Machine Building

Condition monitoring system helps sawmill cut unplanned downtime

Even the most reliable machines will eventually fail. The challenge for many companies is whether to keep the machine running until the inevitable suddenly occurs or whether to turn the inevitable into a planned maintenance measure. The operator of a Swedish sawmill found the answer to this question in Schaeffler's SmartCheck condition monitoring system.

10th October 2019

Rittal supplies bespoke panels for critical controls

The East Midlands Instrumentation Company Ltd (EMI), an electrical, instrumentation and control installation contractor for the power generation, power transmission, rail and industrial markets based in Gainsborough, had a complex specification from a client.

9th October 2019

Heason Technology helps to redefine the kilogram

In 2015 Heason Technology designed, built and supplied a very special three-axis vacuum-compatible and completely non-magnetic micropositioning manipulator that was custom manufactured for Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), the German national metrology institute. The manipulator was used as part of the enabling technology for the world-wide Avogadro Project that was formed to redefine the kilogram as the SI unit of mass in terms of the Planck constant and the atomic mass of Silicon-28.

3rd October 2019

Bürkert microfluidics expertise improves antibody discovery

Advances in medical diagnosis and treatment are constantly evolving but developing a new procedure into a commercial, scalable process can be a lengthy and challenging journey. Bürkert Fluid Control Systems has applied its expertise in microfluidics to deliver a crucial component that will enable antibody biotherapeutics to be identified and isolated much more efficiently.

2nd October 2019

Sensonics proximity probes monitor engine performance

Among the many performance and monitoring tests required to ensure dependable and durable engine performance across a wide range of power applications is the need to measure relative shaft vibration in dynamometers. This is where Sensonics excels, with a range of proximity probes that make an essential contribution to overall engine performance.

30th September 2019

Ford Dagenham installs seven UR10 "˜cohabitant' robots

Ford Dagenham has invested in seven UR10 Universal Robots from RARUK Automation to automate the previously manual task of applying fasteners to engine blocks. The fasteners are now applied automatically to engines that arrive on the production line every 30 seconds, across a 24-hour, three-shift operation.

18th September 2019

Schaeffler spherical plain bearing is largest yet manufactured

Schaeffler has produced the largest spherical plain bearing in the company's history. This special bearing weighs around 4.7 tonnes and has an outside diameter of 1,900mm, a bore diameter of 1,500mm, and a height of 600mm. The bearing will be used on a cutter suction dredger that was designed and built by Royal IHC, a Dutch company that specialises in equipment, vessels and services for the offshore, dredging and wet mining markets.

11th September 2019

Ultrasonic sensors used in AquaBattery's innovative Blue Battery

With modest dimensions, sensors often can make the difference in many applications. One example of this is the Blue Battery from AquaBattery. The Blue Battery is an electrical energy storage system that uses membrane technology, water and kitchen salt. In order to measure the height of liquids in several tanks, tests were done in their own workshop with ultrasonic sensors from elobau. The robust ultrasonic sensors were selected because they provide the necessary reliability, accuracy, IP rating and are compatible with the control system.

2nd September 2019

Festo automates and boosts throughput of tube packing system

Cerulean, a manufacturer of tube packing systems, has collaborated with Festo to simplify the design of its popular FPS-1 tube packer to deliver an improved, more energy efficient, and future-proof packing system.

30th August 2019

Type 3 light curtains prove economical for system integrator

Austrian system integrator SRW Automation & Services GmbH is using Pilz PSENopt II safety light curtains for a variety of automation and safety tasks relating to robot applications, rotary table systems, and infeed and outfeed conveyors.

27th August 2019