Worldwide Engineering Magazine - December Issue

www.worldwide-engineering.com December Issue

Featuring within this issue

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Contents

Worldwide Engineering Magazine

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Providing timely industry news, exclusive features on advancing technology, equipment, materials, show previews, content marketing services for our valued clients and much more!

The world’s fastest digital manufacturer of custom prototypes

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The Fully-Electric Future Of The DTM

Wearable Connectivity Solutions

new Series and Innovation Partner of the German Touring Car

Quick Detach System allows to easily convert flexible material

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Delta Selected For DJSI World

FLIR New C3-X Compact Thermal Camera

Delta Electronics’ active response to the severe challenges of climate

effectively inspect, diagnose, and document trouble spots

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“NANOTALKS” With Leading Micro Molder

Precision Magnetic Encoders

technology solutions that absolutely resonate with market needs

Easy loading of drilling and reaming tools and pipeline sections

Protolabs’ New E-Commerce Platform

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Siemens & T Freemantle Toast Successful Partnership With Growth In Global Craft Brewery Market

Siemens and packaging machinery manufacturer T Freemantle are toasting a partnership which has developed an innovative range of solutions specifically for the global craft brewery market.

“Packaging machines available to the sector were not suitable as they were designed for large volumes. The brewery market needed something more bespoke for small to medium volumes.”

the family-owned business is predicting significant growth in the craft brewery sector following the adoption of new technologies to develop the bespoke can and bottle multipack cartoning machines.

The collaboration designed and built three solutions capable of packing a range of can or bottle sizes and counts and operating at varying speed.

“Our partnership with Siemens has offered a solution to the industry and helped our business penetrate a new global market.”

The machines offer those breweries looking to scale up the opportunity to deliver multipack carton board retail packs, as well as meet the increasing demand for more environmentally friendly packaging.

T Freemantle, based in Scunthorpe, has received 20 orders in the last 18 months, including The London Beer Factory; Vocation; Beavertown, Northern Monk and Thornbridge. T Freemantle saw a gap in the market and approached its preferred technology supplier, Siemens Digital Industries, to develop these bespoke machines for the craft brewery market. There are 20,000 global brewers of which 10 per cent are in the UK alone, making it an excellent springboard for international business development.

Siemens deployed its total integrated automation solutions from Simatic HMI, range of Servo geared motors and PLCs to develop the new machines which are optimised to meet specific human machine interface needs, using open and standardised interfaces in hardware and software which allow efficient integration into the lifecycle of the machine’s automation.

Tony Freemantle, Managing Director, T Freemantle said: “As craft breweries become more successful, they are looking to scale up. The next step after their own tap rooms is to supply retail and get onto the supermarket shelves.

“Traditional packaging machines handle significant volumes, which are completely unnecessary for our customers.

After more than 40 years serving the food, beverage and household goods sectors,

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This allows manufacturers flexibility in production processes, integration into new technologies with scalability into Internet of Things (IoT) software solutions. The increase in efficiency which is delivered makes it possible for a faster time to market of the products.

Tony Freemantle added: “It validates our decision three years ago to make Siemens our preferred supplier of

technology for all our machines.

Siemens offers us world-leading technology coupled with a high level of technical support and assistance at the point of commission to ensure a smooth installation to our customers.”

T Freemantle is now offering its customers various options including the starter model multi pack which works well for smaller breweries as these are manually packed.

The three machines all include a full deployment of Siemens technology including HMI, Servo drive, Control gear and Programmable logic controller (PLC).

The semi-automatic and the high speed fully automated packaging solution, which connected directly to a canning line, have a speed range of handling cans or bottles from 3,000 to 35,000 per hour.

The specifically developed semiautomatic beverage cartoning machine is perfectly suited to can and bottle multi-packs in counts from 4 to 24 and can run comfortably at a rate of up to 14,000 cans or bottles per hour.

T Freemantle clients can also look forward to producing 100% recyclable cans and cardboard packaging, where shrink wrap or plastic rings become redundant. It also helps in reducing packaging waste.

Siemens Digital Industries’ Andy Lane, OEM Business Development Manager for UK said: “We are delighted that our relationship with T Freemantle has grown from technology suppliers to partner in creating innovative solutions and opening new markets.

“I believe this collaboration is just the first of many for both of our businesses.”

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Schaeffler Demonstrates Pioneering Spirit & Innovation

- Schaeffler is the new Series and Innovation Partner of the German Touring Car Masters (DTM) - As preferred technology partner, Schaeffler is contributing to the electrification of the DTM with electric drive systems and steerby-wire - Matthias Zink: “Collaboration demonstrates pioneering spirit and innovation, and underlines our desire, as technology partner, to make progress that has an impact on the world.”

- New claim: “We pioneer motion”. As preferred technology partner, partnership underlines desire to make progress Birmingham, UK | 11. November 2020 | At the final DTM race weekend of 2020, Schaeffler is showing what the future of the DTM will look like: it is green and electric. As the new Series and Innovation Partner of the DTM, Schaeffler and the umbrella organisation, ITR (Internationale Tourenwagen Rennen e.V.) are presenting a demonstration car at the Hockenheimring, which has four battery-powered Schaeffler drivetrains – one

for each wheel – and is also equipped with Space Drive steer-by-wire technology. The prototype is driven by Formula E driver Daniel Abt and two-time DTM champion Timo Scheider, as well as Schaeffler Brand Ambassador, Sophia Flörsch.

We are looking forward to the partnership,” said Matthias Zink, CEO Automotive Technologies at Schaeffler. “Our innovative e-drive technologies have been producing success in Formula E since 2014 and are now also used in production vehicles.

The collaboration demonstrates pioneering spirit and innovation, and underlines our desire, as technology partner, to make progress that has an impact on the world.”

Demonstration car generates almost 1,200 hp The demonstration car in action at the Hockenheimring generates almost 1,200 hp with 800 kW – that is virtually twice as much power as the current DTM cars (over 450 kW). The car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.4 seconds, making it roughly 0.4 seconds faster than the current Schaeffler BMW M4 DTM. It also features Space Drive steer-by-wire technology, which has been successfully

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tried and tested in motorsport, as well as integrated vehicle dynamics control to control the four motors. In its role as a development platform for the electric DTM, outings are planned at DTM events in 2021.

It is then possible that the DTM will be a fully-electric race series from 2023.

“We pioneer motion”.

Schaeffler loves partnerships, particularly when they nurture future technologies The global automotive and industrial supplier has only recently launched a new image campaign, with the goal of positioning the corporate brand of Schaeffler and communicating the new claim “We pioneer motion”. At the heart of the campaign is the concept “Green makes the difference”, which symbolises that Schaeffler is a trailblazer when it comes to motion.

Matthias Zink: “The partnership with the DTM is perfectly suited to Schaeffler. As a pioneer, we want to challenge the status quo and push the boundaries – and, in doing so, to make a difference.”

You can find more information on the campaign at the microsite “We pioneer motion”.

CICV Forum Teams Up With Construction Scotland Innovation Centre To Launch New Be Covid Smart Digital Learning Toolkit

In its latest initiative to help Scotland’s building sector get safely back to work, the Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum has used cutting-edge technology to create a digital learning toolkit to promote best practice.

Working closely with Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC), which links business, university experts and public sector providers, the Forum this week (w/b November 9) launched the Be Covid Smart training and learning programme.

Using a series of digital scenarios, this immersive online training programme aims to raise awareness of COVID-19 safety by: - Educating those working on site, in homes or in places of learning - Encouraging the use of safe working and learning, and - Empowering the construction workforce to call out unsafe behaviour.

Recognising that the safe return of workers to site is a challenge within Scotland, Be Covid Smart provides a fun, easy-to-use,

quiz-based toolkit that can be accessed via mobile, tablet, or laptop, and which will be hosted on the CSIC website.

Iain McCaskey, Head of Devolved Nations at the Building Engineering Services Association and Head of the CICV Forum Skills Group, who is leading the programme, said: “The Forum had identified the need not only for a safe return to work but also for reassurance for apprentices their families and employers.

“This innovative learning solution will not only raise awareness of safety in the current climate but also identify and test the user’s knowledge of the necessary steps to take to protect themselves and others.

“Be Covid Smart will be available to everyone within Scottish construction to use freely.

However, initial targets will primarily be small site operators and companies employing apprentices, as we feel this is where support is needed.”

The toolkit will start by supporting domestic work and apprentices and their colleges, and will explore the health and safety aspects of working within a college workshop,

manoeuvring around the building and how to get to and from work or college.

Lisa Deane, Lead Future Skills Manager at CSIC, said: “We are launching the platform with Place of Learning and Domestic Work modules, followed closely

by On-Site modules.

“We’ve worked closely with the Glasgow School of Art to bring an innovative and fun way to learn important COVID-19 safety best practice, which we hope will give the workforce, businesses and customers confidence that the industry promotes high safety standards.

“This is a new approach to engaging learning within the construction industry, which can be continually updated as circumstances change and which could also support markets outside of Scotland who are interested in the innovative ways we’re dealing with a safe return to work.”

The new project was one of six funded by CSIC’s i-Con Challenge Fund, an initiative to support the construction industry with innovative solutions to challenged brought about by COVID-19.

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Delta Selected For DJSI World For The Tenth Year In A Row

For Delta Electronics’ active response to the severe challenges of climate change, the company has been selected for several of the 2020 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI). Delta was named to DJSI World for the tenth consecutive year, as well as industry leader in electronic equipment, instruments, and components for the fifth time in three consecutive years, and also selected for the DJSI Emerging Markets for the eighth consecutive year. In 2020, Delta continues to be highly competitive in the DJSI’s evaluations of the world’s leading companies.

In addition to obtaining the highest environmental scores in the industry, Delta’s total environmental and social score set a record high. DJSI awarded Delta the highest scores for seven major items in the global electronic equipment industry, commending Delta’s emphasis on and implementation of the three sustainability dimensions of environment, society, and

corporate governance (ESG).

In particular, Delta responded to climate change by setting a science-based target (SBT) of 56.6% in 2017, after which its renewable energy use in 2019 reached 44.1% to achieve its 2019 target of a 29% reduction in carbon intensity.

Mr. Jesse Chou, Chief Sustainability Officer of Delta, said that Delta actively implements its corporate mission: “To provide innovative, clean, and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow.”

Delta invests around 8% of its total revenue every year in innovative research and development (R&D), continues to develop more eco-friendly products and solutions based on the core technology of power electronics, and strives to conserve energy and reduce carbon emissions, while fully disclosing the company’s goals and performance in ESG to fulfill its corporate social responsibility.

Delta has reached its SBT for two consecutive

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years, and the proportion of renewable energy it uses has increased significantly to 44.1% to actively contribute to keeping global warming below 1.5oC. In addition, Delta has called on the public to pay attention to water issues through a tour of its 8K environmental documentary “Water with Life in Taiwan” launched by Delta’s foundation to educate society.

Delta’s various efforts have received high recognition by the outside world. In the latest DJSI evaluation, Delta obtained the highest scores for seven items in the global electronic equipment industry, including four full scores in “Innovation Management,” “Environmental Reports,” “Social Reports,” and “Climate Strategy” as well as the highest scores in “Code of Conduct”, “Product Responsibility,” and “Human Rights Management.” This demonstrates Delta is not only dedicated to investing in innovation and R&D, improving

resource efficiency and increasing the proportion of renewable energy it uses, but that Delta also pays attention to human rights and takes into account ESG development. This has resulted in DJSI naming Delta an industry leader a total of five times in three consecutive years.

In order to strengthen talent competitiveness and promote sustainable development, Delta proactively recruits key talents from universities and colleges around the world, expands its

internal knowledge platform and expert community, and facilitates diversified innovation.

The company provides a care system superior to what is stipulated in the law to take care of employees through comprehensive health management and to help them achieve work-life balance. Delta also continues to promote sustainability concepts to society through the 8K environmental documentary “Water with Life in Taiwan� launched by the Delta Electronics Foundation for educational purposes.

The documentary has been seen by tens of thousands of viewers, including government policy makers as well as corporate and media executives, as it calls their collective attention to critical water resource issues.

For more information please visit: www.delta-emea.com

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Industrial Camera Manufacturer IDS Invests In The Future intended to be a forum for all those who bring fresh ideas with them. “Technological progress, socio-cultural change and new work can best be shaped with specialist knowledge, methodological competence and soft skills,” emphasises academy director Miriam Brenner.

Since 1997, the company has been developing and producing high-quality products for industrial image processing at its Obersulm site. Driven by a pioneering spirit and the will to create something really new, founder and owner Jürgen Hartmann has managed to become one of the largest manufacturers of industrial cameras with IDS. With technological foresight and a keen sense of future developments, IDS once made the USB interface for the camera sector suitable for industrial use.

IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH has expanded its headquarters in ObersulmWillsbach – after a construction period of about one and a half years, the technology centre b39 could be moved into. “Despite Covid 19, the work went almost without a hitch,” says managing director Jan Hartmann. “We are very pleased that with the new building we can provide our employees with an ultramodern and at the same time very attractive place to work”.

With more than 4,500 square meters of total space, there are a total of 52 offices and six conference rooms of completely different design, as well as an event room with space for up to 200 people. On the top floor, a loft-like open space area with individually designed meeting corners offers plenty of inspiration for creative work.

Height-adjustable desks, ergonomic chairs, shower rooms with towel service and a company restaurant supplied by regional producers with meals subsidised by the employer

are further benefits for the employees. Also new is the multi-storey car park behind the building, which has 262 parking spaces and charging stations for electric cars.

Platform A central aspect of the striking new building is also its use as a platform for further education.

Although, due to the current situation, hardly any face-to-face events are possible at present, this will of course change in the future. On the one hand, the spacious premises will be used by IDS itself to train employees in product- specific topics. On the other hand, the b39 Academy, a new branch of IDS, is located there. The aim is to jointly promote the development of digital specialist, methodological and technical skills, for example through event cooperation and knowledge transfer on topics such as image processing technology and artificial intelligence. Contacts with early-stage start-ups are also a focus. The innovative new building is

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Artificial Intelligence A total of three different product lines enable a limitless spectrum of applications in the fields of equipment, plant and mechanical engineering as well as in non-industrial areas such as medical technology, agriculture or logistics. In addition to powerful USB, GigE and 3D cameras, the latest innovation is the visionary product platform IDS NXT with artificial intelligence – a new generation of vision systems for industrial applications. In future, the company, which has around 300 employees, will thus offer not only cameras but also easyto-use and flexible complete systems for image processing.

In addition to artificial intelligence, IDS is currently focusing on the technology trends of machine vision and robotic applications, which are generating growing demand in the 3D segment for camera manufacturers.

Further information: www.ids-imaging.com

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Dyneo+ From Nidec Leroy-Somer Significantly Reduces The Energy Consumption Of The Industrial Refrigeration Process

Companies that use industrial refrigeration equipment have long been aware of the impact that the power consumption of a refrigeration installation can have both on energy bills and on the environment. The cold compressor, at the heart of the system, remains the most energy-hungry element, and can represent up to 80% of total power consumption. Electric motors, which are ubiquitous in the cold chain, constitute the main source of potential energy savings.

Thanks to its expertise in the design and manufacture of industrial drive systems, Nidec Leroy-Somer offers a wide range of drive solutions at fixed or variable speed, providing significant energy savings on the refrigeration market. In addition to these complete and well-established ranges for this sector, Nidec Leroy-Somer has

just launched its new Dyneo+ synchronous reluctance PM motor, ranging from 11 to 500 kW, for speeds of up to 4500 rpm. Specially designed for variable speed, this motor offers an economic and ecological solution for the requirements of industrial refrigeration.

To address the energy transition challenges, the European Parliament recently voted, on 8 October 2020, in favour of a new ambitious climate law targeting 60% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and climate neutrality by 2040. As part of this approach, the latest Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/1781, applicable to electric motors and variable speed drives, defines and schedules increasingly stringent efficiency levels for machines sold on the European market. Every industry and in particular the most energy-intensive ones is

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affected by these developments, designed to help protect the environment, not least considering that the cost of electricity is likely to climb significantly in the years to come.

With its IE5 Ultra-Premium efficiency level, Dyneo+ has all it takes to rise to this energy challenge, offering as it does substantive energy savings in real conditions of use over the course of the cycle, at variable speed and load, as is typical with industrial refrigeration, where needs fluctuate considerably according to season and production level. Thanks to its energy performance, the Dyneo+ solution makes it possible to significantly increase the COP (“Coefficient of Performance�, expressed by the ratio between refrigeration capacity produced and power consumption) of a refrigeration

unit. As well as helping to reduce the carbon footprint, the range offers a TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) among the lowest on the market, and for rapid return on investment, generally in less than one year.

Dyneo+ motors are designed to operate exclusively with a variable frequency drive, allowing them to adapt to the speed of the machine being run and improve its performance when operating in overspeed.

This provides the benefit of additional refrigeration capacity for a given device, thereby avoiding having to start up another compressor during a production peak. Moreover, the Dyneo+ solution enables optimisation of the number of compressors for a given installation. Delivering precise speed and torque control in sensorless mode, it guarantees constant torque over extensive speed ranges, with no derating or forced ventilation.

Nidec Leroy-Somer has developed the Dyneo+ range based on the mechanical platform of its IMfinityÂŽ induction motors, known for their robustness and reliability. The use of proven components makes these new motors extremely robust and long-lived by design, thereby limiting the risk of refrigeration system failure. What is more, Dyneo+ has been designed for ease of installation, simple setup and easy maintenance.

Generating low rotor losses, the magnetic synchronous reluctance technology reduces maintenance costs, in particular by extending the lubrication intervals.

Whether compact or IEC interchangeable, with aluminium or cast-iron housing, or in IP55 or IP23 version, these motors are as easy to fit in new machines as they are to retrofit in existing installations as part of an energy optimisation project.

Dyneo+ is connected to the Systemiz interactive application, which provides a wide variety of digital services, including instantaneous access to all the product literature, and easy and intuitive drive setup by simply scanning the QR code on the nameplate. With its “Made in Europe� and low carbon footprint credentials, the Dyneo+ motor is eligible for Energy Savings Certificates, also known as White Certificates, generating government aid through the energy savings made. This makes for easy financing, meaning considerably faster return on investment, on top of the accrued energy savings Environmental compliance, energy performance and topnotch reliability: Dyneo+ motor represents a drive solution that is perfectly suited to the optimized productivity needs of industrial refrigeration.

For more information visit: www.leroy-somer.com

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Altair Inspire™ Mold Revolutionizes Injection Molding

Altair, (Nasdaq: ALTR), a global technology company providing solutions in data analytics, simulation, and highperformance computing (HPC), today launched Altair Inspire Mold, a revolutionary, end-toend solution for simulating injection molding.

For the first time, Inspire Mold brings Altair’s core philosophies of simulation-driven design and democratization of simulation to this $250 billion manufacturing sector. Injection molded plastic components play a critical role in a vast array of applications from toys and consumer electronics to high-performance, load-bearing components in sectors like aerospace and automotive. Inspire Mold offers engineers fast, highly capable tools with unrivalled solver performance and unprecedented opportunities to make better design decisions earlier, reduce costs, speed timeto-market, and optimize the quality and manufacturability of finished parts.

“Inspire Mold embodies everything we believe simulation should be. It puts designers and engineers firmly in control of faster,

more intelligent, and intuitive evaluation of injection molded plastic parts,” said James Dagg, chief technical officer, Altair.

“Inspire Mold reduces the costs and delays traditionally found in the slow and laborious processing of design iterations, as well as the building and reworking of prototype molds.”

Manufacturability of new components can now be evaluated at the outset of the development process, and the risk of defects such as warping, sink marks, and short shots are mitigated before any costly investments are made in molds.

Design iterations are completed faster, and fewer are needed before an optimal solution is identified. Scrap, tooling, and rework costs are slashed, and there are no requirements for specialized, GPU-computing hardware.

Other key features of Inspire Mold include: - Optimized user experience product designers and engineers can easily conduct virtual testing, validation, correction, and optimization of molding designs via an intuitive, five-step workflow.

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- Fast, next generation 3D technology – experimental approximations of traditional2.5D solvers are eliminated. Support for advanced physics empowers advanced and novice users with deeper insights and understanding.

- Access to materials data – data for 60 materials is embedded in Inspire Mold and the Altair Material Data Center (MDC) will soon be integrated, allowing MDC license holders direct, immediate access to reliable, high-quality material data.

- Comprehensive end-to-end solution – technology stretches from initial design through to material mapping of reinforced engineering polymers, analyzing and optimizing the structural and fatigue performance of complex parts.

Inspire Mold joins Altair’s existing Inspire manufacturing simulation offerings including casting, forming, moldfilling, extrusion, and additive manufacturing.

For more information about Inspire Mold, visit web.altair. com/breaking-the-mold.

NANOFABRICA “NANOTALKS” With Leading Micro Molder — Accumold

As a business, Nanofabrica understands the absolute necessity to reach out and network with our peers throughout industry. We do this primarily so that we can learn from the experience of experts, understand the requirements of customers, and develop technology solutions that absolutely resonate with market needs. But what this also does is give us unique access to some high level professionals operating at the cutting edge of innovation in the highly dynamic areas of 3D printing and micro manufacturing, both of which are proving disruptive as the drive towards digital endto-end product development and the inexorable push for smaller and smaller parts and features gathers pace,” Neizer says.

“Having talked with Marie Langer at EOS, obviously high profile and fully embedded in the additive manufacturing world, I was delighted to also recently talk with Aaron Johnson (LINK TO TALK) who works at

perhaps the world’s most experienced and respected micro molding company, Accumold. Nanofabrica’s AM technology produces miniature plastic parts and components, parts and components that were until recently only viable to manufacture using traditional micro molding technologies.

For obvious reasons we have networked with Aaron and members of his team for some time, and it was an honour that he agreed to contribute to the NANOTALKS series.”

There are some synergies between traditional micro molding and Nanofabrica’s micro AM Tera 250 machine.

Through developments in the robustness of materials that can be processed on the Tera 250, Nanofabrica does not simply manufacture numerous micro plastic parts in each build, but it is also now able to produce direct rapid soft tools (DRSTs) that stand up well when used in traditional micro molding machines. The reality of an additive manufacturing

technology that can produce numerous inexpensive tools in a matter of hours truly opens up the possibility of mass manufacture using AM, and is an exciting coming together of 3D printing and micro manufacturing which haspreviously been frustrated by the lack of precision possible through AM. Neizer continues, “Accumold has a reputation for pushing the boundaries of what is possible in micro molding just as Nanofabrica does in the field of micro-AM. In our conversation, Aaron provides some valuable insight into the area of ultraprecise micro molding, and the ways that the company has adapted to remain relevant and visible in these tough COVID times, where the emphasis has to be on agility, responsiveness, adaptability, and thinking out of the box.”

The Nanotalks series is available on Nanofabrica’s YouTube channel, link to the talk with Aaron Johnson is HERE.

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Protolabs’ New E-Commerce Platform Offers Design Engineers Greater Speed And Flexibility

The world’s fastest digital manufacturer of custom prototypes and low-volume production parts has launched a revolutionary new e-commerce platform for the UK. Protolabs, which work with thousands of product designers, engineers and procurement teams across the country, has responded to the need for reduced product development time and evolved project management tools required for the growing shift towards on-demand manufacturing.

The UK launch will shortly be followed by a roll-out of the platform across the Americas in January 2021 and comes at a time when global engineering and manufacturing sectors are looking to respond to Covid-19 and the extreme economic challenges it has created for markets and supply chains.

Rich Baker, Chief Technology Officer at Protolabs, commented: “Speed in testing parts, speed in getting products to market fast, speed in manufacturing throughout product life cycles – these have always been vital elements in any project.

“However, they are even more pressing now. Unprecedented changes in many of our markets are underway due to customer demand and the ongoing pandemic, but technological advancements in manufacturing are throwing the doors of innovation wide open to allow suppliers and their customer to pivot quickly.

And that agility is often the difference between success and failure.”

Protolabs’ new digital manufacturing platform allows users to easily manage their prototyping and on-demand manufacturing requirements.

Like the previous platform, it still offers quotes for parts with Design for Manufacturability (DFM) analysis, but now has a more intuitive, user-friendly and even faster interface.

Users can create projects with multiple uploads, quotes can be shared with colleagues, real time pricing is visible based on project specifications and it offers all three of the firm’s manufacturing services - 3D printing, CNC machining and injection moulding - in one place.

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Within Protolabs’ injection moulding service, to help choose between prototyping and ondemand manufacturing, the new platform includes a price curve tool, which compares one option against the other. The tool gives users full cost visibility - as part quantity is adjusted, cost changes are shown in realtime.

This will support bridge tooling, help with managing supply chain emergencies and delivers along the whole product lifecycle. Customers also benefit from guaranteed lifetime mould maintenance and ownership.

Bjoern Klaas, Vice President and Managing Director of Protolabs Europe, commented: “The focus now, more than ever, is on speed and making sure new products are either first to market or ready when the end customer needs them. That is why we are so excited to be launching our new e-commerce platform in the UK and Europe.

“We are the leading industrial supplier of low volume, high mix parts across 3D printing, CNC machining and injection moulding.

To achieve this, we have given customers even more control.”

aerospace, medical, heavy industry and electronics.

He concluded: “21-years-ago we revolutionised manufacturing by automating the traditional manufacturing process and now we are revolutionising it again through this new platform.

It’s a very exciting time for our sector and we recognise that, as customers need change, then the supply chain has to play a role in offering increased speed and greater manufacturing flexibility.”

Recent investments include a £5m expansion to its European headquarters in Telford to support growth in demand for CNC machining and injection moulding and a €15m euro investment in a new 3D printing facility in Putzbrunn, Germany.

Operating from manufacturing facilities across three continents, Protolabs helps customers to accelerate product development in a number of industries, including automotive,

The company typically produces 1 to 50+ 3D printed parts in 1 to 7 days, 1 to 200+ CNC machined parts in 1 to 3 days and 25 to 10,000+ injection moulded parts in 1 to 15 days.

For further information, please visit www.protolabs.co.uk or follow @protolabs_emea on twitter.

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Micro Molding — The Toolroom Perspective & DfMM

Jeremy St. Peter, New Tooling Team Leader, Accumold There is a world of difference between how a product looks on a computer screen when it comes to scale, and its scale in reality. Right at the beginning of the design stage of product development, it is vital when looking to micro mold a part that the scale of the part itself — and especially the scale of some of its internal features — are given due consideration.

In other words, parts may look great conceptually, but they may be impossible to actually make.

In this article, the central importance of Design for Manufacturing (DfM) will be emphasized, and indeed I will go as far as to say that we should perhaps emphasise Design for Micro Molding (DfMM), as the unique challenges of micro molding can hugely influence the success or failure of a project. DfMM has a massive impact on the tool build; this will therefore have

a disproportionate effect on product development time, cost, and indeed the quality of final product.

360 DEGREE PERSPECTIVES Success in micro molding is truly a result of multidisciplinary expertise. Tooling is only one of a number of critical areas where your chosen micro molder must show experience and knowledge.

The best micro molders are truly vertically integrated, and teams from design, tooling, molding, validation, and automated assembly must work collaboratively to optimize the outcomes of product development on behalf of customers.

It is also important that individuals within specific departments have a rounded view of their own area of focus.

For example, my career in toolmaking started at a die shop which I left after a year to come to Accumold where I have worked for 17 years.

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At Accumold, I began by applying my die experience to the development and maintenance of dies and molds in lead frame systems. While working with these systems I gained some automation experience, and I also began to focus on mold maintenance and repair. With some cross training I learned to program and cut electrodes that were used on all my repairs, which led me to program and cut electrodes full time for about 2 years before returning to the bench to build micro molds.

Exposure to many different areas of the business has given me a unique perspective which has proven valuable when working with DfMM and tool fabrication. This rounded view of the world, depth of knowledge, and experience in all areas of Accumold is the key driver for customer product development success.

MICRO TOOLING – SPECIFIC CONSIDERATIONS FOR DfMM When the team at Accumold start discussions about a

potential project, we discuss things such as gating, ejection, mold splits, and direction of pull.

Ejection & Gating. Often when a part gets smaller, the first thing that gets eliminated or ignored in the design is any consideration of ejection or gating, however the engineering team understands that a part cannot be made without either of these. Keeping gating and ejection in mind during part design can optimize the DfMM and tool build process. For example, having a small ejector pin on a thin and deep feature can make burning a start hole difficult or impossible. Also, gating in a thin area when there are other thick areas on the part can cause non-fill and sink. When planning for gating and ejection we must anticipate some gate vestige or flash, so in an assembly of parts this may have to be planned for. When deciding mold splits it can turn a simple tool build into a very complex one or it can turn a tool that was going to be very difficult to run into a tool that runs extremely well.

Split Lines. When looking at split lines, very often customers prefer not to have them in certain areas due to flash.

However, changing from an ideal split line from the tool perspective can cause unforeseen consequences to the tool build.

A project comes to mind where the preferred split from the tool making perspective would have been a saddle shutoff, but due to flash concerns, the shutoff was placed on a slide to make the flash direction perpendicular rather than parallel. The slide created some cosmetic areas on the part, so this caused us to shutoff on the cosmetic surface.

The unforeseen consequence of this was that there was more flash than anticipated in the

windows in the preferred flash direction, and there was some mismatch between the slide and the rest of the cavity. Doing a saddle shutoff in this case would have put all the cosmetic surfaces on one side of the tool, and while the potential for flash would still have existed, the shutoff would have been in the direction of clamp rather than on a slide pull. This would also have eliminated a split line on the cosmetic surface and would have improved the overall part appearance.

A slide with a large surface area presents the possibility for injection pressure to flex the mold so if you can have a shutoff in the direction of pull it is always a more robust shutoff.

The direction of clamp holds a shutoff together as a direct result of clamp tonnage, while alternatively a slide is a factor of the tonnage reduced by the heel angle and strength surrounding mold steel.

Feature Size. Another thing that can influence tool build is feature size. I can think of several times where the part tolerance was used to increase the thickness of an area in order to fill. When working with micro molded parts it is best to remember that although it may sound like a small change it may represent a large percentage of the feature size. For example, if you have a part with a .004” (0.1 mm) wall thickness, changing that wall thickness by .0005” (0.013 mm) is a 12% change and may mean the difference between filling the area reliably or not.

When it comes to creating electrodes to burn the cavity the amount and difficulty can be greatly affected by the design of the part. For example, if there is a square counterbore with sharp corners we may have to use 4 different electrodes to

create this feature; If the part had radii added at the corners this may be possible using only 1 electrode. The depth of the feature is something to think about when adding radii as well. An extremely small radius on a deep feature may not be possible to cut, so if the radius can be increased slightly it can change the difficulty of the electrode significantly.

When it comes to ensuring a part will release from the cavity, an important factor — especially when dealing with very small features — is draft.

Often with small parts, draft is an oversight because it is going to be such a small amount.

Again, it is important to look at percentages instead of actual sizes. Adding 0.5 degrees draft on a 0.10” (0.25 mm) tall feature may not sound important, but that can add 0.0009” (0.023 mm) of draft, so on a thin 0.010” (0.25 mm) feature, it is almost 10% of the feature’s thickness.

Assembly. Consideration of assembly of several parts is also important in terms of final product optimization and ease of tool build. When building a mold, it can be easy to believe you are in a situation where everything must be machined exactly to size. Accumold offers a service that many other molders do not, and that is the involvement of the technical team very early on in the process of product development.

This involvement from project kickoff all the way through production of customer parts ensures that a consistent view of DfMM will not only improve the reliability of the mold but also reduce the time it takes to manufacture. The Accumold team is focused on finding solutions for issues that may seem insurmountable and optimizing project outcomes. www.accu-mold.com

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Wearable Connectivity Solutions Now Easier To Integrate Into Flexible Structures The ruggedsewing junction of the new Fischer FreedomTM Quick Detach System allows to easily convert flexible material into a potential panel, e.g., heavy duty tarp cover/tent, sail, vehicle tire blankets, smart backpacks. The system’s adapter and retaining ring facilitate the quick fit and interchange of receptacles.

The new Fischer FreedomTM cabled receptacle in size 08 is a smaller version of the receptacle introduced to the market last year. With a metal housing, four signal and power contact tracks, IP68 sealing and EMI shielding, this new cabled receptacle is ready to use under any conditions, easy to integrate into garments or mount on panels, and quick to fit and remove.

Easy integration: two recent applications: The multiple award-winning Fischer FreedomTM technology platform enables design engineers to integrate more technology and functionality into fixed, portable or wearable devices and ecosystems in markets such as: defense & security, medical, instrumentation, industrial and civil engineering, robotics, wearables, the Internet of Things (IoT). The two following applications recently introduced to the defenseand industrial markets show how the unique features of Fischer FreedomTM – easy 360° mating, easy cleaning, easy integration thanks to lowprofile design and ergonomics – benefit OEM integrators.

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Wearin’s connected vest (Platinum 2020 Technology Innovators Award) is a centralized, integrated connectivity system featuring six Fischer FreedomTM 7-contact receptacles fitted using the new Quick Detach System. VRaktion’s design engineers have integrated a Fischer FreedomTM 4-contact receptacle in plastic into a smart work shoe using an obstacle warning system with laser sensors.

More info: Fischer FreedomTM: www.fischerconnectors.com Wearin’: www.wearin.tech VRaktion’s smart shoe: Robust connectivity for smart shoes

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Carl Ennis, CEO Siemens & Smart Infrastructure, GB&I Reflections On 2020 And Predictions For 2021

Since becoming CEO in December, most of my life has been dominated by Covid-19.

But despite causing many difficulties, the pandemic has brought some good. It has accelerated the pace of change and given us valuable insights into where – and how - we will work in the future, the skills we will need, and the environmental challenges we face.

It has also provided distraction from Brexit, which I hope will move the discussion away from its rights and wrongs to focus on how the country can maximise any opportunities in the year ahead.

In the new future many people will continue to work from home if they can do so effectively, while offices will become places to meet. At Siemens, like much of the UK business community, we have found that intercontinental flights and getting together in person is

not as essential as we thought.

We now run strategy workshops and town halls online, and even festivals where we engage with all our employees. I predict that these ways of communicating with each other and groups of people will continue.

One of the many benefits of this working model is accelerated decarbonisation, which we urgently need. Our economy was almost crippled during the first lockdown, yet CO2 emissions reduced by just 20% and NOX by 40%. Strategies to increase decarbonisation will be central to discussion at next year’s UN Climate Change Conference, COP26, in Glasgow, in which I hope President-elect Biden’s administration will play a crucial role. Having the US agree that climate change is a real risk, with its scale and ability to influence global policies, will help the world address the issue.

My worry for the UK is that in the government’s enthusiasm to

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kick-start the economy, we will do what is easy or cheap rather than what is right. But instead of trying to generate short-term jobs we must “grow back green” and invest in long-term jobs that help decarbonise.

The government is also focused on identifying a couple of big things it can do to achieve the decarbonisation targets. These large-scale projects, such as investing in wind power and hydrogen, are important. Wind power is already generating more than 20% of the UK’s electricity, and hydrogen has huge potential for fuelling vehicles and trains and for replacing natural gas in home heating systems and industrial turbines.

But local initiatives are also essential if we are to meet our net zero carbon targets. That’s why Siemens has been helping local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) and local governments address energy challenges

in transport, industry and infrastructure. Individuals need to get involved too. The old adage of environmentalists is “reduce, reuse, recycle.”

Reducing consumption requires all 66m people in the UK to participate.

I believe the shock that the virus has delivered to our economy will speed up digitalisation across industry. We will build a digital environment which will become central to everything we do. Unfortunately it will be painful for many sectors and businesses, but in the mid to long term it will be positive.

History shows that when countries go through industrial revolutions there are winners and losers, but overall in the end everyone’s a winner.

We know that our businesses will be very different 10 years from now. A statistic that always astounds me is that 80% of the employees that we will have in 2030 are with us today. So while entry-level skills for apprentices and graduates matter, the existing workforce will need to re-skill too.

Adult learning is crucial and has gone unaddressed in the UK for too long. Covid-19 and Brexit have reinforced the need for us to develop and change our skills.

This is not just about technical

expertise — soft skills and vocational work will become increasingly necessary.

The fact that the virus pushed Brexit down the hierarchy of news was probably helpful.

Anybody who’s been involved in negotiating a big deal knows you don’t want to do it on a public stage. The challenge is how to unlock the benefits people wanted without causing damage in the short term for individuals, society and business.

The negotiating teams have been trying hard to do that, and while time is short, most dealmaking is done in the eleventh hour, so I remain hopeful. The gap between both sides is probably quite narrow, but a deal is essential for stability.

Anything that goes above WTO arrangements will be positive.

President-elect Biden has been clear on his desire that the UK government does not implement changes that destroy the Good Friday agreement. We must not put that at risk. My father was from Dublin so I know first-hand how important the island of Ireland is to the Irish and our shared culture. It’s going to be tough.

From a business perspective, erecting barriers to trade is never a good idea.

Brexit is likely to result in friction between us and our biggest trading partner, mainland Europe. That will present a challenge, but we’ll have to make the best of it. Luckily, as a nation we’re pretty good at triumphing over adversity and our business people are entrepreneurial.

Meanwhile, Brexit hasn’t stopped Siemens investing in the UK. In Hull, we partnered with Associated British Ports in a £310m investment to build a wind turbine blade manufacturing facility creating 1,000 jobs. And now we are spending £200m in Goole on a train facility to build the next generation of underground trains with 700 new jobs. We still see the UK as a vibrant place and will continue to invest. While we would rather the added level of complexity of Brexit wasn’t there, it’s not stopping us from doing business.

But it will make life difficult for those of our suppliers and partners with vertically integrated supply chains in continental Europe and those who are trying to sell their products there. A brave person might make predictions about where they will be in a year’s time.

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FLIR Introduces New C3-X Compact Thermal Camera

Having the ability to effectively inspect, diagnose, and document trouble spots is crucial for property managers, facilities maintenance staff, building inspectors, contractors, electricians, service technicians, plumbers, and even homeowners. It requires the aid of effective tools, including thermal imaging, to quickly recognize and resolve those trouble spots. That’s why FLIR has introduced its latest entrylevel Cx-Series camera, the FLIR C3-XTM, a compact thermal camera packed with features that can help users confidently find faults in close range. It easily fits in a pocket or tool bag, is tough enough for any job, and available at a price point that building professionals and homeowners can afford.

Along with the five-megapixel visual inspection camera, the enhanced C3-X has a 128x96

resolution thermal camera that features a temperature range up to 300 degrees Celsius on an easy-to-read 3.5 inch touchscreen. These features are important to get a detailed view of the situation and troubleshoot areas of concern such as hot fuses or air leaks. FLIR Multi-Spectral Dynamic Imaging (MSX®) mode adds visible light details to thermal images in real time for greater clarity, so users can easily identify issues within the context of the problem area.

The C3-X stands up in tough environments with four hours of operating time and features an IP54 enclosure, providing a high level of protection against dust and water, and is designed to withstand a 2 m (6.6 ft) drop.

It’s compact, handheld design, allows professionals to fit it in their pocket or into their tool

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bag without taking up too much space. The built in LED light helps see in dark areas such as crawl spaces.

Featuring FLIR IgniteTM, the C3-X offers cloud connectivity, allowing professionals to directly transfer, store and backup data so images are always available on all devices. The C3-X also offers seamless customer reporting when paired with FLIR Thermal StudioTM. The FLIR C3-X joins the FLIR C5TM as part of the Cx-Series suite of compact thermal cameras, and is available globally to purchase today through FLIR and authorized FLIR distributors for £499.99, with shipments beginning in the fourth quarter of 2020.

For more information please visit, www.flir.com/C3-X.

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Ixxat CANnector – The Swiss Army Knife For CAN future support of other industrial Ethernet protocols as well. USB extensions like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are available as an option.

Cloud and PLC connection Ixxat CANnector offers numerous additional functions which enable for example live data visualization and simulation using mobile devices (smartphone or tablet) via Wi-Fi, or cloud connectivity via OPCUA, MQTT or via HMS HubTM HMS’ own solution for industrial data connectivity.

Using the EtherCAT slave interface, CANnector enables a direct connection of CAN(FD)based networks to industrial Ethernet networks or a PLC.

A flexible all-rounder – logger, bridge and range extender Like CAN@net and CANbridge NT, CANnector is a stand-alone device, which means that no PC is needed. In addition to a generic CANnector, three preconfigured versions are offered: CANnector Range – For simple CAN(FD) range extension via Ethernet or as a CAN interface connected to the PC via Ethernet.

CANnector Bridge – CAN(FD) bridge/gateway, frame or signal based and with func-tions, like e.g. online floating-point data manipulation for all bus systems.

CANnector Log – Data logger with trigger and ring buffer as well as low-power sleep mode with wake-up on CAN(FD), for logging frame or signal based CAN(FD) data.

After unpacking and connecting, all three versions can be used directly. As the base hardware is the same, and the

different functions of CANnector are provided by loadable configurations, all CANnectors can be reconfigured to include the functionality of choice.

Performant and versatile A powerful Linux platform allows CANnector to execute complex applications and data manipulations directly on the device. The support of bus description files also enables operation on signal level.

By using “Wake-up on CAN” and the possibility to switch off the TX function on the CAN buses, the device can be used in applications which are sensitive to power and safety.

CANnector is available in different hardware versions, which differ only in the number of supported interfaces. The maximum number of interfaces is eight CAN(FD), two LIN, two Digital IO and one EtherCAT slave interface as well as Ethernet and USB. The EtherCAT slave interface is implemented using an Anybus® CompactCom technology from HMS, allowing

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All functions can be executed in parallel on the CANnector device, so that e.g. logging of data can be executed in parallel to CAN(FD) bridging and data visualization on mobile devices.

Easy configuration via drag & drop HMS provides a free Windows tool which enables easy configuration of CANnector, in which the “connections” between source and target are established using a Drag and Drop concept. CAN(FD) bus descriptions can optionally be imported for configuration. The standard range of functions can be extended using the integrated development and debug environment and own C-user code or Matlab/Simulink models, which can be executed directly on the device.

Learn more about CANnector at www.ixxat.com

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Two In One: Leuze Presents The GSX, The World’s First Combined Forked Sensor used very flexibly. It reliably, quickly, and precisely detects a wide range of labels, regardless of their material and surface characteristics. This increases the machine throughput and avoids downtime. Even labels made of inhomogeneous cavitated BOPP material can be reliably detected through the optical operating principle. The forked sensor is especially well suited for applications in which various types of labels need to be detected.

With the new GSX combined forked sensor, Leuze is once again presenting a worldwide innovation. The device combines the advantages of light and ultrasonic sensors and is especially suitable for labeling machines used in the packaging industry.

With the introduction of the GSX, the world’s first combined forked sensor, Leuze is continuing its decades- long tradition as an innovator. Leuze invented not only the first label fork with the GS05, but also developed the first ultrasonic forked sensor with the GSU14.

With the company’s latest innovation, the GSX (various models available), Leuze is rounding off its forked sensor product range by adding a combined model that can do both: light and ultrasonics. It thus combines the advantages of the optical variants with those of the ultrasonic solutions, and it is best suited for the labeling machines used in the packaging industry. With this innovation, Leuze is once again demonstrating their many years of expertise and the application know-how of the Sensor People in this field.

Leuze expands its forked sensor product range Affixing labels of various shapes, sizes, and materials on products and packaging by means of a labeling machine is one of the fundamental tasks carried out in the packaging industry. For its precise positioning the label has to be safely and reliably detected – even at high conveyor speeds.

This task is performed by forked sensors, which house the transmitter and receiver in a single device and ensure high operational safety. These devices are not only very sensitive, they are also easy to mount and do not require any alignment. Until now, Leuze offered two forked sensor models for this purpose: light and ultrasonics. A new version that combines light and ultrasonics is now available.

Leuze is thus adding another world’s first to their product range and rounds off their assortment.

Two in one: world’s first GSX14E The GSX fork sensor is the world’s first sensor of its kind and combines the two detection methods of ultrasonics and light in a single housing. It brings together the advantages of both principles and can be

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Until now, this often required several different forked sensors.

The user saves not only space, but also additional time and costs of installation. The new forked sensor can be quickly and easily set up via the teach button in order to teach the label-carrier combination. Only one universal mounting position is required for all objects.

IO-Link for easy configuration and recipe management The new GSX forked sensor features an IO-Link interface.

This serves to easily, quickly, and economically configure the sensor. The interface can be used to enable remote teaching, or to lock the buttons, among other things. In addition, recipe management facilitates easy format changeovers when replacing rolls. This means that re-teaching is not necessary when changing rolls to a different label format.

The format is changed quickly by selecting the appropriate parameter set for the corresponding label format. This parameter selection is directly carried out on the labeling machine via the HMI. It saves not only setup time, but it also increases the production volume and makes the system more economical.

For more information on the GSX, please visit: www.leuze.com/en/gsx

RTI Introduces Enhanced ROS 2 Support To Accelerate Development Of Scalable Robotics Systems forward to continuing to help our customers simplify complex system development.”

RTI in Robotics RTI delivers the connectivity framework for safe, secure, reliable operations in complex, cooperative and autonomous robotics systems. RTI’s software is proven in robotics systems around the world including automotive, medical, manufacturing, aerospace & defense, and more.

ROS 2 offers an open-source framework for building robotic systems. RTI is the leading supplier of software compliant with the Data Distribution Service™ (DDS) standard, which provides the connectivity backbone for ROS 2. The new Connext 6 RMW layer now provides a best-of-both-worlds solution by connecting the ROS 2 ecosystem with RTI’s latest software and Connext Tools.

“RTI was founded out of the Stanford Robotics lab so robotics is deeply rooted in our DNA,” said Gerardo Pardo-Castellote, CTO at RTI. “We work with our customers beginning in the research phase of their system development all the way through to production where performance, reliability and scalability become critical.

We recognize the value of participating in the ROS ecosystem and are proud to offer new ways to utilize RTI Connext DDS for a productiongrade solution.”

The new Connext RMW layer offers: - The flexibility of the ROS 2 platform combined with complete access to RTI Connext tools for improved distributed system visualization and debugging capabilities

- Support for RTI Connext DDS Professional in Connext 6, used for industrial and military robotics applications where reliability and scalability are of paramount importance - Support for RTI Connext DDS Micro - Support for future releases of the Connext Product Suite “We developed the new Connext RMW layer from the ground up to better take advantage of Connext APIs and features,” said Andrea Sorbini, Senior Software Engineer at RTI and technical lead for the project.

“This allowed us to simplify the code and greatly improve the performance of the RMW layer, while also providing more turnkey access to RTI’s powerful distributed system development tools.”

“The new RMW brings the system-level visibility and monitoring capabilities of Connext DDS to ROS 2,” said Neil Puthuff, Senior Software Integration Engineer at RTI. “It enables advanced tools, such as RTI Admin Console and RTI Monitor to work seamlessly in a ROS 2 environment. No other current RMW offers this level of visibility and we look

RTI Connext DDS is active in over 250 autonomous vehicle projects and more than 50 commercial autonomous systems, such as Aptiv, Baidu Apollo, Voyage and Xpeng Motors. In June 2020, RTI joined the Autoware Foundation, an open alliance for autonomous driving technology, where RTI is leveraging its experience with ROS 2 to help advance the foundation’s Autoware.IO and Autoware.Auto initiatives.

RTI is the only DDS vendor to be named an AUTOSAR Development Partner and contributes to the development of the AUTOSAR standard for highly autonomous vehicles.

RTI Connext DDS can also be found at the core of NASA’s rovers and space robots, leveraged by the European Space Agency’s robotic arm, and implemented in TechnipFMC’s semi-autonomous underwater ROVs. It is also widely used in building and running robotics projects in leading universities around the world. More recently, RTI Connext DDS was used by the collegiate teams entered in the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) as they participated in the September hackathon, one of several leading up to the IAC final race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on October 23, 2021.

For more information please visit: www.rti.com/en/

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ViewSonic Announces Winners Of The ColorProTM Award 2020 Global Photography Contest

ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual and educational solutions, organised the ColorPro Award 2020 Global Photography Contest in cooperation with four leaders in the creative industry— Blurb, Shoot the Frame (STF), Tinyspace, and TourBox— centered on the theme of kindness, so as to promote compassion and beauty through creativity. ViewSonic received more than 2,100 extraordinary photo entries from 18 countries and regions, which offered visual representations of the ubiquity of kindness. ViewSonic announced the contest’s winners on November 13—World Kindness Day—through a global, live-streamed awards ceremony.

James Chu, Chairman and CEO of ViewSonic, said, “I’m delighted that this contest has elicited such a strong response among creators worldwide.

During this difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic, ViewSonic has worked with its partners to highlight stories of kindness from around the globe to provide some much-needed positivity. The contest has shown that, no matter

how dramatic the changes to people’s lives have been, kindness is still all around us. I sincerely hope that people will continue to use photography to explore heartwarming stories of kindness.”

The top three entries in the ColorPro Award 2020 Global Photography Contest all conveyed heartwarming messages through their photography. The first-prize winner, Spain’s Antonio Aragon Renuncio, made a photograph titled Kindness of 14-year-old Kodjo in Bombouaka, Togo, who is helping a classmate with homework before a soccer game at a care center for children with severe physical and intellectual disabilities. The friendship and compassion shown by Kodjo help disabled children, who are often referred to as “snakes” in their local communities, enjoy normal lives.

Bangladesh’s Tanvir Alam has won the second prize for Harvesting Water Lily, which uses a bird’s-eye view to show a colorful image of harmony between man and nature, with two farmers working together to process water lilies.

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The third prize has been awarded to Singapore’s Chin Leong Teo for his photograph Drought Ladies. Shot from behind two women, the image shows the helplessness of people in the face of major natural disasters but also the warmth of the woman who consoles her sister in a powerful symbol of mutual support.

At the live-streamed awards ceremony, ViewSonic also invited Chen-Yu Chiu, CEO of the Taiwan-Reyhanli Centre for World Citizens, to share the photos of civic events held near the border between Turkey and Syria and to explain what kindness means to him. Chiu stated that “a grim concrete border wall was transformed into a Taiwan-built center that serves to convey kindness from the world to people in Turkey and Syria. Kindness derives from our close experience of the environment in which we find ourselves, as well as our innate compassion and empathy, and is accentuated by a little bit of craziness and persistence.”

Huai-An Ho, President of the HoHuan Theatre Company, which has held 660 free

performances at hospitals and clinics over the past 18 years in Taiwan, also took part in the ceremony to share his views on kindness through two photographs. The first photo showed a Mazinger Z figure holding the hand of a little boy as they are about to enter a hospital room and perform for a young girl, demonstrating that kindness can help even the weakest among us be as strong as super heroes. The other photo showed a renowned Peking opera master who, despite his old age and dementia, can still sing the songs he performed during his long career, a touching symbol of persistence.

Ho added that “cancer cannot be transmitted, but kindness can” and that “even if I’m unable to do great things, I can still show love while doing many little things.”

To further enhance the power of kindness, ViewSonic also launched a special event called “You comment, ViewSonic Donates,” which will last until January 13, 2021. ViewSonic invites people to take part in spreading kindness by going to by going to: https://lihi1.cc/ FR9Xp/ColorProDonation leaving comments about or sharing one of the top 10 photos, explaining why they like the photo, or sending a message to the photographer. For each instance in which a message is left or a photo is shared, ViewSonic will donate US$1 to the HoHuan Theatre Company (Note 1).

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SICK’s ‘Sceptre’ Crowns Safety System King Of The Active/Passives

With the innovation of its Sceptre high-performance prism optic reflector, SICK has extended the range of its deTem 4 A/P multiple light beam system to eight metres, the longest ever available for an active/passive safety device, suitable for applications up to SIL3 / PLe. The extra-rugged and compact SICK deTem 4 A/P safety light beam system offers wide flexibility to install safe access protection with entry/ exit monitoring (muting) in production and logistics environments. With sender and receiver integrated into the active device, SICK deTem 4 A/P minimises wiring and helps achieve compact machine designs. With integrated muting functions there is no need for an external module and additional wiring effort.

With real-time diagnostics accessible by smartphone through Near Field Communication (NFC), and also via IO-Link, the SICK deTem 4 A/P is a smart system that enables operators to respond quickly to machine downtime.

Engineers can access a range of diagnostic status and process data to manage maintenance interventions effectively. Dr Martin Kidman, safety specialist with SICK UK explains: “The SICK deTem4 Active/Passive light beam system offers operators fingertip diagnostics to respond quickly to stoppages in common access protection applications such as warehousing, palletising or packaging machinery. You can find out straight away what caused a lockout just by using the easy-to-use status display on your smartphone.

“The SICK deTem4 A/P offers all the functionality you would expect from a high-performance SICK safety light beam system, and more. Its slim housing and active/passive functionality lend themselves to machine layouts where space is limited. With IP65 and IP67 protection ratings, an operating temperature range of -30oC to +55oC, the deTem4 is ready for harsh industrial environments.”

Guided by the SICK Safety Assistant smartphone App, and with integral dip switches and automatic range adjustment,

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in-situ configuration and commissioning are quick and simple and there is no need to use a PC. The SICK deTem4 A/P is a Type 4 device (EN 61496), enabling compliance in applications with requirements up to PLe (EN ISO 13849) and SIL3 (EN 61508).

Ranges from 500mm right up to 8 metres are offered, thanks to the Sceptre’s high-performance optics, with a choice of two or four beams and separations of 300mm or 500mm. The coded light beam option prevents optical interference between devices in side-by-side applications.

The SICK deTem4 A/P allows the connection of a restart interlock and/or the facility to monitor external devices (EDM) which can reduce wiring and the need for additional devices in the control cabinet, saving further space.

For more information on the SICK deTem4 A/P safety light beam system, or any of SICK’s safety and protective devices, please visit: www.sick.co.uk

Power Integrations’ New MinE-CAP IC Reduces Volume Of AC-DC Converters By Up To 40%

VI-grade, a leading provider of best-in-class software products and services for advanced applications in the field of system level simulation, introduces VI-WorldSim, a highresolution graphic environment for accelerated vehicle development dedicated to the high-end automotive market.

The new VI-WorldSim software features a user-friendly and fully integrated graphic environment on VI-grade Driving Simulators with realistic traffic and sensor behavior. The software not only brings traditional track modeling to a higher level of realism based on the Unreal high-performance graphic engine but also adds the features needed to test on CAV sites, urban environments, and public roads for ADAS and Autonomous Vehicle Testing. VI-WorldSim features include traffic, pedestrians, lighting, weather, and sensors to enable users to create and test scenarios for vehicle development programs through an intuitive and easyto-use desktop editor. Cars, pedestrians, and animals are

AI-driven actors who follow normal routes or can be controlled through the definition of specific behaviors.

“It became clear to us that the ADAS market was demanding Driver Simulators with greater workspaces, more sustained motion cues, and a much more immersive and fully integrated, real-time visual environment for urban driving. Users wanted a visual environment that unites the high frame-rate rendering capabilities of our VI-GraphSim software with very modern and realistic traffic and sensor simulation as well as urban roadway content displayed in a high-quality rendering engine,” said Guido Bairati, VP of Sales and Marketing, VI-grade. “We then turned toward software providers for autonomous vehicles and discovered RightHook, a Silicon Valley company that shares our values and has deep expertise in multi-agent traffic simulation, sensor simulation, and deep capabilities in the Unreal gaming engine. RightHook, now part of VI-grade, spent the last eighteen months together with

our development team building what we believe is the best integrated visual environment for driving simulators ever produced. We couldn’t be happier with the incredible accomplishments of this team and are looking forward to share this exciting new product with our customer base.”

VI-WorldSim provides users with a single engine for all different types of environments, simulations and disciplines: chassis development, driver training, CAV test site, public road testing of ADAS/AV, and EuroNCAP testing. Users can benefit from a single highquality graphic engine with an intuitive and easy-to-use interface. Powerful traffic and agents (including different vehicles, pedestrians, animals), preconfigured scenarios and a comprehensive library of popular sensors make VIWorldSim the perfect tool to enable immersive subjective feel and feedback.

For more information on VIWorldSlim please visit: vi grade.com/worldsim.

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Precision Magnetic Encoders For The Toughest Environments

Powerdrill and Rockdrill series self-propelled horizontal drill rigs from the German manufacturer AT-Boretec are available in a wide range of scaled tonnage classes. Characterised by easy loading of drilling and reaming tools and pipeline sections for fast execution of multiple drilling operations, the machines cater for everything from small diameter pipelines for fibre optic cables to large bores for wastewater drainage systems.

Especially cost-effective and speed efficient where pipelines need to be located under roads, buildings and other sealedsurfaced sites, the machines can bore up to several hundred metres horizontally with a drilling and flushing process that employs a combination of drill heads and reamers to expand the bore and when required to deliver sections of pipeline.

Each machine is equipped with 40 to 70 ‘drill pipes’ stored in a side-mounted magazine with lengths varying from three to four and a half metres - which are removed using a gripper unit, then assembled on special drilling carriage and bolted to the drill pipe already located in the ground.

Whereas previous generation machines from AT-Boretec

required the operator to leave the cabin and manually unlock each magazine row, thanks to the automation of the magazine unit, the latest Powerdrill series allows the correct row to be conveniently preselected for automatic drill pipe removal via a cabin-mounted touchscreen console - thus saving considerable time and allowing more comfort and safety for the machine operator. As part of the new control system a Wachendorff WDGA absolute encoder is used to provide the row position via its integrated CANopen interface to ensure the gripper makes the exact alignment for the procedure.

The encoder specified for the magazine is a customised version of Wachendorff’s WDGA series, parameterised for an 18 bit multi-turn configuration to provide more than sufficient resolution and measurement range for the task in hand. The selection mechanism is driven via gear reduction with the encoder mounting effectively decoupled via spring-toothed wheel design to minimise unwanted forces on the sensor’s shaft and specially adapted bearing system. The highly precise, dynamic and robust WDGA series is extremely capable of withstanding

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the exceptionally shock and vibration levels encountered on the machine where shaft loads of 120 N axially and 220 N radially are easily supported. The WDGA series absolute encoder supplied to AT-Boretec also includes the IP67 environmental protection option as well as additional shaft sealing and, although subjected to extreme weather conditions as well as the mud and dirt deposits due the drilling process, is installed on the machine without the need for additional protection.

Two IP67 rated M12 connectors allow easy machine integration for encoder power and CANopen communications. As a standard feature, and for added operational safety as well as fast fault diagnosis, the WDGA includes a status LED integrated in the housing. And of course, absolute positional feedback technology also allows the machine to be set-up without the need for home sensors on start-up or in the event loading problems and subsequent resetting procedures.

The WDGA series, as standard, features Wachendorff’s patented EnDra® and QuattroMag® technologies where a unique non-contacting coded magnetic signal for each individual 4096 counts/rev rotation and for each accumulated revolution does not rely on internal gears or batteries – guaranteeing extremely long life and exceptional levels of reliability over operational temperatures of -40 °C to +85 °C. The standard range covers 36 mm and 58 mm housing diameters with 16/43-bit single-turn/multi-turn resolution and a choice of synchro flange or clamping flange mountings.

Variohm EuroSensor supplies and fully supports Wachendorff’s complete range of absolute and incremental shaft encoders and measurement components.

Further information is available at www.variohm.com

KUKA Receives Major Order For Body-In-White Production Of The ID. BUZZ From Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is focusing on electromobility and with the ID. BUZZ brings its classic, the Bulli, to the road as a fully electric version. KUKA is responsible for the planning, delivery, assembly and commissioning of a fully automated body shop system for the underbody of the allelectric ID. BUZZ. Most of the systems are assembled at KUKA in Augsburg, commissioned and then delivered to the customer.

On an area of about 14,000

square meters, underbody 1 and 2 including associated subassemblies will be implemented. Process technologies such as resistance spot welding, bonding, nut and stud welding are carried out in the 15 modular production lines. Among other things, socalled KUKA Rack Changer are used to supply the car body components to the production line. Together into an electrifying future KUKA is using its extensive know-how to support

the biggest transformation in the history of the automotive industry and the new technical challenges it faces. “Automated, intelligent systems are needed to meet the requirements for the cost-effective production of complex e-vehicles”, says Gerald Mies, Managing Director of KUKA Systems GmbH. “Close cooperation between systems engineering and the automotive industry is more important than ever here.”

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Techman Robot Successfully Entered The Supply Chain Of Major European And Japanese Car Manufacturers

Compared to other industries, the level of automation in the automotive industry is much higher. The latest report from Kenneth Research predicts that the shipment and sales revenue brought by collaborative robots in the automotive industry will increase by 43% every year by 2022. The well-known Japanese car manufacturer adopts Techman robot to process the final quality check of all detailed assembly inspections.

Techman Robot helped the customer to install the “next generation smart inspection system” utilizing a customized stand including four Techman collaborative robots. Besides the built-in smart vision, 36 external front and rear cameras were also installed. Moreover, each collaborative robot is equipped with three types of lenses, including short, middle and long. The Japanese car manufacturer mentioned that among their global production lines, this is the only one using the automated optical inspection (AOI) system and AI smart inspection solution.

The ceiling-mounted arm can move inside/outside the car elastically to inspect items including wipers, horn, seats, seat belts, steering wheel, dashboard, center console, remote control, fog lamps, and stickers, etc. All inspection data can be photographed and saved to enable quality traceability as well as guarantee the outgoing quality.

The leading Japanese car manufacturer commented that TMflow, the innovative and user-friendly interface of Techman Robot, allows the well-trained insider to quickly program based on different car types or demands without asking the system integrator to come to the factory, and thus achieves a significant reduction of time, manpower and cost.

Meanwhile, the built-in smart vision allows the customer to record all inspection data more efficiently to improve quality and implement data archiving and traceability which cannot be realized by manual inspection.

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Since 2018, Techman Robot has become an officially approved supplier of “Continental,” another world- famous manufacturer in the automotive industry, and started to improve the automated process in its signature factory located in Budapest, Hungary. This factory mainly produces telematics control units (TCU) for car manufacturers. Techman Robot not only optimized the pick and place application, but also enabled the customer to save the cost of installing a third party camera with the builtin smart vision. Moreover, the customer could also swiftly copy the program to different stations through “TM Landmark” to significantly reduce the time of training a collaborative robot to recognize the position and object. The “Plug and Play” gripper can run tests quickly to reflect the project performance in time. Techman robot, with the built-in smart vision, is the best choice to meet the smart manufacturing demand of highly flexible production in the automotive industry.

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NSK Linear Guides Prove Ideal For Face Mask Machines Further user benefits include high dynamic load rating, high productivity, long maintenance intervals, low noise output, ease of installation and standard accuracy that exceeds conventional alternatives.

Sims Engineering was pleased to discover that NSK’s workshop at its Newark, UK facility stayed open during lockdown. Just five days after the order was placed, NSK duly provided the first NH series linear guides.

Family-owned Sims Engineering (simsengineering.com) was established in 1982 to specialise in the design and manufacture of automated systems and special purpose machinery.

Much of the work performed by this ISO9001-accredited business is destined for customers in the automotive, pharmaceutical and food sectors. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, the company responded immediately to a request for automated face mask manufacturing machines.

Sims Engineering is known for its ability to produce machines on short-lead times. The company had built face mask machines many years ago, so now it was a case of updating the design and manufacturing a reliable, innovative and efficient solution that would maximise productivity and quality.

The automated face mask manufacturing machines being manufactured by Sims Engineering are highly complex, with fully integrated cutting,

folding and assembly to produce a fold-flat fabric mask. A highprecision punch and die set is used to profile-cut the mask’s fabric.

To help facilitate smooth, efficient and effective machine motion, the company turned to its long-term technology partner, NSK. For the past 20 years NSK has been supplying Sims Engineering with NH/ NS series linear guides (and predecessor models) to suit the wide range of machines and systems built by the company.

For the face mask machines, the linear guides would have to exhibit fast speeds and high load capacity, while simultaneously offering minimal noise output and extended reliability. The company knew that NSK’s NH series would meet requirements.

NH series linear guides offer double the lifespan of conventional alternatives thanks to features like specially developed ball groove geometry.

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As well as stocking standard units, NSK Newark has extensive capabilities to meet requests for specific lengths, coatings, seals and grease in short lead times.

Although the facility holds stock of NH/NS linear guides in sizes 15 to 65 - supporting demand from across the UK and Europe - the in-house workshop is well equipped to meet special orders in lead times as short as five days. Over the course of 2020, NSK has supplied Sims Engineering with many NH linear guides for its face mask manufacturing machines.

Currently, three such machines are in production as demand for local face mask resources continues to grow.

All of the NH series linear guides for Sims Engineering are supplied with NSK’s K1 lubrication units, whereby lubricant is incorporated in a carrier medium and released little by little to ensure supply over a long time period.

Meticulous sealing of the K1 prevents contaminants from reaching the running surface of the linear guide. In addition, far less lubricant is released into the surroundings than with conventional solutions.

As a further option, NSK has recently introduced the K1-L lubrication unit. The K1-L houses a new polyolefin-based carrier material with a much larger reserve of lubricant, leading to a service life which is typically double that of the K1 series.

First Cryptographic Companion Device Brings Pre-Programmed Security To The Automotive Market Due to the rise of in-vehicle network connections like Bluetooth® and LTE/5G, today’s vehicles host more vulnerabilities than ever before, driving new cybersecurity regulations and specifications for the automotive market.

Helping OEMs and their module suppliers simplify the upgrade of existing designs to meet security requirements for future generations, Microchip Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: MCHP) today announced its CryptoAutomotive™ security IC, the TrustAnchor100 (TA100).

The cryptographic companion device supports in-vehicle network security solutions such as secure boot, firmware update and message authentication, including Controller Area Network (CAN) MAC at bus speed.

In order to comply with the new security specifications, automotive designers must rearchitect the vehicle’s electronic control units (ECUs) with secure hardware. Existing solutions in the market include

single chip dual core hardware security module (HSM) devices, which require OEMs and their module suppliers to rearchitect their application software to integrate security. In addition to the effort required for this integration, the risk of security holes introduced in disparate implementations pose significant barriers through this path. Third party security software can help overcome this barrier in part with increasing development costs.

The TA100 provides an alternative in-vehicle network architecture implementation for secure boot and message authentication — and has already been approved by multiple OEMs around the world as a solution for EVITA Medium and EVITA Full HSM requirements. Its feature set was designed based on careful review of several prominent OEM cybersecurity specifications to help facilitate a Tier 1’s pursuit of OEM Part Production Approval (PPAP).

Additionally, Microchip offers

security specification and Request for Quote (RFQ) review services to assist Tier 1s in developing educated responses, improving their project award success rate.

The TA100 removes the challenges associated with secure code development and provisioning by offering preprogrammed cryptographic internal application code provisioned with unique asymmetric key-pairs and associated x.509 certificates — reducing risk, cost and time to market.

The device is confirmed with high resistance to attack through intensive third-party vulnerability assessments.

It is AEC-Q100 Automotive Grade-1 qualified, FIPS 140-2 CMVP Security Level 2 rated and Physical Key Protection Level 3 certified, and it has achieved the highest possible vulnerability assessment rating of Joint Interpretation Library (JIL) High. In addition, the TA100 provides software components like AUTOSAR drivers, MCALs and Microchip’s CryptoAuthentication™ library that allow seamless integration into the industry standard operating system, AUTOSAR, or customized software stacks for crypto functions.

Pricing and Availability The TA100 is available in an 8- and 14-pin SOIC packages starting at $1.50 in 10,000-unit quantities.

For additional information, contact a Microchip sales representative, authorized worldwide distributor or visit Microchip’s website. To purchase products mentioned here, click to order now or contact a Microchip authorized distributor.

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When Dual-Arm Robots Learn To See The position of the components in the blister packs is detected using 3D surface sensors — which also allow targeted picking from the bin or the vibratory conveyor, in order to then further measure the capacitors and printed circuit boards with the help of 2D cameras.

Printed circuit board assembly in electronics manufacturing is largely automated. Robots of various designs undertake steps such as SMD placement, soldering and automated optical inspection (AOI). Until now, an exception has been the through-hole mounting of socalled wired components such as capacitors, power coils and connectors. This is still mostly done by manual assembly, as it is a complex process that cannot be easily automated.

This is precisely the challenge that presented itself to the engineers from Glaub Automation & Engineering GmbH in Salzgitter. As CEO Niko Glaub says, “A client asked us concretely whether we might not be able to find a solution for automating this step.”

This challenge was the major incentive to developing a solution. Glaub’s team enthusiastically set to work and the solution is now already being used — and it is highly unconventional. The assembly is done by a dual-arm collaborative YuMi robot from ABB, which — thanks to its two arms — can assemble the circuit boards twice as fast as a conventional robot.

The automated process in the ultra-compact “GL-THTeasy” robot cell takes place as follows:

The robot is provided with blister packs with capacitors, for example, via a conveyor line. A data matrix code on the blister pack allows the item to be identified. YuMi then grips one capacitor after another from the blister pack and places it precisely on the printed circuit board. Alternatively, it can also remove the electronic components from an ESD container, for example, or a vibratory conveyor. This is immediately followed by soldering from below. Empty blister packs are removed by the installation via a recirculation system and full ones are then automatically fed in.

Targeted bin picking This all sounds quite logical so far, and we may wonder why this assembly process was not automated before now. The answer: robotics was unable to cope with either the high variability in the component feeding or the slight inaccuracies in positioning the components. This meant that the few previous robotic solutions were extremely complex, elaborate in terms of programming, and not particularly reliable in practice.

However, Glaub’s new robot cell uses smart cameras for the first time, boasting state-of-the-art image processing technology from Cognex, the market leader in industrial image processing.

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A smart combination of robotics and image processing Image processing thus plays a crucial role in the success of this concept. Glaub’s engineers worked together with Wendeburg-based M-VIS Solutions GmbH to choose the cameras suitable for this application. Cognex’s solutions partner M-VIS developed a solution with several cameras that both capture the data matrix codes on the blister packs and precisely measure and locate each individual component.

Vitali Burghardt, CEO of M-VIS Solutions, explains: “With the 100% absolute measurement of components and printed circuit boards, GL-THTeasy compensates for every inaccuracy in terms of components, gripping, workpiece carriers and conveyor belts.” This means that components that do not fit exactly are immediately eliminated.

Short cycle time, rapid amortization ABB YuMi’s two arms work simultaneously round the clock, allowing 24/7 operation at high speed with a very short cycle time, which can be under three seconds depending on the components to be installed and the feed. The amortization period is also impressive, coming to around fourteen months from GL-THTeasy’s first use.

For more information please visit: www.cognex.com

Digitalization In Service And Maintenance—Process Industry In Transition

Where once technicians used a clipboard and a pen, remote monitors, smartphones, and tablets with the appropriate applications, software solutions, and real-time information are now the tools of choice. the events at the second Pepperl+Fuchs Online Summit will focus on the topic of “Digitalization in Service and Maintenance�. Experts from Pepperl+Fuchs, ecom, and a variety of other partner companies will highlight a number of exciting applications from the process industry and will provide insight into the future of smart maintenance.

Keynotes, presentations, and panel discussions will analyze the following topics in more detail: - For a long time, mobile devices have been used for much more than communication. What role do smartphones and tablets currently play in inspection and servicing in industrial environments and hazardous areas? How have the working environment and working methods changed since mobile devices were introduced? What are the key advantages of this for users and businesses?

become popular buzzwords in the age of Industry 4.0. What do these two concepts encompass and what challenges do businesses face during their implementation?

- Experts estimate that remote support for maintenance tasks will account for 60 % of augmented reality applications in the future. What challenges does this pose and what potential can this offer for maintenance?

- Remote assistance and predictive maintenance have

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Geofire Launches Deaf Alert Home Pillow Alarm To Wake Hard Of Hearing In The Event Of Fire

The Deaf Alert is a digital, vibrating pillow alarm that uses ‘listening’ technology to activate on the specific sound of a home smoke alarm.

Geofire has manufactured fire safety products in the UK since 1972. The Deaf Alert will join the Agrippa acoustic product line which includes the battery powered fire door holder and closer. The acoustic technology used among Agrippa’s wire-free products allows the unit to learn the specific sound of the smoke alarm ensuring activation upon hearing only the specific sound rather than any loud noise.

In the event of the smoke alarm sounding, the Deaf Alert unit wakes the user by displaying a visual ‘FIRE’ warning, flashing high intensity LED lights and vibrating the pad under the user’s pillow.

A shocking statistic from the Home Office reported that house fires without a working smoke alarm are around eight times more likely to result in a fatality. As one in six people in the UK are living with hearing loss, a staggering amount of the population is vulnerable in the event of a house fire.

Andy Collinson, CEO at Geofire, said: “We are proud to launch the Deaf Alert and extend our innovative fire safety product offering into the home.

Since the launch of the original Agrippa Pillow Alarm into hotels and commercial buildings in 2015, the demand for a product that could offer the same peace of mind in the home was staggering.

“During a time where more people are at home than ever

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before, it is an honour to be able to provide a solution that both protects, as well as, solves a problem for the deaf and hard of hearing community.

“Thanks to our distributors and online retailers, we have been able to ensure our products are available and accessible to all online during the pandemic”.

Powered by mains, with a backup battery supply, the Deaf Alert ensures fail-safe operation should power be lost and requires next to no installation.

The compact and unimposing unit includes a LED time display and alarm clock function.

The Deaf Alert is available to buy online and through a network of approved distributors, visit: www.geofire.co.uk to find out more.

JELLYPIPE Announces First Large Scale 3D Printing Service Supplier To Its Platform

The international 3D printing on-line ecosystem — has today announced that it can now offer an exciting new large scale 3D printing service through its platform.

The principal behind Jellypipe is very simple, but is made possible by some extremely complex and intricate software which is the engine that makes using the platform so intuitive and rewarding commercially for all parts of the 3D printing ecosystem. Users of Jellypipe can easily access a huge resource of knowledge, advice, and consultation to ensure that the correct materials, 3D printing technology, and finishing is selected, and then receive quotes from the most extensive network of 3D printing service providers based on speed of delivery or lowest cost.

Just joining the ecosystem is Plastech Additive Manufacturing (www.pi-am.co.uk) based in Norwich, U.K. Plastech AM uses “The Box” 3D printing equipment from Swedish vendor BLB Industries on behalf of its clients. The company

uses a Box Medium system producing high-end, large-scale parts, and boasting a build envelope of 1500 x 1500 x 1500 mm. The machine comes with two extruders and a variety of nozzle sizes and uses the Fused Granular Fabrication (FGF) method of production using industry standard granules.

The use of granules means that material choice is greatly increased, and costs can be significantly rationalised for prototype or full mass production.

Stephen Rundle, Director at Plastech AM says, “We can offer everything from single prints to a short production run, we also have companies close by that can offer finishing services including milling, spray filling, sanding and painting. All we need from the client is an .STL or OBJ file that is approved for print. In some cases, the file may need some modifications in order to print in which case we would request an .STP which we can then modify before the client approves. Finally, a finishing specification would also be of benefit

stating expected finishes and application. There is no real typical application except large!

We have had applications from construction, oil & gas, marine, furniture, automotive, and displays & events to name a few, everything from composite moulds, foul drain pipework to giant theme park figures.”

When compared with traditional production technologies, the Plastech AM Box Medium System has numerous benefits, but in nearly all instances the technology wins through on speed of manufacture and price.

It uses some standard materials like ABS or PP both filled or unfilled, PLA, TPU, TPE and even a special PP with 50% wood fibre, but the real advantage of the FGF technology is that Plastech AM can work with almost any plastic pellet, all that is required first is a print trial to test suitability.

Scott Colman, Jellypipe Sales Manager for the U.K. and Ireland comments, “We are delighted that Plastech AM has joined the Jellypipe ecosystem.

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HARTING Ltd Announce New UK Managing Director

HARTING Ltd, the German electrical and electronic connector technology company, will be under new management from January 2021. Current Managing Director, Peter Hannon, announced his retirement earlier this year and will step down in December.

He will be succeeded by Simon Asbury, who will step up from his current role as Director of Sales and Marketing.

Simon Asbury has worked in the electronics and electrical sector since 1988, gaining experience in a range of engineering and sales roles. He joined HARTING Ltd in 1997 as a Sales Engineer, before taking over management of HARTING’s distributors.

In 2001 he became Field Sales Manager, with responsibility for the electrical arm of the business, before a promotion to Director of Sales and Market Development in 2007. Since 2018, he has held the position of Director of Sales and Marketing.

Following the announcement, Simon commented; “I would like to begin by thanking Peter for

his successful time as Managing Director of HARTING Ltd; myself and the team wish him a long and healthy retirement. I am delighted to be appointed as the next Managing Director of HARTING Ltd. Alongside the great team in the UK, we will continue to develop our digital strategy including marketing, ecommerce and technical support. We will bring market-leading connectivity and networking solutions to our customers to enable them to digitise, modularise, miniaturise and customise their products and operations. We will also continue to invest in our manufacturing facility in Northampton to bring design support and manufacturing close to our UK and Ireland customers.”

Simon has worked alongside with Peter for several years, which will allow a smooth transition of the business and continuity of leadership.

Peter Hannon has worked for HARTING for over 22 years, joining initially as Financial

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Controller in September 1998.

Three years later he became Finance Director, before being appointed Managing Director in October 2005.

Commenting on his time at HARTING, he said: “Fifteen years has flown by and a lot has happened during that time.

The company has matured and grown significantly and it has exciting plans for the future. I thought it was time for someone else to have a go and I am delighted that HARTING have chosen Simon as the next Managing Director. I am proud of what the HARTING UK team has achieved together and there are excellent prospects for the future under Simon’s leadership.”

For further information please visit: www.harting.com

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Alloyed Acquires Electro-Thermal Mechanical Testing (ETMT) Machine

Alloyed (formerly OxMet Technologies) brings together the advanced technology brands Alloys-By-Design (ABD), Betatype, and Alloyed Digital Manufacture (ADM) and provides a compelling offering for optimising advanced digital metal manufacturing applications.

Today the company is delighted to announce the acquisition of an Electro-Thermal Mechanical Testing (ETMT) machine, and so becomes one of the only private companies globally to have this technology in-house for the benefit of its customers.

The £300K investment in the ETMT machine is strategically very important for Alloyed, and the technology resides in its

1000 m2 laboratory in Oxford, U.K. where metal research, testing and characterisation takes place.

Gael Guetard, Alloyed’s Rapid Alloy Research Centre Director says, “While the ETMT machine adds hugely to our in-house technology portfolio used on behalf of an array of customers working on exacting AM and non-AM metal product applications, it is the combination of the technology with the vast experience of the Alloyed team that is the real strength. Alloyed’s unrivalled expertise lies in using advanced metallurgy, the latest simulation techniques, and a profound understanding of the factors that drive alloy performance.The company focuses on multi-scale

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materials and multi-physics modelling, prediction and analysis of fatigue and failure (an area enhanced by the ETMT machine), and the optimisation of complex manufacturing processes, including AM. While many customers have come to us since we installed the ETMT machine to take advantage of its superior attributes, it is often a gateway for them to then take advantage of the array of services that Alloyed can offer for advanced metal manufacturing projects.”

Installed just over one month ago, the ETMT machine makes Alloyed a one-stop shop for a number of metal tests that would have previously only been possible through the agency

of a number of different testing companies using a variety of technologies. The ETMT machine can perform tensile and compression tests, creep tests (also called stress-rupture tests), and fatigue tests. Tests can be undertaken in air, vacuum, or foreign gases such as Argon.

The temperature of the sample being tested is controlled by the Joule effect, meaning that temperatures in excess of 1000°C can be attained.

The ETMT machine can also quickly heat and cool samples, affording the ability to cycle the temperature or perform insitu heat treatments. Guetard continues, “At Alloyed, we have equipped the ETMT with a state-of-the-art digital image correlation (DIC) system, which allows us to optically

measure strain on the sample during testing. The machine is well suited for miniature test specimens, which allows us to obtain site-specific mechanical properties from large parts such as forgings.We have also found it very valuable in measuring the properties of fine additively manufactured structures like lattices or thin walls. The machine is extremely versatile and allows for an array of tests to be undertaken under one roof, so any interested parties can approach us to discuss the possibilities and also to assess what else we can help with through Alloyed’s unique stack of technologies for the manufacture of advanced metal components both by additive or traditional means.”

For more information visit: www.alloyed.com

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Vision Labs Can See Clearly Now Thanks To Keyence

One of the UK’s leading manufacturers of bespoke lenses, and a partner of 20 years plus to many of the leading names in the dispensing optician sector, is Vision Labs Ltd. Its specialist facility at Kidderminster in Worcestershire processes millions of lenses every year, each one tailored to the needs of the individual customer.

A complex technical process Raw plastic material is cut to the required geometry by CNC milling and turning equipment, before a high- speed polishing process smooths the lens and removes any remnants from the milling and turning processes.

Each lens then undergoes a visual inspection and verification against the patient’s prescription, before undergoing any treatments required such as tinting, UV protection and the application of scratch- resistant coatings and the latest multilayer anti-reflection coatings, as needed.

Anthony Woodhouse, Technical Manager of Vision Labs, explains: “Given the volume of lenses we process, any defect with a lens or issue with production needs to be identified and remedied quickly, or we face a backlog in production which can impact on our delivery schedules and overall service to customers.

“All of our processing equipment is calibrated to very tight tolerances – as little as two microns – to ensure the best possible product quality and life cycle for consumables. However, all CNC equipment can be prone to positioning errors over time, emanating from natural wear and tear, or moving parts which are coming to the end of their lives and require replacement.

“During manufacture, each lens is subject to various levels of stress and heat. If these are not managed correctly, issues may arise which mean the lens may be rejected. In that event, we have to spend

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time investigating what has happened to determine the root cause then take any remedial action needed.

Machining accuracy is vital “Key to minimising the risk of defects is ensuring optimal machining machine tool accuracy. Previously we assessed this based in tool displacement using an eye glass with a scale. However, this method has limitations, even for the highly experienced tool setters within our team” says Anthony Woodhouse.

Because of these challenges, the management team at Vision Labs sought another solution, and it came in the form of a Keyence VHX-7000 digital microscope.

The system’s high magnification and 4,000 pixel count – the world’s first microscope to offer this – combined with twodimensional edge detection software which snaps to the

lines of contrast meaning the risk of differences between users is eliminated, allows calibration tolerances as low as 0.1 microns.

Meanwhile, the glare removal feature and rapid 3D depth composition, combined with the VHX’s easy-to-use of software, meant that wear on diamond cutting tools can be rapidly assessed to ensure they are replaced only when needed, creating cost savings for Vision Labs.

Perhaps the greatest benefit has come in the area of analysing coatings, where the VHX’s world first optical shadow effect mode (OPT-SEM) allows these transparent features to be viewed more readily and so defects identified more rapidly.

The multi-lighting feature, allowing immediate change between ring, coaxial, polarised and transmitted lighting, also assists the clarity of view.

Anthony Woodhouse continues: “The Keyence microscope is easy to use and gives us incredibly accurate and detailed information. removes the issues associated with the previous visual testing, as it enables us to calibrate our machines extremely accurately and counter any issues in our processes. It has enabled us to view defects in a way that was not possible before, equipping us with a better understanding of how they occur – and how we can minimise the risk of defects.

“This latest investment in Keyence equipment has resulted in higher-quality products, fewer interruptions to production and enhanced cutting tool lifetimes – meaning a significant impact on our productivity, service and the bottom line.” www.keyence.co.uk/VisionLabs www.keyence.co.uk

“We had used other Keyence equipment with great success for a number of years and so we were already aware not just of the quality of their products, but the depth of support and training that would be provided.

The feedback from colleagues has been fantastic. Overall, we have great confidence in both the equipment and the Keyence team.”

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