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AI-Driven Bin Picking Detects Subtle Differences

James Anderton — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Object recognition in bin picking and robotic assembly is a surprisingly difficult problem, a problem that is exponentially more difficult when the difference between objects is subtle. Machine learning promises to revolutionize the training of assembly and sorting robots iteratively, allowing high-speed machines to differentiate objects that are almost identical. At Automate 2023, Apera Co-founder and CEO Sina Afrooze shows Jim Anderton a system that can separate similar objects in a common industrial situation: fine and coarse thread pitch fasteners, mixed together.

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0.001 Millimetre Accuracy and Repeatability in SCARA Robots For High Value Applications

James Anderton — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 20:30:00 +0000

The gold standard in industrial general-purpose robot automation is the selectable, compliant, articulated robot arm. Standardized M-code, control logic and the universality of end effectors have made SCARA robots useful in everything from spacecraft assembly to food handling in bakeries, but the development of ultra-high precision units capable of placing tiny components on PCBs has been the most important application to date. Operating with 0.01mm accuracy puts a premium on robot drives, machine vision systems and on the integrators who configure manufacturing cells. TM Robotics’ CEO Nigel Smith describes these challenges to Jim Anderton at Automate 2023.

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Cummins to Invest $1B in U.S. Manufacturing Network

Michael Ouellette — Wed, 05 Apr 2023 09:59:00 +0000

President Biden visited Cummins Inc.’s Fridley, Minn. manufacturing facility. (Image Source: Cummins Inc.)

Cummins Inc. is investing more than $1 billion across its U.S. engine manufacturing network in Indiana, North Carolina and New York.

The Columbus, Ind., engine systems manufacturer says the investment will upgrade facilities involved in manufacturing its new fuel-agnostic engine platforms. These truck engines will run on low carbon fuels, including natural gas, diesel and eventually hydrogen, helping decarbonize the nation’s truck fleets today.

The investment was announced ahead of the April 3 visit by President Biden to the company’s Fridley, Minn. manufacturing facility. During the visit, President Biden discussed how his Investing in America agenda is supporting manufacturing, innovation and a clean energy economy, as well as creating good-paying jobs.

“In just a few weeks, we will begin manufacturing one of the key pieces of technology for green hydrogen production that will help decarbonize our economy and drive the clean energy transition – the electrolyzer,” said Jennifer Rumsey, Cummins President and CEO. “Support from the Biden Administration and Congress with legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act are driving the clean energy economy forward in the United States and critical to our decarbonization efforts,” she said.

Cummins said the government funding within the new legislation will help retain the thousands of current engineering and manufacturing jobs and support the creation of hundreds of new jobs across the company’s New York, North Carolina and Indiana operations.

“The historic investments included in those pieces of legislation played a key role in our decision to manufacture products here in the U.S., creating more clean-tech jobs,” Rumsey says. “The electrolyzer production in Minnesota and investment in our Indiana, North Carolina and New York facilities are reflective of our dual-path approach of advancing both engine-based and zero-emission solutions. We can’t do this alone and are grateful for the continued partnership and collaboration with congressional leaders and the Biden Administration.”

Cummins announced in October 2022 it will begin manufacturing electrolyzers in the U.S. for the first time at its Fridley location. Since that announcement, the company launched its zero-emission Accelera electrolyzer, which will be made at the Fridley facility.

Electrolyzer production will begin at Cummins’ Fridley facility at the end of April 2023. (Image Source: Cummins Inc.)

Electrolyzers help produce clean hydrogen for the clean energy supply chains that until now has largely been produced overseas.

“As a result of this legislation, we saw demand for U.S.-made electrolyzers skyrocket,” said Tony Satterthwaite, senior vice-president at Cummins. “And what you see here today is our ability to capitalize on that demand and create 100 new jobs at Fridley with many more at our supply base, as well as upskill part of our existing workforce.”

The following information highlights about half of Cummins’ announced investments. Information on additional investment in Indiana and North Carolina has not been made public.

Jamestown Engine Plant

Cummins plans to invest $452 million in its Jamestown Engine Plant (JEP) in Lakewood, N.Y. to upgrade the 998,000 square-foot facility to produce the X15N fuel-agnostic internal combustion engine platform that leverages a range of lower carbon fuel types. The X15N is part of the new fuel-agnostic 15-liter engine platform produced at JEP.

Cummins customers, including Walmart, Werner, Matheson, and National Ready Mix, among others, are beginning to test the very first engines of the fuel agnostic platform. Walmart will receive the very first field test unit in April 2023 to take part in the field test using renewable natural gas.

Fridley Electrolyzer Production

The Cummins Power Systems factory in Fridley will get a $10 million investment that will support 100 new jobs by 2024. The 1.1 million square feet facility currently houses design, product, service engineering and manufacturing. It employs more than 900 workers and will plan to dedicate 89,000 square feet of the existing facility to electrolyzer production starting April 24.

Reshoring Renaissance

The trend of reshoring and bringing jobs and investment back the U.S. facilities has surged over the past year. Indeed, the combination of reshoring and job announcements and foreign direct investment (FDI) for the full year 2022 were at the highest rate ever recorded, according to the latest data from The Reshoring Initiative, and organization that tracks and advocates for domestic production and investment. The organization says the Chips and Infrastructure Acts, along with prevailing deglobalization trends, drove fourth quarter results even higher than forecast.

The report says that while the rise in the trend is boosted by temporary support from federal policy, the stimulus is expected to result in further sustainable automotive investments in the U.S. Increased chip investments will also motivate more companies to assemble electronic products in the U.S. Nearshoring of work from Asia to Mexico will still require about 40 percent U.S. value added, leading The Reshoring initiative to expect 2023 and 2024 will continue to follow this trend, with about 350,000 job announcements per year.

Cummins Inc. designs, manufactures, distributes and services a broad portfolio of power solutions ranging from internal combustion, electric and hybrid integrated power solutions to components including filtration, aftertreatment, turbochargers, fuel systems, controls systems, air handling systems, automated transmissions, electric power generation systems, microgrid controls, batteries, electrolyzers and fuel cell products. The company employs about 73,600 people and posted $2.2 billion profits and $28.1 billion in revenues for 2022.

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3D Printing Casting Cores with Sand Drives Lightweighting for EVs

Michael Ouellette — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 15:10:00 +0000

Tooling & Equipment International (TEI), one of the largest US users of 3D sand printing, is expanding its additive manufacturing capacity with the third VX4000 3D printer from Voxeljet. (Image Source: Voxeljet)

Tooling & Equipment International (TEI), a Livonia, Mich.-based casting core supplier to General Motors, is using the world’s largest 3D sand printer to produce cast cores for the series production of large-format, weight-saving underbody structural components for the Cadillac CELESTIQ luxury all-electric sedan.

TEI produces highly complex castings for the engineering and manufacturing industry and has been working with Voxeljet sand printers since 2018, starting with a three-year volume contract of more than 500,000 liters of 3D-printed sand. Voxeljet’s VX4000 3D printers are among the world’s largest 3D sand printers with a build volume of 4 x 2 x 1 meters.

Casting replaces 40 components

The underbody structure consists of six precision sand-cast aluminum parts. To produce these complex structures as economically as possible and with the lightest possible weight, TEI uses additive manufacturing to make inner cores. This way the company can incorporate stiffening features into the hollow sections, which would be very expensive with conventional manufacturing.

A total of 51 additively manufactured sand cores are used in the production of each vehicle underbody. TEI prints these using VX4000 printers, each of which prints hundreds of inner cores for several vehicle sets in a night.

After printing, the cores are smoothed, coated with a fireproof coating, placed in sand molds and finally cast using a low-pressure filling process. Each of the six castings reduces the number of parts by 30 to 40 components compared to typical stamping processes.

As each structural part has fully machined interfaces, the six castings can be assembled precisely to very tight tolerances for assembly.

“By eliminating tools and taking advantage of the large build volume of the VX4000 printers, we can significantly reduce delivery times and produce lightweight components with optimized topologies. This would not be possible in the conventional way,” says Oliver Johnson, President of TEI.

Johnson adds that 3D sand printing makes it possible to produce completely new designs and develop lightweight structures to produce geometrically optimized parts, which automotive and aerospace OEMs can easily integrate into an existing production process.

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Inventors of Iconic Bobcat tractor Inducted into National Inventors Hall of Fame

Michael Ouellette — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 14:00:00 +0000

The first version of the Keller Loader was invented to meet the needs of a local turkey farmer. (Image Source: Bobcat Co.)

The brothers who invented the world’s first compact loader, which later became known across North America as the Bobcat skid-steer loader, have been selected as 2023 inductees for the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF).

In the 1950s, brothers Cyril and Louis Keller ran a small machine and fabrication shop building and repairing machinery for local farmers in Minnesota. A local farmer came to them with a problem—he needed a self-propelled loader light enough to be lifted to the second floor of a turkey barn and small enough to clean around the barn’s upright poles. In 1957, the Kellers built a three-wheeled loader with two drive wheels in front and a caster wheel in the rear. This was the precursor to the modern skid-steer loader.

Melroe Manufacturing Co. In Gwinner, N.D. (now Bobcat Co.) took note of the development and invited the Kellers to show their invention in their booth at the Minnesota State Fair in 1958. The brothers later awarded Melroe the exclusive manufacturing rights to the machine on a royalty basis. The company hired the Keller brothers to refine their design and put the machine into production.

The M440 prototype, invented in 1962. (Image Source: Bobcat Co.)

The second-generation loader—named the M400 and developed in 1960—included a second set of drive wheels added to the back of the machine, making it a true four-wheel drive and becoming the world’s first skid-steer loader. Skid-steer describes the steering system which enables the machine to turn within its own length. Later, it was renamed the Bobcat because of the machine’s toughness, quickness and agility.

“We are proud of our inventors’ spirit of innovation, and while we remain grounded in our humble roots, we continue to push the boundaries to offer customers increased choice, improved performance and advanced technology to work smarter,” said Mike Ballweber, president, Bobcat Co. North America.

2023 marks the 50th anniversary of NIHF’s founding, when Thomas Edison was the sole inductee.

Acknowledging the award on behalf of his father Louis and uncle Cyrill, Joe Keller said, “This recognition is a great honor to dad and Cyril’s families, but it is not just for us. It is a recognition for all of the early and current Bobcat employees who have helped bring our little ‘Keller loader’ to be the Bobcat machine it is today. It has been a great honor to have had a front-row seat watching this invention revolutionize the way work gets done around the world.”

Now headquartered in West Fargo, N.D., Bobcat Co. has grown to manufacture many pieces of compact equipment, including loaders, excavators, compact tractors, utility products, telehandlers, mowers, attachments, implements, parts, and services.

Founded in 1973 in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) is a U.S. nonprofit organization that recognizes inventors and inventions and provides a national, hands-on educational programming and collegiate competitions focused on the exploration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

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Use 3D machine simulation to enhance skills, efficiency and quality

Wayne Schaefer — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 16:01:00 +0000

Using a simple phone app to control the system. Since real hardware is simulated, there is virtually no difference between the simulated environment and equipment on an actual factory floor.

One of the challenges in industry is dealing with the lack of dedicated, specific machine control training for young engineers and other skilled technical support workers. In the modern business model, most engineers face tasks that leaves little time to build on their programming skills. The educational institutions for engineers teach the theory and basics of coding but the basic tools seldom prepare engineers for real life scenarios. These programs aren’t substandard—some things can only be learned on the job..

There is an expectation that employees will get specific training once hired or have a sufficient base from which to learn once working. In an industrial environment, many engineers rarely challenge their machine programming skillset beyond what is required in their current work. Building skills typically involves an experienced mentor and the chance to learn while working on real equipment. But throughput and revenue pressures leave little room for self-education, experimentation and learning from mistakes.

Advances in hardware over the past 100 years have left industrial controls engineers constantly playing catchup on technology. Before computers dominated the machine control industry, electrical relay panels had to be hard-wired to control machine operation. This was expensive, labor intensive and was not forgiving when it came to errors or alterations. During those years, advances in technology were slower, allowing companies time to create programming specifications. This physical nature of machine programming drove efficiencies in design because inefficient or redundant circuits increased costs for material, space and time to wire panels.

The current fast pace of advances in technology has interfered with this practice. Yes, some companies may have libraries of coding available, however, the programmer could be required to use other brands of software or hardware that they have no experience in. Specialty modules used in high level communication, data handling, motor control and more, can be confusing and overwhelming. Not only does this introduce new or untested coding but also requires interfacing that may not have been clearly thought through. This creates an environment which leaves creating code and integration up to the experience of the individual.

Using a simulated 3D factory floor and real Programming Logic Controller (PLC) and Human Machine Interface (HMI) hardware can help engineers hone their skills or to train others while remaining in a safe and environment. Simulation software has advanced to the point that machines and objects exhibit real-world characteristics. Collisions occur, boxes and pallets on a simulated conveyor can jam or fall off, creating an opportunity for fault logic and recovery routine, challenging the engineer to handle real-world problems without suffering the real-world consequences of waste, damage and downtime. Engineers, technicians and technologists are seldom formally trained in machine programming beyond introduction to the basics of the logic. Some challenges may be introduced that allow students to program a sequence of steps necessary to achieve a specific operational goal, such as programing a standard traffic signal but demonstrating actual programming techniques, are beyond the scope of these courses. Features such as hand and auto modes as well as fault handing or safety stop are rarely introduced. In fact, successful program development must be taught spanning multiple courses in PLC Programming, Robotics and Project Management that focus specifically on industrial machine control from the planning stage and through development to validation and testing. Even that kind of in-depth education just prepares a student to enter the workforce.

Programming styles are affected by the chosen hardware platform and language subset. However, simulations are program language and hardware independent—the same the same virtual factory environment can be used with a variety of control hardware and languages. However, even standard machine logic does not always translate easily between platforms, which create stresses on programming and result in poor programs overall. Simulations provide an avenue for training, testing to increase staff performance and the quality of their work.

This investment doesn’t have to break the bank. There are many simulation packages offered ranging from very simple graphics to slightly more costly but very realistic 3D factories. These packages can be ported to a VR system providing yet another level of experience. A simple, low cost setup could consist of a PLC, HMI and Ethernet hub. Considering that time and money is a constraint for most projects, these simple tools can result in less money spent on formal on-site or off-site training.

Not only can this setup be used for basic scenarios, but it can be scaled up to module full articulated interfaced or even basic Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) such as shown in Figure 4 where a simple phone app is used to control the system. Since real hardware is simulated, there is virtually no difference between the simulated environment and equipment on an actual factory floor.

There is so much untapped potential that business can exploit, it’s surprising more have not embraced this technology. Having even one simulation trainer easily pays for itself in reduced training costs. The scalability and flexibly allows companies and individuals to start from the basics and build up to more complex and exciting scenarios.

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Combining RaaS, Saas and Additive to Make Robotics a Reality

Jacob Bourne — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 09:20:00 +0000

3D printed gripper places gutter cover into box. (Source: Rapid Robotics)

San Francisco-based Rapid Robotics is a Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) provider that’s working to make robotics deployment easier with its 3D printed grippers/end effectors for the robots it rents to clients.

Within the robotics world, end-of-arm tooling is one of the most expensive and mechanically challenging aspects. As grippers are generally the part of the robot that interacts with products, issues with grippers and end effectors can introduce risks to the production process. For this reason, some companies specialize in end-of-arm tooling, selling grippers that cost tens of thousands of dollars.

In keeping with the RaaS model that aims to simplify and reduce the costs associated with robotics adoption for companies, Rapid Robotics has taken a novel approach to grippers. According to Rapid founder and CEO Jordan Kretchmer, the company’s goal is to provide inexpensive, accessible robotics solutions that are highly reliable, easy to deploy and deliver positive results for clients. The company’s RaaS services offers more than just the robots themselves, but also an entire suite of software, cloud-based services, computer vision and sensors that work in conjunction to keep rental prices between $4 and $12 per hour—a fraction of the cost of human labor.

Kretchmer said that end-of-arm tooling customization was a primary focus for the company from the beginning because of how essential it is to clients’ maximizing throughput. Yet, because end-of-arm tooling requires specialized tools for every application, the added costs pose a barrier to the RaaS vision. With Rapid wanting to build on its promise of fast and low-cost robotics deployment, the team turned to 3D printing to create flexible, inexpensive grippers that can work for virtually any process. Instead of companies spending around $150,000 on the grippers they need for their factories, Rapid can 3D print grippers that cost $75 each, and take only 12 hours to produce.

“I think the primary thing is flexibility,” said Kretchmer. “Our system can very quickly print new kinds of tooling. About 98 percent of U.S. manufacturers consider themselves high-mix facilities, meaning they’re trying to get maximum machine utilization. But the problem right now is you don’t see robots in those facilities, and that’s because of the lack of flexibility.”

3D-printed grippers could be game-changing for manufacturers that either haven’t deployed robots or use models that are bolted to the floor and restricted in application. Rapid’s self-aligning, 3D-printed customized grippers can be quickly and easily swapped out by clients, which could result in major increases in productivity.

According to Kretchmer, Rapid offers both flexibility and reliability. He said the design process for the 3D printed grippers is data-driven and results in a perfect fit for machines, 100 percent of the time. Rapid’s engineers manage a library of over 100 generic grippers that can be used as templates for new customized designs.

“Instead of spending two weeks designing a gripper like we did in the beginning, most of the ones we design now just involve tweaking the more ubiquitous designs. So in a few hours we can have a new gripper. The larger our library gets, the stronger that IP becomes for us and the faster we can do more complex deployments.”

This contrasts with traditional gripper fabrication, which can leave clients waiting months for a new gripper that sometimes needs to be shipped from overseas. 3D printing allows Rapid to get clients fitted with new grippers within hours.

“It’s going to have a huge impact on the market,” said Kretchmer. “Because it’s the lack of flexibility that’s the primary reason why manufacturers don’t utilize robots. We’ve demonstrated that our grippers are highly reliable—we’ve never had a gripper break on a customer.”

Rapid currently 3D prints grippers in San Francisco and Detroit. However, clients who have sufficiently advanced 3D printers can also print their own grippers for use with Rapid’s rental robots.

Another advantage of 3D printed grippers for robots is that they’re lightweight. Heavier traditional grippers cut into a robot’s maximum payload, increases the risk of breakage and can drive up energy costs. Rapid had initially printed grippers as solid structures, but has since evolved to more sophisticated designs with complex internal structures that are rigid but also very lightweight. Kretchmer estimates that some of the 3D printed grippers weigh four times less than one produced by traditional manufacturing methods.

The applications of 3D printed grippers are virtually limitless because the technology allows for geometrically intricate designs that can’t be achieved with traditional manufacturing. This means that clients can deploy robots for more complicated tasks. For example, one of Rapid’s clients used robots to produce AeroPress coffeemaker parts. One of the tasks involve stamping the AeroPress logo onto a specific side of a cylindrical part. Rapid’s AI and computer vision ensures that the gripper is oriented correctly when grasping the base of the hexagonal-shaped part. Although the vision system can only be accurate to a certain degree of precision, the fact that the gripper itself matches the exact angles of the hexagonal shape, means that it successfully grasps the part even if the vision were off by two millimeters—making the accuracy effectively perfect.

Another client produces gutter covers and previously had 12 people operating machines daily. However, Rapid created an inexpensive end-of-arm tool that can accurately grip tiny holes in the covers, saving the client significant overhead costs.

3D-printed circuit board handler. (Source: Rapid Robotics)

In another example, a client produced circuit boards that involved a machine placing sheets of copper in 14 different sizes. The challenge was that the gripper had to be able to grip the different sized sheets without knowing which dimensions would be next on the production line. Additionally, having to swap out the grippers to accommodate the varying sized sheets would derail output. So Rapid harnessed its cloud and AI technologies to update and activate the robotic arm’s motion and adjust the suction cup grippers’ placement exactly in the right place to accommodate the varying sheet sizes.

Robotics-as-a-Service vs. Robots-as-a-Service

According to Kretchmer, RaaS originally stood for Robots-as-a-Service, meaning that providers would lease robots to clients for a monthly fee. However, the service didn’t necessarily come with any other necessary technologies like speciality end-of-arm tools, AI and vision tools or cloud services—just the robot.

“We’re able to provide something far beyond just the robots. It’s not just the arm itself but all of the other additional components that work seamlessly together. It’s the technology stack, the IP and the intelligence that’s connected to the system that makes it far more valuable,” he says.

All of Rapid’s robotic systems are based in the cloud. That means that the company remotely performs maintenance updates and respond to changes on the factory floor. The AI models can be updated remotely so that a clients’ robotic arm can execute on new parts or new positions quickly. It also enables Rapid to provide 24/7 support and examine every single robotic action and chart performance over time. If a customer submits a support ticket for a bot, Rapid can immediately examine the performance history and pinpoint where things went off track. Additionally, Rapid’s cameras allow the support team to see the cause of the problem. For example, if an arm stopped moving at 10:02 am, Kretchmer said it would have probably been caused by a person breaching a robot’s safety boundary inadvertently. Rapid’s support team can reset the systems, and within 30 minutes the robot can be back up and running versus other RaaS companies that would have to conduct an onsite visit.

“Any of our customers will say that Rapid is an extension of their team,” said Kretchmer. “They don’t need to know anything about robotics. They don’t need to program the robots. We’ve removed all potential points of failure and removed all potential points of human error.”

Kretchmer anticipated that competitors will try an emulate Rapid’s RaaS framework. However, he said that one of the company’s market advantages is that it started out as a software business and has cloud architecture and AI capabilities that other companies with a more hardware focus don’t have.

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Lear Corp. Wins GM EV Parts Contract, Announces $80M Michigan factory

Michael Ouellette — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 10:45:00 +0000

GM’s 2023 Hummer EV full size electric SUV is produced at the retooled Detroit-Hamtramck Plant using the Ultium EV platform. (Image Source: General Motors)

Lear Corp. Has announced it is working with Michigan state and local officials on a plan to open a new manufacturing facility in the region with an anticipated investment of more than $80 million.

The site, which will manufacture battery disconnect units (BDUs) and other vehicle electrification components, is expected to generate $500 million in annual electrification sales when it reaches full production.

The BDU is the primary interface between a vehicles battery pack and the electrical system and its electromechanical switches open or close high current paths between these two units. The BDU provides feedback to a battery control unit (BCU), including voltage and current data. The BCU controls the switches in the BDU using low current paths based on the feedback received from the BDU. Lear’s BDU is tuned for the performance requirements of larger electric vehicles. SUVs and light-duty trucks comprise most of GM’s new vehicle sales.

The BDUs manufactured at the Michigan plant will be part of an exclusive deal to supply General Motors (GM) with BDUs and other electrification components for all the automaker’s full-size SUVs and trucks built on the Ultium EV Platform. The deal runs through 2030.

“This additional new business with GM was made possible by Lear’s recognized value proposition in electrification that combines flexible manufacturing operations and advanced Industry 4.0 automation technologies with our vertically integrated capabilities,” Ray Scott, Lear’s president and CEO, said in a statement.

“As a Michigan-headquartered company, it is important to make this investment in our backyard. This facility will provide hundreds of highly skilled jobs to the state and will be our largest investment in an electrification-focused production site to date,” said Scott.

Lear, based in Southfield, Mich., is a global automotive technology company with more than 160,000 employees working in 257 facilities in 38 countries. The company sells to every major automaker in the world and ranks 186 on the Fortune 500.

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Dassault Systèmes Acquires Diota

Mike Thomas — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 13:40:00 +0000

Jet engine maker Safran uses Diota for assembly assistance and compliance control (Picture courtesy of Diota)

Dassault Systèmes has acquired Diota, a developer of digital manufacturing solutions focused on assembly assistance and quality control. Diota joins the list of companies acquired by Dassault to bolster their 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Diota solutions are used by companies worldwide, including Dassault Aviation.

Who is Diota?

Diota supplies “cutting-edge digital field solutions for industry 4.0” according to their website.

Diota is a French company that started in 2009. Diota helps companies transition to the new era of digital transformation by providing innovative technologies.

As we are in the throes of industry 4.0, companies recognize the need to modernize their production. Although digital solutions for design and simulation have long been used in the engineering offices, the use of industry 4.0 technologies like interconnectivity, automation, machine learning and real-time data in the operational areas are still not widely adopted.

This is where Diota comes in. Their technologies bring gains in productivity, quality and efficiency of operations in an industrial context. The return on investment (ROI) is reduction of cycle times, right-the-first time, reduced levels of non-conformities, reduction in costs due to defects detected too late in the process, improved traceability, and even an increase in competence and comfort of work for operators.

Diota’s tools include interactive 3D, augmented reality, computer vision, artificial intelligence, and deep learning. By digitally connecting engineering with onsite manufacturing operations (like production and maintenance), companies can increase their productivity, improve the quality of their products, and improve the safety and direction of their workers.

This digital connection is a virtual twin linked to data from the real world. While using the solution, you complete complicated tasks accurately the first time and use the virtual twin to digitally mock-up usage. Then, you apply continuous improvement techniques and enhance the traceability.

Why Purchase Diota?

Dassault’s 3DEXPERIENCE is a web-based product development platform. With it, users can design and validate designs collaboratively and then prepare the designs for manufacture. Its goal is to provide all aspects of engineering and business processes in one connected environment.

3DEXPERIENCE is a collection of cloud-based applications. This includes DELMIA, which “enables manufacturers to create digital models that virtually simulate products, processes, and factory operations.” Using the DELMIA 3DEXPERIENCE, engineering, manufacturing and production collaborate virtually on 3D models to optimize and carry out manufacturing, supply chains, logistics, and services.

You can already see where this is going.

Dassault plans to integrate Diota’s solutions into its DELMIA applications. This will add augmented reality (AR) technology to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. By adding AR, it enhances the digital manufacturing increasing efficiency with new levels of intelligence and decision-making. The actionable virtual twin experiences push the 3DEXPERIENCE platform into new areas.

A common business challenge is communication. How do you connect everyone on your team?

The uses can be as simple a physically projecting the masking regions onto the surfaces prior to painting to guide the operator when positioning the masking tape.

Think about assembly assistance, one of Diota’s strengths. How can operators be led through tasks like preparation and assembly so that they get it right the first time? With increasingly complex equipment, the risk of errors caused by interpreting paper (and 3D model) documentation is high. In today’s market, skill ramp-up is a barrier and it is hard to get new operators up to speed with the skills they need.

By implementing 3DEXPERIENCE (with Diota) the 3D digital mock-up (DMU) with the assembly instructions become available in the field, projected directly onto the equipment, or presented on a screen (like a tablet). The assembly stages, with precise location and references digitally overlay on the real-world item to help the operator step by step. This results in a reduction or preparation time, a reduction in errors, increased production, and an acceleration in skill development and operator confidence.

How can product compliance be efficiently controlled while maintaining a high level of traceability? By implementing AR in the control stages and using a tablet, remote camera, or even a HoloLens the operator can see where the control points are and note any potential non-conformities. Then using the 3D model, document flaws.

How can you discover suppliers’ defective parts before reaching the assembly line? The operator follows step-by-step instructions on a tablet, comparing the as manufactured to the as designed to ensure the incoming parts or equipment are in line with what was planned.

To summarize, users of Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE platform, now with Diota, can push the boundaries of creativity, learning, and manufacturing. This platform provides a collaborative environment, fostering development and now producing a virtual twin experiences of the actual world.

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Siemens Acknowledges All Employees, Past and Present, at Company’s 175th Anniversary

Roopinder Tara — Mon, 17 Oct 2022 00:46:00 +0000

Roland Busch, president and CEO of Siemens AG, acknowledges all employees, past and present, at the company’s 175th anniversary gala event.

engineering.com was one of over 50 international media and influencers invited to Berlin to celebrate Siemens AG’s 175^th birthday party.

At a gala dinner, CEO Roland Busch paid tribute to the company’s founder, Werner von Siemens, and thanked all Siemens employees, currently numbering 300 thousand, as well as past employees, about 4 million.

We need Siemens today more than ever, says German chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Siemens and Germany have been intertwined throughout the company’s history. To acknowledge Siemens role in Germany’s past and present was Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz.

Below is the full text of Bosch’s speech.

175 years – almost a dozen generations. A lot can change in that time. But some things remain the same. Chancellor Scholz spoke of the power to work magic and the power to act. Nathalie von Siemens mentioned the Siemens spirit and our corporate culture.

Where do our roots go back to? To the Siemens brothers and Johann Georg Halske.

We delved into the archives and read some of their letters, including some between Werner von Siemens and his brother Carl. I was astonished. The same things that concern us today were already on the mind of our founder back in the 19th century.

Today, at Siemens, we have four strategic priorities: customer impact, empowerment, technology with purpose and a growth mindset.

That may sound a bit like the latest management jargon. But in Werner’s letters, we discovered he felt the very same aspiration that prompted those four priorities.

“Our customers would have stopped importuning us with orders long ago if we had not insisted strictly on releasing only well-tested equipment for delivery,” wrote Werner von Siemens to his brother Carl on April 1, 1871.

Ensuring the highest level of quality. Back then and now. But demands today are even higher. Our customers and partners want more than just something that runs smoothly. They want to know and feel how we make their business stronger.

For my 300,000 colleagues and myself, that means we need to ask the right questions, listen closely and see the world through our customers’ eyes.

And we need to take the initiative ourselves. Werner von Siemens saw things the same way:

“It had become clear to me very early that a satisfactory development of the continually growing firm must depend on securing the happy, spontaneous cooperation of all the workers for the furtherance of its interests,” wrote Werner von Siemens in his 2004 Recollections.

Yes, exactly. Happiness. Cooperation. And more and more important: spontaneity. Which means trying things out; making things; making mistakes; asking less often for permission. And it works! We’ve become more daring at Siemens, and more entrepreneurial. Because we have to be, because digitalization is constantly picking up pace.

“A technical invention only achieves value and importance if industrial art itself has so far progressed that the invention is a practical one and supplies a need.” This from Werner’s 1966 Recollections.

Here, Werner von Siemens describes the difference between invention and innovation. The difference between having an idea and successfully placing it on the market and with customers.

The books on the history of technology say he discovered the electro-dynamic principle. That’s true, but the Englishman Charles Wheatstone published findings on the same topic at almost the same time.

Werner von Siemens and his team then rigorously took the decisive next step: they took the customer benefits of the electro-dynamic principle and turned them into marketable products and – better than many others – brought them to market and industrialized them. The foundation for our success!

“I have certainly also striven for profit and wealth, but most importantly not to enjoy them, but to earn the means to carry out other plans and enterprises,” said Werner.

Even back then, Werner von Siemens already had a very good understanding of the importance of growth for a company. Yet revenue growth isn’t the only kind of growth we need. Our people, too, must continue to grow as individuals.

More than ever, they must – throughout their lives – remain inquisitive and learn new things, persistently work on their ideas and grow from the inevitable setbacks.

We have a great task ahead of us – to reinvent Siemens together. Just as the generations before us have done.

And that is the great constant in our history!

Thank you for being with us. Today, and in the future.

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