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A report on robots at the Manufacturing Week exhibition, highlighting some of the developments on show in the man‐machine interface field. This reveals that the Windows environment is becoming increasingly popular for robot manufacturers. Special attention is given to the exhibits of two robot companies. In the first, a new robot off‐line programming and simulation system from Kuka is described. Its uniqueness is that the robot controller logic module and software is embedded into the off‐line programming PC, so that developed programs can be directly downloaded to the robot. The second, shown by System Devices, is a Windows‐based programming support package developed by Epson for its SCARA robots.

Japan puts the emphasis on assembly, while growth is not what it used to be. John Hartley reports.

There are signs that the boom in the Japanese robot industry is over, although there is still growth in some areas. John Hartley reports.

Reports on the Robot & Automation show held at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre alongside the MACH 2000 and other principal manufacturing shows. Some of the robot applications developed by exhibiting systems integrators are described including installations for monitoring clean room staff, acid etching of perfume bottles, laser welding of photocopier chassis and laser cutting of automotive plastic trim parts. None of the large robot manufacturers exhibited but some of the key suppliers of SCARA robots were present. The report also covers some of the robots on display in the MACH exhibition. It particularly focuses on robots for automation of EDM that is dominated by two specialist EDM equipment suppliers, not the conventional robot builders.

Improvements in performance and packaging from many companies are evident as Matsushita starts to sell its direct drive robot. John Hartley reports from Tokyo's Automation Show.

French robot company Staubli has developed a new turret‐type robot gripper, the first examples of which are being used in a FFr1 million cell for the assembly of couplings. Anna Kochan reports.

After its slow move into a position as a fully‐fledged robot maker, Toshiba is now intent on doubling output, and making an impact in overseas markets. John Hartley reports.

Toyoda Machine Works builds two assembly systems around its new robots.

A report of exhibits at the Robot and Automation Show held at the NEC, Birmingham at the time of the 25th ISR. It highlights some of the new developments and products on show, leading with the description of a novel robot tube bender being exhibited for the first time. New products range from a 350kg capacity robot developed by Kuka to a high speed SCARA robot from Epson aimed at PCB odd form component placement applications currently dominated by Cartesian robots. Exhibits of software products emphasised the move to low cost PC‐based systems aimed at small robot users and systems integrators without the resources of large IT departments, notably from Deneb and BYG Systems.