What's New In Industry articles from July 2006

What's New In Industry archives from July 2006

Taking the temperature with greater clarity.
July 31, 2006... Thermal imaging specialist Flir Systems has raised the bar in professional thermography with its new ThermaCAM P640, the first plant maintenance camera with a 640 x 480 pixels uncooled detector - four times the image resolution of a standard...

WHAT'S NEW: Compact trucks in the E-zone.
July 31, 2006... Fifteen basic models make up Linde's new E range of compact electric counterbalance lift trucks - three and four-wheel trucks in 24V and 48V versions in capacities from 1.2 to 2.0 tonnes. Designed to provide a higher work throughput while...

WHAT'S NEW: Locos make switch to hybrids.
July 31, 2006... Transformer oil pumps in Austrian national railway company OBB's Taurus high-performance locomotives are being equipped with NKE hybrid bearings to prevent passage of electrical currents. Each loco bogie is supplied by one current...

WHAT'S NEW: A quality mix.
July 31, 2006... Said to be the world's first dispensing system to quality assure the metering and mixing of adhesives, the Puls-Meter from Failsafe Metering Int. can solve the performance variability problems of using single or two-part epoxies,...

WHAT'S NEW: Set the standard.
July 31, 2006... Harting has released an AdvancedMC connector for MicroTCA backplanes, allowing direct connection of PICMG AMC.0 modules - PICMG members are to use the new connector's footprint as the MicroTCA standard connector for press-fit termination...

WHAT'S NEW: Easy clean-up.
July 31, 2006... Abanaki's Tote-It portable oil skimmer now boasts a removable trough to make clean up and oil disposal easier. And as oil removal volumes increase, users can now upgrade to wider belt sizes without replacing the whole unit. The Tote-It...

WHAT'S NEW: Chain check.
July 31, 2006... Engineers at igus are offering free examination of energy chains and flexible cables before or during plant shutdowns in July and August. With energy chains and cables stocked at igus' Northampton warehouse, replacement parts can usually be...

WHAT'S NEW: Imaging software suits all cameras.
July 31, 2006... Thermal imaging software compatible with all major camera brands has been developed by Thermoteknix Systems. New release of the thermal image processing and reporting package, TherMonitor Reporter, and the asset-based condition monitoring...

WHAT'S NEW: Probing solutions.
July 31, 2006... A collaboration between Renishaw and Hardinge Machine Tools to supply machine tool touch probes and process technologies will mean co-branded probing solutions offered to purchasers of a range of Hardinge- Bridgeport CNC milling machines....

WHAT'S NEW: Accelerometer for harsh uses.
July 31, 2006... Miniature triaxial accelerometer from Kistler Instruments has been designed for use in aggressive environments such as automotive engine bay and under-vehicle applications, aerospace sub-system vibration testing and industrial quality control....

BUILDINGS & MAINTENANCE: More Flizz, less buzz.
July 31, 2006... Suited for use with industrial rolling doors, automated warehousing systems and materials handling systems, the igus Micro Flizz is an energy chain system which supplies moving equipment with electrical or pneumatic services via a rolling...

BUILDINGS & MAINTENANCE: Partitioning defines office space.
July 31, 2006... Steel partitioning from Troax has created a series of offices, conference rooms and production facilities at the Newcastle under Lyme plant of LEONI Wiring Systems. Troax Excalibur double-skin steel partitioning created a 'competence centre' of...

BUILDINGS & MAINTENANCE: Custom built.
July 31, 2006... Whether a factory, office or warehouse, every Lindab Butler building is custom-designed to suit the customer's individual needs - including special features such as food-quality internal cladding for 'food buildings' or wide, clear spans for...

BUILDINGS & MAINTENANCE: Landfill: get it covered.
July 31, 2006... GRP cover designer AMi Designs has completed a 23m dia. self-supporting cover at the Arthurstown landfill site in County Kildare. The project was made particularly challenging due to unusually heavy snow falls during the installation. ...

BUILDINGS & MAINTENANCE: Sound the alarm.
July 31, 2006... Terrier stand-alone fire alarm from sound and visual signalling specialist Klaxon is designed for use in small retail, industrial or temporary buildings. While ideal for temporary use, such as on construction sites, it can also be used in...

BUILDINGS & MAINTENANCE: Fast-acting automatic door on a roll.
July 31, 2006... New RapidRoll 3000 fast-acting automatic door from Stertil Stokvis uses 'Disc-Drive' technology to provide a faster, gentler winding mechanism with speeds of up to 2500mm/sec. It is low-maintenance, durable and has a clean design to enhance...

BUILDINGS & MAINTENANCE: Lathes turn to advanced control and programming.
July 31, 2006... New Alpha X Series lathes from T S Harrison use the latest generation of advanced customised controls and programming systems developed by Harrison design engineers in partnership with automation technology specialist GE Fanuc. The...

BUILDINGS & MAINTENANCE: Tube bending takes a turn for the better.
July 31, 2006... This year's MACH 2006 exhibition, the UK's premier manufacturing event, produced the expected raft of new product developments BLM's new E-TURN all-electric CNC tube bending machine has been designed specifically for bending small to...

BUILDINGS & MAINTENANCE: Fly-by-wire for multi-spindle machines.
July 31, 2006... Elesa says it has developed a way to reduce set-up time and significantly improve productivity on multi-spindle machines requiring frequent re-setting. Its new Electronic Positioning System includes its own programmable controller, or it can...

BUILDINGS & MAINTENANCE: More saws.
July 31, 2006... From Kasto come a new vertical bandsaw and an up-rising circular saw, both for mitre cutting. The KASTOvericut bandsaw gives economical sawing of I-beams, tubes or extrusions and comes in semi or fully automatic versions. The mitre angle of...

BUILDINGS & MAINTENANCE: Make the most of wash solution.
July 31, 2006... As water becomes a precious commodity that cannot be wasted, off-site waste disposal costs are on the increase. New from Mecwash Systems is the latest in its range of mobile, free-standing units that allows users to treat, recover and reuse...

BUILDINGS & MAINTENANCE: CNC controls nine axes.
July 31, 2006... Sixth generation Mazatrol Matrix CNC from Yamazaki Mazak can control nine axes, five of them simultaneously, with high-accuracy machining ensured by a sub-micron minimum program increment for both Mazatrol conversational and EIA/ISO...

MACH 2006 REVIEW: VMC design goes compact.
July 31, 2006... The XYZ Mini Mill 450 is a smaller version of the established Mini Mill 560 compact VMC. A response to customer requests for an even smaller, low-cost VMC, the 9hp, 60-8000rpm Mini Mill 450 features a solid cast construction and weighs in at...

MACH 2006 REVIEW: DRO 'closing the gap on CNC'.
July 31, 2006... Aiming to close the gap on CNC, and with payback times measured in weeks, retrofitting a modern DRO can greatly improve the usability and flexibility of milling and turning machines, says Heidenhain. Equipped as standard with an LCD screen and...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Label legibility all set for a longer life.
July 31, 2006... Label inscriptions can fade fast in environments where acetone, methylethylketone or other solvents are used. But the new acetone- resistant 76604 label material from 3M aims to bring lasting label legibility, even under repeated contact with...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Cost-effective counting a boost to productivity.
July 31, 2006... Easicount, a new high-speed counter from Easiweigh, offers an accurate and reliable counting machine for fresh or frozen food produce. This high-speed linear counter has an intelligent optical eye system for highly accurate counting. With...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: A hot option as coding hits the bottle.
July 31, 2006... Glass bottle manufacturer O-I has installed Xymark BBH laser coding equipment from Linx at its Harlow plant to provide coding directly onto the bottle while the glass is still hot. O-I supplies the UK's top five breweries and many regional...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Automation: it's in the bag.
July 31, 2006... Automated Packaging Systems has extended its installation of bagging and packaging equipment at Kelvin Hughes. The nautical and marine data specialist has incorporated the AB 255 Autobag wide bagging system into its packaging line. A...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: RFID system just plugs in.
July 31, 2006... AS-interface founder member ifm electronic has introduced what it says is the first ever RFID system that simply plugs into the AS-i network. No special controller is needed because the AS-i master controls the data. The DTA100 allows...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Labelling link.
July 31, 2006... Storage specialist Lista has launched its Lista Script labelling system, said to combine perfect, uniform appearance with software for incorporating text, bar codes, pictograms, images and colours - as well as a quick, easy link to your...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Labels reveal UK or overseas symbols.
July 31, 2006... Sessions is offering two labels in one for chemical products destined for UK and foreign markets. Chemical products sold in the UK must display a UN number and warning symbol on outer packaging. But if the product is exported, the symbology...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Print-and-apply at entry level.
July 31, 2006... Entry-level Model 2600Lt label printer-applicator from Weber Marking Systems is an in-line unit for moderate duty cycles or for initial entry into on-line print-and-apply labelling. It integrates Sato Corporation's new Lt408...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Tracing by TIJ.
July 31, 2006... Coding equipment supplier Sundala says that thermal inkjet technology is ideally placed to meet the forthcoming Animal Health Medicines Identification Standard. Devised and agreed by the International Federation for Animal Health, the new...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Coding in good health.
July 31, 2006... Producing around 300,000 Pennine Healthcare products a day across the range, Ivor Shaw's coding requirements demanded reliable and fast equipment with the ability to consistently print literally millions of characters, at speed, every day....

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Get to the top and bottom of it.
July 31, 2006... A new labelling combination allows packs to be labelled on the top, bottom or both top and bottom simultaneously, in one pass on one short line. Weyfringe's Top and Bottom Labeller can be supplied with the user's preferred combination of...

PACKAGING & LABELLING: Brigade keeps tags on assets.
July 31, 2006... As part of its new computer-based asset management system, Cleveland Fire Brigade is trialling a new range of thermal identification bar coded tags that resist high temperatures and chemicals. The new system, from i/d specialist ritchey-id,...

DRIVES & CONTROLS: Driving towards close harmony.
July 31, 2006... Graham Mackrell, UK Sales Manager of Harmonic Drive UK, looks at how harmonic drive gear technology can be used as a replacement for conventional high ratio or two-stage planetary gearboxes. Contemporary industrial machines increasingly...

DRIVES & CONTROLS: Expanding the opportunities for linear drives.
July 31, 2006... Heavy-duty version of the Hoerbiger-Origa OSP linear actuator is based around a four-row recirculating ball bearing guide and polished, hardened steel guide rail. Offered in electric and rodless pneumatic drive versions in sizes 25 to 50, it...

DRIVES & CONTROLS: Drives set up in a flash.
July 31, 2006... ABB's FlashDrop technology makes for easy parameter selection and setting on its new ACS150 component drives. Rated from 0.37 to 4kW, these component drives are small, simple, low- cost drives used to control fans, pumps, conveyors and...

DRIVES & CONTROLS: Busbar is quick to assemble.
July 31, 2006... Rittal's new RiLine60 busbar system combines timesaving assembly and individual modularity: with systems up to 1600A and a choice of flat bar or profile bar the permutations are endless. Control gear can be assembled and wired-up on the...

DRIVES & CONTROLS: Dual systems control 32 axes.
July 31, 2006... ETC motion controller from Lenze offers either CNC or MC-based operating systems in a compact package that suits up to 32 axes. Two hardware versions are offered, for either DIN rail mounting or as a plug-in card. Typical uses cover simple...

DRIVES & CONTROLS: Braking solution for linear guides.
July 31, 2006... A new braking solution for positioning applications using linear motion guide bearings is available from Motion Drives and Controls Ltd. The Nexen's RB series spring-engaged/air released rail brake is designed to match the rail profile of...

DRIVES & CONTROLS: Sweet success for refined control.
July 31, 2006... Spirax Sarco controls have proved so successful in automating a sugar processing unit at a Ragus Sugars refinery that the same equipment is being installed in similar applications throughout the plant. Where the previous, manual, control...

DRIVES & CONTROLS: Small drives with big ideas.
July 31, 2006... Control Techniques has extended the power range of its Commander SK ac drives up to 132kW. The range has been designed to meet the needs of the majority of drives users by covering 0.25 to 132kW and spanning 100, 200, 400, 575 and 600V. ...

DRIVES & CONTROLS: Chain shows its 'green' side.
July 31, 2006... New RexPro chain from Rexnord has been developed to provide superior performance and durability combined with excellent 'green' credentials - it contains no heavy metals, no ptfe and no silicon. It also claims significant financial savings...

DRIVES & CONTROLS: Gearing up for modern life.
July 31, 2006... The 42mm DR(G)-38312 family from Omnimotor combines compact Shinano Kenshi bldc motor with integrated electronics and spur gearbox. This 24V dc, 42mm square package is combined within a 61mm length. Gear ratios from 10 to 50:1 allow a maximum...

DRIVES & CONTROLS: AC motors aiming for higher efficiency.
July 31, 2006... Range of IEC-frame ac motors from Baldor emphasises extreme operating efficiency to help users meet carbon emission and energy conservation targets, and reduce operating overheads. Metric-E+ motors claim outstanding levels of energy...

DRIVES & CONTROLS: A smoother stop.
July 31, 2006... New from Softstart, the Solbrake range of dc injection brakes provides dynamic braking of ac squirrel cage motors from 220-690V. Made by Solcon, these solid-state motor brakes can dramatically reduce motor stopping time compared with...

DRIVES & CONTROLS: Right on track.
July 31, 2006... Using the HepcoMotion PRT Precision Ring Slides and Track System as its basis, the new DTS Driven Track System is a complete assembly ready to be incorporated into a continuous positioning or dedicated assembly machine. It was shown at the...

DRIVES & CONTROLS: Control design in real time.
July 31, 2006... Latest version of National Instruments' LabVIEW Control Design Toolkit is a collection of tools and mathematical functions for analysing, designing and implementing control systems. As part of the LabVIEW graphical system design platform, it...

DRIVES & CONTROLS: Clutches ramp up the power.
July 31, 2006... A road ramp that generates free electricity as cars pass over it has been developed by inventor Peter Hughes with technical support from Renold Clutches and Couplings. The Electro-Kinetic Ramp generate about 10kW of electricity for powering...

BEARINGS & SEALS: Going further by linear motion.
July 31, 2006... THK has extended its range of high-performance linear motion systems with two larger sizes in its Super Roller Guide (SRF) series. The new 130 and 150mm versions utilise THK's Caged Roller technology, combining high levels of rigidity,...

BEARINGS & SEALS: One-piece sealing solution for pneumatic valves.
July 31, 2006... Industrial seals designer, developer and manufacturer Ceetak has introduced a one-piece seal assembly for use with pneumatic valves. The application is a standard compact spring return spool valve, rated at 8 bar maximum from -10 to +60 degrees...

BEARINGS & SEALS: Seal offers a good tip for saving money.
July 31, 2006... New seal configuration from Busak+ Shamban claims a 'unique' design of wear ring that meets all performance requirements and can also save money in telescopic hydraulic cylinders in tipper trucks. Such trucks operate using telescopic...

BEARINGS & SEALS: Efficient sealing.
July 31, 2006... Valcor Hi-Temp is James Walker's new compression packing for high- efficiency sealing at constant temperatures up to 1000 degrees C. It is recommended for static or slow rotary applications including door seals on steel annealing furnaces,...

BEARINGS & SEALS: Super steel on a roll.
July 31, 2006... NSK claims a 'world first' by combining carbides technology with a special alloy to develop a super wear-resistant (SWR) steel for rolling bearings. Made for guide rolls on continuous casting machines, SWR bearings claim more than double the...

BEARINGS & SEALS: Seals go out on a limb.
July 31, 2006... An advanced mix of microprocessors, hydraulics, stabilising units and wireless programming, Blatchford's prosthetics are an example of 'thinking technology' that responds to wearer's natural rhythm. Seals are used in the limbs'...

FASTENING & JOINING: Lineside supplies.
July 31, 2006... Most small to medium-sized businesses that use fasteners on an assembly line can usually make large savings by installing a well supported lineside supply system. Users need to look beyond the individual part cost of fasteners and address...

FASTENING & JOINING: Galvanised fixing fills a cavity.
July 31, 2006... Steelwork connection specialist Access Technologies has extended its BoxBolt cavity fixings series with a, corrosion- resistant option. Hot dip galvanised BoxBolts will provide greater durability over standard electro zinc plated fixings in...

FASTENING & JOINING: Adhesive gives a clear bond.
July 31, 2006... Dymax 3099 adhesive from Intertronics is designed for use in high- quality display applications where clean, transparent bonds are needed on acrylic, glass and polycarbonate either for screens or structural elements. Solvent-free, it is...

FASTENING & JOINING: Couple up for marine use.
July 31, 2006... Independent certification for John Crane EAA power transmission couplings has opened the door for the units to be sold into to the marine industries market. The Metastream T-Series membrane couplings received a Type Approval Certificate from...

FASTENING & JOINING: Adhesives on a roll.
July 31, 2006... New tooling which enables the high-quality continuous online lamination of adhesive tapes to profile extrusions is available from tesa. Developed for use with tesa double-sided and single-sided spool rolls, the dispenser can reduce...

FASTENING & JOINING: Latch onto corrosion resistance.
July 31, 2006... Addition of stainless steel constructions to Southco's E5 industrial series of fixed grip cam latches creates new options for latching applications requiring corrosion-resistant performance. The stainless steel latches offer quarter-turn...

FASTENING & JOINING: A simple cure for bonding.
July 31, 2006... Master Bond's UV71DC is a one-component UV/RTV curable silicone compound for bonding, sealing and coating. While the rapid cure benefits of UV polymer systems are well known, there are complex product geometries which deter its use. Master...

FASTENING & JOINING: Torque fast.
July 31, 2006... New version of MHH Engineering's microprocessor-controlled E-Torc electronic torque wrench achieves accurate torque measurement and provides tightening data for record and analysis purposes. Its Modes of operation are Track, Peak and Pre-set....

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: All kitted out for off-the-shelf savings.
July 31, 2006... Two packaged air compressor control kits from EnergAir Solutions are designed to reduce the energy consumption of industrial air compressor installations employing two-four air compressors. The Enercon S2 and S4 kits contain all that is...

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: Galvanizer cuts energy bills.
July 31, 2006... Measures put in place by a Scottish galvanizing company to achieve the ISO 14001 International Environmental Standard have brought about significant energy cost savings. Among measures introduced by Elgin- based Highland Galvanizers was...

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: Taking the rotary route to efficiency.
July 31, 2006... SK Series of rotary screw compressors from HPC Engineering - the SK1 and SK2 at 11kW and 15kW - provide 1.8m3/min (64cfm) and 2.2m3/min (978cfm) at 7.5 bar respectively and have a specially designed, large, low-speed SIGMA profile air end said...

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: Valves for small spaces.
July 31, 2006... Just 10.8mm wide, the tiny pneumatic solenoid valves in the LS04 range from Bosch Rexroth can be used in the smallest spaces, giving designers new options for responding to demands for ever-smaller machines. Since many of the valves in...

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: Air award.
July 31, 2006... Italian compressed air distribution systems manufacturer Teseo Srl has won an international design award for its AP50 modular range. The award, presented at the Mostra Convegno Expocomfort (MCE) show in Milan, recognised the AP's innovative...

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: Efficient dryers suck out the energy costs.
July 31, 2006... Covering flow capacities from 30 to 237m3/min, Boge's new DX refrigerant dryers claim to provide energy savings of up to 90 percent by suction pressure regulation (DX300 to DX465 models) and by frequency control (DX 580 model and above). ...

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: Air distribution on the 'net'.
July 31, 2006... Atlas Copco Compressors has extended its air solutions product range with the AIRnet modular piping system. It is suitable for compressed air as well as inert gases such as nitrogen and has been designed for simple installation and to give...

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: Fast fitting for pipework.
July 31, 2006... John Guest's Speedfit pipework has been installed in a new 10,000ft2 boat building facility for Chichester luxury yacht manufacturer Northshore on advice from compressed air systems supplier Air Engineering Controls. One benefit of the...

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: Air and nitrogen at the double.
July 31, 2006... With the increasing use of nitrogen, particularly to inflate vehicle tyres, users have faced the choice of either using (and constantly refilling) cylinders or a separate free-standing membrane unit. Now, Atlas Copco is offering its GN range...

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: Air station on a small footprint.
July 31, 2006... Designed to provide energy-efficient air on a small footprint, a 30hp model has been added to Boge's range of frequency controlled screw compressors. Like the established 25hp version, the new SF29-2 is available as an air station complete...

COMPRESSED AIR/PNEUMATICS: Keeping track.
July 31, 2006... Sensor specialist ifm electronic has produced a larger capacity version of its 'efector metris' device for monitoring consumption or leakage of compressed air. The original model was designed for pipe diameters up to 2ins - the new version...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Have van, will travel.
July 31, 2006... A brand new addition to the Pfaff range, the Bocker Agilo van-mounted lift, offers an extensive range of tailor-made combinations of lift and vehicle type, with load capacities up to 400kg and working heights to 55m. Options offered by...

HANDLING & STORAGE: The best of de-nesters?
July 31, 2006... Mecaplastic, France's largest supplier of tray sealing machines for the food market, has chosen specialist Ixia UK to supply tray de-nesters for their new range of high speed sealing machines. Ixia UK's unique Snapdragon mechanism has...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Tight bends on conveyor line.
July 31, 2006... LVP Conveyors has recently supplied standard conveyor products from the Belcon mini range of Okura products to feed polythene bagged products to a high-speed automatic packaging line. Due to the tight radius required by medical supply...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Drinks flowing.
July 31, 2006... Halewood International, an established supplier of wines, spirits and speciality drinks, is using the Kosme range of palletiser, de- palletiser and robotic 'pick and place' carton loading equipment, which includes automatic carton erector and...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Come in to the cold.
July 31, 2006... European Conveyor Systems has completed the installation of a pallet handling system at a McCain Foods factory to provide buffer storage between production and cold store. ECS undertook the contract on behalf of Single Source Storage...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Long service rewarded.
July 31, 2006... Toyota has been working with Malcolm Logistics Services for over 30 years. Working on behalf of customers such as ASDA, Diageo, Ikea and Owen Illinois (O-I), Malcolm Logistics has built up a fleet of over 100 Toyota LPG counterbalanced forklift...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Ixia UK "Comes up trumps".
July 31, 2006... After a two-year search, top British manufacturer AEW Delford Systems has chosen the Sussex-based specialist Ixia UK to supply a state-of-the- art tray de-nester for its range of integrated systems for portion control slicing and sawing of...

HANDLING & STORAGE: Happy returns.
July 31, 2006... Due to sales expansion and an extension to their warehousing, outdoor leisure supplier, Gelert invited STILL Materials Handling to return to its Portmadoc distribution site and supply additional racking and VNA trucks. Having already...