Machine Building

Custom conveyor system boosts productivity and quality

A custom designed and engineered conveyor system, from Autarky Automation, is playing a key role in helping Tyre-Line, a supplier of wheel and tyre assemblies, boost productivity and quality. Installed as part of major production line upgrade, along with a Hofmann high speed inflating machine, the new system has reduced assembly and inflation time by a factor of ten, from around 70 to just seven seconds.

12th March 2019

Welding structural beams at lower cost and no quality compromise

A common requirement in the construction sector is the production of H-section or I-section structural beams by joining three plates. Often the material will be rusty mill scale plate that has to be welded directly without any preparation. Cost pressures mean the welds must be made as quickly as possible and the need for rapid, trouble-free on-site assembly dictates that distortion and deformation are not acceptable.

27th February 2019

Planetary gearbox repaired for Scottish gondola

SEW Eurodrive has repaired and serviced a huge 3,800kg Lohmann & Stolterfoht planetary gearbox, driving the only mountain gondola in the UK, high up in the Nevis Mountain Range in Scotland.

22nd February 2019

Huge Australian transport infrastructure project uses WEG motors

WEG is delivering more than 350 of its three-phase induction and electric motors to WestConnex, the largest ever transport infrastructure project in Australia and currently one of the world's greatest engineering projects. The motors, which will be used for smoke extraction within two link tunnels, are designed to withstand a temperature 250degC for 2 hours in an emergency situation.

22nd February 2019

Baumer instrumentation keeps beer flowing at Carlsberg

Whilst many people are "˜probably' familiar with the Carlsberg advertising slogan from earlier days they may not appreciate the history and scale of today's Carlsberg brewing operation. Founded in 1847 it is now the fourth largest brewery in the world producing 2.2 million hectolitres of beer annually, employing around 45,000 staff worldwide and selling around 120 million beers globally every day.

20th February 2019

Ypsomed and Harting retrofit Industry 4.0 control systems

Ypsomed Group, an international medical technology company specialising in the development and manufacture of injection and infusion systems for the self-injection of liquid medicines, has selected Harting as a collaborative partner in a development project to retrofit legacy protocol plastic injection moulding machines with an integrated Industry 4.0 digital control system that is also linked with a factory-wide MES/ERP system. This approach offers simple and minimal physical integration with an existing production line for a reasonably low level of investment, with long-term benefits including improved productivity, cost savings and extended machine lifetimes.

18th February 2019

Switching to NSK bearings saves EUR400,000 for ore plant

When an ore preparation plant began experiencing repeated bearing failures on an air recirculation fan, it turned to NSK for advice. As a makeshift countermeasure, the facility was applying compressed air cooling in an attempt to reduce elevated bearing running temperatures, so the requirement for an urgent long-term solution was clear to see.

15th February 2019

Zigzag e-chains manage cables for speaker and lighting trusses

Since its opening in 2011, the Kauffman Center for the performing arts in Kansas City, Missouri has hosted over 2.5 million guests and many notable performers. In the canopy, which sits above the centre stage, cable reels were originally used to manage the cables for the speaker and lighting trusses.

13th February 2019

Kawasaki Robotics duAro twin-arm cobot installed at university

The University of Chester's popular Innovation to Commercialisation project (I2C) has installed a Kawasaki robot as part of its project to introduce Cheshire or Warrington-based SMEs to the advantages offered by the latest advances and practices in automation and manufacturing.

8th February 2019

Atherton Bikes uses additive manufacturing for titanium lugs

Renishaw is working with new mountain bike brand Atherton Bikes to produce additively manufactured titanium lugs for the company's bike frames. The new brand was launched in January by the Atherton siblings, Gee, Rachel and Dan and co-founded by Piers Linney of Dragons' Den fame.

5th February 2019