Traditionally, airplane manufacturing has been difficult to automate, due to factors such as tight tolerances and stringent quality demands. However, a new breed of robots enhanced with artificial intelligence technology promises to change that scenario.
New technology is more accurate and less labor-intensive than manual inspection.
April 2, 2024
ROME—Automation firm Comau and aerospace supplier Leonardo S.p.A. are working together to develop self-adaptive robotic technology that can autonomously inspect helicopter blades up to 7 meters long.
The ASSEMBLY Show South hosts numerous robot OEMs, as well as multiple suppliers of grippers and other robotic peripherals. Here’s a sampling of the new robotics technology that can be found on the show floor.
More than a decade ago, Northrop Grumman adopted production technology from the auto industry and unveiled an automated assembly line to mass-produce fuselages for the F-35 jet fighter.
Lion expects to produce approximately 14,000 medium- and heavy-duty vehicles per year at its. new assembly plant in Mirabel, Quebec.
Meeting that sort of production volume requires automation.
FREMONT, CA—On March 5, Anyware Robotics announced an add-on for its Pixmo robot for truck and container unloading. The add-on includes a vertical lift with a conveyor belt that is attached to Pixmo between the robot and the boxes. The integrated Pixmo software processes the heights of the boxes in the container and then controls the conveyor of the add-on to move up and down to these positions to “meet” the robot arm as it unloads. The add-on enhances unloading efficiency, weight capability, and reliability.