Case Studies
Process automation worth its weight in gold
Modern pH sensors have significantly improved processes for Finnish gold miner Agnico Eagle. [ + ]
Helping the process industries find a way to Industry 4.0
As far as the process industries are concerned, the road to Industry 4.0 is still long. Fraunhofer researchers and engineers are working on interconnecting process systems so that they can be serviced and maintained predictively, by combining operating data with employees' knowledge. [ + ]
Winning solution for wastewater plant
A new water information management system has improved efficiency and productivity for a US wastewater treatment plant. [ + ]
Malt house retrofits 100 new drives
Traditionally, beer brewers used to prepare their own malt, but now specialised malt houses often handle this job for them. The processes in these facilities are largely automated and carried out with state-of-the-art equipment. [ + ]
Innovative crusher drives increased productivity at Brazilian quarry
A quarry has acheived increased productivity as well as increased uptime and 30% higher crusher wear liner life using the Metso cone crusher. [ + ]
Heat-resistant ultrasonic transducers
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute have demonstrated special high-temperature piezo sensors can continuously monitor components that are as hot as 900°C. Potential applications include the detection of cracks and corrosion in hot power station components. [ + ]
Chocolate production relies on efficient and clean compressed air
When a German chocolate manufacturer needed to upgrade its compressed air station, it was clear that oil-free compressors should be used. [ + ]
Investment in next-gen crushing boosts plant safety and efficiency
Boral's Linwood quarry had a 30-year-old primary jaw crusher that was struggling to keep up with production demands, and tertiary crushers that were nearing the end of their effective service life. [ + ]
Redeveloped aquatic centre utilises EtherNet/IP
The recently redeveloped Ruth Everuss Aquatic Centre at Lidcombe in Sydney's west utilises industrial controllers and an EtherNet/IP network provided by Omron. [ + ]
Shelf-ready packing with speed and precision
When a leading food manufacturer upgraded its condiment production line it needed an end-of-line solution to take the bottles and pack them into a configuration suitable for supermarket shelves. [ + ]
Good teamwork: getting a safe hand from robots
Until now, heavy-duty robots have always been housed in separate work areas to safeguard workers. Researchers at Fraunhofer want to change that with a security concept and intelligent robot control that will enable people and robots to collaborate as a team. [ + ]
Conveying in the third dimension: RFID beats barcode
Barcodes and 2D codes can be problematic for automatic reading if there is a chance that they will become dirty or damaged. Swiss company Ferag AG has therefore chosen to use RFID technology in its innovative conveying solutions. [ + ]
FDA-approved alternative to stainless steel in geared motors
An anti-corrosion system for geared motors that goes far beyond the effectiveness of surface coatings to deliver a true alternative to stainless steel at a much lower cost has been released in Australia. [ + ]
Ethernet improves electricity supply quality
Ethernet line extenders enable existing cable infrastructure to be used to create a secure Ethernet-based network used for controlling electricity substations in the north-west of the UK. [ + ]
Visualising complex 3D data on any device
Until now, the visualisation of 3D data has lacked a standardised cross-platform method of viewing and has depended on extensive computing power to achieve it. [ + ]