Machine Building

APL used successfully in test setup at BASF

For many years users in the process industry have pondered how Ethernet should be implemented in potentially explosive atmospheres. With the successful testing of the APL solution by BASF, significant progress has been made.

21st May 2020

KEB drives and controllers for special-purpose cutting machines

KEB Automation has supplied a variety of drives and control equipment to a UK-based machine builder for use on special-purpose cutting machines for stone tiles and roof slates. KEB provided a complete system from a single source and provided engineering support all the way through the machine design and build process.

21st May 2020

Trumpf supplies TruLaser Tube 7000 to The Laser Cutting Co

The Laser Cutting Co (TLCC) has taken delivery of a new Trumpf TruLaser Tube 7000 at its Sheffield facility. This customer-focused supplier of high-quality subcontract laser cutting services will use the machine, which is currently being commissioned, to achieve further growth as part of its progressive five-year plan. Moreover, with TLCC already producing flat sheet-metal ventilator parts as part of the fight against the current COVID-19 pandemic, the new TruLaser Tube is helping the company bid competitively for tube-based parts needed for the same purpose.

18th May 2020

Smart condition monitoring systems use PLC and VSD

Mitsubishi Electric has collaborated with their e-F@ctory Alliance Partner Schaeffler sensor technology to offer two Smart Condition Monitoring (SCM) solutions - one based on an integrated PLC solution and the other using the intelligent functions of the 800 Series Variable Speed Drives.

15th May 2020

Switching to NSK bearings helps manufacturer save EUR100,000 p/a

A change of bearing type on the carousel of a casting line, coupled with a small recommended design change, has led to savings of EUR100,095 per annum for a manufacturer of gas turbine blades after it began experiencing bearing failures every six weeks.

11th May 2020

Omron Sysmac Controller used in TheOpenVentilator project

Omron has taken part in the development of an emergency ventilator, in a project spearheaded by TheOpenVentilator a non-profit making association. The new ventilators are being built in Spain to help COVID-19 patients who need mechanical ventilation, using industrial equipment of high quality and reliability.

7th May 2020

PSL Datatrack helps Bedford CNC improve customer service

For some small precision engineering companies, improving the administration that lies behind their production processes and manufacturing capabilities is not always necessarily the top priority. The main focus is often to ensure that the performance of machine tools is optimised and that parts produced are of the highest quality. Andy Soos of Bedford CNC, however, has taken an approach that prioritises all of the above areas and is consequently now in a strong position to take the business to the next level. This is all thanks to a number of wise investments and business initiatives, including the use of PSL Datatrack production control software.

5th May 2020

igus drylin W linear systems for student spice vending machine

Curry instead of cola! Five students from Heubach, Germany have developed a vending machine for packaged spices together with engineers and trainees from EMAG LaserTec GmbH. To ensure that the salt, curry and pepper cans are picked from their compartments quickly, they used the drylin W linear guides from igus.

5th May 2020

Smart Patrol Robots feature Advantech UNO-2484G edge gateway

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shenhao Technology Co., Ltd has deployed smart robots that use Advantech technology to monitor body temperature and conduct identity detection in schools, banks, and other public places.

5th May 2020

Robot palletises woodshaving bales

Metsä Wood specialises in timber products but also earns a significant revenue stream from what would otherwise be a waste product. Woodshavings are sold as equestrian bedding, and a Kawasaki Robot has improved the efficiency of the palletising operation for woodshaving bales.

27th April 2020