Phrases like ‘Smart Manufacturing’, ‘Industry 4.0’ and the ‘Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) are widely used terminology in the context of today’s manufacturing environment. However, these concepts, which embody the idea of using technology to benefit manufacturers, are slow to be adopted, particularly by companies operating within more mature, traditional sectors. PWE reports.
Manufacturers face the ongoing challenge of delivering goods in greater volumes and speeds while keeping prices competitive in an overcrowded market. Automation that features software integrated solutions are helping manufacturers meet these challenges by providing precision and versatility through intelligent systems that increase order fulfilment and improve quality control. Steffen Thierfelder, Managing Director, Northern Europe of Dematic UK and Ireland, explains more
A German wine producer has improved its productivity by retrofitting an anti-corrosion chain on its conveyor system. The company invested in a Tsubaki Neptune chain that has increased service life and reduced downtime with less frequent replacement and maintenance requirements. The upgraded chain has also reduced the total cost of ownership.
Variable speed drives (VSDs) and soft starters provide ways to reduce the energy consumption of a motor by providing operators with solutions for control over their power. But which is the most appropriate choice? Marek Lukaszczyk* gives his advice for choosing a VSD or soft starter.
Whether offshore or inland, wind farms endure all kinds of harsh environments. Condition monitoring is therefore essential and relies upon rugged embedded computing. PWE reports.
To reduce the cost of downtime, several industries have connected their equipment to the Internet of Things (IoT) for an accurate understanding of their performance. Now, with the help of telematics software, generator operators can also improve fleet performance and avoid downtime by receiving near real-time information on their machinery. Becky Wallis* discusses the potential for telematics in gensets.
The decision by power generation company EDF to repair, rather than replace, leaking pipework at its nuclear power plant in Bugey has proved hugely beneficial both practically and financially. Maintenance engineers used Henkel’s Loctite Composite Pipe Repair System to restore the integrity of 170m of freshwater pipes, a process that was undertaken without the need to stop production and at a cost that was 35% less than the replacement value. PWE reports.
Talking Industry Chair Andy Pye reflects on the latest Talking Industry webinar, which covered Maintenance 4.0 - the use of advanced digital methods to nudge maintenance out of traditional systems towards preventive and predictive maintenance.
A wastewater pumping system at a large shopping centre in Bristol was causing a headache for facility managers, as it was suffering multiple breakdowns. Designed to pump wastewater from a 1000 L basement tank over a 10m head and along to the main drains, two pumps kick in once a certain level is reached, emptying the tank. However, the 20-year-old system was showing its age. The tank itself was leaking, causing the seepage of wastewater into the basement area. This required clean up, which was jeopardising the reopening of shops post-lockdown.
A pneumatic valve island for process automation now includes Switching Time Monitoring to ensure improved predictive maintenance, and longterm dosing accuracy.
Knowing the health of your important assets is critical to achieving production and business goals. PWE looks at how edge analytics devices are helping to simplify the implementation of online monitoring systems
Henkel has announced the date for a webinar to explore how LOCTITE structural adhesives can open up limitless possibilities in product design. Broadcast at 10:00 hrs BST on Wednesday 30th June 2021 the event will be hosted by Henkel’s senior technology specialists, Bob Goss and Dr. Julie Joseph. To register for the event go to https://www.bigmarker.com/ma-business/Discover-Structural-Bonding-Adhesives-Design-Performance?utm_bmcr_source=loctiteOneWeb
Andrew Normand* looks at how the power of AI can save plant operators a small fortune
Tork®, an Essity brand, is launching a new guide to “kaizen” that aims to help businesses implement a culture of continuous improvement. Kaizen is the Japanese management theory which advocates that all employees be engaged in the improvement of a business, supported by a new study among machine operators.
Clive Jones*, discusses whether the pandemic could kickstart the digital revolution of thermal fluid monitoring.
By installing automatic lubricators for bearings on its conveyor drive motors and belt pulleys, an opencast mine in Hungary has seen a range of benefits, including prevention of unplanned downtime, longer bearing life and reduced repair work. PWE reports
The Tennent Caledonian Brewery has taken its newly implemented Mainsaver CMMS from Spidex Software live despite the additional pressures of Covid 19. PWE reports.
Industry 4.0 encompasses so much more than simply optimising existing processes. Automation company Pilz has drawn up a universal, digital concept – from ordering through to commissioning with its latest modular safety relay myPNOZ. PWE reports
Industrial equipment operators have increasingly turned to predictive maintenance to prevent catastrophic system failures as well as anticipate and schedule repairs correctly and minimise overall disruption to operations. Overall, predictive maintenance should generate significant cost savings and protect the company’s bottom line. Philipp Wallner* reports.
Svendborg Brakes says its newly launched Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solution is empowering the mining industry to boost its operations. PWE reports.
Digital condition monitoring technology has enabled manufacturers to embed proactive condition based maintenance approaches into their operations, improving reliability, reducing downtime and delivering swift return on investment. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted how cloud-based CM systems
A digital transformation strategy that includes upgrading to a modern distributed control system can help producers improve productivity and reduce risk. Blair Wilson* and Lisa Ridgely* report.
Turck Banner’s systems division has a reputation for bringing together a diverse array of products to form cohesive systems solving the requirements of major industrial companies. However it has not manufactured its own product in the UK until July of this year, when it started manufacturing systems to support social distancing and occupancy for a wide range of uses from factories and plants, to commercial premises and shops. PWE reports.
Automatic lubricators and Arcanol grease ensure conveyor motor bearings run reliably at opencast mine. PWE reports.
The UK’s lockdown response to COVID-19 has affected most industries, and in the case of utilities companies, a reduction in the workforce will add stress to a network of systems and devices that require regular maintenance. For many, this has been a stark wake-up call emphasising the need to build greater resiliency into operations.
As the use of premium efficiency (IE3) motors has increased, due in part to strengthened regulation, the question of maintaining motor efficiency after a rewind process has reappeared. The most recent study, conducted in 2019, by AEMT and EASA has again used independent testing facilities and revealed that even these higher efficiency units are unaffected by a repair using good practice procedures.
The advantages of applying vibration condition monitoring to rotating equipment is well established but this technique can only provide the maximum benefit when applying the correct measurement technique. So what is the correct measurement and how do I implement this?
The offshore wind industry has become one of the UK’s success stories. In the past decade, the industry went from a capacity of 0.3 Gigawatts (GW) of power to 9.7 GW — and also generated almost ten per cent of the UK’s total energy in 2019. However, this success brings similarly high expectations for the future, with a Government target of a 400% increase in capacity by 2030. To achieve this, the sector must accelerate its adoption of digitalisation, explains PWE reports.
Harnessing the power of water is one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly ways to produce electricity. For a hydropower installation of any size, it is imperative to keep turbines and generators running to maximise output and return on investment. PWE reports.
Power generation plants rely on boiler feed pumps to deliver a reliable and consistent flow of water to the boilers, which create the steam that powers the turbine, which creates electricity. After 45 years in service the boiler feed pumps needed to be replaced and Sulzer says it managed to achieve a return on investment of just over two years.
SICK has released advanced variants of its AHS36 and AHM36 IO-Link absolute encoders that can harness valuable diagnostic insights for better machine control and availability. With versatile programming options, they make it easy to integrate data from encoders into localised and ‘edge computing’ configurations to improve the efficiency of automated plant.
David Bean, solutions manager at Mitsubishi Electric, looks at how digitalisation – through the rise of the Industrial Internet of Things and technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence – is delivering new insights about plant assets, so boosting the potential for predictive maintenance and heralding the arrival of prescriptive maintenance.
David Bean, solutions manager at Mitsubishi Electric, looks at how digitalisation – through the rise of the Industrial Internet of Things and technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence – is delivering new insights about plant assets, so boosting the potential for predictive maintenance and heralding the arrival of prescriptive maintenance.
Plug-and-play condition monitoring can help companies quickly deploy predictive equipment maintenance within an overall digital-transformation strategy. PWE reports.
Maintenance processes are changing, and with them the skillsets needed by maintenance personnel. PWE consultant editor Andy Pye, tracks the march towards advanced technologies, with a nod towards some innovations, which would have been shown at the ill-fated 2020 Hanover Fair.
The main spindle is crucial to the performance capability of the complete machine tool. It is at the heart of the machine and largely defines the achievable cutting capacity, surface quality, and precision.
RS Components (RS) has introduced the Q2V series of compact inverter AC drives from Omron. The new Q2V drive controls the frequency of power supplied to AC motors that control the rotational speed and acceleration of pumps, fans and various other industrial machines. The series offers high flexibility and energy-efficient motor control for almost any type of motor, including induction, permanent magnet and synchronous-reluctance types.
E & JW Glendinning, a leading supplier of concrete, asphalt and aggregate products, has selected Spidex’s Mainsaver CMMS to support improvements in the auditability of its engineering operations.
Plant & Works Engineering looks at how dairy manufacturers can use AR to augment plant maintenance.
Q; What beacon colour should I use for my industrial signaling?
Effective plant isolation is key to ensuring maintenance and engineering managers working in UK industry can continue to improve safety and increase competitiveness, according to a new guide published.
Vivek Shah, Syncron, takes a look at how machine learning and predictive analytics are reshaping manufacturing.
Jonathan Wilkins, marketing director at obsolete parts supplier, EU Automation looks at how to effectively funnel big data for use in operational risk management.
PWE takes a look at how Fetch Data Collector software from MAC Solutions has allowed a water treatment company to view critical assets data in real-time.
Thomas Marks, Secretary at AEMT (Association of Electrical & Mechanical Trades), looks at what considerations should be made when it comes to repairing or replacing electric motors.
SICK offers a fascinating glimpse through the doors of its own Industry 4.0 factory – and proves it pays to practice what you preach. PWE reports.
Leading companies, who use assets intensively, know that effective asset maintenance is a foundation stone for long-term competitiveness.
A sealing solution provided by FPE Seals has helped Jackweld with the design of a welding method for joining rail tracks.
There is frequent confusion over what constitutes a ‘Competent Person’ in the context of the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000. It is important to understand this term correctly in order to comply with what the law states. BCAS reports.
