YourGuide News - Fluid & Air UK

Standardised or Individual Bolts

YourGuide Ltd. — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:01:08 +0000

Suitable for every tactic and always systematic

No matter whether right- or left-winger,
no matter how you block the attack,
no matter how you clear the situation,
these types always insert the head at the right moment.

mbo Osswald - the linking element specialist - offers bolts and shafts in virtually all variants. It manufactures the standard range in accordance with DIN 1433, DIN 1434, DIN 1435, DIN 1436, DIN 1443, DIN 1444, DIN 1445, DIN EN 22340, DIN EN 22341, ISO 2340, ISO 2341 as well as customer-specific variants.
Steel designs are also complemented by A2- and A4-quality stainless steel versions for particularly aggressive conditions. These bolts are completed by a wide selection of retainers with all manner of facets.

mbo Osswald offers its customers an extremely large assortment of different linking elements, a wide selection for a multitude of possible applications. In addition to steel and stainless steel, linking elements can also be manufactured from duplex steel for special applications.
In addition, a team of experts is available which is geared towards satisfying special customer-specific requirements as well. This team can work to drawing specifications and implement an application-specific solution together with the customer.

2, 3 and 4 Arm Handwheels From Elesa

YourGuide Ltd. — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:55:34 +0000

Arm handwheels such as the Elesa VB range and the ETK/EYK series are generally used where greater leverage is required, either because it allows greater force or greater delicacy and accuracy. They are often employed in the setting or operation of machines, valves, actuators, clamping or in rotational devices which require manual operation. They are frequently a superior solution to adjustment or control, in conjunction with digital position indicators where an electronic control system would simply over-engineer, over-complicate or over-price the application.

Elesa’s VB198 moulded four arm handwheel at 170mm dia is suitable for fine single hand control or two-handed operation – likewise the VBR.4 with tubular metal handles in diameters from 200mm to 363mm. The VBR.2 matches the .4 but with two arms for lower cost. Three-arm handwheels with revolving handles from the ETK and EYK series are suitable for steering applications and have central hub colour indexing options – the ETK featuring straight revolving handles and the EYK having palm fitting revolving knobs where speed of operation is called for.

Innovative Pneumatically Operated Grippers

YourGuide Ltd. — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:49:42 +0000

Festo today launches a range of pneumatically-operated grippers that is set to establish a new performance benchmark for the industry. They are high performance replacements for the company’s current generation HGx series of standard grippers. The new DHxS range includes parallel, three-point, radial and angular models, each offering a wide choice of sizes and stroke lengths, to ensure that the right function and capacity are available to meet the demands of diverse applications. All the new grippers are characterised by compact dimensions, optimised gripping retention force and high reliability. They are ideal for handling and assembly systems that demand cost-effective, lightweight end-effectors.

Pneumatic-mechanical grippers have a simple task to perform – reliable operation with fast cycle times. However, to create products that achieve this, manufacturers have to balance conflicting criteria such as the need for low weight, high gripping forces, minimal dimensions and improved performance, while at the same time striving to lower production costs. Festo has successfully met all these challenges with the DHxS series of grippers.

The four different styles of gripper in the new range share a number of novel design attributes, aimed specifically at maximising performance and minimising cost. All the grippers are available with double-acting piston drives, as well as an optional spring-assisted safety mechanism that ensures the gripper jaws will continue to hold their position in the event of pneumatic pressure loss. This option obviates the need for complex and costly additional safety circuits. The grippers are also effectively overload-proof. An integrated fixed flow restrictor acts as a safety buffer, protecting the unit against overloading during high-speed motion of the gripper jaws and preventing damage due to excessively high speeds.

Festo’s designers have increased the gripping force of the parallel grippers while retaining the same external dimensions of the older series, by utilising an oval piston instead of the twin smaller pistons employed by the older series and by most competitive products on the market. This new design produces considerably more gripping force – on average, as much as 40% higher – enabling machine builders to use a smaller, lighter gripper for the same task, with a commensurate reduction in the size and weight of the axis carrying the gripper. This has a significant cost benefit for multi-axis handling systems, where the size of each axis depends upon the load it has to move.

For maximum applications flexibility, the DHPS parallel grippers are available in six sizes, spanning piston diameters from 6 to 35 mm with individual jaw strokes from 2 to 12.5 mm. The largest model can produce a total gripping force of up to 970 N.

The new parallel and three-point grippers employ an innovative T-slot guidance system and cam mechanism that enables the jaws to accommodate much higher torque moments, leading to improved reliability and a much-reduced risk of jaw breakage under extreme load. For example, the parallel grippers can on average accommodate 130% more torque than previous-generation models, and for the three-point grippers this figure rises to 280% more than previous models.

Festo has modified the lever mechanism that transfers the force generated by the linear motion of the piston rod to the low-backlash gripper jaws radically, resulting in much higher levels of repeatability. Typically, the repeatability of the new grippers’ jaw positioning accuracy is 100 percent better, at only 20 microns, compared to the 40 micron figure previously. Furthermore, because the levers are directly in mesh with the gripper jaws, there is no need for additional synchronisation.

The significant improvements to gripper performance and accuracy are reinforced by enhancements to the standard of mounting interface. All four types of gripper are fitted with mounting hole centering sleeves to facilitate fast and accurate location, and the parallel and three-finger models are also equipped with centering sleeves in the gripper jaws.

All the new DHxs grippers are equipped with an integral magnet on their pistons, and their bodies have T-slots for easy mounting of sensors. Festo offers two types of proximity sensors: one detects the presence of the internal magnet; the other mounts inside the same slot but features an ‘outward-looking’ sensor, which can detect a flag on the fingers of radial and angular grippers, to provide confirmation of jaw movements.

For more demanding applications, Festo offers the SMAT-8M position transmitter. This also mounts in the gripper’s sensor slot and detects the internal magnet. However, it produces a 0 to 10 V analogue output which is directly proportional to piston movement over a 0 to 40 mm range, and provides exceptionally precise feedback, with a repetition accuracy of plus or minus 25 microns. Weighing just 10 g, the transmitter is ideal for applications where the total weight of the gripper module needs to be kept as low as possible. The analogue output can be fed direct to a PLC without need for signal conditioning circuits, and can be used to determine the size of object being gripped or the quality of grip, as well as indicating gripper movement.

Festo’s new DHxS grippers are ideal for mid-performance handling tasks. The company produces an extensive range of gripper products, including models optimised for light weight, harsh environments and heavy-duty applications. Choosing the optimum gripper for a particular application is a demanding task, so Festo has developed a powerful software selector tool to aid users in the decision-making process. The free online software takes into account the size, weight and forces acting on the gripper, as well as the environmental conditions, and incorporates Festo’s extensive gripper technology knowledge-base to help users achieve ‘right first time’ results easily and quickly.

Festo servo-motion control accelerates throughput of plastic joining machines

YourGuide Ltd. — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:14:10 +0000

Phasa has enhanced the performance of its specialist plastic component joining machines with high performance new versions employing a key servo-based motion control system in place of a pneumatic actuator. The servo enables several seconds to be shaved off the assembly time of complex car door panels, increasing productivity significantly. The slight additional cost of a machine fitted with servo technology will typically repay its investment after just a couple of months.

Phasa takes its name from the process it has pioneered - Plastic Hot Air Stake Assembly. Essentially, the process involves selectively heating parts of thermoplastic mouldings using super-hot air, and then using cold tools to form, clamp and chill the parts into their required shapes. The fixings often take the form of rivets or 'roll overs', and the non-contact heating method ensures that the process is clean - without marking the 'A' face surface - and fast, and the resultant assemblies are strong, tight and stable. Applications for these fixings are diverse and include the automotive, electrical/electronics and white goods industries.

Phasa manufactures standard and custom machines to automate the entire assembly process - from inserting the thermoplastic mouldings into the components being joined, to selectively heating, forming and cooling them. Until relatively recently, all of Phasa's standard machines used only pneumatically-powered motion control, with all control valves and actuators supplied by Festo competitors. However, when the company started to experience supplier product changes for the machines' rodless cylinders, it approached Festo for help. After investigating the application, Festo recommended using its DGC pneumatic cylinders to provide the machines' main platen movement. These rodless linear actuators feature a unique sealing mechanism which ensures efficient operation by virtually eliminating air leakage, and have proved a very reliable replacement. Since then, Phasa has progressively re-designed its range of standard machines to incorporate Festo pneumatic automation components for many of their motion axes.

Phasa recently expanded its standard machine range to include models that use a servo system in place of a pneumatic cylinder to provide the main movement of assembly nests. The principal advantage of the servo approach is that by using closed-loop control it is capable of fully programmable multi-stop positioning, compared to the end-to-end positioning of standard pneumatic cylinders. This results in faster and more accurate placement of the assembly nest, reducing the overall processing time.

In this particular case, Phasa chose a complete Festo assembly comprising of a toothed belt axis, servomotor, gearbox and servo motor controller to provide the horizontal movement of the assembly nest platen on its large 40/80 machine. This combination, together with the power supply and mechanical connecting kit, is supplied by Festo as a turnkey solution. The servo controller is networked to the 40/80 machine's host PLC. Compared to the all-pneumatic version of the machine, the electric servo based model accomplishes the same assembly operation in 33 seconds, improving throughput by nearly 6 percent.

During the development of the servo system, Phasa found Festo's positioning drives software particularly helpful. This PC-based software tool assists machine designers with the task of selecting the optimum components for a complete, high-efficiency positioning system. After entering a few application details, designers are presented with the ideal combination of electric linear axes, motors, gear units, controllers and software, together with the load characteristics of their selected drive. The software enables designers to evaluate the performance of a system very quickly, turning what can often be a highly iterative procedure into a quick and simple process.

In addition to providing excellent programming flexibility, the CMM-AS servo controller offers a particular benefit for this application, as Terry Elvidge, Phasa's Operations Director, points out: "A further advantage of using Festo servo drives is that they facilitate the capture of timed process parameters for every part made. This is vital to our customers' quality management procedures, enabling the data to be networked to a central server system and logged against the bar code for that particular part, providing a complete manufacturing record. This is especially important in the automotive sector, where products need to be traceable throughout their lifecycle."

Phasa is now looking at incorporating electric servos in a number of its smaller machines. The technology is especially suitable for applications involving fast, highly repeatable movement, and Terry Elvidge is keen to capitalise on its potential, "Although we make extensive use of Festo pneumatic cylinders primarily because of their suitability and function, they have also proved to be cost-efficient for us as we are continually seeking ways of improving the performance of our machines. We are also very customer-driven and aware of market needs - consequently we are currently investigating the use of Festo electric servos in a number of application areas, including automated loading and unloading systems."

In a typical application involving the Phasa 40/80, the parts for a car door panel comprise about six components, such as a map pocket, switch panel and various clasps. These are fitted into the carcass of the panel and then loaded into a preformed nest on the machine by the operator. All subsequent operations are completely automated, with full light guard protection to ensure operator safety. The machine progressively moves the nest through the various process stages, bringing the heater, forming and cooling tools down into close proximity or contact with the plastic stakes. Typically, each plastic stake is heated to 260 degrees Celsius for 6 seconds before the part is moved to the forming stage. The entire process, from loading to unloading, normally takes 35 seconds on the all-pneumatic version of the machine. As soon as the door panel assembly is complete, the nest is returned to the front of the machine and raised at an angle by a small pneumatic cylinder, so that it is easily accessible to the operator.

According to Terry Elvidge, "We export over 80 percent of our machines - many of our customers are first tier suppliers to the automotive industry in central Europe and Asia - which means that worldwide support is a critical factor to our success. The global nature of Festo's operations assists us in this area by providing highly responsive technical support and spares services wherever we do business. We have also found that moving to a single source of supply for our principal automation components has made ordering and parts tracking much easier."

Standard Compact Cylinders To Incorporate Air Cushioning

YourGuide Ltd. — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:08:25 +0000

Many models in Festo's popular ADN compact pneumatic cylinder family are now available with a unique self-adjusting pneumatic end-position cushioning system. Innovative cushioning ports allow the air to be vented in an optimal manner and adjust automatically to suit the prevailing speed and load conditions, providing OEMs and machine builders with a true ‘fit and forget’ solution.

Festo first introduced a form of pneumatic self-adjusting end-position cushioning – called PPS – on its DSNU family of round cylinders. However, incorporating the option on ISO 21287-standard ADN compact cylinders involved a completely different design approach, due to their much more limited internal space. Festo has developed a unique solution, which places polymer cushioning seals either side of the main piston seal. As the cylinder rod approaches the end of its stroke, one of the cushioning seals enters a chamber in the end cap, with small ports in the seals allowing the cushioning air to escape in a controlled manner.

Festo is offering PPS cushioning on five different ADN models, spanning piston diameters from 32 to 80 mm. Each of these is available with a choice of nine stroke lengths from 10 to 80 mm as standard. Stroke lengths up to 500 mm can be supplied to special order. PPS versions have exactly the same physical dimensions as their ISO standard counterparts and are completely interchangeable, providing users with considerable flexibility of design. For applications that involve twisting moments and lateral forces, Festo is also making the PPS system available on the ADNGF guided versions of the cylinder, again offering a wide choice of model sizes and stroke lengths.

ADN compact cylinders are one of market-leading Festo's biggest sellers – they are used extensively in automation applications demanding small, robust pneumatically-operated actuators. According to Steve Sands, Festo’s Product Manager, “The introduction of pneumatic cushioning, which is unique on cylinders of this size, is set to increase their use even further, especially for applications where end-position shocks and vibration must be prevented, such as high speed scanners and vision-based systems involving fragile electro-optics.”

Compared to standard-size ADN cylinders, which use polymer end-position cushioning, the PPS versions offer numerous advantages. The system provides highly repeatable cushioning characteristics, with up to 400 percent better energy absorption, depending on cylinder size. This leads to considerably quieter operation – a noise reduction of up to 50 percent – and as much as 80 per cent less vibration. These attributes mean that machine designers can now elect to use cylinders of the same size to handle larger loads and speeds or to obtain increased actuator life-times, or they can use smaller cylinders to secure the same dynamic performance.

Another advantage of Festo’s PPS system is that it requires no adjustment, making it a safe and maintenance-free option. Virtually all pneumatic actuators on the market that offer pneumatic end-position cushioning have adjustment screws. Setting up the end-position damping on these actuators can be a potentially hazardous procedure, involving exposure to moving parts. It invariably involves operating the machine under normal load conditions but without guarding, in order that trained personnel can adjust the actuator’s damping characteristics in situ. Furthermore, final adjustments are usually made just before a machine enters service, which places personnel under considerable pressure to complete the task as quickly as possible. As a consequence, pneumatic actuators are often imperfectly adjusted, with under-damping causing higher end-position impacts, higher noise levels and increased wear, or over-damping causing lengthier machine cycle times. Either way, less than optimal adjustment results in decreased operating efficiency.

Festo’s ADN cylinders equipped with the PPS system are mechanically identical to the standard versions, and can be used with any of the mounting, coupling and auxiliary components that comprise this extensive family. All the cylinders feature longitudinal slots on three sides, offering very flexible mounting schemes. A proximity detector, the SMx-8M, can be inserted in any of these slots to detect the presence of an integral magnet on the cylinder’s piston and provide confirmation of end-position.

Bosch Rexroth is highly commended for SILENCEPLUS gear pump solution

YourGuide Ltd. — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:05:58 +0000

Rexroth’s SILENCEPLUS gear pump has been recognised for its innovation in reducing noise pollution at the 11th annual John Connell Awards. The innovative SILENCEPLUS from Rexroth has been highly commended at the 11th annual John Connell Awards, run by the Noise Abatement Society. Dubbed the ‘Noise Oscars’, the awards promote innovative ideas that make a positive impact on the reduction of excessive noise in industry and the community.

The winning SILENCEPLUS features new generation technology to reduce noise levels by an average of 15dB (A) in comparison to conventional gear pumps. It is also characterised by a lower frequency sound which is more comfortable for the machine operator. This provides cost savings through the elimination of secondary noise reduction measures. The SILENCEPLUS is ideal for use in applications with electric motor drives such as fork lifts, lift platforms or industrial power units and is compatible with all other Rexroth external gear pumps for ease of retrofit.

Mark Simpson, Divisonal Manager for Mobile Applications at Bosch Rexroth, said: “We’re exceptionally proud to have been recognised at the John Connell Awards and of the continued success of the SILENCEPLUS pump. By using the SILENCEPLUS our customers can meet legally prescribed noise limits, whilst the Rexroth name ensures high efficiency and a long service life.” The awards are named in honour of the Society’s founder, John Connell OBE, who successfully lobbied the Noise Abatement Act through Parliament in 1960 when noise became a statutory nuisance for the first time in the UK.

Phoenix Marine Solutions Now an Approved Supplier to Sunseeker International

YourGuide Ltd. — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:59:20 +0000

Sunseeker International has invited Phoenix Marine Solutions onto their exclusive “Approved Supplier” list. Phoenix have been designing, manufacturing and supplying hydraulics and specialist mechanical mechanisms to the marine industry for over a decade. “This is a real boost to our business to have Sunseeker International recognise us as an important supplier to them. This shows great support from Sunseeker for UK based design and manufacturing to complement their exquisite UK manufactured Yachts. ” says Elizabeth Noles, Sales & Marketing Manager, Phoenix Marine Solutions.

"Andrew Macdonald Sunseeker International Ltd's Director of Procurement said 'Phoenix Marine Solutions have a good understanding of Sunseeker International's demanding requirements for quality and design. We are working together on a number of mechanical/hydraulic products for use on our yachts." In spite of the downturn Phoenix Marine Solutions have increased their business in the marine sector. As a result Phoenix have recently improved their facility with the addition of more equipment allowing them to handle the larger mechanical mechanisms and have increased staff numbers to cope with the new business.

Marine and Industrial Transmissions working with Phoenix Marine Solutions.

YourGuide Ltd. — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:54:44 +0000

Marine and Industrial Transmissions (MIT) have formed a working partnership with Phoenix Marine Solutions.

MIT work extensively throughout the leisure and commercial sectors of the marine industry, their work also extends to many industrial areas such as crushing equipment and locomotives. Sales & Marketing Director for MIT Martin Jackson commented, “With a common synergy in our customer bases Phoenix Marine Solutions were the obvious choice to help complete our service offering to clients.” Already the alliance with Phoenix Marine Solutions means that MIT have been able to supply components they would have otherwise had to single source.

Phoenix Marine Solutions are a specialist provider of complete hydraulic solutions for superyachts. They design and manufacture a large range of centralised and auxiliary systems including, bathing platforms, tender winches, folding balconies, trim tabs, garage door hinges, stainless steel cylinders and any other bespoke mechanically engineered products that are hydraulically driven. Elizabeth Noles, Sales & Marketing Manager for Phoenix Marine Solutions stated, “We chose to work closely with MIT as they are a highly professional and reputable company whose propulsion systems and expertise have a natural fit with our hydraulic systems and our knowledge. We are endeavouring to provide superyacht manufacturers with a one stop shop for propulsion and hydraulics resulting in a cost effective, centralised supply chain offering.”

Bosch Rexroth solves problem of safe crane operation at sea

YourGuide Ltd. — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:53:49 +0000

Dutch company Barge Master BV, installed Rexroth heave compensation to enhance the effectiveness of offshore cranes.Wind farms and drilling platforms are becoming more widespread, with construction costs playing an integral role in their development. In previous years, the lack of convincing crane technology has proven to be a big problem. “Right now, standard floating cranes encounter difficulty with waves cresting at thirty centimetres. Safe crane operation can no longer be guaranteed” says Jan-Paul van der Bos from Barge Master BV. Even minor swaying of just two to three degrees can move the tip of the crane by four to five metres. This results in an unstable load and puts the crew at risk. Barge Master wanted to solve this problem. By working with Bosch Rexroth, Barge Master developed a comprehensive solution including all the necessary drive and control components. The resulting system is suitable for all kinds of standard marine vessels and cranes. It drastically reduces the manufacturing cost and operational expense of offshore projects.

The Rexroth system also delivers in terms of technology. “With Rexroth heave compensation we have expanded the application window for floating cranes handling waves of up to 150 centimetres” adds van den Bos. This is achieved through a moving platform which neutralises roll, yaw and heave. Three hydraulic cylinders, affixed vertically, attach the crane to the hull of the ship through joints that incorporate ball bearings. Connection rods with limited mobility freeze the remaining three degrees of freedom so that the cylinder movements can compensate for wave action. The controls are the heart of the solution. Special sensors deliver motion data which is used to calculate target values for the compensatory movements that keep the platform stable. Even with irregular swells and crests of over a metre, 95% of motion can be neutralised. Barge Master has therefore been able to expand the use range for standard floating cranes. It is predicted that by mid-2012 the C400 Barge Master will be ready for use with cranes weighing about 400 tons with payloads of up to 160 tons. Barge Master is confident that this will significantly expand the utility of standard cranes in the sector.

Corrosion Resistant Fork Rod Ends

YourGuide Ltd. — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:11:58 +0000

Fork rod ends from the Elesa FJT series are a proven method of transmitting linear control or actuation, such as pneumatic cylinders, and in the case of the FJT they are resistant to continuous washing cycles with solvents and detergents, so they are suited for example, to applications in food and pharmaceutical processing equipment.

The FJT fork rod ends are available in M6 to M14 sizes, manufactured from glass fibre reinforced polyamide based technopolymer. This ensures both very low weight and good stiffness, as well as low noise and excellent shock absorbing characteristics. In addition to food and pharmaceutical machinery, typical applications are expected to include pneumatic control systems, print machines, light mobile equipment, HVAC flap and valve controls and machine guarding actuation. In fact, all types of rod systems requiring component support/adjustment, actuation and manipulation – also in compensating for misadjustment or misalignment.