Industrial Robot Growth

PMMI Business Intelligence recently completed a study of the industrial robot market, with a focus on the food, consumer packaged goods, and life sciences markets. This infographic highlights key findings from the research.

Feb 11th, 2020

To access the full PMMI Business Intelligence report, visit: https://www.pmmi.org/report/2019-robotics-innovation-2-implementation

ABB’s new IRB 390 FlexPacker delta robot for e-commerce applications will be launched at the end of 2020.

Robotics Special Report: E-Commerce Requires new Solutions

New robot technology addresses the specific needs of e-commerce packaging, including mixed pallet loads, labor challenges, and a variety of secondary packaging formats.

In fall of 2019, Columbia/Okura and Universal Robots developed the miniPAL, a mobile palletizing cobot integrating Universal Robot’s UR10e.

Robotics Special Report: Cobots Continue to Advance

According to a PMMI robot report, cobots accounted for about 3% of all robot sales in North America in 2017; by 2025, that number is expected to increase to 34%. Here are some of the new cobot technologies driving that growth.

Premier Tech has developed the PSR robotic solution to speed the sorting of nuts at the final stage of the conditioning process.

Robotics Special Report: Addressing Labor Shortages can ‘Help Feed the World’

Robot manufacturer develops a system to alleviate the lack of labor in the nut industry that can sort nuts at the final stage of the conditioning process.

Quest developed a flexible robotic system to load meat and poultry into an Ossid ReeForm E40 thermoformer.

Robotics Special Report: Food-Safe Solutions Emerge

New opportunities for the direct and indirect handling of foods emerge as manufacturers begin developing robots for handling unpacked goods.

Kawasaki Robotics Trend Manager failure prediction software is designed to help companies avoid unexpected downtime by allowing them to predict failures and fix issues before loss of production.

Robotics Special Report: Big Data is the New Currency

New software systems for robotics collect and analyze data to increase OEE, protect against cyberattacks, and predict failures.

At PACK EXPO Las Vegas in fall 2019, Syntegon’s Pack 102 horizontal flow wrapper with three Fanuc robots was demonstrated loading meal kits.

Robotics Special Report: Vision for the Future

New vision systems for robotics, including 2D and 3D machine vision, enable broader packaging applications.

Technology Matters: OEE, BMW's AI Robots, Cloud Cost Factors

In this episode we look at OEE and its potential role in industry's digital transformation; why BMW developed its own artificial intelligence powered robots; and seven critical cloud cost factors.

The Spider 200i from BluePrint Automation uses a multi-axis robot to pick snack bags on-the-fly and vertically case pack them into a cassette that forms a vertical pack pattern.

Robotics Special Report: Mass Customization Demands Flexibility

A growing omnichannel environment requires that CPGs have the flexibility to produce a range of package sizes and styles. Automation provides that capability.

The SmartGuardUV autonomous mobile robot at work in a warehouse facility. Source: Fetch Robotics

More Disinfecting Robots Come to Market

Increasing numbers of autonomous mobile robots are being developed to help facilities address the need for repeated disinfecting in response to COVID-19.

The MSP-200 features semi-automated changeover, which allows it to convert to different case configurations in less than 10 minutes.

Robotics Special Report: Case Packer for Croutons Saves Dough on Corrugated

Specialty food products manufacturer installs a robotic case packer for croutons that can keep pace with the rest of the packaging line, while saving costs on shelf-ready packaging, as well.

The Cobot Expo will take place online July 28-30.

Cobot Deployment Shines in COVID-19 Pandemic

Leading up to its virtual Cobot Expo this week, Universal Robots highlighted several cases where small companies have been using collaborative automation to keep production going amid the crisis.

Discover the Secrets of a Successful Automation Project

Discover the Secrets of a Successful Automation Project

Learn about planning and project management, building your machine or automated system, and technologies to improve manufacturing outcomes. Automation World’s free resource features 150 pages on managing automation projects from start to finish.

Fine-grained 3D spatial reasoning with semantic and kinematic understanding, plus Instantaneous closed loop future state projection and decision-making. Source: Veo Robotics

Collaborative Robot Safety

How Veo Robotics uses speed and separation monitoring to make industrial robots collaborative.

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Plug-and-Play Intelligent Robot Screwdriver

OnRobot releases its Screwdriver product with precise torque control for repetitive assembly applications.

With more than 1,000 disks on each sheet, disk picking by hand was extremely time-consuming.

Delta Robot Eases Encoder Disk Production

US Digital operators can focus on more important tasks while a new robotic workstation handles disk-picking duty for the company’s new optical kit encoder.

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Packaging Robotics Playbook

This new playbook from Packaging World showcases the trends, case studies, and how-to tips to help you make the best possible robot purchasing and application decisions for your operation.

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Application Kits for Cobots

Expanding its UR+ platform, Universal Robots adds software and hardware kits for collaborative robot applications.

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BMW Outfits Robots with Artificial Intelligence

To help produce its custom-configured cars more rapidly, BMW used Nvidia’s Isaac robotics platform to add advanced computing and visualization to its factory logistics robots.

The T5 variant features a fifth axis which can be used to swivel and tilt products.

Gerhard Schubert GmbH Drives Innovation with New Digital Technologies

Packaging machinery manufacturer Schubert is addressing the increasingly complex market requirements of greater product diversity and smaller batch sizes.

Kevin Tardif, business development specialist, Festo

Robots: How to Choose the Right One

Available in a range of performance capabilities and prices, robots are becoming ubiquitous in all types of industrial production operations. Understanding the capabilities of each robot type is key to making the best choice for your business.

More in Robotics

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ABB Offers Support Package to Customers Resuming Operations

ABB’s Robotics and Discrete Automation business launched a special package of digital solutions as well as virtual and field service support initiatives to help businesses restart production lines that may have been idle during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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6-Axis Robot

Epson adds the C12XL 6-Axis robot to its line of C-Series robots.

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COVID-19 Brings Increased Visibility to the Role of Robotics

Presidents and CEOs of Fanuc, Universal Robots, Fetch, and Schunk discuss how robotics and automation are helping manufacturers through the pandemic and what the lasting effects might be.

The new packaging system includes two dual-arm cobots that pick PopGrips from trays, insert them onto backer cards, and drop the cards into bags presented by an automated bagger.

Cobots Automate Assembly & Bagging of PopSockets

Promotional products company automates the placement of this popular smartphone accessory on a backer card and bagging of the product at 24/min with two dual-arm collaborative robots.

With new equipment for secondary packaging that includes three Fanuc six-axis robots, Pearson was able to exceed Medline’s rate expectations, delivering 160 products/min.

Wet Wipes Case Packed via Robots at 160/min

Medline Industries replaces an aging case-packing system with one that allows for robotic case erecting, packing, and case sealing, as well as semi-automated operations for smaller batches.

Abb Supports Operations In Critical Healthcare Facilities, Utilities, Industrial And Commercial Buildings With Free Software Solutions

ABB Offers Free Access to Several Products Amid Pandemic

To help industrial organizations struggling with the effects of COVID-19, ABB is eliminating charges on the use of some of its key robotics and power technologies.

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Cobot for Automated Palletizing

Cross Automation uses a UR-10 from Universal Robots to design a mobile, customizable robotic palletizing system that requires no robot programming.

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Autonomous Bin Picking and Placing Moves Cobots Into Machine Tending

Universal Robots’ ActiNav is a UR+ application kit that not only picks parts from bins, but is able to precisely place that part into a machine for further processing.

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Digital Twin-Designed Robotic Sortation System

At Modex 2020, JR Automation exhibited a robotic flexible sortation system designed to interface with virtually any delivery system—from conveyors and autonomous vehicles to forklifts.

Mobile robots use ultraviolet light to disinfect hospitals and other facilities.

COVID-19 Provides Use Cases for Mobile Robotics

Robots can tackle the three Ds they are known for to help combat the spread of the novel coronavirus. Mobile robots are suited to disinfecting facilities, providing surveillance, and delivering goods.

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Humanoid Collaborative Robot

Digit is a collaborative robot that can work alongside humans in factory environments to perform a variety of tasks.

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Smart 5G Patrol Robots Equipped with Advantech’s MIC-770 Edge Computer Deployed to Fight Coronavirus

As part of its effort to contain the spread of COVID-19, China is using 5G patrol robots developed by Guangzhou Gosuncn Robot Co. using Advantech technology to monitor mask wearing and body temperatures in public places.