News

Testo is celebrating 40 years in the UK (almost 70 years globally!).

The company has seen a lot of development through the years and is grateful for the opportunity it has been given by it customers to do so! As such, Testo wants to celebrate with you – by giving away some beer for you to enjoy. So this summer you really can sit back, relax and enjoy a drink on Testo!

For a chance to win one of five crates of beer, all you need to do is register via the link below and fill out the questionnaire. You will need to answer the questions correctly – so hopefully you’ve been paying attention!

Enter here: https://www.testo.com/en-UK/summer-giveaway

One of the UK’s leading digital transformation specialists has added an important feature to its augmented reality solution Vuforia, which will support and simplify visual inspection on shop floors across the country.

PTC’s Step Check will provide employees with a step-by-step guide through inspection tasks with context-sensitive work instructions.

These are superimposed on the physical product that is being inspected and, importantly, will detect improper assembly, missing or misaligned parts, and other errors – all completed by the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Thanks to colour-coded graphics displayed in real time on the part or product in question, operatives can see at a glance whether it has passed the inspection step.

In addition, Step Check automatically documents inspection results and creates dashboards to analyse the inspections performed.

“Step Check uses advanced computer vision to recognise parts or products to be inspected using their 3D CAD models, then it utilises an AI model based on examples of passed and failed inspections,” explained JJ Lechleiter, General Manager of Vuforia at PTC.

“The AI models learn from the decisions made by the employees and, as a result, continuously improve the results. Vuforia’s computer vision capabilities also recognise things not included in 3D CAD models, such as stickers or labels.”

Step Check is part of PTC’s Vuforia Expert Capture SaaS Augmented Reality solution, a market leading solution for the quick and easy creation of step-by-step AR work instructions.

The new feature focuses on one of the most important phases of the manufacturing process: visual inspection in quality control.

In this process, employees assess whether a part, component, or product has been manufactured or assembled correctly and is in working condition.

Traditionally, these inspections are performed by the naked eye and paper-based documentation, putting pressure on employees to make decisions quickly and increasing the risk of errors and rework. 

For further information, please visit www.ptc.com

Following the publication of an April report demonstrating that UK monthly manufacturing output remained flat from January to February, a sector expert is highlighting the importance of automated process monitoring in the manufacturing sector.

According to the Office for National Statistics’ Index of Production report, the UK’s manufacturing output was essentially unchanged from January to February, at 0.0%. Taking these statistics into account, and considering the sector’s challenging economic headwinds, Leonardo Morabito, Business Unit Manager HFH for UK & Ireland at Alfa Laval, is advocating the role of automated process control in optimising existing operations.

It is with these concerns in mind that Alfa Laval have developed the ThinkTop V20 valve indication unit – the latest solution in the proven ThinkTop V-series family. Purpose-designed to digitalise monitoring processes, the new solution is maintenance-free, enables 360° LED visual status indication from all directions and does not require manual set-up or programming.

“UK manufacturing is vitally important to the economy’s long-term health, but as these latest figures show, growth figures remain stubbornly static,” he said. “Alongside this, the manufacturing sector has since been impacted by the removal of commercial energy bill support from the beginning of April, further underlining the need to ensure all operations are running as efficiently as possible. Process managers are therefore under increasing pressure, but it goes without saying that they cannot be everywhere at once.

Digitalisation is therefore moving from a preference to a priority for many companies, especially for integral plant equipment such as valves. Higher levels of process control, enabled through solutions such as the ThinkTop V20, will be crucial to manufacturers looking to increase their competitiveness, especially for those reliant on visual or signal feedback from open or closed valve positions.”

Crucially for Leonardo, the ThinkTop V20 has been designed for hot-swapping, meaning it can be simply plugged into existing, ongoing processes without any disruption to production. Additionally, its compatibility with most common communications platforms, including Digital, ASI and I/O Link, together with its self-setup, means it is a plug-and-play, fit-and-forget solution.

“Unplanned downtime can hugely affect the bottom line and productivity of organisations in the manufacturing sector, so being able to seamlessly replace older valve indication units while safeguarding hygiene and productivity is crucial,” he concludes. “Solutions such as the ThinkTop V20 will therefore be key to assisting manufacturers digitise their operations. Through the real-time data visibility and remote monitoring capabilities, it offers over process control, these organisations can realise competitive advantages that will help further improve productivity.”

Explore more at https://www.alfalaval.co.uk/products/fluid-handling/automation/sensing-and-control/thinktop-v20/

Wednesday 7^th June will see the UK launch of Contrinex’s innovative PocketCodr at the Smart Factory Expo’s Innovation Alley, during Manufacturing + Engineering Week, at the NEC, Birmingham.

The PocketCodr unit and its companion app, bring the simplicity and portability of a phone app to the monitoring and configuration of sensors from over 50+ manufacturers, which offer IO-Link connectivity.

The PocketCodr unit which connects over Bluetooth to the companion PocketCodr App on a phone or tablet, enables users to interact directly with IO-Link sensors, see real-time parametric changes on live data charts, and store, and retrieve settings. These settings can also be shared with other users, via a special link which can be sent by email, WhatsApp, etc.

The App’s graphical user interface, includes ‘Action Widgets’, the more advanced of which (such as Teach, Set SSC, Counter, Alarm, etc.) are supported by Contrinex’s SMART Sensors, speeding up the configuration of these Adjustable Switching Sensors (AdSS), for digital or analogue distance measurement sensing (DMS).

Therefore, PocketCodr provides simple access to the additional power offered in many sensors when accessed via IO-Link. It also offers a simple route to configure SMART sensors, so that for example, an engineer or SME business owner can test and configure a unique solution – Use a readily available, off-the-shelf Contrinex SMART inductive or photoelectric sensor, to develop a unique system, without the need to touch a PLC or consider code.

Analog Devices, Inc. has announced a new €630 million investment at its European regional headquarters in the Raheen Business Park in Limerick, Ireland. The investment enables the construction of a new, state-of-the-art, 45,000 sq-ft Research & Development and manufacturing facility.

The new facility will support ADI’s development of next-generation signal processing innovations designed to accelerate the digital transformation of Industrial, Automotive, Healthcare, and other sectors. It is expected to triple ADI’s European wafer production capacity and aligns with the company’s goal of doubling its internal manufacturing capacity to enhance the resiliency of its global supply chain and better serve customer needs. This investment is expected to grow ADI’s employment footprint in the mid-west region of Ireland by 600 new positions, a significant increase to ADI’s current 1,500 employees in Ireland and 3,100 employees in Europe as a whole.

Today’s announcement comes a year after ADI announced a separate investment of €100 million in ADI Catalyst, its 100,000 sq-ft custom-built facility for innovation and collaboration at its Limerick campus. Ireland is also home to ADI’s main European Research and Development Center, which has generated more than 1,000 patents since its inception and has seeded ADI R&D sites throughout Europe in Spain, Italy, UK, Romania, and Germany.

“Since 1976, Ireland has been a critical innovation centre for ADI, thanks to its strong academic and research organisations, business ecosystem, and progressive government leadership,” said ADI CEO and Chair Vincent Roche. “This next-generation semiconductor manufacturing facility and expanded R&D team will further extend ADI Limerick’s global influence. Through organic R&D and close collaboration with our customers and ecosystem partners, we are striving to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges and enable a more efficient, safer, and sustainable future.”

The new investment is planned as part of a collaboration within the European Union’s Important Projects of Common European Interest on Microelectronics and Communication Technologies (IPCEI ME/CT) initiative, and will support cross-border collaborative research. ADI’s IPCEI application – Ireland’s first since the inception of the Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) initiative – is subject to final approval from the European Commission, and is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.

An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD said: “This is a really significant announcement for Limerick and the Mid-West region, which marks a new chapter in the longstanding relationship between ADI and Ireland. This massive €630 million investment is great news for local employment with lots of jobs being created during the construction phase, and 600 high-end graduate jobs. It means a significant expansion in the size and scale of ADI’s research, innovation, and development, leading to new, highly innovative products. This investment is further evidence of the Government’s commitment to bringing jobs to the Mid-West. Most IDA jobs created in recent years have been outside of Dublin, and Limerick has done particularly well with its deep talent pool, universities, airport, and infrastructure. This investment will also mean lots of spin-off jobs and contracts for local SMEs and Irish-owned businesses. ADI’s investment is part of Ireland’s commitment to develop Important Projects of Common European Interest, IPCEIs, and will contribute to Europe’s broader microelectronics sector. The future is digital. There can be no such future without microchips and it’s great that Ireland is such an important player in the supply chain.”

Minister for Enterprise Trade & Employment Simon Coveney said: “This is a much welcome announcement from Analog Devices and a great vote of confidence in Limerick and the Mid-West. It’s also noteworthy that it’s the latest in a series of major job announcements outside of Dublin. I’m struck not only by the scale of the investment, but also the high quality positions that will result. I’ll be visiting Analog Devices in Boston during a trade mission this week where we’ll be looking forward to many more years of doing business in Ireland.”

IDA Ireland CEO Michael Lohan said: “The technology that ADI will develop at this facility in Limerick is at the very forefront of innovation and has the potential to revolutionise the lives of billions of people across the world. This investment by ADI is intended to strengthen our supply chain resilience for advanced semiconductor processes. We wish continued success to ADI and look forward to our continued partnership. This is a transformational investment for the Limerick site, for the Mid-West region, and for the semiconductor industry in Ireland. IDA Ireland is committed to supporting investments of scale that impact positively on Europe’s semiconductor industry.”

STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, has introduced the second generation of its STM32 MPUs (microprocessors), coming with a new architecture built upon the same ecosystem and raising performance and security for applications at the industrial and IoT edge.

“The new STM32MP2 Series devices further our investment in application processors, combining 64-bit cores with Edge AI acceleration, advanced multimedia features, graphics processing, and digital connectivity,” said Ricardo De Sa Earp, Executive Vice-President and General-Purpose Microcontrollers Sub-Group GM, STMicroelectronics. “Also integrating advanced security features in hardware, the new MPUs are ready for emerging opportunities in secure Industry 4.0, IoT, and rich user-interface applications.”

The first product line in this new generation, the STM32MP25, is available with single or dual 64-bit Arm Cortex-A35 cores running efficiently at 1.5GHz, complemented with a 400MHz Cortex-M33 embedded core that handles real-time processing. A dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) adds up to 1.35 TOPS (tera-operations per second) of computing muscle optimised for Edge AI acceleration in applications such as advanced machine vision and predictive maintenance. With support for 32-bit DDR4 and LPDDR4 memories, the STM32MP25 ensures long-term support for cost-optimised designs.

Also featuring Gigabit time-sensitive networking (TSN) support and a two-port Gigabit Ethernet TSN switch, with PCIe, USB 3.0, and CAN-FD peripherals, the STM32MP25 product line provides intensive connectivity for real-time industrial applications, data concentrators and gateways, and communication equipment. Combined, the processing and networking capabilities enhance detection and feature recognition for security applications and industrial automation. For example, the MPU can acquire video from a 5Mpixel sensor at 30 frames per second (fps), perform analytics with the Edge AI accelerator, and send relevant video (encoding with an HW encoder) with detection metadata leveraging Gigabit Ethernet TSN, all in real-time streaming mode.

A 3D graphics processing unit (GPU) with 1080p resolution for graphics and video capabilities permits rich user interfaces, with support including Vulkan real-time graphics for Android applications. A1080p encoder/decoder and multiple display connections including LVDS, 4-lane MIPI DSI, and a MIPI CSI-2 camera interface simplify connecting displays and digital cameras including raw-Bayer image sensors.

State-of-the-art security features ensuring SESIP Level 3 certification include Arm’s TrustZone architecture and resource isolation framework (RIF). This is complemented with secure key storage, secure boot, a unique device ID in one-time programmable (OTP) memory, hardware cryptographic engines, and on-the-fly DDR encryption/decryption.

The devices are specified over the extended temperature range from -40°C to 125°C, easing thermal management and enhancing reliability in industrial environments. In addition, like other STM32 MPUs targeting industrial applications, the STM32MP2-series MPUs come with ST’s 10-year longevity commitment.

A selection of package options is offered including a 0.8mm-pitch chip-scale package (TFBGA). This helps ease PCB design routing and allows economical designs down to four layers avoiding costly laser vias.

Developers using these new devices can leverage the extensive STM32MPU ecosystem, which contains the highly popular OpenSTLinux distribution that includes the complete AI framework (X-Linux-AI), as well as the STM32Cube development tools. The STM32Cube firmware will run bare metal or RTOS on the Cortex-M33 embedded core.

ST is now delivering samples of STM32MP25 devices along with evaluation boards to select OEM customers. Volume production of chips and boards is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2024. The company showcased its new STM32MP2 MPUs at the STM32 Summit event in Shenzhen, China on May 12-13.

For further information please go to www.st.com/stm32mp25

Electro Rent, the global leading provider of test and measurement equipment rental services, today announced a multi-year agreement with L3Harris Technologies. The agreement specifies Electro Rent as L3Harris’ Tier 1 supplier for test and measurement rental requirements. As a result, Electro Rent is now L3Harris’ preferred provider for these solutions and services.

“We are honoured to be selected as L3Harris’ preferred companywide test and measurement rental partner,” said Mike Clark, Electro Rent’s Chief Executive Officer. “This further builds on the decades long relationships we have enjoyed with both L3 and Harris and broadens our supplier position and partnership with the combined companies. We provide highly differentiated, value-add solutions and capabilities that L3Harris greatly appreciates, as does our extensive global customer base, which enables us to fully support any and all L3Harris test and measurement requirements. Being the leading test and measurement rental solutions provider in both North America and around the globe allows us to offer an unparalleled selection of inventory and first-class rental solutions, services, and support to our customers.”

Leading on sustainability is a popular aspiration for many businesses, but at ION Science, environmental protection was part of the company’s identity long before anthropogenic climate change was widely accepted. In the following article we explore the ways in which the company has built sustainability into everything it does, and how the benefits extend beyond environmental protection.

With a 34-year history in developing gas sensing technologies that help protect worker safety and the environment, ION Science has a keen understanding of the relationship between gases and climate change, but sustainability is more than just reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Initiatives in energy efficiency, recycling, waste reduction and water optimisation all help improve the environmental and financial sustainability of a business, but there are many other, less obvious, advantages.

Doing the right thing

ION Science firmly believes that it is every company’s duty to continuously seek ways to minimise environmental impact. For this reason, ION Science’s publicly stated vision has always been ‘To protect lives and preserve the environment’. Having established this as the company’s vision, everything that it does, and all the decisions that it makes, have to be aligned with this concept.

Underlining the importance of sustainability to its business, a recent survey of ION Science customers revealed an overwhelming 65.9% of them confirming that sustainability matters to them when making purchase decisions.

Implementing sustainability

Start from the top. If the MD or CEO is not on board, there is little hope that staff will follow suit. Instead, they will assume that their work priorities lie elsewhere. So, at ION Science, sustainability starts with Duncan Johns, the Managing Director. Duncan firmly believes that a business must perform highly in all areas of ESG (Environment, Social & Governance), partly because people want to work for a business that is doing something worthwhile, which, for ION Science, means protecting lives and preserving the environment. However, people also want their company to play its part, through its own operations, so that is also where ION delivers the E in ESG. More on that below.

Social factors include the way that ION treats its staff, including wages, workplace environment, wellbeing, skills, training & development, equality, diversity and inclusion. They also include suppliers and customers, as well as the local communities within which ION operates.

Governance is also vitally important, because staff have to know that the business is being managed effectively, and with honesty and integrity. Business objectives have to be clear and consistent, and staff need to be confident that the company is able to deliver on the promises that it makes to all stakeholders.

One of the most effective ways to implement sustainability, is to create company facilities that are demonstrably environmentally friendly, and this is an area in which ION Science has made remarkable progress. Visitors to the ION Science UK head office and manufacturing facility in Fowlmere frequently express awe and admiration for the workspace that has been created.

In 2017, ION Science designed and built a sustainable, state of the art, purpose-built £4.5 million facility to meet ambitious global growth plans. Known as ‘The Hive’ the new facility embodies many of the characteristics of a beehive; providing a safe, pleasant, environmentally friendly workplace for a community of workers. Duncan Johns says: “We particularly liked the beehive theme when our new buildings were being designed. Bees work collaboratively for the greater good; they enhance the local environment through pollination and biodiversity; they use natural materials to construct parts of the hive; they employ smart methods of communication, and they even manage climate control within the hive.”

Featuring a technologically advanced and eco-friendly design, the Hive was specially constructed to achieve the highest possible hygiene, quality and environmental standards. In addition to the provision of a fantastic working environment with well-equipped break-out spaces, the Hive also features landscaped gardens and recreational areas for staff and visitors to enjoy.

Providing more light assembly, research and office space, the work environment boasts a range of exciting design features, including:

• Ground source heat pump which extracts heat from the ground via bore holes underneath the car park and provides heating and hot water for the building without burning fossil fuels
• Modular access flooring which provides flexibility in the distribution of building services and building layout
• Building design which maximises natural daylight using large windows, doors and rooflights
• Structural insulated panels (SIPs) as the main structural element of both walls and pitched roofs providing a highly insulated and airtight building envelope for energy efficiency and resistance to damp and cold issues
• Internal layout with glazed screens connecting areas and teams
• Eco-friendly landscaping with a pond to enhance biodiversity
• Free car park with electric vehicle chargers for its staff and visitors

As a result of further company growth, a new research and development (R&D) facility is currently being built to complement the appearance of the main building and enhance its environmental credentials. The new R&D facility will also use sustainable materials, electric vehicle charging points and ecologically designed landscaping to support local wildlife. It will also provide additional employment opportunities for the local community.

As a gas sensing technology manufacturer, ION Science is acutely aware of the importance of monitoring – ‘What gets measured, gets managed’ – so ION is currently in the process of implementing ISO14001:2015, the Environmental Management Standard.

One of ION’s important environmental objectives is to reduce the amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) that is incinerated or sent to landfill sites. Under the WEEE Regulations, organisations enable the recovery, reuse and recycling of products and components. In addition, ION is constantly seeking eco-friendly packaging solutions that help to reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

Protecting lives and preserving the environment

Perhaps ION Science’s greatest positive impact on the environment is through the sensors and instruments that it manufactures. The company’s photoionisation detectors (PIDs) are used worldwide for the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – a large group of gases that are generally harmful to both health and the environment.

A wide variety of industrial processes produce fugitive or process emissions that contain VOCs. These processes include those that involve petrochemicals, solvents, paints, coatings, adhesives and cleaning chemicals, for example. Some VOCs are harmful to the skin and can be absorbed, but volatility makes it possible for them to be breathed in, causing negative health effects ranging from minor irritation to death.

In the outdoor environment, VOCs are involved in the formation of ozone, a constituent of photochemical smog. At ground level, ozone is generated when VOCs react with oxygen sources such as nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide in the atmosphere in the presence of sunlight. Ozone can be harmful to health, particularly in children, the elderly, and people with cardiovascular problems such as asthma or COPD. Ground level ozone can also have harmful effects on sensitive vegetation and ecosystems.

Carbon dioxide is an important greenhouse gas (GHG) but many VOCs have a far greater Global Warming Potential (GWP) than CO2, so even trace emissions or leaks of these (mostly halogenated) VOCs can contribute to global warming.

Clearly, VOCs represent a major challenge in areas such as health, the environment and climate change. The detection and measurement of these VOCs is therefore essential, so ION’s PID sensors are deployed by instrument manufacturers and systems integrators all over the world, in a wide variety of applications.

The benefits of sustainability at ION Science

1. ION Science staff benefit from knowing that they work for a sustainable company, that not only manufactures products that help protect the environment, but also works hard to minimise its own carbon footprint. This is one of the reasons for ION’s high staff retention rate.
2. ION’s financial performance is enhanced when customers actively seek to do business with suppliers that uphold high sustainability standards.
3. By creating a successful eco-friendly facility, ION has enhanced its reputation with the local community; creating harmony and building an aspirational business.
4. With a sustainable building design, ION has minimised its energy costs and dramatically lowered the consumption of fossil fuels.
5. The provision of free EV charging points encourages staff to save money and cascade the company’s sustainability goals into their personal lives.

Summarising, Duncan Johns says: “There are laws to protect health and the environment, but there are no regulations forcing companies like ours to help in the fight against climate change.  Nevertheless, ION Science aims to take the lead in GHG emissions reduction.”

“We have built sustainability into every part of the company, and we have benefited considerably as a consequence. So, we hope that our success will inspire others to join us on our mission to protect lives, preserve the environment and limit the effects of climate change.”

Fluke Process Instruments announces a new standalone thermal camera with onboard web server, advanced analytics and high connectivity

Fluke Process Instruments has launched the new ThermoView TV30 thermal camera for factory automation and asset monitoring. The rugged, fixed-installation infrared camera measures a wide temperature range from -10 °C to 1300 °C (14 °F – 2372 °F) and provides an unrivaled scope of features and functions. The standalone camera provides full connectivity for easy integration with a PLC via OPC UA or MQTT.

The new ThermoView TV30 thermal camera provides 24/7 monitoring of critical production processes or assets and real-time analysis and feedback to control systems to assure adherence to set temperature values and avoid downtimes or costly repairs. Users can program Areas of Interest (AOI) with individual tolerances and automatic alarms.

The thermal camera is powered via a 24VDC power supply or Power over Ethernet. It features a remote motorized focus. Three lens options are available with narrow or wide fields of view for different working distances. The camera housing is rated IP67. The manufacturer provides a full range of accessories for mounting outside or in hot, dusty or dirty environments.