INDUSTRY NEWS
AMADA holds customer apprentice event
AMADA UK held a successful exhibition for the apprentices of its customers in a showcase dedicated to the education of future engineers .
“ Believed to be the first event of its type in the UK sheet metal sector , the exhibition took place at our UK Technical Centre in Kidderminster on 4 September 2024 . Hosting the event were our own apprentices , engaging on an equal level with the apprentices of customers to help them learn about the latest advances in sheet metal component manufacturing . The informative , educational exhibition proved a roaring success , with a total of 85 visiting apprentices in attendance . One company brought all ten of its apprentices , three of whom only started two days before the event ,” commented AMADA UK .
Visitors attended technical presentations , watched machine demonstrations and participated in a Q & A session , all in an apprentice-led environment . AMADA lasercutters ; press brakes ; punching machines ; laser-punch combination machines ; automation ; software and machine monitoring featured heavily . Apprentices also received a tour of the company ’ s UK Technical Centre .
“ The idea behind this innovative exhibition was to introduce young engineers to our technology as part of an educational and entertaining event ,” said AMADA UK ’ s managing director , Paul Mansfield . “ We felt that using our own apprentices as hosts would help their visiting peers feel more comfortable and promote better engagement . In turn , the event provided our apprentices with experience in speaking to customers as well as building confidence and pride in the brand that they represent .”
Fun was high on the itinerary . Visitors were able to ‘ have a go ’ at making a model biplane from mild steel on an AMADA laser cutting machine . The design of the resulting laser-cut blank enabled bending by hand of the model aircraft , providing a simple yet engaging way of introducing budding engineers to the world of engineering and sheet metal .
“ Elsewhere at the exhibition , a BATAK machine competition between apprentices from different companies tested their reaction times , hand-to-eye co-ordination and stamina . A complimentary goodie bag for every visiting apprentice , which included a keyring made by AMADA apprentices on AMADA machines , contributed further to a memorable showcase ,” concluded AMADA .
AMADA will be exhibiting at EuroBLECH 2024 in Hanover , Germany ( 22-25 October 2024 ), on stands D06-F06 and D02-F02 in Hall 12 . n
www
. amada . co . uk
New digital business segment for KUKA
Automation group , KUKA , has founded a new business segment . With KUKA Digital , the long-established German company ( known for its orange industrial robots and automation solutions ) is expanding its software and digital business . The goal : the end-to-end digitalisation of a wide range of machines and systems in production , from the first 3D simulation to connectivity and data analysis through to the use of artificial intelligence .
Software is playing an increasingly important role in mechanical
Quirin Görz , KUKA Chief Information Officer and CEO of KUKA ’ s newly founded digital division .
engineering . What used to be mostly solved mechanically is now done by electronics and the associated software . “ With KUKA Digital , we are expanding our offering in order to position ourselves broadly for a market with strong growth potential . Our customers need
Image : © Visual Components / mosaixx .
The open , collaborative cloud platform ( mosaixx ) will be added to the KUKA Digital portfolio this year .
products , solutions and consulting approaches to digitalise faster , more efficiently and more easily ,” highlighted Quirin Goerz , KUKA Chief Information Officer and CEO of the newly founded digital segment .
KUKA is working on expanding the digital world beyond robot and automation solutions and driving forward the digitalisation of industry across the entire production lifecycle . Specifically , KUKA ’ s digital segment is focusing on a software and digital portfolio that is not limited to KUKA robots .
“ Regardless of machine type and manufacturer , customers should be able to use software solutions for their production machines and thus digitalise their production halls from end to end . This involves interfaces , data standards , cloud integration and consulting services . In line with an ecosystem approach , we also rely on a network of competent partners . We are moving beyond traditional automation solutions to become a digitalisation partner for the manufacturing industry ,” outlined KUKA .
“ In addition to Device Insight and Visual Components , mosaixx will be expanding KUKA Digital ’ s portfolio this year . An open , collaborative cloud platform for Industrial Software-as-a-Service ( SaaS ), mosaixx , forms the basis for the digital twin with a combination of tools ( software ), data management , cloud computing and process understanding ,” concluded KUKA . n
www
. kuka . com
26 | ismr . net | ISMR October 2024