November 2015

Rockwell Automation Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2015 Results

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cR23lO4xvghttp:// • Fourth quarter sales down 10 per cent year over year; down 2 per cent organically • Fourth quarter Adjusted EPS of US$1.57; diluted EPS of US$1.50 • Full year Adjusted EPS of US$6.40, up 4 per cent despite 5 per cent lower sales; diluted EPS of $6.09 • Record fiscal year free cash flow and ROIC • Company increases dividend 12 per cent • Company provides fiscal 2016 Adjusted EPS guidance of US$5.90 – US$6.40 SINGAPORE – 13 November 2015 – Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK) today reported fiscal 2015 fourth quarter sales of US$1,607.5 million, down 9.8 per cent from US$1,781.8 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. Organic sales decreased 2.3 per cent, and currency translation reduced sales by 7.6 per cent. Fiscal 2015 fourth quarter Adjusted EPS was US$1.57, down 16 per cent compared to Adjusted EPS of US$1.86 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. Total segment operating earnings were US$335.8 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015, down 15 per cent compared to US$395.8 million in the same period last year. Results in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 included US$12 million of restructuring charges. Total segment operating margin decreased to 20.9 per cent from 22.2 per cent a year ago, primarily due to lower operating margin in the Architecture & Software segment. On a GAAP basis, fiscal 2015 fourth quarter net income was US$201.3 million or US$1.50 per share, compared to US$248.7 million or US$1.79 per share in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. Pre-tax margin decreased to 17.3 per cent from 19.0 per cent in the same period last year. Full Fiscal Year 2015 Sales were US$6,307.9 million in fiscal 2015, down 4.8 per cent compared to US$6,623.5 million in fiscal 2014. Organic sales increased 1.1 per cent, and […]

Avoid the damage and disruption in mineral processing by unchecked vibration

In the picture: Marsh Mellows from Air springs Supply, an engineered solid rubber alternative to coil springs Vibration and noise are old enemies at mine, quarry and mineral processing sites, hazards that have been pushed into the spotlight in recent years by concerns both about worker safety and about plant efficiency and reliability. Vibration occurs in all rotating or reciprocating machinery as a result of forces generated within it. Sometimes the vibration is intended – as in vibrating screens and vibrating conveyor sections, for example – and sometimes it is caused by imbalances in rotors, bearings, springs and gears as vibration migrates from the source to surrounding structures and wear-prone components. If vibration is left unchecked, the consequences can include: – Breakdowns and downtime including Bearing failures, metal spring cracking and collapse, metal structure cracking and weaknesses potentially leading to unexpected plant shutdowns. – Operator fatigue and noise nuisance (NVH – noise, harshness and vibration is increasingly a factor in workers compensation issues) – Energy waste due to kinetic energy required for vibration – Interference with nearby computer, electrical and electro-magnetic equipment, potentially leading to production disruption. A simple, robust and effective means of solving vibration and isolation problems created by such equipment is provided by Marsh Mellow® springs, which are fabric-reinforced solid rubber isolators used for quiet isolation of machinery vibration and for general shock absorption throughout industry. The cylindrical springs, developed by Firestone – the world’s biggest producer of air springs for isolation and actuation – are used world-wide as an alternative to metal coil springs for applications involving quarries and mineral processing as well as building, construction, computer, electrical and electronic equipment including motors, gearboxes, compressors, conveyors, materials handling machinery and shock absorbers. Marsh Mellows give consistent performance regardless of changing loads, while offering high lateral stability […]

World-first universal chute design cuts costs and downtime

A multidirectional rotating underground coal chute system that can be installed in less than a single shift at a typical mine has been developed by Chute Technology in what the Australian technology and manufacturing partnership believes is a world first. The cost-saving universal chute – which can rotate output through 160 degrees left or right – can remove completely the need to custom-manufacture individual chute types to fit the confined spaces and particular angles of individual mines. The versatile bolt-in system – comprising a complete integrated structure from head end to conveyor outlet – features a rotating outlet beneath the head that can be angled to any position required to facilitate product flow. In addition to radically reducing the labour required for manufacture and installation, the chute’s ability to be installed in a fraction of the time of custom chutes minimises downtime by keeping production moving when chutes wear out. “This is a brilliantly simple breakthrough in cost and time saving at a time when the mining industry needs it most to maintain production. The benefits are obvious when you look at the basic concept, but we don’t know of anywhere else in the world where it has been done,” says Chute Technology Partner Mr Tom Woods, whose experience of coal chute manufacture through family company T.W. Woods Construction extends back more than 40 years. The new chute system – of which the first example has already been produced – is the result of the analytical, design and manufacturing experience of each of the three Principal Partners in Chute Technology, who have combined experience of more than 80 years in a wide variety of resource industries including coal, iron ore, alumina and limestone across Australia, the USA, South America and South Africa. The company’s technologies are also applicable to gold, […]

Waste water project demonstrates efficiency and OHS gains

High efficiency fine screening technology engineered to deliver low maintenance performance with reduced OHS hazards for municipal and industrial waste water schemes is demonstrating immediate results in one of its new applications. CST Wastewater Solutions has installed SCF screen extractor technology for the co-joined towns of Harden and Murrumburrah to improve the treatment system for a population of approximately 2,000 people. The SFC (screen press for channel installation) Screen Extractor is also suitable for applications such as food and beverage, manufacturing and processing, mining, energy and resources camps where its low maintenance /high hygiene qualities are appreciated, agribusiness, and remote installations where low maintenance high efficiency is a priority for users who don’t need to have specialist staff constantly available. SFC allows for a much finer level of screening – 5mm compared to the old system at 60mm – which has led to a significant reduction in solids in the tanks, more efficient treatment and less maintenance issues. The technology – designed to lower investment, operational and maintenance costs in screening of municipal and industrial waste water with compacting of extracted solids – has also cut the amount of maintenance and waste that has to be handled by plant operators, reducing operational health hazards and improving OHS performance. The same benefits are widely applicable to other industry and municipal applications, says Mr Michael Bambridge, Managing Director, CST Wastewater Solutions. “The fine screening at 5mm aperture made a significant difference within days of commissioning the screen extractor,” he says. “The existing system utilised manually coarse raked bar screens with a 60mm aperture which was both operator unfriendly and inefficient. Consequently, a large amount of the fine screenings passed into the downstream sedimentation tanks and trickling filters,” he said. “Not only are the tanks clearer and more efficient now, but the screen […]