Collaborative robot (cobot) pioneer Universal Robots (UR) has sold its 50,000th UR cobot to German manufacturer VEMA GmbH. VEMA’s new arrival will join a fleet of three other UR cobots already deployed in pick and place tasks in end-of-line applications at the company. Christian Veser, managing director at VEMA, says: “With UR cobots we have enhanced our productivity remarkably and achieved better quality. Moreover, our employees have been released from ergonomically challenging work to focus on more value-added tasks.”

For further information
www.universal-robots.com

Stratasys has signed an agreement to acquire 3D-printing start-up Origin Inc in a transaction for total consideration of up to $100m, including cash and stock. The merger enables Stratasys to expand its business through innovation in the fast-growing mass production parts segment with a next-generation photopolymer platform. Stratasys expects Origin’s proprietary Programmable PhotoPolymerisation (P3) technology to be an important growth engine for the company, adding up to $200m in incremental annual revenue within five years. The company plans a full global launch by mid-2021.

For further information www.stratasys.com

Trumpf has completed the renaming and merger of its wholly-owned fibre laser manufacturing subsidiary SPI Lasers, into the Trumpf group and under the Trumpf brand. Effective from 28 November, the Southampton, UK-based company SPI Lasers UK Ltd will operate under the name Trumpf Laser UK Ltd. In addition, the companies SPI USA and SPI Korea have been merged with local companies Trumpf USA and Trumpf Korea, respectively, effective 1 November and 1 December. Trumpf merged the SPI subsidiary in China with Trumpf China back in April 2020.

For further information
www.spilasers.com

The combination of unique design and a sustainable new production technique are responsible for the first stainless-steel electric scooter made by Swedish innovation company Stilride. With Semcon as its partner, the company is planning to challenge traditional manufacturing techniques and pave the way for new design by deploying robots to fold steel. “By using industrial robotic origami we can fold structures from a flat sheet of metal in completely new ways and create shapes true to the material’s characteristics and geometric nature,” says Tue Beijer, industrial designer at Semcon.

For further information www.stilride.com

Mack Brooks Exhibitions has postponed EuroBLECH, which was scheduled to take place at the Hanover Exhibition Grounds in Germany from 9 to 12 March 2021. The next EuroBLECH international sheet-metalworking technology exhibition will return to its normal event cycle and run on 25-28 October 2022. This decision was taken in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and following conversations with exhibitors and partners over the past weeks and months. Uncertainties around continued travel restrictions were also a contributing factor to the decision due to the international nature of EuroBLECH.

For further information
www.euroblech.com