Dan Patt has stepped down as CEO of Vecna Robotics, the Waltham, Mass.-based maker of autonomous tuggers, pallet jacks, and conveyors. Daniel Theobald, who co-founded parent company Vecna in 1998, will take over as CEO of for the foreseeable future. Patt joined Vecna Robotics in January 2018 after spending nearly six years at the Defense Advanced…
Robotics investments recap: August 2019
Automation transactions in August 2019 included a major surgical robotics acquisitions, as well as funding for welding robots, cleaning drones, AI, and autonomous trucks.
R-Series Actuators Offer Extreme Power Density & Reliability For Aerospace Applications
The R-Series actuators from Ultra Motion have years of reliability actuator design for aerospace/spaceflight applications. Using Ultra Motion’s flight proven, patented Phase Index absolute position sensor, the R-Series provides high resolution absolute position feedback in the most extreme environments and with uncontested mass, economy, and power density. The R-Series actuators are the perfect solution for…
MSC Software and MIG accelerate additive manufacturing with microstructure simulation
MSC Software Corporation (MSC), a global leader in computer-aided engineering (CAE) simulation software and services, announced a research collaboration to advance additive manufacturing (AM) techniques for high performance and high reliability applications with the Materials Innovation Guild (MIG) at the University of Louisville, USA. Additive manufacturing is moving from prototyping to production, where it will […]
Actuators with extreme power density, reliability for aerospace applications
The R-Series actuators from Ultra Motion leverage years of heritage in high reliability actuator design for aerospace/spaceflight applications. Using Ultra Motion’s flight proven, patented Phase Index absolute position sensor, the R-Series provides high-resolution absolute position feedback in the most extreme environments and with uncontested mass, economy, and power density. R-Series actuators are well suited for […]
America Makes commemorates 7th anniversary
It’s been seven years since the founding of America Makes. Driven by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), America Makes is the national accelerator for additive manufacturing (AM) and the first of eight Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MIIs) established and program managed by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) as public-private partnerships. America […]
ARM names Brett Lambert as chair, opens search for new CEO
Brett Lambert, who has served in the defense industry, is the new chair of the board of the ARM Institute, which is working to aid U.S. manufacturing through education and robotics.
Additive Industries largest aerospace customer expands installed base to 10 before the year-end
Additive Industries North America, Inc. announced the purchase of 6 MetalFAB1 systems by a prestigious aerospace company located in California. According to Additive Industries, this order validates its concept of production-based metal powder bed fusion systems for equipment efficiency. When the order for six machines arrives at the customer site later this year, it will […]
Markforged Print Farms can help maximize 3D printing output
Markforged, a leading provider of metal and carbon fiber 3D printers, unveiled the company’s Print Farms — an economic way for customers to build metal and carbon fiber printing capacity with Markforged. The new packages allow customers to purchase the Metal X systems and X7 printers, priced together, to rapidly create metal, composite, and hybrid […]
When human expertise improves the work of machines
Machine learning algorithms can sometimes do a better job with a little help from human expertise, at least in the field of materials science. In many specialized areas of science, engineering and medicine, researchers are turning to machine learning algorithms to analyze data sets that have grown too large for humans to understand. In materials…
CMU, OSU team wins first event in DARPA Subterranean Challenge
A team from CMU and OSU beat 10 competitors in the Tunnel Circuit stage of the DARPA Subterranean Challenge. The robots conducted a mock search-and-rescue scenario.
VOXL from ModalAI helps Uber Eats test BVLOS drone delivery of food
ModalAI’s VOXL platform used 4G connectivity to communicate between a drone and Uber Elevate Cloud Service, enabling a BVLOS food delivery.
Aerospace assembly uses vision-guided Kawasaki robots for unique cell
Kawasaki’s R-series general purpose robots, in combination with 3D vision software, are helping an aerospace manufacturer increase product quality and throughput.
Brushless servo motors from Orbex enhance efficiency
The Orbex Group, a manufacturer of electric motors and slip rings, now offers brushless servo motors that combine high torque, low inertia, and various customizable options to improve efficiency in dynamic servo-driven applications. In fact, customizable elements include the motor windings, holding brakes, feedback options, gear reducers, connectors, and shaft and mounting. Available in a…
Preparing to switch from traditional to additive manufacturing
How to overcome design-for-additive-manufacturing (DfAM) constraints that can be deterrents to mass production. Benny Buller, founder and CEO, VELO3D The manufacturing world’s mindset is shifting with the news of 3D-printed, certified-for-flight components and FDA-approved human joint replacements: additive manufacturing has shown signs it can produce end-use parts, but making metal additive manufacturing (AM) dependable enough […]
Exosuit successfully makes the transition from walking to running
Harvard and University of Nebraska Omaha researchers have developed a lightweight exosuit that assists both walking and running, highlighting the potential for wearable robots outside the lab.
Not a rosy outlook in industrial markets
Scott Hazelton of IHS Markit gave an overview of the industrial markets for hydraulics at this week’s National Fluid Power Association IEOC event. The IEOC (International Economic Outlook Conference), an annual must-attend industry conference, was held this year at the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort. Hazelton’s outlook wasn’t a sunny one (“not a lot of…
MIT robot automates production of small molecules
Guided by artificial intelligence and powered by a robotic platform, a system developed by MIT researchers moves a step closer to automating the production of small molecules that could be used in medicine, solar energy, and polymer chemistry. The system, described in the August 8 issue of Science, could free up bench chemists from a…
Brushless servo motors from Orbex enhance efficiency
The Orbex Group, a manufacturer of electric motors and slip rings, now offers brushless servo motors that combine high torque, low inertia, and various customizable options to improve efficiency in dynamic servo-driven applications. In fact, customizable elements include the motor windings, holding brakes, feedback options, gear reducers, connectors, and shaft and mounting. Available in a […]
Researchers study birds to improve how aerial robots land
Under the watchful eyes of five high-speed cameras, a small, pale-blue bird named Gary waits for the signal to fly. Diana Chin, a graduate student at Stanford University and Gary’s trainer, points her finger to a perch about 20 inches away. The catch here is that the perch is covered in Teflon, making it…
ARM consortium welcomes FANUC America as 200th member
The ARM consortium, which is dedicated to advancing the state of robotics for manufacturing and empowering the American workforce, has grown to 200 organizations.
Eaton will acquire Souriau-Sunbank Connection Technologies for $920 million
Eaton Corp. is expanding its aerospace and interconnect presence, as it announced last week that it has committed to acquire the Souriau-Sunbank Connection Technologies business of TransDigm Group Inc. for $920 million. Headquartered in Versailles, France, Souriau-Sunbank manufactures highly engineered electrical interconnect solutions for harsh environments for customers in the aerospace, defense, industrial, energy, and […]
Robotics investments recap: July 2019
In July 2019, investments in robotics, autonomous vehicles, and drones increased, despite a decline in the number of transactions.
Keeping the bad guys out of industrial networks
To keep hackers from wreaking havoc in industrial networks, modern controllers employ measures that go far beyond ordinary firewalls. Laura Dickinson | Wago Corp. A few years ago, viewers of a TV series called Mr. Robot watched the main character try to destroy mag tape backups held at a data facility that was portrayed as…
MTC UK R&D facility will additively build electronic components 24/7 using a DragonFly LDM 3D Printer
Nano Dimension Ltd., a leading additive electronics provider announced that the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) became the first R&D facility in the United Kingdom to purchase Nano Dimension’s DragonFly LDM precision additive manufacturing system for electronics. MTC will use the Lights-Out Digital Manufacturing System to additively build electronic components, such as multi-layer printed circuit boards […]