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South Korea:Bolt tensioning device at power station improves safety and usability

Two major power stations in South Korea have installed Technofast’s innovative hydraulic CamNut EziJac bolting system with outstanding results in both reducing production downtime and improving safety levels for their maintenance engineers. Park Jong Geun, General Manager of the Technical Solutions Team at Korea’s East-West Power (EWP) Company based in Seoul, said Technofast’s CamNut EziJac system had been successfully utilised on the steam turbine casings at both the company’s Dangjin and Donghae power stations with outstanding results. In a letter to Technofast, Mr Park explained that by installing the CamNut EziJac system, his maintenance team had been able to dramatically shorten the maintenance and upgrade times, reduce downtime, as well as increasing production at both locations. He went on to say that by changing from the previous out-dated heating method of loosening and tightening the bolting on the turbine casings they have also improved the safety of their maintenance engineers. With the old heating method the company couldn’t carry out simultaneous operations and needed many hours to heat up and cool down the bolts as well as measurement of the elongation. Mr Park explained that this method can also cause serious damage to the components due to their exposure to excessive heat. But by adopting the CamNut EziJac system, the maintenance engineers were able to loosen and tighten the nuts simultaneously and avoid thermal stress and heat deterioration of the bolts. He said that by installing the Technofast system, the power company has drastically reduced the number of downtime days lost, plus increased the reliability, production, safety and usability of the power plants. At the number one unit at the Dangjin steam turbine power station, Mr Park said the company was able to reduce downtime by two days, equating to 840 million Won (US$700,000 approx.) per year. On top of […]

Warehouse Maintenance: The ‘Smooth Operator’ Factor

By Pedro Furtado, Projects Director at Efacec In today’s context, purchasing a brand new car can be a costly affair as newer cars are equipped with more capabilities, fuel-efficiency enhancements, and safety features that can meet international regulations. With the inclusion of taxes and insurance fees, the cost of ownership increases even more considerably, so any new car owner would be motivated to look after their vehicle so as to minimise incurring additional costs. The same can also be said about warehouses. Warehouses today play a pivotal role within supply chains, and the importance of warehousing in this competitive trading environment cannot be ignored. The storage ability of the warehouse enables manufacturers to achieve time utility, facilitates continued production even during less favourable seasons, and ensures safe custody of inventory. For these reasons and many more, it is imperative that warehouses remain in tip-top condition at all times to operate efficiently. Why Not Maintenance for Automated Warehouses? In general, warehouses are either manually operated or automated, and some are additionally equipped with climate-control features. The exact type of warehouse to be implemented depends on the nature of the industry. Given external factors such as rising labour costs, rapid technological advancements, and increasing global market demand, manufacturers are now more open to adopting warehouse automation technologies to drive a company toward greater productivity and profitability. However, with automated warehouses, there are also additional considerations such as operation delays, rising cost of production (e.g. breakdown of older equipment), and inaccurate data. Going back to the car analogy, what can an owner do to ensure that his car continues to deliver high driving performance in years to come? The unanimous answer that any experienced technician would give is regular maintenance. It is every driver’s best defence against mechanical failure, prolonging driving performance and […]

“Automotive suppliers must embrace faster innovation to adapt to new realities”

– Zhao Jizheng, Siemens PLM Software The automotive industry faces stricter fuel economy and emissions standards around the world, with varying deadlines for achievement through 2025. These fuel economy and emissions standards, along with improvements to safety, growth of intelligent mobility and customer desires for integrating their lifestyle into the vehicle, have automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) relying more on electronics and embedded software to keep up with an ever growing industry. These trends are causing a fundamental change in vehicle technologies which requires more innovation from automakers and suppliers in alternative propulsion, lighter vehicles and energy optimization. A 2014 Center for Automotive Research report, entitled Advanced Information Technology Solutions: An Engine of Innovation, summarizes this sentiment by saying: “The industry is transitioning from a primarily mechanical-based industry to a software-based industry. In fact, some would argue that the industry is transitioning from a transportation focus to a technology focus.” Adopting these new technologies and product innovations drives more interaction across vehicle systems and components. As the complexity of vehicle systems increases with new types of technology, these innovations demand a fundamental increase in the sophistication of automotive systems. Suppliers must integrate mechanical, electronics and software capabilities as well as system development knowledge to deliver more complex systems. That, coupled with the global growth of the industry, increases the pressure on automotive suppliers to expand their own engineering, manufacturing and supply chain networks around the world, which adds to program and operational complexity. Staying in Front In Asia, suppliers are facing pressure on two fronts – the need to respond to their local market and OEM quickly, because Asia continues to be the growth engine for the automotive industry, and, as the part of the supply chain, they need to collaborate with global OEMs more efficiently and contribute more actively […]

Fujitsu launches new VPS

TOKYO, Dec 15, 2015 – Fujitsu Limited and Digital Process Ltd. today announced two additional products and an overall new version of the Digital Process-developed software package, Fujitsu Manufacturing Industry Solution Virtual Product Simulator (VPS). This digital production-preparation tool for the discrete manufacturing industry uses 3D modeling to help analyze product-assembly processes. The software’s tracking functionality has now been enhanced so that changes to the original 3D CAD design data are reflected to the parts affected in VPS, which enables improved response to design changes and manufacturing process development. Viewing functions have also been enhanced, such as with the ability to use iOS devices to display process-flow diagrams for assembly verification. These enhancements make it easier to further utilize 3D data in production-preparation processes, thereby contributing to improvements in product quality, shorter development times, and cost cutting. VPS is packaged software that uses a product’s 3D model data created in CAD to provide cohesive support for production-preparation tasks and processes, including product reviews in assembly production planning, process reviews when assembling products, studies of production line layouts, and document creation for use in manufacturing. In on-site preparation for production, it has been a challenge to reduce the amount of work needed to reflect CAD data revisions, frequently occurring at the design stage, to VPS data that has already been generated with production information attached. In addition, there was a growing need to view VPS data at work sites in order to improve the efficiency of assembly operations. This new VPS version provides agility in responding to changes in design and manufacturing processes, as well as enhanced viewing functions. Product Features 1. Less editing time required with improved support for design changes and manufacturing-process development 1) Enhanced design-change tracking functionality that greatly reduces the work needed to reflect differences when changes […]

Mitsubishi Corporation announces new elevator plant for Korea

TOKYO, Dec 15, 2015 – Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation have reached an agreement to set up a new elevator plant in Korea. The plant, to be run by Mitsubishi Elevator Korea Co., Ltd. (KMEC), a Mitsubishi Electric subsidiary, will be located in the Incheon Free Economic Zone. KMEC will relocate its development and manufacturing base from the present Incheon factory to a new facility and will start manufacturing elevators for both the Korean and overseas markets, expanding its annual production capacity by 2.5 times to 4,000 units. MC’s elevator business in Korea dates back to 2001 when KMEC, its elevator distribution joint venture with Mitsubishi Electric, was established. KMEC has since been expanding its business steadily. The elevator and escalator market in Korea is expected to reach 24,000 units for newly constructed buildings in 2015, with demand in Korea remaining stable at about 25,000 units. KMEC began exporting high-quality, price-competitive high-speed elevators in 2008 and since then, it has served as Mitsubishi Electric’s global supply base for such models. The facility’s R&D center will absorb selected development functions currently based in Mitsubishi Electric Inazawa Works in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, and this will enable KMEC to strengthen its development and supply functions as well as its business base for sales, engineering, development, manufacturing, installation and maintenance, thereby bolstering its business in Korea and its capacity to respond to global market needs. MC and Mitsubishi Electric will supply high-quality, price-competitive high-speed elevators utilizing KMEC’s advanced engineering capabilities and access to global markets, especially in the ASEAN and Middle Eastern regions. KMEC is also planning to construct a 80-meter high elevator test tower and a field training center for installation and maintenance in an effort to enhance the capacity of engineers, all with the aim of improving the quality and […]

Körber AG concludes acquisition of Efacec Handling Solutions

Singapore, 17 December 2015 – As part of a strategic reorganization of the Efacec Group, Efacec Handling Solutions (Efacec), previously an Efacec subsidiary, is now part of Körber AG, an international technology group (effective from 17 September 2015). With this move, Efacec’s international presence across Portugal, Czech Republic, India, Singapore, and Spain strengthens Körber’s Logistics Systems Business Area. The acquisition of Efacec internationalizes Körber’s logistics business, further expanding Körber AG’s reach and capabilities. Most notably, Körber augments its ability to offer more innovative and quality warehousing solutions to existing and new global accounts. The company also gains Efacec’s three decades of experience operating in the Asian market, as well as its complementary capabilities and in-house material handling and storage systems solutions. Jorge Manuel Couto, Global Business Development Director at Efacec, said, “We are enthusiastic to join the Körber family, combining our expertise with theirs to deliver the highest levels of automated warehousing technologies to manufacturers across the globe. As logistics operations become more complex, and as warehouse regulations become more stringent, the demand for superior logistics capabilities is increasing. Efacec is confident that its material handling expertise will propel Körber’s logistics unit towards greater success, and we look forward to being a part of this dynamic organization.”

Commsoft launches new corporate identity

Commsoft has launched a new corporate identity designed to emphasise its flagship OASES (Open Aviation Strategic Engineering System) product. Created by, and for, engineers, OASES is one of the most successful aviation engineering and maintenance systems in the world combining ease of use with highly sophisticated functionality. As part of a strategy to ensure a clear and consistent image across all media, a new logo has been designed to project a more modern feel whilst still retaining a link to the heritage of OASES. In addition, the identity has been carried through to a new-look website – optimised for SEO and for mobile platforms and better integrated with social media – as well as to a new LinkedIn page. There will also be a progressive updating of all OASES product and marketing literature. Structured in a modular format to allow for scala bility, OASES is continually being developed with the active participation of its more than 90 worldwide users, including national carriers, 3rd party maintainers, regional carriers, cargo specialists, charter operators and specialist rotable stockists. Reflecting Commsoft’s extensive capabilities in the key areas of data migration, training and interfacing to external systems, OASES can either be installed on a user’s own hardware or accessed through the company’s OASES Cloud service.

Revolutionary wind energy conversion system

The novel cross-axis-wind-turbine (CAWT) is a new type of wind turbine that has the capability to extract energy from multi-directional wind that is commonly found in urban areas due to the interaction of airflows between high-rise buildings. Its ability to operate in areas with complex wind pattern and low wind speed overcomes the weaknesses of the vertical and horizontal axis wind turbines (VAWT and HAWT). The novel wind turbine consists of vertical and horizontal blades arranged in a cross axis orientation, therefore enabling it to function with airflows coming from horizontal and vertical directions. The horizontal blades serve as the radial arms that link and support the vertical blades and the hubs through specially designed connectors to form the CAWT. Any airflow streams channeled to the bottom of the turbine interact with the lower and upper radial supporting-arms, therefore maximising the wind energy potential that can be extracted. Viewed from the top, the upper and lower radial arms can be considered as a double-layered HAWT that extracts energy from the vertical wind. Moreover, the lift created by the interaction between the vertical airflow and the horizontal blades creates aero-levitation forces which reduce bearing friction in the generator, hence extending the lifespan of the wind turbine. Initial studies have shown that the CAWT can overcome the problem of self-starting ability of a conventional VAWT, and produce better performance output by up to 2.5 times. In conclusion, the CAWT presents an innovative outlook on the future of wind turbines, creating significant opportunities for the use of wind energy devices and therefore alleviating dependencies on fossil fuel power plants. -chong_wentong@um.edu.my

Rockwell Automation Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2015 Results

Highlights • Fourth quarter sales down 10 per cent year over year; down 2 per cent organically • Fourth quarter Adjusted EPS of US$1.57; diluted EPS of US$1.50 • Full year Adjusted EPS of US$6.40, up 4 per cent despite 5 per cent lower sales; diluted EPS of $6.09 • Record fiscal year free cash flow and ROIC • Company increases dividend 12 per cent • Company provides fiscal 2016 Adjusted EPS guidance of US$5.90 – US$6.40 SINGAPORE – 13 November 2015 – Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK) today reported fiscal 2015 fourth quarter sales of US$1,607.5 million, down 9.8 per cent from US$1,781.8 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. Organic sales decreased 2.3 per cent, and currency translation reduced sales by 7.6 per cent. Fiscal 2015 fourth quarter Adjusted EPS was US$1.57, down 16 per cent compared to Adjusted EPS of US$1.86 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. Total segment operating earnings were US$335.8 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015, down 15 per cent compared to US$395.8 million in the same period last year. Results in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 included US$12 million of restructuring charges. Total segment operating margin decreased to 20.9 per cent from 22.2 per cent a year ago, primarily due to lower operating margin in the Architecture & Software segment. On a GAAP basis, fiscal 2015 fourth quarter net income was US$201.3 million or US$1.50 per share, compared to US$248.7 million or US$1.79 per share in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. Pre-tax margin decreased to 17.3 per cent from 19.0 per cent in the same period last year. Full Fiscal Year 2015 Sales were US$6,307.9 million in fiscal 2015, down 4.8 per cent compared to US$6,623.5 million in fiscal 2014. Organic sales increased 1.1 per cent, and […]

Paradigm Shift to Mott device-based Power Interruption

Researchers in Korea have overcome a 100-year old technological limitation by fabricating the world’s first Mott device that reduces the size and enhances the performance of traditional electromagnetic switches and circuit breakers. Daejeon, KOREA – The research team, led by Dr. Hyun-Tak Kim of Korea’s Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, has developed an innovative power interruption technology based on a Mott metal-insulator transition (Mott MIT) device. The Mott MIT signifies the phenomenon that a Mott insulator is abruptly converted into a metal or vice versa without the structural phase transition. The research team previously developed a Mott MIT critical temperature switch (CTS) (or MIT device) which generates a control current (or signal) at a critical temperature between 67 degrees Celsius and 85 degrees Celsius as the unique characteristic of vanadium dioxide. After that, the MIT devices were applied to some kinds of electromagnetic switches that interrupt an electric current in case of overcurrent. An existing traditional electromagnetic switch that takes the role to interrupt electricity through the mechanical switching when it conducts an overcurrent is composed of both an electromagnet called the magnetic contactor, which connects or disconnects signals of main power, and the thermal overload relay with an on-off switching function controlled by temperature. The overload relay is composed of both an expensive delicate mechanical switch with a large size and a bimetal that is made of two separate metals with different thermal expansion coefficients joined together. The bimetal has a characteristic of bending to any direction when heat is applied. The bending force of the bimetal controls the mechanical switch inducing the on-off switching; this has been called ‘hundred years technology of power interruption’; Westinghouse applied the patent right of the power circuit breaker using a bimetal in 1924. However, the bimetal undergoes a change of the bending […]

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