The Latest Company Expansions Across Automation and Robotics

Key industrial automation companies SensoPart, SCHUNK, ABB, and Schmalz take their business to customers and partners in new locations through interactive, training-based display rooms, collaborative testbeds, and collaborative office spaces. Join us in this brief overview of strategic business moves that grow the global market reach of industrial automation technologies and solutions for the advancement of society.

SCHUNK expands its global network of CoLab robot application centers, fostering collaboration with industry leaders, including KUKA, Universal Robots, and ABB. Image used courtesy of SCHUNK

SensoPart Opens New Subsidiary

SensoPart provides advanced machine vision systems and photoelectric sensor technology. Several industrial automation applications employ its vision, optical, ultrasonic, and inductive sensors.

For example, the VISOR Object sensor uses a Contour Check feature to identify cracks, burrs, deformations, and other defects on metal parts. Other application areas include object detection, positioning and alignment during assembly and packaging, barcode reading for tracking and traceability of products, and more.

The company announced the establishment of its new business, SensoPart Spain. This strategic move will consolidate its standing as a leading sensor and vision solutions provider and provide a platform for growing its international customer base.

SCHUNK Opens New Robot Application Centers

SCHUNK has grown its international network of robot application centers, known as CoLabs, by opening additional facilities in Katowice, Poland and Gipuzkoa, Spain, bringing the overall number to 15 worldwide. These centers enable companies to evaluate and validate automation technologies under real-world situations, reducing risks and increasing productivity. The Katowice CoLab focuses on robot-assisted deburring to improve processes and address labor shortages, whilst the Gipuzkoa facility works with prominent robotics companies, including ABB, KUKA, and Universal Robots. Vanessa Loiola, commonly known as "The Robot Queen," shared her expertise in robotics in the Spanish opening.

The CoLabs are key to SCHUNK's global strategy of providing tailored automation solutions and support. Both novice and expert automation specialists benefit from the centers’ ability to verify applications before installation. They provide localized expertise, quick reaction times to unique customer needs, and the potential for coordinated creation of efficiency-enhancing solutions. SCHUNK presents CoLabs as a cornerstone of safe, successful industrial automation, inviting customers to contact its field sales consultants for personalized help.

The growth of SCHUNK's CoLabs network benefits the global control engineering community by offering facilities for testing and verifying automation systems in realistic environments, lowering risks, and promoting innovation. These centers allow engineers to investigate new technologies, such as robot-assisted deburring, while promoting partnerships with industry leaders and robotics specialists. CoLabs is intended to solve regional-specific concerns, such as worker shortages, and promotes the implementation of efficient automation processes by providing specialized support. This project encourages knowledge exchange and technology development in industrial automation.

ABB Opens AMR Training and Exhibition Space

ABB has announced the opening of its AMR training and exhibition space in Madrid. It is intended to support its global network of customers and partners in deploying and operating its AMR technologies. Customers and partners can gain first-hand experience with ABB’s AMR Studio, a virtual environment for mapping facility floor space, path planning, updating AMR fleets, deploying AMRs, and troubleshooting individual AMR issues.

ABB opens a training hub and exhibition space to showcase its latest AMR technologies and upskill the industrial automation workforce of the future. Video used courtesy of ABB Robotics

The AMR center will provide businesses with valuable insights into the operational benefits of including AMRs within their workforce. It will also upskill workers with useful skills (aligning with employee satisfaction through growth and development) to execute tasks alongside AMRs, driving overall productivity.

Technicians, engineers, managers, and ABB workers may learn maintenance, software updates, and fault diagnostics to speed up commissioning, reduce downtime, and maximize ROI at the center. The showroom displays ABB's AMR portfolio, including models like the Flexley Tug and Mover, outfitted with Visual SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping). Since its inception, the center has staged the IntraLog Summit and expects to hold additional events, such as product launches and conferences for the logistics and automotive sectors.

Schmalz Expands Operations with New Hub in Vietnam

Schmalz is extending its market influence in Southeast Asia by opening a new office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The contemporary facility, located in District 7, has a demonstration area that showcases sophisticated vacuum technologies such as the JumboFlex handling system and automation solutions for electronics and packaging industries. The strategic position of the office supports Schmalz’s regional goals, as expressed by Managing Partner Dr. Kurt Schmalz during the inauguration. German Consul General Dr. Josefine Wallat and business executives also attended the event. The new office brings Schmalz closer to a new customer base and potential innovation opportunities.