Industrial Technology

Design Award 2021 judges praise innovative Igus design

A new plug-in connector from motion plastic expert Igus has won an ‘Excellent Product Design’ award in the prestigious German Design Awards 2021. The new Igus Module Connect Adapter, praised by judges for its innovation, has been designed to suit limited spaces where a large number of plugged-in cables, such as fibre, optic, electric and encoder cables, need to be connected together.

18th December 2020

Analog Devices joins the board of the CC-Link Partner Association

The CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA), which promotes the widespread usage of the CC-Link open industrial network family, has announced that Analog Devices (ADI) has become a CLPA Board Member. Through active participation in CLPA management, ADI aims to expand its business globally, especially in the Asian region, where the CC-Link family is a de-facto standard. The company expects to now be fully involved with CLPA board activities and will join promotional activities to increase their presence and sales to the world from the vital Asian manufacturing market.

26th November 2020

Controller perfectly synchronises robots and control equipment

Omron has announced the launch of what it claims is the world’s first ‘Robotic Integrated Controller’. The new NJ501-R is based on Omron’s NJ series of machine controllers for industrial automation. With the integrated controller, it is possible to automate advanced and complex manual work and simulate the design and modification of production facilities in a virtual environment, and conduct maintenance remotely. The new machine controller offers real-time synchronisation between all automation equipment, including robots, vision components, drives and safety equipment.

26th November 2020

Preparing manufacturing for the new normal

Greg Hookings, Head of Business Development – Digitalisation, Stratus Technologies, looks at how edge computing can prepare manufacturing for the new normal in a post covid-19 world.

24th November 2020

How to reduce cabinet clutter in food production

Food manufacturers can achieve flexible production at minimal labour costs, by adopting automation without cabinets. Stephen Hayes, managing director of Beckhoff Automation UK, explains how food processing operations can be reconfigured with machines that can be transported and moved, more easily and faster than traditional machinery.

24th November 2020

Innovative field shelter delivers off-grid cooling solution for remote basestation

A field equipment shelter fitted with fault-tolerant cooling is ensuring the reliability of a wireless communications link that connects instrument-ation on a new gas pipeline crossing a Middle Eastern desert to the remote control room. Fabricated from tough glassfibre-reinforced polyester (GRP) materials, the shelter houses a TETRA basestation powered by solar panels – in order to function reliably in an off-grid location some 50 km from the nearest town.

24th November 2020

Protection against frost as temperatures drop

Insulation and temperature management in pipes for industrial processing and commercial properties is important all year round. Of course, as the nights draw in and temperatures plummet, facilities managers are often more mindful of the risks of frozen pipes. Lagwell Insulation is a specialist in thermal insulation with many industrial, commercial and public sector customers located around the United Kingdom and Europe. It relies on Spelsberg thermostats to deliver performance and value for many of its frost protection systems.

24th November 2020

Air cooling versus liquid cooling for industrial enclosures

Almost without exception, industrial environments are hostile spaces for electrical equipment; their components don’t react well to high levels of moisture, dust, and heat in the atmosphere. This sensitivity, in turn, affects plant efficiency and will ultimately lower output and profitability. But moisture, dust and heat don’t need to be a concern provided you implement an effective climate control solution for your equipment.

24th November 2020

The CLPA celebrates 20 years of innovations in open network technology

November 2020 marks a significant milestone for the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA), as the organisation will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Over these two decades, the CLPA has been supporting automation vendors and end users worldwide by providing state-of-the-art open network solutions that leverage the latest, most promising technologies, such as Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN).

23rd November 2020

Rittal"s VX25 Ri4Power panels deliver impressive solution for renewable energy project

Rittal was approached by Powerfish, a Scottish-based panel builder and electrical engineering business, with a brief to design and deliver robust, flexible, and easy-to-install panels for a renewable energy customer.

18th November 2020