Machine Building

Applications

Southco's torque hinge technology for EvoBus headrests

In a crowded yet growing market space, bus and coach manufacturers alike must find new and innovative ways to improve the customer experience and to this end, many have found increased passenger comfort to be a source of competitive advantage. Until fairly recently, the headrests in buses and coaches have typically consisted of little more than a rigid frame covered with a thick piece of foam. Needless to say, this did not give passengers the level of comfort desired, making it difficult to properly rest and somewhat diminishing the appeal of bus and coach travel against other forms of transport. From a maintenance perspective, traditional headrests typically require regular overhaul, often at considerable expense and inconvenience.

16th May 2016

SYMÃ‰TRIE hexapods choose Renishaw's RESOLUTE absolute encoders

SYMÃ‰TRIE is one of the world's leading providers of hexapod systems for positioning and motion applications. A hexapod is a type of parallel robot, also known as a Stewart platform, with six linear actuators (jacks) and six degrees of freedom (X, Y, Z, pitch, yaw and roll). SYMÃ‰TRIE hexapods consist of a lower platform (base), upper platform (mobile platform), and 6 linear actuators with inline ball-screw drives. A ball and universal joint connects each strut to the base and mobile platform, respectively. The upper platform supports the payload and can be mounted in both vertical and horizontal orientations. Typical applications for hexapods include: flight simulation, materials testing, microscopy / telescopy, aeronautics, scientific research and many others.

13th May 2016

Brick manufacturer gears up production with new drive technology

As part of a planned upgrade of its brick making facility, at Nostell, near Wakefield, Yorkshire, Ibstock Brick is replacing all the drive technology at the plant with systems provided by SEW Eurodrive. The investment and upgrade is in response to increased demand for the company's products within the UK market and is designed to increase production, improve efficiency and cut downtime.

13th May 2016

Roller supported chain (RSC) system with a travel length of 260m

A robust cable carrier including a cable package and with a particularly long travel length for a new crane system in the company's own port: this has been the tender from the Indonesian fertiliser manufacturer Pupuk Kaltim. Kabelschlepp Metool has been able to win the bid and to successfully implement the project with an international team. The basis for this RSC system is a MC1300 cable carrier equipped with TRAXLINE drag chain cables.

13th May 2016

Modular distribution enclosures improve "˜Smart Building'

Modern day "˜Smart Buildings' are capable of automating a host of building services such as heating, lighting, security and communications with the purpose of improving energy efficiency. Unfortunately, when a Building Management System (BMS) is installed poorly, reliability issues can quickly eliminate any savings. When it became apparent that the BMS at the innovative Think Tank building in Lincoln needed to be replaced, SG Controls and Integration was approached to provide a support. The SGCI solution was able to make dramatic improvements to the efficiency of the building, thanks in part to Spelsberg's modular AK distribution enclosures.

12th May 2016

LOCTITE coating extends lifetime of flue gas duct

Conditions in a flue gas duct are extreme. Heightened exposure to heat and aggressive chemicals can cause the steel structure to crack or fracture resulting in leakage. In the worst case, this can lead to plant shutdowns and expensive repairs. As a manufacturer itself, Henkel fully understands the problem and has chosen to take a proactive approach by treating the flue gas duct at its own power plant in Düsseldorf with LOCTITE ® PC 7255. This protective coating is a sprayable, ceramic-reinforced epoxy that has proven its ability to extend the lifetime of a wide variety of plant from tanks and chutes to heat exchangers, centrifuges and impellers.

12th May 2016

MiniTec helps the Aviva Rugby Championship winning streak

Rugby Union has been in the public eye earlier this year with the six nation's championship and the national league championship captivating the sporting world. MiniTec were delighted then when approached by the championship organisers to design and construct a mobile shelter to be used to promote premiership rugby on match days.

12th May 2016

Pacepacker makes light work of heavy potato sacks

Tackling a challenging application other packaging equipment manufacturers shy away from, Pacepacker Services has designed and built a bespoke collator system for a potato-packing company which supplies a major UK food retailer. The prototype machine, which collates and packs retail bags of potatoes into 12-25kg outer sacks, has paid for itself in less than 12 months through labour savings and productivity improvements.

11th May 2016

SmartWire-DT makes machine's HPU easier to build and maintain

Eaton has deployed its expertise in the field of electro-hydraulic technology to help Italian machine tool manufacturer Pietro Carnaghi reduce its machine delivery lead times. The power management company helped Pietro Carnaghi to streamline its Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU) design, integrating both hydraulic and electrical components with its SmartWire-DT connectivity. This innovative intelligent control panel wiring technology, which reduces the conventional point-to-point wiring found in control panels, enabled Pietro Carnaghi to reduce its wiring equipment costs and halve panel assembly time.

9th May 2016

Slewing rings and spherical roller bearings in wind turbines

A manufacturer of high-performance small wind turbines based in Scotland has specified slewing rings and spherical roller bearings from Schaeffler UK for use on its 133 wind turbine - the quietest wind turbine in its class.

9th May 2016