Online magazine for design and development

Here you will find everything that the designer needs for his design and the development engineer for his new development, from the draft to quality assurance in production, such as new products, their applications, new technologies or research results. Company reports as well as topics on technological and megatrends in all industrial sectors complete our range of industry news. Let's start with the news.

Company News

Jumo's new Sensilo plant construction is progressing
Jumo is building a factory in the technology park for the production of temperature and pressure sensors with a production area of ​​around 13 m². At around 000 million euros, the new building is the largest investment in the company's history.
3DExperience Word 2024 in Dallas
At 3DExperience World 2024 in February in Dallas, Texas, Dassault Systèmes celebrated the event's 25th anniversary. The annual user meeting supports the global community in the development of future-proof products and processes.
Michael Koch GmbH moves into a new workshop
There is now more space available in Michael Koch's “Factory” for the assembly of customer- and machine-specific safe braking resistors. The new, modern hall was recently “taken by storm” by the employees.
Elon Musk is suing OpenAI for profit-making
Elon Musk files a lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, accusing them of breach of contract because the company, which was originally designed as a nonprofit, is now operating for profit.
Murat Simsir strengthens strategic corporate management at Montech
Murat Simsir took over the position of CSO at Montech on January 1, 2024. The former head of sales and project management is now strengthening the company's strategic management as part of the management team.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Industry news for your design and development from the specialist areas

switch cabinet

switch cabinet

On to the intelligent drive train for predictive maintenance

The Roba-brake-checker module or the torque-measuring shaft coupling from Mayr ensure intelligent safety in smart production.

To the post

plastics

plastics

The first 100 Igus bikes hit the streets

The first 100 Igus Urban Bikes hit the streets and an in-house production facility with a capacity of 10.000 bicycles is set up in Cologne.

To the post

Couplings

Couplings

Torque measuring shaft coupling

The smart steel multi-plate coupling Roba-drive-checker from Mayr can do more than just transmit torque and compensate for shaft misalignment.

To the post

Robotic

Robotic

Programming robots for cable handling

As an exhibitor in the Application Park at the Hannover Messe, Artiminds Robotics is presenting a cable handling application for precise cable harness assembly.

To the post

INDUSTRY SPECIALS

Industry news for your design and development from the branches

food technology

food technology

Lubrication and sealing-optimized linear guide

Schaeffler presents linear guides for food technology with optimized seals, wipers and long-term lubrication units.

To the post

Mobile Machinery

Mobile Machinery

Flexible, customizable gateway for agricultural technology

IFM Electronic is presenting the Isobus Gateway at the Hannover Messe, which is designed for agricultural equipment and can be specifically adapted.

To the post

Energy Technology

Energy Technology

All Electric Society – vision of the future of connectivity

At the Hannover Messe Preview, Harting gives an outlook on the Hannover Messe and draws the future picture of an “All Electric Society”.

To the post

Inverter

Inverter

Certified servo controller with Profisafe interface

At Logimat, Wittenstein is presenting a safety-certified servo controller with a Profisafe interface and integrated safety card for AGVs.

To the post

EXHIBITION SPECIALS

Industry fair news

Hannover Messe promotes energy for sustainable industry
As a networked industrial ecosystem, the exhibitors demonstrate how climate neutrality can be achieved through the use of electrification, digitalization and automation under the guiding theme of Energizing a sustainable Industry.
Control Fair 2024 | The industry is already looking forward to Stuttgart
Control 2024, the important international trade fair for quality assurance, will take place from April 23rd to 26th in Stuttgart. The trade fair places a particular focus on automation and digitalization.
SPS Nuremberg: Now in 16 halls!
The SPS – Smart Production Solutions from November 14th to 16.11th. 2023 will see significant growth in the trade fair compared to the previous year and is on the way to pre-Corona levels.

ACE10317

A few weeks ago, a beam in the Maasbracht lock that was intended for ships to approach had a big crack. A ship hit the beam with too much force. Installed as protection in the Dutch lock, the overall construction can nevertheless claim to have survived the accident well. As a precautionary measure for the lock door behind the bumper bar, special safety shock absorbers from ACE shock absorbers were used to protect the system from the worse.


ACE20317The experts from ACE in the Netherlands, Ralf Küppers and Han Titulaer, were both proud and relieved when they learned of the emergency in the Maasbracht lock. "Relieved, because no one on the ship or on land has been harmed by the collision of the bumper beam. We are proud because our safety dampers have prevented the accident with the lock gate, "says Küppers, who is responsible for the sales of the Rhenish company in the Benelux countries.

His Dutch colleague Titulaer states: "Our client, the Dutch construction and steel company Mourik Limburg BV, and we are glad that our safety measures were planned well in advance and that the entire construction survived the accident very well." It should be noted that this extreme case had not occurred in the seven years since the plant was first put into operation.

In the project planning phase of the lock system, the partners involved had taken into account the impact of ships in the lock with the impact bar. Because when navigating a cargo ship in a lock, it is in principle conceivable that contact occurs, in this case between the lock door and the ship, as when parking an automobile in tight parking spaces.


Hahn gas spring ballpoint pen principleBallpoint pen principle makes the gas spring lockable on both sides


With loaded ships weighing up to 4000 t there is hardly a lock or hinge that would be able to stop the forces resulting from a maximum approach speed of 0,5 m / s in order to prevent the lock door from bursting. An uncontrolled and therefore very dangerous filling or emptying of the entire lock system with water would be the result. With a height difference of 12 m to be overcome, as is the case on site in Maasbracht, a real horror scenario. So it came about that the engineers made a virtue out of necessity and enabled controlled accidents via a bumper.

Customized bumper damper

ACE30317In practice, this means that the captains of the cargo ships use and start the launch bars as a protective marker. Thus, the parking space, ie the lock, be chosen small. However, this is not the only advantage: in the case of the large differences in height in front of and behind the lock, it is possible to simply drive under the launch bar when the lock doors are open downstream - ie low water. The shock absorbers from ACE secure locks and beams here.

In the interpretation of the damper in addition to the already mentioned key data also an occurring Wasserschlag had to be considered. This refers to a physical phenomenon in which a strong mechanical shock is caused by water. At the end of the consultation and design by ACE, the safety dampers required energy to be degraded by 500 kNm, which requires a model of truly unusual proportions. The length of the damper specially designed for the lock is 2649 mm, its outer diameter 200 mm and its own weight 320 kg per model.


Calculate ACE gas springCalculate, design and order gas cable and gas pressure springs


ACE60519

The special design has an optimized characteristic curve, a fixed stop and a stroke of 800 mm and works according to this principle: The piston rod is inserted during the braking process and that hydraulic oil in front of the piston displaces simultaneously through all throttle openings. Due to the proportional to the stroke moved decreasing number of effective throttle bores not only reduces the retraction speed constant, it also remain the same before the piston resulting back pressure and the opposing force.

While the braking process of ACE miniature shock absorbers takes place so quickly that designers working with them for the first time have doubts about their effectiveness, the special airlock dampers need 3,5 s to cover the stroke of almost 1 m. So that you can return to the starting position after moving off, the safety dampers work similarly to the gas springs of ACE with nitrogen.

ACE40317Collected in a gas reservoir, the oil displaced by the piston rod is compensated and pushes the piston rod back into its starting position when it extends. The XXXL dampers described here, like the heavy safety shock absorbers from ACE, are equipped with a separating piston nitrogen reset system to separate the hydraulic system from the gas storage tank.

Trigger bar is replaced, sluice damper not

In order to put the lock back into operation as quickly as possible, a new bump bar is needed. The ACE safety damper must be temporarily dismantled so that it can be replaced.

In order to speed up the process, the project office that is replacing the beam received all the necessary information electronically from Han Titulaer, such as the nitrogen being released from the interior, the dampers then being removed and reinstalled after the system has been repaired. This procedure is necessary because in the normally provided extended delivery state, removal and installation is not possible for reasons of space. At the end of all work, ACE takes over the inspection of the dampers, to which Han Titulaer comments: "Mourik Limburg BV and we are confident that the construction will survive the next seven years at least as well as the first."

Picture above: Launch bar at the lock in Maasbracht (NL) after collision with a cargo ship