The new version of Fastems' Manufacturing Management Software (MMS) integrates three application areas in a single manufacturing software platform: pallet-based automation, automation of direct part handling with robots, and work cell operations for standalone machines and other manual manufactu

The Chiron Variocell Pallet automation cell enables the company’s FZ/DZ 16 five-axis VMC to produce small batches of a variety of workpieces productively and flexibly. Different raw parts can be clamped in one of 10 pallets mounted on a rotary table. The handling system guides one raw

The biennial EMO exposition, the largest machine tool trade show in the world, was held last week in Hannover, Germany. One machine tool company executive I was speaking with while we were there offered a fitting off-the-cuff take on what we were experiencing. “It’s like a robot show wit

Edge Technologies’ Rebel V-65 Servo short bar loader features a 5- to 65-mm diameter capacity for feeding spindle-length round, square, hexagonal and shaped barstock into CNC lathes. The loading storage capacity is 650 mm (25.6") deep. Bars are loaded from the rear of the feeder, and th

Robots can tend 3D printers, but they can also be used to manipulate the print head. Here, Addere’s system deposits weld wire using a laser head mounted on a Kuka robot.  Robots and additive manufacturing (AM) are both transformative technologies, with the potential to decrease

Sunnen Products Co. (St. Louis) and Sweden-based Applied Nano Surfaces (ANS) have entered into a joint market development agreement to advance technology and applications based on the Triboconditioning process recently patented by ANS. The process is said to reduce friction and w

The image gallery above, based on Modern Machine Shop magazine’s Modern Equipment Review Spotlight, features a selection of the product releases we have recently published pertaining to robots and automation in the machine shop. More can be found in our Zone dedicated

In a time when concern about robots replacing human labor is common, it’s less common to hear stories about shop employees advocating for robots to their managers. That is Fusion OEM’s story. An effort led by employees resulted in the adoption of multiple Universal Robots with end effect

Robotiq, a provider of tools and software for collaborative robots, has announced that its AirPick and EPick vacuum grippers are now compatible with other major cobot offerings, such as the Omron Collaborative Robot series. The announcement of the grippers’ new compatibility acc

Through a cooperative agreement, Siemens and Comau now offer a jointly engineered Sinumerik Run MyRobot DirectControl product. This product enables robot kinematics to be fully integrated into a CNC system. The Sinumerik CNC controls the articulated robot arm directly with t

Precision Tool Technologies of Brainerd, Minnesota, is a shop that uses bar-fed multitasking CNC lathes and bar-fed five-axis machining centers to run unattended not only through the night but through weekends as well. We recently covered this shop’s journey to what it calls “168 machini

For many machine shops today, the most promising avenue of potential expansion is not a new market or an addition to their facilities, but instead the untapped, unstaffed nighttime hours that could be captured for automated, “lights-out” production. The daytime hours are generally full.

The Fastems RoboCell One is designed for handling heavy workpieces weighing up to 176 lbs (80 kg). The robot cell can automate two machine tools of the same type: lathes or milling machines. The RoboCell One can produce different batch sizes of various part types. An optional automated gripper chan

Capable of automating as many as two lathes or milling machines, Fastems’ RoboCell One is designed for workpieces weighing up to 176 lbs (80 kg) within batches of different sizes. The robot cell is available with an automated gripper change system for flexible handling of workpieces and simple

  In addition to consolidating operations from four facilities to one, Tool-Flo’s new 88,000-square-foot indexable cutting tool manufacturing plant in Houston, Texas offers room to grow. More specifically, it offers room to automate.

The machining industry sits on a precipice—an edge, a turning point, a revolution—one that is coming whether we want it or not. We’ve seen it before, and it has everything to do with technological advancements. They are already here, challenging old-school thinking and disrupting t

To help manufacturers adopt new robotic welding capabilities quickly and inexpensively, Acieta has developed FastArc standard weld cells. The new cells are pre-engineered with integrated utilities and a one-piece platform for faster delivery and startup. “Labor and capacity are both major con

To many in manufacturing, “automation” means fleets of robots, unattended machine tools and autonomous material handling systems. But what if there were another type of automation, one that provides similar results—the ability to produce more with less—yet looks very dif

Featuring built-in vision and a user-friendly, plug-and-play programming interface, the TM-series collaborative robot from Omron Automation is designed to work seamlessly and safely with human workers to enhance productivity. Easily transportable, the robot complies with safety requirement

Fastems Oy AB has appointed Mikko Nyman as its new CEO. The former CEO, Tomas Hedenborg, will continue as an advisor to the board of directors and support Mr. Nyman in his new role until the end of the 2019. Mr. Nyman has worked at Fastems as a business unit vice president since the begi