Machine Building

Advanced automation technologies in food manufacturing

The food manufacturers who are successful in today's fast-paced, ever-changing industry are the ones who can capitalise on fast moving trends, optimise their efficiency and productivity, best manage their supply chain logistics, and minimise waste. Chris Evans of Mitsubishi Electric looks at how advanced automation technologies can help.

3rd June 2013

Looking back helps power transmission engineers to move forward

Power transmission design is a moving discipline, one which requires practitioners to consider the challenges of tomorrow when designing innovations for today. It is natural that design styles move on and that, as technologies develop and industries progress, standard approaches change and modernise. However, any good engineer will tell you that it is important to learn from the past; sometimes an older principle can be the answer to an industry's latest demands. Miroslav Slawik, Global Account Manager Basic Metal for Bauer Gear Motor, explains the evolution of gearbox design for high speed roller tables in the steel industry and how looking back may be the way forwards...

28th May 2013

Using constant current control for metal purification

In the vast world of power supply applications, we can identify two main categories for regulating the power applied to the load. The first is "˜constant voltage', where the control loop maintains a constant voltage to varying load current demands; the second is "˜constant current' where the current is maintained constant to vary the voltage applied to the load. Giacomo Mazzullo of TDK-Lambda explains.

22nd May 2013

Selecting a laser welding system with confidence

Purchasing a laser welding system for the first time may seem a daunting task to the uninitiated. How do you know that you are talking to the right companies? Do they have the best system for your application? Happily, the process of selection can be simplified and decisions made with confidence, by considering the points below

14th May 2013

Embedded virtualisation and security for industrial automation

Industrial controllers and HMIs seldom have protection for the IT and network security. This article explains how virtualisation could provide cyber-security for industrial automation, especially where embedded controllers are used.

24th April 2013

Capacitance modules are an easy route to energy efficiency

Andrew Davies of Bosch Rexroth explains how capacitance modules can be an easy and cost-effective way to improve the energy efficiency of machines.

18th April 2013

Guide to selecting the optimum shaft coupling

There are many kinds of flexible shaft couplings, and while they all fulfil their primary purpose, each has certain characteristics that make it more effective in one application than another.

27th March 2013

A guide to selecting non-contact sensors

Nowhere is the trend towards non-contact sensing more evident than in position measurement. With such a bewildering array of options, it can be difficult to select the most appropriate instrument for a specific application.

22nd March 2013

Angle sensors: do you know your arc-seconds from your gradians?

Angle sensors are generally rated and, just as importantly, priced according to their measurement performance. But performance is stated in a variety of ways and some manufacturers confuse matters by using crafty "˜spec-manship'. Mark Howard of Zettlex explains some of the terminology and provides an explanation of how to specify an angle sensor that is right for your application.

20th March 2013

Consumer technology will revitalise industrial automation

As the parent of teenage boys, Stuart Harvey is inclined to classify Playstations and Xboxes as the scourge of a generation. But as the forward-thinking managing director of Softstart UK, he sees them as technologies that could transform industrial automation.

28th February 2013