Breaking the Bottleneck | Issue 52
[6/24/2024] SCADA in the Cloud, Zebra Machine Vision Report & More!
Breaking the Bottleneck is a weekly manufacturing technology newsletter with perspectives, interviews, news, funding announcements, manufacturing market maps, and a startup database!
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Content I Enjoyed Last Week 🏭🗞️🔬 📚
News:
Scaling Green Hydrogen Technology for the Future [MIT Tech Review]
Green hydrogen represents a transformative pathway toward decarbonizing challenging industrial sectors like steel, cement, and maritime transport. Dr. Christoph Noeres, head of green hydrogen at Thyssenkrupp, asserts, "Green hydrogen is the key driver to advance decarbonization." Hydrogen production and manufacturing predominantly rely on steam-methane reforming, emitting significant CO2. Green hydrogen, however, produced via electrolysis powered by renewables, offers a cleaner alternative. Scaling up green hydrogen requires substantial infrastructure and technological advancements. McKinsey estimates that 130 to 345 gigawatts of electrolyzer capacity will be needed by 2030, with a push towards 5,500 GW by 2050 to meet climate targets. Thyssenkrupp focuses on advancing electrolysis technologies like Alkaline Water Electrolysis (AWE) and Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOEC). These innovations promise enhanced efficiency and cost-effectiveness, particularly in industries with existing electrolysis applications. Coordinated international investment and policy frameworks are crucial to accelerating the growth of the green hydrogen market. With initiatives like the European Hydrogen Bank, Europe seeks to enhance competitiveness and ensure a level playing field globally. Comprehensive strategies are essential to realizing hydrogen's potential as a mainstream, scalable energy solution.
For EVs, Semi-Solid-State Batteries Offer a Step Forward [IEEE Spectrum]
China recently committed 6 billion yuan (about US $826 million) to bolster the development of solid-state batteries. Solid-state batteries differ from conventional lithium-ion batteries by using solid electrolytes like glass, ceramic, or polymer instead of liquid electrolytes, promising higher energy density, longer lifespan, and enhanced safety. According to IEEE Spectrum, skepticism remains about the technical feasibility and timeline for mass production of solid-state batteries. Steve W. Martin from Iowa State University underscores the nascency of solid-state battery development, warning against prematurely declaring a dominant technology. In the interim, semi-solid-state batteries present a viable middle ground. Developed by Nio and WeLion, these batteries use gel electrolytes and offer an energy density of 360 watt-hours per kilogram, surpassing traditional lithium iron phosphate batteries. They mitigate safety concerns associated with liquid electrolytes and can be manufactured using existing lithium-ion production lines, providing a near-term solution while solid-state technologies mature. Several Chinese companies, including CATL and BYD, alongside global players like Farasis Energy and QuantumScape, are actively advancing solid-state and semi-solid-state technologies. QuantumScape's solid-state lithium metal batteries, touted for their potential to achieve 400 Wh/kg and rapid charging capabilities, are currently in testing phases. Meanwhile, Toyota aims for commercial solid-state batteries by 2027, promising extended range and fast charging.
Are Manufacturing Jobs Really That Good? [Economist]
In the ongoing debate over manufacturing jobs, politicians like Joe Biden emphasize their importance as "good" jobs that could improve workers' lives and bolster the economy. Biden's approach includes substantial subsidies for new factories, while Donald Trump advocates for tariffs to promote American manufacturing. This focus stems from a belief that reversing the decline in manufacturing jobs would benefit workers. However, the Economist’s Bartleby remains skeptical. Despite historical notions that manufacturing jobs are superior—dating back to Adam Smith and the Industrial Revolution—the reality has often been less glamorous. Early factories were dangerous and monotonous, epitomized by Henry Ford's assembly lines, where workers found little fulfillment. Even in the post-war years, the phrase "blue-collar blues" reflected dissatisfaction among factory workers. Proponents of modern manufacturing argue that conditions have vastly improved with safer environments, automation, and white-collar roles. Yet, empirical data from sources like America's Bureau of Labour Statistics and British studies suggest that job quality in manufacturing is not necessarily superior to services across metrics like pay, benefits, job security, and safety. Moreover, the once-observed wage premium for manufacturing jobs has eroded in recent years, challenging the notion of their economic superiority. Concerns about manufacturing jobs' cyclicality and susceptibility to automation further complicate the narrative that they provide greater job security or satisfaction than service-sector roles. Instead of romanticizing a potentially flawed past, policymakers should focus on equitable regulations and ensuring decent work standards across industries. Companies will also play a crucial role, as evidence shows that well-treated employees yield better outcomes.
Improve Industrial Ops with Cloud-Based SCADA Systems [Ignition & AWS]
In modern industrial settings, the proliferation of data is staggering, with millions of data points generated per minute, primarily driven by the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). This trend is particularly pronounced with SCADA systems, which play a pivotal role in real-time monitoring and control over geographically dispersed operations from a centralized location. SCADA systems traditionally operated on-premises, ensuring reliability and safety without external network connections, but are increasingly moving towards integration with cloud infrastructures to enhance agility, reduce costs, and improve operational efficiency. Cloud-based SCADA systems offer significant advantages, including eliminating the need for costly on-premises hardware and software and enabling ubiquitous access to industrial data. They facilitate advanced functionalities such as data analytics, machine learning, and scalability, which are essential for Industry 4.0 and IIoT applications. Energy and utilities benefit immensely from cloud-based SCADA due to their widespread geographical footprint and the need for centralized management without large on-site teams. Architectural patterns like deploying Inductive Automation’s Ignition SCADA on AWS offer scalable solutions with high availability and performance, utilizing AWS's infrastructure to ensure secure and reliable operations across distributed environments. Deployment options range from standalone configurations suitable for smaller setups to cluster architectures that enhance performance through load balancing and redundancy. AWS Outposts extend the reach of cloud-based SCADA to on-premises and edge locations, offering low-latency connectivity to AWS services while maintaining control over local resources. This hybrid cloud approach is crucial for organizations requiring both the benefits of cloud computing and proximity to local operations.
Research:
Zebra 2024 Manufacturing Vision Survey
The annual study showed that 61% of manufacturers expect AI to drive growth by 2029, up from 41% in 2024. This surge in AI adoption, combined with 92% of survey respondents prioritizing digital transformation, underscores manufacturers’ intent to improve data management and leverage new technologies that enhance visibility and quality throughout the manufacturing process. Some other highlights include:
Nearly six in 10 manufacturing leaders expect to increase visibility across production and throughout the supply chain by 2029
86% of manufacturing leaders agree they are struggling to keep up with the pace of technological innovation and to securely integrate devices, sensors, and technologies throughout their facilities and supply chain.
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of manufacturing leaders plan to reskill labor to enhance data and technology usage skills, and seven in 10 expect to augment workers with mobility-enabling technology.
The technology tools being implemented by manufacturing leaders include tablets (51%), mobile computers (55%), and workforce management software (56%). In addition, 61% of manufacturing leaders plan to leverage wearable mobile computers to augment their evolving workforce.
Global manufacturing leaders say today’s most significant quality management issues are real-time visibility (33%), keeping up with new standards and regulations (29%), integrating data (27%), and maintaining traceability (27%).
Podcasts/Video:
Why Manufacturers Should Build a Simulation First Culture [Mfg Happy Hour]
Manufacturing Deals🏭💵
GrayMatter Robotics - A company developing easy-to-deploy, highly reliable smart robotic cells for saning, grinding, blasting, coating, trimming & spraying.
$45 million [Series B] - Led by Wellington Management and joined by NGP Capital, Euclidean Capital, Advance Venture Partners, SQN Venture Partners, 3M Ventures, B Capital, Bow Capital, Calibrate Ventures, OCA Ventures, and Swift Ventures
Vecna Robotics - A company developing a autnomous robotic forklifts, pallet jacks, and tuggers.
$40 million [Series C] - From Tiger Global Management, Proficio Capital Partners, and Impulse
Cusp AI - A company developing an AI engine for materials discovery
$30 million [Seed] - Led by Hoxton Ventures and joined by Basis Set Ventures and Lightspeed
Kinetic - A company developing a digital maintenance and servicing platform for EVs
$21 million [Series B] - Led by Menlo Ventures and joined by Allstate Strategic Ventures, Liberty Mutual Strategic Ventures
Planned Downtime 🏭🧑🔧
A Real Pain
Celtics Win the NBA Championship