Pneumatic cylinders are an efficient, reliable and clean solution for moving loads in a linear direction (back and forth or up and down), with good levels of force and speed. Japh Humphries, UK sales and commercial manager at Matara UK, looks at the specification considerations in harsh environment applications.

Using its unique experience of compressed air systems as a supplier, manufacturer, auditor and trainer, industrial automation specialist Festo offers five practical measures for reducing compressed air energy consumption in the food production environment.

In a manufacturing environment, choosing the wrong connector product can have serious consequences in terms of performance and safety. Scott Jones, general manager of Northern Connectors, outlines some of the things you should think about when selecting parts for a particular application, with suggestions that will be applicable across a variety of manufacturing sectors.

Getting the most out of your machinery often depends on close integration between all components, with the correct specification of couplings between them to ensure proper shaft alignment, optimise performance and minimise wear. The experts at jbj Techniques guide us through the design considerations for hydraulic adapters to couple hydraulic pumps to prime movers.

Systems accessories for cabling are key to many enclosure installations, but it is important that that these accessories meet the same requirements as those that apply to building the panel, as Emma Ryde, Rittal product manager for industrial and outdoor enclosures, explains.

Metrel says its new A2214 ring continuity adapter represents another advance in a long line of technical improvements, taking the legwork out of testing ring final circuits.

Igus, Greaves 3D Engineering and the University of Northampton have come together to introduce the new racing simulator.

For the day-to-day removal of water in the likes of mining and civil engineering schemes, Sulzer has completed its lineup of dewatering pumps with the launch of five new models for drainage and sludge applications.

Parker Hannifin is releasing a new motion controller range for the global industrial automation market. Intelligent, multi-axis Parker motion controllers combine machine logic, real-time motion control, advanced safety features and visualisation in a completely scalable solution.

Westermo has introduced a new compact industrial Power over Ethernet (PoE) switch designed to support the ever-growing networking requirements for devices, such as security cameras, wireless access points and monitors.