Flow forming presents the aerospace industry with huge opportunities including cost savings, environmental and efficiency benefits.
 
Flow forming is a technology that has been extensively embraced by the aerospace sectors in the USA, China and a number of countries in Europe. The UK has so far shown less interest despite the significant opportunities that it provides. Dr. Alastair Conway, senior knowledge exchange fellow and team lead of the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre’s (AFRC) forging and incremental technologies team, looks at why this is the case. He has an overview of flow forming for aerospace, the current situation and potential benefits, barriers to the adoption of flow forming, what the next steps should be with regards to carrying this technology to the UK supply chain and a case study of a new flow forming project.
 
Metal spinning, as a method of manufacturing, has origins dating back thousands of years. However, it wasn’t until the conventional revolution that motorized equipment was introduced, changing this traditional hand working method to a powerful and advanced manufacturing technique, which devolved into a number of associated operations. One of which is flow forming. CNC based flow forming is a manufacturing technology popular in countries such as China, America and throughout Europe; it can be practiced in a number of sectors including nuclear, oil and gas and medical instruments within others – but notably not so much in the UK – specifically in relationship to aerospace. Flow forming sees the incremental reduction of the wall thickness of a cylindrical preform, stretching and extruding it out through the application of forming rollers, which flow the material along a mandrel. It is a highly controlled process that enables for the creation of long cylinder components with varying wall thicknesses and complex geometries. Usually, these components would be manufactured through more traditional methods such as machining from large forgings, but this gives with it a significant amount of material wastage, machining time and ultimately cost. Currently, within aerospace manufacturing, flow forming is put to manufacture components such as control rods, hydraulic cylinders and hollow tubular sections. But, at the AFRC, after exploring this technology since 2014 and working on several demonstrator projects we have proven that it can be used for critical, high value components such as engine shafts and landing gear components, of which the majority are manufactured from solid forged billets.
 
The benefits:
There are a number of benefits to flow forming, some more precise than others that can be viewed with the naked eye, other benefits are more inherent and require sophisticated material analysis to determine and therefore appreciate. These are the benefits that are lower known within the industry. The most obvious benefit with flow forming is the amount of material stored. It is generally reported throughout the sector that the buyto- fly ratio, the amount of material originally bought in versus the amount of material that actually flies in the plane, can be as little as 20 percent. With flow forming this increases to as much as 60-70 percent. We exhibited at the 2018 Farnborough International Air show, as part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult stand. Here we displayed a large fully flow developed representative engine shaft, over two metres long, which we’ve been working on as part of a huge Innovate UK funded project. Alongside it sat the pre-form, just a third of its length, and showed the amount of material stored by this process compared to the standard machining process. There are also less visible inherent benefits that come from cold flow forming – a higher strength on the surface of the material, but also the grain structure in the material gets refined, creating greater strength. The property benefits in the process are particularly relevant to aerospace, where high-grade nickel alloys are used, and flow forming is a good way of achieving property enhancement through the actual process itself. It’s a win-win, with both a better-quality product and a lot of money saved in waste reduction. It’s also a lot quicker – machining a two-metre shaft can take hours or even days to achieve the final product, whilst using flow forming, a near net shape part can be shaped in as little as 45 minutes. Flow forming presents the aero industry with a vast opportunity to change how engines and other structures are made. It brings with it huge cost savings, significant property enhancements, and benefits in efficiency and environmental impact. Aerospace manufacturers are aware of legislation on lightweighting and noise reduction and are under pressure to drastically reduce costs whilst improving efficiency, flow forming can assist with all of this.
 
Adoption of flow forming
 
Over the last four years at the AFRC, we’ve been working on a series of programmes to demonstrate not just the geometries that can be achieved with flow forming, but also the strength of the end product through materials testing and residual stress measurement. We’ve showed that this technological process can be applied to the more critical parts of the engine that are currently machined from solid. We’ve strived with a number of companies on flow forming R&D projects which has led to major OEMs significantly considering adopting the use of flow forming but for companies that haven’t yet been revealed to it they are still uncertain of the structural integrity of the output. We will work with these companies to release those uncertainties. A lot of the work we do at the AFRC is about de-risking innovation. If a potential partner declares an interest, our typical approach is to review the component geometry and look into whether it’s a candidate for flow forming or another novel manufacturing process. We then design a programme of forming trials on our industry scale kit, incrementally showing the benefits, which ultimately lead to the production of a full-scale demonstrator part backed by the country’s most advanced materials science expertise.
 
If a project is successful we can work with the company involved to investigate what it needs by way of kit and specify and guide on what is involved. We have flow forming equipment manufacturers as our members and can recommend what is necessary for any given necessity. And the equipment need not be too expensive. Our own machines have all the bells and whistles because they need to be able to handle any type of customer project, but an individual production facility may require a much less complex flow forming machine costing around $750-900k as opposed to $1.25-2.5m and it’s key that companies recognise this. Our aim is simple, we want to help manufacturers and boost the manufacturing supply chain, flow forming presents significant opportunities in both areas, especially given that there is a clear gap in the market.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

Volkswagen has inked a multi-year global agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to create the Volkswagen Industrial Cloud, a cloud-based digital production platform that aims to “transform the company’s manufacturing and logistics processes.”
 
Pulling together real-time data from Volkswagen’s 122 manufacturing plants, the German automotive firm will use AWS IoT services to collect, organise and analyse data from the plant floor. In doing so, the firm desires to get in-depth insights into its manufacturing operations that will drive production efficiency. “We will keep to strengthen production as a key competitive factor for the Volkswagen Group. Our strategic collaboration with AWS will lay the foundation,” says Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG and Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft responsible for ‘Production’.
 
“The Volkswagen Group, with its global expertise in automobile production, and AWS, with its technological know-how, complement each other very well. “With our global industry platform, we want to build a growing industrial ecosystem with transparency and efficiency bringing benefits to all concerned.”
 
Volkswagen has also developed a data lake in partnership with AWS, that will help it “ pinpoint operational trends, improve forecasting, and streamline operations by identifying gaps in production and waste.” Additionlly, the German carmaker plans to use Amazon SageMaker, a service that helps developers and data scientists build, train, and deploy machine learning models quickly.“Volkswagen’s industrial cloud, which will reinvent its manufacturing and logistics processes, is yet another example of how Volkswagen continues to innovate and lead,” added Andy Jassy, CEO of AWS.
 
“Volkswagen's and AWS's collaboration will have a powerful affect on efficiency and quality in production throughout Volkswagen’s global supply chain, as Volkswagen increases access to the broadest and deepest cloud with the most functionality, the most innovation, the highest performance and security, and the largest community of partners and customers of any other infrastructure provider.”



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

Established in South Korea, SK Innovation are now investing US$1.6bn in a new battery manufacturing plant in Georgia. A trusted developer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, the new plant will create more than 2,000 jobs.
 
The company has sought to place significant investment in order to remain competitive within a growing global EV battery market. Customers include Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai-Kia Motors, where this investment will open up further opportunities for SK Innovation to bring its world-class products to additional automakers in the United States.
 
“We are excited to reinforce our existence in the United States by making this investment in Georgia,” said Jun Kim, CEO of SK Innovation. “SK Innovation is a worldwide leader in the energy industry and this present investment will allow us to work with the developing automotive industry in the Southeastern United States, making sure future partners for years to come.”
 
The new plant will be located in Jackson County, Georgia. Construction will take place in two phases, beginning in early 2019. The first stage will invest approximately $1bn and employ more than 1,000 advanced manufacturing employees, making it the greatest scale electric vehicle battery plant in the United States. SK Innovation leadership worked closely with federal, state and local officials to finalise the investment.
 
“SK Group’s investment in the state of Georgia is undeniable proof that President Trump’s economic policies are working for the American economy and American worker,” said US. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “I am pleased that a world-class technology company such as SK sees the merits of manufacturing in the United States. As similar companies across the world are discovering, there is no better place to do business than right here in America.”
 
For decades, SK Group has been building relationships within the United States. It already has significant investments in the US and currently employs nearly 2,000 workers across 10 states.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

As technology has evolved to more automated equipment in industrial applications, customers are alternating from using systems that use PROFIBUS protocol to ones that use PROFINET due to the improved data transmission rates required to preserve operational efficiency in real-time.
 
WEST DUNDEE, Illinois - HELUKABEL, one of the top global manufacturers and suppliers of cable, wires and accessories, recently launched that it's added a new PROFINET cable to its broad portfolio of Industrial Ethernet cables - HELUKAT PROFINET Type R Torsion. PROFINET standards have traditionally be divided into three classifications - Type A, B and C. However, a new type has recently been added, Type R, which is designated for robotic applications. In summary:
Type A - solid conductor for fixed installation
Type B - stranded conductor for some movement or areas exposed to vibrations
Type C - stranded conductors for continuous-flex/permanently moving applications (i.e. drag chains)
Type R - stranded conductors for robotic applications
As technology has evolved to more automated equipment in industrial applications, customers are shifting from using systems that use PROFIBUS protocol to ones that use PROFINET due to the enhanced data transmission rates necessary to maintain operational efficiency in real-time.
 
Furthermore, dynamic requirements - acceleration, speed, etc. - have increased and created more hardware stress and electromagnetic disturbance (EMI). Increased EMI is a byproduct of robot density, i.e. more robots in the same production cell, and the higher speeds because in order to generate the essential acceleration, the motors need more power/torque. Additionally, EMI can be found in the application where the robot is used, e.g. a painting or handling robot experiences a lower EMI load than a welding robot, since the welding process generates a certain level of EMI.
 
HELUKAT PROFINET Type R Torsion is rated Category 5e and offers great transmission characteristics in EMI-heavy environments due to its double-shielding design that is good for robotic applications that undergo constant torsion loads. It has been tested to resist more than five million torsion cycles under loads of +/-180°/m, and more than five million flexing cycles in a drag chain at acceleration rates of two Gs (20 m/s2) and a maximum speed of 11 mph (300 m/min). It can be used in environments that vary in temperature between -40°F and +176°F (-40°C - +80°C). The PUR jacket is flame retardant and halogen-free according to IEC 60332-1-2 and 60754-1, respectively. Additionally, the HELUKAT PROFINET Type R Torsion is UL recognized under AWM Style 21161 80°C, and meets the standards according to ISO/IEC 11801, and EN 50173.
For more information or a detailed product spec, please visit www.helukabel.com or view the new Data, Network and Bus Technology Ed. 12 catalog.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

As the automotive market shifts away from personalized driving to smart mobility, manufacturers need to think about how they design vehicles.
 
The auto industry is one of the very few fields wherein startup disruptors and legacy corporations are all saved in radical change. Every aspect of the modern vehicle is being questioned, from ownership (or lack thereof) to how customers will interact with cars. To keep up, car manufacturing lines will currently have to transform to make sure that cars are durable, safe, and confident to withstand the new rides-haring, autonomous future throughout their whole life-cycle.
 
Manufacturing these automobiles will take technology as advanced as the cars themselves, likely requiring immense investments in overhauling factories. Not just will the next generation of cars be mobile tech hubs with the same capabilities consumers have come to expect from their devices, the manner by which consumer use and own cars is also expected to transform.
 
Machine learning and computer vision have the prospective to transform the process, making the manufacturing process more efficient as well as more effective. AI and machine learning can analyze 360 scans of vehicles as they come off the production line. Deep learning will detect small defects that could be missed by a traditional inspection, as well as build a database to predict any issues affecting the manufacturing line.
 
By establishing machine learning into the production line, OEMs will more easily be able to discover and react to issues in the factory before it goes to the consumer. Smarter, more technologically advanced factories will permit OEMs to adjust to a shrinking market that is rapidly changing.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

Three-dimensional weaving of composite fabrics can create complex, single-piece structures that are strong and lightweight. Compared to traditional two-dimensionally woven fabrics, 3D weaving reduces weight, takes away the delamination often experienced with 2D-woven fabrics, reduces crack risks, and lowers production time. 3D-woven fabrics also offer direct and indirect manufacturing and operational cost reductions.
 
What is 3D Weaving?
Nearly all fabrics are weaved in two dimensions — the X axis (length) and the Y axis (width). 3D woven fabrics consist of weaving through the thickness, or the Z axis. This produces complex, single-piece structures.
Looms are the primary tool for weaving fabrics. Nearly as old as civilization itself, looms are ideal machines for weaving 2D fabrics, including webbing, straps, belts, and tapes. Though, they cannot weave 3D fabrics without substantial tooling.
 
Benefits of 3D Weaving
3D weaving benefits include weight reduction, elimination of delamination, reduced crack risk, lower production time, and cost reduction.
3D woven composites are drastically lighter than metal structures. This is specifically ideal to the aerospace industry. Every pound of weight saved from an aircraft is estimated to save the aircraft’s operator roughly $1 million in operating expenses, primarily fuel, over that aircraft’s lifetime. Smart utilization of 3D woven composite structures in aircraft design can lessen the weight of an aircraft by up to 30 percent, causing in considerable operational cost savings.
 
Utilizing 3D woven composite structures in place of traditional metal or 2D laminated composites can offer cost savings through both the manufacturing process and a product’s operational lifetime.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

Global solar module manufacturer, JinkoSolar, has unveiled its new state-of-the-art solar panel manufacturing facility in Jacksonville, Florida.
 
Pilot production at the manufacturing facility began in November 2018 and has since been steadily ramping up. Once fully operating, the $50mn facility will employ more than 200 workers and manufacture 400MW of high powered 60-cell and 72-cell monocrystalline PERC modules annually.
 
'JinkoSolar continues to gain market share in many regions across the globe, including the United States, and this factory will be key to solidifying that sturdy market position,' said Kangping Chen, CEO of JinkoSolar in a recent press release. 'We are fortunate to call Jacksonville home with its excellent business environment and hospitable community, features which enabled us to find a talented workforce, complete the facility, and quickly begin producing world class PV modules.'
 
JinkoSolar distributes its solar products and sells its solutions and services to a diversified international utility, commercial and residential customer base in more than 80 countries. Building a vertically incorporated solar product value chain, with an integrated annual capacity of 9.2 GW for silicon ingots and wafers, 6.5 GW for solar cells, and 10.0 GW for solar modules, the company has more than 12,000 employees across six production facilities globally
 
“Advanced manufacturing is required to the continued growth of our local economy, and we thank JinkoSolar for choosing to invest in Jacksonville,” added Aundra Wallace, President of JAXUSA Partnership, an economic development agency in the city.
 
“We look onwards to working with JinkoSolar to make sure they have the highly-skilled workforce they need to work and thrive here.”



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

The aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, has launched an order of around 300 jets from China in a deal valued at billions of dollars, according to BBC News.
 
With an agreement to gain the A320 and A350 XWB aircrafts signed following a visit by Chinese President, Xi Jinping, trip to Paris, the order is said to be a bundle of deals completed during Mr Xi’s trip to Europe.
 
In a statement, Airbus mentioned that the deal with China Aviation Supplies Holding Company will cover the purchase of the company’s aircraft which include 290 A320 planes and ten A350 XWB jets.
 
Although no official figure has been established, there are reports that the figure is believed to be worth about $34bn.
 
Airbus Commercial Aircraft President, Guillaume Faury, commented: “We are honoured to assist the progress of China's civil aviation with our trusted aircraft families - single-aisle and wide-bodies. Our extending footprint in China display our lasting confidence in the Chinese market and our long-term commitment to China and our partners.”



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

New tough computer from global industrial and IoT computer manufacturer is placed for extreme environments, highly configurable and can be pre-loaded with AWS IoT Greengrass.
 
Global industrial and IoT hardware manufacturer Logic Supply has blended the latest vision processing, security protocols, wireless communication technologies, and proven cloud architectures to create the Karbon 300 rugged fan-less computer. The system has been built to help innovators overcome the limitations of deploying trustworthy computer hardware in challenging environments.
 
'Computing at the edge is increasingly at the core of today's Industry 4.0 and Industrial IoT solutions,' says Logic Supply VP of Products Murat Erdogan. 'These devices are being deployed in environments that would quickly destroy traditional computer hardware. The builders and creators we work with require a careful combination of connectivity, processing and environmental protections. With Karbon 300, we're providing the ideal mix of capabilities to help make the next generation of industry-shaping innovation a reality, and enable innovators to truly challenge what's possible.'
 
System Specifications
 
Designed for use as an industrial or mobile gateway, automation PC, workstation or digital media device, Karbon 300's all-metal chassis measures just 154 x 56 x 119 mm and can be wall, VESA or DIN rail mounted. The system is run by either an Intel® Apollo Lake Atom E3930 Dual-Core, or E3950 Quad-Core processor. Connectivity includes 3x LAN with optional Power over Ethernet (PoE+), dual DisplayPorts, dual RS-232/422/485 COM ports, 4x USB 3.0, integrated CAN bus and DIO. Available wireless options include Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, 4G LTE and LTE Cat M1. Expansion and storage can be configured via dual M.2 slots and the system is available with 4 or 8 GB of onboard high-speed LPDDR4 memory. OS options include multiple versions of Windows 10 and Linux Ubuntu 18.04.
 
Karbon 300 can be configured with an Intel Movidius Vision Processing Unit (VPU) to increase machine vision algorithms and enable AI and machine learning applications. Integrated hardware TPM provides Root of Trust data security to help protect sensitive information and integrated Consumer Electronics Control allows Karbon 300 to control connected displays in digital signage, kiosk or entertainment installations.
 
Built For Rugged Environments
 
'Our clients are continually pushing the restraints of what computers can do,' says Erdogan. 'We wanted to challenge ourselves to create a piece of durable hardware that was more resistant to environmental damage than anything we've ever designed before. We've always been obsessive about reliability, but we subjected Karbon 300 to stresses above and beyond our usual battery of tests, including additional vibration and impact testing, as well as higher and lower temperature extremes. The result is a computer system that offers excellent installation flexibility, wherever computing power is necessary.'
 
To meet the standards of extreme computing environments, Karbon 300 is tested according to IEC 60068-2-27 & IEC 60068-2-64/ MIL-STD-810 procedures for shock and vibration. EMC, shock and vibration performance also meet the in-vehicle UNECE Reg.10 E-mark and rolling stock EN50155 standards. The system isCE and FCC compliant. A wide input voltage rating, operating temperature range of -25 ~ 70°C (-13 ~ 158°F) and automotive power capabilities make the system well-suited to in-vehicle and other mobile installations.
 
Cloud-Ready
 
With organizations identifying the need to move more of their computing resources to the edge, Karbon 300 can be pre-configured to seamlessly communicate with Amazon Web Services. AWS IoT Greengrass with Machine Learning (ML) Inference is available as a pre-installed option, allowing Karbon 300 to perform ML tasks and enabling the use of ML models built and trained in the cloud to be utilized locally at the edge.
 
Karbon 300 is currently available for pre-order by visiting www.logicsupply.com/karbon300. The computer will make its debut at upcoming industry events, including Digital Signage Expo, Automate and ISC West.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

BOSTON (AP) — In a sophisticated precise espionage process, hackers corrupted tens of thousands of computers from the Taiwanese company ASUS with harmful software using the company's online automatic update service, security researchers reported Monday.
 
Kaspersky Lab said it noticed 57,000 infections among customers of its antivirus software. It shows that the exploit likely influenced more than 1 million computers from the world's No. 5 computer company. The malware was designed to open a ' back-door ' for intruders in the infected machines, researchers said. About 50 percent of the affected Kaspersky anti-virus software customers were in Russia, Germany and France, the company said . The U.S. accounted for less than 5 percent. A Symantec spokeswoman said about 13,000 of its antivirus customersreceived the malicious updates. The so-called supply-chain attack was first reported by the online news site Motherboard.
 
Kaspersky said the infected software was on ASUS's Live Update servers from June to November and was signed with legit certificates. It did not identify the malware until January when new capabilities were added to its anti-virus software, the company said. Kaspersky said its researchers determined that the malware was set for surgical espionage when they saw that it was designed to accept a second malware payload for certain computers based on exclusive identifiers of their network connections. It discovered more than 600 computers programmed to obtain the payload. In a blog post and answers to emailed questions, the company said the nature of the second malware payload was unknown because the server that delivered it was no longer active. Kaspersky said that while it is too early to know who was behind the operation, it is steady with a 2017 incident blamed by Microsoft on a Chinese state-backed group the company calls BARIUM.
 
ASUS did not instantly interact to two emailed requests seeking comment.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

The Germany-based automotive manufacturer, Volkswagen, and Swedish firm, Northvolt, as well as unknown other companies are collaborating in battery cell research, according to Reuters.
 
Set to initiate at the beginning of 2020, the European Battery Union (EBU) aims to put together know-how on battery cell production, which includes research on raw materials, cell technology and the recycling of used batteries.
 
Volkswagen commented: “All the partners will step up their investments as a result of the planned additional research activities.”
 
In order to supporting a consortium that is making electric car cells and strives to supply a research facility to build next-generation solid-state batteries, Germany has set aside $1.14bn.
 
According to the Economy Ministry, over 30 companies have applied for the programme that supports the development of battery cells.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

 

Hitachi Rail Europe has verified a $131mn settlement to improve new high-speed trains that link London with Edinburgh at its Newton Aycliffe plant, according to The Northern Echo.
 
Set to develop five electric intercity trains of five carriages each, the agreement will be maintained by Hitachi for the next 10 years with trains anticipated to commence service in 2021.
 
Following the company’s statement this morning, a spokesperson commented: “Whilst today’s small bespoke order is welcome, it does not address the pressing needs of our Newton Aycliffe factory. We are currently working around the clock to secure substantial work for Newton Aycliffe, which after spring 2020, currently has no pipeline of orders.”
 
The spokesperson continued: “Since their introduction on the Great Western route, we’ve seen passenger satisfaction rates increase as they receive modern and reliable trains. Soon, we will have our Azuma trains on the East Coast main line deliver the same benefits to passengers. In the coming months we will be looking to secure major new intercity train contracts for Newton Aycliffe to build. It is these major contracts which will support the long-term skilled jobs we have created in the North East.”
 
Karen Boswell, managing director of Hitachi Rail Europe, added: “Our Japanese-bullet train motivated fleet will play a vital role in supporting FirstGroup’s exciting new service. These trains have been designed to increase the number of seats available whilst harnessing the latest in comfort design to boost passenger experiences.
 
“Today’s deal extends our long-term relationship with FirstGroup, who already use our pioneering intercity trains in other parts of the country to boost reliability and passenger satisfaction.”



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

The automotive manufacturer, Honda Canada, has celebrated 50 years of growing and success in the country with a commemorative ceremony at its headquarters near Toronto.
 
Having sold over 4mn vehicles since starting business in 1969, the company became the first Japan-based automaker to develop vehicles in Canada.
 
Celebrating the milestone with customers, associates, partners and dealers, Honda’s ceremony consisted of a full year of anniversary activities.
 
Having experienced significant growth throughout the years with nearly 19,000 associates employed across the country in manufacturing, dealership and sales offices and has over 600 auto, motorcycle and power equipment dealers.
 
Dave Gardner, President & CEO, Honda Canada Inc commented: “Honda planted roots in Canada with a vision of contributing to Canadian society.  We are proud of our associates, dealers, partners and suppliers, who have played an crucial part in our growth and have helped improve the communities where we live and work. We'd also like to thank the millions of Canadians who are loyal members of the Honda family.  We look forth to flourishing with you for the second 50 years.”



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

San Francisco - March 25, 2019 — Tempo Automation, the world's speediest electronics manufacturer for prototyping and low-volume production of printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs), today announces a contract agreement with global security and aerospace company Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT).
 
'We're entering a new era of growth, and the future of electric design at Lockheed Martin is digital,' said Jeff Wilcox, Lockheed Martin's vice president of Enterprise Transformation. 'We chose to work with Tempo Automation because they have focused their technology from the beginning to embrace software automation on both the front- and back-end, desired to create a digital thread from design to delivery.'
 
Tempo Automation's proprietary software connects customer engagement, price quoting, order processing, parts sourcing, factory operations, and shipment of finished PCB assemblies. The consequences of Tempo's safe and automated processes is that high complexity printed circuit board assemblies are cited, built, and shipped in days instead of the weeks that are ordinary in the industry. Tempo's customer base is able to reduce the timeline—from concept to prototype to product launch—and gain key insights throughout the manufacturing process, resulting in superior technology in finished products.
 
'Tempo Automation believes that customers with the stature of sophisticated technology leaders, like Lockheed Martin, validate our technology as the fastest and most reliable PCBA prototyping partner for high complexity designs and as an enabler for rapid innovation,' said Jeff McAlvay, CEO of Tempo Automation. 'Through our unbroken digital thread, between the design files of energy engineers and all the processes on our factory floor, Lockheed Martin will benefit from having total transparency over their PCBA orders and will also gain key insights that can be applied to their development process, ultimately creating better products, faster.'
 
'The flight line is our center of gravity—it's where we are delivering integrated sustainment capabilities to ensure our customers' aircraft are mission-ready anytime and anywhere,' said Ken Merchant, vice president of Lockheed Martin's F-22 program. 'We look forward to working with Tempo Automation and their agile hardware development to further increase levels of precision, predictability, and speed, as well as to share new ideas to help drive forward the future of manufacturing.'
 
Another first in the industry, Tempo's real-time order tracker allows customers to see exactly where in the manufacturing process their PCBAs are at any time, delivering a level of transparency and predictability not previously possible. Transforming the way technology manufacturers bring new products to market, Tempo brings new levels of speed, precision, and innovation to the marketplace.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

The leading automotive manufacturer, Ford, is accelerating work on fully-electric vehicles after exposing that significant growth in the market meant it needed to step up its plans, according to BBC News. Ford is put to invest around $900mn in new production capacity at a plant in Michigan which is forecast to create approximately 900 jobs. It is also expected that Ford will begin production of autonomous vehicles in around two years after Head of Global activity, Joe Hinrichs, revealed the company had taken a “fresh look” at the growth in electric vehicles.
 
Having kept discussions with Volkswagen about building a partnership to invest and build electric and autonomous vehicles, talks are understood to have been great but there is no news to announce. Speaking to reporters, Mr Hinrichs commented: “When we were taking a look at our $11bn investment in electrification, it got obvious to us that we were going to wish a second plant in the not-too-distant future to add capacity for our battery electric vehicles.” In 2018, Ford confirmed a long-term aim to devote around $11bn in new vehicle technologies.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

Toyota and Suzuki, in addition to bringing up Toyota’s strength in electrification technologies and Suzuki’s strength in technologies for compact vehicles, intend to grow in new fields, such as the widespread popularization of electrified vehicles.
 
Details of expected areas of alliance are outlined below. Toyota and Suzuki continue to fairly and freely compete against each other, both companies intend to see further collaboration to realize a sustainable future. “When it arrives to vehicle electrification, which is expected to make further inroads, hybrid technologies are seen as playing a huge role in many markets, as from before. Widespread popularity is necessary for electrified vehicles to be able to contribute to Earth’s environment,” commented Toyota President, Akio Toyoda. “We look forward to the wider use of hybrid technologies, not only in India and Europe, but around the world. At the same time, we know that the extension of our business partnership with Suzuki-from the mutual supply of vehicles and powertrains to the domains of development and production-will help give us the competitive edge we will need to survive this once-in-a-century period of intense transformation.”


This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

NASA's plan to scoop up dirt and gravel from an asteroid has struck a snag, but scientists say they can get over it. The asteroid Bennu was considered to have wide, open areas right for the task. But a recently arrived spacecraft revealed the asteroid is covered with boulders and there don't feel to be any big, flat spots that could be used to grab samples. In a paper launched Tuesday by the journal Nature, scientists say they plan to take a closer look at a few smaller areas that might work. They said sampling from those spots poses 'a substantial challenge.'
 
'But I am assured this team is up to that substantial challenge,' the project's lead scientist, Dante Lauretta, told reporters at a news convention Tuesday. The spacecraft, called Osiris-Rex, is appointed to descend close to the surface in the summer of 2020. It will extend a robot arm to pick up the sample, which will be returned to Earth in 2023. The spacecraft started orbiting Bennu at the end of last year, after spending two years chasing down the space rock. When the mission was planned, scientists were aiming to take dirt and gravel from an area measuring at least 55 yards (50 meters) in diameter that was free of boulders or steep slopes, which would pose a hazard.
 
'It is a more robust surface than we expected,' said Lauretta, of the University of Arizona in Tucson and one of the paper's authors. But he said he believed a sample could still be collected. NASA project manager Rich Burns said a spot will be chosen this summer and the setback won't postpone the sampling. Patrick Taylor, who studies asteroids at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston but didn't participate in the spacecraft mission, noted in a telephone interview that the spacecraft was evidently maneuvering more accurately and precisely than had been expected. 'That gives me confidence they will be able to attempt a sample acquisition,' he said.
 
Bennu is 70 million miles (110 million kilometers) from Earth. It's estimated to be just over 1,600 feet (500 meters) across and is the smallest celestial body ever orbited by a spacecraft. A Japanese spacecraft, Hayabusa2, touched down on another asteroid in February, also on a mission to collect material. Japan managed to return some tiny particles in 2010 from its first asteroid mission.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

NEWBURY PARK, Calif., March 21, 2019 - Platinum Tools® , the leader in solutions for the preparation, installation, hand termination and testing of wire and cable, is satisfied to announce the launch of the new Copper Foil Strips (p/n 2039). The new EMI/RFI shielding strips are now ready.
 
'Platinum Tools Copper Foil Strips are made up of a copper foil backing and conductive adhesive,' explained Lee Sachs, Platinum Tools, Inc. president and general manager. 'They are supplied on a removable paper sheet for easy handling, and are generally used as an EMI / RFI shielding for applications in the electronics industry such as static charge draining, seaming shielded rooms, cable wrapping, and surface contact to non-solderable materials. These copper foil strips run perfectly with all the Platinum Tools Shielded RJ45 Connectors and Shielded Keystone Jacks.'
 
Platinum Tools Copper Foil Strips come 10 strips per sheet (10 sheets per pack) with an MSRP of $7.95.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

HARTLAND, Wis., (March 20, 2019) — Dorner 2200 Series Conveyors is now a certified UR+ Solution that simplify robot and conveyor integration for a wide variety of automated applications. Easy programming, fast set-up, and flexible deployment make the Dorner 2200 Series ideal for systems that need an infeed and discharge to a Universal Robot.
 
Dorner performed with Universal Robots to formulate software that allows users to control 2200 Series conveyors using the Universal Robot controller. After customers get their UR robot and 2200 Series conveyor, they simply download the UR plug-in, which makes the integration of Dorner conveyors easier to setup, configure and control.
 
Once the program is setup, the conveyors can be added to the control program, and the user is able to program the inputs and outputs needed for starting, halting, speed reference, and status information. The Dorner URCap has been tailored for both CB series and e-Series controllers. Programming for the variable speed drive should be done using the Frequency Inverter Operating Instructions manual. Robot programming manual will be supplied with robot or can be found at the Universal Robots site www.universal-robots.com.
 
Ideally suitable for Assembly and Packaging applications, the 2200 Series low profile, high performance fabric and modular belt conveyors feature a high-speed nose bar transfer option, a solid single piece frame design, universal T-slots, and a wide range of belting and guiding options.
The UR+ Solution certified 2200 Series conveyors are compatible with the following Universal Robot products:
•              UR3 Robot: Payload 3kg
•              UR5 Robot: Payload 5kg
•              UR10 Robot: Payload 10kg
•              e-Series Universal Robot bots



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

Itasca, IL: KEYENCE Corporation of America, a leading supplier of sensors, measuring systems, laser markers, microscopes, and machine vision systems worldwide has released the IX Series, a new Image-Based Laser Sensor. By combining a camera with a laser, users can now determine part position prior to performing laser assessment, reducing hardware and installation costs. The IX Program will retain the quick-setup simplicity for which Keyence products have become known.
 
On the impact of KEYENCE's IX Series, Technical Marketing Manager Phil Jarzombeck said, 'The IX Series will greatly simplify pass/fail examinations of components by not only helping for target position variation but also allowing for many inspections to be carried out at once. Upon demonstration, potential users will rapidly recognize how over-engineered their current inspection processes are.'
 
The IX Series was made to tackle 4 forms of inspection situations: Unrepeatable target locations, reference height checks, low-contrast targets and inspections of multiple areas at once:
 
•              By identifying the target part's position and adjusting inspection accordingly, users are saved from creating mechanical solutions to orientate parts prior to inspection.
•              Performing reference height checks with a single sensor greatly simplifies inspections that previously required multiple sensors and complex calculations.
•              Because the IX Series is laser-based, low-contrast inspections such as height of a black component on a black background are easily determined.
•              The IX Series is capable of inspecting multiple locations at once, saving hardware and installation costs.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com