Machine Building

News

Universal Robots introduces webinars

Universal Robots is introducing a new series of webinars running from August to December, designed to provide specialist knowledge on some of the ways in which automation is meeting production challenges across a diverse range of sectors. The series follows the success of the WeAreCobots virtual conference.

21st July 2020

Campaign to get UK manufacturers ready for North American market

PP Control & Automation (PPCA) is urging UK manufacturers targeting new growth opportunities in North America to avoid costly mistakes when trying to meet specific technical standards for the territory. PPCA provides strategic manufacturing outsourcing solutions for over 20 of the world's largest machinery builders, and has launched a new educational campaign centred on UL508a, a technical standard for industrial control panels in the United States.

20th July 2020

For your diary: confirmation of deferred dates for 2020 shows

Machine builders - we thought you might appreciate confirmation of the new dates for some of the key events deferred from this year. This information is taken from official sources for the shows concerned, but with continuing upheaval still possible for a while yet we recommend double checking them all again nearer the time. In the interim if news emerges on any further movement of dates you'll more than likely learn about it here first:

20th July 2020

DIN power rails: one-on-one video conferencing service

PULS Power is offering users a free, one-on-one video conferencing service for new product design and technical support. Machine builders can seek advice about selecting the best power supply for an application, discuss new project ideas or have technical questions answered. Video calls can be booked for a convenient time by filling in a simple online form on the PULS website.

17th July 2020

Thomson introduces compact electromechanical linear actuators

Thomson Industries Inc. is announcing availability of its new Electrak MD, a more compact electromechanical actuator that the company states "Retains all of the intelligence built into its larger counterparts". Builders of machines for mobile off-highway, material handling and factory automation applications can now benefit from a compact actuator with up to 2kN of force together with added advantages of advanced onboard electronics and J1939 CAN Bus support.

17th July 2020

New visual guide addresses EC-640/2009 regulation changes

WEG has released a visual guide to explain the impending stricter requirements for motor ecodesign, which have been approved by the European Commission (EC). The scope of the updated regulations now covers more motor types, including motors for hazardous areas, and will hold them to higher standards of efficiency. In response, WEG has made its new guide available to download from its website.

16th July 2020

"˜Back-to-work' trailer for enhanced industrial productivity

FATH Components is embarking on a UK-wide tour of manufacturing and industrial plants with its purpose-built product demonstration trailer. ALFIE (Automation Line, Fastening and Industrial Exhibition unit) is custom built and packed with a wide range of FATH machine elements and other products, all of which can be examined in detail, on site, by design, production and operational staff. FATH confirms that the trailer will be deep cleaned prior to every visit and that PPE and hand cleansing dispensers will be available free to visiting site staff.

15th July 2020

New managing director at Elmo Motion Control

Heason Technology has appointed Jon Howard as its new managing director for the UK subsidiary of Elmo Motion Control. As a longstanding UK distribution partner Heason works closely with Elmo - combining servo drives and advanced network motion controllers from the motion systems designer and manufacturer's range as part of its own motion systems integration service. Jon Howard is no stranger to Heason - or indeed to Elmo Motion - as many customers will remember his heading Heason Technology for several years up to late 2018.

14th July 2020

Mechan Controls F-Series: RFID, expandable safety system

Mechan Controls says that its F-Series safety system is designed to operate in environments where harsh conditions often damage machine guard safety devices. A typical heavy industry where this might be the case is in the processing of aggregates, which presents many challenges when trying to adequately protect both personnel and equipment. The F-Series is designed to overcome this and the overall system, if installed correctly, is approved to CAT4, SIL3, PL-e and requires no programming.

14th July 2020

Timeserver - always the right time in your network

The FL Timeserver NTP from Phoenix Contact is an alternative to Internet-based time services and public NTP servers. Due to the steadily growing networking of different network devices, it is becoming increasingly important to provide the precise time. Log entries on various devices need to be kept in sync and the time stamp displayed in video recordings needs to be stored correctly.

10th July 2020