About the presentation As manufacturing equipment, electronic devices, and medical instruments require ever-higher precision, the machinery that makes these products must deliver greater speed and accuracy. Meanwhile, the cast iron and steel used in the bases and foundations of such production machinery actively amplify the vibration generated by its operation – serving to limit its speed and accuracy.
To solve this problem, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) machine suppliers are adopting an organic solution – mineral casting technology – for its exceptional vibration damping, chemical resistance, and environmental sustainability. Originally incorporated in the bases and platforms of metal grinding machines, mineral casting is applied in the solar, electronics, packaging, and medical device sectors. The results include impressive technical, economic, and environmental benefits for both machine builders and their customers.
Meet your presenterGeorge Blaha founded his own engineering company in South Germany in 1991. He took over GM positions as lean manager for two companies in Switzerland and Germany. He led multiple companies back to profitability and guided Swiss Start-up from “0” to profitability and 2 shift service companies within 24 months (pharmaceutical and medical technology). He has a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a master’s degree in aerospace developing and design from Czech Technical University in Prague.
About the company Established in 1923, Schneeberger stands for pioneering innovations in linear motion technology. Linear guideways and profile rail guideways together with measuring systems, racks, slides, positioning systems, mineral casting and ball screws are all part of our extensive manufacturing capability and product range.
Half-sized Cavorite X5 will test transition and high-speed flight.
Horizon Aircraft Inc., a Toronto, Canada-based developer of hybrid electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aerial vehicles, has completed construction of its 50%-scale Cavorite X5 prototype. Horizon’s technology allows the aircraft to fly 98% of its mission in a very low-drag configuration like a traditional aircraft, with its lift rotors covered by retractable wing panels. Flying most of the time as a normal aircraft is also safer and should make the aircraft easier to certify than radical eVTOL designs. Comprehensive testing of this 50%-scale aircraft will reduce technical risk as Horizon continues development of its full-scale aircraft.
The full-scale aircraft will also be powered by a hybrid electric system that can recharge the batteries in-flight while providing additional system redundancy.
“With a 22ft wingspan, 15ft in length, and capable of speeds over 250km/hr, this 50%-scale prototype is an impressive aircraft,” says Horizon Aircraft CEO Brandon Robinson. “Furthermore, it will yield valuable information that will help to reduce technical risk as we move forward with detailed design of our full-scale aircraft.”
Horizon Aircraft’s 50%-scale prototype will proceed through transition and high-speed flight testing. The Cavorite X5 eVTOL is designed to enter the market quickly and service a broad spectrum of early use cases.
Learn why and how you should upgrade your technology in a fast-changing industry.
About the presentation Andrew Russo, CIO of BACA Systems, explains how the demands of moving to next-generation manufacturing methods coupled with the speed, mobility, and flexibility demands of its business forced the company to make some hard decisions. Russo details how BACA Systems justified the need to replace a relatively new ERP system, saw it as an opportunity to transform its entire business, and implemented a new platform in under six months. You’ll leave this session with a deep understanding of:
• How legacy, dated, and ill-suited technology prevents your manufacturing business from moving forward. • Why this manufacturing company committed to Salesforce as its business platform to manage everything from sales leads, to order execution, to aftermarket service and support. • How it built a plan to quickly migrate to Rootstock Cloud ERP during the height of the pandemic. • Where you need to focus as you consider next-generation manufacturing capabilities. • Why it’s never too late to overcome past technology decisions to prepare for tomorrow’s growth.
Meet your presenter Andrew Russo has a degree in business administration from Kettering University and has been in the industrial automation industry for more than seven years. He currently leads the information technology team at BACA Systems. He’s a six times certified Salesforce consultant who has a vast array of experience implementing and configuring Salesforce to meet complex business needs in a simple and user-friendly way
About the companies BACA Systems develops and manufactures fabrication solutions for the countertop industry. We have more than 400 Robotic SawJet machines installed across North America. When the company faced exploding demand threatened by fragile supply chains and tight labor markets, we quickly realized we needed a modern, connected foundation to support our fast-changing business in a faster-moving world. Rootstock Software develops and implements cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to help manufacturers and distributors deliver personalized, 360° customer experiences and build operations that scale and out-service their competition. Rootstock Cloud ERP lets organizations take a more customer-centric and project-oriented view of operations across a robust suite of modules, including order management, manufacturing operations, supply chain, and financial management. When combined with the Salesforce Platform, companies gain complete visibility to their entire organization and customer journey.
Partnership to pioneer hydrogen engine combustion technology.
easyJet and Rolls-Royce have a ground-breaking new partnership, H2ZERO, that will pioneer the development of hydrogen combustion engine technology capable of powering a range of aircraft, including those in the narrow-body market segment.
Both companies have committed to working together on a series of engine tests on the ground, starting later this year and have a shared ambition to take the technology into the air. The objective of the partnership is to demonstrate that hydrogen has the potential to power a range of aircraft from the mid-2030s onward.
While Rolls-Royce will bring its expertise in engine development and combustion systems, easyJet will contribute its operational knowledge and experience to H2ZERO and will also directly invest in the test program.
Through H2ZERO, the companies will support an early concept ground test of a Rolls-Royce AE 2100 engine in the UK later this year. This will be followed by a full-scale ground test of a Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 jet engine – a range of location options are being assessed for this including the Rolls-Royce U.S. test facility in Mississippi. The program will build on initial hydrogen combustion and fuel system rig tests that Rolls-Royce is undertaking with both Cranfield and Loughborough universities in the U.K.
H2ZERO is inspired by the global, UN-backed Race to Zero campaign that both companies have signed, committing to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The agreement follows a research project that both companies began in 2021, developing market analysis, driving specifications, investigating infrastructure and regulatory requirements to support the use of hydrogen in aviation.
Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet, said, “In order to achieve net zero by 2050, we have always said that radical action is needed to address aviation’s climate impact. That’s why today, we are so pleased to announce this partnership with Rolls-Royce. The technology that emerges from this program has the potential to power easyJet-size aircraft, which is why we will also be making a multi-million-pound investment into this program. To achieve decarbonization at scale, progress on the development of zero emission technology for narrowbody aircraft is crucial. Together with Rolls-Royce we look forward to leading the industry to tackle this challenge head-on.”
Grazia Vittadini, chief technology and strategy officer, Rolls-Royce, said, “H2ZERO is a big step forward for Rolls-Royce and we are excited to be working with a partner that shares a desire to innovate and find new answers to aviation’s biggest challenges. We at Rolls-Royce want to be ready to pioneer sustainability with whatever the future requires, be it hydrogen, electric power, sustainable aviation fuel, or gas turbine efficiency. This agreement further inspires us to move forward.”
The H2ZERO partnership has been created in response to detailed studies and market research – including the UK Aerospace Technology Institute’s Fly Zero team and Project NAPKIN (New Aviation Propulsion Knowledge and Innovation Network) – which both concluded there is market potential for hydrogen-powered aircraft.
Discover ways to successfully make your company more sustainable.
Meeting your environmental goals can be daunting. Lean manufacturing focuses on creating the best bottom line, but a sustainability strategy can create large overhead costs. While these two seem to be in conflict, they lead to the same goal: eliminating the potential for wasted resources. In fact, a robust sustainability strategy can save a manufacturing plant more money long-term despite early costs. Sustainability programs are now part and parcel of maintaining a strategic advantage over competitors and seizing opportunities for increases in market share. Throughout the last decade, global manufacturers have relied on Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to help them increase efficiency, reduce energy usage, and reduce manufacturing costs via optimized production programs. These programs improve environmental operations and also help companies introduce products to market faster and more efficiently. The move toward a sustainable manufacturing atmosphere is multifaceted, complex, and contains a variety of challenges unique to each manufacturer. Efficient industrial automation processes not only simplify the transition toward a green production environment but also unlock new and innovative opportunities for manufacturers to further modernize and optimize their industrial automation infrastructure. Join us for an enlightening discussion about why preventative maintenance matters, examples of real-life savings from manufacturers just like you have found by focusing on energy efficiency, how to find out if an energy-efficient climate control program could qualify you for a local rebate program, and simple ways to reduce your own energy usage and costs.
Meet your presenter Since joining Rittal in 2019, Weston Six has consulted on best practices on energy efficiency, helping customers to reduce costs and get the most out of their technology. Through Rittal’s energy efficiency inspection program, he assesses customers’ needs, both for maintenance and cooling, to find the best solution for their plant. With 10 years of experience in both services and technology, Six provides expert consultation to help customers meet their goals.
About the company Rittal manufactures industrial and IT enclosures, racks, and accessories, including high efficiency, high density climate control, and power management systems for industrial, data center, outdoor, and hybrid applications. Rittal's off-the-shelf standard, modified standard, and custom-engineered products are known throughout as high quality, affordable solutions for practically any industrial or IT infrastructure application from single enclosures to comprehensive systems.