Tenured robotics integrator turns on a dime to help manufacturers do the same April 5, 2021 In October, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, a smaller machine shop in Wisconsin needed a robot to deburr parts—and fast.
2021: The Year of the Connected Worker March 31, 2021 In 2020, the ability for manufacturers to rapidly pivot to changing market demands and challenges became critical for success—and in many cases, survival.
Addressing great need for automation of composites April 1, 2021 The aerospace industry is setting itself up for a massive conjunction of need for industrial capacity to produce parts in the near future.
Making Parts for Next-Gen Vehicles August 18, 2020 Tesla and the march to all-electric cars and trucks may get most of the press. But the reality is that most U.S. automakers need to tackle the twin challenges of building both new components unique to electric vehicles while also building internal combustion engines (ICEs) that are ever-more fuel efficient.
Making Robots Smarter and Safer August 19, 2020 COVID-19 has taught manufacturers a valuable lesson: when humans fall ill, machine tools and equipment sit idle. Granted, they already knew it, just as they knew that employees take lunch breaks and vacations, arrive late because their car won’t start, and go work at the shop down the street for fifty cents more an hour.
Auto Industry Gets Back Into Gear Following COVID-19 Shutdown August 17, 2020 The North American auto industry slammed on the brakes in March because of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The sector already had been forecast to slow down in 2020, with lower light-vehicle demand. That turned into a sudden stop as the coronavirus spread.
A Playbook for Manufacturers Fighting COVID-19 August 26, 2020 When an unanticipated global crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts national economies in a domino-like effect, a rapid response is required to mitigate supply chain disruptions.
Adaptive Robots: BFFs for Small-Batch Automation August 18, 2020 Manufacturing engineers, information technologists, and “smart” robots in flexible manufacturing cells are working ever more closely in manufacturing companies around the world.
A Conversation with SME CEO Bob Willig March 15, 2021 Looking back, 2020 was a year of challenge and change for manufacturing—and that’s an understatement.
Impossible Objects, Ricoh 3D to Produce Parts for European Customers March 30, 2021 A new partnership between Impossible Objects and Ricoh 3D will make strong and lightweight printed composite parts available to Ricoh 3D’s customers in Europe for the first time.