Machine Building

Preventing tablet cross-contamination in pharma packaging lines

Olmec UK has designed a novel vision system for 100 per cent inspection of pharmaceutical tablets for a manufacturer of healthcare products. The tablets are inspected on packaging machines used for multiple products in order to prevent cross-contamination - a tablet from a previous batch getting into the final packaging. The system, designed to inspect a variety of tablet types and colour combinations, was required to fit into a very limited space on the existing line and also provide good operator access for cleaning.

20th November 2015

Threadlockers ensure reliability for specialist vehicles

Local Motors is using Loctite threadlockers for two very different vehicles: the Rally Fighter, which is an off-road racing car; and the Strati, a 3D printed, electrically powered road car with just 49 parts.

20th November 2015

Split spherical roller bearings cut plant maintenance costs

By replacing solid spherical roller bearings on a vehicle bodywork washer conveyor belt drive with split spherical roller bearings and matching housings from Schaeffler, a car manufacturer in Spain has significantly reduced the time it takes to replace damaged bearings, resulting in reduced maintenance costs and reduced downtime of the washer plant.

19th November 2015

Renishaw brings 3D printing expertise to Land Rover BAR TIG

Sf{Renishaw has joined Land Rover BAR's Technical Innovation Group (TIG) as an official supplier - joining the quest to bring the America's Cup home to Britain. The company will contribute its expertise in metal 3D printing and position feedback encoding.

17th November 2015

Custom screw jacks used in dough sheeters and gauge rolls

Baker Perkins, a leading manufacturer of machinery for the bread, biscuit and confectionery sectors, has selected Kelston cubic screw jacks for its new TruClean sheeters and gauge rolls.

17th November 2015

Adhesive helps to improve lean manufacturing of valves

Thanks to close collaboration between engineers from Henkel and HydraForce, the manufacturer of hydraulic valves has been able to use the principles of lean manufacturing to help improve process efficiency. The project also created opportunities for HydraForce to enhance the quality of its Loctite adhesive application and assembly procedures by taking full advantage of an innovative Loctite retaining compound.

16th November 2015

Air gap robot improves motor inspection without removing rotor

A miniature robot - the ABB InSight - fitted with five cameras is being used to crawl in the air gap between the stator and rotor of large motors or generators to visually inspect their status, thereby reducing downtime, inspection costs and the need to withdraw the rotor.

13th November 2015

Condition monitoring of fan units prevents unplanned downtime

Whether it's for receipts, ATM machine bank statements or tickets - thermal printer paper is all around us. The paper's special properties are due to a coating that is applied to the surface of the paper. At Mitsubishi HiTec Paper Europe GmbH (MPEB) in Bielefeld, Germany, coating machine 3 applies a coating to around 300 tonnes of thermal paper each day. 26 fan units ensure that coated paper is dried without being touched. Since 2014, 26 FAG SmartCheck systems from Schaeffler have been monitoring these fans for any signs of abnormal vibration. The systems are helping to prevent unplanned machine downtime, optimise production and reduce the total cost of ownership.

13th November 2015

Customised shutter door system for guarding CNC grinding machine

Kabelschlepp has developed an easy-to-operate customised shutter door system to protect people in the vicinity of CNC thread grinding machines.

13th November 2015

Sensor flies conservation into new levels of control

An innovative device that simultaneously senses a helicopter's position and weighs the load it is carrying has helped a 50-year landscape conservation project successfully reach its first 5-year milestone. The HeliNav TrackMaster is a simple and accurate system that simultaneously monitors underslung loads and logs actual flight paths while also providing navigational guidance.

13th November 2015