in the process enabling equipment, and all enveloped with the power of computerised process control.
Q A
Was the shellroom your first area of actuation? What sort
of challenges did you find there? I can anticipate there were not only technical challenges, but also cultural ones?
Yes, the shellroom was the first priority area for robotic automation. From the outset, the challenge
was to recognise the sense of art form prevalent in the process, and without alienating the artists, encourage and convince them to stand back and embrace the change.
Using the robot to provide the muscle to do the heavy lifting was fairly easy to do, particularly on the backup coats. To overcome the perception of magic being applied with the prime coat was a tougher task. this was achieved,
And when and a sense of
predictability applied to the coating process,
intercoat durations were
determined, schedule make-up and dosing of slurries established, stucco usage by shell types, shell weight data, etc. All could be accurately determined and the process could be normalised. From the start, it made sense to apply a PC supervisory control to the robot, and with it the opportunity to interface and control all of the equipment that the robot was required to work with such as slurry tanks, sanders, conveyor, drying systems etc. The shell management screen became the cockpit and the artist became the pilot.
new challenges coming over? With
Q A the operator
And as you were overcoming those challenges what were the
removed
from the process, the weight limitation of what could be lifted was removed.
IC-Robots were developed
with payload capacities ranging from 100kg all the way up to 1500 kg and even gantry based robots of 2500kg capacity.
Robots were equipped with single, double or triple axis gripper systems and the capabilities to process vast quantities of shells concurrently, or
®
single ultra large massive shells. Simultaneously, the move away ethyl
from silicate
crossed. to water-based
binders for environmental reasons added further pressure to solve the requirement for process repetition. Specialised ceramic shell drying equipment had to be engineered to bring stability and accuracy to the process, and many new technical concepts were developed.
Q A engineering,
Robotics integrates fields of me- chanical engineering, electrical information
engineer-
ing, mechatronics, electronics, bio- engineering, computer engineering, control engineering, software engi- neering, among others… and in addi- tion you still need to understand the technicalities of the industrial process where this is bound to be applied. How it is all these competence acquired?
Yes, you are right. The engineering expertise and skills set necessary
is very broad. The investment casting process itself brings many unique challenges. The process rightly occupies the throne of Precision Casting and with that comes the pressure for exactness in every aspect of production. Nowhere more so than in the manufacture of the shell itself.
Competence is acquired through understanding the technical require- ment of the end user, building a strong team motivated to deliver, and provid- ing them with the best available leader- ship and team support. All of which translates to: lots of
work, lots of study, a great team, and staying close to the end user. In the beginning, it’s about pointing the ship in the right direction, then keep running between the engine room, the rudder, and the bridge while making continuous adjustments until you get to the destination.
Q A
In addition to your capabilities as an innovator and experienced
engineer, you are an entrepreneur. How does this visionary entrepreneur persona develop?
If you are constructed that your enjoyment is inseparable from your work, that’s the first hurdle
Then it’s about taking care
to protect your happiness, and that typically means working harder, longer, and with all the passion you can bring together in everything you do in business, particularly at the beginning. Along the way, it’s about building the vision together with the team and customers alike.
Q A
Can you please explain about this vision of yours, relative to the
world market as a single entity and your mission statement in respect?
On a business level, I had always viewed the world market to be a single entity, albeit divided into geographical sectors and industrial segments. Irrespective of company size, it was important to have a ‘no limits’ philosophy within the company, and to recognise a lost opportunity in any part of the world as a lost opportunity local to us and particularly so if we were not competing there. The mission definition has always been a simple one and has remained the same throughout: to be the best in the world at what we choose to do.
Q A
VA Tech developed not only in the UK but soon it was present locally within the markets to serve Germany, USA and China. Can you tell us about all this development and the associated challenges?
Yes, soon after setting up the UK operation, VA Tech Germany was established, shortly thereafter VA Tech USA, and sometime later VA Tech China. From the start, we recognised the need to be physically located within each of the key market sectors we would serve, and that the company team would all be VA Tech employees… a single VA Tech Team. It was fortunate that within the UK,
there was a sizeable, strong investment casting industry in the three industrial segments, of aviation, medical, and auto/industrial, and we therefore had the available opportunity to understand the precise needs of the industry and to work with casting experts in the important segments for turbine blades,
February 2021 ❘ 13 Continued on pg 14
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