Vention Launches Cloud-Robotics, AI Capabilities

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Vention, the cloud robotics company, released a suite of AI-powered capabilities to its Manufacturing Automation Platform (MAP). These new capabilities, available immediately to the more than 4,000 manufacturers already using Vention, strengthen the company’s position as the only end-to-end platform to design, automate, order, deploy and operate automated equipment and robot cells in the cloud.

The Cloud Robotics Platform (CNW Group/Vention)

MachineBuilder capabilities enhanced for robot cell design

The latest version of MachineBuilder, Vention’s cloud-based 3D design software, brings forward the most comprehensive suite of enhancements over the past 36 months with more intuitive and smarter design tools.

Specific product capabilities include:

  • Streamlined design flow: Empowers teams to work faster and more confidently with hundreds of machine design templates.
  • Smarter part placement: Minimizes the effort of creating mechanical structures when designing in 3D. Powered by Vention’s AI-driven Geometric Reasoning Engine (GRE), components added to a design automatically snap to the desired orientation with minimal user input.
  • Enhanced part manipulation: Reduces the learning curve of designing in MachineBuilder with new part manipulation tools powered by contextual guidance and a more discoverable 3D manipulator.
  • Real-time design and part specifications: Increases visibility into part and design specifications with real-time updates as components are added to the bill of material. Technical specifications, 2D drawings and more are now directly available in the 3D design environment.

Robotic programming capabilities pave the way for complex cloud applications

The release of Vention’s MachineLogic new code-free programming instructions further simplifies how users program robot arms and all adjacent devices in a robotic cell. Combined with the new scene asset functionality, developers can leverage their digital twin to accelerate the deployment process. Users can now program their robot in the cloud and deploy it directly to the factory floor.

Specific product capabilities include:

  • Point and click robot programming: Inserts waypoints and reference frames easily into a digital twin. Enables developers to visualize the position of reference frames and waypoints in the scene using new scene widgets.
  • Extensible workflows and powerful authoring capabilities: Defines parametric reference frames and waypoints with variables and expressions.
  • Calibration Frame: Defines calibration frames in your digital twin to enable the level of precision required for your robotic application.

Instantly and securely deploy robot cells from the cloud to the factory floor

The inclusion of a new instant deployment functionality empowers robotic developers to transfer programs and machine configurations from a digital twin to a physical machine directly in the web browser. This new feature integrates with Vention’s ISO 27001 and NIST-800-171 certified MachineCloud infrastructure, expediting deployment processes and facilitating a seamless redeployment from the digital twin to the real world without disrupting production.

Enhanced user interface authoring added to the cloud robotics platform

Vention adds web development tools and workflows to its cloud-based robot programming platform, enabling advanced users to create and simulate robot applications that contain feature-rich operator interfaces. This new release confirms Vention’s commitment to providing an extensible platform that strives to meet the robotics industry’s and its practitioners’ evolving needs.

In addition, as a continuation of its commitment to the needs of its industry, Vention will publish the second edition of its State of DIY Industrial Automation Report on May 6. Following its success in 2023, the company has decided to survey their clients again to understand better the trends unveiled last year, such as the emergence of Advanced Manufacturing Teams, the importance of platforming industrial automation and the preference for self-service and self-design.

About Vention

Vention helps some of the most innovative manufacturers automate their production floors in just a few days through a democratized user experience. Vention’s manufacturing automation platform allows clients to design, automate, deploy and operate automated equipment directly from their web browsers. Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with one office in Berlin, Vention’s 300 employees serve 4,000+ customers in five continents and across 25 manufacturing industries.

For more information, visit website.

Applied Software Announces ‘Keeping AEC Green’ Program

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ATLANTA, GA, May 6, 2024 – Applied Software, GRAITEC Group, a leading systems integrator in the AEC, construction, and manufacturing industries, announced it is bringing back its “Keeping AEC Green” scholarship program for a second year and is expanding to accept essay entries from high school students in Canada. Designed to encourage students to explore careers in sustainable construction, the program will award four winners this year more than $3,000 toward their future education.

The labor shortage in the built industry is estimated at more than 500,000 unfilled jobs to meet the growth in construction, according to the Associated Builders and Contractors, and industry leaders are challenged to develop a reliable pipeline of talented new job seekers. “GRAITEC and Applied Software are glad to do our part among AEC companies actively trying to solve the industry’s labor shortage and encouraging more sustainable construction practices,” said Scott McMaster executive vice president, GRAITEC North America. “The response from our 2023 effort exceeded our expectations, so we’re thrilled to expand our campaign this year to include GRAITEC Canada and help more students explore AEC career options.”

Applied Software, GRAITEC Group launched the scholarship contest in 2023 and received more than 200 entries in the inaugural contest. Three winners from PA, TX, and MA were selected last year for their detailed, well-researched essays about innovative solar power initiatives, the environmental impacts of low-density urban sprawl, and more sustainable design practices.

The contest is free to enter and participating students will develop research skills to understand a problem and why it’s important, think creatively about a solution and argue a case for it, and consider the roadblocks to getting solutions in place. Students are asked to consider topics in sustainable construction but are free to research and propose any topics and solutions they find interesting and impactful. Entries will be judged on originality, depth of research, professionalism, and creativity.

Open to students currently enrolled in any high school in the U.S and Canada, the contest will begin accepting entries on June 1, 2024, and award winners will be notified this Fall, giving students ample opportunity to research topics and develop ideas to solve problems facing their local community and today’s built environment.

Executives from Applied Software, GRAITEC Group and a panel of industry judges will evaluate each entry and award four students receiving the highest scores with scholarship donations. Two first-place winners will be selected, one in the US and one in Canada, to receive $1,000 and 1,000 Canadian dollars, respectively. The first-place winners’ high schools will also receive a $500, or CA$500, donation to their technology innovation department or similar program from Applied Software, GRAITEC Group. Judges also will select from the U.S. entries a second-place winner to receive $300, and a third-place winner to receive $250.

More details including entry guidelines and terms and conditions can be found at the contest website: https://asti.com/high-school-sustainability-essay-contest/

About Applied Software, GRAITEC Group:

Applied Software, GRAITEC Group has one mission in mind: empower construction and manufacturing professionals to digitize and industrialize their processes to build a sustainable tomorrow.

Applied Software, GRAITEC Group is a global leading BIM provider helping architectural, engineering, construction, and manufacturing professionals to achieve their digital transformation goals. Applied, now part of the worldwide GRAITEC Group, has been an Autodesk Platinum Partner for over 30 years, also partnering with premier vendors such as Bluebeam or Panzura. With a broad range of world-class solutions, services, and training, they have been helping clients achieve a competitive advantage since 1982.

For more information, please visit www.asti.com.

Leica iCON gps 120 Launched

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HEERBRUGG, Switzerland, May 6 2024 – Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, announced the launch of Leica iCON gps 120 — a smart antenna designed to further empower construction professionals with scalable and flexible machine control solutions.

The new Leica iCON 120 Machine Smart Antenna is integrated into the existing Leica MC1 solution platform. Thanks to its flexibility, scalability and modularity, it extends the machine control solution offering to more applications and machine types. Construction machines like compaction rollers, which usually require only sub-meter accuracy without heading, can now be equipped with a tailor-made Leica MC1 machine control solution. This allows streamlined operations and consistent workflows between heavy construction equipment that vary in application requirements. Using the Leica MC1 machine control solution enables more accurate and quicker task completion, significantly enhanced fleet efficiency, reduced waste and more environmentally friendly operations.

Unlock your potential with a solution that fits your needs

Construction customers can start with a single GNSS solution using a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) or HxGN SmartNet PPP service. Once they need to advance their systems to higher specifications, they can easily upgrade to an RTK solution with low or high accuracy by adding the communication unit Leica CR50. With a second iCON gps 120 Machine Smart Antenna, customers get a full high-accuracy dual GNSS solution with heading. The iCON gps 120 customizable solutions will suit their requirements, regardless of machine control accuracy or specifications. Moreover, the antennas can be easily switched between Leica MC1 prepared machines, thanks to the easy mounting and dismounting, such as the quick disconnect system.

“Leica Geosystems’ innovative and flexible solutions are robust enablers of digital construction workflows,” says Tommi Kauppinen, vice president, Heavy Construction, Machine Control Field Solutions at Leica Geosystems. “The iCON gps 120 Machine Smart Antenna expands the machine control technology possibilities on the construction site by offering scalable solutions to even more machines and applications.”

The Leica iCON construction portfolio offers a comprehensive range of hardware and software to fit every construction professional’s needs. With the Leica iCON portfolio, Leica Geosystems provides customers with the power of choice: They can select from various digital solutions based on their specific machine and application needs. Whether they require basic functionality or more advanced applications, the Leica iCON portfolio offers matching solutions.

For further information about the Leica iCON gps 120, please visit https://leica-geosystems.com/products/construction-tps-and-gnss/receivers/leica-icon-gps-120

About Leica Geosystems

With more than 200 years of history, Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, is the trusted supplier of premium sensors, software and services. Delivering value every day to professionals in surveying, construction, infrastructure, mining, mapping and other geospatial content-dependent industries, Leica Geosystems leads the industry with innovative solutions to empower our autonomous future.

Hexagon is a global leader in sensor, software and autonomous solutions. They are putting data to work to boost efficiency, productivity, and quality across industrial, manufacturing, infrastructure, safety, and mobility applications.

Hexagon’s Geosystems division provides a comprehensive portfolio of digital solutions that capture, measure, and visualize the physical world and enable data-driven transformation across industry ecosystems.

Hexagon has approximately 24,000 employees in 50 countries and net sales of approximately 5.2bn EUR. Learn more at hexagon.com.

Trimble Q1 Revenue Up 2% to $953M with $57M Profit

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WESTMINSTER, CO, May 6, 2024 – Trimble Inc. announced financial results for the first quarter of 2024. Revenue for the first quarter of 2024 was $953.3M, up 2.2% compared to $932.4M for the fourth quarter of 2023. GAAP net income was $57.2M.

Comparative analysis based on Trimble’s financial results in the last 12 quarters (Result source Trimble website)

Comparative analysis based on Trimble’s financial results in the last 12 quarters (Result source Trimble website)

“We had a strong start to the year, delivering record annualized recurring revenue of $2.03 billion and record first quarter gross margin. And on April 1, we closed our agriculture joint venture with AGCO,” said Rob Painter, Trimble’s president and chief executive officer. “With our new reporting segment and organization structure in place, we have further simplified and focused the company to enable our customers to transform how they work, while creating value for our shareholders.”

A complete chart of the financial results is available here.

About Trimble

Trimble is an industrial technology company transforming the way the world works by delivering solutions that enable their customers to thrive. Core technologies in positioning, modeling, connectivity and data analytics connect the digital and physical worlds to improve productivity, quality, safety, transparency and sustainability. From purpose-built products to enterprise lifecycle solutions, Trimble is transforming industries such as agriculture, construction, geospatial and transportation.

For more information about Trimble, visit www.trimble.com.

Omron Automation Partners with Neura Robotics

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Omron Automation and Neura Robotics GmbH announced their strategic partnership aimed at revolutionizing manufacturing efficiency through advanced AI-driven cognitive automation technologies.

Omron and NEURA Robotics partner to unveil new cognitive robot and seamless integration of automation technologies at Automate 2024

The Omron iCR, derived from NEURA Robotics‘ MAiRA line, leverages integrated sensors and AI technologies to address the needs of industrial customers for flexibility, productivity, and efficiency. These robots boast an optional integrated 3D vision sensor, intuitive user-friendly interface, and NEURA’s advanced safety architecture for improved performance and safety.

The potential of the new robot will be showcased at Automate through a 3D bin-picking demonstration. This demo will provide an insight into how AI-enabled, cognitive automation can enhance and redefine the efficiency and flexibility of manufacturing processes. It will also showcase the impressive integration of Omron‘s all-in-one Sysmac control platform, highlighting its ability to streamline complex operations.

Omron and NEURA Robotics invite all attendees at Automate to engage with their technologies, share insights, and discuss the future potential of automation in their manufacturing environments.

About Omron Automation Americas

Omron Automation Americas is a division of Omron, an industrial automation leader that creates, sells, and services fully integrated automation solutions including sensing, control, safety, vision, motion, robotics, and more. Established in 1933, Omron’s team of more than 30,000 employees helps businesses solve problems with creativity in more than 110 countries around the world.

Learn more at https://automation.omron.com/.

About NEURA Robotics

NEURA Robotics was founded in 2019 by David Reger in Metzingen, southern Germany, with the goal of bridging important innovation gaps in robotics and establishing the age of cognitive robots. Like a smartphone manufacturer, NEURA Robotics combines all components and sensors as well as artificial intelligence in one device and offers partners a platform for the joint development of apps for a wide range of specialist areas. The resulting and steadily growing NEURAverse offers unmatched flexibility and cost efficiency in automation and attracts many international market leaders. NEURA’s cognitive robots can see, hear, and have a sense of touch; they act completely autonomously and learn from experience.

Learn more at https://neura-robotics.com/.

RobotShop Launches Robotics Integration Services

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RobotShop Inc. has announced the launch of its comprehensive Robotics Integration Services, set to transform the landscape of industry automation by providing the next level of robotics solutions, servicing, integration and support.

(Photo: Business Wire)

As the #1 source for everything robotics, RobotShop has channeled two decades of expertise into crafting a new program designed specifically to meet the evolving needs of industries worldwide. The Robotics Integration Service will be integrated into the RobotShop marketplace, launched in 2020, offering a single doorway for customers seeking comprehensive robotics solutions. This new initiative is designed to cater to businesses across various sectors, providing robotics solutions, servicing, integration and support that ensure customers incorporate robotics easily and effectively into their businesses and operations.

Coleman Benson, a long-term employee, engineer, and robotics expert, will take the reins of this initiative. He started at RobotShop in 2007 and has touched nearly every technical aspect of the company, from technical support to product discovery and design to managing the R&D projects of the Lynxmotion unit.

Understanding the unique needs of different robotics industries, RobotShop’s Robotics Integration Program offers specialized services ranging from guided product selection support to training, installation and servicing. The program aims to equip businesses with sophisticated, yet user-friendly robotic systems that streamline processes and reduce operational costs.

RobotShop is committed to fostering a collaborative environment where global talent can contribute to the advancement of robotics integration. The program is open to potential partners and contract workers worldwide, encouraging a diverse range of perspectives and expertise.

About RobotShop Inc.

RobotShop, the world’s leading source of robotic technology, has been an established industry leader for over 20 years. With a clear purpose of fostering a world full of robots that positively impact our lives, RobotShop embraces the limitless potential of robotics to inspire innovation, solve complex problems, and create novel opportunities for humanity. Serving as your go-to source for everything robotics, RobotShop offers various robot parts, robots and other products in sectors including education, hobbyists, consumer home use, professional, and industrial.

For more information about RobotShop, visit www.robotshop.com.

Endeavor 3D Integrates Materialise’s CO-AM with HP Tech

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LEUVEN, Belgium, May 3, 2024 – Endeavor 3D, a leading contract manufacturer of additive manufacturing, has announced its strategic relationship with Materialise and HP to onboard the Materialise CO-AM Software Platform to bolster its HP 3D printer production capacity. This relationship marks a significant milestone in Endeavor 3D’s commitment to meeting the rising demand of industrial volume production with 3D printing, particularly in highly regulated and demanding industries.

“Endeavor 3D has a strong collaboration with HP, and integrating Materialise CO-AM enables us to offer a better experience for our customers,” said Janet Dickinson, chief operating officer at Endeavor. “CO-AM software is the right tool for us to scale our business and achieve our efficiency initiatives in 2024, which includes a 20% increase in labor productivity and a 30% yield improvement.”

While many manufacturers continue to rely on email, spreadsheets, and whiteboards to run their 3D printing production, Endeavor 3D recognizes these traditional methods are not scalable. In anticipation of the growing demand for 3D-printed applications and the need to future-proof operations, Endeavor 3D has made a crucial decision to digitally transform its processes by implementing the Materialise CO-AM Software Platform to power its fleet of HP Multi-Jet Fusion and Metal Jet 3D Printers. By doing so, Endeavor 3D will streamline its workflow, reduce manual touchpoints, and increase efficiency through automation, maximizing its production output and AM capacity.

The adoption of Materialise CO-AM software with HP 3D printers brings numerous benefits to Endeavor 3D. Incoming requests will be seamlessly stored in CO-AM’s Order Management System, ensuring efficient organization and data storage. Team members will receive automatic notifications about status changes, enabling them to provide quicker responses to customers. When orders are ready for production, files can be seamlessly launched in Materialise Magics software for data and build preparation, then nested via the Magics Nester module. This allows orders to be efficiently batched on build trays while significantly improving Endeavor 3D’s overall production output.

The CO-AM Manufacturing Execution System effectively manages all HP 3D printers on the shop floor, providing real-time sensor data status updates for remote monitoring and quality management. This integrated system also oversees critical processes such as post-processing, finishing, and quality control, ensuring a seamless workflow from production to final delivery.

“We have multiple manufacturing and quality control processes, so this tool also enables us to aggregate them into a more seamless workflow,” Dickinson said. “This update highlights Endeavor 3D’s investment in its quality control systems to ensure the highest quality output on behalf of our customers. Having a software platform that prioritizes qualification makes our overall production more efficient.”

“To scale additive manufacturing, the industry is in need of printers that are designed for high productivity coupled with an integrated end-to-end workflow solution that focuses on lowering the cost of additive parts in production while managing quality. The collaboration between HP and Materialise delivers this solution for Endeavor 3D,” said Arvind Rangarajan, global head of Software and Data, HP Personalization and 3D Printing. He added that a key factor driving industry growth is the willingness of industry players to collaborate and integrate with one another.

“This collaboration with Endeavor 3D and HP empowers us to drive industrial volume production with additive manufacturing,” said Udo Eberlein, VP of software at Materialise. “The openness of the CO-AM Software Platform allows for deep integration with HP technology, which enables Endeavor 3D to optimize its production processes and build a strong foundation to scale as the company acquires more customers and expands its operations.”

Visit HP and Endeavor 3D’s booth S25209 at NPE2024 from June 6 – 10 to learn more about the partnership and see the latest production applications across automotive, consumer, healthcare, and industrial.

About HP

HP Inc. is a global technology leader and creator of solutions that enable people to bring their ideas to life and connect to the things that matter most. Operating in more than 170 countries, HP delivers a wide range of innovative and sustainable devices, services, and subscriptions for personal computing, printing, 3D printing, hybrid work, gaming, and more.

For more information, please visit www.hp.com.

About Endeavor 3D

Endeavor 3D is a leading provider of additive manufacturing solutions and is one of the largest 3D printing contract manufacturing partners in the southeast United States. Endeavor 3D specializes in product design, production, post-processing, and quality control of critical parts and assemblies in the medical device, consumer product, aerospace, and transportation markets. Endeavor 3D combines decades of manufacturing expertise with a cutting-edge 65,000-square-foot facility in Metro Atlanta, GA, to serve as a leading manufacturing partner across sectors. Endeavor 3D is ISO 9001-2015 certified and is an HP Digital Manufacturing Network Partner, certified for best-in-class quality, volume production at scale, and robust quality management.

About Materialise

Materialise incorporates more than three decades of 3D printing experience into a range of software solutions and 3D printing services that empower sustainable 3D printing applications. Their open, secure, and flexible end-to-end solutions enable flexible industrial manufacturing and mass personalization in various industries — including healthcare, automotive, aerospace, eyewear, art and design, wearables, and consumer goods. Headquartered in Belgium and with branches worldwide, Materialise combines the largest group of software developers in the industry with one of the world’s largest and most complete 3D printing facilities.

Oracle, TIM Partner to Accelerate Cloud Adoption in Italy

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MILAN, Italy and AUSTIN, TX, May 3, 2024 – Oracle and TIM announced a collaboration to support the increasing demand for cloud services in Italy from public and private sector organizations. As part of the agreement, TIM’s business unit dedicated to businesses and the public sector, TIM Enterprise, will integrate Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) into its portfolio. In addition, TIM will become the host partner for Oracle’s second planned cloud region in Italy, which will be located in Turin and hosted in TIM Group’s reliable, next-generation datacenter.

Part of Oracle’s distributed cloud strategy, the upcoming Oracle Cloud Turin Region will provide public and private sector organizations access to a wide range of cloud services to migrate all types of workloads from their data centers to OCI, modernize their applications, and innovate with data, analytics, and AI. Oracle is the only hyperscaler capable of delivering AI and a full suite of 100+ cloud services across dedicated, public, and hybrid cloud environments, anywhere in the world. This includes Oracle Autonomous Database, MySQL HeatWave Database Service, Oracle Container Engine for Kubernetes, Oracle Cloud VMware Solution, OCI Generative AI service, and AI infrastructure.

With the new cloud region in Turin and the existing Oracle Cloud Milan Region, Oracle will enable customers in Italy to both enhance their business continuity by replicating workloads to distributed locations, while helping address their digital sovereignty and compliance requirements by keeping replicated data in Italy. The upcoming Turin region will be collocated in one of the datacenters in TIM Enterprise’s network of 16 datacenters in Italy, which has been developed to the highest technological, security, and environmental standards, and proven to meet the requirements of public and private sector organizations.

“We are pleased to be working with Italy’s leading telecommunications provider to bring OCI to public and private sector organizations and support their migration to the cloud,” said Richard Smith, executive vice president and general manager, EMEA Cloud Infrastructure, Oracle. “By adding OCI to its robust cloud service offerings, TIM Enterprise will be able to provide a cloud platform used by customers all over the world to run their most mission-critical workloads in the cloud. In addition, with the upcoming second cloud region in Italy, we are reaffirming our commitment to helping Italian organizations of all sizes and industries accelerate the adoption of AI and other innovative technologies.”

“Our collaboration with Oracle is an important milestone for TIM Enterprise and reinforces our commitment to providing innovative, sustainable and secure cloud solutions to public and private sector organizations in Italy,” said Elio Schiavo, chief enterprise & innovative solutions officer, TIM. “Our cloud proposition is enriched by the major global players in the industry and is a strong foundation for our future growth in a highly strategic sector for the country. Oracle’s selection of our datacenter network to support its new cloud region is testament to the absolute excellence of our infrastructure, which is unique in the Italian market in terms of its reach and performance.”

As part of the agreement, TIM Enterprise will offer OCI services to its public and private sector customers across the region, leveraging its long-standing experience in helping customers in any industry migrate their mission-critical workloads to the cloud. With built-in security, superior performance, high availability, and lower cost, these services are designed to support mission-critical and cloud-native workloads in large public and private sector environments.

As part of the collaboration, TIM will also use OCI to migrate some of the Group’s internal applications to the cloud.

About Oracle

Oracle offers integrated suites of applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. For more information about Oracle, please visit www.oracle.com.

About TIM

TIM Group is driving the digital transition of Italy and Brazil with innovative technologies and services because TIM wants to contribute to accelerating the sustainable growth of the economy and society by bringing value and prosperity to people, companies and institutions.

TIM Group offers diversified solutions that meet the needs of its stakeholders while also integrating climate strategy, circular economy and digital growth targets.

TIM offers fixed and mobile telephony services and products for communication and entertainment for individuals and households, and supports small and medium-sized enterprises in their path towards digitalization with a portfolio tailored to their needs.

Cloud, IoT and Cybersecurity technologies are at the heart of TIM Enterprise’s End-to-End solutions for companies and the public institutions that support the country’s digital transformation by making use of the largest data center network in Italy, the expertise of Group companies such as Noovle, Olivetti and Telsy, and partnerships with leading industrial groups.

TIM Group develops 4G and 5G mobile network and fibre network infrastructure, that makes available to the entire market, both through a widespread national presence and intentionally through Sparkle.

In Brazil, TIM Brasil is a major player in the South American communications market and a leader in 4G and 5G coverage.

TIM Group also supports projects of high social interest via TIM Foundation in Italy and Instituto TIM in Brazil.

AVL Opens Office in Ontario, Canada

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ONTARIO, Canada, May 3, 2024 – AVL, the global mobility technology company for development, simulation, and testing, has established a new entity to serve Canada’s emerging battery technology and vehicle electrification sectors.

AVL TSI Canada, Inc. will operate a new branch office in Mississauga, Ontario. This development signifies a meaningful move in further establishing Canada as an epicenter for battery technology and electric vehicle (EV) research and development.

AVL will provide state-of-the-art testing equipment and software to large OEMs, universities, and research facilities in Canada to advance battery technology and EV research and development. The portfolio includes systems that provide customers with advanced capabilities for testing all aspects of vehicle electrification, including batteries, inverters, traction motors, and e-axles.

Corey Miller, business director of AVL TSI Canada, Inc.: “AVL’s investment in the Canadian market helps move the industry towards its goal of creating smart, clean, and affordable transportation. These dedicated resources allow us to provide superior service and support as well as enhance responsiveness to suppliers, startups, and OEMs alike.”

Furthermore, AVL is helping strengthen the pipeline of Canadian talent by investing in North America’s premier automotive engineering university competition programs EcoCAR EV Challenge and The Battery Workforce Challenge. AVL provides participants with simulation tools, testing-, and engineering support for the development of low-emission and electric vehicles. Hands-on experience with industry-leading tools equips students to excel in the EV industry and helps retain local talent.

About AVL

With more than 12,200 employees, AVL is one of the world’s leading mobility technology companies for development, simulation, and testing in the automotive industry and in other sectors such as rail, marine, and energy. Based on extensive in-house research activities, AVL delivers concepts, technology solutions, methodologies, and development tools for a greener, safer, and better world of mobility and beyond.

AVL supports international partners and customers in their sustainable and digital transformation. The focus lies on the areas of electrification, software, AI and automation. In addition, AVL supports companies in energy-intensive sectors on their way to a greener and more efficient energy generation and supply.

Innovation is AVL’s passion. Together with an international network of experts at more than 90 locations and 45 Tech and Engineering Centers worldwide, AVL is driving the future of mobility. In 2023, the company generated a turnover of 2.05 billion Euros, of which 10 % are invested in R&D activities.

For more information, visit www.avl.com.

Bentley Motors Selects VI-grade’s COMPACT FSS Simulator

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DARMSTADT, Germany, May 3, 2024 – VI-grade, the global provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development solutions, today announced that Bentley Motors Ltd., the epitome of luxury and performance in the automotive world, has chosen VI-grade’s state-of-the-art COMPACT FSS Simulator technology to enhance their digital development capabilities.

Bentley Motors Ltd. Elevates Digital Development with VI-grade’s COMPACT FSS Simulator

Bentley engineers strategically chose the COMPACT FSS for its unique Multi-Attribute Simulation technology, enabling a comprehensive assessment of their vehicles in Motion, Vibration, and Sound. The decision was reinforced by Bentley’s trust in VI-grade, the proven performance of their solutions, the impressive results obtained at VI-grade SimCenter during the evaluation phase of the simulator, as well as the holistic approach offered by it.

In detail, the COMPACT FSS Simulator will play a pivotal role in building virtual prototypes of Bentley’s future BEV models. Key applications include Vehicle NVH development, Ride and Handling tuning, thorough evaluation of primary and secondary ride comfort, and contribution to the overall sound experience for interior noise assessment through multi-attribute simulation.

Charlie Smith, virtual vehicle engineer at Bentley Motors, emphasized, “The COMPACT FSS is viewed as a strategic step towards accelerating our development cycle, minimizing reliance on physical prototypes, and enhancing simulation capabilities. This cutting-edge technology will prominently feature in Bentley’s new Driver-in-the-Loop (DiL) Hub soon to be completed in  Crewe, UK.” 

Alessio Lombardi, VI-grade EMEA and Americas sales director, commented, “This success reaffirms VI-grade’s commitment to providing advanced solutions and fortifying our partnership with Bentley Motors Ltd. We are excited to contribute to Bentley’s journey of digital development, driving excellence in the automotive industry.”

Charlie Smith will also be giving a keynote presentation at VI-grade’s ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit, to be held May 14-16 at SimCenter Udine. The presentation will focus on the importance of a “virtual first” mindset in engineering for the next generation of Bentley vehicles. For the full conference agenda and more information about the event, please follow this link.

About the COMPACT FSS Simulator

Automakers and automotive design and development engineers face the challenge of making million-dollar design decisions without the benefit of physical prototypes. Those prototypes provide confidence, but they are too expensive and too slow to keep up with the pace of modern design and development.

The COMPACT Full Spectrum Dynamic Simulator (FSS) provide engineers and decision-makers with the confidence that their decisions on design and content are correct, especially for subjective attributes like ride comfort, sound, vibration and the use and interaction with other features.

The COMPACT FSS simulator provides highly accurate motion, vibration, and sound in a small footprint. It enables Human-in-the-Loop simulation, which is the vital connection between objective simulation data and subjective human perception. It provides a full-spectrum simulation from 0.5Hz to 20kHz, making it ideal for ride comfort, overall vehicle refinement characterization, and any evaluation that requires experiencing multiple vehicle attributes.

The COMPACT FSS simulator is powered by a VI-grade AutoHawk real-time computer, which runs real-time vehicle dynamics models and generates motion, vibration, and sound. Additional sound and vibration content is provided by VI-NVHSim software components.

The COMPACT FSS is especially well-suited for Ride & Comfort evaluations, where motion, vibration, and sound combine to create the total driver and passenger experience. It is also suitable for seat evaluations, as virtually any seat can be placed on the COMPACT FSS, with motion and vibration delivered to the seat rail attachment locations.

About VI-grade

VI-grade is the global provider of disruptive vehicle development solutions that are paving the way to developing vehicles with Zero Prototypes.

Its human-centric solutions comprise industry-leading real-time simulation software, professional driving simulators and Hardware-in-the-Loop solutions that accelerate product development across the transportation industry.

The company’s suite of scalable driving simulators covers a wide performance range to assess the multi-disciplinary driving experience. These proven solutions enable OEMs, suppliers, research centers, motorsport teams and universities to reduce physical prototypes while accelerating innovation in their quest to get ever nearer to achieving the ultimate development goal of Zero Prototypes.

VI-grade is part of HBK’s Virtual Test Division, which focuses on providing real-time software, simulator, and hardware-in-the-loop solutions to virtually test products throughout the development cycle, helping companies accelerate innovation and reduce time-to-market, and improve their competitive advantage.

For further information, please visit www.vi-grade.com.