INDUSTRY News
Technology
companies partner over fuel-cell humidifi ers
Parker Hannifi n’s Engine Mobile Filtration EMEA Division (EMFE) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Microengineering and Microsystems (IMM) are partnering to develop and test new proprietary hollow fi bre membrane technology for fuel cell humidifi cation. Parker fi rst introduced membrane fi bres for gas separation in the 1980s and is now using its knowledge to develop the next generation of fuel cell humidifi ers. “Fuel-cell technology is key to helping reduce emissions worldwide,” said Jonathan Griffi th, General Manager of EMFE at Parker. “We are confi dent that jointly we will continue to improve our hollow fi bre membrane technology, extend the service life of fuel cell humidifi ers and increase effi ciency for our customers.” The partnership will run for two years, covering effi ciency evaluations of existing Parker-designed fuel cell humidifi ers, development of a specialised test rig, and running performance simulations to identify the eff ects of fi bre length, diameter and permeability on the humidifi ers.
“Fraunhofer IMM has extensive knowledge and
Fuel cell humidifierR
experience in handling and conditioning gases for applications including fuel cells, fuel processors and more,” said Dr Gunther Kolb, Head of Energy Division, Fraunhofer IMM. “We understand the importance of improving fuel cell technology as the world transitions to cleaner sources of energy. Fraunhofer researchers are looking forward to working with Parker’s engineering experts to create a new generation of fuel cells.”
Be more competitive Faster production, reduced time to market, reduced waste, improved order delivery. These are just some of the many ways that robots can boost your performance and make your company more competitive. To find out more and see how a robot could benefit your company, visit
www.abb.com/robotics.
Nigel Platt, LBL Manager, UK and Ireland, ABB Robotics
ABB COLUMN BE MORE WITH ROBOTS
All around the world, businesses across multiple sectors are finding ways to use robotic automation to answer many of the mounting range of challenges affecting their operations, from skills shortages and the lingering impact of COVID-19, through to supply chain disruption. As the range of robot options has increased, so too have the possibilities for using them in a growing
range of applications. Today, robots can be found in everything, from heavy manufacturing and distribution, through to handling precise tasks alongside human workers in assembly lines. The following are just some of the ways that robots could help your company to realise new opportunities for growth.
Be more productive
With the ability to work efficiently around the clock without tiring or slowing down, robots can help to significantly improve productivity. Enabling more to be done in less time, robots can help to increase production rates whilst also minimising waste. The availability of collaborative robots (cobots) capable of safely handling higher payloads is also presenting new possibilities for releasing human workers from mundane and repetitive tasks to handle higher value production tasks. Added to this is the ongoing simplification of robot programming, which is enabling workers to quickly learn the skills needed to configure and operate robots.
Be more flexible The inherent flexibility of robots makes them the ideal solution for companies looking to make their operations more resilient. Unlike fixed machines, robots can be quickly reconfigured and reprogrammed, enabling production lines to be quickly adapted to meet changing requirements. Flexibility is also being enhanced by the availability of a growing range of options, from autonomous mobile robots through to cobots and compact high-performance robots that are opening new opportunities for automation.
automationmagazine.co.uk
Automation | December/January 2023
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