January, 2023

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The New MESA smart Manufacturing Model

Automation World

A fourth industrial revolution is being created and MESA International is developing a new Smart Manufacturing Model that will cut through the hype and the fluff of smart technology to provide a simple, easy-to-use model.

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Basics of the digital transformation (DX)

Design World

A digital transformation (DX or less commonly DT) is the application of software, programmable hardware, and operational technologies (OTs) to fundamentally transfigure a company’s operations and end products for the better. DX programs can be undertaken by industrial organizations, machine builders, or a vast array of other businesses; the involved OTs typically include machine-monitoring systems,… The post Basics of the digital transformation (DX) appeared first on Design World.

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‘Brexit has lost us 25% of sales’: British bike storage firm buckles under red tape

The Guardian Manufacturing

Cycloc says ‘Kafkaesque’ rules have cost it £100,000 in latest tale of how EU exit is harming small firms A British bicycle entrepreneur says Brexit has buckled his business and left him with a £100,000 hole in revenues, accusing the government of failing to do enough to mitigate its impact on British small exporters. Cycloc, which has made a name for its distinctive indoor bicycle storage and accessories and includes Stella McCartney, Jonathan Ross and cycling star Mark Cavendish among its cust

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How artificial intelligence will impact customer service: 5 Benefits AI has to offer

Robotics Automation News

When we think of customer service, what usually comes to mind are polite and helpful people. But what if technology could do that job? Welcome to the era of artificial intelligence and its impact on customer service. The progression of artificial intelligence offers the potential for major improvements in customer service for businesses worldwide.

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Modernizing MES: A Guide for Complex Manufacturers Adapting to Industry 4.0

As engineers push the boundaries of innovation with groundbreaking hardware products, their success depends largely on the speed and efficiency of production. The challenge? Manual processes and disparate systems lead to multiple versions of documents, incomplete records, and duplicated work, creating a chaotic system of records that is difficult to manage.

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UK car production down but electric vehicle output surges to new record

SMMT

Annual UK car production falls -9.8% to 775,014 units in 2022 as global chip shortages and structural changes depress output. Record levels of electrified vehicle production with almost a third of all cars made fully electric or hybrid – worth £10 billion in exports alone. Volumes for UK rise 9.4% but fail to offset declining exports, down -14.0%, with some eight in 10 cars shipped overseas.

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Desert dust masks true extent of climate change, research suggests

E&T

The full amount of warming caused by greenhouse gases has been hidden by microscopic airborne particles thrown into the air during desert dust storms, a new study suggests. Furthermore, research by University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) found that the amount of desert dust has grown roughly 55 per cent since the mid-1800s, which increased the dust’s cooling effect.

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Digital-transformation sustainability: Waste minimization and energy savings

Design World

Nearly two thirds of all energy created globally for commercial, transportation, industrial, and residential use is lost to inefficiency and waste. For operations aiming to achieve carbon-neutral status (or just higher profitability through energy conservation) preventing the loss of energy is at once immediately possible and commendable. After all, Energy Information Administration analysis indicates that… The post Digital-transformation sustainability: Waste minimization and energy savin

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Metal sculptor reflects on trout sculpture, future work, Netflix fame

The Fabricator

Metal artist Ivan Iler’s work has become more recognizable thanks in part to ambitious ideas—including a 25-ft.-tall brown trout—and participation in a Netflix reality competition. These opportunities have opened doors he’s long coveted.

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8 Industries Benefiting from Artificial Intelligence Software Right Now

Robotics Automation News

The fast-paced technological advancements of recent years have enabled artificial intelligence (AI) to become an increasingly prominent part of our daily lives, transforming the way we communicate and consume media. AI software is now being implemented across a range of different industries, from retail to finance, enabling companies to streamline processes, boost efficiency, and remain […].

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Colours put in the shade as grey matters most to UK car buyers

SMMT

Grey is UK’s most popular new car colour for fifth consecutive year with 25.7% market share, followed by black and white to complete a monochrome podium. Maroon, pink and cream were bottom of the charts, taking just 0.02% of all registrations combined. Green enjoys resurgence with biggest volume uplift of +13,293 units while electric vehicles account for a quarter of all new green cars.

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The Big Payoff of Application Analytics

Outdated or absent analytics won’t cut it in today’s data-driven applications – not for your end users, your development team, or your business. That’s what drove the five companies in this e-book to change their approach to analytics. Download this e-book to learn about the unique problems each company faced and how they achieved huge returns beyond expectation by embedding analytics into applications.

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Future 6G tech could be used to power wearables via the human body

E&T

While 6G wireless networks are still some way off, Visible Light Communication (VLC) is seen as a possible alternative to using the radio spectrum. VLC is like a wireless version of fibre optics, using flashes of light to transmit information. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have invented a low-cost, innovative way to harvest the waste energy from VLC by using the human body as an antenna.

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Amazon Enters the Predictive Maintenance Space

Automation World

The Monitron system from Amazon includes wireless sensors and gateways to monitor equipment vibration and temperature data, transfer the data to AWS for analysis, and alert users.

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Basics of smart factories and discrete-automation connectivity

Design World

Smart factories are facilities that digitize all aspects of manufacturing or production that allow digitization. Such operations continuously record data via connected equipment and systems — and then disseminate that data to allow machines to run self-optimizing routines. Such programs might help the facility time production of a given end product; proactively prevent mechanical issues;… The post Basics of smart factories and discrete-automation connectivity appeared first on Design World

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Improved technology should equate to improved quality of life for welders

The Fabricator

Josh Welton looks back at past attempts to automate to see if there are hints on what’s to come in automation and whether workers will reap the benefits of cobots and other technology advancements.

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Mastering Digital Transformation: Your Guide to a Successful MES Implementation

70% of digital transformation projects fail (BCG, 2020). In an industry where most large software implementations falter, we recognize the importance of planning, optimization, and execution. With over 25 years of industry experience and countless successful implementations, MASS Group is opening the vault of tips and tricks to provide a complimentary step-by-step guide in implementing a Work-In-Progress (WIP) tracking software.

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New 3D Printer That Creates Custom Prescription Drugs Developed by University College London

Robotics Automation News

University College London (UCL) have developed an exciting new 3D printing technique: “volumetric 3D printing” that lets the pharmaceutical industry customize drugs – including shape, size, dosage, and release – according to each patient’s individual needs. In turn, medical professionals may eventually be able to use 3D printing to “print” prescription drugs for patients in-office […].

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Toyota Australia plans rollout of three EVs by 2026

AU Manufacturing

Toyota Australia has revealed its plans to launch at least three EVs in three years, starting with the bZ4X SUV late this year. In a press release on Tuesday, the company said electrified vehicles – including hybrid-electric and other technologies – would account for more than half its sales in 2025. With this announcement, Toyota highlighted its commitment to the product by unveiling a $20 million investment by dealers in charging stations that will assist in the sale and maintenan

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Best year in a decade for UK CV production

SMMT

British commercial vehicle production grows by 39.3% to 101,600 units in 2022, the best annual performance since 2012. Output for overseas markets surges 63.4%, with production for UK increasing by 14.0% in the year. December manufacturing posts first decline of the year, down -23.6% from supply chain disruption. UK commercial vehicle (CV) production grew 39.3% in 2022, with 101,600 vans, trucks, taxis, buses and coaches leaving factory lines, according to the latest figures published today by t

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Industrial Equipment Failures and Predictive Maintenance

Automation World

Stephen Lacy of Belden explains the high costs of reactive maintenance and how moving to more proactive—and even predictive—maintenance can be achieved without major investments and executed in small, easily incorporated steps.

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Future Focus: Constructing Unshakeable Stability in Your Manufacturing Supply Chain

Speaker: Jay Black, Senior Account Executive

We’ve all heard the buzzwords to describe new supply chain trends: resiliency, sustainability, AI, machine learning. But what do these really mean today? Over the past few years, manufacturing has had to adapt to and overcome a wide variety of supply chain trends and disruptions to stay as stable as possible. Stability has become key in this post-COVID world, and will remain key moving forward.

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Drones take the night shift for improved inventory tracking

Design World

Gone are the days when inventory inaccuracy is just part of doing business. As new technology is increasingly affordable and pervasive, more third-party logistics (3PL) companies embrace innovation to improve their competitive advantage. Inventory accuracy is one of the most important KPIs for any 3PL or warehouse. The higher the accuracy, the faster orders can… The post Drones take the night shift for improved inventory tracking appeared first on Design World.

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Material Insights: What’s going on in polyethylene, polypropylene markets

Plastics News

The slowing economy is having an impact on North American resin markets. But prices for some materials may be headed higher anyway as buyers deplete inventories and suppliers cut capacity and export more resin overseas.

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Test Automation and CI/CD DevOps in the Automotive Industry

Robotics Automation News

DevOps play a crucial role in software testing in many industries. The same goes for the automotive sector. The DevOps pipeline holds remarkable similarities to how the automobile sector works. Workers neatly assemble different parts to construct an entire vehicle. To some extent, the automotive sector has already adopted lean principles. The automotive industry has […].

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How smart is the layout in your metal fabrication plant?

The Fabricator

Facility layout affects how everything—people, products, and information—flows through your company. It’s the foundation of an effective production system that, in turn, is the foundation of a smart factory and the technology within it.

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A Low-Risk, Incremental Approach to Smart Manufacturing for Small & Medium Manufacturers

This guidebook discusses how small/medium manufacturers have implemented Smart Manufacturing initiatives and realized benefits such as increased productivity as well as higher levels of coordination and speed within the enterprise and supply chain.

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New van registrations fall in 2022 as market looks towards net zero rebuild

SMMT

UK new light commercial vehicle (LCV) registrations end the year down -20.6% following significant post-pandemic fleet renewal in 2021 and supply chain challenges. 16,744 battery electric vans (BEV) registered in 2022, representing 5.9% of all vans joining UK roads last year. Action needed to deliver van-suitable charging infrastructure and a fiscal framework to encourage more van drivers to make the switch in 2023.

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Is Industry 4.0 the Answer to Workforce Retirements?

Automation World

Adapting your operations for Smart Manufacturing can help avoid problems with the ongoing labor transition such as increased downtime and incorrect diagnoses of issues.

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How hydrogen aircraft can redefine global connectivity

E&T

The introduction of zero-emission aircraft will enable us to rethink our approach to regional connectivity and the way we currently fly, according to a recent report from the New Aviation Propulsion Knowledge and Innovation Network (NAPKIN), a consortium of nine UK organisations set up to establish a blueprint for zero-carbon aviation by modelling the introduction of low or zero-emissions aircraft into regional and short-haul aviation.

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Material Insights: Plastics market outlook for 2023

Plastics News

The plastics market forecast for 2023 is shaping up to be another interesting year. Economics Editor Bill Wood stops by this week's Material Insights to share what to expect this year as the U.S. plastics industry navigates higher interest rates, lowering demand and inflation.

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Best Practices to Boost Marketing Efficiency while Decreasing Cost Per Sale

Speaker: Kristin Hess - Senior Product Marketing Manager, Drift; Will Lyon - Head of Vertical Marketing, 6sense

The past three years have forced nearly every industry to rethink their prospect and customer engagement strategy. But while we’ve all been thrust into digital transformation, we haven’t all made the transition efficiently. Now that we know digital selling is the new norm, how can we ensure our website is doing as much of the leg work as possible for us - even in the midst of economic challenges?

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How can virtual reality help the healthcare industry?

Robotics Automation News

Advancements like virtual reality are making patients receive quality healthcare and experts who can help them use the advanced technology Role of Virtual Reality Applications in the Healthcare Industry The transformations in the field of health care in the last decade are remarkable.

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MEC boot camp looks inwards to find next generation of welders and fabricators

The Fabricator

Wisconsin-based Mayville Engineering Company discusses its internal welding boot camp, success stories from its boot camp participants, and the lessons it’s learned along the way.

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Bioplastics News Stream January 2023

Plastics Today

Student researches bioplastics from duckweed, Biodegradable Disposable Tableware Market, biodegradable golf balls, AIMPLAS’ pilot line for bio-nanomaterials, land use in the bioplastics-from-biomass equation.

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Canadian-made Project Arrow unveiled at CES 2023

Canadian Manufacturing

QA Consultants to provide cybersecurity solutions for Project Arrow, the Canadian ZEV in development. On Jan. 5, Project Arrow, the first, all-Canadian, zero-emission connected vehicle, designed and built in Ontario, was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Project Arrow makes use of Ontario’s complete end-to-end automotive supply chain and tries to demonstrate the province’s automotive capabilities and innovation on a global stage.

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5 Ways New Manufacturing Companies Are Accelerating Innovation

Next-gen manufacturers are redesigning factories to enable agility at every stage of production. From more timely communication between engineers and technicians to technologies that empower real-time collaboration, they’re getting ahead by making iterations and improvements during a build, across the production line at scale. This level of flexibility means they can develop more quickly than their legacy counterparts.