July/August 2020

n TECHNOLOGY July/August 2020 www.drivesncontrols.com 20 ABB HAS DEVELOPED a QI (quality inspection) robot cell that can spot defects that are less than half as wide as a human hair and are imperceptible to the naked eye. It says that its 3DQI cell will accelerate production dramatically by providing fast, accurate testing that simplifies metrology and saves time. The cell – capable of accuracies better than 100μm – eliminates the need for time- consuming manual inspections, while reducing the likelihood of faults and errors. As well as boosting productivity, it can also cut costs by reducing the risk of product defects that could lead to recalls. The sensor, which can be attached to any robot with a handling capacity of 20kg or more, is aimed at offline testing stations. Its modular design allows installations to be customised or expanded. It uses a single 3D white light optical sensor to scan millions of 3D points, creating a detailed digital model of the part being inspected, which can be compared with a CAD drawing of the part. According to ABB, this can be done ten times faster than using traditional CMMs (coordinate measuring machines). “The ability to accurately measure and control quality is vital to ensure that products achieve consistency, comply with standards, and meet customer expectations,” says Tanja Vainio, managing director of ABB Robotics’ automotive tier one business. “Traditional testing methods are slow and often capture the potential quality mistakes too late in the process. “Our 3DQI cell automates this process, far exceeding the capabilities of traditional inspection in speed, accuracy and repeatability,” she adds. “We’ve developed and piloted our 3DQI technology in automotive applications – including with the automotive supplier, Benteler – and the 3DQI solution has been proven to improve product quality, throughput and safety, while freeing up skilled labour to be deployed on other tasks.” The system can perform data analysis in real time. It creates digital records that support traceability, which is needed in some industries, as well as allowing users to adapt their processes to prevent further failures, and to improve quality and productivity. https://new.abb.com/products/robotics/ 3D robotic inspection system makes QC ten times faster NOKIA HAS LAUNCHED what it claims are the first commercial standalone (SA) 5G private wireless networking systems for industrial and manufacturing applications. It says the systems represent “the most comprehensive end-to-end portfolio of high-performance 4.9G/LTE and 5G private wireless networking solutions” available. “With the introduction of 5G SA, we are setting a new standard for our enterprise customers with a world-class line-up of private wireless solutions to meet their digitalisation needs,” says Nokia Enterprise president, Raghav Sahgal. “Private wireless connectivity is central to our customers realising their long-term digital transformation goals,” he continues. “By delivering 5G SA, we’re paving the way to accelerate digitalisation in the most demanding of use cases – such as automotive manufacturing – where cloud, robotics and autonomous machine operations create mission-critical demands for reliable low latency and high data rates. “We recognise that 4.9G/LTE – which handles more than 85% of industrial applications – will continue to be the foremost private wireless solution for some time,” Sahgal adds. “With this announcement, we are bringing the best of both worlds. We are offering customers the choice to start with 4.9G/LTE, and evolve to 5G as the ecosystem matures, or alternatively, to go direct to 5G – validating the technology and driving OEM and industrial asset vendors to develop a thriving 5G ecosystem.” Earlier this year, Nokia started 5G trials with several customers and mobile operator partners. It now has more than 180 private wireless enterprise customers worldwide, more than 30 of whom are using 5G. They include Deutsche Bahn, Lufthansa and Toyota. In the latest application, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology is deploying a 5G SA private wireless network at a mine in Finland. The users have the choice of deploying Nokia’s plug-and-play automation cloud, or customising their networks with a modular private wireless technology. By introducing the 5G SA private wireless system, Nokia says it will help to kickstart the development of 5G-capable industrial assets, accelerate application development, and integrate 5G into future industrial processes and systems. www.nokia.com/networks/go- allwhere/private-wireless/manufacturing Private 5G networks ‘will transform manufacturing’ ABB says that its robotic inspection cell will accelerate production, enhance quality and productivity, and cut waste.