Specialized article
Technology trends
Trends in technology are important to achieve an improvement in [...]
Technology trends are important to achieve social and economic improvement, Grupo Álava works hand in hand in different sectors to transfer the solutions and products needed in each application. From our transversality and its broad perspective, we want to transmit our vision on the latest technological trends most used today.
Thermography
The applications of infrared thermography are practically infinite and can be used in all sectors, both for industrial applications (machine vision, maintenance, surveillance, gas detection, etc.) and for R&D. What R&D, production or maintenance manager is not interested in knowing the thermal behavior of their assets or products? All this taking into account that it is a non-invasive control, not harmful to the product or the operator. It is one of the trends in technology, each year improves both in its technical capabilities and in the possible price of implementation of the cameras required.
On average, in less than 20 years the type of detectors used in this technology has divided its cost by approximately five. This and the dissemination of the different applications by different manufacturers such as Flir and pioneering companies such as Grupo Álava, are fundamental for the increasing penetration of these cameras in the market. Although they are already one of the most widely used industrial technologies, they will soon become a commodity-type product and their use will be as common as that of a matrix machine vision camera or a perimeter security camera.
LIDAR TECHNOLOGY
LiDAR technology is a fundamental pillar for the three-dimensional digitization of both man-made objects and constructions as well as the natural environment around us. From the 3D point cloud generated by Riegl' s LiDAR devices, a wide range of information can be extracted: how many trees and their specific characteristics (height, trunk thickness) there are in an area of millions of hectares, how many thousands of m3 of earth will have to be moved to build that section of the AVE, how many vehicles (and any other obstacle) an autonomous vehicle (terrestrial or Martian) will have to negotiate, or which geographical areas are at the greatest risk of flooding.
Smartphones with LiDAR technology have already appeared, so in the coming years we will see how drones, autonomous cars, industrial robots, etc. will incorporate this technology, just as cars now incorporate electric windows. In terms of applications related to mapping/topography, geodesy, LiDAR sensors will increasingly come into play to provide advantages in terms of speed and accuracy when digitizing large numbers of objects and environments of very large dimensions, which will be possible in part thanks to the advantages offered by quantum computing.
Power converters
Regenerative power converters enable improved development in important fields such as electric mobility, energy management or renewable energies. By using these systems, the electrical installation requires a smaller dimensioning and the power consumption is drastically reduced to the losses of the system, using the principle of energy regeneration. These systems not only reduce development and testing costs economically, but are also very energy efficient.
Over the next few years, the development of these technologies will enable a breakthrough towards cleaner energies that have less impact on the environment. We are proud to work with Cinergia and its regenerative teams to create a more sustainable future with significant environmental improvements.
ARTIFICIAL VISION
Machine vision gives automation devices the ability to 'see', enhancing their capabilities to stay ahead of the curve and optimize industrial performance. The cameras from Basler, an international leader in machine vision, combine a reliable and robust hardware design 'made in Germany' with software that can be 100% integrated into any software application in the world of industrial automation. In addition, the wide range of accessories for each camera guarantees compatibility and optimized operation of the complete solution.
Over the next few years, the market for machine vision components is expected to grow by 8%-12%. It is one of the trends in technology and its major emerging markets are embedded vision, deep learning, 3D vision and multi- and hyperspectral vision, with a wide variety of applications that considerably improve the quality of your processes.
Shakers
These systems are essential for innovation and industrial progress. Manufactured by our partner IMV Corporation, they simulate vibrations for technologies under development. In this way, we can detect design flaws, verify compliance with regulations, subject them to fatigue or simulate impacts. After these tests, the design and quality of the product can be improved before launching it on the market.
Shakers are used in the final phase of the manufacturing process and can be found in many different sectors. Among other success stories, we can find a cell phone manufacturer that improves the quality and/or gets certified to be able to sell in Europe. Another use case is a manufacturer of headlights in the automotive sector that needs to improve its quality and/or certify them to its customer (the vehicle manufacturer). In Spain, more and more companies are starting to perform these R&D tests to optimize the performance of their products. Using shakers to certify the quality and design of cutting-edge technologies is becoming an obligation for all manufacturers if they want to be competitive in the market.
SENSORIC
Sensors specialize in special and complicated applications, providing effective solutions to ensure perfect operation of multiple industrial processes. In addition, sensors are starting to incorporate wireless and iCloud technology.
Vaisala, one of the most recognized manufacturers in the market, is expanding the range of Wireless devices and is creating new Cloud-based platforms, such as the recently launched Jade. It controls the entire manufacturing process (research, development and manufacturing) to ensure high quality and integrations of all physical variables are being developed. With this, we can achieve full compatibility between the different sensors.
Sensors are starting to be used in very emerging niches in the Life Sciences sector: CO2 measurement or bio-pollution by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Therefore, to boost these trends in technology it is vital to invest effort and money in trainings that aim to boost these applications.
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