2. Know more about the latest
announcements impacting
industry, from prefab homes
to 3D printing mining parts.
3. Industrial is
a front runner
in combining
human ingenuity
with technology
and innovation.
Thomas Rinn
Senior Managing Director,
Global Industrial Sector Lead, Accenture
4. ABB digital tools reduce ship
emissions
ABB has launched a new data analytics tool designed to monitor the
performance of turbochargers on two-stroke engines. Turbo Insights
receives a continuous flow of operating data from turbochargers from
ships at sea, translating that data into simple visuals at a vessel and fleet
level. The tool captures operating data during initial sea trials and uses
that data as a benchmark to measure future performance. Turbo Insights
is available on ABB’s two stroke engine A100-L and A200-L turbochargers
for free, enabling ship owners to quickly view emissions, fuel savings,
engine health and other factors. ABB has also launched Tekomar XPERT
marine, a digital suite that uses vessel operating data to help facilitate up
to 20 percent fuel reductions, reducing both costs and CO2 emissions.
Both innovations will help the shipping industry meet targets to halve its
carbon footprint by 2050.
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6. Sumitomo Mitsui
Construction boosts
tower crane safety
Sumitomo Mitsui Construction has launched a tower crane
operation support system that synchs IHI Transport Machinery’s
crane automation technology with BIM (Building Information
Modelling) information in the cloud. By combining the data, the
companies hope to improve safety and productivity by ensuring
the most up to date information is accessible. The system has
already been used at a construction site for a new development
in Tokyo. A suspended load rotation control system has also
been developed with Roborigger International and can be linked
to the system to further bolster safety and productivity of tower
cranes.
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7. Midea Group promises
mass produced automotive
chips by 2024
Midea Group, the Chinese home appliance giant, is set to
manufacture automotive chips for new energy vehicles' (NEV) water
pump control. They facilitated a schedule to start producing MCU
chips from 2020 to 2021, scaling to mass production in 2021 with
an estimated output of 10 million units annually. By 2024, the
conglomerate plans to produce the chips in bulk for the automotive
industry. Midea Group has two subsidiaries that already produce
chips, including MR Semiconductor and Meiken Semiconductor
Technology. The company is investing $1.73 billion to build a new
plant in Anhui province that will produce auto components, such as
power steering motors, NEV electric compressors and drive motors.
Midea is committed to investing $1 billion over the next 10 years to
help it better align with all areas of NEV production.
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8. Grupo Antolin and Osram AMLS
pioneer projection tech for cars
Grupo Antolin and OSRAM Automotive Lighting Systems (AMLS) are co-
developing digital projection systems for cars that can be used for safety
or entertainment. The system will be able to project onto different
surfaces in the vehicle, such as the headliner substrate, instrument panel
or even the roof. Grupo Antolin and Osram AMLS are fusing their expertise
in lighting, electronics and integration to develop the multi-purpose
systems that could be used for everything from projecting infotainment,
ambient lighting, the outdoor environment or warning signs onto the
interior.
Osram AMLS uses a compact Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) approach
to project content that is integrated into the car using Antolin’s
technology.
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9. Bosch, Mitsubishi and BPSE
develop ‘battery as a service’
Bosch, Mitsubishi and BPSE are developing a new ‘battery as
a service’ business model that will enable more cost-effective
electric vehicle fleet operations. EV fleets demand a huge
investment, down time for recharging, and challenges around
battery life. The three companies are collaborating to explore a
battery swapping initiative that could provide EV fleets with
lower maintenance costs and optimum battery performance.
The service takes advantage of Bosch’s Battery in the Cloud
technology, which will remotely monitor and analyze battery
function in order to optimize usage and identify exactly when a
battery needs to be swapped to keep the car in circulation. The
initiative – initially launching in China – will leverage Mitsubishi’s
battery service commercialization capability and BPSE’s battery
exchange platform and battery swapping stations.
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10. Slate reveals AI construction
assistant
AI company Slate Technologies is launching a new digital assistant for the
construction industry that will harness machine learning to improve
productivity and maximize revenue. The Slate Digital Assistant will
combine internal and external data sources such as contractor software,
emails, RFIDs, 3D models, weather information and more, to bring greater
transparency to the building process and enable construction
professionals to make better decisions. The technology has already been
trialled with Skanska, which has said “we genuinely believe Slate could be
a game changing opportunity for the whole industry”. Slate’s software not
only unites unstructured data and synchs with subcontractor and supplier
systems, but it can also instantly update schedules to ensure the right
things are always being prioritized.
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