GENERAL NEWS
According to the International Federation of Robotics ( IFR ), manufacturers in the United States have invested heavily in more automation .
“ Our preliminary results indicate that total installations of industrial robots rose by 12 % and reached 44,303 units in 2023 . The number one adopter is the car industry followed by the electrical and electronics sector . Automotive manufacturers currently invest in robotics mainly to drive the electric vehicle transition and respond to labour shortages ,” said the IFR .
“ The United States has one of the most advanced manufacturing industries worldwide ,” added Marina Bill , President of the International Federation of Robotics ( IFR ). “ The first IFR outlook on preliminary results again shows strong robotics demand across all major segments of U . S . manufacturing in 2023 .”
Sales in the automotive segment rose by 1 % with a record number of 14,678 robots installed in 2023 . This comes after installations in 2022 skyrocketed by 47 % to reach 14,472 units . The market share of car and component makers hit 33 % of all industrial robot installations in the U . S . in 2023 . The United States has the second largest production volume of cars and light vehicles worldwide , after China .
“ Installations in the electrical and electronics industry rose by 37 % to 5,120 units in 2023 .
U . S . invests heavily in robots
This number almost reached the record prepandemic level of 5,284 units , seen in 2018 . The latest result represents a market share of 12 % of all industrial robots installed in the U . S . manufacturing industry ,” outlined the IFR .
Robot installation in Canada reached 4,616 units ; up 43 %. The automotive industry accounts for 55 % of the country ´ s robot installations . Sales to the automotive sector rose by 99 % with 2,549 units installed in 2023 . This is an all-time high , according to the IFR .
“ Robot installations in Mexico ’ s manufacturing industry remain almost unchanged with 5,868 units in 2023 . The country ’ s main adopter is the automotive industry which accounted for 69 % of robot installations in 2023 : sales reached 4,068 units in 2023 ( the third best result since the peak level of 4,805 units in 2017 ),” concluded the IFR . n
www . ifr . org
Grundfos purchases servo-hydraulic press
Pump manufacturer Grundfos is the first company in Denmark to invest in the latest generation of servo-hydraulic presses from Swedish stamping specialist , AP & T . The new servo-hydraulic press from AP & T will replace an older press in an existing automated line used for cold forming pump components . Equipped with cushion and third-cylinder functions , the press will be installed at the Grundfos production facility at Bjerringbro , Denmark , in Spring 2025 .
“ It is extremely [ gratifying ] that Grundfos , with whom we have collaborated since the 1970s , is once again leading the way in investing in new press technology ,” said Peter Karlsson , Key Account and Area Sales Manager , AP & T .
The servo-hydraulic press features low energy consumption and noise levels as well as simple maintenance requirements . With tolerances of 0.05mm , it provides high repeat accuracy . Peter Lund Pedersen , project manager at Grundfos , sees major advantages with the technology .
“ Now that it ’ s time to replace one of our old presses , we want to invest in technology that enables us to reduce our energy
Peter Lund Pedersen ( Project Manager , Grundfos ) with Sandra Johansson ( Project Manager , AP & T ) and Peter Karlsson ( Key Account and Area Sales Manager , AP & T .)
consumption and optimise our production process . In this respect , AP & T ’ s servohydraulic press has several advantages that are in line with our philosophy ,” he commented .
“ In our tests , we have measured energy savings of up to 85 per cent for every stroke compared to one of our conventional hydraulic presses . It is nothing less than revolutionary in terms of climate impact and operational costs ,” he added .
Reducing energy consumption is Grundfos ’ main goal with this new investment .
“ We require at least 70 per cent savings
in actual operations . We also expect to achieve process stability , low maintenance costs and a better work environment with less noise ,” explained Pedersen .
The press design features a closed servo system with few moving parts , instead of pressure valves . Its speed , precision and power are regulated by electrical motors . The new servo-hydraulic press is also equipped with a freely programmable operator interface enabling the customer to create their own run patterns for all their tools without needing AP & T to reprogram the entire control system .
“ Throughout the years , AP & T has supplied Grundfos with many hydraulic presses and become an important partner . When the cold-forming process was implemented at Grundfos in 1992 , collaboration with AP & T was an important factor in our success . So , it was only natural for us to turn to AP & T again . As the supplier of our first coldforming presses , it [ is a process specialist ],” concluded Pedersen . n
https :// aptgroup . com
8 | ismr . net | ISMR June 2024