Developments

Securing the Smart Factory

Attributed to: Alex Nehmy, Field Chief Security Officer, Critical Industries, Japan & Asia Pacific, Palo Alto Networks The incredibly competitive manufacturing industry has evolved from labour-intensive manual processes to progressively more intelligent systems driven by the computing power of the digital revolution. Even more so with the supply chain shifts resulting from the ongoing trade wars, particularly within the digital technology manufacturing sector. The Chip War is an example of how tensions between the US and China are escalating, as both countries compete for dominance in chip manufacturing and technological innovation. This reorganisation of the supply chain has also resulted in Asian countries such as Thailand, India, and Vietnam stepping into the race as specialised manufacturers. This competitive nature is driving the adoption of digital, highly automated systems, which reduce labour costs and significantly increase production efficiency. Through this digital transformation, we’re seeing the wider implementation of digital twins – a digital model of the material manufacturing environment – to achieve highly automated manufacturing processes. In a Smart Factory, the digital twin receives data on the physical manufacturing process from IoT sensors. The digital twin is often cloud-based and uses machine learning to make sense of the IoT data, making decisions that change the manufacturing processes as needed to improve efficiency further and minimise issues. Security Vulnerabilities Plaguing Smart Factories While digital twins and other connected components of the cyber-physical system of a smart factory provide efficiency, they are not immune to security risks, and instead widen the attack surface of an already highly-targeted sector. IoT devices are often shipped in an inherently insecure state, and patching them is difficult due to availability constraints and the sheer diversity of the devices with many different manufacturers and patches. Unmonitored and unsecured IoT devices are among the top 3 cybersecurity challenges faced […]

Manufacturing and Production Industry is Fighting a 41% Increase in Ransomware Attacks over Four Years

By Sandra Lee, Managing Director of Southeast Asia and Korea, Sophos Wrapping up the first half of 2024, the Asia-Pacific region (APAC) is set to be the fastest growing region of the world economy1. It accounted for more than half of global GDP growth with the manufacturing industry becoming one of the key drivers over the years2, paving the way for APAC to be the world’s manufacturing and production hub. However, the industry is claiming a sad record in Sophos’ latest report with the highest growth in the percentage of organisations hit by ransomware in 2023, emphasizing the potential risk to the global production chain. Compared to all other industries that recorded a decrease in attacks last year, the manufacturing and production industry is one of the only three sectors with an increased attack rate of 9% other than healthcare (+7%) and financial services (+1%). A concerning percentage (65%) of organisations reported they were hit by ransomware last year, which was a notable increase from the previous years since 2020 (i.e. 24% in 2020). A majority (93%) of manufacturing organisations hit by ransomware in the past year claimed that cybercriminals attempted to compromise their backups during the attack. Of them, 53% of backup compromise attempts were successful. Additionally, three out of four ransomware attacks on manufacturing organizations (74%) resulted in data encryption, hitting the highest encryption rate for the sector in the last five years and the cross-sector average of 70% in 2024. Although most organisations hit by ransomware were able to identify the root cause of the attack, which exploited vulnerabilities and compromised credentials — malicious e-mails were identified as the root cause. Some organizations are still failing to implement key security measures that can demonstrably reduce their overall risk profile, resulting in a higher attack recovery cost. In […]

Energy Experts on AI Tools for Building’s Sustainability:“Triple Win for Businesses, People, and Planet”

Donatas Karčiauskas, CEO of Exergio Research studies continue to highlight that aside from environmental benefits, AI-based platforms in building energy management deliver economic savings and improve occupant well-being. Energy experts provide real-case examples for these tools. Vilnius, Lithuania. Numerous studies delve into the potential of AI for buildings and their energy efficiency. While such AI-based platforms are often seen as primarily environmentally focused, the latest research showcases that they also deliver economic and social advantages. “Latest AI platforms that focus on energy performance also provide other benefits such as cost-efficiency and even better quality of work for energy-efficient building occupants, creating a triple win for businesses, people, and the planet,” said Donatas Karčiauskas, CEO of Exergio, a company that provides AI-based solutions for buildings’ energy performance. Energy performance experts provide insights on 3 key areas that benefit from such tools – environmental, economic, and social impact. AI Tools are Needed to Reach Net-Zero Goals The key aspect of implementing AI-for-energy tools in buildings is to reduce energy waste. It is particularly important in commercial buildings, where environmental impact is the highest due to energy consumption. By managing energy systems in real time, AI helps lower carbon emissions by ensuring sustainable use of resources. Unlike traditional systems that react to changes, AI can predict energy needs and adjust operations accordingly, leading to more sustainable building management. “With AI tools, we can fine-tune every aspect of a building’s energy use, squeezing out efficiencies that add to environmental gains. We have implemented such tools in office buildings and malls, where payback of deep renovations could take up to 10 years. It’s already too late to retrofit all the old build stock if we want to reach net-zero goals by 2050,” Karčiauskas explained. “AI, on the other hand, is capable of integrating thousands of […]

Productivity is the only game in town!

Ian Walsh, Partner, Argon & Co It is great to see that finally we are talking as a nation about the need to be more productive. Our poor performance in productivity terms is not a new issue or problem, but given the current economic environment, it has become clear to everyone that we have a significant gap to countries with which we compare ourselves. The consequences of this are significant, with many young New Zealanders leaving for foreign shores for better pay, conditions and quality of life. This problem has been disguised for decades by global financial crises, pandemics, earthquakes and media misdirection (“We are the most liveable country!”, “Auckland is one of the top 10 cities!” etc.). Like climate change it has been possible to ignore for a long time. However, most of us are aware that our infrastructure is creaking. We can’t invest in health education, police, transport and other programs to the extent that we would like to, as we can’t afford it. Productivity is essential for economic growth, competitiveness, profitability, job creation, resource efficiency, and work-life balance. Focusing on productivity improvements at individual, organizational, and national levels can lead to numerous benefits and contribute to overall prosperity I have been to many business meetings, and the focus for any improvement drive is return on investment – they are asking whether investing in an activity makes the business more profitable, more competitive and ultimately whether it will result in better return for shareholders, so they can invest in future programs to improve the product or service, grow the business and offer better products or services. The same is true at a national level, the government can only spend what the economy generates (balanced budgets and low debt). Profit (or in more political termianology, surplus) needs to be […]

BLT Supports Successful 10km-Level Flight and Recovery Test of Longyun Liquid Oxygen-methane Engine

On June 23, 2024, JiuZhou Yunjian (Beijing) Space Technology Co., Ltd. achieved a significant milestone with the successful completion of a 10km-level flight and recovery test of its Longyun liquid oxygen-methane engine at the Jiuquan Dongfeng Launch Site. This maiden flight evaluation showcased stable performance across all parameters, including flawless execution of start-up, shut-down sequences, thrust vectoring, and modulation. This landmark test represents China’s largest-scale vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) flight trial for reusable rockets to date. It marks the inaugural deployment of a domestically developed deep-throttleable liquid oxygen-methane engine in a 10km-level return flight. The test rigorously validated the VTOL configuration of a 3.8-meter diameter rocket body, showcasing advancements in high-load landing cushioning technology, large-thrust, highly throttleable, reusable propulsion technology, and precision navigation and guidance control for return landings, along with advanced health monitoring technology. BLT played a crucial role in this achievement by providing extensive metal additive manufacturing support. This included the development of critical components such as thrust chamber parts and turbopump components, leveraging innovative approaches to enhance production efficiency and component quality. Longyun liquid oxygen methane engine completes 10km-level flight recovery test. Innovative Solutions for Critical Engine Components The thrust chamber cap, integral to the functionality of the liquid oxygen-methane engine by transmitting thrust and housing propellants, has historically posed manufacturing challenges due to its reliance on segmented welding methods. These methods are susceptible to cracking under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure. Addressing these challenges, BLT opted for the high-temperature alloy In718 for its superior properties. Utilising the BLT-S450 printing machine, BLT achieved integrated manufacturing of the thrust chamber cap in just seven days. This approach not only ensures exceptional precision and product quality but also accelerates manufacturing timelines, facilitating rapid technological advancements and enhanced development efficiency for our clients. Pioneering Advances in Turbopump […]

Rolls-Royce and TCS Collaborate on Hydrogen Research Programme

TCS expands its partnership with Rolls-Royce to research hydrogen fuel system technology, continuing to prove hydrogen could be a zero-carbon aviation fuel of the future. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a global leader in IT services, consulting, and business solutions, has expanded its partnership with Rolls-Royce, a British multinational specialising in civil aerospace, defense aerospace, services and power systems, to advance its sustainable initiatives. This collaboration involves research into hydrogen fuel system technology, continuing to prove hydrogen could be a zero-carbon aviation fuel of the future. TCS, leveraging its expertise as a trusted service provider, will provide engineering skills and support to Rolls-Royce as it addresses three key challenges in the journey to enabling hydrogen for use in aviation: fuel combustion, fuel delivery, and fuel systems integration with an engine. All elements must be confirmed to operate safely. This partnership underscores TCS’s commitment to driving sustainable transformation across industries, aligning with its broader mission to harness technology for positive societal impact. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has set ambitious targets for net zero carbon emissions by 2050, necessitating innovative sustainability solutions. Alan Newby, Director, Research and Technology, Rolls-Royce, said, “We welcome TCS to our hydrogen research programme and their engineering skills will play a valuable role in addressing our technology goals. We’ve already made great progress and having TCS with us gives us additional capability as we move forward on our journey to enable the energy transition for the aviation sector.” This expanded partnership was announced at the Farnborough International Airshow where TCS also showcased its technological prowess in the aviation industry. The partnership builds on a long-standing relationship between Rolls-Royce and the Tata Group, including engines and a strong supply chain commitment. TCS has also been working with Rolls-Royce since 2010 in the areas of design, manufacturing engineering, control […]

FactoryTalk DataMosaix puts data at the centre

Companies often spend a lot of effort and energy to figure out how they performed in the past. Rockwell Automation has released a solution that puts a company in control of how it will perform in the future. According to the World Economic Forum, in 2021 industries created, captured, copied and consumed 74 zettabytes of data – by 2023 that was estimated to rise to 130 zettabytes with one zettabyte equal to a trillion gigabytes. This rapidly growing volume of data is causing serious problems for organisations. While most sectors have seen rapid growth in data analytical solutions, industrial automation has been an exception. This is the case even though production data holds the key to insights into operational performance. Huge volumes of data on their own are not meaningful and engineers can spend up to 60 percent of their time gathering, cleaning, and collating data rather than driving insights. Putting data at the centre Rockwell Automation is taking a unique approach to address this issue. “Data is the centre of our strategy,” said Manish Jain, strategy leader – data, AI, and edge computing, Rockwell Automation. “Data needs to be organised, structured, and analysed to unlock insights that drive value for companies.” The company recently unveiled Factory Talk Data Mosaix which contextualises and merges engineering technology data with OT and IT data into one solution with the goal of full production automation. “AI will drive this process, but it needs valid data and good analytics,” said Jain. For example, data can provide insights into root cause analysis and future predictions, and function as a single source of truth to solve challenging problems. By integrating data from any vendor and all parts of the production system, it will make data available, meaningful, and useful so that standard applications and custom app […]

How leveraging smart factories optimises products and operations for manufacturers

Mei Dent, Chief Product and Technology Officer, TeamViewer Manufacturing processes and supply chains have become more complex over the past few years, making traditional methods insufficient to meet the demand for greater customisation and shorter production cycles. Manufacturers feel pressured by rising labour and material costs to find more efficient ways to produce high-quality goods. Additionally, the increasing need to meet environmental regulations and sustainability goals pushes manufacturers to adopt greener practices. As global competition intensifies, manufacturers must find ways to innovate and stay agile to respond quickly to market changes. Smart factories address these challenges by integrating advanced technologies to create a more responsive, efficient, and sustainable production environment. By leveraging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and the Internet of Things (IoT) to deliver predictive analytics and big data, manufacturers can optimise processes, manage inventory in real time, streamline logistics, and improve factory management. Smart factories collect, process, and use this data to gain valuable insights. Real-time production monitoring and closed-loop optimisations, along with collaboration between advanced robotics and humans, help create these transformations. However, a significant challenge in smart factory implementation is the disconnect between IT professionals and plant managers, particularly regarding data collection, outcome creation, and data protection. IT professionals often advocate for comprehensive data collection to optimise predictive maintenance, while plant managers are more concerned with the practical, immediate concerns such as knowing which machines are currently in production, how production is running, and maintaining seamless operations. IT professionals’ preference for leveraging cloud solutions can also clash with plant managers’ concerns about security and the usability of hyper-scale offerings. For example, IT professionals may push for automated updates and virtualisation, whereas plant managers worry about if production is operating at the level needed and the potential disruptions to long-established production systems. Bridging these […]

Aspiration finds success

Women Going Places July 2024 by Media Hawkes Bay Limited – Issuu Women Going Places, a new magazine from Media Hawkes Bay Limited, profiles aspirational women with a story to tell. The women included in July issue are from Australia, New Zealand and ASEAN. In future issues, profiles from further afield will appear. Over the past few years, within our magazines, on our media platforms and on Linkedin, we have included individual profiles from fascinating women who are following their dream and bringing about change to their environments. Their stories – as with the stories within this issue – are about ability, determination and a desire to succeed. There is nothing quite like aspiration! There are many stories out there to be told and shared…and we are happy to provide the platform to do so. If you are a woman or know of a woman wanting to let readers know about your journey in this challenging and highly competitive world, let us know and we can have your story read by our readers. Enjoy the read. Regards, Doug Green, Publisher publisher@xtra.co.nz

mimic joins race to develop first AI-driven collaborative robot

The race to develop the first commercially available humanoid robot has been primarily concentrated in the US – until now. Mimic, a Switzerland-based startup, is challenging US dominance and joining the robotics race to be the first to take a robotic arm and humanoid hand combination to market using generative AI, as it raises a pre-seed round of $2.5M. mimic’s $2.5M round is led by early stage Swiss investor Founderful, together with participation from German-based fund another.vc, UK-based Tiny.vc and an all-star lineup of specialised angel investors. Spinning out from the research university ETH Zurich, mimic was founded by researchers Elvis Nava, Stefan Weirich,Stephan-Daniel Gravert and Benedek Forrai in 2024. The founding team were working at the intersection of robotics and AI under Professor Robert Katzschmann’s Soft Robotic Labs when they became increasingly convinced that the latest developments in large scale generative AI models would upend a multitude of industries, beyond just language and image generation. The team set out to develop a foundation model for robotic manipulation and quickly realized how much value their idea held to revolutionise the way robotics fit into our everyday lives and economy. Today, global labour shortages are rocking businesses across multiple sectors and employers are struggling to find, hire and retain workers. Against the backdrop of a pronounced shift in work preferences, like reduced hours and enhanced flexibility to work from home, lab or shortages are especially severe in the case of menial, repetitive, and demanding manual tasks. mimic plans to ease these shortages with dexterous, human-like robotic hands that fit seamlessly into existing manual labour workflows, driven by state-of-the-art AI models trained directly from human demonstrations. This solution will enable a robot with humanoid hands to understand and imitate any behaviour, simply by watching a human perform it. This marks a departure […]

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