Most engineering components have a residual stress system. Such systems are inherent in bar stock, plates, and, to some extent, in forgings and castings.
The need for effective wash-down and cleaning whilst meeting increasing demands to save resources and cut costs has always been a tricky challenge – especially as optimum hygiene is essential in food and beverage manufacturing.
A testing system designed to help with the development of components for jet engines and other high-temperature systems is 30% faster, thanks to a nimble ABB IRB 1200 robot. The developers predict that the new system could reduce the testing and development cycle from weeks to days.
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted global supply chains and resulted in many UK factories switching production to medical devices and products in a bid to help the NHS cope. Manufacturing has taken a central role in the unfolding drama and rarely in recent times has it been the subject of so much media and public attention.
In March 2020 the team at Oxford Optronix were dealt a challenge. The Covid-19 pandemic was hitting the UK, and the company had just been asked to join a high-tech consortium to supply cPAP medical devices to the National Health Service.