Engineering

Universal Robots, the leading collaborative robotics company, has announced that Nissan Motor Company has successfully deployed Universal Robots’ UR10 robot arms at its Yokohama factory; joining other global automotive manufacturers including BMW and Volkswagen who are using Universal Robots’ collaborative robots (cobots) to automate their processes. Through the deployment of Universal Robots’ cobots, Nissan has enhanced its production processes, resulting in a higher level of output and stability as well as time and cost efficiencies. Nissan’s aging workforce also enjoy a reduced workload, and were redeployed to less strenuous tasks. Shermine Gotfredsen, General Manager, SEA and Oceania, said, “We are excited to be working with Nissan in their automation journey. The global automotive industry plays a key role in driving the adoption of collaborative robots (cobots) to produce better manufacturing output, and this is critical for industry players to stay competitive. “Universal Robots is at the forefront of this trend; our cobots effectively support process automation, resulting in improved safety standards and less strain on human employees. This can be applied not only in the automotive industry, but also in the manufacturing of electronics and electrical, pharma and chemistry, and food and agriculture.” Cobots are an offshoot of traditional industrial robots. They are lightweight and mobile in terms of deployment, and are flexible enough to be modified for different applications. The automotive industry uses cobots in a wide variety of processes including handling, assembling, packaging, palletizing, labelling, painting, quality control and machine tending. The market value for collaborative industrial robots in the automotive industry was US$23.56 million in 2015 and is projected to reach US$469.82 million by 2021, at a CAGR of 64.67% between 2015 and 2021.  Rise of Collaborative Industrial Robots in Southeast Asia’s Automotive Industry The automotive industry in SEA is poised for great growth with large markets […]

Headquartered in Hong Kong, Gammon Construction is one of SE Asia’s leading construction companies, with an annual turnover of US$2.5bn, and is a keen adopter of new technology with a focus on adding value for its customers through innovative and sustainable solutions. With over 8000 employees, the engineering and construction company, like others in the Hong Kong construction industry, has long faced manpower shortages, together with an aging workforce. Consequently, in an effort to lure talented new workers and to reduce the workload of its employees, the company recently invested in two sets of “zero-gravity arms” (Zero G Tool Arms) from Sigma Ergonomics, one of Australia’s leading providers of ergonomic systems to a wide range of industries. Manufactured by US company Ekso Bionics, the innovative mounted exoskeletal system functions without the need for power, allowing workers to comfortably operate heavy tools including impact drills, chipping hammers and grinders for extended periods. With the zero-gravity arms shouldering the weight of the equipment, workers are not affected by the strain and fatigue caused by repetitive tasks such as drilling, tiling, chipping and grinding. The Ekso Bionics Aerial System, to which the Zero G system is mounted, is designed to increase safety and productivity while working from an elevated work platform (EWP). As well as eliminating the risk of dropping heavy tools from heights, the system significantly reduces the risk of injury from heavy tool usage and awkward body position. In a recent direct comparison with an Access Work Platform (AWP) at a height services installation, the Zero G system improved the productivity of the drilling work task by over 50% while reducing worker fatigue and improving safety and efficiency. Thomas Ho, Chief Executive of Gammon Construction, is a passionate supporter of innovation and highlights the Zero G system as one of the […]

Disruptive technologies and digital infrastructure have the potential to solve some of the world’s most pressing risks and to transform industries. These include safeguarding the planet’s soil and water, and improving inequality and education.   This is the main conclusions of the 2017 Global Opportunity Report, released by DNV GL, Sustainia and the United Nations Global Compact. The Global Opportunity Report is an opportunity and solution based response to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Report. It enables leaders to navigate new markets, new business opportunities and solutions. For the 2017 edition, 5 500 leaders from within business, government and civil society across five continents provide their insights. They identify and rank 15 sustainability opportunities and in addition showcase 120 practical projects and solutions that already exist around the globe. These range from micro grids that make cities more resilient to climate change, to bacteria that bring depleted soil back to life, to peer-to-peer trading, and inviting ethical hackers to test cyber security. The 2017 report’s top findings are: Smart water technology is perceived as the biggest market opportunity. Providing e-learning to conflict-affected areas is the second-biggest opportunity, giving business the potential to contribute to creating more peaceful societies. Rising trust in digital technologies such as blockchain[1] technology and artificial intelligence can help combat many of the global risks such as cybercrime and rising inequality. Leaders agree that rising inequality is the biggest of the five risks in the report. Smart water tech uncovers new market opportunities Smart water technology took first place in this year’s rankings, being deemed the most impactful and applicable of all 15 opportunities. Technology that automatically saves and reuses water protects this scarce resource while creating sustainable options for citizens. This finding reaffirms a tendency that is present in all Global Opportunity Reports to date — […]

Hypertherm, a U.S. based manufacturer of plasma, laser, and waterjet cutting systems, has released Rotary Tube Pro, software that makes it easier to design and cut tube and pipe parts with no 3D CAD experience required. The software features a parametric design interface that allows main tubes and side-wall cutouts to be added from a list of pre-defined shapes. Alternatively, users can add tubes and cutouts directly from a CAD program. This flexibility means fabricators and manufacturers can enjoy greater productivity by increasing programming speed, and improving cut quality for improved fit-up with fewer secondary operations. The software also includes an optional rotary bevel interface provided with bevel cut charts based on True Bevel™ technology, which greatly reduce bevel setup time. Rotary Tube Pro software includes more embedded cut process expertise in the NC code than other tube and pipe software. By drawing on years of research and development, Hypertherm software developers were able to deliver optimal outcomes based on factory-tested and proven job parameters including leads, separations, kerf, feedrate, and cutting techniques. Also, Hypertherm has applied feedback received during months of testing to the Rotary Tube Pro version. Enhancements include: New 3D geometric modeling engine that delivers a faster, more responsive 3D model when entering dimensions and other properties Ability to import STEP file formats (*.step), for the quick exchange of 3D objects from one platform to another Cut sequence enhancements that allow for the cutting of interior parts first and improved sequencing flexibility Simplified bevel material selection in which only materials and classes that can be beveled are displayed New setups, spreadsheets and machine files that enhance cut quality and accuracy on beveled tubes Rotary Tube Pro supports plasma, laser, waterjet, and oxyfuel cutting processes for virtually all brands of tube cutting machines, including stand-alone units and cutting […]

 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Machine Tool, Co., Ltd., a Group company of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), has unveiled the MSS300 Super Skiving Machine which allows high-speed, high-precision cutting of internal gears. It features outstanding machine rigidity, synchronisation control technology and dedicated cutting simulation software, which help overcome the technical challenges of conventional skiving, enabling lower production costs through mass production. In recent years Skiving machinery has responded to increasing demand for production efficiency and accuracy for products such as automobiles, construction equipment and reduction gears. Skiving is a cutting technology whereby a pinion type cutter, or other rotary tool, is engaged with a workpiece (the gear material to be processed) at a crossed-axes angle and rotated together. At the points where the two make contact, the effect of the crossed-axes angle generates a sliding velocity in the axial direction, resulting in high-speed machining. The skiving process typically makes the cutting angle obtuse, resulting in significant tool wear. The MSS300’s use of a barrel-shaped multiple-cutting-edge rotary tool – an original technology developed by MHI Machine Tool – allows a large crossed-axes angle, enabling improved cutting speeds and precision, while the use of multiple cutter blades extends the standard tool life. The MSS300 also facilitates machining with a general pinion cutter, allowing selective use depending on the shape of the workpiece. Direct drive motors are used for both the main spindle, on which the tool is mounted, and the table spindle, used for the workpiece. In addition to highly precise synchronization, the MSS300 also uses continuously meshing machinery to facilitate high-precision transfer of the tooth profile to the workpiece. A high level of rigidity is achieved through the adoption of a slide guide for the feeding of the X, Y and Z axes. In addition, superior positional precision is ensured through features […]

Global hydraulics leader Enerpac has developed an advanced handling and adjustment device for the world’s largest offshore gantry crane in Reunion Island. The handling device, which has just completed testing on the Zourite jack-up barge, will be used to lift and lower the piers bases onto a level gravel surface on the seabed, and for making adjustments to the base vertically and horizontally. The pier positioning and handling system, which utilises technology available throughout South East Asia, is lifted and controlled by Enerpac’s Over Head Travel Crane (OHTC), the world’s largest offshore overhead travel crane. The OHTC comprises two pairs of lifting beams, with an overall width of 30m, and a lifting capacity of 4,800 tonnes for lifting, moving and lowering the concrete blocks for the offshore highway. “Global success stories provide inspiration to local operations,” says Enerpac SE Asia Integrated Solutions Manager, Mr Maxim Lee. “Being a global company, we can share knowledge and experience throughout the Enerpac network, which spans 20 countries,” he said. Reunion Island Highway The French consortium Bouygues Travaux Publics, VINCI Construction Grands Projets, Dodin Campenon Bernard and Demathieu Bard Construction are constructing a 5,400 m bridge for a new offshore highway in Reunion Island, located East of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The new offshore highway (Route du Littoral) will connect Saint Denis – the administrative capital of La Réunion – with La Possession. It replaces the existing coastal road, which is exposed to falling rocks and flooding from swells and tropical storms. Enerpac Over Head Travel Crane (OHTC) The Over Head Travel Crane (OHTC) comprises two pairs of lifting beams, with an overall width of 30m, and a lifting capacity of 4,800 tonnes for lifting, moving and lowering the concrete blocks for the offshore highway. The crane is classified as A5 for the […]

As products age and give way to new technologies, the need arises to proactively plan and manage the transition from existing equipment to leading-edge products and technologies. Automation components, software and systems represent major capital investments that are instrumental to the success of industrial operations. In the face of rapidly changing markets and technologies, the industrial enterprise must keep step to remain competitive. Today’s contemporary automation systems offer unprecedented advancements in performance, flexibility, and security, with the potential to provide a competitive edge. Technology continues to advance at a rapid rate, accelerated by the emergence of the Industrial Internet of Things and advances in enabling technologies, including data analytics, remote monitoring and mobility. Rockwell Automation continues to incorporate these latest technologies in control and automation platforms and although the PLC-5 programmable logic controller has been a valuable part of their portfolio for more than 30 years, no technology can last forever. Modern control systems provide a higher level of integration, driving improved asset utilisation, increased system flexibility and easy access to information. The high performance, Rockwell Automation ControlLogix platform delivers the capabilities to converge production disciplines (discrete, motion, process and safety), including extreme environments and high availability applications, into an integrated plant-wide architecture enabling a connected enterprise. Information shared between Information Technology (IT) and Operations Technology (OT) across a secure network enables: ·         Greater production visibility, for quicker response to customer demand ·         Higher profit margins through improved inventory management, cycle times and quality control ·         Improved capacity and asset utilization, leading to greater Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) ·         Regulatory compliance and reduced exposure to security risks Migrating to the ControlLogix family of programmable automation controllers (PAC) provides the platform to leverage advancements in technology, including improved access to information, more informed business decisions, faster performance for more throughput and […]

With the world of manufacturing undergoing major disruptions brought on by new market forces and technologies, Autodesk has unveiled its unified portfolio of solutions for additive and subtractive manufacturing. The portfolio lets manufacturers take advantage of technology disruptions and improve competitiveness by creating higher quality products in less time with lower costs. The new solution brings together industry-leading products historically offered from Autodesk, Delcam, Netfabb, Pan Computing and Magestic Systems—including HSMWorks, Inventor HSM, Fusion 360, FeatureCAM, PowerMill, PartMaker (now included in FeatureCAM), PowerShape, PowerInspect and Netfabb—into one complete set of hybrid manufacturing solutions. Autodesk has long been a leader and innovator in 3D design, engineering and the technologies that expand the applications of industrial 3D printing, no product is really complete until it’s realised through physical manufacture. Autodesk has also become a leader in technologies that expand the applications of industrial 3D printing. Now, they are truly integrating the design, make and use phases of product development. This new set of solution goes big on the ‘make’ component—equipping manufacturers with all the software they need to go from digital design to real-world product. The portfolio spans computer aided manufacturing (CAM), additive manufacturing, composites, robotics fabrication, factory layout, inspection and modeling. It enables customers to solve complex manufacturing challenges and seamlessly connect design to machining. Within the portfolio offerings are cloud-connected capabilities designed to help users experience the benefits of a more cohesive manufacturing workflow and invest more time in product development. Cloud-capabilities give customers improved support for global manufacturing operations with universal access to software and data, and the cloud also enables fast and frequent software upgrades. What’s in the Autodesk portfolio for additive and subtractive manufacturing? Autodesk HSMWorks: A fully integrated CAM solution for SOLIDWORKS, allowing users to get up to speed and become productive within minutes using familiar […]