Robotics World articles from January 2001

Robotics World archives from January 2001

What Happens When Boomers Start to Retire?
January 1, 2001... Despite softening in many sectors of our economy the outlook is not too bad. North American automotive looks to be down some from the red-hot 17 million vehicles a year pace of 2000. Industry forecasters expect a 5.7 percent drop to an annual...

New Study Released on Use of Robots for Material Handling.
January 1, 2001... A new study on material-handling robots reveals that a large, untapped market exists for companies that supply robotics technology. Produced by the Robotic Industries Association, the study shows that 80 percent of the non-users surveyed...

RWT Opens Facility in Southwest Florida.
January 1, 2001... Fort Myers, Fla. -- Robotic Workspace Technologies Inc. has opened its new headquarters in Fort Myers, Fla. The high-tech facility houses corporate offices, software development teams, new product development teams and technical support...

Monkeys Control Robot Arm Via Brain Signals.
January 1, 2001... Durham, N.C. -- Duke University Medical Center researchers and their colleagues have tested a neural system on monkeys that enabled the animals to use their brain signals to control a robot arm to reach for a piece of food. The scientists even...

Robot Lays Fiber-Optic Cable in Sewer Systems.
January 1, 2001... Mississauga, Ontario -- Stream Intelligent Networks Corp. and the City of Mississauga have implemented robotic technology to install a high-speed fiber-optic network within the city's storm sewer system. Developed by Robotics Cabling Co....

Liquitek Builds Robotic Automation Production Line.
January 1, 2001... Draper, Utah -- Liquitek Enterprises Inc's subsidiary, VitriSeal Inc., has successfully built its first commercially viable robotic automation production line for coating automotive wheels with VitriSeal clear coat. The company believes that...

Royal Precision Converts to Robotics.
January 1, 2001... Scottsdale, Ariz. -- Royal Precision Inc., manufacturer of the Rifle golf-club shaft, has increased production capacity over the last two years at its manufacturing facility in Torrington, Conn., in order to meet the growing worldwide demand...

Guardian Morehead's Paint Line Adds 10 Robots.
January 1, 2001... Auburn Hills, Mich.-- Guardilan Automotive, a Tier I supplier of integrated exterior systems to the automotive industry, has opened an $18.2 million, 68,000-square-foot expansion at its Morehead, Ky., facility. The expansion features a new...

People.
January 1, 2001... Vernon Mangold has been named director, of sales and marketing at Rixan Associate Inc.... Peter Biolabrezski has been appointed division president of Litton Industries' VEAM. He replaces A1 Bernardini who is retiring after 28 years of service...

RixanAssociates Inc.
January 1, 2001... RixanAssociates Inc. has signed a five-year agreement with Mitsubishi Electric Automation. Rixan is the authorized distributor for Mitsubishi robots in North America. Electro Scientific Industries Inc. has established direct sales and service...

Adept Technology Inc.
January 1, 2001... Adept Technology Inc. will provide Solid State Measurements Inc. with its FFE 200/300 wafer-handling system and Adept MV controls for SSM's new SSM 6000 series of semiconductor fabrication metrology systems.

Cimetrix Inc.
January 1, 2001... Cimetrix Inc. has signed along-term OEM agreement with SIG Pack of Beringen, Switzerland. Cimetrix will supply motion, I/O, vision integration, conveyor tracking, real-time extensions and editing software for the new SIG Delta robot.

Genoinic Solutions Inc.
January 1, 2001... Genoinic Solutions Inc. has dedicated its new Proteomic Center, a 7,000-square-foot facility that features the latest instrumentation and robotics.

Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc.
January 1, 2001... Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc.'s two U.S.-based arc welding machine and consumables divisions have achieved ISO 9001 certification.

ABB Automation.
January 1, 2001... ABB Automation is creating an e-business portal that will offer ABB customers a broad range of repair services online. Through the Web-based service, ABB customers will be able to order and track factory-certified repairs 24 hours per day, 365...

Berkeley Process Control.
January 1, 2001... Berkeley Process Control plans to open a sales and customer service center in Newark, Calif., and expand manufacturing capacity at its headquarters in Richmond, Calif. The new Silicon Valley office will be headed by Mark Arola, director of...

ABB Financial Services.
January 1, 2001... ABB Financial Services has launched ABB Business Finance, a full-service vendor finance company that offers a broad array of leasing products and services to the U.S. market. ABB Business Finance plans to build alliances with manufacturers,...

StockerYale Inc.
January 1, 2001... StockerYale Inc. subsidiary Lasiris Inc. has changed its name to StockerYale Canada Inc.

Staublis.
January 1, 2001... Staubli's Robotics Division has up dated its Web site at www.staubli-robot.com.

Omron Electronics.
January 1, 2001... Omron Electronics has upgraded its Web site at www.oeiweb.omron.com, which includes an electronic catalog with parametric search capabilities.

Adept Technology Inc.
January 1, 2001... Adept Technology Inc. has received the Excellence in Manufacturing Award for Robotics from Machine Design magazine.

Robotic Workspace Technologies Inc. and Deneb Robotics.
January 1, 2001... Robotic Workspace Technologies Inc. and Deneb Robotics recently were awarded the 1999 Market Leadership Award presented annually by Frost & Sullivan, for combining their software technologies to bring advanced graphical simulation capabilities...

Petersen Inc.
January 1, 2001... Petersen Inc. and Setpoint Systems Inc. plan to merge, creating a new, 320-employee company that will provide expanded integration capabilities to Petersen's existing FANUC Robotics distribution agreement.

Semcon.
January 1, 2001... Semcon has signed a letter of intent with ABB Flexible Automation AB of Laxa, Sweden, to take over its technical activities.

McKessonHBOC Inc.
January 1, 2001... McKessonHBOC Inc. has completed the purchase of MED-Solution (now called Pathways Meds Manager), a pharmacy system developed by Health Care Systems Inc. Pathways Meds Manager will be integrated with other McKessonHBOC clinical solutions,...

PRI Automation Inc.
January 1, 2001... PRI Automation Inc. has signed a strategic alliance agreement with Shinsung Engineering Co. Ltd. of South Korea, in which Shinsung Engineering will assemble PRI's automated storage and retrieval systems for customers in Asia.

Verano.
January 1, 2001... Verano, a privately held company, has acquired Agilent Technologies' Automation Integration Software business.

Standard MEMS Inc.
January 1, 2001... Standard MEMS Inc. and the Center for Automation Technologies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have joined forces to create a joint micropacking research and development program.

Asyst Technologies Inc.
January 1, 2001... Asyst Technologies Inc. has agreed to acquire Advanced Machine Programming and Semifab Inc., both in California, for $24 million in cash and 2.95 million shares of stock.

Saab Ericsson Space.
January 1, 2001... Saab Ericsson Space, headquartered in Sweden, will acquire 65 percent of the Dutch space company Fokker Space, which is a prime supplier of solar arrays and is a specialist in advanced robotics technology. Stork, the major aerospace customer in...

Allied Devices Corp.
January 1, 2001... Allied Devices Corp. has completed its acquisition of Martin Machine Inc., a small machining operation in Raymond, Maine.

Barrett Technology Inc. and Z-KAT Inc.
January 1, 2001... Barrett Technology Inc. and Z-KAT Inc. have announced a partnership to develop medical robotic systems.

Intuitive Surgicals.
January 1, 2001... Cardiac surgeons at University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina have been granted a second clinical trial from the FDA to continue studying robotic surgery in the repair or replacement of heart valves. The announcement of the new trial comes...

The Digimatch ROBODOC Surgical Assistant System.
January 1, 2001... ISS also has begun formal clinical trials for the Digimatch ROBODOC Surgical Assistant System for total hip arthroplasty.

Computer Motions.
January 1, 2001... Doctors at ValleyCare Medical Center (Pleasanton, Calif.) successfully used Computer Motion's EVOLVE Surgical Continuum to transition from an "open" surgical prostate cancer treatment to a new minimally invasive surgical treatment. Computer...

Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Bayer AG.
January 1, 2001... Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Bayer AG, which uses high-throughput robotic screening technology, are moving more than 70 disease-relevant, validated drug targets into high-throughput screening or lead identification in the first two years...

Cytomation Inc. and Rigel Pharmaceuticals Inc.
January 1, 2001... Cytomation Inc. and Rigel Pharmaceuticals Inc. are pairing Cytomation's ultrahigh-speed, live-cell analyzer and sorter with Rigel's retroviral and gene-transfer techniques to screen millions of molecules for potential new drugs and drug...

A Driving Force.
January 1, 2001... Use of Robotics Remains Strong in Auto Industry In 1999, the worldwide market for industrial robots increased by 15 percent over 1998, according to a report by the U.N. Economic Commission for Europe in cooperation with the International...

New Robot Safety Standard Deadline Approaching.
January 1, 2001... If you haven't done it already, mark your calendars. The deadline for implementing the new robot safety standard, ANSI/RIA R15.06-1999, is June 21, a date that's particularly important for robot users who need to retrofit their systems. ...

A Clean Sweep.
January 1, 2001... Robotics Floor Cleaners on Verge of Commercial Introduction Picture this: Before you leave the office for the day, you activate the robotic vacuum cleaner. You return the next morning to clean carpets. Though this scenario may sound...

Health-Cars Helpers.
January 1, 2001... Service Robots Free Nurses, Pharmacists to Do More Important Work No industry has felt the crunch of the tight labor market like the health-care industry. Forget finding the per-finding the perfect person for the job; some medical...

The ABCs of Gripper Selection.
January 1, 2001... Proper Gripper Selection Is Key to Trouble-free Operation Whether you are performing a simple part reorientation, machine loading/unloading or a complex assembly, you are presented with the problem of picking up and releasing the work...

The ABCs of Gripper Selection.
January 1, 2001... All Grippers Are Not Created Equal Selecting the Right Gripper and Finger Design Although many engineers may leave gripper selection to the supplier, a number of variables need to be considered in choosing the right gripper for an...

ASSEMBLY.
January 1, 2001... After 153 years in business, Siemens AG of Germany still emphasizes product innovation as much as any high-tech start-up company. In fact, during its past fiscal year, Siemens generated more than 70 percent of its $71 billion in sales from...

WELDING.
January 1, 2001... STERIS Automates with ABB Welding Systems Several years ago, STERIS Corp., a manufacturer of pressure-vessel sterilizers for the hospital and pharmaceutical industries, was experiencing a year of peak production, with no room to expand. The...

MATERIAL HANDLING.
January 1, 2001... CRIQ Develops Can-Cover Depalletizing System The Quebec Industrial Research Center (Centre de Recherche Industrielle du Quebec) recently developed a robotic system that depalletizes can covers for a Canadian customer. The system first...

MINIATURE GRIPPERS.
January 1, 2001... Schunk Precision Workholding Solutions has extended the size range of its compact MPG two-finger parallel-grippers. The additional body sizes now allow gripper finger lengths to 20 mm, 50 mm and 64 mm. Body sizes to accommodate 25 mm, 32 mm and...

ROBOTIC GRIPPERS.
January 1, 2001... Robohand Inc. has introduced several new robotic grippers, including two- and three-jaw parallel grippers, two-jaw angular grippers and 180-degree angular grippers. All are available in a variety of models, and the two-and three-jaw grippers...

MODULAR VACUUM PUMPS.
January 1, 2001... Schmalz Inc. now offers modular vacuum pumps, type SCP and the miniature SCPM version. These compact venturi vacuum pumps provide a complete integrated vacuum solution using optimized venturi nozzles (in seven sizes), control solenoid valves...

ELECTRIC GRIPPERS.
January 1, 2001... The GEP and GED series of electric grippers from Techno-Sommer Automatic offer the functionality of a standard pneumatic gripper combined with the convenience of electric actuation. These grippers are ideal for clean rooms and medical and...

MATERIAL-HANDLING SYSTEM.
January 1, 2001... De-Sta-Co has expanded into robotic tooling applications with the BodyBuilder End Effector System, which is suited for material handling of sheet metal and body panels using a customer interface available from EOA Systems. The BodyBuilder's...

COLLISION SENSOR.
January 1, 2001... The Ultimatic Robotic Collision Sensor from RoboticAccessories provides protection and flexibility in robotic or pick-and-place workcells. It offers the unique feature of automatic reset following rotational, angular and axial compliance. By...

AUTO-INDUSTRY MANIPULATORS.
January 1, 2001... AMG has launched a new system of vacuum-suction manipulators for the automotive industry, designed primarily for stamping press and body-assembly applications, subassembly picking and positioning, extraction of mold parts from injection presses...

MODULAR TOOL CHANGERS.
January 1, 2001... Ristec has released a modular line of environment-specific robotic tool changers. Ristec's tool changers with internal utilities are some of the smallest tool changers available, yet have payload capacities up to 45 pounds (20 kg). The tool...

GRIPPER FINGERS.
January 1, 2001... SAS Automation Ltd. has introduced new gripper fingers for its robotic end-of-arm tooling system. The new grippers securely claw around the part by flipping behind part edges. They are specially designed for difficult part-removal applications...

RECTANGULAR SUCTION.
January 1, 2001... Anver Corp. has introduced a new line of rectangular suction cups for handling a wide variety of long, thin products, such as injection-molded parts or food, cookies and candy. Precision molded from FDA-approved, nonmarking silicone or nitrile,...

PAINT ROBOT.
January 1, 2001... Staubli Unimation has launched anew range of robots designed to operate in the hostile environments encountered in many painting, spraying and coating applications. The new system, RXPaint, consists of a five-or six-axis RX EX robot arm,...

ROBOT ARC-WELDING CELL.
January 1, 2001... The Dynamic Arc Cell "T" Series from Daihen offers four different models that are shipped pre-assembled to reduce installation time. All are designed with forklift pockets to allow for easy placement in your manufacturing area. Installation is...

AUTOMATION TOOLS.
January 1, 2001... CRS Robotics Corp. has launched a new product line of proprietary reagents, containers and automation tools for genomics and drug discovery research. The new product line includes proven biochemical assay kits, as well as a full line of...

ROBOTS.
January 1, 2001... The RP-Series, a new class of Mitsubishi Electric industrial robots, has been announced by Rixan Associates Inc. These high-speed, high-precision robots, available in three payloads, can achieve speeds up to 1,700/mm/sec and cycle times of 0.28...

SEAM-TRACKING SENSOR.
January 1, 2001... SenSolve Inc. has completed integration of its robotic seam-tracking sensor, the ST45, with the Motoman MRC controller. During robotic welding, ST45 sensors measure torch cross-seam position, height and work angle in real time to send...

CARTESIAN ROBOTS.
January 1, 2001... The Control Systems Division of Toshiba Machine has introduced its new Cartesian BA Series ROIbots, which offer more than 500 configurations for numerous figurations to be built from the same standard components. The slim axes and the...

EXTENDED WARRANTY PROGRAM.
January 1, 2001... Motoman now offers a LIFE Program for UP-series robots that provides extended, full-warranty coverage for up to 10 years. LIFE is a comprehensive, bumper-to-bumper warranty that includes all annual preventive maintenance visits and also covers...

OVERHEAD PAINT ROBOT.
January 1, 2001... FANUC Robotics North America Inc. recently introduced its new P-200T robot, an overhead, rail-mounted, six-axis paint robot that integrates advanced process equipment to enhance gelcoat and chopped fiberglass application. The P-200T, designed...

MACHINE-VISION SYSTEM.
January 1, 2001... Adept Technology Inc. has introduced AdeptVision AVI, which consists of a new digital signal processor-based frame capture and image processing board and new software. AdeptVision AVI, the most powerful vision system ever offered by Adept,...

ASSEMBLY MODULES.
January 1, 2001... To reduce the design and development cycle of automatic assembly lines, Prodel Technologies has introduced its Turbo-Cell Plug & Play module, which includes a multidirectional conveyor, two Cartesian robots and a range of tooling and removable...

The "Next Big Thing" in Automotive Robotics.
January 1, 2001... Joe Engelberger's first industrial robot went to work 40 years ago this year in a GM factory. Since those early days, the automotive industry has continued to play a leading role in the evolution of robots. Usage began slowly but continued...