Thread forming slashes costs by 88%

Taptite 2000® generation of thread forming screws combines efficiency advantages with process reliability. A total cost saving of up to 88% can be achieved in threaded fastener assembly.

The Taptite 2000® generation of thread forming screws from Arnold Umformtechnik GmbH & Co. KB makes a fundamental contribution to cost reduction in threaded fastener systems (Figure 1). Based on experience, costs savings of up to 88% can be achieved in threaded fastener assembly.

According to the results of various studies, 85% of the total cost of a conventional threaded fastener joint arises from secondary costs such as drilling, thread cutting, inspection, tools and workstation cleaning. The actual fastening components account for only 15% of the total cost.

Here the thread forming screws of the Taptite 2000® generation offer decisive efficiency advantages, since costly assembly processes can be eliminated when these fastening components are used. In particular, non-cutting formation of the nut thread with Taptite® products makes them true ´cost killers´. Furthermore, downstream operations such as cleaning and inspection are no longer necessary. Drilling operations can also be eliminated with pre-cast core holes, thus allowing total cost savings of up to 88% to be achieved in threaded fastener assembly.

Taptite 2000® users also benefit of the improved mechanical properties of the assembled joint. The trilobular shank form and radius-profile thread flanks result in around 50% lower thread forming torque than with conventional thread forming screws, which translates into higher clamping force together with a smaller statistical spread of clamping forces.

For further information, view website: www.arnold-uk.com or e-mail: michael.pult@arnold-umformtechnik.de  Refer to page 143

Sony DADC UK Limited opts for energy-efficient compressor installation

Europe's leading optical storage media manufacturer, Sony DADC UK Limited has recently installed a new energy-efficient compressor system in its West Sussex plant and is now taking significant steps towards recovering the energy from the compressor.

As an environmentally aware organisation, it was important to Sony DADC UK Limited's Southwater plant management that the proposed upgrade installation should not only incorporate optimum energy-efficiency features but additionally make a substantial contribution to reducing the plant's carbon footprint by providing the capability to recover energy in the form of heat.  The recovered heat could be utilised to supplement the site's hot water system as well as the warehouse and office heating circuit.

Sony DADC UK Limited provides leading solutions and advanced technologies, such as world-class optical media replication services and software services with quality leadership. The Southwater facility is one of three production sites in Europe. Much of its output is produced within a clean room environment so it is important that quality compressed air is provided for many of the process operations.

In order to help achieve the company's energy efficiency and environmental protection objectives, Atlas Copco has replaced an existing GA oil injected compressor with a water-cooled, oil-free, rotary screw ZR160VSDFF unit, with energy recovery capability and an integrated no-loss MD re-generative heat dryer.

The Southwater plant runs two independent compressed air networks - the major system runs at a pressure of 7 bar and the secondary network at 8.4 bar. Part of the air for the 7 bar system is supplied by an existing compressor but the principal input is from the newly installed ZR160VSDFF machine. Approximately 65% of the compressed air output is devoted to the disc replication process, which includes the operation of pneumatic cylinders. It is also blown directly on to the discs for cooling purposes and required in the operation of vacuum generators. A further 15% is utilised in the process of printing on the discs themselves, again involving the operation of pneumatically operated cylinders. The remaining 20% of the air supply is utilised within packing operations.

At the same time, a major portion of the air from 8.4 bar system supplies the mastering department's laser cutting equipment, with the rest feeding the offset lithographic disc printing machines.

The new installation provides high quality oil-free compressed air to help protect all of these plant processes and end products. At the same time, it saves energy in a number of ways. The VSD feature of the compressor matches output to user demand and is capable of achieving energy savings of up to 35%. With the major compressed air systems operating at the lower pressure of 7 bar, running costs are lowered and, as a result of the reduced working pressure, any costly air net system leaks are also minimised. What is more, there are additional energy economies resulting from the adoption of a re-generative MD no-loss, heat-of-compression technology dryer − the dryer integrated within the ZR160VSDFF - replacing the original heatless desiccant dryers and their associated purge air loss.

The whole installation now also features centralised compressor room control with Atlas Copco's ES8 system designed to monitor and maintain optimum performance for all of the compressed air equipment.
 
Sony DADC UK Limited's compressor system upgrade was made possible largely through a successful climate change agreement application made via the Surface Engineering Association, of which the company is a member. As Facilities Team Leader, Dean Shackel explains: "At Sony DADC UK Limited, environmental sustainability is a top business priority. We strive to reduce the consumption of direct and indirect materials, energy and water. By utilising the latest technology, such the compressor system upgrade, both environmental goals and economic considerations can be brought into line."

For further information, e-mail: gba.info@uk.atlascopco.com or view website: www.atlascopco.co.uk   Refer to page 91

Electronics key to new, unique
magneto-inductive displacement sensor

A unique range of displacement measurement sensors has been developed, which combines the robustness and proven measurement performance of eddy current sensor technology with the latest printed coil and permanent magnet technology.

Launched at this year's Hanover Trade Fair in Germany and now available in the UK, Micro-Epsilon's new mainSENSORs family of Magneto-inductive displacement sensors not only benefit from having an extremely compact design relative to their measuring range, but also offer OEMs an attractive price-performance ratio for mid-to-high volume applications.

At the core of this groundbreaking new sensor technology is Micro-Epsilon's proven eddy current sensor technology, which provides the new sensor with robustness, high speed and high resolution measurements. However, it is how Micro-Epsilon has applied and combined this proven technology to the new sensor that provides users with several technical advantages. As well providing a new, simplified displacement measurement technique, the new sensor also offers extremely high basic sensitivity and excellent temperature stability (low thermal drift).
 
Chris Jones, Managing Director at Micro-Epsilon (UK) Ltd comments: "The magneto-inductive sensor was originally developed by Micro-Epsilon as a high volume, low cost solution for load detection in washing machines. Since then, the technology has been developed further resulting in an industrial-grade family of standard displacement measurement sensors, which will prove invaluable in many mid-to-high volume OEM applications, including hydraulics, automotive, off-highway vehicles and special purpose machines."
 
"Due to simplified electronics, Micro-Epsilon is now able to produce low cost versions of the sensor with printed circuit boards and basic analogue outputs, or we can combine this version with a microprocessor to create a digital output sensor, including PWM, CANbus and other digital interfaces. The electronic circuit design and production is undertaken in-house at Micro-Epsilon's PCB production facility, allowing full design flexibility of the electronic layout combined with complete quality control over the product. This enables Micro Epsilon to offer a genuine competitive advantage to its customer base. We now have in-house capabilities to produce more than three million sensors per year."
 
Jones is keen to point out that mainSENSOR is not a 'Hall Effect' sensor. He explains: "Although the new sensor uses a permanent magnet as the target, unlike Hall Effect sensors, it does not suffer from relatively low sensor accuracy or high temperature drift."
 
In contrast to the widely used Hall Effect measuring principle, mainSENSOR uses Micro-Epsilon's unique, patented measuring method, which is based on a linear relationship between the position of the permanent magnet and the output signal. Due to its in-house mechanical and electronics manufacturing capabilities, Micro-Epsilon has been able to produce the complete sensor without having to rely on any external sub-component suppliers.
 
The underlying functioning principle of the sensor is based on a coil, which is supplied with alternating current, resulting in a primary magnetic field. According to the Maxwell formula, this magnetic field induces eddy currents in the electrically conductive material arranged opposite the coil. In the field of the eddy current sensor is a special film, which attenuates the eddy current sensor depending on the strength of the magnetic field. Using this method, a linear relationship between the distance to the magnet and the output signal can be established. As printed coils can be used inside the sensor, manufacturing does not rely on any semiconductor processes.
 
Thomas Birchinger, mainSENSORs Product Manager at Micro-Epsilon describes the benefits of the new technology: "The sensor has an extremely high basic sensitivity, which enables a very simple and consequently low cost evaluation circuit. With an eddy current sensor as the technological core, both very fast and very high resolution versions of the sensor can therefore be produced. A pulse width modulated signal is available as an output signal, which can be easily read by a microcontroller using a time measurement, which opens up a wide range of potential applications."
 
The first standard industrial sensor in the mainSENSORs family is the MDS-40 M30, which has a 40mm measuring range and an M30 cylindrical, barrel-type stainless steel housing. The alternative to this is the OEM version, the MDS-40MK, a miniature flat rectangular PCB version with a plastic housing and a 40mm measuring range. The signal output provides 4-20mA or 2-10V DC.
 
As Chris Jones states: "Micro-Epsilon doesn't just manufacture sensors, we have more than 40 years of experience in providing sensor solutions to OEMs, so we understand the importance of providing complete solutions and supporting our customers. Many of the companies we have worked with view us as a consulting, development and application partner that provides sensor solutions for complex, customer-specific measurement, inspection and automation. We don't sell sensor products; we have a firm belief in always selling technical advantage to our customers. The mainSENSOR is a perfect illustration of this."

For further information, email: info@micro-epsilon.co.uk    Refer to page 92