Machine Building

CANopen communication protocol - an introduction

Holger Zeltwanger, the managing director of CiA (CAN in Automation), outlines the background to CANopen, the device and application profiles, and the advantages CANopen offers machine builders, system integrators and end users.

9th July 2008

A comparison of gas flow meter technologies

Andrew Mangell, MD of Bronkhorst UK, reviews current gas flowmeter technologies

7th July 2008

What to do when specifying industrial robots and workcells

Stirling Paatz, of robot integrators Barr & Paatz, provides 12 tips for avoiding mistakes when specifying industrial robots and robot workcells.

2nd July 2008

How configurable components help machine builders

This article from Misumi explains how medium and small machine builders can benefit from using suppliers of configurable components, thereby avoiding the heavy investment often made by larger companies in 'standardisation.'

26th June 2008

Motor efficiency and the benefits of raising power factor

Adrian Larmour, general manager of Deritend Birmingham, explains how correcting motor power factor can improve efficiency, increase distribution capacity and extend equipment life.

23rd June 2008

ISO/TR 14121-2 for machinery risk assessments - a review

Jon Severn, the editor of MachineBuilding.net, takes a look at ISO/TR 14121-2:2007, 'Safety of machinery - Risk assessments - Practical guidance and examples of methods'.

20th June 2008

CE marking machines made in China and India

Laidler Associates explains how manufacturing and assembling machines in low-wage countries such as China and India can benefit European businesses.

17th June 2008

How to choose a design data management system

Colin Watson of Imass Design Solutions provides some practical advice on how to choose a design data management system from the many different types on the market, and how to make the most of the chosen system.

16th June 2008

The true cost of 'free' technical support for CAD software

Mark Mills of Micro Concepts argues that the cost of 'free' technical support can be measured in terms of lost productivity, innovation and market leadership.

13th June 2008

How to use infrared to simplify inspection tasks

By applying a little lateral thinking, engineers can use infrared cameras for simple-to-deploy 'heat signature' quality assurance tasks that would otherwise be very challenging to implement using alternative inspection technologies.

12th June 2008