Machine Building

Brevini drives look to improve on traditional axles

Traditionally, vehicle drive systems have been based around axles and in many cases they remain a solid option. However, with vehicle manufacturers constantly looking to reduce size and weight, while still improving performance and profits, a different approach is required. Designers have been turning their attention to wheel and track drives, which incorporate a planetary gear design.

6th August 2013

What's next in process control for the water treatment industry?

Neil Saunders, Sales Manager and water industry specialist at Bürkert Fluid Control Systems UK assesses the requirements for process control and how best to meet current and future requirements.

6th August 2013

Customised enclosures reduce costs and improve quality

Chris Lloyd, General Manager of Spelsberg UK, explains how customised enclosures can reduce installation costs and increase product quality, and why customisation can benefit projects of any size.

2nd August 2013

Ten things machine builders should know about adhesives

This article highlights ten things that machine builders should know about adhesives, in terms of both the bonding of machine components and the automated application of adhesives.

2nd August 2013

How to design machine guards to deter defeating of interlocks

Jeremy Procter, a Member of BSI's MCE/3 committee, former Convenor of the European Standards Committee responsible for Machine Guards (CEN TC114 WG11), and Managing Director of Procter Machine Guarding, explains how the careful design of machine guards can successfully discourage the dangerous practice of defeating interlocks during setting, operation and maintenance.

31st July 2013

Cast your export net far and wide

If the economic climate of the last few years has taught us anything it is that UK manufacturers cannot rely on the domestic market alone, they must make every effort to maximise exports. Tony Ingham of Sensor Technology says manufacturers must export, but they have to hedge all bets to mitigate the risks.

22nd July 2013

B&R boosts energy efficiency in plastics processing

Manufacturers in plastics processing and countless other industries are looking for opportunities to further reduce energy consumption. Generally, the potential for savings is high. Those who find ways to tap into this potential stand to gain a sustained economic benefit along with clear competitive advantages.

19th July 2013

Added-value services match the needs of the business

Material costs are rising, but that does not mean price should be the beginning and end of any negotiation when purchasing parts. The benefits of working with an expert supplier still exceed any such price rises, because they bring both financial and operational benefits, not least making sure engineers engineer, not buy. As Julia Mullar, Operations Development Manager at ERIKS Integrated Solutions, explains, a trusted provider can save customers money whatever the level of service. And the closer the relationship, the bigger the saving.

16th July 2013

Smaller, lighter motor will comply with IE4

For OEMs of continuous driven equipment such as pumps, fans or compressors, design engineers could be incorporating into products motors that will offer customers significant operating savings, as well as enabling them to design products that could be smaller and lighter.

10th July 2013

Direct versus Indirect measurement of shaft angle

As a rule, it's preferable to measure directly the position or speed of the object that you are interested in. In many cases, practical problems of physical environment or limited space mean that this can be a challenge, particularly when measuring the angle of shafts with a diameter greater than a couple of inches. The traditional approach is to measure angular position or speed indirectly - typically inferring the shaft's position from measurements made elsewhere. Mark Howard of Zettlex Ltd describes the traditional approach and a new, direct approach enabled by inductive sensors

9th July 2013