Engineering Update - Annual Review 2016

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Annual Review 2016

WHAT’S NEW IN

ELECTRONICS L I V E !

R edefining the Tr a de Show E xpe rience What’s New in Electronics Live is open to everyone in the Electronics industry, it will serve as a platform for companies to display new products, to network, to exchange ideas and to re-connect.

Opening up to people of all levels from academia to senior management, Engineers, Directors, CEO’s, Designers, Technicians, Programmers, Business Development Managers, Purchasers and Consultants from every aspect of the world of electronics.

Supported by the industry hub website What’s New in Electronics - a totally unique concept giving the UK Electronics industry and those further afield an independent tool to engage with likeminded people.

Formally National Electronics Week this newly branded event will return to The NEC from 9th – 10th May 2017 and will offer visitors and exhibitors the opportunity to network with key decision makers and industry experts over 2 days.

Contact the team now to find out how What’s New in Electronics Live can compliment your annual marketing campaign and what benefits you get from being an exhibitor or visitor.

www.wnie.co.uk Email: live@wnie.co.uk

Call: + 44 1428 609 382

9 – 10 May 2017 NEC Birmingham

Networking has never been easier Delivering unrivalled visitor engagement Keep the conversation going 24/7 at www.wnie.co.uk

WHAT’S NEW IN

ELECTRONICS

December 2016

Need an innovative solution to knock out your

level control problems?

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Radar technology has revolutionized level measurement in a variety of process industries since the introduction of 4-20mA loop powered, radar-based transmitters in the 1990s. Both guided wave radar (GWR) and non-contact radar have numerous advantages over older, more established level measurement technologies.

Both guided wave radar and non-contact radar have the same general principle of operation (microwave time of flight) and no moving parts. Because of this, users can retrofit these ra¬dar transmitters into various process applications and see improvement in efficiency and accuracy, including applications that use these technologies: • DPs, due to SG shifts, installation cost, and leak points • Buoyancy, due to SG shifts, moving parts, cali¬bration issues, and cost • RF Capacitance, due to cumbersome calibra¬tion, dielectric shifts, and coating issues • Ultrasonics, due to vapor effects, turbulence, and foam Guided wave radar and non-contact radar are related technologies, and together they are a powerful combina¬tion that can cover the majority of your continuous level control needs. A very similar user interface and quick disconnect electronics means that, if you know how to use one, you’ll know how to use the other.

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The Future of

Automated Manufacturing

Automating the manufacturing process is about increasing capacity without increasing headcount, by taking labour cycles out of the design or production processes.

Using a combination of software integration skills and unique software platforms, Man and Machine has a powerful solutions set that can increase efficiency throughout the manufacturing workflow.

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According to an ONS national survey at least two thirds of UK companies will be exploring Automation in the next 2 years.

For more information on automated manufacturing contact Man and Machine on 01844 263700, email marketing@manandmachine.co.uk or visit www.manandmachine.co.uk.

December 2016

CONTENTS Editorial Assistant Jenna Burridge 01843 448 443

Publishing Director

Tony Little 01843 448 443 tony@engineering-update.co.uk

Publication Manager

Tim Johnston 01843 448 443 tim@engineering-update.co.uk

Publishing House Jet Digital Media Ltd The Mill Spratling Court Office Spratling Court Farm Manston Kent CT12 5AN

11662_NERO_New_Advert_Visuals_210x146mm_AW.indd 1

At the forefront of digital marketing, Engineering Update strives to bring its readers the latest in industrial engineering, in a format that provides the best usability and ease of use for it’s readers.

Every monthly issue of the publication brings the latest in news, event information, as well as extensive features that encompass every aspect of the engineering industry.

04 News 08 Editor’s Choice 26 Annual Review 50 Events

www.engineering-update.co.uk

12/05/2015 12:14

Industry News

December 2016

What’s putting off candidates in the engineering sector?

In today’s competitive job market, candidates have quickly become more demanding than ever before, setting off on their job hunt with a strict set of criteria in mind. In fact, according to CV-Library’s recent research, over two thirds (69.2%) of engineering professionals admitted that when it comes to their job hunt, there are areas that they simply wouldn’t be willing to compromise on. Below, I explore the top five areas that would most likely put a candidate in the engineering sector off a job and offer advice on how to tackle this as a business.

Low salaries It goes without saying that pay can be a major deciding factor for any candidate. According to our research, this came top of the list for job hunters. While you won’t always be able to offer sky-high salaries, especially at a time of economic uncertainty, it’s important that you are offering competitive pay and keeping pace with your competitors.

Otherwise, you’ll have no leg to stand on in the race for talent.

Unclear job descriptions A job description which is full of jargon, isn’t clear on the role, responsibilities and necessary skills/experience needed will likely drive a candidate away from your business. In the engineering industry, the technicalities of a role need to be made clear to potential candidates – for both yours and their sake. Keep it clear and concise or risk falling at the first hurdle.

A high staff turnover Candidates can glean a first impression of a company within minutes and there are a range of platforms out there which job hunters can use to find out exactly what it’s like to work in a certain organisation. But, they can also be a platform for individuals to speak negatively about their experiences, or, in this case, your staff turnover. Don’t let your retention issues, affect your attraction methods!

Long recruitment processes Having a lengthy recruitment process is becoming less and less acceptable and often means companies miss out on the best talent because they have already been snapped up by their savvier competitors. Keeping up to date with recruitment trends and changes is extremely important for businesses of all sizes, across the industry.

Lack of opportunity for career progression It’s inevitable that a candidate will ask you about career progression in your company, and our study found that

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engineers place high importance on this. If you aren’t seen to be facilitating exciting career paths then your employees will likely want to look for a promotion, elsewhere. Simply put: allow your employees to progress or risk losing them altogether.

Getting the recruitment process right is highly important and this involves finessing every part of that journey.

From ensuring that your job adverts accurately portray the role in question, to finessing your employer brand: listening to what candidates want is the only way to stay ahead.

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Industry News

December 2016

Informative Guide to Flowmeter Selection Titan Enterprises has published an updated version of its popular ‘Top 10 Tips for Selecting a Flowmeter’ guide.

Available to download from www.flowmeters.co.uk/flowmeters-top-tips.php the document provides informative and unbiased guidance to enable you to select the optimum flowmeter technology for your application.

After discussing why you might need a flowmeter the guide then addresses the total life cost of different types of flowmeter technology, the importance of defining operating parameters (flow rate, line pressure, temperature and measurement accuracy required) and the chemical compatibility considerations of your application. The guide also looks at how your selection of the most appropriate flowmeter often can depend on the system it is intended to be a part of.

To enable you to compare the 10 most common different flow metering technologies pragmatically the guide provides a helpful pentagram graphic representation for each technology to help you match a flowmeter type to your operating parameters, its cost of ownership, ease of use and the level of support it may require.

Finally the guide looks at the importance of following flowmeter installation instructions carefully and offers some helpful troubleshooting checks you can try before having to call out a service engineer to your ‘faulty’ flowmeter. For further information please contact Titan Enterprises on +441935-812790 / sales@flowmeters.co.uk.

With over 40 years’ experience in flowmeter innovation and manufacture, Titan Enterprises philosophy of “pushing the envelope by trying to do things a little different and better” has resulted in sales of over 500,000 products into 40 countries worldwide and a repeat purchase rate of 95%.

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Editor’s Choice

December 2016

Altec Engineering Group Supports Hartlepool College Drive On Engineering Apprenticeships Apprenticeships are a much discussed topic within the engineering sector, fuelled by the government initiative to increase the number of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) opportunities. Further Education establishments are a key part of the apprenticeship programme, providing the essential link between hands on skills and academic achievement. In this interview Darren Hankey, Principal of Hartlepool College of Further Education discusses both the benefits of apprenticeships and the essential role partner employers such as Altec Engineering Group play in supporting the activities of the College. Darren began working in the sector in 1996 and for the College in 2001 as a middle manager before joining the senior team in 2009 and becoming Principal in 2013. His twenty years’ experience in education makes him well placed to comment on the increasing drive towards apprenticeships and the resultant benefits that can be realised for both the apprentice and their employer.

“As Principal I get to meet and work with a diverse range of young individuals who have high aspirations for their future. I work closely with their employers who are equally committed securing the best outcome for their staff. We also have mature students seeking to progress their education and this is also rewarding.” The College aims to provide an apprenticeship programme that meets an individual company’s needs. Altec’s apprentices work 9-5 five days a week and this is where they begin to develop their essential skills for the workplace such as time keeping and organisation. Their average day consists of working in one of the College’s workshops or labs learning their specific trade and this is underpinned by theory lessons which are classroom-based. Once they begin working in their respective organisations, they return for one day a week to continue learning the theory behind engineering. Courses last for three years in total. All apprentices work towards their NVQ Level 3 and can progress on to do their HNC and then move on to working towards their engineering degree.

One question that raises its head with increasing regularity is that of the number of women seeking careers in engineering. Hartlepool has seen a rise in numbers and Darren explains the College’s proactive approach. “We support the Women in Engineering initiative in any way we can, for example this year we hosted a day of activities dedicated to encouraging girls into engineering. We have some fantastic female engineering students currently studying at our College, and several have been the College’s Engineering Student of the Year and the College’s overall Student of the Year - Altec’s Eilish Millar recently gained such recognition. With girls dominating the awards over the past few years, they act as role models for the younger students.”

Industry Links Boost Success The success of the apprenticeship programme at Hartlepool College of Further Education is bolstered by its strong partnerships with key local businesses such as the Altec Engineering Group.

Darren explains: “Partnerships such as this benefit the students, as they gain a high quality experience. Research suggests that if you have exposure to the workplace before the age of 24, you are more productive throughout your working life. For our students, they are not only gaining theoretical knowledge but by working at

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companies like Altec they are gaining valuable life experience. The partnership also benefits Altec, as they gain the skills they need to progress as a business, they can implement a succession planning strategy and ensure they develop with the times. For the College, this means we receive support and funding from the government, and we can enhance the quality of the qualifications we offer, which is the core of our business.”

For students who are unsure whether an apprenticeship is right for them, Darren offers this advice: “Because we work with organisations like Altec, starting an apprenticeship with us more often than not leads to a good job. My background is in economics, so looking at the job market I can understand how difficult it can be to find not just a job, but a good job. Research has found that students who choose an apprenticeship, in most instances, do go on to have a full working life, which in uncertain times is a reassurance.

Another advantage of an apprenticeship is the wage you earn, and you still have the option to progress on to a degree without any of the student debt university students face. Apprenticeships are also very accommodating for different ways of learning.”

Impact of the Apprenticeship Levy From Spring 2017 the way the government funds apprenticeships in England is changing. Some employers will be required to contribute to a new apprenticeship levy, and there will be changes to the funding for apprenticeship training. The apprenticeship levy requires all employers operating in the UK, with a wage bill of over £3 million each year, to make an investment in apprenticeships.

Darren has a view on this and its potential impact on apprenticeships and employers: “I can see where the government is coming from - employers do need to help develop their own staff and to pay for this. As with any change, you have to think of the unintended consequences, which in this case could potentially displace investment in staff and training that would already have taken place.

That said, at Hartlepool College of FE, we will work hard to ensure the new regime works for all of the companies we work with.”

The importance of apprenticeships cannot be underestimated.

Statistics show that currently only around 15% of UK businesses take on apprentices. Ideally Darren would like to see this figure in the 80’s. “I know the economy in the North East is made up of small to medium sized businesses, and one positive aspect of the levy is that many of these businesses will not have to pay it because of their annual revenue. My advice would be to seriously consider taking on an apprentice, and if it seems daunting to get in touch with us. We can offer advice and guidance and join the dots for any employer considering an apprentice.” Clearly with the enthusiasm of individuals like Darren Hankey and the pro-active approach the College takes to promoting apprenticeships and partnering with key local businesses, the North East, with its long standing engineering heritage, will continue to have a ready supply of young, willing and highly trained engineers.

For more information, please contact:- Hannah Steel, Group Marketing Administrator, Altec Engineering Group, Bowburn North, Industrial Estate, Durham, DH6 5PF, Telephone - +44(0)191 377 0555, E-Mail – altec@alteceng.co.uk, Web – www.alteceng.co.uk

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December 2016

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December 2016

At Southern Manufacturing, igus will showcase a wide range of cost-effective, lightweight and maintenance-free bearings and cable management systems for a variety of engineering applications. Visitors to the stand (N97) will see a several inspirational live demonstrations, including the drylin W curved rail system and Compact Rotation Module.

Like all drylin systems, the easy-to-install drylin W curved rails and self-aligning carriages do not require lubrication and therefore run maintenance-free. A pivoting spherical ball, made of the engineering plastic, iglidur J, is used to self-align the carriage for smooth, reliable movement along the rail.

“The innovative design of the drylin W carriage retains its alignment with the rail to eliminate binding, whether it’s travelling along straight linear runs or round tight bends,” explains Robert Dumayne, director of drytech bearings, igus. “This opens up endless possibilities in applications for a wide range of industries, including marine, aerospace and stage technologies.”

igus showcases compact design solutions at Southern Manufacturing The second show highlight on the igus stand will be the new Compact Rotation Module (CRM), an easy-to-install rotary system that guides different types of media – power, signals, data, fibre-optic, pneumatic and oil – through rotational movements of up to 360° degrees in tight spaces. Additional modules enable the angles of rotation to be extended ‘virtually’ indefinitely.

“The combination of rotation and additional modules makes the best choice for rotary systems with high fill weights and limited space,” says Justin Leonard, the-chain director, igus. Target applications for the igus CRM include offshore, stacker and reclaimer systems, bucket-wheel excavators and rotary cranes.

Throughout the show, the igus team will be available on stand N97 to take visitors through the benefits and potential applications of their bearing products and cable management systems, as well as provide insight into the full range of igus products.

To arrange an appointment, please email Megan Campbell: mcampbell@igus.co.uk and for further information, please visit: www.igus.co.uk or call igus directly on 01604 677240. Follow us at twitter.com/igusUK, watch our videos at www.igus.co.uk/YouTube, connect with us at www.igus.co.uk/Facebook and read our blog on blog.igus.co.uk.

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Monitoring the world

December 2016

Enhancing Performance Through Accredited Training There is a distinct focus at present on industry’s pro-active approach to apprentice training, to provide the skills that our manufacturing companies will need in the future.

However, ongoing training in the wide range of disciplines engineers find themselves working within is essential.

This serves not only to hone existing skills and provide individuals with the tools for personal development, but helps to maximise productivity and efficiency through increased knowledge and additional skills.

The challenging economic conditions within which manufacturers currently operate mean that the highest levels of efficiency are essential to maintain what are often tight margins. Unexpected breakdowns and the resultant downtimes will quickly eat into efficiency levels, therefore it is essential that stoppages are dealt with rapidly. This can only be achieved if those responsible for maintenance and repair have the appropriate diagnostics and remedial training. Conscious of the negative effects that lack of training can have, Altec Engineering Group company Quick Hydraulics now offers City & Guilds accredited hydraulic training courses from its North Shields base. Managing Director Andrew Esson reiterated the importance of quality training.

“The power of training cannot be underestimated. As the industry adapts to tricky conditions, companies armed with the best people are more likely to weather the storm with minimal disruption. While cuts are being made in other functions, learning and development cannot suffer.

An investment in employees now will pay dividends.”

The company runs a series of three day Hydraulic Engineering Courses, with increasing technical complexity, designed to take engineers from novice to expert.

A City & Guilds Accredited Programme Certificate is awarded for each course level, to delegates who successfully complete the training. The Hydraulic Engineering Fundamentals course offers a basic grounding in the principles of hydraulics at entry level for technicians and engineers with no prior knowledge of hydraulic engineering and for apprentices, graduates and design engineers.

year, the BPFA officially approved the courses, positioning Quick Hydraulics as the sector leader in hydraulic training.

The driving force behind the development of the comprehensive training courses offered by Quick, and the industry accreditations achieved by the company, is Engineering Director Alan Egglestone.

A highly experienced hydraulic practitioner, Alan is supported by two colleagues with the same hands on hydraulics expertise.

This approach ensures that students have the opportunity to gain the highest levels of knowledge at each stage of their training.

The resultant benefits of structured accredited training are not just limited to the increased skill levels of the individual.

Their employers benefit from an improved safety record through better awareness and knowledge, reduced maintenance times and Increased productivity through a more professional approach to maintenance.

Quick Hydraulics has worked on a number of major hydraulic projects in the North East and across the world for over 35 years.

The company supports its customers from design, through to delivery supplying full hydraulic system installations and hydraulic components providing a 24-hour a day service. Quick Hydraulics has also been providing training to industry professionals in house for over 20 years.

For more information, please contact:- Hannah Steel, Group Marketing Administrator, Altec Engineering Group, Unit 1, Bowburn North Industrial, Estate, Durham, DH6 5PF, Telephone - +44(0)191 377 0555, E-Mail – altec@alteceng. co.uk, Web – www.alteceng.co.uk

The Hydraulic Engineering Failure Analysis and Trouble Shooting course is for students with a basic understanding of hydraulics who wish to develop their hydraulic knowledge. The third and final Hydraulic Engineering Systems Design and Advanced Troubleshooting course is designed for engineering managers and senior engineers who are involved in the design and repair of advanced hydraulic systems.

Quick Hydraulics has also received official endorsement from the British Fluid Power Association (BFPA) for its training programmes. After rigorous inspection earlier this

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(Quick Managing Director Andrew Esson (Left) with Engineering Director Alan Egglestone (right) receive certification from the British Fluid Power Association for the company’s Hydraulic training programmes)

Don’t let Brexit bite you on the bum!

This is Brexit – he’s a wily old boy and likes to catch people when they’re least aware!

Brexit has kind of snuck up on us all and industrial brands are particularly vulnerable. None of us quite know what the implications will be long term BUT, what we do know is that industrial brands MUST be prepared for change and potential new markets and threats.

2017 is the time to: ● Modernise your brand so that it’s primed and flexible ● Get ready to be recognised by all in the market place ● Re-position in readiness to compete effectively ● Get geared up for international markets ● Become more attractive to new employees ● Be prepared and leave your competitors standing!

Don’t get bitten – get ready!

Find out how our proven brand modernisation process has worked for industrial brands all over the UK.

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December 2016

Young engineers named best in the UK Girl power leads the charge UK industry’s most talented learners, apprentices and technicians were crowned Skills Show 2016 champions after three days of intense competition – with six of the seven girls competing in Semta’s engineering competition making it on to the podium.

Katie Goodwill, Rolls-Royce plc and Christine McDowell Belfast Metropolitan College struck gold, Eva Blessing Onyelou, Middlesex University and Hannah Frost UTC Sheffield took silver while Nicole Catney of Belfast Metropolitan College and Kendal Irvine of JCB Transmissions were awarded Bronze in Semta’s engineering competitions, which saw 116 regional heat winners battle it out for medals.

They were among more than 500 talented young people who took part in competitions covering 61 different skills over three days at Birmingham’s NEC in front of thousands of visitors.

Independent judges assessed the work of competitors and the winners were presented with their medals at The Medal Ceremony on Saturday evening (Nov 19).

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Kate Goodwil (l) Emily Whittaker (Semta)

Ann Watson, chief executive of Semta who are the organising partner for 13 of the engineering competitions on behalf of WorldSkills UK said: “It is fantastic to see so many talented young engineers being recognised for excellence and especially pleasing to see more girls than ever before making it on to the podium in our competitions.

“To compete in front of tens of thousands of visitors and then win a medal is a tremendous achievement.

“I am very encouraged by the standards set and congratulate not just the winners but all those who took part, showcasing their skills and hopefully inspiring the next generation into a career in engineering.”

The engineering competitions run by industry skills specialist Semta are: Aeronautical Engineering (Avionic), Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical), CNC Milling, CNC Turning, Industrial Electronics, Mechanical Engineering: CAD, Mechatronics, Robotics, Construction MetalWork, Sheet MetalWork, Welding and the Manufacturing Team Challenge.

Among the many employers represented were JLR, BAE Systems, Airbus Operations, Qinetiq, Toyota,MPI Ltd and Alstom Power.

As well as the competitions at The Skills Show, a series of high profile speakers gave inspiring spotlight talks, seminars and there were Havea-go opportunities in dozens of skills disciplines.

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Manufacturing all forms of processed service our ever growing and diverse customer Based in Harold Wood Essex within 5 minutes toughened base. glass, with comprehensive stocks of of junction 28 of the M25 and half an hour from clear float, low iron, satin, body tinted, mirrors, Manufacturing of processed Central Londonall weforms are ideally situated to laminated glass, acoustic laminated and fire toughened with comprehensive stocks of service our glass, ever growing and diverse customer rated glass. clear float, low iron, satin, body tinted, mirrors, base. laminated acoustic laminated and firein With some ofglass, the most advanced capabilities Manufacturing all forms of processed rated glass. place Firman glass, Glasswith is able to manufacture highof toughened comprehensive stocks quality products for all markets sectors including With float, somelow of the most advanced capabilities mirrors,in clear iron, satin, body tinted, architectural, retail, leisure and place Firman Glass is able to domestic. manufacture laminated glass, acoustic laminated and firehigh

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• Roof Glass,19 lights • Shelving •RM3 Privacy Firman Bates Road, Harold Wood, Romford, Essextechnical OJHoffices or visit www.firmanglass.com Further information is available from our sales and • Balustrades • Glass doors • Technical Support Tel: 01708 374534 Fax: 01708 340511 Email: sales@firmanglass.com •Firman Full height barriers Bates Road,•Harold AcousticWood, reduction Nationwide Glass,19 Romford, Essex• RM3 OJHCoverage • Canopies • Fire rated Tel: 01708 374534 Fax: 01708 340511 Email: sales@firmanglass.com

Further information is available from our sales and technical offices or visit www.firmanglass.com www.firmanglass.com Firman Glass,19 Bates Road, Harold Wood, Romford, Essex RM3 OJH Tel: 01708 374534 Fax: 01708 340511 Email: sales@firmanglass.com

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December 2016

2D CNC CONTINUES EXPANSION PLANS WITH NEW SERVICE APPOINMENT 2D CNC Machinery has expanded its service operation out of the Hinckley Technical Centre and headquarters by appointing Matthew Rae, previously Lead Maintenance Engineer for an aerospace company, who brings control and software plus experience in turning, milling and grinding to the team.

Said Director David Johnson: “Matthew was an apprentice at a boiler manufacturer and then worked in maintenance departments in both subcontract aerospace and automotive sector firms prior to joining a leading UK aerospace and defence systems company. This is an ideal background and experience level we need to support the level of technology we supply and in particular in support of maintenance contracts in the manufacturing cell and systemisation we have installed.”

2D CNC Machinery recently appointed Peter Colledge to increase customer sales support in the south in support of the Mitsui Seiki, Fermat, OKK, Reiden and Wele product ranges plus the specialist automation from the technical alliance between 2D CNC and the French company Halbronn.

In addition to supply of new machine tools and systems engineering, 2D CNC has the internal expertise to source, re-engineer, recondition, and retool grinding equipment such as its close co-operation with Erlson Precision Components in Skelmersdale.

Erlson is the market leader in outsourced produced turbocharger shaft and wheel rotor assemblies where 21 cylindrical, anglehead and groove production grinding machines have been installed, reengineered and retooled by 2D CNC. Said Mr Johnson: “Here Matthew’s experience and skill base in machine tool engineering is important to ensure machines supplied by us are fit-for-purpose and have the productivity, capability and reliability levels required.

www.2dcnc.co.uk 18|

Matthew Rae has joined 2D CNC Machinery’s customer service support team

December 2016

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December 2016

Güdel Brew Up Dual Gantry Robot Solution Bottling plants in modern breweries operate at high speeds, typically between 800 and 1300 bottles per minute. There are many different packaging options for bottled beer, however a significant number of bottles will end up in the traditional plastic beer crates we have come to recognise.

Transferring filled bottles to crates, whilst keeping up with line production speeds, requires multiple bottles to be handled in each cycle.

This in turn means that the payload to be handled can be high with fast transfer speeds required to keep pace. To solve their bottle and crate handling tasks, one major European brewery turned to Gantry robot experts Güdel, to develop an innovative and flexible solution.

The system developed by Güdel for this application comprises of two separate Gantry Robots, mounted to a single overhead framework arrangement which gives a reduced

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footprint to suit the limited floorspace in this part of the plant.

Filled bottles arrive on a wide slat-band conveyor before being collated into groups of 20 (4 x 5) bottles, ready for loading into the crate. The first of the two Güdel gantry robots uses a multi gripper capable of picking up 80 separate bottles in the required configuration simultaneously to fill 4 separate crates together. Empty crates are delivered on a twin roller conveyor system which runs under the bottle line. The robot loads 4 crates on one conveyor, followed by 4 crates on the adjacent one.

When the robot has loaded all 8 crates, they are moved to the second Güdel gantry robot which picks 4 crates at a time and stacks them on a waiting Euro Pallet. Both robots continue to work in sequence to fill crates and build complete pallet loads. Güdel gantry robots were selected for this application

due to the compact configuration of the dual robot system and their reputation for reliably handling heavy payloads with the highest levels of accuracy at high speeds.

Güdel has a number of installations with the Beverage sector, with other systems being used to handle both filled and empty Beer Kegs. In these applications the typical weight of a filled keg is 65Kg, and Gudel gantries can handle a pallet layer (six kegs) quite comfortably if required, or less as shown on the photograph above.

www.gudel.com

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December 2016

Photocentric wins Advanced Engineering’s Enabling Innovation Award with disruptive new additive manufacturing technique Advanced Engineering organisers, Easyfairs, and Enabling Innovation sponsors, Magna International, have announced the winner of the inaugural Enabling Innovation Award for 2016. innovation here in the UK and as part of our global outreach. The need to commercialise inventions into our future products leads Magna R&D to support these types of events and engage with the startup community to help them understand the needs and opportunities within our business.

Advanced Engineering provided a good opportunity to interact with a wide range of technologies and spend valuable face-to-face time with their technology leadership.”

P

hotocentric, the innovative 3D printer manufacturer, was crowned champion after competing against 20 innovative companies who all showcased and pitched their products as part of Advanced Engineering’s Enabling Innovation Zone. As part of the prize, Photocentric is also the recipient of a £5,000 cheque courtesy of Magna International.

Photocentric triumphed with the exciting new technology behind its innovative 3D printer, which operates on daylight sensitive resin, creating the highest definition objects. The technology uses visible light instead of UV, to harden the polymer making custom objects.

The printer simultaneously exposes a layer, allowing the possibility of screens of up to 98” to be used.

This allows industrial items to be printed quickly, at low cost and large volume, to start the era of functional custom-made parts.

Paul Holt, Managing Director at Photocentric, said: “Photocentric is delighted to receive this significant recognition from Magna International. The award for Enabling Innovation for our disruptive new type of 3D printer

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is a great honour. We exhibited at Advanced Engineering thanks to Magna’s support in providing space on their Enabling Innovation stand.

It proved a great success for us. We have invented a new technology for 3D printing using visible light emitted from LCD screens as the image generation source. Our intention is to widen the use of 3D printing by producing a range of much more productive printers, creating functional items at lower cost. We plan to make a massive 4-cubic metre build volume printer for industrial parts and look forward to the day when 3D printing can be used by companies such as Magna to make custom parts for use, rather than just prototyping.”

In addition to Magna’s involvement as sponsor of the Enabling Innovation initiative, Advanced Engineering 2016 enjoyed the support of the Knowledge Transfer Network, which provided dissemination among its academic and industry networks, and additional expertise in judging the competition.

Ian Simmons VP of Corporate R&D at Magna International, stated: “Magna continues its open-forbusiness approach for attracting

Based on the fantastic reception from the industry to this inaugural showcase and awards initiative, Advanced Engineering organisers are now intending to repeat the Enabling Innovation project for next year’s event. Matt Benyon, Managing Director of show organiser Easyfairs said: “We have been thrilled by the response from the industry to our Enabling Innovations initiative, and have been extremely excited to see the scope and volume of innovation that the UK’s SMEs are able to offer.

We are thrilled to be able to offer these companies in their infancy the opportunity to present the most ground-breaking technologies and services to our 13,000-strong audience, full of dedicated buyers. It is a match made in heaven, and just shows how much innovation is on offer in the UK engineering sector, and more than that just, how bright the future looks.

We would like to thank Magna International and the KTN for their continued support of the show and for being such a key part of this excellent show feature” Also competing were several other highly-innovative organisations, each of whom went through a rigorous selection process to secure their place in the Magna-sponsored area of the show.

Read the full story online by clicking here

Mahr

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MAHR UK PLC 19 Drakes Mews, Crownhill Milton Keynes MK8 0ER Tel: 01908 563700, or visit website www.mahruk.com to learn more about Mahr products and services.

December 2016

Precision Acoustics, transducer manufacturer also offers a transducer optimisation facility from their facility in Dorset At the heart of the product range manufactured by Precision Acoustics is its range of ultrasonic transducers. Based on a range of standard casings, the company manufacture customised piezo-ceramic, piezo-polymer and piezocomposite transducers tailored to a customer’s specific requirements.

Customised transducers covering a frequency range from 500 kHz to 50 MHz have also been made for a wide range of environments from laboratory conditions to open-sea.

Although corrosion resistant stainless steel cases are often selected, lightweight aluminium or CT and MRI compatible polymer casing options are available.

Transducer Optimisation From time to time Precision Acoustics are asked to undertake design refinements on pre-existing transducers. This could range from a simple modification through to a comprehensive product review and redesign. It has often been the case that a detailed scientific understanding of ultrasonic transducers, combined with years of experience in hydrophone/ transducer production can lead to significant product enhancements.

To illustrate the type of optimisation work carried out a couple of case studies are presented below: Case Study 1: Haemodynamic Monitoring Transducer Deltex Medical approached Precision Acoustics to undertake some acoustic output measurement on some prototype transducers for their next generation of equipment. The

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results of this and additional third party measurements indicated that the transducers were performing differently from initial expectations.

Precision Acoustics followed this with a design review of the prototype transducers, and this process revealed that impedance mismatch problems were a significant factor in the non-optimal performance of these transducers. Precision Acoustics were then commissioned to design and implement some impedance matching networks for these prototype devices.

Once these networks were installed there was a significant increase of acoustic output of the transducers, as well as a marked improvement in their third harmonic rejection.

Case Study 2: Reference Sources for National standard calibrations Monitoring of acoustic emissions is a rapidly growing industry, but as yet there is little in the way of standardisation. It was felt by the National Physical Laboratory [NPL] (London) that one of the key limitations was the absence of a repeatable, calibrated reference source. Their initial prototype source was found to have some serious limitations, and Precision Acoustics were asked to produce a second-generation device.

The solution that was developed

comprised a transducer casing into which a range of different conical piezo-electric elements could be fixed.

The inter-changeability allowed a number of different configurations to be examined in order to determine the optimum transducer geometry. The entire active assembly was sprung loaded to ensure that the apex of the conical element was always in contact with the calibration test block. Initial results indicate that this re-design shows significant improvement in performance over the original device.

Another branch of NPL needed a reference source for use as part of their hydrophone calibration service.

Existing transducers were only available over limited bandwidth and this was limiting measurement efficiency.

Precision Acoustics produced a customised piezocomposite transducer with sufficient signal to noise ratio that it could be used for calibration in the range 0.1 MHz to 1.6 MHz If you would like further information about Precision Acoustics range of transducers, optimisation and consultancy services, please contact: pa@acoustics.co.uk Tel: +44 1305 264669 www.acoustics.co.uk

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Annual Review

December 2016

Kawasaki Robot UK’s ‘big’ year For Kawasaki Robotics UK this has been a big year in more than one way. Celebrating 20 years in the UK, based at its Warrington headquarters, the business has also introduced two best in class heavy payload robots. Meeting the increased demand for heavy payload handling robots and palletising, the new 1,000kgs MG10HL and the 700kgs CP-700L illustrate how ‘big’ robots can still be compact.

The new CP-700L robot, capable of handling a 700Kgs payload, extends Kawasaki’s fastest in class CP-Series range from three to four payload options.

Palletising has remained an important application area for Kawasaki in the UK and the introduction of CP700-L is a direct result of the globalisation of logistics. Designed to handle heavy cargo in boxes and bags the CP-700L helps to meet the demand to increase efficiency and to handle heavier payloads.

Using the same primary arm components as other CP-series robots makes the CP700L compact and the industry’s lightest weight 700Kgs robot at 1,750 kg. The control unit is the same compact, energy-saving controller seen in other CP-series products.

By adopting this controller and its power regeneration function, which reuses energy generated during deceleration in palletizing operations, this palletizer achieves reduced energy consumption and CO2 emissions.

The MG10HL 1,000kgs payload robot is the new addition to Kawasaki’s heavy payload M-Series range. Addressing an increased demand for handling

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heavy loads, the new MG10HL’s compact design maintains rigidity and accuracy throughout its extensive motion range.

Applications such as handling automotive floor pans, or complete bodies, between processes are ideal for the MG10HL and can be carried out safely, quickly and accurately using minimal floor space. For payloads over the 1,000kgs limit there is also a 1,500kgs option, the MG15HL, available.

The lightweight design uses highrigidity ball screws in conjunction with Kawasaki’s hybrid link mechanisms on joint 2, a parallel link, and joint 3, a serial link. The hybrid link mechanism also removes the need for heavy and bulky counterweights and allows a compact footprint of 1.2mtr x 1.3mtr.

A wide motion range is another benefit of the hybrid link design enabling up to 4.005mtrs horizontal reach and 4.416mtrs vertical reach. Two 5kW motors on each major axes (joints 1-3) deliver high torque and enable high payloads while maintaining the compatibility of motors throughout the M-Series range.

All M-Series robots are designed

to withstand high reactionary torques to the wrist and the MG10HL is no exception; the added benefit of its high-rigidity ball screws on joints 2 and 3 reduce arm deflection and support high positioning accuracy.

Ian Hensman, Kawasaki Robotics’ Sales and Marketing manager points out that the new arms offers the optimal flexibility demanded by

customers today, “The CP Range robots rank as best in class when running the standard industry takt test for large robots and the CP-700L has the fastest throughput in the industry at 900 cycles/h. This will allow faster process cycles and help to speed up palletising for our customers in distribution centres.

“Supporting the high performance of the CP Range are the ‘Green Credentials’ that it offers. We’ve concentrated on making this robot low energy and easy to maintain; more than 90% of all components across the range are identical allowing customers to reduce their parts handling and storage requirements. An integrated hybrid function stores energy from braking utilising it for acceleration and lowering energy consumption overall.”

The CP Range is supplied with the compact Kawasaki E03 controller which is ideal for locating under a conveyor in normally redundant space. Straight-forward programming is also offered when the optional K-SPARC palletising software is used. This enable programmes to be generated offline by selecting the work-piece, pallet and stowage pattern; layout planning and operating simulations can also be performed enabling optimisation of the palletising operation. info@kawasakirobotuk.com www.kawasakirobot.co.uk

Annual Review

December 2016

BVAA’s Future Leaders Programme Back row: Paul Taylor (Heap & Partners), Dave Wild (Alco Valves Group), Dan Lambert (Parker Hannifin), Malcolm Hay (BEL Valves), James Bozward (Spirax Sarco), Lee Brimer (PDL).

Front row: Dave Godfrey (Rotork), Ali Watson (Zoedale), BVAA Chairman David Millar, Lewis McEnteeRichardson (BEL Valves), Elizabeth Waterman (PDL), Nikunj Patel (Severn Unival).

T

he British Valve industry is not supported by any recognised or formal qualifications directly relating to ‘valveology.’

Having an experienced training arm, the British Valve and Actuator Association (BVAA) therefore decided to take matters into its own hands and ‘grow its own’ Future Leaders.

Throughout 2016, BVAA been running a pilot programme to develop a small group who were identified by their employers as having the right qualities and potential to become leaders within their own organisations.

This small group has been put through a number of activities designed to help them FastTrack their experiences within the industry, hone their personal skills and knowledge, etc., but without having to change jobs or employers so-called ‘silo-busting.’

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The BVAA programme comprised a series of days set at each one of the candidates’ premises, where they and their colleagues educate their cohort in a particular specialism, activity or area of excellence in which their company excels. In addition to this dozen or so days, the group also received a series of personal development courses to help round them individually.

BVAA also provided opportunities for the group to expand their personal network of contacts, offered free technical training courses and arranged experience days at centres of excellence serving the valve industry, such as the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Sheffield, the Nuclear AMRC, The Welding Institute, the inspiring AMRC ‘Factory 2050’ and a visit to a valve foundry, Noel Village.

BVAA Director Rob Bartlett commented, ‘There was a strong emphasis on “you drive, we assist” that is to say the group was tasked with arranging the extra activities themselves, further enhancing their organisational skills and encouraging them to take the initiative, discuss and specify what experiences and additional material they felt would help them develop.’

A full round up on the Future Leaders Programme was presented by the current cohort to the BVAA membership as part of the Association’s AGM celebrations on November 18th 2016, whereupon the cohort received awards in recognition of their efforts. www.bvaa.org.uk

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Annual Review

December 2016

Connector trends Smaller, faster, safer, and more powerful. No, these words aren’t describing the newest sports car but the future trends in connectors and connectivity.

The automation industry is looking for solutions that enable machines and systems to be easily adapted to global production requirements as well as local customer specifications.

t

rends and requirements born out of the Industry 4.0 revolution also influence the connectivity level of a machine or system. As customers demand customized solutions and higher flexibility, industrial automation components should reflect these demands. Today, connectors and cables are developed to enable individual production procedures within the context of serial processes. In order to fulfill these requirements, products must be smaller, faster, safer, and more powerful.

One clear trend is the need for data connectors that facilitate the interconnectivity of components. It doesn’t matter if it’s RJ45 or M12 X-coded, these high-performance connectors are in the forefront of building machines and designing systems. The accurate transmission of data and power in one, preassembled hybrid cordset, like the M12 Y-coded connector, is a new industry standard.

It’s important that these components remain compact and small, but along with the size, the connector has to be resistant to vibration.

Rugged environments put high demands on products, and connectors should be easy to connect and maintain their seal.

Connectors are currently being developed that enable machines and systems to become modular. With customer’s increasing demands that solutions be customizable and flexible, connectors and cables have to make these machine requirements a reality. Heavyduty connectors that bundle many different lines, including hydraulic, pneumatic, data, and power, are leading the industry for modular machine and system applications. These components make it easy for machines to be disassembled, transported, and reassembled quickly and error-free; they also enable manufacturing facilities to reconfigure their shop floor based on changing customer demands.

In the new industrial revolution, products are becoming “smarter.” Key topics like preventative maintenance and early warning systems are integrated into every level of a machine or system today and will only become more pervasive in the future. The connectivity level is no different. In the future, connectors and cables should be able to notify maintenance staff that they are nearing the end of their lifetime and need to be changed out. Notifications like this are cost-effective and can dramatically increase uptime within a machine or system.

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M12 X-Coded Industrial Ethernet applications require continuously higher transfer rates. High speed vision systems that generate a high data volume are a prime example.

• M12 technology for Industrial Ethernet applications • 10 Gbit/s data transfer rate according to Cat. 6 A (ISO/IEC 11801) Smart Core Defective cordsets in drag chains and robot tube packages are one of the main causes of unplanned downtimes.

‘SmartCore Technology’ lets you know when they are about to fail due to a feature called that now makes cables and cordsets intelligent!

• Joint research project with Murrelektronik, Nexans, and Leuze Electronic • Preventative maintenance integrated into connector and cable • Diagnostic warning system when the cable has reached around 80% of its lifetime Modlink Vario Modlink Vario is a modular media connector to couple and decouple pneumatics, fluids and electronics with just one system. It is designed for convenient use at control cabinets, tools and machine parts.

• Different media can be coupled simultaneously and while pressurized • Freely-configurable couplings • Full metal housing

M12 Y-Coded Applications are focusing more and more on the installation costs. The concept transferring both data and power with only one cable helps reduce components and efforts.

• 100 Mbit/s data transfer according to Cat. 5e (ISO/ IEC 11801, Class D) • Power transfer up to 2× 6 A MQ15 X Power Compact and powerful connector that provides safe connections for up to 7.5 kW asynchronous and three phase motors.

• 3 power contacts up to 16 A • 2 auxiliary contacts up to 10 A, PE • Quick connect technology enables large number of connections in shorter time M12 Power T, S, L and K Coded Reliable solution for cordsets to linear drives, stepper motors as well as power supply lines for field bus modules. It presents a highly suitable alternative to 7/8" cordsets in applications that require high power density in compact installation spaces.

• High Loads per pin: 63 V /16 A or 630 V /12 A • Universal M12 contact ideal for global applications • Integrated antivibration lock

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Annual Review

December 2016

Accreditation: Engineering reliability and compliance The engineering industry is under increasing pressure from the government and society to comply with a number of regulations relating to the environment, health and safety and quality.

To these ends, it is imperative that machines work at peak efficiency and are regularly checked for flaws.

Engineering inspection has been a vital part of industrial life for over 150yrs. An entirely separate but still integral part of any sound maintenance regime, engineering inspection is the mechanism that ensures both employee and public safety and guards against business interruption and damage. It is also an essential element of meeting statutory, regulatory and operational requirements.

The industrial revolution was responsible for laying the foundations of the procedures, regulations and organisations that protect so many today. By modern standards, Victorian steam boilers were extremely unreliable and failure usually involved a catastrophic explosion, leading to loss of life and facilities. The solution was to employ someone who really knew boilers and was competent to check that the equipment was up to scratch. One of the first such inspectors was none other than Robert Stephenson, the inventor of the first steam rail locomotive.

Today the UK has several

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thousand highly skilled engineer surveyors, whose practical experience and technical expertise make them qualified to carry out these vital checks. Many of these engineer surveyors work for companies that have been accredited

by The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), and are members of national engineering inspection associations such as the Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed).

Modern machinery is far more advanced and used in a much wider range of processes than originally envisioned. Consequently independent inspection is now a far more sophisticated process and has developed to cover a wider range of industries and processes: from manufacturing plant, lifting and pressure equipment, to energy installations, gas pipelines and offshore installations, to the carriage of dangerous goods, cargo and preshipment inspection.

at its best, the role of UKAS accreditation is to offer assurance that the engineer-surveyor is competent to deliver reliable inspection results.

Accreditation continues to ensure that industry can have confidence in the inspection services they procure. Using accredited inspection services helps to minimise risk, reduce costs, demonstrate credibility and maintain a hardearned reputation.

Just as the purpose of the engineer-surveyor is to ensure that the equipment is fit for purpose and working

In an uncertain post Brexit landscape, the international recognition of accreditation could prove to be vital for facilitating trade, both in the UK and abroad.

Annual Review

December 2016

For a free quote +44 (0)1903 700651 sales@tmethermometers.com www.tmethermometers.com

IChemE Forms of Contract For over 45 years IChemE have partnered with experienced industry professionals to publish their acclaimed UK and international Forms of Contract.

The Red Book – Lump Sum Contract The Green Book – Reimbursable Contract The Burgundy Book – Target Cost Contract The Yellow Book – Subcontract The Brown Book – Subcontract for Civil Engineering Works The Orange Book – Minor Works The Silver Book – Professional Services Agreement The contracts are available to purchase in hard copy, printable PDF, view only PDF and editable word document formats.

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www.icheme.org/foc |33

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Annual Review

December 2016

TR Fastenings’ New Website: The Go-To Resource for Engineers TR Fastenings (TR), the leading global manufacturer and supplier of industrial components, has launched a new website as an essential resource for engineers, designers and buyers. As a leading global assembly partner, TR supplies in excess of 50 billion components to the automotive, electronics, technology, telecoms, domestic appliance and general industrial sectors.

The company’s new website, www.trfastenings.com, features an online catalogue of TR’s broad portfolio of products, an extensive Engineering Knowledge Base, plus details of the key services and technical support available to its customers – from engineering and design through to specification, manufacturing, quality and logistics.

With the new site’s intuitive navigability and powerful search tool, it has never been easier for customers to find the product or service they require. Users can simply search for the product or range they are seeking and will be directed to the items available.

Extensive product portfolio

Once the product and size has been selected, users can view, download and share a dynamically generated 2D drawing for that part including all related dimensional data, download the related 3D model in a number of formats, and save the part to the enquiry basket.

Designed for ease of navigation, TR’s website carries an online catalogue of more than 50,000 products, which is constantly being added to.

The site lists TR’s own branded range of products, including Hank self-clinch fasteners and rivet bushes, self-locking nuts, inserts and screws for plastic, blind rivets and rivet nuts, plastic fasteners and cable management products, as well as screws, nuts, washers and specially manufactured parts.

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• Step-by-step animated installation guides • Tooling requirements and related technical information • Detailed performance data • Material and finish specifications

Detailed technical information

In addition, the website carries an extensive Engineering Knowledge Base, featuring: • A comprehensive range of 2D/3D fastener models available to download

• Fastener standards and comparison tables The new website will be continually updated with more features, including a customer portal and specialist technical articles, ensuring users will have access to up to date information every time they revisit the site.

For more information on how TR Fastenings can help provide fastenings solutions for your business, please call 08454 811 800 or email sales@trfastenings.com

More

More

Features

Products

More

Data Global engineering, manufacturer and distributor of industrial fastenings and Cat C products.

www.trfastenings.com

The go-to place for Engineers, Designers & Buyers T: 08454 811 800 | E: sales@trfastenings.com |89

Annual Review

December 2016

C

onnect to experts, specialist support and facilities

If you have an idea for an innovative product or service, you can get help from Innovate UK to develop it and make it successful.

Innovate UK can help you access expertise, specialist support and facilities. You can: • find partners locally, nationally and internationally • attend networking and collaboration events • get advice on funding opportunities and applying • get help to attract investors • get help to understand the future market for your innovation • get help to understand how to make your business innovate successfully • get expert knowledge from universities and research organisations Innovate UK can also help you access funding and finance

We are the UK government’s innovation agency, we work with people, companies and partner organisations to find and drive the science and technology innovations that will grow the UK economy

We have helped thousands of businesses grow, from start-ups to established large businesses with new innovative ideas.

View our success stories to find out more.

H

K

E

This support is available for all UK based companies - from pre-startup to large multi-nationals. You may also be able to get help if you are an individual or an organisation.

KTN can help you:

If you are a small to medium-sized enterprise, EEN can help you:

ow to access Innovate UK support

Innovate UK provides support through 2 innovation networks. These are the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) and Enterprise Europe Network (EEN).

nowledge Transfer Network (KTN)

• connect with experts outside your usual networks and industry • link with academics, government and funding opportunities • access support and intelligence to develop your innovation strategy • exploit your ideas and capabilities • find the right support you need Find out more about the KTN and join (http://www.ktn-uk.co.uk/)

To keep up to date on all our opportunities sign up to our email newsletter

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nterprise Europe Network

• find new markets for your products • find new ways of sourcing, selling or licensing technology • connect to new partners for commercial, technology and R&D collaborations • to be investment ready and understand how to access funding and finance • with one to one tailored specialist support to improve the way you manage innovation • understand how to protect your intellectual property • with support and coaching to increase your capability to innovate and grow Find out more about the Enterprise Europe Network

December 2016

nanoDAQ The Ultimately Miniaturised Pressure Scanner

Equally at home in a wind-tunnel model or aboard the real thing, nanoDaq provides the solution for accurate correlation of scale or CFD with full size data.

The difficulties of predicting the effects of scale on wind tunnel pressure measurements are now swept away by a pressure scanner that is suited to model or on-vehicle applications. Similar systems are also available for flight test. Acquisition parameters are configured on nanoDaq’s embedded web server, which gives the user complete control over the chosen measurement strategy.

32 Channel Scanner

Engineering Unit Output

Up To 5kHz Per Channel Measurements Sealed & Vibration Tested To D0160F Complete With IEEE 1588 PTP V2

User Configured Absolute Or Differential

Output Over Ethernet (100Mbit TCP/UDP) & CAN Chell Instruments Ltd www.chell.co.uk info@chell.co.uk +44 (0) 1692 500555

“The Right Connection” For your hygienic process

Fittings, Tube & Adapters Manual & Actuated Valves Food & Beverage Hose Assemblies Bespoke Design and Fabrications

Tel: +44 (0)1772 323529 Email: sales@dixoneurope.co.uk www.dixoneurope.co.uk for global service locations

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Teamwork for success New Ethernet extender system Use the Ethernet extenders to connect Ethernet networks up to 20 km via 2-wire cables per Plug and Play. Managed and unmanaged Ethernet extenders can be combined in one network, enabling economical diagnostics of all devices and paths via IP.

For additional information call 0845 881 2222 or visit phoenixcontact.co.uk/extender

ION03-16.001.L1 Š PHOENIX CONTACT 2016

December 2016

Annual Review

Intelligent Ethernet extender system

Phoenix Contact’s Ethernet extender system allows managed and unmanaged extenders to be connected at a distance of up to 20 kilometers using plug-and-play technology for the first time. This integration enables diagnosis of all subscribers and lines via IP as well as cost-effective connection of extensive IP networks.

U

nmanaged Ethernet extenders are already being used to make IP communication possible in extensive Ethernet networks. Networks are connected using existing twisted pair cables. Automatic topology and bit rate detection saves time and money on commissioning. Another significant advantage of the system is that it can be expanded during operation and supports more than just point-to-point and linear topologies.

A redundant ring function ensures uninterrupted IP communication, especially in extensive applications that require high system availability.

The managed Ethernet extender can also be used to diagnose the unmanaged Ethernet extender centrally via IP. This means that the system not only responds to changing conditions, it also issues warnings about unexpected events such as line weakening. Status, warning and error messages can be automatically forwarded to the control center via SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol). Additionally, the built-in intelligent Plugtrab PT-IQ surge voltage protection system from Phoenix Contact monitors functions preventively to ensure high system availability. Simple and stable IP networking using Ethernet extenders is now more economical than ever thanks to this innovative combination of managed and unmanaged Ethernet extenders in one network. www.phoenixcontact.co.uk info@phoenixcontact.co.uk

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Annual Review

December 2016

The Infinity® products encompass a comprehensive range of energy efficient, environmentally friendly and economical products all of which are ErP Compliant.

I

Infinity® fans have integral trickle and boost controllers to allow them to run continuously at their most effective supply/extract capacity. The user can boost to maximum airflow as and when required by means of a variety of remote switches. The range includes cabinet fans, both single and twin fans, direct drive air handling units with airflows from 0.001 to 1.57 m3/sec for EHB or LPHW heating, and direct drive heat recovery units - again for EHB or LPHW heating delivering up to 0.93 m3/sec. All of these models are available for internal or external installation. Every unit is built in the UK using the latest technology and with EC motors for the ultimate in energy saving and low specific fan powers.

To complete and complement the Infinity® range AVT has developed a series of low profile, direct drive, heat recovery units. There are six models in this range ranging from 250mm to 500mm in height and with airflows from 0.09 to 0.55 m3/ sec. These products have all the benefits of the other models in the Infinity® range, but have the added advantage allowing heat recovery units to be installed in the tightest of spaces.

AVT can supply a complete range of accessories including silencers, attenuators, pressure switches, filters, anti-vibration mounts etc, as well as step control panels and electric heater batteries.

The Infinity® range allows compliance with all the latest building regulations, and in particular are ErP Directive Compliant. Every unit is built in the UK using the latest technology and with EC motors for the ultimate in energy saving and low specific fan powers All models are super quiet with high performance acoustic linings.

Tel: 01264 356415 Sales@airventtechnology.co.uk www.airventtechnology.co.uk

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December 2016

Annual review

New factory extension at WERMA Signaltechnik nears completion WERMA Signaltechnik is headquarted in the village of Rietheim-Weilheim in the Black Forest region of South West Germany.

The factory, first established in the early fifties, has grown steadily over the years as WERMA has grown to be one of the leading manufacturers of optical and audible signal devices in the world.

The new building has a modern yet unobtrusive look and feel to it which blends in perfectly with the local environment. The extensive use of large glass panels give the building a spacious and open feel and at the same time afford passers-by on the main road a glimpse into the facilities.

Project running to schedule The first part of the project, to extend the production facility by 4.100sqm is on time and is already in use. The moulding shop moved in January 2016 followed by the assembly lines, electronics shop and tool-room. WERMA CEO Matthias Marquardt comments “I am particularly proud that during the construction and move there was no damage to persons or property despite the fact that whole departments and manufacturing facilities were moved around” Manufacturing Director Erich Martin continues proudly that “the move was

completely problem-free and we didn’t suffer from any production hold–ups, all down to immaculate planning which meant that our customers didn’t notice a thing, which is as it should be.”

A building with great character Not only is the new extension a real delight to the eye, it fits in perfectly architecturally and logistically with the existing building and the spacious, light and airy workshops afford bright and comfortable working conditions.

The building has been designed to maximise resource efficiency and sustainability with a state of the art recycling heating system which regenerates the heat captured from the manufacturing processes, recycles it and thus no additional heating facilities had to be deployed in the extension. An intelligent aircon and heating system together with LED lighting throughout rounds off the environmentally sustainable concept.

Securing the future of the facility WERMA CEO Matthias Marquardt is especially pleased that the building extension will make a significant contribution to the security and growth and development of the

company in Rietheim. “As a responsible employer we have tried over the years to expand our business and afford an optimal workplace for our staff. Not all areas in the new extension are occupied yet and we look forward in the coming years to grow and fill them with “life”. Erich Martin adds “building construction-wise we have planned for every conceivable expansion in the future and we quickly came to the decision to create the extension form one single large “mould” rather than have to continually add bits on at later dates.”

Construction work continues During the course of the next few weeks further internal changes will happen as the packing and despatch area is moved.

The external areas will be landscaped, new parking area created and a high-tech bike park erected. This will be a covered area for up to 40 E-bikes, pedelecs and bicycles designed to encourage staff to take a healthier and environmentally cleaner route to work.

The goal is to have completed all construction work by the end of 2016 so that the building extension can be inaugurated officially in the summer of 2017.

Further information can be found on www.werma.com

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December 2016

SEAMLESS

INDUSTRIAL FLOORING

Resurfacing of badly worn floors and new build installations Impact, abrasion and point load resistance Anti-static, anti-bacterial, slip resistant, chemical resistant & suitable for heavy traffic plus high bay category one and two Fast installation for minimum downtime Integrate corporate colour schemes, colour matching and corporate logos into the same hardwearing and durable flooring For a complete Nationwide service from FREE survey and recommendations, to preparation and installation with single source, uncomplicated warranties‌

Call 01952

740400 or visit us online.

RESPOL - innovative flooring solutions GUARANTEED!

www.industrialflooring.co.uk 42|

PTS Ltd have over 18 years experience managing a growing number of customer production lines on-site to ensure ‘just-intime’ delivery. We offer many variations of Direct Line Feed management to suit individual needs.

Plating We have the facilities to plate standard and special screws in most materials.

The most popular of these is our ‘Touch-Dry’ ChemiBlack process, currently used by an increasing number of customers in high-tech industries.

Also known as ‘Black Oxide’, the finish is so thin it does not affect any dimensional tolerances.

Other finishes offered include Gold, Nickel, Silver and Zinc (Rohs Compliant).

Patchlocking Ideal for vibration resistance and added torque performance. We offer a number of options to suit your requirements.

Screw Modifications We provide a modification service for our customers from 1.6mm diameter fasteners upwards to customer drawings and specifications. This can be a cheaper and faster option than manufacturing, especially where smaller quantities are concerned.

Telephone: +44(0)1342 410758

Fax: +44(0)1342 311464

eMail: sales@pts-uk.com

www.pts-uk.com

December 2016

WHITE PAPER – ACHIEVING THE BENEFITS OF LED UV CURING – FROM INTERTRONICS ENSURING SUCCESS WHEN SWITCHING FROM CONVENTIONAL LAMP TO LED LIGHT CURING SOURCES IS A NEW WHITE PAPER AVAILABLE FROM INTERTRONICS AT WWW.INTERTRONICS.CO.UK/WHITEPAPERS.

It is authored by their sales Partner Dymax. Explains Intertronics M.D. Peter Swanson: “Because of the differences in the technology, making the switch in UV curing equipment from broad spectrum lamps to LED curing sources is seldom a matter of simply replacing the conventional lamp with an LED-based unit.”

This is a specialist area for both Intertronics and Dymax, as they have considerable experience in helping manufacturers through the process of achieving the considerable benefits of using LED-based UV/visible light curing equipment. It is important to understand the implications of replacing conventional, broad spectrum UV/visible light curing equipment with an LED system, which by nature has a narrow bandwidth output. Light curing materials such as adhesives, potting compounds or conformal coatings which have been formulated

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to cure with broad spectrum lamps may not cure as expected with a LED UV curing lamp.

The white paper looks at how LED UV curing works, and its advantages. It helps understand how to specify the curing equipment, and how to optimise the curing process by matching the equipment with the material to be cured. With attention to detail, understanding of the compatibility of all the process elements, and appropriate adjustments to manufacturing process, it is possible to achieve a successful transition to LED UV light cure technology and maximise the benefits.

The white paper can be downloaded at www.intertronics.co.uk/whitepapers or visit the Intertronics blog at www.adhere.uk.com

December 2016

SIMPLE, POWERFUL

INNOVATIVE CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS

AND AFFORDABLE

Discover more at: ELECTRONICA, 8 - 11 Nov, Hall B2 Booth 219 email Sales@fischerconnectors.co.uk or call +44 (0)23 9245 9600

WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED FROM YOUR MAINTENANCE SOFTWARE? How about flexibility, easy configuration and integration into existing business systems?

Pack more functionality into your devices

With Agility you get all these benefits and more, delivering value right across your organisation.

Choose Agility and you’re choosing to put yourself in control.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

MiniMax 06

The newest, smallest Fischer MiniMaxTM provides up to 12 power and signal contacts in just 10mm

New

VISIT OUR WEBSITE OR CALL 01924 200344 TO ARRANGE YOUR FREE SYSTEM REVIEW AND AGILITY DEMONSTRATION TODAY. www.softsolsgroup.com

Single Fiber FO1

Increase the speed and volume of data transfer over long distances. High optical performance with easy y cleaning.

www.benchvent.com | 01423 790039 | info@benchvent.com

New

Rugged Flash Drive

Safe transport and storage of sensitive data.

IP68/IP69 sealing. Up to 128Gb. USB 3.0

New

THE RELIABLE EXPERT

www.fischerconnectors.com

Designed and manufactured in the UK for a healthier working environment. All products are independently tested and proven 99% effective in the removal of fumes, odours, paint and glue overspray and dust particles in an enclosed environment.

Speak to the experts on 01423 790039 to find our more about BenchVent and how they can help your workspace work for you.

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December 2016

As part of its continuous development and growth, Martindale Electric is pleased to announce it has relocated to new larger premises, which will enable the company to further enhance its service to customers.

Martindale Electric Moves

In The Right Direction Bringing together sales, marketing, manufacturing, product development and training together under one roof, the new building also provides new calibration, repair and training facilities which will enable Martindale Electric to provide even higher levels of customer service, whilst continuing to build on its leading position in safe isolation and electrical safety.

Located less than 100m from its current location, the new modern building occupies a prominent position at the head of Imperial Way, Watford and offers easy access to the M25 and M1. Fitted with the latest LED lighting and a heat recovery ventilation system, the new environmentally friendly building provides an ideal working environment and even has a 24 hour gym next door.

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Founded in 1928, Martindale Electric is one of the most trusted brands in electrical safety testing with a reputation for providing innovative and time-saving electrical measurement solutions for electricians and service professionals.

Offering a market leading range of voltage testers, proving units, socket and continuity testers, Martindale Electric products include a comprehensive range of 17th edition installation testers, PATs and electrical and environmental test tools.

Leading the way in safe isolation, Martindale Electric provides simple and reliable solutions to ensure that circuits have been de-energised and properly isolated prior to maintenance and modifications.

December 2016

Powerful solutions from Relec Electronics Relec is no newcomer to the electronics scene having been set up in 1978. Based in Dorset the company focuses on providing specialist products to the electronics industry.

The product range offered by Relec includes: AC DC power supplies

EMC filters

ISO 9001 accreditation

From 1W PCB mount units to chassis mounted power supplies in the range up to 5.4kW output power.

DC DC converters Converters in the range 1 – 550W with input ranges from 3 up to 400Vdc and output voltages from 0.8Vdc upwards.

DC AC inverters

A broad range of EMC filters from 1A to 1100A for a variety of single and three phase applications, chokes and inductors for noise suppression and transient immunity protection, as well as power entry modules (PEMs) to combine IEC power entry with EMC noise suppression filters and Immunity.

Switches

A comprehensive range of single and three phase sine wave inverters.

Displays

A range of vandal-proof panel mount switches including both piezo (illuminated and non-illuminated) and mechanical switches.

Expert service on hand A high quality range of TFT panels and touch panels with options of screen enhancement for optimum clarity.

Given the rigorous safety and quality requirements of the electronics industry Relec also has a dedicated QA department to help ensure that the highest possible levels of pre- and after-sales care can be offered.

The company offers much more than just the usual services you might expect from a distribution organisation. This begins with the staff – all of the sales and technical support staff are qualified engineers with years of experience behind them to ensure that they can deliver to the client the service that is expected.

One of the company’s areas of expertise is in the railways industry and is particularly proud to have become one of the first companies of its type to have been granted ISO 9002 in 1991 and then ISO 9001 in 2000.

Value added product services Relec has long recognised that whilst many customers are very happy to be able to find and select “off the shelf” solutions, an increasing number of projects require customisation of the base product or one stop shopping of a complete solution. Relec has a subcontract manufacturing service which enables the company to offer a wide range of additional benefits such as sub-assemblies and customised finished products. The choice of leading brands and products offered often means that complementary products can be knitted together in to a turnkey solution and enables the customer to obtain all of his requirements from just the one source, Relec.

If you want to learn more about the products and services offered by Relec Electronics please get in touch: Tel: 01929 555700 www.relec.co.uk sales@relec.co.uk

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December 2016

Three new water sector innovations from VEGA

VEGA WL 61 radar sensor and VEGAMET 391 controller are now MCERTS approved for open channel flow measurement

MCERTS radar VEGA are proud to announce their radar-based system has gained MCERTS approval for open channel flow measurement. The MCERTS scheme, overseen by the Environment Agency, ensures high quality, approved equipment is available to maintain reliable, accurate measurements by end users. Rigorous quality, performance and system tests are undertaken to attain this standard. Why use radar level? Because of its direct application benefits - a precise level measurement is crucial on any OCF system, as the smallest errors are magnified through subsequent exponential flow calculations. Radar technology is immune to temperature (solar or air influenced), condensation, dirt or build up on transducers, wind or surface conditions, so a radar-based system can deliver a more reliable and accurate flow measurement.

New radar water level sensor from £390 The new VEGAPULS WL S 61 contactless radar level sensor is designed for applications in WTW’s, STW’s, pumping stations, CSO’s, digesters, sludge tanks, open channel flow measurement and telemetry gauging stations.

The very competitive price combines with globally-proven success, as it joins the VEGAPULS WL61 water radar, which already has 40,000 units installed world-wide. Radar is an interesting technology for the water and environmental sector as it is unaffected by sun (temperature change) wind, fog or rain, surface turbulence, vapours, condensation, which means it is highly versatile and reliable.

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VEGAPULS WL S 61 fully featured and an amazing price

This new fully featured ‘S’ version is loop-powered, has 5mm accuracy, 8m range and flexible mounting options. Its Bluetooth® set up (via free IOS or Android App for smartphone or tablet) or PC (free FDT/ DTM download) provides easy, safe and convenient operation. IP 68 (2 bar) submersible housings with 12m sealed cable offer robust protection. Utilising a 10 degree focused beam angle, means it meets the latest EN Level Probing Radar (LPR) standard for open-air use.

One off VEGAPULS WL S 61 radar sensor is £460, and £390 for 10+ units – all devices fully featured, no additional accessories required or usage restrictions.

Bluetooth® - back to the future!

As well as being standard on new water radars, Bluetooth® can now be supplied as an option on all VEGA level measurement technologies. It enables fast, safe and convenient set up and asset management via smart phone, tablet or PC. That’s not all, due to the modular design of the unique plics® system, any level or pressure transmitter from this plics® range supplied since launch in 2002 can be retro fitted with this latest in set up and asset management communications.

That’s Looking Forward! www.vega.com

AMD FirePro W7100 Workstation Graphics The Ultimate Engineering and Media & Entertainment Solution “The last iteration of AMD cards have been very compute-focused. They’ve run our software an order of magnitude faster.” - Michael Lancaster, Managing Director, The Pixel Farm

“The AMD FireProTM W7000 is phenomenal and now the W7100 is giving me a further 15 – 20% increase in speed.

A couple of years ago such performance would have been completely out of our budget.” - Steve Pearson, Lead Partner and Chief Designer, Wills Wing

• 8GB GDDR5 Memory (256GB/s) • 1792 GCN Stream Processors • 3.3 TFLOPS single precision • DirectX® 12 and OpenGL® 4.4 • Supports OpenCL™ 2.0 • 4 x DisplayPort 1.2a

Elmtec is a UK distribution partner for AMD FirePro, contact for more information.

E: sales@elmtec.co.uk

T: 01844 263750

W: www.elmtec.co.uk

Events

December 2016

Engineers to Debate

Future of Infrastructure and Flood Resilient Cities Civil Engineers will debate the future for cities and infrastructure at the forthcoming Flood and Coast Conference and Exhibition in March. With the Environment Agency’s warning to expect more flood and coastal erosion in the years to come, it has become essential to plan and mitigate the ever increasing and devastating impacts.

D

avid Wilkes of Arup global flood resilience leader and exhibitor at the event in March said “There needs to be a genuine and meaningful debate about land-use, a tolerance of flooding risk, about how the buildings and public spaces link, about roads, parks, cycle ways and footpaths and other infrastructure will work in normal times and in times of flood.”

John Curtin The Environment Agency’s Executive Director of Flood and Coastal Risk Management said “I think there is a misunderstanding of just how much soft engineering we do. Government is investing £2.5 Billion in six years in flood risk capital schemes. A lot of people think that is primarily walls and barriers but there is an awful lot of soft engineering involved. So if you take the new Oxford scheme, for example, the Thames going through Oxford is a braided network

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of rivers and it would be very difficult to create lots of walls without destroying the community’s relationship with the river. The Oxford Scheme is looking at the flood plains to the west of the city and deepening and widening the channel. That is an example of an engineering approach but its not about building walls.”

Flood and Coast 2017’s advance programme has just been announced and some of the conference topics include; •

Is your infrastructure your most important asset? What strategies can be used to protect it against flood?

•

Managing the risks to rail and road bridges from scour

•

Learning from international cities' approaches to flood risk

•

What does the future hold for FCRM asset management?

Full programme can be viewed on www.floodandcoast.com/cprog.php Flood and Coast is convened by the Environment Agency, and draws key stakeholders from the flood and coastal erosion risk management (FCRM) community, including local authorities, civil engineers, infrastructure owners, consultancies, utility companies, contractors, businesses, community groups and universities. There will also be over 150 senior Environment Agency Staff on hand at the exhibition and during the conference.

The Exhibition and a series of seminars in the exhibition theatre are both free to attend. The main conference taking place across three days will have passes available for individual days or for all three days.

Conference attendance charges are competitively priced and can be found early December when Registration Opens on www.floodandcoast.com

Exhibition and Conference CONVENED BY

The UK’s largest gathering of Flood and Coastal Risk Management Professionals, led by the Environment Agency attendees include local authorities, civil engineers, infrastructure owners, emergency services, consultancies, utility companies, contractors, manufacturers, community groups, flood research consultants and universities.

EVERYONE’S GOING– ARE YOU?

RISK RESILIENCE AND RESPONSE IN A CHANGING CLIMATE Telford International Centre, 28-30 March 2017 SPONSORS GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

SUPPORTERS

For further information: Tel: 0330 088 1417 Email: info@floodandcoast.com www.floodandcoast.com

@floodandcoast

www.linkedin.com/groups/8348972

WHAT’S NEW IN

ELECTRONICS L I V E !

Redefining the Trade Show Experience What’s New in Electronics Live is open to everyone in the Electronics industry, it will serve as a platform for companies to display new products, to network, to exchange ideas and to re-connect.

Opening up to people of all levels from academia to senior management, Engineers, Directors, CEO’s, Designers, Technicians, Programmers, Business Development Managers, Purchasers and Consultants from every aspect of the world of electronics.

Supported by the industry hub website What’s New in Electronics - a totally unique concept giving the UK Electronics industry and those further afield an independent tool to engage with likeminded people.

Formally National Electronics Week this newly branded event will return to The NEC from 9th – 10th May 2017 and will offer visitors and exhibitors the opportunity to network with key decision makers and industry experts over 2 days.

Contact the team now to find out how What’s New in Electronics Live can compliment your annual marketing campaign and what benefits you get from being an exhibitor or visitor.

www.wnie.co.uk Email: live@wnie.co.uk

Call: + 44 1428 609 382

WHAT’S NEW IN

ELECTRONICS

F R E E F R E E

E N T R Y

|

F R E E

Keep the conversation going 24/7 at www.wnie.co.uk

|

Delivering unrivalled visitor engagement

P A R K I N G

Networking has never been easier

W I F I

9 – 10 May 2017 NEC Birmingham

Events

December 2016

UK ManufacturerS hail The Manufacturer Smart Factory Expo Thousands of manufacturers from across the UK travelled to the inaugural The Manufacturer Smart Factory Expo, hosted at the NEC on 2-3 November 2016, to gain first-hand experience of the latest technologies and innovations offered by Industry 4.0.

t

he highly successful Expo saw manufacturing business leaders connect with a hall packed with high profile exhibitors, including ABB Robotics, Harting, B&R, Siemens, IBM and Cisco, to acquire the relevant tools and knowledge to drive future business growth. With the changing landscape of UK Manufacturing, it is essential that companies embrace new and emerging technologies now, in order to retain a competitive advantage – both in the UK and globally.

Exhibition director of The Manufacturer Smart Factory Expo, Adrian Sell explained: “The two days saw aisles packed with senior decision makers, all of whom were benefiting from the expertise, knowledge sharing and the very latest products which will allow their businesses to compete and grow in the world of connected manufacturing.

“The Manufacturer is passionate about UK manufacturing. We are determined to place our wonderful industry at the forefront of the global marketplace.”

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To hear key highlights from the Expo, list to our Podcast interviews with Schneider Electric, Rockwell Automation and Siemens.

Exhibitors were delighted with the value offered by the Expo. Vincent Post, international marketing manager, Forcam commented: “After two days of Smart Factory Expo at the NEC, we conclude: Industry 4.0 is one of the hot topics in manufacturing. Great to see that companies are starting to embrace digitalisation as the future of manufacturing. Thank you Hennik Group for a successful event!”

Mark Higgins, Fast Technologies said of their experience: “We have wasted time and resources in the past at poor events, but The Manufacturer Smart Factory Expo was excellent. With regard to next year, we will definitely be exhibiting.”

After such a successful first Expo, it has been confirmed that the show will be back next year and promises to build on the success of this year. Once again TM Smart Factory Expo will take place at the NEC and will be held on November 1 – 2, 2017.

Unique Partnership of organizers:

THE MULTI-LOCATION EVENT 21 to 23 September 2016 | MESSE AUGSBURG, BAVARIA - GERMANY

Bavaria, strong industrial region for composites

Meet them at Experience Composites 2016!

To exhibit: In Paris: Guillaume Vouioux | T + 33 (1)5836-1507 | vouioux@jeccomposites.com In Augsburg: Philip Häußler | T +49 (0)821-2572-106 | philip.haeussler@messeaugsburg.de

To visit:

www.experience-composites.com

Events

December 2016

PPMA celebrates its 500th member The PPMA Group of Associations is celebrating a double run of success after it announced its 500th member as well as record bookings for the PPMA Show exhibition in 2017.

M

inebea Intec, formerly known as Sartorius Intec, a leading supplier of weighing, line inspection and process control equipment, is the latest company to join the association. The company has recently undergone a significant rebrand following its move to Japanese group, Minebea.

Speaking about the decision to join the PPMA, Colin Maher, Country Manager – UK & Ireland, Minebea Intec, said: “Following our recent rebranding and a significant focus on investing in new technologies, the time was right to join the PPMA to build the company’s profile and highlight the new technological innovations we’ll soon be launching for the manufacturing industry.

“The PPMA provides us with a significant platform to highlight our new product range as well as networking with our peers and potential customers across the processing, packaging and manufacturing industries.”

Minebea Intec’s product portfolio includes platform scales, process vessel and silo scales, checkweighers and equipment for detecting foreign objects for the food industry and other industry segments.

The company will also make its debut at the PPMA Show at the NEC, Birmingham in September 2017, which will be co-located with

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Interplas, the UK’s leading plastics industry event. MineBea Intec will join more than 200 exhibitors that have already booked stand space at the UK’s premier free-to-attend complete production line event for processing and packaging machinery.

Speaking about its record booking for 2017, David Harrison, PPMA Group Exhibition Manager said: “With more than 6,000 sq. meters already booked, we’re confident that the PPMA Show 2017 will be bigger and better than the previous edition in 2015. Interest was already strong at this year’s Total Show event where many of the stands were booked, 12 months in advance. We had over 7,300 visitors coming to discover the latest technological innovations and discuss key business opportunities and look forward to welcoming returning and new visitors to the NEC next September for what’s set to be our biggest show yet.”

Leading companies such as Schubert, ULMA Packaging, ABB Robotics, Mettler Toledo and Beckhoff Automation are already confirmed to exhibit and will be joined by new exhibitors, such as PPMA’s 500th member, MineBea Intec and CPACK Packaging.

“This marks the end to a successful and memorable year and a great way to enter our 30th anniversary in 2017. We’ll soon be announcing plans to celebrate 30 years of helping

the industry and look forward to continuing to create value for our members through the provision of new and improved services.” Said Valerio Del Vecchio, PPMA Head of Marketing.

The PPMA Group of Associations comprises the Processing and Packaging Machinery Association (PPMA), British Automation and Robot Association (BARA) and the UK Industrial Vision Association (UKIVA). It was founded in 1987 with just eight ‘founder’ companies and has since seen a substantial increase in membership as well as an expansion in the type of services offered.

It also launched PPMA BEST (Business Education, Skills and Training) in 2014 – a charity designed to encourage young people to enter and develop a career in engineering within the processing, packaging, robotics, automation and industrial vision supply industries through education, training and support.

Speaking about the PPMA Group, Dr Andrew Mint, PPMA Chief Executive Officer, commented: “We’re delighted to welcome MineBea Intec as our 500th member. This is the biggest the PPMA has been since it launched in 1987 and we’re excited to build on this as we enter our 30th year. The industry continues to show resilience and we’re confident it will continue to build on recent momentum, with Brexit delivering a boost to exports and factory output beating economists’ forecasts. It’s a great time to be a part of an optimistic industry and we can’t wait to see how this continues to develop in the months ahead.”

For more information on the PPMA Group of Associations, please visit www.ppma.co.uk or call 0208 773 8111.

Events

December 2016

What’s New in Electronics Live – Redefining the Trade Show Experience The all new, ‘What’s New in Electronics Live Expo’ is the only event in the UK that offers a platform to everyone and everything in electronics. Bringing the latest technologies and advancements from companies Live and allowing companies to display new products, network, learn, exchange new ideas, engage, interact and reconnect.

T

he 2017 event will run from 9th – 10th May at The NEC in Birmingham and offers a refreshing mix of exhibition stands, live features, seminar programmes, live debates and forums.

Open to visitors of all levels from academia to senior management, engineers, directors, CEOs, designers, technicians, programmers, business development, purchasers and consultants from every aspect of the world of electronics.

Claire Saunders, Event Director, comments: ‘What’s New in Electronics Live will redefine the way a trade show works. With the launch of our new industry news and information hub, which supports the Expo – What’s New in Electronics – we can use data collected via the hub to ensure that the content of our technical features will be in line with the news and updates our readers are clicking on.

Additionally, the hub gives our exhibitors a 24/7 route to market; allowing them to post news and send social media updates to our 80K global database. Even though we know not all of these people will visit the Expo, our customers can get the added benefit of engagement with them throughout the year.

These opportunities don’t just stop with exhibitors either, we want visiting companies to tell us their news too. Everyone can list their company details within our unique Industry Directory, standard listings are free or upgraded entries are available for a small annual fee.’

The 2 days of the Expo will allow visitors and exhibitors the opportunity to network with key decision makers and build strong business relationships.

We will return to The NEC in its centrally located venue as it has great access for all via road, rail and air. Plus, with the new

Resorts World facility onsite, the trade show networking can continue as customers can now stay onsite in a choice of hotels and enjoy the wide range of restaurants, bars, cinema and casino after the show.

With the rebranded, new look Expo supported by the new industry hub, the team feel that they are delivering unrivalled visitor engagement across multiple platforms.

They have also continued to keep their participation costs low for exhibitors, offering rates which are around 50% less than other UK manufacturing events, plus they offer their extensive marketing support package with stand bookings free of charge.

Visitors also benefit with a host of free things including Free Parking, Free Wifi and Free Entry.

To find out more about getting involved contact the team at info@wnie.co.uk or call + 44 1428 609 382.

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Events

December 2016

NEC to showcase technologies to meet growing

rail demand

With headline-grabbing projects like HS2 and Crossrail, and transport infrastructure investment widely seen as an urgent priority, rail now occupies a prominent place in the UK’s political agenda. Passenger numbers continue to rise – journeys made on the national system increased by 15% in the last five years to 1.69 billion in 2015-16. This is leading to measures to squeeze more capacity out of the existing network as well as plans for new or reopened lines.

Business opportunities generated by this expansion and enhancement of the system are a driving force behind the strong support being shown for next year’s Railtex exhibition in Birmingham. Covering every aspect of rail technology – from fixed assets such a civils, track and signalling to the complex rolling stock market, the thirteenth Railtex opens its doors at the National Exhibition Centre from 9 to 11 May. Already, three-quarters of stand space at the event has been sold, with almost 300 companies demonstrating their need to be part of the country’s premier rail technology event. The list of exhibitors features prominent names supplying the UK rail market, including global firms Alstom Transport, Hitachi Rail Europe and Siemens. Also taking part will be top UK and foreign companies, among them China’s CRRC Corp, Faiveley Transport, Knorr Bremse Rail UK, MTU Friedrichshafen, Stadler Rail, Unipart Dorman, Voith Turbo and Wabtec.

The exhibitor list further reveals the broad scope of Railtex – Bakerail Services, supplier of rail infrastructure systems and asset management, LPA Group, specialising in electromechanical systems, Mechan, manufacturer of depot and workshop equipment, Pfisterer, providing products for electrification, energy and telecoms cable company Prysmian Cables & Systems, and telent, specialist in communications and signalling technologies – these provide just a snapshot of the diverse capabilities of companies taking part.

Check the latest list of exhibitors at www.railtex.co.uk 58|

More than 7,400 engineers, managers and buyers attended Railtex 2015. Nearly 10% were foreign visitors, underlining the event’s international dimension: as well as providing an opportunity for firms to target the busy UK market, Railtex is also a showcase for British railway technology and expertise aimed at overseas customers.

The exhibition additionally plays an important role in the exchange of knowledge and opinions through an extensive programme of keynote speeches, technical seminars by exhibiting companies, project updates and discussion forums. These will be open to all, and as usual, entry to the exhibition will be free for visitors who register in advance to attend.

Place your company front-of-mind with new and existing customers by booking your stand today! For further info, please visit www.railtex.co.uk or email info@railtex.co.uk

13th International Exhibition of Railway Equipment, Systems & Services #GetOnTrack

9th - 11th May 2017

NEC Birmingham UK

Railtex is the all-encompassing showcase for technological innovations across all sectors of the rail supply market.

Associated events include project updates, industry briefings and high-profile keynotes.

Railtex brings together suppliers and buyers from all sectors of the industry. It will, once again, be the industry networking event of the year.

CONTACT US TO BOOK YOUR PLACE +44 (0)1727 814400

railtex@mackbrooks.co.uk

www.railtex.co.uk

@railtex

December 2016

Upcoming funding opportunities from Innovate UK.

Innovate UK runs funding competitions which can help you develop your idea and make it successful.

Funding competition: manufacturing and materials Innovate UK has up to £15 million to invest in business projects that seek solutions to technical and commercial challenges in the field of manufacturing and materials.

The UK is the 9th largest producer in the world with an output of $247 billion, and new manufacturing processes and materials can be a source of global competitive advantage.

This competition aims to support projects that lead to increased productivity, competitiveness and growth for UK businesses, especially small and medium-sized ones.

Projects must cover one of the following areas: •

•

innovation in a manufacturing system, technology, process or business model. For example, in process engineering, industrial biotechnology, mechanical conversion processes, coatings, surface engineering, textiles, supply chain management, new product introduction processes or remanufacture innovation in materials development, properties, integration or reuse. For example, for light-weighting, energy generation and storage (heat and electricity), electronics/ sensors or operation in demanding environments

Materials could include nanomaterials, ceramics, metals and inter-metallics, polymers, composites, coatings, smart materials and joining of dissimilar materials.

<< Find our more and apply >> 60|

Beyond batteries: contracts available for new power generation The Centre for Defence Enterprise has up to £750,000 to invest in projects that investigate small and lightweight power generation that can be integrated into robotic systems and carried by a person.

The CDE is particularly interested in technologies that: •

improve endurance – stretching rather than minutes

•

are lightweight and man-portable

•

have high energy density – greater than 1,000 watt hours per kg

The military is increasingly looking to robotic and autonomous systems for many functions, including resupply, logistics and other military uses.

New military armour from synthetic biology: apply for contracts The Centre for Defence Enterprise is to invest up to £750,000 into new ways of using synthetic biology to create transparent materials that are thinner and lighter than used for existing armour and that could offer better protection.

The best ideas could share up to £1 million to develop them further in a second phase of the competition.

There is a need in the military for transparent armour that is highly robust, maintains its optical properties despite impact, and is compatible with night vision.

Synthetic biology applies engineering principles to biology to develop new biological devices and new materials.

Use of autonomous systems is, however, limited by a lack of lightweight power systems. This competition is looking for innovative power systems that could last around 48 hours.

CDE is seeking ideas in two areas:

<< Find our more and apply >>

<< Find our more and apply >>

•

•

novel transparent materials

•

• adhesives and interlayer materials to use with transparent materials

To keep up to date on all our opportunities sign up to our email newsletter

䌀刀伀䘀吀 䄀䐀䐀䤀吀䤀嘀䔀 䴀䄀一唀䘀䄀䌀吀唀刀䤀一䜀 䰀吀䐀 簀 唀一䤀吀 吀㄀ 簀 ㈀ 䈀䔀䔀䌀䠀 䌀伀唀刀吀 簀 吀䄀夀䰀伀刀 䈀唀匀䤀一䔀匀匀 倀䄀刀䬀 刀䤀匀䰀䔀夀 簀 圀䄀刀刀䤀一䜀吀伀一 簀 䌀䠀䔀匀䠀䤀刀䔀 簀 圀䄀㌀㘀䈀䰀 簀 攀㨀 猀愀氀攀猀䀀挀爀漀昀琀愀洀⸀挀漀⸀甀欀 簀 眀㨀 眀眀眀⸀挀爀漀昀琀愀洀⸀挀漀⸀甀欀

CLEAN, SAFE & HYGIENIC MATERIALS HANDLING Materials handling specialist J D Neuhaus (JDN) can provide a whole host of innovative hoist solutions for working environments that demand high levels of cleanliness and hygiene.

Industries such as food, beverage, pharmaceutical and chemical must all conform to strict regulations when it comes to clean working practices.

Utilising the appropriate materials handling equipment, therefore, is a paramount requirement and to meet this, JDN has created a nickel-plated hoist to ensure the highest level of cleanliness.

Designed specifically for clean operating environments, this hygienically robust hoist can be configured in their standard Profi TI series for 0.5 to 1 tonne, or big bag handling unit and low headroom trolley hoist for 1 tonne. All of these feature outer surfaces plated in 25 µm thick nickel.

other freeflowing materials which need regular, high volume topups in order to maintain the high levels of production.

These hoists are suitable for handling food products such as salt, sugar, flour and starch, as well as chemical and pharmaceutical products. All these air operated JDN products provide explosion protection features for safe operation when being used in potentially explosive work environments Big bag handling air hoists are available at carrying capacities of 1100 and 2200kg (with 6 bar air pressure). They can be supplied in two configurations of single or twin lift/ load hooks. The single hook unit is designed for operation with a standard cruciform lifting beam. The large distance between the hook and the chain box advantageously eliminates potential collisions between the load and the chain box.

Twin load hook models operate with more complex multi-point crossbeam designs, or for standard lifting beams featuring twin suspension points. In addition, they can be operated with synchronised lifting operation.

J D Neuhaus has a history that can be traced back to 1745, and is now in its seventh generation of family Where Profi hoists are required to run on overhead rails, both manually ownership. Visitors to the HebezeugMuseum (Hoist Museum) in Witten, operated and motorised trolleys are able to see for themselves the can be provided with nickel-plating remarkable history of this progressive features on the gearbox/motor and company. With over 200 employees body. across the group, the company For applications, such as commercial manufactures pneumatically and hydraulically-operated hoists and kitchens, the JDN Profi hoists offer a crane systems up to 115 tonne capacity number of useful standard features from its state-of-the-art facility in including, high corrosion and humidity resistance, ease-of-cleaning Witten, Germany. This globally unique and suitability for lube-free operation. specialisation means that J D Neuhaus has set the quality standard for the JDN also has a number of stainless steel options including the chain, load market; a move that has seen the company become the established hook and sleeve and top hook. global leader in its technology field JDN’s nickel-plated big bag handling with customers in more than 90 air hoist is part of a range of products countries worldwide. designed for applications that need Over 80% of production from the to process powdered, granulated or

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Witten plant is exported, which is why the company has longestablished subsidiary companies in France, Great Britain, Singapore and the USA, all of which have helped create a tightknit global network in collaboration with international partners.

Resilience and reliability are the key product differentiators setting JDN apart from their competitors, thanks largely to the explosive protection rating which makes their hoists ideal for use even in the most challenging of operating environments. Extreme applications include oil and gas exploration in arctic temperatures as low as -45°C, along with underwater tasks such as ship hull repairs, and plenty of others in demanding sectors like mining, the chemical industry, heavy plant construction and many areas of logistics.

J D Neuhaus’ wide portfolio of services goes beyond manufacturing and also includes equipment assembly, inspection, maintenance and general overhaul, along with customer training courses and other consultative services.

PROFICLOUD – Cloud system for PROFINET Easy networking and automation across borders The Proficloud system enables easy and secure communication and control of machines and systems across different locations worldwide. The unique combination of the proven PROFINET standard and Proficloud services offers brand new possibilities for your automation.

For more information call 0845 881 2222 or visit phoenixcontact.co.uk/proficloud

CIS18-16.001.L1 © PHOENIX CONTACT 2016

December 2016

Hire a thermal imaging camera for as little as £90 With the user-friendliness and wealth of applications for thermal imaging cameras, you don’t need to be an expert, employ a consultant or have large budgets to get the instant temperature readings you need. BSRIA Instruments Solutions provides 24-hour hire from as little as £90*: • Extensive range of professional cameras • Flexible hire terms or sale options • Products for electrical, mechanical and building applications • Models with high temperature capabilities • ISO calibration certificates as standard • Latest technologies • Next day and same day delivery options Example prices and models include: • FLIR E50bx or E50: 24-hour rental £90 / 3-day rental £150* • FLIR T420: 24-hour rental £120 / 3-day rental £200* *Prices exclude VAT and carriage.

To discuss your thermal imaging requirements or for more technical details and availability, please contact BSRIA Instrument Solutions team on 0800 254 5566 (UK Free), +44 01344 459314 or email info@bis.fm BSRIA also runs a one-day Introduction to thermography training course to get the most from your camera, for more information please click here

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December 2016

New initiative encourages children from three to get inspired by engineering - scheme to provide hands-on activities to over 7,000 pre-schoolers solution. We need more schemes to ensure that children from an early age are inspired to pursue a career in engineering.”

Sam Mullins, Director, of London Transport Museum, said: “the new initiative will provide hands-on activities to over 7,000 pre-schoolers, acting as a bridge between children and young people and industry. This will be the first time that engineering classes will really be offered to children of primary and nursery age helping both parents and teachers understand the opportunities offered by transport and engineering. This target will be in addition to over 145,000 children and young people that already participate in education programmes provided by the Museum.”

A new initiative to help tackle the shortage of skilled engineers by encouraging children, from nursery age onwards, to understand more about this career path was launched Thursday 24 November.

‘Enjoyment to Employment’ is an educational programme at London Transport Museum, offering the chance for children (from toddlers to teenagers) to engage with a range of skills and employability activities that enthuse them about the world of work. The initiative aims to maintain the enthusiasm that children usually have for engineering and transport when they are young and highlight the jobs and opportunities that a career in transport and engineering offers.

The wide-ranging programme includes active and immersive sessions at the Museum and in schools which make it clear how science, technology, engineering and mathematics can provide the practical know-how and attitudes that are useful for employment.

Young children will be encouraged to play and interact with real engineering equipment and objects including hard hats, uniforms, dispatch batons, pieces of track, and specialist testing equipment.

Sessions at the Museum will target pre-school and early primary school children by letting them participate in activities including mending vehicles, helping passengers with travel information and dressing up as drivers and engineers. Participants, including children of nursery age, will also meet people currently working in the transport and engineering sectors.

Speaking at the launch, London’s Transport Commissioner, Mike Brown MVO, said: “We are facing a skills shortage within the transport industry and it is vital that we work together to tackle this challenge. Capturing the imagination and curiosity of children is part of the

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Experts say that it is vital to give children and young people hands-on experiences if they are to really engage in a subject. London Transport Museum does this using its collection and by working in partnership with industry putting children in touch with real life role models.

Steve Scrimshaw, Managing Director of Siemens Rail Systems UK agrees that schemes such as Enjoyment to Employment are “vital in helping to sustain the enthusiasm that all children and young people have for transport.

“Over half of all businesses expect difficulty in recruiting STEM skilled staff in the next three years and it will only get harder unless we take action now. The industry needs to work together to ensure children of all ages are excited about engineering and all the career opportunities it offers.”

A recent report by Engineering UK concluded that Britain needs 69,000* more engineers than it is currently producing every year just to meet industry demand.

London Transport Museum believes that while there is much excellent work being done with A-level and Undergraduate students, the best way to increase the numbers and diversity of young people considering careers in transport and engineering is to start young, harnessing a child’s early enthusiasm for transport.

* Figures on skills shortage from “The state of engineering report, 2016” produced by Engineering UK.

December 2016

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December 2016

Closed Loop Marking & Identification for Medical Devices Ensures Process Reliability Medical device manufacturers produce typically high mix and low to medium volume. They often face the challenge of processing small, single use devices with stringent quality and ever-increasing reliability requirements. These are just a few of the reasons why a system that can simplify changeover from part to part or batch to batch, whilst ensuring zero defects is a valued addition to their manufacturing processes.

Introducing HELP – a Holistic Enhanced Laser Process There are many suppliers of laser marking systems offering different solutions, however, only a few provide real turnkey and closed-loop solutions. Manufactured by German Laser System specialist FOBA, and available in the UK and Ireland from Worcestershire based TLM Laser, HELP is a comprehensive process that offers tangible additional value.

HELP (Holistic Enhanced Laser Process) is a three-stage closed-loop medical device marking process that ensures process reliability before and after laser marking and easing compliance with regulations. Parts are validated prior to marking, and with the combination of a TTL (ThroughThe-Lens) vision system and IMP (Intelligent Mark Positioning), only the correct mark will be applied in the correct position and only on the correct part.

Once the laser marking process is complete, the mark contents can then be verified using Optical Character Verification (OCV) and 2D code reading. This information is captured whilst the part is still in the machine, everything achieved with just one laser and its fully integrated machine vision system.

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Surgical Scalpel Holder – Marked using FOBA’s HELP – Holistic Enhanced Laser Process

There are three separate stages to the process, which begins with part validation. The vision system is used to ensure that the correct part is in place, eliminating the potential for marking the wrong part or defective products.

FOBA’s Laser Marking Systems use a fully integrated machine vision system to provide a closed loop solution

Part verification confirms that the part waiting to be marked has not already been marked previously.

Mark alignment is used to check the position of the mark relative to the position of the to-be-marked part.

It is important to note that the part does not have to align to the mark, as the mark automatically aligns itself accurately to the part.

The mark verification stage, post laser marking, validates that the marks are where they are expected, checking for contrast, alignment and size.

Optical Character Verification (OCV) then validates that every character marked by the laser matches the content expected. The contents of 1D and 2D codes (Datamatrix [ECC 200, GS1], QR) are also read and compared to the content expected.

The HELP process benefits manufacturers in a number of ways, by providing: seamless traceability, increases in product quality, compliance with regulations, more flexible production, cost reductions through increased yield and less scrap, more economic production through a repeatable process and increases in process reliability.

The complete range of FOBA Laser Marking Systems are available in the UK and Ireland from Bromsgrove based TLM Laser. For stand-alone operation in laser class 1 TLM offer turnkey laser marking machines either as manual work stations or as customised solutions. Laser marking systems manufactured by FOBA are modular in design and can be configured according to specific customer requirements.

For further information, please contact: Mr Andy Toms Director TLM Laser 2 Navigation Court Harris Business Park Stoke Prior Bromsgrove B60 4BD Tel: +44(0) 845 260 2220 E-Mail: sales@tlm-laser.com Web: www.tlm-laser.com For more information on FOBA, please visit their website: www.fobalaser.com

ModuLeS and Much More

Packing machine with safety enclosure constructed from clean room profiles Load and unload removal transportation via belt conveyor, timing belt and gravity roller conveyers Transport and filling of cartons, weight measurement via integrated scales Accumulating run with separating function and cyclical operation 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

December 2016

The University of Manchester Uses MapleSim in Robotics and Control Systems Courses The University of Manchester, the largest single-site university in the UK, has a reputation for producing some of the world’s greatest engineering and mathematical minds. Twentyfive Nobel Prize winners have either worked or studied at the University.

Dr. Joaquin Carrasco, Professor of Control Systems at the University’s School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, has taught various Control Systems courses to Master’s students in the Master of Science in Advanced Control and Systems Engineering program for the past six years. He has received overwhelmingly positive student feedback from using Maple T.A., the powerful online testing and assessment system from Maplesoft, in his Control Systems classes. He has also recently incorporated Maplesoft’s MapleSim and the MapleSim CAD Toolbox into his Robotics courses. With the MapleSim CAD Toolbox, students can see how their mechanical CAD models behave as part of a larger, multidomain system. The students can easily apply MapleSim’s advanced analysis tools to improve their designs. This toolbox makes it easy to import CAD models into MapleSim, automatically capturing the kinematic and dynamic properties of the model components. Using the MapleSim CAD Toolbox, Dr. Carrasco’s students have modeled several complex devices including a 3D printer, a haptic robotic manipulator and a pick-and-place robot.

In the University’s renowned Bachelor of Engineering in Mechatronic Engineering program, students learn about the design and implementation of intelligent mechatronic systems. Recently, Dr. Carrasco began teaching Applied Mechanics for Industrial Robotics to second year students taking this program.

Based on his previous experience with Maplesoft technology, he decided to enhance the Robotics classroom experience with the introduction of MapleSim, which offers students a rich engineering environment to develop highfidelity models. According to Dr. Carrasco “3D visualization is a priority for my Robotics class and MapleSim is the best 3D visualization tool available.”

Using MapleSim, students are able to visualize the concepts they are learning.

The acausal multidomain modeling environment of MapleSim provides students with an intuitive and natural avenue for modeling. MapleSim uses symbolic and numeric computing techniques to yield accurate models that depict the behavior of the system.

MapleSim’s component libraries allow the students to easily drag and drop readymade components into the workspace.

One way Dr. Carrasco uses MapleSim in the classroom is to provide the students with a MapleSim robotic model and have

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the students find the equations of motion.

MapleSim’s easy-to-use interactive approach allows students to visualize the robot and manipulate the underlying mathematical equations.

Within MapleSim there is a learning module: The Forward Kinematics of Serial Manipulators. Introducing the DenavitHartenberg Convention, the focus of the module is to obtain the position and orientation of the end-effector of a robotic manipulator. Useful for calculating the forward and inverse kinematics, the D-H Convention describes the motions of a series of joints (revolute and prismatic) with respect to a reference frame. Dr. Carrasco noted, “The concept of D-H parameters is very difficult to explain to undergraduate students. Using MapleSim, the mathematics comes alive and the students are able to easily visualize the concept.” Unlike other software packages, learning modules are free with the purchase of MapleSim. Dr. Carrasco also uses the MapleSim Model Gallery in his Robotics class. The gallery contains many robotics examples demonstrating varying degrees of complexity. The gallery contains models from a Simple Inverse Kinematic Problem to a more advanced model of a KUKA™ Robot. This model is based on a robot from KUKA Robotics, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of robotic systems. In the KUKA robot model from the MapleSim Model Gallery, the robot mimics the handwriting of any word the user selects.

The example in the Model Gallery shows the robot writing the word Maple. Using the existing model, Dr. Carrasco asks the students to program the robot to write their own names. The students can use parameter sweeps to change the model, obtain the revised data and understand the immediate ramifications of any parameter change on the model.

Often, there is a disconnect between the practical applications taught in the classroom and the applications students encounter in the real-world. MapleSim bridges this gap, by allowing students to visualize and experiment with real-world examples, such as the KUKA robot model, that expand on the knowledge gained in the classroom. “MapleSim really helped me learn how to best teach robotics to my students. It helped me understand how to explain robotics in a real-world context,” said Dr. Carrasco. “Unlike control design, where mathematical manipulation is sometimes difficult to visualize, in robotic design, mathematical manipulation changes the movement of the robot.

MapleSim makes it easy for the students to visualize any changes. In my opinion, MapleSim is simply the best software package available to teach the principles of robotics.”

The students in Dr. Carrasco’s second year Robotics class have benefited so much from MapleSim that Dr. Carrasco plans to begin using MapleSim for third year robotics students in the coming term. This user case study is part three in a series on the use of Maplesoft products at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom.

Part one, The University of Manchester Uses Maple T.A. to Assess Student Learning Across a Wide Range of Courses, can be found here.

Part two, Master’s Engineering Students at the University of Manchester Prefer Maple T.A. to Traditional Assessment Methods, can be found here.

For further information about Maplesoft’s vision for engineering education, please view the following white paper: Make Sense out of Engineering Modeling and Mathematics

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December 2016

Hose Assemblies, Fittings & Valves backed by 100 years of innovation It’s not every year a company can celebrate 100 years of business so Dixon are proud to be celebrating their centenary. Founded in 1916 Dixon has grown to become a world leading manufacturer of hose fittings and related accessories for all industries with footprints across the globe; Dixon Group Europe, based in Preston, UK is responsible for sales across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

From the original Boss Steam Couplings to the latest innovative solutions, Dixon has grown to become a hose and coupling supplier who can offer more than just a great product. Dixon is committed to providing customers with the solutions to their fluid handling requirements across all industries, be this within the food & beverage industry, utilities, oil and gas or general industrial applications.

The Dixon range includes couplings whether it be Cam & Croove, hygienic fittings, Boss™ couplings and clamps, interchangeable quick release couplings, to manual or actuated valves for both industrial and hygienic applications, and with a hose range which covers a broad spectrum of application and a team of experienced and technical sales personnel, Dixon can offer you a complete service advising on the most appropriate solutions for your application.

When industrial hose and couplings are properly specified for the task, these assemblies perform their function flawlessly. However, the potential hazards of hose assemblies are very real. When we try to get them to do things they were never designed to do, such as running steam through a chemical hose or using cam and groove couplings for air, they fail miserably with sometimes catastrophic results. To avoid potential harm to personnel, site and equipment; and to prevent product loss, Dixon stresses the importance of inspecting all hose assemblies prior to each use.

Here in the UK, Dixon offers, specialised support and bespoke engineered solutions from concept, to design, through to installation. Dixon’s onsite manufacturing and engineering department means that new designs, animations and 3D modelling can rapidly be produced to support customer’s requirements.

The difference between Dixon and our competitors is our commitment to you.

The opening of the Dixon Innovation Centre in Maryland, USA has enabled Dixon to come up with new product developments including the Vent-Lock™ Cam and Groove coupling and the new Hygienic Break Away coupling which increases safety and reduces cost savings.

From world class customer service and manufacturing to the broadest product offering in the industry, and we’ve proven that for a century.

Contact Gill Platt @ Dixon Group Europe Ltd T: +44 (0) 1772 323529 E: marketing@dixoneurope.co.uk

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PSS 4000 - Simplify Your Automation

De-centralised Safe Automation System PSS 4000 Instead of a centralised control system, the PSS 4000 provides a modular user program within a centralised project which enables a consistent distribution of control functions across multiple PLCs and remote I/O. • Flexible and easy implementation • Control data, failsafe data and states are exchanged and synchronised via the real-time Ethernet SafetyNET p • SIL 3 / PL e capable for functional safety • Economical hardware solution for high I/O counts • Cost effective software licensing model, no up-front cost • High speed FAST input cards are available for high-speed safe logic functions Pilz Automation Technology Corby NN18 8TJ 01536 460766 sales@pilz.co.uk www.pilz.co.uk

Scan to watch our range of PSS 4000 videos

December 2016

WWEM 2016 hailed an enormous success In early November, the world’s water sector came together to share knowledge and experience in all matters relating to the testing and monitoring of water, and with the collection transmission and management of data. Conference delegates, speakers, workshop attendees, exhibitors and delegates all hailed WWEM 2016 to be an enormous success.

WWEM visitors included those responsible for monitoring natural waters such as groundwater, rivers, lakes and marine water, in addition to process water in applications such as drinking water, wastewater and industrial manufacturing and processing.

There was also a Gas Detection Zone for those working in confined spaces and other areas were toxic or explosive gases have the potential to accumulate.

A CIWEM Conference entitled ‘A Step to the future… Water and Environmental Management 2050’ provided expert opinion on how the water and environment sector will look in 2050. Discussions included the latest innovations including Built Environment SMART Cities, Energy & Climate Change, Processed Water, Water Resources, Waste & Resources and Management & Regulation.

WWEM 2016 visitors came from a broad spectrum of industries and sectors including regulators, government, manufacturers and process operators, water utilities, accreditation organisations, commercial laboratories, instrument manufacturers, consultants, analytical service providers, researchers and academics.

The old adage ‘you can’t manage what you don’t measure,’ was referred to by Oliver Grievson who chaired the WIPAC Flow Forum, which covered three key areas:

With 8 Conferences, more than 60 Workshops and over 140 Exhibition stands, WWEM 2016 offered something for everyone see www.WWEM.uk.com.

• Area Velocity Flow Measurement in Wastewater

The first day of the WWEM Conference addressed a laboratory environmental analysis theme; entitled ‘Priority Pollutants Legislation: Issues for Industry and Potential Solutions.’ On the second day, the Sensors for Water Interest Group (SWIG) ran two sessions: one on ‘Resilience of sensor networks’ and another on ‘Sensors for challenging applications’.

The International Water Association hosted a Conference on “New Developments in IT & Water” which was designed to bring ‘Smart’ into the Water Industry. The sessions covered the Value of Smart water, modelling and control in potable and wastewater, as well as data analytics, decision support systems and the Internet of Things. The second day covered the risks that the industry faces from Cyber Security. In another room, simultaneous presentations were given on the management of data within the Water Industry and Sensing & Analysis in Wastewater.

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• Installation, Operation & Management of Flow Measurement Installations • The Value of Flow Measurement

British Water and Cranfield University ran a Workshop on ‘Monitoring for Hydraulic Fracturing’ with sub-topics on setting baseline monitoring and ongoing monitoring. EFASIG, a special interest group within the British Mass Spectrometry Society, held a meeting in which the laboratory analysis of environmental matrices was discussed, and the Pump Centre’s ‘BIM’ Awareness Day provided a detailed explanation of the implications of Building Information Modelling (BIM).

Other WWEM events included an Instrumentation Apprentice Competition which was won by Fred Riseborough and Dale Reece from Anglian Water, and the Early Career Researcher Prize which was won by Zoe Goddard from the University of East Anglia.

Over 60 free walk-in, walk-out workshops operated from 8 different ‘rooms’ located within the Exhibition Hall, which was bustling throughout the event. With over

140 stands representing more than 250 of the world’s leading providers of testing, analysis and monitoring equipment, and related services, WWEM 2016 provided a unique opportunity to see all of the latest developments at the same time, in one place.

Oliver Grievson WIPAC Group Manager described the WWEM Exhibition as “an instrumentation sweet shop.” He also noted that many of the exhibitors now use the WWEM events as an opportunity to launch their latest innovations or to announce their latest certification achievements.

Whilst speakers in the Priority Substances conference were highlighting developments in the treatment of phosphate in wastewater, OTT Hydrometry’s stand featured the new HydroCycle PO4 battery powered phosphate monitor. This technology was also the subject of a presentation in the Demonstration Area and a Workshop on diffuse pollution.

Aquamatic’s Jeremy Smith said: “The WWEM event provides a perfect opportunity to meet customers, new and existing, and show them our latest MCERTS approved sampling equipment.

This year’s event seemed busier than ever, with excellent levels of interest in our Aquacell wastewater samplers.”

Feedback from WWEM 2016 speakers, delegates, visitors and exhibitors has been extremely positive, with all respondents commenting on how well the event went. However, Marcus Pattison says: “We have now set the bar even higher for WWEM 2018, and preparations are already underway. We will be back in Telford on 21st and 22nd November 2018 and look forward to seeing you there!” www.WWEM.uk.com

December 2016

Manufacturer of High Quality

Anti Vibration Products

Email: sales@fibet.co.uk Visit: www.fibet.co.uk | Tel: 01282 878200

Fibet Advert v2.indd 1

22/07/2015 14:27

Data Acquisition in all weathers

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EtherCAT Protocol - single cable Thermocouple at 100Hz - all types Voltage & Strain at 20KHz sampling Shock & VibraCon 100g - rugged 100m between loggers - powered Includes DeweSoH-X SoHware

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Rotaflow FV Limited | Rotec House Bingswood Trading Estate Whaley Bridge | High Peak | SK23 7LY

Tel:

01663 735003

E-mail:

Tel. 01367 871000 sales.uk@deweso4.com www.deweso4.com

sales@rotaflow.com

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|75

December 2016

LOMA SYSTEMS NAMED INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AT INSPIRE AWARDS 2016 Farnborough-based Loma Systems (www.lomasystems.com; +44 (0) 1252 893300) – leading manufacturer of metal detectors, checkweighers and X-ray inspection equipment for the global food industry – was crowned International Business of the Year at the prestigious INSPIRE Awards 2016 which celebrates the most successful businesses in Hampshire.

Representatives from Loma attended the INSPIRE business awards ceremony which was held recently at the Hampshire Court Hotel in Chineham. Over 600 local businesses attended the glamorous event which offers a chance to celebrate and network with companies from across North Hampshire Sponsored by Fluor Corporation, the International Business of the Year Award was open to both novice and established importers and exporters. The winner needed to demonstrate how working internationally has significantly benefited the organisation’s profitability and strategy. Other entry criteria included showing commitment to international trade, increased export turnover or sales into new market and evidence of versatility, imagination and persistence to want to trade internationally.

Much needed funds were raised at the awards dinner for INSPIRE’s charity partner, Challengers, which provides play and leisure opportunities for disabled children aged 2-25 years across Surrey and Hampshire. Challengers enable any child, with any impairment, to access essential play opportunities, helping them to develop vital skills such as co-ordination, confidence and communication. The charity also provides short breaks to families who are often exhausted from the demands of caring. www.disability-challengers.org

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Directory

Directory

December 2016

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

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

Man and Machine Ltd Unit 8 Thame 40 Jane Morbey Road Thame Oxfordshire OX9 3RR www.manandmachine.co.uk marketing@manandmachine.co.uk

Weber Marking Systems UK Macmerry Industrial Estate, Tranent, East Lothian EH33 1HD, United Kingdom Tel: +44.18.7561.1111 E-mail: sales@weber.co.uk www.weber.co.uk

Quantum Controls 6a Dukes Way Low Prudhoe Northumberland NE42 69Q

0330 9000 247 sales@quantum-controls.co.uk

Fraser Anti-Static Techniques Ltd Scotts Business Park Bampton, Devon EX16 9DN www.fraser-antistatic.co.uk sales@fraser-antistatic.co.uk +44 (0)1398331114

Hone-All Cherrycourt Way, Leighton Buzzard. LU7 4UH. Tel: 0845 5555 111 E-mail: sales@hone-all.co.uk www.hone-all.co.uk

Ecopac (UK) Power Ltd Unit 4, Ridgeway, Crendon Industrial Area, Long Crendon, Bucks, HP18 9BF Tel: +44 1844204420 www.ecopacpower.co.uk |77

TECHNOLOGY INSIDE POWER & MOVEMENT Many solutions ... just one partner Megadyne, Premium brand Product engineering and quality of materials

Our staff and our branches are close to you with 41 company premises worldwide

V-Belts and conveyors for more than 45 industrial applications

www.megadynegroup.com

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