The slew of new features for machine tools is a good sign for manufacturing, which in turn is a good sign for the economy. Siemens must have confidence in the manufacturing sector, or they wouldn't be doing this.
Yes, it looks like Siemens does have a rosy outlook for manufacturing. Of course, being a global company, Siemens's view of manufacturing may look different that it does here in the U.S. But even more than a rosy look at manufacturing, I think Siemens has a positive view of automation. As long as automation keeps delivering significant efficiencies it can grow quickly even if manufacturing grows slowly.
I recall a recent post from Alex Wolfe on Siemens doing a lot of hiring in upcoming months--another piece of evidence pointing up its confidence in growth in the manufacturing sector.
As for the slew of new technologies, I'm wondering if there is any tie back or integration between these new machine tool capabilities and its PLM software, particularly the Tecnomatix piece, which is Siemens PLM Software's digital manufacturing platform? I'm thinking there are some strong synergies between both platforms and integration between engineering and the shop floor is a key part of Siemens' PLM story.
Do these types of systems have any closed-loop control? That is, does the machine respond to cutting conditions based on input from sensors, such as light or thermal? This is a big deal for controlling quality on plastics parts produced in injection molding machines. It's certainly necessary for a nonNewtonian material, but maybe not so much for metals. Research over the years has determiend than in-mold cavity pressure sensors can have a major effect on part quality and repeatability. Cost, of course, is an issue.
When I read the phrase 3D display, I thought for a moment that the operator would be wearing 3D glasses is in a movie theater, or the Nintendo 3DS (no glasses needed).
Maybe this is still a few years from industrial use.
I think that kind of 3D is probably a bit out, although likely on the horizon. I'm thinking more like animated work instructions or something similar so operators can get a real sense of how the machine operates or perhaps, is malfunctioning.
Andrew Morris designed a circuit that could detect a stroke victim's groan and convert the sound into a signal so caregivers would know when help was needed.
New disc magnet motors fit into the design trend of stepping up to closed loop performance while maintaining the cost advantage of stepper motor technology.
At the Design News webinar on June 27, learn all about aluminum extrusion: designing the right shape so it costs the least, is simplest to manufacture, and best fits the application's structural requirements.
On April 21, NASA launched a novel project, putting into orbit three satellites that employ an off-the-shelf commercial smartphone as the control system.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
0 
