Smart Manufacturing

Grundfos honoured as ‘Top Best Supplier’ by Taiwan’s M-Team for third consecutive year

M-Team Chairman Jui-Mu Hsieh (left) hands the ‘Top Best Supplier’ award to John Pien, Grundfos Taiwan’s Plant Director Grundfos Taiwan has been named by the Taiwan Machine Tool Manufacturers Alliance, or M-Team, as ‘Top Best Supplier’ for the third year running, the highest accolade recognising exceptionalperformance and industrial excellence amongst its members from the machine toolsindustry. Grundfos Taiwan first joined the M-Team as a supplier in 2012. After winning the ‘Best Supplier’ award for three consecutive years in 2014, 2015, and 2016, Grundfos Taiwan was conferred the title of ‘Top Best Supplier’ first in 2016, and then subsequently again in 2017, and recently 2018. The award ceremony was held in conjunction with M-Team’s annual general meeting. The ‘Top Best Supplier’ award was inaugurated in 2016, with the aim of recognising outstanding suppliers who have won the ‘Best Supplier’ award for three consecutive years, distinguishing themselves as being amongst the industry’s very best. Grundfos Taiwan’s Plant Director Mr. John Pien said, “We are honoured to be recognised once again, by an industry alliance, as a leader in supplying pumping solutions to the machine tool market. This award is testament to our commitment in leading industry innovation by focusing on local infrastructure and technology development.” “We are proud that our solutions continue to rank among the top in the world, not only in terms of quality, but also in terms of serving the needs of the industries and people in the markets we operate in.” Mr. Pien added. In selecting this year’s winners, M-Team auditors visited all of its suppliers and evaluated their performance based on criteria around lean operation, business, technology, and service. For 2018, Grundfos Taiwan was the only multinational supplier to receive the “Top Best Supplier’ title. The M-Team first began as a collaboration between four major machine tools […]

Hindustan Zinc Limited and Normet sign comprehensive four-year service contract

Udaipur, Rajasthan, India – Normet and Hindustan Zinc Ltd have signed a comprehensive four-year Cost Per Hour (CPH) service contract covering all Normet equipment in Hindustan Zinc Ltd’s mines in Rajasthan, India. The value of the contract will approximately 60 MEUR over the 4 years’ time. Operational and service improvements are part of the contract: Normet SmartCare service management system enables efficient service management and development of service operations to next level. Additionally, Normet has built a new Service Center in Jaipur to ensure customer service close to customer. Development of new innovative services and training both Hindustan Zinc and Normet staff is also included. “Signing this contract shows the strong partnership between Hindustan Zinc and Normet. Together we have transformed our co-operation to next level – with strong business alignment. We are proud to be part of the development of Hindustan Zinc’s underground mining for even better safety, efficiency and productivity.”, says Robin Lindahl CEO and President of Normet Group. “Normet has shown good performance and commitment to develop together with us world class underground mining operations. The contract will not only improve the performance and utilisation of the Hindustan Zinc operations, but it will also enable driving safety to the next level. Normet and Hindustan Zinc will have a great and exciting future further developing and raising the bar for mining in India,” say Sunil Duggal, CEO Hindustan Zinc.

Lantronix expands partnership with Ingram Micro in China

Lantronix, Inc. a global provider of secure data access and management solutions for the industrial Internet of Things (IoT), has announced the addition of new channel relationship supporting the Asia Pacific & Japan (APJ) region. The company has signed a new distributor agreement with Ingram Micro Inc., a global wholesale provider of technology products and supply chain management service. Under the terms of the new agreement, Ingram Micro Inc. will provide advanced logistics, product delivery, and distribution services for Lantronix external IoT device gateways and IT management solutions in China. “As a leader in providing knowledge-driven IT solutions to the Chinese market since 1997, Ingram Micro prides itself on partnering with established brands like Lantronix,” said Patrick Shao, vice president and managing director Ingram Micro PRC. “We’re excited to add Lantronix’s innovative portfolio of industrial and networking solutions to our catalogue of best-of-breed products.” “We’re pleased to add Ingram Micro to the growing list of Lantronix Asia Pacific partners,” said Kevin Yoder, Lantronix vice president of sales. “China represents a growth market for us, and the expansion of our relationship with Ingram Micro will allow us to further our reach and support new customers with our industry-leading IT management and IoT solutions.” About Lantronix Lantronix, Inc. is a global provider of secure data access and management solutions for Internet of Things (IoT) assets. Their mission is to be the leading supplier of IoT solutions that enable companies to dramatically simplify the creation, deployment, and management of IoT projects while providing secure access to data for applications and people. With more than two decades of experience in creating robust machine to machine (M2M) technologies, Lantronix is an innovator in enabling customers to build new business models and realise the possibilities of the Internet of Things. Connectivity solutions are deployed inside millions […]

200 MHz, 4-channel oscilloscopes ensure measurements at affordable price

Keysight Technologies, Inc. a leading technology company that helps enterprises, service providers, and governments accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world, has announced the 200 MHz, 4-channel models of the InfiniiVision 1000 X-Series oscilloscopes, providing professional-level measurements and capabilities at an affordable price, including 4-wire Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) decode and remote connection via local area networks (LANs). The new InfiniiVision 1000 X-Series oscilloscopes use the same user interface and measurement technology found in the higher performance Keysight InfiniiVision oscilloscopes. The intuitive front panel is easy-to-use and features built-in help enabling customers to quickly understand oscilloscope functions and improve overall test efficiency. Seventeen complementary training signals are preloaded to ensure rapid use of the advanced measurement and analysis capabilities inherent in the InfiniiVision 1000 X-Series. These training signals can also be used in conjunction with the free educator’s training kit, which includes a comprehensive oscilloscope lab guide and oscilloscope fundamentals slide set. “Visualising electrical signals to understand both timing and voltage relationships is one of the most important sources of insights for the electrical engineering community,” said Teit Poulsen, director, Altoo Measurement Science. “Keysight’s new 4 channel DSOX1000 series oscilloscopes provide the highest level of signal insight and functionality at an unprecedented low price point while retaining the legendary Keysight quality. Allowing more engineers greater insight in the behaviour of their electrical designs.” The InfiniiVision 1000 X-Series models are bandwidth upgradable via software license, enabling customers to purchase the bandwidth needed now, and upgrade as designs evolve in the future. The InfiniiVision 1000 X-Series oscilloscopes are available at 70, 100, and 200 MHz of bandwidth and accelerate innovations with: • Custom Keysight MegaZoom IV ASIC technology which delivers 50,000 waveforms per second update rate and 2 GSa/s sample rate which allows visualization of random and infrequent glitches and anomalies […]

The US$500 billion inventor

Materials scientist and physicist Dr Tuomo Suntola, who recently won the Millennium Technology Prize 2018 for his invention of atomic layer deposition (ALD), will be participating in the Global Young Scientists Summit (GYSS) 2019 in Singapore, 20-25 January 2019. From laptops to smartphones, many of the electronic devices that we take for granted today would not have been possible without the work of Finnish materials scientist and physicist Dr Tuomo Suntola. In the early 1970s, Dr Suntola developed a way of producing ultra-thin films, one atomic layer at a time that can be used to coat the surface of any material. This technique, called atomic layer deposition (ALD), has been used to improve the performance of computer chips, create high-efficiency solar power cells, and even protect coins and telescope mirrors. It also enabled modern nanometre-scale integrated circuits, which are essential components in virtually all-modern computers and smartphones, and many other electronic equipment. Today, the market value of consumer electronics that rely on the technique exceeds US$500 billion (S$684.5 billion). For his far-reaching work, Dr Suntola was awarded the biennial Millennium Technology Prize, considered the Nobel Prize of technology, in 2018. Dr Suntola, who will be a speaker at the Global Young Scientists Summit (GYSS) 2019, to be held in Singapore from 20 to 25 Jan, said that ALD could also play a key role in creating the next generation of batteries for electric vehicles and other products. “It can also be used for the manufacturing of new materials with as-yet unknown properties,” he said. A serial inventor Even as a child, Dr Suntola was interested in technology. He built wooden miniature replicas of World War II fighter planes, his first transistor radio at the age of 12 when the first transistors became available in Finland, and graduated to constructing radios […]

Mastercam 2019 Lathe a comprehensive turning software

From accepting and programming any CAD file to Dynamic roughing and precision finishing, Mastercam 2019 Lathe provides a variety of techniques to turn all of your parts exactly as you need them. Mastercam 2019 Lathe features a new Tool Designer, Mill-Turn Environments, Multiple Plunge, and so much more. 3D Tool Support Build tools from 3D STEP models using the new Tool Designer. The Tool Designer is a function panel with tab-style navigation, providing a structured workflow that is similar to using a wizard. You can define tools, assign them to operations, and view them when running Classic Backplot and Mastercam Simulator. Mill-Turn Environments Mastercam 2019 allows Lathe users to run select Mill-Turn machine environments, giving users the productivity benefits of Mastercam’s Mill-Turn programming environment. Experience automated job setup and part transfer, full machine simulation, and simplified programming of C/Y axis toolpaths. Multiple Plunge The Lathe Groove toolpath includes a Multiple Plunge option which allows you to rough out a groove with rib cuts. This is beneficial when you are concerned about tool deflection. Consistent tool pressure can result in better chip control, and more even tool wear. Multiple Plunge gives you the option to machine the ribs with a more aggressive feed rate than the initial plunges. Also available in the Mastercam 2019 Lathe is: Improved support for cross-centerline turning. Support for Swiss machines. Swiss users with active Lathe and Mill/Mill 3D licenses can now take advantage of familiar Lathe and Mill toolpaths (available in the United States). Full integration of the PrimeTurning toolpath. Mastercam 2019 features improved tool libraries, including 3D tool libraries and the introduction of 3D tool support.

Fujitsu develops single-panel antenna to support multiple 5G communications

Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. has announced the development of the world’s first equipment technology to enable simultaneous communications to four users with a single antenna panel in the 28-GHz band, in the world’s most compact structure. The equipment delivers high-speed communications in excess of 10 Gbps, as required by 5G mobile communication formats. The use of 5G is premised on deployment of base stations with comparatively small coverage areas placed every few tens of meters. Given this, it will be necessary to have equipment of a compact size that can be deployed anywhere. Conventional 5G system structures require use of an antenna panel for each terminal when simultaneously transmitting to multiple terminals. Now, by controlling with high accuracy the phase (angle) of signals separately emitted from 128 antenna elements, Fujitsu Laboratories has suppressed the interference between signals. This enables simultaneous communications in four directions using only one antenna panel. Moreover, the company can vary signals in both horizontal and vertical directions, successfully expanding the communications area. With these developments, components can now be fit on a single 13 cm2 printed circuit board, instead of two or more antenna panels required with conventional technology. This will enable the deployment of compact base stations and high-speed 5G communications in locations where many people gather, such as around train stations and in stadiums. Development Background The spread of smartphones, 4K image resolution, and VR has raised demand for high-speed wireless communication. Meanwhile, problems like transmission delays and poor connections due to insufficient wireless communications capacity are occurring in urban centers, stadiums, and event venues, and anywhere many people gather. To remedy these shortcomings, the development of 5G, which uses the millimeter wave band to secure a wide frequency band, is being carried out globally, with the goal of commercial deployment around 2020. While 5G […]

Inaugural Meeting of Singapore’s Advisory Council on the Ethical Use of AI and Data

Singapore’s Advisory Council on the Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data convened for their inaugural meeting on Friday, Nov 30. The Advisory Council[1] brings together transnational thought leaders and industry captains from diverse backgrounds spanning the spectrum of large tech providers, users, the academia and government. Members comprise international leaders in AI such as Google, Microsoft and Alibaba; advocates of social and consumer interests; and leaders of local companies who are keen users of AI. Council members had a robust discussion on the ethical use of AI and data. This included discussion on the paper released by the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) in June 2018 on the responsible development and adoption of AI. There were many suggestions given on how to improve the draft model framework. The Advisory Council called for broader engagement and consultation of the draft model framework. The meeting is a timely reminder of how a private-public relationship is necessary to enable the Digital Economy. A trusted AI ecosystem is critical for industries to effectively adopt innovative emerging technologies and business models, while ensuring strong consumer confidence, protection and participation. In the area of data and data-driven technologies like AI, the development of responsible practices must be informed by diverse views and a global perspective. Singapore aims to contribute to the global discourse by proposing a pragmatic governance framework that translates ethical principles into practice. An updated draft will be made available soon. Senior Minister of State Dr Janil Puthucheary said, “I am especially thankful for the attendance of a strong and diverse transnational mix of members, including tech giants, companies large and small, users, academia and government. Building a future Digital Economy with a trusted AI ecosystem is critical.” The Advisory Council is one of three structured, interlinked initiatives[2] to support the engagement […]

Grundfos collaborates with Cambodia to improve water security

New partnership to strengthen the country’s access to water through intelligent water solutions Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Global pumps leader Grundfos and the Ministry of Industry & Handicraft, Cambodia today confirmed that they will exchange a Letter of Intent to strengthen cooperation in water management, in an effort to reduce the cost of water and increase access to clean, quality water in the country. His Excellency Cham Prasidh, Minister of Industry & Handicraft, Cambodia and Mr. Leong Chee Khuan, Area Managing Director – South Asia, Grundfos highlighted that the Letter of Intent will include an endorsement of Grundfos by the Cambodian government, welcoming its latest technology and business models to reduce non-revenue water and boost water management efficiency. One of the biggest water management challenges for Cambodia is its water infrastructure, which is prone to leakages and insufficient water pressure when serving cities and provinces during peak hours of water consumption. This leads to cases experiencing up to 40 per cent in non-revenue water (NRW), or water that is lost or otherwise unaccounted for in the system. H.E. Cham Prasidh said, “As Cambodia’s economy grows rapidly, we’ve seen an increasing demand for clean water, and we expect this demand to increase to 0.8 million cubic metres per day by 2025, and to one million cubic meters per day by 2030. This will place more pressure on our water utility facilities to provide efficient and reliable water access. “We are excited to work with an industry leader like Grundfos to improve Cambodia’s access to clean, quality water. We believe Grundfos’ innovative technology and solutions will have significant impact on our water management systems.” Mr. Leong Chee Khuan, Grundfos said, “Grundfos is committed to helping Cambodia strengthen the quality, reliability and sustainability of its water supply. We are pleased to work with the […]

People, not technology, shape the future of manufacturing

These are exciting times for manufacturing. A plethora of recent technological developments creates radically new opportunities for how we develop, manufacture, and deliver products globally. The headlines proclaim that “the robots are coming”, “jobs will be automated”, and “digitalisation is revolutionising production”. Many managers are excited, baffled, or both. Many jobseekers are worried. Three decades ago, leadership expert Warren Bennis envisioned that “the factory of the future will have only two employees: a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog. The dog will be there to keep the man from touching the equipment.” While this vision is witty, the idea of the fully automated “lights-out” factory still lingers. But there’s a different vision for the future of manufacturing, where people take centre stage. A vision where people make use of new technology to enable sustainable, socially responsible, and efficient manufacturing. In this context, putting people first may seem surprising. After all, have we not been told that robotics and digitalisation will complete processes more effectively and efficiently than humans? That machine learning is training machines to train machines? That artificial intelligence is even entering company boardrooms? While this may hold true for some tasks, the vast amount of other tasks will in fact remain largely unaffected in the near term. To debunk a myth: robots are automating processes, not jobs. What’s more, we think that these technological developments are good, not bad, for workers. Increased productivity frees up human resources to do tasks where humans are superior to machines. One example of such a task is the development of new technologies in the first place. Another equally important task is to figure out how to best apply them. People must map production processes, identify the nodes where technology is needed, and reskill the persons […]

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