Railway stress monitoring system
April 2001
Motion Control & Drives
Heavy construction can change soil support capabilities and may damage nearby buildings and bridges. To determine if harm is being done, construction engineers can monitor a structure's position, and when a position change is detected, construction can be halted, the problem analysed and the proper precautions taken.
Construction engineers working for the Taipei, Taiwan rapid transit system have built a 24 h surveillance system to monitor a bridge adjacent to one of their building sites. The system is made up of a series of sink and tilt sensors networked to a remote PC running data acquisition and control software. The ADAM-4000 series thermocouple input modules and software technology from Soltec Corporation is at the heart of their surveillance system.
One of Taipei's main intercity commuter train routes runs over this bridge, under which a tunnel is being dug into one of the riverbanks. The bridge's position is being monitored to ensure that it is not adversely affected by the construction work. Measurements are being taken using horizontal and vertical position sensors. The sensors have been placed along both sides of the bridge at 50m intervals. Each 50 m section equals one measurement node. In all, the engineers have built 22 nodes.
Each node consists of one ADAM-4021 analog output module (illustration), one ADAM-4011 analog input module and either one sink sensor with a water tube assembly or a tilt sensor. For weather and particulate protection each node's modules are housed in a fully sealed industrial grade enclosure. Each node is connected to a PC in the control room by means of an RS485 multidrop configuration network.
Further reading:
Solving common automation challenges with Festo’s servo drive and servo motor solutions
Festo South Africa
Motion Control & Drives
Automation projects face challenges that include limited installation space, the need for precise and repeatable linear motion, rising cycle-speed demands, and seamless integration with existing control architectures. Festo’s servo portfolio directly addresses these issues with compact, modular drive and motor solutions designed for specific applications.
Read more...
Inside the Giant Magellan Telescope with mechanical engineering at astronomical scale
Motion Control & Drives
Construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope, set to become the world’s largest Gregorian optical infrared telescope, is well underway. While its scientific mission is to transform astronomy, its performance depends heavily on advanced mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic engineering.
Read more...
Filtration as a reliability driver in motion control systems
Parker Hannifin - Sales Company South Africa
Motion Control & Drives
This article highlights the importance of filtration in motion control systems, how contamination affects performance, and what fleet managers, operators and maintenance teams in southern Africa can do to reduce downtime, avoidable wear and costly repairs, aided by Baldwin Filters.
Read more...
Supporting construction of next-gen floating offshore wind turbines
Motion Control & Drives
While windy locations naturally make ideal spots for offshore wind farms, they bring challenges when it comes to assembling wind turbines, particularly in ports. Mammoet was approached by Euroports to support with the marshalling and assembly of the components that make up the three turbines at Port-la-Nouvelle in France.
Read more...
Rollers excel where profits balance on a knife edge
igus
Motion Control & Drives
Polymer component specialist manufacturer, igus has developed a range of lubrication-free long-life knife edge rollers designed to improve the transfer of products between conveyor belts in high-speed production environments.
Read more...
Bringing physical AI to the factory floor by deploying humanoids in industrial operations
Siemens South Africa
Motion Control & Drives
Siemens and Humanoid have marked a landmark milestone in the journey to bring physical AI from vision to industrial reality. Humanoid’s humanoid robothas been successfully tested in operations at Siemens’ electronics factory in Germany, performing autonomous logistics tasks.
Read more...
Next-generation oil-free motor systems with active magnetic bearings
WEG Africa
Motion Control & Drives
WEG and SpinDrive are collaborating to integrate SpinDrive’s AMBs and built-in IoT condition monitoring into WEG’s market-leading electric motor offering, creating an oil-free, maintenance-free drive solution.
Read more...
Rising demand for advanced coolant technology
Motion Control & Drives
As modern engines become smaller, more powerful and increasingly complex, coolant technology has undergone a fundamental transformation.
Read more...
Addressing cost, supply and disease pressures in Africa’s feed industry
Motion Control & Drives
Feed producers across Africa are operating in an increasingly complex and volatile environment. The pressures are forcing producers to rethink how they operate, balancing cost control, production efficiency and the need for greater flexibility in an unpredictable market.
Read more...
Rapid headframe replacement for Canada’s biggest potash mine
Motion Control & Drives
Mammoet has supported Ledcor with the construction of BHP’s new Jansen potash mine.
Read more...
printer friendly version