Issue 08

Digital Twin On the verge of massive disruption

MACH 2018 APPRENTICE AWARDS YORKSHIRE WATER AMRC brings Fourth Industrial AMRC Training Centre announces AMRC develops virtual reality Revolution to UK’s premier advanced winner of the fourth annual prototypes saving Yorkshire Water manufacturing exhibition. Apprentice of the Year Awards. £1m in design costs. Welcome to the Journal

Getting the fundamentals right One of the great strengths and defining features of the AMRC is the network of collaborative academic research partners we are engaged with across every faculty in the University of Sheffield. Access to fundamental research, in both the physical and the social sciences (management and people being key to the adoption of digital technologies), might seem unrelated to the immediate demands of industry and government for ways to kick-start improvements in productivity, but it is vital to sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

This issue of the Journal has several stories that manufacturing, it also speculates on the potential illustrate the collaborative nature of our research impact augmented reality wearables could have on and the way we are addressing the challenges and all our lives once devices are developed that allow for opportunities of the digital revolution. It shows how the seamless streaming of data to the end-user. our machining group has joined forces with world- Over the last four years the AMRC Training Centre, leading researchers in the Department of Automatic backed by the Russell Group clout of the University Control and Systems Engineering on a £10m EPSRC- of Sheffield, has trained more than 1,000 young funded project known as the Future Advanced apprentices across the city region. These young Metrology Hub. Led by the University of Huddersfield, engineers of the future are funded by dynamic and with partners in Bath and Loughborough, this forward-thinking manufacturers who understand the research is critical to developing the faster and more value that good, highly motivated talent brings to responsive factories the UK needs if we are to keep their business. And now they have the opportunity to pace with competitors around the world who are move seamlessly from an apprenticeship to a degree moving towards the mass customisation of lower-cost apprenticeship; and employers can use the Levy products on demand. to upskill their older, more experience engineers in Our machining group is also playing a vital role in the ways of digital. No surprise, therefore, that this the pan-European Twin Control project, which is issue should be celebrating the achievements of the developing a digital twin of the machining process latest graduates of our Training Centre and the new to enable manufacturers to optimise productivity, Apprentice of the Year; all of whom are carrying the quality and machine tool performance. This is a highly torch for advanced manufacturing. digital way of dealing with the age-old problem of These three qualities – close collaboration between ‘chatter’ identified by the likes of Frederick Taylor more fundamental and translational research, a than a century ago. The AMRC recently convened a commitment to training and educating the engineers workshop in Sheffield of the 11 European partners to of the future in high-level skills for high-value jobs, and measure progress on a project that is widely seen as a deep understanding of the transformative power of integral to securing the long-term future of the UK digital technologies – are at the heart of the AMRC’s and European automotive and aerospace sectors. contribution to the regional and the national drive Both these stories also illustrate how manufacturing to improve productivity in a way that ensures the is on the cusp of a digital revolution. benefits of growth are shared by all. For a glimpse of where this revolution is heading, this Prof Keith Ridgway, CBE. issue also features an intriguing exchange between Executive Dean of the University of Factory 2050 full stack developer, Jonathan Eyre, and Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Paul Haimes of PTC, which adds another dimension the Twin Control project. Their conversation not Research Centre Group only explains the implications of the digital twin for

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AMRC bring the Fourth Industrial Revolution to the small businesses of the UK at MACH 2018. contents Partner News 4-8 AMRC News 9-15 Features AMRC Training Centre, ‘Apprentice of 16-17 the Year’ Awards 2018 Success is all about the right attitude for 18-19 award-winning apprentice Leigh Worsdale Oliver Marsh scoops a major industry 20-21 p16 apprenticeship award Innovate UK funding drives development 22-23 of digital technologies European reseach project creates machine 24-25 tool digital twin On the verge of massive disruption: 26-28 augmented reality impact still to come Intelligent machining using big data 29-30 and fuzzy logic p29 AMRC Impact AV&R partner with the AMRC to explore the 31 future of automated visual inspection A new reality on tap for Yorkshire Water 32-33 Yorkshire entrepreneur raising the roof 34 with new construction aid tested by AMRC Event Review AMRC Forum – Lights out running 35 and factory automation p32 AMRC New Partners and 36 Training Course amrc.co.uk 3 PARTNER NEWS Efficiency in motion

Airbus and the AMRC are currently In order to safely deploy the AMR into drawing on research conducted by the investigating the feasibility of the complex and dynamic environment Department of Automatic Control and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) at the Broughton plant, extensive Systems Engineering at the University for internal logistics within the Airbus testing has been conducted applicable of Sheffield to establish a highway code plant at Broughton. to British Standards with a view to for autonomous vehicles working in The Airbus facility near Chester is one of trialling the system. Beyond this initial close proximity with people in factory the UK’s largest factories and as such, deployment the AMRC and Airbus are environments. keeping production lines supplied with tools is a significant challenge. The aim of this project is to develop and demonstrate an AMR to deliver tools within the Broughton plant, allowing staff to concentrate on value-added tasks. The AMR developed is based on the MiR200 robot from Danish company, Mobile Industrial Robots ApS. The MiR200 has a payload of 200 kg and a top speed of 1.1 m/s (4 km/h). The platform uses laser scanners to map its environment and navigate autonomously between locations, avoiding people and obstacles. This has been enhanced with a rack designed by the AMRC, which was validated using augmented reality during a design review using the Microsoft HoloLens. The racking adds storage for tools, a flashing MiR200 with racking, integrated flashing beacon and direction indicator projector. (Left to right) beacons and lamp to indicate the AMR’s Amer Liaqat and Sema Al-Attbi of Airbus UK; Dr Lloyd Tinkler and Dr Scott Dufferwiel of the AMRC. intensions and direction of travel.

Mills CNC joins the AMRC as a Tier 1 member and supplies two high-performance Doosan machines as part of the agreement

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of develop more efficient and effective Doosan machine tools in the UK and manufacturing methods. Ireland, has joined the AMRC with The intention, following extensive Boeing as a Tier 1 member. testing and proving out at the AMRC, is As part of the partnership agreement, to transfer and implement the processes Mills CNC has supplied a TT1800SY and best-practice manufacturing twin-turret/twin-spindle turning centre, methods to the Boeing Sheffield factory and a DNM 6700 vertical machining which is due to open in late 2018. centre. Kevin Gilbert, Mills CNC’s managing Both machines are being used in a director, said: major Boeing-initiated research and “These are exciting times for Mills CNC. development programme into the future We’re delighted to have become part of manufacture of actuator parts and the AMRC and to be involved, right from assemblies. the outset, in such a high-profile and The programme is focused on important manufacturing project.” continuous improvement and best Mills CNC has supplied two Doosan machine practice with the Doosan machines tools to the AMRC – a DNM 6700 vertical playing a pivotal role in helping machining centre (top) and a TT1800SY twin- turret/twin-spindle turning centre (bottom).

4 AMRC Journal Issue 8 PARTNER NEWS 65 Year milestone hails growth for Yorkshire engineering firm

The Managing Director of a family- One of the keys to success has been owned precision engineering SME the establishment of partnerships with based in Otley, North Leeds, used the major global companies, from producing company’s 65th anniversary to pledge a wide range of toolholders for Yamazaki to invest in technology and people in Mazak, collet chucks for Fives Landis, West Yorkshire. complex parts for oil giant Cameron and Managing Director of Craftsman being awarded a licence to manufacture ® Tools Ltd, Robert Johnson, said that and export Coromant Capto continuing investment, together with toolholders by Sandvik Coromant in Robert Johnson, Managing Director of Craftsman Tools Ltd. recent news that UK manufacturing 1998. output is at its highest for 10 years, Craftsman Tools continues to invest Council’s Business Growth Programme. means that the future of the company locally in knowledge and training. Its The grant will go towards the purchase is looking bright as it looks to expand Apprentice School opened in 2013 and of a new machine and taking on five new its worldwide customer base for won the Manufacturing Technology members of staff. toolholding, workholding and sub- Association’s “Best Training Scheme” contract machining. Award just one year later; for training Speaking of the anniversary, Robert Johnson said: “For the past 65 years, Founded in 1953 as a tool and cutter undertaken in partnership with the Craftsman Tools has owed its success grinding company, Craftsman Tools has University of Sheffield AMRC Training to the skills, dedication and loyalty grown to become one of the country’s Centre. of its workforce. With our continuing leading manufacturers of workholding To continue fulfilling increasing orders investment in technology and local and toolholding products, servicing while targeting continued improvement, people, the short and long-term future of a broad spectrum of the engineering the company has just been awarded a the company looks very bright indeed.” industry. grant worth £50,000 from Leeds City

Geo Kingsbury enters additive manufacturing sector

Turnkey metal cutting specialist Geo within the same markets for AddUp The venture was born out of Michelin’s Kingsbury, has announced that it is Global Additive Solutions created in April extensive use of powder-bed additive also offering additive manufacturing 2016 by two giants of French industry, techniques for producing sipes for solutions to its clients. Michelin and the Fives industrial moulds, which give tyres their tread The move follows the company’s engineering group, which jointly own the patterns, and the company’s desire appointment as exclusive distributor company. to commercialise its expertise. In September 2015 Michelin partnered with Fives, which brought advanced machine tool design and build experience to the business enterprise. Richard Kingsbury, the managing director of Geo Kingsbury commented: “We have created a new additive manufacturing division at our offices in the Midlands, headed by Richard Hughes, to operate alongside our Large Prismatic Machines and Milling Turning Grinding technology divisions. “We will be looking to include further additive manufacturing processes in our portfolio in the coming months, signalling our intention to move strongly into this expanding area of manufacturing.”

The FormUp™ range of machines for direct metal multi-laser melting.

amrc.co.uk 5 PARTNER NEWS SUMITOMO developes a new solution for titanium alloy machining

A newly developed material with Titanium alloy is a hard-to-cut material excellent wear resistance is achieving because the temperature at the more than 40 times longer tool cutting edge rises significantly during life than carbide for titanium alloy machining which promotes adhesion machining. on the cutting edge; resulting in heavy SUMITOMO has produced an ultra-hard damage in a short cutting time. This Binder-Less Polycrystalline Cubic Boron is because titanium alloy parts are Nitride (BL-PCBN) material named normally machined under low cutting NCB100, synthesised under static ultra- speeds of less than 100m/min. The high pressure and high temperature low productivity and short tool life using a new method: direct conversion are significant issues of titanium alloy sintering. The new hard material machining. consists of fine grains of several tens BL-PCBN shows excellent wear of nanometres, which are bonded to resistance and achieves more than 40 each other strongly and directly without times longer tool life than carbide under containing any binder materials. 200m/min cutting speed for α-β titanium Thus, BL-PCBN has high hardness, high alloy Ti-6Al4V finish turning application. strength and high thermal conductivity BL-PCBN can be applied to near- that surpass conventional sintered βtitanium alloy Ti-5553 and also to Co-Cr PCBN compacts containing binder alloy for medical implant parts such as materials. Due to these excellent hip and knee joints. physical properties, BL-PCBN will be a SUMITOMO is also promoting solution for titanium alloy machining development of new tools for high-speed issues. titanium alloy finish milling application near 700m/min cutting speed.

Castings Technology International grows to support expansion of titanium casting services

Castings Technology International these processes.” unique to us. They are single-piece and Ltd (Cti) has increased staff numbers The four new staff members will potentially lighter than their forged or to cater for the uplift in demand for specialise in various aspects of wrought counterparts, whilst offering advanced titanium services that are the castings process from mould equivalent or superior mechanical now available to its members and end- manufacture, melting, heat-treating and properties,” said Richard. users. finishing; and will provide the impetus for Casting can be used to produce parts The company is now able to produce both an increase in capacity and further with incredibly complex geometries much larger and heavier near-net shape reductions in lead-time. and features that would be almost titanium components up to 2000mm in “The titanium parts we manufacture are impossible to create using more diameter by 2500mm in length, with a created utilising technology processes traditional machined and fabricated finished weight of approximately 500kg. routes and can offer considerable buy- Cti General Manager, Richard Cook, to-fly cost and resource savings. said: “This is an exciting time for us as Cti is one of a limited number of we are now able to offer manufacturing companies in Europe - and the only companies a wider range of titanium UK company - with the skills to cast casting specifications than ever before, complex structural parts from highly including increased envelope size and reactive metals like titanium. As part weight. such, Cti holds the aerospace quality “There is exceptionally high demand for management AS9100 accreditation and cast titanium parts due to strong growth is fully UKAS compliant. in the aerospace sector. So in order to Cti also recently secured an offer existing and new clients additional accreditation from NADCAP to supply capacity we have recently employed titanium castings to the civil and team members who are dedicated to defence aerospace industries.

6 AMRC Journal Issue 8 PARTNER NEWS Divide and conquer with latest parting-off tools

Cutting tool and tooling system deformation. specialist Sandvik Coromant has To remedy the situation, Sandvik unveiled a new blade for its CoroCut Coromant engineers have developed QD parting-off system, which a solution that takes advantage of substantially improves the tool’s capability in modern turning centres and stability by realigning the resultant multi-task machines to feed the tool in cutting force. Among numerous the Y direction. benefits available to the customer In the new concept, the top face of the are improved productivity, enhanced insert is placed parallel to the end of the surface quality and reduced noise blade, as if rotating the insert seat 90 levels. degrees anti-clockwise. The new blade With conventional parting-off tool cuts its way into the workpiece with configurations on turning centres and its front end, which roughly aligns the multi-task machines, the capability resultant vector of cutting forces with of feed motion in the XZ plane is an the longitudinal axis of the blade. inherent limitation. When performing FEM analysis confirms that this parting operations the resultant vector with standard designs. With enhanced eliminates the critical stresses typical of cutting forces is inevitably directed stiffness, customers can increase feed to conventional blades and increases sharply across the tool’s cross-section, rates or use a longer overhang without blade stiffness by six times compared leading to high loads and potential losing stability.

Prodtex Ltd develop a parallel kinematic robot for high-volume industry operations

The manufacturing industry has seen a huge movement towards increased automation in production over recent years and a number of industries have tried to replicate the successful implementation of automation by the automotive industry. As these robotic technologies and processes have been designed for the automotive industry they cannot achieve the tighter tolerance requirements over the larger working volumes demanded by other industries such as aerospace. Many solutions have resolved this through the application of external parallel kinematic manipulator based and reconfigured to meet various task factors such as metrology or external on ABB Tau architecture. The potential requirements, without losing stiffness encoders to increase the accuracy of applications for this type of system or speed if reconfigurations are within the robot arm. Automation technology include automated measurement, reasonable limits. development company Prodtex Ltd machining, automated fastening The robot is currently housed at the believes that, whilst this approach can and automated sealing where the AMRC’s Factory 2050 site and was be successful, it introduces unnecessary characteristic low inertia and high recently demonstrated to a selection of cost and complexity to the process. accuracy can be taken advantage of to delegates from the aerospace industry’s perform high speed operations. A new type of robot which is designed leading manufacturers. from the ground up to meet the more It has been designed as a low-cost stiff Prodtex Managing Director, Peter demanding requirements of other and accurate robot, whilst maintaining Helgosson, said: “The AMRC and industries is required. a large working volume. As opposed to Prodtex see a great opportunity for traditional serial or articulated robots Along with manufacturers of modular industry to take advantage of this that come as an optimised unit from the carbon fibre components Corebon technology and we are now looking for robot manufacturer. A PKM Gantry-Tau and robotics solutions company final applications with potential end can be assembled at the customer site Cognibotics, Prodtex is developing a customers.”

amrc.co.uk 7 PARTNER NEWS Carpenter Technology continues to strengthen additive manufacturing leadership with cutting- edge expertise and industry-first innovation

Demand for additive manufacturing is builds on the company’s industry- without compromising powder strength. growing – and so are the technologies leading technologies, processes and Preliminary testing on Electron Beam and expertise from Carpenter expertise; providing Carpenter with Melting machines is promising, with Technology Corporation. direct entry into the rapidly expanding strength levels that exceed those of A leading provider of metal powders part production segment of the additive standard Grade 5 by almost 18 per cent. and wire for additive manufacturing, manufacturing value chain. it recently announced two significant CalRAM was a Carpenter customer that milestones – the strategic acquisition turned to the company for help solving of MB CalRAM LLC (CalRAM), and the a complex challenge. That problem commercial production and availability turned into a tremendous opportunity of CarTech Puris® 5+ titanium powder for both companies – and for additive – that expand and strengthen its manufacturing, resulting in the capabilities and competitive edge. innovation of CarTech Puris 5+ titanium Carpenter, a key player in the additive powder, the first high-strength, low- manufacturing space for decades, is oxygen titanium powder solution. now strongly positioned as a preferred Officially launched in 2017, the custom provider and partner, particularly for composition of Ti 6Al-4V signals a mission-critical applications, such breakthrough in the ability to better as aerospace engines and medical control oxygen content inherent to implants. The CalRAM acquisition additive manufacturing processes

Ricardo spins-out CryoPower

The Ricardo CryoPower concept is a cent in comparison with today’s heavy- CryoPower assets and IPR, and Ricardo potentially game-changing engine duty engines (allowing for the financial will acquire a minority shareholding. technology which aims to substantially and energy costs of the liquid nitrogen CryoPower uses separate induction increase fuel efficiency while reducing used by CryoPower in addition to its and compression, and combustion and operating costs and CO² emissions for fuel). exhaust cylinders, enabling recovery long haul trucks and other heavy-duty Spin-out company, Dolphin N2, of otherwise wasted exhaust heat applications. has been formed to carry forward to the working gas after the end of The technology has the potential to development of CryoPower technology compression. The compression process reduce operating fuel costs and fuel towards market commercialisation. is carried out isothermally, cooled via usage by, respectively, 20 and 30 per The company will be vested with all the injection of a small amount of liquid nitrogen which acts as both a coolant and an additional energy vector. The combustion process utilises either renewable or traditional fuels, liquid or gaseous, and delivers heat energy back to the chilled and compressed intake air. CryoPower’s most important benefit, however, is to enable otherwise unachievable improvements in fuel economy, reduced CO² and other emissions through improved internal thermal efficiency. Using liquid nitrogen generated in this way as an energy vector by CryoPower truck engines offers, Ricardo argues, one of the most effective pathways by which renewable energy can be deployed in long-haul, heavy freight road-based transportation.

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AMRC signs MoU with GKN Aerospace to develop aircraft technologies of the future

The AMRC and global aviation supplier role the AMRC is playing and to drive manufacturers and its technologies GKN Aerospace have entered into forward the significant amount of work are used in aircraft ranging from single a long-term partnership to develop and technological development we are aisle aircraft and the largest passenger advanced technologies for the embarking on with GKN Aerospace. planes in the world to business jets and aerospace industry. “What we will be looking at in a advanced fighter aircraft. The AMRC works closely with global package of work with them is future VP Global Technology at GKN leaders in the aerospace industry manufacturing systems and digital Aerospace, Paul Perera, said to develop innovative technology, linkage of those systems with the the partnership will build on the manufacturing methods and customer and the development of collaborative research already underway techniques. metallic machining technology. between the two organisations. As part It has signed a Memorandum of “The AMRC will also have a core role of the agreement, the Global Head Understanding (MoU) with GKN in developing the Wing of Tomorrow of Additive Manufacturing at GKN Aerospace to progress a series of technology with GKN Aerospace. This Aerospace, Robert Sharman, will work research themes they are developing technology will be large scale assembly, with the AMRC’s additive manufacturing together at the AMRC’s state-of- metal materials machining and research team as an associate professor. the-art Factory 2050, the dedicated opportunities for castings. Paul said: “The Memorandum of collaborative research factory home to “The plus point of the MoU for us is it Understanding has been created the Integrated Manufacturing Group. enables us to operate very closely and between us to progress a number of joint GKN Aerospace is a strategic supplier to effectively with companies that view the themes which we have incubated here Airbus, Boeing and other leading aircraft AMRC as one of their strategic partners.” together. manufacturers, and plays a critical role As a global leader in manufacturing “These are the application of digital in the UK aerospace industry. aerostructures, engine systems and manufacturing, the application of large It has been a member of the AMRC for specialist aerospace technologies, scale additive manufacturing, and we a number of years and Chief Executive GKN works closely with universities, have also been looking at large scale Officer at the AMRC, Colin Sirett, said knowledge institutes, suppliers and automation with the ‘Wing of Tomorrow’ the MoU not only reflects the strategic customers to lead the industry in project. nature of the relationship between the developing new technology to improve “It is a good partnership with true two organisations but that it will bring aircraft efficiency – lowering aircraft cost, benefits on both sides. We really want significant benefits to both sides. weight and emissions. to maintain the momentum on this He said: “The purpose of signing the It serves more than 90 per cent agreement.” MoU is to recognise the strategic of the world’s aircraft and engine

amrc.co.uk 9 AMRC NEWS Image: Rolls-Royce

A call to focus: AMRC members have a new chairman to champion engagement Rolls-Royce AMRC Partnership Manager, Dr Jamie McGourlay was voted in as the new Chairman of the AMRC Tech Board following the retirement of long-standing Chairman, Dr John Baumann of Boeing. Rebecca Ferguson speaks to him about his aspirations for the post.

The AMRC’s Tech Board meets bi- Jamie started at Rolls-Royce on a Jamie - at the AMRC. annually for the industrial members graduate training scheme in 1999. He said: “The relationship between of the AMRC to advise on topics of He spent 18 months working across Rolls-Royce and the AMRC is one that is research and development, focusing the company before taking a job at still flourishing. As the AMRC has grown, on industry’s commercial requirements the Turbine Blade Facility in Derby, so has our team here due to the support and how funding for the AMRC’s Board eventually becoming a Process and subsequently benefit Rolls-Royce Generic Projects should be allocated. Improvement Leader there, where he has drawn from as working as part of the Dr Jamie McGourlay is in a good specialised in directing and driving membership.” improvement within many of Rolls- position to lead the group, having been Jamie’s ambition is to ensure that all Royce’s manufacturing processes. an official observer for many years. members acquire the maximum benefit “It is a great honour to be appointed In 2004 Jamie joined the Central from their AMRC partnership and to to be the new Chairman, as members Manufacturing Technology team ensure the Tech Board is as effective as and representatives look for someone at Rolls-Royce to become their first it can be for everyone from the global who has an underlying understanding Partnership Manager working directly giants such as Rolls-Royce, to regional of how the Tech Board operates and with the AMRC as a newly joined Tier 1 SME members. understands its links into the wider partner. “John occupied the board chair to governance, management and He took up office at the AMRC’s represent broader engagement and engagement of the partnership within first building on the Advanced as a call to focus as to whether we the AMRC,” he said. Manufacturing Park (AMP) in are operating the right processes and “My time as Chairman comes after Rotherham, to find out what it was whether those processes are, in terms of people like John Baumann, who it could all about and what the AMRC model managing the partners group and core be argued has most encompassed what could offer. “We bought into it and were underlying research activity, effective. the role is about. There’s a lot of the completely on board from the start,” “That’s as much as you can do as a work that John directed that I hope to said Jamie. chair, to try and get that input out of continue.” From those humble beginnings, the your fellow board members and to set Jamie has spent the last 14 years of his AMRC site now has eight facilities strong and clear direction as a result.” career based at the AMRC as Rolls- spread over the AMP and Sheffield Jamie will use his chairmanship to build Royce Partnership Manager. As the Business Park. Rolls-Royce’s on the engagement of the AMRC’s company’s principal representative engagement has grown alongside the partners through their network of on site, he oversees the joint research expansion of the AMRC; the global members’ activities; where progress and programmes that come to the AMRC on pioneer of aero-engine technologies now outcomes of research are discussed, behalf of Rolls-Royce. hosts three staff members - including

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new projects and collaborations are capabilities to develop it. I do see the we define the work we do and how we formed and the development of future AMRC’s core research programme as a deliver it very seriously because it’s activities and capabilities which will means of starting to develop leaders in the heart and soul of how the AMRC provide most benefit to members is particular technical fields.” remains effective at what it does. deliberated. Jamie will also be championing more “Going forward I hope to continue to “It’s clear the AMRC groups take the engagement from the AMRC members create a successful environment for the subject of defining and delivering core to support the AMRC’s strategic aims collaboration that happens within the research very seriously and I am looking and influence them to ensure they are Tech Board. It’s growing and diverse forward to embedding that approach effective and for the benefit of everyone. membership is a sign the AMRC is throughout the AMRC membership. “For me, these processes keep the delivering on what it promises; it is a sign “I want to focus on getting the partners emphasis on new ideas and new of wider industry and the supply chain fully involved in driving the core research innovation which when matured can be realising that - as many of the original activity taking place, leveraging any driven directly into partner led initiatives partners do - that here is a model that further opportunities there are for and opportunities, this is what keeps the has something real and capable to research funding and championing any AMRC fresh,” he said. offer and that is of advantage to their business to engage, whether to its drive opportunities for collaboration with our “We make sure the strategy that has its own internal capabilities or to simply university network. been deployed is delivering and is get access and an understanding of its “As the chair of the University of Sheffield effective, is ultimately for the benefit partners and suppliers.” Manufacturing Research Board, I am of everybody in this collaboration. So aware we have a fantastic base of wider the Tech Board has to take both how resources out there we can draw on to drive our core research forward, such as our Industrial Doctorate Centre, which allows us to develop specific areas of technology over longer timeframes. “Technology doesn’t go anywhere without the right people, drives and

Top left/right: Advanced, high-strength, lightweight materials such as Titanium Metal Matrix Composites (TiMMCs) are set to play a key role in the new generation of ultra-quiet, low-emission, highly fuel-efficient aero engines. Key design support provided by AMRC. Bottom right: AMRC achieved a 50 per cent

reduction in the time it takes to manufacture Image: Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce fan discs. amrc.co.uk 11 AMRC NEWS

Members of the AMRC Composite Centre and KraussMaffei in front of the bespoke RimStar Compact High-Pressure Resin Transfer Moulding System.

The AMRC announces its unique KraussMaffei high-pressure RTM system and composite press facility is ready for collaborative R&D projects

Rebecca Ferguson reports.

The bespoke KraussMaffei RimStar shape parts can be achieved with the both heated and cooled processes Compact is the most advanced High- maximum amount of resin input. complete the system. Their large working Pressure Resin Transfer Moulding (HP- AMRC Composite Centre Research envelopes can be adapted for more RTM) system operational within a UK Engineer, Darren Wells, said: “This complex tooling geometries and will research institution and is being used unique feature of the system allows us open up opportunities for manufacturers by the AMRC to support its research to extend the range of highly reactive, where high customisation, but high- into developing novel composite but fast-acting resins and hardeners we volume production is required. technologies. work with, giving us greater flexibility to “There are wide-ranging benefits of The facility is a world first in terms of conduct research with novel or unusual using this new system in our research, its size, capabilities and the level of composite materials and produce which include improved processing monitoring and control it can provide the more complex geometric component times and cost, but also improved use AMRC Composite Centre. structures. of raw materials as no pre-preg, or The system comes complete with “These highly reactive resins are being ‘pre-impregnated’ composite material unique dual resin feeds and mixing used more frequently within HP-RTM is required,” said Darren. heads; where the resin and hardeners techniques and have made it possible Today, industry uses simple ‘preforms’ are mixed at the impingement head for us to bring cure times down to of composite material which are located in a closed, matched mould within three minutes. This dramatic impregnated with polymer resin and under a high-pressure colliding process reduction opens up the potential for cured to create composite material. to be instantaneously injected into the manufacturers to take advantage of “On our bespoke KraussMaffei high- preform. huge savings in turnaround times.” pressure RTM system, the injecting and The multiple heads mean resin flow rate A UK manufactured press with two curing of composites all happens in the is higher and large, but lightweight net- separate lower platens that allow for same mould, which means parts are

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structurally sound and consistent in quality and material characteristics,” he added. “This means there is a higher repeatability of the process, as it removes the variability of quality within pre-preg materials that stems from the laying and curing processes. “Often pre-preg additives are used to improve toughness during composite curing processes, especially for safety critical or structural composite components, but the viscosity is too high to inject under HP-RTM processes, so we are looking at lower viscosity additives and how they are mixed into the resin or preform so they don’t disrupt fibre The HP-RTM system is a world-first in terms of size, capability and monitoring and control. layout.” The AMRC Composites Centre now has the capacity for a variety of research collaborations to utilise this cutting edge high-pressure composite facility. “These highly reactive resins are being used “There are huge areas for potential more frequently within HP-RTM techniques growth in using composite technologies for many sectors as HP-RTM is ideal for and have made it possible for us to bring manufacturing integrated, lightweight structures with extremely fast cycle cure times down to within three minutes. This times,” said Darren. dramatic reduction opens up the potential “The KraussMaffei system provides us with immense machine flexibility for manufacturers to take advantage of huge thanks to its modular design, allowing savings in turnaround times.” us to tailor its configuration to specific customer requirements. This enables Darren Wells, AMRC Composite Centre research engineer. a wide range of UK manufacturers the opportunity to exploit the advantages HP-RTM processes have to offer such as improved through-put and cost savings,” he added. “We are looking forward to our future relationship and development programme with the AMRC, particularly in the area of aviation, where we see great potential for HP-RTM composite components. As a result of a recent AMRC automotive development programme using the KraussMaffei supplied HP-RTM equipment, KraussMaffei has received a serial volume production order for a HP-RTM metering from a UK based performance vehicle manufacturer”, added Stephen Lambert, RPM Business Manager KraussMaffei Group UK. The AMRC Composite Centre can be reached at: [email protected] or +44 (0)114 222 1747

The UK manufactured press allows high-customisation with high-value production.

amrc.co.uk 13 AMRC NEWS AMRC brings the Fourth Industrial Revolution to the small businesses of the UK at MACH 2018

The AMRC has been on a mission to show how digital technologies can unlock game-changing value streams, by breaking down the barriers to adoption and demonstrating low-cost and low-risk solutions for even the smallest of businesses.

Rebecca Ferguson reports.

This year at MACH 2018 the AMRC “The diversity of companies interested in which we are arguably amongst partnered with the Manufacturing in our legacy project was incredible, the leading integrators, but what has Technologies Association (MTA) to from the smallest of SMEs interested in really cheered us up is the way in which provide a unique showcase, replicating how we could help implement similar attendees have reacted to our legacy familiar manufacturing environments systems to improve their operations, equipment demonstrations. integrated with Industry 4.0 to major global companies wanting “People were excited to see the 1956 technologies. to achieve the same outcomes Colchester Bantam lathe, some saying The exhibition was an ideal venue for by upgrading still valuable legacy they trained on one of these, or they the AMRC to dispel misperceptions manufacturing processes,” he said. have one in their company and didn’t of the cost and complexity faced by “The interest in the demonstrator realise how easily and cheaply they SMEs when wanting to adopt these shows what determination companies could digitally enable these workhorses technologies. have to preserve and upgrade legacy of the installed SME base.” AMRC Software Engineer Matei manufacturing processes that still Professor Scott also said that this Moldoveanu, hosted one of IMG’s provide value, by taking advantage reaction validates the decision of star attractions, a project to retrofit a of the potential benefits of Industry the AMRC and MTA to put together legacy milling machine and lathe with a 4.0 technologies through low-cost this showcase: “UK manufacturers number of low-cost, digital technologies. investments.” want to adopt Fourth Industrial This Industry 4.0 technology allows Head of Digital at the AMRC, Professor Revolution technologies and data acquisition to enable accurate Rab Scott, said: “The reaction to the have been looking for exemplars monitoring of the condition of the stand surpassed our expectations. of how to do it in ways which machine and give production managers We expected a great response to don’t cost the earth and valuable information about energy the demonstrations of the latest which minimise disruption to consumption and performance. technologies like VR and AR – areas business as usual.

A team from our Integrated Manufacturing and Machining Groups Demonstrating the legacy milling was put together to host the AMRC stands. machine retrofitted with low cost sensors.

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Project RAID at MACH 2018. Olympic champion Ben Ainslie visited the AMRC stand after officially opening MACH 2018.

By attending MACH they have seen that instructions. Then built the other of the manufacturing processes for the the start to their digitalisation journey is half using a variety of technologies assembly of the Caterham. within reach.” covering all the themes of research “The MES is an intelligent system that MTA CEO James Selka said: “It is currently underway in Factory 2050; shares information, so if the specification vital that we help SMEs to find cost including robotics, automation and for a component or work instruction effective ways to get their businesses control, integrated metrology, digitally changes, the system is able to intuitively digitally enabled if UK manufacturing assisted assembly, manufacturing update and keep the assembly process is to fully embrace the Fourth Industrial informatics and visualisation of data to running effectively. collect information about the various Revolution. That’s why we’re delighted “We have used the system with Project construction processes along the way. to have been able to partner with RAID specifically to show how we can the AMRC on this project. With the The technologies being implemented develop a system that can create technology that is available and are designed to be easy to integrate complex work instructions from CAD affordable every business should be and demonstrate their ability to drive information and be intuitive enough to thinking about getting digital.” even the most advanced of Industry validate a system that can be adapted Another attraction that gained a lot 4.0 manufacturing techniques and for a variety of industrial requirements.” processes. of attention from visitors was IMG’s Sinan Ozbek, from Dassault, dropped by Reconfigurable Assembly Integrated The whole project is being powered by the stand to see the system in action. Demonstrator, or Project RAID. a manufacturing operations system He said: “The work the team has done This project shows how advanced called DELMIA Apriso, from Dassault on Project RAID is really impressive. technologies can be tailored to any Systemes. I’ve visited DELMIA Apriso users across complex full assembly process and used AMRC Project Manager, Alex Godbehere industry and countries and the AMRC to fuel improvements in manufacturing said: “DELMIA Apriso is the system we technology demonstrator is one of the productivity. have used to develop our Manufacturing best I’ve seen, a great achievement. The team assembled half of a Caterham Execution System (MES) for Project It was great to see it in action and sports car by hand as per the written RAID; this is the system that controls all generating so much attention.”

amrc.co.uk 15 AMRC Training Centre apprentice Ben Siddall latest rising star to win ‘Apprentice of the Year’

Twenty-one-year-old, Ben Siddall from Barnsley became the fourth apprentice to win the honour of being named ‘Apprentice of the Year’ at the AMRC Training Centre’s annual award ceremony at the University of Sheffield’s impressive Firth Court Hall.

The awards were generously supported our apprentices, and are judged by a people put me forward for the award by Boeing, and Ben - who works as a panel of AMRC Training Centre staff and who thought I was deserving of the Production and Perforation Department award sponsors. honour!” Manager for C&S Fabrications in This year the judges were struck by what Ben said one of the main highlights of Sheffield - will now get to tour Boeing’s a positive effect Ben has made within his year was utilising the skills he has commercial aircraft factory facilities in his workplace. His strong work ethic and learnt at the AMRC Training Centre to Washington State, outside Seattle in determination to succeed has already support improvements in-house at C&S the United States, to see first-hand how resulted in a promotion. The judges were Fabrications, such as applying the use the world’s largest aerospace company impressed by Ben’s passion and his of 3D CAD learnt as part of his technical designs, tests and builds its 737, 777, 747 infectious enthusiasm for engineering; support course. and 787 aeroplanes. making him a great ambassador for Managing Director of C&S Fabrications, The Apprentice of the Year Awards manufacturing. Shaun Siddall, was at the event. He uses nominations from employers and Speaking at the awards, Ben, said: said: “We are so proud that Ben has trainers who want to recognise the “I am totally shocked and surprised to won Apprentice of the Year, he is such achievement, innovation, fresh thinking have won Apprentice of the Year! I was a fantastic representative for our or contribution to industry exhibited by grateful just to be nominated and have company.

16 AMRC Journal Issue 8 APPRENTICESHIPS Other winners at the AMRC Training Centre Apprentice of the Year Awards were:

Machining Apprentice of the Year – First Year Apprentice of the Year – Will David Carroll of Doncasters Bramah. Morton of Tribsonics Ltd. Sponsored by Sponsored by Sandvik Coromant. the AMRC.

Technical Support Apprentice of the AMRC Training Centre Mentor of the Year – Ben Siddall of C&S Fabrications. Year – Chloé Fairman. Sponsored by Sponsored by The Source Academy. Apprentice Employment Agency. Fabrication and Welding Apprentice of Special recognition awards (sponsored the Year – Kyle Heighington of Wilson by the Manufacturing Technologies Brothers Ltd. Sponsored by Sheffield Association, Cutwel, Stanley Black & International Venues. Decker and Close Brothers Group plc) Maintenance Apprentice of the Year were also given to Abbie Plummer – Joshua Brookes of Thos C Wild Ltd. of Symphony Group, Andrei Popa of Sponsored by Hexagon Manufacturing CAM Hydraulics Ltd, Sam Cowley Intelligence. of the AMRC and Jacob Martin of Chesterfield Special Cylinders for their Academic Achiever of the Year – exemplary achievements, attitude and Benedict Bloomer of Arconic Forgings contributions to the Training Centre and Extrusions. Sponsored by Barnsley throughout the year. College.

Higher Achiever of the Year – Oliver Heafield of Rolls-Royce. Sponsored by The University of Sheffield.

“Ben has brought a new and different “All of our apprentices work hard to individuals that are such a magnet to approach to the company and as achieve the best results, and it is an inward investors seeking skills and a a result has implemented process honour to see some shining examples crucial part of the U.K’s future economy.” improvements that have brought great of success here tonight, our apprentices Ben said: “I always knew I was interested benefits to our workplace, all completely really are a credit to themselves and in engineering and would join that under his own initiative. Bringing in their companies.” profession. My apprenticeship with the younger talent definitely brings in fresh Professor Sir Keith Burnett, President AMRC has been the stepping stone new ideas and attitudes and having an and Vice-Chancellor of the University of that set me off in the right direction in apprentice join us from the AMRC has Sheffield, said: “I would like to extend my my career and given me the practical been such a worthwhile experience.” warmest congratulations to tonight’s skills that I needed to progress in my Director of the AMRC Training Centre, winner Ben on his success. workplace. Nikki Jones, said: “The Apprentice “Our apprentices are an important “In the future I look forward to working of the Year Awards is the highlight of part of our University and prized to the my way up within my company the Training Centre’s calendar; it is a companies who sponsor and employ and working hard to keep making fantastic opportunity for us to celebrate them. The AMRC Training Centre improvements. I am excited to see what the achievements of our apprentices gives people a crucial alternative route the future holds from here!” and shows, with the right attitude, into higher education so here at the commitment and support, just what University and the AMRC, we are further anyone can achieve. able to attract the clever and talented

amrc.co.uk 17 Leigh Worsdale, AMRC ‘Apprentice of the Year’ 2017 on her trip to Boeing in the USA. Success is all about the right attitude for award-winning apprentice Leigh Worsdale

As the latest winner of the AMRC success of her employers, Chesterfield It is this kind of forward-thinking and Training Centre’s Apprentice of the company Foxwood Diesel: dedication to her workplace that Year Awards has been announced, “Seeing my company grow and the landed Leigh the coveted title of we took a look back over the last year changes I’ve been able to make to a ‘Apprentice of the Year’ in 2017. with the 2017 winner of the title, small developing business has been my The judges were Leigh Worsdale. highlight, I feel like I’ve played a big part ‘overwhelmingly’ impressed by From media appearances, to job offers in building the business up. Leigh’s confidence and spoke from around the world and starting the “I started off improving health and about how she continuously journey to becoming a young apprentice safety standards, ensuring the working seeks ways to improve ambassador, the last 12 months have environment was clean and went onto her workplace and its been a whirlwind for the AMRC’s first change manufacturing systems to processes. female Apprentice of the Year and make them more efficient and effective; Leigh’s achievements heavy duty diesel engine builder, Leigh cutting cost, reducing waste, improving also led to her being Worsdale. stock control and time management. awarded ‘Chesterfield’s When asked what the highlight of her Employing these kinds of process Apprentice of the Year’ year is however, she will tell you that improvements really affects not just the in the North Midlands what gives her the most satisfaction working life of the staff, but productivity and South Yorkshire is knowing she is contributing to the as well.” Apprentice Awards

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“Apprenticeships really do make a difference to the lives of young people, I am evidence of that!”

and ‘Highly apprenticeship training in the Sheffield the value of apprenticeship training: Commended City Region. “Foxwood Diesel has a long history of Advanced Apprentice In January 2018 she was interviewed employing apprentices over the years of the Year for the East on BBC Radio 4’s flagship Today and in fact, everyone currently working Midlands’ in the National programme which was broadcast across at the company started their career as Apprenticeship Awards. the nation from the AMRC Training an apprentice. The jewel in the crown of Centre and she will soon be represented “Working with the AMRC Training her award-winning year was in a series of short films highlighting Centre has improved our standards not her trip to the USA hosted by outstanding early career professionals only as a business, but as a team as well Boeing, where Leigh enjoyed for the Great Exhibition of the North. and Leigh has been the connection by a tour of the aerospace giant’s Looking back on her year, the evidence adding new and improved systems and sites in Los Angeles, Portland is clear to Leigh that all her hard procedures. and Seattle – learning more about work is paying off: “I’ve had so many “Leigh is not only a skilled engine the world-renowned manufacturer opportunities come my way and builder but her business knowledge has as her prize for winning Apprentice received job offers from all around the improved dramatically since starting of the Year. world, which shows just how much with us as an apprentice and her next Leigh never expected her award to opportunity there is out there for young step at Foxwood Diesel is to become bring her so much attention: “The people doing apprenticeships.” a mentor by showing other staff how awards just kept on coming this year, it’s Leigh’s apprenticeship has given her to work with the systems she has been an amazing experience! It’s great grand plans for the future and she is developed and installed.” to have your achievements recognised in now furthering her higher education by For Leigh, an apprenticeship was all that way, especially by Boeing. completing her Level 4 HNC studies. She about getting the experience and the “I was also invited to demonstrate is also pursuing training opportunities opportunities for career development Industry 4.0 technologies to Members to diversify her skills and knowledge of she needed, whilst being able to earn of Parliament at a High Value modern engine technologies: a wage. She encourages anyone Manufacturing Catapult event at the “I would like to travel, so gaining more considering an apprenticeship to go House of Commons. It’s a big honour qualifications will be imperative to allow for it: “Do it! Anyone can be successful, to be seen as a representative for the me to take advantage of opportunities my story isn’t unusual, I just work hard AMRC Training Centre.” abroad, having all those contacts from and I am given the right focus. I still feel These events sparked a unique job offers will come in useful! like there is still a stigma to undertaking an apprenticeship, but now things opportunity to work with the Young “A successful apprenticeship is about are changing and the benefits, not Apprentice Ambassadors Network. Leigh having the right attitude; I always take just for the young people but for their will now be a figurehead for engineering any opportunity the AMRC Training companies and UK industry, are finally apprenticeships in Yorkshire and share Centre gives me, any extra training I being seen. her passion for engineering with young sign up for. I tell people that the AMRC students. will give you the skills to go as far as “Apprenticeships really do make a Ellen Messias, Project Director for the you want to go in life. I wouldn’t be difference to the lives of young people, Young Apprentice Ambassador Network, the person I am today without my I am evidence of that!” said: “We will be supporting Leigh to apprenticeship.” engage with students, parents and For the time being however, she is teachers to inform them about the invested in company life at Foxwood higher educational options available Diesel, using her knowledge to focus within apprenticeship training. on improving manufacturing systems “Leigh is perfect for this role as she and costs: “I feel my apprenticeship speaks so passionately about her has been so successful. I want to work and is so committed to her spend time seeing what other apprenticeship. She is well placed to improvements I can make. Seeing help support young people to make a small 10-person business grow informed decisions about their future.” due to the effect of the new ideas Leigh is now an experienced you can bring in is immensely ambassador; she has appeared rewarding.” throughout print and broadcast media, Ken Worsdale, Director of becoming the face of successful Foxwood Diesel knows

Leigh being interviewed by ITN. amrc.co.uk 19 APPRENTICESHIPS Oliver makes his mark AMRC Training Centre apprentice, Oliver Marsh, scooped a major industry apprenticeship award for his role in helping the UK’s largest manufacturer of wheelie bins reduce the cost of its production processes by more than £135,000 a year. John Yates reports.

The 21-year-old aspiring rock musician, In her response to the news that Oliver visit us and discuss what they could offer an apprentice with the OnePlastics had won the award, AMRC Training in the way of apprenticeships. They then Group, was the clear winner in the Centre Director, Nikki Jones, said she advertised for a Technical Apprentice plastic industry’s equivalent of the was delighted that his talent had been and created a short list of candidates. Oscars – Polymer Apprentice of the recognised: “Oliver was a very dedicated After an extensive interviewing, Oliver Year Award – the official ceremony and hard-working apprentice, quick to was offered the position and began his for which was held in London. develop new skills and eager to learn apprenticeship with us. A few weeks later he was making more. His achievement is proof that “Having gained knowledge of CAD at national news with being interviewed investing in good apprentices pays real the AMRC Training Centre, he has used by Justin Webb on the BBC’s agenda- dividends.” this to great effect with us. He used CAD setting Today programme during MGB agrees. Having spent more than to model the fit of our lids, which some a three-hour outside broadcast on £25 million in advanced technology, customers had identified as an issue, the shop floor at the AMRC Training including large presses, the company and found a mismatch between the Centre along with some of his former was equally keen to invest in its human hinge fixing pin and the bin mating hole. colleagues. capital: training the next generation of He redesigned the pin and improved the Barnsley-born Oliver, who works in polymer engineers in its three plants at tolerances using CAD. Having tested a the Group’s state-of-the-art, highly Rotherham, Tamworth and Hull. prototype and run moulding trials on the automated MGB Plastics factory in Gary Blanshard, MGB Plastics Technical new hinge pin, he proved out the fit and Rotherham, said he was delighted to Manager, said the firm wanted to bring function through assembly trials.” win the award: “It’s a privilege and an bright young engineers into the business But it is Oliver’s use of lean principles, honour to get this award. Working at to maintain its position as market taught by his close mentors, that has MGB has been brilliant; the company leader in the supply of wheeled bins. most impressed his colleagues. “He has given me so much support and “We decided that the best way forward has transformed what was already a encouragement. My mentors at work was to get someone on board who had market leading printing technology have taught me how to use lean no pre-conceived ideas of how things used to emboss the more than techniques and processes to drive should be done. The way to do this was 1.5 million bins we produce each improvements in productivity and to train them from scratch,” Gary said. year,” said Gary. “Oliver’s forensic performance. But the start of my journey “We invited the AMRC Training Centre to examination of the change-over began with the AMRC.” process from one council crest to another has turned the operation into the polymer equivalent of a Formula One pit stop – fast, efficient and very slick. “We estimate that this improvement alone is saving the business in excess of £137,000 a year by getting the plate changes down to just 34 seconds from 10 minutes. It is a brilliant example of a single-minute exchange of die (SMED) approach, which Oliver has picked up very quickly and developed with us. He is now a key member of our plant automation team tasked with taking significant costs out of the business, and is looking at how the firm’s equipment might need to be uplifted to meet new industry standards. If there is a productivity-critical issue, Oliver is in the mix.” AMRC Apprentices Sam Cowley, Leigh Worsdale and Oliver Marsh with AMRC Training Centre Director Nikki Jones (centre) and the BBC’s Justin Webb (centre right) during Radio 4’s Today Programme broadcast.

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Oliver has come a long way fast. He • Providing accurate process setting with looking at how their existing is a vital member of the MGB team data to reduce start-up rejection. equipment might need to be uplifted with responsibility for: • Carrying out new product and to meet new standards for the • Measuring chilled water flow and material trials. industry. temperature data and to highlight • Processing support and training to When not saving his company six any trend changes before they the shift Production Technicians. figure sums with his ingenuity, Oliver cause production issues. is bass player in the band Alba Rosa • Providing operating performance – White Rose – who were recently • Monitoring and maintaining each data for the Senior Management centre stage at the 02 Academy machine cycle time. Team. in Sheffield as support to The Lost • Challenge the shift production team He is also a key member of the firm’s Days. He now has to decide whether to give valid reasons for any that plant automation team tasked his future lies in driving bass lines are running out of standard – rectify with taking £117,000 of costs out for the band, or production lines for any problems. of the business. His work has now OnePlastics. • Technical support to Quality gone to the Managing Director Whatever he chooses, his fan base is Engineers. for consideration and approval. growing in both places. The company has also tasked him

amrc.co.uk 21 CONSTRUCTION A spur to innovation Three recent Innovate UK funded projects have just been completed by engineers at Factory 2050. John Yates talked to the teams involved to see how Innovate UK funding is helping drive the adoption of digital technologies in construction and among small and medium sized manufacturers using legacy equipment. Augmenting productivity and collaboration When Mark Farmer’s report landed on the Construction Industry Leadership Council’s desk two years ago the message was clear: Modernise or Die. And that meant adopting digital and advanced manufacturing technologies to improve productivity and enhance the skills and training of a much more agile and collaborative workforce. But which digital technologies? For many in the industry, the choice of technologies is both vast and confusing. Augmented reality used to create building information model (BIM) data on-site. Now, a new report by the AMRC’s engineers in Factory 2050, Augmented overlaid onto the real-world assets, system, will also drive a change in Worker: Capture, guides would-be contextualising the data in real-time and culture within the construction sector to adopters of smart digital visualisation drastically reducing the delay between one that is much more collaborative. technologies through the seemingly data capture and data interpretation. impenetrable maze of options. The report also looks at how the data Projecting the Authors of the Innovate-funded captured can be stored and exported in research, Chris Freeman, Sean Wilson, a BIM level 3 compliant method.” right image Jonathan Gray, Audrey Chivaura, and The authors build on the AMRC’s The tallest luxury residential tower in Carlos Frias, take the reader on an eye- industry-backed Augmented Worker London was the test-bed for a novel opening journey through the different (AWE) project to provide a visually projection demonstrator developed augmented reality (AR) delivery methods driven interactive platform for the by the AMRC which looks set to yield – including projection, tablet, monocular construction industry that will enable more than 50 per cent productivity and binocular displays – and the diverse intelligent design, monitoring and improvements for skilled construction mobile capture devices on the market maintenance of construction projects by tradesmen, along with big gains in the including 3D scanning, thermal capture providing a greater level of collaboration quality of final fit-outs. and hidden asset capture. and communication between teams Two-Fifty-One in Southwark, which “Our report is centred around the and partners on projects. “Reducing topped out last month at a height creation of an asset management the need for paper or mobile based of 131 metres, was provided by Laing application using AR to supplement an handheld devices, also gives workers O’Rourke as a use-case for an Innovate operative’s vision with objects or assets a hands free, heads-up solution for a UK funded project that explored how that are currently hidden or obscured greater level of safety whilst providing digital projection technologies could from view. Using the thermal and hidden real-time visualisation on-site,” says be deployed in marking-up component asset capture technology, multiple live Wilson. positions such as power sockets, lights data feeds can be taken from these The economic benefits will ensure and sprinklers. third party devices and plotted in the efficient and successful construction technician’s field of view within the projects with significant return on “The construction industry has changed augmented environmental,” says the investment being realised relatively fast. very little over recent decades, but, as AMRC’s Augmented Reality Technical Industry-wide adoption of digitisation the Farmer Report demonstrates, it Lead, Sean Wilson. “The delivery through BIM and smart systems, such needs to embrace digital technologies if platform enables captured data to be as the AWE capture asset management it is to remain competitive and improve

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people. One of the challenges of digital adopt, the authors of the new report, technology is that it can frighten people Aiden Lockwood, Rikki Coles and Matei off: this is instantly recognisable and Moldoveanu, provide a comprehensive accessible.” survey of what is available, from the A 3D model of an apartment building various cloud platforms – IBM Cloud, was used to understand how the spatial Amazon, Google and the Siemens limitations of the site would dictate the Mindsphere – through to the technology, required throw distance of the projector. application and data architectures. The size and shape of the projection unit The team looked at location tracking in was such that a sack truck was an ideal a manufacturing environment using a transport medium for the entire system. variety of methods, including BLE. The Prototype designs were made which research showed that whilst this a good would allow mounting the projection technology its performance is greatly unit onto a sack truck. This would affected by interference from other allow for the system to be easily moved devices; attenuation from concrete, around the site and provide a stable water, and in particular the personal platform to project from. devices most people now carry, which all absorb RF energy around 2.4GHz; multipath effects caused by indoor Making sense spaces with metal surfaces which may of sensors lead to self-interference of the signal; The projection system on-site. and polarisation - if the tag and receiver Low-cost sensor technologies are not co-polarised, which is often the being developed at the AMRC could case in standard setups, this reduces margins,” says Chris Freeman, the significantly reduce the barriers to signal intensity. AMRC’s Factory 2050 digital theme adopting digitalised manufacturing In addition, the report also discusses the lead. processes, from asset tracking systems technologies utilised as part of the two “The industry may use Building in the construction industry through legacy machine tool demonstrators – a Information Modelling (BIM) to design a to retrofitting smart devices to older, 1956 Colchester Bantam Lathe and a building, but the digital journey seems to legacy machine tools to increase 1972 Bridgport milling machine – which end at the building site where trades use machine tool uptime and the shift to proved to be a sensation at the recent drawings to complete the construction. more predictive maintenance. MACH 2018 exhibition (see report on Our demonstrator is a simple, smart The work, captured in the Innovate page 14) and showed just how easy it and effective way of bridging the gap UK funded SenSmart project report, is to fit either ultra-low cost hobbyist between digital design and paper-based explores all the technologies currently sensors or still relatively inexpensive, construction processes,” says Diego available and then drills down into at robust industry-ready technologies. Aranda, AMRC systems technical lead Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), “One of the main drivers behind who managed the project. WiFi, Ultra-Wideband, and other digitalising legacy equipment is to The results are staggering. Operators technologies, which includes Bluetooth enable smarter monitoring and to who tested the bespoke projection Low Energy (BLE) a current industry provide machine owners better insights mapping system on a number of prestige standard, as these offer the best balance to make more informed decisions around buildings in the capital were able to between coverage, accuracy and cost maintenance and machine health,” says complete the mark-up process of an for indoor applications, especially in the AMRC’s Aiden Lockwood, Technical entire floor in 34.5 hours: a time saving factories. Fellow for Manufacturing Informatics of 45.5 hours. This is chiefly due to the For those who are unsure which would and Industry 4.0. way the software has been adapted to be the most appropriate technology to allow operators to map and project a PDF drawing onto a wall, floor or ceiling within an apartment. The solution the team came up with interfaces with other data and documents; knows what to project and where; is easily moved; requires minimal user training; minimises potential tripping hazards; and has the robustness for construction. “Our design is both simple and robust and the operators really like its ease of use,” says AMRC Senior Project Engineer, Arthur Kershaw, who designed and built the dolly-based projector system. “It might not look hi-tech, but Sensors turn legacy lathes into smart machine tools. that is part of its attraction to the trades

amrc.co.uk 23 TWIN CONTROL The reality behind virtual machining AMRC engineers are part of a five-nation research project helping Europe’s €23 billion machine tool industry stave off competition from the Far East, and drive productivity improvements in high-value manufacturing in the automotive and aerospace sectors. twincontrol John Yates reports.

Erdem Ozturk has an eye to the future Budak had developed a method for the “He was absolutely right,” says Erdem. and an ear for the past. His work on design of variable pitch milling tools “There was no formula available to virtual machining for Horizon 2020’s that increased material removal rates predict chatter vibrations until 1954, multi-million-pound Twin Control by optimising stability of the process. and even now the fight against chatter project may be at the cutting edge of His achievement led to the award is continuing as innovators develop new digital technology, but he knows it is of the coveted Taylor medal by the processes, tools and materials for the dealing with problems identified more International Academy for Production Amanufacture new of high-value components.concept for than a century earlier by the American Engineering (CIRP). As researchers, we are working hard on pioneer of scientific management, But it is Taylor’s 1907 book ‘On the Art developing and improving predictive Frederick Taylor. of Cutting Metals’ that still fascinates machinemodels to catch up with these tool and “I first heard of Taylor and the problem the man leading the AMRC effort to developments to serve the needs of of chatter when I was asked to write help improve machine tool productivity machining industry. We have a fast a short essay on him during my using virtual machining and process processgrowing knowledge of virtual machining simulation second year at Middle East Technical monitoring techniques undreamt of in and optimisation at the AMRC. University,” says Erdem, who leads the the early 20th century. “Knowledge that could save the virtual machining work package of a In his book Taylor notes that “chatter machine tool makers and end-users, project whose partners include French andtens of millions of pounds.control We know, is the most obscure and delicate of car maker, Renault and Spain’s MASA all problems facing the machinist – for instance, that as much as 53 per Aerospace. probably no rules or formulae can be cent of the total life cycle costs of a “Taylor was the productivity guru of devised which will accurately guide machine tool is related to maintenance his time. His equation identifying the the machinist in taking maximum cuts and electricity consumption. By relation between cutting speed and and speeds possible without producing developing accurate predictive tools, Real and Cyber worlds will be linked in a cloud tool life was invaluable for machining chatter.” we could significantly reduce the platform, allowing model-based actions and fleet process planners. It helped them cost of maintenance and drive big wide expertise. understand how much tool life would improvements in productivity. And that decrease with increased cutting speed,” Cyberis the goal World of Twin Control.” he added. AThe new project simulation brings together private and public sector partners in Germany, Erdem’s fascination with dynamic FLEET-BASED model that integrates Real World machining led to a Masters, under the the different aspects watchful eye of Professor Erhan Budak, KNOWLEDGE The machining process FLEET-BASED and another connection with Taylor. that affect machine and machine condition tool and machining KNOWLEDGE will be monitored. performance.

MACHINE MACHINE TOOL STRUCTURE PROCESS MACHINE MACHINING TOOL STRUCTURE PROCESS CNC ENERGY CNC ENERGY

FEED DRIVES MACHINE TOOL FEED MACHINE FLEET-BASED CONDITIONS DRIVES TOOL CONDITIONS KNOWLEDGE

24 AMRC Journal Issue 8 EXPECTED RESULTS Reduction of machine tool First-time-right part set-up time manufacturing Increase in machine up-time Minimization of energy consumption

twin control

twincontrol.eu @twin_control

Project coordinator IK4-TEKNIKER Mikel Armendia [email protected]

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A new concept for machine tool and processtwincontrol simulation and control A new concept for

machineReal and tool Cyber worlds and will be linked in a cloud platform, allowing model-based actions and fleet wide expertise. process simulation TWIN CONTROL Cyber World A new simulationand control model that integrates Real World the different aspects The machining process that affect machine FLEET-BASED and machine condition tool and machining RealKNOWLEDGE and Cyber worlds will willbe linked be monitored. in a cloud performance. platform, allowing model-based actions and fleet wide expertise. Cyber World A new simulation MACHINE MACHINING TOOL STRUCTUREmodel that integratesPROCESS Real World the different aspects The machining process thatCNC affect machineENERGY FLEET-BASED and machine condition Images from the AMRC and Twin-Controltool and Virtual machining Machining Conference video, presentedKNOWLEDGE by Dr Erdem Ozturk. Search YouTube: ‘AMRC Twin Control’. FLEET-BASEDwill be monitored. performance.FEED MACHINE DRIVES TOOL CONDITIONS KNOWLEDGE

Belgium, France and Spain in a and process monitoring is proving really detect unexpected energy flows and MACHINE MACHINING concerted effort to develop a new breedTOOL STRUCTURE useful, not onlyPROCESS in the development and perform preventive actions during real of integrated ‘simulation models’ based design stages, but mainly during the processing. CNC ENERGY on sophisticated sensors embedded production stage where it enables the Finally, the new model should improve FLEET-BASED in machine tools and cloud-based FEEDoperator to MACHINEcheck that production is machine reliability and increase data analytics.EXPECTED The AMRC Machining RESULTS DRIVESrunning smoothly,TOOL CONDITIONS detect wear and tear machine up-timeKNOWLEDGE due to a proactive Dynamics team, led by Erdem Ozturk, without needing to halt production, and maintenance by a factor of five per is delivering the virtual machining to predict component failure and other cent. The exact knowledge of how solutions in the projectReduction along with Luke of machinedisruptions,” said tool Erdem. First-time-righteach component will workpart enables a Berglind. set-up time He believes the project will reduce the manufacturingvery accurate estimation of their end With just six months remaining on a time taken to get machines working as of life. This capability, combined with three-year project, Erdem is confidentEXPECTED RESULTSdesigned (a 10 per cent time and cost the results of machine tool testing that the solutions beingIncrease developed byin machinereduction). up-timeIt will also reduce the time Minimizationprocedure, the real of component energy end- the project team will not only benefitReduction the it takes of to machineget the process tool working as consumptionFirst-time-rightlife and maintenance part action historical European machine tool industry – nowset-up designedtime (a 20 per cent time and cost manufacturingdata obtained through the fleet-based very much concentrated in Germany reduction). This is because the new data management will lead to a more – but also high-value manufacturingIncrease simulation in machine and control up-time tools will allow Minimizationefficient maintenance of energy strategy. companies and their supply chains. a faster set-up of production processes consumptionThe success of the project does not In particular, it should enable the at the end-user site. Precise estimations mean that Frederick Taylor’s problem automotive and aerospace sectors to of part accuracy and additional of chatter has been silenced. On the optimise their own processes: industries features, including lifecycle, will allow contrary, the development of ever more that are vital to the health of the UK an optimisation of process and machine sophisticated tools and processes economy. parameters prior to implementation in is throwingtwin down new gauntlets to Aerospace and defence alone are worth plant. machiningcontrol dynamics researchers like £55 billion a year to UK Plc and support In addition, Twin Control research Erdem. twin more than 240,000 jobs. The automotive will drive a step change in right-first- “Virtual machining can help us industry – ranking among the most time manufacturing as the developed twincontrol.eucontrol @twin_controlunderstand the problem of chatter on productive facilities in the world – simulation tool will integrate different power skiving, which is still very little twincontrol.eu accounts for 12 per cent of UK exports, aspects that affect machining understood and could be of huge value @twin_control and has a turnover of close to £80 billion performance. This approach enables Projectto the aerospacecoordinator industry,” says Erdem, a year supporting 814,000 jobs. machine tool dynamics, control and the IK4-TEKNIKERas he prepares to follow once more in machining process to be integrated, Project coordinator A key part of the project is to explore MikeltheIK4-TEKNIKER Armendiafootsteps of Taylor and Budak. allowing a more accurate prediction of how digital technologies (sensors and [email protected] more Armendia information: data analytics) can be exploited to the part quality compared to current [email protected] improve machine tool performance. single feature focused simulation tools. @twin_control Currently, software packages tend to It is also anticipated that the project focus on a single feature related to a will help the machine tool industry machine tool or machining process. reduce energy consumption by between What is needed – and what Twin Control 25 and 50 per cent, as the new tools is delivering – is a much more holistic will define energetic optimal machine approach that covers machine tool configurations by improved criteria for kinematic and dynamic behaviour, CNC component selection. The simulation This project has received funding from the European control and machining process. “We are models will be combined with real-time Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation finding that the combination of models monitored data from the machines to programme under grant agreement nº 680725.

amrc.co.uk 25

TC rollup 1000x425 em10 .indd 1 26/2/18 15:08

TC rollup 1000x425 em10 .indd 1 26/2/18 15:08 DIGITAL TWIN On the verge of massive disruption In a wide ranging discussion, Paul Haimes – PTC’s vice-president of technical sales in Europe – talks to AMRC full stack developer, Jonathan Eyre, about digital twins, immersive technologies and the massive disruptive change that is coming to the workplace of the future.

JE: So what is a digital twin? somewhere. Now that could be in the PH: How far the digital twin term PH: A digital twin is a connected form of an edge device, or some edge extends is an interesting point. For me representation of a physical asset, that compute layer, is then managing that it’s the way you act on information. could be a product, could be the factory, information and discarding what is If you take for example an analytics but the important thing is that it is unnecessary, but then filtering and model, a predictive maintenance connected and streaming information working and distributing only what is perhaps, that digital twin information about what is taking place. A digital twin important. if it is being monitored and assessed is not just a piece of CAD software with The data from the connected asset is against a predictive model then for me a model in it representing what is going being persisted somewhere. It could that is forming part of a digital twin: on; an electronic representation is not a be historian, it could be a spreadsheet, data coming in is being acted upon in digital twin. could be a device cloud, could be a SQL real-time against a known behaviour that leads to a particular outcome. JE: Within your description, you database, but the important thing is it’s Digital twin has to extend simply beyond mentioned the connection is critical; going somewhere and the data being just gathering data, ones and zeros; it what does this mean to you in terms of stored is being turned into information is about what you do with it. If you are how quick does a feed need to be to be at some point in its life. This could be just gathering data, you might think you real-time and up-to-date? real time or something done as part of a batch process. have a digital twin, but you could have PH: The important point here on just spent a great deal of money that JE: So stored information about connectivity is the device, the asset, is probably not going to deliver a great something that physically exists, and has the ability to capture its own deal of value back into the company. performance with whatever functions it then re-run that to form a visual about JE: So here you mentioned value; is doing. Then it needs to have the ability what it was doing previously, would you what do you deem to be the best to record and persist that information define that as a digital twin? value? Do you see it being more in design, simulation around real-time or maintenance and repair? PH: That is the million dollar question and it’s always going to be different depending on the company you are talking to. When it comes to digital twin, the most common reference is when it comes to maintenance and keeping assets running. For example, we are just doing some work with a forging company that has connected one of its forging lines that historically failed every three to four months. In that instance, through connecting the line and not having any machine learning ability here, the operators learned to understand the signals and the feeds coming off the line to the point where they were then able to spot where problems were developing with the clutch. They were then able to proactively fix the issue before a failure happened just in time rather than after the case. That is now saving them

A Digital Twin dashboard demonstrator, built using historical data to generate insights into and predict physical asset performance.

26 AMRC Journal Issue 8 around $200,000 a year because that line has now been running for nine months without any failure. It is that vision JE: The first example with the forging company, from what you have described, is a of machine learning monitoring application with data connected to a visualisation of that information. Do you around the spotting of describe this as a digital twin? patterns PH: I do, I think it’s the value of the digital twin. goes way beyond If we go back to the real-time understanding of what a human could how the product is being used you’re feeding that information, you are then feeding this into possibly do to understand the engineering environment so if the engineers have access to the dashboards that allow them the intricacies of what is to see what is going on with the products they are designing, they might have a requirements happening on list that they are working on, but the insight that the digital twin provides allows them to validate the line. redundant parts to reduce the number of

Continues over page... amrc.co.uk 27 DIGITAL TWIN requirements or constraints of a system. on the line form an integral part of consume information. When thinking about the app digital twins. JE: My last point is, are digital twins generation of today where we want JE: With all what we have discussed in going to be universal for everyone or them focused on purely what we mind, how do immersive technologies fit have to be highly configurable viewports want them to do is now filtering down into this picture? for users? into the way we interact with things PH: That’s a good question. I’m going PH: I think it has to be role based, it’s such as mobility, vehicles, household to give you a high-level answer to this part of the value of the digital twin is appliances, anything we make and question because of the number of that you are gathering vast amounts touch. Consumers want the simplistic connected devices on this planet is of information about your connected approach to the way in which they going to explode and the sheer amount assets and that information is valuable interact with products. Steve Jobs said of data that then needs to be processed, to different people in different ways. ‘simplicity is the ultimate complexity’ turned into something valuable, but If we talk about that connected factory, and what he meant was making then delivered back to the user. This all for instance the forging company we something the easiest to use is actually stems to why we bought Vuforia, why mentioned earlier, we have the CEO and quite complex and difficult, but certainly we continue to aggressive develop AR directors that have their dashboard view we see a shift in the way people are capability is the value that is derived of what is happening on their shop floor interacting with devices. from all this data still needs to be lines. They want to be able to see all the JE: If you think back to the SCADA delivered back to the human and the relevant information at a high level, such systems with HMIs showing cells fastest, most digestible way to consume as the overall equipment effectiveness running at a factory level with real-time this digital information I believe will be (OEE) of the assets as don’t need to see connectivity, would you classify that as through an augmented experience. the temperatures of the furnaces, they a digital twin system? Our ability to have information streamed just care about what is making them PH: I would, seeing the data and seeing to us about things we need to know, money on the shop floor. what is going on is useful but most I think we are on the verge of some This goes all the way down to the importantly it is how you act on it that hugely disruptive phase, where at some engineers on the shop floor who need makes the difference. They have been point, somebody is going to come the information relevant to them in around a long time and have been out with something useful in terms of the area they are working, which can’t used to good effect to be able to react eyewear that is un-intrusive, cool from be the one size fits all for these two to issues on the line perhaps more a consumer point of view, safe to use examples. quickly, but what we are talking about in an industrial context and all of that The value in which we are talking with Industry 4.0 is the ability to predict together with things like GPS locations about is the way in which we condition rather than react. It is that vision of and GEO-fencing. data so it becomes valuable for machine learning around the spotting I see it as something that will explode the user. It comes back to Steve of patterns goes way beyond what a in the next five years or as soon as a Jobs with ‘simplicity is the ultimate human could possibly do to understand device comes around that is capable complexity’, the way in which we are the intricacies of what is happening on of delivering that. The data will be able to condition data to deliver what is the line. Then of course on top of this streamed us based on our location, necessary is one of the key points of the you have the connected worker with based on our role within the business, Fourth Industrial Revolution that we are augmented reality to then maintain based on consumer buying habits from rattling towards now is about providing it and that in theory offers benefits in our general lives and so forth. All of just that. reduced time to solve particular issues that will explode in terms of the way we

28 SMART METROLOGY

Intelligent machining The research skills of our machining engineers are critical to the AMRC’s reputation as the go-to-place for some of the most demanding, high-value manufacturing companies on the planet. John Yates talks to the Machining Group’s Head of Research, Tom McLeay and Professor Mahdi Mahfouf, about the digital revolution in manufacturing.

Tom McLeay is discussing data developing ‘fuzzy algorithms’ for use manufacturing value-chains increasingly informatics with Professor Mahdi in modelling and control in advanced digitised. “Future factories will have to Mahfouf. Within the first few minutes manufacturing and healthcare. be faster, more responsive and closer to the conversation has ranged from He and Tom meet regularly as members customers as manufacturing is driven Galileo – ‘measure what is measurable, of the EPSRC funded Future Advanced towards mass customisation of lower- and make measurable what is not so’ – Metrology Hub whose goal is ‘to create cost products on demand,” say McLeay. through to Einstein’s views on insanity. ground-breaking embedded metrology And metrology is crucial to this digital Mahfouf argues that if we reverse and universal metrology informatics shift as it underpins quality, productivity Einstein’s famous aphorism – ‘insanity systems’ that can be applied across and efficiency gains under these new is doing the same thing over and over the manufacturing value chain. The manufacturing paradigms. again and expecting different results’ – project aims to ‘effect a paradigm shift in Which brings us back to Einstein and we get a neat description of what can measurement technologies, embedded insanity. What if the models currently happen when manufacturing relies too sensors and instrumentation and used to guide production processes heavily on imperfect models. metrology solutions.’ contain flaws based on the inclusion of “Data, like measurement, has been Mahfouf and McLeay are all too aware poor or misleading data? Is industry right taken too much for granted,” says the that manufacturing is evolving through to think these models will continue to Algerian-born academic, who has disruptive technologies towards a deliver a good result over and over again. earned an international reputation for goal of autonomous production, with Not at all, says Mahfouf, in fact, the

Continues over page... amrc.co.uk 29 SMART METROLOGY equipment health

quality 35 microns

operational efficiency

deflection 95% results could be disastrous. made by using live, data driven models “People seem to think that big data to describe the true behaviour of our is all about volume; but it is much manufacturing system. We can already more complex and multidimensional relate information in our metrology data than that,” says Mahfouf, a leading to the judgments that an expert makes, large area electronics, automation, researcher in the University of Sheffield’s but a rationalised metrology system, novel materials – will also be greatly Faculty of Engineering, who was invited taking the right measurements, at the enhanced and accelerated as a result of to become part of the Future Metrology right time, in-process, is now needed to these outputs,” he added. make this cost-effective in production.” Hub by Dame Xiangqian (Jane) Jiang at The choice of the AMRC as a key the University of Huddersfield. McLeay is convinced that the Hub will partner in the Hub is based both on the If successful, the Hub’s metrology data develop a new generation of metrology close links we have with Huddersfield analytics will create a smart knowledge technologies, methods and capabilities and also the role we are now playing system that unifies metrology that are essential to the creation of in shaping the contours of the Fourth language, understanding, and usage future digital, flexible, reconfigurable and Industrial Revolution. AMRC Executive between design, production and autonomous factories. “The outputs will Dean, Professor Keith Ridgway, said: verification. Such a system will be able include new sensors and instruments “Metrology, distributed data capture to extract maximum information from that greatly extend the applications of and analytics are at the heart of the measurement data, conduct a complete embedded metrology, and new software AMRC vision for flexible, reconfigurable verification of the product in-process, solutions to embed metrology across the and digital manufacturing as embodied and as required, dynamically re-design manufacturing value-chain,” he said. in our new Factory 2050 facility. Our the process and even product itself in This will create the essential link role as an innovation spoke coupled light if this information. between design, manufacture and with the Department of Automatic “Our role is to help integrate cyber verification, as well as developing Control and Systems Engineering’s role physical systems, including data methods for data extraction and in the manufacturing informatics spoke modelling, optimisation, control analysis that will enable exploitation complements the core capability of the processes and such with the ultimate of the exponentially growing big data team in Huddersfield and builds upon a aim of achieving right first time that embedded metrology will create. very strong relationship between the two production. The big question is how to New understanding and methods will groups. use data informatics to ensure you get drive and inform future education and “The digital and interconnected nature something right without having to go training programmes and develop new of Factory 2050, make it the ideal back and re-do it again?” says Mahfouf. international standards for application canvas for the metrology informatics across a wide range of manufacturing So just how close are we to this Holy spoke providing the infrastructure, industries. Grail of right first time production? the machines, the processes and the Here the fuzzy logician hands over to “All of these outputs will be enablers data to demonstrate the technology precision engineer McLeay. “We are for improvements in manufacturing created within the spokes. The facility still at the early stages of development performance, efficiency and quality will provide an SME to OEM accessible to achieve right first time in high- as metrology is integrated across platform for industrial engagement with value manufacturing. Most part and the manufacturing value-chain. the hub and as a UK flagship for I4.0. process behaviours are too complex to The widespread adoption of new Inspired by the Manufacturing Foresight precisely predict as environmental and manufacturing related processes and report this is a perfect melting pot for operational effects interfere with our technologies being developed across Catapult, industry and EPSRC domains predictions. We want to demonstrate the research and innovation landscape to come together and build the digital that more accurate predictions can be – such as additive/hybrid manufacture, factory.”

30 AMRC Journal Issue 8 AMRC IMPACT Canadian company AV&R partner with the AMRC to explore the future of automated visual inspection The concept for a new automated visual inspection system that uses robotics to manipulate metallic components is being tested at the AMRC. Inside the automated visual inspection system. Rebecca Ferguson reports.

Canadian automation, machine vision, and rotates it in front of a camera so the augmented reality.” and robotics solutions specialist system can acquire photometric data Harry Burroughes, who is working on AV&R is working with the AMRC to about the component surface. the project for AV&R, said: “Through develop the new system in a simulated Engineers are configuring the system to our trials of the system we will process industrial environment, proving out collect significant data about AV&R’s various configurations of photometric the technology and de-risking any testing process to optimise the set-up data which will be translated and potential investment for end users. so the system can be used for bespoke presented to the user of the system The AMRC’s Integrated Manufacturing inspection processes and be verified through various digital representations Group (IMG) are conducting trials of for use on multiple components across for user-friendliness. the AV&R system, which is deployed at various industrial sectors. The team will “The development of this system will Factory 2050 thanks to funding from the also create a ‘digital twin’ that will assist make quality testing more efficient, more High Value Manufacturing Catapult. operators and aid remote assistance for repeatable and allow manufacturers to Automated visual inspection refers preventative maintenance. increase their testing capacity, speeding to the automatic detection and Strategic Partnerships Manager of up the overall manufacturing process for classification of defects using robotics, AV&R Aerospace, Philippe Masson, said: complex components. for high-value complex metallic “The system focuses on the inspection “This will allow the AMRC to extend our components. of small surface defects, with our research and increase our capability for IMG Senior Project Engineer, Harry main market being within aerospace advanced visual inspection techniques Burroughes, said: “Visual quality inspection processes. for complex components used in many inspection processes are vital in “Our new capability of inspecting high-value manufacturing sectors,” he industrial sectors such as aerospace different type of parts was the catalyst added. and medical; where the assurance for discussions with the AMRC about AV&R is keen to stay ahead of the curve of high-quality is essential for a future automated visual inspection tests when it comes to the development complex component to meet expected which could be performed on high-value of new technologies and achieves performance levels.” components. Together, we are exploring this by investing in research and The AV&R system uses a robot to handle latest technologies for a human operator development; partnering with research a component lit from various angles, to review the machine’s results with centres. Philippe Masson said: “What is interesting about the AMRC is that as a member we have access to their networks and industrial contacts, this means we will be able to work together to understand how our system can be developed to best serve the requirements of inspection processes in other industrial sectors. “The work we do with the AMRC will allow us to gain valuable feedback and data from the use of the system to inform and share with our customers on the reliability and performance. It will be a valuable benefit to be able to disseminate information backed by a L-R: Harry Burroughes with Jean-François DuPont and Philippe Masson of AV&R at world-renowned organisation, one with AMRC Factory 2050 where the automated visual inspection system is installed. a well-known reputation.”

amrc.co.uk 31 AMRC IMPACT A new reality on tap for Yorkshire Water Ageing water treatment works and pumping stations across Yorkshire could be replaced by new equipment developed with the help of interactive, virtual reality models created by researchers at the AMRC, saving Yorkshire Water £1m a year in prototyping costs alone and significantly reducing its environmental and carbon impact.

In the past, the company has had to models to engage occupational health experience that enables us to check all build expensive real-life prototypes experts, operatives and maintenance the interfaces; to check that everything of any new equipment, which could engineers to quickly identify and change fits where it is supposed to fit before take weeks and months to engineer. potential hazards at the design stage); it goes on site; to ensure that safety Modifications to these prototypes increased use of off-site manufacture and efficiency are fully integrated into would often be difficult and costly to ensure the build is right first time; the the design, to give our operators and to carry out, and all the models creation of powerful training tools; and, maintenance engineers a plant that is would ultimately end up as scrap in ultimately, the collection and analysis easy to run.” a “graveyard of prototypes” which is of real time data for more efficient For both Wright and Rowe, VR also both wasteful and inefficient. operation and maintenance. fits perfectly with Yorkshire Water’s Now, with the help of advanced A launch of the new technology at ambition to move towards a more cost- visualisation experts at the AMRC, Yorkshire Water’s Leeds headquarters, effective, modular off-site manufacture. four prototypes – which would have showed just how versatile Visionary “Our goal is to find more efficient ways cost £180,000 to build using traditional Render can be. “The AMRC has built of working; of getting more with less. methods – have been developed using us not just one pumping unit, but a VR can help us standardise and build Visionary Render technology at a whole site that includes seven different offsite. This enables us to reduce health fraction of the cost and time. models,” says Rowe. In this case, the site and safety risks – a clean, controlled, “These are significant savings in terms of is the Irton water treatment works near factory environment is a better working cost and time,” says, DfMA Development Scarborough which was originally built environment that a building site. It Engineer at Yorkshire Water, Martin in the 1880s, but is now getting a £17.5 also improves our quality assurance Rowe. “If we extrapolate that, we would million upgrade by Yorkshire Water. processes, drives improvements in save at least £1 million a year on the “A full site model would have been productivity, and enables us to reduce costs of prototypes alone. And there are impossible using the old approach,” our carbon footprint by getting it right so many other benefits.” says, Manager of Standard Products first time with equipment that has been functionally tested and is ready to plug These include reduced environmental and Solutions at Yorkshire Water, Steve in and go,” says Wright. impact (the prototypes no longer have Wright and the man spearheading the to be scrapped); improved health, safety digital revolution at the company. “What Unlike current Building Information and ergonomics (using the immersive we now have is a totally immersive Modelling (BIM), Wright believes that:

The VR model of Irton water treatment works.

32 AMRC IMPACT

“VR is a brilliant way of communicating Manufacturing Group wanted a tool with all our stakeholders, providing that would provide Yorkshire Water an instantly recognisable visual with a powerful, fully immersive experience that enables them to not system for ergonomic design review. only understand the design, but also to Drawing on their experience of the contribute to making it more efficient fast moving VR market, and their and effective. It takes a technical partnerships with market leaders drawing and converts it into a powerful, in the field, Visionary Render was immersive experience,” says Wright. identified as an ideal candidate. “Only last week we used the model to “Virtalis are well known to us and their stand on top of a tank 30 metres in the product is incredibly versatile and air. We felt like we were suffering from robust. It allows us to move quickly vertigo even though we were in the from raw, native CAD data directly into virtual world – and all had that we had an immersive VR environment,” said Water will have the equipment and the for safety was a small rail. That led us Mike. A quick test on four single models, skills to be able to do this themselves,” to think we needed something more was followed by something more Mike said. “From there, we could substantial and the design was changed challenging. “By building a site-wide work with them on more advanced in an instant – much more efficient and model we could test the system to its systems, pulling in real-time data from effective than having to put the things limits to see how it held up. The success sites that improve productivity and right on site.” of the site-wide demonstrator gives us maintenance regimes. We could also absolute confidence it is fit for purpose.” For AMRC Technical Lead Mike Lewis develop augmented reality training and his colleague Steve Forte, the The AMRC is now working with Yorkshire systems, including health and safety Yorkshire Water project has been a Water and its supply chain partners to that take the same assets and use them fast-turnaround effort. “Yorkshire Water move from its more traditional CAD- to upskill the Yorkshire Water workforce came to us with a standard product based models to a fully immersive of the future. We could even use our catalogue he is developing and wanted system, and then to do this on site with visualisation techniques to make the to know how advanced visualisation their engineers to ensure complete most of BIM. This bundle of digital systems could support that effort by transfer of knowledge, which will include measures could unlock much more removing the need for building expensive a comprehensive report that details all substantial savings for Yorkshire Water – prototypes,” says Mike. the processes. the benefits of which could be passed on He and the team at the Integrated “At the end of this project, Yorkshire to consumers.”

amrc.co.uk 33 AMRC IMPACT Yorkshire entrepreneur raising the roof with new construction aid tested by AMRC A retired builder-turned-entrepreneur has invented and patented a brand new method of joining roof battens which will not only improve construction safety, but make a roof quicker and easier to assemble than the traditional method. Rebecca Ferguson reports.

The KEAH Roof Batten Joints have ends and joint failure,” he been tested and verified for use at the added. University of Sheffield AMRC’s Advanced The ASTC has tested the Structural Testing Centre (ASTC) after batten joints to destruction KEAH director Ken Johnson worked using a bespoke testing with the team there due to their ability technique. This includes to create bespoke testing systems and strength testing 28 procedures at the UKAS accredited configurations of the facility. batten joints using a Moog Ken, from Leeds, who is 70 years old, control system and the spent the majority of his career as a ASTC’s own ‘Tall Rig’. builder and developer in the construction L-R: Head of the ASTC at the AMRC, Phil Spiers, KEAH General Phil Spiers, Head of Manager Emma Johnson, AMRC Technical Lead for Structural industry. After retiring from his the ASTC, said: “KEAH Testing Shane Smith and KEAH Director Ken Johnson. construction businesses, he felt driven constructed a roofing to put his own ideas formulated through model that fits perfectly his vast wealth of experience on building “The idea for the product itself is into our Tall Rig. The rig was developed beautifully simple, but it is a powerful sites, into action to improve construction during project work with Sheffield-based processes. concept that will make a laborious task Gripple UK, and has the capability to safer,” added Phil Spiers. Ken created a new company, KEAH, to conduct longer and more accurate tests bring those ideas to life starting with for a variety of purposes. KEAH has already developed the product through a series of prototypes the innovative Plastic Pipe Chamfer and “We applied loads to the KEAH joints now the ground-breaking new roofing and is working closely with national using the rig until failure of the roof construction and roofing companies to aid which is completely manufactured in batten, noted the mode of failure and Yorkshire. ensure the product meets the needs of the maximum load achieved just prior to those keen to get their hands on the new The Roof Batten Joint is a plastic failure. Compared to the traditional joint technology. injection-moulded, push-fit ‘joint’ to the KEAH joints were capable of carrying easily connect horizontal wooden an extra 10 stone on average. The company benefited from SME grant funding through the High Value roof battens at any point along a roof “Our tests have so far shown that the structure, instead of needing to trim Manufacturing Catapult to pay up to 50 joints are stronger than traditional nailed per cent of the costs for the testing. them to size and nail them to the roof batten fixtures and experience lower vertical roofing spas. rates of failure. We have validated that “For a small company such as ours, it “After working in construction all my life the optimum load weight for use is 20 really helps us get this pioneering roofing and having first-hand experience of the stone, but the joints can support all the product off the ground. The testing is issues that can cause delays and cost way up to 50 stone in weight.” invaluable as it means we will now be resources on site, I thought there must able to approach our potential end users be a smarter way to complete those and confidently state the load bearing time-consuming intensive manual jobs,” weights of our product and that the said Ken Johnson. joints are ready to go into production thanks to the AMRC,” said Ken Johnson. “The KEAH Roof Batten Joint can join two roof battens at any point on the roof which will save time and material waste. The joints make felting and lathing a roof quicker, but also safer and stronger than the usual methods as they eliminate weakening of the roof structure from trimming and patching battens that can lead to split batten

34 AMRC Journal Issue 8 EVENT

Lights out running and factory automation Increasing numbers of businesses have ambitions to run their operations unmanned overnight or into the weekend. With the potential for increased output and reduced costs, how realistic is it to run automated operations with the lights out?

The AMRC Forum in March discussed human error.” the key things to consider when going the experiences of SMEs and large Mandy Ridgeyard, owner of experts down the automation route is the companies who have implemented in flight control components and culture of the organisation: “You need to these strategies, as well as those who assemblies, Produmax, said that engage and inform everyone at an early provide the technologies. improving productivity was the driving- stage: production staff, maintenance Rolls-Royce Machining Specialist, force behind increasing investment department and management. Tell Simon Dutton, kicked off proceedings in innovation and technology, but them why the changes are being made by discussing the ideal state for businesses cannot solely invest in assets and how people will be affected. In the effective ‘lights out’ running and for automation in isolation. end, it doesn’t matter how well the automation works or how short the factory automation, which was for With automation, Produmax have cut robot’s cycle time is if the operator isn’t manufacturing processes to be adaptive lead times from 31 days to 21 hours, fully committed to the project.” to change and run without intervention. turnover is up by 55 per cent and the For this to happen he said headcount at the company is up by 60 This view was echoed by the Jon manufacturers must start by per cent. Mandy said that integrating Stammers, the AMRC’s Process, defining the optimum characteristics autonomous processes successfully Monitoring and Control Tech Fellow, and parameters for a method of goes hand-in-hand with supporting who said that automation would never manufacture: “To be able to work cultural change within an organisation replace the human element. He said: towards standardisation you must to embed new working practices “No computer is as clever as a person, have similar methods of manufacturing effectively: and one of the things we need to capture when we are collecting data that track throughout the whole “It is key for a business to understand is the experience of the operative.” He manufacturing process. The aim is to the mix of people they employ to be looked at the factory, machine and manufacture similar commodities on able to best support them and prioritise process implications of digital, and how the same machine platforms; that is their strengths. We introduced a range monitoring at different levels can provide the challenge that Rolls-Royce aims to of development options, such as data that can be turned into knowledge. tackle, with standardisation our goal for apprenticeships, higher educational and the future.” graduate learning and we celebrate staff “Analysis can be as simple as real-time Senior Applications Engineer at achievements. go/no go decisions using in process measurement and health checks. Geo Kingsbury, Scott Smith, agreed “We need to help people understand the More in depth analysis, however, can that planning ahead is the key to processes needed for the introduction of yield great process insights,” he said. manufacturing precision and quality: automation and to encourage flexibility Correlating data enables comparisons “For precision manufacturing in a in working processes to empower staff to be made between machine health lights-out factory environment, identify to make, engage and create change results and in-process measurements; anything that would be a problem is essential, ultimately placing human and between spindle vibration, in-line throughout the process. The entire intelligence at the centre of your lubricant monitoring and final part manufacturing process relies on leadership vision.” accuracy, so understanding all the inspection. The future, he argued, could ABB Product Line Manager, Matt cycles allows the formulation of on- see more use of big data to support Rollins, told the audience that one of machine solutions and the reduction of predictive analysis. amrc.co.uk 35 New partners at the AMRC

Theorem Solutions is a world Promicron is a technology leader ITP Engines is a leading global leader in the field of product data in the field of wireless sensor company delivering high- interoperability and product life technology for monitoring and technology products and services cycle management, providing control tasks. in the aeronautical and industrial both software solutions and engine market over the entire services. product life cycle.

Toyota Motorsport is a research Valuechain is a software company and development centre for at the cutting edge of industry Toyota and external clients, 4.0 technologies; digitalising specialising in development manufacturing processes and and production services for the supply chains to streamline motorsport sector. collaboration and improve productivity.

AMRC Training Centre Courses For further information please contact [email protected] View all scheduled courses at amrctraining.co.uk/course-calendar All courses held at the AMRC Training Centre, Rotherham, unless stated otherwise.

July 17th September 5th October 3rd Fundamentals of Metallurgy Quality & Quality Control Understanding Mechanical Test Data for Metals July 18th September 6th Principles of Heat Treatment Alloying Elements in Steel October 3rd Quality & Quality Control August 6th-9th September 25th Introduction to CNC Milling Metals Processing & October 23rd Manufacturing Technologies Non-Ferrous Alloys August 20th-23rd Intermediate CNC Milling September 25th October 24th Programme Micro alloyed Steels Combating Corrosion September 4th October 2nd Carbon & Alloy Steel Metallurgy Testing Techniques

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