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Sept/Oct 2013 Issue 56 www.PTReview.co.uk

CALL USTODAY !

www.hayley-group.co.uk

Midlands - 0121 550 2233

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INA Linear Bearings & Guidance SystemsINA linear bearings and guidance systems from Schaeffl er off er fi rst quality products to meet linear guidance requirements across a comprehensive range of applications.

From simple guidance mechanisms for low to moderate accuracy to heavy duty systems off ering high rigidity and load carrying capacity, the INA range is deservedly fi rst in line.

Taking the quality envelope even further are X-life premium products that feature enhanced characteristics including increased load carrying capacity, higher rigidity, lower operating temperatures and reduced noise levels.

So, whether you are designing a new machine tool, packaging machine, medical device, door closing mechanism or anything else that involves linear motion, the INA linear product range can provide the perfect solution.

Now available from…

We are pleased to announce our appointment

as an authorised Trade Only NTN-SNR distributor.

Call us on 0845 124 7324 or email your requirements to [email protected] and one of our team will be

happy to help with your bearing needs.

We are also Trade Only distributors for TIMKEN, Koyo and Betex Maintenance Tools.

All articles are checked for accuracy. However, P&TR cannot legally accept any responsibility for any misrepresentation that may occur on factual feature, or errors that may occur by misprint. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of advertisements appearing. P&TR does not accept any responsibility for claims made by advertisers. P&TR cannot be held responsible for advertisements reproduced from poor quality artwork. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system

22 Leydene Avenue, Bournemouth, Dorset BH8 9JG United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0) 1202 300033 Fax:+44(0) 1202 399998E-mail: [email protected] www.internalaffairs.co.uk

News

without the express prior written consent of the publisher. Additional copies may be requested at a nominal charge.

Products

Bibby Turboflex couplings span up to 10m for long length, low maintenance operation - p4

Dedicated support for Swiss market - p6

Ray Mifsud, Managing Director of Medway (UK) Ltd, discusses the innovations of today’s drive belt technology - p8

98% of female engineers find job rewarding - survey reveals - p18

Split sprockets come into their own - p9 Installing Stealth Technology Instead of Attenuators - p11

FB UK’s largest ever sprocket - p16

MSR TwinDrive dramatically simplifies the mechanical transmission system on large vertical lathes -

p20

Bearings enable inspection of hard drive disk coatings - p22

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Fluid Power

Food industry supplier saves thousands a month - p6 Norgren demonstrates engineering advantage - p18 Major hydraulic hose project enhances performance for Rio Tinto Alcan - p20

4 P&TR Sept/Oct 2013

P&TR News Bibby Turboflex couplings span up to 10m for long lengthBased on its market leading Torsiflex range, Bibby has developed a composite, carbon fibre shaft coupling which has the unique ability to operate over lengths of up to 10m without central bearings. The Turboflex’s coupling has an inherently low mass and generous misalignment capacity, which does not require routine maintenance. The couplings are ideally suited on equipment such as cooling tower fans, large vertical pumps and marine drives where a long drive shaft is required and maintenance and repair work is costly.

The Turboflex range from Bibby, part of Altra Couplings, uses the latest material technology to provide high strength couplings with a low overall mass.

The tubes are filament wound on accurate mandrels using computer controlled machinery, and are cured whilst on the mandrel. This results in highly accurate tube dimensions, roundness and straightness; all of which contribute to a coupling

which can offer excellent operational reliability, even in hard wearing applications.

Purpose developed software enables Bibby to offer the couplings with fibre windings at angles adjusted to give the optimum performance for specific

lateral critical, torque and torsional stiffness requirements. In addition, Bibby offers the option to wind tubes using a variety of fibres: Carbon Fibre, Glass Fibre, Carbon/Glass Mix and High Modulus Fibre, all of which provide specific advantages in their relevant operating areas. The high quality materials and care that goes into the manufacturing means that Turboflex couplings are highly stable, lightweight units which, thanks to their low mass, suffer from minimal vibration even at lengths of 30m, where metal couplings would require support bearings. This makes them easier and quicker to install, and without the need to lubricate bearings they are essentially maintenance free. The couplings have been shown to be ideal in many applications where traditional couplings have been inappropriate due to vibration - such as high speed engine test beds or ship propulsion systems – or where access is extremely limited.

For reader enquiries please mention P&TR: Steve BroomheadBibby Transmissions Cannon WayDewsburyWest YorkshireWF13 1EHTel: +44 (0) 1924 460801 Fax: +44 (0) 1924 457668 E mail: [email protected] www.bibbytransmissions.co.uk

Mini-controllers for mechanical engineeringPhoenix Contact is expanding the Easy Automation system to include ILC ME mini-controllers, designed specifically for mechanical engineering.

The ILC 191 ME/AN and ILC 191 ME/INC mini-controllers feature Ethernet, RS232, and RS485/422 ports as well as connections for pulse/frequency outputs. They also offer analogue and digital inputs and outputs, high-speed meters, and incremental encoder inputs. This makes them particularly well suited for activating drives by way of step motor drivers or frequency converters.

The TD 1030T HMI device features a 2.8-inch multi-line screen used to display data in alphanumeric format. Users interact with the device using four freely configurable buttons on the display, with PC Worx Express used to program the device. For reader enquiries please mention P&TR: Phoenix Contact LtdHalesfield 13TelfordShropshireTF7 4PGTel: +44 (0) 845 881 2222Fax: +44 (0) 845 881 2211E mail: [email protected]

WORTH £350 WHEN YOU PURCHASE ONE OF THESE SKF BEARING HEATERS

Order one of SKF’s TIH030m, TIH100m, TIH220m, TMBH1 or 729659C Bearing Heaters between 1st October and 31st December 2013 and receive SKF’s excellent TMFT36 Fitting Tool Kit totally free of charge. Contact your nearest Acorn Branch to place your order today.

Tel: 01709 789 999 - Fax: 01709 789 988 - Email: [email protected] - Web: www.acorn-ind.co.uk


Variable speed drives from Control Techniques, an Emerson Industrial Automation business, have helped slash energy bills by over $2,000 a month, reduce downtime and extend equipment life at a US food distribution centre owned by one of the largest suppliers to the food service industry.

The facility stores massive quantities of foodstuffs in freezer and cooler boxes ready for regional distribution. Prior to Emerson’s upgrade work, each freezer and cooler box was controlled by a circuit with its own compressor, condenser and evaporator(s). These were in turn controlled by individual mechanical thermostats and defrost time clocks.

The customer was having an issue with the defrost performance of the evaporators on the freezers: all of the evaporators needed to be defrosted at the same time, but the freezer condensing units had individual mechanical defrost clocks that would not remain synchronised once set.

Key Mechanical, the customer’s refrigeration contractor, approached Emerson for help with finding a solution.

Working alongside Emerson Retail Solutions, an Emerson Climate Technologies company, Control Techniques and Key Mechanical proposed new control systems for the circuits on the freezer and cooler boxes. The solution involved the installation of 21 Commander HSK variable frequency drives from Control Techniques and two Einstein E2 RX400 refrigeration controllers from Emerson Retail Solutions controlling existing Copeland semi hermetic compressors from Emerson Climate Technologies.

The new system enabled the customer to control the speed of each Copeland compressor, as well as the condenser and evaporator fan motors.

The RX400 controllers are programmed to control temperature, defrost cycles and frequency drive output for floating head pressure, floating suction pressure and evaporator fan motor speed during the normal refrigeration cycle. Of the 21 HSK drives, seven control the Copeland compressors, seven control the condensers and seven control the evaporators.

When the new system was installed, the result was a reduction in electricity consumption of 250,676 kWhr per year, providing a saving of over $2,000 a month on the customer’s energy bill.

Energy savings were possible due to reduced fan motor energy consumption as a result of improved fan management, and a reduction in compressor energy consumption due to reduced compression ratios. Additionally, downtime has been slashed and overall equipment life has been extended due to better

Food industry supplier saves thousands a month with refrigeration technology from Emerson Businesses and contractor Key Mechanical

temperature control and defrost management as well as reduced compressor cycling.

Ron Kvinge, Branch Manager for Key Mechanical Portland says: “The only option for the customer, other than a drive retrofit was replacing all the rooftop equipment for the plant – which would obviously have been a much larger capital expense. The solution suggested by Key Mechanical resulted in better control of the freezer/cooler systems, major energy savings and less wear and tear on equipment.”

David Yankaskas, Regional Sales Manager at Control Techniques, says “Without Emerson’s proprietary suction and head pressure controller technology, the energy and cost savings for our customer could not have been achieved.

“From the perspective of day to day operations, controlling the HSK drives through the two Einstein RX400 controllers is obviously much simpler than having to programme and monitor all 21 of them individually. Overall, the Emerson/Key Mechanical solution is functioning extremely well and is saving the customer over $2,000 dollars a month!”

For reader enquiries please mention P&TR:Emerson (Electric) UK Ltd. 2nd Floor Accurist House44 Baker Street London W1U 7AL Tel: +44 207 467 4460 www.emerson.com

Dedicated support for Swiss market Switzerland is a market that is becoming increasingly important for the British designer and manufacturer of linear motion components and systems, HepcoMotion®. For many Swiss manufacturers and processors HepcoMotion® is now the preferred supplier of linear products and there is also growing potential for the company’s solutions in high-tech R&D as well as market specific applications such as tunnel building and cable cars.

To support this growing market HepcoMotion® has now appointed two dedicated sales engineers. Stefan Kaufmann, based at the company’s German branch in Feucht, is now responsible for customers in the German speaking areas of Switzerland.

His colleague Sylvain Maillard, who is located near Lyon, provides similar support for French-speakers. Both are timed-served technical sales engineers with wide applications experience.

Applications that are emerging from Switzerland are taking advantage of HepcoMotion®’s ability to tailor standard products for the task.

For example, significant orders have recently been received for a customised version of the new PRT2 1-Trak system, a corrosion resistant driven track system (DTS2S) and also large, bespoke heavy duty rings.

For reader enquiries please mention P&TR:HepcoMotionLower Moor Business Park,Tiverton Way, Tiverton, Devon EX16 6TGTel: +44 (0) 1884 243400 Fax: +44 (0) 1884 243399E mail: [email protected]

www.medway-uk.com+44 (0)1233 663340

MEDWAY (UK) LTD Leading UK manufacturer of world class rod ends,

spherical bearings, ball joints & linkages

Dependable quality equipment needs reliable motion transfer components

M.P.T. House, Brunswick Road, Cobbs Wood Ind. Est., Ashford, Kent, TN23 1EL, UK

Scan to keep in touch with Medway’s latest

news & products

Feature

Drive SMART! Industrial belt drives are required to provide reliability 24 hours per day, seven days a week and are often used in contaminated and demanding applications. We have accepted that regular belt failure and replacement is the norm and an unavoidable fact of engineering life. Drive belts have long been regarded as commodity products that are bought at low cost and are replaced regularly… but this need not be the case.

During recent years drive belts have undergone significant improvements in performance and load carrying capabilities. Premium belt manufacturers such as ‘Dunlop Industrial Belts’ are raising customers’ expectations by demonstrating the advantages that can be achieved by using higher quality drive belts. These not only maximise efficiency and provide longer service lives, but also cut maintenance costs and reduce energy consumption, having a more positive effect on the environment.

Design developmentsBy looking at the improvements over recent years in the construction of V

and wedge belts, Dunlop ‘Premium’ belts now feature a multi-layer construction. A stronger and more durable polyester tension cord placed between layers of polychloroprene, with a rubber base that is wrapped in an abrasion resistant long-life fabric cover give a higher dynamic load and add flexibility which can overcome many causes of failure and inefficiency. This advanced construction and improvement in component design and material enables the belt to accommodate heavy tension loads with minimal elongation, resulting in the delivery of up to 40% more power than traditional standard wrapped belts. With energy efficiency capability of up to 97%, assuming the drive has been correctly designed, there is a life expectancy in the region of 25,000 hours or almost three years continuous operation.

Recent developments in Dunlop synchronous belts also known as timing belts, have also been extremely beneficial when it comes to enhancing efficiency and minimising maintenance. Cost savings are made as synchronous timing belts are truly maintenance free. The raw materials and advanced production processes

Ray Mifsud, managing director of UK manufacturing and distri-bution company Medway (UK) Ltd, discusses the innovations of today’s drive belt technology.

used create a belt that requires no maintenance or re-tensioning throughout its entire working life, giving even greater levels of efficiency over V-belts.

Dunlop manufacture a wide range of synchronous timing belts known as ‘rubber chain’, with enhanced performance ratings to suit all applications. They have the added benefit of being able to run on existing standard HTD profile pulleys which in turn, can offer additional savings on the running costs of an existing belt and pulley drive system.

In many applications where standard belts are used the replacement to Dunlop premium V and wedge belts or Dunlop rubber chain synchronous timing belts have offered a lifespan of more than ten times that of previous drive systems! Therefore upgrading your drive can not only cut environmental waste, but reduce plant maintenance costs and improve productivity.

These are just some of the reasons why it pays to review the performance and types of drive belts being used. As companies look to reduce maintenance costs, downtime and make savings on energy consumption premium belts such as Dunlop premium and Dunlop rubber chain can play a key role. So rather than writing off regular belt replacement costs as a necessary evil, you could make some significant changes.

For reader enquiries please mention P&TR:Medway Power Transmission Ltd,MPT HouseBrunswick RoadCobbs Wood Industrial EstateAshfordKentTN23 1ELTel: +44 (0) 1233 6633340E mail: [email protected]

Parvalux appoints Mark Shearer as Commercial Director

Parvalux, the UK’s largest manufacturer of small-geared motors, has announced the appointment of Mark Shearer as Commercial Director.

Mark has 20 years leadership experience within the B2B high-tech electronics industry.

Prior to joining Parvalux, he was Director of Arrow Electronics,

spearheading a 100-strong sales team and helping the company to grow across Europe.

Mark has arrived at the Bournemouth-based manufacturing facility to take the lead in the global sales and marketing of Parvalux’s geared motor solutions and is excited to have joined the company at a time of growth.

Parvalux Managing Director Nick Spetch is delighted that Mark has joined the team, with a view to driving sales further into Europe and beyond. “Mark has a proven track record to deliver results with key strengths in business development, relationship building and strategic thinking.” “In our commitment to build a world-class service Mark’s wealth of experience will compliment the existing Parvalux board of directors.” Mark comments: “UK manufacturing is driving economic revival, and I’m excited to be part of this success story.”

www.parvalux.com

New motor control technology catalogue from Sprint Electric Sprint Electric has issued a new motor control technology catalogue. The updated version offers the latest in regenerative three phase digital DC drive technology.

“Over the last few months we have been changing our product line-up to include more choice and flexibility for our customers,” explains Gary Keen, Sales Director with Sprint Electric. “This latest catalogue puts all of our three phase analogue and digital ranges together in one place, which enables our customers to easily specify the correct product for any given application. It also contains details of the ancillary items such as fuses, holders, AC line reactors etc. that may be needed for each specific drive rating, meaning faster and more accurate selection.”

The catalogue can be requested from Sprint Electric or downloaded at www.sprint-electric.com. Copies can also be collected in person from

the Sprint Electric exhibition stand in Hall 1-450 at SPS/IPC/Drives 2013,

international trade fair for electric automation, systems and components, in Nuremberg, Germany, from 26 to 28 November 2013.

Sprint Electric offers a wide range of DC motor control, with over 150 models covering both one phase and three phase, regenerative and non-regenerative DC motor applications, together with field controllers, digital slip ring motor

controllers and thyristor stack controllers.

For reader enquiries please mention P&TR:Gary KeenSprint Electric Ltd.Peregrine House Ford Lane Ford Arundel West Sussex BN18 0DFTel: +44 (0) 1243 55 80 80 Fax: +44 (0) 1243 55 80 99E Mail: [email protected]

Sept/Oct 2013 P&TR 9

For more information about us visit out website at www.d2-ltd.com

®

Bearing & Engineering Services

D2 Cartridge & Mechanical Seals

Through distribution, manufacturing and design, our team of highly skilled staff are on-hand to provide a service that’s simply second to none’.

D2 Group have an extensive range of bearing and power transmission products currently in stock for immediate supply.

As the UK leader in our field, we enjoy many prestigious distributorships. We can supply the products of Koyo, Koyo Torrington, Renold, Rexnord and Flexon System Plast as well as the products of a host of other recognised companies.

We’re renowned throughout the industry for providing all our customers with a tailored service that’s professional, efficient and prompt.

From conception to completion we are your first choice for engineering design.

D2 can distribute from stock Cartridge and mechanical seals. Refurbishment of customer’s existing equipment. Together with design, installation and site work.

We’re open daily Monday to Friday - 8.30 to 5.00pm. Out of hours we can be contacted via mobile telephones, ask for details.

Gibson Street, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD3 9TR. Tel: 01274 260860 Fax: 01274 260861 Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Ex-stock, high precision racks and pinions The KHK brand is renowned for its quality. R. A. Rodriguez is KHK’s European master distributor and via its growing distribution network, industry in the UK and wider Europe has a speedy and comprehensive source of supply for this extensive range of stock gears.

Now the Letchworth based company has extended the range to include a new, European manufactured range of KHK branded high precision racks and pinions. Available with straight or helical teeth, these new KHK products are available in a choice of sizes and qualities to suit a variety of rotary-to-linear and linear-to-rotary motion requirements

These precision gears are available in 500, 1000 and 1500 mm

lengths, with metric tooth pitches from modules 0.79 to 12 and with soft, case-hardened or induction-hardened and ground racks. Teeth are finished by hobbing or grinding and in square or rectangular section. Special profiles are also available as a standard option.

In addition to providing KHK rack and pinion gear sets, R. A. Rodriguez and its distributors are able to supply complete drive solutions with zero backlash gearboxes.

The new KHK rack and pinion systems are ideal for applications requiring precise positioning and repeatability and those that involve high loads and duty cycles. Typically they will be specified for machine tools and automation systems for woodworking,

glass working and materials handling.

For reader enquiries please mention:R.A. Rodriguez, 28 Campus Five, Letchworth Business Park, Letchworth, Herts. SG6 2JFTel: +44 (0) 1462 670044 Fax: +44 (00 1462 670880 E mail: [email protected] www.rarodriguez.co.uk

MIND THE GAP!Finding a window of opportunity to repair or just maintain sprockets on industrial machinery is often a difficult & daunting task. Are split sprockets the answer?

Split sprockets come into their own when the engineering time taken to remove sprockets involves the dismantling of large parts of the drive or when multiple sprockets are fitted on the same shaft. When it comes to conveyor chain sprockets which are often large and heavy this may require the use of a crane to get the sprocket into place. All these issues can lead to increased downtime.

Many manufacturers produce this type of product by splitting an existing sprocket and then joining the two sections together again. For the engineer this often results in a poorly assembled component leading to uneven loading in operation and increases wear to the sprocket teeth, bore and keyways. As a result many maintenance managers are reluctant to fit them.

UK chain and sprocket manufacturer FB has a better solution. The company manufacture the high

quality sprocket as two separate segments. The two mating sections align perfectly ensuring long and trouble free operation. The fit is so good one recent customer who had ordered split sprockets from FB rang the company to complain that they had received normal sprockets, but were reassured they had in fact

received split sprockets.

FB split sprockets are manufactured from special grade alloy steels. The tooth profiles are CNC

machined for close engagement, not

flame cut as with some manufacturers and benefit

from localised induction hardening in order for the sprockets to cope with demanding environments. Unlike off the shelf sprockets, through discussions with customers FB can add design solutions such as special dirt clearance grooves at the base of each tooth profile to ensure there is little or no built up of the conveyed material.

For reader enquiries please mention P&TR:Robert YoungFB Chain LimitedJubilee RoadLetchworth Garden CitySG6 1NETel: +44 (0)1462 670844E mail: [email protected]

The complete package from...

EX STOCK!Roller Chain • FliteTop Chain • Attachment Chain

Conveyor Chain • Spockets • Idlers etc.Plate Wheels • Links etc.

Head Office:Industria Bearings and Transmissions Atlantic House, 76 Cowley Mill Road,Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 2QETel: +44 (0) 1895 237971Fax: +44 (0) 1895 272191E-mail: [email protected]

www.industriabearings.com

IBTLINDUSTRIA BEARINGS AND TRANSMISSIONS LTD Please contact us for commercial and technical information

Midlands:Silverthorne Lane, Cradley Heath,West Midlands B64 5APTel: +44 (0) 1215 252988Fax: +44 (0) 1215 253607E-mail: [email protected]

North:17 Enterprise Park Industrial EstateMoorhouse Avenue, Old Lane, BeestonLeeds LS11 8HATel: +44 (0) 1132 723777Fax: +44 (0) 1132 723888E-mail: [email protected]

The stockist to the Trade

ISO 9001

BUREAU VERITASCertification


The complete package from...

EX STOCK!Roller Chain • FliteTop Chain • Attachment Chain

Conveyor Chain • Spockets • Idlers etc.Plate Wheels • Links etc.

Head Office:Industria Bearings and Transmissions Atlantic House, 76 Cowley Mill Road,Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 2QETel: +44 (0) 1895 237971Fax: +44 (0) 1895 272191E-mail: [email protected]

www.industriabearings.com

IBTLINDUSTRIA BEARINGS AND TRANSMISSIONS LTD Please contact us for commercial and technical information

Midlands:Silverthorne Lane, Cradley Heath,West Midlands B64 5APTel: +44 (0) 1215 252988Fax: +44 (0) 1215 253607E-mail: [email protected]

North:17 Enterprise Park Industrial EstateMoorhouse Avenue, Old Lane, BeestonLeeds LS11 8HATel: +44 (0) 1132 723777Fax: +44 (0) 1132 723888E-mail: [email protected]

The stockist to the Trade

ISO 9001

BUREAU VERITASCertification

Fan Silencing – Installing Stealth Technology Instead of AttenuatorsA technical review of the ‘stealth’ fan noise control technology used instead of traditional silencers at the largest biomass power station in the USA concludes that the wider adoption of this award winning approach would provide very large cost and efficiency savings in the power and many other industry sectors. This INVC developed technology has been used to eliminate both conventional silencing and acoustic enclosure requirements on all sizes of fan.

Industrial Noise and Vibration Centre: August 1st 2013

Innovative aerodynamic fan noise control technology was used to reduce the noise from a very large fan at the Schiller biomass power station in the USA in place of relying on conventional

silencers. This provided very substantial capital cost savings, reduced the power consumption of the two storey fan and was installed within a down-time of a few hours. The technical review article concluded that power and other industry sectors should consider the widespread adoption of this award winning technology as it can reduce the cost of fan noise reduction by up to 80% and also reduce running costs compared with conventional silencers.

The Schiller (50MW) power station in New Hampshire, the largest biomass power station in the USA, had a fan noise problem on a grand scale. Installing a conventional attenuator to eliminate the drone from the large ID fan would have incurred massive capital costs, considerable down-time and significantly increased running costs. The decision was made to install Quiet Fan technology

P&TR Products (QFt) developed by the Industrial Noise and Vibration Centre instead.

QFt differs fundamentally from conventional fan noise attenuators. “Traditional control techniques use palliative measures such as silencers, lagging and acoustic enclosures to try to reduce noise from centrifugal fans” explained Peter Wilson, the INVC technical director. “We have developed a way to prevent the noise being generated in the first place instead by designing aerodynamic inserts that fit inside the fan casing. You can think of these as akin to the aerodynamic features used on Formula 1 cars to control airflow.”

Installation at the Schiller plant took only 12 hours, compared with days or weeks for conventional control, and the power consumption of the fan was also reduced.

In addition to the cost and fan efficiency advantages, QFt is also ‘fit and forget’, lasting the lifetime of the fan with zero maintenance.

For reader enquiries please mention P&TR: Peter Wilson: Industrial Noise & Vibration Centre889 Plymouth RoadSloughBerkshireSL1 4LPTel +44 (0) 1753 698800 E mail: [email protected]/

EPTDAAs EPTDA prepares to celebrate its 15th anniversary next month in Venice, EMEA’s leading community for industrial distribution announces its membership increase to 220 companies EPTDA is the leading community within industrial distribution as recognised by customers. It brings together distributors, manufacturers and associates in the mechanical power transmission and motion control (PT/MC) industry from across 30 countries. “The new additions to our membership signals our focus on growing presence in the emerging markets,” said Hans Hanegreefs, EPTDA’s Executive Vice President. “Today, 20% of EPTDA’s members come from these fast growing emerging economies. Going forward, we will further strengthen our footprints in Eastern & Central Europe, Middle East & Africa.”

For reader enquiries please mention P&TR: EPTDA (European Power Transmission Distributors Association)Grensstraat 7/3 1831 Diegem (Brussels)BelgiumTel: + 32 2 660 05 01 Fax: + 32 2 660 38 21E mail:[email protected]

News in brief


Seven EESW awards in succession for Gwyr SchoolA team of eight A-Level Physics students from Swansea has won ‘Most Innovative Solution to the Project Set’ from The Engineering Education Scheme Wales (EESW) for developing a unique method of detecting defects at Schaeffler UK’s engine component manufacturing plant in South Wales.

“This is not the first success we’ve had as a school in the EESW competition,” enthuses Rhys Browning, Head of Physics at Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr School in Gowerton, Swansea. “We’ve now won awards some seven years in succession, for which we are very appreciative towards Schaeffler for their support during these years.”

Schaeffler’s manufacturing plant in Llanelli, South Wales produces high precision engine components for the automotive market. The plant has supported EESW since the scheme was first introduced across Wales in 2007. The plant acts as an EESW ‘link’ company and so each year devotes time and resources in helping to advise students on their selected projects.

As a nationwide scheme in Wales, EESW is helping to enlighten young people about the challenges and opportunities presented by the four STEM subjects: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. This is carried out each year through a project involving schools across Wales and industry. The aim is to encourage students to study STEM courses in further or higher education and to take an interest in engineering as a career.

The scheme operates through local companies such as Schaeffler, who set teams of Year 12 A-Level students project briefs relating to actual industrial problems. Over a period of six months, the students then work together to solve these challenges by cooperating with engineers from the link companies. This typically involves arranging site visits, presenting ideas to senior managers and attending presentations and technical workshops at the ‘link’ company.

This year, from October 2012 to March 2013, Schaeffler worked with a mixed team comprising: Elis Rees, Jac Reid, Tara Beynon, Natalia John, Cadi Rhind, Nia Thomas, Ffion Wathan and Dylan Morgan. The students were first given a guided tour of Schaeffler’s manufacturing plant in order to acquaint them with production practices, before being shown six potential projects to choose from.

Pushing the boundaries

Derrick Lewis, Technology Manager at Schaeffler UK and key contact at the company for EESW projects, describes how this year’s project was selected: “This year, we wanted to ensure that the students had maximum buy-in to the project from the outset. We therefore gave the team the opportunity to select the project that enthused them the most. However, we did push the boundaries a little further than usual this year by asking the team to define a ‘Statement of Requirements’ and ‘Success Criteria’ themselves, before submitting this back to Schaeffler for approval. This engaged the students even more, as they had to write down what they expected to achieve themselves.”

But there was one other key success factor, says Lewis. “This year, we also decided to train the team in project or time management skills, which we felt were critical. The tools and techniques that we trained the students in were applied very well throughout the duration of the project. In my opinion, these skills were key to the team’s overall success this year.”

The challenge solved by the students was to devise a unique low cost method of detecting defects in raw material, in this case, 1.5 tonne coils of steel used in the production of mechanical tappets at Llanelli. The second stage of the project was to develop a working prototype system that illustrated the method of operation of this in the production environment.

A colourful vision

The students developed a low cost inspection system that comprised a vision and colour recognition system to detect a variety of surface defects on the incoming steel strip. These defects are not manufacturing defects but normally arise during transit. The defects may appear as small (down to 0.1mm in depth) surface indentations, scuffs or scratches.

The prototype system comprised a single vision system/camera that is able to detect slight changes in the colour of the steel. A normal,

defect-free surface appears as grey on the vision system’s colour scale, but a defect appears as white on the colour scale. The vision system is able to inspect the steel reliably even at high production speed/feed rates. If a defect is detected, the system sends an appropriate output signal or alarm to a controller to stop the process.

In practice, says Lewis, a production-ready version of the system would require not one but four cameras in order to view all aspects of the steel coil or bar as it is fed to the forging press. “However, the objective of the prototype system was to prove the principle, which it certainly did,” says Lewis.

The team was rewarded for its endeavour. On 20th March 2013, the students attended the EESW’s annual South Wales awards and presentation

ceremony held at The Celtic Manor Resort, Newport. The team’s prototype scale model solution was on display, along with a detailed written report and presentation slides. The solution was judged by a panel of EESW assessors and was subsequently awarded the ‘Most Innovative Solution to the Project Set’ prize. The team

was also nominated for awards in two other categories and narrowly missed out on the overall winner award.

But Lewis says there is more to come next year. “I’d like to start a little earlier in the year and have some kind of engineering open day at Llanelli. We may even involve the students in the plant’s ‘MOVE’ initiative (a continuous improvement programme), where they could help us to eliminate waste or improve workflows through the production process.”

Gwyr School’s Ryhs Browning sums up the value he sees in companies such as Schaeffler working with local schools: “The support and encouragement given by Derrick Lewis and his team at Schaeffler has inspired many of our students go on to study engineering at University, which is what really matters. All these students have mentioned how well the EESW projects have prepared them for their future studies.”

For reader enquiries please mention P&TR:Schaeffler (UK) Ltd Forge Lane Minworth Sutton Coldfield West Midlands B76 1AP Tel: +44 (0) 121 313 5870 Fax: +44 (0) 121 351 7686E mail: [email protected] www.schaeffler.co.uk

EMS publishes a short-form catalogue EMS has dedicated to its range of which includes brushless DC motors, stepper motors and linear DC servometers. The products are suitable for a variety of ap-plications and can be used in the optical, audio and video and medical and labora-tory equipment sectors.

www.envirostart.com

New Pro-grammable Dosing Pump The Verderflex® Vantage 3000 range of tube pumps offer highly accu-rate, repeatable dosing, for low to medium flow. They are ideally suited for pharmaceutical and laboratory applications.

UL-approved CAN networksThe repeater, segment coupler, and bridge for CANopen and DeviceNet transmissions from Phoenix Contact are now UL approved. This means they can also be used on the U.S. market without any restrictions.

These components allow key requirements like segmentation, potential isolation, network expansion, as well as a range of different network structures to be met. In CAN-based systems the maximum achievable network expansion is limited based on the transmission rate by the signal propagation time within cables and devices. The PSI-REP-DNET CAN repeater and PSI-SC-DNET CAN segment coupler remove this impediment, making highly dynamic or widely distributed networks possible.

The PSI-Bridge-DNET CAN modular bridge allows two segments of one network to be connected by means of different transfer media. Alternatively, modem/DSL lines, wireless connections, or Ethernet networks can be used. Different data rates are also possible in both segments.

For reader enquiries please mention P&TR: Phoenix Contact LtdHalesfield 13TelfordShropshireTF7 4PGTel: + 44 (0) 845 881 2222Fax: +44 (0) 845 881 2211E mail:[email protected]

JTEKT’s Koyo brand of bearings is recognised globally as a leader in bearing design innovation and manufacturing technology.

Providing Ball, Needle and Roller Bearing Solutions to the Worlds Industrial & Automotive Markets

Brammer Group. Tel: 0870 240 2100

Eriks UK. Tel: 0845 006 6000IBTL Ltd. Tel: 01895 237971

IBTLINDUSTRIA BEARINGS AND TRANSMISSIONS LTD

McHugh Components. Tel: +353 (0)1 4137000

BRT Group. Tel: 01945 464 097

D2 Group. Tel: 01274 260 860

Master Distributors

Cromwell. Tel: 0845 094 1133

AUTOMOTIVE, AGRICULTURE, RAILWAYS, ROLLING MILLS, OFFSHORE, QUARRY & MINING, MACHINE TOOLS, DOMESTIC APPLIANCES, COMPUTERS, AIRCRAFT

Sterling Corporation. Tel: 01162 610 330

Signet Trade. Tel: 0845 124 7324

Trusted to the UK’s leading Bearing Distributor, the distinguished French Chain Manufacturer, Sedis will have Godiva Bearings stocking and supplying the World Wide brand as from Autumn 2013.

Godiva BearingsUnit 1, Peartree Lane Industrial Park, Peartree Lane, Dudley, West Midlands DY2 0UWUnited Kingdom

Call: +44 (0) 845 345 5955 DudleyCall: +44 (0) 845 345 5920 NewcastleEmail: [email protected]: www.godiva-bearings.co.uk#GodivaSedis

MAKING THE LINK...Godiva Bearings proved to be the crème de la crème choice for French owned Chain Manufacturing Pioneers, Sedis. Working together to ensure customers have reliable ranges and colossal chain-choice, Godiva Bearings are housing over 50,000 ft. of chains and have

no reservations about ensuring their reputable Same Day or Next Day Delivery Service are equally supported for all Sedis products.

While Sedis were scouting for a sound company, Godiva Bearings were reflecting in rolling out a new range, sparking a tour de force; joining efforts would strengthen our customers’ product ranges and level of service that they offer. The Godiva-Sedis partnership is a win-win for all. Creating a ‘one stop shop’ would allow customers to place one collated order, from one company, receive one speedy delivery and have the additional benefits of extensive stock quantities and multi-versatile product ranges.

TECHNICAL TRAININGTo ensure Team Godiva were

making the right links, Sedis have

fully trained all members of our Sales and Technical Team. To allow the Godiva Team to absorb and instill these values ensuring product knowledge, installations and testing are part of our conscientious Chain philosophy.

GODIVA BEARINGSGodiva Bearings are the leading trade only supplier of bearings and related products. We offer our customers a comprehensive product range, unrivalled stock, exceptional standards of service and quality assurance. Godiva Bearings are established as the leading supplier of specialised bearing products in the UK, Europe and the Rest of the World and are continuously striving to ensure that you receive the best possible quality of products and accredited ISO 9001 service excellence.

SEDISWith over a century of experience in manufacturing industrial chains, Sedis has a wealth of experience and can supply all types of chain, American Standard (ASA/ANSI) chain and British Standard (BS) chain and ISO. Sedis’s product range includes Leaf chains and Roller chains, Conveyor chains, Agricultural chains, sprockets and wheels. The first industrial chain manufacturing company to gain ISO 9001 accreditation, Sedis are committed to quality and innovation.

Mon fromage est votre fromage (My Cheese is your Cheese) as part of our Godiva-Sedis Chain Promotion Godiva Bearings will be giving Customers an opportunity to enjoy one of France’s most widely loved specialities. Cheese.

Our Special Offer* for all Customers purchasing Chains to the value of £100 or more, Godiva Bearings will be giving you a Cheesy French Goody Bag! For those who place an order of Chains totalling £1,000 or more, Godiva Bearings will send a cheeky bottle of French Champagne!

Call our Sales Department now; • Dudley+44 (0) 845 345 5955• Newcastle +44 (0) 845 345 5920

* Promotion starts 14th October - 30th November 2013. T&C apply.

Godiva Bearings Marketing Dept: [email protected] or call +44 (0) 845 345 5955.

TRADE

ONLY

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TRADE ONLY SUPPLIER

HUGE STOCK

free carriage

Godiva DPS PTReview Issue - DESIGN LAYOUT 4.indd 1 10/10/2013 12:34:44


Pump specialist Wepuko opts for WEG motorsWEG to supply six custom-made squirrel-cage motors for driving plunger pumps on offshore oil production ships in Brazil. Wepuko PAHNKE GmbH (Wepuko), a specialist in high-pressure pumps and compressors which is headquartered in Metzingen, Germany, relies on drive solutions from WEG. Electric motor manufacturer WEG is supplying a total of six squirrel-cage motors from the Master Line series to drive triple-plunger high-pressure hydraulic pumps. According to Fabio Viviani, Project Manager at WEG Germany, the MGF 560 models for this application are special products rated at 1,203 kW and will drive pumps on the P66 to P71 floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) ships of the Brazilian oil producer Petrobras. The explosion-proof six-pole squirrel-cage motors (type MGF 560 A, rated at 1,230 kW, 13.8 kV, 60 Hz, IP 56 W) operate reliably and securely at all times even under the extreme conditions of offshore oil production in pre-salt deep-sea oil fields. Long-time business partner Wepuko bid directly for this high-profile project with WEG motors. The first two MGF 560 motors are

scheduled for delivery to Metzingen later this year, with the remaining four to follow in in 2014. Heat exchangers, fasteners and motor fans are made from stainless steel to provide enhanced corrosion resistance.

Offshore applications in the oil and gas sector are generally regarded as one of the most severe application areas for high-power electric motors. Oil production in deep-sea fields off the Brazilian coast is especially demanding because the oil is not only located over 1,000 metres below sea level, but also covered by a salt layer up to 2,000 metres thick.

WEG has specifically adapted the MGF 560 motors for use on Petrobras’s P66 to P71 FPSOs operating in that region. The units are explosion-proof for Zone 2 (group IIA, thermal class T3) and designed for an ambient temperature range of -45 to +45°C. The starting current is limited to six times the rated current. Due to the aggressive ambient conditions, the heat exchangers, fasteners and motor fans are made from stainless steel to provide enhanced corrosion resistance. The motor windings are protected against voltage surges by capacitors and integrated surge protectors. The motors in the Master (M) Line were developed in response to the needs of the global oil and gas industry According to Andreas Schulte Mesum, Director Energy Business at WEG Germany, Petrobras chose the Wepuko solution with WEG motors not just for technical reasons: “We have already executed several projects successfully for Petrobras. As a result, we are very familiar with the customer and the specific requirements of offshore oil production.

We specifically adapted our MGF motors for this especially demanding project – you could almost call them ‘handmade’. Another small plus was unquestionably the fact that we could supply the complete documentation in Brazilian Portuguese. We are especially pleased to be able to carry out this exciting project together with an experienced partner like Wepuko.” The motors in the Master (M) Line were developed in response to the needs of the global oil and gas industry. They provide high performance, reliability and security under the harshest operating conditions on land and in the offshore sector.

P&TR News They also combine many years of experience with a broad application range and all classifications for explosion hazard areas in accordance with the ATEX directive. M-Line motors are used worldwide in a wide variety of applications, including water injection, multi-stage gas compression and oil pipeline operation, and they are WEG’s core product for the oil and gas market. With rated power up to 30 MW, these induction motors are designed for relatively large applications and can be built as squirrel-cage or slip-ring rotors. The motors are available with operating voltages from 2.3 kV to 13.8 kV in 50-Hz and 60-Hz versions, with 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12 poles. Standard cooling is provided by an air/air heat exchanger; other cooling types (e.g. air/water heat exchanger) are available as options.

For reader enquiries please mention P&TR:Marek Lukaszczyk, WEG Electric Motors (UK) Ltd Broad Ground Road Lakeside RedditchWorcestershire B98 8YP Tel: +44 (0) 1527 513800 Fax: +44 (0) 1527 513810E mail: [email protected]

Well service pump unit from Wepuko PAHNKE

New integrated protocol for large size TQO bearings After two years of intensive research, the R&D Department of the RKB Group has finalized a new integrated protocol for optimized heat treatment and machining of large size, heavy series four-row taper roller bearings.

The program, which includes the latest findings in oil quenching and steel machining, aims at increasing and making more uniform the layer of case hardened steel of TQO bearings in order to extend their service life in presence of heavy loads and shocks.

For reader enquiries please mention P&TR:RKB Europe SAExecutive Headquarters and Technological CentreVia Primo Agosto6828 Balerna Switzerland P.O. BOX 1696830 Chiasso 3Tel: +41 91 260 09 30Fax: +41 91 260 09 50E mail: [email protected]

News in brief

Jaguar Land Rover Team explains Jaguar Land Rover is investing £1.5bn in all-new aluminium vehicle architec-ture, a move described as ‘the biggest, boldest investment in Jaguar’s future’, and one that will create 1,700 new jobs in the West Midlands. Earlier the company used the Frankfurt Motor Show to reveal its C-X17 crosso-ver concept, a vehicle that showcases the possibilities brought about by aluminium, such as shaving over 100kg off the sports crossover compared to a conventional steel body.

Acorn appoint head of new dedicated coupling centreAcorn Industrial Services Ltd is pleased to announce the appointment of Bob Wright as Business Development Manager for their couplings & drives division.

Bob, who has an HNC in mechanical engineering, will be the head of a new dedicated couplings centre at Acorn’s HQ in Rotherham.With 27 years industry experience and extensive knowledge in the electric motor, gearbox & coupling sectors.Commenting about his new role Bab says: “I’m very excited at being appointed to head the new centre. My experience, together with Acorn’s approach to efficiency & distribution techniques, will enable us to offer customers the right drive solution every time.” For reader enquiries please mention P&TR:Acorn Industrial Services LtdUnit A Denby WayHellaby Industrial EstateRotherhamSouth YorkshireS66 8HRTel: 01709 789 999 Fax: 01709 789 988 E mail: [email protected]


FB UK’s largest ever sprocket

As part of a contract to refurbish the conveyor system in a paper mill, Letchworth-based FB Chain recently manufactured a chain sprocket measuring over 1.5 metres in diameter. The sprocket, features induction hardened teeth to extend its operating life, is the largest produced by FB Chain in its history. Graham Barber, FB Chain’s conveyor product manager (pictured), commented: “The sprocket weighs in excess of one tonne and, while the manufacturing process was relatively straightforward, the logistics of maneuvering it around was a challenge!”

For reader enquiries please mention P&TR:FB Chain LimitedJubilee RoadLetchworth Garden CityHertfordshire SG6 1NETel: +44 (0) 1462 670844Direct Dial: +44 (0) 1462 689828Fax: +44 (0) 01462 480745E mail: [email protected]

One size fits all…Global chain manufacturer, Donghua, has designed a brand new range of Universal Chain Attachments that can replace 99 per cent from any manufacturer.

Bob Wellsbury, managing director at Donghua Limited, explained: “We’ve been working on the development of the Universal Attachment Chain program for some time. It’s unique because it will replace the majority of chain from any manufacturer, giving customers more choice about the chain supplier they can use and has been specifically produced for the distribution market.”

He continued: “Traditionally K and M attachments have not been governed by an international standard and, as a consequence, each chain manufacturer has designed and built attachments unique to them making it impossible to replace with a different make. However, Donghua’s Universal Attachments are designed in such a way that they can replace many of the other chain manufacturer’s attachments and we’re delighted that this chain is now available in the UK.”

Donghua’s attachment chain is available in 3/8” to 2”, WK1 / K1 / K2 / M1 / M2 and extended pin attachments in British and American

standards including extended pitch chains from 1/2” to 2” pitch in self colour, Nickel plated, Coated and Stainless Steel. Common builds are held in stock for immediate delivery and loose attachments are held for in-house built chains, pre-loaded and matched to customer’s requirements to within close tolerances using Donghua’s sophisticated measuring equipment.

Manufactured at Donghua’s state-of-the-art production facilities in China, the Universal Attachment Chain is assembled in the UK within their new attachment chain workshop in the West Midlands.

Donghua has invested in a chain length measuring machine accurate to within 10 microns per metre and capable of measuring up to five metres of chain. In addition their new fully automated pre-load machine, designed by Donghua, eliminates the initial elongation typically found in in-house built attachment chains that other UK based chain manufacturers don’t or can’t offer improving the service / wear life of the chain. Completing the workshop is a new rivet press that fastens attachments

onto the chain in a uniform manner, improving accuracy and fatigue life.

Attachment chains are often expected to perform in extraordinary and arduous applications such as printing, food production, assembly lines and

packaging. Where precise

positioning of more than two chains in parallel is required, the chains need to be matched within a close tolerance of each other. Chains up to a length of five metres can be matched, and longer lengths can be supplied matched and tagged so that they can be fitted in sequence to maintain the high accuracy along the entire length required.

For a copy of Donghua’s new Attachment Chain catalogue or point of sale materials contact [email protected]

Bob WellsburyDonghua LimitedSidings Close Off Wednesfield Way, Wolverhampton WV11 3DRTel: +44 (0) 1902 866200

1 to 40” (20 to900mm) bore

Eleven cross-section sizes:between 3/16

to 1” (8 to 20mm)

Angular, Radialand 4-point contact

Over 650 stock sizes available

www.rarodriguez.co.uk

R. A. RODRIGUEZ (UK) Ltd.TURNING IDEAS INTO

ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS

Tel: 01462 670044 Fax: 01462 670880Email: [email protected]

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Norgren demonstrated engineering advantage at Engineering Design Show 2013Norgren showcased a variety of products, from the IVAC(integrated valve and actuator control) range, to products for the life sciences sector including miniature solenoid valves including the Chipsol MS range, and both acrylic and aluminium manifold solutions.

Its features include an integrated valve system and magnetically operated switches for complete actuator control. It is suitable for a range of applications in manufacturing, in particular food and beverage production.

The Chipsol MS line-up boasts compact size, low power consumption and an unrivalled operating pressure range. Specific material usage and optimum rinseability combine to minimise the risk of system contamination.

Norgren’s range of custom manifold solutions will also be displayed, including its aluminium and acrylic products. These allow

OEMs to reduce their instrument

size and weight to improve reliability by integrating a variety of precision

fluidic control components in a

single sub-assembly.

Matt Dixon from Norgren said: “We looked forward to showcasing our product range at the Show. With these products, we feel we demonstrated our ability to deliver Engineering Advantage, offering an insight into capabilities that design engineers may not normally associate with Norgren.”

For reader enquiries please mention P&TR:www.norgren.com

Women EngineersA study of 300 female engineers in the UK has revealed an overwhelming majority (over 80%) are happy with their career choice and 98% find their job rewarding.

The survey – Britain’s got talented female engineers – carried out by Atkins in partnership with BP, Rolls-Royce and the Royal Academy of Engineering, asked 300 female engineers what inspires them and how they think companies can work to help attract more females in the future.

Martin Grant, chief executive of Atkins’ energy business, said: “Encouraging more girls and women into engineering is vital for the future growth of the British economy and the sustainability of many British companies.

“There have been many studies into why girls don’t choose STEM subjects at school but we haven’t seen any focused on what inspires the women who do choose a path to engineering, either at school or later. These survey results show that engineering is in fact an extremely rewarding career choice for women. However, it also shows that a lack of understanding, awareness and inspiration prohibits girls considering an engineering career, which we in industry must work together to address.”

Other findings include:

• 79% said their colleagues and employers play an important role in helping them fit their career alongside family life and personal interests

• Although three-quarters believe engineering is still regarded as a male career, 70% say being a woman makes no difference when applying for a job, and for a further 17% being female actually helped

• 91% cite an inspirational teacher as a reason for choosing an engineering related career – and it’s not always a physics teacher

• 75% were interested in problem solving and fixing things from an early age

• Seven in eight believe greater awareness of what engineers do is needed

The survey was launched at an event at the Royal Academy of Engineering in London on (Tuesday 10 September 2013). Dr Shini Somara, British Engineer and TV presenter, is working with Atkins to spread the

word about just how varied, fulfilling and enjoyable an engineer career can be.

Dr Somara said: “The results of this survey give us perfect material to use in the drive to encourage more girls, young women and even boys to choose STEM subjects, because they can see how satisfied it makes people.

“Not only does engineering offer a huge variety of career choices, but these jobs are rewarding and fulfilling – and they offer flexibility and a work/life balance – which can’t be said of many well-paid careers.

“The task now is for industry and education to work together to sell these messages to the next generation of young engineers.”

As part of its drive to use this survey Atkins has promoted a series of role models whose stories are available to support the full survey report.

Three hundred female engineers with 165 dif ferent job titles working at 90 British companies were surveyed by The Survey Shop either online or by phone.

For reader enquiries please mention P&TR:AtkinsWoodcote Grove, Ashley RoadEpsom, SurreyKT18 5BWTel: +44 (0) 1372 726140Fax: +44 (0) 1372 [email protected]

P&TR News

EXCLUSIVE UK AGENTPlease contact us for commercial and technical information

• Automatic Chain& Belt Tensioners

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Enhanced Turning-milling table drive solutionsThe latest version of MSR TwinDrive dramatically simplifies the mechanical transmission system on large vertical lathes.

As a result, the design of turning tables becomes much easier while improving the precision and making the machine more compact. REDEX has once again produced innovative products and solutions that offer machine builders cutting-edge designs that feature easy use and maintenance. REDEX has once again enhanced its solutions for turning tables on large vertical lathes. The latest MSR drive designs have been refined using the newest generation of drive and control systems (i.e. from Siemens CNC or Fanuc). The MSR drive is composed of two identical gearboxes (TwinDrive system), sharing the driving torque (50%-50%) during turning operations. With the help of the CNC system which manages the motor preload torque, the system is able to cancel 100% of backlash. In addition, MSR exclusive features enable a very accurate positioning level. Thus, it allows the execution of additional functions on the C axis, without any additional mechanical devices. For instance, top accuracy is kept during milling operations with one motor driving and the other motor braking.

Redex provides the unique commercial solution for turning and milling drives in the machine-tool market. Before MSR, turning table manufacturers used 2 different types of drives when a C axis was needed: a main drive for turning operations driven by a big spindle motor and a feed-preloaded gearbox to cancel the backlash during C axis mode that needed to be clutched and unclutched to the crown. In addition, the main drive need to be shifted to neutral ratio.

Spare parts management is simplified with the use of a smaller motor

The MSR drive solution from REDEX dramatically simplifies the design of turning table mechanical transmission systems. It eliminates the need for developing a complex and expensive gearbox for the C axis, including a complicated system of clutching/unclutching. A solution

with two motors is less expensive and easier to manage. In comparison to high duty turning tables used in conventional configurations that require a 160kW motor, the MSR uses two 80kW motors, which are more standard and less expensive (despite the fact that there are two of them). When the diameter of the chuck or part to machine is large, conventional home-made kinematics consisted of using a different stage ratio of 1/1, which resulted in high costs and loss

of efficiency. MSR kinematics allow the drive to be placed right under the chuck directly meshing with the crown. Spare parts management is simplified with the use of a smaller motor. Furthermore, there

is no need to manage the C-axis gearbox manufacturing with all its components.

For this new MSR drive solution, developed as a turnkey system by REDEX, the latest generation of MSD two-speed gearbox is combined with the improved version of cubic R Series right angle bevel gearbox. The design upgrade includes a new and more compact and reliable speed changer as well as a new lubrication arrangement. The new range improves features of the 4 sizes, MSR330- MSR640- MSR650- MSR660 with torque capacity at pinion from 2000/4000Nm (2 x 40Kw motors) up to 9000/18000Nm (2 x 100Kw motors) with 3 possible ratio combinations of 7.66&2, 9.88&2, 11.49&3.

Specialist in precision mechatronics for machine-tools

REDEX group, specialist in precision mechatronics for machine-tools and for the steel industry owns 3 industrial plants in Europe (France and Germany). With a consolidated turnover of almost 50M€ (90% is exported from France). REDEX employs more than 320 people throughout the world.

For reader enquiries please mention P&TR:Andantex LtdRowley DriveCoventry CV3 4LSTel: +44 (0) 2476 30 7722Fax: +44 (0) 2476 30 4499www.andantex-kinematic.com

P&TR Products

A crucial project launched to tackle premature component failure at a Brammer-supplied Icelandic facility is delivering huge cost savings for client Rio Tinto Alcan. The initiative to upgrade pivotal equipment has so far saved the customer in excess of £12,000.

The project is the latest in a long line which demonstrate the commitment of Brammer –

the UK’s leading distributor of industrial maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) products and services – to reducing costs and optimising productivity for its customers.

Rio Tinto Alcan is a global supplier of high quality bauxite, alumina and aluminium.

The project was instigated at the Straumsvik plant in Iceland - where alumina is smelted to produce aluminium - in response to the premature failure of hydraulic hoses on production-critical pieces of plant equipment.

The problem was identified on two types of mobile equipment - bath cleaners and crust breakers – which service the main ‘pots’ storing and processing up to four tonnes of molten aluminium.

There are five of each type of machine at the plant and each uses two hydraulic hoses operating at pressures of up to 250 bar (3,500 psi).

Technical Specialist at Brammer, Steve Winslade, who spearheaded the project, explains: “We identified that the bath cleaners and crust breakers were making regular trips to the workshop for maintenance on the hydraulic hoses, which were failing every

one to two weeks. We would usually expect them to last a year or more.

“The hoses work in some of the harshest conditions imaginable in close proximity to molten aluminium whose temperatures reach up to 960ºC. This extreme heat was causing the outer sheath of the hoses to soften and fail, while abrasion from the two hoses rubbing together was compounding the problem. The cost of a machine being offline for

the hoses to be replaced is around £720 per day.”

Steve and his team initiated a trial of heavy duty hoses from different manufacturers.

The most durable hoses were found to be the Megatuff range produced by Gates – a leading global manufacturer of rubber belts and hoses for industrial applications.

Steve says: “Replacing the hoses with new, more durable ones solved the abrasion issue, but there remained a problem caused by the extreme temperatures. To tackle this issue an insulating sleeve with a silicone cover from leading high temperature insulation specialist Evoltex, capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 1,000ºC, was applied. This successful combination has significantly extended the life of the hoses which are now lasting for eight weeks, some even up to 10, considerably increasing maintenance intervals.”

The new hose and sleeve combinations are now being rolled out across the whole fleet, with equipment downtime and hose costs set to be reduced even further.

www.brammeruk.com

Major hydraulic hose project enhances performance for Rio Tinto Alcan

Hayley Group Plc are proud be associated with one of the World’s leading linear bearings manufacturer.

We off er a vast and substantial stock of INA linear bearing products and are here to help with any queries or needs you might have.

Why not contact us today for a comparative quote?

Most comprehensive stock of Schaeffl er products in the UK

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R M FOWLER LIMITEDA U T H O R I S E D L I N E A R D I S T R I B U T O R S

Bearings enable inspection of hard drive disk coatingsThe Barden Corporation UK, has supplied super precision bearing units to a customer in South East Asia for mounting to ellipsometry inspection equipment that checks the integrity of thin-film coated had drive disks.

The novel, custom-designed bearing units comprise a pair of angular contact, thin section, double-row bearings in a housed assembly, ready for fitting to the ellipsometer equipment. The bearing units are low torque, accurate running and incorporate stainless steel rings and balls. The bearings are oil lubricated, as the application is low speed and low torque. The bearings are manufactured to super precision standards (higher than ABEC 7). The angular contact, thin section double-row bearings have an outside diameter of 28.5mm with a width of just under 9mm and a bore of 19mm. The bearing solution was custom engineered at Barden’s site in Plymouth. Barden took part of the ellipsometer housing and incorpoated this into the first bearing’s outer ring.

The bearing units were supplied fully assembled with a flange to enable the customer to mount the units quickly and easily to the ellipsometer column. Nick Dowding, Business Development Manager at Barden UK, commented: “Hard drive disks are coated with a ver y thin magnetic film. The ellipsometer checks the integrity and consistency of this coating. The equipment uses a laser or polarised light source to scan the sur face of the disk in order to ascer tain its thickness, typically to nanometre accuracy. The ellipsometer checks are carried out immediately after the coating process, prior to assembly of the hard disk drives.” According to Dowding, the customer had been experiencing too many failures of the previous bearings on the ellipsometer turntable. These bearings were standard thin section pairs that were pre-loaded to ensure there was no internal play. However, the disadvantage of these bearings were the increased torque levels that were required.

“A stationery light source inspects the disk surface which is periodically rotated to allow a new set of measurements to be made and so you need to ensure that the system is very stable and does not fluctuate. The customer approached us to see if we could supply a new design of bearing with lower torque but accurate running. We therefore looked at the existing configuration and recommended a

new design approach that would incoporate part of the ellipsometer housing into the bearing unit. This would allow us to offer a solution that would be easier for the customer to fit to the ellipsometer column and that would help to locate the bearing unit accurately. This design would also be cleaner, would reduce manual handling and therefore reduce the risk of damage to the bearings,” added Dowding. Due to the low speed-low torque application, the bearing units were fitted with special

PTFE toroidal separators between the stainless steel balls. These encircle alternate balls.

For reader enquiries please mention P&TR:Barden UKPlymbridge RoadEstoverPlymouth DevonPL6 7LH Tel: +44 (0) 1752 735555www.barden.co.uk

The Global Leader in High Performance Bearing Solutions

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Bearings Bearings

Chains Chains

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P&TR Recruitment Kaydon® bearings bring humanoid robot to lifeOne of the greatest challenges facing the developers of the humanoid robot, iCub, was the creation of motion systems that combine high performance, low weight and small size. For this expertise, researchers have sought the help of KAYDON® whose bearing technology has been providing these qualities in medical device technology and aerospace applications for many years.

iCub is a project financed by the European Union and based at the Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences and iCub Facility departments at the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa. It is an international venture to which many research establishments continue to contribute including the Universities of Hertford, Salford and Sheffield.

iCub came into being to further research into artificial cognitive systems. The robot is capable of physically interacting with humans and researchers are also working to give the iCub complete independence. A recent development has been RoboSKIN which equips the surfaces of the robot with sensors so it can perceive contact with its environment, control interactive forces and avoid damage to itself and others. iCub is now also able to see and hear.

53 motors in total, of which 32 are in its hands and arms

Its application scope is huge. In the industrial environment, for example, iCub can be used as an assistant; domestic use is also a possibility. It houses 53 motors in total, of which 32 are in its hands and arms, allowing movements such as holding and delicate manipulation of objects.

KAYDON® became actively involved in the project when it started supplying its REALI-SLIM thin section bearings through its Italian partner, Milan-based Magi Srl. These bearings enable the rotation of various parts that make up the robot’s joints and

keep it upright.

At the same time, the joint axes are kept in the correct alignment despite the exertion of tangential forces, which normally tends to deform the axis and/or other rotating components. As some parts rotate at speeds of several thousand revolutions per minute absolute precision is imperative in order to prevent the entire mechanism seizing up. In some applications it has also been necessary to protect the moving parts from excessive loading.

The REALI-SLIM that is commonly used in iCub is a four-point bearing with small diameter, generally 25.4mm or 50.8mm (1 or 2 inches). Compared with conventional radial bearings, the REALI-SLIM bearings are more rigid and can absorb higher radial, axial and torque loads; for applications that require even greater rigidity, pre-stressed bearings are supplied.

“The project demanded low-friction, highly compact bearings that were able to sustain high radial and axial loads in two directions for the robot’s joints”, explained Professor Giorgio Metta who co-directs the project in Genoa with Professor

Giulio Sandini. “Based on these requirements, the researchers rejected slide bearings and self-lubricating bushes, opting instead for the REALI-SLIM series by KAYDON®.”

For further information please contact:R.A. Rodriguez, 28 Campus Five, Letchworth Business Park, Letchworth, Herts. SG6 2JFTel: + 44 (0) 1462 670044 Fax: +44 (0) 1462 670880E mail: [email protected]

New integrated protocol for large size TQO bearings After two years of intensive research, the R&D Department of the RKB Group has finalized a new integrated protocol for optimized heat treatment and machining of large size, heavy series four-row taper roller bearings.

The program, which includes the latest findings in oil quenching and steel machining, aims at increasing and making more uniform the layer of case hardened steel of TQO bearings in order to extend their service life in presence of heavy loads and shocks.

For reader enquiries please mention P&TR:RKB Europe SAExecutive Headquarters and Technological CentreVia Primo Agosto6828 Balerna Switzerland P.O. BOX 1696830 Chiasso 3Tel: +41 91 260 09 30Fax: +41 91 260 09 50E mail: [email protected]

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INA Linear Bearings & Guidance Systems · Tel: 01709 789 999 - Fax: 01709 789 988 - Email:...

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