Mitsubishi

They have always been established as the best way of providing up to the minute information about processes, and it didn’t take long for users to realise that there is more to HMIs as the data held within controllers and HMIs was a goldmine that could help them maximise efficiency and minimise down-time.

  Support and products have been provided by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation to the recently completed e‑F@ctory demonstration zone within the Changshu Innovation Centre for Green and Intelligent Manufacturing, aimed at promoting intelligent manufacturing in China.

Selected as the preferred bidder for a new offshore electricity transmission link in Europe, Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) is a global integrated business which operates businesses across a number of industries. The new offshore electricity asset, Burbo Bank Extension Offshore Wind Farm, MC's fifth such project in the UK, is situated approximately 25km off the country's north western coast.

‘Threebots’, Mitsubishi Electric’s interactive robotic installation has been awarded with the coveted Silver Lion in Cannes. ‘Threebots’ has already received several awards since its installation at the German branch in Ratingen. In November 2016 Mitsubishi Electric was honoured with the ‘Red Dot: Grand Prix’ award for its outstanding robot application.

Predictive maintenance is the best answer to minimising the risks of equipment failure, however, monitoring practices in the past have been expensive, problematic and at worst, unreliable. The solution is to switch to what Mitsubishi Electric refers to as ‘Smart Condition Monitoring’, a system which can connect to rotating equipment and provide plant-wide 24-7 monitoring.

Mitsubishi Electric Europe is one of many companies heading towards digitalisation, and here Hartmut Pütz, President Factory Automation EMEA at Mitsubishi Electric Europe talks about the digital transformation of industry. He focuses on the effects on manufacturing businesses, especially at a production level, and how customers will benefit from innovative Mitsubishi Electric solutions.

The use of a ProSeal GT0 automatic in-line tray sealing system will be helping Mitsubishi Electric on its stand at PPMA, to demonstrate how the most advanced high-speed heat sealing technology and robots are becoming far easier to deploy. The advanced functionality, simple integration and ease of programming of its automation technologies are being shown to deliver tangible benefits – both for machine builders looking to gain a competitive edge and for end users looking to increase productivity and flexibility.

Working together Mitsubishi Electric and system integrator TQC have built a new production line for a customer where robots and automation have been combined with an OEE monitoring system to ensure assembly and testing work is carried out as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Let’s take a minute to picture a world where everything connects, an Industry 4.0 utopia, all parts are interlinked and co-exist with each other. This is what the main aim and vision of Industry 4.0 is, companies should be trying to achieve this throughout and eventually the whole industry would be able to connect together.

Attending the PPMA exhibition 2017, Mitsubishi Electric has the intention to show a series of innovative system solutions for processing and packaging applications. Each system is designed to boost productivity, increase efficiency and improve quality - using the latest PLC controllers, servos, HMIs and robots.

Boosting productivity and minimising down-time is the ultimate aim for pharmaceutical manufacturers. Frequently now with the goal of moving from batch production to continuous operation, Neal Welch, Life Science Sales Manager, Automation Systems Division at Mitsubishi Electric highlights the importance of smart condition monitoring technologies.

A new automated cartridge refill cell developed by a team of UK maintenance engineers has been built around a Mitsubishi Electric articulated arm robot. The cell quickly and accurately refills printer cartridges, making the company’s recycling programme more cost effective to operate. The solution has proved so successful that it is now being rolled-out to other plants around the world.

The prestigious luxury yacht Sanssouci Star has recently been refurbished with super-modern high-tech equipment yet retains the classic feel it prides itself on. The refurbishment was able to go ahead with no compromising on component quality. As a result Mitsubishi Electric FR-F800 inverter drives were selected to provide an intelligent, reliable and energy efficient solution for the engine room HVAC system.

The term ‘smart manufacturing’ is flying around more often than not, but what does it actually mean? Chris Evans, Marketing and Operations Group Manager at Mitsubishi Electric, here explore, what is meant by the term, and considers the benefits of adopting the concept and what challenges may lay ahead.

The definition of ‘system’ and ‘integration’ can have varied answers, and there are even more definitions of a ‘system integrator’: For example, when the client has explained what the goals of a project are, it is then up to the system integrator to translate those (usually function, price and performance) goals into a physical structure and a control platform. One that will not only deliver what the client is looking to achieve, but more often than not, also fit neatly into an existing control and management structure.

It has been announced that Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) will be working through Enspire ME, a 50/50 joint venture established between MC and Eneco, an integrated energy company from the Netherlands, to provide services based on a large-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).

A successful inaugural Industry 4.0 Summit was enjoyed by Mitsubishi Electric at the Manchester Central Convention Centre recently, demonstrating an appetite for advancing factory automation technology from a wide range of industries. At the event Mitsubishi Electric Senior Solutions Consultant Thomas Lantermann presented a paper on vision technology within Industry 4.0 and the integration of test beds using Mitsubishi Electric’s advanced iQ automation platform.

Mitsubishi Corporation Power Systems (MCP), a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation (MC), has joined with The Kansai Electric Power Co. (KEPCO) to establish a new joint venture. The new venture, Aioi Bioenergy Corporation, is being set up to promote and develop biomass power generation business in Japan. The new venture will have an initial capital of 450 million yen, with 40% of that being invested by MCP.

A basic agreement on establishing a new company has been concluded by NTT DATA Corporation and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), which is to be based on the existing MHI Information Systems (MHIIS) following an agreement the two parties reached earlier on a roadmap for strengthening MHIIS's functions and organisation, and the discussion are now underway.

Taking a look at what to keep an eye on now, and potentially what is round the corner in terms of automation for the food and beverage industry, Christ Evans Marketing and Operations Group Manager at Mitsubishi Electric – Automation Systems Division UK gives an in-depth analysis: