Interconnected technology

In a world of Industry 4.0 and digital manufacturing, what could be a more fitting venue than the AMRC’s Factory 2050 to host the MTA’s pre-MACH 2018 press conference at the end of last year? Dave Tudor was amongst the attendees.

Factory 2050 simply looks and feels futuristic, but this is no fantasy world. In the true spirit of Industry 4.0, its aim is to ‘empower the UK for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, through advanced connected manufacturing technologies’.

Its striking 6,730m² glass construction is home to the AMRC’s Integrated Manufacturing Group (IMG). Headed up by Ben Morgan, the team is dedicated to conducting collaborative research into reconfigurable digitally assisted assembly, component manufacturing and machining technologies.

For example, an interesting project currently being undertaken is a Kuka Titan heavy-duty 6-axis robot controlled by a Siemens 840DSL controller and Kuka omniMove automated guided vehicles (AGVs) – capable of carrying loads up to 15 tonnes. The Titan is being upgraded to conduct heavy-duty machining of difficult materials, offering a more flexible alternative to traditional machining techniques.

Looking forward to MACH

Industry 4.0 took centre stage at last year’s EMO exhibition in Hannover, Germany and according to MACH organiser, the MTA, it will underpin proceedings at the forthcoming event at the NEC, Birmingham in April.

“There won’t actually be a dedicated Industry 4.0 ‘area’ at MACH 2018,” explained the MTA’s head of events James Fudge, “and that’s because interconnected technology will be a common thread running throughout the entire exhibition.

“There will however be an ‘IT for Manufacturing Zone’ which will focus on smart factories, software systems and digital manufacturing – so whilst the show will still attract the decision makers, engineers, designers and researchers who work in manufacturing, it is now a great place for chief information officers looking at systems and chief data officers who are adopters of these disruptive technologies to find new suppliers and experience the latest solutions,” he continued.

“In addition, a vibrant seminar programme will feature subjects such as digital manufacturing, disruptive technologies, additive manufacturing and key ‘meet the supply chain’ networking sessions. The content is designed to provide clear thought leadership at a time when manufacturing is experiencing huge change.”

Great expectations

Significant for the 2018 show is its new location within the NEC which dispenses with the traditional hall 4/5 format and moves into halls 17, 18, 19, 20, 6 and 7. “We believe it’ll create a new visitor experience that’s easier to navigate,” Mr Fudge enthused. “All stands will be on a single level, under one roof which will really unite the event. As industry becomes ever more interconnected, so does MACH.”

At the time of writing, stand space was 98% sold, but I’m reliably told that there’s still time for last minute bookings although, to coin a familiar phrase, when they’re gone, they’re gone. Lloyds Bank will again be the headline sponsor.

OEMs have featured more increasingly at MACH in recent years and the 2018 event will continue that trend with the presence of Safran Landing Systems, and the Bloodhound supersonic car – which is set to run for the first time on a specially created race track in South Africa in October/November 2018 – targeting 500mph, a key milestone on the journey to setting a new World Land Speed Record.

Jaguar Land Rover will also be taking a 100m² stand in the Education & Development Zone.

Event endorsements

With its European headquarters located in Worcester and employing around 750 people, Yamazaki Mazak is a true UK manufacturing success story, currently enjoying the best year ever in its 30-year history. At the press event, its managing director for the UK and Ireland Alan Mucklow, shared the reasons why MACH is so important for the company.

“Our business is all about inspiring our customers to adopt the latest technology – much of which is driven by them,” he stated. “Industry 4.0 is key to maximise the productivity of the investments our customers are making and this is reflected in our iSMART Factory solution that we showcased at our EMO Encore UK open house in November last year and will be promoting at MACH in April.

“As business has grown exponentially, so have our stands at MACH. It would be true to say that a sizeable part of our UK business has been initially generated from enquiries taken at MACH exhibitions so it’s a vitally important event on the calendar for us.”

Mazak will be exhibiting a total of 14 machines from its 845m² stand. These will include: the Variaxis i-300 AWC – a simultaneous 5-axis machining centre with auto work changer; the QuickTurn 250MY + TA12 turning centre with automation; the HCR 5000S 5-axis HMC; the Variaxis j-600/5X AM which sees the integration of a full 5-axis machine with wire fed additive manufacturing capability; and the Optiplex 3015 DDL direct diode laser machine.

The case for automation

Another presenter at the press event was Matt Rollins, business line manager, machine tending at ABB. He praised the technological diversity of MACH, calling it ‘a great melting pot of ideas for industry’.

He presented some sobering figures concerning the UK’s adoption of robotics and automation: “Historically, the UK has been somewhat reluctant regarding adopting new technologies and this certainly applies to robotics and automation,” he observed.

“In 2015, 8,651 robots were used for general material handling applications in the UK – which unbelievably is less than Thailand – not a country usually associated with high-tech automated processes. Their ramp up has been particularly aggressive – the UK has been using automation for a much longer period of time yet we’re behind them in the league tables.”

Mr Rollins believes the reluctance has been due to a number of reasons such as a belief that it is only suitable for high volume production; is complex and expensive; isn’t flexible enough to handle multiple products; and perhaps most fundamentally, payback doesn’t fit within acceptable ROI timeframes.

“All of these are down to a lack of knowledge and understanding,” he affirmed, “so events like MACH are invaluable for dispelling these myths. Our aim is simply to help UK manufacturing become more productive. At the end of the day, if it succeeds then we all benefit.”

At MACH, ABB will be targeting companies that perhaps have not yet considered automation. A number of standardised systems will be on show, including new products from ABB’s machine tending range. The emphasis will be on live, practical demonstrations and ease of use.

Cutting through the jargon

To further emphasise the Industry 4.0 message at MACH, the MTA and Factory 2050 will present a feature to demonstrate the cost-effective adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies into SME manufacturing businesses.

MTA CEO James Selka commented: “The Integrated Manufacturing Group at Factory 2050 and we at the MTA understand that it is vital to cut through some of the jargon and hyperbole around Industry 4.0 and show first-hand the practical advantages Big Data can bring to an SME business.

“In the light of the recent publication of the Government’s Industrial Digitalisation Review – ‘Made Smarter’ we must demonstrate to British industry the benefits this technology can bring to their businesses. It is our job to bridge the gap between industry and academia and MACH 2018 is exactly the platform to do this.”

The idea behind the project stems from the perceived implications in terms of cost and complexity faced by SMEs when wanting to adopt Industry 4.0 technologies – a big barrier identified in Made Smarter. By providing a variety of solutions on how current capital equipment can be adapted to meet the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution the exhibit will demonstrate how Big Data can help companies streamline their production and improve cycle times – without making huge investments.

The feature at MACH, following the theme of interconnected technology, will comprise up to six separate manufacturing cells which will replicate familiar manufacturing environments that have been integrated with Industry 4.0 technologies.

James Fudge added: “We understand the cost constraints that face SME businesses and it is important to let companies know that Industry 4.0 technology is accessible to them. You can take an outdated machine and retrofit sensors to it allowing you to capture real-time data and detect throughput faults. It will be really useful to businesses to be shown some of the thigs you can do to the installed base that can make a difference.”

The AMRC’s head of digital Dr Rab Scott concurred: “MACH offers the AMRC a great opportunity to demonstrate that the adoption of digital technologies can be achieved at low cost and that the impact on businesses can be transformational.

“This project is a prime example of the work that the AMRC does nationally with manufacturing SMEs. On the stand, we will also be demonstrating what the future of assembly and manufacturing could look like, showing what the value of these technologies could be.”

MACH 2018 www.machexhibition.com

MTA www.mta.org.uk

AMRC www.amrc.co.uk