When Australian company SPC Ardmona switched its palletising system, it found other advantages than just packing more pallets. The new system also opened up opportunities for new business.

More and more, customers are wanting to automate the palletising function within their production facilities but are often unable to provide space for such a system. And in today’s current economic conditions, customers are becoming even more focused on the return on investment of their capital equipment purchases. The result is that customers now seek quality equipment with excellent performance specifications and a predictable commissioning timeline, all at a reasonable price.

ABB is to provide a drive system for an overland coal conveyor at a new export terminal being built by Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group (NCIG). The new terminal will enable an increase in coal exports from the Newcastle region of New South Wales and will be constructed at Newcastle Port, Kooragang Island. The project represents the largest single-stage development of a new coal terminal of this magnitude in the world.

Over the past few years, mesh networks have become more popular, following the trend to create more wireless things. As with other technology trends, as mesh networking has developed, so has a plethora of different mesh networking technologies and architectures.

“As this was a first-time application for the LDS6 in submerged arc furnaces on a global scale, great caution had to be taken in order to guarantee its accuracy, sensitivity, reproducibility, reliability and maintainability,” Welsh said.

Recently I was given the opportunity to interview Twain Drewett, Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand for Rockwell Automation. I asked him some questions about how he sees the automation sector has been faring of late, and about Rockwell’s views in relation to integrated security and wireless networks.

The goal of every lubrication program should be to ensure that all equipment receives and maintains the proper levels of lubrication such that no equipment fails due to inadequate or improper lubrication.

Unleashed by new safety standards that embrace the latest microprocessor technologies, modern safety control systems are now intricately tied to how the plant operates — not only optimising worker safety, but improving productivity and uptime.

In the coal mining industry, the dragline is the workhorse of the open-cut mine's operation, moving massive amounts of overburden 24 hours a day throughout the year.

Emerging technologies present new challenges for compressor manufacturers — a trend report from ACHEMA 2009 provides some details.

Predictive maintenance programs provide miners with valuable insight into the condition of their in-service equipment, and are crucial in keeping mining and mineral processing applications online, streamlining maintenance schedules and minimising repair expenses.

The Andasol 1 plant in the Spanish province of Granada is a parabolic trough power plant and is claimed as the world’s largest solar power plant. Intelligent electric actuators with digital control have been specified for valve control in all areas of the generating process.

The Murray Goulburn dairy factory in Maffra, Victoria, processes four million litres of raw milk per year into intermediate products including butter, cream, anhydrous milk fat and milk powders. The installation of a total organic carbon (TOC) analyser has paid back its investment several times over by limiting COD discharge levels outside the trade waste agreement, thus minimising additional charges previously incurred.

Industrial applications are often associated with harsh, demanding environments. Facilities and key computing equipment may be located at remote sites where there is little or no protection from severe weather conditions or in industrial environments near sources of heat. Computers that are not designed to tolerate harsh conditions face significant limitations in how they can be used in industrial applications.

With over 13,000 employees, the VW plant in Baunatal — 10 km south of Kassel — is Volkswagen’s second largest production site in Germany and one of the concern’s most important component suppliers. This primary transmission plant in Kassel supplies the entire Volkswagen organisation worldwide with around 2.8 million manual and automatic transmission systems annually.