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[ UNITED GRINDING Group ]  The UNITED GRINDING Group is the world's leading supplier in precision machining. It includes the eight company brands  The innovative technologies of the companies in the UNITED GRINDING Group are used in a wide variety of industries. Key areas are the automotive and supplier industry, medical, aerospace industry, tooling, die and mold, transportation & heavy industry, machine manufacturers, energy and precision mechanics. The largest sales markets include Western Europe, Asia, North and South America.The United Grinding Group AG is the intermediate holding company for the Machine Tools Business Area of the Körber Group. Its holding company, Körber AG, oversees the international technology group with around 12,000 employees worldwide. The Group combines leading technology companies with over 100 production, service and sales companies. At locations all over the world, Körber combines the advantages of a global organization with the strengths of highly specialized and flexible mid-sized companies which offer their customers solutions, products and services in the business areas of Automation, Logistical Systems, Machine Tools, Pharmaceutical Systems, Tissue and Tobacco. The Körber Group achieved a turnover of 2.3 billion euros in 2015.1. MÄGERLEMFP 51 - Maximum production efficiency for complex workpiecesWith the MFP 51 5-axis grinding machine MÄGERLE will present a new grinding center at EMO 2017 in Hannover, setting new standards in terms of flexibility and equipment features.  2. BLOHM    High performance for surface and profile grinding▲ BLOHM will present the PLANOMAT HP at EMO. The machine is also available with automated loading and unloading concepts.  Whatever the application – if you are looking for a high-performance grinding machine which continuously delivers the best results under demanding conditions, then the PLANOMAT HP from BLOHM is the right choice. With more than 1000 machines delivered in 34 countries, every aspect of the PLANOMAT HP is consistently geared towards productivity and performance. The machine can be flexibly and individually optimized for all requirements.  Speed stroke grinding - the cost-effective machining process of the future▲ PROKOS XT - Also available as a complete production cell with robot, loading, cleaning and measuring station  Particularly when machining demanding high-performance materials for the turbine industry, there has long been a need for a less wear-intensive production process, which still allows the same short processing times and enables consistent workpiece quality. Speed stroke oscillation grinding is the answer to this requirement – it enables high removal rates with a low temperature influence and so reduces the risk of damage of the surface-near zone in the workpiece.  3. STUDERThe next industrial revolution – Industry 4.0   ▲ STUDER S141  Focus 1) Simple and secure networking: STUDER has integrated the OPC UA(Open Platform Communication Unified Architecture) standard into its "StuderWIN" machine software. The machine can assume two roles here: OPC UA Client and Server.  Focus 2) Elimination of unplanned machine downtimes: Another focus is on unplanned machine downtimes. The customer will receive a tool, which enables cost-optimized maintenance. In other words, the machine will only be stationary if this is planned and calculated. Another project is that if an assembly or component fails, despite Predictive Maintenance, the problem can be rectified at the press of a button and the customer can be offered optimal support.Dressing metal-bonded grinding wheels efficiently in the grinding machineHigher productivity with metal bonds - but how do you dress them?   The integrated electro-discharge dressing technology WireDress® opens up brand new possibilities for grinding with metal-bonded grinding wheels and drastically cuts auxiliary times. According to Fritz Studer AG, it has been possible to increase grinding power in the grinding process by 30% and reduce grinding wheel wear by 70% in comparison with ceramic and resin bonds. Grinding wheels with very intricate contours can also be dressed.▲ The dressing unit is a wire erosion machine in principle. A new development from STUDER for dressing metal-bonded diamond and CBN grinding wheels directly in the grinding machine. ▲ Example of an MD25 grinding wheel Ø400mm, complex profile dressed with WireDress®.▲ The WireDress® technology allows free geometries and intricate contours with internal radii of 0.05 millimeters and external radii of 0.2 millimeters.▲ D126 grain space after dressing with STUDER-WireDress®.4. SCHAUDT MIKROSA  Top performance meets precision  ▲ MIKROSA KRONOS S250   The machine concept of the KRONOS S 250 is perfectly designed for high-volume production in the high-precision range.   Technical data Workpiece diameter 1.5 … 35 mmMax. workpiece length for plunge grinding 245 mmGrinding wheel Ø 450 x 250 x 203.2 mmDriving power 15 kWPeripheral speed (CBN) 80 m/s (120/150 m/s)Regulating wheel Ø 250 x 250 x 127 mm Driving power 5 kW Dressing speed 1000 rpm  5. WALTER  WALTER presents the next generation of the internationally proven HELITRONIC DIAMOND with two-in-one concept  ▲ WALTER HELITRONIC VISION DIAMOND 400 L   The new high-performance HELITRONIC VISION DIAMOND 400 L tool eroding and grinding machine can be used to machine rotationally-symmetrical precision tools such as end mills, reamers, step drills, round profile tools, full radius cutters and drills made of PCD, HM, HSS, ceramic, Cermet and CBN. The two-in-one concept enables automatic changeover between the production of PCD tool and tungsten carbide tools, as well as eroding and grinding new PCD tools in a single clamping.  6. EWAG   LASER LINE PRECISION, Excellence in laser technology  ▲ EWAG LASER LINE PRECISION, the “All-in-one” Laser precision machining for diamond tools   The improved laser source offers highly efficient machining results for conventional diamond cutting materials such as CBN, PCD and CVD-D as well as, more recently, MCD. Thanks to this development, PCD materials can be machined up to 2.5 x more quickly and MCD up to 1.5 x more quickly. Rotationally symmetrical tools up to 200 mm in diameter and up to 250 mm in length as well as indexable inserts from 3 mm incircle diameter and up to 50 mm circumcircle diameter can be effortlessly machined with the LASER LINE PRECISION.   COMPACT LINE, High-precision flexible 6-axis grinding center  ▲ EWAG COMPACT LINE, clamping saddle   The EWAG COMPACT LINE is the high-precision flexible 6-axis machining center for grinding indexable inserts from tungsten carbide, cermet, ceramic, PCBN and PCD. With powerful technology in the smallest space, the COMPACT LINE sets a new benchmark in versatile manufacturing of indexable inserts. By the newly developed optional 6th axis, the COMPACT LINE is now also the perfect machine for efficient peripheral grinding.  [ Contact ]  
Ms. Kang 2017-08-10
기사제목
Inspired by innovation and with experience based on 55 years of history, SORALUCE is the worldwide leader in milling, boring and turning technologies. Innovation is at the forefront and many of the technologies that drive the machine tool sector have been pioneered by SORALUCE.   We live in a world in constant evolution. A world, where we are all expected to stand out. Greater production rates, higher accuracy, improved efficiency, enhanced performance, user-friendliness, ergonomics, safety and cost-effectiveness – all while reducing cycle times, downtime, consumption and emissions… This is the sort of progress that makes sense for SORALUCE. With a strong commitment to technology, SORALUCE is the best partner, providing outstanding services and expert advice. It takes technology to the limits through constant evolution, to supply reliable solutions and a wide range of added value services. Innovation in SORALUCE moves beyond mere ideas, it becomes real and tangible in products and projects that set new standards in milling, boring and turning.   EMO 2017 is the platform chosen by SORALUCE to share the innovations that will shape the future. A future developed for and with customers while generating value.  ▲ SORALUCE FLP  ▲ SORALUCE PXG  ▲ SORALUCE SLP  ▲ SORALUCE TA-A  Think digital – The future is digital   The new digital paradigm in manufacturing makes the interaction between machines, people and processes easier. SORALUCE takes its range of machinery and solutions to a new level of competitiveness, with high value-added services intended to increase the availability and productivity of the solutions that it offers. SORALUCE Digital is deployed in four main activities: Advanced HMI, Intelligent Components, Data System and Control System.   Data systemUsing specific hardware and applying the latest Big Data and Cloud Computing technologies, SORALUCE Data System is a machine data-driven analytics tool that extracts valuable insights from the machine-generated data and that monitors its status and condition to ensure that the running performance of the machining process is as high as possible. SORALUCE Data System is a powerful tool to maximise uptime and manufacturing efficiency.   Advanced HMISORALUCE has developed a complete set of utilities on the HMI of the Heidenhain TNC 640 in order to achieve a user-friendly interface by means of softkeys, customised diagnosis masks, manufacturing cycles, dynamic collision monitoring and the advanced tool management. These utilities have been designed to ease frequent operations, to enable recovering procedures (indexing head, tool changer, pickup station) after machine interruptions, to empower diagnosis functions by personalised masks and to improve ergonomics.  Think innovate – the release of DAS+ SORALUCE presented worldwide during EMO 2015 its innovative patented DAS system (Dynamics Active Stabilizer). The DAS system increases the dynamic rigidity of the machine in real time, increasing the machining performance by up to 300 per cent. This reduces the classic regenerative effect of chatter while machining.   As an evolution of the DAS system, DAS+ includes new functionalities to be showcased at a world premiere during this EMO 2017, such as vibration level monitoring, detection of chatter and the new spindle speed tuning function. This new function monitors the machining process to reach the best cutting conditions to increase the stability of a particular operation. The machine becomes an assistant for the operator which can concentrate on maximising the use of the machine’s capabilities.   Think technology – automation, multitasking and large sizes   Automated solutionsSORALUCE tackles automation projects at all different levels, from a single machine with a simple pallet transfer control integrated in the CNC to a flexible machining cell composed of multiple machines with workpieces and tools feeding systems managed by an Industrial PC to support very complex management software. Multitasking solutionsSORALUCE multitasking machines achieve the highest profitability in the machining of technically complex parts, including milling & turning in a single set-up. SORALUCE provides a full suit of multitasking capabilities by means of SORALUCE’s design of turning heads, tables and customer cycles, and the special multitasking head for multitasking operations, offering increased capability and functionality. In addition, SORALUCE will present at EMO 2017 a smart solution to break long chips that eases chip removal, thus reducing machine downtime and ensuring continuous production.   Large size solutionsSORALUCE presents the new SORALUCE PXG-W, a new gantry multitasking machine with precision and versatility at a large scale. It has a working volume of 1000 m3 and weighs 500 t. The SORALUCE PXG-W is designed to maximise productivity through its ability to handle milling and turning operations in a single set-up. It provides the highest possible return in machining large workpieces with a high degree of technical complexity, and makes it possible to machine a range of shapes and sizes.   The machine features the latest technologies and solutions which are innovative in the large-sized machine segment such as Vertical Ram Balance system (VRB), Table Balance System (TBS) and the latest thermal compensation algorithms developed by SORALUCE.  Think tailored – taking customers to a new level of competitiveness   The new range of SORALUCE products, services and solutions prove the commitment of the company to staying close to the customer. SORALUCE’s technology is at the forefront of the required solution, and is adapted to meet the needs of each customer. A wide range of products, solutions and services that allow SORALUCE to supply from an individual machine to a complete manufacturing line that integrates turnkey machining solutions.SORALUCE offers professional advice in machining engineering with a team of highly experienced engineers who evaluate the production and machining processes of our clients and provide solutions to optimise them, improving overall performance, achieving improvements in cycle times, increasing productivity, efficiency, profitability, etc.     Applications  ▲ Windpower▲ Windpower  ▲ Capital Goods  SORALUCE, Setting new standards in milling, boring and turning   SORALUCE is the worldwide milling, boring and turning technology leader. Throughout its 55 years of history it has continuously made innovative and pioneering contributions in engineering that have become industry standards. Customers recognise SORALUCE for its expertise in milling, boring and turning solutions, always geared towards improving the customer’s efficiency and productivity, and for its technological capacity to customise each product based in the customer’s individual needs, likewise generating turn-key projects, designing and setting up complete lines according to the quality, efficiency and cost parameters required by the investor.The European brand has extensive experience with over 2,500 machines sold, nearly half of them in Germany, a highly demanding market. It has also been determined that over the years, 80 per cent of customers have trusted in its products again.   SORALUCE is part of DANOBATGROUP, machine-tool division of MONDRAGON Corporation, one of the most important holdings in Europe. It has nine top-level manufacturing plants in Spain, Germany, the UK and the United States, an Excellence Centre in Germany, BIMATEC SORALUCE, and its own R+D centre with 120 engineers and 24 PhDs and more than 30 years of history. DANOBATGROUP provides one of the most complete and solid multi-technological offers on the market. In 2016 it achieved a turnover of 260 million euros with a workforce of 1300, enabling it to continue with a high investment in R&D&i, amounting to approximately 8 % of its turnover.   For more information, please contact:   Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, The Netherlands,Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia:Linda Hanzliklinda.hanzlik@bimatec.deTel: +49 (0) 6431 9782-775     Rest of the markets:Maite RiañoCommunication Managermriano@soraluce.comTel: +34 943 76 90 76 / +34 688 88 75 96  
Ms. Kang 2017-08-10
기사제목
T-GRIPproject  T-GRIP is an adhesive clamping material and a family of clamping components capable to develop higher clamping and adhesion forces than any other alternative technology in the market, on any rigid material kind (ferromagnetic, non-ferromagnetic, composite…). Used to build fixtures and clamping devices for work-piece manufacturing purposes, allows the fixation of the piece with lower interference with machining and shaping tools than any other alternative technology in the market. This leads to significant reductions in the number of different working steps needed to be executed in the manufacturing of complex pieces and requiring lower amount of different fixtures to manufacture the pieces along the process. In overall, T-GRIP is capable to reduce by 50% the total cost of workpiece holding during production of complex pieces.This Project has received funding from the EUROPEAN UNION’S HORIZON 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 756436.T-GRIP PROJECT :T-GRIPis a revolutionary solution for the machining of complex high-value workpieces,such as:· Large pieces with complex geometries, requiring several consecutive clamping-machining operations and several work holding fixtures. · Pieces in advanced materials, particularly non-ferromagnetic ones like aluminium,titanium and composites.Complex high-value pieces are a growing field, particularly in high requirement sectors like the aeronautic. Remarkable examples of these pieces are fuselage structures and complex pieces of the jet engines. FRESMAK,in collaboration with POLYMAT –UPV University-, has developed an alternative innovative clamping element, T-GRIP, based on the principle of adhesion. Main features of T-GRIP are: · It’s a rigid, non-residue leaving, reversible and reusable adhesive material activated and deactivated through temperature (>60⁰C) that maintains adhesion force at ambient temperature.· Easy to manufacture, cheap material that can be machined at precisions below 0,003mm, to create high precision fixture-workpiece contacts and unions.· Does not compromise the cutting area.· Very high adhesion, clamping and cutting forces per unit of surface (1.100 N/cm2). This principle is applicable both to ferromagnetic and non-ferromagnetic materials, and is suitable for thin wall and complex geometries. At the same union force range it is 50% cheaper than the vacuum alternative and 80% cheaper than the electromagnetic solution. At a same range, pieces of high complexity, thanks to T-GRIP require less fixture equipment and machining steps, which is 70% cheaper than the mechanical clamping systems.Customer Value PropositionThe following table exemplifies the comparison of fixture costs with T-GRIP and Mechanical technologies, the lowest cost available technology in the market, for the milling operations involved in the manufacturing of the aeronautical complex piece such as a titanium-alloy made structural piece for the fuselage of an aircraft requiring multiple high precision metal-cutting operations.· Electromagnetic technology is not suitable because the material is not ferromagnetic.· Vacuum technology is not suitable because the material need higher clamping forces.· Mechanical clamping is feasible and the current solution but requires 6 fixtures to machine the piece. The economic comparison between T-GRIP based solution and current solution, is the following: T-GRIP Mechanical Number of different fixtures 4 6 Average cost per fixture 56.000 € 80.000 € Total cost 224.000 € 480.000 € Net saving with T-GRIP 256.000 € (56% saving) The main Customer Value Propositions are:· Average price reduction rate compared to the closest competing technology in biddings.· Average clamping time ratio reduction compared to the closest competing technology.More info : comunication@fresmak.com                www.fresmak.com Contact :Conchi Aranguren (Sales Manager) and Vanessa Olañeta (Marketing and sales)HALL 3E58
Ms. Kang 2017-08-10
기사제목
· Path of Digitization: together with DMG MORI to the digital factory · Focus Automation: over 30 machines with automation solutions · ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING: global player for metallic materials for powder nozzle and powder bed technology · DMG MORI Technology Excellence Center: integration of processes at a very early stage for customised technical turnkey solutions in the aerospace, automotive, die & mold and medical sectors · 8 world premieres: +30% productivity and precision in turning and milling   From 18th– 23rd September we will be again in: On an exhibition area of approximately 10,000 square metres DMG MORI will be showcasing around 80 high-tech machines at the EMO 2017 to demonstrate its latest innovations and integral technology solutions – right through to the digital factory.   Path of DigitizationThe key topic at the EMO in Hannover is the “Path of Digitization” from DMG MORI, with which the company smooths the way to the future of the “Digital Factory” for its customers worldwide. The supporting pillars of success here include the APP-based CELOS®control and operating system, the DMG MORI technology cycles and customised software solutions for maximum efficiency in digital production. In line with this the company will also be demonstrating the diversity of the automation solutions in the new unmistakable VERTICO design. DMG MORI will be presenting around half of the machines on show with automation.   The future of additive manufacturingWith a fully digitalised process chain DMG MORI will be presenting its future technologies in the field of ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING at the EMO. Its offer of both laser deposition welding with a powder nozzle (Laser Metal Deposition) and selective laser melting in a powder bed (SLM) means that DMG MORI has bundled together the most important generative production processes for metallic materials under one roof.   DMG MORI Technology Excellence CenterFrom the “Product to the Process” is the slogan of the EMO branch solutions at the DMG MORI Technology Excellence Center. By integrating customers in the joint process development at a very early stage DMG MORI offers customised technical turnkey solutions in the aerospace, automotive, die & mold and medical sectors. Eight World PremieresDMG MORI once again demonstrates its innovative strength with eight world premieres from the technological fields of turning and milling. The latest CTX 2500 | 700 universal turning centre is the prelude to the fifth generation of this successful series, while the CLX 550 enlarges the range of basic turning machines. With the NTX 2500 DMG MORI expands its portfolio in turn-mill machining. In addition the third generation CTV 250 plus the MULTISPRINT 25 and MULTISPRINT 36 multi-spindle automatic lathes stand as examples of automated performance for more efficiency in serial production. The DMU 340 Gantry and DMU 200 Gantry 5-axis universal machines round off the world premieres as two new additions to the XXL range.     www.dmgmori.com  
Ms. Kang 2017-08-10
기사제목
The EMO trade show is the setting chosen by ONA to present three EDM units designed from the viewpoint of innovation, performance,robustness and effectiveness. All the experience of a global leader in technology, placed at the service of customers with three examples of its most innovative solutions for meeting different needs: Wire EDM, Die-sinking EDM and micro-hole EDM machining. As an expert in EDM, ONA is a world leader in customised solutions for improving profitability and productivity for each individual customer.  ONA has a highly qualified workforce with great expertise in EDM machinery manufacturing and precision assembly. The company is 65 years old this year,which makes it the world's longest-lived specialist manufacturer in its field.As a global leader in the manufacturing of large and special-purpose machinery,its goal is to ensure maximum competitiveness for its customers by establishing long-term partnerships and providing advice throughout the process so as to ensure maximum performance in every machine installed. The company analyses the needs of customers so as to design each one exactly the right machine. The most flexible,most precise large machine model. ONA AV100.This is the world's most flexible wire EDM machine. Its configuration can be fully personalised to meet the needs of each customer thanks to its versatile,modular design. It offers multiple combinations for X, Y and Z-axis travel (up to 1300 mm on the Y axis and up to 700 or 800 on the Z axis) to adapt to the tasks required.It comes in a range of perfect finishes, with highly robust mechanical parts that ensure lasting precision and top-quality results. Low roughness finishes, even on the most complex workpieces. The ONA AV100 incorporates a latest-generation CNC capable of controlling up to 8 axes simultaneously. Its user-friendly man/machine interface features a 23" tactile screen through which the machine can be controlled easily and intuitively. It is also capable of visualising workpiecesin 3-D.ONA will be running a simulation with a firtree during the EMO. This is a unique opportunity to see state-of-the-art technology producing a large, highly complex workpiece for the aeronautics and energy industries.The company's commitment to technological innovation has led it to design the biggest wire EDM machine on the market: the ONA AV130, the next model after the one on display at the trade show.New digital generator with double head to optimise production time ONA TQX8.Innovation and state-of-the-art technology in a Die-sinking EDM machine that incorporates a new digital generator to ensure improved performance and productivity. Its double head is controlled by independent CNCs, reducing machining times by as much as 50%, providing the highest possible return and making the machine more profitable. The same results in half the time. It’s robustness, along with never-failing precision in positioning, ensures top-quality workpieces with perfect finishes.The TQX8 incorporates the most advanced technology in control, making it easy to operate and ensuring a fast, standardised process. Its high level of automation ensures expert standards. The main goal of the company is to turn EDM into an intuitive process that is easy to learn and handle. This enables production processes to become more autonomous, effective and reliable.The TQX8 is designed mainly for mould makers, especially in the automotive industry. It is fully configurable and programmable to suit the needs of each customer. Its technology can be adapted effectively to a range of present and future applications, ensuring that it will always be compatible with the latest market developments.At the EMO the machine will be displayed with a mould and a bumper from leading automotive manufacturer Audi.  High levelsof precision for the most demanding finishes. ONA MF5ONA has incorporated technology for micro-hole EDM machining into its product range, to produce diameters ranging from 0.08 mm to 3 mm. The purchase of a 30% stake in the US company AAEDM, whose workforce has over 20 years of experience, enables ONA to manufacture even the most complex workpieces with excellent standards of precision. This technique is used in such different fields as energy generation, aerospace, aeronautics, the automotive industry (diesel fuel injectors) and medical equipment.These machines have many advantages, such as low maintenance costs and a wide range of sizes and shapes of holes thanks to their programmable head (tapered,semi-tapered and in irregular shaped). The flexibility and robustness that characterise ONA's machines can be found here too: they can be customised and feature numerous automation options such as automatic flow testing, adapted controls, laser marking and vision systems.True to its tradition as an innovator, ONA is currently working on new ideas for adapting micro-hole technology for the cooling of rotor blades in the aeronautical industry.  ONA Smart Connect: Process automation and performance enhancementONA's proven track record has made the company a benchmark in its sector and a trustworthy partner for its customers.As a global leader in the EDM industry, it offers all-round service with all the advantages of Industry 4.0, with more autonomous machines that are more profitable and more productive.- Highly automated machines. Capable of working autonomously, thus increasing profitability and productivity.- Information storage and data analysis.- Remote monitoring and control via network connections.- Traceability.- Touch screens with a highly intuitive user interface, and easy-to-operate numerical control units.- Real-time information on machine performance.- Additional information on the status of consumables, machine consumption and erosion time.- E-mail alerts on the operation of each machine.- The best possible maintenance to ensure the proper operation of every machine and avoid downtime. ONA also has a technology advice service that draws up reports on the current situation at each customer and proposes improvements to help optimise performance. The Technology and Processes Service (STP) seeks to ensure that each machine is in perfect working order in the specific working environment of each company. With ONA the availability of approved quality spare parts and consumables is assured anywhere in the world. The company also has a strong training programme to familiarise users with EDM and help make processes simple and intuitive.  Finally, ONA undertakes to ensure top performance and maximum reliability in every project.The company is continually innovating to create more productive, profitable and robust machines. All its machinery is made entirely in Europe with top-of-the-range components from leading European brands. Its R&D Department works with numerous technology research centres (ILT-Frauhofer andWZL-Aachen in Germany, plus Tekniker, Tecnalia, Ideko and the Bilbao Higher Technical College of Industrial Engineering in Spain) and participates in European R&D projects (PROSECO, SAPHIRE).Its standard of excellence in every project can be accredited by its customers, who award the company a general efficiency rating for its machinery of 98%, one of the highest on the market. The company is continually investing in new, cleaner,more environmentally friendly and people-friendly production processes as part of its commitment to the environment. It is an example setter in the EDM industry.                    For further information, please contact:Leire Gómez RománCorp. Communication and Marketing managerEmail: lgomez@onaedm.comTel. +34 946 20 08 00, +34 627 93 77 50
Ms. Kang 2017-07-13
기사제목
By Norbert Sparrow   Too often, Industry 4.0 evangelists talk about the “fourth industrial revolution,” as it is often labeled, from the 30,000-foot level, says Ben Hope, who spearheads Industry 4.0 initiatives at factory automation specialist Festo Canada (Mississauga, ON). From that perspective, small to mid-size companies, in particular, may fail to see its relevance to their day-to-day operations. When talk turns to the industrial Internet of things, sensors and big data, “manufacturers can have a hard time seeing how how it affects them. If you’re making money and are productive now, there is not a great deal of incentive to consider Industry 4.0,” says Hope. Here’s the big but: If you don’t start thinking about it, you may find yourself in trouble down the road when disruption sideswipes your business plans, cautions Hope. To start that conversation now, Festo has an advantage, in his view. “Manufacturers are familiar with Festo because we are there with them on the factory floor. We are building things in the physical world, and we can make the link with the digital world in a way that makes sense to them.” The conversation, adds Hope, has to begin with identifying value.  ▲ Festo Canada partnered with Québec’s Center for Industrial Research to launch Canada’s first Cyber-Physical Lab. Image courtesy Festo.   For Festo, the value proposition starts with condition monitoring, “being able to monitor the condition of various automation components such as the cycle time on a valve, for example, or the electric current in an actuator. With that data, you can perform predictive maintenance.” If machine downtime is something that keeps you up at night, that opportunity can be very valuable, he stresses, and implementing Industry 4.0 doesn’t have to be daunting. Hope recommends initiating a pilot project on one machine to determine if and how predictive maintenance can benefit your organization.   Hope also stresses the technology’s value in extracting process information, which can be gleaned by analyzing data captured by sensors. That allows you to identify things in your operation that you may be unfamiliar with or don’t know about as well as highlight weaknesses in your process. “By using sensor data, you can gain access to your entire operation. You can make decisions based on what is really going on, not what you think is going on,” says Hope.   The data also can reveal hidden facts about energy consumption, a big-ticket item for plastics processors. “You may know how much energy you’re using, but you often don’t know how it’s being used and how to optimize consumption.” Data analysis can reveal the virtue of scheduling energy-intensive machines to run when energy is a little less expensive or offsetting the equipment so all of the machines are not running at the same time and creating energy surges.   types of companies would benefit the most from adopting Industry 4.0 methodology, Hope says size is not as important as the market you serve. “It really affects industries with a short product life cycle—consumer products, for example.” Companies that truly are listening to their customers and are determined to give them what they want when they want it should be early adopters.   Consumers are growing accustomed to immediate gratification through exposure to the Internet of things and generalized digitalization. “They want what they want in a reasonable amount of time,” says Hope, citing the car buying experience as ripe for disruption. If you want to buy a car with specific features and are not willing to compromise and drive off with a car on the lot that has some of the add ons you want along with others you could care less about, you might have to wait several months. Companies that can respond to consumer demands in a timely manner will be the winners in the new economy. “They will start the disruption process in their sector similar to what Uber and Airbnb have achieved in their spaces,” said Hope.   While Industry 4.0 is a ubiquitous topic at trade shows and industry conferences, adoption in North America is in its infancy. Many people assume that Germany, where the concept was born, is way ahead of us, says Hope, but that’s not necessarily true when it comes to small and mid-size companies. Hope believes that the rate of adoption in that demographic is similar to what we see here. “The market is not pushing for it yet but that will change sooner than many people think, and it will be disruptive,” believes Hope.   Festo, which has its global headquarters in Esslingen am Neckar, Germay, was an early advocate of Industry 4.0 and has developed a number of training programs and tools to help companies explore this technology. Some of those tools can be found on the Festo Didactic website. It also has developed a Cyber-Physical (CP) Factory program through which companies can train and up-skill staff on Industry 4.0 practices and technology. Festo Canada recently partnered with Québec’s Center for Industrial Research to launch Canada’s first CP lab, which will allow manufacturers in that region to develop Industry 4.0-related projects.   https://www.plasticstoday.com/injection-molding/industry-40-isn-t-just-big-guys/11772196856723
Ms. Kang 2017-06-12