IT Jan 2008 - Industrial Technology Magazine

EXHIBITION PREVIEW
On the road to the NEC
February 13-14 sees the NEC turned over to a hugely
popular collection of exhibitions, including IPOT, MTEC
and Machine Building. Lookout for the logos for
exhibitor updates throughout this issue, whilst in this
short preview we look at some of the highlights
If you’re looking to see first hand the latest developments in
industrial automation, machine building, drives, motion
systems, compressed air technology, sensors, instrumentation,
vision systems and other related technologies, then you’ll find
them all at the NEC from February 13-14.
In the Machine Building section of the exhibition, Aerotech
will be demonstrating its ‘Probot’ automated multi-axis pick and
place system combining direct drive and ball screw driven linear
stages, tightly synchronised by a distributed network of EnsembleT
panel-mounted intelligent drives and communicating with an Allen
Bradley PLC using an Ethernet/IP network. Showing Aerotech’s
engineered systems capability to the full, the complete 7-axis
system includes a 3-jaw gripper, the machine base with enclosure
and full cable management.
The EnsembleT CP/MP/CL multitasking, DSP equipped,
intelligent servo drives feature deterministic real-time Ethernet
networking for up to ten axes – allowing tightly synchronised motion
and machine control with microsecond level interpolation.
On the MiniTec UK stand you’ll find several new components
from its innovative Profile System and Linear System machine
framing and modular positioning system ranges which have grown
considerably since the last Machine Building show. The
comprehensive machine building ranges are now supported with a
new 372 page hard-cover catalogue covering well over 600 items
which are all aimed at saving time and reducing costs for OEMs,
machine builders and system integrators.
Heavily featured on the stand will be the innovative and
patented Powerlock fastener that allows rapid assembly with no
pre-machining or pre-drilling.
Linear motion products
RA Rodriguez will be showing products from its own linear range
and from the Werner range, but it has also recently been appointed
the exclusive UK representative for drive manufacturer Framo
Morat. This range of systems includes the Compacta slip-on geared
motor with built-in limit switches. This is an ideal actuator for
reverse motion and is available in four sizes with torques up to
600Nm. In a similar vein the MINI is a range of extremely compact
linear actuators with acme screws that are sealed to IP65.
Minimum space requirement is also the main selling point of
LinearChain that is capable of long strokes despite its small size.
Meanwhile, HepcoMotion will be emphasising both its systems
capability and the wide range of off-the-shelf linear motion
components for customers with in-house design and assembly
facilities. Several new products will be highlighted and amongst
them will be the recently extended Utilitrak linear motion system.
This highly economical linear guide provides a narrow, compact
profile that is well suited to a variety of production environments
where smooth, high speed motion is required.
Rittal will be exhibiting its new electrical automation software,
EPLAN Electric P8, a revolutionary engineering platform that offers
the latest in CAE with optional graphical and object orientation,
sophisticated technology and complete data transfer from EPLAN 5
and 21 – allowing for the first time applications to communicate
directly with each other. Building on the proven time saving benefit
of EPLAN macros, Electric P8 now
offers Macro variant technology with
the ability to insert sections of circuits
(macros) with up to eight graphical
variants containing pre-engineered data.
Igus will be promoting its bus cables, cable
carrying energy chains and new stock bar, in
particular. Chainflex bus cables are highly flexible and
capable of high speed data transmission. The range
includes FireWire, USB and GigE cables and these are
ideal for digital camera technology. Beyond this, there
are fibre optic cables which can transmit data over
long distances up to several hundred metres.
In the MTEC section of the exhibition, Baldor will
be showing a new version of a popular ‘all-in-one’
motion solution for the first time in the UK. Offering
control for servo and stepper motor axes, together with
onboard I/O and fieldbus connectivity, the new
NextMove-ESB2 expands servo control capability from
three to four axes. This could be employed to provide a
complete X-Y-Z and Alpha axis positioning control
solution, for example. Combined
with control for four stepper
motor axes, and I/O for material
handling and general machine
control functions, the
NextMove-ESB2 module offers
an economic standalone
solution that can be used for a
wide range of machinery
applications.
The IMC Group, formed in
2007 by the amalgamation
of Lamerholm Electronics,
Hanwell Instruments and
Jekyll Electronic Technology,
will be showing a host of
new products at MTEC
2008, including the new
ELMO energy monitoring
system and Tel2 industrial
modem ranges from Jekyll and a working
demonstration of the new Evolution wireless signal conditioner
from Hanwell. Other new products include AlarmWatch – an
innovative system alerting laboratory managers or maintenance
personnel when the inside temperature of a fridge or freezer rises
above a pre-set temperature.
In the IPOT section of the exhibition, Flir Systems will be
demonstrating just how easy and quick it is to integrate thermal
imaging into the design and production process. In its new
ThermoVision A-Series the company has taken the easy
connectivity common in the visual camera sector and applied it
to infrared. And for those involved in high speed, high resolution
R&D applications FLIR Systems’ top-of-the-range SC6000
will also be put through its paces.
This ‘all-in-one’ motion system from Baldor is a servo or
stepper motion controller with I/O, fieldbus and USB
MiniTec’s Profile System machine framing range just
keeps on growing, and includes stainless steel options
The MINI from RA Rodriguez is a range of extremely compact
linear actuators with acme screws that are sealed to IP65
IMC Group’s AlarmWatch sends an alert
when temperature rises above a pre-set limit
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INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY • January 2008