Developments

A range of enhancements has been added to the Delcam Electrode integrated solution for the design, machining and inspection of electrodes. The new version includes support for burn-vector electrodes, automated machining of electrode frames, batch processing of multiple machining projects and faster generation of electrode drawings. Delcam Electrode also benefits from a number of options introduced into Delcam’s PowerSHAPE design software which provides the CAD element of the overall solution. Burn-vector or side-sparking electrodes are used to spark undercuts within moulds, including those needed for submarine gates, or to avoid any possibility of a collision when sparking the base of a deep rib or similar feature. They use an arbitrary axis for their operation, rather than being aligned with the principal axes. Delcam Electrode now allows these electrodes to be designed and used with the same quick and easy wizard-based process available for conventional electrodes. The electrode action can be simulated in the software and the final design passed to the PowerMILL CAM system for machining in the same way as standard electrodes. Electrode frames are used to provide the basis for machining and inspection datums. Delcam Electrode now allows these areas to be modelled and then coloured separately from the electrode blank. This makes it easy for them to be identified in PowerMILL for automated manufacture using a specific template. The burn region, extension faces and clearance faces were already able to be displayed and machined with separate colours in this way. The ability to automate programming within PowerMILL as part of the electrode solution does save considerable time for the user. However, when machining a large number of electrodes, it is inefficient to wait for toolpaths to be calculated on each individual project. To overcome this problem, the option to use batch processing of multiple projects has been […]

Japan has launched the world’s first talking humanoid robot “astronaut” toward the International Space Station.  Kirobo — derived from the Japanese words for “hope” and “robot” — was among five tons of supplies and machinery on a rocket launched Sunday from Tanegashima in southwestern Japan, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said. The childlike robot was designed to be a companion for astronaut Koichi Wakata and will communicate with another robot on Earth, according to developers. Wakata is expected to arrive at the space station in November. Robot designer Tomotaka Takahashi, of the University of Tokyo, advertiser Dentsu and automaker Toyota Motor Corp. worked on the robot. The challenge was making sure it could move and talk where there was no gravity. Ahead of the launch, the 34-centimeter (13-inch) tall Kirobo told reporters, “one small step for me, a giant leap for robots.” Japan boasts the most sophisticated robotics in the world, but because of its “manga” culture, it tends to favor cute robots with human-like characteristics with emotional appeal, a use of technology that has at times drawn criticism for being not productive. But Takahashi said sending a robot into space could help write a new chapter in the history of communication. “I wish for this robot to function as a mediator between person and machine, or person and Internet and sometimes even between people,” he said. JAXA said the rocket launch was successful, and the separation of a cargo vehicle, carrying the robot to the space station, was confirmed about 15 minutes after liftoff.   __

Lincoln University has launched a new research centre to be known as the Centre for Food Research and Innovation (CFRI). The new Centre aims to promote food science and technology through research, innovation, industry outreach and educational initiatives, and is in many ways an extension of the already well-established Food Science programme at the University. The new Centre’s research capabilities and discoveries will further expand Lincoln University’s relevance and expertise in the field of food science and technology, and go on to position the University as a global leader in the field. With food science, technology and innovation being critical components of New Zealand’s core commercial activity as a world-leading food producer, the CFRI will align a large part of its activity to the economic interests of the primary sector. “As the global population grows, meeting the challenge of food production while sustaining the finite land resource is vital. The Centre will assist in delivering new techniques, tools and innovations that result in new products and services crucial to the success of New Zealand’s food industry,” says Assistant Vice-Chancellor Scholarship and Research, Stefanie Rixecker. Consequently, while conducting its own independent research, the CFRI will complement Lincoln University’s notable research activity in agricultural science and look to work in collaboration with current industry partners such as Lincoln Agritech, AgResearch, Plant & Food Research, and Environmental Science & Research. As well as aligning itself with New Zealand’s key commercial interests, the Centre for Food Research and Innovation will also look to undertake research in social considerations associated with food and the food industry. “A key focus of the CFRI will be to utilise the theoretical knowledge of researchers to deliver applied solutions to the problems faced by the food industry, as well as tackle some of the increasing social problems that stem […]

Cyborgs are gradually working their way into our lives. The general representation of a cyborg is that seen in science fiction films of a fusion between man and machine. A direct interface between the brain and the Internet, like the brain-machine interface (BMI) described in the science fiction manga Ghost in the Shell, has been successfully tested in laboratory experiments. That extreme level of man-machine fusion aside, people’s lives would already be compromised by not having a mobile phone or smartphone, and in some cases, when we think about those who lead a life that is dependent on such devices, we can see that the fusion between man and machine is underway with a momentum that supersedes the pros and cons. However, the fusion of humans and machines is not confined to fusion with engineering machinery. Think of machinery as technology in a wider sense. One of the largest modern technological fields is biotechnology. People are helped by biotechnology in the form of medical treatment, but we could be heading toward a scenario in which people are composed of biotechnology. If that is the case, theÊquestionÊmust be asked: what are the people who have been integrated with technology in such a way? My background is in western philosophy, which since ancient times has continually asked the question, ‘What is mankind?’ Traditional philosophy was founded on a distinction between human beings and machines (as well as animals), but nowadays technology is beginning to shake this distinction and cyborgs, which are the fusion of man and machine, really have to be seen as a fundamental phenomenon in philosophical discussions. The question ‘What is mankind?’ needs to be replaced by the question ‘What is a cyborg?’ Human beings composed of technology Let’s move from abstract theory to concrete considerations. I have discussed the […]

Manufacturers, particularly those in process industries, can gain increased functionality and an enhanced operator experience with the latest version of FactoryTalk View human-machine interface (HMI) software. FactoryTalk View Site Edition (SE) and Machine Edition (ME) 7.0 applications, released in early 2013, offer more efficient alarm management, simplified installation, improved user experience, and integrated data sharing in a wide range of production environments. To stay competitive, operators need scalable HMI solutions that are easier to install, enable operator productivity, and are more tightly integrated to company control and information systems. FactoryTalk View SE 7.0 software will support larger numbers of HMI clients and servers in a single system, increasing the size of systems that can support the FactoryTalk View SE alarming subsystem, FactoryTalk Alarms and Events. The FactoryTalk Alarms and Events alarming subsystem has been enhanced to align with ISA’s Alarming Standard 18.2., and will now support the shelving state. The subsystem now also allows users to configure remote-alarming commands on display faceplates, saving crucial time when an operator needs to react to device alarm situations. The newest version includes an improved installation process and design environment. The new installation process in FactoryTalk View SE and ME software saves time with a streamlined work flow that automates installation of FactoryTalk View components. From a design-time standpoint, a new find-and-replace for HMI and global-object displays will be available in the FactoryTalk View Studio design environment so the user can locate and replace tags or strings across multiple servers and screens. For run-time improvements, operators can more quickly and intuitively navigate screens and resolve production issues with a new navigation button that provides functionality similar to the navigation buttons in commercially available web browsers. Client workstations can track each screen the operator opens, and the navigation button allows the operator to quickly display […]

 A new microgram load cell is for use in an experiment aimed at establishing a new definition of the kilogram. The kilogram is the last unit of the International System of Units (SI) still based on an artifact – the international prototype of the kilogram (IPK), kept at the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM). Mass comparisons with the IPK have indicated a mean drift in the official IPK copies of 0.5 µg/year. To get better stability, scientists have been working on a new definition of the kilogram based on a physical constant of nature, which should be reproducible regardless of geographical location. The IPK prototype, machined in 1878, is a cylinder of platinum-iridium alloy (Pt 90% – Ir 10% in mass) whose height (39 mm) is equal to its diameter. Six copies were designated as official copies and are kept in the same protective conditions as the international prototype. To assess the evolution of the official copies relative to the IPK, three comparisons have been carried out since 1880. The results of these comparisons have clearly put in evidence, a relative drift of this set of masses with respect to the IPK, evaluated at 0.5 µg/year. Today, all modern mass measurements are directly related to the IPK. The relative uncertainty of each measurement is declared according to the comparison of a test weight used on the same weighing apparatus with the IPK. There is no currently accepted standard for defining the kilo in the same way as for other standards e.g. the meter is defined according to the distance light travels in a vacuum in a specified time period. The relative weight between the IPK and its copies is changing minutely over time and it is this which is driving scientists to redefine the kilo. METAS, in conjunction […]

The world offers a wild number of tools to the modern tinkerer. Yet the perfect tool never seems to be within arm’s reach, or available at all. The angle of the handle is off, the fitting imprecise, or the size awkward. How convenient it would be if we could fashion our own adaptation from clay, or styrofoam, or duct tape, throw it in a bag of sand, and pull out a solid, working version. That future is here . . . or nearly so. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Distributed Robotics Laboratory, Cambridge, MA, have devised a self-sculpting sand that will duplicate whatever object is thrown at it, or into it. Each grain (or module) is a cube filled with processors and electropermanent magnets. The cubes do not fidget about to assemble themselves into whatever new shape is demanded of them; individual mobility would add an entirely different engineering headache. Rather, they start as a latticed block, and then learn from their neighbours the shape of any object placed amidst them. They pass along messages as to which ones should stay together and which should fall away. It’s more akin to a sculptor “removing the excess material, to reveal the shape that’s always been underneath,” says Kyle Gilpin, a graduate student at the lab who led the project. A previous edition of the module measured 1.7 in per size. The current version is 12 mm. Shrinking them meant losing room for connectors, so at the moment they only work in two dimensions. “In the long run we would like a module approaching a millimetre in size,” says Gilpin “You can create objects with much higher resolutions.” Smaller means stronger as well. Where a single module of the 1.7-in version could support a chain of 17 additional modules, […]

Electropar is a multi-disciplined engineering company operating predominantly in the industrial electrical area. They contested and won a contract to supply for complex electrical equipment which had to be manufactured to meet very demanding standards for shock and vibration; protection against radio frequency interference (RFI) and electromagnetic interference (EMI). Their equipment was fitted to the 8 ANZAC ships built in Australia and New Zealand. A key motivation in using a competitive local supplier was to reduce whole of life cost. They completed the contract successfully and subsequently won more Defence contracts and they continue to supply spares and maintenance for ANZAC ships to this day. Beca Applied Technologies Ltd When the NZDF committed to upgrade the Orion fleet of aircraft they recognised that effective management of software maintenance costs through life was critical. They therefore encouraged bidders to identify local companies who could maintain and upgrade the system through life. The winning contractor – L3 Communications Ð ran a competition amongst NZ companies top select an organisation to work with them (L3) during the design of the system and outfitting the first aircraft. Beca Applied Technologies Ltd was the successful company and they sent a team of 7 people to work with L3 in Texas during the design phase of the project. Beca Applied Technologies has subsequently signed a support contract with the RNZAF and has established a team on RNZAF base Whenuapai to support the Orion fleet. (The size of this group has almost doubled since the inception of the contract.) The experience gained has been the kernel of significant growth in capability such that they have now delivered two simulators designed from scratch; recovered the Flight Training Device (simulator) for the P3 Orion delivered from another US based manufacturer which did not meet requirements and support the A109 […]

Now there is an even more colourful way to make household items or garden implements stand out. It’s called Plasti Dip Blaze, which is a new range of neon colours for this unique, handy product. Plasti Dip is a novel and ingenious way to cover just about any surface with a synthetic rubber coating that protects and insulates. The multi-purpose air-dry, synthetic rubber coating can easily be applied by spraying, brushing or dipping and, because it remains flexible and stretchy, it doesn’t become brittle or crack. The wide colour range has now been expanded to include the bright new eye-catching colours; Blaze Blue, Blaze Orange, Blaze Pink, Blaze Green, Blaze Purple and Blaze Yellow. The new Blaze collection, which comes in 311gram aerosol cans, applies just as easily as the rest of the Plasti Dip range to most substrates/surfaces to create a protective coating that is easy to grip and non-slip. Although they have only just entered the market, the new Blaze range is already selling well and several new Plasti Dip products are being lined up for launch in New Zealand in the near future. The new Blaze colours are designed for items that people may want to stand out, either for safety reasons – such as electrical wiring, or wooden steps – to things they may want to be able to spot easily or just to really jazz them up, maybe wooden playing blocks for young children. It’s perfectly safe. Plasti Dip can stick to most hard surfaces, including metal, wood, glass, masonry and other plastics, making is extremely versatile. The Americans refer to it as ‘like duct tape in a can because of the hundreds of uses.’ Originally developed to apply plastic coatings to replace worn grips on hand tools, such as pliers, wrenches and cutters it […]

Scientists at IBM Research together with experts at Airlight Energy, ETH Zurich and Interstate University of Applied Sciences Buchs NTB are developing a design to dramatically increase the efficiency of concentrated solar power systems which it says will be suitable for mass production.  The high concentration photovoltaic thermal (HCPVT) system uses a large mirrored parabolic dish mounted on a tracking system to align it with the sun. The incoming solar radiation is directed from the mirrors onto liquid cooled receivers which convert the solar energy into electricity.  The system could be used to deliver electricity, fresh water and cool air in remote locations. Current concentration photovoltaic systems only collect electrical energy and then dissipate the thermal energy to the atmosphere. However, with the HCPVT the heat collected by the coolant in the receivers will also be reused for water desalination and to provide cooling via an absorption chiller.