Engineering Update - January 2020

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ENGINEERING UPDATE

Improving productivity, efficiency and reputation Could your business benefit from greater productivity, increased efficiency, reduced costs, enhanced reputation and a safer workplace?

If so, now is the time to invest in Managing Safely, the marketleading safety and health course for businesses of all sizes. It has been delivered worldwide for over 25 years by a huge network of training providers. It is tried, tested and trusted.

And there’s more: • It’s thorough but flexible. With the consequences of safety and health failure potentially fatal, you cannot rush training. Our three-day course takes the right amount of time to get learners up to speed. It’s available face-to-face or via e-learning to suit your business needs.

• It’s business focused. IOSH works with business leaders in the development of flexible courses to ensure they deliver the insights and efficiencies you need to gain a competitive edge.

• It’s unique. Managing Safely combines practical step-by-step guidance with an engaging and inspirational approach that will make your managers think afresh about how safety and health can positively impact the whole business.

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assess risks control risks understand responsibilities understand hazards investigate incidents measure performance

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Successful delegates are awarded an internationally-recognised Managing Safely certificate. It’s a vital achievement and demonstrates that they have the knowledge to be more efficient, productive and safe in the workplace – to the benefit of all.

Why IOSH? Here’s why: • Track record. Managing Safely from IOSH is the market leader in safety and health and we’ve trained 172,000 delegates on 23,000 training courses in 76 countries.

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• Status. We are a global organisation with 47,000 members in 130 countries, many of whom are business owners themselves, and we represent their views to governments and regulatory bodies to make sure business can continue to drive the positive change we all need and deserve.

For further information, please see www.iosh.com/managingsafely

There’s a reason Managing Safely doesn’t cut corners The consequences of rushing health and safety training can be fatal. So Managing Safely takes exactly the right amount of time to get participants up to speed. That’s why our three day health and safety course is the most popular for line managers, in any sector, worldwide.

Managing Safely Tried. Tested. Trusted. www.iosh.com/managingsafely

Measuring, Controlling, Monitoring - on highest level Temperature-Relays and Sensors Monitoring of Current, Voltage and Phase Controls for Suction Plants Relays for Frequency and Speed Measuring-Transducers

Yo u r p a r t n e r i n U K a n d I r e l a n d TVR Instruments Limited 143 Butt Road, Colchester CO3 3DP Essex UK, Tel: +44 (0) 1206 575755 Email: sales@tvri.co.uk www.tvri.co.uk

Instruments Ltd

ZIEHL industrie-elektronik GmbH + Co KG Daimlerstr. 13, 74523 Schwäb. Hall, Germany, +49 791 504-0, www.ziehl.de

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

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January 2020

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January 2020

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ENGINEERING UPDATE

Seeley International has won at the coveted Energy Awards 2019 Breezair direct evaporative cooler (model TBSI 580) has been named Energy Efficient Product of the Year 2019, by a panel of esteemed judges.

The results of the Energy Awards 2019 were revealed on the 21 st November at the Hilton Park Lane, London where the energy industry elite came together for a night of recognition and celebration of the sector’s achievements, with awards presented by comedian Miles Jupp.

Breezair TBSI 580 has won in the Energy Efficient Product of the Year and was praised by the expert judging panel, who are drawn from across the energy sector.

With 23 categories rewarding different aspects of the industry, the awards recognise the leading people, products, projects and services in the sector from Innovation of the Year to Broker Initiative to Retail Energy Project of the Year.

Judges agreed that evaporative cooling technology has a lot of potential, both in energy and environmental terms. The addition

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of inverter technology looks like improving efficiency further. ‘Could be a game-changer’ judges commented.

The environmental effect of having no refrigerant in the system was also noted.

Evaporative cooling can be the most energy-efficient solution when cooling large industrial and commercial areas, using water as a refrigerant and up to 80% less energy than conventional air conditioning systems.

Andrew Gaved, Editor of Emap’s H&V News magazine, who co-hosts the Energy Awards said: “To get to the target of Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050 – which is now a legal requirement of course - will take a huge amount of innovation and a massive collaborative effort from the energy sector, but the good news is that that is exactly what has been on show at the Energy Awards. It should give us all hope for the future.”

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January 2020

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ENGINEERING UPDATE

STRONG 2019 PERFORMANCE LEADS TO FURTHER EXPANSION FOR QUANTUM CONTROLS 41% increase in Variable Speed Service Contract Partnerships throughout the UK in 2019 has led to 200+ current Service Contracts and over 20,000 Variable Speed Drives covered under contract by 3 year running Winner of the prestigious “UK Drives and Motor Supplier of Year” award, Quantum Controls.

This continued growth of new VSD Contract Partnerships has led to the opening of two more Quantum Service Centres in Glasgow Scotland and Thurrock in the South East of England, at a time when most in the Drives Industry are cutting costs, reducing staff and freezing training.

The two new Service Centres will house: •

Local Base for 24/7 Drive Service Engineers in Scotland and South East

•

Drive Spares Stock – Suitcases for major manufacturers

Quantum now have a nationwide network of 6 Drive Service Centres, meaning their ever-expanding team of 21 Drive Service Engineers have a local base to operate from to ensure the best level of service is always delivered to customers.

•

Drives Stock

•

Rental Drive Stock

•

ABB Motors Stock

Quantum Controls, with over 25 years’ experience as an ABB Drive Service Partner, are Official Drives Service Partners for Schneider Electric, Nidec Control Techniques, Mitsubishi, Danfoss and Vacon.

•

Drive Repair Facility

•

Electrical Installation Services

These partnerships are recognition from all the UK’s major Drive Manufacturers that Quantum are unique in the marketplace today. Quantum Engineers attend all the relevant training courses covering their Partners Drive Product Ranges which means they can offer a unique service to the UK manufacturing industry, who usually have a myriad of different drives on site. A service partnership with Quantum Controls ensures professional cover for all your drives no matter, what type, size or age.

Our Unique Contract Features have led to the massive growth in 2019, this year we launched the innovative Drive Asset Management Software available to all contract customers. A system which stores all your drive asset information, maintenance history, job sheets, certificates and much more, all accessible at any time from any device using your own unique log in detail. For more details visit www.driveasset-management.co.uk.

If you would like to know more about our Service Contract Partnerships, you can contact us on: South East Ben Johnson – b.johnson@quantum-controls.co.uk or 07739 705 238 Glasgow Karolina Markevica – k.markevica@quantum-controls.co.uk or 07970 630 846

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www.quantum-controls.co.uk

January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

ANALOGUE TAPE RECORDING LIVES ANOTHER DAY Foo Fighters frontman, Dave Grohl, created a documentary about his love for predigital recording back in 2013. The film, Sound City, explained how reel-to-reel analogue recording is far from dead in the music industry. But who is keeping this old vintage equipment alive? Here’s how EZO bearing supplier, SMB Bearings helped Soundlock Engineering to repair these much-loved vintage tape recorders.

According to analogue enthusiasts, analogue recording adds grit and distortion to tracks, providing a sound and recording experience that digital equipment cannot match.

Digital music has a tendency to sound very clinical and while some producers try to emulate the analogue feel in post-production, it’s never quite the same.

Soundlock Engineering was formed in 2008

by Chris Roberts to service and refurbish sound equipment that the music industry is desperate to keep in working order. The company was recently challenged with refurbishing two Studer A800’s. These legendary tape machines were introduced in 1978 and have recorded classics from Metallica, Stevie Wonder and Tom Petty.

Upon investigation, it was clear the bearings needed replacing, despite only having completed 900 hours of recording. Considering some tape machines can manage 20,000 hours, it seemed the original bearings were not up to scratch.

Bearings play a vital role in the rotation of the tape spools.

The Struder A800 is a piece of serious precision engineering. Roberts had to source high quality bearings and after a search online, he discovered SMB Bearings. The technical team recommended Japanese EZO thin section bearings to ensure unbeatably smooth rotation of the tape spools.

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After refurbishment, Roberts performed a ‘wow flutter’ test on the equipment. This quantifies the amount of frequency wobble in audio tape machines caused by irregular tape motion. The measurement had to fall under the specification set by Studer at 0.04 per cent. The wow flutter measurement was well within acceptable levels, partially attributed to the quality bearings installed during the repair.

“It was a privilege to help Soundlock Engineering with their tape machine repairs,” explained Chris Johnson, managing director of SMB Bearings. “We often supply for many niche projects requiring small or miniature bearings thanks to our stock of 2.6 million bearings.”

Dave Grohl has the right idea — long live analogue tape recording. The industry doesn’t want to let go of old tape machines anytime soon but retaining their longevity depends on high quality, expertly engineered bearings.

For other businesses facing a similar need for flexible small or miniature bearing supply, contact sales@smbbearings.com.

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January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE Leeds based corrosion protection and engineering services specialist- Corroserve was contracted to protect the internal surfaces of a newly manufactured mild steel chimney prior to it being installed at a bio-methane plant on Teesside.

The 1.2m diameter chimney was in three sections – 30m in all.

Corrosion protection for chimney at bio-methane plant

T

he plant processes the sludge remaining after sewage treatment to produce bio-methane, which is an alternative source of energy to fossil fuels.

Bio-methane production offers a number of other environmental benefits including stopping the release of methane and other harmful gases produced by organic matter decomposing into the atmosphere.

In service the chimney will be exposed to a range of waste gasses including hydrogen sulphide, so protecting it by lining with a specialist coating system would extend its service life and reduce future maintenance down time.

Completed at its Leeds factory, Corroserve first abrasive blast cleaned all the internal surfaces in accordance with ISO8501- 1 Sa2½, to remove heavy mill scale and provide the required surface profile for coating. This was followed by the application of multiple coats of Polyglass VEF – spray applied using Agmec internal pipe spraying equipment to achieve a DFT of 1250μm.

Polyglass VEF is ideal for this application as it is excellent for use in aggressive environments where superior resistance to chemical attack in immersed and nonimmersed conditions is essential. It provides excellent protection against corrosion across the full pH range.

The Agmec pipe sprayer is part of the Corrocoat range of internal pipe blasting and spray equipment. Developed to coat pipe internals from 100-2000mm diameter, it uses centrifugal force produced by a specially developed spray cup. A fan spray pattern is produced by the multi-axial

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head, which provides a precise and consistent finish at a predetermined thickness. A constant-speed winch draws the sprayer through pipes up to 150m long.

The contract was completed quickly and efficiently and the chimney installed on site shortly thereafter. The client is satisfied that the new lining will protect it from corrosion attack for a considerable time and remains confident that they have a long-term cost-effective solution, particularly when compared with the cost of repairing or replacing the chimney in the future. www.corroserve.com

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

pressure sensors KELLER (UK) Ltd. Little Keep Gate, Barrack Road, Dorchester, DT1 1AH UK and Ireland: T. 0845 643 2855 F. 0845 643 2866 E-Mail: sales@keller-pressure.co.uk Web: www.keller-pressure.co.uk www.keller-druck.com

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PRECISION PRESSURE TRANSMITTER 33 X – Ranges 0…0,2 bar thru to 0…1000 bar, adjustable – Output signals: 4…20 mA, 0…10 V, RS485 Digital – Mathematical on-board error correction – Accuracy, error band 0,1 %FS, 10…40 °C – Optional enhanced precision to ± 0,01 %FS

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January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

Magnetic shielding overview, misconceptions, and best practices Knowledge of electromagnetic and magnetic interference is crucial in today’s era of technology advancements. It is fundamental to successful research and product design for engineers, physicists and scientists. Many inquiries are received by our technical team daily and this overview discusses the basics of magnetic shielding and covers content that addresses common questions received from technical professionals.

T

o begin, where do magnetic fields come from? A magnetic field cannot be seen and usually they are created electrically.

All magnetic fields result from a source of magnetic flux, which may come from the earth, a motor, transformer or electric power line, or even a bar magnet. Sensors can detect magnetic fields; so typically, an engineer uses measuring instruments such as a gaussmeter, a compass (for DC fields), or a pickup coil (for AC fields). The most common AC magnetic fields are 60 Hertz fields emitted by electric power equipment. These are typically referred to as EMI or electro-magnetic interference.

The frequency range for magnetic shielding is called Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) 30 Hz – 300 Hz, usually 0 – 300 Hz or lower radio frequencies above 300 Hz may be attenuated using additional material types or thicker material. At the highest frequencies, shielding techniques should employ tight seams and space-filling conductive gaskets at joints.

Next, consider this: Can you block a magnetic field? Or another popular question that comes up is: A magnetic shield will block the field's effects right? This is a common misconception. There is no known material that blocks magnetic fields without itself being attracted to the magnetic force. Magnetic fields can only be redirected but not removed. To do this, high-permeability magnetic shielding alloys are used. The magnetic field lines are strongly attracted into the shielding material because of its permeability properties and to attenuate or reduce the fields.

Magnetic fields are attracted to the ferromagnetic alloy in a higher

Frequency Chart

Frequency Terms

Magnetic Field Lines

MuMETAL® Sheet & Foil concentration when the shielded equipment is closer to the field.

As the protected equipment is moved further away or there is an increased separation from the field, the magnetic intensity decreases and lowers the strength of the field. This lowers the shielding factor required to protect the machinery. But the magnetic forces remain.

Electromagnetic shielding is necessary to isolate sensitive apparatus from these electromagnetic fields or electromagnetic interference (EMI) to operate and perform successfully without down time or errors. High nickel-iron composition alloys such as mumetal, the industry wide standard, is regularly specified for raw materials and fabrication of shielding parts and custom shields.

The first step to developing an effective magnetic shield is to measure the intensity of the field surrounding the area, equipment, machinery, or parts to be shielded. After taking the field readings or measurements using a gaussmeter sensor, the shielding factors can be calculated to help indicate which alloy type, form, and thickness of the material is required. Common mumetal forms are foil, sheet and thicker plate, where foil can be used to prototype designs readily because it is easy to bend and shape.

Should the source of interference or the sensitive device be shielded? Shielding the source may involve stronger fields, and therefore thicker materials. All interference sources should be shielded, or the sensitive device will still be affected. The usual approach is to shield the sensitive device. This prevents interference from both present and future sources. Many electromagnetic shielding solutions begin with our Evaluation Lab Kits. This kit enables a "hands-on" approach to solving a shielding problem.

With the abundance of electrical signals being transmitted and received, electrical field interference should be the center of concern. Interference happens when you don’t plan for or consider other sources of electromagnetic energy. For more shielding technical resources visit magnetic-shield.com, or to start prototyping and sampling alloys our University Lab Kit with mumetal includes our Technical Guide to MuMETAL® and Magnetic Shielding.

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Measuring, Controlling, Monitoring - on highest level Temperature-Relays and Sensors Monitoring of Current, Voltage and Phase Controls for Suction Plants Relays for Frequency and Speed Measuring-Transducers

Yo u r p a r t n e r i n U K a n d I r e l a n d TVR Instruments Limited 143 Butt Road, Colchester CO3 3DP Essex UK, Tel: +44 (0) 1206 575755 Email: sales@tvri.co.uk www.tvri.co.uk

Instruments Ltd

ZIEHL industrie-elektronik GmbH + Co KG Daimlerstr. 13, 74523 Schwäb. Hall, Germany, +49 791 504-0, www.ziehl.de

January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

Chell Introduce Three New Products for On-Engine and In-Flight Testing Chell Instruments have launched three new products, designed to meet the increasing requirements for ‘in-flight’ testing of aircraft gas turbine engines. highly configurable and can measure RTD’s, thermocouples, ratio-metric and amplified pressure transducers (using the in-built excitation supplies) or simply a voltage, current or resistance signal.

It’s designed for on-engine as well as airframe applications and as such is tested to the D0160G vibration and shock standards,” said Nick Broadley, Managing Director at Chell.

A

ble to withstand extremely harsh environments and high altitudes, the new FlightDAQTL, Q-DAQ and FlightDAQ3, give class-leading performance for on-engine testing, with new features including DDS data protocol.

For nearly 40 years, Chell has been creating bespoke solutions for measuring various parameters during the development of aircraft engines.

The new products further enhance their capability to operate ‘on-engine’ and ‘in-flight’ during tests.

The first new product is the FlightDAQTL, a highly configurable electrical scanner for PRT’s, thermocouples and external transducers. “The New FlightDAQ-TL is a complimentary product to our existing line of FlightDAQ pressure measuring equipment. The FlightDaq-TL is

The second new product is the Q-DAQ which is a miniature pressure scanner with a SQDC interface. It features 16 sensors which can be configured as absolute or differential (differential by nominating a channel as a reference). It also features an in-built heater to deal with the temperatures involved during flight testing. The Q-DAQ will out compensate pressure data (from -55°C to 90°C ) over Ethernet, IENA and CAN. The final new product is the FlightDAQ3. This is the latest development of our successful FlightDAQ range which gives 32 or 64 channels of high accuracy pressure measurement in a heated enclosure. The FlightDaq 3 now offers outputs of Ethernet, IENA and DDS. Chell’s range of pressure technologies provide users with peace of mind they’re receiving the data they need to make the correct decisions to optimise the efficiency and reliability of engines.

For more information on the FlightDAQ-TL, Q-DAQ, FlightDAQ3 and other Chell instruments, please visit www.chell.co.uk or contact Chell on 01692 500555.

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January 20201 ENGINEERING PDATE DS-OCT12-BLACKFAST_Layout 1 20/09/2012 16:28 Page

Tel: 0208 339 7370

Fax: 0208 339 7371 Unit 5 Russell House, Molesey Road Email: sales@blackfast.com Walton-on-Thames, Surrey KT12 3PE www.blackfast.com

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Dr. Marie-Theres Heine, Product Manager – Switching Sensors

Phone 01480 408 500 – www.leuze.co.uk AZ_210x148_PRK_18B_gb.indd 1

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13.05.2014 13:54:49

January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

Take a Different View of Vision

See 4Sight in Action at one of our Technology Days AutoCoding Systems and SICK UK are holding two one day events where they’ll be demonstrating their new innovation in vision, the 4Sight automatic print inspection solution.

If you sometimes have problems with partially printed, poor quality or missing codes on your products, you’ll be interested in seeing how 4Sight can resolve these issues.

The free one-day events are being held at AutoCoding’s demonstration suite in Runcorn on Tuesday 11th February and at SICK UK’s offices in St Albans on Thursday 13th February. Visitors are being invited to see at first-hand how the 4Sight solution can check for presence, legibility and location of print, as well as deal with varying qualities of print.

The 4Sight software is powered by SICK AppSpace and uses the InspectorP range of 2D cameras to create a camera-based solution for multiple inspection methods. The software is resident on the SICK camera, communicating directly with any brand of printer, with no requirement to “teach” the camera what to look for; the software understands the intended message for printing.

4Sight’s automatic set-up means there is no requirement for operators to configure features or regions of interest; the camera automatically adjusts, coping easily with variations in artwork, background and text location.

A unique feature of 4Sight is “Inspection Depth”. By offering users different levels of inspection, they can decide what level of inspection they need. 4Sight can be used to confirm presence, legibility and location of printed code, but the standard product can also be configured to OCR thereby checking the accuracy of the printed code. Users can also determine acceptable print quality tolerances and define what is considered a good read, bad read or no read on a per product basis.

The versatility of 4Sight means that as well as operating seamlessly with AutoCoding, or other code deployment software, the application can be used as a standalone solution or directly connected to a printer.

Managing Director, Mike Hughes, commented,

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“Inspecting printed codes, particularly at continuous inkjet speed, has always been fraught with challenges, making living with a print vision system quite difficult in terms of nuisance stops or false rejections, causing unnecessary line stops. 4Sight uses new and innovative methods for print inspection, simplifying the process and making vision accessible to all budgets.”

Each Technology Day will start at 9.30am and finish no later than 4.00pm. Registration is required by completing the form on either the AutoCoding website, www.autocodingsystems.com or the SICK UK website https://www.sick.com/gb/en/w/trainings/.

Who should attend?

Anyone involved with the automated printing and marking of products or packaging who needs to ensure that the marking is verified, correct and legible will be interested in this event.

January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

Timberwolf joins Made in Britain initiative The UK’s leading manufacturer of professional wood chippers, Timberwolf, has been recognised as a member of the Made in Britain organisation.

Accredited to businesses selling goods that have been manufactured or have undergone a final substantial change in Britain before sale, Made in Britain is the official collective mark for British manufacturers.

From its purpose-built manufacturing facility in Stowmarket, Suffolk, Timberwolf specialises in the design and manufacture of professional wood chippers for the arboricultural and horticultural sectors.

For over 30 Years, Timberwolf has manufactured industry defining commercial wood chippers to meet the needs of the arboriculture industry, promoting and embodying British engineering and manufacturing excellence.

Chris Perry, Manging Director at Timberwolf, said: “Timberwolf wood chippers have become renowned in the UK and in export markets for engineering excellence.

“Everyone at Timberwolf works incredibly hard to deliver unbeatable power and performance from every machine and to be a part of a collective promoting British engineering is very important to us.”

According to a recent Make UK report, manufacturing in the East of England contributes £17.8bn to the UK economy and employs over 244,000 people in the region.* Recognised for their contribution to the regional economy, Timberwolf were awarded the Large Business Award and Business of the Year Award in the 2019 East Anglian Daily Times Suffolk Business Awards.

Timberwolf machines are designed inhouse by a team of nine engineers and the company is committed to inspiring future generations to work in the Engineering and Manufacturing industries through supporting six in-house apprentices as well as attending local career fairs.

An innovative business approach is at the heart of Timberwolf’s success and longevity and is clearly demonstrated by its position as the only UK manufacturer

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in its sector to use a flow line system, increasing flexibility and efficiency through production.

As products move down the production line they can be adapted at short notice according to the needs of customers.

A high standard of manufacture is maintained through an in-house Quality Control department, ensuring all components are fitted correctly to the machines as they are assembled down the production line. The change to a flow line system has revolutionised Timberwolf’s output, improving production capability from 20 machines a month to 30 machines per week, an increase of 640%.

Timberwolf has highly skilled in-house fabrication and Quality Control teams to ensure exceptionally high-quality standards are maintained for bespoke machine components. In-house fabrication accounts for 10-15% of components depending on the model of machine, and includes critical machine components such as roller boxes for hydraulically fed wood chippers and track components for their tracked wood chipper range.

Using an in-house team for the fabrication of these bespoke parts means quality standards are kept exceptionally high for these critical components. Timberwolf machines are renowned for their robustness and strength and this is directly attributable to the skills, knowledge and dedication of the fabrication and production teams.

The company is committed to helping support local suppliers with more than a quarter of suppliers located within 25

miles of Timberwolf’s Stowmarket base, and 50% of suppliers within 75 miles. In addition, almost 90% of externally sourced components are supplied by British-based companies, with over 60% of components from within a 100-mile radius.

Timberwolf’s success and commitment to innovation drew the attention of the London Stock Exchange Group who, in 2019, identified Timberwolf in their ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’ report.

An annual report celebrating the UK’s fastest-growing and most dynamic small and medium sized businesses over the last three years, with companies representing over 40 sectors and spanning every region of the country included in the prestigious list. Timberwolf was selected as one of five businesses nationwide to represent the engineering and manufacturing sector, while also being highlighted as a leader within the manufacturing sector.

Chris Perry, Manging Director at Timberwolf, said: “We have seen strong growth in our Export markets over the last 5 years and we now export nearly 50% of our machines outside of the UK. “British Manufacturing and Engineering excellence is valued highly in international markets and the addition of the Made in Britain mark, which our products will wear with pride, will help strengthen our ambitious international trade goals and let any customer know that their machine is made to the very highest of standards.”

For more information visit www.timberwolf-uk.com or follow @ MyTimberwolf on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

> Corrosion resistant for up to 1000 hours in salt spray > Manufactured from a premium alloy with less than 0.1% copper content for corrosion resistance > IP tessng performed aaer impact tessng to verify the seal is maintained when the enclosure is treated roughly > Impact resistant up to 7 Joules > Reusable seals (Up to 200 compressions)

RMIG is the world's largest manufacturer and supplier of perforated metal and its related products.

We know our customers’ requirements for price and quality and meet their demands with uncompromising service.

Not only do we offer standard and bespoke perforated metal sheets, we are able to offer you a range of secondary operations as detailed below.

Complete solutions With a continued investment in the latest equipment and a network of professional partners we are able to produce prime quality products and solutions – from a simple perforated sheet to the fully formed and coated custom made part.

Levelling For some applications a high degree of flatness is required, we have processes in place to ensure our perforated coils and sheets meet with your most demanding requirements.

Rolling and forming We can roll, bend and form perforated sheets to match your design.

Aesthetic finishes and protective coating We can offer powder coating and hot dip galvanizing solutions to meet your specifications.

For more information please contact us www.rmig.com email: info.uk@rmig.com Tel: 01925 839610

Cutting We can cut and shape perforated sheet to meet the needs of your final application.

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January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE The compact Cube67 modules are installed next to the process. Sensors and actuators are connected with the shortest possible cables and connectors.

COMMISSIONING MADE EASY Hermle AG is one of the market leading manufacturers of metalworking machines.

Their milling machines are used for production all over the world. Starting as a bolt and screw manufacturing company in 1938, Hermle has grown into a global player.

Today over 27,000 Hermle machines have been successfully installed worldwide, in a wide range of industries, ranging from medical technology to classic tool and mold making to aerospace technology.

Hermle's systems are modular, so they can be mixed and matched in a variety of combinations to meet requirements. A customer might choose milling spindles with different speeds and tool holders or tool magazine extensions for more than 500 magazine places or perhaps a comprehensive modular system for workpiece automation.

Hermle uses Murrelektronik’s Cube67 modular IO system for the machine’s electrical installation. The individual Cube modules are compact, robust and fully potted. They are mounted directly on the machine without terminal boxes or switch cabinets. A bus node makes the connection to the higher-level fieldbus system. At the same time, it is the starting point for the installation which extends into the machining centre. The Cube67 IO modules are installed close to the process allowing Hermle to connect the sensors and actuators with the shortest possible M12 cables and connectors. The modules are daisy chained to each other with an easy-to-recognize green jacketed system cable that transmits both power and data.

This simplifies the installation and reduces the space needed for routing cable.

Maximum standardization with Machine Option Management (MOM) The Cube67 system comes with Machine

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With Cube67’s Machine Option Management, Hermle AG significantly reduces the time spent on software maintenance and support.

Option Management (MOM) making Hermle‘s commissioning process is remarkably consistent regardless of the options chosen. With MOM, the project planning for the machining centre’s hardware and software is done virtually on the basis of a standardized full extension.

During commissioning, the machines are then configured according to their actual equipment. Often, parts of the finished machine are not assembled at the Gosheim facility, but at the customer’s site. For example, coolant systems are transported directly from the supplier to the end user.

“In order to be able to put the machine into operation, the commissioning has additional test equipment. This allows it to simulate the final configuration,” says Hans-Peter Marquart, head of Electrical Design at Hermle. The company is able to put the machines into operation in the configuration that will later be used by the operator. Individual options can be “switched on and off” as required. When done this way, machine configuration is very quick and, because it contains all tested modules, process reliability is also high. Hans-Peter Marquart explains why this is important: “We deliver our machines all over the world including South America and China”. Commissioning is carried out according to the plug-and-play principle – quickly and without any risk of programming errors. For Hermle, the great benefit of MOM is that separate software does not have to be maintained and individualized for each machine, but only the standard software has to be kept up to date.

A striking advantage for Hermle are the multifunctional M12 ports on the Cube67 Digital IO modules. For each PIN 2 and PIN 4, the user can define whether they are to be used as inputs or outputs. This opens up a wide range of design possibilities.

For example, in installation areas that are

primarily made up of sensors you may need an output but elsewhere in the machining centre you may need an input in an area filled with outputs. Without multifunctional ports, two modules would have to be placed in each of these areas making for an expensive and complex solution.

Cube67 integrates one module at a time, on which the ports are set accordingly.

This is a huge advantage for assembly and commissioning – fewer modules are required which lowers both the amount the space needed and the assembly costs.

In addition to “standard modules”, Hermle also uses function modules. An encoder module is used to measure the flow of the hydraulics on the pallet system. It counts the pulses on site” and transmits the process value to the controller where it is further processed and evaluated.

End customers also benefit from using Cube67 because of the pin level diagnostics. Hermle and its control manufacturers have developed masks that visualize the diagnostic data. These let the end customer immediately see if a fault is occurring at a point on the machining centre. Troubleshooting can be carried out quickly resulting in higher machine availability and greater cost-effectiveness.

Hermle is currently working on the change from PROFIBUS to PROFINET. Going forward their machining centres will be equipped with PROFINET. The Cube system, with the bus node as an interface to the higher-level network, is worth its weight in gold. IO-Link devices will be able to be integrated with very little effort. HansPeter Marquart says that “we don't want to change the architecture itself but optimize it further.” With Cube67, we can change out the bus node while continuing to use the installation that spreads out under it.

Tel: 0161 728 3133 www.murrelektronik.co.uk

Decentralized Automation Solutions

Each year, our customers install over 1.8 million I/O modules and the number keeps growing...

Benefit from our expertise in decentralized automation We are the experts for decentralized automation.

Our global network of Application Engineers will help you future-proof your machine or plant installations.

Flexible and economical solutions to connect sensors and actuators to the controller or the cloud.

Call 0161 728 3133 to speak to the UK Applications Engineer.

Visit our highlights page www.murrelektronik.online/experts Learn about our installation concepts and find the right one for you. Discover advantages for manufactures and benefits for plant operators.

www.murrelektronik.uk

January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

HARTING’s solutions future-proof machine building The machine building sector continues to evolve quickly as new manufacturing machinery becomes ever more intelligent and adaptable to meet the demands of industries. At HARTING, we are constantly refining and updating our product range to keep pace with the latest developments.

Using connectors in switch cabinets was, until recently, a complex challenge which required substantial effort. However, using the HanEco® B, you can now pre-assemble and rear mount the inserts into the housing from the rear, rather than the traditional method of installing cables through the bulkhead before assembling the contact inserts. This method not only saves time and money, it also gives you the flexibility to pre-assemble the switch cabinet units and cable harnesses separately.

Choice is the key benefit of the HanModular® range; with a portfolio of over 100 different inserts, you

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can create and produce a bespoke connector for your specific applications. Using our online configurator tool, simply select three inputs (contacts, voltage and current) to generate the first possible solution.

You’ll benefit from an onscreen 3D visualisation of the current configuration and you can download all documentation, including STP files, with a single click.

Another key trend within machine building is that of miniaturisation.

As machinery and equipment becomes more compact and complex, connectors take up more of the available space. HARTING has recognised and responded to this issue by producing the Han® 1A, a compact interface which requires up to 30% less space than the Han® 3A. Much like the PushPull, it employs a system of modular inserts, making it extremely versatile. As a plug-in connection consisting of a maximum of twelve different contacts, it provides an efficient solution for connecting tools and smaller machine modules such

as heating and cooling units, fans, control terminals, drives and vibration conveyors.

Whilst it’s vital to keep pace with changing industry developments, the reliability of new products is of key importance. By undertaking rigorous testing, users can rely on powerful and proven systems that are designed precisely for their applications.

To learn more about our products and solutions, please visit www.harting.com or email salesUK@HARTING.com

Smart ideas make work more straightforward and faster.

Han-Eco® B. Rear mounting option allows for the separate pre-assembly of cable harnesses.

The new connectors of the Han-Eco® B series provide valuable time advantages for equipment using the Han® B industry standard. Learn how!

Han-Eco® B. Thought differently. Done better.

www.harting.com/UK/en-gb/efficient-preassembly-cable-harnesses

January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

Robot paves the way for productivity boost Concrete evidence has emerged of another export success for Stoke-on-Trent based engineering firm Morris Brothers, following the delivery of a custom-built slab moulding machine to an overseas customer. Morris Brothers is one of the UK’s oldest established manufacturers of concrete moulding machines, and for this latest export success, a Kawasaki robot proved invaluable in helping them secure the contract.

Located in Burslem, near Stoke, the business was established by brothers Fred and Harry Morris in 1948 and remains a family run firm. The evolution of the business into todays’ premier producer of concrete moulding equipment is an interesting one. The company began as a repair centre maintaining, servicing and repairing trucks and buses, and not long after it had been established, Morris Brothers staff returned a repaired truck to a nearby business that specialised in producing products made from china clay. Whilst there, they were asked if they might be able to help out by having the truck workshop manufacture an urgently needed ‘bottom retaining strip’ for a clay moulding machine. This was duly made, and before long Morris Brothers had moved into the manufacture of parts for clay moulding machines. From there the company evolved into specialist manufacturers of the complete, bespoke concrete presses that it is known for worldwide today.

Mick Humphries, Works Manager at Morris Brothers, oversaw the team responsible for the design, manufacture and delivery of a new concrete moulding station to Turkey

The export order for Morris Brothers came from an enquiry the company received from Turkey. The customer needed a 3-station press capable of manufacturing large concrete slabs, and lots of them. So Morris Brothers Works Manager Mick Humphries, a 43 year veteran of the business (who began there as an engineering apprentice in 1977), assembled a team and got to work on formulating a detailed design based around the initial drawings that accompanied the enquiry.

A key part of the moulding process in this application, and one which had the greatest potential to retard production rates, was the demoulding process where completed slabs of formed concrete are removed from the press and placed onto an adjacent pallet. With a typical individual slab weight (dependent on the design being produced) of between 9.5kg and 12.5 kg, and with up to 4,500 slabs in need of demoulding and placing onto pallets in each 9 hour shift, it became clear to Mick Humphries and his team that a call to a robot company was a priority. “We have, over the years, worked with many robot suppliers” says Mick, “But some time ago we settled on Kawasaki as our preferred provider. They have earned their place in becoming our first port of call for all robotrelated applications now. In addition to providing good quality equipment, their attitude, engineering skills and confidence to let us do as much – or as little - of the design and integration as we want to ourselves has been of significant assistance to us”.

In this application, the demoulding operation required each slab to be picked up using vacuum holders in the horizontal plane. The slabs are lifted and then rotated through 90° into the vertical as the robot arm moves across to the adjacent stacking pallet, where they are placed vertically into storage and transportation racks.

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Kawasaki Robotics’ Ian Hensman and Alan Williams oversaw the Morris Brothers project, and mindful of the tight timescales described for the project, Prior to being delivered to Turkey, the new Morris immediately asked Brothers concrete moulding station with its their colleague Harry Kawasaki robot was subjected to rigorous testing Nakis, Kawasaki Robotics’ experienced application engineer, to get cracking and create an active simulation based on the known facts at that point. The Kawasaki Robotics team had agreed that the company’s ZX-165U robot was the most appropriate choice in this case: a heavy-duty machine which offered the speed and precision required, and which was easily capable of lifting the weights on the specification sheet.

Kawasaki’s ZX-165U robot is a 6 axis unit, with a reach of 2.651 metres. It features a rotating wrist which, even when fully laden, can rotate at 260°/sec whilst delivering guaranteed repeatable accuracy (at maximum reach) of +/- 0.3mm. Using this particular model of robot also provided Morris Brothers’ new customer with another advantage, one which they hadn’t asked for but which was nevertheless warmly welcomed: inbuilt expansion potential, or future-proofing. Because the robot would be working well within its design specification, the customer could also use the robot, should it be required at any point in the future, for even heavier loads, or on different tasks, and at increased speeds with minimal reprogramming.

Ian Hensman observes “When we first spoke with Morris Brothers about this project their team had already honed down the detail design of the press and identified exactly what they wanted a robot to do as part of this 3-station machine. Being able to agree the precise operating parameters with Morris so early in the project meant that we were able to provide them with a computer generated simulation very quickly from our CAE facility in Warrington. As a result, all parties were able to confirm in record time that the proposed ZX-165U robot would indeed be ideal for the requirements set out in the specification”.

Morris Brothers new concrete moulding machine, complete with Kawasaki Robot, was delivered to a delighted customer well inside the agreed delivery time and is now producing thousands of concrete slabs a week at the plant in Turkey.

Mick Humphries concludes “Choosing to work with Kawasaki Robotics as part of our team on this project helped my colleagues and I take it from an initial enquiry to a fully commissioned installation more than 2,000 miles away in just 26 weeks”.

Mick Humphries, Works Manager, Morris Brothers 01782 834242 Ian Hensman, Sales Manager, Kawasaki Robotics 01925 713000

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

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January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

New App from Atlas Copco enhances the intelligence of vacuum pumps Atlas Copco has developed an App that allows vacuum pumps to be controlled and monitored in real time from a smartphone. Pumps can also be commissioned optionally by entering fewer setpoints. The first models for which the free VSD+ App is available, in IOS or Android, are the new DZS 100, 200 and 400 VSD+ claw vacuum pumps and the GVS A VSD+ oil-injected rotary vane pump. For users, the functions will ensure greater user-friendliness and noticeably more efficient operation.

T

he coarse vacuum pumps of the DZS series with integrated inverter drive are equipped with a VSD+ drive on the motor. This includes various remote connection options - including the Atlas Copco VSD+ App. With the App, the fixed speed DZS claw pump can be operated as a speed-controlled pump. With just a few clicks, the performance of the pump can be precisely adjusted to the respective process requirements, so that excessive vacuum generation can be avoided.

As a result, the app individually adjusts power consumption and ultimately increases productivity.

Important parameters at a glance The intuitive operating options provide customers with a high degree of user-friendliness: The app automatically connects via an integrated Bluetooth interface as soon as the pump is started. Once the desired parameters have been entered into the smartphone, the pump can be put into operation immediately. It is also possible to visualise performance data and settings in real time. Relevant parameters such as inlet pressure, rotor speed, operating hours and maintenance intervals can be checked at a glance at any time and quickly adjusted if necessary.

Minimum requirements IOS 8.0 and Android 4.03 The application is easy to use without prior knowledge or additional equipment: Interested parties can download the Atlas Copco VSD+ App from the App Store or Play Store. As a minimum requirement the mobile operating systems IOS 8.0 and Android 4.03 are required. For the desired language selection, users click on the respective flag symbol to then select the preferred language as well as the desired units, such as differential current, pressure and temperature measurements. Current actual values are displayed in two separate menus: Input and output data as well as the process variables. In addition to the DZS 100, 200 and 400 VSD+ series and the GVS A VSD+ oilinjected rotary vane pump, Atlas Copco plans to make the app available for other vacuum pump models.

For more information please contact: Joanna Canton Long, Marketing Communications Manager, Atlas Copco Compressors +44 (0)1442 222240 or joanna.canton.long@uk.atlascopco.com

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ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

ODU-MAC®

THE ALL-ROUND SOLUTION FOR MANUAL MATING AND AUTOMATIC DOCKING Compact modular connector system

The intelligent path to customer-specific connections: ODU-MAC – our versatile modular connector solution enables the transmission of power, high current, high voltage, coax, high-speed data, fiber optics and other media such as air or fluid.

For your made-to-measure connection.

COMPLETE SYSTEM SOLUTIONS ODU provides pre-assembled component solutions. Our development and manufacturing expertise, combined with our state-of-the art manufacturing facilities in Europe, China and the USA, enable us to offer our customers outstanding assemblies and a full range of logistics services.

ASSEMBLY

ODU-UK Ltd. Phone: +44 03301509 002 266433 0640 sales@odu-uk.co.uk www.odu-uk.co.uk

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January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

Climate Control maintenance is no false economy…. It’s the key to efficiency

By Karl Lycett, Rittal’s Product Manager for Climate Control £480,000….

Is a lot of money! But that is what I was told it costs one of the UK’s largest automotive manufacturers PER HOUR when they experience downtime on their paint plant. Your overheads may not be as substantial as the above example, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the old adage you hear in every corner of business and production is true:

Time is Money Regardless of your industry and the product you manufacture, production downtime is a crucial performance indicator to monitor because of the direct impact it can have on your bottom line. More downtime equals increased spares/ maintenance costs, taken directly from your profit. This could have been invested to meet more pertinent business objectives, purchasing new machinery etc..

When I speak with customers across the UK regarding their attitude towards climate control maintenance, it tends to fall by the wayside on the priority list and there seems to be some main drivers for this thought process:

“I will just fix a problem when it occurs” In the past, the approach of reactive maintenance was seen as acceptable for most businesses. However times have changed. The key goals of any sized business are now becoming “increased throughput”, “Cost Efficiency”, “Continuous Improvement”. Potential roadblocks to output targets need to be nipped in the bud and nobody wants to be the one in the morning meeting explaining why yesterday’s targets weren’t met!

The implementation of a semi-regular maintenance schedule doesn’t have to be massively time-consuming.

Even something as simple as a weekly visual check of cooling equipment filter mats or any system alarms can alert you in good time to call in the experts, who can then perform a more detailed review for you.

“My equipment is currently operating and I haven’t serviced it in months/years” The problem may be “out of sight, out of mind” for now but the longer your cooling equipment is left unchecked, the higher the risk.

For example, if a fan unit is in a dusty environment and the filter mat becomes clogged, this will reduce its effectiveness to cool the electrical equipment within due to a reduced level of air throughput.

This in turn can increase the enclosure internal temperature. As a rule of thumb, for every 10°C you increase your internal temperature, you halve the life of the equipment within and increase the likelihood of an unexpected failure.

“We just open the enclosure door for a while” This is treating the symptoms rather than the illness. If you are having to resort to a tactic such as using large fans to blow ambient air into an open enclosure you could be doing more harm than good. Not to mention that this is a massively dangerous solution from a health and safety standpoint.

Enclosure Climate Control Whatever the scale...... ......we have the solution ENCLOSURES

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POWER DISTRIBUTION

CLIMATE CONTROL

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

An enclosure’s purpose is to create an environment in which electrical equipment is protected from ambient contaminants. Having the door open allows a constant stream of dirty air to be pulled into the enclosure. This will then gather in switchgear/connection points and can cause short circuits or block on-board fans which will result in damage to componentry, reduced life and possible critical component failure.

If this course of action is required it can point to the fact that the cooling equipment currently employed is not adequate for the installation, or it requires some level of maintenance to bring it back into working order.

A RiAssure FREE Cooling Review from Rittal is perfect in this instance as your local Climate Control expert will perform a short appraisal of your existing equipment, give you honest feedback as to whether the equipment is adequate, and also provide details/quotations for a service contract to suit your ongoing needs.

“I don’t have the manpower/we have a company who does that work for us” Many companies I visit tell me that they outsource their servicing to a third party, however I tend to question what checks they are performing, given that I have been called onto site because an enclosure is overheating!

On one occasion, I asked the customer to speak with his current service provider to understand what checks were being undertaken, because his cooling units were in quite a state of disrepair. It became clear after a short discussion that they serviced “Air Conditioning” in the offices and didn’t even look in the factory…

IT INFRASTRUCTURE

Essential Maintenance for Climate Control Equipment

Obviously this is not the case for all service providers out there, however climate control equipment becoming increasingly efficient, while new, sophisticated, cutting-edge technology is launched every year. The only guarantee of the highest level of checks and service will come from engineers who have been trained by the manufacturers about the technology and its detailed workings.

Rittal has been manufacturing industry-leading climate control equipment for 30 years and all of our service staff are highly trained on the whole portfolio to ensure they can remedy your issues.

Take the introductory example again and turn the spotlight onto your business. Everyone has budgets and savings targets to hit, so ask yourself, can you afford NOT to have correct maintenance in place?

For more information, email klycett@rittal.co.uk, go to www.rittal.co.uk or www.friedhelm-loh-group.com, or on twitter @rittal_ltd.

SOFTWARE & SERVICES

www.rittal.co.uk

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January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

A GUF for all purposes An overview of the diversity of mk’s belt conveyor variants.

W

ith the rise of industrial automation, belt conveyors have taken on most of the transport tasks involved in production processes. Nowadays, wherever you look, you’ll find belt conveyors in all different designs and versions.

Belt conveyors are suitable for almost any industrial application in which piece goods are to be transported without any particular requirements in terms of their orientation or positioning. All different shapes and dimensions, packaged or unpackaged, light or heavy, can be transported using a belt conveyor.

For these applications, mk offers a huge range of standardised, modular belt conveyor systems, also called GUF. The design options are virtually unlimited: any width from 50 mm to 2 m, any length from 300 mm to 20 m, loads of up to 350 kg, and speeds of up to 80 m/min.

Thanks to a compact design using aluminium profiles, the conveyors are easy to integrate into existing production lines, even complex ones, and to adapt as necessary.

The profile system makes the design highly flexible, and lateral profile grooves provide ample options for mounting attachments and accessories.

In addition to straight segments, belt conveyors are available in double-line, inclined and curved versions.

Special designs are available for clamping, scanning, vacuum and magnetic applications.

The right system for any application mk developed a standard straight belt conveyor in the mid1970s. Today, innumerable further developments later, it forms the heart of the portfolio of mk conveyor technology.

Over the years, versatile belt conveyor series of all different sizes and weight classes have been created. The perfect conveyor can be configured for virtually any type of goods, transport or environmental conditions.

Small Conveyor GUF-P Mini – The smallest series, GUF-P Mini, is particularly well-suited to transporting and separating small components with low volumes and weights. It is available in widths of 75 to 150 mm and in lengths of 360 to 5,000 mm. Thanks to its minimal installation height, this conveyor is ideal for use in complex systems where space is at a premium. Since the belt recirculation is integrated in the conveyor frame, the conveyor can be placed directly on the machine bed.

Compact Belt Conveyor GUF-P 2045 – The extremely compact GUF-P 2045 series is perfect for integrating into systems with limited space available for installation. The ø 50 mm drive roller combined with the weight-optimised, 45 mm tall conveyor frame profile produces a conveyor that is extremely flat and without any obstructing edges. A total permissible load of 15 kg accommodates most of the

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products typical in the packaging and injection moulding industries.

Versatile Belt Conveyor GUF-P 2000 – The GUF-P 2000 series is the all-rounder for light- to medium-weight goods based on the mk 2000 profile. It is extremely versatile thanks to the large assortment of available drives, tails, stands and belt types. This series is characterised by a low height of 50 mm and a compact ø 53 mm driving roller as well as a wide variety of different belt types. Furthermore, the system is available with an optional stationary or rolling knife edge.

Sturdy Belt Conveyor GUF-P 2041 – Based on the mk 2251 profile, the sturdy GUF-P 2041 series was developed for high belt loads of up to 150 kg and for conveying goods up to 1200 mm wide. It uses an 85-mm driving roller that affords highly efficient transmission of the motor’s power.

The series is available with a virtually unlimited selection of different belt types, including designs with cleats and side walls, and numerous combinations of drives, tails and stands, with knife edges and drum motors as options.

Heavy Belt Conveyor GUF-P 2004 – The GUF-P 2004 is the largest series, based on the mk 2004 profile, and features a 105-mm roller. Capable of handling a total load weighing up to 200 kg and measuring up to 2,000 mm wide and 20,000 mm long, this torsion-resistant conveyor frame provides easy transport of particularly heavy loads and bulky goods. It can be complemented with accessory components such as side rails and stands.

Double Belt Conveyor DGF-P 2001 – The dual-line DGF-P 2001 series is particularly well-suited for transporting small work piece pallets. It’s very small idler rollers allow it to transport even short pallets, for example those used in assembly systems in the electronics industry. The belt runs entirely on wear strips, which allows for a maximum weight of 15 kg per section.

To find out more about mk’s conveyor range please visit www.mkprofiles.co.uk, call (01949) 823751 or email info@mkprofiles.co.uk.

Profile Technology

Conveyor Technology

Linear Motion

Factory Equipment

CompaCt struCture for optimal integration

Belt Conveyor GUF-P 2045 Compact. Light. Inexpensive.

mk profile systems limited a company of the mk technology group Unit 2·Wolds Farm Business Park Kinoulton Lane·Kinoulton·Nottinghamshire, NG12 3EQ Phone +44 (0)1949 823751·Fax +44 (0)1949 81270 www.mkprofiles.co.uk·info@mkprofiles.co.uk

January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

RUD ROV Hooks for Subsea Installations Oceaneering International, Inc. (Oceaneering) used four 10-tonne capacity remotely operated vehicle (ROV) hooks from RUD to fulfill two major subsea contracts recently—both in the Gulf of Mexico. The products were sourced from RUD distributor LiftPull.

First, Oceaneering used the hooks to install long baseline (LBL) transponder frames, weighing 2,000 lbs. each, at specified subsea locations. Oceaneering was contracted by a major offshore oil and gas company to deploy six LBL array Compatt frames (a transponder used for high precision survey and construction operations) and populate the array in 7,200 fsw using the 257 ft.-long multi-purpose support vessel (MSV), Connor Bordelon.

Recovery of a subsea basket after jumper installation.

In a second contract for another major oil and gas company, the ROV hooks were again used to install a rigid M-shape jumper and associated subsea distribution hardware.

Here, the hooks were used to make several smaller lifts of ancillary equipment and frames, weighing between 5,500 lbs. and 10,000 lbs., in support of the jumper installation using the 309 ft.-long MSV Cade Candies.

Dan Cheek, engineering manager, Subsea Projects Group at Oceaneering, said: “We were looking for a safe and timeefficient solution to connect and disconnect loads subsea using a ROV. We needed something to reduce the risk of dropped objects, especially when passing through the water interface, and provide a user-friendly subsea solution. The alternative option would have been to use a ROV shackle in place of a ROV hook.”

The LBL Compatts allow for detailed acoustic positioning of subsea assets by surface vessels and tracking of the ROVs. Cheek explained that the frames hold the transponders upright subsea and off the seabed.

Ruben Delgadillo, regional sales manager at LiftPull, said: “The safe lifting and lowering of loads on deck and underwater up to depths of up to 10,000 ft.—coupled with

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ambient conditions, unpredictable currents and difficult lighting—presents enormous challenges. Further, the sector is nearly always time pressured and precision is always fundamental to safety.”

He added: “The new RUD ROV hook provides two efficient lifting solutions for demanding marine and offshore applications. Its innovative safety mechanism makes it impossible to accidentally open the hook. We serve as a DNV GL-qualified partner for marine and offshore applications with a comprehensive range of sling and lashing solutions.”

RUD also offers a higher capacity, 25-tonne version of the ROV hook. Cheek said: “We intend to use the 10-tonne capacity hook for upcoming contracts; it is especially useful for deploying and recovering the ancillary equipment and frames required to complete many of our projects.

However, we are also excited about the 25-tonne version and see potential use for it on future assignments.”

For approx. 18 months, The Caldwell Group and the RUD Group have united their sales and marketing activities in North America for material handling and lifting devices within a common organization.

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

Dixon launches new couplings & accessories catalogue Dixon are excited to be launching their new full colour comprehensive Couplings and Accessories catalogue which will be available from January 2020.

The company's global reach includes a wide range of products for numerous industries, including petroleum exploration, refining, transportation, chemical processing, food & beverage, steel, fire protection, construction, mining and manufacturing.

The new 400 page catalogue comprises of Dixon’s traditional hose fittings and couplings including Cam & Groove couplers, quick disconnects, valves and clamps; with the addition of some new products such as the Arctic Steel range of marine water strainers and accessories, ADS outalarm liquid level measuring probes, split flange swivel joints and a brand new loading arm.

The newly enriched technical section serves as an excellent information reference point to procurement, engineering and maintenance teams alike.

New innovations featured within the latest catalogue include evolutions in the design of traditional Cam & Groove fittings; the Vent-Lock safety release Cam and Groove couplings permit the release of static pressure when disconnecting hose assemblies whilst the armless EZ Link Cam & Groove

couplers feature a push-to-connect positive locking system and low-profile design perfect for space is restricted.

At Dixon™ we are committed to providing ‘the right connection’ for your fluid handling applications. Our world-class customer service backed by over 100 years of manufacturing expertise and BSI ISO 9001 approval ensures you will receive accurate hose coupling and assembly recommendations for your application requirements. We are proud to design and manufacture fully tested and certified customised solutions to your fluid and air handling challenges.

For additional information, products and technical support Dixon’s evolving website plays host to the full product range and keeps you in touch with all of the latest product developments, technical information and literature.

To request a copy of the new catalogue in hard copy contact Dixon’s customer Service Team on: 01772 323529 or email: sales@dixoneurope.co.uk. Alternatively download your own PDF version direct from the website www.dixoneurope.co.uk

Dixon Hose & Coupling Products The Right Connection for your fluid transfer application

Products: • Hose assemblies • Fittings & accessories • Clamps • Quick release fittings • Blow-Out prevention couplings

• Valves • Loading arms • Liquid level sensing • Marine Accessories • Bespoke Fabrications

New Couplings & Accessories Catalogue Now Available

+44 (0)1772 323 529 • dixoneurope.co.uk •

©2019 Dixon Group Europe Limited

• T ECHN IC AL EXPERTISE • U NCOMMON E X CE LLE NCE • DE S IGN • CUS TO MER SERVIC E • IN N O VATIO N • MAN U FAC TU R IN G • Q U AL ITY • TEC H N IC AL EXPERTISE • UNCOM M ON EXCELLEN

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January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

FPT Industrial and Giorgio Moroder get behind the mixing board and closer to releasing the sound of the future for the next generation of engines It all started with a teaser in April in Munich: during a special and exclusive evening, FPT Industrial and Giorgio Moroder announced their official collaboration, the first of its kind for the industrial powertrain sector. And when such pioneers and innovators team up, the result is sure to be something brilliant.

T

he world how the sound of the future will play out in the next generation of the Brand’s engine. The 3-time Oscar winner has composed a new and original sound identity for the FPT Industrial innovative powertrain and it is now time to let it play out as a signature sound that will be integrated in key Brand touch points.

FPT Industrial chose one of the most world-wide famous stages to release this new soundscape: the CES 2020 in Las Vegas.

During the exhibition, FPT Industrial and Giorgio Moroder will get behind the DJ console giving the chance to listen to the final step in this special journey. Since the world of automotive and industrial transport is evolving towards a silent future through the use of alternative fuels and electrification, FPT Industrial has tackled this challenge by bringing onboard one of the most innovative and groundbreaking musical artists ever. And the development of the sound is a journey itself.

Giorgio Moroder was at work, side by side with the FPT Industrial Innovation team to develop the most advanced solution, by opening the path to a new experience in mobility. Soon, the Brand will also unveil the making of this new soundscape, which depicts Giorgio Moroder at work with FPT engineers at the Brand’s Research & Development Center in Arbon, Switzerland. The public will have the chance to see the legendary composer introducing the concepts and methodology he followed to create and craft the Brand’s sound identity.

“The sound has to be as innovative as the engine is and has to fill the gap between the engine and the music. It’s great to know that my creation will be part of FPT Industrial brand touch points. Talking with engineers in Arbon was a great inspiration to me and when creating the sound, I always kept their experience in my mind.” commented Giorgio Moroder.

Being the father of the disco music, Giorgio Moroder is an artist that has had a deep impact through his musical innovation and he perfectly fits all of the FPT Industrial brand values. It’s a great opportunity for the Brand to share a common vision about the future. “I have always loved to experiment with the relationship between man and machine. The song ‘I Feel Love’ has a mechanical, electronic rhythm made by the synthesizer and Donna’s (Summer) amazing voice, is the human heart of the song.

This innovation had so much impact in the music business

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that even Brian Eno told David Bowie ‘Giorgio has found the sound of the future’. I love challenges and FPT Industrial proposed something completely new and unique to me: a pioneering project, both in music and in powertrain technology,” said Giorgio Moroder.

The artist has always been fascinated by the automotive industry: in the ‘80s he developed a supercar with the engineer Claudio Zampolli and with the legendary designer Marcello Gandi-ni, the Cizeta Moroder. It features a V16 engine with a stunning sound.

"We really want to give a voice and a soul to our engines and I am sure it will be hard to be-lieve what we are going to hear soon. Giorgio Moroder’s creation is destined to become very familiar for millions of drivers, while giving an extraordinary contribution to driving pleasure,” stated Annalisa Stupenengo, Powertrain President. “Just as Giorgio, in FPT Industrial we are driven by innovation and quality and with 150 years of experience, the Brand has introduced groundbreaking solutions. For FPT Industrial this idea is destined to uplift the human-machine experience on vehicles for decades”.

Watch the Giorgio Moroder in Arbon at this link. Stay tuned to the Brand channels to learn more about this incredible journey and to hear about the sound of the future.

For further information, visit www.fptindustrial.com.

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CST02-17.001.L1 © PHOENIX CONTACT 2017

January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

The EL-SIE Range

Software-free, next generation data logging from Lascar Electronics Although Lascar Electronics has been manufacturing data loggers for over 25 years, even for the original inventors of the USB data logger the launch of the new EL-SIE range is a major event. The EL-SIE is the first in a new generation of EasyLog products that takes data logging to another level.

Capable of measuring ambient temperature, humidity and pressure, each can store over 1 million readings inside the sleek metal housing. The bright and clear display shows readings and device status at a glance, and the coloured LED indicators and sounder mean the EL-SIE can grab your attention when it needs to. Each logger is supplied with batteries (two standard AAAs), a USB cable and a wall bracket so it’s ready to use right away, and one set of batteries will typically last over a year.

But the biggest innovation is hidden away inside the ELSIE itself: all the software needed to configure your logger and view, analyse and download the data. There is nothing to install, simply connect the logger to any PC or Mac and use your existing web browser. You don’t even need internet access, it couldn’t be easier.

In another breakthrough, the EL-SIE is the first USB logger that can be used with the EasyLog Cloud, giving total peace of mind about the security of your data. Once on the Cloud the readings can be accessed from any internetconnected computer or mobile device, and also used with EasyLog’s powerful online graphing, analysis and report generation tools.

The EL-SIE is intelligent and adaptable enough to be perfect for use in a number of markets including facilities and building management, logistics, warehouses and storage, and clean rooms and other pressure sensitive environments.

The new EL-SIE range: data logging has evolved.

Lascar Electronics

Of course, the EL-SIE also comes with all the powerful features expected from EasyLog. These include high, low, cumulative and pre-alarms, and also start modes including delayed start at a pre-set time, or a triggered start based on any selected measurement parameter.

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www.lascarelectronics.com +44 (0)1794 884567

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

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Events Preview 2020

January 2020

RIA announces new partnership with Infrarail 2020 to provide even more for the rail industry The Railway Industry Association (RIA), the voice of the UK rail supply community, has announced a new partnership with exhibition organisers Mack Brooks for their upcoming rail trade show Infrarail, taking place for the first time at Olympia London from 12 to 14 May 2020.

The partnership will see RIA organise at the show: • The RIA Hub: An allocated space for RIA members that provides promotional benefits to the companies that exhibit there; • The RIA Business Forum: A unique platform where visitors can hear from and engage with key industry figures, including clients, Tier 1 suppliers and more, about the latest projects, business opportunities and developments in rail; • The RIA Pavilion: A new area with corner stands where smaller companies and individuals who did not attend Infrarail in 2018 can exhibit.

Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association, said: “It’s great to be partnering with Mack Brooks for Infrarail 2020. Infrarail is one of the leading trade shows for rail infrastructure providers and a great opportunity for professionals to meet and network.”

“We’re delighted that the Railway Industry Association will be providing a number of activities across the three days, including organising presentations in the RIA Business Forum and offering a specific area for RIA member stands, with additional promotional benefits of being part of the RIA Hub. And, for the first time ever, we’re offering a new RIA Pavilion where smaller companies and individuals that are new to Infrarail can exhibit at corner stands, thereby offering a cost-effective way for these organisations to promote themselves and to see the value Infrarail provides.”

“We look forward to seeing the industry come together in May for Infrarail 2020!”

Nicola Hamann, Managing Director at Mack Brooks Exhibitions, said: “We are very pleased that RIA is continuing its long-term partnership with Infrarail. Their presence enhances the show considerably, providing excellent networking opportunities for professionals at the event.”

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

ENGINEERING UPDATE

13TH INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE EXHIBITION

OLYMPIA LONDON

CONNECTING THE INDUSTRY

12 - 14 MAY 2020

The full scope of infrastructure sectors on display, including: Track construction and maintenance Signalling Communication and passenger information Measuring, monitoring and testing systems Station equipment

www.infrarail.com

STAND RESERVATIONS ARE

NOW OPEN Request your stand offer today!

Tel: +44 (0)1727 814 400 infrarail@mackbrooks.co.uk

Events Preview 2020

January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

The Sensor Show Presents Cutting Edge Innovators and World-Class Brands at automatica Already confirmed to participate in The Sensor Show congress and networking forums are BMW Group, Deloitte, Tesla, Hugo Boss, MTC Aero, Dell EMC, General Motors, and TATA Technologies.

T

he partnership between the organisers of The Sensor Show 2020 and automatica 2020 offers the sensors supply chain an excellent opportunity to showcase some of the latest technology developments and success stories to a truly global audience. The Sensor Show is the only global application-led event for the industry with thought-leadership running alongside automatica’s world renowned exhibition.

Commenting on the partnership, Armin Wittmann, Exhibition Group Director - automatica at Messe München GmbH says, “automatica is very happy to announce the expansion of its sensor technology portfolio in cooperation with Radar One Media. The Sensor Show will offer visitors the opportunity to engage with some of the industry’s most innovative and forward-thinking developers and manufacturers of sensor technologies. We would like to welcome the many new visitors and exhibitors this show will attract to automatica and are proud to have such a progressive partner on-board.”

In addition to welcoming more than 48,000 visitors and 950 exhibitors with automatica, The Sensor Show has curated a world-class top-flight agenda for 350 congress delegates and 115 speakers, and will host 7500 exclusive high-profile meetings for participants of the thought leader focused event. End users and tier one manufacturers will share their plans

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for sensor technologies, and how they are addressing new developments, implementation plans and IoT infrastructure across the value chain to meet global output demands.

Glen Pearce, Portfolio Director for The Sensor Show has been speaking with industry leaders from across the sensor ecosystem and has created a world-class congress, “The Sensor Show congress features three tracks focused around sensor technologies and IoT in the transportation, manufacturing and connectivity sectors. Software is obviously critical in this, and our aim is to explore the applications of sensor generated data as well as hardware components, working in concert.”

Ideally situated on the upper floor in the northeast trade fair centre, the exclusive, scenic and state-ofthe-art conference area is directly connected to The Sensor Show and automatica. The purpose-built congress space will offer the perfect platform for new and established brands to inspire and network with senior decision makers in a dedicated and focused environment.

Alongside automatica’s esteemed exhibitor portfolio, The Sensor Show will host several peer-to-peer Networking Forums from which companies can present thought provoking technology applications, compelling case studies and latest product launches

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

Events Preview 2020

whilst benefiting from a meeting space where leading professionals can build and strengthen their commercial networks.

The events’ production team have been rather successful in curating a great line-up of speakers for the congress, as well as advisory board members for The Sensor Show and are quickly filling up the networking forums with some excellent brands. Here is a quick snapshot of just some of the companies who have already confirmed their participation at The Sensor Show:

In the run up to the event, The Sensor Show’s event team looks forward to sharing more exciting event news and announcing sponsors and speakers for the congress, so make sure you follow #thesensorshow on social media.

To find out how you can get involved with what promises to be the largest international event in Germany for the global sensors industry, visit thesensorshow.com or call our friendly team directly on +44 (0)1273 806484. |41

Events Preview 2020

January 2020

Sensors & Instrumentation Live returns to the NEC, Birmingham in 2020 Sensors & Instrumentation Live, the UK’s only national instrumentation exhibition, will return to the NEC Birmingham on 29 and 30 September 2020. The exhibition brings together leading innovators and professionals from across the fields of sensors, test, measurement and control all under one roof to explore solutions, discuss applications and do business face-to-face.

The exhibition is now in its eleventh year and covers a range of industry sectors, with products including: sensors, data acquisition equipment, flow meters, transducers, signal conditioners, strain gauges, thermometers, test instruments, thermal imaging equipment, monitoring equipment, cables, connectors and calibration equipment.

With thousands of visitors looking to source the latest technologies every year, Sensors & Instrumentation Live presents ample opportunities for exhibitors to meet potential new customers. Exhibitors at the 2019 event had many positive things to say about the show. For example, LIMAB’s Kevin Goodison and Jack Miller said: “Exhibitions such as Sensors & Instrumentation Live really do have an impact on the sector. It gives you a broad range of opportunities to interact with others in the marketplace and it brings like-minded individuals and industries together, which [we] think is wonderful.”

Robert Norris, Trafag, said: “We see it as a forum to meet new customers. We are always looking for new opportunities rather than catching up with our existing customer base.”

Sensor Technology’s Tony Ingham added: “There are big exhibitions in Germany, the US and India, so it is important that Sensors & Instrumentation Live continues to give people in the UK market somewhere to go for information on sensing and the supporting instrumentation.”

AquaConnex’s Keith Jones explained why Sensors & Instrumentation Live had been beneficial for his company when they exhibited in 2019: “The enquiries have been absolutely excellent. We had 20

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great enquiries on the first day and I would say that we are projecting to hit the same today. I would say that this exhibition is very important to the industry.”

Top Hex returned to exhibit at Sensors & Instrumentation Live for a third successful year in 2019. The Top Hex team showcased the HART communication protocol from FieldComm Group. Top Hex’s Gary Weston and Noémi Fechete commented on the exhibition: “It’s great to meet people and to build contacts and network. Whether it is meeting people you have never heard of, interacting with suppliers and even learning more about competitors – it is a great opportunity to forge new connections.”

With market-leading companies and a host of live features, there are lots of reasons to visit the event, as a delegate from Load Monitoring Systems explained while attending the 2019 event: “It is really good for picking up new technology. As you can imagine, it is always a priority to look for new applications and this is the perfect platform to look out for something better.” A representative from Seaspeed Marine Consultant also commented: “It is a great opportunity to meet companies that I didn’t know that are potentially useful to our needs. It is an eye-opening show.”

Seminars and demonstrations Special features for the 2020 exhibition will be announced soon on the Sensors & Instrumentation Live website. To give you an idea of what will be in store, the 2019 event included a comprehensive schedule of seminars in the Engineering Symposium and Enterprise Hub, as well as demonstrations in Innovation in Action. The Engineering Symposium saw the exhibition teaming up with DJB Instruments for the first time to present CPD-accredited training to help delegates develop their understanding of sensors and instruments to improve the quality of data. The training was driven by sensor innovation and the very latest in engineering.

DJB brought together a team of speakers



ENGINEERING UPDATE

Sensors & Instrumentation live

from leading technology and engineering companies from around the world.

TTS Systems’ John Tyrrell spoke about “Strain Gauge Load Cells – the basics of use...”. Centrateq’s Jim Flanagan gave the seminar “Accelerometers, The Truth and more...”Other speakers included Ben Haest, Quality Electronics Design, Dr James Flint, senior lecturer in Wireless Systems Engineering, Loughborough University and head of the Communications Research Division and The Modal Shop’s Marco Peres.

The 2019 exhibition’s Enterprise Hub saw representatives from some of the UK’s top organisations and institutions come along to talk about topics that could help visitors to grow their business from the experts.

Topics included funding opportunities, the Internet of Things, cyber security and how to access top technology.

Another feature area at the 2019 exhibition was the Innovation in Action demonstration zone. This interactive area provided a truly unique way for visitors to gain a better insight into products with advice direct from the experts, including representatives from Kistler Instruments, PCB Piezotronics, Powelectric and AquaConnex.

The ever-popular Innovation Showcase, sponsored by Bronkhorst, returned to Sensors & Instrumentation Live 2019.

With so much to be seen on the lively exhibition floor, the Innovation Showcase provided a ‘snapshot’ of what was on offer. Products on display at the 2019 exhibition included Keller’s LEO Record and Mantracourt’s Bluetooth Telemetry Transmitter. Bronkhorst also displayed its Mini CORI-FLOW, EL-FLOW Prestige and ES-FLOW. Features for the 2020 edition of Sensors & Instrumentation Live will be announced soon on the exhibition’s website so keep an eye out for updates at sensorsandinstrumentationlive.co.uk.

Alternatively, if you would like to find out more about exhibiting at the event, please contact event director Louise Pudney (lpudney@datateam.co.uk).

S A V E THE DATE 29-30 SEPTEMBER 2020 HALL 1, NEC BIRMINGHAM

For more information on exhibiting, contact Louise Pudney on 01622 699 104 or at lpudney@datateam.co.uk. www.sensorsandinstrumentationlive.co.uk

Events Preview 2020

January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

ENGINEERING DESIGN SHOW WWW.ENGINEERINGDESIGNSHOW.CO.UK 14th – 15th October 2020 - Ricoh Arena, Coventry The Engineering Design Show is the perfect chance to showcase your products in front of the UK’s design engineering community. It’s the UK’s only event dedicated entirely to engineering, electronics and embedded design, all in one place.

Can you afford to miss out?

EDS boasts two Conference theatres led by technology experts, from a range of industry-leading & start-up companies, sharing knowledge with across two days.

Also featuring three Workshop theatres showcasing contemporary topics, problemsolving ideas and creations straight from the exhibitors.

Take advantage of FREE entry, FREE parking and FREE wifi at the UK’s BIGGEST design engineering event.

SUBCON WWW.SUBCONSHOW.CO.UK 9th - 11th June 2020 - NEC, Hall 2 Subcon and The Engineer Expo will deliver a unique event for the manufacturing and engineering industry. It is a must-attend event for any subcontract manufacturing professionals across all industry sectors, looking to source suppliers, benchmark capabilities and secure the right partners to help them remain competitive in a global market.

The best of British manufacturing will be on display, alongside a wealth of market leading international suppliers all looking to help UK manufacturers optimise their supply chain strategy in 2020 and beyond

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ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

Events Preview 2020

MANUFACTURING MANAGEMENT SHOW WWW.MANUFACTURINGMANAGEMENT.CO.UK 9th – 11th July 2020 - Ricoh Arena, Coventry The Manufacturing Management show has been created to champion all that is great about British Manufacturing.

Whether your sector be Materials handling, CI & skills, IT to health & safety, MMS combines a multitude of topics conveniently under one roof. The show hosts manufacturers that exhibit at this event only, giving you the perfect opportunity to initiate key conversations with a hard to reach audience. Included in the show are practical product focused workshops, providing you with the most up to date inventions and innovations.

ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS LIVE WWW.ENGINEERINGSOLUTIONSLIVE.CO.UK 21st March 2020 - British Motor Museum, Gaydon Created with the busy engineer in mind, Engineering Solutions Live is for anyone working in design, R&D, electronics, production, test, measurement and quality.

This unique one-day event format has helped engineers for more than 15 years. The event focusses on identifying solutions and learning about new techniques and technologies. As well as showcasing established, successful exhibitor brands, Engineering Solutions Live also includes newer, complementary elements that offer time-stricken engineers a compact, broad and more valuable visiting experience.

BRITISH ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARDS WWW.BEEAS.CO.UK 9th October - The Landmark London ‘Celebrating Excellence’ The British Engineering excellence awards were launched to champion, celebrate and commend design innovation & excellence. Since its inception, the BEEAs have grown in stature and volume of companies entering, to mark the pinnacle of their ingenuity.

Awards include: Start-up of the Year, Design Engineer of the Year, Consultancy of the Year & Young Design Engineer of the year, Grand Prix and many more, please see the website for more categories and 2019 winners.

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Short Courses for Industry Bulk Solids Handling Technology Course Calendar 2020

ry Februa 4

Measurement of the Properties and Bulk Behaviour of Particulate Materials An overview of methods for determining bulk behaviour of particulate materials

5

Undesired De-blending and Separation in Processes Identification of common segregation mechanisms and how to minimise the effects

12

Electrostatics in Powder Handling The cause and effect of electrostatic charging in bulk solids handling

19

Dust Control for Processes Dust prevention, capture and extraction methods

March 10 - 12 Port and Terminal Operations for Bulk Cargoes Bulk materials handling and safety issues at ports and at sea, New for 2020 – optional practical session on Day 3 ….a very useful approach to a number of questions about bulk cargoes”; Duarte Bastos, Silopor

April 28 - 30 Pneumatic Conveying of Bulk Materials Components of pneumatic conveying systems, system, selection and design techniques

May

12 - 13 Commissioning and Troubleshooting ‘Hands-on’ Pneumatic Conveying Systems A look at the practical challenges of starting up systems on site and making sure they work as the designer intended

June

9 - 10

Pneumatic Conveying System Design In depth exploration of detailed calculations for design of pneumatic pipelines and specifying plant

ok o B o t w o H

On line registration is available on the short course section of the website.

July 1 5 - 16 Powder Handling and Flow for Additive Manufacturing A guide through the critical aspects of powder management for powder-based AM processing

ber Septem 22 - 23 Design of Equipment for Storing and Handling Bulk Materials Looking at the designing of bulk handling schemes and constructing equipment for storing bulk materials

Octobe

r

Overview of Particulate Handling Technology 20 - 22 Introduction to the storing and handling of bulk materials, equipment selection and design methodologies for safe and reliable plant. …….very informative and I would recommend this course to anyone in the industry”; Chris Jones, Kemutec Group Inc. – A part of the Schenck Process Group

er Novemb 17 - 19 Pneumatic Conveying of Bulk Materials Components of pneumatic conveying systems, system, selection and design techniques

er Decemb 8-9

10

Pneumatic Conveying System Design In depth exploration of detailed calculations for design of pneumatic pipelines and specifying plant Rotary Valves: Design, Selection and Operational Issues An exploration of the different valves and features available I appreciated the practical exercises to get a hands on feel of the parameters important for calculations and layout of a pneumatic conveying system”; Dr Tom Simons, BASF

www.bulksolids.com

Discounts are given for repeat attendances and multiple delegate registrations

Events Preview 2020

January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

Practical Aspects of PROFINET, PROFIBUS and IO-Link Free-to-attend training opportunity - April 28, Birmingham This event will address the key practical issues arising from the use of digital communications technologies in automated manufacturing and process industry applications, with particular attention to Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

•

Covering key application areas such as control systems and energy management, it focuses on the practical aspects of using PROFINET, PROFIBUS and IO-Link, from system design and safety & security considerations through to fault-finding and maintenance.

•

Topics will include: •

Introduction to PROFIBUS International and the basics of PROFIBUS & PROFINET •

•

An overview of the Group’s structure and global representation, taking a look at the protocol basics and their benefits to UK industry.

PROFINET network design •

•

The fundamental principles of good network design and the main factors that must be considered at the design stage of an automation system.

Network gateway technology •

•

Presentation and demonstration of network gateway technology, PROFINET to Profibus DP, PA, IO-Link and OPC UA

Industrial network commissioning and testing •

•

Learn how to simplify the process of testing, how to prevent network failures and resolve cable and network issues faster.

PROFIBUS and PROFINET device configuration tools •

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A look at the available tools and FDI with a live demonstration of PROFIBUS and PROFINET device configuration.

Industrial networks safety & security •

The basics of legislation and responsibilities for cybersecurity, safety and functional safety for Industrial Automation.

Update on Industry 4.0, IIoT, TSN and APL •

A short journey to explain The Industrial Internet of things, IND4.0 and Big Data, and how PROFINET is placed as the ideal network to fulfil the above.

plus a presentation about and tour of the National Motorcycle Museum.

Live Demonstrations Supported by an exhibition with demonstrations of actual tools used in configuration and maintenance, the seminar will be of great value to Designers, Production/ System Engineers, Instrument Technicians/Engineers and C&I Engineers involved in the design, operation and maintenance of modern automated factories and process plant.

With nearly 80 million nodes installed worldwide, PROFINET, PROFIBUS and IO-Link are truly market leaders, providing state of the art digital communications addressing all the needs of manufacturing and process industries, significantly lowering capital expenditure on installation, commissioning and maintenance. They offer unprecedented integration of automation, control, monitoring and safety systems using standardised and widely supported communications and networking solutions.

More information and online Registration

The Sensor Show Congress

REGISTER YOUR SUPER EARLY BIRD TICKETS BEFORE 31ST JAN †

In pa rtn er sh ip

wi th

Munich, Germany • 16 - 19 June 2020 • thesensorshow.com

Connecting the global sensor ecosystem with emerging technologies and IoT for the manufacturing, automotive and transportation industries.

World-class three track congress and company networking areas for the sensor supply chain

350 Delegates

115 Speakers

7500 Meetings

950 Exhibitors*

48,000+ Visitors*

Companies confirmed to participate include...

SPEAK • SPONSOR • EXHIBIT • ATTEND * Expected numbers of total participatesa at automatica and The Sensor Show † Standard congress delegate ticket price 799 EUROS

thesensorshow.com

+44 (0)1273 805366

Events Preview 2020

January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

The Industry 4.0 Summit & Expo returns

Spring in Manchester is enough to make many manufacturers jump for joy as this heralds the return of the Industry 4.0 Summit & Expo to the world’s first industrial city.

By the time the Industry 4.0 Summit & Expo opens, we can hope that Brexit is but a distant memory and that businesses have a clearer direction on Government policy (whichever Government that may be).

The event’s 4th edition takes place once more at the iconic Manchester Central Convention Complex. A highlevel conference with a large trade show alongside, the event connects manufacturers with technology to look at the best practice and solutions to improve manufacturing performance.

Since its launch, the organisers have managed to consistently deliver a great speaker line-up that educates manufacturers, helping them to understand what is taking place now and what is on the horizon so that they can take this knowledge and share it with colleagues. Last year’s lineup included the CIO of Gulfstream and the Global Manufacturing Director of ADCO from the USA, as well Mondelez, Millers Oils, Ford and Airbus from the UK. Topics included skills and training, digital twins, digitalising supply chains and lean manufacturing.

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The 2020 programme will be revealed in in early January and will again have manufacturers sharing their industry 4.0 programme updates and the new technologies that companies will be looking to adopt.

The exhibition which runs alongside the conference is a one stop shop for the latest smart technologies to give manufacturers that competitive edge. This includes robotics, 3D printing, automation, big data, VR/AR, predictive maintenance, sensors and other 4.0 technologies.

Exhibitors returning include the likes of Bosch Rexroth, Werma, Forcam, ifm, Omron and Total Control Pro while new companies include Olmec, Goodfellow and Lighthouse Systems.

Event Director Gary Gilmour commented: “The event consistently attracts a very senior level of visitors from manufacturing, who I know do not go to many other industry events.

We think this is due to the conference content being current and insightful, providing them with ideas to implement in their own organisation”.

The organiser’s feedback shows that over 15% of attendees have purchasing authority of over £500k, and this has resulted in many major contracts rising from encounters at the show. Gilmour added: “The products on display tend to be bigticket purchases. We know from exhibitors that it is six months after the show that they start to see their ROI. We’ve had two robotics companies secure very sizable

contracts, and one large company has said it has received both a sevenfigure order as a result of attending, as well as more solid sales leads than any other event”.

The event has consistently attracted a broad mix of the manufacturing community ranging from division heads of engineering, chief intelligence officers, project directors to robotics and automation engineers, and from the likes of BAE Systems, Airbus, AstraZeneca, MBDA, JCB, Oscar Meyer and Unilever.

For 2020, the Industry 4.0 Summit & Expo will be co-located with a new event, the World Advanced Materials Summit & Expo (WAMSE).

This event has evolved out of the support industry 4.0 has received in Manchester, and it will be an event that showcases the latest advanced material developments and their application into industry.

It will cover areas such as composites, graphene, biomaterials and nanomaterials and will link research, government and industry and provide the latest thinking on areas such as sustainable packaging and light-weighting.

Combined, the events expect to deliver a minimum of 3,500 visitors across the advanced manufacturing and materials communities, and over 120 exhibitors and 80 speakers. www.industry40summit.com www.wamse.com

N

A 2-day conference examining best practices for manufacturers keen to digitalise their business

HEADLINE SPONSOR

MANCHESTER, UK

EXPO

E X P O

RD

ED

3 ITIO

1 0 -11 APR I L 2 0 1 9 N

WWW.INDUSTRY40SUMMIT.COM

MANCHESTER, UK

EXPO

1 0 - 1 1 AP RI L 2019

E X P O

WWW.INDUSTRY40SUMMIT.COM

31 MARCH 1 APRIL 2020

Robotics

INE

MANCHESTER, UK include: T E L2020 E Vspeakers ISIO N Automation

Software Robotics DR. KLAUS DOHRMANN, VP Development Engineering & Manufacturing, DHL

PAUL TURNER, VP Industry 4.0 Applications & Analytics, Stanley Black & Decker

JOHN COUGHLAN, CEO, TSP Engineering

The one stop Automation Software show for advanced NE TELEVISION ACA manufacturing solutions stop 2-day exhibition A FREEThe toone attend showcasing the Connectivity 3D printing show for advanced latest manufacturing technologies & solutions for Industry 4.0 solutions

onnectivity

BARRY LEAHEY MBE, Managing Director, Playdale Group

DEMIA

FREE TICKETS

3D printing

Cyber Security

AR/VR

DGE

ACADEM

Cyber Security

AR/VR

DGE MIER EVENT FOR THE 4TH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION E EX ER EVENT FOR THE 4TH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION X PPO O

s

31 MARCH 1 APRIL 2020

FEATURING

FEATURING

MANCHESTER, UK 100+100+ 2000 2000Round exhibitors Tables attendees exhibitors attendees

Robot Round Zone Tables

Open Technology Open Technology Robot Forum Forum Zone

2020 sponsors & exhibitors include:

ASSOCIATE SPONSORS

ASSOCIATE SPONSORS

ASSOCIATE SPONSORS

SPONSORS

SPONSORS

SUPPORTERS

SPONSORS

SUPPORTERS

SUPPORTERS

Co-Located Show

JOIN THE 4TH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Event Director | +44 (0)1642 438 225 | info@industry40summit.com

| +44 (0)1642 438 225 | info@industry40summit.com r, Event VisitDirector www.industry40summit.com | Email info@industry40summit.com

January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

LiftEx heads for Liverpool in October 2020 The 16th annual LiftEx and the 3rd LEEA Awards will take place on 13–14 October 2020, at the Liverpool Exhibition Centre, UK. As flagship event for The Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA), LiftEx inspires, educates and unites the industry through educational and technical sessions, presentations on innovation, a packed exhibition floor and the mustattend LEEA Awards dinner.

Ross Moloney, CEO of LEEA commented: “We will return to Liverpool for the first time since 2015, following on from two tremendous years in Milton Keynes. The dates in October 2020 present the perfect opportunity in the Lifting Industry calendar for our global community to gather at this great location in Liverpool.”

The Lifting Industry congregated at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes on 13-14 November for LiftEx 2019.

Social media was buzzing throughout the event with many reports of a

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successful show. For example, Lift Turn Move tweeted: “Our sales team have really enjoyed LiftEx. Great to see so many of our lovely customers and suppliers. We are looking forward to next year’s LiftEx on our doorstep in Liverpool!” Reid Lifting announced: “We had an amazing time at LiftEx and enjoyed meeting all of you!” and Lifting Store summed things up nicely with: “And that’s LiftEx over for another year, and what a great show it was! #Mega.”

Ross Moloney concluded: “I was impressed by the vibrant atmosphere at this year’s event generated by the huge amount of networking going on among the plethora of new products and technologies on display from the exhibitors. I am thrilled to have received immensely positive feedback on the successful 2019 LiftEx, and extend LEEA’s gratitude to our organisers, sponsors, partners,

speakers, exhibitors and visitors who made LiftEx 2019 a highly successful two days. We all look forward to seeing you in Liverpool in 2020.”

Visit www.liftex.org throughout the year for new developments.

Partnership and exhibition opportunities are now available for LiftEx 2020. Requests will be dealt with on a first-come, first served basis. To secure a partnership package or prime spot on the exhibition floor, please contact Leah Phelps on +44 (0) 203 488 2865 or email enquiries@L2Events.com.

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

Events Preview 2020

Conference Programme for StocExpo 2020 Unveiled The conference programme for StocExpo, the world’s largest and longest running international bulk liquid storage event, which returns to the Rotterdam Ahoy from 10 – 12 March 2020, has been unveiled.

The two-day conference will feature a powerful mix of talks focused on critical global issues such as sustainability, the impact of energy alternatives, emerging markets, latest technologies and trends, all delivered by 20 world-class speakers.

Artur Runge-Metzger, Director, DG CLIMA, European Commission will open the conference with an assessment of the future of sustainable transport and the EU’s energy policy. He will be followed by speakers covering the future implications of changes to the energy mix including LNG, a non-hydrocarbon future and the growth in hydrogen.

In considering the growth of LNG, Wim Groenendijk, Managing Director, Gate Terminal will outline the development of a Northwest European multi-modal LNG Hub and the opportunities it presents in the context of decarbonisation and energy transition. Charles Daly, Chairman, Channoil Consulting will then explore how oil terminals need to change if they’re to stay in business in a non-hydrocarbon scenario.

The world’s key terminals, storage players, energy companies, investors and analysts are all monitoring closely the development of hydrogen, keen to gauge its future demand and the impact this will have on their businesses. To answer this, Daniel Teichmann, Chairman, Hydrogenious will consider the latest political and industrial developments which are establishing hydrogen as an emission-free fuel. He will show how, thanks to Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC) technology, hydrogen can be transported using existing liquid fuel infrastructure and will share with delegates the build-up of the company’s first industrial-scale project.

Clearly sustainability has ramifications for how terminals are operated. Considering this, Rian Vermeulen, Sr Advisor BRO, and Dennis Risseeuw, Business Consultant Engie will outline a unique approach to terminal sustainability – including measures to become more energy efficient, produce more renewable energy and protect local ecology.

Building on this, Khalid Saleh, Energy Coordinator, Vopak will share the company’s sustainable energy initiatives including CO2 emission reductions.

In a talk focused on the long-term impact of energy transition Giacomo Boati, Director, Oil Markets, Midstream & Downstream Consulting, IHS Markit will review the expected trends in decarbonisation of the transportation sector and the impact of this.

A future thinking panel will then pull all of this together to debate what the storage terminal will look like in 50 years’ time, before the first day of the conference ends with a regulatory update provided by Ravi Bhatiani, Executive Director, FETSA. The second day of the StocExpo conference starts with sessions on the implications of emerging markets and the US trade wars and tariffs. Andrew Inglis, Vice President of Energy and Fuels in EMEA, Nexant will consider the shift in global demand from mature markets to emerging markets. While Samuel Ciszuk, Founding Partner, ELS Analysis will examine how US trade wars / tariffs are impacting international tradeflows.

The conference then changes focus, with a series of expert talks on the very latest developments, technologies and thinking designed to improve day-to-day terminal operations. These include improving cyber security, with Martin van den Bosch, Digital Forensic Investigator, Netherlands Seaport Police who will outline how to protect against storage spoofing.

Maayke Maas-Cooymans, Partner, Ploum is discussing terminal legislation compliance & the legal implications of PGS29. Luc Bonami, Managing Director, Anno Chemicals will provide an invaluable customer perspective, outlining what terminals could and should be doing better. Leo Brand, CIO, Royal Vopak and Nadine Herrwerth, Commercial Director, TWTG will then consider The Internet of Things (IoT), explaining how I-IoT equals smarter sites.

Tank overfills, unintended roof offfloats, and transmix in pipelines are all practical issues for storage companies.

Earl Crochet, Director of Engineering, Kinder Morgan will outline the role latest ultrasonic technology devices can play in preventing them.

Digital transformation programmes are also on many agendas. In response, Joe Nassif, Director, Terminal Industry Programmes, Emerson will outline the very real safety, capacity yield, maintenance and energy gains which programmes have delivered.

A panel discussion brings the conference to a close with a look at the hype and reality of technologies such as drones, robotics, digitialisation, the IoT and artificial intelligence before asking what’s the next big thing and how can it be used to improve safety, efficiency and security.

Mark Rimmer, StocExpo Divisional Director, said: “The bulk liquid storage industry has so many developments to consider - environmental demands, new technologies, emerging energy sources and markets together with a shifting political and regulatory landscape. We’ve carefully curated a programme to address all of these, delivered by a line-up of worldclass speakers. This programme will both help companies prepare and plan for the future and optimise their present-day operations.”

Attendees of the StocExpo 2020 conference will also have plenty of networking opportunities plus an exhibition where over 200 suppliers from across the globe will be showing their latest innovations under one roof.

StocExpo takes place from the 10th to the 12th March 2020 at the Rotterdam Ahoy.

For more information on the conference programme, visiting the exhibition, or exhibiting, please call +44 (0)20 3196 4300 or visit www.stocexpo.com

|53

Events Preview 2020

January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

Airpes Americas to Appear at AIST, ASME and Other 2020 Events Airpes, a manufacturer of lifting, weighing and below-the-hook equipment, will deliver its expertise to two high profile industry meetings in the first half of 2020.

At both events, Tad Dunville, general manager, Airpes Americas, will be joined be his father and industry stalwart, Larry Dunville, principle of Overhead Crane Consulting.

First, the pair will contribute to discussions surrounding the crane-related B30 Standards Committee, when the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) sits in New Orleans, on January 26-30, before they address the Association for Iron & Steel Technology’s (AIST) 27th Crane Symposium, in Pittsburgh, on 7-9 June.

“The two events will be very different,” said Tad Dunville. “The ASME group will mostly be engineering professionals from crane companies, while the AIST delegation will be employees of [steel] mill crane owners. Further, our role at ASME will be to contribute to roundtable discussions related to iteration to the rules in B30.2, while at AIST we will prepare a presentation and address an audience.”

Airpes has three principle lines of business, namely preengineered weighing and monitoring kits for overhead cranes, including load cells, overload protection, readouts, and data loggers; engineered lifting devices for wind turbine erection; and engineered below-the-hook devices, such as coil grabs, rotating blocks, and magnets.

The company has been in the U.S. market for over 10 years, but Dunville, who was chief financial officer at his father’s old company, Dearborn Crane & Engineering, stepped into his current leadership role earlier this year.

He continued: “My father has been active with a B30 committee for about a year now; this is my debut first-hand experience with these dealings. We expect to be engaged in conversations about new or updated items related to B30.2— the standard for overhead crane construction and service. This is known as a consensus standard and one version of it is referenced by law in OSHA 1910.179, which makes it federal law. Owners and manufacturers of overhead cranes in the U.S. take it very seriously. Consensus standards can also be used to cite general duty clause violations even if they do not directly apply to the situation at hand if an injury or death occurs and was caused by a violation of the consensus standard.”

Life or death For AIST, meanwhile, Dunville has co-authored a presentation written specifically for owners of mill cranes. He said: “When discussing crane safety, inspection, and maintenance, the audience is very different between 5-ton capacity package hoist owners and those who own process cranes or mill cranes. If a process crane goes down, it could result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost productivity or even death. The focus is not on ‘how much does it cost to repair?’; the focus is on ‘how much does it cost to be down?’. A $1,200 part might

54|

Tad Dunville (on stage, far left), general manager, Airpes Americas gave a speech on crane safety and load testing at the AIST Crane Symposium in Argentina in the fall of 2017. Pictured with Dunville is Bill Wagner, of ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor crane department.

be a deal-breaker on a ‘stick crane’ repair, but neglecting a part of similar value on a mill crane is a good way to get fired or kill someone.”

Dunville knows the landscape. He has been a repeat presenter alongside his father at AIST events; between them they boast over 70 years of electric overhead traveling (EOT) crane experience. “The audience at AIST,” he continued, “Really appreciate the non-biased, non-sales talks, and we try very hard to keep our content strictly to actionable concepts that [AIST] members can take home, think about, and act on at work the next day. No ‘next year’s budget’ stuff or big price tag ideas, just information that will keep people safe and productive. That’s just as important for the crane company guys as the mill guys; we all want to go home and see our family or friends. I grew up around a shop where a few guys were missing fingers or had scars, and I remember when a guy didn’t make it home. It really left an impression on me.”

The Airpes operation is astute in aligning itself with Dunville Sr., as his son explained: “I admire my dad; he’s one of those ‘can’t sit still’ guys. About a year into retirement, people started asking him for a second set of eyes on sticky EOT crane problems, and he received calls for expert witness testimony on crane accidents nationwide—and he really enjoys it.

Institutional knowledge counts for lots in this business. We talk many times per week and discuss various issues we run across in our own firms. It benefits our customers and certainly the audience members at our presentations.”

Beyond ASME and AIST, Airpes will also have a presence at Material Handling Industry’s (MHI) MODEX show in Atlanta, on 9-12 March and the same organizer’s spring meetings in Charlotte, on 26-29 April. The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) follows in Houston, on 4-7 May. The centerpiece, however, remains the AIST Crane Symposium, which takes place at the Omni William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

Events Preview 2020

Dunkermotoren joins MindSphere World e.V. Automation is facing new opportunities and challenges as a result of digitalization and new technologies such as the Internet of Things. In order to create effective added value in such an environment, a crossmanufacturer and cross-value chain approach is indispensable.

Partner ecosystems thus play a decisive role in creating interoperable solutions across the board.

Dunkermotoren has recognized the importance of ecosystems in the IoT environment as a world market leader for integrated servo motors.

With MindSphere World, Dunkermotoren has found a suitable partner ecosystem for the common path into the Internet of Things. Through strong partners from the fields of automation technology, system integration, mechanical engineering and software, interoperable IoT solutions based on the IoT operating system MindSphere can be offered, which would not have been feasible by any company.

Pictured right: CEO Dunkermotoren Uwe Lorenz

|55

Events Preview 2020

January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

Registration is open for the 2020 edition of Med-Tech Innovation Expo!

This free-to-attend event offers a unique platform for visitors to meet with peers; designers, engineers, innovators and manufacturers from the medtech sector. A key element at Med-Tech Innovation Expo every year is a wide range of presentations across three stages that will highlight the latest developments in medtech, medical plastics, digital healthtech and pharmaceutical manufacturing technologies.

Over 60% of the floor space has already been filled for 2020 by exhibitors, including Albis, Alicona, Bemis, Boddingtons, Carclo, Cogent, Connect-2-Cleanrooms, Datron, Delta Electronics, Indysoft, Lohmann, Maxon, Nelipak, Omron, Primasil, Qosina, Raumedic, Rochling, Schur Star, Shawpak, Steris, The West Group, Ultra Polymers, XL Precision and ZwickRoell. Many of these world-class organisations are using the event to launch new products to the UK market.

The Med-Tech Innovation Conference, in association with Medilink UK, is the UK’s key annual summit for medical device OEMs. The CPD-certified programme will offer highlevel thought leadership from the sector’s biggest names. For 2020, the HealthTech Stage, sponsored by Hessen Trade & Invest (HTAI), will offer CPD-certified presentations and focus on finished medical devices from their conception, development, and commercialisation. The Introducing Stage will also host a new feature for 2020....PITCH @ Med-Tech Innovation 2020, a start-up competition that is designed to bring together leading early-stage Medtech start-ups for a live, on-stage accelerator-style pitching session.

Also new for 2020, Med-Tech Connect is a fully managed meetings programme that will enable exhibiting companies and sponsors to request scheduled meetings in advance and during the event in a dedicated meetings area.

“The 2020 edition will be our most engaging and useful event yet for attendees and exhibitors alike. A host of new floor features, great content, discussion panels, and amazing exhibits will be the catalyst for the UK medtech market to come together in April next year, showcasing the capability and opportunity that exists for the sector, we look forward to welcoming the entire industry to Birmingham." - Duncan Wood CEO - Rapid News Group Med-Tech Innovation Expo will take place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham, UK, from 1-2 April 2020.

For further information or to register for your free ticket visit: www.med-techexpo.com

MTI: A key element at Med-Tech Innovation Expo every year is a wide range of presentations across three stages that will highlight the latest developments in medtech, medical plastics, digital healthtech and pharmaceutical manufacturing technologies. 1st-2nd April 2020, NEC Birmingham.

TCT: TCT 3Sixty is our successful flagship event re-imagined for 2020. This new mission goes beyond simply raising awareness and adoption. It is one focused on developing a real understanding across the industry of the potential of additive manufacturing and 3D printing technology, this deeper 360-degree understanding will increase adoption at all levels of design, engineering and manufacturing. 29th Sept - 1st Oct 2020, NEC Birmingham

Interplas:

56|

Interplas is the biggest plastics industry event in the UK. A triennial event, over 500 exhibitors invest time and planning into demonstrating their latest machinery, equipment, products and services for visitors to view, test and experience at the show. 29th Sept - 1st Oct 2020, NEC Birmingham

Medtech | Digital HealthTech | Medical Plastics | Manufacturing | Software | Inspection and Metrology Regulation | Design | Early-Stage | Innovation | Pharmaceutical | Manufacturing

New Product Launches Dynamic Features Technology Pavilions 3 Conference Stages 1-2-1 Meetings Programme Start-Up Zone

MED-TECH INNOVATION EXPO

Be inspired by thought-leaders and discover new solutions, materials, machines and applications from over 300 exhibitors.

Join the fastest growing event in medtech. We’ll see you there!

PLATINUM PARTNER

NEC | BIRMINGHAM | UK Free to attend

#MedTechExpo @MedTechOnline REGISTER TODAY: www.med-techexpo.com

January 2020

Amputee bonds with son thanks to 3D printed bionic hand ~ Danny Florence’s new hand shows how DC motors change lives ~ For 21 years, Danny Florence has lived with one hand. But when he became a father, he decided to apply for an Open Bionics Hero Arm. With the help of the maxon driven prosthesis he can now build a strong bond with his son.

and, after a while, I learnt to walk with them. These days I use a powered wheelchair as I can’t walk far. I didn’t do anything about my lack of a hand until I reached eleven or twelve and became self-conscious about it.”

Unfortunately, the hospital could only offer two options; a bodypowered prosthetic with a gripper or a ‘mannequin-like’ hand with no functionality. After a couple of days wearing the heavy passive prosthesis, Danny decided to stop using it. “It looked worse than not having a hand,” he said.

“I’ve always managed well with only one hand but when my son Joshua came along ten months ago, I realised how much more I could do with two.” Danny, and his partner Danielle, had anticipated having issues with dexterous tasks like nappy changing and getting the baby dressed, but Danny hadn’t realised how much not doing these things would affect the bond with his son.

Danny had heard of a company called Open Bionics. The Bristol-based company is a multi-award-winning designer and manufacturer of affordable prosthetic limbs and is responsible for producing the world’s first medically certified 3D-printed bionic arm.

Open Bionics have worked with maxon since its inception in 2015. maxon designed and produced the actuator for the digits in the Hero Arm - each finger uses a maxon DCX 12 L motor. The actuator consists of a DC motor driving a customised gearbox and lead screw and nut, developed for the speed of each user.

As muscles generate electrical signals when they contract, they create movement when connected to the electrodes in the prosthetic. Adult hands use four DC motors and, as they are so much smaller, a child’s hand uses only three. As space is limited, Open Bionics chose maxon’s DCX 12mm as it is the most compact DC motor with the highest power density on the market.

The company were also able to get samples quickly delivered by using the maxon online Configurator.

Although Open Bionics offer Hero Arms in various designs, including ones from Disney, Danny has opted to go for the sleek black cover to match his legs. “When I was younger, I was given skin-coloured tights and padding to make my legs look ‘real’ but they snagged a lot and it wasn’t practical. I used to park in the disabled bays and get abuse from people not realising I didn’t have any legs, now I wear shorts all the time and don’t get any abuse.

At the age of five, Danny Florence lost both legs, a hand and most of his fingers.

“I remember always being outside on my bike or my rollerblades and one day my ankle started hurting. I went to bed and during the night began to hallucinate and my body started spasming,” Danny had contracted meningitis.

Danny was put into an induced coma and doesn’t remember anything until he woke some eight weeks later. During that time doctors had to amputate his limbs to save his life. He had to learn how to talk and drink again and get used to the pain. When he became aware he had lost his legs his first thought was that he wouldn’t be able to ride his bike again.

Danny explains, “Mum took me to the hospital every day for two years to have physiotherapy as part of my rehabilitation.

The doctors gave me basic leg prosthetics after three months

58|

“These days prosthetic designs look much better and all my nieces and nephews think I’m bionic!” Danny admits being terrified at how Joshua is going to react to his new hand. “He loves my prosthetic legs, he gets all excited and laughs when I put them on and likes to touch them.”

Danny has two hopes for his new hand; he wants to make the bond stronger between him and his son and, importantly, wants to increase the publicity for the hand itself.

“This technology should be offered to everyone. This is lifechanging, not only for the obvious physical side but mentally as well. People who lose limbs can get very depressed, struggling with the ongoing pain and mourning the life they had before. They can even contemplate suicide. This hand has such huge benefits, it should be available on the National Health Service and I want to help the cause to make that happen.”

Danny had a socket fitting in November. The suitability of myoelectric control is determined by the fit between the stump and the prosthetic. Danny was surprised when he tried the arm for the first time, as he was able to work it straight away, even though it was using muscles that he hadn’t used for 21 years!

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

Offering the Right Connection Founded in 1916, Dixon is a premier manufacture and supplier of hose couplings, made to order hose assemblies, valves, manifolds, drydisconnects, flame arresters, vents, bespoke fittings and other fluid transfer and control products. The company's global reach includes a wide range of products for numerous industries, including petroleum exploration, refining, transportation, chemical processing, food & beverage, steel, fire protection, construction, mining and manufacturing.

At Dixon Europe based in Preston, Lancashire, we specialise in the support of bespoke engineered solutions from concept and design through to manufacture and delivery. Dixon’s ISO 9001 approved onsite manufacturing and engineering facilities means that new designs, animations and provide 3D modelling can be produced to support our customers coupled with a quality assurance underpinned by international standards and certifications.

One of Dixon’s newest product developments is a loading arm which can be configured and built to a customer’s specification. Dixon’s loading arms are engineered for long life performance as well as ease of use in the field and can be used to overcome some of the typical issues and complications faced in the transfer of liquids.

The design of the Dixon loading arm incorporates an additional safety factor by having a steel housing for the Counterbalance torsion spring rather than the conventional plastic housing for better durability and long life performance. The unique counterbalance adjustment mechanism allows the torsion spring to be safely adjusted easily and quickly without having to remove the housing.

Dixon has been building a credible reputation for over 100years, demonstrating that it's a responsible manufacturer producing and supplying safe, reliable and long lasting products. Open communication with customers and following through with solutions strengthens trust as a supplier of both current and future products.

Looking forward to 2020 Dixon Europe are driven to provide ‘the right connection’ in meeting specific hose and coupling requirements across all industries.

Their strength in service, technical support, training and advice ensure the correct specification of bespoke hose assemblies and couplings.

To find out more about how Dixon can help you and the Dixon range head to dixoneurope.co.uk or contact our customer sales department on 01772 323529 Contact Gill Platt @ Dixon Group Europe Ltd T: +44 (0) 1772 323529 E:marketing@dixoneurope.co.uk

While not intended for adjustment under load the Dixon design allows for this once the weight of the arm is supported by simply turning the adjustment bolt to increase or reduce the tension on the spring.

Dixon products can be relied upon, as quality control starts at the innovative design stage, and is further supported with technologically advanced engineering and manufacturing processes. Dixon will not compromise on high quality control, utilising assurance standards and inspection procedures at each critical step of the production process

|59

January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

Essentra Components introduce 3-A Hygienic feet, knobs, nuts and handles Essentra Components are aware that with a more complex and globalised food supply chain, hygiene in food production is more important than ever. Consequently, they are delighted to offer an extensive range of 3-A hygienic levelling feet, star knobs, nuts and handles which help users minimise the 3 main hygienic design hazards of physical, chemical and biological contaminants.

This is achieved by choice of corrosionresistant and functionally inert materials with polished finishes in free-draining, lubricant-free designs which eliminate biologically vulnerable niches and the dangers of absorbent substrates.

Against a background of 77 food recalls in 2018 issued by the food standards agency (FSA) where 48 cases were because of physical and biological contaminants, Essentra Components help customers minimise the costs of a recall which can so easily hurt reputations, waste time, cost money and damage public health.

Further information on Essentra Components products can be found on the Essentra Components website – www.essentracomponents.com, or contact sales@essentracomponents.com.

Follow them on social media: https://facebook.com/essentracomponents/ www.linkedin.com/company/essentra https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD2g7tiLiKxsDptdC79BNQ

60|

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

The demand for stainless steel clamps is especially high for the bottling, packaging and processing technology as well as for outdoor appliances and equipment bearing thermal loads.

We work constantly and with great dedication on innovative products and solutions for our customers.

The range of linear, lifting column, profile and connecting technology products include catalogue as well as tailor-made products, system solutions such as platforms, work stations and special projects. We are happy to advise you in choosing a product or to develop a tailor-made system solution with you from our extensive modular product range.

RK Rose+Krieger 26 Faraday Road Aylesbury

API pump applications?

Buckinghamshire KTR manufacture a range of couplings to meet the special requirements of HP19 8RY applications in the oil & gas industry, in particular API 610, 671 and 685. pump Furthermore, KTR offers ATEX approved products - including jaw couplings, gear 01296 611660 couplings, steel laminae couplings and oil/air coolers - for hazardous operating conditions. For more info visit us at SPE Offshore Europe 2019 - stand 3G80 www.rose-krieger.co.uk www.phoenix-mecano.co.uk

3-6 SEPT 2019

www.ktr.com

www.ktr.com

|61

January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

SICK’s 3D CAMERA GOES PROGRAMMABLE IN A SNAPSHOT SICK has made its powerful Visionary T 3D snapshot camera programmable, so it can run user-specific image processing applications developed in its pioneering AppSpace software development ecosystem.

The SICK Visionary T-AP, a robust 3D imaging camera that captures highresolution 3D data with a single shot of light, is the first SICK programmable device to be launched with ready-to-use SICK Key Apps already on board.

The Visionary T-AP can be purchased with easyto-use plug and play applications to solve common 3D guidance and localisation tasks in materials handling, warehousing and intralogistics applications, particularly for obstacle recognition, collision avoidance, and navigation in the use of service robots, automated guided vehicles, carts and forklifts.

The SICK Visionary T-AP can either function as a hardware platform for playing and executing ready-to use Key Apps, already developed in AppSpace by SICK’s own development teams, as well as by partner integrators. The Key Apps are separately available as independent software products from SICK, transmitted to the camera by the SICK AppManager, and no programming is necessary.

Alternatively, the SICK AppSpace ecosystem gives software developers, integrators or end-users, the option to develop their own custom apps, accessing and adjusting

62|

the camera’s 3D snapshot data for their own needs and deploying them on the Visionary T-AP. The IP67-rated SICK Visionary-T-AP is designed for 24/7 industrial use in rugged conditions, offering an affordable alternative to high-end 3D vision systems. It builds up a detailed and accurate real-time 3D image of fixed or moving objects with excellent results regardless of angle, surface finish, material or shape of object. It combines different aspects of the light scattered by the object to build up a detailed picture of shape, distance,

reflectivity and object depth.

“At SICK, our vision is to make programmable devices as easy to use as downloading and playing Apps on your smartphone,” says Neil Sandhu, SICK’s UK product manager for vision, imaging and ranging. “So, the Visionary T-AP marks an important milestone along the development path for our AppSpace ecosystem.

“Among the first userfriendly Apps already available are a solution for guiding forklifts smoothly into pallet pockets without the risk of collision or

damage. Another has been developed for localisation and collision avoidance of AGV platforms to optimise component workflows in the automotive industry.”

The SICK VisionaryT uses Time-of-Flight measurement of a light signal between the device and the target for each point of the image. The CCD/CMOS imager develops a pixel matrix, with each pixel containing depth and intensity information. The camera is designed to capture more than 25,000 distance and intensity values to create real time 3D images at up to 30 frames per second.

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

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|63

January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

RS Components introduces E-stop legends for Schneider Harmony control buttons Eye-catching legend plates and LED lens rings help reduce factory downtime

RS Components (RS), the trading brand of Electrocomponents plc (LSE: ECM), a global multi-channel provider of industrial and electronic products and solutions, has added a selection of illuminated emergency stop legends to its Harmony range of factory automation control buttons, manufactured by Schneider Electric. The new legend plates are designed to help operators and maintenance engineers to quickly locate emergency stop buttons and so minimise production downtime.

Harmony legend plates and illuminated lens rings are available in a range of colour combinations. They are compatible with all Harmony XB4 and XB5 emergency stop buttons, which are already available from RS. Designers can custom label the legend plates in five different languages.

Harmony legend plates are highly durable, with a service life of 100,000 hours at rated voltage and 25°C. They exhibit surge withstand up to 1kW, conforming to IEC 61000-4-5, resistance to fast transients up to 64|

2kV, and resistance to electrostatic discharge up to 6kV on contact (metal parts) or 8kV in free air (insulation).

Ingress protection ratings are IP69 - conforming to IEC 60529, IP69K - conforming to ISO 20653, Type 13 - conforming to UL 50E, Type 12 - conforming to UL 50E, Type 4 - conforming to UL 50E, Type 4X - conforming to UL 50E, IP66 conforming to IEC 60529, and IP67 - conforming to IEC 60529.

Harmony legend plates offer vibration resistance of 5gn (f = 10 to 500Hz) and 25mm peak to peak (f = 2 to 10Hz), conforming to IEC 60068-26. Shock resistance is 30gn (18ms duration), 50gn (11ms duration) or 25gn (6ms duration), conforming to IEC 60068-2-27.

The Schneider Electric Harmony emergency stop legends are shipping now from RS in the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions.

For more information on RS, please visit the website at https://uk.rs-online.com/web/.

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January 2020

P

epperl+Fuchs has become the first company to offer IOLink masters with an OPC UA interface and is therefore paving the way for endto-end, transparent, and seamless communication from the lowest field level to the cloud The automation specialist Pepperl+Fuchs has acquired the business of Comtrol Corporation.

Comtrol is a pioneer in the field of Ethernet-based industrial communication and a leading provider of IO-Link masters.

Pepperl+Fuchs has therefore strengthened its position as a system provider in the IO-Link sector and has become the first company to be able to offer IOLink masters with an OPC UA interface.

OPC UA is an Ethernet-based communication protocol and provides an easy and flexible method of communication between machines or between a machine and the cloud. OPC UA is characterized by its independence, which gives customers incredible flexibility when designing their IoT systems, and ensures that they have complete freedom, no matter which platform they choose to use.

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

ENGINEERING UPDATE

IO-Link master with OPC UA Seamless Communication from the Field Level to the Cloud By combining OPC UA and IOLink, Pepperl+Fuchs has opened up completely new possibilities for end-to-end, transparent, and seamless communication from the lowest field level to the cloud. If IOLink functions as the interface for the identification, diagnostics, and parameter data from the sensor technology, OPC UA provides the perfect solution for transmitting this data to PC- or cloud-based systems in full and in parallel with timecritical control communication. This is the only way to realize broader visions surrounding Industry 4.0 as detailed data can be collected from the lowest field level and evaluated in a target-oriented manner. www.pepperl-fuchs.com

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January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

IMI PRECISION ENGINEERING UNVEILS NEW ELECTRONIC PRESSURE SENSOR RANGE WITH IO-LINK CAPABILITY IMI Precision Engineering has expanded its range of pressure sensing technology solutions with the introduction of two new electronic pressure sensor options, which include IO-Link connectivity.

The new IMI Norgren 54D and 34D Electronic Pressure Sensors can be used to automatically monitor pressure levels in a pneumatic system, or be used for more complex monitoring functions in water, hydraulic or all fluid applications.

The newly launched products will replace the existing range of three sensors, providing a number of operational benefits, including ease of installation and speedy set up times via push buttons or remotely via IO-Link connectivity, as well as supporting accurate application performance data capture and ease of use when in operation.

34D With capability of handling pressure ranges from vacuum up to 600 bar, the IMI Norgren 34D Electronic Pressure Sensor is housed in a robust stainless steel body, making it ideal for operation within harsh and aggressive process control environments. In addition, the 34D option features 18 part number variants and IO-Link connectivity as standard making it the ideal solution for engineering customers seeking a flexible, data driven solution.

The design incorporates an angled display for easier visibility and operation, while installation is made easier thanks to rotatable body capability for easy alignment of the display.

54D

Both the 54D and 34D pressure sensors are also supported by a range of mounting brackets, a flange adaptor and cables.

The IMI Norgren 54D Electronic Pressure Sensor offers engineers a simple set up and ease of operation. Its robust, compact and lightweight design, makes it ideally suited for monitoring general vacuum and compressed air applications up to 16 bar. In addition, it features optional differential pressure sensing, meaning for example, that the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of a filter can be monitored, informing engineers in advance of maintenance being needed.

Andrew Gibson, Product Marketing Manager for IMI Precision Engineering, comments: “We are delighted to introduce our new electronic pressure sensor options. As well as the connectivity benefits of IOLink, we believe our customers will welcome the new range’s fast and flexible installation and set-up capability and the ease of use when in operation.

Together with supporting accessories, IMI Precision Engineering provides a true one stop shop for pressure sensor requirements.”

For more information on the new 54D and 34D electronic pressure sensor ranges, please visit: www.imi-precision.com

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Surface Technologies www.cwst.co.uk

Increasing life and performance of critical components Surface treatment or modification can improve and extend the operating life of components and structures, optimising performance to its maximum potential.

Range of Surface Treatments Our wide range of surface finishing services and products include: l

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Material Analytical Services

For more information and full worldwide contact details: www.cwst.co.uk or contact 01635 279621

January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

Investigation of cause of FIBC ignition that resulted in human injury Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs) have long been considered a great innovation in the transportation of dry flowable material since their introduction in the sixties. Commonly referred to as a “bulk bag”, “big bag” or “tote”, FIBCs have a body made of flexible woven material, typically the high strength thermoplastic, polypropylene, along with a linear insert.

However, the use of FIBCs are not without their risks and when filling and emptying FIBCs in hazardous areas, electrostatic charge can accumulate on both the contents (product) and the fabric of the material itself. This can result in a dramatic incident, such as a flash that can result in an explosion and/or fire, as happened in these two cases.

In this incident, an FIBC Type C bag was used to transfer resin to a 6,000 gallon mixing tank. It was equipped with thin conductive wires running lengthwise through the spout and connected to a bare stranded aluminium wire and alligator clip. The FIBC was hoisted above the tank using a fork lift and the resin was dumped through a circular port on a hinged tank cover. There was no independent venting of displaced vapour and the tank

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lid was not gas tight. Despite the operator reporting that the ground wire was missing from the FIBC, it did not stop him proceeding to unload the container regardless.

An operator typically stands within close proximity of the FIBC during emptying, first to untie the strings and later to shake out residual powder. In this scenario an ignition occurred and the operator was caught in the flashfire zone and severely burned in the process, including on their head, neck back and arm.

The investigation into the incident made the assessment that a spark discharge had occurred from the ungrounded FIBC during emptying. The lack of continuity to ground meant that charge could not be dissipated. Although the operator himself was not grounded, the nature of the

operation involved making a lacquer, meaning that static dissipative footwear would probably have been ineffective as there was possibility of a film of lacquer on the floor around the tank.

Details about a similar incident within FIBC processes, that caused second and third degree burns to an operator, as well as industryleading static electrical control solutions, can be obtained by contacting Newson Gale and requesting the latest FIBC case study.

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

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January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

FPT INDUSTRIAL SPONSORS THE NEW GALLERIES AT ITALY’S NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LEONARDO DA VINCI IN MILAN Leonardo da Vinci and his contributions to the humanities and engineering has always been a great source of inspiration for FPT Industrial. Continuing in its homage to the 500th anniversary of Leonardo’s death, the Brand is sponsoring the New Galleries at the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci (MUST) in Milan, Italy. This opening inaugurates a threeyear partnership, during which the Brand will promote a number of projects in association with the museum.

The New Galleries, completed after four years of hard work, are more than 1,300 m2 in area and contain over 170 works and 39 multimedia installations, creating the world’s largest permanent exhibit dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci.

Realized in association with famous architect and set designer François Confino, who also styled the Cinema Museum and the MAUTO, both in Turin, Italy, the New Leonardo Galleries lead the visitor into da Vinci’s Renaissance world, with a series of stunning immersive and interactive installations.

With this prestigious partnership, FPT Industrial confirms and intensifies its involvement and active support in the context of the events organized to mark the 500th anniversary of Leonardo’s death. In fact, during 2019 FPT Industrial was the main sponsor of the “Disegnare il futuro” – Design the Future exhibition, held at the Musei Reali in Turin from 15 April to 14 July, which displayed timeless masterpieces such as the world-famous SelfPortrait of Leonardo as an elderly man and the Codex on the Flight of Birds. Another da Vinci masterpiece, and undoubtedly one of the world’s most famous drawings, the Vitruvian Man, was the fulcrum of the exhibition “L’uomo è il modello del Mondo” - Man models the world

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sponsored by FPT Industrial and held in Venice at the Gallerie dell’Accademia from 17 April to 14 July, which focused on the relationship between art, nature and scientific research.

Moreover, at the recent DPE 2019 show in Rimini, Italy, the Brand joined forces with Energy Rental, Sices and Riello UPS for a global preview of an innovative zero-emission system for a Diesel-powered mobile generator, the first model of which was specially decorated with a Leonardoinspired motif created by renowned artist and social media influencer Agnes Cecile.

Together, these projects underline the Brand’s strong commitment to culture and reinforce its bond with Leonardo da Vinci, the first real “modern man”, both engineer and artist, and precursor and innovator of extraordinary genius.

“We are proud of our involvement in this project, which combines Leonardo’s art and genius with the latest communication technologies devised for museums,” said FPT Industrial Brand President Annalisa Stupenengo.

“We are also delighted to have begun a partnership in support of MUST on various projects in the next three years, confirming our close bond to this amazing historical figure: a man who put Nature at the center of his work, associating it with the various areas of knowledge, including engineering, architecture, painting and every form of art in which Leonardo da Vinci expressed himself.

His research- and innovation-based approach is the reason why FPT Industrial has chosen to pay homage to the genius who inspires us every day as we strive for continuous improvement.”

For further information, visit www.fptindustrial.com.

January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

GROWING BCMPA MEMBERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS BENEFITS OF OUTSOURCING Over thirty new members joined the BCMPA (British Contract Manufacturers and Packers Association) during 2019, underlining the continuing growth and popularity of outsourcing in the UK markets.

The BCMPA says membership grew across a wide variety of industry sectors including chemical, personal care and pharmaceutical, while the largest increase was in food, drink and nutraceuticals with 11 new members. Total membership now stands in excess of 150 companies.

“We are delighted at the number of companies that have recognised the value of joining the Association over the past year,” comments Emma Verkaik, Head of Membership Development. “This demonstrates not only the growing importance of outsourcing generally but also the

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benefits of the range of services and support that we can provide for our members and their customers.”

Formed in 2000, the BCMPA is respected throughout the UK and internationally for providing a valued resource for brand owners, retailers, manufacturers and e-commerce companies looking for professional outsourcing partners.

The growth in membership during this time has also been reflected by the BCMPA’s new branding ‘The Association for Contract Manufacturing, Packing, Fulfilment & Logistics’ recognising that many

companies now seek a complete end-to-end service.

“All members are visited prior to joining the Association with the aim of ensuring their services meet the high standards expected by the BCMPA and the companies that contact us,” explains Verkaik.

“2019 has been a fantastic year for us,” says Rodney Steel, BCMPA Chief Executive, “and with our 20th Anniversary celebrations just around the corner, we are confident that the Association will continue to go from strength to strength.”

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

Gain Some Clarity Energy efficiency within any installation is a critical cost that requires sound fiscal management in order to deliver cost effective and stable operations

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onitoring the load on the power network and ensuring that each process is accurately costed provides clarity of operation and control of costs. Frer’s range of multifunction meters with onboard communication presents a range of tools by which the recording of energy consumed on a network can be easily, accurately and efficiently captured, costed and billed. Utilising the Frerlogger software package allows for the monitoring, protection, reporting and invoicing of the energy usage, whilst retaining all the captured data within the firewall of the IT network by being installed on a server or computer wholly owned and operated by the client.

As a European manufacturer of instrumentation, CTs, transducers, communication interfaces, digital earth leakage relays and other measuring devices, Frer can provide a range of measuring devices for AC and DC network monitoring. The QUBO series of class 2 multifunction meters, offering full network monitoring with harmonics as a standard, are available with inbuilt webservers and ethernet gateways, allowing the one unit to act as the master for up to two other Frer MODbus enabled devices.

The captured data can be read via the Frerlogger software package, through which alarms and emails may be configured for critical values or irregular event notification. The package allows invoicing for the calculation and billing in sub metering applications. The FRER MID approved C70QTL range of MID meters can be used for primary metering application.

The primary distribution boards were a three-phase supply 400V 160A, which was feeding to outside broadcast transmission control desks, one as a back-up at all times.

These control desks were 230V 80A loads. Both ends of the network, three-phase and single phase, had a mixture of AC and DC loads leading to a requirement of a Type B earth leakage relay for one part of the installation, to monitor the mixed AC and DC leakage on the same AC network, and for the pure AC side a Type A earth leakage relay. The installation was mobile and designed to be used globally. Thus, a remote monitoring package that required a geographical reference or GPRS modem connection would have been an unnecessary administration task each time the units were moved.

Confidence

Each of the units had to be monitored remotely and energy data and the state of the earth fault protection reported back to one central computer. Using the Frerlogger package installed and wholly owned and operated by the outside broadcaster, it was possible to create a bridged wireless network to monitor the parameters, setting trip and alarm points to prevent them going off air mid broadcast.

All the products carried by TVR Instruments carry the relevant European safety and performance marks. The scope of our supply is to provide a quality product, promptly, at a price point that can offer security of supply and confidence to our customers that we will be there to support their route to a successful install.

The packaging of the Frer multifunction meters in either a DIN rail or a 72 or 96mm panel mount meter allows a client to design a system that can have the metering locally but utilises the same MODbus registry across all Frer MODbus enabled devices.

Frer devices that can be added into a MODbus network includes their range of transducers for AC and DC networks, meters with relays, Earth Leakage relays and MID approved energy meters. Frer can provide other interface devices such as the MCILAN485- serial to Lan interface unit, the MCIUSB- serial to USB interface unit and IEC61850 enable meters and interface units.

All these products along with measuring, high accuracy and protection CTs and VTs are manufactured in Italy offering rapid delivery, solid product support and customer focused project delivery.

CONTACT TVR INSTRUMENTS: 01206 575755, sales@tvri.co.uk www.tvri.co.uk

In Practice A recent application saw the requirement for the monitoring and reporting on the power security of an outside broadcast unit.

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January 2020



ENGINEERING UPDATE

PRODUCTION CONTROL SOFTWARE – What to consider.

There’s certainly no lack of choice of software vendors in the market when it comes to Production Control Software. These range from free apps through to systems with an upfront investment in the tens of thousands of pounds.

S

o how do businesses go about selecting a potential system. The first consideration is, does the system contain the key elements of a robust system, which may include: CRM, Job costing/ control, purchasing, stock control, Works Order control, Shop floor data capture, planning & scheduling, delivering and invoicing the job. Although not all these will be important front end it is important to consider the software has the ability to accommodate these facets for future proofing the choice.

Another major factor is for the system is to be as simple as it can be, getting employees to adopt a new method of working is no easy task. The system needs to be flexible, spending half a day quoting a project isn’t always a luxury to be had. Changing how the business has done things for the past decade is also not feasible so the system needs to be pliable. The business owner has usually recognised there needs to be a change but has to see a benefit against the disruption of change.

Statii don’t just offer experienced staff behind the product but people who really understand engineering. The two

founders of the business are both seasoned Engineering business owners who have a controlling influence in how their system looks, feels and works with a smart team of developers behind them to realise these ideas. What this means for its users, is a software that offers a simple interface that can manage complex tasks such as setting multi level BOM’s and detailed stock control but is in turn very simple where it needs to be.

Complicated user experience, internal IT infrastructure and large up front costs are some of the barriers to smaller businesses implementing a system, although they may realise such a system could enable them to be productive and more profitable. Statii offers an alternative.

Collecting data from the shop floor can be another onerous task, but the benefits to be had are huge. Statii tackle this via inexpensive tablets on the shop floor that are presented in a very ‘user friendly’ way. Having proved hundreds of times this part of the implementation process to be relatively simple and adopted by shop floor personnel very positively.

Seeing ‘live’ at what stage the operations are and who is working on them, not only collects the labour cost but also reflects on the planning/scheduling element of the system.

The sophisticated drag and drop planning board is a recent product development, where the system predicts in real time when a process will be complete, advising if any processes have exceeded the time estimated.

Statii offers a low cost, cloud based, all inclusive solution.

Visit www.statii.co.uk to find out more

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January 2019

Measuring viscosity wirelessly If precise mixing is a crucial process variable, viscosity measurement may be the most accurate way to ensure optimum performance. But rotating mixers can lead to very tangled wiring, so here Mark Ingham of Sensor Technology Ltd looks at wireless options.

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ixing is fundamental to the manufacture of many products; in many cases this need not be a precision operation – although overmixing is a waste of time and energy.

However in other cases, mixing is more of an exact science; under-mixing will leave the various component materials unevenly distributed, while over-mixing may change the state of the end product.

One example of this is mixing concrete.

If you are building a DIY patio, you can splash some water into a pile of ready mix and working it in with a spade, but if you are building a containment bunker for nuclear waste or the foundations of a skyscraper, quality control shifts to a different paradigm! In the latter case the wet concrete has to be fluid enough to flow into every nook and cranny of the formwork and for no pockets of dry concrete that won’t cure properly.

Another example is mixing ketchup, sauces, mayonnaise, etc. The food industry relies on the fact that consumers can be loyal to a particular brand their whole lives, but are also so fickle that the slightest variation in texture will have them up in arms.

Similarly, drugs and medicines must have the active ingredients precision mixed with the carrier material - the consequence of poor mixing could be life threatening.

And in cosmetics and toiletries, the users have incredibly high expectations. Even something as apparently mundane as paint requires that pigments are well mixed in for an even colour and that the correct consistency is attained for easy application.

There are a number of different technologies available for measuring viscosity, but one of the most popular and widely used is the rotational viscometer, which measures viscosity by monitoring the torque required to rotate a spindle at a constant speed within the fluid. The

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torque, generally measured by determining the reaction torque on the motor, is proportional to the viscous drag on the spindle, and thus to the viscosity of the fluid.

Significantly, the rotational viscometer can run throughout the mixing process, logging data constantly to provide a log of the change in viscosity over time.

This profile can be compared with historic data from earlier mixes to give detailed information that would not be available from final target viscosity readings alone.

However torque can be difficult to measure; in fact traditional measuring technologies introduce as many problems as they solve. Because the spindle is rotating, wires attached to a torque sensor on the shaft would wind up and quickly snap. Approaches using slip rings are available but far from ideal because of costs, set-up time and the inevitable wear and tear.

A wireless technique has been developed using TorqSense rotary torque transducers from Sensor Technology.

These do not need a physical connection to the rotating shaft, but instead use a radio frequency (RF) link to both send power to the sensing element on the spindle and to receive torque reading signals back from it.

TorqSense torque sensors use two tiny Surface Acoustic Wave devices or SAWs, made of ceramic piezoelectric material containing frequency resonating combs.

These are glued onto the drive shaft at 90 degrees to one another. As the torque increases one comb expands and the other contracts proportionally to the torque being experienced. In effect the combs act as strain gauges but measure changes in resonant frequency.

An RF transmitter/receiver mounted close to the spindle emits radio waves

towards the SAWs, and collects them when they are reflected back. The change in frequency of the reflected waves identifies the current torque.

In the rotational viscometer, the TorqSense transducer is mounted between the motor and the paddle.

A double bearing eliminates any side loads, while a torque limiting coupling provides protection in the event of the paddle mechanism seizing. With the motor operating at constant speed, the transducer provides an output of torque that changes proportionally to the viscosity during mixing, thus enabling the operator to accurately measure the relative viscosity of the mix.

Where it is important to determine absolute viscosity rather than relative viscosity, the system can be precalibrated using specific paddles immersed in fluids with a known viscosity. Water, for example, has a viscosity of 0.001 Pascal seconds at room temperature. By calibrating the viscometer to a known sample, the absolute torque figure can then be derived in the application from the relative torque figure, and the required viscosity then accurately measured.

Using TorqSense rotary torque transducers has simplified the design of these new rotational viscometers while also increasing accuracy, providing a robust and reliable solution in challenging applications where the absolute viscosity of the mix is a critical factor.

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

Resolve Optics Contributes to Space Projects Resolve Optics reports on its active participation in designing and supplying robust optical systems for a range of different space projects over the last few years.

Many different types of optical imaging and sensing systems are today used to observe and measure the Earth and the universe at large. However, designing optical systems for satellites and spacecraft is challenging due to the harsh conditions that space places upon components and systems working in this remote environment.

Mark Pontin, Managing Director of Resolve Optics Ltd. commented “Designing high performance optical systems for confidential space projects is something that we have done for

over 20 years. Lenses that are used in space applications have to meet certain basic requirements to survive the harsh environment of space. Lenses must be constructed of specific materials that will not outgas when exposed to the vacuum of space. all significant air spaces should be vented to avoid pressure on the elements and distortion of the lens.

All materials right down to glues and greases must be approved and tested for outgasing”.

He added “The orbit that our optical systems will be operating in determines how much radiation they will be required to withstand. All optical elements within Resolve Optics radiation tolerant lens designs are made using cerium oxide doped glass or synthetic silica enabling them to withstand radiation doses of up to 100,000,000 rads and temperatures up to 55°C without discoloration or degradation of performance. These non browning lenses provide high image resolution and minimum geometric distortion from 400 to 750nm”.

Resolve Optics provides optical systems for surveillance, where

the optical system monitors the outside of the spacecraft, looking for any signs of damage caused by space debris or micro meteorites. Inspection, where the optical system is required to view a specific area to aid operation. As part of a vision system that is used to guide and dock payload craft visiting platforms such as the International Space Station.

And, remote sensing from satellites where powerful, high resolution lenses enable the Earth to be viewed from space providing valuable data on weather patterns and the impact of climate change.

Drawing upon approaching 30 years experience – Resolve Optics Ltd. has built a strong reputation for specialist lens design and manufacture of single to production quantities of optical systems for space projects on time to strict quality and target price guidelines.

The company has the proven and rare capability to produce OEM quantities of custom lenses with the look, feel and quality equivalent to the best professional photographic lenses.

For further information please visit www.resolveoptics.com or contact Resolve Optics Ltd. on +44-1494-777100 or sales@resolveoptics.com.

Specialist Optical Systems for High Temperature Applications Resolve Optics has accumulated the expertise to enable it to design and manufacture specialist optical systems that will effectively operate up to 950°C without the need for additional cooling equipment.

This has made it possible to undertake applications including optical inspection inside an engine or operating furnace as well as non-invasive monitoring of high temperature processes including incineration, recycling, smelting and chemical manufacturing.

For such high temperature applications, optical systems need to be designed to ensure performance is maintained at the application operating temperature. When materials heat up there is expansion.

The rate of expansion differs depending on material types. To avoid an optical system going out of focus as it reaches operating temperatures you must take careful consideration of the rate of expansion of components and air spaces. Temperature also

affects the refractive index of materials so this needs to be taken into account as well. To maintain performance over a given temperature range, Resolve Optics designs its high temperature optical systems to be athermal.

To discuss a specialist optical system optimised to help monitor your high temperature application please contact Resolve Optics on +44-1494-777100 or sales@resolveoptics.com.

Drawing upon approaching 30 years experience – Resolve Optics Ltd. has built a strong reputation for design and manufacture of single to production quantities of optical systems for high temperature applications on time to strict quality and target price guidelines.

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January 2020

Optimised design for IE3 asynchronous motors NORD has optimised the design of its proven IE3 asynchronous motors.

The model maintenance applies to numerous details that further improve the electric motors’ function, assembly and operation.

The facelift of the IE3 asynchronous motors from NORD DRIVESYSTEMS involves no change of electrical data and outer dimensions. They can be seamlessly used without adjustments in any existing application with NORD IE3 motors.

The optimised cooling fin shape, an assembly-optimised fan and a new modern fan cowl enable a better heat dissipation and assembly. The fan cowl can be simply assembled in case a motor-mounted frequency inverter is used. The new cooling fins design enables an unhindered airflow around the terminal box.

The revised terminal box is without sharp edges and corners and has reinforced feet for a better motor stability.

Another important detail is the optimised incremental encoder mounting. Due to the fan cowl, the encoder is fully shock-resistant and not within the airflow, which further improves the cooling power.

Retrofit mounting is also possible due to a plug-on shaft.

For more information please vist www.nord.com

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ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

NSK in-wheel motor charges wirelessly while in motion NSK has developed the third generation of its in-wheel motor, the world’s first design of its type to feature a complete package comprising motor, inverter and wireless charging unit. The innovative wireless inwheel motor (W-IWM) for the electric vehicle (EV) market is capable of charging from coils embedded in the road, while in motion. Development of the latest unit was conducted jointly by a research group comprising NSK, the Fujimoto Laboratory at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, Bridgestone Corporation, ROHM Co Ltd and Toyo Electric Mfg Co Ltd. Reducing CO2 emissions in order to achieve a low-carbon society is a global challenge that calls strongly for reductions in automobile emissions, hence the growing development and take-up of EVs. However, some concerns have been raised regarding the convenience of stationary EV charging and the amount of resources required to produce large amounts of battery cells. Efficient running with a minimal amount of battery cells is therefore required for the sustainable spread of EVs. As a result, wireless charging while in motion has been capturing the attention of OEMs keen on realising EVs with small batteries.

The third-generation W-IWM developed by the joint research group has vastly improved inmotion charging capability, motor performance and ease of mounting, bringing together the features required for practical application.

Importantly, the W-IWM has been developed so that the in-motion wireless power receiver circuit, as well as the EV’s driving mechanism (motor and inverter), fit entirely inside the wheel.

In terms of motor performance, compared with the secondgeneration W-IWM for light vehicles announced in 2017 (12kW per wheel), the third-generation W-IWM has been created for use in larger passenger cars (25kW per wheel).

Furthermore, while the secondgeneration W-IWM offered an inmotion charging capacity of 10kW per wheel, the third-generation unit sees this performance climb to 20kW. The relevance of these improvements are linked to the future emergence of smart cities, where the installation of in-motion wireless charging systems in the road surface (even if only at

The joint research group, which includes NSK, hopes that its efforts will help secure freedom from stationary charging systems

traffic signals), will see EV drivers travel without having to worry about charging, dramatically increasing convenience.

Based on this thinking, NSK is currently looking into the potential for in-motion charging infrastructure by analysing public road traffic data and conducting simulations.

In order to take advantage of open innovation and accelerate the practical implementation of the in-motion wireless charging system, the joint research group has agreed to leave open the basic patents associated with this project.

While the research group is currently in the process of testing and evaluating the third-generation W-IWM, it will eagerly push towards prototyping the subsequent generation unit, which will incorporate yet more new ideas.

The group will integrate not only the expertise of current project members, but a wide range of knowledge from various fields held by other organisations and companies. The aim is to enter the verification phase for the real-world testing of an in-motion wireless charging system by 2025.

Through this joint research project, NSK ultimately hopes to contribute to the realisation of a more sustainable society, and make advancements that help create new momentum within the automotive industry.

www.nskeurope.com

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January 2020

Street smarts

The island state city of Singapore is often hailed as the world’s premier smart city. With a 99 per cent connectivity rate, robo-taxis and huge network of sensors providing a large pool of data for analysis, it is easy to see why the island is at the forefront of the smart city movement.

But as urban areas across the globe get smarter, how will infrastructure support their progression? Here Robert Glass, Head of Marketing at leading composite technology company Exel Composites, explains how composite materials are helping to drive the smart cities movement.

Just two per cent of people lived in cities around the world in 1800. By 2050, the United Nations predicts that 68 per cent of the world’s population will be urbanised. Escalating numbers of urban residents is already increasing the strain on public services, infrastructure and resources. Housing shortages, traffic congestion and overcrowded transport are all side-effects of having too many people in one place. To tackle rising urban populations and provide enhanced standards of living, countries across the world are turning to technology.

On the rise A smart city is an urban area that uses a variety of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to collect data and use it to manage assets. This data is produced from our devices and infrastructure and is used to control assets such as traffic, transportation systems, water supply networks, waste management and community resources. As a “system of systems”, value is given to a smart city by what it chooses to do with the technology, not just how much data the city has.

With data at the heart of the city, the possibilities to improve quality and efficiency are endless. If we think of our cities growing, they’re going to need to get taller. Rising buildings are going to require highly efficient elevators in order

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ENGINEERING UPDATE

How composite materials are driving the smart city movement to transport people to their homes and offices, and will require more precise co-ordination. A network of data and analysis systems could enable this precision by estimating our arrival and approach towards the elevator, identify who we are and, using predictive analysis program the ideal and optimal elevator trips to respond to busy periods. For example, if a building ‘learns’ that a worker arrives at 8:00am each day and works on floor 14, artificial intelligence could make sure the elevator is ready and waiting for the worker before they need to push a button to call it.

The public transport system is another key element of smart cities. To optimise commutes, smart cities call upon sensors to accumulate and monitor large amounts of data on traffic and can predict how busy underground trains are going to be to automatically adapt the number of vehicles in use at any given time. It’s clear that a responsive data infrastructure will be as important as the electrical and water utility infrastructures in place today.

To support this infrastructure, composites will play a key role in providing uninterrupted data flows.

Calling on composites Composites offer great possibilities to enclose and protect data infrastructure, such as transmitters and other devices that facilitate radio frequencies. Unlike metals that block these signals, composites such as fiberglass are radio transparent. This makes composites the ideal material to allow a continuous data flow throughout a smart city that keeps its assets running without interruption.

With the implementation of 5G being another key driver in the smart city movement, the technology relies on an extensive network of small cells to transmit and receive signals. Composites can enable a fast roll out of 5G services with glass fiber profiles that are almost invisible to these frequency waves.

Fiberglass antennas can be hidden in plain sight on existing infrastructure such as light poles and traffic lights, allowing cities to easily integrate the technology.

At Exel, we’ve been manufacturing radio transparent outdoor structures for many years, and expect to see the lightweight, corrosion-resistant and radio transparent qualities of composites helping to drive data around smart cities today and in the future.

Infrastructure presents a further barrier for short wave frequencies and could

cause 5G to, quite literally, hit a wall. Due to its ultra-low latency, the availability of 5G could be dramatically reduced as its high frequency may struggle to penetrate buildings. With 80 per cent of device use occurring inside buildings, this loss or reduction in availability significantly impacts the technology’s uptake.

However, incorporating fiberglass components into buildings, such as in window and door frames, will help reduce signal attenuation into our houses and businesses. In addition, because fiberglass is capable of withstanding strong ultra-violet (UV) rays, extreme temperatures and varying levels of humidity, composite components also provide smart city buildings with a durable material that reduces overall lifetime costs.

To optimise public transport, composites can provide a lightweight solution that helps to reduce the overall vehicle weight of buses and trams. They are used throughout vehicles, from fiberglass exterior panels to carbon fiber stiffeners and battery boxes. This helps save fuel, reduce pollution and lower vehicle lifetime maintenance costs.

Taking notice The main hurdle that composites face is simple awareness. Many manufacturers may not be aware that composites are an alternative to the materials they are using today in buildings, infrastructure, transportation and telecommunication projects simply because it has not crossed their minds to explore new options. Working alongside an experienced composites manufacturer, like Exel, who can explain both the benefits of composite materials and their ability to produce smart city solutions using cost-efficient manufacturing processes will help break down this barrier.

Smart cities are no longer a thing of the future. While Singapore is often considered as one of the first cities to benefit from increased data handling, the likes of Barcelona, Helsinki, Seattle and Milton Keynes are also positively altering the lives of millions of urban residents.

While data remains in the driving seat of the smart city movement, this information cannot flow freely without effective infrastructure. Composite materials play an important and growing part in the success of a smart city, and their range of benefits create durable solutions that help manage assets efficiently.

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

Green Supplier Certification Highlights OMRON’s Commitment to Sustainability

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ndustrial automation expert, OMRON, has recently celebrated the green certification of 13 European suppliers of finished goods at its headquarters in Hoofddorp, The Netherlands. As part of its global sustainable procurement activities, OMRON promotes green procurement by proactively adopting materials that do not contain any hazardous chemical substances.

This helps minimize the negative environmental impact across the supply chain.

OMRON has granted the certification to suppliers that have met all quality criteria for OMRON’s green supplier certification, for the first time in Europe. The criteria include for example establishing an EMS for environmental management and a CMS for management of chemical substances contained in products.

“The benefits of the green certification program include mitigating the risk of product non-compliance, reaching sustainability goals related to the supply chain, as well as transparent communication to customers of the compliance status of our products,“ said Annarita Ianniello, responsible for Supplier Risk Management at Omron Europe. “With the certification, our suppliers can highlight the quality of their materials, and prove their commitment to sustainability in their processes.”

“By implementing a PDCA (plando-check-act) improvement management cycle together with our suppliers, we can continuously improve sustainability in our

Green procurement aims to minimize negative environmental impact across the supply chain

supply chain. I am proud of our purchasing and compliance departments, as well as all the suppliers for the effort put into the certification process during the past year,” Annarita Ianniello concluded.

“These efforts in sustainable procurement have also helped us to be recognized with the EcoVadis Gold Medal on corporate social responsibility (CSR) at OMRON Corporation level,” said Eleanora Denna, European Product Regulatory Compliance Specialist at Omron Europe. “With a score of 64 out of 100, we are very happy to be ranked in the top 5% among companies within our industry. With this

CSR rating we can ensure compliance with the CSR policies of our customers and suppliers, and throughout the entire supply chain.”

Based on the company principles, OMRON Group strives to create a sustainable society across the world, by supplying products and services that contribute positively to the global environment, while maximizing the effective use of resources. The company aims to complete evaluations for all suppliers globally during fiscal 2019.

For more information about OMRON’s sustainability and procurement activities, please click here.

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January 2020

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ENGINEERING UPDATE

Video of the Week How chainflex cables are tested for a 36-month guarantee a 36-month guarantee, or to up to 10 million igus offersstrokes, with all chainflex cables. For 25 years, the company has been carrying out tests on its cables within its 2,750m2 test laboratory. With 650 tests running simultaneously each day, and over 2 billion test cycles per year, igus can provide reliable and clear test data that makes the durability and service life of its cables predictable.

Each chainflex series has ‘double stroke – guaranteed service life’ information available, as well as additional data online in the chainflex lifetime calculator. The 36-month guarantee is subject to the use of the cables in line with the conditions specified for each relevant cable series.

To see inside the igus test lab and watch cable testing in action, please visit: www.igus.co.uk/chainflexguaranteeVOTW For more information on igus chainflex cables, please visit: www.igus.co.uk/chainflex and to request free product samples, please contact us on: 01604 677240 84|

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

Innovative hollow shaft rotary actuators available from Mclennan many of the JVL integrated motors.

Recently announced by JVL A/S, the leading integrated servo and stepper motor manufacturer, its new HLMT series hollow shaft rotary actuators take a novel approach to decentralised precision positioning tasks on rotary tables and automated machines where a through aperture is required for routing services or maintaining a clear line of site.

Available in the UK from Mclennan, JVL’s distribution partner, the design features an offset motor mounting in five model variants with clear throughhole diameters from 20 to 30 mm and rated torque output of 5 to 142 Nm. The actuators are used with JVL’s MAC motor® and ServoStep® integrated servo and stepper motors or with other manufacturers motors in NEMA 17, 23 and 34 frame sizes.

The HLMT includes a comprehensive choice of options making installation straightforward and cost-effective. These include built-in absolute encoders for positioning accuracy to +/- 10 arc-sec and lost motion to 2 arc-min. Built-in home (datum) sensors are also available and standard or crossedroller bearings options suit standard or heavy duty axial and radial rigidity requirements (axial load to 800 N on the largest model). Gear ratios available are 5, 10 or 18:1 with higher ratios on request.

With its inherent high torque, axial load capability, low run-out and platform parallelism the HLMT series is particularly suited to rotary table applications but will also suit machine set-ups where slip rings, electrical wiring, rotary fluidpower joints or laser line-of-sight needs to be routed for moving to stationary platforms. The durable geared actuator meets the IP65 protection class, as does

The product depth and flexibility of JVL’s range of integrated servo and stepper motor allows almost any choice of machine control interfacing with the added benefit of decentralised control for reduced installation and wiring. With no need for control cabinets, decentralised control can yield tangible cost and time savings.

Control options cover individual or multi-axis stand-alone motion control with step and direction or analogue +/- 10 VDC inputs. JVL’s own ‘point & click’ graphical programming is also available across all its integrated motors. For MAC® series integrated servomotors, the control options extend to a wide choice of Industrial Ethernet or other common protocols including CANopen, DeviceNet, Profibus, Profinet, EtherNet/ IP, EtherCAT. POWERLINK and more. Wireless Bluetooth, WLAN and Zigbee systems are also available.

The HLMT series may be purchased for use with third-party stepper and servomotors of choice, allowing the option to build through-hole rotary actuators with the customer’s preferred motor/motion controls supplier. Mclennan has represented JVL in the UK for more than five years and offers a complete service from product selection to after sales support across the Danish motion controls manufacturer’s complete range of products and systems. Mclennan also has distribution partnerships with other selected motion control component and systems manufacturers, and with its own comprehensive design and build service provides stepper and servo motor based automation solutions from single components to complete mechatronic assemblies.

For more details, please contact Mclennan at sales@mclennan.co.uk or visit www.mclennan.co.uk.

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ENGINEERING UPDATE

ENSURING SEMICONDUCTOR QUALITY BY GETTING UP CLOSE In the electronics and semiconductor industry, the trend over many decades has been to miniaturise components to satisfy the ever-increasing demand for wearable and mobile devices that have far more processing power than many desktop computers

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n the 21st century, miniaturisation enables a myriad of tiny yet functionality-packed integrated circuits (ICs) to be inserted on to a single PCB. However, one of the issues of working in these miniscule sizes has been the difficulty of research and development professionals checking prior to mass production whether on-board components meet the stringent quality requirements that ensure they will operate reliably and repetitively throughout the life of the device.

When working at such sizes, it’s possible for crucial defects to be invisible to R&D staff who carry out checks using traditional optical systems. Factors that could be missed include defects in the resist film or on a wafer’s edge, lack of uniformity in solder ball bonding used to connect flip chips, poor contacts in wire bonds and much more.

Clearly, the only way of looking so closely at such components to ensure they satisfy standards is through microscopy.

However, when working with semiconductors it is important to obtain the most accurate measurements, to have access to pristine, fully detailed images, to be able to identify precisely what the problem is and to be able to communicate findings in an easily understandable format.

One significant issue for many R&D professionals working in this sector is that existing microscopes tend not to possess the depth of field required to generate the extremely clear image that they require. Also, microscopes will often need to be connected to a separate camera and to external software in order to process the images and communicate the results.

In addition, R&D staff usually have to carry out preparation work before using several different microscopes – a 2D measurement microscope, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and others. This preparation can be hugely time consuming and switching between microscopes can present logistical problems if the various microscopes are used by different teams in separate rooms.

The solution Transforming the way that R&D inspection work is carried out on semiconductors is the world’s first 4K ultra-high accuracy microscope from Keyence. The VHX-7000 digital microscope can provide a new means of inspecting samples and deliver greater convenience to view, capture and measure. This means its images can rival those of an SEM – especially when the optical shadow effect mode feature is enabled.

Although the VHX-7000 is incredibly powerful – it delivers the highest definition in the history of microscopes and offers a depth-of-field 20 times higher than conventional optical microscopes – ease of use is built-in with a simple user interface, sub-menus and step-by-step guide. This means

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even a novice could capture the highest resolution IC images.

Another key feature is the 1TB hard drive that is also integral to the microscope (which is based around a Windows 10 PC) and enables images to be saved on the device and shared over a network or via a USB drive. Detailed reports can also be produced automatically in Excel format for instant sharing with colleagues.

The all-in-one VHX-7000 obviates the need to buy several different microscopes and is highly cost-effective when compared to an SEM. Also, the unit can be upgraded and customised, representing an investment in the future. Different stages, stands and optional features such as the motorisation of axes and a range of optical lenses can be added to the base model depending on the user’s requirements.

As the only 4K digital microscope in the world, the VHX7000 is particularly suited to the semiconductor market and surpasses traditional lens-based microscopes that rely on eyepieces. As well as its superior magnification of minute features (from 20x to 6000x), the Keyence unit has the ability to subtly shift the finely-tuned XY motorised stage automatically to increase resolution by 33%. The ‘stitching’ of several individual images function has been simplified due to the powerful on-board software with intelligent algorithms that are capable of evening out lighting and diffusing it over the inspected part.

The future Says Claire Lillywhite, Applications Engineer, Metrology & Microscopy Divisions at Keyence: “Whether looking to do checks on wafer bonding and packaging or carry out nondestructive final testing or a range of other R&D inspections, the semiconductor industry now has a solution to the many issues that have bedevilled it in the past.”

To get more information: www.keyence.co.uk/semicon19 To Find Other Keyence paroducts, visit our website... www.keyence.co.uk

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

Atlas Copco launches intelligent vacuum pump series for robust processes Atlas Copco has launched the DZS 100 - 400 VSD+ series of air-cooled, oil-free claw vacuum pumps for particularly harsh applications. The robust pumps increase productivity in conveying, clamping, drying processes or environmental applications due to their low energy consumption and space requirements; as well as handling of pollutants.

For robust processes Atlas Copco has equipped the three models of the DZS 100, 200 and 400 VSD+ series with corrosion-resistant materials to make them well equipped for harsh application environments. For this purpose, they also have a durable internal coating. The new vacuum pumps are specifically designed for a long service life and reliable, efficient operation, even under robust process conditions.

Minimised service In addition, the design principle requires uncomplicated maintenance. For example, cleaning or replacing the pump claws does not require complex gearbox stripping and retiming. This allows quick access to the inside of the pump by service technicians or the end customer. It also simplifies maintenance processes, such as the removal of product residues. No new synchronisation is necessary during the subsequent assembly. This results in reduced downtime and lower service costs for the operator.

No oil-induced contamination A VSD+ inverter drive is integrated in the motors to control the pumps. This allows the optimum performance points of the claw pump to be specifically controlled and power consumption to be reduced. This function ensures that energy is saved, and the CO2 footprint is reduced. Sustainability is also ensured in the immediate process environment: the completely oil-free DZS VSD+ pumps certified to ISO 8573-1

Class 0 and are completely harmless to the quality of the ambient air during operation. This eliminates the risk of oil-induced contamination and damage to sensitive applications and products in the environment.

Commissioning via App With the newly developed VSD+ App, users have quick access to numerous parameters. Via iOS and Android devices, values such as inlet pressure, rotor speed, running hours and service intervals can be monitored and controlled at a glance in real time. The VSD+ App also makes it easy to commission the DZS VSD+ vacuum pump - via the three parameters target pressure, start/stop delay and stop level. When the pump is started, the VSD+ App automatically connects via Bluetooth. Once the desired values have been entered, the innovative DZS 100 - 400 VSD+ series starts operation immediately. www.atlascopco.co.uk/compressorsuk

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ENGINEERING UPDATE

BTC14 Box Thin Client The industrial box thin clients from Pepperl+Fuchs are a reliable and rugged generation of computers for visualizing process information. They have been specially developed for use in harsh conditions and 24/7 operation in industrial environments.

Designed to withstand high temperatures, shocks, and vibrations over long periods, the new BTC14, and the already familiar thin clients BTC12—designed for dual-monitor applications—and BTC01—the first quadmonitor generation.

The BTC14 has four digital uniform DisplayPorts®, enabling processes to be visualized on up to four Ultra-HD (4K) screens, thus giving an optimal overview of all information. Thanks to additional mounting kits and its rugged design, the BTC14 can be installed in a hugely varied number of ways. The long-term availability and the modern computer platform make the BTC14 future-proof. The preinstalled Pepperl+Fuchs VisuNet RM Shell 5 firmware simplifies both virtualizing host systems and performing quick and intuitive configuration.

The Thin Client portfolio is rounded off by the innovative VisuNet Control Center management tool, which enables efficient and centralized management of all Thin Client devices when used with the RM Shell 5 firmware: from the BTCs in the control room and production-related workstations to remote monitors in the field in Ex Zone 1/21.

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Automation is our world. A Perfect application solution is our goal.

A willingness to take entrepreneurial risks, a pioneering spirit, and a firm belief in their own inventive powers – these were the assets that Walter Pepperl and Ludwig Fuchs started out with when they opened their Mannheim radio repair shop in 1945. Their invention of the proximity switch a few years later proved their strength. It was also the starting point in a successful history defined by close customer relationships as well as innovative automation technologies and procedures.

Then as now, our focus is directed squarely on the individual requirements of each customer.

Whether as a pioneer in electrical explosion protection, or as a leading innovator of highly efficient sensors – the close communication with our customers is what allowed us to become the leader in automation technology.

Our main objective is combining state-of-theart technologies and comprehensive services to optimize our customers’ processes and applications.

For more information, please visit our website: www.pepperl-fuchs.com

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

Rugged Pico-ITX MIO-2361 SBC Featuring Onboard LPDDR4 & eMMC Advantech (2395.TW), a leading global provider of intelligent IoT systems and embedded platforms, is pleased to announce MIO-2361, the latest Pico-ITX single board computer designed with onboard LPDDR4-2400 & 32G eMMC powered by Intel® Atom™ E3900 series/Pentium® N4200/Celeron® N3350 processors.

The rugged design of the MIO-2361 means typical memory (socket type) assemblies are not used. The MIO-2361 offers deep power down mode, 12V/24V +/- 10% power input, better storage capacity, M.2/mSATA, and -40° to +85°C wide temperature support.

Combined with Intelligent Management Software Integration, MIO-2361 offers various types of selected embedded OS including Windows 10 and Linux Yocto BSP for testing hardware drivers and devices to prevent unauthorized data access. MIO-2361 is also integrated with WISE-PaaS/DeviceOn IoT device management software designed by Advantech to expedite IoT development particularly in factory automation.

Superior Quad-Core Performance with Selected 12V/24V Power Supply Equipped with Intel® Atom™ E3900 series /Pentium® N4200/Celeron® N3350 processors, MIO-2361 offers 1.7 times the compute power over previous generation processors. When paired with a quad-core processor, MIO-2361’s additional memory and rapid storage capabilities enhance coordinated computing by accelerating operational processes. MIO-2361 also supports 12V/24V power supply for power-exchange processing, reduces power consumption, and facilitates the integration of existing data without sacrificing software compatibility.

Rugged Design with Flexible I/O Expansion for Harsh Environments MIO-2361 offers wide operating temperature support from -40°C to 85°C for use in harsh environments. Its heatsink is designed as a dynamic heat conduction system which enhances thermal conduction from hot components to the heat spreader. MIO-2361’s heatsink outperforms similar designs by dissipating heat from the CPU more effectivity and reduces temperatures by approximately 11°C ~ 25°C. Furthermore, 2 x RJ45 ports (rear I/O) and HDMI4.1b (rightangle) are also one of MIO-2361’s main features that give the customer more flexible I/O selection. With onboard

LPDDR4-2400 designed to decrease its total height, MIO2361 has the smallest PCB size (100 x 72mm) which easily fits in any ultra-slim embedded chassis to save space.

MIO-2361 also features 32G eMMC flash memory that delivers the needed performance for smooth onboard computation with low TDP. MIO-2361 is ideal for electric car recharging stations, outdoor video players, as well as for factory automation equipment.

Bundled with Value-added IoT Device Management Software Due to the support of Advantech WISE-PaaS/DeviceOn IoT device operation management software the board can easily be integrated, operated and managed within your industrial IoT devices ecosystem. With DeviceOn’s easy-to-use interface you can monitor device health, have real-time control of power on/off, troubleshoot, and perform updates over-the-air (OTA) on-site and remotely. In addition, Adv antech’s SUSI unified API enables developers to write applications for controlling hardware without knowing the specifications of specific chipsets and driver architectures. For instance, using the “Power Saving API”, customers could create utilities for CPU power modes to reduce power consumption in extreme environments.

MIO-2361 Product Features and Specifications: —— Intel® Atom™ E3900 series/ Pentium® N4200 —— Onboard LPDDR4-2400 up to 8GB, eMMC 32GB —— Dual independent display for 48-bit LVDS+HDMI —— M.2 E-key, mSATA/mPCIe for expansion —— Dual GbE, USB3.0, 2 x RS-232/422/485, 12/24V input —— Supports WISE-PaaS/ DeviceOn , iManager3.0, and Embedded Software APIs: Win 10, Linux (*Yoctodevelopment, by customer request) www.advantech.eu

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ENGINEERING UPDATE

More visibility in processes: VEGA extends its sensor portfolio for easy process automation With its new compact series of VEGABAR pressure sensors and VEGAPOINT level switches, this instrument specialist, VEGA, has now advanced to full-range supplier for all level and pressure in process automation. These lower-priced instruments are aimed at standard automation applications – designed to meet the latest requirements in industry.

New standard sensors with a focus on hygiene Just like other sectors, the food industry does not seek extreme solutions, but, in many areas, just simple optimisation and efficiency improvement. Here, less is usually more. VEGA has therefore expanded its product range to include a compact instrument series.

It proves: Automation can be both simple and highly efficient without sacrificing dependability, hygiene or accuracy.

Standard applications, in particular, can be automated very economically with the new compact pressure sensors and level switches. Integration into the system as well as adjustment are especially easy to carry out. In this performance class, multi-device connection options are also available, which supports the continuous improvement of production facilities.

The focus here is on compactness, flexibility, safety and optimised hygiene.

Standardisation gives birth to efficiency A uniform standard extends through all areas of application. This applies especially to the fully hygienic adapter system, which is designed to be compatible with the new VEGABAR pressure sensors and VEGAPOINT capacitive level switches as well as the existing VEGASWING vibrating level switches. Not only can it be flexibly selected according to individual needs, but also adapted to local requirements and – if necessary – quickly exchanged. All the new instruments are built to withstand intense CIP processes. And not least due to their hygienic design and surface finish, they comply with all standards and approvals of the industry.

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VEGAPOINT – ultra bright 360 status display - add a splash of colour with 256 colour section to suit your plant and surroundings

Hygienic design down to the last detail All surfaces of VEGABAR 29 and 39 sensors that come into contact with the product are made of stainless steel and feature optimal surface roughness values.

All materials of these new devices are approved and tested according to FDA and EC 1935/2004.

This is confirmed by independent laboratories and institutes. The design of the instruments is certified according to the European EHEDG Directive and the North American 3-A Sanitary Standards. The components are also designed in accordance with

ENGINEERING PDATE

January 2020

GMP regulations (Good Manufacturing Practices) so that all microorganisms are reliably removed by cleaning and cannot multiply on surfaces or in gaps.

New VEGABAR series offers universal process connections to adapt to your process

Visible all around: illuminated 360° switching status display Sensors are often used in very large spacious areas or in very tight spaces. It is crucial to be able to see sensor readings quickly and easily, so that operators can react as quickly as possible, especially in the event of a fault.

The development of the new VEGABAR and VEGAPOINT sensors focused on simple handling – and the fast and easy readability that comes along with it. Thanks to the round, 360° display, all switching states can be visually detected from any direction. The colour of the illuminated ring, which can be freely selected from 256 different colours, remains clearly visible, even in daylight.

It immediately shows the user if measurement is taking place, if the sensor is switching or if there is a possible malfunction in the process.

Below left: VEGABAR pressure sensors/switches: compact versions or with easy to read display, super-bright status ring and Bluetooth set up via SmartPhone or App Below right: VEGAPOINT capacitive level switches with impedance switch technology for reliable performance, with Bluetooth.

Fit for the future with IO-Link The option of having all sensor parameters written automatically into the new instrument by the IOLink master or the controller during a replacement also makes for additional efficiency. Fast format or recipe changes, which are typical in the food industry today, can be carried out quickly and centrally in this way. The bottom line is that using IO-Link saves time while reducing the potential for errors to zero.

This ensures higher product quality, more optimal utilization of the machines and increased process speed − in other words, noticeable savings.

Bluetooth for faster setup and adjustment The new instrument series can be easily read and configured with a smartphone or tablet.

Especially in environments such as clean rooms, where physical access involves a lot of effort, the remote communication means the device set up and operation become considerably faster, easier and safer. In combination with the VEGA Tools app, which has already won an App Award, the sensor data enquiry over shorter distances in these areas also becomes really convenient.

Conclusion: Future-oriented automation from a single source Hygienic design, system availability, modularisation and networking are the decisive factors for greater efficiency in food processes and for standing out in the face of growing competition. With its decades of experience, VEGA offers ground-breaking level and pressure measurement technology for the automation and monitoring of future-oriented production systems. Sensors optimised for operating under extreme conditions and meeting strict requirements on system safety and flexibility.

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Directory

January 2020

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ENGINEERING UPDATE

T&D Corporation Mr Minoru Ito, European Sales Office, Gronauer Straße 1, 61194 Niddatal, Germany 0049 (0)6034 930970 europe.office@tandd.de www.tandd.com

Unit 3A, Whitworth Court, Manor Park, Runcorn WA7 1WA. Tel.: (0044)-330 002 0640, sales@odu-uk.co.uk www.odu-uk.co.uk

ECi Software Solutions

TR Fastenings LTD

Si One, St Ives Business Park, Parsons Green, St Ives, PE27 4AA +44 (0) 333 123 0333 www.eci.eu eu-sales@ecisolutions.com

Trifast House, Bellbrook Park, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 1QW Free phone: 08454 811 800 E-mail: sales@trfastenings.com www.trfastenings.com

Phoenix Mecano Ltd

Blackfast Chemicals Ltd

26 Faraday Road, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP19 8RY +44 (0)1296 611660 www.phoenix-mecano.co.uk

Unit 5 Russell House , Molesey Road, Walton-onThames, Surrey, KT12 3PE 0207 339 7370, sales@blackfast.com www.blackfast.com

Monitran

Ecopac (UK) Power Ltd

Monitran Ltd, Monitor House, 33 Hazlemere Road, Penn, HP10 8AD, UK T: +44 (0)1494 816569 E: info@monitran.com www.monitran.com

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ODU-UK LTD.

Unit 4, Ridgeway, Crendon Industrial Area, Long Crendon, Bucks, HP18 9BF Tel: +44 1844204420 www.ecopacpower.co.uk

ENGINEERING PDATE

Directory

January 2020

Foremost Electronics Ltd

Seepex UK Ltd.

14 Bluegate Business Park Great Bardfield, Essex CM7 4PZ TEL: +44 (0) 1371 811171 FAX: +44 (0) 1371 810933 WEB: www.4most.co.uk

3 Armtech Row Houndstone Business Park Yeovil, Somerset, BA22 8RW

HRS Heat Exchangers 0-12 Caxton Way Watford Business Park, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 8JY Email: info@uk.hrs-he.com Tel: +44 (0)1923 232 335

T +44 1935 472376 sales.uk@seepex.com www.seepex.com

Ilapak Ltd 29 Riverside Way Uxbridge UB8 2YF

1 Brownfields Court Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire AL7 1AJ

BÜLTE GmbH Kunststofferzeugnisse Carl-Sonnenschein-Straße 22 D-59348 Lüdinghausen – Germany Phone: (+49) 02591 / 91 94 – 0 info@bulte.de www.bulte.com

Wood Automated Systems UK (ATG – Systems) Tenter Road, Moulton Park Industrial Estate Northampton, NN3 6AX +44 (0)7827 327231 Tim.Bednall@woodplc.com www.the-atg.com

Lascar Electronics Ltd UK Module House Whiteparish, Wiltshire SP5 2SJ +44 (0)1794 884 567 sales@lascar.co.uk www.lascarelectronics.com

Rotech Machines Limited

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