Smart Manufacturing

Millions lost in APAC carve-out deals

Third of global carve-outs fail to go to plan, with APAC most likely to experience deal delays, TMF Group research shows. The number of carve-out acquisitions is expected to rise as businesses in Asia-Pacific (APAC) look to restructure because of the COVID-19 turmoil. Those that do should approach with a note of caution after research revealed around a fifth of carve-outs result in millions of dollars wasted because of inefficiencies. While the deal economics of carve-outs can be very attractive, an independent survey, commissioned by TMF Group, found that 34% of senior executives from private equity firms with buy-side experience and 27% from corporations said their most recent cross-border carve-out failed to deliver on expectations, with 24% and 19%, respectively, saying costly overruns significantly impacted the deal. The survey also revealed that businesses in APAC were much more likely than those in other regions to experience deal delays (33%), against just 18% of those in the Americas and 16% in EMEA. Where a delay resulted in increased cost, a clear majority of those from private equity firms (92%) said it added 10% or more of the original value of the deal, with 30% saying more than 16%. The figure for corporates was equally high, with 85% claiming it increased add-on costs by 10% or more, and 38% at 16% or more – all considerable sums given that most of the carve-outs were valued at over US$ 50 million, and some more than US$1 billion. The research comes at a time when the market has seen a three-fold increase in the annual volume of spin-offs and carve-outs since 2016. The onset of COVID-19 will dampen deal volumes in the immediate period, but will create special situations for cash rich buyers as affected companies in the region look to restructure their […]

Yokogawa to provide control system and field instruments for gas-fired power plant in Turkmenistan

Yokogawa Turkey Industrial Automation Solutions A.S. (Yokogawa Turkey) has won an order to provide a control system and field instruments for the Zerger gas-fired power plant in Turkmenistan. The order was received from Renaissance Heavy Industries, a major construction company in Turkey that is involved in the construction of this plant for Turkmenenergo, a state-owned power utility in Turkmenistan. This is Yokogawa’s first control systems order for a power plant in this country. Turkmenistan is a resource rich country with the world’s fourth-largest natural gas reserves*1. The country continues to experience steady economic growth thanks to its exports of natural gas and production of cotton and other agricultural products. To aid in the reconstruction of the neighboring country of Afghanistan, the Turkmen government concluded an agreement based on which it will supply electricity to that country for a ten-year period, beginning in 2018. The main source of this electricity will be the Zerger power plant, which generates power using locally-sourced natural gas. Located in the Chardzhev district of Lebap Province, approximately 600 km northeast of Ashgabat, the country’s capital, this is a simple cycle gas turbine power plant that will have three gas turbines with a combined capacity of approximately 400 MW. Sumitomo Corporation is the prime engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for this project, and the plant’s turbines and generators are being supplied by Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS). To monitor and control the plant’s three gas turbines and auxiliary facilities, Yokogawa will provide the CENTUMTM VP integrated production control system, DPharp EJATM series differential pressure and pressure transmitters, and YTA610 temperature transmitters*2. Yokogawa Turkey will be in charge of providing engineering and support services for the installation and commissioning of this system, and will complete work on this project by September of this year. To provide support services, Yokogawa […]

OnRobot Soft Gripper highly flexible

The new OnRobot food-grade Soft Gripper is able to pick a wide array of irregular shapes and delicate items in food and beverage, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals production, as well as manufacturing or packaging Automation just got easier for food and beverage and other “clean” applications such as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals that need to handle items from eggs to fruit, to bottles or irregular-shaped containers. The flexible OnRobot Soft Gripper uses three interchangeable silicon-molded cups in star and four-finger configurations to pick up almost any small object under 2.2kg with a delicate, precise touch. The electric Soft Gripper is food-grade certified (complies with FDA 21 CFR for non-fatty items and EC 1935/2004) and unlike traditional vacuum grippers, it requires no external air supply, so it can reduce both cost and complexity. “Our new Soft Gripper is challenging existing solutions for picking hard-to-grasp, delicate and odd-sized items,” says CEO of OnRobot, Enrico Krog Iversen. “Unlike proprietary solutions, the Soft Gripper offers seamless integration with most collaborative robots and light industrial robots through our One System Solution.” OnRobot’s award-winning One System Solution is a platform that provides a unified mechanical and electrical interface between leading robot arms and any OnRobot end-of-arm tooling (EoAT). The One System Solution has been newly expanded to include integration with robots from ABB Robotics and Hanwha Precision Machinery. Now, users of those robots can take advantage of the unified mechanical and electrical interface of any OnRobot product, for easier integration and faster ROI. While the Soft Gripper is ideal for food and beverage applications, it also provides flexible, delicate gripping for manufacturing and packaging. Soft Gripper Features: Up to 2.2kg payload based on shape, softness and friction of items to be handled Grip dimensions ranging from 10mm-118mm depending on cup used FDA certification Flexible, interchangeable silicon cups Ideal […]

SDK Group to produce SPALF packaging material for large-scale LIBs

Showa Denko Packaging Co., Ltd. (SPA), a consolidated subsidiary of Showa Denko K.K. has developed a new product for its SPALF(TM) line of aluminum laminate films for packaging small-scale pouch type lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). and will install equipment to mass produce the new product, for large-scale LIBs and use in electric vehicles (EVs). The new production facility is scheduled for operation in March 2021. SPALF is a laminated composite film consisting of resins and aluminum foil, mainly used as packaging material for small-scale pouch type LIBs. SPALF enjoys a large global market share due to its superb insulation qualities and plasticity. It is more flexible for molding, more lightweight, and with better heat radiation characteristics than metal, so used as casing for small LIBs in devices such as smartphones and tablets. Recognised for its high quality with safety evaluations progressing, it is increasingly used in large-scale LIB applications, such as EVs. As the EV market is developing in China, following Europe, the Showa Denko Group has decided to install facilities to mass produce SPALF for large-scale LIBs. The Showa Denko Group’s Vision is of becoming a KOSEIHA Company, a group of KOSEIHA Businesses that can maintain profitability and stability at high levels over a long period. The global demand for LIBs (in electrical applications) is expected to increase 30% a year until 2025. The Showa Denko Group produces and sells various LIB materials with distinguishing advantages, such as SPALF(TM), VGCF(TM) additives for anode/cathode materials, and POLYSOL(TM) aqueous binding resin. By increasing sales of these LIB materials, the Group aims to contribute to the growth of the LIB market and the improvement of LIB functionality, and make the Group’s LIB materials business grow to become a KOSEIHA Business in the field of advanced battery materials. Showa Denko K.K. is a major […]

Aquila address waste processing/recycling industry with specialist glove

Aquila address recycling industry with specialist glove

The Aquila RE05F represents the purpose designed personal protection approach of Aquila for the waste processing and recycling industries, where the range of risks varies widely from process to process. Glove development for these applications makes life safer and more comfortable for operatives – in the case of the RE05F this is typically in a picking role at the conveyor belt stage where it provides extra protection from fast moving objects. The RE05F is cut resistant and double-coated with foam and full flat nitrile which provides excellent abrasion resistance. This is achieved with 100% cut resistant yarn throughout the glove (not just on the palm), followed by a two-stage foam and flat dip process, making the glove waterproof and chemical resistant, whilst maintaining an excellent grip and appropriate dexterity to suit general purpose usage. Related Aquila products for the waste processing/recycling industries include much of their impact protection range featuring TPE (thermal plastic elastomer) on back of hand and fingers for protection against fast moving hard/sharp objects at picking stations on conveyor belts. Good examples are the TOG4B with genuine Alkimos cut 4 yarn guaranteeing full cut resistance not just on the palm but throughout the glove. An additional nitrile coating with sandy finish greatly aids grip levels in both wet and dry environments, with excellent oil and chemical resistance. The sister TOG6W includes an extra comfortable brushed liner for added warmth – suitable for temperatures down to -30°C. Further information may be found at: www.aquilaglove.com

Engineers develop miniaturised “warehouse robots” for biotechnology applications

UCLA engineers have developed minuscule warehouse logistics robots that could help expedite and automate medical diagnostic technologies and other applications that move and manipulate tiny drops of fluid. The robots are disc-shaped magnets about 2 millimetres in diameter, designed to work together to move and manipulate droplets of blood or other fluids, with precision. For example, the robots can cleave one large droplet of fluid into smaller drops that are equal in volume for consistent testing. They can also move droplets into preloaded testing trays to check for signs of disease. The research team calls these robots “ferrobots” because they are powered by magnetism. The ferrobots can be programmed to perform massively parallelised and sequential fluidic operations at small-length scales in a collaborative manner. To control the robots’ motion, electromagnetic tiles in the chip pull the ferrobots along desired paths, much like using magnets to move metal chess pieces from underneath a chess board. “We were inspired by the transformational impact of networked mobile robot systems on manufacturing, storage and distribution industries, such as those used to efficiently sort and transport packages at Amazon warehouses,” said Sam Emaminejad, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and the study’s corresponding senior author. “So, we set out to implement the same level of automation and mobility in a microfluidic setting. But our ‘factory floor’ is much smaller, about the size of your palm, and our goods, the fluid droplets, are as small as a few tenths of a millimetre.” The “factory floor” is an index card-sized chip, designed by the researchers, with internal structures that help manipulate fluid droplets transported by the robots. In the same way that mobile and cross-collaborative Amazon robots transformed the logistics-based industries, this technology could transform various biotech-related industries, including medical diagnostics, drug development, genomics, and […]

How Omron keeps your production flowing

Flow sensors have been used throughout industry for many years. However, Omron’s new E8FC series introduces dual parameter sensing, where a single meter measures the temperature of a liquid, as well as its flow. The simultaneous monitoring temperatures means many more abnormalities can be detected than when only flow is measured. Typical applications are measuring cooling water used in moulding and welding. The water must not only flow, it must also be below a certain temperature to be effective. Faulty or substandard products could result if either is incorrect. Three different models are available, analogue only or analogue + IO Link (both with COM2 and COM3 baud rates). All models have a digital output for external alarm detection, which allows for easy replacement of existing units. The meter uses its IO Link channel to return the flow rate, temperature and a host of configurable alarm bits, set by threshold values. This allows users to keep a close eye on proceedings and even perform preventative maintenance functions if required. A four-digit high luminosity 7-segment display on the meter shows flow rate, temperature or percentages of what’s expected. It also has a large indicator that changes colour to alert users of potential flow and temperature problems. As the meter often needs to be mounted into a small or awkward space, it can be rotated up to 330° on its mounting. The display also has an “upsidedown” mode for when the meter needs to be mounted this way.

Coronovirus-drives-sales-Aus-Asia-MN-Websites

Coronavirus drives sales of hi-tech mobile x-ray units

Micro-X’s DRX Revolution Nanos are in hot demand. The Adelaide-based company reported to the Australian Securities Exchange that sales of its flagship lightweight mobile x-ray machine had reached $1.8 million for the quarter with $1 million worth of sales in the past 20 days. With almost four weeks of the March quarter remaining, the result has already dwarfed December quarter DRX Revolution Nano sales of $384,000 and is almost on par with the $1.9 million in sales achieved in the entire 2019 financial year. There is a requirement for urgent delivery of the latest batch of orders within a four-week time frame. These additional purchase orders are for delivery to Asia and Europe. The company said while the orders through its distributor Carestream Health did not specify the end customer, it was understood that due to the size and urgency of the orders, some of these Nano units were to be deployed in connection with the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. While the standard lead time for the delivery of a Nano is between 8-12 weeks from order date, Micro-X says it has been able to deliver its recent February orders within a time frame of approximately four weeks from order date. Early-stage diagnosis of coronavirus is by a blood test to confirm the infectious agent, and a chest x-ray is used as an essential part of diagnosis of the development and progression of the severity of the illness. Like with pneumonia, a chest x-ray is used to detect fluid in the lungs, particularly with patients presenting with severe acute respiratory distress. Micro-X managing director Peter Rowland said the mobile x-ray imaging units offered a flexibility of use most suited to the requirements of infection control procedures and also the nature of temporary hospital quarantine buildings. “With the alarming state of […]

Moore Nanotechnology announces Shanghai Tech Centre grand opening

Moore Nanotechnology Systems (“Nanotech”), a leading global supplier of ultra-precision machining systems, and DKSH, the leading Market Expansion Services Group in greater China, announce the grand opening of their Ultra-Precision Machining (UPM) demo, training and applications centre in the Minhang District of Shanghai, China. The 350 m2 facility will allow Nanotech customers access to both classroom and hand-on demonstration of their model 250UPLV2 compact diamond turning lathe, which is used for the production of spherical and aspherical optical lenses, mold pins, mirrors, freeform optics and other ultra-precise mechanical components. In addition to single point diamond turning, the centre will also offer access to associated metrology equipment, Applications Engineering and NanoCAM4 software-support through the form of training, conferences, and 1:1 meetings. Scott Gerhart, Vice President Sales and Marketing for Nanotech, stated, “Nanotech continues to see strong growth throughout Asia, to include applications specific to camera modules, consumer-electronic products and automotive segments. It’s the appropriate time to join our regional partner DKSH and demonstrate our commitment to customers through this state-of-the-art center.” Mr. Gerhart continued, “A facility like this is only as good as the people you bring on board to support it, which is why we’re so excited to welcome Dr. David Robinson to the Nanotech Team. Dr. Robinson’s long tenure as Associate Director for Precision Optics at Durham University, UK, coupled with his sterling reputation as a pioneer in diamond turning, makes him the perfect choice to lead these application activities – working hand-in-hand with DKSH.” Oliver Hammel, Managing Director for DKSH Technology Systems China, added, “The investment we’re making in this world-class facility demonstrates how committed we are to build the brand presence of our key partners in China. DKSH will now be able to provide best-in-class solution-engineering services, along with diamond-turning test cuts, on-site in China. We could […]

Up-skilling workforce crucial to arrest job losses due to automation across ASEAN

In the high growth ASEAN countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam) more than 50% jobs are vulnerable due to automation in the long run. As a result, up-skilling the workforce becomes a pre-requisite for strong, sustained and balanced growth of the economy, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. The traditional educational and training institutes are yet to adopt according to the changing times, leading to a huge skill mismatch in these countries. Consequently, the structural unemployment in countries such as Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam has been rising. Kausani Basak, Economic Research Analyst at GlobalData, says: “The labor market in countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam are already facing heat from high unemployment among people with basic education. On the other hand, these countries also have a huge working age population, thus further adding to the issues.” Hotels and restaurants; wholesale and retail trade; and construction and manufacturing are the sectors which are particularly staring at the risk of job losses due to automation. More specifically, hundreds of thousands of sowing machine operators in Cambodia’s garment manufacturing, millions of shop sales assistants and office clerks in Thailand and Indonesia, respectively, are expected to experience high volume of job losses. The emerging new occupations that are replacing the old ones require up-graded skills that will deepen their competencies and enhance career prospects. In the recent years, there has been a rising concern among the governments to reduce the skills mismatch and as a result they have taken some preliminary steps towards increasing the technological education penetration and re-designing the existing curriculum. Countries such as Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia have been substantially emphasizing on the skill development of workers. However, these measures are not providing enough support so as to integrate the workers into the labor force seamlessly. Nevertheless, […]

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