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19 March, 2024

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In Depth » Applied Engineering 

Wavepower devices use ballscrews to drive generators

06 December, 2021

A Swedish start-up has developed an innovative wave power technology that uses heavy-duty ballscrews to convert the linear up-and-down motion of sea swells into rotational motion that drives a generator.


Safety upgrade safeguards wet-wipe production

15 March, 2021

The soaring demand for hygienic products for use in the fight against Covid-19 means that machine utilisation and uptime are a critical to the global wet-wipe manufacturer, Nice-Pak. When the company needed to upgrade a converting machine at a plant in Wales, it had to install a safety system within a strict timeframe.


India's largest car-maker makes the connection

27 September, 2013

India’s biggest car-maker, Maruti Suzuki, is turning increasingly to the CC-Link open network to help it cut its automation costs, to share data, and to make its operations more efficient.


Automated tester puts the squeeze on tennis balls

18 July, 2013

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) is using an automated testing machine to ensure that tennis balls meet its tough standards. The machine performs a battery of tests without needing any human intervention.


Robots help to give whisky barrels a new lease of life

12 August, 2013

Automation technology is being combined with the ancient craft of barrel-making at a Scottish cooperage, where two robots and a purpose-designed lathe are being used to refurbish traditionally built oak barrels.


Etch-a-sketch artwork is up to scratch

04 July, 2013

Visitors to the renowned Venice Biennale art festival this year can see a striking exhibit in which a sketch drawn on an iPad is transferred in real time into a version scratched onto a glass surface by a diamond ring. Developing the mechatronic positioning system that turned artist Ron Arad’s vision into a practical reality was a daunting task with tough time limits.


Spinning screens co-ordinate with video displays

24 June, 2013

The Swiss engineering consultancy FiveCo has developed a system that can move and rotate computer monitors and TV screens in a co-ordinated manner with images being displayed on them, opening up new opportunities for advertising and other public displays.


15MW PM motor will stress-test wind turbines

11 June, 2013

A 15MW direct-drive permanent magnet motor weighing around 300 tonnes is being installed at a UK facility to test and develop the next generation of wind turbine components.


Water-cooled MV motors drive 'largest' heat pump system

11 June, 2013

A Scottish company has supplied the heat pump system for the world’s largest natural heat pump district heating installation, which is being commissioned in Norway. The installation includes six ammonia compressors driven by large water-cooled MV motors whose waste heat is being recovered to maximise efficiency.


3MW test rig puts tidal power systems through their paces

21 May, 2013

A 3MW medium-voltage drive and a 3.26MW 12-pole motor are providing the motive power for the world’s first facility dedicated to testing drivetrains for marine-based renewable energy systems.


Switched reluctance motors power electric Land Rovers

25 April, 2013

At the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, Land Rover unveiled a range of seven electric research vehicles powered by a switched reluctance (SR) motor and drive system developed in the UK.


Linear actuator helps to test railway points

11 April, 2013

An innovative system for testing railway point-changers using a linear actuator has cut testing times by two thirds while enhancing operator safety.


Putting a lid on tilted bottle-tops

10 April, 2013

Monitoring the positions of bottle caps is a challenge for the beverage industry, usually demanding intricate inspection systems. A German company has developed a system that uses just one smart camera, thus cutting costs and simplifying installation, while achieving a detection rate of almost 100%.


DC motors stabilise Scotland's first satellite

01 February, 2013

A tiny satellite, due to be launched in March, will be Scotland’s first spacecraft. It is relying on slightly modified miniature DC motors to keep it stable in orbit.


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