Industrial Automation and Motion Control Blog | The Knotts Company

Rapid technological advancement has already introduced many sectors to the benefits of collaborative automation, but the COVID-19 pandemic has seen that accelerate.

Topics: automation, cobot, Universal Robots, cobots, pharmaceuticals, life science, covid

The strive for efficiency is a constant goal in many industries and the pharma and life sciences sector is no exception. Collaborative automation is already proving beneficial for many areas of the industry and its uses go beyond simply replacing humans with robots.

Topics: automation solutions, cobot, Universal Robots, cobots, pharmaceuticals, quality assurance, life science

Technology has played a major part in the development of many industries over centuries, from rudimentary tools and machinery to sophisticated digital technology. Automation has arguably made the greatest difference to work practice over the last few decades but not all forms of automation are the same. While robots have been enlisted to perform a range of tasks, there are significant differences between industrial robots and collaborative robots – or cobots.

Topics: automation, cobot, Universal Robots, cobots, pharmaceuticals, life science, New Scale Robotics

Few things in recent memory have thrown the economy into a tailspin quite like the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies have had to deal with the consequences overnight and come to some quick decisions. As it has become more apparent that COVID is having greater than a short-term impact on people’s lives and the economy, it has become more pressing that companies seek longer-term solutions.

Topics: industrial automation nj/ny, automation, cobot, Universal Robots, cobots, covid

Topics: Universal Robots, cobots, e-Series

As cobots (and particularly Universal Robots' cobots) continue to earn accolades and build their track record in serving a myriad of industries, it is natural for automation technology companies to create products specifically compatible with them. Such is the case with Dorner's newest integration, which works beautifully with our other Partner, Universal Robots. With more cobots spotted on the factory floor and in packaging environments these days, it makes perfect sense for Dorner to offer conveyors that will collaborate well with cobots.

Topics: automation solutions, dorner, automation, Dorner Conveyors,, conveyor, Universal Robots, cobots, Belt Conveyors

We were excited to hear the recent news that Universal Robots unveiled its new e-Series. We immediately ordered one to demo and it arrives in our offices in July. It will be a bit like Christmas morning as we unpack the box and gather the team to test this new cobot (collaborative robot). 

Universal Robots has a history of solid design and quality. We expect nothing less with the e-Series and look forward to offering it to our customers. Why will the new e-Series be a smart investment? Among its numerous benefits are:

• Quick activation and deployment: under an hour to unpack, mount, and program a cobot’s first task.
• Flexibility to change its nature of work over time as production line needs change. 
• A redesigned control panel for an easy user interface (for the humans that need to program and control it).
• Single phase A/C source compatibility (connect to any regular power outlet).
• 17 safety features like collision detection are built in.
• Space saving by design: compact and flexible. 
  
• All joints are field replaceable within 2-6 minutes.

Topics: automation solutions, automation, collaborative robot, cobot, Universal Robots, cobots, e-Series

This post is brought to you by Marc Prosser at Robotiq.

The future of collaborative robots is in their ‘hands’. Perhaps a poor play on words, but also an unavoidable fact. Grippers/robotic hands are almost invariably what cobots use to interact with their surroundings and perform tasks.

Topics: collaborative robots, collaborative robot, cobots, grippers, Robotiq

This post is brought to you by Universal Robots.

Topics: Robots, Universal Robots, cobots, UR10, UR3

This post is brought to you by Universal Robots.

Taking human-robot-collaboration to a new level

Too dirty, too dusty, too dull? Too hot or too cold? Not for cobots! They can work tirelessly in almost any work environment from production halls and canteen kitchens to clean rooms, freeing up their human colleagues from monotonous, ergonomically disadvantageous tasks. Scientists at Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg (Freiberg University of Mining and Technology) in Germany are currently working on two exciting projects to find new ways of how cobots can make the lives of their human colleagues easier: One is testing how cobots can learn from humans only by watching them performing a task. The second one is exploring in which ways robots can serve in the dangerous work environment of underground mining.

Topics: Robots, collaborative robots, cobot, Universal Robots, cobots, UR5, Legos