Maintenance Technology May 2015 - (Page 6)

NEWS NEWS HEADLINE NEWS ABB Formally Introduces Its Dual-Arm Robot ABB (abb.com), the power and automation technology provider, formally introduced its YuMi collaborative dual-arm industrial robot at last month's Hannover Messe trade show in Hannover, Germany. The robot, whose pre-unveiling presence has already attracted attention at events in the U.S. and abroad, was described as another step in ABB's Next Level strategy, which is aimed at accelerating sustainable value creation. ABB has said its new dual-arm robot, named YuMi, will change the way humans interact with robots. "The new era of robotic coworkers is here," said ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer in an industry release. "YuMi makes collaboration between humans and robots a reality ... and will change the way humans and robots interact." Designed to meet the flexible production needs of the consumer electronics industry, YuMi has equal application in any small-parts assembly process, thanks to its dual arms, flexible hands, universal parts Timken Opens Gear-Drive Manufacturing Facility in Houston The Timken Co. (timken.com) opened a new, 27,000-sq.-ft. state-of-the-art gear-drive manufacturing facility in Houston last month. Part of the Timken Power Systems group, the new plant is expected to improve production efficiencies in the manufacture of its Philadelphia Gear-brand high-speed drives. A long-time designer and innovator of high-speed gear drives serving the energy industry, Timken opened the dedicated facility to expand the company's ability to capture strategic opportunities with new and legacy original-equipment customers. The facility is equipped with two 5-axis machines that employ gear-milling technology instead of the traditional hobbing process. The machines can perform up to six different operations used to produce helical gears, shafts and pinions from raw material, and have the potential to significantly reduce the production cycle. The new, EPAcompliant plant adds to Timken Power Systems' geographic footprint that now provides services from more than 20 locations in seven countries. 6| MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY feeding system, camera-based part location, lead-through programming and precise motion control. The unit can operate in close collaboration with humans due to an inherently safe design. Its lightweight, magnesium skeleton is covered with a floating plastic casing and soft padding that absorb impacts. If the robot senses an impact, it can quickly pause its motion, and be restarted with the push of a button. Allied Reliability Group Acquires Keynect, LLC Allied Reliability Group, LLC (alliedreliabilitygroup.com), a provider of reliability and maintenance services, has acquired Keynect, LLC, headquartered in Kennesaw, GA. Keynect provides electrical testing that includes arc flash risk assessment, electrical safety program design, grounding and lightning protection surveys, and infrared thermography in its service offering. The Charleston, SC-based company said in an industry release that the addition of Keynect and its 2014 acquisition of Thermotest, Inc., strengthens its presence in the electrical testing and services field and expands its geographic footprint. The transaction represents Allied's second strategic acquisition since the Pfingsten private equity firm became the company's majority shareholder in August 2013. MAY 2015 http://www.abb.com http://www.alliedreliabilitygroup.com http://www.timken.com

Maintenance Technology May 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maintenance Technology May 2015