Rethink Robotics establishes new company headquarters and production facility in Bochum and has a new shareholder in Siemens Technology Accelerator

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Bochum, Germany – At the Bochum location, Rethink Robotics will develop new robotics technologies with the support of Siemens Corporate Technology, creating highly qualified jobs

In summer 2020, Rethink Robotics, as a subsidiary of the HAHN Group, moved into its new company headquarters, where the production of collaborative robot systems takes place as well. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the learning factory of the chair for production systems at Ruhr Universität Bochum. Now the location has been officially inaugurated in the presence of Bochum’s Lord Mayor Thomas Eiskirch and Bernd Tönjes, CEO of the RAG-Stiftung, which holds a majority stake in the HAHN Group through its holding company RSBG SE.

The premises are part of the new HAHN Group Technology Center, a meeting point for customers, partners and interested parties to experience and further develop innovative technologies. In the immediate vicinity of universities and research institutions, this creates a central place for the exchange of information, skills and technological developments. The building itself was constructed by sister companies of the HAHN Group within the RAG-Stiftung, accounting for the short-term space requirements and promoting further growth.

“The opening of the new corporate headquarters and production facility of Rethink Robotics symbolizes the transformation of the mining region into a location for future technologies. We supported the settlement from the start and are sure that Rethink Robotics will find an ideal environment here in order to continue their growth,” states Bernd Tönjes.

Rethink Robotics has already created 30 highly qualified jobs in Bochum. Their collaborative robot systems, which will be produced on-site, are used in manufacturing companies, as well as in in service applications for laboratory environments. Further investments in the development of the technology and the ongoing expansion of the team are planned for the future.

“Rethink Robotics made the right choice of location with Bochum,” says Mayor Thomas Eiskirch about the company’s decision to set up its new headquarters in Bochum and to create additional highly qualified jobs. “In Bochum, modern robot technology is already being developed and used in other areas to support people in everyday life. And in Bochum we like to rethink tasks that we face today and tomorrow. We like to think outside the box – with the aim of finding new, future-oriented answers.”

Another milestone for the development of the company at the Bochum location is the recently implemented cooperation between Rethink Robotics and Siemens Technology Accelerator (STA). STA acquired a minority of the shares in Rethink Robotics as part of a technology contribution. The contribution includes know-how, patents and designs in the field of innovative hardware solutions for lightweight robots and cobots. In addition, a development cooperation between Rethink Robotics and Siemens Corporate Technology was agreed upon, in which the Siemens Corporate Technology hardware solutions are to be further developed in a transition period so that their strengths are optimally combined with the Intera software from Rethink Robotics. The first studies on this are already running.

“With the technology from Siemens, we are getting closer to the start of a new series of robots very quickly and will be presenting a first prototype in spring 2021,” explains Daniel Bunse, CEO of Rethink Robotics GmbH, with pleasure.

Dr. Rudolf Freytag, CEO of Siemens Technology Accelerator GmbH, states: “We see great potential for success in this hardware technology developed by Siemens Corporate Technology and are pleased to be creating the best conditions for market success with Rethink Robotics. Siemens Digital Industries will of course continue to support the robotics sector with controls and innovative software solutions.”

 

About Siemens Corporate Technology

Corporate Technology (CT) is Siemens’ central research unit. In cooperation with the business units, CT advances the basic technologies that are important for the entire company. For more information visit https://new.siemens.com/global/en/company/innovation/research-development.html

 

About Siemens Technology Accelerator

Siemens Technology Accelerator GmbH is a subsidiary of Siemens AG and has been successfully commercializing innovative Siemens technologies in applications outside the strategic focus of the Siemens business units for almost 20 years. This happens either through the establishment of venture capital financed start-ups or through sale or licensing to established companies. For more information visit www.siemens.com/sta

 

Photography by Lina Nikelowski

HAHN Automation opens a new location in Villingen-Schwenningen, focusing on the healthcare industry

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HAHN Automation Süd in Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany, develops into a technology center for the healthcare industry

Since August 1, 2020, the original Invotec Deutschland GmbH has been operating under the new name HAHN Automation Süd GmbH. As a subsidiary of HAHN Automation with headquarters in Rheinböllen, Rhineland-Palatinate, the company will benefit even more of the synergies within the company network. On September 17, 2020, the location was opened with a small group of attendants at the Technologiepark-VS. Together with his guests, managing director Armin Doser looked back on the last 1.5 years as managing director of Invotec GmbH and gave an impressive outlook on the planned development of HAHN Automation Süd.

With a clear focus on the healthcare industry, HAHN Automation Süd will carry out projects relating to automation and testing in the production of medical devices and systems, as well as offering the validation of the relevant systems.

Big steps are planned for the future of the company. Frank Konrad as CEO and global managing director of HAHN Automation, looks confidently towards the future and strongly believes in the development of this site. Philipp Klaschka, CRO of HAHN Automation, presents the gradual development strategy of the location as follows: “With currently seven employees, HAHN Automation Süd is still one of the smallest sites within the HAHN Group, which should change quickly. As early as 2025 we want to employ 80 people in Villingen-Schwenningen and handle projects worth up to two million euros.”

“In the engineering sector in particular, skilled workers will be needed in the next few years,” explains Armin Doser, managing director of  HAHN Automation Süd. “This is why we would like to work closely with regional and national universities in order to promote the next generation of skilled workers.”

Keeping up with the technology of tomorrow, at the end of the event, guests had the opportunity to view production lines for the manufacturing of products in the healthcare sector, as well as to program the innovative SmartSolutions processing systems. These were presented to the market in August 2020 and represent an absolute innovation in the field of automation systems. Various solutions for the healthcare industry are also planned in the field of SmartSolutions, which will benefit greatly from the expertise of the team in Villingen-Schwenningen.

The HAHN Group review of K 2019

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This year the HAHN Group participated at K 2019. The largest international plastics fair takes place every three years in Dusseldorf, Germany, and brings the most important companies of the plastics industry together.

This way manufacturers of plastics granules, injection-molding machines and packaging machines have their place on the fair. The HAHN Group was present at the fair with its subsidiaries GeKu, HAHN Digital, HAHN Robotics, HAHN RobShare, Rethink Robotics, Waldorf Technik, and Wemo.

The company and product portfolio of HAHN Group fits like a glove to one of the main topics of this year’s K fair: Digitalization and industry 4.0 were of enormous relevance, as well as products around the connectivity of devices, along with digital monitoring and the remote control of production systems and processes. The HAHN Group’s expertise covers exactly these topics:

  • Jointly Waldorf Technik and HAHN Digital presented a system that combines digital printing and digital service, leading to higher productivity in the production of medical devices.
  • With their new WIPS 4.0 software, Wemo contributes to a more user-friendly programming of robots and allows improved product quality through intelligent automation.

“Contrary to the general mood in the run-up to the fair, we had a successful trade show. This particularly applies to the individual firms Waldorf Technik and Wemo,” explains Bernhard Rupke, Director of the HAHN Group’s Material Handling division, which is made up of the companies GeKu, Wemo and Waldorf Technik. He continues: “But as a whole group with a very wide range of automation technology, we have received a lot of feedback from many customers and visitors.”

We are happy about the high number of visitors and the considerable interest, which was shown for our products and companies. In the coming weeks our teams will build on the numerous ideas, contacts and successes, which were made at K and are already looking forward to K 2022!

More durable, quieter, higher quality: The Sawyer BLACK Edition

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Rheinböllen, Germany – The Sawyer BLACK Edition is now available for pre-order and will be presented for the first time at K 2019 in Düsseldorf

One year after the takeover of assets by HAHN Group, Rethink Robotics presents its hardware update: The Sawyer BLACK Edition is the result of the combination of German engineering and longstanding application experience. Sawyer is now quieter and has more reliable components with higher quality. The Sawyer BLACK Edition can be pre-ordered now; first deliveries will take place in 2019.

The Sawyer BLACK Edition contributes to a quieter working environment and is therefore even more popular among employees. The improved component quality of the Sawyer BLACK Edition significantly raises the cobot’s reliability.

At K 2019 the Sawyer BLACK Edition will be demonstrated at the HAHN Group at booth E61 in hall 10 as part of a palletizing application for the packaging of boxes and plastics parts.

With the BLACK Edition Rethink Robotics continues to stand for easy application, flexibility in use and high acceptance among employees. Tasks that are dangerous for humans are, among others, possible applications. Some of these include CNC machine assembly, circuit board assembly, metal processing, injection molding, packaging, loading and unloading, as well as tests and inspections. The cobot solution is ready for use immediately after delivery and equipped with the powerful Intera software and two camera systems.

More flexible solutions for plastics manufacturing

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Diepenau, Germany – GeKu and HAHN Robotics work even closer together with a new location in Northern Germany and are expanding their offering for the plastics industry.

GeKu recognizes the expanded potential of collaborative robot solutions for customers in the plastics industry. The HAHN Group, together with the Managing Director of GeKu, Thorsten Gerling and Marco Unverzagt, Managing Director of HAHN Robotics, establishes a subsidiary of HAHN Robotics in Northern Germany.

For the plastics industry, the companies of the HAHN Group have jointly developed application cases with collaborative robot technology for the handling of plastic parts. For example, cobot Sawyer from Rethink Robotics proves to be very easy to install and operate in this application area. At the same time, Sawyer is very flexible and can be used in many ways in companies in the plastics industry. Employees are relieved from taking on repetitive tasks and engage in more demanding tasks in the value chain. This ensures a high level of acceptance of the cobot within the workforce. Visitors to the fair can see at booth E61 in hall 10 how collaborative robot technology will support automation processes.

For about 25 years, plastics manufacturing has profited from GeKu’s automation of highly complex injection molding processes as well as individual high-tech automation and handling solutions. The founding of the subsidiary company Diepenau in Northern Germany, under the management of industry expert Thorsten Gerling, enables an expansion of their offers with security analyzes and integration of collaborative and industrial robot systems. The resulting solutions for plastics manufacturing are even more adaptable and target the challenges of the customers. With a total investment of 1.5 million euros, GeKu and HAHN Robotics will continue to serve the continuously growing needs of the automation industry in the future.

Thorsten Gerling, Managing Director of GeKu and the new subsidiary of HAHN Robotics in Northern Germany, is excited for the possibilities: “We are looking forward to being able to offer the plastics industry in the future even more flexible and future-oriented solutions. Through the cooperation within the HAHN Group, we have already recognized numerous trends and are working on the goal-oriented implementation of solutions for the needs of our customers and cooperation partners.”

Waldorf Technik integrates digital printing and digital service for even more productivity

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Engen, Germany – In the future, manufacturers of disposable syringes will be able to print directly and flexibly on cylinders through digital printing processes right inside the system. The offer by Waldorf Technik is rounded off through the use of EVE Suite – the digital service portfolio of HAHN Digital to raise productivity, efficiency and quality.

Waldorf Technik developed an automation system, together with their long-standing partner Netstal – premium brand for injection molding machines from the KraussMaffei group – which is based on their Vario TIP® System. This way syringe barrels can be printed on, directly after extraction from the injection molding machine, using digital printing. The system will be displayed in hall 15, booth D24.

Production and processing on the site runs completely cavity sorted for maximum efficiency and safety. Immediately after extraction of the syringe barrels from the injection molding machine, the piston stop of the syringe is checked for proper processing by means of camera systems. Thereafter, the barrels are set up on a moving table for transport. The next camera check controls the Luer fitting before the cylinders are transported to the print station. Before the print, the cylinders are prepared with plasma treatment. This ensures an optimal adhesion of the print. Afterwards, the prints are dried through UV radiation. Then the syringe barrels can be packed or individually processed according to the customer requirements.

The digital printing process guarantees maximum flexibility because the print data is sent directly from the computer to the printer. A modification or print head replacement is not necessary. Waldorf Technik realized this printing solution in collaboration with Hapa AG, using their compact digital print module redcube.

Another highlight on the fair site is Waldorf Technik’s presentation of EVE Suite, the comprehensive digital service portfolio of HAHN Group, to which Waldorf Technik belongs as a subsidiary. With EVE Analytics system operators are, for example, able to monitor the status of their systems remotely and at any time conveniently via PC, smartphone or tablet. On top of that EVE Support offers an opportunity for guided and individual remote maintenance with the use of augmented reality and smart glasses for video calls.

The subsidiary companies GeKu, Waldorf Technik and Wemo form the division Material Handling within HAHN Group, establish a global network and bundle their extensive competencies in the plastics industries. All three will be represented jointly in hall 10, booth E61.

Smart automation – boost your productivity

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Värnamo, Sweden – Wemo presents a wide range of robotics and will show several robot applications for automation in plastics manufacturing at K 2019. As a highlight, Wemo provides industrial logistics solutions for material handling. Trade show visitors are invited to experience how to boost product quality with smart automation at booth E61 in hall 10.

Wemo launches WIPS 4.0 software for a user experience in the programming of robots as one of the highlights at K 2019. The new WIPS 4.0 software platform is based on experiences from the successful dialogue programming, which was implemented in thousands of Wemo robots in the last decade. The new ergonomic and lightweight handheld controller W-Hp12, in combination with a 10.1” landscape full color screen, gives operators and programmers a better overview of the status and program structure. The handheld is equipped with three levels of safety buttons (dead-man-grip). Furthermore, the customer experience continues with hardware buttons for the most-used functions like the activation of axes movement and main operational buttons like start, stop, and reset. In addition to an integrated touch pen the screen is now equipped with swipe functionality for an intuitive usability. This improves the speed of daily use, makes the process more efficient and results in better monitoring for the user with fewer jumps to different pages. The WIPS 4.0 user friendliness is rounded off with a customized start screen.
The new software and handheld will be demonstrated at the Wemo stand at booth E61 in hall 10.
Wemo offers 21 different models for adaption to injection molding machines, of which three are displayed at K:

  • Wemo 3-5 Linear Picker: The compact, servo-driven linear robot with a handling capability up to 2.3 kg is used for sprue and part handling. The Wemo 3-5 Linear Picker can be mounted either within the machine’s protected area or above the gate to the machine safety area as a conventional linear robot. The installation is extremely compact, while the adaptation of external protections around the machine becomes significantly easier. This solution solves limits in flexibility of additional operations, as well as higher cost, due to CE regulations for approved machine protection.
  • Wemo 8-5 sDesign: The high speed linear robot for thin-wall parts in the packaging industry is best in class for packaging parts and medical applications on two-platen and stack moulds. The sDesign series is especially suited for the removal of packaging parts. The high-speed handling units are optimised for ultimate efficiency and speed. They have a cycle time of less than 2.7 seconds and may be used both for side-entry and top removal. A Wemo 8-5 sDesign application with a handling weight of up to 3 kg for machine sizes from 750 up to 3,000 kN can be seen at the Wemo booth in operation along with a servo driven stacking unit, which helps to achieve the faste cycle times.
  • Wemo 120 xLine Tandem: The Wemo tandem robot concept mounts two robots on the same Z-axis, resulting in a more cost-effective production. Often additional operations are added outside the injection molding machine, such as assembly, inspection or packing of pattern layouts in boxes. With the tandem concept, required operation processes are divided without installing two separate robots in the cell. Using this method, valuable floor space is released in comparison to previous solutions. At K 2019, Wemo will demonstrate a Wemo 120 xLine Tandem for industrial parts.

Wemo Handling Automation offers efficient industrial logistics solutions for handling parts and boxes to and from pallets. The product range of user friendly and flexible linear robots is based on the handling concept, which comes with additional modulized conveyors, End-Of-Arm tooling and safety guarding. At K 2019, visitors can discover the following solutions: The Wemo xPacker packing line consists of the Wemo xPacker mini robot to fill boxes and the larger Wemo xPacker midi robot to pack boxes on pallets.

  • Wemo xPacker mini: The fast Pick-and-Place robot for filling boxes is a speedy robot type for handling parts up to 5 kg. With its small footprint it can be used inside existing automation lines or directly after the out coming conveyor from the molding machine.
  • Wemo xPacker midi: The compact robot for palletizing boxes with 20 kg handling weight is a complete robotics unit. With an incoming conveyor and integrated safety guarding, Wemo xPacker midi is ready for easy plug-in. It is placed directly after the molding machine’s out coming conveyor belt or in a centralized logistics department. All types of boxes or packages can be handled with a unique vacuum gripper which can detect the object size and use the vacuum channels according to the needed surfaces. In combination with the intuitive programming WIPS handling software, less knowledge is required to operate this unit in an efficient way.