Food and beverage plants increasingly operate with a blend of equipment generations: legacy machinery that has served reliably for years, and newer automation technologies designed to enhance efficiency, traceability and sustainability. This hybrid setup gives manufacturers flexibility to modernise gradually, but it also presents a growing challenge: how to maintain ageing assets while integrating more […]
End-of-line palletising is a task commonly automated across a range of industries, due to bottlenecks and the risk of repetitive strain injury (RSI) to workers. RARUK Automation can now offer two simple approaches to palletising automation, from partner Robotiq. RARUK Automation is the exclusive UK representative for Robotiq, a Canadian manufacturer of end-of-arm tooling and […]
Comau showcased its advanced automation technologies at Industrial Transformation Saudi Arabia, (ITSA) held from December 1 to 3 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre (RICEC) at Booth number 1-535. As the region’s leading platform for industrial innovation, the HANNOVER MESSE-backed event brought together global and local stakeholders committed to accelerating smarter, greener, and […]
Inovance provided visitors at SPS 2025 with the first European preview of its versatile new INO AIR real-time servo control solution with wireless technology, as well as providing a demo of an articulated robot. The Inovance stand also featured demonstrations of the company’s Total Automation Solution in action, covering the full range of connected industrial […]
TE Connectivity presents a Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) hybrid connector in M12 format. This development helps enable users to connect systems and machines within factory floor networks. The SPE M12 hybrid connectors, which comply with the IEC 63171-7 standard, support the integration of power-demanding field devices into the network and transmit large amounts of data […]
The word “automation” often conjures images of tangled cables, crowded control cabinets and layers of software, each performing a small part of a larger system. Yet as production lines evolve, this complexity can hold progress back. Here, Bradley McEwan, business development manager at Beckhoff, explains why simplifying control architecture can unlock higher performance, faster development and […]
To help engineers meet the demands of modern machine automation and test stands – such as wind channels or model testing – Hottinger Bruel and Kjaer (HBK), has added a low-capacity model to its sensor family: the MCS10. The MCS10 multi-axis sensors can simultaneously capture up to three forces (tension and compression) and three moments […]
Rockwell Automation and Eplan will unveil a new integration at SPS 2025 that simplifies electrical design and simulation. The integration connects Eplan’s schematic design tools with Emulate3D digital twin software from Rockwell Automation, allowing engineers to virtually model, test and optimise systems, such as industrial robots, control panels and automated conveyors, before building any hardware. […]
Comau is contributing to the European Union’s CONVERGING project, which aims to advance smart and reconfigurable production systems to meet the challenges of modern manufacturing. By integrating collaborative robots, autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs), artificial intelligence and human operators, CONVERGING seeks to create human-centric production systems that can perceive, reason, adapt, collaborate and innovate. As part […]
RBTX DOBOT partner launch hailed a success
igus UK marks a major milestone in accessible automation with the successful launch of its RBTX partnership with DOBOT Robotics. The event brought together engineers, system integrators, manufacturers and automation specialists to explore how flexible robotic solutions can be deployed quickly and cost-effectively, without the complexity traditionally associated with industrial automation. Live demonstrations showcased collaborative […]
What role does AI play in art?
The River of Light festival in Liverpool showcased ‘Face Value’, a captivating installation co-created by PhD student Emma Brass from the University of Liverpool and Venya Krutikov, co-founder of The Kazimier and Invisible Wind Factory. Blending artificial intelligence, robotics, and visual art, Face Value invites visitors to confront how technology perceives and redefines reality. The […]
Application phase for 10th vector award is now open
The application phase of the igus vector award 2026 has begun. Now in its tenth year, a joint initiative is honouring designers worldwide who use high-performance plastic energy chains to create cable guides that set new technological standards, with winners to receive up to 5,000 euros in prize money. The vector award has gained international […]
Cobot completes one millionth PCB quality check
Hanover Displays, a UK-based manufacturer of passenger information systems for the public transport sector, has reached a major manufacturing milestone: the completion of its 1,000,000th automated quality test of printed circuit boards (PCBs) using Techman collaborative robots from LG Motion. The automation programme began in 2018, when Hanover introduced its first collaborative robot to improve […]
UR and Scale AI launch imitation learning system
Universal Robots (UR) unveiled the UR AI Trainer at GTC 2026 in Silicon Valley. Developed in collaboration with Scale AI, the AI Trainer marks a tectonic shift as robots move from pre-programmed applications to fully AI-driven tasks. These systems are powered by robust data generated in AI training cells where robots imitate humans. “Our customers, ranging from […]
The beverage palletising shift is accelerating
Martin Ray Winery in Napa Valley has deployed its first lean cobot palletising workcell and achieved a 16-month ROI, with the system installed in just two days. You can find out all about it in a webinar hosted by Robotiq on 19 March. Across Europe and North America, beverage producers, from kombucha and bottled water […]
Customised robotics and automation systems: Astech Projects is an award-winning provider of advanced automated solutions. We work with clients worldwide to design and build robotics and automation systems that meet
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Universal adaptive gripper for faster, gentler picking
Festo has introduced the HPSX Universal Adaptive Gripper, a pneumatic soft gripper engineered to improve speed, hygiene and flexibility in demanding food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics applications. Combining robust design, food-safe materials and adaptive silicone fingers, the HPSX directly addresses long-standing automation challenges where rapid, precise and gentle product handling is essential. “In developing the HPSX, […]
The beverage palletising shift is accelerating
Martin Ray Winery in Napa Valley has deployed its first lean cobot palletising workcell and achieved a 16-month ROI, with the system installed in just two days. You can find out all about it in a webinar hosted by Robotiq on 19 March. Across Europe and North America, beverage producers, from kombucha and bottled water […]
Robotics, vision and AI combine for dairy processes
Automation solutions provider Eberle Automatische Systeme has developed a breakthrough in quality control with a focus on the cheese-ripening process, combining AI with machine vision software from MVTec. The food industry is experiencing a transformative shift in quality control, due in part to advances in artificial intelligence (AI). When combined with rule-based machine vision, AI […]
The evolution of vision in robotics
Vision technology has long played a pivotal role in robotic solutions, helping manufacturers to increase efficiency and accuracy in applications such as quality checking, measurement and product location. However, recent developments in vision innovation, combined with a lowering of costs, means that this is now a great time to invest in robotic technology with vision […]