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. [ + ]

When a German chocolate manufacturer needed to upgrade its compressed air station, it was clear that oil-free compressors should be used. [ + ]

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. [ + ]

The recently redeveloped Ruth Everuss Aquatic Centre at Lidcombe in Sydney's west utilises industrial controllers and an EtherNet/IP network provided by Omron. [ + ]

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. [ + ]

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. [ + ]

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. [ + ]

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 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. [ + ]

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. [ + ]

As part of a process reliability and improvement project being undertaken at the Malabar Wastewater Treatment Plant in Sydney, an ageing compressed air system was recently upgraded. [ + ]

Due to China's natural rainfall distribution it is necessary to move large amounts of water from the south of the country to the dryer north. A control system was required for a south-to-north water transfer project that would help ensure continuous and efficient transfer of water to hundreds of millions of people. [ + ]

A high-mix, low-volume electronics manufacturer, through utilising collaborative robots, has optimised production by 20%, taking over monotonous and potentially hazardous tasks from employees now reallocated to more rewarding jobs. [ + ]

Turnkey system reduces production costs for plastic homeware manufacturer. [ + ]

By installing an ultrahigh-frequency industrial RFID system from Balluff onto the assembly line for heating boilers, WESO foundry has solved one of the most difficult problems for determining OEE key performance indicators. [ + ]