Developments

PIC CAP: Wearply is used for applications ranging from vibratory conveyor leaf springs through to electrical motor, generator and transformer components; insulated rail joints, and minerals processing components. A hugely durable reinforced plastic composite that weighs less than aluminium but has up to 10 times the specific strength of 1020 steel is being offered by Cut to Size Plastics for demanding mining and energy, materials handling, electrical and rail applications. Wearply reinforced plastic composite – which can withstand millions of stress cycles at 1400 bar (20,000 psi) without fatigue failure – is used to optimise design and performance of machinery and plant components in which performance and reliability is vital including. • Vibratory conveyor, feeder, screening and materials handling technology • Insulated rail jointing – food and primary product processing • Automotive and vehicle suspension components • Flexible couplings that can transmit torque even when shafts are misaligned • Electrical motor, generating and transformer products Wearply derives its enormous strength, performance and durability from epoxy resins reinforced with continuously aligned, non-woven filaments. This allows plies to be laid so reinforcement is oriented to give greater strength and stiffness in the direction, or directions, in which it is most needed. Parallel filaments resist the stress abrasion that can shorten the fatigue life in conventional reinforced plastics, says Cut To Size Plastics Managing Director Mr Laurie Green. “This advanced engineering material is winning the attention of machinery designers globally for its superior performance in a huge range of applications, from vibratory machinery in minerals and primary production processing to its hygienic, highly resilient high insulation properties in food and beverage plant and electrical applications. The same qualities that make it suitable for advanced aerospace and medical applications – such as helicopter blades and MRI equipment – mean it can be employed with confidence […]

Sydney – Character Cabinets and Stone with Character, part of the Character Group, a leading WA-based suppliers of cabinetry and stone benchtop products to the new building construction and home renovation market, has selected Promapp cloud-based process management software to underpin continuous improvement within the business. The Character Group has over 20 years’ experience in the West Australian housing and renovation scene and aims to exceed customer expectations by consistently delivering quality products on time and providing real value for money. As part of this strategy, the company strives to improve the clarity, accessibility and consistent execution of processes across the business and has in recent years embedded a culture of continuous improvement among its employees. Historically, the Character Group has captured its value stream processes and standard work in Excel and Visio in order to support the manufacture and delivery of its custom made kitchens, bathrooms, laundries and stone benchtops. However, with a major focus on driving innovation, remaining competitive and providing the highest quality manufacturing in the industry, the company decided to deploy lean management principles across its operations. “We quickly identified that though we had excellent technology and people, our processes were not getting the attention they deserved to take us to another level in supporting both efficiency and company growth,” says Daniel Giles, Lean Operations Facilitator, Character Group. “Following extensive evaluation, we realised that a solution such as Promapp could help us manage our knowledge and support a drive for continuous improvement so that our customers ultimately wouldn’t consider going anywhere else.” Promapp will help the Character Group to standardise production to one piece flow throughout its operations, enabling the company to effectively manage customer leads, shorten production times, speed up invoicing and improve cash flow. One piece flow lean management enables manufacturers to replace batch […]

Power TechED, Rockwell Automation’s inaugural educational event focussing on power and energy,  was held in September at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, Queensland. Advances in technologies such as the Internet of Things, are enabling machines to get smarter and meet end users networking, integration, diagnostics and intelligence demands. Power and energy applications are no exception. Motors and drives are gaining improved integration and connectivity. Energy monitoring and efficiency technologies are advancing their real time data capabilities and mobility. To remain competitive, organisations need to keep informed of the latest technology advances. “Power TechED was an educational event that fills a gap in the market by covering the power centric industries and applications, said Matthew Treeby, commercial marketing manager at Rockwell Automation. “Featuring hands-on labs, workshops and presentations, Power TechED appealed to people from a wide variety of industries such as food & beverage and manufacturing through to mining and heavy industries, all under the one roof,” he explained. Attendees chose from four streams of learning: Intelligence, Industry, Power Quality & Energy and Safety & Motion. Experts from a wide range of industries were on hand to share experience on electrical standards, industry applications and new innovations. “The agenda specifically addressed evolving trends and technology in this space. One example is the opportunity to leverage the intelligence that already exists in many “smart” motor control and energy devices today. This information can deliver real actionable insights provided it reaches the right people but it also creates a skills gap where traditional power engineers and electricians need to be aware of networking and automation,” said Treeby. “Power TechEd offered hands on Ethernet networking and automation workshops to assist users update their skills in these areas. This allows organisations to leverage real time decision making for improved productivity.” Power TechED is a collaborative […]

Designing an industrial demilitarised zone with the right assets helps enable secure data-sharing from plantwide network to enterprise network Many manufacturers segment business-system networks from plantwide networks by using an industrial demilitarised zone (IDMZ). But once segmented, how is data from industrial automation and control systems (IACS) securely shared across this buffer zone? A new white paper from Cisco and Rockwell Automation, “Securely Traversing IACS Data Across the Industrial Demilitarized Zone,” provides guidance for successfully designing and deploying an IDMZ as part of a Converged Plantwide Ethernet architecture. This allows manufacturers to securely share IACS data from the plantwide network to the enterprise network. The paper explains key IDMZ assets that enable this secure data-sharing, which include application mirrors and remote desktop gateway services. The white paper summarises key design principles from a comprehensive design and implementation guide on IDMZ, which is available herehttp://http//:rockwellautomation.com.au. Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in IT that helps companies seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected. For ongoing news, please go to http://thenetwork.cisco.com. Rockwell Automation Australia and Rockwell Automation New Zealand are subsidiaries of Rockwell Automation, Inc.—a leading global provider of industrial automation and information solutions that helps manufacturers achieve a competitive advantage in their businesses. The company brings together leading global brands in industrial automation which include Allen-Bradley® controls and services and Rockwell Software® factory management software. Its broad product mix includes control logic systems, sensors, human-machine interfaces, drive controllers, power devices, and software. Rockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Rockwell Automation employs about 22,500 people serving customers in more than 80 countries. LISTEN. THINK. SOLVE. is a […]

Model X is said to be the safest, fastest and most capable sport utility vehicle in history. Standard with all-wheel drive and a 90 kWh battery providing 250 miles of range, Model X has ample seating for seven adults and all of their gear. And it’s ludicrously fast, accelerating from zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.2 seconds. Model X is the SUV uncompromised. The estimated delivery for new reservations is the latter half of 2016. Safety First Design Every part of Model X is designed with safety as a first priority. The floor-mounted battery lowers the centre of gravity so that the risk of rollover is almost non-existent. The battery structure strengthens Model X against side impact intrusions. And without a gasoline engine, the large front trunk acts as a giant impact-absorbing crumple zone. Active Safety Model X continually scans the surrounding roadway with camera, radar and sonar systems, providing the driver with real-time feedback to avoid collisions. Even at highway speeds, Model X will automatically apply brakes in an emergency. Pollution Free, Inside and Out A medical grade HEPA filter strips outside air of pollen, bacteria, viruses and pollution before circulating it into the cabin. There are three modes: circulate with outside air, re-circulate inside air and a bioweapon defence mode that creates positive pressure inside the cabin to protect occupants. Falcon Wings Falcon Wing doors allow easy access to second and third row seats from any parking space. Minivan style sliding doors open at most halfway while traditional doors are not capable of opening fully when parked next to another car. With only a foot of clearance, Falcon Wing doors articulate smoothly up and out of the way, allowing passengers to enter from both front and rear directions. The side and overhead opening is so large […]

RS Components (RS), the trading brand of Electrocomponents plc, the global distributor for engineers, has launched DesignSpark Electrical, which brings the benefits of design software to all those not already using electrical CAD tools. The new software targets electrical design engineers and other electrical professionals, enabling them to save time and money. Supported by Schneider Electric, DesignSpark Electrical joins the award-winning suite of DesignSpark engineering resources and continues to drive the initiative of removing the barriers to innovation for every engineer. DesignSpark Electrical is a fully specified electrical CAD package delivering time saving and error avoidance, for control panel, machinery and electrical system design. This new free tool provides access to the functionality of electrical CAD for businesses that in many cases cannot reasonably justify the considerable price tag per seat for existing commercial electrical CAD software. A key element of the DesignSpark Electrical software is the integration of a library that comprises more than 250,000 components and parts, including 80,000 from Schneider Electric and 10,000 from RS, which can easily be added to customer designs. Other key features of the highly intuitive and highly functional software include intelligent and specialist electrical design tools, real-time referencing and validity checking to allow the creation of accurate 2D panel layouts, all of which saves time and reduces errors. Also built into the software is Bill-of-Materials (BOM) quote functionality, enabling customers to order parts via RS for their designs, both quickly and easily. The high cost and the learning time required of existing commercial electrical CAD tools have been major barriers to adoption for many companies. The introduction of the highly intuitive DesignSpark Electrical removes these cost barriers in a single stroke and passes on the key benefits of electrical CAD to all engineers. DesignSpark Electrical is available for free download at www.designspark.com.