INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Driving productivity with generative AI

Siemens and Microsoft are harnessing the collaborative power of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to help industrial companies drive innovation and efficiency across the design, engineering, manufacturing and operational lifecycle of products. To enhance cross-functional collaboration, the companies are integrating Siemens Teamcenter software for product lifecycle management (PLM) with Microsoft’s collaboration platform Teams and the language models in Azure OpenAI Service.

At theHannover Messe exhibition in Germany last month the two technology leaders demonstrated how generative AI can enhance factory automation and operations through AI-powered software development, problem reporting and visual quality inspection.Scott Guthrie, executive vice president, Cloud + AI at Microsoft, says: “With Siemens, we are bringing the power of AI to more industrial organisations, enabling them to simplify workflows, overcome silos and collaborate in more inclusive ways to accelerate customer-centric innovation.”
For further information www.microsoft.com www.siemens.com

Universal Robots announces Denali partnership

Universal Robots (UR), a producer of collaborative robots (cobots),is entering a new partnership with Denali Advanced Integration, a services and global technology integrator. Denali, which is UR’s biggest Certified Solution Partner (CSP), will now apply its integration expertise and market reach to bring UR’s cobot technology to major businesses across the globe as part of its new Automation-As-A-Service (AaaS) portfolio. This will offer large-scale companies end-to-end integration and service support, corresponding with growing interest from large businesses in cobot automation.
For further information www.universal-robots.com

Optimised fixtures for vertical balancing machines

Ringspann is optimising the deployment of its clamping fixtures for vertical balancing technology. The flange mandrels from Ringspann’s BKDF series and its FUSR-type force-generating spring force actuators rank among the standard clamping systems for balancing rotationally symmetrical components in automotive, pump and gearbox construction. With the aim of significantly reducing set-up costs and increasing flexibility, the company has revised the design of these internal clamping fixtures and optimised them for use on many different balancing machines.

The design sees an improvement in one crucial area: the geometry of the seating body with which the flange mandrels docks onto the power clamping unit is today standard and identical for the entire series, now bearing the new BKDW designation. For all balancing scenarios in which the flange mandrels find use in conjunction with a FUSR spring force actuator as the clamping unit, from now on users will only require one spring force actuator.

Christoph Schulz, product manager – clamping fixtures, summariseswhat this means in practice: “Since all 10 sizes of flange mandrels in our new BKDW series now work with the same type of spring force actuator [previously three different ones were necessary], both the set-up costs at the balancing machine and the acquisition costs for the clamping systems are lower. In addition, many of our customers operate balancing machines from different manufacturers. It is now possible to equip all of these with one spring force actuator or intermediate flange, and access the same taper collet flange mandrels from the BKDW series. This overarching compatibility enables us to fulfil the wish of numerous users for a neutral and‘universal as possible’ clamping system in vertical balancing technology.”
For further information www.ringspann.co.uk

Kitagawa extends work-holding options to milling

Japanese-manufactured Kitagawa rotary work-holding systems that usually find use on lathes are now available for static workholding on the table of machining centres. In the UK and Ireland, the sole agent for these YS Modular Systems is 1st Machine Tool Accessories.

The pneumatically or hydraulically operated static cylinders have multiple work-holding options for pull or push chuck actuation, and are rapid to set up for various production requirements. Cylinders with a standard mounting interface are available to actuate 6”, 8” or 10” chuck sizes.

Base units can mount side by side, depending on machine size, to facilitate multiple workpiece fixturing and automated production. The pull force is up to 20.8 kN with pneumatic actuation or 51.9 kN using low-pressure hydraulic actuation at 15 bar, with up to 20 mm of piston stroke.

Multiple standard work-holding options are available, including: three-jaw power chucks for holding prismatic workpieces; collet chucks for round, square and hex billet up to 80 mm; and expanding mandrels with a pull-back function for internal gripping of components with bores from 12 to 82 mm diameter as standard.

The low profile of the cylinders, down to just 77.5 mm in height for the 6” model, does not unduly restrict Z-axis motion, maximising the prismatic milling and drilling envelope of the respective machine. A screw-on protective cover allows unused units to remain permanently on the machine table, if desired, without fear of damage due to swarf ingress from machining at an adjacent fixture.
For further information www.1mta.com

Schunk sets out plans for Automatica 2023

On27-30 June 2023, the world’s leading trade show for intelligent automation and robotics will bring together key technologies for future production in Munich. At Automatica (Hall A5, Booth 502), Schunkis planning toexhibit smart new developments that solve handling tasks transparently, flexibly and reliably.

In Munich, Schunk will show a whole range of new products that contribute to efficiency. Among other things, the PPD positioning unit will make its debut. The PPD positioning unit enables more complex motion sequences in pneumatic handling, reports the company. In conjunction with pneumatic grippers, it is possible to control gripper fingers flexibly and with high precision, while regulating gripping force and speed.

Combined with the PGL-plus-Ppneumatic universal gripper featuring extra-long stroke, users can realise versatile handling tasks even in demanding environments, from machine loading to highly sensitive cleanroom applications. To this end, Schunk is offering the pneumatic gripper as the first in the world to have certified GripGuard gripping force maintenance. In addition, the gripperfeatures an integrated IO-Link sensor system that enables position sensing of the fingers.

Also at the show will be the user-friendly 2D Grasping Kit (pictured) for handling individual objects randomly arranged on a single level, which makes it much easier to get started with automated object handling. The core of this intelligent system is the in-house developed AI software, which is pre-installed on Schunk’s own industrial PC (SVC). Since the market launch in 2022, the automation expert has further optimised the software and simplified the teaching and labelling of components. This co-ordinated complete package of hardware, software and service comes from one source and is suitable for all robots.
For further information www.schunk.com