Automation blog
Get the full value from your factory floor data with data sciences
June 19, 2020 Industry 4.0 and IIoT have been buzz words for several years and these concepts are actually implemented on more and more machines. A huge amount of data becomes available: machine data, data of the production process and data regarding the manufactured product. Big Data has entered the factory floor.
Zero-defect philosophy helps resolve the world’s future issues
June 05, 2020 Imagine the city center of a modern metropolis in 2030: a multitude of unmanned, electrically-powered vehicles driving swiftly and silently through the streets. These vehicles sense traffic lights and other road signs and make decisions using artificial intelligence. They avoid people, who unexpectedly cross their path. They detect and avoid dangerous situations before they occur. And they contribute to everyone’s health and safety. But what happens if the associated electrical systems fail? Omron is already addressing this problem today.
Cobots give gear manufacturer a competitive production edge
May 14, 2020 Danish gear manufacturer, Fischer Gears, has boosted the competitiveness of its production process - especially on larger series – by installing two Omron TM robots. The collaborative robots (cobots) free experienced employees to focus on more value-adding tasks.
High-speed robot tests the reliability of black boxes
May 14, 2020 A non-destructive alternative to crash tests
Made-to-order production with an advanced fleet of mobile robots
May 11, 2020 VOLA, a Danish manufacturer of luxury sanitary and kitchen fittings, has opened a new factory that incorporates a fleet of nine mobile robots from Omron.
Energizing European battery cell production
May 01, 2020 What can European automotive companies do to future-proof their production lines, especially in relation to battery manufacturing? Robotics, automated quality control and artificial intelligence (AI) can help companies to tackle the strong competition they are facing from Asia.
Mobile robots smarten up Toyota’s new parts centre
April 28, 2020 Intelligent robots and sophisticated design are helping Toyota to achieve a higher level of efficiency at its new warehouse in Sydney, Australia.
Integrated data control, motion control and machine vision for next-generation automotive production line
April 24, 2020 The Mexican regional headquarters of a leading manufacturer of premium air brake actuators for global on-highway and specialty markets required a new automated production assembly line. One of the company’s key performance indicators is to deliver a fully assembled product every 30 seconds, and it is with this end goal at the forefront that the team started the process of automating the production line.
Cobot and flexible production - Future-proofing SMEs?
March 17, 2020 Many countries in Europe, such as the UK and Germany are likely to experience serious labour shortages over the coming decade, especially in relation to technical specialists. At the same time, product lifecycles are becoming shorter. Despite this, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) might be reluctant to invest in additional automation. However, collaborative robots (cobots) are easy to set up and offer a quick and cost-effective solution. They can increase the flexibility, quality and speed of production and enable companies to respond rapidly to changing market conditions. Omron’s TM series of cobots are a good example of this versatility.
ŠKODA AUTO uses LD mobile robot at Vrchlabí plant
March 17, 2020 The autonomous robot contributes to the continuous improvement of work safety in Vrchlabí and helps to minimise work risks. It recognises people crossing its path as well as other vehicles and stationary obstacles.
Safety in collaborative applications
February 10, 2020 Collaborative robots can be used in a wide range of industrial applications. Thanks to various integral safety features, they can work safely with or near people. In addition, they can easily adapt to changing needs. This results in increased productivity, especially in repetitive tasks, enabling manufacturers to reap the benefits of a high return on their investment. However, for a cobot application to be successful, it must incorporate safety considerations based on comprehensive risk assessments. So, what are the industry safety standards and solutions that will enable a company to gain the maximum value from cobots within a collaborative workspace?
Green is key: sustainability in battery manufacturing for E-mobility
February 05, 2020 Today, sustainability is no longer a niche topic, but something that companies are integrating into their business strategies. Not only are sustainability practices necessary to answer the changing demands of consumers, the marketplace and governments, they are also increasingly being seen as a competitive strength. That’s because sustainability practices reduce energy consumption and waste, and also help companies use their resources more efficiently. They even help companies optimize their manufacturing agility and enable them to respond to fluctuating demand and the growing need for personalization. And finally, sustainability can play an important role in acquiring and retaining customers, as well in developing new market opportunities.
Mobile robots smarten up Toyota’s new parts centre
April 28, 2020 Intelligent robots and sophisticated design are helping Toyota to achieve a higher level of efficiency at its new warehouse in Sydney, Australia.
Cobot and flexible production - Future-proofing SMEs?
March 17, 2020 Many countries in Europe, such as the UK and Germany are likely to experience serious labour shortages over the coming decade, especially in relation to technical specialists. At the same time, product lifecycles are becoming shorter. Despite this, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) might be reluctant to invest in additional automation. However, collaborative robots (cobots) are easy to set up and offer a quick and cost-effective solution. They can increase the flexibility, quality and speed of production and enable companies to respond rapidly to changing market conditions. Omron’s TM series of cobots are a good example of this versatility.
ŠKODA AUTO uses LD mobile robot at Vrchlabí plant
March 17, 2020 The autonomous robot contributes to the continuous improvement of work safety in Vrchlabí and helps to minimise work risks. It recognises people crossing its path as well as other vehicles and stationary obstacles.
Safety in collaborative applications
February 10, 2020 Collaborative robots can be used in a wide range of industrial applications. Thanks to various integral safety features, they can work safely with or near people. In addition, they can easily adapt to changing needs. This results in increased productivity, especially in repetitive tasks, enabling manufacturers to reap the benefits of a high return on their investment. However, for a cobot application to be successful, it must incorporate safety considerations based on comprehensive risk assessments. So, what are the industry safety standards and solutions that will enable a company to gain the maximum value from cobots within a collaborative workspace?
The factory of the future: people and machines working together in harmony
January 20, 2020 Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming the efficiency of industrial production, through stronger interactions between man and machine that can boost productivity. A new, promising model for ‘factory harmony’ is based on intelligent, integrated and interactive design for tomorrow's manufacturing processes.
Humans and machine collaborate to meet today’s challenges
December 23, 2019 In Shanghai, labour costs are increasing by 7% every year. With growing shortages in manpower, it is becoming more and more difficult to hire factory operators. On the other hand, companies must consider return on investment and equipment effectiveness when adopting automation solutions in the factory.
Three pillars of successful cobot deployment: safety, quality and flexibility from a single source
November 04, 2019 The use of collaborative robots is expected to increase rapidly in the next years to meet the needs of flexible production lines. To ensure that manufacturing layouts can be easily adapted to changing customer requirements, we recommend teaming up mobile robots and cobots. In addition, companies must consider integrated software apps and vision technology, as well as ensure support and risk assessment.
Agile and clever tailor-made mobile robotics
November 04, 2019 Major German automotive group optimizes efficiency and innovation leadership in material handling with Omron LD mobile robots and a conveyor attachment from cts GmbH.Automobile production and assembly line production have always been closely linked. It was not until Henry Ford began using conveyor belts in his factories in 1913 that the car was able to conquer the world as a mass-produced product. Today, a working day without assembly lines is inconceivable at the BMW factories. The group relies on innovative transport and logistics to increase efficiency and flexibility, to better link work processes, as well as to relieve employees from repetitive and time-consuming tasks. These concepts include Omron LD mobile robots for material transport that deliver a particularly high return on investment (ROI). These autonomous mobile robots are equipped with a conveyor tower - a height-adjustable load handling device, developed by system integrator cts GmbH. The interaction between employees and transport robots at BMW impressively demonstrates how factory harmony can be implemented in the factory of the future.
Top tips for choosing a mobile robot
October 16, 2019 In an age of short product lifecycles and an increasing demand for customised solutions, if you’re a manufacturer, you need to be very agile to remain competitive. For instance, you might need to make products down to a lot size of one as simply and cost-efficiently as in mass production; or to change or update your production line at short notice. One key solution is a greater co-operation between people and machinery, leading to improved efficiency and more flexibility in the design of the production line.
Autonomous bin picking with a collaborative mobile robot
October 16, 2019 Our TM collaborative robot provides a unique solution to easily automate applications such as picking and packing that, traditionally performed by humans, have been challenging to automate. As part of the TM series launch, we also released a mobile-compatible model, which seamlessly integrates into Omron’s LD series autonomous mobile robot. Combined with a 3D vision camera mounted directly onto the collaborative robot, this enables for example e-commerce companies to automate more complex tasks. This includes pick and place of various items onto a tray or container, as well as connecting production processes with the autonomous mobile robots for flexible manufacturing and materials handling.
The power of collaboration between machines, people and teams
October 01, 2019 With today’s rapid advances in technology, the manufacturing sector needs to be increasingly agile, ready to adapt to changing demands. Production lines must be more flexible, so that they can cope with shorter production runs, more varied products and tight deadlines. So how can manufacturers address these challenges? The solution lies in more advanced, interconnected and intelligent systems that can be programmed to handle a range of tasks.
Mobile robots speed production at new ‘smart factory’
September 26, 2019 Showcasing flexible production in real life, a new ‘Smart Factory’ in Norway uses a variety of robots in a system developed and implemented by system integrator Intek Engineering.
Don't let vibrations catch you off balance!
February 25, 2019 Machine operators are aware that sudden increases in vibrations or noise variations can herald a serious shake-up on their production lines. Unfortunately, it is hard for humans to quickly notice the indicators of, for instance, out-of-balance mechanics. The human touch is no match for dedicated sensors combined with high-speed Analogue Input Units that can reliably, precisely, and easily acquire synchronized data.
Expect the unexpected: Prepare, Prevent & Predict
February 25, 2019 Sudden stops on a production line can cost a fortune. Avoiding unexpected stops and reducing scheduled downtime are key components to boost OEE. It sounds simple, but requires interpretation of the right, often complex, data. Artificial intelligence can optionally be deployed to interpret the collected relevant device and machine data real-time. Our solutions assist you to actively steer your operations to optimize the schedule for maintenance activities, and minimize maintenance and support costs.