Following the upgrade of its plating line hydraulic power-pack and control system, a linear slide manufacturer, is benefiting from improved manufacturing productivity.

Following the upgrade of its plating line hydraulic power-pack and control system, linear slide manufacturer, Accuride, is benefiting from improved manufacturing productivity, enhanced reliability, reduced chemical consumption and faster start-up. Designed and manufactured by Bosch Rexroth Sales Partner, Kanflu, the system centres around a new generation of Rexroth HACD digital controllers. Accuride's Northampton, UK, site employs 200 people, it was here that the company decided to upgrade its plating line and used the opportunity to embrace a new generation of power-pack and control technology.

Plating quality and uniformity are critical to the performance of the finished linear slides.

In addition to providing a corrosion resistant and aesthetically pleasing surface, the plating has a direct impact on the slide's mechanical performance.

Fine rectification and process control is required to provide a smooth, precise plated bearing running surface.

Any unevenness would lead to a rough, inferior bearing movement.

In operation, three pairs of hydraulic cylinders are used to 'step' the jigs through the plating process, while a seventh cylinder vertically lowers the jigs into the baths/stations, holds them for a set period, and then raises them.

The single lift cylinder powers a series of linear chain drives which lift the individual jigs.

The decision to upgrade the hydraulic power-pack and control gear was initially driven by obsolescence issues: it was becoming increasingly difficult to source spares for the original system.

Having justified the upgrade from a maintenance perspective, Accuride then decided to capitalise on the decision by updating the technology.

At the heart of the new system lie seven Rexroth Eurocard format HACD digital controllers.

Six are used to control the three pairs of transfer cylinders via proportional valves, while the seventh is used to control the lift cylinder.

Key reasons for choosing the HACD for this application included accuracy and ease-of-use.

No programming knowledge is required because applications are built using predefined function blocks.

Each block contains command and control parameters, with blocks triggered by a variety of conditions such as digital inputs, analogue signal comparison and dwell time.

In this application the HACD controllers were configured using a laptop PC via software which can be freely downloaded.

Another important feature of this controller is its optimisation for specific valve characteristics via a predefined valve database.

Additional hydraulic features include overlap jump, spool jump and creep/residual velocity.

Accuride designed and manufactured the enclosure housing the seven HACD controllers.

The cabinet provides access to the front mounted RS232 ports.

Together, the new controllers, proportional valves, high-flow power-pack and transfer cylinders had an immediate effect on productivity.

Prior to the upgrade, the original cycle time was 20s.

Now, by improving the synchronisation of the transfer steps, the cycle time has been reduced to 17s: an improvement of 18%.

The reason the original system had difficulty synchronising the transfer steps was load variation.

For example, because each jig can carry varying numbers of differently shaped components, the force required to pull the jigs through the baths changes at every process step.

Thus, the side of the line with the lightest loaded jigs would complete its cycle first and then have to wait for the opposite side to catch up.

Now, using digital encoder feedback, the HACD controllers can sense and compensate for any imbalance between the transfer cylinders, ensuring each process step starts and finishes in synchronisation.

Lift cylinder positional feedback is provided by a wire encoder, while transverse cylinder sensing is managed by a non-contact magnetic transducer.

With the controllers compensating for varying load conditions and offering digital positioning accuracy, the likelihood of the cylinders juddering or touching their end stops has also been eliminated.

This has resulted in smoother motion, reduced maintenance and less likelihood of components jumping off the jigs.

If an emergency stop is activated the system still comes to an immediate halt.

Another unexpected productivity improvement relates to warm-up time.

With the previous control system sensitive to load variations, Accuride often needed to wait up to 30min on cold mornings before the oil warmed sufficiently for the motion to synchronise.

Using the HACD controllers, the system can now compensate for oil temperature and viscosity, meaning the line is immediately ready for full production.

The Process Filtration Division of Parker Hannifin has launched an innovative new range of high performance filter cartridges, designed to make significant reductions in costs of filtration systems.

The Process Filtration Division of Parker Hannifin, the world's largest manufacturer of motion and control technologies, has launched an innovative new range of high performance filter cartridges, designed to help plant and process engineers make significant reductions in the installation, maintenance and operating costs of filtration systems. Called ParMax, the new large diameter filter cartridges offer exceptionally high levels of dirt retention combined with long filter life; perhaps as importantly, the design of new filters means that a single cartridge can be used to replace up to ten conventional units. The ParMax filter has been designed to be a direct replacement to the Pall Ultipleat HFU cartridge.

ParMax combines inside to outside flow with a pleated filter layer, which will allow cleaner changes and a considerable reduction in the carry over of contamination, giving a much longer operating life than can be expected with conventional elements.

This extended operating life means less downtime as filters do not need to be changed as frequently.

In addition, a ParMax cartridge 6' in diameter and 60' in length can typically handle flows of 114m3 per hour, with a single Parker cartridge being able to replace up to ten traditional 2.5' by 40' filter units.

This again reduces operating costs, as change-out times can be cut by a factor of ten, and minimises the initial investment, leading to a significant fall in the overall cost of ownership.

The high flow filter elements feature a unique layered construction providing excellent retention across a wide range of flux rates.

The cartridges are available in polypropylene and microfibre glass media with absolute (99.98%) micro ratings from 1 to 90 microns.

The polypropylene filter combines pleated and depth media, with a graded density layer for exceptional levels of filtration, while the microfibre glass version enhances flow due to its hydrophilic properties.

The ParMax cartridges are ideal for use in make up water and flush water systems in the metalworking, power generation, process water, chemical processing/petrochemical, and food and beverage industries, with all materials used being acceptable for potable and edible contact.

The latest developments in fuzzy logic and piezo technology are consolidating and expanding the role of electro-pneumatic proportional valves in all areas of industry and medical technology.

The latest developments in fuzzy logic and piezo technology are consolidating and expanding the role of electro-pneumatic proportional valves in all areas of industry and medical technology say David Share of Asco Joucomatic. Electro-pneumatic proportional valves play a major role in optimising production processes to improve quality and productivity in all areas of engineering, processing and medical technology. They are a key element in programmable control systems, the combination of intelligent electronics and powerful pneumatics constantly providing new and innovative solutions for the widest range of applications.

The latest generation of proportional valves has evolved as the pace of control system development has accelerated.

These units offer far greater communication facilities for integration into modern digital control systems and also operating features such as minimum hysteresis and high levels of linearity and sensitivity to ensure extremely short response times and precise operation.

Modern digital proportional valves such as the newly introduced Sentronic D from ASCO Joucomatic integrate their own control loop, facilitating highly precise adjustment and control of a host of variables including pressure, flow, force, speed and linear or angular motion.

The standard Sentronic with its integrated PID controller valve is easily adaptable to these control tasks with or without a PC.

Increasingly, however, applications are appearing in which standard logic control parameters - yes/no or 0/1 - are difficult to determine or set.

This is the realm of fuzzy logic, a control methodology used where boundries are not clearly defined (i.e fuzzy).

Fuzzy logic is used in complex chemical processes, controllers for robotic welders, feature-definition controllers for robotic vision and even in such consumer products as washing machines, video cameras, and automobiles.

It is a capability recently introduced to electro-pneumatic proportional valves, in the shape of Asco Joucomatic's Sentronic valve with integrated self-optimising controller.

Unlike logic 1's and O's, the self-optimising Sentronic uses continuous transitions and automatically defines optimal control parameters.

The basis of this operation is ten set point steps: the proportional valve electronics evaluate the feedback and control parameters are improved with fuzzy logic after each step.

The optimised parameters are saved to memory after the ten steps and are subsequently operated upon by the proportional valve.

Complementing both the standard PID and fuzzy logic operation of the Sentronic is a package of data acquisition software.

This provides the ability to automatically collect data, which is particularly useful in developing test and measurement applications either in the laboratory or in the factory.

The DAS package also enables optimal system parameters, once they are determined, to be stored in a project file for use in fault detection, routine maintenance or future serial production.

The market demands that have led to the development of fuzzy logic for proportional control have also impacted in other areas, resulting in new designs of proportional valves to address industry's requirements for reduced power consumption, and also operation in hazardous environments: recent research indicating that 50% of all industrial applications now contain a hazardous area of one type or another.

The technology that effectively addresses both of these requirements - and more - is piezo based.

CMA (Ceramic Multilayer Actuator) Piezo technology as employed in Asco Joucomatic's Piezotronic proportional valve gives extremely low power consumption - as little as 0.007W, and is available as an intrinsically safe unit (rated II 1GD IP65 EEx ia IIC T6) for use in potentially explosive atmospheres The CMA technology employed by Piezotronic comprises a monolithic piezo-ceramic strip with integrated electrodes that are specially configured so that the element 'bends' when a voltage between 20V and 40V is applied.

This bending action, which involves no moving parts, is key to providing the precise levels of proportional control demanded in such typical medical applications as gas analysis and the micro-injection of aqueous solutions into living .

The fact that there are no moving parts in the operation of Piezotronic offers several benefits: firstly, response times are exceptionally fast, 100 micro seconds typically.

Secondly, service life is practically unlimited at around one billion cycles.

Thirdly, the unique operation of the Piezotronic valves also means that there are no inductive peaks when switching, so unlike conventional solenoid valves, no circuit protection is necessary.

Lastly, no holding current is required for the valves to maintain position, so heat generation is not a problem either.

This feature is particularly important in medical and analytical applications where it is imperative that no heat transfer takes place from the valve to the fluid, a condition that could otherwise spoil the accuracy of a process.

The functionality, size and weight advantages of the Piezotronic mean that one of the units may be employed where two conventional solenoids were required previously.

This advantage, and the fact that Piezotronic can be operated by battery power or solar cells, makes Piezotronic the ideal unit for use in portable equipment.

Free Proportional Technology Catalogue - further information regarding the Sentronic D, Piezotronic and Asco Joucomatic's complete range of proportional valve products is contained within a new 25 page catalogue produced by the company.

The publication provides all relevant information regarding proportional technology and devotes four pages to application examples, each with its own accompanying graphic.

Free guide deals with all aspects of electro pneumatic proportional valve control, including the latest fuzzy logic and piezo technologies, which are bringing proportional control to many.

Asco Joucomatic has produced a new publication dealing with all aspects of electro pneumatic proportional valve control, including the latest fuzzy logic and piezo technologies, which are consolidating and expanding the role of proportional control into all areas of industry and medical technology The free booklet highlights the increasing role played by electro-pneumatic proportional valves in optimising production processes to improve quality and productivity in all areas of engineering, processing and medical technology. The valves are a key element in programmable control systems, the combination of intelligent electronics and powerful pneumatics constantly providing new and innovative solutions for the widest range of applications. The new publication runs to 25 pages, taking the reader from first principles by providing an introduction to control technology, symbols and terminology.

It then devotes four pages to applications and describes, with graphics, how Asco Joucomatic proportional valves are providing optimised control of pressure and flow in such diverse applications as flight simulators, turbo chargers, artificial hearts and endoscopy.

The remaining sections of the publication outline the specifications and operating principles of Asco Joucomatic's wide range of proportional valves.

Loudly watching the intense activity at a modern trucking terminal and distribution center with all the material handling equipment moving in one direction one has to wonder how they do it all without any accidents. Whether you are involved in modern day American material handling or using Canada handling material pneumatic equipment to briskly move freight on stacked pallets, you know about the vibrational energy all around.

The noise, bumps and vibration of conveyor belts, forklifts and material handling equipment is everywhere. I propose we use this information and this vibrational energy for powering up the Loading Dock and Distribution Warehouse Lighting, which at a typical facility could be as much as $50,000 to $300,000 or more in energy costs.

By placing large sandwich sheets with a taunt film on the vibrational side and small copper lined tubes, hundreds of them running perpendicular to the sheets, with magnets inside bouncing back and forth. These magnets will charge a capacitor and be hooked up to an LED lighting system using fiber optics or reflectors, each one hooked up to a .2 to .5 watt light. With hundreds of thousands of lights hooked up in a composite format it will light up the roadway and since the lights can shine down on the road in the direction of traffic it would be like daylight without the light pollution associated with street lights in large cities.

Currently this technology is being used in those little flashlights you see advertised on television that you shake and they light, but you never need batteries. This idea of lighting up the freeways is using that technology on a larger scale with miniaturized parts making up the guts between the sandwich sheets. Let there be light, thru vibrational energy and there was. Think on it.

Pick and place or quality control can benefit from better sensor detection - machine builders can now incorporate the most cost-effective trimmer auto switches into their machines.
When engineers from SMC Pneumatics, the world leaders in automation control, recognised that applications involving pick and place or quality control could benefit from better sensor detection, their extensive research and development team went into action. Thanks to their efforts, European machine builders can now incorporate the most cost-effective Trimmer Auto Switches into their machines - SMC Series D-#7K/D-R#K. Previously, machines builders requiring high and low actuator end stroke detection had to use two separate sensors.

This often required extensive set up time and in some cases resulted in less than accurate switch placement.

However, by adopting this new solid state auto switch, with its two independently adjusted outputs, it is simply no longer the case.

By setting the outputs using trimmers, via an amplifier, just one auto switch can now accurately distinguish up to three different sized work pieces with detection differences from as little as 0.5mm with a repeatability of +/-0.2mm.

Connected using an e-con type connector, both the sensor and the amplifier units can be quickly replaced should the need arise and the mounting options include direct and din rail mounted amplifier and direct or rail mounted sensor options.

Designed to be used with over ten different SMC air operated actuators and grippers, the sensor and the amplifier units have IP67 and IP40 enclosure protection respectively.

At the PPMA show at the NEC, the latest innovation in pneumatic valve terminals is based on a flexible electrical I/O concept with advanced user-friendly diagnostics.

Europe's leading pneumatics and automation company Festo, is actively participating in this year's PPMA show at the NEC. They have selected the event to introduce the latest innovation in the expanding world of pneumatic Valve Terminals. The new system (CPX) is based on a flexible electrical I/O concept with advanced user- friendly diagnostics.

Top of the bill on Festo Stand No.

6631 will be the new CPX offering a very cost-effective solution for distributed electrical input and outputs.

Being shown for the first time in the UK, the award winning system significantly extends the flexibility of valve terminals.

Claiming approximately 60% market share in this sector across Europe, Festo are keen to further extend their lead as rival manufacturers seek to introduce their 'me too' copies.

Jacqui Reid, Product Manager for valve terminals at Festo says 'Whilst Festo have led the way on Valve Terminal hardware developments we are focusing this year on showing our latest developments in monitoring and diagnostic systems utilising the capabilities of a wide range of fieldbus systems'.

She continues, 'We are now seeing positive signs that Open fieldbus' are becoming the norm for packaging and processing machinery.

The user benefits in terms of reduced wiring and flexibility are acknowledged and are tangible cost savings.

Where a lot more progress can now be made is in using the functionality provided within the CPX system and within the bus systems.

Most importantly this provides transparency for more advanced monitoring of the status of remote I/O and the diagnostics to anticipate or quickly react to a failure and put it right with the absolute minimum disruption to throughput'.

Festo will be demonstrating dynamic display models showing their full 'Wet End' product range, from stainless steel actuators to clean design valve islands and a complimentary range of accessories such as air preparation equipment, specialist tubings and fittings.

Food and packaging industry Manager for Festo, Steve Land, explains that the market in the UK for food and packaging machinery market is subtly different to the continent.

'With our higher penetration of supermarkets there is a greater use of pre-prepared and packaged goods, therefore the PPMA Show is an important international contact point for Festo to gauge opinions and market feedback to generate new ideas, helping to direct new research and developments'.

The PPMA show is the ideal opportunity for Festo to show GB OEMs and End Users the latest in its specialist, dedicated range of products and services for the Food and Packaging industry.

Land continues, 'It is equally important to demonstrate that we can support these products with technical advice, training and implementation packages such as full 3D drawing support.

The key issues for the End User are related to life-time costs, operating efficiency and compliance with HACCP guidelines.

Therefore we hope to exchange interesting ideas and solutions both with fellow exhibitors and end user visitors to the show'.