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 At the Oil & Gas Asia trade show, Schwarze-Robitec will present its high-quality tube and pipe bending machines for the offshore industry.

This long-established company from Germany places the efficiency and profitability of tube bending and pipe bending at the center of its trade show presence. In Hall 9, Booth 9077, the internationally very knowledgeable company experts will answer all questions on this subject.

Schwarze-Robitec is the world's leading producer of tube-bending machines and is a strong global player in the important Asian market.

For the second time, the company, which was founded in 1903, takes part in the largest trade fair for the oil and gas industry in Asia. At the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center in Malaysia, trade visitors at the Schwarze-Robitec booth will receive information on the "Made in Germany" special solutions, tailored to the complex needs of the offshore industry. Furthermore, the company will present the numerous advantages of bent tube systems compared to welded solutions at its booth in the "German Pavilion" of the trade fair. These advantages mean considerable time and cost savings that can be achieved during production. Due to the high-quality processing obtained with Schwarze-Robitec bending machines, the tubes and pipes also exhibit a particularly high wear resistance and dimensional stability.

Interested visitors receive detailed advice on all questions concerning tube and pipe bending processes for the oil and offshore industry. Schwarze-Robitec experts will be happy to assist you.

| A  Schwarze-Robitec release  || May 25, 2017   |||

Dematic has launched a new product in its ColbyRACK range that increases safety for forklift operators removing pallets from high storage levels in warehouses and distribution centres.

The new Retrofit Pallet Guide was designed by Dematic’s structural engineering specialists after calls from its customers, including a major retailer and 3PL, for a tool that would minimise incidents where pallets and cartons fall from heights.

The product is primarily intended for retrofitting pallet guides to single deep selective racking. While the use of pallet guides is common in double deep racking, they have rarely been used in single deep racking. However, their potential safety benefits are starting to be recognised, because pallet guides provide a visual cue that encourages forklift operators to slow down and align pallets more accurately.

The new Colby Retrofit Pallet Guide can be installed onto existing selective racking beams, avoiding the expense and inconvenience of changing over to new, cleated beams. The pallet guides are also a simple option for storing European pallets on Australian racking, and can be relocated within a warehouse as storage needs change.

“Worker safety is becoming more important for Australian businesses, particularly those that operate busy facilities with pickers and forklifts in close proximity,” said Dr Paul Berry, senior structural engineer at Dematic.

|  A Dematic release  ||  May 17,2017   |||

With its KTS and KTX product families, SICK is presenting new, powerful contrast sensors from a forward-looking, innovative platform. The patented TwinEye technology for improved contrast detection and sensing distance tolerance (+- 5 mm), the specially developed three-color LED with its high-precision, color-mixed light spot, and the jitter that has been minimized to a level never before seen, coupled with absolute high-speed switching frequencies, open up a world of new possibilities when it comes to detecting contrasts and – for the first time in a sensor – colors too.

IO-Link and additional integrated functions such as recipe management ensure maximum versatility, while the innovative, multifunctional 7-segment display guarantees simple yet customized sensor setup, operation, and visualization.

Familiar applications such as the detection of print marks or the control of industrial labeling processes benefit from even greater process stability and performance. The sensors detect high-gloss materials and complex contrasts, even on heavily jittering materials. The integrated color mode also enables reliable detection of even the most minor contrast differences and color features.

More applications, more flexibility

The KTX product family offers compatibility without compromise: Both the hole pattern for mounting the sensors and the electrical connectivity facilitate a 1:1 migration from the SICK product families that are already proven and widespread on the market to the new technology platform. In its space-saving compact housing, the KTS meets all requirements of modern machine concepts. The KTS contrast sensors come in “CORE” and “PRIME” configurations; these offer different levels of functionality, enabling a variety of different automation needs to be met individually and cost-effectively. The even more finely granular grayscale resolution of the KTS and KTX, the integrated color mode, and the large number of other technical innovations in both product families are setting a new standard in the market for contrast sensor technology – and opening up additional areas of application at the same time, such as the detection of wafers, the management of reel changes, or quality control.

SICK is one of the world’s leading producers of sensors and sensor solutions for industrial applications. Founded in 1946 by Dr.-Ing. e. h. Erwin Sick, the company with headquarters in Waldkirch im Breisgau near Freiburg ranks among the technological market leaders. With more than 50 subsidiaries and equity investments as well as numerous agencies, SICK maintains a presence around the globe. In the fiscal year 2016, SICK had more than 8,000 employees worldwide and achieved Group sales of just under EUR 1.4 billion.

|  A SICK release  ||  May 16, 2017   |||

World’s first fully automatic fusion splicer provides great ROI for customers and an increased productivity via reduced splice cycles

Chessington, UK. 10 May 2017: Fujikura Europe’s 70S is still considered  the highest quality product of its kind. As the world’s first fully automatic fusion splicer, the 70S provides great ROI for customers and an increased productivity via reduced splice cycles.

Not only is the 70S the most ergonomic, fastest and durable technology of its kind, but its longevity has proved it is “built to last”, meaning that customers could still be using the same 70S they purchase today more than ten years from now.

It only requires four operational steps per splice and reduces splicing time to just six seconds. The 70S is also the only machine to withstand drop testing on all six sides from a height of 70cm.

“As more and more of our competitors begin to claim that their technology matches ours, the more testing we have do

Chessington, UK. 10 May 2017: Fujikura Europe’s 70S is still considered  the highest quality product of its kind. As the world’s first fully automatic fusion splicer, the 70S provides great ROI for customers and an increased productivity via reduced splice cycles.

Not only is the 70S the most ergonomic, fastest and durable technology of its kind, but its longevity has proved it is “built to last”, meaning that customers could still be using the same 70S they purchase today more than ten years from now.

It only requires four operational steps per splice and reduces splicing time to just six seconds. The 70S is also the only machine to withstand drop testing on all six sides from a height of 70cm.

“As more and more of our competitors begin to claim that their technology matches ours, the more testing we have done to prove there isn’t any product that can match the 70S in terms of quality, performance and longevity,” said Neil Bessant at Fujikura Europe. “Creating technology of this calibre requires a specific knowledge and expertise, and we are the original pioneers, with 40 years’ worth of experience in research & development and eight generations of splicing machines to boast.”

The most notable features of the 70S are its true core-alignment performance, user customisable features, and its fully ruggedized exterior, which is dust, shock and rain resistant. The 70S also features an automated wind protector and a tube heater which has been developed for quicker splicing cycles and to reduce the number of operational steps.

“Our 40 years’ experience has allowed us to create a technology that is far superior to anything on the market and to optimise this splicing tool to be reliable and accurate, achieving a high quality splice, which will help minimise the need for “re-work” or repairs/maintenance on any fibre network spliced with a Fujikura splicer,” said Bessant. “Ultimately, this is why you pay more for a Fujikura splicer. You are paying for a product that could last you more than ten years and a product that creates the best splice possible. There really is no comparison.”

With the 70S, Fujikura Europe has streamlined the steps required to complete splices, resulting in greater productivity.

“The 70S only takes six seconds to make a splice and nine seconds to make heat shrink. These, combined with the other automated features, make the product altogether the fastest splicing technology, by 25% no less,” added Bessant.

The 'configurable automation' design of the 70S allows customers to tailor the operation of the machine to best suit their particular splicing technique and process while the programmable 'automatic wind protector' closes and begins the splicing process after clamping the fibres in position or pressing the 'set' button. Once the splice is completed, the wind protector and one of the sheath clamps opens automatically making removal of the fibres fast and easy.

Fujikura’s 70S is fully supported by trained local distributors throughout EU, creating the “Fujikura Experience” and ensuring all customers get more for their money than they could with any other splicer.

To learn more about the 70S and other Fujikura Europe technologies, please visit: http://www.fujikura.co.uk/.

ne to prove there isn’t any product that can match the 70S in terms of quality, performance and longevity,” said Neil Bessant at Fujikura Europe. “Creating technology of this calibre requires a specific knowledge and expertise, and we are the original pioneers, with 40 years’ worth of experience in research & development and eight generations of splicing machines to boast.”

The most notable features of the 70S are its true core-alignment performance, user customisable features, and its fully ruggedized exterior, which is dust, shock and rain resistant. The 70S also features an automated wind protector and a tube heater which has been developed for quicker splicing cycles and to reduce the number of operational steps.

“Our 40 years’ experience has allowed us to create a technology that is far superior to anything on the market and to optimise this splicing tool to be reliable and accurate, achieving a high quality splice, which will help minimise the need for “re-work” or repairs/maintenance on any fibre network spliced with a Fujikura splicer,” said Bessant. “Ultimately, this is why you pay more for a Fujikura splicer. You are paying for a product that could last you more than ten years and a product that creates the best splice possible. There really is no comparison.”

With the 70S, Fujikura Europe has streamlined the steps required to complete splices, resulting in greater productivity.

“The 70S only takes six seconds to make a splice and nine seconds to make heat shrink. These, combined with the other automated features, make the product altogether the fastest splicing technology, by 25% no less,” added Bessant.

The 'configurable automation' design of the 70S allows customers to tailor the operation of the machine to best suit their particular splicing technique and process while the programmable 'automatic wind protector' closes and begins the splicing process after clamping the fibres in position or pressing the 'set' button. Once the splice is completed, the wind protector and one of the sheath clamps opens automatically making removal of the fibres fast and easy.

Fujikura’s 70S is fully supported by trained local distributors throughout EU, creating the “Fujikura Experience” and ensuring all customers get more for their money than they could with any other splicer.

To learn more about the 70S and other Fujikura Europe technologies, please visit: http://www.fujikura.co.uk/.

|  A Fujikura relaease  ||  May 10, 2017   |||

April 27, 2017 Edition

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In developed countries, it's easy for most people to not give garbage disposal much thought: it's hauled to the curb, and a truck carries it away out of sight and out of mind. But isolated communities often lack that infrastructure, meaning it's harder to either truck out the trash or process it on-site. The Trashpresso is designed to lighten the load a little, as a semi-portable, solar-powered plant that turns trash into tiles.

The system was created by Miniwiz, the design company behind other creative recycling initiatives like Polli-Bricks, made from discarded plastic, and Nike's concept store in Shanghai, China, which is built entirely out of materials derived from bottles, cans and DVDs.

This latest venture is what Miniwiz calls a "mobile up-cycling plant." The Trashpresso fits inside a 40-ft (12-m) container that can be trucked around to remote locations that need some cleaning up. Once unpacked on-site, the system can wash, shred, melt and mold plastic and fabric waste into tiles, which Miniwiz says are suitable for indoor and outdoor flooring, or further refinement. The equivalent of five plastic bottles goes into each tile, and the Trashpresso can produce about 108 sq ft (10 m2) of them every 40 minutes.

To be deployed far from the grid, the Trashpresso needs to be self-sufficient, and to that end the system runs entirely on solar power. Even the water that it uses to wash the garbage is recycled back through the system, in an effort to reduce its footprint.

"Until now, industrial grade recycling was limited to plants," says Arthur Huang, co-founder and CEO of Miniwiz. "The Trashpresso overcomes the distance and energy barriers by showing that recycling is possible everywhere. Not only does it serve to transform trash on-site, it also serves as an educational tool in isolated communities."

The Trashpresso's first gig will be to clean up the glacier region of NianBao Yuze, which sits on the Tibetan Plateau and feeds into the Yellow, Yangtze and Mekong rivers. Miniwiz says that the area is seeing increased tourism and, as a result, increased litter. The company will deploy the system in July to show off its capabilities.

|  A Miniwiz release  ||  April 24, 2017   |||

Taby, Sweden – Successfully solving the problems of using vacuum technology to convey the delicacies of the food industry, such as nuts, seeds, beans, candy, as well as nutraceutical tablets and capsules, Piab’s piFLOW®t conveyor is dedicated to the gentle handling of delicate ingredients and products. Promising to revolutionize the automated handling of fragile goods, the piFLOW®t features innovative and groundbreaking new technology (patent pending).

“A controlled low speed, guided entry into the conveyor, and the elimination of all sharp edges are the keys to our success, ensuring that products are handled with great care in our conveyors. There will be no more chipped candy in plants using piFLOW®t,” states Jarno Tahvanainen, Vice President of Piab’s Material Handling division.

Suitable for transporting up to four million items per hour, the piFLOW®t conveyor can be used to transport any fragile goods within a processing plant. For the food industry this enables the safe handling of, for instance, coated sweets, candy, roasted coffee beans, whole nuts, and nutraceutical tablets.

Eliminating the use of inadequate standard equipment and alternative, often back-breaking, manual procedures, piFLOW®t will safely transfer ingredients and products between the various processing units, such as tablet presses, coating drums, and packaging lines, avoiding all risks of damage.

At the core of piFLOW®t is the proprietary piGENTLE™ an innovative technology (patent pending) that maintains a gentle flow by regulating the feed pressure of the pump, ensuring that fragile ingredients or products are handled as delicately as possible. piFLOW®t is an extension to Piab’s popular and high quality range of piFLOW® conveyors for powder and bulk materials, and is specially developed to meet the stringent demands regarding operational safety and hygiene within the food (piFLOW®f), pharmaceutical (piFLOW®p), and chemical (piFLOW®i) industries.

About Piab

Established in 1951, Piab designs innovative vacuum solutions that improve the energy-efficiency, productivity, and working environments of vacuum users around the world. As a reliable partner to many of the world's largest manufacturers, Piab develops and manufactures a complete line of vacuum pumps, vacuum accessories, vacuum conveyors and suction cups for a variety of automated material handling and factory automation processes. Piab utilizes COAX®, a completely new dimension in vacuum technology, in many of its original products and solutions. COAX® cartridges are smaller, more energy efficient and more reliable than conventional ejectors, and can be integrated directly into machinery. This allows for the design of a flexible, modular vacuum system. In 2016, Piab completed two strategically important acquisitions, Kenos and Vaculex. Piab is a worldwide organization with subsidiaries and distributors in almost 70 countries. Its headquarters are in Sweden.

|  An Ins release for Piab who are represented in New Zealand  \\  April 19, 2017   |||

/ins Low investment. Long life. High performance. ​

T-model is as rare as an entry level waterjet cutting system based on very high quality standard. Water Jet Sweden has for decades been building quality waterjet cutting machines for the most demanding customers. A craftsmanship rooted in Swedish industrial tradition with machine installed all around the world. The new T-model is based on that tradition.Meeting a tough requirement specification

The T-model is Water Jet Sweden’s first machine model with a flying bridge construction widening the already broad product range. It has been designed to meet a list of very specific requirements: It had to fit into a container to get low transportation cost. It had to be quick and easy to install and must be easy to operate. The result is a complete machine system available at a market price from around € 100 000. This is a completely new price segment for Water jet Sweden as a manufacturer.

A multi-purpose waterjet cutting tool

The T-model is a multi-purpose waterjet machine designed for in-house production, part manufacturing, design workshops, engineering workshops and prototype workshops, cutting any kind of material of various size and shape. You get all the basic functions you need. Metal cutting, composite cutting, glass cutting, stone cutting, tile cutting, rubber cutting, plastic cutting, wood cutting, you name it. With the T- model you are able to cut virtually any material with the same cutting tool, up to 200 mm thick.

Five Year Performance warranty and awarded reliability

T-model is operated with a real CNC control system from Fanuc, who for the last decades has been awarded best reliability and availability in the world. The machine system is powered with original intensifier pumps from BFT and KMT, which are leading European and American high pressure pump manufacturers. The waterjet cutting machine itself include the unique extended five-year performance warranty, built by the same experienced Swedish engineers as the rest of Water Jet Sweden product range. Water Jet Sweden guarantees that it will keep the same tolerance requirements after five years, or 10 000 hours, as when the machine was first delivered.

The T-model meets a new market but deliver the reliability and comfort of a high end cutting system.

|  For more information visit  http://waterjetsweden.com   ||  April 04, 2017   |||

ABB has announced the launch of the world’s first digital distribution transformer at the ABB Customer World event in Houston, Texas.

According to the conglomerate, the new TXpert™ will be able to provide information to maximize reliability, while optimizing operating and maintenance costs.

With integrated sensing and monitoring technology, the transformer’s system will be able to collect this data, storing and analyzing it in order to offer insights on its operations.

|  An ABB release  \  March 27, 2017   |||