ABB Opens Updated Robotics Facility

Robotics news seems to present itself all the time. I’m writing this from an independent coffee house in a small town in northern Illinois. The guy at the table behind me is quoting a robotic packaging system to a client. Weird.

ABB held a big unveiling day at its Auburn Hills, MI facility that had recently been refitted and upgraded. I attended virtually—just could not work out the logistics to make it physically. Impressive event.

In short:

  • Refit will support customers and ABB’s leadership in growing US robotics segments, including Packaging & Logistics, Food & Beverage, Construction, Lifesciences & Healthcare and Automotive electric vehicle production 
  • New factory serves as US hub, developing and manufacturing AI-enabled technology to help businesses respond to labor shortages, global uncertainty and the need to operate more sustainably  
  • Expansion is latest in over $30 million Robotics investment in the US since 2019 including Packaging & Logistics headquarters in Atlanta, Lifesciences and Healthcare Research Lab in Houston and Research and Development Center in San Jose.

The expanded facility reflects ABB’s commitment to long-term growth in the US market, which is predicted to follow global growth rates for robotics of 8% CAGR, as well as the company’s global investment to build Robotics and Automation capacity and create new, highly skilled jobs. This is ABB’s third global robotics factory expansion in three years across China, Europe and the Americas and is part of its efforts to further strengthen its local-for-local footprint.

With a 30 percent increase in facility space, the new Auburn Hills facility will enhance ABB’s ability to serve as the leading strategic robotics partner for its growing customer base. Through the new Customer Experience Center, ABB will showcase its leading hardware and software solutions, pioneering the latest digital and AI-powered automation technologies with customers, and developing and manufacturing next generation robots. 

The expanded facility will support ABB Robotics’ specialist centers including its Packaging and Logistics hub in Atlanta, Georgia; its Life Sciences and Healthcare hub at the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas; and AI Research Lab in San Jose, California. Complete with a new training center, the facility will educate over 3,000 workers and students each year, equipping them with the skills to thrive in a new era of AI-powered automation.   

RoboDK and Comau Partner For Robotic Simulation and Offline Programming

The amount of activity in the robotic sector continues to amaze me. Companies continue to exploit the power of partnerships to extend applications rather than trying to invent it all themselves (most companies don’t have that sort of funding to invest in extensive R&D). This news brings Comau, a Stallantis company, and RoboDK, a spinoff from the CoRo laboratory at ETS University of Montreal. I can remember Comau from my earliest trips to the Robot Show in Detroit in the 80s.

The news is that the latest version of Comau Roboshop Next Gen software now fully integrates with RoboDK robotics simulation and offline programming.

Comau users can now enjoy the benefits of RoboDK directly due to RoboDK’s integration into Comau’s Roboshop Next Gen software suite. This integration allows users to easily simulate and program robots using advanced CAD to path features, import 3D Models, detect collisions, integrate with external axes such as turntables and linear rails, support multiple robot cells in the same project, improved integration with CAD/CAM software and use advanced simulation features such as conveyors and grippers. This allows Comau robot programmers to easily use Comau robots for advanced manufacturing applications such as robot machining or 3D printing.

In addition to these technical benefits, the collaboration also introduces support for Realistic Robot Simulation (RRS), providing accurate path and cycle time estimates. This advancement aims to provide businesses with a clear understanding of robot behavior and precise cycle time details, ensuring more efficient and optimized robot operations.

Schneider Electric Debuts New Collaborative Robots

MODEX is a material handling show, so it’s not surprising that robotics of various kinds should take a featured place. I’ve written about several lately. I have to say that ever since I was introduced to robots in 1984 that Schneider Electric is not a name that pops easily to mind when I think of the market segment. However, they introduced the Lexium Cobot (collaborative robot) last October and continue to work on it.

Schneider Electric announced the release of two new Lexium cobots (collaborative robots) at MODEX 2024, the Lexium RL 3 and RL 12, as well as the Lexium RL 18 model coming later this year. Controlled by Modicon motion controllers, which unify PLC, motion, and robotics control functionality on a single hardware platform and integrated into of EcoStruxure Machine Expert software, it offers a complete robotic solution. 

Compatibility with EcoStruxure Machine Expert Twin, a digital twin software suite that creates digital models of real machines, allows for virtual test strategies and commissioning, as well as shortened factory acceptance testing (FAT). 

Benefits of Lexium robotics and motion solutions include: 

  • Fast deployment: Built on open automation standards and protocols, cobots offer flexibility, scalability, and easy third-party equipment integration. They can be easily applied to existing or new production lines in a variety of different industries.
  • Streamlined integration: Enhanced computing power, open software, and networking technologies facilitate quicker assembly, installation, and maintenance of robots. A centralized architecture with a unified programming platform using open standards promotes seamless interoperability among automation systems, machines, and robots. 
  • Consistent output: Designed to handle repetitive tasks without errors or distractions, cobots can maintain Overall Equipment Effectiveness while manufacturing higher volumes of quality goods over shorter periods 24/7 without fatigue. This produces a consistent output with little variability over a given production batch.
  • Workplace health and safety: Cobots perform well in harsh environments and can handle riskier operator tasks involving heavy weights to reduce accidents and injuries.

Kawasaki Robotics, Olis Robotics Offer Remote Monitoring and Control

I have begun receiving enough press announcements from the MODEX 2024 show that I am beginning to think I should have made plans for Atlanta next week (March 11-14, 2024). It’s material handling, so lots of robotics news. This one from Kawasaki Robotics and Olis Robotics. Partnerships are how things get moved forward these days.

Olis Robotics, a leader in the remote error recovery for industrial robots, announces a new partnership with Kawasaki Robotics Inc., a leading supplier of industrial robots and automation systems, to offer their customers the ability to restart production faster, reduce troubleshooting and downtime costs by up to 90%, and gain access to expert support quickly.

Olis users connect directly to their robots through an on-premises device via a secure connection, avoiding the risks and complexities associated with cloud-based systems. To ensure physical safety, Olis is designed to always obey the robot controller’s safety restrictions.

Integrated Autonomous Mobile Robot Solutions

Some of the increased activity in industrial robots came from the collaborative (cobot) work in Denmark. There is also work with chips and software and safety. Another area of robotic innovation comes from the autonomous mobile robot (AMR) technology. This is news from Omron and Danish company ROEQ. These mobile robots require innovative top modules performing much the same function of the well known grippers.

OMRON is now launching its new mid-range AMRs, the MD-650 and MD-900  in the U.S. and Canada, with mobile robotic equipment (MRE) from ROEQ, delivering safe and reliable material goods transfer:

  • TML500/TML750 Lifter is a versatile flat top lifter solution enabling the MD-series to safely pick up, transport, and drop off pallets and cargo up to 510 kg (1120lbs) with the MD-650, and 760 kg (1680lbs) with MD-900. A new ROEQ PR750 Pallet Rack is also available with a space saving Multi Rack option. An optional ROEQ Cargo Sensor Kit provides additional control to ensure goods stay in place on the AMR. The Lifter is available for both U.S. and Euro pallets.
  • TR600/TR700 Roller is a heavy-duty top roller allowing the MD-series to pick up and deliver heavy goods, up to 675kg (1490lbs) between conveyor stations. The full solution includes the award-winning ROEQ GuardCom system which provides additional safety and efficiency when transferring between the top roller and the receiving station, using robust sensor technology.
  • Both modules come with ROEQ Assist software for fast and consistent set up and are compliant with safety standards. A ROEQ cart solution, boosting the payload capacity of the MD-series, will be released later this year.

For the lifter solution, the ROEQ Assist software weaves the three building blocks – AMR, lifter module, and pallet rack – into a full solution working as one. The same goes for the roller solution, where AMR, roller module, and the GuardCom System all are configured by the same ROEQ Assist tool. The close integration delivers a smooth setup and installation experience and shows its real strength in daily high and reliable performance, resulting in overall better Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

ABB Identifies New Frontiers for Robotics and AI in 2024

Two things. First, I cannot believe that ten years ago I lost interest in robotics thinking the whole genre was mature and not interesting. Second, I’m still getting executive visions for 2024. This news combines the two. Marc Segura, President ABB Robotics Division, identifies three drivers for robotics-driven AI solutions in 2024. The impetus relates to ABB’s continued expansion into new segments not previously served by robotic automation. Not to mention, ABB is celebrating 50 years of robotics innovation this year.

“The coming year will see a growing focus on the critical role of AI,” said Marc Segura, President ABB Robotics Division. “From mobile robots and cobots, to enabling new robotic applications in new sectors and creating new opportunities for people to learn and develop, these new frontiers for AI are redefining the future of industrial robotics.”

1 – AI will drive new levels of autonomy in robotic applications

Accelerating progress in AI is redefining what is possible with industrial robotics. AI is enhancing everything from robots’ ability to grip, pick and place as well as their ability to map and navigate through dynamic environments. From mobile robots to cobots and beyond, AI is giving robots unprecedented levels of speed, accuracy, and payload carrying ability, enabling them to take on more tasks in settings like flexible factories, warehouses, logistics centers and laboratories.

“AI-enabled mobile robots can transform sectors like discrete manufacturing, logistics and laboratories,” said Segura. “Robots equipped with ABB’s new Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (Visual SLAM) technology, for example, have advanced mapping and navigation skills, granting new levels of autonomy, while greatly reducing the infrastructure needed by previous generations of guided robots. This paves the way for a shift from linear production lines to dynamic networks, creating significant efficiencies and taking on more dull, dirty and dangerous tasks, to enable workers to take up more rewarding jobs.”

2 – AI will see robots enter new sectors

The potential offered by AI-enabled robotics is influencing sectors far beyond manufacturing. In 2024, these technologies are expected to bring substantial efficiency improvements to more dynamic environments, such as healthcare and life sciences, as well as retail. Another example is the construction industry, where AI-powered robotics can make a material contribution to boosting productivity, enhancing safety and sustainable construction practices while spurring growth.

“The construction industry is a great example of a sector where AI-powered robots will prove transformative, delivering real value by addressing many of the issues facing the industry today, including worker shortages, safety issues and stagnant productivity,” said Segura. “Abilities such as enhanced recognition and decision-making offered by AI, coupled with advances in collaborative robots enable safe deployment alongside workers.  These advances also enable robots to perform key tasks such as bricklaying, modular assembly and 3D printing with greater precision and speed, all while contributing to more sustainable construction by lowering emissions, such as concrete mixing on site, to reducing the need to transport materials across far distances with on-site assembly”

3 – AI will offer new opportunities for education and working with robots

The advances being made in AI and robotics are significant for training and education, closing the automation skills gap and making robots more accessible to more people and businesses. With AI making programming easier, through lead-through and even natural language, education can shift more towards how robots can assist humans more effectively, rather than just teaching programming skills. This transition will make robots more approachable and bring them to a wider audience, leading to new job prospects while helping alleviate labor and skills shortages.

“A shortage of people with the skills needed to program and support robots has long been a hurdle to the uptake of robotic automation, especially in small to medium sized manufacturing companies,” said Segura. “We will see this increasingly being overcome as advances in generative AI lower the barriers to automation and expand the focus of education beyond programming. Developments in natural language programming, powered by AI in which workers can verbally instruct a robot in its task, will create a new dynamic in human-robot interactions.”

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