Redefining the boundaries of 3D metrology and engineering services

By: Kathryn Gerardino-Elagio

Founded in 2002 in Canada, Creaform was born out of the need to change the status quo. What began as a metrology and engineering consulting firm turned into a global leader in portable and automated dimensional metrology solutions. Now, 20 years later—the company continues to redefine the boundaries of 3D metrology and engineering services by constantly pushing back the limits of innovation.

International Metalworking News for Asia’s (IMNA) interview with Mr. George Tan, Sales Manager – RoAPAC, delves into Creaform’s secret to achieving 20 years, 3D measurement and where the technology will go from here in South East Asia (SEA).

IMNA: Congratulations on your 20^th anniversary! How are things shaping up for Creaform since its establishment in 2002?

George: Indeed, this year is our 20^th anniversary. Creaform first started in 2002 in Lévis, Quebec, Canada, as a metrology and engineering consulting firm, and our first HandySCAN 3D was launched in 2005, which was the first ever handheld self-positioning 3D laser scanner. Since then, Creaform has never stopped innovating. In just 20 years, Creaform had launched over 60 game-changing technologies, both hardware and software. With continuous market adoption, it enabled Creaform to generate substantial and constant double-digit growth almost every year over the past 2 decades!

IMNA: What is the secret to achieving 20 years? What is your top tip for creating innovations such as 3D measurement?

George: There is no big secret for achieving 20 years. Creaform always believed in investing in our employees through passion and commitment. Providing our employees with real opportunities to achieve work–life balance and fostering a positive and pleasant workplace atmosphere where everyone feels like they are part of the team. There are no limits to how far we can go, and we are looking forward for many more 20 years to come.

As for the top tip, I would say that at Creaform, we are pioneers. We venture where nobody else has yet dared to tread, boldly designing products and technology for projects that were once beyond the imagination. We redefine the boundaries of the 3D universe by constantly pushing back the limits of technology.

Our motto says it all: “Never Stop Innovating”.

IMNA: Can you brief us about your presence, business model and verticals and sectors you cater to in SEA?

George: Creaform is present in almost all countries in SEA, either through direct offices and/or indirect distributors/agents. We believe that it is important to be present in the countries where our customers reside, in order to provide better support/service.

Regardless whether it is through our direct employees or distributors/agents, there will always be someone representing Creaform to attend to our customers’ enquiries, such as non-destructive testing (NDT), from surface inspection for O&G pipes to maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO), and from reverse engineering applications for prototypes to automated quality control inspection systems for daily production.

IMNA: How do you find out what the customers really want or what is more important, satisfying an existing need or creating new needs?

George:  It is important for every Creaform employees to understand/discover what the customers’ “Needs” and “Wants”. The “Needs” are something that customers must have, in order to proceed with their jobs and the “Wants” are something good to have but not necessarily required to complete their tasks. Creaform employees participate continuously in technical and sales training to obtain these specific skills.

Although, it is always a tough question to answer. For me, satisfying an existing need and creating new needs are both equally important. But if I must choose between them, I prefer creating new needs, as there are still a lot of uncharted areas where 3D scanning applications can help customers in a way they never thought or dreamed of before. And the satisfaction that you get from these customers when they tell me how much money or time, they saved by implementing 3D scanning into their inspection process, that’s priceless.

IMNA: What makes Creaform achievements stand out? And what does the future hold for 3D measurement in SEA market?

George:  As mentioned, Creaform is the pioneer of handheld 3D scanners. We are a technological leader – not a follower. Creaform was founded because other measurement technology defined as “portable” were simply not suitable for shop-floor environments. We aimed to tackle our customers’ most difficult challenges and are eager to push the limits.

I foresee an increasing demand in the coming years, especially considering the rise of new production processes like 3D printing, where parts are no longer machined in a single, straightforward geometrical shape, and then assembled. It will be “printed” in a single completed part with complex geometrical features, where conventional handheld measuring tools will face difficulties in measuring it.

This is where 3D measurement solutions, especially Creaform handheld 3D scanners, are the perfect go-to inspection tools for faster and more accurate inspection of these complex geometrical surfaces, directly in the production environment, with the help of inspection software features like CAD comparison for quick Go/No-Go colour indicator checks.

IMNA: What’s the toughest project or customer request Creaform has been confronted with? Did it influence the company’s approach on creating new technologies?

George: As mentioned before, Creaform started as a metrology and engineering consulting firm, helping local manufacturers solve their product development and inspection issues. During those early years, we worked on several projects, using our competitors’ tools, which were cumbersome and slow 3D scanners mounted on a CMM. We experienced first-hand the difficulties in using such tools. We knew there was an opportunity to greatly improve these tools, because we listened to our team and our customers. We didn’t need to receive a formal request from our customers to understand the pressing necessity for better tools.

In the following years, we created the next generation of 3D scanners, and disrupted the entire market. We were spearheading a real technological revolution, and even if the interest was immediate from all industries, it remains to this day the toughest project we have been confronted with. From a handful of employees in Levis, to more than 650 employees in 15 offices across the world, Creaform proved that it can tackle any challenges, head-on.

IMNA: Finally, what’s next for Creaform in SEA?

George: We are very excited with the growing business opportunities in SEA, especially in the 3D measurement sector. We believe there are a lot of business potential in this sector in SEA and Creaform, being the pioneer in handheld 3D scanners, wants to be there with our customers, share our latest technologies, helping them to reduce turnaround time and most importantly, to increase their profitability.

IMNA August 2022 issue click here!

International Metalworking News for Asia- August 2022

As the technology becomes more intelligent, controllable and varied, automation and robotics are expected to play a bigger role in producing and creating value. When it comes to the trend of using automation and robotics, Thailand is no exception. The Thai government has implemented numerous measures to promote the growth of these key industries. The use of industrial robots in the country is thus anticipated to continue rising. Mr. Chanin Khaochan Thailand Board of Investment (BOI)’s Deputy Secretary General talked about Thailand’s Smart Factory Investment Promotion Policy in this issue’s Association Focus.

The Enterprise Close-Up section features Mr. George Tan, Sales Manager – RoAPAC as he delves into Creaform’s secret to achieving 20 years. Founded in 2002 in Canada, Creaform was born out of the need to change the status quo. What began as a metrology and engineering consulting firm turned into a global leader in portable and automated dimensional metrology solutions. Now, 20 years later—the company continues to redefine the boundaries of 3D metrology and engineering services by constantly pushing back the limits of innovation.

The German Machine Tool Builders’ Association (VDW) notes that trade fairs have a special significance for start-ups. For instance, they help them meet new customers and build a strong, reliable brand. In line with this, VDW hopes to make it easier for young companies to enter the market. Mr. Marvin Kaes, head of the RWTH Innovation Entrepreneurship Centre, answers three questions regarding hurdles experienced during the pandemic. Find this in the Spin-off Strategy section.

After two cancelled editions, Manufacturing Expo returned on June 22 – 25 amidst strict health and security protocols at BITEC, Bangkok. Read Show Update and learn how despite the adverse impact of the coronavirus pandemic to the region's industrial sector, Manufacturing Expo opened with renewed optimism from exhibitors who anticipate increased market opportunities fuelled by the recovery in many sectors, a reflection of its “Power Up” theme.

The turbulent times that the whole world is experiencing are posing major challenges for almost all companies. Thus, many companies are beginning to invest in future-proofing their businesses. On page 20 you will find Markus Heseding, Managing Director of VDMA Measuring and Testing Technology, answers questions pertaining to the challenges companies are experiencing, including metrology solutions towards digitalisation in factories.

And we need your help. Tell us about any metalworking technology or success story you want to read. Keep us informed about what’s important to you. Let us know how we’re doing. Send us an e-mail at Kathryn@ringiertrade.com.

E-zine: http://edms.industrysourcing.com/ezine/22/08/imna.html?#/

Website: https://www.industrysourcing.com/client/magazine/details.html?id=101605

CNC single-spindle screw machines from LICO Machinery

 

LICO Machinery Co. specializes in CNC single-spindle screw machines that blend the speed of screw machines with the precision and versatility of CNC lathes.  With 38 years in cam-type automatics and 25 years in CNC Multi-Slides Turn-Mill Centers, LICO has teamed up with many experienced machinery dealers throughout the world to ensure good services.

The LICO LNT series of CNC screw machines feature various levels of technology enabling you to match the right machine to the right part.  Built on a rugged base, these machines employ up to four 2-axis cross slides arrayed around the spindle.  All 4 slides and the turret are capable of overlapping with each other [Parallel Machining] or [Multi-tasking].  The slides are dovetail and gib design, giving you the rigidity to make use of form tools to maximize material removal rates without chatter.  The machines include a 2-axis eight position turret with live-tooling on every position.  These machines are fixed headstock machines, so no special material or learning sliding-headstock technology is required.  Spindle bores range from 36mm through 65mm.  On most parts, the LNT machines will outperform any Swiss type machines up to 7-axis.  Our 3-turret version, LNTS-T3, even outperforms competitions in Germany to win orders.

The latest machine model is the LNDD machines, which adds 2-3 cross slides to a traditional Twin-spindle Single-turret machine.  The turret has a True-Y axis (+/-55mm) that allows for multiple tools at each turret position for working on both spindles.  This machine also comes in larger spindle bores, 80mm and 100 mm.

Showroom link: https://www.industrysourcing.com/client/supplier/product.html?id=102056

CNC thread rolling machine

The machine is good for bigger diameter and deep depth “Worm Shaft” workpieces. The rotary directions of the thread rolling dies (clockwise & counter clockwise) can be set for one rolling progress. The precision and straightness of the workpieces can be improved for CNC thread rolling machine.

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Perspectives on the adoption of smart solutions: A panel discussion

 

By: Kathryn Gerardino-Elagio

In today's dynamic business scenario, the organisations that truly stand out from the pack all have one common factor: they all embrace innovation. Hence manufacturing and innovation go together, enabling the organisation to grow consistently, stay relevant, and be a differentiator to deliver value to its customers.

 

International Metalworking News for Asia (IMNA) preceded an online panel discussion during the recent ASEAN Electronics and Semiconductor Manufacturing Summit 2022, titled: Digital Transformation, Smart Manufacturing, wherein Dr. Danilo C. Lachica, President of Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. (SEIPI), Mr. Rhett Ramos, Director of Asia IT and Smart Manufacturing Director, Allegro MicroSystems, and Mr. Sherwin C. Nones, Head of Strategic Planning and Marketing from Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. (IMI Global), answered two of the most sought after questions from the attendees. Below are excerpts from the discussion.

IMNA: What are some specific smart solutions can you share that can assist manufacturers in adopting to the evolving industry needs?

 

Mr. Ramos: The smart solution that we want to share here is the investment in IoT solutions. IoT has been a buzzword for the past six to seven years. As a subset of Industry 4.0, everything is connected. There are sensors in the equipment that will tell you what’s going on. You can set the equipment based on certain conditions or even manually do it.

 

Being in the semiconductor industry, we have a consortium worldwide that adopts IoT. We have protocols that allows us to plug and play an equipment. The equipment tells us if something goes wrong. And that really allows us to adopt smart manufacturing much faster. This is something I'm hoping that many people in the industry can implement more of those standards, so that they can get faster adoption on the smart manufacturing side.

 

Dr. Lachica: In terms of a practical example, I will break it down in three segments. First, I will start with industry needs and then go to smart solutions, and then to assisting manufacturers. Let's take the case of the Covid19 pandemic, the rest of the world had to shut down factories but we can't shut down forever. So, we had to figure out a way how to be able to resume production without compromising the safety of the employees and the society at large.

 

Through innovation and being responsive to the needs of society, we come out with smart solutions. What do I mean by smart solutions? Examples would be like, you know from nothing all of a sudden, people are developing the capability to do respirators, do contactless temperature checks, digital and contactless medical examinations. Those are actually the smart solutions, which eventually address not only the manufacturer's needs but the needs of the society at large. Those are practical examples. But now I should expand it because of the nature of our industry. We are unique in the sense that we're both users of the technologies as well. Suppliers of the hardware are in a unique position that's why this echoes according to the specialities and the nature of our industry.

 

Mr. Nones:  There are so many things every company must take into consideration with the pandemic. One of which would be the areas in making sure that employees are safe. There was a lot of work done behind those. We made sure that we were able to monitor the employees remotely. In IMI, we built a lot of systems just for that. And just over the past couple of years, we were able to really beef up our traceability, not just on the component side but to everything else even in the supply chain from end to end. In fact, what is really a standout today, at least for us, is that we were able to define where smart manufacturing is in terms of our long-term plans. Smart manufacturing automation would generally give us three things: save costs, increase revenue or profits, and create value. But now there is a fourth stream and this is actually the umbrella that encompasses all of these, and this is the road towards sustainability.

 

Every year, we have customers who are increasingly asking us about this and there are more customers doing sustainability audits and asking us what is our net zero roadmap. It pays to be able to understand where this smart manufacturing is, and I realised over this past couple of years that when you actually put some processes in the Cloud when you automate things, you actually reduce carbon emissions and these are some of the things that will benefit you aside from saving costs and increasing revenue and creating value. When you do smart manufacturing, that gives us a better perspective of where things should be. And right now, we are in the process of really firming up our net zero roadmap and that includes of course our digitalisation roadmap as well.

 

IMNA: What role will each of your respective associations/companies play in making manufacturing industries more efficient?

 

Mr. Ramos: Our role is to spearhead and push our members to move into the direction of smart manufacturing. Sadly, a lot of our members are still in Industry 2.0 and so it's going to be a big jump for them. But then it’s our role to understand what are those gaps, and how can we help them adopt. So that it won't be a big obstacle for them to go from Industry 2.0 to a little bit of Industry 4.0. I believe that through industrial transformation, the Philippines can transition to the fourth industrial revolution with adequate understanding.

 

Dr. Lachica: My role as the head of the association is to be the enabler and the facilitator. I need to make sure that the road map is moving that we're making progress. We are the leading organisation in the Philippines this year for practicing Industry 4.0, and we're not going to keep it to ourselves. We're going to share it with the rest of the other industries in our country. So that they can learn from our experience and be motivated to get up and accelerate their journey towards industrial revolution.

 

Mr. Nones: The goal is to figure out where is the need for more efficiency and address that; not just for us in the Philippines but on a global scale. For IMI, I think our role here is for us to be a catalyst for our customers and suppliers in achieving certain levels in smart manufacturing and also in sustainability, that is for us is our ultimate goal. Of course, we will continuously align ourselves with the industry working with the government and a lot of universities, not just in the Philippines but in other countries.

Leveraging Vietnam's growing automation demand

 By: Kathryn Gerardino-Elagio

 

Rockwell Automation has been present in Vietnam since 2007. As a key area of strategic growth, the country is an important market for the company in South East Asia, contributing significantly to its business across Asia and worldwide. In March 2022, Rockwell Automation has appointed Pham Kieu Trinh, as Country Manager effective immediately. She is responsible for the company's business operations and direct sales in the country. 

 

Every new country manager always seems to have turnaround plans for a company, and Pham Kieu Trinh is no exception.  She has a clear plan on how to develop the company's presence in Vietnam and achieve double digit growth rates, increasing market share by two-fold in 2025.

 

A month into the job, International Metalworking News for Asia (IMNA) conducted an online interview with Trinh. Here are the excerpts:

IMNA: As the new Country Manager for Vietnam, which markets will you focus on, and why?

 

Pham Kieu Trinh: As the Country Manager for Vietnam, I look forward to developing our business across several sectors, including oil and gas, health, food and beverage and personal care. Key focus areas are strengthening our capabilities and improving sales by developing our distributor and partner ecosystems, and meeting customer needs with our digital transformation and industrial automation products and services.

 

Demand for digitisation and automation is growing in Vietnam as the country aims to be among the top ASEAN economies in industrial competitiveness. We aim to meet this demand, leveraging our extensive experience in providing automation and digital solutions to businesses across sectors. We remain committed to helping manufacturers adopt new technologies and support the transformation of smart manufacturing in Vietnam.

 

IMNA: In your profile, it says that you have also handled not just Vietnam but also Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, have you noticed any changes in the expectations and demands of customers in recent years?

 

Pham Kieu Trinh: There is growing demand for industrial automation in South East Asia. The region’s industrial automation and process control market is expected to reach US$4.97 billion by 2025.[¹] We are also seeing growing adoption in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, driven predominately by government initiatives to transform the country's manufacturing capabilities. 

 

For example, last year, Thailand[²] approved measures giving eligible companies a three-year corporate income tax exemption covering all their investment for Industry 4.0 upgrades, to encourage them to speed up their digital technology and automation adoptions to promote Industry 4.0 transformation.

 

Such supportive initiatives have helped businesses adopt automation and accelerate digital transformation.

 

Businesses are also recognising the immense benefits automation and digital solutions offer, especially since the start of the pandemic, and the critical need to adopt them in order to gain a competitive advantage both locally and internationally.

 

IMNA: How important is the Vietnam market for Rockwell Automation?

 

Pham Kieu Trinh: Global businesses are seeking to reduce dependency on a single country and increase the connectivity of their supply chains. Vietnam has become a top destination for investments in manufacturing due to its strategic location and advantages in shipping, competitive labor, and production costs.

 

According to Vietnam’s Foreign Investment Agency (FIA), foreign investors pledged US$31.15 billion into Vietnam in 2021, up 9.2 percent year-over-year. The manufacturing and processing sector attracted the most foreign direct investments with a total capital of over US$18.1 billion, or 58.2 percent[³].

 

This boom in the manufacturing and industrial sectors makes Vietnam a critical market for us in South East Asia, which is a key area of strategic growth, contributing significantly to our business across Asia and worldwide.

 

IMNA: With an emphasis on Industry 4.0 and localising the supply chain, how will you take Rockwell Automation from where it is, to where the company wants it to be?

 

Pham Kieu Trinh: We are working towards boosting our sales performance by 40% in Southern Vietnam and by 30% in Northern Vietnam this year. By 2025, we aim to achieve double digit growth rates and increase our market share by two-fold. We also plan to expand our Vietnam team by 50% by the end of this year.

 

We will plan to achieve this by focusing on offering a wide range of manufacturing and automation products and solutions through our two distributors, more than 30 system integrators and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners.

 

IMNA: How will the future of automation be in Vietnam, and what are some predictions you can make?

 

Pham Kieu Trinh: Vietnam is transforming into a global manufacturing hub. Automation in manufacturing is something that most business leaders are exploring, as they consider it critical to their operations and competitiveness.

 

The government’s industrial policy[⁴] highlights that by 2030, the industrial sector will make up over 40% of the gross domestic product (GDP), in which manufacturing and processing industries will account for 30%. Our competitiveness industrial performance index will be among the top three ASEAN countries.

 

While Vietnam seems to be on track to achieve these goals, more needs to be done if the country wants to remain competitive in the future, especially with the rise of Industry 4.0. Accelerated adoption of automation and advanced technology across sectors will play a key role in achieving these ambitions.

 

As for Rockwell, we are dedicated to investing in continually educating and training our partners and customers to be able to adopt these technologies and enjoy the benefits of sustainability and increased profits in the long run.

READ International Metalworking News for Asia - April 2022 E-zine

[1] https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/southeast-asia-industrial-automation-process-control-market-5073#:~:text=The%20Southeast%20Asia%20industrial%20Automation,reach%20%244.97%20billion%20by%202025.&text=Automation%20mainly%20refers%20to%20the,delivery%20of%20products%20and%20services.

[2] http://www.news.cn/english/2021-10/13/c_1310242163.htm

[3] https://vietnamnews.vn/economy/1109793/pledged-foreign-investment-in-viet-nam-surpasses-us31-billion-in-2021.html

[4] https://www.vietnam-briefing.com/news/vietnam-sets-ambitious-goals-in-new-national-industrial-policy.html/

Find the right level of digitalisation with TRUMPF

By: Kathryn Gerardino-Elagio

 Modern life is a constant stream of possibilities, and the transformation to a digital world of work must be conceived to comprehensive automation. For this to be successful, it is imperative to get the employees fully onside from a very early stage.
 
TRUMPF Pte Ltd's mission is to further develop and digitally connect production technology, to make it even more efficient, precise, and future proof. Having mentioned this, the company’s software solutions pave the way to the Smart Factory, allowing them to implement high-tech processes.
 
International Metalworking News for Asia (IMNA) sat down with Liertz Wolfgang, Head of Smart Factory Solutions, to discuss Industry 4.0 and the trends to watch out for in 2022.
 
IMNA: For a manufacturing company to implement Industry 4.0 successfully, it demands processes to be intelligent, aware, connected, and responsive. What do you suggest they need to adopt first in order to get there?
 
Liertz: The most important is for manufacturing companies to adopt awareness first. The Industry 4.0 process requires a new mindset in employees and management. Therefore, it is always best to start transparency on the shopfloor. Many times, production managers would think that there is an OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) of 70% on the shopfloor, but when you measure the real numbers, you will find it much lower, about 40 or 50%.
 
My first step to commence a digitalised manufacturing is to begin with asking questions and creating transparency. Next is to train management and employees. To continuously improve on all levels of the manufacturing company, it is our best practice to combine methods of Digital Shopfloor Management and a lean management approach.
 
IMNA: How is TRUMPF positioning itself to provide customers with a comprehensive range of automation products and services?
 
Liertz:  A couple of years ago, we implemented a strong Smart Factory Solutions team in Singapore, which is responsible for South East Asia and supporting our customers in all countries in the region. Additionally, we are also promoting free webinars every month. We want to show our customers that there's a high potential in digitalising the production, which is sometimes much more promising than upgrading to the next better machine.
 
In these times of pandemic where traveling in South East Asia has come to halt, the social media has grown much more important, including remote webinars and remote customer meetings. We're connecting remotely with our customers to consult them on factory layouts, digitalisation approaches, and continuous improvement. These have been quite a success with some of our first customers.
 
In addition, I want to share that in April 2022, we will introduce our new software solution Oseon that boosts productivity in sheet-metal companies, so please be sure to update yourself and follow TRUMPF's LinkedIn profile.
 
IMNA: What advice do you have for other companies tackling digital transformation?
Liertz: My advice would be getting commitment from top management first. We have customers in South East Asia where top management started and orchestrated processes, which included all departments for the whole company. And in these cases, the digitalisation or the change process had measurable success after a year already, this made them also more resilient for going through the crisis. Thus, creating top management commitment is the key success factor.
 
I read a good article where it said, "Think Big, Start Small, and Move Quickly." I think this is the critical part. Think big, yes, have a big vision; but don't expect it to happen tomorrow. Start small and analyse exactly what the problem is right now and untangle it. Move quickly ahead.
 
IMNA: What are some of the upcoming manufacturing trends that you anticipate in 2022 and what are you providing to help companies as they face the ever-changing manufacturing landscape?
 
Liertz: Clearly the biggest driver is sustainability. Now the question for our partners and customers is how to become more sustainable and more productive, as well as profitable and sustainable at the same time; and very often the solution is the same. Cost reduction is the focus of many companies, not just in economically challenging times. Therefore, the first step toward cost optimisation is to create transparency. We create a solid database in collaboration with customers, drawing attention to the relevant parameters.
 
For example, the biggest cost optimisation in our sheet metal customers’ production is saving on raw material. Reducing raw material is our customers' biggest potential for cost optimisation. At the same time, material usage is the biggest driver of CO2 equivalents. Hence, sustainability is really going to be much more important in the future. What we can do from TRUMPF side is to disrupt the work of a production manager. There's an excess of data around a production, which can be analysed by machine learning algorithms in the cloud to give good direction and decision support for production managers. I think we will see a lot more of these over the next couple of years to support personnel on the ground, and the production to become more sustainable and profitable.
 
In order to identify the full potential of customisation, data is bundled and analysed using software solutions. This allows you to bring continuous flow to your production. Working alongside customers, TRUMPF develops goal-oriented solutions for sustainable optimisation of processes and implement customer's individual smart factory step-by-step.
 
TRUMPF will keep launching innovative products and solutions and we will open up our interfaces to collaborate with partners. In the end, it is the most important part to bring the best solutions to our customers. Stay put for our big announcement about Oseon in April 2022, so follow us on LinkedIn, as I said before, and you will not miss any updates from TRUMPF’s smart factory solutions. 
READ International Metalworking News for Asia - April 2022 E-zine