Machine Building

How to cut OLED displays?

William S Land II, business development manager at Aerotech, discusses the challenges faced by manufacturers needing to cut organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays for the latest generation of consumer products.

5th September 2019

The design and manufacturing advantages offered by slewing rings

Lightweight slewing rings, or bearings, are rapidly becoming the first choice for design engineers in the aerospace and defence sectors, where absolute accuracy, light weight, improvements in mechanical performance and good corrosion resistance are demanded. Mike Page of Abingdon-based Carter Bearings examines the case for them.

5th September 2019

Ending unplanned downtime for food and beverage manufacturers

With any unscheduled downtime being a cause of major headaches for food and drink manufacturers, John Rowley of Mitsubishi Electric highlights how predictive maintenance can provide the solution and how easy it is to implement.

4th September 2019

What advantages does AI offer for automated part inspection?

If humans had the eyesight of an eagle, we could spot an ant from the top of a ten-storey building. But do we actually need to? Probably not, which is why our eyesight did not evolve in this direction. Similarly, machine vision engineers are pushing the frontiers of camera specifications to offer incredible resolution, but do manufacturers need this level of sophistication? Yonatan Hyatt, CTO and co-founder of Inspekto, explains why artificial intelligence, not camera technology, is expanding the capabilities of machine vision.

3rd September 2019

How to select the right fuse or MCB to work with an EMC filter

Holger Urban, Product Marketing Manager at Schaffner, explains how to select a fuse or circuit breaker that will function as required in conjunction with an EMC filter, and not cause the filter to work as a fuse.

22nd August 2019

Phytron celebrates 30 years of contribution to space exploration

Phytron GmbH managing director Dr-Ing. Robert Stößer has contributed the following article, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing this year and also illustrating his company's significant contribution to the automation of precision instruments deployed on many other space missions over the last 30 years. As a leading UK-based motion control component supplier, customised systems integrator and designer, Mclennan works closely with Phytron and, through its expertise gained over several years, is actively involved in and looking for high-vacuum, extreme-temperature and other motion control applications in challenging environments.

22nd August 2019

Continuous monitoring and analysis of water quality

Water is used in so many ways throughout the food and beverage industry, even as the final product, which means the quality of that water needs to be carefully monitored. With such an influence on the finished product, precise water quality monitoring can provide the key to consistent quality output, so is it time to look at the next generation of compact continuous analysis solutions? Greg Wainhouse, UK Water Segment Manager for Bürkert, looks at water usage within the food and beverage sector, and the best practical method of continuous monitoring for various aspects of water quality as it enters the process.

21st August 2019

When and why to specify plastic springs?

The when and why of plastic springs is rarely a simple matter, made as they are from highly engineered composites and technically advanced new generation materials they are produced with lightweight and high-performance in mind for application in especially demanding industries such as medical, pharmaceutical, electronics, aerospace and similar. Typical properties include operation at elevated temperatures, neutral magnetic characteristics, light weight, low thermal conductivity, electrically insulating and ability to recycle at end of life.

20th August 2019

Tackling the gender gap in engineering

Research from Cornell University and McKinsey & Co., among others, suggests that a diverse workforce leads to increased creativity, motivation and morale, all qualities which are paramount when developing innovative engineering solutions. Efforts to cultivate female talent in engineering are therefore essential to consolidate the UK's position as a world-leading innovator in the field. Here Rebecca Bound, Education Outreach officer at global engineering technologies company Renishaw, explains what employers can do to tackle the gender gap.

19th August 2019

Smart manufacturing and automation

Chris Evans, Marketing & Operations Group Manager at Mitsubishi Electric, discusses the implementation of smart manufacturing projects incorporating intelligent machines, systems and networks.

19th August 2019