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• News & Media

  KUKA Simplifies Industrial Image Processing with AI-Powered Vision Software

  October 26, 2026

  KUKA Robotics Corporation

  SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich., Oct. 19, 2026 – KUKA Robotics has released its new iiQKA.AI Vision, an AI-powered software designed to fully integrate into the KUKA ecosystem for simple, fast commissioning. The solution is particularly valuable for integrators and users with limited vision experience who want to efficiently integrate industrial vision into their automation solutions, without complex additional systems or high upfront costs.The intelligent software supports both 2D and 3D vision and enables typical applications such as bin picking, assembly, quality control, and depalletizing. With intuitive drag-and-drop configuration, users can quickly implement productive vision applications without specialized knowledge.For low-latency AI inference and secure, local data processing, the KUKA iiQKA.AI Vision’s image processing runs as edge computing directly in the controller on the KUKA AI Extension Platform, an integrated computing unit based on the NVIDIA Jetson Orin module. The system’s sufficient computing power supports demanding vision AI tasks without the added complexity that often comes with industrial image processing. No cloud connection, other external systems, or additional infrastructure is required.All data processing takes place locally within the system and images are processed and stored on-board. As a result, users benefit from high data security and independence from network connections. This not only reduces integration effort but also can help lower the total cost of ownership (TCO) over time and simplify the system architecture. Cameras and other compatible components are available directly from KUKA and are tailored to typical industrial requirements.To support end-to-end workflow, the application is configured entirely in KUKA’s iiQWorks system via a standalone vision application with a graphical user interface. Drag-and-drop functionality, pre-built templates for typical applications and guided workflows support users from setup through commissioning, helping them implement vision applications efficiently. Robust image processing ensures process reliability with precise 2D and 3D object recognition, automatic orientation detection, and gripper point calculation. It works reliably even with varying components and changing lighting conditions. Seamless integration with iiQWorks and the robot controller creates a unified system from engineering through operation, offering a consistent workflow from configuration to deployment as well as centralized management and monitoring via the web interface.For object recognition in robust processes, the AI algorithms used in iiQKA.AI Vision precisely distinguish objects from the background and automatically calculate suitable gripper points. Precise positioning and gripper information are calculated based on image data or point clouds and transmitted directly to the robot, resulting in seamless, stable processes from detection to execution and consistently high image quality.With iiQKA.AI Vision, KUKA offers an efficient, ready-to-use image processing solution that significantly simplifies the transition to industrial vision applications and increases productivity.To learn more, please visit KUKA’s website.About KUKA KUKA is an international automation group with sales of around EUR 3.7 billion and approximately 15,000 employees. As one of the world's leading suppliers of intelligent, resource-saving automation solutions, KUKA offers industrial robots, autonomous mobile robots (AMR) including controllers, software, and cloud-based digital services, as well as fully networked production systems for various industries – primarily for markets such as automotive with a focus on e-mobility & battery, electronics, metal & plastic, consumer goods, food, e-commerce, retail, and healthcare. The company is headquartered in Augsburg, Germany.

  

• News & Media

  Raymond Reinforces Its Commitment to Invest in the Next Generation of Manufacturing Talent

  October 26, 2026

  The Raymond Corporation

  Manufacturing Month highlights Raymond’s commitment to students and its own industry professionals’ skills and workforce developmentGREENE, N.Y., October 15, 2026 — This October, The Raymond Corporation is celebrating Manufacturing Month, an annual observance that highlights industry innovation and modern manufacturing careers, by investing in the next workforce generation through skills development and hands-on career experiences.During Manufacturing Month, Raymond has supported and will continue to support its industry through programs designed for students in upper elementary school through college. Students can learn about Raymond’s key principles, such as lean management and continuous improvement through the following programs:Tuesday, Oct. 6: Discover ManufacturingThis event was presented by SUNY Broome, Alliance for Manufacturing and Technology, Broome-Tioga Workforce NY, Greater Binghamton Education Outreach Program and New Energy New York (NENY). Students ages 8 to 13 and their families, teachers and counselors explored modern manufacturing. Together, they discovered firsthand how Raymond® forklifts are manufactured while welding associates guided youth attendees through a virtual welding hands-on experience.Thursday, Oct. 22: How It’s MADE: Manufacturing and Development ExpoHosted by Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3), the How It’s MADE: Manufacturing and Development Expo is an experiential career event inspired by Manufacturing Day. The expo introduces students to regional trades and manufacturing careers through a variety of companies. Students attending high school, Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) and Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga Board of Cooperative Educational Services (TST BOCES) will be able to experience Raymond’s interactive demonstrations, including a virtual welding simulator, and speak with Raymond manufacturing professionals about career opportunities.“We are committed to developing the next generation of manufacturing talent through skills development and career education,” said Ryan DeLaney, vice president of operations, The Raymond Corporation. “Our collaboration with New York state technical and educational institutions helps provide students with hands-on experiences and opportunities to build the skills needed to pursue rewarding careers.”In addition to providing educational opportunities to students across the community, Raymond is also committed to the continued development of its associates’ manufacturing talents, as demonstrated by hosting its annual internal skills competitions. On Wednesday, Oct. 21, representatives from Raymond will compete in the regional welding and assembly competitions, followed by the global competitions in the spring of 2027.In the internal skills competitions, Raymond welders and assembly associates earned the following awards: Welding: Tom Witmore (gold), Hayley Wickham (silver) and Matthew Fernandes (bronze) Assembly: Bradley Genter (gold), Damien Smith (silver) and Cody Lyons (bronze)Both Witmore and Genter will advance to the global skills competitions.“The Raymond skills competitions are internal initiatives that reflect our ongoing commitment to developing the talents of our associates,” said Ty Budine, welding manager, The Raymond Corporation. “By providing opportunities to challenge and refine their skills, we help foster a culture of continuous learning, craftsmanship and professional growth. Not only are we recognizing exceptional talent, but we also support the development of a highly skilled workforce that helps us meet our customers’ needs.”Beyond these Manufacturing Month events, Raymond continually supports career development through participation in career fairs and educational programs. These opportunities allow Raymond employees to engage directly with students, introduce them to careers in manufacturing, and share insights into the skills and experiences that can help prepare them for the workforce and usher in the next generation of leaders.For more information about The Raymond Corporation, visit raymondcorp.com, and for career opportunities, visit careers.raymondcorp.com.About The Raymond CorporationThe Raymond Corporation, a Toyota group company, is a leading global provider of best-in-class material handling products and intelligent intralogistics solutions. Built on principles of innovation and continuous improvement for over 100 years, Raymond’s integrated automation, telematics, virtual reality and advanced energy solutions provide ways to optimize operations and bring warehouse and distribution operations to a new level of performance. Raymond® electric forklift trucks are engineered to achieve increased productivity and efficiency and are designed to provide ecological and economic benefits. Raymond delivers solutions to material handling and logistics markets in North America and globally. Combining operational excellence, award-winning innovation and world-class global customer support, we work together to run better, manage smarter and keep our customers always on.ContactElizabeth Buzaelizabeth.buza@raymondcorp.com607-343-0845

  

• News & Media

  Perry Ellis Reduces Chargebacks and Improves Outbound Accuracy Thanks to Clustag High-Precision RFID Tunnels

  October 23, 2026

  CLUSTAG

  The U.S. fashion group strengthens post-picking validation at its Atlanta‑area distribution center using a RAIN RFID solution integrated into conveyor operations16/03/2026 Atlanta, GA  In the highly competitive U.S. fashion market, logistics accuracy plays a critical role in protecting margins and meeting strict retail compliance requirements. Perry Ellis International, one of North America’s leading fashion groups, has strengthened its B2B outbound operations by deploying an automated post‑picking validation system based on RAIN RFID tunnels at its distribution center in the Atlanta area.The project targets one of the most sensitive points in fashion logistics: final order validation after picking and just before shipment to wholesale customers and retail networks. While picking operations were already supported by pick‑to‑light systems, final verification still relied heavily on manual checks, making it difficult to detect discrepancies before shipments left the facility.In the U.S. fashion industry, these discrepancies carry a direct financial impact. Chargebacks caused by missing or excess items are among the most common penalties imposed by retailers, often reaching up to 20% of the invoice value and resulting in losses that can amount to tens of thousands of dollars per shipment.To eliminate this risk, Perry Ellis implemented high-density RFID tunnels fully integrated into its existing conveyor lines. The solution automatically validates the contents of each open box after picking, comparing in real time the items detected by RFID with the expected order data.The system combines Clustag MOT Station RFID tunnels, capable of processing up to 1,000 boxes per hour and reading up to 600 items per box, with Cognex barcode readers for box identification. Interroll automated rejection lines that divert non‑compliant shipments without interrupting operational flow. The entire process is orchestrated by Zentup, Clustag's middleware platform, fully integrated with Perry Ellis’ Manhattan WMS, ensuring real‑time EPC‑level validation and allowing only compliant orders to proceed to shipping.One of the challenges was deploying the RFID solution in a live production environment under tight timelines and complex installation conditions, including work on mezzanines over 12 meters high. Despite these constraints, the RAIN system was implemented without interrupting daily operations or reducing throughput.The results were immediate. Since go‑live, Perry Ellis has achieved a 17% reduction in discrepancies detected after the RFID tunnels, along with a significant decrease in non‑compliant shipments reaching B2B customers. This has translated into substantial savings in chargeback penalties and improved product availability at stores, ensuring the correct sizes, colors, and styles arrive at the point of sale."This project shows how RFID technology can transform fashion intralogistics from day one”, says Jorge Robledillo, Director of Clustag North America. “Strong collaboration between teams was essential to delivering measurable results in a highly demanding operational environment.”According to Tom Seow, VP of Distribution Engineering at Perry Ellis, "the RFID tunnel solutions, integrated with Zentup, allow us to detect errors before they reach the store and give us a clear competitive advantage. We will continue investing in these systems for future projects."With this deployment, Perry Ellis reinforces its intralogistics digitalization strategy and demonstrates how automated post‑picking validation with RFID tunnels has become a key tool for reducing financial risk, improving operational efficiency, and meeting the high standards of U.S. retail operations.This success story was featured by Clustag at MODEX 2026, where the company exhibited from April 13 to 16 in Atlanta (Booth B17332). The event served as a platform to discuss with U.S. customers and partners how RAIN RFID solutions can be successfully integrated into highly automated intralogistics environments and how these projects are setting a new benchmark for B2B fashion distribution in North America.About Perry EllisPerry Ellis International, Inc. is a leading designer, distributor, and licensor of a broad portfolio of men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, and fragrances. Headquartered in Doral, Florida, the company operates globally and manages a diverse portfolio of lifestyle brands, including Perry Ellis®, Original Penguin®, Rafaella®, Cubavera®, Ben Hogan®, and Farah®, among others. Perry Ellis products are distributed through major department stores, specialty retailers, and e‑commerce channels worldwide.About ClustagClustag is a global technology company specializing in advanced RFID solutions for intralogistics, traceability, and supply chain digitalization. The company designs, manufactures, deploys, and supports customized RAIN RFID systems for distribution centers ranging from manual operations to highly automated environments. Clustag has a direct presence in North America, with offices in the United States and Mexico, and is headquartered in Spain. It has deployed thousands of RFID solutions across more than 30 countries. All Clustag solutions are powered by Zentup, its proprietary middleware platform, enabling seamless integration with WMS and enterprise systems while ensuring reliable, EPC‑level data capture and control.

  

• News & Media

  KUKA to Bring AI-Powered Sanding and Packaging Automation to ADM 2026

  October 22, 2026

  KUKA Robotics Corporation

  Shelby Township, Mich., October 18, 2026 – KUKA Robotics will feature an AI-powered automated finishing demonstration along with a cell for high-speed packaging operations at the Advanced Design & Manufacturing (ADM) Expo and conference on November 10 – 12, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The first demonstration, using the company’s LBR iisy cobot, will showcase AI-powered path planning for an automated spot sanding application, while the second cell will demonstrate robotic case loading with the KR AGILUS industrial robot. With KUKA System Partner MARI (Maple Advanced Robotics Inc.), the spot-sanding cell will use the Scan&Go Physical AI platform to showcase how AI-driven path planning can simplify robotic finishing applications. The solution automatically scans a part and generates a robot path for an LBR iisy 11-kg payload capacity cobot, allowing operators to simply place a part in the system and identify the areas where sanding is needed. Built on a modular platform, the mobile system offers a flexible approach to robotic spot sanding that can be easily moved between departments and facilities and scaled across operations.The accessible and cost-effective Scan&Go system is an alternative to large industrial robotic cells. Its automatic path generation eliminates manual robot programming, while providing the flexibility to handle different parts with minimal setups. The combination of robotic scanning and intelligent path planning in one integrated system also shortens overall sanding times.With its extended payload capacity, significantly longer reach and a higher IP protection class, the LBR iisy 11 is a collaborative lightweight cobot suitable for a wide range of tasks and applications, including machine tending, palletizing/depalletizing, material handling and pick-and-place operations. Within the demonstration cell, the operator marks the part to identify any defects, the Scan&Go system scans the spot, then the KUKA cobot automatically finishes sanding the area.MARI is a Physical AI company developing world-model-driven robotics systems for advanced manufacturing. Its systems transform point cloud perception into real-time adaptive robotic actions, enabling programming-free automation through a closed-loop system that can perceive, reason, plan and execute skilled manufacturing tasks with robots.​For robotic case packing, KUKA System Partner Compendium Group programmed the demonstration cell using KUKA.PLC mxAutomation programming software and KUKA.SafeOperation software for safe operation and coordination within the cell. In operation, the compact KR AGILUS industrial robot is controlled by users selecting pre-programmed “recipes” at the push of a button, from a simple HMI. The robot seamlessly switches between handling different products and case sizes with all system components controlled from a single PLC.The KR AGILUS robots are compact, six-axis and particularly well suited for high working speeds. Whether mounted on the floor, ceiling or wall, they achieve the utmost precision in confined spaces thanks to integrated energy supply systems and service-proven control technology from KUKAKUKA.PLC mxAutomation enables intuitive robot programming directly within the PLC environment to simplify integration, accelerate commissioning and provide greater flexibility. As a universal PLC open-certified PLC interface, it allows users to program and operate all key robot functions directly in their familiar control environment.KUKA.SafeOperation helps reduce space requirements and makes production operations fast, safe and compact. Users are able to explore cell configuration options and the possibilities of human-robot collaboration more cost-effectively while simultaneously defining and monitoring the work areas and protected spaces.All KUKA automation solutions are backed by the company’s expert service and support for training, complete system engineering and simulation, readily available spare parts, robot refurbishment, and more, all of which are easily accessible through the my.KUKA.com site.KUKA KUKA is an international automation group with sales of around EUR 3.7 billion and approximately 15,000 employees. As one of the world's leading suppliers of intelligent, resource-saving automation solutions, KUKA offers industrial robots, autonomous mobile robots (AMR) including controllers, software, and cloud-based digital services, as well as fully networked production systems for various industries – primarily for markets such as automotive with a focus on e-mobility & battery, electronics, metal & plastic, consumer goods, food, e-commerce, retail, and healthcare. The company is headquartered in Augsburg, Germany.

  

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MHI & WERC Industry Hangouts

Ontario, Canada

August 20, 2026

Join us for an Industry Hangout at The Port House Social Bar &  Kitchen in Burlington, Ontario - where great conversations meet good times.

Hosted by MHI and WERC, this Industry Hangout is your chance to connect with fellow supply chain professionals in a fun, energetic atmosphere. Enjoy delicious food and drinks while expanding your network ! 

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MHI Annual Conference 2026

Palm Springs, CA

Sep 27-30, 2026

The MHI Annual Conference is an interactive thought leadership event for manufacturing, material handling and supply chain professionals that focuses on the technology innovation taking place across the supply chain industry—and the associated workforce challenges highlighted in the MHI Annual Industry Report.

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