New European network established thanks to AMTRI initiative

Citation

(1999), "New European network established thanks to AMTRI initiative", Industrial Robot, Vol. 26 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.1999.04926fab.002

New European network established thanks to AMTRI initiative

New European network established thanks to AMTRI initiative

Keyword: Manufacturing

Officials in Brussels have given the green light for Macclesfield-based AMTRI to implement their new European initiative, so called Agile Reconfigurable Manufacturing Machinery Systems (ARMMS). The concept is to involve industrial and research partners throughout Europe working together to share information resulting from new research and developments in machinery for manufacturing.

Said Mr Derek Palethorpe, Managing Director of AMTRI: "We see our task as leading and coordinating the work of ARMMS, which will be to focus on and accelerate the development of reconfigurable machinery modules and related integration technology which have applications in several industry sectors. Typical areas of benefit will be those industries using precision and high speed machinery such as are used for printing, packaging and wrapping in the food and drink industry, as well as for transfer and assembly operations in other manufacturing industry sectors."

AMTRI in the UK has secured European funding to the tune of 614,000 Euros which has now enabled it to proceed with its networking plans to initiate and structure an information exchange between partner organisations throughout Europe.

Nearly 20 "industrial" partners are already involved throughout Europe with each one funded to a modest 7,000 Euros per year for their participation in the Network. As well as several leading universities with strong engineering departments, a number of high-profile commercial organisations, such as Volvo Automation, System 3R, Cirrus Technologies and the Royal Mail, figure among the launch membership. Other companies are expected to join soon at their own cost and any organisation, which feels it could benefit from close contact with technical specialists from interrelated fields, is welcome to apply. AMTRI says that such partners can expect to gain an insight into the broad range of research going on in Europe and will have opportunities to access early results as well as to be directly involved in defining the current state-of-the-art in the design and development of modular, reconfigurable machinery.

Implementation of ARMMS started with the first partners meeting in January 1999, at AMTRI's headquarters in Macclesfield and will be conducted by networking partner groups, working across both "horizontal" and "vertically" structured fields. Examples of the former include generic module requirements, design methodology, simulation methods, while the vertical working groups will concentrate on areas of greatest concern to companies involved in the manufacture of component products. Several examples of the latter have already been singled out and include: rotary and linear transmission modules, transfer, orientation, picking and placing modules and indexing modules. Mr Palethorpe suggests that "this is a golden opportunity for UK industries to join in a major European research network and to find quality partners for future Framework V projects".

Outside observers have long been aware of the way in which certain industries develop or adapt particular technologies for their own purposes, while engineers in other sectors remain largely unaware of the benefits such advances could offer them. Not only is this wasteful in terms of duplicated research and development, but it can hold back progress elsewhere. The ARMMS network enables the exchange and development of different technologies, with applications in several industry sectors, thus accelerating market exploitation and reducing costs.

For further information contact: Derek Palethorpe, Managing Director, AMTRI, Hulley Road, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 2NE. Tel: +44 (0) 1625 425421; Fax: +44 (0) 1625 434964; E-mail: info@amtri.co.uk