Product news New modular Instron® CEAST Melt Flow Testers perform measurements according to ISO 1133-2 High Wycombe/UK, October, 2012 – The new, modular Instron® CEAST MF20 and MF30 Melt Flow Testers are versatile single-weight measurement systems suitable for use both in research and development and in advanced quality control. They provide the user with increased convenience for easy and accurate measurement of the flow properties of plastics according to ASTM D1238 and ISO 1133. Both lines of melt flow testers conform to strict tolerances with regard to temperature accuracy and stability, specimen quantity and pre-treatment, complying with the stringent requirements of the new testing standard ISO 11332 for materials sensitive to timetemperature history and/or moisture. The CEAST MF30 includes a weight magazine and weight lifter (available as an option for MF20). The weight magazine contains a complete set of 8 test masses ranging from 0.325 kg (piston mass) up to 21.6 kg for testing a wide spectrum of materials, from fast-flowing masterbatches to highly viscous elastomers or filled thermoplastic polymers. A highconvenience mechanical system, the newly developed Manual Mass Selector, enables pre-selection of the required test mass, thus facilitating preparation and execution of the tests. All test masses remain installed on the machine at all times. This eliminates the need to handle and apply heavy test masses and significantly enhances the safety of the laboratory staff. Measurement Computing (Norton, MA), the value leader in data acquisition, has announced the release of USB DAQ device support for Android-based tablets As tablets gain popularity, Measurement Computing is at the
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forefront of targeting these new devices with its low-cost USB data acquisition products. The Android OS is supported through DAQFlex, a simple and efficient message-based programming interface. The DAQFlex for Android API and example programs are included with select MCC DAQ devices. The Android API provides programmers with a method of communicating with these devices without the need for understanding USB communication mechanisms. Unlike most DAQ devices, which interface to the computer via lowlevel commands, DAQFlex devices interface with simple text messages. In addition to Android, DAQFlex also includes out of the box support for Windows®, Linux® and Mac®. A whitepaper on using Android with MCC DAQ hardware is available for download from the Adept Scientific website www.adeptscience.co.uk SKF bearings extend bakery maintenance intervals tenfold SKF high temperature bearings have enabled Evron Foods to extend maintenance intervals in their ovens from three months to almost three years – and counting. The upgrade is one of the many application-specific solutions provided every day by SKF, the knowledge engineering company, that cut costs and maximise plant performance in applications across industry. Evron Foods specialises in the manufacture of bakery products for retail, wholesale and beyond, both on behalf of private labels and under its own Easibake brand. The company operates from two sites, one based in Northern Ireland and the other in Wales. At both of these sites, transfer
units move trays of product through the ovens to carry out the baking process. These transfer units run on rollers inside the ovens and four rollers are required for each support station along the way. As there are five support stations in each oven, and therefore 20 rollers, each oven requires 40 bearings. The first bearings were installed at the Northern Ireland site in May 2009 and proved to be an instant success, easily exceeding the three-month maintenance interval demanded by the previous bearings. Naturally enough, subsequent orders were then made for Brammer to provide SKF high temperature bearings for Evron’s Welsh site. At the time of writing, the bearings originally installed in Northern Ireland during May 2009 are still in operation, having effected a 1000% improvement on the previous bearings. For further information, please contact: Phil Burge, Communication Manager, SKF (U.K.) Limited Tel: +44 (0)1582 496433 Mobile: +44 (0)7770 647591 phil.burge@skf.com New Safety Device has the Vision to Help Protect The Allen-Bradley® GuardMaster® SC300 is a Type 3, vision-based protective device designed for use in a variety of machine-guarding applications 14th September 2012 - The latest addition to the Rockwell Automation safety opto-electronic product family, the SC300 Hand Detection safety sensor is a compact Type 3, SIL 2, IEC 62061, PLd EN ISO 13849-1 VisionBased Protective Device (VBPD), which uses image-processing technology to detect the intrusion of objects through its detection window. The safety-sensing function is performed by a single image sensing