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AUTOMATICA 2016 -A new robot generation

For the first time, this year, all renowned robotics manufacturers with innovations across the board are at AUTOMATICA in Munich from June 21 to 24. Gone are the days when progress was defined by improvements in details. This time solutions are signaling a new era of automation with new approaches that do justice to the demands of human-robot collaboration (MRC) and Industry 4.0. The robotics business around the world is booming. The World Robot Association IFR reported a global sales record of eight percent in 2015 in the industrial robot sector. The number of industrial robots sold worldwide reached the mark of 240,000 units for the first time. “The worldwide sales of industrial robots in 2015 confirmed that we are in very exciting times for the robot industry,” Per Vegard Nerseth, Managing Director at ABB Robotics, stated. “With the start into 2016, the traditional drivers in our industry are being complemented by a huge demand for solutions in the Internet of Things (IoT) as well as the services & people areas. I believe that this development will result in a new record year.”MRC: A new generation of robots is ready for the market Collaborating robots are paving a revolutionary new way for SMEs to automate their production on an optimum technical level and consequently secure their competitive position while cutting costs. Manufacturers are taking different approaches in developing their collaborative robots. While one faction, including ABB, Kuka, Universal Robots, Yaskawa and Co. relies on special machines for MRC, Stäubli and Fanuc design their standard robots for MRC applications. A big advantage for AUTOMATICA visitors: All major robot manufacturers are represented at the trade fair, which enables a direct comparison of these solutions. Industry 4.0 and MRC Stäubli will highlight the performance of his new TX2 six-axle series in a variety […]

3D ScanArm for reverse engineering and CAD applications

FARO Technologies has launched the FARO Design ScanArm, a portable 3D scanning solution tailored for 3D modeling, reverse engineering, and CAD-based design applications across the product lifecycle management (PLM) process. As a limited-time promotional offer, the FARO Design ScanArm will be bundled with 3D System’s Geomagic software at a reduced launch price. The available software options have capabilities that range from an automatic meshing software that delivers ready-to-use files without any post-processing to a full-featured reverse engineering software that combines history-based CAD with 3D scan data to create feature-based, editable solid models compatible with all major CAD platforms. The FARO Design ScanArm was purposefully-engineered to meet the needs of the Product Design market. By combining FARO’s best-in-class 3D scanning technology with 3D System’s Geomagic software offerings, the Design ScanArm provides a turnkey solution that allows users to quickly digitise any part or object, easily design or modify reverse engineered models, create manufacturing-ready CAD models, and verify design intent of prototype products.” The FARO Design ScanArm features optically-superior blue laser technology with fast scanning speed to deliver high-resolution point cloud data and the ability to seamlessly scan challenging materials without the need for spray or targets. The device is lightweight and maneuverable for convenient desktop mounting in the design studio or engineering lab. The Design ScanArm features a simplified user interface that makes it easy to operate regardless of skill level or 3D scanning experience. ScanArm is the ideal 3D scanning solution for any organisation that may have the need to manufacture parts without existing CAD models, develop aftermarket products that need to fit tightly with existing products, reverse engineer legacy parts for design changes or replacement, create digital libraries to decrease inventory and warehouse costs, design aesthetically pleasing, freeform surfaces, or leverage the power of rapid prototyping. www.faro.com/DesignScanArm/sg.

Factory Robo-Imager, factory automation solution

Factory Robo-Imager is a system that combines the FARO Factory Array Imager with a collaborative-robot to provide highly adaptable, safe and automated in- and near-line inspection solutions. This product line pairs the FARO Factory Array Imager, with a human-collaborative robot in two configurations: either a fixed installation or turnkey mobile station. The Robo-Imager fixed installation can be mounted anywhere in the factory and deliver automated measurements while the Robo-Imager Mobile is the same Robo-Imager mounted on an instrumented cart that can be quickly moved to wherever measurement tasks are required. The FARO Factory Array Imager is a new metrology-grade 3D sensor with blue light technology, capable of quickly capturing high-resolution measurement data for dimensional inspection on parts, assemblies and tools. When coupled with a collaborative-robot, the Robo-Imager provides a turnkey solution to automate the inspection and verification of parts at any location in the production environment. “The manufacturing world is quickly evolving, with smart factories, LEAN thinking, and emphasis on automation, driving the need to shift quality control and inspection processes closer to the production line,” stated Dr. Simon Raab, President and CEO of FARO Technologies. “To that end, FARO is committed to developing new metrology solutions for Factory Automation. The Robo-Imager does just that, moving metrology from the QC lab to the shop floor for improved productivity.”

How the AoThings will help unlock the value of the IoT

While the Internet of Things (IoT) offers awe-inspiring possibilities, companies must prepare to reap the full benefits by ensuring they have adequate analysis capabilities, according to Teradata. Alec Gardner, general manager, advanced analytics, ANZ, Teradata, said, “A comprehensive study in June 2015 by the McKinsey Global Institute concluded that IoT is one of those rare technology trends where the hype may actually understate the full potential. (1) “At the moment, companies are tapping into IoT to achieve greater reliability, resource efficiency, and cost reduction. The results are small, often benefiting a single person or process. But this will change when visionary organisations start to think more competitively and much bigger. This will lead to a new approach called the Analytics of Things. “By adopting the Analytics of Things, companies will aggregate data, then use advanced analytics to give the data greater context, making it part of a richer picture. For example, monitoring a patient’s heart rate across a period of time will provide some insight into their heart health, letting doctors recommend appropriate treatments for that individual. Aggregating the same data from thousands of people instead of just one lets researchers get a fuller picture. They can use that ongoing body of insights to support better treatments and medicines, ultimately saving more lives.” Savvy organisations are already starting to use the Analytics of Things to make the IoT more powerful, creating new revenue streams. For example, Teradata customer Siemens uses it to move from reactive to predictive maintenance on trains, reducing failures. As a result, Siemens has changed its business model, moving from selling trains to selling the performance of trains over a fixed period of time. The company does this by managing maintenance so customers don’t experience any appreciable unplanned downtime. Analysing data from train component sensors, the […]

Transparent metal touchscreens

A touchscreen is an essential feature of many modern devices, but the material that gives most screens their touch sensitivity is in short supply. By adapting newspaper printing technology, researchers have developed a low-cost alternative capable of printing conductive metal ink in lines so thin that they are invisible to the naked eye. A film of this fine metal mesh could potentially form the touch-sensing layer of future smartphone screens. Most touchscreens rely on an electrically conductive material called indium tin oxide (ITO). As skin is conductive, touching the screen alters its electric field, which is detected as a tap. Crucially for a surface layer of a screen, ITO is also optically transparent. Very few materials possess this combination of properties. Industry has responded to the spike in indium prices accompanying the rising demand for ITO by intensifying the search for alternative transparent conductive materials. XinQuan Zhang from the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology and his co-workers are working on a promising alternative touch-sensitive film: a printed, mesh-like pattern of ultra-fine metal lines, created using roll-to-roll gravure printing. Gravure printing traditionally uses an etched mould to transfer ink on to paper. Here, the etched cylindrical mould instead transfers a precise pattern of conductive metal ink on to the touch-sensing substrate. Light from the screen passes through the holes in the printed mesh. Before this study, the finest lines that could be printed this way were approximately 50 micrometres wide, which blocked more than a third of the screen’s light. Zhang and his co-workers have overcome this limitation through diamond micro engraving. Instead of using a laser to etch the grid-like pattern of tiny inkwells into the printer’s cylindrical mould, Zhang uses a tiny diamond-tipped cutting tool to pattern the roller using ultraprecision machining technology. Originally developed to manufacture lenses and […]

3D mapping more accurate

PIC CAP:This new mapping software technology allows monthly updates and handling of massive data and can cater for the needs in the big data era. It can be used in topographic mapping and 3D modelling of cities for smart city development. A new 3D mapping model integrates multi-platform satellite/aerial imagery and laser scanning data to achieve a higher accuracy in mapping products by 26-66% to centimetre level compared to the conventional mapping technologies. The two major traditional 3D mapping techniques are photogrammetry using satellite/aerial imagery and laser scanning. The former offers higher accuracy in the horizontal direction while the latter shows higher accuracy in vertical direction. They may produce errors at different levels and there are usually inconsistences between the mapping products derived from them. To eliminate data errors and integrate the advantages of the existing technologies, Prof. Wu Bo at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)’s Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics developed a “Novel Integrated 3D Mapping Model”. Integrating multi-platform satellite/aerial imagery and laser scanning data, the technology greatly improved the accuracy in mapping products by 26-66% to centimetre level. The cost of the mapping products produced by this model is more or less the same as the satellite imagery. This new technology allows monthly updates and handling of massive data and can cater for the needs in the big data era. It can be used in topographic mapping and 3D modelling of cities for smart city development. For example, it is particularly useful in analysing ventilation, visibility and sunlight distribution between buildings. The invention won a Gold Medal and Special Merit Award from the Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University, Russia, at the 44th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva.

Nano-scale material like ‘magnetic play-dough’

Dr Jérôme Leveneur, a researcher in the Environment and Materials division of GNS Science’s National Isotope Centre, has been awarded $20,000 from the KiwiNet Emerging Innovator Fund to further develop a new nano-scale magnetic material. Dr Leveneur’s magnetic material made of nanostructures is 1000 times thinner than a human hair. The material’s small scale gives it enhanced properties over conventional magnetic materials which can be used to improve energy efficiency of transformers and inductors. Dr Leveneur says, “The material is highly flexible and can be manufactured in a range of different shapes, like ‘magnetic play-dough’, to make any size and shape, which is not the case with existing materials. “The ability to mould the material to any shape can be used to improve the designs and energy efficiency of inductors and transformers, for example, as we can ensure that the magnetic field goes exactly where it’s needed which is more efficient.” Dr Leveneur believes the new high performance material has the potential to benefit a wide range of industries and lead to a radical advancement in electro-magnet technologies used in areas such as inductive power transfer, radio communication and electric motors. “When you switch regular electromagnets off they hold a fraction of their magnetism and it costs additional energy to switch them on in another direction. With nanomaterials the magnetism can be switched on and off at no additional energy cost, increasing efficiency,” he says. The Emerging Innovator Fund was launched by KiwiNet with the generous philanthropic support of the Norman F. B. Barry Foundation to help early career researchers take their ground-breaking science to market. It is open to scientists from universities and Crown Research Institutes who demonstrate a clever new idea and a willingness to work closely with industry as they develop a prototype. Chris Kroger, Research Manager & Deputy GM Research, GNS Science says, […]

Expense of an electric car better investment than solar

The extra expense of an electric vehicle roughly equates to the cost of installing roof-top solar electricity generation, making it a better investment for environmental outcomes, says John Hancock, the head of the Smart Grid Forum. The forum, a future-casting electricity industry group established by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, has released a new report on how internet-enabled electricity management might shape the sector’s future. “While installing solar panels on your house may mean cheaper power bills, which may be great for the individual consumer, it isn’t really doing anything to reduce New Zealand’s carbon emissions,” said Hancock, chairman of the Smart Grid Forum, “On the other hand, buying an EV instead of a diesel or petrol-powered car has a clear impact. “EVs are still quite expensive, but the amount someone would normally spend on installing solar roughly covers the additional cost of an EV over a new petrol or diesel car,” said Hancock. “From a national perspective, we’d reduce emissions more if people bought EVs rather than installing solar.” Rooftop solar PV typically cost around $10,000 to install, while the cost of a plug-in hybrid EV, such as the Mitsubishi Outlander, is around $12,000 more than the cost of a petrol or diesel model, he said. The electric-only Nissan Leaf was selling new in New Zealand for around $35,000 before Nissan withdrew it from sale in this market late last year, compared to similarly outfitted petrol and diesel cars at between $20,000 and $30,000. The conclusion is likely to dismay solar PV enthusiasts who tout the technology not only as a money-saving but a planet-saving move to reduce carbon emissions – a claim more meaningful in a country such as Australia where the vast majority of electricity is produced from fossil fuels, such as natural gas and […]

The Future of Speech

Derek Austin, Interactive Technologies Manager for Nuance Communications, looks at speech recognition software and how it will help shape the way people interact with their world in the future. Speech recognition provides perhaps the most natural way for humans to interact with computers. Whether it is a case of the fun filled antics of Star Trek or the more serious interactions that went on in Space Odyssey 2001, we know that somewhere in the future, our destiny is to talk to computers rather than use a keyboard. But how far will speech recognition help define this future and what can we realistically expect in the next few years? Speech recognition technologies in general are now accurate and there are two broad forms of recognition technology – speaker independent and speaker dependent. Speaker independent technologies work anywhere and at anytime. For instance, you can dial into a call centre and the computer usually recognises what you say without having to know who you are. This is the easiest way to talk to a computer. However, the problem with speaker independent technologies is that the level of accuracy is limited in such situations. The computer has a much harder job of understanding what you say if you can be anywhere, using any kind of accent, and speaking any language. Speaker dependent technologies offer the highest accuracy, as the computer knows who you are. Speaker dependent technologies keep a profile of how you speak and what you say. These systems provide the most accurate transcription for writing business or personal correspondence, documents, scientific articles and the like. Over time, these two forms of technologies will converge so that computers will recognise what you say no matter who you are, or the accent you are using. The technology should even be able to understand which […]

Networked Manufacturing

– Dieter Adam, CEO of the NZMEA The next wave of technological developments, described as Industry 4.0, have the potential to substantially change the nature of manufacturing, around the world and in New Zealand. Though its future and realities are uncertain, it could represent huge opportunities for those who can leverage technology, and risks if we cannot keep up. Take networked manufacturing. At the core of this is the idea that the physical elements on the factory floor – machines, tools, transportation systems and products are all networked; they can send data to a central control point and to each other and receive instructions from a central control point and from each other. Centralised monitoring and control of production equipment is not new – the interconnectivity of all elements and the potential to process and learn from large amounts of data, however, is new. This technology could give manufacturers the ability to monitor and record the performance of pretty much any tool or machinery on a production line in terms of each individual action. Beyond the immediate quality control, this will allow far-reaching retrospective analyses of potential mechanical failure when the cause of a vehicle accident is investigated, for example. Other uses could include fully autonomous local logistics, self-managing the flow of materials through a process line and factory, or physically attaching further-processing instructions to semi-finished products on a line (via RFID) to allow automatic variations within the production process. It will provide more flexibility to use input from other parties to define customisation without having to manually change tools or adjust production lines. At the macro level (systems level), Big Data systems will allow the analysis of ever more complex sets of data to identify and predict the occurrence of (rare) events. One of the most potent Big Data […]

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