Machine Building

Pillow block bearings for solar and food industries

igubal pillow block bearings from igus are proving suitable for a wide range of applications within the solar technology and food industries. Thanks to their properties, including resistance to temperatures of up to 80degC, these innovative bearings can be used wherever there are severe fluctuations in temperature.

9th December 2013

Linear force limiter prevents overloads

A special linear force limiter developed by Italian specialist ComInTec is used in a tower for the assembly of aircraft wings. ComInTec, who design and manufacture both torque limiters and linear force limiters, developed the new 20000N force limiters as a mechanical device that detects overloads in both tension and compression.

6th December 2013

Nov Mono ends 20-year pump project to preserve historic artefact

When a number of Mono pumps were switched off recently, it marked the end of a 20-year operation to preserve the remains of an historic Tudor warship, the Mary Rose. The progressing cavity pumps from Mono have been used to help spray the fragile timbers of the Mary Rose with a mixture of water and wax - a crucial stage in the preservation process which has now come to an end.

5th December 2013

Space and weight-saving bearings for EOD robot

The new Cutlass unmanned ground vehicle, made by Northrop Grumman, can operate in places others can't reach. This remotely operated bomb disposal vehicle includes a manipulator arm with turret, shoulder, elbow and wrist joints that rotate and roll to give 9 degrees of freedom, making it the most versatile in the world. This dexterity allows the vehicle to be used in confined, hard-to-access spaces and an important element in the design is the use of space and weight saving Kaydon Reali-Slim bearings from R. A. Rodriguez (UK) Ltd.

2nd December 2013

Bloodhound project receives first camera system

Stemmer Imaging has delivered a four-camera system for testing on Bloodhound as the engineering team continues to develop the vehicle for its world land speed record attempt.

2nd December 2013

Atlas Copco helps Saint-Gobain attain safe, efficient production

Saint-Gobain Ceramic Materials (Mudanjiang) Co., Ltd., China, primarily manufactures green silicon carbide. In 2009 Atlas Copco supplied the company with a modular AIRnet piping system, which allows simple reconfiguration of the factory whenever required. Installed at the same time were ZT Series oil-free screw compressors enabling the company to meet the ISO 8573-1 "0" standard for oil content in the compressed air. Atlas Copco has now become a strategic global supplier to the Saint-Gobain Group.

28th November 2013

Southco provides robust access for Liebherr Cranes

Liebherr, a manufacturer of off-highway equipment, has turned to Southco - one of its most trusted providers of access hardware - for the provision of C2 lever latches for the external locker doors of its mobile cranes.

28th November 2013

Siemens helps machine builder put a cap on traceability issues

Traceability of product, reliability of performance and ongoing support are the key components of a recent project undertaken by Siemens Industry for Precision Engineering, a special purpose machine builder based in Kent who manufactures the world renowned Dico capping and Gravfil liquid-filling brands.

27th November 2013

Cheese storage challenge solved with track roller guides

Staffordshire-based company JWCI Process Engineering has solved a cheese storage challenge for its customer with the help of track roller guidance systems from Schaeffler UK. The tracked storage racking systems, which were designed, manufactured and installed by JWCI, have increased cheese storage capacity at the customer's cold storage facility by more than 70 per cent - without the customer having to expand its existing floor space.

27th November 2013

Split roller bearings cut the cost of bearing downtime

With supermarkets continuously driving down prices, despite rising inflation, food production is perhaps one of the most ultra-competitive industries in Europe today. As this pressure intensifies food processors and manufacturers are continuously looking for ways in which cost savings can be made. One area which may offer significant savings is the maintenance and servicing of production machinery; in particular the substantial downtime involved in removing and fitting rolling bearings which have failed, or require servicing.

27th November 2013