Machine Building

Energy efficiency in machine tools

Energy efficiency in machine tools is a cutting-edge topic. The time of power guzzlers is over. "˜Blue competence' is required in machines and systems. This is one of Murrelektronik's specialties. Murrelektronik products help to achieve energy efficiency.

3rd February 2017

Three things industry can learn from new robotic standards

The British Standards Institute (BSI) recently released a new set of standards for the ethical design of robots and robotic devices. The standards highlight the growing need for guidelines on robotic safety, contact with human beings, robotic deception, addiction and possible sexism or racism exhibited by self-learning artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Here, Graham Mackrell, managing director of Harmonic Drive UK, explains the three things industry can take away from the new standard.

2nd February 2017

Cyber security layer cake: security, industry's second nature

When hackers hijacked the electrical systems of three major Ukrainian power distributors back in December 2015, over 230,000 people were left without power for several hours. The uncertainty caused by the attack lasted much longer, especially since employees in both engineering and IT teams alike were initially unclear about how the hackers managed to infiltrate the system. The scale and severity of this incident illustrated, yet again, how important it is for companies to secure their cyber systems at all levels. Here, Martyn Williams, Managing Director of industrial software provider COPA-DATA UK, discusses developments in industrial cyber security.

30th January 2017

How to design and size a busbar

The introduction of the IEC 61439 switchgear and control standards has had significant implications for the design and performance of the copper busbar system. It's an area which design engineers need to appreciate, not least because the new testing regime and the requirement for compliance has changed the way we think about the selection of the busbar system.

30th January 2017

Proactive vs. reactive obsolescence management

With industrial obsolescence speeding up, it is vital for manufacturers to have some level of obsolescence management strategy in place to mitigate the risks of obsolescence. Companies can implement strategies that are proactive, reactive or a mixture. Here, Jonathan Wilkins, marketing director of obsolete parts supplier EU Automation discusses the benefits of a proactive obsolescence management strategy for manufactures.

25th January 2017

How to implement Industry 4.0 with legacy machines

One of the biggest bugbears of plant managers is the cost of upgrading or replacing devices and equipment. While this has traditionally only occurred due to a breakage, the rise of the internet of things (IoT) is driving a need for cross-compatible equipment - in most cases calling for the costly replacement of legacy systems to ensure communication. Adrian Swindells, director of Distec, explores how businesses can keep the cost of IoT implementation to a minimum.

25th January 2017

Three steps to effective gear oil maintenance

The first mathematical equation many of us learn is that 1 + 1 = 2. While this might seem logical and straightforward, it actually takes over 300 pages of complex mathematical sums to prove. This is just one of many seemingly simple tasks that are actually deceptively complex. The same is true of changing the gear oil in your machinery, as Mark Burnett, VP of the Lubricants and Fuel Additives Innovation Platform at NCH Europe, explains.

25th January 2017

Control automation for freeze dried product

Optimal Industrial Automation has developed a range of control automation products for pilot and commercial-scale freeze dryers. Optimal's offerings champion the use of closed loop control, SCADA layers and the latest data historians to improve system efficiency, plant integration and the quality and consistency of the finished product. In this text the process is broken down into its key stages and consideration given to the various control options available...

24th January 2017

The importance of cleats in cable management systems

Cable cleats should play a bigger part in the decision making process. Head of CMP's Technical Department, Lee Frizzell, explains why cable cleats play a crucial part in cable management systems.

23rd January 2017

Motion and automation controllers explained

A motion control system is a system that controls the position, velocity, force or pressure of some machine. As an example, an electro-mechanical based motion control system consists of a motion controller (the brains of the system), a drive (which takes the low power command signal from the motion controller and converts it into high power current/voltage to the motor), a motor (which converts electrical energy to mechanical energy), a feedback device (which sends signals back to the motion controller to make adjustments until the system produces the desired result), and a mechanical system (including actuators, which physically produce the desired end result).

19th January 2017