March 2012Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Keeping industry updated on matters of machinery safety.
2012 heralds changes to the Machinery Directive that will impact on machine builders and suppliers worldwide. Effective 1 January, the European Machinery Directive no longer references EN 954-1 as a safety standard. Anyone using EN 954-1 to show conformity may have to rectify their Declaration of Conformity.
Rockwell Automation has launched an updated version of its Safebook series. Titled ‘Safebook 4 – Principles of Machine Safety: Legislation, Theory and Practice’, this publication tackles the latest safety directives and gives readers up-to-date information relating to all facets of machinery safety.
Safebook 4 now incorporates more information on two standards – EN ISO
13849-1 and IEC/EN 62061 – which can be referenced instead of EN 954-1. Application examples with performance level calculations offer guidance on the principles of machine safety, relevant standards and methods of safety implementation.
In a handy A5 size, it gives an overview of many safety facets, including:
* International and regional regulations.
* Relevant standards for machinery safety.
* Safety strategy.
* Risk assessment.
* Protective measures and complementary equipment.
* Safety distance calculation.
* Prevention of unexpected power-up.
* Structure of safety-related control systems.
* Functional safety of control systems.
* System design according to IEC/EN 62061.
* System design according to EN ISO 13849-1:2008.
* Sistema calculation example.
This booklet forms part of the total safety offering that Rockwell Automation presents to industry. Recognising the impact that the change in the directive will have, as well as the opportunities it presents, the company is putting significant budget and resources behind a strategy aimed at assisting companies to address the new legislation.
From white papers, videos and technical publications, through to machine-level software and Sistema-compatible library files, Rockwell Automation offers a one-stop solution for all matters relating to machine safety.
Matching HVAC to the real demands of buildings and processes
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Industrial Climate Engineering director, Alin Gomes explains why effective HVAC goes beyond specifying equipment on capacity, covering load profiling, ventilation requirements, heat recovery and turnkey delivery for specialised manufacturing and processing environments.
Read more...Robotic case packer achieves 99% uptime Rockwell Automation
Motion Control & Drives
DCC Automation designed a new robotic case packer for a nutrition supplement manufacturer using delta robots and a unified Rockwell Automation control platform, cutting changeover time from 45 minutes to 5 minutes, and achieving 99 to 99,5% uptime against the previous 10% per-shift downtime.
Read more...How sustainability unlocks real business impact Rockwell Automation
IT in Manufacturing
Sustainability has moved from a compliance obligation to a strategic driver of resilience and value for manufacturers. Rockwell Automation explains how its Triple A framework and connected-data approach help producers cut energy, water and waste while improving productivity.
Read more...How BIC overcame operational silos to integrate technology and people Rockwell Automation
IT in Manufacturing
Manufacturing giant BIC deployed Plex MES from Rockwell Automation at its Bizerte plant in Tunisia, replacing fragmented, partly in-house software with a single cloud-based execution system that broke operational silos and improved shop-floor visibility.
Read more...How SCE approaches sensor selection for critical environments Specialised Climate Engineering
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Specifying the right sensor for a critical climate involves far more than matching a datasheet accuracy figure. As an authorised Vaisala HVAC partner, SCE explains how understanding the environment, the measurement purpose and sensor placement determines effective climate control.
Read more...Changing gas quality calls for smarter combustion control
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
As South Africa prepares for a transition from declining Mozambican natural gas to a proposed methane-rich bridge, LNG, industrial users can no longer assume a constant Wobbe Index and calorific value. The compact RMG RGQ 5 provides fast, plant-level gas-quality data to support approved burner and engine settings.
Read more...Patented algorithm maximises operator efficiency Rockwell Automation
IT in Manufacturing
Rockwell Automation piloted a patented anomaly detection algorithm and FactoryTalk DataMosaix at its Twinsburg electronics plant, giving operators 30 to 60 days’ advance warning of stencil failure, improving fail rates by 22% and achieving a 200% return on investment.
Read more...Getting the chemistry right
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Grace’s European production site has relied on analogue compression load cells from Minebea Intec for decades, with the long-proven measurement concept now serving as the reference for new silo projects as the company expands its capacity.
Read more...Improving material handling with autonomous mobile robots Rockwell Automation
Motion Control & Drives
Autonomous mobile robots offer flexible, AI-driven material handling that adapts to shifting demand, fills labour gaps, and generates the operational data needed to optimise end-to-end facility performance.
Read more...Why measurement matters in smelting Endress+Hauser South Africa
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
South African smelters returning to operation after energy constraints face new demands for tighter control, better visibility and environmental compliance. Endress+Hauser explains how modern measurement technology supports safer, more efficient furnace operation and local beneficiation.
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.