ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION NEWS
Issue 21 January 2019
T he m ont hl y m ag az i ne for t he roboti cs and autom at ion indus t r y
Investing in the pick of the crop
Yamaha backs agritech startup Robotics Plus
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Robotics & Automation News
A future without driving
Editorial
Contents Agriculture: Yamaha Motor is investing $8 million in agritech startup Robotics Plus
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Abdul Montaqim, Editor
he future of driving is a much-discussed topic these days, with driverless cars and trucks offering a vision of roads on which humans no longer need to drive. The proponents of the autonomous transport solutions say that the technology is ready and just requires legislation and regulations to catch up and provide an environment in which it can flourish. However, it’s nowhere near certain that the general public will be welcoming to driverless vehicles on the roads. There are two main reasons for the reluctance. One is that many people think it just seems strange for a vehicle to not have a driver and, therefore, it must be potentially unsafe. And the other thing is, there will be an awful lot of people without jobs as a result. The first issue is difficult to deal with because the apprehension about autonomous vehicles is more to do with deep, emotional responses which can bypass logic. Even if the automakers could prove the safety and roadworthiness of their vehicles, people might still have the same antipathy. What to do about that is uncertain. The most likely resolution to such an impasse will come with time – as more time passes, the less resistant people might be. The second issue, one relating to jobs, is probably more interesting because it has some parallels with historical impasses of this kind. Technology and machines have often been the object of violent resistance, most famously by the Luddites during the original Industrial Revolution more than a hundred years ago. The Luddites vandalised the looms that had replaced so many workers in the textiles industry. And today, one or two incidents involving driverless cars may indicate hostility towards them for similar reasons. Driverless cars are yet to replace human-driven taxis, but it seems only a matter of time. Driverless trucks will also follow a similar process, and might even be here earlier. There doesn’t seem anything that human taxi drivers and human truck drivers can do to stop this technology. The Luddites lost their battle, as has every other Luddite-type group ever since. And the people on the other side – the builders of the machines and their supporters – have become more skilful at managing the process of change so that the huge changes in the switch to the new technology causes minimal disruption to the lives of those who are affected. But it is inevitable that these technologies will become ever more present in society, and disruption is basically unavoidable. On the upside, most people – especially drivers – would probably appreciate letting an autonomous machine navigate traffic, especially in an urban jam where you can often move forward only by a metre or two at a time at very slow speed for miles. That’s an experience that might disappear and not be missed by anyone. l editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
Drones ZF awarded first green light in Germany for drone deliveries
Innovation: ABB starts advanced innovation hub in Xiamen Vision Technology: RoadBotics targets road maintenance
Picking: IAM Robotics wins funding for mobile picking robot Engineering Services: A revolution is under way Robot sales: Global industrial sales double
Automotives: Automotive industry leads smart factory adoption Smart factories: Kuka launches ‘smart factory as a service’ 3D Printing: Siemens launches additive solution
Automotives: Developer Ridecell raises $60 million
Collaborative Robotics: Universal Robots hires former Rethink staff 3D Vision: Investors back Plus One Robotics vision
Collaborative robots: Omron launches TM series family Workforce: US manufacturing skills gap worsens
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Investing in the pick of the crop Features
Agriculture
Agriculture: Yamaha Motor is investing an additional $8 million in agritech startup company Robotics Plus
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amaha Motor has made a second investment of $8 million into an agricultural automation and robotics innovator, bringing its total investment to $10 million. Robotics Plus, a New Zealand agricultural robotics and automation company, says it will use the investment support its “ambitious growth plans”. Yamaha’s initial partnership agreement and investment of $2 million was announced in March 2018. Steve Saunders, co-founder and chairman of Robotics Plus, who is currently establishing a US subsidiary for the company, says: “We are very pleased to have continued strengthening our partnership with Yamaha Motor and secured additional investment to support our vision to grow into a truly New Zealand, global business that will transform a number of industries. “This investment will allow us to take the company to the next level and attract and retain the world-class talent we need. To stay ahead of the opportunity we need to scale quickly, not just with our apple packers that are already in market, but also with our new unmanned ground vehicle platform technology and other projects under development.”
We’ve invested in Robotics Plus to help us reach our goal to make agriculture more sustainable, healthy, and secure. Agricultural goals – Hiro Hiro Saijo, CEO of Yamaha Motor Ventures & Laboratory Saijo,Yamaha Silicon Valley, says: “We’ve invested in Robotics Plus to help us reach our goal to make agriculture more Motor Ventures & sustainable, healthy, and secure. Laboratory “To meet the significant and increasing agriculture demands of today and tomorrow, including agricultural Silicon Valley
labour shortage globally, we need to create sophisticated
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Robotics Plus CEO Dr Matt Glenn
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Agriculture
and precision robotics and automation technologies that will transform the agricultural industries.” To accelerate the development of their next generation automation solutions, Robotics Plus will leverage Yamaha Motor’s experience, knowledge and technologies in outdoor vehicles, factory automation, robotics, design for manufacturing and manufacturing. Dr Matt Glenn, CEO of Robotics Plus, says: “We’ve developed a mutually beneficial commercial relationship with Yamaha Motor. “We can benefit from their specialist knowledge in precision automation, manufacturing and access to highquality components to help us develop our technologies. “Yamaha Motor can benefit from working with Robotics Plus as a world-leading robotics and automation business focusing on the agricultural and horticultural markets. editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
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“We have a highly skilled development team located close to orchards and other agricultural environments. We can rapidly prototype new ideas, validate new components and integrate these into our robotic systems. This will also create new opportunities to develop technologies in other markets, too.” Commercial launch In May, Robotics Plus’ robotic Āporo apple packers were the first in a suite of technologies to be commercially launched. The apple packer, which identifies and places apples in display trays, can safely handle up to 120 fruit per minute. It is being marketed by Global Pac Technologies, a Jenkins Group (NZ/Australia) and Van Doren Sales (US) joint venture, and is already operating in packhouses in New Zealand and the USA.
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Agriculture Other technologies under development to address major issues in the horticulture industry caused by labour shortages and increasing consumer demand for fresh fruit, include: l an autonomous agricultural vehicle; l robotic kiwifruit harvester; l robotic pollinator; l crop estimator; l a number of confidential projects. Saunders says his Māori heritage has played a role in Robotics Plus’ development. He says: “Our core values of ‘he aronga nui’ (pioneering), ‘manaakitanga’ (collaboration), ‘tika me te pono’ (principled) and ‘kaitiakitangi’ (stewardship) resonate with Yamaha Motor’s values. “We have a common desire to meet future challenges to feed the world in a sustainable way with smart
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automation and intelligent robotics. “This partnership and going global is truly exciting. The institutional knowledge Yamaha Motor brings creates a fantastic opportunity to develop our great young talent out of New Zealand.” Innovative solutions Dr Glenn says: “If we want to solve the big agricultural issues of the future we need to support the horticultural and agricultural industries with innovative solutions that will enable them to do things differently. “We have the ability to solve big global challenges like this from New Zealand, and the way we can achieve that faster is with the support of an international company like Yamaha Motor.” Robotics Plus is well positioned to deliver on its vision to be a world leader in robotics and automation
If we want to solve the big agricultural issues of the future we need to support the horticultural and agricultural industries with innovative solutions that will enable them to do things differently. – Dr Matt Glenn, Robotics Plus
Dr Alistair Scarfe (left) and Steve Saunders, with the Robotics Plus unmanned ground vehicle.
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Agriculture
Features technology for the food and fibre industries. Dr Glenn adds: “In addition to Yamaha Motor, we also have commercial partnerships with Global Pac Technologies, ISO Limited and Trimax. “We’ve also established valuable collaborative research relationships with the University of Waikato, the University of Auckland, Massey University and Plant & Food Research, and we are a founding partner of PlantTech, an industry-led research organisation based in the Western Bay of Plenty. “Our innovation and growth plans are well supported by our private investors as well as New Zealand Government agencies, Callaghan Innovation, NZTE, MBIE, MPI and TPK.” l
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Features
Drones
ZF awarded green light for drone deliveries in Germany Drones: ZF has become the first company in Germany to be cleared for using drones around its site to deliver parts from warehouse to workshops. Test flights are already under way
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F is the first company in Germany to receive official approval for automated drone flights over factory premises. A drone prototype has recently started flying spare parts such as sensors or control cards from the central warehouse to workshops. As soon as the test flights are complete and drones properly deployed, such flights will relieve vehicle traffic at the plant and save time on the up to one kilometre-long delivery routes that are often on the upper floors of buildings. In the long term, packages could even be delivered outside of factory premises, for example to facilitate package delivery in residential areas that are difficult to access. The six-motor drone can transport up to five kilograms in weight by air – or three kilograms of goods after taking into account the grippers and transport box. This is sufficient for the vast majority of spare parts and tools that need to be transported on company premises. Safety is also a top priority when transporting goods by drone. The 30 km/h hexacopter mainly flies over the roofs of plant buildings and only crosses driveways and sidewalks where there is no alternative. “At the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hanover this year, we showed the technologies which we are developing to enable the autonomous depot. With the drone, we are taking the transport chain to the next level,” said Fredrik Staedtler, head of ZF’s Commercial Vehicle editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
Technology division. “With approvals for automated drone flights from the Stuttgart Regional Administrative Authority and the German Air Traffic Control DFS, we can accelerate logistics processes in the plant and at the same time strengthen our technological leadership position. “Chief Maintenance Technician Michael Wiest took advantage of ‘agile working’ at ZF and very quickly and creatively implemented logistics-by-drone from an initial idea. "He pushed the project forward when policymakers were only considering allowing fully automated drone flights but had not yet drafted legal provisions,” continued Staedtler.
Pioneering company Drones, mostly equipped with cameras, could until now only be used privately or commercially for mapping, monitoring factory fences or surveying, for example. ZF is now the first company in Germany to use automated drones to transport goods on its plant premises. “We still need to make some adjustments to achieve a completely smooth flight before our delivery drone can be permanently integrated into the logistics process chain,” said Matthias Haberstroh, head of Supply Chain Management at ZF’s Commercial Vehicle Technology division. “The transport system was extensively tested by our supplier, but we still had to further test a number of different navigation sensors on site in Friedrichshafen which also ensure precise positioning between the plant halls.” In the mid-term, other companies could also use the delivery drones industrialised by ZF on their premises. In the long-term, delivery drones could also be used outside of protected factory premises to support couriers, express and parcel services. l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Innovation
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ABB starts advanced innovation and manufacturing hub in Xiamen
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With approvals for automated drone flights ... we can accelerate logistics processes in the plant and at the same time strengthen our technological leadership position. – Fredrik Staedtler, ZF
BB has inaugurated its new ABB Xiamen Hub in the city’s Torch Hi-Tech Industrial Park. The new site integrates the full value chain of ABB’s activities, including R&D, engineering, manufacturing, sales and service, as well as supply chain management and corporate functions. Constructed and equipped using the latest environmentally sound materials and systems, including ABB’s record-breaking fast-charging stations for electric vehicles, the site sets new standards in sustainability. “The Xiamen Hub is ABB’s largest and one of our most advanced manufacturing sites, and it demonstrates the potential of Industry 4.0 on our own premises," said Ulrich Spiesshofer, CEO of ABB. "It is designed to provide stateof-the-art solutions and services for our customers in China as well as enterprises active in China’s Beltand-Road Initiative. “By bringing all of our activities together in one central hub, we will be ideally positioned to support China’s reform agenda by helping
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Xiamen and the surrounding region build up leading positions in advanced industries.” The ABB Xiamen Hub will focus primarily on the development and manufacturing of products and solutions for ABB’s Electrification Products and Power Grids divisions. It is home to one of ABB’s largest R&D centres for low-voltage electrical systems as well as a 1,200 kV ultra-high voltage test lab, the highest voltage level in China. Remote service centre The site also has ABB’s first digitally connected remote service centre in China. Since the launch of ABB’s leading ABB Ability™ digital offering last year, the Group’s digital business in China has doubled in size. The inauguration ceremony of the Xiamen Hub was attended by Pei Jinjia, Secretary of the Communist Party of China Xiamen Municipal Committee, and other government representatives, customers from the utility, industry, and transport & infrastructure sectors, and Group and local management.
“Xiamen has long been one of the most important industrial bases for ABB in China and globally,” said Chunyuan Gu, President of ABB’s Asia, Middle East and Africa region. “The city was home to our first joint venture in China 26 years ago and has played a crucial role in the development of ABB in China, where we now employ 18,000 people in more than 140 cities, including more than 2,000 in R&D.” The new hub is one of a number of major new investments the company is making in China. In October, the company announced a US$150 million investment in a new robotics “factory of the future” in Shanghai. In May, it inaugurated a new Robotics Application Centre in Chongqing, the company’s fourth such site in China. And in December 2017, it opened the ABB Shenzhen New Energy Technology Center, which carries out research and development for solar and electric-vehicle-charging solutions for use around the world. The company has invested more than US$2.4 billion in China since 1992. l
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Features
Vision Technology
RoadBotics targets road and infrastructure maintenance Vision technology: RoadBotics has secured $3.9 million in capital for road its inspection solution
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Improving the quality of the world's roads is one of the most viable ways to utilise automated, low-cost, high resolution inspection technology and RoadBotics is leading the way. – Benjamin Schmidt, RoadBotics
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oadBotics, developer of advanced computer vision technology for inspecting roads and infrastructure, has raised $3.9 million in its series seed round of financing, led by Boston-based Hyperplane Venture Capital. The capital will help the company to change the way engineering firms, local governments and municipalities manage and maintain roadways and other infrastructure. RoadBotics, headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, is a rapidly-growing two-year-old company that uses deep learning to assess roadways for 78 cities, towns and counties across the US and Australia. The company emerged from the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University in December 2016 and grew out of Carnegie Mellon's extensive research in autonomous vehicles. Co-founded by Christoph Mertz, Ph.D., Benjamin Schmidt, Ph.D., and Mark DeSantis, RoadBotics has used the same technology that moves autonomous vehicles – deep learning-based image processing – to create a product that can be used to efficiently assess road quality. RoadBotics uses a proprietary app and standard smartphone, placed on the windshield of any vehicle, to collect roadway image data. The image data is uploaded to the RoadBotics platform where deep learning is applied to isolate the road from other objects in each image, assess the road condition, and automatically generate a condition rating for the road surface. This objective rating is based on the presence, type and density of the road surface features and distresses
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that pavement engineers are trained to identify when visually inspecting roads. Finally, RoadBotics renders the complete assessment on its interactive, online mapping platform called RoadWay. "Continuously monitoring a road network is a hard job, particularly when they can stretch for thousands of miles. It is costly and time-intensive to put trained engineers out on the road to perform assessments," said Schmidt, RoadBotics' CTO. "Improving the quality of the world's roads is one of the most viable ways to utilise automated, low-cost, high resolution inspection technology and RoadBotics is leading the way." Since securing their first customer in June 2017, RoadBotics has seen rapid growth in customers from local governments, counties and engineering firms. One such customer, the city of Savannah, is using RoadBotics as the foundation for their data-driven infrastructure strategy. "RoadBotics will allow us to better assess the overall condition of city roadways and increase the accuracy of the data collected, ultimately enabling us to more effectively manage our infrastructure replacement," said Heath Lloyd, Savannah's Chief Infrastructure and Development Officer. In Australia, RoadBotics is partnering with leading engineering firm Fulton Hogan to offer its technology across the South Pacific. RoadBotics is part of the growing 'Urban Tech' sector that is attracting significant venture funding. Along with Hyperplane Venture Capital, RoadBotics has received financing from several prominent urban tech investors, including Urban-Us, Urban-X, Radical Ventures, and Ekistic Ventures, as well as the Wharton Alumni Angels and Innovation Works. l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
IAM Robotics wins funding for its mobile picking robot Picking
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Picking: IAM Robotics has raised $20 million to expand the market for what it claims is the world’s most advanced autonomous mobile picking robot”
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There is a great deal of buzz around autonomous cars, but we see shorterterm opportunitie s to put autonomous robots to work performing tasks that will have a huge impact on global logistics operations. – Tom Galluzzo, IAM Robotics
AM Robotics has raised $20 million from an investor called KCK to expand the market for its “Swift” system. IAM claims Swift is “the world’s most advanced autonomous mobile picking robot”. IAM says it is responding to the growing need for flexible automation systems in logistics environments. The new investment will be used to accelerate robot production and to build a sales, marketing, and delivery organization that works closely with leading distributors to transform the supply chain. Joel Reed, IAM Robotics CEO and president, says: “Distributors and retailers need more workers to meet the demands of e-commerce. In the US alone, consumers spend 40 billion hours picking items from store shelves. “As we buy more items online, that work moves to the warehouse. Currently, there are not enough people in the workforce to do this for us. “The answer is to give organizations a tool that increases existing worker productivity, fosters greater job satisfaction, and maintains operational flexibility. This not only helps them to remain sustainable in a rapidly changing landscape, it makes them more competitive.”
Labour problems Reed adds: “Companies along the supply chain have tested a range of new technologies, but the industry is still seeking a complete solution because the core problem of labor remains unresolved. “We are working with leading retailers and distributors to build more efficient systems around our robots. KCK shares this vision and maintains a long-term commitment in their investments, which allows us to focus on execution without sacrificing our vision.” IAM Robotics was founded by world-class robotics engineers, Tom Galluzzo and Vladimir Altman, who worked at Carnegie Mellon University’s National Robotics Engineering Center. Having worked on advanced projects in computer vision, embedded systems and autonomous manipulation, they were drawn into the industry by a customer who asked if they could develop a robot that picked items from warehouse shelving. Like many companies, this customer faced high labor editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
turnover and hiring issues. The result was Swift, the first autonomous mobile manipulation robot worker that performed fundamental picking tasks in human environments. Tom Galluzzo, IAM Robotics founder and CTO, says: “We’re expanding what is possible to accomplish with autonomous robots.
Recruiting talent “There is a great deal of buzz around autonomous cars, but we see shorter-term opportunities to put autonomous robots to work performing tasks that will have a huge impact on global logistics operations. This funding will help us to recruit the talent needed to make autonomous robots an immediate reality.” Dr Nety Krishna, KCK’s head of industrials and emtech, says: “IAM Robotics has a stellar team and the company is strategically located in a region with a strong industrial history that has also been on the cutting edge of robotics development. “IAM’s core technology can be leveraged to build a suite of products that can serve different market segments. “We are looking forward to working together to solve some challenging problems in the logistics industry, thereby unlocking tremendous value for our customers.” KCK is a family office which invests in a diverse set of industrial, scientific, financial services, and medical technologies. Often partnering with experienced management teams, focused on niche markets, the firm invests at all stages of startups from early stage to growth rounds. KCK’s investment teams are located in New York and the San Francisco Bay Area. l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Features
Engineering Services
A revolution under way in engineering services Engineering services: Smart products and factories are rapidly transforming the engineering services industry
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Transforming from a traditional to an agile business environment is key.
– Esteban Herrera,
ISG Research
he rapid growth of smart products and smart factories is transforming the engineering services industry as never before, and providers are responding by digitalizing virtually every facet of their services portfolio, according to a new study from Information Services Group, a global technology research and advisory firm. The latest ISG Provider Lens Quadrant report, the first ever by ISG to evaluate engineering services providers serving the US market, notes providers are moving to address the digital elements of core engineering functions – from concept and physical product development, to optimization of industrial design and operations, to software product and applications software development. Esteban Herrera, partner and global head of ISG Research, says: “Transforming from a traditional to an agile business environment is key. “Rapid technology changes in both products and processes, combined with newer business models that focus on design thinking and putting the customer first, are forcing enterprises and their engineering services providers to pursue greater agility in designing, manufacturing and servicing their products. “Mergers, acquisitions and partnerships along the value chain are becoming necessary for providers that want to offer end-to-end solutions to their customers.” The ISG report says the product development discipline is being rewritten by technological innovation, notably as more sensors and computing capability are being infused in modern products. Manufacturing and plant process engineering services, likewise, are becoming more connected and intelligent as factories are optimized through the application of Internet of Things within Industry 4.0 environments. The engineering ecosystem, overall, is increasingly inclined toward software development and services, the
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report noted. IoT software applications for connectivity, mobility, predictive maintenance, operational technology, data analytics and digital supply chain are transforming software requirements. IT-OT integration is becoming increasingly important as enterprises seek to enhance business and technology synergies. Business and revenue models also are being transformed by the new realities of the engineering services market. Traditional time and materials and fixedpriced/project-based models are giving way to managed services, risk-reward and outcome-based models. The ISG report includes detailed analysis of engineering services in industries significantly impacted by digitalization: automotive; chemical, oil and gas; life sciences and consumer packaged goods. The automotive sector is being transformed by the movement toward autonomous vehicles and the growing connected car ecosystem. Amid that increased connectivity, security is becoming a greater concern. Providers are seeking ways to optimize the entire industry, from product to process to marketing strategy to consumer engagement. Engineering services are focused on reducing time to market, lowering CO2 emissions, increasing safety and lowering insurance costs. In the chemical, oil and gas sector, engineering services are focused on optimizing efficiency and lowering costs, especially in the face of shifting energy demands and fluctuating oil prices. That includes reducing waste, retro-fitting equipment to better monitor performance and improve outcomes and addressing environmental and safety hazards. The use of IoT and advanced analytics are especially important in this industry. In life sciences, engineering services providers are challenged by changing cost and reimbursement models, regulatory compliance, and the growing need for secure and better-connected ecosystems for caregivers and patients. In the consumer packaged goods sector, engineering services are helping manufacturers and retailers improve supply chain efficiencies, meet local market demands, and deliver enhanced product innovation and safety. The ISG Provider Lens Engineering Services Quadrant Report evaluates 15 providers serving the US market across seven quadrants, three geared to the Automotive Sector: Product Engineering; Manufacturing and Plant/Process Engineering; and Software/Digital and Platform Engineering; and two – Manufacturing and Plant/Process Engineering and Software/Digital and Platform Engineering – geared to each of the Chemical, Oil and Gas and the combined Life Sciences and CPG Sectors. Only one engineering services provider, TCS, was named a leader across all seven quadrants. Infosys and L&T Technology Services were named a leader in six of the seven quadrants and a rising star in the other. A custom version of the report is available from L&T Technology Services. l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Automotive industry leads smart factory adoption Automotives
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Automotives: The automotive industry could gain $160 billion through the adoption of smart factory, says Capgemini report
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apgemini has announced a new report by its Digital Transformation Institute which reveals that the automotive industry can expect to achieve $160 billion in productivity gains annually from smart factory adoption from 2023 onwards. The report, Automotive Smart Factories: How Auto Manufacturers can Benefit from the Digital Industrial Revolution, which surveyed more than 320 automotive manufacturers, demonstrates that the automotive sector has set more aggressive targets for smart factory initiatives compared to other sectors. A global top 102 automotive manufacturer can expect to realize an additional $4.6 billion or a 50 percent growth in operational profits annually within five years of a full smart factory implementation. The report predicts that the average productivity growth of smart factories within the automotive sector will be seven percent as of 2023, while an automaker will break-even within a year of executing the full potential of its smart factories. By the end of 2022, automotive manufacturers expect that 24 percent of their plants will be smart factories. Nearly half of automotive companies (46 percent) already have a smart factory initiative, behind only industrial manufacturing (67 percent) and aerospace (63 percent), while at a further 43 percent of automotive companies, smart factory initiatives are currently being formulated.
Size of investment According to the report, the automotive sector has the Digital highest share (49 percent) of organizations who have maturity invested more than $250 million in smart factories. However, 42 percent of automotive manufacturers holds the key accept they are not on track to realize the full potential of to realizing smart factories and are struggling with the technology the full move. potential of This is the highest across all the manufacturing sectors studied. The report identified that those making smart the best progress are investing three times more than the factory companies who are struggling. initiatives. The more advanced manufacturers are also investing in – Nick Gill, software such as advanced analytics and AI-based Capgemini components, whereas those struggling focus too heavily on
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hardware-based components putting them on the back foot. While a large proportion (46 percent) of original equipment manufacturers have been successful in their smart factory initiatives, less than a third of automotive suppliers (32 percent) claim to have been successful. The report highlights that OEMs are leading the way, but can do more to help suppliers adopt smart factories. For example, it highlights that OEMs can contribute through financial support and working closely with suppliers on innovation via startups and academies. When OEMs and suppliers work together to create smart factory processes, issues can be minimized early on in the production process. Smart factory potential Nick Gill, chair of automotive council at Capgemini said: “Digital maturity holds the key to realizing the full potential of smart factory initiatives. “This study clearly demonstrates the enthusiasm among automotive organizations to invest in smart factories and the awareness of the long-term benefits. “However, more can be done for automotive suppliers to take a collaborative approach with OEMs to optimize their smart factory initiatives.” He further added: “The next few years will be critical as OEMs step up their digital maturity, accelerating outcomes to maximize business benefits.” Grégoire Ferré, Chief Digital Officer at Faurecia and a Capgemini client said: “By using smart factory technology in our business, we have seen great benefits with regard to our employees' productivity. “They use sophisticated tools such as smart robots to create a safer environment, which in turn provide them with more time to focus on other important tasks.” l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
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Smart Factories
Kuka launches ‘smart factory as a service’ Smart factories: Kuka has embarked on a ‘revolutionary co-operation’ with MHP and insurance giant Munich Re to bundle synergies in developing the new service
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ndustrial robot giant Kuka is partnering with two other companies to offer what it describes as a “SmartFactory as a Service”. The two other companies are insurance giant Munich Re and MHP, which is a process supplier and a subsidiary of Porsche, the automotive company. Kuka says the “revolutionary co-operation opens the door for new ideas”. The three companies say they are “bundling their synergies” and “combining of core competencies in software integration, automation technology, systems engineering as well as risk and financial management” to create “visionary production solutions for the editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
requirements of the future”. It’s certainly an ambitious project, although aimed at what has become an established trend. And although it’s quite a new and distinct market, industrial companies are increasingly looking to integrate smart factory principles in the operations.
Streamlining entire operations Simply put, the term “smart factory” refers to making an industrial operation more digital – connected to the industrial internet of things and combining and streamlining an entire operation using computers. This is the so-called “OT-IT” convergence, which means combining operations technology – which is usually traditional mechanical machines – with information technology, such as the IIoT, product lifecycle management software, enterprise resource planning applications, and manufacturing execution systems, and so on. www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Smart Factories
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The combination of state-ofthe-art manufacturing technology with the digitalisation of all processes, and with risk management and financial strength, enables a new and innovative form of manufacturing.
– Dr Torsten Jeworrek, Munich Re
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A “smart factory” is also envisioned to integrate more robotics and automation technologies, as well as other advanced manufacturing methods, such as 3D printing. Manufacturing companies have to react ever more quickly to changing customer requirements, Kuka says. Dr Till Reuter, CEO of Kuka, says: “A plant’s ability to adapt is the key criterion in making manufacturing fit for the future. Our clients face the challenge of responding swiftly and flexibly to market needs. “SmartFactory as a Service can achieve this. Our cooperation with Munich Re and MHP brings the business models of the future a great deal closer.” Flexible production sequences – with, for example, the possibility of modifying product types or quantities at will – are becoming increasingly important. At the same time, quality and profitability must not suffer, says Kuka, adding: “SmartFactory as a Service enables companies to master the challenges of the future through completely digitalized production sequences.” Dr Ralf Hofmann, CEO of MHP, says: “Acceleration can no longer be confined to the shop floor. “We need a self-contained “engineering value chain” – which means consistent data, processes and organisations. “This end-to-end workflow facilitates the optimisation of highly individualised manufacturing – mass customisation using series production tools.” Dr Torsten Jeworrek, member of Munich Re’s board of management, says: “The combination of state-of-the-art manufacturing technology with the digitalisation of all processes, and with risk management and financial strength enables a new and innovative form of manufacturing. “One that we plan to develop in partnership with our clients, supporting them on their journey into the digital future.”
Intelligent cooperation SmartFactory as a Service is “the product of intelligent cooperation between MHP, Kuka and Munich Re”, say the companies, to combine their core competencies in: l software integration; l automation technology; l systems engineering; and l risk and financial management. Together with further partners from the automotive industry, new production solutions are being developed and tested for dynamically changing customer requirements. With this combined know-how, the initiative is not only able to support its customers from the initial idea right through to the finished solution; the company is also able to advise customers on the various smart networking opportunities for everyday production brought about by Industrie 4.0 and how to minimize risks at the same time. “The intelligent factory allows customers to use
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scalable, fully automatic and adaptable production capacities as a service at variable cost,” says Kuka. “It also shortens traditional market launch times and offers maximum reliability and quality through integrated risk management.” Kuka and its partners are planning to hold a number of seminars to go into the details of the smart factory service with expert presentations. “Already today, SmartFactory as a Service demonstrates that the flexible production systems of the future know no limits,” adds Kuka. “A broad spectrum of services, machines, robots and software platforms can be linked to one another without making system operation too complex. In fact, an intuitive interface makes ‘SmartFactory as a Service’ easy to use for every customer. “SmartFactory as a Service is capable of manufacturing, packaging and delivering a highly customized product in an extremely short cycle time. “The product is a puzzle, manufactured in a batch size of one, that the customers can take home with them.” The “batch size of one” refers to another industry trend also known as “mass customisation”. It means a production system which can provide highly-customised products to individual customers. Levels of differentiation. Whereas processes developed past enabled manufacturers to produce large numbers of items which were identical, the emphasis now is to develop processes which can cope with high levels of differentiation. The three companies in this alliance say their SmartFactory as a Service will “shorten new products’ time to market by up to 30 percent”. This will significantly improve one of the most decisive competitive factors for manufacturers. The way the companies have structured their partnership is as follows: Kuka develops the robot-based automated plant; MHP provides its digitalisation expertise, offering consultancy on the closed-loop manufacturing approach throughout the project phase, and delivers systems integration; and Munich Re rounds out the business model with integrated risk management and innovative finance models. Industry is currently experiencing a sea change brought about by dynamically morphing client expectations, putting manufacturers under great pressure to innovate, say the companies. To remain competitive, they are faced with the challenge of adapting their traditional processes. This transformation demands great flexibility and transparency along the entire value chain – and access to critical resources. It is generating high capital costs and harbours substantial uncertainty and risks. l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Siemens launches additive solution Features
3D Printing
3D Printing: Siemens’ AM Process Simulation uses a digital twin to simulate the build process prior to printing, anticipating distortion in the printing process and automatically generating corrected geometry
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iemens has announced a new additive manufacturing (AM) process simulation solution for predicting distortion during 3D printing. The product is fully integrated into Siemens’ end-toend AM solution, which assists manufacturers in designing and printing parts at scale. Building on Siemens' comprehensive digital innovation
platform and the Simcenter portfolio, the AM Process Simulation solution uses a digital twin to simulate the build process prior to printing, anticipating distortion within the printing process and automatically generating the corrected geometry to compensate for these distortions. This simulation is paramount for constructing a 'first
Autonomous vehicle developer Ridecell raises $60 million in second funding round
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idecell, a developer of autonomous a ride-hailing platform, which includes software and driverless vehicles, has expanded its Series B equity investment round. The new investments have more than doubled the capital raised in the initial Series B round – $28 million announced in May – to more than $60 million. The complete Series B round is now being led by Activate Capital, and Raj Atluru, managing director and co-founder of the firm, will join the company’s board as the first outside director. In addition to Activate, new Ridecell editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
investors include Munich Re Venture's ERGO Fund, LG Technology Ventures, BNP Paribas, Sony Innovation Fund, Ally Ventures and Khosla Ventures, as well as additional investment from Denso. These investors join Cox Automotive, Initialized Capital, Denso, Penske, Deutsche Bahn and Mitsui who were announced in May as Series B investors. Aarjav Trivedi, CEO of Ridecell, says: “Investor interest in cloud-based mobility platforms and autonomous vehicles increases almost daily as the disruptive potential of these new technologies are realized. “At Ridecell we continue to achieve
important milestones on our path to autonomous mobility, including our recent California licensing, which allows on-road operational testing of our fully autonomous Auro-equipped self-driving vehicles. “The Ridecell platform now supports driver-operated and autonomous ondemand vehicle services using a single cloud-based solution.” Ridecell investors represent the most important and strategically relevant segments of the transportation industry. These include automotive electronics manufacturers, vehicle fleet managers, automotive software and hardware www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
3D Printing
Features time right' print, and necessary for achieving the efficiencies required of a fully industrialised additive manufacturing process. When metal parts are 3D printed, the method used to fuse the layers of the print typically involves heat. As the layers build up, the residual heat can cause parts to warp inside the printer, causing various problems, from structural issues within the part itself to print stoppage. Issues such as these cause many prints to fail, and make getting a ‘first time right’ print very difficult. Simulation of the printing process can help to alleviate many of these problems.
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Predicting distortion Siemens’ new process simulation product is integrated into the Powder Bed Fusion Process chain in the Siemens PLM Software Additive Manufacturing portfolio and is used to predict distortion for metal printing. The product provides a guided workflow to the user that allows for the assessment of distortions, the prediction of recoater collisions, prediction of areas of overheating, and other important feedback about the print process. The AM Process Simulation solution offers the ability to iterate on a solution between the design and build tray setup steps of the workflow, and the simulation step.
Providing corrected geometry and closed loop feedback can ultimately allow our customers to get better results from their additive manufacturing processes. – Jan Leuridan, Siemens PLM Software
integrators, vehicle financiers and insurers, and transportation providers. In addition to equity investment, Ridecell says these partners offer “critical insight” editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
This closed feedback loop is possible due to the tightly integrated nature of the Siemens digital innovation platform. The simulation data created feeds into the digital thread of information which informs each step of the printing process. Pre-compensated models This digital backbone enables the system to develop precompensated models and, more importantly, to feed those seamlessly back into the model design and manufacturing processes without additional data translation. “This solution is the latest addition to our integrated additive manufacturing platform, which is helping customers industrialise additive manufacturing by designing and printing useful parts at scale," said Jan Leuridan, senior vice president for Simulation and Test Solutions at Siemens PLM Software. “By using a combination of empirical and computational methods we can increase the accuracy of the simulation process, feeding the digital twin and helping customers better predict their real-world print results. “We have proven this over months of real-world testing with some selected first adopter companies. “Providing corrected geometry and closed loop feedback can ultimately allow our customers to get better results from their additive manufacturing processes, helping to achieve that first-time-right print and realise innovation with this technology.” The AM Process Simulation solution is expected to be available in January 2019, as part of the latest NX software and Simcenter 3D software. l
into the transportation market and strategic components of a wide-ranging mobility ecosystem. Raj Atluru, of Avtivate Capital, says: “We
are excited to announce our investment in Ridecell and to join a terrific set of strategic investors inside the company. “We believe that transportation is being disrupted in fundamental ways and across multiple dimensions, all at once. “With growing global urbanization, mobility services are replacing personal car ownership and fleets will increasingly be electrified and autonomous. “Ridecell’s platform connects and enables the entire ecosystem of participants required to deliver on this promise. We are investing at the very center of the new mobility revolution.” Ridecell says the new funds will be used for the continued development of the company’s mobility and operations platform that supports use cases ranging from carsharing to completely autonomous ridehailing. l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
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Collaborative Robotics
Features
Universal hires former Rethink Robotics staff
3D Printing: Universal Robots aims to reinforce both companies’ pioneering roles in collaborative robotics by taking on more than 20 former Rethink employees
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niversal Robots is hiring more than 20 former Rethink Robotics employees, now that the latter company has closed down. Universal Robots says the move is aimed at “reinforcing both companies’ pioneering roles in collaborative robotics”. The company says that, in hiring the 20+ Rethink staff members, it is “incorporating valuable expertise in engineering, product development, and customer applications”.
Office merger As well as hiring Rethink staff members, Universal Robots is merging its own Boston office with Rethink’s former headquarters in the Seaport area in Boston, USA, with immediate effect. These key personnel bring extensive collaborative robotics experience in engineering, product development, and customer applications, which will combine well with Universal Robots’ expertise to continue to drive new and innovative collaborative robotics solutions. editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
Jürgen von Hollen, president of Universal Robots, says: “Our new colleagues from Rethink have extensive expertise, knowledge and know-how not only about the technology but indeed also about the market conditions and what the customers’ pain-points are. “All of this will benefit our customers and partners as we face an increase in competitors due to the huge market potential for collaborative robots. “Our ability to secure key members of the Rethink team will have a significant positive impact in meeting market needs and driving innovation.” Collaborative robots, now the fastest-growing segment of industrial robotics, is forecasted to grow from $283 million last year to $3.26 billion in 2022 according to BIS Research.
Expediting ambitions Universal Robots says its “market-leading growth” means continually adapting the company structure and processes to deliver its ambitious targets for 2019 and beyond. The addition of key Rethink Robotics personnel will help expedite the company’s strategic ambitions and actions. Von Hollen says: “Rethink Robotics – along with Universal Robots – has been a pioneer in driving and developing the collaborative robotics market globally. “The company was always a good competitor, which helped us drive cobot awareness worldwide, and we want to make sure its customers can continue to fulfill their collaborative automation initiatives.” Universal Robots says it is offering a “future-proof roadmap” for customers of Rethink’s Baxter and Sawyer models, and is ready to help those customers transition to Universal Robots’ own collaborative robots. l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
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Investors back Plus One Robotics vision 3D Vision
Features
3D Vision: Plus One Robotics, a 3D vision and controls developer, has raised $8.3 million in a Series A funding round
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Plus One’s best-in-class intelligent perception technology and humancentric approach are on a path to redefine how modern distribution and fulfillment centers operate – Ty Findley, Pritzker Group
Venture Capital,
lus One Robotics, a 3D vision and controls developer for robotic automation in the logistics and e-commerce markets, has raised $8.3 million in its Series A investment round. The funding round was led by Pritzker Group Venture Capital, with participation from Zebra Technologies. Also participating in the round were Schematic Ventures, Lerer Hippeau, TCL Ventures, ff Venture Capital, Dynamo, and First Star Ventures. Erik Nieves, Plus One Robotics CEO, says: “We are delighted to add two more firms with deep roots in logistics and supply chain to our leadership.” Ty Findley, of Pritzker Group Venture Capital, says: “Already working with some of the world’s premier logistics providers, Plus One’s best-in-class intelligent perception technology and human-centric approach are on a path to redefine how modern distribution and fulfillment centers operate. Findley adds: “Erik, Shaun and Paul bring decades of domain expertise to solve this problem and they are uniquely equipped to capitalize on this large and growing market opportunity. We're proud to work closely with the team as they scale their vision.” Tony Palcheck, of Zebra Ventures, says: “We work with early-stage innovative companies that share our ambition to drive productive, automated workflows through transformative technology. “We continually seek effective solutions that provide a performance edge by intelligently connecting people, assets and data. Plus One Robotics augments manual human labor, freeing up personnel to focus on more value-add activities.”
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Plus One also announced the appointment of David Scheffrahn as vice president of sales. In his role, Scheffrahn will lead direct and channel sales efforts. Plus One’s flagship product, the PickOne Perception System, is a 3D vision system for the order-fulfillment and parcel-shipping markets. Rising demand The company says that rising consumer demand for shorter delivery times has increased the need for efficiency in handling and sortation of the millions of packages that must be handled each day. Erik Nieves says: “The tight labor market and accelerating growth mean these e-commerce operators are eager for improvements in productivity. David’s deep knowledge of our market, customers and partners make him the ideal candidate to lead our next phase of growth.” Scheffrahn brings more than 20 years of sales experience in automation and robotics, having previously worked at Yaskawa Motoman Robotics, Rethink Robotics, which appears to have closed down, and most recently, Seegrid. Scheffrahn says: “I have been in the enviable position to work with the world’s most innovative retailers and supply chain companies. They understand that their employees are their most valuable resource. “We share their vision to elevate human workers to value-added tasks and reduce their burden of mundane, repetitive work. When I was introduced to Plus One Robotics’ customer community, leadership team and technology, I knew I had to be part of this.” l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Features
Workforce
US manufacturing skills gap worsens– new report Workforce: Up to 2.4 million manufacturing jobs may be unfilled in the US by 2028, according to a new study released by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute
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s growth in the US economy continues and manufacturers create more and more jobs in a thriving sector, the industry’s pre-existing workforce crisis could get even worse according to a new 2018 skills gap study, released by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute. The widening manufacturing skills gap is expected to grow from about 488,000 jobs left open today to as many as 2.4 million manufacturing jobs going unfilled between this year and 2028 (compared with 2 million jobs between editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
2015 and 2025 per an earlier study). In turn, $454 billion in manufacturing GDP could be at risk in 2028, or more than $2.5 trillion over the next decade.
High levels of growth “Manufacturers in the United States are experiencing some of the highest levels of growth we've seen in decades, yet the industry seems unable to keep up with the resulting rebound in job growth,” said Paul Wellener, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP, and US industrial products and construction leader. “With nearly 2 million vacant new jobs expected by 2028, compounded by 2.69 million vacancies from retiring workers, the number of open positions could be greater than ever and might pose not only a major challenge for www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Workforce manufacturers but may threaten the vitality of the industry and our economy.” Carolyn Lee, executive director of The Manufacturing Institute, said: “While the manufacturing industry today is thriving and optimistic, the sector's workforce crisis seems to be casting a dark cloud over the future. “About 73 percent of manufacturers cite this crisis as their top concern according to the NAM's latest ‘Manufacturers' Outlook Survey,' and The Manufacturing Institute's new study with Deloitte only underlines the urgency of taking on and solving this challenge,” she added. “There are a variety of factors driving this crisis, from having the wrong perceptions about what modern manufacturing jobs look like to not having the necessary skills to get them, which is why The Manufacturing Institute is working hard to solve it in a multifaceted way. “We're driving a range of initiatives, designed to engage and inspire more young people, more women, more veterans and more Americans of all backgrounds to build great careers in the industry that built our country.”
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... the number of open positions could be greater than ever and might pose not only a major challenge for manufacturers but may threaten the vitality of the industry and our economy. – Paul Wellener,
Deloitte LLP
Unfilled skilled positions Five out of 10 open positions for skilled workers in the US manufacturing industry remain unoccupied today due to the skills gap crisis. These “skilled positions” require specific training or skillsets and often take months to fill. These include positions for skilled production workers, supply chain talent, digital talent, engineers, researchers, scientists, software engineers and operational managers. The study points to the top reasons these positions tend to go unfilled, with the negative perception of the manufacturing industry topping the list (45 percent), followed by the notable shift in desired skillsets due to the introduction of advanced technologies (36 percent) and retirement of baby boomers (36 percent). Over the next three years, the inability to fill open positions is expected to have the greatest impact on manufacturing companies that are maintaining or increasing production levels to satisfy growing customer demand (51 percent). This will likely also pose a challenge for nearly half of manufacturers responding to new market opportunities and those increasing growth as measured by revenue (47 percent each). “To address the skills shortage, companies are trying new ways to fill the gap and appeal to candidates,” said Chad Moutray, director, Center for Manufacturing Research and chief economist, National Association of Manufacturers. “Some manufacturers are shifting their own policies to be more adaptive and flexible, such as allowing nonproduction work to be done from remote locations, while others are implementing new technology like automation to supplement the existing workforce.” To mitigate the impact of the skills shortage and begin to shrink the gap, most companies surveyed are focusing
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Features
While the manufacturing industry today is thriving and optimistic, the sector's workforce crisis seems to be casting a dark cloud over the future. – Carolyn Lee, The Manufacturing Institute
efforts on several specific areas. These include adopting broader HR management practices to hire and retain talent (37 percent) and building knowledge transfer programs to pass on skills between retiring and new workers (32 percent), notes the study. Others have turned to outsourcing certain functions (24 percent). Additional approaches surveyed manufacturers are taking to solve the employment challenge include: Along with building programs to transfer knowledge from retirees to new workers, 39 percent of respondents said they are implementing new learning and development programs both internally and externally to help mitigate the skills shortage. More than three-quarters (77 percent) of manufacturers are willing to prioritise competencies and potential in job candidates over strict adherence to sometimes arbitrary factors like years of experience, and 65 percent are willing to fill a position and train on the job rather than demanding a certain skillset upfront. The anticipated 2.69 million workers retiring from manufacturing jobs in the coming decade are expected to have a significant impact, but it can be turned into a competitive advantage for those manufacturers who are savvy. Knowledge transfer programs Developing knowledge transfer programs and creating short-term project opportunities for retirees are ways to potentially retain the value of the most experienced employees. Thanks to technological change, the industry overall is trending quickly towards jobs — including entry-level jobs — that are high-skilled and require irreplaceable human skills, such as creativity, critical thinking, design and innovation. When it comes to more production-focused positions, however, automation is becoming increasingly important in light of the skills gap challenge. Currently, 1 in 4 (26 percent) manufacturers are investing in productivity-enhancing technologies and nearly 60 percent said that they also plan to rely more on automation over the next three years — often as part of an overall strategy to help to alleviate the industry's serious and continuing struggles in finding talent. Increasing wages and offering signing bonuses – The majority of companies (83 percent) are prepared to pay more to attract and retain skilled talent, and 8 percent have offered signing bonuses. l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
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