The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI, 工研院) yesterday said it is collaborating with local manufacturers to offer new-generation, affordable robots for electronics and logistics companies to automate their factories and warehouses.
Different from the chunky industrial robots that are usually deployed at large-scale factories, the institute said it is more interested in developing collaborative robots for smaller and more diverse factory and depot automation.
“Traditional industrial robots are suitable for large-scale production lines. They need a lot of space and cost a lot of money, which small and medium-sized enterprises cannot afford,” Patrick Yu (游鴻修), acting division director of ITRI’s mechanical and mechatronics systems research labs, told reporters on the sidelines of the Taiwan Automation Intelligence and Robot Show at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 1.
Photo: CNA
“We believe that collaborative robots, which are designed to work in relative safety with people on the same factory floor, can have richer features and be applied to more industries.”
Such machines could be used to pick up and package goods in an e-commerce depot or in the food processing sector, Yu said.
The Hsinchu-based institute is developing a prototype collaborative robot, Yu said.
The institute has spun off a research unit to put the machines on the market, he said.
The institute in collaboration with Shihlin Electric & Engineering Corp (士林電機) has also developed servomotors for “smart” robotic arms, Yu said.
The institute is also working with Autotek Corp (和樁) to develop an all-in-one machine arm joint, he said.
The institute said its robots would be deployed in smaller factories at affordable prices without major overhauls of workspaces or warehouses.
Their operations would become like Amazon.com Inc’s “smart” warehouses, it said.
Also eyeing growing demand for factory automation, Rong Shin Automation Technology (榮興自動化科技) has partnered with the institute to roll out small, automated conveyor systems for use in the assembly lines and to offer assistance in grocery warehouses.
With a modular design that can be arranged according to where it is to be used, the conveyor systems can transport goods between shelves faster than people, the institute said.
What makes Rong Shin different is that the company also offers leasing services for its products, the institute said.
Noveltek Industrial Manufacturing Inc (恆智重機), which concentrates on goods transportation, also displayed its latest driverless forklifts at the show.
Polytronics Technology Corp (聚鼎科技) yesterday announced that it is buying Henkel AG’s thermal clad dielectric material (TCLAD) business division for US$26 million as the Taiwanese firm aims to improve its technology, product portfolio and revenue performance. Polytronics, headquartered in the Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科學園區), is a supplier of protection components and heat dissipation materials. The firm entered the metallic heat-dissipation substrate market in 2007 and developed a unique solventless production process. Its board of directors approved signing an agreement with Henkel to acquire the German chemical firm’s TCLAD division in the US. The purchase includes all assets and business interests, including equipment,
ELECTRIC FARMLAND: TSMC’s proposal to clear 230 hectares of reforested land for what would become Taiwan’s largest photovoltaic solar farm has generated concerns New rules curbing solar farms built on agricultural land sparked fierce debate at a packed public hearing at the Legislative Yuan yesterday, with industry representatives saying that the new restrictions would endanger President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) green energy goals, while agricultural officials emphasized the importance of protecting farmers and the environment. The Tsai administration has set a target to generate 20 percent of the nation’s power from renewable sources by 2025, by which time it also aims to install 20 gigawatts (GW) of solar power, including 6GW from rooftop solar systems and 14GW from ground-mounted solar farms. Although rooftop solar systems are
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday posted monthly revenue that suggested second-quarter sales surpassed analysts’ estimates, underscoring how its technological lead is helping the chipmaker weather the COVID-19 pandemic and US sanctions on its second-biggest customer Huawei Technologies Co (華為). Apple Inc’s main iPhone chipmaker posted sales of NT$120.88 billion (US$4.08 billion) for last month, up 40.8 percent year-on-year and bringing its revenue for the second quarter to NT$310.7 billion, beating the NT$308.8 billion analysts expected on average. TSMC, a barometer for the industry thanks to its heft in the global supply chain, had previously lowered its revenue outlook for this
‘SENSITIVE MARKETS’: The previously unannounced project would involve the company handing over control of data to a third party to sidestep privacy concerns Google has abandoned plans to offer a major new cloud service in China and other politically sensitive countries due in part to concerns over geopolitical tensions and the COVID-19 pandemic, two employees familiar with the matter said, revealing the challenges for US tech giants to secure business in those markets. In May, the search giant shut down the initiative, known as “Isolated Region” and which sought to address nations’ desires to control data within their borders, the employees said. The action was considered a “massive strategy shift,” said one of the employees, who added that Isolated Region had involved hundreds of employees
RSS