Developments

Showa 707HVO: Highly Visible, safe for users

The inventors of the world’s first biodegradable single use nitrile glove now bring you a new addition to their biodegradable hand protection range: Showa 707HVO – a chemical resistant glove engineered with revolutionary Eco Best Technology (EBT), in high-visibility orange. Investing in tomorrow Showa, which translates to “finding a balance between different elements” in Japanese, has paved the way in biodegradable innovation within the PPE glove market. Driven by the desire to make a positive impact on the planet, a large proportion of research is devoted to biodegradable products and to developing fibers that have no impact on the environment. In 2012, Showa’s Research & Development reached a major breakthrough with the invention of the world’s first biodegradable single-use nitrile glove. Showa 707HVO blends the best of single use and chemical resistant technology to deliver optimum fit, feel and comfort while protecting against chemicals. The 0.23mm thick unsupported, unlined biodegradable nitrile complies with EN ISO 374-1 (JKOPT) and 374-5, and is impermeable to protect against oils, hydrocarbons, grease, chemicals and abrasions. The 305mm long glove is chlorinated for easy donning and doffing, with a rolled cuff to prevent dirt from entering the glove. Typically to Showa, the gloves are manufactured using a unique hand former, allowing for a lightweight protection that fits like a second skin. The bisque finish on palm and fingers offers long-lasting grip and excellent tactility. Its fluorescent orange colour makes it highly visible and an excellent choice for food, janitorial or sanitation environments, or to separate applications on processing floors.

Epson triples PrecisionCore production with new inkjet printhead factory

Epson Seiko has completed construction work on a new factory at its Hirooka Office in Shiojiri, Japan, that started in the autumn of 2016. The new factory will be used to produce PrecisionCore print chips, a core component of Epson’s most advanced PrecisionCore inkjet printheads. The new factory, which will begin operations in the 2018 fiscal year (ending March 31, 2019), will triple current PrecisionCore print chip production capacity. The new factory (Building 9) Under its Epson 25 Corporate Vision, Epson is targeting the office, commercial, and industrial printing markets. In FY2017, the company released high-speed linehead inkjet multifunction office printers as a major part of its strategy to drive future growth. Epson will expand sales of high-capacity ink tank printers, which have been driving near-term growth, in both advanced and emerging economies. In FY2018, Epson plans to sell 9.5 million units—a 1.7-million unit increase over FY2017. In the commercial and industrial sectors, an accelerating shift from analogue to digital solutions is expected to generate significant market growth for printers used for printing signage, textiles and product labels. Epson will continue to strengthen its line-up of commercial and industrial large-format printers, and will boost both its R&D and manufacturing capability. The new factory will enable Epson to expand its presence in these markets in addition to bolstering its ability to handle an expected medium-range increase in demand for printheads. By leveraging its production capacity, Epson also plans to rollout sales of its PrecisionCore printheads for large-format printers worldwide, and work with its partners to accelerate the shift to digital in commercial and industrial printing. The new factory will be the second production site for PrecisionCore print chips, which are currently manufactured at the Suwa Minami Plant in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The structure, facilities, and equipment of the new factory boast […]

Keysight recently in Singapore

Keysight’s largest annual signature event, the Keysight Measurement Forum (KMF) 2018, recently happened on the 20th of July in Singapore. At the event, Keysight and industry experts not only shared about key trends in the industry but also showcased solutions that accelerate innovation in 5G New Radio (NR) Workflow, End-to-End Mission-Critical IoT and Autonomous Vehicles and Connected Cars. Keysight also announced two key updates – firstly, their new Infiniium UXR series, which are the only oscilloscopes to support terabit research with real-time bandwidth. Secondly, Keysight has also expanded their Ixia visibility portfolio with Hawkeye Express, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) extension to the Hawkeye network assessment and monitoring platform.

NUM and Chinese partnership develop machining centre

CNC specialist NUM has helped the Chinese machine building company Original Point Machine Tools (OPMT) to develop an advanced 8-axis CNC machining centre capable of processing many different types of materials, including metal, ceramics, glass and cemented carbide. OPMT is a relatively small but fast-growing company based in Fo’shan – of Guangdong Province – in south China. It is rapidly acquiring a reputation for innovative complex engineering: after developing a highly successful 4-axis milling centre for an automotive production line, it then created a compact 5-axis milling station for the dental industry. For its latest project, OPMT was asked by Guangdong University of Technology to develop a machining centre that combined high speed laser cutting and milling capabilities. This key provincial university is located in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, and provides a wide range of courses, with a major emphasis on engineering. OPMT chose to partner with NUM for its CNC expertise and with the Xi’an Zhongke Microcrystalline Manufacturing Company and the Chinese Academy of Sciences to help with some of the complex materials processing issues. The result is the ML125 8-axis multi-function machining centre. The machine has a dual laser head that is capable of switching between a 20 watt picosecond laser for very high speed cutting and an ultrafast 10 watt femtosecond laser for improved process quality. The femtosecond laser is capable of drilling and cutting almost any type of material, and its very short 1030 nm wavelength means that it is suitable for micro/nano processing applications. Entirely controlled by NUM’s latest-generation Flexium+ 68 CNC platform, the ML125 machining centre has eight servo axes, two independent NC channels and fast application-specific I/Os embedded in the NCK hardware. Movement of the fully articulated laser head is controlled by five NUMDrive X servo drives, with high speed interpolation between all five […]

MHIEC to build waste to energy plant in Kawasaki

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Environmental & Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd. (MHIEC) has received an order from Kawasaki City (Kanagawa Prefecture) to build its Tachibana Waste to Energy (WtE) Plant, a municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration plant in Kawasaki’s Takatsu District. The existing facility will be rebuilt as a stoker type incinerator (1) with a total waste treatment capacity of 600 tonnes per day (tpd). The order is a joint venture project with Taisei Corporation, and is valued at 29.8 billion yen. Completion is scheduled for September 2023. The Tachibana WtE Plant had operated for around 40 years, but the facilities have aged and the incineration plant ceased operations in March 2015. The WtE Plant subsequently closed in 2016. The current facilities will be dismantled and removed, and construction will begin on the new centre. The new MSW incineration plant will comprise three stoker type incinerators, each with a capacity of 200 tpd, as well as other related equipment. MHIEC acquired MHI’s waste treatment plant business in 2008, incorporating MHI’s environmental protection systems technology, as well as its broad expertise in the construction and operation of waste management facilities in Japan and overseas. Based on its strong track record, MHIEC is well positioned to provide comprehensive solutions for plant construction and operation. MHIEC will pursue further orders by building new advanced WtE plant that contribute to the formation of a resource-recycling society, enhancing the energy efficiency and stable operation of existing plants, and providing solutions that lower operation, maintenance and other lifecycle costs. (1) A stoker furnace is the main type used at MSW incineration plants. The solid waste is combusted as it moves along on a fire grate made of heat-resistant castings.

Grundfos Forum now open through a virtual conference

Water, environment and sustainability professionals from all over the world will have the opportunity to learn more about the future of water solutions, as leading pump manufacturer Grundfos opens up its global customer forum to the world. A first for the event, the Grundfos Forum 2018 will be broadcasting from Suzhou, China through a virtual conference. This will give professionals from all over the world the opportunity to hear from world-class engineers, government leaders, consultants, academics and other key decision-makers about ways to move and manage the world’s water better, under this year’s theme of ‘Intelligent Connectivity’. The virtual conference will broadcast live on 15 and 16 August, and OnDemand from 17 August to 14 October. In addition to the access to talks, events and breakout sessions, participants will also get to have their voice heard – they will get to take part in the Forum’s Interactive Spaces, interact with Forum participants, and chat with experts while exploring the Exhibition Area. To encourage greater engagement, online participants will also be automatically enrolled into the Leaderboard Challenge, where points are gained through participation. The top five participants will win a trip to Grundfos’ headquarters in Bjerringbro, Denmark. Kim Jensen, Regional Managing Director of Grundfos Asia Pacific region, said, “We have received tremendous feedback from business leaders and our customers about the insight and learnings that they have gained from attending our forum over the years. “This year, we are hosting the conference online so that we can reach more industry professionals who are not able to make it to the event in person.” “Just as how technology has changed our relationship with water, it has transformed the way we get to engage with one another. With the virtual conference, people will not only get to tap into a wealth of knowledge, […]

First demonstration of drone-based deliveries along power-line routes

TEPCO Ventures, Inc., Zenrin Co., Ltd. and Rakuten, Inc. have begun examining the utilisation of “drone highways,” or the airspace above infrastructure such as power transmission lines, for drone logistics. The three companies also announced that they have safely carried out the world’s first demonstration test utilising a drone highway. TEPCO Ventures, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc., and map publisher Zenrin formed an alliance on March 29, 2017 to confirm the use of drone highways for safe drone-based deliveries. The concept, which is attracting increasing interest, is a focus of the “2018 Roadmap for the Industrial Revolution of the Sky,” which was approved by the Public-Private Conference on Infrastructure Creation for Drones in Japan in June 2018. To develop a drone highway, TEPCO and Zenrin have been studying how to combine data on TEPCO’s infrastructure, such as transmission lines and towers, substations and utility poles, with Zenrin’s three-dimensional maps of the sky, which are currently under development. Going forward, several test courses will be set up in eastern Japan’s Kanto Region during 2018 to demonstrate the practical use of drone highways. Internet services company Rakuten, which has been operating a drone-based delivery service called “Rakuten Drone,” has joined the initiative. The first demonstration test, conducted in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, successfully achieved the world’s first drone-based delivery using a power line route for the flight path.

Helping probiotics to help you

The positive health effects of probiotics are why Associate Professor Liu Shao Quan, who is part of the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Food Science and Technology Programme, has dedicated part of his research to developing new probiotic foods and drinks that could appeal to more people and expand the options for a healthier diet. Over the past few years, he and his students have created probiotic beer – a first in the market – and two other probiotic beverages made with durian pulp and okara respectively. Okara is soy pulp that is leftover from the production of soy products such as soy milk and tofu. The probiotics problem At this year’s Vitafoods Asia 2018 conference, which will take place on Sept 11 and 12 at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Prof Liu will speak about the difficulties of keeping probiotics alive in foods and drinks, and his research to improve their survival chances. Prof Liu’s talk is titled “Improving the Viability of Probiotics in Food”. He explained: “Many foods and beverages are acidic, and acids inhibit probiotics’ survival and activity. Besides, when foods and beverages are stored at elevated temperatures, probiotics can grow and produce more acids. This will lead to the probiotics’ death and decrease the health benefits of the foods and beverages.” He noted that some microorganisms can help to protect probiotics and improve their odds of survival, but the mechanisms of the process are not well-understood. He and his students experimented with different probiotic strains, yeasts and cultures in creating their beverages. “Beers contain hop acids that prevent the growth and survival of probiotics, but we successfully developed a beer with live probiotics. Our probiotic durian beverage and probiotic okara beverage also have high cell counts of live probiotics,” he said. Breakthroughs in […]

Discover the Nutraceuticals Industry at Vitafoods Asia

Visitors to the upcoming Vitafoods Asia Exhibition and Conference in Singapore, 11-12 September 2018, will discover a rich learning environment to discover all aspects of the development and application of nutraceuticals, through to product positioning, branding and marketing, inclusive of how to overcome regulatory challenges in various markets. Health care spending in the Asia-Pacific region is anticipated to double by 2050, opening opportunities to market alternative remedies and fortified foods. Across Asia, and especially in China and India, increased disposable income, coupled with ageing populations, are impacting the prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases, along with blood pressure, diabetes, or cardiac diseases. Inadequate nutrition, due to busy lifestyles, and the high cost of healthcare are also factors. Joint health, gut health, bone health and weight management are expected to be future demand drivers. Asia Pacific is now the largest regional market for dietary supplements and vitamins. Malaysia and India for instance, are grappling with the impact of rapid urbanisation on the diet. Demand functional, hearty-healthy foods, for example, is rising. Aside from products developed in Western societies, across the region, consumers are buying products that are enriched with locally-sourced compounds and functional ingredients like probiotics, fibre, calcium or vitamin E; herbs such as tongkat ali and ginseng; along with cultured milk drinks; probiotic yogurts; and cereals that are fortified with fibre; plus, Omega-3 fortified eggs. Vitafoods Asia showcases key suppliers of such ingredients and raw materials that are used in functional foods. Alongside these suppliers, visitors to the exhibition can source contract manufacturers and private labellers, as well as finished goods manufacturers. To tackle alertness and reduce calorie consumption, as well as hydrate with performance additives, athletes and gym enthusiasts in countries like China and India are driving demand for nutrition through functional beverages. Energy drinks, sports drinks & nutraceutical drinks are the fastest […]

Epson launches N6 compact 6-Axis robot and hollow force sensor

Epson has launched the new N6 compact 6-axis (vertically articulated) industrial robot and the SH250LH, a new force sensor with a hollow design. Epson’s N series of compact 6-axis robots perform tasks in tight spaces more efficiently than other robots because of a uniquely engineered “folding” arm. The N6 has a longer arm (1,000 mm) and can handle higher payloads (6 kg) than Epson’s previously released N2 and is ideal for loading/unloading small electronic products and automotive parts into/from test equipment. It is also perfect for shelving/unshelving medical products and much more and has a smaller installation footprint than earlier 6-axis robots and can reach a wider range of places, from the top shelf to the bottom. These features increase productivity and the efficiency with which factory space is used. N6 Features The unique arm structure and arm length give the N6 a small installation footprint while allowing it to reach high places. Taking advantage of the N series’ folding arm design and a long (1,000 mm) arm, the N6 can access locations that are higher than those that can be reached by the N2 and by Epson’s 900-mm class 6-axis robots (the C4L and C8L). Users can exploit these features by laying out factory shelves and equipment vertically instead of horizontally to enable the N6 to use previously wasted vertical space. Even with an arm length of 1,000 mm, the N6 can reach objects at the same height as the C8XL, Epson’s 1,400-mm class 6-axis robot. Moreover, because the N6 can be installed closer to shelves and equipment than a 1,400-mm arm, the installation space can be reduced*2 by about 75%. In addition to installing the N6 in narrow spaces and inside equipment where robots previously would not fit, users have the freedom to consider more compact factory layouts. 2. Hollow arm provides storage space for cables and hoses A hollow arm design is employed to allow cables and hoses to be routed through the centre of the arm at joints […]

«‹ 52 53 54 55 ›»

News Ticker

Developments