries, Cimcorp’s modular solutions provide instant access to
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ROBOT COMPANY BLUE WORKFORCE GOES UNDER Danish based Blue Workforce, which was founded in 2012, has gone bankrupt. The company developed the RAGNAR Robot for use mainly in food packing and employed around 30 people from its Danish HQ, and three overseas subsidiaries. Over the last two years it had received funds from investors of around £3.5m, but it is being reported that the company ran out of cash and that a further funding round was unsuccessful. Founder and CEO Preben Hjørnet told Finance: “It really
hurts. The funding round was intended to secure new working capital, but there was no support in the owner’s circle. Since we had no money for wages, we had to go bankrupt. We had a rescue plan, but just didn’t come to a goal. Now I hope that the company will succeed in a new construction.” The last published accounts showed the company made a loss after tax of nearly £1m. Those handling the bankruptcy are hoping to sell the company as a going concern and keep the brand alive.
BÖWE SYSTEC TAKES MAJORITY STAKE IN RED LEDGE Böwe Systec, one of the world’s leading suppliers of smart automation solutions, has taken a majority stake in UK software engineering and automation supply chain specialist Red Ledge, which has joined the Böwe Systec Group. Böwe Systec is part of the Possehl Group, which in its 2017 financial year generated a turnover of around 3.8 billion euros and employed some 12,500 people. Founded in 1996, software company Red Ledge specialises in Auto-ID solutions. Its core expertise includes competitive software platforms such as warehouse management systems (WMS), warehouse control systems (WCS) and pharmaceutical serialisation systems. The company’s barcode, RFID, voice and sensor technologies are used worldwide in post and parcel sorting centres, warehouses and production facilities.
System (WMS) and Warehouse Control System (WCS) mean that we can offer our sorting customers substantial added value” added Böwe Systec managing director Dirk Van Vinckenroye. Alan Wilcockson and Andy O‘Donnell are Red Ledge’s joint managing directors. “We are a leading supplier of Auto-ID solutions and our systems allow us to control all aspects of intralogistics highly efficiently”, explained Alan Wilcockson. Andy O’Donnell added: “At Red Ledge we are involved in strongly growing and global markets. Working with Böwe Systec we will in future be able to undertake additional and larger projects in parcel and intralogistics markets. We see the merger as a win-win for both companies and we look forward to working together.”
“As a ‘one-stop-shop’ we want to be the first port of call for all our customers’ intralogistics requirements,” said Böwe Systec managing director Joachim Koschier. “They should be able to source everything from us that they need to optimise their parcel sorting centre and their internal processes. From goods receiving to goods out – everything from one supplier. The acquisition of Red Ledge was therefore a logical step and is a cornerstone of our corporate strategy.” “Our recipe for success is that we listen to what our customers need. With Red Ledge by our side not only can we supply the hardware, which is of course important and essential, but also the software that intelligently knits everything together. Red Ledge’s Warehouse Management
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NEW ROBOTICS: SHIFTING BUSINESS MODELS A new report from IDTechEx (Cambridge, UK) entitled New Robotics: Shifting Business Models, analyses the changing trends in the robotics industry as new and emerging firms challenge the norm. In an introduction to the report, it said: “Machine makers in many established markets sell their machines directly or through dealer networks. At times, they create additional revenue streams by offering technical after-sales support. They often hope that the installed base of their machines together with limited incompatibility with competitors’ products provides some lock-in mechanism. They also seek to build-in some technology obsolescence into their product cycles. “Some also provide finance, directly or jointly with a finance entity, to help potential customers overcome the barrier of the upfront cost. Many traditional robot suppliers fit the description above. Integrators often install a robotic or automated solution and provide after-sale technical support. They make it difficult to integrate competitors’ robots with their solutions and offer regular hardware and software updates. “New and emerging robotic firms however do not easily fit this bill. They are in fact challenging the established norms. This is sometimes through will and sometimes through necessity. The trend towards alternative models is evident across all sectors that new robotics seeks to impact. This includes retail, agriculture, logistics, delivery, security, cleaning, transport, and so on.” As for the key sectors, the report summarised: AGRICULTURE Autonomous robots can provide automated precision weeding. Robotic intelligent implements can provide precision spraying or weeding too. The upfront machine or fleet costs are often high today. The technology risk for end users are also high. Users are often afraid that expert operators and repair persons will be needed. They worry that the technology is not tried and tested, especially in an agricultural environment. They fear that the technology is likely to rapidly evolve, exposing them to serious obsolescence risks. Crucially, they require seasonal services and are accustomed to paying wages and not making significant capital investments into machines with low utilization rates. To address these challenges many companies are positioning as a RaaS- robotic as a service. They essentially become weeding service providers. They operate or monitor their own machines. They charge the customer per acre, a metric with which they are likely familiar. They
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absorb the technology risk. Crucially, they give their robots extensive field practice and will have the chance to gather data and feedback. This is important because the design of these products and services is still in a state of flux with many further iterations anticipated. This positioning changes the nature of their business. Companies will require additional working capital and staff to absorb the service costs and to offer a sufficiently scaled service network. They cannot simply build to order to balance their cashflows. This is where partnerships will become important. This is also where early capital investments in case of start-ups becomes a necessity as most will operate heavily in the red in the early years of their operations. With time and technology maturity the model may revert back to a traditional arrangement, or will it? This is an ongoing debate because traditional heavy agricultural machine makers will also need to adapt their models. This is inevitable because as vehicles become more autonomous, in navigation and task, the machine becomes the services, blurring the boundary between equipment sales and service provision. The whole value chains will need to adjust and even the dealers will need to find their sweet spots evolving their technical support into full blown remote robot operations? LAST MILE DELIVERY Many small robots are appearing worldwide to solve the productivity problem present at the last stage of the delivery process: the last mile. These small slow robots autonomously deliver small payloads to their final destinations. At the level of individual machines, there are highly unproductive. However, at the level of a large fleet, without a driver overhead per unit, they can become productive and commercially viable. Here two business models have emerged. Some follow the traditional model of trying to sell their robots. Others are positioning as delivery firms staffed mainly by autonomous robots. This latter model is adopted for many good reasons. It is envisioned that the hardware will in the future become modular, standardized, and highly commoditized. Essentially the same fate as consumer drones awaits the hardware platform. Competing in such a business would not be easy for start-ups especially those based in California and similar start-up hubs. Crucially also the robot companies require practice data. This is because they will need to improve their delivery and navigation algorithms so that one day they can operate large fleets in complex environments with high speed units. The data loop would be cut if they just sold a machine and
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walked out. The data acquisition is a fundamental part of product improvement without which the company would likely stall. It will also open up the door to offering high value-added analytics services. The technology is still immature. As such, it will require close monitoring and likely regular manual interventions to fix issues. As such, most players will, as a minimum, be forced to add a strong 24/7 service element to their business. LOGISTICS Robotic firms are emerging to enable autonomous robotic picking. These robots combine autonomous mobility with autonomous picking skills. Here too companies are frequently positioning themselves as a service provider, charging a monthly subscription fee or a $ per pick rate. In this case too robotic companies require the data. Their picking algorithms are based on deep learning and as such without training data their product roadmap will likely stall. This would be very dangerous to their business prospects because today’s generation of products only manage to slowly pick regularly-shaped known objects in simple environments. The future however is fast picking of novel randomly-shaped items in complex environments. To traverse this competency gap, data will be indispensable. The users too will require ongoing support. They too will prefer not to absorb the technology risk especially since the technology- both hardware and software- are rapidly evolving. As such, a service model can prove win-win SECURITY Autonomous mobile robots are developed to perform various security related tasks. These robots are being designed for indoor, outdoor and even rugged terrain operation. They are essentially sensors-on-a-wheel. Some versions can have more than 50-onboard sensors, generating nearly 100 tera bytes of data per year per machine. These robots can be deployed wherever some type of security and monitoring is required.
and analyse specific situations, e.g., from car number plate recognition to detection of dangerous gas leakages in an industrial site. Customers too will take this arrangement because it is closer to an end solution and makes it easier for them to test the technology and the new ways of working that it might enable. RETAIL Autonomous robots are also finding their way into retail stores, seeking to automate tedious tasks. In particular, they are being offered essentially as automated data acquisition tools, capturing data about items on the shelves with higher speed and accuracy than humans. Here firms are positioning as full solution providers. This has many advantages. This future-proofs their business against hardware commoditization. They can accumulate hard-to-obtain and hard-to-copy knowhow and data which can then underpin their value-added data analytics services. Their customers too will be interested in a final solution and not another alien technology looking for a problem to solve. At the end of the day, they are interested only in an impact on the bottom line, be it higher stock availability, better stock positioning on shelves, or leaner inventories. As such, data-centric service-oriented models can be winwin propositions. This shift towards non-traditional business models permeates every sector. It is happening even with cars where the rise of mobility is fuelling serious debates about the future of mobility and the role of autonomous taxi fleets and shared facilities. In general, even if the business models are not radically redrawn the profit pool within the value chain will be re-balanced. This will change the winners and losers and will demand that all participates begin looking ahead and planning now.
Here too firms are not always adopting an outright equipment sales model. It is common to seek a subscription model for giving customers access to the machine, the interface, the data plan, the 24/7 support, etc. Here too such arrangements can be win-win. The suppliers will retain that crucial data loop in their business models, enabling them to improve their products, for example, by offering specialized algorithms able to detect, recognize,
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H-FARM OPENS AN INNOVATION HUB IN SPAIN H-FARM, an Italian innovation platform, has opened an innovation hub in Spain.
H-FARM’s goal in Spain is to become a reference point for companies that want to raise their competitiveness in the marketplace and innovate their business models through increased attention to digitalization and emerging technologies. A dedicated team will accompany the companies in each stage of their growth path, from the definition of the strategy to the design of new services, from the development of applications and technology solutions. The projects will have a focus on Innovation Culture – the growth of human capital – and Open Innovation, in order to create processes of collaboration between Corporates and Startups as an answer to the challenges and objectives of each company.
It will support the evolution of business models for Spanish companies through Open Innovation and Corporate Innovation. The hub will be managed by Aleix Valls, former CEO of Mobile World Capital Foundation. In 2018, an increasing number of foreign companies, both large and mediumsized, chose H-FARM as a strategic partner to create new competitive business models, increasing foreign revenue by 13%. H-FARM told RoboPro Magazine that to foster international growth, it has chosen Spain, a country that has had sustained economic growth since 2014, exceeding +3% per year, thus returning to pre-crisis levels and positioning itself well above the average of the Eurozone. This trend is also confirmed for 2019, with expected growth of over +2%. It added that in recent years, Barcelona has become one of the most important centres for technology and innovation in Europe, thanks to an entrepreneurial ecosystem that continues to attract investments, a wide pool of talent and a high quality of life. Rankings indicate that the Catalan city is the third most -preferred by European entrepreneurs in which to create start-ups and fourth in the ranking of the ten technological hubs in the EU by number of startups.
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Aleix Valls (above left), CEO of H-FARM BCN, said: “We are really proud to become part of H-Farm family. With this joint venture effort we assure H-Farm position as a leading digital innovation platform into Spanish market”. Timothy O’Connell (above right), Head of Global Business Development, commented regarding the opening of the new company, which is 51% owned by H-FARM: “We are very happy to have the opportunity to open a hub in Barcelona: we aim to create a strong synergy between our experience of over 14 years as an innovation platform and that of Aleix as a key player in promoting digital transformation in the Spanish economic and RB business system.”
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30 & 31 October 2019 | NEC, Birmingham
The UK’s largest annual gathering of engineering supply chain professionals 15,000 engineering professionals in attendance
"I found the event a great networking opportunity to meet industrial professionals from different backgrounds with different products." Kat Clarke, Wing Manufacturing Engineer, Airbus
500+
Over 200
exhibitors showcasing their products/services
hours of free-to-attend industry content
Benefit from co-location with: AERO ENGINEERING
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