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The purpose of this paper is to review the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago with emphasis on new innovative robot applications on display.

In‐depth interviews with exhibitors of robots as well as system integrators who apply robots to specific categories of applications.

Robots are becoming smarter with more integrated capabilities such as vision and autonomous part picking from random bin locations. They are becoming more economical, faster and more application specific. Robot system integrators are creating more efficient solutions for customers to consider.

The paper suggests that users who investigated robot solutions in the past and found they did not meet applications requirements may want to revisit robotics and see what is new. Robot makers are making them faster, smarter and more adaptable than ever before. Today's robotic solutions can better address application needs in a more cost‐effective manner than ever before.

Presents an approach to improved performance and flexibility in industrial robotics by means of sensor integration and feedback control in task‐level programming and task execution. Also presents feasibility studies in support of the ideas. Discusses some solutions to the problem using six degrees of freedom force control together with the ABB S4CPlus system as an illustrative example. Consider various problems in the design of an open sensor interface for industrial robotics and discusses possible solutions. Finally, presents experimental results from industrial force controlled grinding.

The purpose of this paper is to review the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago with emphasis on innovative robot applications on display.

In‐depth interviews with exhibitors of robots as well as system integrators who apply robots to specific categories of applications.

Robots are becoming smarter with more integrated capabilities such as vision and autonomous part picking from random bin locations. They are becoming more economical, faster and more application specific. Robot system integrators are creating more efficient solutions for customers to consider.

The paper is of value to users who investigated robot solutions in the past and found they did not meet applications requirements and who may need to revisit robotics. Robot builders and system integrators are providing more suitable solutions that can better address application needs in a more cost‐effective manner than ever before.

Optimising welding performance SUBSTANTIAL gains in productivity in many welding operations have resulted from the use of arc welding robots. However, possibilities for even greater gains are being overlooked because many robot suppliers simply set up installations to take over from manual MIG welding with solid wire. Often output could be boosted and costs reduced by up to 30%, simply by changing from solid to metal‐cored wires.

The British Robot Association has just published its annual robot statistics. This report looks at how the UK is proceeding and brings in figures from other countries for comparison.

The industrial robot has now become accepted in almost every sector of manufacturing industry as this review of robot applications and specifications shows.

Considers the use of robotics in the workplace as a means of protecting workers from exposure to hazardous substances, environments and physical agents. Gives examples of robots being used to handle radioactive material and working in the high dust exposure atmosphere of a plastics factory. Emphasizes the need to use a systematic approach to obtain the maximum health and safety benefit from automation of work, and outlines the areas to be considered. Describes the role of the British Robotics Association in realizing the potential benefits to occupational health from the application of robotic workstations and looks at areas of industry where this might be implemented. Concludes that using robotics to bring about health and safety benefits as well as production efficiency and quality improvement is a wide and new area for industry to develop.

Choosing end‐effectors for robotic applications can be a mind‐boggling task, unless you are familiar with what is available and the appropriate application for each. Presents the XChange Tool Change system, offered by Applied Robotics, which facilitates fast and reliable end‐effector changing. The system has the ability to interface virtually any utility: pneumatics, vacuum, signal level input/output, high voltage, high current electrical power, cooling fluids, hydraulic oil, fibre optics and video signals. With the increasing need for a wider variety of products manufactured in smaller quantities, quick and automatic end‐effector changing is critical.

The purpose of this review is to comprehensively consider the material properties and processing of additive titanium alloy and provide a new perspective for the robotic grinding and polishing of additive titanium alloy blades to ensure the surface integrity and machining accuracy of the blades.

At present, robot grinding and polishing are mainstream processing methods in blade automatic processing. This review systematically summarizes the processing characteristics and processing methods of additive manufacturing (AM) titanium alloy blades. On the one hand, the unique manufacturing process and thermal effect of AM have created the unique processing characteristics of additive titanium alloy blades. On the other hand, the robot grinding and polishing process needs to incorporate the material removal model into the traditional processing flow according to the processing characteristics of the additive titanium alloy.

Robot belt grinding can solve the processing problem of additive titanium alloy blades. The complex surface of the blade generates a robot grinding trajectory through trajectory planning. The trajectory planning of the robot profoundly affects the machining accuracy and surface quality of the blade. Subsequent research is needed to solve the problems of high machining accuracy of blade profiles, complex surface material removal models and uneven distribution of blade machining allowance. In the process parameters of the robot, the grinding parameters, trajectory planning and error compensation affect the surface quality of the blade through the material removal method, grinding force and grinding temperature. The machining accuracy of the blade surface is affected by robot vibration and stiffness.

This review systematically summarizes the processing characteristics and processing methods of aviation titanium alloy blades manufactured by AM. Combined with the material properties of additive titanium alloy, it provides a new idea for robot grinding and polishing of aviation titanium alloy blades manufactured by AM.