June 2018
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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY Embrace the fourth industrial age – or become a backwater.
ANALYSIS Microplastics: Small plastics, big problem.
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KIWINET FINALISTS 2018 Entrepreneurs shining through.
We’ve designed a ‘flux capacitor’, but it won’t take us Back to the Future The technology that allowed Marty McFly to travel back in time in the 1985 movie Back to the Future was the mythical flux capacitor, designed by inventor Doc Brown. We’ve now developed our own kind of flux capacitor, as detailed recently in Physical Review Letters. While we can’t send a DeLorean car back in time, we hope it will have important applications in communication technology and quantum computing. How did we do it? Well it’s all to do with symmetry. There are many kinds of symmetry in science, including one that deals with time reversal.
Time reversal Time reversal symmetry is a complex sort of symmetry that physicists like to think about, and relies on the imaginary as much as the real. Suppose you make a movie of an event occurring. You could then ask: “If I edited the movie to run backwards, and showed it to my friends, could they tell?” This might seem obvious: people don’t usually walk or talk backwards; spilt milk doesn’t spontaneously jump back into its carton; a golf ball doesn’t miraculously launch backwards from the fairway, landing perfectly balanced on the tee at the same moment as the club catches it. Golf doesn’t look so convincing in reverse. Source: Tom Stace
exactly the same laws of physics as a beam of light travelling in the opposite direction. Indeed, the basic equations of physics look essentially the same if we replace time with its negative. This mathematical transformation reverses the flow of time in our equations.
Thomas Stace Professor in Physics, The University of Queensland
Clemens Müller Researcher on Quantum Technologies, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich
Since the microscopic laws of physics appear to be unchanged under this mathematical transformation, we say the universe possesses time reversal symmetry, even though we cannot actually reverse time in reality. Unlike Doc Brown, we can’t make the clock tick backwards. There is a conceptual conflict here. At the macroscopic scale, the entropy of the universe — a measure of disorder or randomness — always increases, so that there is an arrow of time. This is obvious in our everyday experience: a scrambled egg is not reversible. How does this irreversiblity emerge from microscopic laws that are reversible? This remains a mystery.
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But at a microscopic level, the story is not that clear. The collision of two billiard balls looks pretty similar in reverse; even more so for the collision of two atoms. A beam of light travelling in one direction obeys
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Is there a standard for smart manufacturing?
Waiting for smart manufacturing standards to develop before implementing the Industrial Internet of Things into your operations may not be the most productive choice. By Dave Vasko, director of Advanced Technology, Rockwell Automation Smart manufacturing is called different things in different countries: Manufacturing USA (United States), Industrie 4.0 (Germany), China 2025 (China) or Industrie du Futur (France). The U.K., Sweden, Japan, Korea and India all have country-specific efforts as well. What do these initiatives have in common? They are all: • Creating a vision for smart manufacturing. • Using the power of digitalization to help manufacturers reduce capital expenditures, improve time to market, reduce inventory and improve productivity. • Extending existing standards to realize the vision. The last point is an important distinction: These initiatives are not creating new standards — they are classifying how best to use existing standards. That means the groundwork for smart manufacturing, Industrie 4.0 and other initiatives is being done in standard developing organizations such as the IEC, ISO, ISA, IEEE and the OPC Foundation. These organizations are where the influence starts and leadership takes hold.
Trade cess / s rt SucThis is particularly important as thought leaders prepare terview / Expo is for In s / ie the g G20 (or Group of Twenty) in D lys August. This olo / 3Economy tDigital eninternational Techn ofiles / Ana elo forum for governments from m e p v ti p cs Pr Dev 20 major/ economies isru Robotiis host to high-level discussions of mpany / Regional t ing / D o r n C le tu r / c a e ufa 018 &T Cyb ity MEX 2 Skills IIoT / rt Man ductiv r Sma Reports – E cture / Pro Economy / struction / ials fo on lar tru C s u a / c Mater eviews and fr ir e c C In an Pr / The ing / ainten ution Show factur ate Change tive M ib Manu m reventa tics & Distr P / / Food turing / Cli g is turin / Log fac anufac ufacturing Manu M r an n fo / Desig / Additive M y Securit
policy issues pertaining to, among other things, global economic growth. On the agenda is digital technology. Countries and companies around the world are eager to adopt digitalization strategies because it levels the playing field for smaller companies, allowing them to reap the same benefits as larger firms, and remain globally competitive and relevant.
Industry is slow to adapt to new technologies, mostly because replacing existing assets with new, smart manufacturing versions can be complex and take time. The transition should take place in phases.
This means if you look only at one countr initiative, you’ll have a limited view of t global movement. You must look at glob standards to understand global impact.
So rather than the name of the initiative th differentiates the work, it’s the standar behind that initiative that make the differenc
The Time to Start Is Now
For organizations hesitant to start their journe
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CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS
4 EDITORIAL Increase productivity – visit the USA.
ADVISORS
NEWS 5 BUSINESS Revered nation’s Statoil explorations hushed up
Leeann Watson
Is the Chief Executive of the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce (the Chamber).and is a strong voice for Canterbury business.
here.
TECHNOLOGY 6 MANUFACTURING Embrace the fourth industrial age – or become a
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backwater.
Power PDF 3 enhances worker productivity. Epson launched N6, 6-axis robot and hollow force sensor.
Dieter Adam
Chief Executive, New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association has a Ph.D. in plant biotechnology, consulting and senior management roles in R&D, innovation and international business development.
Faro introduces As-Built software platform for 3D digital modelling.
11 DEVELOPMENTS
Accelerated computing powering world’s fastest.
12 ANALYSIS Microplastics: Small plastics, big problem. 14 KIWINET AWARDS FINALISTS 2018 16 DEVELOPMENTS Pan Pac engineering pride shines through.
8 Kirk Hope
Is Chief Executive of BusinessNZ, New Zealand’s largest business advocacy body. He has held a range of senior positions at Westpac and is a barrister and solicitor.
New Zealand needs facilities to process compostable packaging.
17 SMART MANUFACTURING
Lewis Woodward
New innovations improving primary industry. Robots welcome addition to the workforce. International Innovation Award goes to electric bike.
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Nvidia Isaac launches new era of autonomous machines.
Is Managing Director of Connection Technologies Ltd, Wellington and is passionate about industry supporting NZ based companies, which in turn builds local expertise and knowledge, and provides education and employment for future generations.
Tailor technologies to future-proof reliable industrial networks. Technologies leading the way to a new industrial revolution.
Dr Troy Coyle
Is HERA Director, she has extensive experience in innovation, research management and product development, most recently as Head of Innovation and Product Development & Pacific Islands Export Manager at New Zealand Steel..
24 FOOD MANUFACTURING
Choose food and beverage cabling and automation components carefully.
CHAIN 26 SUPPLY Multiple AI coordination control realises efficient warehouse picking.
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Swisslog’s islands of automation signpost the future of automated processes.
Craig Carlyle
28 NEW PRODUCTS
Vertical column bearing pads protect against floor slab stresses. Heavy-duty drive reliably powers Sun Metals’ zinc feeder.
NEWS 30 BUSINESS Internet of Manufacturing Study Tour – What can
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we learn from the USA?
VIEW 31 REAR One-quarter of Dubai’s buildings will be 3D printed by 2025.
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Is Director of Maintenance Transformations Ltd, an executive member of the Maintenance Engineering Societyand the Event Director of the NationalMaintenance Engineering Conference.
Increase productivity – visit the USA
PUBLISHER
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CONTRIBUTORS
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We hear, read, discuss and some of us are actively involved in making our manufacturing environments a more successful and rewarding place to work and create great products and services for local and overseas markets. Some of us use high-tech equipment and are becoming more familiar and efficient with equipment around AI, Lean, Industry 4.0 and amongst others, the circular economy.
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But you know what, not enough of us are talking about them. Our education institutions don’t put forward technocrats to share what students are learning, developing and prototyping. The theory of the task at hand is protected within the environment.
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Manufacturing companies are reticent to share their production methods and equipment they are using– in case someone steals the march on them and an idea flies out the door. Fisher & Paykel and Stabicaft Marine are examples of some who are more open.
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Vol.9 No. 5 JUNE 2018 Copyright: NZ Manufacturer is copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Neither editorial opinions expressed, nor facts stated in the advertisements, are necessarily agreed to by the editor or publisher of NZ Manufacturer and, whilst all efforts are made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility will be taken by the publishers for inaccurate information, or for any consequences of reliance on this information. NZ Manufacturer welcomes your contributions which may not necessarily be used because of the philosophy of the publication.
Callaghan Innovation and the Australian IMCRC combined to make the visit possible. (Full article Page 30.) The U.S. manufacturing companies shared their processes with the people from Australasia and maybe this is some of the reason why GDP there is sitting on 4%? I haven’t heard of any company refusing to share their processes. A special focus in this issue is on the 2018 KiwiNet Awards Finalists. They measure air quality, consider augmented reality, ways to understand our universe, drone building, and amongst others, environmental sustainability. (See pages 14-15.)
So, I was interested in following the study group from New Zealand and Australia who went to the Internet of Manufacturing Conference in Chicago and went on to visit a number of U.S. manufacturing companies in the last few weeks. The Manufacturers’ Network, EMA,
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Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. — Mark Twain
BUSINESS NEWS
Revered nation’s Statoil explorations hushed up here Norway’s Statoil is one of the major international investors in oil exploration in the New Zealand jurisdiction. Statoil (State oil) operations include among others the 28,000 square kilometre permit in the East Coast and Pegasus basins, southeast off New Zealand’s North Island. Norway was among the most fervent backers of the Paris Climate accords. Norway with a population similar to New Zealand’s has accumulated from its oil developments a sovereign wealth fund superior to Saudi Arabia’s. At a time when New Zealand is in the throes of shutting down its oil exploration sector, Norway, held up as an example of nationwide Green values, seeks to develop its already immense resources.
introduced the exploration ban even when it was receiving indications of the presence in New Zealand of Mycoplasma bovis. So far officials have sat on the real problem which is that the existence of the pathogen in New Zealand will give international buyers, already looking at a global over-supply, the opportunity to break contracts. The plausibility notion behind the original anti- oil campaign was to allow New Zealand, in its own popular parlance, to “punch above its weight” in international forums of the well-intentioned kind.
The fact that this Green-revered nation is also one of the major current oil explorers in the New Zealand jurisdiction has been deliberately ignored.
Now, in contrast, New Zealand is looking silly having wilfully signalled the end of a major locomotive, pulling, force in its economy at a time when its main force, dairy, was entering a period, to put it mildly, of uncertainty.
The Statoil revelations come at the same time as indications that under pressure to appease its doctrinal wing the Labour coalition government
This in turn is compounded because the main region of oil exploration and production in New Zealand is Taranaki which also happens to be a
Commercial & industrial growth
key dairying region. Promises to fill the economic vacuum pivot on pumping money into the region and as yet for no specified purpose. There are vague assurances that these public fill-in funds will be used in some way to stimulate Taranaki tourism which is already considered to be well-invested in part due to the exacting demands of international oil industry personnel In effect this money will simply be scraped off existing budgets for core areas of government expenditure, notably in the social welfare realm. Unlike Norway, New Zealand has no sovereign fund to deal with these emergencies and must simply divert revenues from other areas. An emerging issue is the degree to which the constant diversion of funds
from essential services was behind cut backs in bio security surveillance that allowed the Mycoplasma bovis pathogen to get the grip it did. Also worrying as the coalition Labour government seeks to reconcile its doctrinal component, far more radical and influential as it turns out than was expected, is the value of tourism as an antidote in Taranaki. The low cost tourism for which New Zealand is famed is a major headache environmentally for Taranaki local governments. Mass tourism is also considered a threat to bio security. The attempt so early in its term by the Labour coalition to give the world a pristine example of how the world should be run is increasingly having the opposite effect of the one intended. MSCNewswire.
Employment growth
Economic output
Crime rate East Tamaki is the largest industrial precinct in Auckland with 2000 businesses and a growth rate higher than the regional average.
getba
getba.org.nz
Greater East Tamaki Business Association Inc.
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Take risks: If you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise. — Anonymous
Bottom-line reasons for using 3D PRINTED PRODUCTION TOOLING
Moderate May – PMI Catherine Beard Executive Director, ManufacturingNZ & ExportNZ New Zealand’s level of manufacturing expansion in May came back down to more steady levels of expansion, according to the BNZ - BusinessNZ Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI). The seasonally adjusted PMI for May was 54.5 (a PMI reading above 50.0 indicates that manufacturing is generally expanding; below 50.0 that it is declining). This was 4.6 points lower than April, but still the third highest result over the last six months. BusinessNZ’s executive director for manufacturing Catherine Beard said that while May softened in terms of expansion, the fundamentals behind the main result look solid for now. “Despite the sub index of employment (49.8) dipping slightly into contraction, the remaining sub-indexes stayed in expansion. In addition, the proportion of positive comments in May (55.1%) was the same as March (55.1%), and up on February (51.4%) and January (50.7%). Those who provided positive comments typically noted steady demand and work flow, with some new markets being sought after”. BNZ Senior Economist, Craig Ebert said that “May’s PMI cemented the idea of a moderating rate of expansion in the manufacturing sector, compared to calendar 2017. Then again, above average is above average, which is encouraging”.
Regional Results
High fabrication costs, long lead times and the cost to carry inventory don’t need to be the rule of the day when it comes to making production tooling. Additive manufactured (AM) tooling provides an alternative that can reduce or eliminate these pain points, so it pays to consider the benefits this technology offers. Download the white paper to see the business drivers for adopting AM for production tooling in lieu of traditionally fabricated tools.
DOWNLOAD WHITEPAPER NOW >>
https://www.objective3d.com.au/resources/whitepapers/business-considerations/
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High Quality Flying China Eastern Airlines (CEA) explores additive manufacturing for aircraft maintenance, identifies time savings of 98% and reduces cost by up to 72%.
Learn more >>
https://www.objective3d.com.au/china-eastern-airlines/
Additive Manufacturing Lab In 2015, CEA’s first brand-new Boeing 777 passenger aircraft had misprinted seat signs. The cost for purchasing replacements was too expensive for such a small error, so engineers used 3D printing. The new signs were ready in three days at a much lower cost, so CEA quickly set up a dedicated AM lab to explore more applications for 3D printing. Eastern Airlines Technic set up the lab with a Fortus® 450mc and ULTEM™ 9085 resin, a high-performance thermoplastic material with high strength-to weight ratio compliant to relevant FAA and CAAC25 requirements. Since its inception, the lab has successively produced and installed more than 300 finished parts, making CEA the first domestic airline to have 3D-printed interior parts in commercial planes.
Learn more about the Stratasys Production Systems >> https://www.objective3d.com.au/china-eastern-airlines/
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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
A challenge only becomes an obstacle when you bow to it. — Ray Davis
Embrace the fourth industrial age—or become a backwater By Albert Palazzo
The world is on the cusp of a new industrial age—the fourth. As with previous industrial ages, those who embrace it first stand to become the dominant powers of the future and will seize the right to set the rules that define the age. Those that are late to the party will struggle to secure their place and avoid a decline into humanity’s future backwaters. Australia has a choice to make: whether to undergo the social, political and cultural disruption that will result from the embrace of emerging technologies, or to continue to support an economy based on the status quo. In making this choice, Australia will also determine its security future. One of the likely changes of the fourth industrial age to which Australia will need to adapt is the decline in relative value of primary resources and manufactured goods compared to information. The rapid growth of additive manufacturing (3D printing) demonstrates this point. 3D factories, using very few staff, are coming into existence. These factories have certain advantages over current means of production.
to the ‘Walmarts’ of the world. That model will come undone when every Australian, European, American and even Asian home has a 3D printer with which families can print whatever they want, from food to high-quality clothes and beyond. Value will cease to reside in the product, but will be found in the design. And as the economic foundations of the developing world fail, instability and social collapse in those countries may be the result. Australia has its own perilous exposure to the coming disruptions of the fourth industrial age. After European colonisation of the continent, Australia developed into a maritime exporting country. There’s an Australian saying that the nation’s economy ‘rode on the
3D printing machines, are becoming commonplace. Being additive, 3D printers are very efficient and require less feed stock— iron ore for example—than traditional subtractive manufacturing. They can also be located anywhere, and be arrayed as individual units or in their thousands. That will promote distributed manufacturing. Many countries in Asia, including China, have chosen to lift their people out of poverty by becoming the manufacturer
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sheep’s back’, although more recently iron, coal, education services and wheat, rather than wool, have been its more valuable exports. Australia has always been a shipper of primary materials and is dependent on the regular dispatch of cargo ships from its shores and the existence of a rules-based world order that provides governance over global shipping lanes and the interaction between states for
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the regulation of trade. Yet, as the value of things declines relative to that of information, it’s worth speculating on the effect this will have on Australia’ to continue to generate wealth via its material export paradigm relative to the potential of other countries. Australia is committed to the maintenance of the current global order, but it’s an order that regulates the movement of things and one that was designed by a friendly ally, the United States. Who will set the rules for the movement of information in the fourth industrial age? Will it still be the United States, another nation or perhaps even a consortium of corporations? At this point in time we simply don’t know. But it’s unlikely that the flow of information will remain unregulated across national boundaries. The Facebook–Cambridge Analytica scandal has assured that closer regulation of social media is coming. When the rules are written to govern the movement of wealth-generating information, will they be as favourable for Australia as those that govern the movement of goods and raw materials? The transition to an information-trade– dominant world system also holds complications for the foundations of Australia’s defence policy. While there are deep cultural and historical reasons for Australia’s security relationship with Britain and the United States, it’s no coincidence that these countries also set the rules for the trading systems within which Australia generated its wealth.
As the context of Australia’s integration into the world economy evolves, it may be prudent to ask questions that challenge the traditional foundation of Australian national security. Such questions might include whether the alliance with the United States will remain relevant or sustainable if the US ceases to be the upholder of the present rules-based order? Or, if a different rules-based order should emerge, will Australia need to define a relationship with the power (or powers) setting the rules for the fourth industrial age? Obviously, this all lies in the future, and what I’ve written is just speculation. But the future doesn’t happen by accident, and this future is starting to take form now. Some of its elements, such as 3D printing machines, are becoming commonplace. Human integration with machines—the singularity as it is known—is more distant, if it’s even achievable or desirable. The future is, in fact, the result of decisions made by the leaders and thinkers of the present. It’s their responsibility to shape the future. If they don’t, the winds of change may or may not push Australia towards a less favourable position than what we currently enjoy.
Albert Palazzo is the Director of War Studies in the Australian Army Research Centre. The views expressed here are his own. Image courtesy US Marines.
Every success story is a tale of constant adaption, revision and change. — Richard Branson
MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
Power PDF 3 enhances worker productivity Nuance Communications has announced Power PDF 3, the newest version of the company’s award winning Power PDF software allowing businesses to create, edit, sign and share PDF documents. Power PDF 3 builds on the rich features of previous iterations, delivering benefits in several areas including user experience, conversion accuracy, document compatibility, eSignature support with workflow integration, collaboration and text editing.
and searchable PDFs and Microsoft Office documents with layouts stringently maintained. This enables PDF power-users to spend more time doing their jobs by avoiding rework fixing misidentified words or page formatting.
In NZ and Australia Power PDF 3 IS used as a business tool mainly in SME, corporates, manufacturing, industry, professional firms such as engineers.
• Document compatibility: Power PDF 3 now supports the ISO PDF 2.0 standard, ensuring Power PDF documents are compatible with the widest range of existing PDF readers and processors which is critical for driving better business practices.
Power PDF frees organisations from the high cost of dealing with PDF licensing while providing a secure, user-friendly experience that satisfies the individual worker. For workers, it allows them to work more efficiently completing more tasks at a higher quality. Specifically, Power PDF 3 improves organisational performance with key new capabilities and benefits, including: • Increased conversion accuracy: Leveraging the latest advancements in Nuance’s document conversion technology, workers immediately benefit from incredibly accurate
• Enhanced productivity: Power PDF 3 features real-time document collaboration, allowing multiple parties on the same network to edit PDF documents without inefficient back-and-forth processes such as email, while also eliminating document merge conflicts. These new features help workers work not only faster, but smarter while collaborating with one another. • DocuSign® workflow
secure document integration: Today’s
workers demand secure, convenient workflows offering the ability to easily sign and certify PDFs. Power PDF 3 features eSignature support from DocuSign®, allowing workers to quickly and conveniently sign and send documents as part of a secure workflow that can be completed directly from the PDF interface. • Enhanced user experience: Power PDF 3 improves ease of use with new tabbed document viewing allowing workers to open multiple documents within a single window and display them as tabs; new ribbons that put advanced feature sets front and center when appropriate; as well as new color skins, which allows workers to personalise their user experience. • Simplified editing: Power PDF 3 offers new methods for intelligently recognising blocks of text that wrap correctly when edited and assembling and organising documents, including the ability to combine open documents into
a single PDF with one button. The simplified user interface reduces the need for training and allows even the novice user to get up and running quickly. Nuance Power PDF was recently named “Outstanding PDF Creation Solution” for 2017 by analysts at Keypoint Intelligence in their annual Buyers Lab Software Pick awards. It was also recognised as a leading PDF editing and redacting solution in the most recent International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) technology survey.
THE FACTORY OF THE FUTURE WILL MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE, POSSIBLE SINGLE PASS WELDS IN THICKNESSES UP TO 200MM WITH NO CONSUMABLES
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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY Epson launches N6 compact 6-Axis robot and hollow force sensor Even with an arm length of 1,000 mm, the N6 can reach objects at the same height as the C8XL, Epson’s 1,400-mm class 6-axis robot. Moreover, because the N6 can be installed closer to shelves and equipment than a 1,400-mm arm, the installation space can be reduced*2 by about 75%. In addition to installing the N6 in narrow spaces and inside equipment where robots previously would not fit, users have the freedom to consider more compact factory layouts.
Epson has launched the new N6 compact 6-axis (vertically articulated) industrial robot and the SH250LH, a new force sensor with a hollow design.
2. Hollow arm provides storage space for cables and hoses A hollow arm design is employed to allow cables and hoses to be routed through the centre of the arm at joints #5 and #6. Routing the cables and hoses to the end-effector through the arm reduces the risk of damage and disconnections that could occur if the cables and hoses were to get caught or pinched when accessing narrow openings to shelves or equipment. The robot can also be set up more easily because you no longer have to take into account the amount of wrist rotation (the wrist is the moving part between joints #5 and #6) when routing cables and hoses.
Epson’s N series of compact 6-axis robots perform tasks in tight spaces more efficiently than other robots because of a uniquely engineered “folding” arm. The N6 has a longer arm (1,000 mm) and can handle higher payloads (6 kg) than Epson’s previously released N2 and is ideal for loading/unloading small electronic products and automotive parts into/from test equipment. It is also perfect for shelving/unshelving medical products and much more and has a smaller installation footprint than earlier 6-axis robots and can reach a wider range of places, from the top shelf to the bottom. These features increase productivity and the efficiency with which factory space is used.
Conventional routing method
Cables and hoses routed to the end-effector through the arm
N6 Features 1. The unique arm structure and arm length give the N6 a small installation footprint while allowing it to reach high places.
Like the arm, the optional new SH250LH force sensor also employs a hollow design, so cables and hoses can be neatly routed through the sensor as well as the arm.
Installation space (blue section) reduced by 75% NZ Manufacturer June 2018
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— John Wooden
Faro introduces As-Built software platform for 3D digital modeling Faro’s As-Built software enables efficient and cost-effective transfer of 3D reality capture into Autodesk design tools to create ready to use CAD and Building Information Modeling (BIM) deliverables. As-Built is specifically designed to minimise the effort and time required to create as-built documentation, which is the main task across AEC professionals in the building, facility and infrastructure design phases. This comprehensive and innovative platform seamlessly integrates processed 3D data coming from the Faro Scene software platform and can then support point cloud modelling (i.e. the set of data points acquired by a 3D laser scanner that are then displayed as a visual representation of an object or area) for the latest 2019 Autodesk design tools. The As-Built platform offers three powerful options: • As-Built for AutoCAD Software • As-Built for Autodesk Revit • As-Built Suite - includes both As-Built for AutoCAD® Software and As-Built for Autodesk Revit The full functionality of PointSense for AutoCAD solutions, all previous standalone AutoCAD plug-ins and PointSense for Revit, respectively are now migrated into the As-Built platform. Additionally, As-Built is available across a broad series of languages, including French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, English and German. As-Built for AutoCAD Software
Taking advantage of the N series’ folding arm design and a long (1,000 mm) arm, the N6 can access locations that are higher than those that can be reached by the N2 and by Epson’s 900-mm class 6-axis robots (the C4L and C8L). Users can exploit these features by laying out factory shelves and equipment vertically instead of horizontally to enable the N6 to use previously wasted vertical space.
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It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.
• Best in Class Usability: Users now have access to a common graphical user interface that provides a single
entry point for all Faro features and functionality across the entire AutoCAD platform. This enables new users to get up to speed quickly and immediately begin to leverage the power of As-Built. • Unique Performance and Value: AEC professionals benefit from a single point cloud-modelling platform that not only offers versatile tools that span different industries such as Architecture, Civil/Survey, Oil & Gas, and Facility Management but also total stations and UAV sensors. There is no longer a need to purchase or support separate total station software. Additionally, it is now easy to combine a terrestrial view with an aerial view that provides an even better digital representation of the real world. As-Built for Autodesk Revit • Confidence in Accuracy: As-Built for Autodesk Revit, like its predecessor PointSense for Revit, accelerates Scan-To-BIM workflows and includes powerful features such as surface analysis by Levels of Accuracy standards as defined by the U.S. Institute of Building Documentation, which enables users to more confidently validate the accuracy of the as-built model compared to the relevant point cloud.
You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realised how seldom they do. — Eleanor Roosevelt
DEVELOPMENTS
Accelerated computing powering world’s fastest Call it the most powerful scientific tool ever built. Call it a new paradigm of computing. Just don’t call it slow, because whatever number you look at, Summit — which made its debut at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory — is flat-out fast. This massive machine, powered by 27,648 of Volta Tensor Core GPUs, can perform more than three exaops, or 3 billion billion calculations per second. That’s more than 100 times faster than Titan, previously the fastest U.S. supercomputer, completed just five years ago. And 95 percent of that computing power comes from GPUs. Built for the U.S. Department of Energy, this is a machine designed to tackle the grand challenges of our time. It will accelerate the work of the world’s best scientists in high-energy physics, materials discovery, healthcare and more, with the ability to crank out 200 petaflops of computing power to high-precision scientific simulations. This is, literally, a scientific time machine. The story behind the story: The team at Oak Ridge was the first to realise — almost a decade ago — that a new kind of computing was needed. The old paradigm of piling one transistor on top of another wouldn’t deliver the efficiency they needed. They took a risk and built Titan in 2012, the world’s fastest supercomputer, with one GPU in every node. That courage paid off. Now over 550 HPC applications are accelerated with GPUs, and all of the 15 most widely used ones. Their work reshaped supercomputing.
Writing Computing’s Next Chapter Summit is the next chapter. Not just for ORNL, but for all of computing. The research team has been working with the DOE for more than 11 years
on advanced technologies, including the Volta GPUs and NVLink high-speed interconnect technology at the very heart of Summit. Instead of one GPU per node, Summit has six Tensor Core GPUs, delivering 10x Titan’s simulation performance. And just as Titan inspired the world to accelerate simulations, Summit will inspire the world’s scientists to harness AI to drive discovery hand in hand with simulation. The technology powering Summit is already speeding the work of scientists on everything from PCs to servers, workstations to sprawling cloud computing systems. “Summit is a new breed of computer It is the world’s largest AI supercomputer, a machine that learns. Its software will write software — amazing software that no human can write.
Fusing AI and High Performance Computing But while Summit will share DNA with a new generation of machines built for AI, it will work at speeds like no other. Researchers will be able to use the simplified calculations, known as half-precision, or FP16, to boost Summit’s performance about 15x to exascale levels — more than a billion billion operations per second. That’s staggering. If every computation were represented by a single grain of sand, you could fill up the Houston Astrodome with sand 350 times in a single second.
What Summit Will Do for Science
Next Giant Leap for Mankind
This speed will let today’s generation of scientists accomplish wonders. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory is already a playground for cutting-edge science, and its campus is a hub for scientists eager to harness its machines to do their best work.
Using techniques like machine learning and deep learning at a massive scale, scientists will achieve breakthroughs on Summit that will boost the economy, improve healthcare and help deliver limitless energy. This could help save the planet, and that’s why we need faster supercomputers.
That’s why Summit already has a full schedule, accelerating projects including: • Cancer Research: The DOE and National Cancer Institute are working on a program called CANcer Distributed Learning Environment (CANDLE). Their aim is to develop tools that can automatically extract, analyse and sort health data to reveal previously hidden relationships between disease factors such as genes, biological markers and the environment. • Fusion Energy: Fusion, the energy source powering the sun, has long been touted for its promise of clean, abundant energy. Summit will be able to model a fusion reactor and its magnetically confined plasma, hastening commercial development. • Disease and Addiction: Researchers will use AI to identify patterns in the function and evolution of human proteins and cellular systems. These patterns can help us better understand Alzheimer’s, heart disease or addiction, and inform the drug discovery process.
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And that’s why the next great computing challenge has already been set: building the world’s first exascale accelerated supercomputer. We’re already racing to help get this done, so the scientists and researchers of the world can continue racing forward.
5 Facts About the World’s Fastest Supercomputer • At 200 petaflops — If everyone on Earth did 1 calculation/second, it would take 1 year to do what Summit does in 1 second. • At 3 exaops of AI — If everyone on Earth did 1 calculation/second, it would take 15 years to do what Summit can do in 1 second. • In an early test, a genomics team solved a problem in 1 hour that would take 30 years on a PC. • Its 5,600 square feet of cabinet space are similar in size to two tennis courts. • Summit has the approximate weight of a commercial jet.
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ANALYSIS
Transformation is a process, and as life happens there are tons of ups and downs. It’s a journey of discovery. — Rick Warren
Microplastics: Small plastics, big problem This glimpse of the future was crafted by Paul Stephenson
Almost everything we own and buy contains plastics. Look around. If it’s not the chair you’re sitting on, or that part of a pen in your drawer, that bottle in your refrigerator, it may be this thing you’re holding your smartphone, or a keyboard, or a tablet. They are everywhere. But before you blame plastic water bottles and candy wrappers solely for climate change or marine plastic pollution, think again. It turns out, as with many other relationships, sometimes it’s the small things that create the biggest impacts. And in this case, it’s the plastics that we don’t see, the microplastics, that are about to damage the world we are living in. We have to wake up, before it’s too late.
It’s not just ‘small’ stuff… The United Nation’s Environmental Programme (UNEP) identified microplastics as one of the alarming issues that we should keep an eye on as plastic pollution remains the biggest threat to marine biodiversity today. But are we already many years too late? Based on current rates of plastic pollution, the World Economic Forum predicts that by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans. Microplastics, whilst tiny, pack a big punch. They have been around for more than five decades as microbeads and microfibres ranging in size from 0.5 to 5mm in length. And we have unknowingly let them into our homes and closets, as they have replaced the natural ingredients of our personal care products, and cosmetics such as toothpaste, facial and body scrubs, and have been manufactured into some of the clothes we love to wear.
Meanwhile, China has done the world a favour. In January, China stopped taking the world’s plastics back for recycling for environmental reasons. However, it’s not actually the products that directly harm us, but rather what happens to them after they go down the drain. These synthetic fabrics (polyesters, acrylics) that we love to wear have been found to release more than 700 000 particles to the environment after just one cycle in the washing machine. In a study titled ‘Plastic Pollution in the World’s Oceans’, oceanographer Dr Marcus Eriksen and his team went on several expeditions to investigate which kinds of plastic were most polluting the oceans. To
their
surprise,
significantly
outnumbering bigger plastic items such as toothbrushes and the balls in deodorant roll-ons were confetti-sized and smaller shreds of plastics. Because here’s something that not all people know: plastics rarely degrade. Once these microplastics enter our water system, treatment facilities cannot break them down or filter them out, and they end up in the ocean, mistaken for food by fish and other sea creatures ‒ ultimately infiltrating our lives via our food chain. “Plastic pollution is surfing onto Indonesian beaches, settling onto the ocean floor at the North Pole, and rising through the food chain onto our dinner tables,” says United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Erik Solheim. “We’ve stood by too long as the problem has gotten worse. It must stop.” True enough, not only have microplastics been found in fish and shellfish, they have also been found in beer, honey, tap water, sugar and even air. We just didn’t know it! And, contrary to popular belief, when it comes to microplastics, what we don’t know can actually hurt us.
One Health, one environment Now, here’s where it gets scarier… While the studies about the effects of microplastics are still at a relatively early stage, initial researches published by UNEP and in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) have discovered that eating plastic particles may cause reduced activity rates, reproductive disruption, weakened schooling behaviour, and altered feeding behaviour among sea creatures. How does this affect humans? According to the One Health approach, the health of all living things (humans, animals and plants) and everything that surrounds us are interconnected. If something is wrong with the animals and plants around us, then something is likely to go wrong with us, unless we do something about it. “Microplastic may not only affect species at the organism level; they may also have the capacity to modify population structure with potential impacts on ecosystem dynamics, including bacteria and viruses. Negative effects on the photosynthesis of primary producers and on the growth
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of secondary producers, potentially result in a reduced productivity of the whole ecosystem and represent a primary concern,” according to a report by the joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP). “Our understanding of the fate and toxicity of microplastics in humans constitutes a major knowledge gap that deserves special attention,” it adds. So, if we ignore this issue now, it is probable that the ‘plastic soup’ will no longer be metaphorical in the next 20 or 50 years. It will be a reality ‒ and one at a scale we simply can’t ignore.
Can we survive without plastics? The journey to a plastic-free world may be unimaginable to think about now. The truth is, if almost everything around us is made up of plastic, it’s going to be hard to live without them ‒ especially if they are cheaper, durable and more convenient to use. There are, however, many things that we can do on a personal level to reduce our consumption of plastic – such as using reusable bags for groceries, buying cotton and wool clothing, and using stainless steel water bottles and compostable rubbish bin liners. In 2017, the US and UK legally banned the use of microbeads. But what if banning plastics entirely is not the answer? “Shifting to a genuine circular economy for plastics is a massive opportunity to close the loop, save billions of dollars, and decouple plastics production from fossil fuel consumption,” says Dame Ellen MacArthur. According to a report by her foundation, “Manufacturers could redesign plastic items so they could be reused better, and rethink their production methods to make recycling easier. More products could be made out of materials which can be composted on an industrial scale, including rubbish bags for organic waste and food packaging for outdoor events, canteens and fast food outlets.” In December 2017, the French Government reaffirmed an important
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Some people say you are going the wrong way when it’s simply a way of your own. —Angelina Jolie
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We’ve designed a ‘flux capacitor’, but it won’t take us Back to the Future The circulator circuit Microscopic reversibility presents an important technological challenge. It complicates the diversion of electronic and radio signals around a circuit. There are various applications where engineers want electromagnetic signals (such as light or radio waves) in a circuit to behave a bit like cars around a roundabout. This is pictured below: a signal entering port A of the device should be directed to port B; a signal entering at B should go to port C; and a signal entering port C should be directed to port A, clockwise around the device.
or randomness, to the signal. Sorry audiophiles: a perfect amplifier is impossible. If the signal is extremely weak, so that additional noise is intolerable, then noiseless circulation is accomplished with a device called a circulator. Such devices are used to separate very weak signals going to and from sensitive electronics, including in radar receivers, or in existing and future quantum computers. It turns out a device like this must locally break time reversal symmetry. If we made a movie of the signals coming and going from the circulator, and ran the movie backwards, it would look different. For example, we would see a signal entering port B and leaving via port A, rather than via C. But most devices in a quantum research laboratory, such as mirrors, beam splitters, lasers, atoms do not break time reversal symmetry, so cannot be used as circulators. Something else is needed.
A simple representation of a circulator. Tom Stace
One way to do this is to use a network of amplifiers to switch signals as desired. But there is a profound result in quantum mechanics (the “no cloning theorem”) that means that amplification must always add noise,
signals. So when physicists say that a device breaks time reversal symmetry, they usually mean that there is a magnetic field about somewhere. Commercial circulators are an anomaly in the world of electronics. Unlike transistors, diodes, capacitors and other circuit elements, basic materials science means that commercial circulators have not been miniaturised, and are still the size of a coin. Building them into large-scale integrated microelectronic circuits is therefore a challenge. This will become an increasing problem as we try to fit thousands of qubits on a quantum computer chip, each requiring its own circulator to enable control and read-out.
Our quantum flux capacitor We have developed a new way of
The practical way to break time reversal symmetry for real devices is to introduce a magnetic field. Like a rotating vortex in water, magnetic fields have a circulation, since they arise from electrical currents circulating in an electrical loop. The magnetic field defines a direction of rotation (clockwise or counterclockwise) for electrically charged particles and thus for electrical
A large component: an X-band microwave circulator where the circular arrow on the label indicates the direction that power travels. Wikimedia/Antonio Pedreira
building micrometer-sized circulators that can be fabricated on a microchip. We figured out how to integrate magnetic flux quanta — the smallest units of magnetic field — with microfabricated capacitors and other superconducting circuit elements, so that time-reversal symmetry can be broken. This lead to our new circulator proposal. As with conventional circulators, there is a magnetic field present. But because we can use just one magnetic flux quantum, our design can be microscopic. We’ve nicknamed the device the quantum flux capacitor as its circuit diagram has a passing resemblance to Doc Brown’s mythical invention (which are for sale, sort of). Sadly for history buffs, our design won’t help much in your DeLorean time machine: it doesn’t reverse time. But its magnetic field does break time-reversal symmetry as advertised and we expect these devices will find applications in future quantum technologies. Even sooner, they may help in high-bandwidth communications environments like mobile phone base stations in very dense populations, or for ultra-high sensitivity radar where every photon of the electromagnetic field counts.
Momentum builds for Leapfrog Works with industry Seequent, a world leader in visual data science, and Mott MacDonald have been shortlisted in the British Construction Industry Awards for Digital Initiative of the Year. Innovating together the companies delivered a digital, 3D geological modelling solution on the Upper Chelburn Impounding Reservoir in the UK, which is owned and operated by United Utilities. Seequent’s General Manager of Civil and Environmental Daniel Wallace, says: “We’re delighted to be recognised for digital transformation alongside Mott MacDonald in these prestigious awards. Our collective goal from the outset was to transform the shape of ground and civil engineering. This is the second industry acknowledgement in as many months as we were also shortlisted for the Technical Innovation Award in this year’s Ground Engineering Awards.”
Seequent developed Leapfrog Works, a 3D subsurface modelling solution specifically designed for the Civil Engineering and Environmental industries, to better connect the geology to the engineering design and support the cultural shift towards digitisation and collaborative working. Launched in February, Leapfrog Works improves the understanding, visualisation and communication of ground conditions in infrastructure and groundwater projects to help clients reduce risk and keep projects on time and on budget. The revolutionary solution has caught the attention of the civil engineering, ground engineering and environmental industries and is gathering momentum with strong user uptake. “Leapfrog Works transforms the way engineers and geotechnical engineers work on projects to deliver better project outcomes for clients,”
says Wallace. “In many ways ‘digital transformation’ can be as much about organisational transformation, as it’s the impact it has on the individuals that do the work.” Leapfrog Works has been adopted business-wide by Mott MacDonald’s global geotechnics practice. The company has used the software on a wide range of projects to pioneer a new way of working in the industry, including major global tunnelling, construction and transportation projects, reservoirs, rock cavern networks in Singapore, and 3D visualisations of a proposed airport in Indonesia. Mott MacDonald’s geotechnics global practice leader Tony O’Brien, says: “We’re very proud of the role we’ve played in terms of digital transformation in the industry, by having early input into the development of Leapfrog Works.
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“By embracing this digital transformation as an organisation Daniel Wallace, Seequent we’ve increased our ability to communicate geotechnical challenges on projects, such as the Upper Chelburn Impounding Reservoir, to a wide range of stakeholders and as a result have seen improved project outcomes for our clients such as United Utilities.” Leapfrog Works, built on the trusted Leapfrog 3D implicit modelling engine which Seequent has used in software products for other industries for over 15 years, interfaces and exchanges information with diverse digital design and Building Information Modelling (BIM) and digital geotechnical database platforms. The optional hydrogeology solution kit also integrates with flow simulation packages.
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KIWINET FINALISTS 2018
Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts. — Winston Churchill
2018 KIWINET AWARDS FINALISTS’
DRIVING PROSPERITY FROM SCIENCE & INNOVATION Award Category: Baldwins Researcher Entrepreneur This award recognises an entrepreneurial researcher who has made outstanding contributions to business innovation or has created innovative businesses in New Zealand through technology licensing, start-up creation or by providing expertise to support business innovation. Professor David Williams, University of Auckland/MacDiarmid Institute.
Air Quality Measurement for Everyone: Sensors, systems and networks You can’t see, taste, touch or feel it but what’s in the air you breathe can profoundly affect your life. Professor David E Williams, from the University of Auckland has lead a range of research projects which resulted in the formation of Aeroqual Ltd, a company specialising in instruments and systems to measure air quality. Measurement of air quality is tough and traditionally done with high-grade instruments, at sites carefully chosen to measure averages, and operated by specialists. However, what people want to know is what is in their own immediate environment or on the route they propose to walk or cycle, and they need this information to be reliable and timely. Aeroqual Ltd can provide exactly that. The Aeroqual AQY is a box the size of a ‘Harry Potter’ book, that can mount on a lamp-post, fence or on your house. It measures the key pollutants ozone, nitrogen dioxide and small particles. It has been extensively tested in deployments in Auckland, Christchurch, Vancouver and Los Angeles. The important innovations are not only in the instruments and the sensors inside them, but also in the data systems that check the results and ensure that you get information you can rely on: world-leading technology from New Zealand. Electrochemistry Professor David Williams is also a Principal Investigator and former Deputy Director in the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology. He is an exemplar for an entrepreneurial researcher: Aeroqual was his second
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startup and since then he has triggered three others (Mote, Orbis Diagnostics and SpotCheck Technologies Ltd) and has inspired and supported other researchers to follow his footsteps and form enterprises.
2018, Tokyo.
Associate Professor, Taehyun Rhee (TJ), Victoria University of Wellington
To improve the commercialisation of research to solve industry problems TJ was instrumental in establishing Victoria’s new Computational Media Innovation Centre where he is a deputy director and research director. The Centre will incubate potential start-ups and industry pipelines to strengthen New Zealand’s computing and media ecosystem and develop extensive links with international gaming and anime companies and institutes. The Centre will be based in Victoria’s Faculty of Engineering and was announced as one of the first three recipients of funding from the Government’s $35 million Entrepreneurial Universities initiative.
Passionate about solving global challenges in virtual and augmented reality
Award Category: MinterEllisonRuddWatts Research & Business Partnership
Award Category: Baldwins Researcher Entrepreneur
Associate Professor Taehyun Rhee (TJ) from Victoria University of Wellington is passionate about solving global challenges in Virtual and Augmented reality. His commercial appetite has been honed developing a wide range of innovative products, including 17 years’ industry experience with Samsung. Whilst there, he oversaw a 3D virtual prototyping and visualisation system that resulted in over 200 products. He joined Victoria University in 2012 and has continued to form strong academic and business collaborations. When TJ first arrived in New Zealand his talents caught the eye of Weta Digital. Seeing an excellent opportunity with the film industry he pioneered the Victoria’s Computer Graphics Programme, which offers students the opportunity to gain unprecedented insights into the inner technologies of the creative industries. Over 10 internship and graduating students now work for Weta Digital, contributing to some of the biggest blockbusting movies we have seen in the past few years. TJ started Dreamflux, his own company utilising breakthrough technology built at Victoria University, 5 months ago. He has already worked directly for virtual tour project with Wellington International Airport, Singapore Airlines and Wrestler; the experience is the first of its kind anywhere in the world. Recently, DreamFlux technology was accepted to the SIGGRAPH 2018 to showcase their immersive mixed reality technology in the main stage of “Real-time Live” at Vancouver. TJ is also chairing Virtual and Augmented Reality programme at SIGGRAPH Asia
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This award recognises the deeply embedded working relationship between a research organisation and business that delivers significant commercial value for New Zealand. AUT and the NZ SKA Alliance: Square kilometre array radio telescope (SKA)
and supercomputing systems have been built scientists in the 10 member countries*, including New Zealand, will have access to the World’s largest and most sensitive radio telescope. With it they will make fundamental advances in our understanding of the Universe over the next 50 years. The New Zealand SKA Alliance consists of three universities: AUT, University of Auckland, Massey University; and companies including: Catalyst IT, Compucon NZ, and Open Parallel. The organisations jointly undertake research and design for the unprecedented computing required to make the SKA a reality. Established in 2013 and aiming for SKA phase 1 construction 2019-2025 it will be one of the longest and largest academic-industry collaborations in NZ. *Australia, Canada, China, India, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Award Category: MinterEllisonRuddWatts Research & Business Partnership
An artist’s impression of the SKA at night: Credit SKA Organisation (Media file)
Square Kilometre Array Telescope - Exploring the Universe with the world’s largest radio telescope This award recognises the deeply embedded working relationship between a research organisation and business that delivers significant commercial value for New Zealand. The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is the World’s largest radio telescope delivering fundamental advances in understanding our Universe. New Zealand SKA Alliance partners, led by AUT, jointly undertake research and design to deliver the unprecedented computing power behind the world’s largest and most sensitive radio telescope. The SKA is the World’s largest mega-Science project of the next decade. It represents numerous firsts for New Zealand, being the World’s biggest Big Data project, the largest Science project in which New Zealand has ever had substantial lead roles, and the largest New Zealand involvement in an international ICT collaboration. Once the receivers, infrastructure
Left to right: Wei Zhou – PhD student, Beijing Jiaotong University / Visiting researcher, Robinson Research Institute; Zhenan Jiang – Senior Scientist, Robinson Research Institute; Rod Badcock – Deputy Director Robinson Research Institute; and Wenjuan Song – PhD student, Beijing Jiaotong University / Visiting researcher, Robinson Research Institute.
Victoria University’s International Partnerships - Revolutionising high-speed train travel The Robinson Research Institute at Victoria University of Wellington, along with Viclink (Victoria University’s tech transfer office), is part of a multi-party Chinese collaboration, with the goal of revolutionising high-speed train travel across Asia and Europe. The “1 Belt, 1 Road” project will see Robinson Research Institute working with Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU). The project is a key part of China’s strategy to improve linkages across Asia and Europe, with China taking a larger role in global affairs with a China-centered trading network.
Whatever the dangers of the action we take, the dangers of inaction are far, far greater. — Anthony Charles Lynton Blair This project, which recognises Robinson Research Institute’s engineering excellence, has enormous prestige in China as it is: the largest international cooperation project awarded in 2017 by MOST (Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology); the first belt and road project in advanced technologies in China with New Zealand; and the only project with a New Zealand partner to be awarded by MOST. The partnership encompasses two top Chinese universities, three major listed Chinese companies, Victoria University’s Robinson Research Institute and a New Zealand company. The project will enable train travel at speeds exceeding 400km/hr across Asia and into Europe. Current transformer technology can’t meet the size and weight requirements desired for upgraded high speed rail. Prior to this project the Robinson Research Institute, Viclink and Beijing Jiaotong University have worked together on the design of electric motors using high temperature superconductor technology.
Award Category: MinterEllisonRuddWatts Research & Business Partnership Partnering for commercial success - Smart sensor data empowering your next move
Since its inception in 2012, commercialising research emerging from the Biomimetics Lab has enabled StretchSense to continue to grow. UniServices has licensed eight patent families in sensing and power generation to StretchSense, thus representing an important channel-to-market for this University of Auckland research cluster. The University of Auckland and StretchSense partnership is a shining example of a deep and genuine collaboration where the research organisation is benefiting from research funding, capability development and a channel-to-market for emerging IP. StretchSense benefits from a steady pipeline of high quality commercial opportunities and scientific capability that is enabling them to build their commercial momentum.
Award Category: PwC Commercial Impact The commercial impact award celebrates excellence in research commercialisation delivering outstanding innovation performance and the potential for generating significant economic impact for New Zealand. Transforming New Zealand’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Sector
KIWINET FINALISTS 2018 of the inaugural C-Prize. In April 2016, just a year after the C-Prize launched, Vortec UAV and CPrize finalist, Dotterel Technologies, took their drone prototypes to the 2016 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show in Las Vegas. Dotterel found themselves in the enviable position of being a true niche product, as the only company offering noise-cancellation systems for UAVs. The company received some incredible media and market interest, and won the “overall most innovative product” at the tradeshow, a phenomenal accolade for the New Zealand start-up considering the range of products on display. In 2017 a new C-prize championed technology on wearable devices to enhance sport, health and emergency services support. With this showcase event Callaghan Innovation continues to enhance the commercial impact of opportunities for New Zealand.
Wearables today are bulky and use tech derived from hard industrial applications. There is a strong push towards more fashionable devices, because if it’s going to be obvious it might as well look good. In the future the tech will make all this irrelevant because wearables will be invisible to the user.
Callaghan Innovation’s C-Prize is a visionary mechanism providing multifaceted impacts into industry sectors for New Zealand. The C-Prize successfully helped the UAV and screen sectors work together, through a challenge format, to quickly develop breakthrough technologies that will keep both at the top of their respective fields. It challenged teams to design and build a prototype UAV (drone) that could overcome one of three obstacles that limit their use in the film and TV industry: strong wind, rotor noise and the need to track moving objects automatically.
StretchSense is building to that future, with soft sensors to make them comfortable, precise so they can capture meaningful data, and self-powered so there is no need to charge batteries. Their sensor tech has been in market for 5 years, and they have licensed energy harvesting tech from Auckland UniServices.
Each finalist was assigned a Callaghan Innovation business manager to advise and coach them through the processes of acquiring funding and building an IP strategy. They were also assisted with their technical development and got to participate in various workshops on lean principals, cinematography, plus learning how to pitch and to put an investment case together.
StretchSense is now core to a thriving partnership with the university’s Biomimetics Laboratory.
In December 2015 Vortec UAV, a group of former University of Auckland students, was announced the winner
The manufacturer distribution market is estimated to be worth around USD$375 million annually. Professor Scott’s MRI-Safe human-implantable electrode designs, which received PreSeed funding to aid development, have the potential to generate significant royalty streams and make a significant market impact. The University of Waikato and Saluda aim to leverage this experience to commercialise other medical device projects.
Award Category: Norman F.B. Barry Trust Breakthrough Innovator Dr. Deborah Crittenden
Image Caption: Callaghan Innovation: C-Prize Competition: NZ UAV technology pavilion and C-Prize finalists at the 2016 NAB tradeshow in Las Vegas
Award Category: PwC Commercial Impact
Infinitely rechargeable batteries and real-time nitrate sensors
University of Waikato/WaikatoLink: Licensing MRI-Safe implant electrodes
Dr Deborah Crittenden from the University of Canterbury is developing exciting new technologies delivering environmental sustainability, including infinitely rechargeable batteries and real-time nitrate sensors.
MRI-Safe human-implantable electrodes – licensing deal with Saluda
The StretchSense and UniServices partnership is a prime example of a spin-out company that has maintained a strong relationship creating significant value for New Zealand. StretchSense, a spin out company from Auckland University, makes soft stretchy sensors for measuring the body and sells into top companies in the wearables, sporting, consumer electronics, and virtual reality industries.
time. Around 70,000 neurostimulators are installed around the world each year at a cost of around USD15-17k each, including implantation.
Professor Jonathan Scott and his graduate student, from the School of Engineering at University of Waikato, have invented exciting new designs that enable electrodes implanted in people to operate safely in MRI machines. This device was invented in response to needs of Australian start-up, Saluda Medical, whose products automate in-body electrode-driven technology for management of chronic pain. Their inventions address neurostimulation applications such as deep-brain stimulation and spinal-cord stimulation. Saluda Medical raised Series D finance of AUD53 million following successful human trials to support commercialisation of its technology. The Saluda solution offers a significant improvement in quality of outcomes for recipient patients and has the technology to make a significant impact in its market over a short period of
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A senior lecturer at the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, she brings a diverse skill set and pragmatic approach to developing novel scientific and technological solutions for important real-world problems that also have the potential to deliver excellent economic outcomes for New Zealand. She is currently working on designing new energy storage liquids for use in redox flow batteries, a novel nitrate sensor system based upon laser-induced photochemistry coupled to simple, low-cost detection methods, and developing a new platform technology for predicting how drug molecules bind to their targets on a very large scale. In 2017, a spin-out company, Flow Holdings, was established based upon Dr Crittenden’s molecular design work to develop a prototype redox flow battery. Discussions are ongoing around partnering with industry to further advance and commercialise Dr Crittenden’s nitrate sensor design, which has already attracted pre-incubation funding. Additionally, Dr Crittenden is in early discussions with a tech incubator around commercializing her computational drug design tool.
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DEVELOPMENTS
Optimists enrich the present, enhance the future, challenge the improbable and attain the impossible. — William Arthur
Pan Pac Engineering pride shines through Change in New Zealand industry is a constant and while new technologies are adept at grabbing the limelight, our primary industries are also not standing still. Dairy and Meat have all had their periods of change and adaption to international markets in recent years. With a lower profile than farmer orientated markets, you could be excused for not recognising the major changes happening in the Timber industry, but the finishing industry looks nothing like it did 20 years ago.. A wall of timber nearing milling viability would suggest boom times for the industry but market dynamics mean that only the best of breed can
compete with the bulk log export trade and add value to the raw product locally. One such mill in Hawkes Bay is doing exactly that, employing 400 staff and creating 5.4% of the local GDP along the way. The Pan Pac Forest Products Pacific site sits just north of Napier and is a recognisable landmark with its plume
of water vapour. From its beginnings in the 1970’s the site has been in a constant state of change as it evolves its products, process and markets. The now 100% Japanese owned company is an impressive operation and the engineering team were justifiably proud to put their operation on show when the Maintenance Society bought its Kaeser Compressors
Network Evening series back to Hawkes Bay in May. Engineering Manager Barry Edmundson opened up the evening before his team of area engineers guided the attendees around the sawmill and pulp operations. The shock loading of the massive logs impressed the group and gave an insight into the engineering and maintenance issues this industry has to deal with, whilst the pulp operation was a display of continuous improvement in action. Attendees marvelled at the massive electric drives and were unsurprised to learn that Pan Pac is a Top 10 electricity user. With such intensive processing in action, the lack of vibration, noise and mess was notable. The MESNZ Kaeser Compressors Network Evenings are hosted to showcase local operations and provide networking opportunities for engineers across all regions of New Zealand.
New Zealand needs facilities to process compostable packaging The shift to products which are described as degradable, biodegradable and/or compostable has increased as companies seek alternatives to plastic. However New Zealand does not yet have a standard for compostable packaging nor does the current infrastructure take most of these products in the volumes presented which means they will mostly end up in a landfill. Lyn Mayes, Manager of The Public Place Recycling Scheme, is concerned that not enough people realise that there is limited infrastructure for accepting compostable packaging in New Zealand at present. “We need to be clear that as of this moment and for the immediate future New Zealand has not got a national composting infrastructure for packaging. Compostable bags and packaging should not be put into kerbside composting bins (unless local arrangements exist) nor should they be put into the Soft Plastic Recycling Bins which the Packaging Forum operates at supermarkets and other retailers,” says Mayes. “Compostable containers are no different from plastic containers if they are litter and pollute our oceans.
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They aren’t recyclable and can only be composted where special collection arrangements are in place. There are however, some amazing companies who are working hard to find solutions to this problem in New Zealand” In 2017 The Packaging Forum commissioned waste consultancy Beyond the Bin to identify the barriers for compost facilities in accepting compostable packaging and to determine the availability of facilities. Eleven facilities said that they were able to take compostable packaging where they had approved a supplier/ product range and where collection systems were in place. Following this research, The Packaging Forum established an independent technical working group (Compostable Packaging Standard Adoption Working Group (CPSA-WG)) comprising composters, manufacturers, waste industry, central and local government and research institutions to assess existing international standards and to recommend a NZ standard. Kim Renshaw from Beyond the Bin
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acts as an independent facilitator of the working group and was pleased to have specialists assess the situation. “It’s fantastic to have technical experts work towards a solution. There is a lot of confusion because we don’t currently have a standard but if we can find a way through, it will really make a difference for composters, packaging companies and consumers,” said Renshaw.
recommendation will be followed by consultation and stakeholder engagement with the desired outcome to have a proposal in place by the end of the year. Lyn Mayes also says, “Having composters, manufacturers, waste experts and scientists around the table is critical to verify whether products coming into New Zealand can be composted in our facilities.”
“The rapid increase and variation in compostable packaging means we need a standard that covers all types of compostable packaging which are connected to food or agriculture nutrients.”
“We are primarily looking at commercial composting solutions however, home composting is another challenge entirely with the diversity of home composting systems already available in some places.”
The CPSA-WG will identify whether the NZ composting industry and other stakeholder requirements can be met by one of the existing international standards such as the well-known European EN13432 standard or the Australian AS4736 standard.
If a standard is to be adopted, it would enable identification of compostable packaging that meets clear guidelines agreed with by the NZ composting industry. Industry and government would then be able to assess development of collection systems and investment into comprehensive infrastructure to process compostable packaging.
This involves comprehensive research and collation of requirements and a technical analysis of the existing international standards. Any
ADVISORS Mike Shatford
Sandra Lukey
Matt Minio
Phillip Wilson
is an expert in the field of technology development and commercialisation. His company Design Energy Limited has completed over 100 significant projects in this vein by consulting for and partnering with some of New Zealand’s leading producers. Among Mike and his team’s strengths are industrial robotics and automated production where the company puts much of its focus.
Managing Director, Objective3D Matt has extensive hands on experience as a user and supplier of 3D Printing technology. He comes from a mechanical design and engineering background with 25 years’ experience in multiple high end 3D cad applications across a range of industries, including aerospace and automotive. He has been heavily involved in the 3D printing evolution - from initial early prototyping to todays advanced 3d printing technologies producing production parts straight off the printer. As Managing Director of Objective 3D, he provides Stratasys, Desktop Metal and Concept Laser 3D printing solutions to a host of industries across Australia and New Zealand.
Sandra Lukey is the founder of Shine Group, a consultancy that helps science and technology companies accelerate growth. She is a keen observer of the tech sector and how new developments create opportunity for future business. She has over 20 years’ experience working with companies to boost profile and build influential connections.
Phillip Wilson of Nautech Electronics has over 25 years of experienced in the development, commercialisation and implementation of advanced manufacturing technology, robotics, automation and materials. Serving companies operating within the aerospace, automotive, offshore, defence, medical and scientific industries on a global basis. More recently specialising in change management and business re-alignment for a range of commercial entities from medium sized SME’s to divisions of large corporates.
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DEVELOPMENTS
All great deeds and all great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning. Great works are often born on a street corner or in a restaurant’s revolving door.—Albert Camus
Government right to signal need for change in NZ agriculture Senior lecturer in Agribusiness Management at Lincoln University, Dr Nic Lees, said intensive dairying is currently profitable only because it is not bearing the full costs of its production systems. “It is not paying the cost to the environment of its production. We are all picking up the tab, and especially our children for the impact on our waterways and climate,” he said.
“Currently intensive dairy farming is addicted to high production per cow. This means adding in concentrated feed such as palm kernel and high levels of nitrogen fertiliser. This increases costs, which means these systems are only profitable with high production and high commodity prices.” Dr Lees said this shows New Zealand’s future is not in maintaining our position as the lowest cost producer of meat and dairy products.
He said the Labour Government is clearly signalling New Zealand’s future is not in commodities.
Dairying can also learn from the sheep industry.
However, there is potential for the horticulture sector to increase the value of our exports. The horticulture industry already produces $5.6 billion in exports from just 200,000 ha. This is in comparison to the dairy industry producing $13 billion from 2.4 million ha.
“NZ reached peak sheep at 60 million in 1984. Now we have only 30 million but produce the same volume of lamb at significant higher value. Less animals means less greenhouse gasses, and reduces nitrate leaching. There is the potential to see this happen in the dairy industry also.”
New innovations improving primary industry Day two of the 50th New Zealand Agricultural Fieldays kicked off with the Innovations Awards breakfast where a selection of New Zealand’s top innovations were on display, all with creative ideas on improving New Zealand’s agricultural industry. New Zealand National Fieldays Society CEO Peter Nation spoke of the importance of innovations at the National Agricultural Fieldays. The entrants were supported by a group of knowledgeable and insightful
sponsors who have provided advice around law, research, networking, engineering, technology and science. Judges spoke of how the winners were successful at picking good problems to solve and being very creative in the way they solve them. Innovations that were easy to use, cost-effective, efficient and enhanced value came away with top honours. The 2018 Innovation Award winners are: Fieldays Grassroots Award – Acuris Systems
Prototype
This prototype robot, autonomously navigates kiwifruit orchards while capturing highly accurate fruit data. This data is then analysed to provide growers with quality information and insights to their orchards performance.
Fieldays launch NZ Award-Agricom Opinion Manufacturing Profiles Letters to the Editor Politics of Manufacturing Trade Fair World Diary of Events World Market Report Q/A Export News Machine Tools Business Opportunities Commentary As I See It Business News Appointments Around New Zealand Australian Report New to the Market Lean Manufacturing Equipment for Sale Recruitment Environmental Technology Manufacturing Processes
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developed from behind the farm gate through to a finished RMP approved product which Pāmu Foods can now use to assess market demand and price tolerance.
winter active forage.
Fieldays Prototype Highly Commended – Maraeroa C Incorp.
• Vodafone Innovation Technology Award goes to: Halter
Ginseng Berry Gin is a New Zealand first made from ginseng berries grown in wild natural conditions at Pureora. The gineng berry gin has subtle flavours and textures whilst also having some health benefits.
• Locus Research Innovation Award goes to: T C Fence Systems
Fieldays Launch NZ Highly Commended – Paysauce / Season app
• Tompkins Wake IP and Commercialisation Award goes to: Halter
Growers, managers, and contract pickers can ditch paperwork with the Season app - orchard supervisors collect timesheet and contract rate info and push it straight to payroll in seconds.
Fieldays Grassroots Established Award - Pamu Farming New Zealand
Fieldays Launch NZ Award – Agricom / Ecotain environmental plantain
Landcorp has just completed its second season of deer milking in partnership with the Peter and Sharon McIntyre. Significant, world first research and intellectual property has been
Ecotain is an environmentally functional plantain that uses four independent mechanisms to reduce nitrogen leaching from the urine patch, as well as being a high quality,
NZ MANUFACTURER • July 2018 Issue • Features
• Young Innovator of the Year Award goes to: St Paul’s Gudgeon Guard
• Origin Innovation Micropod
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Supply Chain
Regional Development
Artificial Intelligence
Advertising Copy Deadline – 16 July 2018
Doug Green,
Editorial Copy Deadline – 16 July 2018 Advertising – For bookings and further information contact: Doug Green, P O Box 1109, Hastings 4156, Hawke’s Bay Email: publisher@xtra.co.nz
P O Box 1109, Hastings 4156, Hawke’s Bay
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Email: publisher@xtra.co.nz Tel: 06 870 9029
to:
Fieldays draws people from around the globe – both as exhibitors and visitors. 133,588 people visited the event in 2017 and it generated $538million in sales revenue for New Zealand businesses.
Design for Manufacturing
Editorial material to be sent to :
goes
• Callaghan Innovation Partnership & Collaboration Award goes to: Holsim
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• Crowe Horwath Agri Innovation Award goes to: Kelvin Thermo Dog
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At NZ MANUFACTURER our aim is to keep our readers up to date with the latest industry news and manufacturing advances in a tasty paper morsel, ensuring they do not get left behind in the highly competitive and rapidly evolving manufacturing world.
An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come. — Victor Hugo
International Innovation Award goes to electric UBCO were presented the International Innovation Award last night for their two-wheel drive electric utility vehicle by Minster of Agriculture Hon. Damien O’Connor at the 50th New Zealand Agricultural Fieldays.
a huge honour and a recognition for our team’s hard work. With Fieldays being an internationally recognised event, it provides a great endorsement for this product in the global farming community” said Allan.
Judges said kiwi-based company UBCO appears to have effectively analysed the requirements of it’s target markets and improved on their previous models to create the new and improved vehicle.
There were nine entries in the International Innovations Awards
with judges awarding Equilume from Ireland a highly commended. Equilume stood out as featuring exciting new technology which will impact New Zealand considerably. The device provides a low level of blue light in a single eye that can increase milk yields during winter months and has great
bike
potential after finalising the product design and some market research. The International Networker event where
these
innovations
were
recognised, marked the end of day two of Fieldays which saw 35,704 people through the gates.
The 2018 UBCO 2x2 was praised for being e-smart, eco-friendly and safer than competing farm bikes and ATVs. These features are sure to be appealing to farmers right across the sector in New Zealand and overseas, as well as recreational and urban markets due to its suitability on and off road. UBCO CEO Timothy Allan says, “The first heavy use owner said it was like walking around his farm but quicker, so quietness has turned out to be one of the most important things this bike has brought to the farm.” “As an electric vehicle it has a lot less moving parts with the battery replacing a gas tank and no use for an external drive train means greater durability and a longer life.” “Winning this award against major international agritech companies is
Robots welcome addition to the workforce With employers struggling to find people with the skills they need, even for entry-level jobs, industrial workers are increasingly seeing the benefits of working with robots, rather than humans, to improve productivity and relieve the pressures they are under. This is one of the findings of the latest research from Epicor Software Corporation, a global provider of industry-specific enterprise software to promote business growth. According to the research, which questioned around 2,500 business respondents in 14 countries, staff are aware of the many benefits of working alongside robots. Over half (54%) say robots automate repetitive or mundane work that they would otherwise have to do themselves, and 34 percent agrees that robots are more efficient than humans in the workplace. It’s not just their efficiency that makes robots attractive co-workers; a quarter (27%) cited the fact that robots do not get involved in office politics as a benefit of working with machines. To find that humans are happy to work alongside robots is good news for employers that want to use
cutting-edge technology, to plug a growing skills gap on their factory floors. The same research found that the industrial workforce is getting older, and that only a quarter (23%) of businesses are currently able to attract recruits with the right knowledge. The use of robots can introduce efficiencies where human resource is low, and they can also encourage young talent into industry—with 33 percent of millennials wanting to work at the cutting edge of new developments. Other research backs up the discovery that rather than being worried about job losses, workers are actually ready and willing to embrace robot coworkers. For example, the OECD has found that only about one-in-ten jobs are actually at high risk from automation, and Gallup’s latest study shows that only a quarter (23%) of workers are worried about losing their jobs to AI. Many employees are aware of the benefits of automation, because they already have first-hand experience of robot workmates. A third (31%) says AI, robots, and highly automated machinery, are now a common feature
of their day-to-day work, and only 32 percent says they are not part of their workforce at all. Those that work in finance, and those that work in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region may be more up for working with robot co-workers than anyone else—47 percent of respondents in APAC agree robots are more efficient than humans (compared to 29% in Europe and Middle East) and 33 percent of those who work in finance agree robots can take stressful tasks away from humans (compared to 23% in IT and 20% of CEOs). Modern enterprise resource planning platform unleashes innovation and growth In order to make the most of the latest innovations in workplace robotics and AI, businesses need to have the right infrastructure in place—one that fits their business and industry. Cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions like Epicor ERP can be crucial to coordinating robot workflows and sharing data between machines and humans across multiple digital platforms. Indeed, around a fifth (19%) of businesses questioned in the Epicor study said they rely on a
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single core business system to manage everything. Terri Hiskey, vice president, product marketing, manufacturing, at Epicor said, “The study shows us that the use of robots is a very real, but also very welcome way of solving an otherwise worrying industry-wide knowledge and skills gap. With employers struggling to find candidates with the right skills or knowledge for entry-level roles, and with employees struggling to keep up with the pressures of business growth, automating aspects of the workforce offers a new way of building efficiencies into the supply chain, and enabling digital transformation. “However, businesses need the right infrastructure at their heart if they are to manage data flows effectively and to make the most of robotics and AI. This is where ERP and the cloud come into their own. “Far from workers worrying about their jobs being taken by robots, our study shows that employees are actually very happy to work alongside machines. With all the advantages of robots not getting involved in office politics too, we can expect to see more of this in the future!” concluded Hiskey.
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Some succeed because they are destined to, but most succeed because they are determined to. — Henry Van Dyke
Nvidia Isaac launches new era of autonomous machines Nvidia Isaac is a new platform to power the next generation of autonomous machines, bringing artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to robots for manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, construction, and many other industries. Launched at Computex 2018 Nvidia Isaac includes new hardware, software and a virtual-world robot simulator. AI is the most powerful technology
Someday, there will be billions of intelligent machines in manufacturing, home delivery, warehouse logistics, and much more.
force of our time. Its first phase
Jetson Xavier
will enable new levels of software
At the heart of Nvidia Isaac is Jetson Xavier, the world’s first computer designed specifically for robotics.
automation that boost productivity in many industries. Next, AI, in combination
with
sensors
and
actuators, will be the brain of a new generation of autonomous machines.
With more than 9 billion transistors, it delivers over 30 TOPS (trillion operations per second) — more
processing capability than a powerful workstation while using a third the energy of a lightbulb. Jetson Xavier has six kinds of high-performance processors — a Volta Tensor Core GPU, an eight-core ARM64 CPU, dual NVDLA deep learning accelerators, an image processor, a vision processor, and a video processor. These enable dozens of algorithms to be processed concurrently and in real time for sensor processing, odometry,
localisation and mapping, vision and perception, and path planning. This level of performance is essential for a robot to take input from sensors, locate itself, perceive its environment, recognize and predict motion of nearby objects, reason about what action to perform and articulate itself safely. Isaac Robotics Software Nvidia provides a toolbox for the simulation, training, verification and deployment of Jetson Xavier. This robotics software consists of: • Isaac SDK – a collection of APIs and tools to develop robotics algorithm software and runtime framework with fully accelerated libraries. • Isaac IMX – Isaac Intelligent Machine Acceleration applications, a collection of Nvidia-developed robotics algorithm software. • Isaac Sim – a highly realistic virtual simulation environment for developers to train autonomous machines and perform hardware-inthe-loop testing with Jetson Xavier. Changing What’s Possible Variety of Industries
for
With this level of AI computing power at the edge, autonomous machines can perceive the world around them with superhuman capabilities, detecting and recognizing their surroundings from sensors of all kinds. Manufacturing robots work safely alongside humans and adapt to changes. Logistics robots can efficiently move and manage inventory and deliver products to homes. Service robots can improve the retail experience and assist the sick and elderly.
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You have to be a good individual first before you can be a good team player. — David Goggins
Tailor technologies to future-proof reliable industrial networks Successful digitisation depends above all on future-proof industrial networks. High speeds and excellent reliability are vital for business success. This requires the switches, cables and connectors used in Ethernet networks to be tailor-made for the job. By Jürgen Greger, Product Manager at U.I. Lapp GmbH Today, high-performance switches are available from a number of suppliers. But when constructing industrial networks, companies often make the mistake of using cables and connectors that are not suitable for the robust industrial environment and whose performance does not match that of the switch. Office connection solutions are completely unsuitable for exposure to chemicals and lubricants, or for use in areas such as robotics that require maximum flexibility. Securing industrial network performance for the long-term therefore requires perfect interplay of switch and cable. To respond to this need, Lapp, a leading provider of integrated solutions and branded products for cable and connection technology, now offers switches under the Etherline Access brand, which are available through Lapp Australia. Users can benefit from Lapp’s global expertise, receiving a tailored combination of industry-specific switch and industrial cables that ensure both top transmission quality and reliability. Obtaining components from different suppliers is also a thing of the past. Instead, users can obtain all the switches, cables and connectors they need for a complete industrial communication solution from a single source, along with accessories such as cable glands, protective conduits and markings. With its expertise, Lapp is therefore helping to make industrial networks fit for the future.
Switches fitted with multiple RJ45 ports play an important role in Ethernet data transfer, thanks to their robustness. There are also sophisticated mechanisms for monitoring, diagnosis and redundancy in networks. These receive, process and forward data traffic to the network nodes. Thanks to the switches, the network topology remains flexible and can be adapted at any time to new structures. High failure safety is a further advantage.
reconfiguration times of under 20 milliseconds in networks with up to 250 active components. The switches are arranged in a ring. This means that if one communication path fails, there is always an alternative path available via a redundant cable.
Correct cables and connectors are vital to industrial automation processes –some types are totally unsuitable
20 millisecond reconfiguration time One important quality consideration for a managed switch is the availability of redundancy procedures. These help to ensure communication in the event of component defects. This requires the reconfiguration time, i.e. the time that a switch requires to restore the network connection after the loss of a data path, to be as short as possible. If the reconfiguration time is too long, a controller that communicates via the network will go into stop mode and production will grind to a halt. In standard redundancy procedures like STP (Spanning Tree Protocol) or RSTP (Rapid STP), reconfiguration can take up to five seconds. Depending on the application, this can sometimes be too long for industrial users. Restoring the data path more quickly requires better solutions. The switches in the Etherline Access series achieve
Industrial network with managed and unmanaged switches, with a redundant ring for safeguarding communication and production reliability.
Tailored Ethernet connections Lapp’s Etherline brand offers tailored Ethernet connections for its Etherline Access high-performance switches, with the right product available for virtually every sector. For robotics, for example, there is the Etherline Torsion. This Cat. 7 cable for transfer rates of up to 10 gigabits per second is specially designed for flexible applications in which the cable is twisted up to 180° per metre, and can perform this motion at least five million times. The Etherline Access M05T and M08T managed switches come with five or eight RJ45 ports, making it very easy to construct redundant networks. The switches support all relevant protocols like HTTP, Telnet, EtherNet/IP, Modbus/ TCP, IPv6, and many more. The devices also have two redundant energy supply ports to ensure maximum reliability.
Lapp’s managed and unmanaged switches complete its Etherline series of network solutions
They are highly resistant against vibrations and impacts, meeting the strict IEC standards for industrial components. With its outstanding reconfiguration time of under 20 milliseconds, the Etherline Access managed switch is faster than the error detection reaction times of the system controllers.
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Standardised diagnosis Configuration and diagnosis tools are also important features for users. These cover the web-based configuration interface, statistics counters, e-mail alerts and further port settings. The Etherline Access switches enable standardised diagnosis of different network nodes via Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), and are also capable of port mirroring. Causes of network failures, such as cable damage or the detection of a disconnected or incorrectly connected Ethernet cable, can be quickly identified. The devices have a relay output that can be used to define warning messages via a web interface. The Etherline Access Configurator is also available for configuration. Lapp also has two “unmanaged” switches in its product range: Etherline Access U05T and U08T. They offer similar performance but come without the configuration options. These switches are suitable for collecting and distributing signals from the connected components. Just like their bigger brothers, the switches do not have fans and therefore require no maintenance.
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If a person will spend one hour a day on will be an expert on that subject. — Earl Nightingale
Technologies leading the way to a new industrial revolution By Saoirse Kerrigan We’re only on the verge of Industry 4.0 - and all new industrial revolutions are driven forward by innovations in automation, A.I., and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The way factories operate is sure to change dramatically over the next few years as a result. Here are just some of the technologies that will pave the way for smarter factories, along with examples of factories and warehouses that have already started to implement some of these cutting-edge innovations. The Audi Smart Factory: The Model Factory of the Future Audi raced ahead of the competition in 2017 when they revealed their smart factory. The factory implements a number of new manufacturing technologies that are sure to become more common across many industries soon.
NASA’s Robotic Glove: Wearable Technology for Workers
Included among these technologies are VR headsets for the design process, 3D printers for the production of parts, and drones for transport. It’s been suggested that the new processes will improve productivity by 20%.
In 2016 General Motors announced that they would be adopting a robotic glove designed by NASA, for use by their factory workers. The glove is based on a design that was created for use on the International Space Station. The benefits of the glove are manifold. One major benefit is the reduced strain
Source: Audi
Source: GM
Preferred Networks AI: Creating Thinking Machines Earlier this month, innovative Japanese start-up Preferred Networks received $2 billion in funding. The company, who up until now was best known for an art-coloring app, are now branching out into the application of deep learning to the manufacturing industry. The start-up has ties to two of the biggest industrial robot manufacturers - Toyota and Fanuc Corp. While programming industrial machines to perform certain tasks can take a number of days for a coder, deep learning allows them to teach themselves far more quickly and effectively. Source: Pixabay
Only 14% of all our engineers are women. We want to change that. Join us and scores of other Kiwi organisations that have galvanised around one common goal: 20% more women engineers by 2021. www.diversityagenda.org
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on the workers’ own arms. Additionally, it allows workers to better grip and lift heavy items. While robot workers are becoming increasingly common, what human workers remain will likely be wearing robotic implements like these gloves to aid in their work in future.
n the same subject for five years, that person
SecondHands: Helping Humans to Help Robots
Dex-Net: Creating Super Dextrous Robots
SecondHands is a robot that does exactly what its name implies - it offers a second pair of hands to human workers when maintaining other robots. It’s part of the Horizon 2020 program, a European initiative which aims to further the development of technology while also creating human jobs.
Created by Professor Ken Goldberg and his student Jeff Mahler from U.C. Berkeley, Dex-Net is a software that allows robots to recognize and organize complex shapes in rapid speed. The robot Goldberg and Mahler used for testing the software featured two arms and a 3D sensor.
SecondHands will be able to provide assistance without prompting, using action recognition and 3D pose estimation. Not only can it assist in passing tools, but it also offers helpful advice on which course of action to take.
The Ocado Warehouse: Staffed By Robots
Thanks to the software, the robot could deftly handle objects it had no prior knowledge of, and sort through them in record speed. Software like this could result in a massive increase of productivity if integrated into industrial manufacturing systems.
The Ocado Warehouse could very well be a window to warehouses of the future. The automated warehouse is staffed by a team of robots, who empty, transport, and replace crates of products. Source: SecondHands
The autonomous robots can recharge at charging stations when needed. Once the robots have chosen and transported products to a picking station, the products are then prepared for shipping by other robots and human workers.
Recycling Robots: Reducing Waste the Smart Way Just last month Apple showed off Daisy, a recycling robot that can strip
apart iPhones and allow the materials JD.com’s Fully Automated Warehouse: Another Glimpse at the Future to be reused. It’s highly likely that other smart device manufacturers will follow Just last year, Chinese online shopping giant JD.com unveiled its fully-automated warehouse manned by robots. The super productive warehouse can handle as suit with similar robots in future. many as 9,000 orders in a single hour. The benefits of a device like Daisy are twofold. For starters, it allows The tech implemented in the warehouse includes hi-def image scanners and customers to safely dispose of their self-driving forklift trucks, and can effortlessly breeze through a workload that discarded smart devices. Secondly, it would normally require the labor of 180 human workers. Theirs is just one example reduces the resources spent on sourcing of the kind of facilities we can come to expect with industry 4.0. the materials for new devices, as the materials can be taken from older TE Connectivity: The Importance of Sensors in the Workplace models and reused. With factories gradually filling with autonomous machines, it’s imperative that there are proper structures in place to prevent any accidents. One key component Source: Apple of this is sensors which allow machine-to-machine communication. Additive Manufacturing Technology: 3D Printing Just Keeps Getting TE Connectivity is just one company Better producing sophisticated sensors that can The World’s Largest 3D-Printed Steel Bridge Is Built by Robots in 6 Months transmit data between industrial machines One of the biggest breakthroughs when it comes to manufacturing has been 3D and smart devices, keeping everything printing. Thanks to this technology, factories will be able to produce parts and running smoothly. As factories become components like never before. smarter, companies like TE Connectivity and One recent and exciting example of how 3D printing technology can change their outputs will become vitally important. the manufacturing industry is Source: Joongbae Kim/Wikimedia Commons MX3D’s six-axis robot arm. The arm can print and construct Satellite Communication: Connecting Machines from Space complicated metalwork in When it comes to creating smart machines that communicate with one another in mid-air, from basically any angle. factories, there are a number of options for connections. One possible connection This improves not only the speed worth exploring is the utilization of satellite technology to transmit data between at which the parts or object machines. can be produced, but also the structural integrity. Source: 3D TECHNOLOGIES Kepler Communications are doing just that, allowing factories and production lines in more remote areas to connect their devices and machines via satellite networks. Technology like this means that no factory will have to be exempt from the smart revolution, no matter where they’re located.
The World’s Largest 3D-Printed Steel Bridge Is Built by Robots in 6 Months One of the biggest breakthroughs when it comes to manufacturing has been 3D printing. Thanks to this technology, factories will be able to produce parts and components like never before. One recent and exciting example of how 3D printing technology can change the manufacturing industry is MX3D’s six-axis robot arm. The arm can print and construct complicated Source: MX3D metalwork in mid-air, from basically any angle. This improves not only the speed at which the parts or object can be produced, but also the structural integrity. Project Skywalker: Creating A Non-Stop Production Flow With the influx of new manufacturing technologies, it’s reasonable to imagine that in the near-future factories will have the ability to keep producing at all hours of the day, every single day. Project Skywalker by start-up Voodoo Manufacturing is just one example of what such a set-up could look like. Project Skywalker consists of a cluster of 3D printers and a robotic arm that can unload the parts printed, and maintain the printers themselves.
Source: Cliff/Flickr
Machine Vision Error Detection: Detecting Faults Too Minute for Human Eyes Oftentimes issues in manufacturing come down to simple human error. New technologies are allowing us to cut down on these issues by offering capabilities in fault detection that far exceeds that of human workers. Landing.AI is a company that creates smart technology that can find the tiniest of faults in circuitry and other aspects of a machine that might not be immediately apparent to a human. As machinery in smart factories will all be connected and communicating with each other, the AI will send an alert when a fault is found, immediately halting the machine in question so that it can be fixed. Source: ICAPlants/Wikimedia Commons
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FOOD MANUFACTURING
Life is short. Don’t be lazy. — Sophia Amoruso
Choose food and beverage cabling and automation components carefully By Andreas Bauer* Minimising downtime, ensuring quality and providing maximum safety for employees – while these are priorities in all industrial sectors, they are particularly important in food and beverage production, processing and automation. In the food and beverage industry, if the processing of perishable foodstuffs ceases it not only leads to profit losses, but also high costs from waste disposal and recommencing production. Another extremely important factor for the industry is quality – if the quality is inadequate, consumers are not only dissatisfied, they are also at risk of developing health problems. One of the crucial factors is regular cleaning of production facilities: when the cleaning crews use steam jets and acidic or alkaline cleaning agents to remove dirt and germs, the systems are subjected to high levels of strain. Another considerable burden is the common process of dry cleaning with aggressive cleaning agents or dry ice – which is a rather new trend. Therefore, all production and automation components need to be designed in a way that makes them permanently sealed and functional, while being made from shapes and materials which do not provide a breeding ground for germs.
Three hygiene zones The first requirement, though, is always to select and use the right components. Industrial work groups such as the globally respected “Safe Food Factory,” which aims to act as an international platform that brings together industry, standards and practice, has compiled recommendations for this. Prior to being published, the new standard was checked by a commission of representatives from potential user companies such as BAT, Jacobs Douwe Egberts, Nestlé and Unilever.
spraying. Generally, a surveyor or the producer conducts a risk assessment to determine whether the food can return to the product zone. 3. Non-product zone: these include all areas and facilities in a factory which do not come into direct contact with the foodstuffs. However, these areas are often cleaned together with the more sensitive areas, which in turn may result in high chemical and mechanical stresses.
Resistance agents
to
cleaning
In the spray zone and the product zone, the most stringent hygiene requirements apply. These zones need to be cleaned particularly frequently and thoroughly. This is generally the responsibility of the cleaning crews, who work at piece rates and use strong cleaning agents such as corrosive acids and alkalis in different concentrations – or they may clean surfaces by wiping them dry, or they might use hot steam jets. A relatively new trend is dry-ice-cleaning. It is an alternative for those who want to work without aggressive cleaning agents. Dry-ice particles -78°C cold, are blasted onto heavily soiled surfaces such as tanks, boilers, or ovens, at pressures between two and 6 bar. Dirt freezes and gets brittle, which makes it easy to remove.
Cables should ideally be installed so they are as far away as possible from the intensive cleaning processes.
elastomers are used when they are not suitable for frequent cleaning, there is a danger that, for instance, some system parts will lose their protection rating, or a cable will lose its insulation properties. An extreme example is provided by a bakery where outgassing from the dough had caused a cable sheath to swell and become brittle. The employees were therefore in acute danger, because there was the risk of short circuiting and electric shocks. The quality of the products was also jeopardised because the plastic could have fallen into the dough.
Few materials are able to withstand all of these various strains in the long term, the main one being stainless steel, which is used most of all in the product zone, where it is virtually the only material used.
Beyond this, another one of the main challenges is the installation type: cables are often bundled more tightly together than they ought to be, or they are not easily accessible. Loose cabling with a bit of ‘play’ would be ideal for easy cleaning. However, technical inspectors normally place great importance on the use of fixed installation – a happy medium needs to be found.
Plastics and other materials which are frequently used for cables or seals of components present some particularly tough challenges. If plastics or
Safe Food Factory participants recognised that overly long cables represent a problem: cables are often installed with some excess length so
Three types of hygiene zones are generally distinguished: 1. Product zone: these regularly come into contact with foodstuffs. Examples include stirrers, filling nozzles, blades and cutters.
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While this is a comfortable approach, it is also problematic, firstly in terms of electrical engineering (keyword bundling) and secondly because the loops that form are often tough to clean and dirt gets trapped in them. The participants generally established that the cables should ideally be installed in such a way that they are as far away as possible from the intensive cleaning processes. Additionally, hybrid cables can be used. If several cables are combined into one, there is then is less cable space and less intermediate space in which impurities can accumulate.
Loops along the cables trap dirt and are tough to clean and therefore should be avoided in food production.
The Safe Food Factory recognised a further challenge involving contradictory requirements in major markets such as the USA: on the one hand, companies wishing to export to the USA face the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requirements for maximum fire protection.
While hygiene is always important, the extent of its importance rises further in some critical areas. The closer a component comes to foodstuffs, the higher the requirements.
2. Spray zone: these are areas and machines which come into contact with foodstuffs, for example through
that there is a reserve.
In the food and beverage industry, cables and cabling components are subjected to particularly strenuous conditions. If unsuitable components are used, as shown in the image above, dangerous situations can quickly arise.
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On the other hand, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is critical of cables with reduced flame-propagation since some fire-retardant additives are prone to outgassing and can therefore contaminate raw materials. This
Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better.— Jim Rohn too needs to be weighed up on an individual basis.
The individual application counts If cables are installed in the product zone (for example for a temperature or level sensor in a fermenter) they need to be particularly well protected, such as by installing them either in stainless-steel pipes, or in protective conduits, which can be far more cost-effective. There is a further complication for applications with large temperature fluctuations, as condensation can form and collect in the protective conduit – this too is unhygienic in the long term. In this case, the better option is to use an openly installed and highly durable cable in connection with an appropriate cable gland which follows the principles of hygienic design. Such examples highlight the fact that there is no universally applicable best solution – each case needs to be individually assessed, and the application consultants at global cabling authorities such as Lapp help customers to find the best solution. For end users, it is crucial to also consider the interaction between components. It is therefore advisable to choose a supplier that can offer competent counselling about all aspects of connection technology and a very broad portfolio of connection solutions, including cables, connectors and accessories which fulfil the requirements of hygienic design. Production facilities which are constructed according to the principles of Hygienic Design represent a huge step forward in terms of optimising quality, safety and ultimately efficiency in the food and beverage industry. They are constructed in such a way that they do not allow germs to settle and can be cleaned easily. They are also particularly robust.
No germs allowed The Lapp products that meet the particularly stringent requirements of Hygienic Design include, for instance, the cable gland SKINTOP® HYGIENIC. It follows the general design principles of DIN EN 1672-2 for the food and beverage industry and is certified according to the latest EHEDG testing. Furthermore, the cable entry – just like the cable conduit SILVYN FG NM and the ÖLFLEX® ROBUST cable – meets the ECOLAB® requirements relating to resistance to cleaning agents and disinfectants. SKINTOP® HYGIENIC does not provide any surfaces for contaminants to attack.
All seals are fixed tightly to the cable and connection point with no gaps. Instead of an O-ring, it has a radial moulded seal above the connection thread, a sealing ring below the domed cap nut and a specially formed conduit sealing ring on the cable. It has smooth surfaces and no edges, meaning that remaining food cannot settle there and can easily be washed off. The cable gland, as well as the SILVYN® FG NM protective conduit, or the ÖLFLEX® ROBUST cables also fulfil the ECOLAB® requirements for durability against widely used cleaning agents.
FOOD MANUFACTURING only supplier with all the necessary knowledge.
Signal colour blue protects against losses When installing cables in the product and spray zones, one alternative to using rigid and expensive stainless-steel pipes is using SILVYN® FG NM, a flexible and dimensionally stable protective conduit made from soft PVC with an internal spiral, along with the accompanying conduit gland SILVYN® HYGIENIC.
to detect it this way, because in nature there are no materials with such an intense blue colour. This is also the case for the cable ties, which Lapp provides especially for the food industry. They are blue as well and also contain an admixture of metal. This means that a missing cable tie can be retrieved very easily using a metal detector or an X-ray unit.
New Portfolio Special cabling solutions for the food and beverage industry are now already helping to increase productivity, safety and quality in the sector. The Lapp Group’s newly developed and newly qualified portfolio for the food and beverage industry is being further expanded according to customer requirements. Since some of the requirements of the pharma industry are comparable in terms of mechanical design, further applications are emerging here.
Both are suitable for contact with foodstuffs – and thus for use in the product zone – and are easy to clean. The conduit, for instance, has no grooves in which residue can settle, unlike conduits Lapp Australia has strong inventory of used in mechanical over 1,000 Lapp product lines onshore engineering. It is as well as direct access to more than blue, as the sector 40,000 standard items from Lapp’s Specialised cabling solutions developed specially for the industry requires it to be. global ranges. such as SKINTOP® HYGIENIC and ÖLFLEX® ROBUST are designed If a piece of plastic *Andreas Bauer is Head of Product to satisfy even the most stringent requirements of the industry. were to somehow Management System Products for the fall into the food, global Lapp organisation, of which it would be easier Lapp; Australia is part. In terms of product development, there is no need at all to keep reinventing the wheel: a pragmatic approach makes sense. This means that often it is not necessary to develop expensive special products; instead existing products from mechanical and plant engineering ranges can often be used in the food industry as well. One example of this is the classic “ÖLFLEX® Robust”, a series of cables that SILVYN® FG NM (left) and SILVYN® HYGIENIC. resist both machine oil in industrial production and cleaning agents in food production. This also applies for a wide selection of accessories and other cables with sheaths made from PVC, TPE, or PUR, some of which have undergone ECOLAB® testing. It is especially important for the end-user to know the exact requirements of the application in question and select adequate solutions. Good, comprehensive counselling by experts who know the industry is extremely valuable here. With its cables, connectors and accessories, Lapp also provides an extensive product portfolio which meets these requirements and is increasingly in demand in the food industry. A feature that distinguishes Lapp from many other suppliers: as a manufacturer of all required cable technology components, Lapp is the
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SUPPLY CHAIN
Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character. — Stephen Covey
Multiple AI coordination control realises efficient
warehouse picking
Reduced operation time by 38% through coordinated continuous operation Multiple AI coordination control technology increases the efficiency of the picking process by integrating the control of the picking robot (1) and automated guided vehicle (AGV) (2) to smoothly pick-up specific products from goods carried by the AGV. The new technology coordinates control by integrated management of the AIs that control the picking robot and the AGV, based on decisions made by the AI that determines the optimal picking method for specified products from camera (3) images. The AGV and robot arm can move closer to each other at optimal speeds to avoid collision based on the state of the goods stacked on the AGV, enabling smooth picking by the robot arm without stopping the AGV (Figure 1). The results of a comparative experiment using conventional technology where the AGV is stopped each time for picking, confirmed that the time required for picking could be reduced by 38% with the new technology. Hitachi will work towards the commercialisation of a robot system for warehouse operations as well as contribute to increased efficiency in logistics through development of technology to increase the speed and automation of processes. The design of the trajectory planning and fine adjustment function for the robotic arm, necessary for this technology, was developed in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, U.K.
shelf have already been commercialised to support picking operations, and currently development of systems which combine the operation of AGV and picking robots that remove products from cases, is underway. The challenge however is that it is difficult to instantaneously determine the best way to pick up a specific product and control the picking robot while taking into consideration the speed of the AGV as goods in the cart become disarrayed during picking and transport. Thus, it was necessary to stop the AGV before starting picking operations resulting in a time loss while the AGV is stopped which added to the difficulty of establishing more efficient systems. To address this challenge, Hitachi developed the multiple AI coordination control technology to optimise the efficiency of the picking process by coordinating the picking robot and the AGV. Features of the technology are: (1) AI determining the optimal picking method from camera images AI was developed that determines from camera images, the position of a product which can be picked by a picking robot from how goods are stacked in a case and the speed of the AGV.
AGV that carry products by case or by
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This system can be implemented and operated efficiently as the AI is not required to learn during the actual picking operation, it can be implemented and operated efficiently. (2) Real-time multiple AI coordination control Technology was developed to coordinate and control in real-time the AI for the robotic arm as well as the AI for the AGV, based on the AI that determines the optimal picking method from images of goods within cases taken as the AGV approaches the picking robot. This technology instructs the arm movement calculated from the position of the product to be picked to the AI that controls the picking robot, and instructs the AI controlling the AGV to accelerate or decelerate based on current speed. Further, the AI for the picking robot can confirm the speed and the location of the AGV in real time and conducts minor adjustments to prevent the arm from colliding with the case or other products, thus enabling efficient automatic picking as the AGV does not need to be stopped. (Figure 2)
could be achieved in 8 seconds, a 38% improvement in speed. Hitachi will continue efforts to contribute increasing logistic efficiency by working towards the commercialization of this technology as well as integrating it into its AGV, Racrew(6) and autonomous moving robot, HiMoveRO(7), among others. (1) Picking is the operation of gathering goods and products according to electronic data and instructions such as at distribution warehouses and manufacturing plants, etc. (2) An automated or automatic guided vehicles (AGV) transports boxes and shelves containing products to specified locations. (3) A camera which can photograph RGB-D images as each pixel has both information on colour (RGB) and distance (depth). (4) Training data is used to teach machines to output appropriate answers to input data. (5) Deep learning is a type of machine learning that mimics mechanisms of the brain’s neural circuit. It is comprised of three elements: the input layer, hidden layers, and the output layer. By increasing the number of hidden layers, deep learning can express complex models relative to
By inputting 3D data of product to be picked before the operation, the AI simulates several tens of thousands of ways that the robotic arm could pick a product from randomly generated various states of stacked goods
Figure 1. Comparison of technology to remove products from an AGV using a picking robot.
In recent years, greater efficiency and automation in warehouse operations are in demand as they face a dramatic increase in picking operations that require specific orders to be selected from a vast range and large number of stock.
of products which change with the state of how goods are stacked as well as the adjustment required in AGV speed.
transported at various speeds. Based on the results of the simulation, the AI automatically generates image processing analysis training data (4) for deep learning (5) to analyse the information necessary to determine how to control the picking robot and the AGV, that is, determine the position
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Figure 2. Image of real time processing with multiple AI coordination control technology.
An in-house experiment utilising this technology resulted in successful picking from AGV which moved non-stop at a speed of 0.5 meters per second. Further, it was found that by employing the new technology, the procedure which required 13 seconds with the conventional method of stopping the AGV to pick products,
conventional machine learning and has displayed a high recognition rate in fields such as speech recognition, image recognition, etc. (6) Racrew is a registered trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. in Japan. (7) HiMoveRO is a registered trademark and product of Hitachi Plant Mechanics Co., Ltd. in Japan. (in Japanese)
You know you are on the road to success if you would do your job, and not be paid for it.— Oprah Winfrey
SUPPLY CHAIN
Swisslog’s islands of automation signpost the future of automated processes which allows humans to continue doing what they’re best at, and the robots assisting where possible,” said Mr D’Souza. “For example, in the automotive industry, a robot can be carefully positioned in just the right area by an operator, then the robot performs a torque screwing application,” he said.
Real world benefits The pharmaceutical industry is one example where there can be real world benefits to innovative new supply chain models, particularly when dealing with lifesaving medicines or drugs. Swisslog’s logistics automation technologies look at end-to-end supply chain and how to optimise product movement through the system, while maintaining reliability and traceability
Islands of automation are offering a solution to problems bedevilling automated processes across a broad range of industries, such as pharmaceutical, warehousing, engineering, logistics, materials handling, food and beverage and transport. Global robotics and logistics automation technology leader Swisslog has found that as automation accelerates, a common concern is that if a machine goes offline, the entire system suffers. But this is becoming less and less of a problem through the use of islands of automation, explains Jamie D’Souza, Swisslog Pharmaceutical Consultant, Jamie D’Souza, who has more than 8 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical logistics industry. Mr D’Souza’s expertise focuses particularly around the megatrends driving digitalisation and industry 4.0 – such as urbanisation, ageing society, increased health focus, e-commerce, increasingly digital lives and regulations – and how industry can best utilise technology to optimise supply chains and achieve tangible benefits.
Islands of automation “The concept of islands of automation means can have several automated processes working in isolation, which can be linked up with Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs), with end-to-end integration,” says Mr D’Souza. The major benefits of this approach include: • Redundancy – if one cell goes down, there are several others accessible,
or use of a temporary manual cell. • Flexibility for growth with additional cells, and ability to grow in specific areas • Full integration of robots and AGVs Swisslog is currently working on a major logistics automation project in Australia with a leading bio-pharmaceutical company, where islands of automation are being utilised to optimise flexibility and redundancy. This advanced solution involves Swisslog’s robotic palletising, shrouding, wrapping and labelling technologies, linked with platform AGVs on two levels to manage all pallet logistics. Crucially, there are no major single points of failure in the system, with a manual cell used for redundancy if any process goes down temporarily, explains Mr D’Souza.
and processed data and optimises the best stacking pattern, to ensure stability. The system can also build the pallet in reverse drop sequence for replenishment at store level. “This is a perfect example of an end-to-end supply chain that optimises how product moves through the system while maintaining reliability and traceability throughout,” says Mr D’Souza.
Human-robot collaboration Another example that’s changing the way companies are thinking about automation is human-robot collaboration. “When we think of robots, we typically think of repeatable tasks being automated with a robot in a fenced off cell. This thinking is being completely shifted by human-robot collaboration,
Mr D’Souza says a great example of this is the Consolidated Service Centre model for hospitals, which Swisslog has implemented in the US and Italy. “Rather than each department and ward managing and ordering inventory from their own hospital’s central pharmacy – and doctors and nurses using their valuable time for something they aren’t trained in – a consolidated service centre model involves building a central distribution centre to service all hospitals within an 80km radius.”
The benefits across supply chain include:
the
• Reduction in overall stock holding through consolidation • Reliable service level from central DC • Elimination of administration to manage stock within the hospital • End to end traceability and visibility across the supply chain
“This is a great example of utilising islands of automation, advanced robotics and platform AGVs to deliver benefits in efficiency, flexibility and redundancy,” he said.
The future of warehouse automation “When we think about the future of warehouse automation, fully automated case picking is the final mile to deliver end-to-end efficiency and traceability,” says Mr D’Souza. Swisslog’s ACPaQ fully automated mixed pallet robot-based order picking system is an example of an advanced warehouse automation technology that utilises islands of automation to deliver mixed-case, store-ready pallets for end customers. The
ACPaQ
technology
analyses
Coca-Cola Amatil is one of the global recognised companies using Swisslog’s ACPaQ mixed pallet robot-based order picking system, shown above.
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NEW PRODUCTS
The secret to permanently breaking any bad habit is to love something greater than the habit. — Bryant McGill
‘Intelli-Charge’ DC to DC solar battery charger added to range Faster charging of 12-volt auxiliary batteries for recreational and boating use, as well as those used in cars and light commercials, is among the features of the new ‘Intelli-Charge’ IDC45 model from Projecta that has just been introduced to New Zealand. The 45A 12V, 3-Stage IDC45 provides many of the same market-leading features of the original Projecta IDC25 charger, but with much larger output. The IDC45 provides safe, reliable and faster charging and it also has the versatility to handle more demanding applications, charging 12V secondary/ auxiliary deep cycle battery on the go. Like the IDC25 before it, the IDC45 can charge simultaneously from both solar and alternator inputs, and it can automatically shift between solar and alternator (9-32V) inputs without the need to manually switch from one to the other. It can be used as an MPPT (Maximum
Power Point Tracking) solar controller and features dual charging modes for compatibility with conventional and ‘smart’ alternators, which have become common in many modern vehicles. Underlining the safe and reliable performance of the IDC45 is the fact that it is equipped with over/under voltage, which automatically shuts itself down if an issue is detected, reducing the risk of damage to the battery. Also included is an over-temperature protection function that sees the charger automatically adjust its output based on battery temperature. This is just precautionary however, as the unit
is designed to operate (at a reduced charge rate) in extreme temperatures of up to 80° C. The IDC45 also features anti-sparking and reverse connection protection systems, both highly desirable features when charging in confined spaces and where flammable liquids and items are nearby. For greater flexibility, the charger supports multi-chemistry batteries including GEL, AGM, WET and Calcium, which can be selected at the push of a button. As an added bonus, the unit has periodic equalisation capability to remove acid stratification from calcium batteries, improving their operating
life and performance. Further aiding the IDC45’s performance and longevity is its sturdy construction, which makes it shock-, vibration- and dust-proof to IP67 rating. The unit is also water resistant, so it’s ideal for both in-vehicle and under-bonnet installation, along with marine use. To make installation easier, the unit features pre-wired cabling and if mounted under the bonnet of an RV for example, included in the package is additional wiring to set-up an in-cabin L.E.D. indicator to remotely display charging and fault status.
Vertical column bearing pads protect against floor slab stresses New vertical bearing pads by Hercules Engineering are for use on column applications where multi-story buildings may be subject to minute but potential damaging movement affecting the vertical pile caps and floor slabs. The latest Hercules HDSJ slip bearings are custom-engineered for commercial, industrial and large-scale residential buildings constructed in situations where long-term shear movement must be safeguarded against, through enhanced control of shear forces, to prevent the possibility of issues such as floor slab cracking over time. The concrete-to-concrete heavy-duty bearings – available throughout Australia and New Zealand – have been developed in response to requests for cost-efficient highly effective responses to unusual architectural, structural, seismic, vibration and site other requirements, including, potentially, coastal and inland land reclamations or areas where sites are being adapted to new uses. These newest split bearings are partially cast-in-place additions to Hercules Engineering’s long-established HLMD
New vertical bearing pads from Hercules Engineering (uncaptioned, left, and captioned, right)
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bearing ranges feature stainless steel slide plates factory bonded pure grade PTFE with Hercupad and Styrofoam spacers. The Hercupad is recessed into place on floor slab faces, where they interface with stainless steel plates similarly permanently recessed into matching positions on the pile cap. The pile cap plates, locked in place by heavy duty stainless steel bolting, are integrated into the slab as it is poured against the stainless steel plates. The split bearing structure, with its partially cast-in-place bearing pads, is installed in place for the life of the structure involved, where it provides a long-term low static coefficient of friction that is virtually equal to kinetic coefficient of friction. The bearings, with minimal stick slip effect, are designed to reduce stress on structural members by making smooth motion possible. The engineering plastics expertise built into them is the result of more than 40 years’ experience in plastics engineering by Cut To Size plastics, of which Hercules Engineering is a division. These split bearing pad designs allow engineers and specifiers to distribute the load evenly across the surfaces of structural components. Because of advances in design of split bearings pads, it is possible to provide cost-efficient bearings with large surface areas The new bearings can vary in size from current measurements of 900-1200mm long, but with further custom-engineered types sized according to need.
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Hercules’ new heavy duty concrete-to-concrete vertical bearing pads are designed for vertical column applications in multi-story buildings and infrastructure
Stock versions of Hercules bearings are in use in structures ranging from industrial and resources industry buildings, bridges and civil engineering works through to landmark projects such as Australia’s Parliament House, hospitals, walkways and high-rise regional headquarters. Hercules Engineering produces one of the Asia-Pacific’s widest ranges of slip joints and bearings that combine low-friction thermoplastics with durable metal facings as a cost-efficient solution for protection against additional stresses, caused by: • frequently occurring effects of climate change, such as extreme temperatures, wild weather and natural disasters, • and demographic changes, such as population growth, which leads to increased vehicle traffic, which places greater stresses on carparks
and road and rail infrastructure. Within industrial structures, changes in load can be induced by the operation of heavy plant including conveyors, motors, turbines and reticulation systems found throughout mining, energy, oil and gas, food and beverage, primary processing, manufacturing, water and waste water utility and wider industrial uses. In urban areas, different forces can be generated by transport and infrastructure, changing loads as building uses change and highly variable site conditions Sometimes the best answer is provided cost-efficiently by a stock bearing. Sometimes – as in the case of partially cast-in-place bearings – the solution is a little more particular and demands an individually engineered approach in conjunction with the building specifiers, who know the optimum safety and structural requirements their individual project demands.
You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine. — John C. Maxwell
NEW PRODUCTS
Enerpac’s new air-driven power unit for high-use applications Enerpac’s new DuroTech Series air-driven power unit offers enhanced durability and flexibility in high-cycle industrial applications and workholding tasks.
Additionally, DuroTech pumps are fully serviceable, require no air lubrication, run cool and produce reduced noise levels, making them ideal pumps for workholding tasks.
The units, which utilise air pressure between 90 and 110 psi (6.2 – 7.6 Bar), incorporate a number of features designed to extend product life and ease of maintenance.
Shop air is connected to the built-in pressure regulator where the operator can adjust the air pressure, in turn setting the maximum hydraulic oil pressure.
One key feature is the reciprocating, dual ram piston pump. Every time the piston moves it creates flow, meaning less reciprocating motion compared with single ram systems, which leads to more flow and a longer life.
The air is ported through a built-in air shut-off valve to the air pump. With the air shut-off valve open, the pump automatically turns on and off to obtain and then maintain the customer selected hydraulic pressure.
Key features of DuroTech™ pumps include: • Extremely durable pump element • Four-station DO3 manifold with cover plates for unused stations • Air filter/regulator with built-in air pressure gauge and adjustable hydraulic pressure • 6.8 litre all metal reservoir with easy-access drain plug • Easy-to-read oil level sight glass • Heavy-duty construction, including steel reservoir and protective steel shroud • Long-life, fully serviceable air motor
Enerpac’s new DuroTech™ air driven power unit
• Dual pump action offers high oil capacity and smooth flow • On-demand stall / restart operation automatically maintains system pressure • Requires no air lubrication • Reduced noise level (75dBA)
Heavy-duty drive reliably powers Sun Metals’ zinc feeder A compact but powerful Bonfiglioli HDO 170 drive selected for its durability and reliability under all conditions is helping power a Transmin Low Profile Feeder (LPF) for a Sun Metals zinc refining operation. Bonfiglioli’s HDO 170 drive – which has been operating efficiently and productively since commissioning – was engineered and assembled in Australia to provide a space-saving solution for Sun Metals, who needed to fit the LPF with attached drive into a tight space in their existing pit. It features a 75 kW motor that produces 127,700 Nm of torque. “The compact design was one of the major benefits of using a Bonfiglioli drive for Sun Metals’ LPF. Additionally, the service and support from the Bonfiglioli team is always prompt and professional,” says Mr Tony Warren, Lead Design Engineer, Transmin. Transmin is a world-class provider of innovative engineered equipment, supplies and services to the
manufacturing, mining, resources and bulk materials handling industries, with engineered equipment currently deployed in over 60 countries. The Transmin LPF handles zinc concentrate at 400tph and is positioned beneath a large hopper, which is filled by side tipping trucks. The zinc concentrate is then fed into the process plant for refining into zinc metal. “The reliability of Bonfiglioli’s drives is first-class. We’ve used their drives in numerous projects across Australia, including some in harsh conditions, and their durability and reliability have always been outstanding,” said Mr Warren. “Transmin’s LPF is essentially a hybrid feeder delivering the advantages of both belt and apron feeders, plus additional unique benefits over conventional feeder technology, including the ability to change direction using a bend transition. A reliable drive is essential to power
Bonfiglioli’s HDO 170 drive (shown above during installation) was engineered to fit into a compact space to power Sun Metals’ zinc feeder
the LPF and provide consistent performance for our customers like Sun Metals,” he said. HDO Drives
Cutaway showing the inside of a Bonfiglioli HDO drive
Bonfiglioli’s HDO bevel helical gear reducer series optimises performance with compact dimensions and flexibility. The gear case is made from nodular cast iron to guarantee rigidity in all circumstances while the gears are integrally ground finished on their profile to ensure quiet and vibration-free operation even in the harshest conditions.
The HDO series is optimised for reliable performance in the harshest conditions and can be easily customised to suit individual applications. HDO Drives, which can provide torques from 8,990 – 209,900 Nm, are engineered with advanced design features including: • Top torque density • Superior performance • Silent and vibration-free operation • Total ruggedness and reliability • Standards compliance • Extensive customisation
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BUSINESS
Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work. — Stephen King
Internet of Manufacturing Study Tour - What can we learn from the USA? Thirty seven representatives from twenty six New Zealand and three Australian manufacturing companies, two business organisations (The Manufacturers’ Network and the EMA) and two government funded innovation agencies (Callaghan Innovation and the Australian IMCRC) have all combined into a study group to investigate advanced manufacturing technology at the Internet of Manufacturing Conference in Chicago and through visits to a number of U.S. manufacturing companies last week. The week was an exciting opportunity to gain insight into what U.S companies are doing in the networked manufacturing and Industry 4.0 space. There is a lot New Zealand manufacturers can learn about what works and what doesn’t – however, at the end of the day, Kiwi manufacturers have to find what works for them. It starts with getting LEAN / Continuous Improvement processes in order and incrementally investing in technology which provides the greatest productivity improvements for their business.
The trip included a visit to Haas, a global brand in CNC machines, and a remarkable success story of a manufacturer that has managed to grow rapidly while keeping all of its manufacturing activities in the USA. We also visited the Trumpf Smart Factory in Schaumburg, Chicago. This is a fully operational sheet metal factory that functions as a technology showcase for sales purposes and as an Industry 4.0 technology test lab at the same time, focusing on end-to-end integration of systems and processes. We were able to see an example of individually-customised products
coming through the production line, from start to finish, making use of advanced manufacturing technology to make such customisation possible.
the early-stage development of their business – including surface-mounting machines, a laser cutter and several 3D printers.
We also visited two industry-good organisations that were really impressive. One was the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII), part of UI Labs, a collaboration between industry, government agencies and several universities, with a simple mission statement – to transform industries using digital technologies. DMDII have established a comprehensive Learning Factory that holds a range of advanced manufacturing equipment that people can configure for their specific purpose and try out.
If only we had something like that in New Zealand!
The second one was mHub, a dedicated incubator for budding manufacturers. Above and beyond what’s usually involved in an incubator, mHub has a broad range of manufacturing equipment that manufacturing entrepreneurs can come in and use for
Overall, the impression at least from our limited experience so far is that European manufacturers are further ahead than their US counterparts when it comes to adopting Industry 4.0 / Internet of Manufacturing technologies in general.
Otherwise one of the key insights from the trip is that American manufacturers, even the larger ones, are still at the early stages of adopting the truly novel aspects of advanced manufacturing technologies. They are well-versed in the more conventional aspects like statistical process control or robots, but still in the early stages when it comes to using cobots or digital twins, for example.
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Microplastics: Small plastics, big problem commitment towards tackling plastic pollution, by pledging to recycle 100% of plastics by 2025. A number of large manufacturers such as Nestlé, Adidas, Unilever, and HP Hewlett-Packard have recently started initiatives looking for alternatives to make their products and their packaging sustainable and environment-friendly. To tackle this crisis, there is an urgent need for governments, industry and entrepreneurs to develop systemic, more innovative, and more audacious solutions that prevent plastic from becoming waste in the first place.
Turning oil to plastic and back again Priyanka Bakaya is one entrepreneur who has discovered the power of plastic waste – quite literally. Bakaya is an Australian-American entrepreneur and founder of a clean energy company which converts plastic waste into fuel. Her company, Renewlogy, makes diesel, kerosene, light fuels in a process that chemically takes the plastics back down into their basic building blocks without creating toxic emissions in the process. Investors are watching closely. Meanwhile, China has done the world a favour. In January, China
stopped taking the world’s plastics back for recycling for environmental reasons. Recyclers worldwide were left scrambling for alternatives. This is a good thing. What if every country closed its doors to others waste? This could drive greater innovation and new business opportunities that benefit local communities. In the UK, scientists and engineers from the University of Bath have developed a way of making microbeads from cellulose, which is not only from a renewable source, but also biodegrades into harmless sugars. Work is underway to scale this process
for manufacturing. If offered a choice, consumers will prefer not to rub plastic into their skins when they exfoliate – brands that are earlier adopters of these alternative ‘ingredients’ can create competitive advantage. So, how might we get products to people without generating plastic waste and mitigate a potential eco-genocide? We’re not sure yet but some smart people and organisations are working on finding solutions. If nothing else, microplastics have taught us that sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest impact.
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One-quarter of Dubai’s buildings will be 3D printed by 2025 Could 3-D printing be the factor to solve the housing crisis and homelessness?
From printing replacement human body parts to assisting with running repairs on voyages to Mars, many predictions are being made for how 3D printing may soon improve the lot of humanity. Now, Dubai has taken a step further along the road to making such dreams a reality by announcing that 25% of the city-state’s new buildings will be made using 3D printers by 2025. The move is part of an ambitious 3D-printing strategy announced in 2016 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice-president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Dubai. The 3D-printing strategy aims to reduce labour by 70% and cut costs by 90% across different sectors, according to the Dubai Future Foundation. Perhaps more crucially, 3D-printing construction has the potential to help solve a looming homelessness crisis as more people gravitate to living in cities: the UN predicts that by 2030, the world will have 41 mega-cities with more than 10 million inhabitants.
Roadmap to a 3D-printed future The Dubai Future Foundation was set up to provide a roadmap for the government consider and prepare for how technology will shape the industries of the future. It aims to make Dubai the world’s “3D-printing hub” by 2030.
engineering.
Designed to save labour and energy The Foundation says that labour costs were cut by more than 50% compared to traditional costs of constructing a building of similar size. Printing took 17 days and the office was installed on a site below Emirates Towers in central Dubai in just two days. Subsequent work on the building services, interiors and landscape took approximately three months. The Foundation says the interior of the 250 square metre building has been designed to facilitate a mix of creative interactions, quiet reflective work and “serendipitous meetings.” The building is also designed to be “extremely energy efficient.” The Foundation says: “It is oriented to maximise visibility and natural light, but to shade the inside through digitally sculpted overhangs above the windows.
“This minimises direct solar heating and reduces the need for air conditioning and lighting. Further sustainability features include 100% LED lighting, responsive building systems, green landscaping, and low-energy air conditioning and cooling.”
Solving the housing crisis While Dubai may have led the way by creating the first 3D-printed building, others have followed suit. Nantes, in France, claims it is the first location to make a 3D-printed house. The Independent news site reported in April that the five-room, 95 square metre property will house a local family qualifying for social assistance from June. It added that the city authorities are considering developing an entire district of such homes. Around the world there is a desperate need for low-cost, affordable accommodation, according to the 2017 World Resources Report. It
estimates that the global affordable housing gap is 330 million urban households. This is forecast to grow by more than 30% to 440 million households, or 1.6 billion people, by 2025, the report says.
How to avoid a sci-fi future In science fiction movies, the cities of the future tend to be grim places. The urban homes in Ready Player One and Soylent Green are abandoned cars stacked on top of one another. But 3D-printing has the potential to ensure such a bleak outcome can be avoided. Meanwhile, by leading the way in investigating how such technology can change whole industries, Dubai has set a model other states may well benefit from by emulating. The global market for 3D printing of all kinds is estimated to be about $32.78 billion by 2023. Governments have to ask themselves if they are doing enough to win their share of this high-tech related growth.
The emirate tested 3D-printing construction industry potential in 2016 when it opened what it claimed was the world’s first building to be made using the technology. The building, called the “Office of the Future,” was created by a 3D concrete printer with a robotic arm that was 6 metres high and 12 metres wide. The people needed for the task included one technician to monitor the printer, seven people to install the building on site, and a team of 10 electricians and specialists to take care of the mechanical and electrical
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NZ Manufacturer June 2018
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