Archives for April 3, 2019

Springer Nature publishes its first ‘machine-generated’ book

April 3, 2019 by Sam Francis

Publisher says its innovative book prototype provides a “compelling machine-generated overview” of the latest research on lithium-ion batteries, automatically compiled by an algorithm developed in collaboration with the Applied Computational Linguistics Lab of Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany

Springer Nature has published its first machine-generated book in chemistry. The book prototype provides an overview of the latest research in the rapidly growing field of lithium-ion batteries.

The company says the content is “a cross-corpus auto-summarization” of a large number of current research articles in this discipline.

Serving as a structured excerpt from a huge set of papers, the innovative pipeline architecture aims at helping researchers to manage the information overload in this discipline efficiently. [Read more…] about Springer Nature publishes its first ‘machine-generated’ book

Tetra Pak launches connected packaging platform

April 3, 2019 by David Edwards

Company to turn cartons into ‘full-scale data carriers and digital tools’

Tetra Pak has launched what it calls its “connected packaging platform”, which the company says will “transform milk and juice cartons into interactive information channels, full-scale data carriers, and digital tools”.

Driven by the trends behind Industry 4.0, and with code generation, digital printing and data management at its core, the connected packaging platform will bring new benefits to food producers, retailers, and shoppers.

For producers, the new packaging platform will offer end-to-end traceability to improve the production of the product, quality control, and supply chain transparency. [Read more…] about Tetra Pak launches connected packaging platform

Manufacturing and logistics: The common space between senior executives and operations managers

April 3, 2019 by David Edwards

By Carien Viswat, Oceaneering International

The automotive industry is most proficient in seeking manufacturing improvement through automated, efficient, and effective processes.

Automotive companies and their suppliers need to carry out lean manufacturing and assembly operations by handling a wide variety of components carefully and cost efficiently.

The deployment of automated material handling (AMH) equipment prevents damage to automotive parts, reduces the cost of unproductive labor hours by efficiently handling inventory, and maximizes storage capacity within available floor space. [Read more…] about Manufacturing and logistics: The common space between senior executives and operations managers

Intel showcases data-centric smart manufacturing technologies at Hannover Messe

April 3, 2019 by David Edwards

By Christine Boles, Intel

We are well along the journey to Industry 4.0 – where analytics, artificial intelligence and the internet of things drive intelligence, decision-making, and productivity.

The transformative opportunities and market potential of Industry 4.0 are massive: It’s expected to create up to $3.7 trillion in value within global manufacturing. We are still in the early adoption stages, with only 30 percent of companies actively deploying IoT solutions at scale.

With the emergence of the industrial internet of things and AI, a new kind of cloud-connected, data-driven factory is emerging. It is not just a “smart factory,” marked by greater machine automation. [Read more…] about Intel showcases data-centric smart manufacturing technologies at Hannover Messe

Zivid to show high precision colour 3D camera for robotic inspection

April 3, 2019 by Anna

Zivid, a 3D machine vision camera company, will exhibit at Automate for the very first time with newly appointed imaging solutions partner MoviMED.

The company will showcase the Zivid One 3D colour camera integrated with a UR5 Universal Robot in a live demonstration of high-speed part inspection and quality control.

Using an advanced technique of time-coded structured light projection, Zivid’s real-time, high definition, colour 3D cameras capture high-quality point cloud XYZ and RGB data to equip Industry 4.0 robotic and industrial automation systems with a human-like vision capability.

With a 2.3 MPix image size, an acquisition rate of 13 Hz and unique HDR capabilities the cameras produce vivid high definition 3D colour images of challenging semi-shiny, partly reflective and dark objects.

Complementing the live demonstration, Zivid will also be featured in the Automation Solutions & Innovations track of the exhibition conference.

In a joint session, ‘The Latest Advances in 3D Vision’, on Monday, April 8, 2:30pm-4:30pm, Zivid’s VP of Sales and Marketing, Americas, Raman Sharma will give a presentation entitled, ‘Robot Automation Using Human-Like 3D Vision’.

Sharma’s 30-minute presentation will reveal how Zivid’s ground-breaking approach to 3D image capture effectively removes long-endured compromises between system accuracy and speed.

And designed to match the specific needs of a broader spectrum of robotic and industrial automation systems, the company’s new Zivid One Plus (Small, Medium and Large) camera range will also be reviewed.

Comau launches exoskeleton for factory workers

April 3, 2019 by Anna

Comau has released the first Muscular Aiding Tech Exoskeleton – MATE, which is a lightweight, passive, portable upper-limb exoskeleton.

Released in China, it was developed in collaboration with ÖSSUR, an Icelandic leading non-invasive orthopedic company, and IUVO, a spin-off company of the Italian BioRobotics Institute specialized in wearable technologies.

MATE can reproduce shoulder movement with joint axes parallel to the user’s shoulder axes, providing effective gesture support and stable movement assistance to reduce the burden of repetitive tasks.

Schmalz presents new gripping and handling technologies at Hannover

April 3, 2019 by Anna

At the Hannover Messe 2019, J. Schmalz GmbH is presenting innovations for vacuum generation, gripping and smart handling. The solutions represent an important step forward in terms of efficient energy use and automation.

As in the past, integration, digitisation and networking continue to be the main drivers for technological advancement.

Integrated Automation, Motion & Drives (IAMD) will present components and system solutions for the factory of the future at the Hannover Messe from April 1 to 5.