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 […]
The longstanding industrial practice of outsourcing manufacturing operations to low-cost parts of the world to keep manufacturing costs down has recently taken a dramatic turn. With rapidly rising labour costs in countries such a China, the financial advantages of manufacturing overseas are being seriously eroded. When manufacturers also realise that offshoring also usually involves complex […]
Over reliance on traditional welding and inspection techniques is harming productivity and consistency, according to a new white paper. Adapt and change – How adaptive control of resistance welding can cut production costs and improve product quality reveals that while welding is becoming increasingly automated, lack of adoption of new welding technology is holding industry back. […]
It is important to understand when to select a Cartesian handling system over kinematic and SCARA assembly and handling solutions, so Festo has produced a whitepaper which provides a technical comparison of the Cartesian handling system with these other technologies. The whitepaper gives a simple overview of the Cartesian handling system and kinematic handling system, […]
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 […]
ChocoMatic comes to life with igus 7th axis
When customers tap a screen to choose their favourite chocolates, Roose Automation’s ‘ChocoMatic’ robot arm travels along a linear track, selects each chocolate, and delivers them without human intervention. Behind this playful, hygienic automation lies a clever piece of engineering: the 7th axis from igus. Roose Automation wanted to give its robot arm the freedom […]
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 […]
High-payload collaborative robots from OMRON
OMRON Robotics and Safety Technologies has expanded its TM S Series collaborative robot portfolio with three new models and a major software update, supporting manufacturers facing labour shortages and increasing requirements for flexible, high-mix production. The TM30S, TM20S and TM6S extend the series’ payload and reach capabilities for applications such as palletising, machine tending and […]
RARUK Automation demos cobot palletising solution
On 11-12 February 2026, Packaging Innovations and EMPACK will be returning to the NEC in Birmingham. RARUK Automation will be showcasing the PE10 Robotiq Palletising Solution designed specifically for Universal Robots collaborative robots (cobots). Palletising is a repetitive and strenuous task that poses risk of injury to workers. For manufacturers looking to increase efficiency, palletising […]
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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Automation and robotics in food manufacturing
At Food Manufacturing Live, Jake Norman, managing director at OAL, discusses applications for robotics in food factories to automate the likes of pick and place operations, palletising, case packing and other areas. He highlights the picking of fresh fruit, with a particular demonstration on the stand showing a robot picking up oranges. “We work with […]
Bridging the gap in food and beverage plants
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 […]
FANUC robot pairs hygiene with high performance
To meet the growing demand for food and cleanroom applications, FANUC has unveiled the latest model in its LR Mate industrial robot range. The compact and powerful LR Mate 10-11A Food/Clean has a 10kg payload and is compliant with ISO 4 Class cleanrooms. This makes it ideal for use in highly controlled environments across sectors […]
Robot drive components impact on performance
Talking about the qualities and capabilities of today’s industrial robots, Harmonic Drive managing director Graham Mackrell argues that the whole is only as good as the sum of its parts. Pictured right: Harmonic Drive’s SDH is a shorter gear component for use in robotics, addressing the trend for smaller, lighter rigs “After reading a recent […]