Smart manufacturing
Since the dawn of manufacturing, companies have continuously sought to create efficient processes. From the invention of the assembly line to the onset of AI and digital twin, manufacturing has undergone massive evolutionary changes that have created a whole new world of manufacturing possibilities. Industrial robotics have been utilized in manufacturing prominently since the 1960’s. GM’s Unimate robot weighed more than 4,000 lbs, and was used to move die castings from the assembly line to the welding line. The robot was very rudimentary in comparison to robots of today, but for the time it was a huge advancement in manufacturing technology. Today, robots come in many different shapes and sizes, are more nimble, and capable of handling a myriad of tasks. Their flexibility with tooling, as well as their ability to be redeployed quickly, enables manufacturers to capitalize on their versatility. But it goes far beyond moving die castings from the assembly line to the welding line. Now with the introduction of collaborative robots and even automated mobile
By Eric J. Halvorson Contributed By DigiKey's North American Editors
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