Manufacturing & Engineering Production Magazine - April 2020

MANUFACTURING PRODUCTION

AIRPORT

INVESTS IN A STORAGE ROBOT THAT IS UP TO FIVE TIMES FASTER THAN COMPETITORS

MANUFACTURING

APRIL 2020

WECA

INVESTS £5M TO KICK-START REVOLUTION IN DIGITAL ENGINEERING

PRODUCTION

ENGINEERING

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ZEDOX® New from ARI: The double-offset High Performance Valve – the economical alternative.Suitable for temperatures from -40°C to +260°C (max. +400°C).

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CONTENTS 56 34 28

50 Editor

Paul Attwood editor@mpemagazine.co.uk

Senior Editorial Assistant

Francesca Amato editorial@mpemagazine.co.uk

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Georgina Baxter editorial@mpemagazine.co.uk

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Editors Note Hello and welcome to the April Edition of Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine.

Within this issue, we explore the very latest news and topics within the sectors. On page 13 Steve Richmond, Director of Logistic Systems for Jungheinrich UK, discusses and considers the future of intelligent Intralogistics. Companies have implemented AI systems but can these really be utilised to their max potential without a strong intralogistics foundation?

Steve gives an interesting insight into this and how it is opening up new business opportunities.

Another subject we explore in this edition is Robots and Cobots. Clive Sharp, Business Line Manager for Atlas Copco Tools & Industrial Assembly Solutions, examines the key differences between Robots and Cobots on page 22 and explains the new opportunities collaborative robots present to the assembly process.

If you would like to be included within our next issue or discuss an editorial feature, please send an email to: editorial@mpemagazine.co.uk

Paul Attwood Editor

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine however, the publishers accept no responsibility for the claims or opinions made by advertisers, manufactures or contributors.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic (including photocopying) or stored in any information retrieval system without the prior consent of the publisher.

Contents 8 10 13 20 22 27 31 32 34 56 58 62

Driving the Digital Manufacturing revolution AMH Material Handling increases e-commerce throughoutfor Selfridges & Co at DHL facility Automation is the foundation for intelligent intralogistics Coach House automates warehouse operations and optimises space with Jungheinrich Collaborative robot working – new opportunities for the assembly process See the light with UV Bonding Adhesives MAPAL Drills into Productivity Gains at MACH 2020 Guhring Raises the Standard with New Drilling Line Tornos MultiSpindle To Get UK Exhibition Debut at MACH WECA invests £5m to kick-start revolution in digital engineering Exploring the use of motor systems for Luxury Vehicles

mpemagazine.co.uk @mpemaguk

Axiom GB automates Kuehne + Nagel’s distribution facility Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

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Latest News

Health and Safety managers are becoming increasingly stretched as their role increases in scope, urgency and importance. Likewise, procurement functions get frustrated as supply chains become ever more complex, making it harder to manage and demonstrate compliance. Finding and assessing the right people for the job can be costly and a huge admin burden Gemma Archibald Managing Director, Alcumus SafeContractor

Make UK and Alcumus SafeContractor announce new partnership to reduce workplace accidents and increase sustainable growth for British manufacturers UK today announced that it has selected Alcumus SafeContractor, in a new partnership to reduce workplace accidents and increase sustainable growth, making British manufacturers safer, healthier and stronger.

Manufactures regularly utilise contractors for their specialist expertise to get to market faster, more efficiently and more economically than their competitors. However, the use of contractors has inherent risks. The Health and Safety Executive suggest around 581,000 workers sustained non-fatal injuries in 2018/2019, many of these are down to unsafe work practices which can be avoided with the correct education and precautions. Further to this, increasing legislation means that manufacturers need to consider compliance beyond health and safety to include environmental factors, quality, finance, GDPR, and to ensure that their supply chain is free from modern slavery.

Industry investing in workforce health and wellbeing with 90% of companies rewarded with productivity boost With 90% of manufacturers having workers who are sick, long-term – over 80% are providing voluntary sick pay, and another 80% easing the way back into work with phased and flexible working Make UK is also today publishing a Health and Wellbeing step-by-step guide for manufacturers outlining how to implement cross-sector best practice, Working well, working better With an alarming backdrop of ever-increasing skills shortages, rapid technological change and an ageing workforce, manufacturers are investing more than ever before in their employees’ health and wellbeing. Counselling, health-screening and mental health first aiders are the norm in factories

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Make UK has partnered with SafeContractor, the UK’s leading health and safety accreditation provider, to help British manufacturers overcome these challenges. The partnership will provide members with the appropriate health & safety and ethical vetting of their supply chain to minimise the risks to individuals and their business.

We are delighted to partner with SafeContractor. Through the partnership we can provide our members with the tools to ensure legislative compliance and reduce the risks associated when working with contractors.

The efficiencies derived from access to thousands of accredited contractors offers our members a route to get to market faster, more efficiently and more economically than their rivals, offering them a competitive advantage on the global stage. This will be critical post-Brexit when the UK can strike up new trade deals with the rest of the world and must maintain its competitive edge Andrew Ward Health, Safety and Sustainability Director, Make UK

across the UK with modern and flexible working opportunities sitting at the heart of British industry.

This investment in people has brought with it a boost in productivity for 90% of manufacturers along with improvements in workforce relations.

Manufacturing companies also saw a reduction in absenteeism alongside a strengthening of staff retention as a return for wellbeing spend on staff. These findings are revealed in a wide-ranging report into the UK’s health & safety landscape published today by Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation and Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing, part of Hyperion Insurance Group, entitled report “Health, wealth and wellbeing for Manufacturers”.

The last official numbers from the UK’s Office of National Statistics showed 141million days lost to sickness absence in 2018, and over 17million working days lost to mental health related conditions. Across the whole of the UK economy, sickness absence costs companies £15billion a year. Over 60% of manufacturing companies already provide workplace adjustments including flexible working for those returning to work after a period of sickness absence, while 52% have put in place a professional Occupational Health service to support staff on their journey back to work.

Executive Vice President of CNC Software, Inc. Transitions to New Role CNC Software, Inc., the developer of the world’s leading CAD/CAM software, has announced that Owner and Executive Vice President Brian Summers is transitioning to a new role in the organization. Summers will retain ownership responsibilities but is stepping away from executive duties as Vice President to embark on a new journey as an ambassador for the manufacturing community Mastercam is the most widely used CAM software in industry and education. It is likely that you encounter something that was produced using Mastercam every day. It is prevalent in all facets of industry, including automotive, aerospace, job shops, and medical device manufacturing. Summers was instrumental in the development and evolution of this CAD/CAM technology.

Working with his brothers, Summers was pivotal in starting CNC Software in the early 1980s, from a home office, and growing the business to what it is today. Over the decades, they evolved Mastercam from a few toolpaths, to a name brand provider of CAD/CAM to the global manufacturing community.

The business they started, still operating as a privately held family operation, now employs hundreds and is connected to the world market with a world-class Reseller network, providing sales, training, educational services, and technical support to clients around the globe.

Summers has developed an extensive group of contacts over the years working for his family business. In his role as ambassador, he will spend time traveling to meet up with clients and other prominent players to share stories of innovation and accomplishment in the manufacturing industry.

These are people and organizations working in the public and private sectors that are leaving a positive mark on the world in which we live.

“It has been a lot of hard work and an incredible privilege to have been a part of the development of a world-renowned brand in the field of manufacturing. I’m so thankful for the community of talent that I have been a part of for more than 30 years.

What people are capable of doing with Mastercam has always impressed me, from medical solutions to space exploration to automotive innovation. As I transition from Executive Vice President to Mastercam Brand Ambassador, I look forward to traveling around to meet with the people and organizations using our software, in addition to the talented community of Resellers and Partners supporting ongoing software development. As an ambassador for manufacturing and the Mastercam brand, I am excited to share their stories.”

Safran Nacelles’ Engine Exhaust System Takes Flight on First Boeing 777X The maiden flight on January 25 of Boeing’s 777X jetliner marked a new milestone for Safran Nacelles’ development and production of the largest jet engine exhaust system of its type ever manufactured for a civil aircraft, according to the company. Produced primarily in titanium, the system has a complex nozzle shape to optimize the aerodynamic flow of exhaust from the jetliner’s engines. A portion of its surface incorporates acoustic treatment that contributes to reduced noise levels from the 777X’s high-thrust General Electric GE9X powerplants.

Safran Nacelles, based in Gonfreville l’Orcher, France, has provided all of the exhaust system’s developmental units – including those equipping the No. 1 twin-engine 777X (a 777-9 version) that began flight testing on January 25 from Paine Field in Everett, Wash., along with the first shipset to be incorporated on the initial jetliner to be received by an airline customer.

Additionally, initial spare parts are now with Boeing Global Services (the aircraft manufacturer’s services and support organization), and all engineering reports for airworthiness certification were delivered by Safran Nacelles on time.

The 777X exhaust system represents the first major role for Safran Nacelles as a Boeing supplier. Safran Nacelles optimized the 777X exhaust system’s design and manufacturing processes, applying its assessment methods for the performance of titanium components in the nozzle’s high-temperature environment.

Europeanwide Success of Lithuanian Company RD Signs Lithuanian company RD Signs, which specialises in lightboxes, channel letters, petrol station design, interior solutions and custom-made products, has been successfully operating in the European Union market with renowned brands such as Renault, Volvo, Ferrari, Maserati, Skoda, McDonald’s, Subway, H&M, G-STAR, Shell and Esso. The company has recently completed building a new factory with 6,000 m2 of production space and state-ofthe-art technology, in the Šiauliai FEZ. Previously, RD Signs was specialising in the production of visual advertising and had been operating in a single space. As the number of its customers, their needs and volumes grew, it was decided to have the second, a more modern, plant built.

The investment estimates at around EUR 4 million, of which approximately EUR 3 million was allocated to the building to be constructed, and EUR 1 million, for the equipment and its integration into the overall system. The factory has combined/ integrated the ERP/CRM systems with/in the latest CNC milling, cutting and folding machines and welding/assembly centres.

The quality control system has also been improved.

The RD Signs’ motto is to make the ideas of European companies visible. A professional team of employees manages to handle 100 to 150 technologically different projects and between 1,000 and 5,000 other products a week. It also manufactures custom-made products from aluminium sheets/profiles. “Our excellent team, which is open to innovation, our top quality products and fair cooperation with customers – these are the fundamental working principles at RD Signs which help the company successfully develop its business abroad,” notes the head of RD Signs, Mr A. Butkevičius.

Lithuania has 6 functioning economic zones with the Šiauliai FEZ being one of the most active amongst them. It has seen foreign and Lithuanian capital companies launch successfully integrating state-ofthe-art technologies in modern factories.

Foreign investors benefit from launching their business in the Šiauliai FEZ as it offers zero-rate corporation tax for the first 10 years followed by merely 7.5% afterwards (where EUR 1 million worth of investments have been made).

“Throughout the 777X program, Safran Nacelles has developed a strong and valued relationship with Boeing, and our company is fully committed to supporting the production as we ramp up our output to meet the airliner’s delivery pace,” said Loïc Guillemin, Safran Nacelles’ director of Boeing programs. He is based in Washington state, home to the 777X final assembly line at Everett.

The 777X’s exhaust system is a large, two-piece center body and nozzle that benefits from the lower mass of titanium, as well as the metal’s increased resistance to heat in high-temperature jet engine applications. An important characteristic of the exhaust system is its unlimited lifetime, enabling the system to be used throughout the operational service of the 777X jetliner on which it is installed.

Safran Nacelles produces the 777X exhaust system at the company’s Le Havre, France industrial facility, where it has expanded the production resources and enhanced the acceptance area for its product line of large exhaust nozzles used on airliners.

As the largest version of Boeing’s 777 widebody aircraft family, featuring an enhanced travel experience and a reduced carbon footprint, the 777X has a maximum seating capacity of 400-plus passengers. To date, Boeing has announced more than 340 orders for the 777X. Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

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Latest News Jenax Dramatically Increases Battery Safety with NonFlammable Liquid Electrolyte Jenax, inventor of ultra-flexible, thin lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, today announced a breakthrough in battery safety with non-flammable liquid electrolytes.

The technology uniquely solves the urgent problem of batteries that catch fire or explode in extremely hot temperatures or when short circuited. With this technology incorporated into its battery cells, Jenax can dramatically increase the safety of wearables and other products that come in close contact with people, including those in electric vehicles, while ensuring high battery performance.

“Liquid is the best conductor for ionic movement, which means it delivers the best battery performance. But because liquid can also be a tremendous fire hazard, many manufacturers try to use solid state electrolyte instead. They sacrifice efficiency and -- in the case of wearables -- comfort and usability, for safety,” said EJ Shin, Director of Jenax. “Jenax has always been focused on delivering the greatest combination of safety and performance.

With this non-flammable electrolyte, we’re taking both to the next level, providing the peace of mind manufacturers and consumers need with the high performance they deserve.”

Jenax pioneered ultra-flexible, gel polymer batteries that can bend in many directions and won’t leak or harm people if cut or punctured. This eliminated the problems that traditional solid, rigid batteries pose for connected product designers, while delivering strong battery performance.

Once the non-flammable liquid electrolyte is incorporated into Jenax batteries, the company will offer hardware designers and manufacturers the ability to use liquid- and/ or gel polymer-based batteries.

Med-Tech Innovation Expo And Medilink UK Renew Partnership Rapid Medtech Communications Ltd and Medilink UK are delighted to announce that they have renewed their cooperation agreement for Med-Tech Innovation Expo through until 2022.

Both organisations have collaborated successfully on the event since 2016, when Rapid took on the annual event. The future cooperation agreement covers a broad sweep of initiatives including marketing, conference production, show floor presence for both Medilink and its members, membership development and the production of the annual Medilink UK Healthcare Business Awards.

The depth of the partnership demonstrates that both organisations are committed to working together to ensure that the event remains the premier gathering for medtech, medical plastics, digital devices and pharmaceutical manufacturing technology businesses in the UK. The next edition will take place on 1-2 April 2020 in Hall 1 of the NEC and is set to feature over 300 exhibitors and 5,000 attendees.

Darren Clark, Director Medilink Midlands, commented: “Medilink UK has a well-established history and a great relationship with Med-Tech Innovation Expo. This partnership is an echo of that relationship and I know that by working together, we can help to ensure that the Med-Tech Innovation Expo and conference programme is a leading light and a focal point for this diverse industry.”

Hitachi to make Newton Aycliffe train factory more flexible, agile and globally competitive Hitachi Rail’s factory at Newton Aycliffe, Co. Durham, which opened in 2015, will this year complete one of the UK’s largest train manufacturing orders of recent times – the £5.7bn, government-backed Inter City Express Programme (IEP). As the final train for the East Coast Mainline fleet will be delivered in the coming months, preparations are beginning for the next phase of manufacturing at Newton Aycliffe. The factory is embarking today on the transition to a new core workforce model, including a 45-day consultation process with employees at the factory.

Additionally, Hitachi Rail will make its single largest investment, of around £8.5m, since the factory was built to introduce brand new manufacturing capabilities which will benefit its customers.

Critically, these changes will put Hitachi Rail’s successful UK operation on a long-term, sustainable footing. By making its UK factory more flexible, agile and globally competitive, these changes will enable Hitachi to continue to win new train orders. They will also ensure the continuation of high-quality jobs and the investment in a British supply chain, in which over £1.6bn has been spent since 2013.

As part of the changes being made at the factory, Hitachi Rail is investing for the future. Around £8.5m will be spent on creating new carriage welding and painting facilities, taking Hitachi’s total investment in the factory in the past five years to around £110m. The increase in capability will be significant, allowing Newton Aycliffe to become a full-scope manufacturing facility, from welding panels through to building fully rail-ready trains.

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With new welding and painting facilities, similar to those at Hitachi sister factories in Japan and Italy, Newton Aycliffe will be even better placed to compete globally. The investment means it can deliver from start to finish a wider range of products, from trams and metros to commuter and highspeed trains, as well as multiple projects at the same time.

Around 40 existing staff are being trained in welding or painting as part of a significant upskilling programme. The factory layout will be redesigned within the footprint of the existing buildings, with the new on-site facilities expected to be completed in autumn 2020.

Ross Nagle, COO Manufacturing, Hitachi Rail said:

“We’re proud to be investing £8.5m in new train welding and painting capabilities at Newton Aycliffe, making the factory more competitive and sustainable. It will allow us to complete the full scope of train manufacturing for our customers across a wider range of products, making us one of the most advanced train building factories in the UK. “New train fleets built by employees at Newton Aycliffe over the last four years are helping to transform Britain’s railway, of which we couldn’t be more proud. However, the cyclical nature of demand in the industry means the factory must be more flexible and agile to secure a long-term, sustainable future.”

Company News

A powerful partnership against harmful harmonics and surges Industrial parts supplier CP Automation, has partnered with instrumentation specialist, Chauvin Arnoux to distribute its industry leading test and measurement products to the European market. This partnership will equip both customer bases with a full power quality service, from the identification to the mitigation of harmful power quality issues.

Power quality disturbances is an area of growing concern in UK industry, caused by load switching, system faults, motor starting and load variations.

Combining Chauvin Arnoux’s wide range of power and energy quality analysers and data loggers, with CP Automation’s expertise in treating harmful harmonics and surges with its extensive range of active and passive filters, businesses will be better equipped to protect valuable assets.

“CP Automation is an extremely professional organisation offering highquality service for the mitigation of mains supply issues,” explained Julian Grant, general manager at Chauvin Arnoux, UK. “Our range of high-quality industry leading products are designed to identify, measure and record power supply issues such as transient voltages, harmonics, power factor, as well as many other parameters, and so CP Automation is a perfect partner.

“It is often the case that using one of our test instruments, customers will discover they have harmonic issues, or production line outages due to

Friedheim International adds Pregis automated bagging systems to expanding technology portfolio Friedheim International, the leading supplier of print finishing equipment in the UK market, has announced the addition of automated bagging systems to its thriving packaging technology division.

Under the agreement, Friedheim will begin to distribute Pregis productline ‘sharp’ that has headquarters in the UK and Holland as well as offices in France and Germany.

Pregis is already a well-established name in the packaging market, counting the likes of flo-pak, Easypack and Airspeed among its portfolio of brands.

Working in partnership with Friedheim, Pregis will bring additional bagging and mailing solutions to the UK market.

Among the first Sharp machines available through Friedheim will be the SX, a semi-automatic tabletop device that runs bags from 5cm to 28cm wide and from 10cm to 81cm long. Friedheim will also now stock the Sharp MAX20 Automatic machine, which can run bags up to 51cm wide and 101cm long and designed for various infeed and outfeed accessories. Both machine types have an integrated printer with next-bag out technology.

Martin Howells, national sales manager of the Friedheim packaging division, said: “With over a dozen film and bag options, varying from LD, ESD based, VCI, Metallized and Mailer quality blends, the extra flexibility of the Sharp

transients, but then require assistance in resolving the issues. While we have always been willing to give sound advice, we now have a partner that can provide a much higher level of support and offer a remedial service.”

“Detecting a power quality issue in a facility is the first step to protecting equipment, improving process reliability and reducing downtime,” explained John Mitchell, global sales & marketing director at CP Automation. “Chauvin Arnoux has over 125 years’ experience in the design and manufacture of high-quality test and measurement devices, so share our power quality expertise.

Customers can now come to us for a complete end-to-end power quality service, knowing that they’re receiving industry leading products and expert advice.”

CP Automation now supplies Chauvin Arnoux product lines such as power and energy loggers, power quality analysers, HV insulation testers, earth/ground testers, micro-ohmmeters and portable oscilloscopes, along with an extensive range of multimeters and current clamps.

For more information about this new partnership, or CP Automation’s full range of industrial products visit cpaltd.net or e-mail sales@cpaltd.net technology to adapt to products and customer requirements means more jobs can get out the door at a faster rate.

“Both the design and speed of the SX at such a price point has been extremely well received in the US, and UK counterparts are now looking to follow suit, with the help of Friedheim.”

With continued growth in B2C e-commerce sales in the UK market, Sharp machines will help solve the problems presented by an increase in short runs and single order items.

Existing Sharp users have reported seeing their productivity triple, while the quality of their packaging has also increased. Aside from the mail order and e-commerce market, Sharp has seen heavy interest from t-shirt printers running a direct-to-consumer service, whereby they produce and deliver a single printed garment direct to the customer. Next to labor savings and increase of output, DIM-weight savings can be achieved whilst contributing to a lower CO2 footprint with bags made from recycled content In addition, the ability of Sharp’s technology to produce a wide range of applications makes the kit a suitable choice for thirdparty logistics (3PL) fulfilment, as well as mobile phones, accessories and electrical goods.

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Digital Manufacturing Driving the Digital Manufacturing revolution

Manufacturing Production Engineering Magazine talks to Lee Ball, General Manager at Protolabs about digital manufacturing.

Thrilling, isn’t it?

The pace of change in manufacturing is unlike anything we have seen in modern times. In truth, you might have to go all the way back to the original Industrial Revolution to draw a comparison.

And we all know it’s not going to slow down anytime soon. The changes being wrought are likely to be every bit as dramatic – and lifechanging – as those our ancestors saw more than 200 years ago.

The three central themes of Industry 4.0 – connectivity, intelligence and flexible automation – will change the way all of us work, and live, over the next decade and beyond. We know this, because that change has already begun.

Digital solutions and advanced technologies, such as the industrial Internet of Things, Big Data, cloud computing, advanced robotics, machine learning, augmented and virtual reality and additive manufacturing, are driving transformation. They allow processes and systems across both the value and supply chains to be integrated in a way not considered possible just a few years ago.

Here at Protolabs, we have developed datasharing processes and integrated additive and

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subtractive processes – traditionally at opposite ends of the manufacturing process – to transform the production model.

The use of advanced 3D printing, CNC machining and injection moulding technologies to produce custom-designed parts and prototypes in days means we can reduce costs and manufacturing lead times to levels that open up global markets to a huge range of pioneering innovators – innovators that are involved in aerospace, automotive, electronics, medical and renewables.

We can be sent a CAD design of a part or prototype one day and have a working model ready for delivery the next – thanks in no small part to our own bespoke software and high-levels of data sharing that boosts automation.

How does this work? In a nutshell, the information from the integrated part quoting and toolpathing systems is automatically shared with the production floor, where video displays allow workers to see real-time information on job queues, setup requirements, production, and quality metrics.

Likewise, status information is automatically collected as jobs progress through the manufacturing process, and then fed back into the MRP and inventory control systems.

It’s a closed-loop system, one that requires less human intervention on the production floor and more in front of a computer. This reduces manufacturing costs, increases throughput and gives management the much needed data to make intelligent decisions.

The almost infinite variety of objects — and iterations of those objects — that 3D printing can produce, means there is much less need to carry a lengthy product inventory.

Complex parts are built using almost the exact amount of material needed, resulting in minimal excess and waste. This streamlines the production of prototypes and parts, leading to an efficient global supply chain.

It is the way all of us will have to learn to work as the digital transformation inevitably spreads across all of our shop floors and offices.

On-demand production and mass customisation will become the norm and connectivity, rather than geography or size, will be the determining factor in a company’s ability to compete globally.

By positioning ourselves at the forefront of this revolution, with lead times already being cut significantly, Protolabs has been able to reap some of the benefits.

Our position as the world’s fastest digital manufacturing source for custom prototypes and low-volume production parts has helped us more than double our international trade from our European head office in Telford over the last couple of years.

That achievement – with UK overseas sales rising from £13m in 2015 to £27.7m in 2017 – also helped us gain our third Queen’s Award last year.

Furthermore, we are continuing to innovate to ensure that we build on this success.

We continue to introduce a range of secondary services to meet increased customer demand for both cost-efficiency and customisation and to reduce the number of process steps that the customer has to manage. This saves time and resources in the process.

The first of these was the detailed measurement and inspection service. Previously we only undertook standard X, Y, Z measurements, but the

new offering has been introduced to meet specific customer requirements.

We are also transforming the use of 3D printing through a continual review of manufacturing materials, such as copper. We were one of the first digital manufacturers to offer this service.

Using Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) we can 3D print CuNi2SiCr, a low alloy copper. It combines the electric and thermal conductivity of copper with good mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, which means you can design and use parts in harsh environments where pure copper is simply not feasible.

Sometimes, of course, CNC machining might be a better option than 3D printing. If you need a higher volume of copper parts then the subtractive process might be more cost effective. And while it is possible to design complex internal geometries using 3D printing, the tolerances using CNC machining are better, typically 0.1mm when compared to 0.1 to 0.2mm.

However, if you want the best of both worlds, we can post-machine a 3D printed copper part using CNC machining to achieve tolerances down to +/0.025mm.

These are just a few of the ways we are keeping pace with the transformation that digital technology is bringing. That pace might be increasing, but with our help we’ll make sure you keep up.

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Case Study AMH Material Handling increases e-commerce throughout for Selfridges & Co at DHL facility AMH Material Handling has completed a total of three projects for DHL with a combined value of £600,000 at its Hams Hall site in Birmingham. The 400,000 sq ft site handles the receiving, storage, packing and distribution of products for Selfridges & Co. The Hams Hall facility services Selfridges’ four UK stores, its click and collect service as well as its worldwide e-commerce operation.

System support - 24 hour maintenance and servicing In 2016, AMH Material Handling was asked to produce a solution to increase speed, accuracy and throughput capacity by automating the process of packing and despatch over the three-floor mezzanine site.

In order to automate the facility, AMH installed belt conveyors on level 2 to accommodate packing desks on either side. Personnel are able to package orders and then place them straight onto the conveyor belt without the need to manually move packaged deliveries. Items on level 2 travel towards the end of the mezzanine floor where they are automatically inducted into a powered decline spiral conveyor.

On level 1 of the mezzanine, AMH utilised existing conveyor systems and upgraded the conveyor belts where necessary. Again, personnel are based at packing stations either side of the conveyors and place packaged parcels onto the two conveyors. AMH installed a number of powered roller accumulation zones between the two packing conveyors to provide a continuous flow whilst merging the two packing lines onto a single conveyor as they also join the powered decline spiral conveyor.

The ground floor of the DHL site is predominately used for the packing of large goods which can’t be handled by the spiral conveyor system. Once items are packed by personnel on workbenches adjacent to the ground floor packing line, they are then placed onto a conveyor where they travel to the despatch area. The conveyor at ground floor level was designed at a height which enables workers to continue processes underneath it. This provides DHL a throughway along the ground floor, ensuring that all large despatch orders can be transported and collated with all other orders at this level.

Packaged parcels on level 2 are merged on the spiral conveyor with packed parcels from level 1.

The parcels from both levels are then transported to the ground floor where they meet the ground floor packing line conveyor infeeds. All packaging lines are then merged onto a single conveyor line which transports parcels to the despatch sortation area.

As parcels reach the despatch area, they pass through a five-sided barcode scanner which sorts them by final destination. The sortation process is configurable by the user to sort by either region, carrier or store. Flexibility for the operation was key when finalising the functional design specification. Parcels are then diverted using 24v high performance diverts and sent down the correct chute for palletising.

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A solution to accommodate e-commerce growth

Future-proofing for continued growth and peak periods

In 2018, AMH Material Handling was asked by DHL to complete additional work to the Hams Hall site.

Assam Khan, operations manager at DHL explains: “Selfridges’ e-commerce operation is continuously growing each year. As a result, we needed to expand on AMH Material Handling’s initial installation in order to keep up with the demands and meet worldwide customer delivery times.

“This year, Selfridges came back to us and predicted another significant increase in e-commerce throughput for 2019. In order to prepare for this year’s CCE week, AMH came back onto site and replaced old obsolete belt conveyors on level 2 and installed new replacement conveyors to feed the powered decline spiral conveyor. This has allowed us to make both the ground floor and level 1 our main processing floors with the option of opening up level 2 as we need it. During peak periods all three floors run at full capacity for 24 hours a day.

“Selfridges approached us and said they needed to increase their e-commerce throughput. As a third party logistics provider, it was down to DHL to source the equipment to achieve this. We realised that we needed to expand the number of workbenches on-site to increase throughput and therefore commissioned AMH to complete the additional work to accommodate this.

“We decided to move the store retail operation on the ground floor to the far side of the facility.

This freed up a significant amount of space enabling AMH to install two additional conveyor feeds to the despatch line. This allowed us to add an additional 60 benches on the ground floor significantly increasing packaging throughput.

“Our peak week for e-commerce is Selfridges’ ‘Christmas Comes Early’ (CCE) week which is essentially its Black Friday week. We had planned to process 50,000 units per day but we actually hit 58,000 units per day and we wouldn’t have been able to manage this without the extra workbench area installed on the ground floor. AMH also installed a maintenance platform for the raised despatch sortation system to provide safe access so any faults can be quickly and easily rectified.”

“AMH also extended the despatch platform and installed an additional two new chutes – taking the total of despatch chutes to six. The despatch chutes cover all our UK and worldwide couriers as well as in-store click and collect.

“The new three-floor automation system has increased efficiencies not only by making room for additional workbenches, but also by improving the site layout and allowing us to store products more efficiently. This reduces walking distances for personnel and avoids the need to pick orders across multiple floors. Furthermore, the despatch sortation system has removed the requirement to manually sort parcels by destination which would have been problematic with the growth Selfridges is experiencing.

“The e-commerce system that AMH installed for us handles on average 6,000 orders per day, but then accommodates our peak period where orders increase significantly to 20,000 per day. As well as an increase in orders, the automation and sortation system is able to accommodate 29 different box sizes for both e-commerce and click and collect parcels with no issues.”

AMH Material Handling – a consistently reliable partner “AMH managed the whole process for us from start to finish for all three projects.

Once timelines had been agreed, they brought their own project team on-site and managed the installation with no disruption to the e-commerce operation.

They also took on the roles of both principal contractor and principal designer, managing and coordinating all other trades during the project.

System support - 24 hour maintenance and servicing “In order to keep the system fully operational and avoid any unnecessary downtime which would be detrimental to meeting delivery deadlines, we

have a maintenance and servicing agreement with AMH Material Handling. This includes planned preventative maintenance throughout the year to ensure the system is running to its full capacity as well as a rapid response call-out agreement for any issues if they arise. During our CCE week, we actually have an AMH engineer based on-site so any issues can be rectified immediately.

“Working with AMH is so easy – we can always rely on them to deliver. There are never any issues

“DHL had a really good working relationship with AMH Material Handling throughout the three projects and found them to have a very professional approach the whole time. The team was always very accommodating whether it was managing health and safety on-site during installation or incorporating any design change requests throughout the process.” and they are always quick to assist whether it’s on the other end of the phone during out of hours or a visit to site. They’re always available when we need them and it’s that level of support which makes us carry on using them,” concludes Khan.

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Automation Opinion - Feature Automation is the foundation for intelligent intralogistics Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly of interest for organisations wrestling with new supply chain challenges. But can companies maximise the value of AI without a strong intralogistics foundation? The supply chain is no longer just about effective movement of physical goods; with new business models, supply chain data is becoming an increasingly valuable asset.

From anticipatory logistics to blockchain and connectivity through to the Internet of Things (IoT), Steve Richmond, Director Logistics Systems, Jungheinrich UK, considers the future of intelligent intralogistics.

Data Asset Intelligent intralogistics is enabling the development of dynamic business models and increasingly efficient global collaboration. A raft of eCommerce companies now manage extensive logistics operations handling worldwide fulfilment, without ever handling or owning the goods they sell. Blockchain is facilitating the development of new universal contracts supported by machine to machine payment with zero manual intervention.

24 x 7 convenience logistics, for items such as groceries and medicines, is becoming commonplace. Companies are beginning to explore anticipatory logistics to better predict the

point of consumption to improve performance and drive down wastage.

At the same time, companies must deal with consumers’ rising expectations. Speed and efficiency remain important, but customers are also looking at a company’s sustainability strategy and environmental credentials: AI will have an essential role to play in supporting environmental change, such as smart energy logistics.

This is a complex, fast moving and inherently data driven intralogistics environment. Indeed, it can be argued that in some cases it is the data owners, rather than the owners of the physical products, that now drive global intralogistics.

This shift towards semi- and full-automation is providing an opportunity for organisations to maximise their data assets. With the end to end supply chain becoming more complex, it is often difficult to establish where the boundaries lie, and as business models evolve, companies are looking to leverage data not only to transform process and product flow throughout the supply chain but also sharing that process visibility with partners, suppliers and customers to enhance relationships. As the data becomes more accurate, more real-time and more available, companies will increasingly look to monetise the data flow alongside, even instead of, the product flow.

Unlocking Value If data is the key to both supply chain efficiency and business innovation, how can companies unlock the value of this essential asset? While technologies such as AI and blockchain can enable extraordinary change, companies need to determine how best to create the underlying logistics environment that both harnesses and leverages accurate data resources.

The value of data is increasingly recognised, with UK firms rapidly embracing the vision of automation and the creation of the smart, connected warehouse. According to Automation in Intralogistics research undertaken by Sapio Research, on behalf of Jungheinrich, within two years, the majority of organisations plan to have automated at least 50% of supply chain operations.

Conclusion The shift from focusing on the efficient, effective flow of products through the supply chain to actively harnessing and exploring the value of the associated data asset is challenging both operationally and culturally. Intelligent intralogistics is opening up new business opportunities but how can companies successfully grow to embrace automation and achieve a smart, connected operation?

From understanding the business processes of today and the future vision, to supporting the entire automation lifecycle and making the case for each stage of the automation journey, a partner, rather than a supplier is vital. According to the research, well over half (55%) of respondents say that advances in technology have, to a great or very great extent, driven change within intralogistics over the past five years. Also, that technology led change will accelerate. As companies embrace automation through robotics and the Internet of Things (IoT) a myriad of new data resources will provide an exciting platform for AI, enhanced forecasting and anticipatory logistics.

With the speed of change not only in customer expectations and attitudes but global, intelligence enabled opportunities, organisations will have to embrace a constantly evolving business model. AI and blockchain are exciting enablers of new business models, but it is the depth, accuracy and timeliness of trusted data resources that will be at the heart of successful intralogistics operations in the future.

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Automation

Airport invests in a storage robot that is up to five times faster than competitors At the 2019 IMHX show, RARUK Automation introduced its new, EffiMat® intelligent small parts pick and storage system. Unlike comparative systems that can only pick a single item at a time, EffiMat can pick five items within its vertical shelving and deliver them all to the picking station on the same tray.

EffiMat attracted many enquiries at the show from UK companies wishing to explore the productivity enhancing and cost savings benefits this system is already demonstrating in mainland Europe. A typical beneficiary is Denmark’s Billund Airport that is set to transform the way it handles duty free goods with its EffiMat investment.

Billund Airport serves as one of the country’s busiest air cargo centres and is connected to most major European airports via multiple daily scheduled flights. Indeed, its success has prompted an ambitious expansion programme.

This includes a new 6,650 square metre storage facility which has been constructed next to the terminal building and, to optimise the use of space,

200 kegs, can you handle it?

How robots are changing the brewing industry Munch’s most famous work, The Scream has four versions in three different mediums. Each variant is unique yet unmistakably recognizable. Historically, brewing has been a mix of art and science, but with beer in high demand, optimizing the brewing process for a consistent product is key to meeting customer requirements. Here, Tatjana Milenovic, Group Vice President for ABB’s Food and Beverage division explores the application of robotics in a brewery setting.

Craft beer has seen a surge in popularity and helped boost the overall UK beer market, which saw a growth of 2.6 per cent in 2018. This is the biggest increase for 45 years. The US beer market also saw a growth of 1.8 per cent in the same period, while total volume of sales fell by 0.4 per cent. With apps making it possible for consumers to access updated tap lists for watering holes worldwide, it’s clear that consumers are willing to pay more, or wander further afield for a quality or artisan product.

Savvy breweries are increasingly turning to intelligent automation to increase productivity, flexibility and boost profits. Adopting robotics in keg picking and packing applications can reap multiple benefits for breweries supplying the catering sector.

For smaller craft breweries robotics can offer the opportunity to scale up operations to reach a wider pool of consumers. While some breweries may be reluctant to move away from traditional practices, automating select processes can achieve consistent high quality. It can also remove brewery staff from repetitive or labor-intensive tasks to focus on managing process efficiency.

Keg processing is a crucial area where robots can help. An increasing number of keg types exist, so a system that can grasp all shapes and sizes, without the need to change the robot or the gripper, is a flexible solution that can adapt to future keg designs. This low maintenance and adaptable system can reduce

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two EffiMat storage systems have been specified.

As well as providing greater capacity for storage, the EffiMat systems will be used to provide fast picking of items to re-stock the duty-free shop in the adjacent terminal building. Before, these goods were stored in a separate warehouse so delivering them to the shop incurred time and the cost of internal transport.

The new facility will allow goods to be delivered directly to the EffiMat storage robots on the ground floor. Warehouse staff will then pick the dutyfree items on the second floor. The vertical systems will take full advantage of the height of the warehouse to reduce waste of space. They will also greatly improve picking productivity and provide employees with good, ergonomic working conditions.

An interface between the airport’s ERP system and EffiMat storage robots will register in real time when an item is bought in the shop and the system will automatically pick a replacement to ensure stock is replenished. As well as providing an immediate productivity boost, this investment is seen as being a vital step in ensuring the airport is ready for further growth in line with expectation.

business costs dramatically, mitigating the need for frequent equipment upgrades.

ABB’s IRB 6640 robot is ideal for brewery applications. The robot features upper arm extenders and different wrist modules for easy customization, and can bend fully backwards, allowing it to fit into dense production lines.

Once the stacked pallets arrive on a conventional stacker, the pallets are isolated and moved to the unloading station. The robot grasps each keg, with a maximum payload of 235kg, rotates it through 180 degrees and places it on a conveyor belt. Another robot then loads the kegs back on to empty pallets for distribution.

These robots can be used with ABB’s RobotStudio software, which checks the residue in the keg, capacity and pressure conditions as well as the correct temperature for cleaning and rinsing agents. The system can be used while the robot is operational and records data relating to the life cycle of kegs.

Consumer preferences are changing, and breweries must adapt, using technological innovations such as robots to help. While inconsistencies add value to artwork, automation solutions allow beer that is crafted with 100 per cent consistency.

Automation ControlAir introduces Type 7150 precision air relay ControlAir LLC, a manufacturer of precision pneumatic and electropneumatic control products, announced the introduction of the Type 7150 Precision Air Relay. The Type 7150 is a multi-stage pressure relay offering adjustment and stability under variable operating conditions. Resolution output control combined with relief capacity make the Type 7150 a choice for pneumatic counter balance applications like articulating arms and balancers.

A new chapter for COPA-DATA CEE/ME COPA-DATA has been developing software for the industrial automation and energy sectors since 1987. The subsidiary COPA-DATA CEE/ME has made a significant contribution to its success with its responsibility for market development and customer support in Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Middle East. Since its founding ten years ago, COPA-DATA CEE/ME has continually grown and generated a turnover of 4.3 million Euros in 2019. With additions to the sales team and its new Managing Director, Johannes Petrowisch, the company is now well positioned for the future.

COPA-DATA is the world’s largest independent manufacturer of software for the digitalization and automation of machines and plants. For over 30 years the Salzburg-based company has been developing the zenon Software Platform for process-oriented and discrete production as well as power generation and distribution. COPA-DATA CEE/ME has been successfully marketing and selling its software in Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Middle East. The company has shown further sales growth in this last year, for the tenth time in a row since its founding in 2009. To successfully continue on this track the team is being reinforced with additional employees.

Seizing the chance for growth in the region The ongoing growth indicates that a broader positioning of the sales force is required. This is why the co-founder and previous Managing Director, Alexander Punzenberger, now in the capacity of proprietor of COPA-DATA CEE/ME, will be concentrating on market expansion in the Middle East.

He explains his motivation: “This rapidly growing market is very important for us. More and more infrastructure managers see the added value of having zenon in place as a standard software for the energy and utility sectors. As the first and only independent software platform until now, zenon has recently been approved by the Saudi Arabian electrical power grid provider, Saudi National Grid.”

From the New Year Reinfried Kößlbacher, previously Head of Marketing and Sales Services, will take on a new position of Area Sales Manager for the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. COPADATA is thus expanding their sales team in order to reinforce their services in these countries.

Johannes Petrowisch already moved to COPA-DATA CEE/ME in November 2019. He had been working at COPA-DATA Headquarters for seven years prior to this. In his last role there he headed up the Corporate Partnerships team. His responsibilities also included managing the Partner Community, strategic partnerships, zenon Certification, IIoT/SaaS and the topic of Smart Cities.

Effective February 1st, 2020, Johannes Petrowisch will be taking over the operative management of COPA-DATA CEE/ME from Alexander Punzenberger. “I’m very grateful to take on this extremely responsible and exciting position”, says Johannes Petrowisch. “I’m looking forward to utilizing my previous experience from COPA-DATA to help continue the growth curve COPA-DATA CEE/ME has been seeing up until now”.

The Type 7150 combines the technology of the ControlAir Type 200 Precision Air Relay with the high forward and reverse flow of the Type 6100, 1:1 Relay Volume Booster. A capsule controls the pilot pressure which offers adjustment. The Type 7150 Precision Air Relay is designed for applications where control, relief, and air flow sensitivity is needed. It’s typically used when increased flow capacity or remote pressure control is required.

Applications include volume boosting, roll loading, tension control, cylinder control, pressure control, counter balance, and industrial clutch and brake control.

The Type 7150 features flow capacity allowing flows up to 265 scfm (7,500 Nl/ min). Relief capacity up to 80 scfm (2,264 NL/min) combined with sensitivity makes the Type 7150 suitable for pneumatic counter balance applications. Control sensitivity is less than 1/4” water column and an isolated control chamber provides performance by preventing hunting and vibration, regardless of supply pressure changes or conditions. The Type 7150 Precision Air Relay can handle 250 psi (17.5 bar) maximum system pressure and positive and negative biasing capability.

ControlAir LLC manufactures precision pneumatic and electropneumatic controls. ControlAir’s markets include process control, semiconductor, printing and converting presses, diagnostic and surgical medical equipment, robotics, quality control, automotive, analyzers, compressors, pumps and paint equipment.

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“The years of experience he has gained at COPA-DATA will allow for a speedy and straightforward transition”, Alexander Punzenberger is convinced. “I’m excited about the collaboration and that this step will be laying the foundation for a successful future. This will allow a lasting basis to further expand and sustainably continue our success story with zenon in Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East. This includes reinforcing the development of our locations across the region. We are planning a permanent presence in several of the countries looked after by COPA-DATA CEE/ME. We’re beginning this course with Saudi Arabia this year”.

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Automation

Exoskeletons will transform manufacturing A Paris-based start-up recently helped a woman with partial paralysis to use an exoskeleton to walk. Breakthroughs like this are allowing exoskeleton technology to be used in more varied environments, with potential benefits for manufacturers. Here Neil Ballinger, head of EMEA sales at industrial automation parts supplier EU Automation, explains how exoskeletons will transform manufacturing.

It is common for manufacturers to use robots to carry out repetitive tasks, often in hostile environments. But what if these environments are also hostile to robots? Also, how do you protect an ageing workforce from the heavy physical workload, repetitive movements and non-ergonomic postures which undermine productivity? Exoskeletal technology now has an answer for this.

Consisting of a metal frame fitted with motorised muscles to the outside of your body, a wearable robot, more commonly known as an exoskeleton, can multiply its user’s strength and enable workers to carry out a variety of industrial tasks. Applications range from muscle support for rehabilitation to industrial suits, which allow you to lift heavy weights with next to no effort.

A tailored suit

The prevalence of different types of stationary and mobile exoskeletons, driven by pneumatic, hydraulic and electric actuation, and powered by fuel cells, batteries, or mains power, makes it vital that manufacturers know what’s best for them. To meet the demanding needs of industrial applications, plant managers should choose exoskeletons that are lightweight, comfortable, safe as well as minimally invasive to the surrounding environment.

Plenty of options are available to manufacturers. For instance, many companies are now developing single-joint wearable robotics rather than full body powered suits which tend to be heavier and more obstructive. Upper extremity exoskeletons, such as Ottobock’s Paexo, provide support to the upper body, arms and shoulders. Meanwhile, lower extremity models provide support to the legs, hips and lower torso which is useful if tasks require heavy lifting, as shown by the rehabilitation system developed by ReWalk.

Helping your workforce In many ways, exoskeletons are collaborative robots in their truest form.

Robots and humans are not just working side-by-side, they are working as one. Not only will this make manufacturers more productive, it will result in fewer injuries, less soreness and less exhaustion.

The global exoskeleton market size was valued at $25.4 million in 2015 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 58.4 per cent between 2018-2025. Apart from the obvious medical and healthcare use, demand is being driven for exoskeletons in military and industrial use too.

As well as this, plant workers will benefit from the improved skillset that will come from using an exoskeleton to complete their tasks. Since wearable robotics enable and support workers to do tasks that are otherwise dangerous for a single employee to do, such as lifting extremely heavy machinery, they can complete tasks with more confidence. If exoskeletons can help people walk again then they will certainly offer great benefits to manufacturers looking to optimise the efficiency and capability of their workforce.

Omron launches new range of MicroHawk smart cameras

In addition, Omron’s advanced X-Mode algorithms can read any code on any surface, including curved, shiny or otherwise textured materials, minimizing downtime and keeping production moving smoothly.

Industrial automation solutions provider Omron has launched the V/F400 and V/F300 Series Smart Cameras, the latest additions to its popular MicroHawk line that combines code reading and vision inspection capabilities into a single device.

The new solution is available for manufacturers who are concerned that their product inspections are becoming too complex.

The powerful yet compact MicroHawk V/F400 and V/F300 Series Smart Cameras simplify applications by combining code reading and vision inspection into a single, highly compact device.

By bundling multiple capabilities in one, the V/F400 and V/F300 Series lower hardware costs and minimize the work required for commissioning and maintenance.

Powerful technologies such as liquid lens autofocus and a high-resolution 5-megapixel color camera ensure exceptional precision while promoting greater flexibility in production line layouts.

The cutting-edge autofocus technology ensures that the camera can reliably inspect products that vary in size, shape, or desired inspection type.

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The compact size of the V/F400 and V/F300 Series makes it easy to embed them within space-constrained equipment or mount them on small robots.

Their wide variety of supported communication interfaces include Ethernet/IP and ProfiNet for added flexibility.

Automation Emerson introduces series of Rosemount solids level switches Emerson has introduced a range of Rosemount solids level switches designed to optimize operations, provide point level monitoring and support overfill prevention. The introduction of switches based on four technologies enables Emerson to offer a product portfolio for continuous and point level solids measurement.

Industrial automation solutions provider Omron has launched the V/F400 and German tech giant Bosch is rethinking driver safety and comfort, bringing one of the most overlooked interior components into the spotlight, the sun visor. The sun causes twice as many car accidents as any other weather-related condition due to temporary blindness.

The vibrating fork, paddle, capacitance and vibrating rod switches within the Rosemount range ensure monitoring of solid materials such as powders, grains and pellets in all silo types across industries including food and beverage, agriculture, chemical, power, cement, mining and plastics. The switches require low levels of maintenance and are designed for operation in challenging environments, including those with high temperatures, high pressures, dust and risk of explosion.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US reports thousands sun glare-related car accidents each year, and another study indicates the risk of a car crash is 16% higher during bright sunlight than normal weather. The traditional sun visor is not equipped to adequately address this safety concern. At best, it blocks some of the sun from your eyes but along with it, some of your view is blocked as well.

The switches can be used to provide standalone point level monitoring to help optimize filling and emptying cycles. They can also be deployed within an overfill prevention system.

Bosch is offering a solution with the Virtual Visor, a transparent LCD and intuitive camera, which replaces the traditional vehicle sun visor completely. As the first reimagined visor in nearly a century, Bosch’s technology utilises intelligent algorithms to intuitively block the sun’s glare and not the view of the road ahead.

In applications involving light, finegrained and powdered materials where measurement sensitivity is required, Rosemount 2511 and 2521 vibrating fork switches provide a solution. European Commission ATEX (Atmosphères Explosibles) certification permits installation in explosive areas, and all wetted parts are made from corrosion-resistant stainless steel, making them suitable for use in hygienic applications. The Rosemount 2501 rotary paddle switch can be used as a full, demand or empty detector in storage silos or process vessels. The paddle design can withstand heavy loads and extreme temperatures of up to 1100° C.

Bosch Reveals AI Virtual Visor For Improved Driver Safety

“For most drivers around the world, the visor component as we know it is not enough to avoid hazardous sun glare – especially at dawn and dusk when the sun can greatly decrease drivers’ vision,” said Dr. Steffen Berns, President of Bosch Car Multimedia. “Some of the simplest innovations make the greatest impact, and Virtual Visor changes the way drivers see the road.”

The Virtual Visor, which was honoured as a Best of Innovation in the CES 2020 Innovation Awards, will debut at CES 2020 in Las Vegas. The Virtual Visor was also named as an honoree in the awards competition, which recognises products across 28 categories. Virtual Visor received the Best of Innovation for the In-Vehicle Entertainment & Safety category, as it received the highest ratings from a panel of judges that includes designers, engineers and members of the tech media.

Virtual Visor links an LCD panel with a driver or occupant-monitoring camera to track the shadow cast by the sun on the driver’s face. The system uses artificial intelligence to locate the driver within the image from the driver-facing camera. It also utilises AI to determine the landmarks on the face ‒ including where the eyes, nose and mouth are located ‒ so that it can identify shadows on the face.

The algorithm analyses the driver’s view, darkening only the section of the display through which light hits the driver’s eyes. The rest of the display remains transparent, no longer obscuring a large section of the driver’s field of vision.

“We discovered early in the development that users adjust their traditional sun visors to always cast a shadow on their own eyes,” said Jason Zink, technical expert for Bosch in North America and one of the co-creators of the Virtual Visor. “This realisation was profound in helping simplify the product concept and fuel the design of the technology.”

The creative use of liquid crystal technology to block a specific light source decreases dangerous sun glare, driver discomfort and accident risk; it also increases driver visibility, comfort and safety.

From the original idea and concept phase to testing and prototyping, Virtual Visor is a bottomup solution made possible through the innovation culture established at Bosch. Employees are encouraged to apply lean startup methodologies to confirm customer benefits, market potential and feasibility for new ideas, which are then validated by peers and approved for development.

The Rosemount 2555 capacitance switch can be installed in pipes as a limit switch and spillage detector. The switch is suitable for use with materials that have dielectric values as low as 1.5 and is designed to prevent material build-up in applications where there is a risk of coating. The Rosemount 2535 vibrating rod switch provides high chemical resistance due to the fact that it is completely made of foodgrade stainless steel.

“We’ve built a culture around empowering our associates by putting them in the driver’s seat,” said Mike Mansuetti, president of Bosch in North America. The Virtual Visor was developed by a team in North America as part of Bosch internal innovation activities. “As a leading global technology provider, we understand that innovation can come from any level of an organisation, and we want to see that grow.

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Automation

MWES develops robotic system to increase case packing speed With good labor getting harder to find and retain, Midwest Engineered Systems has found that automating the more redundant production processes has become a necessity.

Automating these tasks allows the transfer of valuable labor resources to more important tasks.

MWES’s robotic case packing solution does just that for bagged products that have previously proven difficult to automate.

Of course there’s other drivers for bringing in automation, including seeing demand increase faster than humans could pack.

MWES custom designs, builds and services automation systems for its customers’ specialized needs.

The MWES case packing system allows most firms to run their production systems at speeds closer to what the upstream automation can theoretically achieve without worrying about bottlenecks downstream.

“With the labor market as tight as it is, it’s best to not waste human labor on repetitive practices when a machine can free your workforce to work on more high value operations.”

Says Pete Gratschmayr, VP of sales and marketing, MWES: “This thinking has been at the core of our design process for our case packer system.”

To achieve these benefits, the MWES case packer machine uses machine vision to locate products as they enter the machine and translates that information to the robotic picking arms.

The vision system not only conveys the location of the product but its orientation on the belt. This allows for far more precise placement into secondary packaging – a necessity for pack patterns that fill tight spaces.

The robots themselves use a proprietary vacuum end effector designed specifically for the rigors of picking and placing bagged products.

This system not only can be adjusted to handle more fragile materials, it’s also excellent at addressing the varying topology of the bags themselves.

AutomationDirect announces Wenglor rectangular 50 x 50 x 20mm photoelectric sensors Wenglor rectangular 50 x 50 x 20mm photoelectric sensors from AutomationDirect include diffuse with background suppression, retroreflective, retroreflective for transparent objects, and through-beam models. The size of these Wenglor sensors makes them suitable as drop-in replacements for other rectangular photoelectric sensor brands. Sensing ranges vary from 1200mm for background suppression sensors to 20m for through-beam models.

With the standard 50mm x 50mm housings, these rectangular photo sensors provide long range and small spot diameter, potentiometer sensitivity adjustment, visible red-light emission for targeting set-up,

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These grippers help guarantee a near-zero drop rate even while running at the high pick place speeds the MWES machines can operate at.

Using its two robot configuration, the MWES case packing machine is able to pack up to 80 bags per minute with no drops.

To make installation easy, the entire case packing machine is encapsulated within its own welded steel frame.

Installation comes down to securing the machine in its location and connecting power, air and Ethernet connection and the system is ready to go.

In most instances, systems can be up and running in a day, making the MWES case packer as ‘turnkey’ as they come. Further, its compact design makes for integrating into a production area easy. Movement and positioning can be done with just a forklift.

Depending on robot configuration, MWES’ systems could also be installed in some cold room environments.

For some of its customers, the compact footprint of the case packer has even opened up valuable floor space.

Gratschmayr says: “We’ve worked on the system to make it quick to install and easy to run. Right now it can be installed in less than a day and adding another product recipe takes about an hour for an operator.

“We think this really cuts down on the fear and uncertainty of adding this sort of automation.”

The performance of MWES case packing systems has allowed customers to relocate 2-3 workers a shift to more meaningful tasks while offering production lines to operate at a much faster pace.

In their place only partial supervision of the machine is needed. The system also opens the door to downstream automation including a palletizing system to take the secondary packaging ready for shipping, as well as upstream box erectors to further automate the process.

MWES now offers these case packing machines as a standardized system that allows for fairly quick order turnaround times.

The systems can also be ordered with three integrated robots, allowing for packing speed of up to 120 bags per minute. and are compatible with the IO-Link openstandard protocol.

Outputs are LO/DO (light-on/dark-on) nonequivalent (antivalent) complementary NO/ NC. Right-angle fixed and swivel mounting brackets are available for flexible mounting options. The swivel mounting brackets allow 360 degree vertical and horizontal adjustment.

Bespoke Solutions

Specialists in providing customers with a wide range of filling, heat sealing & lidding machinery, as well as fully automated end-of-line solutions.

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Case Study Coach House automates warehouse operations and optimises space with Jungheinrich Achieving significant savings and ROI in under two and a half years A family-run business for over forty years, Coach House sells homeware products to trade organisations across the UK, Europe and around the world, with all operations running out of its warehouse based in Lancashire.

As a fast-growing company, storage space had been an on-going challenge and in 2016, Coach House made the decision to expand its warehouse.

It was granted planning permission to build a 100,000 square foot extension, and had planned to recreate the layout of the company’s existing warehouse, with a mezzanine floor and continue to floor stack products. The business however, quickly identified that it would prove more beneficial to palletise a lot of products, from small items such as cutlery and wine glasses, to lamps and cushions to reduce damage, allow for easy movement and to streamline how products were being stored.

After a competitive tender to initially fill the extension with pallet racking, Jungheinrich was selected. Danny Bovingdon, one of the Directors at Coach House comments: “We reviewed a number of solution providers, however it soon became apparent that Jungheinrich, as a provider of intralogistics, could not only supply us out with pallet racking but also offer a variety of trucks, from high reach to very narrow aisle, as well as

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having expertise in warehouse design. We realised early on that Jungheinrich was a company that we could potentially look to work with on future projects as the dynamics of our business evolve.”

Working collaboratively with Jungheinrich to find the right solution for its specific requirements, and following the installation of narrow aisle racking in the extension of the warehouse, Coach House soon placed orders for two Jungheinrich’s high rack stacker Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) trucks and five high level order picking trucks. Two Under Pallet Carriers (UPC) were also ordered to stack larger products too big to go into traditional racking, along with two electric Counterbalance trucks. The trucks have the ability to stack or retrieve entire pallets. Jungheinrich’s trilateral stackers are also fitted with intelligent Jungheinrich Warehouse Navigation, allowing integration of the trucks to Coach House’s warehouse management system (WMS).

These semi-automated trucks offer improved productivity for any operator.

“With the combination of Jungheinrich’s racking solution and trucks, we have been able to truly optimise the additional space the extension provided, as well as maximise the performance and efficiency of our processes. We have also been able to increase our production speed and ability to manage increased order volumes,” continues Danny.

“Whilst we did have an existing Warehouse Management System, we discovered it had limited functionality and reporting tools. This is why, in 2018, we requested Jungheinrich implement its WMS due to the built-in functions and flexibility within the system. We instantly found that we were able to introduce better planning and

resource management. Another benefit has been that the WMS gives directed instructions to our warehouse operators. The system doesn’t quite run itself but with time spent on setup, rules and configuration means that managers and supervisors can spend more time on improving our operations rather than allocating basic tasks to staff. Overall, the information from the WMS allows us to achieve better results compared with the old system.”

Jungheinrich’s WMS now covers the entire warehouse and controls all storage and vehicles.

This ensures that all processes are fully connected.

When comparing results achieved year on year, before and after the implementation of Jungheinrich’s WMS, Coach House has made significant savings. From May 2018 to May 2019, it has seen an increase in the volume of items being picked (8%), a reduction in the number of hours worked in the warehouse (10%) and has reduced the number over overtime hours needed by 55%.

Danny concludes: “The upgrade of our WMS has been a major project. From the specification stage and writing of the system, to implementation, testing and go live Jungheinrich managed the entire process. When it comes to the savings we’ve made, the results speak for themselves. The amount that we’ve saved in a number of areas of the business has resulted in us achieving a return on investment with Jungheinrich in under two and a half years – it’s phenomenal. We can only see our relationship going from strength to strength to the benefit of not just us but also our customers.”

Since it started working with Jungheinrich, Coach House now has 10,500 pallet locations and most recently, it made the decision to update its entire fleet by ordering an additional 25 trucks that

will replace all incumbent providers, meaning that every process and vehicle on its site in Lancashire will be supplied

by Jungheinrich. Additionally, as an extension of the WMS, early 2020 will see Jungheinrich build a high bay warehouse automated crane solution – an Automated Storage Retrieval Systems (ASRS). The narrow building, positioned next to Coach House’s narrow aisle racking within the warehouse, will contain three cranes inside, that will go up and down on a rail, to a height of 32m. This will provide higher density, higher throughput storage and a fully automated warehouse.

Steve Richmond – Director of Logistics Systems at Jungheinrich UK adds: “We have been on a journey of automation with Coach House, having started our partnership supporting manual processes and progressing to semiautomation with a VNA warehouse and WMS, to being on the road to a fully automated high bay warehouse with our ASRS solution. Coach House is really maximising storage capacity and efficiency on its site by allowing us to build vertically and utilise the latest technology now available in forklift trucks – something that Jungheinrich continues to heavily invest in.

“We’re delighted that the company has seen such a quick return on its investment and we look forward to developing our relationship even further and helping the business make additional savings.”

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Automation Opinion - Feature Collaborative robot working – new opportunities for the assembly process Clive Sharp, Business Line Manager for Atlas Copco Tools & Industrial Assembly Solutions, examines the key differences between robots and cobots and the new opportunities collaborative robots present to the assembly process

The development of collaborative robots, or ‘cobots’ as they’re commonly known, goes back almost a quarter of a century to a research project in 1994 by General Motors to find a way to make robots safe enough to work directly with people.

In comparison to today’s technology, the first cobots ensured safety by having no internal source of motive power. Instead, the motive power was provided by the operator, enabling the cobot to provide computer control of motion, by redirecting or steering a payload by collaborating with the human worker.

Although robots and humans have been interacting on the production line for years, it is arguable that up until now they have not been fully collaborating. This is now changing rapidly with the rise of cobots, which unlike traditional industrial robots, are not placed behind guards or in cages. Cobots are designed from the outset to work safely around people, helping to move operators away from mundane and repetitive activities into areas that demand human dexterity and decision making.

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From a manufacturer’s perspective, parts 1 and 2 of the international standard ISO 10218, provide guidance on the safety requirements for industrial robots, while the Technical Standard ISO/TS 15066 details four types of collaborative features for robots: Safety Monitored Stop; Hand Guiding; Speed & Separation Monitoring; and Power & Force Limiting.

In terms of application, the safety monitored stop feature is mostly commonly used when a cobot is working independently but a human may need to occasionally enter its designated workspace. If a worker moved into this pre-determined zone, the Safety Monitored Stop feature detects this and immediately pauses activity. As a result, cobots equipped with this technology are most efficient in applications where it is rare for a human to get close, in order to avoid lost production time when the cobot is pausing.

The hand guiding application can be used for intelligent ‘path teaching’, whereby the operator moves the robot head by hand to educate the cobot to manoeuvre to a predefined route.

Furthermore, by using hand guiding for the cobot to ‘self-learn’ manufacturers can eliminate the need for costly and time-consuming coding. As with the Techman TM5 cobot from Atlas Copco’s robotics partner HMK Automation, every pose and point in the task can be guided by hand, whilst being able to change the degree of freedom of the hand-guide function easily according to the application. The ability to self-learn and receive work instructions without coding also makes deployment and re-deployment of the cobot between tasks and workstations fast and straightforward. As cobots are typically compact

and lightweight, there is often no requirement to change the production layout when switching a cobot between tasks, making their application cost-effective in the production environment.

To avoid any harm coming to human workers, the application speed of the robot is restricted in conjunction with the distance from its colleague.

This is enabled by installing an external safety device, such as a scanner, that allows the cobot to sense when its human co-workers are nearby. For example, once the cobot has sensed movement in its area, the speed it is working at will automatically decelerate, to safeguard that individual.

In general terms, collaborative robots are fundamentally intended to limit power and force to allow them to safely operate with people in the same work space, provided that the risk assessment has been carried out correctly. The robot can detect a specified level of power or force, with the Techman TM5 cobot reaching a force limit of 150N, for example.

The opportunity to integrate cobots into the manufacturing process has also increased significantly thanks to the development of the next generation of Smart Connected Assembly technology which, for the first time, enables high torque tightening strategies to be delivered through cobot working.

For example, Atlas Copco’s pioneering range of Low Reaction handheld battery tools enables tightening forces previously only attainable using dedicated robots or hand-held DC-powered nut runners. The new Transducerised Battery Pulse

tool includes a hydraulic pulse unit rather than gears and an oil-filled chamber, enabling higher torque of up to 55Nm with vibration levels below the minimum standard. Looking ahead, we anticipate our Low Reaction tools increasing to 150Nm in the near future. With a weight range of 2.3 – 3kg, the new tools also sit comfortably within the weight capacity of the majority of cobots.

The capability of Low Reaction tools to deliver high torque tightening strategies via cobots represents a new and significant step change for manufacturers, enabling them to bring robots into workstationbased tightening processes that previously relied on humans. By using an element of artificial intelligence, cobot-based tooling also has the capability to undertake actions such as reading component scans and colour recognition to select specific components and fastener locations. In addition, data from the cobot-based tooling enables manufacturers to ensure full traceability and identify and resolve issues such as joint stress, fatigue and load cell stress to increase productivity whilst reducing costly reworking.

It is important to remember that cobots are meant to aid and assist rather than substitute workers. We believe that cobot-based solutions allow companies to retain people rather than replace them, as the introduction of robots provides opportunities to train and develop workers. As a cobot-based assembly solution provider, Atlas Copco is bringing robotics, tools and operators closer than ever before. https://www.atlascopco.com/en-uk/itba Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

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Latest News

Amey Consulting launches trailblazing Railway Engineering degree apprenticeship scheme with Sheffield Hallam University Amey Consulting, in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University, has launched a ground-breaking Railway Engineering degree apprenticeship scheme to help bring new talent into the industry. The fully funded five-year Railway Engineering B.Eng apprenticeship will enable 30 new students to learn and earn at the same time.

The scheme enables college leavers to gain a bespoke Railway Engineering degree from Sheffield Hallam University, choosing a pathway in either electrical and mechanical (E&M), civil and track (C&T) or signalling and telecoms (S&T) engineering. The unique programme also allows students to work at Amey Consulting on real life engineering problems on live railway projects in parallel with their studies.

The campaign was hugely successful with over 1000 applicants registering interest for opportunities in Bristol, Birmingham, Derby, Manchester, Swindon and York. The apprenticeships will start with Amey in March and will be supported and mentored throughout their studies to become a professional Engineer, alongside having the opportunity to thrive in a diverse and dynamic business.

James Andrews, Head of Engineering at Amey Consulting, said: “Amey Consulting has thoroughly enjoyed working with a leading applied learning university to develop this degree apprenticeship programme that will ensure a future stream of highly qualified and effective engineering talent into our business.

“Future graduates from the scheme will not only possess the academic qualifications that come from studying at Sheffield Hallam University, but also practical, business focussed vocational skills obtained through real world experience, gained in our design offices and on site, helping Amey Consulting cement its reputation as one of the UK’s leading providers of professional engineering services.

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“Amey Consulting is committed to being part of a sustainable future for Britain’s railway industry and believe that providing alternative routes into the industry at all levels helps provide equal opportunities for all, resulting in a healthier, more diverse and productive workforce.”

Kim Holland, Business Development Manager, Sheffield Hallam University, comments: “It has been incredibly exciting to work with Amey Consulting on co-designing and developing this brand new apprenticeship course with Sheffield Hallam University. By having an employer like Amey Consulting actively involved in content development and delivery, it means we have been able to create a true partnership programme which provides Amey Consulting and the rail industry with the valuable skills, knowledge and behaviours needed from qualified rail engineers.

“We have worked hand-in-hand with Amey Consulting to ensure the programme meets the needs of the company, from selecting the best apprenticeship, recruiting the new apprentices and designing the programme. The knowledge and expertise from both partners will provide the new degree apprentices with unrivalled learning, which will put them in excellent stead for a successful, life-long career.”

Laura Brunton, Early Careers Business Partner for Amey, comments: “It has been a truly inspiring experience in building this programme from scratch.

We are hugely passionate in Amey about creating opportunities for people to learn and thrive within our business and have invested in training and technology for our managers and apprentices alike to increase awareness of and support for their mental and physical wellbeing. We have a wonderful supporting network of mentors and buddies too who will ensure everyone will flourish in Amey.”

On completion of the Degree Apprenticeship Programme, students will have obtained a Bachelors degree in Railway Engineering, as well as having gained sufficient experience and knowledge to register as an Incorporated Engineer (I.Eng) with the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET).

This pilot scheme is an integral part of Amey’s commitment to drive innovation in employment practices, striving for greater inclusion within the workplace and its commitment to the 5% club pledge of hiring more apprentices.

Find our more about apprenticeship opportunities at Amey here: https:// www.amey.co.uk/your-career/apprentices/

Longstanding partnership brings 50% time saving to advanced composites market

Do people still want plastic bottles?

Coca-Cola claims customers still want plastic bottles. But is there an alternative?

Drinks goliath Coca-Cola stunned world leaders at January’s World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, when it stood by its decision to continue supplying single-use plastic bottles. Given the event’s theme, “Stakeholders for a cohesive and sustainable world”, the statement understandably left many jaws ajar. Here, Dr Ashlee Jahnke, Head of Research from plastic substitute specialist Teysha Technologies, discusses the announcement and how a new bioplastic could be the answer to the global plastic epidemic.

In 2018, Coca-Cola was named the most polluting company in a worldwide audit of plastic waste by Break Free From Plastic, the global movement dedicated to a future without plastic pollution. Each year, Coca-Cola is said to produce around three million tonnes of plastic packaging, the equivalent to 200,000 bottles per minute. With such alarming figures, why would Coca-Cola make such an audacious statement? The reason, it says, is because of its customers.

In an interview with the BBC, Coca-Cola’s head of sustainability, Bea Perez explained: “Businesses won’t be in business if we don’t accommodate consumers.” She believes that Coca-Cola’s customers still want resealable, lightweight plastic, hence the company having no immediate plans to shift away from conventional plastic bottles.

But, while the drinks giant apparently won’t reduce the number of bottles it produces, it has pledged to recycle as many as it uses by 2030. Furthermore, at least 50 per cent recycled material goes into Coke bottles. These may seem like steps in the right direction, but they won’t stop tonnes of plastic from filling our rivers, lakes and seas, destroying habitats and the environment. So, is there an alternative?

The bioplastic response Bioplastics have been popular for a number of years and are often found in single-use, disposable products such as plastic cutlery and packaging. There are two main types of bioplastic. The first is polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable, bioactive thermoplastic aliphatic polyester that is derived from renewable sources such as corn starch, cassava roots or sugar cane. The second is polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a polyester that is synthesised naturally by microorganisms in nutrient-deficient conditions, including through bacterial fermentation of sugars or lipids.

Bioplastics are a more eco-friendly alternative to the plastics used by Coca-Cola. However, the ultimate impact of bioplastics on the environment is subject to ongoing debate as they require specific disposal conditions in order to degrade.

At Teysha Technologies, we are working to solve this problem by developing what we call a “platform” technology, rather than a single polymer system. Our system uses sustainable feedstocks, in the form of various modified natural-product monomers and co-monomers, to generate polycarbonate materials.

By controlling chemistry, formulation and polymerisation conditions using the platform, we can tune a material’s physical, mechanical and chemical properties. That also includes its degradation rate and the mechanism used to trigger it. We have developed a system in which the material can break down in any environment containing sufficient moisture, rather than needing specific industrial composting conditions or chemicals.

Coca-Cola’s decision to improve the recyclability of its bottles isn’t going to prevent our oceans from being laden with plastic. The only way this can be achieved is to actually reduce the number of bottles, which the drinks giant has said categorically will not happen. Instead, the use of a platform technology to create materials where we can adjust the degradation rate could be the solution that the world needs.

A longstanding partnership between Base Materials and Marbocote has produced a new product to reduce curing times in the composites industry. The partnership has resulted in Base becoming technical experts in Marbocote’s products and can give clear and reliable advice on which product to use and application technique, saving time and money.

Base Materials, a leading manufacturer of styling, modelling, pattern and tooling materials, has been working with Marbocote, who manufacture and distribute a wide range of high technology semi-permanent mould release agents, to bring innovative new products to the motorsport, automotive and aerospace sectors, among others, in the UK and overseas.

Marbocote’s newest product, MTS12, is the latest innovation in the composites market. With a fast cure time, the noncontaminating, high gloss product is quick and easy to apply, ideal for use in the advanced composite industry. With superior adhesion to the mould/tool surface and inherent release properties, the MTS12 is believed to be unique in the market.

Base and Marbocote have worked together since 2001 in order to offer the highest level of service to their clients.

Joanna Rimmer, General Manager of Marbocote, said: “Base Materials are our sole distributor for the advanced composite industry in the UK. Our continued close partnership, including sharing a stand at JEC and at the Advanced Engineering Show, has promoted the development of a series of industry leading sealers; the latest of which is the MTS12.”

Darren Lambert, Business Development Director of Base Materials, said: “The Base sales team are the boots on the ground, learning what our customers need. Speaking directly to customers has enabled us to help Marbocote develop innovative new products to refine their product range.”

According to a new market report published by Lucintel in 2019, the UK composites market is expected to reach $1.2 billion by 2024, with the key sectors of growth including the aerospace, automotive and energy industries.

Mr Lambert added: “With MTS12, Marbocote has developed a product that can cure in 15 minutes at 60°C in response to the need for faster curing times within the composites industry.

MTS12 can seal porous substrates such as epoxy, polyurethane, gelcoated and non-gelcoated polyester moulds.

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Latest News Continued from previous page.

“MTS12 can also be used to refurbish old moulds and to seal micro porosity on carbon fibre parts giving a high gloss finish. Many other mould sealers take much longer to cure and do not produce a high gloss finish. MTS12 saves the customer up to 50 per cent on time spent polishing the sealant into a shine, and in waiting for the sealant to dry. The partnership between Marbocote and Base has allowed for us to develop a product that suits our key customer’s needs.”

Growth of sales and innovation is not limited to the UK, with Base rapidly expanding to new markets across Europe, including in Germany and Italy. The European composites market size was worth USD 16.6 billion in 2018, and an increasing demand of lightweight materials suggests continuous growth in this sector.

Mr Lambert continues: “Our sales team have had in-depth technical training from Marbocote and now we are all specialists of the Marbocote product range. Discussing the Marbocote products with our clients allows us to make tailored solutions that meets their needs and ensures a superior finish and better result for the end user.”

To find out more about Base Materials, visit: www.base-materials.com or Marbocote, visit: https://www.marbocote.co.uk/

Japanese firm embraces edge computing after experiment The Internet of Things (IoT) market is estimated to reach 75 billion devices worldwide by 2025.

With the big increase in connected devices, it’s becoming more critical than ever for manufacturers to leverage new technologies, such as edge computing, to gather, process and manage IoT data.

Edge computing is growing in adoption and popularity for IoT deployments to manage the data generated by assets on the ground. Edge technologies bring intelligence to raw machine data through AI and machine learning, resulting in improved operational insights.

Whether it is building CNC machines or assembling motherboards, real-time alerts to operators or machines through edge-enabled solutions result in substantial cost savings and new revenue streams.

The edge is the next big lever for digital transformation: The computational demands of emerging applications have increased significantly through the rise of complex data streams, such as streaming video and audio, acoustic or vibration data. Transporting the data sets between edge and cloud defeats the purpose of low-level latency applications—and the cost of transport and storage is prohibitive. Lastly, industrial enterprises would prefer to retain their data in-house.

Edge computing equips factory operations with: Operational intelligence: Every component of the value-chain generates an increasing amount of data, which advanced analytics can quickly turn into actionable insights instantly communicated across the relevant parts of the system. Edge computing transforms machine data into realtime actionable insight related to production efficiency and quality metrics that can be used by plant managers to reduce unplanned downtime and increase machine utilization.

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Brand relaunch for manufacturing specialist, Fablink Fablink Group, a tier one manufacturer supplying steel and aluminium products to global OEMs including CAT, DAF, Jaguar Land Rover and JCB, today announces the official launch of its new branding, with a refreshed logo that reflects the brand’s growth intentions within a fiercely competitive manufacturing industry. The unveiling follows the website relaunch in April 2019.

Following an extensive photography project by Digital PR and Brand agency, Bottle, to capture images to depict all elements of the brand and its sites, Fablink Group retained Bottle as the agency of choice to develop its new look, in line with its brand evolution. After an in-depth workshop which delved into the brand, its markets, key competitors and its core messages, the new identity was developed.

Becky Dickson, Group Marketing Officer at Fablink who worked closely with Bottle, said: “Once a decision had been made to refresh our branding, we focused on how we could best represent the brand. This proved to be a challenge due to our diverse product portfolio; our business manufactures a range of products, from metal Condition-based monitoring: With edge computing, industrial organizations can supervise asset health more effectively. By monitoring conditions in real-time, they can save on expensive asset downtime by enabling early warning indicators, which automatically trigger inventory refreshes. Moreover, asset manufacturers can explore ‘X as a Service’ offerings—where condition monitoring applications are pre-bundled with existing or new resources.

Worker safety: Adopting or refining predictive maintenance models lets operations personnel get ahead of potentially dangerous or costly issues with machinery. Edge solutions ingest streaming data from machine sensors and alert operations staff before damage to the machine or personnel occurs. Also, a signal can be sent to the central system to automatically shut down a machine to prevent damage.

Daihen faced a challenge to make its digital transformation a reality by modernizing factory operations. Leaders at the Japanese industrial electronics firm’s Osaka factory sought faster ways to analyze sensor data from devices measuring material conditions and reduce the need for manual monitoring.

Daihen deployed edge computing software in collaboration with Energia Communications to automate monitoring of its industrial transformers and harness the power of its industrial data to improve efficiency in factory operations.

Daihen leveraged an RFID infrastructure to track productivity and installed condition-monitoring sensors.

Within six months of deployment, the Osaka plant achieved 70% coverage with the RFIDbased tracking system. Daihen so far has saved about 1,800 hours per year in the manual logging process in addition to reducing levels of inaccurate planning within the manufacturing process. It projects savings of 5,000 hours/year in the Osaka plant.

A nationwide rollout is now set.

pressings through to heavier products such as cabs and chassis assemblies. It also has to demonstrate a high level of precision, accuracy and control, so it was important to find a way to represent that effectively. Encapsulating these elements equally within a simplified logo took time, but we feel the new design has subtly captured what Fablink represents and we are really pleased with the outcome.”

Commenting on the process, Head of Creative at Bottle, Steve Monk-Chipman, said:

“It was important to keep the Fablink name as the ‘hero’, rather than an icon, to ensure we built on the reputation the brand has already established. To represent the brand’s strength and maturity, we introduced a more sophisticated darker blue colour scheme, with a nod to the brand heritage with the original blue in the smaller square.

The square represents a building block, which symbolises the intricacy and precision of linear cuts within metal, acknowledging a large part of Fablink’s business.”

Parvalux reveals plans to expand into a new factory in Poole The Bournemouth-based motor manufacturer, Parvalux Electric Motors, has announced plans to build a new 13,000m2 (140,000ft2) factory and headquarters in nearby Poole, where it will amalgamate its operations from three existing sites. It has bought a 3.54ha (8.75-acre) site in Cabot Lane which was previously occupied by Barclays and Siemens. Construction is due to start later this year with occupation scheduled for 2021.

“Parvalux has been a major employer in the Bournemouth area since 1957 and this is an incredibly exciting move,” says managing director, Nick Spetch. “We chose Cabot Lane because it uniquely enables amalgamation of our three existing factories to create a single purpose-built manufacturing centre and importantly, is easily accessed by our highly-skilled workforce.

“Following hot on the heels of the acquisition of Parvalux in December 2018, this significant investment underlines our parent company, maxon’s commitment to the local economy and to growing the global Parvalux brand.”

Parvalux has been making fractional horsepower geared motors for more than 70 years and is UK’s largest manufacturer of these products.

It has been headquartered on the same site in Wallisdown Road since 1961. Parvalux currently employs about 200 people, most of whom are expected to move to the new site. In addition to three existing manufacturing sites in Poole and Bournemouth, it operates a service centre in Birmingham.

Adhesive Feature See the light with UV Bonding Adhesives For the uninitiated, the selection and use of adhesives in the design and or the manufacturing of a product can be a daunting prospect. How on earth are you supposed to know which one is the most suitable for your application. Here we explain all you need to know about UV adhesives.

disposable medical devices, such as chest drains, syringe needle bonding, catheter tube/bag sets and blood filter housings.

• •

Electronic devices such as mobile phones, optical lens bonding and fibre optic filament splicing.

Epoxy-based UV adhesives tend to be used as coatings – for example as a ‘glob top’ protective coating to protect chips on PCB’s, conformal coatings on PCB’s, dome coating on badges, protecting wire contacts on PCB’s or as an adhesive for SMD attachment.

They are also widely used in glass and acrylic furniture manufacture, as well as decorative glass, display cases, signage and trophies to name just a few! They are extremely versatile products, ideally suited to high volume production outputs as well as the artisan craftsmen.

Ultra violet light curing (UV) adhesives are just one example of how a simple adhesive chemistry can be seen as mysterious, complicated to use and very high tech, which often puts users off. That negative image belies the many valuable features and benefits of UV and visible light curing adhesive systems – and how easy they are to use.

Typically there are two types of chemistry to choose from either epoxy or acrylate based adhesives depending on your application. Acrylate based adhesives are widely used for bonding clear substrates such as PMMA, PVC, SAN, PC and glass either to themselves, in combination or indeed to some metals.

UV light curing adhesives are ‘’cure on demand’’ adhesives and remain completely inert and in a liquid state when applied to a substrate until they are subjected to controlled and concentrated UV light. These adhesives are used in many different applications, including the manufacture of

• • •

The benefits of acrylate based adhesives are numerous: Can be used in a wide variety of applications.

Fast curing, making them very useful for high output production.

Excellent adhesion properties.

Wide range of viscosities from ultra-low to thick gel.

The benefits of epoxy based UV adhesives are: • • • • •

Have superior environmental resistance.

Wider operating temperature range.

Low ionic and alkali content.

Low shrinkage giving better positioning and minimal movement.

Cure to a tack-free dry finish.

Getting It Right Selecting the correct UV light curing equipment for your specific application is also critical to the success of your production. In the main, there are two types of UV light curing systems – high pressure gas discharge lamps or LED lamps. Acrylic and epoxy based adhesives can be cured with either system. Some special acrylic adhesives can be cured using high intensity visible light 405-420nm for example when bonding UV impermeable PC or laminated glass. Others, particularly in electronic PCB applications may require a combination of UV light and heat to cure the areas in shadow underneath SMD’s. But the vast majority can be cured using high intensity 365nm UV light.

Unlike gas discharge lamps which have a broad light spectrum ranging from 340nm to 420nm, LED light sources have a monochromatic light spectrum with specific light wavelengths matched to the curing requirements of the adhesive used, with the most common being 365nm and 405nm. LED curing lamps have no warm up or cool down period, they can be switched on and off repeatedly providing instant full intensity UV light. An additional benefit is that LED light sources do not produce any infrared head which could distort or damage temperature sensitive substrates such as thin films or components on a PCB. By contrast gas discharge lamps have to warm up for a few minutes before they reach optimum intensity and are ready to use. Similarly they cannot be turned on and off repeatedly as a thermal cut off switch prevents this.

The lamp has to cool down which could take up to 10 minutes before it is ready to use again. This can have an impact on the speed of production. The useful bulb life of a gas discharge lamp is around 500-750 operating hours whereas an LED lamp can last between 10,000 and 20,000 operating hours depending on the system used.

Careful consideration should be given to the most suitable type of UV light system required for your given project or specific application. There are five main types of UV light system.

•

Handheld or jig mounted ‘flood lamps’, which emit UV over a given area and can be combined with a conveyor system to deliver the product to the light source.

•

Fibre optic light guides. These deliver UV light along single or multiple fibre optic or liquid filled light guides which give a very narrow beam of intense UV light.

•

UV Light cabinets such as Honle’s UVA cube are self-contained enclosures in which multiple bonded parts can be placed and cured at the same time. They can also be used as sun simulation chambers.

•

UV Laser pens are simple hand held precision LED UV light sources and are ideal for production or laboratory work. They offer great flexibility in delivering UV light with minimal heat output.

LED UV Torch. This is a simple, low cost high power UV torch that emits a high intensity narrow beam of 365nm UV light. It is ideal for small bond lines, prototyping, small scale production, creating decorative artwork.

Ideal for site work too as it is battery powered.

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Machining & Machinery Feature

Mitutoyo set to measure up at MACH Staff at Mitutoyo UK will be demonstrating a multitude of newly developed measuring and testing instruments at MACH 2020 (Birmingham NEC, 20-24 April), including the recently launched MiStar 555 CNC CMM. The CMM was designed to provide users with an accurate, reliable means of shop-floor measurement, and operates without the need for compressed air.

Another innovation on Stand 530 in Hall 19 will be the Crysta-Apex V series of CNC CMMs, which deliver accuracy of 1.7 micron, while the company will also shine the spotlight on its latest QM height gauges with absolute linear encoders.

Insphere joins Nuclear AMRC to drive on-machine verification Metrology specialist Insphere has become a member of the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, primarily to support the ongoing development of its on-machine measurement and verification technology.

The Bristol-based company been working with the Nuclear AMRC, part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, since early 2018, on its Baseline system.

Baseline can provide full verification of a large machine tool in less than one hour, facilitating regular checks and providing confidence in performance prior to cutting metal. The Nuclear AMRC hosted the product’s launch in March 2019, after Insphere engineers worked with the centre’s metrology and machining team to test and develop Baseline on its largest machine-tool platforms.

Elsewhere on the stand, Mitutoyo will demonstrate three recently introduced optical instruments, including the MiScan vision system. This multi-sensor vision measuring machine combines non-contact and tactile measuring routines. The MiScan uses an SP25M touch probe and Mitutoyo’s newly developed MPP-Nano scanning probe that is designed for measuring small parts. MiScan is supported by MCosmos and VisionPak-Pro software.

Demonstrations of the Mitutoyo Formtracer Avant will illustrate the hybrid instrument’s ability to deliver both contour and surface roughness measurements in a single, easy-to-use unit. Last but not least, Mitutoyo’s latest HR-350 hardness tester will be proving its ability to provide accurate readings across five different hardness testing methods.

Dave Stoddart, head of simulation and verification at the Nuclear AMRC, says: “The baseline system will enhance the capability of our Soraluce machine by enabling rapid validation of its current performance, ensuring we can tackle challenging machining operations with confidence. Insphere have a proven track record of delivering innovative solutions, and we look forward to working with them and helping the UK’s nuclear supply chain access their expertise.”

Ben Adeline, Insphere chief executive, says: “Becoming a member of the Nuclear AMRC confirms our ongoing commitment to develop innovative methods of improving machine-tool performance through the use of metrology data. This will form a critical part of our company’s strategy to develop state-of-the-art products for the advanced manufacturing community.”

Baseline uses laser-tracking technology, provided by Nuclear AMRC member Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, to create a 3D picture of the machining platform. Insphere’s software runs the instrument to gather data, then applies a set of algorithms to determine variations in any of the 21 forms of geometric error encountered in 3-axis machine tools, plus any variation in the rotary axis.

Becoming a tier-two member of the Nuclear AMRC will allow Insphere to work closely with the centre’s researchers, tap into other advanced machining and metrology research projects, and build links with leading manufacturers in the supply chain for nuclear and other quality-critical industries.

The process takes between 30 and 60 minutes for a ‘health check’ verification of all axes, as well as squareness. A full verification, including tests of the machine’s dynamic response, can take from 45 minutes to two hours, depending on the size and complexity of the machining platform. The system can also run a full ISO230 compliant test.

Insphere engineers are now installing the Baseline system on the Nuclear AMRC’s Soraluce FX12000 horizontal boring machine, and will provide ongoing technical support as part of the company’s membership. Capable of working on parts up to 12 m in length and 5 m in diameter, the Soraluce is the largest machining platform available for collaborative R&D in the UK.

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Baseline is able to improve productivity by enabling preventative maintenance before anything goes awry, minimising the risk of unexpected downtime, and reducing scrap. Furthermore, the data can help integrate large machine tools into modern digital manufacturing systems.

Machining & Machinery Feature KYAL machine tools named UK representative for Mitsui Seiki Mitsui Seiki USA has appointed Kyal Machine Tools as its exclusive representative for machine tool sales and service in the UK and Ireland. The two companies will exhibit together at MACH 2020 (Birmingham NEC, 20-24 April).

What are the ultra-low friction grease options?

The F1 in Schools competition sees students from around the world compete to design and race the fastest miniature car model. The UK took home the world champion title at the 2019 world finals in Abu Dhabi, but what can design engineers learn from this success? Here, Chris Johnson, managing director at specialist bearing supplier, SMB Bearings, explores the design options for ultra-low friction applications.

Frictional torque describes the force required to start and maintain the free running of a bearing.

The effort needed to rotate a bearing depends greatly on the roundness of the bearing, the raceway geometry, the load applied, the lubrication and the closures. For most design engineers, friction is a friend and a foe. Useful friction enables predictable and steady movements at high loads, but non-useful friction is simply wasted energy, expelled in the form of heat.

For many applications, such as manufacturing measurement or dispensing instruments, very low bearing torque is vital. When sourcing ultra-low friction bearings for these high-value precision tools, there are multiple design considerations to keep friction to an absolute minimum.

Optimised raceway geometry and special sealing concepts go a long way in creating low-frictional torque levels. However, attention must also be paid to the production process, as any area of roughness on the raceway can diminish lubrication. The rings and balls of bearings should also be machined to fine tolerances and high levels of roundness to achieve a smooth operating motion.

If not reduced or controlled effectively, a high amount of friction often leads to higher wear losses and ultimately, poor reliability and lifespan of the bearing. High torque bearings also increase the power required to drive the equipment, increasing the cost of moving the load and the energy required to operate the equipment.

A high-performance low torque lubricant is make or break for ultra-low friction applications.

Surprisingly, too much grease can be bad for a bearing, as a high grease fill means greater rolling resistance and a lack of free space inside the bearing to dissipate heat. Generally speaking, a lower fill is advised for high-speed, low torque applications.

For lower speeds, dry lubricants such as molybdenum disulphide can also reduce the friction between two surfaces without the need for oil or grease. For very low speeds or short duration bursts of speed, unlubricated bearings may be used. If speeds are too high, low viscosity oils, or greases with low viscosity base oils may be considered. Although greases have greater lubricant drag than oils or dry lubricants, a reduced fill can provide a low torque bearing while also being appropriate for high speed applications.

“Kyal Machine Tools has a long history of selling and servicing high-end machine tools such as ours,” says Thomas Dolan, vice president - sales and marketing, Mitsui Seiki USA. “Their capabilities and reputation among many common clients made this decision ideal to support our ongoing business in the region.

This is a win for our customers in the UK and Ireland, as Kyal is a first-class operation aligned with our own superior standards for precision machine-tool building, applications engineering and ongoing support.”

Kyal Machine Tools was established in 1985 and has been owned and managed

by Simon Pollard and his wife Hilary since 2006.

“What makes Kyal different from other machine-tool distributors in the region is that we only represent the very best machines in their classes, ones that offer applicationoriented, high-value solutions for machining critical components in aerospace, oil and gas, energy, automotive, medical, and other highprecision sectors,” says Pollard.

“These types of machine tools offer the greatest economic advantages for our customer base. As such, Mitsui Seiki complements our offerings very well.”

There are many lubrication options to choose from and these are important considerations for design engineers embarking on new projects that require the sourcing and installation of new bearings. However, old machines shouldn’t be ignored. If bearings in existing machines are serviced or relubricated, it can significantly improve operational and energy efficiency of the equipment for long-term cost savings.

Whether you’re designing components for an F1 model car or a real one, there are multiple factors to consider. Design engineers should adopt a holistic approach to bearing design, balancing the benefits and limitations of frictional torque to ensure optimum performance.

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Machining & Machinery Feature

Dugard Turns Out New Machine Premieres at MACH 2020 The Dugard Machine Tools stand at MACH 2020 will have a completely different portfolio of technology on-show compared to previous exhibitions. Appearing at the bi-annual manufacturing showpiece event since the 1980’s, the Brighton machine tool specialist will show no fewer than four new brands on its booth, adding to the extremely popular product lines that have become the bedrock of the Dugard brand.

On Stand 640 in Hall 20, Dugard will be introducing the prestigious range of Kitamura machining centres, with three high-end solutions on show. These machines will appear alongside the Hanwha XD26II sliding head turning centre, the impressive twin-spindle SMEC SL2500BLSY turning centre and the new Hanwha Series of Cobot automation solutions.

Showing a Cobot automation system and a sliding head turning centre demonstrates the vast diversity of technology now offered by Dugard. Of course, SMEC has long been a mainstay of the Dugard portfolio; and at MACH, the SMEC SL2500BLSY turning centre will be highlighting exactly why this extremely flexible workhorse is so popular among UK manufacturers.

Built upon the foundation of a single-piece Meehanite casting that is heavily ribbed with a torque tube design, box way slideways are used throughout the SMEC range, resulting in outstanding vibration dampening and thermal displacement characteristics. This combination permits powerful heavy-duty cutting that ultimately enhances surface finishes, tool life, component quality and of course, productivity levels. In addition, it’s is this build quality that is seeing customers report surface finishes comparable to grinding centres with precision levels equally impressive. Upon this sits a 10-inch chuck (12 inch optional) with a 650mm swing over bed capacity that allows a maximum machining diameter of 360mm and a maximum turning length of 520mm.

This ensures the robust workhorse caters for the diverse demands of the industry. The SMEC SL2500BLSY has a bar capacity of 76mm and a powerful 18.5kW spindle motor that combine to enable heavy-duty manually loaded or automatically barfed machining of relatively large diameter parts.

Complementing the powerful high-speed main spindle, is a sub-spindle with a 6-inch chuck that is driven by a 7.5kW spindle motor capable of 6,000rpm turning. The reason for the extreme popularity of the SMEC range from Dugard is the unparalleled level of flexibility, productivity and stability.

With stability and productivity assured by the robust machine base and sub-spindle configuration, the flexibility is derived from the impressive live

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tooling turret. With 12 tooling positions, the heavy-duty turret features a large diameter 3-piece Curvic coupling and 7,816lbs of hydraulic clamp force to maximise rigidity and deliver unsurpassed surface finishes and extended tool life. Each turret station is capable of accepting both milling and turning tools, with milling tools capable of reaching rotational speeds of 5,000rpm credit to the high-torque 3.7/5.5kW motor that drives the BMT65 configured system. Driven by a FANUC CNC control unit and weighing in at 5,600kg, this productive workstation will certainly be an attraction at MACH. Alongside the SMEC SL2500BLSY will be the Hanwha XD26 that will be making its MACH exhibition premiere on Stand 640 in Hall 20. As a relative newcomer to the UK sliding head sector, the Hanwha range from Dugard is already disrupting the market with its remarkably wide product range, astounding flexibility and impressive credentials. This flexibility includes the capacity for larger diameter bars than rival machines, the higher levels of spindle (up to 23kW) and driven tool power and the impressive build quality, all of which is provided at a far more attractive price point than competitor machines.

The Hanwha XD26II at MACH 2020 will be driven by the familiar FANUC 32i-B CNC interface, but the machine is also available with the powerful Siemens 828D CNC interface. The machine also incorporates the facility to rapidly switch from guide bush to non-guide bush operation. With a 26mm bar capacity and a 6000rpm 5.5kW spindle motor that is complemented by a 8000rpm 2.2kW sub-spindle, the new Hanwha XD26II offers power, precision and flexibility to suit any small part turning shop. The impressive Hanwha XD26II also incorporates a multitude of tooling configurations with five OD turning tools, an additional 10 front and back-working tools, five driven cross tool stations and also two driven and two static tooling stations for the sub-spindle – and that’s not to mention the gun-drilling station. With the configurable tool platens and positions, the Hanwha XD26II offers fast set-up times, a spacious work envelope with plentiful operator access and most importantly, kinematics that position all tool stations close to the workpiece for unbeatable productivity rates.

The robust and meticulously designed Hanwha machine also has numerous configurational options that vary from part and chip conveyors through to oil and mist chillers, gripper units, powered guide bush systems, tool and tap breakage detection, length measuring units and much more. So, whether you are undertaking the turning of larger parts that demand productive solutions with flexibility or whether you are looking for a small part solution with unbeatable productivity rates, Dugard will have the solution for your business at MACH 2020 on Stand 640 in Hall 20. Please visit our stand to view our technologies and speak to our experts.

Product News MAPAL Drills into Productivity Gains at MACH 2020 At the UK’s showpiece manufacturing exhibition at the Birmingham NEC from 20th to 24th April, MAPAL will be demonstrating why it is an industry leading manufacturer of drilling and reaming product lines. On Stand 330 in Hall 18, MAPAL will emphasise its position as a full line supplier with a range of new drilling, reaming and toolholding lines that will appear alongside innovative solid carbide and PCD cutting tools as well as Industry 4.0 technologies.

To enhance holemaking performance for end users, MAPAL has now introduced its new DrillReam product line. The underlying philosophy of the Drill-Ream is to combine individual work steps to improve precision and consistency, reduce setups and reduce machining times. For machining bores on a range of materials that vary from cast iron through to aluminium, the new Drill-Ream system incorporates a pyramid tip for unparalleled precision. This impressive new tool combines pilot-drilling, drilling and the subsequent reaming of the bore in just a single pass.

The new solid carbide Drill-Ream tools are available with through coolant to evacuate chips, prolong tool life and increase cutting speeds and feeds. Offered in incremental diameters from 5.97mm through to 12.72mm, the new Drill-Ream has been developed with an optimised selfcentering geometry that guarantees drill position and precision.

Alongside the Drill-Ream tools at MACH will be the Tritan-Drill Steel that has been instrumental in delivering productivity and cost benefits to end users since its launch. Despite the impressive performance characteristics of the Tritan-Drill Steel, MAPAL will be taking drilling technology to a new level at MACH 2020 with the arrival of its new MEGA-Deep-Drill and MEGA-Pilot-Drill.

The MEGA-Deep-Drill and MEGA-Pilot-Drill have been introduced for drilling the deepest possible bores with the smallest diameters. As the name suggests, the MEGA-Pilot-Drill is used as a high precision pilot drill and is perfectly matched to the MEGA-Deep-Drill deep hole drill. The deep hole drill was developed for hole diameters from 1 to 2.9mm. Thanks to the newly designed chip flute and special face geometry, very high feeds and cutting speeds are possible. Furthermore, the MEGA-Deep-Drill has a coated head that ensures optimal chip removal.

To bolster its drilling offering, MAPAL will also introduce the MEGA-Drill-Hardened and the MEGA-Speed-Drill-Inox at MACH for drilling to depths of 8XD and 12XD. For the MEGA-DrillHardened, the micro grain carbide substrate and precise geometry of the tool have both been specially developed to machine hard materials up to 65HRc. On the MEGA-Speed-Drill-Inox, a new groove profile has been developed for reaching drilling depths up to 12XD. For engineers drilling steel with unstable machining conditions, MAPAL will introduce the new QTD Pyramid tipped drill. The new QTD Series uses the smallest possible amount of carbide with an indexable insert that positionally centres itself with exceptional precision.

The performance of a drill is very often governed by its respective clamping technology. For over 25 years, MAPAL has built up a broad portfolio of clamping products, and at MACH, the clamping and toolholding lines will be prominent with a series of new arrivals. By re-designing the complete range, MAPAL has completely redesigned the ranges by utilising intelligent design strategies that focus primarily upon reliable functionality.

The remit was to revise chuck appearance whilst adding value for the customer. Developed according to this design brief, the new chucks shine with proverbial brilliance. One of the elements in the new concept is the brilliant surface finish that ensures chucks are more resistant to corrosion than previous versions. A further design requirement was ‘foolproof-handling’; creating something that creates easy and self-explanatory handling of chucks. These requirements have been addressed with blue colored features such as the actuating screws on a hydraulic chuck.

The product and design engineers also optimised the chucks by undertaking a complete review of the weight, material selection and size. The new design addresses the requirements for the greatest possible stability and vibration dampening characteristics. With a new design, the complete clamping range can now be immediately identified as stemming from the MAPAL stable.

If you would like to meet an expert to discuss how your holemaking and toolholding can be significantly improved, please visit the MAPAL Stand 330 in Hall 18 at MACH 2020.

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Product News Guhring Raises the Standard with New Drilling Line Renowned for its expertise in drilling and threading, the Guhring stand at MACH 2020 will be the place to visit for all your drilling and holemaking requirements. At the Birmingham NEC from the 20th to 24th April in Hall 17 on Stand 400, Guhring will be introducing its ground-breaking new RT100XF alongside a host of additional holemaking innovations that will include the HT800 indexable head drills, the EB80 gun drills and the HR500 reaming lines.

Taking centre stage amongst Guhring’s extensive holemaking portfolio at MACH will be the new RT100XF. Providing unbridled power and outstanding results guaranteed, the holemaking benchmark has been taken to a new plateau with the RT100XF. Branded as ‘Extreme and Powerful’, the new RT100XF has been developed with all tool parameters optimised to generate outstanding feed rates and exceptional metal removal rates.

Created to reduce cycle times for difficult-tomachine materials and special applications in series production, the extremely hard new drilling line is said to be extremely resilient to potential breakages.

This bold claim is based upon the new carbide grade developed by Guhring for the RT100XF that performs a balancing act between hardness and toughness. The special structure of this Guhring created carbide grade has a re-sharpening effect, so breakages that normally accelerate tool wear, no longer occur. This is supplemented by the

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proven nanoFire coating system that has been created by a specially designed pre- and posttreatment that smooths the coating and makes it significantly more robust.

to the demands of the marketplace, expanding the existing range with four new drilling lengths that are also available with a hugely expanded diameter range.

The design and geometry of the new RT100XF supports the robust performance of the carbide grade and surface treatment with an early double margin support that perfects the coaxiality to ensure perfect bore size and roundness.

This makes the RT100XF the drill of choice for precision, concentricity and performance for hole making from 5xD upwards. Furthermore, polished flutes reduce the heat transfer to the component, this also supports the fast evacuation of chips and thermal changes such as hardening are avoided.

The new through coolant drills are perfect for the drilling of structural and case-hardened steels, free-cutting and heat-treated steels, nimonics, titanium, inconel and hastalloy, making the RT100XF the perfect complement for any machine shop. Available in 5XD and 7XD, the new drills can be purchased in diameters from 3mm to 20mm diameter with 0.1mm increments.

The especially long, single-fluted gun drills with brazed carbide heads are now available in eight different lengths from 600mm to 2m. The EB80 XXL enables much faster processing times compared to conventional spiral deep-hole drills; this is credit to the polished flute that guarantees excellent chip control and the best possible protection against wear when drilling steel and non-ferrous metals. The TiN coating further extends service life and makes the EB80 XXL optimally suited for deep drilling machines and for use in mould and die applications.

Alongside the new RT100XF at MACH will be the HT800 WP indexable insert drilling system.

Developed for extreme process reliability, the HT800 WP range is available in diameters from 11 to 40mm with drilling depths of 1.5XD, 3XD, 5XD, 7XD and 10XD. Offering interchangeable inserts for steel, stainless, cast iron and aluminium alloys, the HT800 WP is the perfect all-rounder for all your drilling requirements. With a vast array of insert geometries and grades, drill body diameters and lengths, the HT800 WP will certainly attract attention at MACH. For the longer, deeper and more challenging holemaking requirements, Guhring will be introducing its single fluted EB80 XXL gun drilling series at MACH 2020. Guhring has paid attention

Complementing the drilling lines at MACH will be the extended HR500 solid carbide universal reaming line. The impressive HPC reaming line operates at the highest possible cutting rates with the result being holes of the utmost in precision, concentricity and surface finishes.

The HPC line is suitable for finishing holes on a vast array of materials that include a variety of steels, aluminium alloys, cast materials, plastics, magnesium alloys, copper, brass and much more.

Despite being a world-leading brand in the field of drilling, Guhring will have so much more on offer at MACH.

For an introduction to the expansive world of Guhring, which encompasses milling, threading, vending and toolholders, special tools and more, visit Stand 400 in Hall 17 at MACH.

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News - Editorial Tornos MultiSpindle To Get UK Exhibition Debut at MACH MACH 2020 is just around the corner and Tornos has a real treat for turned parts manufacturers, giving a UK exhibition debut to the MultiSwiss 8X26 and the SwissNano 7. If you’re a turned parts manufacturer looking for something to give you a real competitive edge, you need to see the Tornos MultiSwiss 8X26 at MACH. This machine, one of a family of 3 ranging from 14 to 32mm spindle sizes will appear at the Birmingham NEC from the 20th to 24th April on Stand 538 in Hall 18 alongside, the SwissNano 7 and the TISIS connectivity package that Tornos continually evolves as a seamless Industry 4.0 integration solution.

Equipped with eight spindles and eight slides for main operations and accommodating up to three tools per slide, the MultiSwiss 8x26 takes the performance of the MultiSwiss range to a new level, both in terms of component complexity and productivity. With eight highly dynamic synchronous motor-spindles and ultra-fast barrel indexing, the exciting MultiSwiss 8x26 can

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produce turned parts up to 26mm diameter at staggering productivity levels.

The new MultiSwiss 8X26 incorporates powerful independently operating 11kW motor-spindles that are equipped with a C-axis and counter spindle. Reaching speeds of 8,000rpm in tenths of a second, these advanced motors make a major contribution to performance and productivity. As an option, the machine can be equipped with Y axes to further boost its capabilities. The machine is available in three configurations to meet the demands of the end user and this includes the entry level option of working without a Y-axis; the option with three Y-axes for intermediate applications and the complete machine with six Y-axes for the most complex parts. In each machining position, the operator can tailor the speed and machining conditions as required.

From an ergonomic perspective, MultiSwiss machines are as accessible as single-spindle machines and a single-spindle machine operator can quickly become a MultiSwiss operator.

As quick to set up as a single-spindle turning machine, the key difference is that the MultiSwiss is at least five times as productive as a singlespindle turning machine. The machine boasts the largest working area on the market and its exceptional ‘walk in’ accessibility offers real savings when changing over jobs. This concept

makes the MultiSwiss as simple to set up as a single spindle turning machine; the only difference ultimately lies in the number of spindle collets to change. Each spindle is equipped with a C-axis and the machine’s hydrostatic spindle bearing technology offers exceptional dampening performance when machining. The MultiSwiss can improve surface finishes and extend toolX life by an average of 30% and up to 70% in some extreme cases, minimising machine stoppages.

The new MultiSwiss also demonstrates seamless integration with all the necessary peripherals built into the machine design. As standard, the MultiSwiss includes the barfeeder, swarf, oil and dual filtration management system - all housed behind the machine in a compact and neat container. Options such as the oil mist extractor, chip conveyor, fire protection system and highpressure pump can also be seamlessly integrated into the machine.

The highly versatile, pre-adjustable quick-change tool holder system developed for MultiSwiss machines makes full use of the ingenious kinematics that focus upon keeping tools close to the workpiece. As a result, the machine can hold up to three tools in each position, making it incredibly flexible. Tornos offers a range of options to meet user preferences and choices and this includes a FANUC CNC system.

As well as demonstrating the industry’s leading production turning and small part turning technology, Tornos will be giving MACH visitors a demonstration of its Industry 4.0 enabling TISIS process monitoring software. To highlight the ability of the TISIS system to manage and control machine tools remotely, experts will also be on the Floyd Automatic Tooling stand (Stand 472 in Hall 20) with a remote TISIS link to monitor and control the machines appearing on the Tornos stand. Make sure you get a look at the future by visiting the Tornos stand at MACH 2020.

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Latest News

SES Engineering Services wins £12.5m contract for University of Bath high-tech facility Leading national engineering specialist, SES Engineering Services (SES), has been appointed to deliver £12.5m worth of MEP services to the University of Bath’s £70m Institute for Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems (IAAPS).

SES will provide full mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) services across the university’s new 11,300 sq m IAAPS site, located at the Bristol and Bath Science Park in Bristol.

The two-storey scheme will house 17 specialist pieces of equipment used to test vehicle propulsion systems, as well as offices, experimental and demonstration spaces, prototyping workshops and start-up space for future entrepreneurial activities.

IAAPS will be a world-leading centre for research and innovation into future advanced propulsion systems. Its unique experimental facilities, combined with academic expertise in advanced propulsion systems, will enable the development of new technologies for ultra-low emission vehicles.

The SES team, led by Operations Manager Andy Harris, will work closely with main contractor Rydon Construction and other stakeholders during the

design process to ensure the integration of the propulsion test cell suppliers’ highly complex technical requirements.

Work started on site in October 2019, with completion expected in August 2020. IAAPS will be operational in early 2021.

Steve Tovey, SES’ Business Director for Midlands and South West, said: “This latest contract win continues to demonstrate our prowess when it comes to delivering high-tech projects. Our technical expertise, experience in automotive research establishments, digital engineering capability, off site capability and ability to deliver BIM Level 2 projects were all critical in helping us secure the contract.

“IAAPS will be the catalyst to develop future generations of ultra-low emission vehicles and we look forward to applying our technical authority in delivering this landmark facility safely and on time.”

The appointment is the latest project to demonstrate SES’ expertise in delivering complex, high-tech projects in the region, including The Avonmouth Resource Recovery Centre and work on E.ON’s combined heat and power (CHP) project in Rugby.

TPS Welcomes MP Chris HeatonHarris and Counsellor Martin Gannon Gateshead-based Turbo Power Systems Ltd (TPS) were honoured to welcome Chris Heaton-Harris, UK Minister of State for Transport and Counsellor Martin Gannon, Leader of Gateshead Council together with Nexus Managing Director Tobyn Hughes and Stadler Group CEO Thomas Ahlburg to their HQ on the Team Valley yesterday (27th January 2020).

The visit follows a prestigious ceremony held at Proto Space in Gateshead where Nexus announced that the Swiss train builder Stadler Rail as their fleet supplier for the new Tyne and Wear Metro in a landmark £362 million contract. The company will work with more than 30 new supply chain partners in the UK advanced manufacturing, technology and construction sectors, half of them in North East England, creating and securing hundreds of skilled jobs.

TPS have been supplying bespoke power conversion systems for rail for over 40 years and have established themselves as the supplier of choice to some of the biggest rolling stock manufacturers in the world. In this time, TPS have employed some of the finest specialist power electronics engineers in the country and are looking forward to having the opportunity to apply this expertise to a project with such profound local importance.

Carlos Neves, Chief Executive Officer of TPS said: “It’s not every day that Gateshead receives such a high-profile visit from esteemed members of Parliament and the rail industry, so we relished the opportunity to exhibit some of our innovative power conversion systems for rail.

“The Tyne and Wear Metro is a huge part of everyday life for people living in the North East, transporting over 36 million passengers every year and so ensuring that passengers have a reliable service will be a top priority for both Stadler Rail and Nexus. We are hopeful that we will have the opportunity to deploy our expertise to this project since we have a proven track record in supplying power conversion systems for many global rail projects. This project holds significant importance to TPS because it will greatly benefit our

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local community; we are a North East company, employing North East people who use the Tyne & Wear metro every day.”

The regeneration of the Tyne and Wear Metro has been a decade long project which began in 2010 and will be completed with the installation of a new fleet of Metros set to be operational by the end of 2024. The project has been supported throughout by the North East Combined Authority and the Local Enterprise Partnership.

Specially designed and built, the new trains will take Metro into the future with world-class reliability and comfort, much greater energy-efficiency and a full suite of modern carriage features and technology. It is a fundamental part of the economic and social life of North East England - taking 15 million car journeys off the region’s roads and helping town and city centres to thrive.

New trains, the first of which are scheduled to be delivered from 2022, will provide decades of effective service to Metro and its passengers.

Glendinning to set auditability in stone with Mainsaver CMMS E & JW Glendinning, a leading supplier of concrete, asphalt and aggregate products, has selected Spidex’s Mainsaver CMMS to support improvements in the auditability of its engineering operations.

Xantrex Vice President Gaudet Promoted to President of Marine Power at Mission Critical Electronics Xantrex Vice President and General Manager Richard Gaudet is now the President of Marine Power at Mission Critical Electronics, Xantrex’s parent company. Gaudet assumed his new responsibility on January 02, 2020. The Marine Power Division is comprised of popular brands in the marine industry – Newmar, ASEA and Xantrex.

Gaudet who joined Xantrex in 1997 worked in a variety of roles before becoming its top leader in 2010. Under Gaudet’s leadership, Xantrex expanded beyond its traditional marine, RV and truck markets and started offering custom solutions for industrial and emerging market applications.

As part of his strategic vision to make Xantrex a complete power solutions provider, the business added storage and power generation products to its portfolio with the addition of lithium ion and solar solutions; while strengthening its core power conversion offering. The launch of the Freedom X line of inverters and inverter/chargers has continued Xantrex’s position as a product innovator and market leader and expanded the brand’s footprint. Under Gaudet’s leadership, Xantrex forged strong strategic partnerships and operated with a high quality, customer centric culture delivering expansive growth and superior customer satisfaction.

“Rich is a strategic thinker who brings product and market knowledge and a strong track record of growth to the MCE Marine team. His proven ability to develop strong customer and partner relationships and deliver innovative solutions to customer needs will take the MCE Marine Power business to the next stage of growth and development.” said Kevin Moschetti, CEO of Mission Critical Electronics

European-wide Success of Lithuanian Company RD Signs Lithuanian company RD Signs, which specialises in lightboxes, channel letters, petrol station design, interior solutions and custom-made products, has been successfully operating in the European Union market with renowned brands such as Renault, Volvo, Ferrari, Maserati, Skoda, McDonald’s, Subway, H&M, G-STAR, Shell and Esso. The company has recently completed building a new factory with 6,000 m2 of production space and state-of-the-art technology, in the Šiauliai FEZ. Previously, RD Signs was specialising in the production of visual advertising and had been operating in a single space. As the number of its customers, their needs and volumes grew, it was decided to have the second, a more modern, plant built. The investment estimates at around EUR 4 million, of which approximately EUR 3 million was allocated to the building to be constructed, and EUR 1 million, for the equipment and its integration into the overall system. The factory has combined/integrated the ERP/CRM systems with/in the latest CNC milling, cutting and folding machines and welding/assembly centres. The quality control system has also been improved.

Glendinning is a family company founded over 50 years ago with its roots in quarrying. Today, it delivers a complete end-to-end service from multiple sites across Devon and Cornwall that also includes manufacturing, logistics and civil engineering.

The impetus for looking at computerised maintenance management software (CMMS) was a desire for more detailed information on Glendinning’s substantial inventory of plant assets and the maintenance works carried out on them to further improve compliance.

Operations Manager Mark Glendinning explains: “There is an ever-increasing onus on all manufacturing operations to be more auditable. Our main objective from procuring a CMMS is to create a central resource in which all engineering works carried out by the teams on our fixed assets are recorded. This will create an auditable chain of accountability for each maintenance task we complete.”

While researching the various CMMS options available, Mark Glendinning received a recommendation from one of the company’s maintenance technicians who had used Mainsaver CMMS in a similar role previously. His opinion was that it was ideally suited to heavy industrial operating environments but also straightforward and uncomplicated to use.

On that basis, Spidex was invited to conduct some general demonstrations of Mainsaver’s capabilities. Encouraged by what they saw, Glendinning’s CMMS project team then asked to see the system operating in a ‘live’ environment.

A visit to the manufacturing facility of an existing Spidex customer was duly arranged to show Mainsaver in action.

Mark Glendinning: “When we met and spoke with longer-term users of Spidex’s CMMS, we were impressed with their recommendations - not only of the software itself, but of Spidex’s overall level of customer service as a supplier.”

Spidex Managing Director Jonathan Starling said: “We are delighted to have been selected by E & JW Glendinning to work with them on this important project. They are one of the best-known companies in the region and we are proud to be associated with them.”

The RD Signs’ motto is to make the ideas of European companies visible. A professional team of employees manages to handle 100 to 150 technologically different projects and between 1,000 and 5,000 other products a week. It also manufactures custom-made products from aluminium sheets/profiles. “Our excellent team, which is open to innovation, our top quality products and fair cooperation with customers – these are the fundamental working principles at RD Signs which help the company successfully develop its business abroad,” notes the head of RD Signs, Mr A. Butkevičius.

Lithuania has 6 functioning economic zones with the Šiauliai FEZ being one of the most active amongst them. It has seen foreign and Lithuanian capital companies launch successfully integrating state-of-the-art technologies in modern factories. Foreign investors benefit from launching their business in the Šiauliai FEZ as it offers zerorate corporation tax for the first 10 years followed by merely 7.5% afterwards (where EUR 1 million worth of investments have been made).

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Product News

ESS Expands Case Packer Line to Include New Bottom Load and Side Load Configurations Flexibility defines ESS Technologies, Inc.’s popular CEL5 Series Robotic Case Packing System, which has expanded to include two new configurations in addition to the Model CEL5 Top Load Case Packer. The CEL5-SL Side Load and CEL5-BL Bottom Load models also integrate FANUC multi-axis robots and custom, ESS-designed end-of-arm tooling to create a compact system for erecting, loading and closing RSC cases. These new configurations increase the scope of products and pack patterns that the CEL5 Series can handle.

Model CEL5-SL uses a FANUC M-10iD robot to pick a case from the magazine, square the sides, and run the bottom of the case along a taping system (standard) or hot melt glue system (optional). The robot then places the erected case on its side on a vacuum plate for loading.

The product is collated in a downstacker that creates the required pack pattern, which, when complete, is pushed into the waiting RSC case. An upending device turns the case up and the case conveys through a top taper (or hot melt glue system) for closure. Side-load case packers are ideal for case packing cartons that are not suitable for top load machines, bundle packs and tray products. The CEL5-SL will erect, load and close 4-5 cases per minute.

Model CEL5-BL also uses a FANUC M-10iD to form the case, but rather than

Graphene Flagship publishes handbook of graphene manufacturing Encompassing more than 1,500 references and the knowledge of 70 coauthors from EU-funded Graphene Flagship partners and associate members, the article aims to provide a single source of knowledge on graphene and related layered materials (GRMs).

Graphene is already being used in many commercial applications, with numerous new products on the horizon. However, lack of information on the correct preparation and processing is hindering its uptake. To tackle this challenge, Graphene Flagship researchers have produced a comprehensive guide entitled “Production and Processing of Graphene and Related Materials”, which has just been published by IOP Publishing in their journal 2D Materials. The article is published under an open access licence, which makes it free to read for everyone who is interested and, moreover, removes all restrictions on use and reuse.

The article condenses the knowledge acquired and developed by the Graphene Flagship over the past six years. With this publication, the Graphene Flagship will make this knowledge public as part of its long-term goal to assist in the development of graphene and related layered materials.

Andrea C. Ferrari, Graphene Flagship Science and Technology Officer stated: “Graphene Flagship researchers have already shown that at least 1,800 different layered materials exist — and only a handful of those have been investigated to date. This authoritative guide will help researchers in academia and industry plan their large scale and reproducible production of

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sealing the bottom, the robot holds the erected case over the load position while a servo infeed arranges the pack pattern. The robot lowers the case over the completed pack pattern and shifts the load to a bottom flap closing plate. The bottom and top flaps are then sealed with 2” tape (standard) or hot melt glue (optional). Bottom load applications include round bottles with large trigger spray handles, small pharmaceutical bottles with large topserts, cartons that are not stable enough for side-load applications, large heavy bottles, and any other products that are not suitable for top-loading or sideloading. The CEL5-BL will erect, load and close up to 10-12 cases per minute.

The unique design of the CEL5-BL eliminates moving the product up and down like traditional bottom load machines, which allows for more consistent loading and higher efficiencies.

All models of the CEL5 series integrate easily with off-the-shelf serialization systems to create a case packing system that meets pharmaceutical trackand-trace requirements. The modular design can be configured to fit a very compact footprint, saving valuable factor floor space. Options to integrate labelers, checkweighers and robotic pallet cells create a fully automated case packing line that offers affordability and reliability.

Founded in 1993, ESS Technologies, Inc. has specialized in complete packaging line design, manufacture, and integration. Our product expertise includes monoblock fillers/cappers, robotic palletizing systems, automatic cartoners, robotic case packers, wrap around case packers, and TaskMate Robotic Systems® for loading, unloading, pick-and-place, and assembly applications. Engineered for reliability and efficiency, ESS designs innovative packaging machinery. graphene, drawing from the experience developed on graphene itself.”

The article provides a comprehensive guide on the techniques for production and processing GRMs, as well as the key characterisation procedures. It is aimed both at expert academics and beginners, as well as companies that would like to experiment with GRMs and incorporate them into their production lines and product design.

“The article encompasses the description of the most popular methods to produce GRMs,” explained Mar García-Hernández, who coordinated this comprehensive review. García-Hernández is a Research Professor at Graphene Flagship partner CSIC, Spain, and the Graphene Flagship Work Package Leader for ‘Enabling Materials’. “This publication also describes some of the technological problems users might encounter, such as the processing of inks and the transfer of materials, as well as the characterisation.”

“Understanding this information is essential for users to be able to exploit GRMs effectively, as their characteristics are related to and can be tailored by the process used to make them. For scientists who want to study GRMs, or companies that want to mass produce these materials, this knowledge is vital,” concludes García-Hernández.

Alex Wotherspoon, publisher for 2D Materials, said: “We are delighted to have collaborated with the Graphene Flagship in publishing what is certain to become a key reference for the materials science community. Making it available to all on an open access basis additionally provides the widest possible dissemination for the benefit of researchers extending across both academia and industry.”

Synthesis of Graphene Production and Processing of Graphene and Related Materials has been produced and published by the Graphene Flagship, an EU funded research project for advanced materials.

Tipper body manufacturer installs UK’s largest TRUMPF bending machine The Thompsons Group, the UK’s number one manufacturer of tipper bodies, has taken delivery of a TRUMPF TruBend 8600-80 bending machine at its Blackburn facility. The machine, which is the largest TRUMPF TruBend in the UK, is being used to form tipper side panels from 4mm thick Hardox® abrasionresistant steel.

Precision Printing sets UK first with new Scodix Ultra 101 digital enhancement press Leading print business Precision Printing has become the first company in the UK to invest in a new Scodix Ultra 101 digital enhancement press.

Purchased through Friedheim International, the UK distributor of Scodix technology, the new machine will replace two first generation S74 Scodix models and enable Precision to add digital foiling to its expansive range of services. Precision is regarded as one of the leading print businesses in the UK, employing 180 staff across three sites and boasting a turnover of £26m. The company offers digital, offset and wide-format print services to customers across a number of markets.

The company’s three core markets include corporate print management, trade mass customised for consumer ecommerce brands, as well as up-load and print e-commerce through WhereTheTradeBuys.co.uk. Speaking about how the new Scodix machine will support Precision, chief executive Gary Peeling said that the device is five times faster than the previous models, and this will enable the company to address a rising demand for its services.

“We have operated two older Scodix machines for over five years, and as enhanced products are popular across all three of our operating sectors, the new machine will offer higher productivity to deal with the demand,” Peeling said.

“The new platform is five times faster than the previous generation, allowing use to deal with the 80% growth we are seeing in Where the Trade Buys. It also offers the ability to provide digital foil enhancement with outstanding results that will support high value products and opportunities for our clients.”

The Scodix Ultra 101 has been installed at Precision’s fully automated production hub in London, where it is now running alongside two offset and eight digital sheet feed presses. The Scodix sits alongside laminating and flood UV enhancement, prior to cutting, creasing and full bindery.

“We have been pleased with the support of Scodix over the past for years and felt confident that that new machine would continue to deliver as expected,” Peeling said.

Peeling also spoke about the experience of dealing with Friedheim International, explaining that the finishing specialist has been a valued partner to Precision over the years.

“Friedheim is a long-standing and trusted partner at Precision and the local support they provide for Scodix was key in the decision to move forward,” Peeling said.

Key features on the Scodix Ultra 101 include Scodix RSP (Rotate/Scale/Position) Registration Technology. Based on a multi CCD camera system and dedicated software algorithms, this application rotates, scales and positions the Scodix print enhancement image, scanning each sheet to deliver the PolySense clear polymer liquids to its precise location.

Meanwhile, Scodix Variable Density allows for an unlimited variety of Scodix polymer densities with the ability to vary polymer density from 1-100% in a single pass, adding tangible depth/texture to images and text.Users also benefit from Scodix Ultra Twin-Tray System, which conveys sheets under the fixed array of inkjet heads in a single pass at a rate of 1,250 B2 size sheets per hour. Two trays operate simultaneously, with an independent motion system for each tray.

In addition, Scodix Foil deploys a range of hot and cold industry standard foil films, coupled with a large gamut of qualified media.

Thompsons, which has UK sites in Croydon, Blackburn, Dover and Edinburgh, says that it builds and sells more tipper bodies than all of its competitors combined. Since 2000, the business has expanded five-fold.

Following its inception in East London 45 years ago, Thompsons has manufactured over 30,000 tipper bodies, of which around half are still in operation today.

The bodies cover the full range of commercial vehicles, from 3.5 to 44 tonnes GVW (gross vehicle weight).

Thompsons’ customers not only come from the construction industry, but sectors such as waste, environment, highways, utilities and rental. Top of the rigid range is the Loadmaster, some 15,000 of which have been delivered in the past 20 years.

“With order volumes rising there is a constant need to keep pace with production and invest in our future,” explains Director Neil Griffin. “We recently installed a robotic welding cell, which shifted the bottleneck to bending. In addition, even though our existing press brake offers a capacity of 400 tonnes, we needed more to help us process 4mm thick Hardox®, which is a tough, wear-resistant steel with a hardness of 450HB.” Mr Griffin and his team scrutinised three potential bending machine suppliers, but it was TRUMPF that impressed the most.

“We went to the TRUMPF factory and saw the machines in action,” he says.

“Once they assessed our application, the TRUMPF team recommended the TruBend 8600-80, which we knew immediately was the right machine.

At the same time we purchased the TRUMPF TruLaser 3030 laser cutting machine.”

The TRUMPF TruBend 8600-80 impresses not just with its precise versatility, but its large open height, throat depth and press force. Users can process particularly large and heavy parts. Thompsons’ TruBend 8600-60 offers a 600 tonne press force, and to fulfil the customers’ requirements TRUMPF customised the machine with an additional 8m bending length option.

“After profiling, the side panels of the tipper bodies each require up to 12 bends, which is where the tonnage of the TRUMPF TruBend 8600-80 really comes into its own,” says Mr Griffin. “Having capability of this type in-house is a real market advantage as we don’t have to rely on subcontractors, and thus avoid all the associated costs and lead-time issues that strategy brings.

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Product News

Continued from previous page.

Moreover, all Thompsons’ tipper bodies are manufactured specifically for each customer, who can specify the height, length and width of the tipper bodies they require. As we manufacture inhouse, meeting these needs could not be simpler.”

Thompsons manufactures circa 25 Hardox® tipper bodies on a weekly basis, which means 50 sides to bend, plus floors and tailgates. The new TRUMPF TruBend 8600-80, located at the Blackburn factory, is currently working a single day shift but a night shift maybe required to keep up with demand.

“Having the higher tonnage machine makes light work of the Hardox® panels,” reports Mr Griffin. “In addition, the machine is more accurate than our existing press brake. As a company, we are always looking to improve and innovate, so machines such as the TRUMPF TruBend 8600-80 serve to future-proof our business.”

Parts arriving at the TruBend 8600-80 for bending will likely have been profiled on the company’s TRUMPF TruLaser 3030 laser cutter. Importantly, the TruLaser 3030 features the optional TRUMPF Highspeed Eco function, which allows faster profiling with up to 70% less gas consumption. “Furthermore, the cut quality on all parts up to 25mm thick is better than anything we’ve achieved previously,” states Mr Griffin.

When acquiring the TruLaser 3030, TRUMPF simplified the process by buying and removing the company’s old laser cutter. “We’ve had nothing but a very positive experience with TRUMPF, both from a machine and people perspective,” concludes Mr Griffin. “As a result, we have high hopes for a successful partnership together moving forward. Any high-quality, market-leading product inevitably has leading-edge technologies behind it, and tipper bodies are no exception. Every year, over £1 million is invested back into our factories as we look to continuously improve on the service we provide to customers. The TRUMPF machines are a good example of this policy in action.”

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MAPAL – More than cutting tools at MACH 2020 FAs the world leading PCD cutting tool manufacturer and industry renowned full-line supplier, MAPAL will be using the MACH 2020 exhibition to demonstrate the diversity of not only its product lines, but also its service and support network. In Hall 18 on Stand 330, MAPAL In recent years, MAPAL has invested heavily in cloudbased platform systems and at MACH, the Rugby based cutting tool manufacturer will demonstrate how the complete delivery chain can now be networked via MAPAL’s open cloud c-Com platform.

With the c-Com platform, data can now be accessed by all involved employees with data on production tools and machines automatically reaching the cloud via RFID chips and DNC servers.

Completely eliminating the manual transmission of data, this new MAPAL concept is the ideal scenario for networked production. Complete networking involves a major infrastructure investment, rarely making it a reality. However, if MACH visitors want to start the digitalization or Industry 4.0 journey without high costs, MAPAL now has the ‘c-Connect’ module that includes a box of the same name.

The usage of c-Connect pays-off for customers several times over. On one hand, c-Connect makes it possible to transmit tool data digitally from the setting fixture to the machine – and this includes the registration of inventory movements. It is also possible to monitor machine status using the c-Connect Box by means of various sensors. For this purpose, a c-Connect Box can be mounted on each machine tool and connected to the machine using a USB port. By doing this, production facilities with entirely different machine tools can be networked quickly and without complications. c-Connect is independent of the machine controller and therefore offers a low-cost entry model for digitalization.

In small businesses, relevant measured data is often transferred from the setting fixture to the machine tool by means of manual entry. This time-consuming process is susceptible to errors during data transfer.

This issue can be completely eliminated using c-Connect. The setting fixture measures the tool and the data is then transferred automatically to the c-Com platform. The tool is scanned at the machine, the c-Connect Box retrieves the measured data from c-Com and transmits the data to the machine tool at the press of a button. Not only are errors eliminated, unnecessary non-productive time is saved.

To integrate into this information stream to add further value and instigate cost reductions, MAPAL

will also be introducing the enhanced UNIBASE-S single automatic dispenser at MACH 2020. Taking ‘vending’ technology to a new level, the UNIBASE-S incorporates optimised ergonomic aspects to improve ease of use for the end user when storing and managing frequently required consumables.

The display unit is now on the top of the UNIBASE-S device, making operation easier and more ergonomically friendly for the shop floor users.

The software has been completely changed to the UNIBASE software system and this enables the new UNIBASE-S single automatic dispenser device to be coupled to existing UNIBASE systems or alternately be used as a stand-alone solution.

With its extremely compact dimensions, the UNIBASE-S dispensing system can be installed directly on a workbench. For example, the 96 or 192 compartments are perfect for storing indexable inserts, cutting tools, chucks or even personal protective equipment. The ability to have the compact system close to the workstation or operator can save the employee significant time with the continual trips to a central warehouse or stores area. With everything from high-quality cutting tool solutions that are backed by the c-COM process management and UNIBASE-S inventory management system, MAPAL is inviting manufacturers of all sizes from all industry sectors to discuss the next generation of cutting tool technology on its stand at MACH 2020.

EXPERTS IN PUMP TECHNOLOGY Our progressive cavity pumps, macerators and control systems are used across all industry sectors wherever thin to highly viscous, shear-sensitive, aggressive or abrasive media must be conveyed at low pulsation rates.

SEEPEX’s portfolio also includes digital solutions, consulting, spare parts and after sales services.

“SEEPEX stands for technological leadership, excellent management and outstanding product and application expertise. Focusing on our core competencies and know-how enables us to take the best, most forward-looking course of action for each part of our business. We identify innovative approaches that bring about positive changes for the entire industry.”

PETER MCGARIAN MANAGING DIRECTOR, SEEPEX UK LTD.

SEEPEX UK Ltd. | sales.uk@seepex.com | www.seepex.com

Measurement, Sensors & Monitoring

Altus Provides Temperature Solutions for High-Reliability Electronics Modern electronics have to be functional even in extreme conditions. Today’s highly complex assemblies must work in all temperatures. Optimum longevity and reliability is imperative, particularly in high-reliability devices used in the medical, automotive and aerospace industries. To help its customers to achieve consistency, Altus Group, a leading distributor of capital equipment, has added the latest temperature function test equipment from Rehm Thermal Systems.

The Securo Plus system has been developed for the hot function test and Securo Minus for the cold function test. The systems operate in normal air or in nitrogen atmospheres and can measure the performance of sensitive electronics, for example those used during winter conditions, a required for vehicles. Functional modules are first cooled to temperatures of -45 °C. Then to simulate the installation environment the modules are heated to between +80°C and +120°C to test for reliability when running in a variety of conditions.

where the outcome of malfunctioning assemblies is a matter of life or death.

For this reason it is extremely important to test assemblies and ensure they work well in all conditions. Rehm’s Securo Plus and Minus systems help to do just that.

“The Securo systems are highly compatible with other measuring equipment and so can be implemented with ease into a facility.

This allows extensive function monitoring and secure quality control. We can now offer our customers these innovative solutions and have already seen much interest since adding to the equipment portfolio.”

“A huge concern for electronics manufacturers is an assembly’s functionality.

The final product has to perform as it was intended,” explains Matthew Jones, Altus’ Sales Director.

Safe testing and measuring methods are increasingly relevant and have already become standard in analysing the resistance of electronic components. In the aerospace industry, for example, the sun-facing side of a spacecraft can become extremely hot, as in the vacuum of space there is no air for cooling. However, since the temperature in space is minus 270°C, the spacecraft is simultaneously exposed to extreme cold. Despite this extreme temperature, the technology must be completely reliable. For such fields of application Rehm offers systems that can accurately simulate these extreme environmental conditions by selectively heating and/or cooling the assembly.

“This is so important in high-reliability electronics. Producing anything less than 100% reliable is non-negotiable within the medical sector for example,

For further information the Securo systems visit Altus www.altusgroup.co.uk

Multi-role sensor processes condition-monitoring data

The 20 x 26 x 10mm BCM sensor weighs just 30g, and can fit in tight spaces.

It can monitor user-defined limits automatically, spot anomalies early, plan service and maintenance activities, and prevent unplanned stoppages. It uses IO-Link communications for parameterisation and to integrate with machinery.

Balluff has developed a multi-function sensor for condition-monitoring duties that monitors variables such as vibration in three axes, temperature, humidity and ambient pressure, and processes them on board. The compact, retrofittable BCM sensor supports continuous condition monitoring and allows automated sensing of limits at an “attractive” price.

New Product Announcement High Precision Arbitrary Waveform Generators The models 675 and 676 are highly versatile Arbitrary Waveform Generators that do not compromise on the specifications required for demanding applications and solutions. These models can generate several functions (sine, sawtooth, square, and more) as well as arbitrary waveforms at a high rate and accuracy. They have variable sample rates of 1.2 and 2.5 GS/s respectively with a 14 bit resolution, and an analog bandwidth of 1GHz. With the ability to easily design sophisticated waveforms through the 7” touch-screen interface, these ARB generators will prove to be worthwhile investments, transferable across a diverse set of project environments. Trial availability pending.

Founded in 1963, Berkeley Nucleonics constantly aims to improve and iterate upon its ever-increasing library of Test and Measurement instruments. Our line of products can be found in research, medical, business and military environments around the world, well regarded for their longevity and versatility.

For more details, call 415-453-9955 or go to www.berkeleynucleonics.com.

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The way that the sensor processes information can be tuned to an application. The content of the process data can be defined freely. Up to five types of measured or pre-processed data can be chosen and transmitted cyclically.

Pre-processing the data in the sensor gives users meaningful information and statistics for analysis and evaluation without needing any extra software or processing. For example, the sensor can output vibration data consisting of rms, average or peak-to-peak values.

Measuring, Controlling, Monitoring - on highest level Temperature-Relays and Sensors Monitoring of Current, Voltage and Phase Controls for Suction Plants Relays for Frequency and Speed Measuring-Transducers

Yo u r p a r t n e r i n U K a n d I r e l a n d TVR Instruments Limited 143 Butt Road, Colchester CO3 3DP Essex UK, Tel: +44 (0) 1206 575755 Email: sales@tvri.co.uk www.tvri.co.uk

Instruments Ltd

ZIEHL industrie-elektronik GmbH + Co KG Daimlerstr. 13, 74523 Schwäb. Hall, Germany, +49 791 504-0, www.ziehl.de

News - Editorial Vaisala adds potential for smart industries by bringing new smart probes for dew point and moisture in oil measurement Vaisala, a global leader in weather, environmental, and industrial measurements, has today launched six new smart probes for its Indigo product family, optimized for demanding industrial applications. New options for dew point and moisture in oil measurements bring more possibilities for industries to save energy, optimize processes, and improve product quality.

The new probes will improve customers’ process efficiencies by providing accurate and reliable measurement data for their industrial processes.

The capabilities of the new probes are based on next-generation sensor technologies.

The new Vaisala DRYCAP® Dew Point and Temperature Probes DMP5, DMP6, DMP7, and DMP8 are optimized for low humidity and high temperature or pressurized environments. Dew point measurements are particularly important in various industrial drying applications, for example in ovens and compressed air systems. The dew point probes include Vaisala’s DRYCAP® sensor, which is immune to particulate contamination, water condensation, oil vapor, and most chemicals. Its fast reaction time gives it unmatched performance even in dynamic and low dew point applications, and the sensor’s outstanding stability enables a long two-year calibration interval.

The Vaisala HUMICAP® Moisture in Oil Probe MMP8 extends the Indigo product offering to include heavy industry applications such as measuring moisture in transformer or lubrication oils to protect engines from wear and shutdown. Also introduced today, Vaisala HUMICAP® Humidity and Temperature Probe HMP3 is a general-purpose remote probe suitable for duct mounting in non-pressurized applications with moderate temperatures.

The probe structure allows the sensor to be replaced in the field without tools, providing maintenance flexibility in demanding applications that might require periodic sensor replacement, such as paint booths. The HMP3 and MMP8 both include Vaisala HUMICAP® thin-film capacitive humidity measurement technology, which has become the industry standard in humidity measurement.

“With these new products, the Vaisala Indigo product family is getting stronger. The new probes add dew point and moisture in oil measurements to the existing parameters of humidity, carbon dioxide, temperature, and vaporized hydrogen peroxide. I am excited that we are now able to provide high-quality measurement data in a more flexible way to all industries.

Contributing to smarter environments is something we at Vaisala are passionate about,” says product manager Jarkko Ruonala.

All six new smart probes complement Vaisala’s existing Indigo product family.

The digital Modbus RTU connection enables both easy integration into other systems and standalone usage. The probes are also plug-and-play compatible with Indigo 200 transmitters, which offer various additional benefits such as a display for data visualization, easy access to probe configuration, and more options for connectivity, supply voltage, and wiring. For on-site configuration, diagnostics, and self-calibration, the Indigo probes can be connected to the Vaisala Insight PC software.

The all new GTC power high-performance roughing, even at high cutting depths high metal removal rate and great running smoothness exceptional process reliability, even for difficult-to-machine materials

VISIT US Hall 17 | Stand 400

Find out more at www.guhring.co.uk Guhring Ltd | Estone Drive, Aston, Birmingham, B6 6BQ T +44 121 749 5544 | E info@guhring.co.uk

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Product News New Product Announcement High Precision Arbitrary Waveform Generators

Two Axis X-Theta Positioning System The SRT-030/360-026-01 is a two axis X-Theta positioning system ideal for precision motion control applications that require coordinated linear and rotary positioning. The 2 axis system consists of a rotary DC servo motor with encoder mounted to a moving brushless linear motor driven positioning stage.

The linear axis uses a H2W brushless linear motor BLDM-C08 to generate a continuous force of 26 lb [115.5 N] and a peak force of 78 lb [347 N] with a stroke length of 30 in [768 mm]. The non-contact 1 micron resolution linear encoder allows for precise positioning along the linear axis. It is guided by a pair of precision recirculating linear ball bearings.

The rotary axis consists of a standard 34-frame rotary servo motor with a 10,000 counts/rev resolution encoder. The motor can generate a continuous torque of 29 lb-in [3.3 N-m] and a peak torque of 87 lb-in [9.9 N-m]. The rotary axis is removable, which allows for higher accelerations by reducing the moving mass of the linear axis.

The models 675 and 676 are highly versatile Arbitrary Waveform Generators that do not compromise on the specifications required for demanding applications and solutions.

These models can generate several functions (sine, sawtooth, square, and more) as well as arbitrary waveforms at a high rate and accuracy. They have variable sample rates of 1.2 and 2.5 GS/s respectively with a 14 bit resolution, and an analog bandwidth of 1GHz. With the ability to easily design sophisticated waveforms through the 7” touch-screen interface, these ARB generators will prove to be worthwhile investments, transferable across a diverse set of project environments. Trial availability pending.

Founded in 1963, Berkeley Nucleonics constantly aims to improve and iterate upon its ever-increasing library of Test and Measurement instruments. Our line of products can be found in research, medical, business and military environments around the world, well regarded for their longevity and versatility.

For more details, call 415-453-9955 or go to www.berkeleynucleonics.com

The system can be oriented in any orientation. There are also provisions that allow customer cables to be routed within the cable carrier. The system has a reference mark, end of travel limit switches and hard stops.

Features:

- Combined linear and rotary displacement - Two axis of coordinated motion - Rotary axis is capable of full 360-degree rotation - Rotary axis can be easily removed if needed - Cable carrier to route customer payload cables

New Service The Berkeley Nucleonics Academy Founded in 1963, Berkeley Nucleonics began in the field of custom pulse generators, and has since expanded to offer a wide array of products from microwave signal generators to nuclear spectroscopy products. Throughout the course of its development, BNC has accrued a vast reservoir of knowledge revolving around the fundamentals, components, and functions of its offerings--and now, this understanding has culminated into the launch of the BNC Academy.

The Academy is an ongoing project to compile and distribute information on Test and Measurement. The end goal is to create an accredited resource that is useful to academics, onboarding professionals and military personnel, a reference that bridges the gap between concept and real-world use. A course about the fascinating world of scintillation technology, for example, not only covers an overview of the technology itself, but also provides insight into how scientists and research professionals apply this information in their decisionmaking and everyday responsibilities.

Event-based machine vision in Industry 4.0 applications Prophesee SA (formerly Chronocam) has introduced its first commercial implementation of its event-based vision technology for machines. The Onboard reference system is aimed at developers of vision-enabled industrial automation systems such as robots, inspection equipment, and monitoring and surveillance devices. It features a Prophesee-enabled VGA-resolution camera combined with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and can be quickly integrated into a production camera system design.

The Onboard reference system provides a guide for developers to implement Prophesee’s neuromorphic vision technology for use in applications including area monitoring, high-speed counting, vibration measurement, or real-time arc welding monitoring. Based on the company’s proprietary technique that uses a bio-inspired approach based on capturing events that change in the field of view of individual pixels (and avoiding the transmission of redundant data), machine vision systems that utilise Prophesee’s image data acquisition and processing solutions are said to save computational power, bandwidth, memory and energy.

It is possible to look at previews of upcoming courses on BNC Academy right now, through the link found here. https://academy.berkeleynucleonics. com/ Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated as the team at Berkeley Nucleonics continues to work on its content.

For more details, call 415-453-9955 or contact BNC at: www.berkeleynucleonics.com Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

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Latest News

Metal pressings firm wins renewables contract amid Queen’s Award win Birmingham metal pressings specialist has capitalised on its Queen’s Award success by securing a new contract in the renewables sector.

157-year-old Brandauer unveiled its involvement in a new project to create wind energy during the official presentation of its International Trade Award by the Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands.

The company has been working with British manufacturer FuturEnergy to develop thin gauge generator lamination T pieces that help power AirForce1, a 1kW horizontal axis upwind turbine system designed for use in domestic homes and isolated industrial applications.

It’s the company’s latest foray into the renewables sector and evidence of its laminations expertise, a driving force in over £1.5 million of new export business in the last 12 months. Brandauer, which exports 85% of its £9.2 million turnover, has seen demand for its lamination services grow from the automotive electronics and search and rescue sectors.

Its relationship with FuturEnergy is the first contract secured to supply complex laminations for a product/system set to be used in power generation and renewables.

Rolls-Royce opens new facility in Bristol, UK to develop components for cleaner, quieter, more-efficient jet engines

MoD Awards £50m Armoured Vehicle Support Contract

Fiat Chrysler and France’s PSA, the owner of Peugeot, have struck a merger deal to create the world’s fourth-largest carmaker at a time of sweeping change in the auto industry.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded BAE Systems a £50 million contract to support the British Army’s armoured tracked vehicle fleet The contract covers a variety of design services, such as safety advice and elements of operational effectiveness for a wide range of armoured vehicles in the fleet, including light, medium and heavy classes.

The two companies said they had signed a binding combination agreement in a deal likely to attract the scrutiny of competition regulators in Brussels.

Shareholders of each group would hold 50 per cent in the new entity, which will have revenues of €170bn, a combined workforce of about 400,000 and the ability to invest in new technologies set to define vehicles of the future.

Its sales of 8.7m vehicles a year will put the merged entity ahead of General Motors and Hyundai-Kia. The deal will reshape the automotive sector, which is undergoing a period of transformation not seen since the advent of the first mass-produced cars in the early 20th century.

Massive expenditure is required to develop electric vehicles and self-driving systems, as automakers come under regulatory pressure — particularly from the EU — to cut exhausts emissions in the fight against global warming.

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The five-year contract will also safeguard 100 jobs, according to the MoD. The MoD added that the combination of the new deal along with a number of existing support contracts would improve efficiency and save taxpayers money.

£300k investment drive at Telford firm One of the UK’s oldest hot dip galvanizing specialists is celebrating a major birthday in 2020 by pressing the button on a £300,000 investment drive.

Corbetts the Galvanizers, which employs 105 people at its Telford facility, will turn 160 this year and has a range of events scheduled to help it mark the major anniversary, including the installation of new flux and acid tanks that will free up capacity and speed up the galvanizing process.

Agility robotics to sell first digit robots to Ford to accelerate exploration of commercial vehicle customer applications Albany, OR and Dearborn, MI - Agility Robotics is launching Digit, a robot with arms and legs to work with humans and in human spaces, for commercial sale; and, Ford Motor Company is the first customer, receiving the first two robots off the line. This cooperation continues the existing partnership between Agility and Ford to explore ways to help commercial vehicle customers, including autonomous vehicle businesses, make warehousing and delivery more efficient and affordable for their customers.

Since the first Digit prototype was shown in May, Agility Robotics has tested it extensively, refined the design, and added features to be ready for production and sale to customers. Upgrades and improvements include more advanced feet that allow Digit to balance on one foot or carefully navigate obstacles, new sensors to perceive and map the world for robot navigation, and customerready, powerful onboard computer hardware. “We’re excited about the technical capabilities and advanced legged mobility of Digit”, said Dr. Jonathan Hurst, CTO of Agility. “Videos can show a solid proof of concept - but this robot is ready to go out in the world in the hands of customers, and start to really explore pragmatic use cases.”

Digit has been designed to walk upright without wasting energy, so it has no issue traversing the same types of environments most people do every day. Digit’s unique design also allows it to tightly fold itself up for easy storage in the back of a vehicle until it’s called into action. Once a vehicle arrives at its destination, Digit can be deployed to grab a package from the vehicle and carry out the final step in the delivery process. If it encounters an unexpected obstacle, it can send an image back to the vehicle to leverage additional computing power. The vehicle could even send that information into the cloud and request help from other systems to enable Digit to navigate, providing multiple levels of assistance that help keep the robot light and nimble. Digit’s light weight also helps ensure it has a long run time, which is essential for delivery businesses that operate continuously through the business day.

The management team is now setting its sights on a seven per cent increase in volumes, which, if achieved, will generate an additional £1 million of revenue for the firm.

“It has certainty been a rollercoaster 12 months,” said Sophie Williams, who was appointed as finance director at just 28 years old - making her one of the youngest female directors in the sector.

“We have spent a lot of the last 12 months building a platform that would allow us to work through the economic issues we faced, while also pressing on with our desire to reinforce our position as one of the UK’s leading hot dip galvanizers.

“In fact, when we actually look at the figures, we can see that we achieved our best ever year for new sales and a lot of this was down to our repositioning, a new brand and successfully passing our ISO 9001 quality accreditation.

“When products roll out of our facility in the heart of Shropshire, the stunning finish we create is something that usually tells us that the processes, the staff and the investment we have signed off on is working.”

The company, which was originally founded by Samuel Corbett, opened its Wellington factory in 1860 and Shropshire has remained its home ever since.

Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot agree to merge in giant auto deal Fiat Chrysler and France’s PSA, the owner of Peugeot, have struck a merger deal to create the world’s fourth-largest carmaker at a time of sweeping change in the auto industry.

The two companies said they had signed a binding combination agreement in a deal likely to attract the scrutiny of competition regulators in Brussels.

Shareholders of each group would hold 50 per cent in the new entity, which will have revenues of €170bn, a combined workforce of about 400,000 and the ability to invest in new technologies set to define vehicles of the future.

Its sales of 8.7m vehicles a year will put the merged entity ahead of General Motors and Hyundai-Kia. The deal will reshape the automotive sector, which is undergoing a period of transformation not seen since the advent of the first mass-produced cars in the early 20th century.

Massive expenditure is required to develop electric vehicles and self-driving systems, as automakers come under regulatory pressure — particularly from the EU — to cut exhausts emissions in the fight against global warming.

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Product News

Automatic Boring Available from ITC BIG KAISER, a global leader in premium high-precision tooling systems and solutions for the metalworking industries, has now introduced the latest version of its EWA fine boring tool. Available in the UK from Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC), the new intelligent and fully automatic fine boring tool received its exhibition premiere at the EMO 2019 show in Hannover.

Being a fully automatic fine boring tool, the EWA does not require human intervention. It achieves fast, accurate boring and this is because the process does not need to be stopped to make measurements or manual adjustments to the fine boring tool. As well as saving time, this instils confidence in the operator, and it minimises costly scrap that can result from manual adjustment errors.

The new EWA features a powerful motor for robust and reliability operation and it is sealed against dirt and water in accordance with IP69 regulation.

The clamping system provides additional stability and repeatability to deliver consistently high levels of reliability and precision at cutting speeds above 200m/min.

The exciting new EWA from ITC, can be used with BIG KAISER’s extensive standard range of accessories, making it easy to add to an existing system.

To maximize flexibility, it offers an adjustment range of 22mm, which is substantially larger than similar solutions available in the market.

Furthermore, the system has an integrated accelerometer that measures vibration during the cutting process and in the event of excessive vibrations, the EWA alerts the machine tool to automatically adjust its cutting parameters.

Jose Fenollosa, Head of Research & Development at BIG KAISER, said: “The EWA is far ahead of the rest in its level of automation and sophistication, and this gives our customers real benefits in terms of time and money saved. It also makes it ideal for Industry 4.0 applications. We are talking to potential customers now, including some of the leading machine tool manufacturers.

The final EWA product will be available in 2020.”

The new EWA will initially come in two versions. The EWA peripheric will cover diameters from 68mm to 90mm and the EWA centric, which will incorporate a central boring bar with internal coolant for smaller diameters.

Other models for different adjustment ranges are currently in the design phase and destined to be introduced in the near future. The demonstration at the EMO exhibition was undertaken on a FANUC CNC machine whereby the entire boring cycle was performed automatically. This included the initial bore machining, subsequent measuring and then the adjustment process to complete the final precision bore. The EWA features wireless connectivity to BIG KAISER’s user-friendly smartphone and tablet app for easier tool monitoring and configuration. It can also automatically communicate with a pre-setter, so diameter measurements can be transferred without operator intervention.

For more information, please contact ITC at sales@itc-ltd.co.uk

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Novel Micronic 96-well Format Push Caps for External Thread Tubes Micronic, leader in innovative sample storage and automation solutions, offers the new Micronic TPE Capcluster-96 and Capmat-96 for externally threaded tubes. These sealing solutions complement the comprehensive line of the Micronic External Thread (Hybrid) tubes. The TPE caps offer reliable options for maintaining the integrity of tube contents at temperature down to -80°C, allowing to store samples confidently.

The Micronic 96-well format Push Caps for externally threaded tubes are designed for long or short-term storage. TPE (the thermoplastic elastomer) has the necessary properties essential in sample storage and preservation.

Its broad temperature range, excellent resistance to chemicals, high impact strength and flexibility make them an ideal solution for safe sealing of sample tubes stored in a 96-well format rack.

Compatible with automated systems, the Micronic 96-well format UltraLow Temperature Rack is absolutely traceable courtesy of the laser-etched alphanumeric visual located on top of the racks, and a unique laser-etched 1D barcode on the side of the racks. Drawing upon proprietary Micronic technology, Micronic Push Caps offer a rapid and economical solution for capping 96 racked sample tubes using Micronic Push Cap equipment like the Push Cap Capper CP600/610 for example.

For more information please contact Micronic Europe B.V. (Asia, Africa, Europe and Oceania) now at +31-320-277070, Micronic America LLC (North, Central and South America) at +1-484-480-3372 or email to sales@ micronic.com.

Floyd’s New ‘Quick change’ Tool grinding clamping system will Grip Visitors at MACH 2020!

Whilst widely known as ‘the sliding head tooling experts’, Floyd Automatic Tooling will also be introducing new tool clamping technologies from Schaublin (Swiss), that will emphasise why the company offers so much more than tooling for the precision component machining industry. To cater for manufacturers of cylindrical cutting tools, Floyd Automatic will be demonstrating the quality and diversity of the Schaublin range of products, and in particular, the exciting SRS range of collet clamping heads with its unique precision runout adjustment system that give repeatability within 2µm. At the UK’s showpiece manufacturing event, Floyd will demonstrate the flexibility of the Schaublin SRS system for grinding machines using W or B type draw type collets. The SRS system is an exciting prospect capable of enhancing the capability for tool grinding shops.

If you want to get a firm grip on your productivity and quality when clamping components on manual and CNC turning and cylindrical grinding centres, Floyd Automatic Tooling will have a complete range of solutions available to view on Stand 472 in Hall 20. But why stop there, with specialist clamping and tooling solutions that range from collets, sleeves and bushes through to form tools, drilling, milling, threading, sawing and serration tools, their MACH 2020 stand will have something for every machine shop, including live demonstrations on machines provided by Star Micronics GB Ltd., Tornos Technologies Ltd., and Citizen Machinery Co. Ltd.

Also, on show for manufacturers in the grinding arena will be the impressive patent pending PR25 quick change collet system. Perfect for clamping drills, end mills, reamers and other cutting tools, the quick change PR25 is perfect for cutting tool manufacturers in a production environment where a lot of collet changeovers are required. With no ‘on-machine’ changes necessary, minimal run-out, low-wear characteristics and minimal dispersion of the runout, this high-quality solution is a ‘must-have’ for grinding shops and cutting tool manufacturers. These new clamping solutions are supported by Floyd with the complete range of Schaublin precision W, and B type collets available in the famous ‘orange box’.

Complementing the SRS and PR25 quick change heads, Floyd Automatic will also exhibit the Schaublin series of HSK A, HSK C and HSK E tool holders.

High-quality and ultra-precise, the Schaublin HSK series has been developed to ensure optimal toolholding precision when working on high-speed machining and grinding centres, transfer machines and other high-end machine tools that demand the utmost in precision with high clamping forces.

In addition, Floyd Automatic will show a diverse range of quick release clamping heads for axial draw-back collet chucks. The serrated clamping heads offer easy set-up with high rigidity levels and impressive clamping forces. For more sensitive components, precision polished clamping heads are also available for perfectly precise workpiece clamping on conventional and CNC turning centres.

ODU-MAC

®

THE ALL-ROUNDER FOR MANUAL MATING AND AUTOMATIC DOCKING Maximum packing density Flexible modular design Wide variety of transmission modules Various locking options 10,000 to over 100,000 mating cycles

ODU-UK Ltd. Phone: 0330 002 0640 sales@odu-uk.co.uk www.odu-uk.co.uk

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Training & Development Manufacturing SMEs from clockmakers to cheesemakers have invested £5.4M to adopt new technologies supported by £1.6m of funding in the first year of Made Smarter

12 months on and 62 North West makers are making things smarter Almost 800 businesses have already approached the pilot for support 300 North West small and medium sized manufacturers have secured support, including specialised advice and £1.6M of funding, in the first year of the Made Smarter programme.

The Made Smarter North West pilot is working with SMEs to help them introduce digital tools and technologies to help boost productivity and growth.

This support for local manufacturing SMEs includes expert impartial advice and one-to-one support, digital roadmapping workshops to help manufacturers take their first steps to transform their business, eight-month leadership and management training programmes offered in partnership with Lancaster University, as well as funded three-month student placements.

62 of the businesses supported with impartial, specialist technology advice have also secured matched funding, and with this support forecast to deliver an additional £52M in gross value added

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(GVA) for the North West economy over the next three years.

SME applicants are developing projects involving the adoption of a range of industrial digital technologies, including Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), 3D-printing and robotics to solve business challenges across a range of manufacturing functions.

By adopting these cutting-edge technologies, these businesses benefit from improved productivity and revenue, increased exports and job creation, providing new skills to workforces, enhanced integration with supply chains and reduced environmental impact. For example: Engineering business Abbey Group, based in Liverpool, is projecting a 22% increase in turnover, a 41% increase in profit and is creating 30 new jobs, by 2022, investing in a real-time machine monitoring and an AI planning solution.

James Tanner Joinery, based in Kendal, will double its production capacity and profits after investing in an Industry 4.0-ready, five-axis CNC machine and software.

MSM aerospace fabricators in Manchester is predicting 20% growth after support from Made Smarter to adopt leading-edge Digital Twin technology that will redesign its new factory and unlock production and capacity planning in the future.

Michael Pedley, Managing Director of MSM aerospace fabricators, said: “The truth is that without Made Smarter support we wouldn’t have committed to such an advanced level of simulation. Our plan was always focussed on design as a discrete project. This extra investment means we get maximum value from the technology in the future. It also means that we could do it immediately rather than delaying – propelling us forward by years.”

Donna Edwards, Programme Director for the Made Smarter North West pilot, said: “Over the last year the Made Smarter team has engaged with hundreds of makers from every corner of the region.

“We have found a great enthusiasm about the benefits of adopting new digital technology tempered by uncertainty of how to go about it.

“It’s clear that the SMEs need the specialist advice and insight to help them select the right approach for their business, how much to invest and which technologies will bring the greatest benefits.

“This is exactly how Made Smarter can and is helping businesses across the region.

“Made Smarter is relevant for any North West SMEs employing less than 250 staff who make, create, manufacture or engineer. The interest we have received in the first year has been incredible. I urge local businesses to get in touch and find out how digital technology can transform their business.”

The £20M pilot programme was launched in November 2018, becoming operational in January 2019, and runs until March 2021.

The pilot will inform how best to support SME manufacturers in the adoption of new industrial digital technologies.

Andrea Thompson, chair of the Made Smarter Commission’s North West Pilot and BAE’s managing director for Europe & International Programmes, said: “We recognise that the move towards advanced technologies can be intimidating, which is why Made Smarter offers a raft of additional support to help manufacturers take that first step.

“This includes guidance on creating an effective digital roadmap to ensure the right technology is taking your business towards digitalisation, drive engagement between industry, universities and research institutes with the student placements programme, and a leadership training programme designed to identify the best digital tools and use them to make everyday improvements to business.”

During its first 12 months a series of successful events in Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Warrington, Lancashire, Cumbria and Liverpool have allowed Made Smarter’s team of expert advisers to connect with businesses operating in a wide-range of sectors including engineering, aerospace, food and beverage, agriculture, steel, chemicals and textiles.

The North West pilot is being overseen by the Made Smarter Commission – a partnership between the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and industry leaders.

Juergen Maier, former CEO of Siemens and co-chair of the commission, said: “When we launched Made Smarter in November 2018 our ambition was to kick start a new industrial revolution for the manufacturing sector and turn the UK into a world leader in digital technologies.

“I am thrilled that so many manufacturers in the North West have grasped what I believe is a once in a generational opportunity to boost productivity, create high value and highly paid jobs of the future. Our task now is to scale this up and see what other regions can learn from the great work that’s already being done here.”

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Company News

UK industry needs to be ‘bold and brave’ urges manufacturing boss The time has come for UK manufacturing to be ‘bold and brave’ in the way it targets international opportunities according to the boss of a strategic manufacturing outsourcing specialist.

PP Control & Automation’s Tony Hague made the rallying call after GDP figures revealed that growth in the economy had stalled and manufacturing output was falling.

The CEO is urging more companies to invest in automation and to proactively target export contracts after his own business announced a £3m order haul and exciting plans for further growth both domestically and in North America.

It is an approach that the Government is keen for other manufacturers to replicate as it looks to reinforce the UK’s reputation as an industrial powerhouse.

“We have definitely noticed an increase in confidence since the General Election result and it appears that investment has been switched on in a lot of sectors, which is very pleasing,” explained Tony Hague.

“From our base here in the UK, we support 25 of the world’s largest machinery builders in food processing and packaging, printing, machine tool, energy, transport and infrastructure, medical and high technology sectors.

“Everything we do has to create added value to our clients through innovative design, proactive supply chain management and competitive and agile manufacturing.”

He continued: “We are targeting emerging markets in the UK, such as electrification, as well as new opportunities in different geographies. In particular the North American markets, where we are well placed with 20+

New Engineering Skills Organisation Enginuity Launches Enginuity, is a new organisation dedicated to creating skills solutions for individuals, educators, and engineering and manufacturing employers, who want to see and develop the skills needed to succeed, today and tomorrow.

Engineers are at the forefront of tackling many of the biggest societal challenges we face today. At the same time, Industry 4.0 is rapidly changing engineering and manufacturing.

To seize the commercial opportunities these challenges and this change creates, the manufacturing and engineering sector needs to adapt fast.

Individuals and employers need the skills that will allow them to flourish, now and in the future.

That’s why Enginuity creates practical skills solutions using unmatched industry expertise and data. Helping engineering and manufacturing

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years knowledge of legislation and associated UL standards. There are also the connections we have in place now through our investment partners Ardenton Capital.

“Despite the figures out this week, I believe it is exciting times for industry, but we have to work collectively and collaboratively to grow GDP and wealth.

“Developing a more comprehensive supply chain model across the UK could ensure that the larger ‘primes’ in aerospace, defence, automotive and industrial machinery could actually increase their domestic spend. For that to happen, we need supply chain excellence; the impact on GDP and balance of trade would be massive.”

PP Control & Automation, which employs over 220 people at its 5,500 sq metre facility, delivers added value design, engineering and complex assembly to clients involved in aerospace, food processing, machine tools, packaging, printing and advanced technologies.

With renewed financial backing from Canadian-based investor Ardenton, the firm secured a record £26m year in 2019 and strengthened its senior management team with the strategic appointment of Stewart Robertson as Head of Finance and Garry Myatt as Sales Director.

It continues to be an influential member of the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), a collective of nine manufacturers and a specialist engineering design agency that work together to share best practice and bring work back to the UK. Tony concluded: “UK manufacturing is still revered throughout the world for our engineering, our design and our innovation. We need to embrace this as we embark on doing trade in a whole new world and I’m confident that, whilst there may be twists and turns ahead, the opportunities will far outweigh the threats.”

For further information, please visit www.ppcanda.com or follow @ppcanda on twitter. employers make smarter decisions about the opportunities they give to individuals.

Ann Watson, Chief Executive of Enginuity explains:

“Digital technologies can discover and identify young people who have the aptitude for a career in engineering and manufacturing. New platforms can help individuals make currently unaccredited skills visible to employers, and suggest where they need to upskill or reskill. Better data about the skills employers need today and tomorrow, can open an individual’s career path into a Skills Universe, with more routes to fulfil their potential, with more employers, in more areas.

“Marrying our engineering expertise with ingenuity with data, is how we will design and constantly improve skills solutions that provide a great user experience for employers, educators and individuals. It’s how we will create new products and services that are easy for employers and educators to integrate. It’s how we will prove the business case for engineering skills development.”

Product News bigHead launches Core Range with composite design rules bigHead is launching its latest innovation, Core Range, at this year’s JEC World in Paris in March.

New local control solution available from Rotork Suitable for all markets, the Local Hand Station provides a local control panel solution when access to the actuator or field devices is limited.

Suitable for all markets, the new Local Hand Station is an actuator control panel optimised to control actuators or field devices located in hazardous or inaccessible areas.

The Local Hand Station is suitable for applications such as large penstocks, where it is difficult to access the actuator due to height, in chamber applications where the actuator is located below the ground and space is limited or for control when the actuator/device may be in a hazardous location.

Reliable local control is essential in many applications and the Local Hand Station provides a simple control panel interface between the actuator or field device and the Distributed Control System (DCS). The Local Hand Station offers complete local override of DCS control signals to ensure localised maintenance activities can be performed safely without unexpected operation occurring.

Absolute control is critical to site safety so in addition to an Emergency Shutdown (ESD) button, the rotary selector switches have been used due to their increased resistance to sticking or jamming and the Local/Stop/Remote selector can be locked in any position.

The Local Hand Station can be pole or wall mounted and is ATEX and IECEx certified. Power can be supplied directly from the connected actuator, meaning that installation can be carried out with just a standard electrical cable. This prevents the need for any supplementary power supplies on site.

Mark Stone, Rotork’s Industrial Products Manager, commented:

“This latest product is a great addition for locally controlling actuators and field devices which might be inaccessible due to location or environmental conditions.”

Major players in the European meat and poultry industry switching to Cabinplant The Problem Supermarkets today need frequent deliveries of fresh and varied marinated products on display in the counter.

Thanks to the Cabinplant marinating system the industry is now able to produce and deliver small batches with a frequent change-over of marinades.

“Core Range is a simple and complete range of bigHead fasteners for both surface bonded and embedded applications,” explains bigHead’s MD, Matthew Stevens. “Most importantly, this new range comes with application performance data and composite design guidelines to simplify product selection and composite joint design. For the first time, design engineers will have the key information at their fingertips: fastener + performance data + composite design rules.”

When working in composites, engineers find it hard to predict how a fastener will perform under load. Without any industry standards, the answers to critical questions such as; “How much load can a bonded or embedded fastener withstand?” or, “How will it fail?” come down to guesswork and time-consuming trials and tests. bigHead’s Core Range now provides engineers with the key information to answer these questions and streamline their design process.

As the behaviour of composite joints are so hard to predict, bigHead’s design rules help engineers avoid costly surprises later on in the process.

“We have seen many examples of designers being caught out by failures in the field. Very often this is because they have no performance data to rely on or design rules to follow.

Some engineers might make assumptions, perhaps based on their experience of working in metal, that turn out to be misleading for composites,” comments Dr Lawrence Cook, Development Engineer at bigHead. “bigHead’s Core Range not only makes the process from initial design to final application easier, but helps customers avoid costly errors in the field.”

For more information on bigHead’s Core Range please visit www.bigHead.co.uk or get in touch.

Traditionally, the marinating process is labour intensive, time consuming and complicated. The tumbler/drum is filled with 500-1000 kg of meat or poultry products and 100 litres of marinade. The meat is tumbled for approx.

15 minutes to make sure it is covered. The marinated meat is transported in bulk to the weighing/packing line incurring additional costs. And finally, the production equipment such as the tumbler, elevator, weigher, tools for the weigher, and the marinade dispenser require time-consuming cleaning.

It is easier to fulfil the demand of the retail sector.

Major players in the European meat and poultry industry have invested in a more flexible and smoother set-up for surface marinating meat products in order to meet the requirements of their retail customers.

The Solution Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/RaFRfhapz_k Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

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Company News

Taking weight out of the equation puts ACE on course for £800,000 export birthday present A global desire for greener cars and more fuel efficient planes is set to deliver a major export boost to Advanced Chemical Etching (ACE).

The Telford-based precision engineering specialist is predicting international orders to generate an additional £800,000 of revenue, with prototype and low volume parts in demand from customers in more than 15 countries.

Employing 60 people at its Hortonwood site, the company’s ability to etch in aluminium and titanium has seen it play a major role in the development of heating elements for ice protection on aircraft and high-performance interconnectors and bipolar plates commonly used in automotive battery packs and fuel cells respectively.

These are all identified as major growth areas for the business, which is set to celebrate its 20th birthday in 2020.

“The parts we produce are very complex and there are not many firms with our capacity or capability,” explained Chris Ball, Executive Director at ACE.

“Our different etching processes have been developed to deliver the tightest of tolerances and over £600,000 has been invested in the last year in new equipment to ensure we can produce up to 2000 sheets per day…a massive increase on this time last year.”

He continued: “Automotive and aerospace are committed to reducing emissions and our technology lends itself to taking weight out of the equation, whether that is melting ice or supporting new battery technology.

“We’re already working on a number of projects that should come to fruition

IMO opens sales office in the UK The German IMO Group, a designer and manufacturer of slewing rings and self-contained slew drives, has been selling to the UK market for years. To be closer to its customers, IMO has opened a sales office in Huddersfield, UK, which will serve Great Britain and Ireland. John Loonam will head up the UK operation as Technical Sales & Marketing Manager for the region.

IMO slew drives are ready-to-install, plug-and-play units with integrated ball or roller slewing ring and flanges to suit all standard electric and hydraulic motors and/or planetary gearboxes. Worm or pinion driven, the slew drives have a sealed raceway system and a housing that completely encloses the gearing.

John Loonam, technical sales & marketing manager, Great Britain and Ireland, commented: “We offer rotating solutions when moments or overhanging loads are a challenge. We therefore see huge potential for IMO slew drives in the UK and Ireland and look forward to engaging with new customers in these markets.

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this year and have the potential to change the way cars, drones, space vehicles and aircraft are powered.”

ACE, which has been supported by the Department for International Trade (DIT) with reviews of its website and agent network to help maximise sales, specialises in the development of prototype components, pre-production and volume fulfilment to customers in aerospace, automotive, electronics, medical, telecoms and renewables.

The scope of its activities is far and wide and can include anything from safety critical components for aircraft and F1 cars to meshes and electronic connectors and even frames for designer glasses.

All parts are developed and manufactured at its main site in Telford or at the company’s dedicated sister business, ACE Forming Limited, in Kingswinford.

Latest production machinery, a dedicated laboratory and state-of-the-art measuring capability ensures it works to the most exacting tolerances and can manufacture components in materials, such as stainless steel, nickel alloys, copper, beryllium copper, phosphor bronze, brass and, thanks to groundbreaking new processes, aluminium, molybdenum, titanium, nitinol and elgiloy.

Ian Whateley, Managing Director, continued: “2020 is going to be a big year for our business and we’ve started by launching a new brand and website.

“Export is also a major target and we have set about increasing our number of agents in key territories, including Germany, the Netherlands and Asia.

Supporting this will be the launch of international websites with their own international domains.”

ACE spent £600,000 in 2019 on upgrading its facility in Telford and has just pressed the button on a further £250,000 investment to help it continue to win new work.

Pre and post cleaning machines have been installed to make the company quicker and new auto loaders have been added on to the lines to aid a move to ‘lights-out manufacturing’ in some parts of production.

For further information visit www.ace-uk.net or follow the company @ Ace_ChemEtching on twitter.

Trio of installs gives ETG Ireland a platform for growth in 2020 A trio of machine installs gave Engineering Technology Group (ETG) in Ireland a strong finish to 2019, with bosses predicting a rise in demand for twin and triple turret technology and smaller 5-axis machines over the next twelve months.

Dugard Push New Brands in Scotland With Additional Staff As part of its ongoing growth strategy, Dugard Machine Tools has now employed a new Area Sales Manager to support customers in Scotland and the North East of England. With more than 30-years of industry experience, Gerald Coyle will be a welcome addition to the Dugard team.

Joining Dugard at the start of the year, Gerald started his manufacturing career back in the late 1980’s with a renowned Scottish subcontract manufacturer. Serving a machining apprenticeship and rising up the ranks to fill machine shop manager and production manager positions, Gerald finished his time at the subcontract company as the plant manager. Gerald’s experience has also included spells with a world leading cutting tool manufacturer, serving the Northern England and Scottish territories as a technical sales engineer. Commenting upon taking the opportunity to join Dugard, Gerald said: “The Dugard brand is well respected for both its quality and service, so the reputation of Dugard was certainly appealing. Additionally, in my previous role, I got to know Colin Thomson and Mark Anson, who are now both enjoying life at Dugard. Their experiences of working at Dugard made me realise, it was a company I wanted to work for.”

Joining Dugard, Gerald will be tasked with exploiting new sales opportunities and introducing the raft of new Dugard brands that are now available to manufacturers in Scotland and the North East of England. Commenting upon the appointment, Managing Director at Dugard, Mr Eric Dugard says: “Employing engineers with the enthusiasm, experience and the knowledge of the marketplace in the North is a real asset to Dugard. For a number of years, we have maintained market share in Scotland, but our efforts have been built around servicing existing customers, essentially good ‘housekeeping’. However, in the last 18 months we have added the Hanwha brand of sliding head turning centres and automation solutions, the high-end range of Kitamura machine tools and, just at the turn of 2020 we have added the IBARMIA brand to our stable.”

“We already have an expansive range of machine tool solutions for industry, but these latest additions are really giving us the impetus to increase our footprint in all regions of the UK. In the case of Gerald and his North East and Scotland area, we recognise the strength of the offshore, power generation and heavy-industry sectors; the new IBARMIA Series of heavy-duty Spanish built 3, 4 and 5-axis travelling column machining centres up to 12m are perfect for this heavy engineering environment. Adding to the travelling column machines from IBARMIA is their T-Series of fully universal 5-axis machines that offer a swing diameter from 1.2m up to 3.6m with a 2.15m height capacity. We are relishing the challenge of introducing these machines to UK manufacturers; and nowhere will these flexible powerhouse machines be better suited to industry, than in the North.”

Concludes Mr Dugard

The leading machine tool supplier delivered a Nakamura AS200LMYT for the Limerick Institute of Technology’s training facility and a Quaser MV184 EH vertical mill for one of its longestestablished customers in Northern Ireland, taking the firm’s total of machines sourced from ETG to nine.

A further Nakamura AS200LMSY subspindle lathe also left its Newbridge showroom heading to Sligo, with a mould making specialist investing in new technology to help it increase its market share in the aerospace and medical sectors.

“The start of 2019 was very strong and, despite a dip in the middle due to Brexit uncertainty, we were able to record a good last quarter with the three installs and five further sales highlighting customer interest for machines that can deliver greater control, speed and quality,” explained Jamie Fletchmoore, Managing Director of ETG Ireland.

“Software solutions, especially for Mastercam and Cimco machine monitoring, were very popular and the pipeline for 2020 is extremely healthy.”

He continued: “The group acquisition of HK Technologies is also an exciting new development for our business and gives our customers in Ireland direct access to a trusted supplier of 3D printing technology, EDM machines, balancing systems, laser marking, micro finish capability and gear grinding solutions.”

ETG Ireland, which was opened in 2014, provides all the group’s products, including sales, service, training and support delivered by experts on the ground, direct from their offices in Newbridge, Kildare.

The company has also recently recruited a new Software Support Engineer to help cope with the growth and demand of Mastercam and Cimco, whilst future plans will see it take on an additional Sales Engineer to cover the Northern counties of Ireland.

“Traditionally, we had one person covering the country, but demand for Nakamura and Chiron means we need to split the territory into two, ensuring we offer our growing customer base the best possible service,” added Jamie.

“There is definitely a lot of potential for twin and triple turret technology, which gives the client a completed part in one set-up. The other benefit of additional turrets is that it allows the user to have multiple tools available to the machine, thus reducing costly set-up times.”

He concluded: “We are also seeing a trend for smaller, faster 5-axis machines and that will hopefully open the door further for our Chiron machines.” <<< Related Images

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Product News

WECA invests £5m to kick-start revolution in digital engineering Plans to revolutionise the region’s advanced digital engineering sector have been kickstarted by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA).

At its meeting today (31 Jan), WECA awarded £5m to the new Centre for Digital Engineering Technology & Innovation (DETI) – to match-fund £5m from West of England businesses who are at the forefront of industry. It is a flagship investment which supports the region’s Local Industrial Strategy and is one of the building blocks in creating a Global Centre of Innovation Excellence – bringing together innovative expertise to solve future challenges.

DETI is a research, innovation and skills initiative – it’s a collaboration of industry and academic partners led by the National Composites Centre (NCC) – which sets out to develop and accelerate digital engineering across multiple industry sectors – to benefit future generations of engineers and engineering products, and to help tackle global challenges.

West of England Mayor, Tim Bowles said: “Our region is a global leader in high value design and innovation, and we want to make sure we retain that position in the face of global competition. DETI will help us do that by putting the West of England at the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution and bring together the worlds of digital technology and advanced engineering.

“DETI will be nationally important centre, based in the West of England. It will help secure the future of the aerospace and advanced manufacturing industries and is a key part of our Local Industrial Strategy ambition to strengthen cross-sectoral innovation and support our region’s ambition for clean and inclusive growth.”

The DETI project will develop training courses related to advanced digital engineering, with the aim of increasing the skills and retraining those in the current workforce. It will also engage with schools, particularly in less affluent parts of the West of England, with the aim to reach 1,000 children and inspire them to pursue a career in digital engineering.

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“This geography is increasingly recognised as the South Gloucestershire ‘TEC ARC’ and we look forward to working closely with multiple stakeholders to ensure that the project grows this critical sector of our economy, but also engages widely across the region through schools and colleges to give new experiences and opportunities in the development of STEM skills.”

“We have already engaged with a really diverse range of companies across the tech, design, creative and engineering sectors to create an exciting collaboration where skills collide. With this investment from WECA, matched by industry, we will spend the next two years building skills, creating jobs and making the West of England the go-to place for UK high value design and engineering – putting the region on the world stage as a globally significant engineering and tech area.”

DETI is not a new building but will use existing facilities and assets – at the National Composites Centre (NCC) and another crucial partner in the collaboration, the Centre for Modelling and Simulation (CFMS), at the Bristol and Bath Science Park – to undertake its research, innovation and skills initiatives. It brings together the wealth of specialist expertise from around the region and harnesses it to maximise opportunities for a better future.

It will work with leading companies and support industry to reduce carbon emissions by producing better products – products that are lighter, more fuel efficient and have less waste – through undertaking research and innovation in the virtual world.

Businesses investing in DETI alongside WECA and the NCC include Airbus, Rolls-Royce, GKN, Baker Hughes, CFMS and UWE. DETI will also receive contributions in kind from Siemens and Toshiba. The project has already engaged with over 100 companies across the region, including disrupters TechSPARK and Smartia, and companies covering sectors such as renewable energy, marine, aerospace and electronics.

Richard Oldfield, CEO of the NCC, said: “The world faces unprecedented challenges which will require step changes in how society uses resources. DETI will bring together leading companies and tech disruptors to create the design and digital engineering of the future. It will help cement the UK’s world leading position as an engineering nation, helping to overcome the world’s most complex challenges.

DETI aims to provide a focal point for industry, researchers, educators and technology providers to co-create new tools, techniques and methods to transform key aspects of advanced engineering and systems integration. It will support future generations socially, economically and environmentally.

Leader of South Gloucestershire Council, Cllr Toby Savage said: “Over the past decade or so the Filton Enterprise Area, UWE, MoD and the Bristol and Bath Science Park have formed a powerful network of world-leading innovation in aerospace, engineering and defence. We are therefore delighted to see South Gloucestershire hosting the DETI project which we believe will be of national and international significance to the future of clean energy and low carbon transport.

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Innovations Exploring the use of motor systems for Luxury Vehicles

The Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland is renowned for showcasing futuristic vehicle designs. At the 2019 show, Kia revealed its concept car, Imagine, which took innovative design to the next level.

While these vehicles are often far from mass produced possibilities, some of the features are already integrated into high-end luxury vehicles. Here, Stewart Goulding from mechatronic drive system supplier EMS Ltd, explains more.

Kia’s Imagine polarised the Geneva Motor Show, primarily because of its interior design. One key element was a 21 smartphone-screen dashboard that offered a distorted take on the streamlined screens that we’re accustomed to today.

Imagine was, in some ways, poking fun at the current desire for vehicles with all the bells and whistles. However, there are already some vehicles that offer luxurious technology perks and home comforts beyond those typically expected — often with an equally luxurious price tag.

But, with a top of the range cost, vehicle owners expect top of the range service, too. Whether it’s through safety systems that protect passengers, premium material specification or the integration of unexpected technologies, for luxury vehicle brands, the best isn’t something to just settle for.

Go, go gadget Vehicle owners want to enjoy the same technologies on the go as they do at home.

With the growing trend of in-car entertainment

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systems that feature large, high-resolution flat screens, many vehicle manufacturers are looking to integrate systems like this into the overall interior design — rather than adding them on as a feature.

renowned motors into bespoke drive systems, vehicle developers can harness the potential of high-power density, extreme efficiency and low

Many manufacturers opt for motorised screens and displays, so they can be hidden from view for aesthetic or safety purposes. But, again, these systems must meet the standards set by vehicle manufacturers and their customers.

Automated opening and closing mechanisms provide a sophisticated, yet seamless, function to the screens. They are required to last for years with minimal maintenance, which means they need a quality motorised drive system.

Because the space for installing the mechanism of the display system is often limited, small and lightweight drive solutions are preferred. However, these drive systems must also have superior torque. This is to cope with the forces associated with the opening and closing of the monitors, all of which must be flawlessly integrated while maintaining maximum durability.

Motors for motors While they cannot be deemed “extreme”, the environmental conditions inside the vehicle must be considered if motor systems are to work as planned. The selected systems should not be adversely affected by vibrations or terrain issues, nor can temperature be an influencing factor on functionality.

Expert micromotor manufacturers, like FAULHABER, specialise in durable and reliable motors for the automotive industry. However, by working with suppliers that integrate world-

noise levels into luxury automotive applications.

EMS Ltd is the sole UK supplier of FAULHABER motors and has in-house bespoke design and manufacturing capabilities. For one automotive application, EMS was able to develop and supply the drive unit for a rotating multimedia display interface, which maximised the potential screen size for the minimal space across the vehicle’s interior.

These same systems can also be adapted and integrated into other motorised interior vehicle features, such as electric seat positioning systems, motorised sunroof shades, wing mirror adjustors and even automatic passenger assistance steps.

All of these features not only add a sense of luxury to the vehicle, the standard of the motor system used adds to the customer experience.

The Kia Imagine 21 smartphone screen dashboard may have been a tongue-in-cheek reference to the technology-integrated vehicles of today. However, many vehicles are not so far away from offering innovative and cutting-edge technology in their interiors, with the perfect motor system to match.

Latest News Schneider expands two UK plants to meet renewables demand Schneider Electric has announced plans for a multi-million pound upgrade and expansion of its Leeds and Scarborough manufacturing facilities in the UK in response to the growing demand in renewable and green technologies. It is also planning to create an innovation hub in Leeds, showcasing its sustainable energy management technologies.

The future looks green Reducing the environmental impact of a manufacturing facility People are doing what they can to help the environment. However, creating an impact takes more than installing a solar panel or swapping to energy efficient lightbulbs. Manufacturers should consider how making small, impactful changes in their facility can actually make a difference in the environment. In this article Neil Ballinger, head of EMEA sales at industrial automation parts supplier EU Automation, explains how we can create the green factories of the future.

Demand for resources is growing. According to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) the world is currently on track to consume four Earths’ worth of resources by 2050. Governments across the world have warned that everyone, from homeowners to large, global manufacturers must consider how they can reduce demand for resources such as energy and raw materials to cut carbon emissions and safeguard the planet.

Make it circular Most facilities currently work following a linear model of make, use and dispose that creates a lot of waste because the product will only have one life and left-over energy or material will be wasted.

The circular model differs and encourages manufacturers to keep resources in use for as long as possible.

Manufacturers should consider how they can design waste out of the production process, the goods manufactured and the everyday running of the facility.

For example, powering large facilities requires huge amounts of energy and water that can be very costly.

Some of this energy will also be wasted during production. Manufacturers can look at redirecting this energy, such as wastewater, to help power the facility. Facilities that have high levels of automation can also consider reducing the lighting or heating in the facility in areas where there are no human workers to save energy.

Machinery Sophisticated assembly lines require automation and equipment that will use a lot of energy and must be regularly maintained to run efficiently. If any of the equipment breaks down, manufacturers must make quick decisions to return to production to avoid any financial losses due to downtime.

When a machine breaks down, manufacturers can choose to repair or replace it. To extend the lifetime of the machine, reduce costs and reduce environmental impact, manufacturers should consider repairing the machine. Industrial automation parts suppliers can source the broken part if it is new, reconditioned or obsolete and deliver it to the facility quickly so it can return to production.

Are you sure you want to print that?

Manufacturers are introducing more automation to their assembly lines to improve productivity and efficiency. However, some manufacturers do not realise the full potential of connected devices.

By transferring internal protocols from paper to digital, mobile devices facility workers can reduce their reliance on paper, in turn reducing their carbon emissions. Going paperless can also improve logistics of everyday activity. The ability to access real-time information about inventory, orders and administration from anywhere on or off site gives manufacturers the visibility they need to improve productivity.

Manufacturers cannot ignore the importance of reducing carbon emissions in production facilities.

Investing in renewable energy and sustainable materials is important but not the only way to improve sustainability. By improving visibility of data and operations, extending equipment lifecycles and following a circular model manufacturers can improve productivity without negatively impacting the environment.

AES buys Dutch condition monitoring firm to add to AVT AES Engineering, based in Rotherham, UK, has acquired the Dutch reliability and vibration monitoring specialist Van Geffen, for an undisclosed

sum. Van Geffen, which specialises in preventing and solving of problems with machinery, foundations and structures, will join AES’ condition-monitoring subsidiary, AVT Reliability Group, located in Cheshire, UK. AES’ group managing director, Chris Rea, says the acquisition will allow AVT’s customers in Western Europe to benefit from a synergy of skills and service capabilities to help maintain and improve

The Leeds and Scarborough sites currently specialise in the production of high-voltage, medium-voltage and lowvoltage switchgear. The new investment will enable the facilities to produce Schneider’s WI switchgear, which is used to transmit electricity from offshore windfarms to the grid. The factories will also start to produce technologies for use on board turbines.

The Leeds plant will expand its production by 10%, creating new jobs and adding a new test cell and assembly line. Scarborough will add a 1,000m2 extension as well as a painting line for LV outdoor equipment.

Schneider is also planning to build a new innovation hub in Leeds, which will combine creative, production and manufacturing facilities under one roof.

The hub will include a digital customer experience zone, a product innovation zone and an EcoStruxure control centre, focusing on sustainable energy management technologies.

“We believe there is huge potential to enhance the skills, capabilities and production facilities in our Leeds and Scarborough sites to support the UK’s transition to renewable energy with highquality products and technology manufactured here in the UK,” says Mike Hughes, zone president for Schneider Electric UK & Ireland.

“Whilst the UK economy may be showing signs of slowing down, we believe there has never been a better time to invest in renewables technology production.”

the reliability of rotating machines, and to reduce downtime.

AVT Reliability, based in Warrington, employs more than 100 conditionmonitoring engineers across the UK and Europe.

It is an innovator in reliability products and services and over the past two years has launched products including the Machine Sentry cloud-based condition-monitoring system, and the EasyBrace bracing system for reducing structural vibration in smallbore pipes.

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Product News

Latest hyperMILL® Release on Show at MACH High-precision and high-performance milling and turning are two natural topics that visitors to the OPEN MIND booth can expect to see at MACH 2020 (Stand 440 Hall 17). However, at this years’ event, the industry leading CAD/ CAM vendor will also provide manufacturers an opportunity to witness the unparalleled steps that hyperMILL® has taken with its latest release, Version 2020.1.

The latest hyperMILL® 2020.1 release introduces a raft of new features that include significant enhancements to everything from Slot-Rib Probing, 3D Optimised Roughing, 3D Profile Finishing, 3D and 5-axis Corner Rest Machining, 5-axis Blade Tangent Milling, ADDITIVE Manufacturing and Automatic Contour Feature Splitting. In addition to this, OPEN MIND has incorporated further improvements to the Settings Wizard, Toolpath Display, 5-axis Tube Finishing and 5-axis Contouring functions with more feature enhancements also incorporated into the hyperCAD-S® CAD platform.

The major new features in the latest hyperMILL® 2020.1 release arrive from the NC code-based hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining simulation solution, the Digital Twin concept and the hyperMILL® AUTOMATION Center.

Creating a perfect fusion between the virtual and real world, hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining creates a virtual representation of the actual machine tool.

Virtual World With Real-World Benefits In the modern manufacturing environment, the ability to create a virtual representation or ‘Digital Twin‘ of a machine tool is becoming increasingly important. Recognised as the only way to create simulations true to reality, hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining makes it possible to design a significantly more efficient and safer set-up. The confidence this instils in customers, especially when undertaking particularly complex work is truly invaluable. hyperMILL®VIRTUAL Machining consists of three modules In the ‘Center‘, which is the simulation solution, the machine, the controller and PLC, are represented virtually and simulated based on the NC code – for maximum safety.

During the postprocessor run, the ‘Optimizer‘ automatically selects the best solution for collision-free orientation. In Version 2020.1, the Optimizer

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has been enhanced, so the automatic solution selection and calculation time during post-processor have been improved. This significantly reduces auxilliary processing times. The new ‘Smooth linking’ function automatically optimises all linking movements between the individual operations during the postprocessor run. This ensures that repositioning and movement is always in close proximity to the workpiece and checked for collisions. Subsequently the ‘CONNECTED Machining‘ feature enables bi-directional networking with the machine so that parameters can be compared against the CAM programme, and the machine can also be controlled remotely.

hyperMILL® Adds-up With Enhanced AM Features Also reaching prominence in the modern manufacturing arena is Additive Manufacturing and OPEN MIND is geared-up for this with the latest hyperMILL® ADDITIVE Manufacturing updates in Version 2020.1. hyperMILL® ADDITIVE Manufacturing allows manufacturers to perfectly control both additive and subtractive processes. For Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) OPEN MIND optimally integrates into the process chain to post-process printed parts. hyperMILL® ADDITIVE Manufacturing actively controls the material application of the Directed Energy Deposition (DED) process to ensure optimal results. In hybrid manufacturing processes that combine additive and subtractive manufacturing, hyperMILL® enables users to perfectly program additive layering and subtractive milling together. The unique 5-axis technology from OPEN MIND is ideal for simultaneously controlling 5-axis material deposition and thereby achieving optimal results. hyperMILL® ADDITIVE Manufacturing is the perfect partner for your additive manufacturing needs.

For further information on the latest hyperMILL® 2020.1 release and the updates to the hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining, hyperMILL® AUTOMATION Center and the hyperMILL® ADDITIVE Manufacturing modules, please visit the OPEN MIND Technologies Stand 440 in Hall 17.

The enhanced plastic Euro E7

Product News New Ultra Small Low Noise Low Power OCVCSO IQD Frequency Products has launched a range of high frequency Oven Controlled Voltage Controlled SAW Oscillators (OCVCSOs). Three frequencies are currently available in the OCVCSO series, 400MHz, 800MHz and 1.2GHz and they are packaged in a 25.4 x 22 x 13.2mm industry standard SMD package.

Enhanced plastic Euro pallet outperforms its wooden rival As more companies automate their materials handling and storage operations, the need for reliable pallets that can go the distance has never been greater. With Goplasticpallets.com’s enhanced plastic Euro E7 pallet, it’s ‘all systems go’ thanks to its seamless integration with automated handling systems.

The enhanced plastic Euro E7 pallet offers all the advantages of a classic wooden Euro-pallet whilst guaranteeing better performance and large potential savings in automated operations, where they are already being successfully deployed for a number of heavy line retail applications.

In a recent study from Virginia Tech University based on an industrial survey, more than half of the 259 respondents admitted to pallet-related issues with automated equipment occurring on a daily or weekly basis, largely as a result of poor quality or damaged wooden pallets.

Commenting on the study Jim Hardisty, Managing Director for Goplasticpallets.com, said: “When companies are looking to invest in automated equipment, pallets are often the last thing they consider. As pallet quality can have such a major impact on operational efficiency in automated handling scenarios, it’s crucial that pallets are considered much earlier on in the purchase process.”

One of the major benefits of Goplasticpallets.com’s Euro E7 pallet is that is has the exact dimensions of a wooden Euro-pallet – measuring 1200mm (L) x 800mm (W) x 144mm (H) – so it can be easily integrated into automated systems that have already been customised for wooden pallets. Yet, unlike a wooden pallet made from loose component parts and nails that can hamper automated systems, the Euro E7 is moulded from high-quality HDPE plastic, which guarantees 100% dimensional accuracy therefore eliminating machine disruption and operational downtime.

This means that the plastic Euro E7 pallet can run in a conveyor system parallel to existing wooden pallets without any need for adjustment, equally, it can also be used as a shuttle for any defective wooden pallets.

The plastic Euro E7 pallet comes on three runners with steel bars in the deck for enhanced strength and stability – even with the heaviest loads. When static the pallet can bear a tremendous 5000kg, whilst on the move it can support 1500kg and 1250kg in racking.

Red anti-slip strips and stoppers are a standard feature of the plastic Euro E7 pallet, but there are also several options to customise the pallet to suit different applications. Up to seven optional steel supports in a range of profile thicknesses make it possible to customise the load-bearing capacity of the pallet. RFID tags can also be added for more accurate tracking and transparency. As standard the pallet comes in black with red anti-slip strips with or without lips, but for orders of 500+ units other colour options are available, as well as printing of a company name or logo.

These OCVCSOs have a noise floor of 10dB to 15dB lower than an OCXO at the same frequency, enabling a much improved phase noise performance for applications such as radar detection systems. The 400MHz OCVCSO frequency is generated from a fundamental high-Q SAW resonator, whereas the 800MHz and 1.2GHz are generated using high frequency fundamental SAW resonator with a low noise frequency doubler. Multiplying the frequency only once enables superior phase noise performance, down to -168dBc/Hz at the floor level and jitter between 10kHz to 100MHz of <10fs.

The 400MHz OCVCSO being based on a fundamental frequency has a phase noise performance of -174dBc/Hz at the floor level and jitter of <5fs.

With stabilities down to ±2ppm over an operating temperature range of 0 to +50 degrees C and ageing of ±6ppm max over 10 years these new lightweight OCVCSOs, weighing only 8 grams, are ideal not only for radar but also simulators, communication systems and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The OCVCSO operates from a 5V supply with power consumption of between 0.8W to 1W, has a 50Ω sine output and a voltage control option, which enables the frequency to be pulled by a minimum of ±6ppm.

Further details are available on IQD’s website at www.iqdfrequencyproducts. com or for further advice, speak to a member of our Applications Support Team.

In terms of investment, a wooden Euro pallet is approximately a third cheaper than the plastic Euro E7, however taking into account the long service life of the plastic pallet and low follow on costs, in the mid to long term companies can achieve significant savings. These include lower transport costs thanks to its low net weight of just 16kg, lower repackaging costs, lower cleaning costs thanks to the pallets easy-to-clean hygienic surfaces and less process downtime.

In addition, like all of Goplasticpallets.com’s plastic pallets, the Euro E7 pallet retains its material value at the end of its operational life, when it can then be 100% recycled and turned into a new, long life pallet.

For more information about the enhanced plastic Euro E7 pallet, call the pallet experts at Goplasticpallets.com on 01323 744057 or email your enquiry to sales@goplasticpallets.com.

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Product News

Axiom GB automates Kuehne + Nagel’s distribution facility Materials handling specialist, Axiom GB, has installed two automated solutions into Kuehne + Nagel’s facility for the company’s BT contract with the mobile network operator, EE. The two automated lines, a B2B weigh on the way tote system and a B2C packing line, have enabled Kuehne + Nagel to significantly increase the productivity of both of these operations.

Kuehne + Nagel’s 130,000 sq ft facility is the sole distribution centre for the EE brand in the UK. With 140 full time employees and up to 60 agency staff at peak periods, this busy operation delivers mobile phones and accessories in totes to retail stores across the country and individually bagged products direct to customers.

processes a tote every six seconds, sending out up to 15,000 units a day, six days a week, to 452 EE stores and 150 franchise stores.

Nigel Henman is the Operations Manager for Kuehne + Nagel’s facility, he explains why the B2B automation was necessary, “When we were manually weighing and packing for the retail operation each individual could complete 15 to 20 totes per hour. As a comparison ‘Vera’ can achieve 600 totes in an hour. It would take one person 30 hours to manually weigh and process 600 totes – so that has given us a saving of 29 hours.

“We needed the automated system because sometimes we would be manually packing all through the night in order to get product into stores the next day. The key benefit of the Axiom tote solution is that now we can run the automation later in the day and achieve the same volume using less people. This has substantially improved our productivity.”

Reliably processing totes an hour B2B weigh on the way 600 Each tote, which has been pre-labelled with a tote system ‘Vera’ unique barcode, is loaded onto the conveyor at the start of the process. As it travels along the system Code named ‘Vera’ Axiom’s tote system automatically check weighs picked and packed totes for the EE retail operation. The solution

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the tote is scanned and the weight verified, any variances are diverted for manual inspection, corrected and returned to the conveyor.

Dispatch documents are printed and automatically inserted inside the tote then the interlocking top lid is closed. The tote is then turned 90 degrees and sealed with a uniquely numbered strap which is photographed and recorded. The tote is then turned back to normal orientation and a shipping label is printed, applied to the side face of the tote and confirmed. Totes are then palletised ready for delivery to stores. The Axiom software confirms shipped totes, their weight and any other system related information to Kuehne + Nagel.

“We very quickly became dependent on ‘Vera’” comments Henman, “operationally you always wonder if a system will be as good as you expected it to be, but it’s been really reliable from the start.

The fact that it can process 600 totes an hour is why we’ve now become reliant on it.”

B2C packing line ‘Jack’ To replace their manual packing line, Kuehne + Nagel selected an automated Axiom solution for inline packing of EE mobile phones and associated equipment, the system is code named ‘Jack’. Nigel Henman notes, “I was on the project team and we visited the Axiom site and they explained how the system would work. The packing line was then built in their factory so we could actually see it working and test it before it was installed.

“It was then transferred here and the installation began. There was no impact on our day to day working, the Axiom team worked seamlessly with us around our operation and within two weeks we were using it.

“Manually packing we were achieving 65 units per person per hour, with the Axiom automated solution we can push through 1200 units hourly with just four people, it’s made a big difference to our productivity.

“The automation particularly helps when we have a product launch.

Before we had ‘Jack’ a major plan had to be put into place and we’d start at 4am and be working up to 22 hours a day to roll out the new products. Now a launch just goes unnoticed. It’s day to day routine rather than working throughout the night because we have the capacity to pack 1200 orders per hour.”

Automation for increased productivity Orders are pre-processed using Kuehne + Nagel’s WMS system, which validates the customer information and associates the hand set(s) to the customer order. Then a 2D order label is printed and applied to each order before it is placed onto the system and the label is scanned. One person can place 1200 orders per hour onto the belt conveyor at the start of the twin level automated system.

Each order passes under a scanner and its relevant documents are printed, there are two live and one offline document printers.

The documents are then scanned before being fed into the system onto the lower conveyor. Two identical SIM feeders, equipped with cameras to capture barcode information, add a SIM card to mobile device orders. There is a reject chute for unreadable SIMs. The SIM information is automatically associated to the customer order.

Product on the top conveyor merges with its correct documentation on the lower conveyor at a beak section. The completed orders are check weighed and automatically spaced ready to be fed into an automatic bagging machine. Each order is individually packaged and then a shipping label is printed and applied to the outside of the bag.

A final overhead scan verifies the order with any reject orders sent down a reject chute for manual inspection. All confirmed orders are unloaded for onward delivery to EE customers.

“We have a yearly maintenance contract with Axiom for both ‘Jack’ and ‘Vera’” says Henman, “so they are both serviced at the same time.

If required, any issues can usually be fixed remotely. Our staff are also very familiar with the systems; however Axiom staff are always on hand if we have any queries. We can call them at any time and they are happy to assist; their support services are excellent.

“We have become reliant on both of our automated systems because they have made such an improvement to our productivity. We would recommend Axiom to anyone. In fact we’re looking at other projects for Kuehne + Nagel at the moment and I know we will always refer to Axiom because of the good work they have done here.”

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Company News

Why choose Hyundai? Murdo explained, “We chose the Hyundai machine because of the quality of build and the machine also represents excellent value for money. I also thought John’s customer service at Bear Handling was excellent.

Hyundai Material Handling ‘Paint it Black’ for WellGear

Murdo added, “I liked the compact size of the forklift. We don’t have particularly high doors on our workshop and the size of the machine was very compact for its weight capacity - we were able to lift 18tonnes and still get comfortably through our doors.

Aberdeen based, Bear Handling Ltd specialise in handling equipment across Scotland, the company also supply the oil & gas industry and is the Hyundai forklift distributor for the region.

Some of the competitors’ machines were quite tall in comparison to the Hyundai. I also liked the spacious cabin and its excellent visibility for the operators – it has practically a 360-degree view. The rear reversing camera is also very good. We didn’t require any ‘extra safety features on the machine, as with the Hyundai, they come as standard.”

Bear Handling has recently secured a deal with a leading oil & gas operations company, WellGear UK, which has recently taken delivery of an 18-tonne load capacity Hyundai 180D-9 diesel forktruck – the first to be delivered into the region. The compact but powerful machine is powered by a Mercedes Benz 6R1000 209.7 kW engine and has a maximum lifting height of 4020 mm.

WellGear Group was established by Sigo Tjeerdsma (CEO) in the Netherlands in 2015 – UK Managing Director, Murdo MacLeod set up the UK division in, Aberdeen in 2016 - this division became operational in 2017. The company specialises in the Oil & Gas well workover, well control, casing recovery, and well abandonment operations - its clients include major blue-chip Oil and Gas companies.

WellGear has experienced rapid expansion and has grown from employing just four staff in 2015 to over 150 in just four years within its Holland and Aberdeen divisions.

Murdo MacLeod, WellGear UK Managing Director spoke about their investment in the Hyundai brand and his dealings with Bear Handling, he said, “We were in the market for a new forklift due to business expansion.

I got word of Bear Handling via a friend of mine who had worked with the company. I went to see John Maclaren at Bear and was impressed at his pragmatic approach and knowledge of the equipment.

Murdo continued, “In the yard, John had a 16-tonne Hyundai forktruck (160D-9) which I test drove and was really impressed. John said that Hyundai manufactured a larger 18-tonne model, which I decided would be the right machine for the job, based on the impressive performance on the 16-tonne machine.”

TraceParts is proud to be the partner of Robo’Lyon, one of the two French teams taking part in the FIRST Robotic Competition, an international robotics competition for high school students.

This latest competition will shine the spotlight on robotics, CAD, and mechanics, based on the theme of Star Wars.

For the third year in a row, TraceParts is offering its support to the Robo’Lyon team, one of the two French teams taking part in the famous FIRST Robotics Competition. This legendary competition created by Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway, is one of the most media-exposed and hotly contested competitions among high schools. This competition is supported by

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Murdo joked, “The machine also has air conditioning – but we don’t need that much in Scotland!”

“I was also impressed that we could specify the machine in our company colours directly from the Hyundai factory in South Korea. From order to delivery was just 12-weeks, which is fantastic considering we ordered a ‘bespoke’ machine.” Added Murdo.

Murdo continued talking about the machine’s performance, he said, “We accept loads in the yard almost every day, so the machine is constantly loading and shifting containers and working on the racks keeping the working areas tidy. It’s on general workshop management for around 12-hours per day.

We have quite a number of heavy lifts to do each day – some up to as much as 16.5 tonne. Our new forklift is able to lift this capacity with ease and we will use it instead of getting a crane in, which of course, saves us money.

The operators who use the machine every day are really pleased with its performance.”

Murdo concluded, “The performance of the machine has been excellent to date – it’s reliable and worth every penny we invested. The forklift is also exceptionally fuel efficient in fact it’s a good all-round machine and we are delighted with our investment.”

numerous multinationals, such as Google, Boeing, 3M, TE Connectivity, and more.

The team, made up of young high school students and volunteer mentors (teachers, alumni, professionals from the engineering and business sectors, students, etc.), have been inventing and creating prototypes for mechanisms intended to respond to the challenges of the game.

TraceParts is proud to be able to offer the team its support through its engineering platform that provides anyone with free access to 3D models, 2D drawings, and ECAD data (footprints, symbols, etc.) for industrial parts.

The rules of the game are simple: The robots must collect power cells (balls) and throw them through one of the three power ports to score points. Each port poses a different level of difficulty and offers a different number of points: lower port (1 point), outer port (2 points), and inner port (3 points).

Teams from all around the world compete against each other. The team that achieves the highest number of points wins the competition.

The next few days will be vital for the Robo’Lyon team as they will be focused on assembling each part to create their competition robot.

Boeing nominates Steve Mollenkopf and Akhil Johri as new directors Long-time rugged IT supplier JLT Mobile Computers sets itself up for continued success with new brand identity Having grown faster than the market over the past seven years and delivering record revenues in 2019, the new JLT brand’s growth strategy emphasizes solutions, expansion of sales channels, R&D, and strategic partnerships to address customers’ business needs.

The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] Board of Directors has nominated Steve Mollenkopf and Akhil Johri to be elected as directors at the company’s upcoming annual meeting of shareholders. The board also announced independent directors Edward Liddy and Mike Zafirovski will not stand for re-election and will retire from board service at the meeting.

After 25 years in business, JLT Mobile Computers, a leading developer and manufacturer of reliable computers for demanding environments, is continuing its growth strategy under a new brand identity. Having significantly outperformed the competition in its serviceable markets in recent years and posting record sales of SEK 142M in 2019, the new-look JLT is setting sights on further expansion of its market share with a fresh growth strategy centering around expanded product, service, and solutions offerings, with strengthened sales channels, strong R&D and strategic partnerships.

Mollenkopf, 51, has served as CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated since 2014. He has helped lead the company through the transitions to 3G, 4G and 5G since the beginning of his career as an engineer more than 25 years ago. Johri, 58, served as CFO of United Technologies Corporation from 2015 to 2019. He previously held various executive positions of increasing responsibility over his 31-year career at the company and currently serves as an independent director of Cardinal Health.

As a trailblazer in the field of rugged computers, over the course of 25 years, JLT has amassed solid experience and know-how in developing, producing and installing electronics in unforgiving environments. Maintaining full control over product development, production and service, JLT gained a competitive advantage that resulted in 15% average annual sales growth over the past six years, three times higher than the average annual growth of businesses serving the same markets (based on JLT estimates and data from VDC Research).

“Our announcement today reflects our rigorous succession planning, which ensures we maintain the right balance of skills and experience to effectively govern the company,” said Boeing Chairman Larry Kellner. “We are pleased to welcome Steve and Akhil to the Boeing Board.

Recognizing the increasing complexity of customers’ planning, acquisition, implementation and management processes as a result of digitization, IoT, Cloud and Industry 4.0 trends, JLT is strengthening its commitment to customers through the sale of complementary products, services and consultancy to help them solve their toughest business challenges.

They are proven leaders at complex, global enterprises and together will bring significant additional safety, engineering, software and financial experience to our board. I also thank our two retiring directors, who have provided leadership and exemplary service to the board.

“We’ve listened carefully to the industry and we know that choosing the right hardware is only one step on our customers’ journey for improving productivity in the warehouse, port, mine or other applications areas,” said Per Holmberg, CEO of JLT Mobile Computers Group. “To address customer business needs we are transitioning our business model from being a traditional hardware supplier to becoming a business partner who’s on hand to help customers every step of the way, from device selection to system design, integration, deployment, and ongoing support.”

JLT’s strategy to become a provider of end-to-end rugged IT solutions is an ongoing transformation that has been underway for a while. It will move the company from predominantly being a traditional hardware vendor to a brand identity as a business partner and trusted advisor to its customers providing the best combination of JLT’s rugged hardware, software, services and solutions.

Ed has reached the board’s mandatory retirement age, and Mike has decided not to stand for re-election after 15 years on our board.”

“Serving alongside Ed and Mike on the Boeing Board has been a privilege,” said Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun.

“I look forward to benefiting from Steve’s strong leadership skills and deep experience in developing, testing and deploying technologies at scale, and from Akhil’s world-class financial expertise, particularly in relation to the manufacturing of aerospace systems.”

“I am honored to be nominated as a director of Boeing and look forward to the opportunity to work with the board and the executive team,” said Mollenkopf.

“Boeing has a respected history of delivering on its commitments to stakeholders, and I look forward to supporting the continuation of that track record as a member of its board,” said Johri.

Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

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Editorial Maintaining activity with proactivity

Downtime due to information technology glitches is a perennial problem. You can set your watch by their occurrence in the commercial aerospace industry alone, and they’re often a direct consequence of failures in legacy hardware and software. Here, George Walker, managing director of IT/OT management software specialist Novotek UK and Ireland, makes the case for proactively upgrading legacy systems.

In early August 2019, British Airways suffered a dramatic systems failure that left hundreds of planes grounded and thousands of travellers stranded. This was an echo of a similar disruption suffered in May 2017, where three days of downtime cost the company an estimated £80 million.

This is a peculiar position that many companies find themselves in. Instead of a complete redesign when new software and hardware becomes available, the old systems are simply modified or added to, causing them to mutate into twisted patchworks of modern and legacy systems over time.

When systems become so imbricated and interdependent, it’s not surprising that situations arise where a small issue can cascade into a big mess. In the airline example, a plane pieced together in such a way would never fly, yet IT is left neglected. The planes don’t fly in either situation, after all, so from a company’s perspective they should carry similar weights.

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Manufacturing & Production Engineering Magazine

Breaking the vicious circle While the airline failures make the news, similar issues affect businesses across most industries every day.

Implementation of new standards is often an obligation, bringing improvements to safety and security, meaning a decision must be made to either marry the new with the old or replace the old entirely. The former is the easier choice as it’ll often be cheaper and will require less organisation and time.

It can also be argued that it’s hard to justify wholesale updates when the next standard could be just around the corner. Agriculture and food processing industries are particularly susceptible to this reasoning, as well as dependence on older tech, because of slim margins, shifting trends and seasonality.

That said, while looking good on the annual budget report, this approach misses the larger picture. The issue is that every time a legacy system is built upon it become immutable, and another point of failure is created. Like a house-ofcards, all it takes is a nudge for it to collapse.

Another question to ask is, if and when that collapse occurs, who fixes it? In the event the engineer responsible for maintaining the network is unreachable, for example through retirement, which is a growing phenomenon, it’s difficult to find support because the system is so specialised and monstrous.

A further compounding factor comes with increasing complexities and costs, in both downtime and funds, of replacement as the systems become increasingly complex and ingrained with every patch.

These are examples of technical debt and are, by the strictest definitions, negative feedback loops,

where the easiest solutions dig the hole a little deeper each time. A different approach is needed.

Proactive, predictive, preventative The first step to addressing this is to consult a knowledgeable, trusted system integrator and take their advice on board. A broader, third party overview provides valuable context, free from the potential trappings of internal company politics, and uncovers issues and opportunities that company engineers might miss or neglect Furthermore, the system integrator will be knowledgeable of the current and upcoming trends and developments in the relevant IT fields.

This means the previously mentioned rebuttal of hesitation to invest, because the next standard could arrive next year, is mitigated because the recommended systems will scalable, modular and futureproof.

While modern processing and control software will make up the majority of a redesigned system, effective SCADA systems like GE Digital’s iFIX manage the overall picture. Fourth generation SCADA software provides unparalleled data collection and management, allowing for thoughtful, evidence-based decisions instead of best-guesses and compromises.

For any manufacturer, the benefits of futureproofed governing software are plain to see.

Waste can be limited by process optimisation and unplanned downtime eliminated by individualised device monitoring, but crucially in this context, systematic exceptions can be caught, recorded and fixed before they can create a problem.

Technical debt is a pervasive issue that every modern business must tackle properly, lest it becomes a chronic issue. It can be a bitter pill to swallow, but taking your business and positioning it ahead of the curve is the best way to avoid these roadblocks, secure your systems against catastrophic collapse and keep your business active.

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