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FEATURE MACHINE BUILDING, FRAMEWORKS & SAFETY
HARNESSING DATA FOR SMARTER
MANUFACTURING Taline Forsberg, vice president of digital
products and services at Sandvik Coromant, examines how leveraging tool data is essential for maximising the benefits of digital machining
productivity and understand the need for workforce training, only 12.5% prioritise these technologies in their strategies. The 2024 survey by PwC and Make UK therefore highlights a significant gap between the recognition of digital technologies’ importance and prioritisation. Issues include the difficulty in justifying the
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upfront investment and ongoing costs associated with digital technologies. Combined with the skills gap, this is making it challenging to effectively implement and adopt new technologies. Added to this, manufacturers face the daunting
task of integrating new digital systems that are not easily compatible with legacy systems; as well as managing the vast amounts of data generated by IoT sensors.
LEVERAGING DATA To address these challenges, it is vital to effectively use the data generated from digital tools. By doing so, manufacturers can optimise their processes, improve efficiency and achieve better productivity outcomes. However, this requires not only sophisticated data analysis tools, but also a workforce skilled in interpreting and applying the insights derived from the data.
ccording to new research, while most manufacturers recognise the importance of digital technologies for boosting
Capturing data from machining and tool management and feeding it back to the planning team can bring significant efficiency gains. A study of manufacturers conducted on behalf of Sandvik in 2021 found that 69% of companies are using at least one digital manufacturing solution; 71% of companies consider Industry 4.0 an important trend for their organisation; and 50% of precision cutting-tool retailing customers have a demand for more precise product information. The solution to unlocking the power of data lies in advanced software and tools that support digital manufacturing, all the way from planning and design to machining.
LIGHTHOUSE FACILITIES To date, 69 factories across the globe have been identified by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as being at the leading edge of technology adoption. The members of the Global Lighthouse Network set an example for companies to avoid obstacles that may deter them from technological progress. Lighthouses are identified through a
comprehensive selection process that has assessed more than 1,000 companies. For instance, in the midst of the pandemic, when many facilities have struggled most, the WEF reported that 93% of Global Lighthouse Network factories achieved an increase in product
output and found new revenue streams. That includes Sandvik Coromant’s tool
production plant in Gimo, Sweden, which is a highly automated facility that fully embraces the benefits of digitally connected manufacturing. The facility received lighthouse status in 2019 for creating a digital thread through its production processes that has significantly raised productivity. One area of production praised by WEF is
Gimo’s ‘touchless changeovers’, which allow tool design patterns to be changed automatically, even during unmanned shifts. Historically, design patterns in production cells had to be changed manually, with operators from the day shifts preparing machines to run through the night. This took time and resources. Gimo therefore invested in smart automation with ultra-flexible robots, machines, tools and fixtures, which together perform complex, touchless changeovers without the need for any human oversight. Sandvik Coromant recommends the use of
digital technologies as part of its Manufacturing Wellness initiative. By ensuring accurate data access and connectivity from CAD to delivery, manufacturers can enhance production accuracy and overall productivity. By addressing the challenges of digital
integration head-on and learning from the successes of lighthouse facilities, manufacturers can unlock the full potential of digital machining.
Sandvik Coromant
www.sandvik.coromant.com
AUTOMATING COLD STORAGE BLOOD TESTING
needed to devise a solution that could take sample tubes from the existing Total Laboratory Automation (TLA) system and then sort them into a format accepted by the storage unit. The solution would also have to contend with different tube sizes, a lack of sample tracking data, and varying throughput demands throughout the day. The PAA solution involved the use of
robots for the rapid sorting and cold storage of different blood samples at a range of different temperatures, with a throughput of up to 2,000 samples per hour. The PAA workcell developed for Lab
Laboratoire Cerba (Lab Cerba) has implemented a pathology automation system with the help of UK-based PAA (Peak Analysis and Automation). PAA
18 DESIGN SOLUTIONS OCTOBER 2024
CERBA comprises four Mitsubishi Electric FR-Series SCARA robots with a 20Kg payload and a maximum reach of 1,000mm installed
alongside the TLA system. The Mitsubishi Electric robots benefit from high- rigidity arms and cutting-edge servo controls to reach speeds of 13,283mm/s, and are powered by Mitsubishi Electric’s MELSEC iQ-R controller. This not only controls the robots but also the rest of the handling system, which is automated with MR-J4 Series servos and E800 variable speed drives. Barry Weller, product manager – Mechatronics at Mitsubishi Electric Automation Systems UK, said: “Finding ways to automate complex processing systems can lead to significant productivity gains for the pathology industry, which in turn can make a material difference to patient care.”
Mitsubishi Electric
www.MitsubishiElectric.com
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