Machine Building

Linear actuators used to test railway point changers

QM Systems has developed an innovative system for testing railway point changers, making good use of Servomech linear actuators and Lenze 9400 series servo inverters.

13th December 2012

MapleSim aids in the design of walking, talking RoboThespian

Maplesoft is collaborating with Engineered Arts Limited, a company that designs and produces the RoboThespian robots. The current RoboThespian is a life-sized, programmable, humanoid robot designed to be used for entertainment and communication. It can talk and sing - and even recite Shakespeare.

12th December 2012

Linear technology: bespoke products and green engineering

NSK is finding that customers are increasingly using customised ball screws and guideways for linear motion, rather than selecting standard items from catalogues. This article outlines a few recent applications in which NSK has worked with customers to create customised products that meet tight specifications.

12th December 2012

Emerson's Coriolis flowmeters enhance quality and reduce costs

Micro Motion ELITE and F-Series Coriolis flowmeters provide high-accuracy results under vacuum conditions in challenging two-phase flow (entrained gas) applications.

12th December 2012

Trelleborg's suspension components chosen again for Jubilee Line

Trelleborg Industrial AVS has won a contract worth over £2 million to supply Metalastik components for both the primary and secondary suspension on the 63 trains of the London Underground's Jubilee Line.

12th December 2012

Data centre minimises failure with customised polymer IR windows

Repeated data centre systems failures are costly, not just in terms of revenue loss but also company reputation and shareholder value. For this reason a large blue chip software multinational has engaged Norland Managed Services to manage and maintain electrical, mechanical and fire safety systems at its data centre in Dublin. The scope of this contract includes site-based management and a technical team to provide ongoing maintenance and 24 hour emergency response.

11th December 2012

igus energy chain protects huge extraction hose

Very high demands are made on workpiece manufacture in model and mould making, and since customers' space requirements are generally tight, tailor-made concepts are often required. Robust energy chains from igus UK are suitable for such applications and are guiding large vacuum hoses safely.

11th December 2012

Compressors play role in London Underground upgrade project

Compressors from Atlas Copco are playing a vital role in the £500 million upgrade of London's Tottenham Court Road underground station. The major upgrade project, which is being carried out for Transport for London (TfL) as a joint venture between Taylor Woodrow − Civil Engineering Division of Vinci Construction UK − and BAM Nuttall Ltd, will result in 2016 with an enlarged ticket hall six times the size of the present unit, new station entrances, additional access points to the Northern and Central Line platforms to reduce congestion plus fourteen escalators and six new lifts to provide step-free access.

7th December 2012

GT4 Winner BS chain lasts longer in high-wear environments

Industries which involve the transport of aggregates or rock extractions can be very hard on a conveyor drive chain. Abrasive dust particles infiltrate the chain links and cause corrosion of the chain's internals, which leads to elongation and eventual failure. Fortunately, Tsubaki has shown that its BS chain GT4 Winner offers 45 per cent less elongation than competitor products in such environments.

7th December 2012

See the LMI Gocator 3D camera system in action

This short video from Stemmer Imaging demonstrates how the LMI Gocator - an intelligent, standalone 3D camera system - detects defects in metal punches. The video includes a short sequence showing the whole part function of the Gocator's integrated web browser. This automatically detects the start and end point of a single or multiple components travelling along a conveyor to enable the whole part to be scanned and measured. The Gocator's built-in intelligence can also calculate values for the volume and centroid, for example, as well as providing data relating to dimensions, location and orientation.