Machine Building

Adhesive helps to improve lean manufacturing of valves

Thanks to close collaboration between engineers from Henkel and HydraForce, the manufacturer of hydraulic valves has been able to use the principles of lean manufacturing to help improve process efficiency. The project also created opportunities for HydraForce to enhance the quality of its Loctite adhesive application and assembly procedures by taking full advantage of an innovative Loctite retaining compound.

16th November 2015

Air gap robot improves motor inspection without removing rotor

A miniature robot - the ABB InSight - fitted with five cameras is being used to crawl in the air gap between the stator and rotor of large motors or generators to visually inspect their status, thereby reducing downtime, inspection costs and the need to withdraw the rotor.

13th November 2015

Condition monitoring of fan units prevents unplanned downtime

Whether it's for receipts, ATM machine bank statements or tickets - thermal printer paper is all around us. The paper's special properties are due to a coating that is applied to the surface of the paper. At Mitsubishi HiTec Paper Europe GmbH (MPEB) in Bielefeld, Germany, coating machine 3 applies a coating to around 300 tonnes of thermal paper each day. 26 fan units ensure that coated paper is dried without being touched. Since 2014, 26 FAG SmartCheck systems from Schaeffler have been monitoring these fans for any signs of abnormal vibration. The systems are helping to prevent unplanned machine downtime, optimise production and reduce the total cost of ownership.

13th November 2015

Customised shutter door system for guarding CNC grinding machine

Kabelschlepp has developed an easy-to-operate customised shutter door system to protect people in the vicinity of CNC thread grinding machines.

13th November 2015

Sensor flies conservation into new levels of control

An innovative device that simultaneously senses a helicopter's position and weighs the load it is carrying has helped a 50-year landscape conservation project successfully reach its first 5-year milestone. The HeliNav TrackMaster is a simple and accurate system that simultaneously monitors underslung loads and logs actual flight paths while also providing navigational guidance.

13th November 2015

Variohm supply draw wire sensors for lifting bridge application

Hunger Hydraulic UK Ltd has recently supplied four 4.25m-stroke telescopic hydraulic cylinders to main contractor John Sisk, to lift a new 80m pedestrian and cycle access bridge linking Canning Town station to a new island development on the Leamouth Peninsula in London.

12th November 2015

KEPServerEX for data centre infrastructure management system

Sf{Kepware Technologies is announcing that ABB has integrated KEPServerEX with its Data Centre Infrastructure Management (DCIM) solution, Decathlon for Data Centres. ABB utilises Kepware's robust and reliable communications platform to expand connectivity and data visibility to data centre assets, including legacy devices and IT equipment.

10th November 2015

Bobcat's structural analysis reduces unwanted vibration effects

Global construction equipment specialist Bobcat has reduced the effects of vibration on operators of tracked vehicles, with a complete structural analysis system for assessing and improving its vehicle design.

10th November 2015

Robot keeps Newtech at the cutting edge of cake slicing

When automation OEM Newtech looked to design a new ultrasonic cutting machine for the bakery industry, it turned to Mitsubishi Electric for a fast, efficient, flexible and clean robotic system. The result is an innovative machine design that can cut cakes to the highest levels of precision, working flexibly for different portion sizes and quantities, and eliminating problems of damaged product.

6th November 2015

APEX hose pumps replace PC pumps for reliable bentonite pumping

A major waterworks in South Africa is benefitting from the installation of Bredel APEX15 hose pumps from Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group. The APEX pumps have been preferred over progressive cavity (PC) pumps in an application that sees metering of bentonite into the source water to help flocculation. Bentonite is a crystalline quartz (naturally occurring) clay product. The abrasive nature of the substance can cause costly damage to the PC pumps, a factor that is not encountered when using APEX technology.