On this episode of the Efficiency Point, we speak with Mark Anderson of Comau robotics on the increasing role of wearable robotics and exoskeletons in the workforce. We also take a look inside the April issue of MPT and update the impact of coronavirus around the pump industry.
LINKS:
Register for JWC Environmental's free webinar: https://modernpumpingtoday.com/webinar/jwc
MPT magazine: http://mptmag.com
MPT on Twitter: https://twitter.com/modpumpmag
MPT's Covid-19 updates: https://modernpumpingtoday.com/covid-19-news/
Learn more about Comau: https://www.comau.com/en
HI’s Energy Rating Program: http://pumps.org/EnergyEfficiency
Turbomachinery Laboratory (Texas A&M University): https://turbolab.tamu.edu/
On this episode of the Efficiency Point, we speak with Mark Anderson of Comau robotics on the increasing role of wearable robotics and exoskeletons in the workforce. We also take a look inside the April issue of MPT and update the impact of coronavirus around the pump industry.
LINKS:
Register for JWC Environmental's free webinar: https://modernpumpingtoday.com/webinar/jwc
MPT magazine: http://mptmag.com
MPT on Twitter: https://twitter.com/modpumpmag
MPT's Covid-19 updates: https://modernpumpingtoday.com/covid-19-news/
Learn more about Comau: https://www.comau.com/en
HI’s Energy Rating Program: http://pumps.org/EnergyEfficiency
Turbomachinery Laboratory (Texas A&M University): https://turbolab.tamu.edu/
spk_0: 0:10
This is the efficiency point. A podcast from modern pumping Today magazine. I'm NPT editor Jay Campbell. Along with our producer, says Saunders, you can find us online at MPT mag dot com, please rate review and subscribe to the show on any of your favorite podcast saps. On today's episode, we speak with Mark Anderson of Command Robotics on the increasing role of wearable robotics and excess skeletons in the workforce. We also take a look inside the April issue of MPT and update the impact Corona viruses having around the pump industry. So let's get right into some headlights. With Shafter in place orders enacted throughout much of the industrialized world demand for oil it's plummeted. Leading oil prices fall below zero For the first time in history, the West Texas intermediate price per barrel collapsed Monday to negative $37 meaning oil producers were paying traders to take the oil off their hands. As of this recording, oil has recovered back into positive territory of just over $20 a barrel, which is still a traditional low domestically. Some states are expected to lift at least some shelter and place restrictions on May 1st, but it's unclear if demand will fall supply or, if it does, if it will be enough to overcome the glut of supply currently on the market. Globally, countries heavily reliant on oil trading are expected face a financial crunch, placing further stress on their ability to address the current pandemic. In an interview with The Washington Post, Director for the Centers of Disease Control Robert Redfield said that a second wave of Kobe 19 infections were proved far deadlier than the current pandemic due to its coinciding with the height of flu season. Quote. There's a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winner will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through, going to have the flu epidemic and the Corona virus epidemic at the same time as health providers work toward it, plateau in the crane infection rates and prepare for the months ahead. Redfield called on officials to reinforce the vital need for social distancing and for an exponential increase in the testing to identify the infected and engaging contact tracing measures. The Hydraulic Institute announces that its energy rating programme database of has rated pumps has grown to include more than 9400 products based on the U. S. Department of Energy's motor market assessment pumps can account for 40% of energy usage and industrial fluid systems. The H I energy rating metric represents the greatest potential savings for these and other systems through the implements that implementation of more energy efficient solutions, Michaelmas Chode H. Eyes executive director, said in a statement. With the new US energy conservation standard for certain clean water pumps and effect, companies and utility should be planning for a future that is both more energy and cost efficient. Targeting pumps is part of the energy efficient program. Creates value for all stakeholders, manufacturers, commercial builders and municipalities through the potentially significant cost savings and improve sustainability of the pump applications launched in 2018. H Eyes Energy rating program makes it easy for manufacturers and distributors to communicate energy efficiency and help in users identify pumps that offer energy and cost saving benefits. For more information on these programs, visit pump stuff or go slash energy efficiency. All one work we will provide a link to that and the show notes for this episode. Construction has begun on Texas A and M's new Turbo Lab Symposium office. After months of designing and bidding, construction has officially begun on the new turbo machinery laboratory, supposed him all his. That's a mouthful. The new office is adjacent to the current turbo lab and will be a one story facility of 6050 square feet. The office will contain 13 new faculty and staff offices, six research associate workstations and 50 person conference and meeting rooms. Dr. Eric Peterson, director of the Turbo lab, said, we're thrilled to have the opportunity to consolidate the turbo lab staff, faculty and students under a single location, and that combining all three aspects of the senators daily activities within one permanent centralized space will allow the Turbo lab to better support. It's important mission. The new turbo left Supposing office will take approximately 12 months to complete with a tentative move in date of February of next year s. If you haven't come with us to the, uh, Texas A and M poppin turbo symposia before have you,
spk_1: 4:50
I have not.
spk_0: 4:51
It's It's a lot of fun. They know it's and it's ah, both the industry and an academic affair. You get to see a lot of people from around the manufacturing side and also the service side. Um, you know what we were talking about earlier? About oil prices dropping low. That will certainly be a big topic conversation among that crowd because Houston is a big oil town and there will be a lot of, ah, well, people in that facility. But mostly, mostly, we just go out and we, um, you know, kind of kind of poke fun at them. For Texas A and M Football. This episode of The Efficiency point is brought to you by J. W C. Environmental A sizer Company J W C. Environmental is a global leader in solids reduction, separation and removal systems for customers in a broad range of municipal and industrial applications. Register today for their free webinar on April 30th. No TP. Now what at modern pumping today dot com slash webinar slash j w C. Come Out is a leading global company, and industrial automation with over four decades of field tested experience come out, develops a wide assortment of innovative industry. 4.0 enabled systems products and services were pleased to have Mark Anderson come out as head of Robotics and automation products for North America, joins today to discuss the increasing role of wearable robotics and excess skeletons in the workforce. Thanks for joining us, Mark.
spk_2: 6:32
Thanks for having me. And I appreciate Thea the intro.
spk_0: 6:37
Well, I was working since a lot of our listeners may not be familiar with where exoskeletons fit into the industrial world today. Outside of maybe science fiction. What what's a brief history of extra skeletons in the workforce?
spk_2: 6:50
That's a great question. Exo skeletons in the workforce, I think, are fairly new. Um, were unique in our venture in, um, in exo skeletons, where we have one particular product that could be used over a wide range of body types with various settings for load and assistance. Our product has been used in many different applications over our brief history, um, anywhere from automotive applications where users would be working in an overhead situation. So if you imagine a vehicle coming down a production line with workers underneath the vehicle, hanging exhaust components or running wiring harnesses, the exoskeleton will be used to relieve fatigue and the were or users shoulder chain eso. In general industry, we've seen demand in everywhere from industrial baking, where wears would be pulling bread or pies out of an oven and then putting oven racks on the shells or different karts. Um, a makeup, um, manufacturers anywhere from textile manufacturers, purse manufacturers. So it's been a pretty wide range of of demand in the market.
spk_0: 8:17
So do you see? Ah, any year is in the industry that are moving mawr towards exo skeletons and others. Is there a growth market you're looking at?
spk_2: 8:27
That's a growth market we're looking at, so we're fully owned by FC A. So naturally, and we're in the automotive industry pretty heavily. So for us, there's a natural, uh, lean towards automotive just in our d. N. A. However, we've introduced the exo skeleton in a recent trade shows such as automate, and there's been a very big demand in general industry, and I think that most companies air dealing with the same type of issue the automotive industry is seeing in which we have an ageing society. I mean, everybody every day is getting older, and the use of and access Gallatin in the work force reduces the fatigue somebody would see in their shoulder, which would allow them to do the same type of repetitive work over and over again. Ah, for a longer period of time, with less discomfort. So you know, anywhere where somebody would be placing their arms straight out or overhead. The exo skeleton would be something that should be considered to, um, you know, to to relieve fatigue in the shoulder.
spk_0: 9:40
You know, we often think of automation as replacing some of that, I guess institutional knowledge that you know, when the older generation retires and the younger generation comes in. But I guess automation can also supplant and boost up some of the physical Aziz. Well, can't
spk_2: 9:59
it? Well, that's a great lead into something that we call Hugh manufacturing. Hugh Manufacturing is a term that Kamal uses to really stress the importance of the human in the workplace. Um, you know, years ago when you heard the word automation, you would automatically think robots, actually not even years ago could have been last week. Um, automation doesn't necessarily equal robots or machines. Automation could be a simple is giving ah user a better tool to do a job. And that's where the meat and another product we have called Virgil, which is a virtual guidance interactive learning system. Those two products really show their human centric products human centric processes, Um, where you can automate and a application or a process without using a robot or a big industrial machine.
spk_0: 11:03
So what are some ways that people are making use of the mate exo skeleton in the field Today,
spk_2: 11:09
the mate exoskeleton has been used the outside of automotive for painting applications, ceiling tile, installation, maintenance of machines. You know, if you could imagine somebody installing light fixtures overhead or replacing light bulbs overhead all day every day, the exo skeleton would would be extremely useful on those sorts of applications.
spk_0: 11:37
And so could the exo skeleton also work in conjunction with other roadblocks. Systems I knew, uh, come out makes more than just extra scratch. And you also make kind of task specific and task flexible robotic systems, Correct?
spk_2: 11:53
Yes, of course, in the exo skeleton. If you were, do you look at come out dot com on our website? We do have a few applications that are shown. There is a matter of fact. I think you'll find us manufacturing some of our robots while we're made while we're wearing our mate. Exo skeleton. Um, the exo skeleton could also be used for loading or unloading were about it processes or applications. So if you could imagine hanging apart on a hook that a robot will later than pull off a hook and introduce that part into a new assembly line or welding process, or removing apart from a hooker and nest where somebody would be lifting the part overhead or living the part above their waste, the XXX skeleton could provide assistance in both of those scenarios.
spk_0: 12:42
And he said that the virtual system is that more of an augmented reality system.
spk_2: 12:49
Ah, well, it's comprised of a few key components. It has a ah camera system, and it has a light, Let's say, Ah, some type of guidance system that could be a laser or appointer, and what would happen is the the system would would suggest to the operator to pick up a part or tighten the bolt, and it would use a camera system in conjunction with that to verify that that operation was performed. Um, as the machine suggested,
spk_0: 13:22
What's fascinating? You know, I'm in a lot of the industries that we cover. Um down on down on the actual floor where you see the industrial motors of the large pumps going work. We're seeing a bigger trend toward augmented reality because getting ah person to get in there and and explorer the worst can sometimes be ah, safety prohibitive war cost prohibitive. It might be in a remote location, but if you can get ah, robot there or a camera there and and access it was software on the back End it za lot safer. Quicker. Ah, and you can share it with more people. Is that is that kind of the thinking behind using ah, using Ah, one of these aided systems?
spk_2: 14:09
Yeah. I mean, a lot of you know, the drivers behind our new technologies are to really stress the importance of the human in the manufacturing process, and we're continually trying to create machines, robots and solutions that address the aging society. Address sustainability, uh, also reduced the complexity and a lot of our machines they're trying to make interfaces that arm or intuitive that require less training and support toe also ease, you know, the ease, the let's say, introduction of automation in areas of business that generally don't use automation. So sometimes compli complicated installing a robot system in a business that have never seen robots before. So what? We're trying to make the introduction of automation easier. Ah, simpler and more cost effective by allowing people to purchase again. Maybe the mate, if they wanted a two to give the user a tool to do a job better for longer. Or we can introduce robotics with new interfaces that are easier to use, which may help of the adaption of of the robot into that factory, which would require less training for the, you know, the maintenance teams and such.
spk_0: 15:40
Not speaking of training, what would you say that the average learning curve on the mate exo skeleton would be? I mean, at the end of aliens, Ripley just jumps into that extra skills. She's off to the races. Ah, it's pretty
spk_2: 15:52
straightforward. Usually we have, ah, like a small manual that, you know, they can be referenced. Um, and I think the operator could probably thumb through that pretty quickly and understand how it's to be used. Generally speaking, you know, we like to do ah, remote training session. So if somebody were to purchase one or rent one. Ah, we would call a ah Google hang out meeting and have a camera in, you know, guide them through putting it on, taking it off, adjusting it correctly. That way, they're happy with it. Um, you you want to make sure that it's comfortable that they're wearing it right and adjusted properly for their body type and the application.
spk_0: 16:34
And you said at the beginning of this that that the use of exoskeletons is still kind of in its adolescence. Where do you see this going in the future
spk_2: 16:44
boy again? You know, if we talk about the aging society and the demand to have people continue to work in the workplace for a longer period of time, I think we're going to see more and more of these exoskeletons being used for all sorts of applications. So I think the growth is going to be pretty Ah, pretty aggressive over the next five or even 10 years.
spk_0: 17:13
Well, Mark, we certainly look forward to what the future holds and thank you again for taking time to join us today. If if listeners are interested in learning more about Kamaz exoskeletons or any of their other products. Where can they find you online?
spk_2: 17:26
The best place to look would be you. Come out that come.
spk_0: 17:29
All right. Well, thanks again, Mark. And we look forward to talking to you again soon.
spk_2: 17:32
Thank you. Have a great day.
spk_0: 17:40
The April edition of MPT is in subscribers. Hands in it. We present an article on Wilton donating an FDA grade Santa flow a o d d pump to the food processing laboratory at California's Fresno State University. The donation will allow students enrolled in Fresno State's Department of Food Science and Nutrition to complete hands on training and food safety in good manufacturing practices. In our maintenance and reliability section, Heinz World running of Loa shares how his company has extended the application of augmented reality to service and maintenance label launched augmented reality tools that could be viewed through mobile devices or 3 60 degrees smart classes allowing for interactive real time remote inspection and service. You know, Seth, at a trade show once I was able to go on a demo of one of those old minute reality inspection platforms. Oh, yeah, like, uh, gave you little goggles. And, um and, uh, you know, it was you know, Next thing he knows of the lights flicker in the goggles and you're in a in a factory plant somewhere halfway around the world. Uh huh. Uh, maybe What would happen to Google? Glasses from Google Glasses? Yes, I do. And Ah, everybody was excited for him. But it turns out the project ah, was a failure of sorts. I think they got him to work, but it wasn't wasn't as cool. They weren't a sleek and as Nias people were one. And so yeah, that's that's the problem, I think. Yeah, I think you're exactly right. Think the technology was perfect is just that you look like a big dork wearing them exactly very much like to do wearing. Ah, all the are glasses right now. So that's why that's why it's great with these things. Find industrial uses because, you know, nobody cares if you look like a dork while your work, right? Yeah, In fact, more the better. I say it has been my career advice. The April issue also contains MPT s annual products and services guys. So you want to keep that issue around for reference throughout the rest of 2020 if you're not a current subscribers, just go to npt mag dot com. Click the subscribe tab and you'll be able to sign up for a free 12 month subscription. This has been the efficiency point of podcast from NPT magazine, always on Twitter at Mod Pump Mag for updates on our next episode. Today's episode was produced by South Saunders. I'm your host, Jay Campbell. Stay safe out there and thank you for listening.