ISSUE NO.1 www.ipriasia.com
A BRIGHT FUTURE? AUTOMATION TRENDS OF 2021
5 CNC MACHINING TRENDS TO WATCH OUT FOR IN 2021 AUTOMATING THE DESIGN TO MANUFACTURING LIFECYLE
DIGITAL ISSUE NO.01 : FEBRUARY 2021
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EDITOR’S NOTE
ADDRESS IPRI Co.,Ltd. 58/2 Soi Phrom Sri, Sukhumvit Rd., Khlong Tun Nuea, Wattana, Bangkok 10110 Thailand Tel: +66 (0) 2392 2011 Website: www.ipriasia.com MANAGEMENT Publisher Wannee Sananwatananont MEDIA DIRECTOR Laverne S.Taypin : lawant@ipriasia.com ADMINISTRATION / DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION Rawiphan Promgam : rawiphan@ipriasia.com DIGITAL TEAM / PRODUCTION Wiratchada Sukkhathon : pure@ipriasia.com Watcharida Sukkhathon : preem@ipriasia.com
As the world faces challenges due to Covid-19, which has disrupted lifestyles of people regardless of their race or skin color, all across the world. And as the digital technologies, the upcoming 5G network have provided people with fast and broad access to information, helping to connect people across borders. increasing production efficiency in the manufacturing sectors, thanks to the full speed and unlimited connectivity, making the world a smaller place like one could never have imagined before. This edition of Digital Magazine for industrial sector of the machine tool and metal working industry that you are now reading is the latest updates on modern technologies for the manufacturing industry of the machine tool and metal working industry so that everyone can access latest technologies from the manufacturers and for the manufacturing industry instantly and with efficiency. It also allows you to access to information in digital format so that you can easily forward and share the information to those that are relevant. I hope that our readers will benefit from Asia Pacific MetalWorking Digital issue. For any of the latest developments on new technologies that you would like to share, kindly send to us at editor@ipriasia.com. We are more than happy to be the medium for sharing your news.
Lavene S.Taypin
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CONTENTS AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS A brighter future? 6-7 Automation trends of 2021 10th Robotics Congress – 8 smart manufacturing of the future
MACHINING 5 CNC Machining Trends
9-11
to watch out for in 2021
EXECUTIVE TALK
SMART MANUFACTURING PTC’S THINGWORX AND VUFORIA POWER FUJITSU SMART FACTORY FRAMEWORK
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AUTOMATING THE DESIGN 13-16 TO MANUFACTURING LIFECYLE 10 KEY STRATEGIES TO WIN
NEOPLUS AND PARTNER IBM BRINGS IT SOLUTIONS TO METALEX 2020
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TECHNOLOGY UPDATE Pushing forward digitalisation in the machine tool industry with intelligent algorithms and platform technology
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ASIA UPDATE Declaration to hold Manufacturing World Japan New Smart Industry Academy in Eastern China Opening of Smart Industry Academy in Nanjing
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AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS
A brighter future? Automation trends of 2021 Despite the obvious disruptions caused by COVID-19, the future for manufacturing looks bright. According to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) third quarter 2020 outlook survey, 66 percent of manufacturer respondents are positive about their company’s outlook over this year, with increases expected in sales, employment, production growth rate and wages. Here, Claudia Jarrett, country manager at industrial parts supplier, EU Automation, analyses how automation will make 2021 a very fruitful year. The NAM report, which is revised each quarter to reflect the historical data, states demand and business disruptions the manufacturing sector faced in early 2020. For instance, real GDP fell dramatically by an annualized 31.7 percent in the second quarter, the largest quarterly decline in the history of the series, dating back as far as 1947. However, the latest Manufacturing Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) Report on Business, reveals that economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew significantly in October 2020. In fact, the overall economy saw a sixth consecutive month of growth, which is America’s strongest manufacturing growth in two years. 6
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Displaying a willingness to adapt and a degree of resilience, manufacturers are implementing strategies which might turn into the winning formula for a successful 2021. So, let’s see how this could be the case. Advanced robotics Many manufacturing plants have found themselves with emptied premises, due to shutdowns or to the necessity to stagger shifts or move part of their workforce to remote working. Plants, however, required the usual amount of upkeep and extra services, such as daily deep cleaning and extra maintenance for equipment pushed to its limit to meet spikes in demand or make up for lost productivity. To do this while reducing on-site personnel, companies have increasingly turned to robots, with the consequence that stock prices for advanced robotics soared in 2020. Reliable supply chains Remember the days when toilet paper and hand sanitizer were luxuries? During lockdown, people worldwide have
experienced first-hand the consequences of complex supply chains that heavily rely on one geographical area. To prevent this from happening again, manufacturers must seek to eliminate single-source dependencies by diversifying their supply chains in 2021. We will witness a shift from global to regional sourcing, with manufacturers sourcing raw materials closer to home and producing components, which were traditionaly outsourced for manufacturing, in-house. In addition, companies will also need to invest in inventory management solutions that provide visibility across all nodes of their supply chains, beyond their tier-one suppliers. In this way, manufacturers will be able to react quickly if one node is unable to fulfil an order. This is where establishing a relationship with a reliable parts supplier is essential. Industrial automation parts suppliers, like EU Automation, deliver parts in quick turnaround, ensuring replacements can be sourced timely to prevent downtime and maintain supply chain stability.
sustainably. Recent HIS Markit research shows that the pandemic has reinforced existing policies to decarbonize industry, with Canada, the European Union, the UK and China leading the way. In fact, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. renewable energy consumption has surpassed coal for the first time in over 130 years, meaning that sustainability will continue be at the core of investors’ agendas. Now, an increasing number of global corporations are also advocating for sustainability. Apple, for example, announced in July 2020 that it is expecting to make all its supply chains and products carbon neutral by 2030. It is expected a growing number of companies will follow suit and launch similar initiatives in 2021. Despite last year’s disruptions, manufacturing’s future looks bright. For those considering investing in automation technologies, rest assured as EU Automation has stood by manufacturers’ side during the most challenging moments of the pandemic and will continue to do so in the year of resurgence.
Producing sustainably Lockdown gave nature a chance to reclaim its spaces — footage of wild animals cruising town centers undisturbed made headlines. Next year, pressure from consumers and governments will push manufacturers to intensify their efforts to produce
Source: Claudia Jarrett, country manager at industrial parts supplier, EU Automation https://www.roboticstomorrow.com/stry/2021/01/a-brighter-future-automation-trends-of-2021-/16068/
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Online-Event:
10th Robotics Congress – smart manufacturing of the future The thematic focus of the anniversary event will be on artificial intelligence, high-tech meets ease of use and programming, machine learning and human-robot collaboration & safety. Top-class expert presentations will show which technical prerequisites must be met for the optimal use of robots in the smart manufacturing of the future.
Sensors & Vision The robot is inherently blind and stupid. Only sensors and cameras turn it into an intelligent machine that finds its way around the process. It also makes it possible to reach into the box, a special application that is ubiquitous in the automotive sector.
Artificial intelligence
HRC & Safety
What opportunities do AI-based approaches open up in process automation and robotics? What steps are needed to transform modern algorithms into value-creating practical applications in order to fully exploit the potential of AI?
The era of cobots has gained tremendous momentum. The models are designed to work together with the worker. The topic of safety plays a central role in this application and should not make potential users shy away from a first use.
Machine Learning
Get in touch with the future of robotics and don’t miss this event.
In the future, it will be important to combine intuitive operation with high-tech. Machine learning and AI will play a key role here. The technology must be integrated in the robot so that the user is not aware of it and can benefit from it at the same time. 8
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Due to the current situation, the congress will only take place online as a live stream!!! Reference: https://www.technology-academy.group/en/10-robotics-congress/
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CNC Machining Trends to watch out for in 2021
Computer numerical control (CNC) machining a subtractive manufacturing process that employs computerized controls and machine tools to remove layers of material and produce a desired part, is one of the most commonly used manufacturing techniques. However, it’s actually based on technology that was developed in the 18th century. The beginning of industrialization in the mid-eighteenth century saw the technological precursors of CNC machining. However, it wasn’t until the Cold War that the technology was automated and the CNC machining method was fully realized. Finally, in 1952, Richard Kegg developed the “Cincinnati Milacron Hydrotel,” considered the first modern CNC milling machine.
Milling technology continues to evolve and find new applications each year alongside rapidly-developing computer and manufacturing technology. And amidst disruptions including the boom of “smart” technology and the COVID-19 pandemic (and its ongoing impacts on consumer behaviors), manufacturers increasingly seek ways to improve productivity and flexibility while cutting costs. This challenge requires the widespread adoption of new technologies, some of which are likely to take hold industrywide in the coming year. These four trends are on the horizon — and almost certain to shape the direction of CNC machining in 2021.
Fewer setups and a greater number of axes will lead to greater CNC machining savings for manufacturers.
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MACHINING 1. More axes for greater cost-savings Traditional CNC machines feature linear motion in three axes. While many machines now include a moving bed, a 3-axis milling center remains still as the cutter itself moves. Typically, with a 3-axis machine, the bed moves linearly along two axes while the spindle translates up and down along the third axis. 4-axis machines enable more detailed cutting by incorporating a rotational axis. Typically, a fourth-axis rotary is mounted to the machine table, and the part is mounted to the face of the fourth-axis rotary. This makes 4-axis machines well-suited for manufacturing medical devices and parts with complex geometries.
Considering that each setup requires additional operations, materials, time, and potential for error, fewer setups translate directly into cost-savings. At the same time, the proliferation of multi-axis machines is lowering prices across the board for smaller CNC machines, making the practice of milling more accessible to small operations and hobbyists. 2. Universal solutions for tooling
Vacuum fixtures or vacuum plates, which are used to hold projects in place that are difficult to secure or might easily deform, have traditionally been custom-made for each project. As a result, they have been quite costly, and most manufacturing teams tend to avoid using them unless strictly Finally, 5-axis machines represent the pinnacle of milling necessary. ability. These machines enable micromachining, and are capable of producing extremely detailed cuts at unmatched However, the introduction of universal bases like the Pierspeeds. They consist of three linear axes and two rotational son SmartVac and the Blue Photon UV workholding system degrees of freedom. While 4- and 5-axis CNC machines have made it possible to custom-configure a single part have been commercially available for a number of years, they for multiple operations. As a turnkey alternative to custom have only recently become financially accessible to many fixtures, these tools make it possible to create certain manufacturers. parts at a fraction of what it would have previously cost. What’s more, legacy CNC machines can be retrofitted to include more axes; by adding a trunnion that allows for greater tilt and rotation, a 3-axis machine can easily become a 5-axis machine. This increases the capabilities of the machine, allowing for more operations with fewer setups.
Matrix Innovations created a similar solution in the form of universal soft jaws, which can also be customized and used for repeated operations. Together, vacuum tables and reusable soft jaws make it far more affordable to complete complex CNC machining projects.
In the future, “cobots” will work alongside humans in the factory, learning how to optimize performance and reduce operating costs.
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3. Increased use of robotics While robots have long been used in CNC machining, it’s only recently that collaborative robots, or “cobots,” have seen widespread adoption. Cobots, unlike industrial robots, are designed to work closely alongside human workers. They’re programmed to work intuitively, and can even be taught their intended operation with manual movements. Cobot adoption is accelerating rapidly due to advances in robot vision systems. Just like a Tesla car has vision systems that can recognize cars and pedestrians, vision systems can be attached to cobots, teaching it to see, recognize, pick, and place parts in a machine shop. Because these robots have minimal programming and training needs, they are incredibly versatile and rarely require significant time investment up-front. It’s expected that this technology will help make workers more productive while also reducing costs in the long-run by reducing the likelihood of human error. Further, as machine learning capabilities are increasingly built into robotic systems, some experts predict that cobots will become even more effective workplace collaborators in the near future. 4. Advances in workforce training Equipment manufacturers are increasingly installing 3D CAD viewers into their standard machine platforms. This screen acts as the primary visual guide for operation setup and progression, and can even be configured to include troubleshooting videos. The integration of this software in CNC machining equipment will help manufacturers not only improve workforce training but also increase the effectiveness and efficiency of existing employees. What’s more, though this technology comes at a high upfront cost, it is likely to increase cost-savings in the long run by reducing operator error.
The democratization of CAD software means more powerful software is available to small and large companies alike.
What’s more, CAD/CAM sofware offers countless integrations with machine platforms, model-based definition (MBD) software, 3D viewing systems, and more. These integrations reduce the chances of user error and increase the accessibility of CAD/CAM software. The future of CNC machining These developments in CNC machining promise to make the technology both more accessible and more reliable in 2021 and beyond. What’s more, as these trends make it easier and less costly to complete custom projects quickly, CNC machining will provide greater agility than ever before — a key competitive advantage as ever-growing consumer expectations fuel the rise of on-demand manufacturing. For product teams looking to take advantage of the latest developments in CNC machining, or to improve their existing CNC machining operations, there’s no better partner than Fast Radius. At Fast Radius, it’s our goal to help customers achieve consistently excellent results, and our team of skillful engineers and designers work with every customer to deliver unmatched support during every stage of the product development process. We guarantee that every customer is satisfied with the quality, cost, and production time of their parts. Contact us today to learn more.
5. Advances in CAD/CAM software In just the last five to 10 years, CAD/CAM has become increasingly democratized. The software, which was once prohibitively expensive, is now not only more affordable but also more accessible, intuitive, user-friendly, and powerful. This upgraded CAD/CAM software enables increased efficiency and accuracy — as well as even more innovative workflows.
Reference: https://www.fastradius.com/resources/cnc-machining-trends -2021/
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PTC’S THINGWORX AND VUFORIA POWER FUJITSU SMART FACTORY FRAMEWORK – Fujitsu expands its existing customer relationship with PTC to become a system integrator – PTC’s ThingWorx and Vuforia platforms integrated into the Fujitsu Smart Factory framework, enabling manufacturing customers to accelerate their digital transformation initiatives The Fujitsu Smart Factory framework, deployed with Thing Worx, supports shop floor efficiencies, enabling customers to reduce costs, increase productivity, and redeploy previously tied-up assets. Paired with the Vuforia AR platform, the Fujitsu Smart Factory solutions will enable customers to empower their front-line workers with the critical information they need to do their jobs safely, efficiently, and accurately, while also enabling customers to build resiliency and agility in their respective sectors.
PTC (NASDAQ: PTC) has expanded its existing customer relationship with Fujitsu America, Inc. to promote adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) and augmented reality (AR) technologies. As a systems integrator (SI), Fujitsu has integrated PTC’s award-winning ThingWorx® Industrial IoT and Vuforia® Augmented Reality (AR) platforms into its Smart Factory framework, enabling manufacturing customers to accelerate their digital transformation initiatives by addressing growing skills gaps, providing support against increasing macroeconomic and cost pressures, and pioneering new ways of working. “Our alliance with PTC will be pivotal in helping manufacturers thrive in an increasingly challenging business environment. Our enhanced Smart Factory framework, bolstered by the ThingWorx and Vuforia platforms, will enable our customers to create real-time operational insight and intelligence across manufacturing domains, helping to improve tactical and strategic operations,” said Paul Bresnahan, Head of Manufacturing at Fujitsu America, Inc. “Together, Fujitsu and PTC are enabling our customers to bring in new business that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise – it’s a ‘win win’ for everyone.”
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“We are pleased to enter into this new phase of our relationship with Fujitsu. Fujitsu and PTC share a common vision to help manufacturers accelerate innovation in the factory to deliver meaningful business impact with speed and at scale,” said Catherine Kniker, Divisional Vice President and Global Head of Corporate Development, PTC. “We both understand the challenges that come with migrating to a digital factory, and believe our robust experience positions us well to help our customers quickly achieve value with their digital transformation initiatives.” ThingWorx is PTC’s award-winning platform designed to deliver Industrial IoT solutions at scale, across the enterprise, and enables organizations around the world to gain competitive advantage and reduce costs. Since its initial launch, thousands of industrial companies, including discrete product and process manufacturers, have used ThingWorx to successfully optimize business processes, improve manufacturing operations, modernize field service delivery, and more. PTC’s Vuforia AR platform, recognized by industry analysts for its depth and breadth of capabilities, offers some of the fastest, easiest, and most advanced AR content development solutions, enabling increased workforce safety and efficiency, better customer experiences, and reduced cost, among other business benefits.
AUTOMATING THE DESIGN TO MANUFACTURING LIFECYLE 10 KEY STRATEGIES TO WIN Design to Manufacturing Increases Quality and Innovation while Cutting Costs Manufacturers that adopt a concurrent and integrated design-to-manufacturing process—where their CAD, simulation/ FEA, electrical, CAM, inspection, quality management, work instructions, ERP, and manufacturing execution system (MES) software are synchronized, with CAD systems’ product definitions serving as the central product definition —can also increase their quality and innovation while cutting costs in three key ways. Speed time-to-prototype Syncing the diverse base of systems enables manufacturers to reduce the time-to-prototype exponentially while increasing product quality. When centralized product models managed in CAD systems are the main product definition engineering and manufacturing rely on, teams have the analytics, data, and information they need to take action, in the language or lexicon they speak. As a result, companies adopting this approach are seeing a proliferation of new product prototypes with fewer initial design and prototype errors while also protecting against and future production issues.
Foster collaboration Manufacturers who adopt a design to manufacturing approach to managing the lifecycles of their products free up engineers and production teams to work interactively and solve manufacturing challenges faster. Manufacturing product engineers can use design to manufacturing environments or platforms to evaluate new product designs earlier in the product development process. And manufacturing scheduling teams can look at the impact of new models on existing shop floor workflows, as well wear and tear on new machines. This results in the ability to both increase manufacturability and reduce costs. Pursue configure-price-quote selling The total available market for a manufacturers’ products increases the more a given manufacturer can offer customer and distributors flexibility in product designs. Taking a lifecycle-based approach where the centralized product model serves as the single product definition companywide can free medical product manufacturers up to pursue a configure-price-quote (CPQ) and product configuration strategy. This, in turn, can deliver higher gross margins by attracting customers who otherwise would not have
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10 WAYS DESIGN TO MANUFACTURING DRIVES MORE REVENUE Companies who excel at providing customers the freedom they want today for customizing products stand the greatest chance of dominating their markets five years from now. Design to manufacturing is the roadmap manufacturers are relying on closing the gaps between designers, engineer’s quality management and production teams. Presented below are ten ways Design-to-Manufacturing drives more revenue: 1. Eliminating disconnects between what engineering designed and what manufacturing can produce leads to more sales at higher gross margins. Design to manufacturing closes the many gaps between engineering and manufacturing, enabling manufacturers to improve time-to-market and also create, design, product and sell more profitable customizable products. By unifying simulation/ FEA, electrical, Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM), inspection, work instructions and ERP systems into a single platform, manufacturers are driving higher gross margins too. Real-time integration enables all of these systems to share engineering and manufacturing data, further closing configuration gaps and driving more revenue. 2. Opens up new global markets by being able to personalize products at scale increasing Total Available Market (TAM) 14 ASIA PACIFIC METALWORKING
revenue size and growth. Localizing products doesn’t have to take months or years. When a design to manufacturing strategy is in place, product managers, markets, and engineers only have to change a product model once for a new national or regional market. Design to manufacturing increases the speed and scale of global expansion by simplifying product configuration management over lifecycles. 3. Real-time fine-tuning of new product features that specific customer segments want is now possible using design to manufacturing, accelerating sales cycles in the process. When designers, engineering, quality and manufacturing can see how their product designs impact customer deliver dates via the design to manufacturing platform, both teams can work with product management to fine-tune product requirements in real time to unique customer needs and drive more sales. 4. Speeding up product development lifecycles for new customizable products that more perfectly meet customers’ requirements, delivering new revenue is a major benefit of design to manufacturing. The majority of a new product revenue ramps sharply up in the first six months following launch of a new product. By capitalizing on the unique cadences or clock speeds of every step in the production process, design to manufacturing platforms enables manufacturers to reach a new level of customer responsiveness and
product quality and maximize launch revenue. By unifying these diverse systems, manufacturers are slicing through the performance paradox of product configuration, delivering excellent quality products while meeting challenging delivery dates.
based on a single, unified product data model stored in the CAD system that flexes changes as customers’ preferences shift to new features or options. The best aspect of having a unified product data model is that the existing one
5. Closing product configuration gaps with design to manufacturing improves customer order accuracy, fulfillment, speed and product quality creating greater customer loyalty and follow-on sales. The gaps between simulation/ FEA, electrical, Computer-Aided Manufac turing (CAM), inspection, work instructions and ERP systems cost manufacturers’ valuable time that’s spent solving order problems instead of excelling on each customer order. When these two systems are orchestrated on a common design to manufacturing platform, time-to-customer improves due to the unique cadences or operating speed of each system being synchronized with each other. The result is greater follow-on revenue from satisfied customers.
being used in production can be duplicated then modified to support product line enhancements fast. Design to manufacturing extends the life of best-selling products by managing the many feature and product attributes including effectivity, product modularization, product model definition and master data models.
7. Improve the balance of revenue across configurable oducts to sell higher margin models while reducing margin exposure for the less profitable configurations using the insights gained from the design to manufacturing platform. When design, engineering, quality and manufacturing all share the same data and manufacturing intelligence, it’s much easier to align the entire company on designing, selling and building the most profitable 6. Extending the sales of best-selling products by adding configurable products. Design to manufacturing closes new features to product models without disrupting ex- the gaps that make expensive pricing and profit margin isting production workflows is possible using a design mistakes happen. to manufacturing strategy. Design to manufacturing is
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8 . Increase pricing accuracy and estimates by using the automated, real-time manufacturing cost estimation capacities inherent in the design to manufacturing platform. When each products’ model is the system of record for essential costing and pricing data, real-time manufacturing cost estimation improves. Manufacturing has greater visibility into standard, direct, and indirect costs and can better manage production workflows to generate the highest margins possible. 9. Quoting accuracy improves by providing sales and marketing with a single definition of every product that can be sold in a make-to-stock, configure-toorder or engineer-to-order configurations leading to more sales. Design to manufacturing enables manufacturers to move beyond the constraints that held them back from pursuing Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) and product configuration strategies. When a single product model contains all the configuration data needed to scale from make-to-stock to engineerto-order without requiring manually input data or additional work 10. Automatically propagate product and design changes across all functional areas to accelerate new products to 16 ASIA PACIFIC METALWORKING
market while improving product quality. Design to manufacturing speeds up new product development cycles, improves product quality, and increases yield rates. With a single product model serving as the master representation of the product, engineering, quality and production can complete tasks concurrently and further increase sales while reducing costs. Taking a centralized product model approach that scales across the entire design to manufacturing process combined with a collaborative working environment helps to increase the levels of innovation manufacturers can achieve. Concurrent and integrated design to manufacturing process makes it possible for manufacturers to deliver products faster, at a higher overall level of quality, and at lower costs. It’s time for manufacturing to adopt a more lifecyclebased approach to creating new products, one that brings together design, engineering and manufacturing interactively on a real-time collaborative platform.
Reference: https://www.solidworks.com/media/automating-design-manufacturing-lifecycle?key=9842d622b2b4ef9d03388db3d5699a7c#
EXECUTIVE TALK
Khun Woranun Chantawong, General Manager, Neoplus ((left) and Pipat Lekhachaiworakul, Server Solutions Product Manager, IBM Thailand (Right)
NEOPLUS AND PARTNER IBM BRINGS IT SOLUTIONS TO METALEX 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant effect on the events industry in Thailand. At the same time, it has given the country an opportunity to innovate. Metalex 2020, the leading Machine Tools & Metalworking Exhibition in ASEAN, and the first hybrid meeting solution for an industry exhibition in Thailand that opened 18 November, offered a blend of offline and online activities. The show presented several booths featuring latest innovative technologies in machine tools and metalworking. For this edition of Asia Pacific Plant Manufacturing, APM has held exclusive interviews with Metalex 2020 exhibitors to gain an insight into the latest trends that are to shape the industry in 2021. APM Digital talks to Khun Woranun Chantawong, General Manager, Neoplus, explained that Neoplus is a Systems Integrator company. “A majority of our shareholders are from the Information Technology (IT) sector. We started our business in 1996 with a capital registration of only 10 million Baht. Now we have a registered capital of 25 million Baht. As Systems Integrator, what we do is provide both hardware and software components for enterprises business in Thailand. Our
products are more world class products, and we provide long-term support for companies who are our clients. Especially nowadays, as technology is constantly changing, our mission is be a provider of innovative technology. APM Digital talks to Khun Woranun Chantawong, General Manager, Neoplus, explained that Neoplus is a Systems Integrator company. “A majority of our shareholders are from the Information Technology DIGITAL ISSUE NO.01 : FEBRUARY 2021 17
EXECUTIVE TALK (IT) sector. We started our business in 1996 with a capital registration of only 10 million Baht. Now we have a registered capital of 25 million Baht. As Systems Integrator, what we do is provide both hardware and software components for enterprises business in Thailand. Our products are more world class products, and we provide long-term support for companies who areour clients. Especially nowadays, as technology is constantly changing, our mission is be a provider of innovative technology. In Thailand, we have a lot of IT & Computer services. Basically, the client desires to reduce costs and share resources. One of the trends in the next five years is for Digital Transformation, and that applies for all industries. Therefore, our business is to cooperate with our partners to facilitate hybrid, software and enterprise planning as it is inevitable that companies have to grow in terms of digital. Another trend is mobile and internet, therefore mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) has a clear implication for our business in 2021. Furthermore, another trend is towards ‘Cloud Computing’ or ‘Hybrid Cloud Journey’ so our business is to focus on all these elements as we provide Information Systems, Storage, Hardware, Software and Infrastructure Solutions for every industry.” “We have been visiting Metalex every year and this year we realized that we should exhibit at Metalex to tap into Innovative Technology. Neoplus joint with IBM and Business Partner to present our business solutions for our potential partners at this exhibition.” “IBM is the major Business Partner of Neoplus. There are many new technologies that can be applied in the manufacturing sector which are presented at Metalex 2020. We are much grateful to Reed Tradex for organising Metalex 2020. We suggested that there should be IT integration as well because there has been Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), and Endpoint Security Management.” Pipat Lekhachaiworakul, Server Solutions Product Manager, IBM Thailand, expressed that IT solutions presented at Metalex comprised of both hardware and software solutions and are especially for the manufacturing sector. “From IBM perspective, IBM and Neoplus would like to propose turnkey solution which is including high performance hardware platform, like IBM Power Systems, and AI software solution for manufacturing focus, we would like to become partner and trusted advisor with the manufacturers, such as pharmaceuticals, who maybe seeking cost-efficient hardware and systems for their automation systems. Nowadays, the trend is for AI in manufacturing so IT services are to have more prominence for the manufacturing sector. For manufacturers who already have a team for technology, they can 18 ASIA PACIFIC METALWORKING
easily utilize IBM solutions for operating the technology. This can easily deliver the best AI solution to every industry with high speed, better accurate, and cost-efficient platform with our IBM Power Systems product bundling with. Secondly, we have customized solutions for manufacturers that are based on innovative technologies, such as the AI for Computer Vision which can be utilized to inspect the processes along the manufacturing line in many manufacturing industries; for instances, automotive, oil & gas, pharmaceutical, and so on, to minimize the number of defects in the production, improve quality, reduce cost and time spent on defective products in output, quality inspections, and also preventive maintenance. We have received many use cases and client success references from across the world and quality is one of the concerns for our clients. As we presented this technology at Metalex 2020 together with Neoplus, we can see our use cases can match with booth visitors and many companies have been interested in our solutions.” Neoplus also introduces IBM AI solutions and high-performance computing platform can also be applied for healthcare businesses, such as to help doctors in abnormal detection and classification from X-ray films and CT scans where the objective is to identify tumors for cancer diseases, for instance. The reliability of the solutions can be as much as 80 - 90 percent in cases where the data is accurate and good quality. Or in pharmaceuticals, to detect the changes in the color of the medicine, to check the expiry date, or to control the quality in production line. In terms of digitisation, Neoplus and IBM informed that they can now integrate our solutions with 5G network at manufacturing plants to increase speed, automation, and insights. IBM Robotic Automation Process or RPA is a focus for manufacturing systems. This is particularly for repetitive tasks, such as keying data frequently or answering customers same queries, robotic process and robot engine can be utilized. For industrial manufacturers, this increases efficiency for manufacturers by reducing time and effort spent on manufacturing in terms of process flow. Lastly, we also have tools for cybersecurity for prevention of malware and viruses that may arise from employees’ mobile devices or BYOD (Bring Your Own Device).
Last but not least, IBM AI Solutions and Enterprise Applications have partnering with Neoplus also been employed in terms of ‘Smart City’ development. The technologies can even be utilized for transportation systems, such as traffic issues and license plate identification, to begin with.”
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE Pushing forward digitalisation in the machine tool industry with intelligent algorithms and platform technology VDW joins forces with Spanflug Technologies – Start-up dedicated to automating parts procurement in the manufacturing industry
Dr Johannes Schmalz (left) and Dr Markus Westermeier (centre) developed the idea for Spanflug while completing their doctoral studies at the iwb of TU München. They founded the company in January 2018 together with Dr Adrian Lewis (right).
The VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association), Frankfurt am Main, has acquired a minority stake in Munichbased Spanflug Technologies GmbH. The contract was signed last November. The start-up has been operating since 2018 and was spun off from the Institute for Machine Tools and Industrial Management (iwb) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Its declared aim is to automate the quotation and parts procurement processes for the manufacturing industry. It provides two products for this: a platform on which customers can interact with suppliers and process their orders, and software which suppliers can use to generate their offers automatically, quickly and transparently.
“The VDW enjoys excellent links throughout our industry, and we are delighted it has come on board. It’s the ideal partner for us,” said company founder Dr. Markus Westermeier. “Both sides were interested in establishing a close, long-term cooperation beyond the purely consultative. The idea of a financial involvement on the part of the VDW was floated and then very quickly implemented,” he continued. “We enlisted the support of some of our members to evaluate the Spanflug solution and found that it leads the international competition when it comes to the analysis and cost calculation of CNC parts,” added Dr. Wilfried Schäfer, Executive Director of the VDW. “The stake offers great potential, not only for our member companies and their customers, DIGITAL ISSUE NO.01 : FEBRUARY 2021 19
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE but also for the mechanical and plant engineering sector as a whole in Germany. The aim is to use the Spanflug technology and its resulting efficiency gains to secure the long-term competitiveness of the German manufacturing industry.” He went on: “The participation represents a new field of business for the VDW and thus opens a fresh chapter for us. In times of upheaval it is especially important to be expanding our portfolio as part of our efforts to remain attractive to new members.” The Spanflug Technologies manufacturing platform specialises in CNC turned and milled parts. It offers customers a fully automated procurement process, including everything from price calculation through to an online shop where orders can be placed. Customers are given the price and delivery time during the enquiry itself. “Our software automatically calculates the price based on CAD models and technical drawings,” explained Dr Adrian Lewis, co-founder of Spanflug. “A new price can be recalculated immediately if any changes are made to the design. We’re currently able to calculate prices automatically for over 90 per cent of the components on the market. This is based on a pricing algorithm which we developed ourselves and which we are constantly refining in order to be able to process even more components automatically,” he explained. More than 1,000 customers are now ordering components on the platform and prices have been calculated for more than 100,000 production parts.
A large network of more than 70 high-performance manufacturing companies from Germany and Austria is already connected to the platform. “We attach great importance to this, as it ensures high quality and fast deliveries,” affirmed Lewis. The benefits for customers are that it can shorten the entire ordering process from days to a few minutes, it saves time in the search for suppliers, and minimises the work involved in ensuring suitable supplier quality and the outlay for communication. This reduces the ancillary costs of procurement. For their part, the manufacturing companies can eliminate unused capacity and make savings in sales and marketing. Spanflug’s second pillar is also based on the platform and is a software service in the form of automatic price calculation for manufacturing companies. They can use this software to automate their costing process and generate customised quotations at the click of a mouse. Spanflug’s founders see great potential in automated costing processes, both for the customers and for the manufacturing companies themselves. The participation of the VDW will allow them to ramp up the development of their platform technology and significantly expand it by getting the machine tool manufacturers involved. “The VDW brings extensive i ndustry knowledge to the table and is thus the ideal partner for us here. Ever since talks began we have been seeing increasing benefit from our access to the VDW’s network and the close proximity to the machine tool industry,” concluded Westermeier.
Dr. Wilfried Schäfer, Executive Director of the VDW, Source VDW
Spanflug analyses the CAD models and technical drawings of components and calculates a price based on the resulting data in just a few seconds.
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Reference: https://vdw.de/en/pushing-forward-digitalisation-in-the -machine-tool-industry-with-intelligent-algorithms-and-platformtechnology/
ASIA UPDATE
Declaration to hold Manufacturing World Japan 32nd Manufacturing World Japan will be held from Feb. 3 - 5, 2021 as scheduled on January 7th, the Japanese government declared a state of emergency.
circumstances.” It is because exhibitions have the following features.
The government stated that exhibitions should be held with thorough guidelines for preventing the spread of infection, with the number of participants in the exhibition up to 50% of the capacity and 5,000 people.
- Exhibitions, in principle, should be held regularly at the same time and place each year. - Since exhibitions are a “business place” where business discussions worth billions upon billions of yen are held, they are indispensable for exhibitors and visitors alike. - Exhibitors start preparing some six months before the exhibition, whilst visitors also begin making appointments with exhibitors and seminar applications. - Exhibitions bring huge economic benefits to the host cities every year in terms of accommodation, transportation, food and beverage, and therefore have the nature of public infrastructure.
The guideline for exhibitions is that the maximum number of visitors at any given time* per venue should not exceed 5,000. As such, we would like to inform you that Manufacturing World Japan will not be impacted by the restrictions and can be held as usual. (*It does not mean that the total number of visitors to the exhibition will be limited to 5,000.) The exhibition will be held while following the guidelines for Covid-19 control measures of the government, municipalities, and the exhibition industry to ensure the exhibitors’ and visitors’ safety. For more information on the control measures, please refer to the official website of the exhibition. As a fair organiser, Reed Exhibitions Japan has been hosting exhibitions over 33 years based on the belief that “Exhibitions, in principle, should be held as scheduled under any
We will continue to follow this principle and hold all exhibitions as scheduled. Economic activities have been stagnant due to Covid-19. We are determined to contribute to accelerating and developing the industry through this exhibition and sincerely appreciate your continued support and cooperation. Reference: https://www.japan-mfg.jp/content/dam/sitebuilder/rxjp/mfg-japan/documents/2021/en/mfg_declaration_0108_2.pdf
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ASIA UPDATE
New Smart Industry Academy in Eastern China New location in one of China’s most important industrial regions: Already in the first days of the new year, Deutsche Messe Technology Academy GmbH sealed a new partnership in the People’s Republic. The new Smart Industry Academy is located in Jinan, the capital of the coastal province of Shandong in eastern China – in the Sino-Italian Industry Park of Zhangqui, an industrial suburb of the provincial capital. At the customary contract signing ceremony on 10 January 2020, both partners made it clear that they did not want to lose any time in the implementation of the project. Thomas Rilke, Managing Director of Deutsche Messe Technology Academy GmbH: “I would like to thank the Chinese partners for the trusting and extremely goal-oriented negotiations, for which we only needed little more than three months”. His contractual partner Qing Jiang Wang announced that the new academy will start operations as early as April and will support industrial knowledge transfer in the region with initial events. Rapid internationalization of the Technology Academy Reinhold Umminger, as Director Global Business of the Technology Academy responsible for the internationalization of the concept, was very satisfied with the rapid realization of an Academy at the third location in China: “By providing a detailed play book that clearly defines roles, tasks and necessary resources for new locations, we can effectively support our local partners in the implementation.”
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The north-eastern province of Shandong with its 100 million inhabitants is one of the leading industrial regions of the People’s Republic. The capital Jinan is a junction point in the Chinese high-speed railway network and is located about 400 kilometres or about 90 minutes south of Beijing and west of the well-known port city of Qingdao with its more than seven million inhabitants. Jinan itself is home to numerous internationally active industrial companies such as Bosch, Festo, or Continental. The university with numerous research institutes as well as centres for dual education are important partners in the ecosystem of the new Smart Industry Academy in China’s east. Reference: https://www.technology-academy.group/en/jinan/
Opening of Smart Industry Academy in Nanjing
The opening of the Smart Industry Academy in Nanjing is a milestone in the expansion of the worldwide academy network of the Deutsche Messe Technology Academy. 27 November 2020, the time had finally come: with a slight delay due to the global pandemic, but still, on schedule in 2020, the Smart Industry Academy in Nanjing, the foreign location in China, goes into operation. Thomas Rilke, Managing Director of DMTA: “Of course we would have been happy to be physically present in Nanjing. The opening ceremony of our Smart Industry Academy Nanjing is another good news from China.” Another good news from China. Special thanks to Yu Qing of Chilin Science and Innovation Park, Wu Libao, Secretary-General of Jiangsu Higher Education Association, and Zhang Rui, Chairman of the Nanjing Robot Research Institute- and of course to Reinhold Umminger, our director Global Business! Lower Saxony’s Minister of Economic Affairs Bernd Althusmann and Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Board of Management of Deutsche Messe AG, also took part in the hybrid event. Both emphasized the important role of the academy in Nanjing for the transfer of knowledge and the presence of German companies in China.
Affairs Bernd Althusmann and Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Board of Management of Deutsche Messe AG, also took part in the hybrid event. Both emphasized the important role of the academy in Nanjing for the transfer of knowledge and the presence of German companies in China. Due to its geographical location and economic importance in China, Nanjing is an ideal location for the development of a global network of production technology. Rilke and Umminger announced the opening of further locations.
Reference: https://www.technology-academy.group/en/opening-nanjing/
DIGITAL ISSUE NO.01 : FEBRUARY 2021 23
EVENT CALENDAR
ISSUE
TH
NO.1 JAN
NO.2 APR
NO.3 JUN
NO.4 S
TH TION IN THAILAND
INT
4 Issues / ye Logimat Europe Stutgart
Thailand Industrial Fair
Manufacturing Expo
07 - 10 April 2021
22-24 June 2021
23 - 26 June 2021
BiTEC Bangkok, Thailand
Stuttgart Trade Fair Center
BiTEC Bangkok, Thailand
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Digiview Advertizing Group Co.Ltd
EUROEXPO Messe
Reed Tradex
TH
IPRI Co.,Ltd. TH
TH
Wire Southeast Asia
TILOG-LOGISTIX
NEPCON Thailand 2021 23 - 26 June 2021
25 - 27 August 2021
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BiTEC Bangkok, Thailand
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INT
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Ucimu-Sistemi per Produrre
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