News
29/05/2020 VocalZoom’s autonomous sensors
VocalZoom, a US-based provider of vibration sensors for Industry 4.0, has launched what it describes as its ‘ground-breaking autonomous sensors for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)’.
29/05/2020 Magnetic encoders from Balluff deliver condition monitoring
US-based Balluff has announced that new additions to its family of magnetic encoder systems meet IO-Link’s smart sensor profile 2.0 specifications, adding four switching signal channels to the process data. Each channel uses IO-Link to program an ‘on’ and ‘off’ point for the encoder, which allows measurements to be limited to set ranges or windows.
28/05/2020 Thermal condition monitor from Omron
Industrial automation solutions provider Omron Automation Americas has a new technology to help facilities get closer to the ultimate goal of zero downtime. By providing continuous remote thermal monitoring of electrical panels and other components, Omron’s K6PM Thermal Condition Monitoring Device reduces the time and cost required for critical equipment inspections and minimises the risk of unplanned shutdowns.
27/05/2020 Ratio pyrometer
Precision sensor manufacturer Micro-Epsilon has extended its range of high-performance non-contact temperature sensors to include a new compact infrared ratio temperature sensor (two-colour ratio pyrometer) that is ideal for use in high-temperature high-speed metal processing environments, including casting, forging and secondary metal processing applications such as induction heating.
27/05/2020 Thermal sensor solution
FLIR Systems has announced the FLIR A400/A700 Thermal Smart Sensor and Thermal Image Streaming fixed camera solutions for monitoring equipment, production lines and critical infrastructure and screening for elevated skin temperatures. These highly configurable smart camera systems provide accurate non-contact temperature monitoring across a wide range of disciplines: manufacturing process control, product development, emissions monitoring, waste management, facilities maintenance and environmental, health and safety (EHS) improvements.
26/05/2020 Doble’s all-in-one condition monitoring system
Doble Engineering Company, a leader in power grid diagnostic solutions and subsidiary of ESCO Technologies Inc, has announced the Calisto™ T1, an all-in-one condition monitoring system that encapsulates the functionality of three high-performing monitors. The new instrument gives power and utility companies a configurable, cost-effective offering for avoiding transformer failure and ensuring overall grid reliability.
26/05/2020 FUCHS to launch cutting and grinding fluid
FUCHS has unveiled a new member of the product family, Ecocool Global 1000, a globally approved water-miscible cutting and grinding fluid designed specially for the aerospace industry.
26/05/2020 Real-time fleet maintenance programme
Uptake says its new launch into dynamic maintenance focuses on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the efficiency of fleet operations with predictive maintenance (PM). Uptake provides real-time recommendations around fleet service, allowing users to move beyond time- and mileage-based maintenance.
22/05/2020 SMS Group adds AI-based predictive maintenance to product portfolio
SMS Group and Semiotic Labs, a scale-up company based in Leiden, the Netherlands, have signed an agreement to cooperate in the field of predictive maintenance.
21/05/2020 Inspecting natural gas compressors
FLIR Systems has published an application spotlight that describes how incorporating a borescope and an optical gas imaging (OGI) camera into routine maintenance protocols can help natural gas companies improve safety, reduce costs and extend the life of compressors.
20/05/2020 Digital manometer
The adoption of pressure sensors in consumer goods and wearables, and their increasing use in industries such as automotive and medical, has led to the need for higher levels of precision pressure measurement for their development and calibration. The new Yokogawa MT300 satisfies the high-accuracy measurement and long-term stability requirements of these advanced applications, with multiple models for gauge, absolute and differential pressures.
20/05/2020 Bench-top X-ray elemental analyser
The next-generation bench-top energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometer from Bruker, S2 PUMA™ Series 2, is equipped with HighSense™ technology for increases in throughput by a factor of approximately 3×.
19/05/2020 Network Rail’s new partners
Network Rail controls more than 20,000 miles of train track across Britain and Northern Ireland. Every day, there are more than 4.8 million journeys made by rail in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. Over such an expansive system of routes, monitoring the condition of the track and scheduling maintenance can be extremely difficult, particularly in rural locations. Now, Network Rail is determined to deploy innovative new technology to help aid in this crucial area of work.
19/05/2020 Scotland’s ‘Fitbit’ for machines
Sensor-Works is anticipating a tenfold rise in revenues on the back of its new monitoring device. Currently used in industries such as oil & gas, mining and renewables, the tool uses Internet of Things (IoT) technology to track metrics that indicate machine health, including vibration signatures and temperature, in a similar way to Fitbit™ fitness trackers.
18/05/2020 GE Inspection rebrands as Waygate Technologies
The inspection technologies business of Baker Hughes Digital Solutions introduced a new name, logo and website on 28 January 2020. Formerly GE Inspection Technologies (GEIT), the business is now called Waygate Technologies, a Baker Hughes business.
18/05/2020 Cloud-based expertise secures INEOS contract for AVT Reliability
Plant reliability specialist AVT Reliability® has been awarded a three-year contract to provide proactive condition-based maintenance (CBM) support to leading chemical company INEOS.
15/05/2020 Inspection management platform
Data handling can be heavy, disorganised and complicated, but the Olympus Scientific Cloud (OSC) version 3.0 offers powerful new tools that simplify the process, enabling users to leverage the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 for their inspection and analytical applications. Accessed directly from the Olympus IMS website, users will experience a streamlined user interface (UI), the new App Marketplace, instrument fleet and personnel management tools, cloud data storage and more.
15/05/2020 Electric Power Research Institute develops virtual NDE system
The Electric Power Research Institute’s (EPRI’s) Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) programme has developed a virtual non-destructive evaluation (VNDE) game-changing technology that it claims will transform the way practical training for ultrasonic testing and inspection is delivered. The VNDE system allows a user to interact with a simulated inspection application. Using a simulated ultrasonic transducer and a simulated pipe containing a weld, the user interfaces with an on-screen display that simulates manually scanned ultrasonic data (‘plays back’ previously recorded ultrasonic testing (UT) data).
13/05/2020 Ilika’s solid-state battery concludes wind blade trial
UK materials development company Ilika plc has revealed it has successfully completed a trial of its solid-state battery in a condition monitoring device placed on a test wind turbine blade at the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult facility in Blyth, UK.
13/05/2020 Eska equips board machine with online condition monitoring
Dutch solid board producer Eska is equipping the PM7 board machine at its Hoogezand plant with an online condition monitoring system from SPM Instrument. Eska has chosen the Intellinova Parallel EN and Intellinova Standard systems for monitoring this critical machine.
07/05/2020 Significant culture change required for radical innovation to work in UK, says Academy
The government’s proposal for a radical innovation funding agency will require a significant culture change in a UK system previously based on value for money, according to a briefing by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng). The briefing responds to government plans for an ambitious new research and technology funding agency, modelled on the USA’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA).
06/05/2020 Eddyfi acquires Halfwave and ART technology
Eddyfi/NDT has announced the acquisition of Halfwave, headquartered in Bergen, Norway. Halfwave is the owner of the proprietary acoustic resonance technology (ART), an ultrasound-based technique that allows high-precision measurements to be carried out in imperfect conditions and without the need for liquid couplant. The company is currently active worldwide in the field of subsea inspection and pipeline in-line inspection (ILI) and has over 70 employees and additional offices in Oslo, Norway, and Houston, Texas, USA.
05/05/2020 Seiche unveils acoustic monitoring technology
Seiche has launched a digital hydrophone developed in partnership with UK-based multinational defence technology company QinetiQ. The Hydraq QQ1000 combines acoustic and auxiliary sensors suitable for seabed, rising cable or suspended cable deployment.
04/05/2020 Jacobs continues leadership in delivering technological innovation for fusion energy
Jacobs is continuing its leadership in clean energy with the award of several contracts, with an estimated combined value of more than $25 million (approximately £20 million), by Fusion for Energy (F4E), the ITER Organization and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).
01/05/2020 Free webinar now open for registration
A free webinar on the role of computed tomography (CT) in accelerating the development and qualification of additive manufacturing (AM) processes and products is to be hosted on Thursday 14 May 2020 at 4.00 pm BST.
