Machine Building

Ypsomed and Harting retrofit Industry 4.0 control systems

Ypsomed Group, an international medical technology company specialising in the development and manufacture of injection and infusion systems for the self-injection of liquid medicines, has selected Harting as a collaborative partner in a development project to retrofit legacy protocol plastic injection moulding machines with an integrated Industry 4.0 digital control system that is also linked with a factory-wide MES/ERP system. This approach offers simple and minimal physical integration with an existing production line for a reasonably low level of investment, with long-term benefits including improved productivity, cost savings and extended machine lifetimes.

18th February 2019

Switching to NSK bearings saves EUR400,000 for ore plant

When an ore preparation plant began experiencing repeated bearing failures on an air recirculation fan, it turned to NSK for advice. As a makeshift countermeasure, the facility was applying compressed air cooling in an attempt to reduce elevated bearing running temperatures, so the requirement for an urgent long-term solution was clear to see.

15th February 2019

Zigzag e-chains manage cables for speaker and lighting trusses

Since its opening in 2011, the Kauffman Center for the performing arts in Kansas City, Missouri has hosted over 2.5 million guests and many notable performers. In the canopy, which sits above the centre stage, cable reels were originally used to manage the cables for the speaker and lighting trusses.

13th February 2019

Kawasaki Robotics duAro twin-arm cobot installed at university

The University of Chester's popular Innovation to Commercialisation project (I2C) has installed a Kawasaki robot as part of its project to introduce Cheshire or Warrington-based SMEs to the advantages offered by the latest advances and practices in automation and manufacturing.

8th February 2019

Atherton Bikes uses additive manufacturing for titanium lugs

Renishaw is working with new mountain bike brand Atherton Bikes to produce additively manufactured titanium lugs for the company's bike frames. The new brand was launched in January by the Atherton siblings, Gee, Rachel and Dan and co-founded by Piers Linney of Dragons' Den fame.

5th February 2019

Mitsubishi controls helps Sadler's Ales boost production

The perfect beer is a harmonious blend of art and science. Automation can help by performing the measured and repetitive tasks while allowing brewers to focus on more creative, interesting and rewarding aspects. When Sadler's Ales, a historic Black Country brewery, started to grow its business, it decided to adopt an automated process control system from Mitsubishi Electric to improve productivity and make the quality of its craft beers more consistent.

5th February 2019

SKF's Windlub centralised lubrication system is on 100+ turbines

SKF's Windlub centralised lubrication system for wind turbines is supporting Italy's leading wind energy operator roll out a fully automated lubrication programme on more than 100 wind turbines across seven countries.

1st February 2019

Phytron stepper motors, precision gear units used in Mars lander

For a small number of motion control applications, project success is only confirmed long after delivery - so no compromise whatsoever can be tolerated with design integrity, manufacturing quality and reliability. This is especially true for many projects undertaken by Phytron GmbH, the extreme environment motor, drive and motion systems designer and manufacturer, represented in the UK by Mclennan.

31st January 2019

Sika improves productivity with compressed air & nitrogen system

Sika Limited has virtually halved its batch transfer time after installing a centralised and remotely monitored compressed air and nitrogen system from Atlas Copco. The system, which was installed, and is being serviced, by Atlas Copco subsidiary Compressor Engineering, is proving essential in the safe and efficient production procedures at the company's manufacturing facility in Preston, UK. Furthermore, it has allowed full centralisation between adjacent plant installations and provided capacity for expansion.

31st January 2019

Freight logistics look for replicable material flow systems

When the new cargo terminal starts operating at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in early 2018, Finnair, Finland's largest carrier and one of the leading airlines in Europe-Asia traffic, will be expanding its role as an air cargo carrier in the Nordic region. Finnair has decisively chartered a course to this end by investing in 19 Airbus A350 aircraft, 11 of which have already been delivered. The investments on the ground and in the air are laying the groundwork for the expansion of passenger and freight business, in particular for European and inter-continental destinations. The complete material flow is being provided by Lödige Systems GmbH, Warburg, and the drive technology by Lenze.

29th January 2019