Month: July 2019

Going green: why sustainability must play an increasing role in electronic manufacturing

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Announcement follows the EMS provider’s £7m investment from PE firm NVM

The high-tech world of electronic manufacturing has changed our daily lives and enhanced the capabilities of sectors such as medical, defence, manufacturing and aerospace.

But peek behind the innovative 21st-century tech devices and it’s still not too hard to find supply chain and manufacturing processes that continue to rely on:

  • Outmoded sources of energy
  • Dangerous mining practices
  • Hazardous chemicals
  • And products that drive consumption of our diminishing resources

Our take on this is simple:

“We conduct business in such a way as to prevent pollution, to minimise as far as is appropriate the adverse impact on the environment of our activities, and to comply with all applicable environmental legislation.”

In this article we want to go beyond this and take a look at the industry as a whole and what we all could do to minimise our impact on the environment. Some of it we are already doing – and have been for years – others are things we’d like to work together as a sector to achieve.

Hazardous materials

The Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulations came into force in the UK in 2006, with the aim of restricting the use of certain substances in the manufacture, import and distribution of electrical and electronic equipment.

They were further updated in 2013 to extend their protection to human health and the environment from certain materials used in manufacturing.

Yet, in its Guide to Greener Electronics, Greenpeace found that hazardous substances in devices continue to create toxic waste that endangers recyclers and harms the environment.

Substances identified included:

  • Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) – which release highly toxic dioxins when burnt
  • Phthalates – some of which are classified as hormone disrupters
  • And antimony trioxide and beryllium – both potential human carcinogens

Supply chain ownership

Many of the issues here could be resolved by more thorough supply chain management. Without established and vetted relationships with suppliers it is simply not possible to know what chemicals suppliers are using, especially those chemicals such as degreasers or solvents, which do not end up in the final product.

But the issues surrounding the supply chain go deeper than just this.

Electronics manufacturing involves material and labour from almost every continent. The supply chains for a single electronic device involves hundreds of companies, in a web that must be owned and manages if it is to be working to our standards.

This is not always happening.

Increasing complexity means greater amounts of energy are required to produce each device, with 70 to 80% of the energy footprint of personal electronic devices occurring during the manufacturing phase. The manufacturing of electronics in China and Southeast Asia, where the supply chains for many companies are located remains largely powered by coal, rather than renewable energy sources.

While EMS and OEM head offices may be powered by renewable energy, this is a drop in the ocean compared to the fact that the manufacturing of many products by suppliers is where most of the GHG emissions are being generated, fuelling climate change and degrading local air quality.

Energy is not the only problem that our industry faces. Electronic devices are among the most resource intensive by weight, requiring miners to dig through 30 kilos of rock to obtain the 100 grams of minerals needed for a smartphone. This mining leaves behind toxic wastewater and soil. The cobalt used for batteries is often mined in small-scale, largely unregulated operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This presents both environmental and human rights concerns, as working conditions are poor and children as young as seven are often used.

Recycling and refurbishing

Recyclability for manufacture means two things: incorporating more recycled materials in place of fresh materials, and also designing products to be more easily recycled at the end of their lifecycle.

This is known as a closed-loop production system.

And it’s one where a lot of work is still needed.

Worldwide e-waste volumes have exceeded 65 million metric tons per year in 2017 and only 16% of global e-waste volumes are estimated to be recycled in the formal sector, despite the valuable materials contained within. According to the United Nations, much e-waste ends up at informal recyclers and is handled in ways that damages workers’ health and the environment.

The most sustainable electronic device is the one you already have.

In this sense, the best way we can improve resource efficiency is to:

  • Make more durable products
  • Facilitate simple and accessible repairs
  • Ensure products are upgradable
  • And recycle disused products as efficiently as possible

At present devices that are recycled are usually smelted or shredded.

Yet, there are many components that could be recovered – dismantling is by far the best option for the environment to maximise the amount and variety of materials which can be recovered.

Recycling is also an issue for how our devices are packaged. Using recycled board, recyclable plastics and avoiding Styrofoam packaging is a simple way to reduce our impact on the environment.

Under the WEEE directive consumers can return any electronics product to the point of purchase and then it must be recycled responsibly. Yet it is severely under-publicised and not 100% clear how returned products are being handled.

This is a missed opportunity.

It would be the ideal way to reuse many of the valuable commodities and components contained in discarded electronics. We need a take back system that is as easy to use and accessible to consumers as their latest electronic purchase is.

In addition, devices could be remarketed as still-functional refurbished products, or more effort could be made to make repair manuals and spare parts available for consumers.

Chemigraphic’s commitment to sustainability

There are a number of ways we can help OEMs improve their sustainable manufacturing.

  1. Robust supply chain management
  2. Component selection which use more-sustainable materials- parts manufacturers will respond to market demand
  3. Resource efficiency
  4. Manufacturing systems that handle raw materials efficiently by minimising waste
  5. Continuing to improve the ways we capture value from waste
  6. Reviewing sustainable business models – to constantly improve our energy efficiency

And we’re always open to hear about ways we could all work together for future business in a sustainable world.

Chemigraphic introduces new programme manager function to optimise forecasting

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Laura-Chemigraphic-programme-manager

Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider Chemigraphic has established a brand new ‘programme manager’ function within its sales and planning team. The new position is a direct result of Chemigraphic’s newly implemented ERP system, IFS and will enable the sales and planning team to work more effectively with each of its customers.

Chemigraphic’s Laura Goring has taken up the first of the programme manager positions and will liaise with customers to better understand their requirements, potential barriers to progress and expectations early on in each relationship. This added layer of customer liaison, coupled with data drawn from the ERP system, allows Chemigraphic to create an improved, clear forecast for each customer and each project, in order to manage capacity and activity peaks as far ahead as possible.

Once this information is recorded in IFS, Chemigraphic will be able to optimise the manufacturing and supply chain agreements and strategies, aligning their own forecasts with those of each customer and their respective variables.

Laura, previously a member of Chemigraphic’s purchasing team, has extensive knowledge of the manufacturing and purchasing processes, which places her in a good position to understand and discuss specific requirements and concerns with each customer.

Commenting on her new role, Laura says:

“Different customers have different systems and tools with which they plan and forecast their production and manufacturing schedules, which will inevitably change and differ throughout the year. Understanding the variables for each customer before inputting information into our own systems is incredibly useful for us as a business, but will also provide our customers with considerable benefits and mean that we can work more efficiently to the demands of their business.”

John Johnston, NPI and Sales Director at Chemigraphic, comments:

“Laura is a great example of the incredible talent we have coming up through the business, making an enormous impact on the service we offer our customers and the way we operate. The implementation of IFS allows us to work in a much smarter, more forward-thinking manner and the new programme manager role is a direct result of that new capability.”

 

Chemigraphic goes live with IFS Applications 10 ERP software

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Anthesis worked with Chemigraphic task force to deliver fully cloud-based system into the business

Design-led Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider Chemigraphic has continued its ambitious growth plan by implementing a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system IFS Applications 10. The implementation is entirely cloud-based and Chemigraphic is one of the first UK businesses to have had this version of IFS implemented from scratch.

IFS Applications 10 was launched by leading enterprise software provider, IFS, at its World Conference in Atlanta on May 1-3, 2018. It was cited to be the “most important investment in its user interface” by the company at the time.

The system was successfully delivered into Chemigraphic by software consultancy and IFS services and channel partner, Anthesis. Having approached Anthesis for guidance on implementing a new ERP system in 2018, Chemigraphic signed to IFS Applications 9 in April 2018. However, following the IFS World Conference two weeks later, the consultancy’s channel partner status meant its skilled team was both authorised and recommended to sell and implement IFS Applications 10 from the launch date.

Further conversations with Chemigraphic took place and it was agreed that IFS Applications 10 was now the best enterprise application solution. The project officially began in May 2018, mainly out of Chemigraphic’s site in Crawley. A team of six Anthesis consultants, led by Mike Evans, project-managed the Chemigraphic design and implementation, which included both the functional and technical consultancy as well as considerable testing. The Anthesis team was supported by a specially-selected Chemigraphic task-force led by Technical Director Stewart Gadd and NPI & Sales Systems Manager Alex Cook.

The system became live and fully operational in April 2019. Chemigraphic uses core IFS modules: Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Projects, Financials, Warehousing, CRM, HR and Maintenance. There are 75 users of the system, which is hosted completely on the Microsoft Azure cloud. Chemigraphic use handheld devices for warehousing data as well as using IFS Applications 10 for office-based enterprise applications, meaning the cloud-based nature of the system is ideal for its requirements.

Stewart-Gadd

Stewart Gadd, Technical Director at Chemigraphic, comments: “Having used a number of old ERP systems and software packages, the rapidly growing nature of our business demanded that we implement a new and enhanced system to improve our operational efficiency and bring everything together into one core platform. The benefits are clear to both us as a business and our customers: it enables superior planning, better forecasting and enhanced capacity management, allowing us to do what we do better, faster and more flexibly.”

Tom Constantine, Director of Anthesis, adds: “Having met with the Chemigraphic team, we quickly established that IFS was the right system for the business and when IFS Applications 10 was launched, we knew Chemigraphic was an ideal candidate for its implementation.”
“Delivering the first ever Partner-led Applications 10 project for a UK company is a huge achievement, both for our team and for Chemigraphic, and we look forward to continuing our work with Stewart, Alex and the team as they further embed the system within their business.”

All under control: how motion control is changing medical electronics

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In the very near future

The surgeon in Karachi monitored the 3D images of the patient’s brain. The patient lay anesthetised in the operating theatre of King’s College hospital.

Clutching what appeared to be a gaming control, the renowned neurologist began to manoeuvre a sophisticated robotic ‘arm’ situated 5,000 miles away in King’s.

The remote-controlled catheter moved precisely through the patient’s brain. An error of a few hundred microns could result in irreversible brain damage – but with unerring accuracy the payload was delivered exactly where it was needed.

The anticancer drug would set to work almost immediately having been injected directly into the brain tumour.

We’re not quite there yet – but we’re not far away

Information technology and medical technology are the things that will be very different 20 years from now than they are today.
(Bill Gates)

The EU-funded EDEN2020 is developing an enhanced delivery ecosystem for neurosurgery that is based on the existing Programmable Bevel-tip Needle (PBN), a flexible needle that can advance through the brain with remarkably little tissue damage.

And, in 2017, Professor Shailesh Shrikhande in Mumbai and Hitesh Patel in London collaborated in avatar form on bowel cancer surgery.

Here’s where we are

Motors and motion control electronics in home care medical devices must be almost fail-safe, especially for consumers. This level of performance is expected from components that are ever smaller.
(Leslie Langnau, Managing Editor for Design World)

It’s clear that motion control is already changing medical procedures and has the capacity to transform them.

It is estimated that by 2022, the motion control market will be worth $22.84 billion. And that robotics will form the next wave of motion systems – predicted to be worth $23.9 billion by itself in 2022.

The sectors driving this growth are manufacturing, logistics and the medical industry.

The medical industry has specific requirements for robotics and motion control applications, especially the ability to achieve precise control. The use of motion systems in medicine includes bionic prosthetics, wheelchairs that can traverse stairs and rough terrain, air pumps for respiratory needs, transplanted mechanical valves and microsurgery instruments.

What does medical motion control mean for electronic manufacturers?  

  • Design for Manufacture and simulation are more important than ever

Due to the growing demand for smaller, more powerful devices with increased power densities, effective thermal management has become crucial in the development of medical electronics, wearables, and IoT designs. With the help of simulation, electronics designers and engineers are able to improve the reliability and efficiency of their products, innovate new solutions and ensure that they are complying with the necessary safety regulations.
(Bill Wong, Technology Editor, Electronic Design)

In order to avoid unpleasant and unexpected surprises, employing manufacturing experts early in the design phase is essential. Increasingly for complex, precise motion control devices simulation is used, enabling the testing of a wide variety of options.

Simulation begins in the design phase, using techniques like finite-element modelling to better understand performance. With a detailed digital model – including the masses that will be moved or rotated – elements such as the motors and gearboxes can be sized for optimal performance, minimal footprint and maximum cost-effectiveness. 

Yet, simulation can be highly useful throughout upgrades and designs of new platforms. Software tools allow OEMs to explore exactly how a controller behaves as part of a larger system – not just how it moves but also how it works in use (known as the human-machine interface). 

And simulations can also be useful even when the motion controller is in the field. It allows hundreds of variations to be tested and analysed much more quickly than a ‘live’’ test – and without causing downtime or wear to the physical machine.

  • Smaller and smaller products

The medical industry is fuelled by motion control systems
(Carlos Gonzalez, Machine Design)

All devices are trending toward being smaller, more compact, easier to carry and store. Yet motion control devices for the medical market are often designed for precise applications where size really is at a premium.

Miniature ball screws, motorized linear actuators, motorized lead screws, and linear bearings are increasingly being chosen for use in smaller-scale applications.

In addition, electromechanical actuators can now replace the pumps, compressors, delivery systems, and other space-consuming technology essential for hydraulic and pneumatic actuation while internal electronics increasingly eliminate complex wiring, connecting to power sources and communications networks with just a few wires. 

  • Personalisation and prototyping

‘One of the main areas of benefit the decentralised, smart manufacturing model offers is the ability to efficiently individualise products with high quality results — something that will be critical to success in the patient-specific devices market.’
(Francisco Almada Lobo,  CEO, Critical Manufacturing)

Particularly in the medical market, demand for faster delivery of more personalized equipment is on the increase. Effective prototyping is important to many solutions because designers typically must try various component options before settling on the one that best suits the application.

Again, this is where advanced modelling technology, such as 3-D metal-based printers and simulation software, give designers more flexibility and greater speed.

Automation also plays a key role in personalising or customising products.  Automated processes allow your EMS partner to easily switch from high-speed and high-volume production to agile systems that can seamlessly alter manufacturing product types without the need to stop the line.

Many emerging production technologies, from computerized-numerical-control (CNC) cutting to 3-D printing, bypass the need for tool changes, also make it possible to produce batches of one.

Customisation – and increasingly personalisation – of patient-specific devices will require high quality, high mix production that is perfectly suited to the application of IoT tech, machine learning and automation.

  • And, lest we forget, the IoT

The Internet of Things (IoT) has opened up a world of possibilities in medicine: when connected to the internet, ordinary medical devices can collect invaluable additional data, give extra insight into symptoms and trends, enable remote care, and generally give patients more control over their lives and treatment. (econsultancy)

We’ve discussed how the IoT is already enabling smarter medical electronic device by providing a pathway for the efficient production of increasingly complex products, while capturing and analysing data flows to assist with regulatory compliance and process improvement manufacturing.

Yet the future of medical motor control devices will inevitably be greatly enhanced and furthered by the application of IoT capabilities.

Prosthetics can collect and relay data helping patients and doctors monitor performance, other devices can send warnings if components are under-performing and – as we have seen – IoT combined with VR or AR opens up, quite literally a world of possibilities.

Innovation rests on experience

A structured design approach can heighten the hit rate in the fuzzy front end of innovation processes.
(Jens Martin Skibsted, member of the Forum for Young Global Leaders)

As medical motor control electronic devices innovate to serve new, more complex purposes – and often in highly miniaturised forms – the ability to partner with an EMS that can design for manufacture, simulate, prototype, customise, mitigate supply chain risk and adhere to strict regulatory standards is essential.

Signalling the future: the electronics challenge at the heart of Network Rail’s digital transformation

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“We now find ourselves at the gateway of a revolution in transport technology, the likes of which has not been seen since the invention of the combustion engine. These technological advances will create a new way of planning and managing our transport.”
Steve Yianni, Transport Systems Catapult

Digital technology and innovative electronic devices are transforming our railway network. And it’s about time.

Britain’s railway network is the most congested anywhere in Europe and it just gets busier and busier. In the last 20 years the number of people travelling by train has doubled, and the rail network has hit capacity.

But rail passenger numbers are forecast to increase by another 40 per cent by 2040 – representing more than a billion extra journeys on an already crowded network.

Network Rail has admitted that simply supplementing the existing network is neither cost-effective, practical, nor likely to provide a solution. It has stated that ‘we will never be able to build enough tracks and platforms to meet this capacity challenge in the traditional way. To grow future capacity we are investing in digital signalling as part of our Digital Railway programme’.

Let’s take a look at how this will work, what it replaces and how innovative electronic manufacturing processes are rising to the challenge of enabling this transformation.

Digital: the new diesel

“Not since the railway transformed from steam to diesel in the 1960s has a technological breakthrough held such promise to vastly improve our railway for the benefit of the millions of people and businesses who rely on it every day.

This commitment to adopt and roll-out new digital technology, for both trains and track, will deliver faster, more frequent services for passengers and businesses alike, giving our economy a massive boost.”
Mark Carne, Network Rail Chief Executive

Digital is very much a proven technology solution for rail. Its adoption has already been tested as a cost-effective way of boosting capacity on the existing London Underground network and is now in place on the London Bridge Thameslink route and on Crossrail.

By using IoT devices and connectivity to manage the network with greater precision and efficiency, allowing more trains to run on existing tracks and placing safety and reliability at the centre of the rail service. It also reduces overcrowding, cuts delays and drives down operational costs.

In essence, the ambitious Digital Railway programme will deploy digital in-cab signalling, connected driver advisory systems, sensors to track trains and automated train control technology.

By using connected technology to replace train command, control and signalling systems that were designed in a pre-digital age, significant improvements can be realised.

The stop-start traffic light and semaphore signalling system mainly used at present is a Victorian legacy. And it’s about to receive a long overdue radical digital overhaul.

changing rail industry

Innovative electronic manufacturing

While digital may be the disruptive enabler here, electronic devices and sensors lie at the heart of this project.

  • From the driver control screens in cabs, to the passenger information systems in carriages
  • From the signalling stations trackside, to the sensors in tracks
  • From the automated train, to the networks handling the data

There are some lessons we can learn from the existing technology.

Signalling system failure, for instance, is often caused by a component fault. A complete system is made up of many thousands of individual components and duplication is not always possible thanks to the increased risk of obsolescence due to the system’s age.

It is clear that electronic devices manufactured for the Digital Railway must be developed with a firm eye on the supply chain that is deployed to source its components.

Failures of signalling equipment are also frequently caused by the environment in which they must operate. These can include risks from flooding, lightning strikes, high impact jolts (if located as part of the interlocked system of points), external power supply failure and extreme heat.

Rigorous testing of all devices must account for the environments they will be used in and the forces they will be susceptible to.

But, on the whole, there isn’t much the traditional technology can teach us – the addition of new, innovative digital solutions and capabilities requires radically different designs.

Each of these devices – and each component within them – must be able to operate in safety-critical situations. Again, supply chain considerations, power supply factors and the ability to design, build and rigorously test complex assemblies is critical to the Digital Railway project’s success.

Overcoming the electronics challenge at the heart of rail’s digital transformation

Rail companies and manufacturers need to work with partners who have a track record of delivering high-reliability and safety-critical electronic devices for the challenging environment the rail network operates in.

A partner that can offer design support, supply chain management, rigorous testing and are dedicated to robust manufacturing process governance is vital when tackling this type of digital transformation.

With several, highly relevant electronic rail products already manufactured for clients – including trackside signalling technology, control-room monitoring equipment, communication technology and safety devices. It’s time to meet the challenge and seize the opportunities that rail’s digital future will present to the industry.

Chemigraphic receives investment boost from NVM

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Chris_Wootton

Chemigraphic, the leading provider of Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) to the fast-growth medical technology, defence and power systems sectors, today announces that it has received £7 million investment from NVM Private Equity (NVM), from its Vintage III fund.

The investment will help to accelerate Chemigraphic’s international growth and drive continued development of its technology and expertise, particularly in the fast-growing med-tech sector.

Headquartered in Crawley’s prestigious Manor Royal business park, with a sourcing office in China, Chemigraphic builds complex products for a wide range of specialist UK and global technology brands, from conception to production, supporting them at every stage of their product lifecycle. Chemigraphic CEO Chris Wootton, who joined the business in April 2017, has a clear vision to scale the business globally and has a strong track record of creating value for his shareholders throughout his career.

With over 150 staff and experience spanning over four decades, Chemigraphic is now set for a period of strong growth, which has been boosted further by the NVM investment. Chemigraphic’s customers, many of whom have worked with the business for over 15 years, trust them to be involved in the very early stages of new product development for their most complex products, followed by ongoing fulfilment of production.

NVM Private Equity is independently owned with over 30 years’ experience of investing in unquoted UK businesses. NVM is a generalist investor, managing approximately £430 million of funds, and is differentiated by having executives living and working in regional business communities throughout the UK.

Peter Hodson and David Rolfe led the investment for NVM and Peter joined the Chemigraphic board upon completion.

Chris Wootton, CEO of Chemigraphic, said: “Chemigraphic has a fabulous customer base and is extremely well placed to become a significant global provider of Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS). We are delighted that NVM shares our vision and has decided to invest in and back the team. The investment will enable us to implement planned strategic investments in our global footprint and hence capitalise on a number of extremely exciting growth opportunities. We are very much looking forward to partnering with the NVM team as we embark upon this next exciting phase in our development”.

Peter Hodson, Investment Partner of NVM Private Equity, said: “We are very excited to have the opportunity to work with Chris and his team at Chemigraphic. The business has generated a lot of momentum since Chris joined the company two years ago benefiting from his laser focus on operational excellence and proactive business development. Chemigraphic’s current customer base is highly committed to the company, having benefitted from market leading service levels and product expertise. We are delighted to be coming on board at this exciting stage in the company’s development.”