In a cavernous showroom on the outskirts of this port city in northeastern China, softly whirring lathes and svelte robot arms represent Dalian Machine Tools Group's (DMTG) vision of an automated future for Chinese manufacturing. In a cavernous showroom on the outskirts of this port city in northeastern China, softly whirring lathes and svelte robot arms represent Dalian Machine Tools Group's (DMTG) vision of an automated future for Chinese manufacturing.On closer inspection, however, most of the machines' control panels bear the logos of Japan's FANUC Corp or the German conglomerate Siemens.
The imported control systems in DMTG's products – used in the assembly of everything from smartphones to cement trucks – are symbolic of the technology gap between Chinese and foreign industrial automation firms, just one of several challenges facing China's ambition to nurture a national robotics industry. Chinese robotics firms are also grappling with a weakening economy and slumping automotive sector, and industry insiders already predict a market bubble just three years after the central government issued policies to spur robotics development. "Last year everybody thought they could produce a robot," said Alan Lee, director of Asia sales and business development at Boston-based Rethink Robotics. "When you have market saturation you'll have filtering and M&A. These guys will be the first layer to suffer." It is a storyline familiar from other new industries such as solar panels: Beijing's policies and subsides trigger a wave of low-margin, low-cost contenders to rush into the market, where, with no meaningful technology of their own, they struggle to compete on price alone. A year after analysts predicted the unstoppable advance of Chinese robot makers, executives at foreign companies now say they are well-positioned to weather any temporary blip in demand as manufacturers tighten capital investment while waiting to see how China's economy fares. ROBOTICS EXPLOSION To be sure, foreign or domestic executives alike say they believe in China's commitment to upgrade its manufacturing sector and the potential of the domestic robot industry to grow into a leading force in the long run. With wages rising as much as 10 percent a year, Chinese policymakers have said they fear labour shortages of as high as 30 percent in some areas and are keen to help automation along. Chinese-made robots deployed have surged from an estimated 3,000 in 2012, when the central government began introducing automated manufacturing proposals, to 15,000 last year, according to the International Federation of Robotics. The growth rate for foreign-made robots has been slower, but they still dominate Chinese factory floors, with numbers increasing from 22,000 to 41,000, during the same period. Subsidies have sparked an explosion in the number of Chinese robotics firms from 200 to around 815 in two years, according to OFWeek, a Chinese robot industry news site and research centre. But at most 30 of those firms have done any meaningful research and development, said Wang Baomin, senior analyst at Shenzhen-based consulting firm MIR Industry. "Companies that get subsidies through connections are cruising without feeling any competition or fully grasping the technology," said Wang. "I'm afraid robots will walk down the path of China's solar industry, with its market development distorted." Xu Wenjiu, an executive at Shenzhen-based robot maker LEN, expects a third of domestic robot firms to collapse within three years because many do not have the ability to offer after-market maintenance for products that break down. TECHNOLOGY GAP Foreign robot makers are sanguine about the profusion of Chinese rivals - at least for now. Gu Chunyuan, the China head of Zurich-based ABB Robotics, a leading robotics firm along with the likes of Germany's Kuka and Japan's Yaskawa, downplayed the threat of Chinese competition, saying his firm held a significant technological advantage. The company also ships many "naked" robots to Chinese firms who resell a customized final product to factories. In Dalian, DTMG's president, Ma Junqing, acknowledged there was an "obvious gap" between Chinese firms and foreign competitors in robot and automation technology. But he said his firm, which specializes in automated machine tools, had been making advanced robot arms for only three years and hoped to catch up with Japanese rivals in three years and German competitors within five. "The complete product chain takes a long time, as does researching technology and developing the market," said Ma, whose firm has longstanding government links and receives subsidies and loans. Still, domestic firms like Shanghai Siasun Robot & Automation are seen as making advances in robot technology, while companies like DMTG and rival Shenyang Machine Tool Co are investing to expand beyond traditional machine tools into more sophisticated products. Rethink Robotics' founder Rodney Brooks, who has consulted for local Chinese governments, predicted that the champion of Chinese robotics may emerge from an unexpected quarter, given the level of investment and technology required. He named e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, which has invested in robotics with hardware manufacturer Foxconn and Softbank, as a contender, much like how Amazon Inc has become a major robotics player in the United States. "It may not be the traditional players but the transformation is still going to happen in China," Brooks said. Source: Channel News Asia
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The Ultrix machines are multitasking 4/5-axis cnc machining centres with a vertical spindle, rotary tilting table, mobile crossbeam and gantry structure. ![]() This range includes various models: 800 4-axis, 800 RT and Ultrix 1000 and 1000 RT HD. The table rotates around the C axis and reaches speeds of 100 rpm for milling operations and up to 1000 rpm for turning operations. The A tilting axis can reach speeds of 50 rpm. The linear axes travel at speeds of 60 m/min. As the Ultrix multitask centres offer a number of different machining operations in one centre - turning, milling, boring and grinding - downtimes for workpiece repositioning are eliminated. The vertical design of these Breton machining centres is a solution for machining workpieces with diameters greater than the height of the piece. The Ultrix machining centres turn workpieces both horizontally and vertically combined with the tilting motion of axis. The turning bar with a 150mm vertical travel and positioned to the side of the vertical RAM it is possible to turn workpieces with heights greater than travel Z. This solution allows for, amongst other important features, to use short tools instead of the conventional longer tools which are prone to abrupt jerks when machining and the use of vibration damping bars is limited just to intensive turning operations when machining hard and resistant materials. The Ultrix range of machining centres can be fitted with a turning/milling spindle which allows varying tool positions and facilitates changeover from vertical to horizontal turning operations on the same workpiece optimising, in this way, both machining operations and tool consumption. With this range of machining centres it is possible to turn in diagonal workpieces up to 1000mm. The Ultrix range can be supplied with tool magazines for holding 30-60-150 or more tools. It is possible to choose from a wide range of turning and milling spindles. Milling spindles with S6/S1 rating, 55/48 kW (M300/14) torque 300Nm in S1, speed 14,000 rpm - 40/40 kW (M100/18) S1 torque 100Nm and speed 18,000 rpm or 28/20 kW (M38/28) S1 torque 38 Nm and speed 28,000 rpm or 55/40 kW (M16/40) S1 torque 16 Nm and speed 40,000 rpm. In S1 the milling spindles have an output power of 30 kW with a torque up to 2000 NM and speeds reaching 1000 rpm. All machining operations can be run and managed in automatic guaranteeing a quality result thanks to the in-process dimensional checks. This system, in fact, detects in automatic the dimensions of the workpiece and runs finishing operations in automatic satisfying the required tolerance margins. This significant and important feature further enhances the multitask potential of the Ultrix machining centres transforming them into a measuring centre. The Breton machining centres combine and incorporate in a single machine all machining operations: milling, turning, boring and when required grinding. The versatility and flexibility of the Ultrix range is more than this: the range of heads and spindles allow operators to rough mill as well as perform high-speed finishing operations which require maximum precision and meticulous care. The specific machine functions of the Ultrix range substantially reduce production times: turning operations combined with the table tilting feature allow for workpiece profiling in one single operation eliminating additional machining and at the same time ensuring and guaranteeing a superior quality finish. The Flexible Intelligent GAuge (FIGA) is a one-piece symmetrical design, developed for the production shop.
With a minimum footprint The Flexible Intelligent GAuge (FIGA) offers a generous measuring volume of 600mm x 560mm x 500mm. The horizontal bearing ways are completely enclosed and fully protected with no exposed cabling. High-resolution glass measuring scales provide a thermal inert measuring accuracy. Open access to the measurement volume provides for ergonomic operator loading or applied automation. Elliott Mills, CMM product and sales director for Perceptron Inc. says, “FIGA represents a return to the origins of the COORD3 manufactured cantilever style CMMs using mechanical bearings. Today’s fusion of proven design philosophy, with 40 years of CMM metrology experience and the latest technology, result in the FIGA’s unparalleled measurement solution for the global manufacturing community.” FIGA can be supplied with any of the full range of Renishaw touch trigger or scanning probes. An integral probe or styli change rack is rigidly mounted to the rear of the machine structure so it does not erode the available measuring volume. Standard with the FIGA CMM is TouchDMIS measuring software, the new benchmark for ease-of-use. The one-touch program launch in TouchDMIS allows the machine to be operated by shop operators and part programs can be programmed for CAD either on or off line. The software allows fully-customizable inspection reports can be set up to provide only the information needed to monitor both individual part quality and process capability. Relocating FIGA to a new point-of-inspection on the shop floor is easily handled by a standard pallet-truck. Integral anti-vibration leveling feet allows for rapid set-up at the new gauging station without the need for compressed air and offering a unique plug and measure solution. Source: Today's Energy Solutions AMT offers the monthly USMTO as “a reliable leading economic indicator, as manufacturing industries invest in capital metalworking equipment to increase capacity and improve productivity.”
New orders for machine tools fell 11.8% from June to July, totaling $318.33 million for the month, and dropped 11.1% versus the year-ago result for July 2014. It was the second-lowest monthly total in the past 12 months, and the second-lowest total for units ordered, and while the pace is well off the peak set for new orders in September 2014 there is no clear trend as the index wavers from month to month. The 2015 year-to-date orders are valued at $2.48 billion, down 8.7% from the seven-month total for 2014. The totals are contained in the U.S. Machine Tool Orders Report, which is issued monthly by AMT – the Association for Manufacturing Technology from participating companies who produce and distribute metal-cutting and metal-forming and –fabricating equipment, and including domestically manufactured and imported equipment. The report is based on actual values for new orders, and the results are presented as nationwide totals and as totals for six regions of the U.S. AMT presents the report USMTO as “a reliable leading economic indicator, as manufacturing industries invest in capital metalworking equipment to increase capacity and improve productivity.” Current manufacturing activity is more clearly indicated by the monthly Cutting Tools Market Report, co-presented by AMT and the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute, though over the past year that index also indicated weak domestic manufacturing activity. “The mood among manufacturers right now is best described as ‘caution cubed’,” observed AMT president Douglas K. Woods, “… concerns around disruption in China, a drop in some key economic indicators like PMI and housing starts, and softening in large customer industries, including agriculture and energy. “Additionally, consumer confidence dropped in July, and the situation in Europe first with the Greek bailout and now the large influx of refugees is creating added uncertainty,” Woods continued. “Given all of that, it’s no surprise that manufacturers are wary about making large investments in capital equipment.” The USMTO also presents regional results for new orders of both metal-cutting and metal-forming and -fabricating equipment. In the Northeast region, new orders fell 14.7% overall for the month, $65.49 million -- though new orders for metal-cutting equipment are up 27.4% compared to July 2014, and are up 15.4% YTD through the first seven months of 2015. In the Southeast, July’s new machine tool orders increased 1.9% to $38.2 million, though at $239 million the January-July total is down 1.7% from the comparable figure for last year. In the North Central-East region, new orders increased, but barely: the total of $85.9 million is 0.3% higher than June’s result, and compared to last July the total is down 7.5%. Year-to-date orders are down 9.9% compared to the first seven months of 2014. In the North Central-West Region, new orders fell 14.1% from June, to $58.3 million. The seven-month total for metal-cutting equipment new orders is $463.57 million, up 7.8%versus the comparable figure for last year. In the South Central region, metal-cutting equipment new orders fell 37.8% from June, to $21.91 million for July. The region’s YTD total is now $211.53 million, which is down 51.6% compared to the analogous period for 2014. Lastly, the West region reported new orders for metal-cutting equipment totaling $43.92 during July, down 23.0% from the previous month and down 18.5% from July 2015. Total new orders are down 20% compared to July 2015, and year-to-date orders, now at $379.77 million, are down 6.6% compared to the first seven months of 2014. Source: Americanmachinist.com The Japanese automation giant Omron is buying Adept, the largest American manufacturer of industrial robots, in a deal that values Adept at about $200m. Omron is offering Adept investors $13 per share of common stock, which represents a 63% premium over the closing price on September 15, 2015. By adding Adept’s robotics technology to its portfolio, Omron argues that it will be well-positioned to help manufacturers in the automotive, food and beverage, packaging and other industries, to cut costs, shorten supply cycles and improve productivity. This acquisition will also accelerate and expand Omron’s “ILO+S” (Input, Logic, Output and Safety) strategy for its industrial automation business, by adding R (robotics) and extending the strategy to “ILO+S+R”. Omron asserts that it currently has the world’s most comprehensive automation product portfolio spanning the ILO+S spectrum. The acquisition comes less than two months after the Japanese company acquired another US automation company, the motion control specialist, Delta Tau. “We are delighted Adept Technology, a world leader in robotics, has agreed to join Omron,” says Yutaka Miyanaga, president of Omron’s industrial automation business. “This acquisition is part of our strategy to enhance our automation technology and position us for long-term growth. Robotics will elevate our offering of advanced automation.” Following the transaction, Adept’s president and CEO, Rob Cain, will continue to lead the business. “We are excited about the opportunity to join Omron, a global leader in automation,” he says. “Together, our products will offer new innovative solutions to customers all around the globe.” California-based Adept, founded in 1983, recorded sales of $54.2m and a gross margin of 42% in the year to June, 2015. Its product lines include autonomous mobile robots, industrial robots, configurable linear modules, machine controllers for robot mechanisms and other flexible automation equipment, as well as machine vision systems and software. There are currently more than 25,000 non-captive robots, built specifically with Adept’s customers in mind, and more than 30,000 Adept-controlled robots installed around the world.
Adept’s strategy is to provide a broad range of reliable integrated products and world-class service to allow manufacturers to maximise productivity, safety, flexibility and product quality. Omron expects the transaction to close on or about October 22, 2015. It is subject to customary closing conditions, including at least a majority of shares of Adept common stock being tendered in the offer. The transaction has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies. Source: Drives & Controls |
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