Compressed air is widely used and an effective propellant for many types of machines used in various locations within many industries. Indeed, almost 90% of industries use compressed air in some aspect of their daily use/production. One similarity discovered is that throughout all industry wasted energy in compressed air is quite common.
However compressed air (and other gases) are at the same time a very large cost to the company's budget each year.
It is therefore sensible to continuously inspect the company's air, vacuum or gas installations on a frequent basis.
Portable fault locating detectors are ideally suited, especially in noisy environments, to be used in energy conservation, predictive maintenance and proactive maintenance programmes for leak detection and mechanical inspection.
Logis-Tech Associates has recently introduced to the UK a range of ultrasonic devices for listening to leaks in compressed air and vacuum installations, leaks in tanks etc, and to listen to mechanical noise from for example in ball bearings or other movable parts.
A leakage test may prevent more serious and costly problems from occurring or even show that the installation of a newer larger compressor is unnecessary.
The Logis-Tech EP equipment consists of a very sensitive listening detector where a headphone or an authorised hearing protector with loudspeaker can be connected.
The system works by "listening" at a frequency band that normally is inaudible to humans - from 20kHz and upwards (ultrasound).
Audible noises from the surroundings are filtered off so that the device can be ideally used in a noisy environment.
The Logis-Tech EP equipment can also be used with an ultrasonic transmitter that transmits pulsating ultrasound.
The transmitter is placed inside the item to be examined, which is then closed.
The user can then examine the item from the outside and can easily detect, any leaks.
Air leakage can be defined as consumed air that contributes nothing to production.
In a well-managed system, wasteful air leaks should not exceed 5-10% of net production consumption.
This acceptable leakage still costs the company per year.
Although most engineering and maintenance personnel are aware their operations have air leaks; the biggest problem is they are unable to quantify those air leaks in order to make rational corrective decisions.
This is where a quality compressed air leak-detecting device comes into play.
Since air leaks are a reoccurring problem, it is imperative that plant personnel initiate a regular preventive maintenance programme allowing the detection of these wasteful air leaks.
Ultrasonic sensors detect the disturbance caused by turbulent flow, which is produced by a leak, and because they are sound sensitive, they can be applied to all types of fluid systems.
Detecting air or gas leaks in pressurised tanks, vacuums, boilers, tubing, pipe fittings, flanges, seals and gaskets are all possible.
Specific typical industrial systems include: condensers, furnaces, heat exchangers etc.
The advantage of using these sensors is that they are able to sense a leak in real-time.
During a scan, a user will hear the sound of the leak increase as the sensor passes by the place where it is located.
In the contact, or waveguide mode, leaks in steam traps and valves are also sensed.
Using permanently mounted sensors, valves can be monitored for both the onset of flow, such as in safety relief valves or for flow disruption.
A machine or another propellant loses its effectiveness if or when mechanical malfunctions occur.
Often these mean reduced production or at the worst an unintended and expensive production stop.
It is therefore important to be able to quickly locate the mechanical malfunction or in some cases to make a systematic monitoring of essential machine parts to always be able to make a controlled production stop with all the economical advantages this entails.
Also, in this case, the Logis-Tech EP equipment consists of a detector with a headphone or hearing protector where an electronic internal/external sensor (stethoscope sensor or clip) can be connected.
The sensor is used for listening to mechanical noise and only picks up mechanical low frequency vibrations so the stethoscope can also be used in noisy areas.
Within all mechanical operations bearings, pumps, motors, gears, gearboxes and compressors, produce some form of "typical" sound patterns, and a change in these patterns can be detected and analysed.
NASA in the USA paved the way for ultrasonic bearing inspection by demonstrating that ultrasonic monitoring provided the earliest warning of bearing failure.
In addition, conditions such as rubbing and lack of lubrication can also be detected.
The advantage of ultrasonic inspection is the short-wave nature of the signal allows inspectors to easily inspect specific components in operating equipment.
Laser marking is several times faster
Motorsport transmissions manufacturer, Hewland Engineering, has cut component marking times by several factors since replacing its former dot matrix engraving facility with a state-of-the-art HKR5 laser marking system from HK Technologies. Hewland manufactures and supplies racing gearboxes to virtually all levels of motorsport from its purpose-built facility at White Waltham in Berkshire. Between 1993 and 2000, the company invested some GBP 8 million in creating a facility that is the envy of the industry and, since then, has continued to invest as requirements demand.
For instance, the increasing need for greater component traceability in the motorsport sector recently led Hewland to assess its part marking facility.
It was apparent that the company's dot matrix engraving machines and rotary mill-type engravers were the sources of a growing bottleneck.
'Our existing facilities were slow and took too long to set-up,' explained Hewland's works superintendent Colin McKee.
'As a result we took a long hard look at laser marking.
We did our homework and discovered that many of our competitors and customers were using systems manufactured by HK Technologies.
We took this to be a good benchmark and duly instructed HK to undertake some trials on our behalf.
Our engineering team was very impressed with both the results of the trials and the professional conduct of HK, and we subsequently purchased an HKR5 laser marking system.' Installed last year, the machine has been put to work marking a wide range of parts for motorsport transmissions, including lay shafts, hubs, gears, washers and shims.
According to Mckee, around 90% of Hewland's components now require some form of marking.
Founded by Mike Hewland in 1957, the company claims to have invented the bespoke racing car gearbox and has been supplying the world's leading racing car constructors ever since.
Today, Hewland can boast Lola, Ferrari, Honda, Audi, Mercedes, Subaru, Toyota, BMW, Nissan and Alfa Romeo among its many clients.
The company's growth can be attributed to many factors, not least its continuous programme of planned investment in the latest technology, such as laser marking.
Using computer-controlled optical scanning systems, the HKR5 moves a high speed laser beam over the workpiece.
The non-contact focus of the beam produces a clear, high contrast, permanent mark on all metals and most plastics to a controlled depth of up to 1mm.
Hewland uses its HKR5 to produce marks that include part numbers, logos, drawing numbers and alignment marks on a range of flat, curved and irregular surfaces.
Batch sizes range from 1 up to 200-off.
'The flexibility of the HKR5 allows to us to use a simple V-block to locate a one-off prototype component, or a jig board with pegs to locate multiple parts,' said McKee.
'The HK EasiMark software is Windows-based and extremely easy to use.
We can download from Coral Draw if required although even starting a program from scratch will only take a few minutes to complete.' HK's EasiMark software in conjunction with the fast cycling times of the HKR5 has eased the production bottleneck at Hewland considerably, as McKee confirmed: 'Our dot matrix engravers would take around half a minute to mark every part, whereas the HKR5 takes a matter of seconds,' he said.
'Within a few days of the machine being installed we could visibly see work flowing more easily throughout the factory.' McKee said that mark clarity has also improved dramatically.
'Any mark below 1mm would be extremely difficult to see using dot matrix engraving techniques,' he said, 'But we have no such problems using laser marking.
The HKR5 has replaced our previous four machines and solved all of our problems.
It is quick, clean and exceptionally reliable.'
For instance, the increasing need for greater component traceability in the motorsport sector recently led Hewland to assess its part marking facility.
It was apparent that the company's dot matrix engraving machines and rotary mill-type engravers were the sources of a growing bottleneck.
'Our existing facilities were slow and took too long to set-up,' explained Hewland's works superintendent Colin McKee.
'As a result we took a long hard look at laser marking.
We did our homework and discovered that many of our competitors and customers were using systems manufactured by HK Technologies.
We took this to be a good benchmark and duly instructed HK to undertake some trials on our behalf.
Our engineering team was very impressed with both the results of the trials and the professional conduct of HK, and we subsequently purchased an HKR5 laser marking system.' Installed last year, the machine has been put to work marking a wide range of parts for motorsport transmissions, including lay shafts, hubs, gears, washers and shims.
According to Mckee, around 90% of Hewland's components now require some form of marking.
Founded by Mike Hewland in 1957, the company claims to have invented the bespoke racing car gearbox and has been supplying the world's leading racing car constructors ever since.
Today, Hewland can boast Lola, Ferrari, Honda, Audi, Mercedes, Subaru, Toyota, BMW, Nissan and Alfa Romeo among its many clients.
The company's growth can be attributed to many factors, not least its continuous programme of planned investment in the latest technology, such as laser marking.
Using computer-controlled optical scanning systems, the HKR5 moves a high speed laser beam over the workpiece.
The non-contact focus of the beam produces a clear, high contrast, permanent mark on all metals and most plastics to a controlled depth of up to 1mm.
Hewland uses its HKR5 to produce marks that include part numbers, logos, drawing numbers and alignment marks on a range of flat, curved and irregular surfaces.
Batch sizes range from 1 up to 200-off.
'The flexibility of the HKR5 allows to us to use a simple V-block to locate a one-off prototype component, or a jig board with pegs to locate multiple parts,' said McKee.
'The HK EasiMark software is Windows-based and extremely easy to use.
We can download from Coral Draw if required although even starting a program from scratch will only take a few minutes to complete.' HK's EasiMark software in conjunction with the fast cycling times of the HKR5 has eased the production bottleneck at Hewland considerably, as McKee confirmed: 'Our dot matrix engravers would take around half a minute to mark every part, whereas the HKR5 takes a matter of seconds,' he said.
'Within a few days of the machine being installed we could visibly see work flowing more easily throughout the factory.' McKee said that mark clarity has also improved dramatically.
'Any mark below 1mm would be extremely difficult to see using dot matrix engraving techniques,' he said, 'But we have no such problems using laser marking.
The HKR5 has replaced our previous four machines and solved all of our problems.
It is quick, clean and exceptionally reliable.'
Lubricants save money at brickworks
A success story for Sovereign Lubricants and Seals concerns the manufacturing of bricks and the associated machinery that is subject to harsh conditions. All companies involved in this business experience the same problems with machinery wearing out quickly due to poor or inadequate lubrication, A brickworks that has been using Omega since 1983 has proven that quality lubricants make a noticeable difference to wear and tear on plant and equipment and in turn increase productivity results. The brickworks first started using Omega 690 gear oil in January 1983 and after trials is now running Omega 690 in most of its gearboxes.
There are hardly any failures these days and the firm saves about 10% on energy.
The boxes run quieter and the oil lasts longer.
For the past 23 years, the brickworks has used Omega 71 high temperature grease in its kiln fan bearings, which are subjected to extreme heat.
The product has let the firm save on maintenance costs.
It also uses this product on its screen bearings which are in a very dusty and wet environment.
It had big problems finding a suitable high temperature lubricant for its kiln car bearings for many years until Sovereign introduced it to the Omega 35 in November 1994.
This product has been a success in handling the very high under car temperatures.
Sometimes the temperatures are as high as 350C in certain hotspots and this would melt or harden other greases and the bearings would seize.
Now it only uses 10kg of Omega 35 per year to grease all its kiln cars, saving thousands of pounds per year in staff hours and cost of grease as it only greases once per year.
It has also saved money on not having to replace seized bearings.
Finally, it uses Omega 73 on all its open gears.
The Chief Engineer at the brickworks, which is based in South Yorkshire, said: '23 years of satisfaction'.
'I can fully recommend Omega lubricants to any maintenance department looking to make improvements and save money'.
There are hardly any failures these days and the firm saves about 10% on energy.
The boxes run quieter and the oil lasts longer.
For the past 23 years, the brickworks has used Omega 71 high temperature grease in its kiln fan bearings, which are subjected to extreme heat.
The product has let the firm save on maintenance costs.
It also uses this product on its screen bearings which are in a very dusty and wet environment.
It had big problems finding a suitable high temperature lubricant for its kiln car bearings for many years until Sovereign introduced it to the Omega 35 in November 1994.
This product has been a success in handling the very high under car temperatures.
Sometimes the temperatures are as high as 350C in certain hotspots and this would melt or harden other greases and the bearings would seize.
Now it only uses 10kg of Omega 35 per year to grease all its kiln cars, saving thousands of pounds per year in staff hours and cost of grease as it only greases once per year.
It has also saved money on not having to replace seized bearings.
Finally, it uses Omega 73 on all its open gears.
The Chief Engineer at the brickworks, which is based in South Yorkshire, said: '23 years of satisfaction'.
'I can fully recommend Omega lubricants to any maintenance department looking to make improvements and save money'.
How to pick the perfect hydraulic motor
We all wish selecting components for con-ag equipment was as easy as playing eenie-meenie-minie-mo. However, for each piece of compact equipment, application constraints like performance, efficiency, reliability, serviceability, productivity, control and cost have to be considered. This is especially true when designing hydraulic systems and selecting components such as hydraulic motors to operate the equipment's drivetrain and attachments.
With two types of motors, three basic motor constructions, numerous variations on these designs and more than 20 hydraulic motor manufacturers and hundreds (if not thousands) of models, selecting the right motor for an application can lead to a confusing array of options and configurations.
Luckily, with some basic hydraulic motor knowledge, a buyer can certainly take much of the confusion out of the selection process.
First, motors are broken into two segments: high-speed, low-torque (HSLT) motors and low-speed, high-torque (LSHT) motors.
Generally, a LSHT motor's speed can range between 0.1 and 1000rev/min depending on the motor and control system, whereas HSLT motors range between 1000 and 5000rev/min.
In this article, the focus will be on LSHT motors because these motors transmit a large amount of torque in a relatively small envelope - for example, a 5hp motor can be the size of a 350ml beer can.
Additionally, LSHT motors generate low noise levels and vibration, have a high-energy efficiency - in the 80 to 90% plus range - and operate smoothly at low speeds.
All of these attributes are ideal for con-ag and mobile equipment applications.
The combination of these LSHT motor characteristics gives it the ability to virtually eliminate the need for gearboxes in many applications.
Because of this, LSHT motors are great for con-ag equipment such as skid steers, mini excavators and their attachments.
LSHT motors generally come in three basic constructions: gear, piston or vane.
Gear motors are available in either external or internal gear configurations.
External motors will not be discussed as these motors are HSLT motors.
Internal gear motors - also known as gerotor, geroller or orbiting motors - have an inner (rotor) and outer (stator) gear.
The rotor has fewer teeth than the stator, giving it a large mechanical advantage.
Both gears move as the fluid passes through the motor, causing the rotor to orbit around the stator.
The drive coupling transmits the motion of the rotor to the output shaft.
Piston motors come in two basic designs: radial-piston and axial-piston.
These motors use reciprocating pistons to transmit the energy from the fluid to the drive trains or attachments.
Although there are numerous radial piston designs, the two most common are the telescoping piston and the multi-cam-lobe piston.
The telescoping piston design looks like the old airplane prop engines.
In this design, telescoping cylinders capture the pressurised fluid and push against an eccentric cam attached to the output shaft.
This design is not typically used in con-ag or mobile applications, except for large, heavy-duty applications like winches.
The multi-cam-lobe design is similar to an internal combustion engine whereby the pressurised fluid pushes against a series of pistons riding on a cam, which is attached to the output shaft.
A variation of this design is the rotating housing.
With two types of motors, three basic motor constructions, numerous variations on these designs and more than 20 hydraulic motor manufacturers and hundreds (if not thousands) of models, selecting the right motor for an application can lead to a confusing array of options and configurations.
Luckily, with some basic hydraulic motor knowledge, a buyer can certainly take much of the confusion out of the selection process.
First, motors are broken into two segments: high-speed, low-torque (HSLT) motors and low-speed, high-torque (LSHT) motors.
Generally, a LSHT motor's speed can range between 0.1 and 1000rev/min depending on the motor and control system, whereas HSLT motors range between 1000 and 5000rev/min.
In this article, the focus will be on LSHT motors because these motors transmit a large amount of torque in a relatively small envelope - for example, a 5hp motor can be the size of a 350ml beer can.
Additionally, LSHT motors generate low noise levels and vibration, have a high-energy efficiency - in the 80 to 90% plus range - and operate smoothly at low speeds.
All of these attributes are ideal for con-ag and mobile equipment applications.
The combination of these LSHT motor characteristics gives it the ability to virtually eliminate the need for gearboxes in many applications.
Because of this, LSHT motors are great for con-ag equipment such as skid steers, mini excavators and their attachments.
LSHT motors generally come in three basic constructions: gear, piston or vane.
Gear motors are available in either external or internal gear configurations.
External motors will not be discussed as these motors are HSLT motors.
Internal gear motors - also known as gerotor, geroller or orbiting motors - have an inner (rotor) and outer (stator) gear.
The rotor has fewer teeth than the stator, giving it a large mechanical advantage.
Both gears move as the fluid passes through the motor, causing the rotor to orbit around the stator.
The drive coupling transmits the motion of the rotor to the output shaft.
Piston motors come in two basic designs: radial-piston and axial-piston.
These motors use reciprocating pistons to transmit the energy from the fluid to the drive trains or attachments.
Although there are numerous radial piston designs, the two most common are the telescoping piston and the multi-cam-lobe piston.
The telescoping piston design looks like the old airplane prop engines.
In this design, telescoping cylinders capture the pressurised fluid and push against an eccentric cam attached to the output shaft.
This design is not typically used in con-ag or mobile applications, except for large, heavy-duty applications like winches.
The multi-cam-lobe design is similar to an internal combustion engine whereby the pressurised fluid pushes against a series of pistons riding on a cam, which is attached to the output shaft.
A variation of this design is the rotating housing.
Latest tool and cutter grinders do not let down
Kevin Taylor's innate fear of letting customers down is, he says, one of the main reasons why he continually invests in CNC tool regrinders from Walter GB - machines he describes as 'the world's best'. As managing director of Peterborough-based tool regrinding specialist Marlor Tooling, he regards his high-tech portfolio of six multi-axis Helitronic grinders and the Walter Helicheck tool inspection machine as critical in enabling his company to consistently meet the quality and accuracy now demanded by modern tooling and manufacturing methods. 'Okay, there will always be somebody in a shed with a cheap machine offering some level of tool regrinding,' he admits.
'We don't compete with that - we sell on service and quality.
'However, as tooling (high-speed and coated types, in particular) and tool regrinding equipment technology (software as well as machine capability) improves, the 'little people' simply can't provide the required quality and accuracies, and more and more customers recognise that cheap regrinds are a false economy.
'All our serious customers now look at cost per item rather than just the 'buy' function; if a drill costs twice as much to buy/regrind but does three times the work, then it obviously makes good economic sense.
On that basis, we continually attract more work.' Coupled with a 'can-do' work ethic that, says Taylor, 'ignores what everybody else is doing - or not doing - and means getting on with the job', Marlor Tooling's continuous investment in CNC tool grinding has springboarded the company into 'big league' status as one of the UK's leading tooling regrinders with the capability and mindset to meet all requirements.
The philosophy - established by Taylor's father, George Taylor - is being increasingly appreciated by blue chip OEMs and major tooling manufacturers and distributors.
Marlor Tooling offers a one-stop nationwide tool regrinding service, and especially for customers with multiple sites, this is proving beneficial in terms of both quality of service and cost-effectiveness.
'While we've always tried to make it easy for customers to deal with us, we have always been a little 'gung ho' in terms of machine investment,' he continues.
'We've tried to ensure we have extra capacity to be in a position to respond to anything - our business can change on a 'phone call.
We are always looking to buy a machine when we don't necessarily have work for it!' It was that policy that led to the introduction of the first Walter CNC tool grinder, the Helitronic CNC 45.
At the time, the machine purchase price equated to 20 per cent of the company's turnover 'and we could justify only up to 40 per cent of its capacity'.
Since then, a succession of Walter CNC tool grinders - Helitronic Minipower, Helitronic Classic Power and a trio of Helitronic Power Regrinders (one equipped with a 40-tool Disc Loader, for unmanned/lights-out machining) plus the Walter Helicheck NC4 tool inspection machine - have been installed, giving Marlor Tooling the largest collection of Walter machines in the UK dedicated to sub-contract regrinding.
Offering a full spectrum regrinding service covering the whole range of drills, reamers, cutters and other tooling up to 370mm long and 320mm diameter, the company also regrinds gears hobs, mostly in solid carbide.
Requirements for accuracy in gear cutting increase as users demand improved fuel efficiency and reduced heat and noise generation - seen at the most extreme in Formula 1 gearboxes designed for dry running.
Each hob may be worth GBP 4,000 - 5,000, and flatness on the teeth of better than two microns is required.
Importantly, the company also ensures its software capability matches the hardware.
'Every time we buy a new machine, we buy all the available programs and we do our best to stay on top of the updates.
We push the software to the limit, stretching and testing it.' Despite its heavy dependence on CNC, Marlor Tooling says the Walter machines are the ideal complement to operator expertise, with Taylor stressing that: 'the Helitronics are the perfect tools for allowing our guys to optimise their skills for the consistent production of tool regrinds of the highest quality'.
Another strategic plank in the company's quality ethos was the investment in the Helicheck inspection machine, which boasts repeat accuracy on diameter measurements of +0.002mm and +0.003mm on length, and performs all routines in accordance with DIN ISO EN 9000.
Helicheck optically gauges the accuracy of all the critical features of a tool, and performs inspection routines independent of operator control.
The fact that it can produce a printed record of every tool measured - detailing required sizes, admissible tolerances, actual sizes measured while showing a comparison between required and actual geometries - is also described by Taylor as 'a fantastic marketing aid'.
The company's shopfloor is another example of how Marlor Tooling is keen to present the right image.
It is clean, and light and airy, creating an environment in which both operators and visitors feel confident and comfortable, as Taylor concludes: 'I say to everyone who comes through the door, 'Let me show you the machines and the shopfloor - you'll be impressed'.
'We don't compete with that - we sell on service and quality.
'However, as tooling (high-speed and coated types, in particular) and tool regrinding equipment technology (software as well as machine capability) improves, the 'little people' simply can't provide the required quality and accuracies, and more and more customers recognise that cheap regrinds are a false economy.
'All our serious customers now look at cost per item rather than just the 'buy' function; if a drill costs twice as much to buy/regrind but does three times the work, then it obviously makes good economic sense.
On that basis, we continually attract more work.' Coupled with a 'can-do' work ethic that, says Taylor, 'ignores what everybody else is doing - or not doing - and means getting on with the job', Marlor Tooling's continuous investment in CNC tool grinding has springboarded the company into 'big league' status as one of the UK's leading tooling regrinders with the capability and mindset to meet all requirements.
The philosophy - established by Taylor's father, George Taylor - is being increasingly appreciated by blue chip OEMs and major tooling manufacturers and distributors.
Marlor Tooling offers a one-stop nationwide tool regrinding service, and especially for customers with multiple sites, this is proving beneficial in terms of both quality of service and cost-effectiveness.
'While we've always tried to make it easy for customers to deal with us, we have always been a little 'gung ho' in terms of machine investment,' he continues.
'We've tried to ensure we have extra capacity to be in a position to respond to anything - our business can change on a 'phone call.
We are always looking to buy a machine when we don't necessarily have work for it!' It was that policy that led to the introduction of the first Walter CNC tool grinder, the Helitronic CNC 45.
At the time, the machine purchase price equated to 20 per cent of the company's turnover 'and we could justify only up to 40 per cent of its capacity'.
Since then, a succession of Walter CNC tool grinders - Helitronic Minipower, Helitronic Classic Power and a trio of Helitronic Power Regrinders (one equipped with a 40-tool Disc Loader, for unmanned/lights-out machining) plus the Walter Helicheck NC4 tool inspection machine - have been installed, giving Marlor Tooling the largest collection of Walter machines in the UK dedicated to sub-contract regrinding.
Offering a full spectrum regrinding service covering the whole range of drills, reamers, cutters and other tooling up to 370mm long and 320mm diameter, the company also regrinds gears hobs, mostly in solid carbide.
Requirements for accuracy in gear cutting increase as users demand improved fuel efficiency and reduced heat and noise generation - seen at the most extreme in Formula 1 gearboxes designed for dry running.
Each hob may be worth GBP 4,000 - 5,000, and flatness on the teeth of better than two microns is required.
Importantly, the company also ensures its software capability matches the hardware.
'Every time we buy a new machine, we buy all the available programs and we do our best to stay on top of the updates.
We push the software to the limit, stretching and testing it.' Despite its heavy dependence on CNC, Marlor Tooling says the Walter machines are the ideal complement to operator expertise, with Taylor stressing that: 'the Helitronics are the perfect tools for allowing our guys to optimise their skills for the consistent production of tool regrinds of the highest quality'.
Another strategic plank in the company's quality ethos was the investment in the Helicheck inspection machine, which boasts repeat accuracy on diameter measurements of +0.002mm and +0.003mm on length, and performs all routines in accordance with DIN ISO EN 9000.
Helicheck optically gauges the accuracy of all the critical features of a tool, and performs inspection routines independent of operator control.
The fact that it can produce a printed record of every tool measured - detailing required sizes, admissible tolerances, actual sizes measured while showing a comparison between required and actual geometries - is also described by Taylor as 'a fantastic marketing aid'.
The company's shopfloor is another example of how Marlor Tooling is keen to present the right image.
It is clean, and light and airy, creating an environment in which both operators and visitors feel confident and comfortable, as Taylor concludes: 'I say to everyone who comes through the door, 'Let me show you the machines and the shopfloor - you'll be impressed'.
Plastic bearings offer automotive alternatives
Igus (UK) can provide a multitude of high-performance plastic bearing alternatives for the automotive industry. Igus tailor-made materials and solutions deliver a longer life at a lower cost with bearings designed for specific automotive applications, including: convertible tops; door hinges; chassis (shock absorbers, brakes and control arms); seats (lift links, headrests and gears); windscreen wipers; steering systems (both shaft and column); foot pedals; gearboxes; and engine compartments (variable air intake, EGR, belt tensioner and throttle valve). Igus' Iglidur suite of plastic plain bearings offers customers the choice of more than 6000 imperial and metric bearings from stock.
Iglidur plastic bearings are a convenient, cost-effective alternative to bronze, metal-backed and custom injection-moulded bearings.
All Iglidur bearings are self-lubricating and maintenance-free.
The plastic-based construction eliminates corrosion and delivers better vibration dampening than metal bearings.
Some Igus bearings that are designed for automotive applications include Iglidur H2 and H4 plain bearings, which are ideal for under-the-bonnet automotive applications, where extreme temperatures and harsh chemicals are common.
Iglidur GLW is an economical solution for mass production.
Iglidur J is well suited for applications with quick, short rotations such as seat adjustment and mirror actuators.
Igus works with its customers to find the right solution for each individual application.
Organisations that use Iglidur bearings in their automotive applications will receive the following technical advantages: high temperatures during the e-coating process enable bearings to recalibrate for a low-clearance fit; low-clearance bearings, designed to meet specified housing bore and shaft tolerances; preloaded bearings for equalising tube tolerances on pedal systems; bearings that provide vibration damping in transmission control forks; and self-lubricating bearings which are dirt-resistant in the suspension system.
All customers will receive research and development, application assistance, production installation and worldwide logistics.
Iglidur plastic bearings are a convenient, cost-effective alternative to bronze, metal-backed and custom injection-moulded bearings.
All Iglidur bearings are self-lubricating and maintenance-free.
The plastic-based construction eliminates corrosion and delivers better vibration dampening than metal bearings.
Some Igus bearings that are designed for automotive applications include Iglidur H2 and H4 plain bearings, which are ideal for under-the-bonnet automotive applications, where extreme temperatures and harsh chemicals are common.
Iglidur GLW is an economical solution for mass production.
Iglidur J is well suited for applications with quick, short rotations such as seat adjustment and mirror actuators.
Igus works with its customers to find the right solution for each individual application.
Organisations that use Iglidur bearings in their automotive applications will receive the following technical advantages: high temperatures during the e-coating process enable bearings to recalibrate for a low-clearance fit; low-clearance bearings, designed to meet specified housing bore and shaft tolerances; preloaded bearings for equalising tube tolerances on pedal systems; bearings that provide vibration damping in transmission control forks; and self-lubricating bearings which are dirt-resistant in the suspension system.
All customers will receive research and development, application assistance, production installation and worldwide logistics.
Shaftless servos keep press lines rolling
When printing daily and weekly newspaper is your core business, missing deadlines simply isn't an option. So when two of the UK's busiest printing houses required their ailing newspaper folders to be overhauled, the latest technology from Siemens was deployed to replace existing mechanical drive systems with shaftless solutions and help keep press lines rolling. At Yorkshire Post Newspapers in Leeds, an ageing folder operating 16-year-old mechanical gearboxes, clutches, linkages and couplings, was becoming a source of constant frustration to the site's engineering team due to repeated downtime.
'The folder was a continuous headache to us', confirms Geoff Taylor, Engineering Manager at YPN.
'If we had a failure of the gearbox/clutch arrangement then the press would be down for 48 hours whilst repairs are carried out'.
'This sort of down-time isn't acceptable when there are newspapers that have to be printed'.
A newspaper folder is the weak link in a printing press line.
A press can only go as fast as the folder will allow, hence a bottleneck is created.
Folder reliability has a direct effect on printing press productivity and performance.
To remedy the situation YPN enlisted the services of Preston-based Printing Press Services, a specialist in the remanufacturing, installation and commissioning of printing machinery.
Together with Siemens Automation and Drives, the preferred equipment supplier, the two companies set about designing a solution that would drive the folder based on a shaftless servo system.
'We wanted the ability to adjust the drives to suit production requirements', says Taylor.
'The shaftless option was cost effective, trouble-free and provided the capability to 'tune' the drives to the press'.
'Without doubt it was the right solution for us'.
The Siemens solution split down the mechanical system into individual drives driven by shaftless servo systems based on Siemens 1PH7 air cooled ultra-compact AC asynchronous motors.
Siemens Masterdrives were deployed on a common DC bus, while all synchronisation commands were sent across a Siemens Simolink high speed fibre optic ring bus.
Processing for the set points was performed by one of the Masterdrives, negating the need for an external PLC.
'It was a very successful project', declares Taylor, 'but then again, it had to be'.
'We don't stop printing, so if there is no folder, there is no press, no Yorkshire Post, no Financial Times, no Metro, etcetera', he says.
'We operate a very busy site'.
Fortunately for YPN, the majority of the work could be engineered off-site, with the most of the overhaul and commissioning taking place over just one weekend.
'There were difficult design criteria', says Taylor.
'The mechanical 'envelope' was very tight'.
'But I can't fault PPS or Siemens - since commissioning we haven't had any downtime whatsoever'.
'This project has increased our reliability, speed and performance, as well as saved us a considerable sum in lost production'.
Across the Pennines, an almost identical problem was being experienced at Bolton-based Newsquest Printing .
'One of our folders with mechanical drives was getting a bit long in the tooth', explains Print Manager Paul Barker.
'Gears were failing with regularity, typically around every three months'.
'The cost of replacement parts is OK, but we can't afford the costs of downtime'.
The situation drove NPL to the decision to modify the folder and introduce the latest shaftless technology, again by employing the expertise of Printing Press Services and Siemens Automation and Drives.
The aim was to engineer a complete turnkey solution including panel build and harmonic mitigation to ensure a clean power supply for the system.
'We wanted Siemens as we have their PLCs on our press', says Barker.
'Siemens drives are excellent and their motors are smaller than equivalent models available on the market'.
He goes on to list four main advantages of installing and commissioning a shaftless solution.
'The folder was a continuous headache to us', confirms Geoff Taylor, Engineering Manager at YPN.
'If we had a failure of the gearbox/clutch arrangement then the press would be down for 48 hours whilst repairs are carried out'.
'This sort of down-time isn't acceptable when there are newspapers that have to be printed'.
A newspaper folder is the weak link in a printing press line.
A press can only go as fast as the folder will allow, hence a bottleneck is created.
Folder reliability has a direct effect on printing press productivity and performance.
To remedy the situation YPN enlisted the services of Preston-based Printing Press Services, a specialist in the remanufacturing, installation and commissioning of printing machinery.
Together with Siemens Automation and Drives, the preferred equipment supplier, the two companies set about designing a solution that would drive the folder based on a shaftless servo system.
'We wanted the ability to adjust the drives to suit production requirements', says Taylor.
'The shaftless option was cost effective, trouble-free and provided the capability to 'tune' the drives to the press'.
'Without doubt it was the right solution for us'.
The Siemens solution split down the mechanical system into individual drives driven by shaftless servo systems based on Siemens 1PH7 air cooled ultra-compact AC asynchronous motors.
Siemens Masterdrives were deployed on a common DC bus, while all synchronisation commands were sent across a Siemens Simolink high speed fibre optic ring bus.
Processing for the set points was performed by one of the Masterdrives, negating the need for an external PLC.
'It was a very successful project', declares Taylor, 'but then again, it had to be'.
'We don't stop printing, so if there is no folder, there is no press, no Yorkshire Post, no Financial Times, no Metro, etcetera', he says.
'We operate a very busy site'.
Fortunately for YPN, the majority of the work could be engineered off-site, with the most of the overhaul and commissioning taking place over just one weekend.
'There were difficult design criteria', says Taylor.
'The mechanical 'envelope' was very tight'.
'But I can't fault PPS or Siemens - since commissioning we haven't had any downtime whatsoever'.
'This project has increased our reliability, speed and performance, as well as saved us a considerable sum in lost production'.
Across the Pennines, an almost identical problem was being experienced at Bolton-based Newsquest Printing .
'One of our folders with mechanical drives was getting a bit long in the tooth', explains Print Manager Paul Barker.
'Gears were failing with regularity, typically around every three months'.
'The cost of replacement parts is OK, but we can't afford the costs of downtime'.
The situation drove NPL to the decision to modify the folder and introduce the latest shaftless technology, again by employing the expertise of Printing Press Services and Siemens Automation and Drives.
The aim was to engineer a complete turnkey solution including panel build and harmonic mitigation to ensure a clean power supply for the system.
'We wanted Siemens as we have their PLCs on our press', says Barker.
'Siemens drives are excellent and their motors are smaller than equivalent models available on the market'.
He goes on to list four main advantages of installing and commissioning a shaftless solution.
Handheld makes testing better for VOR
One of the latest pocket-sized digital testers is helping VOR Transmissions improve and speed hardness testing at its factory in Willenhall. A specialist in remanufacturing top grade transmissions for PSV coaches and commercial vehicles, VOR has adopted the portable approach chiefly to ensure through, rapid and economic testing of components rescued from defective gearboxes and drive trains. Previously, the company transported selected parts - mainly gears and shafts - to an outside test house to establish if they had, for example, been softened by overheating.
This was a slow and costly process that militated against comprehensive investigation of all potentially useful components, particularly the large and heavy ones.
With the handheld tester from Indentec the company can now carry out in-situ and bench testing of all parts immediately, regardless of component weights, sizes, shapes and awkwardness of location.
Additionally, debatably valuable parts that once might have been ignored can now be included in the test programme.
Less than half the price of a conventional benchtop hardness testing machine, the Indentec instrument can be applied from any direction, including (unusually) upside down, to produce an on the spot reading and print out of the hardness of the component in any of the popular hardness scales.
VOR, which tests mostly to the Rockwell C scale, says that the compactness and easy operation encourage general use by shop floor staff, leading to more exhaustive searches for viable components.
The tester calculates hardnesses automatically to plus/minus 0.5 percent scale accuracy.
The reading appears on a built in digital display, which also shows test scale, material tested, number of tests, running average hardness, direction of test, and ultimate tensile strength.
The results are recorded by an infrared printer for logging in computer.
According to VOR, this instant availability of printed hardness confirmation is helpful in negotiations with customers and suppliers.
It also provides hardness records for components destined for stock to wait remanufacture into new transmissions or delivery as spare parts
This was a slow and costly process that militated against comprehensive investigation of all potentially useful components, particularly the large and heavy ones.
With the handheld tester from Indentec the company can now carry out in-situ and bench testing of all parts immediately, regardless of component weights, sizes, shapes and awkwardness of location.
Additionally, debatably valuable parts that once might have been ignored can now be included in the test programme.
Less than half the price of a conventional benchtop hardness testing machine, the Indentec instrument can be applied from any direction, including (unusually) upside down, to produce an on the spot reading and print out of the hardness of the component in any of the popular hardness scales.
VOR, which tests mostly to the Rockwell C scale, says that the compactness and easy operation encourage general use by shop floor staff, leading to more exhaustive searches for viable components.
The tester calculates hardnesses automatically to plus/minus 0.5 percent scale accuracy.
The reading appears on a built in digital display, which also shows test scale, material tested, number of tests, running average hardness, direction of test, and ultimate tensile strength.
The results are recorded by an infrared printer for logging in computer.
According to VOR, this instant availability of printed hardness confirmation is helpful in negotiations with customers and suppliers.
It also provides hardness records for components destined for stock to wait remanufacture into new transmissions or delivery as spare parts
Predicting the future of equipment maintenance
Broadly, the key to a successful process is achieving maximum profit from a minimum investment in plant and equipment. At the operational level this means increasing unit throughput, reducing maintenance costs per unit and preventing unscheduled delays. Yet although today's engineers are fully aware that machine maintenance accounts for a large proportion of plant operating costs, some still may not appreciate that a well structured condition monitoring programme can help to achieve these important objectives.
Condition monitoring uses various techniques to determine equipment condition, which in turn are used to predict and prevent potential failures.
Being aware of potential failures enables engineers to address problems before they become more serious and costly, and helps to avoid unscheduled downtime and optimise maintenance activities.
Broadly, the techniques involved include: vibration measurement and analysis; oil analysis and tribology; infra-red thermography; ultrasonics and motor current analysis.
In this article we will be examining the first two, and looking at actual results in a major installation at the Britvic bottling plant in Rugby.
Vibration analysis, which monitors the vibration of components such as motors, bearings, gearboxes (even individual gears) and the structures/mounting arrangements in order to predict functional failure, takes into account the type of component, lubrication frequency, operating temperature and cycle, as well as internal and external forces acting on the component.
Higher vibration levels, which can be induced by flow or caused by factors such as misalignment, incorrect installation, rotor imbalance or pump cavitation, can lead to much reduced life expectancy.
The condition monitoring data can therefore be used to predict the optimum time for replacement before the component fails completely.
Ideally this will provide the optimum balance between more frequent monitoring and improved equipment life for the process conditions.
Certain conditions, such as system misalignment, may require immediate action to prevent damage or failure.
Others, for example bearing or gear wear, can be trended to predict and plan the optimum time for repairs to be carried out.
Oil analysis and tribology assesses the condition of components by analysing samples of oil taken from process equipment and measuring the concentrations of different elements present in wear debris.
High concentrations of a particular element can indicate wear, and significant increases between consecutive samples may indicate impending failure.
Oil analysis is therefore especially effective in identifying particular wear characteristics in order to enable remedial action to be taken.
It can also indicate trends and/or step changes in component wear that may indicate impending failure, and monitor the physical condition of lubricants to ensure they are maintained in optimum condition to prevent unnecessary wear.
Each item of equipment will have a unique wear rate dependent on factors such as process cycle, operating environment, lubricant used etc, and will therefore need to be monitored individually.
Even the lubricating system itself, which is designed to keep friction between bearing surfaces to a minimum and help dissipate heat, should be monitored to help identify potential problems.
For example, significant changes in viscosity compared with fresh oil may be caused by overheating, contamination from hydraulic fluid or water, or use of a different grade for topping up.
High viscosity, indicated by thickening of the oil, causes overheating and restricts oil flow, and will lead eventually to equipment failure.
Low viscosity on the other hand, where oil is thinning, will cause equipment failure due to increased friction and overheating from metal-to-metal contact.
Others physical properties, such as the acidity of oil, can also be used to identify specific problems.
Effective lubrication is acknowledged as one of the most important preventative maintenance techniques, and specifying the correct lubricants, optimising and maintaining lubrication schedules and ensuring that lubrication is carried out in accordance with industry best practice, are basic requirements that will help to minimise component failures and extend equipment life.
Process industries by their very nature are highly mechanised and capital intensive operations and consequently, maintenance costs are a high percentage of their overall production costs.
In recent years significant cost reductions have been achieved by re-evaluating the traditional maintenance techniques and adopting more advanced predictive and preventative strategies.
With such a significant investment in plant and equipment most companies employ some form of condition monitoring.
However, many need to ask themselves whether it is sufficiently extensive and well structured to predict when failures are likely to occur.
In an ideal world machines would never break down, production lines would never stop and an engineer's life would be a lot easier.
But life isn't that simple, which is why industry has for years concentrated on remedying problems quickly in order to minimise lost production.
However, there is now another school of thought that says it is more efficient to prevent failures happening in the first place.
Coincidentally, while re-evaluating their maintenance strategies, many companies have realised that the best results are achieved by outsourcing key functions to experts whose specialised knowledge best enables them to achieving their goals.
Once such company is Britvic Soft Drinks which, for the past five years, has used Castrol to manage lubrication and condition monitoring at its canning plant in Rugby, where many of the UK's favourite soft drinks are produced.
The plant's four existing production lines produce a staggering 720 million cans per year - almost 2 million every day - so it's no surprise that reliability is paramount for such a production-intensive operation, and tight schedules mean that lost production is difficult to recoup.
Against this background Britvic's management had identified lubrication as one of the factors most likely to have an impact on reliability, so the brief to the Castrol team was simple - 'Design a lubrication management service that will keep our machines running at all times'.
The first step was to benchmark existing practices at the plant against which the programme could be measured, and then establish key performance indicators (KPIs) that would set the targets for ongoing improvements.
The most visible difference in the working partnership is that a single Castrol engineer, based permanently on-site, has taken over the lubricating and monitoring of machines, a role that was previously filled by three Britvic engineers.
A major part of the predictive maintenance programme involves the ongoing analysis of every machine in the plant, to ensure that wear levels are accurately monitored and action taken to prevent breakdowns.
Bearing wear is tracked constantly using vibration analysis and shock pulse monitoring.
The cumulative effect of this analysis can be assessed from the 44% reduction in conveyor bearing changes within the plant - down from 114 to just 64 in the first year and now averaging just over 30 per year.
Examination of individual gearboxes and their oil consumption led to high performance lubricants being used as a replacement for the previous grades.
Since the changeover, gearbox oil levels have been maintained without topping-up, which has reduced premature unit failure and considerably extended life expectancy and reliability.
Also, oil changes at the site that had been necessary every three to six months are now required only once every four years, which provides additional savings in energy consumption and waste disposal.
Improved reliability at the Britvic plant has also been achieved through process and procedural improvements.
By improving the chain of communication for example, hydraulic oil leaks are now more easily detected and swiftly remedied, which has led to a dramatic reduction in fluid consumption.
Trials have also paved the way for the successful conversion of filler assemblies to food grade lubricants and, in response to a Britvic brief to improve waste lubricant storage, drums are now held in a safe bunded area to prevent leakage.
The on-site engineer is now responsible for maintaining the area in a safe condition, monitoring waste oil levels and arranging removal when required, which has led to reductions in the volumes/consumption of greases, oils and hydraulic fluid used by 85, 80 and 75%, respectively.
The recent addition of a second bottling line will add a further 36,000 bottles per hour to the total, making Rugby one of Europe's most productive bottling plants.
The new line, which blows, fills and packages thousands of 500ml PET bottles a day in various configurations for brands such as Tango and Pepsi, will initially produce three bottle styles with the option of others at a later date by changing the blower moulds.
Lubrication management and condition monitoring for the line (an extension of the Castrol Advantage programme already operating on the three existing canning lines and the 2-litre bottling line) will focus on the bottle blowing, labelling and palletising machines supplied by SIG Alpha, SIG Corpoplast and Simmonazzi, and filling and packaging machines supplied by KHS Kisters, all of which included Castrol food-grade greases and lubricants as first-fill on the equipment supplied to Britvic.
Assessing the impact of the new line on the condition monitoring programme, Britvic's Technical Planning Team Leader Huw Davies says that base data provided should prove invaluable in establishing the optimum operational efficiency of the new machines and the line itself.
And summing up the key benefits of predictive maintenance he points out: 'The shared expertise has allowed us to maintain world class standards of reliability throughout our plant, and improve still further the service we offer to customers'.
Leaving engineers and operators free to concentrate on core activities is the major benefit of outsourcing lubrication management and condition monitoring services.
When linked to other benefits such as optimised efficiency, ongoing cost reduction through continuous process improvements, strict budgetary control, and significant input into total productive maintenance, the service certainly delivers a real commercial advantage.
Condition monitoring uses various techniques to determine equipment condition, which in turn are used to predict and prevent potential failures.
Being aware of potential failures enables engineers to address problems before they become more serious and costly, and helps to avoid unscheduled downtime and optimise maintenance activities.
Broadly, the techniques involved include: vibration measurement and analysis; oil analysis and tribology; infra-red thermography; ultrasonics and motor current analysis.
In this article we will be examining the first two, and looking at actual results in a major installation at the Britvic bottling plant in Rugby.
Vibration analysis, which monitors the vibration of components such as motors, bearings, gearboxes (even individual gears) and the structures/mounting arrangements in order to predict functional failure, takes into account the type of component, lubrication frequency, operating temperature and cycle, as well as internal and external forces acting on the component.
Higher vibration levels, which can be induced by flow or caused by factors such as misalignment, incorrect installation, rotor imbalance or pump cavitation, can lead to much reduced life expectancy.
The condition monitoring data can therefore be used to predict the optimum time for replacement before the component fails completely.
Ideally this will provide the optimum balance between more frequent monitoring and improved equipment life for the process conditions.
Certain conditions, such as system misalignment, may require immediate action to prevent damage or failure.
Others, for example bearing or gear wear, can be trended to predict and plan the optimum time for repairs to be carried out.
Oil analysis and tribology assesses the condition of components by analysing samples of oil taken from process equipment and measuring the concentrations of different elements present in wear debris.
High concentrations of a particular element can indicate wear, and significant increases between consecutive samples may indicate impending failure.
Oil analysis is therefore especially effective in identifying particular wear characteristics in order to enable remedial action to be taken.
It can also indicate trends and/or step changes in component wear that may indicate impending failure, and monitor the physical condition of lubricants to ensure they are maintained in optimum condition to prevent unnecessary wear.
Each item of equipment will have a unique wear rate dependent on factors such as process cycle, operating environment, lubricant used etc, and will therefore need to be monitored individually.
Even the lubricating system itself, which is designed to keep friction between bearing surfaces to a minimum and help dissipate heat, should be monitored to help identify potential problems.
For example, significant changes in viscosity compared with fresh oil may be caused by overheating, contamination from hydraulic fluid or water, or use of a different grade for topping up.
High viscosity, indicated by thickening of the oil, causes overheating and restricts oil flow, and will lead eventually to equipment failure.
Low viscosity on the other hand, where oil is thinning, will cause equipment failure due to increased friction and overheating from metal-to-metal contact.
Others physical properties, such as the acidity of oil, can also be used to identify specific problems.
Effective lubrication is acknowledged as one of the most important preventative maintenance techniques, and specifying the correct lubricants, optimising and maintaining lubrication schedules and ensuring that lubrication is carried out in accordance with industry best practice, are basic requirements that will help to minimise component failures and extend equipment life.
Process industries by their very nature are highly mechanised and capital intensive operations and consequently, maintenance costs are a high percentage of their overall production costs.
In recent years significant cost reductions have been achieved by re-evaluating the traditional maintenance techniques and adopting more advanced predictive and preventative strategies.
With such a significant investment in plant and equipment most companies employ some form of condition monitoring.
However, many need to ask themselves whether it is sufficiently extensive and well structured to predict when failures are likely to occur.
In an ideal world machines would never break down, production lines would never stop and an engineer's life would be a lot easier.
But life isn't that simple, which is why industry has for years concentrated on remedying problems quickly in order to minimise lost production.
However, there is now another school of thought that says it is more efficient to prevent failures happening in the first place.
Coincidentally, while re-evaluating their maintenance strategies, many companies have realised that the best results are achieved by outsourcing key functions to experts whose specialised knowledge best enables them to achieving their goals.
Once such company is Britvic Soft Drinks which, for the past five years, has used Castrol to manage lubrication and condition monitoring at its canning plant in Rugby, where many of the UK's favourite soft drinks are produced.
The plant's four existing production lines produce a staggering 720 million cans per year - almost 2 million every day - so it's no surprise that reliability is paramount for such a production-intensive operation, and tight schedules mean that lost production is difficult to recoup.
Against this background Britvic's management had identified lubrication as one of the factors most likely to have an impact on reliability, so the brief to the Castrol team was simple - 'Design a lubrication management service that will keep our machines running at all times'.
The first step was to benchmark existing practices at the plant against which the programme could be measured, and then establish key performance indicators (KPIs) that would set the targets for ongoing improvements.
The most visible difference in the working partnership is that a single Castrol engineer, based permanently on-site, has taken over the lubricating and monitoring of machines, a role that was previously filled by three Britvic engineers.
A major part of the predictive maintenance programme involves the ongoing analysis of every machine in the plant, to ensure that wear levels are accurately monitored and action taken to prevent breakdowns.
Bearing wear is tracked constantly using vibration analysis and shock pulse monitoring.
The cumulative effect of this analysis can be assessed from the 44% reduction in conveyor bearing changes within the plant - down from 114 to just 64 in the first year and now averaging just over 30 per year.
Examination of individual gearboxes and their oil consumption led to high performance lubricants being used as a replacement for the previous grades.
Since the changeover, gearbox oil levels have been maintained without topping-up, which has reduced premature unit failure and considerably extended life expectancy and reliability.
Also, oil changes at the site that had been necessary every three to six months are now required only once every four years, which provides additional savings in energy consumption and waste disposal.
Improved reliability at the Britvic plant has also been achieved through process and procedural improvements.
By improving the chain of communication for example, hydraulic oil leaks are now more easily detected and swiftly remedied, which has led to a dramatic reduction in fluid consumption.
Trials have also paved the way for the successful conversion of filler assemblies to food grade lubricants and, in response to a Britvic brief to improve waste lubricant storage, drums are now held in a safe bunded area to prevent leakage.
The on-site engineer is now responsible for maintaining the area in a safe condition, monitoring waste oil levels and arranging removal when required, which has led to reductions in the volumes/consumption of greases, oils and hydraulic fluid used by 85, 80 and 75%, respectively.
The recent addition of a second bottling line will add a further 36,000 bottles per hour to the total, making Rugby one of Europe's most productive bottling plants.
The new line, which blows, fills and packages thousands of 500ml PET bottles a day in various configurations for brands such as Tango and Pepsi, will initially produce three bottle styles with the option of others at a later date by changing the blower moulds.
Lubrication management and condition monitoring for the line (an extension of the Castrol Advantage programme already operating on the three existing canning lines and the 2-litre bottling line) will focus on the bottle blowing, labelling and palletising machines supplied by SIG Alpha, SIG Corpoplast and Simmonazzi, and filling and packaging machines supplied by KHS Kisters, all of which included Castrol food-grade greases and lubricants as first-fill on the equipment supplied to Britvic.
Assessing the impact of the new line on the condition monitoring programme, Britvic's Technical Planning Team Leader Huw Davies says that base data provided should prove invaluable in establishing the optimum operational efficiency of the new machines and the line itself.
And summing up the key benefits of predictive maintenance he points out: 'The shared expertise has allowed us to maintain world class standards of reliability throughout our plant, and improve still further the service we offer to customers'.
Leaving engineers and operators free to concentrate on core activities is the major benefit of outsourcing lubrication management and condition monitoring services.
When linked to other benefits such as optimised efficiency, ongoing cost reduction through continuous process improvements, strict budgetary control, and significant input into total productive maintenance, the service certainly delivers a real commercial advantage.
Developing child-size electrically operated hands
Nature and circumstance can be equally cruel, never more so however than when children are involved. It is thanks to the good work being undertaken by the Bio-Engineering unit at the Princess Margaret Rose Orthopaedic Hospital in Edinburgh, part of the Lothian Primary Care NHS Trust, that much of the pain and trauma is alleviated for children who through nature or circumstance, have lost a hand. Aldermaston based Electro Mechanical Systems has provided products and technical guidance on small DC motors and gearheads to the development team at the Princess Margaret Rose Bio Engineering unit in order that they produce a child size artificial hand that offers realism and functionality, thereby enabling youngsters to move, pick-up and place objects with relative ease.
Though still in the clinical trials stage, the development team is hoping that someone will provide additional funding so that the project may be completed and the hands be made available to those who need them.
It also needs to be said that the self-esteem and self-confidence of the recipients is raised to such a degree that they become well adjusted adults, able to lead relatively normal lives.
Presently the prosthetic hands are covered using PVC, the standard material used throughout the industry.
It is not however, without its disadvantages.
PVC for example soaks up newsprint and is harder to clean than the alternative silicone covering used on some prosthetics.
Silicone has a better 'depth' of colour than PVC and is therefore more realistic.
Coverings are cast from the hands of volunteers so have all of the features and appearance of natural skin.
The development programme has lasted for some twenty years.
David Gow, the Director of Rehabilitation, Engineering Services, has been with the project from day one! It goes without saying that his knowledge is second-to-none and his value to the team which is in the world's top five in its field, is beyond calculation.
The Edinburgh group first developed an adult size mechanical hand while a similar project in Sweden was working on a child's hand.
The problem with mechanically operated prostheses is that a high degree of wrist muscle development is required to operate the limb successfully.
This is usually present in adults but not in children.
An electrically operated prosthesis would be the answer.
David Gow is gracious in his recognition of EMS who he says have been working with him from the commencement of the electronic hand programme.
Happily, Aldermaston based EMS, now arguably the UK's leading provider of specialised small drive products, were able to help because market led demand for smaller motors and gearboxes in the micro drive area accelerated existing development programmes to such a degree that ultra compact, high power-to-weight ratio units ideally suited to the Edinburgh team's application soon became available.
In the current generation of child size prostheses, EMS provide two 10mm diameter planetary gearheads (Product Ref 1016M006G), offering 64:1 reduction whilst the equivalent adult prosthiesis uses a single 10mm diameter unit (Product Ref 1016M006G), along with a 14mm unit (Product Ref 1319E006S) which offers 43:1 reduction.
In both cases the drive motor is located in the thumb.
All are compact, powerful, extremely light weight and reliable.
It is now possible to fit electrically operated hands to children of just two years of age.
Experts say that this is the ideal age for children to receive a hand as limbs fitted later than this are often discarded by the user.
From 2 years to adulthood, three sizes of hand are generally required.
The smallest hands weigh just 130 grammes inclusive of its external battery and the hand is removed for recharging.
A one hour charge gives four-to-five hours operation.
Obviously the hope is to develop an internal battery at some point which will make the limb completely self contained and more convenient to the wearer.
At œ5,000 to œ6,000 each, they are not cheap but production on a commercial scale should see the unit price fall considerably.
Smaller limbs, when superceded by a larger limb on a growing child can be refurbished but at present this seems not to be economically viable.
The important work being undertaken in Edinburgh is a credit to all involved.
As a project it lacks attention because it is not as glamorous as others but when looked at analytically it stands up to any scrutiny for this offers independence and self-esteem to children.
It is a credit to our National Health Service and a credit to the volunteers and children who have allowed themselves to be used in the programme so that others may benefit.
It is a credit to the suppliers who have worked tirelessly to help develop and improve the limbs, but most of all it is a credit to the men and women who staff the Bio-Engineering unit.
Though still in the clinical trials stage, the development team is hoping that someone will provide additional funding so that the project may be completed and the hands be made available to those who need them.
It also needs to be said that the self-esteem and self-confidence of the recipients is raised to such a degree that they become well adjusted adults, able to lead relatively normal lives.
Presently the prosthetic hands are covered using PVC, the standard material used throughout the industry.
It is not however, without its disadvantages.
PVC for example soaks up newsprint and is harder to clean than the alternative silicone covering used on some prosthetics.
Silicone has a better 'depth' of colour than PVC and is therefore more realistic.
Coverings are cast from the hands of volunteers so have all of the features and appearance of natural skin.
The development programme has lasted for some twenty years.
David Gow, the Director of Rehabilitation, Engineering Services, has been with the project from day one! It goes without saying that his knowledge is second-to-none and his value to the team which is in the world's top five in its field, is beyond calculation.
The Edinburgh group first developed an adult size mechanical hand while a similar project in Sweden was working on a child's hand.
The problem with mechanically operated prostheses is that a high degree of wrist muscle development is required to operate the limb successfully.
This is usually present in adults but not in children.
An electrically operated prosthesis would be the answer.
David Gow is gracious in his recognition of EMS who he says have been working with him from the commencement of the electronic hand programme.
Happily, Aldermaston based EMS, now arguably the UK's leading provider of specialised small drive products, were able to help because market led demand for smaller motors and gearboxes in the micro drive area accelerated existing development programmes to such a degree that ultra compact, high power-to-weight ratio units ideally suited to the Edinburgh team's application soon became available.
In the current generation of child size prostheses, EMS provide two 10mm diameter planetary gearheads (Product Ref 1016M006G), offering 64:1 reduction whilst the equivalent adult prosthiesis uses a single 10mm diameter unit (Product Ref 1016M006G), along with a 14mm unit (Product Ref 1319E006S) which offers 43:1 reduction.
In both cases the drive motor is located in the thumb.
All are compact, powerful, extremely light weight and reliable.
It is now possible to fit electrically operated hands to children of just two years of age.
Experts say that this is the ideal age for children to receive a hand as limbs fitted later than this are often discarded by the user.
From 2 years to adulthood, three sizes of hand are generally required.
The smallest hands weigh just 130 grammes inclusive of its external battery and the hand is removed for recharging.
A one hour charge gives four-to-five hours operation.
Obviously the hope is to develop an internal battery at some point which will make the limb completely self contained and more convenient to the wearer.
At œ5,000 to œ6,000 each, they are not cheap but production on a commercial scale should see the unit price fall considerably.
Smaller limbs, when superceded by a larger limb on a growing child can be refurbished but at present this seems not to be economically viable.
The important work being undertaken in Edinburgh is a credit to all involved.
As a project it lacks attention because it is not as glamorous as others but when looked at analytically it stands up to any scrutiny for this offers independence and self-esteem to children.
It is a credit to our National Health Service and a credit to the volunteers and children who have allowed themselves to be used in the programme so that others may benefit.
It is a credit to the suppliers who have worked tirelessly to help develop and improve the limbs, but most of all it is a credit to the men and women who staff the Bio-Engineering unit.
Brushless DC motors: fast, smooth and very cool
The new Portescap 22mm brushless DC motors available from Trident Engineering are capable of running speeds of up to 60,000 rev/min and produce minimal heat even when generating maximum torque. This makes them a perfect choice for use in dental drills, surgical tools, medical respirators, gas analysers, bar code scanners and similar demanding high-speed applications. Designated 22 BS, 22 BM and 22 BL, these new motors are available with body lengths of 38mm, 48mm and 58mm and develop a typical maximum torque of 9mNm, 15mNm and 23mNm respectively.
They can be supplied with a range of windings to suit operating voltages from 5V to 30V.
All models feature a pre-lubricated precision ball bearing system that, together with the brushless construction, ensures maximum reliability and an operating life in excess of 10,000 hours - equivalent to well over a year of continuous running.
Equally suitable for use in variable and fixed-speed applications, these new 22mm motors combine low inertia with high peak torque that provides fast acceleration combined with excellent speed control characteristics.
All versions can be supplied with hall-effect sensors to facilitate their use in applications where accurate positional control is required.
Trident Engineering also supplies a comprehensive range of spur and planetary gearboxes with standard ratios from 4:1 up to 4,000:1 to fit the 22mm motors.
They can be supplied with a range of windings to suit operating voltages from 5V to 30V.
All models feature a pre-lubricated precision ball bearing system that, together with the brushless construction, ensures maximum reliability and an operating life in excess of 10,000 hours - equivalent to well over a year of continuous running.
Equally suitable for use in variable and fixed-speed applications, these new 22mm motors combine low inertia with high peak torque that provides fast acceleration combined with excellent speed control characteristics.
All versions can be supplied with hall-effect sensors to facilitate their use in applications where accurate positional control is required.
Trident Engineering also supplies a comprehensive range of spur and planetary gearboxes with standard ratios from 4:1 up to 4,000:1 to fit the 22mm motors.
Total fluid management programme pays dividends
Turner Powertrain Systems can trace its history back to 1875 and has, over the years been involved in the manufacture of many products, including tractors, winches and generators. Today the company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Incorporated and is involved in the manufacture of hydrodynamic transmission units (gearboxes) for 60 to 130 hp off-road applications, mainly in the building and agricultural industries. Although a subsidiary of Caterpillar, Turner Powertrain also supplies transmissions to other customers, including: Manitou, New Holland, Terex and John Deere.
The Wolverhampton based company has two main sections.
One machines gears and shafts, mainly in SAE 8620H steel, the other assembles the transmissions.
The company's facilities are housed in three units of 30,000 square feet each and a recently completed 18,000ft2 extension.
Turner Powertrain employs 320 people and has two hundred machine tools producing 35,000 complete transmissions per annum plus component parts for other transmissions.
Castrol has provided a Total Fluid Management programme for this busy manufacturing unit for the past three years and has recently signed a further three-year contract.
The man responsible for managing the contract is Bob Holt, the Facilities Manager, who took over the responsibilities of individual area managers six years ago.
Taking up the story Holt says: 'We had been using another lubricant supplier who operated a partial fluid management service providing stock control for the site and sending someone in one day-a-week to do random sampling.
'One of my tasks as was to look at the company's core competencies to see how we could achieve efficiency and productivity improvements.
Early on, we decided that putting oil into machines was something we didn't want to do, so Total Fluid Management (TFM) was one of the first outsourcing opportunities we investigated, and has been the most successful.' To ensure a really thorough review a team was put together that included representatives from each machine shop and the purchasing department.
Six lubrication suppliers were invited to make presentations to the Turner Powertrain team, and then each company sent in their people to do an initial site survey.
It was at this stage that Castrol made quite an impression, 'They sent in a really strong team and literally had people crawling under machines and measuring sump capacities, whilst some of the other companies just asked us how much oil we used in a year!' Says Holt.
Three of the companies were shortlisted and each was asked to suggest a 'flagship' TFM site that the team could visit.
Castrol nominated the Land Rover site in Solihull and it was this visit, says Holt, that really swayed the team.
'Castrol had everything under control.' He says: 'All the concentration and pH levels for the machines were clearly visible, the stores were well organised and very, very tidy and there was a professional air about the whole operation.' He concedes that the other two shortlisted companies may have been doing the same but weren't able to demonstrate that they were.
The whole review process took about six months and the decision to appoint Castrol three years ago was a unanimous one.
The contract, which has recently been extended for a further three years, was measured against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that targeted efficiencies and cost savings of 3% per annum in specific operations within the workshops.
Explains Holt: 'We monitored tool life first because it was an area where we suspected we could make substantial savings.
We were proved right - in the first year alone Castrol saved us GBP 47,000! 'They also saved GBP 20,000 on oil filters by identifying areas of the site where we were spending money we didn't need to.
When it was pointed out to us it was obvious we were overspending, but it took a fresh look from Castrol to stop us throwing money away!' Another Castrol suggestion currently being implemented is a review of the layout of the three workshops to simplify machine maintenance and provide more efficient recycling of the metalworking fluids.
From September 2003 all grinding machines have been moved to one location, at which stage Castrol located the economiser in the centre of the area and hard piped it directly to the machines.
The Wolverhampton based company has two main sections.
One machines gears and shafts, mainly in SAE 8620H steel, the other assembles the transmissions.
The company's facilities are housed in three units of 30,000 square feet each and a recently completed 18,000ft2 extension.
Turner Powertrain employs 320 people and has two hundred machine tools producing 35,000 complete transmissions per annum plus component parts for other transmissions.
Castrol has provided a Total Fluid Management programme for this busy manufacturing unit for the past three years and has recently signed a further three-year contract.
The man responsible for managing the contract is Bob Holt, the Facilities Manager, who took over the responsibilities of individual area managers six years ago.
Taking up the story Holt says: 'We had been using another lubricant supplier who operated a partial fluid management service providing stock control for the site and sending someone in one day-a-week to do random sampling.
'One of my tasks as was to look at the company's core competencies to see how we could achieve efficiency and productivity improvements.
Early on, we decided that putting oil into machines was something we didn't want to do, so Total Fluid Management (TFM) was one of the first outsourcing opportunities we investigated, and has been the most successful.' To ensure a really thorough review a team was put together that included representatives from each machine shop and the purchasing department.
Six lubrication suppliers were invited to make presentations to the Turner Powertrain team, and then each company sent in their people to do an initial site survey.
It was at this stage that Castrol made quite an impression, 'They sent in a really strong team and literally had people crawling under machines and measuring sump capacities, whilst some of the other companies just asked us how much oil we used in a year!' Says Holt.
Three of the companies were shortlisted and each was asked to suggest a 'flagship' TFM site that the team could visit.
Castrol nominated the Land Rover site in Solihull and it was this visit, says Holt, that really swayed the team.
'Castrol had everything under control.' He says: 'All the concentration and pH levels for the machines were clearly visible, the stores were well organised and very, very tidy and there was a professional air about the whole operation.' He concedes that the other two shortlisted companies may have been doing the same but weren't able to demonstrate that they were.
The whole review process took about six months and the decision to appoint Castrol three years ago was a unanimous one.
The contract, which has recently been extended for a further three years, was measured against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that targeted efficiencies and cost savings of 3% per annum in specific operations within the workshops.
Explains Holt: 'We monitored tool life first because it was an area where we suspected we could make substantial savings.
We were proved right - in the first year alone Castrol saved us GBP 47,000! 'They also saved GBP 20,000 on oil filters by identifying areas of the site where we were spending money we didn't need to.
When it was pointed out to us it was obvious we were overspending, but it took a fresh look from Castrol to stop us throwing money away!' Another Castrol suggestion currently being implemented is a review of the layout of the three workshops to simplify machine maintenance and provide more efficient recycling of the metalworking fluids.
From September 2003 all grinding machines have been moved to one location, at which stage Castrol located the economiser in the centre of the area and hard piped it directly to the machines.
Distributor signings in Europe and Asia
Wilnsdorf-based Flexon is to act as Lovejoy's main distributor sales force in the German market for the company's line of couplings. Lovejoy has also signed a distribution deal for Ro-Quip Asia Pacific to cover South East Asia. Flexon's extensive product line includes, but is not limited to jaw, jaw-in-shear, curved jaw, gear, grid, disc and torsional couplings for applications ranging from power transmission to pump retrofitting in the petrochemical, pulp, paper, rubber and waste treatment industries.
Ro-Quip sales representative will service the South East Asia region, specifically Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos.
The distributor will also function as a specialised rotating equipment distributor servicing the oil and gas, petrochemical, chemical and power generation markets in South East Asia.
Current lines include electric motors, fans/blowers, fluid and turbo machinery couplings, gearboxes, lubricants and barrier fluids, packings, metallic gaskets and shaft connectors.
"Lovejoy has a long history of servicing the needs of companies around the world", says President and CEO Mike Hennessy, "exemplified in one regard by 50 continuous years having a presence at the Hannover-Messe trade show and our continued commitment to offering product lines compatible with either inch or metric calibrated operating systems.
Our partnership with Flexon in Europe and Ro-Quip in Asia Pacific will enable our worldwide customer base to fully satisfy their industrial coupling requirements".
Lovejoy formed the partnership with Flexon in light of the company's overall experience in the German power transmission industry, its centralised shipping and stocking location and competent regional staff that offers customer service and support.
The Ro-Quip partnership represents a great fit between two synergistic companies.
As the leading supplier of engineered products and services in Asia Pacific, Ro-Quip's mission and market expertise complements Lovejoy's dominance in the power transmission market.
Ro-Quip sales representative will service the South East Asia region, specifically Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos.
The distributor will also function as a specialised rotating equipment distributor servicing the oil and gas, petrochemical, chemical and power generation markets in South East Asia.
Current lines include electric motors, fans/blowers, fluid and turbo machinery couplings, gearboxes, lubricants and barrier fluids, packings, metallic gaskets and shaft connectors.
"Lovejoy has a long history of servicing the needs of companies around the world", says President and CEO Mike Hennessy, "exemplified in one regard by 50 continuous years having a presence at the Hannover-Messe trade show and our continued commitment to offering product lines compatible with either inch or metric calibrated operating systems.
Our partnership with Flexon in Europe and Ro-Quip in Asia Pacific will enable our worldwide customer base to fully satisfy their industrial coupling requirements".
Lovejoy formed the partnership with Flexon in light of the company's overall experience in the German power transmission industry, its centralised shipping and stocking location and competent regional staff that offers customer service and support.
The Ro-Quip partnership represents a great fit between two synergistic companies.
As the leading supplier of engineered products and services in Asia Pacific, Ro-Quip's mission and market expertise complements Lovejoy's dominance in the power transmission market.
Software verifies merits of novel magnetic gear
A novel form of magnetic gear has been proposed by Professor David Howe and Dr Kais Atallah of the Machines and Drives Research Group at the University of Sheffield. Simulations performed using the MagNet software from Infolytica confirm that it has the potential to replace conventional mechanical gearboxes in some applications. This device also showcases the advanced capabilities of Infolytica's transient with motion solver, which is able to simulate multiple moving parts simultaneously.
The operation of the assembly is analogous to a planetary gear, with the inner rotor acting as the sun gear, the outer rotor as the ring gear, and the stationary steel pole pieces acting as planetary gears (it is the magnetic field that spins, not the pole pieces themselves).
As there are 44 magnets in the outer rotor and eight in the inner rotor, the gear ratio of this magnetic gearbox is 5.5:1.
Performance data, as well as field plots and animations illustrating the operation of the device are available, and a prebuilt model may be downloaded by maintained clients.
The operation of the assembly is analogous to a planetary gear, with the inner rotor acting as the sun gear, the outer rotor as the ring gear, and the stationary steel pole pieces acting as planetary gears (it is the magnetic field that spins, not the pole pieces themselves).
As there are 44 magnets in the outer rotor and eight in the inner rotor, the gear ratio of this magnetic gearbox is 5.5:1.
Performance data, as well as field plots and animations illustrating the operation of the device are available, and a prebuilt model may be downloaded by maintained clients.
Truck transmission test stands ordered for Brazil
Daimler Chrysler Power Systems has placed its first ever order with Gosport-based Geo Kingsbury for three truck transmission test stands. They will be installed at the automotive manufacturer's plant in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarters of 2002. The business, worth several million pounds, was won against stiff competition from US and German producers of similar test equipment.
Two of the stands are for checking gearboxes as they come off the production lines, there being five model types and several variants of each.
The third stand is for audit purposes, submitting sample gearboxes to a rigorous sequence of tests.
It is equipped with a Hausmann robot for automatically shifting the gears, and a Mesam IV noise analysis system.
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Two of the stands are for checking gearboxes as they come off the production lines, there being five model types and several variants of each.
The third stand is for audit purposes, submitting sample gearboxes to a rigorous sequence of tests.
It is equipped with a Hausmann robot for automatically shifting the gears, and a Mesam IV noise analysis system.
• Geo Kingsbury Machine Tools: contact details and other news
• Other news in Orders, contracts, financial reports
• Email this news to a colleague
• Send us a blank email now to get the Editor’s free regular email newsletter
• RSS news feed for Geo Kingsbury Machine Tools
• RSS news feed for Orders, contracts, financial reports
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