Analysis

Smarter manufacturing in the age of convergence

-Joseph Sousa, President, Asia Pacific, Rockwell Automation Sometimes I wish I was ten years younger. Not out of vanity but because of what’s about to unfold in the manufacturing industry. We’ve arrived at a genuine inflection point in how we go about business. There’s an opportunity to produce more high-quality goods for more people while reducing costs and environmental impact. This opportunity is being driven in part by a significant increase in consumer wealth. We’re witnessing the most significant expansion of the middle class that we’ve ever seen. Forecasted in 2016, 160 million people will join the ranks during the next five years. More than 3.2 billion people already enjoy this status. We’ve also seen a shift from manual production to mass production, customised mass production and now personalised mass production. We’ve improved our capacity to measure what people want and our ability to link this knowledge with production resources to meet those demands. This is information is critical in an age where consumers are demanding more personalised products. Today, Millennials, in particular, place a high value on adding their personality to what they buy. More than half of consumers would prefer to shape the products and services they buy. This type of personalised mass production requires a lot of flexibility in manufacturing processes. In the modern factory, set-up time is a key variable determining the ability to tap into short-term opportunities. Merely being able to see a chance isn’t enough. Global business opportunities mean global competition, increasing the imperative to act quickly. Whereas this global competition, once reserved for large international enterprises, most businesses now have potential rivals in other countries. The convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) offers a smarter way to convert the business into opportunity. Data is helping many manufacturers to unleash […]

Game-changing technology for 3D printing tiny structures revealed

A new type of 3D Printing technology enabling rapid prototyping of high-resolution microscale structures has been revealed. It all started after a kick-start from KiwiNet to commercialise the technology. New Zealand microfabrication researchers Andrea Bubendorfer and Andrew Best, the co-inventors of a new way of fabricating very small things with Laminated Resin Printing (LRP), are part of Callaghan Innovation’s MicroMaker3D team which launched the new patent pending technology in the US recently. The team are one of ten selected worldwide for IDTechEx’s Santa Clara Launchpad, an initiative showcasing new disruptive and state-of-the art technologies. Andrea, who leads the microfabrication team at Callaghan Innovation that has created the technology, says: “We’re very excited about the potential for this technology to be a game changer in a range of industries from medicine to wearable technology to aerospace. It will create the first opportunity to rapidly prototype a huge range of miniaturised structures from optical slits to miniaturised microwell plates, micromoulds and more. “Custom sensors are a great example of a niche area we’re keen to explore. One high value approach would be to use molecular sensing to functionalise microstructures, so we could rapid prototype devices for detecting insulin concentration, biomarkers, presence of toxic gases or pollutants. “There are endless possibilities to what we can print – and what is most exciting, though, will be when people start to print things we didn’t even know existed”, says Andrea. The MicroMaker3D project was kick-started when Andrea received KiwiNet Emerging Innovator Programme funding, commercialisation support and advice to explore ways to make microfabrication more accessible. “We ended up creating a new 3D printing technology that can build up tiny structures using specially engineered Laminated Resin Printing (LRP) materials. We can print structures with features as small as five microns. To put this in context, a […]

How to have a good Fourth Industrial Revolution

Trees, please: Take a break from technology. To encourage people to examine the impact of technology on our lives, the artist Lauren McCarthy decided to try to become a human version of amazon.com’s smart home intelligence device Alexa. McCarthy installed a network of remote-controlled smart devices, from cameras and microphones to light switches and appliances, and invited volunteers to stay in her home. Then she tried to anticipate and respond to their needs – like making a bowl of popcorn when she guessed they were hungry—instead of just responding to commands like Alexa does. Get-Lauren touches on common anxieties, starting with the questions of what humans can offer that machines cannot, and what control each of us has over our future and even who we are. “By allowing these devices in, we outsource the formation of our identity to a virtual assistant whose values are programmed by a small, homogenous group of developers,” McCarthy wrote. The Fourth Industrial Revolution has ushered in new technologies that are changing where and how many of us work, what we buy and how we buy it, what we learn and what we delegate to our devices, and how we connect with each other. It’s easy for even tech-savvy individuals to feel that we are helpless in face of these tectonic shifts. What can a single person do? What power does anyone have amid massive social and economic changes? What is within our control and how do we adapt to what is out of our hands? Simply asking those questions is a good start toward managing technology instead of letting it control us. Seeking to understand the changes underway helps us to feel that we are doing something instead of facing complete uncertainty. Assessing how we use technology in the workplace, home, and community helps […]

Technicians using computer in server room

The promise of the edge and IIoT in Asia’s manufacturing industry

Dave Laurello, CEO, Stratus. To remain competitive in today’s always-on world, organisations require near-instant access to data and resources. That’s where the edge comes into play: the place where computing occurs, in between the data centre and the cloud. In Singapore and Asia, edge computing poses a great opportunity to enable improved real-time decision-making – especially in Asia’s booming manufacturing sector. In a rapidly growing industry, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is lighting the way for a highly automated future. The IIoT refers to a combination of intelligent computers and devices that enable instant data sharing and automated processes in industrial manufacturing. The IIoT is set to revolutionise manufacturing by providing accessibility to large amounts of data at far greater speeds. According to a report by Boston Consulting Group, Five Profiles That Explain China’s Consumer Economy, GDP growth in China, the world’s second largest economy, has slowed from more than 10% in 2010 to around 7% in 2017. To remain competitive, Asian economies – once reliant upon low-cost labour and exports – are under pressure to adopt smarter technologies, such as robotics and the IIoT. Going forward, it is predicted that smart technologies and IIoT networks will allow industrial organisations to break open data silos and connect people, data and processes like never before, from the factory floor to executive offices. Automation and the future of manufacturing – So where does edge computing fit into all of this? The promise of edge computing in industrial environments means switching into the right device in near real-time to drive faster decision making. For this to work, the edge device and its embedded software, edge servers, gateways and cloud infrastructure must be up-and-running correctly at all times. According to a recent report by ARC Advisory Group, Is IIot Living on The Edge In […]

Three game-changers for the manufacturing industry in 2018

Antony Bourne IoT being built into the product design, manufacturers adopting a more service-centric business model, and 3D-printing reaching the tipping point of realizing business benefits on a large scale. These are the three game-changing predictions that Antony Bourne, IFS Global Industry Director of Industrial and High-tech Manufacturing outlines for 2018. 1) By the end of 2018, over 50 percent of manufacturers will be building IoT technology into the design phase of their products. In 2018, IoT will take a decisive step forward in its evolution. If we once thought of IoT as a product’s nervous system, this year will see it grow from picking up signals at the periphery to being the brain of the product, constantly sending, receiving, growing and gathering information, from the center of the product throughout its lifetime, and in the process enabling new services and revenue streams. Manufacturing is undoubtedly heavily impacted by IoT today. According to Global Market Insights, IoT in the manufacturing market was valued at over US$ 20 billion in 2016 and will grow at more than 20 percent up to 2024. Current IoT investments that are unique to the manufacturing environment are taking place in three major initiatives: Smart manufacturing to increase production output, product quality, or operations and workforce safety as well as lower resource consumption Connected products to impact product performance, including collecting detailed information on products in the field, remote diagnostics and remote maintenance Connected supply chains to increase visibility and coordination in the supply chain, tracking assets or inventory for more efficient supply chain execution We will see IoT included as a part of the design process in all three of these IoT initiatives. Manufacturers are realizing that by engineering IoT technology into products and equipment already in the design process, you can monitor not only […]

In the firing line

President Donald Trump’s steep tariffs on steel and aluminium imports are now a reality. Trump has imposed a 25% tariff on steel imports and 10% on aluminium, but exempted Canada and Mexico. For American companies that make metals, that’s welcome news. But for businesses that consume steel and aluminium, like automakers and beverage producers, it will likely mean higher prices. Many have warned that could cut into profits and ultimately spur layoffs. Here’s a look at some of the US companies that may be hit by Trump’s latest protectionist move: Anheuser-Busch The aluminium used in beer cans is expected to get more expensive once the tariffs go into effect. Anheuser-Busch(BUD) has warned that it could threaten manufacturing jobs in the industry. The company employs more than 18,000 people in the United States. Auto parts manufacturers The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association, which represents companies that make vehicle parts in the United States, has said the tariffs will make cars more expensive and could put the many of the more than 800,000 jobs in its industry at risk. Boeing The nation’s largest single exporter uses aluminium and some steel parts to make planes. Boeing(BA) could also suffer if other countries decide to retaliate against US tariffs by buying planes from competitors like Airbus. The company has more than 140,000 employees in the United States and around the world. Caterpillar Making Caterpillar (CAT) construction equipment could get more expensive if steel and aluminium prices rise. The company employs more than 98,000 full-time workers around the world. About 42,000 are in the United States. Campbell Soup Company Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has said that there’s 2.6 cents worth of steel in a can of Campbell’s soup, and consumers can expect prices to rise less than one cent as a result of tariffs. Campbell’s (CPB) responded that “any new broad-based tariffs on imported tin plate steel — an insufficient amount of which is […]

Why China could lead the next phase of globalisation

Donald Trump is the 45th president of the United States. Among his promises are a 45% import tax on Chinese products, the cancellation of the Paris climate agreement and the end of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. If he doesn’t go back on his plans for global trade and international affairs, Trump will give room to other nations to take the lead in shaping globalisation. While the US might be taking a step back from the world – a world it helped to create, to a large extent – China in particular can be expected to take on a more prominent role. While the US is currently the world’s largest economy, in purchasing-power terms China is expected to overtake it in 2016, according to the International Monetary Fund. China has benefited significantly from globalisation. Over decades, it has invested in enhancing its capabilities and built economic links with many countries. It has become viewed as an important overseas partner and investor. This chart shows how China is forecast to overtake the US as the world’s dominant economic power by 2030, based on share of global GDP, trade and exports. Image: Economist Something China understands very well is the importance of connectivity – and hence transport infrastructure – for economic growth and development. Its major development framework is the One Belt One Road initiative with its two pillars, the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. This development project involves a territory equal to 55% of global GDP, 70% of the global population and 75% of its known energy reserves. “The investments will involve about 300 projects extending from Singapore to Turkmenistan,” reports Reuters. One building block of One Belt One Road – also known as OBOR – is the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). This China-driven […]

Pulsar deploys FactoryTalk software for OEE measurement solution

Challenge Pulsar wanted to develop an OEE measurement platform for the very niche tissue industry, so it needed an off-the-shelf platform that was easy to modify and easy to integrate Solutions FactoryTalk View FactoryTalk Metrics FactoryTalk VantagePoint EMI FactoryTalk Transaction Manager Results Open, scalable software platform from an industry leader Easier to integrate with leading automation solution Worldwide support possibilities Similar mind-set to modern philosophies, including the Connected Enterprise and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Existing Rockwell Automation industrial partnerships (e.g. Cisco) can help deliver additional features and functionality Tissue industry challenges addressed by open and scalable software solution coupled with effective relationships in technical development Pulsar Srl, founded in 1989, is based in Castelmaggiore, near Bologna, in the heart of the “packaging valley” of Europe. Its primary activities are based around the engineering, production and creation of conveying and transportation solutions. It also produces specialised automatic machinery for use in the tissue sector, including feeding, packaging and sorting for rolls and packages of toilet paper and paper towel, machinery for processing and packaging folded paper products and product movement units. In just a few years, Pulsar has built more than 230 systems and eighteen complete plants for major tissue manufacturers. Its continuous studies on the improvement of production line management has led it to create ideal hardware and software combinations that can manage and optimise entire lines integrating machinery with transport systems. The company’s innovative ‘Layout Simulator’ software can design new systems by comparing process machinery present on the market and then simulating its productive capacity. To this end, users can see various options aimed at specific production needs in real time and then evaluate the true value of their investment. In a more recent development, Pulsar has developed the ‘Reds Platinum System’ a platform for SCADA systems […]

Creating a new era of connected consumer products

by Diego Tamburini, Manufacturing Industry Strategist at Autodesk Every day, more and more connected devices are coming to market, from phones and home appliances, to cars and buildings. Their potential to make consumers’ everyday lives more efficient, convenient, and easier is endless — but they also present new challenges to the designers, engineers, manufacturers and entrepreneurs who are building these connected products. With its rich heritage of creating powerful design solutions, the technology industry is well positioned to share the experience and knowledge that will help today’s makers tackle those challenges, and shift the way we think about designing consumer devices for the new connected future. Let’s take a look at the current “Era of Connection” and some of the trends at work. First and foremost, the lines between hardware and software — and between the physical and digital worlds— continue to blur as the devices that make up the Internet of Things (IoT) become more common. The Nest thermostat might have been the first IoT device to capture the public imagination, but more and more devices will combine a functional purpose with the ability to gather data, analyze it, and act upon it. Think of flair, whose teams in China and the US have developed a sensor-enabled product that replaces traditional HVAC vents to ensure a comfortable temperature in all rooms of the home throughout the entire day. flair can be controlled on your phone, over the Cloud, or it can be left to optimize climate control on its own. After living in Asia for 9 years, Olivier Risse, the founder of Floatility was inspired to solve the massive transportation problem facing most cities – and he believed that cars weren’t the best solution, especially for short distances. Developed across teams in Hamburg, Stuttgart, Singapore and Jakarta, the answer […]

Warehouse Maintenance: The ‘Smooth Operator’ Factor

By Pedro Furtado, Projects Director at Efacec In today’s context, purchasing a brand new car can be a costly affair as newer cars are equipped with more capabilities, fuel-efficiency enhancements, and safety features that can meet international regulations. With the inclusion of taxes and insurance fees, the cost of ownership increases even more considerably, so any new car owner would be motivated to look after their vehicle so as to minimise incurring additional costs. The same can also be said about warehouses. Warehouses today play a pivotal role within supply chains, and the importance of warehousing in this competitive trading environment cannot be ignored. The storage ability of the warehouse enables manufacturers to achieve time utility, facilitates continued production even during less favourable seasons, and ensures safe custody of inventory. For these reasons and many more, it is imperative that warehouses remain in tip-top condition at all times to operate efficiently. Why Not Maintenance for Automated Warehouses? In general, warehouses are either manually operated or automated, and some are additionally equipped with climate-control features. The exact type of warehouse to be implemented depends on the nature of the industry. Given external factors such as rising labour costs, rapid technological advancements, and increasing global market demand, manufacturers are now more open to adopting warehouse automation technologies to drive a company toward greater productivity and profitability. However, with automated warehouses, there are also additional considerations such as operation delays, rising cost of production (e.g. breakdown of older equipment), and inaccurate data. Going back to the car analogy, what can an owner do to ensure that his car continues to deliver high driving performance in years to come? The unanimous answer that any experienced technician would give is regular maintenance. It is every driver’s best defence against mechanical failure, prolonging driving performance and […]

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