New era of productivity beckons

Modern magnetic levitation technology could be the key to breaking the shackles of rigidly sequential production.

Today's plants and machinery take up a lot of space. But only a fraction of their footprint contributes to the production process itself. Far more real estate on the plant floor is dedicated to carrying products from place to place. The time has come to break free from the limitations of one-dimensional product transport – and set the stage for a new era of productivity, argues B&R mechatronics expert Dario Rovelli.

Conveyor belts, rotary tables, carousels – there are many ways to move products from processing station to processing station.  But they all have one thing in common: they don't contribute to the production process itself. Quite the opposite, in fact – they consume valuable floorspace and reduce the overall output per square meter.

"For machinery and equipment manufacturers, product transport is simply a necessary evil," says Rovelli. In addition to all the space they take up, he points out, conventional product transport systems have a second costly disadvantage: they make the machine inflexible.

Henry Ford's breakthrough in industrial mass production was achieved through conveyor belts and strict production cycles. But what once lifted productivity to new heights now weighs it down, says Rovelli. "To meet the demands of smaller batches, shorter lifecycles and increasing personalisation, we need to remove the shackles of rigidly sequential production." 

More flexible with track systems

In recent years, new technologies have made production much more flexible, especially track systems like SuperTrak and ACOPOStrak. They can move each product independently and also serve as a motion control axis at processing stations. Not only that, but they allow product flows to divide and merge at full speed. 

"Track systems have set a major milestone," he explains, "by synchronising asynchronous processes." In other words: productivity is no longer throttled to the speed of the slowest processing station. By adding multiple instances of slower stations, an incremental investment brings exponential gains in productivity. Dissolving the traditional model of linear product transport creates a multidimensional production space.

Mass customisation

"Track systems let you do mass customisation – for the first time – in a way that is economically sustainable," states Rovelli. Wherever there is a clear sequence of processing steps that need to be adapted dynamically to each product, a track system provides the necessary flexibility. Yet there are other applications where the sequence of steps itself is constantly changing. These applications demand complete freedom in the flow of production.

"Manufacturing visionaries have had a dream for many years," he says. "They dream of dissolving the linear model of product transport entirely and creating a multidimensional manufacturing space – where each product moves independently from station to station, without being bound to a rigid, sequential production flow." 

Contactless, noiseless, precise

What has long sounded like wishful thinking is now becoming reality, thanks to modern magnetic levitation technology. As if guided by an invisible hand, shuttles glide freely above a surface, accelerating and manoeuvring skilfully in every direction. "Ever since the first time I saw this technology in action, I've been completely fascinated," says Rovelli. "It's contactless, noiseless and extremely precise. I realised immediately the profound impact it would have in shaping the world of manufacturing for years to come. And now, magnetic levitation has advanced to the point where it can deliver serious benefits in industrial applications."

The future of manufacturing

This same vision led B&R to fully integrate magnetic levitation technology into its automation system. ACOPOS 6D now heralds a transition from strictly linear production to an open, adaptive manufacturing space. "We're talking about nothing less than a revolution in the way products are manufactured, assembled and packaged," he points out.

Cropping up again and again in discussions of Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things has been the concept of products navigating their own way through the production process. "It's often been dismissed as a pipe dream," he adds, "but now we actually have the technology to turn the vision into reality." With ACOPOS 6D, one machine can simultaneously manufacture different product variants or even entirely different products. Each product navigates its own path to the stations it actually needs. "We're witnessing the birth of swarm production." 

 

A new era of productivity - independent shuttle transport with six degrees of freedom.
A new era of productivity - independent shuttle transport with six degrees of freedom.

B&R Industrial Automation Ltd

Broadoak, Southgate Park
Bakewell Road
Peterborough
PE2 6YS
UNITED KINGDOM

+44 (0)1733 371320

office.uk@br-automation.com

www.br-automation.com

More news
2 days ago
maxon is giving away a Swiss Army Knife every day in December
maxon has launched its 2023 Advent Calendar, giving away a classic Victorinox Swiss Army Knife every day in December until Christmas Eve. To enter maxon’s Advent Calendar, visit the maxon prize draw 2023 and click on the door for the corresponding day.
3 days ago
Yaskawa commits to UK with state-of-the-art facility
Yaskawa – a global technology supplier in segments drives, motion controls and robotics – is opening a new, state-of-the-art UK headquarters and manufacturing facility in Sunderland.
5 days ago
NSK bearings help pet food plant raise OEE
When a major UK pet food producer wanted better machine utilisation with the aim of raising its OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) by 3 points, it asked experts at bearing specialist NSK if they could evaluate processes and systems to help with this improvement goal.
5 days ago
Beckhoff UK and HepcoMotion’s mechatronics showcase takes centre stage
Automation technology specialist Beckhoff UK, in collaboration with leading manufacturer of linear motion systems, HepcoMotion, hosted a mechatronics showcase at MK7, the home of Oracle Red Bull Racing in Milton Keynes, with several innovations from both companies on display, as well as a brand-new product reveal – the GFX-r guidance system.
6 days ago
PPMA re-brand puts automation at the heart of UK manufacturing
The PPMA Group of Associations has re-branded and has changed its name to AutomateUK to better represent the needs of its membership and their end user customers in the ever-changing manufacturing landscape.
1 day ago
steute Technologies restructures its business fields
steute Technologies, an international technology company offering switches, intelligent sensors and wireless systems, has announced a comprehensive restructuring of its business fields.
2 days ago
Showcasing design, production and process engineering in the food and drink sect
Taking place on 1 May 2024 at the National Motorcycle Museum, Food Manufacturing Live serves the design, production, process and maintenance engineering teams across the UK food and drink manufacturing sector.
2 days ago
Understanding safety and security for the protection of human and machine
How do you master employee protection, liability protection, productivity and data protection? How do you increase your quality and simultaneously prevent manipulation on your machines? How do you protect your data and employees in equal measure? Pilz is hosting a free webinar on 15 December, 9:30-10:30 am, to address just these questions.
2 days ago
Schaffner opens new regional channels for its range of EMC solutions
EMC solutions provider, Schaffner, announces new partnerships with three distributors to further broaden the reach and scope of its product range and support services across Europe. The new agreements with Telerex, CATS and DSL Components will open new supplier corridors and enable customers to have local and faster access to products.
2 days ago
New SCARA robot transforms pick-and-place and assembly operations
ABB Robotics is expanding its industrial SCARA robot portfolio with the addition of the IRB 930. The new robot, compromising three variants capable of handling 12 kg and 22 kg payloads, has been designed to meet the demands of new growth opportunities in traditional and new markets.

Login / Sign up