Smart Manufacturing

Austech 2019 – Meet the Exhibitors

Austech 2019 – to be held from 14-17 May at Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC) – has already been confirmed as the biggest Austech yet. Co-located with National Manufacturing Week (NMW), Austech 2019 will be an unmissable event for manufacturing professionals, covering the entire spectrum of manufacturing technology, as well as showcasing some of Australia’s best advanced manufacturing companies. To get a flavour of what some of the exhibitors will have on display, you can browse a number of exhibitor previews online at the Austech website. Check out just a sample of what will be on offer at Austech 2019, at: www.amtil.com.au/austech/exhibitor-previews If you would like to attend Austech 2019, register online and start planning your visit at: www.amtil.com.au/austech/visit/

AI module to improve industrial production

Industrial workers can now more easily use the data from their equipment to predict production issues and improve processes with their existing automation and control skill set. The new FactoryTalk Analytics LogixAI module, formerly known as Project Sherlock, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect production anomalies and alert workers so they can investigate or intervene, as necessary. Many existing analytics technologies require deep expertise in both data science and industrial processes. But this add-on module for ControlLogix controllers reduces that burden by doing the job of a data scientist. It fits directly into a control chassis and streams controller data over the backplane to build predictive models. It can continuously monitor a production operation, detecting anomalies against its derived understanding. The FactoryTalk Analytics LogixAI module makes predictive analytics more accessible to help more workers make better production decisions. The module learns your ControlLogix application and tells operators and technicians when things are changing in unexpected ways. This can help them get ahead of product quality issues and protect process integrity. For example, the module can help operators spot performance deviations in equipment like mixers that could affect product quality or lead to downtime. It can also be used as a virtual sensor. Instead of workers taking a reading, like the humidity of a packaged food product, the module can analyse variables from line assets like sprayers, dryers and burners to predict a measurement, virtually. Factory Talk Analytics LogixAI has positive implications for businesses in any sector. By making available data that will assist workers in helping to ensure the smooth running of machinery, customers can empower employees to troubleshoot and solve problems as they arise, reducing downtime and ultimately contributing positively to the company’s bottom line. Workers can then be notified of problems by configuring alarms on a human machine […]

Container deposit system solution to Australia’s war on waste

Adelaide-based technology and engineering company SAGE Automation is increasing production of its smart container deposit systems on the back of increased demand from Queensland. The machines were developed by SAGE Automation and the University of South Australia for South Australian company Container Deposit Systems(CDS) to help decrease Australia’s landfill. South Australia has led the country in recycling, introducing a container refund scheme in 1977, but other Australian states have only just begun to refund bottles and containers. Since Queensland launched its Containers for Change scheme in November 2018, CDS has recorded a rise from 32,000 to 230,000 containers per day through its 16 Semi Auto Return Terminals (ART) at private recyclers across six sites. The terminals allow customers to return deposit cans, plastic bottles and glass in any condition for a 10c-per-container refund. More than 344 million containers have been returned to date since the scheme commenced late last year. The ARTs identify and sort containers by integrating Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology and a vision counting and sorting system developed by SAGE over two years. A recycling depot employee loads the mixed containers onto a vision and sorting system hopper that uses advanced vision technology to count up to 350 containers per minute without the need for coding or labelling. The containers are counted in real time for a predicted refund sum that customers can view on a TV screen at most facilities. Conveyer belts, electric motors and spinning discs sort the containers by separating common recyclables like metals, plastics and glass. The machines have seen thousands of images of containers and can identify different container types, including unwanted materials. The containers are ready to be recycled once compressed air pushes them into specific categorised cages. The entire process takes only a few minutes and a refund receipt based on the number of […]

Australian Defence looks to quantum mechanics for new technologies

IPAS director Professor Andre Luiten. Researchers from the University of Adelaide in South Australia will develop three technologies after being named among 11 projects to share in A$6.6 million of funding from Australia’s Department of Defence. The projects include the development of underwater devices to detect submarines, research into whether quantum radars can be used to detect stealth aircraft and the development of an ultra accurate portable clock to improve GPS satellite technology. The funding consolidates the University of Adelaide’s Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS) as one of Australia’s leading centres for the development of quantum sensing and photonic technologies. IPAS director Professor Andre Luiten said the funding also reaffirmed Defence’s interest in developing quantum mechanic capabilities in South Australia. “Everyone believes that there’s going to be a revolution over the next 20 years where quantum technologies end up in everything,” he said. “The initial objective is to provide those technologies to defence but it’s also about training up Australian students so they have an understanding of quantum technologies. “Australia needs to build up its sovereign capability in this area and train students.” The Next Generation Technologies Fund aims to develop Australia’s quantum mechanic opportunities, which focus on the study of the motion and interaction between subatomic particles. One of the IPAS projects will utilise magnetometers in underwater geophysical discovery contexts to track submarine activity. Professor Andre Luiten said the technology, primarily employed to detect variations caused by the presence of ferrous (unoxidized) iron in the total magnetic field, will be applied for Defence to discover underwater vessels. “These magnetometers can detect very small magnetic fields,” he said. “The goal of this project is to build sensors that go on the seabed which detect the presence of submarines through their properties. “You’d essentially set up a trip wire around assets that […]

200 kilometres in eight minutes: powering the e-mobility revolution

What started as a small start-up in one of ABB’s business units almost a decade ago is now an integral part of the company’s innovative push for sustainable mobility. One innovation after another is coming from ABB developments in electric-vehicle (EV) chargers. The Terra HP is the world’s fastest EV-charger, adding up to 200 kilometres of range to an electric vehicle in just eight minutes. With the number of electric vehicles on the road rising, the global demand for powerful and energy efficient vehicle charging stations is ever increasing. ABB EV-chargers, like the Terra High Power charger, are the driving force behind the efforts of nations to reach sustainability targets and charges have become a critical part of sustainability policies. With more than 7,000 DC fast charging stations installed in 60 countries, ABB is a global leader in that segment. The technology behind e-mobility is truly coming of age, which is also shown in ABB’s partnership with the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. ABB is bringing its name, innovation and technology leadership to the first fully electric motor sport series. The ABB FIA Formula E Championship perfectly supports ABB’s belief that we can run the world without consuming the earth. The series’ next race will be in Zurich on June 10. The ascendance of sustainable mobility and the charging infrastructure required to keep electric vehicles moving is evident by the increasing number of ABB EV charging projects around the world. German energy supplier EnBW alone has 185 EV fast chargers on German motorways and in April, ABB was selected to supply its Terra HP charging stations as part of the biggest electric vehicle infrastructure project to date in the United States. The chargers were selected for deployment by Electrify America, which plans to place hundreds of charging stations within and around 17 […]

Safe and sound Is your smart factory secure?

Alarms, cameras, locks and fences are all commonly recommended to keep burglars out of homes. Obtaining clear guidance for securing your smart factory isn’t quite as easy to come by. Here Jonathan Wilkins, marketing director at obsolete industrial equipment supplier, EU Automation, discusses smart factory security and what manufacturers should consider when protecting their facility. In a connected factory, manufacturers have access to a constant data stream from the shop floor, commercial operations and supply. The Internet of Things (IoT) generates a huge amount of data, gathered from machines and components, which can be accessed and analysed remotely. Though it brings a facility a number of advantages, connectivity also introduces a vulnerability in terms of cyber-security. With information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) more closely connected than ever, systems are more vulnerable to attackers. The risk is increased by remote access or third-party access. According to Dark Reading magazine, the second most cyber-attacked industry after healthcare is manufacturing. With high profile ransomware attacks such as WannaCry disrupting large companies such as Honda, manufacturers know they must be vigilant. In the manufacturing industry, cyber-crime is usually a type of data theft, ransomware or data manipulation. Hackers can modify procedures to disrupt production processes, gain access to private patent data or cause system downtime, all of which can cause serious losses to a company. Engineering businesses must ensure that their operations, data and valuable intellectual property (IP) are protected. Businesses need to understand the limitations of their own capabilities and systems to form a well-rounded cyber-security strategy. For example, legacy equipment can be a target for cyber-criminals. Old equipment was not designed to be connected to the internet, which means that cyber security was not a priority during its design. Industrial control systems as well as programmable logic controllers (PLCs) have […]

Ranger customises vacuum lifter for Tunnels Project

Ranger Lifting has modified a vacuum below-the-hook attachment for installation of key elements, as a large railway project enters a key phase. Prestons, Sydney-based Ranger, a specialist supplier of lifting and rigging equipment, has adapted the Acimex vacuum lifter, manufactured in France, to meet specific requirements for installing 1,000 elements over a two-year period, as a tunnel boring machine (TBM) is prepared for work. Leo Giuntini, business development manager at Ranger, explained that the elements are thicker than the standard units used elsewhere because of the soil environment along the boring route. The attachment will work with a 3t capacity, 44m-long, freestanding monorail hoist that originally had a working load limit (WLL) of 900kg, increased by Ranger to 1,350kg. Additionally, Ranger has changed the orientation of the vacuum head 90 degrees and lengthened the support bar. Acimex manufactures all types of vacuum lifters for gripping bulky concrete, steel, or PVC parts, but the adaptation of this model once again demonstrated Ranger’s ability to tailor a solution for a specific project. Giuntini said: “The project had a requirement to install key elements to facilitate use of a big TBM. The modernised attachment will be used to lift the elements out of moulds that are specially manufactured upside-down, so they have to be rotated in the air prior to installation. Importantly, the vacuum tool must be able to hold the segments even when disconnected from power.” The solution represented a significant time and cost saving for the customer, as the alternative to customising the existing product would have been to source a new one from France. Upon consultation with the end user and a local engineering firm, Giuntini was able to oversee the modernisation project that delivered a suitable solution to the client. As required under Australian Standard AS 4991-2004, the new […]

Transforming the manufacturing industry with Internet-of-Things

By Mike Russell COO Central Innovation In a highly competitive global marketplace, businesses are searching for and adopting revolutionary technology and processes to stay relevant. According to the latest IDC Worldwide semiannual Internet of Things Spending Guide[1], New Zealand shares the second highest position with Australia in APAC region when it comes to the IoT spenders per capita. The report further highlights that the top three industries spending most on IoT solutions in 2018 were discrete manufacturing ($43.9 billion), process manufacturing ($33.2 billion) and utilities ($20.1 billion). With the advent of automation and analytics, manufacturing is moving from mass production to mass customisation. The immense growth of IoT in the industry has resulted in factories being able to extract critical data on operations. By using big data and machine learning they are achieving more efficiency in their workplace as well as enhancing customer experience. Without a doubt, IoT is a clear investment area for the manufacturing industry particularly in the Asia Pacific Region which is among the world’s top regions for IoT adoption and usage[2]. To effectively work with new technologies, businesses must be prepared to think differently, adapt and invest to remain competitive. According to the MBIE report[3], Industry 4.0 is seen both as a threat and an opportunity for manufacturers. The ministry believes that Industry 4.0 technologies have the potential to make a type of short run, customised production that will enable more specialisation to become efficient and profitable. This would be especially important for the manufacturing industry where it currently accounts for 12 per cent of New Zealand’s GDP value. This means there is untapped potential for New Zealand businesses to stand out from their competitors in the race to transform their businesses. Business productivity The bottom-line when adopting new technology is that it will increase overall […]

Labor’s climate policy: a decent menu, but missing the main course

Bill Shorten and his colleagues are offering a broad suite of policies, but little explicit mention of cutting out fossil fuels. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas. Nicky Ison, Research Associate, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney. The federal Labor Party this week released the details of its keenly awaited climate policy package. With a commitment to cutting climate pollution by 45% on 2005 levels by 2030, compared with the Coalition’s 26-28% target, there was never a doubt that Labor’s policy agenda was going to be more ambitious than the government’s. But what exactly does it include, how does it stack up against the scientific imperatives, and what’s missing? By offering a broad platform, Labor has moved away from a single economy-wide policy solution to climate change, such as a carbon price or emissions trading scheme. Instead, it has opted for a sector-by-sector approach. This is smart politics and policy. By developing a climate plan for each major sector – industry, electricity, transport, and agriculture and land – it is possible to modernise each sector in a bespoke way, thus driving more innovation and job creation while also cutting carbon pollution. Emily Nunell/Michael Hopkin/The Conversation Industry Labor has taken the politically safe option of expanding the Coalition’s “safeguard mechanism” to lower industrial greenhouse emissions. Under this scheme, big emitters are required to keep their emissions below a prescribed “baseline” level, or to buy offsets if they exceed it. Labor has lowered the threshold for the scheme, meaning it will now cover all businesses that emit more than 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year (the cutoff is currently 100,000 tonnes). From there, all of these companies will have to lower their emissions by 45% by 2030 on 2005 levels. Some details are still to be determined, including the precise trajectories of emissions reductions, […]

Bad news. Closing coal-fired power stations costs jobs. We need to prepare

Australia’s electricity sector has begun to transition away from coal, with coal’s contribution to our electricity mix falling from around four-fifths 13 years ago to around three-fifths today. Twelve coal-fired power stations closed between 2012 and 2017. There are clear upsides to the transition, among them an ongoing decline in carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity sector. For local economies, however, the closure of a coal-fired power station can create economic challenges, including higher unemployment. We’ve quantified the effects of 12 closures In a new paper in the Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, we use detailed Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4) data to quantify the extent to which local unemployment rates have increased following the closures of twelve coal-fired power stations across Victoria, NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. There are 87 SA4 regions in Australia, each with an average population of around 290,000 people. We found that on average the regional unemployment rate climbs by around 0.7 percentage points after a station closes. The effect remains observable for year or two, although it varies from region to region. Clearly, labour mobility and the creation of new jobs do not fully make up for the impact of such closures. This means there is scope and need for strategies to smooth the labour market transition as we move towards a lower-carbon energy system. What we found A simple look at the data indicates that local unemployment rates tend to rise after closures, both in absolute terms and relative to what is happening at the state level. We find that this effect remains when controlling for the impacts of other key factors, such as macroeconomic shocks and the coal export price. Burke, Best, Jotzo, 2019 Typically the increase in the first year is around 0.7 percentage points – for […]

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