New and improved Indmatec PEEK 3D printer coming in January 2017

German industrial-strength 3D printing specialists Indmatec – the pioneers of the excellent PEEK filament – are becoming known for releasing 3D printers in quick succession. Just last year, the company released its excellent HPP 155 PEEK 3D printer, which was followed by a superior model with the same name in December 2015. It appears that the company is about to continue this trend, as they shared a sneak preview of a new Indmatec PEEK 3D printer at Additive Manufacturing Europe 2016 in Amsterdam, which is set to be released in January 2017 – with a follow-up planned for the summer of 2017.

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East West Manufacturing

A global contract manufacturer of components, sub-assemblies, and finished goods for OEMs and distributors - managing projects from design to delivery. Making our customers more competitive by manufacturing their products in our facilities in Vietnam, China, and India.

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Where Are You in Your Additive Manufacturing Automation Journey?

Article | September 27, 2021

Somewhat ironically, many processes in additive manufacturing – which is often defined as a digital manufacturing technology – remain manual and siloed. Automation is still not widely deployed in additive manufacturing. The vast majority of companies adopting 3D printing remain dependent on human labour and access to physical inventories. Below we’ll be exploring the stages of maturity in additive manufacturing IT automation; areas companies should consider automating and software solutions available to help you digitise and streamline your additive manufacturing operations.

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Construction

The Semiconductor Chip Shortage

Article | July 14, 2022

640K Ought To Be Enough for Anybody That infamous statement—whether Bill Gates said it or not, goes to show the change in computing and the demands on the semiconductor industry over the last 40 years. At the beginning of the ‘70s, there was no expectation that the personal computer could become an affordable item for the man in the street. By 1979, however, Atari had released the 400 and 800 series of home computers. Three years later, the Commodore 64 made its debut, featuring 64KB of RAM and using an 8-bit CPU. In 1977 Steve Wozniak designed the Apple II, an 8-bit home computer. Launched at the 1977 West Coast Computer Faire, it was aimed at the home consumer market rather than the business market. August 12 1981: The IBM PC It could be argued that the first non-Apple PC, as we've come to know it, was the IBM 5150 personal computer. Its success spurred the production of IBM clones, or IBM PC compatible computers, with Columbia Data Products (CDP) producing the first in June 1982. A Case of History Repeating Itself? In the early ‘80s, anticipating the demand for PC’s to continue, memory chip manufacturers ramped up the production of RAM. But by September 1985, the market had stagnated, and a DRAM chip could be bought for $2.95. Demand for computers had slumped, and this low price reflected industry slowdown and extreme overproduction. Roll On To 1988 and the Price of Computer Chips Rocketed With a glut of existing RAM chips in the marketplace, manufacturers were cautious of the overproduction of 256-kilobit DRAM chips and converted their factories for 1-megabit chips. This shows that chip producers drastically misread the market. 1-megabit chips took significantly longer to manufacture, and so before too long, there was a shortage of RAM, causing prices to increase. The situation began to improve by the next year. Since then, although there have been years when supply was affected, it has been nowhere as catastrophic as now. The Current Semiconductor Chip Crisis We are facing an unprecedented shortage of semiconductor chips which is affecting worldwide markets. COVID-19 undoubtedly had a massive influence on this, but the demand for microchips was already soaring. 2019 COVID-19 Appears Although in November of 2019, a person displayed the first detectable case of COVID-19 in China, there was little else to warn of what was about to come. In the following months, as cases increased, so did hospital admissions. With the horror of widespread deaths, we saw countries bringing in protective measures and restrictions. These became increasingly severe and ranged from social distancing to working from home. This had a direct effect on the industry, seeing output slowed or temporarily ceased. 2020 Onwards In February of 2020, the indirect effects of the pandemic began to bite. Companies closed offices or limited the number of onsite staff. Employees were also encouraged to work offsite where possible. Other employers were forced to furlough employees. For some, the concept of working from the home kitchen table became a daily reality. This was seen as essential to ensure that services were maintained, albeit at a reduced capacity. For factory-based and hospitality industries, the impact was more dramatic. Company Employees Working From Home The decision by many companies to encourage staff to work from home was a direct result of COVID-19 and the resulting Government restrictions, but this, in turn, caused an indirect effect on the semiconductor shortage. In some cases, employees might have had existing company laptops issued to them for use in the workplace. In other cases, the use of their personally-owned device might have been sanctioned for company work. But in other circumstances, the company would either pay the employee to upgrade their laptop or provide a new company laptop with the necessary application and security software installed. This added to the general increased demand for computers that had computer manufacturers struggling to procure chips. Furloughed Employees Many furloughed employees suddenly finding themselves trapped at home with limited opportunities (if any) for socializing turned to or spent more time on gaming. This fuelled an interest in the latest products on the market and a keen appetite for products about to be launched. In turn, manufacturers clamored for more chips. Home Schooling Schools and colleges rose to the challenge of providing continuing education for their pupils and turned to online teaching when the school buildings were closed. Children were being home-schooled by parents and following online lessons. But it was essential that the children had the necessary resources. The basic requirements were a laptop with a webcam and a reliable internet connection. Subsequently, laptop sales increased dramatically. Who Is Taking The Hit? A simple answer is— any industry whose products depend on a high level of semiconductor chips, but in particular, the main players feeling the pain are the automotive and consumer electronics markets. The Auto Industry Automotive Companies Fall To the Back of the Semiconductor Chip Queue As COVID-19 began to take a grip, and with falling demand for vehicles, auto manufacturers either closed sites temporarily or reduced operations. Subsequently, they scaled down backorders from semiconductor suppliers. Meanwhile, the consumer electronics market was thriving and crying out to suppliers for more semiconductor chips. Later, when manufacturing was resumed, auto manufactures found themselves at the back of the queue. What Chips Are Used In Motor Vehicles? There are various types of chips used by auto manufacturers in their vehicles, ranging from commodity chips to microprocessors. According to Statista, “Infineon, NXP, and Renesas were the leading automotive semiconductor manufacturers worldwide in 2020. Infineon's market share was estimated at around 13.2 percent. The total market in 2020 was sized at around 35 billion U.S. dollars.” The Domestic Market (Consumer Electronics) Broadly speaking, this sector covers anything that falls into the entertainment, communications, and recreation categories. Although visits to high street stores to make purchases proved difficult, if not impossible during lockdown periods, online sales soared. But this boom has caused manufacturers a headache, as launches of new products have had to be delayed and fulfilment of the demand for existing models could not be met due to the chip shortage. Other Contributory Factors to the Crisis Although COVID-19 disrupted chip manufacture by causing foundry shutdowns and the halting of production, it wasn’t the only factor. An already beleaguered market was battered by other factors compounding the chip shortage crisis. Drought in Taiwan Water, a major necessity for semiconductors production, has been in short supply due to the worst drought in 56 years. Suez Canal Blockage In March 2021, the 400-metre-long (1,300ft) container ship ‘Ever Given’ ran aground in the Suez Canal and blocked the channel for six days, further impacting distribution and supply. Factory Fire Japanese chipmaker Renesas Electronics Corp. the world's third-largest supplier of automotive chips suffered a fire at its factory. Severe Weather Conditions in Texas In February Samsung, NXP, and Infineon chip fabs shut down in Texas amid record storm. Why Not Just Produce More Chips? While attempting to address the global chip shortage as expeditiously as possible, semiconductor manufacturers cannot afford to make a knee-jerk reaction. If fabrication plants are at maximum capacity or are only structured to make one type of chip, why not build more fabs? Semiconductor wafer fabs are hugely expensive to build. It takes considerable time to construct a new fab, with some as large as small cities. These fabrication plants, also known as foundries, require highly controlled environments where temperature, humidity and static electricity are controlled, and dust-free environments are guaranteed. As an immediate response, building new fabs is not a practical solution to the problem. Long term strategies will have to be put in place as the whole situation is addressed. When Will The Global Chip Shortage End? There are differing views being expressed on this tricky question. Some are optimistic, considering that the worst of the situation is over. Others provide a gloomier outlook, warning that we could be experiencing shortages well into another two years. Crisis management expert Edward Segal writing in Forbes: “The semiconductor chip crisis that hit companies around the world shows no signs of ending any time soon and will continue to impact the supply chains for many industries. Indeed, some organizations have yet to fully recover from the impact of the blockage of the Suez Canal last March on their ability to send and receive essential materials, parts and supplies.” Are There Any Lessons To Be Learned? A cynical reply might be—expect the unexpected. Of course, it is impossible to predict and plan for every possible eventuality. Changing market trends should be anticipated, whereas something as unforeseen as a global pandemic cannot. Manufacturers, however, should seriously take a look at their contingency plans. It seems that far and above the other problems of the chip crisis, the biggest headache within the semiconductor industry is the supply chains. Distribution Networks Writing in an article for ZDNet, Daphne Leprince-Ringuet: “The semiconductor supply chain is flawed, and it's going to take a long time until things get better, despite the combined efforts of industry and regulators.” Supply chains are the highways of trade upon which product delivery depends. But the semiconductor supply chain is hugely complex and is spread across several countries. Admittedly, it is essential to create more fabs over the following years. Still, it is critical to maintain a watchful eye on supply chain policies to ensure future semiconductor chip demand fulfilment. Just-In-Time (JIT) Model Considered as an effective approach by some automotive manufacturers as an efficient method of business management in times of plenty. It becomes counterproductive in times of shortage when they will face long chip manufacture lead times. Chip manufacturers are advocating a greater knowledge of their customers’ production maps, stating that even a two quarter indication is insufficient for planning. Think Outside The Box Be open to some lateral thinking. Recycling could be an interim response to chip shortage. All Of A Sudden Vintage Equipment Is A Hot Commodity Steven Zhou writing in Forbes, reports that old (obsolete) fabs could be suitable for the production of some current 'smart' devices. While the creation of extra fabs can take over two years and the building of the manufacturing equipment up to eighteen months, repurposing old equipment could be a source of additional capacity. Reliance On Asia The current crisis has brought about an awareness of the inadvisability of an ongoing reliance on Asian fabs for the supply of semiconductor chips for U.S. and European markets. The Future According to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) in a publication Strengthening The Global Semiconductor Supply Chain In An Uncertain Era “Over the next ten years, the industry will need to invest about $3 trillion in R&D and capital expenditure globally across the value chain in order to meet the increasing demand for semiconductors.” Moore’s Law Is Not Dead Moore's law is the premise first expressed in 1965 by Gordon E. Moore, the co-founder of Intel, that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles every two years, though the cost of computers is halved. Or put another way—that we can expect to see larger-scale integration with more circuitry packed into chips for the same form factor. If this proves true, manufacturers will take advantage of these cheaper and more advanced chips to develop a new generation of products that consumers will be only too eager to buy.

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Robotics and Automation

The latest on ICE's second UK infrastructure assessment consultation

Article | July 13, 2022

ICE Policy and Public Affairs recently launched a discussion paper and consultation on what should be in the second National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA). The work progresses the institution’s aims to influence infrastructure policy at a systems level. This autumn, the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) will publish its baseline assessment of the current state of key infrastructure sectors, along with proposals for the strategic themes and main priorities of the second NIA expected in 2023. Having been closely involved in both the establishment of the NIC in 2013 and the first NIA in 2018, our consultation asks what the core considerations of NIA2 should be – including net-zero, levelling-up and climate resilience – and explores which demand drivers have changed since the first NIA. Through this paper, we’re seeking to shape the wider infrastructure policy debate, consistently and over a number of years, by examining what our long-term infrastructure should look like – and most importantly, ensure it delivers the sustainable future outcomes we need it to. Look out for more updates later this year on ICE’s work in this area.

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Engineering Tech

Infrastructure Policy Watch: UK government reviews road and rail development policy

Article | July 27, 2021

The UK’s Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps MP, has announced a full review of the National Policy Statement (NPS) for national networks covering major roads and rail. NPSs outline the UK government’s strategic policy intent for infrastructure development and are used as part of the planning system to determine if a proposed project should be granted development consent. The review aims to bring the national networks NPS in line with commitments to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The secretary of state said: "The current National policy statement (NPS) on national networks, the government’s statement of strategic planning policy for major road and rail schemes, was written in 2014 – before the government’s legal commitment to net zero, the 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution, the new sixth carbon budget and most directly the new, more ambitious policies outlined in the transport decarbonisation plan."

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Spotlight

East West Manufacturing

A global contract manufacturer of components, sub-assemblies, and finished goods for OEMs and distributors - managing projects from design to delivery. Making our customers more competitive by manufacturing their products in our facilities in Vietnam, China, and India.

Related News

Construction

Voormi Announces the Next-generation of Core Construction Technology

Voormi | June 02, 2022

The next horizon in the future of CORE CONSTRUCTION® Technology has been announced by VOORMI®, the world's most innovative technical apparel manufacturer. The company's affiliate technology supplier (SWNR Technologies) is now delivering its first view into the future of textiles with improved functional cores, following a multi-year investment in advanced machinery. When we launched the first generation of CORE CONSTRUCTION® Technology, there was so much excitement and speculation about where the technology could go. From Outside Magazine's vision for membranes in everything we wear, to Wired magazine deeming it thebiggest advancement in outerwear in the last 40 years, the opportunities out there felt boundless. What followed was a multi-year development project aimed at realizing the full potential ofcore-knitted textiles." Timm Smith, CTO at VOORMI While the first CORE CONSTRUCTION® products were made to improve the performance and weather protection of fleece and other thermal layers, Smith says the long-term goal has always been to make it possible to use even more complex functional substrates in the wider knitwear market and to look into the vast world of opportunities outside of clothing. "From the beginning, fine-gauge knits, technical yarns, and the insertion of advanced substrates have all been key areas of focus for us," said Smith. "As is the case with most new 'methods of make' – it ultimately came down to equipment limitations. This Gen2 machinery truly opens up the world for us in terms of capability. With brand new patterning and multi-core insertion capabilities, there's no reason why every yard of knitted fabric in the world shouldn't contain a multi-functional core." A lot of new VOORMI products are coming out this year, and the company has also started a number of pilot projects outside of the clothing industry. These projects aim to improve the functionality of things like automotive applications and e-textiles.

Read More

KUKA: Automation in Automotive Engineering: Sensitive robot increases efficiency in final assembly

KUKA | May 27, 2020

With its sensitive capabilities, the LBR iiwa from KUKA measures gap dimensions and flushness of body components such as between the tailgate and side wall or between the headlights and hood. At the same time, the worker carries out further quality tests on the car body. Automation in final assembly is a fairly new field. The fact that humans and robots share the workplace along the flow assembly line has been a rarity up to now. The measurements are relative to the component. This enables the robot to carry out its measuring task completely autonomously in flow operation. In contrast to conventional robot-supported measurement, this is a real added value - Otmar Honsberg, Head of Application Engineering at KUKA In combination with optical detection and its haptic sensor technology, the sensitive KUKA LBR iiwa automatically adapts to new situations in the event of belt vibrations or stops, and continues to carry out its work seamlessly. “The “Assembly in Motion” solution makes the robot an intelligent positioning unit for the measuring device”, adds Honsberg.

Read More

COVID-19 Accelerates the Use of Augmented Reality for Engineering Collaboration in Compliance with Social Distancing

Engineering Report | May 19, 2020

Covid-19 will accelerate the business world’s move to Augmented Reality and other IoT solutions, as companies across the UK look to adapt to a new working normal. It enables them to capture every step of the process/build/assembly and create an interactive step-by-step guide for other people to follow. This is where the use of AR technology for collaboration and remote support of frontline workers has soared. The way frontline workers have seamlessly adapted to the benefits of AR to continue to perform their roles during the pandemic has paved the way for greater adoption and a desire to tap into huge cost savings and greater productivity. Whilst Zoom and Microsoft Teams have become a norm for office workers, physical specialists have embraced digital transformation to build ventilators, deliver crucial training to apprentices and solve production bottlenecks on automotive lines. This has been achieved by allowing remote experts to see the physical world in video and annotate physical objects during the call, using a smart phone, tablet or wearable tech, such as Microsoft HoloLens glasses. It enables them to capture every step of the process/build/assembly and create an interactive step-by-step guide for other people to follow, whether that is in a factory thousands of miles away or in a sister company in a neighbouring city. Read more: Made Smarter, Enginuity Launch 'ENGAGE' Platform to Enhance Digital Engineering Skills Traditionally, this would involve engineers travelling to the factory, but suddenly Covid-19 meant that was not possible. So, how do you facilitate collaboration between two frontline workers where one is a veteran technician who needs to explain a laboratory process to a new technician? This used to involve mentoring or ‘job shadowing’, but social distancing makes that difficult. This is where the use of AR technology for collaboration and remote support of frontline workers has soared, enabling experts to be much more productive in helping to debug problems and resolve production issues remotely. Covid-19 has meant industry has been forced to adapt quicker than it probably would have done under normal economic circumstances, but now they’ve had a taste of the operational and financial benefits it can deliver, I can see a major rise in adoption. This will be through knowledge exchange and it can also be through knowledge retention when AR can leverage and store the experience and expertise of an ageing workforce so it can be passed down to the next generation. I genuinely believe Augmented Reality will become the Zoom of the physical world. A good example of the power of Augmented Reality in work capture and exchange has been seen recently in the urgent production of ventilators for the NHS. Smiths Medical, a medical device manufacturer participating in the Ventilator Challenge UK, needed to ramp up production and tapped into the capabilities of PTC’s Vuforia Expert Capture and Microsoft HoloLens to capture the crucial assembly steps and processes involved in building one of its Rapidly Manufactured Ventilator Systems (RMVS). This was uploaded and edited to create a virtual assembly guide and relayed, through wearable equipment or smart devices, to the factories of consortium partners that haven’t made ventilators previously. Read more: This U.S. construction firm is raising buildings via drone Protecting all the workers involved in the project was of paramount importance to the consortium and this is where AR proved ideal for removing a lot of the dangers, by virtually placing a ventilator expert into a partner factory – thus reducing the risk of the virus spreading. Whilst Augmented Reality has a lot to offer it has to be implemented carefully and companies need to consider three main things: Prioritisation in how AR can be used across your business and where will you gain the most operational and financial benefits Could it be sales and marketing, could it be on the shop floor or in the field? Secondly, make sure the solution is designed with a device type in mind to ensure a good user experience and this covers whether it is head-mounted or hand-held. Don’t be swayed into going with the latest technology, make sure you choose the right application. And finally, AR is only as good as the quality of the content and the data that companies use.

Read More

Construction

Voormi Announces the Next-generation of Core Construction Technology

Voormi | June 02, 2022

The next horizon in the future of CORE CONSTRUCTION® Technology has been announced by VOORMI®, the world's most innovative technical apparel manufacturer. The company's affiliate technology supplier (SWNR Technologies) is now delivering its first view into the future of textiles with improved functional cores, following a multi-year investment in advanced machinery. When we launched the first generation of CORE CONSTRUCTION® Technology, there was so much excitement and speculation about where the technology could go. From Outside Magazine's vision for membranes in everything we wear, to Wired magazine deeming it thebiggest advancement in outerwear in the last 40 years, the opportunities out there felt boundless. What followed was a multi-year development project aimed at realizing the full potential ofcore-knitted textiles." Timm Smith, CTO at VOORMI While the first CORE CONSTRUCTION® products were made to improve the performance and weather protection of fleece and other thermal layers, Smith says the long-term goal has always been to make it possible to use even more complex functional substrates in the wider knitwear market and to look into the vast world of opportunities outside of clothing. "From the beginning, fine-gauge knits, technical yarns, and the insertion of advanced substrates have all been key areas of focus for us," said Smith. "As is the case with most new 'methods of make' – it ultimately came down to equipment limitations. This Gen2 machinery truly opens up the world for us in terms of capability. With brand new patterning and multi-core insertion capabilities, there's no reason why every yard of knitted fabric in the world shouldn't contain a multi-functional core." A lot of new VOORMI products are coming out this year, and the company has also started a number of pilot projects outside of the clothing industry. These projects aim to improve the functionality of things like automotive applications and e-textiles.

Read More

KUKA: Automation in Automotive Engineering: Sensitive robot increases efficiency in final assembly

KUKA | May 27, 2020

With its sensitive capabilities, the LBR iiwa from KUKA measures gap dimensions and flushness of body components such as between the tailgate and side wall or between the headlights and hood. At the same time, the worker carries out further quality tests on the car body. Automation in final assembly is a fairly new field. The fact that humans and robots share the workplace along the flow assembly line has been a rarity up to now. The measurements are relative to the component. This enables the robot to carry out its measuring task completely autonomously in flow operation. In contrast to conventional robot-supported measurement, this is a real added value - Otmar Honsberg, Head of Application Engineering at KUKA In combination with optical detection and its haptic sensor technology, the sensitive KUKA LBR iiwa automatically adapts to new situations in the event of belt vibrations or stops, and continues to carry out its work seamlessly. “The “Assembly in Motion” solution makes the robot an intelligent positioning unit for the measuring device”, adds Honsberg.

Read More

COVID-19 Accelerates the Use of Augmented Reality for Engineering Collaboration in Compliance with Social Distancing

Engineering Report | May 19, 2020

Covid-19 will accelerate the business world’s move to Augmented Reality and other IoT solutions, as companies across the UK look to adapt to a new working normal. It enables them to capture every step of the process/build/assembly and create an interactive step-by-step guide for other people to follow. This is where the use of AR technology for collaboration and remote support of frontline workers has soared. The way frontline workers have seamlessly adapted to the benefits of AR to continue to perform their roles during the pandemic has paved the way for greater adoption and a desire to tap into huge cost savings and greater productivity. Whilst Zoom and Microsoft Teams have become a norm for office workers, physical specialists have embraced digital transformation to build ventilators, deliver crucial training to apprentices and solve production bottlenecks on automotive lines. This has been achieved by allowing remote experts to see the physical world in video and annotate physical objects during the call, using a smart phone, tablet or wearable tech, such as Microsoft HoloLens glasses. It enables them to capture every step of the process/build/assembly and create an interactive step-by-step guide for other people to follow, whether that is in a factory thousands of miles away or in a sister company in a neighbouring city. Read more: Made Smarter, Enginuity Launch 'ENGAGE' Platform to Enhance Digital Engineering Skills Traditionally, this would involve engineers travelling to the factory, but suddenly Covid-19 meant that was not possible. So, how do you facilitate collaboration between two frontline workers where one is a veteran technician who needs to explain a laboratory process to a new technician? This used to involve mentoring or ‘job shadowing’, but social distancing makes that difficult. This is where the use of AR technology for collaboration and remote support of frontline workers has soared, enabling experts to be much more productive in helping to debug problems and resolve production issues remotely. Covid-19 has meant industry has been forced to adapt quicker than it probably would have done under normal economic circumstances, but now they’ve had a taste of the operational and financial benefits it can deliver, I can see a major rise in adoption. This will be through knowledge exchange and it can also be through knowledge retention when AR can leverage and store the experience and expertise of an ageing workforce so it can be passed down to the next generation. I genuinely believe Augmented Reality will become the Zoom of the physical world. A good example of the power of Augmented Reality in work capture and exchange has been seen recently in the urgent production of ventilators for the NHS. Smiths Medical, a medical device manufacturer participating in the Ventilator Challenge UK, needed to ramp up production and tapped into the capabilities of PTC’s Vuforia Expert Capture and Microsoft HoloLens to capture the crucial assembly steps and processes involved in building one of its Rapidly Manufactured Ventilator Systems (RMVS). This was uploaded and edited to create a virtual assembly guide and relayed, through wearable equipment or smart devices, to the factories of consortium partners that haven’t made ventilators previously. Read more: This U.S. construction firm is raising buildings via drone Protecting all the workers involved in the project was of paramount importance to the consortium and this is where AR proved ideal for removing a lot of the dangers, by virtually placing a ventilator expert into a partner factory – thus reducing the risk of the virus spreading. Whilst Augmented Reality has a lot to offer it has to be implemented carefully and companies need to consider three main things: Prioritisation in how AR can be used across your business and where will you gain the most operational and financial benefits Could it be sales and marketing, could it be on the shop floor or in the field? Secondly, make sure the solution is designed with a device type in mind to ensure a good user experience and this covers whether it is head-mounted or hand-held. Don’t be swayed into going with the latest technology, make sure you choose the right application. And finally, AR is only as good as the quality of the content and the data that companies use.

Read More

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