Month: September 2018

The realities of manufacturing augmented reality tech

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Augmented Reality (AR) is often touted – alongside the IoT – as the next big thing for manufacturing. It’s set to revolutionise industrial processes, improve efficiency, open new opportunities, cut costs and reduce errors.

However, there is a distinct difference between the application of AR techniques to aid the manufacturing process itself and the challenges involved in manufacturing AR-enabled products and devices.

For all the solutions and opportunities that AR may be set to gift manufacturing, it can also in many cases present OEMS with a logistical headache.

Here’s the thing:

AR devices present manufacturers with very complex process requirements and a series of challenges that start at the supply chain and continue through to the assembly line.

Here are just some of the ways that AR presents a challenge to manufacturers producing cuting edge electronic devices.

  • Expert supply chain management is needed to juggle the multiple components and processes involved.
  • The use of exotic or hard to find materials calls for assembly conditions that have been rigorously prepared.
  • The necessary form factor miniaturisation complicates the level of accuracy required in product construction.
  • Heat dissipation is a major concern and precision optics need calibrating with great attention to detail.
  • The latest cutting-edge technology needs to be applied yet every solution must lend itself to scalability in the event of increased product demand.
  • And, of course, the expense of all the parts and processes involved leaves absolutely no margin for error.

Let’s expand on just one of these challenges a little further:

Form factor miniaturisation is never simply a process of making everything smaller. Miniaturisation of one phase of a product usually reveals limitations and obstacles in other parts of the overall design and manufacturing process. Advances in a specific technology—semiconductor fab, pc board, power, manufacturing or packaging—tend to leapfrog other technologies. And the assembly line is not the place to be trying to play catch up.

Thermal management is also closely related to miniaturisation, especially as device speeds and packaging densities rise. Heat loads are really putting cooling techniques to the test, calling for innovative solutions for direct, spot refrigeration of high heat-flux regions on IC dies.

We love the AR challenge: it plays to all of our strengths.

But to counterbalance all the ‘AR is the saving grace of manufacturers’ hyperbole we’d like to add our own take on the relationship between AR and manufacturing.

From the shop floor, as it were.

Not the ivory tower.

The reality of AR manufacturing

Daqri is a US technology start-up. Having already wowed the market with its wearable tech the team were hyper-keen to launch their cutting-edge AR helmet.

Daqri helmet

The helmet has a futuristic pilot-style ‘heads up display’ that uses advanced short-range optical projector technology to overlay the user’s vision with advanced data feeds based on real-time information.

Whilst Daqri had exceptional design and development capabilities, it had little experience of the controlled manufacturing systems needed to deliver its finished product at scale.

When the team reached out to us their most pressing concern was co-ordinating a highly complex supply chain of suppliers – and that’s exactly what we excel at.

They asked us to manage the supply chain so that they could scale up their existing prototype to produce 400 developer systems.

It wasn’t easy: where AR is concerned it never is. But we micro-managed the global supply network and introduced a flawless production processes that allowed Daqri to meet its tight delivery targets.

In fact, they made the leap from concept to product in the fastest possible time.

Daqri construction

The future of AR manufacturing

According to CCS Insight many companies are going to be needing EMS partners with expertise in meeting the AR manufacturing challenge.

It predicts that augmented reality device sales are set to hit $11.9 billion in 2021. In volume terms this represents 99 million devices – each of which will carry the same manufacturing challenges that we outlined before.

2021 is not a date in the distant future: it’s barely more than two years away.

Looking to capture some of this market are the big names in tech: Microsoft, Google, Sony and Apple have all invested in some high-profile initiatives.

You can be certain, however, that there are also many labs out there with a killer prototype seeking funding to enter production.

And we’re happy to help turn an AR prototype into an AR product.

It won’t be easy, but with our attention to detail, focus on precision and dedication to strictly governed processes, anything is possible!

Forget wearable tech – electronic medical devices are going invisible

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Wearable tech was born at the point where wireless connected technology grew up and became, paradoxically, smaller.

Today, integrated tech that can be discretely worn by users is everywhere – from music to fashion to fitness. Whether it’s smartwatches, heartrate trackers or even clothing, there’s no shortage of integrated, miniaturised tech that allows us to keep tabs on ourselves as we go about our everyday life.

And yet, as disposable as the fashion for wearables may seem, it is actually all part and parcel of the way that the Internet of Things (IoT) is using connected devices and sensors to create medical products that can truly change lives.

But these devices go well beyond being wearable – they are now becoming invisible.

From wearable to invisible

This move from micro-tech to invisible tech can be seen in our wider culture beyond the arcane innovations emerging in medical devices.

Here’s what Forbes has to say about this wider trend:

“The main future change I see for wearables is the ‘disappearance’ of them: the integration of their smart features into everyday items.

The rise of invisibles will see wearable devices built into the things we use every day, such as clothes, accessories, shoes and jewellery. And it will feed us data that is probably more biometric in nature than it is now for deeper insights into our health.”

Examples of this aren’t too hard to find. There are already smart trainers on the market that can record your jogging data and smart shorts are available that collect combined muscle load with heart rate data.

That’s right, a pair of running shorts that can measure the electrical activity of your muscles and share this in real-time via Bluetooth to an app. They may be well beyond most joggers’ budgets but that’s another matter.

From invisible to indispensable

Medical electronics continue to drive innovation throughout the healthcare industry.

The global medical electronics market has seen tremendous growth in the past twenty years, in terms of money invested, technical advancements made, increased healthcare reach and the integration of our healthcare with both IT and the IoT.

Research and Markets suggests that the total value of the medical electronics market will exceed $56 billion by 2020, growing at an impressive Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.5% in the next five years.

Healthcare wearables are increasingly evident with bracelets, pendants or smart watches, performing functions such as tracking, recording and reporting every step and heartbeat of those who wear them. The new Apple iWatch Series 4 launched just week (Sept 18) goes one step further and has the ability to take an electrocardiogram (ECG), which offers a much more detailed picture of your heart rate. You’ll be able to take a reading any time and get an alert if the Watch detects any abnormal rhythms – a possible sign of atrial fibrillation. Apple Watch Series 4_EGC Yet, this is just the tip of the iceberg: it’s what we can’t see that is truly revolutionary.

As a solution for many patients, wearables are actually fairly high-risk. What if they are removed or simply not worn? Or they are worn incorrectly so that the collected can’t be trusted?

The trend – as in the consumer market – is towards devices and sensors so small that you can’t see them. Or remove them.

“Invisibles will create a world in which we don’t see technology or sensors; they are seamlessly integrated into the human body.” Stuart Karten

Valeritas Holdings, Inc. manufactures the V-Go® Wearable Insulin Delivery device. This is a highly-affordable all-in-one insulin delivery option that is worn like a patch by patients with diabetes.

Epidermal electronic systems (EES) have taken this idea one step further. Its medical tattoos are patches that allow researchers and clinicians to track vital signs. Variations have been developed that can be voice-activated.

“Our goal was to develop an electronic technology that could integrate with the skin in a way that is mechanically and physiologically invisible to the user.” John Rogers

The pursuit of an invisible device is far from new for hearing aid manufacturers. For many years, hearing aids have shrunk dramatically in size as their functionality, comfort and capabilities have correspondingly increased. Instead of buttons, Starkey Hearing Technologies has developed hearing aids that are controlled by natural gestures. Other devices use GPS and cloud-based technology to personalise settings for geotagged locations.

And from audio to visual: Plastic electronics are now being used in smart contact lenses. Impregnated with OLEDS, these have been invested in by Google, Samsung, and Sony for applications that include blood glucose level monitoring as well as vision correction and enhancement.

Meanwhile, inside our bodies, Organic Thin-Film Transistors (OTFTs) are being used as bio-sensors which, when placed in a patient’s body, can be used to predict a stroke, an asthma attack or to prompt a diabetic patient to take their insulin.

Electronic medical devices of the future

We are still only just discovering the possible range of uses of invisible electronic medical devices – but we’ve certainly came a long way from wearable step counters. The technology will inevitably continue to develop as it does in any sector – to suite the rising demands of the consumer.

From complex to complete: On-time, on budget delivery of a cybersecurity device

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Advanced technology means lots of components, many of which are not easily available. Bare board requirements are complex and the assembly process can be lengthy with many barriers.

With a combination of expert engineering capability, hawkish attention to detail and tightly monitored processes; we enabled a Private Equity (PE) funded cybersecurity OEM facing these challenges to get its product to ramp on time and on budget.

The customer develops disruptive technology to guarantee entirely safe remote internet browsing. Its product is a high-density, high-speed multi-channel data processing device using Surface Mount Technology (SMT).

 The challenges

The device requires a high number of parts and complex board assembly, plus the need for strict security compliance to be adhered to. Like any intricate project, it presented a number of challenges.

Printed Circuit Board Assemblies (PCBAs) were needed and then applied to system rack configurations – which had to stand up to stringent testing and rigorous cosmetic criteria. The Bill of Materials (BoM) contained several high value parts which had long lead times or were only available in limited supply. And it had to be a rapid, highly effective solution which complied with government criteria.

Early engagement in the design process

We joined product development discussions with the customer team whilst the design was still fluid, so this early engagement in the design process meant we could add valuable input around component sourcing and manufacturing processes, leading to a cost-effective, scalable solution.

Firstly, we developed the customer’s main controlling PCBA using the latest SMT device packages. Once the initial assembly was complete, we then supported other functional subassemblies and peripheral system parts, helping to produce entire product systems.

We then facilitated the selection, review and validation of several global bare PCB vendors and managed the complex supply chain of components and specialist made-to-drawing parts, which were critical to the project’s success. We then established scalable sources across the entire BoM and created processes, with evidential support, to satisfy all security requirements from each stakeholder, including the Government.

The result: a happy customer

The result was a resounding success despite the product’s complexity. It now has an exceptional yield performance and importantly it reached the market on time and on budget.

We now provide full system assembly of all of the customer’s rack-mount variants for this product and our support will expand into global manufacturing fulfilment in the near future.