Robotics World articles from June 2001

Robotics World archives from June 2001

Robots & Vision Show Offers Something for Everyone.
June 1, 2001... Whether you're an experienced robotics user, a newcomer to flexible automation or a manufacturer considering a shift from fixed automation or manual labor to robotics, the place to be June 5-7 is the International Robots & Vision Show in...

Carnegie Mellon to Close Research Institute.
June 1, 2001... Pittsburgh -- Carnegie Mellon University has decided to dose its Research Institute, which includes the Computer, Automation and Robotics Group, according to a story by the Associated Press. The Research Institute, which markets the...

IAI Opens New Headquarters.
June 1, 2001... Torrance, Calif. -- Intelligent Actuator Inc., which manufactures cartesian and SCARA robots and Robo Cylinder products, recently opened its new 22,000-square-foot facility in Torrance. The new headquarters is three times the size of the...

ABB Pledges $50,000 in Scholarships to Minority Students.
June 1, 2001... Norwalk, Conn. -- ABB has launched the ABB Brain Power Scholarship, a two-year commitment to provide almost $50,000 in scholarship aid to minority students at six U.S. universities. To be eligible, students must be African-American,...

People.
June 1, 2001... PPT Vision Inc. has appointed Benno Sand, executive vice president of FSI International Inc., to its board of directors.... ABB Automation's Welding Systems Division has appointed Marty Voss as an account executive, based in the Central...

Electro Scientific Industries Inc.
June 1, 2001... Electro Scientific Industries Inc. has established a representative office in Shanghai, China, to allow the company to expand business opportunities and to target key strategic customers. The company also plans to open a representative office...

National Welders Supply Co. Inc.
June 1, 2001... National Welders Supply Co. Inc., a provider of shielding gases, welding equipment and applications support, and Genesis Systems Group, an integrator of robotic welding and cutting systems, have entered into a distribution agreement in which...

Jakel Manufacturing Inc.
June 1, 2001... Jakel Manufacturing Inc. has finalized a lease agreement and has opened a plant in Piedras Negras, Mexico. The plant will help expand Jakel's business and produce two lines of 3.3-inch motors that the company has purchased from Emerson Motor...

Lambda Electronics.
June 1, 2001... Lambda Electronics has opened a new design verification laboratory to provide enhanced testing capabilities for customers with custom power solutions. The new facility, in Melville, N.Y, streamlines the documentation and design process and...

Zymark Corp.
June 1, 2001... Zymark Corp.'s Twister Universal Microplate Handler will be incorporated into Applied Biosystems' ABI Prism 7900HT Sequence Detection System and Cartesian Technologies Inc.'s ProSys 5510 Production Micro-arraying System.

FastPic Systems.
June 1, 2001... Storage and retrieval software developer FastPic Systems has formed an alliance with MegaStar Systems that allows FastPic software programmers to work directly with MegaStar designers to optimize software operation with MegaStar's automated...

ABB has launched a friendly bid to acquire the French company.
June 1, 2001... ABB has launched a friendly bid to acquire the French company Entrelec, a supplier of industrial automation and control products.

QIAGEN N.V. and Zymark Corp.
June 1, 2001... QIAGEN N.V. and Zymark Corp. have entered into a strategic alliance through which the companies intend to develop and launch systems that will combine QIAGEN's BioRobot automated instrumentation platforms with Zymark's RapidPlate 96-well and...

Seiko Instruments Inc.
June 1, 2001... Silterra Malaysia, a semiconductor manufacturing provider, has signed an agreement with Seiko Instruments Inc., whereby SII will invest more than $50 million in Silterra. In return, SII is granted capacity rights to Silterra's 0.25- and...

Nematron Corp.
June 1, 2001... Nematron Corp., a provider of PC-based industrial control solutions, has acquired 100 percent of Optimation Inc., which develops, produces and markets industrial communications and display products for industrial automation.

Axis New England.
June 1, 2001... Axis New England of Woburn, Mass., has been named Seiko Instruments USA's Factory Automation Division 2000 Value Added Reseller of the Year.

Hypertherm Inc.
June 1, 2001... Richard Couch Jr., founder, owner, president, chairman and principal engineer of Hypertherm Inc., has been elected to the Academy of Engineering. Couch was honored for his technological innovation and engineering entrepreneurship in making...

Cloos Robotic Welding Inc.
June 1, 2001... Cloos Robotic Welding Inc. has earned recognition as a top supplier for 2000 from John Deere Davenport Works in Deere's Achieving Excellence Process. Cloos earned recognition as a partner-level supplier, Deere's highest supplier rating.

Applied Robotics, Inc.
June 1, 2001... We offer tool changers that can handle up to 12,000 in-lbs; collision sensors with dynamically variable trip points; single axis compliancy devices for assembly verification; connection systems; grippers, rotary actuators, vacuum products and...

ATI Industrial Automation.
June 1, 2001... * Robotic Tool Changers * Robotic Deburring Tools * Robotic Assembly * Robotic Crash Protection * Robotic Force Sensing

CIS Robotics Corporation.
June 1, 2001... CIS Robotics is a globally based company providing integration services to the automation industry. These services include strong engineering capabilities that address simulation, full electrical/mechanical design of robot cells, including...

Denso Robotics.
June 1, 2001... Since 1949, DENSO has been a manufacturer of high-quality automotive components. The use of DENSO robots has made it possible for us to achieve the world's largest market share ranking in ten different product groups. With over 10,000 robots in...

DVT Corporation.
June 1, 2001... Headquartered in Norcross, Ga., DVT Corporation ignited the machine vision revolution in the early 1990s with SmartImage Sensors and has continued to upgrade, enhance and integrate the technology into the most cost-effective vision systems in...

Electro-Tec Corp.
June 1, 2001... Electro-Tec Corp. is a leader in the electro-mechanical components industry, with over 45 years of experience. We are the world's leading designer and manufacturer of precision electro-deposited slip rings and other electro-mechanical...

Flow Software Technologies.
June 1, 2001... Flow Software Technologies is the developer of Workspace5. Workspace eases the implementation of robotic manufacturing by minimizing lost production, improving robot performance and increasing programming efficiency. This PC-based robotic...

JR3 Inc.
June 1, 2001... JR3 offers 6-axis force-torque sensors with load capacities from 3 to 1,350 lb force and 6 to 10,000 in-lb moment. Options include internal or external electronics and bolt patterns to match many industrial robots. JR3's new 12 DOF force-torque...

MEKAnize Robots, Inc.
June 1, 2001... MEKAnize Robots, est. 1989, is a United States company that manufacturers a "New Generation" family of SCARA robots and linear modules for the electronics, semiconductor and medical industries. The new SH-Series "four is six" Horizontal SCARA...

Motoman.
June 1, 2001... Motoman provides robotic solutions for a variety of applications, including: arc welding; assembly; coating; dispensing; material cutting (laser, plasma, water-jet); material handling; material removal; and spot welding. Products include over...

Multi-Contact USA.
June 1, 2001... Multi-Contact is the world's leading manufacturer of precision electrical and electronic connectors for industrial robotic cable interconnections. Utilizing the proven Multilam[TM] contact interface technology, Multi-Contact offers both...

Pilz Automation Safety L.P.
June 1, 2001... Pilz was founded in 1948 as a glass blowing business specializing in medical technology. A mercury switch was the basis for the company's first electronic control unit, the mercury timer relay. Many innovative products followed including the...

Remke Industries, Inc.
June 1, 2001... Remke Industries manufactures both standard and custom molded connectors used with control components on robots or in any location where automated manufacturing, production and packaging takes places. Corporate culture is genuinely...

Schunk, Inc.
June 1, 2001... A comprehensive gripper program with forces ranging from 12.5 oz. to 11,250 lbs.! Compact rugged swivel units with specially designed shock absorbers for the fastest cycle times in history! Accessories for your automation needs, plus new...

Seiko Instruments USA.
June 1, 2001... Seiko Instruments, with 17,000+ robots installed, is a leader in factory automation. Seiko sells fast, repeatable, reliable SCARA and Cartesian robots. The SeikoRCS PC-based controller allows the integration of "off the shelf third party"...

SICK, Inc.
June 1, 2001... SICK, Inc., the originator of the safety light curtain, provides safeguarding solutions to the world. Area guarding, perimeter guarding and point of operations guarding of modern hazardous machinery can be challenging. SICK is ready to meet...

Staubli Unimation.
June 1, 2001... Staubli Unimation RX Series six-axis robots achieve Maximum Throughput Automation, with unmatched speed and acceleration for their class. Processes where the RX robots provide increased flexibility superior production and quality performance...

2001 Engelberger Awards Winners Announced.
June 1, 2001... The Robotic Industries Association presented the Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Awards to four industry leaders during the International Symposium on Robotics, held April 19-21 in Seoul, Korea. The Engelberger Awards recognize Outstanding...

MAA Announces New Common Machine Interface Initiative.
June 1, 2001... As many in the metrology industry know, incompatibility between manufacturers' equipment is a daunting issue. According to a 1999 Research Triangle Institute study, the interoperability void accounts for $1 billion in the automotive supply...

Future Engineers Shine at Student Robotic Engineering Challenge.
June 1, 2001... Dearborn, Mich. -- Robots with personalities popped out of crates and roamed the terrain at Pennsylvania's Robert Morris College and then allowed student engineers to take their bows and a host of awards at the RI/SME Student Robotic...

What a Difference a Decade Makes.
June 1, 2001... Ten Years of Evolution in the Robotics Industry The emergence of the industrial robotics industry in the early 1960s can best be described as revolutionary, but the word "evolutionary" better describes the advancements in robotics in the...

The Evolution of End-of-Arm Tooling.
June 1, 2001... In the early 1990s, the robot revolution really arrived in the United States. New orders of robots soared 40 percent and suddenly automation became the hottest topic in all aspects of manufacturing. And, while cost-effectiveness and reducing...

Safety Light Curtains and Their Role in Safeguarding Robotic Workcells.
June 1, 2001... Hazardous motion associated with robotic workcells and the people working in and near the cell can be a dangerous combination. A variety of technologies exists to safeguard employees in this situation. For many that incorporate robotic...

ABB Flexible Automation.
June 1, 2001... AmongABB's showcased products will be the new Virtual FlexArc, a 3-D model of the company's FlexArc System on a CD-ROM that gives a head start on putting a FlexArc cell into production. Users can generate part programs to download to the...

Adept Technology Inc.
June 1, 2001... Adept will feature its new AdeptSix family of six-axis robots, which now includes the Adept 300 and the larger Adept 600. The AdeptSix product line will ultimately include three models, with payloads ranging from 3 kg to 20 kg, and reach from...

Automated Concepts Inc.
June 1, 2001... Automated Concepts has a new robotic system that loads and unloads valve cover castings, which range in size, into a machine center. Using new vision technology, this system determines each part's orientation and aligns the gripper to the part....

DVT Corp.
June 1, 2001... Among DVT's offerings will be the new Legend 500 series, which includes Frame-Work 2.3, a new version of DVT's flagship software, a choice of vision sensors, varying resolutions and speeds, and Ethernet connectivity. The Legend 500 introduces a...

FANUC Robotics North America.
June 1, 2001... FANUC Robotics will showcase an ARC Mate robot integrated to a Lincoln Electric PowerWave 455R package. In the arc-welding cell, FANUC Robotics will feature the ARCworks PRO PC package demonstrating the enhanced connectivity and...

JR3 Inc.
June 1, 2001... JR3's multi-axis force-torque sensors are machined from a solid billet of aluminum or optionally stainless steel. The resulting monolithic structure produces a transducer with unsurpassed hysteresis and precision properties. JR3 sensors use...

Kawasaki.
June 1, 2001... Kawasaki Robotics (USA) Inc. will highlight its new Z-Series robots. The ZX130/165/200/300, ZT130/165/200 and the ZD130/250 are Kawasaki's latest heavy-payload, high-performance industrial robots. The ZX Series robots are designed for...

KUKA Robotics Corp.
June 1, 2001... KUKA's KR 180 PA robot was designed for high-speed, heavy-payload palletizing tasks. The robot's large working envelope enables it to service several conveyors and pallets of different sizes. The KR 180 PA increases palletizing throughput with...

MEKAnize Robots.
June 1, 2001... MEKAnize's new heavy-duty robots come in two reaches and two series and are based on the company's lighter-duty SCARAs. Capacities vary by reach and range from 110 to 154 pounds. The robots are also good for handling overhung loads extended...

Motoman Inc.
June 1, 2001... A demo of a specimen-sorting system will showcase the capabilities of the RobotWorld platform, which meets the throughput requirements of high-volume clinical and biopharmaceutical applications. Multiple heads divide tasks, such as handling...

Fork-Levator Inc.
June 1, 2001... Fork-Levator's Osa-Lator Indexing Table now offers inverted and lateral mounting options for all models. The new mounting options provide even more flexibility for integrators and end users involved in the development of robotic workcells for...

Nachi Robotics.
June 1, 2001... Nachi is adding the new SH Series to its lineup of robots. Developed using the 200 kg model as the standard model, the SH robots feature an increased working envelope, improved wrist torque and reduced cycle time, reduced maintenance...

Panasonic Factory Automation.
June 1, 2001... Panasonic has added the PanaRobo VR-004 to its VR-series of arc welding robots. Benefits include 4 kg load capacity; a wide working envelope; a small footprint; outstanding acceleration and deceleration; offset wrist, which permits the welding...

PIAB Vacuum Products.
June 1, 2001... PIAB will feature a new range of vacuum pumps using COAX technology, the P3010 Series. The core of the system is a compressed air-driven vacuum pump module. The pump module is clipped onto a click-in strip that can handle up to four pumps,...

Pilz Automation Safety.
June 1, 2001... Pilz has introduced the PNOZelog, a lineup of electronic safety relays. The series eliminates the need for active mechanical switches found in other relays, significantly increasing the device's life span while virtually eliminating...

Remke Industries.
June 1, 2001... Among Remke's offerings will be the new Swivel-Flex wire mesh cord grip connectors. For applications where cable rotation is an issue, the wrist-like action of the cord grips provides superior flex relief and protection. Swivel-Flex's...

Robotic Accessories.
June 1, 2001... The new P-3400 gripper is the first in a series of metric grippers from Robotics Accessories. Offering high grip force to moment ratios and excellent repeatability in a compact size, the P-3400 can be used in a wide variety of applications and...

Schmalz Inc.
June 1, 2001... Among Schmalz's vacuum component offerings is the MiniPump SCPM, a very small compact ejector that features a wide range of performance values, integrated valve technology and vacuum monitoring and easy installation. The SCP Mini is...

Schunk Inc.
June 1, 2001... Schunk will showcase a new series of parallel grippers, PGN-plus, which offer higher forces, increased loads and better efficiency. Forces and moments of the gripper are spread over several surfaces of a multiple-tooth guide, enabling finger...

SenSolve Inc.
June 1, 2001... SenSolve Inc.'s seam and surface trackers measure part features in real-time, allowing compensation for tolerance variations. This closed-loop manufacturing process control improves part quality and reduces cost by relaxing subassembly...

Servo-Robot Inc.
June 1, 2001... MINI-i is a new miniature joint-tracking laser camera that is ready to mount on any articulated robot for use in welding and related applications. The camera uses the latest technology in optical sensors and is designed for high-speed,...

SICK Inc.
June 1, 2001... The PLS is a programmable scanner for both stationary and mobile safety and area scanning applications. The self-contained, noncontact proximity sensor monitors 180 degrees of its surroundings to a radius of 164 feet, without reflectors or...

[greater than]SAS[less than] Automation.
June 1, 2001... [greater than]SAS[less than] Automation has improved its Get a Grip! modular robotic gripper and end-of-arm tooling components by adding new components and tools. There are now more than 1,000 components available for processors to choose from...

Seiko Instruments USA.
June 1, 2001... Seiko's XM2000 Modular Axes have been added to the company's family of robots. They have a low-profile design, are extremely modular and are ideal for those with a tight budget. Up to 12 axes can be controlled from just one controller, and the...

Staubli.
June 1, 2001... Staubli has launched an extended arm to operate in high-performance applications such as painting/spraying/coating and gauging/inspection. The RX 130 XL system consists of a five- or six-axis RX industrial or Paint robot arm with a 2,185 mm...

StockerYale.
June 1, 2001... StockerYale will introduce a complete line of whiteLED modules that are designed for machine-vision lighting applications, including assembly, inspection, medical, pharmaceutical, automotive, and packaging. They are ideally suited for use in...

MATERIAL REMOVAL/PACKAGING.
June 1, 2001... When Triple S evaluated robots for future expansion of automated cells in its factories, the company selected a robot as much for what it doesn't do as for what it does do. No backlash. "If a robot overaccelerates between positions, when it...

PLASMA-ARC CUTTING.
June 1, 2001... Customers of large-diameter steel pipe want to know that the pipe being shipped to their installation sites meets quality specifications before the first load of pipe leaves the pipe mill. This challenges pipe mills as they strive to meet tight...

WELDING.
June 1, 2001... How hard can it be to weld a box together? The answer to that seemingly simple question comes with this caveat: It's more complicated when the box is made from half inch thick steel that is secure enough to withstand the elements and would-be...

VISION SENSOR.
June 1, 2001... Cognex Corp. has introduced the InSight 1000, a new machine-vision sensor priced under $4,000 that combines camera, processing, software and networking technologies into a single unit. The In-Sight 1000 offers the capabilities of an advanced...

MACHINE-VISION CAMERAS.
June 1, 2001... Basler Vision Technologies MVC recently introduced the Basler A300 Series, available in Camera Link and IEEEl394 bus output. The Camera Link version features 50 fps, robust software configuration tool, 12v power requirements and high response...

BAR-CODE READER.
June 1, 2001... DVT Corp.'s SmartReader is the only industrial bar-code reader to include OCR capabilities. Reading up to 120 codes per second, the SmartReader features powerful OCR that achieves absolute accuracy even in less-than-ideal industrial...

CAMERA LINK FRAME GRABBER.
June 1, 2001... In response to Camera Link, the new, high-speed digital serial link for vision applications, Matrox Imaging has introduced a new member to its family of basic frame grabbers: MatroxMeteor-II/Camera Link. It provides a simple standard connection...

VISION SOLUTION.
June 1, 2001... Data Translation Inc. has released DT Vision Foundry 2.5, a PC-based machine-vision solution designed for visual inspections and automated industrial-imaging applications. With its point-and-click programming environment, DT Vision Foundry has...

MACHINE-VISION SENSOR.
June 1, 2001... The new CV-700 machine-vision system from Keyence Corp. uses RealEyes Shade-Scale Technology to boost color recognition and detection. The use of application-specific IC technology provides sophisticated image processing that permits high-speed...

FRAME GRABBERS.
June 1, 2001... Foresight Imaging has improved upon the I-Series of video streamers and frame grabbers by moving them to 12 bit A/D converters. All I-Series monochrome products deliver accurate video images and high-speed video streaming. The I-Series offers...

MACHINE-VISION SOFTWARE.
June 1, 2001... Adept Technology Inc. has released HexSight Version 3.0, a high-performance machine-vision software product ideal for robot guidance and parts inspection. The improved software offers fast and accurate object location in complex images and...

PROGRESSIVE-SCAN CAMERA.
June 1, 2001... JAI A/S has introduced the board-level version of its CV-M10 progressive-scan camera. The new BCV-M10 provides two printed circuit boards; half-inch-format CCD sensor and driver circuits are located on one board, and timing and video circuits...

DIGITAL FRAME GRABBER.
June 1, 2001... Imagenation Corp. has introduced the PXD 1000 Digital Frame Grabber, designed for image-critical applications where high data rates, advanced control options and high-resolution capture capabilities are essential. The PXD 1000 V2 offers an...

LASER LINE GENERATOR.
June 1, 2001... StockerYale's Lasiris MFL series of laser products can produce lines as thin as 5.5 microns at a precise working distance and is designed for applications where utmost accuracy and precision are required. The company's OEM customer base is...

LIGHT SOURCE.
June 1, 2001... Illumination Technologies Inc. has introduced the 3900DD, alight source developed specifically for dirty and dusty environments. A two-stage industrial filter protects the light source from dirt, debris and other airborne particulates that can...

MACHINE-VISION SYSTEM.
June 1, 2001... Cincinnati Industrial Automation Ltd. last year introduced a high-performance machine-vision and robot-guidance system, the EZVision 14C, which uses the company's EZVision operator interface in a Windows NT environment. The complete system...

INDUSTRIAL SMART CAMERA.
June 1, 2001... Vision Components now offers the ESPRI-C smart color solution for its VC65/C color industrial smart camera. When coupled with the ESPRI-C, the VC65/C becomes a powerful stand-alone color vision system that can be used in a variety of...