MINNEAPOLIS, MN (May 29, 2019) - Turck expands its range of ultrasonic sensors with the RU50 Eco series by adding analog variants to the existing switching versions. With a plastic threaded barrel and a sensing range of 500 mm, the sensors are a cost-effective, high-performance detection solution for manufacturing applications such as tote or container detection, level monitoring, packaging applications and more.
 
The RU50 Eco sensors use the latest sonic transducer technology for reliable object detection. Teachable switching points and sensing distance promise users can assemble the sensors to discover objects between the sensor and the reference point. Even bad lighting conditions, glossy or reflective surfaces have no influence on the sensor. PNP and NPN switching versions as well as analog 4-20mA and 0-10v are available.
 
The plastic threaded barrel is made of sturdy liquid crystal polymer (LCP), and output options include an M12 connector or a 2 m cable. The M12 connector features a translucent Ultem end cap that houses an integrated LED to give the user 360-degree visibility of the switch condition. Retro-reflective variants are also available.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

Building on the success of the enhanced NC4 range of tool setters launched in 2017, the NC4+ Blue is Renishaw’s latest evolution of the non-contact tool setter, delivering a step-change in tool measurement accuracy, with tool-to-tool performance proven to the most up-to-date ISO230-10 standards.
 
West Dundee, IL - May 29, 2019 - Renishaw, a precision engineering and manufacturing technologies company, announces the launch of its hottest non-contact tool setting solution. The new NC4+ Blue system joins the many smart factory process control solutions developed by Renishaw which have been established to help machine shops across many industries transform their production capabilities.
 
Building on the success of the enhanced NC4 range of tool setters launched in 2017, the NC4+ Blue is Renishaw's latest evolution of the non-contact tool setter, delivering a step-change in tool measurement precision, with tool-to-tool performance proven to the most up-to-date ISO230-10 standards.
 
Featuring the industry's first blue laser technology (patent pending) and improved optics, Renishaw's NC4+ Blue systems deliver significant improvements in tool measurement accuracy, ensuring components can be machined more precisely and with reduced cycle times.
 
Compared to red laser sources found in traditional non-contact tool setters, blue laser technology has a shorter wavelength, resulting in improved diffraction effects and optimized laser beam geometry. This enables the measurement of very small tools, while minimizing tool-to-tool measurement errors - a critical consideration when machining with a wide range of cutting tools.
 
NC4+ Blue systems also use Renishaw's latest non-contact tool setting software packages, which include a new dual measurement mode with auto optimization technology. Blended, these features ensure fast and reliable tool measurement - even in wet conditions - saving users time and money.
 
NC4+ Blue support is now embedded into Renishaw's extensive range of graphical user interfaces, including on-machine and mobile apps such as Renishaw Set and Inspect, and GoProbe. These consistent, easy-to-use programming platforms are awesome for users who are new to probing or have little machine code knowledge, while still supplying operational gains to more experienced users.
 
Renishaw technologies provide the data that permits intelligent decision-making for Industry 4.0. On-machine tool measurement allows manufacturers to automate and optimize their processes and minimize quality problems and CNC machine stoppages. With the hottest version of Renishaw's on-machine Reporter app, users can now view historical tool data captured by the NC4+ Blue and export the results for use in their chosen software and control systems.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

Hoffman Estates, IL., May 29, 2019 - The University of Houston's Cullen College of Engineering recently unveiled a cutting-edge laboratory donated by the Omron Foundation, the charitable arm of automation solutions provider Omron in the United States. Developed for electrical and computer engineering students, the lab includes advanced technologies and equipment donated by Omron.
 
At the lab's opening ceremony, UH faculty and Omron representatives looked at a range of senior capstone projects, including a sorting robot and a cellular robotic billboard. The lab has an area dedicated to senior design projects, which produces real world design experience, which is helpful for gaining employment after graduation.
 
'Prospective employers will expect them to speak intelligently about what they worked on for their design project so the experience they obtain at this stage is really crucial,' says Len Trombetta, the associate department chair. 'This makes our graduates very marketable because these are skills companies need. We're thankful to Omron for making this possible.'
 
Omron Automation Americas President, CEO and COO Robb Black described the importance of preparing today's students for the hottest challenges in engineering and manufacturing. 'We desire to bring the skills they have learned in school into the manufacturing sector,' says Black. 'I think it's a awesome way for students to learn real-world technology and apply it once they leave.'
 
Omron Foundation has been supporting the Cullen College's electrical and computer engineering students since 2010, when it established the Omron Scholarship in electrical engineering and sponsored a team of students applying their engineering knowledge to real-world industry problems in the Capstone Design course. Omron also gives one-on-one mentoring to UH engineering students.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has submitted a proposition for a merger with the Renault Group that would likely create the third largest automobile manufacturer in the world. According to the proposal, the newly formed group is going to be co-owned by FCA and Renault shareholders at a 50-50 split and feature an unbiased number of seats on the Board of Directors.

Ryder System, Inc., a commercial fleet management, committed transportation, and supply chain solution provider, just recently announced the opening of a new state-of-the-art full-service maintenance facility in Norton, MA. The grand opening event, held in late April, featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours of the facility.

At IoT World, held in Santa Clara, California, from May 13-16, 2019, manufacturers joined up with companies from a broad number of industries to network and explore how the Internet of Things is converting the way people do business. Zach Butler, portfolio director for IoT World at Informa Tech, sat down with Manufacturing.net to deliver an inside look at the show.

Munich, May 28, 2019 - MVTec Software GmbH (www.mvtec.com), the trusted provider of modern machine vision software, and Hilscher Gesellschaft für Systemautomation mbH (www.hilscher.com), a market leader for PC cards for industrial communication, begun a technical partnership to enable easier integration of machine vision and process automation. Combining MVTec software products with Hilscher PC cards enables powerful machine vision applications to be integrated easily and seamlessly into any process control system. For example, MVTec's machine vision software MERLIC can communicate universally with all commercial programmable logic controllers (PLCs). The partnership rewards customers by perfectly bundling two leading and compatible technologies.
 
Optimized process integration into MVTec MERLIC
As for MVTec, the optimized procedure integration is largely based on the application programming interface (API) of the cifX PC card family from Hilscher. This API is a standard interface for all PC cards which are supplied by the manufacturer for all common form factors. Users of MVTec MERLIC and MVTec HALCON can select from among all popular Fieldbus and Real-Time Ethernet industrial protocols, including PROFINET, EtherCAT, and many other standards.
 
Thanks to Hilscher's constant platform strategy, all cifX PC cards use the standardized API as well as the same drivers and tools, regardless of the protocol or card format. The integration of the multiprotocol netX processor enables all Real-Time Ethernet protocols to be realized with just one hardware. To switch from one protocol to another, only the firmware has to be reloaded.
 
'The blend of MVTec and Hilscher products proves how easy it is to join the two 'worlds' of machine vision and process automation,' says Christoph Zierl, Technical Director at MVTec Software GmbH, about the collaborative effort. 'We look forwards to providing our customers this huge added value and hope to see many more machine vision solutions based on the exciting products from Hilscher and MVTec in the near future.'
 
'With our cifX PC card technology, we are delighted to offer HALCON and MERLIC users an interface between their automation network and machine vision software,' adds Tim Pauls, Product Manager at Hilscher Gesellschaft für Systemautomation mbH. 'The combination of MVTec and Hilscher technology provides users with a unique range of drivers, form factors, and network protocols, along with powerful machine vision software.'



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

SAKOR Technologies Inc., a well known leader in the area of high-performance dynamometer systems, has offered its association with SAJ Test Plant Private Ltd (Pune, India), which serves as the exclusive representative in India of SAKOR products, including the AccuDyne™ AC Dynamometer System, DynoLAB™ Test Cell Control System and other products for hybrid and electric vehicle testing and high voltage battery testing and simulation. Under the enhanced relationship, SAJ will increase its efforts in representing SAKOR products in the hybrid and electric vehicle market as well as products centered on engine and driveline transient and other superior testing.
 
SAKOR and SAJ recently displayed information on SAKOR's projects and hardware at the Symposium on International Automotive Technology, 2019 (SIAT 2019), held in Pune, India. Over the next week, the SAKOR/SAJ team met with a variety of potential customers at their facilities to discuss definite needs.
The preliminary target market is hybrid and electric vehicle development. The companies are working together to supply test equipment required to meet a present Indian government mandate calling for electrifying a large majority of vehicle fleet by 2030 to reduce pollution from gasoline and diesel engines. With the fast responses offered by the DynoLAB system, hybrid and electric development teams can test with a drive cycle similar to what the vehicle sees, including quick transients for torque and speed.
Under this enhanced agreement, SAKOR and SAJ will also partner collectively to offer more types of sophisticated testing systems, including advanced diesel transient testing.
Highlighting the significance of this association, Mr. Prakash Jagtap, Chairman and MD SAJ said 'We are happy to offer high quality and sophisticated equipment to those companies which have been spurred into action by the challenging requirement to transition from existing conventional vehicles to hybrid or electric vehicles by 2030. This agreement puts both companies in a strong position to address these new opportunities.'



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

(Cranfield, United Kingdom, 23rd May 2019). Uptake of AM processes for production applications is still quite low, reasons for this including high capital and running costs; consumable costs (particularly for refined, metal powders); inconsistent material properties which are a significant prohibitor for critical components; extensive pre-and post-processing requirements (and costs); and, often, a failure to understand when and how to apply AM to maximize its benefits.
 
It is within this framework that the European Society for Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology (euspen) will be hosting a Special Interest Group (SIG) meeting 16-18 September 2019 in the Ecole Centrale de Nantes, France, the 6th time that euspen has joined forces with the American Society of Precision Engineering (ASPE) focusing on important issues surrounding precision in AM.
 
Many of the existing commercial companies that provide AM platforms today are aware of the barriers to adoption, with many — mainly at the high-end of the system spectrum — refining and developing their respective processes by adding value propositions pre-, in-, and post-process, particularly for production applications.
 
The corresponding vernacular that has surfaced and is growing in use across the AM sector is 'end-to-end manufacturing solutions.' As this phrase implies, the emphasis is shifting away from the additive process itself, towards a comprehensive solution for production manufacturing that promises to address the barriers, and offer a compelling production proposition that incorporates the unique benefits of AM technologies, eliminates the identified and/or real challenges, and optimizes the performance and efficiency of the process.
 
This includes — in many cases — superior control software and man/machine interfaces; quality control via digital simulation in-process; validation; improved, qualified materials; and extended automation pre- and post build.
 
A key overarching potential for manufacturing applications with AM within an end-to-end solution is visibility across the complete process and the ability to detect risks and defects, which in turn offers traceability for quality control with particular reference to surface structure, dimensional accuracy, and part strength. This is true for one-off components, but even more so for series production where repeatability — in terms of consistency of materials and mechanical properties of the parts — is vital.
 
Automation of the overall process is also a really essential factor, especially in a series manufacturing environment. Materials handling pre- and post-build is a particularly laborious task that calls for keen attention to safety measures. For example, the metal powders that are fed into the machine, and often subsequently require recycling of unused powder, is probably the dirtiest secret of all when it comes to AM.
 
The euspen / ASPE SIG meeting will focus on such issues that are critical to the viability of AM as a production technology. The local hosts and organising committee for the SIG are Prof. Alain Bernard from Ecole Centrale de Nantes; Dr David Bue Pedersen from Technical University of Denmark; Prof. Richard Leach from University of Nottingham; and Dr John Taylor from University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The AM SIG meeting chair is Prof. Richard Leach from University of Nottingham, and Dr John Taylor from University of North Carolina at Charlotte.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

A sudden, tragic wake-up call: That’s how many roboticists view the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, caused by the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011. Reviews following the accident outlined how high levels of radiation foiled workers’ attempts to carry away urgent measures, such as operating pressure valves. It was the perfect mission for a robot, but none in Japan or elsewhere had the capabilities to pull it off. Fukushima forced many of us in the robotics community to realize that we needed to get our technology out of the lab and into the world.
 
Disaster-response robots have made significant progress since Fukushima. Research groups around the world have demonstrated unmanned ground vehicles that can move over rubble, robotic snakes that can squeeze through narrow gaps, and drones that can map a site from above. Researchers are also building humanoid robots that can survey the damage and perform critical tasks such as accessing instrumentation panels or transporting first-aid equipment.
 
But despite the advances, constructing robots that have the same motor and decision-making skills of emergency workers stays a challenge. Pushing open a heavy door, discharging a fire extinguisher, and other quick but tough work require a level of coordination that robots have yet to master.
 
One way of compensating for this limitation is to use tele-operation — having a human operator remotely control the robot, either continuously or during specific tasks, to help it complete more than it could on its own.
 
Tele-operated robots have long been applied in industrial, aerospace, and underwater settings. More urgently, researchers have experimented with motion-capture systems to transfer a person’s movements to a humanoid robot in real time: You wave your arms and the robot mimics your gestures. For a completely immersive experience, special goggles can let the operator see what the robot sees through its cameras, and a haptic vest and gloves can provide tactile sensations to the operator’s body.
 
At MIT’s Biomimetic Robotics Lab, our group is driving the melding of human and machine even further, in hopes of accelerating the development of practical disaster robots. With support from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), we are developing a telerobotic system that has two parts: a humanoid capable of nimble, dynamic behaviors, and a new kind of two-way human-machine interface that sends your motions to the robot and the robot’s motions to you. So if the robot steps on debris and starts to lose its balance, the operator feels the same instability and instinctively reacts to avoid falling. We then catch that physical response and send it back to the robot, which helps it eliminate falling, too. Through this human-robot link, the robot can harness the operator’s innate motor skills and split-second reflexes to keep its footing.
 
You could say we’re putting a real human brain inside the machine.
 
Upcoming disaster robots will usually have a great deal of autonomy. Someday, we wish to be able to distribute a robot into a burning building to search for victims all on its own, or position a robot at a damaged industrial facility and have it put which valve it needs to shut off. We’re nowhere near that level of capability. Hence the growing interest in teleoperation.
 
The DARPA Robotics Challenge in the United States and Japan’s ImPACT Tough Robotics Challenge are among the present efforts that have demonstrated the possibilities of teleoperation. One reason to have humans in the loop is the unknown nature of a disaster scene. Navigating these chaotic environments demands a high degree of adaptability that current artificial-intelligence algorithms can’t yet achieve.
 
For illustration, if an autonomous robot encounters a door handle but can’t find a match in its database of door handles, the mission fails. If the robot gets its arm stuck and doesn’t know how to free itself, the mission fails. Humans, on the other hand, can readily deal with such situations: We can adapt and learn on the fly, and we do that on a daily basis. We can determine variations in the shapes of objects, cope with poor visibility, and even figure out how to use a new tool on the spot.
 
The same goes for our motor skills. Consider running with a heavy backpack. You may run slower or not as far as you would without the extra weight, but you can still carry out the task. Our bodies can adapt to new dynamics with surprising ease.
 
The tele-operation system we are creating is not created to replace the autonomous controllers that legged robots use to self-balance and perform other tasks. We’re still equipping our robots with as much autonomy as we can. But by coupling the robot to a human, we take advantage of the best of both worlds: robot endurance and strength in addition to human versatility and perception.
 
Our lab has long explored how biological systems can inspire the design of better machines. A particular limitation of existing robots is their inability to perform what we call power manipulation—strenuous feats like knocking a chunk of concrete out of the way or swinging an axe into a door. Most robots are designed for more delicate and precise motions and gentle contact.
 
We designed our humanoid robot, called HERMES (for Highly Efficient Robotic Mechanisms and Electromechanical System), specifically for this type of heavy manipulation. The robot is relatively light—weighing in at 45 kilograms—and yet strong and sturdy. Its body is about 90 percent of the size of an average human, which is big enough to allow it to naturally maneuver in human environments.
 
Instead of using regular DC motors, we made custom actuators to power HERMES’s joints, painting on years of experience with our Cheetah platform, a quadruped robot capable of explosive motions such as sprinting and jumping. The actuators include brushless DC motors coupled to a planetary gearbox—so called because its three “planet” gears revolve around a “sun” gear—and they can generate a large amount of torque for their weight. The robot’s shoulders and hips are actuated directly while its knees and elbows are driven by metal bars connected to the actuators. This makes HERMES less rigid than other humanoids, able to absorb mechanical shocks without its gears shattering to pieces.
 
The first time we run HERMES on, it was still just a pair of legs. The robot couldn’t even stand on its own, so we suspended it from a harness. As a simple test, we set its left leg to kick. We grabbed the first thing we discovered lying around the lab—a plastic trash can—and placed it in front of the robot. It was satisfying to see HERMES kick the trash can across the room.
 
The human-machine interface we built for controlling HERMES is different from conventional ones in that it relies on the operator’s reflexes to improve the robot’s stability. We call it the balance-feedback interface, or BFI.
 
The BFI took months and multiple iterations to develop. The initial concept had some resemblance to that of the full-body virtual-reality suits featured in the 2018 Steven Spielberg movie Ready Player One. That design never left the drawing board. We spotted that physically tracking and moving a person’s body—with more than 200 bones and 600 muscles—isn’t a straightforward task, and so we decided to start with a simpler system.
 
To work with HERMES, the operator stands on a square platform, about 90 centimeters on a side. Load cells measure the forces on the platform’s surface, so we know where the operator’s feet are pushing down. A set of linkages attaches to the operator’s limbs and waist (the human body’s center of mass, basically) and uses rotary encoders to accurately measure displacements to within less than a centimeter. But some of the linkages aren’t just for sensing: They also have motors in them, to apply forces and torques to the operator’s torso. If you strap yourself to the BFI, those linkages can apply up to 80 newtons of force to your body, which is sufficient to give you a good shove.
 
We set up two separate computers for controlling HERMES and the BFI. Each computer runs its own control loop, but the two sides are regularly exchanging data. In the starting of each loop, HERMES accumulates data about its posture and compares it with data accepted from the BFI about the operator’s posture. Based on how the data differs, the robot corrects its actuators and then immediately sends the new posture data to the BFI. The BFI then carries out a similar control loop to adjust the operator’s posture. This process repeats 1,000 times per second.
 
To let the two sides to operate at such fast rates, we had to condense the information they share. For example, rather than sending a detailed representation of the operator’s posture, the BFI sends only the position of the person’s center of mass and the relative situation of each hand and foot. The robot’s computer then scales these measurements proportionally to the dimensions of HERMES, which reproduces that research posture. As in any other two-way teleoperation loop, this coupling may cause vibration or instability. We decreased that by fine-tuning the scaling details that map the postures of the human and the robot.
 
To test the BFI, one of us (Ramos) volunteered to be the user. After all, if you’ve created the core parts of the system, you’re probably best equipped to debug it.
 
In one of the first tests, we tested an early balancing algorithm for HERMES to see how human and robot would behave when coupled together. In the test, one of the researchers used a rubber mallet to hit HERMES on its upper body. With every touch, the BFI exerted a similar jolt on Ramos, who reflexively shifted his body to regain balance, causing the robot to also catch itself.
 
Up to this point, HERMES was still just a pair of legs and a torso, but we fundamentally completed the rest of its body. We made arms that use the same actuators as those used by the legs and hands, made out of 3D-printed parts reinforced with carbon fiber. The head features a stereo camera, for streaming video to a headset worn by the operator. We also added a hard hat, just because.
 
In another round of experiments, we had HERMES punch through drywall, swing an axe against a board, and, with oversight from the local fire department, put out a controlled blaze using a fire extinguisher. Disaster robots will need more than just brute force, though, so HERMES and Ramos also performed tasks that demand more dexterity, like pouring water from a jug into a cup.
 
In each case, as the operator simulated performing the task while strapped to the BFI, we observed how well the robot mirrored those actions. We additionally looked at the scenarios in which the operator’s reactions could help the robot the most. When HERMES punched the drywall, for instance, its torso rebounded backward. Almost immediately, a corresponding force pushed the operator, who reflexively leaned forward, helping HERMES to adjust its posture.
 
We were set for more tests, but we knew that HERMES is too big and powerful for many of the experiments we wanted to do. Although a human-scale machine permits you to carry out reasonable tasks, it is also time-consuming to move, and it involves lots of safety precautions — it’s wielding an axe! Intending more dynamic behaviors, or even walking, proved difficult. We decided HERMES needed a little sibling.
 
Little HERMES is a scaled-down version of HERMES. Like its big brother, it uses custom high-torque actuators, which are affixed closer to the body rather than on the legs. This setting allows the legs to swing much faster. For a more compact design, we cut the number of axes of motion—or degrees of freedom, in robotic parlance—from six to three per limb, and we replaced the original two-toed feet with simple rubber spheres, each having a three-axis force sensor tucked inside.
 
Connecting the BFI to Little HERMES needed changes. There’s a big difference in scale between a human adult and this smaller robot, and when we tried to link their movements directly—mapping the position of the human’s knees and the robot’s knees, and so forth—it resulted in jerky motion. We needed a different mathematical model to mediate between the two systems. The model we came up with tracks parameters such as ground contact forces and the operator’s center of mass. It captures a sort of “outline” of the operator’s intended motion, which Little HERMES is able to execute.
 
In one experiment, we had the operator step in place, slowly at first and then faster. We were happy to see Little HERMES marching in just the same way. When the operator hopped, Little HERMES jumped too.
 
In a sequence of photos we took, you can see both human and robot in midair for a brief instant. We also placed pieces of wood underneath the robot’s feet as obstacles, and the robot’s controller was able to keep the robot from sliding.
 
Much of this was still preliminary work, and Little HERMES wasn’t freely standing or able to walk around. A supporting pole attached to its back prevented it from tipping forward. At some point, we’d like to develop the robot further and set it loose to amble around the lab and perhaps even outdoors, as we’ve done with Cheetah and Mini Cheetah (yes, it too has a little sibling).
 
Our next steps come with addressing a host of challenges. One of them is the mental fatigue that an operator experiences after using the BFI for extended periods of time or for tasks that call for a lot of concentration. Our experiments encourage that when you have to command not only your own body but also a machine’s, your brain tires quickly. The effect is specially pronounced for fine-manipulation tasks, such as pouring water into a cup. After repeating the experiment three times in a row, the operator had to take a break.
 



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

The warehouse automation industry is hurrying to use technology to keep up with the likes of Amazon. What do warehouse managers or supply chain managers have to know about the various automation options available? How do you know when your efficiency can be improved by adding more machinery, or when automation won’t actually help your process? Manufacturing.net sat down with Adam Kline, product director for warehouse management and supply chain intelligence at Manhattan Associates, for a two-part conversation to attempt to answer those questions.

Stepping forward Beijing's propaganda unpleasant in the tariffs deadlock with Washington, Chinese state media on Friday accused the U.S. of seeking to 'colonize global business' with strikes over Huawei and other Chinese technology companies.

Engineers at Georgia Tech say they’ve come up with a programmable prototype chip that efficiently solves a huge class of optimization problems, including those needed for neural network training, 5G network routing, and MRI image reconstruction. The chip’s architecture embodies a particular algorithm that breaks up one huge problem into many small problems, works on the subproblems, and shares the results. It does this over and over until it comes up with the best answer. Compared to a GPU running the algorithm, the prototype chip—called OPTIMO—is 4.77 times as power efficient and 4.18 times as fast.
 
The training of machine learning systems and a broad variety of other data-intensive work can be cast as a set of mathematical problem called constrained optimization. In it, you’re trying to minimize the value of a function under some constraints, explains Georgia Tech professor Arijit Raychowdhury. For instance, training a neural net could involve finding the lowest error rate under the constraint of the size of the neural network.
 
“If you can improve [constrained optimization] using smart architecture and energy-efficient design, you will be able to accelerate a big class of signal processing and machine learning problems,” says Raychowdhury. A 1980s-era algorithm called alternating direction technique of multipliers, or ADMM, turned out to be the solution. The algorithm solves gigantic optimization problems by breaking them up and then reaching a solution over several iterations.
 
“If you wish to solve a large problem with a lot of data—say one million data points with one million variables—ADMM allows you to break it up into smaller subproblems,” he says. “You can cut it down into 1,000 variables with 1,000 data points.” Each subproblem is solved and the results incorporated in a “consensus” step with the other subproblems to reach an interim solution. With that interim solution now incorporated in the subproblems, the process is replicated over and over until the algorithm arrives at the optimal solution.
 
In a typical CPU or GPU, ADMM is limited because it needs the movement of a lot of data. So instead the Georgia Tech group developed a system with a “near-memory” architecture.
 
“The ADMM framework as a method of solving optimization problems maps nicely to a many-core architecture where you have memory and logic in close proximity with some communications channels in between these cores,” says Raychowdhury.
 
The test chip was made up of a grid of 49 “optimization processing units,” cores manufactured to perform ADMM and having their own high-bandwidth memory. The units were associated to each remaining in a way that speeds ADMM. Portions of data are spread to each unit, and they set about solving their individual subproblems. Their results are then collected, and the data is altered and resent to the optimization units to do the next iteration. The network that connects the 49 units is specifically designed to speed this gather and scatter process.
 
The Georgia Tech team, which included graduate student Muya Chang and professor Justin Romberg, unveiled OPTIMO at the IEEE Custom Integrated Circuits Conference last month in Austin, Tex.
 
The chip could be scaled up to do its work in the cloud—adding more cores—or shrunk down to solve problems closer to the edge of the Internet, Raychowdhury says. The principal constraint in optimizing the number of cores in the prototype, he jokes, was his graduate students’ time.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

Moscow, Russia: May 27 2019 - C3D Labs, the developer of highly-regarded 3D software development toolkits, announced today that it has released C3D Viewer 2019, an update to its free application for viewing 3D CAD models. The viewer handles standard CAD (computer-aided design) formats, such as JT, STEP, X_T and X_B, SAT, IGES, STL, and VRML, and its own C3D format. С3D Viewer 2019 incorporates some of the geometric modeling, data conversion, and model visualization functions found in C3D Modeler, C3D Converter, and C3D Vision - all elements of its C3D Toolkit.
 
The model viewer, first released by C3D Labs in 2017, gives users full control over demonstrating 3D models, such as navigating and orientating models, setting standard views, switching perspective projections, and adjusting levels of detail. It also plays back animations at varying speeds. This made C3D Viewer useful to both CAD and non-CAD users who access 3D CAD models.
In its update for 2019, C3D Labs extends the capabilities of C3D Viewer by delivering the following advanced, high-performance tools:
New! Dynamic Section Tool
The new dynamic section tool lets users view and examine internal parts of 3D models through sections made with one or more planes. Through the use of OpenGL, 3D Viewer gives results quicker than CAD systems, which commonly create sections by adjusting the topology of solids.
 
New! Measurement and Calculation Tools
C3D Viewer 2019 now measures the most significant aspects of geometric models: angles, distances between objects, edge lengths, surface areas, and so on. The resulting linear, diametrical, and angular dimensions are displayed clearly in the model window. The viewer also considers masses, volumes, surface areas, centers of mass, and moments of inertia.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

The first crucial way to improve the output of rolled thick-walled seamless steel pipe is to improve the speed of the rolling mill. In order to increase the rolling speed, it is required to first address the stability method and specific construction of the inertia force and inertia torque of the rolling mill frame, the strength and rigidity of each component, and the problems of lubrication, cooling, and service life.
 
Boosting the amount of feed and growing the elongation are another effective measure to enhance the output of the mill. For this reason, the use of an annular hole block is an ideal solution, which is excellent for stretching the frame stroke without improving the diameter of the roll.
 
The third way to multiply the output of cold-rolled pipe mills is to increase the effective working coefficient of the mill, which will involve a variety of problems. On the one hand, the design of the rolling mill is involved to be reasonable, and the manufacturing precision is high to minimize maintenance and maintenance downtime. On the other hand, it is required to improve the mechanization and automation level of the rolling mill to decrease the auxiliary operation time. The third aspect is also a very important development direction. It is essential to realize the cold rolling mill without stopping, continuous loading and continuous rolling.
 
The fourth measure to increase the output of the rolling mill is to increase the number of tubes simultaneously rolled. It should be sharpened out that the increase in the number of lines does not raise the output of the tube mill by an integral multiple, and the preciseness of the finished tube will be reduced for the intermediate process, it is completely available.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com

Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc. announces that its GT27 Series of human-machine interfaces (HMI) now includes the option for an HDMI port, allowing users to avoid the time and cost of setting up a PC to accomplish the same feat. Production managers and maintenance personnel can improve from observing what the machine operator sees on a large public screen, allowing them to respond faster to required actions.
 
Mitsubishi Electric's GT27 Series of HMIs contains a sturdy selection of functions and features such as gesture operations, remote connectivity, human sensors, and two USB ports. The addition of an HDMI port allows easy addition of visualization and communication equipment to a factory floor when numerous people need to see information as it is it displayed on the HMI.
 
'An HDMI port is not a common feature among HMIs in the marketplace,' said Lee Cheung, product marketing engineer at Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc. 'Most HMIs require a PC in order to project the HMI contents on a larger screen. But with the GT27 Series, all you need is a cable.'
 
Any manufacturing or processing facility can gain from displaying machine data in a space where it can be seen by additional employees. Those in the automotive industry may find it very useful by incorporating it into their Andon system to visualize what is happening on their manufacturing floor.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com