Digitizing the shop floor has moved from a nice-to-have to a genuine competitive need for small and mid-sized manufacturers. Picking the right software, though, is a real fork in the road that can shape a company’s operational future. The question underneath it all is simple: are you solving today’s execution headaches, or building a foundation […]

PIA Automation is developing a highly automated assembly line for E-Drive units at the BMW Group plant in Steyr, Austria. Featuring 78 processing stations, 27 robotic cells and 46 industrial robots across more than 5,600 square meters on two levels, the project ranks among the largest in PIA Automation’s history. The system first assembles transmissions […]

For decades, automation on the plant floor meant machines doing the same thing very fast, very reliably and very literally. A robotic arm welded exactly where it was told, a conveyor moved at a fixed speed, and a programmable controller executed rules written by an engineer months earlier. That model built the modern industrial economy. […]

Reimagine Robotics, an AI robotics company founded by former leaders of Google DeepMind’s Applied Robotics team, has emerged from stealth with new technology that allows robots to learn on the job. The company is developing intelligent robots that anyone can train and use. Instead of requiring specialist programmers whenever a task or production process changes, […]

Commissioning a robotic production cell requires coordinated testing across robot controls, drives, safety functions, field devices, and plant networks. A robotic cell can run cleanly during a shop demonstration and still lose hours when it reaches the plant. The robot may be ready while a drive uses the wrong parameter set. A sensor can change […]

Robots no longer stop at the edge of the factory floor. Increasingly, they extend into a phone or tablet in an operator’s hand. A companion app has become as important as the hardware it controls. Fleet managers check machine health from a warehouse aisle. Maintenance technicians pull diagnostics before they even reach the unit. Operations […]

mimic robotics, a physical AI company developing Video-Action Models for industrial automation, has introduced FLUX-mimic – a next-generation Video-Action Model developed in collaboration with Black Forest Labs – that enables robots to learn and perform complex manipulation tasks in real-world industrial environments. FLUX-mimic combines mimic’s expertise in robot learning, dexterous manipulation, and production deployment with […]

Rockwell Automation’s July 2026 survey of 1,560 manufacturing decision-makers across 17 countries found that 93% of manufacturers already run MES software. Only 28% have it enterprise-wide, just 23% fully integrated across ERP, PLM, quality, and OT. This is a vendor survey, not independent research – but its own numbers back the reading. 44% rank integration […]

Manufacturers have spent decades automating physical production. Robots assemble components, sensors monitor equipment, and control systems coordinate increasingly complex operations. Yet many of the processes surrounding production still depend on manual data entry and communication. Information generated on the factory floor may need to reach maintenance, procurement, finance, logistics, or customer service. These handoffs are […]

Choosing the wrong primary compression technology can leave a large manufacturing facility with avoidable energy costs, limited turndown, and an inflexible compressor-room configuration for years. Plant designers commonly compare a dynamic centrifugal air compressor with a positive-displacement rotary screw system. The right answer depends less on the size of the factory itself and more on […]

France-based advanced robotics specialist Siléane has partnered with Hottinger Brüel & Kjær (HBK), to deliver a groundbreaking automated gripping solution for a global cosmetics manufacturer. By embedding smart sensing directly into the end-of-arm tooling, the project provides real-time grip quality validation, ensuring precision and reliability in highly regulated, fast-moving packaging lines. The challenge: High-speed, high-volume […]

New technology is changing the face of factories. All companies are seeking to reduce cycle time, lower costs, and guarantee quality. Automation is assisting factories to accomplish their tasks in a superior manner. A helpful technology is industrial robots and laser cleaning systems. This mix can be used to automatically remove burrs from metal components […]