Machine Building & Automation
SICK has extended the 3D imaging capabilities of its IVC-3D smart camera to harsh environments with the launch of the IVC-3D Stainless Steel. The robust unit uses 3D imaging to deliver precise shape and volume measurements, with instant evaluation and response. This IVC-3D combines imaging, lighting and analysis in a single stainless steel housing, which is rated to IP 67, making it ideal for use in hygienic processes. The...
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GarrettCom Europe has introduced the CP80 series of hardened Ethernet switches. Meeting the requirements of a wide variety of factory automation and SCADA applications, the CP80 is suitable for panel or DIN-rail mounting, and provides eight 10/00 RJ-45 ports for connection of other industrial Ethernet-enabled devices. The unit provides a 100Mb fibre up-link port to connect this cluster of control devices to the wider factory network.
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Attitudes to safety are changing with the advent of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. And for machine builders and systems integrators, one important new development is that drives can now be used in safety systems, as Geoff Brown explains
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Almost exactly a year ago, Bosch Rexroth launched its ‘Big Bang’ marketing initiative to persuade customers that by using a broadly integrated automation portfolio from a single supplier they will reduce both risk and cost. A year on, we take a look at how one Irish customer has gained from this strategy
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What a belting combination! (01/03/2010)
Although there is some brightness on the horizon, times are still tough and industry continues to take a closer look at the efficiency of its manufacturing processes and how best to control whole life costs. Richard Cole picks one area where substantial improvements can be made – conveying In order to maximise plant output, you need systems that are durable, reliable and built to withstand the demands of a 24/7 operation. The performance of conveying systems makes a real...
Machinery Directive ushers in new safety thinking (01/03/2010)
Attitudes to safety are changing with the advent of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. And for machine builders and systems integrators, one important new development is that drives can now be used in safety systems, as Geoff Brown explains The aim of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC is to simplify the free circulation of machinery within the EU, by standardising the approach to safety. Its introduction also signals an important shift in the approach to safety and the...
Mitsubishi enters UK offshore wind market (25/02/2010)
Business secretary Lord Mandelson and Energy and Climate Change secretary Ed Miliband have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe (MPSE). The company intends to invest up to £100 million in an offshore wind turbine project in the UK, which is expected to create up to 200 highly skilled jobs. The Government is working with MPSE, and is intending to provide grants of up to £30...
IP55/IP66 protection rating now available for Danfoss drives (22/02/2010)
A compact IP 55/IP 66 enclosure with type designation 'A4' is now available for the Danfoss frequency converter families VLT AutomationDrive, HVAC Drive and Aqua Drive with power ratings up to 4kW. Compared with the existing A5 enclosures, the dimensions have been reduced by 33%. This size reduction has been achieved through the use of modern components with optimised efficiency, and new cooling technology. All of the elements of a...
CBI says UK manufacturing production is set to edge higher (19/02/2010)
Growth in UK manufacturing production is expected to pick up slightly over the next three months with firms the most positive about output for almost two years, according to the CBI's latest monthly Industrial Trends survey. But the business group warned that prospects for the sector remain muted, as overall demand remains weak. Of the 548 manufacturers that responded to the survey, 25% expect output to rise in the next three months,...
Eastern Europe offers 'growth pockets' for automation vendors (19/02/2010)
Eastern Europe Offers Growth Pockets for Automation Vendors, Says Frost & Sullivan's Katarzyna Owczarczyk, a research analyst specialising in the industrial automation & process control market. The economic recession restrained growth in the western European industry market, which was already reaching maturity. The subsequent transition of the manufacturing base to low-cost eastern European countries has opened new prospects for market sustainability. This, in...
National Instruments adds vision capabilities to NI CompactRIO and NI single-board RIO (17/02/2010)
National Instruments has announced the addition of machine vision capabilities to NI CompactRIO and NI Single-Board RIO hardware devices that provide engineers with an integrated measurement and control platform for industrial and embedded systems. With this integrated platform solution, CompactRIO becomes one of the only programmable automation controllers (PACs) on the market to perform vision tasks, providing a more efficient, all-in-one design with a smaller physical...
Free software helps Allen-Bradley MicroLogix users to reduce acquisition, installation costs (17/02/2010)
Rockwell Automation is offering downloadable application development software free of charge to allow users to create, modify and monitor application programs for cost-effective Allen-Bradley MicroLogix controllers. Designed for the MicroLogix 1000 and MicroLogix 1100 programmable controllers, the Rockwell Software RSLogix Micro Starter Lite software cost effectively streamlines users’ overall development and deployment processes, helping to save time and increase...
Webcast today: launch of the 'High Level Advisory Group' on climate change financing (12/02/2010)
At 12.30 GMT today the Prime Minister will join a videoconference with UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia to launch a High Level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing. The launch follows the agreement reached at Copenhagen that $100bn a year of public and private finance was needed by 2020 to help developing countries cope with the consequences of climate change and transition to low...