In the hygiene and personal care industries, there is demand for ever-larger batch sizes for products such as toothpaste, as well as for a larger range of variants to be produced at each site. [ + ]

For the most part, the future is a complete unknown and very difficult to predict with any accuracy. But if one thing is certain, it is that robots will be an integral part of that future, entering parts of the economy and our personal lives that a few years ago we could only imagine. [ + ]

The Ellton Group has completed the construction of a 2 km coal conveyor system for Rio Tinto Coal Australia's Coal and Allied Hunter Valley Operations. [ + ]

In-pit crushing has been common in Europe for some time, but is relatively new in Australia. Following an extensive design consultation process for its Peppertree Quarry, Australia's largest building and construction materials supplier, Boral, is now leading the way in world's best practice for in-pit crushing. [ + ]

The steel plants of Saarstahl at Völklingen, Burbach and Neunkirchen have been producing steel products in the Saarland region of Germany since the late 19th century and specialise in the production of wire rod, steel bars and semi-finished products of various grades. [ + ]

In the pharmaceutical industry, traditional batch manufacturing processes are proving to be too inefficient for today's world of economic pressures and increased global competition. There is no question that continuous manufacturing is the path forward towards leaner processes. [ + ]

Control system performance can have a significant impact on a plant’s bottom line, and recent years have seen the emergence of new technologies that can greatly assist in further improving plant efficiency, performance, safety and business integration. But taking advantage of these new technologies will, in many cases, mean upgrading the existing DCS infrastructure. [ + ]

Recent feedback from industry leaders paints a picture of a really tough automation, control and instrumentation (ACI) market. Projects in the process industries, certainly mining, have been deferred or mothballed, and the contraction in manufacturing continues. Both the process and manufacturing marketplaces are demonstrating no growth. [ + ]

Manufacturers of personal gas monitors typically recommend that gas monitors be bump tested prior to each day's use and calibrated at least monthly. But how necessary is daily testing and how does it affect safety? [ + ]

With cheap overseas labour, a high dollar and an ever-increasing global market putting pressure on Australia's manufacturing sector, many automotive companies are currently facing tough times - but new technology is available to improve efficiencies within the business and gain a strong advantage over competitors. [ + ]

Modern plastic bag-making machines often have two servomotor based axes - web feed and cut/seal - plus a mechanically linked third axis for 'picking off' the finished bags. UK machine builders Hartech Engineering and GPL Machinery have developed a machine that also implements servo control on the third axis to provide programmable control of the pick-off action. [ + ]

Operators of large production plants rely on the smooth operation of manual and automated process control systems to deliver results and maintain plant uptime. Modern technology and the constant need to further automate and centralise processes has resulted in legacy systems becoming outdated and, in some cases, obsolete. [ + ]

The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) has recently released its annual study of world industrial robot trends and predicts that the high demand for industrial robots will continue through to at least 2016. [ + ]

A successful company in the manufacturing and engineering sector is adamant Australia's belief that China is the 'be all and end all' in fabrication is something that it is mistakenly embedded in the Australian manufacturing psyche. [ + ]

It has often been said that we live in an age of solutions. Today, many vendors offer competing platforms for automation which accomplish much the same task, namely the automation of plant floor equipment and machinery. However, it is rare for manufacturing automation system users to properly investigate the total cost of ownership (TCO) for the range of automation platforms on offer. [ + ]