Industrial Technology

Design Engineering

Miniaturisation means smaller, higher performing machines

Miniaturisation means smaller, higher performing machines

As OEMs strive to develop ever more mobile and compact machines, the trend is forcing miniature motion control manufacturers to maintain pace. Miniature motors and controllers are enabling precision performance control with an increasing need for reliability in demanding applications. Gerard Bush of INMOCO explains how in meeting the demands, miniature motion technology is moving towards decentralised control.

26th July 2021
Scaling up production, fast

Scaling up production, fast

Manufacturers must increase production to capitalise on the record growth in new orders. However, scaling up production quickly without additional floor space and workers can be challenging. Here Dave Walsha, sales manager at precision drive system supplier EMS, explores how expanding automation holds the answer.

26th July 2021
Efficient material flow with complete safety

Efficient material flow with complete safety

The increasing automation of processes places growing demands on safety concepts. Classic concepts such as muting, for example, are often pushed to their limits. The intelligent safety solutions from Leuze enable complete safety, efficient material flow, and high system availability.

26th July 2021
Sick

Sick"s sHub smart sensor hub helps to prevent machine downtime

Sick has launched the sHub sensor hub, a smart add-on to its HIPERFACE DSL single-cable motor feedback system, which turns servo motors into a source of data for real-time condition monitoring and predictive maintenance of machines.

26th July 2021
New Igus module predicts the service life of machines and manufacturing systems

New Igus module predicts the service life of machines and manufacturing systems

Motion plastics leader Igus has developed a new predictive maintenance device, a new home for the software to power its smart plastics products – the i.Cee:local module. The module calculates the remaining service life of the energy chain, cable, linear guide and/or plain bearings during their operation. By doing this, the service life of the system can be optimised, faults are detected and rectified at an early stage, and more accurate maintenance can be planned in advance. The module monitors abrasion, measures tensile/push force and provides information about an impending overload in the energy chain or plastics system, using smart plastics sensors from Igus. It can be integrated over Ethernet or over a local network.

26th July 2021
Renishaw FORTiS enclosed linear absolute encoder series

Renishaw FORTiS enclosed linear absolute encoder series

Designed for use in harsh environments such as machine tools, the FORTiS enclosed linear absolute encoder design is built upon industry-proven RESOLUTE encoder technology and provides high resistance to the ingress of liquids and solid debris contaminants. It features an extruded enclosure with longitudinally attached interlocking lip seals and sealed end caps. The readhead body is joined to a sealed optical unit by a blade, which travels through the lip seals along the length of the encoder. Linear axis movement causes the readhead and optics to traverse the encoder's absolute scale (which is fixed to the inside of the enclosure), without mechanical contact.

26th July 2021
Technical innovation for mixing and agitation

Technical innovation for mixing and agitation

Nord Drivesystems has developed a powerful combination for use in mixing and agitation processes: The MAXXDRIVE industrial gear units with the new SAFOMI-IEC adapter is specifically developed for mixers to improve operational reliability and reduce the need for the replacement of wearing parts. In combination with the NORDAC FLEX SK 200E frequency inverter for the power range up to 22kW, a flexible unit with low maintenance is offered.

26th July 2021
Precision mixing contains costs

Precision mixing contains costs

A pre-pilot mixing plant is using wireless TorqSense transducers for ultra-accurate viscosity measurement of high-value compounds. The plant is used to prepare small batches of compounds from shampoo and detergent to cosmetics, therapeutic and medical preparations. Some of the ingredients in the compounds are very expensive, so product developers are loath to make large batches early in the formulation process.

26th July 2021
Return on investment with planetary mixing equipment

Return on investment with planetary mixing equipment

Matthew Baseley, Senior Internal Technical Sales Executive at Intertronics, discusses the factors contributing to return on investment when considering planetary mixing equipment.

26th July 2021
Locking solution transforms cargo bike into smart carrier

Locking solution transforms cargo bike into smart carrier

Established in 2017 in the Netherlands, Paztir is a specialist in access management, track and trace and smart locking systems for urban delivery optimisation. It provides a competitive solution that can transform any cargo bike or light electric vehicle into an enhanced, smart delivery vehicle, ideal to support the growth in city-based logistics. In an industry where delivery boxes are opened and closed an average of 300 times per day, Paztir’s smart access solutions save up to 50 minutes a day for one vehicle.

26th July 2021
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