Worldwide Engineering Magazine - September Issue

September Issue Accumold How to Guarantee Success in Micro Moulding

VNC Automotive says Semiconductor Shortage Will Outlast Covid

THine Introduces a 13MP PDAF Linux Camera Reference Design Kit

Pages 14-16

Pages 26

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worldwide-engineering.com

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UK Energy Supplier Lends FLIR ONE Cameras to Customers

How to Guarantee Success In Micro Molding

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Semiconductor Shortage Will Outlast COVID says VNC Automotive

In a new league: the Toplus premium chuck with ≤ 5 μm accuracy

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Sprint Power develops advanced wireless charging system for taxis

ViewSonic Introduces ColorPro VP56 Series of Pantone Validated Monitors

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Pioneers For A New And Easy - Touse Robot Programming Approach

MAXXDRIVE® industrial gear units – NORD’s toughest for every situation

Worldwide Engineering Magazine Providing timely industry news, exclusive features on advancing technology, equipment, materials, show previews, content marketing services for our valued clients and much more!

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100 years of Mitsubishi Electric a story of success The very first Mitsubishi company was established back in 1870 by Yataro Iwasaki. This company provided the foundations for what would later become the group of independent companies which are active in almost every industrial sector. In 1921 the company known today as Mitsubishi Electric Corporation was formed and became renowned the world over for its expertise and innovation in the development of high-quality electrical and electronic products.

Products developed and manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric can be found in all fields of industry, including information processing and communications, space development and satellite communications, home electronics, industrial automation, energy, mobility and building technology, as well as in HVAC systems.

which would form the basis for its EMEA operations today.

Factory Automation Throughout its history, the Factory Automation division of Mitsubishi Electric has been one of the global leaders in automation product development. Combining innovative technologies with advanced functionalities and feature sets, with the highest levels of reliability. As early as 1973, the company developed its first PLC which was designed to replace relay control panels.

Innovations in frequency inverters, servo/motion products and industrial robots followed, and in 2007 the company launched the iQ Platform, the first automation platform to combine four types of controllers on a single platform – robot, motion, CNC and PLC. Digitalisation pioneer

Europe has long been a key market for Mitsubishi Electric, and in 1969 the company as it opened its first representative office in the region

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2001, Mitsubishi Electric launched its e-F@ctory concept – a pioneering approach to digitalisation that was

years in advance of the definition of Industry 4.0 or the rise of the Internet of Things. It has seen the company develop a reputation with customers as a trusted partner through all stages of their digital transformation.

Strong partnerships have also driven the company to continuously evolve its e-F@ctory Alliance, an integral part of e-F@ctory concept.

This has enabled Mitsubishi Electric and its partners to offer their joint customers a wider range of optimised solutions that help them to enhance their competitive advantage and further drive their digital business transformation.

With the development of Maisart (“Mitsubishi Electric’s AI creates the State-of-the-ART in technology”), the stage has been set for the company to continue to be a driver of innovation for the next 100 years.

Further information at Mitsubishi Electric – Factory Automation www.mitsubishielectric.com/fa/ business/history/index.html

ZLD solves Spanish tannery waste issues Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) is a waste management technique which transforms liquid waste streams from industrial plants into clean water, which can be reused in the process, and a minimal amount of solid residue, which often include valuable byproducts. It is particularly useful for industries producing complex wastes which are difficult to treat using traditional techniques.

One such industry is leather processing and tanning where animal skins are transferred into high quality fabric for use in footwear, upholstery, car interiors and other goods. Based in Salinas near Alicante, Boxcapiel is one of Spain’s leading leather producers, processing skins from a range of species into high quality leather for a wide variety of end uses.

Tightening environmental legislation meant that Boxcapiel’s traditional waste disposal techniques were no longer acceptable or economic. The company urgently needed to find a sustainable and alternative waste treatment. Having been made aware of an existing HRS ZLD system in the locality, Boxcapiel asked HRS Heat Exchangers to investigate the feasibility of such a system at its own plant.

The effective design of any ZLD system is dependent on the correct analysis of the water/waste stream.

It is essential to have accurate estimates of composition, flow rates, chemistry, etc. Without this, any designed solution will fail to deliver the required results. The first step was therefore for HRS to commission laboratory studies of the waste stream, followed by the use of a pilot plant to test the proposed solution in situ at Boxcapiel.

Using this information, HRS engineers were then able to design the full ZLD evaporation system, based around the proven, patented HRS Unicus Series of reciprocating scraped surface heat exchangers. Traditionally, vapour compression evaporation has been the main method employed for ZLD processing, with evaporation typically recovering around 95 per cent of wastewater as distillate.

Any remaining concentrate is then further treated physically or chemically to produce solid residues (such as crystals) and water. Evaporators used in ZLD systems are often run at lower pressures in order to reduce the boiling point of the liquid being treated. Working with a reduced boiling point means that multieffect evaporation is possible.

In multi-effect evaporation, steam from the previous evaporation stage is used as the thermal energy in the next stage which works at a lower boiling point. This way, multiple evaporation stages are combined, and energy savings are obtained.

The HRS ZLD system supplied to Boxcapiel begins by using multieffect evaporation to concentrate the waste stream, resulting in a solution which containing elevated salt levels very close to the saturation point. This is then cooled to promote the formation of salt crystals. Further crystallisation then occurs in specially designed crystallisation tanks, with separation of the crystals that are formed. A supernatant layer of concentrated solution remains after this stage and is returned to the second evaporator for reprocessing.

Both the evaporation and cooling steps result in a high degree of material fouling on the inside of the equipment, so HRS Unicus Series scraped-surface evaporators are used to maintain thermal efficiency and remove fouling as it occurs in the evaporation process. The result is an efficient process which can work continuously without requiring scheduled downtime.

The installed ZLD system produces clean water, which is utilised in the tanning process, and a solid residue, which can be disposed of via normal waste management channels, although Boxcapiel are keen to monetise this potentially valuable material.

The use of the HRS ZLD system has enabled Boxcapiel to meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations, improve the sustainability of its operations, and continue to operate profitability as one of the country’s leading manufacturers of quality leather materials.

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Delta advances towards RE100 by signing power purchase agreement Mr. Ping Cheng, Delta’s chief executive officer, said, “We thank TCC Green Energy Corporation not only for providing us with those 19 million kWh of green energy annually from now on, but also for adopting Delta’s solutions and services in their numerous renewable energy power plants.

Cumulatively, this proposal is expected to reduce over 193,000 tons of carbon emissions*, which is equivalent to building 502 Daan Forest Parks (the largest park in Taipei City), and corresponds with Delta’s corporate mission “To provide innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow”. Going forward, this PPA model may be replicated to other Delta sites worldwide for our RE100 goal. Delta has always been committed to environmental protection and actively engages in global environmental initiatives.

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After passing the Science- based Targets (SBT) in 2017, Delta aims to achieve a 56.6% decrease in its carbon intensity by 2025. By continuously executing three major relevant actions, including voluntary energy conservation, inhouse solar power generation, and the purchase of renewable energy, Delta has already reduced its carbon intensity by over 55% in 2020.

Furthermore, the Company has also far surpassed its annual goals for three consecutive years, and our global operations’ use of renewable energy has reached approximately 45.7%. These experiences have contributed significantly to our RE100 goal.”

Shun-I Huang, chairman of Taiwan Cogeneration Corporation stated that, in line with the renewable energy development trends, TCC is committed to developing

renewable energies including wind power, solar power, and thermal power. It is the first electricity group enterprise in Taiwan to be equipped with comprehensive services ranging from renewable energy investment and development, engineering contracting, operation and maintenance, to green energy sales capabilities. Synergies are to be expected from this collaboration with Delta. The transfer load will come from the latest onshore wind turbines built by Xingbao Wind Farm Group; with a device capacity of 3.6MW per unit, these onshore wind power generators currently have the largest device capacity in Taiwan. Delta will be provided with the cleanest and efficient green energy with additionality. Going forward, the two enterprises will continue to collaborate and TCC Green Energy will surely provide

strong backend support to companies pursuing for sustainable development. We aspire to cocreate environmental sustainability and to work toward zero emissions.

Upon announcing its membership in the global renewable energy initiative RE100 in March 2021, Delta promised to achieve 100% renewable energy consumption and carbon neutrality throughout its global operations by 2030.

Delta is also the first Taiwanese high tech manufacturer to commit to RE100 goal by 2030.

Delta’s operations are located throughout five continents. To achieve RE100 goal, Delta will focus on voluntary energy conservation, in-house solar power generation and consumption, and voluntary investment toward renewable power plants. Concurrently, Delta will also assess the maturity of local green energy markets to carry out PPAs or the purchase Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to fulfill its commitment. The solar power generated from Delta’s major production sites amounted to approximately 25.3 million kWh in

2020, while 285 million kWh was purchased through RECs. The renewable energy consumption at major production sites accounted for approximately 55.1% of total energy consumption, and reaches approximately 45.7% of total energy consumption throughout all global operations. To accelerate green energy PPA procurement, Delta has also formed an inter-departmental “Delta Green Energy Team” at the beginning of 2021. To sign long-term PPA agreements, the team selects sustainable power generation projects with smaller environmental impacts and conducts onsite inspection and assessment.

In response to the enactment of the major electricity consumer regulation pursuant to the Renewable Energy Development Act, coupled with the formal request for supply chains to use green energy in production from major international customers, the demand for renewable energy generation continues to rise.

Nevertheless, the renewable energy market is still in its infantry, leading to a shortage of green energy

supply in the short- run. To respond to this challenge, on top of actively evaluating green energy PPAs, Delta is also committed to developing various renewable energy application solutions to assist power generation businesses to utilize renewable energy with more efficiency. By implementing smart control over discharge and charging times, energy storage systems developed using Delta’s core technologies can enhance the compatibility between power consumption and renewable energy generation.

Delta’s renewable energy solutions have been widely used in green power plants throughout the world, including TCC. To stabilize the output of solar power generation, TCC has adopted Delta’s centralized three-phase solar PV inverters in power plants including TaiPower’s largest 150MW station in Tainan, south of Taiwan.

Additionally, the two enterprises have also planned to further collaborate to create synergies for sustainable development. www.delta-emea.com

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Minimal maintenance with more than one million switching cycles Seat valves with extended pressure and temperature. Bürkert now offers particularly durable and lowmaintenance on/off and control valves for switching and controlling gases, liquids and steam in the process and food industries that are suitable for media pressures up to 25 bar and temperatures up to 230 °C. Image: The seat valves with increased pressure and temperature range easily control and switch media with up to 25 bar overpressure and temperatures from -40 °C to 230 °C. (Source: Bürkert Fluid Control Systems) Low-maintenance on/off and control valves are essential in the food and process industry.

They control the flow of gases, steam or liquids, for example in auxiliary processes such as CIP (cleaning-in-place), reverse osmosis or temperature control.

Bürkert now offers a wide range of electric motor and pneumatically operated on/off and control valves specially suited for these applications, with extended pressure and temperature ranges. Thanks to special sealing materials, the valves with stainless steel valve bodies work without any problems with media up to 25 bar gauge pressure and temperatures between -40 °C and 230 °C (Image). The rated service life at 200 °C is more than one million switching cycles.

Devices and seals therefore only very rarely need to be replaced, which in turn increases system availability. Sealing materials and lubricants suitable for foodstuffs, drinking water, fuel gases or oxygen allow the valves to be used with other media, for example for cleaning and flushing purposes, for heat carriers or saturated steam at 20 bar and 215 °C. So they can be used to switch and control all common gases and liquids for heating and cooling purposes in the specific process as well as in traditional CIP processes. It is also possible to use them with heat transfer oils e.g. in conjunction with alternative heating concepts.

Extensive assortment of process valves The high-pressure and hightemperature valves are available in different versions with straightseat on/off and control valves as well as with angle seat on/off and control variants. Depending on the version, the stainless steel bodies offer flange, weld, thread or clamp connections in DNs from DN10 to 100 or NPS 3/8” to 4”. Design details take into account the special requirements of the areas of application. Swivel plates, for example, increase seat tightness while optimised wipers extend the service life of the self-adjusting packing. Different plug and seat sets in metallic or soft-sealing variants allow an exact adaptation to the respective operating medium. The on/off valves with media flow below the valve seat for water and other liquid media prevent pressure surges (water hammer). This reduces maintenance and replacement costs, especially when no service personnel are on site.

Further information can be found at: www.burkert.com/en/products/ process-and-control-valves

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Chemical manufacturer boosts production through ‘game-changing’ automation solution GEO Specialty Chemicals partners with Siemens Digital Industries A chemical manufacturer has increased production, flexibility and control through a ‘game-changing’ automation solution.

GEO Specialty Chemicals (GEO), based in Hythe, Hampshire, is an industry leader in the development and manufacture of high purity chemicals. It produces over 300 products for more than 1,000 customers in the coatings, adhesives, medical, water treatment and construction markets.

After investing in a new production facility in 2018 to enhance and extend its existing capabilities for high purity specialty monomers, GEO found it needed to increase production capacity to meet growing demand, and develop and optimise recipes in-house rather than bring in third parties at a vast expense.

As a top tier COMAH site handling inventories of high hazard chemicals, GEO also needed to ensure the highest level of safety controls, alarms and interlocks.

Working with Siemens Digital Industries it created a new production plant inside its existing building, deploying a complete solution based on integrated

hardware and software, reconfiguring the plant and embedding the blending process into the new design.

The solution includes a total Siemens automation package utilising the SIMATIC PCS 7 distributed control system, SINAMICS variable speed drives, SIMOCODE motor starters and SIRIUS Low Voltage, SCALANCE network devices, and a complete range of Process Instrumentation, flow (Electromagnetic, Variable Area, Differential and Coriolis), level, pressure, and temperature.

SIMATIC PCS 7 was selected as the automation platform by GEO because it fit perfectly to the requirements of being scalable in its deployment, flexible in operation and provides the ability to be able to optimise recipes and develop new recipes in a controlled and standardised manner.

SIMATIC PCS 7’s ability to provide flexible configuration of recipes has been a game-changer for GEO. Tony Short, GEO IE&C Engineer said: “With the new solution every stage of the process was in-built and done as a baseline. Managing the recipe of the chemical mix and other functionalities became easier.

“The PCS 7 has empowered engineers and technicians to

optimise recipes on their own, rather than having to call in third parties. This has resulted in considerable cost saving, freeing up money to invest in improving systems and processes even more.”

Full visualisation of the production process has also been a major benefit.

“With the SIMATIC PCS 7, we get full visualisation of the whole system, which means things like tuning valves was a straightforward task,” Tony added. “This reduced commissioning time and made us operationally efficient sooner. It has meant qualification batches were much quicker and easier to produce.”

The solution included Sitrain PCS 7 training course for GEO’s managers and bespoke training for 15 operators and maintenance control technicians.

Meanwhile, the partnership also includes a three-year service contract and remote connection to the plant.

“A key benefit of this project has been Siemens’ support,” Tony explained. “I don’t think we would be as far as we are without that continued support of a dedicated team of hardware and software engineers.”

“Given Covid and the challenges of the pandemic this remote connection has been invaluable and helped ensure the plant has continued to run seamlessly.”

Steve Leech, Business Manager, Process Control Systems UK & Ireland, Siemens Digital Industries, said: “This is a great example of how control systems and instrumentation give access to the much-needed data that allows us to make an informed decision. The clarity it provides on material usage or how you can substitute something that has been used historically to maximise efficiency and sustainability is proof to the success of digitalisation.”

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UK energy supplier lends FLIR ONE cameras to customers to help cut costs With a FLIR ONE Pro, anyone with a compatible smartphone (iOS or Android) can look at their house in a thermal view and quickly spot where heat is either escaping or entering. We find that chimneys, attics, wall vents, windows, and badly sealed doorways are common culprits for letting cold infiltrate a house but can be extremely difficult to detect. Other common problems a FLIR ONE can reveal include where insulation in the walls or ceilings may not have been installed properly, or singlepane windows that are causing a major energy (and consequently money!) drain.

Octopus Energy has 200 FLIR ONE Pros that they lend to their customers for seven days. In that time, homeowners can find out for themselves where the problem spots in their homes are, and either apply a DIY fix or call in a professional if more work needs to be done.

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Greg Jackson, chief executive of Octopus Energy, said in an article

by This is MONEY: “While other energy providers might pray for a cold winter, we are committed to keeping customer costs down. We are proud to launch this initiative and show that Octopus isn’t afraid to do things differently.”

The thermal camera lending program was a huge hit with customers, who shared pictures of the energy leaks in their homes (or pictures of their dog, equally as important) via Instagram and Twitter. Customers were excited to see the program return this past October with extra COVID-19 precautions in place to keep everyone safe.

Learn more about the thermal camera lending program from Octopus Energy or find out more about the FLIR ONE Pro thermal camera for smartphones.

WIDIA introduces M1600 face milling platform suitable for variety of machine conditions and set ups New face mill designed for rough to semi-finish machining of a variety of steels, stainless steels, cast and nodular irons WIDIATM announced today the release of the M1600 face mill for roughing to semi- finishing operations in steel, stainless steel, cast iron and nodular iron materials.

With 16-cutting edges and a smart insert design, the M1600 performs in various machining conditions including low-power machines, unstable, non-rigid set ups, long overhangs, weak machines or weak fixture conditions.

“Face milling is one of the most common machining operations, so we designed a versatile and cost-effective solution that delivers substantial improvements in metal removal rates in steel and cast iron for our customers,” said Anna Kim, WIDIA Indexable Milling Global Portfolio Manager.

“The M1600 represents a turnkey solution for general engineering, energy and automotive customers who want to reduce their face milling tooling inventory and increase their machining outputs.”

The 16-edged, precision-ground insert with a positive geometry enables low cutting forces and low power consumption resulting in higher tool life and an excellent cost per edge. The M1600 has one universal insert geometry in three versatile grades: WP35CM, WK15CM and WU20PM. The WP35CM grade targets all types of steels, while the WK15CM grade is designed for cast iron materials and performs best in dry applications but can also be used in wet conditions. The universal WU20PM grade can be used for the machining of steel, stainless steel and high-temperature alloys in both dry and wet applications.

The ‘smart’ insert design features a seating surface below the cutting edge that promotes smooth chip flow and reduces cutting forces on the tool.

The insert also has a curved cutting edge and is axially positive resulting in reduced power consumption. These key design features coupled with 16 cutting edges make M1600 an economical face milling option.

M1600 face mills are available in six metric diameter ranges between 50mm and 160mm. Inch diameters will follow in the fall of 2021.

Orders for the M1600 bodies and inserts as well as other WIDIA metal cutting tooling can be placed through WIDIA authorized distribution partners. Click here for full details of M1600 including a side milling video. www.widia.com

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Intelligent Plant and Sword collaborative services The trend of the large traditional Independent Oil Companies transitioning from the North Sea has provided opportunities for smaller, independent operators to acquire these mature offshore assets. Frequently, these operators need to partner with a business technology solutions provider to deliver the migration of their Asset from the divesting operator into their ownership, set up their IT architecture and applications and manage the data transition; that’s where Sword comes in.

Case study – Serica Energy When Serica Energy acquired BP’s stake in the Bruce, Keith and Rhum fields, Sword was engaged by Serica due to its proven experience in the industry. For some critical specialised areas, Sword secured help from its ecosystem partners to ensure the best possible outcome.

For real time, process control and surveillance data, Intelligent Plant was engaged to provide its expertise based on products from its Industrial App Store.

The project took six months in total, from scoping and definition, design and development and through to implementation and cutover. The final transition took place at the end of November 2018 as part of a carefully planned sequence of cutover activities covering all IT services.

Helen Ratcliffe, Energy Sector Consulting Lead at Sword, commented: “Sword was excited to be awarded this contract from Serica Energy. Serica showed openness to working with new technologies and were very interested in identifying innovation from within the local supply chain.

The complex nature of the project opened the opportunity for Sword

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to work with a partner who also understood these complexities.

Sword and our partner Intelligent Plant were able to ensure that Serica has a technology landscape that reflects its strategic direction.”

Steve Aitken, Consultant Director at Intelligent Plant, said: “When the team from Sword engaged us initially, it was to talk about PnID and Trend, our apps that were designed to turn process engineers into data scientists. During this initial discussion, it became clear to us that there was an opportunity to work together on a wider scope, and for Serica to use a suite of our apps, including PnID, Trend and Alarm Analysis. Collectively, these apps allow a user to understand the status of important processes, as well as being able to analyse and manage alarms and events.”

“We were delighted to be invited to work with Sword and Serica on this opportunity, as it is extremely rare that you are given a blank canvas from which to create a new IT framework, and on a scale of this size. Both ourselves and Sword are now exploring opportunities to use the experience that we gained working together on this project, for the benefit of the wider industry.”

Benefits to engaging Intelligent Plant and Sword as a partnership service?

Many companies use automated control systems to manage their plants or facilities. Integrated or distributed control systems provide the possibility to monitor, analyse and predict equipment performance along with alarm management capabilities, as was the case in Serica’s situation.

Accessing valuable data remotely can be problematic with challenges observed around cyber

security over VPN, meaningful data visualisation and integration with other systems to realise the true value of data.

Intelligent Plant’s connected platform allows data to be queried directly from these control systems via cloud apps with a connector installed in the client networks, then displayed in a way which the engineers or operators at any location prefer to consume the data, whilst protecting the security of these critical systems.

Who is Intelligent Plant and what does it do?

Intelligent Plant is well known for providing the world’s first truly open & secure IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) portal known as the Industrial App Store (IAS). The IAS enables secure, remote, performance monitoring of equipment and processes through storage, analysis, and visualisation of real-time data, and in the management and interpretation of process alarm data. It links access to your data with a SaaS based App Market.

What makes the Industrial App Store unique in this space is that your data remains on your network, under your control, you can put it on a physical machine, or an Azure instance / AWS it does not matter. This removes the requirement for cloud-specific data processing fees or architectures which ultimately saves money and more importantly, allows you to retain full control of your data. It provides the right data to the right people at the right time – centralised and automated data flows, as well as effective visualisations & dashboards, it provides immediate access to current data without any time spent facilitating the request. The App Store is also completely open to all App developers, removing the huge restrictions other vendors put on usage of and access to your data.

How to guarantee success in Micro Molding Anthony Pruitt, Technology Sales Engineer/DFM Manager, Accumold The objective of all micro molding projects is the timely, costeffective, repeatable manufacture of often complex and extremely tight tolerance plastic parts and components. The key is to get it right first time, and this can only be achieved by attention to detail at every stage of the product development process — from design to automated packaging.

Success in micro molding is predicated on working closely with a micro molding vendor from early in the design stage of product development, and on the fact the vendor is also vertically integrated.

Effectively, every part of the product development process when micro molding has the ability to introduce loss of tolerance.

When the key to product success or failure is less than a few micron variation on a critical feature of a

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component, having control of each aspect of the product development process is critical.

And the key is not just to control each element of the process, but to have it residing under one roof. There is the obvious advantage of teams working together to create optimal outcomes, but also when working in a world when micron tolerances matter, even shifting a part from one location to another during the product development cycle can introduce tolerance creep.

There are 5 stages involved in a micro product development process that should be controlled by a micro molding vendor, namely design & material assistance, micro tool design and fabrication, micro molding, metrology & validation, and automated assembly/packaging KEY DFM CONSIDERATIONS As manufacturers begin to conceive a micro molding project,

it is important to bear in mind some key issues from inception. Every project should start with the end in mind. You need to understand the basic design approach, and really bottom out what you can and cannot do, as when micro molding, even the smallest design change can have a significant impact in terms of time and cost or product development.

Design for Manufacture (DfM) is a fundamental consideration when micro molding. Each micro molding project is unique in terms of geometric complexity, shape, and can be made in a wide range of materials, all of which will ultimately affect the ability to manufacture.

Key areas of focus when considering DfM are reviewing characteristics for molding including gating, ejection, and parting split lines, and understanding whether the part is designed for molding simplicity. As a rule of thumb, if you can avoid

complex actions within the tool, it ultimately leads to a more robust, low maintenance design which increases uptime and the chances of on-time delivery. Annual volume requirements are also important to consider as this influences cavitation requirements and will directly affect complexity.

Critical to Quality (CTQ) features and tolerances are just as important to project success as a robust mold design, as they represent the product characteristics as defined by a customer (internal and external). CTQs drive mold design decisions by influencing manufacturing methods and a tool layout that would best achieve these critical requirements.

DfM is vital as it truly establishes a partnership between customer and supplier during the product development process. Engaging early and eagerly shows how committed suppliers and customers are.

MICRO TOOLING Expertise in micro tool fabrication is one of the most important factors that can influence the outcome of a micro molding project. Your chosen micro molder needs to have the in-house ability to fabricate micro tools. Micro tooling is arguably the key enabling technology for any micro molding project, and here you need to work with a molder that has years of experience and has the necessary infrastructure to develop the required tool for your application.

Outsourcing the production of micro tools can have a huge impact on the viability of a micro molding project, as even the smallest slip in tolerances can have a huge impact on the attainment of exacting micron-level requirements in the finished part. As a customer, this is an area to focus on, and you need to see that your chosen micro molder can demonstrate that in-house they can achieve the necessary micronlevel tolerances when cutting steel.

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Key attributes to look out for “under one roof” are a wellequipped team that has the resources to design, manufacture, produce and verify tools, and highly skilled toolmakers who can creatively push the envelope of conventional tool making. These skilled toolmakers also lead and teach team members and assist with continuous development and growth of the team. A collaborative approach is vital to success, this collaboration meaning a dedicated team working with the customer and also with internal groups in design, tooling, production, and quality. The team that works with you on your micro molding project should include a sales engineer, a project engineer, and a quality engineer.

For example, specifying 10 microns of flash when the design can accommodate 20 will lead to more tool downtime in order to maintain the tighter specification.

MICRO MOLDING

Absolutely fundamental to mass production success is that the design and fabrication and maintenance of tooling must reside under the same roof as production.

The drivers for micro molding success are on a basic level inhouse experience and the molding machines available to undertake production. You need to locate a micro molder that can demonstrate a long track record of molding to micro tolerances, as micro molding has its own set of rules and difficulties that can only be understood and navigated by a supplier that has the right pedigree.

Fundamentally, a micro molder needs to be in a position to ramp up to high volume manufacturing, some suppliers not having the infrastructure to be able to fulfil mass production at the scale demanded by many customers.

There are a number of factors beyond infrastructural resources and “space”, however, that can influence the ability of micro molders to mass manufacture successfully. Once again, collaboration between the micro molding supplier and the customer is extremely critical. This leads to a profound understanding of how the part needs to be designed and specced to accommodate high volume manufacturing. The key is to set specifications that reflect what is needed and making sure that they are not over-constraining.

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Successful mass production is also influenced by the design and precise fabrication of a low maintenance tool — which is enabled by part design optimization — along with stress testing and validating the tooling to prove that the tool is robust and ready for production.

Pre-production stress testing is often a critical step that is overlooked in the industry causing serious delays.

Also important is developing a robust process recipe that provides consistency, including process DOE to understand what influences the CTQ features.

METROLOGY & VALIDATION Everyone is aware of the saying, “if you can’t measure it, you can’t make it.” If you have the inability to measure a part or component accurately then you have zero chance of proving design intent.

With this in mind, your chosen micro molder must be able to demonstrate a suite of top-end metrology solutions that can validate the design intent of your product.

Having this facility in-house is also of vital concern, as even the change of environment from production facility to measuring facility can introduce changes in micro part geometry (maybe due to humidity and other variables) which will render validation protocols useless. In house metrology also needs to be seen in process as well as in the lab to ensure production efficiency.

A robust metrology approach is often overlooked when embarking on a micro molding project. When making micro-parts, your chosen micro molding supplier must have invested in equipment that can measure with micron accuracy optically, mechanically, or even to

the nanometer-level with white light interferometers. Along with critical equipment, trained and experienced technicians and engineers are vital to achieving consistent and accurate results.

It is also important to realize that even with the most cutting-edge metrology solutions, some features simply cannot be measured and therefore “verified” as equipment accuracy is not precise enough. In such instances your chosen micro molding supplier must have the experience and knowledge to undertake a performance evaluation of the part or component, proving in the absence of viable data that a part performs its required end use function.

ASSEMBLY It is important to ensure that your micro molding partner has the capacity and ability to provide customized automated assembly in-house. When looking at the handling issues inherent with micro plastics parts, manual assembly is either impossible or hugely costly and time-consuming. Your chosen micro molder must be able to demonstrate an understanding of — and experience in — the art and science of micro assembly, with a focus on minimizing the level of handling, as at each stage tolerances can be affected. Assembly is a topic that needs to be undertaken right at the beginning of the product development cycle when initiating DfM discussions.

The part needs to be designed not only for its own manufacturability, but also the manufacturability of the overall assembly. Part design should accommodate optimal assembly processes.

CONCLUSION Micro molding projects are often highly strategic, highly complex, and also expensive, so it is vital that you take a proper and in-depth look at your short-listed supplier before committing one way or the other. Only through careful supplier selection can you ensure that you are working with a micro molding partner that has the capabilities and values you need to ensure optimal manufacturing outcomes. www.accu-mold.com

Collaboration between CHIRON Group and NSK NSK ball screws with nut cooling are setting new standards in the precision of machine tools with mechanical drive components.

Confirmation comes not only from NSK’s own testing, but from machine tests conducted with CHIRON Group, a well- known manufacturer of machining centers. NSK ball screws contribute to the outstanding surface quality of milled parts produced

by CHIRON Group’s new CNC machining centers.

To help avert this outcome, many machining centers are equipped with a length scale that measures the actual position of the tool, while for those that require higher positioning accuracy it is possible to use ball screws with hollow shafts. In the latter, coolant passes through the shaft to remove heat from the system. This method is quite costly however, because rotating screws require a rotary union in addition to the hollow bore.

The machine tool industry uses ball screws to convert the rotary motion of an electric motor into linear motion. Very often, the positioning accuracy, as well as the travel speed and acceleration, have to endure extreme demands.

A new approach is to cool the nut, which means there is no need for an expensive hollow bore and rotary union as cooling takes place directly at the point where the heat is generated. Another key benefit is that the heat generated in the ball screw no longer dissipates directly in the machine.

This thermal decoupling between the machine and ball screw is important because any heat can impair dimensional stability. The results now prove that by cooling the nut, it is possible to increase the surface quality of machined components.

As a result of axial forces, acceleration and speed, the ball screw generates frictional heat.

This heat can cause the length of the screw to increase (due to thermal expansion) and hence lead to very slight but often critical positioning inaccuracies that may impair machining quality.

NSK engineers designed the nut body so that the changes to the ball screw caused by cooling have no negative influence on its performance profile, as confirmed by endurance tests at NSK’s Technology Centre.Many years of cooperation with CHIRON Group have also confirmed these results in practice. The use of NSK ball screws with cooled nuts means that machining centers of the CHIRON 16 and 22 Series operate with exceptionally high precision, which not only applies to ease of positioning, but to machining accuracy and surface quality.

In two specific CHIRON Series, the ball screws are also equipped with NSK’s highly effective X1 seal, which protects the nut from contamination and retains lubricant within the nut for an extended period. Looking ahead, NSK intends to pursue its collaboration with the CHIRON Group and thus continue optimising precisely targeted cooling technology for ball screws. This teamwork will enable developers to deepen their knowledge of ball screws and how they influence machine performance.

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Factors to consider when measuring thickness in battery production Energy storage devices such as lithium-ion batteries play a crucial role in electromobility and energy transition. In order to optimise battery production, sensors are required to monitor the production line, including thickness measurement sensors. But what are the challenges in making reliable thickness measurements, asks Glenn Wedgbrow, Business Development Manager at MicroEpsilon UK. The growing demand for energy storage devices such as lithiumion batteries and fuel cells are being met by Giga factories that are equipped with efficient, highly automated production technologies. In order to optimise

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battery production, sensors are required that monitor the production line to the highest accuracy and dynamics. These sensors include high precision distance sensors, infrared temperature measurement technology, as well as 2D/3D profile sensors for the many measurement tasks involved in battery production such as electrode manufacturing, assembly and forming processes.

In battery production, one of the key quality control parameters is the thickness (and width) of film and strip materials, wet layers and electrode coatings. These require sensors that measure thickness reliably as the material is being processed (inline), helping to

optimising production yields while minimising waste. All manufacturers will have a process specification that they will need to meet in order to satisfy their customers. But in reality, how can a manufacturer be sure that they are meeting these specifications at all times and what are the challenges they face?

A number of different measurement systems can be used to measure the thickness of a material. Some of these are used offline, i.e. random samples of the material are removed from production and measured to verify that they meet the specification. A more effective approach is to install an inprocess or fixed, inline non-contact measurement system that

continuously measures the thickness of the material as it is processed. If measurements from these systems move towards the outer limits of the specification, machine and process control parameters can be altered to bring the thickness back into acceptable limits.

linearity from both sensors must therefore be compensated for. As a supplier of non-contact inline thickness measurement systems, Micro-Epsilon has developed its own methods of precise sensor alignment and patented algorithms for this process.

Real world errors

Synchronisation

A key factor to consider when selecting a suitable system from a supplier is to understand the combined real-world errors that can occur when using a noncontact thickness measurement system and how these errors can be eliminated or compensated for.

While many suppliers state on their datasheet that the measurement system meets a certain resolution and linearity, in the real world, this performance is affected by a number of environmental influences.

Errors associated with real world thickness measurement are not always so obvious, but can combine to create significantly large errors.

It is therefore critical to select a system based on system accuracy, not just sensor accuracy.

In order to avoid thickness calculation error due to movement of the target, both sensors must be perfectly synchronised so that they perform the measurement at the same time, at the exact opposite point of the target. If synchronisation does not occur, inaccurate measurement data is produced. For example, if measurements are taken at different time intervals, microvibrations of the target or of the sensor mechanics will result in a thickness measurement error.

For example, for a time-delayed measurement of 1ms, a deviation of 125µm is produced (assuming 1mm vibration at 20Hz).

Individual sensor accuracy/ linearity

Alignment & Target Movement Special attention must be paid to the alignment of the sensors, which are typically installed opposite one another. No misalignment, tilting or inclination of the sensors relative to the target object is permissible in order to ensure the sensor spots are measuring at the same point all the way through the measurement range.

For example, for a misalignment of 1mm and an inclination of 2°, there will be a thickness measurement error of 35µm. In the case of a 10mm target thickness, this error increases to 41µm.

Combined linearity errors of up to 8µm, for example, can be seen with a vertical target movement of just 200µm of the target in the measurement field even if the target has the same thickness. The combined error of non-

Each measurement sensor has its own measurement uncertainty, often referred to as ‘linearity’.

This means that at any given point in the measuring range, the actual reading from a sensor can vary by a percentage of its measuring range. The challenge is that no sensor is the same, so errors caused by non-linearity can add or subtract in the final result. Micro-Epsilon has overcome this challenge by performing a combined, patented calibration of both sensors to create a new significantly improved thickness measurement linearity.

stable sensor mounting frame. The mounting mechanism should be isolated from process or machine vibration as best as possible.

Mounting with an O-frame is more stable than using a C-frame.

Thermal expansion of mounting materials is often overlooked as a source of large errors in precise thickness measurement.

Therefore, selecting materials with as low a thermal expansion coefficient as possible is very important.

For example, mounting sensors on a typical aluminium or stainless steel extruded profile, with a thermal expansion coefficient of ~16ppm/K, experimental testing has shown that just a 5°C change in ambient temperature can move the sensors by >80µm! In contrast, using a standard grade Invar mounting frame with a thermal expansion coefficient of typically 1.2ppm/K reduces this to 6µm.

Specialist Invar grades can reduce this error by half again, but can result in a very expensive solution and does not solve the problem when the manufacturing tolerances can be single microns, as is often the case with battery production. Micro-Epsilon has solved this issue with integrated automatic thermal compensation to eliminate measurement errors due to thermal expansion.

In addition, Micro-Epsilon inline thickness measurement systems provide automatic calibration features built into their system as standard, which provide gauge capability results at the touch of a button.

Thermal behaviour of sensors and/ or mounting frame

This also means the operator does not have to spend time calibrating and checking the system.

It is extremely important to design a mechanically and thermally

For more information please visit: www.micro-epsilon.co.uk

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Variohm EuroSensor leads the way for motorsport sensors Subjected to large temperature extremes, elevated shock and vibration levels as well as exposure to dirt, oil and corrosive fluids, sensors used in the motorsports industry for monitoring position, pressure and temperature see some of the harshest conditions imaginable for instrumentation measurement tasks. As technology advances and motorsport data acquisition becomes progressively more sophisticated, the industry continues to challenge manufacturers like Variohm EuroSensor for sensor advances that will help deliver the dynamic improvements that race teams require to optimise car and driver performance. Such improvements include but are not restricted to increased sensor precision, resilience to drift over time and temperature with near-perfect measurement linearity and repeatability - and of course the upmost reliability and long-lifetime

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endurance for the incredibly harsh track test and race conditions.

Variohm’s comprehensive range of motorsport sensors include linear and rotary position sensors, piezo resistive pressure transducers, infra-red and resistive technology temperature sensors, as well as wheel-speed sensors, accelerometers and gyro sensors.

Linear position sensors are principally used for ride height which is constantly monitored to confirm the suspension characteristics of the car through acceleration, braking and cornering. When measured against time and track sections through GPS – and usually with several position sensors on key zones of the car, the ride height becomes a critical factor to set the car up and develop race strategy. A typical ride height application would use Variohm’s ELPM series linear

position sensors covering measurement ranges from 25 mm to 175 mm with independent linearity to +/- 0.5%. The ELPM is available in a motorsport version with an optional internal dual-lip seal arrangement that offers enhanced reliability and improved endurance. The 9.5 mm diameter sensor is lightweight and compact with IP67 protection and a 1500 C upper temperature rating (1750 C short term). The ELPM features a patented multifingered precious metal wiper system that is elastomer-damped, enabling full contact with the linear sensor’s conductive plastic resistance element for consistent unbroken voltage proportional measurement. This proven design ensures error-free results and extremely low electrical noise even under the toughest physical and environmental conditions. The EPLM’s is mounted via self-aligning pivot bearings and an optional

‘POP’ version enables fast installation or removal.

Motorsports angular position measurement is often associated with steering angle or throttle valve position as well as gearbox position and suspension. Variohm has a long history of success for this application area and has developed and honed its product offerings to maximise durability and performance. Its latest product designs feature Hall effect technology which is non-contacting and so offers an extremely long-life measurement solution. There are five main product lines that fall into this category that offer a broad choice of installation flexibility to suit the customers mounting requirements.

All offer 5 VDC input with CW or CCW direction in single or dual redundant angle measurement versions with ratiometric or PWM signal level output and programmable angles from 300 to 3600 in 10 increments. The Euro CMRS and Euro CMRT both feature a shaft design with bearings. The smaller CMRT series is just 10 mm in diameter with an M8 threaded mounting whilst the CMRS has a slightly larger anodised aluminium housing diameter of 10.5 mm and an 18 mm PCD slotted flange mounting.

The Euro CMRK is a miniature puck and magnet rotary sensor.

Its two-part design maintains a completely non-contacting angle measurement solution with no bearings and minimal axial length and 16.5 mm diameter PCD slot mounting for very compact installation. These compact sensors with encapsulated sensor electronics offer a vibration rating that meets IEC 600068-2-6 and temperature range from -40° C to +125° C, with short term operation to 150° C. Variohm also recommends the Euro-XPD model for motorsport applications. Its 8 mm diameter D-shaft drive option which

is available with a choice of 32 or 38 mm PCD mounting, meets the requirements of the motorsports industry and is particularly aimed at throttle position sensing, without the need for a separate coupling.

Also available is the Euro-XPK – another puck and magnet design with a larger 38 mm PCD slot mounting that is favoured by some race teams and performance car manufacturers.

Pressure sensors for motorsports include oil, fuel and coolant pressure measurement as well as manifold absolute pressure.

Variohm’s comprehensive range of piezo resistive pressure transducers, which are used across many other industries, include absolute, gauge and differential pressure measurement in several pressure range variants from a few millibars up to 5000 bar. Voltage and current output options are fully covered as well as signal output variants such as CANopen, and J1939 (SAE-J1939). Variohm’s EPT series, developed over several years, comprehensively covers all pressure port configurations specified in motorsports with stainless steel and other materials options for housings and wetted parts in standard and miniature versions. Environmental ratings to IP69K ensure high resistance to debris and water ingress and solid-state sensor electronics safeguard the sensors’ resistance to vibration which for brake pressure monitoring can be specified to 16 g peak (20 to 2000 Hz) with shock levels to 1000 g.

The EPT series also returns a high resilience to temperature extremes with typical ratings from -40° C to +125° C. Variohm’s recently launched SMO3100 pressure transducers have all the characterises of the EPT series with addition E1 automotive approval. Detailed specifications for all Variohm pressure sensors include

non-linearity, repeatability and stability as well as temperature coefficient and compensated range values.

Temperature sensing in motorsports includes coolant, brake, tyre and exhaust gas monitoring. Users can choose from a very comprehensive range that includes resistive technologies as compact industrial quality sensors with process connection type mountings or temperature probes as embedded components such as hexagonal bolts or specialised probes. Specialised motorsport high temperature probe sensors are also available exhaust. Also available are non-contacting infrared sensors typically used for tyre temperature monitoring.

Variohm’s EPT2100 series temperatures sensor is widely used by the motorsports industry. It has the same environmental resilience temperature shock and vibration as the previously covered pressure sensors with a similar mounting and dimensional characteristics. Based on the exceptionally reliable and well proven PT100 measurement element, the sensor has a temperature measurement range from -40° C to +150° C with +/- 0.5% accuracy in voltage or ratiometric output. Variohm also manufacture combined temperature/pressure sensors, enabling a single space- saving device to take measurements of both variables.

Variohm’s range of premium quality EGT series type K thermocouple exhaust gas temperature probes, supplied by its distribution partner ZIP, are widely used in motorsports. A wide temperature range from -100° C to +1300° C and compatibility with the corrosive fuel exhaust gases used in the industry safeguard high reliability whilst a choice of probe diameters and mounting hardware assure 21

installation flexibility. Variohm’s InfraRed technology tyre temperature sensors include single- and multichannel versions with temperature ranges from -20° C to +200° C. With +/- 1% typical full-scale accuracy and a measuring distance offset up to 400 mm, these sensors are built for the harsh conditions encountered in motorsports.

Variohm also includes Hall Effect speed sensors in its motorsports product range. Variohm’s own Euro-WS series and the VR09 by Texense offer 20 kHz sample rate with mounting flexibility for convenient installation. Also, from Texense and fully supported by Variohm motorsports technical sales team, a range of gyroscopes, accelerometers and a 6-axis inertial sensor with integrated signal conditioning find applications with professional race teams where comprehensive dynamic vehicle behaviour can be interpreted and analysed.

Variohm EuroSensor is a UK and European based sensor designer and manufacturer, and a distribution partner for leading sensor component suppliers for linear and rotary position, load, force, vibration and temperature measurement. With its own production and assembly capability, the sensor specialist provider supplies motorsport rated sensor solutions to F1, A1GP, WTCC, GP2, Champ, Nascar, ALMS, Superbike, and many other series.

For further information visit www.variohm.com, email sales@variohm.com or call + 44 (0)1327 351 004.

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Unique battery technology keeps Fiat professionals E-Ducato on the road for longer The new E-Ducato is the only light commercial vehicle on the market featuring an innovative battery architecture that further boosts the already renowned reliability of the Ducato LCV family.

Developed by Fiat Professional engineers, the fully electric van’s Recovery Mode is an industry-first feature that characterises the unique parallel batteries’ set-up.

This technology allows the E-Ducato to continue the journey even if one of its battery modules drop out.

Working in contrast to how battery packs work in alternative electric LCVs, should one of the battery modules drop out in E-Ducato, then the other modules will automatically pick up the slack so drivers can continue their journey.

This also ensures that drivers are not missing out on their working day.

The E-Ducato has three to five battery modules depending on the

size of battery fitted. The 47kWh and 79kWh batteries both come with Recovery Mode as standard.

Connecting the batteries in parallel means that the current flow cannot stop because the current is taken from each individual battery.

Kickstarting the Fiat brand’s foray into 100 per cent electric vehicles, the E-Ducato has a range of between 113 and 230 miles (WLTP City**), depending on the variant.

It is congestion charge and ULEZexempt, making it the perfect tool for businesses in both urban and suburban environments.

Like its internal combustion engine counterparts, E-Ducato receives a best-in-class payload of up to 1,950kg and maintains the same volumes of between 10m3 and 17m3 meaning there is an E-Ducato for every eventuality.

To find out more please visit: www.fiatprofessional.com/educato-electric

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New road ahead for automotive moulding Mobility is changing and with it automakers are gearing up for the ultimate electric and digitally connected reinvention. Nigel Flowers, UK Managing Director of injection moulding specialist Sumitomo (SHI) Demag examines the future of connected cars, the mega technology trends just around the corner and how domestic tier 1-3 suppliers are scaling up production of micro-precision components in preparedness for the next phase of the automotive revolution.

Incrementally, automakers have begun the connectivity journey.

Already, vehicle interiors have commenced the shift towards greater comfort, convenience, driver safety and creating a sensory experience. Yet, analysts predict 2021 will be the year of innovation acceleration for the industry, which stalled during the pandemic.

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For exhausted engine vehicles, noise reduction, efficiency, weight reduction remain major trends.

Additionally, for hybrid vehicles there is a focus on improving and regulating the thermal management of the temperature to ensure the system can adapt to the ambient temperature and maintain comfort for passengers.

In all-electric vehicles, current trends are focused on improving the protection of the current. Materials like Duroplastics are experiencing a renaissance. Additionally the vibration and resonance behaviour are totally different and consequently need a new selection of materials and part design.

Nigel explains: “As more complexity is added into vehicle electronics, demand for connectors, microgears and micro-switches is rising.

In the fibre optics market, this particular technology is adopted

for moulding gears such as micro connectors, ceramic holders, and optics housing. Other applications comprise micro engines, micro drive control systems, and micromechanics rotators.”

EV coming of age With countries like the UK, Norway, France and Germany introducing legislation banning the sale of nonelectric vehicles – some as early as 2025 (2030 in the UK) – innovations in this space are rife. So too is creativity.

Smart use of space, advanced safety features and driving range are all deal breakers for discerning buyers.

Interest among consumers for EV is certainly heightened. With the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reporting that sales of battery electric cars and plug-in hybrids accounted for a combined 13.9% of the market in March 2021, up from 7.3% at the start of the pandemic.

EV design is a major influence, especially the vehicle front. Unlike conventional passenger cars, designers are not constrained by internal combustion engines and fuel tanks. This means they can package up functional parts differently, and the engine bonnet will be more of a design element.

Battery and fuel cell EV technology is another critical area that requires new generations of parts, and consequently new supply chains.

It is an area where Sumitomo (SHI) Demag is regarded as a strong development partner, working with customers to determine the best solution. The company is currently supporting several projects to establish new market concepts, including the development of a new Liquid Silicone Rubber system.

This technology can be utilised in combination with others to produce parts for hybrid vehicle fuel cells.

Many experts forecast that 2021 will be the year FCEVs will start to overtake BEVs, citing faster recharging, longer driving range and cleaner emissions as a critical benefits. “High pressure applied to FCEV tanks requires a great deal of component stability and reliable seals and gaskets,” states Nigel.

Reshaping the sensory experience As a result of AI and infotainment, car interiors are changing fast.

According to the latest research, the global automotive interiors market is anticipated to reach USD29.35bn by 2025.

With more technology companies starting to muscle into the digital touchpoint space combined with automakers predicting a bounceback in global orders for new vehicles by 2023, OEMs are rapidly disseminating the disruptive forces that could ultimate render a driver obsolete. Bulky dashboards are being replaced by more aesthetically-pleasing minimalist surfaces. Customisable controls are boosting comfort. Interior lighting, acoustic systems and sound insulation are being integrated into

door panels. Moulding these hightech interior components without compromising on fuel efficiency requires greater precision and process stability.

These new automotive applications tend to use new materials, including PC, PET, linseed or similar, as well as new processes like integration of function foils and backlighting for smart surfaces.

It’s an area where Sumitomo (SHI) Demag has advanced knowledge, with recent show exhibits demonstrating the company’s automotive market-led solutions.

“Featuring fewer switches, these tactile panels create a more sensory experience for motorists. In the future, applications like this will reduce the number of components in a vehicle,” notes Nigel.

Talk to the car From vehicle entry to finger print ignition, sensors to computer vision software, the possibilities are endless. Health, wellness and wellbeing (HWW) are new features already being spotlighted, with a number of startups developing health tracking sensors to monitor heart rates, rhythms, fatigue and stress levels. Sophisticated biometrics like this could even adjust personal comfort settings or perform an automatic alcohol breath test.

In-car voice assistance has an equally big role to play. For many consumers, voice is one of the biggest purchasing influencers suggests a report by Voicebot, allowing drivers to safely access navigation, detours, and potential pit stop information.

Over 60 percent of drivers now factor the availability of voice assistance when purchasing a new vehicle . By no means new technology-Ford pioneered its Bluetooth connectivity way back in 2007 – brand consistency from home to car is emerging as a preference. As testament, this April Lamborghini unveiled the first car to rely entirely on Alexa to control environmental settings.

“The level of hyper personalisation and sophisticated in-car entertainment that pushes content from one connected device to another is opening up a whole new market for manufacturers and OEMs,” states Nigel.

As with any electronics or safety component, moulding precision and stability is paramount. This need to enhance precision and eradicate component defects is prompting more moulders in the automotive supply chain to switch to all-electric machines.

Nigel comments: “If you are repeatedly manufacturing a connector or sensor and you know it performs between the upper and lower weight limit, an all-electric system will enable you to run much closer to the lower limit, with greater precision and consequently fewer defects and lower scrap rates.”

Dynamic, precise and energy saving, the newest IntElect series features direct servo drives, enabling improved repeatability and shorter cycle times.

Ranging from 220 to 500 tonnes, the big tie bar spacing, increase in mould height and opening stroke means that the new IntElect models can accommodate larger moulds.

The result is a less energy intensive machine for automotive applications that would previously have required a larger tonnage.

Nigel adds: “As society moves towards more integrated and sophisticated electronic components in vehicles, injection moulding machines and OEMs have to adapt. All of the technological enhancements in the IntElect series are designed to give moulders the tools, machine synchronisation, mould safety and real-time production monitoring required for the next generation of digitalised automotive concepts.”

The IntElect’s optimised clamp force is a result of an innovative double centre press platen. Designed in-house by Sumitomo (SHI) Demag, it ensures equal surface pressure distribution.

Units can be modified with a larger screw geometry and non-return valve (activeLock) to achieve higher repeatability and precision. www.uk.sumitomo-shi-demag.eu/ 25

Titan explains the factors that determine Flow Meter performance This technical article focuses on flow meter performance. The article discusses the factors involved in determining the overall performance of pulse output turbine flow meters and how each factor influences the accuracy of flow measurement.

Flowmeters have become essential measuring devices used in a vast array of different industries. From commercial applications measuring the fuel feeding industrial boilers, for flow monitoring of lubricant supply lines for wind turbines, to dosing chemicals for agricultural sprays.

Domestically, flow meters have also become intrinsic to our lives.

Installed to manage the dispensing of beer or coffee, flow meters are an integral component in bar taps, and are built into washing machines and dishwashers to meter efficient water usage.

Turbine Flow Meters Turbine flow meters are invaluable measurement tools and their

repeatability and linearity are the key elements which determine the flowmeter’s performance and overall accuracy. The linearity, repeatability and ultimately accuracy, of the turbine flow meter depend on several variables including pressure, temperature, density, friction and compressibility of the fluid. As such, both the mechanical properties of the flow meter and the physical properties of the fluid combine to influence the performance of the flow measurement device.

Turbine flow meters can be either radial or axial where liquid passing through the flow device causes the turbine to rotate. As the blades of the turbine rotate, they pass a sensor and are detected either optically or, more frequently, magnetically, and converted into electronic pulses. The pulse frequency (Hz) produced is proportional to the flow velocity.

In the industry, a number of terms are used when looking at the operation of a flow meter. The following descriptions aim to put

the terms into an accessible format and should not be read as the strict definitions as stated in published standards1.

The K-Factor The K-factor is the number of pulses per volume (by litres) calculated by dividing the frequency of electronic pulses by the flow rate. The K-factor of a turbine flowmeter is unique to that individual device, although batch produced meters are likely to have very similar, although not identical, K-factors.

When the flow meter is calibrated at specific flow rate and flow range values (as determined by its design), the required repeatability and linearity are measured to give the K-factor for each point of measurement. The calibration certificate for that specific flow meter records the actual performance expected under ideal installation conditions.

To illustrate, a turbine flow meter may have a flow rate of 2 litres per second (120 l/min) and give an output frequency of 2000 Hz. This means that 1000 pulses are generated for each litre of fluid that is measured. Titan will typically calibrate at different flows across the meters entire flow range to determine the best overall K-factor for that particular flow device. This K-factor is used for the monitoring instrumentation, such as Titan’s Pulsite Solo® display, and the repeatability and linearity are calculated by this calibration for the flow range.

Electronic flowmeters such as ultrasonic, electromagnetic or Coriolis flow devices are usually programmable with a preferred K-factor to suit the application. As an example, Titan’s Atrato® and Metraflow® range of ultrasonic flow sensors are able to accurately

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measure to 1% of reading with operator configurable K-factors to 10KHz. Calibration uncertainty Calibration uncertainty is the total uncertainty of the reference measuring equipment used to calibrate a device, such as a flow meter. How good this is forms the basis of all the performance claims. It is a figure rarely quoted other than by certified calibration houses. No calibration, even fully traceable ones, can be absolute as there is an uncertainty on every single measurement all the way back to the National Standards.

The very best calibration houses claim an uncertainty of ±0.02% but more typical is ±0.1%. This is the base value on which all the other accuracy statements are founded.

If the uncertainty here is ±0.2% the flow meter cannot be specified as being more accurate than that, even if the repeatability and linearity are less than ±0.1%, as the uncertainty of the calibration equipment and methodology is the overriding determinant.

Accuracy Accuracy is the term used to specify the true reading of an instrument (high accuracy), or indeed the deviation from the absolute truth (low accuracy). Accuracy is generally used as a qualitative term, giving an indication of the quality of the instrument. The accuracy figure stated should include linearity, repeatability and calibration uncertainty.

Although a 100:1 flow range and a 1% FSD linearity is not normally claimed, this example provides a good illustration of the potential problem. Even a 10:1 flow range with 1% FSD would give a 10% permissible error at the specified minimum flow i.e. 10 l/min ±1 l/min.

This indicator analogy also demonstrates the importance of associated instrumentation and displays which is not discussed here.

Linearity

Of reading linearity

Linearity is usually defined by stating the maximum deviation of the reading over a stated range (e.g. ±1% of flow rate). It is the ability of the flow meter to remain within specified limits over its entire flow range determined by its design.

The graph plotted in Figure 3 uses the same flowmeter data as the FSD illustration above. In this case the error lines are shown as a percentage of reading. It is clear that the example flowmeter “drops out” of the required accuracy between 10 and 20 l/min for an of reading accuracy of ±2%.

The standard way of expressing linearity is error of reading. A frequently used alternative in some industry sectors is percentage of full-scale deflection or FSD. The following charts illustrate examples of FSD and of reading linearity.

In this case the meter specification is 0 to 1 l/min, ±0.5% of reading. In practice, this meter exceeds the specification having a linearity of +0.28% – 0.1% and a repeatability of better than ±0.1%.

FSD linearity

Conclusion

Repeatability is the ability of a flow meter to give the same result on repeated runs with the same operating conditions. Titan’s small turbine flow meters are successfully employed in batching processes and dispensing applications particularly within the food and beverage, chemical and laboratory sectors, as they have excellent repeatability (±0.1%).

This meter shows a reasonable reading. Plotted in this form (Figure 1) the indicated flow versus the actual flow shows almost a straight line. The meter is specified as ±2% of full-scale accuracy with a full-scale range of 100 l/min. So a ±2 litre per minute tolerance applies over the whole operating range, even minimum flow. If the number of pulses per litre for the same meter is plotted against the flow rate a different story becomes clear (Figure 2).

Whereas turbine flow meters, such as Titan’s Beverage flow meter and 800 series, offer the high level of repeatability and reliability required for accurate batch delivery systems, the Atrato® and Metraflow® ultrasonic flow sensors and the larger oval gear flow meters, are highly accurate over wider flow ranges, especially with viscous liquids such as oils.

This is not to be confused with accuracy or linearity. Without excellent repeatability, a turbine flow meter cannot achieve good performance. Normally, multiple points are taken at each calibration point to check the repeatability of the device although these are not always reported on the calibration certificate. A highly repeatable flow meter that can be calibrated in-situ are ideal for batching applications where any process offset can also be reliably accounted for.

Using the same meter, the plot in Figure 2 illustrates the increased error of reading at low flow rates. We can liken a ±1% FSD specification to using an indicator with only 0-100 resolution digital display. All of the readings are in 1 unit steps so at full flow the meter is measuring ±1 litre per minute. The same is true at 1 litre per minute which could be 0 or 2, i.e. ±1 l/min equivalent to 1% FSD linearity. One litre per minute accuracy at both 100 or 1 l/min.

Repeatability

Neil Hannay, Senior R&D Engineer at Titan Enterprises, suggests: “When customers are deciding on appropriate flow meters to suit their application, they need to be aware of the difference between FSD and ‘of reading’ accuracy as often suppliers do not specify which accuracy is being quoted for. As discussed here, linearity reading has a significant impact on the flowmeter performance, particularly at the low end of its flow range.”

To see the full article, images and graphs head over to: https://bit.ly/ TitanFlowMeterPerformance

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HRS Heat Exchangers acquired by Exchanger Industries Limited Exchanger Industries Limited (EIL), the Canadian market leader and globally recognised designer and manufacturer of heat transfer products for the energy, petrochemical, industrial and clean power generation sectors, has acquired HRS Heat Exchangers Ltd (HRS). Financial terms have not been disclosed.

HRS is a specialist global supplier of heat exchangers and custom process systems across the environmental, food, beverage, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors. The acquisition by EIL creates new opportunities by combining HRS’s capabilities and market sectors with EIL’s accelerating expansion into power generation, Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), renewable energy, power storage and biofuels applications.

The combined business is positioned to create market growth by providing its customers with environmentally sustainable heat exchange solutions.

The seasoned HRS management team will be retained by EIL and will play a critical role in executing plans for robust international

expansion afforded by the strategic combination of two distinct, yet complementary industry leaders.

Mark el Baroudi, CEO of EIL, stated: “For decades, we’ve worked hard on behalf of our customers in Canada, the U.S. and 25 countries worldwide, consistently providing them with mission-critical, innovative solutions in some of the most demanding environments, the HRS acquisition will provide numerous benefits to our customers including a broader capability to provide heat transfer solutions to environmentally sustainable projects in the biogas and wastewater treatment sectors, in addition to EIL’s existing projects in clean power generation, Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), emissions-free power storage and biofuels applications.”

To deliver these projects competitively, the acquisition provides EIL immediate access to a cost- effective global footprint with scalable hubs in both India and Spain, and a combined portfolio of anti- fouling technologies that enhances differentiation and acts

as a unique platform to create value for customers.

Additionally, el Baroudi stated that the acquisition of HRS Heat Exchangers provides EIL an extraordinary opportunity to expand their exposure to an impressive international customer base across rapidly growing geographic market positions in the U.S., U.K., Spain, Mexico, India, the Middle East, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. As evidence of this opportunity, HRS was ranked number 161 in U.K.’s prestigious Sunday Times HSBC international top league table that tracks the international growth of U.K. based companies.

Steven Pither, founder and CEO of HRS, said: “We’re thrilled to join the EIL family and continue our journey to building a highly respected global supplier of heat transfer products. Leveraging EIL’s expertise in designing innovative heat transfer systems, and their established track record in creating streamlined, highly efficient business processes will allow us to enhance our product offering and effectively scale our Spanish and Indian manufacturing operations; delivering timely, cost effective solutions to our customer base around the world. We are confident that this will drive growth to the next level.”

“Our combined manufacturing capability and leading-edge product technologies will strengthen our value proposition and increase market penetration internationally,” continued el Baroudi. “In short, this acquisition combines the capabilities of both parties to enhance an already differentiated market position. It creates better outcomes for everyone we serve.”

HRS Heat Exchangers www.hrs-heatexchangers.com.

Exchanger Industries Limited www.exchangerindustries.com.

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Developing the Powder Metallurgy Future

Regist ration End U Now O sers A pen ttend Exhib ition F ree Euro PM2021 International Powder Metallurgy Congress & Exhibition

18 – 22 October 2021 ONLINE EVENT

europm2021.com

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Innovative and scalable multi-component software SmartCollect® SC2 combines digital measurement data management and SCADA The topic of measurement, secure access to measurement data, secure storage of measurement data as well as the visualisation and analysis of such data poses ever-increasing challenges.

Among other things, this is also driven by increasingly strict IT guidelines, growing complexity of infrastructures and data protection.

And all this comes in the context of rapid digital market dynamics.

The goal: Simplify the world of measurement data Camille Bauer Metrawatt introduces the innovative SmartCollect® SC2 HMI/SCADA software for managing data in a user-friendly way. Unlike some other SCADA software tools in this category, SmartCollect® SC2

is based on a new state-of-the-art platform with a visually appealing 2D/3D web-based graphical user interface. The simplicity, functionality, flexibility along with the price-performance ratio are convincing.

A look at the system architecture Essentially, it is a web-based HMI that does not require a complicated client-server architecture. The advantage is obvious. The security of the IT infrastructure stays in the hands of the user and is not affected by how a user software accesses the HMI. The user runs the application via WebGUI and the application is monitored using role-based access control (RBAC) and an AuditLog.

According to the customer-specific configuration, measurement data is securely stored on a server, locally or in the cloud, and retrieved for visualisation by the web-based HMI at the frontend. In addition, many common communication protocols are available for system integration.

Deliberate simplicity despite high performance is the order of the day Innovative functionalities are at the heart of SmartCollect® SC2. For example, infrastructural overviews of measurement data can be displayed in 2D or 3D graphics as well as in single-line diagrams.

A dashboard also enables you to evaluate progressions in the relevant measurement data, to analyse them with synchronised zoom functions and to derive possible trends from them. In addition to visualising events and alarms, there are export functions for the measurement data.

A big plus of the software is the access to individual measuring points from the HMI of the SmartCollect® SC2 directly into the respective WebGUI of the measuring devices. Here, necessary settings as well as further measurement data can be viewed and deeper analyses can be made or even individual processes can be represented graphically.

Access in the Camille Bauer products is also protected against unintentional manipulation with further integrated protective functions such as RBAC, Client Whitelist, AuditLog, Syslog, Secure Firmware, 16GB SD card and Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (https). The customer can set up all the options described above

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flexibly. The user can implement user profiles in order to adapt them later to the corresponding users. A wide range of national languages are supported. The SmartCollect® SC2 also offers a user-friendly option to process a wide variety of data including measuring devices and sensors from different manufacturers as well as virtual channels. Modern sharing, snapshot and playlist functions are also included.

The right version for every use case There are currently 4 editions of SmartCollect® SC2 available for the use cases. The Starter Edition is the best choice for smaller installations, while the Standard Edition, which comes in a Professional or an Enterprise Edition, is recommended for more than 10 measuring points.

The software is then scaled to the number of measuring points and the required measurement data and optimally designed to fit the existing budget. In addition, the user is guided during the design phase in a way that makes it clear from the beginning what the software will look like and how it will function in the application. This is a big plus for creating transparency and efficiency during the offer or initialisation phase.

At the same time, the software in each edition can be scaled up by taking into account any potential far-sighted adaptations and extensions.

The software is used in energy distribution applications as well as in industrial and commercial infrastructures. It is therefore a good all-rounder for many areas, especially where a particular measuring unit is taken into account.

For more information please visit: www.camillebauer.com 31

In a new league: the Toplus premium chuck with accuracy With a new development in the hexagonal chuck series from Hainbuch, the clamping device manufacturer from Germany, enters the next round. In 2006, the first Toplus chuck with hexagonal clamping geometry began its career. Just one year later, the Toplus IQ with integrated measuring technology followed, and in 2012, the mini version with a smaller interference contour and lower weight was born. Now Hainbuch presents its latest development: The highest precision Toplus premium chuck is available from stock and points with many additional advantages.

High precision without alignment Hainbuch’s chucks have always been very precise. Once the chucks are aligned, the runout is close to zero for repeat clamping.

If the various chuck heads are then changed, the runout is usually between 3 to 7 μm without alignment. With the new Toplus

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premium chuck, Hainbuch always guarantees a runout of ≤ 5 μm without alignment – regardless of which clamping head is used.

Until now, this was only possible with a high- priced hydraulic expansion or diaphragm chuck with the drawbacks entailed by their design. In many cases, a runout of ≤ 10 μm is perfectly sufficient.

However, components or machining processes with a runout of ≤ 5 μm are increasingly becoming the standard. Using a Toplus premium chuck with the associated premium clamping heads and by clamping against the workpiece stop, this level of accuracy is always achieved. This means that manufacturers don t́ lose time making alignments for small batch sizes and they can be highly flexible, because it is just as accurate as a chuck aligned for series production.

in the machine. This can become a problem if the clamping stroke is too small. With the Toplus premium chuck combined with a clamping head, the stroke is large enough, and makes loading easier, even if the robot works somewhat imprecisely. In addition, it is very robust and not as sensitive as some other clamping devices. A slight contact with the workpiece during loading has no effect on the chuck.

Easier automatic loading

The process remains stable. It is also sealed against contamination and vibration. With the Toplus premium, both thin-walled and solid parts are clamped securely with no centrifugal losses. And last but not least: the Toplus premium – like all chucks – is available in the Hainbuch system. This means that changing from external to internal or jaw clamping takes no more than two minutes.

To save time and costs, a robot is often used to load the work pieces

For more information please visit: www.hainbuch.co.uk

Mid-Range FPGAs reach the next power and performance milestone for edge compute systems Microchip’s new low-density PolarFire®devices consume half the static power of alternatives while providing world’s smallest thermal footprint Edge compute systems need compact programmable devices with low power consumption and a small enough thermal footprint to eliminate fans and other heat mitigation while providing robust compute horsepower. Microchip Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: MCHP) has solved this challenge by cutting static power consumption for its mid-bandwidth Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and FPGA System-on-Chip (SoC) devices in half and giving them the smallest thermal footprint and best performance and compute horsepower compared to all alternative devices in their class.

“Our new PolarFire FPGAs and FPGA SoCs reduce our customers’ system costs while enabling them to solve difficult thermal management challenges without having to forfeit bandwidth,” said Bruce Weyer, vice president of Microchip’s FPGA business unit. “The awardwinning PolarFire FPGA platform already delivered the industry’s best combination of power and performance, and now we have reduced power consumption by up to 50 percent or more with the introduction of lower density offerings, while maintaining bestin-class capabilities on these platforms. No other offering in this class can match these capabilities.”

With their ultra-low power consumption, Microchip’s latest low-density PolarFire FPGAs (MPF050T) and PolarFire SoC (MPFS025T) additions exceed the

performance/power metrics of any low-density FPGA or SoC FPGA alternatives in the market, with fast FPGA fabric and signal processing capabilities, the most capable transceivers and the industry’s only hardened application class RISC-V® architecture-based processor complex with 2 megabytes (MB) of L2 cache and Low-Power DDR4 (LPDDR4) memory support.

Extending the portfolio with a 25K logic elements multi-core RISC-V SoC and a 50K logic elements FPGA opens new application possibilities.

They are ideal for low-power smart embedded vision applications and thermally constrained automotive, industrial automation, communications, defense and IoT systems where neither power nor performance can be compromised.

The new PolarFire devices are complemented by a suite of Microchip devices for complete systems solutions for applications including smart embedded vision, machine learning, security, aerospace and defense, and embedded compute. They also provide plug-and-play solutions for power and timing designs. Lead customers are using the PolarFire devices to solve a variety of design challenges.

“As one of the world’s major suppliers of video converter hardware and software, we are always striving to meet demanding market requirements as we work with our customers to enable exciting new use cases,” said Nick Ma, CEO and CTO at Magewell. “Microchip’s PolarFire FPGA solution expands our opportunities to innovate with our USB 3.2 video capture product line. It offers ideal dimensions, industry-low

power consumption and a unique combination of mid-range transceivers, logic, DSP and RAM resources.”

“Xenics is a pioneer in infrared imaging technology with a 20-year legacy of delivering a best-in-class portfolio of short-wave, mid-wave and long-wave infrared imagers, cores and cameras. SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) are extremely important considerations while designing a thermal imaging system,” said Frederic Aubrun, CCO of Xenics. “These are key differentiating capabilities for our customers. Microchip’s SmartFusion® 2 and PolarFire FPGAs provide us the best balance between small form factor, power efficiency and processing resources required to support embedded algorithms like shutter-less compensation and image enhancement within an extremely low power budget in our current and next-generation product portfolios.”

“Kaya Instruments prides itself in designing industrial-grade, smallform-factor, low-power cameras that are capable of providing the best quality video under most challenging and severe conditions,” said Michael Yamposkly, Founder and CEO of Kaya Instruments. “The PolarFire FPGA-based Iron cameras utilize the FPGA’s small form factor and low-power performance to offer a compact outline that can be fitted into tight spaces while presenting the magnificent quality of the most advanced globalshutter CMOS sensor with excellent low-light performance.”

For more information, visit the Microchip website at www.microchip.com.

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Sprint Power develops advanced wireless charging system for taxis Sprint Power, a leading British technology company specialising in electrified propulsion systems, power electronics and low carbon tech, has developed a series of wireless charging modules ahead of a major new UK governmentbacked trial that starts on the streets of Nottingham next month.

The trial will demonstrate the suitability of wireless charging technology in a fleet of the UK’s most popular electrified taxis.

Sprint Power is developing an electrical distribution system (EDS), a power distribution module (PDM), and a high voltage harness assembly that will enable a fleet of electric taxis to charge wirelessly via pads attached to the ground. The bespoke and high-tech design will automatically recognise which power source to draw current from, with each vehicle featuring both wireless and plugin charging capability.

Ten modified LEVC TX and Nissan Dynamo electric taxis will be trialled in the scheme in which drivers will transport members of the public in real-world tests for a period of six months. The trial will capture information such as journey distances and battery performance data, while drivers will report back on their experiences using the technology.

The first prototype taxis will begin testing the wireless charging technology next month, with all ten vehicles due on-road from early autumn. Members of the public will be able to spot the special taxis by their distinctive livery, while passengers can learn more about how the technology works via posters located inside each vehicle.

Wireless charging will speed-up adoption of EV taxis The WiCET (Wireless Charging of Electric Taxis) trial will demonstrate the commercial and technical

viability of inductive charging for electric taxis in medium and large cities. Wireless charging technology is widely seen as a vital facilitator in speeding up the introduction of electric taxi operations. The installation of wireless chargers at taxi ranks for frequent charging can improve vehicle driving range, minimise recharging times and provide better service availability for passengers, while also reducing the negative impact ‘plug-in’ charging could have on taxi drivers’ ability to do their jobs effectively.

The trial comes as city authorities around the country continue to look at schemes aimed at improving local air quality, reducing noise pollution and cutting carbon emissions.

Founder and CEO of Sprint Power, Richie Frost, commented: “We are delighted to be part of this pioneering project and are on track to deliver these custombuilt products in time for the taxis hitting the streets of Nottingham. I firmly believe this exciting project not only demonstrates Sprint Power’s technical and engineering capabilities; it also underscores the importance of wireless charging technology to this country’s shift towards sustainable mobility.”

Funding for the wireless taxi charging project has been awarded by Innovate UK, a non-departmental public body funded by the UK government and designed to drive research and development into new technologies. In addition to Sprint Power, the consortium includes CENEX (Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies), Coventry University, Nottingham City Council, Shell, Parking Energy, and Transport for London.

More information is available via the Sprint Power website www.sprint-power.com

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THine introduces a 13MP PDAF linux camera reference design kit for i.MX 8M family Camera Kit with Ultra-High Resolution and Instant Autofocus for Linux Platform Enables Rapid Development and Production of Embedded Streaming Video Applications THine Solutions, Inc., a THine company, today introduced their second THEIA-CAM family kit, the THSCM101, a 13MP (megapixel) Phase-Detection Auto-Focus (PDAF) Linux Camera Reference Design Kit. The THSCM101 Kit interfaces to NXP’s i.MX 8M family EVKs and is based on THine’s THP7312-P image signal processor (ISP) and Sony’s IMX258 13MP CMOS PDAF image sensor. The Kit includes a Camera Board, a Mini-SAS cable to directly connect the Camera board to NXP i.MX 8M family EVKs’ CSI port, and all required software to stream images. The Kit can be easily set up to stream images by connecting it to the NXP i.MX 8M EVK or i.MX 8M Mini EVK using the SD card image available at THine Solutions website which includes the Video4Linux2 (V4L2) driver to control various video functions. THine’s optimized ISP firmware provides high image quality that is repeatable in every unit for use in high volume production. The Linux driver, SD card image, and reference circuit schematics can all be made available to interested customers.

In addition, customization of the Kit is easily achievable using THine’s GUI based Software development tools. As a result, the THSCM101 accelerates customers’ time-tomarket without expensive initial costs for developing embedded camera systems with a Linux platform.

Until now, the typical camera choice available for NXP i.MX 8M family EVKs is a 5MP image sensor camera with embedded ISP and no capability for image customization nor production scalability. In addition to increasing the image resolution from 5MP to 4K2K (and potentially to 13Mp with software

upgrades), this new THEIA-CAM Kit improves the image quality and adds PDAF technology that provides the ultra-fast auto-focus functionality preferred for live video streaming and/or information scanning applications. Also, the Kit’s embedded ISP firmware compensates for CMOS Camera Module variations that are each fully characterized at the factory to achieve perfect unit-to-unit image quality in production.

For users that have unique system requirements or preferences, THine’s ISP THP7312-P and its companion Camera Development Kit (CDK) tool www.thinesolutions.com/ camera-development-kit-cdk) allow customized image quality tuning.

THine’s THP7312-P ISP supports high-resolution performance of up to 16 MP with industry-leading throughput, low latency, and low power consumption. The CDK tool is useful to easily make minor image tuning changes or more major changes of the ISP firmware for applications that require a different image sensor than the Sony IMX258.

The THSCM101 currently supports resolutions up to 4K2K using with the NXP i.MX 8M Mini. However, future software upgrades will increase the available resolutions supported to include 13MP. Also, these upgrades will allow additional i.MX 8M family EVKs to be supported including the i.MX 8M Plus.

The Kit enables plug-and-play operation, and it includes firmware optimized for most of V4L2 camera functions, significantly shortening development time and reducing engineering costs. Developers can use this smart reference design kit as a production-ready final product or as a development tool for high-resolution camera systems.

“This kit will be the salvation for many system designers needing enhanced video streaming and image quality performance,” said Tak Iizuka, Chief Solution Architect of THine Solutions. “The struggles of engineers who need to embed advanced imaging capabilities today are immensely difficult. Our Kit provides those engineers with an easy-to-use alternative to the off-the-shelf 5MP cameras that are currently marketed with the NXP i.MX 8M family EVKs. Upgrading from the 5MP to a 13MP camera is much more than just increasing the display pixels by x4 from 1080p to 4K. It requires to develop baseline camera features such as Auto White Balance and Auto Exposure covering those hundreds of millions of pixels per second under multiple different light sources. This new Kit provides engineers with all these baseline requirements along with much more including the capability of quick autofocus and perfect unit to unit image quality. Finally, there is a solution for many engineers to easily upgrade embedded camera systems with the NXP i.MX 8M family Platform.”

THSCM101 Key Features - High resolution including but not limited to 4K2K and 1080p.

- Phase Detection Auto-Focus (PDAF) - Well-Optimized Image Quality with Auto Focus, Auto White Balance, and Auto Exposure - Scalability for high volume production - Compatible with NXP i.MX 8M and i.MX 8M Mini EVK’s www.thinesolutions.com

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ViewSonic introduces ColorPro VP56 series of pantone validated monitors for unmatched colour accuracy Tap into Limitless Creativity with USB-C, Lifelike Colours, and Versatile Working Modes ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual solutions, introduces the ColorPro VP56 series of monitors which are designed for creators. To assist all creators in visualising and realising their ideas, the VP56 series features a wide range of instantly applicable working modes, delivering true- tolife Pantone Validated colours and efficient USB-C 3.2 connectivity.

Models include VP2756, VP3456, and VP3256, featuring 2K QHD and 4K UHD frameless IPS panels.

“We believe the launch of the brand-new, all-purpose, ColorPro VP56 series will help promote a wider spectrum of professional visual imaging,” said Oscar Lin, Head of the Monitor Business Unit at ViewSonic. “We aim to empower everyone’s creativity, regardless of profession, in turning digital dreams

into reality. Feature-rich, userfriendly, these entry-luxury professional monitors deliver out- of-box colour accuracy and impeccable visual clarity can accommodate all needs.”

full-sized portrait and landscape photos with no more than a simple rotation of the monitor; vDisplay Manager also provides split-screen functionalities for simultaneous viewing and editing.

User-Friendly Editing Features for Immediate Use

Pantone Validation for Vivid Colours

A wide range of applicable working modes make image and video editing easier. The built-in Landscape and Portrait Mode optimises the details and sharpness of images, which is perfect for photo editing. Users can also leverage the CAD/CAM Mode that provides extraordinary image contrast to accentuate the lines and details of 3D, engineering, or technical illustrations. Video Editing Mode strengthens contrast, making videos stunningly vivid.

The VP56 series plays an indispensable role in delivering true colour accuracy. It is validated by Pantone for international colour standards and covers a 100% sRGB wide colour gamut for producing lifelike images. The series comes with convenient factory-calibrated colour accuracy that delivers stunning colour reproduction, which is nearly indistinguishable from the colour seen by the naked eye.

For a seamless graphic editing workflow, its Auto Pivot function allows for users to toggle between

Equipped with USB-C 3.2 connectivity, HDMI 1.4, and DisplayPort, the VP56 series effortlessly connects peripherals. It not only provides 60W highspeed charging, but also transfers data, video, and audio through its onecable solution, allowing users to pair up with other devices easily.

USB-C 3.2 for Easy Connection

Blue Light Filter for Hours of Eye Comfort For everyday use, the VP56 series is equipped with Blue Light Filter Mode and Flicker-Free eye care technology that helps reduce eye strain over an extended period of viewing.

Its full range of swivel, tilt and height adjustments also enable users to find the most comfortable monitor positioning for long hours of working.

To find out more about ViewSonic, please visit www.viewsonic.com.

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ThermHex and PANEELtec – a combination of cores results in better performance At the end of 2012 PANEELtec ordered ThermHex honeycomb cores for the first time. Since then, the partnership has grown steadily. One of the most requested products from PANEELtec is the Duo-Core which consists of a ThermHex honeycomb core and a foam core.

By employing ThermHex’s thermoplastic honeycomb core PANEELtec has reduced the weight by 10% and improved the properties of the panels. The cores are used for the production of sandwich panels for major commercial vehicle and trailer manufacturers in Germany, Austria and Netherlands.

The sales of the honeycomb increased by 47% in 2020/21 compared to the previous year.

The panels are mechanically stronger, with a 20 mm sheet thickness now able to be deployed with honeycomb without problems.

Under mechanical load, the cells of the former used PU foam fracture, so that bubbles can form under the GRP face sheets.

With a 20 mm full honeycomb panel, this danger does not exist at all, but this panel also has no insulating effect. If both insulation and mechanical strength is required, the Duo-Core, or the Triple-Core is the best choice.

The combination of insulation and mechanical strength in PANEELtec’s Duo-Core is achieved by adding a foam core to a 3.5 mm honeycomb core. The result is a panel where the mechanical load dissipates onto the surface and thus the cells of the foam remain intact. These properties are further enhanced with TripleCore product, which also makes use of the honeycomb technology.

Jürgen Schmidt, CEO of PANEELtec said: “Every gramme of weight we can remove from a trailer, mobile home or boat will save energy and money. With ThermHex honeycomb cores in our Duo-Core panels we achieve weight savings of 10%, and this is money in the pocket of our customers and good for the environment. It also gives other benefits such as firmness, durability and strength.“

Dr Jochen Pflug, CEO of ThermHex Waben, said: “Low weight and durability are fantastic properites in panels for vehicles. The addtional compression resistant honeycomb core allows to reduce the skin thickness and the foam core density. We are pleased to enable PANEELtec to offer such innovative panels to the market.“ PANEELtec produces large-format sandwich panels using a vacuum adhesive process. This enables the production of large-format, lightweight, stable and, depending on the combination of top layers, cores and inserts, highly functional panels.

The universal, lightweight, insulating panels have a wide range of applications in a broad spectrum of industries.

ThermHex’s polypropylene (PP) honeycomb cores are used wherever an optimum strength to weight ratio is required. This includes automotive, boat, yacht, and shipbuilding, interior and furniture, building and construction, wind and solar energy, swimming pools, prefabricated bathrooms and others.

ThermHex Waben uses green power for the production of its honeycomb cores as the electricity comes from renewable sources.

The processing and monitoring of the green power supply is certified according to TÜV SÜD CMS Standard 92.

This guarantees a reliable and traceable procurement, balancing and delivery of electrical energy from renewable sources.

ThermHex Waben GmbH started its production in 2010 and is a licensee of EconCore NV (Belgium), the technology leader for cost-efficient sandwich material production technologies.

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Sandvik to acquire leading CAM software company CNC Software Inc., creators of Mastercam Sandvik has signed an agreement to acquire US-based CNC Software Inc., a leading provider of CAD/CAM software solutions for manufacturing industries and the company behind Mastercam, the most widely used Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) brand in the industry. CNC Software will be reported in the Design & Planning Automation division within Sandvik Manufacturing and Machining Solutions. By acquiring CNC Software, Sandvik gains a worldclass CAM brand in the Mastercam software suite with an installed base of around 270,000 licenses/users, the largest in the industry, as well as a strong market reseller network and well-established partnerships with leading machine makers and tooling companies.

“This is in line with our strategic focus to grow in the digital manufacturing space, with special attention on industrial software close to component manufacturing. The acquisition of CNC Software and the Mastercam portfolio, in combination with our existing offerings and extensive manufacturing capabilities, will make Sandvik a leader in the overall CAM market measured in installed base. CAM plays a vital role in the digital manufacturing process, enabling new and innovative solutions in automated design for manufacturing,” says Stefan Widing, 40

President and CEO of Sandvik.

CNC Software has a strong market position in CAM, and particularly for small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SME’s), something that will support Sandvik’s strategic ambitions to develop solutions to automate the manufacturing value chain for SME’s – and deliver competitive point solutions for large original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s). Combining the strengths of Mastercam with Sandvik’s offering and know-how within machining is expected to be an important enabler in automating the customers’ end-to-end manufacturing processes.

“Mastercam will be the cornerstone in Sandvik’s CAM portfolio, further improving machining productivity by combining our machining knowhow with their CAM expertise to improve quality and reduce waste for our customers. Specifically, we will leverage data capture and use to secure efficient tool selection and tool path optimisation for our customers. I look forward to welcoming the CNC Software team to Sandvik,” says Mathias Johansson, President of the Design & Planning Automation Division in Sandvik Manufacturing Solutions.

CNC Software is an independent, family-owned company founded in

1983, headquartered in Tolland, Connecticut, USA, with 220 employees. The revenue for 2020 totaled USD 60 million with an EBIT margin of 25-30 percent, and of which the share of recurring revenue was approximately 60 percent. CNC Software has had a historical annual growth rate of approximately 10 percent and is expected to outperform the estimated market growth of 7 percent.

The underlying EBITA margin is accretive to Sandvik Manufacturing and Machining Solutions. However, the first year after closing date, revenues will be impacted by deferred revenue accounting adjustments, and the EBITA margin will be slightly dilutive to Sandvik Manufacturing and Machining Solutions. Impact on earnings per share will initially be slightly negative.

Transaction costs are to be accounted for in the third quarter 2021 and estimated to SEK 25 million.

The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

The deal is expected to close during Q4 2021, subject to customary regulatory approvals.

In conjunction with the closing, Sandvik will make a write-down of overlapping assets representing SEK 30 million.

Cooperation Between Moxa Europe and Robotron Objective: Fast provision of easy-to-use and scalable IIoT solutions – with focus on four application areas.

Moxa Europe GmbH and Robotron Datenbank-Software GmbH announce their collaboration in the configuration and provision of IIoT platforms. The two partners are focusing on the “Industrial Internet of Things” – applications in demanding industries such as process technology, oil & gas and energy technology. The first joint IIoT projects have already been realized for customers in the energy sector.

Most industrial companies have the use of IIoT solutions on their agenda. Some face the challenge of needing to see the first results quickly and with as few resources of their own as possible in order to determine whether the creation of an IIoT infrastructure is even worthwhile. Others have already invested time and money and have initial results – but no scalable platform to be able to efficiently undertake the next roll-outs and further projects.

Moxa Europe GmbH and Robotron Datenbank-Software GmbH are addressing precisely these challenges. They have combined their activities in the field of Industrial IoT and, effective immediately, are preparing complete solutions that lead to quickly installed, easy-to-operate and broadly scalable IIoT platforms.

Moxa contributes the reliable industrial hardware with which the sensors, machines and other components are integrated. At the heart of this IIoT infrastructure are industrial-grade IIoT gateways and edge computers. For these components, Moxa also makes an operating system available with Moxa Industrial Linux. Major releases of this operating system

will be provided with security updates over a period of ten years.

This ensures a long service life and stability of the installed hardware – including the ever-increasing cyber- security requirements.

As a specialist for the collection and evaluation of large quantities of data, Robotron offers various software solutions and platforms for high-performance IIoT applications. For the area of industrial production, focus is on current edge and cloud technologies as well as artificial intelligence for intelligent process control and optimization. These solutions can be adapted over a broad spectrum to the individual and widely varying requirements of the industrial users.

Together, Moxa and Robotron are focusing their collaboration on four application cases: 1. General IIoT platforms in demanding industries and applications, for which Moxa provides hardware components: Transportation (especially railway technology), oil & gas industry.

2. IIoT solutions for the energy sector – a particular strength of the partnership. The first projects have already been implemented here: using affordable IIoT hardware and innovative data analysis and visualization, insights into the distribution network can be generated that were previously only possible with considerably more expensive traditional solutions.

3. Energy efficiency and management in industry. Here, the industrial experience of Moxa and the data analytics expertise from

Robotron (based on, among other things, the robotron*IPEA platform) form an ideal combination.

4. Real-time applications based on Robotron’s Realtime Computer Vision platform (RCV). Together with the hardware from Moxa’s appropriately certified edgecomputing technology, this platform is also suitable for use in demanding industrial applications (e.g., in industries such as oil & gas, mining / extraction technology, rail technology, etc.).

With this well-prepared collaboration, both partners see great potential for offering their customers clear additional benefits as well as opportunities for opening new application fields. Hermann Berg, Head of Industrial IoT at Moxa Europe: “The collaboration with Robotron puts us in the position of also being able to very confidently offer complex IIoT projects with high requirements on software and cloud technology.” Those responsible at Moxa are certain they have found the right software partner with just the right solution portfolio.

Hermann Berg: “I am impressed how well developed and stable the Robotron platform is and with how much attention to detail the pre-processing of the data on the gateway has been implemented.”

From Robotron’s perspective, the combination of hardware and software expertise for IIoT applications creates the ideal condition for being even more successful together.

You can learn more about the application cases and joint solutions on a new website created together by Robotron and Moxa: www.moxa-iiot.eu.

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Fraser Technologies – superior cleaning with a conscience Fraser Technologies provides expert advice and a wide range of world-leading chemistries and equipment solutions for component cleaning, electronics soldering, and heat transfer and carrier fluids. Working closely with customers to understand their individual challenges, Fraser Technologies can help extend the life of existing processes and equipment; recommend and install new equipment; or help to improve efficiency and significantly reduce environmental impact.

Over the last 50 years, Fraser Technologies has built its expertise around meeting technological advances, adapting to legislative changes, and solving environmental challenges for companies in the aerospace, defence, electronics, medical, optics and automotive industries.

The company offers a onestop-shop, including: expert knowledge; an independent range of new generation products; comprehensive after-sales service; and a commitment to improving performance, productivity, environmental performance and operator safety. Most importantly, the company becomes an extension of its customers’ teams in order to understand their challenges, and uses its expertise to offer best-in-class solutions.

The highly experienced team provides advice on the best options to suit individual business needs; supplies the exact chemistry and equipment required to produce high-quality results; and gives after-sale support to ensure that the cleaning solution in place continues to meet high standards, and to help with any challenges that may arise.

Solvent and Aqueous Cleaning Solutions Fraser Technologies supplies both 42

solvent and aqueous solutions, depending on the cleaning requirements of the customer.

Each job is carefully considered, with bespoke advice on the cleaning fluids, cleaning systems and equipment that will provide optimum results for the business.

Graham Fraser, Managing Director at Fraser Technologies explains: “We have a ‘customer first’ philosophy; focusing on long term partnerships to achieve sustainable, cost-effective, environmentally sound solutions, which meet customer needs.

Our overall aim is to be the go to experts for precision cleaning due to our honesty, integrity and passion for finding the best solution for our customers.”

A recent example of this is a project undertaken with a prominent aerospace manufacturer customer, looking for an alternative to the high Global Warming Potential (GWP) solvent they were using.

Previously, the customer was using 7 Metric Tonnes of solvent per year, so Fraser Technologies worked with them to approve Opteon™ SF80 by Chemours, a specialty fluid designed to meet the high specifications and demands of the industrial cleaning market. It is a safe, non- flammable, and environmentally friendly solvent with an ultra-low GWP.

Graham Fraser MD at Fraser Technologies.

The team assisted in optimising the customer’s processes to reduce solvent consumption and introduced a solvent recovery process to allow them to further reduce waste and reuse the recovered solvent. This cut the customer’s overall usage of solvent by 28%.

While the former product was less expensive than SF80, the reduction in solvent usage resulted in a cost reduction of around £30,000 per year, as well as a significant reduction in CO2 equivalent emissions.

With over 50 years of experience in component cleaning, across all areas of manufacturing, Fraser Technologies is the name to trust.

For more information, visit www.frasertech.co.uk or call 01506 443058.

Pioneers for a new and easy-touse robot programming approach Comau is pleased to announce that it has successfully released its Comau Next Generation Programming Platform, a protocol that implements the Uniform Robotics Data Interface (URDI) communications standard to simplify robot programming.

This implementation facilitates the complete integration of Comau’s robot family with the Siemens Simatic Robot Library, significantly reducing complexity within machine automation. Now, operators in any industry sector can easily program one or more Comau robots via the Siemens ecosystem they currently use for other applications and processes.

The interface also delivers tangible cost and time savings, given that all automation products and cells can be managed without the need for specific competence in robotics programming. As such, companies can boost their efficiency and productivity without facing a challenging learning curve, which further reduces automation barriers for clients that have a consolidated use of the Siemens PLC and now want to introduce articulated robots.

Working with a major automotive customer, Comau has been able to reduce configuration and

programming costs by 30% using its robot controller with the Siemens Simatic Robot Library.

Beyond automotive, applications include everything from end-ofline processes, pick and place, the management of boxing and palletizing operations to logistics and more. Another important benefit is the ability to virtually program Comau’s robots with the Siemens virtual PLC controller as a single operation. This enables endusers and Systems Integrators to perfect the programming sequence, download the program onsite and immediately begin running the robot.

The Comau Next Generation Programming Platform let integrating robotics into an existing line or process become straightforward and intuitive, a concept that is fully aligned with Comau’s vision of making robotics accessible to end users. As such, it also mirrors the company’s HUMANufacturing approach, through which industrial equipment and human operators work together in complete safety and with the help of innovative digital technologies. By removing barriers to automation, Comau is wellpositioned to support companies

of any size, in any industry, enjoy higher productivity. They simply use the same Siemens PLC that is already deployed for other applications and all the necessary “intelligence” is instantly transferred from the Siemens library to the robot without any extra work.

“The successful integration of Comau’s robot controller with the Siemens ecosystem reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to simplifying automation,” explained Gaia Salvadore, Robotics and Automation Products Segment Leader. “It also represents an important step towards the Easy-to-Use vision of Comau for Robotics.”

“Together with Comau, we are pioneers in offering the market the first seamless interface between industrial robotics and our Simatic Robot Library,” said Tobias Fengel, Marketing Manager Robotics & Electronics at Siemens DI. “In addition to Comau’s industrial automation expertise, this milestone is the result of our longstanding collaboration and will undoubtedly help companies extend their use of our joint technologies.” www.comau.com

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Aerotech focuses optical alignment systems and scanning devices The industry events offer key players from research and industry the opportunity to speak about the challenges and solutions.

Numerous events surrounding the conference fair offer excellent opportunities for exchanging experiences and networking.

These include live lectures with top speakers reporting on future developments and the state of research in photonics, biophotonics, quantum technologies, laser technology, optical and nano technologies and in-vacuum technologies. “For us, the conference fair in Glasgow is a unique platform for product presentation in the phontonics environment as well as experience exchange and networking,” emphasises Simon Smith, European Director Aerotech.

Incidentally, the UK branch of the specialist for motion control solutions was founded in Newbury (southern England) in 1981 and celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

Alignment platform for optoelectronics Aerotech’s trade fair presentation will therefore focus on highprecision, optical alignment systems and scanning devices, using the FiberMaxHP multi-axis photonic alignment system as an example.

The motion system is based on the proven high- performance ANT nanopositioners. FiberMaxHP is used in high-volume manufacturing for aligning and testing optoelectronic devices and photonics components with submicron tolerances.

The precision mechanics are coupled with Aerotech’s A3200 controller, a low-latency motion controller with prescribed optical alignment algorithms. This allows all automation processes to be programmed through a single control interface. “While alignment tolerances are decreasing with new silicon photonics devices, alignment at high speed and accuracy is

becoming more important,” explains Simon Smith. “We are positioning ourselves with the FiberMaxHP photonics alignment platform in nanoscale applications, both in research and industrial environments.” The non-contact direct drive technology provides extremely precise alignment with minimal incremental movement down to 2 nm at speeds up to 400 mm/s, without compromising production throughput. Users whose processes require repeatable and highly accurate alignment of optical components will find the alignment platform the ideal equipment for this purpose, according to Aerotech.

New control system on board For the first time, the system is also equipped with the current Aerotech Automation1 control system, which also received a new release in February. The advantage for the user: via an integrative portal control scheme, ETM modules and other peripherals can be seamlessly integrated into the processes. With the “Automation1 Precision Machine and Motion Control Platform”, Aerotech revolutionised the entire market for precision motion and machine controls a good two years ago.

“Automation1 functions as a complete machine controller with all components and thus offers much more than a pure “motion controller”, says Simon Smith. The platform has its own software-based motion controller, which makes it easy to control different positioning systems as well as connected components.

Applications include automation systems, precision laser processes and test and inspection processes.

A digital output for optical power distribution coupled with a highresolution camera visualises the adjustment process in real time. www.aerotech.com

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MAXXDRIVE® industrial gear units – NORD’s toughest for every situation The overall portfolio of MAXXDRIVE® parallel and right-angle gear units from NORD DRIVESYSTEMS offers high output torques from 15 to 282 kNm across 11 sizes. In addition to this proven standard series, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS offers the new MAXXDRIVE® XT series with rightangle gear units having a thermally optimised design in seven sizes from 15 to 75 kNm.In combination with its comprehensive accessories and options programme, the modular system allows for the planning of perfectly matched drive systems for heavy-duty applications like conveyors or agitators.

MAXXDRIVE® industrial gear units are used when high output torques and powers are required.

In combination with the suitable accessories, MAXXDRIVE® provides a technically and economically perfect drive solution for each customer project. MAXXDRIVE® industrial gear units are used when high output torques and powers are required. In combination with the suitable accessories, MAXXDRIVE® provides a technically and economically perfect drive solution for each customer project.

The comprehensive configuration and mounting options of the MAXXDRIVE® industrial gear unit allow for standardised as well as tailor-made drive solutions. The combination of motor, gear unit, coupling and braking system, for example, results in precisely planned complete units that are supplied ready-to-install, mounted on a motor swing base or a base frame. As an alternative, the motor attachment can be realised via an IEC/NEMA adapter. A large variation of available flange and output shaft versions ensures that the customer’s application is ideally matched. The mechanical and thermal design of all NORD industrial gear units is always based on the existing operating data of the application and

on the ambient conditions at the installation site. Thus, the MAXXDRIVE® portfolio ensures maximum individualisation, creating drive systems that fulfil the highest demands in terms of reliability and long service life.

Variety of options for tailor-made application concepts Typical MAXXDRIVE® applications are drives for conveyor belts, consisting of an electric motor, a coupling solution and an industrial gear unit with axial fan. The primary focus here is on a sufficient heat dissipation to allow for ultimate thermal limit powers. The new MAXXDRIVE® XT industrial gear units with their heavily ribbed housings are ideally suited for this purpose.

The power and speed ranges of the application-optimised two-stage right-angle gear units have been specially designed for applications in which low speed ranges are required in combination with high powers.

MAXXDRIVE® XT series output torques range between 15 and 75 kNm with speed ratios of 6.3 to 22.4. MAXXDRIVE® XT industrial gear units are available in seven sizes for powers from 50 to 1,500 kW. Another typical application for this strong range of industrial gear units from NORD includes drives for mixing and agitation processes.

By equipping the compact and robust MAXXDRIVE® industrial gear unit with reinforced bearing and flange versions (VL2/KL2 - VL6/KL6), the drive can be optimally adjusted to application loads. Sealless IEC/ NEMA adapters (SAFOMI) and a TRUE DRYWELL sealing at the output shaft allow for highest possible operational reliability. The entire drive system – from NORD electric motors to flange connections – is delivered as a readyto-install unit, which can easily be mounted vertically on the application.

Networked maintenance concepts NORD also offers innovative predictive maintenance concepts specially designed for MAXXDRIVE® industrial gear units. The NORD frequency inverter is an essential component here. The status data available in the inverter can be communicated to a higher-level control or directly to a safe cloud. The inverter can also directly record external sensor data for vibration monitoring or for measuring the gear unit’s oil sump temperature.

Changes to the system condition can be detected at an early stage (condition monitoring) and predictive maintenance can be scheduled in good time. www.nord.com

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One stop shopping - machine and process technology from a single source Sumitomo (SHI) Demag drives system integration, focuses on sustainability and unveils solutions for modern networking via Industry 4.0.

All-electric injection moulding machines for LSR, IMD, medical and packaging applications The trade fair presentation will be supported by three all-electric injection moulding machines from the IntElect series, plus one from the company’s El-Exis SP packaging range.

An IntElect 130/520-450, including an LSR package, showcases stateof-the-art elastomer injection moulding integrated with the Servomix Z200 metering system from partner Nexus Elastomer Systems GmbH, Eberstalzell (Austria). For its inaugural presentation to the global trade audience, the LSR exhibit will demonstrate the production of a freeform automotive axial seal. “16 cavities, burr-free, no conversion,” succinctly states Henrik Langwald, Director Automotive & Electronics.

An IntElect 220/660-1100, equipped with a special plasticising unit for processing crystal-clear multilayer PC, demonstrates all of the IMD advantages in a single, seamless process. Automating the production of emblems for automotive exterior applications, the IMD decoration process involves back-injecting a second surface using a single image followed by contactless cleaning in a laminar flow box. “This ISO Class 7 cleanroom and fully automated process corresponds well with our new ‘handle&place’ concept,” explains Langwald.

Corroborating the company’s digitalisation and interface competence is a fully automated and highly efficient production cell for technical medical parts.

The exhibit focuses on the IntElect S 100/460-250 with an automation system from Waldorf Technik GmbH, Engen, based on the German partner’s patented Vario Tip FSS 46

system. “The uncompromising design of this trade exhibit showcases the production of medical parts and caps for insulin syringes, on a 16-cavity mould in a total cycle time of around six seconds”, reports Anatol Sattel, Director Medical.

Once again, an El-Exis SP 250 proves its high-speed capabilities manufacturing a cup application.

The hybrid machine for packaging impressively demonstrates high speed, user-friendliness and durability. “Opening and closing sides are the fastest on the market,” reports Arnaud Nomblot, Director Packaging.

“The origins of the short cycle times and 1,000 mm/s injection speeds can be attributed to the hydraulic accumulator. As a result, processors can produce even thinner and lighter packaging items, resulting in a significant reduction in raw material requirements, packaging waste and shipping costs.”

Permanent condition monitoring of machine status Another booth highlight is the inaugural launch of a series of permanent machine status condition monitoring systems. Reducing maintenance costs while maintaining reliability, they can be used to determine the actual degree of wear and tear, enabling early detection and optimal maintenance planning towards the end of the service life of the injection moulding machine.

Utilising condition monitoring, complex processes can be reliably analysed directly on the machine.

Making it possible to monitor critical parameters, which typically requires considerable effort and resources.

“At Fakuma 2021, we will present three options that can be implemented across all series,” reports Dr. Thorsten Thümen, Senior Director Technology.

“The first option helps to keep allelectric machines permanently energy-efficient and powerful.

Another serves to optimise hydraulic machine oil parameters and maintain component quality. The third reliably monitors control voltage across the entire injection moulding machine series,” he explains.

Futureproof Industry 4.0 networking tools and web-based software Meeting all future networking and communication requirements in the context of Industry 4.0, all of the company’s robots and machines are now completely aligned to the OPC/ UA control, monitoring and integration interface. Additionally, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag presents its advanced webbased software solution myConnect.

This central platform gives customers direct access to a wide range of fully networked support services.

Additionally, the myConnect system helps to enhance the management of inefficiencies, reduce costs, improve total cost of ownership, troubleshoot errors and minimise downtime.

ABS opaque onyx shell made in collaboration with Sepro In another interesting display, longstanding automation partner Sepro Robotique will produce an onyx-style shell on an all-electric IntElect 130/520450 injection moulding machine.

Using a tool created by Polar-Form Werkzeugbau GmbH, Lahr, the two tone black and white translucent layered mineral will be convincingly replicated in ABS. An innovative application of this intricacy requires a moulding machine of the highest performance, maximum dynamics, greatest precision with an excellent energy balance, supported by Sepro’s equally optimised automation platform. www.sumitomocorp.com/en/jp

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