Hannover Fair 2013 exclusive show report
The theme of the 2013 Hannover Fair – the industrial mega-show held annually in northern Germany – was the "Fourth Industrial Revolution". The 2013 show included the biennial MDA (Motion, Drive and Automation) event. In this exclusive report, we look at some of the highlights of the Fair.
How to avoid machine vision’s blind spots
Martin Gadsby, director of Optimal Industrial Automation, looks at some of the challenges in “difficult” machine vision applications, and outlines ways to tackle them.
Electric actuators can cut energy bills by 90%
A study has shown that pneumatic actuators consume 10.3 times more energy than electromechanical devices. Piers Olsen, sales and marketing director for automation at Olsen Engineering in the UK, examines the energy-saving potential of electromechanical actuators.
Solving the problems of long-stroke motion
Achieving reliable, accurate linear motion over distances of more than 10m poses several problems. Anders Trygg, a product manager in Thomson’s linear components group, examines these problems and suggests how they can be solved.
Dutch match-maker links controls firms with EU partners
For more than 40 years, an agency of the Dutch government has been helping to set up links between manufacturers in developing countries and companies in Europe. Malcolm Sheryn, who is the agency’s external expert for the motion control sector, explains how the scheme operates.
The dos and don'ts of managing a controls project
There are many ways that controls projects can go wrong. Michael Hill, managing director of UK-based Optima Control Solutions, draws on his extensive experience to offer advice on how to manage projects effectively, to the satisfaction of both the supplier and the client.
