Machine Building

Technical Articles

The future of inverter drives in the water industry

The challenges facing the water industry include climate change, rising energy costs, tightening legislation, population growth and increasing usage per head. The use of automated systems in order to make pumps and processes work more efficiently is helping keep pace with these demands; however, what does the future hold for one of the most pivotal products in the automation mix, the inverter drive? Matt Handley, Product Manager for Drive Systems, Mitsubishi Electric UK explains how inverter drive technology is evolving to help in an industry where equipment may be expected to run for 25 years and judging by current evidence, could be in operation for a century or more.

7th February 2017

Systems integrator selection: How to pick the right one

In the UK, there are many companies that specialise in automation projects. Some design and provide the technology, components or sub systems - these are usually called OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers). Others provide the full turnkey applications. Then there are system integrators - people or companies - that are specialists in crafting solutions, overseeing the engineering of automated systems, ensuring all the elements on a manufacturing and packing line work harmoniously together to optimise productivity, reduce waste and address rising manufacturing labour costs.

7th February 2017

The best of industrial automation is yet to come

The third Monday in January, also known as Blue Monday, is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year. Despite emerging from marketing and pseudo-science, the idea holds a nugget of wisdom, considering the weather conditions, debt level, time passed since the winter holidays and time until the next holiday. If you are struggling to get over the post-holiday blues, don't despair. Sit back, relax and read all about some of the industrial technologies you can look forward to this year. Here, Leroy Spence, sales and business manager at industrial spare supplier EU Automation, discusses the industry super trends that will change the face of manufacturing in 2017.

6th February 2017

Delivering on the requirement for ATEX control panels

Designing and building process control panels requires considerable experience and expertise, especially when they are destined for hazardous areas. These potentially explosive atmospheres, or zoned areas, are more common than you'd think, with applications spread across a number of industries from obvious ones like oil & gas to less well recognised areas such as food & drink or rail.

3rd February 2017

Energy efficiency in machine tools

Energy efficiency in machine tools is a cutting-edge topic. The time of power guzzlers is over. "˜Blue competence' is required in machines and systems. This is one of Murrelektronik's specialties. Murrelektronik products help to achieve energy efficiency.

3rd February 2017

Three things industry can learn from new robotic standards

The British Standards Institute (BSI) recently released a new set of standards for the ethical design of robots and robotic devices. The standards highlight the growing need for guidelines on robotic safety, contact with human beings, robotic deception, addiction and possible sexism or racism exhibited by self-learning artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Here, Graham Mackrell, managing director of Harmonic Drive UK, explains the three things industry can take away from the new standard.

2nd February 2017

Cyber security layer cake: security, industry's second nature

When hackers hijacked the electrical systems of three major Ukrainian power distributors back in December 2015, over 230,000 people were left without power for several hours. The uncertainty caused by the attack lasted much longer, especially since employees in both engineering and IT teams alike were initially unclear about how the hackers managed to infiltrate the system. The scale and severity of this incident illustrated, yet again, how important it is for companies to secure their cyber systems at all levels. Here, Martyn Williams, Managing Director of industrial software provider COPA-DATA UK, discusses developments in industrial cyber security.

30th January 2017

How to design and size a busbar

The introduction of the IEC 61439 switchgear and control standards has had significant implications for the design and performance of the copper busbar system. It's an area which design engineers need to appreciate, not least because the new testing regime and the requirement for compliance has changed the way we think about the selection of the busbar system.

30th January 2017

Proactive vs. reactive obsolescence management

With industrial obsolescence speeding up, it is vital for manufacturers to have some level of obsolescence management strategy in place to mitigate the risks of obsolescence. Companies can implement strategies that are proactive, reactive or a mixture. Here, Jonathan Wilkins, marketing director of obsolete parts supplier EU Automation discusses the benefits of a proactive obsolescence management strategy for manufactures.

25th January 2017

How to implement Industry 4.0 with legacy machines

One of the biggest bugbears of plant managers is the cost of upgrading or replacing devices and equipment. While this has traditionally only occurred due to a breakage, the rise of the internet of things (IoT) is driving a need for cross-compatible equipment - in most cases calling for the costly replacement of legacy systems to ensure communication. Adrian Swindells, director of Distec, explores how businesses can keep the cost of IoT implementation to a minimum.

25th January 2017