Machine Building

OSHA and collaborative robots in the automotive industry

Prior to the Next-Generation Collaborative Robots & Automation Technologies 2016 conference (August 17-18, Detroit), the organisers have published an interview with Matt Epperson, a Compliance Safety and Health Officer at OSHA's Department of Labor, who will be speaking at the event.

6th July 2016

A comparison of blue and red laser triangulation sensors

Although red laser triangulation displacement sensors have been in use for more than 20 years, blue laser versions are also now available. Before selecting which colour to use, it is important to understand which type performs best on which target materials, says Chris Jones, Managing Director at Micro-Epsilon UK.

6th July 2016

Everyday ergonomics: metrology for the modern market

If you ever stay at the Grand Hyatt hotel in San Francisco, don't be alarmed to receive a note from the staff advising you that the 35-story skyscraper may creak and sway in the wind. Even Dubai's mountainous Burj Khalifa, weighing half a million tonnes, can flex back and forth by 2 metres at its 2717-foot peak. Everything in our world is flexible and even the largest of structures are susceptible to force. Here, John Cove, marketing manager at Starrett, explores the importance of force measurement testing and the role accuracy plays in product development.

6th July 2016

Lee Spring provides customer assist service to UK manufacturing

Across applications from engines to vehicle trim, kids toys to sophisticated medical devices and sensitive instrumentation to valves of many types, the Lee Spring capability to quickly create application-specific springs and spring components such as fourslide parts is putting a spring in the step of UK manufacturing industry.

6th July 2016

Don't forget fixturing for CMMs and other inspection systems

When purchasing Co-ordinate Measuring Machines (CMM) and vision or flexible gauging systems, fixturing is often overlooked until the inspection equipment has been commissioned and the first parts need to be measured. To avoid delays, fixturing requirements should be well understood and addressed while a project is still in the planning stages. Even long after the equipment has been commissioned, many machines continue to be under-productive and cause backlogs in the inspection process, which is a direct result of inadequate fixturing.

29th June 2016

DCS versus PLC

The difference between distributed control systems (DCSs) and programmable logic controllers (PLCs) can be boiled down to a simple football metaphor. Your DCS is your captain. The first name on the team sheet, your DCS is dependable, hardworking and controls the whole outfit. Your PLC is more like a utility player - he's nippy and doesn't mind where he plays, but don't expect him to be as reliable as your captain. Here, Mark Proctor, managing director of industrial spares supplier EU Automation, gives his player analysis of DCSs and PLCs in the modern plant.

24th June 2016

Subaru's approach to adopting next-generation automation

In advance of the Next-Generation Collaborative Robots & Automation Technologies 2016 conference (August 17-18, Detroit), the organisers have published this interview with Steven Eakins, a Manufacturing Engineer at Subaru, about his perspective and where Subaru stands when it comes to robotics and automation technologies.

24th June 2016

Production machines and automation products for the Asian market

Success in overseas markets often requires vendors to adapt their products or services to suit their target markets. This is particularly evident in automation, where each continent tends to favour specific communications systems. Here we look at how several European machine builders and device makers have addressed the needs of potential customers in Asia.

22nd June 2016

Think outside the box for cranes and hoists

When contemplating entering the cranes and hoists market, panel builders and system integrators need to think outside the box - not only laterally but vertically as well. Mainstream horizontal applications like conveyors cannot be shoehorned into the same category as cranes and hoists. Tony Young, owner and director of CP Automation explains the complexities of vertical lift applications.

13th June 2016

GRP: the best of both worlds for trackside enclosures?

Network Rail has switched to 2-core cable in an effort to reduce spending on trackside installations. While this is a way to cut down on thefts overall, the cable type offers no earthing capabilities, meaning that traditional metal enclosures may no longer be suitable. This presents a rare opportunity for the canny specifier, who may find that Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) enclosures can offer cost advantages whilst keeping the engineers happy. Chris Lloyd, Managing Director of Spelsberg UK, explains why GRP enclosures offer the best of both worlds in terms of performance and price.

9th June 2016