FMCG, pharma and logistics operations are set to benefit from the release of Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure Automation Expert version 21.1, its software-centric universal automation system.

As demand for local manufacturing and increased productivity continues to surge, some manufacturers are grappling with an ongoing issue: a shortage of skilled labour. Cobots can step into the breach.

To cater for the growing demand for its expertise, specialist in automation solutions, ASC, has brought in an expert engineer from offshore to help expand on its knowledge and services across Australia.

Kuka has joined Open IIoT, an initiative founded with the mission of delivering valuable, efficient and easy-to-understand information on Industry 4.0 and IIoT to the broader manufacturing industry.

ABB launches its faster and stronger IRB 390 FlexPacker, which supports customised/vertical packing, high-speed/high-variation sorting, and on-demand order picking in logistics and e-commerce centres.

Universal Robots’ best selling cobot, the UR10e, has been enhanced and is launching with a 25% increased payload, enabling it to serve even more applications and handle heavier items.

While cobots have been enabling manufacturers to run agile operations and increase performance for more than a decade, today’s cobots are built to do even more - Universal Robots breaks down what users can do to unlock more value from them.

Omron has introduced its new iX3 and iX4 parallel robots, which the company says delivers higher payloads and speeds for faster and more flexible picking and packaging applications.

James McKew, regional director for Universal Robots APAC, says border closures, a lack of human labour, the cost of human labour, and reduced mobility has boosted cobot deployment.

Universal Robots says competition in home entertainment, white goods and other personal electronics is tight and leaves no margin for error, and quality is what will differentiate companies from the pack.

As Foodtech Packtech 2021 gets underway, SMC has created a range of lightweight, compact and energy efficient products, which it will showcase at the food and packaging technology exhibition in Auckland.

Universal Robots has partnered with its OEM, Hirebotics, who has had cloud-connected cobots in play for many years now, to make cloud tools freely available for its entire portfolio of cobots.

Halodi Robotics has partnered with Altopack to co-develop a humanoid robot for refilling consumables, such as plastic and cardboard for packaging machines.

Esko is unveiling a major new release of its Automation Engine workflow solution, which it says is packed with new capabilities, and for the first time it will be available as a Software-as-a-Service.

AutoCoding Systems has been acquired by JBT Corporation, a global technology solutions provider to high-value segments of the food and beverage industry.

Frost & Sullivan’s recent analysis finds the global AR/VR market will reach $661.4bn by 2025, at a compound annual rate of 86.3% from 2019 to 2025, driven by contactless commerce.