Machine Building

Applications

Advanced motion cards provide precise actuation

When a new design of compact blood analyser was being developed, a key challenge was to create an efficient and cost-effective motion control architecture that could support multiple axes and multiple motor types while maintaining a table top format. The solution was provided by advanced motion cards and digital drives from PMD, which are available in the UK through INMOCO of Daventry.

17th November 2016

Family miller first on the E-Pac case

A specialist miller and supplier of fine flours to the UK supermarkets has become the first company to put Pacepacker and Endoline's new E-Pac optimised case packing system to the test. Close cooperation between the two companies yielded a bespoke three-step case erecting, packing and sealing system that has eliminated manual handling on the flour packing line.

17th November 2016

Tsubaki expertise reduces downtime for insulation manufacturer

Maximising productivity and reducing costs means ensuring that equipment is correctly specified for the task and properly maintained while in service. For one manufacturer of glass fibre insulation, a conveyor system that passed through an oven was suffering from premature chain wear which was affecting product quality. Having approached Tsubaki for a longer lasting alternative, the chain manufacturer delivered a premium chain that would last three times longer and reduce production downtime.

15th November 2016

Bredel pumps replace piston pumps on cement slurry projects

Bredel hose pumps from Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG) have replaced piston pumps on a series of prestigious €1.8 million concrete grouting projects performed in seas around the Chinese coastline. A total of 90 Bredel pumps have been ordered for drawing the abrasive cement/sand/water slurry from the mixing tanks into the holds of the seafaring vessels, and for metering the grouting accordingly. The pumps have overcome leakage and wear issues associated with the previous piston pumps, and subsequently reduced downtime, maintenance and spares costs.

9th November 2016

Control and traceability is second to none with PSL Datatrack

The success and growth at RDL Technologies of Leicester, since its foundation in 2000, has been based on its policy of continual improvement and the ability to provide a consistent high level of service to customers. Over the last 3 years, the company has achieved ISO Quality Management accreditation, has continued to invest in new machine tool technology and has also successfully integrated another company into its business model. Production Control Manager Lewis Lockwood has been quick to stress the key role played by PSL Datatrack production control software in all these initiatives.

9th November 2016

Rooflight manufacturer partners with Henkel

Sunsquare, the first BSI accredited manufacturer of rooflights and skylights, has never been a company to rest on its laurels. The desire to make the best possible product was the reason why Sunsquare was founded in 2004 and this remains its guiding principle today. As a result, it is continually scanning the market for new technology to enhance product performance and improve manufacturing processes. And testimony to that, is Sunsquare's recent adoption of Henkel engineering adhesives and dispensing equipment for a variety of applications.

8th November 2016

The high cost of crystal IR window failure

Increasingly, electrical systems are being fitted with thermal imaging windows at the point of manufacture. These devices allow the health of the electrical system to be checked while energised without endangering the workforce. It is a move supported by the IEEE whose "˜Recommended Practice for Electrical System Design Techniques' provides a framework for safety to be addressed at OEM level.

4th November 2016

Mixing silicones for facial and other prosthetics

The manufacture of a medical prosthetic device for a patient's face or similar area is a highly skilled job; each one is unique, and needs to be handled with great sensitivity, as both functional and cosmetic considerations are involved. It may require careful mixing and colour matching of a silicone moulding compound, with no air entrapment, to ensure appearance and consistency of structure. Jim Dimond, Consultant Clinical Maxillofacial Prosthetist at University Hospital Coventry, explained how the Thinky ARE-250 from Intertronics helped move from a lengthy, manual process requiring a skilled technician, to a short, reliable and automatic mixing process.

4th November 2016

Guided Operator Solutions enhance quality control process

The need to maximise quality, productivity and efficiency on production lines and in manual assembly cells is a challenge faced by much of manufacturing industry. It has been met at Mitsubishi Electric Air Conditioning Europe by employing Guided Operator Solutions from sister company Mitsubishi Electric, Factory Automation.

4th November 2016

Spanish winery raises a glass to Fanuc fleet

With the global taste for Spanish bubbly continuing to flourish, Freixenet - one of the country's leading producers and exporters of sparkling wine - this year toasts two decades of successful collaboration with FANUC and its yellow robots.

3rd November 2016