Smart Manufacturing Today

ABB powers with manufacturing management technology

The Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) software suite powers production for increased productivity and profitability, enabling seamless plant orchestration. The new version will offer an extended range of capabilities and new digital applications. This flexible and secure software platform with a broad suite of industrial applications gives operators, supervisors and plant managers the visibility and insights to take the right actions for increased productivity, quality and compliance. Features in the enhanced manufacturing operations management platform include: Enhanced user experience based on new HTML 5 web client; A new smart interactive dashboard application that provides greater visibility and collaboration; A new statistical process control (SPC) application, to determine if each process is in a state of control; A new Batch Compare application – for advanced batch analysis Manufacturing Operations Management is a comprehensive, scalable and modular software suite that optimises visibility, knowledge and control throughout the operations domain. This release provides a range of rich new functionality and a new enhanced user experience that enables operations to become more productive and responsive.” Manufacturing Operations Management is designed to simplify production management by enabling performance monitoring, downtime management and maintenance support, as well as providing statistical production analysis tools. It provides solutions and tools to facilitate the collection, consolidation and distribution of production, quality and energy information via the plant’s web-based reports, trends, and graphs. A new, self-service dashboard application promotes increased collaboration, providing visibility from shop floor to top floor and spanning IT and OT environments. It increases data connectivity to all apps and modules within the MOM suite, combining historic and manufacturing data and providing the user with improved customization capabilities. Dashboards can be shared amongst users, further promoting collaboration between teams. Trends and events are displayed together, which enables customers to identify issues and opportunities enabling informed and timely decisions. The new common services platform […]

Collaborative robots set to change NZ’s manufacturing industry

Facteon’s new partnership with Universal Robots to benefit local manufacturers Global factory solutions specialist, Facteon, has announced its collaboration with Universal Robots – an international market leader in collaborative robots (cobots). The partnership, which will make cobots more accessible to the New Zealand manufacturing sector, is the latest move from Facteon and showcases the business’s commitment to delivering world-class factory technologies for the Internet Age. Cobots are a dynamic robotic technology that work safely alongside human operators to perform mundane, repetitive and dangerous tasks with accuracy and at speed. Unlike industrial robots, cobots can complete a variety of tasks and don’t require a robotics specialist in-house, making them a more affordable option for manufacturers. Nathan Soich, Head of Marketing and New Ventures at Facteon, says: “We are committed to making robotics accessible for manufacturers of all sizes. Cobots are a relatively new technology for New Zealand, but we’ve already experienced significant interest. “We’re looking forward to seeing how our partnership with Universal Robots will revolutionise manufacturing in a wide range of industries including the appliance, medical, pharmaceutical, automotive, food and beverage sectors. There are great opportunities for manufacturers in each of these areas to improve their operations through the integration of cobots. This is a logical first step for any facility moving towards automation.” Acting as a second pair of hands and eyes in the factory, cobots are flexible, reliable and safe. They can be quickly reprogrammed in-house to perform a variety of production tasks such as assembly, pick and place, packaging and palletising, quality inspection, machine tending, screw driving and fastening. Today, more than 37,000 Universal Robots cobots can be found operating in thousands of production facilities across the globe. While New Zealand and Australia have been previously underserved in the cobot space, businesses now looking to introduce cobots […]

MaDE2020: Synergies in New Zealand Manufacturing, Design and Entrepreneurship

The Fourth National Conference for Innovation in Manufacturing, Design and Entrepreneurship is brought to you by the University of Auckland’s Innovative Manufacturing and Materials Programme. Dates: Monday 25 – Tuesday 26 May 2020 Venue: Cordis Auckland Abstract submissions are now open to local and international industry representatives and researchers, including post graduate students, who work in the manufacturing, design and entrepreneurship sector. The abstract portal closes on 14 February 2020. Registration will be open by 20 January 2020. Delegate prices are available online. Sponsorship and support: A range of standard and specific sponsorship opportunities are available, and these are designed to provide maximum leverage during the event. The MaDE2020 Sponsorship Prospectus and Application Form is available online. Join us in Auckland for MaDE2020 to learn about exciting, new manufacturing, design and entrepreneurship research and to be inspired through examples of positive collaborations between industry and researchers. Engaging, short TED-Talk-Type presentations from researchers, industry and government representatives will enable productive communication between delegates from different backgrounds. In addition, MaDE2020 will showcase industry/research work by way of Poster presentations, to be displayed in the exhibition and networking area; local and international Keynote Speakers will set the tone; Panel Discussions and Breakout Sessions will provide topic specific engagement opportunity; and our ticketed MaDE2020 Conference Dinner will be our gala event on Monday 25 May 2020. The MaDE Network is a cross-disciplinary community of New Zealand researchers in manufacturing, design and entrepreneurship that works in close collaboration with industry to envision and shape New Zealand’s future manufacturing economy. The MaDE mission is to develop expertise and capability in translational research, to grow New Zealand’s high-tech manufacturing economy. The MaDE vision is for New Zealand to be recognised as a leading, technology empowered economy driven by innovative, high-value, niche manufacturing, design and entrepreneurship. The previous […]

Just the right chemistry

New Zealand family-owned and operated, Chemfreight is a specialised 3PL distributor offering the complete solution of hazardous, non-hazardous and separate dedicated food storage and chemical toll blending backed by a national transport network. Started in 1989, it was the brainchild of Harry Price who, having worked in the chemical industry for many years, saw an opportunity and industry need for the specialist third party storage and distribution of hazardous goods. Three years ago, his son Joseph Price, took the helm as General Manager bringing his well-rounded business experience following years in insolvency and accounting. The business has undergone substantial changes and almost doubled in size from a staff of 40 to 80, and 100 clients to 200. Chemfreight does not have a sales or marketing function and has used their reputation for operating class leading facilities and delivering an excellent 3PL supply chain service to attract new business and also retain their existing valued clients. With their Head Office in East Tamaki, Chemfreight operates three Major Hazardous Facilities with two state-of-the-art storage facilities in Auckland and a large storage facility servicing the South Island located in Christchurch. They process approximately 3000 inbound containers per year and store in excess of 20,000 pallets across nine warehouses. Next year construction is planned to commence on a specialised concrete walled and roofed store for flammable substances with a capacity of 5,000 pallet spaces. Low staff turnover Many of the staff have worked at Chemfreight for years, and it is very much a family focussed business. “There are some families where as many as three family members are employed here as part of our team,” says Joseph. In an industry that sees a high staff turnover, Chemfreight has very low turnover. “Finding high calibre skilled staff is a challenge,” says Joseph, “and we have […]

Real Steel motivated staff drive success

A Lower Hutt manufacturing business, Real Steel, is a finalist in the Humankind 2019 Workplace Awards. What is interesting about Real Steel is that the business has maintained high employee satisfaction through a period of rapid growth, while also introducing automation. Growing up in Upper Hutt The company, a family run business, has seen thirty per cent growth year on year and tripled its head count to 70, hiring 30 new staff last year alone. The manufacturing business imports steel out of Sweden to make steel parts for road transport, forestry, and recycling industries. With clients nationwide, the company produces a lot of its work for the Waikato area such as steel for building truck trailers, wear parts, and materials for processing machines. Real Steel staff mostly live in Lower and Upper Hutt, with the 17-year-old company based out of Railway Ave for the last 10 years where it expanded its factory last year due to growth. It is owned by Managing Director Luke Mathieson. “It’s a great place to run a business, there is a lot of manufacturing history out here and a good work force,” says Mathieson. A Great Place to Work Mathieson believes the company’s people determine ultimately whether they succeed or fail in business. “It comes down to the quality of our team, it doesn’t matter how good our machinery is, how good our product is, if you don’t have the people to make it all happen, you are never going to make it happen.” Real Steel offers a flat structure and makes sure its managers are living and breathing company values. They also have a number of staff benefits that saw them named finalists in the award. These staff benefits include health insurance, free gym memberships and support with time off if staff want […]

Mirage OD mount flange facing machines deliver fast and accurate performance

Enerpac Mirage OD mount flange facing machine Enerpac is introducing a new range of external mount flange facing machines designed for fast installation and accurate machining of large diameter flanges used in applications throughout Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. The new Mirage branded OD mount facers are the perfect choice for machining flanges 30” to 80” (762-2032mm) diameter in industries such as oil and gas plant, offshore platforms, refineries, LNG, pipe spool, heavy industrial fabrication, shipbuilders, EPC contractors, industrial plant, power plants, service and maintenance, says Enerpac Channel and Product Leader – Australasia, Mr Andrew Marsh. Applications also include facing heat exchanger flanges, maintenance projects, large flanges such as crane pedestals and flanges where bore mounting is not preferred. “The simple Outside Diameter (OD) mount configuration of the new machines overcomes industry reluctance to bolt ID mount flange facers to the inside of heat exchanger tubes,” says Mr Marsh. Each of the 6 machines in the range includes a continuous variable auto-feed which enables on-site machinists to create a wide range of gramophone-surface finishes to ASME standards (regulating the design and construction of boilers and pressure vessels). Robust construction and the inclusion of heavy-duty bearings ensure all machines deliver high metal removal rates whilst delivering accurate results. Easier and quicker machining “These new products provide all of the versatility to carry out different flange facing projects you’d expect from an Enerpac product, but, when used for heat exchanger refurbishment, they go a step further. “Convenience for the user has been taken to the next level by providing the clever ability to attach milling rails while the machine is still mounted in-situ,” says Mr Marsh. This innovative feature makes it easier and quicker to machine heat exchanger division slots. Machining the back face of flanges can also be […]

Igniting stalled labour productivity

-Doug Green, Publisher, NZ Manufacturer The Fourth Industrial Revolution is said to (it will) ignite stalled labour productivity in manufacturing through connected machines, people, data and value chains. The question is though; Is their stalled labour productivity or is there a reduction of manufactured product demand in the world in the current economic client? Maybe both? Or is labour productivity continuing to be low from workers, based on their ability to enhance workplace efforts? Meaning that today’s technology may not be being maximised in the workplace. We get all excited when the PMI Index shows manufacturing over 50 percentage points. When you consider the voting numbers for the recent local body elections…well, let’s not! Get the picture? There is a considered opinion that at the top end not enough development and manufacturing is going on with expensive technology equipment readily available. At the lower end, the same thing applies. Except that companies are not coming to grips with efficient use of the equipment. So, businesses may be setting up with the latest equipment ready to strike when opportunities arise, or they may be maximising right now to the best of their ability? On the other hand, the country has no shortage of creative and enterprising businesses contributing to the economy, with key staff realising their goals and dreams by being part of development teams involved in quite exciting projects. Productivity is good in these businesses. At present it seems that the land is where the most promise exists for product innovation. In horticulture and industry, it is ‘gang busters’. Enormous contributions to the country with quality goods, famous on world markets but still in need – and wanting to hear about – developments to make their businesses even more efficient. Stalled labour productivity may well be able to move by […]

Software framework generates ISO programs for CNC machine tools

A powerful new software framework tool enables users of CNC machine tools to generate and test ISO part programs offline. The tool looks set to win across-the-board approval in busy machine shops, where an uninterrupted workflow can provide a key productivity advantage. Flexium Office framework software runs under Windows 7/8 or 10 on any standard PC. It allows any of NUM’s technology HMIs (Human-Machine Interfaces) to be used for specific projects – without requiring access to the target CNC machine tool. The corresponding ISO part program can be created offline and can also then be tested offline using NUM’s Flexium 3D simulation software, before being transferred to the target machine. Application-specific technology HMIs form part of the company’s Flexium CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing) software suite. The HMIs cover every type of CNC machining operation, including hobbing, shaping, milling, threaded wheel grinding and cylindrical grinding. After selecting the most appropriate technology HMI for the task, the user simply carries out basic data definition tasks for the project in hand, using the highly intuitive tools and workflow commands provided by Flexium Office. Multiple projects can be started and saved at any time – allowing collaborative team development if desired – and the framework software provides support for 14 languages. As soon as the user is satisfied with the process and workflow of a project it can be used to generate the corresponding CNC part program – entirely automatically. The CNC program can either be transferred directly to a nominated machine in the production plant, usually via a TCP/IP network, or input to NUM’s Flexium 3D simulation software for thorough evaluation before being issued for production purposes. The key advantage of simulation is that it enables users to optimise any ISO-code part program offline, further helping to maximise productivity by leaving the CNC machine […]

Datalogic enhances robot guidance and traceability with Impact software

Datalogic, a leader in robotics, Industry 4.0, automatic data capture and process automation, is introducing its new Impact 12.2 software to further enhance the traceability and ease-of use of vision-guided robots and cobots used for a wide variety of pick, place and other vital production line tasks. The new robot guidance and traceability software is available throughout the Asia-Pacific region and incorporates a number of calibration and performance enhancements to make robot programming faster and simpler, as well as improve accuracy and traceability. “With Datalogic’s Impact 12.2 system, robots can now be deployed faster, and they are more adaptable to changing applications in dynamic industries such as warehousing, logistics, supply chain, manufacturing, automotive, healthcare, transport and OEM markets,” said Mr Bradley Weber, Product Marketing Manager – Machine Vision, Datalogic. “The latest software has been thoroughly tested in conjunction with leading robotics company Universal Robots and has been fully approved and UR+ certified to work their robots and cobots. UR+ certification means they have the full technical support and expertise of the Universal Robots team, as well as access to their highly customisable software,” said Mr Weber. Collaborative robots, or ‘cobots’ work harmoniously with people in production and distribution operation such as pick-and-place and production lines. Often, the robot performs repetitive tasks requiring strength or precision, while the person guides the robot to the right place, provides a part for it to pick, or performs other tasks that complement the robots programming. According to Universal Robots, “Cobots give manufacturers access to all the benefits of advanced robotic automation, without the extra costs associated with traditional robots: difficult programming, long set-up, and shielded work cells. This makes automation affordable even for small-batch production runs and mixed product assembly.” Software enhancements Impact software was designed with a focus on traceability and guidance, with […]

Smart factories have the potential to spark labour productivity

Each industrial revolution has transformed production, delivered better economic output, and, consequently, immense economic gains globally. But something has shifted in the past two decades—manufacturing productivity growth appears stuck. Labour productivity is a major metric of economic output, and gains in productivity are important because, on a macro scale, labour productivity determines the standard of living of people, nations, and the world. Currently economic output is moving in lockstep with the number of hours people work. Enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution—the newest chapter in industrial development that promises to ignite stalled labour productivity in manufacturing via connected machines, people, data, and value chains. In that sense, the smart factory could potentially ignite stalled labour productivity and unlock the key to productivity for manufacturers. But how? Every manufacturer—whether already “running smart” or yet to invest in smart factory technologies—can harvest business value from smart factory initiatives. Smart factory initiatives accelerate business value creation. Companies report as much as 10–12 percent gains in areas like manufacturing output, factory utilisation, and labour productivity after they invested in smart factory initiatives. There is a direct and established connection—primarily through investment and use cases—between smart factory initiatives and the business value realised. What’s more, any manufacturer can use this connection. While there are risks, primarily operational and financial, they are outnumbered by the smart factory’s value contribution. Also, most risks can be mitigated through rational stakeholder selection, an efficient change management strategy, measurable proof-of-concepts, and incremental investments. Early smart factory adopters report average three-year gains of 10 percent for factory output, factory capacity utilisation, and labour productivity. A closer look at labour productivity trends indicates that smart factory initiatives will likely enable the US manufacturers to “observe” triple the labour productivity growth rate during the next decade (2019–2030) compared to last decade (2007–2018). What does this mean […]

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