EVERETT, WA—Boeing plans to deploy robotic assembly technology on the 777X that will dramatically change how the plane’s metal hull is built. The investment will enable Boeing to increase the production rate of the 777 beyond the current 100 jets per year.
TOKYO—Toyota has long been an avid promoter of manufacturing automation, but now the automaker is seeking to revive the concept of human craftsmanship at its factories.
Once found mostly in high-volume manufacturing environments, robots are now being used in smaller organizations, and in a wider variety of applications.
YOKOHAMA, Japan—Ninety-six percent of the production process at Toyota’s Motomachi assembly plant is completed by robots. The plant employs 760 robots and produces one vehicle every 135 seconds.
BERLIN—Global sales of industrial robots increased 5 percent in 2013, reaching a record high of approximately 168,000 units, according to the International Federation of Robotics.