June 2021

Insight June 2021 www.pwemag.co.uk Plant & Works Engineering | 11 time. “But there are other technologies that are newer to the market – for example, deep learning. There is a level of conservatism with certain sectors of the market and what we try to do is build anecdotal successes through user stories, where other companies have tried and tested that technology. “Certain industries are very good at being early adopters,” Jackson continued. “In a highly regulated industry, the payoff might be greater as well. Then we can use those cases to show and give confidence to other people in that community. “If we take a sector like food and beverage, what are the common challenges? Maybe packaging defects like seal inspection? We then show how machine vision can be used to address them.” Cognex also works with organisations such as the HVM Catapult which are taking on complex challenges – such as surface inspection in the aerospace sector – and trying to solve them using vision technology, and developing it into a deployable and repeatable solution. David Gibbs, SMC UK’s product specialist for drives and networks, explained how his company uses success stories. “We have solutions advertised on our Web site here we’ll talk about a certain process and how it can be solved using our products.” For example, there are three applications using a wireless power manifold system that can be used, for instance, to remove cables from robot arms where they are prone to breakages as a result of flexing. The technology can also avoid the need for slip-rings in rotary tables. Another potential application is tool changers, where a connection needs to be made and broken repeatedly. “We are seeing with wireless that people are even starting to use it on some brownfield sites when they’re refurbishing machines,” Gibbs reported. “Rather than having to pull cables down the whole machine again, it might save time to use wireless devices instead. The panel then embarked on an extensive discussion focusing on the benefits of automation, rather than the barriers. The members also talked about the case for investment and a variety of automation-enabling technologies. Professor Turner rounded off the Webinar. “The thing I reflect on most is the acceleration of technology – innovation, maybe not revolution – but accelerating nonetheless. This means that new opportunities are opening up for the application of automation that perhaps haven’t been thought about conventionally, both in terms of fixing problems, but also identifying opportunities where you are trying to take your business. The HVM Catapult has been running pilot digitalisation and test beds, offering environments to develop and test systems quickly. These are going to be rolled out nationally later this year. “Collaboration is key,” Turner says. “And really educating people on what automation now means in terms of the business opportunities it opens up is crucial.” The full Talking Industry discussion can be viewed on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=72HnYtjxK_U. Time to chat Over the five Taking Industry events that we have presented so far, one notable trend is the degree to which our attendees are using the Q&A and chat functions. It is impossible to cover every point raised and every question asked within the limited time available. We also encourage the dialogue to continue after the event, either publicly or in private. The more we can be a forum for the exchange of ideas and information, the better. Traditionally, such groups have networked at exhibitions and expert committees, so why not do the same in the virtual arena? The Panel Professor Sam Turner Chief Technology Officer High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult Sam works across the HVM Catapult Centres, and with stakeholders including the government, to develop a manufacturing strategy for the UK. He is part of the Made Smarter strategy implementation group led by Juergen Maier and was part of the review team. John Jackson Regional Sales Manager, North Europe Cognex John has been working in the automation industry for 20 years, occupying senior management roles for the past decade. He also completed an MBA at Loughborough University in 2013. John is passionate about helping clients to deploy machine vision and deep learning inspection. Damian Spall Technical Sales and Group Marketing Manager Routeco Damian has a wide engineering experience in the manufacturing, energy management, audience measurement and industrial automation sectors. He initially studied electronics and communications at Suffolk College in Ipswich. David Gibbs Product Specialist – Drives & Networks SMC UK David supports customers with advanced systems using fieldbus networks, wireless technologies, actuators and industrial automation. He has a BEng (Hons) degree in electronic engineering and more than 12 years’ experience in industrial automation. Bernard Bagley Head of Robot Sales (General Industry) Kuka UK and Israel Bernard has been with Kuka since 2015. He began his career in the plastics industry in the late 1980s and went on to manage production facilities in the UK, Mexico and Brazil. He has a long and varied experience in semi- and fully-automated production facilities. Andy Pye Webinar Chair and Consultant Editor DFA Media Andy has edited many leading UK design and manufacturing titles over the past four decades. He is a graduate material engineer and spent five years in engineering consultancy before entering technical publishing in 1980.