Design World November 2023

www.designworldonline.com November 2023

inside:

Automated Warehouse Supplement PA G E S 39 -5

5

INTERNET OF THINGS IoT advice from the metalworking world

p.24

MOTION CONTROL Achieving precision and speed in PCB manufacturing

p.30

MEDICAL TIPS

These surgical robotics arms are destined for the trash — by design

p.57

Putting power-off brakes on a

self-driving robot PAG E 2 0

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I write a lot in this space about the need to get more young people from all backgrounds to consider engineering as a career. We rarely end up as a sexy occupation on television. That’s relegated to doctors, lawyers, and heck, even crime scene investigators and morticians. (I don’t think we can count MacGyver as an engineer, can we?)

Over the course of my career, I’ve seen the old science fairs blossom into much cooler events, buoyed by the FIRST robotics challenge and industryled events like the National Fluid Power Association’s Chainless Challenge (originally the brainchild of Parker Hannifin). Making battling robots and using real-world components to build creative bicycles are exactly the types of things that will get kids excited about engineering as a career.

A smart, thoughtful book I recently ran across could be another vehicle for getting a young person in your life interested in engineering. It’s called Engineering in Plain Sight by Grady Hillhouse. While the thrust of this oversized, colorfully illustrated

hardbound book is closer to the civil engineering side of things, I quickly got lost in its pages.

EIPS looks at the build environment through an engineer’s eyes, covering construction sites, roads and bridges, railways and tunnels, and municipal water systems. There are even chapters dedicated to communications equipment and the electrical grid. I learned so much, from things like local utility poles (which I’ve always been curious about) to dam construction. There’s even a nice section covering nearly every type of mobile machinery that one would encounter on a job site. The text never gets too deep into the technology, but explains it on a level that a high school student (or a kid at heart like myself) would appreciate.

The author explains in his forward how so much of “infrastructure spotting” is the joy of figuring out what various pieces and parts are for. This book helps connect many of the dots, and I think it would be a great way to steer a bit of STEM learning toward a curious kid in your life. DW

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At this point, Artificial Intelligence is in its golden years. As a discipline, it debuted in the mid-50s. But since the launch of ChatGPT in November of 2022, it feels very much like a groundbreaking new kid on the block — dominating social media feeds, keynote addresses, and the marketing budgets of many familiar faces in our industry.

Earlier this year, I read an online CNN interview on the subject with Stuart Russell, a computer science professor at the University of California, Berkeley. I’ll just come clean. After reading the article, I had to admit that regardless of my years in journalism and a career covering the engineering space for this magazine, my understanding of AI wasn’t nearly as comprehensive as I thought. What I learned, though, is that I’m probably not alone. Early in the interview, Russell explained that one of the issues with our collective understanding of AI is that many of us are confused about even the basics of this technology.

“Right now, what a lot of people are excited about are large language models. They are a product of AI, but they are not AI. It’s sort of like confusing physics with cell phones, right? Cell phones are a product of physics — they’re not the same thing as physics.”

He’s right. Our hyper-connected world allows many of us access to just enough information to be dangerous. And when looking into the potentially numerous pitfalls of AI, Russell said that we don’t even have those threats nailed down either.

He goes on,

“… as a researcher inside the field, when I read things, I want to say, “No, no, you’re getting it completely wrong.”

Probably the biggest confusion that we see is that a lot of writers talk about the big question as being: Are these things conscious? Nobody in the field actually has any answers to those kinds of questions, and they are irrelevant to the issue of whether AI systems pose a risk to humanity.”

I have had several conversations in the last few months with people who are quite confident that they know what to expect with AI. Don’t count me as one of them. As we come upon the new year, I plan on talking less and learning more about this fascinating technology. We are on the precipice of perhaps the greatest technological advance in human history.

Is that an overestimate? Maybe, but I think we’ve already seen too much to rule out the possibility.

AI talk is everywhere now, and it is not going away. With that, I think the time has come for us all to do the work of learning more about what this technology, for good or bad, is capable of. Or, at least, we should get on the same page about how we can all do our part to ensure AI is used ethically, regulated properly, and steers clear of the roads some of our past technologies have traveled. DW

Mike Santora msantora@wtwhmedia.com

On X (formerly Twitter) @dw_mikesantora

6

November 2023

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Contents 11 • 2023

•

vol 18 no 11

•

designworldonline.com

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ON THE COVER

PUTTING POWER-OFF BRAKES ON A SELF-DRIVING ROBOT

| Miki Pulley

30 MOTION CONTROL Achieving precision and speed in PCB manufacturing

Advanced controllers can help streamline laser processing, allowing for tight synchronization of the laser and positioning stages, and helping meet the demand for higher precision in PCB manufacturing.

10

2023

2023

2023

SILVER NATIONAL AWARD

SILVER REGIONAL AWARD

BRONZE REGIONAL AWARD

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November 2023

34 ELECTRONICS Experiments bring hope for 6G above 100 GHz Efforts to explore and “unlock” this frequency region require an interdisciplinary approach with high-frequency RF semiconductor technology. The THz region also shows great promise for many application areas ranging from imaging to spectroscopy to sensing.

www.designworldonline.com

NOVEMBER 2O23 theautomatedwarehouse .com

Medical www.designworldonline.com

A Supplement to Design World - November 2023

These surgical robotics arms are destined for the trash — by design

A Supplement to Design World

PAGE 58

Logistics companies that drive innovation

The Vicarious Surgical system’s robotic arms and camera are disposable, as are the system’s trocar and drape.

Photo courtesy of Vicarious Surgical

Inside: Getting North American warehouses up to speed................................................................... 40 Logistics companies that drive innovation....................................................................................44 A3 releases more safety standards for industrial mobile robots........................................49 Measuring speed and position for safety.......................................................................................52

39-56

Vicarious Surgical says its surgical robotics system’s arms and camera are small enough to enter the abdominal cavity through a single 1.5 cm incision.

Photo courtesy of Vicarious Surgical

57-61

DESIGN WORLD

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Design Notes

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Internet of Things

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DESIGN WORLD Follow the whole team @DesignWorld

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November 2023

13

Design for Industry Packaging

New IO-Link master future-proofs machines Packaging machine architectures can have many

sensors and pneumatic valves, making reliable digital communication between field devices, such as sensors and the machine controller, critical.

Emerson has introduced a new Class A IO-Link master as a cost-effective solution for smart and analog sensor connectivity on the Aventics Series G3 Fieldbus platform. The G3 IO-Link Master suits packaging, automotive, tire manufacturing, food and beverage, and metalworking applications.

IO-Link is an internationally standardized I/O technology (IEC 61131-9) for communication at the sensor/actuator level in machine control. During replacement, IO-Link devices can identify and configure themselves automatically, saving maintenance time. The IO-Link master controls pneumatic valves through direct data communication with the machine controller. It offers event-based and I/O-mapped diagnostics for predictive maintenance and IIoT applications.

Engineers can include multiple IO-Link masters on only one G3 Fieldbus platform and cut costs by reducing communication nodes. The G3 IO-Link Master is optimized

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The G3 contains a graphical display for configuration, commissioning, and diagnostics and can also be configured with the G3 web server. Its functionality allows PLCs to turn valves on and off efficiently and to channel I/O data from sensors, lights, relays, individual valves, or other I/O devices via various industrial networks. DW

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Design for Industry Safety

Battery monitors prevent hot flashes in EVs Thermal runway isn’t a hot fashion show for batteries. It’s when a lithiumion cell’s temperature increases uncontrollably, causing the battery to melt, catch fire, or explode. This phenomenon creates risks for electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems (ESS), especially during charging.

To mitigate risks and dangers, Metis Engineering has launched Cell Guard, a new battery safety sensor that provides accurate and detailed information on the lithium-ion battery pack’s health. The sensor detects cell venting — an early sign of catastrophic battery failure — vastly reducing the risk of thermal runaway.

Cell Guard monitors environmental parameters, including VOCs, pressure change, humidity, and dew point, and has an optional accelerometer to record shock loads. This data can be used to crosscheck with other inputs, such as cell temperatures and pressure spikes, to identify cell venting.

The sensor relays the data over a configurable CAN interface to a control unit, such as the vehicle’s ECU. This can then alert the driver within seconds that cell venting has occurred. The sensor can also trigger cutting the circuit to the battery pack, allowing it to cool down.

Cell Guard’s accelerometer monitors shock loads up to 24 G and the impact duration the battery pack may experience, reducing costly scrappage. It also monitors the dew point in the battery pack and triggers a warning before condensation settles on the battery terminals, which could lead to shorting and thermal incidents.

The sensor also features a programable pin that controls the relay. It has a low-power mode that monitors the pack silently, and if a threshold is reached, the sensor starts transmitting on CAN to wake up the vehicle.

Increasing safety, reducing risk, and providing insight into the battery condition will provide peace of mind for EV drivers and ESS manufacturers and help promote the broader adoption of electric systems. DW Metis Engineering | www.metisengineering.com DESIGN WORLD

November 2023

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Design for Industry Offshore

Innovative servovalves race in America’s Cup The America’s Cup is one of the

world’s most prestigious and oldest sailing competitions and provides a unique platform for showcasing ground-breaking technology.

INEOS Britannia, the Challenger of Record for the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona next year, is refining its race boat and chose Domin’s custom servovalves to lightweight its design.

By minimizing leakage, the Domin servovalves ensure optimal efficiency and control, ultimately reducing energy loss and improving the boat’s overall performance.

“Initially, the design requirements were focused on mass, size, and efficiency. Being a high-performance boat, those three factors are key.

The lighter they can make the boat, the smaller they can make the whole

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November 2023

system,” said Jerome Carson, product owner at Domin. “Another requirement was to raise the pressure in their system so they could use smaller actuators.”

Mass and size were easy for Domin, as their standard servovalve design was already light and compact. So, the team prototyped parts quickly in-house to customize valves and meet the boat’s requirements. As for efficiency, the unique servovalve design operates with exceptional performance at very high pressure while minimizing leakage, allowing INEOS Britannia to reduce the boat’s overall weight and minimize aerodynamic drag.

Domin was founded with a vision to add value to an industry that seemed to stagnate — where hydraulic designs from the 50s and 60s had been

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iterated but never revolutionized. Using additive manufacturing, Domin creates multifunctional complex components in one part that increase system efficiency or are smaller, lighter, and cheaper to manufacture. The company launched its first product in 2019, focusing on high-performance valves that reduce costs and CO2 emissions.

“The future goal is to change everything in the hydraulic industry and add more value to the systems,” said Carson. “By making an almost distributed network of electrohydraulic subsystems in one package, we believe we can make these systems 80% efficient. That’s where we believe the future is.” DW

Domin | www.domin.co

DESIGN WORLD

Design for Industry Aerospace/Military

Spacecra manufacturers use the force Keith Skidmore Director of Custom Solutions, Sales • Interface

When aerospace companies invest billions of dollars to build a spacecraft, they need assurance that their investments are protected. One of the key ways to do this is by force measurement, which provides test and real-time data on the feasibility and safety of lifting major aerospace equipment.

Force sensors allow operators and onsite engineers to ensure equipment is rated for lifting the size and weight of various spacecraft components. They are also used for monitoring during operation to identify risk factors before they lead to safety issues. During assembly, force sensors can help align two parts by providing position data on the lifted part. In many disassembly processes, force sensors can ensure that parts can be lifted from one another without any unnecessary friction or strain.

Several types of force sensors serve various lifting and rigging needs: Load pins — A load pins is a type of load cell that can replace bolts, clevis, sheave, equalizer pins, and other load-bearing components to measure tensile and compression forces. Load pins are internally gauged with a bored center containing strain gauges, allowing them to convert force into an electrical signal for accurate data collection. Most applications for load pins include overhead equipment, such as cranes and lifts.

Force sensors allow operators and onsite engineers to ensure equipment is rated for li ing the size and weight of various spacecra components.

DESIGN WORLD

November 2023

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Load shackles — A load shackle is a U-shaped, load-bearing connecting device with a removable pin. Load shackles can be used in several rigging and load securement applications to provide sensor technologies when connecting lifting slings, chains, or ropes to an object or each other. A load shackle is essentially a load monitoring pin installed into the shackle body, allowing engineers to replace existing rigging hardware with a load cell for force measurement and weighing data.

Tension links — A tension link load cell is commonly used in lifting and weighing applications and generally has capacities from 5 to 500 metric tons. Tension links provide a similar benefit to load shackles but have more customization options for dimensions, ratings, and capacities.

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Modern force sensors are wireless, removing cumbersome and often hazardous wires running from equipment to a data logging point. There is also a wide variety of signal types for compatibility with most modern systems.

Overall, force sensors are essential in ensuring that parts are secure and that workers are safe from the threat of falling objects. DW

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DESIGN WORLD

November 2023

19

Design Notes

Putting power-off brakes on a self-driving robot Edited by Mike Santora

Serve robot navigating a crosswalk amid pedestrians.

When Serve Robotics, an autonomous sidewalk delivery company, needed electro-magnetic power-off brakes to assist in safely controlling motion while Serve robots navigated sidewalks to complete food deliveries, they chose Miki Pulley. “Serve Robotics is an innovator in autonomous robotic delivery, and we’re excited to be part of developing the leading technology in this growing industry,” stated Jon Davidson, Sales Manager for Miki Pulley.

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November 2023

A customer retrieving an order from the locked compartment.

Serve Robotics is shaping the future of sustainable, self-driving delivery in partnership with food delivery companies.

Their robotic delivery experience satisfies customers, improves reliability for merchants, and reduces vehicle emissions to zero. The company’s self-driving robots have successfully completed tens of thousands of contactless deliveries in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

“Miki Pulley engineers were willing to discuss our needs at the prototype stage

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and ultimately customized the BXR brake with a special lead wire connector. This customization really helped us meet our business goals,” said Mark Durst, Head of Mechanical Engineering for Serve Robotics.

Serve Robotics selected the BXR model in part because it is a power-off engaged brake, which does not consume power when stationary and only when in motion. This optimizes battery power management, an important performance

DESIGN WORLD

Miki Pulley BXR brakes are located in the 2 rear wheel assemblies.

factor in delivery robots. The compact brake and motor assembly are housed inside a casting connected to the robot frame. This provides protection to these critical components for the environment, such as rain, dirt, and more.

Designed with a thin profile, the BXR saves space and is roughly twothirds the thickness of other similar brakes. Its lightweight construction also substantially reduces idling wear. The BXR brake may also be installed on the output face of a motor, providing a significant advantage when the overall assembly must be contained in a small envelope.

Additional BXR design benefits include: a single friction plate that provides fast response in high cycle applications; armature engagement that is smooth, quiet, and operates with no chatter; and the ability to function dually as an emergency brake and a holding brake.

Miki Pulley www.mikipulley-us.com

BXR brakes are approximately twothirds the thickness of other similar brakes.

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November 2023

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Design Notes

Simpli ing packaging processes with modular automation platforms

Edited by Mike Santora

Packaging operations are anything but simple. Every day, millions of food items, commodities, and other products must be packaged, sealed, transported, unloaded, mixed, stored, recycled, and sorted. To maintain high levels of throughput, packaging machines must be highly adaptable — able to handle fast changeovers, frequent product changes, and a variety of materials.

Easier said than done. Automating a machine’s processes, functions, and movements depends on various product characteristics, such as size, weight, and volume. For food and pharmaceutical products, the list of criteria is even longer, with machines requiring special functions like synchronized movements, temperature controllers, and monitoring. How can original equipment manufacturers (OEM) meet such a wide variety of requirements in a simple, costeffective way?

Unfortunately, many automation and drive solutions currently on the market involve individual components and systems that must be integrated — a time-consuming and labor-intensive integration process. As a result, it’s becoming increasingly important for OEMs to engineer machines efficiently on a common platform.

Meeting these challenges headon is StarterSET, a modular product and software bundle that offers the functionality of specific packaging machines, including vertical form fill and seal (VFFS) machines, palletizers, case packers, and more. In addition to

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including all the basic hardware and software modules for implementation — all of which fit together in a seamless, intelligent way — each StarterSET is extendable, enabling OEMs to build special-purpose machinery, meet customer-specific requirements, and remain adaptable in an increasingly competitive market.

Relieving the strain on OEMs, each StarterSET package includes preselected drive and control components from the MOVI-C modular automation system, such as servomotors, planetary servo gear units, servo inverters, and higherlevel controllers. Each set also contains software modules that are prewritten and focus on parametrization.

Also, a state and mode manager called MOVIKIT Automation Framework, complies with the Packaging

Machine Language (PackML) standard.

I/O modules and HMI for easy machine operation round off the StarterSETs. For example, the “Form Fill and Seal Vertical” StarterSET is available for a typical vertical FFS machine. OEMs receive a package of basic drive and automation components and accessories like cables, plugs, and terminals.

All hardware contents are perfectly coordinated with each other, therefore saving time and reducing the likelihood of errors during the selection and engineering process.

Users can also extend StarterSET packages to meet unique or specific requirements, reducing their

StarterSET offers a complete package of software and hardware, all from SEW-EURODRIVE.

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StarterSET provides vertical FSS machines with a modular solution for intermittent or continuous processes.

• configuration time, project duration, and overall costs. For example, OEMs can easily add additional motion axes, condition monitoring systems, integrated safety technology, energy modules, or increased controller processing power. No matter the iteration, each kit maintains high product quality and provides fail-safe performance.

At the heart of each StarterSET is the MOVIKIT software bundle consisting of preprogrammed modules embedded in the MOVI-C controller that offer various simple to complex drive and motion control functions. In a vertical FFS machine, for example, the software modules enable users to precisely adjust and monitor machine processes related to speed, temperature, and film tension.

In fact, these capabilities can reduce the time it takes to develop and create a machine sequence program dramatically.

Here’s a quick overview of how StarterSET software modules make various FFS machine functions possible via simple parameterization:

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Unrolling the film: The software precisely controls how the packaging material is unwound from the rolls and fed into the packaging process.

Dosing: The software synchronizes volumetric filling in real time — using an auger, for example. Users simply parameterize the filling variant, along with cycle-synchronous actuator control.

Moving the sealing bars: The StarterSET synchronizes the sealing bar and tongs and moves the sealing bar in relation to the printmark. Once the sealing time has elapsed and the tongs have opened, the bar returns to the starting point.

In addition to these vertical FFS machine functions, software modules can easily be configured for individual applications, thanks to StarterSET’s use of open-source code. This combination of modularity and flexibility saves users a considerable amount of time. DW

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Internet of Things

IoT advice om the metalworking world Mark Backus • Regional Product Manager for Machine Integration/Tooling Systems, Americas • Sandvik Coromant

Shops with integrated IoT platforms can quickly identify and reduce process waste. | courtesy of Sandvik Coromant In the fast-paced world of metalworking, the convergence of IoT, Industry 4.0, and connected machine monitoring is transforming manufacturing. IoT connects machines, sensors, and devices throughout the metalworking process, which allows for real-time data collection, analysis, and communication, resulting in a seamless flow of information across the entire value chain. This data can be transferred to a centralized machine monitoring system to identify potential issues or inefficiencies in real time for proactive maintenance and minimal unplanned downtime.

Whether a shop is just starting a digitalization journey or already incorporating Industry 4.0 solutions, the available technologies and vast data they produce and manage can be overwhelming. Let’s look at some parallels from the machining world

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to see how shops can better navigate the digital transformation landscape to find the right strategy and technology to improve their business.

Go beyond the lights When shops depend on the green, yellow, and red andon lights to indicate operation status and utilization, they’re not making the best use of machine-generated data.

If an operator sees a red light, what is that telling them? Has the machine crashed?

Is engineering doing a test, or is the machine out of work material?

Some companies have in-house analytics that use historical machine data to assess processes after the fact.

However, industry-specific connected machine monitoring systems may provide more useful real-time, in-depth analytics that capture and report the data underlying those red, yellow, and green lights.

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For example, in metal cutting shops, that data is based on rules established between the condition monitoring software provider and the machining operation. These rules can follow industry-standard measurements for overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), incorporating machine utilization, availability performance, and production quality. These platforms capture and report data that machining operations determine as crucial for continuous improvement and lean manufacturing.

Start small and focus When a shop has a lot of machines generating a lot of data, what data should it focus on? Apply classic lean principles to start. Identify persistent issues or bottlenecks — waste, unscheduled downtime, quality issues with specific parts or machines — that

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require more complete data to implement root cause analysis.

For example, many shops find that operators spend more time setting up than machining parts. Users can easily configure and track related parameters, including setup times, part loading/ unloading time, and time spent on fixture changes, tool changes, or blowoff cycles, to zero in on waste and low utilization. More importantly, this real-time data is much more accurate for making operational changes or business decisions rapidly and confidently to achieve optimization goals.

Put sensors in the action In lean manufacturing continuous improvement, a key step is to ask shop floor operators about their pain points and persistent issues. However, with

today’s condition monitoring software and on-machine sensors, why not collect dynamic input directly from the machine — eliminating manual monitoring with stopwatches and spreadsheets?

For example, incorporating sensorequipped driven cutting tool holders and turning adapters on a metal-cutting machine provides insight into where the work takes place. With embedded sensors, a smart driven tool holder system with IoT capabilities measures variables, such as cutting forces, torque, vibration, temperature, and real RPMs, showing the exact number of hours spent in production.

This data can also be transmitted wirelessly to a central monitoring system, where advanced analytics algorithms can extract more valuable insights.

With a sensor-enabled driven tool holder solution, predictive maintenance

becomes a reality. The system can detect early signs of tool wear or potential failures, allowing for more proactive tool replacement or adjustment to prevent unplanned downtime. These smart adapters can also interface with a machine PLC and provide valuable information on tool condition, machining parameters, and process stability. By analyzing vibration patterns and comparing them against predefined thresholds, the system can identify deviations that indicate tool wear, improper tool setup, or unstable cutting conditions.

Consider cloud-based condition monitoring Cloud-based condition monitoring platforms offer multiple advantages compared to locally installed and networked systems. Many modern

Internet of Things This Capto DTH Plus smart driven tool holder system measures cutting forces, torque, vibration, temperature, and real RPMs for predictive maintenance purposes. | courtesy of Sandvik Coromant

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One further advantage is that cloud-based condition monitoring programs can be rapidly implemented without additional hardware to support multiple locations worldwide and enable remote support capabilities.

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Seek industry expertise It’s advantageous to select a condition monitoring software platform created by a manufacturer with in-depth expertise in your specific industry and who uses their own platform to improve their operations. Partners can provide technical support and help guide shops through their digitalization journeys, which can lead to much quicker returns on digital machining investments.

With IoT-enabled equipment and machines integrated into a machine monitoring platform, shops can get the insight they need to identify and reduce waste in their processes quickly. And with trusted expertise and support, shops can improve productivity and, in turn, their business. DW

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CAE Solutions

Bringing CAD to the cloud At LiveWorx 2023 in Boston, PTC announced new and upgraded digital transformation solutions, including Creo+ and the Creo 10 release. Creo+ combines Creo’s functionality with new cloud-based tools to enhance collaboration and simplify CAD administration.

“With Creo+, our customers can design faster, easier, and more collaboratively than ever before,” said Brian Thompson, general manager of Creo at PTC. “We’ve combined the market-leading design capabilities of Creo with productivity benefits that can only be achieved through the power of the cloud. Now, Creo+ users can collaborate on the same designs simultaneously with internal and external partners, which helps accelerate the development process and reduce redesign. The release of Creo+ is a significant milestone for our customers, PTC, and the entire CAD industry.”

With Creo+, customers have access to: • Real-time collaboration and branching tools: Teams can collaborate in real

time using a dedicated workspace with any number of people. This drives early design feedback from manufacturing, suppliers, and other stakeholders while promoting concurrent rather than sequential design. Easy-to-use branching tools provide visibility to exploration activities, and when ready, these exploration branches can be merged back into the main design.

•

PTC Control Center: Administrators can deploy and update Creo+ across the organization from a single desktop, minimizing the time spent installing, configuring, and updating the software. Creo+ lets users be more efficient when assigning and deploying named licenses and adjusting licenses according to user requirements. The PTC Control Center is accessible with a simple cloud-based interface.

Creo+ lets designers, manufacturers, suppliers, and other stakeholders collaborate in real time, promoting concurrent design and feedback workflows. | Courtesy of PTC DESIGN WORLD

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CAE Solutions Creo+ is fully upward compatible with on-premises versions of Creo and built on the same core technology, so no data translation is needed.

In addition to Creo+, PTC announced the simultaneous release of Creo 10, which engineers can use to design and simulate with composite materials for lighter products that maintain strength and durability. Additionally, the new release introduces Ansyspowered thermal stress and non-linear materials and contact simulation, which significantly broadens addressable simulation-driven design use cases in Creo.

At LiveWorx 2023, Paul Sagar, VP of CAD product management at PTC, discussed Creo 10’s improvements corresponding to industry trends.

“When we look at Creo 10, as with all releases, we’ve [improved] the overall usability of the product across the entire

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breadth of the portfolio, making every user more productive on a day-to-day basis,” said Sagar. “We’ve continued to broaden our model-based definition capabilities as more customers are looking to take advantage of the digital thread. We’re seeing a greater focus and use of composites in the industry. More companies are investing and expanding around their electrification strategy and need to better understand human-to-machine interaction. So, consequently, those are three big themes of the release.”

Sagar also explained how Creo 10 has broadened with emerging and disruptive technologies, generative design and simulationdriven capabilities, and additive and subtractive manufacturing solutions.

“More customers are starting to understand, appreciate, and take advantage of the opportunities that

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Engineers can simultaneously work on different aspects of a design to boost efficiency and accelerate product development. | Courtesy of PTC additive manufacturing can provide them…but we didn’t forget about subtractive manufacturing either,” said Sagar. “Over the last number of releases, we’ve been focusing on introducing more high-speed machining capabilities into Creo. More customers are looking to reduce machining time, to be able to deliver products quicker, but also [simultaneously improve] the overall surface quality of their products.”

In addition to promoting efficiency, PTC announced its Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), pledging nearterm emissions reductions and longterm net-zero targets. The company is expanding its relationships with Ansys and aPriori to support manufacturers’ environmental sustainability goals in product dematerialization and manufacturing efficiency.

PTC and Ansys have partnered on product design and simulation software for several years. The companies intend to integrate more workflows between PTC’s Creo and Windchill product lifecycle management (PLM) software DESIGN WORLD

with Ansys’ materials information management solution, Ansys Granta MI. These workflows are expected to make it easier for design engineers to assess how the materials used in a product impact the product’s performance, embodied carbon, and recyclability, enabling more sustainable, highperforming products.

“We are excited to pursue more integrated materials management and sustainability workflows with PTC, building on the existing Ansys Granta connections to Creo and Windchill,” said Mark Hindsbo, VP and general manager of product at Ansys. “These workflows help engineers balance performance and environmental footprint priorities as they design products by providing predictively accurate, traceable, and

reliable materials information across enterprises.”

PTC and aPriori will pursue greater interoperability between Windchill and aPriori’s aP Pro, aP Design, and aP Generate software. Together, these solutions let designers review designs in CAD and PLM and generate reports for part costs, manufacturability, and environmental footprint. If changes are required, aPriori’s software can recommend improvements for the designers. This process can increase the likelihood of making changes before excessive costs and footprint are committed.

“Environmental sustainability is a top priority for many manufacturing companies, and we believe that PTC and partners like Ansys and aPriori have

meaningful roles to play in reducing the overall footprint of the products that we use every day,” said Stephanie Feraday, president and CEO of aPriori.

At LiveWorks 2023, PTC ran tracks dedicated to environmental sustainability, CAD, IIoT, PLM, augmented reality, and application lifecycle management. All presentations and demos from this year’s conference are available on-demand. DW

PTC | ptc.com

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Advanced controllers can help streamline laser processing, allowing for tight synchronization of the laser and positioning stages, and helping meet the demand for higher precision in PCB manufacturing.

Achieving precision and speed in

PCB manufacturing Warren Harvard • Country Manager, UK | Scott Jordan • Head of Photonics | Physik Instrumente (PI)

Modern

electronic devices, from smartphones and laptops to kitchen appliances and wearables, are built upon printed circuit boards (PCBs). They are essential components that provide the physical structure and electrical connections necessary for the device to function properly.

However, growing demand and increasing complexity in a continually expanding range of applications have presented new challenges for manufacturers. Miniscule features within intricate systems demand even higher levels of precision, and market demands call for enhanced throughput.

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Precision motion systems to control lasers have played a pivotal role in addressing these challenges and are propelling the advancement of PCB production, especially in processes like stencil manufacturing and laser direct imaging (LDI).

The electronics market’s need for more compact and powerful devices has resulted in smaller and smaller components, posing a significant challenge to the manufacturing of PCBs, where the reduction in size requires even greater precision in assembly and soldering processes.

Stencil manufacturing and LDI have www.designworldonline.com

both proven helpful in addressing this and offer practical and effective alternatives for achieving high precision, fast production cycles, and enhanced flexibility in production pipelines.

PCB stencil manufacturing and LDI The first of these approaches is PCB stencils, which are typically made from stainless steel and have lasercut openings to precisely regulate the amount of solder paste applied to the pads. With the advent of miniaturization, these openings have shrunk in size, making it crucial DESIGN WORLD

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to employ mechanical systems to cut them with even tighter synchronization of motion and laser control. At the same time, 'multi-level' stencils are often necessary, bringing another layer of complexity where the conventional X-Y planes are no longer sufficient, and an additional Z-plane is needed to create voids for optimizing solder paste control or addressing coplanarity issues. Gantry motion systems used to manufacture stencils must now offer two or three linear degrees of freedom – either X-Y or X-Y-Z configurations – while also providing the necessary extended travel distances and high speed.

The alternative method of LDI has become an increasingly common technique for PCB fabrication, thanks to its exceptional precision and its ability to create small feature sizes essential for modern electronics. Instead of relying on traditional imaging processes with photo tools that can introduce distortion or degradation, LDI employs lasers to directly construct circuits on the board.

Nevertheless, this approach demands high precision across the X-Y plane to maintain straightness and minimize yaw errors. Linear motors are a good option for this purpose, as they can offer excellent velocity control while scanning. Air bearing stages are also a common choice, exhibiting superior yaw performance, while optimized mechanical bearing stages provide high stability.

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Laser processing control of a galvo is typically separate Both manufacturing of PCB stencils and from that of the corresponding motion LDI rely on accurate high-throughput stage. As a result, the two platforms laser processing, which requires motion often operate in a step-wise manner, systems capable of exceptional levels commonly referred to as 'step and scan', of control to be coupled to fast, reliable whereby the stage moves the scribing automation networks. The most recent surface to the center of the galvo's FOV, iterations of these systems provide and control transfers from the motion unparalleled flexibility to finely adjust system to the galvo. The main drawback manufacturing processes, enabling of this start-and-stop approach is that it’s simultaneous control of servo-based inherently inefficient, limiting throughput. stages and galvanometer scanners But it can also lead to visible breaks (galvos) without the user needing to or stitching errors at junctions where be a laser or automation expert. These scanning must be conducted in two systems offer broad fields of view (FOV), separate steps. eliminate stitching errors and use smart Introducing a feedback loop would, controllers to streamline the motion and in principle, allow the scanner to detect hence the production process itself. and compensate for stage movement The first of these factors, a broad errors like this. However, this creates a FOV, is important for PCB manufacturers delay between the scanner detecting because it allows inspection and and correcting errors, which will still processing on large portions of a lead to inaccuracies, particularly in PCB at once, which helps to increase applications requiring high-speed efficiency and productivity. This can be motion, such as a few meters per particularly useful when dealing with second or more. These errors can be larger or more complex PCB designs. in the region of 25 microns, which There’s also the option to combine can be significant for applications galvos with servo-based stages to involving laser processing of small create an extended field of features. Naturally, there has view (EFOV) if necessary, been growing interest increasing the area in overcoming issues The image on the left is of that can be accessed associated with a step-and-scan approach, by the laser even stitching errors, showing stitching errors at further. However, and this has led to the boundaries. On the right these systems have the development is an EFOV solution, which different principles of control systems eliminates any stitching and requirements that combine high errors. which means the speed laser galvos and | Courtesy SCANLAB

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larger motion platforms into a single controller interface. These systems offer unparalleled flexibility in laser machining by effectively overlaying the small FOV of the scanner with the longer travel distance of the stage, providing seamless, continuous scanning. This approach also increases performance – particularly regarding precision path errors – and has a great impact on the throughput.

Smart controllers Even when using the best motion systems, errors might still emerge when mechanical acceleration limits are exceeded, but slowing down the process is often not a feasible solution.

Advanced motion controllers – such as the ACS-based A-824 and G-900

models equipped with smart software and EtherCAT connectivity from PI – have overcome this challenge by incorporating 'look ahead' intelligence.

This feature automatically reduces laser speed in areas where errors may exceed specifications, particularly in instances of sharp cornering.

Another strategy for optimizing corner quality is 'sky writing', a technique that eliminates abrupt changes in velocity or sudden stops, reducing processing time and minimizing errors.

The ability to fine-tune laser power, adjust pulse placement, and even turn the laser on and off as needed is crucial. Linking laser power or, more relevantly, laser pulse output directly to the motion path velocity allows optimization of the laser cut quality.

Achieving this level of control requires seamless communication between the motion controller and the laser source, something that ACS' Laser Control Module readily accomplishes.

These technologies let manufacturers meet the growing demand for PCBs and comply with ever more stringent design specifications with exceptional precision, while significantly increasing quality and throughput. DW

Physik Instrumente (PI) www.pi-usa.us

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E l e c t r o n i c s

Experiments

bring hope for 6G

Taro Eichler • Rohde & Schwarz

above 100 GHz

Efforts to explore and “unlock” this frequency region require an interdisciplinary approach with high-frequency RF semiconductor technology. The THz region also shows great promise for many application areas ranging from imaging to spectroscopy to sensing.

Sub-terahertz

communications for 6G will become a reality only after engineers achieve a solid understanding of electromagnetic wave propagation in the as-yet insufficiently researched frequencies above 100 GHz. After achieving that knowledge, we can then derive channel models to enable systemlevel simulations of the new standard.

Channel models for 4G and 5G cannot simply be extended above 100 GHz; engineers must verify and fine-tune knowledge to correctly reflect the impact of the environment for various use cases. We must, for example, understand outdoor scenarios and indoor industrial scenarios where human bodies, vehicles, and environmental conditions such as rain strongly influence signal propagation.

5G pioneered the use of millimeter wave frequencies with bandwidths up to 400 MHz per component carrier to enable transmission rates necessary for demanding real-time applications such as wireless factory automation.

6G technology is aiming at significantly higher transmission rates and lower latencies. Large contiguous frequency

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ranges for ultra-high data rates with bandwidths of several GHz are only available above 100 GHz.

From channel sounding to channel models Channel measurements by channel sounding deliver an image of the propagation properties of electromagnetic waves at a particular frequency. The term “channel sounding” comes from sonar technology, where a ship or submarine sends short acoustic pulses and records the reflections in the time domain. This provides a viable image of the surroundings.

With sonar, the transmitter and receiver are in the same place. As for channel sounding of electromagnetic waves, the transmitter and receiver are spatially separated. In time domain channel sounding, a modulated pulse signal with excellent autocorrelation properties, such as a Frank-Zadoff-Chu (FZC) sequence [1], serves as a “ping” whose channel impulse response (CIR) is recorded. This propagation-time measurement is very similar to the time-delay measurements performed in a GPS receiver in reference to the GPS satellites (and subsequently inferring www.designworldonline.com

the position information), where each satellite transmits its specific correlation sequence. The CIR includes both the direct propagation components (line of sight, LOS) and all reflection and scattering components (non-line-of-sight, NLOS) from objects in the environment (Figure 1). We can derive channel-model parameters and their values from the results.

Objects are only “physically visible” to electromagnetic waves and function as reflectors or scatterers when they are at least as large as the wavelength of the incident wave. This means that at a frequency of 30 GHz, objects with dimensions in the centimeter range already act as reflectors.

Time-domain channel sounding at 300 GHz Earlier channel-sounding projects include a high-resolution channel measurement campaign at 67 GHz on a Tokyo “street canyon” [2]. To support the 3GPP efforts, Rohde & Schwarz collaborated with the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) to perform measurements in its Memmingen and Teisnach production plants, not only in the 28 GHz and 66 GHz millimeter DESIGN WORLD

Figure 1. Operating principle of time domain channel sounding: The channel impulse response (CIR) is measured by emitting an electromagnetic “ping” at the frequency of interest and capturing all returning signal components.

wave frequency bands, but also in the 3.7 GHz to 3.8 GHz band designated for private campus networks in Germany [3]. Channel measurements in the Memmingen production plant have very recently been extended to frequencies in the D-band (110 GHz to 170 GHz).

For 6G, the focus is on channels at frequencies beyond 100 GHz. In a collaborative effort with the Fraunhofer HHI and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics (IAF), we developed a research setup that performs signal generation and analysis at frequencies from 275 GHz to 325 GHz with a bandwidth of 2 GHz. The signal can be used to perform channel measurements and is modulated with novel waveforms for transmission experiments.

Several semiconductor technologies have proved relevant for mmWave applications, so 6G testing combines various semiconductor technologies to optimize performance and energy consumption. Applicable technologies include combinations of InP (speed), CMOS (integration density), and GaN (output power).

In particular, InGaAs mHEMT MMICs provide for extremely low-noise and broadband applications at room temperature.

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THz channel measurements The first results for outdoor scenarios and for an indoor conference room were followed by a more systematic study of the channel propagation characteristics at subTHz frequencies (158 GHz and 300 GHz) conducted on the campus of the Rohde & Schwarz headquarters in Munich. The study focused on two representative scenarios: a “street canyon” (urban micro-cellular UMi) scenario in a corridor between two R&D buildings [4], and an indoor measurement campaign in an atrium similar to a shopping mall or airport concourse [5].

For a “street canyon” scenario, the stationary transmitter (Tx) was placed at a height of 1.5 m using a bicycle stand. From there, the scenery leads into a more open space with a small plaza and isolated trees (Figure 2).

We mounted the receiver (Rx) and test equipment on a wireless platform (camera dolly) at a height of 1.5 m. We positioned it at various distances from the transmitter up to 170 m. Most of the measurements were in lineof-sight. Example measurements show the CIR for aligned antennas at 30 m for 158 GHz and 300 GHz. The first peak with a delay (time

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E l e c t r o n i c s

of flight) of 0.1 µs represents the LOS path, corresponding to 30 m. Multipath components are also visible and more pronounced at 158 GHz than at 300 GHz. Path loss exponent can be derived from this set of large-scale measurements.

We found multipath components at larger delays over nearly the complete measurement set. CIRs were measured at 158 GHz with aligned antennas over a distance from 10 m to 170 m.

Angle-resolved measurements Further evaluation of the measured data sets involved analyzing the angular information. At each measurement point, the receiver was rotated to 24 equally spaced angular positions, resulting in spatial scanning of the radio channel in the azimuth plane with 15° resolution.

Based on this estimation of paths, we can calculate the overall received power (effective overall path gain) from all paths. Although the channel at 300 GHz is much sparser than at 158 GHz, results show clearly that there is little difference in overall power. Additional paths at 158 GHz could be resolved owing to the high sensitivity of the measurement principle, but they do not significantly contribute to overall power. Furthermore, statistical parameters such as the root mean square (RMS) delay spread and the RMS angular spread can be evaluated from these results.

Figure 2. Engineers performed angle-resolved CIR THz channel measurements at 158 GHz and 300 GHz (D band) in an outdoor street canyon environment at Rohde & Schwarz headquarters in Munich.

Further results for the channelmeasurement campaign were performed in an urban micro-cellular (UMi) street canyon scenario at 158 GHz and 300 GHz.

Indoor “shopping mall/airport” scenario We performed indoor measurements in a building’s large open space, which acted as a shopping mall/airport scenario. The hall is around 52 × 13 m with a ceiling height of around 20 m. The Tx antenna was configured at a fixed position in front of the elevators at the building entrance at a height of 1.5 m, whilst the receiver was mounted on a wireless platform (antenna height 1.5 m) and moved to distinct positions on a rectangular grid covering the complete floor area.

We measured angle-resolved estimated paths with the LOS peak and several multipath components (Figure 3). Indoor measurements at 158 GHz with a 40 m distance demonstrate the Figure 3. Estimated paths of one particular indoor position at 158 GHz for the atrium scenario (shopping mall/airport) with an angular range covering –180° to 180°.

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presence of multipath components from different directions, contributing to higher overall received power compared to the outdoor measurements (–71.4 dB at 40 m versus –75.1 dB at 30 m).

Another interesting representation of the results can be visualized using a rose plot where each “pie” represents the overall power in the respective angle bin, normalized to overall power (Figure 4).

Single contributions from distinct paths within one angle bin are depicted by dots. This clearly shows that just one or two angle bins account for almost all the overall power and that within one bin, only a few paths contribute significantly.

Although the test equipment received most of the power in the LOS direction, significant multipaths arrive from all measured azimuth directions.

We then extended the frequency range to 300 GHz and analyzed angleresolved channel-impulse responses with regard to channel parameters, such as delay and angular spread. The analysis shows, with a decreasing Rx antenna directivity and an increasing SNR, the number of multipath components increases rapidly [6].

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Figure 4. In the rose plot, the same data set is shown in a polar plot where each dot corresponds to one peak, and the triangle (“pie”) represents the overall power in the respective angle bin.

Several multipath components appear.

We also performed a study in the same environment at 160 GHz with a bandwidth of 4 GHz. The analysis of these extensive indoor directional channel measurements shows that with the abundance of spectrum in the subTHz space and thus very high bandwidths, very simple modulation schemes (single-carrier) and equalization techniques can be used while still achieving significant capacity gains. [7]

Prospects The first results of these channel-sounding measurement campaigns have contributed to the ITU-R Working Party 5D (W5PD) report on “Technical feasibility of IMT in bands above 100 GHz” with the objective to study and provide information on the technical feasibility of mobile cellular technologies in bands above 92 GHz (IMT meaning International Mobile Telecommunications standards). The report will be consulted at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Radio Conference 2023 (WRC23), where we expect additional frequency bands beyond 100 GHz to be discussed and considered for allocation at the subsequent WRC27. The current 3GPP channel model is only validated up to 100 GHz. A crucial first step for the standardization process for 6G is to extend this channel model to higher frequencies. Future research Scan the QR will continue to provide code for a list of insight into the fundamentals references used of channel propagation above in this article.

100 GHz with a focus on 6G communications.

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NOVEMBER 2O23 theautomatedwarehouse .com

A Supplement to Design World

Logistics companies that drive innovation Inside: Getting North American warehouses up to speed ................................................................... 40 Logistics companies that drive innovation ....................................................................................44 A3 releases more safety standards for industrial mobile robots ........................................49 Measuring speed and position for safety ...................................................................................... 50

AUTOMATED WAREHOUSE

Getting North American warehouses up to speed Rigid systems lose value (and workers) in dynamic markets.

Andy Williams of Exotec North America explains how modular automation and human-centric systems give warehouses a competitive advantage.

RACHAEL PASINI SENIOR EDITOR

Stations present items in the “golden zone” to prevent worker injuries and improve productivity. Image: Exotec

North

America is behind the times in terms of warehouse automation. Most warehouses are entirely manual, and workers may walk 10 miles daily. People do the heavy lifting — literally — which creates safety risks and turns off the emerging, tech-savvy workforce.

Warehouses implementing autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs), automated

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conveyors, robotic arms, pick-and-place systems, and other technology reap the rewards as employees learn to enjoy their robotic companions.

“The part that's a little bit qualitative and harder to grasp is watching the systems in action and the operators interacting with the robots. They enjoy it — it's kind of fun. And it's sustainable so that they can produce more for a longer period,” said Andy Williams, EVP of sales

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in North America at Exotec. “There's this gamification element to it — interacting with the robots but also having positive incentives and a safer, more comfortable working environment.”

Though there’s a lingering stigma that robots are taking jobs away, experienced workers are often grateful for the relief, and the emerging workforce expects to use such modern technology in their daily grind.

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But sentiments aside, a welldesigned, human-centric warehouse transcends generational preferences and ensures businesses can scale according to market and labor fluctuations.

“One of the biggest macro trends is the volatility and uncertainty,” said Williams. “The supply chain challenges and disruptions make it impossible to predict with any great degree of certainty what the future holds.”

As recently as ten years ago, fixed automation systems ruled the roost with large, highly engineered, expensive equipment. With these rigid designs, leaders had to make assumptions about the future, which constrained the value of their investments.

Today, the goal is to be as flexible and adaptable to change as possible — keep moving equipment simple and let intelligent software adjust the system as needed.

“We're working with one of the world's biggest consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies right now, and they want to serve all their businesses from the same facility,” said Williams.

“The ability to protect against future volatility is very important to provide a great environment for their staff. Also, the system we're working on is in a 500,000-square-foot facility. With the

performance we're achieving and our ability to meet the throughput and storage for the different businesses, we're looking at a $75 million investment with really reduced capex. If we took that same system design and rewound the clock ten years, we would have needed a 1.5-millionsquare-foot facility and probably a $250 or $300 million investment, in addition to having all the constraints and playing Nostradamus for the future.”

With a modular, highly adaptable system, the CPG company can locate the facility close to its manufacturing, positively impacting its supply chain and mitigating environmental strains.

“The largest companies, and certainly many more, recognize this as a competitive advantage. It’s a sustainable one that can ultimately lead to advantages over competition and higher profits,” said Williams.

But the benefits aren’t just for large companies that nurture in-house robotics expertise. Any warehouse experimenting with or ready to take the plunge can begin the automation journey with modular, thirdparty systems. And if they don’t try, they’ll likely be consumed by larger companies that do.

“Traditionally, it's been ‘I can have an automated or manual warehouse — let's evaluate the ROI.’ That discussion has

Warehouses can add more Skypods as demand increases without changing production processes. Image: Exotec

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changed dramatically to ‘This enables a whole new suite of capabilities — I can dramatically change my supply chain,’” said Williams. “Companies that really understand the impact are trying to move as fast as they can to implement it.”

In the past 20 years, warehouse automation technologies evolved out of necessity in regions such as Europe. Their advancements have now sparked a need for North American companies to up their game.

“For our evaluation, when we look at the market today compared to then, the market size in North America is roughly the same as all of Europe combined. And we will see North America accelerate and overtake Europe in the next five to ten years by a substantial margin,” said Williams.

Though a confluence of factors has accelerated the rate of robotics adoption, North America remains at the lower end of the curve for now. And those trying to get ahead know that designing automated systems for human-centered environments will be a differentiator.

“We use a combination of black, white, and signature bright teal color to enhance the workers' experience,” said Williams. “If you've been in these environments in the DESIGN WORLD

past, it's so drab and dirty. When you go to our systems, it's bright colors and very clean, in addition to being ergonomic and more productive. So, having robot stations and storage in stark contrast to the graybeige palette of the past not only aids in the aesthetic appeal of the environment, but there's certainly a safety aspect to it as well.”

Originally founded in France, Exotec entered the North American market in 2020, ready to take on the world’s largest economy. Currently, it has more than 20 customer sites across the U.S. and Canada for leading brands, including Gap, Ariat, and Decathlon. The North American market is expected to represent one-third of Exotec’s global business by 2025.

“With the projects we've already done, we've saved workers from walking nearly 30 million kilometers. It's very substantial,” said Williams. “It’s a human-centric work environment that’s more sustainable and enjoyable. The people look forward to coming to work and feel respected because the companies have invested in technologies to help them.” AW

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November 2023

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AUTOMATED WAREHOUSE

Logistics companies that drive innovation Couriers can’t automate every aspect of their business, so they focus on automation that adds the most value. UPS and DHL recently announced upgrades to their systems that keep packages flowing efficiently.

UPS

and DHL are two top parcel delivery companies worldwide, handling billions of packages annually to more than 200 countries.

Automation is critical to their operations, especially during peak seasons and unexpected crises. Here’s a look at how these shipping and delivery giants use advanced technologies to adapt to global dynamics.

UPS increases robotics UPS has a long history of driving innovative solutions for logistics and uses automation to strengthen its

UPS uses a variety of automation technologies to improve package flow, overall efficiency, and employee experiences in the UPS network. Image: UPS

network and enhance the employee experience. The company’s innovation strategy includes digital and automation technologies, which have accelerated with AI advancements.

Recently, UPS made several improvements in its operations, targeting specific repetitive and physically demanding processes, such as pickand-place, loading and unloading, and moving irregular-sized shipments: Pick-and-place: UPS uses pick-andplace systems powered by Dexterity, Fortna, and Plus One Robotics to help

RACHAEL PASINI SENIOR EDITOR

employees sort small packages. This role requires repetitive tasks and can be inconsistent as it flexes with customer demands. Once implemented, the technology will make these jobs easier and safer and offer a better overall experience for UPS employees.

Unloading: UPS uses Pickle Robot’s unloading technologies to ease the challenging job of unloading trailers, making the role less physically demanding for employees and delivering better package care and reliability for UPS customers.

Autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs): AGVs powered by Dane Technologies, Geekplus, Locus Robotics, Crown Lift Trucks, and Toyota-Raymond simplify demanding jobs. Many of these AGV technologies more safely and easily move small packages and irregularsized shipments through UPS facilities.

Irregular shipments don’t fit on conveyor belts and often can be heavy and difficult to move. These vehicles exponentially streamline these movements and promote safety.

Digital technologies: UPS also leverages digital technologies to ensure the safety of every delivery around the world by using Delivery Photo and Delivery Defense to decrease fraud for customers.

These technologies are being used in select UPS facilities across the U.S. as the company continues to execute its strategic plan and provide industryleading service to its customers with one of the industry's most efficient, globally integrated networks.

“In providing industry-leading livelihoods for our people, we are now also using technology, innovation, and automation to provide for their well-being. UPSers will always be our differentiator even as we optimize our network through technology,” said Bala Subramanian, executive vice president and chief digital and technology officer at UPS. This year, 57% of the packages processed through the UPS network went through automated facilities powered by the latest sorting, processing, and data capture technologies, and its major air facilities are highly automated. The company continues embracing cutting-edge technologies that advance its business and the logistics industry.

DHL focuses on computer vision The computer vision market proliferates as it improves efficiency, saves time, DESIGN WORLD

increases sustainability, and reduces costs. DHL’s newest Trend Report, “AI-Driven Computer Vision,” identifies computer vision as a trend that will become an integral part of standard operations in logistics over the next five years.

Computer vision is a field within AI that enables computers and systems to extract meaningful information from digital images, videos, and other visual inputs. These systems can act accordingly or make recommendations by collecting and gathering visual data using algorithms.

“In the logistics industry, we are seeing the first use cases that demonstrate the value of computer vision, including various health and safety applications as well as shipments dimensioning,” said Klaus Dohrmann, vice president and head of Innovation and Trend Research at DHL Customer Solutions and Innovation (CSI). “As computer vision evolves thanks to technology advances in depth perception, 3D reconstruction, and interpretation of dark and blurred images, it will soon unlock many more opportunities and bring additional benefits to logistics companies.”

For the logistics industry, computer vision brings forth several applications in four main areas:

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Health and safety: Computer vision can improve workplace safety by identifying potential hazards in warehouses, depots, and other logistics

“In providing industryleading livelihoods for our people, we are now also using technology, innovation, and automation to provide for their well-being.”

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November 2023

45

AUTOMATED WAREHOUSE

DHL’s latest Trend Report illustrates how computer vision is applied across diverse sectors and highlights its versatility within logistics.

Image: Deutsche Post AG

facilities, thus minimizing risks and preventing accidents. Computer vision can also improve employee health by recognizing bad posture and movement, detecting early signs of fatigue, and tracking whether workers wear the proper protective equipment to ensure compliance.

Operations: To detect bottlenecks and other inefficiencies, computer vision can create heatmaps to analyze workflow patterns within a facility or outside and even function as a security guard by promptly identifying unauthorized entry or intrusion.

Asset management: Computer vision technology can help monitor

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logistics assets consistently and alert maintenance teams before any issues arise. Even if defects have already occurred, computer vision can help to automatically identify probable asset flaws, mistakes, and anomalies and simplify defect detection.

Shipment processing: Computer vision offers the advantage of automating and simplifying the dimensioning process in shipping, where precise measurements of object areas or volumes are essential for calculating storage capacities, load planning, transportation logistics, and shipment billing. It also can check that shipments are compliant and classified correctly for sorting and automate inventory counting cycles.

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While computer vision is promising, it presents several challenges and concerns, including gaining public acceptance, particularly among those who fear constant monitoring.

Cybersecurity is also crucial in addressing data handling, compliance with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), and other data privacy and protection laws. Tackling these challenges requires thoughtful orchestration and collaboration of all parties involved. AW UPS | ups.com DHL | dhl.com

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A3 releases more safety standards for industrial mobile robots RACHAEL PASINI SENIOR EDITOR

Workplace safety is a growing concern as more warehouses become automated.

The new ANSI/A3 R15.08-2-2023 focuses on mobile robot systems integration.

As

the use of mobile robots continues to surge in industrial settings, the Association for Advancing Automation (A3) has unveiled the second installment of its flagship safety standard for industrial mobile robots.

R15.08-2, the American National Standard for Industrial Mobile Robots (IMRs) — Safety Requirements — Part 2: Requirements for IMR system(s) and IMR application(s) is accredited by the American National Standard Institute (ANSI) and specifies requirements for integrating, configuring, and customizing IMRs and fleets into a site.

“With the rapid development of mobile robot capabilities, it’s more important than ever for the safety of human workers to have common safety requirements and expectations for IMR systems and system integrations,” said Carole Franklin, director of robotic standards development at A3. “The R15.08 Part 2 is much-needed guidance toward ensuring safe integration practices for IMRs and will be a solid foundation for future work in this area.”

A3 first established requirements for IMR manufacturers with R15.08 Part 1, published in late 2020. R15.08-2 now follows with requirements for system integrators.

A companion to R15.08 Part 1 Until now, mobile robot system integrators had only general safety

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requirements for industrial machinery.

R15.08-2 provides a common set for IMRs while being flexible enough to permit companies to develop unique solutions. The new document: • Describes different types of IMRs and aspects of IMR systems • Covers necessary adaptations for applications and facilities • Describes safety requirements when IMRs interact with workstations, charging stations, and other equipment • Explains safety considerations for the operating environment “A paradigm shift has occurred in recent years with the continued advancement of mobile robots in the workplace, and this shift demanded safety requirements beyond what is offered in other robot safety standards,” said Jeff Pratt, chair of the R15.08 committee and senior corporate EHS engineer at Crown Equipment.

“With Part 2 of the R15.08 standard, system integrators now have specific requirements that will help them ensure they’re deploying the safest mobile robot systems available in their customers’ facilities.”

Pratt introduced the R15.08 family of standards at the International Robot Safety Conference 2023, and R15.08 committee vice chair Chris Soranno, the safety standards and competence

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manager at SICK, dived into “Mobile Robot Safety: The New R15.08-Part 2.”

What’s next in IMR safety standards?

A3’s R15.08 committee will develop R15.08 Part 3 to provide safety requirements for users of IMR systems and applications. The R15.08 committee will also consider developing technical reports to address emerging topics, such as multi-sensor fusion, additional stability testing, stability validation, and dynamic stability testing. AW Association for Advancing Automation automate.org

The R15.08 standards provide technical requirements for IMR design and integration.

Image: A3

November 2023

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AUTOMATED WAREHOUSE

Measuring speed and position for safety TWK has been developing encoders and sensors since 1962.

This past year, they’ve highlighted how such components impact safety in automated vehicles and robots.

Automated

guided vehicles (AGVs) and automated mobile robots (AMRs) require several measurements to operate safely. Otherwise, they and the entire fleet cannot navigate and move to target locations. The necessary measurements are speed (wheel speed) and steering angle (wheel position). Also, the lift of forks or booms must be known.

These variables influence the inclination of the vehicle and, where applicable, the vibrations that occur, especially when driving with a load.

Companies such as TWK supply encoders and sensors that ensure functional safety, including certified sensors for position, speed, inclination, acceleration, and draw-wire linear transducers and accessories. Let’s look at a few examples.

Encoders for speed Measuring speed ensures that AGVs and AMRs reach certain positions quickly and safely. Speed is measured directly at the wheels, and the speed reduces when the target point approaches. Servo drives with integrated sensors can perform this task; however, in many cases, a separate encoder must be used to protect the environment, people, and machines.

For example, where space is limited, the ultra-compact TRK38/S3 singleturn safety encoder has a diameter and housing length of only 38 mm. With the Fail-Safe-over-EtherCAT interface (FSoE), it claims full SIL2/PLd performance with a resolution of up to 16 bit and speeds up to 15,000 rpm — quickly and safely transmitted to the controller via the safety interface. The speed signal quality has been significantly improved, as the

RACHAEL PASINI SENIOR EDITOR position detection accuracy on the time scale is now approximately 1 µs. This equidistance is essential for precise speed, based on calculating the position difference per time unit.

TWK’s portfolio also includes certified encoders with CANopen Safety or PROFIsafe via PROFInet interface with a safe position and speed signal. With the help of these devices, functionally safe speed detection and monitoring in the most diverse variations make machines and systems safer.

Sensors for position Particularly in the booming sector of AGVs and AMRs, it is not the usual sensors — encoders for angle and speed measurement — that can be used. More specialized devices of the smallest possible size or devices with

To protect the environment, people, and machines, AGV and AMR operation requires highly functional sensor technology. Image: TWK

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special functions or a specially designed communication profile are used here.

Above all, they must be functionally safe to eliminate any risk of malfunction. SIL2, PLd, or SIL3 certifications are a prerequisite — sometimes together with UL, ASIL D, or ATEX for potentially explosive environments.

For example, TWK equips its NVx vibration sensors, which are used for condition monitoring, with unique functions and algorithms for signal processing. This makes machine monitoring much easier for the user — especially for AGVs that are always in motion. In addition, drawwire sensors with an attached encoder measure fork or arm lift by converting the linear stroke into a rotary motion. The SIL2/PLd-certified inclinometers have a gyroscope and provide raw values from six axes of redundant micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) sensors and

the dynamically corrected tilt angle.

The raw signals, especially those from the accelerometers, can be used simultaneously to monitor the vehicle’s condition (oscillations and vibrations) or control the vehicle.

These are just a few examples of the wide range of compact, safe sensors that can be used for various mobile sensing applications.

Whether steering angle, wheel speed, vehicle tilt, or vibration, such quantities must be quickly and reliably recorded and transmitted to the control system’s safety interface. AW

This NVT/S3 PLd vibration sensor consists of an acceleration sensor, controller unit, and output interface PROFIsafe over PROFINET. Image: TWK

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How Cognex Is Accelerating Warehouse Automation Article by Ben Carey • Director, Logistics Vision Products • Cognex Corporation To move fast this year, logistics companies will be looking for solutions that automate processes and increase throughput while decreasing costs. End users and OEMs need technologies that don’t require custom design and installation, but rather are standardized, easy to install, operate, and maintain; and solve multiple applications, in place of discrete devices that only satisfy a single need. Also, it will be table stakes for leading companies to expect solutions to include advanced data and analytics capabilities to enable better decisionmaking and troubleshooting.

While the ultimate goal of logistics companies is to have “dark warehouses” that require few workers and rely on automation and robotics, the reality is that many companies are simply trying

to increase the amount of automation at their warehouses to gain an incremental competitive edge. This is why technology providers have shifted their focus toward the development of standard, easy-to-use vision solutions for logistics, enabled in large part by advanced technologies — such as AI (Artificial Intelligence).

Partnering on Standardized Solutions from Inbound to Outbound At Cognex Corporation, we’ve committed to creating standard solutions that help facilities advance operations with automation. Most recently, we’ve released our new Modular Vision Tunnels. These flexible scan tunnels offer one-to-sixsided barcode scanning for a range of speeds and box gaps. These solutions are quick and easy to install for reduced

downtime and risk, and address multiple challenging applications, such as inbound receiving, outbound truck loading, and ship sorting.

These solutions are modular, yet compact; customers can set up tunnels with different configurations, add on vision tools such as dimensioning, and choose between DataMan 380 or DataMan 580 image-based barcode readers, which offer multi-symbology decoding, the ability to read multiple codes, and 99.9% read rates. Edge Intelligence data analytics software is built within these tunnels, allowing customers to easily set up and maintain them with real-time insights into performance and maintenance.

Since both end users and OEMs want to increase throughput while ensuring traceability and keeping costs down, it’s important to choose solutions that are standard, yet flexible. Solutions that require custom installation and starting from the ground up each time can be costly and riddled with risk. Logistics companies that want to get ahead need to future-proof their technology investments to ensure that they’re able to scale as their business grows.

For more information, visit www.cognex.com/RobotReport-Nov and view our Logistics Solutions Guide.

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November 2023

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S U M M I T

&

E X P O

Medtech conversations to inspire the next generation of devices

Sponsorship opportunities are available for future DeviceTalks and Robotics programs.

For more information, contact Colleen Sepich. 857.260.1360 | csepich@wtwhmedia.com

Medical www.designworldonline.com

A Supplement to Design World - November 2023

These surgical robotics arms are destined for the trash — by design PAGE 58

The Vicarious Surgical system’s robotic arms and camera are disposable, as are the system’s trocar and drape.

Photo courtesy of Vicarious Surgical

Vicarious Surgical says its surgical robotics system’s arms and camera are small enough to enter the abdominal cavity through a single 1.5 cm incision.

Photo courtesy of Vicarious Surgical

ROBOTICS

These surgical robotics arms are destined for the trash — by design Disposable components will be a key advantage for Vicarious Surgical, its new operations chief said in an interview that also covered upcoming milestones, manufacturing plans and recent layoffs.

The Vicarious Surgical system’s robotic arms and camera are disposable, as are the system’s trocar and drape.

Photo courtesy of Vicarious Surgical

C

Jim Hammerand Managing Editor

apping off a medtech career spanning more than three decades, John Mazzola had only been retired from Becton, Dickinson & Co. (BD) for about a week when Vicarious Surgical cofounder and CEO Adam Sachs hired him to lead strategic manufacturing planning.

One year later, the surgical robotics developer has promoted Mazzola to the newly created position of chief operating officer, covering product development, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, clinical, regulatory, IT, people and culture.

Mazzola spoke with Medical Design & Outsourcing about the latest from Waltham, Massachusetts-based Vicarous Surgical, its plans for manufacturing and outsourcing, the company’s recent layoffs and lessons learned about developing and launching products.

Where is Vicarious Surgical on development and what milestones are next?

Mazzola: “We’re going through sort of the final stages, if you will, of our development process and preparing for the next phase, which is V&V (verification and validation). And our plan is to be exiting Phase II, entering Phase III V&V toward the end of this year, first quarter of next year. Then we’ll proceed through V&V and then through a human clinical

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trial for de novo authorization that we’ll be seeking through the FDA. … There are different elements of the system that are a different maturity through their development stage, but we’re probably at 80% of the design complete.”

How much of the manufacturing is Vicarious Surgical doing in-house, how much is off-the-shelf, and what’s your philosophy on that?

Mazzola: “One of the things that I did when I first came in is I said, ‘What do we want to do for manufacturing strategy both to get us through V&V, as well as our initial scale, our initial launch?’ And I think what we’re going to do is take an approach where we do more of the pilot manufacturing and more of the assembly here initially, and then eventually transfer and partner with one of the three big [contract manufacturers] to move more of it as we scale to them. We have a clean room that we’ve set up where we can do human clinical builds, and we plan to use that for both our V&V builds as well as our clinical builds. But then as we submit for approval, and as we prepare for scale, we’ll probably start shifting some of that to contract manufacturers that are better positioned and have better infrastructure to meet the requirements and the scale that we’re going to need.”

Who are those big three contract manufacturers?

Mazzola: “Jabil, Celestica and Sanmina are three that I’m familiar with just based on my work at BD that we used quite a bit in the diagnostic area. But there are other mid-size contract manufacturers that do both disposable as well as capital-type builds.

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Vicarious Surgical says its surgical robotics system’s arms and camera are small enough to enter the abdominal cavity through a single 1.5 cm incision.

Photo courtesy of Vicarious Surgical

… Working with contract manufacturers that have huge buying power and great leverage, we’re able to secure better responsiveness and better supply [than dealing with suppliers directly] as a small company on our own.”

What are some of the other outsourcing partners that you’ll use?

Mazzola: “Our system has a disposable drape that will be used to drape our patient cart. There are companies where that’s all they do, development and manufacturing of custom drapes. We partner with them not only for the manufacturing, but also the development work. … Same with things like the trocar, where we partnered with an outside design firm that will also do our initial manufacturing for our trocar. We’re going to focus on the things that we do best: some of the capital, the surgeon console and the patient cart, as well as the instrument arms and cameras.

The instrument arms and cameras — which are the two other disposable elements to our system — are probably at the center of what we’re doing. It truly differentiates our technology from what’s out there right now.”

Those arms and the camera are entirely disposable?

Mazzola: “Yes, that is our goal. That’s one of the differences that we have versus some of the competitors out there. The four elements of our disposable model will be the arm, the camera, the trocar, and the drape. And the only thing that will be multiuse is the hardware, the capital, the patient cart and the surgeon console. One of the other benefits is because we’ve simplified the hardware, the capital up-front expense to a hospital is significantly less than that of our competitors right now. They built a lot of the complexity into their capital equipment.”

Is there any potential for those disposables to be reprocessed, recycled or scrapped in any way?

Mazzola: “We’re probably going to go out at a cost that is higher than what we want to get them to. But with the work that we have going on to drive cost out of those — looking at more economic material selection, as well as looking at where we manufacture these and the scale at which we manufacture — I think that will drive the cost out. We’re DESIGN WORLD

November 2023

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Go design.

Emerson’s expertise in plastic joining and fluid control makes complex medical devices more compact and easier to manufacture.

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designing it as single-use disposable, and I’ve worked on a lot of single-use disposables that were attempted to be reprocessed and reused.

We will control what we can control.”

Vicarious Surgical had layoffs earlier this year like a lot of other medtech companies. Are we getting to the point where you think there will be rebuilding this year or next?

Mazzola: “We’re constantly being opportunistic in our hiring. And we currently have probably close to about 20 positions that we’re looking to fill, some just based on progress that we’re making and now the time has come to start filling some of those positions, and others for replacement of folks that have left for one reason or another. But we’re constantly looking at that and we’re being a little bit selective and making sure that we don’t get ahead of ourselves. I think that was part of the challenge we had with the last [reduction in force] is that maybe we got a little bit too ahead of ourselves and were hiring for positions that were a little bit in advance of where we were as a company.”

QUALITY IS IN OURS It’s good to know where you come from. At Nitto Kohki, we come from a line of engineers and businessmen dedicated to exceptional manufacturing execution. In our line of vacuum and pressure pumps, this is seen in the unique linear-piston design, where one moving part resolves to exceptional reliability, low vibration and noise, high energy efficiency, and long, consistent performance life (>10,000 hrs.) for a host of critical medical applications. It’s why the medical device industry has specied Nitto pumps for over sixty years— the quality in our DNA. Find out how you can use it to your advantage.

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What have you learned in your career about developing and launching products that you could share with MDO readers?

Mazzola: “What we need to do more of — rather than wait until an issue occurs and then react to it — is to be a little bit more proactive with our thinking. Understand where some risks could occur and put in plans now before they occur. That helps with driving a timeline.

Throughout my whole career in medical devices, the most important thing that any product manager or project manager is faced with is time to market, a schedule. Everything has a window of opportunity, and you want to seize on that window of opportunity. Timeline management, managing to milestone is critical.

And you don’t want to have surprises.

So as much as you can, be proactive and contemplative in terms of what Vicarious could go wrong and Surgical Chief putting in plans now will Operating Officer help you manage a more John Mazzola aggressive timeline.”

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Helping you develop next-generation medical devices and advanced assembly processes As a medical manufacturer, you face huge challenges in bringing new diagnostic and treatment devices to market. So, unexpected problems in material joining and assembly are unacceptable. At Emerson, we believe the best assembly solutions begin when we offer a process-neutral approach, supported by in-depth expertise to help bring your product to market faster. During product development, we understand your operating requirements, production volumes and cost constraints before suggesting materials, part design options, or automated Branson assembly technology. During scale-up to mass production, we are alert to your need for integrated, error-free, and validated assembly solutions, backed by secure assembly data collection for device traceability.

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Components Corporation ........................................................ 32

Interpower .................................................................................21,23 Keystone Electronics Corp .........................................................3 Kingway USA ............................................................................... 62 LAPP USA ........................................................................................ 7 Master Bond ................................................................................. 28 METCASE .......................................................................................27 Miki Pulley U.S. ................................................................................6 Novotechnik .................................................................................. 29 Pave Technology Co .................................................................. 25 PBC Linear ....................................................................................IBC ROLEC Enclosures, Inc. ............................................................ 34 Smalley Steel Ring ..................................................................... 18 Spartan Scientific ...................................................................... 37 The Lee Company ...................................................................... 38 THK America, Inc ........................................................................ IFC Trim-Lok, Inc. ................................................................................. 14

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November 2023

63

Technical Thinking

By Mark Jones

Mind not blown The Science Desk at The Atlantic pulled together its 74 mind-blowing science stories of 2022. I finished the list with my mind unblown, but one observation did linger. Number 9, “beyond a certain temperature — as low as 95°, by some estimates — fans do more harm than good,” stuck in my head. Now, as unprecedented heat stifles parts of the U.S. and Europe, pausing to think of living without cooling is definitely mind-blowing.

Summer temperatures make me thankful for Carl von Linde, Willis Carrier, and Ralph Peo. Linde developed the first practical industrial refrigeration unit in 1876. He took the concepts of vapor compression cooling and made a practical device. It remains the technology used in refrigerators and air conditioners. Air conditioning, as we know it today, came on the scene about 120 years ago thanks to Willis Carrier. He intended to control humidity, only later to recognize that his patented “Apparatus for Treating Air” could control temperature, too. Ralph Peo patented the car AC. Today, there are no new models on the U.S. market without air conditioning. Whether in a car or a house, air conditioners rely on vapor compression cooling.

Vapor compression cooling is more than 150 years old. Improvements in compressors and control of electric motors have improved energy efficiency, yet vapor compression is still the best refrigeration technology we’ve got. Reports through the years have promised better. Thermoelectric coolers, thermoacoustic heat pumps, elastocaloric cooling, and more have been hyped — but haven’t yet displaced vapor compression. It seems

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we’re long overdue. Reports of an air conditioner that “left the industry blown away” gave me hope. The advance was one I admired on Kickstarter, now a commercial product. It is beautiful in its simplicity, a U-shaped window air conditioner where the window fills the U. It places the vapor compression equipment outside the window, reducing noise. Installation is easier.

The biggest thing in window ACs in years is actually using the window. It is an innovative product, a big thing in the market, but, at its heart, it’s still vapor compression technology. It doesn’t offer the step-change in efficiency promised by the hyped technologies. It doesn’t obsolete 150-year-old technology.

It is a bit disheartening, but I shouldn’t be surprised. Technology replacement is hard. The centuries-old fan is still the world’s dominant technology for cooling, effective even above 95º F. It turns out, Fact 9 is wrong. Sweat is our defense against heat.

Evaporative cooling is the

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mechanism. Increasing temperature speeds up evaporation; increasing humidity slows it down. It isn’t as simple as 95º F. A 2015 study found fans effective at well higher than 108º F, depending on the humidity. Newer studies are consistent in concluding that there is no one temperature. It depends on temperature and humidity.

The conclusions are nuanced. Even the oft-quoted 95º F wet-bulb temperature is not accurate for everyone. Very high humidity can make temperatures below 90º F dangerous. Thankfully, for many of us, there is AC, which is only getting better with time. Innovations are happening with the potential for even bigger improvements to come. The shape of a window unit, innovative as it is, won’t be the end of the story. DW

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