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Recharging the energy industry: Managing demand and constraint

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city at night overview

Partners in industrial automation, Martyn Williams, managing director of industrial software expert, Copa-Data UK and Mark Hardy, CEO of Capula, reveal how new technologies, such as smart grids, big data and business intelligence enable a more efficient use of resources in the industry

Humans have always searched for ways to harness energy, whether it be to complete laborious tasks or just improve their livelihood.

Propelled by the discoveries and inventions of the industrial revolution, this thirst for innovation has led to humanity’s quest for more powerful, smarter and more efficient energy sources.

Recent years have seen a new wave of technology and opportunities hit the energy sector, several of which have been presented by the onset of big data and Internet of Things (IoT) technology.

Ensuring that supply meets the customers’ demand is a key responsibility of the energy industry, however, these smart technologies are changing the way the grid generates, manages, distributes and stores energy.  [Read more…] about Recharging the energy industry: Managing demand and constraint

Network Monitoring Software: How Does it Work?

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softinventive network monitoring software for windows

When we speak of network monitoring, we mean the use of special tools that help the network administrator keep his or her eye on a corporate network.

In fact, the main task of these tools is to find the components in the network that function slowly or have completely stopped performing and send a notification about it to the person in charge.

Of course, network monitoring can be done manually. However, it’s nearly impossible to do this job properly without special tools called software network monitoring tools.  [Read more…] about Network Monitoring Software: How Does it Work?

SCADA systems: Security – industry’s second nature

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Martyn Williams, Managing Director of industrial software provider Copa-Data UK, discusses the latest developments in industrial cyber security

When hackers hijacked the electrical systems of three major Ukrainian power distributors back in December 2015, over 230,000 people were left without power for several hours.

The uncertainty caused by the attack lasted much longer, especially since employees in both engineering and IT teams alike were initially unclear about how the hackers managed to infiltrate the system.

The scale and severity of this incident illustrated, yet again, how important it is for companies to secure their cyber systems at all levels. [Read more…] about SCADA systems: Security – industry’s second nature

Growing pains at ADL as it launches ‘industry’s smallest’ Intel-based embedded PC

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Exclusive interview with JC Ramirez, director of engineering, ADL Embedded Solutions

If there’s one problem most companies would be happy to have is the one related to having too many orders to deal with. 

This is the situation ADL Embedded Solutions finds itself in, according to JC Ramirez, the company’s director of engineering and product manager.

In an exclusive interview with Robotics and Automation News, Ramirez says the company is experiencing “serious growing pains”, especially in Germany, where there is “too much work” going on.

ADL has generally been highly regarded and known as a “board company”, specialising in supplying technology for military and defence applications.

But the company has been going higher, into the upper levels of integration with its products in the past few years.  [Read more…] about Growing pains at ADL as it launches ‘industry’s smallest’ Intel-based embedded PC

Chinese robot maker CloudMinds creates robots based on cloud intelligence

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cloud-computing

Company backed by SoftBank says it has switched from artificial intelligence to cloud intelligence

A Chinese company called CloudMinds says it has created what it says is a “cloud intelligence ecosystem” for robotics. 

CloudMinds specialises in the research, development and manufacturing of cloud intelligence-based applications.

It has several investors, including SoftBank Group, the Japanese multinational telecommunications and Internet firm.  [Read more…] about Chinese robot maker CloudMinds creates robots based on cloud intelligence

Keeping costs down: The lion’s share of IoT communication

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IoT compatbility for legacy systems

Adrian Swindells, director of industrial computing specialist Distec, explores how businesses can keep the cost of IoT implementation to a minimum

One of the biggest bugbears of plant managers is the cost of upgrading or replacing devices and equipment.

While this has traditionally only occurred due to a breakage, the rise of the internet of things has driven a need for cross-compatible equipment – in most cases calling for the costly replacement of legacy systems to ensure communication.

Whether you think of it as industry 4.0 or the IoT, the concept of machine to machine internetworking is undeniably the most talked about technological development of recent times.

In fact, forecasts have predicted the market for the IoT to be worth $14.4 trillion by 2022.  [Read more…] about Keeping costs down: The lion’s share of IoT communication

Wipro joins Industrial Internet Consortium

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Wipro has joined the Industrial Internet Consortium, the global, member-supported organization that promotes the accelerated growth of the Industrial Internet of Things.

This membership provides Wipro opportunities to engage and innovate with multi-partner testbeds and adopt best practices to drive digital transformation for customers.

Wipro has significant actitivties in the Internet of Things space, leveraging connected assets for the transformation of enterprise business, services and processes. IoT is a key enabler of Wipro Digital’s transformation strategy for its customers.  [Read more…] about Wipro joins Industrial Internet Consortium

Rethink Robotics launches ‘first-of-its-kind’ software platform

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Rethink Robotics has launched what it describes as a first-of-its-kind software platform that connects everything in a smart factory.

The collaborative industrial robot maker says the extensible software is “redefining automation deployments and providing a gateway to the factory of the future”.

Rethink Robotics calls its software platform Intera 5, and says it “connects everything from a single robot controller, extending the smart, flexible power of Rethink Robotics’ Sawyer to the entire work cell and simplifying automation with unparalleled ease of deployment”.

Built on the backbone of the Rethink robots’ train-by-demonstration software, Intera 5 is designed to pave the way for connected manufacturing environments and helping companies build factories of the future.  [Read more…] about Rethink Robotics launches ‘first-of-its-kind’ software platform

Where is the bill of materials? Getting things right first time with PLM and BoM

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plm bom article

Geoff Turner, product lifecycle management consultant at Design Rule, examines the value of getting the BoM right in the early stages of a project

The creation of a bill of materials, or BoM, is a fundamental part of product development. However, manufacturers are often unsure at what stage of the product development the BoM comes in.

Best practice dictates that the BoM needs to travel fluently through the different development stages, evolving and changing as products are designed, built and eventually, circulated.

In today’s complex manufacturing environment, a bill of materials can include a set of hundreds – or even thousands – of separate items.  [Read more…] about Where is the bill of materials? Getting things right first time with PLM and BoM

From virtual space to outer space: Siemens shows off its PLM client list

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Land Rover BAR america's cup yacht
Land Rover BAR design team uses NX, Teamcenter, Femap, Fiberism and Star-CCM+ to develop this innovative racing catamaran to bring the America’s Cup back to Britain.

Siemens has been showcasing some of the prestigious projects the company’s product lifecycle management software is being used for – and they include space and maritime projects

Whether it’s space taxis or passenger cars, America’s Cup yachts or Formula 1 race cars, products are more complex, smarter and more connected than ever before. Product Lifecycle Management software helps manufacturers transform their operations into digital enterprises and lead the way – with smarter products and smarter machines making them.

The world’s fastest Space Utility Vehicle will have to be able to withstand a lot.

When plying its standard route between the Earth and the International Space Station, which circles the Earth at an altitude of about 250 miles, transporting cargo there and back, it will do more than merely travel at over 17,000 mph (Mach 25).  [Read more…] about From virtual space to outer space: Siemens shows off its PLM client list