Smart Machines & Factories

Dr Helen Meese, vice chair of the Biomedical Division of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers commented recently on the Government’s call for more ventilators to be manufactured.

The biennial co-located events; Smart Industry Expo, Drives & Controls, Fluid Power & Systems, Plant & Asset Management, and Air-Tech Exhibitions – have been rescheduled to January 25th-27th 2021, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. These extra months will help give the industry the space to recover and the opportunity to present their technologies, innovations and solutions in an upturning market with no restrictions on travel. The events will continue to be co-located with MACH.

The Royal Academy of Engineering has commented that it recognises the critical role that engineers can play in managing the impact of the pandemic, and is asking its Fellows, awardees and partners to use their combined engineering expertise and UK and global networks to help identify solutions, organisations and contacts that could help governments address challenges and assist the public health response.

DFA Media, organiser of Smart Industry Expo and co-located shows, has been actively monitoring and following advice regarding the Coronavirus outbreak (Covid-19) over the past weeks. It has been decided that the show and its co-located events will be postponed and rescheduled for 25th-27th January 2021, which will take place alongside MACH Exhibition. The co-location of events include:

Deutsche Messe has postponed Hannover Messe 2020 to July 2020 as a result of global concerns surrounding Coronavirus. The decision was made in close co-operation with the Hannover Region Health Authority, the Hannover Messe Exhibitors' Council and the partner associations VDMA (German Engineering Federation) and ZVEI (German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association).

CPI, part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, announced recently that its Chief Executive Officer, Nigel Perry MBE FREng will step down at the end of March 2020. Frank Millar, CPI’s Chief Operating Officer has been appointed his successor and will take on the role of CEO from April 2020.

The biennial co-located events; Smart Industry Expo, Drives & Controls, Plant & Asset Management, Fluid Power & Systems, and Air-Tech Exhibitions – are once again set to return to Birmingham’s NEC between the 25th -27th January 2021, alongside MACH 2021.

How can automation solutions with artificial intelligence help optimise maintenance and production for sustainable manufacturing? Henry Claussnitzer, business engagement manager automotive, EMEA, Omron Europe, reports.

Smart Machines & Factories looks at how dairy manufacturers can use AR to augment plant maintenance.

Alfreton based David Nieper Ltd was named Manufacturer of the Year at the finals of a major national Manufacturing Awards programme organised by Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation.

At this year's recent "Innovations & Highlights 2020", Jungheinrich highlighted a networked digital fork camera for intelligent scanning of goods. The solution is the latest feature of the optical assistance system family addedVIEW.

The biennial co-located events; Smart Industry Expo, Drives & Controls, Fluid Power & Systems, Plant & Asset Management, and Air-Tech Exhibitions – are once again set to return to Birmingham’s NEC between the 25th -27th January 20121, alongside MACH 2021 Located at the heart of the co-location are The Digitalisation and Engineering Forums.

teknowlogy/PAC, Europe’s #1 independent research firm, conducted a survey of over 200 European manufacturers to understand the progress, opportunities and challenges with Smart Factory initiatives.

North West business leaders are now armed with the vision and the skills to pursue smarter manufacturing after completing Made Smarter’s leadership programme.

With an alarming backdrop of ever-increasing skills shortages, rapid technological change and an ageing workforce, MAKE UK’s chief executive, Stephen Phipson, says manufacturers are investing more than ever before in their employees’ health and wellbeing. He commented that counselling, health-screening and mental health first aiders are the norm in factories across the UK with modern and flexible working opportunities sitting at the heart of British industry.

A bespoke IT system from food and drink specialist CSB-System has helped a Slovenian poultry processor to double its growth, improve cost-efficiency and increase production volume by 40%. Smart Machines & Factories reports.

Jonathan Wilkins, director of industrial automation parts supplier, EU Automation, discusses what manufacturers should consider when choosing which type of robot to invest in.

igus has announced the official opening of its automated assembly line for readycable at its UK facility in Northampton. Representing a significant investment for company, the new line uses fully-automated machines and lean manufacturing methods to streamline its manufacturing process to deliver fully-harnessed drive cables shipped within 24 hours of order placement.

New robust, industrial Ethernet physical layer (PHY) products to help manufacturers address key Industry 4.0 and smart factory communication challenges surrounding data integration, synchronisation, edge connectivity, and system interoperability, have been launched by Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI).

Atlas Copco has marked its century of operations in the UK with a look forward at how industrial technology might evolve over the next 100 years.

UK manufacturers must tip the balance in favour of automation in 2020 to avoid falling behind international competition, according to FANUC UK’s managing director Tom Bouchier.

Cyber security and wireless experts from academia and industry will join forces to tackle the growing threat posed to wireless networks by cyber-attacks, thanks to a £6.1 million funding boost from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and industry.

The Falkland Islands are an archipelago comprising two main islands and 778 smaller islands covering an area of 12,000 sq km (almost half the size of Wales) with a population of just over 3.5 thousand. Here, a radio station covers local news and the territory's only newspaper is Penguin News. The islands are self-governing: Susannah Nightingale, Communications Regulator is appointed by the Governor of the Falkland Islands. There are two schools in Stanley, the capital, the Infant and Junior School and Camp Education (IJS&CE) teaches ages 4 to 11 and the Falkland Islands Community School caters for ages 11 to 16.

University of Birmingham Professor of Robotics, Rustam Stolkin, has been elected as Chair of a new international Expert Group on Robotic and Remote Systems (EGRSS) - part of the OECD’s global Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), which brings together the governments of 33 member nations.

The UK has the potential to lead the world in the application of artificial intelligence for manufacturing, according to an AI lead at Coventry's Manufacturing Technology Centre.