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Eliminating human error from manufacturing is one of the primary goals of industrial automation. Advances in robotic technology have introduced a more flexible, less expensive robot that mimics the actions of a human.Traditional robots are typically single-purpose uses, such as stacking pack boxes on a pallet. New collaborative robots can be programmed to perform a variety of tasks and can be easily moved around a factory floor when a change is needed and do not require a complete floorplan chan …

The days of conventional robotics may be numbered. In the past, small and medium sized businesses faced costly, bulky and complicated solutions to achieve automation with an extended period to see a return on the investment. Today, cobot automation solutions are much cheaper, much safer, easy to program, and increase profitability in a much shorter timeframe. For small and medium sized businesses, collaborative robots are a perfect gateway to automation. Below are four outstanding reas …

As CTO and co-founder of Universal Robots, Esben Østergaard, pulled away the black fabric covering the new e-Series cobot at last week’s Automatica fair in Munich, it not only introduced the world to a new collaborative robot line that enables faster development for a wider variety of applications. It also marked a ten year anniversary of the cobot concept being publicly exhibited as a commercially viable automation tool. Back in 2008, as Universal Robots’ modest exhibit opened at Automati …

Robots in the manufacturing environment are not new, so what is preventing some companies from adopting the latest collaborative robots? Some believe that this is primarily due to a basic lack of familiarity with the technology.Safety is a major issue that is cited by those who object to robotic assistance in manufacturing. This perception of robots may stem from the fact that historically robots have been secluded behind safety guarding and operated separately from workers. The idea that these …

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics was founded in 1989 with the mission to inspire young people in STEM fields and today provides a mentor-led program that promotes competition, creativity and teamwork. This week, Automation Distribution representatives introduced collaborative robots to the FIRST Robotics team at Lower Merion High School, Kobe Bryant’s alma mater. The team participates in complex competitions each year, which require the time c …