Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

digitalisation

Metalworking event EMO opens amid news of greater investment

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One of Germany’s leading metal-working events, EMO, has opened today amid news of greater investment in the sector, as well as a greater emphasis on “smart” technologies – which usually refers to higher levels of automation and digitalisation. 

Organisers claim EMO to be “the world’s leading metalworking trade fair”, and had a line-up of prominent figures for the launch, including:

  • Andreas Scheuer, Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure;
  • Lower Saxony’s First Minister Stephan Weil;
  • Member of the Board of Management of Deutsche Telekom Adel Al-Saleh;
  • Cecimo President Dr Roland Feichtl; and
  • EMO General Commissioner Carl Martin Welcker.

EMO lasts for six days, and is located in the northern German city of Hannover. [Read more…] about Metalworking event EMO opens amid news of greater investment

Volkswagen establishes new joint venture for connected services

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Volkswagen Brand China and its Chinese joint venture FAW-Volkswagen are scaling up their cooperation in the area of digitalisation and connectivity.

MOS Intelligent Connectivity Technology Co. Ltd., a joint venture between Volkswagen Group China and FAW-Volkswagen, will be established in the Chinese city of Chengdu.

The partners are investing a total of RMB 1 billion in the company that will operate under the MOSI brand (Mobile Online Services Intelligent).

[Read more…] about Volkswagen establishes new joint venture for connected services

Siemens tops European patent application rankings

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Siemens submitted more patent applications than any other company in Europe in 2018, thus advancing to first place in the European Patent Office’s application rankings.

With 2,493 patent applications, Siemens relegated last year’s leader, Huawei, to second place, followed by Samsung and LG. In 2017, Siemens had taken second place. The last time the company was ranked No. 1 in Europe was in 2011.

More than 25 percent of the patents are in the areas of Industry 4.0 and digitalisation, where Siemens submitted considerably more applications for intellectual property rights than in the prior year.

[Read more…] about Siemens tops European patent application rankings

DAB Pumps digitalises with Siemens MOM

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Siemens has announced that DAB Pumps has selected the Siemens PLM Software Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) portfolio as part of its digitisation strategy.

Siemens’ MOM portfolio integrates the digital threads of product lifecycle management (PLM) with automation and ERP, breaking down the traditional data silos and allowing a two-way flow of communication.

Through the latest generation of Siemens PLM Software’s MOM solution, DAB Pumps can access Siemens PLM Software’s industry-specific best practices.

[Read more…] about DAB Pumps digitalises with Siemens MOM

Why robots and digitalisation could trigger a reshoring revolution in the UK

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China has built its reputation as the factory of the world, but is increasingly facing rising wages, forcing manufacturers including here in Britain to think hard about where they build factories, and even consider “reshoring”, or bringing manufacturing back home. Some companies, such as Rolls-Royce, Meggitt, Siemens and Nissan, are already increasing investment in the UK.

China losing its low-cost edge

According to the World Bank Group, 47% of China’s population are older than 40, up from 30% twenty years ago. This is expected to increase to 55% by 2030, meaning fewer young workers to man the factories. At the same time, labour is getting more expensive.

Average hourly manufacturing wages in China have trebled in the last decade to nearly $4 an hour, not far behind some countries in the EU. The gap with UK wages is still significant but it is shrinking. In short, it is becoming comparatively cheaper and efficient to manufacture in the UK. But something else is helping to cut costs for manufacturers – increasingly advanced and affordable automation equipment.  [Read more…] about Why robots and digitalisation could trigger a reshoring revolution in the UK

Camille Bauer says it’s strengthening Switzerland’s manufacturing base through digitisation

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People and digitisation work together in a new manufacturing environment, says industrial measurement technology provider Camille Bauer

Swiss industry contributes significantly to the country’s innovation, full employment and competitiveness, according to Federal Councillor Johann Schneider-Ammann.

The company says Switzerland’s manufacturing base is “indispensable”, but adds that industry must seize on the opportunities of digitisation.

Camille Bauer Metrawatt, based in Wohlen in the Swiss canton of Aargau, says it is following precisely this objective, by building on its strength, namely the competence of company’s internal workforce.  [Read more…] about Camille Bauer says it’s strengthening Switzerland’s manufacturing base through digitisation

Digitalisation and the greatest industrial show on Earth

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Hannover Messe is probably the largest and most important industrial technology show on Earth. 

The venue for the event spans an area the size of a small town and it takes several days to visit all of the most important areas you might be interested in.

Covering an event of that magnitude from a journalistic point of view can be difficult if you’re interested in too many things.  [Read more…] about Digitalisation and the greatest industrial show on Earth

Digital manufacturing: An overview of an increasingly complex scenario

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Digitalisation is, in essence, simple. It means exactly what the word implies – the digitalisation of everything. 

But as simple as it sounds, digitalisation can be applied to any business in any sector, and that is what makes it difficult to provide a simple overview.

If we stick to one sector – manufacturing – that might make it more manageable.

But since manufacturing is already a hugely complex endeavour, the process of digitalisation – even in this one single sector – encompasses so many different disciplines that it’s difficult to think of it as being, essentially, simple.

But enough complaining about having to do some work for a change, let’s get on with the show.  [Read more…] about Digital manufacturing: An overview of an increasingly complex scenario

Opinion: Is digitalisation the key to remote plant operation?

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3d printing

By Eric Duchesne, SVP technology experts for Total, who will be addressing at the ERTC Ask the Experts conference in Cologne on 20-21 June 

There have been many advances in the field of digitalisation in recent years.

As the industry moves towards remote operation it is plant optimisation and integrity management which will provide the tools to enhance safety and anticipate potential problems within the plant, ensuring that the right human assets and replacement parts are available when required.

Today, there’s lots of talk about big data, but before we start to consider how we use big data we can dramatically improve the performance of our plants through the more effective interpretation of data that already exists. We need to become proactive rather than reactive.  [Read more…] about Opinion: Is digitalisation the key to remote plant operation?