Manufacturing Technology

AI set to supercharge robotic automation

Digital transformation is an ongoing process so we can expect to see breakthrough trends continuing to shape society. But how will these trends impact robotics and automation and what can the manufacturing industry expect to see in 2024? AI will set a new pace of development in robotics and automation AI is transforming the world of software development, making it cheaper, faster, and more effective. Software is a key component of automation, and with AI, software developers will be able to create more customised and optimised solutions for various tasks and challenges. If software development has sometimes felt like digging with a shovel, the introduction of AI is like bringing two horses and a plough to the process. However, automation expertise will remain a scarce and valuable resource in the process of AI revolutionsing manufacturing. It has been interesting and perhaps surprising to see AI changing the lives of office workers before it touches working practices in most factories. The benefits of machine learning will reach more manufacturers in 2024. After all, the technology is already there – we have many partners developing applications using AI to allow our robots to perform more complex and diverse functions. For example, AI allows robots to have human-like perception, handle variation, move parts precisely, adapt to changing environments, and learn from their own experience. With time, these capabilities will lead to unprecedented flexibility, quality and reliability in manufacturing. Developments in robotics software will enable more sharing and reuse Robotics software is the glue that binds users to their mechanical counterparts – a digital connectivity that transcends physical interaction. Software developments are enabling a new dimension of collaboration – connecting the people that use robots. 2024 will see software developments leading to new levels of sharing and reusability. Imagine a world […]

3D printed titanium structure shows supernatural strength

A 3D printed ‘metamaterial’ boasting levels of strength for weight not normally seen in nature or manufacturing could change how we make everything from medical implants to aircraft or rocket parts. RMIT University researchers created the new metamaterial – a term used to describe an artificial material with unique properties not observed in nature – from common titanium alloy. But it’s the material’s unique lattice structure design, recently revealed in the journal Advanced Materials, that makes it anything but common: tests show it’s 50% stronger than the next strongest alloy of similar density used in aerospace applications. Improving on nature’s own design Lattice structures made of hollow struts were originally inspired by nature: strong hollow-stemmed plants like the Victoria water lily or the hardy organ pipe coral (Tubipora musica) showed us the way in combining lightness and strength. However, as RMIT’s Distinguished Professor Ma Qian explains, decades of trying to replicate these hollow ‘cellular structures’ in metals has been frustrated by the common issues of manufacturability and load stress concentrating on the inside areas of the hollow struts, leading to premature failures. “Ideally, the stress in all complex cellular materials should be evenly spread,” Qian explained. “However, for most topologies, it is common for less than half of the material to mainly bear the compressive load, while the larger volume of material is structurally insignificant.” Metal 3D printing provides unprecedented innovative solutions to these issues. By pushing 3D printing design to its limits, the RMIT team optimized a new type of lattice structure to distribute the stress more evenly, enhancing its strength or structural efficiency. “We designed a hollow tubular lattice structure that has a thin band running inside it. These two elements together show strength and lightness never before seen together in nature,” said Qian. “By effectively merging two […]

Planting machines in “Machine-tending” — Operations in a collaborative Industry 5.0 world

-Shih Pin Tan, Asia Pacific, Universal Robots. Boasting a fleet of over 10,000 aircraft, taking a commercial flight in Asia might not be as novel as before. In generations prior, it was not as easy to manufacture these machines, with the average commercial jet airliner comprising of over 350,000 individual parts. In crafting these parts—whether metal or plastic, one process is essential: machine tending. A well-functioning manufacturing workflow relies on machinery consistently being loaded and unloaded with parts or materials. When done well, machine tending increases productivity and yields – driving down the cost of production over time. Without it, production would grind to a halt. As the sector looks forward into the future, advancements in manufacturing will rest on optimising this crucial task. The next industrial revolution Stemming from the early 2010s, Industry 4.0 saw manufacturers integrating new technologies into their production facilities and throughout their operations. Industry 5.0 builds on this, using R&D to transition to a more sustainable, human-centric and resilient industry. With that, collaborative automation has a vital role to play. Already integral to Industry 4.0, greater automation of machine tending – more specifically collaborative robotics – will help manufacturers transition to Industry 5.0. In fact, the European Commission sees Industry 5.0 as playing a vital role in providing solutions to challenges for society, including the preservation of resources and climate change. The future of manufacturing and the transition to Industry 5.0 rests on ensuring machine tending benefits from both human skill and automated consistency, something collaborative robots (cobots) are specifically designed for. The man-machine partnership Over decades, human machine operators have been slogging away at the repetitive and physically demanding task of machine tending. This poses a multitude of issues for both workers as well as manufacturers and must be addressed. For one, machine tending […]

Autodesk Workshop XR delivers immersive design review

Autodesk Workshop XR empowers teams to review their 3D models and data from Autodesk Construction Cloud to detect and adjust project issues early on, preventing costly rework or delays. Autodesk Workshop XR, is an immersive design review workspace connected to Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC). Workshop XR provides more effective and efficient design reviews for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. This real-time, shared experience empowers teams to review 3D models and their data from anywhere, resulting in better decision making and more profitable and sustainable projects. Workshop XR and ACC are part of Autodesk’s Design and Make Platform which includes cloud-connected software solutions that unite teams, data and workflows across entire project lifecycles to deliver better, faster outcomes. With Workshop XR, AEC teams can review and collaborate on projects to track issues, catch errors, and enable better spatial understanding. With automatically connected data from ACC, no-prep model loading, and synced issue tracking, Workshop XR makes design reviews frictionless and efficient. With Workshop XR, AEC teams can walk through models at a one-to-one scale to gain a shared understanding of how project data will translate to the real world. This will benefit customers’ bottom line—and the planet—by driving better design decisions, reducing waste and rework costs, and cutting down on team travel. Autodesk Workshop XR will be available on Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest Pro, and Meta Quest 3 headsets. “Meta’s collaboration with Autodesk brings the collective vision for the future of work to life,” said Jamie Keane, director of product at Meta. “Meta Quest headsets and Meta Avatars offer a secure connection to Workshop XR that takes on a new dimension of collaboration and presence. This immersive experience transforms the way teams work by boosting creativity and expanding the possibilities of what can be achieved.” Stantec, a global […]

Siemens revolutionises engineering simulation

Siemens Digital Industries Software has set the benchmark for innovation in the field of engineering simulation with the launch of two groundbreaking solutions – HEEDS AI Simulation Predictor software and Simcenter Reduced Order Modeling software. These tools empower engineers to tackle the most complex challenges manufacturers face, delivering predictive performance with speed, precision, and efficiency. Siemens’ HEEDS AI Simulation Predictor unlocks new possibilities for manufacturers by empowering engineering teams to harness the potential of advanced AI-driven predictive modeling. As a new addition to the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, it can revolutionise design space exploration. Key Advantages: Optimise products with precision: HEEDS AI Simulation Predictor harnesses state-of-the-art AI with built-in accuracy awareness helps organisations to fully leverage the digital twin to fine-tune and optimise their products with unprecedented precision. Faster, more innovative designs: By tapping into historical simulation studies and accumulated knowledge, engineering teams can swiftly craft high-performing, innovative designs, significantly reducing time-to-market. Addressing the AI drift challenge One of the most significant challenges in AI-powered simulation is AI drift, where models extrapolate inaccurately when faced with uncharted design spaces. To address this challenge, HEEDS AI Simulation Predictor introduces accuracy-aware AI. This new technology actively self-verifies predictions, aiding engineers to conduct simulations that are not only accurate but also reliable in the context of real-world industrial engineering applications. HEEDS AI Simulation Predictor significantly improves various components of the gas turbine, leading to highly optimised designs and accelerated design cycles. “Thermo-mechanical fatigue predictions have been effectively upgraded to process ~20,000 design members in only 24 hours, yielding a 20% improvement in component lifetime. This has allows to fully characterise the limits of existing design space which is required for high-efficiency turbine engines. The HEEDS AI Simulation Predictor technology has saved over 15,000 hours of computational time. Siemens also introduces Simcenter Reduced Order Modeling, […]

Renewable energy concept Earth Day or environment protection Han

Rockwell Automation releases 2023 Sustainability Report outlining progress and outcomes

Rockwell Automation has published its 2023 Sustainability Report detailing the company’s sustainability progress and outcomes, and how Rockwell is partnering across the manufacturing industry and communities worldwide to create sustainable impact and change. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell provides industrial automation and digital transformation solutions to manufacturers in more than 100 countries. “We’ve been improving the efficiency of industrial processes for more than 120 years, which includes making the most of scarce resources,” said Rockwell Automation Chairman & CEO Blake Moret. “Today, our technology and expertise help manufacturers in diverse industries address the complex challenge of making high-quality products at scale while minimising negative impacts on the environment.” Smart manufacturing technologies play a critical role in driving Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and sustainability success. Survey results from the company’s 8th annual State of Smart Manufacturing Report indicate the driving factor for manufacturers to pursue sustainability and ESG policies and programs is to improve efficiencies, confirming that sustainability is critical for operational improvement and profitability. Rockwell Automation Chairman and CEO, Blake Moret, says Rockwell is helping manufacturers in diverse industries with the complex challenge of making high quality products at scale, while minimising negative impacts on the environment. Rockwell’s 2023 progress on its ESG journey In addition to showcasing how Rockwell supports customers’ sustainability efforts with its innovative, sustainable products and solutions, the report also highlights the company’s ESG initiatives and programs that are making Rockwell more sustainable while at the same time fostering a culture that empowers employees to operate safely, sustainably, and responsibly. In 2020, Rockwell announced its goal to be carbon neutral by 2030 (Scope 1 and 2 emissions). The report discusses the company’s work toward this goal, and includes information about Rockwell’s Scope 3 emissions baseline, explaining that indirect emissions from its value chain represent 99% of its […]

Chip industry’s complicated contours decades in the making

The mixture of happenstance and geostrategy that helped make a small European country key to the global semiconductor market is depicted in delicious detail in Chris Miller’s “Chip War.” The book couldn’t have been timed better. Miller, an associate professor of international history at the Fletcher School, uses a colorful cast of characters to tell the story of a truly pivotal industry’s formation, and explain why altering it in a meaningful way seems unlikely any time soon – regardless of mounting geopolitical pressure. Chips are coveted not least for the role they play in artificial intelligence tools seemingly poised to shake things up for just about everyone. The more we want them, though, the more expensive and difficult they are to make. It’s all gotten very complicated. Take the Dutch niche in the supply chain, for example – it’s based on one company’s machine “that took tens of billions of dollars and several decades to develop,” Miller writes, and uses light to print patterns on silicon by deploying lasers that can hit 50 million tin drops per second. It’s an industry full of such mind-bending extremes. In an interview with the Forum’s Radio Davos podcast, Miller marvelled at having recently visited a facility in the US being built with “seventh-biggest crane that exists in the world,” which will eventually assemble chips mounted with transistors “roughly the size of a coronavirus.” Nvidia, the company now most closely identified with chips powering artificial intelligence, features prominently in Miller’s book. The company traces its roots to a meeting at a 24-hour diner on the fringes of Silicon Valley, he writes. At a certain point it realised that its semiconductors used for video-game graphics could do a good job of training AI systems. Earlier this year, its market value increased by $184 billion in a single day. Nvidia’s chips aren’t made anywhere near […]

The Interview: Marcelo Tarkieltaub, Regional Director, Southeast Asia, Rockwell Automation

Focusing on Rockwell Automation’s Industry Outlook, the growth of industrial automation & smart manufacturing in Asia Pacific, highlighting both the benefits and gaps that businesses must navigate in this growing market. Tell me about Rockwell Automation’s Industry Outlook for the manufacturing sector in Asia Pacific Rockwell Automation’s Industry Outlook for the manufacturing sector in Asia Pacific showcases a promising landscape. Manufacturing is one of the most significant contributors to the Asia-Pacific economy and is undergoing rapid transformation. Some key factors that are influencing the manufacturing sector include: Technological Advancements: The integration of cutting-edge manufacturing technologies, including automation and IoT, is transforming the manufacturing sector, leading to enhanced efficiency. According to our State of Smart Manufacturing Report, close to half (44%) of APAC manufacturers plan to adopt smart manufacturing within the next year; out of this, China (80%), Australia (60%) and India (59%) are already using some components of smart manufacturing. Sustainability and Environmental Regulations: An increasing emphasis on sustainability and environmental regulations is driving changes in manufacturing practices and product requirements. Again, our State of Smart Manufacturing report cites that for the 94% of APAC manufacturers who have formal or informal environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies in place, close to half (48%) cite “a competitive differentiator” as the top driving factor for pursuing ESG initiatives. Economic Growth: The overall economic growth and stability of countries in the Asia Pacific region can have a significant impact on manufacturing. Rapidly growing economies drive increased demand for manufactured goods. How is smart manufacturing growing in Asia Pacific? Smart manufacturing is growing in the region driven by a combination of factors including technological advancements, government support, and the region’s strong manufacturing base. APAC is home to some of the world’s leading technology companies and has a strong presence in industries such as electronics, […]

Your company’s visionaries are wrong about the Internet of Things

Slowly but steadily, pressure is building for industrial companies to come to grips with the fact that technology-enabled disruptive change is here. This creates tension in most companies, because the culture in many industries is quite conservative when it comes to innovation. Product designers may be keen to innovate in their traditional areas of expertise, yet still be reluctant to consider new designs that rely on software and enhanced connectivity. Production groups find it difficult to justify even the time it takes to consider new ways of operating, and making do with aging production systems and techniques is the norm. So when a company’s visionaries talk about ‘Internet of Things’ or ‘Industrie 4.0′ AI, or other terms for technology-enabled digital transformation, they are taking a risk. But are they right? To be sure, there’s plenty of hype in the market. It’s easy to find incredible claims about “xx billions of connected devices” or “yy trillions of dollars.” On the other hand are the naysayers who dismiss the trends saying “we’ve been doing it for years” or “we’ll never do that?” You can even find surveys from respectable firms that say “half of manufacturing executives don’t know about IoT” or some other comforting statistic. We’re not the only ones, you think. Maybe it’s not real. And if it is, it looks like I’ve got plenty of time to figure it out. Wrong. That building pressure comes from the growing gap between two forces: The exponential growth of computing technologies, and the linear thinking and inertia of humans and human systems. And that pressure is akin to tectonic pressure building at a fault line: the changes are barely noticeable for a long time, until a seismic shift unleashes a massive change. This pressure derives from what Ray Kurzweil calls the law of […]

What is the future of work?

Just like the world at large, the world of work shifts and changes over time. The future of work refers to an informed perspective on what businesses and other organisations need to know about how work could shift (given digitisation and other trends), plus how workforces and workplaces can prepare for those changes, big and small. When you think of the future of work, what do you picture? Offices that look more or less like today’s? Factories full of robots? Or something else entirely? While no one can predict the future with absolute certainty, the world of work is changing, just as the world itself is. Looking ahead at how work will shift, along with trends affecting the workforce and workplaces, can help you prepare for what is next: One in sixteen workers may have to switch occupations by 2030. That is more than 100 million workers across the eight economies studied—and the pandemic accelerated expected workforce transitions. Job growth will be more concentrated in high-skill jobs (for example, in healthcare or science, technology, engineering, and math [STEM] fields), while middle- and low-skill jobs (such as food service, production work, or office support roles) will decline. A few job categories could see more growth than others. The rise of e-commerce created demand for warehouse workers; investments in the green economy could increase the need for wind turbine technicians; aging populations in many advanced economies will increase demand for nurses, home health aides, and hearing-aid technicians; and teachers and training instructors will also continue to find work over the coming decade. But other types of jobs may be at risk: for example, as grocery stores increasingly install self-checkout counters, there may be a need for fewer clerks, and robotics used to process routine paperwork may lessen demand for some office workers. The future of work was shifting […]

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