Airline Hydraulics Corp., Benselm, Pa., has announced that SMC Corp. of America has expanded its Technology Distributor authorization with Airline to include all of Virginia. Airlineβs relationship with SMC dates back to the mid-1980s when Airline became an SMC stocking distributor in portions of the Mid-Atlantic States. SMC expanded Airlineβs distribution territory into New England […]
Best practices for industrial compressed air systems
Removing water from factory air and lowering the dew point protects automation equipment. One of the foremost causes of costly downtime and emergency maintenance in industrial automation systems is not oil or contaminants, which are easily removed with proper filtration, but water vapor and the resulting condensed water that is trapped in factory compressed air. […]
Oil-free scroll compressors delivers Class 0 air for small uses
Ingersoll Rand has introduced the W-Series of oil-free scroll rotary air compressors, offering whisper-quiet operation. Scroll compressors meet a broad spectrum of oil-free needs for commercial applications that require contamination-free air, low maintenance and a smaller footprint. βIngersoll Rand now offers a true, complete oil-free solution that guarantees reliable, pure air while reducing waste, inefficiencies […]
Rodless air cylinders for small or tight applications
NITRA L-series rodless air cylinders from AutomationDirect offer a robust design in a compact package. Rodless cylinders can offer the same stroke as rodded cylinders in a smaller space. Rodless cylinders have the piston connected to a carriage that rides outside the extruded cylinder wall, reducing overall length, making them ideal for small or tight […]
Stepper-controlled Eclipse proportional isolation valves from Clippard
Known for reliability, innovation and focus on precision flow controls, Clippardβs new Eclipse utilizes the industryβs most robust and powerful miniature linear actuator. This patent pending stepper-controlled proportional valve will lead the industry in performance and durability, the company said. The Eclipse is ideal in critical applications for liquid and gas delivery, medical, analytical and […]
Robotics is driving a manufacturing revolution
Robots of future will cost less, run safer, improve productivity and adapt their operations on the fly. Contributed by Donna Ritson, President, DDR Communications I recently had the pleasure of collaborating with PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, on a research study exploring the state of the robotics industry, its key markets, recent […]
Staying protected with pneumatic safety valves
ΊΪΑΟ³ΤΉΟ safety valves, including bleed-and-block designs and 3/2 valves, are essential in manufacturing. By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor ΊΪΑΟ³ΤΉΟ systems are known for their ability to rapidly employ compressed gas to achieve work, and in fact, itβs this element that makes pneumatics the top choice for high-speed actuation of machinery. The pneumatic press, for example, […]
Air bushings enable frictionless air cylinders
New Way standard air bushings enable frictionless air cylinders. The O-rings in conventional hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders create significant friction. In measurements and test loading, that friction can be an issue. Instead of O-rings, the seal for the air bearings is the high-pressure air film generated by the bearing. So, with a 60 psi input […]
Vention partners with SMC to enable digital engineering of pneumatic equipment
Vention, a next-generation machine design platform, is proud to announce the launch of its pneumatic solutions in partnership with SMC, an industry leader in pneumatic technology for machine automation. The SMC pneumatic plug-and-play system was developed to seamlessly integrate with Ventionβs cloud CAD (MachineBuilder 3D) and motion control platform (MachineMotion controller and MachineLogic cloud software). […]
Festo takes the gold in 2019 LEAP Awards ΊΪΑΟ³ΤΉΟs category
Winners of the LEAP Awards have been announced for the second annual awards competition. In the ΊΪΑΟ³ΤΉΟs category, Festo took the gold for its DHEF adaptive shape gripper,Β which adapts to workpiece size and shape andΒ picks up, gathers, and sets down single or multiple objects without manual adjustment. The new DHEF adaptive shape gripper from Festo […]
