Doug Green

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PolyU-made space tool sets for inter-planetary mission

A Russian spacecraft carrying the state-of-the-art space tool made by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) embarked on a one-year space journey to the Red Planet at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in November. This historical mission, also known as the “Phobos-Grunt” (which means soil of Phobos, the largest moon of Mars), marks the first strategic interplanetary collaboration between China and Russia. This is also the first interplanetary mission of Russia after the dissolution of the former Soviet Union. PolyU has been entrusted with the responsibility of designing a mission-critical space tool known as the “Soil Preparation System” (SOPSYS) for the Sino-Russian Mars Mission. Of interest to the scientific community will be the mission’s first bold attempt in the history of mankind to land on the Martian moon Phobos and collect soil sample for in-situ analysis. If the mission goes as planned, the spacecraft carrying both PolyU-made space tool and Chinese satellite Yinghuo-1 will go near the Red Planet in November 2012. The explorer will then release Yinghuo-1 into orbit around Mars; and seek to release the Lander carrying PolyU-made SOPSYS onto the surface of the potato-shaped Martian moon Phobos. SOPSYS weighs merely 400 grams and measures slightly larger than a cigarette pack. It is capable of grinding and sifting Phobos rock to the size of less than 1mm in diameter and then from it into a plug of measured size for in situ analysis. This procedure is considered a crucial step in understanding the evolution of the universe and the formation of the planet Mars. PolyU researchers have been working closely with IKI (Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Science) and the Russian aerospace company NPO Lavochkin in testing the functionality of SOPSYS under extreme environment. Dr Alexander V Zakharov, Chief Scientist of the Space Research Institute […]

Maintaining the advantage

By Doug Green Manufacturing environments are rapidly evolving due to global competition and changing customer requirements. This is from the Lead Article (Page 5) that in a very comprehensive way describes the need to maintain competitiveness and look after critical business decisions in Asia, South Pacific regions. So how is your company managing this? Vehicle manufacturers seem to be pretty much on to it and I am always being informed of key refinements to manufacturing environments, especially from South Korea. So have your say as well and email words@xtra.co.nz and we will publish your observations and share your manufacturing methods with our readers around the world. We also look at Product Data Management (PDM) and the need to look at such an integrated system (Page 19). There is no point wasting valuable time looking for or recreating designs that already exist, which can put your company at a competitive disadvantage. Using existing designs can save time and money and bring new products to market faster. A fascinating read! Energy conservation and environmental protection is now the catch phrase for sustainable global growth. Do you agree with that observation? In China the State Council is looking at ways for sustainable growth by developing an innovative model. So Speeding up Green Technology in China (Page 30) describes a campaign underway to do better business environmentally. This is a sound initiative especially with economic indicators around the globe showing a slowdown of activity. Seizing the moment is definitely the way to go. Our Asia Pacific economies face huge challenges. And that’s okay – through issues arising new opportunities are created. Let us all grab hold of 2012 and make it a successful business year.

Consumables have longer life

SINGAPORE: Hypertherm, a U.S. based manufacturer of advanced metal cutting systems, is now selling consumables for Kaliburn Spirit plasma cutting systems that last at least twice as long as the OEM consumables. Testing shows the life expectancy of the consumables increases by two to three times when cutting at 275 amps and below, and increases more than 50 percent when cutting at 400 amps. In addition to lasting longer, the consumables deliver better and more consistent cut quality, resulting in the need for less secondary work. The life and performance improvements are the result of advanced Hypertherm technology. SilverLine electrodes contain a solid silver front so they wear more slowly; CoolFlow nozzles have an angled o-ring, deep cooling contours and thicker walls to extend the working life; and the swirl ring is made with lava instead of ceramic, making it more robust and economical. “These new Centricut consumables for Kaliburn reduce the overall cost of operation and deliver exceptional cut quality and process reliability,” said Martin Geheran, product marketing manager for Hypertherm’s Centricut brand. “At the same time, they maintain the fast cutting speeds that are especially important in today’s economic environment.” The Centricut brand consumables are available for all Kaliburn Spirit and ProLine systems. Like all Hypertherm products, they are precision manufactured to tight tolerances so customers get consistent, reliable performance from their cutting system. Hypertherm’s Centricut brand engineers and manufactures advanced plasma and laser cutting consumables. Its product line includes consumables that deliver increased value to people who own most any non-Hypertherm cutting system including systems by ESAB, Kjellberg, and Trumpf. All Centricut brand products are engineered and manufactured to exacting standards and incorporate the latest technological advances that help to reduce operating costs, while delivering increased cut speed and quality. Centricut products include free technical support and […]

Award for Rockwell Automation in South East Asia

Twain Drewett, managing director Rockwell Automation says that the Frost and Sullivan Award for Company of the Year for PLCs recognises the commitment that Rockwell Automation has made to develop a product that meets customer’s needs. Rockwell Automation has received the prestigious 2011 Frost and Sullivan Company of the Year Award for the Programmable Logic Controller in the South Pacific and South East Asia region. The award recognises the leading role Rockwell Automation has played in developing cost-effective technology solutions with improved safety for programmable logic controllers (PLCs). It also confirms the commitment Rockwell Automation has made to the industry and the companyÕs position as a major participant in automation systems across many industries. To qualify for the award, a company is measured on five key criteria: market share position, growth implementation, degree of innovation with products and technologies, gain in market share and leadership in customer value. Rockwell Automation scored consistently high in all five categories for the South East Asia, Australian and New Zealand region. “Rockwell Automation winning this award confirms that the company’s customer value strategies are recognised by the automation industry, and in turn by the broader market,” said Twain Drewett, managing director Rockwell Automation Australia and New Zealand. “The PLC is continuing to evolve into a product that meets the customer’s requirements for plant-wide optimisation and sustainable production, while simultaneously helping to converge the IT arena into the manufacturing space. This value-add of Rockwell Automation Customer Services and Solutions and the strength of our network of partners, has provided the PLC with ‘Best in Class’ differentiation,” concluded Drewett. The Company of the Year Award, now in its fourth year, is presented by Frost and Sullivan, a global industry analyst and growth consulting company with nearly 50 years experience. Frost and Sullivan are specialists in […]

Business News Welcome!

If your company has business news and developments, they are most welcome in ASIA MANUFACTURING NEWS

Have you read September issue yet?

Delcam Summit celebrates 15 years, 2,000 customers for China subsidiary

Delcam held its annual Asian Technical Summit in Zhuhai, China, from 6th to 8th September as part of the celebrations of the fifteenth anniversary of the founding of its Delcam China subsidiary. The Summit is held each year to present the latest developments from the company to its leading customers, academicians and the technical media in the region. This year’s meeting, which was sponsored by HP, was the eleventh in the series and the second to be held in China. Close to 200 delegates attended, mainly from China but also from 10 other countries. The Summit featured presentations on the latest versions of Delcam’s range of CAM systems before their official launch at the EMO exhibition. Updates were also included on the other software in the Delcam portfolio, including the company’s design and inspection programs, plus the dedicated software for the footwear, orthotics and dental industries. Guest speakers alongside the Delcam presentations included Alastair Morgan, Consul General from the UK Consulate in Guangzhou, Kexin Chu, CEO/Chairman of First Auto Works Die Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Marco Kormann from Adidas Group, and Naoto Kitayama from Japan’s Tatematsu Mold Co. Ltd. Delcam formed its Delcam China subsidiary in 1996 after making initial sales into the country through its joint ventures in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Delcam China now employs more than 50 staff in its headquarters in Beijing and regional offices in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Xi’an, Wenzhou, Qingdao and Quanzhou. In addition, the Delcam Hong Kong and Delcam Taiwan joint ventures operate two offices each in mainland China, and there are more than 30 reseller offices in the country. The Summit comes at a time when Delcam is setting new records for its business in China. Sales of software have increased by more than 50% in the first half of this year […]

Using design automation to reduce costs and improve profitability

By Sharon Toh, General Manager, South Asia of SolidWorks. Across most industries today, profit margins are narrow and will continue to become even thinner. Even in segments where margins are relatively healthy, competition and global outsourcing make cost reduction mandatory. Historically, the high cost of engineering has contributed so significantly to the attack on profit margins that numerous attempts have been made to cut the process time or the cost of engineering activities. Most of these approaches have been point solutions, which can be highly important in their own right, but are not applicable across the board. Design automation, on the other hand, stands out as an effective means of dramatically cutting costs for a well-defined, well-proven range of engineering activities. This is especially so where business needs demand rapid, accurate quoting; consistent engineering; and, most important, minimum time to finished product delivery. Driving design automation The majority of companies share a common goal of reducing design costs. Traditionally, they have had two options: (1) to design less and standardize the product range, or (2) to design faster. If you want to limit your customers’ choices, the first option is fine. However, the pressure to customize products has risen tremendously over the past few years. In a recent Cincom study, 73 percent of total respondents viewed product customisation as critical for products over $100,000, while another 25 percent considered it crucial even for products under $1,000. This trend will only grow. The Cincom study revealed that 63 percent of engineers have seen requests for customised products increase over the last five years, and 26 percent anticipate that the growth rate will be between 25 and 50 percent in the next two years. Another survey of CAD users asked key questions about the users’ design processes. All survey respondents were aware […]

Metallurgical Corporation of China Announcement of 2011 Interim Results

Hong Kong: Metallurgical Corporation of China Ltd. (“MCC” or the “Company”, SEHK: 1618) is pleased to announce its unaudited interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2011 (the “first half of 2011” or the “Reporting Period”). — Revenue amounted to RMB105,838 million, representing a year-on-year increase of RMB16,988 million or 19.12%. — Gross profit for the period amounted to RMB9,879 million, representing a year-on-year increase of RMB1,038 million or 11.74%. — Basic earnings per share amounted to RMB0.10. — The total assets amounted to RMB319,206 million, representing an increase of RMB30,985 million or 10.75% as at 31 December 2010. — Newly-signed contract value amounted to RMB165,713 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 6.2% from 2010, including USD1,389 million of newly-signed overseas contracts. During the first half of 2011, the Company’s revenue amounted to RMB105,838 million, representing an increase of 19.12% as compared to 30 June 2010 (the “same period last year”). Gross profit of the Company amounted to RMB9,879 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 11.74%. Profit attributable to equity holders of the Company amounted to RMB1,969 million, representing a decrease of 11.47% compared to the same period last year. Basic earnings per share amounted to RMB0.10. Total assets as at 30 June 2011 amounted to RMB319,206 million, representing an increase of RMB30,985 million as compared to 31 December 2010. Total equity amounted to RMB55,495 million, representing an increase of 3.71% as compared to 31 December 2010. Newly-signed contract value amounted to RMB165,713 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 6.2% from 2010, including USD1,389 million of newly-signed overseas contracts. Reviewing the first half of 2011, the Company continued to expand its presence in the non-metallurgical engineering markets such as housing construction as well as transport infrastructure in addition to strengthening its edges over metallurgical engineering and construction. Meanwhile, […]

China – Australia mining forum promotes industry collaborations

Picture:The Mining Forum provided the opportunity for the audience to share information relating to smart, safe, sustainable automation in the industry The Australian mining industry is continuing to develop close links with China, opening the door for potential trading partnerships. As part of its ongoing commitment to providing technology solutions, Rockwell Automation hosted the ‘Innovations for Smart, Safe, Sustainable Automation Solutions in the Mining Industry’ Forum held in Brisbane recently. Interested parties from Australia and China were given an opportunity to speak with, share ideas, and hear from a range of speakers on best practices and innovations for the industry. The Forum was well attended with more than 100 people representing, Mining End Users, Consultants, System Integrators, OEM’s and Research Institutes from both Australia and China. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kevin Rudd opened the forum. In his welcome address, Mr Rudd emphasised the importance of investment from China in becoming Australia’s closest trading partner. “Our skilled professionals, advanced extraction processes and cutting edge technology have all made Australia a leader in the global minerals industry. We’re also a leader in mining equipment, technology and services,” said Rudd. “Today’s event, and the issues you will be discussing, are important to maintain the momentum of our trade.” Alongside Rudd, Senior Rockwell Automation Leadership – President Asia Pacific, Bob Ruff; Regional Director Australia and New Zealand, Twain Drewett; and Cheng Jie, Regional Sales Director, North and North East, China – also addressed the forum in the opening session. The forum was divided into two streams; Process and Automation, and Power and Safety. Key topics of discussion included: technology involved in remote operating centres, integration of automation and information systems, simulation and reporting systems for mining operations, functional safety in mines, and power and control solutions. The isolated geographical locations of many Australian […]

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Doug Green

About Doug Green

Posts by Doug Green: