What's New In Industry articles from December 2001

What's New In Industry archives from December 2001

Conveyors on track.
December 1, 2001... Advanced conveyor tracking feature introduced to ABB's range of industrial robots has been designed to work with robot-equipped production lines that have parts on a moving conveyor. It ensures that robot programs are executed correctly and...

Developing CANbus. (Inspection & Measurement).
December 1, 2001... Innovative combination product to meet expanding CANbus applications in the automotive and other industrial sectors has been developed by Yokogawa. The DL7200 CANbus signal analyser is a high-performance oscilloscope with CAMbus trigger and...

Probe by DMM. (Inspection & Measurement).
December 1, 2001... Meterman's low-cost probe-style digital multimeter, the handheld DM73B, is a probe-style meter with a digital display offering up to 3400 counts, an analogue bar-graph and Data Hold facility. It measures ac and dc voltages up to 600V with...

More recipes. (Inspection & Measurement).
December 1, 2001... Expanded capabilities of Mettler Toledo's ID7 weighing terminal includes recipe and formulation weighing: 100 recipes, each with 15 ingredients, can be stored and processed. A message database helps to guide the operator through the process....

Auto checkweighing in the frame. (Inspection & Measurement).
December 1, 2001... Best 44HB weighframe checkweighing system from Thermo Goring Kerr has been developed for use in automated warehouse environments where it can provide accurate in-motion weighing of packages up to 70kg. Its overload protection is given as up to...

Detector clearly shows up the flaws. (Inspection & Measurement).
December 1, 2001... Ultrasonic test results can be viewed with even greater clarity and interpreted with accuracy, with the USN58R portable flaw detector launched by Krautkramer. A 1/4VGA `High-Brite' EL display features a 60Hz update rate and single-shot...

Hydraulics on test. (Inspection & Measurement).
December 1, 2001... Hydraulic high pressure controller from Ruska Instrument (Druck Group) suits a variety of high volume/automated test and calibration applications. It offers precision of up to 0.0l percent and ranges up to 40000psi. This is enhanced with dual...

Probe puts powder coatings to the test. (Inspection & Measurement).
December 1, 2001... Available from Sheen Instruments, the latest probe from ElektroPhysik is for use with the `MiniTest 4100' series of coating thickness measurement instruments. The FN1.6P Powder Probe measures the thickness of an uncured powder coating after...

Calibrator offers multi functions. (Inspection & Measurement).
December 1, 2001... Calys 10 calibrators from AOIP is designed to verify and calibrate equipment in the laboratory or in industrial locations and meet the growing requirements of maintenance and calibration departments. It is fitted with a protective housing and a...

Screen stays in touch. (Industrial Computing).
December 1, 2001... Entuitive 1725L 17-inch LCD desktop touchmonitor from Elo has been developed to provide solutions across many light industrial markets. It is available with a choice of Elo's touch technology -- either AccuTouch five-wire resistive or...

Power up, size down. (Industrial Computing).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Out to meet the demands of the industrial PC market for ever increasing performance in an ever reducing size, Kontron's new PxV206 comes in a 2U 19-inch format with a mounting depth of 457mm, with space for either a Pentium 111 of up to 933MHz,...

Design innovation through CAD/EDM integration. (Industrial Computing).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... IronCAD's new suite of software products is designed to permit an innovative approach to engineering design whilst streamlining the product introduction process. InnovationSuite is said to be the first fully integrated design and...

Common sense look at manufacturing. (Industrial Computing).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Lilly Software's VISUAL Manufacturing 6.2 is a new version of its common-sense manufacturing business software that features an improved look and feel, and includes new warehouse management capabilities, plant management and order management...

Extra tests. (Industrial Computing).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Peak Group has introduced new features to its TestMaster suite of programs, adding comprehensive display, reporting, database, analysis and communications capabilities for testing in the manufacturing environment. TestMaster-CTP includes all...

Pick your own processor. (Industrial Computing).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Putting processing power into the hands of system builders by providing the benefits of industrial PCs without the cost and performance issues, Armagard's IPWorkStation provides a TFT screen and membrane keyboard/trackerball housed in an...

Software adds CNC inspection. (Industrial Computing).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Delcam has added support for CNC-based inspection techniques to its PowerINSPECT inspection software. CNC capabilities will allow PowerlNSPECT to be used for the inspection of sample parts against a master CAD model during production -- in...

Condensed power on CompactPCI. (Industrial Computing).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... The integration density of CompactPCI boards has been increased by PEP Modular Computers with the CP303, a single-height high performance CPU board featuring two Fast Ethernet channels, a host of PC interfaces and with up to 512Mbytes SDRAM....

Compact control. (Process Plant & Control).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Compact, lightweight and actuated control valve which combines the benefits of accurate modulating control of medium-to-low flow rates with optimum automated process control, is available from Pump Engineering. The Badger Meter RC860 can be...

Get on the network. (Process Plant & Control).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... The requirement for PC-based data and chart recording is becoming more and more common, yet SCADA systems do not always provide an economic solution, says CAL Controls who has developed CALgrafix as a cost-effective solution. CAL have...

Downsizing still pumps up the efficiency. (Process Plant & Control).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Innovative `one-nut' double diaphragm pump range from Flotronic has been extended with a new Mini Pump series. Still designed around the established Flotronic ptfe diaphragm concept -- in this case a seven-inch diameter unit -- these new...

Clean pumping behind the screen. (Process Plant & Control).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... New range of laboratory vacuum pumps from BOC Edwards offers lubricant-free vacuum pumping down to 0.07mbar. The XDS range features a scroll mechanism with a unique bearing shield which ensures there are no bearings, grease or oil under vacuum...

All-in-one sensor intelligence. (Process Plant & Control).(from Burkert Contromatic)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... New `all-in-one' intelligent sensors from fluid control specialist Burkert boast a range of features designed to further expand the offerings of device-based, decentralised intelligence products. They combine the built-in intelligence of...

Controlling the production/commercial interface. (Process Plant & Control).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... To optimise investment in business systems such as ERP and MRP -- and to truly realise the benefits of e-manufacturing -- the provision of flexible and powerful interfaces between commerce and production areas is often a must. However, many...

Steam traps take on higher pressures. (Process Plant & Control).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Extensive new range of Spirax Sarco high-pressure and high-capacity steam traps is aimed at the power generation, petrochemical and process industries. The range includes bimetallic steam traps capable of draining condensate from high pressure...

Interlocks for valve safety. (Process Plant & Control).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... New QLS and GLS interlocks from Smith Flow Control provide a mechanical process management system for potentially hazardous valve operations requiring strict sequential control. A new feature is on-site lock re-coding which lets plant managers...

Flexible hoses take the heat. (Process Plant & Control).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Isopad flexible heated hoses from Tyco Thermal Controls offer resistance to the high temperatures, pressures and aggressive materials often present in processing plant. They are designed for the transfer of substances in the types of hostile...

Latch folds and seals. (Mechanical Components).
December 1, 2001... Southco's Folding T-handle compression latch is designed to meet both the performance and aesthetic needs of equipment used in the heavy-duty machinery and transportation industries. Providing effective sealing against environmental...

Mini driver. (Mechanical Components).
December 1, 2001... For miniature precision drive applications, the Huco Micro-Beam coupler offers a cost-effective means of dealing with shaft misalignment whilst ensuring high positional accuracy. At only 12.7mm long and 6.4mm diameter, it claims all the...

Tough solenoids. (Mechanical Components).
December 1, 2001... Able to operate in hot and humid areas, even if air and condensate water is contaminated with lubrication oil, Danfoss EV224B high-pressure solenoid valves offer 1/2 and one-inch brass valve body options for normally-open or normally-closed use...

Sealing performance you can relate to. (Mechanical Components).
December 1, 2001... Supplied to users on a reliability or performance-related basis, John Crane's new LaserFace sealing technology claims a unique seal face structure and enhanced sealing in difficult applications. LaserFace offers reduced friction and wear as...

Efficient chains optimise energy use. (Mechanical Components).
December 1, 2001... Tsubaki's bearing roller conveyor chain integrates cylindrical roller bearings inside its chain rollers, reducing the frictional coefficient of the chain to 0.03 -- about one third that of conventionally constructed conveyor chain. This can...

Actuator gets Smart. (Mechanical Components).
December 1, 2001... Integrated actuator that fully complies with ISO 6431 and VDMA 24562 standards within the VDMA space envelope -- and known as the Smart Cylinder -- has been launched by Norgren. Despite its sleek clean line appearance, the unit contains its own...

Pumping up the tonnage. (Mechanical Components).
December 1, 2001... HP235 range of high-flow two-speed manually-operated hydraulic pumps from Hi-Force Hydraulics are specially designed for use with high tonnage cylinders where a larger oil capacity and fast, economical cycle time is required. Both models are...

New twist on safer coupling. (Mechanical Components).
December 1, 2001... Advanced C900 range of twist-action, two-stage safety couplers launched by Legris will extend to more than 200 versions. Numerous probe profiles and adaptors have been incorporated to ensure extensive interchangeability and compatibility. ...

Packaging in vision. (Packaging & Labelling).
December 1, 2001... Cognex's Presence Verification Plus (PPV+) is an off-the-shelf vision system specifically for packaging applications in the consumer product, food and drink, medical and pharmaceutical industries where high levels of print readability and...

Protection in profile. (Packaging & Labelling).
December 1, 2001... Proform and Flowline are versatile styles of corrugated sleeves from Rigid Charter that provide economical, effective, protective packaging. They are produced with a choice of flute profiles in square, rectangular and circular formats,...

Auto system speeds up palletising. (Packaging & Labelling).
December 1, 2001... Automatic palletising system designed for faster operation and increased throughput has been launched by Dawson. Based upon the established Gencon Series 30 unit, the Series 31 incorporates a layer make-up table which increases the machine's...

Laser applies codes to the letter. (Packaging & Labelling).
December 1, 2001... New steered beam laser coder from Linx Printing Technologies enables `letter quality' and graphics printing to be applied to packaging and other materials. The Xymark VectorWriter delivers high-quality codes including options such as real time...

Reading the small print. (Packaging & Labelling).
December 1, 2001... Brady's BP-6441 printer suits very small labels and 2D bar codes. It offers a 600-dpi print head, combined with its ability to realise very precise prints on labels barely 1/8in high, while 2D bar codes are printed with high resolution. The...

Pressure-sensitive labels just peel off and wipe on. (Packaging & Labelling).
December 1, 2001... Weber Marking Systems' Alpha 86 label applicator applies pressure-sensitive labels using the wipe-on method, where a label is peeled automatically from its liner, then gently and securely affixed to a carton or product. Accommodating...

Printers are just the ticket. (Packaging & Labelling).
December 1, 2001... Six printers make up the Markpoint Compact and Nova ranges from Matrix Developments. They offer print widths from 104 to 300mm and suit a wide range of applications. The three Compact direct thermal or thermal transfer units -- one of them...

Stacking up the features. (Handling & Storage).
December 1, 2001... Providing 1250 and 21500kg capacities respectively, the latest innovative man-down lateral stackers from Boss offer a fully rotating cab and integrated control system. Rotating through 30 deg., this ergonomic arrangement on the the WD13...

Precise control from fuzzy logic. (Handling & Storage).
December 1, 2001... Nissan's FLEX (Fuzzy Logic EXpedient) Control System is at the heart of a newly styled range of four-wheel electric lift trucks from 1 to 2.5 tonne capacity. Control of the accelerator on the PO1 AND PO2 series is far less mechanical than with...

Belts to add that custom touch. (Handling & Storage).
December 1, 2001... A steel belt system with a combination of features built into the design of the belt itself can be an attractive proposition for many industries: in applications such as packaging, automated assembly and inspection, the nature of the component...

Parts clearly accessible. (Handling & Storage).
December 1, 2001... Extensive range of parts, storage trays and shelving systems from Link51 lets the user segregate components of varying sizes into individual locations in different combinations of purpose-designed storage systems. Trays are made from...

Four-way truck enters the comfort zone. (Handling & Storage).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Capable of travelling sideways as well as forwards/backwards, Atlet's swivelling-wheel UFS is designed for handling long loads in tight spaces. The new UFS is now upgraded to `Tergo Specification', incorporating design features derived from...

Boxing clever by kangaroo. (Handling & Storage).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Tray capacities from 100 to 500kg and cabinet height up to 14m are offered by Linpic's Kangaroo storage lift. It is suitable for a diverse range of industries from chemical or pharmaceutical, electronic and mechanical sectors, distribution...

Come in, redditch ... (Handling & Storage).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Re-engineered Smart Bendi articulating fork lift trucks boast technology that keeps them in communication with manufacturer Translift's Redditch base, allowing truck diagnostic information to be read and fed out to a local service engineer. ...

Turret truck offers safe man-up working. (Handling & Storage).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... For stacking, retrieving and order picking operations, the Yale MTC15 turret truck is a man-up model featuring an elevated compartment that is sturdy and robust ensuring that the operator feels safe and secure when working at maximum lift...

Long distance conveying. (Handling & Storage).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Pneuvac range of pneumatic conveying equipment designed for the sanitary handling of powders, pellets and bulk granular is now available from Spiroflow. It is said to be particularly ideal for long range conveying where product degradation is a...

Pallet table on the level. (Handling & Storage).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Southworth Handling's Pallet Pal self-levelling table is now offered with concertina bellows for added operator safety. The bellows completely surround the table's lifting mechanism to provide a secondary safety measure for the operator. The...

Monorails into position. (Handling & Storage).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Monorail units from J D Neuhaus feature twin hoists operated via a common drive shaft, which ensures fully synchronised raise and lowering of both lifting hooks. Operation is from a single pendant control with lever mechanism which enables the...

Heavy-duty options for the warehouse. (Handling & Storage).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Hyster's new P2.0 to 3.0X heavy-duty warehouse trucks feature a robust, independent lift carriage on the forks. This not only allows for the many fork configurations demanded of more heavy-duty pallet handling applications but it also allows...

Evolution on the bend. (Handling & Storage).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... New TS1600 modular belt curve conveyor range from Transnorm System provides handling speeds up to 3m/sec. The seamless side frame profiles use bolted construction and are manufactured from non-corrosive aluminium -- ideal for operating in clean...

Conveying at speed. (Handling & Storage).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... For high-speed sortation and handling applications in manufacturing, distribution, e-fulfilment and parcel sortation, Peer Conveyors has designed the modular LR50 high-speed powered roller conveyor. Fitted with energy efficient, low...

Laser makes its mark. (Factory Equipment).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... A combination of galvanometer driven optics, non-contact marking and advanced Windows software enable Pryor's new Diode-Pumped Laser to claim significant reductions in marking cycle time and running costs. Capable of generating up to 250...

Welder offers power options. (Factory Equipment).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Dual-voltage capability of the Tradestig Dual 151i welding set from Murex makes it suitable for on-site (110V limit) or workshop use from a standard 230V supply. Suitable for TIG welding most metals, including stainless steel and other...

Aluminium system shows its profile. (Factory Equipment).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Aluminium machine building profile system designed to make machine builders think again about using steel in tough environments, has been introduced by mk Profile Systems. The Maschinenbau Series 60 profile system is the strongest and...

Designed for welding flexibility. (Factory Equipment).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Aristo welding system from ESAB provides high performance and flexibility due to its modular design that can be configured to meet any present and future requirements for MIG/MAG, DC-TIG, and MMA welding. Built around a power source based...

Some like it not too hot. (Factory Equipment).
December 1, 2001... Too hot to handle? While maintaining their low profile and compact size (typically 75 x 80 x 15mm) DBK's ABC range of self-regulating, uni-voltage cabinet heaters can be tailored to touch temperature guidelines. They come in 20 to 230W packages...

Relay unit monitors drum tipping safety. (Factory Equipment).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Flexicon's new 250kg capacity automatic drum discharger -- recently commissioned for the process line of a manufacturer of welding rods, although it could be used for any drum discharge application -- is manufactured in mild steel with...

Speeding press-in assembly. (Factory Equipment).
December 1, 2001... Advanced sensing technology and an easy-to-use graphics interface make the CPMPrestige semi-automatic component press-in machine from Harting highly productive and easy to use. The CPMPrestige is suited for both high-volume and low-volume...

Ready to bond. (Finishing & Materials).
December 1, 2001... High-performance hot melt glue gun kit from Henkel Loctite Adhesives quickly and effectively bonds a wide range of materials. The kit provides everything needed to start bonding, including two 200mm long all-purpose glue sticks. The sticks...

Mind the gap. (Finishing & Materials).
December 1, 2001... Chomerics has introduced a new thermally conductive interface pad designed for applications where a high degree of thermal performance coupled with gap filling properties is required. Therm-A-Gap G974 has a thermal conductivity of 4.0W/m-k and...

Stay in trim. (Finishing & Materials).
December 1, 2001... Latest Trim high oil semi-synthetic emulsion concentrate from Master Chemical has been formulated to run effectively for long periods without the need for costly additives. Compatible with all ferrous and non-ferrous materials, SC9030 has a...

Auto lines polish up flat and round components. (Finishing & Materials).
December 1, 2001... Semi and fully automated metal polishing lines by Italian manufacturer Bossi, and available in the UK through Rivers Machinery, include equipment for belt grinding, mop grinding, and polishing of flat or round components including both round...

Cells automate surface finishing. (Finishing & Materials).
December 1, 2001... Surtech's robot cells are designed to automate even complicated mechanical surface finishing operation. A typical cell consists of an industrial robot, two or more abrasive belt or buff heads, a load-unload magazine, a central control cabinet...

Blasting behind the mask. (Finishing & Materials).
December 1, 2001... Quikmask glass sandblasting package from Mega Electronics combines a photo-sensitive mask processor incorporating a vacuum ultraviolet unit, an illuminated washout booth and drying unit, and a compact sand blaster that is supplied complete with...

Compound interest. (Finishing & Materials).
December 1, 2001... Three new grades have been added to the range of IXEF high-performance engineering compounds from Solvay: there is a black, laser printable variant of the 50 percent glass fibre reinforced standard grade (IXEF 1028/9208); an IXEF 1622 (natural...

Protective coating on a plate. (Finishing & Materials).
December 1, 2001... Icore International's new TTH plating system has been specifically developed to inhibit the corrosion of aluminium and brass components in tough aerospace, maritime and industrial environments. It claims to be over 300 percent more effective...

Seals in the springtime. (Plant Maintenance).
December 1, 2001... Axial, radial and radial flange seals from Moontown -- all with helicoil spring energisers -- are designed for static or dynamic sealing in hydraulic and pneumatic products. They can be supplied in a combination of jacket and spring materials...

Tanks come clean for easier transportation. (Plant Maintenance).
December 1, 2001... Range of mobile tank cleaning systems designed to solve the problems of the growing use of mobile tanks in the food and food processing industries has been launched by Suncombe. The use of mobile tanks for transporting finished products can...

Systems put plant integrity to the test. (Plant Maintenance).
December 1, 2001... Lifetime Testing Services from Invensys Process Systems are designed to provide plant integrity tests with minimum disruption to the production process. Contamination is a constant concern during liquid processing and yet the causes can be...

Blasting away at the dirt. (Plant Maintenance).
December 1, 2001... Ideal for rapidly removing many kinds of stain, dirt or unwanted material, Blastrac HB pressure steam cleaning machines operate by combining temperature, pressure and a vegetable-based cleaning solution to remove -- usually in seconds -- any...

New filler in the pipeline. (Plant Maintenance).
December 1, 2001... Super duplex filler metal developed by Sandvik Steel matches the properties of 13 percent chromium super martensitic stainless steel used for pipelines in the oil and gas industries. A variant of the super duplex grade Sandvik 25.10.4L, it has...

Putting up the hood for fire protection. (Safety, Security & Cleaning).
December 1, 2001... New E30 fire protection hood from Spelsberg protects junction boxes and wiring by automatically sealing itself when exposed to heat. The outer casing of the hood is made from a tough polycarbonate material that is both flame retardant and...

Hand protection -- no sweat. (Safety, Security & Cleaning).
December 1, 2001... General purpose glove from Marigold is designed to provide all the protection required for tough tasks yet dealing with the traditional problems of sweating hands. With its palm coated wrinkle finish, the seamless K2000 glove offers the wearer...

Bubbling over with comfort. (Safety, Security & Cleaning).
December 1, 2001... Bubblemat anti-fatigue mat developed by Coba Plastics has been given a distinctive raised `bubble'-surface designed to help stimulate blood circulation, in turn delaying the onset of fatigue caused by prolonged periods of standing in static...

Safety on a rope brings protection. (Safety, Security & Cleaning).
December 1, 2001... Guardmaster's Lifeline 3 rope-operated emergency stop system provides OEMs and end users with an effective, time-saving method of setting up and maintaining operator protection along exposed conveyors, around awkward machinery and indeed...

Mat resists truck wheels. (Safety, Security & Cleaning).
December 1, 2001... Firmagrip safety matting from Plastic Extruders has been developed for areas where safety and slip-resistance are important and wheeled equipment is being used. This double grid PVC matting suits light to medium industrial use, being...

Taking a longer look. (Buildings & Maintenance).(Plastic Extruders' Pillomat PVC lining material for off-floor surfaces - information on product)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
December 1, 2001... Plastic Extruders is now offering its Pillomat PVC lining in 50m rolls. Pillomat is a multi-purpose cushioned matting specially designed for lining off-the-floor surfaces. The light grid format is constructed from hollow and flexible PVC tubes...

For the floor. (Buildings & Maintenance).(Resdev's Pumaintain line of floor care products - information on products)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Pumaintain range of floor repair compounds and protective coatings from Resdev includes Floor Repair, a modified polyurethane material for concrete and flooring repairs. Its flexible, tough polyurethane provides a flexible repair solution for...

Power trowelled floor screed goes down fast. (Buildings & Maintenance).(Sika Corp.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Power trowelled epoxy screed has been developed by Sika from their universal epoxy resin-based flooring system, Sikafloor 261. This new power trowelled system allows for rapid installation of extremely durable hardwearing resin flooring. ...

Heating adaptability. (Buildings & Maintenance).(Diffusion Interiors)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Aiming to offer more aesthetic solutions in the design of lobby and entrance areas, Diffusion Interiors has launched the Chameleon warm air curtain which can adapt itself to a wide variety of applications. The Chameleon's casing can be...