Advancing Manufacturing

Panasonic unveils next-gen ‘clever’ robots

PANASONIC has unveiled a new generation of robots, many aimed at manufacturers, including one which can be directly taught skills by master mechanics.

Panasonic took part in one of the world’s largest robot exhibitions, the International Robot Exhibition 2015, staged on December 2-5 at Tokyo Big Sight.

Panasonic exhibited robotics solutions covering a wide range of industries, including diverse manufacturing capabilities, as well as farming and tourism. 

Panasonic’s tomato-picking robot was on display as well as the communication robot, HOSPI-Rimo, and the parallel link robot which can be ‘directly taught’ skills by mechanics and technicians.

Of prime interest for manufacturers was Panasonic’s autonomous delivery robot, HOSPI. The robot delivers items to destinations without the need for electromagnetic tapes and other signalling devices. HOSPI autonomously plans its route based on the map of the facilities and location of the corridors, and it can even use elevators to change floors.

When passing by other people, the robot will slow down and, if there is enough space, it can automatically manoeuvre around for both safety and efficiency. HOSPI is likely to be adopted by hospitals in particular to deliver pharmaceuticals and specimens, allowing hospital staff to focus on their tasks, improve service provided to patients, and reduce risks that arise when they leave patients’ bedsides.

A version of HOSPI is also currently under development as a ‘communications’ robot.Panasonic has foundHOSPI-Rimo is drawing already attention as a potential guide robot at train stations, airports and showrooms. Like HOSPI, it can autonomously get to the destination, and it can also distinguish individuals, by utilising facial recognition, and communicate interactively using its high definition display.

Manufacturers expressed interest in Panasonic’s ‘parallel link robot’ which can be directly taught movements and skills of a master mechanic. It quantifies the know-how gathered and reproduces it faithfully. It can also respond quickly and delicately, a Panasonic spokesman said.

The as yet unnamed parallel link robot “can automatically perform a wide range of manufacturing processes such as inserting parts to electronic substrates, applying adhesives, and assembling parts, supporting a high quality, yet affordable, innovative manufacturing,” according to the spokesman.

The agribusiness sector is watching Panasonic’s development of a tomato-picking robot.

With newly developed sensors and image processing technology, Panasonic is developing harvest robots that can accurately assess colour, shape, and location.

“This robot can even pick fruits such as tomatoes that were thought difficult to harvest with machinery without leaving a single scratch,” the Panasonic spokesman said. “And by connecting to the network, it can automatically move around the ridges and transport the tomatoes to baskets or even change baskets, so it can autonomously undertake every step of the harvesting process.”

As a back-up to its robots, Panasonic is also developing GaN/SiC power devices. High voltage, miniaturization and rapid switching power devices, made with GaN and SiC, are in the pipeline to help realise the robots’ practical potential.
The GaN and SiC devices are drawing attention as key devices that will help save energy at high currents and high voltage and also contribute to the miniaturization of equipment.
“To realise a society where people and robots work together, where people can enjoy an enriched lifestyle, Panasonic will continue to develop game-changing robotics technologies drawing on the group’s collective strengths,” the Panasonic spokesman said.

Panasonic has trademarked HOSPI, HOSPI-Remo and Direct Teaching.

www.panasonic.com

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TAG hitting overseas targets

EXTRA >> GOLD COAST manufacturer Bustech could soon be developing and jointly producing a more advanced and efficient public transport system for Malaysia.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Bustech’s parent company Transit Australia Group (TAG) and Malaysia-owned Go Automobile. 

Go Automobile and Bustech plan to form a joint venture to manufacture electric, diesel and special purpose vehicles that will reinvent the current Malaysian public transport system.

TAG CEO Michael McGee said the ground-breaking deal represents a major opportunity for Bustech and significantly increases its access to overseas markets.

“Partnering with Go Automobile, who specialise in passenger and commercial vehicles, provides access to significant skill and expertise, and opens up new and exciting opportunities in Malaysia and other international markets,” Mr McGee said.

“The market and supply chain analysis will underpin a decision to invest in a manufacturing facility in Malaysia, which will take the company to new heights following our recent success in Saudi Arabia and Dubai.”

Go Automobile director Farok Maasom said after the feasibility study is finalised, the companies would move quickly into production as soon as possible.

“We intend to develop highly fuel efficient diesel buses, electric buses powered by lithium ion batteries and special purpose vehicles designed specifically for the local Malaysian market,” Mr Maasom said.

“We are very excited to be working with TAG who has already established their reputation as the leading bus design, engineering and manufacturing business in Australia. This reputation led TAG to formalise a $170 million agreement to design and manufacture electric buses for the Malaysian government.”

The MoU between Go Automobile and Bustech has been facilitated under the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement (MAFTA), and is being supported by the Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI).

Bustech has partnered with MAI, Swinburne University of Technology, the Automotive Cooperative Research Centre (AutoCRC) and private Malaysian company Go Automobile to develop and test the E-Bus project in Malaysia.

“Transit Australia Group has long recognised the unique opportunities available under free trade agreements in the region and sees the strategic importance of Asia as an emerging market,” Mr McGee said.

At the Gold Coast Bustech facility earlier this year, Malaysian Automotive Institute CEO M Madani Sahari said, if successful, the electric bus could be exported to other countries.

“This partnership is a win-win for both Australia and Malaysia because it develops opportunities that have benefits for both countries,” Mr Sahari said.

Mr Sahari said Malaysian industry was spending 500 million ringgit (A$170 million) on establishing an electric bus public transport system, including infrastructure such as charging stations.

“This project will position Malaysia and Australia as regional leaders,” he said. “We don’t believe in having everything centric to one country. We can’t. In this era of globalisation we need to work with a partner and this is a smart partnership.

“Without the Malaysia Australia Free Trade Agreement this wouldn’t have happened,” Mr Sahari said. “It’s a win-win for both countries and we have the world as our market place.”

www.bustech.net.au

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Frosty Boy Australia gains international seal of excellence in food quality

FROSTY BOY has received world-leading food safety and quality certification, demonstrating how the Australian food manufacturer delivers retailers and suppliers across the globe the highest possible production standards.

Frosty Boy’s relatively new facility at Yatala, mid-way between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, has received an Excellent rating in its Safe Quality Food (SQF) audit. 

Frosty Boy CEO Dirk Pretorius said the manufacturer had  achieved a ‘Level 3 Comprehensive Food Safety and Quality Management System’ classification – the top rating, which covers Frosty Boy’s products including dairy powders, creams, beverage bases, gelato, jellies and soft serve icecream.

An independent assessment, SQF is an internationally recognised food safety and quality management system providing certification the manufacturer complies with food safety regulations in both domestic and international markets.

Mr Pretorius said Frosty Boy had held an SQF certification since 2013 and the most recent audit provided evidence the new factory, opened in 2014, was maintaining and complying with food safety standards.

Mr Pretorius said the Excellent SQF rating was validation of the company’s recent investment in the purpose-built manufacturing facility and the maintenance of proven systems and processes.

“This certification provides our customers with added confidence that the Frosty Boy products are manufactured using best practice systems,” he said. “An SQF rating is an internationally recognised program and helps us reach new markets both here in Australia and overseas.”

Significantly, this is the first year that SQF has introduced an unannounced audit program designed to ensure sites are ‘audit-ready’ at all times, Mr Pretorius pointed out.

Once every three years a site audit will be conducted without an appointment.

Despite the unannounced audit, Frosty Boy improved its SQF percentage result, further testament to the business’ commitment to quality systems and processes.

As part of the audit, the Frosty Boy business was reviewed in its entirety to make certain every aspect of food safety was considered throughout its operations. Random tests of soft serve and beverage products were also undertaken as further evidence of compliance.

Assessment considered management’s commitment to continually review and improve systems, communicate, train and ensure team members adopt policies as well as having a full-time manager in place responsible for overseeing and reviewing food safety.

Andrea Thomson, Frosty Boy’s quality assurance (QA) manager, said food safety was the number one priority for the business.

“Each and every team member is inducted in, understands the importance of food safety and takes responsibility to ensure the highest level of care is taken in production,” Ms Thomson said.

“Our reputation with export markets is based on Australia’s highest standards and this ‘Excellent’ rating provides us with yet another competitive edge.”

www.frostyboy.com.au

www.blendbeverages.com.au

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Siemens and QUT partner for Defence innovation

SIEMENS has signed a historic research agreement with Defence Science and Technology Group and the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) to advance the use of high temperature superconducting (HTS) in Australia.

The partnership will conduct research into HTS and explore its applications to Australia’s maritime defence and industrial power requirements with the intent to transition research findings into technology that can be trialled in naval applications.  

HTS technologies under development today in superconducting motors, generators and magnets can carry high-density currents with virtually no loss and have the potential to reduce the size and weight of conventional motors by more than 30 percent.

Siemens Australia CEO, Jeff Connolly, said the unique partnership reinforces Siemens’ proud record of introducing technologies that matter to Australia. It exemplifies the benefits of a strong bilateral relationship between Australia and Germany.

“For the Australian Navy, this partnership opens a pathway to more energy-efficient vessels with huge leaps forward in size, weight and capacity. HTS will also mean less environmental impact and reduced operating costs,” Mr Connolly said.

“Imagine the benefits of a motor with the same power but 30 percent less size and weight!”

With this partnership, Siemens is investing 15 years of HTS knowledge to develop the next generation of Australian HTS experts. This five year agreement starts with an initial investment of about $2.5 million – some $2 million in equipment and resources and $0.5 million in research and development (R&D) hours has been committed. This will increase as new projects are initiated under the collaboration.

Mr Connolly said the partnership is aligned to the Federal Government’s vision for advanced manufacturing where innovation and R&D is closely aligned to the practical needs of the country. He said the application of HTS technologies is not limited to defence industries and could revolutionise other high energy-use sectors such as power and transport.

Defence Science and Technology Group has strategic alliances with 12 defence companies and research agencies. They partner with 28 universities across Australia to deliver game-changing capability for the future of the Australian Defence Force and continue to seek opportunities to expand this network.

Chief Defence scientist Alex Zelinksy said the partnership will focus on transitioning research to outcomes that can deal with real world problems, starting with its potential applications to defence.

“This agreement is in line with our strategic goal to partner with the best talents in industry and academia to achieve a capability edge for defence,” Dr Zelinsky said. 

QUT deputy vice-chancellor for  Research and Commercialisation, Arun Sharma said the university was uniquely equipped to undertake this research and development because of its expertise and facilities, including the Banyo Pilot Plant Precinct, a leading specialist research centre for structural, mechanical and electrical engineering.

“QUT’s purpose-built facility has specialist capabilities for large-scale engineering research, testing and validation,” Professor Sharma said.

“Our partnership with Siemens puts QUT at the international forefront of superconducting motor research, an area of research that has the potential to radically transform many industries including maritime propulsion and transport drive systems.

“As the world strives to find more efficient and cleaner ways to power ships and other forms of large-scale transport, QUT will be testing this superconducting motor and at the same time looking at the other potential uses and benefits of this new technology.

“QUT’s partnership with Siemens is immensely valuable to us as it enables our university to pioneer research into superconducting motors and generators that can potentially replace diesel propulsion by superconducting derived magnetic fields,” Prof. Sharma said.

The announcement was made at the recent Pacific 2015 Maritime Exposition.

Professor Richard Taylor will lead the testing of high temperature superconducting technologies at QUT's Banyo Pilot Plant Precinct.

www.qut.edu.au

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Professor Richard Taylor will lead the testing of high temperature superconducting technologies at QUT's Banyo Pilot Plant Precinct. Image: QUT.

Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre for Geelong

THE Federal Government is basing its new $14 million Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre in Geelong, Victoria – and setting up a new TradeStart Office to accelerate utilisation of the new free trade agreements with Japan, South Korea and China.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the move would support the Greater Geelong region’s transition from traditional manufacturing to a centre of innovation. 

He said the centre would be integrated with a network of innovation centres across the country and would develop a “sector competitiveness plan to link local businesses with global companies”.

“The plan will identify jobs and skills needs, provide a pipeline of innovations ready to commercialise, and consider areas for reforming regulation, manufacturing transformation and growth,” Mr Abbott said.

As part of the announcement – made in conjunction with Federal Industry Minister, Ian Macfarlane, Assistant Minister for Education and Training, Simon Birmingham, and Federal Member of Corangamite, Sarah Henderson – Newcomb Secondary College is also to introduce an industry partnership to better prepare students to enter the workforce. The Federal Government has committed $500,000 towards establishing the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) model at the college in 2016.

“The P-TECH school programme will focus on the jobs of the future in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, partnering with local industry, and providing vocational pathways,” Mr Birmingham said.

To complement these announcements, a further $1.3 million has been allocated to extend the role of the Geelong Employment Facilitator.

The Government will also establish a new Job Connections Office and Geelong Region Future Jobs Taskforce.

“The Geelong Employment Facilitator will continue to assist people affected by Geelong’s economic transition and work to identify and deliver new job opportunities across the Geelong region,” Mr Birmingham said.

A new local Geelong Region Future Jobs Taskforce will also be established to identify and promote job creation opportunities. It will be supported by the Employment Facilitator in a new Job Connections Office housed in the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre.

“The Employment Facilitator and Geelong Region Future Jobs Taskforce will work closely with the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre to identify jobs and the skills needs for the region,” Mr Macfarlane said.

Mr Abbott said to build on the free trade agreements with China, Korea and Japan, access to Austrade’s export advisory service would be provided through a TradeStart Office in Geelong.

“This will give local businesses in the Geelong region access to Austrade’s export advisory services across all sectors, enabling them to access these key export markets for future jobs and growth,” Mr Abbott said.

“These new measures build on the $15 million investment in the Geelong Region Innovation and Investment Fund.

“Geelong is a great city with a great future. The Commonwealth Government is helping Geelong forge a stronger future.”

www.industry.gov.au

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Griffith Uni to help transform Australian manufacturing

EXTRA >>

GRIFFITH University is embarking an ambitious venture to ‘transform the very nature of Australian manufacturing’ as part of the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC) and with a focus on ‘additive’ manufacturing..

Bringing together a powerful coalition of businesses and researchers from across the country, the collaboration has recently been approved for Federal Government funding of $40 million to accelerate Australia’s transition to new design thinking and manufacturing processes, including additive manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing. 

IMCRC interim chair, Peter Jonson, said the Federal grant would be matched by more than $210 million of cash and in-kind contributions from industry, research institutions and state governments to lift the total budget to over $250 million and seed the process of transformation.

Jennifer Loy, program leader of industrial design at Griffith University, said the initiative would help stimulate small-to-medium-sized businesses to adopt the latest wave of technology in additive manufacturing.

“Making the transition from conventional technology to innovative manufacturing is more than just investing in the technology, it is also about understanding the opportunities technologies such as 3D printing are providing, and how to maximise it your business,” Dr Loy said.

“The investment of over $85 million in cash by government, industry and research will allow us to support a host of businesses from film to construction, lighting and furniture, mining through to medical devices, as they transition to 3D printing technology over the next seven to eight years.

“Griffith’s expertise is in the redesign of products to utilise the advantages of innovative manufacturing technologies,” she said.

“We have researchers working in disciplines as diverse as regenerative medicine and fashion, dentistry and industrial design who all bring experience in these technologies, which means we have the expertise available to work side by side with the IMCRC to regenerate our manufacturing industries.”

The goal of the IMCRC is also an ideal fit with Griffith’s “outward looking focus” according to Dr Loy.

“It’s the perfect synergistic relationship as Griffith University has a collaborative working model and are particularly good at cross disciplinary projects – which innovative manufacturing creates – and we are keen to work with industrial partners on pushing the capabilities of innovative manufacturing for their new applications.

“Griffith is working hard to develop graduates who have the specialised skills needed to help industry and maximise opportunities for growth.

“Our industrial design and 3D design digital media students are learning world leading software for additive manufacturing, and gaining hands-on experience of designing with advanced digital technologies, including 3D printing, scanning and electronics for new design applications.

“We envisage that the students of today will have the jobs of the future – ones that may not even exist yet, but that are clearly on the way, with 3D printing alone being forecast as a $7 billion dollar a year sector by 2020,” Dr Loy said.

“For this reason they are being equipped to develop new thinking in terms of digital fabrication and design process to ensure Australia is in line with, or ahead of, global trends in 3D technology.

“Even in this last month our PhD students have been excelling in design for 3D printing, with one winning the distinguished paper award at RAPID, the world leading industry and academic conference, and another having a design featured on Today in the US, with 6 million viewers.”

IMCRC’s research will be concentrated on high-growth sectors to help companies build the innovative capacity to develop market-ready opportunities.

The IMCRC is a collaboration of 14 initial manufacturing companies and end users who are already global, innovative and prepared to innovate further including many participants from the successful Advance Manufacturing CRC; four peak industry bodies that will help recruit over 300 additional SMEs as ‘portal partners’; and 16 Australian universities, CSIRO and the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology.

The venture was announced by Industry and Science Minister Ian Macfarlane on May 26.

www.griffith.edu.au

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Manufacturing uptick boosts jobs

AN EASING in Australia’s jobless market has largely come about through an improvement in manufacturing.

According to Steve Shepherd, employment market analyst at research group Randstad, the June Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Labour Force figures show another positive month for full time jobs and he attributed this largely to the manufacturing sector. 

“Over 24,500 full time jobs were created in June, offsetting the decline in part time work, which lost 17,224 jobs – the first time we have seen a decline in part time work this year,” Mr Shepherd said.

 “From looking at Randstad’s job demand and increases in job ads, we have seen a 24 percent year on year growth in jobs advertised in the manufacturing sector,” he said.

“There are positive signs the sector is having a revival. This is great news, as Australia currently has an oversupply of job seekers in the manufacturing sector. This will help those looking for jobs in this sector where demand has been slow.

“This growth is likely to have benefited from the falling dollar, which has made Australia a more attractive market for manufacturing.

“Looking at the monthly trends and the fluctuations in full and part time jobs numbers, it will be interesting to see how the July will play out. After a big decline in part time work, we often see the numbers correct themselves the following month, so we could see growth in part time work.

“Whether this will impact full time jobs is yet to be seen. However two full months of full time jobs growth is good news for job seekers.”

www.randstad.com.au

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