Machine Building

PUWER Regulation 18 - Control Systems, and applicable standards

This article by Jamie Walton, Head of Consulting at Pilz Automation Technology, explains what you need to know about PUWER Regulation 18, relating to control systems, and the applicable standards.

19th May 2016

Health and safety issues relating to lone working

Every company has an inviolable obligation to look after the health, safety and welfare of its employees. This fundamental duty of care is sacrosanct. It makes employers responsible for protecting people from harm by assessing risks and, where necessary, taking steps to avoid or control them.

17th May 2016

A balancing act: the benefits of using counterbalance technology

Stewart Beck of Southco discusses the performance advantages of counterbalance technology when compared with alternative technologies available on the market.

17th May 2016

Top three industrial trends in 2016

UK manufacturing has faced relatively uncertain times in recent years. The economic collapse of 2008 led to a hostile period of market instability, which coincided with a period of great technological growth - with few of these technologies being properly adopted due to costs. Almost a decade later, these advancements are at last becoming increasingly common in industrial sectors. John Cove, Marketing Manager of metrology and saw blade specialist Starrett, explores these current industry trends.

17th May 2016

Benefits of tape-and-reel delivery of non-electronic components

Tape-and-reel packing of surface-mount electronic components is now well established and widely used by circuit board assemblers and electronic device manufacturers. The technique is now also becoming rapidly taken-up by mechanical assemblers and manufacturers of electro-mechanical devices to help automate assembly. But have you ever stopped to remember what life used to be like in the days before this simple idea hit the factory floor? It is actually a really important question as we look towards the EU referendum, because the best way to summarise the answer is 'We moved production to Asia to save money.'

12th May 2016

Two-speed gearboxes bring flexibility to machine tools

Getting the most out of machine tools means providing the ability to process a range of different materials and to be able to perform both high and low-speed cutting. Ian Carr, Managing Director of Drive Lines, describes how two-speed planetary gearboxes allow the cutting edge power of modern machine tools to be fully realised.

12th May 2016

Tuning into food metal detection frequencies

Metallic inclusions are the number one contaminant in food products, causing product quality and consumer safety issues. Phil Brown, Sales Director of Fortress Technology, looks at the technologies behind effective metal detection, explains the three key frequency options and why it is essential to select the correct frequency for your food application.

12th May 2016

Multi-fluid hydraulic test facility ensures optimum performance

Designing and manufacturing electro-hydraulic products (pumps, manifolds, valves, controls and systems) requires considerable knowledge and expertise, especially when they are destined for applications in industrial, oil, gas, marine, aviation, civil and military applications where equipment availability is essential. Using advanced engineering techniques such as solid modelling, Finite Element Analysis and Computational Fluid Dynamics, components can now be designed to meet requirements with minimal need for costly and time consuming testing. But what happens when components currently in production are needed to work in new and challenging conditions? This is where in-house testing facilities ensure that each and every product meets the requirements of the application in which it will be operating. Mike Harding, UK Design and Product Development Manager at Oilgear Towler, looks at the benefits of in-house testing for both the manufacturer and the end user.

10th May 2016

Worm gearboxes produce high torque at low cost

Worm gearboxes are low-cost options for producing high torque from relatively small electric motors. Their output shaft is at a 90 degree angle to the motor input shaft and higher reduction ratios are obtained compared with conventional gearbox designs. Tony Young, director of electrical and automation maintenance company, CP Automation, explains the benefits of worm gearboxes.

10th May 2016

Reports of fieldbuses' usage disappearing are premature

Although Industrial Ethernet is the clear future direction of the industrial network market it's also clear that it will be many years before we finally say goodbye to fieldbuses. Michael Volz, General Manager of HMS Industrial Networks GmbH in Germany, says fieldbuses will be popular for many years to come, but that Ethernet will gain ground where it has something extra to offer.

6th May 2016