Industrial Factory Automation

Synthetic-fiber producer ENKA de Colombia SA, Medellín, Colombia, replaced dc and ac motors with advanced ac versions coupled to efficient variable-frequency drives on a fiber spinning line. The strategy saves the company more than $883,000 annually in electricity and downtime. The spinning line extrudes nylon and polyester filaments from melted resins. Before the upgrade, motor and drive efficiency was about 50%. Part of the production line used an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) meant for protection from power outages, but the UPS ran at 80 to 93% efficiency at best. One outcome of the inefficiencies was that the old equipment produced enough heat to demand its own a/c system. Elevated temperatures led to more breakdowns and repairs. The new variable-frequency drives, Yaskawa F7 and G7 ac VFDs, have a nominal 98% efficiency. They create so little heat that ENKA was able to remove nine a/c units formerly needed to cool its factory. The new ac motors are also smaller than ...

Depending on the drive style, a high-tonnage mechanical press can stamp out metal parts at up to 1,000 strokes per minute. Even so, it’s a remarkably durable machine. The steel frame will long outlive the motor and electronic controls that drive the flywheel. And therein lies a problem. Most mechanical presses built in the 1980s or earlier were powered by DC brush motors. And they are expensive and difficult to replace, retune and maintain. A new DC motor can take weeks to get. Once installed, it must be tuned with potentiometers and jumpers. The process requires considerable tweaking, even if the original motor’s “pot” settings are known. “We have several customers where engineers used a paint marker to note how the potentiometers were set,” says Steve Spero, service engineer with Yaskawa America Inc. “We have other customers where no one knew how they were set, and it can be all sorts of fun turning those knobs to get the motor back in working condition.” To avoid such issues,...

Yaskawa Electric Corp. and Yaskawa America Inc. celebrated the start of U.S. manufacturing for the Yaskawa MV1000 in a ceremony at the Yaskawa America Oak Creek, Wis., plant on Nov. 30. Yaskawa offered the medium-voltage drive (for motors up to 5000 hp) earlier this year, but ordering and shipping from Japan takes about 6 months. That’s expected to be reduced to 8 weeks or less after more than $3 million is invested by 2014 for new manufacturing and testing areas in the 30,000-sq-ft plant. By late 2013, models serving up to 5,000 hp are expected to be available, including UL and CSA listings. Yaskawa MV1000 is said to be the smallest 1000 hp drive available, with 30%-60% smaller volume compared to the last generation of Yaskawa product. It also has the longest mean time between failures (MTBF) at 200,000 hours, a number expected to increase, said those involved. Yaskawa Smart Harmonics Technology reduces input harmonics, meeting IEEE519-1992 and eliminating the need for other fil...

Lincoln Electric introduces the new UltraCore® SR-12 gas-shielded flux-cored wire. This 75% - 80% Argon / balance CO2 gas-shielded flux-cored (FCAW-G) wire is capable of meeting AWS E71T-12M-JH8 requirements in as-welded and stress-relieved conditions. UltraCore SR-12 is an excellent choice for pressure vessel fabrication and many other applications requiring post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) of mild steel. Key Features:     Robust Mechanical Properties - Exceeds AWS E71T-12M-JH8 strength and low-temperature impact toughness requirements in as-welded and stress-relieved conditions with impacts of 110 - 200 J (80-150 ft•lbf) @ -40°C (-40°F).     Operator Friendly - Premium arc performance and bead shape makes SR-12 easy to use for welders of all skill levels. This flux-cored wire conforms to AWS A5.20/A5.20M: E71T-1M-JH8, E71T-9M-JH8, and E71T-12M-JH8 classifications. Available in 15 lb. and 33 lb. packages, UltraCore SR-12 wire comes in the sta...

Safety is a critical component of welding, and thanks to The Lincoln Electric Company, now welders of all skill levels can access the safety information they need anywhere, anytime.  The company’s new Welding Safety Interactive Guide converts Lincoln Electric’s award-winning Welding Safety Interactive DVD into an online format that is easily accessible and viewable on computers, tablets and mobile phones. Designed to educate arc welders about potential arc welding safety hazards and the safe practices they should follow, the guide offers information on a wide variety of topics, including how to avoid electric shock, prevent fire and explosions and choose appropriate personal protection equipment. The guide also provides safety insights from the American Welding Society (AWS) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  The program’s content is designed to be understood by welders at all experience levels, providing a valuable resource for everyone from ...

FABTECH 2012 marks the launch of a new look to Lincoln Electric’s VRTEX® 360, as well as the release of the fourth upgrade in its VRTEX® Extensions™ software upgrade program. The software upgrade includes GMAW (MIG) stainless welding support, including appropriate visual and audio sound differences; shielding gas selections specific to aluminum welding; and enhanced THEORY functionality including visual and text definitions. With the new upgrade, users will see the addition of stainless GMAW in multiple configurations.  The stainless upgrade includes new visuals and audio, discontinuities, equipment settings, tolerance levels, and the expansion of the THEORY function. An additional feature to the upgrade program is Demo Weld functionality. The Demo Weld feature allows the student or instructor to view an example weld or a demonstration of a proper technique for a specified weld, prior to the weld being made.  Finally, the VRTEX® Extension™ 4 also expands support and incl...

Lincoln Electric announces the official launch of the VRTEX® family of virtual reality arc welding (VRAW™) training products, which includes the respected VRTEX® 360 and the new, easily portable VRTEX® Mobile – ideal for on-site training and recruitment events. These solutions are just two of the offerings in the VRTEX® virtual reality arc welding technology product line – training that’s engaging, realistic and cost effective. These interactive teaching tools work equally as well for introducing new welders to the trade in a traditional classroom or in a manufacturing facility – both as an HR screening tool or for existing workforce training. VRTEX® virtual training systems from Lincoln Electric allow students of any age to learn and train in a safe, virtual environment with realistic imagery and scenes, thanks to a specially equipped virtual reality welding helmet and rich, vivid graphics. Key Features:     Two Models Available – The new, easily transportable...