Machine Building

Staying ahead of the motor efficiency standards

From January 1st 2015 the latest efficiency regulations for electric motors come into force in Europe whereby any new installation using a motor between 7.5kW and 375kW must use either an IE3-rated motor or an IE2 motor installed with a variable frequency drive (VFD). Aimed at improving the overall efficiency of the installed equipment across Europe, the regulation is supported by a new standard, EN50598, which benchmarks the efficiency ratings of electric motor drives.

18th December 2014

Thermal management: life lessons for electric motors

Improving the efficiency of electrical conversion and new methods of thermal management may mean that in future motors run far cooler than they do today. But until then, heat dissipation remains a major consideration for designers of motor-driven systems. Bill Bertram, of motor maker Marathon Electric, looks at the state of the art and casts one eye into his crystal ball.

16th December 2014

SATO helps food businesses comply with EU legal obligations

SATO has developed systems that produce labels to clearly indicate vital information about foods and beverages, enabling food manufacturers and retailers meet EU legal obligations and avoid harsh penalties. With the new European Directive 1169/2011 on food labelling coming into force on 13th December 2014, anyone producing or selling foods and beverages without clearly displaying information such as allergens, nutrition and origin may be at risk of criminal prosecution. Although they differ from country to country, penalties are likely to be severe and range from unlimited fines in the UK to up to 2 years in prison in France.

15th December 2014

Vibration analysis: save time, money and your reputation

Dr Steve Lacey, engineering manager at Schaeffler (UK) Ltd, describes how the operational testing of wind turbine gearboxes can help to identify potential gear- or bearing-related problems prior to installation, saving the customer time, money and their reputation.

15th December 2014

Robots helping food processors future proof their plants

People need to eat, so there will always be a food industry. But people are also demanding, so price, quality and availability are the main forces that drive development in the industry. Ten years ago UK food prices were far lower than they are today - and since the bank collapse of 2008 many people have lower incomes. Food processers are aware of this and are increasingly looking to robots and automation to address their operating efficiency.

3rd December 2014

Electronic access control: physically securing medical equipment

Southco's Simon Williamson discusses how intelligent electronic access systems can improve the security of confidential patient information within the healthcare industry.

3rd December 2014

Minutes to motion - linear positioning explained

Automation is essential if UK manufacturing is to compete against the low-wage economies of the developing world, and linear positioning is often a fundamental part of automation. Here, Gerard Bush of servo specialist INMOCO explains the design basics for linear motion systems.

27th November 2014

Sensors will define the future of production and technology

This past year it has been difficult to open an engineering magazine and not read about the Internet of Things (IoT), Industry 4.0 or Machine-to-Machine Communications (M2MC). But all the hype and predictions will come to naught if sensor manufacturers don't rise to the challenges before them, says Tony Ingham of Sensor Technology Ltd in Oxfordshire.

26th November 2014

The differences between guarding standards ISO 14120 and EN 953

Jeremy Procter, a member of standards committees ISO/TC 199/WG 6 (Safety distances and ergonomic aspects) and BSI MCE/3 (Safeguarding of machinery), and Managing Director of Procter Machine Guarding, explains how the new edition of ISO 14120, the international standard for machine guards, differs from the standard it has replaced in Europe, EN 953.

25th November 2014

Bearing design for electric motors

As the development of more efficient electric motors continues to keep pace with upcoming regulations, it is important to ensure that all the components are engineered to the latest specifications, including the bearings. Tony Synnott, UK Engineering Manager for NSK Europe, explains how bearing design is affecting electric motor performance and reliability.

25th November 2014