Charting the right course to efficiency in the marine industry

Spokespeople from British Fluid Power Association member companies Phoenix Hydraulic and Electrical Services, Hydraproducts and Rotec Hydraulics consider some of the challenges associated with effective use and maintenance of fluid power systems and related equipment within the marine sector.

Electronic engineers help wine growers to vintage success

Behind the rise and rise of English wine, British engineers and technologists are busy developing new systems and aids for the vine growing industry. Mark Ingham of Sensor Technology tells his part of this story.

Industrial Ethernet boosts Danish sawmill performance

When Dansk Træemballage (DTE) looked at how to increase the precision and productivity of its sawmill one of the major challenges was to establish the right automation control network. As the biggest producer of wooden packaging in Denmark the plant includes over one hundred inverter drives, all of which needed to be controlled simultaneously and in real-time. The technology used was CC-Link IE, the only open gigabit Ethernet designed specifically for industrial automation tasks.

Getting a grip in the automotive industry

Condition monitoring for more applications

SKF has further expanded its offering in condition monitoring with a compact, competitively priced system that is flexible enough to be used across a broad spectrum of applications and industries. The SKF Multilog IMx-16Plus will help more users of rotating equipment to reduce unplanned machine downtime, improve asset availability and optimise machinery operation.

Torque motors offered with watertight cooling jacket

TMB+ torque motors have the new option of a cooling jacket that provides alternative mounting options and other advantages to users in the machine tool industry, while also opening the door to aerospace and semiconductor applications.

Singing the praises of turntable bearings

Wakefield-based Brilliant Stages is leveraging the benefits of turntable bearings for stage sets used by some of the globe’s biggest-selling pop artists. Robbie Williams, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, and Helene Fischer – a successful singer in Germany who has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide – are all putting this innovative bearing technology to the test as part of extraordinary and elaborate shows.

Robotic milking machine boosts farming efficiency

An innovative hybrid electromechanical and pneumatic robotic arm, delivered as a preassembled unit, is at the heart of a new automated milking machine which offers increased efficiency and reliability, with smooth movement and high performance.

Island residents rely on drives for clean water

A reverse osmosis seawater desalination system was needed at Al Fattan Island, a private development in the UAE, where no mains water was available. Using seawater and purifying it was the only option. GI.Tech FZE, Invertek’s sales distributor in the region, worked with Gulf Water Treatment, a designer and manufacturer of desalination systems.

Control system helps brewer increase production by 300%

The perfect beer is a harmonious blend of art and science. Automation can help by performing the measured and repetitive tasks while allowing brewers to focus on more creative, interesting and rewarding aspects. When Sadler’s Ales, a historic Black Country brewery, started to grow its business, it decided to adopt an automated process control solution to improve productivity and make the quality of its craft beers more consistent.