Mechanical engineering under the spell of new technology

Augmented reality, big data, machine vision, 3D printing and IoT: these and other relatively new and potentially disruptive technologies are increasingly gaining ground in the industry. This image was clearly evident during the lecture program at the Machinebouw Event 2018 in Congrescentrum 1931.

By: Dimitri Reijerman

The kick-off was for Giel Bakker of the Moba Group. He provided insight into the possibilities of robotics, in this case the processing and packaging of eggs. Moba now makes one of the most advanced processing lines in the egg industry. Bakker also provided insight into the (im)possibilities of big data for machine builders.

Gerbert Smits from the start-up 10XL was the second plenary speaker of the day to speak about 3D printing in combination with a milling machine. Smits, who previously spoke with FHI, explained how the milling process in combination with an advanced 3D printer enables the cost-effective creation of large objects. In his eyes, such hybrid printers are the future, also in series production.

Save money with augmented reality

Augmented reality is also making its appearance in mechanical engineering. Jan Dirk Visser of VMI told his audience how this technology can be used for service and maintenance purposes. Before it could offer augmented reality solutions for its customers, VMI first conducted two years of research. Visser stated that this extensive research phase has proven to be an essential part of implementing this technology, partly because today's hardware and software can be outdated tomorrow. Nevertheless, he was able to indicate that various companies save money because it is less often necessary to physically send a service engineer to a company.

The lecture on machine vision by Harm Hanekamp (Stemmer Imaging) gave the visitor insight into the various application areas of image recognition and 3D measurement methods. The emphasis was on 3D Vision. With methods such as time of flight, stereoscopy and triangulation via laser scanning, quality control can be achieved thanks to the third dimension.

In this Industry 4.0 era, Joop de Kwant of Prodek Automation Products decided to take the visitors on a 'journey' through the current technology spectrum. He attempted to bring structure to the tangle of buzzwords in the industry. According to de Kwant, the final destination is important by setting clear (final) goals. The machine builder must also map out what is needed to meet the requirements of the customers. He emphasized open standards.

Security

Despite the new technology that is entering mechanical engineering and the industry as a whole, security remains an essential issue. After all, nothing is more annoying than a production line that comes to a standstill due to a hacker or a disgruntled employee.

René van der Meer of 4S Industrie explained that in the field of cyber security, we in the Netherlands can still learn a lot from our eastern neighbours. For example, the Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI), part of the German Ministry of the Interior, employs 800 people to maintain the security level in industrial automation. For example, the BSI sets all kinds of standards and systems are tested against them, and there is legislation that makes a so-called secure element in chips mandatory. “Security for everything,” according to Van der Meer.

Automated pepper picking

The closing speaker of the 2018 edition of the Machinebouw Event was Jos Balendonck from Wageningen University & Research. The researcher outlined how robotics is also advancing in greenhouse horticulture. Together with colleagues from abroad, he developed a pepper picking robot, so Balendonck previously told FHI.

The Sweeper robot is able to collect peppers faster and more efficiently. In the long term, the device can replace human pickers, a boon for growers who suffer greatly from the shortage of labor. In this way, the fruits of the latest technological developments are literally being reaped.