MACH 2008 - exhibition preview

Posted to News on 11th Mar 2008, 16:20

MACH 2008 - exhibition preview

The 2008 MACH event takes place at the NEC, Birmingham, from 21-25 April. Pre-registration is now available at [URL no longer valid] - and the following preview will help you to plan your visit.

Procter Machine Guarding www.machinesafety.co.uk will be giving away free copies of a CD-Rom containing the latest versions of the company's popular guides and utilities: Guide to Machine Safety Standards; Risk Assessment Calculator; Safety Distance Calculator; Guide to the New Machinery Directive; and Machine Accident Investigation Kit. One of the highlights on the stand will be a range of machine shop guards that have not previously been exhibited. Visitors can also take a close look at examples from the comprehensive yet cost-effective Satech modular perimeter guarding system, and machine guarding specialists will be available to discuss bespoke guarding for machine tools, special-purpose machines, assembly cells, conveyors and more.

Redex-Andantex www.andantex.co.uk will be launching the DRP+ and KRP+ Dual and TwinDrive servo drive systems as the latest development in its backlash-free and high-performance rack-and-pinion drive systems. The new servo drive systems are dedicated, in particular, to the large travel motion axes of large machine tools and special machinery. The global offer includes high-quality rack -and-pinion (hardened, tempered and ground) units, as well as the associated high-precision, high-rigidity servo reducers. DualDrive units combine two servo reducers and a mechanical preload subassembly in a highly rigid frame to provide a turnkey product with the simplicity of a single servomotor drive. The universal housing allows quick and easy installation by OEMs and end-users looking to improve existing machines.

Ringspann (UK) www.ringspann.co.uk will be exhibiting its full range of products at MACH. Workholding products on show will include models from the company's broad range of radial-clamping systems; internal and external diameters range from 7-1200mm. Products include diaphragm chucks and mandrels, glide-bush collets, and Ringspann discs. Most products involve bespoke application engineering, which is available from the company's UK-based design team. Power transmission products from Ringspann include industrial freewheels and backstops, covering all applications with the company's innovative sprag and roller designs that can handle torques up to 360kNm. There is also an option for centrifugal lift-off to increase efficiency and reduce wear. Foot, flange or shaft mounting can be specified. Additionally Ringspann offers high-quality, competitively priced ranges of cone-clamping elements, torque limiters and flange couplings. The RCS division offers high-quality push-pull and pull-only cable assemblies. Applications include control levers, safety interlocks, machine door/guard locking and supports. Every cable is made to order, in batches from one upwards.

Balluff www.balluff.com will be showing its latest range of sensors, plus there will be two dedicated focus areas for IO-Link and industrial RFID. IO-Link is described as a breakthrough in sensor and actuator communication, being the latest open standard interface. It is claimed to be simple to use, quick and easy to install, and compatible with existing fieldbus platforms such as Profibus and DeviceNet. Further customer benefits include advanced diagnostics and low-cost standard three-core cabling, even for analogue applications. Industrial RFID is an area where Balluff has many years' proven experience and industry knowledge. On the stand will be a fully functioning tool pre-setter that will enable Balluff's product specialists to demonstrate the benefits of RFID in tool management, answer visitor questions on the principles of RFID, and discuss other applications where it can be used.

Renishaw www.renishaw.com is focusing on speed of manufacture at MACH 2008, with products that help businesses to reduce process times and minimise the cost of poor quality. This contribution to speed is demonstrated by two very different UK companies. BK Tooling has just one CNC machine, but successfully uses Renishaw probes to automate part and tool setting, resulting in rapid job changeover, and reduced downtime and scrap. Martin Aerospace has recently won a new contract with Rolls- Royce, due to its ability to provide high-quality parts at competitive prices. By using Renishaw probes and process control software, floor-to-floor times on complex Inconel parts have reduced significantly.

WERMA (UK) www.werma.co.uk will use MACH 2008 to launch what is claimed to be the world's first Sounder Module with self-adjusting sound volume. Varying background noise from machinery often complicates the application of audible signals. Optical signals, on the other hand, sometimes remain unnoticed if they are installed outside the machine operator's range of vision. The 645 Siren Element Module of the Signal Tower KombiSIGN 71, with its self-adjusting sound output, is said to offer new opportunities. By continuously measuring the ambient noise level, the alarm adjusts its sound output to 5dB above the ambient level. It therefore drowns out ambient noise by emitting a sound level that is audible without being irritatingly loud. Therefore people in the siren's vicinity are not subjected to excessive noise exposure, while optical visibility of the signal is also maintained.

HPC Gears' www.hpcgears.com comprehensive catalogue contains over 60,000 standard stock items including: spiral and straight bevel gears; simplex, duplex and triplex sprockets and chains; racks, spur gears, helical gears, anti-backlash gears, moulded gears; timing pulleys and belts; worms and wheels; ratchets and pawls; plastic chains; and engineering materials including aluminium, mild steel, nylon, Delrin and stainless steel; belt guides and tensioners. The recently extended range includes Hypoid bevel gears. HPC Gears also manufactures non-standard parts to samples or drawings.

Mytec Handling believes the key elements of its success are flexibility, a good understanding of the marketplace and effective communications with its customers and suppliers. The company offers a full range of products and systems that includes hydraulic, electro-mechanical and belt driven scissor lifts; man assist - balanced handling lift systems; precision platen conveyors and large index rings; pick-and-place and oscillating cam systems; walking beams, lift and shift transfer systems; tool changers and elevator systems; linear slides and cam technology systems; machine and welding transformers; lift gates, roller shutter doors and laser cabinets; plus value-added tooling and work holding systems. To discuss your requirements and see some of the ranges of products and services available from Mytec Handling's portfolio of products, visit Stand 4200, Hall 4.

Pilz Automation Technology www.pilz.co.uk will have engineers and consultants available on stand 4371 at MACH for no-obligation discussions with visitors about machinery safety issues. Hot topics are likely to be risk assessments, PUWER assessments, plant assessments, CE marking, and ESPE (safety light curtain) inspection and certification. Pilz consultants can also suggest how to use modern safety technologies to raise machinery throughput - and therefore achieve both rapid payback and enhanced safety. The second major attraction on the Pilz stand will be the SafetyEYE vision-based system for safeguarding robots and other hazardous machinery. Demonstrations will take place throughout the show, or visitors can make an appointment to find out more about how SafetyEYE delivers substantial cost savings through faster installation and set-up, as well as reduced maintenance.

Igus UK www.igus.co.uk will be displaying its range of energy chains for carrying power and data cables to and from moving machinery elements. On show will be a new series of polymer energy chains for metal cutting machines and similar applications. The polymer material used will not be damaged even when subjected to hot swarf at temperatures of up to 85degC. Also being shown is a new range of highly flexible bus cables capable of high-speed data transmission - and therefore suitable for machine vision applications. For transmission over longer distances - up to several hundred metres - fibre optic cables are also available. Igus will additionally promote its proprietary Iglidur material that is now available as bar stock. Developed for use as a self-lubricating polymer bearing material, the high-performance polymer is suitable for low-wear machined components. As well as bar stock, Igus is able to produce small quantities of machined special bearings to order.

NUM (UK) www.num.com will be displaying a new 'no-compromise' CNC platform. This will be the first time that Flexium has been shown in the UK. According to NUM, it offers unprecedented scalability that can be applied economically on a machine with a few axes, or as many as 200 or more. Open programmability gives users complete freedom to customise the MMI and add value. Underpinning the platform is the innovative fidelity and accuracy of control made possible by NUM's complete product line and proprietary communication interfaces - from controller to motor - and decades of intellectual property in designing machine tool control systems. At the heart of the new platform is an advanced CNC kernel. Two versions enable customer to specify the most economical for their application. Flexium6 is a compact unit, cost-optimised for standalone machines with up to five axes of motion. Flexium68 handles up to 32 interpolated axes, divided into up to eight co-ordinated groups; it can be interconnected via real-time Ethernet for large machines.

Siemens Automation and Drives www.siemens.co.uk/automation will be exhibiting a number of advanced technology products and systems. Under the banner of "Manufacturing Excellence' Siemens has formulated a menu of services for UK manufacturers to work in partnership to increase both productivity and efficiency of machines and machining cells at every stage of the process. These services include manufacturing IT, extended machine contracts, machine retrofits, and increased productivity. Headlining at this year's show is the new and innovative Solution Line range of controls and drives that provide scalable, networked and open automation for an extensive range of machine applications. Solution Line comprises the Sinumerik 840D sl and 802D sl as a drive-based CNC control, plus the Sinumerik 840Di sl as a PC-based version. Also on display will be the latest versions of JobShop, ShopMill and ShopTurn. This shop floor programming software has been further developed to enhance end user operation.

HepcoMotion www.hepcomotion.com will be emphasising its commitment to providing linear assemblies and systems for automation with the launch of its latest generation of heavy-duty systems. The HDS2 range is claimed to provide designers and systems integrators with an unprecedented choice of linear elements to provide maximum reliability for high loads and demanding duty cycles. With the ever increasing demand for high-quality, off-the-shelf assemblies and component packages, HepcoMotion is also focusing on its driven and multi-axis products. Other exhibits include a range of gearboxes and ancillary mechanical components and motor/control packages from HepcoMotion's system partner Smart Drives. The MCS Machine Construction System completes the display.

AA Robotics www.aarobotics.co.uk will have a full-size F1 Toyota Simulator on its stand, in which visitors can have a go in a competition. The fastest time over the five days will win two tickets to the F1 Silverstone practise day, as guests of Toyota. AA Robotics will be asking for a 2 donation to charity for each drive. There will also be a daily seminar on robot programming, aimed at engineers with little or no prior experience with robots. The third main attraction on the company's stand will be a DENSO six-axis VS robot with SICK 3D vision system; this locates randomly orientated bolts and places them into an automotive cylinder head.