Machine Building

How to set the smallest speed increment on a servo motor

Andrew Fallows, managing director of Motor Technology, considers a frequently asked question on the issue of speed control and offers some advice to engineers.

17th October 2017

Polymer banknotes have longer lifetime compared with paper notes

Cotton paper has been the material of choice for banknotes since they were first recorded in the 7th century in China. Paper money did not really catch on in Europe, however, until nearly a thousand years later. It was first widely used in the UK in 1759, when gold shortages caused by the Seven Years War forced the Bank of England to issue £10 notes for the first time. The first £5 notes followed about 20 years later at the start of the French Revolution. More recently, the Bank has begun switching to a special polymer that promises to be more durable and cleaner than paper.

11th October 2017

How to specify components for a rotary latch system

James Stroud of Southco explains the need to ensure compatibility between the critical elements of a rotary latch system as commonly found on enclosures and equipment in many different industries, and presents some important points to consider when specifying a complete latching system.

11th October 2017

Safe position monitoring in industrial automation

As one of the technology leaders in the area of optoelectronic safety sensors for industrial automation, Leuze electronic offers effective personnel protection devices in accordance with international safety standards.

10th October 2017

How is smart technology improving food safety?

Food safety has been one of the top priorities for food manufacturers and consumers for many years. In fact, the 2016 food manufacturing outlook report by US magazine Food Processing found that a quarter of manufacturers considered it their top priority. Here, Robert Glass, global marketing manager of ABB's food and beverage program, explains how smart technologies are helping manufacturers exceed food safety standards.

5th October 2017

BS 8611:2016, ethical design and application of robots

BSI has published British Standard BS 8611:2016, Robots and robotic devices. Guide to the ethical design and application of robots and robotic systems. The following article looks at the new standard's contents and its implications for robot suppliers and integrators.

4th October 2017

It's time to torque ISO 6789-2:2017

Having been named as the first laboratory in the world to be accredited to perform calibrations on hand torque tools to the newly revised BS EN ISO 6789-2:2017 standard, here, Neill Brodey, Managing Director at Norbar Torque Tools, takes the opportunity to outline the key changes, and what they mean for manufacturers and tool users alike.

3rd October 2017

How to solve the problem of matching drive components

Warren Harvard, Product Manager for Electric Drives at Festo, discusses the challenges facing machine builders and what can be done to improve the selection, connection and configuration of electric drives systems.

2nd October 2017

Why do DC motors fail? How to specify to prevent failure

Everything in this world has a limited time to operate, nothing lasts forever. So what factors play a key role in putting a DC motor out of action? Patrick Vega of maxon motors discusses the issue.

29th September 2017

Where to position electrical enclosures

A TV property pundit once said that the three most important factors to consider when assessing a building were location, location and location. According to Chris Lloyd, Managing Director of Spelsberg UK, the same adage holds true when choosing where to position electrical enclosures. Here, Chris takes us through the correct decision-making process for locating that perfect spot.

28th September 2017