Industrial Factory Automation

Anachem has launched Kapa Express Extract, designed to guarantee rapid and efficient extraction of DNA from a range of source material, including various tissue types, blood and processed food. With Kapa Express Extract, use of time-consuming and laborious specialised kits required for traditional DNA extraction methods is eliminated. The product is a novel thermostable protease and buffer system that extracts PCR-ready DNA from various tissue types in as little as 15min. DNA extractions are performed in a single tube, without the need for hazardous chemicals and multiple washing steps, thereby reducing the risk of sample loss and contamination. The system has been designed for optimal tissue lysis and DNA preservation, according to Anachem. The company also supplies Kapa2G Robust Hotstart Readymix, which contains a novel DNA polymerase tolerant of carryover inhibitors. It is said to improve PCR success rates when amplifying from crude extracts and is ideal for use with Kapa Expre...

William Hughes is using new methods in rapid prototyping for bent wire forms and assemblies, lowering costs and lead times in the process. With prototype quantities of 10-200 in increasing demand, the use of traditional metal jigs featuring go/no-go checks is often prohibitive as they can take four to six weeks to design and manufacture, with costs as high as GBP3,000. While simple 2D wire forms can often be checked visually against a printed CAD drawing, the industry has long sought a way of effectively checking 3D bent wire forms and assemblies without the lead times and costs associated with conventional metal fixtures. To meet these needs, William Hughes is using specially designed and manufactured MDF gauges. These can typically be produced in a matter of days and cost around a tenth of the figure - GBP300 - commanded by their metal counterparts. With CAD/CAM capability available at William Hughes in the form of CATIA V5 R19, customers requiring rapid prototypes need only send a C...

Technology Education Concepts (TEC) will be demonstrating a 3D printer and a tabletop prototyping factory at the 2009 Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Convention. The RapmanUSA is a rapid-prototyping/rapid-manufacturing machine that allows access to manufacturing technologies that were previously limited to expensive machines. A budget-friendly kit contributes towards the teaching and learning of engineering and mechatronics as students can build the machine themselves. The Rapmanpro, the expanded commercial version of the RapmanUSA, allows businesses to manufacture test products in-house. With the option of multiple heads and up to two colour plus support material printing, the Rapmanpro allows schools and universities to plug in the machine, load inexpensive ABS material and start manufacturing. RapmanUSA is designed to allow assembly by students - granting full understanding of mechanical assembly, electronics, manufacturing processes and more - who can then im...

OSIL has added the Rapid Deployment Buoy to its Data Buoy range. The Rapid Deployment Buoy is suitable for use in applications where data needs to be obtained as soon as possible and where other data-collection systems are out of action for short periods of time. The Rapid Deployment Buoy is a small, lightweight buoy designed for up to four weeks of constant use and carries a small solar panel with battery backup. Its size and weight make it ideal for one person to handle in the field and its single-point mooring makes for easy deployment and recovery. The Rapid Deployment Buoy is a cheap, quick and easy way to ensure constant and immediate data collection when other systems are out of action, or where an environmental situation requires monitoring.