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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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”.

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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.

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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.

skf10318What normally happens in dry dock, SKF and the underwater repair specialist Trident Group recently dared to do in the “wet element”: For the first time, this team of experts installed a swiveling fin stabilizer of the “Type S” on a floating ship. Thanks to the successful action, the affected crusader was able to continue his journey through the Atlantic as planned.

In addition to the staff and luxurious equipment, aboard cruise ships provides a lot of "hidden" technology for the comfort of passengers. These include, for example, hydraulically operated fin stabilizers on many modern ships, which are swung out below the waterline when the sea gets a bit rougher. While driving, these fins then counteract unpleasant ship movements. In calm waters, however, the stabilizers are folded back into their "parking positions" in the hull to minimize flow resistance. Many of these fins are manufactured and maintained by SKF.

Unwelcome surprise on port

skf20318In the routine inspection of a cruise ship in 2014, the technicians noticed damage to its port stabilizer fin. Presumably, the damage was due to a collision with flotsam. In order to avoid consequential damage, it was decided to temporarily decommission the stabilizer until the next scheduled overhaul of the ship in dry dock.

In March 2017 it was time: In a German shipyard, a team of SKF engineers from Hamburg on the disassembly and repair of the stabilizer plant. However, they found that the fin stabilizer had suffered much more serious damage than originally thought: The impact had several vital components of the fin mechanism bent or even broken.

Whilst the complete replacement of a marine-damaged stabilizer is routine for SKF's marine experts, in this case they were on the back burner: the team calculated that the required work would require at least 150 h. However, since the ship only had a five-day dry dock stay, even with "24 hours shifts" it would have been impossible to get the job done on time. And an extension of the stay was out of the question, because the next tourists wanted to board.

Exceptional measure

In order not to disturb the ship's operations and the passengers under the given circumstances, the shipping company and SKF decided to take an extraordinary measure: underwater installation. For this purpose, the defective stabilizer was dismantled in dry dock and his "parking bay" in the hull temporarily closed with two steel plates. So the ship was able to set sail as planned. The removed stabilizer was meanwhile shipped to the halls of SKF Marine GmbH in Hamburg, where the experts carried out the necessary repairs.

After the fin stabilizer had been repaired and tested here, the base of the stabilizer was sent by container ship to a port in the Canary Islands. Smaller components - such as the control systems - landed as part of a European stopover in the belly of the Crusader. The schipperte now also in the direction of the Canary Islands to accommodate the first passengers of the winter season.

No diving holiday in the Canary Islands

skf30318Unlike the tourists, the SKF and Trident Group specialists in the Canary Islands did not think about vacation: they were already preparing the stabilizer that had arrived in the meantime for its underwater installation. To this end, they have, inter alia, all parts of the stabilizer Mechanismusseses that do not normally come into contact with the sea water, protected or sealed accordingly.

At the beginning of November 2017 also made the passenger ship in the harbor: 58 h long it would be there at anchor. This started the crucial countdown for the SKF experts as well as the Trident team's diving missions. With clear water and mild temperatures, the professionals first mounted a kind of "watertight bell" over the fin box. Thus, the steel plates, which had previously closed the "parking bay" of the stabilizer, could be safely removed. Then the stabilizer fin was carefully lowered by a crane next to the hull and maneuvered slowly into position by the divers. Shortly after, they managed to mount the stabilizer properly. After that, they were also able to reduce the provisional air chamber again.

After completing the mechanical installation work on schedule, SKF's engineers stayed aboard. On the way to the Caribbean, among other things, they connected the control technology and checked the proper operation of the system. The fact that the associated tasks were already completed within a day, should not have been in this case quite to the taste of the technical "short crusaders".