News items December 2011

Torque in calibration lab on the test bench DEPRAG Support: making quality management for screwdriver assembly systems easier Vehicle manufacturers can tell you a thing or two about it: recall actions harm your image and destroy customers` trust [in your product]. In its annual report for 2009 the German Federal Motor Transport Authority in Flensburg listed a total of 140 recalls, affecting 617,000 vehicle owners. According to the report, 60 percent of the recalls were the result of mechanical defects. At 17.3 percent, vehicle brake systems are frequently affected. An example from April 2009: an incorrect torque was the probable cause of a recall, in which 10,000 owners were obliged to return their compact cars to the workshop. A screw on the rear brake anchor plate was incorrectly tightened. It threatened to come loose and fall into the brake drum. In a worst case scenario, the rear wheel could have seized. It follows that preventing screw tightening faults during assembly is of the utmost importance. By

Brookfield powder flow tester The Delft Solids Solutions laboratory is known for physical characterization of solid materials. Part of her portfolio is focused on the investigation of powder behavior in industrial processing equipment; this can range from particle crushing strength, quantification of dustiness of powders, segregation to powder flow behavior. Powder flow and shear testing has proven to be very useful in the design of processing equipment such as hoppers and silos, but it also helps to acquire an improved understanding of powder behavior in existing equipment. Such techniques can help to minimize downtime when e.g. hoppers discharge erratically or fail to discharge at all. Due to an increased demand for such capabilities, the Delft Solids Solutions laboratory has now expanded her range of equipment for shear testing. Besides a classical Jenike shear tester and a Peschl shear testing set-up, a Brookfield powder flow and ring shear tester is currently available for powder testing.

DC version In the meantime the FLEX series of instruments exists out of three models, namely the 1. standard FLEX with active sense and a variable number of inputs and outputs. 2. FLEX-2100, with a passive sense and a fixed number of inputs and outputs. 3. 2 and 4 channel FLEX, suitable for 2 or 4 weighers, each with a passive sense and a variable number of inputs and outputs. In many applications the power supply is not a mains but a battery, 12 or 24 V d. Examples you find in road traffic, internal transport, shipping, the offshore industry, hoists and transportable equipment. The absence of mains however does not mean there is no need for weighing. That’s why the existing range expands with a version, fit for voltages between 9 and 24 V dc. The well-known characteristics, a flexible controller with a high measure and control speed, having an operator terminal with a “touch panel”, several communication entries, inputs and outputs remains unchanged. Furthermore software

New Mastersizer 3000 reflects the collective expertise of a skilled development team at Malvern Since Malvern Instruments revealed the new Mastersizer 3000 laser diffraction particle size analyzer to the world it has become clear that the development team’s vision of a beautifully designed, technologically advanced system that anyone can use has been realized. Certainly that’s what initial feedback suggests! The Mastersizer 3000 delivers the widest measurement range available in a single system (10 nm to 3.5 mm), encompasses significant advances in dry powder dispersion to extend dry measurement to more materials, and its smart software ensures that making good particle size measurements is effortless for novices and experts alike. “We’re really excited by people’s response to the new system and the way they see it easing their workload,” said Paul Kippax, Malvern’s Product Manager for Diffraction. “Delivering so many productivity advantages in such a beautiful package is a real tribute to the expertise and skill of the Mastersizer 3000 product

New sales representative for South and Central America UWT is an worldwide expert for level measurement in bulk solids. The leading producer has been expanding since many years. The distribution net consists of joint ventures in Memphis/USA, Shanghai/China and a subsidiary in Great Britain. Above, in more than 50 countries exclusive resellers distribute the high quality products of the Bavarian/German company. Internally the sales organization at UWT was modulated to the effect that a country manager for South and Central America has been recruited. Since November Fernando Soares Pinto supports the export sales team. The born Brazilian speaks besides his mother tongue Portuguese also Spanish fluently. The export sales team of UWT looks forward to working with the new colleague who passed his master in International Trade. Since many years, UWT trusts in the great competences of an international team as born Ukrainians and an Egyptian also belong to the export sales team. Therewith, professional and efficient support for

Innovations on a sound foundation As mentioned above, the new oscillating mill operates on the same principle as the previous model. A few new process parameters have been added to the basic functions in order to make the operation of the sieve mill even easier: acceleration of the oscillatory motion by a variable angle, simplified setting of the rotor/sieve distance, step-by-step readjustment of the oscillation amplitude relative to routine wear on the rotor, conversion from rotary to oscillatory motion by the turning of a switch. It is possible to work in the oscillatory as well as the rotary mode on the same machine. This applies to both the OscilloWitt-3 and the OscilloWitt-6, which not only makes the system more flexible, but also lowers investment costs. Thanks to the new step-by-step readjustment of the oscillation amplitude, the unit requires less frequent maintenance, which in turn lowers maintenance costs. The simple acceleration of the oscillatory motion by a variable angle and the simplified

Mechanical belt misalignment sensor Belt misalignment on an elevator is a problem that is difficult to solve because it needs to be adapted for each elevator and type of elevator. When traditional techniques are used such as inductive, magnetic and capacitance sensors, different factors need to be considered: elevator size, bucket size, bucket type (steel, stainless steel, “plastic”, aluminium…), type of transported product, because in this case it is the buckets that the sensors detect. This is not always easy and sometimes difficult to realize. The TOUCHSWITCH is a new type of stainless steel sensor that has been designed to solve the problem of belt misalignment detection in zone 20 on conveyors and especially on elevators. The Touchswitch reacts to the pressure exerted on its front cover by the misaligned belt or pulley. The sensor communicates with a relay contact which triggers an alarm or stops the machine. The sensor is easy to adjust and can be used with pressures between 2 and 5 kg.

1-2 March 2012 in Berlin, Germany The direct and accelerated stability analysis of emulsions and suspensions and the comprehensive characterization of particle properties and particle interactions play an important role in product development, process optimization and quality control. Following the great success of 2011, the 2012 Workshop Dispersion Analysis, organized by LUM, is again addressed to users of LUM instruments as well as to interested newcomers. Speakers from diff erent industries and from research institutions are kindly invited to discuss their experiences, methods and solutions for their applications. Strategies and results based on the use of LUMiSizer, LUMiFuge, LUMiReader, applying the patented STEP-technology, and LUMiCheck are in focus of the talks. The international workshop is held in English language. Agenda of the Conference Day The Use of Analytical Centrifugation in the Development of Process Control Test Methods. Mark Cavaleri 3 M, USA New Approach for characterization

Independent. Simple. Reliable. A battery pack is now available for the GSM/GPRS radio unit PLICSMOBILE T61. With it, PLICSMOBILE is completely self-sufficient, requiring no external energy for transmitting measured values and supplying power to the connected plics® sensor. The transmitting and receiving unit PLICSMOBILE T61 is connected as a separate radio unit to a plics® sensor. A SIM card and built-in modem enable worldwide GSM/GPRS data transmission – including remote diagnostics and remote maintenance. The unit complements existing solutions with signal conditioning instruments especially in the area of VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory). PLICSMOBILE T61 is now available with an optional battery pack. The batteries, which supply power to the radio unit and the connected sensor, are integrated in the second housing chamber. For battery operation, PLICSMOBILE is equipped with an intelligent energy management system. The normal service life of the battery is approximately four years, depending

Honorary Doctorate of the Otto-Von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg for Reinhard Böber The faculty for Process and System Technology of the Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg (OVGU) has awarded an honorary doctorate to Reinhard Böber, Managing Director of Glatt Ingenieurtechnik Weimar, for his contributions to the development and industrial implementation of fluid bed technology on 25/11/2011. An honorary doctorate is considered the highest award granted by the university to merited external personalities. Mr. Dipl. Ing. Reinhard Böber has earned special personal merits of an ideational nature in the development of scientific principles of fluid bed technology, especially with the realisation of new methods, their economic implementation in a number of industrial sectors with a special emphasis on the chemical and pharmaceutical industry and the development and promotion of aspiring scientific talent, explains the statement. As director of a company with a focus on engineering developments, he maintained close scientific contacts for more than

Pneumatic conveyor systems by Gericke offer seamless processes in two ways. On one hand, they provide low-abrasion transport and complete removal of the conveyed material without leaving any residue. On the other hand, Gericke conveyor systems simplify internal processes with minimum maintenance and personnel requirements and provide optimum conditions for downstream production processes. Gericke technology is ideal for conveying a wide range of products over any required distance. The conveying method best suited for the product is selected. Gericke offers the full spectrum of leanphase and dense-phase conveying. The transducer ensures that the product is fed consistently and with low friction to the conveying process. Specially designed tube bends and distributing guides guarantee that there is no unnecessary product abrasion during transport. This is also applicable for restarting the system after an interruption in conveying. The conveyor systems are designed

- Q-Rohr®-3 has been issued the very first EC-Type Examination Certificate according to the standard Since December 07 2011, REMBE® GMBH SAFETY + CONTROL from Brilon/Germany has their official, written endorsement in hand: As the very first company on the market, REMBE® proudly presents their EC-Type Examination Certificate according to DIN EN standards 16009 for their Q-Rohr®-3, the protection system for flameless venting! This norm first came into effect in October 2011, specifying all standardized manufacturing requirements in reference to construction, inspection, markings, documentation and packaging, and applies to all stand-alone protection systems of flameless venting. As the inventor of flameless explosion venting, the REMBE® engineers foresightedly designed the original Q-Rohr® in a manner that fulfills all DIN EN standards 16009 requirements in different testing scenarios. “DIN EN standards 16009 provides the customer with yet another seal of quality. The EC-Type Examination Certificate according to DIN EN standards 16009 should be

New facilities for TrustLube On November 26 TrustLube has moved all operations from Willemstad to a new location, which is situated in Oud Gastel on the Business Park Borchwerf II, along motorway A17. The new TrustLube building combines efficient offices and presentation rooms, a spacious production hall, state-of-the-art assembly and testing facilities and a large warehouse. The R&D department will continue to develop a wide range of innovative products. TrustLube was founded in 2003 in The Netherlands. Right from the start, the company’s goals and high ambitions were based on a firm belief in the new and revolutionary, in-house developed lubrication systems. In the past eight years, TrustLube has rapidly developed into a healthy, worldwide operating company. The TrustLube team of field service engineers works on a global scale. The engineers have a huge amount of experience in the areas of bearings, bearing seals and bearing assemblies. But equally important is the fact that they also

Ready 21 February 2012 Building After the fire that struck Polem in February 2011 we started building new facilities on the same location. The new and bigger facilities will provide the posibility to build silos and tanks up to 9 meter in diameter. The existing factory can build cilinders up to 5 meters in diameter. Productivity Despite the fact that part of the production facility was destroyed by the fire, the production capacity never decreased. Thanks to inventiveness, creativity and an enormous amount of effort of all Polem employees production capacity was maintained and customers were served. Demolition Old building have been torn down and properly disposed. The soil was prepared for the new foundations and plans for the future arised. In these plans for the future Polem introduced some new chalenges which would help us distinguish ourself from competitors even more. The most remarkable step forward is the expansion of the production facilities to be ready

Hygienic design Especially for the food industry, J-Tec`s R&D department designed a compact FIBC discharge station which incorporates a separate bag dump facility. As hygiene is of the utmost importance in the food industry, this unit was designed with the relevant EHEDG guidelines in mind. It is completely made out of stainless steel and can be delivered with an internal surface roughness of smaller than 3 µm. The rounded edges prevent product build-up in the unit, minimizing the risk of bacteriological contamination. FIBC discharge station: Thanks to the J-TEC FIBC discharge clamp, the dust-tight discharging of FIBCs is guaranteed. A vibrating dish promotes a positive product outflow, even for difficult products. This new model can be equipped with a pneumatic pinch system for reclosing the FIBCs during product flow. Bag dump station: The bag dump unit is 100% water- and dust-tight thanks to a special, FDA approved, removable seal and a closing system. It does not have

The new Compact EHA from Parker Hannifin, the world`s leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies, is a fully self-contained linear actuator which delivers up to 22kN of force. Designed for applications where space is limited, this innovative electro-hydraulic actuator is available for 12V or 24V DC operation. With simple plug `n play functionality, Compact EHA is ideally suited to applications such as hospital bed and ambulance cot adjustment, marine hatch opening, solar panel positioning and agricultural vehicle attachment locks. In comparison with other linear motion technologies, Compact EHA offers exceptional power density from a small envelope. For the design engineer, this results in simplified machine design while, for the machine builder, construction time is reduced. Unlike conventional electro-mechanical drives, Compact EHA has no gears or backlash and so is unaffected by wear and loss of positional accuracy. Simple switching circuitry

Assembly platform now available in modular structure Fixed investment costs and rapid delivery time to benefit customers A success story continues. The DCAM assembly station (DEPRAG COMPACT ASSEMBLY MODULE), which has proven itself many hundreds of times all over the world, is now 25 years old. But this is no reason for the DEPRAG engineers to rest on their laurels. They have optimised their “baby” and equipped it for the future. At the MOTEK 2011 show in Stuttgart DEPRAG, the automation experts, presented the DCAM in its pioneering new, modular form, providing customers with some major benefits. The DCAM’s legendary reliability and high level of functional safety is now available “out of the box”, which means that the standardised assembly platform is now more cost-effective, and delivery times are shorter. The DCAM came about when mobile phone assembly was still in its infancy. Mobile phones used to be assembled individually by hand - an expensive and time-consuming process. The company that could produce