Robot adoption continues to accelerate across manufacturing and logistics as companies look to improve productivity and address labor shortages. A new operations hub in Wixom, Michigan, brings robot and autonomous mobile robot manufacturing together with training and service under one roof. The facility is designed to support domestic production, workforce development, and customer support, reinforcing the role of automation in ongoing U.S. reindustrialization efforts.Manufacture, Train, and ServiceThe new facility will be a manufacturing hub for Teradyne’s Universal Robot product line, which is primarily collaborative robots. The facility will also manufacture autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) from the MiR product line. To aid the reindustrialization of America, Teradyne will develop an in-house training center and a service center. By building the facility, Teradyne will be creating approximately 200 jobs over the coming years.A robot from Universal Robots and an example of the programming interface. Image used courtesy of Universal RobotsUniversal RobotsWhen it comes to collaborative robots, Universal Robots from Teradyne offers a very wide selection. With reach ranges from 1750 mm down to 128 mm and payloads of up to 64 kg, Universal Robots will likely have a robot that fits your application. Not only does Universal Robots have an extensive catalog of collaborative robots, but it also provides the software required to operate them. Using graphical drag-n-drop styling programming, you don’t need to be a programming expert to configure and program their robots.The most powerful AMR offered from MiR, the MiR1350. Image used courtesy of Mobile Industrial RobotsMiR Autonomous Mobile RobotsAMRs are widely used in the logistics industry as e-commerce continues to dominate the commercial sector. A typical AMR is used to lift shelves or bins that contain goods that need to be moved around a factory or warehouse. The robot doesn’t need to follow a barcode tape; it has an internal map of the facility and can move freely within it. On-board vision and LiDAR sensors are used to detect obstacles and avoid collisions. The MiR catalog has AMRs with payload capacities of up to 1350 kg and max speeds of up to 1.2 m/s.ReindustralizingAs America drives towards reindustrialization, the automation industry will be heavily used to reduce workloads. Teradyne is staying competitive by opening a new facility that will manufacture, service, and train industrial collaborative robots and AMRs.
