industrY news
£53-million of new government funding announced to drive the development of digital manufacturing technologies
Investment Minister Lord Grimstone has announced that five new digital manufacturing research centres and projects, designed to help supply chains become more productive, are among recipients of £53-million of new government funding to drive the development of the latest digital manufacturing technologies. The funding has been awarded though the national Made Smarter programme. Nearly £25-million will be invested in new
industry-sponsored research centres set up around the UK, including at the University of Strathclyde and University of Nottingham, to accelerate the development of cutting-edge digital solutions that can transform manufacturing businesses across many sectors. Each centre will focus on a different area of manufacturing and include: • Digital Medicines Manufacturing Research Centre, based in Strathclyde, Cambridge and Loughborough Universities. Aims to create digital supply chains that enable medicines to be supplied on demand and enable clinical trials to operate more flexibly. • Research Centre for Smart, Collaborative Industrial Robotics, based in Loughborough, Strathclyde, Cranfield, Bristol and Warwick Universities. Will look to eliminate barriers to adopting robotics and accelerate their widespread use in manufacturing. • Research Centre for Connected Factories, based
in Nottingham, Cambridge and Sheffield Universities. Will work to create a ‘Morphing Factory’ where production can be easily re-purposed in response to changing market demand – for example, during the pandemic when drinks manufacturers have transformed their production lines to make hand sanitizer. • Materials Made Smarter Research Centre, based in Strathclyde, Cambridge and Loughborough Universities. Will work on overcoming technological challenges preventing adoption of new materials and manufacturing processes needed to become more sustainable and help achieve net zero emissions. • People-Led Digitalisation, based in Bath, Nottingham and Loughborough Universities. Aims to achieve the highest level of manufacturing productivity by increasing the digital knowledge and awareness of manufacturers. A further £18-million has been awarded
through the Digital Supply Chain Competition to 37 winning projects to support their development of innovations designed to help manufacturing supply chains become more productive and sustainable. Some of the winning projects under the collaborate research and development funding are: • Automotive company Jaguar Land Rover’s project, investigating the use of blockchain
new website for design solutions
Having been part of the ConnectingIndustry brand of publications for many years now, Design Solutions is very proud to announce it’s brand new website, which can be found at
www.designsolutionsmag.co.uk. The website features the latest news, brand new products, technical articles, case studies and much
more. To ensure you’re kept up to date on the go, you can also follow and interact with us via: • Twitter: @DesignSol_mag • Facebook:
www.facebook.com/DesignSolutionsMagazine • LinkedIn:
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www.designsolutionsmag.co.uk abb to acquire asti mobile robotics
ABB is to acquire ASTI Mobile Robotics Group (ASTI), a leading global autonomous mobile robot (AMR) manufacturer with a broad portfolio across all major applications enabled by the company’s software suite. This will expand ABB’s robotics and automation offering, enabling it to offer a complete portfolio for the next generation of flexible automation. The acquisition, a key
part of ABB’s external growth strategy, was signed on July 19 and is expected to close in mid-summer 2021. Both parties agreed not to disclose any details regarding the purchase price. “With their industry-leading portfolio,
comprehensive suite of software and deep domain expertise across growth segments, ASTI is the
perfect choice for us as we support our customers with the next generation of flexible automation,” said Sami Atiya, president of ABB’s Robotics & Discrete Automation business. “With this acquisition, ABB will be the only company to offer a full automation portfolio of AMRs, robots and machine automation solutions, from production to logistics to point of consumption. This is a gamechanger for our customers as they
adapt to the individualized consumer and seize opportunities presented by significant changes in consumer demand.”
www.abb.com 6 design solutions JulY/august 2021
Nexeon has had funding approved by Innovate UK for a significant new collaborative research initiative. The £1.5-million Silicon Anode Battery for Rapid Electrification (SABRE) project will develop battery cells with higher energy density, in response to the demand for increased EV driving range. The SABRE project has been awarded
funding from the Faraday Battery Challenge at UK Research and Innovation. Nexeon will work with its partners, Britishvolt and University College London (UCL), to deliver test cells with advanced Li-ion cell design and novel silicon anode material. The project starts immediately and will
extend over twelve months. The partners will exploit the potential for Nexeon silicon anode materials, already shown to improve the performance of Li-ion batteries.
www.nexeon.co.uk
technology when tanning leather to improve traceability and reducing environmental, social and economic risks. • Durham-based Pragmatic Printing SORT-IT project, aiming to use digital technology and intelligent automation to track and sort packaging waste for recycling. • Technology provider Circulor, which has developed a blockchain platform enabling businesses to monitor and track the origin and quality of raw materials in their supply chain,
including dynamic tracking of CO2 emissions. • Armagh-based Food for Thought’s project, which is planning to improve the use of robotics and technology to increase food traceability and better use of cold storage infrastructure. • Perpetual Labs’ project, which aims to create a digital model-driven approach to manufacturing which makes information accessible in one place in one standard language for all involved in the supply chain, allowing for improved work methods. £10-million in funding has also been awarded
to the new Made Smarter Innovation Digital Supply Chain Innovation Hub to develop breakthrough solutions that create supply chains that are fully connected, resilient and sustainable.
madesmarter.uk
nexeon to lead battery project
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