James Anderton: Ever since General Motors installed that first Unimate robot in a New Jersey die-casting plant in 1961, programming industrial robotics has been about cycling the machine and seeing what it does. It was an iterative process, and you basically tried until you got the motion you wanted. What if there’s a better way? I’m with Natalie Adams of Octopuz Inc. Natalie, we’re looking at an example here of a simulation of a Universal Robot, one that’s right here, in fact. Why simulate? What does it do for me?

Natalie Adams: Simulation has multiple purposes. First of all, it can be a proof of concept. For example, for sales tools. An integrator can use a simulation to prove a concept to a customer before they actually make the purchase, so they can see their whole cell, they can simulate the program, and see how it will all end up looking.

Another reason why people will simulate is to determine whether there’s any singularities that they want to avoid, or any glitches that they want might want to adjust in a program before actually performing that program on the robot. That way, they can save their equipment. It’s a big investment, so it may be better to simulate it in advance. That way, you can tell if there’s any adjustments that need to be made in advance.

JA: Now, how do I do it? Do I use g-code in the program?

NA: It’s actually very user friendly. It’s very simple to use. (offscreen) You can kind of see on this side of the panel there’s a variety of items that you can simply drag and drop, and you connect them and that creates a program itself, so you create these paths and it’ll follow the path.  It’s very simple to use because it’s meant to be used by people who don’t even know how to program.

JA: Oh, so a non-robot-programmer can still simulate robot motion?

NA: Absolutely, yeah! We provide some basic training that you can use, but simple pick-and-place applications for example are so simple that even someone who hasn’t received any professional training can learn to do them.

In welding, for example, that gets a little more specific, where you might need to know a little bit of a background on paths and Mastercam, but for the most part it’s very simple to use.

JA: Typically, what sort of user would use this package?

NA: Is it’s anything from end users to integrators. The integrators typically have a stronger background in programming, and typically use more a higher level of Octopuz that allows them to make more specific changes, create custom parts, and more custom items in Octopuz. The end user may just use items that are included in our library. We have a wide variety of items, that include different robot manufacturers, different parts that you can just simply drag and drop, that you can practice on; But we will bring in your CAD file for you, and that way you don’t have to worry about that part.

JA: Natalie, I understand that that Octopuz is UR+ certified.

NA: Yes!

JA: I’m looking an example of a Universal Robot simulation, and in a moment, we’ll actually see it in real life. What’s the advantage of being UR+ certified?

NA: Well, the advantage is that we get a lot of recognition for that.  As we are still growing, it gives that kind of authority in the industry. We work very closely with Universal robots and collaborate a lot with them. As you can see at this show and on multiple projects and customers that they recognize.

JA: To eliminate wasted time and guesswork, simulate your robotic motion controls says Natalie Adams of Octopuz.

The post Video: Simulation Replaces Iteration in Robot Programming appeared first on Engineering.com.

Thanks to the Internet of Things, the manufacturing industry is experiencing a surge in use and demand for advanced software to push information between the factory floor and tablets smart phones.

In the video above, we talk about how advanced software for enterprise resource planning (ERP) benefits the average manufacturing engineer just as much as it benefits the data crunchers and management in the front office.

“We’re seeing more and more applications that are being developed for mobilization, not only in terms of traceability on the production floor, but also the ability to be more responsive and have information in the hands of engineers as well as production personnel,” said Christine Hansen, senior manager of product marketing at Epicor Software Corporation.

Historically, there has been a time lag between implementing a change to a job at the front end of the office, and getting the parts altered on the shop floor.

Job tickets would need to be reprinted and floated through the plant, sometimes reaching several versions for the same job, and causing confusion. Advanced software and mobile devices today can completely replace this old system, Hansen explained.

“By using electronic systems and mobility, I’m able to take changes and deliver them to the production floor much more efficiently and in real time as the products are being produced,” Hansen said.

A wirelessly connected factory also gives manufacturers the freedom to organize their facilities as they see fit, without the constraints of wired systems. Additionally, workers will be able to access data from outside the facility without issue.

“We’re seeing true changes in efficiency for how manufacturers can react to problems being found from a quality perspective, as well as the ability to enable the plant floor and front offices to have more access to information in the middle of the job, and while they are talking to customers, than ever before,” Hansen added.

For more information on the advantages of ERP systems, watch the video above and visit the Epicor Software website.

The post VIDEO: How Enterprise Resource Planning Connects Manufacturers to Data appeared first on Engineering.com.

In metal additive manufacturing, selective laser sintering (SLS) is the most commonly used process, compounding metal powder to create parts. However, could wirefeed be a more reliable method?

In the video above we talk about new techniques in the realm of additive manufacturing with Peter Gratschmayr, senior sales engineer at MWES Engineered Systems.

“The twist in our manufacturing process, is that we’re using wire instead of powder,” said Gratschmayr. “The idea is that we can get a much higher deposition rate, up to 30lbs/hr, and our cost is about 1/20^th the cost of powder.”

Wirefeed has a greater structural integrity, Gratschmayr explains, as wire is created to a very tight tolerance. Lasers are used to deform the wire enough to create a good fusion of material, without changing the thickness or shape of the wire.

“We can make parts that have 350 to 400 layers of material on them and get good geometric tolerances,” Gratschmayr added.

“Because the capability of the material’s structure is really well controlled as we’re putting it onto the component, we were able to start making 3D parts with very fine laser control and heat saturation. We actually have a couple of components we’re working on right now that have 1,200 to 1,500 layers.”

Proximity to net shape is dependent on the part, Gratschmayr said, but it’s significantly less than if one were to start with a billet, and closer to what one would be with a casting. Five to 10 percent of material is cut away to create a component like the small propeller seen in the video above.

Even for significantly larger and heavier parts, material removal rates would still be quite low.

“There would of course be more machining necessary for that component, but our percentages would still be pretty equivalent to casting,” Gratschmayr said.

For more information about wirefeed additive manufacturing, watch the video above and visit the MWES Engineered Systems website. 

The post VIDEO: Is Wirefeed the Future of Selective Laser Sintering? appeared first on Engineering.com.

“Collaborative” is the hot buzzword in industrial robotics these days.

Manufacturers and automation engineers want to do away with guarding and gating to save floor space and allow workers to get up close with robots without sacrificing the robots’ conventional strength and speed.

In the video above, we speak with James Cooper, VP of sales and marketing at KUKA Robotics USA, about a variety of safety features and systems that eliminate fencing and excess safety equipment.

Using proximity sensors to establish a working environment around a conventional robot, manufacturers can eliminate fenced guarding. If a human worker were to pass through several thresholds, the robot would respond by slowing down its speed to prevent injury.

Coming too close to the robot would bring it to a complete stop before the human worker could even reach it. Once the human moves away from the robot and cross the thresholds again, the robot would accelerate and resume its cycle.

“This is an example of how you can accomplish collaboration with a traditional industrial robot, which will allow higher speeds, spindle utilization and throughputs,” said Cooper.

When looking into safety measures like fenced guarding or a proximity sensor-based system like that shown above, it’s important to be clear as to the necessity of human interaction and what else may be going on in the cell, Cooper explains.

“When you have a robot tending a two-axis lathe, you don’t have human-robot interaction past an operator occasionally coming up to change machine settings or clear away some parts, but not direct involvement. However, for other applications there could be other pieces of equipment or technologies in the cell that may still require the need for guarding to protect operators.”

For more information, watch the video above and visit KUKA’s website.

The post VIDEO: How Conventional Robots are Becoming Collaborative appeared first on Engineering.com.

“Predictive analytics,” “Industrial Internet of Things” (IIoT), “digital factory” – you’ve likely heard these acronyms before, but how many factories are actually using these technologies?

In the video above, we speak with Clint Belinsky, VP of global quality for Jabil Circuit, a broad range contract manufacturer with multiple production processes who uses advanced techniques to implement “factory of the future” technology.

Belinsky shares with us how Jabil is implementing predictive analytics in its production processes today.

Using predictive analytics software in conjunction with process and automation technology, Jabil can collect data as products move down the line. This data can used to create a y=f(x) formula that can predict issues before they occur.

“Before that issue is about to occur, we can provide prescriptive instructions for operators or engineers to follow to prevent the problem from occurring,” said Belinsky. “We could also expand that once that’s working and expand that to include the data from the field, and develop models to predict when and how a product could fail in the field.”

To learn more about how Jabil Circuit is using digital factory technology, watch the video above and visit www.jabil.com. 

The post VIDEO: How to Take Predictive Analytics Beyond the Manufacturing Floor appeared first on Engineering.com.

After the Second World War, a bunch of Southern California Hot Rod racers began to congregate on some of the dry lakes in the area to test cars for maximum speed on the near-perfect flat terrain.

The dry lake at Bonneville, Utah became so popular that a land-speed-record sport soon developed. There, famous names like Breedlove, Gabelich and Arfons took automotive technology to speeds that was never before considered possible.

In the video above, we speak with Rob Freyvogel, president of Carbinite Metal Coatings, (who may become the first man to drive wheel-driven car to 500mph) about his team’s entry into the proud tradition that has become dry lake bed speed testing with his company’s Carbinite LSR project. 

Freyvogel and his team will be testing their Carbiliner vehicle at a dry lake bed in Nevada, due to poor conditions at the Bonneville site.

Freyvogel and his team are not only seeking to break speed records, but also to educate and encourage students in STEM and manufacturing fields. The Carbinite LSR project team has presented at high schools, vo-tech schools and colleges.

For more information about the Carbinite LSR project, watch the video about and visit carbinite.com.

The post VIDEO: Engineering the First Wheel-Driven Car to Go 500mph appeared first on Engineering.com.

Sometimes a product can be designed with excellence, yet fail in the marketplace because of poor manufacturing. I can’t think of a better example of an outhouse-to-penthouse manufacturing-driven resurrection than the AR-7 survival rifle.

Designed by the legendary Eugene Stoner – the man who designed the AR 15, which later became the M 16 – the AR-7 was originally built to compete for a U.S. Air Force contract for a lightweight, compact rimfire survival rifle to allow downed aircrew to hunt small game for food.

The rifle was first marketed by the ArmaLite company for civilian use in 1959. The company built it in its original form until 1973, when the original Charter Arms Corporation built it until 1990.

From 1990 to 1997 the rights were then held by Survival Arms and then in 1998 through 2004 by AR-7 Industries and finally then from 2007 on by the current manufacturer, the Henry Repeating Arms company.

This little rifle has been manufactured by five different companies over 57 years, for one simple reason: manufacturing build quality didn’t live up to the clever design of the product.

Early production AR-7’s, particularly the Charter Arms units, were famous for jamming issues, warped barrels, cracked stocks and other maladies that seriously damage the reputation of Stoner’s clever design.

For lightweight, compact and functional design, nothing beats this takedown .22 for its intended purpose. It’s that outstanding design that kept this little rifle in production despite a well-deserved reputation for poor build quality.

This unit, built by Henry Repeating Arms works reliably due to modern assembly and quality procedures combined with modern materials, such as ABS plastic and a Teflon coated receiver.

Close tolerances on the magazine’s integral feed ramp, good machining finish on the internals of this simple blowback design and a barrel that threads in smoothly but doesn’t loosen with repeated firing make it work.

And the MSRP? USD$290. That’s advanced manufacturing folks: quality than the original at the lowest possible production cost. We can learn from this. 

The post VIDEO: Advanced Manufacturing at Lowest Cost with the AR-7 Survival Rifle appeared first on Engineering.com.

1) Helicopter and Motorcycle Hybrid Could be Used by U.S. Army

The Internet was recently set abuzz by a homemade hoverbike created by inventor and YouTube personality Colin Furze, but it might surprise you to learn that a company called Hoverbike conducted successful flight tests on a similarly Endor-inspired design almost a year ago.

(Image courtesy of Hoverbike.)

2) How Does Star Wars’ BB-8 Work?

BB-8, the now-iconic droid from the latest installment of the Star Wars saga, captured viewers’ hearts and raised a host of engineering questions. ENGINEERING.com managed to get our hands on the home version of BB-8 thanks to the toy’s creator, Sphero, and took the opportunity to breakdown the engineering behind the droid.

3) Who Knew Replicating a Functional BB-8 Would Be So Hard?

If the Sphero version of BB-8 is too small for your taste, then perhaps this is the droid you’re looking for. This full-sized version of BB-8 was created with the judicious use of 3D printing by firefighter Ed Zarick. What’s more, Zarick shared all of the details for constructing his remote-controlled BB-8 online.

Zarick (left) with his remote-controlled BB-8 (right). (Image courtesy of Ed Zarick.)

4) Creating Darth Vader on a 5-Axis Vertical Machining Center

This is by far one of the most impressive 5-axis machining projects I’ve seen, not just because it’s the Dark Lord of the Sith but from a technical standpoint as well. Engineers at Morris Midwest created this bust of Darth Vader’s head as part of Morris Madness 2016.

(Image courtesy of Morris Midwest.)

Check out these and other Star-Wars-inspired stories from ENGINEERING.com, and May the Fourth be with you!

The post May the Fourth Be With You: Our Favorite Stars Wars Engineering Stories appeared first on Engineering.com.

Fume and dust extraction has come a long way from dryer ducting in bathroom exhaust fans.

Now with increased OSHA regulations and an industry focus on worker safety, it’s more important than ever to ensure clean working environments.

In response to the clean-air problem manufacturers face when working with welding and other metal-working applications, RoboVent offers a cloud-based monitoring system in their Spire unit, among other dust and collection units.

Each Spire unit comes equipped with an internal hopper, particulate monitor and arrestance system, to counter against weld fumes, smoke, dust and other airborne particulates.

The Spire’s unique features come from its Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) design.

“The Spire unit is also operated by the eTell Intelligent Control package, which is designed to let you forget about your dust collector,” said Duncan Beaumont, solutions director at RoboVent Solutions Group.

Using the eTell package, the Spire can learn a system’s routines and make automatic adjustments to save energy and extend filter life.

“As the Spire learns your dust collectors’ process, it will be able to tell you when you need to change a filter or if there’s a problem,” Beaumont explained. “You can set it up with alerts so it can message you with a text or an email so you don’t have to worry about repeatedly checking the filter.”

Connected to the Cloud, the Spire is accessible anywhere you have an internet connection. If a problem were to occur and a maintenance professional was not available, the Spire will shutdown the dust collector automatically.

Manufacturers can also login through the eTell website and shutdown the system manually.

Another significant feature is the Spire’s self-cleaning capabilities.

“We hook our units up to a compressed airline and when the filters build up with pressure, it signals for it to blast the filters off with a dynamic pulse, which cleans the filters,” Beaumont said.

For more information about RoboVent and the Spire unit, visit www.robovent.com/spire.  

The post VIDEO: Cloud-Based Monitoring for Fume and Dust Collection appeared first on Engineering.com.

Right now in Paris, France, the world’s leaders are meeting at the United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC), COP21.

The global media are all over this event, branding it as the “last chance” to reduce carbon emissions and keep global temperature increases within the limits that current science demands, in order to avoid dangerous climate change.

It’s yet another massive United Nations bureaucracy-fest with numerous communiqués, press releases, position papers, soundbites and press analyses.

This time, however, things are different.

Discussion on whether or not it’s the consumption of fossil fuels causing global climate change is essentially over.

Regardless of whether you agree with the premise that fossil fuel combustion causes climate change, CO₂ reduction has become a global meme. This alone makes it, for all intents and purposes, fact.

The COP21 conference intends to establish rules for reducing the amount of atmospheric CO₂ in industrial nations. This has major implications for manufacturers worldwide.

Manufacturing needs power; lots of it, reliably and at the lowest possible cost. Right now, the combustion of fossil fuels is the cheapest and most reliable way to power modern economies.

Nuclear, Wind, Solar and Photovoltaic Alternatives

The nuclear industry is stagnant, with the shadow of Fukushima and Chernobyl hobbling any public relations effort to generate support for new, more promising nuclear technologies.

Wind power has always been driven by geography, and is too intermittent to generate the considerable baseload required by industry. Geography and geology similarly constrain geothermal and tidal renewable energy sources.

So what about solar?

It is getting cheaper, but solar technology is nowhere near cheap enough to power manufacturing industries on a large scale.

There are some manufacturers moving toward solar, however. A recent example is machine tool manufacturer DMG Mori, whose Pfronten, Germany plant is partially powered by both photovoltaics and a wind turbine.

However, for the majority of the manufacturing industry off-grid alternatives are still not a viable economic option.

Environmentalists, of course, claim that these systems would be viable if fossil fuel-based energy sources included the environmental costs of the pollutants they emit.

This is probably true, but it papers over the ugly reality that making energy much more expensive means less disposable income for the majority of the world’s population – and a lower standard of living for everyone.

I believe this fact is irrelevant to the elites who are meeting in Paris right now.

They know they can’t confiscate your car. But they can make it significantly more expensive to operate, which will have the same effect on CO₂ reduction.

The goal appears to be creating an even deeper global manufacturing recession, then declaring victory as the resulting lower energy consumption reduces atmospheric CO₂ levels.

In effect, carbon pricing punishes ordinary people for simply living their lives.

There is a better way.

What’s needed is not a global cap and trade or taxation system.

What the planet does need is photovoltaic technology that’s installed at $0.10 a watt.

I’ve been following photovoltaics as an alternate energy source for my own home for 30 years and it has certainly become cheaper. But like fusion energy, it always seems 20 or 30 years away from viability.

If the UNFCCC was truly serious, they would turn to member nations to fund a massive global-scale “super Manhattan Project,” with the goal of mass-producing modular photovoltaics that are an order of magnitude cheaper than the products available today.

If I could power my entire home with $4,000 worth of solar panels, I would do it tomorrow.

But I won’t do this at $40,000. It is the same for industry.

So, why won’t the UN and world leaders do this?

Mainly because the world leaders are drawn from a political class that seems to exclude scientists and engineers. They are legislators, not problem solvers.

If the UN were serious, they would assemble a panel of 10 or 20 of the world’s best manufacturing and production engineers, then build a network of giga-factories around the world.

Tesla is taking a small step in this direction, but for true economies of scale a manufacturing system needs to be much, much bigger.

The Paris Conference, by adopting a strategy of carbon pricing, will slam the brakes on this manufacturing innovation and set us back at least a decade toward the goal of renewable, clean energy.

Decades from now, historians will think we were idiots.

To learn more about COP21, visit www.ceres.org/cop21.

The post VIDEO: Are the Paris Climate Change Talks a Ball and Chain for Manufacturing? appeared first on Engineering.com.