INDUSTRY News
MoU signed to advance manufacturing R&D
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) and the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance research collaboration and knowledge sharing in technology, manufacturing and education across borders. The partnership will see GMIS and Pitt, in particular its Swanson School of Engineering, collaborate to explore opportunities to encourage research and development in manufacturing, develop academic papers, and facilitate knowledge exchange between different universities and educational institutes worldwide. The partnership is designed to further the two organisations’ shared objectives to drive sustainable innovation that will help reshape the global manufacturing landscape, serving economies, industry and society better.
“Pittsburgh represents the intersection of Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0, as indicated when Worth magazine recently named it as the nation’s second-most resilient city. Pittsburgh was the burning heart of the Second Industrial Revolution, and the past three decades of re-invention have shown how our region has once again established itself as the nexus for creating new knowledge that improves the human condition. And, as we celebrate the 175th year of engineering education at Pitt in 2021, the Swanson School is proud to help lead the way in research, academics and cultural competency,” said James R. Martin II, US Steel Dean of Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering, pictured below.
ABB COLUMN
TIME TO UNLOCK YOUR PRODUCTIVITY WITH ROBOTS
W
ith the recent launch of our exciting new GoFa and SWIFTI cobots, now seems as good an opportunity as any to re-examine
the uptake of robots in the UK and see how we compare to our competitors. The latest figures from the International Federation for Robotics (IFR) predicts that
from 2020 to 2022 almost two million new industrial robots are expected to be installed in factories around the world, which is very encouraging. Yet in the UK the picture isn’t quite so rosy: the IFR finds that there are only 91 robots per 10,000 population, a figure well below rival industrialised countries. Many companies think robots are too complex to install and
operate and unsuited to small batch, high-variability production. However, recent developments are making them much easier to use and integrate into any production environment. One trend is the rise of collaborative solutions such as our
YuMi, GoFa and SWIFTI cobots. Designed for fast yet safe operation, these cobots can work with people on the same tasks. Developments in software such as SafeMove2 enable other robots to become collaborative too, cutting the need for fencing and cages. The robot footprint is also getting smaller, making them easier to fit into existing processes. ABB’s IRB1100 for instance, offers 35% faster cycle times for increased productivity and a 10% smaller footprint.
An example of a modern robot controller is ABB’s OmniCore that offers a wide range of motion control options as well as an intuitive multi-touch display with gestures such as pinch, swipe and tap. Easy to use, it means more manufacturers can learn to operate robots. With their new abilities and features, robots will increasingly be adopted by smaller companies and those with challenging production processes. Embracing robots will help UK companies improve productivity, remain competitive and meet the growing demand for high-mix low-volume production. Register your interest at
https://campaign.abb.com/l/501021/2021-02-04/sr32bg
Nigel Platt, LBL Manager, UK and Ireland, ABB Robotics
automationmagazine.co.uk
Automation | April 2021
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