Machine Building

Superconductors and their potential for industrial automation

For the industrial automation sector, superconductor technology is still in the development / demonstration stage. Their special properties show early promise for solving specific industrial automation issues and opening up completely new application fields of the future.

9th January 2015

Intelligent control for food processors

The general trends in the automation of food processing have been heading towards more precise control and more information being gathered at device level. It is important for process engineers to appreciate which control structure would be most appropriate for their particular application.

9th January 2015

How to guarantee accuracy throughout the manufacturing process

For want of a nail the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe the horse was lost. This proverb carries on through rider and message to battle and kingdom. It pre-dates modern manufacturing - probably by a couple of centuries - but exactly the same principle applies to engineering. Chris Putman, Sales and Marketing Director of WDS explains that if you don't get the small details right, the big picture will never be perfect.

22nd December 2014

Extension and compression springs machined from solid material

This article from Abssac explains some of the physics behind machined springs, and how this translates into real-world advantages.

21st December 2014

Do PLe applications need two interlocks?

There is a lot of interest in whether redundancy is required when it comes to interlock actuators.

18th December 2014

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