The focus is shifting increasingly onto robot-based automation – and for good reason. By Andreas Schuhbauer, marketing segment manager for machine tools at Kuka Roboter GmbH.

Thanks to the implementation of a new line featuring robots, which was made possible by the collaboration between SIR, a system integrator based in Modena, and FCA Cento, production of new engine blocks for 3000cc V6 diesel engines is doubled. Contributed by Comau

ABB has won a US$52 million robots order to boost the flexibility and efficiency of Changan Ford Automobile Company Limited’s new China production facility located in Harbin. The robots will used to make Ford’s new Focus model.

The International Federation of Robotics states that demand for industrial robots will continue at an average annual growth rate of 12 per cent between 2015 and 2017. In Asia/Australia, robot sales are expected to increase by around an average of 16 per cent per year. The automotive and electronics industries will continue to see increasing investment in robots.

Mr. Lim Say Leong, Assistant Vice President, Marketing of ABB, thinks that in a new era of robotics, collaboration between humans and robots will become a reality. MTA2015 caught up with Mr. Lim to learn more about future trends in automation technologies and robotics for the Asian manufacturing sector. ABB, a global leader in power and automation technologies, will be showcasing its robotics solutions at MTA2015.