SKF on condition monitoring and smart sensors for bearings

Digitalization is most apparent in the consumer market, where music downloads, online shopping and on-demand TV are hailed as marvels of the digital age. However, digitalization is also having a huge effect on manufacturing.

The ability to collect and manipulate vast amounts of digital information will catapult manufacturing into the future. By embracing digitalization, SKF is enhancing its core offering – bearings technology, and related services – so that its customers can further boost the performance of their rotating equipment. Furthermore, by focusing on industrial digitalization, the company aims to drive the further optimization of cost and efficiency of the full value chain, including World Class Manufacturing and Supply Chain integration.

Digitalization will affect all parts of the value chain, from design and manufacturing through to purchasing and maintenance.

SKF has been monitoring equipment remotely for around fifteen years and it now has around 1 million bearings connected to the Cloud. Data from them is gathered and interpreted daily, often with assistance from our experts. The ability to handle this data leads to enhanced analytics – allowing SKF to earlier detect potential failures in rotating equipment that affect overall equipment reliability and to get a better understanding of critical product and system design requirements.

The company has already developed platforms to help customers gather and interpret data. For instance, the Enlight platform helps operators visualize data from a variety of sources, using a device such as a smartphone or tablet. This is a smart way of putting ‘Big Data’ into an operator’s pocket.

The ‘connectivity’ of the data runs in all directions, and can be used in many ways. At its simplest, it connects a sensor to a remote diagnostics centre. However, the data – on the health of a bearing, for instance – can be fed right back to the design stage, and used to help redesign a better product.

Increased digitalization has also begun to allow more customized manufacturing. Because it can cut machine re-setting times close to zero, there are fewer restrictions to making customised products. Recently, the owner of an aluminium mill required bearings that would allow increased output – through a higher rolling speed – as well as lower maintenance costs and the elimination of unplanned downtime. SKF was able to produce four-row cylindrical roller bearings – complete with optimized surface properties and customised coatings – to boost service life and robustness, as well as designing out product cost.

 

Recently, SKF agreed a five-year ‘Rotation For Life’ contract with Zinkgruvan Mining of Sweden. SKF will carry out remote monitoring of four mills at a Zinkgruvan enrichment plant. The company will then pay SKF a fee – based on whether it meets its productivity targets.

This arrangement relies on digitalization technologies working in synchronisation. In one element of the contract, monitoring data from a conveyor belt is gathered automatically – with no human intervention – and an SKF specialist analyses the deviations if necessary, while a distributed lubrication system keeps the line running at optimum efficiency.

The ability to correlate a wider variety of data can further improve performance. For instance, the condition monitoring data that SKF routinely collects can now be combined with ‘process’ data such as machine speed and control parameters, through a collaboration with Honeywell. Combining these data streams has helped one of our joint customers – a major copper producer – to make more informed decisions on maintenance and asset performance.

The customer says that part failure would once have led to shutdown – but this can now be avoided thanks to the advance warning provided by the combination of process and monitoring data.

Having access to this wider array of data could enhance maintenance, and help customers to make more informed choices. For example, analysing both monitoring and process data might reveal that slowing a machine down by 3% would extend the maintenance period by four weeks. The customer can then balance a slight reduction in output with a longer production period – and make the best possible decision.

Automatic detection of a failing bearing is a massive step forward in efficiency. However, the process of ordering the replacement – including sending the purchase order through to manufacturing, estimating the lead time, and delivering the part – still involves major human intervention.

SKF is already gearing up for a future in which the faulty part effectively puts in an order for its own replacement. Because a smart sensor can already diagnose itself, it’s not hard to imagine that it might send an automated message all the way back through the supply chain.

It goes further than this: increased digitalization streamlines the manufacturing process. It has already helped to shrink machine re-setting times. In this way, a specific replacement part can be scheduled for addition to the production line with minimal disruption – and fast turnaround.

Combining these two factors – accurate prediction of a failing part, with ‘manufacturing to order’ – ensures that some ‘projected demand’ for parts is replaced by ‘actual demand’. This extends the ‘just in time’ manufacturing concept down as far as the individual component – and could one day bring stock levels close to zero. It’s hard to imagine a world without stock, but this vision is within sight.

This type of system is yet to be developed. However, SKF is running pilots in specific areas of the supply chain. In the future, the plan is to join these pilot projects together, allowing full, end-to-end digitalization.

The enormous power of existing digital technologies – such as smartphones – makes it easy to think that we have reached a pinnacle of performance. However, we are only at the start of digitalization within manufacturing. Every aspect of the manufacturing value chain can be enhanced by digitalization. Some have already emerged, while others are still on the horizon.

Can we really move from self-diagnosis of a bearing to self-ordering? Yes, we can: the hard part is predicting when it will happen.

SKF
www.skf.com

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Lyon President confirms deal in principle for Mathieu Valbuena

Speaking to L’Équipe, Lyon President Jean Michel Aulas confirmed that he has reached an agreement in principle for the transfer of Mathieu Valbuena.

JMA announced that a contract agreement with Valbuena and a base fee with Dynamo Moscow had been agreed, but that talks were ongoing with regards to the precise payment structure involved. 

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如何運用智慧製造工廠提升生產效能與環境永續?專家分享高效轉型策略

摘要

在面臨全球競爭和環保壓力日益增大的今天,如何運用智慧製造工廠提升生產效能與實現環境永續成了關鍵挑戰。本文分享了轉型策略和具體做法。 歸納要點:

  • 智慧製造工廠透過資訊化與自動化技術,提高生產效率並降低人力依賴。
  • 藉由數據分析與決策制定,優化生產流程,減少浪費同時增加產品品質。
  • 智慧製造能有效減少資源消耗及廢棄物,對環境永續有顯著貢獻。
  • 根據一項研究指出,引入智慧製造系統的企業平均可節省15%的能源消耗和20%的生產時間。

採用智慧製造不僅能夠使工廠提升效率、保護環境,還能在長期內帶來顯著的節約效果。讓我們一起走向更聰明、更綠色的生產新時代吧!

智慧製造工廠的效益:提升生產效能與環境永續

想像一下,如果我們的工廠能夠自己做出決策,進而提升生產效率和維護地球的健康,那會是多麼令人振奮的事情!智慧製造工廠正是基於這樣的理念。透過整合先進技術如物聯網(IoT)、大資料分析、雲端計算等,它們能即時監控生產流程、預測裝置故障並自動調整作業以最大化效率。但你可能會問:「這怎麼幫助我們實現環境永續?」答案在於資源使用的最佳化和減少浪費。舉例來說,透過精確控制原料用量和能源消耗,不僅可以降低成本也對抗了浪費文化,從根本上支援了可持續發展的目標。再加上實時資料分析幫助我們更好地理解和管理生產過程中的環境影響,智慧製造真正成為了提高生產效率與促進環境永續之間完美的橋樑。
本文歸納全篇注意事項與風險如下,完整文章請往下觀看

  • 須注意事項 :
    • 初期投資成本高昂:部署先進的智慧製造系統需要巨額資金投入,在不確定回報率的情況下對中小型企業來說是一大財務壓力。
    • 技術與人才缺乏匹配度:高科技要求下人才培養滯後於設備更新速度,導致無法充分發揮智慧製造系統的最大效用。
    • 安全隐患及隐私問題日益突出:隨著IoT設備的廣泛使用和數據交互增多,如何保護知識產權和商業秘密以及個人隐私成為急需解决的問題。
  • 大環境可能影響:
    • 國家政策與法規滯後可能阻礙發展步伐:政府立法与监管未必跟上科技发展速度,可能制約了智能制造工厂数字转型进程。
    • 國際競爭加劇引起技術壁壘建立:面对全球竞争者相继布局智能制造领域时可能出现保护主义导致技术分享受阻。
    • 數字落差放大社會問題反彈風險:如果處理不善, 普及數字轉型带来職位取代等问题可能会引发社会稳定性挑戰。

如何打造智慧製造工廠:資訊化與自動化的關鍵

打造一個智慧製造工廠,聽起來似乎需要高深莫測的技術和天文數字的投資,但其實核心理念就是「資訊化」與「自動化」。這兩者如何成為提升生產效率和環境永續性的關鍵呢?讓我們從「資訊化」說起。在工廠中部署各種感測器與監控系統,可以即時收集生產線上的資料,比如原料消耗量、能源使用情況等。這些資料不僅有助於迅速偵測並解決問題,還能預測未來可能發生的狀況,使管理層能夠做出更加精準的決策。

然後是「自動化」。隨著科技進步,越來越多生產流程可以透過機器人或自動化裝置完成。這不僅大幅提升了生產效率(想象一下,一台機器人可24小時不停歇地工作),也顯著降低了因人為操作錯誤導致的浪費。

所以你看,在轉型成智慧製造工廠的路上, 其實並非遙不可及。只要聰明運用現代資訊科技和自動化裝置, 任何規模的工廠都能朝著效率更高、更加環保的方向邁進。

我們在研究許多文章後,彙整重點如下

網路文章觀點與我們總結

  • 透過機器學習和深度學習,使機器能夠自主學習和決策。
  • 雲端計算提供強大的計算能力,支持大數據分析和AI的運算。
  • 智慧製造包括流程優化、設備自動化、檢測修智慧化及製程智慧化等面向。
  • 引入智慧製造可從數據中優化製程、降低成本並提升生產效能。
  • 實施智慧製造可以縮短產品開發周期、降低生產成本、提高生產效率及產品品質。
  • 在工業4.0和半導體領域中,智慧製造技術的整合特別關鍵。

當我們談論到「智慧製造」時,其實是在描述一個利用最新科技如人工智能與雲端計算來革命性地改善生產流程的未來。想像一下,由於有了更精確的預測模型與即時數據分析,企業不僅可以精準控制庫存,還能大幅降低浪費並提升效率。這聽起來就像是從一部科幻小說中走出來的情節,但事實上它正在成為現實。隨著供需變得日益複雜多變,引入這種先進技術已不再是選項而是必要步驟。

觀點延伸比較:

技術特點 優勢 實際應用案例 未來趨勢 機器學習和深度學習 使機器能自主學習和決策,顯著提高生產靈活性及效率,減少人為錯誤。 在汽車製造業中運用影像識別提升缺陷檢測的準確性,降低不良品率。 算法持續演進將使AI在複雜任務上表現更佳,例如智能預測市場需求變化。 雲端計算 提供強大的計算能力以支持大數據分析與AI運算,加速信息共享與協作流程。 利用雲端平台實現遠程監控工廠設備狀況,提升反應速度及問題解決能力。 結合邊緣計算技術將加強數據處理即時性,提高安全防護措施以抵禦網路攻擊風險。 流程優化及設備自動化 透過數據分析優化生產流程、降低人工成本,提高整體產量與產品品質的一致性。 食品製造業引入自動包裝系統,不僅減少人力需求,更提升包裝速度及標準化程度。 未來會更多地融合人工智慧於自動化設施,以適應快速變化的市場需求和個性化生產模式。 檢測修智慧化及製程智慧化 透過先進感測器和AI分析,有效預防設備異常情況,節省維護費用並延長設備壽命。 半導體行業中使用智能感測器監控微塵粒子濃度,確保生產環境達到高標準要求。 趨向於更精細的監控與預知維修策略,使得IoT與AI推動智能製造管理成為主流做法,增強整體效能。

優化智慧製造流程:數據分析與決策制定

想過為什麼有些工廠能夠如此高效地生產出無數產品,同時又保持著極低的缺陷率嗎?答案很可能就藏在他們如何運用資料分析和決策制定於智慧製造流程中。將生產線上的各項裝置連結起來,讓它們不僅能「說話」也能「聽話」,透過這種方式收集到的大量實時資料是提升效率的關鍵所在。然後,再利用先進的分析工具去解讀這些資料,找出生產流程中存在的瓶頸或者是改善空間。像是一台機器反覆出現小錯誤,可能暗示著需要維修或調整設定;或者是某個階段耗時過長,則可能需要重新安排生產流程。

但重點不只是收集與分析,還得快速做出決策並落實。在當今競爭激烈、變化快速的市場中,能否迅速反應至關重要。靠著AI和其他智慧技術支援下的自動化系統可以幫助管理層根據資料做出更加精準且即時的決策。

我親身見證了一家採用此種方法轉型成功的工廠。他們不僅生產效率顯著提升、成本降低,而且員工更能專注於那些需要人類直觀判斷和創造力解決的問題上。真正實現了資源最大化利用與可持續發展目標相結合。

所以說,在智慧製造領域內部署高階資料分析與即時決策制定系統不僅是未來趨勢之一, 更像是必走之路了吧?

智慧製造對環境永續的貢獻:減少資源消耗與廢棄物

當我們談到智慧製造和環境永續時,你可能會問:「這兩者怎麼能扯上關係?」實際上,智慧製造不僅改變了生產方式,還在為保護地球盡一份心力。想像一下,如果我們能夠透過精準控制生產流程來減少原料浪費,那對環境意味著什麼?答案是顯而易見的:資源利用更高效,廢棄物大幅減少。

現在的智慧工廠透過先進的資料分析技術來預測材料需求和最佳生產時間,確保每一分資源都被妥善利用。比如說,在汽車製造中,精確的資料可以幫助決定最合理的金屬板使用方式,以減少切割過程中的浪費。透過實時監控裝置效能和耗能情況,企業可以及時發現並修正效率低下的問題點,從而降低能源消耗。

那麼,在日常生活中又該如何落實這些理念呢?其實很簡單。舉例來說,在家庭中使用智慧插座或節能器材就是一種方法。同理,在工業層面上也是相同道理——利用科技提升效率同時守護我們賴以生存的地球。

所以說,將智慧製造與環境永續結合起來不僅可行而且必要。它讓我們看到了一種全新可能:在追求高效生產的同時也致力於建立更加美好、乾淨、健康的未來。

推動智慧製造轉型:步驟與建議

推動智慧製造轉型,不是一蹴可幾的事情,而是需要有策略、步驟性地進行。

Keyword: 裝修

Minimum Viable Product Of a Website

Solution to the drum problem of high speed printing press

Imagine that you do not invest too much money into the business, but at the same time, you can start getting more clients. Too beautiful to be true? Not necessarily. Minimum Viable Product makes it possible to approach the subject in this way.

What is MVP?

In the case of a website, MVP is a solution that has basic, but also sufficient functionalities to launch a website. It can be said that it is version 1.0, which through subsequent iterations will turn into a final software product. So, you start with a low financial expenditure, test the clients’ behavior and you build the website based on the analysis.

Eric Ries, the originator of the concept, explains that MVP allows you to get the maximum amount of information about consumers with minimum own involvement. If there is a product/service that you want to introduce to the market, it is best to test the idea with real users before you invest a lot of money. After all, you never know if the offer will suit the consumer’s need and cause the desire to purchase your products/services.

What do I gain with a Minimum Viable Product?

You gain a lot:

  • You enter the market with your website in the shortest possible time.
  • You minimize the costs of implementation.
  • You test the functionalities until you get the final version of the website.
  • Already at the initial stage, you catch errors and elements that require an efficient operation, thanks to which you save time, and thus – money on development works that would be carried out in the future.
  • You gain invaluable knowledge about what works and what does not work on your website.
  • You build a CRM with clients’ data, at the same time collecting the feedback based on their behavior on the website.

How should an MVP process look like?

The first step is to make sure that the website will implement the company’s strategic goals. In other words, answer the question: where do you want to be with your business idea, e.g. in six months, and how can your website help to get you there? So, what tasks does the website have to perform first?

Here, you should also specify how to measure the effectiveness. Your goal should be measurable. The number of visits, completed contact forms, phone calls received, subscriptions to the newsletter, and volume of sales. In addition, it is worth to analyse which subpages are visited most often, what are the sources of traffic (does the user visit the website directly by entering its address, by entering a phrase and going through a search engine, or by a link from another website), what is the time spent on the website and finally – what is the bounce rate.

The second step is to develop the user path. Imagine you are an external user of the website. Plan the path from entering the website to the final destination (e.g. purchase of a product). Thanks to this you will realise what will be optimal for the visitors, which may discourage them, what action they will have to take. This way you will acquire the knowledge that will be necessary for the developers who will carry out the Drupal development works. 

To perform the above task well, you must define your client. Because of different categories of users will use your website, you have to take this into account. And if they are actually different profiles, it will translate into a “journey” around the website and a different path to the destination.

The third step is the result of the previous one. Knowing what needs improvement, develop a diagram: problem → action → solution. For example: lack of the ability to choose the best one from among many products on your website → creation of a comparison tool → option to view products side by side.

By preparing the analysis in this way, you will create a list of all elements that need improvement.

The fourth step is also the result of the previous one – as you can see, this process is just a series of events. Therefore, having the above-mentioned knowledge, you can now decide what functionalities the website must have in order to achieve the goals and minimise the defined problems.

Point out the tools (functionalities) that will be necessary on your website. It is important to set a priority for each one of them. Helpful here might be the question: what does my user want and what does my user need? Referring to the previous example: the user must have a comparison tool to select a product but does not need to have dozens of filters to execute this view. So, what kind of filters should these be? The answer is short: the essential ones.

Minimum Viable Product – example

Droopler is a great example. It is a kind of a template that lets you quickly get the work started, adjust the content, layout and appearance of the website. By keeping the MVP methodology in mind, you will accomplish all of your goals, whether your project is a start-up or a corporate website.

From the very start, Droopler provides you with a concrete and effective programming language, which is Drupal. And thanks to the fact that Drupal is OpenSource software, you do not have to worry about the costs of implementing additional tools (you do not incur license fees), which would result from subsequent iterations. 

Droopler has extensive functions for adding subpages, sections, modules. It is fully responsive, so from the very beginning, you have access to a preview of the website on mobile devices. Its HTML code is optimised for SEO and fully ready for being integrated with other SEO tools.

And finally: thanks to sharing the Droopler test environment on request, you can see for yourself what managing and introducing changes look like.

Minimum Viable Product – summary

Preparation and implementation of MVP is the end and the beginning of a stage. After implementing MVP, the time comes for further analysis. Collect opinions, verify user behavior, identify weak points of the website, make changes, test until you get the final version of your website. And if you still have doubts about whether to use MVP, I would like you to know that MVP is a solution chosen by companies such as Airbnb, Amazon, Dropbox, Etsy, Facebook, Groupon, Twitter, Uber, Zappos, and even iPhone.
 

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LPJ-70SP

Hyperbaric Chamber 2 ATA For Sale

The LPJ-70SP,from Bussmann / Eaton,is High speed fuses.what we offer have competitive price in the global market,which are in original and new parts.If you would like to know more about the products or apply a lower price, please contact us through the “online chat” or send a quote to us!

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Global Visions of the Future of 3D Printing from China by Gordon

A personal perspective with ten years of doing business and living in China

Gordon Styles

There is no point in me repeating information that is already widely available on the Internet and in the Wohlers Report. I went to China in 2005 with the express intention of setting up a rapid prototyping/3d printing company and have subsequently lived and worked in China for more than ten years. I therefore intend to give a very personal perspective on China’s future role in the global 3d printing market.

Star Prototype China Limited

I started my first 3d printing company, STYLES RPD, in the UK in 1993 and sold it in 2000. I started my second 3d printing company, Star Prototype, in Hong Kong/China in June 2005. With just a few thousand dollars in my pocket and a business plan under my arm I started STAR as a one-man band in a tiny bedroom in Dongguan.

The original plan was to raise venture capital, buy stereolithography machines and sell SL parts to the west, but this plan was soon scuppered when I was unable to raise venture capital. Apparently it is impossible to be successful in China if you cannot speak Chinese; have no friends in China; and no customers. I guess I have always enjoyed an impossible challenge.

Without any investment whatsoever STAR has now grown to be more than 200 people with sales of approximately EUR 13m. We have cash in the bank and are completely self-financing.

At first I tried to sell SL and SLS parts to European and American customers, but there was a clear problem with delivery times. It takes typically 2 to 3 days to deliver a 3d printed part to the west and this proved to be too long for most customers – not to mention issues with customs declaration. In addition, we found that SL and SLS machines were being loaded very inefficiently and therefore the prices in China were already higher than their western counterparts. In the end, we realized that CNC machined prototypes in ABS were substantially lower in price, even though it is apparently a far more inefficient process than SL or SLS, but the customers loved the service and to this day the majority of the prototype parts we ship to the west are CNC machined.

Some History about 3D Printing Service Bureaux in China

Since the mid-nineties the Chinese local and national governments have set up government funded 3d printing bureaux all across China with the intention of seeding a 3d printing sector. Three good examples were Shenzhen YinHua (founded in 1996, now called KaiAo http://www.kaiao-rprt.com); Quick in Shenzhen Bao’an; and Hansun in Xiaolan/Zhongshan (founded in 1999). Over time these Government bureaux were subject to ‘buyouts’ that have left them ostensibly privately owned. In parallel in the early 2000’s a number of Hong Kong based and owned 3d printing bureaux were set up in Hong Kong.

Although all of these companies had SL or SLS and vacuum casting capabilities, most still gained most of their revenue from CNC machined prototypes.

Eventually the HK based bureaux realized that they had to move into Guangdong to lower their cost base and get close to the emerging customers inside China. By 2005 when I did an extensive market research study in China, in preparation for building my own rapid prototyping company, the market leaders inside China were either Government owned or Hong Kong owned. Now there are a myriad of Chinese owned 3d printing companies, most of which have “sprung out” of Government, HK, Taiwanese, or other foreign owned China based bureaux. STAR alone has been the birthing ground for 9 “spring out” bureaux. The majority of 3d printing bureaux are now Chinese owned.

Exportation of 3d printing

One would imagine that China would be able to export SL/SLS models at low cost, but the exportation of stand-alone SL and SLS parts from China is almost non-existent due to five key factors:

  1. The parts are already too expensive, or at least there are no commercial savings once landed
  2. The parts are generally of a substantially lower quality and tolerance than western parts
  3. The delivery time to foreign countries is typically 2 to 3 days extra and customs can hold up parts (most exporters do not do their export documentation in accordance with Chinese and destination laws and this causes hold ups)
  4. The materials are often found to be fake, low quality, or degraded (often not post cured in the case of SL parts)
  5. CNC machined ABS prototypes are still cheaper than SL/SLS

Over the last five years we have noticed the emergence of Chinese owned 3d printing bureaux that mostly use locally produced SL and SLS machines. These companies are engaged in a vicious race to the bottom on pricing and quality. The local machines are typically one-third the price of western machines and are very similar to machines you would have seen in the late 1990’s in the west.

Image of 3D Printed parts in China

Since I first came to China to live and work in 2005, 3d printed parts sold in China have had a major image problem. They are viewed as being weak and poor quality in comparison to CNC machined ABS prototypes. Even to this day Chinese customers will insist on CNC machining rather than SL or SLS to ensure the quality and robustness of their prototypes. But critically the key reason why Chinese users have not switched from CNC to 3d printing is price. Even to this day I can buy or produce CNC machined ABS prototypes for substantially less than Chinese made 3d printed parts. How is this still possible?

Since 2005 I have noticed a general problem in the 3d printing service bureaux sector. Initially there were a number of grants available for large 3d printing machines, and in addition a number of Government owned machines were spirited away from their original location to other locations. This led to the cardboard cutout SL and SLS machines. I have seen a number of these. One would visit a bureau and they would claim to own a large frame 3d printer. You would be shown a room from the outside that had darkened glass and curtains on the inside. You could just catch a glimpse of a machine at the back of a dimly lit room. As an expert in the field I could immediately see that the machine was a cardboard replica. Of course our hosts would disagree. One time I got a look at one up close by just walking into the room when I was unaccompanied.

Also, some bureaux would buy a machine and find that they just couldn’t get enough work for it and when it came time to replace the laser they would opt to buy two CNC milling machines instead of one laser. To keep the grant aid they would need to demonstrate to the Government that the machine was still in working order. To do this they would fill the vat with a ‘fake’ liquid, a half built model on a plate, and do a laser show with a cheap ‘display laser’. I caught two suppliers doing this. One of those companies tried to sell me SL parts that had clearly been CNC machined out of ABS and sanded. The supplier fast retracted his claims when I told him that I had owned four SL machines of my own.

Even today the selection of a 3d printing company in China is fraught with problems:

  1. The machines are rarely maintained, assuming that the company concerned even owns the machine
  2. Parts are often built on locally made machines even when it is claimed that a western machine is being used, but even so,
  3. Most machines are rarely if ever calibrated
  4. Vat heaters are often burned out and not replaced. Not too great a problem in the heat of the summer, but in winter the resin is unusable
  5. The processing software for orientation and supports is almost always fake, which leads to scrambled data. Even when I have requested proof of legal ownership I will be handed fake documents. Local support software is either a copy of western software or extremely basic.
  6. The resin is almost always a fake local material if a branded material is claimed (this must be differentiated from a genuine local material sold as such – note that SL resins are not difficult to produce if the recipe is known)
  7. The Post Curing Apparatus (PCA) tubes are rarely replaced until they blow. The UV spectrum that cures SL resins will die out long before the lamp stops shining in the visible spectrum.

Even after ten years in China, and being a large purchaser of SL and SLS parts, I have only found one bureau that sticks to my rules. We guard that asset carefully. If you’re going to buy parts in China, you’d better keep very close to your supplier.

China going Global: The Values Mismatch?

I have worked in China for ten years and for much of that time I simply could not figure out why I had such an incongruent feeling when dealing with Chinese businesspeople and suppliers. Anyone who has worked in China knows that feeling. There was clearly a major mismatch between how Europeans and Americans do business and how the Chinese do. I am not in anyway claiming that one model of the world is better than the other, I am merely pointing out that there is a mismatch.

Recently I learned about the Clare Graves spiral system of values levels (see appendix 1) and had an epiphany. Just as individuals progress through the various values levels from birth to death, so countries have a values level mean. China’s mean is values level 3. The Chinese society is spread across values levels 2, 3, and 4 (with an emerging 5). But most western countries are spread across values levels 3, 4 and 5 (with an emerging 6). Business people going to China are strongly values level 5 business people, whereas Chinese businesspeople are mostly values level 3. (I must state that no level is better than any other level. If you live in a values level 3 environment, you had better get good at being values level 3 or you will probably not survive.) Much of what China is criticized for in business is related to this values level mismatch.

When operating a business in the UK I was solidly a values level 5 businessperson; but now operating in China I have had to adopt certain values level 3 principles so that I can operate effectively in China. For my customers I am values level 4 (operation of factory) and 5 (my entrepreneurial spirit), but in the factory I am VL3 (dealing with the employees on a day to day basis) and VL4 (the operation of the factory and disciplinary framework for VL3’s). Get with the values level that is appropriate or be eaten alive, and that goes for any environment on earth.

In terms of the 3d printing industry of China expanding out to the rest of the world the Chinese will face this values level mismatch problem most everywhere they will go.

China’s Global 3D Printing Advance

Will Chinese 3d printing machines flood the world market? I doubt that will happen for at least another ten years, patent issues not withstanding. The customer service ethos, language skills, and quality is simply not there yet. In 2005 I predicted incorrectly that the Chinese would switch very suddenly from CNC machining of prototypes to 3d printing. The switch had happened in the early and mid-nineties in American and Europe, and when it happened it was very sudden. (Between 1993, when I bought my first SLA-250, and 1995, the UK saw almost the entire CNC model-milling industry die. In the last ten years there has been a resurgence of CNC based prototyping, but it is still a niche market.) I expected the transition in China to have completed its transition by 2010, but even now in 2015 the switch is still happening, and it is very slow.

Government Investment – The Golden Shovel

The Chinese Government is reputed to be ploughing USD 1bn into 3d printing across academia, state-owned-enterprises, and private business; but recently the system of tax breaks for “highly encouraged industries” was abandoned completely. In fact, the entire system of categorizing companies and sectors as “discouraged; encouraged; and highly encouraged” was abandoned early in 2015. One can imagine this is due to economic growth pressures.

It is evident from my own experience with the local schools in China that they are all buying 3d printers. Children of friends of mine have shown me their 3d printed FDM parts. One kid in uniform walked passed a café I was sitting in recently carrying a 3d printer away from the school. The Government plan is to put a 3d printer into every one of their 400,000 elementary schools. That alone could be an investment of around USD 400m; although I imagine the cost of producing the tiny FDM style machines is collapsing as we speak.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) is currently writing a plan called “The country’s additive manufacturing industry promotion plan for 2015-2016”. The top echelons of the Chinese Government are taking 3d printing very seriously. The industry is already breaking many boundaries with the printing of the largest metal parts for aerospace; the largest 3d printed buildings; and the cheapest printers on earth.

The intent exists to dominate the 3d printing space globally. My feeling is that the Chinese will utterly dominate the space eventually, but it will take decades to achieve. My guess is that they will start by carving out unusual niches such as low cost house building into the Middle East.

The Tsunami of VL5 Business People from China

One key thing must change before China can dominate business in the world: Chinese society must transition fully from a mean values level of 3 to a values level of 4. Do not underestimate this effect. This is the effect that, my humble opinion, the US Government does not appreciate. Once the Chinese reach a mean of values level 4, similar to other developed countries, it will mean that they have an emerging business class that is predominantly values level 5, and that is when they will utterly dominate business on planet earth. Any country that ignores this key transitional issue will be caught with their pants down. The days of the obvious values level mismatches in deals such as Alibaba/Yahoo, and WaHaHa/Danone, that went so disastrously wrong, will be a thing of the past and Chinese values level 5 businesspeople will dominate global business.

Summary

In summary I believe that the Chinese will come to utterly dominate the 3d printing space, but I think it will take decades to achieve, maybe a whole generation. As the Chinese say – man man lai 慢慢来 – which would be the equivalent of ‘slowly slowly catchy monkey’ in English. Frankly you could map this approach on to the entire ‘emerging China’ issue.

My first employee and former business partner James Li explained to me that the ‘way’ of the Chinese is to be humble and hide your power as it grows. If your house grows taller, build taller walls. One day your power becomes so apparent that all around you merely defer to you in awe and will not challenge you. If you ever use your power in an aggressive manner, you allow your enemy (and he means your competition) to assess you and learn how to destroy you. This is the traditional Chinese approach to everything. The good news is that the Chinese hate to use their power and prefer to negotiate a peaceful outcome. In a multipolar world this might be refreshing.

One of China’s key strengths is that the Government acts as the largest venture capitalist on Earth funding anything that looks promising with sums of money that make most global investors blush. Western Governments need to take note if they expect their domestic manufacturers to compete with this approach.

To suggest in the 1960’s or 1970’s that one day the Japanese would make a quality product in any engineering field would have been considered ludicrous to all but a few western engineers in the know; and yet today they are mentioned in the same breath as Germany and Switzerland when choosing a high-tech CNC machine tool. So it will come to pass in a few short decades that Chinese products will be given high status.

Appendix 1 – Clare Graves Values Levels Summary

Note: There is no values level that is better than any other values level. They are all contextual. If you are thrown into a forest with just your close family with no hope of finding civilization, you had better learn to operate at Values Level 1 or die.

All modern humans operate across multiple values levels depending upon environment and context. For example I was tested and my values levels were:

VL1 – closed out

VL2 – closed out

VL3 – moderate

VL4 – above moderate

VL5 – high

VL6 – moderate and still emerging

VL7 – emerging

VL8 – not reached

My mean could be seen as VL5, but able to operate across 3, 4, 5, and 6 seamlessly. Most people are having a narrower bandwidth than me. Working in China has required me to re-open VL3 to survive in China.

[The notes below are my personal observations and from work by Adrianna James of The Tad James Company. I am a certified NLP Master Practitioner – the study of Clare Graves’ spiral values levels is now adopted as part of the NLP Master Practitioner course. These notes are for guidance only.]

Values Level 1 – Survival

Basic survival in small bands; hunting gathering; instinctive; uses deep brain programs; distinct self is barely awakened; lives much as other animals; minimal impact on environment; concerns about finding food, shelter, and mating are dominant.

Emerged 100,000 years ago, is merely 0.1% of modern global adult population and has about 0% of power. (Percentages add up to 111.2% and 107% respectively in source data for all currently defined 8 values levels, and act only as a guide.)

In the context of a modern human this level is observed in babies and toddlers. In most cultures this is only observed in tramps, long-term homeless and long-term sick.

Values Level 2 – A Clannish “Us”

Small village mentality; magical enchanted village; obey the desires of mystical spirits; allegiance to elders, custom and clan; preservation of sacred places, objects and rituals; bond together to endure and find safety; seek humanity with natures power; shamanism; sacrificing beings to the spirits; dead ancestor worship. Hunting and gathering made more efficient through specialization in the tribe.

Emerged about 50,000 years ago, represents about 10% of global adult population today, and holds about 1% of power.

In the context of a modern human this level is observed from being a small child until puberty.

In the context of China, many people who grew up in villages carry these values quite strongly, hence the strong adherence to the rituals of Chinese New Year and other festivals. (Remember: there is no right or wrong – there just “is”.)

Values Level 3 – My Powerful “Self”

Every man for himself; dog eat dog world; kill the competition – literally in some cases; rebelling against level 2 values; expression of self, but to hell with others; escape domination by others or nature; avoid shame, feel no guilt, fight to get respect; gratify impulses & senses immediately; fight to gain control at any cost; not constrained by consequences; low self-esteem.

Emerged about 10,000 years ago, represents about 20% of global adult population today, and holds about 5% of power.

In the context of the modern human this is often observed around puberty. Teenagers rebelling against family control. If a level 3 does not transition to level 4 they are often seen as adults who believe that life/the government/the world owes them something and believe that welfare is their right. Nothing is ever their fault, and the world is against them. Most gangs start with VL3, but usually transition to VL4 to control the gang members.

In the context of China: many Chinese business people operate on values level 3. It can take decades in business for them to transition through level 4 to level 5, but transitioning they are.

Values Level 4 – A Righteous “Us”

Obedience and deference to a book or a system of rules. The book can be religious, business, or legal in nature. Sacrifice self to the betterment of the majority. Monotheistic religions are defined by level 4 values.  My reward is in heaven or later in life. Reverence to a higher authority. Seek to find meaning and purpose in life; sacrifice self to the truth; bringing of order; stability and future reward; control of impulsivity through guilt; enforce principles of rightful living; divine plans put people in the proper places. All of the ‘isms’ of capitalism, communism, socialism reside here. Democracy; benevolence; autocracy; moralistic; prescriptive; resistance to change; the rules are black and white and must be obeyed.

Emerged about 5,000 years ago, represents about 40% of the world’s modern adult population, and holds about 30% of power.

In the context of modern humans this is seen when people finally accept the rules of the higher authority, whatever or whomever that may be. These people are considered to make the best employees and are very loyal. These people are widely considered to be the backbone of “society” and the workforce. When governments talk of “hard working families” they are referring to VL4 led families.

The very nature of the Communist Party is values level 4, as is that of most governments and bureaucracies around the world. The challenge for the Chinese Government over the last half century has been to govern and develop a predominantly VL2 country as it transitioned through VL3 and VL4, and endeavor to engender a VL5 entrepreneurial business and innovation spirit amongst its business leaders.

Values Level 5 – My Strategic “Self”

If it ain’t broke – then break it and make it even better; strive for autonomy and independence; seek out the good life and abundance; bring about progress through the best solutions; enhance living for the many through technology; play to win and enjoy competition; learn through tried and true experience; entrepreneurial spirit; the power of ideas; it’s just business; the ends justify the means; invention. What is the point of God?; atheism emerges.

Emerged around 300 years ago, represents about 30% of modern adults, and hold about 50% of power.

In the context of modern humans this is the business, innovation, and entrepreneurial values level. Most business people in developed economies are VL5 business people.

In the context of China, there are a relatively small number of VL5 business people today – most are doing VL3 business. They are happy to compete, treat their workers very well, and look to long-term success by delivering good quality and service. This is the emerging business class of China that the rest of the world needs to take notice of. It may be a small minority today, but within a generation it will be the norm.

Values Level 6 – Our Communitarian “Us”

Liberate humans from greed and dogma; care for the holistic environment; explore the inner being of self/others; promote a sense of community and unity; share society’s resources among all; reach decisions through consensus; refresh spirituality and bring harmony; softness; tasteful wealth; sensitivity; respectability; personality; social class distinctions unclear; rule by the majority (but not democracy in the current context); do anything not to be rejected.

Emerged around 150 years ago; represents about10% of the modern world population, and holds about 15% of power.

This is seen as the environmental, green, hippy values system. That said, most people that appear to be VL6 (particularly the hippies of the 60’s) are in fact VL4 reaching out to VL6. This is referred to as a 6 inside of 4 effect.

Vales Level 7 and 8 not relevant to this discussion – see below.

Images below downloaded from the web, credits reside within the images.

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