Smart Manufacturing Today

-Tony Glockler CEO of SolidProfessor talks to NZ Manufacturer People love to predict the future: whether they will score a 100 on a test, receive a promotion, or win the lottery. Humans make predictions because it gives them a sense of hope and feeling of control over their future. Predictions also free people from fear and prepare them for the unknown. With the rapid speed of technological advancements, many ponder how this will affect the future of manufacturing. Robots, the Internet of Things, and technological obsolescence are a few technological factors that will shape the future of manufacturing. Understanding how these will affect the manufacturing industry will allow one to properly prepare for the future. Robots The number of robots being used today for industrial work is close to one million. Robots are highly sought after by manufacturers due to their productivity, efficiency, and quality. Manufacturing robots are typically utilized for assembly line work at automotive plants, energy plants, and hospitals. They are useful for their ability to do a variety of repetitive tasks effectively and tasks that are dangerous to humans including heavy lifting, handling chemicals, and cutting and polishing objects. Because of their usefulness, robots will only become more and more common, shaping the future of manufacturing. Many may wonder if robots will replace human factory workers. While this is inevitable, it will also create new professions that work alongside these robots. Robots are still imperfect and their abilities will never be sufficient to replace humans. Though it may change with the increased use of robotics, human labor will continue to be important, regardless of how mechanized industry becomes. Internet of Things The Internet of Things, or IoT, is a network of physical objects including devices, buildings, vehicles, and other items becoming embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and […]

Delcam has released the 2016 version of its PowerINSPECT inspection software, the world’s leading hardware-independent 3D inspection solution.   The new release includes greatly enhanced options for section measurement, more comprehensive collision avoidance, improved point cloud inspection, the ability to add notes to reports, and improved user control of CNC surface inspection routines. For video demonstrations of the new options, please go to www.delcam.tv/pi2016/lz/en/index.asp Section inspection has been improved with easier creation of sections, better visualisation and enhanced reporting.  The enhanced options for section editing in PowerINSPECT 2016 include a slider that can be used to move the section through the part with real-time updating of the CAD view.  A specific value for the section intersection can still be entered if required. New graphics options help with visualisation and reporting.  In the CAD view, the default option highlights the section cut and displays a semi-transparent representation of the material in the foreground, providing an accurate 3D visualisation of the section in place on the part.  During section creation the shading is updated dynamically as the section moves through the model. Alternatively, the near side can be hidden completely, or the complete CAD model can be shown in a solid colour as before.  Once the desired section has been chosen, the inspection path can be generated automatically.  The points generated can be edited if necessary.  The section can also be viewed and reported as a 2D true view of the section profile that is currently selected. As with other PowerINSPECT measurements, the results of the section inspection can be viewed as spot confetti, deviation lines or vector lines.  The results can be displayed either on their own or as part of a larger inspection sequence.  Automatic collision detection was introduced in PowerINSPECT 2015, with probe paths adjusted automatically when a direct move […]

Every year PALFINGER processes around 20,000 tons of high-tensile steel panels to manufacture loading cranes and other loading and hoisting equipment. Off-cut optimisation is therefore a key concern shared by the whole management team in the company. Thanks to Alma’s act/cut software, the sheet metal plates to cut can be automatically nested in half of the time with minimised off-cut.  “The fact that Alma is internationally established has been a key criterion when we decided to choose act/cut software… Today, act/cut has become our group-wide nesting standard solution” “The software was not only faster but also almost as efficient as an experienced user… We estimated time savings of 50 percent throughout all plants” The more little parts of different geometry are contained in the nesting orders, the higher the off-cut. When processing big parts, we sometimes have considerably less than 20 percent”. To minimise the off-cut rate orders may be over-nested. If there is still some space left on the panel, the system places additional parts beyond the scope of the order. In addition to that orders may be declared as filler parts, in order to fill panels showing voids where necessary. Alma has programmed these additional functions especially for PALFINGER. Time savings of more than 50 percent The users have become much more efficient thanks to the automatic nesting with act/cut. “Orders, which were formerly manually nested by an operator during his working time, today barely take one third of the operator’s time. We estimated time savings of 50 percent throughout all plants”. Thanks to the time savings, PALFINGER is able to process with the same team much more nesting orders than in the past and accept special tasks, which can’t be automated as easily. The probably most important benefit from the company’s point of view is the stability […]