Machine Building

Foresight proves invaluable to envelope manufacturer

With advances in modern technology reducing demand for envelopes, manufacturers are finding it increasingly hard to justify investment. So when Encore Envelopes were made aware that its production line was at risk due to spares becoming obsolete, it was imperative that a strategy be put in place that would minimise machinery downtime and potential lost earnings.

23rd July 2014

Sercos drives innovative robotics design

Sercos International, supplier of the Sercos automation bus, powers the drive construction and rotation options of the Penta Robotics' Veloce parallel robot with its technology.

23rd July 2014

Hepcomotion products used for meia massage table

meia of London reports it has used linear actuator and motion products supplied by HepcoMotion on a special project that saw the company create a sub-floor "˜hidden' elevating massage table. This system, required for a private residence in London, demanded high-quality motion products focussed on precision and reliability.

21st July 2014

Laser profile sensors used on robotic weld inspection system

A non-contact laser profile displacement sensor from Micro-Epsilon is playing a pivotal role in a new groundbreaking automatic inspection system specifically designed to inspect thin section steels and thin gauge welds on ships and other marine vessels.

21st July 2014

WEG successfully tests dual-pinion ball mill drive

WEG has successfully tested low-speed synchronous motors driven by frequency inverters for mills with dual pinions at its plant in Brazil. As a multinational company, WEG supplies a range of products to the mining industry for driving large mills, including low and high speed motors, gearboxes and frequency inverters across the globe.

18th July 2014

5-axis robot for bank vault storage

The high levels of security required to handle banknotes and cash in bank vaults calls for fully automated systems. The VEROX, a new 5-axis rail-mounted robot, meets these needs by handling cash trays with high precision. The robot uses Lenze controllers, servo drives and geared motors which readily combine together to create a simple yet high-performing drive system. The robot can be seen in action in a short YouTube video.

18th July 2014

Hyflexar receives one-thousandth Walform tube-forming machine

Eaton's Hydraulics business has delivered of its one-thousandth Walform tube-forming machine to its long-term partner Hyflexar. The machine is the new M-WF385Xplus model - the fourth generation of the compact and innovative tube forming machines used worldwide.

18th July 2014

Operating panel allows safe control of actuated valves

Smith Flow Control (SFC) has designed a specialist pigging panel to be installed on an FPSO built for the use in the Goliat field, the first oilfield to be developed in the Barents Sea.

18th July 2014

Fully automatic coupling of e-chains for cranes

igus has developed its e-rover to supply Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTG) cranes with both electrical power and data. This allows the RTG to switch from diesel power to electrical power, saving thousands of pounds per year in diesel costs.

17th July 2014

CC-Link partner Festo is using nature to inspire automation

In a recent video made in partnership with the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA), Festo explains how they take inspiration from nature to offer innovations in automation. A specific example of a robot dragonfly that soars and hovers just like the real thing has been inspiring engineers visiting exhibitions around Europe.