Manoeuvring a 3m-diameter 23t gear for Blue Circle Southern in Australia is just one example of the resourcefulness regularly shown by David Brown's on-site services team.Overcoming extremely limited clearances while manoeuvring a 3m-diameter 23t gear for Blue Circle Southern in Australia is just one example of the resourcefulness regularly shown by David Brown's on-site services team. In this case a special cradle was constructed under David Brown's guidance and the gear was transferred into place on rails. The cement mill gearbox operated by Australia's major cement producer had suffered a bearing failure and the resulting debris caused significant damage to the slow speed dual drive double helical pinions and gear teeth.
Engineers from David Brown attended the site to make repairs and allow continued production, at a reduced rate of 75% of full capacity, while the replacement gear and pinions could be manufactured by David Brown Australia.
In the interim there was close liaison with the client to plan the gear set replacement method and keep downtime to a minimum.
Production resumed at 100% following installation of the new gear set in 2004.
An inspection carried out in 2005, following 12 months of full production, showed exceptional tooth contact patterns and an absence of tooth wear, giving the overall refurbishment project a double 'thumbs up'.
The contract underlines the scope of David Brown's on-site services in a market which is increasingly driven by service as well as product excellence.
The team that worked on the project is just part of David Brown's fully qualified field service engineer resource which is available in most key geographies to provide a number of key services from performance testing, fault diagnostics through to installation/commissioning, alignment checks and emergency repairs.
Recognising the importance of preventative maintenance, the company also boasts a range of applications knowledge, gained through close long-term customer partnerships in many heavy process industries, to offer performance improvements to transmissions and other rotating equipment.
Using appropriate condition monitoring and analysis techniques, David Brown is able to pin point critical process issues and recommend courses of action to substantially reduce the associated risks.
David Brown's deep knowledge of transmissions and other rotating equipment, combined with its close geographic proximity, means it is well positioned to respond rapidly to its customers' needs, seeking to identify and predict issues, and offering solutions to improve their process performance.
Service engineers are also available to install and inspect transmissions and other rotating equipment throughout the world and David Brown provides installation services and alignment checks that cover everything from a simple equipment installation to a complete drive system installation.
To ensure a proper startup of the equipment, David Brown service engineers can also provide its customers with inspection services and advice on project managing installations.
Finally, experienced service engineers, using modern equipment and leading technology, provide repair services at the site to restore or enhance performance of transmissions or other rotating equipment.
The services range from emergency repairs, as in Australia, to repairs of equipment during planned shutdowns.
Repair services cover all transmissions used in a variety of heavy process industries, from metals processing through to mining and cement manufacture.
Universal joints need no tools for maintenance
Abssac continues to expand its rotary product portfolio by teaming up with Curtis Universal of the USA and its unique range of Curtis TakeApart universal joints. Universal joint applications by design normally require two shafts not in line with each other limited freedom of movement in any direction while transmitting rotary motion. Where Curtis excels is in the design and assistance developing a universal joint application to achieve a cost effective transmission solution, applying more than 75 years of universal joint experience.
The company can incorporate different types of end attachment as well as allowing telescopic action during rotation into the design.
The universal joints are machined, not cast, which enables high tensile strength and outstanding reliability but also lends itself perfectly for unique transmission designs.
As standard all universal joints are available in alloy steel, stainless steel, however many applications have been developed using nonstandard materials such as titanium and Monel alloys.
We are also familiar with dealing with different heat and surface treatments to achieve a desired hardness or corrosion resistance.
The basic universal joint uses a single joint configuration which can accept up to 35 degrees of angular misalignment.
Where more angular flexibility is required, the double joint design can accept up to 70 degrees of shaft misalignment.
For applications such as marine, which require unusually high noncorrosion standards, Curtis can supply universal joints in stainless steel, bronze, naval brass, aluminium-bronze, nickel-aluminium-bronze and Monel alloy.
Uniquely, the standard ranges can incorporate the Curtis TakeApart design, which allows the disassembly and reassembly of the universal joint without the use of special tools and replacement of component parts.
This feature enables the end user to machine the hubs to fit the mating shaft if a standard bore does not.
In addition to this, easier access to other components in a drive line can be achieved by being able to quickly and easily disassemble the joint after it has been installed in the application.
The company can incorporate different types of end attachment as well as allowing telescopic action during rotation into the design.
The universal joints are machined, not cast, which enables high tensile strength and outstanding reliability but also lends itself perfectly for unique transmission designs.
As standard all universal joints are available in alloy steel, stainless steel, however many applications have been developed using nonstandard materials such as titanium and Monel alloys.
We are also familiar with dealing with different heat and surface treatments to achieve a desired hardness or corrosion resistance.
The basic universal joint uses a single joint configuration which can accept up to 35 degrees of angular misalignment.
Where more angular flexibility is required, the double joint design can accept up to 70 degrees of shaft misalignment.
For applications such as marine, which require unusually high noncorrosion standards, Curtis can supply universal joints in stainless steel, bronze, naval brass, aluminium-bronze, nickel-aluminium-bronze and Monel alloy.
Uniquely, the standard ranges can incorporate the Curtis TakeApart design, which allows the disassembly and reassembly of the universal joint without the use of special tools and replacement of component parts.
This feature enables the end user to machine the hubs to fit the mating shaft if a standard bore does not.
In addition to this, easier access to other components in a drive line can be achieved by being able to quickly and easily disassemble the joint after it has been installed in the application.
Gear motors offer cost-effective alternative
The Watt Drive Company situated close to Vienna in Austria has been producing a quality range of gear motors for nearly 30 years.
The Watt Drive Company situated close to Vienna in Austria has been producing a quality range of gear motors for nearly 30 years. The products include a very robust range of helical worm motor gearbox product up to 7.5kW and then increasing in size using the bevel helical and Inline gearboxes suitable for motor power up to 90kW. The Watt Drive product is fully complemented by the Watt Drive multivoltage energy-efficient EUSAS motor and is suitable for operation with a range of electronic soft start and inverter controls.
All units can be fitted with brakes, backstops, forced cooling, encoders and many other options.
Available in the UK from Drummotors and More, the Watt Drive product range is complete, the quality second to none and the service first class.
The company reckons the Watt Drive product is a genuine cost effective alternative to other quality gearboxes on the market.
The Watt Drive Company situated close to Vienna in Austria has been producing a quality range of gear motors for nearly 30 years. The products include a very robust range of helical worm motor gearbox product up to 7.5kW and then increasing in size using the bevel helical and Inline gearboxes suitable for motor power up to 90kW. The Watt Drive product is fully complemented by the Watt Drive multivoltage energy-efficient EUSAS motor and is suitable for operation with a range of electronic soft start and inverter controls.
All units can be fitted with brakes, backstops, forced cooling, encoders and many other options.
Available in the UK from Drummotors and More, the Watt Drive product range is complete, the quality second to none and the service first class.
The company reckons the Watt Drive product is a genuine cost effective alternative to other quality gearboxes on the market.
Support is key in gear supply
Reliance reckons it is not just another catalogue supplier of gears and associated components.
For 50 years Reliance has been well known for supplying precision fine pitch gears for instrumentation and light actuation, but the company reckons it is not just another catalogue supplier of gears and associated components. Reliance consists of Reliance Precision (formerly Reliance Gear Company ) and its sister company Reliance Precision Mechatronics. Formed in 2005 to distribute Reliance's standard product range, Reliance Precision Mechatronics offers small quantities at stock prices for cost effective prototype development.
To complete the customer service package the company can also: predict the performance of its standard components in a customer's application; specify associated components for a customer's design; modify standard components to suit a customer's requirements; and offer unique solutions from proven concepts.
A team of dedicated mechatronic design engineers is on hand to support customer design requirements and develop turnkey mechatronic solutions.
Reliance Precision offers in-house design, manufacture, assembly and test all under one roof.
With dedicated manufacturing facilities the company can supply production quantities of customised components and, in many cases, provide full assembly support to its customers including: design for manufacture; weight critical design and analysis; safety critical design and analysis; prototype manufacture; life validation testing; and repair service and obsolescence management.
Quality assured to BS EN ISO9001:2000 and the aerospace standard AS 9100 Revision B, Reliance is committed to providing the highest quality in terms of both manufacture and service.
Reliance is certified to the environmental management standard BS EN ISO14001:2004
For 50 years Reliance has been well known for supplying precision fine pitch gears for instrumentation and light actuation, but the company reckons it is not just another catalogue supplier of gears and associated components. Reliance consists of Reliance Precision (formerly Reliance Gear Company ) and its sister company Reliance Precision Mechatronics. Formed in 2005 to distribute Reliance's standard product range, Reliance Precision Mechatronics offers small quantities at stock prices for cost effective prototype development.
To complete the customer service package the company can also: predict the performance of its standard components in a customer's application; specify associated components for a customer's design; modify standard components to suit a customer's requirements; and offer unique solutions from proven concepts.
A team of dedicated mechatronic design engineers is on hand to support customer design requirements and develop turnkey mechatronic solutions.
Reliance Precision offers in-house design, manufacture, assembly and test all under one roof.
With dedicated manufacturing facilities the company can supply production quantities of customised components and, in many cases, provide full assembly support to its customers including: design for manufacture; weight critical design and analysis; safety critical design and analysis; prototype manufacture; life validation testing; and repair service and obsolescence management.
Quality assured to BS EN ISO9001:2000 and the aerospace standard AS 9100 Revision B, Reliance is committed to providing the highest quality in terms of both manufacture and service.
Reliance is certified to the environmental management standard BS EN ISO14001:2004
Bore reducers come in brass and aluminium
Brass and aluminium bore reducers are designed to fit into couplings where smaller bores are required quickly and easily.
Ondrives offers a range of brass and aluminium bore reducers designed to fit into couplings where smaller bores are required quickly and easily.
They start from 5mm O/D and go up to 28mm O/D, the smallest bore available being 2mm in brass and the largest 25.4mm in aluminium.
It should be noted that both concentricity and traction may be affected when using a bore reducer, so customers are advised to check their application carefully before use.
Ondrives offers a range of brass and aluminium bore reducers designed to fit into couplings where smaller bores are required quickly and easily.
They start from 5mm O/D and go up to 28mm O/D, the smallest bore available being 2mm in brass and the largest 25.4mm in aluminium.
It should be noted that both concentricity and traction may be affected when using a bore reducer, so customers are advised to check their application carefully before use.
Bevel gearboxes offer many options
A miniature instrument bevel tee gearbox is available in a 1:1 ratio and comes with either steel or plastic gears as standard.
A wide variety of in-house UK produced gearboxes are offered by Ondrives of Chesterfield. One of the most popular ranges are the bevel gearboxes as they are available in many different configurations. One of the types is the miniature instrument bevel tee version which is available in a 1:1 ratio and comes with either steel or plastic gears as standard.
It is called miniature because it is only 30.5mm x 30.5mm wide.
Other gearboxes in the bevel collection range from right angled drive types, hardened teeth or hardened bevel versions, bore input or bore output only, bore input and output, heavy duty, counter rotating output, high bevel reduction and spiral bevel value boxes.
Ratios range from 1:1 to 24:1 dependant on the type of gearbox chosen.
Specials can be made according to customer's specifications and all are drawn out using the latest 3D CAD technology systems.
CAD drawings can be downloaded from the Ondrives website for all standard bevel boxes.
A wide variety of in-house UK produced gearboxes are offered by Ondrives of Chesterfield. One of the most popular ranges are the bevel gearboxes as they are available in many different configurations. One of the types is the miniature instrument bevel tee version which is available in a 1:1 ratio and comes with either steel or plastic gears as standard.
It is called miniature because it is only 30.5mm x 30.5mm wide.
Other gearboxes in the bevel collection range from right angled drive types, hardened teeth or hardened bevel versions, bore input or bore output only, bore input and output, heavy duty, counter rotating output, high bevel reduction and spiral bevel value boxes.
Ratios range from 1:1 to 24:1 dependant on the type of gearbox chosen.
Specials can be made according to customer's specifications and all are drawn out using the latest 3D CAD technology systems.
CAD drawings can be downloaded from the Ondrives website for all standard bevel boxes.
Clamps and collars can be made to order
Ondrives offer a wide variety of clamps and collars from its couplings range of mechanical drive components.
Ondrives offers a wide variety of clamps and collars from its couplings range of mechanical drive components. There are hub clamps in a single or double split type as well as set screw shaft collars in mild steel or stainless (dependant on size required), shaft clamps with keyways, integral clamp collars with clamp fixings in either aluminium or stainless and most finished bore sizes are to H7 tolerances. Specials are available to customer specifications.
Ondrives can read most formats including jpeg, DXF, 2D and 3D CAD, dwg, and the company uses the latest 3D CAD software to generate standards and specials alike.
Most Ondrives clamps and collars are produced in-house, so it is easy to modify bore sizes and add keyways or tapped holes quickly and affordably.
Ondrives offers a wide variety of clamps and collars from its couplings range of mechanical drive components. There are hub clamps in a single or double split type as well as set screw shaft collars in mild steel or stainless (dependant on size required), shaft clamps with keyways, integral clamp collars with clamp fixings in either aluminium or stainless and most finished bore sizes are to H7 tolerances. Specials are available to customer specifications.
Ondrives can read most formats including jpeg, DXF, 2D and 3D CAD, dwg, and the company uses the latest 3D CAD software to generate standards and specials alike.
Most Ondrives clamps and collars are produced in-house, so it is easy to modify bore sizes and add keyways or tapped holes quickly and affordably.
Couplings are approved for hazardous areas
Flender Power Transmission's extensive range of gear couplings now includes ATEX-compliant models for hazardous areas. Flender ATEX-approved couplings include N-Eupex flexible jaw couplings, Arpex steel torsionally rigid couplings and Fludex mechanical soft start couplings. N-Eupex couplings compensate for shaft misalignment, are used in general mechanical engineering, and as high and low-speed couplings for pump drives and conveyors, with torque ranges from 19 to 6200Nm and 23 sizes.
In cases of wear to flexible components, N-Eupex couplings will turn freely without metal-to-metal contact, of particular benefit in hazardous areas.
Arpex all-steel couplings allow for radial, angular and axial shaft misalignments, are maintenance-free and have torque ranges from 5Nm up to 10MNm.
They are widely used in the paper and cement industries and in cooling towers.
They have a reduced backlash feature and offer lifetime operation when correctly aligned.
Fludex soft start couplings are ideal for accelerating large masses smoothly, with excellent shock damping properties and a power range up to 2500kW.
Suitable for medium and high torque applications in conveyors, mixers, drum drives and cement plants, Fludex couplings provide torque limitation during start and overload and have excellent vibration separation and shock damping characteristics.
These are just three ATEX-compliant options from Flender's extensive series of couplings.
In cases of wear to flexible components, N-Eupex couplings will turn freely without metal-to-metal contact, of particular benefit in hazardous areas.
Arpex all-steel couplings allow for radial, angular and axial shaft misalignments, are maintenance-free and have torque ranges from 5Nm up to 10MNm.
They are widely used in the paper and cement industries and in cooling towers.
They have a reduced backlash feature and offer lifetime operation when correctly aligned.
Fludex soft start couplings are ideal for accelerating large masses smoothly, with excellent shock damping properties and a power range up to 2500kW.
Suitable for medium and high torque applications in conveyors, mixers, drum drives and cement plants, Fludex couplings provide torque limitation during start and overload and have excellent vibration separation and shock damping characteristics.
These are just three ATEX-compliant options from Flender's extensive series of couplings.
Jaw couplings operate with zero backlash
An innovative braking solution for positioning applications using linear motion guide bearings is available from Motion Drives and Controls, the Warwick based brake and clutch specialist. Nexen's RB series spring-engaged/air-released rail brake is designed to match the rail profile of linear motion guides from a wide range of from manufacturers including THK, NSK, SKF, INA, Hiwin and Schneeberger. The rugged and compact brake has similar dimensions to the corresponding bearing carriage and is simply mounted on the existing rail to provide a convenient means for fast response, emergency stop and power-off braking.
The Nexen RB series profile rail brake is particularly suited to z-axis' vertically loaded positioning systems and the spring based brake will provide full braking even under power failure conditions.
The brake may also be used on leadscrew, ballscrew and belt driven positioning systems in place of rotary motor mounted brakes for a more compact solution with improved drive-train backlash and elasticity characteristics.
Rail brakes can also be used for linear motor positioners and actuators to prevent machine movement under power-off conditions and to improve stiffness during heavy machining.
The Nexen RB range includes a unique facing gap adjustment feature that ensures maximum braking contact throughout application life.
This feature also provides a convenient manual release mechanism to aid assembly and to simplify machine maintenance.
The spring-engaged brakes require a clean air supply of 5.5bar for release and are capable of infrequent and noncyclic dynamic braking such as emergency stops.
The brake facings only contact the nonbearing rail surfaces and the design provides an equal pressure on both sides of the rail to minimise unwanted forces.
With a life of over 1 million cycles and with no lubrication or periodic maintenance in most applications, the RB series is available in a wide range of models to provide a holding force from 400 to 2600N.
Ordering and specifying is easy - customers simply specify the linear motion guide manufacturers' model and part number and their braking force requirements.
The Nexen RB series profile rail brake is particularly suited to z-axis' vertically loaded positioning systems and the spring based brake will provide full braking even under power failure conditions.
The brake may also be used on leadscrew, ballscrew and belt driven positioning systems in place of rotary motor mounted brakes for a more compact solution with improved drive-train backlash and elasticity characteristics.
Rail brakes can also be used for linear motor positioners and actuators to prevent machine movement under power-off conditions and to improve stiffness during heavy machining.
The Nexen RB range includes a unique facing gap adjustment feature that ensures maximum braking contact throughout application life.
This feature also provides a convenient manual release mechanism to aid assembly and to simplify machine maintenance.
The spring-engaged brakes require a clean air supply of 5.5bar for release and are capable of infrequent and noncyclic dynamic braking such as emergency stops.
The brake facings only contact the nonbearing rail surfaces and the design provides an equal pressure on both sides of the rail to minimise unwanted forces.
With a life of over 1 million cycles and with no lubrication or periodic maintenance in most applications, the RB series is available in a wide range of models to provide a holding force from 400 to 2600N.
Ordering and specifying is easy - customers simply specify the linear motion guide manufacturers' model and part number and their braking force requirements.
Gearboxes extend to heavy duty applications
Shaft mounted helical gearboxes extend to heavy duty applications, matching the largest equivalent units from Fenner, Benzler Sala and Dodge.
Renold Gears has extended its SMXtra range of shaft mounted helical gearboxes, for heavy duty applications, to include sizes 11 and 12 that match the largest equivalent units from Fenner, Benzler Sala and Dodge. The ATEX approved range is now available in 12 sizes up to 235kW capacity with a choice of single or double reduction units with ratios of up to 25:1 and output speeds from 10 to 400rev/min. The SMXtra gearbox range is manufactured with hardened, profile ground single helical gears with high capacity bearings to ensure maximum power transmission, maximum load carrying capacity and longer life.
The units mount directly onto the shaft of the driven machine completely eliminating alignment problems as there is no need for couplings, base plates, slide rails or support structures.
They are ideally suited to heavy-duty applications in hostile environments and provide the ideal drive for many types of machinery.
Depending on requirements the SMXtra range can be fitted with advanced seals to optimise protection from dust and moisture.
Additionally, by reversing one element of the standard design, the seal can provide additional security to prevent the egress of oil into sensitive environments such as in food manufacturing.
Renold Gears has produced a new catalogue for all the gearboxes in its SMXtra range, including the new sizes 11 and 12, with details of the power ratings for each unit.
Renold Gears has extended its SMXtra range of shaft mounted helical gearboxes, for heavy duty applications, to include sizes 11 and 12 that match the largest equivalent units from Fenner, Benzler Sala and Dodge. The ATEX approved range is now available in 12 sizes up to 235kW capacity with a choice of single or double reduction units with ratios of up to 25:1 and output speeds from 10 to 400rev/min. The SMXtra gearbox range is manufactured with hardened, profile ground single helical gears with high capacity bearings to ensure maximum power transmission, maximum load carrying capacity and longer life.
The units mount directly onto the shaft of the driven machine completely eliminating alignment problems as there is no need for couplings, base plates, slide rails or support structures.
They are ideally suited to heavy-duty applications in hostile environments and provide the ideal drive for many types of machinery.
Depending on requirements the SMXtra range can be fitted with advanced seals to optimise protection from dust and moisture.
Additionally, by reversing one element of the standard design, the seal can provide additional security to prevent the egress of oil into sensitive environments such as in food manufacturing.
Renold Gears has produced a new catalogue for all the gearboxes in its SMXtra range, including the new sizes 11 and 12, with details of the power ratings for each unit.
Gearboxes deliver more torque
Cost-effective planetary/spur gearboxes deliver a massive 10Nm of flexible torque.
Rotalink, a world-leader in the design and manufacture of miniature transmission products, has launched two highly cost-effective planetary/spur gearboxes. Fabricated from advanced materials, dedicated gear profiles enable these unique compact units to deliver a massive 10Nm of flexible torque at a highly competitive cost, significantly enhancing market opportunities for original equipment manufacturers. Key to the massive torque available in the planetary output stage is Rotalink's unique gear tooth design, which also minimises noise and backlash.
Power transfer to the stainless steel output shaft is maximised by the wide choice of ratios available in the spur input stage - up to 12800:1 - coupled with low friction standard front ball race and nylon or steel ball race rear bearings.
The zinc-plated pressed steel case's standard four-point fixing gives OEMs solid but flexible fixing options.
The gearboxes are the Type 230, delivering up to 5Nm through input ratios from 25:1 to 1000:1, and the 260 delivering up to 10Nm through input ratios from 50:1 to 2000:1, both with alternative input ratios available up to 12800:1.The units are rated at 80C at the gear case and are available with AC, stepper or DC motors, single or dual line encoders are optional across the range.
With the introduction of these miniature gearboxes, Rotalink has successfully used its state-of-the-art design capability and strategic manufacturing and sourcing to deliver the compact, cost-effective product essential to 21st century motion control, automation and system integration OEMs.
Typical applications include peristaltic pumps, dispensing equipment, vending machines and similar dosing/metering systems where air and/or liquid valve control is required; analytical instrumentation, semiconductor manufacturing plant and other applications where low cost and maximum performance are required.
Rotalink, a world-leader in the design and manufacture of miniature transmission products, has launched two highly cost-effective planetary/spur gearboxes. Fabricated from advanced materials, dedicated gear profiles enable these unique compact units to deliver a massive 10Nm of flexible torque at a highly competitive cost, significantly enhancing market opportunities for original equipment manufacturers. Key to the massive torque available in the planetary output stage is Rotalink's unique gear tooth design, which also minimises noise and backlash.
Power transfer to the stainless steel output shaft is maximised by the wide choice of ratios available in the spur input stage - up to 12800:1 - coupled with low friction standard front ball race and nylon or steel ball race rear bearings.
The zinc-plated pressed steel case's standard four-point fixing gives OEMs solid but flexible fixing options.
The gearboxes are the Type 230, delivering up to 5Nm through input ratios from 25:1 to 1000:1, and the 260 delivering up to 10Nm through input ratios from 50:1 to 2000:1, both with alternative input ratios available up to 12800:1.The units are rated at 80C at the gear case and are available with AC, stepper or DC motors, single or dual line encoders are optional across the range.
With the introduction of these miniature gearboxes, Rotalink has successfully used its state-of-the-art design capability and strategic manufacturing and sourcing to deliver the compact, cost-effective product essential to 21st century motion control, automation and system integration OEMs.
Typical applications include peristaltic pumps, dispensing equipment, vending machines and similar dosing/metering systems where air and/or liquid valve control is required; analytical instrumentation, semiconductor manufacturing plant and other applications where low cost and maximum performance are required.
Conveyor upgrade is ahead of schedule
David Brown is ahead of time with its management contract to overhaul and upgrade the massive conveying system at Australia's Yallourn power station in Victoria.
David Brown is ahead of time with its management contract to overhaul and upgrade the massive conveying system at Australia's Yallourn power station in Victoria - in turn part of a huge scheme that involves diverting the Morwell River and upgrading and modernising Yallourn mine. With the two year contract for Yallourn Energy (now called TRUenergy Yallourn) stipulating completion of 15 conveyor drive assemblies by September 2006, the company has already completed that number as well as two gearbox spares in a clear demonstration of its asset management capabilities as well as its widely recognised technical prowess. Extra work was also required following a serious fire in December 2005 that necessitated the urgent refurbishment and relocation of a number of drive conveyors in order to keep Yallourn operating.
Concurrent with this urgent work was the refurbishment of critical drive gearboxes on a large overburden dredger which was undergoing upgrade at the same time - David Brown once again pulled out all of the stops to assist Yallourn Energy at this difficult time.
Each of the 25 year old conveyor drive assemblies comprise a 370 or 610kW electric motor, gearbox, brake and fluid coupling, to absorb shock loading of the conveyors, all mounted on a base plate.
Whereas the gearboxes, of various origins, were transported from Melbourne and overhauled at David Brown's own facilities at Bulli, New South Wales, the work on motors and couplings was subcontracted.
The smooth running of the project therefore demonstrates the project management skills and QA knowledge of David Brown's management team and workforce.
Yallourn Energy had initially approached David Brown early in 2004 when the process of site visits and tendering was initiated.
On signature of the contract in the following December the real work began which required fortnightly meetings on-site to ensure the smooth running of the project.
The principal's requirements of stringent QA documentation, refurbishment to EOM standard or better, full load testing off site plus incorporation of condition monitoring devices on all refurbished equipment were challenges met by David Brown.
David Brown has also undertaken additional refurbishment works on the Yallourn overburden dredger drives, all based on the main contract terms and conditions.
'The Yallourn contract has been a very steep learning curve for us', commented David Brown Project Manager Geoff Kinniburgh.
'We were confident that we had all of the necessary experience and expertise but quite frankly we had never handled a project of this scale and importance before'.
'In completing the project successfully and ahead of time, I believe we have built a real reputation for ourselves in the field of asset management that will stand us in good stead for the future'.
In fact, as the two-year project approaches completion, David Brown is confident that it will be able to negotiate a possible extra 6-year renewal having demonstrated a much greater degree of ownership of Yallourn problems and challenges than previous asset management companies.
Yallourn W power station, located 160km east of Melbourne, provides 24% of Victoria's power and 8% of the national requirement, and the adjacent open cut brown coal mine is the second largest in Australia with available reserves sufficient to meet the projected needs of the power station until 2032.
To allow unimpeded access to the coal field a project was begun five years ago to divert the Morwell River and was recently completed on time.
The 3.5km diversion is an impressive feat of modern engineering in itself and cost Au $122 million (over GBP 50 million).
The mine upgrade and modernisation programme was also undertaken in the five year period and involved works to fixed conveyor plant and infrastructure that totalled an additional Au $50 million (GBP 20 million).
David Brown is ahead of time with its management contract to overhaul and upgrade the massive conveying system at Australia's Yallourn power station in Victoria - in turn part of a huge scheme that involves diverting the Morwell River and upgrading and modernising Yallourn mine. With the two year contract for Yallourn Energy (now called TRUenergy Yallourn) stipulating completion of 15 conveyor drive assemblies by September 2006, the company has already completed that number as well as two gearbox spares in a clear demonstration of its asset management capabilities as well as its widely recognised technical prowess. Extra work was also required following a serious fire in December 2005 that necessitated the urgent refurbishment and relocation of a number of drive conveyors in order to keep Yallourn operating.
Concurrent with this urgent work was the refurbishment of critical drive gearboxes on a large overburden dredger which was undergoing upgrade at the same time - David Brown once again pulled out all of the stops to assist Yallourn Energy at this difficult time.
Each of the 25 year old conveyor drive assemblies comprise a 370 or 610kW electric motor, gearbox, brake and fluid coupling, to absorb shock loading of the conveyors, all mounted on a base plate.
Whereas the gearboxes, of various origins, were transported from Melbourne and overhauled at David Brown's own facilities at Bulli, New South Wales, the work on motors and couplings was subcontracted.
The smooth running of the project therefore demonstrates the project management skills and QA knowledge of David Brown's management team and workforce.
Yallourn Energy had initially approached David Brown early in 2004 when the process of site visits and tendering was initiated.
On signature of the contract in the following December the real work began which required fortnightly meetings on-site to ensure the smooth running of the project.
The principal's requirements of stringent QA documentation, refurbishment to EOM standard or better, full load testing off site plus incorporation of condition monitoring devices on all refurbished equipment were challenges met by David Brown.
David Brown has also undertaken additional refurbishment works on the Yallourn overburden dredger drives, all based on the main contract terms and conditions.
'The Yallourn contract has been a very steep learning curve for us', commented David Brown Project Manager Geoff Kinniburgh.
'We were confident that we had all of the necessary experience and expertise but quite frankly we had never handled a project of this scale and importance before'.
'In completing the project successfully and ahead of time, I believe we have built a real reputation for ourselves in the field of asset management that will stand us in good stead for the future'.
In fact, as the two-year project approaches completion, David Brown is confident that it will be able to negotiate a possible extra 6-year renewal having demonstrated a much greater degree of ownership of Yallourn problems and challenges than previous asset management companies.
Yallourn W power station, located 160km east of Melbourne, provides 24% of Victoria's power and 8% of the national requirement, and the adjacent open cut brown coal mine is the second largest in Australia with available reserves sufficient to meet the projected needs of the power station until 2032.
To allow unimpeded access to the coal field a project was begun five years ago to divert the Morwell River and was recently completed on time.
The 3.5km diversion is an impressive feat of modern engineering in itself and cost Au $122 million (over GBP 50 million).
The mine upgrade and modernisation programme was also undertaken in the five year period and involved works to fixed conveyor plant and infrastructure that totalled an additional Au $50 million (GBP 20 million).
Gears and actuators set for airshow outing
Harmonic Drive will be using the Farnborough International Airshow to promote its range of motion control solutions specifically designed for a wide range of aircraft applications.
Harmonic Drive will be using the Farnborough International Airshow as a platform to promote its range of motion control solutions that have been specifically designed and developed for a wide range of aircraft applications where high precision and reliability are critical. Just as importantly, the latest Harmonic Drive precision gears and actuators offer high levels of accuracy, high torque, high power density and a long operating life, all in lightweight and compact dimensions. Harmonic Drive precision gears have been designed to achieve a mean time between failures (MTBF) in aircraft applications of more than 500,000 hours, with an extremely low failure probability.
Furthermore, Harmonic Drive gears and actuators provide positional accuracy of less than one minute of arc and a repeatability of just a few seconds of arc, making them suitable for use in aircraft applications requiring exceptionally high positional and tracking accuracy.
Harmonic Drive technology is used in a wide range of aircraft applications including military fighter jets for active pilot inceptors providing force-feedback to the operator, and commercial aircraft such as the Airbus A380.
On show will be Harmonic Drive's range of HFUC component sets, which offer a unique combination of low weight, compact dimensions, high torque capacity, exceptional repeatability and positioning accuracy, and can be used in a wide range of operating temperatures, making them ideal for use in various aircraft applications including cargo handing and in-flight systems.
The new HFUC component sets incorporate a shortened Flexspline, resulting in a significant reduction of the axial length.
Furthermore, the new component sets feature high performance IH tooth profiles to provide increased torque capacity in comparison to standard gears that incorporate traditional involute gear tooth profiles.
The HFUC range is available in fifteen gear sizes from 8 to 100, with a choice of gear reduction ratios, from 30:1 up to 160:1.
In addition, the HFUC component sets feature the optimised design of Flexspline, circular spline teeth and wave generator bearing, to eliminate completely the effects of backlash, provide high torsional stiffness and offer a range of output torque capacities from just 0.9 to 3550Nm.
Harmonic Drive will also be demonstrating its FHA series miniature hollow-shaft servo actuators, which are believed to be the world's smallest servo actuators.
Measuring just 50mm3 in size and weighing only 0.4kg, these ultracompact actuators are capable of delivering 1.8Nm of torque from an integrated AC motor, gearbox and encoder, while featuring a choice of gear reduction ratios, including a 30:1 gear ration - the first of its kind to be achieved with hollow shaft servo actuators.
Specially developed for use in demanding aircraft applications where highly accurate motion control and high torque capacity are key, or where operating space or weight are restricted, the innovative FHA series features advanced Harmonic Drive technology to eliminate the effects of backlash.
Additionally, the integrated AC servo motor provides exceptionally smooth torque curves, with output speeds between 60 and 200rev/min.
By integrating a motor, gearbox, output bearing and encoder into a single, compact and lightweight unit, the FHA actuators allow aircraft design and manufacturing engineers to reduce dramatically both the time and cost associated with system design, specification and construction.
Perhaps as importantly, the new servo actuators allow considerable improvements to be made in system performance, precision and reliability, while minimising overall size and weight.
Harmonic Drive will be using the Farnborough International Airshow as a platform to promote its range of motion control solutions that have been specifically designed and developed for a wide range of aircraft applications where high precision and reliability are critical. Just as importantly, the latest Harmonic Drive precision gears and actuators offer high levels of accuracy, high torque, high power density and a long operating life, all in lightweight and compact dimensions. Harmonic Drive precision gears have been designed to achieve a mean time between failures (MTBF) in aircraft applications of more than 500,000 hours, with an extremely low failure probability.
Furthermore, Harmonic Drive gears and actuators provide positional accuracy of less than one minute of arc and a repeatability of just a few seconds of arc, making them suitable for use in aircraft applications requiring exceptionally high positional and tracking accuracy.
Harmonic Drive technology is used in a wide range of aircraft applications including military fighter jets for active pilot inceptors providing force-feedback to the operator, and commercial aircraft such as the Airbus A380.
On show will be Harmonic Drive's range of HFUC component sets, which offer a unique combination of low weight, compact dimensions, high torque capacity, exceptional repeatability and positioning accuracy, and can be used in a wide range of operating temperatures, making them ideal for use in various aircraft applications including cargo handing and in-flight systems.
The new HFUC component sets incorporate a shortened Flexspline, resulting in a significant reduction of the axial length.
Furthermore, the new component sets feature high performance IH tooth profiles to provide increased torque capacity in comparison to standard gears that incorporate traditional involute gear tooth profiles.
The HFUC range is available in fifteen gear sizes from 8 to 100, with a choice of gear reduction ratios, from 30:1 up to 160:1.
In addition, the HFUC component sets feature the optimised design of Flexspline, circular spline teeth and wave generator bearing, to eliminate completely the effects of backlash, provide high torsional stiffness and offer a range of output torque capacities from just 0.9 to 3550Nm.
Harmonic Drive will also be demonstrating its FHA series miniature hollow-shaft servo actuators, which are believed to be the world's smallest servo actuators.
Measuring just 50mm3 in size and weighing only 0.4kg, these ultracompact actuators are capable of delivering 1.8Nm of torque from an integrated AC motor, gearbox and encoder, while featuring a choice of gear reduction ratios, including a 30:1 gear ration - the first of its kind to be achieved with hollow shaft servo actuators.
Specially developed for use in demanding aircraft applications where highly accurate motion control and high torque capacity are key, or where operating space or weight are restricted, the innovative FHA series features advanced Harmonic Drive technology to eliminate the effects of backlash.
Additionally, the integrated AC servo motor provides exceptionally smooth torque curves, with output speeds between 60 and 200rev/min.
By integrating a motor, gearbox, output bearing and encoder into a single, compact and lightweight unit, the FHA actuators allow aircraft design and manufacturing engineers to reduce dramatically both the time and cost associated with system design, specification and construction.
Perhaps as importantly, the new servo actuators allow considerable improvements to be made in system performance, precision and reliability, while minimising overall size and weight.
Clutches cut down on downtime
Emerson Power Transmission has added three new products to the Browning torque overload device family.
Emerson Power Transmission has added three new products to the Browning torque overload device family: the Browning Torq/Pro X and Browning Torq/Pro Z torque overload devices, and the Browning Axial Gard linear overload device. In addition, the Browning Torq/Pro product line has been extended to include six new models. The products are all included in the new catalogue, MC-06, featuring the complete line of Browning and Morse mechanical clutches and torque overload devices.
The new catalogue provides general clutch and torque overload device information in order to help users select the proper device for their application.
The Browning and Morse product offerings provide the industry's broadest line of conveyor backstopping, overrunning and indexing clutches.
Both these product lines are designed to help increase production by reducing downtime.
The new Browning Torq/Pro X features a patent pending, innovative ball and pocket mechanism that nearly eliminates backlash.
The Torq/Pro X is an automatic reset torque overload device that has a bore range of 7-70mm, torque range of 1.7-784Nm and trip torque precision of +/-3%.
The Browning Torq/Pro Z is an overload device that allows the input side to continue to revolve freely after tripping.
The Torq/Pro Z is a manual reset torque overload device that has a bore range of 8-50mm, torque range of 2.4-450Nm and trip torque precision of +/-10%.
With the line expansion of the Browning Torq/Pro line, the bore range is 5-130mm, torque range of 3.5-7145Nm and trip torque precision of +/-10%.
The Browning Axial Gard linear overload device trips immediately an overload occurs, cutting off the axial load to the application.
The trip load setting range is 147-3430N, and trip torque precision is +/-15%.
Emerson Power Transmission has added three new products to the Browning torque overload device family: the Browning Torq/Pro X and Browning Torq/Pro Z torque overload devices, and the Browning Axial Gard linear overload device. In addition, the Browning Torq/Pro product line has been extended to include six new models. The products are all included in the new catalogue, MC-06, featuring the complete line of Browning and Morse mechanical clutches and torque overload devices.
The new catalogue provides general clutch and torque overload device information in order to help users select the proper device for their application.
The Browning and Morse product offerings provide the industry's broadest line of conveyor backstopping, overrunning and indexing clutches.
Both these product lines are designed to help increase production by reducing downtime.
The new Browning Torq/Pro X features a patent pending, innovative ball and pocket mechanism that nearly eliminates backlash.
The Torq/Pro X is an automatic reset torque overload device that has a bore range of 7-70mm, torque range of 1.7-784Nm and trip torque precision of +/-3%.
The Browning Torq/Pro Z is an overload device that allows the input side to continue to revolve freely after tripping.
The Torq/Pro Z is a manual reset torque overload device that has a bore range of 8-50mm, torque range of 2.4-450Nm and trip torque precision of +/-10%.
With the line expansion of the Browning Torq/Pro line, the bore range is 5-130mm, torque range of 3.5-7145Nm and trip torque precision of +/-10%.
The Browning Axial Gard linear overload device trips immediately an overload occurs, cutting off the axial load to the application.
The trip load setting range is 147-3430N, and trip torque precision is +/-15%.
Guideways with 30% more load capacity and rigidity
WMH Transmissions now offers Hiwin Linear Guides and Rails up to size 65, designed for load capacity and rigidity over 30% higher than other similar products
WMH Transmissions now offers Hiwin linear guides and Rails up to size 65. The HG series guideways are designed for load capacity and rigidity over 30% higher than other similar products with circular- arc groove and structure. The HG four row super heavy load range have a basic static load rating up to 457kN.
The full HG range of rails is stocked at their UK manufacturing and storage facility in Tamworth.
There is also a free of charge, in-house service to cut rails to any length on same day despatch.
Also at a very competitive price the rail ends can be ground to facilitate butt joints for continuous mounting, these are available for despatch on 24/48 hours lead-time.
WMH also offers from Hiwin the new EG four row low profile range, perfect for high speed automation equipment and other applications where space constraint is a concern.
These are available in sizes 15 to 30 with a basic static load rating up to 47.46kN.
To complement these products and services, WMH also offers the Hiwin range, stainless steel miniature guides and rails and ballscrews up to 80mm diameter with industry standard nuts.
Utilising its in-house machine shop, WMH also offers a machining service for ballscrews and leadscrews to suit its ex-stock Duki-Tec ballscrew support units, these screws can be machined to either standard recommended dimensions or customer specification.
WMH Transmissions now offers Hiwin linear guides and Rails up to size 65. The HG series guideways are designed for load capacity and rigidity over 30% higher than other similar products with circular- arc groove and structure. The HG four row super heavy load range have a basic static load rating up to 457kN.
The full HG range of rails is stocked at their UK manufacturing and storage facility in Tamworth.
There is also a free of charge, in-house service to cut rails to any length on same day despatch.
Also at a very competitive price the rail ends can be ground to facilitate butt joints for continuous mounting, these are available for despatch on 24/48 hours lead-time.
WMH also offers from Hiwin the new EG four row low profile range, perfect for high speed automation equipment and other applications where space constraint is a concern.
These are available in sizes 15 to 30 with a basic static load rating up to 47.46kN.
To complement these products and services, WMH also offers the Hiwin range, stainless steel miniature guides and rails and ballscrews up to 80mm diameter with industry standard nuts.
Utilising its in-house machine shop, WMH also offers a machining service for ballscrews and leadscrews to suit its ex-stock Duki-Tec ballscrew support units, these screws can be machined to either standard recommended dimensions or customer specification.
Flender supplies gear units to Byard
Power transmission specialist Flender has supplied gear units, Siemens motors and Zapex couplings for a steel pipe welding machine destined for Australia.
Power transmission specialist Flender has supplied gear units, Siemens motors and Zapex couplings for a steel pipe welding machine destined for Australia. Glasgow based manufacturer Byard is a spiral pipe mill specialist, and recently specified Flender's heavy duty FZG gear units for the first time. Byard has made 55 of these huge machines in its 35-year history, installed around the world for steel pipe manufacture as well as for structural piling pipe.
The Australian order was received in December 2005, and was being shipped at the time of writing.
The machine is due to be operational by October 2007.
Byard's sales director Graham Wilson described why the Flender units were selected: 'We looked at performance, quality, reliability and value, and the Flender units came top on this basis'.
'We have established an excellent reputation in this very specialised field, and our customers therefore have high expectations of us.' The Flender products comprised two B4DH 08 FZG gear units fitted with Siemens 7.5 kW braked motors and two H3SM 15 FZG gear units fitted with Zapex ZWN 465 output gear couplings, Motox KF 148 primary helical/bevel gear units and Siemens 37 kW motors.
All are vertically mounted, standing 1.9 m and 2.86 m tall respectively, but dwarfed in size by the Byard machine.
Flender Zapex all-steel couplings are double-engagement, allowing for angular, parallel and axial misalignment of shafts.
They have a torque range from 1300 Nm up to 10,000,000 Nm.
Power transmission specialist Flender has supplied gear units, Siemens motors and Zapex couplings for a steel pipe welding machine destined for Australia. Glasgow based manufacturer Byard is a spiral pipe mill specialist, and recently specified Flender's heavy duty FZG gear units for the first time. Byard has made 55 of these huge machines in its 35-year history, installed around the world for steel pipe manufacture as well as for structural piling pipe.
The Australian order was received in December 2005, and was being shipped at the time of writing.
The machine is due to be operational by October 2007.
Byard's sales director Graham Wilson described why the Flender units were selected: 'We looked at performance, quality, reliability and value, and the Flender units came top on this basis'.
'We have established an excellent reputation in this very specialised field, and our customers therefore have high expectations of us.' The Flender products comprised two B4DH 08 FZG gear units fitted with Siemens 7.5 kW braked motors and two H3SM 15 FZG gear units fitted with Zapex ZWN 465 output gear couplings, Motox KF 148 primary helical/bevel gear units and Siemens 37 kW motors.
All are vertically mounted, standing 1.9 m and 2.86 m tall respectively, but dwarfed in size by the Byard machine.
Flender Zapex all-steel couplings are double-engagement, allowing for angular, parallel and axial misalignment of shafts.
They have a torque range from 1300 Nm up to 10,000,000 Nm.
Web Site Promotion Services
Promotion is among the four major divisions of marketing. It includes advertising, personal selling, sales promotion and publicity, which all aim to increase sales, create brand equity and corporate image, compete with other products, or introduce a new product.
Marketing on the other hand, is a more general concept referring to the process of facilitating a “sale” of goods and services. Other divisions of marketing are product management, pricing and product distribution.
Today, as the use of the Internet gets so popular, businessmen are geared towards online marketing, which is essentially the process of achieving marketing objectives via the Internet. It includes Web site advertising as one of the many promotional strategies.
For most businesses, Web site advertising is the most efficient promotional method and their easiest gateway to the international market. Compared to conventional ways of advertising, it is proven to be more effective and less costly, especially for small and medium-sized companies.
In 2005, analysts say that online advertisement spending in the United States increased by twenty percent. They say that even a burgeoning company can spend more than $10 billion for online advertising at the outset of the business. The rising number of consumers with high-speed Internet connection contributed a lot to this phenomenon.
If you are planning to advertise through a Web site, employing the help of professional Web site promotion service providers is one of the wisest things you can do to ensure growth of your business and increase in sales. These service providers are experts in the field of Web site advertising and can dedicatedly plan, execute and monitor progress of promotional strategies for your site.
There are actually two basic categories of Web site promotion services: paid and free. It doesn’t follow that paid advertising is more beneficial as any free Web site advertising can be just as effective as paid. What is important is that each is able to generate more traffic to your site.
Among the Web site promotion services being offered online, free or paid, are search engine submission, link exchange, email marketing, Web directory submission, search engine optimization, pay-per-click, affiliate marketing, meta tag development and copywriting. Most companies combine all if not many of these services in a package.
Tips To Learn English
Do you have any plan to pursue your further education abroad? Will you need English for your career or your education? If so, you may wish to investigate your options for learning, or improving, your English skills.
The TOEFL Test: TOEFL (Test Of English as a Foreign Language) is a test used by many colleges, universities, government agencies and exchange and scholarship programs in the US, UK and Canada as a means of evaluating the language skills of a person whose first language is not English.
You can find TOEFL study guides easily online with other recommended resources listed. You may be able to access some of the sample tests and prepare with personal study. Or you may look for a class with an instructor to help you prepare for the test.
ESL Classes: ESL classes are a common means for students to learn English with group of classmates. These can be in the form of an evening class with various individuals attending or may be part of a college program during the day.
The course length and the topics covered will differ from country to country and school to school. Some summer programs are geared for international students to gain a basic grasp of the language before starting studies in English taught classes of the college or university.
Since the standards of passing a course, or the course material itself, will vary drastically, some students may feel that the language skills gained upon completing the course does not equip them to handle school work or social interactions adequately.
Some schools offer students and alternative of home-stay programs for students. Home-stay programs benefit the student by placing them for several weeks or months with a host family that speaks English. The student is then able to immerse him or herself in the culture and social speaking of the English country they are living in. There are also online ESL programs that may be suitable for distance education, especially if programs are not readily available in your area.
Private Tutors: Another popular method of learning English is with private tutors. The materials and methods used by ESL tutors will vary greatly and it is important to establish what material will be used and to feel comfortable with the tutor. Asking friends or other students for references can be helpful in finding a good tutor.
A combination of these English learning methods will be effective as well. You can take a summer course while staying with a home-stay host family and then arranging for private tutoring during the school year. Making an effort to use your new language skills regularly in social situations will improve your progress regardless of the program or course you are using.
Questions to Ask when Buying a Used Motor Home
When searching for your motor home, you need to be sure you keep your budget in mind. While doing this, also consider the age of the motor home and compare that with the selling price. If you are not sure if the price you are to pay is reasonable, it would be best to shop around from other providers of used motor homes to get a clear idea whether or not similar motor homes are selling at comparable rates.
It is also very important that you bring with you an expert auto mechanic in order to check if the engine of used motor home is still in good condition also to check the overall condition of the vehicle. What looks great on the outside could turn out to be a bad investment.
Ever consider buying in the internet?
As the age of technology makes internet purchasing easier and more appealing, consumers may dabble with the idea of buying via the internet. There are actually three types of sellers on the internet. Dealers who use the internet as their marketing channel, private motor home owners and eBay dealers. However, in buying online, customers need to be very careful during the bidding, you see unused vehicle sold online are being bid on by interested buyers but there are times when the online seller creates faux bidding in order to gain a great lumps of money.
I am not implying that all internet sales are shady. In fact, there are still trustworthy online providers that are very honest in their dealings. There are actually benefits derived from shopping online since you gain access a much wider selection of unused motor homes dealers plus while having the chance to engage in multiple price canvassing. This gives you the opportunity to search for unused motor homes that meet your qualifications and fall within the constraints of your budget. It is crucial to make sure that your expectations regarding the condition, features and options should all be put in writing as part of the agreement to purchase. You should also make sure to add, as part of your purchase agreement, that you reserve the right to have the vehicle inspected by an independent third party and your deposit should be refundable if the vehicle does not pass the inspection or if there are inconsistencies between the written expectations and the vehicle.
How much should I pay?
Price is often the most important issue on your mind when making this kind of purchase. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer of what you should pay toward your motor home purchase. There are factors that affect the prices of the unused motor homes like its age, condition, features, and availability. You can conduct searches on various traders and dealers to get a good approximation of what the asking price should be. You may also try to visit the NADA site and familiarize yourself with the average prices for used vehicles. The lowest retail price shown is equivalent to the discounted or the would-be market value of the vehicle. The wholesale and trade in value is measurably lower, and if ever there are any required expenditures that would be needed to restore the vehicle into its pristine condition then that should be deducted from the low retail price as listed in NADA. In using the NADA site, be sure to add some appropriate optional extras. The only problem is knowing in advance what optional extras and what was included as standard when the unit new. Be conservative when adding the options onto the base price.
What are the important parts to check when buying unused motor homes?
In buying a used motor home or any vehicle, it is important to conduct a thorough inspection of the vehicle. If you are not an expert in vehicles, then consult an expert. You also need to have a notepad or a checklist where to record your observations during the inspection process. This will make your inspection thorough, systematic, and at the same time you will be able to keep track of your findings.
There are multiple areas which you need to inspect like the chassis and the running gear which includes the tires, suspension components, the house or body of the motor home, air-condition unit, refrigerator, heating system, hot water heater leveling system and similar components. Other parts to inspect include the generator, batteries and inverter/converter if applicable. You also need to check the vital components such as brakes and tires and the life span components such as shocks, suspension components, hoses, belts and seals. For this reason, it really is in your best interests to consult a professional for inspection.
Report details product performance
A new technical report provides an instantaneous snapshot of the basic performance parameters of all available finished inventory from Midwest Motion Products.
The 'MMP off the shelf product performance summary' provides an instantaneous snapshot of the basic performance parameters of all available finished inventory from Midwest Motion Products, including DC motors, servomotors, DC gearmotors, linear actuators, motor speed controls, servo amplifiers and DC power supplies. Ideal for the OEM engineer faced with a short term development deadline, the report can be accessed quickly and easily to accurately determine the suitability of a readily available finished product. The information available for (12, 24, 36V and higher) motors and gearmotors includes: model number, diameter, input voltage, input current, output speed, output torque and quantity.
For linear actuators, the report provides model number, operating voltage, stroke length, gear ratio, stroke speed, output force and quantity.
The data provided for PWM Motor speed controls and brushed or brushless servo amplifiers includes operating voltage, peak and continuous output current, analogue command voltage and IP rating.
The DC power supply data includes the 'universal' AC input voltage range, the output voltage, output current, package size and the number of output terminals for multipurpose use.
The 'MMP off the shelf product performance summary' provides an instantaneous snapshot of the basic performance parameters of all available finished inventory from Midwest Motion Products, including DC motors, servomotors, DC gearmotors, linear actuators, motor speed controls, servo amplifiers and DC power supplies. Ideal for the OEM engineer faced with a short term development deadline, the report can be accessed quickly and easily to accurately determine the suitability of a readily available finished product. The information available for (12, 24, 36V and higher) motors and gearmotors includes: model number, diameter, input voltage, input current, output speed, output torque and quantity.
For linear actuators, the report provides model number, operating voltage, stroke length, gear ratio, stroke speed, output force and quantity.
The data provided for PWM Motor speed controls and brushed or brushless servo amplifiers includes operating voltage, peak and continuous output current, analogue command voltage and IP rating.
The DC power supply data includes the 'universal' AC input voltage range, the output voltage, output current, package size and the number of output terminals for multipurpose use.
Piezoelectric motor comes with tiny claims
The latest Squiggle motor from New Scale Technologies, is the smallest linear motor on the market, the company announced today. At 1.5 x 1.5mm, the new SQL-1.5 piezoelectric motor is half the size of competing micro-motors. It also offers a 20 gram push force and submicron position resolution, performing ten times better than its closest competitor on both counts.
'The SQL-1.5 opens a whole new range of performance for miniature electronic systems such as phone cameras and medical devices', said New Scale president David Henderson.
'Designers of leading edge mobile devices finally have a precise, reliable linear motor that fits within their size and power budgets'.
'They can add motion - and hence new capabilities - where they were unable to do so before'.
The SQL-1.5 has been designed into next-generation auto focus and optical zoom assemblies by leading camera module developers, who support the top tier handset manufacturers.
Focus and zoom capabilities have become an essential ingredient in the drive to deliver smaller, thinner handsets with the image quality of digital still cameras.
'Even by the most conservative handset sales forecasts, phone cameras alone represent a new market for one billion motors a year', Henderson said.
'The requirements of these cameras can not be met by current motor technologies'.
The SQL-1.5 is also of interest to medical device manufacturers for a new class of implantable drug pumps and micro-valves.
The motor itself is tiny, but its high precision is what enables the most dramatic reduction in overall device size.
It provides more precise valve control, which permits more concentrated medications and therefore smaller fluid reservoirs.
The patented ceramic motor design generates no magnetic fields and can be made of nonferrous materials, making it MRI-safe and image compatible.
'The SQL-1.5 opens a whole new range of performance for miniature electronic systems such as phone cameras and medical devices', said New Scale president David Henderson.
'Designers of leading edge mobile devices finally have a precise, reliable linear motor that fits within their size and power budgets'.
'They can add motion - and hence new capabilities - where they were unable to do so before'.
The SQL-1.5 has been designed into next-generation auto focus and optical zoom assemblies by leading camera module developers, who support the top tier handset manufacturers.
Focus and zoom capabilities have become an essential ingredient in the drive to deliver smaller, thinner handsets with the image quality of digital still cameras.
'Even by the most conservative handset sales forecasts, phone cameras alone represent a new market for one billion motors a year', Henderson said.
'The requirements of these cameras can not be met by current motor technologies'.
The SQL-1.5 is also of interest to medical device manufacturers for a new class of implantable drug pumps and micro-valves.
The motor itself is tiny, but its high precision is what enables the most dramatic reduction in overall device size.
It provides more precise valve control, which permits more concentrated medications and therefore smaller fluid reservoirs.
The patented ceramic motor design generates no magnetic fields and can be made of nonferrous materials, making it MRI-safe and image compatible.
Compact motor takes gears and electronics onboardhe new 42mm DR(G)-38312 family from Omnimotor combines the compact Shinano Kenshi BLDC motor with int
he new 42mm DR(G)-38312 family from Omnimotor combines the compact Shinano Kenshi BLDC motor with integrated electronics and spur gearbox. This 24V DC, 42mm square package is combined within a 61mm length. Gear ratios from 10 to 50:1 allow a maximum continuous torque of nearly 1Nm to be provided.
RoHS compliance combined with the provision of an integral motor connector make this a most customer-friendly motor.
Two basic version of the motor exist one with simple, functional electronics, the other including speed loop, 3 pulse/rev tacho output signal and clockwise/anticlockwise capability.
Once again, Shinano Kenshi combines its innovative Japanese development capability with low-cost Chinese manufacturing facility.
Applications for the new motor will include pumping and medical/biotech automated equipment.
These motors are available with customised winding configurations and driver configurations to match application requirements plus additional such value added features as drive gear/pulley, special shafts and leadwire/connector assemblies.
The DR(G)-38312 motors are available via Omnimotor and a full range of European distributors of Shinano Kenshi brand product which includes hybrid stepper and brushless DC motors.
Shinano Kenshi has manufacturing locations in Japan and China.
RoHS compliance combined with the provision of an integral motor connector make this a most customer-friendly motor.
Two basic version of the motor exist one with simple, functional electronics, the other including speed loop, 3 pulse/rev tacho output signal and clockwise/anticlockwise capability.
Once again, Shinano Kenshi combines its innovative Japanese development capability with low-cost Chinese manufacturing facility.
Applications for the new motor will include pumping and medical/biotech automated equipment.
These motors are available with customised winding configurations and driver configurations to match application requirements plus additional such value added features as drive gear/pulley, special shafts and leadwire/connector assemblies.
The DR(G)-38312 motors are available via Omnimotor and a full range of European distributors of Shinano Kenshi brand product which includes hybrid stepper and brushless DC motors.
Shinano Kenshi has manufacturing locations in Japan and China.
On-site services solve tricky problems
Manoeuvring a 3m-diameter 23t gear for Blue Circle Southern in Australia is just one example of the resourcefulness regularly shown by David Brown's on-site services team.
Overcoming extremely limited clearances while manoeuvring a 3m-diameter 23t gear for Blue Circle Southern in Australia is just one example of the resourcefulness regularly shown by David Brown's on-site services team. In this case a special cradle was constructed under David Brown's guidance and the gear was transferred into place on rails. The cement mill gearbox operated by Australia's major cement producer had suffered a bearing failure and the resulting debris caused significant damage to the slow speed dual drive double helical pinions and gear teeth.
Engineers from David Brown attended the site to make repairs and allow continued production, at a reduced rate of 75% of full capacity, while the replacement gear and pinions could be manufactured by David Brown Australia.
In the interim there was close liaison with the client to plan the gear set replacement method and keep downtime to a minimum.
Production resumed at 100% following installation of the new gear set in 2004.
An inspection carried out in 2005, following 12 months of full production, showed exceptional tooth contact patterns and an absence of tooth wear, giving the overall refurbishment project a double 'thumbs up'.
The contract underlines the scope of David Brown's on-site services in a market which is increasingly driven by service as well as product excellence.
The team that worked on the project is just part of David Brown's fully qualified field service engineer resource which is available in most key geographies to provide a number of key services from performance testing, fault diagnostics through to installation/commissioning, alignment checks and emergency repairs.
Recognising the importance of preventative maintenance, the company also boasts a range of applications knowledge, gained through close long-term customer partnerships in many heavy process industries, to offer performance improvements to transmissions and other rotating equipment.
Using appropriate condition monitoring and analysis techniques, David Brown is able to pin point critical process issues and recommend courses of action to substantially reduce the associated risks.
David Brown's deep knowledge of transmissions and other rotating equipment, combined with its close geographic proximity, means it is well positioned to respond rapidly to its customers' needs, seeking to identify and predict issues, and offering solutions to improve their process performance.
Service engineers are also available to install and inspect transmissions and other rotating equipment throughout the world and David Brown provides installation services and alignment checks that cover everything from a simple equipment installation to a complete drive system installation.
To ensure a proper startup of the equipment, David Brown service engineers can also provide its customers with inspection services and advice on project managing installations.
Finally, experienced service engineers, using modern equipment and leading technology, provide repair services at the site to restore or enhance performance of transmissions or other rotating equipment.
The services range from emergency repairs, as in Australia, to repairs of equipment during planned shutdowns.
Repair services cover all transmissions used in a variety of heavy process industries, from metals processing through to mining and cement manufacture.
Overcoming extremely limited clearances while manoeuvring a 3m-diameter 23t gear for Blue Circle Southern in Australia is just one example of the resourcefulness regularly shown by David Brown's on-site services team. In this case a special cradle was constructed under David Brown's guidance and the gear was transferred into place on rails. The cement mill gearbox operated by Australia's major cement producer had suffered a bearing failure and the resulting debris caused significant damage to the slow speed dual drive double helical pinions and gear teeth.
Engineers from David Brown attended the site to make repairs and allow continued production, at a reduced rate of 75% of full capacity, while the replacement gear and pinions could be manufactured by David Brown Australia.
In the interim there was close liaison with the client to plan the gear set replacement method and keep downtime to a minimum.
Production resumed at 100% following installation of the new gear set in 2004.
An inspection carried out in 2005, following 12 months of full production, showed exceptional tooth contact patterns and an absence of tooth wear, giving the overall refurbishment project a double 'thumbs up'.
The contract underlines the scope of David Brown's on-site services in a market which is increasingly driven by service as well as product excellence.
The team that worked on the project is just part of David Brown's fully qualified field service engineer resource which is available in most key geographies to provide a number of key services from performance testing, fault diagnostics through to installation/commissioning, alignment checks and emergency repairs.
Recognising the importance of preventative maintenance, the company also boasts a range of applications knowledge, gained through close long-term customer partnerships in many heavy process industries, to offer performance improvements to transmissions and other rotating equipment.
Using appropriate condition monitoring and analysis techniques, David Brown is able to pin point critical process issues and recommend courses of action to substantially reduce the associated risks.
David Brown's deep knowledge of transmissions and other rotating equipment, combined with its close geographic proximity, means it is well positioned to respond rapidly to its customers' needs, seeking to identify and predict issues, and offering solutions to improve their process performance.
Service engineers are also available to install and inspect transmissions and other rotating equipment throughout the world and David Brown provides installation services and alignment checks that cover everything from a simple equipment installation to a complete drive system installation.
To ensure a proper startup of the equipment, David Brown service engineers can also provide its customers with inspection services and advice on project managing installations.
Finally, experienced service engineers, using modern equipment and leading technology, provide repair services at the site to restore or enhance performance of transmissions or other rotating equipment.
The services range from emergency repairs, as in Australia, to repairs of equipment during planned shutdowns.
Repair services cover all transmissions used in a variety of heavy process industries, from metals processing through to mining and cement manufacture.
Gearboxes drop in to upgrade mill capacity
David Brown Engineering has supplied five large gearboxes and pinions to JSW Steel in India in the first stage of a major upgrading of the company's hot strip mill facilities.
David Brown Engineering has supplied five large gearboxes and pinions to JSW Steel in India in the first stage of a major upgrading of the company's hot strip mill facilities completed during April and May 2006. This initial project will increase capacity by 40% and other planned improvements are designed to progressively double throughput at the facilities. The plant near Bellary in the province of Karnataka has six finishing mills with 5000hp motors and these motors have been upgraded to 7000hp.
The replacement gearboxes and pinions from David Brown Engineering have the same footprint and critical dimensions as the existing ones, enabling a 'drop-in' solution.
This caused the minimum disruption to production when they were installed together with new motors as well as obviating the main obstacle to upgrading given that reorganisation of the mill equipment layout invariably involves monumental cost and long term disruption.
Close co-operation between JSW Steel and David Brown and all the partners in the project has been the hallmark of the operation and experts from the engineering company made a number of visits to the plant to discuss the project, offer technical advise, take measurements and work in conjunction with other major suppliers who were involved in motors and couplings and in overall consultancy.
In fact representatives of David Brown Engineering visited the plant to take measurements and plan for the project five times in conjunction with the other three partners in the project: main contractor VAI (UK), motor manufacturer Siemens, Germany and couplings producer Maina, Italy.
A good example of the spirit of co-operation that characterises the project was the fitting of couplings before dispatch of the gearboxes from Huddersfield.
In the original plan the Italian-built Maina couplings would have been fitted on site in India, but it was judged that critical installation time could be reduced on site by first shipping the couplings to the UK.
Furthermore David Brown Engineering supplied services of commissioning engineering, flying out to India to supervise the installation of the gearboxes, and in the run-up to the operation team meetings are being held at VAI offices in Sheffield.
The installation took place in one planned 5 week shutdown with the actual installation performed by JSW Steel.
VAI and Siemens were also present to oversee the installation of the motors.
The existing plant was purchased in its entirety from the United States a decade ago and the gearboxes were reaching the end of their natural life.
The plant, in the remote province of Karnataka in southern India, is part of the JSW Group, in turn part of India's fourth largest business conglomerate, the Jindal Organisation with interests in mining, carbon steel, stainless steel, power and oxygen and currently valued at US $4 billion.
The group was founded in 1964 by OP Jindal who from humble beginnings, rose to become one of India's leading industrialists and founded a steel making dynasty of world importance.
This particular step in investment and expansion is seen as a major opportunity for the group against the current backdrop of a world steel shortage.
David Brown Engineering has supplied five large gearboxes and pinions to JSW Steel in India in the first stage of a major upgrading of the company's hot strip mill facilities completed during April and May 2006. This initial project will increase capacity by 40% and other planned improvements are designed to progressively double throughput at the facilities. The plant near Bellary in the province of Karnataka has six finishing mills with 5000hp motors and these motors have been upgraded to 7000hp.
The replacement gearboxes and pinions from David Brown Engineering have the same footprint and critical dimensions as the existing ones, enabling a 'drop-in' solution.
This caused the minimum disruption to production when they were installed together with new motors as well as obviating the main obstacle to upgrading given that reorganisation of the mill equipment layout invariably involves monumental cost and long term disruption.
Close co-operation between JSW Steel and David Brown and all the partners in the project has been the hallmark of the operation and experts from the engineering company made a number of visits to the plant to discuss the project, offer technical advise, take measurements and work in conjunction with other major suppliers who were involved in motors and couplings and in overall consultancy.
In fact representatives of David Brown Engineering visited the plant to take measurements and plan for the project five times in conjunction with the other three partners in the project: main contractor VAI (UK), motor manufacturer Siemens, Germany and couplings producer Maina, Italy.
A good example of the spirit of co-operation that characterises the project was the fitting of couplings before dispatch of the gearboxes from Huddersfield.
In the original plan the Italian-built Maina couplings would have been fitted on site in India, but it was judged that critical installation time could be reduced on site by first shipping the couplings to the UK.
Furthermore David Brown Engineering supplied services of commissioning engineering, flying out to India to supervise the installation of the gearboxes, and in the run-up to the operation team meetings are being held at VAI offices in Sheffield.
The installation took place in one planned 5 week shutdown with the actual installation performed by JSW Steel.
VAI and Siemens were also present to oversee the installation of the motors.
The existing plant was purchased in its entirety from the United States a decade ago and the gearboxes were reaching the end of their natural life.
The plant, in the remote province of Karnataka in southern India, is part of the JSW Group, in turn part of India's fourth largest business conglomerate, the Jindal Organisation with interests in mining, carbon steel, stainless steel, power and oxygen and currently valued at US $4 billion.
The group was founded in 1964 by OP Jindal who from humble beginnings, rose to become one of India's leading industrialists and founded a steel making dynasty of world importance.
This particular step in investment and expansion is seen as a major opportunity for the group against the current backdrop of a world steel shortage.
Distributor takes clutches and couplings to Spain
Renold Clutches and Couplings has gone into partnership with Spanish distributor USA Brammer, a sister company to BSL Brammer in the UK.
Renold Clutches and Couplings of Cardiff has gone into partnership with Spanish distributor USA Brammer, a sister company to BSL Brammer in the UK. The Spanish distributor will stock Renold's range of interchangeable trapped roller and sprag clutch freewheels to provide an off-the-shelf service to engineers throughout Spain. Martin Slade, Renold Clutches and Couplings' Sales Director said: 'We are delighted with this new agreement with another distributorship within the Brammer group'.
'Spain is an important country for us and we know that USA Brammer will provide the best possible service for our customers there'.
Renold recently announced that its entire range of trapped roller and sprag clutch freewheels is interchangeable with those of other leading American and European manufacturers such as Formsprag, Stieber, Ringspann and Cross and Morse.
Renold Clutches and Couplings of Cardiff has gone into partnership with Spanish distributor USA Brammer, a sister company to BSL Brammer in the UK. The Spanish distributor will stock Renold's range of interchangeable trapped roller and sprag clutch freewheels to provide an off-the-shelf service to engineers throughout Spain. Martin Slade, Renold Clutches and Couplings' Sales Director said: 'We are delighted with this new agreement with another distributorship within the Brammer group'.
'Spain is an important country for us and we know that USA Brammer will provide the best possible service for our customers there'.
Renold recently announced that its entire range of trapped roller and sprag clutch freewheels is interchangeable with those of other leading American and European manufacturers such as Formsprag, Stieber, Ringspann and Cross and Morse.
Gear and actuator products online
Harmonic Drive has redesigned its website to provide a wealth of information on its complete range of products, supported by thorough technical and application data. The structure, bold explanatory menus and logical design of the new website ensures that it is straightforward to navigate and easy to find information required on Harmonic Drives' gear and actuator products. Product information has been upgraded to include specialised sections: component sets, units, gearboxes, planetary gears, servo actuators and controllers, and special actuators.
Each section contains detailed information of the products, beginning with an overview of the area and is then segmented into more specific information on each product in the section.
Furthermore, the website now includes a simple to use selection guide, which enables customers to make fully informed decisions on the most appropriate product and have complete confidence that they are using the best product for their application.
Visitors to the website can also access and download a comprehensive technical library of information including technical articles, company press information, brochures and flyers, assembly instructions, details of current research projects and research results, as well as 2 and 3D CAD data on each of the company's products.
Each section contains detailed information of the products, beginning with an overview of the area and is then segmented into more specific information on each product in the section.
Furthermore, the website now includes a simple to use selection guide, which enables customers to make fully informed decisions on the most appropriate product and have complete confidence that they are using the best product for their application.
Visitors to the website can also access and download a comprehensive technical library of information including technical articles, company press information, brochures and flyers, assembly instructions, details of current research projects and research results, as well as 2 and 3D CAD data on each of the company's products.
Exposed gearhead parts made from stainless steel
Helical planetary precision gearheads for direct attachment to servo and stepper motors are for packaging, medical, material handling, robotics and automotive applications.
Boston Gear has available helical planetary precision gearheads - high-quality gearheads for direct attachment to popular servo and stepper motors. These durable, long-lasting performers are for packaging, medical, material handling, robotics and automotive applications. 'Precision gearheads are a welcome addition to our product line with the range of sizes and configurations that our customers need', said John Chi, Product Manager, Speed Reducers.
'They're perfect when customers need both value and reliable performance'.
The gearheads include planet carrier design, input and output sealing designs, and heat and surface treatments.
Constructed of long-lasting materials, all exposed gearhead parts are stainless steel to increase performance.
Housings are available in black anodised aluminium for standard applications and epoxy-coated for wet and washdown applications.
The five-year warranty covers seals, bearings and all elements for the gearheads.
The gearheads provide high output torque, quiet operation, and reduced backlash.
Boston Gear has available helical planetary precision gearheads - high-quality gearheads for direct attachment to popular servo and stepper motors. These durable, long-lasting performers are for packaging, medical, material handling, robotics and automotive applications. 'Precision gearheads are a welcome addition to our product line with the range of sizes and configurations that our customers need', said John Chi, Product Manager, Speed Reducers.
'They're perfect when customers need both value and reliable performance'.
The gearheads include planet carrier design, input and output sealing designs, and heat and surface treatments.
Constructed of long-lasting materials, all exposed gearhead parts are stainless steel to increase performance.
Housings are available in black anodised aluminium for standard applications and epoxy-coated for wet and washdown applications.
The five-year warranty covers seals, bearings and all elements for the gearheads.
The gearheads provide high output torque, quiet operation, and reduced backlash.
Planetary gearheads promise true value
ValueTrue is a reliable, value-priced extension to Danaher Motion's family of Micron True planetary gearheads - with over 1000 size and ratio combinations.
Danaher Motion introduces Micron ValueTrue planetary gearheads. ValueTrue is a reliable, value-priced extension to Danaher Motion's family of Micron True planetary gearheads - with over 1000 size and ratio combinations, the largest selection of planetary gearheads worldwide. They offer simple drop-in replacement for most common helical gearheads at up to 30% less cost than comparable gearhead technology.
ValueTrue provides precise operation with just 4arc-min of backlash.
They are available in eight frame sizes from 60 to 200mm, with inline and right-angle configurations.
Additionally, they are RediMount compliant for mounting to any motor in three easy steps - simply align, mount and tighten.
ValueTrue gearheads are lubricated for life and require no maintenance and feature a stainless steel output housing that provides the durability required in harsh application environments.
Danaher Motion introduces Micron ValueTrue planetary gearheads. ValueTrue is a reliable, value-priced extension to Danaher Motion's family of Micron True planetary gearheads - with over 1000 size and ratio combinations, the largest selection of planetary gearheads worldwide. They offer simple drop-in replacement for most common helical gearheads at up to 30% less cost than comparable gearhead technology.
ValueTrue provides precise operation with just 4arc-min of backlash.
They are available in eight frame sizes from 60 to 200mm, with inline and right-angle configurations.
Additionally, they are RediMount compliant for mounting to any motor in three easy steps - simply align, mount and tighten.
ValueTrue gearheads are lubricated for life and require no maintenance and feature a stainless steel output housing that provides the durability required in harsh application environments.
Customised gearbox aids extraterrestrial search
Cone Drive enlisted the help of sister company David Brown to upgrade the shutter motion of the world's largest optical and infra-red telescope.
The second stage of an upgrade project has seen Cone Drive working with Dangel Robots and Machinery to provide another specialist solution for the world famous WM Keck Observatory at the summit of Hawaii's Mauna Kea. Cone Drive had already been involved in a successful project to replace exterior mounted worm boxes in 2004 and this time returned with additional expertise provided by its sister company David Brown to upgrade the shutter motion of the world's largest optical and infra-red telescope. The latest stage of the project involved installation of new drives for the two massive shutters on the dome that encloses the Keck I telescope.
The upper and lower shutters weigh around 47 and 23 tonnes, respectively.
Central drive motors were replaced with synchronised drives on each side of the shutters.
Cone Drive and David Brown - both Textron companies - worked together to provide custom gearbox input and output shafting to match the drive train requirement and simplify the installation which was an onerous task given the telescope's location at 4300m elevation and the requirement to complete the work during a scheduled shutdown.
It was critical to minimise the length of the shutdown required to perform this work in order to avoid losing valuable observing time.
Dangel Robots was engaged to assist with the drive train design and provide the motion control system and software.
The new motion control system incorporates a number of unique features not available previously.
The most significant operational improvements are the ability to use the shutters to track the vertical motion of the telescope to minimise the effect of wind buffeting, and faster shutter speed to close up quickly if the weather turns bad.
Other new capabilities are to move the shutters together with a minimum gap for daytime maintenance, to independently operate the left and right side drives for alignment, and to control shutter speed during portions of the move profile.
For the power transmission, Dangel Robots specified a David Brown G14 right angle bevel-helical gearbox to combine the functions of both the original mitre and helical reduction boxes.
A motor bracket was designed to mount both the motor and the G14 gearbox using some of the existing holes in the shutter frame to ensure the drive train output alignment.
The close working relationship between Cone Drive and David Brown provided custom gearbox input and output shafting to match up the drive train requirement.
This drop-in solution greatly simplified installation on the shutter.
Dangel Robots built a custom enclosure for the motion controller, 40hp inverter drives and drive components to fit inside the curvature of the dome.
Dangel Robots also created a twentieth-scale model of the shutters with 1hp motors to test the motion control electronic components and the software.
The mechanical model and motion control system were interfaced to the Keck telescope operating computer to test all of the motion control functions prior to installation on the actual dome.
Keck Observatory personnel installed the new drive train hardware and control system during a shutdown in the late summer of 2005.
Installation went smoothly and was completed on time.
Shutter motion is faster, smoother and quieter than it was with the old power transmission.
The Keck I telescope is one of two operated by the California Association for Research in Astronomy at the summit of Mauna Kea.
Each telescope stands eight storeys tall and weighs 300 tonnes, yet operates with nanometre precision, probing the deepest regions of the universe.
The dome and shutters for the Keck II telescope were originally built using Cone gearboxes in 1995 and they are still performing today.
Cone Drive provided a 'drop in' solution to replace the reducers on the shutters for the Keck I telescope that was built in 1991.
The original reducers were undersized and causing maintenance problems.
Seal leaks were of special concern because of the low temperatures and dry air at such high altitude.
The observatory presents obvious maintenance problems and the aim was to find a replacement reducer that would require minimum modification at the summit, and which offered an increased service factor and improved seal arrangement.
For the final stage of the project four David Brown G14 gearboxes with a ratio of 41.6:1 were added to the 14 previously installed Cone custom 8.000in centre distance HP double enveloping worm reducer units with a special ratio of 9.75:1.
Modified shafting, housings, mounting flanges and keeper plates were provided to mount the gearboxes and connect them together.
The gearboxes incorporate taconite seal arrangements on both input and output shafts.
Oil expansion chambers were supplied to provide sealed units since the gearboxes change attitude as the shutters move up and down over the dome.
The second stage of an upgrade project has seen Cone Drive working with Dangel Robots and Machinery to provide another specialist solution for the world famous WM Keck Observatory at the summit of Hawaii's Mauna Kea. Cone Drive had already been involved in a successful project to replace exterior mounted worm boxes in 2004 and this time returned with additional expertise provided by its sister company David Brown to upgrade the shutter motion of the world's largest optical and infra-red telescope. The latest stage of the project involved installation of new drives for the two massive shutters on the dome that encloses the Keck I telescope.
The upper and lower shutters weigh around 47 and 23 tonnes, respectively.
Central drive motors were replaced with synchronised drives on each side of the shutters.
Cone Drive and David Brown - both Textron companies - worked together to provide custom gearbox input and output shafting to match the drive train requirement and simplify the installation which was an onerous task given the telescope's location at 4300m elevation and the requirement to complete the work during a scheduled shutdown.
It was critical to minimise the length of the shutdown required to perform this work in order to avoid losing valuable observing time.
Dangel Robots was engaged to assist with the drive train design and provide the motion control system and software.
The new motion control system incorporates a number of unique features not available previously.
The most significant operational improvements are the ability to use the shutters to track the vertical motion of the telescope to minimise the effect of wind buffeting, and faster shutter speed to close up quickly if the weather turns bad.
Other new capabilities are to move the shutters together with a minimum gap for daytime maintenance, to independently operate the left and right side drives for alignment, and to control shutter speed during portions of the move profile.
For the power transmission, Dangel Robots specified a David Brown G14 right angle bevel-helical gearbox to combine the functions of both the original mitre and helical reduction boxes.
A motor bracket was designed to mount both the motor and the G14 gearbox using some of the existing holes in the shutter frame to ensure the drive train output alignment.
The close working relationship between Cone Drive and David Brown provided custom gearbox input and output shafting to match up the drive train requirement.
This drop-in solution greatly simplified installation on the shutter.
Dangel Robots built a custom enclosure for the motion controller, 40hp inverter drives and drive components to fit inside the curvature of the dome.
Dangel Robots also created a twentieth-scale model of the shutters with 1hp motors to test the motion control electronic components and the software.
The mechanical model and motion control system were interfaced to the Keck telescope operating computer to test all of the motion control functions prior to installation on the actual dome.
Keck Observatory personnel installed the new drive train hardware and control system during a shutdown in the late summer of 2005.
Installation went smoothly and was completed on time.
Shutter motion is faster, smoother and quieter than it was with the old power transmission.
The Keck I telescope is one of two operated by the California Association for Research in Astronomy at the summit of Mauna Kea.
Each telescope stands eight storeys tall and weighs 300 tonnes, yet operates with nanometre precision, probing the deepest regions of the universe.
The dome and shutters for the Keck II telescope were originally built using Cone gearboxes in 1995 and they are still performing today.
Cone Drive provided a 'drop in' solution to replace the reducers on the shutters for the Keck I telescope that was built in 1991.
The original reducers were undersized and causing maintenance problems.
Seal leaks were of special concern because of the low temperatures and dry air at such high altitude.
The observatory presents obvious maintenance problems and the aim was to find a replacement reducer that would require minimum modification at the summit, and which offered an increased service factor and improved seal arrangement.
For the final stage of the project four David Brown G14 gearboxes with a ratio of 41.6:1 were added to the 14 previously installed Cone custom 8.000in centre distance HP double enveloping worm reducer units with a special ratio of 9.75:1.
Modified shafting, housings, mounting flanges and keeper plates were provided to mount the gearboxes and connect them together.
The gearboxes incorporate taconite seal arrangements on both input and output shafts.
Oil expansion chambers were supplied to provide sealed units since the gearboxes change attitude as the shutters move up and down over the dome.
Gearboxes drive huge X-ray machine in Middle East
Huge plattons carrying driverless lorries through a giant X-ray machine glide smoothly across a series of wheels driven by gearboxes secured to spring-loaded base plates.
Westermo Data Communications announce the release a stand-alone industrial radio modem that offers both a long range and high reliability when connecting 10/100 BaseT Ethernet networks wirelessly. The ELPRO 805U-E is an ideal solution for industrial Ethernet connections in both process control and factory automation applications such as PLCs, DCS, SCADA, data acquisition and wireless video. The module uses 869MHz unlicensed radio technology, offering a data rate of up to 77 Kbits/sec, to provide excellent penetration in congested industrial environments with a range of over 500m through buildings, factory walls and steelwork.
It is suitable for both long and short-range applications, with a maximum range of up to 5km.
A repeater function can increase the range even further.
The 805U-E is extremely reliable, incorporating multiple layers of error-detection and correction, plus an automatic changeover to another Access Point if the wireless link fails.
Security is of course as paramount.
As well as having secure firewall protection, the 805U-E makes use of military-grade AES security encryption of the wireless data.
The module can be easily configured - using a web-browser - as an access point, bridge, router or client/station.
Remote configuration and diagnostics are also available via the wireless link.
To improve the management of the wireless data the module uses a message filtering system at the MAC address level DIN rail mountable and housed in a heavy-duty aluminium case, the 805U-E is suitable for industrial/outdoor use in temperatures of between -40 deg C and +60 deg C.
The unit has two serial interfaces (RS232 and RS485) and 10-30V DC power supply options.
* About Westermo - Westermo Data Communications is a subsidiary of Westermo Teleindustri of Sweden, one of Europe's leading industrial data communications specialists, with offices in Germany, France, UK, Norway and Sweden.
The Company has been operating for over 25 years and is best known for its extensive modem experience, including PSTN, GSM and ISDN connectivity, which find widespread connectivity applications in telemetry, data acquisition, monitoring and maintenance applications.
More recently, Ontime Networks has become part of the group making Westermo one of the leading players in the Industrial Ethernet Market on a worldwide basis.
Westermo has a strong strategic alliance with Elpro Technologies in Australia for low power wireless connectivity products.
Westermo maintains a highly experienced technical support department at their Hampshire offices and are a company capable of supporting difficult industrial applications, both in a pre- and post-sales capacity.
Westermo Data Communications announce the release a stand-alone industrial radio modem that offers both a long range and high reliability when connecting 10/100 BaseT Ethernet networks wirelessly. The ELPRO 805U-E is an ideal solution for industrial Ethernet connections in both process control and factory automation applications such as PLCs, DCS, SCADA, data acquisition and wireless video. The module uses 869MHz unlicensed radio technology, offering a data rate of up to 77 Kbits/sec, to provide excellent penetration in congested industrial environments with a range of over 500m through buildings, factory walls and steelwork.
It is suitable for both long and short-range applications, with a maximum range of up to 5km.
A repeater function can increase the range even further.
The 805U-E is extremely reliable, incorporating multiple layers of error-detection and correction, plus an automatic changeover to another Access Point if the wireless link fails.
Security is of course as paramount.
As well as having secure firewall protection, the 805U-E makes use of military-grade AES security encryption of the wireless data.
The module can be easily configured - using a web-browser - as an access point, bridge, router or client/station.
Remote configuration and diagnostics are also available via the wireless link.
To improve the management of the wireless data the module uses a message filtering system at the MAC address level DIN rail mountable and housed in a heavy-duty aluminium case, the 805U-E is suitable for industrial/outdoor use in temperatures of between -40 deg C and +60 deg C.
The unit has two serial interfaces (RS232 and RS485) and 10-30V DC power supply options.
* About Westermo - Westermo Data Communications is a subsidiary of Westermo Teleindustri of Sweden, one of Europe's leading industrial data communications specialists, with offices in Germany, France, UK, Norway and Sweden.
The Company has been operating for over 25 years and is best known for its extensive modem experience, including PSTN, GSM and ISDN connectivity, which find widespread connectivity applications in telemetry, data acquisition, monitoring and maintenance applications.
More recently, Ontime Networks has become part of the group making Westermo one of the leading players in the Industrial Ethernet Market on a worldwide basis.
Westermo has a strong strategic alliance with Elpro Technologies in Australia for low power wireless connectivity products.
Westermo maintains a highly experienced technical support department at their Hampshire offices and are a company capable of supporting difficult industrial applications, both in a pre- and post-sales capacity.
Gearboxes extend to heavy duty applications
Shaft mounted helical gearboxes extend to heavy duty applications, matching the largest equivalent units from Fenner, Benzler Sala and Dodge.
Renold Gears has extended its SMXtra range of shaft mounted helical gearboxes, for heavy duty applications, to include sizes 11 and 12 that match the largest equivalent units from Fenner, Benzler Sala and Dodge. The ATEX approved range is now available in 12 sizes up to 235kW capacity with a choice of single or double reduction units with ratios of up to 25:1 and output speeds from 10 to 400rev/min. The SMXtra gearbox range is manufactured with hardened, profile ground single helical gears with high capacity bearings to ensure maximum power transmission, maximum load carrying capacity and longer life.
The units mount directly onto the shaft of the driven machine completely eliminating alignment problems as there is no need for couplings, base plates, slide rails or support structures.
They are ideally suited to heavy-duty applications in hostile environments and provide the ideal drive for many types of machinery.
Depending on requirements the SMXtra range can be fitted with advanced seals to optimise protection from dust and moisture.
Additionally, by reversing one element of the standard design, the seal can provide additional security to prevent the egress of oil into sensitive environments such as in food manufacturing.
Renold Gears has produced a new catalogue for all the gearboxes in its SMXtra range, including the new sizes 11 and 12, with details of the power ratings for each unit.
Renold Gears has extended its SMXtra range of shaft mounted helical gearboxes, for heavy duty applications, to include sizes 11 and 12 that match the largest equivalent units from Fenner, Benzler Sala and Dodge. The ATEX approved range is now available in 12 sizes up to 235kW capacity with a choice of single or double reduction units with ratios of up to 25:1 and output speeds from 10 to 400rev/min. The SMXtra gearbox range is manufactured with hardened, profile ground single helical gears with high capacity bearings to ensure maximum power transmission, maximum load carrying capacity and longer life.
The units mount directly onto the shaft of the driven machine completely eliminating alignment problems as there is no need for couplings, base plates, slide rails or support structures.
They are ideally suited to heavy-duty applications in hostile environments and provide the ideal drive for many types of machinery.
Depending on requirements the SMXtra range can be fitted with advanced seals to optimise protection from dust and moisture.
Additionally, by reversing one element of the standard design, the seal can provide additional security to prevent the egress of oil into sensitive environments such as in food manufacturing.
Renold Gears has produced a new catalogue for all the gearboxes in its SMXtra range, including the new sizes 11 and 12, with details of the power ratings for each unit.
Gear cutting course aimed at setters, engineers
The British Gear Association is supporting a four day 'Introduction to gear cutting and measurement' course at Coventry Technical College. The course, from August 12-15 inclusive, is designed for engineers, technicians, supervisors, inspectors and setters who require an understanding and some practical experience in basic gear measurement and cutting. The course content includes basic involute gear theory, terms and definitions for spur and helical gears.
Delegates will be given practical work on the measurement of gears including calculations.
They will be given the basic principles of gear hobbing and shaping and practical work in setting up and producing spur and helical gears on hobbing and shaping machines.
The course is being run in conjunction with Midland Group Training Services who are based in Coventry and presenter will be Mr.John Reilly, formerly of Coventry Technical College.
The introduction to gear cutting and measurement is open to BGA and MGTS members as well as to non-members.
Delegates will be given practical work on the measurement of gears including calculations.
They will be given the basic principles of gear hobbing and shaping and practical work in setting up and producing spur and helical gears on hobbing and shaping machines.
The course is being run in conjunction with Midland Group Training Services who are based in Coventry and presenter will be Mr.John Reilly, formerly of Coventry Technical College.
The introduction to gear cutting and measurement is open to BGA and MGTS members as well as to non-members.
Wormgear contact analysis reduces errors
Wormgear Contact Analysis program has revolutionized the production of large centre-distance wormgears by reducing error margins and manufacturing leadtimes.
Specialist UK gear manufacturer, Holroyd, has developed a new Wormgear Contact Analysis program that revolutionizes the production of large centre-distance wormgears. The program both reduces the margin for error in the manufacture of precision, made-to-order gearsets and enables dramatic reductions in lead times to be achieved. It also ensures greater consistency in manufacture and longer gear life by providing benefits, such as improved controllable contact spread, smoother unscraped finish, enhanced lubrication and the ability to cut wormgears off-load to offset distortion due to loading during use.
Developed at Holroyd's Rochdale production plant over a four-year period, the analysis program has been proven with hundreds of hours of theoretical, synthesised and actual marking patterns, logged on wormwheel sizes from 3in (76.2mm) to 33in (838.2mm).
In addition to delivering approximately 95% mirror image accuracy between predicted and actual marking patterns, crucially, Holroyd's Wormgear Contact Analysis Program also predicts contact movement, affected by worm/wheel distortion or centre line/centre distance misalignment (see graphics).
This enables Holroyd to use information regarding the predicted worm/wheel distortion imposed by a given load, to cut wormgears off-load, whose carefully calculated contact pattern will automatically compensate for the inevitable distortion imposed by the load to which the gears will be subjected during use.
Stephen Whitehead, Holroyd's Sales Director for Gears, is one of the main driving forces behind the new program.
He explains its significance: 'Historically, the manufacture of large wormgears has taken advantage of the specialist skills and knowledge of skilled gearcutters and their familiarity with gear hobbing machines, which, over time, develop special and unique characteristics'.
'Traditionally therefore, the production of large gearsets has involved a time-consuming and painstaking design procedure, followed by a complicated series of machining processes, including cutting of the wormwheel and grinding of the worm thread prior to meshing, followed, in rare cases, by the regrinding or recutting of the worm or wheel, in order to achieve the desired contact'.
'The introduction of the Wormgear Analysis Program changes this situation fundamentally.
The program functions as an integral part of our wormgear design process, removing the reliance on traditional - and declining - skills-based manufacturing.
It enables us to eliminate trial and error from the design and production process using contact prediction graphics and revised calculations, with the result that we are able to manufacture accurate and efficient gearsets right first time'.
'The fact that we have spent so much time and resources on the development of this program highlights our determination to remain leaders at the very forefront of precision wormgear production technology.
Over the years Holroyd has earned a reputation for creating effective and affordable solutions to even the most problematic wormgear engineering challenges, thriving on an unrivalled ability to realise business opportunities in complex and demanding applications which other manufacturers often find difficult to address.
The Analysis Program further strengthens our abilities in this area, so much so that we're inviting wormgear users to present us with their manufacturing challenges, to which we will provide a predicted solution model absolutely free of charge!'
Specialist UK gear manufacturer, Holroyd, has developed a new Wormgear Contact Analysis program that revolutionizes the production of large centre-distance wormgears. The program both reduces the margin for error in the manufacture of precision, made-to-order gearsets and enables dramatic reductions in lead times to be achieved. It also ensures greater consistency in manufacture and longer gear life by providing benefits, such as improved controllable contact spread, smoother unscraped finish, enhanced lubrication and the ability to cut wormgears off-load to offset distortion due to loading during use.
Developed at Holroyd's Rochdale production plant over a four-year period, the analysis program has been proven with hundreds of hours of theoretical, synthesised and actual marking patterns, logged on wormwheel sizes from 3in (76.2mm) to 33in (838.2mm).
In addition to delivering approximately 95% mirror image accuracy between predicted and actual marking patterns, crucially, Holroyd's Wormgear Contact Analysis Program also predicts contact movement, affected by worm/wheel distortion or centre line/centre distance misalignment (see graphics).
This enables Holroyd to use information regarding the predicted worm/wheel distortion imposed by a given load, to cut wormgears off-load, whose carefully calculated contact pattern will automatically compensate for the inevitable distortion imposed by the load to which the gears will be subjected during use.
Stephen Whitehead, Holroyd's Sales Director for Gears, is one of the main driving forces behind the new program.
He explains its significance: 'Historically, the manufacture of large wormgears has taken advantage of the specialist skills and knowledge of skilled gearcutters and their familiarity with gear hobbing machines, which, over time, develop special and unique characteristics'.
'Traditionally therefore, the production of large gearsets has involved a time-consuming and painstaking design procedure, followed by a complicated series of machining processes, including cutting of the wormwheel and grinding of the worm thread prior to meshing, followed, in rare cases, by the regrinding or recutting of the worm or wheel, in order to achieve the desired contact'.
'The introduction of the Wormgear Analysis Program changes this situation fundamentally.
The program functions as an integral part of our wormgear design process, removing the reliance on traditional - and declining - skills-based manufacturing.
It enables us to eliminate trial and error from the design and production process using contact prediction graphics and revised calculations, with the result that we are able to manufacture accurate and efficient gearsets right first time'.
'The fact that we have spent so much time and resources on the development of this program highlights our determination to remain leaders at the very forefront of precision wormgear production technology.
Over the years Holroyd has earned a reputation for creating effective and affordable solutions to even the most problematic wormgear engineering challenges, thriving on an unrivalled ability to realise business opportunities in complex and demanding applications which other manufacturers often find difficult to address.
The Analysis Program further strengthens our abilities in this area, so much so that we're inviting wormgear users to present us with their manufacturing challenges, to which we will provide a predicted solution model absolutely free of charge!'
Gear hobbers re-engineered to DIN 5 precision
A new, CNC- based, re-engineering package from Holroyd is enabling existing users of the company's range of mechanical gear hobbing machines to update them and benefit from DIN 5 levels of accuracy in the production of worm wheels and sets, at a cost up to 60% less than that of an equivalent new machine. Holroyd has a long and successful history of producing gear hobbing machines - and of exporting them to all parts of the world. The company manufactured its machines for about 25 years until the late 1970's when the market became saturated and the requirement for new machine stock had started to decline.
At that time the machines produced by Holroyd were mechanically superb.
They were constructed using all cast components and manufactured to a degree of accuracy that compares favourably with the most accurate machines on the market today.
'The highly stable cast base and structure that we routinely provided on our range of gear hobbing machines provides the ideal platform for updating the machines to achieve the highest levels of accuracy at a fraction of the cost of buying new,' says Holroyd Director, Steve Whitehead.
'We have already proved both the effectiveness of the conversion - and the cost savings - by updating one of our own production machines in our own factory.
Previously the machine was referred to as Class B precision, producing product to DIN 7 levels of accuracy.
Following re-engineering, the hobber is now a class A machine, producing to DIN 5 accuracy, a figure that enables the machine to satisfy over 80% of the market for worm wheels.
With most retrofit packages, improved accuracy on its own would more than justify the equipment outlay.
We have gone a step further, however, realising major improvements in set-up times, down from 2 hours to 20mins on the re-engineered hobbing machines.' Holroyd's original production of gear hobbers ran to five sizes of machines with table dimensions of 12in, 24in, 48in, 60in and 72in.
All of these machines were designed using the mechanical, 'multiple differential principle', whereby a single motor drive gives all motion differentials which are coupled mechanically.
In the new re-engineering package this motion is now controlled electronically by a Fanuc 16i CNC machine controller, working in conjunction with four brushless servomotors.
The Fanuc controller was chosen because it offers users the time saving advantages of plain language shopfloor programming.
As an example of this, program features are laid out in simple table formats that allow parameters for the finished worm gear to entered simply and quickly.
Set-up times are much reduced, as a result, leading to real gains in productivity.
The Fanuc CNC co-ordinates the motion of the four machine axes: Hob Spindle, Table Drive, Cross Feed and Infeed, via servomotors equipped with high-resolution encoders; the unit on the Hob spindle being used a reference to synchronise all the remaining axes.
The operation of these servomotors is optimised by the replacement, on the machine's linear axes, of the original plain screws by precision ground ballscrews.
Further mechanical improvement is also realised by the use of precision ballscrew end bearings, which have been adapted to mount worm shafts.
The use of these modified bearings prevents axial 'end wind', or a figure of eight movement encountered as the worm shaft is driven under load.
The complete process of stripping the original Holroyd machine down to its basic structure and then re-engineering with the new CNC package takes on average 26 weeks - saving around 3 months on delivery compared to buying new, and costs approximately GBP 300,000.
'This represents excellent value for money, generally, and especially so when compared to purchasing a new machine,' says Steve Whitehead.
'The buyer who chooses the latter route could be paying anywhere between GBP 500,000 to GBP 750,000 to achieve equivalent levels of quality, and be waiting around 9 months for delivery into the bargain.' At the present time the re-engineering package is available only on the five sizes of hobbing machine produced by Holroyd.
However, the company is prepared to quote for performing similar work on other companies' machines.
At that time the machines produced by Holroyd were mechanically superb.
They were constructed using all cast components and manufactured to a degree of accuracy that compares favourably with the most accurate machines on the market today.
'The highly stable cast base and structure that we routinely provided on our range of gear hobbing machines provides the ideal platform for updating the machines to achieve the highest levels of accuracy at a fraction of the cost of buying new,' says Holroyd Director, Steve Whitehead.
'We have already proved both the effectiveness of the conversion - and the cost savings - by updating one of our own production machines in our own factory.
Previously the machine was referred to as Class B precision, producing product to DIN 7 levels of accuracy.
Following re-engineering, the hobber is now a class A machine, producing to DIN 5 accuracy, a figure that enables the machine to satisfy over 80% of the market for worm wheels.
With most retrofit packages, improved accuracy on its own would more than justify the equipment outlay.
We have gone a step further, however, realising major improvements in set-up times, down from 2 hours to 20mins on the re-engineered hobbing machines.' Holroyd's original production of gear hobbers ran to five sizes of machines with table dimensions of 12in, 24in, 48in, 60in and 72in.
All of these machines were designed using the mechanical, 'multiple differential principle', whereby a single motor drive gives all motion differentials which are coupled mechanically.
In the new re-engineering package this motion is now controlled electronically by a Fanuc 16i CNC machine controller, working in conjunction with four brushless servomotors.
The Fanuc controller was chosen because it offers users the time saving advantages of plain language shopfloor programming.
As an example of this, program features are laid out in simple table formats that allow parameters for the finished worm gear to entered simply and quickly.
Set-up times are much reduced, as a result, leading to real gains in productivity.
The Fanuc CNC co-ordinates the motion of the four machine axes: Hob Spindle, Table Drive, Cross Feed and Infeed, via servomotors equipped with high-resolution encoders; the unit on the Hob spindle being used a reference to synchronise all the remaining axes.
The operation of these servomotors is optimised by the replacement, on the machine's linear axes, of the original plain screws by precision ground ballscrews.
Further mechanical improvement is also realised by the use of precision ballscrew end bearings, which have been adapted to mount worm shafts.
The use of these modified bearings prevents axial 'end wind', or a figure of eight movement encountered as the worm shaft is driven under load.
The complete process of stripping the original Holroyd machine down to its basic structure and then re-engineering with the new CNC package takes on average 26 weeks - saving around 3 months on delivery compared to buying new, and costs approximately GBP 300,000.
'This represents excellent value for money, generally, and especially so when compared to purchasing a new machine,' says Steve Whitehead.
'The buyer who chooses the latter route could be paying anywhere between GBP 500,000 to GBP 750,000 to achieve equivalent levels of quality, and be waiting around 9 months for delivery into the bargain.' At the present time the re-engineering package is available only on the five sizes of hobbing machine produced by Holroyd.
However, the company is prepared to quote for performing similar work on other companies' machines.
Up-to-date system guards CNC gear hobber
Bespoke guarding system combines maximum operator flexibility with highest safeguarding protection on a rebuilt hobbing machine.
Nelsa have designed and manufactured a bespoke guarding system that provides ultimate ease of use and maximum safeguarding on a precision hobbing machine recently rebuilt by precision engineers Holroyd. The Nelsa guarding system is part of a re-engineering package that Holroyd has applied to update the mechanical hobbing machine. CNC based, the package enables DIN 5 levels of precision to be achieved at a cost up to 60% less than that of an equivalent new machine.
Holroyd, based in Rochdale, is a world leader in the design and manufacture of specialist milling and grinding machines for helical components.
The company also has a long and successful history of producing mechanical gear hobbing machines The company manufactured them for approximately 25 years, up until the late 1970's.
At that time the hobbers produced were mechanically superb, they were constructed using all cast components and were manufactured to a degree of accuracy that compares favourably with the most accurate machines currently on the market.
Today, the highly stable cast base and structure that was routinely provided on the mechanical hobbers provides the ideal platform for updating the machines to achieve the highest levels of accuracy at a fraction of the cost of buying new.
Holroyd is exploiting this potential with a re-engineering package that includes servomotors, ball screws and CNC.
Also included, as part of the package is a specially designed machine guarding system from Nelsa, part of EJA.
Nelsa designed the bespoke system, following in-depth discussions both with senior development engineers on the project and also with the machine operators.
As a result, it is easy to use, ensuring minimal disruption to the operator while, at the same time, providing maximum safeguarding against entrapment by moving cutters, chippings, swarf and even coolant.
The guarding system is also interlocked to inhibit machine operation when the operator is setting up or needs to enter the hazardous machining area for any reason.
The increasing complexity and automation of machines means that Nelsa is always being called upon to provide bespoke guarding arrangements which, like the Holroyd system, provide maximum operator protection, without, at the same time, hindering the production process.
These features are essential because experience shows that they are the best possible way to guarantee that when a guard is fitted, it stays fitted.
As evidence of this, the removal of awkward safety guards has been shown to be one of the most common pre-conditions for an industrial accident.
Nelsa have designed and manufactured a bespoke guarding system that provides ultimate ease of use and maximum safeguarding on a precision hobbing machine recently rebuilt by precision engineers Holroyd. The Nelsa guarding system is part of a re-engineering package that Holroyd has applied to update the mechanical hobbing machine. CNC based, the package enables DIN 5 levels of precision to be achieved at a cost up to 60% less than that of an equivalent new machine.
Holroyd, based in Rochdale, is a world leader in the design and manufacture of specialist milling and grinding machines for helical components.
The company also has a long and successful history of producing mechanical gear hobbing machines The company manufactured them for approximately 25 years, up until the late 1970's.
At that time the hobbers produced were mechanically superb, they were constructed using all cast components and were manufactured to a degree of accuracy that compares favourably with the most accurate machines currently on the market.
Today, the highly stable cast base and structure that was routinely provided on the mechanical hobbers provides the ideal platform for updating the machines to achieve the highest levels of accuracy at a fraction of the cost of buying new.
Holroyd is exploiting this potential with a re-engineering package that includes servomotors, ball screws and CNC.
Also included, as part of the package is a specially designed machine guarding system from Nelsa, part of EJA.
Nelsa designed the bespoke system, following in-depth discussions both with senior development engineers on the project and also with the machine operators.
As a result, it is easy to use, ensuring minimal disruption to the operator while, at the same time, providing maximum safeguarding against entrapment by moving cutters, chippings, swarf and even coolant.
The guarding system is also interlocked to inhibit machine operation when the operator is setting up or needs to enter the hazardous machining area for any reason.
The increasing complexity and automation of machines means that Nelsa is always being called upon to provide bespoke guarding arrangements which, like the Holroyd system, provide maximum operator protection, without, at the same time, hindering the production process.
These features are essential because experience shows that they are the best possible way to guarantee that when a guard is fitted, it stays fitted.
As evidence of this, the removal of awkward safety guards has been shown to be one of the most common pre-conditions for an industrial accident.
Gear grinder is easier to set up
Gear grinding machine is equipped with a mobile operator panel that makes machine set-up easier and includes dialogue software based on MS Windows operating systems for dressing cycles.
The new S 250 G gear grinding machine completes the Samputensili range of gear grinding machines for economical mass production. Particular attention has been paid to the choice of components used on this machine which have all been thoroughly tried and tested on Samputensili hobbing machines, grinding machines and in automation systems, guaranteeing high performance and reliable results. The cast iron machine bed ensures excellent vibration damping even when large amounts of stock are removed and it was in fact designed for our new S 150 - S 400 series of hobbing machines.
This rigid structure enhances the performance of the direct-drive motors both of which power the tool spindle (rotation speed of 0 - 10.000 rpm) and the workpiece table (rotation speed 0 - 1000 rpm).
The grinding wheel head has been thoroughly tested on the Samputensili S 400 GT grinding machine and is well-managed thanks to the safe tool clamping system.
The tool work area is spaciously designed and the cooling liquid release system is PLC-controlled so that the jet of oil is aimed directly at the tool and workpiece contact zone.
This system also keeps the whole work area much cleaner.
The radial, axial and tangential movements of the axes are performed with the aid of backlash-free, pre-loaded re-circulating ball screws together with a synchronous servo-motor on roller guide ways.
Ceramic worm wheels can be dressed by the diamond dressing roller.
The fully automated system loads and unloads the dressing tool depositing it and collecting it from a specific on-machine tool storage area.
CBN grinding wheels should be used as form wheels.
In terms of automation, the machine is equipped with a fast, innovative, 3-axes CN telescopic loader.
It moves along the longitudinal axis and passes through the machine counter-column so that the loader is always outside the work area during the actual grinding phase.
The control system is the Siemens 840 D with linear and circular interpolation of up to 5 axes and high-performance geometric programming for easy profile and helix generation and relative congruity testing.
The machine is also equipped with a mobile operator panel which makes machine set-up easier as well as dialogue software based on MS Windows operating systems to facilitate the management of data, grinding and dressing cycles and data storage without the need for an external PC.
Other notable safety features of this machine are the interpolated tool withdrawal system in the event of power failure or emergencies which prevents tools from being damaged and the automatic fire extinguishing system which combats the risk of damage to the machine and its surroundings in the event of fire.
The new S 250 G gear grinding machine completes the Samputensili range of gear grinding machines for economical mass production. Particular attention has been paid to the choice of components used on this machine which have all been thoroughly tried and tested on Samputensili hobbing machines, grinding machines and in automation systems, guaranteeing high performance and reliable results. The cast iron machine bed ensures excellent vibration damping even when large amounts of stock are removed and it was in fact designed for our new S 150 - S 400 series of hobbing machines.
This rigid structure enhances the performance of the direct-drive motors both of which power the tool spindle (rotation speed of 0 - 10.000 rpm) and the workpiece table (rotation speed 0 - 1000 rpm).
The grinding wheel head has been thoroughly tested on the Samputensili S 400 GT grinding machine and is well-managed thanks to the safe tool clamping system.
The tool work area is spaciously designed and the cooling liquid release system is PLC-controlled so that the jet of oil is aimed directly at the tool and workpiece contact zone.
This system also keeps the whole work area much cleaner.
The radial, axial and tangential movements of the axes are performed with the aid of backlash-free, pre-loaded re-circulating ball screws together with a synchronous servo-motor on roller guide ways.
Ceramic worm wheels can be dressed by the diamond dressing roller.
The fully automated system loads and unloads the dressing tool depositing it and collecting it from a specific on-machine tool storage area.
CBN grinding wheels should be used as form wheels.
In terms of automation, the machine is equipped with a fast, innovative, 3-axes CN telescopic loader.
It moves along the longitudinal axis and passes through the machine counter-column so that the loader is always outside the work area during the actual grinding phase.
The control system is the Siemens 840 D with linear and circular interpolation of up to 5 axes and high-performance geometric programming for easy profile and helix generation and relative congruity testing.
The machine is also equipped with a mobile operator panel which makes machine set-up easier as well as dialogue software based on MS Windows operating systems to facilitate the management of data, grinding and dressing cycles and data storage without the need for an external PC.
Other notable safety features of this machine are the interpolated tool withdrawal system in the event of power failure or emergencies which prevents tools from being damaged and the automatic fire extinguishing system which combats the risk of damage to the machine and its surroundings in the event of fire.
Range of hobs suits SME batch gear production
Delivery ranges of hobs for small to medium batch production have been especially studied to meet the needs of small to medium sized batch and prototype gear manufacturers.
Samputensili X2 and X4 delivery ranges of hobs have been especially studied to meet the needs of small to medium sized batch and prototype gear manufacturers. Samputensili comprehends the present day need for increasingly rapid delivery of your purchase orders and thanks to our modern and sophisticated manufacturing cells, we now pre-machine hob blanks and finish them to your specifications, including coating, in just two weeks. All manufacturing phases of standard hob production are carried out in house so we are not reliant on sub suppliers.
Time is money and reducing your delivery time reduces your manufacturing costs.
Try out the advantages of this range yourselves and fill out one of our order forms.
You will be amazed by the speed with which your finished tools arrive.
Samputensili X2 and X4 delivery ranges of hobs have been especially studied to meet the needs of small to medium sized batch and prototype gear manufacturers. Samputensili comprehends the present day need for increasingly rapid delivery of your purchase orders and thanks to our modern and sophisticated manufacturing cells, we now pre-machine hob blanks and finish them to your specifications, including coating, in just two weeks. All manufacturing phases of standard hob production are carried out in house so we are not reliant on sub suppliers.
Time is money and reducing your delivery time reduces your manufacturing costs.
Try out the advantages of this range yourselves and fill out one of our order forms.
You will be amazed by the speed with which your finished tools arrive.
Consortium investigates face gear grinding
An Estonian-led consortium with partners from Italy and the Czech Republic is performing research into the development af a cost-effective technology for face gear grinding.
A consortium led by Feanor, including partners from Italy and the Czech Republic is performing a research for the development af a cost-effective technology for face gear grinding. Face gears have been known and studied for many years, but since they were used for low power and low speed, the requirement for a constant speed ratio was not very important. With the advent of high power and speed requirements, face gears have been driven out by conventional bevel gears, which are easier to be manufactured.
Face gears have important applications in helicopter transmission systems.
They proved to be effective also with insufficient lubrication, thus increasing the reliability of the aircraft, and they work also with bad alignment between pinion and the rotor gear.
Helicopters using transmission systems based on face gears have a higher safety and survivability.
The target of the Facegear project is to study a cost-effective method for the manufacturing of face gears, thus increasing their application in the helicopter industry.
Face gears have some other natural advantages, compared to bevel gears, such as: 1.
the pinion is a normal spur gear which axial position has no influence on the meshing zone provided its face is adequate (see point 2 of the proposal summary).
2.
assembly time is reduced because only the axial position of the face gears needs to be set.
3.
Lapping is not necessary because all gears irrespective of their tooth numbers or shaft angles may be interchangeably meshed with the common pinion upon which the particular generating hob geometry is based.
4.
There is no axial load on a pinion with straight spur teeth.
5.
The meshing is smoother due to oblique contact lines and high contact ratio.
6.
Face gears provide high transmission ratios in one stage.
7.
Cost effective manufacture on conventional CNC gear hobbing machines straddle mounted pinions, provided that the calculation is correct.
8.
Zero backlash transmission for positioning or measuring machines can be easily obtained.
9.
Face gears have high strength teeth and good contact geometry, which give high torque capability.
Objectives of the proposed EU project are a calculation software for face gear geometry, a cost-effective gear cutting technology for face gears and a measuring system for the geometry of face gears.
A consortium led by Feanor, including partners from Italy and the Czech Republic is performing a research for the development af a cost-effective technology for face gear grinding. Face gears have been known and studied for many years, but since they were used for low power and low speed, the requirement for a constant speed ratio was not very important. With the advent of high power and speed requirements, face gears have been driven out by conventional bevel gears, which are easier to be manufactured.
Face gears have important applications in helicopter transmission systems.
They proved to be effective also with insufficient lubrication, thus increasing the reliability of the aircraft, and they work also with bad alignment between pinion and the rotor gear.
Helicopters using transmission systems based on face gears have a higher safety and survivability.
The target of the Facegear project is to study a cost-effective method for the manufacturing of face gears, thus increasing their application in the helicopter industry.
Face gears have some other natural advantages, compared to bevel gears, such as: 1.
the pinion is a normal spur gear which axial position has no influence on the meshing zone provided its face is adequate (see point 2 of the proposal summary).
2.
assembly time is reduced because only the axial position of the face gears needs to be set.
3.
Lapping is not necessary because all gears irrespective of their tooth numbers or shaft angles may be interchangeably meshed with the common pinion upon which the particular generating hob geometry is based.
4.
There is no axial load on a pinion with straight spur teeth.
5.
The meshing is smoother due to oblique contact lines and high contact ratio.
6.
Face gears provide high transmission ratios in one stage.
7.
Cost effective manufacture on conventional CNC gear hobbing machines straddle mounted pinions, provided that the calculation is correct.
8.
Zero backlash transmission for positioning or measuring machines can be easily obtained.
9.
Face gears have high strength teeth and good contact geometry, which give high torque capability.
Objectives of the proposed EU project are a calculation software for face gear geometry, a cost-effective gear cutting technology for face gears and a measuring system for the geometry of face gears.
Low cost centre grinds gears to better than DIN 2
Although easy to set and operate, a grinding centre uses a novel machining system to achieve better than DIN 2 accuracy for the form grinding of high precision helical, spur and worm gears.
Holroyd's new Smart GTG2 grinding centre employs a unique (patent applied for) machining system to achieve DIN 2 levels of accuracy - and beyond - in the form grinding of high precision helical, spur and worm gears. Designed with high levels of onboard intelligence, the GTG2 is extremely easy to set-up and operate. It also benefits users with onboard CMM and an automatic, in cycle wheel dressing feature that enables closed loop profile control to be achieved.
'Our design aim was to produce the lowest cost, highest accuracy grinding machine for helical and worm gears in the world, and I am sure that we have succeeded,' says Dr Tony Bannan, Holroyd's Engineering Director, who led the design and manufacturing team that produced the machine.
'Although the GTG2 is designed to provide DIN 2 levels of accuracy, generally, it has exceeded this level under optimum operating conditions, producing its 'best ground' performance with a tooth profile of DIN 1, considered by many to be pinnacle of grinding performance.' The GTG2 is an extremely versatile gear grinding centre, developed for one-off or batch production of high precision helical, spur and worm gears in sizes up to 350mm diameter and 160mm gear face width.
The machine's exceptional performance is the result of a design synergy that combines a 'patent- pending' machining method, with high levels of machine intelligence and onboard features such as automatic co-ordinate adjustment, in-cycle wheel dressing, integrated profile management and CMM.
Holroyd's patent-pending machining method has been developed to compensate for helical twist, an unwelcome condition that occurs when helical gears are 'lead crowned' to improve meshing and reduce noise and wear.
Lead crowning varies the amount of material removed from the flank of a tooth across the face width, by causing the tool motion to deviate from a true helix.
However, in form grinding this has the undesirable effect of causing the profile of the tooth flank to vary across the face.
In many applications this 'error' is not of concern, but in high precision and low noise applications it affects gear wheel performance by concentrating loads on particular areas of the teeth during meshing.
Correction of this problem is achieved on the CNC controlled GTG2 machine by calculating additional motions of the grinding wheel and by then controlling them during the grinding operation using bespoke software written by Holroyd engineers.
In the machining process, the workpiece is rotated about its axis and translated parallel to its axis relative to the tool, and the tool is also moved so as to vary continuously the angle of inclination of its axis relative to the axis of the workpiece.
In this way the generating errors (i.e the deviation of the groove surfaces actually produced from those desired and specified) are reduced along each line of instantaneous contact between the tool envelope and the groove surface being machined.
The resultant benefits are better tooth contact during meshing and improvements in torque transfer efficiency.
Although it performs a highly complex operation, the technology that underpins Holroyd's new machining method is not unwieldy for the user.
Neither does it mean that the machine is difficult to program and use.
On the contrary: the GTG2 is referred to as a 'Smart' machine because of its high levels of onboard intelligence, which make it easy to set-up and operate.
The machine is equipped with Holroyd's own HTG8, 8 axis CNC with facilities such as an Advanced Touch Screen Interface and Integrated Profile Management System.
The touch screen interface enables an operator to take a typical design drawing and enter the specification directly into the machine; leaving high levels of inbuilt intelligence do the rest.
What this means in practical terms is that the machine, by integrating facilities such as automatic co-ordinate adjustment, in-cycle wheel dressing, profile management and automatic programmable cycles, replaces the variable of operator skill in precision machine set-ups and operations with machine intelligence.
By distilling operator knowledge and experience into the GTG2's CNC controller, the machine is able to take data from its (optional) on-board probing system and predict the minute alterations to the profile of the grinding wheel required to achieve any desired profile and make these alterations 'on the fly'.
An example highlighting the proficiency of this system is a workpiece that does not meet tolerance requirements after a first grinding pass.
Following on-machine measurement, the GTG2 calculates the necessary adjustments to grinding wheel form or axis position and then passes the data to a 2-axis CNC wheel dressing system to achieve on machine dressing of the grinding wheel.
All of these operations are achieved automatically and rarely does the machine need to make further corrections after the first pass.
Holroyd's integration of the in-cycle wheel dressing system into the GTG2 is not a one off, rather it is part of an overall design strategy that takes a number of functions crucial to precise and effective gear grinding and integrates them into the machine as Automatic Programmable Cycles.
The GTG2 offers users eight of these cycles to simplify and improve gear production.
In addition to automatic wheel dressing they include: * Gear Tooth Grinding, with Optional Probing and Form Measurement.
* Repeat Cycles with Nesting up to 99 Times.
* Fillet Radius or Trochoid Root Form.
* Gear Crowning Cycle for Modified Tooth Forms.
* Lead Crowning by Bob Crowning, or by Adjusting the Lead or Combination of Both.
* Programmable Constant Peripheral Grinding Wheel Speed, Based on Actual Wheel Diameter.
* Optional Programmable Component Taper Correction.
Optimising the performance of the GTG2 in all of its bespoke and automatic operating cycles is a highly effective measurement system, provided by an inbuilt CMM.
This is designed, manufactured and calibrated to the same specifications and tolerances as standalone CMM, and also uses the same high level 3D scanning probes.
The CMM function is used at the start of each scan cycle to provide a validated reference point for commencement of the grinding operation.
Importantly, the probing operation, which is integral to this process, takes place without any machining forces and is therefore dynamically and kinematically stable.
In addition, as the workpiece is held in the same fixture used for machining, there is no requirement for off- machine measurement, and no consequent loss of position for corrective rework.
As a result the measuring process, overall, is that much more accurate and reliable.
* GTG2 Technology recognised for Queens's Award for Innovation - even before its major market launch, the technology that underpins the GTG2 grinding centre has been recognised by the prestigious Queen's Award For Innovation 2004.
'This award is an early recognition and a validation of all that we were trying to achieve with our design,' said Bannan.
'We have produced a highly cost competitive machine with grinding technology that literally leads the world, demonstrating our continuing ability to produce winners in the increasingly competitive global market for high precision machine tools.
Holroyd's new Smart GTG2 grinding centre employs a unique (patent applied for) machining system to achieve DIN 2 levels of accuracy - and beyond - in the form grinding of high precision helical, spur and worm gears. Designed with high levels of onboard intelligence, the GTG2 is extremely easy to set-up and operate. It also benefits users with onboard CMM and an automatic, in cycle wheel dressing feature that enables closed loop profile control to be achieved.
'Our design aim was to produce the lowest cost, highest accuracy grinding machine for helical and worm gears in the world, and I am sure that we have succeeded,' says Dr Tony Bannan, Holroyd's Engineering Director, who led the design and manufacturing team that produced the machine.
'Although the GTG2 is designed to provide DIN 2 levels of accuracy, generally, it has exceeded this level under optimum operating conditions, producing its 'best ground' performance with a tooth profile of DIN 1, considered by many to be pinnacle of grinding performance.' The GTG2 is an extremely versatile gear grinding centre, developed for one-off or batch production of high precision helical, spur and worm gears in sizes up to 350mm diameter and 160mm gear face width.
The machine's exceptional performance is the result of a design synergy that combines a 'patent- pending' machining method, with high levels of machine intelligence and onboard features such as automatic co-ordinate adjustment, in-cycle wheel dressing, integrated profile management and CMM.
Holroyd's patent-pending machining method has been developed to compensate for helical twist, an unwelcome condition that occurs when helical gears are 'lead crowned' to improve meshing and reduce noise and wear.
Lead crowning varies the amount of material removed from the flank of a tooth across the face width, by causing the tool motion to deviate from a true helix.
However, in form grinding this has the undesirable effect of causing the profile of the tooth flank to vary across the face.
In many applications this 'error' is not of concern, but in high precision and low noise applications it affects gear wheel performance by concentrating loads on particular areas of the teeth during meshing.
Correction of this problem is achieved on the CNC controlled GTG2 machine by calculating additional motions of the grinding wheel and by then controlling them during the grinding operation using bespoke software written by Holroyd engineers.
In the machining process, the workpiece is rotated about its axis and translated parallel to its axis relative to the tool, and the tool is also moved so as to vary continuously the angle of inclination of its axis relative to the axis of the workpiece.
In this way the generating errors (i.e the deviation of the groove surfaces actually produced from those desired and specified) are reduced along each line of instantaneous contact between the tool envelope and the groove surface being machined.
The resultant benefits are better tooth contact during meshing and improvements in torque transfer efficiency.
Although it performs a highly complex operation, the technology that underpins Holroyd's new machining method is not unwieldy for the user.
Neither does it mean that the machine is difficult to program and use.
On the contrary: the GTG2 is referred to as a 'Smart' machine because of its high levels of onboard intelligence, which make it easy to set-up and operate.
The machine is equipped with Holroyd's own HTG8, 8 axis CNC with facilities such as an Advanced Touch Screen Interface and Integrated Profile Management System.
The touch screen interface enables an operator to take a typical design drawing and enter the specification directly into the machine; leaving high levels of inbuilt intelligence do the rest.
What this means in practical terms is that the machine, by integrating facilities such as automatic co-ordinate adjustment, in-cycle wheel dressing, profile management and automatic programmable cycles, replaces the variable of operator skill in precision machine set-ups and operations with machine intelligence.
By distilling operator knowledge and experience into the GTG2's CNC controller, the machine is able to take data from its (optional) on-board probing system and predict the minute alterations to the profile of the grinding wheel required to achieve any desired profile and make these alterations 'on the fly'.
An example highlighting the proficiency of this system is a workpiece that does not meet tolerance requirements after a first grinding pass.
Following on-machine measurement, the GTG2 calculates the necessary adjustments to grinding wheel form or axis position and then passes the data to a 2-axis CNC wheel dressing system to achieve on machine dressing of the grinding wheel.
All of these operations are achieved automatically and rarely does the machine need to make further corrections after the first pass.
Holroyd's integration of the in-cycle wheel dressing system into the GTG2 is not a one off, rather it is part of an overall design strategy that takes a number of functions crucial to precise and effective gear grinding and integrates them into the machine as Automatic Programmable Cycles.
The GTG2 offers users eight of these cycles to simplify and improve gear production.
In addition to automatic wheel dressing they include: * Gear Tooth Grinding, with Optional Probing and Form Measurement.
* Repeat Cycles with Nesting up to 99 Times.
* Fillet Radius or Trochoid Root Form.
* Gear Crowning Cycle for Modified Tooth Forms.
* Lead Crowning by Bob Crowning, or by Adjusting the Lead or Combination of Both.
* Programmable Constant Peripheral Grinding Wheel Speed, Based on Actual Wheel Diameter.
* Optional Programmable Component Taper Correction.
Optimising the performance of the GTG2 in all of its bespoke and automatic operating cycles is a highly effective measurement system, provided by an inbuilt CMM.
This is designed, manufactured and calibrated to the same specifications and tolerances as standalone CMM, and also uses the same high level 3D scanning probes.
The CMM function is used at the start of each scan cycle to provide a validated reference point for commencement of the grinding operation.
Importantly, the probing operation, which is integral to this process, takes place without any machining forces and is therefore dynamically and kinematically stable.
In addition, as the workpiece is held in the same fixture used for machining, there is no requirement for off- machine measurement, and no consequent loss of position for corrective rework.
As a result the measuring process, overall, is that much more accurate and reliable.
* GTG2 Technology recognised for Queens's Award for Innovation - even before its major market launch, the technology that underpins the GTG2 grinding centre has been recognised by the prestigious Queen's Award For Innovation 2004.
'This award is an early recognition and a validation of all that we were trying to achieve with our design,' said Bannan.
'We have produced a highly cost competitive machine with grinding technology that literally leads the world, demonstrating our continuing ability to produce winners in the increasingly competitive global market for high precision machine tools.
CNC covers all gear machining aspects
Configured with a very flexible and cost effective combination of hardware and software, Num's Axium Power CNC system is particularly well suited to address all aspects of gear manufacturing. This is an 'off the shelf solution', with embedded conversational/graphical operator interface and machining cycles for gear hobbing or grinding and automatic gear/tool alignment. The Num gear system saves years of software development and re-development, while shortening the machine operator's learning curve.
The PC or CNC based user-friendly interactive conversational/graphical interface (HMI) allows the operator to program the machine without knowledge of ISO code programming.
The operator is guided by pictorial information and questions presented on the screen.
Entry screens provide the machine operator with a comprehensive graphical approach that depicts the hob or grinding wheel, the gear, and associated setup data in a clear and concise manner.
He or she simply fills in the data fields presented in the screen.
After this data entry session, the program is automatically generated, stored, and it is ready for execution.
On-line step-by-step video tutorials and graphical simulation further facilitates the operation.
In addition, the operator is allowed to combine conversational/graphical programming with ISO programming or use one or the other individually, if desired.
NUM application engineers familiar with gear manufacturing are available to help with system integration and technical support.
* Two system packages are available - with the basic package, the CNC synchronises cutter rotation and axial tool motion (Z axis) with the rotation of the work piece (C axis).
This configuration is principally designed for the simplest machines with three axes (X, Z and C) and a spindle.
With the advanced package, the CNC adds tangential tool movement (Y axis) to the synchronization of the Z and C axes.
This configuration is designed for applications with up to 6 axes (X, Y, Z, A, C, and W) and a spindle, allowing for manufacturing of bevel and helical gears with straight or conical cutting tools.
The gear alignment option provides cutting tool and gear re-synchronisation, via a non-contact sensor, allowing for automatic 'tool-work piece' timing pickup, when reintroducing a precut or hardened gear into the machine.
The PC or CNC based user-friendly interactive conversational/graphical interface (HMI) allows the operator to program the machine without knowledge of ISO code programming.
The operator is guided by pictorial information and questions presented on the screen.
Entry screens provide the machine operator with a comprehensive graphical approach that depicts the hob or grinding wheel, the gear, and associated setup data in a clear and concise manner.
He or she simply fills in the data fields presented in the screen.
After this data entry session, the program is automatically generated, stored, and it is ready for execution.
On-line step-by-step video tutorials and graphical simulation further facilitates the operation.
In addition, the operator is allowed to combine conversational/graphical programming with ISO programming or use one or the other individually, if desired.
NUM application engineers familiar with gear manufacturing are available to help with system integration and technical support.
* Two system packages are available - with the basic package, the CNC synchronises cutter rotation and axial tool motion (Z axis) with the rotation of the work piece (C axis).
This configuration is principally designed for the simplest machines with three axes (X, Z and C) and a spindle.
With the advanced package, the CNC adds tangential tool movement (Y axis) to the synchronization of the Z and C axes.
This configuration is designed for applications with up to 6 axes (X, Y, Z, A, C, and W) and a spindle, allowing for manufacturing of bevel and helical gears with straight or conical cutting tools.
The gear alignment option provides cutting tool and gear re-synchronisation, via a non-contact sensor, allowing for automatic 'tool-work piece' timing pickup, when reintroducing a precut or hardened gear into the machine.
CNC retrofit raises gear grinder output, accuracy
A Pfauter Kapp gear grinder has been successfully retrofitted with a Siemens Sinumerik 840D CNC to improve productivity by 40% and raise the machine's accuracy.
In early 2005 CNC Design performed a retrofit on a Pfauter Kapp PE1000G gear grinder at David Brown Gear Industries' Woolongong plant. The heat treatment process used to harden gears and pinions distorts them slightly, so before being fitted to a gearbox these workpieces must be ground to eliminate this distortion. The Pfauter Kapp grinding machine, originally built in 1988 performs this critical final step in the production process.
However the hardware and software used on the machine was becoming obsolete and hard to maintain while the user interface was difficult to learn and inflexible.
The retrofit involved the installation of Siemens 1FT6 digital servo motors to all feed axes.
These motors are controlled by Simodrive 611D digital drives which allow the use of feedforward control.
This provides extremely stiff control and fast machine response which is evident in the smooth surface finish on the gear teeth being ground.
The existing spindle motor was retained and connected to a new 611U drive.
The drives are controlled by a Sinumerik 840D CNC.
This is the only product on the market offering integrated safety features.
Sinumerik Safety Integrated is now responsible for monitoring the working space and ensuring the safety of the operator during workpiece set-up and while checking results.
Safe Standstill monitoring, Safe Speeds and Safe External Stops are implemented to create maximum operator safety at all times.
A new user interface was developed in consultation with the machine operators to allow flexible and intuitive control of the grinding process.
The interface runs on a PCU50 control panel which allows grinding and setup data to be saved to the internal hard disk.
Not only did the upgrade provide an easy to understand and intuitive interface, it also allowed greater flexibility during the grinding process.
Any further machine upgrades or diagnosis are also made easier by incorporating a modem which allows secure remote access to the machine software.
The entire commissioning process, including the rewiring of the entire machine, the refurbishment of all ancillary systems, tuning of all axes and the testing of all grinding cycles, was performed in a six week period of down-time.
Full production was able to begin immediately after this commissioning period.
Reductions in grinding time of up to 40% have been experienced on the refurbished machine.
And importantly, operator interaction has been reduced, increasing efficiency and allowing the operators more time to perform other tasks.
Overall, both management and operators at the David Brown plant are extremely happy with the result of the project.
Not only have productivity and usability been improved, but the future viability of the Pfauter Kapp is assured at a fraction of the price of a new machine
In early 2005 CNC Design performed a retrofit on a Pfauter Kapp PE1000G gear grinder at David Brown Gear Industries' Woolongong plant. The heat treatment process used to harden gears and pinions distorts them slightly, so before being fitted to a gearbox these workpieces must be ground to eliminate this distortion. The Pfauter Kapp grinding machine, originally built in 1988 performs this critical final step in the production process.
However the hardware and software used on the machine was becoming obsolete and hard to maintain while the user interface was difficult to learn and inflexible.
The retrofit involved the installation of Siemens 1FT6 digital servo motors to all feed axes.
These motors are controlled by Simodrive 611D digital drives which allow the use of feedforward control.
This provides extremely stiff control and fast machine response which is evident in the smooth surface finish on the gear teeth being ground.
The existing spindle motor was retained and connected to a new 611U drive.
The drives are controlled by a Sinumerik 840D CNC.
This is the only product on the market offering integrated safety features.
Sinumerik Safety Integrated is now responsible for monitoring the working space and ensuring the safety of the operator during workpiece set-up and while checking results.
Safe Standstill monitoring, Safe Speeds and Safe External Stops are implemented to create maximum operator safety at all times.
A new user interface was developed in consultation with the machine operators to allow flexible and intuitive control of the grinding process.
The interface runs on a PCU50 control panel which allows grinding and setup data to be saved to the internal hard disk.
Not only did the upgrade provide an easy to understand and intuitive interface, it also allowed greater flexibility during the grinding process.
Any further machine upgrades or diagnosis are also made easier by incorporating a modem which allows secure remote access to the machine software.
The entire commissioning process, including the rewiring of the entire machine, the refurbishment of all ancillary systems, tuning of all axes and the testing of all grinding cycles, was performed in a six week period of down-time.
Full production was able to begin immediately after this commissioning period.
Reductions in grinding time of up to 40% have been experienced on the refurbished machine.
And importantly, operator interaction has been reduced, increasing efficiency and allowing the operators more time to perform other tasks.
Overall, both management and operators at the David Brown plant are extremely happy with the result of the project.
Not only have productivity and usability been improved, but the future viability of the Pfauter Kapp is assured at a fraction of the price of a new machine
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