What's New In Industry articles from January 2008

What's New In Industry archives from January 2008

WHAT'S NEW: Talking tools: on the record.
January 31, 2008... The story of how Atlas Copco Tensor S fastener tools played a key role in a world speed record breaking team is told in the latest issue of the company's Tools Talk newsletter. The tools helped JCB Dieselmax achieve 350mph on the Bonneville...

WHAT'S NEW: Power tool a real nut-buster.
January 31, 2008... Ingersoll Rand has redesigned its established pneumatic half-inch square-drive Titanium Impact tool and brought about a ten per cent power increase, improved control and enhanced reliability. The new 2135QPTiMAX delivers maximum power with...

WHAT'S NEW: Standby for major energy savings.
January 31, 2008... Recent reports have documented that the country's top 200 companies could be wasting about #61m a year as a result of leaving office equipment on standby overnight. Nearly 20,000GWh electricity is reportedly consumed year on year; far...

WHAT'S NEW: Loads more room for testing.
January 31, 2008... Industrial electronics repair specialist Dowding and Mills Electronics has increased the capabilities of its Aston, Birmingham, workshops with a new state of the art load test facility. The load room comprises two test rigs of differing...

WHAT'S NEW: EMC shielding.
January 31, 2008... New water-tight, EMC-compliant cable glands from Anixter Components (formerly Heyco) are easy to install and can save OEMs valuable time. They come in all popular thread types and sizes and present a reliable low-Ohm EMC shield for use in...

WHAT'S NEW: 'Ernie' rides again.
January 31, 2008... Chloride Motive Power is supplying batteries for an unusual speed record attempt - the world's fastest milk float. Kevin Bourne, in his float Electric Blue, is preparing an attempt to break the current world record of 71.4mph by almost 10mph...

WHAT'S NEW: Voice sounders top o' the North.
January 31, 2008... Over 300 Mini Fire-Cryer voice sounders from Vimpex have been installed in the North's tallest building, Bridgewater Place in Leeds, which locates 23,000ft2 of office space alongside 200 apartments, retail outlets and leisure facilities. ...

WHAT'S NEW: Distribution deal keeps on motoring.
January 31, 2008... TECO is consolidating the supply of LV motors to the UK market in an exclusive deal with long-standing supplier RMB Engineering, now part of Deritend Industries. The deal covers the full range of TECO LV motors including highefficiency...

PROCESS & PLANT CONTROL: Taking process control functionality to HART.
January 31, 2008... The Rosemount 3490 Series of Universal Control Units has been designed to provide comprehensive control functionality when used with any 4- 20mA or HART-compatible transmitter. Available from Emerson Process Management, these new Control...

PROCESS & PLANT CONTROL: US orders for oil mist separator.
January 31, 2008... Two US diesel engine manufacturers are the latest to opt for Alfdex oil mist separator systems to remove impurities from the ventilation gas in their engines. Taken together, the two orders, for deliveries in 2007, 2008 and 2009, are valued...

PROCESS & PLANT CONTROL: Micro valve performance in isolation.
January 31, 2008... From solenoid valve manufacturer ASCO comes the Micro 10 rocker isolation valve, with an envelope size almost 40 per cent smaller than comparable 16mm designs, but with orifice diameters reduced by only ten per cent. This reduction allows...

PROCESS & PLANT CONTROL: New systems out to IMpress.
January 31, 2008... Two new variants have been added by Grundfos to its IMpress range of pressurisation units. In 2005, the Initial IMpress (Intelligent Microprocessor pressurisation set) models offered many features and controls including multi-...

PROCESS & PLANT CONTROL: Dry pumping for oil-free vacuum.
January 31, 2008... HeptaDry series of dry pumps from Pfeiffer Vacuum are suitable for low and medium-vacuum applications. They have been designed for areas where oil-free vacuum is required and offer pumping speeds of from 100 to 600m3/hr. HeptaDry pumps...

PROCESS & PLANT CONTROL: Fluid application: the inside story.
January 31, 2008... A new Radial Spinner System from EFD enables manufacturers to apply consistent amounts of adhesives, lubricants and other production fluids inside cylindrical parts of between 0.4in and 5ins diameter. The ability to apply fluids in neat,...

PROCESS & PLANT CONTROL: Simplicity comes out on top.
January 31, 2008... IndiTop is a new, simple to set up and use electrical feedback unit developed specifically for use with Alfa Laval sanitary valves in the food, dairy, brewery and biopharm industries. Simple to use, it can be set up from scratch with just five...

PROCESS & PLANT CONTROL: Process chilling to order.
January 31, 2008... With a compact structure and capacities from 1kW to 350kW, Rittal's process chillers are now offered tailored to suit individual requirements for any application. Each bespoke chiller combines its own individuality with the cost advantages...

PROCESS & PLANT CONTROL: Secure bunded storage for oil.
January 31, 2008... Latest bunded oil tanks from Scorpion Power Systems combine the environmental benefits of integral bunding with the latest diesel storage and dispensing technology. Available in polyethylene or steel, the tanks comply with DEFRA regulations and...

PROCESS & PLANT CONTROL: Solutions for gas analysis.
January 31, 2008... The Baldwin-Series SO3 aerosol removal system from Perma Pure of New Jersey has been developed for gas analysis sample applications with a relatively high SO3 content (>10ppm). UK availability is from Brunswick Instrumentation, whose MD Tony...

PROCESS & PLANT CONTROL: Keeping a check on levels.
January 31, 2008... From liquid level monitoring specialist Fozmula, the G/LL148 series of gauges aims to meet demands for a more effective and practical solution for liquid level monitoring in bulk storage tanks. These gauges provide elimination of...

PROCESS & PLANT CONTROL: Centrifuge pumps up the volume.
January 31, 2008... New decanter centrifuge from Alfa Laval has been designed for use in high-volume ethanol production plants. The SG2 700 centrifuge is aimed at plants producing about 450m litres of ethanol per/year. Its internal design has been optimised for...

PROCESS & PLANT CONTROL: Valves kept in position.
January 31, 2008... Valve positioner package from Samson Controls provides exact positioning, with fast response times over the entire operating range - even including large control valves which can be problematic. For example, larger valves are often fitted...

PROCESS & PLANT CONTROL: An aid to digestion.
January 31, 2008... Designed to continuously displace solids and substrates for anaerobic digestion, Borger's Powerfeed SSR (solids and substrate feeder) offers solids injection into the fluid stream, with no added fluid required for dry material feed. The...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Delivering a competitive edge.
January 31, 2008... As the world moves towards a global economy and supply chains lengthen across all industry sectors, the importance of logistics as a strategic tool has been brought into sharp focus. Ensuring efficiency and visibility across a company's...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Automation 'the way forward'.
January 31, 2008... Automation in distribution has matured in the past three years with new concepts, better technology and system integration compatibility. Yet many companies still consider automation to be non-beneficial, but for all the wrong reasons. So...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Racking: the rental option.
January 31, 2008... For many years companies have realised that renting buildings, vehicles and equipment is tax efficient and supports cash flow. Now Daventry- based materials handling and storage equipment specialist Nene Group has taken the concept a stage...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Logistically, it's good to talk.
January 31, 2008... Zetes is looking to influence more of the UK's major retailers and logistics companies to adopt voice solutions, claiming it is the only solution which allows parallel tasking, enabling companies to simultaneously optimise both productivity...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Peak picking performance.
January 31, 2008... A detailed analysis of the entire order picking process by Crown researchers and engineers has led to the creation of the new GPC 3000 Series of machines. The analysis showed that up to 90 per cent of time performing tasks (walking,...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Dock lift raises productivity.
January 31, 2008... A Transdek mobile dock lift has raised productivity and efficiency at United Co-op's Talke regional distribution centre in Staffordshire, while allowing the main vehicle access between the warehouse and the yard to be used when required. ...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Doosan's batteries of choice.
January 31, 2008... Powercell Industrial Battery Engineers is the exclusive supplier of batteries and chargers for Doosan's new 24V ac powered battery counterbalance forklift trucks. With the launch of this range of 1.0 to 1.6 tonne trucks, the latest addition in...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Pipes are safer on the rack.
January 31, 2008... When flow equipment specialist Cameron needed to save space at its site in Aberdeen by moving hundreds of large steel pipes amassed on the ground and storing them in tubular racking, it was concerned that the pipes, when moved by a sideloader...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Food palletised.
January 31, 2008... Gudel has provided an automatic gantry palletisation system at United Biscuits' KP Foods factory in Billingham. It consists of four overhead gantry robots, each 15m long and is able to place cases onto eight pallets. The system has been...

HANDLING & STORAGE: CompAir puts trust in Linde's long-term reliability.
January 31, 2008... When compressor manufacture CompAir moved to a new Ipswich production plant, home to the Reavell piston compressor range, its long-standing relationship with Hoddesdon-based Linde Material Handling East had cemented CompAir's trust in the...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Hyster's big 5 get heavy.
January 31, 2008... Five new 'big truck' designs from Hyster - three heavy-duty forklift series and two container handlers - offer performance and dependability in tough applications. Spanning 8 to 48-tonnes capacity, the 8-16T, 16-18T and 36-48T forklift...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Truck goes supersize for paint handling.
January 31, 2008... A 'supersized' pedestrian pallet truck has been purpose-built by Sichelschmidt for a major logistics supplier to the chemical industry. This XXL truck has been specifically designed to move large capacity containers of automotive paints,...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Joining the pallet pool.
January 31, 2008... Irish meat products processor, Foyles Meats, has joined the CHEP container pooling programme to increase the efficiency and productivity of its domestic and international operations. Other key factors in its decision were the environmental...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Hyster retains Saint Gobain link.(Company overview)
January 31, 2008... Global producer/distributor of building products, Saint Gobain, has retained Hyster as one of four preferred suppliers of materials handling equipment for its European operations until 2010. Operating in 54 countries, Saint Gobain is global...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Olympic relocation brings distribution upgrade.
January 31, 2008... The regeneration of East London ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games is providing work for many UK companies. Amongst them is the Spaceway Group, which has completed the fitting out of a new distribution centre for Buhler Sortex, optical sorting...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Bespoke storage.
January 31, 2008... Storage specialist Lista UK has gone a step beyond supplying standard equipment off the shelf by creating specialised storage solutions for pump manufacturer ITT Flygt's new facility near Nottingham. Lista created four self-contained...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Scanner on track.
January 31, 2008... Used to scan labels on parcels or pallets in good-in and goods-out areas, Vitronic's portable, hand-held VICAM-mobile camera scanner captures important routing data, which is used in parcel sorting and tracking to improve efficiency and reduce...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Safer handling.
January 31, 2008... A safe working environment is provided for staff at A G Barr's soft drinks distribution centre in Cumbernauld through installation of Troax machine guarding systems which protect a variety of automated materials handling equipment. ...

HANDLING & STORAGE: On-line help.
January 31, 2008... Said to be the first online management system of its kind within the materials handling market, Toyota Vision provides users with access via their own log-in and password to data designed to improve fleet management and productivity. ...

HANDLING & STORAGE: High performer in the cold.
January 31, 2008... Penwith Cold Store in Cornwall has taken delivery of a new Samuk HJ15 three-wheel electric forklift truck from local dealer PWF Forklifts. With a lifting capacity of up to 1.5 tonnes, the truck will be used to move a variety of frozen food...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Custom Combi does the job.
January 31, 2008... The largest Combilift four-way forklift built so far - a 14-tonne capacity model - has been specified by Manchester-based Panaloc, designer and manufacturer of pre-assembled structures for residential housing, schools and hospitals etc. ...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Racking to hit new heights.
January 31, 2008... SSI Schaefer is currently building the highest cold rolled rack supported building in the UK for leading provider of integrated logistic solutions for warehouses, distribution centres and hospitals, Swisslog. At nearly 40m high and with over...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Coding upgrade improves traceability information.
January 31, 2008... The product coding process at the UK's largest fresh potato company has been improved dramatically through close collaboration with coding and marking specialist MARKEM. Greenvale AP needed to replace its existing hot foil machines:...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Friction tools ease the strapping process.
January 31, 2008... From end-of-line packaging equipment specialist M J Maillis come two new friction weld hand tools designed to offer convenience and ease of use. The Digit-Smart boasts a digital control touch pad, ergonomic design and weighs just 3.8kg...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Features expand the scope of printer range.
January 31, 2008... Added features and options have increased the versatility of Able Systems' Ap1300 Series of high-speed mini printers. The 'Linerless' label can be printed and cut to any length to suit the application, and perforated stock is now available...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Weighers right on target.
January 31, 2008... Ishida Europe has further extended its R Series range of advanced multihead weighers with the introduction of two new versions specifically designed for the fast and accurate weighing of small target weights. The alternative designs of the new...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Wrapper passes the mozzarella test.
January 31, 2008... Initially designed for one of PFM Packaging Machinery's major customers, primarily for modified atmosphere applications, the Comet form fill and seal wrapper is now available for other users in the snacks, sweets and frozen food sectors. ...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Making its mark.
January 31, 2008... Availabler from Laser Lines, the new Ulyxe laser marking system by Laservall is suitable for direct part marking on most materials. Ulyxe's laser source, scanning head, digital controls and monitoring functions are all integrated into one...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Data all wrapped up.
January 31, 2008... The reliability, speed and performance of Linx Printing Technology's Linx 6900 has enabled traceability information to be applied to film used with a popular nappy wrapping system. Use of special fast-drying ink is producing excellent...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Applying that 'no-label' look.
January 31, 2008... HERMA's new space-saving 400 Slim Line label applicator allows new and existing rotary machines to be easily converted to run self-adhesive labels. Such labels are increasingly being used, says HERMA, due to fashionable 'no-label'...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Preserving labelling standards.
January 31, 2008... A Kosme machine has been specified by Premier Foods, Chivers Hartley Division, for high-speed labelling of its jams and preserves. One of the Kosme Merkur modular range, the unit has been set up for wet glue label application and has...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Awkward shapes are easily 'pouched'.
January 31, 2008... A specialised dispensing system designed to provide secure cutting and accurate feeding is being offered by Advanced Dynamics. The PC-300 pouch cutter is said to be ideal for items that were once unable to be fed through a feeder, such as 3D...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Software develops a photographic memory.
January 31, 2008... CLARiFY advanced planning software from Packaging Coding Management Software (PCM) specialist Claricom has been enhanced with the ability to integrate photo standard information into its database. The photo standard is the document used in food...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Strapping keeps up with the news.
January 31, 2008... Sheffield Web, part of Johnston Press, has found specialist strapping from Mosca to be ideal for strapping newspapers at its new publishing facility. The ten-acre Sheffield Web facility, which uses the latest MAN presses, required...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Coders link easily into production lines.
January 31, 2008... Launch of the Scribing Laser range from Linx Printing Technologies aims to provide a cross-section of industries with laser coding that offers superior results with simple installation, use and ownership. The Linx SL101 and SL301 (10W and...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Sealing in the sandwiches.
January 31, 2008... From Proseal comes an additional version of its linear conveyor sandwich packaging system for de-nesting, erecting and sealing cardboard sandwich skillets. The SP30 machine is a more compact version of the original SP60 model and will...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: SMT marking off to a Flyer.
January 31, 2008... Laser marking specialist Laser Lines has successfully achieved an application request to mark product information on individual Surface Mount Technology chip resistors. SMTs are precision thin-film resistors which are fabricated by layering a...

FASTENING & JOINING: Adhesives on the advance.
January 31, 2008... Structural bonding as an alternative to mechanical fixing has become increasingly popular amongst manufacturers seeking to reduce costs and improve product designs. Technical advances and the development of new bonding solutions have...

FASTENING & JOINING: Welding tool bridges the gap.
January 31, 2008... Input from plastics fabricators has helped create new functionality and design standards in the latest Leister Weldplast S2 plastic extruder from Welwyn Tool Group. This small, power-packed tool extrudes up to 2.5kg of welding material per...

FASTENING & JOINING: New overlay strip can halve welding time.
January 31, 2008... Sandvik has developed a new welding strip for overlay welding which can significantly improves welding productivity, reducing the welding time by half. Suitable for oil and gas applications such as pipe and tube, heat exchangers and...

FASTENING & JOINING: Pressing ahead to meet the demand.
January 31, 2008... Precision sheet metal profile cutting specialist Micromet has installed a Prima Inserter self-clinch sheet metal fastener installation press from Northern Precision to meet the demand for medium volume fastener insertion on components for...

FASTENING & JOINING: Nuts about struts.
January 31, 2008... The right kit for the quick and easy installation and removal of strut nuts - not always the easiest of jobs by any means - is offered by Agriemach. The company's four double-ended drivers fit most McPherson strut applications, with the...

FASTENING & JOINING: Tool for fast welds.
January 31, 2008... The latest Fusion 2.0 plastic extruder hand tools from Welwyn Tool Group have been selected for their speed, strength and reliability to broaden the range of Leister welders being used by DiTech of Burton-on- Trent to produce up to 10,000...

FASTENING & JOINING: Quick cure for coating, sealing or encapsulation.
January 31, 2008... Nanosilica-filled one-component UV curable epoxy from Master Bond has been developed for coating, sealing and encapsulation applications. UV22 claims high abrasion resistance, excellent optical clarity, low shrinkage and high physical...

FASTENING & JOINING: Access hardware at the ready.
January 31, 2008... Suited for use on electrical panels, office furniture, HVAC units and computer cabinets, the new range of access hardware from Moss Plastic Parts includes latches, locks, handles and hinges. In all there are over 350 individual items. ...

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: Aid for air filtration project.
January 31, 2008... A new 'green' technology company that aims to provide the compressed air industry with more energy-efficient ways of reducing its carbon footprint has been awarded a grant of almost #250K from the Carbon Trust's Applied Research Scheme. It...

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: Piston compressors for fixed installations.
January 31, 2008... The SCS compressor system is a new silent, belt-driven, piston air compressor from Wilkinson Star, UK representative of FIAC Air Compressors of Bologna. SCS air compressors are designed as a fixed installation for use in garage,...

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: Checking up on oil content.
January 31, 2008... Sensitive manufacturing applications have strict requirements concerning the purity of compressed air. Activated carbon filters and adsorbers have only limited capacity to remove oil and it can be difficult to find the best point in time for...

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: Extending the oil-free option.
January 31, 2008... CompAir has extended its 100 per cent oil-free compressor range with a new 110kW water-injected machine. The DH110-SR compressor is a speed- regulated, water-injected screw model that extends the oil-free DH range from 15 to 110kW. As with...

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: Air power.
January 31, 2008... Robust safety air gun from Silvent claims the blowing force equivalent of up to seven times the force of ordinary air guns. The more efficient and quicker blow-off means that both energy consumption and exposure to compressed air noise are...

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: Actuators double up for automation.
January 31, 2008... New Series QX range of linear actuators from Camozzi Pneumatics is aimed at automation applications requiring guided linear movement. The double rod cylinder, with its integrated guides, facilitates a double force, non-rotating and precise...

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: Seeing the light.
January 31, 2008... Rexroth has introduced a 'light generation' version of its HF valve series, which is already established for use with medium-size and larger actuators. The new HF03-LG unit is a lighter weight valve terminal system with a flow rate of...

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: Instant system venting.
January 31, 2008... An 'electric-type' switch introduced by Legris gives immediate isolation of an air line. Simple manual operation of the lever allows the air supply to be shut off and vented downstream instantly, making the component ideal for systems which...

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: Instrument-quality air in hostile conditions.
January 31, 2008... Motivair Compressors, through its Technical Programmes operation at Brownhills in the West Midlands, has completed a triplex, skid-mounted instrument compressed air system for installation and commissioning at the Thyna Petroleum Services...

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: Footprints cut down to size.
January 31, 2008... An expansion of the established range of CL compressors from BOGE, the CLF Series of frequency-controlled screw machines offer a compact design for a small footprint on the factory floor, while a built-in frequency inverter is designed to...

QUALITY CONTROL: Picometre precision.
January 31, 2008... A range of non-contact capacitive measurement equipment claiming exceptional levels of accuracy and repeatability has been introduced by IBS Precision Engineering. Developed by US-based Lion Precision, this range of modules, enclosures and...

QUALITY CONTROL: Measurement with attitude.
January 31, 2008... Tamagawa has launched a low-cost attitude measurement system for dynamic pitch, yaw and roll, angular rate and acceleration performance testing on vehicles and motion simulation systems. Aimed predominantly at the dynamic road vehicle...

QUALITY CONTROL: Multi-sensor measurement.
January 31, 2008... As precision manufactured parts become more complex, so does the task of accurately measuring those parts. In medical, aerospace and motorsport engineering, where tolerances are particularly tight, metrologists need reliable, high accuracy...

QUALITY CONTROL: Test probe offers tip options.
January 31, 2008... The P70/G Series threaded test probe from Peak Test Services has an ultra-short overall length of only 11mm, and is believed to be the shortest threaded probe for 2.54mm (0.1 inch) centres currently on the market. Available in a choice of...

QUALITY CONTROL: Custom testing for electricals.
January 31, 2008... A series of bespoke test systems has been developed by Clare Systems to meet the growing test requirements of Guildford-based electrical tools and products manufacturer Earlex. The increasing diversity of Earlex's product range - it...

QUALITY CONTROL: Software an aid to calibration.
January 31, 2008... New calibration software from Beamex enables manufacturing companies to manage the calibration of their weighing instruments, improving the efficiency of the calibration process, whilst also guaranteeing a traceable, auditable set of...

QUALITY CONTROL: Torquing quality management.
January 31, 2008... Designed to meet the demands of shop floor operatives and quality management personnel, Crane Electronics' new angle and torque wrench range, the IQWrench Opta, merges comprehensive SPC functions with an advanced torque readout and a superior...