Editor’s choice Subcontracting choice


A typical example of a ‘non-core’ manufacturing activity within electronics is the production of printed circuit board (PCB) assemblies and electronic equipment. This is the kind of job that is best outsourced to a CEM. Machinery such as the latest surface mount


equipment is beyond the reach of most medium-sized electronics companies. However, a good CEM will have the latest, most advanced systems. By sub-contracting this kind of work, OEMs can expect higher quality and productivity. At the same time, it comes without the need for capital expenditure on the latest equipment. Instead, a contract with a CEM guarantees the use of the latest production technology. CEMs are also plugged in to the electronics


supply network, as part of their job is to source components for their customers. CEMs can help OEMs to save time, and money, by taking over the complex management of tens or hundreds of subcomponent suppliers. This kind of task is beyond the ability of most medium- sized electronics companies – but is part of a CEM’s specialism. Because CEMs work for multiple customers,


they enjoy economies of scale, and so have strong buying power. This helps them to secure savings on component and material prices, which they can pass on to customers. Overall, this helps to create a more efficient, resilient supply chain. As well as helping to control capital costs,


subcontracting to a CEM can help electronics companies make best use of their time and resources. This is because subcontracting work to a CEM can be scaled up and down, according to need. During early phases of new product


development, such as design, the involvement of a CEM may be minimal. (Having said that, a CEM can play a key role here, such as by helping to optimise designs, or sourcing components cost- effectively.) In later stages, especially manufacturing, assembly and testing, a CEM’s involvement will ramp up. A good example of this is when Offshore


Electronics helped a manufacturer of microchip scanners to scale up production quickly. This was needed because of a new law in the UK, requiring all dogs in Great Britain to be microchipped.


concluSion


Every company has its core strengths. By concentrating on these, firms can remove inefficiency from their operations and raise productivity. Contracting out non-core activities, such as


manufacturing, component purchase and testing, to a CEM helps electronics companies to focus on their speciality. Among other benefits, it helps them reach the market more quickly – a critical measure of success within the electronics sector.


Offshore Electronics www.offshore-electronics.co.uk


Instrumentation Monthly January 2021


Development of a new methoD for inspecting petrochemical storage tanks


E


lectrocomponents is helping to revolutionise the way periodic inspections of petrochemical storage tanks are carried out in order to reduce the hazards, environmental impact, and costs associated with this global industry.


Project nautilUS is a UK-based consortium championed by several leading global companies and


institutions, which have been working together since February 2018 to design and develop a multi- million-pound certified non-destructive testing (NDT) solution. Co-funded by Innovate UK, the consortium also includes InnoTecUK, London South Bank University, Sonomatic, and TWI. Electrocomponents has developed the Quality Functional Deployment (QFD) model via RS Monition, the company’s maintenance engineering specialist service, and its DesignSpark engineering platform and community continues to create vital opportunities for intellectual property development and commercialisation of the technology. Oil and fuel storage require a robust and reliable infrastructure, with regular inspection


critical to ensure that tanks are fit for purpose. Existing inspection methods often result in storage tanks being taken out of service to be drained and inspected for corrosion, which is hazardous, time-consuming and costly work. The nautilUS solution addresses these issues head-on, in the form of a small robot which can


monitor and plot its own position whilst carrying out corrosion inspection. The robot uses active real-time remote controls to move around a tank, and an ultrasound probe to take measurements of floor thinning. It then records data regarding location for post-processing after the robot is retrieved. The design aims to obtain the smallest possible footprint to allow entry via the smallest manholes of liquid storage tanks. For the robot to perform an inspection in an explosive and flammable environment, the robot operation must avoid sparking, which can create an explosion in the tank due to heat and the presence of vapour. As well as offering ease of use and unique movement capabilities, the technology can also be applied to the inspection of ship-borne fuel tanks, transportation tanks and water storage tanks. Michael Burrows, senior innovation advisor at Electrocomponents, says: “As well as our


responsibilities around IP and commercialisation for nautilUS, we carried out a very extensive piece of work, called a Quality Functional Deployment (QFD) model ahead of the project, where we went out to over 100 current users and tank farm operators to uncover their list of requirements. We needed to know what the must-haves were and the nice-to- haves. This helped to shape the ergonomics, the ease of use, the size, the deployment, and the ability to deploy with limited people. “We have received a very high level of interest already. There are 600 tank farm


operators globally and we’ve already got an active response from around 70 of them with a number of offers to utilise the technology in their tanks. “Within the oil and gas industry there is an overarching goal to make it unmanned by


2030. Part of the commercialisation that we have been involved with has been to generate interest in not only the overall nautilUS robot, but also the technologies within it. Of course, we have the robot in its entirety, but there are also opportunities to license the individual pieces of technology for existing solutions or other applications.” www.rs-online.com/designspark/nautilus-the-answer-to-low-cost-oil-tank-inspection


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