Robotics World articles from December 2001

Robotics World archives from December 2001

RIA Forum Presentations Enlightening. (To the Point).
December 1, 2001... I've put off writing this column. Since Sept. 11, every time I sat down to write I thought of the events of that day and I got stuck. What could I say that hadn't been said? You don't need to hear more from me on this sad subject. I needed...

Biocontrol to Work on RobotEyes Project. (News).
December 1, 2001... Indiana, Pa. -- Biocontrol Technology Inc., a division of Pittsburgh-based BICO Inc., has received a one-year, $238,000 contract from Spatial Integrated Systems Inc. to develop hardware for a project being funded by the U.S. Navy intended to...

Automated Assembly Demand Down; Some Segments Remain Strong. (News).
December 1, 2001... Cleveland -- While demand for automated assembly systems, as well as major components such as grippers, robots and actuators, is off by 18 percent, some end-user segments remain healthy, according to a report by Advanced Technology Advisors....

Websites.
December 1, 2001... Lytron Inc. is now a sponsor of the CoolingZone (www.coolingzone.com), the global community for people who need solutions to industrial cooling problems.... The Industrial Automation Control Products and Systems Section of the National...

People.
December 1, 2001... KUKA Robotics has opened two new offices. The new Wisconsin office, headed by Ben Sagan, focuses on consumer products packaging, palletizing and general material-handling applications. The Ohio office, headed by John Lin-demuth, is primarily...

CRS Robotics Corp. (Quick Takes).
December 1, 2001... CRS Robotics Corp. has completed its customer-acceptance regimen for an advanced proteomics research system the company developed in collaboration with the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mt. Sinai Hospital.

Osmic Inc. and Rohwedder Inc. (Quick Takes).
December 1, 2001... Osmic Inc. and Rohwedder Inc. have agreed to jointly develop technologies to be used in the creation of mask blank and optic coatings for emerging Deep Ultraviolet and Extreme Ultraviolet microlithography.

UltraStrip Systems Inc. has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Robotic Environmental Services LLC. (Quick Takes).
December 1, 2001... UltraStrip Systems Inc. has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Robotic Environmental Services LLC for the sale of Ultra-Strip's robotic hydroblasting systems in Louisiana and Texas.

Robotic Vision Systems Inc. (Quick Takes).
December 1, 2001... Robotic Vision Systems Inc. will move the manufacturing and engineering of its Vanguard Automation ball attach product line to Hauppauge, N.Y., from Tucson, Ariz., and close the Arizona facility.

Logitech has formed a new company, 3Dconnexion. (Quick Takes).
December 1, 2001... Logitech has formed a new company, 3Dconnexion, which will focus on developing and marketing input devices for 3D motion control.

PPT Vision Inc. (Quick Takes).
December 1, 2001... PPT Vision Inc. has achieved ISO 9001 certification of its Quality Management System.

Augusta/Intercon 1 division of Nortech Systems Inc. (Quick Takes).
December 1, 2001... Augusta/Intercon 1 division of Nortech Systems Inc. was recommended for certification under the ISO 9001:2000 international quality standard.

Robotic Vision Systems Inc. has named Marketech International Corp. (Quick Takes).
December 1, 2001... Robotic Vision Systems Inc. has named Marketech International Corp. as the sales, service, and application engineering provider for RVSI's Semiconductor Equipment Group in Taiwan.

OrganiTECH Ltd. (Quick Takes).
December 1, 2001... OrganiTECH Ltd. has been issued a U.S. patent for its self-contained, fully automated, robotic crop production facility, GrowTECH 2000.

Lear Corp. (Quick Takes).
December 1, 2001... Lear Corp. has selected Allershausen, Germany, as the location for an all-new technology center focused on creating innovative automotive interior seating and electronics products for the European vehicle market. The Center will include a...

Genesis Systems Group. (Quick Takes).
December 1, 2001... Genesis Systems Group, a robotic welding and cutting integrator, has added a basic welding training class to its curriculum, to complement its existing courses.

Advanced Motion Controls. (Quick Takes).
December 1, 2001... Advanced Motion Controls has completed its 86,000-square-foot headquarters and manufacturing plant in Camarillo, Calif.

Integral Vision Inc. (Quick Takes).
December 1, 2001... Integral Vision Inc. has sold certain of its packaging applications software and most of the fixed assets of its subsidiary Integral Vision Ltd., to DIMACO for $500,000 in cash, Included was the sale of the worldwide exclusive rights to...

Braintech Inc. has granted an exclusive license for its "eVisionFactory" system to Marubeni Corp. (Mergers/Acquisitions).
December 1, 2001... Braintech Inc. has granted an exclusive license for its "eVisionFactory" system to Marubeni Corp. for all of Japan, and extended nonexclusive rights for China. Korea and other industrialized countries in the region.

StockerYale Inc. plans to sell its Stilson Die-Draulics division. (Mergers/Acquisitions).
December 1, 2001... StockerYale Inc. plans to sell its Stilson Die-Draulics division, which will represent the company's final divestiture of its legacy businesses and complete the transformation to an all photonicsbased company.

Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc. plans to acquire Bester S.A. (Mergers/Acquisitions).
December 1, 2001... Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc. plans to acquire Bester S.A., a manufacturer of welding and related equipment, from the Poland Ministry of the Treasury. Lincoln will acquire 85 percent of the company. The work force will receive the remaining 15...

Brooks Automation Inc. (Mergers/Acquisitions).
December 1, 2001... Brooks Automation Inc. has completed the acquisition of Tec-Sem AG, a manufacturer of bare reticle stockers, tool buffers and batch transfer systems. The company also has signed an agreement of acquire PRI Automation Inc.

JDS Uniphase Corp. has made a $25 million investment in Adept Technology Inc. (Mergers/Acquistions).
December 1, 2001... JDS Uniphase Corp. has made a $25 million investment in Adept Technology Inc. convertible preferred stock, and Adept is now JDS Uniphase's development partner from optical automation processes and solutions.

Helpmate Robotics Inc. has signed a letter of intent to merge with PainCare Inc. (Mergers/Acquisitions).
December 1, 2001... Helpmate Robotics Inc. has signed a letter of intent to merge with PainCare Inc. When the transaction closes, PainCare will be the surviving company and the name of the company will be changed to Pain Care.

World Wise Technologies Inc. (Mergers/Acquisitions).
December 1, 2001... World Wise Technologies Inc. plns " to purchase a 100 percent equity interest of Acutec Plastic Ltd. Of Toronto, Canada.

Transbotics Corp., formerly NDC Automation Inc. (Mergers/Acquisitions).
December 1, 2001... Transbotics Corp., formerly NDC Automation Inc., will jointly pursuing material handling systems projects with RonI LLC, primarily through RonI's dealer network.

Genomic Solutions Inc. has signed an agreement to acquire Cartesian Technologies Inc. (Mergers/Acquisitions).
December 1, 2001... Genomic Solutions Inc. has signed an agreement to acquire Cartesian Technologies Inc., which provides systems for precision microscale liquid handling and dispensing automation, and microarray robots.

Motoman's Jennings Elected President of RIA. (RIA Update).
December 1, 2001... Craig Jennings, president of Motoman Inc., has been elected the 2001-2002 president of Robotic Industries Association, the industry's trade group. Jennings succeeds Kevin Ostby, vice president of FANUC Robotics North America, who served as...

Robotics Industry Reports 30 Percent Drop in Orders. (RIA Update).
December 1, 2001... North American robotics companies have seen new orders decline by 30 percent in the first nine months of 2001, according to statistics released by the Robotic Industries Association. Through September, North American robot manufacturers...

New AIA Directory Available. (RIA Update).
December 1, 2001... Profiles of all Automated Imaging Association supplier members can be found in its just-released 2001-2002 Machine Vision System Integrator Directory AIA provides the directory free of charge to all current and potential users of machine...

AIA Business Conference Set for March 6-8. (RIA Update).
December 1, 2001... The 10th Annual Automated Imaging Association Business Conference will be held March 6-8,2002, at The Regent in Las Vegas, Nev. "In the past decade, the AIA Business Conference has become the industry's leading networking event, attracting...

New Proceedings Books from RIA. (RIA Update).
December 1, 2001... A look at the state of the industry is provided in the proceedings book from the 2001 Robotics Industry Forum, including papers from industry leaders in the user, supplier and financial community. Among the published papers are presentations...

RI/SME, SME Present Strategic Plans for Future. (RI/SME Update).
December 1, 2001... Today, the word "strategic" is key to survival. Fluctuating sales and changing customer demands require companies to become more agile and flexible than ever. And to help manufacturing industries survive, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers'...

Leveraging Expertise: Standardized Workcells Reduce Risk for Automation Customers.
December 1, 2001... In the world of manufacturing, there's plenty of risk to go around. And while you can't eliminate risk completely, at times you can minimize it. One of those times is when you buy and install a pre-engineered, standardized robotic workcell to...

Quality Matters: Is your Shop Ready for Robotic Arc Welding?
December 1, 2001... If your company does a lot of repetitive arc welding and quality is a major issue, it might be time to consider installing a robotic arc-welding system or two. "One benefit of robotic arc welding that's not always recognized is consistency...

Dual-Robot Welding Cell. (Robotics Case Studies).
December 1, 2001... Depositing up to 1,300 inches of weld on 3/16-inch steel plate to fabricate one skid-steer-loader bucket can tax even the most dependable of welders. When it comes to repeatably performing this type of high-volume, high-deposition welding job,...

Material Handling (Bottles). (Robotics Case Studies).
December 1, 2001... Pyraser Bier GmbH & Co KG, founded in 1870 in Pyras, Germany, brews eight types of beer to meet demand in Bavaria. The company, which employs 45 persons, also sells carbonated beverages, juices and other non-alcoholic beverages. Pyraser uses...

Motion-Control Software. (Component Spotlight: Motion Control Products).
December 1, 2001... Cimetrix Inc. has released CODE 6 (Cimetrix Open Development Environment), a PC-based motion-control software package that can now eliminate the need for intelligent motion cards, reducing hardware costs by 50 percent. This enables OEMs to...

Gear Reducer. (Component Spotlight: Motion Control Products).
December 1, 2001... Harmonic Drive Technologies offers the Rotary Vector (RV) C hollow-shaft gear reducer that offers high-ratio gear reduction in a compact design. It offers a through-hole ranging from 31 mm to 138 mm, ideal for allowing vacuum lines, wiring...

Robot Controller. (Component Spotlight: Motion Control Products).
December 1, 2001... Intelligent Actuator Inc.'s new X-SEL controller incorporates IAI's design philosophy that robotic systems should be easy to use and integrate. This machine is intended to control IAI's complete line of single-axis or multiple-axis Integrated...

Limited Angle Torquer. (Component Spotlight).
December 1, 2001... BEI Kimco Magnetics has introduced the first model of a new limited-angle torquer line. Developed to provide stabilization and relatively low bandwidth position-control features, the LATH23-10-001Z features a 10-second peak torque capability of...

MicroController. (Component Spotlight).
December 1, 2001... Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector plans to introduce a new PowerPC microcontroller family based on the Book E compliant e500 core. An evolution of the MPC500 architecture, the MPC5500 products are being designed to enable embedded...

Drives. (Component Spotlight).
December 1, 2001... Danfoss Drives has introduced three new models of its family of VLT 2800 Series drives. The VLT 2800 provides 15 HP, the VLT 2881 provides 20 HP and the VLT 2882 provides 25 HP, all at 380-480 VAC. The VIT 2880 and 2882 feature two-conduit...

Motion Controllers. (Component Spotlight: Motion Control Products).
December 1, 2001... Galil Motion Control has expanded its Optima Series of 32-bit microprocessor controllers with the addition of the DMC-2200 Ethernet Motion Controller. These controllers now come with a high-speed l00Base-T option that enables the controller to...

FireWire Controls. (Component Spotlight: Motion Control Products).
December 1, 2001... Meta Control Technologies has introduced FireBlox Control Modules, which allow high-performance machine design with optimal real-time response, while minimizing cabling complexity. A single module contains a powerful DSP, three FireWire ports,...

Servo Amplifiers. (Component Spotlight: Motion Control Products).
December 1, 2001... Servo Dynamics has introduced its Barracuda global servo amplifier, which delivers 6 amps continuous, 18 amps peak current with an input voltage range of 70 to 340 DC. The Cuda can drive both brush and brushless servo motors in the torque mode...

Digital Drive. (Component Spotlight: Motion Control Products).
December 1, 2001... Advanced Motion Controls has introduced its DRl00EE30A40NDC, one of the company's latest offerings in digital servo-drive technology. This fully digital drive is capable of encoder-based sinusoidal commutation of brushless servo motors, with or...

Servo-Worm Reducers. (Component Spotlight: Motion Control Products).
December 1, 2001... Andantex Inc. is offering its Atlanta Servo-Worm Reducers, which specifically accommodate the latest AC and DC servomotor technology in applications that demand precise positioning and repeatability. The units are available in five sizes with...

Servo Peripherals. (Component Spotlight: Motion Control Products).
December 1, 2001... Star Micronics America has entered the motion-control industry with the introduction of its advanced line of SAMCOP servo peripherals. The servo system offers maximum control and flexibility and significantly improves the performance of...

Servo Motors. (Component Spotlight: Motion Control Products).
December 1, 2001... Animatics Corp. has introduced a new SmartMotor product, the SM2315, which features a controller, amplifier and encoder built into a brushless DC servo motor. At the heart of the SM2315 is the Animatic Motion Control Chip, a single...

Motor-Control Development. (Component Spotlight: Motion Control Products).
December 1, 2001... The Model 3850 Motor Control Development Station from Electro Standards Laboratories provides industry researchers and educators a complete solution for the development and understanding of AC and DC motor-control systems and electronics....

Motion-Control Modules. (Component Spotlight: Motion Control Products).
December 1, 2001... Agile Systems Inc. has developed a new "architectural solutions approach" to power control that allows customers to meet their electromechanical design requirements with a series of add-on modules of increasing functionality. DigitalPOWER...

Flexible Gripper. (Products).
December 1, 2001... Motoman Inc. recently introduced its new MotoGrip-All family of grippers for material-handling applications. The gripper modules come in a range of sizes, up to a maximum of 1,000 mm by 1,200 mm. Square, rectangular and circular formats are...

Welding Cell. (Products).
December 1, 2001... The System 50 is a newly designed dual head and tailstock robotic welding cell configuration that extends the family of pre-engineered cells offered by The Lincoln Electric Automation Division. The system is a self-contained workcell, featuring...

Scara Robots. (Products).
December 1, 2001... Bosch Rexroth has introduced two SCARA robots to North America: the turboscara SR6 (600 mm reach) and SR6 (600 mm reach), which are widely used around the world for assembly, soldering, gluing, material handling and other applications. Both...

CD Gripper. (Products).
December 1, 2001... Schunk has introduced a new piezo-electrical gripper designed for the high-speed processes involved in the production of compact discs in clean-room environments. This three-finger angular gripper, Type CDG 45, is electrically actuated with a...

Metering System. (Products).
December 1, 2001... Sealant Equipment & Engineering Inc.'s Program-A-Bead metering systems are designed to apply beads or drops of a two-component adhesive or sealant in a robotic workcell. The servo-driven system precisely coordinates its flow rate with the...

Photonics Assembly Cells. (Products).
December 1, 2001... Adept Technology Inc. has introduced the Adept NanoBonder LWS laser welding system for the photonics industry, which integrates motion control, machine vision, precision alignment stages and weld process technologies to improve throughput and...

Weld Inspection System. (Products).
December 1, 2001... Servo-Robot Corp.'s Flexcell/inspection system quickly and reliably inspects welds, using a laser sensor to replace typical manual visual inspection techniques. It beads enabling real-time measurement critical geometric parameters. Flexcell can...

Material-Handling Robot. (Products).
December 1, 2001... FANUC Robotics North America recently introduced the new FANUC M-6iB robot, a general-purpose material handling, six-axis robot with a 6-kg payload. The new M-6iB robot can be used in applications such as material removal (deflashing/degating),...