The soaring demand on productivity is a significant factor for increasing investments in robotization. Many companies now acquire robots to solve problems, assist humans and support production. Moreover, the lack of labour power is currently the biggest motivation for operating robotization in workplaces in order to achieve customer requirements, and reduce the time from order to implementation. But while the adoption of robotization is increasing, most robots remain out of reach for the small and medium-sized (SME) business due to the high cost. Robotization can make our lives simpler and better, but only if they are affordable. By K.A. Gerardino.

Autonomous driving is considered a key innovation in road transportation in years to come. It sits at the forefront of vehicle technology and presents an opportunity for brand differentiation in a packed automotive market. Demand for autonomous driving is also trickling down the supply chain for systems and components that allow cars to drive and brake without human interaction. By K.A. Gerardino.

The "Swissloop Tunneling" research team from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich has started unpacking and assembling its high-tech drilling robot in Las Vegas as they prepare to participate in the "Not-A-Boring Competition" on Sunday, September 12. As an official logistics partner, Gebrüder Weiss was responsible for the safe and timely land and sea transport of the critical technology from Dübendorf, Switzerland, to Las Vegas for the competition.

While the use of exoskeletons in industry is still at the lower end of the spectrum, there is growing awareness about the benefits of exoskeletons in industrial applications.

6WIND, a leading high-performance networking software company today announced its partnership with Kontron Transportation to deliver the 6WIND Turbo IPsec solution to private railway companies across Europe.

The smart factory is still a work in progress, but the building blocks are already in place. A report.

An interview of Dr Stefan Assmann, Business chief digital officer, Industrial Technology business sector, Bosch Connected Industry. By Milton D'Silva.

The concept of the smart factory has been steadily evolving over the past few years as its moves towards the goal of providing harmonious communication between shop-floor devices and enterprise-wide management systems. Ultimately, the ambition is to ensure productivity and quality are maximised, from quotation and order, to manufacturing and dispatch. Such a transition also provides the perfect opportunity to address a sometimes overlooked aspect of smart factory operations: energy efficiency.

Editorial by Steed WEBZELL.

IMTS - The International Manufacturing Technology Show, scheduled for September 14-19, 2020 had to be cancelled.