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Advantech has announced that MIC-730AI, Edge AI Inference System based on NVIDIA Jetson Xavier has received a 2020 IoT Edge Computing Excellence Award from IoT Evolution World, the leading web site covering the Internet of Things (IoT) marketplace.

This award recognises the companies emerging as leaders in the growing edge computing space. Companies selected for this award have proven that their products are enabling advanced IoT deployments by offering edge solutions that bring real-time computing, data availability, analytics, AI and machine learning to edge devices.

“Advantech MIC-730AI, the edge AI computing system powered by NVIDIA JetsonAGX Xavier platform delivers all the performance of a GPU workstation in an embedded module. With Advantech’s MIC-730AI, businesses can take huge steps forward in making AI a reality for smart manufacturing with advanced computer vision at the edge as an example. It can analyse the cause of product’s defectiveness and provide suggestions for improvements. Besides smart manufacturing, Advantech’s MIC-730AI can also enable autonomous robots in fulfilment centres without relying on human intervention and cloud connectivity. Those autonomous robots execute tasks like picking, packing, and inspecting to reduce human contact but still keep the fulfilment centre running during a challenging situation like a pandemic and also optimising efficiency,” said James Yung, Product Management Manager, Advantech North America.

“The solutions selected for the IoT Evolution Edge Computing Excellence Award reflect innovation driving the fast-growing Internet of Things marketplace. It is my honour to congratulate Advantech for their innovative work and contribution to this rapidly evolving industry,” said Ken Briodagh, Editorial Director, IoT Evolution.

“It is my pleasure to recognise MIC-730AI, an innovative solution that earned Advantech the 2020 IoT Evolution Edge Computing Excellence Award,” said Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC. “I look forward to seeing more innovation from Advantech in the future.”

The Coventry-based Manufacturing Technology Centre has been named in the prestigious 2020 Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list. The MTC has been listed at number 53 in a national ranking of leading employers of apprentices.

The list, compiled by the Department of Education-sponsored Education and Skills Funding Agency, aims to recognise and celebrate the top employers who are leading the drive for apprentices and getting more people into skilled jobs.

More than 100,000 businesses and organisations in the UK are now apprenticeship employers and the awards showcase the nation’s top 100 employers that have done the most to provide successful apprenticeships over the last year.

Managing director of MTC Training, David Hughes MBE, said he was delighted that the MTC’s commitment to supporting the next generation of talent in Great British manufacturing had been recognised on the national stage.

“Taking on apprentices is a key element of our development strategy to future-proof our workforce and bring in fresh new talent. Our apprentices also bring new ideas, helping existing colleagues innovate and upskill as they support our learners’ journeys. For our apprentices, the opportunity to earn while they learn, and gain valuable workplace experience alongside an industry-recognised qualification is a fantastic kick-start to their early careers and accelerates their future progression,” he said.

As well as developing its own apprentices at all levels of the business, the MTC encourages its industrial members, technical partners and supply chain to do the same through the MTC’s apprenticeship programme.

David Hughes said, “We are strong advocates for apprenticeships, and so we’re thrilled that so many of our industrial partners are also in the Top 100. We hope that this award helps us inspire even more people to embrace the fantastic opportunities that apprenticeships offer to both employers and learners.”

The rankings have been developed by the National Apprenticeship Service in partnership with High Fliers Research who independently assessed and compiled the national leader board. The awards were open to employers with more than 250 employees and a minimum of 25 apprentices, and received hundreds of entries, whittled down to the final Top 100.

The awards considered each employers’ overall commitment to apprentices, their creation of new apprenticeships, the diversity of their apprentices, and the progression of their apprentices onto further apprenticeships and employment. Points were weighted depending on the total size of the employer to give a final score, and those employers with the 100 highest scores were included in the rankings.

Commenting on the Top 100, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “Now more than ever we should celebrate businesses who are driving our efforts to build a stronger, fairer, and more competitive economy. High-quality apprenticeships give people from all backgrounds and ages a real choice in life, providing them with the skills employers value, which our economy needs, and which lead to better paid jobs. These modern employers are at the heart of levelling up our workforce, and with the extra support we are providing will help the country build back better from Coronavirus.”

The Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers was organised by the ESFA, and announced in a live broadcast on YouTube which be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-maVG8viIAc . More information can be found by visiting: https://www.topapprenticeshipemployers.co.uk/

The MTC was founded by the University of Birmingham, Loughborough University, the University of Nottingham and TWI Ltd. The MTC’s industrial members include some of the UK’s major global manufacturers.

The MTC aims to provide a competitive environment to bridge the gap between university-based research and the development of innovative manufacturing solutions, in line with the Government’s manufacturing strategy. The MTC is part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, supported by Innovate UK.

According to a recent report by the MIT Technology Review, up to 96% of local industrial control systems are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. To offer its customers further choice and cyber security capabilities, ABB is uniting with Forescout, the leading provider of cyber security solutions for enterprise and industrial operations.

The collaboration will integrate Forescout’s cyber technology within ABB’s portfolio of industrial expertise and cyber security solutions to enhance operators’ abilities to detect known and unknown control system threats.

“The threats to businesses and infrastructure from network intrusion and data breaches are growing, and the rapid increase in remote operations in 2020 has fueled this further, said Pedro Abreu, Forescout Chief Product and Strategy Officer. “Now more than ever, it is crucial that critical industries have robust, sophisticated cyber security solutions in place. Working with ABB, and its deep domain expertise in the energy and process industries sectors means that customers get the best of both worlds – world-leading industrial knowledge combined with the latest technology, to better protect their control systems.”

Gino Hernandez, Head of Digital for ABB Energy Industries, said, “Cyber security is a real concern across industry, and there is significant value to be gained from better network monitoring. Breaches in network security can cost millions of dollars in repairs and fines, have potential impact from unplanned downtime, and affect a business’s reputation. ABB’s partnership with ForeScout will give customers a high level of network visibility and greater protection across their systems.

Through greater integration of physical technology and software, ABB will help to deliver efficiencies as the need for manual asset inventorying and non-cyber security network monitoring is reduced. Customers will gain comprehensive cyber security visibility into operational technology environments, and receive insights to respond to any incidents, faster and in a highly targeted way.

Hernandez continued: “Ensuring compatibility with legacy control systems and deploying the latest cybersecurity technology is of utmost importance. The collaboration between ABB and Forescout enables this – providing a clear path to securing installed industrial control systems, while future-proofing it through new cybersecurity applications.”

ABB will also provide, through a reseller agreement, Forescout’s industry-leading eyeSight, eyeInspect and eyeSegment security solutions with a focus on addressing the convergence of operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT).

Forescout’s eyeInspect and eyeSight solutions offer customers a means to identify all connected devices on control system networks, and extract information to centrally monitor and protect a complete asset inventory. The solutions also identify and detect vulnerable operational technology devices.

In a move that could significantly boost the UK’s renewable energy growth, contracts have been awarded to Thales, QinetiQ, Saab, TWI and Plextek DTS to fast-track their ideas for technologies that could mitigate the impact of windfarms on the UK’s air defence radar system.

By guaranteeing essential defence communications are not affected, more wind farms can be built, creating a greener and more technologically sustainable Britain in record time.

The MOD’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is spearheading the innovation competition on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the Royal Air Force (RAF), and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).

Defence Minister Jeremy Quin said: “We want more offshore wind farms to help deliver our ambitious environmental agenda while retaining the protection that radar provides.

“This is a great step forward in achieving this goal and shows Defence’s determination to support sustainability and deliver our green goals for Britain.

“The innovation contracts are part of the MOD’s commitment to the Government’s 2019 Offshore Wind Sector Deal, which expects wind power to fuel 30 percent of the UK’s electricity need by 2030.”

Minister for Energy and Clean Growth, Kwasi Kwarteng said: “The continued growth of offshore wind is a national success story and this funding will ensure we continue to build bigger and more advanced projects vital to tackling climate change.

“The UK’s innovative spirit is second to none, which is why we are drawing from all areas of the country’s expertise to drive forward our incredible renewable energy fleet.”

DASA launched the Windfarm Mitigation for UK Air Defence competition in March, to find innovative solutions that lessen the impact off-shore wind turbines could have on military and civilian radar systems.

Wing Commander Helena Ramsden, Air Capability Strategy, Air Command, said: “This is a positive first step in getting cutting-edge innovation off the ground to harness the best technology from the brightest minds in the country.

“We are committed to keeping the skies above the UK safe from aerial threats whilst accelerating crucial work to allow the nation to do more to combat climate change.”

The successful bidders in DASA’s competition offered wide-ranging and complex ideas to tackle radar interference.

Thales, in collaboration with the University of Birmingham and SMEs, will develop surveillance to mitigate windfarm ‘clutter’, whereas Saab is developing a radar mitigation system using Artificial Intelligence and Doppler filtering.

QinetiQ is developing two proposals – the first approach uses new materials to stop the radar from being distorted. Their second proposal will develop radar-absorbing materials that can be put on off-shore wind turbines to limit interference.

TWI will develop novel methods for creating conductive coating for turbine blades that adsorb radar in partnership with the University of Exeter’s Centre for Metamaterial Research and Innovation. Finally, Plextek DTS is developing techniques to remove the effects windfarms have on radar data.

Robert Hammond-Smith, DASA delivery manager, said: “Crucial innovation like this is vital if we are to meet our renewable energy targets.

“This competition will not only help us meet our green energy needs but it will also help boost UK prosperity, entrepreneurs and innovators by investing in their potentially game-changing technology.

“DASA is proud to be working closely with BEIS, the RAF and Dstl to lead this important work which could transform the UK’s approach to offshore wind power generation.”

The UK is investing more in offshore wind than any other country and is home to the world’s largest windfarms: Walney and Hornsea 1 in the North Sea. Walney wind farm generates power for more than 600,000 homes across Cumbria, while the impressive Hornsea 1 supports power for over one million households across the UK.

Offshore wind will play a key role in delivering net-zero emissions by 2050, with a Government commitment to scale it up to 40GW by the end of the decade.

BEIS has already invested £1.3 million into the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub and the Knowledge Transfer Network to encourage industry to come up with ways to accelerate wind farm development. This would mean a huge increase in the number of wind farms being built off the UK’s shores, needing effective connection to the grid.

Acrovision, a UK-based systems integrator of factory and warehouse automation, vision inspection systems and direct part marking and identification technologies, has chosen the thermoIMAGER TIM QVGA-HD-T100 thermal imaging camera from Micro-Epsilon as part of its infrared thermal detection system, the AFS-100. The system provides end users with a reliable, versatile, high accuracy fever screening system to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The thermal imaging camera was selected due to its high accuracy and ease of integration, set up and configuration.

The AFS-100 is an infrared thermal detection system which is used to detect a person’s elevated body temperature. The system meets the ISO 80601-2-59:2017 standards for “Basic Safety and Essential Performance of Screening for Human Febrile Temperature”. The built-in thermoIMAGER TIM QVGA-HD-T100 camera allows for individuals to be scanned at points of entry to buildings such as factories, airports, offices, warehouses and hospitals, or generally positioned onsite for screening purposes, providing a safe non-contact solution for temperature checks.

Paul Cunningham, Managing Director of Acrovision comments: “In current times, more than ever, we need to be vigilant of fevers or viruses and in turn the wellbeing of employees and customers in public areas. We also need to increase everyone’s confidence in knowing they are entering a safe environment. The AFS-100 fever screening system is designed to be extremely easy to install and use, yet remain ultra-accurate in its measurement results. We are also pleased to say that 10 per cent of sales of the AFS-100 will be donated to the NHS.”

As well as the thermoIMAGER TIM QVGA-HD-T100 camera, the AFS-100 consists of a Feedback Monitor and the all-important “Reference Box” that ensures the accuracy of ±0.5°C. As an option, the AFS-100 offers a Data Collection bolt-on, which allows the use of Personnel ID cards to both trigger the camera and to log individuals’ temperature measurements for further analysis or tailoring of results.

Cunningham continues: “As a business, we were already familiar with Micro-Epsilon and its products, including its 2D/3D laser measurement sensors. During lockdown, I attended a Micro-Epsilon webinar about its thermal imaging camera and so was confident that it would meet our strict requirements in terms of accuracy, quality and reliability. We also thought Micro-Epsilon would be a ‘good fit’ for Acrovision in terms of the high-end, high quality, German-made products they supply, but also because they sell products based on technology and technical advantages.”

A key element to the AFS-100’s method of individual screening is the accurate measurement taken from the Medial Canthus (tear duct in the inner eye area) which provides the strongest indication of an elevated body temperature. The system analyses every pixel (approximately 1.3mm) of this area and highlights the hottest region. This method removes the inaccuracies/issues of an incorrect measurement due to environmental and physiological factors that many other systems are susceptible to.

The thermoIMAGER TIM QVGA-HD-T100 infrared camera from Micro-Epsilon is supplied with a certificate of calibration that validates temperature measurements made against a traceable 35°C temperature reference source (black body). The camera is accurate to
± 0.5°C when used with the TM-BR20AR-TIM black body source, which means it can provide reliable skin temperature measurements for fever detection systems. It is ideal for integration into automated monitoring systems such as the AFS-100.

Absolute temperature measurement accuracy

Most infrared cameras with 8-14µm spectral response are specified with an accuracy of ± 2°C or 2% of the reading, whichever is greater based on deployments in industrial environments in a wide variety of ambient conditions from 0°C to +50°C. This means that many thermal imagers are unable to achieve the accuracy required to detect a fever and so give false positive readings.

Many infrared cameras are being promoted today that claim to offer accuracies of ± 0.5°C or better. However, these accuracies cannot be achieved without the use of a black body reference source. This source needs to be stable, have high emissivity and should be positioned in close proximity to the person to be scanned. It is vital to select a black body source with a very high stability, as not all black body sources are stable enough to provide a ± 0.5°C system accuracy.

The TM-BR20AR-TIM ambient black body reference source from Micro-Epsilon can be combined with the thermoIMAGER TIM QVGA-HD-T100 camera. The black body is equipped with a 16-bit digital temperature sensor with ± 0.1°C accuracy. By integrating this highly accurate reference signal to the TIM Connect software (freely provided with the camera), Micro-Epsilon can reduce camera uncertainties resulting from device adjustment, ambient temperature drift and short term stability down to a system accuracy of ± 0.5°C with a confidence interval of 95%.

“As well as the high resolution of the Micro-Epsilon camera, the other key benefits for us are its back-end software program that is easy to use and which simplified the set up and configuration of the camera, as well as simplifying the integration of the camera to our own hardware and software systems,” adds Cunningham.

“Right from the start and all the way through product development, the Micro-Epsilon team has been extremely helpful, including demonstrations of the camera, answering our questions and providing technical support, training us on how to use the camera and its software. We look forward to continuing this relationship in the future,” Cunningham concludes.

As some global manufacturing sectors face unprecedented pressure, there has never been a more opportune time to implement game-changing automation technologies. Those businesses that have been adopting technologies able to provide greater transparency, higher productivity and better process management will be better placed to move forward and adapt to the new manufacturing landscape. John Browett, general manager of CLPA Europe, looks at how manufacturers can invest in key solutions that support current needs while also futureproofing their activities.

Current production challenges mean that there is not just demand for factory automation solutions that can ensure continued manufacture and supply of goods, but that provide the transparency and productivity benefits promised by Industry 4.0 too. Bearing in mind that the lifecycle times for automation hardware are as long as 20 years, there are many plants operating with aged production systems that could benefit from an update. This is where industry-leading open communication technologies can step in to deliver these necessary improvements in process transparency and productivity.

The case for Time-Sensitive Networking

As automation plant lifecycles typically last many years, it is essential to know what technologies show the most promise of longevity, rapid return on investment (ROI) and clear technical benefits. It is clear to most automation specialists that one of these will be Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN). This is a set of Ethernet sub-standards for the OSI-Layer 2 defined by IEEE 802.1. These aim to improve determinism and reliability in industrial Ethernet-based communications. by creating accurate time synchronisation across a network, in addition to traffic prioritisation.

Therefore, businesses can combine multiple types of traffic on a single network, with no loss of performance for critical control-related tasks. The end result is an industrial Ethernet infrastructure that permits all kinds of traffic to coexist, regardless of whether it is critical safety or motion control-related data, general control information, video frames from inspection systems, periodic shift logs or even emails.

This consequently delivers several technical benefits: networks are able to fully leverage the benefits of gigabit bandwidth, their infrastructure is simpler and therefore less costly to design, implement and maintain. Ultimately, systems can be rolled out and start their operations in a shorter time.

By removing the need for physical separation of critical and non-critical networks, TSN also creates a convergence between information technology (IT) and industrial operational technology (OT). This convergence directly addresses the competitive pressure of Industry 4.0 in order to deliver corresponding business benefits. Key results include better transparency and management of processes, product quality improvements, increase in output as well as reduced downtime. In addition, the enterprise can become more responsive to customer demands and better able to support its business.

An evolving solution

While many of the IEEE 802.1 standards are now complete, some are still under development. Moreover, the IEC/IEEE 60802 working group is still standardising TSN profiles for industrial automation. Hence, TSN is still evolving.

The counterpoint to this is that projects have to be done now, and TSN’s maturity level is such that vendors have already started to market solutions. As with most technologies, TSN will continue to evolve over time. However, any risk of moving forward now is mitigated by the fact that the organisations involved have a strong track record of ensuring backwards compatibility. So while TSN will continue to evolve, future iterations will be compatible with what is available today. TSN, as it stands today, can deliver all the benefits outlined earlier, and hence this creates a compelling case for using it to maintain a competitive advantage now.

Specific examples of applications that can benefit from TSN include those that would profit from combining several types of control on one network. For example, a converting application such as a printing press could combine high precision motion control for registration with visual inspection of the process, along with systems related to operator safety. TSN allows them all to coexist on a single network, simplifying system design, reducing cost and increasing uptime.

The time to implement TSN is now

Plant lifecycles are typically measured in decades. With this in mind, current TSN solutions are a safe bet. The technology is already able to address the demands of Industry 4.0 that are emerging now by maximising the use of the increasingly common gigabit bandwidth. In addition, it holds the promise of being able to evolve accordingly to meet future demands while protecting existing investments.

Its base technology, Ethernet, was first conceived in the early 1970s and has already proved its ability to remain relevant over time. Hence, TSN will likely continue to benefit from this ability and offer advantages during the current plant lifecycles and beyond.

TSN can act as a powerful ally to support businesses to address current manufacturing challenges. Technologies that offer TSN functionalities now while also providing migration capabilities for the future are therefore ideal. The CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) has supported businesses with state-of-the art open automation network technologies for 20 years and, as one of the key players in the sector, is in a position to continue to do so for the next 20 years.

To support advanced industrial communications, the organisation has recently developed CC-Link IE TSN, the first open industrial Ethernet to combine 1Gbit bandwidth with TSN functionalities. Thanks to these key features, it offers an ideal migration solution that can address current manufacturing needs while acting as a gateway to the future of connected industries. By implementing this technology businesses are enabled to handle the large volume of traffic associated with Industry 4.0 data-driven manufacturing. As a result, they will not only optimise their current operations, but also futureproof them.

Automated Precision Europe (API) has announced a new partnership with MeetConsult, offering closer customer proximity in the Netherlands and better solutions for 3D metrology tasks. Both companies are long-standing solution providers of laser-based metrology and measurement services for a wide range of industrial applications.

“As an API partner, we offer our customers the ability to perform industrial measurements faster and more accurately than before,” says Eelco Visser of MeetConsult B.V.. “Together with MeetConsult, API can now supply Dutch customers with innovative mobile 3D metrology, on-site measurement services, Laser Tracker calibration, and our attractive rental program, using more than 30 years of expertise in international markets and development,” adds Jens Pursche, Sales Manager of API. “Together, we will be able to reach interested parties in the Netherlands better than ever for optimal support of customer tasks through on-site visits or online demos from the API’s Virtual Showroom.”

For on-site or online demo appointments and further information, please contact: info@meetconsult.nl or info.eu@apimetrology.com.

MTS will provide two state-of-the-art tyre testing systems to a global tyre manufacturer to help optimise designs for electric and fuel-efficient vehicles. The contract is valued at $7 million and is the company’s largest customer order in India, underscoring MTS’ continued focus to expand its presence in key global markets.

“Environmental sustainability initiatives are driving rapid changes across all industries, and MTS is committed to supporting the development of more energy-efficient products and solutions,” says Randy J. Martinez, MTS Interim President and CEO. “MTS is pleased to provide test systems that will help this customer meet new testing standards and tyre fuel-efficiency rating requirements. As the automotive industry sharpens its focus on fuel-efficiency, MTS’ innovative test systems and technologies will continue to help manufacturers accelerate electric vehicle development and improve the energy-efficiency of all vehicles.”

Optimising Tyres for Electric & High-Performance Vehicles

Battery weight makes electric vehicles heavier than internal combustion engine vehicles, and this extra weight puts more loading forces on the tyres. The MTS Flat-Trac CT Plus Tire Testing System will test a tyre’s performance up to its limits and can replicate the increased cornering loads and higher braking forces of electric vehicles. Unlike other tyre test systems, the CT Plus can provide the forces needed to accurately evaluate tyre performance for electric as well as conventional vehicles.

Improving Vehicle Fuel Efficiency

Due to an increased interest in developing fuel-efficient vehicles, the automotive industry is looking for ways to mitigate energy loss from tyres. For both gas-powered and electric vehicles, the optimal tyre design can significantly lower energy consumption and operating costs. Better tyres will also reduce battery wear and increase electric vehicle range. The MTS Tyre Rolling Resistance Measurement System will help this tire manufacturer minimise tyre rolling resistance to improve vehicle fuel economy.

STMicroelectronics is to collaborate with A*STAR’s IME, a research institute in Singapore, and ULVAC, a leading Japanese manufacturing-tool vendor, to jointly setup and operate an 8-inch (200mm) R&D line focused on Piezo MEMS technology within ST’s existing manufacturing facility in Singapore. The first of its kind in the world, this “Lab-in-Fab” R&D line brings together three partners with leading-edge and complementary competencies in Piezo materials, Piezo MEMS technologies, and wafer-fab tools to boost innovation and accelerate development of new materials, process technologies, and ultimately, products for industry customers.

The Lab-in-Fab consists of a new cleanroom area within ST’s Ang Mo Kio campus and will host tools and dedicated resources from the three parties, which include MEMS R&D and process scientists and engineers. IME’s knowledge base and industrial drive in piezo-MEMS device design, process integration, and system integration will add value to the development of the line. IME will also contribute state-of-the-art tools to help ensure a smooth product flow through to production, all within the same location. The new R&D line will also leverage existing ST resources, benefiting from the economies of scale of ST’s wafer fabs on the same campus. The “Lab-in-Fab” facility is forecast to be ready and operational with first wafers in Q2 2021 and volume production at the end of 2022.

“We want to build the world’s leading R&D center for Piezo MEMS materials, technologies, and products with IME and ULVAC, with whom we have been working for a long time. This world first will be hosted in our Singapore site, a strategic location for ST,” said Benedetto Vigna, President, Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group, STMicroelectronics. “The Lab-in-Fab will offer our customers the capability to more easily go from a feasibility study to product development and high-volume manufacturing.”

This collaboration enhances the existing manufacturing-process portfolio of ST Singapore and will accelerate the adoption of Piezo MEMS actuators in promising new fields of application, including MEMS Mirrors for Smart Glasses, AR Headsets and LIDAR systems, Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers (PMUT) for emerging medical applications, and Piezo Heads for Commercial and industrial 3-D Printing.

“The public-private partnership between IME, ST and ULVAC has led to the creation of a unique R&D line, which will bring about novel products using piezo materials, and boost the competitiveness of our partners. These efforts will continue to anchor high-value R&D activities in Singapore and demonstrate that Singapore continues to be an attractive environment for industry leaders to innovate and grow their businesses. A*STAR is also committed to helping local SMEs tap into our technologies. We welcome companies to collaborate with IME and leverage our Lab-in-Fab facilities for proof of concept,” said Prof. Dim-Lee Kwong, Executive Director of IME.

“We are proud of being a “Lab-in-Fab” partner of ST and IME in developing advanced Piezo-MEMS for numerous promising future applications. This is also a strong proof of ULVAC’s leadership in providing manufacturing technology solutions to the Piezo-MEMS industry. We are looking forward to working closely with our partners for a successful collaboration,” said Dr. Koukou SUU, Executive Officer and Senior Fellow of ULVAC.

From prototype to full scale production, technical moulder Broanmain Plastics has assisted lab testing spectrometer innovator to develop a unique puck and slide concept that prevents cross contamination of food & drink, microbiological, chemical and forensic liquid laboratory samples.

Specac, a global provider of spectroscopic accessories used in the laboratory analysis of specimens in a wide range of scientific and industrial settings, – from life science research to polymers and plastics –  recently unveiled its revolutionary ATR (Attenuated Total Reflection) consumable puck and slide innovation. The unique Arrow concept comprises a puck and silicon wafer ATR consumable polypropylene slides featuring overmoulded lids, allowing lab scientists to batch test, save and cross-compare chemical changes in samples over a period of time.

Removing the need to clean the spectrometry puck between each individual lab sample has been hailed by Specac and industry experts as a major scientific breakthrough, as it safeguards against sample cross contamination as well as speeding up analysis.

Technical tool developer and injection moulding specialist Broanmain previously assisted Specac with its development of a new ATR accessory for the company’s high-spec offering to the spectroscopy market.. This project’s success instilled so much confidence in Specac’s team, they invited Broanmain’s tooling and production professionals – Kamil Stec and Thomas Catinat – to input into the full development of this completely new ATR concept.

Taking ATR in a new direction

Specac’s original concept was to create a disposable puck for high volume hazardous applications. Yet, through the company’s collaborations with Broanmain, the idea progressed to the development of an aluminum holding puck and disposable recyclable silicon ATR slides, which used less material, so was less wasteful.

At the very first meeting, suggestions for tooling and material mouldability were made. Within a week Broanmain had commissioned a specialist to build the prototype Arrow aluminium tooling for the slide with a built-in silicon wafer ATR crystal. As the slide must create a liquid tight seal between the well and ATR element whilst also aligning the optical components accurately, design precision was critical. The Broanmain team also pooled their expertise in overmoulding and material selection for the development of the innovative disposable Arrow slide, opting for an acid resistant 100% recyclable polypropylene combined with elastomer. The result was a single component, cleverly constructed to reduce part count and manufacturing complexity.

Specac’s Strategic Buyer Anthony Gomme comments: “It’s always our experience that collaboration with a production partner like Broanmain at the earliest stage results in the best product development and speeds up time to market.”

Eliminating contamination risks

Just like a regular Quest diamond puck, the Arrow’s ultra-thin silicon wafer ATR can be used to analyse forensic, microbiological, food and drink and paint coatings samples. Yet more cost efficiently. Rather than placing samples directly onto the puck, samples can be prepared in batches away from the spectrometry unit and analysed consecutively.

To avoid the risk of cross contaminating samples or evaporation, a cap can be pressed down over the well. This enables scientists to archive samples or perform long running tests using different solution concentrations to observe chemical changes in the samples. Additionally, an overmoulded seal clips down to ensure long term storage without risk of the sample leaking past the silicon wafer.

Specac’s project leader Michael Ramsay explains more and why the Arrow ATR warranted a patent: “The method of overmoulding the clipping mechanism on the slide and the process of removing slides from the spectrometry unit is very novel. From a productivity perspective, labs can now batch prepare and analyse over 25 samples in less than 10 minutes, with no cleaning of the puck between tests.”

Citing the importance of analysing the composition of food and drink commodities and ensuring samples are not cross contaminated, Michael expands: “In the food supply chain, brand integrity, authencity and traceability is critical. Correct labelling of calorific and nutritional content help consumers stay within recommended limits. This requires accurate quantification of the composition of food and drink to ensure full compliance with local labelling regulations. Quality control is stringent. These food analysis tests are typically performed in large batches, where speed and accuracy is critical.”

Launched in July 2020, Broanmain has now scaled up into full production of the Arrow puck and slides at its state-of-the-art Dorking facility. Operations Manager Thomas Catinat comments: “It’s always exciting to be involved in such a revolutionary market development that has the potential to reshape how scientific communities will perform sample analysis in the future. As these processes become increasingly automated, innovations like the Arrow ATR will yield more accurate and reproducible results.”

Compatible with Specac’s flagship Quest ATR accessory, for more information watch this launch video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KcNYzklfok