The Singapore Engineer April 2019 by The Singapore Engineer

THE MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, SINGAPORE

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

www.ies.org.sg

April 2019 | MCI (P) 105/03/2019

COVER STORY: Celebrating a new milestone in digital transformation

PLUS

MOBILITY SOLUTIONS: The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first full size autonomous electric bus unveiled ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: AI expected to nearly double the rate of innova on in Singapore BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING: Advancing healthcare through high-speed data analysis with Memory-Driven Compu ng

CONTENTS FEATURES COVER STORY

20 Celebra ng a new milestone in digital transforma on A leading provider of machine tools will u lise advanced manufacturing technologies.

DIGITALISATION 22 New survey reveals monitoring gaps between tradi onal and hybrid IT environments Research reveals less than 20% of IT professionals have complete and mely access to cri cal data in public clouds.

24 Addi ve manufacturing can help many sectors of industry A young Process Engineer presents his viewpoint.

MOBILITY SOLUTIONS 26 The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first full size autonomous electric bus unveiled The first of two Volvo Electric buses will soon begin trials at the NTU Smart Campus before it is tested on public roads.

28 New vehicle acous cs test centre in Germany takes a holis c approach The aim is to help find ways to reduce automo ve noise, vibra on and harshness.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 30 AI to nearly double the rate of innova on in Singapore Despite clear benefits, there are barriers to its widespread adop on.

President Prof Yeoh Lean Weng Chief Editor T Bhaskaran t_b_n8@yahoo.com

Publica ons Manager Desmond Teo desmond@iesnet.org.sg Publica ons Execu ve Queek Jiayu jiayu@iesnet.org.sg

Editorial Panel Er. Chong Kee Sen Dr Chandra Segaran Dr Ang Keng Been Mr Gary Ong Dr Victor Sim Mr Syafiq Shahul Media Representa ve Mul Nine Corpora on Pte Ltd sales@mul 9.com.sg

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

Design & layout by 2EZ Asia Pte Ltd Cover designed by Irin Kuah Cover image by Makino Asia Published by The Ins tu on of Engineers, Singapore 70 Bukit Tinggi Road, Singapore 289758 Tel: 6469 5000 I Fax: 6467 1108 Printed in Singapore

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BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 34 Advancing healthcare through high-speed data analysis with Memory-Driven Compu ng Technology can help find solu ons for the increasing challenges, including those of an ageing popula on.

DATA CENTRES 36 Energy-eﬃcient data centre in Woodlands oﬀers a variety of connec vity op ons The facility leverages the strengths of three companies across data centre, telecommunica ons and ICT services.

MANUFACTURING

38 F&B industry turns to technology as business challenges mount Businesses face tremendous pressure as they have to ensure profitability whilst, at the same me, complying with hygiene and food safety standards.

AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

40 Event on rotorcra and unmanned systems a racts interna onal a endance High growth is projected in these sectors.

METALWORKING 43 Producing precision surface finishes economically Innova ve processes are making it possible to improve quality and produc vity, as well as economic eﬃciency.

REGULAR SECTIONS 06 INDUSTRY NEWS 17 EVENTS 46 IES UPDATE

The Singapore Engineer is published monthly by The Ins tu on of Engineers, Singapore (IES). The publica on is distributed free-of-charge to IES members and aﬃliates. Views expressed in this publica on do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or IES. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine shall be reproduced, mechanically or electronically, without the prior consent of IES. Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy of the content at press me, IES will not be liable for any discrepancies. Unsolicited contribu ons are welcome but their inclusion in the magazine is at the discre on of the Editor.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

INDUSTRY NEWS

NEW AI DRIVEN METHOD OPENS UP POSSIBILITIES IN MATERIALS ENGINEERING A team of researchers at MIT, NTU and the Skolkovo Ins tute of Science and Technology in Russia have used ar ficial intelligence to help predict and control changes to semiconductors and crystalline materials. These changes deform their atomic arrangement and cause drama c property changes, affec ng the way they transmit light, conduct electricity, or heat, poten ally crea ng new avenues of research on advanced materials for future hightech devices. The team’s findings were published in Proceedings of the Na onal Academy of Sciences, authored by Professor Li Ju, Principal Research Scien st Dao Ming, and graduate student Shi Zhe at MIT, together Changes to semiconductors and crystalline materials deform their atomic arrangement, which will with Mr Evgeni Tsymbalov and affect the way they transmit light and conduct electricity or heat. Assistant Professor Alexander Shapeev at the Skolkovo Ins tute “This work is an illustra on of how recent advances in of Science and Technology in Russia, and NTU President seemingly distant fields such as material physics, ar ficial Professor Subra Suresh. intelligence, compu ng, and machine learning can be brought together to advance scien fic knowledge that Based on earlier work at MIT, some degree of elas c has strong implica ons for industry applica on,” said strain has been incorporated in silicon processor chips. Prof Suresh. Even a 1 per cent change in the structure can, in some cases, improve the speed of the device by 50 per cent, by The team studied the effects of strain on the bandgap, a allowing electrons to move through the material faster. key electronic property of semiconductors, in both silicon and diamond. Using their neural network algorithm, they Unlike other ways of changing a material’s proper es, were able to predict with high accuracy how different such as chemical doping, which produce a permanent, amounts and orienta ons of strain would affect the sta c change, strain engineering allows proper es to be bandgap. changed dynamically. The challenge, however, is in exploring the full range of possibili es, as strain can be applied in any of six different ways (in three different dimensions, each one of which can produce strain in-and-out or sideways), and with nearly infinite grada ons of degree. “It quickly grows to 100 million calcula ons if we want to map out the en re elas c strain space,” said Prof Li. The team’s novel applica on of machine learning methods therefore provides a systema c way of exploring possibili es and homing in on the appropriate amount and direc on of strain to achieve a given set of proper es for a par cular purpose. This will enable the crea on of materials tuned precisely for electronic, optoelectronic, and photonic devices that could find uses for communica ons, informa on processing, and energy applica ons. 06

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

According to Prof Li, the method used in this study “is generalisable to other aspects”, which aﬀect not only electronic proper es but also others such as photonic and magne c behaviour. From the 1 per cent strain now being used in commercial chips, many new applica ons open up now that this team has shown that strains of nearly 10 percent are possible without fracturing. “This new method could poten ally lead to the design of unprecedented material proper es … But much further work will be needed to figure out how to impose the strain and how to scale up the process to do it on 100 million transistors on a chip [and ensure that] none of them can fail,” he added. The work was supported by the MIT-Skoltech program and NTU.

INDUSTRY NEWS

NEW STUDY HIGHLIGHTING CRITICAL CYBERSECURITY RISKS

IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY RELEASED US-based so ware development and cybersecurity firm Synopsys, together with SAE Interna onal, a global associa on of engineers and technical experts in the aerospace, automo ve and commercial vehicle industries, released a report on automo ve cybersecurity in February. Titled Securing the Modern Vehicle: A Study of Automo ve Industry Cybersecurity Prac ces, it highlighted cri cal cybersecurity challenges and deficiencies aﬀec ng many organisa ons in the industry. For example, the study found that 84 percent of automo ve professionals were concerned that their organisa ons’ cybersecurity prac ces were not keeping pace with evolving technologies.

The survey also found that 30 per cent of organisa ons did not have an established cybersecurity programme or team, and 63 per cent tested less than half of their developed technologies for security vulnerabili es. The Ponemon Ins tute, a leading IT security research organisa on, was commissioned to conduct the study Other key findings include: • A lack of cybersecurity skills and resources. • Proac ve cybersecurity tes ng is not a priority. • Developers need cybersecurity training. • Cybersecurity risk exists throughout the supply chain.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

SPONSORED FEATURE

networks entrench a long-lasting industry and academia collaborative relationship that translates to an authentic learning environment for students. SIT takes its industry focus further with its corps of Professional Oﬃcers. Drawing on their profound industry experience, these individuals mentor students undertaking industry attachments and projects, guiding and motivating them to maximise every learning opportunity.

At SIT, students’ learning is reinforced through doing and hands-on prac ce.

Students are exposed to specialised modules such as railway simula on as part of their learning

Integrated Work Study Programme Demand for SIT graduates is seen in its overall graduate employment rate that reached 92.3 per cent in 2017. A key driver of this positive outcome is the Integrated Work Study Programme (IWSP), a compulsory component for students in SIT-conferred and joint degree programmes. In IWSP, students spend eight to 12 months working and studying. The extended period enables students to participate in projects with longer timeframe and make significant contributions to the company. IWSP gives SIT students a firm head start to the working world, by exposing them to the latest industry developments, business intricacies and work cultures. The work-study continuum also helps undergraduates transit to their future jobs with lesser effort and greater success. For example, students of the Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering (Land), or SIE (Land), degree programme have gained deep insights into Singapore’s land transport development, through IWSP at organisations such as the Land Transport Authority, SMRT and SBS Transit. To date, more than 1,300 students from 16 programmes have completed IWSP at more than 500 companies. However, to the industry, IWSP is more than just an attachment programme – it has become a conduit to identify and recruit future talents. In a preliminary survey of the Class of 2018 conducted by SIT, close to 70 per cent of graduates from SIT-conferred degrees received employment offers from firms where they did their IWSP, and over 90 per cent among those surveyed had secured jobs. In particular, for the SIT Accountancy programme, 92 per cent of the cohort received advance job offers upon completion of their IWSP. These results attest to the effectiveness of SIT’s approach in enhancing its students’ employability by emphasising on real industry assignments in IWSP.

Diverse engineering programmes SIT oﬀers diverse, multi-disciplinary engineering degree programmes that are closely aligned with Singapore’s key economic growth sectors. These include aerospace, chemical, civil, electrical power, marine, mechanical, land transport, pharmaceutical, systems and software engineering. Its curriculum trains students to be professionals with a mastery of deep specialist skills in their chosen disciplines. This creates a distinctive edge to the students’ professional competencies, while building a strong pipeline of specialist engineers to solve increasingly complex industry problems. Thus far, SIT has introduced several first-of-its-kind specialised degree programmes in Singapore. Launched in 2014, the SIE (Land) programme focuses on nurturing talents to meet latest demands in railway engineering and has already graduated its pioneer cohort of BEng and MEng students in October 2018. SIT also introduced the Telematics (Intelligent Transportation Systems Engineering) programme in 2016, in view of the rising impact of telematics in the automotive, avionics and marine industries. This unique programme gears students towards supporting the growth of transportation super-infrastructure in Singapore. In 2018, SIT unveiled the Aircraft Systems Engineering programme in collaboration with SIA Engineering Company. Built on an interdisciplinary curriculum that intersects engineering, science and a hands-on approach, the focus of the programme is to produce graduates for the aerospace and MRO industries. All in all, while still studying at SIT, students would have gained a firm footing in the workplace and more importantly, made a big step towards becoming catalysts of Singapore’s future transformation.

This sponsored feature on engineering educa on was brought to you by SIT.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

PRATT & WHITNEY EXPANDS ENGINE

MRO CAPABILITIES IN SINGAPORE FACILITY A er a USD 85 million upgrade and modernisa on programme, which included employee training and acquisi on of new tooling and machinery, Eagle Services Asia (ESA), has brought in its first PW1100G-JM engine for overhaul. A joint venture between SIA Engineering Company and American aircra engine manufacturer Pra & Whitney, ESA is a member of the la er’s worldwide network of MRO facili es for its geared turbofan (GTF) engines. The Singapore engine centre is now fully enabled to simultaneously overhaul several engine models – the PW1100G-JM GTF engine, the GP7200, as well as the PW4000 family.

ing space. At full capacity, the flow lines can accommodate up to six GTF engines at a me. “This is an exci ng period of expansion and growth for us,” said ESA managing director Yip Ying Kiong. “In addion to broadening our capabili es on next genera on aircra engines, this expansion enables us to invest in our engineers and technicians by training them to handle advanced materials and automa on.” The GTF MRO network spans three con nents, comprised of engine centres located in North America (the United States), Europe (Germany) and Asia (Singapore and Japan).

“Modifica ons to the facility will improve produc vity, reduce set up me and boost eﬃciency across operaons. Current PW4000 engine customers will also benefit from these eﬃciencies,” said Mr Brendon McWilliam, senior director for the company’s a ermarket opera ons in the Asia-Pacific. This year, ESA will gradually introduce a new groundbased flow system, which will enable visual line of sight on the GTF engine overhaul line. In the new system, engine modules will move from one sta on to another, improving the visibility of opera ons through the line from disassembly to assembly and test, in contrast to the old engine repair work bay. Already proven in the automo ve industry, the system improves produc vity while maximising the use of exist-

Eagle Services Asia inducts its first Pra & Whitney GTF Engine. Image by Pra & Whitney.

ST ENGINEERING AND DSO SET UP JV FOR SATELLITE ANALYTICS

AND NEW SPACE TECHNOLOGIES ST Engineering recently announced that its electronics arm has signed an agreement with DSO Na onal Laboratories (DSO) to set up a joint venture company named ST Engineering Geo-Insights Pte Ltd. ST Engineering will hold a 51 per cent stake in the joint venture, with the remainder to be held by DSO. The new company will leverage the strengths of its parents to oﬀer analy cs, informa on products and value-added services based on satellite imagery to address growing global demand for mely insights that enable be er and faster business decisions. It also intends to tap on emerging new space technologies to pursue potential business

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

opportunities for low cost small satellites, or smallsat constellation design, development, manufacturing and operation. “We are excited by this joint venture with DSO. Leveraging the complementary strengths of both organisa ons, we will oﬀer advanced geospa al analy cs to the global market and exploit the vast possibili es in smallsat constella on for commercial applica ons. This joint venture will enhance the space eco-system in Singapore as we work with industry partners to commercialise geospa al services and new space technologies,” said Mr Ravinder Singh, President, Electronics, ST Engineering.

INDUSTRY NEWS

NTU LAUNCHES JOINT HEALTHCARE AND ROBOTICS LAB WITH LEADING GERMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE NTU and Germany’s Max Planck Ins tute of Colloids and Interfaces (MPICI) have launched a joint lab to conduct research in ar ficial senses and develop innova ve robo cs and healthcare solu ons. These include skin-like wearable devices that not only monitor health and environmental condi ons through smart sensors, but also enhance prosthe c devices with ‘ar ficial sensing’ capabili es. This would allow prosthe c devices to restore rudimentary sensory func ons for pa ents who have lost certain senses, such as a er accidents. Leveraging on advanced materials, ‘skin’ electronics, biomedical engineering, and AI, the new Max Planck-NTU Joint Laboratory for Ar ficial Senses will also look into developing robo c technologies with sensory capabili es.

The new joint laboratory will develop robo cs and healthcare solu ons, as well as technologies to augment the human senses. Photo: NTU

For example, robots equipped with sensing feedback can provide customised care by adjus ng their interac on and engagement to suit the pa ent. The partnership will also conduct research to extend human senses beyond their natural capabili es. This includes developing new sensory technologies that will allow users to see or hear radar frequencies or microwaves, smell infec ons or gene c pa erns, or even sense earthquakes. Such capabili es can help, for example, safety oﬃcers detect chemical leaks in a factory, or meteorologists iden fy subtle tectonic movements, enabling earlier earthquake warnings. NTU President Professor Subra Suresh said, “NTU’s collabora on with the Max Planck Society aims to take robo cs and medical technologies to the next level by combining human senses, AI and machine learning. This will be beneficial for various industries, especially for healthcare as cu ng-edge medical devices could reduce misdiagnosis, and allow for customised precision medicine to deliver faster, be er care to pa ents. Located at NTU, the joint lab is also MPICI’s first venture in Southeast Asia. MPICI is part of the pres gious Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Sciences. Established in 1911,

the Society is one of the world’s leading research organisa ons. Professor Peter Fratzl, Head of the Sec on of Natural Sciences at the Max Planck Society, said, “Mul sensing with cheap and robust sensors followed by decentral neuronal data densifica on will allow devices which act as “intelligent” species, turning big data into clear metainforma on, such as warning signals or “senses/sensa ons”. The possibili es for engineering, environmental technologies, or medical treatment are breath-taking.” The joint lab will house 30 NTU and MPICI researchers and staﬀ who will also explore mechanical sensing such as pressure and strain, and chemical sensing like smell and taste, and even physiological sensing that usually involves electrocardiograms. Research findings will be used in the development of ‘exteroceptors’ – sensors that pick up external s muli such as touch, sound, pressure, light, and temperature. The joint lab will be equipped with advanced materials processing instruments, high-end signals analysers, and human-machine interface and machine learning algorithm-based setups. It will also serve as a pla orm and launch pad for scien sts, engineers and students to take their ideas from the lab, to working prototypes that can be commercialised. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

INDUSTRY NEWS

COLLABORATION TO DEVELOP A NEW

WAFER TO WAFER LAYER TRANSFER PROCESS The Agency for Science, Technology and Research’s (A*STAR) Ins tute of Microelectronics (IME) and Soitec, a France-based world leader in designing and manufacturing innova ve semiconductor materials, recently announced the launch of a joint programme to develop and integrate a new layer transfer process within advanced wafer level mul -chip packaging techniques. Based on the combina on of IME’s Fan-Out Wafer Level Packaging (FOWLP) and 2.5D Through Silicon Interposer (TSI) technologies with Soitec’s Smart Cut technology, the new cost-compe ve process offers higher performance, energy efficiency and increased product yield. Advanced packaging is used in many of today’s systems on chip (SOCs), for servers and high-end mobile, industrial, and automo ve applica ons, and involves various approaches for combining semiconductor chips into packages, to reduce costs, improve power efficiency, and provide efficient heat dissipa on. By 2022, the advanced packaging market segment is expected to triple to two million wafer starts for mid- to high-end applica ons, according to the Yole Development 2017 report for 3D TSV and 2.5D by 12” wafer starts. The rising complexity of today’s chips, with growing numbers of smaller and smaller transistors and circuits requiring high I/O counts, is driving collabora ve innova on across the advanced packaging process community, focused on iden fying cost-effec ve solu ons for manufacturing and increased data bandwidth, to support hand-held, cloud and edge compu ng applica ons. One of the standard processes in advanced packaging involves using a full silicon wafer for the layer transfer process, which can cost up to 3 cents/mm2. Soitec will partner with IME over the next three years to evaluate the use of its Smart Cut technology on IME’s advanced packaging platforms, FOWLP and 2.5D TSI, with the objective to integrate a new layer transfer process as a key step in future generations of packaging techniques. This new process targets improved performance, lower power consump on and reduced produc on costs, by elimina ng the need to consume a full silicon wafer. IME will also conduct tests to evaluate the reliability and robustness of the newly developed process, which will help Soitec to determine its long-term viability. Smart Cut technology makes use of both implanta on of light ions and wafer bonding to define and transfer ultra-thin single-crystal layers from one substrate to another. It works like an atomic scalpel and allows ac ve 12

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layers to be managed independently from the suppor ng mechanical substrate. Key benefits include the crea on of mul ple, thin, nanometric-scale layers of virtually defect-free silicon by u lising low temperature bond and split techniques. These layers are then placed on top of ac ve transistor circuitry. The thickness of the transferred layer can be determined with a high degree of precision by adjus ng the implanta on energy and process engineering. Transistors can then be completed using etch and deposi on processes. Moreover, as the surface of the silicon wafer is repolished a er each layer transfer opera on, the substrate can be reused many mes. As a leading research ins tute, IME brings together the global semiconductor supply chain, including fabless companies, foundries, OSATs, EDA suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and materials developers, to demonstrate advanced packaging solu ons for mobile, data-centre, high-performance compu ng, 5G, IoT and automo ve applica ons. Through this collabora on with Soitec, IME will provide advanced packaging exper se in architecture defini on, modelling, design, process-integra on, reliability-assessment and failure analysis. IME will execute the advanced packaging development in its fully func onal, 300 mm wafer level packaging, 2.5D/3DIC pilot line. IME’s end-to-end process capabilies and know-how in advanced FOWLP and 2.5D TSI will shorten development cycles and demonstrate cost-eﬀecve packaging solu ons using Smart Cut technology. During the joint programme, Soitec will contribute significant tool me, R&D personnel, and dedicated space in its clean room at its Pasir Ris fabrica on facility in Singapore. “Advanced packaging con nues to be a bright spot in the high-value semiconductor market. We are excited to partner Soitec to develop packaging solu ons that will contribute to the dynamic growth of this high-poten al segment in Singapore and worldwide”, said Professor Dim-Lee Kwong, Covering Execu ve Director, IME. “Soitec and IME believe Smart Cut technology will deliver breakthrough results, revolu onising 2.5D/3D layer transfer process flow”, said Mr Christophe Maleville, Soitec’s Chief Technology Oﬃcer. “This strategic collabora on will not only develop a new Smart Cut applica on serving new genera ons of advanced packaging, but also open a brand new market for Soitec, beyond tradi onal engineered substrate manufacturing”, he added.

INDUSTRY NEWS

NRF AWARDS SEVEN

QUANTUM ENGINEERING RESEARCH PROJECTS The Na onal Research Founda on (NRF), Prime Minister’s Oﬃce, Singapore, has awarded seven projects under the na onal Quantum Engineering Programme (QEP) which aims to develop engineering capabili es into industrial applica ons. The seven projects are: • ‘Integrated Quantum Receiver for Single Photon Detec on’ by Assistant Professor Gong Xiao from Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, NUS Faculty of Engineering. • ‘Superconduc ng Nanowire Single Photon Detectors’ by Associate Professor Cesare Soci from NTU’s Centre for Disrup ve Photonic Technologies. • ‘Cost-eﬀec ve and fast mul -user quantum key distribu on network with an untrusted centralised quantum server’ by Assistant Professor Charles Lim from De-

partment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, NUS Faculty of Engineering and CQT, NUS. • ‘A fibre-based quantum device’ by Assistant Professor Lan Shau-Yu from NTU’s School of Physical and Mathema cal Sciences. • ‘A CMOS ion trap for integrated op cal clocks’ by Associate Professor Murray Barre , from Department of Physics, NUS Faculty of Science and CQT, NUS. • ‘Quantum Foundry’ by Associate Professor Rainer Dumke from NTU’s School of Physical and Mathema cal Sciences and CQT, NUS. • ‘Quantum Photonics for Superresolu on Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy’ by Associate Professor Tsang Man Kei from Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, NUS Faculty of Engineering.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

NTU SINGAPORE AND FRENCH PUBLIC RESEARCH

ORGANISATION TO WORK ON E WASTE RECYCLING Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and the French Alterna ve Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) have launched a joint research centre to develop innova ve, energy-eﬃcient solu ons for the recycling of, and recovery of resources from, electrical and electronic waste (e-waste). The new centre, named NTU Singapore-CEA Alliance for Research in Circular Economy (NTU-SCARCE), will address the recycling of, and recovery of materials from, common e-waste such as discarded lithium-ion ba eries and printed circuit boards. This is CEA’s first research centre outside of France. It will look at formula ng advanced e-waste separa on and extrac on techniques that are more eco-friendly and energy-eﬃcient than current methods. The Na onal Environment Agency (NEA) of Singapore is suppor ng the NTU-CEA joint research centre under the agency’s Closing the Waste Loop (CTWL) Research and Development (R&D) Ini a ve. Together, the three organisa ons are contribu ng SGD 20 million to this collabora on.

Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Amy Khor, launches the new NTU-SCARCE research centre which will develop innovative, energy-efficient solutions for the recycling of, and recovery of resources from, e-waste.

The research centre was unveiled recently by Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Amy Khor. It will support Singapore’s drive towards becoming a Zero Waste na on, by finding ways to reduce consump on of materials, and reusing and recycling them to give them a second lease of life. With a strong focus on promo ng sustainable industry processes, the joint centre’s aims are also in line with NTU’s focus in sustainability research. NTU President Professor Subra Suresh, said, “This joint research centre will grapple with one of the increasingly important issues in recycling, as the world con nues to produce more electronic devices and e-waste. It will study new methods and technologies to process and recover precious materials from e-waste, while minimising environmental impact. This is also one of the core tenets of the NTU Smart Campus ini a ve which aims to develop technologically advanced solu ons for a sustainable future”. CEA Deputy Chairman, Dr Laurence Pike y, said, “The CEA has been collabora ng with NTU, since 2012, on materials science, and the crea on of the joint NTU-CEA laboratory, our first one to be implemented abroad, is a new decisive step in that way. More than 15 CEA researchers will spend extended periods in Singapore to strengthen this collabora on. This will make the most of CEA’s world-renowned exper se and technologies in materials recycling and waste management. “In collabora on with NTU, we will examine solu ons for recycling ba eries and solar panels, and for the 14

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

NTU President Prof Subra Suresh and Dr Amy Khor listening to a presentation by NTU-SCARCE Co-Directors, Prof Madhavi Srinivasan and Dr Jean-Christophe P Gabriel, on some of the advanced recycling technologies.

treatment of electronic waste, where our R&D and innova on will be translated into industrial processes for ge ng high value-added products”, he added. CTWL encourages collabora ons among ins tutes of higher learning, research ins tutes and private sector partners, to develop technologies and solu ons to tackle the challenges posed by increasing waste genera on, scarcity of resources and land constraints for waste management. Mr Tan Meng Dui, Chief Execu ve Oﬃcer, NEA, said, “NEA is making steady and heavy investments in R&D ini a ves to address our waste management challenges, and to be er posi on Singapore for a more resourceeﬃcient and sustainable future. A key thrust of NEA’s technology masterplan is waste-to-resource R&D ini a ves which are aligned to our circular economy approach to move Singapore closer to its vision of a

INDUSTRY NEWS

Zero Waste na on. We are delighted with this joint partnership with NTU Singapore and CEA France, in the form of SCARCE. The focus on e-waste is apt, given the pervasiveness of digital technologies, and addresses both important resource recovery and public health needs”.

Maximising the recovery of precious materials E-waste contains heavy metals that are both valuable and hazardous, and they must be properly managed and disposed of. The proper recycling of e-waste will not only protect human health and the environment, but also help to conserve resources since some of the materials are recovered. NTU-SCARCE has four research thrusts that seek to achieve the following: • Recycling and recovering of materials from lithium-ion ba eries. • Recycling and recovering of materials from silicon-based solar panels. • Recycling and recovering of materials from printed circuit boards in discarded e-waste. • Detoxifying plas c parts in e-waste.

Together with my colleagues in CEA, we are thrilled by this opportunity to work in synergy with our Singapore partners”. Using the same principles as those used for recovering precious materials and reducing environmental harm, the lab will also find sustainable solu ons to process solar panel e-waste and toxic plas c materials. Researchers will explore ways to extract silicon and metals from solar panels, which could help reduce the costs to produce new panels. They will also develop a systema c approach to safely sort, detoxify and recycle hazardous plas c materials from e-wastes. The agreement to set up the research centre on NTU’s campus was formalised last year, to mark Singapore’s strong es with France and France-Singapore Year of Innova on 2018.

For example, the joint lab will look into developing eco-friendly methods to recycle lithium ion ba eries, and extract up to 75% of metals such as cobalt, nickel, lithium and manganese. These materials can be re-used to produce new lithium ion ba eries. One of the solu ons involves using ‘green chemistry’, a method that focuses on using chemical processes and earth-friendly products that minimise the use and genera on of hazardous substances. NTU Professor Madhavi Srinivasan, Centre Co-Director, said, “In Singapore, about 60,000 t of e-waste, or 11 kg of e-waste per person, are generated each year. This lab will support the na on’s mission to find new ways to recycle e-waste in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner while, at the same me, extract materials that can be used again”.

The new NTU-SCARCE lab will explore new technologies to process e-waste such as lithium ion batteries, printed circuit boards and even solar panels.

Discarded printed circuit boards are important e-waste products. These are thin copper-plated or etched circuit boards on which integrated chips and other electronic components are mounted. These boards o en consist of metals such as copper, aluminium, gold and silver, as well as valuable organics and ceramics, which are o en lost during incinera on. Current industrial recycling processes emit harmful pollutants and/or liquid waste that require costly treatment processes, so that they can be safely released into the environment. Researchers will develop novel methods to separate and recover as much organics and ceramics as possible, for a variety of applica ons. Centre Co-Director, Dr Jean-Christophe P Gabriel, said, “Closing the materials loop is a key challenge to enabling a sustainable environment. Electronic waste recycling concentrates many of the issues that must be solved and is the perfect testbed for achieving that aim.

Holding an example of e-waste in one hand and one or more containers of recovered materials in the other hand are, from le , Mr Patrick Pang, Director, Environment Technology Department, NEA; Professor Madhavi Srinivasan; and Dr Jean-Christophe P Gabriel.

All images by NTU Singapore. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

INDUSTRY NEWS

HYPERTHERM INTRODUCES NEW PRODUCTS Hypertherm, a US-based manufacturer of industrial cu ng systems and so ware, is introducing three new torch sleeves for XPR plasma cu ng torches and lead sets. The sleeves allow the torch and lead sets to remain axially fixed while the torch holding device rotates 360° in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direc on. This capability greatly enhances torch lead life in high-flex applica ons. The new sleeves, available in short, medium, and extended lengths, are ideal for bevel or 3D/robo c cu ng applica ons when using either an XPR170 or XPR300 X-Defini on Plasma system. The sleeves include several engineering advances. An outside diameter of 76 mm allows for an increased wall thickness and eliminates compression caused by clamping. Pre-sealed, high precision bearings reduce axial play by 90%, and radial play by 81%. This keeps out dirt and other par culates associated with plasma cu ng and greatly extends the life of the sleeve and lead system. When used with Hypertherm’s specialised robo c/bevel lead sets, the rota onal sleeve will aﬀord customers a robust industrial solu on in applica ons requiring frequent rota onal flexing, when cu ng with an XPR170 and XPR300. A combina on of engineering advances and refined high defini on plasma processes help X-Defini on class plasma deliver high plasma cut quality on mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. Laboratory tes ng shows ISO-9013 Range 2 cut quality on thin mild steel and extended ISO Range 3 cuts on thicker metals. Both X-Defini on systems contain patent-pending processes like Vented Water Injec on (VWI), plasma dampening, and Cool Nozzle technologies for squarer cut edges, less angularity, and good surface finish on non-ferrous metals like aluminum and on stainless steel.

The XPR rota onal sleeve (le ) and XPR consumable kits (right). 16

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

At the same me, the systems cut faster and use power more eﬃciently than earlier Hypertherm systems like the HyPerformance HPR260XD. Meanwhile, Hypertherm is shipping consumable kits for its XPR X-Defini on Plasma systems. These new consumable starter kits are available with or without a torch, for mild steel and non-ferrous cu ng applica ons. The kits include a variety of consumables to allow for cu ng at diﬀerent amperages, using all of the gas process types supported by the XPR170 and XPR300 systems. The consumables contain several patent-pending technologies to improve consumable life and cut quality. Examples include Cool Nozzle, and Arc Response Technology which protects consumables from the nega ve impact of ramp down errors, a regular occurrence in real-life cu ng. By reducing the impact of ramp down errors, XPR consumables can last up to three mes longer than those for older genera on systems. In addi on, XPR consumables are designed with ease of use in mind. An EasyConnect feature allows operators to quickly plug the torch lead into the torch connect console without the use of tools, while a patent-pending QuickLock electrode delivers easy quarter turn ghtening to further reduce setup me. Another new design feature is a quick change torch that enables an operator to rapidly change torches with just one hand. Hypertherm designs and manufactures industrial cu ng products for use in a variety of industries such as shipbuilding, manufacturing, and automo ve repair. Its product line includes cu ng systems, in addi on to CNC mo on and height controls, CAM nes ng so ware, robo c so ware and consumables.

EVENTS

EFFICIENT SOLUTIONS FOR

COMPONENT SURFACE FINISHING Whether tradi onal or new manufacturing processes are involved, none of the available technologies makes it possible to produce component surface finishes of the required quality. Process steps such as deburring, rounding and cleaning, as well as targeted func onal or decora ve surface finishing, are thus indispensable. Solu ons for the reliable and economical execu on of these tasks will be presented at DeburringEXPO 2019, the 3rd Leading Trade Fair for Deburring Technology and Precision Surface Finishing, which will be held at the Karlsruhe Exhibi on Centre, Germany, from 8 to 10 October 2019. Parts manufacturing is currently faced with new tasks in numerous areas. Due to more and more complex geometries and finer structures, the requirements for machined, formed, primary formed, forged, sintered and moulded workpieces are ge ng stricter, as are the requirements for deburring and surface finishing. The technical cleanliness of components is an essen al quality criterion in many industry sectors such as the automobile and automo ve supplier industries, aerospace and avia on, machinery manufacturing, medical engineering, metrology, precision engineering, sensor technology and drive technology, as well as in the field of electromobility. “Reliable deburring, during which extremely fine burrs and flash must also be removed, depending on the degree of required cleanliness, is a fundamental prerequisite for complying with cleanliness specifica ons”, explained Mr Hartmut Herdin, Managing Director, fairXperts GmbH & Co KG, promoters of DeburringEXPO.

structures, as well as the rough and porous surfaces produced by these processes, are challenging.

Cross-industry and cross-technology coverage The above-men oned subjects and many others, as well, will be explored at DeburringEXPO 2019. As at end-March 2019, a total of 125 exhibitors from 11 countries, including many market and technology leaders, have already booked exhibi on space. The exhibi on por olio covers products, systems, processes and services, for deburring, the produc on of precision surface finishes and cleaning a er deburring, as well as measuring and test technology, in nearly all industry sectors. The exhibi on will also feature analysis systems for quality control and quality assurance of components made of a wide range of materials. With its comprehensive spectrum, DeburringEXPO not only covers the en re process sequence for deburring and the produc on of precision surface finishes, it also iden fies trends and imparts prac cal as well as theoretical knowledge.

Bilingual expert forum A three-day expert forum, with simultaneous interpreta on (German to English and English to German), has been integrated into DeburringEXPO 2019.

Furthermore, in some cases, surfaces are required, which minimise fric on, wear and noise, and which make it possible to enhance performance and extend service life. Downstream processes such as joining, sealing, coa ng and assembly also necessitate burr-free and, in some cases, rounded edges, for various reasons. In the field of sheet metal processing, deburring minimises the risk of injury due to sharp edges and reduces tooling wear for edging and straightening machines. On the other hand, good deburring and well-defined edge rounding make it possible to enhance pain ng quality at the edges. “Relying solely on experience gained with previously used processes for these tasks can quickly lead to a compe ve disadvantage. Benchmarking is thus advisable, which focuses central a en on on searching for the most eﬀec ve, reliable and economical technologies”, Mr Herdin added. Companies are also being confronted with new tasks in the area of surface finishing, which result from innovave produc on processes such as addi ve manufacturing (AM). The removal of residual powder and suppor ng

DeburringEXPO 2019 will present products, systems, processes and services, for deburring, the produc on of precision surface finishes and cleaning a er deburring, in nearly all industry sectors. Images by fairXperts GmbH & Co KG. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

EVENTS

MAKING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION TANGIBLE HANNOVER MESSE 2019 was held from 1 to 5 April 2019, in Hannover, Germany. The most important topics to be presented at this year’s edi on of the leading tradeshow for industrial technology were: • Ar ficial intelligence in industry and robo cs. • The poten al of the new 5G mobile communica ons standard for industrial applica ons. • Lightweight design. • The future of work in a me of increasing digitalisa on. “HANNOVER MESSE 2019 showed that it is the world’s most important pla orm for all technologies related to industrial transforma on. More than 215,000 visitors used HANNOVER MESSE to invest in new technologies and prepare their businesses for the future. Only Hannover provides the comprehensive look at applica on scenarios, the poten al and the interac on of Industrie 4.0, ar ficial intelligence, 5G, and energy solu ons”, said Dr Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Managing Board at Deutsche Messe, the organisers of HANNOVER MESSE.

are at the forefront of developments. Another cri cal factor for integrated manufacturing is the ultrafast 5G mobile telecommunica ons standard, and this year’s HANNOVER MESSE generated some real momentum in this area. The Industry 4.0 wave has been rolling for a few years, and this year’s fair revealed how far we have come since it all started”, said Thilo Brodtmann, Execuve Director of the German Engineering Federa on. “5G and Hannover Messe are a perfect fit. Next year’s fair will feature numerous applica ons for 5G technology. Companies in the electrical engineering and electronics sector are eager to use this new mobile communica ons standard. Together with ar ficial intelligence, it is going to be an important compe ve factor”, said Dr Klaus Mi elbach, CEO of the ZVEI industrial associa on. Visitors could a end a major premiere of the first-ever 5G test environment, presented by the show’s technology partners, Nokia and Qualcomm. The premiere enabled both solu on providers and poten al users to

Roughly 6,500 exhibitors from around the world presented solu ons for the future of manufacturing and energy supply, including more than 500 examples of the deployment of ar ficial intelligence in industrial manufacturing, 5G applica ons, and solu ons for energy and mobility transi ons. Robo cs was also a major draw for visitors. Leading robot manufacturers and robo cs startups demonstrated real-world applica ons for all industry sectors. Nearly 40% of the show’s 215,000 a endees came from abroad. The top visitor countries, a er Germany, were China (with 7,200 visitors), the Netherlands (5,900), Italy (3,400) and the USA (3,400). Partner Country Sweden contributed 2,600 visitors and, with 160 exhibi ng companies, it stood out as a high-tech na on. Staged under the mo o, ‘Sweden Co-Lab’, the country’s showcase was all about innova on and collabora on.

A major focus was on 5G applica ons.

“The record-breaking turnout underlines the interna onal significance of HANNOVER MESSE and shows Germany’s strength as an industrial loca on”, said Dr Köckler. “There are a few clouds on the horizon for the mechanical engineering industry, right now, making the role of HANNOVER MESSE all the more important as a con nued beacon for industry and innova on. Mechanical engineers are at the vanguard of connected produc on environments, and the strong interest shown by visitors in machine-to-machine communica on and the ‘global machine language’, OPC UA, confirms that our members 18

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

An exhibit under the Digital Factory.

EVENTS

demonstrate and try out the poten al of this new mobile telecommunica ons standard for industrial applica ons. The 5G premiere at HANNOVER MESSE also marked the start of Deutsche Messe’s ‘smart venue’ ini a ve which, over the course of the next several months, will turn the Hannover Exhibi on Center into the world’s first tradeshow venue with fully opera onal 5G technology. In a rich array of HANNOVER MESSE forums and conferences, experts from industry, government and the R&D community s mulated frui ul dialogue on topics such as Industry 4.0, AI and the future of work. Among the suppor ng programme’s popular highlights were the Lightweigh ng Summit organised by the German Ministry for Economic Aﬀairs and Energy, the Future of Work in Industry congress, and the Industrial Pioneers Summit.

A demonstra on on Integrated Automa on, Mo on & Drives.

Se ng the course for a bright future In an age of digital transforma on, HANNOVER MESSE is also evolving, thanks to strategic retooling, including rebranding, adop ng a new thema c approach, and configuring a new physical layout of the showgrounds. Featuring seven main display categories, the updated format will set the stage for further growth in the core segments of industry, energy and logis cs. The next HANNOVER MESSE will run from 20 to 24 April 2020, with Indonesia as the oﬃcial Partner Country. All images by Deutsche Messe

A result of research and the applica on of technology.

Robo cs was a major draw for visitors. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

COVER STORY

CELEBRATING A NEW MILESTONE IN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION A leading provider of machine tools will u lise advanced manufacturing technologies. Makino Asia, a leading provider of machine tools used across various industries including automo ve, aerospace, medical, semiconductor and electronics, recently launched a smart factory at its regional headquarters in Singapore. The ceremony was oﬃciated by Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry, and Mr Neo Eng Chong, CEO and President of Makino Asia. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Koh said, “Advanced manufacturing technologies, such as addi ve manufacturing, robo cs and augmented reality, are already transforming our produc on processes and supply chain configura ons. Makino Asia understands the opportunies brought about by digital technologies and advanced manufacturing, and is transforming itself to collect, analyse and disseminate data-driven insights to enable greater flexibility and produc vity in opera ons”. Makino’s smart factory is designed to meet the growing demand for high-quality products and sophis cated precision engineering capabili es in Asia, by adop ng Industry 4.0 and the principles of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

At the launch of Makino Asia’s smart factory in Singapore are, from le , Mr Neo Eng Chong, CEO and President, Makino Asia; Mr. Shinichi Inoue, President and Representa ve Director, Makino Milling Machines Limited; Guest-of-Honour, Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore; Mr Tatsuaki Ueda, ViceChairman and Representa ve Director, Makino Milling Machines Limited; and Mr K S Sankaran, Vice-Chairman, Makino Asia.

The smart factory consists of an assembly factory and state-of-the-art machining factory, and leverages seamless automa on and digital technologies to achieve high levels of produc vity and connec vity between its robots, machines and other peripheral systems. The combined facility is expected to almost double the machine produc on capacity. The new machining factory and exis ng assembly factory are connected by a link bridge for staﬀ, and a canopy area for the transfer of materials between the two factories using automated guided forkli s. The facility is also fi ed with energy-saving and eﬃcient solu ons. Green energy from installed solar panels within the compound helps to generate about 2,400 MWh of energy annually.

Dr Koh Poh Koon tours the smart factory.

In the machining factory, a chilled ceiling system is used to ensure maximum energy eﬃciency of the air-condi oning, while maintaining high quality, reliability and op mum performance of Makino Asia’s manufacturing opera ons. Mr Neo Eng Chong, CEO and President of Makino Asia said, “Makino strives for a ‘Quality First’ mindset across the organisa on, from the manufacturing of our products to the development of our people and the business. We are extremely proud of our expanded smart facility in Singapore, that will enable Makino Asia to be er support our customers in the region and Singapore’s vision to become a global advanced manufacturing hub”. 20

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The Guest-of-Honour tries on Makino Asia’s Smart Glasses.

COVER STORY

“The automa on and digitalisa on of the en re facility serves as a way for us to achieve increased produc vity, capacity or energy efficiency. More importantly, it embodies our vision to provide more than just machines for our customers, by providing the most effec ve and efficient solu ons that meet their needs. The establishment of the IoT Centre to provide real- me support is another milestone to enrich partnerships with our valued customers”, he added.

The China facility in Kunshan, Jiangsu manufactures the EDGE sinker series electrical discharge machines and U series wire electrical discharge machines. Makino Asia’s India plant in Bengaluru, Karnataka, produces the Slim3n milling machines. All images by Makino Asia

The monitoring and tracking of machine condi on in real- me enables Makino Asia to provide proac ve and predic ve services to customers. This ensures op mum machine performance at all mes so that customers are able to consistently deliver high quality products. Mr Lim Swee Nian, Assistant Managing Director of the Singapore Economic Development Board said, “Global precision engineering manufacturing leaders are accelera ng the adop on and deployment of advanced manufacturing technologies from Singapore, to be er serve the evolving needs of their customers. We are pleased that Makino will be deepening its 45-year presence in Singapore through the launch of its digital transforma on journey. As Makino Asia focuses on building its Industry 4.0 capabili es to develop and scale new solu ons, we are confident that it will create value-added roles and upskilling opportuni es for Singapore to succeed in the digital manufacturing economy”.

Illustra ng Makino’s automa on integra on capability, a Makino Slim 3n ver cal milling machine is connected to a robot and a measuring device. Advanced so ware allows the high-volume parts produc on and produc vity to be monitored, either at the cell or remotely via mobile devices.

Makino Asia embarked on its digital transforma on journey in 2016, with a plan to invest around SGD 100 million over five years, to expand and boost the capabili es of its facility in Singapore. The company also established two new departments, focused on automa on and digitalisa on, to catalyse digital transforma on in the company. Besides having ‘smart’ machines and solu ons, Makino is commi ed to upskilling all its employees to keep up with fast and ever-changing developments in the manufacturing landscape. Makino Asia’s new and current employees undergo a Workforce Transforma on programme focused on equipping them with automa on skills, digital literacy skills and safety skillsets. The courses are mandatory for all employees so that they can keep abreast of the digital technologies being used to manage automated equipment.

The company’s E3 high performance ver cal milling machine for graphite features Makino’s proprietary Collision Safe Guard technology, a func on that runs real- me interference checks to avoid spindle collisions. Graphite is used for the fabrica on of high-accuracy electrodes for sinker electrical discharge machines.

Makino Asia Makino Asia has a long history of introducing innova ve solu ons that boost produc vity and profitability. The company has since developed into a fully integrated manufacturing company, incorpora ng research and development (R&D), engineering, produc on and business administra on, under one roof. By integra ng digital technologies with premium performance machines, Makino helps companies fundamentally transform. Makino Asia produces the PS, Slim3n, F and E series milling machines, EDAF and EDNC series sinker electrical discharge machines, and U and Uj series wire electrical discharge machines, in the Singapore facility.

An operator uses ATHENA, Makino’s Voice Ac va on Technology on a U6 HEAT wire electrical discharge machine. This is an advanced technology that shortens the learning curve of the operator. By using his voice, the operator gets the controller to support him for the setup and the monitoring of the machining process. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

DIGITALISATION

NEW SURVEY REVEALS MONITORING GAPS BETWEEN

TRADITIONAL AND HYBRID IT ENVIRONMENTS Research reveals less than 20% of IT professionals have complete and mely access to cri cal data in public clouds. Keysight Technologies Inc, a leading technology company recently released the results of a survey sponsored by Ixia, a Keysight Business, on ‘The State of Cloud Monitoring’. The report highlights the security and monitoring challenges faced by enterprise IT staff responsible for managing public and private cloud deployments. The survey was conducted by Dimensional Research and polled 338 IT professionals at organisa ons from a range of sizes and industries globally. The results revealed that companies have low visibility into their public cloud environments, and the tools and data supplied by cloud providers are insufficient. Lack of visibility can result in a variety of problems including the inability to track or diagnose applica on performance issues, inability to monitor and deliver against service-level agreements, and delays in detec ng and resolving security vulnerabili es and exploits. Nearly all respondents (99%) iden fied a direct link between comprehensive network visibility and business value. The results confirm that IT professionals see a direct connec on between access to packet data and their ability to maintain cloud security and performance. • 87% of respondents expressed fears that a lack of cloud visibility is obscuring security threats to their organisa on. • 95% of respondents said visibility problems had led them to experience an applica on or network performance issue. • 38% cited insufficient visibility as a key factor in applica on outages, and 31% in network outages. “This survey makes it clear that those responsible for hybrid IT environments are concerned about their inability to fully see and react to what is happening in their networks, especially as business-cri cal applica ons migrate to a virtualised infrastructure. This lack of visibility can result in poor applica on performance, customer data loss, and undetected security threats, all of which can have serious consequences to an organisaons’ overall business success”, said Recep Ozdag, General Manager and Vice President, Product Management in Keysight’s Ixia Solu ons Group.

direct value to their organisa ons, with the top three benefits being the ability to: • Monitor and ensure applica on performance (60%) • Enable threat iden fica on (59%) • Iden fy security ‘indicators of compromise’ (57%)

Comparison between the monitoring of clouds and tradi onal data centres The survey focused on challenges faced when monitoring public and private clouds, as well as on-premises data centres. Data revealed that, in the opinion of IT professionals, cloud providers are not providing the level of visibility they need. In par cular, they indicated the following: • Public cloud environments are diﬃcult to monitor. Less than 20% of IT professionals reported they had complete, mely access to data packets in public clouds. In private clouds, the situa on is be er, with 55% reporting adequate access. In on-premises data centres, 82% have the visibility they need. • Packet-level visibility is cri cal for monitoring. Eightysix percent of respondents stated visibility was important for network and applica on performance monitoring, and 93% stated it was valuable for security. The survey also revealed that visibility is cri cal for monitoring cloud performance, as well as valida ng applica on performance prior to cloud deployment. In par cular: • Predic ng performance is a key challenge. Eighty-seven percent of cloud users find it diﬃcult to predict applica on performance in the cloud.

Benefits of visibility solu ons Ninety-nine percent of respondents stated that comprehensive visibility has 22

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Cloud visibility oﬀers advantages.

DIGITALISATION

DUAL CHANNEL 44 GHZ VECTOR SIGNAL GENERATOR WITH 2 GHZ BANDWIDTH Keysight Technologies recently launched the first dual-channel microwave signal generators that support up to 44 gigahertz (GHz) signals and 2 GHz radio frequency (RF) modula on bandwidth in a single instrument. These new VXG microwave signal generators address demanding wideband millimetre wave (mmWave) applica ons for 5G and satellite communica ons, by decreasing test set-up complexity and reducing path losses introduced in over-the-air (OTA) test environments. Many 5G New Radio (NR) deployments leverage wider channel bandwidths and ac ve antenna arrays opera ng in the mmWave frequency spectrum to support mul ple-input and mul ple-output (MIMO) as well as beamforming technologies. 3GPP mandated conformance tes ng of components, and other wireless network equipment aimed for deployment in mmWave frequencies, need to be performed in radiated OTA test environments.

minimises uncertainty for wide bandwidths at mmWave frequencies. • A new graphical user interface for 5G NR that delivers a streamlined experience when crea ng standard-compliant test signals. • User-centric interface (mul -touch and modular) that delivers iden cal performance while addressing specific needs unique to R&D and manufacturing environments. Keysight’s 5G waveform genera on and analysis testbed solu on leverages the VXG microwave signal generator’s enhanced capabili es for 5G development teams to eﬃciently validate new designs across both frequency range 1 (FR1) and frequency range 2 (FR2) as defined by 3GPP. The testbed solu on uniquely addresses the challenges of the 5G NR conformance test and enables Keysight to quickly integrate new technology into market-ready solu ons that enable customers to move faster and achieve first-to-market goals.

Keysight’s new VXG microwave signal generators are said to support the next fron er of cellular technology with key benefits in terms of the following: • Delivering an op mised 5G NR test system setup leveraging dual-channel 44 GHz vector signal genera on with up to 2 GHz RF modula on bandwidth and phase-coherent capability in a single test instrument. • Oﬀering low OTA test system path loss resul ng from the industry’s highest output power versus error vector magnitude (EVM) and adjacent channel power ra o (ACPR) performance.

The Keysight M9384B VXG microwave signal generator.

• Accelera ng product development through integra on with Keysight’s PathWave Signal Genera on, a so ware suite with access to a wide range of evolving standards-compliant 3GPP 5G NR signals for tes ng base sta ons, mobile terminal transmi ers and receivers. Keysight’s VXG signal generators oﬀer designers and manufacturers of wireless equipment a wide range of advanced features, including: • High RF performance that op mises measurement integrity and

Keysight’s 5G waveform genera on and analysis testbed solu on leverages the VXG microwave signal generator’s enhanced capabili es for 5G development teams to eﬃciently validate new designs.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

DIGITALISATION

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING CAN HELP

MANY SECTORS OF INDUSTRY Parthiban Raja is a 26-year-old Process Engineer, specialising in addi ve manufacturing. With a Masters degree from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), he joined Jabil, upon gradua on. Parthiban speaks to ‘The Singapore Engineer’ on his decision to become an engineer, his current work, and what he sees as the future. Q: Why did you choose to pursue a career in Industrial Engineering? A: Industrial Engineering / Process Engineering is my field of interest. I am pursuing it to gain knowledge and become a good solu ons provider. Q: When did you develop the interest to study engineering? A: When I was young, I used to play with broken products and tried opening them to see what is inside. I was always fascinated to do working models, as part of academic projects in secondary school. Later, I realised that this is what I would love to do, that is, I wanted to learn how things work. Hence, I took up Mechanical Engineering. Q: What is the poten al today for manufacturing and, in par cular, for addi ve manufacturing? A: Manufacturing is evergreen. New manufacturing methods have come up, as product requirements become more dynamic and complex. This is especially so in addi ve manufacturing which has seen greater growth in recent years. I foresee that addi ve manufacturing would be used for, at least, 30% of the products we see around us, mainly because of its current ability to produce complex products with ease. Previously, such complex products were very expensive to produce or it was not possible to produce them. Addi ve manufacturing can help sectors such as healthcare, automo ve and aerospace, as it cuts down produc on cost and shortens the me required.

Parthiban Raja

automobile. The part is usually complicated, but using 3D prin ng technology, we were able to create prototypes in a short period, and it became easier to find solu ons to problems rela ng to the part. Jabil has given me a wealth of resources and knowledge to tap into, as well as specialist training to expand my understanding of the field. I have the freedom to create what I have in mind and promote my ideas. Q: What is the main misconcep on about engineers? A: Engineers are commonly stereotyped as being non-crea ve, but they are actually solu on providers. Crea vity is definitely an element involved in coming up with solu ons. Engineers like to solve real problems, and constantly challenge themselves. Q: Would you encourage young people to choose a career in STEM? A: Yes, very strongly, since STEM careers contribute significantly to society.

Q: How do you see yourself making an impact in this field? A: I wish to work on addi ve manufacturing process development and on materials that can make it more aﬀordable. Q: What is the most fulfilling aspect of your job? A: Jabil allows me to test my ideas and crea vity, and in a very short me in the company, I was able to develop a product which I conceptualised and designed. At Jabil, employees are valued and encouraged to develop their own ideas into prototypes. My small project involved an automo ve part called a ‘diﬀeren al’. This part is used in the rear sec on of an 24

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Established since 2002, Jabil Singapore oﬀers comprehensive and strategic solu ons in areas such as manufacturing, system assembly and supply chain management, for global markets. Founded in 1966, Jabil is headquartered in St Petersburg, Florida, USA, and operates from over 100 facili es in 29 countries.

MOBILITY SOLUTIONS

THE WORLD’S FIRST FULL SIZE

AUTONOMOUS ELECTRIC BUS UNVEILED The first of two Volvo Electric buses will soon begin trials at the NTU Smart Campus before it is tested on public roads. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and Volvo Buses launched the world’s first full size, autonomous electric bus recently. The single-deck, Volvo Electric bus is 12 m long and has a full capacity of close to 80 passengers. This is a key milestone in NTU and Volvo’s development programme, under the university’s partnership with the Land Transport Authority (LTA), which was announced in October 2016, to develop and conduct autonomous vehicle bus trials for fixed route and scheduled services. The Volvo 7900 Electric bus is equipped with numerous sensors and naviga on controls, managed by a comprehensive ar ficial intelligence (AI) system. Ensuring maximum safety and reliability, the AI system is also protected with industry-leading cybersecurity measures to prevent unwanted cyber intrusions. The Volvo bus is the first of two buses to undergo rigorous tes ng at the Centre of Excellence for Tes ng and Research of Autonomous vehicles at NTU (CETRAN). Jointly set up by NTU, LTA and JTC, CETRAN is a centre dedicated to research and tes ng of autonomous vehicles. It replicates various elements of Singapore’s urban road condi ons, such as traﬃc signals, mul ple bus stops and pedestrian crossings, and tropical condi ons such as heavy rain and par ally flooded roads. Operated by NTU scien sts, CETRAN is located on the NTU Smart Campus in Jurong Innova on District. Plans are in place to test the bus at NTU and to subsequently extend the route beyond the NTU campus. NTU President Professor Subra Suresh, said, “This fully autonomous electric bus will play a role in shaping the future of public transporta on that is safe, eﬃcient, reliable and comfortable for all commuters. It will soon be tested on the NTU Smart Campus which has been home to a number of innova ons, as a living testbed for technologies that impact the human condi on and the quality of life”. “This research project not only involves cu ng-edge science, technology and AI, but is also an excellent example of close partnership among academia, industry and government agencies, in transla ng basic research into products and services for the benefit of Singapore and beyond. And we have a top team of local and internaonal partners in this mul -disciplinary collabora on”, he added. The electric bus has 36 seats and is characterised by 26

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quiet opera on with zero emissions. It also requires 80% less energy than an equivalent-sized diesel bus. This is Volvo’s first fully autonomous, electric bus in public transporta on anywhere in the world. For this trial, involving a full size single-deck bus, Volvo chose NTU Singapore as its global partner. Mr Håkan Agnevall, President, Volvo Buses, said, “We are very proud to be showcasing our electric bus featuring autonomous driving technology. It represents a key milestone for the industry and is an important step towards our vision for a cleaner, safer and smarter city. The journey towards full autonomy is undoubtedly a complex one, and our valued partnership with the NTU and LTA is cri cal in realising this vision, as is our commitment to applying a safety-first approach”. The NTU and Volvo partnership is part of the collabora on between NTU and LTA, under NTU’s living lab pla orm. The pla orm assesses technology maturity and roadworthiness, and includes the cer fica on of technologies for deployment on public roads. Mr Lam Wee Shann, Chief Innova on and Technology Oﬃcer, LTA, said, “The launch of the autonomous bus for on-road trials marks an important milestone in the joint project between LTA and NTU Singapore, to develop autonomous buses for fixed routes and scheduled services. It is in line with Singapore’s vision of deploying autonomous vehicles to improve accessibility and connec vity for commuters. We will con nue to work closely with NTU to facilitate the safe and robust tes ng of the autonomous vehicles”.

Protec on of sensors and technology through cybersecurity measures The bus comes with a Volvo Autonomous Research Platform so ware that is connected to key controls such as its naviga on system, as well as mul ple sensors. This includes light detec on and ranging sensors (LIDARS), stereo-vision cameras that capture images in 3D, and an advanced global naviga on satellite system that uses real- me kinema cs. This is like any global posi oning system (GPS), but uses mul ple data sources to give loca on accuracy of up to 1 cm. The system is also hooked up to an ‘iner al management unit’ which acts like a two-in-one gyroscope and accelerometer, measuring the lateral and angular rate of the bus. This will improve its naviga on when going over uneven terrain and around sharp bends, ensuring a smoother ride.

MOBILITY SOLUTIONS

These sensors and GPS pla orms will be managed by a comprehensive AI system that was developed by NTU researchers. It not only operates the various sensors and GPS systems on the bus, but also enables it to navigate autonomously through dense traﬃc and tropical weather condi ons. The AI system is protected with industry-leading cybersecurity and firewall measures, to prevent unwanted intrusions and ensure maximum safety and reliability.

Mul -industry collabora on As part of the public trials, Singapore’s public transport operator, SMRT, will play a key role in determining the roadworthiness of autonomous vehicles on public roads. While plans are in place to test the first bus on the NTU campus, a second, autonomous, 12 m Volvo 7900 Electric bus will undergo tests at a bus depot managed by SMRT.

NTU Singapore and Volvo launched the world’s first full-size, autonomous electric bus. The single-deck Volvo Electric bus is 12 m long and has a full capacity of close to 80 passengers.

The depot will provide a real-world environment to assess the vehicle’s ability to autonomously navigate into vehicle washing bays and park safely at charging areas. Mr Tan Kian Heong, Managing Director, Buses & Roads Services and Senior Vice President, Human Resources, SMRT, said, “SMRT is pleased to support the research and development of these eco-friendly autonomous electric buses. As part of the Autonomous Electric Bus trial, we will leverage on our exper se in opera ons and maintenance of buses, and work closely with our partners to test the command and control system required to operate a fleet of autonomous vehicles. This will help us to stay future-ready with the latest urban mobility solu ons, to enhance the accessibility and connec vity of our public transport network”. Another partner, ABB, a pioneering technology leader in digital industries and world leader in fast-charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, will develop a smart fast-charging solu on. Based on the OppCharge concept, ABB’s HVC 300P fast charge system is ideally suited for autonomous charging in bus depots as well as in running traﬃc.

The bus is equipped with a comprehensive ar ficial intelligence system that is protected using industry-leading cybersecurity measures.

Oﬀering a charge power of 300 kW via a pantograph mounted on the infrastructure, the fast chargers will recharge a ba ery in just three to six minutes. This will enable charging during the layover mes at the end of the bus route, without impac ng normal opera ons. Mr Tarak Mehta, President of Electrifica on Products Division, ABB, said, “ABB is commi ed to pioneering technological innova ons for a sustainable future. We are extremely excited to collaborate on such a landmark project which marks a posi ve step toward the electrifica on of public transport across the region and beyond”. All images by NTU Singapore

At the launch are, from le , Mr Håkan Agnevall, President Volvo Buses; Prof Subra Suresh, NTU President; and Mr Goh Teck Seng, Deputy Chief Execu ve, LTA. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

MOBILITY SOLUTIONS

NEW VEHICLE ACOUSTICS TEST CENTRE IN

GERMANY TAKES A HOLISTIC APPROACH The aim is to reduce automo ve noise, vibra on and harshness. Vehicle acous cs is steadily gaining trac on as a quality criterion in today’s cars. When a vehicle is in mo on, audible or percep ble vibra ons emana ng from individual components can cause annoying automo ve noise, conveyed by the vehicle’s structure and rendered as airborne sound. Acous cs experts refer to this phenomenon as NVH (noise, vibra on, harshness). Minimising noise with NVH analyses is a fixture of automo ve engineering. ‘The increasing shortening of development cycles requires an ideal integra on of acous c op misa on into exis ng development processes”, says Jörg Ve er, Senior Manager, New Calibra on Services & Products at Bosch Engineering, the Robert Bosch GmbH subsidiary specialising in development services for vehicle and engine manufacturers. With the new acous cs test centre in Absta , Germany, the company is se ng the stage for an eﬃcient development process to improve NVH. It will enable development mes to be reduced s ll further, while enhancing vehicle acous cs.

Complete acous cs engineering development Acous cs is a major issue in automo ve engineering. Firstly, government regula ons for vehicle registra on set out limits for external noise levels. Secondly, car buyers and owners expect less vibra on and noise and a smoother, quieter ride. New electric and hybrid drives also present considerable and o en very specific challenges for acous cs experts seeking to improve NVH. Acous cs has to be included early on in the development process, when new models are s ll on the drawing board.

Bosch Engineering supports automakers’ eﬀorts to improve NVH, with a holis c engineering approach focused on op mising the vehicle. “In acous cs analysis, we take advantage of the synergies resul ng from the close collabora on within Bosch Engineering and with the Bosch Group’s acous cal engineers”, says Jörg Ve er. The company oﬀers customers a comprehensive service package spanning the en re product development chain for a new vehicle. In addi on to providing advice in the design phase and support in the development phase, it also helps customers to con nue improving their vehicles’ NVH behaviour.

Pu ng vehicle acous cs to the test Engineers o en test-drive cars on public roads or private test tracks to inves gate their acous cs. The problem with open-road tests is that external factors such as ambient noise, weather condi ons or the driver’s profile may skew the measured results. This is why test series are o en long and tedious, with results that are hardly reproducible. Bosch Engineering has created an ideal environment for assessing vehicles’ NVH performance in its acous cs test centre in Absta . With a sound-proof hemi-anechoic chamber isolated from the outside world, it provides a more eﬃcient means of tes ng and comparing new or modified components and calibra ons under uniform condi ons, and provides feedback on their impact on the overall vehicle. This reduces the cost and me involved in engineering the acous cs of new cars and op mising the acous cs of legacy vehicles.

Specially equipped NVH chassis dynamometer for vehicles with a combus on engine, a hybrid drive, or an electric drive, and for all-wheel, front-wheel and rear-wheel drivetrains. 28

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

MOBILITY SOLUTIONS

“In our test centre, we can quickly detect noise sources that impair driving comfort and develop countermeasures together with our customers”, notes Jörg Ve er. Tailor-made and reproducible, the development centre’s measurement, analysis and evalua on procedures serve to rapidly assess and op mise acous cal phenomena.

Features of the acous cs test centre The centrepiece of Bosch Engineering’s acous cs test centre is a specially equipped chassis dynamometer. It is suitable for vehicles with a combus on engine, a hybrid drive, or an electric drive, and for all-wheel, front-wheel and rear-wheel drivetrains. Four independently controllable rollers deliver 150 kW each, for speeds ranging up to 250 km/h. They can simulate various wheel torques, for example, that of a cornering car, and wheel loads. A well-insulated test cabin and silent rollers reduce background noise to a minimum, so that engineers can measure even very low sound pressure levels. This is a great compe ve advantage, especially for tes ng electric vehicles. Without a combus on engine to mask automo ve noise, the acous cs of powertrain peripherals are far more percep ble. The test bench design even includes specific monitoring func ons for future hydrogen vehicles.

In the sound studio, various components, such as windscreen wipers or window regulator motors, can be quickly compared with diﬀerent calibra on se ngs. Results from computer simula ons can also be made audible.

The lab, sound studio and chassis dynamometer are in separate rooms. The lab is equipped with precision instrumenta on for measuring vibra on and sound pressure levels and conduc ng modal analyses to break down dynamic NVH behaviour. The sound studio features high-tech equipment including headphones for binaural reproduc on and a 13-speaker array for higher-order Ambisonics reproduc on. This setup enables engineers to compare diverse components’ acous c behaviour in the virtual realm, without having to install them in the actual vehicle. They can also switch between two NVH scenarios, at the push of a bu on, for A/B comparisons. Upstream from the tes ng area is an assembly hall. It serves as a staging area to prepare vehicles for tests. With its capacity for precondi oning up to 10 cars simultaneously, it provides an eﬃcient means of executing even extensive sets of measurements and achieving reproducible results

In a room with low hemi-reflec on, so-called free-field condi ons prevail under which, for example, the sound power of an acous c bubble spectrometer (ABS) can be determined using a microphone array.

All images by Bosch

The operators’ room.

With the ar ficial head, various interior noises, such as engine noise, can be recorded binaurally in the vehicle. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

AI EXPECTED TO NEARLY DOUBLE THE RATE OF INNOVATION IN SINGAPORE Despite clear benefits, there are barriers to its widespread adop on. By 2021, Ar ficial Intelligence (AI) will allow the rate of innova on and employee produc vity improvements in Singapore to nearly double (X1.9 mes and X1.7 mes, respec vely), according to business leaders in Singapore. This is revealed in a study by Microso and IDC Asia/Pacific, tled ‘Future Ready Business: Assessing Asia Pacific’s Growth Poten al Through AI’. A total of 1,605 business leaders and 1,585 workers (including 104 business leaders and 102 workers in Singapore) par cipated in this study. Fi een Asia Pacific markets were involved - Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. The industries covered include agriculture, automo ve,

educa on, financial services, government, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, services and telco/media. While more than 80% of business leaders polled agreed that AI is instrumental to their organisa on’s compe veness, only 59% of organisa ons in Singapore have embarked on their AI journeys. Those organisa ons that have adopted AI expect it to increase their compe veness 1.7 mes, by 2021. “Today, every company is a so ware company, and increasingly, every interac on is digital. To be successful in this new world, organisa ons need to be a fast adopter of best-in-class technology; and secondly, they need to build their own unique digital capabili es”, said Mr Kevin Wo, Managing Director, Microso Singapore. “AI is the defining technology of our me, that significantly accelerates business transforma on, enables innova on, boosts employee produc vity, and ensures further growth. Economies and businesses that have yet to embark on their AI journey run a real risk of missing out on the compe ve benefits that are enjoyed by leaders”, he added.

The reasons for adop ng AI

AI impact on rates of innova on and employee produc vity improvements today and in three years.

AI improves business today and in three years. 30

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

For the organisa ons that have implemented AI ini a ves, the top five business drivers for adop ng the technology are, in order of priority: • Be er customer engagement (32% of respondents named it as the number one driver)

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

• • • •

Higher compe veness (19%) Accelerated innova on (16%) Higher margins (15%) More produc ve employees (6%)

Mr Victor Lim, Vice President, Consul ng Opera ons, IDC Asia/Pacific, said, “Last year, organisa ons that have adopted AI saw tangible improvements in those areas, in the range of 16% to 26%. They forecast further improvements of at least 1.6 mes in the three-year horizon, with the biggest jump expected in accelerated innova on”.

The need to build on infrastructure

The study evaluated six dimensions cri cal to ensuring the success of a na on’s AI journey. It uncovered that Singapore needs to build upon its infrastructure in order to accelerate its AI journey. “Singapore is not ready yet for AI. To succeed in the AI race, markets in the region need to substan ally improve their readiness. Organisa ons’ leadership should make AI a core part of their strategy and develop a learning agility culture. They have to con nuously invest in this transforma ve technology for the long-term success, some mes without immediate returns. There is an urgent need for talents and tools to develop, deploy and monitor AI models, along with the availability of a robust data estate with the adequate governance”, Mr Lim added. Business leaders who are adopting AI face three top challenges - a lack of thought leadership and leadership commitment to invest in AI; a lack of tools and infrastructure to develop actionable insights; and a lack of skills, resources and continuous learning programmes. The study showed that to move ahead on their AI journeys, businesses have to create the right organisa onal culture. More than half of the business leaders and workers surveyed believe that cultural traits that support AI journeys, such as risk-taking, proac ve innova on, as well as cross-func on partnerships among teams, are not pervasive today.

AI readiness in Singapore (scale of 0.00 - 4.00).

“Business leaders must now embrace a new culture, where innova on and con nuous learning are core components of the organisa onal culture. It sets the stage for agility, adaptability and growth”, said Mr Wo.

Cultural traits in an organisa on to support AI journeys. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Skills challenges for an AI-enabled workforce The study found that Singapore’s business leaders and workers hold positive viewpoints about AI’s impact on the future of jobs. The majority (62% of business leaders and 71% of workers) believe that AI will either help to do their existing jobs better or reduce repetitive tasks. “When it comes to crea ng or replacing jobs, 29% of business leaders believe that AI will produce new jobs, whereas 9% feel that the technology will replace jobs. Interes ngly, workers are more op mis c, with only 4% expec ng AI to replace jobs, and 10% an cipa ng AI to create new ones”, said Mr Lim. The study also found that workers are more willing to reskill than business leaders believe. Only 12% of workers felt that it was a challenge, while 20% of business leaders say it may be too diﬃcult for workers to develop new skills. “Microso ’s vision for AI is first and foremost about people. AI technology cannot progress without them. This means that millions will need to transform

themselves into skilled workers as well as learners that an AI future needs”, said Mr Wo. “It is heartening to see that 80% of businesses priori se skilling and reskilling of workers in the future. They plan to invest as much, or even more, in human capital, than in new technology. Even so, 75% of business leaders have yet to implement plans to help their employees to acquire the right skills, which is worrying in today’s context. They must have the urgency to support the fundamental shi in training workers for the future”, he added. “The jobs of today will not be the jobs of tomorrow, and we have already seen demand for so ware engineering roles expand rapidly beyond just the tech sector. However, building an AI-ready workforce does not necessarily mean an acute need for technological skills”, Mr Wo con nued. The top three future skills required by business leaders in Singapore include crea vity, digital skills and cri cal thinking. The demand for all three is higher than the exis ng supply. The study also uncovered that business leaders value so skills more than workers expect. The biggest skills gaps iden fied were in: • Adaptability and con nuous learning (26-pt difference) • Crea vity (14-pt difference) • Digital skills (14-pt difference)

AI leaders The study iden fied 6% of organisa ons which are AI leaders. These organisa ons have already incorporated AI into their core business strategy and nearly doubled their business benefits today as compared to other organisa ons. Percep on of AI’s impact on jobs (business leaders and workers).

Traits of an AI leader against followers. 32

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

More informa on can be obtained from h ps://news. microso .com/en-sg/ai-for-everyone/.

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

ADVANCING HEALTHCARE THROUGH HIGH SPEED DATA ANALYSIS

WITH MEMORY DRIVEN COMPUTING by Dr Goh Eng Lim, Vice President and Chief Technology Oﬃcer, High Performance Compu ng and Ar ficial Intelligence, Hewle Packard Enterprise Technology can help find solu ons for the increasing challenges including those of an ageing popula on. Today, one in eight Singaporeans is over 65 years old. By 2030, this will increase to one in four [1]. This dras c change in demographics comes with several challenges, including the risk of major health shocks, such as cancer and neurodegenera ve diseases, that increases with age [2]. The current trend also indicates that one in four Singaporeans will contract a chronic disease by the me they are 65 or older [3]. With a quarter of the popula on expected to be senior ci zens, a decade from now, there is an urgent need for more innova ons in preventa ve healthcare to keep the ageing popula on healthy. The good news is that the solu on is hiding in plain sight - in our data. Electronic medical records, genomics and personal tech devices are capturing an ever-growing number of data points that can give us insights into the lives of ageing ci zens. Analysing this unprecedented resource could help lead researchers to new insights, through the discovery of previously unno ced rela onships and pa erns in the health of the populaon. Smart devices, such as step trackers and heart rate monitors, are capturing a plethora of data that could help further research in this field. Advances in data capture, analy cs and ar ficial intelligence could allow healthcare professionals to be er determine the causes of chronic illnesses, develop new drugs and enable preventa ve treatments [4]. However, analysing data on this massive scale requires substan al computa onal power across a pla orm architecture that innately enables the discovery of rela onships amongst data from mul ple sources.

The key to precision medicine lies in a clearer understanding of our gene c and genomic informa on. However, our gene c uniqueness poses a challenge to clinical care. In fact, experts understand only less than 1% of the gene c variants in the popula on. Today, the complex process of be er understanding genomes, through manual pa ern recogni on and correla on, prevents real- me classifica on and diagnosis. As a result, healthcare professionals are o en able to make only assumpons about a pa ent’s health. Hewle Packard Enterprise (HPE) is trying to change this through the use of Memory-Driven Compu ng. HPE is collabora ng with AI-driven, biotechnology start-up Jungla, to power a technology pla orm that con nuously integrates clinical knowledge with genomic and biophysical data to systema cally generate, evaluate, audit and share accurate research and tes ng results. A Memory-Driven Compu ng architecture oﬀers an unprecedented capacity to process data, significantly reducing the risk of human error and drama cally shortening the me needed to obtain results - by up to 52 mes compared to tradi onal hardware. Precision medicine could be a game-changer for countries with ageing popula ons, such as Singapore [5]. It will become possible to iden fy people who are at high risk of contrac ng a chronic disease, analyse their genetic makeup, and prescribe the most eﬀec ve medica on or treatment for them, ensuring they remain healthy into their golden years. That could soon become a reality.

This is something which Memory-Driven Compu ng can provide. By having a huge common memory pool that integrates various processors in one system, Memory-Driven Compu ng uses hyper-fast memory processing to analyse a large amount of data in a rela vely short amount of me, opening new possibili es for connec ng and u lising data in healthcare.

DZNE is currently studying a popula on of 30,000 people over 30 years to find answers for brain diseases like Alzheimer’s, with help from an HPE supercomputer. The findings could improve the lives of the billion people who live with neurological disorders, worldwide. By using Memory-Driven Compu ng, we are further accelera ng this journey, by improving, for example, an RNA sequence alignment process, by about 10 mes.

Improving the precision of modern medicine

Keeping healthcare aﬀordable

One way of u lising data to advance healthcare is through precision medicine which is tailored to an individual pa ent’s needs, so that treatments can be more eﬀec ve, and inaccurate diagnoses and unnecessary medica on can be avoided. 34

Dr Goh Eng Lim

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

Before healthcare can start improving lives, it has to be aﬀordable. Yet, medical costs con nue to inflate, and in Singapore, medical infla on is expected to hit 10% this year, which is 2% higher than the global average of 8% [6]. Against the backdrop of an ageing popula on

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

and the increased prevalence of chronic diseases, the country’s healthcare expenditure is expected to triple, by 2030, to SGD 44 billion [7]. Technology can help lower these rising costs. The use of high-performance compu ng (HPC) and Memory-Driven Compu ng could allow the simultaneous, rela onal processing of massive data sets to create computer models that can simulate the human body. This means that healthcare professionals could conduct real- me tests to evaluate the eﬀect of a medical s mulus on a par cular individual - resul ng in far quicker, more accurate and less costly diagnoses.

Solving healthcare and other global challenges through Tech Impact 2030 The applica ons of Memory-Driven Compu ng and HPC go beyond analysing gene c results. Memory-Driven Compu ng accelerates the analysis of data and has the ability to disrupt conven onal medical tes ng, and at scale. The poten al impact of that disrup on is unprecedented, especially in the field of crea ng digital twins of the human body. By running simula ons to study the effects of par cular treatments on organs or even individual cells, we could further advance precision medicine. Today, we are already seeing bold steps in that direc on from digitally reconstruc ng and simula ng the mammalian brain to crea ng mul -scale 3D models of a human heart. The possibili es of pu ng such technologies to work are far-reaching.

Improving the speed and accuracy of medical research is just one of the global challenges that HPE is a emp ng to solve. As part of the company’s Tech Impact 2030 ini ave, HPE is working with the World Economic Forum to bring together technology, industry and government partners to drive awareness of, and progress in overcoming, societal challenges in key industries including agriculture, healthcare, transporta on and manufacturing. A er all, technology’s true promise lies in the good we can do and the challenges we can overcome - together.

References [1] h ps://www.popula on.sg/ar cles/older-singaporeans-to-double-by-2030. [2] Alemayehu B and Warner K E (2004): ‘The Life me Distribuon of Health Care Costs’, Health Services Research, 39: 627642. h ps://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6773.2004.00248.x. [3] Ongoing four-year study by the Singapore Management University’s Centre for Research on the Economics of Ageing. [4] h ps://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/1213625. [5] Gaw A (2016): ‘Precision medicine and improving future health care to an ageing popula on’, Perspec ves in Public Health, 136(2), 77-78. h ps://doi. org/10.1177/1757913915626874. [6] h p://www.aon.com/apac/study/2018/aon-asia-healthcare-trends.jsp. [7] h ps://www.kenresearch.com/healthcare/general-healthcare/singapore-healthcare-market/154981-91.html.

The use of Memory-Driven Compu ng in healthcare will open up new ways of analysing and u lising medical data. Memory-Driven Compu ng could be used to run digital simula ons of the human body for quicker and cheaper diagnoses and to test the eﬀect of medical treatments which could, in turn, result in the use of precision medicine for more eﬀec ve results. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

DATA CENTRES

ENERGY EFFICIENT DATA CENTRE IN WOODLANDS OFFERS A VARIETY OF CONNECTIVITY OPTIONS The facility leverages the strengths of three companies across data centre, telecommunica ons and ICT services. Global Switch, a leading owner, operator and developer of large-scale, carrier and cloud-neutral data centres in Europe and Asia-Pacific, recently launched its Singapore Woodlands data centre, in partnership with China Telecom Global Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Telecom Corpora on Limited, and one of the world’s largest providers of integrated telecommunica on services, and Daily-Tech, a developer and operator of data centre infrastructure across China. It is the second such facility under the strategic partnership between the three companies, and follows the launch of their Hong Kong data centre in late 2017. Built at a cost of SGD 280 million, the new 25,000 m2 data centre is located in Woodlands. It is physically some distance away from the exis ng Global Switch Tai Seng data centre, making the facili es a rac ve to customers seeking a two-site data centre solu on. Services from the new data centre are now fully available and customers will benefit from the resilient, mission-cri cal environment offering mul ple connec vity op ons for scalable and flexible solu ons and a full range of ICT services. This Singapore Woodlands data centre, which incorporates some of the latest energy-efficient technologies, is an example of an environmentally sustainable data centre. The building is designed with a Power Usage Efficiency (PUE) of 1.34, making it one of the most power-efficient data centres available to customers in Singapore. This PUE compares favourably with the target average PUE of 1.78 set by the Na onal Environment Agency (NEA) in Singapore. In addi on to its high energy efficiency, the new data centre is targe ng a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold ra ng and a BCA Green Mark Pla num ra ng. Opera ng to Tier III+ standards, the Singapore Woodlands data centre services are powered by 30 MVA of u lity power supply capacity, coming from two separate incoming supplies, to ensure mul ple layers of redundancy. The facility is also secure, with a network opera ons centre staffed 24x7x365, complete with round-the-clock security patrols, and backed by con nuous CCTV surveillance and a comprehensive intruder detec on system. The new data centre services have incorporated sophis cated building management systems, resul ng in a resilient environment backed by Global Switch’s Cri cal Environments Programme. Customers will benefit from a mul tude of connec vity op ons, including the ability to directly connect, on a low latency basis, to the Global Switch Singapore Tai Seng data centre. As an integral communica ons hub 36

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

At the launch of the Singapore Woodlands data centre are representa ves of Global Switch, China Telecom Global Limited and Daily-Tech.

in the Asia-Pacific region, the Singapore Tai Seng data centre hosts a diverse and network-dense interna onal telecommunica ons environment, including a number of submarine cable systems which land directly at the facility. Customers will be able to access this connec vity-rich environment which also includes the Singapore Internet Exchange (SGIX) as well as all the leading internet services companies, from ISPs and major content owners and distributors to web portals and online social media. John Corcoran, CEO of Global Switch, said, “Global Switch Singapore Woodlands marks our 12th world-class, data centre and has increased our footprint to 4,000,000 2 (365,000 m2) of technical space. It represents another important milestone for Global Switch and we are delighted to have launched this new data centre with our strategic partners China Telecom Global and Daily-Tech - reinforcing our leadership in providing the best-inclass solu ons for customers’ seamless and successful business opera ons across the region”. Donald Tan, Execu ve Vice President of China Telecom Global, said, “Our tripar te partnership with Global Switch and Daily-Tech oﬀers a range of strong and reliable data centre and ICT solu ons to customers, to support their globalisa on roadmaps and digi sa on transforma on ini a ves. The Woodlands data centre services will connect perfectly to China Telecom’s network resources of submarine and terrestrial cables and other data centres around the world, and are set to become an important element of our worldwide IDC coverage. We will invest more resources and exper se in bringing professional

DATA CENTRES

IDC opera on services to our customers globally and help them solve communica ons challenges they encounter in exploring the APAC market “. Li Qiang, Chairman of Daily-Tech, said, “This is a milestone entry into the Southeast Asian countries’ market for Daily-Tech, through our strategic business partnership. Customers in the region, par cularly those looking to expand through China’s Belt and Road projects, will now find more convenient connec ons and access to well-managed services to support their business growth. This partnership oﬀers customers commitment, a track record in servicing and bespoke services, and best prac ce management”. Following strong demand from cloud providers, financial ins tu ons and mul na onal companies requiring resilient and secure space for housing mission-cri cal IT equipment, Global Switch is adding a further 120,000 2 (11,000 m2) to its footprint, with a second data centre in Frankfurt, Germany. This will also be the third data centre under the partnership of the three companies.

Built at a cost of SGD 280 million, Global Switch’s new 25,000 m2 data centre is located in Woodlands. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

MANUFACTURING

F&B INDUSTRY TURNS TO TECHNOLOGY AS BUSINESS CHALLENGES MOUNT by Swaminathan Vangal Ramamurthy, General Manager, Robo cs Business Division, OMRON Asia Pacific Businesses face tremendous pressure as they have to ensure profitability whilst, at the same me, complying with hygiene and food safety standards. Some of the challenges food and beverage (F&B) manufacturers face today are: • Strict Regula ons - Regula ons can be imposed by external agencies, government authori es, or regulatory boards within the F&B industry itself. F&B manufacturers and product handlers need to ensure that they comply with environmental legisla on, factory audits etc. • Expansion and Globalisa on - Manufacturers face the challenge of standardising produc on, in terms of cost, produc vity and quality control, when manufacturing under different circumstances or at different loca ons, as their businesses grow. • Popula on and Society - An ageing, more health-conscious and diversified popula on means changing F&B consump on pa erns. • Environment-friendliness and Sustainability - Numerous drivers exist in this area, from adop on of eco-friendly materials to new packaging designs. Manufacturers are always in a constant drive to reduce wastage, to be cost-effec ve. What can F&B manufacturers do in view of these challenges? Today’s F&B manufacturers need to run machines and produc on lines that are designed and configured to cope with the ever-increasing demand for product diversity. One key area where many manufacturers have been making improvements concerns changeover me. Modern produc on lines allow manufacturers to quickly and flexibly integrate sequen al opera ons into an overall manufacturing system, ensuring that even small batch-sized produc on runs can be accomplished with minimum waste of me and resources.

Visualisa on and produc vity Manufacturers need to drive produc vity like never before. Directly linking produc on to retailer demand is a growing issue. As a result, pressure on line produc vity is increasing, meaning down me must be constantly reduced to avoid produc on disrup on and poten al penal es. Manufacturers today want clear visualisa on of their en re produc on system. Managers need to have a view on everything on the factory floor, so that they can im38

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

Mr Swaminathan Vangal Ramamurthy

mediately make adjustments and solve problems as they arise. Be it in deploying engineering support or performing con nuous produc on analysis, enhanced visualisaon is the basis for line improvement programmes.

Informa on management and verifica on Ensuring that a produc on facility runs at op mum capacity and quality levels requires a lot of informa on. Data must be gathered in real- me, from mul ple devices, onto one pla orm, and directly communicated to the manufacturer’s informa on network, thereby saving addi onal hardware costs and complexity. For instance, there are controllers that deliver plant-wide monitoring and control capabili es, and in-built database func onality, to provide a secure, robust and easy-to-implement system. These controllers allow manufacturers to inspect, measure, store and analyse produc on data, and share it within the supply chain, where required. Automa c data collec on can be employed to achieve accurate and reliable monitoring and recording. This means that detailed produc on informa on can be provided in the event of a recall being required, thereby minimising financial losses and protec ng brand reputa on. Data and informa on can also contribute to be er energy management. It is vital for manufacturers to monitor and analyse where and when energy is used and, based on this informa on, make decisions such as reducing extract fan or conveyor speeds to ‘idle speed’, when produc on is halted for short periods of me. Manufacturers need to ensure that they have automated energy monitoring solu ons in place. Solu ons should include sensors for electrical, airflow and temperature measurement, and provisions for all data to be shared with the line controller.

Quality inspec on and traceability There are many facets of quality within the manufacturing environment. These relate to products, primary and secondary packaging, correct product/packaging combina on, and verifica on of codes such as date codes. A system that allows 100% in-line inspec on, to check all product parameters, is a vital part of reducing scrap and maintaining plant produc vity.

MANUFACTURING

Manufacturers today can achieve this through automa on and robo cs technology. Specifically, they can deploy vision sensors and automated systems that can eﬀec vely manage inspec on projects at much higher accuracies and speeds than what human workers can achieve. Furthermore, F&B manufacturers must record and present, as well as share with the supply chain, producon traceability informa on. Automa on and robo cs technologies adopt serialised numbers or unique codes, vision sensors and controllers, as well as RFID systems, to allow for the eﬀec ve tracking of products and producon processes. Manufacturers can easily recall items if required, which helps them to retain consumer trust and brand reputa on.

automa on and robo cs today not only raise produc vity levels in the factory, they also help to maintain appropriate safety levels in order to protect personnel. F&B manufacturers need to ensure that automa on and robo c systems are fully tested and that ideas are validated before actual deployment and implementa on. They need to ensure that when tes ng ideas, tests replicate, as closely as possible, actual condi ons in areas such as product handling, mo on control, vision and safety. When it comes to F&B, manufacturers must view all aspects of the produc on process and product handling, with stringent controls in place and zero room for compromise.

Robo c product handling and safety services Robots are playing an increasingly important role in the F&B sector. They provide safer, more flexible, efficient and hygienic solu ons in a number of diverse projects. A growing trend is for robots to be deployed on the factory floor, working effec vely and efficiently right next to human workers. Equipped with built-in integrated hardware and so ware controls, as well as vision and safety capabili es, OMRON’s delta-type robots are a good example. These CE-compliant and USDA-cer fied robots also comply with hygiene requirements that are crucial for food manufacturers. Automa on solu ons that encompass sensors, light curtains and switches through to controllers are also useful for further ensuring safety on the factory floor. In fact,

A Washdown Delta Robot.

Delta Robots deployed in the food industry. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

EVENT ON ROTORCRAFT AND UNMANNED SYSTEMS ATTRACTS INTERNATIONAL ATTENDANCE High growth is projected in these sectors. Rotorcra Asia 2019 and Unmanned Systems Asia 2019, the region’s first integrated pla orm for rotorcra and unmanned systems, was a ended by leading industry companies and experts, regulators and top execu ves. Held from 9 to 11 April 2019, the second edi on hosted over 3,500 trade a endees from 62 countries, 27% of whom were from overseas. Rotorcra Asia 2019 and Unmanned Systems Asia 2019 was oﬃcially opened by Mr Baey Yam Keng, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Transport & Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. “The second edi on of Rotorcra Asia and Unmanned Systems Asia has reinforced Singapore’s posi on as the leader in providing key strategic pla orms for the region’s rotorcra and unmanned systems industries to converge, forge partnerships and tap into the markets’ burgeoning growth poten al”, said Mr Leck Chet Lam, Managing Director, Experia Events, organisers of the event.

Highligh ng the next growth industry This year’s Rotorcra Asia and Unmanned Systems Asia debuted the Urban Mobility Showcase, Asia Pacific’s first pla orm dedicated to showcasing cu ng-edge electric Ver cal Take-oﬀ and Landing (eVTOL) technologies and innova ons. Key highlights included the unveiling of Volocopter’s fully eVTOL aircra that is capable of transpor ng two passengers for about 30 km, as well as the Drone Opera ons Centre developed by Garuda Robo cs and the FutureFlight Consor um to enable drone opera ons in security and delivery applica ons. The Drone Opera ons Centre made its first public appearance at the Singapore Pavilion. Commercially, the event facilitated some 370 strategic mee ngs between exhibitors and VIP buyers and visitors including public sector representa ves from the Royal Brunei Technical Services; Ministry of Na onal Defense of Cambodia; Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia; Royal Malaysia Police; South Korea Defence Acquisi on Program Administra on; and the Myanmar Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock & Irriga on. From the commercial side, par cipants included representa ves from Aerohawk Air Sdn Bhd, BP Oil & Energy, Heliservices Ltd, Philjets Aero Services Inc, Pelita Air Service and the Royal Bhutan Helicopter Services.

pla orm of choice for leading industry companies, soluons providers and innovators from across the industry. Key announcements made at the event include the upcoming launch of ‘The Singapore UAS Community’ by the Associa on of Aerospace Industries (Singapore), with the support of the Civil Avia on Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Enterprise Singapore, which will serve as the voice of the UAS industry and support con nued growth in Singapore. Addi onally, Surbana Jurong and AeroLion Technologies have joined hands to develop unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies, or drone solu ons, for built and natural environments. On the rotorcra side, Luxavia on Helicopters announced that Philippines-based helicopter charter operator, PhilJets, will join as the latest member of the group’s Helicopters Charter Alliance. This integra on will complement the alliance’s exis ng global capabili es and provide members with VIP helicopter charter access in the Asia Pacific region. Ten innova ve showcases were also presented at What’s Next, a joint strategic pla orm where startups had the opportunity to showcase their capabili es and pitch business ideas and offerings to investors, accelerators and corporate partners. Some of the highlights include proprietary mul fusion sensor technology for high precision infrastructure inspec on and real- me accuracy, developed by the winning team from BrashTech, as well as the showcase by NimbusUAV, a local startup, which specialises in offering custom-cra ed purpose-built UAV pla orms to increase produc vity and efficiency for businesses. The third edi on of Rotorcra Asia and Unmanned Systems Asia, will be held on 30 March to 1 April 2021 at Changi Exhibi on Centre.

Catalyst for strategic partnerships across the region Rotorcra Asia 2019 and Unmanned Systems Asia 2019 also saw the announcement of several significant collabora ons, aﬃrming its posi on as an eﬀec ve strategic 40

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

Guest-of-Honour, Mr Baey Yam Keng (seated inside the Volocopter 2X aircra ) and Mr Florian Reuter, CEO, Volocopter. Image by Experia Events Pte Ltd.

AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

SURBANA JURONG AND AEROLION TECHNOLOGIES TO JOINTLY DEVELOP UAV TECHNOLOGY Surbana Jurong and AeroLion Technologies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to further develop unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies for the built and natural environments. The MOU was signed at Rotorcra Asia 2019 and Unmanned Systems Asia 2019.

structure inspec on and warehouse management. The company has strong founda ons in ar ficial intelligence (AI), UAV automa on and advanced flight opera ons, and intends to launch novel solu ons for the built environment, following the success of its recent autonomous tunnel inspec on UAV pla orm.

Under the MOU, the partners will jointly develop UAV solu ons for various project applica ons, including land reclama on, workplace safety, site progression and fault detec on in enclosed areas such as buildings and tunnels. Surbana Jurong aims to integrate these UAV solu ons into its current processes to further increase its produc vity.

Dr Wang Fei, CEO of AeroLion Technologies said, “At AeroLion Technologies, we always oﬀer users a holis c solu on that can benefit them in all areas. We develop en re UAV hardware and so ware for diﬀerent needs as well as carry out class-leading flight opera ons using exis ng UAV technology. By collabora ng with Surbana Jurong, we aim to share our UAV exper se in the built environment while learning from one of the best in this industry”.

At the same me, combining real-world data from Surbana Jurong’s opera ons with the UAV’s ar ficial intelligence pla orms will allow the company to offer advanced data-driven UAV solu ons to its global clients. The partnership brings together Surbana Jurong’s exper se and experience in planning, design and engineering in the global urban and infrastructure sectors, with AeroLion Technologies’ exper se in UAV technologies that are focused on the building and construc on sector. UAVs are one of several technologies transforming the engineering and construc on industry. Its use boosts produc vity, reduces overall project me and costs, provides more accurate data readings in less me and improves worker safety. Mr Wong Heang Fine, Group CEO of Surbana Jurong, said, “As a leader in urban and infrastructure consul ng, Surbana Jurong is commi ed to leverage technology to improve efficiencies in our work and value-add for our clients. We have a dedicated Digital Management Office to drive technology applica ons throughout the group. Surbana Jurong already uses UAVs as part of our project processes, from conduc ng inspec ons and surveillance, to high-precision data collec on as well as security-led ac vi es by our subsidiary AETOS. Our collabora on with AeroLion Technologies will further ensure our leadership in the area of UAV applica ons”. AeroLion Technologies is a leader in the applica on of UAV in infra-

At the signing of the MOU are, from le , K Kawshigan, Business Development Manager, AeroLion Technologies, and Eugene Seah, Senior Director (Special Projects), Surbana Jurong. Image by Experia Events Pte Ltd.

Drones can be used during various stages of projects in the built environment. Image by Surbana Jurong.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

FORMATION OF THE SINGAPORE UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM COMMUNITY The Associa on of Aerospace Industries (Singapore), or AAIS, announced the forma on of the Singapore Unmanned Aircra Systems Community (Singapore UAS Community). Conceived with the support of the Civil Avia on Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Enterprise Singapore, the community aims to represent and serve the interests of the emerging UAS sector in Singapore. This includes aerospace companies, technology start-ups, suppor ng solu on and service providers, end-users and educa onal ins tu ons. The announcement was made by Guest-of-Honour, Mr Baey Yam Keng, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Transport, at the opening of Rotorcra Asia 2019 and Unmanned Systems Asia 2019. To help connect UAS businesses to market opportuni es, AAIS also launched its inaugural Singapore UAS Directory 2019.

VOLOCOPTER TO CONDUCT FLIGHT TESTS IN SINGAPORE Volocopter, a pioneer in urban air mobility, will be conduc ng inner urban flight tests in Singapore, later this year. These flight tests are designed to validate and verify the ability of Volocopter’s eVTOL vehicles to operate in Singapore’s urban environment and will culminate in public demo flights. Volocopters are said to be emissions-free, electrically powered aircra that take oﬀ and land ver cally. They resemble a helicopter in looks, but are based on drone technology and can fly two people for just short of 30 km. The Volocopter is designed specifically for inner city missions. It is said to oﬀer stable flights, with its ability to manoeuvre even when there is microturbulence around skyscrapers. At a flight height of 100 m, it cannot be heard over the typical background noise of a city.

President of AAIS, Mr Philip Quek said, “The surge in public and private sector demand for UAS solu ons provides a glimpse of the market’s untapped potenal. Building upon our strengths as an associa on, we will engender the UAS Community, and together, play a role in suppor ng market development and access, sourcing of new technologies, development of standards and policy advocacy”. Congratula ng AAIS on the launch of its UAS Community and the inaugural publica on of the Singapore UAS Directory, Mr Simon Lim, Execu ve Director for Manufacturing & Engineering, Enterprise Singapore, said, “This brings together the industry’s eﬀorts and resources, and will poten ally yield solu ons that can scale beyond our shores. Enterprise Singapore will collaborate with AAIS in understanding the needs of UAS businesses to be er support them in the development of new capabili es and innova ve solu ons, and accessing global opportuni es”. According to the Interna onal Civil Avia on Organisa on (ICAO), Unmanned Aircra Systems is a term referring to ‘aircra and the associated elements which are operated with no pilot on board’. This would also include what are commonly known as ‘drones’ and ‘passenger drones’. Goldman Sachs Research has es mated a USD 100 billion market for UAS (excluding passenger drones) over five years, from 2016 to 2020, with the fastest growth opportunity for commercial and civil applica ons.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

Volocopter will be conduc ng flight tests in Singapore, later this year. Image by Volocopter.

Volocopters are said to be emissions-free, electrically powered aircra that take oﬀ and land ver cally. Image by Experia Events Pte Ltd.

METALWORKING

PRODUCING PRECISION

SURFACE FINISHES ECONOMICALLY by Doris Schulz Innova ve, advanced processes for deburring, surface finishing and shaping are making it possible to improve quality and produc vity, as well as economic eﬃciency. Today, a en on is being focused on not only the actual manufacturing processes, but also on intermediate and downstream processes such as deburring and surface finishing, for the produc on of high-quality components. The produc on of precision parts is characterised by highly demanding specificaons with regard to tolerances and surface quality. On the one hand, this is targeted at obtaining burr-free components and workpieces with defined edges and fillets or a surface finish which minimises fric on, wear and noise, and increases performance and service life. On the other hand, manufacturing steps for precise shaping are required as well, and in this respect, machinIn the case of ECM, an exchange of electrical charges takes place between the cathode and the anode ing and surface finishing are (component) in an aqueous electrolyte solu on, by means of which the workpiece is accurately machined in converging to an ever greater a targeted fashion. Image by EMAG ECM GmbH. extent. In order to master these challenges, innova ve, trolyte solu on. This makes it possible to produce even advanced process are available, which can be ideally very small, thin-walled contours, fillets, ducts, slots and matched to the task at hand, with high levels of producwash-outs in workpieces made of prac cally any conducvity and economic eﬃciency, and which deliver reliable, ve metal. Since processing is contactless, the tooling is reproducible results. neither subjected to wear due to the machining process, nor is it exposed to thermal or mechanical influences.

Electrochemical machining of metallic workpieces

In the case of electrochemical machining (ECM), which is used in the fields of avia on and aerospace, the automo ve industry, toolmaking, medical technology, microsystems engineering, the energy industry and other sectors, metals are anodically removed from the surface of the workpiece. This procedure makes deburring possible in ‘diﬃcult to access’ areas such as internal bore intersec ons and pockets, and also permits burr-free shaping processes. The machining tool, namely a cathode, and the component (as an anode) are connected to a generator which serves as a direct voltage source for the machining process. The component is machined accurately, independent of the metal’s amorphous structure, by means of the exchange of electrical charges which takes place between the cathode and the anode in an aqueous elec-

The characteris cs and the shape of the tool holder determine where and how much material will be removed from the workpiece. Generator power is selected depending on the size of the surface to be machined, at any given point in me, and also determines the speed at which material is removed and the achievable degree of surface roughness. Newly developed generators reach Ra values of 0.1 μm and be er, depending on the ini al state. Beyond this, they also prevent so-called stray machining which may lead to worse machining results at the anode’s peripheral areas.

Precision electrochemical machining As far as the actual processes are concerned, ECM and precision electrochemical machining (PECM) are both THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

METALWORKING

based on exactly the same principle. Essen al diﬀerences include the distance from the cathode to the workpiece, on the one hand, and the use of an oscillating cathode in the PECM process, on the other hand. Similar to EDM, with PECM it is possible to produce extremely accurate three-dimensional shapes, contours and structures, with very high levels of surface quality. Ra values of down to 0.03 μm can be achieved. As compared to the EDM process, with PECM, machining is more accurate, with regard to component dimensions and tolerances, and it does not result in any thermal influences. Significantly reduced machining me is a further advantage of the PECM process, as opposed to conven onal manufacturing. Comparisons between a conven onal process for the produc on of a component, involving spark erosion, milling, drilling, grinding, deburring and lapping and a PECM process for the produc on of an iden cal component, with subsequent grinding, reveal a 90% reduc on in pure manufacturing me. In addi on to shaping, the PECM process is also used for micro-structuring of surfaces, for example, in order to op mise tribological proper es.

Abrasive flow machining for surface finishing Abrasive flow machining (AFM) is used primarily for processing ‘diﬃcult to access’ workpiece areas and internal surfaces of high-quality components made of metal and ceramics, which cannot be processed by means of conven onal procedures. Typical applica ons include rounding, polishing and deburring, as well as geometry op misa on and the minimisa on of surface tension. The workpiece or workpieces are clamped for processing, in one or more fixtures at the AFM machine. The processing medium - abrasive par cles which are matched to the respec ve task, with regard to type, size and concentra on, and are embedded in a polymer mass of defined viscosity - is made to flow

In PECM, the shaping of the vane contours and surface finishing (reducing roughness at the front and sides) are completed in a single process step. Image by Extrude Hone. 44

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

through or over the areas of the components to be processed, in alterna ng direc ons, at a defined pressure level, by means of hydraulically powered pistons. The grinding medium func ons like a liquid file. Process parameters are con nuously monitored in order to assure reproducible results. The AFM process makes it possible to improve surface roughness by a factor of five to eight, as compared with the ini al surface condi on. It is used, for example, in the automo ve, plas cs and aluminium industries, as well as in tool- and mould-making for the processing of, amongst other workpieces, impression dies, tablet moulds and deep drawing dies. AFM has proven its worth in other sectors, as well, including medical technology, avia on and aerospace, as well as tex le machinery manufacturing. AM opera ons to make metallic components, as part of modern industrial produc on, is opening up an addi onal range of applica ons for AFM.

New perspec ves for barrel finishing Surf, stream and pulse finishing processes involve barrel finishing solu ons for individual part processing, which can be easily integrated into automated produc on lines. These new developments permit accurate, reliable deburring, edge rounding, smoothing, grinding and polishing of high-quality, geometrically complex components, such as machine cu ng tools and implants, as well as motor, gearbox and turbine components, matched to manufacturing cycle me. These are tasks which have usually had to be completed manually in the past by means of me-consuming, costly processes because no automated solu ons were available. The eﬀects of pulse finishing are based on ideally matched rela ve mo on between the processing medium and the workpiece. For example, the workpiece is secured in a clamping collet and accelerated to a speed of up to 2000 rpm, decelerated and accelerated again in a

With the help of AFM, surface roughness can be improved by a factor of five to eight, as compared with the ini al surface condi on. Surface tension is reduced at the same me. Image by 4MI GmbH.

1. Upper Cylinder / Piston 2. Measurement of media pressure 3. Workpiece / Workpiece holder 4. Hea ng / Cooling 5. Abraisive Media 6. Lower Cylinder / Piston

Schema c diagram of an AFM Machine. Image by Fraunhofer IPK.

METALWORKING

This stream finishing system with pulse drive, which is integrated into mass produc on in the automobile industry, is used for fully automated deburring, rounding and smoothing of cam sha s. Reduc on of peak-to-valley height, for example from 0.2 μm to 0.1 μm, is accomplished in less than one minute. Image by OTEC GmbH.

DeburringEXPO 2019 With the help of plasma polishing, for which an electrolyte consis ng of 98% water and 2% salt is used, burrs as well as milling marks and material upturns have been removed and smooth, homogeneous surfaces have been obtained. Image by Plasotec GmbH.

rota ng bowl within a very short period of me. Interacon with the iner a of the processing medium, due to the diﬀerent speeds of the workpiece and the abrasive par cles, results in targeted grinding ac on with accurate deburring, even in areas which have previously been inaccessible for barrel finishing, for example, cross-holes in hydraulic components.

Polishing with plasma Like electropolishing, plasma polishing is an electroly c process, but it works with high voltage and an electrolyte based on a salt solu on which is considered ecologically harmless. This process results in the forma on of a plasma a er the anodically polarised metallic workpiece has been immersed into the electroly c bath. The plasma coats the workpiece, thus resul ng in reduced roughness, as well as the removal of organic and inorganic contamina on, with just a minimal loss of mass. Depending on the material specifica on, material abrasion typically lies between 2 μm per minute and 8 μm per minute, and achievable roughness values are less than 0.01 μm. The geometric shape of the component remains nearly unchanged.

Which processes ensure reliable and economically efficient deburring and production of precision surface finishes? Which new technologies are available? Which criteria need to be taken into consideration for the selection of a suitable process? Answers to these and many other questions will be provided at DeburringEXPO 2019, the 3rd Leading Trade Fair for Deburring Technology and Precision Surface Finishing, which will be held at the Karlsruhe Exhibition Centre, Germany, from 8 to 10 October 2019. The exhibition portfolio includes equipment, systems and tools for belt grinding, brushing, abrasive flow machining, vibratory grinding, blasting with solid and liquid media, abrasive water-jet blasting, magnetic-abrasive deburring, ultrasonic deburring, chemical bath deburring, electrochemical machining (ECM), electron beam machining, thermal energy machining (TEM), mechanical deburring, buffing, polish honing, electrolytic polishing, plasma polishing, laser polishing, immersion and brush polishing, as well as measuring, test and analysis systems, and technical literature. More information can be obtained from www. deburring-expo.de.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

IES ENGINEERS NUS STUDENT SHARE CHAPTER KNOWLEDGE AND

HIGHLIGHTS

Prof Tan spoke about linear algebra and its real-world applica ons.

Par cipants cracking their brains during the Integra on Bee Challenge.

Integra on Bee Challenge 2019: To present Mathema cs, itself an integral element of engineering, in an engaging and fun manner, the IES-NUS Student Chapter held its annual Integra on Bee Challenge on 23 January. To engage students who were less confident in this area, a pre-challenge Engineering Mathema cs Forum was first conducted. Professor Victor Tan from the Singapore Mathema cs Society was invited to share his knowledge on the three forms of linear systems in linear algebra and their applica ons in areas such as image processing and web page rankings. He also oﬀered ps on how to tackle and get be er at the subject. With a smaller class size, the session was more interac ve. The real challenge came right a er, where the par cipa ng Challengers tested their speed, accuracy and knowledge in a series of rounds with quiz ques ons that had to be answered quickly and correctly on the online med Q&A pla orm Kahoot. A er a gruelling four-hour, three-round integra on blitz, a winner, Tan Gian Yion finally emerged. For his eﬀorts, he took home a JBL FLIP 4 waterproof portable speaker. Overall, it was a successful and enjoyable event.

NUS Engin Day: The Student Chapter set up a game booth during the NUS Engin Day, which also took place on 23 January. This faculty-wide ac vity serves to welcome all students to the new semester and provides an opportunity for them to relax, have fun, and explore the ac vi es the university has to oﬀer. The booth showcased what the IES-NUS student chapter was all about and the events that were organised in the past academic year. Members of the execu ve commi ee were also on hand to engage the freshmen, sharing with them the benefits of membership, such as access to a support network, leadership opportuni es, technical visits and more.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

IES UPDATE

CAFEO WOMEN SUMMIT 2018 The CAFEO Women Summit 2018 was held on the sidelines of the 36th Conference of The ASEAN Federa on of Engineering Organisa ons (CAFEO 36) by the IES Women in Science, Engineering and Research (WiSER) Commi ee. It took place on 13 November 2018 and was a ended by CAFEO delegates, who hailed from ASEAN and beyond, as well as engineering students from the various universi es and ins tutes of higher learning here.

With the increasing number of women joining the engineering, science and research arena, the CAFEO Women Summit looks to acknowledge their contributions and forge a stronger community in this area.

The summit served as a pla orm for advoca ng diversity and equality in the engineering profession, and was chiefly focused on empowering and promo ng women leadership in the engineering industry, with the aim of crea ng greater awareness of this sector to aspiring female engineers. Targeted at women who were current or poten al leaders in the field of engineering, science and technology, the topics discussed ranged from women leadership in the industry to exploring unconven onal fields. Par cipants spent a meaningful a ernoon listening to and discussing the issues of the day with the speakers, each a leader in their fields, who shared their experiences and invaluable insights on their careers and passion for engineering.

Summit par cipants and speakers pose for a group photo.

The speakers shared their career experiences and passion for engineering with the par cipants. (From le ) Ir. Prof Dr Leong Wai Yie, Vice President, Women Engineers Sec on, The Insitu on of Engineers, Malaysia; Ms Yong Hwee Yee, Vice President, Janssen Supply Chain; Ms Amy Tan, Leadership Coach, 3M; Ms Jasmine Foo, Chairperson, IES WiSER Commi ee; Ms Lyne e Tan, Co-founder and Execu ve Director, Singapore Space & Technology Associa on; and Assoc Prof Ong Soh Khim, Department of Mechanical Engineering, NUS.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER April 2019

IES UPDATE

IESA AND TEMASEK POLY LAUNCH NEW COURSE TO TRAIN LIFT AND ESCALATOR INSPECTORS To help expand the pool of cer fied professionals in li and escalator inspec on, IES Academy (IESA) and Temasek Polytechnic (TP) jointly launched the Li & Escalator Inspector (LEI) Course on 15 April 2019. The new LEI course equips par cipants with in-depth knowledge and competence for the inspec on of li and escalator installa on and maintenance works, in accordance to prevailing standards. Currently, owners of passenger li s and escalators must conduct an examina on, inspec on and tes ng of li s and escalators annually. If their ver cal transporta on systems fulfil all requirements, a Permit-to-Operate will be issued. Cer fied inspectors will be allowed to assist Specialist Professional Engineers (SPEs) in carrying out relevant du es during such inspec ons. The course is open to individuals who have at least a diploma in mechanical or electrical engineering. The full course fee is SGD 2,500, with up to 95% funding available. IES and the Associa on of Consul ng Engineers Singapore (ACES) are also working with government agencies to launch an LEI Registry to cer fy and maintain qualified technical professionals in this area. To be registered, candidates need to a end the LEI course run by IESA and TP, or that conducted by BCA Academy. “Inspec on of li s and escalators is a cri cal component of ensuring safety and reliability for their users. IES seeks to contribute to the building of a strong core of professionals cer fied to carry out inspec on du es with high levels of competence through this course with Temasek Polytechnic and through future ini a ves such as the set-up of the LEI Registry,” said Mr Mervyn Sirisena, IES Vice-President for the Educa on Group. Mr Cheah Swee Hock, Deputy Director of TP’s School of Engineering, added: “The posi ve response to the inaugural run of the course is encouraging. TP is delighted to collaborate with IES to provide relevant training to strengthen in-demand skills and capabili es for the transforma on of the li and escalator industry.” There are currently about 60,000 passenger li s and about 6,000 escalators in Singapore, with just slightly over 80 li and escalator SPEs (who are able to perform li and escalator inspec ons and cer fica ons) currently registered with the Professional Engineers Board. For more informa on about the IESA-TP LEI course or to register, please visit: h ps:// www.tp.edu.sg/courses/part- mecourses/short-courses/li -and-escalatorinspector-course

Representa ves from IESA and TP were on hand during the launch session to brief par cipants on the details of the new course, such as its requirements, content and funding ers.

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