robotics

Chemical engineers at the University of Melbourne have claimed to have found a way to 3D print smart polymers (or plastics) that can perform a function, in a way that is cheaper, cleaner and more accessible than previous iterations. These smart and functional polymers that are being produced by Dr Luke Connal and his team … Continue reading Making new functional polymers for 3D printers →

The World Robotics Report 2016 recently released by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) forecasts that compact, user-friendly collaborative robots will become a key driver in the automation market.

PRINCIPLES from the automotive, mining and paper industries have helped develop a machine to convert cheap pulpwood into a premium product with the same properties as tropical hardwood.

According to a report in today’s Australian newspaper, former Orica executives, Andrew Larke and Patrick Largier, are being courted by the administrators of Arrium to become directors of its $1.5 billion subsidiary Moly-Cop. Moly-Cop makes steel grinding balls used in mining and is touted as one of the most lucrative part of Arrium’s ailing operations. … Continue reading Arrium administrators find Orica execs as the solution for Moly-Cop →

GE Power has announced that it has completed the acquisition of the Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) business of Doosan Engineering & Construction for $USD250 million. Originally announced in May, the Doosan Engineering & Construction HRSG acquisition will help GE Power meet the growing demand for its combined-cycle power plant solutions, which utilize HRSG technology, … Continue reading GE buys out Doosan’s Steam Generator Business →

Thai investment in robotics and automation is rising steadily, but the country is leaving nothing to chance in its efforts to modernise its industry, recently announcing several new incentives in an attempt to speed up its industrial modernisation. Brent Balinski spoke to Ajarin Pattanapanchai from the Thai Board of Investment about the efforts to encourage automation.

A start-up business incubated by Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University is using robots commonly used for manufacturing tasks to treat problems such as back pain and tennis elbow.

Unlike our previous election, in fact unlike our past three federal elections, in the US, both candidates for president are vowing to revitalise and resurrect the U.S. manufacturing industry. In fact, Donald Trump says he will “reclaim millions of American jobs” while Hillary Clinton is pushing a “make it in America” strategy. “While too many … Continue reading OPINION: Unlike in Australia, US elections are all about manufacturing →

When I first saw the results of IFS’s Digital Transformation Survey of nearly 500 senior decision makers in 20+ countries, I was surprised that only 50 per cent of respondents in Australia said they had a clear strategy for digital transformation. The reason wasn’t that 50 per cent seemed like a low figure based on … Continue reading OPINION: Are Australian companies doing enough to transform themselves? →

The business founded by young engineer, STEM evangelist and entrepreneur Marita Cheng has just begun shipping its new product, Teleport. Brent Balinski spoke to Cheng about getting robots into our homes.

A robotic arm that combines a suction, a “two-fingered” gripper and a 3D depth-sensing camera has won Amazon’s latest warehouse bot competition. Team Delft’s machine triumphed over its rivals at both of the two tasks. One involved selecting products from a container, picking them up and putting them on a shelf. The other was doing … Continue reading Suction-cup robot arm wins Amazon Picking Challenge →

DHL is piloting the use of collaborative robots in “co-packing” and “value-added” tasks, aiming to roll these out in places that have been traditionally hard to automate.

While there is a global movement built around creating smart, connected factories of the future, a new trend towards putting the human touch back in production is transforming the manufacturing process.

TM Robotics and Toshiba Machine Industrial Robots have announced they have partnered with M.A.P Services to sell Toshiba Machine robots in Australia. After many years of searching for the ideal partner, TM Robotics finally met M.A.P Services at this year’s IREX show in Japan, where the two organisations discovered they were both looking for the same … Continue reading Toshiba industrial robots come to Australia →

The world of manufacturing continues to change at a rapid rate from old school conventional turning operations with added milling less than 10 years ago to multifunctional machining with robotics, increasing machine utilisation, freeing up skilled workers from routine work and up-skilling for even higher levels of efficiency. At the forefront of these enormous changes … Continue reading Conventional turning to multifunctional machining to robotics – massive changes in manufacturing →

Attendees at this year’s National Manufacturing Week (NMW) will be treated to a demonstration of the latest collaborative robot technology, when Impact Robotics showcases the newly-released Sawyer ‘cobot’. Impact Robotics is the exclusive ANZ distributor of the Sawyer and Baxter robots by Rethink Robotics, and NMW will be the first exhibition in Australia to host … Continue reading Impact Robotics to demonstrate Sawyer “cobot” at National Manufacturing Week →

Sales of industrial robots topped 240,000 units last year, with automotive and electronics sectors again leading the way, though overall growth was down from a bumper 2014 year. The International Federation of Robotics’ annual World Robotics – Industrial Robotsreport recorded an eight per cent increase in sales, year on year. China led with 66,000 units … Continue reading Global industrial robot sales increased 8 per cent in 2015 →

Linking computer vision with robotics is a tricky problem, but the benefits in places like factories, fields and the ocean floor are worth the trouble. Brent Balinski spoke to Professor Peter Corke of Queensland University of Technology about giving robots the power of sight.

For family-run businesses like Australia’s Prysm Industries, providing a high quality product while also keeping costs down can be a challenge.

Perth is set to be the first Australian city to trial a driver-less bus, according to West Australia’s transport minister.