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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
A new battery design, which replaces lithium with abundant and low-cost elemental sulfur, is still in its nascent stages but shows real promise for giving batteries more energy potential.
PTC will offer a virtual desktop environment for its Creo product design applications, potentially freeing engineers to run them from remote desktops on a variety of operating systems and mobile devices.
The push to achieving more intelligent, integrated manufacturing is putting a strong focus on networking and connectivity as key enabling technologies.
Now that solar and wind harvesting technologies are a thriving market, researchers are seeking other environmentally related energy sources for which they can create harvesting devices.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
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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.
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