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Welcome to the Summer issue of UK Manufacturing. Lockdown


measures introduced in January have begun to lift. We can finally hug our loved ones. Shops, restaurants, pubs and gyms have started to reopen. Is it just me or is there a general air of celebration? The success of the vaccine rollout is key


in creating this sense of optimism. Earlier in the pandemic, many or our plucky manufacturers turned their hands to helping in the fight against COVID-19 by producing PPE and parts for ventilators. They used their creativity to develop touchless tech. Now, they are contributing skills and machines to the vaccine rollout. On page 35, find out how machinery from one company is helping in vaccine production.


Victoria White, Editor


Made SMarter vIrtual factory tourS to accelerate dIgItal adoptIoN


to SME manufacturers to virtually fast track their digital adoption strategies and navigate COVID-19 restrictions. The wearable device enables technology


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specialists from Made Smarter to perform virtual end to end production line walks of factories with a business as part of the digital transformation workshop (DTW) process. These fully-funded, bespoke workshops


are led by technology advisers who cut through the jargon to provide impartial advice to help a business identify the most effective technologies to overcome their operational challenges. The virtual visit allows advisers to dial in to a


conference call and watch each manufacturing operation being performed in order. This enables discussions around inputs, outputs, process control, and quality performance in order to provide a clear picture of each businesses’ bespoke operation.


learNINg robot could traNSforM MultIple SectorS


developed by automation experts at the Coventry-based Manufacturing Technology Centre. The state-of-the-art development


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allows single objects to be picked out of a random tray or bin, without the need for high cost sensors or lengthy programming. The process could bring huge benefits to the manufacturing, agri- food, logistics and waste management sectors among others. The solution comes hard on the heels


of a successful MTC project to develop a robot with decision-making capabilities for assembly operations.


The new robotic process - codenamed


Project Viper - uses a deep neural network, low cost depth cameras and robotic arms with vacuum pick-up cups. Tests on a wide range of objects including metal components, cosmetic containers and even fruit, showed that 94 per cent of attempted picks were successful. MTC senior research engineer Mark


Robson said, “This project has shown the MTC's ability to draw upon state- of-the-art academic research to develop new technologies for UK industry. The result of this work is a flexible system that can quickly be adapted to the individual needs of different industrial


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handling problems without the need for complex robot programming. “We showed that learning to pick on


one object set can translate well to new objects, giving us an excellent starting point for new tasks. Building the system around a neural network architecture allows us to update the model as we gather new data in operation, enabling the system's performance to continue to improve over time.” He added, “Using simulation to


automate the creation of training data significantly reduced the cost and time typically required to manually produce the large quantities of data needed to train a neural network.”


www.the-mtc.org/our-case-studies/viper


recent STEM graduates from across Scotland, the chance to work with its engineers and researchers as part of a new scheme aimed at helping those who are struggling to find work due to the economic impact of the pandemic secure employment. The scheme, funded by the Scottish Government’s £25 million National Transition Training Fund (NTTF) and developed by the NMIS Manufacturing Skills Academy, will provide those taking part with on the job training and the opportunity to build in-demand skills relevant to the worlds of digital and advanced manufacturing and engineering over a six-month period. To bolster the programme, NMIS is also collaborating with small and medium sized manufacturing businesses across Scotland, giving some of the graduates the opportunity to work and learn with potential employers. The NMIS Manufacturing Skills Academy has been


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awarded £1.45 million from the NTTF and is developing a series of virtual training opportunities to run alongside the graduate scheme. The training will focus on the in- demand skills sought by employers in growth areas of the economy such as digital and net-zero.


www.nmis.scot Summer 2021 UKManufacturing


robot that can teach itself how to pick up unknown objects has been


NMIS lauNcheS SteM ScheMe


he National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) has announced that it will be offering 30


The introduction of smart glasses has


enabled Made Smarter to overcome access restrictions and limitations caused by the pandemic to get the vital insights needed to support the manufacturer’s digital transformation. It also gives manufacturers a valuable opportunity to test how this emerging technology could be used in their business.


madesmarter.uk


ade Smarter’s technology adoption programme is deploying smart glasses


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