Responding to manufacturers’ demands for more economical automation solutions, Pacepacker Services has launched a second user robot range. It says the Blu-Robot pick and place systems are typically half the cost of a new robot. Incorporating a second user robot arm, Pacepacker’s economical Blu-Robot range comes with over 20 different end effectors to suit bespoke […]
ABB has won an order for 2,400 robots from BMW Group. Over the next three years the robots will be installed at factories in Regensburg and Leipzig, Germany, as well as in Tiexi, China. The ABB robots will mainly be used for material handling tasks, as well as gluing and spot welding processes. BMW’s choice of […]
The installation of a palletizing robot at the end of its bottling line has boosted the competitiveness of a UK heritage beer bottling business. A Kawasaki robot was chosen after trials were carried out on all container types to be palletised. Edwin Holden’s Bottling Company Limited, based in Sedgley, has a distinct heritage feel which […]
A delta robot solution that is no more difficult to integrate into your system than any other standard automation component? Mark Simms takes a look at the latest part of Omron’s innovative Sysmac platform. These days machine builders who develop machines for the packaging industry are facing ever increasing challenges to provide designs that will […]
The latest version of FANUC’s LRMate 200 robot is more compact, faster, has increased payload and offers a larger work envelope. Ideally suited for integration into special purpose machinery, the LRMate 200iD offers a payload of 7kg, with an uprated wrist assembly that makes longer tool offsets possible. FANUC says increased joint speeds on every axis […]
Manchester-based AIM Engineering, whose customers include aircraft and vehicle manufacturers, has joined KUKA’s ‘official system partern’ scheme, which provides a wide range of services to system integrators such as product technical support and marketing help. Pictured are Grant Hudson (left), sales business manager at AIM Engineering and KUKA robot sales specialist Richard Goodwin (right). Partners are […]
Getting down and dirty in ash is one process that personnel at H+H UK, Goole, are pleased to leave to a new Kawasaki industrial robot. Manufacturing its market leading Aircrete Building Blocks from a mixture of pulverised fuel ash (PFA), cement and lime creates an aggressive environment for clean-up operations. The H+H factory in Goole […]
Justin Leonard, director at Igus UK, looks at the development of modular joints for robots and some of their applications. With pressure across many industries to work more efficiently, there is increased demand for simple lightweight and cost-effective robotic systems. The challenge of developing strong, cost effective and lightweight joints for robotics and for integrating […]
When it needed to automate the assembly of a moulded plastic spigot, a leading Automotive parts manufacturer asked industrial automation expert ALPHR Technology to devise a solution that would be cost effective, compact, reliable and easy to maintain. After carefully analysing the application, the ALPHR Technology team concluded that a solution based on an Omron […]
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 […]
Robots have key role to play in the food industry
At a recent food and beverage industry conference hosted by Mitsubishi Electric, Chris Buxton, CEO of the Processing & Packaging Machinery Association (PPMA), highlighted, among other things, the important role of robots. (Pictured) Attendees at the food and beverage conference. UK food prices have risen 12 percent in the last five years, while incomes have fallen […]