Zebra Technologies, a provider of digital solutions that enable businesses to intelligently connect data, assets, and people, announced that TAS, a global supplier to automotive OEMs, has enhanced the production quality of electric vehicle battery caps.

This improvement was achieved using a reliable and precise deep learning machine vision solution powered by Zebra’s Aurora Vision Studio software, ensuring greater accuracy and security in the manufacturing process.

To ensure precise finishing for each battery cap, TAS employs a meticulous process where robotic systems handle the metal sheets through various inspection stages. A highly sophisticated camera system is utilised to detect potential defects that could affect quality.

Custom-built operations

This custom-built camera system, designed by ID Engineering, a Zebra Registered Industrial Automation System Integrator specialising in machine vision, can identify even the smallest surface imperfections, ensuring the caps' safety and performance.

The adaptability of Aurora Vision Studio enhances the system's reliability, allowing TAS to continuously improve safety and precision by addressing coating irregularities, surface scratches, and laser marking issues.

Setting itself apart from other solutions, the Aurora Vision Studio system integrates deep learning tools that drive continuous improvement throughout the manufacturing process. The system is trained using a comprehensive dataset of images, enabling it to recognise and classify specific defect types. These image datasets are annotated and fed into the system, which can be retrained to identify new inspection criteria or fine-tuned for existing defects. This allows the image processing solution to evolve and improve continuously, leveraging deep learning technology.

A key advantage of this deep learning capability is its flexibility, ensuring reliable inspection even when industrial conditions change—a significant benefit over traditional image processing tools, which may not adapt well to evolving production environments. The system’s flowchart-based image processing solution uses a no-code approach, enabling fast and convenient training, ensuring that TAS maintains consistent product quality while adapting to production changes.

“The successful integration of surface treatment technology and a custom-built quality control system with deep learning represents a significant advancement in quality control and our continuous commitment to innovation,” said Temel Tas, managing director, TAS. “With Zebra Technologies’ machine vision system, we can meet the high-quality standards of the automotive industry, and we are already planning to implement this technology in future projects.”

“The main advantage of Zebra’s Aurora Vision Studio is its speed in development and execution time when analysing many and sometimes large image files simultaneously, which is much faster than other technologies we tested,” said Michael Sartor, machine vision department head, ID Engineering. “The scalable Zebra system is easy to use and it’s no-code solution enables fast development. Beyond the technology, we appreciate the valuable support from Zebra.”

“This solution is a good example of how deep learning algorithms can be used to help ensure better quality in industrial production,” said Donato Montanari, vice president and general manager, Machine Vision, Zebra Technologies. “Aurora Vision Studio and its deep learning add-on provide the foundation on which even huge amounts of data can be processed and utilised. This is an important contribution to the manufacturing technology of the future.”

Minerals Development Oman (MDO) has signed a key mining concession agreement with the Ministry of Energy and Minerals (MEM).

The agreement grants MDO the rights to explore and develop strategic minerals within concession area 51F, located in the Al Wusta Governorate, covering 2,156 sq km in the Wilayat of Mahout. This area contains valuable deposits of silica, limestone, and dolomite, all of which are critical for industrial growth and economic diversification in Oman.

Silica, which is in high demand due to its essential role in industries such as glass manufacturing, renewable energy technologies (including solar panels), and energy storage, is a key focus of this agreement. In 2021, the glass industry became the largest consumer of silica sand in the region, and this demand is expected to grow. According to a report by Syndicated Analytics, the GCC silica sand market is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 6.7% from 2022 to 2027, potentially reaching US$513.5mn by 2027.

The new concession positions MDO to become Oman’s first silica sand miner. Silica sand, valued for its high purity (above 97% naturally in this site), strength, and non-reactive properties, is critical for industries such as glass, solar technology, and chemicals. The agreement underscores MDO's and MEM’s confidence in the long-term commercial potential of the concession area.

With the addition of this new concession, Minerals Development Oman’s (MDO) total concession area now covers 24,119 sq km.

Strategic projects

MDO is not just an asset owner but also a driving force for regional mining sector growth. Each project is designed to create value for investors while delivering tangible benefits to local communities through job creation and economic empowerment.

In 2024, MDO launched several strategic exploration projects targeting key minerals, including copper, chromite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, salt, and hard silica. Earlier this year, the company broke ground on the Lasil and Al Baydha Copper Mines Redevelopment Project in Sohar, Liwa, which aims to produce 800,000 tonnes of copper ore annually, supported by a confirmed 2.78 million tonnes of commercial-grade copper reserves.

In the coming months, MDO is set to begin construction on the Yanqul Copper Project, managed by its subsidiary Mazoon Mining LLC. Located in the Yanqul region, Mazoon Mining received exclusive rights from the Ministry of Energy and Minerals in 2022 to explore, develop, and produce copper concentrates, with gold as a secondary by-product. Following detailed feasibility studies, the Canadian firm Lycopodium has been appointed as the EPCM contractor, with construction expected to commence by the end of 2024. This project represents a significant milestone for MDO, positioning Oman as an emerging player in copper production and advancing the nation’s economic diversification strategy.

Nasser Al Maqbali, CEO of MDO, remarked, "This agreement underscores MDO’s commitment to harnessing the nation’s mineral wealth to create investment opportunities, generate employment, and drive sustainable industrial development. Our exploration of silica resources reflects Oman’s untapped potential to support critical industries, especially those related to the energy transition.

With these projects, MDO is becoming a key player in the region’s mining industry and helping Oman achieve its goals of economic diversification and sustainable growth. By focusing on strategic minerals and building impactful partnerships, we are committed to boosting the mining sector’s role in the national economy."

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Agility, a global supply chain services, infrastructure, and innovation company, has signed an MoU with the Saudi Railway Company (SAR) to explore opportunities for inter-modal storage, transportation, and processing facilities in Sudair City for Industry and Businesses, as well as near King Khalid International Airport.

As part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy, the Kingdom is heavily investing in modernising and expanding its logistics and transportation infrastructure to position itself as a global hub for logistics and trade.

Supporting various sectors

Agility has been active in Saudi Arabia for over 20 years, with its Agility Logistics Parks (ALP) business developing and operating advanced logistics and warehousing facilities in Riyadh and Dammam. A third logistics park is currently under construction in Jeddah. The Riyadh Logistics Park features "green" buildings, the first EDGE Advanced-certified warehouses in the GCC.

Agility also supports Saudi Arabia's energy, aviation, and e-commerce sectors, with its venture arm investing in local startups in e-commerce and digital freight matching for the trucking industry.

In 2023, Agility signed an MoU with the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA) to strengthen the healthcare sector by expanding digital health services and localising the medical technology supply chain.

Additionally, Agility is a significant shareholder in DSV, a global logistics provider and a key partner in the NEOM mega-city project, aimed at transforming the Kingdom’s northwest region into a futuristic smart city.

“Saudi Arabia is rapidly moving toward achieving its goal to be one of the world’s most important centres of trade, transportation and logistics,” said Agility vice chairman Tarek Sultan. “Agility has been a long-time supporter, partner and investor in the Saudi logistics sector. We have decades of experience here, and we’ve built some of the Kingdom’s most advanced logistics infrastructure. We see a future where Saudi and the region lead the world's supply chain sector. We thank SAR for giving us the opportunity to be part of this future and the opportunity to contribute to Saudi's growth and success story”

DNV has released its 'Energy Transition Outlook', which notes that 2024 will go down as the year of peak energy emissions

Energy-related emissions are at the cusp of a prolonged period of decline for the first time since the industrial revolution. Emissions are set to almost halve by 2050, but this is a long way short of requirements of the Paris Agreement. The Outlook forecasts the planet will warm by 2.2 °C by end of the century.

The peaking of emissions is largely due to plunging costs of solar and batteries which are accelerating the exit of coal from the energy mix and stunting the growth of oil. Annual solar installations increased 80% last year as it beat coal on cost in many regions. Cheaper batteries, which dropped 14% in cost last year, are also making the 24-hour delivery of solar power and electric vehicles more affordable. The uptake of oil was limited as electrical vehicles sales grew by 50%. In China, where both of these trends were especially pronounced, peak gasoline is now in the past.

China is dominating much of the global action on decarbonisation at present, particularly in the production and export of clean technology. It accounted for 58% of global solar installations and 63% of new electrical vehicle purchases last year. And whilst it remains the world’s largest consumer of coal and emitter of CO2, its dependence on fossil fuels is set to fall rapidly as it continues to install solar and wind. China is the dominating exporter of green technologies although international tariffs are making their goods more expensive in some territories.

“Solar PV and batteries are driving the energy transition, growing even faster than we previously forecasted,” said Remi Eriksen, group president and CEO of DNV. “Emissions peaking is a milestone for humanity. But we must now focus on how quickly emissions decline and use the available tools to accelerate the energy transition. Worryingly, our forecasted decline is very far from the trajectory required to meet the Paris Agreement targets. In particular, the hard-to-electrify sectors need a renewed policy push.”

Striking shifts in energy mix

The success of solar and batteries is not replicated in the hard-to-abate sectors, where essential technologies are scaling slowly. DNV has revised the long-term forecast for hydrogen and its derivatives down by 20% (from 5% to 4% of final energy demand in 2050) since last year. And although DNV has revised up its carbon capture and storage forecast, only 2% of global emissions will be captured by CCS in 2040 and 6% in 2050. A global carbon price would accelerate the uptake of these technologies.

Wind remains an important driver of the energy transition, contributing to 28% of electricity generation by 2050. In the same timeframe, offshore wind will experience 12% annual growth rate although the current headwinds impacting the industry are weighing on growth.

Despite these challenges, the peaking of emissions is a sign that the energy transition is progressing. The energy mix is moving from a roughly 80/20 mix in favour of fossil fuels today, to one which is split equally between fossil and non-fossil fuels by 2050. In the same timeframe, electricity use will double, which is also at the driver of energy demand only increasing 10%.

“There is a growing mismatch between short term geopolitical and economic priorities versus the need to accelerate the energy transition. There is a compelling green dividend on offer which should give policymakers the courage to not only double down on renewable technologies, but to tackle the expensive and difficult hard-to-electrify sectors with firm resolve,” added Eriksen

The Outlook also examines the impact of artificial intelligence on the energy transition. AI will have a profound impact on many aspects of the energy system, particularly for the transmission and distribution of power. And although data points are currently sparse, DNV does not forecast that the energy footprint of AI will alter the overall direction of the transition. It will account for 2% of electricity demand by 2050.

*CO2 emissions from the combustion of coal, oil and gas

Leading motor, drive, and gearbox manufacturer WEG is set to play a key role in one of the largest water transmission projects in the Middle East.

WEG will provide a complete package of motors, variable frequency drives (VFDs), and transformers to support the new water infrastructure, which will deliver water between two of the region’s biggest cities.

The large-scale water transmission system presents significant challenges, with extreme temperatures and environmental conditions. The customer required a holistic solution that includes transformers, water-cooled VFDs, and motors with power ratings up to 9.1 MW to power the pumps within the system.

The MVW01 VFDs with water cooling, a specific requirement for this project, are equipped with an electric panel featuring a new thermal dissipation design that allows for greater power output. The VFDs also include a user-friendly 10-inch touchscreen HMI, simplifying programming and monitoring of key operational parameters. By controlling the process speed efficiently, the VFDs reduce energy consumption, operation and maintenance costs, and the overall total cost of ownership (TCO).

The phase-shifting transformers in the package offer complete isolation, reducing common-mode voltage stress on the motor and lowering harmonics on the power supply. Oil-type transformers were selected to meet the project’s outdoor installation needs. Designed with a step-lap-type magnetic core, the transformers optimise noise levels and keep exciting current low, while their rugged construction can handle short circuit stresses. In addition, the external coatings protect the transformers against harsh environmental conditions.

WEG also provided water-cooled W60 MV motors, which are built to deliver excellent performance under aggressive operating conditions, including extreme ambient temperatures. These motors are designed for industrial applications such as compressors, pumps, and fans. They are both efficient and modular, allowing for different cooling configurations.

“Water transmission systems are a crucial part of critical infrastructure and require specialised equipment that is both robust and reliable to ensure that they run effectively and safely. This can be a particular challenge in harsh outdoor environments,” said Alla Aldrras, HVS development sales manager for HVS Motors & Drives. “We’ve drawn on our experience of developing solutions for the water industry globally to offer a holistic package to meet the customer’s needs, and thanks to our facilities in Brazil, we are able to deliver this well within the project schedule.”

According to a recent State of Technology in Manufacturing survey by global technology intelligence firm ABI Research, Extended Reality (XR) technologies, such as smart glasses and VR headsets, are at a similar stage of development as digital twins, machine vision, and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enhanced devices among industrial and manufacturing operators.

Of the over 460 respondents from various roles in discrete and process manufacturing, 68% indicated some level of XR consideration, while 32% were at different stages of actual implementation.

“The value of XR to organizations has been known for years, especially in areas like training, remote workforce enablement, and collaboration. However, the barriers to that value have also been well-known and remain. Device cost, integration concerns, and confusion around offerings are most common,” says Eric Abbruzzese, research director with ABI Research.

The survey revealed that many companies are currently evaluating XR suppliers, with 30% already at some stage of deployment, ranging from creating implementation programs (10%) to having completed XR integration across all relevant areas (2%). This pattern mirrors other digital transformation technologies, particularly during the evaluation stages. However, XR is more frequently considered for adoption over the next 12-24 months rather than being actively implemented in Proofs of Concept (PoC) or undergoing supplier evaluation compared to other technologies.

Challenges

Improving equipment performance and quality levels was another key priority for respondents. While XR is still in the early stages of adoption, it has demonstrated benefits in areas such as remote maintenance, interactive training, and knowledge capture and sharing. Nevertheless, significant barriers around people and processes remain. The survey identified a lack of time for planning and a general lack of expertise in XR as key obstacles, alongside difficulties in articulating needs from solutions and a lack of clear Return on Investment (ROI). These issues are further complicated by fragmented platform offerings and a rapidly changing XR landscape.

“The XR market has seen plenty of ups and downs over the past decade, which has hindered trust and understanding in the market despite proven value. A lack of clarity among available platforms and paths to market hold back potential adoption. However, the growth of related digital transformation technologies, especially digital twins and machine vision, is a boon for XR and vice versa. Over time, a more holistic view of visual workforce enablement will take hold, rather than a focus on individual technologies, and XR will be an increasing portion of that offering,” concludes Abbruzzese.

These insights come from ABI Research’s Industrial and Manufacturing Survey 1H 2024: Extended Reality (XR) report, which is part of the company’s Extended Reality (XR) Technologies research service, including research, data, and ABI Insights.

Bentley Systems, a leading provider of infrastructure engineering software, has announced the winners of its 2024 Going Digital Awards.

These annual awards recognise outstanding achievements by infrastructure professionals who are utilising Bentley software to enhance the design, construction, and operation of infrastructure projects.

This year saw 250 projects submitted by organisations from 36 countries. A panel of independent judges selected the winners from 36 finalists across 12 categories during Bentley’s Year in Infrastructure event, held on October 8-9 in Vancouver, Canada.

“This year, we received an impressive variety of submissions for the Going Digital Awards from users across the globe, showcasing groundbreaking projects that exemplify the future of infrastructure,” said Kristin Fallon, chief marketing officer at Bentley Systems. “Today, we celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our finalists and winners. These visionary teams demonstrate the power of going digital across the infrastructure lifecycle to improve project delivery and asset performance.”

The winners

Bridges and Tunnels
JMT – Digital Experience for I-95 Rappahannock River Crossing Construction Project

Construction
Proicere Ltd. – SPRS Retreatment (SRP) Sellafield

Enterprise Engineering
Mott MacDonald and HDR – Ontario Line

Facilities, Campuses, and Cities
China ENFI Engineering Co., Ltd. – Digital Construction Project of Comprehensive Waste Management Facilities in Xiong’an New Area

Process and Power Generation
PowerChina Zhongnan Engineering Corporation Limited – Shandong Energy Group Bozhong Offshore Wind Farm Site A Project

Rail and Transit
SPL Powerlines UK – Midland Main Line Electrification

Roads and Highways
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – Digital Twin Implementation for NLEX-SLEX Connector Road Project

Structural Engineering
Hyundai Engineering – New Physical Modeling Method for Plant Steel Structures Using STAAD API

Surveying and Monitoring
Water Supplies Department – Digital Twin of the Ex-Sham Shui Po Service Reservoir

Subsurface Modeling and Analysis
Spark and WSP – North East Link Central Package

Transmission and Distribution
Southwest Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd. of China Power Engineering Consulting Group – Butuo ±800-kV Converter Station

Water and Wastewater
Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo – Sabesp – Integra 4.0

Niftylift is at the forefront in the mobile elevated work platform (MEWP) sector, offering some of the most fuel-efficient diesel-powered equipment, as well as hybrid and fully electric models.

Recently, it introduced the world’s first hydrogen-electric-powered access platforms – the HR15 H₂E and HR17 H₂E – marking a breakthrough in zero-emission construction in the Middle East.

"When powered by renewable energy, Niftylift’s fully electric platforms provide a dependable zero-emission solution for a wide range of urban jobsites. However, we recognise that not all projects, especially those in remote locations, have access to grid power for charging. This is where the hydrogen fuel cell comes into play. By adding it on top of the electric system, we offer a versatile and practical solution that’s viable for virtually any jobsite," explains Thomas Hadden, global technical sales manager at Niftylift.

The HR15 H₂E and HR17 H₂E can run for up to five days on batteries alone, with the hydrogen system doubling this range. Even with daily use, the hydrogen cylinder only needs replacing every two to three weeks. These boom lifts integrate hydrogen technology seamlessly, maintaining Niftylift's renowned low weight and compact design while emitting only water vapour and heat as by-products. This makes them ideal for both urban and remote sites, aligning with the region’s sustainability goals.

Johnson Arabia became the first rental company in the region to acquire a Niftylift HR15 H₂E, impressed by its performance during a demonstration. The company also added 19 fully electric units to its fleet. The HR15 H₂E is now operational on a high-profile UAE construction site, delivering zero emissions without downtime for refuelling or recharging.

Growth in the Middle East

Niftylift sees strong potential in the Middle East, driven by the focus on sustainability and safety in construction. “We’ve seen an ever-increasing growth for Niftylift products in the region even given the fierce market competition,” says Thomas. “This surge in demand is largely due to the heightened awareness of safety standards in the region and we are internationally renowned at Niftylift for our advanced safety features, such as SiOPS (sustained involuntary operation prevention system), load-sensing, and tilt-sensing technologies.”

To support growing demand, Niftylift is establishing a regional office in Dubai, serving as a hub for direct sales and support for key account rental companies. This will strengthen its partnerships in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, and expand its customer base in Saudi Arabia, a key growth market.

Niftylift also maintains close relationships with customers through regular face-to-face meetings and participation in industry events, including sponsorship of the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) Middle East Conference 2024 in Riyadh.

“The Middle East’s transition to a sustainable future hinges on innovative technologies, such as hydrogen-electric equipment,” Thomas concludes. “As a leader in this field, we at Niftylift are committed to empowering the region’s construction industry to achieve ambitious decarbonisation goals.