Important Innovations

 A pple and Porsche Are in Discussions on Joint Projects - What About the iCar?                                         Source:  Various iCar Concepts The Combo Could be a Seismic Automotive Partership  The global automotive industry is abuzz about ongoing discussions between two giant brands - Apple and Porsche on "joint projects". The big question is will Porsche serve as the manufacturer for Apple's upcoming iCar.  If so, that would be a partnership of seismic proportions between computer-iPhone giant Apple and luxury car icon Porsche with its legendary automotive design, engineering and technological expertise.  Porsche is currently 100% owned by VW but VW wants to give it its independence through an IPO possibly this summer. Any Clues? There are clues that the discussions are serious.  Porsche CEO Oliver Blume has acknowledged that his executives have and are holding discussions with Apple executives on joint projects.   Some experts believe that the iCar project bet

  2 New EV Mega Manufacturing Plants in the US                         Source:  Ford New EV Plant & EV Trucks $11.4 Billion for Electrification - Major EV Commitment Ford, along with South Korea's SK Innovation energy company, are investing $11.4 billion to build two, huge manufacturing facilities for electric vehicles in Kentucky and Tennessee.  Ford is partnering with SK on the development and manufacturing of much less expensive lithium-ion batteries to bring down the price of Ford electric vehicles and make them much more affordable to the average consumer.  Ford is investing $7 billion in the project.  SK is investing $4.4 billion. That is the biggest manufacturing investment in Ford's 118 year history.  The projects will create 11,000 new US jobs and the facilities are expected to be up and running by 2025. Ford's Big Electric Plans Ford's plans for electric vehicles are big as it shifts away from gas powered vehicles.  The company will invest a total of $30 b

Hyundai Completes Acquisition of Leading Robot Developer Boston Dynamics                                Source:  Hyundai & Boston Dynamics Synergies of Robotics and Automakers Hyundai Motor Group has completed its acquisition of Boston Dynamics, a world leader in developing agile, mobile robots such as Spot the robodog.  Boston Dynamics was valued at $1.1 billion with Hyundai having an 80% stake and SoftBank owning 20%.  The question is why would a global automaker buy a robotics company?  The answer:  Hyundai is going into robotics in multidimensional ways, including autonomous cars, urban air mobility vehicles and robots. Robotic Value Chain Hyundai says that it and Boston Dynamics will create a robotic value chain for everything from robot component manufacturing to smart logistics solutions.  Hyundai already has significant internal robotic expertise including factory automation, wearable exoskeletons to protect and strengthen workers and a service robot that performs hotel dut

Northwestern's HARP: Full Size Structures in Two Hours Source:  Northwestern University Future of Manufacturing On-Demand A team at Northwestern University have invented a 3D printer that provides rapid, on-demand manufacturing of large objects in a few hours.  It can be used to make parts for planes, cars, medical devices and more.  The HARP (high area rapid printing) device prints 100 times faster than other 3D printers.  It can create an object the size of a human in 2 hours. Record Breaking Throughput Northwestern University says this type of rapid manufacturing on-demand is the future of manufacturing that could put an end to molds and warehouses. The new printer will be commercially available within a year and a half.  It prints both hard, durable parts and elastic objects.  The throughput is record breaking and enables it to manufacture parts on demand. Non-sticky Liquid & Ultraviolet Light The printer itself is large:  13 feet tall with a 2.5 sq. foot prin

Adhesive With Stickiness of Gecko Legs Source:  North Carolina State University New Liquid Manufacturing Process This is a new and very novel approach to manufacturing.  A new adhesive has been created by harvesting liquid driven chaos.  It's the invention of scientists at North Caroline State University.  It's said to pave the way for a new generation of soft  nanomaterials including for gels, food, pastes, nonwovens and coatings. Stickiness of Gecko Legs The adhesive created by the process can adhere to virtually any surface.  The team employed liquid manufacturing which involves dissolving a polymer and rapidly mixing it with another liquid.  The chaotic turbulence results in branched particles.  The thinnest particles create a corona of nanofibers that result in adhesive.  The material, according to the team, has the stickiness of Gecko legs. New, Scalable, Inexpensive Manufacturing This new invention is a unique manufacturing process that works with many poly

US Robotic Workforce Hits Record Level Robot Manufacturing Surges This is new research information from the Robotics Industry Association.  The US and China are even more deeply investing in robots and AI for the workplace.   The US has increased the amount of robots being shipped to US factories by 36,000 in 2018 or 7% above the previous year. The number of  US universities investing in AI research centers is also on the rise.  For a great news blog on this, go to  Important Innovations Collection: US Robotic Workforce Surges : Robotic Manufacturing Source:  Automotive Robotic Assembly Line - Stock Image New Numbers for US The number of robots working in US fa...

YuMi, the Robot Conductor, to Do Duty on Factory Floor Source:  ABB's YuMi conducting Lucca Philharmonic Orchestra in Italy ABB's New Shanghai  Robot Factory At the new ABB robot factory in China, the Swiss engineering group will use robots to make robots.  It's a $150 million, state of the art facility in Shanghai that the company just announced today.  ABB is building the factory to strategically secure and defend its place as China's largest maker of industrial robots.  YuMi, the highly acclaimed robot conductor, will be part of the workforce.  YuMi humanoid robots are designed to work side by side with people. China 2020 The new factory will open in 2020.  It's close to ABB's China robotics campus.  It will build robots for China and for export elsewhere in Asia.  China is ABB's #2 market after the US. Shanghai Global Technology Center In a statement announcing the project, ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer said:  "Shanghai has become a vital