TechArchive

This article was originally written in the period 1995-2000 Just when you thought it was safe to install RS 232 links with your eyes shut, along came low power lap-tops and new standards – EIA/TIA 562 & 574 – which we were all assured was compatible with 232. However, replacing a PC containing a proper [...]

Original article date: June 1999 US company Motion Industries provides a taste of what you can see hear and smell in faulty hydraulic systems! A hydraulic system offers many potential problem areas; the most common being excessive noise excessive heat incorrect speed (flow) incorrect pressure or faulty operation. Before embarking on hydraulic troubleshooting a knowledge [...]

Original article date: March 1998 Touch screen technology: applications and possibilities Gerry Harling international marketing director of Danielson explains the developing possibilities available for industrial touch screen applications. The use of touch screen technology is growing rapidly both in consumer and industrial applications. The world touch screen market is estimated to be increasing by a [...]

Original article date: November 1998 Photoelectric sensors are one of the key elements of virtually all factory automation systems and there is a tendency to take the advances for granted says KEITH WILLIAMS of IMO Precision Controls. While it is true that the fundamental technology of photoelectrics has not changed much since Kennedy was President [...]

Original article date: February 1998 Cost has kept the 400V three-phase drive in the shadow of its more popular 230V single-phase cousin. Not any more, perhaps, argues MARK HARTLEY Drives Marketing Manager of Eurotherm Drives, anticipating a radical rethink in low power AC motor control. The last 10 years has seen a rapid increase in [...]

This article was originally written in the period 1995-2000 Do you know the difference between absolute accuracy and non-accumulation of pitch error? Metal belts – thumbnail profile Durability:-a variety of alloys may be used, each with its own resistance to chemicals, humidity and corrosion. Engineers generally select a belt material on physical properties (belts have [...]

Original article date: January 1999 Hot air staking has the ability to provide robust fixings while de-skilling the plastic part assembly process. DENNIS EAGLES Development Manager of Phasa Developments explains some of the basics. Plastic hot air staking is being increasingly applied in the automotive sector mirroring the growth of plastic parts in trim and [...]

This article was originally written in the period 1995-2000 Terry Allen, Managing Director of Industrial Measurements, reviews the various types of torque measurement products. Historically, torque measurement was confined to test bed applications, usually as part of product development or final product test, and was only rarely considered as a measuring technique for end users. [...]

Original article date: January 1999 Gearbox catalogues present information in different ways making the life of an engineer more difficult. TONY FLETCHER, JBJ’s technical specialist for gearboxes explains why and what to do. Imagine the situation…you have your design on the board (or screen!) and the final drive required could not easily be achieved by [...]

Original article date: April 1998 Advice for machine builders from Smartscan on how to stay within the law by safeguarding end-of-line packaging machinery and similar equipment. Over the past decade, a significant amount of European legislation has been implemented into UK law, together with a miscellany of supporting harmonised standards. And although basic safety standards [...]