Machine Building

Cast your export net far and wide

If the economic climate of the last few years has taught us anything it is that UK manufacturers cannot rely on the domestic market alone, they must make every effort to maximise exports. Tony Ingham of Sensor Technology says manufacturers must export, but they have to hedge all bets to mitigate the risks.

22nd July 2013

B&R boosts energy efficiency in plastics processing

Manufacturers in plastics processing and countless other industries are looking for opportunities to further reduce energy consumption. Generally, the potential for savings is high. Those who find ways to tap into this potential stand to gain a sustained economic benefit along with clear competitive advantages.

19th July 2013

Added-value services match the needs of the business

Material costs are rising, but that does not mean price should be the beginning and end of any negotiation when purchasing parts. The benefits of working with an expert supplier still exceed any such price rises, because they bring both financial and operational benefits, not least making sure engineers engineer, not buy. As Julia Mullar, Operations Development Manager at ERIKS Integrated Solutions, explains, a trusted provider can save customers money whatever the level of service. And the closer the relationship, the bigger the saving.

16th July 2013

Smaller, lighter motor will comply with IE4

For OEMs of continuous driven equipment such as pumps, fans or compressors, design engineers could be incorporating into products motors that will offer customers significant operating savings, as well as enabling them to design products that could be smaller and lighter.

10th July 2013

Direct versus Indirect measurement of shaft angle

As a rule, it's preferable to measure directly the position or speed of the object that you are interested in. In many cases, practical problems of physical environment or limited space mean that this can be a challenge, particularly when measuring the angle of shafts with a diameter greater than a couple of inches. The traditional approach is to measure angular position or speed indirectly - typically inferring the shaft's position from measurements made elsewhere. Mark Howard of Zettlex Ltd describes the traditional approach and a new, direct approach enabled by inductive sensors

9th July 2013

SAW transducers: A better way to measure torque

Measuring torque accurately, particularly in rotating shafts, can often be challenging, but there is a reliable approach using technology based on surface acoustic wave (SAW) transducers, says Mark Ingham of Sensor Technology.

3rd July 2013

Vert-X 16 encoder: precision for demanding applications

As diverse as the industrial applications are - medical and industrial applications, the automotive industry, energy sector, railway technology or robotics - the demands are very similar. This particularly applies to angle measurement, where features like safety, confined installation space, high price sensitivity and maximum accuracy are key requirements.

1st July 2013

Materials and coatings increase operating life of bearings

Dr Steve Lacey, Engineering Manager at Schaeffler UK, discusses the importance of selecting a special surface coating or corrosion-resistant material for rolling, plain and linear bearings operating in harsh food, beverage or packaging environments.

1st July 2013

Non-Destructive Testing - how far should you go?

Every day millions of components are produced around the world to help build everything from a simple toy to fighter jets. For every manufacturer involved in the process, a decision must be made on how to test the component to ensure it meets the design criteria. For the vast majority, batch inspection and testing is sufficient; however, where high-precision engineering is involved the testing must be exhaustive and comprehensive. Components for aerospace, motorsport, medical devices and other ultra critical areas are required to be tested to a very high standard.

28th June 2013

Nord solutions for the extended energy-efficiency directive

The European Commission has initiated a significant tightening of the energy-efficiency directive for electrical devices, leaving more users of drive technology faced with new challenges. By providing comprehensive information, fast, expert support, and suitable drive products, Nord Drivesystems aims to enable machinery and equipment manufacturers to continue producing economically compelling products that comply with all regulations.

27th June 2013