Developments

Demand v Supply: Take control of your stock in 2021

By Jakes Mantle, Solutions Director at SYSPRO Australasia The famous Benjamin Franklin quote ‘by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail’ has been used many times over. As the ripples from 2020’s global events are still being felt throughout the manufacturing industry, this quote seems to add more weight to the current economic environment. Many manufacturers have adapted well but now more than ever, it is essential for manufacturers to manage their supply chain, plan to reduce waste and enhance resources. It is during challenging periods such as these that Demand Driven Material Requirements Planning (DDMRP) can really help a manufacturing business be prepared and take control of its inventory. DDMRP is an operational supply planning and scheduling methodology. It takes much of the manual work out of planning and execution by using advanced supply chain management software to compress lead times and enhance visibility. It combines Lean’s focus on reducing waste, pull vs. push processes, and the Theory of Constraints to become a new set of demand-driven planning tactics which enable smarter decision-making across a business and the supply chain. A key feature of DDMRP is the strategic positioning and sizing of decoupling buffer stocks to manage customer lead times while reducing the impact of normal variability and improving overall flow. Decoupling stocks is like having a safe but not excess stock level so that the inventory associated with one stage of production does not slow down other parts of the manufacturing process. Taking control to the next level Whether you manufacture consumer products, food and beverage or even aerospace parts, DDMRP can help any manufacturing industry that creates made-to-order items. It is important to note that DDMRP is not the same as MRP, MRP II or Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). DDMRP is a more advanced way of […]

Verizon Business takes private 5G global

Verizon Business has launched its international private 5G platform for global enterprises located in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Delivered in partnership with Nokia, the offering will enable businesses to deploy a private industrial grade dedicated 5G network capability within their premises. In addition to ultra-low latency and increased speed, a key benefit of a private 5G network is the ability for businesses, particularly those with manufacturing, distribution and logistics facilities, to deploy a customised on-site mobile network, eliminating the need to transmit data through public networks. A private 5G network is a self-contained network whose components all reside in a single facility, consisting of micro towers and small cells and connects to an organisation’s Local Area Network (LAN) and enterprise applications. It will utilise Nokia’s Digital Automation Cloud, a private wireless network solution with automation enablers that will allow for application deployment through a web-based interface. Verizon has been leading global efforts around 5G. In addition to its 5G Lab and production studio in London, the Company recently announced a 5G roaming service in South Korea and is a founding member of the 5G Future Forum, a group of global 5G leaders accelerating the delivery of 5G and interoperable MEC-enabled solutions. The launch of private 5G will also enable Verizon Media to deliver its next-generation content creation, production and distribution technologies at scale and in real-time to global audiences for customers. The announcement follows recent MEC partnership announcements with Microsoft, Cisco and AWS. In August, Verizon recently announced its successful completion of lab trials with Corning and Samsung on its new 5G mmWave in-building solutions.

OnRobot 2FG7 gripper for demanding applications

OnRobot has launched the 2FG7, a complete, low cost, easy to use, out-of-the-box, cleanroom-ready parallel gripper. Designed to enable companies of all sizes to set up gripping applications at low cost, the 2FG7 can be deployed within minutes and is specially designed to handle demanding payloads – even in tight spaces. The 2FG7 gripper is ideal for low-volume, high-mix production and enables fast ROI for many different applications, including machine tending, material handling and assembly. Boasting a maximum payload of 11 kg (24.3 lb), an external grip range of up to 74 mm (2.91 in) and a gripping force of between 20-140 N, the versatile 2FG7 can handle heavy, bulky payloads with ease. Smaller than OnRobot’s RG2 and RG6 grippers – and yet more powerful than both – the 2FG7’s dimensions (156 x 158 x 180 mm/6.14 x 6.22 x 7.08 in) make it the perfect gripper for use in small work envelopes, which is a major bonus in busy manufacturing facilities where space is at a premium, and in applications with tight quarters for maneuvering. Seamlessly integrated with the OnRobot product range and compatible with all major collaborative robots and light industrial robot arms, the 2FG7 allows manufacturers of all skillsets to set up gripping applications quickly and easily. The 2FG7’s ease of use ensures visibility during the deployment process, greatly reduces the need for custom parts and cuts the time to ROI. Meanwhile, intelligent feedback features, including grip detection and lost grip detection, further simplify the deployment process. Cleanroom certified The 2FG7 is a production-ready gripper built to withstand harsh manufacturing conditions and applications. In addition to being IP67-certified, the 2FG7 has attained cleanroom certification (ISO Class 5), which is required for many handling applications in the pharmaceutical and electronics industries. It also complies with ISO/TS 15066 regarding […]

Unique plastic plain bearing applications wanted!

The manus award celebrates its tenth anniversary and introduces its first sustainability prize An offshore inspection device, a floating catamaran and a driver assistance system for people with reduced mobility. What they have in common is the extraordinary use of high-performance plastics in bearing technology with which they won the 2019 manus award. A joint initiative, which the plastics specialist igus announces every two years, is now looking for unique applications with plastic plain bearings. The winner will receive prize money of up to 5,000 euros. To mark the tenth anniversary of the manus award, the jury is offering a sustainability prize. 445 entries from 32 countries – that was for the 2019 manus award. Applications ranged from industrial environments such as asparagus harvesters and functional live-in kitchens up to laser measurement techniques in athletics. The large number of special entries did not make it easy for the jury to choose the three winners. The Scottish inventors of an offshore inspection device, the German developer of a high-speed catamaran and a French company that developed a driver assistance system to enable people with a walking disability to drive a car, were all the lucky ones. “Over 3,000 different submissions have already been received by manus from all over the world in the last 10 years. These different applications show the diverse uses of plastic plain bearings”, explains Tobias Vogel, Vice President and Head of the iglidur plain bearings & drylin linear technology division at igus GmbH and jury member of the manus award. Now the application phase for manus 2021 has begun. Four prizes – prize money of up to 5,000 euros The manus award comes with prizes of up to 5,000 euros. To mark the tenth anniversary, applicants now also have the chance to win a green manus award. […]

Emerging technologies of 2020

Microneedles for painless injections and tests These tiny needles, at no more than the depth of a sheet of paper and the width of a human hair, could bring us pain-free injections and blood testing. “Microneedles” penetrate the skin without troubling underlying nerve endings, and can be attached to syringes or patches, or even mixed into creams. They could allow blood tests to be done at home and sent to the lab or analysed on the spot. And because their use doesn’t require expensive equipment or high levels of training, testing and treatment could be delivered in under-served areas – making care more accessible. Sun-powered chemistry Making many of the chemicals we rely on requires fossil fuels. But a new approach holds the promise of reducing the sector’s emissions by using sunlight to convert waste carbon dioxide into useful chemicals. Recent developments in the sunlight-activated catalysts needed for this process are a step towards creating “solar” refineries to produce useful compounds from the waste gas, which could be turned into everything from medicines and detergents to fertilisers and textiles. Virtual patients If the goal of swapping humans for simulations to make clinical trials faster and safer sounds simple, the science behind it is anything but. Data taken from high-res images of a human organ is fed into a complex mathematical model of the mechanisms that control that organ’s function. Then, computer algorithms resolve the resulting equations and generate a virtual organ that behaves like the real thing. Such virtual organs or body systems could replace people in the initial assessments of drugs and treatments, making the process quicker, safer and less expensive. Spatial computing Spatial computing is the next step in the bringing together of physical and digital worlds we’re already seeing with virtual-reality and augmented-reality apps. As with VR […]

Soul Machines and Florence to assist tobacco users quit during Covid-19

Soul Machines has joined the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Access Initiative (AI) for Quitting Tobacco to help share WHO’s life-saving information during the Covid-19 pandemic, combat misinformation, reduce the risk of Covid-19 and help over one billion tobacco users quit. Florence, the WHO’s first digital health worker, was created using Soul Machines technology and WHO technical guidance, with support from Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud. Florence will help provide clarity and expel damaging myths around Covid-19 and will specifically address smoking and its consequences – heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and respiratory diseases – all of which are comorbidities with Covid-19. With Florence, smokers can engage with a digital health worker to develop a quit plan and rely on a trusted source anytime and anyplace, to help them feel confident to reach their quit goals. Initially available in English, Florence will, over time, be available in all six official UN languages. Smokers are more exposed to the Covid-19 virus and are at greater risk of having severe disease complications. Although around 60% of the 1.3 billion tobacco users globally want to quit, only 30% of them have access to tools that can help them quit. As a digital health worker for WHO, Florence will help give the increasing numbers of people globally who have a desire to quit smoking during the Covid-19 pandemic a new, safe, easily accessible and engaging channel. Florence can scale seamlessly and to talk to many individual people around the world and is available 24/7 with no wait times, as a simple video stream from the cloud to any device. This frees up critical people resources and provides a user-friendly solution to an overwhelming demand for clear, concise information that can be relied on. Florence will always be available when needed and ready to engage to […]

The Best in Black: igus high-performance polymer iglidur J3B

The advanced material is attractive with a low coefficient of friction and a new black design. For the bearing of pivoting and rotary applications, Treotham introduces iglidur J3, a lubrication-free and long-lasting igus tribo-polymer. The endurance runner convinces, above all, with its proven, very low coefficient of friction. As the yellowish material did not always match the design concept of the user, igus has now further developed the tried-and-tested tribo-polymer into the black iglidur J3B. But igus always has the right material for other applications as well. The intuitively operated iglidur online expert system helps with the selection. High dirt resistance, low coefficient of friction and toughness to combat edge and impact loads; features that are in demand in many industries. To satisfy this demand, igus launched the high-performance polymer iglidur J3 for its plain bearing range in 2015. The tribo-polymer displays its advantages especially in pivoting and rotary movements. igus has now further developed the “endurance runner” into iglidur J3B (B for black). The new black high-performance polymer adapts to the design of furniture or even sports and leisure equipment. “Particularly the customers who use our flanged bearings wanted to use iglidur J3, but the slightly yellowish material often did not fit into the design of the application. Now we can deliver a long-lasting solution with proven properties”, explains Stefan Loockmann-Rittich, Head of iglidur plain bearing technology Business Unit at igus GmbH. The iglidur J3B increases service life, especially for applications with low and medium loads, making it ideal for the bicycle industry, for example in pedals, brake levers or suspensions. The iglidur J3 is also used in the mountain bike pedals from Crankbrothers. For years, the American company has been promoting the premium components and is relying on the lubrication-free and dirt-resistant plain bearings made of high-performance polymers. Online expert […]

Safety at high speed with igus e-chain system in the linear motor robot

Twice as fast and half as heavy: this is what makes the linear motor robot from Fibro Lapple Technology(FLT) different from other solutions. In order for the linear robot to be able to get production up and running quickly and reliably, a compact, durable and quiet energy supply was required. A side-mounted igus energy chain system with pre-harnessed chainflex cables proved to be the optimal solution. Linear robots are the automation tool of choice for machine or press loading, order picking and high-bay warehouse loading or even for transport and handling tasks. Due to the demands of production for faster, more intelligent and economically profitable solutions, Fibro Lapple Technology has developed a linear robot which fulfils the desire to maximise production performance. In a new carbon design, the linear motor robot saves up to 50% in weight compared to conventional solutions. The weight reduction enables twice the speed, accelerations of up to 26m/s2 and twice the positioning accuracy. Instead of a rack and pinion drive, the designers chose a linear motor because it allows very high dynamics. An unsupported igus energy chain of the E4.1 series ensures a secure energy supply for the z-axis. The integration of a suitable energy chain solution in the compact installation space of the x-axis was a challenge, because a classic gliding or unsupported solution was out of the question due to the high forces. Complete energy supply system directly from a single source An E4.1 series energy chain is used with additional sliding elements that further reduce wear. The designers also used the igus range for the cables. They chose pre-harnessed chainflex cables – so-called readycables – that are specifically designed for use in the energy chain and, thanks to a large number of tests in the company’s own 3,800 square metre test laboratory, […]

Autonomous Mobile Disinfectant Robot

Autonomous mobile robot company SESTO Robotics has launched a dual-function Autonomous Mobile Disinfectant Robot. Addressing the urgent need for tiptop hygiene standards and minimum environment infection risk during Covid-19, the robot can efficiently and effectively disinfect facilities 24-hour, round-the-clock, with its dual functionality, eliminating 99.99% of bacteria, germs and viruses. SESTO HealthGUARD is designed to self-navigate and manoeuvre around tight places, avoiding obstacles and people, making it suitable for many indoor facilities. The robots are versatile and safe, and automate labour-intensive and repetitive tasks in healthcare and manufacturing facilities. There are no “off-days” or “after hours” for viruses. And the self-navigating, fully-autonomous robot is ready for round-the-clock thorough facility disinfection. Powered by SESTO’s proprietary user interface, operators can easily set up cleaning missions, schedules and deployment on a tablet or laptop. This means operators can conveniently change and update the robots’ cleaning routine as necessary. The robot provides an industry-leading utilisation rate of up to six hours on a single charge, auto-returns to its charging station when required and battery hotswap in less than five minutes. Responding to the growing concerns around environmental infection and community spread with the outbreak of Covid-19, the team at SESTO Robotics conceptualised the product in less than four weeks, integrating the disinfectant unit on its industry-adopted mobile robot platform. The proof-of-concept was rolled out in mid-April to much interest across industries ranging from retail malls, bus operators, hotels and healthcare facilities. Manual cleaning and disinfection may be inadequate and subject to human error, especially in large spaces. During operational hours with human traffic, SESTO HealthGUARD can disinfect the environment with hospital-grade disinfectant from its multi-nozzle sprayer, eliminating 99.99% of bacteria, germs and viruses. The multi-nozzle sprayer targets high-touch surface areas and enables facilities owners and operators to disinfect large surfaces more efficiently and thoroughly. […]

Covid-19: How past crises are helping the world’s cities to respond and rebuild

The lockdowns have lead us to adapt to some rather unimaginable scenes in some of the world’s major cities. Officials are harnessing networks and tools devised for responding to better-known risks like climate change to tackle the Covid-19 crisis. The crisis is paving the way for more futuristic cities, resilient to future pandemics. Green travel solutions have also been at the heart of many cities’ plans to rebuild. In early 2018, parched by a severe drought, Cape Town rallied its residents and businesses to slash water use and stop its taps running dry. Now, lessons from the water crisis are helping the South African city respond to the coronavirus pandemic. Megaphones are being used in communities with limited online access to make residents aware of the need for social distancing and good hygiene, just as they were deployed during the drought to encourage people to conserve water. Videos on the city’s social media channels honour frontline workers in the COVID-19 crisis and urge efforts to deal with it together – messages similar to those applauding water-saving efforts two to three years ago. And networks set up to engage businesses in a joint push to use water efficiently have been resuscitated to help them safely continue operations while containing Covid-19. Gareth Morgan, Cape Town’s director of resilience, said the city of about 4.6 million people was benefiting from what he called “crisis muscle memory”. Many of the same planners who worked on the drought response are now dealing with COVID-19 and using similar tools, such as building an index to show who is most vulnerable and developing a dashboard of metrics to track the situation. “It is not uncommon for our city team members to regularly say in our planning meetings that we learned something during the drought and we should be cognisant […]

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