Manufacturing news
Short summaries of what matters in robotics, each linking to its original source, plus our own interviews and features. Have a story?
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ABB Robotics has introduced two compact industrial robots, the IRB 1700 and the IRB 1700ID, with payloads of 6 to 12 kg across five variants and path repeatability down to 0.03 mm. ABB says they cut cycle times by up to 20% and use up to 15% less power. The ID version routes cables inside the arm, and both debut at CIIF in Shanghai for electronics, automotive and general industry.
· Robotics Tomorrow
Teradyne has made an undisclosed investment in Bright Machines, whose software-defined Bright Factory platform runs more than 130 microfactories in over ten countries. The deal brings Teradyne robotic assembly, test-equipment loading and autonomous material movement into those lines, with Universal Robots cobots working next to Teradyne board testers.
· The Robot Report
Productive Robotics has introduced the OB7-AI, a seven-axis cobot that scans a machine's work area to locate parts, load and unload them and read the CNC screen to know when a cycle ends, without precise part placement. It targets machine tending in job shops, with labs and healthcare as further uses; price and payload were not given.
· Robotics Tomorrow
New York startup Tangent Robotics has raised $4.5 million led by Fly Ventures and Toyota Ventures. It is combining robot hands, light-based tactile sensors in the fingers and machine learning so robots can handle fine assembly work such as mating connectors, and plans to deploy in manufacturing.
· Robotics Tomorrow
Inbolt has raised $12.5 million led by Shift4Good, taking its total funding to $34 million. Its 3D camera and AI software let arms from makers such as FANUC, ABB, KUKA and Universal Robots adapt to parts in real time; it counts over 200 robots in more than 100 factories and plans to expand in the US, Asia and data centers.
· Robotics Tomorrow
Amazon will invest more than $100 million in a 585,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Greenwood, Indiana, expected by 2028 with 300 jobs. It will make components for the company's fulfillment and robotics systems using robotic welding and automated powder coating. Amazon says it has built over 1 million robots in the US so far.
· The Robot Report
The International Federation of Robotics World Robotics 2026 report puts the global operational stock at 5 million industrial robots, up 9%, after more than 600,000 installations in 2025. China took 59% of new units, while the US passed Japan to become the second-largest market with about 38,500 installations. The IFR expects 655,000 installations in 2026.
· The Robot Report
According to the International Federation of Robotics, the 27 EU countries now run about 700,000 industrial robots, even though installations fell 11% in 2025 to 60,500 units. Germany accounted for 41% of EU installations, followed by Italy, France and Spain, while Asia and the Americas both grew 14%.
· Robotics Tomorrow
At its first robotics supply chain partner conference on September 22, carmaker XPENG said the production line for its IRON humanoid is running, with mass production to begin before the end of 2026. The robots will first work in XPENG stores and campuses, with market launch and deliveries in China and abroad planned for 2027.
· Robotics Tomorrow
Los Angeles startup Helicon Industries raised a $16 million seed round led by AlleyCorp to use robotics to handle flexible carbon fiber textiles, a step that remains largely manual. It aims to cut composite lead times from over six months to about two weeks from a 36,000 sq ft plant in Torrance, serving aerospace, defense and robotics customers.
· The Robot Report
Boston Dynamics and Hyundai Motor Group have opened the Robotics Metaplant Application Center near Savannah, Georgia, where Atlas humanoids are trained on automotive work such as parts sequencing. The center is planned to grow roughly tenfold by 2027, as Hyundai prepares for 25,000 Atlas units across Hyundai and Kia plants.
· Robotics Tomorrow · Photo: Damian B Oh, CC BY-SA 4.0
Industrial parts supplier MISUMI has set up MISUMI Ventures in the San Francisco Bay Area, a $50 million fund that will write initial checks of $500,000 to $1.5 million in seed and Series A companies working on robotics, factory automation and industrial AI. Portfolio firms will get access to MISUMI's parts catalog and factory network.
· Robotics Tomorrow
