Smart Manufacturing

Autodesk Inventor 2017 unveiled

Autodesk has unveiled Inventor 2017, one of the most advanced 3D modelling solutions for manufacturing industry professionals. The latest version in innovative software for designers and engineers, Inventor 2017 delivers new professional-grade design, interoperability and communication tools aimed at supporting customers ever-expanding needs. “The manufacturing industry is witnessing an evolution of the role of the mechanical engineer. They are no longer solely responsible for the design of complex mechanical systems, but are often also tasked with complete product definition, design and delivery,” said Derrek Cooper, director of the Inventor product line. “With this latest version of Inventor, Autodesk is delivering new capabilities aimed at supporting all aspects of this expanding role.” Based on the requests of Inventor’s more than 11,000 alpha and beta testers and IdeaStation community, the company built Inventor 2017 to serve the expanding role of the modern professional engineer and provide customers with features aimed at simplifying the new aspects of their jobs: Professional-grade Design Tools help users design faster and optimize performance from the outset and include:  Enhanced sketching, part modelling, assembly management, surfacing and sheet metal capabilities so users can capture and develop design ideas quickly and easily.  Additional Shape Generator capabilities such as symmetry and member size controls that help users explore lightweight designs and improve product performance. New Interoperability Tools help to pull disparate aspects of a project together, regardless of the discipline or software that was originally used and include: Expanded AnyCAD tools allow users to easily integrate non-native mechanical design data into Inventor models without translation, now including associative connections with the industry standard STEP format. Inventor’s latest update includes hundreds of enhancements including several customer-requested modelling tools. Shape Generator, an integrated design optimization tool powered by Autodesk’s Nastran technology, guides users in the design of structurally efficient parts. […]

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Switch onto PowerTechED in Perth this May

PowerTechED is your passport to the ultimate ‘hands on’ experience featuring the latest motor control technologies all under the one roof. Rockwell Automation will be bringing PowerTechED to the Perth Convention Centre on 24-25 May 2016. This event is dedicated to motor control and energy technologies with a strong emphasis on intelligence, information and safety. “Motor control devices are growing rapidly in terms of connectivity. The information generated by these devices is really too valuable to ignore, whether it be for operational insight, maintenance or efficiency,” said Matthew Treeby, commercial marketing manager at Rockwell Automation. “PowerTechED is the only event of its kind that addresses evolving trends and technology in this space. Attendees can choose from four streams running concurrently that focus on industry topics relating to motors and drives, connectivity and intelligence, safety and operational visibility,” he said. This event will highlight the latest advances in the areas of network integration with drives and overloads, energy management software and network security. There will also be a strong focus on safety considerations for motor control. Featuring hands-on labs, workshops and presentations, PowerTechED will appeal to people from a wide variety of industries such as food & beverage and manufacturing through to mining and heavy industries. According to Rosanne Sabiston, business manager power control business at Rockwell Automation, “PowerTechED will provide the perfect opportunity to get ‘hands on’ with equipment and technologies for a wide range of industries; from small component based drive solutions to large motor control centres and multi-megawatt medium voltage drives.” Motor control devices such as variable speed drives and overload relays are becoming more intelligent. By connecting them over Ethernet, operators can proactively monitor where their energy is being used, providing information to enable decisions regarding where energy savings can be achieved. “PowerTechED will have a strong […]

Rockwell Automation and OSIsoft supply BHP Billiton

Rockwell Automation and OSIsoft have reached an agreement with BHP Billiton, the world’s largest diversified mining company, for the installation of an enterprise historian, a production intelligence platform, at the company’s iron ore operations in Australia. Design is underway with installation to be completed by the end of 2016. The enterprise historian will use FactoryTalk Historian Site Edition (SE) software from Rockwell Automation and the PI System from OSIsoft. The combination will provide BHP Billiton with visibility of real-time and historical production data across the company’s integrated supply chain of mines, rail and port facilities. Operators will also gain access to reporting and trending tools that provide insight into performance parameters. The information can be used to identify opportunities to reduce variability, lower costs and improve productivity in operations and across the supply chain. “An enterprise historian solution takes data and turns it into information,” said Ryan Cahalane, director of Software Product Management, Rockwell Automation. “Many producers are working on how to best leverage an intelligent automation infrastructure and the big data it produces. This is being outlined in smart manufacturing, Industry 4.0 and other global, manufacturing-modernization initiatives. “The BHP Billiton enterprisewide effort to standardize iron ore data collection, storage and visualisation will be a major step toward smarter production because it creates one version of the truth,” Cahalane explained. “The company will be able to use this solution to compare disparate assets and operations. This is the type of information that can be transformed into operating knowledge and wisdom,” Cahalane concluded. Brett Higgins, OSIsoft vice president of Asia Pacific, added, “The Rockwell Automation and OSIsoft combination brings together the best of industrial and enterprise data management. Our solution seamlessly leverages the company’s existing investments at a plant and enterprise level, and pulls in new information from mobile assets. With […]

Wearlon roller wheels perform on expensive production surfaces

Hard-wearing cast polyamide is increasingly used to cost-efficiently fabricate industrial castors, pallet rollers, flanged and grooved wheels and idler wheels on materials handling machinery, indoor conveyor vehicles, transport wagons and as an alternative to metals and rubber in goods transport. The material’s low weight, low friction and resulting ease of handling means polyamide wheels and rollers have far less damaging or marking impact on expensive floors in process areas, while also offering OH&S benefits with their easy rollability. Their resistance to chemicals means they stand up well to use in laboratories, hazardous storage and production areas in many industries. The Wearlon family of polyamides from Cut To Size Plastics is suitable for OEM use and clean and green metal replacement in applications including manufacturing and process engineering, mining and energy, oil and gas, transport and construction, food, beverage and primary production and water and waste water. The Wearlon family – incorporating the globally proven LiNNOTAM range of cast polyamides from international manufacturer and fabricator of engineering plastics Licharz – is particularly suitable for: Operation in humid and wet environments Operations in extreme temperatures Operations where chemical exposure is an issue. The material can be economically fabricated in almost any size, says Mr Pat Flood, NSW Manager of Cut To Size Plastics, which manufactures components for applications across Australasia from its Head Office in Sydney where facilities include CNC machining facilities coupled with GibbsCAM™ and Solidworks™ software. “Wearlon excels in applications involving hygienic and durable transmission of mechanical force, movement of industrial components and minimising friction in production and materials handling processes. “Specific formulations of polyamides are available for wheels and rollers offering a high degree of durable elasticity that ensures any flat spots which develop under static load become quickly and reliably round again. In this way, vibration-free running can […]

Car industry discipline rubs off on medical device manufacturing |

Former Holden workers Adam Williams and Derek Rogers are working for Micro-X to help streamline production. An emerging medical device company is turning to the car industry to streamline its manufacturing. Micro-X has established its headquarters in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, in preparation for the production of its lightweight x-ray machines. Managing Director Peter Rowland said Micro-X had successfully produced an 80kg mobile x-ray machine – just a fraction of the size and weight of the 500-600kg machines traditionally used in hospitals. He said Micro-X had the rights to apply technology from a company in the United States that was commercialising the carbon nanotubes as the electron emitter within an x-ray tube. The company has recruited four workers from the Holden car manufacturing plant in Elizabeth, which is slated for closure in 2017, including Adam Williams. “The idea of sourcing talent from the car industry has proven to be an absolute breakthrough because it’s a mindset that nobody – at least in my knowledge – has ever thought of applying to medical devices,” Rowland said. “What I love about the car industry is the rigor and discipline because you cannot achieve the quality and cost and reliability that the car industry achieves without a lot of discipline and a lot of hard work. “Just bringing that thinking from Holden into our plant has been brilliant. “(Adam) said ‘at Holden,– there’s no variable speed on the production line – when you press go on a new model every operation has to take 100 seconds. It can’t be 105 because that stops the line so we put months and months of planning and checking and testing and training to make sure it happens in the number of seconds they budgeted every single time’. “The management out at Elizabeth is […]

The Internet of Drones has landed

H3 Dynamics has unveiled DRONEBOX,a revolutionary system that converges professional drone-enabled service activities with the Industrial Internet of Things. Welcome to the Internet of Drones. DRONEBOX is an all-inclusive, self-powered system that can be deployed anywhere, including in remote areas where industrial assets, borders, or sensitive installations require constant monitoring. Designed as an evolution over today’s many unattended sensors and CCTV cameras installed in cities, borders, or large industrial estates, DRONEBOX innovates by giving sensors freedom of movement using drones as their vehicles. End-users can now deploy flying sensor systems at different locations, and measure just about anything, anywhere, anytime. They offer 24/7 reactivity, providing critical information to operators – even to those located thousands of miles away. Besides innovating in the world of unattended sensors, DRONEBOX eases the scalability challenges for drone service operators. Such service providers use professional drones to provide their customers with detailed aerial land surveys in mining or agriculture, perform infrastructure inspections, or monitor the progress of construction sites. However, some remote locations need regular or prolonged visits, which increase travel costs and risks to drone service providers. From an end-user perspective, despite providing powerful new insights within an industrial context, the mass-adoption of professional UAVs is slowed by the special skills required to operate them. Conversely, by pre-deploying DRONEBOX systems at the right locations, travel to remote areas is no longer required, charging or handling drone batteries is eliminated, and sensor data is simply sent through a network for easy access and processing. DRONEBOXES can be installed anywhere so that drones can perform pre-programmed scheduled routines, deploy on demand, or be woken up by other drones or sensors as part of a much wider network of “things”. As a network, DRONEBOXES can increase their effectiveness and mission times using collaborative technologies. Such deployments could […]