Machine Building

The immediate future for automation in the food industry

Chris Evans, Marketing and Operations Group Manager at Mitsubishi Electric - Automation Systems Division UK comments on what to look out for now and what is just round the corner in terms of automation for the food and beverage industry.

22nd March 2017

Developing an alternative to Coriolis

Coriolis flowmeters first came into commercial use in the 1970s and ever since they have been developed and refined to meet a growing number of applications across a wide range of industries. However, where fluid density is not required, there is an alternative that offers all of the accuracy of Coriolis as well as addressing many of its substantial drawbacks.

17th March 2017

Cyber attacks: heed the wise words of military tacticians

In order to better protect Industrial Control Systems from cyber attacks, companies should take heed from the wise words of successful military tacticians and the lessons learned from some of the greatest failures in military defence, says Tim Ricketts, Director of M.A.C. Solutions.

15th March 2017

How to extend an electric motor's life

Motors play a crucial part in the production process for many industries. However, through extended use, motors can become worn and less efficient, driving associated costs up for businesses. Although many think the cost of the motor itself is the biggest outlay a business faces, studies have found that this makes up just 2 per cent of its life-cycle cost. With maintenance and repairs occupying such a large cost share in relation to electric motors, it's in your best interest to extend the life of your electric motor wherever you can. Offering their expert advice, Houghton International explains the basics of extending your electric motor's life.

15th March 2017

Non-contact colour measurement sensors: factors to consider

There are several key factors that need to be considered before purchasing or specifying a non-contact colour sensor, including accuracy, the type of surface or object being measured, environmental conditions and mechanical set up, says Stephen Smith, Product Sales Engineer at Micro-Epsilon UK.

14th March 2017

The cost of functional safety for food processing

In 2014 in the UK, a large food manufacturer had to pay a £800,000 fine after a serious industrial accident. An engineer was trapped by the machinery while examining a conveyor belt and suffered major injury and ongoing nerve damage. An investigation revealed that this dangerous accident could have been prevented if a guard was in place on the machine. Here, Jorgen Saxeryd, safety products and functional safety advisor to ABB's food and beverage programme explains how safety procedures must be developed in food processing plants.

10th March 2017

Many threads on industrial screws and fasteners at Challenge

Metric thread forms are common across a significant range of fastener products, so that for example an M5 thread is the same irrespective of the head type or screw style. There are of course fine thread, extra fine thread and constant pitch series, but if possible these are to be avoided as their stocked range is not as comprehensive as it is for your more general coarse pitch threads.

10th March 2017

ISO/TS 15066, Robots and robotic devices - Collaborative robots

PD ISO/TS 15066:2016 has been published by BSI as the UK implementation of the international Technical Specification ISO/TS 15066:2016. The following review outlines the document's contents and considers the implications for integrators and suppliers of collaborative robots (cobots). *

8th March 2017

How to leverage e-learning in the manufacturing industry

Niklas Brundin, Wolf-Dieter Hoppe, Johan Treutiger, Carl Reiman and Caroline Dedering, all from Arthur D. Little, discusses how to leverage e-learning for knowledge sharing in the manufacturing industry.

6th March 2017

Lubrication - when is anti-seize the best choice?

The typical function of a lubricant is to protect against friction and wear but it can also be used to inhibit corrosion by displacing moisture and leaving a continuous coating on the part. When choosing a lubricant, it is important to consider the intended application as well as the environmental conditions to which the assembly will be exposed. Indeed, environmental conditions are critical to the successful selection of the right lubricant product. Factors including high temperatures, harsh chemicals and contaminants may have an adverse effect on the expected lubricant performance.

3rd March 2017