Developments

Move Fast and Break Things

-Doug Green, publisher (Jonathan Taplin is Director of the Annenberg Innovation Lab and a former tour manager for Bob Dylan and The Band, as well as a film producer for Martin Scorsese. An expert in digital media entertainment, Taplin is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and sits on the California Broadband Taskforce and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Council on Technology and Innovation. Fake news. Digital monopolies. Stealth Marketing. This is the story of how the internet, which began as a dream, has become a nightmare and the people that did it. The modern world is defined by vast digital monopolies turning ever-larger profits. Those of us who consume the content that feeds them are farmed for the purposes of being sold ever more products and advertising. Those that create the content – the artists, writers and musicians – are finding they can no longer survive in this unforgiving economic landscape. But it didn’t have to be this way. In Move Fast and Break Things, Jonathan Taplin offers a succinct and powerful history of how online life began to be shaped around the values of the entrepreneurs like Peter Thiel and Larry Page who founded these all-powerful companies. Their unprecedented growth came at the heavy cost of tolerating piracy of books, music and film, while at the same time promoting opaque business practices and subordinating the privacy of individual users to create the surveillance marketing monoculture in which we now live. It is the story of a massive reallocation of revenue in which $50 billion a year has moved from the creators and owners of content to the monopoly platforms. With this reallocation of money comes a shift in power. Google, Facebook and Amazon now enjoy political power on par with Big Oil and […]

Tool digitisation delivers immense benefits

Many companies are pursuing different paths as they attempt to realise Industry 4.0. For global electrical engineering manufacturer, Phoenix Contact, the focus has been on integrating digital data about its manufacturing tools to ensure their ongoing integrity and as a step towards creating an increasingly automated manufacturing environment. Phoenix Contact produces over 60,000 different products, including solutions for connection, interface, automation and surge protection. With so many models to produce and the continuous demand for new products, maintaining the operation and integrity of its dies is critical to its ongoing manufacturing success. The dies are used in the production of screws, plastics and metal parts, but also in highly automated assembly machines as well as punching, bending and injection moulding tools. Usually made from hardened steel, the dies can take months to create and are expensive to produce. Phoenix Contact realised that by digitising information about its dies it could create a lifetime digital document on each tool. This would allow it to quickly and easily track the quality of its tools, enhance its manufacturing process, and further interlink systems as it moved towards Industry 4.0. Consequently, all relevant information about each individual die was digitised. The data gathered included the year the tool was produced, material used to construct it, maintenance details, and so forth. It was then incorporated into the overall manufacturing process via the internet so that staff and systems could automatically connect and communicate as well as track and monitor the dies performance, its usage, wear and tear, and to determine its availability in the manufacturing process. Since digitising the information, the benefits for the company have been immense. Dies are now automatically scheduled for maintenance based on usage. Staff and manufacturing systems communicate, and are notified in advance of the required maintenance. The higher-level control […]

FARO introduces next generation FaroArm

The QuantumS is certified to ISO 10360 -12:2016, the most rigorous international measurement quality standard in existence. This global standard, unlike the various regional standards such as VDI/VDE 2617, establishes the consistent, critical testing procedures that enable objective performance comparisons across any and all Articulated Arm Coordinate Measuring devices. Also, the QuantumS sets a new standard for ruggedness as it tests to the International Electrical Commission (IEC 60068 -2) standards for shock, vibration and temperature stress relief. With the addition of the FAROBluT Laser Line Probe HD, the QuantumS continues the FARO tradition of delivering maximum measurement consistency for both direct-to-parts contact and non-contact requirements in every working environment. It enables users to capture more, richer detail faster than any other comparable product on the market. Usability The advanced man-machine interface and enhanced ergonomics make the FARO QuantumS a virtual extension of the human arm and enables up to 15% less effort and fatigue for the operator with direct, contact only units. This dramatic increase in both comfort and portability increases operator productivity by facilitating continuous use over extended periods during the workday. Portability QuantumS advances the concept of true portability and ensures additional floor reach by up to 40%. Advanced wireless capability ensures that the reliability of cable-free scanning and probing is comparable to scanning and probing with a cable attachment. Furthermore, the availability of dual, hot swappable batteries supports continuous operation anywhere on the factory floor without the need for external power.

Letting our capes fly: Why engineers are awesome

This glimpse of the future was crafted by: Michelle Doolan You don’t have to sit a 5-year old down and teach her the physical and psychological benefits of building forts. Chances are she has wrecked your lounge many times before. Written into the defaults of our DNA is the impulse to create ̶ to bring something that never was into being. Take away the plastic weapons of mass destruction from your toy box, and watch your toddler turn his peanut butter sandwich into a gun. Beach sand becomes castles; snow days invite igloos; the world is a wonderful palette that kids just intuitively want to paint on. Essentially, the engineer is hidden inside all of us. The question for us engineers who still hold the title is, are we still living like one? Because we may need to be reminded from time to time, the job of an engineer is a great one. By comparison to some of the other professions, engineering is often not seen as the “cool” one. TV shows like LA Law and Boston Legal glamorise legal eagles battling it out in high profile court cases. ER, House and Scrubs bring the world of medicine into our living rooms. Even Grand Designs puts architecture on a pedestal. Isn’t it about time that TV producers got in touch with the profession that is shaping the future world we live in like no other? As a discipline, it lies at the very fabric of our society, shouldering the systems and spaces that give our world its meaning. Too often the profession is associated with hard hats and tool belts, viewed as difficult and esoteric. But in reality, engineering is a far cry from ‘restrictive’ and ‘routine’. It is alive and multidimensional, unleashing the power of connected societies to unlock […]

Forget driverless cars: sailorless ships are about to make waves

Sea change … unmanned electric cargo ships could be with us in three years. Norwegian company Yara will launch the world’s first electric cargo ship next year. Initially manned, the vessel will move to remote control in 2019, before becoming totally autonomous in 2020. Named Yara Birkeland, the vessel will sail between Yara’s main factory facility in Norway to some of the country’s bigger ports, carrying cargo which is currently transported by road. It’s estimated that the battery-powered ship will remove the need for 40,000 truck journeys a year. Making ‘drone’ ships a reality Although advances in driverless cars are getting more media attention, major advances have already been made in bringing artificial intelligence to the shipping and freight industries. Rolls Royce is also working on making autonomous ships a reality by the end of the decade, in conjunction with ship builders and researchers in Finland. Meanwhile, research body MUNIN – or Maritime Unmanned Navigation through Intelligence in Networks – has been part funded by the European Commission to develop the technology needed to make robotic ships. Back on land, Singapore earlier this year signed an agreement with trucking companies Scania and Toyota Tsusho to design, develop and build self-driving freight lorries to haul containers from one port to another. The idea would see one truck with a driver leading a convoy of driverless trucks; it’s being billed as a way to reduce congestion and boost productivity in the country’s already efficient ports. In 2016, a fleet of trucks from a host of leading manufacturers including Volvo and Daf drove their freight across Europe largely without drivers as part of a mission under the Dutch presidency of the EU to prove the potential of AI in the haulage industry. In a report into the driverless car revolution, the World Economic Forum estimated that $2 billion worth of value […]

Exponential Manufacturing Revolution

Diane Francis Member of Advisory Council at Hudson Institute Kleptocracy Initiative The train to Boston from New York speeds past stunning scenery as well as the blight of abandoned factories, scarred with graffiti. These empty buildings are the remnants of a New England that was the China of the Industrial Revolution based on cheap immigrant labour. Today, its towns languish economically, except for Boston, which is enjoying a resurgence as a technology, pharma, and advanced manufacturing hub. This week, American experts from industry, technology, and policy gathered at a conference in Boston, curated by Singularity University, to discuss the role of tech in manufacturing. America remains a manufacturing powerhouse, as well as the world’s pre-eminent technology nation, but marrying the two will take time. In global terms, the industrial sector represents one-third of all global economic output and represents half of the world’s energy consumption and renewables. “This year, offshore wind power generation matched the cost of natural gas power plants in Europe,” said Singularity’s energy expert Ramez Naam. “In windy parts of the world, wind power is cheapest, and in sunny parts of the world solar is.” In solar, record low prices were reached this year too. A major contract in Dubai at 2.91 U.S. cents per kilowatt hour, the world’s lowest — Ontario’s prices average 8 cents per kilowatt hour. India just completed the world’s largest solar farm (4.5 U.S. cents per kilowatt hour) and its federal government intends to have only electrically-powered vehicles by 2030 – completely bypassing fossil fuels. As these industries scale, costs plummet for solar panels and turbines. China is converting to renewables rapidly, but has also earmarked half a trillion dollars to become the world’s advanced manufacturing leader. This is a major pivot, necessary in light of the fact that cheap labour, in […]

Companies embracing, and finding value in, the circular economy

Shifting to the circular economy could release $4.5 trillion in new economic potential by 2030. The circular economy – an economic model focused on designing and manufacturing products, components and materials for reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling – promises big opportunities for the private sector to drive new and better growth and accelerate innovation. Shifting to the circular economy could release $4.5 trillion in new economic potential by 2030, according to Accenture. But how do we take that vision of a circular economy – which imagines a world without waste – and translate that into profitable and scalable action? Let’s look at how companies are translating their circular economy aspirations into action – and how that in turn drives greater resource productivity improvements, eliminates waste and inefficiency, and contributes to a stronger and more competitive economy. Aramark: Reducing food waste Food services provider Aramark has set a goal of reducing food waste by 50% by 2030 from its 2015 baseline, such as by setting standards for ordering, receiving, preparing, serving and tracking food production. Through its partnership with food waste reduction experts LeanPath, Aramark is accelerating its waste prevention and minimisation efforts by integrating LeanPath’s tracking and analytics technology platform into its largest 500 accounts. Since 2016, Aramark has rolled out LeanPath’s platform across 161 sites, slashing its food waste on average by 44% and reducing the amount sent to landfill by 479 tonnes. In instances of overproduction, Aramark donates unserved food to local food relief agencies or for composting. Eileen Fisher: The path to 100% circularity Eileen Fisher take-back programme, in which employees and customers can bring back unwanted Eileen Fisher clothing for $5 store credit per piece, started in 2009 under the name Green Eileen. Funds raised from the programme are donated to organizations that support women, girls, and the […]

Forget driverless cars: sailorless ships are about to make waves

The SKF smart manufacturing transformation

Manufacturing excellence has always been a vital part of SKF’s offering to its customers. The performance and durability of products depend on appropriate materials, precise geometry and accurate assembly. To achieve those things, the company is continually refining and evolving its production processes and capabilities. World-class manufacturing isn’t just about precision, however. It also requires great flexibility. To ensure the best possible service for customers, while keeping costs under control, manufacturers need agile, adaptable production systems that handle small batches and work to short lead times. In common with many top manufacturing companies, SKF has adopted the principles of lean manufacturing, with its relentless focus on elimination of errors, delays and other forms of waste. Now the company is building a new generation of manufacturing systems, which embrace the power of today’s digital technologies to achieve a further step-change in speed, efficiency and flexibility. “At SKF, world-class manufacturing is about providing innovative sources of value for the customer at the most efficient cost,” says Roberto Napione, Manager of SKF’s Machine Centres of Excellence and Standardisation. “In today’s environment, we can no longer work in fixed production sequences, we want to take the real-time demand from the customer and produce those specific products in the volume batch required.” That capability has the potential to provide tremendous value for SKF’s customers, he explains. Today, many of them spend considerable time and effort attempting to forecast future demand. Then they tie up valuable capital in stock to meet that forecast. In the future, those customers will be able to order what they need, when they need it, with confidence that the right product will be available at the right time. It’s a compellingly simple idea, but it is one that requires complex changes behind the scenes. “The digital transformation in manufacturing involves improving […]

Digital simulation for the Industrial IoT

PTC and ANSYS have a solution that will enable ANSYS engineering simulation technology to be rapidly added to applications built on the ThingWorx Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) platform from PTC. Development of a connector between these two technology platforms will enable customers to transform raw data into new forms of actionable intelligence. The connector will integrate intelligent digital simulation models with products as they exist and operate in the real world. This will open up new opportunities for companies to create value by enabling them to optimize operations and maintenance and to integrate them into their product development processes. Simulation helps companies understand situations that may occur – such as a product failure – as early as the design phase. When faced with limited access to rich historical data, companies can leverage simulation models to generate an initial “as designed” set of expected outcomes or product performance. The results of these simulations act as a rich source of data that can be used for supervised machine learning and predictive modelling. The ongoing connection between real-world performance, simulation, and machine learning helps companies make sense of data that can lead to predictive models and a more insightful feedback loop, enabling them to improve product design and modelling. The IoT is making it possible to create a digital twin that combines real-time data about a physical product with the organisation’s digital information about the product. Simulating digital twins provides advanced intelligence and insight into a product’s behaviours. The combination of the ThingWorx platform capabilities with ANSYS simulation models will enable companies to deploy powerful applications that can analyse current operating conditions, rapidly identify and diagnose operations issues, predict future operating conditions, and improve product performance. PTC and ANSYS will make the capabilities of this solution available within IoT applications developed on […]

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