News

Acknowledging its manufacturing excellence and growth, Norfolk-based Ansible Motion, a trusted specialist in Driver-in-the-Loop (DIL) vehicle simulation technology, has been awarded with two Broadland & South Norfolk Business Awards for Advanced Manufacturing and International Business Growth in 2020.

Based in Norfolk’s Hethel Innovation Centre for over ten years, Ansible Motion creates Driver-in-the-Loop (DIL) simulators aimed to increase efficiencies, safety and realise OEM and Tier One vehicle objectives. Ansible Motion does this by delivering reliable testing for a range of vehicle engineers by placing them in a virtual world. Its DIL simulators are used to test a range of vehicles, from road cars to racing cars, special and low-volume ground transportation, and has the main aim of being an engineering assistance tool, delivering class-leading dynamics, immersion and motion, created by Ansible Motion’s team of leading mechatronic engineers in Norfolk.

Ansible Motion has three series within its range, the Delta series, which offers full-size dynamic DIL for objective and subjective vehicle evaluations, the Sigma series that offers full-size static DIL for virtual test driving and Human Machine Interface (HMI) experiments and finally the Theta series, which provides engineers with compact static DIL simulators for real-time vehicle physics modelling.

Picking up two awards at the virtual South Norfolk Business Awards ceremony yesterday, Gavin Farmer, commercial manager, Ansible Motion said, “We are very grateful to South Norfolk Council for having the tenacity to run these awards despite the challenges posed by 2020. This region provides everything we have needed as a young and hungry business supplying some of the biggest names in both the motorsport and the automotive industries. To secure two awards in a single year is particularly a proud moment in our 11-year history.”

Delivering DIL simulation that creates interactive and informative connections between people and sophisticated simulations to a range of advanced automotive-focused engineering teams around the world, Ansible Motion was awarded with the Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing award due to its focus and investment into the future of the transportation sector as well as the management team’s awareness of its competitors’ offering and constantly striving to better or equal it in terms of consistently innovative virtual testing systems.

Commenting on the Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing award, Gavin Farmer said, “We are delighted to be recognised for the 2020 Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing Award. Ansible Motion chose Norfolk as the preferred place to produce its advanced driving simulators simply because the manufacturing, engineering and contract manufacturing infrastructure and expertise was all available within a 30-mile range of Hethel. It provides the best location for us to create the high-fidelity products that our customers need to develop and validate new vehicles.”

The second Broadland & South Norfolk Business Awards win for Ansible Motion was for International Business Growth. Focusing on its talent and client offering, the judges were impressed with Ansible Motion’s investment in growing its workforce in line with its solid increase in sales, as well as its focus on innovative product design to provide Ansible Motion with further growth over the next five years.

Gavin Farmer concluded and said, “Ansible Motion is very proud to have secured the International Business Growth award. Customers from Japan, USA, Australia and mainland Europe have chosen our high-fidelity simulators in this period and we are very proud that we continue to be recognised in the global automotive market as a world leader in simulation. With new products, rising demand and a growing reputation, we look forward to further growth.”

2020 has been a successful year for Ansible Motion as it secures sales with BMW Group, Michelin, Japanese OEMs, continues to work with General Motors, Ford, as well as hiring six new engineering and design talents to the growing Norfolk-based team.

More than 100 transformative projects have been funded through a ground-breaking new programme designed to support adventurous, high-risk research.

Projects funded through the New Horizons programme include:

• mathematical models to determine the best way to save the Amazon rainforest
• the tools that tiny robots need to detect bowel lesions that could be signs of cancer
• and systems of electromagnetic mirrors to protect electronic devices such as smartphones from threats.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), has allocated almost £25.5 million of funding to 126 adventurous projects in the mathematical and physical sciences through this pilot programme.

Adventurous, high-risk research

New Horizons forms part of UKRI’s wider Reforming our Business agenda to simplify and streamline processes and practice across the organisation.

Applicants applied for New Horizons through a streamlined application process and a review process focused on the transformational potential of the research.

Projects funded through New Horizons are as follows:

• Dr Jan Sieber and Dr Bert Wuyts at the University of Exeter will use advanced mathematical models to develop new strategies for reforestation and preventing the Amazonian rainforest from collapse.
• Dr Gabriele Gradoni at the University of Nottingham intends to design a system of electromagnetic mirrors that can be used to protect electronic devices such as smartphones or computers from threats such as attack by electromagnetic pulse or data theft
• Dr Georgina Klemencic at Cardiff University aims to develop super-thin superconducting diamond structures, tens of times narrower than a human hair, with properties that will be crucial to the development of new quantum technologies.
• Professor Catherine Powell at The University of Manchester intends to develop new algorithms for forward uncertainty quantification, which allows us to understand how uncertain inputs in mathematical models affects predictions of outcomes of interest. This could have a transformative effect on a wide range of engineering applications involving physics-based models.
• Dr Yuval Elani at Imperial College London aims to create a molecular assembly line to create compartmentalised soft-matter nanoparticles. This could help to create particles that can be programmed to respond to certain stimuli, and lead to more effective drugs and vaccines.
• Dr Yang Liu at the University of Exeter intends to develop the mathematical tools required to allow micro-robots to detect hard-to-visualise bowel lesions within the human body, that could identify conditions such as cancer.

Simplified and streamlined process

Science Minister Amanda Solloway said: “It is critical we give the UK’s best researchers the resources to drive forward their revolutionary ideas so they can focus on identifying solutions to some of the world’s greatest challenges, such as climate change.

“This government funding will allow some of our brightest mathematicians and physicists to channel all their creative ingenuity into achieving potentially life-changing scientific breakthroughs – from mathematics informing how we save our rainforests to robotics that will help track cancer faster.”

Applications were invited up to a value of £200,000, for a duration of two years, without costing required in the application.

The proposal paperwork submission consisted of an anonymous four-page case for support, with a further two pages outlining the team’s ability to deliver, with the successful projects providing detailed costings after a decision was made.

Promoting excellence

EPSRC’s 2019 Delivery Plan highlighted the desire to continue promoting excellence in research by investing in new approaches to delivery that are optimised to the specific researcher base and research outputs desired.

EPSRC Executive Chair, Professor Dame Lynn Gladden, said: “New Horizons reflects EPSRC’s commitment to funding creative, transformative and ambitious new ideas across our portfolio. In this pilot, we have funded more than 100 projects in the mathematical and physical sciences.

“The scheme also piloted a new, simplified applications process designed to minimise the administrative burden of submitting grant applications, thereby enabling researchers to focus on developing their research ideas.

“The call for proposals attracted a very positive response in terms of both the number and quality of applications and we look forward to exploring how to include the approaches taken through New Horizons in further areas of our portfolio.”

EPSRC will now evaluate the pilot and the outcomes of New Horizons in line with the wider UKRI Reforming our Business programme and consider how the approaches taken through New Horizons can be included in future activities.

A new gold standard national rocket test facility will soon open its doors, the Science Minister Amanda Solloway has announced today.

The new centre will allow UK companies and academics to fire up and test state-of-the-art space propulsion engines at up to 1.5kN in high-altitude vacuum, an equivalent test altitude of 140,000ft. It will cement the international reputation of the Westcott Space Cluster – where the site will be based – in propulsion.

Based in Aylesbury Vale Enterprise Zone, the facility, which is expected to create around 60 jobs, is due for completion in early 2021 and will offer companies a more affordable test facility than international rivals.It will also allow new types of more sustainable propellants to be tested, such as Hydrogen Peroxide and Liquid Oxygen which are more environmentally friendly in sourcing, storage and combustion.

At present, companies can test extremely small engines in the UK but have to go overseas to test bigger engines. The new facility will tackle this issue and help grow the UK’s status as a leading space player, giving industry resources that allow us to grow our technological edge.

Designed to support the growth of brand-new space technologies, the government is backing the new facility, dubbed the National Space Propulsion Test Facility (NSPTF), to the tune of £4 million in funding.

Science Minister Amanda Solloway said: “The UK’s space industry is booming as we invest in our brightest space scientists, the facilities they work in and the technologies they are creating.

“Backed by a £4 million government investment, this pioneering UK-based facility will elevate our most ambitious space businesses, enabling them to undertake complex spacecraft engine testing, while boosting the local economy by creating highly skilled jobs.”

How does the engine test work?

• Engines will be fired up in a vacuum from early 2021, with a mechanical pump system generating a vacuum down to 1.5 milliBar in a test cell containing the engine; an equivalent test altitude of approximately 140,000ft, which ensures technology can be deemed ready for the space environment.
• When firing, the pressure of the engine’s exhaust plume is partially recovered by a 7-metre-long supersonic diffuser and then cooled by a heat exchanger designed to rapidly reduce temperatures in excess of 2,000°C to just 50°C.
• The gasses then travel along a vacuum manifold to be recovered to ambient pressure by the pump system in the vacuum generation plant.

The UK space sector is already a leader in satellite propulsion and, with a growing space manufacturing sector and plans for UK spaceports, the satellite propulsion field is set to grow substantially in the coming years.

Crucially, this range of engine testing will allow further innovation for the type of orbit-raising and station-keeping engines this facility will be able to test and it is the first step in a plan to test larger engine types.

The UK Space Agency has worked with the European Space Agency, Science and Technology Facilities Council’s RAL Space and NAMMO UK to develop this cutting-edge facility, and once up and running the site will use game-changing technology to test the propulsion engines that position orbiting spacecraft in conditions similar to those experienced in space.

The new capability of this facility will allow innovation in propulsion technology, as well as the cost-effective development and testing of even more powerful engines for interplanetary travel, and to drive forward the significant commercial telecommunications satellite market. 

Nammo UK has been awarded a major contract to install and operate the equipment to be housed within this new facility at Westcott.

Rob Selby, Vice President of Nammo Space said: “Thanks to this key UK government investment, UK space now can compete favourably with the very best rocket test facilities in the world. The Nammo team have designed, created and produced this phenomenal, state-of-the-art hotfire test facility that is already driving further growth in UK based spacecraft propulsion businesses.

“We look forward to testing engines for customers from all over the globe and to further key developments that the NSPTF will enable.”

Rod Mordey, Director at PATRIZIA, which owns the 650-acre Westcott Venture Park, said: “This is yet another leap forward for the development of Westcott Venture Park in Buckinghamshire as a centre of excellence in the space propulsion and associated high-tech industries.

“Future Investment will ensure Westcott’s place at the heart of the UK space industry. Over the next 10 years, Westcott will become the UK Centre for the next generation of propulsion systems and small satellite manufacture.”

Richard Harrington, CEO of the Buckinghamshire LEP said: “The national rocket test facility at Westcott is a key step towards delivering a world-leading hub for the space sector in the heart of Buckinghamshire.

“We are delighted to support this new facility in our Enterprise Zone, which opens up the next stage in the evolution of the Westcott site to attract new business and investment to this world-class centre of excellence in space propulsion.”

The UK space sector is a huge economic success story, growing by over 60% since 2010. Satellites already support £300 billion of UK economic activity through the use of satellite services and is expected to grow further as this new government support unlocks commercial opportunities.

Westcott is recognised as an integral part of the UK space sector growth strategy with a nucleus of well-established companies supporting rocket and satellite enabled research and development projects.

October saw the opening of the Westcott Innovation Centre, part funded by the Local Growth Fund and Aylesbury Vale Enterprise Zone, via Buckinghamshire LEP, and managed by the Satellite Applications Catapult.

This is the latest phase of the site development, which also now includes a 5G Step-Out Test Facility and Incubation Centre and is planned to include a Disruptive Innovative Space Centre for apprenticeships and further specialist testing sites.

Alongside office space and meeting rooms, the centre provides a fully flexible engineering facility, giving businesses working in space and related sectors the opportunity to use specialist equipment for light mechanical engineering and rapid prototyping activities.

NSK has signed an agreement to acquire Brüel & Kjær Vibro, a leading specialist in condition monitoring systems (CMS), from Spectris.

As part of NSK’s mid-term management plan, ‘building a CMS business’ was identified as a new mechanism for growth. Specifically, NSK plans to evolve from delivering breakdown and life expectancy diagnosis, to the provision of comprehensive technical service solutions, thus helping customers to overcome the challenges faced by equipment and machinery across a wide range of industries.

Gaining access to Brüel & Kjær Vibro’s (‘B&K Vibro’) high-profile customer base, technology, brand reputation, CMS aptitude and big data, will enable NSK to accelerate its CMS business development. In addition, the acquisition will further strengthen NSK’s ability to respond to industry demands for automation, labour savings, smart technology and environmental measures. The company’s main products, including bearings, are key components that support the function and performance of equipment, and the wealth of data, technology and knowledge NSK has accumulated over the years is key to developing predictive maintenance systems.

Predictive maintenance, a next-generation maintenance method, has been gaining traction in the manufacturing sector over recent years. Through the application of CMS, predictive maintenance systems can contribute to productivity and quality improvements, and serve as a means of production innovation in line with the accelerating digital transformation of manufacturing infrastructure.

B&K Vibro will function independently as an autonomous organisation under the direct supervision of the President and CEO of NSK, and will be able to more rapidly develop its business by utilising NSK’s resources.

“With B&K Vibro becoming part of our company, we will be able to enhance our CMS business platform and aim for further growth in the rapidly growing CMS market,” says Toshihiro Uchiyama, President and CEO of NSK Ltd.

Marcel Van Helten, Brüel & Kjær CEO, adds: “We are truly honoured to become part of NSK. The synergies between our companies are evident and, with the combination of skills and knowledge residing within our companies, we will deliver innovative CMS solutions to customers.”

Andrew Heath, Chief Executive at Spectris Plc., says: “B&K Vibro will be an ideal addition to the NSK product portfolio. Being part of a global organisation with complementary products and greater commercial alignment – a company that is looking to invest and develop its technology – will be a positive move for the B&K Vibro business.”

The purchase price of B&K Vibro is approximately €169 million.

Mitsubishi Electric has renewed their partnership with Special Olympics GB for a further two years with immediate effect with both organisations committed to building upon the existing mutually beneficial relationship to help transform the lives of people with intellectual disabilities through sport.

Special Olympics GB is a non-profit organisation and the largest provider of year-round, sports coaching and athletic competition in summer and winter sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics GB currently has more than 120 all ability, inclusive sports clubs covering 28 sports across England, Scotland and Wales providing approximately 27,000 regular hour-long sporting sessions per year, all delivered by a team of more than 4,000 volunteers.

An official partner since 2018, Mitsubishi Electric has been active in supporting a wide variety of events, from last year’s Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi and the 40th Anniversary Games in Stirling in August 2018, to the smaller individual regional events with employees actively encouraged to volunteer.

Moving forward, the partnership will focus on delivering a range of joint initiatives which underpin, promote and reiterate the values and objectives of both organisations. From Unified sport events – both virtual and physical – to providing platforms for our athlete’s stories to be shared, increased interaction and engagement with our Special Olympics GB Athlete Leadership Team and a variety of volunteering opportunities being offered, we will work together to deliver maximum engagement and purpose for both organisations.

Commenting on the renewed partnership, Michelle Carney, CEO of Special Olympics GB said: “We are absolutely delighted Mitsubishi Electric have decided to continue their relationship with Special Olympics GB. Mitsubishi Electric has a strong employee engagement agenda and with the many opportunities – both physical and virtual – Special Olympics GB can offer, the relationship works incredibly well for both sides. We have seen first-hand the impact Mitsubishi Electric colleagues and their volunteering work has on our events and our athletes and it can only be described as joyful for everyone involved. We often talk about the transformational effect of Special Olympics GB on our athletes but once organisations and volunteers meet and listen to our athletes, it transforms their lives too. We are very aware of the world we are living in and the many issues businesses are facing at the moment, and we are hugely grateful for the ongoing support from Mitsubishi Electric.”

Deane Flint, UK & Ireland Branch President of Mitsubishi Electric said: “We are delighted to continue supporting the incredible work that Special Olympics GB does, giving these amazing athletes the recognition they deserve. In these challenging times it is more important than ever that everyone is given the chance to shine and realise their full potential, and we look forward to finding more opportunities for our staff to join in with the brilliant work this amazing body achieves.”

The Government needs to better coordinate its artificial intelligence (AI) policy and the use of data and technology by national and local government.

There is also now a clear consensus that ethical AI is the only sustainable way forward. The time has come for the Government to move from deciding what the ethics are, to how to instil them in the development and deployment of AI systems.

These are the main conclusions of the House of Lords Liaison Committee’s report, AI in the UK: No Room for Complacency, published today.

This report examines the progress made by the Government in the implementation of the recommendations made by the Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence in its 2018 report AI in the UK: ready, willing and able?

Lord Clement-Jones, who was Chair of the Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence, said:

“The Government has done well to establish a range of bodies to advise it on AI over the long term. However, we caution against complacency. There must be more and better coordination, and it must start at the top.

“A Cabinet Committee must be created whose first task should be to commission and approve a five-year strategy for AI. The strategy should prepare society to take advantage of AI rather than be taken advantage of by it.

“The Government must lead the way on making ethical AI a reality. To not do so would be to waste the progress it has made to date, and to squander the opportunities AI presents for everyone in the UK.”

Other findings and conclusions include:

• The increase in reliance on technology caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, has highlighted the opportunities and risks associated with the use of technology, and in particular, data. Active steps must be taken by the Government to explain to the general public the use of their personal data by AI.
• The Government must take immediate steps to appoint a Chief Data Officer, whose responsibilities should include acting as a champion for the opportunities presented by AI in the public service, and ensuring that understanding and use of AI, and the safe and principled use of public data, are embedded across the public service.
• A problem remains with the general digital skills base in the UK. Around 10 per cent of UK adults were non-internet users in 2018. The Government should takes steps to ensure that the digital skills of the UK are brought up to speed, as well as to ensure that people have the opportunity to reskill and retrain to be able to adapt to the evolving labour market caused by AI.
• AI will become embedded in everything we do. It will not necessarily make huge numbers of people redundant, but when the COVID-19 pandemic recedes and the Government has to address the economic impact of it, the nature of work will change and there will be a need for different jobs and skills. This will be complemented by opportunities for AI, and the Government and industry must be ready to ensure that retraining opportunities take account of this. In particular the AI Council should identify the industries most at risk, and the skills gaps in those industries. A specific national training scheme should be designed to support people to work alongside AI and automation, and to be able to maximise its potential.
• The Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI) should establish and publish national standards for the ethical development and deployment of AI. These standards should consist of two frameworks, one for the ethical development of AI, including issues of prejudice and bias, and the other for the ethical use of AI by policymakers and businesses.
• For its part, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) must develop a training course for use by regulators to give their staff a grounding in the ethical and appropriate use of public data and AI systems, and its opportunities and risks. Such training should be prepared with input from the CDEI, the Government’s Office for AI and Alan Turing Institute.
• The Autonomy Development Centre will be inhibited by the failure to align the UK’s definition of autonomous weapons with international partners: doing so must be a first priority for the Centre once established.
• The UK remains an attractive place to learn, develop, and deploy AI. The Government must ensure that changes to the immigration rules must promote rather than obstruct the study, research and development of AI.

element14, an Avnet community, is bringing good cheer to engineers this holiday season with its annual Engineer and Maker’s Wishlist. In addition to ideas for the perfect gift, element14 is getting into the holiday spirit with three separate giveaways, giving its members the chance to win prize packs for circuit assembly, test and measurement and even the ultimate Raspberry Pi bundle. And to top it all off, element14 is hosting a holiday-themed design challenge for its members to share what the holidays mean to them.

This year’s gift guide includes all of the best products for electronics designers, ranging from stocking stuffers for young engineers to under-the-tree standouts for seasoned designers. The much-anticipated annual gift guide is created for engineers, by engineers, and has gifts they’re sure to love:

Stocking Stuffers for Young Engineers:

• CodeBug and accessories: The cutest, easiest to program, wearable, portable embedded electronics platform that is very ‘hackable’ in what it can do, Codebug is a great starter to embedded hardware control.
• Micro:bit V2 and accessories: V2 of the beloved micro:bit features additional sensors and a microphone to enhance this microcontroller platform designed to introduce programming techniques to young minds.

Connecting Up Your Prototyping:

• Magnifier with Helping Hands: Whether you’re soldering something that is too hot to handle, or you just need to get a grip onto a piece of hardware, this magnifier has you covered.
• Components and Sensor Kit for Raspberry Pi: Everything you need to jump start your IoT projects on the holiday to-do list can be found in this components kit.
• Insulated Screwdriver Set: Insulated screwdrivers are not only designed to protect engineers, but also what they’re working on. A great gift for an adventurous engineer.

Show Stopper 3D Printers

• Multicomp i-20 3D Printer: This sturdy printer is great for makers who want to dive in and uniquely customize their 3D projects.
• Creality CR-20 Pro: A back to basics 3D printer with hands-on control, this quality printer is great for makers familiar with 3D printing.
•  Ultimaker S5: For those who like to dream big, this printer is capable of handling soluble print materials alongside ABS and PLA.

In addition to the dozens of product recommendations vetted by the community, element14 is keeping the holiday spirit going throughout the rest of the year with three giveaway opportunities, open through December 30:

• Test and Measurement Tool Bundle Giveaway offers the chance to win a Handheld Digital Oscilloscope, Handheld Digital Multimeter, a Humidity Meter and more.
• Circuit Assembly Tools Giveaway includes the chance to win an Anti-Static Wrist Strap, Jumper Wire Strips, a 150W Solder Station and more.
• Ultimate Raspberry Pi Bundle Giveaway features the latest hardware and a mixture of features including the Raspberry Pi 400 Starter Kit, Raspberry Pi Touchscreen, the Raspberry Pi Hi Quality Camera 12.3MP and more.

And last but not least, element14 is hosting a holiday project competition that challenges makers to create something that reflects what the holidays mean to them. In the spirit of the season, the maker that shows the most heart will be crowned the winner and receive a tool kit (~ $500 value) that includes a handheld oscilloscope, a USB soldering iron, a bench power supply, wire strippers, along with a $400 shopping cart, and an additional $100 gift to share with another member of the community for their project. For more information visit https://www.element14.com/community/docs/DOC-95801/l/project14-holiday-special-20-win-tool-kit-bundles-shopping-carts-and-gifts-to-give-others

The element14 Community was the first community specifically built for engineers and now has over 750,000 engineer, maker and entrepreneurial members. To see the full range of suggested holiday gifts for engineers, and to enter the giveaways, be sure to check out the element14 Engineer and Maker’s Wish List 2020.

An additional Locking Kit has been added to the Easy-Clean version of the well-known ODU-AMC Connector range. The locking kit provides additional screw-locking to the original Break-Away function, offering further security whenever high vibrations are a factor.

The ODU-AMC Easy-Clean connector system can be used, for example, on soldier worn radio or portable detection equipment where an additional locking feature can be added by the new 2in1 locking kit. Data and signal transmissions are thus protected even more reliably against connection interruptions, whilst the simple Break-Away function used at the headset end of the umbilical allows the user to quickly change interfaces and systems used.

Retrofitting is easy – the user-friendly locking kit can be fitted in just a few simple steps, with the kit containing a union nut + screw mechanism for the cable connector and a nut with thread for the bulkhead connector.

Electrocomponents is helping to revolutionise the way periodic inspections of petrochemical storage tanks are carried out in order to reduce the hazards, environmental impact, and costs associated with this global industry.

Project nautilUS is a UK-based consortium championed by several leading global companies and institutions, which have been working together since February 2018 to design and develop a multi-million-pound certified non-destructive testing (NDT) solution. Co-funded by Innovate UK, the consortium also includes InnoTecUK, London South Bank University, Sonomatic, and TWI. Electrocomponents has developed the Quality Functional Deployment (QFD) model via RS Monition, the company’s maintenance engineering specialist service, and its DesignSpark engineering platform and community continues to create vital opportunities for intellectual property development and commercialisation of the technology.

Oil and fuel storage require a robust and reliable infrastructure, with regular inspection critical to ensure that tanks are fit for purpose. Existing inspection methods often result in storage tanks being taken out of service to be drained and inspected for corrosion, which is hazardous, time-consuming and costly work.

The nautilUS solution addresses these issues head-on, in the form of a small robot which can monitor and plot its own position whilst carrying out corrosion inspection. The robot uses active real-time remote controls to move around a tank, and an ultrasound probe to take measurements of floor thinning. It then records data regarding location for post-processing after the robot is retrieved. The design aims to obtain the smallest possible footprint to allow entry via the smallest manholes of liquid storage tanks. For the robot to perform an inspection in an explosive and flammable environment, the robot operation must avoid sparking, which can create an explosion in the tank due to heat and the presence of vapour. As well as offering ease of use and unique movement capabilities, the technology can also be applied to the inspection of ship-borne fuel tanks, transportation tanks and water storage tanks.

Michael Burrows, Senior Innovation Advisor at Electrocomponents, said: “As well as our responsibilities around IP and commercialisation for nautilUS, we carried out a very extensive piece of work, called a Quality Functional Deployment (QFD) model ahead of the project, where we went out to over 100 current users and tank farm operators to uncover their list of requirements. We needed to know what the must-haves were and the nice-to-haves. This helped to shape the ergonomics, the ease of use, the size, the deployment, and the ability to deploy with limited people.

“We have received a very high level of interest already. There are 600 tank farm operators globally and we’ve already got an active response from around 70 of them with a number of offers to utilise the technology in their tanks.

“Within the oil and gas industry there is an overarching goal to make it unmanned by 2030. Part of the commercialisation that we have been involved with has been to generate interest in not only the overall nautilUS robot, but also the technologies within it. Of course, we have the robot in its entirety, but there are also opportunities to license the individual pieces of technology for existing solutions or other applications.”

The DesignSpark engineering platform has been part of the multidisciplinary team throughout the project and a variety of articles and videos outlining progress are available at: https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/project-nautilus-revolutionising-petrochemical-oil-tank-inspections and https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/project-nautilus-member-innotecuk

To watch the video of the first in-oil tank test, visit: https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/nautilus-the-answer-to-low-cost-oil-tank-inspection

Consumer wearables, including smart watches and augmented reality glasses, have captured the imagination of many. One important market for wearable devices is medical and healthcare, where they fulfil a diverse range of functions, such as monitoring patient heart rate, oxygen levels, body temperature and respiratory rate. State of the art wearables have good reliability, precision and are compact. Here Peter Swanson, Managing Director of adhesives specialist Intertronics, discusses best practice for dispensing processes in wearable device manufacturing.

The comfort, flexibility and connectivity of wearables have been made possible through progress in sensor technology, power management and transmitter technology; these advances in wearable technology require improvements to the production process. One important part of the assembly process is the dispensing of materials like adhesives, silicones, thermally and electrically conductive materials and greases.

Dispensing technology is required for numerous functions when manufacturing a wearable device, such as bonding batteries to the housing, the application of conductive pastes for thermal management, and the sealing, encapsulation and bonding of sensors. Many Micro-Electronic-Mechanical Systems (MEMs) are bonded or encapsulated with a suitable adhesive, and materials are also used to coat or underfill processors, attach and bond RF-modules and seal and bond actuators.

When manufacturing a medical device, it is important that all processes are reliable, consistent and can be validated. The industry requires manufacturers to have a good understanding of process variables, and to control them to create a robust procedure across all dispensing processes. Dispensing processes must be done accurately and repeatably.

Dispensing in action

To achieve the level of precision required, manufacturers can opt for progressive pump technology, as it enables true volumetric dispensing. A progressive cavity pump typically consists of a single-helix metal rotor and a double-helix hole in an elastomeric stator, which forms a sequence of small discrete cavities. These cavities progress through the pump as the rotor is turned, transferring the liquid. The output represents true volumetric dispensing — the amount of material is directly proportional to the number of rotations of the rotor, and is not affected by material viscosity, input pressure or ambient temperature.

One example technology is the eco-PEN330 preeflow dispenser, which enables the user to dispense volumes as small as 0.001 µl within 1%, 99% of the time — a high level of repeatability and accuracy. It can be used for low or high viscosity materials, with or without filler content.

Dispensing for diabetes management

Medical wearable devices have huge potential for diabetes management. For example, in the US, the digital diabetes management market size has a compound annual growth rate of around 20%. Examples of technologies include continuous glucose monitoring, smart glucose metres and closed loop systems.

One interesting example comes from a client of ViscoTec India, whose engineers created a closed loop system, consisting of a skin patch that measures blood glucose levels, a device that calculates the required insulin dose, and a smart pump that injects the dose. During the production process, the manufacturer required the precise dispensing of 0.7 microlitres of grease into a gearbox component of the electric motor in the insulin pump. These precise requirements were fulfilled with a preeflow eco-PEN330.

Automating the process

In most wearable production processes, adhesive dispensing is automated to achieve a high degree of repeatability. Once the dispensing technology has been selected, manufacturers can repeat the application of materials with positional accuracy by incorporating a robot or other form of automation. Medical device manufacturers have several options to mechanise the process, which include rotary tables or simple 3-axis benchtop robots, usually at modest cost, right up to multi-axis robots with vision-based control and feedback.

As well as delivering productivity benefits from their speed, consistency and ability to run continuously, automation can enable results not possible manually. They can deliver rapid return on investment, particularly when precision and accuracy-based productivity gains are taken into consideration.

The use of wearable technology in consumer and healthcare applications is now widespread. To produce a compact, reliable and precise device that meets rigorous industry standards, manufacturers require a robust dispensing process. Working with an experienced adhesives and dispensing equipment supplier can help you to invest in suitable technology.