Machine Building

Sensor data available globally: beyond the local company cloud

Making sensor data and information from different sources available globally and linking this data and information in a meaningful way - this is the crux of Industry 4.0. New business ideas make it necessary to make this information globally available and accessible not only within a company but also beyond the boundaries of the company and its location.

22nd March 2018

Smart Process Gating: Leuze reinvents light curtain muting

Smart Process Gating is the name of a new process from Leuze electronic through which muting processes are made more economical, simpler and safer.

22nd March 2018

How to achieve cyber-security in a Smart Factory

Jan Koch, Lenze's Global Head of Industry Sales, explains how machine builders and operators can, in the era of the Smart Factory, adopt a risk-based approach so as to protect connected machines and devices from cyber-security threats.

21st March 2018

An introduction to tantalum and how to select suppliers

Last month, comic book fans flocked to cinemas as Black Panther hit the screens. Underpinning the film's plot was fictional metal vibranium, which powered the titular hero's kingdom of Wakanda. Interestingly, this metal was, in part, inspired by tantalum. So, what of the marvellous metal's real-life counterpart? Here, Heiko Wildner, refractory metals specialist for materials comparison site Matmatch, examines the value and considerations of using tantalum.

20th March 2018

New thinking is breaking the gearbox repair cycle

Failing industrial gearboxes can be a real problem in any industry, but particularly so wherever there is ageing plant, older equipment, arduous applications or harsh environments. One plant manager, at a company producing construction materials, described the job of keeping production going as "˜a real scramble' every time a gearbox failure occurred.

7th March 2018

Miniature motors for medical applications

With DC motors as small 4mm diameter, it is not surprising that 45 per cent of maxon motor's business is from the medical industry. Patrick Vega, Technical Engineer at maxon motor uk, discusses some of the applications in which maxon's motors have featured.

2nd March 2018

Using Industry 4.0 to optimise process control

Almost every industrial process is capable of adopting aspects of the fourth industrial revolution, the interconnection and digitisation of products, business models and value chains, otherwise known as Industry 4.0. As more manufacturers and businesses adopt the principles and more common protocols are implemented, so the benefits become more accessible. Paul Trevitt, Operations and Engineering Manager, for Bürkert Fluid Control Systems, looks at the advantages of this evolving concept and how it can be implemented in process control scenarios.

19th February 2018

Cobots boost cost-competitiveness and responsiveness

The longstanding practice of offsourcing manufacturing operations to low-cost parts of the world to keep manufacturing costs down has recently taken a turn, with cobots playing an important role.

16th February 2018

Robot applications for maxon motors and gearheads

Amir Janjua, Technical Engineer, maxon motor UK, discusses which maxon products are best suited to robot applications and why.

14th February 2018

Three tips for testing cabling

While we may like to think of the modern world as being wireless, cabling remains an important element in almost all electrical systems. It is therefore essential that engineers know how to test cables effectively to ensure they are fit for purpose. Here, Matt Collins, business development manager at ide Systems, explains what engineers should look for when testing electrical cabling.

14th February 2018