News » World News €33.7m project will develop digital motor production methods
A consortium of 17 German companies and research organisations has embarked on a €33.7m Government-backed project to develop a digitalised system for producing innovative electric motors. The AgiloDrive2 project is being led by Schaeffler, with other participants including Siemens, Kuka, Schunk and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.
UK robot density rises by 77% in 5 years, as the world doubles
The UK’s industrial robot density – the number of installed robots per 10,000 manufacturing workers – climbed from 71 in 2015 to 101 in 2020, according to figures released by the International Federation of Robotics. Although this represents a growth rate of 77% over the five years, it is far behind the global average, which almost doubled from 66 to 126 over the same period. It puts the UK in 24th position in the global league of robot densities, behind countries including Slovenia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
EU AI and machinery plans ‘will disrupt manufacturing’
Four organisations representing the robotics and automation industry have attacked the European Commission's plans to place limitations on AI (artificial intelligence) and to update its machinery regulations, warning the proposed changes would disrupt manufacturing, cause severe damage to small businesses and robotics companies, and stifle innovation.
Rockwell names Åsa Arvidsson as vp for UK and its region
Rockwell Automation has appointed Åsa Arvidsson as vice-president for its Emea North Region which covers the UK, the Nordic countries, Ireland and Russia. She succeeds Mark Bottomley who has a new role as Emea vice-president for strategic accounts and sales specialists. Christian Reuter has been named as Emea regional vice-president for market access.
Open industrial edge app store works like a consumer store
Siemens has launched a vendor-independent app store for industrial buyers. As well as Siemens’ own Industrial Edge apps for the discrete and machine tool industries, the store will offer apps from third-party suppliers that support the platform such as Braincube, Cybus, SeioTec and Tosibox.
SPS show is cancelled as Bavaria tightens Covid restrictions
The SPS automation show, which was due to take place next week in Nuremberg, Germany, has been cancelled following the announcement by the Bavarian prime minister Dr Markus Söder of strict new measures in an attempt to limit the spread of the Covid-19 in the region.
Mercedes to build UK-designed axial-flux motors in Berlin
Mercedes-Benz has announced plans to start building high-performance axial-flux electric motors designed by its UK subsidiary Yasa in Berlin, as it prepares to go all-electric by 2030.
Siemens and ABB quit SPS as German Covid cases soar
With Covid-19 infection rates hitting an all-time high in Germany, several major exhibitors at next week’s SPS automation show in Nuremberg – including Siemens, ABB, Beckhoff, Schneider Electric, Rittal, Wago, Pilz, Lenze, Sick, Weidmüller, Bosch Rexroth, B&R Automation, TE Connectivity and Harting – have decided to pull out of a physical presence at the show, although many will still take part in online activities that are running in parallel.
Automation centre will help to design future factories
Omron has upgraded its Barcelona-based Automation Centre where visitors from across the Emea region can collaborate with the company’s engineers to develop industrial automation systems, including robotics, vision, quality control, flexible manufacturing and AI. Covering more than 800m2 of floor space, the Centre allows customers to experience the benefits of connected, intelligent factories before making an investment.
Rockwell sets up cybersecurity centre and adds partners
Rockwell Automation has set up a Cybersecurity Operations Center in Israel to deliver remote cybersecurity services to customers around the world. The centre is one of several moves that that Rockwell has announced to bolster its cybersecurity activities, including partnerships with the cybersecurity specialists Dragos and CrowdStrike.
Allied buys Alio and Ormec to boost its precision portfolio
The motion controls manufacturer Allied Motion Technologies has bought two US-based businesses: the nano-precision linear and rotary motion specialist, Alio Industries; and the electromechanical automation system and motion controls manufacturer, Ormec Systems. Allied is paying $20m for Alio, consisting of $15m in cash and $5 million stock. The financial terms of the Ormec acquisition have not been revealed.
Consortium backs Schneider’s open automation vision
A group of more than 25 automation companies and other organisations has be formed to develop, and campaign for, a common software layer that will work on automation technologies of any brand. The founder members of UniversalAutomation.org (UAO) include Advantech, Belden, Hirschmann, Intel, Jetter, Phoenix Contact, ProsSoft, Shell, Wood and Yokogawa.
Electronics overtakes automotive as biggest buyer of robots
The number of industrial robots being used worldwide for electrical and electronics applications overtook those being bought by the automotive sector for the first time during 2020, according to the latest statistics from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). While the number of robots being bought for electronic applications soared from 89,000 in 2019 to 109,000 in 2020, those for automotive applications plummeted from 102,000 to 80,000.
EMEA drives sales fell by 17.8% in 2020, but global sales rebound
Global sales of low-voltage AC drives fell by about 8.9% during 2020, with the EMEA region being hit hardest with sales plummeting by 17.8%, according to new data from Interact Analysis. The Americas experienced a 11.9% contraction, but in the Asia-Pacific region sales actually grew by 1.1%, driven by the Chinese economy which expanded despite the pandemic.
IBM and Boston Dynamics team up for mobile edge analytics
IBM and Boston Dynamics have formed an alliance to deliver data analysis at the edge to help industrial companies improve safety, optimise field operations, and boost maintenance productivity in environments such as factories, power plants, warehouses and more. They plan to transform Boston Dynamic’s robot “dog” Spot into an intelligent roaming edge device, designed to give industrial staff more flexibility to inspect and monitor their equipment with dynamic sensing.
