MachineBuilding.net Technical Articles Index
Latest Technical Articles | |
How to select the best illumination method for machine visionThis article from Stemmer Imaging discusses the critical issue of illumination for machine vision applications - and watch the movie to see the different effects achieved by bright field, dark field and back lighting.
Retained fastenings for fixed guardsThis article reviews some of the retained fastenings that are available for use on fixed machine guards, as required by the new Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and the guarding standard EN 953:1997+A1:2009.
Machinery Directive harmonised standards - a word of cautionPaul Laidler, the Managing Director of Laidler Associates, recommends caution when deciding which 'harmonised' standards to apply when CE marking machinery in accordance with the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.
Novel inductive sensors can be shaped to suit the applicationMark Howard of Zettlex Ltd explains how next-generation inductive transducers work and why they are being specified in place of traditional inductive devices, potentiometers, optical encoders and magnetic encoders.
Plant maintenance - advice for managersThe European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) has launched its new Healthy Workplaces Campaign for 2010/11, promoting safe maintenance across Europe. MCP Consulting and Training suggestions some questions that managers should ask themselves.
An online guide to machinery risk assessmentJon Severn, Editor of MachineBuilding.net, offers some useful pointers for risk assessments on machinery.
Low-cost controlgear products may not be a good investmentGAMBICA explains why machine builders should be very wary of using low-cost controlgear or products that are described as 'equivalent to' or 'interchangeable with' those from leading brands.
How to specify IP ratings for enclosuresSchneider Electric believes that a lack of understanding of IP ratings is leading to enclosures being specified with inappropriate levels of protection. Moreover, some IP ratings do not conform to international standards and are not relevant to the intended use of the products to which they have been applied.
EN ISO 11161 - Safe design of Integrated Manufacturing SystemsRobin Carver* introduces EN ISO 11161, which is the standard for assemblies of machinery, and goes on to outline its contents and describe its relationship to the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and other machinery safety standards.
EN ISO 13849-1:2008 and its errors and omissionsRobin Carver, a machinery safety consultant and BSI committee member*, explains why he thinks that EN ISO 13849-1:2008 is confusing, contains errors and is of little practical use.
BS EN ISO 13855:2010 and BS EN 999:1998+A1:2008 comparedJon Severn, editor of MachineBuilding.net, compares the newly published BS EN ISO 13855:2010, ' Safety of machinery - Positioning of safeguards with respect to the approach speeds of parts of the human body,' with the standard it replaces, BS EN 999:1998+A1:2008 (other EN versions of these standards will show the same differences).
Choosing lead screws, ball screws and satellite roller screwsAbssac offers an extensive range of lead screws, ball screws and satellite roller screws, and this movie and article will help designers select the optimum product for a given application.
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