Cobots Maker Universal Robots Ties with Phillips Machine Tools India to Provide the Best CNC Machine Tool Automation Solutions to Indian Manufacturers

In an effort to boost productivity and help manufacturers emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever, pioneer and leading collaborative manufacturer Universal Robots (UR) joins hands with Phillips Machine Tools India, part of Phillips Corporation, the world's largest Haas factory outlet. Together, they are all set to offer machine shops a safe, user-friendly solution to optimize uptime and enable significant advantages to manufacturers in India. This is an extension of the existing partnership between the two companies in the USA, which was first announced in August 2019.

Universal Robots joins hands with Phillips Corporation - the largest global distributor of best-selling Haas CNC machines, to help Indian manufacturers boost productivity

Cobots are niche robotic arms which are quick to deploy, have a low footprint, and easy to program, even for those who are first time robot users. They overcome common barriers to automation faced by manufacturers in India, allowing them to implement Industry 4.0 technology. Traditionally, manufacturers face significant difficulties in the loading and unloading of CNC machines, which happens to be one the most popular applications of collaborative robots. Thus, the distributor agreement between Universal Robots India and Phillips Machine Tools India will ensure the rapid deployment of cobots with Haas CNC machines to help manufacturers staffing issues and stay competitive in this time of uncertainty. It will further offer affordable solutions to new and existing manufacturers and drive them to push the envelope by adopting flexible automation and increase overall productivity.

"Universal Robots India is pleased to partner with Phillips Machine Tools India, a Haas Factory Outlet, in bringing our solutions to the Automated Machine Tending marketplace in India. With Phillips' extensive installed base and service network pan India, Universal Robots and Phillips India will bring the benefits of democratized & flexible automation to MSMEs, SMEs & OEMs as India emerges from the pandemic with a leaner but more productive & efficient manufacturing sector," shares Pradeep David, General Manager, South Asia, Universal Robots.

Universal Robots has already sold over 44,000 cobots across the globe, with more than 1,000 UR cobots for tending Haas CNC machines. Phillips Corporation has an installed base of more than 19,000 Haas CNC machines around the world. More than 60 different Haas models can be automated with Universal Robots' cobot arms. This partnership between the world's largest distributor of the leading CNC brand and the top collaborative robot brand offers a slew of advantage for India's manufacturers, combining a Haas-UR solution offered with Phillips' manufacturing expertise and application know-how to help businesses boost productivity and also prepare for the possibility of any future disruptions.

"Today, more than ever before, it's all about the competitive edge. We at Phillips Machine Tools India offer innovative, affordable solutions that create an unbeatable competitive advantage for Indian manufacturing. Phillips Automation through Universal Robots offers Cobots: collaborative robots that provide cost-effective, flexible, and safe automation solutions for a wide range of CNC machine tending tasks. With over 10,000+ CNC machines and 10 technical centres spread across India we combine our machine tool expertise and automation experience to help our customers increase their machine productivity through simple, reliable automation, the Phillips way," says Terrence Miranda, Managing Director, Phillips Machine Tools India.

The companies see tremendous potential in both, retrofitting existing installations with UR cobots, and also for getting through the door to new customers, offering turn-key solutions. After all, there is no hardwiring or complex coding involved in getting a Universal Robot to communicate with a Haas machine since UR has solutions like the VersaBuilt software that facilitates two-way communication between the UR cobot and the CNC. This means UR cobots can easily execute any machining program stored on the Haas CNC directly through the cobot's own teach pendant, maintaining all Haas safety interlock features. The partnership, thus, endeavors to take manufacturing in India to a whole new level, especially empowering those who are new to automation with a solution that enables Make in India with skyrocketed efficiency and quality.

Watch UR cobots tend a wide range of Haas CNC machines here.

About Universal Robots
Universal Robots was founded in 2005 to make robot technology accessible to all by developing small, user-friendly, reasonably priced, flexible industrial robots that are safe to work with. Since the first collaborative robot (cobot) was launched in 2008, the company has experienced considerable growth with the user-friendly cobot now sold worldwide. The company, which is a part of Teradyne Inc., is headquartered in Odense, Denmark, and has subsidiaries and regional offices in the United States, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Poland, Turkey, China, India, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Mexico.

For more information, please visit www.universal-robots.com or read our blog at www.blog.universal-robots.com/in

About Phillips Corporation
Phillips Corporation is a family-owned global manufacturing services company, partnering with customers to create legendary value by providing unparalleled expertise, innovative thinking, and solutions for those who shape the future. They partner with customers to improve competencies for applying manufacturing technology - resulting in leaps in productivity, great prosperity, and enduring competitive advantage.

Phillips Corporation globally is the World's Largest Haas Factory Outlet, combining the convenience and security of a local distributor with the strengths of an international organization.

~ Newsvoir

World's Largest Hub for Collaborative Robots Opens in Denmark: Danish Robotics Companies Mobile Industrial Robots and Universal Robots Invest $36M in Robot Development & Production

Denmark Minister of Industry Business and Financial Affairs Simon Kollerup unveiled what will become the new home of Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) and Universal Robots (UR) the two flagships in the thriving Danish robotics industry. The companies will share 32000 m2 (334000 square feet) in a new cobot hub in the city of Odense the heart of Denmark rapidly expanding robotics cluster.

With financial backing from their joint U.S. parent company Teradyne Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) and Universal Robots (UR) have acquired a 50000 m2 building site in Odense where $36 million will be invested in the construction of a major cobot hub in the cobot capital of the world. Collaborative robots -or cobots -are now the fastest growing segment of industrial automation. Cobots are a type of user-friendly robots that can work closely with humans without the need for safety guarding enhancing both work environment and productivity.

The new cobot hub supports Teradyne mission to further strengthen the significant leads that both MiR and UR have established worldwide.

MiR and UR are leading the world in the collaborative robot revolution that making automation solutions available to companies of all sizes.Teradyne continues to invest aggressively in the development of new products solutions and sales channels and this new facility is a key part of our growth strategy says Mark Jagiela President and CEO of Teradyne. We have found something very special in Denmark. The Danes; combination of innovative industrial design combined with a practical business sense have created a perfect combination for this emerging industry. The ability to make robots work in collaboration with humans in a user-friendly manner is something we have not encountered to this degree anywhere else in the world and we;re very excited to expand our capabilities in Odense.
This is not the first time the MiR and UR owner has provided cash support for robot development in Denmark. To-date Teradyne has invested more than half a billion USD in the two young Danish robotic companies both of which are growing rapidly.

Expects further job growth

The building site is in Odense industrial district close to UR current headquarters which will also become part of the new cobot hub. The two companies will continue as separate entities with the aim to create an attractive environment that will help attract new employees to facilitate the continued growth expected by the two companies in the coming years.Denmark has a significant lead in the global market for cobots. Investing ambitiously in building the world largest cobot hub right here in Odense makes a lot of sense says Thomas Visti CEO of Mobile Industrial Robots. Offering a strong professional environment with superb facilities enables us to attract talent from all over the world. MiR has hired 100 new employees the past year with UR adding 280 new staff members during the past two years. Today the two companies have 160 and 450 employees respectively based in Denmark. UR employs almost 700 employees worldwide while MiR staff counts a total of around 220 globally.

Unique talent base in Denmark

Jrgen von Hollen President of Universal Robots sees enormous potential in the cobot market. This is a market expected to grow to a total value of almost $12 billion in 2030 according to ABI Research. Demand for Danish cobots already means that we are growing out of our current offices in Odense both at UR and MiR says the UR President. Odense has a strong ecosystem of talent and we are pleased to have the opportunity to invest long-term in the unique robotics environment that we have been building here over the last 10 years.

Danish robotics cluster on the rise

The Danish robotics industry is currently booming; the 2019 annual survey from trade association Odense Robotics shows that 8500 people now work for Danish robotics companies 3900 of them in and around Odense Denmark third largest city. If the industry follows the growth forecasts the Danish robot industry will employ 25000 employees in 2025 according to the Danish analysis firm Damvad.

And it not just the number of employees that growing. Danish robotics companies; total revenue rose by 18 percent in 2018 reaching $995 million with exports increasing 26 percent. These figures are particularly significant in that just 15 years ago Denmark did not have any robotics industry to speak of.

The Vision of the New Cobot Hub

This is the vision of the new Cobot Hub in Odense

Note: This is the vision of the new Cobot Hub in Odense. The final architectural design has not yet been determined.

About Mobile Industrial Robots

Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) develops and markets the industry most advanced line of collaborative and safeautonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that quickly easily and cost-effectively manage internal logistics freeing employees for higher-value activities. Hundreds of mid-sized through large multinational manufacturers and logistics centers along with several hospitals around the world have already installed MiR innovative robots.MiR has quickly established a global distribution network in more than 60 countries with regional offices in New York San Diego Singapore Frankfurt Barcelona Tokyo and Shanghai. In 2019 MiR had a revenue of USD 44 million. Founded and run by experiencedDanish robotics industry professionals MiR is headquartered in Odense Denmark.

For more information please visit www.mobile-industrial-robots.com.

About Universal Robots

Universal Robots (UR) was founded in 2005 to make robot technology accessible to all by developing small user-friendly reasonably priced flexible collaborative robots (cobots) that are safe to workwith. Since the first cobot was launched in 2008 the company has experienced considerable growth with the user-friendly cobot now sold worldwide. The company which is a part of Teradyne Inc. is headquartered in Odense Denmark and has regional offices in the United States Germany France Spain Italy UK Czech Republic Poland Hungary Romania Russia Turkey China India Singapore Japan South Korea Taiwan and Mexico. In 2019 Universal Robots had a revenue of USD 248 million.

For more information please visit www.universal-robots.com.

About Teradyne

Teradyne (NASDAQ: TER) brings high-quality innovations such as smart devices life-saving medical equipment and data storage systems to market faster. Its advanced test solutions for semiconductors electronic systems wireless devices and more ensure that products perform as they were designed. Its Industrial Automation offerings include collaborative and mobile robots that help manufacturers of all sizes improve productivity and lower costs. In 2019 Teradyne had revenue of USD 2.3 billion and today employs 5400 people worldwide.

For more information please visit teradyne.com. Teradyneis a registered trademark of Teradyne Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.

Automation Anywhere Raises $300 Mn from Softbank Vision Fund At $2.6 Bn Valuation

Indian-American founded "software bots for enterprises" firm Automation Anywhere has announced that it has raised $300 million from the SoftBank's tech-focused Vision Fund bringing the company's valuation to $2.6 billion.

Based out of California, US, Automation Anywhere had earlier raised $250 million in Series A funding in July and with this fresh funding from Softbank, the company's total financing is now over $500 million.

"With this additional capital, we are in a position to do far more than any other provider. We will not only continue to deliver the most advanced RPA to the market, but we will help bring Artificial Intelligence (AI) to millions," said Mihir Shukla, CEO and Co-Founder at Automation Anywhere.

The latest funding is subject to regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions and is an expansion to the company's series A round.

Founded in 2003, by Mihir Shukla, Ankur Kothari, Neeti Mehta, and Rushabh Parmani, Automation Anywhere is a provider of Robotic Process Automation (RPA), a technology that refers to use of software robots (bots) to automate business processes that are currently managed manually by human workers.

RPA or 'Software Bots' are digital workers which can complete mundane tasks, and also tackle more complicated problems as well. RPA enables companies to automate business processes, increasing productivity and enabling people to focus on more challenging and fulfilling work.

Automation Anywhere offers a complete suite of products capable of automating business processes at scale.

"Enterprises of all sizes are in the midst of a major transition to digital platforms and we are excited to partner with Automation Anywhere to accelerate this transformation," added Praveen Akkiraju, Managing Partner at Softbank Investment Advisers.

According to Automation Anywhere, it has about 1,500 enterprise customers including General Motors, Mastercard, and LinkedIn. They use its software to automate processes in functions ranging from supply-chain logistics to accounting.

The financing builds on an exceptional year for Automation Anywhere, which saw a rapidly growing roster of marquee customers (some of which can be seen here) and key executive appointments globally.

Following its Series A funding in July, Automation Anywhere announced it has so far this year established nine new locations based in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Miami, Paris, Seoul, Tokyo, Toronto, Warsaw and Washington, DC.

These new locations bring the company's total number of global offices to 19, including four others in the US, three in India, and one each in London, Melbourne and Singapore, Automation Anywhere said in a statement on Wednesday.

Automation Anywhere has opened its Bot Store, an app store-like marketplace of downloadable bot applications that are designed by the company and its partner ecosystem to meet specific automation requirements for common business processes. Additionally, the company has also announced that its enterprise solution would soon be available in traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean and Spanish.

Source - ToI, WSJ

[Top Featured Image - Youtube/PEX Network]

Meet Cobots- The Collaborative Robots

The cobots are coming, and if you're still not acquainted it with who they're and what they're capable of, it's time you did!

Cobots is basically a short form for collaborative robots, who have been conceived and designed to work alongside mankind in various fields such as healthcare, manufacturing, warehousing and logistics etc. They're predominantly employed for repetitive tasks wherein intelligent support systems, using cobots, assist the factory workers. Though available since a long time, the technology is expected to skyrocket at an exponential rate in the coming few years.

The recent evolutions regarding both the technologies and the market have been actively contributing towards its escalating demand. Case in point, DHL recently announced a partnership with Locus Robotics, which is not just limited till the factory or the warehouse. In fact, IoT and cobots have a crucial role to play in the digital transformation of healthcare. According to International Data Corporation (IDC), there would be a 50 per cent increase in robot usage in hospitals for delivery purposes by the year 2019. The numbers are expected to be even higher in the consumer space.

According to tech experts, cobots are expected to play a crucial role in the development of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Industry 4.0.

How are Cobots different from industrial robots?

In a number of tasks, the company doesn't want to or mainly can't completely automatically a particular operation. So, this is where cobots are preferred over industrial robots. They're basically used to assist the factory workers, rather than replacing them.



According to IDC, by the year 2018, about 30 per cent of all new deployments of robots will concern smart cobots that will operate three times faster and would be safe for work around humans.

Let's look at some typical characteristics of cobots that makes them different from other industrial robots.

Collaborative by Nature

Traditional industrial robot are designed to complete a specific pre-defined task without a need for any collaboration within a physical workspace. Human safety isn't a priority during the designing of these robots. They are just designed to do their assigned tasks. On the other, as stated above, cobots work in collaboration with workers.

Comparatively Lightweight and Mobile

As compared to typical industrial robots, cobots are much more light in weight than their industrial counterparts. Their lightweight makes it easier for them to collaborate with workers.

Smart Sensors and More

A cobot is much smarter than an industrial robot. These collaborative robots are equipped with smart technologies, systems and sensors that are related with Internet of Things and/or specific systems, depending on the use case.

Simple to Use

A cobot is simpler to use than most of the traditional industrial robots currently available. Since cobots have to collaborate with human beings, they're much less complex than industrial robots that have work on their own.

Meet YuMi, the Cobot



ABB manufactured cobot, YuMi was unveiled two years ago at Hannover Messe as a ‘vision for the future. Since its ‘launch’, YuMi has been deployed in several business pilot cases. ABB has now announced and showed next generation cobot, called Roberta. There are several such cobots in action currently.

[Top Image: Robotiq]

Meet Cobots- The Collaborative Robots

The cobots are coming, and if you're still not acquainted it with who they're and what they're capable of, it's time you did!

Cobots is basically a short form for collaborative robots, who have been conceived and designed to work alongside mankind in various fields such as healthcare, manufacturing, warehousing and logistics etc. They're predominantly employed for repetitive tasks wherein intelligent support systems, using cobots, assist the factory workers. Though available since a long time, the technology is expected to skyrocket at an exponential rate in the coming few years.

The recent evolutions regarding both the technologies and the market have been actively contributing towards its escalating demand. Case in point, DHL recently announced a partnership with Locus Robotics, which is not just limited till the factory or the warehouse. In fact, IoT and cobots have a crucial role to play in the digital transformation of healthcare. According to International Data Corporation (IDC), there would be a 50 per cent increase in robot usage in hospitals for delivery purposes by the year 2019. The numbers are expected to be even higher in the consumer space.

According to tech experts, cobots are expected to play a crucial role in the development of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Industry 4.0.

How are Cobots different from industrial robots?

In a number of tasks, the company doesn't want to or mainly can't completely automatically a particular operation. So, this is where cobots are preferred over industrial robots. They're basically used to assist the factory workers, rather than replacing them.



According to IDC, by the year 2018, about 30 per cent of all new deployments of robots will concern smart cobots that will operate three times faster and would be safe for work around humans.

Let's look at some typical characteristics of cobots that makes them different from other industrial robots.

Collaborative by Nature

Traditional industrial robot are designed to complete a specific pre-defined task without a need for any collaboration within a physical workspace. Human safety isn't a priority during the designing of these robots. They are just designed to do their assigned tasks. On the other, as stated above, cobots work in collaboration with workers.

Comparatively Lightweight and Mobile

As compared to typical industrial robots, cobots are much more light in weight than their industrial counterparts. Their lightweight makes it easier for them to collaborate with workers.

Smart Sensors and More

A cobot is much smarter than an industrial robot. These collaborative robots are equipped with smart technologies, systems and sensors that are related with Internet of Things and/or specific systems, depending on the use case.

Simple to Use

A cobot is simpler to use than most of the traditional industrial robots currently available. Since cobots have to collaborate with human beings, they're much less complex than industrial robots that have work on their own.

Meet YuMi, the Cobot



ABB manufactured cobot, YuMi was unveiled two years ago at Hannover Messe as a ‘vision for the future. Since its ‘launch’, YuMi has been deployed in several business pilot cases. ABB has now announced and showed next generation cobot, called Roberta. There are several such cobots in action currently.

[Top Image: Robotiq]