Engineering Update - June 2022

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PDATE June 2022

CONTENTS Kane’s Notes 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.

Publication Director Kane Weller 01843 580 460 Kane@engineering-update.co.uk

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

Editorial Assistant Laura Sharpe 01843 448 443 laura@engineering-update.co.uk

New figures released recently show that Engineering and Manufacturing employs around 18% of the UK workforce, some 5.5 million people, so it is vital now more than ever that the industry is given the platform to survive and to thrive. It seems to keep coming back round to the supply chain, and industry led initiatives like the recently announced £25m Made Smarter Innovation Digital Supply Chain Hub are certainly a step in the right direction, however companies and government must do more to combat these issues.

Focussing on what we can control, what we as businesses can do to tackle the challenges, we hear from a number of companies providing efficient, reliable and universal products and services.

Diversification drives are happening at big electronics and automotive manufacturers, and it’s important for all companies in the sector to find out what else is on the market and create different options in their supply chains.

We hope you enjoy the issue!

Kane Weller - Publications Director

Publishing House Jet Digital Media Ltd, Suite 1 & 2 Spratling Court Offices, Spratling Street, Manston, Kent CT12 5AN

www.engineering-update.co.uk

ENGINEERING PDATE

MCR Safety Europe is a long-established manufacturer of specialist hand and eye protection catering exten June 2022 the Engineering Sector. This article outlines just a few products from their range that offer great safety benefi many different aspects of engineering.

June 2022

Goggles & Face Coverings MCR Safety are experts in the field of protective eyewear, their range extends beyond spectacles to include sealed unit goggles and full face coverings. Here we see just two examples:

Learn more about Goggl

Learn more about Face C

The Hydrobast Goggle is designed and manufactured by MCR Safety. It’s a premium product offering vital protection from liquid / molten splash and dust particles. Plus it has MCR’s Anti-Fog feature to prevent mist and condensation.

Features

XO Skeleton Headgear has an integrated one piece polycarbonate face shield with great optical quality. It protects the wearer's eyes and entire face, it’s scratch-resistant and adjustable for comfort.

XO Skeleton

Hydroblast Goggle

Oil & Moisture

Barrier Gloves

Contact with oil, grease and moisture is unavoidable fields of engineering. It can lead to poor grip, dermatological conditions and various other hazards.

Tornado Gloves is part of the MCR Safety Family. Thei range includes two gloves, both provide a barrier agains liquid at different protection levels.

Oil-Teq 1

12

Economical and Sustainable - You Can Have It All

Oil-Teq 1 has a fine construction for precision handling

18

20

Specialist Hand & Eye Protection

Stop5 isUnnecessary Oil-Teq more robust with cut protection at EN388 and additional reinforcement between thumb and forefi Downtime

GP1005LD is an MCR Safety glove specially designed with damp working conditions when tools and mate difficult to handle hence creating hazard. The double latex coating forms a barrier against moisture penetrat

All three gloves have maximum abrasion resistance a great comfort and dexterity.

Learn more about Oil & Moisture Barrier Gloves.

OIL-TEQ 1

OIL-TEQ 5

GP1005LD

We Protect People.

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Shining Light on the Drama of Industrial Environments

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June 2022

ENGINEERING PDATE

BCN3D and Henkel announce collaboration to make headway on new applications for VLM™ technology 3D printing solutions manufacturer BCN3D Technologies and global leader in adhesives, sealants, and functional coatings Henkel Adhesive Technologies announced a collaboration to develop formulations for the recently released Viscous Lithography Manufacturing (VLM)™ 3D printing technology. This official announcement is the latest step in what has been an ongoing alliance between the two teams since the year 2020.

W

ith more than 100 years of expertise in applications across industries under its belt, Henkel is more than qualified in its provision of end-to-end engineering solutions for additive manufacturing (AM), the majority of which is conducted through its well-known brand Loctite. Accordingly, BCN3D will take advantage of the collaboration to bring forth new materials for VLM, thus accelerating its vision of unlocking manufacturing autonomy to grant manufacturers full control over every stage of any production process using AM. Through working collectively, the unique properties of VLM™ will be leveraged in order to develop new solutions for high-performance resins. This technology consists of a patented lithography-based 3D printing process

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that laminates thin layers of high viscosity resins onto a transparent transfer film, producing high-performance parts rapidly and affordably. What distinguishes VLM from other resin technologies on the market is its ability to process resins 50 times more viscous than the industry standard. By eliminating a strict low viscosity constraint, a whole new set of ingredients and modifiers can be added to the resin to achieve the desired effect on thermal and mechanical properties.

The materials currently under development by Henkel and BCN3D cannot yet be fully disclosed; however, one of the primary areas of research is in elastomeric applications - one that is indubitably beneficial from high-viscosity resins. These materials can include a high fraction of oligomers to obtain a loosely crosslinked polymer continues page 6....

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June 2022

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network: a structure that can flexibly withstand mechanical stresses, act like industrial-grade molded elastomers, and provide improved mechanical properties.

“BCN3D has unveiled a groundbreaking technology that enables printing high viscosity resins. Thermal & mechanical properties are enhanced by additives that typically increase the viscosity of the resins, which in other cases makes them more difficult to print. The BCN3D team has developed a novel technology that removes the limitations of viscosity and allows the printing of a wide range of new materials which we have witnessed firsthand over the last few years of collaboration. We look forward to seeing the tremendous impact VLM technology brings to the additive market

ENGINEERING PDATE

together with new Henkel Industrial resins.” – Sam Bail, Director of 3D Printing & Partnerships at Henkel.

Henkel’s 3D printing resins will be implemented in BCN3D’s new Applications Center, where the VLM Technology Adoption Program is taking place. Participants will join renowned companies Saint Gobain and Prodrive in being the first to discover VLM and experiencing its full potential for themselves with real 3D printed parts, accompanied by individual attention to cater to their exact printing needs.

“BCN3D is very excited to announce this collaboration with Henkel, and it represents a significant milestone in the history of VLM. The VLM Technology Adoption Program is showing us the potential of VLM technology and how it can help companies to overcome their current limitations. There is no doubt that this technology combined with new customertargeted formulations will fulfill the needs of the AM sector.” – Xavier Martínez Faneca, CEO of BCN3D. The very first official highlight of this joint venture will take place at the Rapid event on the 17-19th of May 2022, at Booth 1535, Huntington Place, Detroit, Michigan, where both companies will explain and illustrate the benefits of a collaboration as such, all while showcasing 3D printed parts made with VLM

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ENGINEERING PDATE

Med-Tech Innovation Expo, the UK and Ireland’s leading event for medical device supply chain intelligence, returns to the NEC in 8-9 June.

This year, you will see some big names in the industry exhibiting at the pavilions and zones. Experience live demonstrations of the latest machines, technology, products and services while networking and being inspired by thought-leaders across the medical and healthcare sector.

Register today for fast track entry.

Why attend Med-Tech Innovation Expo this June Register to attend med-techexpo.com/index/registration 150 EXHIBITORS HAVE YOU COVERED Whatever your need, you can be sure that exciting displays from Boddingtons, Spawpak, Wickham Micro, Neucin Design, Biofortuna, Haredata, Wideblue, SBRI, MTC and more will help you decide your next steps.

New for this year, you can visit international pavilions showcasing the latest innovation from Italy and Mauritius, alongside the Start-up Zone sponsored by Innovate UK, NIHR and SBRI Healthcare which is a hive of innovation and new technology, with start-ups, spinouts, research projects, non-profits and small businesses.

50+ SPEAKERS ACROSS 2 STAGES Alongside the exhibition, we have free and exclusive CPD accredited presentations, case studies and debates across two conference stages.

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The Med-Tech Innovation Conference in association with Medilink UK is the UK’s key annual summit for medical device OEMs, with a CPD-accredited programme that offers thought leadership from the biggest names, including Microsoft, Roche Diagnostics, Deloitte, CHEATA, Department for International Trade, NIHR and more.

The Introducing Health-Tech Stage, sponsored by Hessen Trade & Invest, covers every aspect of the medical device supply chain. This is your opportunity to get a flavour of the best engineering technology from the show floor as well as a look at the future.

REGISTER TODAY FOR FAST TRACK ENTRY: MED-TECHEXPO.COM/INDEX/ REGISTRATION

June 2022

ENGINEERING PDATE

High Precision Prototype & Custom Optics Benefiting from a uniquely stable manufacturing environment Optical Surfaces Ltd. can routinely produce challenging prototype and custom optics to the highest levels of precision possible.

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he company’s ISO 90012015 approved manufacturing workshops and test facilities are deep underground in an area excavated from solid chalk.

This provides an environment where the temperature is naturally constant, and vibration is extremely low. These are important considerations when making, mounting, and testing high precision optics.

Working with these natural advantages Optical Surfaces can supply high precision off-axis parabolic, spherical, and flat mirrors, etalons, aspherics, reference flats, windows, collimators, and beam expanders for the most demanding applications. With such stable conditions testing, particularly with long path lengths, becomes quantifiable and reliable. Investment in large aperture interferometers allow detailed direct testing of optics up to 600mm in diameter.

Topographic and fringe analysis provides precise testing of surface roughness and confirms the wavefront of various surface forms. A rolling program for calibration of test optics where possible to national standards ensures that the quality of prototype and custom optics from Optical Surfaces is second to none.

Combining these natural advantages, with its team of experienced and knowledgeable optical craftsmen, Optical Surfaces Ltd has over the last 50 years produced the ultra-high precision prototype and custom optics that lie behind technological breakthroughs in areas including fundamental physics, astronomy, space, defence, medical, material sciences and the environment.

For further information on high precision prototype and custom optics please visit www.optisurf.com or contact Optical Surfaces Ltd. on +44-208-668-6126 / sales@optisurf.com.

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High precision prototype and custom optics (courtesy: Optical Surfaces Ltd)

AZM150 SOLENOID INTERLOCK: SLIMLINE DESIGN WITH 360 ROTATING HEAD AND 1400 NEWTON CLAMPING FORCE O

The AZM150 solenoid interlock can be combined with three different actuators for different installation situations: a straight actuator for sliding doors, an angled actuator for large revolving doors and a movable actuator for smaller revolving doors. One of the plus points of the interlock is the rotating actuator head which can be locked simply by putting the lid on rather than a screw fitting. The rotating actuator head has two feeder slots to enable a range of installation positions and approach options. This makes the interlock really flexible to use.

The AZM150 is an electromechanical design which can be combined with high safety standards. The interlock comes with a low coding level as standard but is also available with an optional high coding level. The benefit for users: In accordance with ISO 14119, a higher coding requires fewer measures to prevent the bypassing of locking mechanisms, such as fitting out of range or in a concealed position. Schmersal is the only manufacturer which can offer electromechanical safety switches and solenoid interlocks with high coding levels.

Scan the QR code to see the AZM150 in action or visit our website for more information.

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www.schmersal.co.uk uksupport@schmersal.com

June 2022

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n many cases, the reconditioning of railway bearings presents a worthwhile alternative to bearing replacement at fixed intervals.

It usually saves time, reduces maintenance costs and creates less impact on the environment.

As part of Schaeffler's bearing reconditioning service, the option of adding an international GS1 standard data matrix code (DMC) to railway bearings that are already in operation is also offered. We use the same permanently readable laser engraving with which brand-new railway bearings from Schaeffler can also be supplied. The DMC enables you to start digitizing your fleet immediately or to expand it further.

Reconditioning means sustainability Worldwide, we offer professional reconditioning services for rolling bearings from a wide range of industries such as the railway, wind power, and raw

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ENGINEERING PDATE

Economical and Sustainable - you can have it all We all want our rail transport to be reliable, economical and environmentally friendly. To make this happen the intelligent use of the product, operating and maintenance data is required. The prerequisite for this is the placement of a data matrix code on the bearings.

material sectors. Together with our customers, we therefore make an important contribution to environmental protection. Compared with newly manufactured bearings, the reconditioning of axlebox bearings saves around 96 per cent in CO₂ emissions, as Schaeffler’s ecological assessment clearly shows. On a goods train with 80 wagons and two locomotives and therefore 1296 railway bearings, this equates to a saving of 133 tonnes of CO2, 481 MWh of energy and 1767 m³ of water.

Find out more here: https://medias.schaeffler.co.uk/en/rail#rail-service

ENGINEERING PDATE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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June 2022

ENGINEERING PDATE

Why attend TCT 3Sixty this June TCT 3SIXTY, the UK's definitive and most influential 3D printing and additive manufacturing event returns to the NEC on 8-9 June.

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he event’s focus on real-world applications and targeted intelligence, aligned with the complete range of technology on the show floor, networking opportunities and focused content makes this event a must visit for designers, engineers and buyers alike.

Register to attend for free and get complimentary access to the Event Hub to plan your visit, interact with exhibitors and build your own personal schedule: https://tct3sixty.com/index/registration

WHAT TO EXPECT: 150+ EXHIBITORS ARE READY TO MEET YOU Wherever you are in your additive journey, visiting TCT 3Sixty will move you forward with almost 100 machine manufacturers and a further 50+ suppliers covering software, services and materials.

Whether you're in the evaluation stage, ready to buy or looking to optimise your usage, you can be sure that exciting displays from HP, Scott Bader, Matsuura, EOS, 3D Systems, Laser Lines, BOC, 9T Labs, GE, Xerox, Xact Metal, Trumpf, Ultimaker, Stratasys, Meltio, Formlabs, Materialise, Raise 3D, Additive Industries, Raplas, Voxeljet, Wayland and more will help you decide your next steps.

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60+ SPEAKERS ACROSS 3 STAGES

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO ATTEND

TCT 3Sixty is renowned for having one of the best conference programmes in the world, and what’s more it is free to attend. Speakers from Boston Consulting Group, USAF Laboratory, Deutsche Bahn, MTC, Context, Callum and other world-renowned names will take to the stage to inspire and signpost how to get the best from 3D printing and AM.

Whether you're ready to invest for the first time, looking to upgrade, need to optimise your existing machines or just want to absorb every bit of new information, everything you need in one place at TCT 3Sixty.

Register today for fast track entry: https://tct3sixty.com/index/registration

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ENGINEERING PDATE

Interroll presents new plug-and-play conveyor platform for automated production environments With the new Light Conveyor Platform (LCP), Interroll is expanding its range of products with a platform-based material-flow solution that significantly increases the productivity of manufacturing processes. Designed as a plug-and-play modular system, the LCP allows all system integrators to implement scalable belt conveyor sections very easily in order to quickly meet customer-specific automation requirements for material flow. The high quality and availability of this solution is ensured by, among other things, the use of technical products that have already proven themselves hundreds of thousands of times with users worldwide.

Left: Interroll's Light Conveyor Platform (LCP) is designed to transport smaller conveyed goods, as well as boxes or polybags weighing up to 50 kilograms.

Right: Interroll's LCP offers perfect conditions for decisively increasing the productivity of production cells as well as assembly and packaging stations through efficient material feed and discharge.

Efficient material feed and discharge play a crucial role in realizing the productivity potential of manufacturing cells, assembly and packaging stations. At the same time, rapidly changing process environments in many other industries require flexible conveyor solutions that can easily adapt to new requirements. This is what the Interroll’s new material flow solution for system integrators and plant engineers achieves: Corresponding LCP-based belt conveyors can be easily assembled from factorypreassembled and predefined modules without any engineering effort, and can be put into operation quickly and safely via an autonomous machine control system, optionally without an additional programmable logic controller (PLC). Depending on customer requirements and application, however, connection to an external PLC with user-specific programming is also possible.

very easily and conveniently on the PC monitor using Interroll's popular Layouter tool. This drastically reduces project lead times and the necessary effort for system integrators. In addition, the predefined module sizes in different lengths and widths create the best conditions for fast production and delivery times.

Interroll's LCP is designed to transport smaller conveyed goods, as well as boxes or polybags weighing up to 50 kilograms. The conveyors, which can also handle inclines or declines, are driven by compact and energy-efficient drum motors that have an efficiency of over 85 percent, keeping energy consumption and energy costs very low.

The fully modular system can be planned and assembled

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During the development of the new platform, great importance was also attached to maximum workplace safety and a pleasant working environment. The new LCP was extensively tested before market launch, subjected to extreme endurance and load tests, and developed according to Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DMFA) standards. It features an integrated emergency shutdown at the push of a button, complies with all relevant safety regulations and has a quiet noise level during operation.

The LCP is produced at Interroll's site in Hvidovre, Denmark, and is available immediately in Europe, and soon in Asia and the Americas.

Detailed product information can be found at: https://www.interroll.com/products-solutions/unithandling/conveyor-modules/light-conveyor-platform/.

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Specialist Hand & Eye Protection for the Engineering Sector MCR Safety Europe is a long-established manufacturer of specialist hand and eye protection catering extensively for the Engineering Sector. This article outlines just a few products from their range that offer great safety benefits across many different aspects of engineering.

Goggles & Face Coverings MCR Safety are experts in the field of protective eyewear, their range extends beyond spectacles to include sealed unit goggles and full face coverings. Here we see just two examples:

Learn more about Goggles Learn more about Face Coverings

The Hydrobast Goggle is designed and manufactured by MCR Safety. It’s a premium product offering vital protection from liquid / molten splash and dust particles. Plus it has MCR’s Anti-Fog feature to prevent mist and condensation.

XO Skeleton Headgear has an integrated one piece polycarbonate face shield with great optical quality. It protects the wearer's eyes and entire face, it’s scratch-resistant and adjustable for comfort.

XO Skeleton

Hydroblast Goggle

Oil & Moisture

Barrier Gloves

Contact with oil, grease and moisture is unavoidable in many fields of engineering. It can lead to poor grip, certain dermatological conditions and various other hazards.

Tornado Gloves is part of the MCR Safety Family. Their Oil-Teq range includes two gloves, both provide a barrier against oil and liquid at different protection levels.

Oil-Teq 1

Oil-Teq 1 has a fine construction for precision handling.

Oil-Teq 5 is more robust with cut protection at EN388 level ‘C’ and additional reinforcement between thumb and forefinger.

GP1005LD is an MCR Safety glove specially designed to cope with damp working conditions when tools and materials are difficult to handle hence creating hazard. The double layer of latex coating forms a barrier against moisture penetration.

All three gloves have maximum abrasion resistance and offer great comfort and dexterity.

Learn more about Oil & Moisture Barrier Gloves.

OIL-TEQ 1

OIL-TEQ 5

We Protect People.

GP1005LD

‘Second Skin’

for Precision Handling

Contour Air is a ‘Second Skin’ glove developed by the technicians at Tornado, a brand within the MCR Safety portfolio. It’s highly dexterous, designed for precision handling tasks where natural fingertip sensitivity is essential.

Contour Air

Manufactured using state-of-the-art 18-gauge machines and an ultra-fine nylon yarn, it’s light as a feather yet incredibly strong.

GP1006 is a precision handling glove available in a choice of three different coatings with different features and benefits, all manufactured using COOLMAX® Fibre Technology. This is a unique yarn composition designed to prevent clammy hands and enhance dexterity.

COOLMAX® is scientifically proven to transport moisture away from the skin to keep the glove wearers hands cool hence reducing perspiration and optimising performance.

GP1006

Learn more about COOLMAX® fibre

Advanced Yarn Technology

for Reliable Cut Protection CT1062, 63 and 64 offer medium EN388 level ‘B’ cut protection right through to level ‘C’ and ‘D’ at the high end of the scale.

They are manufactured with MCR Safety‘s advanced new yarn technology which is completely free from glass fibre. This means they’re extremely comfortable; they’ve even been described as ‘pure luxury’ in a safety glove.

For great choice and task adaptability, each glove in the range is available with different coating options including Nitrile Air for breathability, PU for dexterity or Nitrile Dual for oil and liquid resistance.

CT1062

CT1063

CT1064

Learn more about MCR Safety’s Advanced Yarn Technology

Prescription Safety Eyewear

Online Ordering & Management

If you manage corporate PPE, EyeTicket from MCR Safety could be a real ‘game-changer’ for you.

It’s an online ordering and management system for prescription safety eyewear. It’s completely paperless and in just three easy steps you can raise a prescription eyewear order for an employee. You can even manage multiple teams across different sites from one single location. In these times of remote working, it could even be from your own home.

EyeTicket completely replaces the traditional paper order form. Your employee will receive notifications via text message or email. All they need to do is book an appointment with their chosen optician, present the text or email confirmation when they make their visit and leave the rest to the Optician.

Because there’s no paper, it’s environmentally friendly too – good news for your green credentials.

Learn more about EyeTicket

www.mcrsafetyeurope.com

MCR Safety Europe.

Middlemore Lane West - Walsall - WS9 8BG - United Kingdom t: +44 (0) 1922 457421 e: ask@mcrsafetyeurope.com

June 2022

ENGINEERING PDATE

Intelligent signalling device NIMU

Stop unnecessary downtime with non-invasive signalling systems Throughout the chemical sector, processes operating at high temperatures and with highly corrosive process media are common. Traditional signalling devices were not always compatible with such conditions and therefore are often over-looked as an additional accessory to monitor the status of the rupture disc.

Fig. 1: Signalling device NIMU (Non-Invasive Monitoring Unit)

D

evelopments in technology mean even companies in this sector can now use rupture disc signalling systems, helping not only improve productivity and safety but also supporting with environmental concerns. German manufacturer, REMBE, is the European leader in the manufacturing of pressure relief devices and explosion safety systems and their product range encompasses some of the most robust rupture discs and signalling solutions available to add significant operational value within the chemical industry.

Here REMBE discuss how its intelligent signalling solutions will keep you informed about the status of your entire plant while not being affected by the harsh operating conditions.

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For processes operating with potentially harmful media the ability to shut down the process quickly and safely mean the risk of leakage is eradicated.

Complying with explosive atmospheres and intrinsic safety industry standards, the signalling devices are designed to provide rapid notification of rupture disc activation, helping ensure safe management of the process while minimising downtime. REMBE’s signalling devices can easily be integrated with customers control systems to provide visual or acoustic notification of disc burst or to shut down the plant where required.

With non-invasive signalling devices, which make it impossible for the process medium to escape, processes with critical pressures and demanding continues....

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June 2022

media can also be reliably monitored. The following text explains the non-invasive monitoring unit NIMU in more detail.

Stop unnecessary downtime For customers for whom compatibility with harsh operating conditions is of paramount concern the NIMU (Non-invasive monitoring unit) is a reusable rupture disc signalling system designed for rapid notification of rupture disc activation even in the harshest chemical environments. The REMBE NIMU sensor is not in contact with the process meaning it is not affected by challenging process conditions or corrosive media.

The intrinsically safe NIMU is installed into a tapping within the outlet of the rupture disc holder, completely isolated from the process so it does not create any leak paths and is not damaged following disc activation - critical for chemical customers where leak paths cannot be tolerated.

With the traditional membrane type signalling devices, false alarms were unfortunately common place, as the harsh operating conditions could cause the device to activate even if the disc itself had not opened. This false signalling would cause unnecessary and costly process downtime. Unlike

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ENGINEERING PDATE

these traditional devices, the NIMU is not negatively affected by the process.

Additionally, membrane detection systems are single use, meaning additional replacement costs.

With the NIMU this additional cost is eradicated – the NIMU enhances overall dependability of rupture disc installations while reducing longterm expenditure. Not only is the signalling device fully reusable following disc functioning it is also reusable after routine maintenance checks. Easy to inspect during such maintenance routines, its closed circuit design allows it to be refitted into the holder by the same operator inspecting the disc, simplifying and quickening the maintenance process, a must to meet the demanding productivity requirements within the chemical processing sector.

When used in combination with the REMBE IQ Safety Cockpit the operator can be instructed in the event of a system disruption and can implement the relevant emergency management protocols. The affected employees can be individually informed of a process shutdown and co-ordinated response to identify the cause and get the plant back up and running as quickly as possible.

www.rembe.de

3D PRINTING & ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING INTELLIGENCE

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Evaluate. Adopt. Optimise.

Analyse the opportunity Discover your application Learn from user success stories Understand capabilities and limitations Choose the right solution Optimise existing technology Consider enterprise adoption Ensure return on investment

With more than 80 speakers and 150 exhibitors, discover your additive strategy at TCT 3Sixty.

Register Now! www.tct3sixty.com Co-located Shows

June 2022

ENGINEERING PDATE

Focus corrected SWIR lenses (courtesy : Resolve Optics Ltd)

FOCUS CORRECTED SWIR LENSES Resolve Optics has developed SWIR lenses that benefit from a novel design that maintains maximum performance throughout the Short Wavelength Infrared spectral range (900 – 1700nm) without the need for refocusing.

T

raditionally most lenses available for SWIR applications have been lenses designed for the visible but have AR coating for the 900 -1700nm region. However using the latest generation of higher resolution SWIR sensors the shortcomings of these lens (poor resolution and poor colour correction) is noticeable.

Resolve Optics focus corrected SWIR lenses deliver unmatched resolution and colour correction (900 -1700nm) ensuring that you get the best possible image from your camera or sensor. In addition these lenses offer the benefit of removing the need for constant refocusing to achieve optimised, high resolution images at all SWIR wavelengths.

For further information on focus corrected SWIR lenses please visit www.resolveoptics.com/uv-ir-swir-lenses/ or contact Resolve Optics on +44-1494-777100 / sales@resolveoptics.com.

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ENGINEERING PDATE

June 2022

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June 2022

ENGINEERING PDATE

Makerbot and Ultimaker Agree to Merge to Accelerate Global Adoption of Additive Manufacturing The new entity has secured additional funding of $62.4M to fuel global 3D printing innovation MakerBot and Ultimaker, two leaders in desktop 3D printing, today announced that they have come to a business combination agreement that will accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing by providing a comprehensive desktop 3D printing ecosystem of hardware, software, and materials.

The new entity will be backed by existing investors, NPM Capital and Stratasys (Nasdaq: SSYS), and will benefit from a planned cash investment of $62.4 million to fuel innovation and expansion into new markets. The new company will be led by Nadav Goshen, current MakerBot CEO, and Jürgen von Hollen, current Ultimaker CEO, who will act as Co-CEOs, with Nadav managing operations and R&D and Jürgen managing the commercial functions.

"This merger marks an important milestone for Ultimaker and MakerBot," says Jürgen von Hollen, CEO of Ultimaker. "Innovation and

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growth are both critical to bringing desktop 3D printing from a specialty technology into mainstream business adoption. The new company will leverage and expand its combined global footprint with sales and operations in the Americas, EMEA and APAC." "Technological innovation is paramount in growing the availability of easy-touse professional 3D printing solutions," says Nadav Goshen, CEO of MakerBot. "By combining our teams and leveraging the additional funding, we can accelerate the development of advanced solutions to provide our customers with a broad portfolio of hardware and software solutions to serve a wide spectrum of customers and applications."

The new entity aims to offer easy-to-use and accessible desktop 3D printing solutions for any application while inspiring the industry to a future state of responsible and sustainable manufacturing.

The new company will maintain headquarters in both The Netherlands and New York, USA. The transaction is subject to consultation of appropriate employee representative bodies and regulatory approvals, with closing currently expected over the course of the second or third quarters of 2022.

The Right Connection for your Hygienic Process

Hygienic Valves for the Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical Industry Designed for easy maintenance, quick adjustability, and superior performance. Dixons extensive hygienic valve range are deigned to meet the most demanding process applications. Custom fabrication services, hose assemblies, filters/strainers, instrumentation, sight glasses, tube hangers, and cleaning and washdown accessories are also part of the product line.

Sizes • Ball Valves: ½” - 4” • Butterfly Valves: 1” - 8” • Check Valves: ½” - 4” • Sample Valves: 1” - 4” • Seat Valves: 1” - 4” • Mixproof Valves: 1” - 8” Features • Manual or Actuated Options • Custom designed fabrications • Variety of end and body configuations Materials • 316 & 316L Stainless Steel

For more information +44 (0)1772 323529 sales@dixoneurope.co.uk

dixoneurope.co.uk

June 2022

STANDARD RANGE

ENGINEERING PDATE

SOLUTION RANGE

PREMIUM RANGE

ROLLER CHAIN SOLUTIONS JUST GOT BETTER A new Roller Chain is making waves in the UK thanks to Donghua Limited who launched their new X3 Premium Chain earlier this year.

The Chain is manufactured on its own purpose-built production line which encompasses new production techniques and new surface treatments. Designed with a unique pin coating, optimised plate geometry and high precision stamping, X3 offers a new deluxe chain solution and is designed for sectors that use high demand drives such as Timber, Waste & Recycling and Mining & Quarrying.

Donghua’s New Roller Chain Range Donghua Limited, the UK arm of one of the world’s biggest chain manufacturers, has introduced three Drive Chain ranges: Standard, Solution and Premium. Our extensive Roller Chain products have been categorised into these new ranges to help customers identify the right chain solution quickly and easily.

The Standard Range features a variety of chain manufactured with precision to suit simple drives with large diameter sprockets or complex drives with multiple sprockets and high load bearings.

The Solution Range offers customers a genuine solution to problems with chain wear, chain fatigue, high speed, lubrication, chain length accuracy and chain strength offering optimum performance in extreme conditions.

Our new EXL Chain sits within the Solution range together with our Chromized Pin (CP) Chain, Heavy Duty Chain and Self-Lubricated Chain.

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The EXL Chain offers significant benefits over standard Roller Chain. It utilises different materials, material treatments and layer technologies, to offer the best possible quality/price ratio for all applications.

Aimed specifically for the after-market, EXL Chain is designed, manufactured and tested for unbeatable accuracy and performance in arduous conditions, offering enhanced wear and fatigue resistance and greater precision.

The chain is designed with a new hardened, shot-peened wide-waist plate for increased fatigue strength and a seamless cold forged solid bush and roller to give full contact between the pin, bushing and roller for higher durability.

The EXL Chain has optimised cylindrical parts which improve sliding contacts to help increase service life.

It also incorporates Donghua’s unique ‘Easy Break Technology’ which enables the EXL Chain to be cut in the field using Donghua’s Plate Extractor tools.

To watch our video showing how to cut the EXL Chain using our Plate Extractor tools, visit: https://youtu.be/UD6rtBEJrkM The Premium Range offers our customers a deluxe solution to problems with chain wear, chain fatigue, corrosion, high speed, lubrication, chain length accuracy and chain strength with specific build features designed

ENGINEERING PDATE

June 2022

to enhance durability and withstand a range of arduous environments.

The new X3 Chain is exceptional and delivers three times the performance for wear resistance, fatigue resistance and high speed performance for comparable Roller Chain.

Its superior quality, durability and outstanding wear and fatigue resistance are realised by the new hardened, shot-blasted plate shape, calibrated pin and bushing holes, special heat-treated and surface coated pins, seamless rollers and bushings and high performance pre-lubrication.

Our new X3 Chain is supplied pre-loaded and prelubricated as standard and is available in British Standard 06B to 24B in simplex and duplex, ex-stock from our 25,000 sq ft warehouse in the West Midlands.

Help selecting the right chain To help our customers select the correct chain solution, we have developed a simple reference guide – the Donghua Chain Selection Chart. The chart provides a visual 1 - 5 star rating highlighting our recommendations for each chain product for wear resistance, fatigue resistance, strength, shock load, corrosion resistance, self-lubrication, easy break, FDA approved and so on. It’s a must-have reference document in an engineer’s toolkit.

To download your copy of the Chain Selection Chart visit: https://www.donghua.co.uk/roller-chain or for a laminated hard copy call 01902 866 200.

To download our X3 catalogue visit: https://www.donghua.co.uk/X3-chain

|29

June 2022

ENGINEERING PDATE

DFI Revenue Grows for 5 Consecutive Years

Listed by Financial Times as Top 500 Asia-Pacific High-Growth Companies for the First Time

DFI

's revenue has grown for 5 consecutive years, earning the distinction of being selected by Financial Times as one of the 2022 Top 500 Asia-Pacific High-Growth Companies for the first time this year. By utilizing its previous stable operating strategy, DFI's consolidated revenue and net profit attributable to the parent company after tax in Q1 exhibited a YoY growth of 93% and 26%, respectively; shipment capabilities are expected to increase each quarter.

The "Asia-Pacific High-Growth Companies" ranking is entering its fourth year. This ranking is determined by the UK's Financial Times and Statista, a German company specializing in market and consumer data. The top 500 high-growth companies are selected based on the companies with the highest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in the Asia-Pacific region; DFI was chosen because of its CAGR of 31%.

Additionally, DFI's revenue has grown for 5 consecutive years, surpassing the 319 million Euro (NT$10 billion) thresholds in 2021. As such, DFI has remained steadfast in the face of the pandemic thanks to its stable operating

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strategy. Being listed on the Financial Times' 2022 Top 500 Asia-Pacific High-Growth Companies is evidence of the company's pursuit of operational growth.

DFI announced during its online investor conference on May that revenue in Q1 was 1.23 million Euro (NT$3.871 billion), down 7.7% QoQ and up 93% YoY. The net income attributable to the parent company was 2.67 million Euro (NT$84 million), up 26% YoY, with earnings per share of NT$0.73. DFI Vice Chairman Michael Lee stated that while material shortages and COVID-19 impacted Q1 revenue, the operations team was still able to increase shipment capabilities each quarter and sprint ahead to satisfy customer demand.

Looking towards the future, the wave of new infrastructure brought on by production automation and the digital transformation will make smart applications a long-term, rigid demand. DFI has benefited from this and has received a healthy number of orders and increased production capacity each quarter.

For more information, please visit: https://www.dfi. com/ or contact us.

THE LARGEST UK EVENT DEDICATED TO DESIGN ENGINEERING

12-13 October 2022

Coventry Building Society Arena

Celebrating 10 yea r s

@EngDesignShow #EngDesignShow

Interested in exhibiting?

Get in touch with simon.bonell@markallengroup.com for more information on our exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities.

www.engineeringdesignshow.co.uk

ENGINEERING PDATE

June 2022

Fluid Carrying

Flexibility Articulated Torsion Pipework In Hoses Rotating Cylinders

Swivel Joints Swivel joints allow pipework to pressure 1/4” to 40” and beyond.

Vacuum to over 20,000psi.

Stock and bespoke production.

Unique bearing/seal design for longer life.

ISO 9001 CE marked where applicable.

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E-mail:

|33

June 2022

ENGINEERING PDATE

Titan Enterprises Explains Possible Reasons for Flowmeter Failure During Installation “Why Has My Pulse Flow Meter Sensor Failed?”

T

he majority of flow meters with a pulse output use a rotating element with internal magnets. These magnets trigger a solid-state sensor giving a pulse output proportional to the liquid flow rate.

If a flow sensor fails, it may be for one of the following reasons: Incorrect Wiring: Care must be taken when wiring the sensor power supply and pulse output of the flowmeter.

The sensor is unable to cope with incorrect wiring - reverse polarity or short circuiting can cause the sensor to fail suddenly, completely and permanently.

Titan Enterprises Ltd, who has been designing and manufacturing flowmeters for over 40 years, explains some of the reasons why these sensors might fail and what can be done to prevent damage that can lead to costly repairs and process downtime.

Unregulated Power Supply: Exceeding the maximum 30Vdc to the Hall Effect sensor will damage the unit. A good quality regulated DC power supply is recommended for powering a pulse flow meter.

High quality Hall effect sensors are typically used within Titan’s pulse precision flow measurement devices. The sensors operate between 4.0Vdc and 30Vdc, however, there are a number of scenarios that will cause the Turbine and Oval Gear flow meters to fail, even though the installer believes the flow device has been installed correctly.

Electrical Interference / Voltage Spikes: Other connected equipment containing inductors (coils), or electromagnetic components (such as solenoid valves or pumps) can produce high voltage spikes when switching. These spikes can be a hundred to thousands of volts and if on the same circuit, will damage the flowmeter sensor beyond repair.

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ENGINEERING PDATE

June 2022

Electrical interference can also occur even without a direct connection if cabling is routed close to high-power equipment.

A failure mode that is commonly seen, is where a simple solenoid valve is operated on the same power supply as the flowmeter. When the solenoid de-energises in 1ms it produces a spike of 100s of Volts. Some of this voltage spike feeds through to the sensor, momentarily exceeding the 30Vdc maximum of the sensor causing it to fail.

What can be done to prevent catastrophic failures in flow measuring systems?

Neil Hannay, Senior R&D Engineer with Titan Enterprises observes: “The majority of damage tends to be caused during the installation of the flowmeter. Minor errors can result in a non-operational meter before the customer has

even started, leading to costly repairs or replacements, as well as process downtime, that can be avoided.”

Titan Enterprises produce over 70,000 flowmeters each year that are used in a wide variety of industries, processes and applications, so troubleshooting for customers is not uncommon, particularly for those who are unfamiliar with Titan’s flow metering products.

Neil says: “Titan provides written data and instruction sheets with all our flow meters, and we have also published some installation tutorial videos to help our customers and prevent any mis-wiring that can damage the units.”

The following installation checklist will go a long way to preventing common causes of pulse flow meter sensor failure:

For further information on Titan’s flowmeter and instrumentation range or to discuss any process and technical issues, please contact Titan Enterprises on +44 (0)1935 812790 or sales@flowmeters.co.uk. Visit our website at www.flowmeters.co.uk/ |35

Directory

June 2022



ENGINEERING UPDATE

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

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

Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies

TR Fastenings LTD

European Corporate Office, Hambridge Lane, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 5TU 01635 279621 www.cwst.co.uk eurosales@cwst.com

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

Phoenix Mecano Ltd

Blackfast Chemicals Ltd

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

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

Monitran

Ecopac (UK) Power Ltd

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

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ODU-UK LTD.

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

ENGINEERING PDATE

Directory

June 2022

Foremost Electronics Ltd

Seepex UK Ltd.

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

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

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

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

Mecmesin Ltd Newton House, Spring Copse Business Park, Slinfold, West Sussex, RH13 0SZ w: www.mecmesin.com t: +44 (0) 1403 799979 e: info@mecmesin.com

1 Brownfields Court Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire, AL7 1AJ www.rotechmachines.com

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

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

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

Rotech Machines Limited

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June 2022

ENGINEERING PDATE

Innodisk, the world's leading industrial-grade storage and embedded peripheral manufacturer, is actively combining software and hardware integration, remote management, and data security to make a strong impact on the Edge AI computing market

At Computex 2022, Innodisk exhibited the world’s first industrial-grade PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe SSD with namespace technology, which delivers better read and write efficiency, and a longer lifespan. Offering a temperature tolerance of -40°, all the way up to 85°C, as well as support for AES 256-bit encryption, this SSD is a game changer for industrial applications.

In the face of harsh environments and new types of industrial control systems, Innodisk introduced the world's first Ultra Temperature DDR4 DRAM module, which goes beyond the typical industrialgrade temperature range to support -40° to a scorching 125°C. The series brings new features to the table, opens the door for new applications, and passes multiple strict tests to prove its industrial resilience.

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Innodisk also showcased the first M.2 2280-to-single 10GbE Base-T Ethernet module, which is the smallest 10GbE expansion solution available today, and ten times faster than standard Ethernet.

In addition to these exciting new products, Innodisk presented a new AI exhibition area to showcase the application results of smart retail, smart factory, smart transportation, and smart infrastructure. Innodisk also continues page 40....

Protecting Your Plant Before

Rotech Motion Sensor’s can be used whenever information or monitoring of shaft rotation, position, direction, speed, slip etc is required!

Rotech Motion Sensor’s can be used for indication, control, interlocking, protection, sequencing, alarm initiations and many more functions!

Rotech Motion Sensor’s can be used wherever materials are transported or processed By conveyors, elevators, screws, mixers, etc!

ROADSTONE

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POWER STATIONS

AGGREGATE

…AND MANY MORE!

RELIABILITY Tel : +44 (0)151 356 2322 Website: www.rotechsystems.co.uk Fax: +44 (0)151 356 2437 Email: sales@rotechsystems.co.uk

Monitoring the world

June 2022 ...continued from page 38

showed off these applications through a live demo.

In particular, Innodisk is excited to present its smart retail solutions, which include the combined remote management capabilities of InnoAge SSDs with wireless transmission technologies from its subsidiaries Millitronic.

Additionally, Innodisk and its partners jointly launched an integrated image recognition solution so self-checkout systems can automatically identify items and calculate quantities of goods through AI intelligent computing.

Moving forward in 2022, Innodisk will work hard to expand the integration of its subsidiary’s products and R&D capacity, and promote industrial AI intelligence through the resource integration of partners, helping customers to more effectively practice AI intelligent applications and realize their corporate vision.

Randy Chien, Chairman of Innodisk said "Innodisk has been operating in the global market with an international brand mindset for many years now. Innodisk is actively deploying various emerging AI technologies into the field.

With the gradual opening of the

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global market and the resumption of business activities, Innodisk will also expand the promotion of innovative R&D achievements and its AI strategy, hoping to drive a new wave of global business growth and exposure to the brand”.

ENGINEERING PDATE

June 2022

ENGINEERING PDATE “It is not worth taking proper pictures here, the environment is too…”. You can complete this sentence with as many negative adjectives as you like, some unprintable! In my 30 years plus as a professional photographer I have heard many … ‘it’s too dark’, ‘too busy’, ‘too dangerous’, ‘too old and worn’, ‘too secret’, ‘too scruffy’.

Yet all companies are compelled to compete and promote themselves and, in our digital age, that means in pictures as well as words. So what to do? An approach taken by some is to find out who has the best camera on their phone and send them along to do the deed.

From the selection of poorly lit and badly composed phone pictures, one shot is selected and trundled out on to social media and the company web site.

Yes, some money has been saved and you got that social post done. However, you don’t know how much you might be losing because those pictures are not making your business look like the skilled, expert, professional engineers that you are. You are not yet aware that when you need a large version of that picture for your exhibition board, the poor quality image only enlarges the gap between how you want to be seen and the perception you will actually create.

Heatwave: Using dramatic light to make the main subject, a vacuum furnace, pop.

Shining Light on the Drama of Industrial Environments Adrian Waine, an award winning industrial photographer, shows how rugged industrial environments are worthy of good photography and can be transformed into outstanding images which turn heads and get your company noticed for all the right reasons.

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Poor pictures will never open the door of an opportunity to make the front page of your key trade publication. In short, a quick snap for a quick view and to be quickly forgotten.

Good Images Turbo Charge Your Marketing Professional photography is an investment. A library of high quality images, kept up to date, is an enabler.

It allows you to take advantage of marketing opportunities quickly because you always have something to draw upon where your competitors may not. In time, this pictorial record is your history – a valuable resource that will find new uses as new digital technologies emerge.

So what, you work from an industrial building that might be over a hundred years in use! We see it as a dramatic and charismatic backdrop. Dark? It just needs some sympathetic lighting.

Works around the clock? Well, that is just a matter of timing and the right

ENGINEERING PDATE

June 2022

Lit with white light, including smaller flashes under these three large vacuum furnaces creates a dramatic 3D effect.

preparation to fit with production. In fact, all you need for ‘proper pictures’ in an industrial setting like yours is a ‘proper photographer’. One who understands these difficulties and knows how to overcome them easily to create striking images that ‘pop’ wherever they are seen – print, online, video, in the boardroom or a large exhibition board.

Painting with Light A recent commission from PR experts Ainsworth Maguire, shooting for Wallwork Heat Treatment, illustrates my point.

Their Manchester site is one of the largest heat treatment facilities in the UK. Serving aerospace, motorsport, medical and other precision industries, their working environment is 24/7.

Much of their work is subject to non disclosure agreements.

They have sites around the UK, some modern while others have had an 80 year plus working life. Lighting is mixed, skylights, sodium, strip and spots.

Same picture now adding warm light to give the heat treatment and introducing subjects to tell a different story

difficult you think your environment to be, there is a great image in the making.

Tackle your subjects with cracking lighting and you’ll have a set of images which keep the publicity fire stoked far longer that you thought possible. Coupled with this, Ainsworth Maguire PR can add the crafted text. Let them make headlines for you with their knowledge of engineering and manufacturing. It’s a positive combination that can blend words with imagery and put you on the road to progress.

To see more of our work visit the Photography for Industry gallery at www.photographyforindustry.com/gallery

Adrian Waine, Photography for Industry Tel: 0151 356 3855 Adrian Maguire, Ainsworth Maguire PR Tel: 0161 408 7888

Understanding light is fundamental. Problems of mixed lighting are overcome with the right equipment. Using multiple high powered flash units, lighting can be arranged to generate a sense of drama and texture. The aim is to spotlight the subject and lead viewers into your world and see anything but the everyday and ordinary.

The furnace pictures you see here are from a shoot at one of Wallwork’s vacuum furnace halls and shows that such a hard-working environment can be transformed into some sensational head turning images. And yours can too! Review your photo library. Is it up to date? Are the images good enough in this digital savvy age? Are they working for you?

As a professional industrial photographer, I know that however

Yellow background light focuses attention on the subject.

Industrial sites are a haven for reflective surfaces. Avoiding unwanted reflections, especially self portraits, is vital

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June 2022

ENGINEERING PDATE

PPMA Total Show 2022 set to provide a platform for innovation, discovery, interactive demonstrations and information share PPMA TOTAL Show 2022, the UK’s largest processing and packaging machinery, robotics and industrial vision event, is returning to the NEC Birmingham this autumn, and will take place from 27th to 29th September. The three-day event will provide a platform for innovation and live demonstrations of production machinery, act as a central hub for networking, expert knowledge and information share as well as present a rich showground of discovery for visitors seeking new solutions to enhance business performance.

C

omprising over 350 exhibitor stands, representing 2,000 brands and incorporating major exhibition brands Pakex and Interphex, visitors to Hall 5 will have unparalleled access to the most comprehensive collection of industry-leading production machinery and smart manufacturing equipment all under one roof. Showcasing the very latest in production-efficient technology, robotic and vision systems combined with state-of-the-art materials, containers and packaging design, the event caters for visitors from a wide range of sectors, including food and

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beverage, pharmaceutical, toiletries, building supplies, pet care, FMCG and contract packing.

Visitors to the show will also benefit from a daily programme of educational and opinion-led presentations hosted at the onsite seminar theatre. Centred around the theme ‘The Future Of…’, the schedule of informative interactive discussions, debate, presentations and workshops will be delivered by respected industry experts who will share their knowledge, provide inspiration and offer their own insights into the future of the industry.

PPMA Total Show 2022 will also play host to the PPMA Group Awards.

Celebrating the best in machinery innovation, smart manufacturing and business acumen, the awards will be presented to winning and highly recommended companies during the final day of the show.

Continuing the PPMA’s legacy to the future of the industry, ambassadors from PPMA Business Education Skills and Training (PPMA BEST) will be on hand during the show, engaging with visitors and presenting the charity’s pathway for supporting young people

ENGINEERING PDATE

June 2022

developing careers in engineering within the processing and packaging, robotics, and industrial vision industries.

with product and applications experts from all aspects of production – and this is exactly what PPMA TOTAL delivers.”

Commenting on the forthcoming show, Richard Little, PPMA Show Director says, “We know our visitor audience wants to get close to the latest technologies – to touch and try, to discover new production-enhancing solutions and to speak one-to-one

Richard continues, “We are immensely proud of PPMA Total Show’s long and successful history and the fact that this will be out 34th show clearly demonstrates we deliver a winning formula for both exhibitors and our visitor audience alike. This year’s

event will be no exception, and I look forward to welcoming visitors when the show opens its doors again, walking the aisles, networking with peers and gaining inspiration from all the new technologies and live demonstrations on display.”

PPMA Total Show 2022 is free to attend and visitor registration is now open. To pre-register your interest and receive your FREE visitor entry pass please click here or visit www.ppmashow.co.uk for more information.

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June 2022

ENGINEERING PDATE

Delta to Demonstrate CODESYS-based Motion Controllers and Other High-performance Automation Products at SPS Italia Delta, a world-class provider of industrial automation solutions, will present its portfolio of high-performance industrial automation systems at the 2022 SPS Italia to reflect the market need for smart manufacturing and production. These include the AX series motion controllers based on the CODESYS development environment, the new ASDA-B3 series servo systems, and the DVP50MC PLC motion controller.

“Automation and digitalization play important roles in smart manufacturing,” says Luca Cavagnari, Italy Head of Sales at Delta’s Industrial Automation Business Group. “We cooperate with the CODESYS® group to utilize our motion control development system and offer a brand new motion control solution based on CODESYS, to help our customers take full advantage of smart manufacturing.”

CODESYS-based AX Series Motion Controllers The PLC-based AX-3 series and PC-based AX-8 series utilise the CODESYS development environment, thus supporting the industry standards for industrial automation solutions. This simplifies programming and integration with software, and ensures faster implementation. In addition, the motion controllers support common industrial communication protocols, including EtherCAT. Depending on the selected model, the products in each series can control up to 64 axes. Delta’s motion controllers are suited for a range of different applications in many distinct sectors.

ASDA-B3 Series – Highperformance Servo System With its response sensitivity of 3.1 kHz, low cogging torque, a maximum rated speed of 6,000 rpm, increased torque and a Safe Torque Off (STO) function, the new ASDA-B3 high-performance servo drive combines performance optimisations with improved safety. In addition, the 40 percent faster settling time in the newest model brings a significant increase in productivity. The 24-bit encoder in the ASDA-B3 ensures highly accurate positioning by retaining the motor’s position even when the drive is powered off. The ASDA-B3 is suitable for a range of applications including manufacturing tools, electronics, semi-conductors, industrial robots, printing, packaging, textiles and warehousing.

DVP50MC – Compact PLC Motion Controller The multi-axis motion controllers of the DVP50MC series support the EtherCAT protocol for controlling up to 24 axes.

The DVP50MC complies with the PLCOpen standard and is not only capable of simple motion control commands such as speed, torque, reference path and position, but also handles multi-axis motion control instructions for electronic gear, ECAM, Rotary Cut as well as G-Code. Onboard ethernet and modbus network interfaces reduce additional integration costs and support a broad range of applications, such as in manufacturing tools, beverage injection machines, printers and electronics production.

The Delta booth at SPS Delta is looking forward to welcoming SPS attendees at booth A022 in Hall 5 from 24 to 26 May at Fiere di Parma, Italy, to learn more about Delta’s smart and digital automation solutions. For more information, please visit https://www.delta-emea.com/en-GB/products/IndustrialAutomation/ALL/.

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This helps you to control CIP processes efficiently and to increase the availability of your system. The new LDLs are also simple to commission: They are ready for use out-of-the-box and transmit the conductivity and temperature of the medium via a single M12 connection - digitally and loss-free thanks to IO-Link. As there is no additional evaluation unit required, you also save system costs. So easy, so good. ifm – close to you!

Go ifmonline ifm.com/ uk

June 2022

Manufacturers using specialty tooling, custom metal dies and distinct molds within their operations are familiar with the operational challenges that come along with the precision manufacturing process. With demand for a wider variety of parts on the rise, manufactures are running shorter jobs.

This requires more changeovers, and changeovers take time. Quick changes and fast setups are critical to maximising uptime. This requires an efficient tool, die and mold storage and handling process to easily locate, safely move and quickly change to the next tool, die or mold.

ENGINEERING PDATE

Getting the most expensive Tools,

T

The first step to locating a tool, die or mold is to know where it is stored within the facility. To easily locate, tools, dies and molds should be assigned a dedicated storage location; thus, you know where it is every single time. Even when you know where it is, it can take a while to get there. Due to their weight, tools, dies and molds are often stored out in the open and directly on the floor – they take up a significant amount of space and workers sometimes must walk long distances to the location.

Consider a solution that can store these tools, dies and molds vertically. Automates storage and retrieval systems are designed to hold heavy weights and can provide compact square footage.

This frees up space within your facility for other value-added activities (such as more manufacturing). Further, stored tools, dies and molds can be presented to the worker with the push of a button – no walking and searching for the tool, die or mold on the floor.

Once the desired tool, die or mold is located it then needs to be moved from the storage area to the location of the machine.

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ENGINEERING PDATE

June 2022

st out of your , Molds & Die’s

There are several types of cranes and ergonomic lifting devices available that can be used to get the tool, die or mold out of storage and onto your chosen method of transport (forklift, manual or automated cart or trolley).

When thinking about moving the tool, die and mold from storage to production you want to reduce handling as much as possible as there is opportunity for worker injury and product damage with extensive handling. Find an ergonomic solution that protects the worker and safeguards the part from damage.

Once you get the tool, die, mold to the production area you have the task of removing the current one from the machine and replacing it with the new one from storage. This can be a highly technical process that takes time. The faster you can locate and get the new tool, die or mold to the

production area the faster the change can occur.

Once the change is done, you now have the task of returning the previously used tool, die or mold to storage. This opens up another opportunity for worker injury and part damage (which leads to maintenance costs, part quality problems and lost production).

Simple automated solutions can extend the life of expensive tools, dies and molds by reducing excessive contact and handling. Keeping tools, dies and molds in peak condition and available with a push of a button helps keep production runs on schedule.

To learn more about how you can extend the life of your tools, dies and molds visit our website at www.kardex.com or contact Kardex direct at info.remstar.uk@Kardex.com

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June 2022

ENGINEERING PDATE

RED LION CONTROLS EXPANDS SECURE REMOTE ACCESS OFFERING WITH ACQUISITION OF MB CONNECT LINE GMBH Red Lion Controls, an operating company of UK-based Spectris plc, is pleased to announce the acquisition of MB connect line GmbH, a leading provider of secure connection of machines and plants for remote access, data collection, and M2M-communication. The addition of MB connect line supports Red Lion’s strategy to deliver secure, easy-to-use edge connectivity solutions enabling organizations worldwide to gain secure real-time data visibility that drives productivity.

Headquartered in Dinkelsbühl, Germany, MB connect line is a recognized leader of Secure Remote Access, Industrial IoT, and Industrial Security services. MB connect line’s highly secured hardware and software solutions enhance Red Lion’s modular and rugged industrial automation and networking technology.

The addition of MB connect line builds on the strategic collaboration announced between the two companies in 2019. The acquisition expands Red Lion’s portfolio by adding a full complement of products from an industry recognized leader in industrial cyber-security and offers customers a Remote Service Portal for remote monitoring and remote configuration.

Customers will be able to meet the demands of industrial environments and strengthen their operational resiliency with secure remote access solutions.

“Red Lion Controls and MB connect line are a powerful combination. With a shared focus on secure connectivity solutions, we will be better positioned to serve our customers seeking to strengthen their operational resiliency with the convergence of Information Technology and Operations Technology. Red Lion is very excited about starting this new chapter, supporting customers with a broader product offering and greater technical resources,” stated Jack Lee, President of Red Lion Controls.

"With the acquisition of MB connect line by Red Lion Controls, we are taking the next step in our successful partnership. MB connect line will continue to expand its comprehensive portfolio of solutions for secure remote maintenance and networking as well as edge and cloud connectivity.

MB connect line is very excited to work together with Red Lion Controls to provide the best solutions for the digital transformation in the industry - and to benefit from Red Lion Controls' strong global presence," stated Siegfried Müller, CEO and founder of MB connect line.

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ENGINEERING PDATE

June 2022

Fluid Carrying

Flexibility Articulated Torsion Pipework In Hoses Rotating Cylinders

Swivel Joints Swivel joints allow pipework to pressure 1/4” to 40” and beyond.

Vacuum to over 20,000psi.

Stock and bespoke production.

Unique bearing/seal design for longer life.

ISO 9001 CE marked where applicable.

Tel:

Bingswood Trading Estate Whaley Bridge | High Peak | SK23 7LY | UK

+44(0)1663 735003

E-mail:

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June 2022

Be inspired by innovation at Advanced Engineering Find out what’s in store for this year’s attendees On November 2 and 3, Advanced Engineering will return to the NEC, Birmingham for its 13th edition.

With 80 per cent of exhibitor space already sold, engineering and manufacturing businesses should act fast if they want to secure a stand. Last year, over 7,000 people attended across the two days, including representatives from Airbus, Jaguar Land Rover, Alpine F1, Ford, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and the Ministry of Defence.

This edition of Advanced Engineering will celebrate and display innovation, growth and development within the UK’s engineering industry. Across the show’s seven zones — aerospace, composites, automotive, advanced metals, connected manufacturing, space and satellite and, new for this year, product testing and quality control, businesses will showcase their latest, ground-breaking technologies and inspire cross-industry collaboration that pushes the UK’s engineering industry to new heights.

Following the success of the 2021 edition, attendees also found the 60 hours of free learning, courtesy of the four forums scattered across the show floor, insightful and inspiring. Highlights included workshops and talks from automotive lifestyle blogger James William Walker, also known as Mr JWW, the Aerospace Technology Institute, Rolls-Royce, Airbus, ADS, the UK Space Agency, Jaguar Land Rover, Composites UK, BAE Systems Make UK and more. These four forums will return in 2022, sponsored and supported by companies including HP, University of Strathclyde, GRP Solutions, Euroresins, Cristex Composite Materials, Ripley Solutions and more.

Advanced Engineering is the place to be for the UK’s engineering community. Exhibitor space is selling out fast. To book your stand, visit www.advancedengineeringuk.com and make an enquiry. Alternatively, you can contact our Head of Sales, Ali Farr on +44 (0)20 3196 4244.

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ENGINEERING PDATE

2 & 3 November 2022 | NEC Birmingham

The UK’s LEADING annual gathering of OEMs and engineering and manufacturing supply chain professionals An absolutely outstanding event!

We’ve met many great people who we will be looking to work with in the future, and overall it has been a very successful couple of days.

Matt Travis, Engineering Manager, JCB

Scan the QR code to discover the event

Association partners Composites

BOOK YOUR STAND

Trade Association

aeuk@easyfairs.com | +44 (0)20 3196 4300 advancedengineeringuk.com

Co-located with

June 2022

ENGINEERING PDATE

123 Insight releases more free MRP educational videos 123 Insight has released six additional videos to its free MRP educational video series on YouTube, bringing the total number of videos available currently to 15.

T

he videos are designed to help manufacturing companies that are either struggling with paperbased, Excel-based, or home-grown database systems to manage stock control, purchasing, or planning, or that are considering moving away from an existing MRP/ERP system that no longer meets their needs.

Each video is around 3-4 minutes in length and is designed to give the viewer a basic overview on each subject.

The latest videos include: • What is a Bill of Materials (BOM)?

• Batch production and MRP systems • What will MRP do for your sales department?

• What will MRP do for your purchasing department?

• What will MRP do for your stores department?

• What will MRP do for your production department?

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These join an existing array of videos including common MRP/ERP implementation mistakes, the top 20 benefits of an MRP system, a brief history of MRP and how MRP and Lean Manufacturing can work together.

Simon Badger, Managing Director of 123 Insight said; “Many smaller manufacturers start out with what they believe are perfectly manageable systems in place, but as they grow, they quickly discover a lack of efficiency, visibility and traceability. We’re creating these videos as part of our educational approach to MRP selection and implementation, empowering companies to understand what a well-implemented MRP system should be doing for their business, but without all the traditionally associated up-front massive financial commitment.”

Companies can find 123insight on YouTube or visit 123insight.com for more information. 123 Insight also run regular online educational MRP events, which are free to attend. Attendees will also receive a free book on how to implement an MRP system.

Considering manufacturing so�ware?

Two online ways to evaluate MRP

INFO Exchange

Evalua on Workshop

A �uick so�ware overview Good introduc on to MRP Typically a larger group

In-depth so�ware walkthrough Q&A session a�erwards Typically a smaller group

See what a manufacturing system should be doing for your business.

Whether you are considering manufacturing so�ware for the first me or looking to replace an exis ng system, we have created two online events to help you gain a be er understanding of what MRP can do for your business, in terms of efficiencies, cost savings and traceability.

The INFO Exchange gives you a taster in 50 minutes, allowing you to see the 123insight so�ware and MRP in ac on. The 2½ hour Evalua on Workshop gives you a deeper look with a Q&A session at the end, allowing you to make a decision and move forward. You will also receive a free copy of our book ‘How to implement a manufacturing system’ just for a ending.

Alterna vely, register to get access to our online Demo Movies, broken down by job role, which explain what 123insight will do for each department in your business.

Book to a end at 123insight.com Advanced Simplicity ®

123 Insight Limited

01489 860 851 info@123insight.com www.123insight.com

Free book on implemen ng MRP when you a end.

ENGINEERING PDATE

June 2022

Three days of innovation, partnerships and excellence: Subcon is back for 2022!

Sponsored by Inenco, Omnidex and Qimtek Subcon returns on the 7- 9 June 2022 to the NEC, Birmingham.

Now in its 45th year, it remains the UK’s premier event dedicated to subcontract manufacturing buyers, enabling them to source suppliers, benchmark capabilities, and form new manufacturing partnerships. At Subcon, find everything from product design, prototyping and development, contract and subcontract products and services through to machine tools, systems and equipment.

This June, Subcon will once again be collocated with The Engineer Expo and Manufacturing Management Show, bringing together even more of the best suppliers, latest innovations and practical advice.

World-class solution providers: The exhibition Across the three show days the exhibition will deliver the contacts, connections and content that engineering and manufacturing businesses in the UK need to succeed.

Visitors will be able to harness new innovations from over 200 world class suppliers to help increase capacity, optimise productivity and improve flexibility, whilst also driving down costs to stay competitive in a global market.

Subcon exhibitors span a massive range of manufacturing and engineering businesses, including assembly work, CNC machining, metal fabrication, 3D printing and many more. As this diversity of exhibitors shows, there will be huge opportunities to forge strategic partnerships and improve existing processes.

Exhibitors include European Springs & Pressings, DP Engineering, DVR Ltd, Flexible Machining Systems Ltd, Goodman Metal Works, IMSM, JKN Oil Tools, Oldham Engineering, Omnidex, and many more.

Shaping the future: Free conference sessions Visitors can also enjoy over 30 hours of free conference sessions lead by industry experts discussing the key issues and trends that are driving innovation and shaping the UK’s industrial landscape in 2022: from the latest developments in key technology areas such as hydrogen mobility, electrification, and nuclear fusion to keynote insights on automation, finance and engineering skills.

Speakers confirmed this year include: •

Dave Short - Technology Director, BAE Systems: Innovation in the defence sector

•

Ian Whiting – Commercial Director, UK Battery Industrialisation Centre: Scaling up UK electric vehicle battery manufacture

•

Tony Langtry – Head of Mechanical Engineering, Tokamak Energy: The engineering challenges of nuclear of fusion

•

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Hugo Spowers – Founder, R i v e r s i m p l e : Transforming mobility with hydrogen

•

Professor Ric Allot – Director of Business Development, STFC: Industrial applications of Big Science.

•

Professor Chris Tuck – University of Nottingham: Insight from the cutting edge of the UK additive manufacturing research community.

Jason Dante, event director for Subcon, points out that this wide range of opportunity and the chance to see so many diverse companies is no accident: “We have crammed as much value into the event as we can. This year, alongside the Engineer Expo and Manufacturing Management Show theatre, we also have a brand new supply chain theatre that will bring together an expert line-up of speakers to talk about the biggest challenges and opportunities for the sector.

We also once again have ensured there will be ample networking opportunities available at the show, including the VIP buyers lounge, sponsored by Qimtek.

Plus, there will even be a couple of extra surprises in celebration of the Jubilee! We are incredibly excited to include so much new material and look forward to opening the doors at the NEC.”

2022

5-6 OCTOBER P&J LIVE, ABERDEEN

17TH YEAR! LiftEx 2022, the leading lifting equipment networking event, provides the first major opportunity in 3 years to meet face-to-face with the industry. Taking part is your chance to reconnect, meet new vendors and get back to business!

Book your free visitor ticket now at liftex.org/liftex-aberdeen At LiftEx you’ll meet global and local vendors of lifting equipment and services supplying vertical markets including Oil & Gas, Ports & Maritime, Offshore, Construction, Manufacturing, Automotive, Utilities and Entertainment. If you are responsible for purchasing or decision making in this sector, you can’t afford to miss this exhibition.

New this year - 10 hours of free content for visitors:

Day 1 - Knowledge Sharing and Industry Insights - Panel discussions, guest speaker interviews, case studies and interactive sessions delivered by industry experts.

Day 2 - Education Zone - Learning and development, with free

training including Advanced Programme (Diploma) refresher courses (ideal for individual CPD or exam preparation), and the all new End User Guidance (EUG) and Introduction to Lifting Equipment (ILE) training courses.

Ask the Expert Surgeries - 15-minute sessions with the

LEEA CEO and SLT on key topics of importance.

Exhibitor Fast Pitch - A series of 5-minute pitches from our

exhibitors to engage the audience giving a succinct overview of the key brands, services and innovative products on the market.

Exhibition Space - To secure a stand on the exhibition show floor, or to become one of our sponsors, contact the team on +44 (0)20 3488 2865 or email enquiries@L2Events.com

LiftEx is the flagship show from LEEA, the global trade association for the lifting industry. @LiftEx2022 | #LiftEx2022

liftex.org/liftex-aberdeen

June 2022

ENGINEERING PDATE

Railtex / Infrarail showcased the full potential of the railway industry From 10 – 12 May 2022, Railtex / Infrarail took place at Olympia London. The UK’s number one event for the rail industry brought together a total of 3,707 industry professionals, mainly from the UK. With topics from decarbonisation, investments to create a more sustainable rail industry to the digitalisation of rail transport, the exhibition once again showcased the full potential of the railway industry and provided a central meeting place.

“More than 3,700 attendees from management, engineering, planning and technical design backgrounds came to the iconic buildings at Olympia London to create meaningful collaborations and form the future of railway. We are proud to be a part of this again and to support the rail industry’s progress in the modern, post-pandemic world.” says Olaf Freier, Railtex / Infrarail Portfolio Director, on behalf of Mack-Brooks Exhibitions.

A total of 130 exhibiting companies from 14 countries with strong involvement from the UK and from countries including Turkey, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland showcased a wide variety of new products and innovative technologies. The focus for this year was clear: Greener and sustainable product solutions, decarbonisation and digitalisation.

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Both exhibitors and visitors were highly satisfied with their newly established business relations.

Richard Lenthall, the Vice President of voestalpine Railway Systems mentioned, “Railtex / Infrarail 2022 provided not only the opportunity to reconnect with our customers in person, but we also had a chance to meet new ones. During the three show days, we were able to update our customers on new products where they could see them in person, and without a doubt, this process would not be the same over teleconference. Also, the exhibition provided the perfect stage for business conversations to happen and to engage with quality customers in person.“

Extensive supporting programme Across the three days, visitors and exhibitors of this year’s show had the opportunity to attend a rich supporting programme, including keynote speakers from leading industry names, technical seminars, project updates and Q&A sessions covering current topics for the railway industry. The programme included two conference streams: The Future Focus Conference and Unlocking Innovation, two recurring features organised by the exhibition’s main show partner RIA – the Railway Industry Association.

During Tuesday’s Opening Ceremony, Nicola Hamann, Managing Director of

Mack-Brooks Exhibitions, welcomed all attendees and expressed her gratitude for joining Railtex / Infrarail 2022 and making this edition a huge success. The opening ceremony carried on with a message from Darren Caplan, Chief Executive at Railway Industry Association (RIA), expressing their views on the future of the industry.

Bill Esterson MP, Shadow Minister for Business and Industry, Simon Blanchflower CBE, Non-Executive Director and Strategic Advisor at FICE and Helen McAllister, Programme Director at GBRTT, were also present to share insights about the latest developments within the railway industry.

ENGINEERING PDATE

June 2022

In addition to the conference programme, RIA’s Meet the Buyer programme once again offered networking opportunities to participants. Furthermore, the product demonstrations and the on-track display were popular features of this edition.

Date of the next show As the one-stop-shop for the entire railway sector and central platform for companies to showcase their latest products, Railtex will continue to play a key role in the light of the current industry developments. Many exhibitors at this year’s show have already announced that they will exhibit again at the show in 2023. The next edition of Railtex will take place from 9 – 11 May 2023 at the NEC, in Birmingham.

About our railway shows Organised by Mack-Brooks Exhibitions, Railtex / Infrarail is part of a series of targeted trade events for the railway industry, including SIFER in France and EXPO Ferroviaria in Italy, all dedicated to support the recovery of the European rail market.

Altogether, the exhibitions form a network of 25,000 visitors, 40 industry partners and 1,300 exhibiting companies promoting innovation in rail-bound mobility.

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June 2022

ENGINEERING PDATE

What if there was a robot that was easy to operate, did not require a safety fence and was also attractively priced? That would introduce a whole new era in human-robot collaboration.

This new era is now dawning – with the world’s first pneumatic robot from Festo.

A new era of humanrobot collaboration:

the First Pneumatic Cobot

Hardly any industrial market segment will grow as rapidly over the next few years as human-robot collaboration.

Cobots relieve employees of particularly strenuous or monotonous tasks, giving them new levels of freedom and making their work easier and healthier. And no other technology has such a sensitive and flexible approach to human-robot collaboration as pneumatics.

The benefits of pneumatics The Festo Cobot owes many of its advantages, such as its sensitivity, weight and value for money, to the benefits of pneumatics. The direct drives in the articulated joints are very cost-effective and particularly lightweight because, unlike electric solutions, no heavy gear units or expensive force-torque sensors are required. The world’s first pneumatic cobot is a result of the exceptional expertise in controlled pneumatics from Festo.

Cost-effective option – even for small and mediumsized companies The Festo Cobot even makes using cobots cost-effective for small and medium-sized companies, which often rely on manual work processes. Its flexible application options mean that small batch sizes or work steps can now be processed automatically. Thanks to its uniquely intuitive and simple commissioning and programming, it is quick and easy to get to grips with so extensive training is not required.

First pneumatic robot on the market: the Festo Cobot is easy to operate, does not require a safety fence and will be attractively priced.

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The pneumatic Festo Cobot will be cheaper than electric cobots in the same class. It will provide excellent value for money in its main application area of small

ENGINEERING PDATE

June 2022 Thanks to state-of-the-art, lightweight construction methods, the Festo Cobot weighs in at well under 20 kg so that it can be deployed quickly and flexibly at other locations.

Working safer and faster With a length of 670 mm, the Festo Cobot is just like a human arm and has the right reach for it to be perceived as a helping third hand when working with a member of staff.

It moves – like a real colleague – within a manageable radius. Thanks to the flexibility of the pneumatic drives, the cobot acts sensitively – at a speed appropriate to the situation and with fluid, harmonious movements. It is as soft to the touch as human contact.

“Thanks to precise pressure regulators in the articulated joints, the robot recognises when it is being touched and responds with appropriate safety functions,” says Christian Tarragona, Head of Robotics at Festo.

parts handling with payloads of up to 3 kg. “When it goes on sale in 2023, the Festo Cobot will set new standards in human-robot collaboration with its ease of use,” explains Dr Frank Melzer, Member of the Management Board for Product and Technology Management at Festo.

Easy to operate and flexible to use

meets this requirement as it doesn’t require an additional control cabinet (which can be difficult to connect and cumbersome). The compact controller that is integrated in the Cobot’s own base makes it particularly flexible.

Simple connections also allow it to be used ad hoc without long changeover times. Common bus standards enable fast connection to higher-order controllers. It also requires less space.

The cobot’s pneumatic direct drives and its light weight reduce its contact energy. Says Christian Tarragona, Head of Robotics at Festo: “Thanks to precise pressure regulators in the articulated joints, the robot recognises when it is being touched and responds with appropriate safety functions.”

Employees can work together with their careful technical colleague in complete safety.

For more information about Festo products and services, visit: www.festo.com/gb

The Festo Cobot consists of the hardware itself, a handheld module and the Robotic Suite – software for intuitive commissioning and programming. This package makes it possible to commission and program the Cobot in less than an hour. Prior knowledge of robotics is not required either, because the self-explanatory “Robotic Suite” software contains clearly visualised and standardised function blocks. Pneumatic drives enable the robot arm to be guided by hand easily and without any resistance so that waypoints or paths can be taught quickly and precisely.

For small and medium-sized companies in particular, cobots are only attractive if they can adapt quickly to take on a new task and are not just permanently used for the same purpose. The Festo Cobot

“When it goes on sale in 2023, the Festo Cobot will set new standards in humanrobot collaboration with its ease of use,” explains Dr Frank Melzer, Member of the Management Board - Product and Technology Management at Festo.

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June 2022

ENGINEERING PDATE

SICK’s Fill Level Monitoring Keeps Packaging Machines Topped Up

A digital service that gives instant visibility to filling levels in packaging machinery has been developed by SICK in collaboration with industry end-users. SICK Filling Level Monitoring avoids machine stoppages by giving real-time data to operators via smartwatch or phone, so that levels of carton blanks, adhesive or film wraps, for example, stay topped up.

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ENGINEERING PDATE

June 2022

I

nstead of having to check each magazine or film roll level in person, machine operators monitor fill levels on their watch or phone and are alerted by SICK’s Filling Level Monitoring system before levels become critical. Machine downtime is avoided and staff walking routes can be planned efficiently to ensure optimum production uptime.

Industry Collaboration The SICK Filling Level Monitoring digital service can be used with any SICK smart level sensors. Its first applications have been developed with packaging manufacturers and machine builders using SICK DT-50 laser distance sensors to output level measurements from carton magazines and film rolls.

The measurements are routed to a SICK SIM1012 edge gateway, which aggregates and forwards encrypted data via SICK’s LiveConnect digital interface, so that it can be easily accessed, managed, and processed online.

The SICK Filling Level Monitoring cloudbased dashboard provides easy-tointerpret graphical information about the real-time status of machines from any internet-enabled device. Automatic push notifications on the fill levels can be set up for smart devices to alert with an acoustic signal and vibration. Meanwhile, production managers can monitor the fill levels of all machines across a packaging line, shift or entire production

facility. Analysis of historic trends can be used to optimise production processes.

Unexpected Benefits Neil Sandhu, SICK’s UK Product Manager for imaging, measurement and ranging, said: “SICK worked closely with leading packaging end-users and machine builders in Europe to develop a cost-effective and easy-to-implement system.

“By using the smart watch alerts, our customers found that fewer operators were needed to keep cartoning machines replenished, so staff could be deployed more efficiently to other duties. What’s more, the system brought unexpected benefits to overall production control.

For example, the loads on packaging machinery lines could be monitored to identify over- or under- capacity.”

While initially developed for cardboard and film packaging materials, Filling Level Monitoring can also be adapted for liquids including adhesives, or granular raw materials. It is also possible to add customised services and analyses tailored to particular machinery or processes.

Up to six SICK sensors can be monitored by each SICK SIM1012 gateway, and more sensors, including third-party devices, may be added by connecting over OPC-UA. Sensors are also

continuously monitored by the system in case one should go offline or need a replacement.

The solution can be extended to meet the needs of customers on request, e.g. to customise and display additional data on the dashboard. Integration to third party ERP and MES software systems is also possible.

Digitilisation Neil Sandhu concludes: “Cloud-based services such as Filling Level Monitoring illustrate how making reliable sensor data transparent enables digitalised machine operation as part of Industry 4.0. By combining smart sensors with intelligent software, critical processes can be visualised in real time and adapted for the needs of users.

“Early adopters are noticing new and unexpected production trends when they view and interpret their historical production data in easy-to-read graphical displays. As a result, they have been able to optimise production processes and deploy staff to achieve efficiencies never even expected.”

www.sick.co.uk |63

ESI ESI Technology Technology

Limited

DIGITAL PRESSURE MEASUREMENT SOLUTIONS Discover our newest range of digital pressure measurement solutions. With RS-485 output.

www.esi-tec.com

June 2022

ENGINEERING PDATE

Device Data: Do-It-Yourself Is History A medium sized machine building company invests an average of up to fifteen working hours per month creating missing device data – time that can be better used elsewhere. Solutions provider EPLAN is now providing support: with the new Data Portal Request Process, customers can order individual device data in Data Standard quality using the credit system. In addition, new selectors from ABB and Siemens simplify engineering, and the American NFPA format is now also supported.

Faster access to suitable, preferably standardised device data – that’s the daily maxim in project work these days.

While the EPLAN Data Portal offers device data for millions of components, it can sometimes happen that the required device data isn’t found on the portal. Users have had to create or modify such data themselves until now, which is time consuming and sometimes cost intensive. With the new Data Portal Request Process, users can now hand this task over to EPLAN. This saves a lot of work for creating individual device data and ensures the receipt of correct, standardised data.

From the request to the device data If a user working on a project requires device data that isn’t found on the portal, they can send their individual requests for creating device data to EPLAN. The credits required for this are directly shown, and the user can then use their credits to draw the corresponding amount for each query from their quota. This saves on frequently creating procurement orders and is transparent as regards potential inhouse cost limits. An EPLAN team creates the required device data within a few days in accordance with the Data Standard.

This new service provides significant relief to companies as part of their engineering processes. EPLAN Business Owner Master Data Josefine Heck explains: “The new Data Portal Request Process provides our customers with maximum support in creating digital device data that is as complete as possible. In this way we have their backs so they can focus on truly value creating tasks in engineering.”

NFPA standard integrated Companies in machine building and plant system engineering sectors are often faced with the challenging task of preparing documentation in country specific standards.

Countries such as China and the United States of America have local standards – in the US it’s the NFPA Standard, a standard that is now newly represented in the EPLAN Data Portal. Furthermore, there’s an integrated filter that allows searching for device data by standard, representing a next step for truly collaborative engineering on the world market.

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Josefine Heck.jpg: “The new Data Portal Request Process provides our customers with maximum support in creating digital device data that is as complete as possible,” says EPLAN Business Owner Master Data Josefine Heck.

ABB and Siemens: new selectors on the portal The inclusion of new selectors is yet another win for portal users: ABB e-Configure – a global configurator that supports selecting circuit breakers for protecting motors, fuse relays and power switches as examples – was recently integrated.

ENGINEERING PDATE

June 2022

Data Portal Request Process.jpg: A simple input mask in the EPLAN Data Portal helps companies quickly request the required data.

ABB e-Configure.jpg: The ABB e-Configure selector now integrated means it’s easy to configure circuit breakers for protecting motors, fuse relays and power switches in the EPLAN Data Portal.

And the Siemens Electrical Product Finder is now also part of the portal, where designers can find data for Sirius compact starters, overload relays and monitoring relays to name just a few.

Expanded Data Standard Well over 500,000 device data in the EPLAN Data Portal already meet the criteria for the high quality Data Standard. In the interest of its customers, EPLAN aims to roll out the standard more broadly. A first step is defining

additional product groups, including in the fields of fluid power technology, where product groups not previously available have now been integrated. The company Festo, one of the most important suppliers in the fluid power sector, has already uploaded a quarter of its nearly 50,000 devices into in the portal in Data Standard quality. For users this means comprehensive data that can be used and further enriched throughout the entire engineering process.

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June 2022

ENGINEERING PDATE

Curiosity Nano development platform by Microchip

MC Nano series and compatible modules by Mikroelektronika

Curiosity Nano series products Microchip Curiosity Nano (or MC Nano) is a development platform dedicated mostly for 8-bit PIC and AVR microcontrollers. They can also be used to develop applications equipped with some of the 32-bit products from the PIC32 and SAM families featuring ARM® Cortex® architecture. Regardless of the system, the Curiosity Nano platform is developed to maximally accelerate the design of new applications and, as a result, to shorten the time between the prototyping and the mass production stages.

Key features of the MC Nano platform Development boards comprising the platform come in many sizes (lengths), depending on the size of the applied MCU. The smallest boards are dedicated to systems with 20 terminals (including 16 GPIO pins), whereas the biggest ones include MCU in an enclosure with 48 terminals,

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which translates into 40 input/output pins. Regardless of the length, products included in the platform share key physical (e.g. board width, terminal pitch, presence of a MicroUSB socket used for power supply, communication and programming) and technical features, for convenient migration between different models.

ENGINEERING PDATE

June 2022

PCB systems

Base board and compatible modules

The Microchip Curiosity Nano platform has a range of main features shared by all the models of this series. In the central part of the board, there is a microcontroller (C) whose pins are connected to fields on the edges of the PCB (F) and a quartz resonator (D). For the purpose of simple prototyping, there is a button (A) and a LED indicator (B) installed on the board. Unlike the Arduino platform, the switch does not work as a reset; it is attached to the microcontroller’s input/output pin (address of a dedicated terminal is marked on the PCB, it varies depending on the models in the series). The USB Micro socket (G) is used for communication and power supply purposes.

TME offers a range of accessories and complementing products that will make the first steps with the MC Nano platform easier and improve the prototyping works as such. The standardisation of terminals in the product series by Microchip makes it possible to use them with adapters, extension boards and digital modules such as sensors, controllers, interfaces etc.

Development boards and adapters Curiosity Nano Base prototype board with terminals for Click modules.

Standardisation of terminals One of the assets of the Microchip platform is that the terminals are standardised. Regardless of the selected board model and the microcontroller installed on it, the fields on the PCB edges are connected to the pins of the programmer, debugger and central system of the same functionality. Therefore, the order of the connectors on the board is not equal to the numbers of the microcontroller’s terminals. It is, however, identical within the MC Nano series.

Functionality of a built-in debugger Microchip Curiosity Nano debugger built in the board (also referred to as PKOB nano, nEDBG or nano debugger) has a basic functionality, i.e. controlling the execution of the programme, (flow control – start, stop, stepper release, reset); reading and recording the contents of retentive memory of the microcontroller; managing the traps (breakpoint), whose number depends on the system type.

Each MC Nano model can be put in the base board using a pin header connector. TME offers two such models: the AC164162, equipped with compatible connectors

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June 2022

including modules by Mikroelektronika and Microchip and the AC80T88A evaluation kit that can be connected to products from the Xplained Pro family. In both cases, the user has access to a separate power switch and independent terminals of all ports. They also get a comfortable and stable stand that improves the comfort of work. An undeniable asset of the AC164162 model is a built-in battery charging controller. It improves the process of prototyping mobile devices – applications for which many Microchip microcontrollers are intended.

Click® series modules Thanks to the standardisation of the communication terminals within the MC Nano series, these products can be quickly connected to many standardised modules – in particular to the Click® series by Mikroelektronika.

It is currently the biggest family of universal extensions for microcontrollers. It uses the MikroBUS standard for data transmission, which combines several methods of communication. Currently there are over 1000 products from the Click® Board family available in the TME offer.

That includes many communications systems (RF, WiFi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, GSM), sensors, meters (ammeters, voltmeters), useful accessories such as memory card and RFID readers, GPS receivers as well as interface components (buttons, keyboards, controls) and numerous less common circuits, e.g. mixed circuits (FM and AM tuner) or audio amplifiers.

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Comparison of MC Nano products One of the biggest assets of the MC Nano series is a wide selection of microcontrollers that can be installed in this platform. The table below presents the systems that are currently available directly from the TME catalogue, however, that range is certainly going to be expanded.

It is already clear from the current portfolio of products on offer how wide the range of prototype boards from the Microchip Curiosity Nano family is. When it comes to simple mobile applications, where energy efficiency is the key factor, boards equipped with ATTINY systems are the best choice (DM080104 board is a great example of such product), as they are adapted to low power consumption designs and work excellently as controllers, for example in electronic household appliances or in the automotive industry. PIC16 microcontrollers with CIP (Core Independent Peripherals) also feature very low power modes (eXtreme Low-Power). They constitute integrated systems that can operate independently from the core and even wake up the microcontroller from the sleep mode by causing interruption determined by a programmable parameter (e.g. exceeding the set voltage at the input of the A/C converter).

Text prepared by Transfer Multisort Elektronik Sp. z o.o.

The original source of text: https://www.tme.eu/en/news/libraryarticles/page/45286/curiosity-nano-development-platform-bymicrochip/

Transfer Multisort Elektronik Ltd. Coleshill House Suite 1C, 1 Station Road Coleshill, Birmingham B46 1HT, United Kingdom tel. +44 1675790026 office@tme-uk.eu, www.tme.eu

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