Metsä Wood UK’s head office in Boston, Lincolnshire is just one of many sites across the globe which specialise in providing sustainable, premium-quality wood products for many industries including the construction and industrial sectors. Metsä Wood employs around 1500 people and 2019 sales reached EUR 0.4 billion: its primary products are Kerto LVL (laminated veneer […]
Canned drinks are big business worldwide and the numbers involved are staggering. For example, just one of the better-known soft drink brands claims to sell 1.9 billion cans every day across the globe, and around 2.5 billion are produced annually in the UK alone. In the manufacturing and supply chain, getting the cans to the […]
In its latest white paper, ‘An Introduction to Common Collaborative Robot (cobot) Applications’, Universal Robots provides an overview of how the technology can be easily integrated into common industrial applications to improve manufacturing processes. The six featured in this publication are pick and place; machine tending; packaging and palletizing; processing tasks – gluing, dispensing or […]
Güdel’s new PA-5 pivot arm gantry robot concept retains all of the benefits of a traditional gantry robot – reach, payload and a small footprint – but with the added advantage of being able to operate in areas with a low ceiling. The vertical axis of this new gantry robot is a pivoting arm which […]
Güdel’s Gantry Robot Systems have become something of an industry standard amongst the Worlds’ major tyre manufactures. Companies such as Bridgestone, Michelin, Goodyear, Continental and Pirelli all rely on Güdel technology to manipulate, transport, sort and palletise tyres through their various manufacturing processes. Güdel UK’s Will Bourn explains why the Gantry Robot has become the […]
Fanuc UK has launched its fastest four-axis palletising robot yet. The M-410iC-110, which is based on the existing FANUC M-410 industrial palletising series, can achieve a throughput of 2200 cycles per hour and is capable of high-motion performance within a working range of 2,400mm. Its compact design makes it highly suited for palletising applications in […]
Reprogramming the way a pallet is stacked using the usual robot teach pendants can be a laborious, time consuming, trial and error process. At PPMA 2017, stand C50, automation specialist Pacepacker Services unveils its NEW Pallet+ technology, which, thanks to time saving features including off-line programming, slashes set-up of a new pallet stack layout from […]
New Pallet+ programming technology unveiled by Pacepacker Services is being hailed as one of the biggest technology advances in automated packaging. Bringing about new levels of flexibility and agility, coupled with significant time, energy and cost savings, it could soon make engineer-programming visits a thing of the past for in-house packers. Rather than relying solely […]
FANUC Robotics UK has enlarged its M20-iA family of is based on the same kinematics and engineering as the existing M20-iA/10M and M20-iA/20M robots, but with enhanced payload that broadens its application envelope, making it an attractive investment proposition. The M20-iA/35M can be fitted with a multi-purpose gripper for high-speed pick and placing and for […]
Motion plastics and low-cost automation at MACH 2026
igus returns to MACH with a comprehensive range of engineering innovations designed to improve machine reliability, reduce downtime and deliver long‑term cost savings for manufacturers across all industry. With the UK operation based in Northampton, igus develops lubrication‑free motion plastics that replace traditional metal components, increasing performance while eliminating the need for grease and maintenance. […]
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 […]
ABB Robotics launches high-speed PoWa cobot family
ABB Robotics is combining the flexibility of cobots with higher payloads and performance, with the launch of its new PoWa cobot family into the rapidly expanding global collaborative robot market, which ABB Robotics estimates will grow by 20 percent annually through to 2028. “Cobots are growing significantly faster than traditional industrial robots, driven by demands […]
Flexible industrial automation solutions from Delta
Delta showcased its comprehensive portfolio of industrial automation solutions at Hannover Messe 2026, highlighting how its advanced drives, HMI panels, and controller solutions enable smarter manufacturing by improving energy efficiency, flexibility, and sustainability. At the same time, Delta ensures robust protection for customers across a wide range of industries, from machinery and food and beverage […]
Intelligent automation for laboratory workflows
Beckhoff UK will exhibit at London Lab Live at ExCeL London from May 6-7, 2026, where it will demonstrate how PC-based control can help pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturers build more flexible sample and product handling processes. A key attraction on the stand will be a live demonstration combining Beckhoff’s XTS intelligent transport system with a […]
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 […]
Retail stacks that are pleasing to the pallet
Paul Wilkinson, business development manager at Pacepacker Services examines some of the issues behind today’s palletising requirements. Stack ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap was once a palletising tactic confined to wholesale outlets. Yet nowadays, it’s not uncommon to see pallet loads, especially around busy seasonal periods, carefully positioned on supermarket floors. More complex patterns, combined […]