Cost effective solutions for industrial motion control
August 2016Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
RS Components has announced a range of products and solutions to help companies involved in motion control applications equip and maintain systems, such as conveyors, used in diverse industries including automotive, packaging, manufacturing and production or in the chemical or food and beverage processing sectors.
Budgetary constraint is an increasingly significant factor and many companies do not always have the luxury of purchasing completely new state-of-the-art motion control systems. Therefore, they are often faced with the challenge of keeping ageing conveyor systems operational and have key decisions to make about maintenance and partial system upgrades.
Conveyor system maintenance is key to ensuring that the life of expensive industrial systems is extended well beyond a manufacturer’s guarantee, safely and cost effectively. RS is suggesting a series of tips for maintaining these systems while keeping downtime to a minimum, including: employing maintenance engineers to repair small problems before they become large enough to affect the quality of the manufactured goods or cause expensive downtime; keeping stock of obsolete critical parts or those with long lead times; and establishing a preventative maintenance procedure with regular system audits and documentation to reduce unexpected failures.
According to Heiko Luckhaupt, marketing manager at RS Global, “In an ideal world the latest technology would always be available to producers to enable them to manufacture to the highest specifications. However, it is often the case that the technology being used currently is actually more than adequate to do the job, plus there is often no additional budget available for significant upgrades. In many circumstances, the best course of action is to keep current systems up and running for as long as possible.”
RS offers a number of options from leading suppliers – including the RS Pro range – to provide solutions for maintaining mechanical parts such as bearings, belts, pulleys, couplings, gears, gaskets, seals, dampers, height mounts and ball transfer units, as well as pneumatic components like adaptors, fittings and couplings. Also available are many options for maintaining electrical parts such as motors, drives, sensors, sounders, beacons, switches, cables, connectors and pushbuttons. In addition, a range of supporting materials includes tools, safety signs, first-aid equipment, personal protection equipment, lubricants and sprays.
As well as parts available in the RS Pro range, there are also motors, drives and starters from leading companies such as ABB, Eaton, Schneider Electric and Siemens.
Replacement parts available are linear and radial bearings from companies such as SKF and IGUS, as well as DC and stepper motors, controllers and peripherals from Faulhaber.
Key pneumatic components and hydraulic components are available from SMC and Parker; and conveyor belts and rollers are available from Contitech, Bosch Rexroth and Interroll.
Modernising acid cooler protection without disrupting production Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Omniflex has supplied an advanced anodic protection control system to phosphate producer Foskor, replacing a legacy transformer rectifier system while maintaining uninterrupted production. The distributed PowerView CP solution provides remote monitoring and DCS integration.
Read more...Engineering partnership delivers longer life for vibrating feeders in mining
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
: OST-Africa’s combination of VISAM vibrating motors and advanced rubber mounting technology has helped Euro Sales achieve a 30 to 40% increase in component life on vibrating feeders at several major mining operations, with zero mount failures in the first 12 months.
Read more...RS South Africa announces 2026 Student Project Fund winners RS South Africa
News
RS South Africa has awarded 13 engineering students with R10?000 worth of products each through its 2026 Student Project Fund, supporting projects spanning renewable energy, robotics, warehouse automation and STEM education.
Read more...When oil can’t take the heat
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Unlike the slow ageing of oxidation, thermal breakdown is the sudden chemical collapse of a lubricant under excessive heat. Steven Lumley of WearCheck explains how it happens, where it strikes, and how oil analysis detects it.
Read more...ESG as a growth lever RS South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Leading organisations are treating ESG not as a compliance obligation but as a practical tool for operational efficiency, supply chain resilience and business performance, with data and collaboration central to unlocking its value.
Read more...Mini data loggers for temperature and humidity monitoring
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Testo’s range of four compact data loggers covers temperature and humidity monitoring for storage, refrigeration and transport applications, with USB-C or Bluetooth connectivity and capacity for up to 16 000 readings.
Read more...Alternative fuels for cutting, brazing, soldering and heating
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Bolt and Engineering Distributors, as an authorised distributor for the Harris Products Group, is helping South African industries transition from acetylene to safer, more cost-effective alternative fuels for cutting, brazing, soldering and heating applications.
Read more...Rethinking corrosion protection in process plants Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Remote monitoring is changing how cathodic and anodic protection systems are managed in process plants, giving operators continuous visibility of corrosion protection performance and enabling more proactive maintenance decisions.
Read more...Installation safety tester Vepac Electronics
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
A combination measuring device for testing electrical installations, offering safety tests including RCD, voltage, loop, low-resistance, earth resistance and insulation checks via a 3,5-inch TFT colour display.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version