Articles
As businesses and homeowners reassess their disaster preparedness in the aftermath of recent hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, and bombings, safety experts are urging extra attention be paid to window safety. "Flying glass shards from shattered windows... more »
As the next generation of commercial aircraft take center stage, behind the scenes multiaxis technology has quietly become a major player in their manufacture. Critical aerospace components such as turbine engine blades, nozzle guide vanes, shrouds, combustors,... more »
The name is known throughout the UK, where its brands are family favorites. Since 1992 the company has been in a steady expansion mode: a joint venture with Yoplait established Yoplait Dairy Crest (YDC); in 1995 Dairy Crest acquired a leading cheese company,... more »
Global petrochemicals producer produces products for a variety of end-use applications. With 11,300 employees, Huntsman companies operate in 22 countries, generating annual revenues of approximately $15 billion. Huntsman's Rozenburg facility in the Netherlands... more »
Ever wonder how cell phones and laptops keep getting more compact and lighter in weight? Part of the answer comes from breakthrough lithium-ion battery technology. These compact rechargeable batteries provide maximum power and longer runtime without adding... more »
With an estimated 65% of industrial electrical energy used by electric motors, it is no wonder that major users in industry increasingly see energy reduction as a key to improving their profitability and competitiveness. Because variable-speed drives... more »
GigE Vision™ Interface Technology The new GigE Vision™ standard being finalized by an AIA committee provides a unique solution that optimizes system performance while maintaining cost levels that are recognized as being more attractive than USB 2.0, 1394b,... more »
In today's marketplace, optimizing the productivity of the equipment in your plant is critical. This is especially challenging for age ovens, which must also be energy efficient, low maintenance, and provide consistent metallurgical results with varying... more »
The challenge of responding to the threat of cheap offshore labor is not new to North American businesses. Nearly a hundred years ago, Henry Towne wrote about the need for increased efficiency and productivity: We are justly proud of the high wage rates... more »
Tiny and often tucked away in hard-to-reach nooks and crannies, a novel array of sensors is poised to change the costly and resource-intensive process of fighting corrosion in industries such as aerospace, shipping, mining, oil and gas. These, and similar... more »
Automating an assembly line that depends on randomly placed components in shipping racks, or autoracking, is among the most difficult automation tasks facing industry today. After evaluating several vision systems for robot guidance, automation specialist... more »
"Controlling the amount of increasingly costly oil, natural gas and water used in manufacturing has become a strategic factor in determining whether or not your manufacturing business remains competitive in the global economy." -- NAM president John Engler... more »
Government regulations Employee health and safety Productivity These are vital considerations when deciding what type of dust collection technology will help you get cleaner in-plant air. While there are many choices, significant differences exist in... more »
If you manufacture plated metal components that are sold in Europe or Asia, better take heed: the RoHS and ELV directives take effect in 2006. Many traditional plated finishes do not comply. The alternatives may cost more to apply and offer questionable... more »
At the Philips Semiconductors plant in Albuquerque, NM, Tour Andover Controls representative Entech Sales and Service Inc designed and installed a building controls network that has dramatically improved both safety and security. Previously comprising... more »
Overview Industry has done a very good job at determining how to fix equipment and keep it up and running. And yet, how often do we look at a failed piece of equipment or equipment that has never worked quite right and: blame the manufacturer for the... more »
There's an old saying that "Information is Power." But in today's manufacturing-driven organizations, data that is inconsistently gathered, categorized, and stored, can lead to little, if any, actionable information. That is, actionable information... more »
A Baton Rouge, LA television station was able to provide uninterrupted, round-the-clock news coverage during Hurricane Katrina, thanks to an advanced VSSDC flywheel power system from Pentadyne Power Corp. As the devastating storm passed through the area,... more »
Factors as varied as home improvement TV shows, the rise of big-box retailers coupled with decline of mom-and-pop stores, and consumer demand for packaging that is both more appealing and more functional -- all contribute to the packaging challenges facing... more »
Case packing machines must be capable of moving a large volume of products in a short amount of time. The case packer must be both fast and cost-efficient, and durable enough to ensure a long lifespan. "So much of our business is driven by speed," says... more »