PRODUCT REVIEWS
Aluminium pipe corrosion
With more than 50 million acres ( 20,234,282 the protection of aluminium ( AL 3003 and hectares ) of irrigated farmland in the U . S . AL 1100 ) irrigation pipes during active and alone , irrigation plays a major role in the intermittent use . world ’ s food supply . However , irrigation
So , how much protection does EcoLine ® is costly and creates a naturally corrosive AL-Corr™ offer ? environment inside metal irrigation pipes and “ Based on results of ASTM G31 centre pivot systems . The large percentage of immersion testing , the product is able to pipes made of aluminium are at even greater reduce corrosion rates by more than 90 % risk in areas where groundwater carries a in immersion conditions . Testing on two high level of chlorides and sulfates . aluminium alloys over five weeks at 104 ° F
To meet this need , Cortec ® Corporation ( 40 ° C ) showed 91.18 % protection for AL recently developed EcoLine ® AL-Corr™ , a 3003 metal and 99.03 % protection for AL bio-based corrosion inhibitor solution for 1100 metal ,“ Cortec told ISMR .
Cortec ® R & D formulated EcoLine ® AL-Corr™ with biodegradable materials is approved for use in personal care products and food preservation . It also selected materials with a high percentage of renewable content , enabling EcoLine ® AL-Corr™ to become a USDA Certified Biobased Product that contains 81 % USDA certified biobased content . In this way , Cortec ® has taken a double-sided approach to sustainability in the development of a corrosion inhibitor to help water irrigation equipment last longer . n
Modular machine tending
ABB has launched a new family of modular machine tending application cells for the metals industry aimed at maximising flexibility and machine utilisation while minimising lost productivity caused by unforeseen production stoppages . Featuring six different versions , the FlexLoader™ M family offers a variety of ways of loading and unloading machines based on the size , shapes and amount of the workpieces being handled .
“ As customers demand greater variety and shorter delivery times , metals producers need to have a manufacturing process that can respond quickly and offer the flexibility to achieve high-mix , low-volume and batch size one production ,” said Andrea Cassoni , Managing Director for General Industry , ABB Robotics . “ FlexLoader M is accelerating this move by providing a single unified machine tool-tending platform offering the flexibility needed for handling a wide variety of production demands , whilst also improving productivity by eliminating the time , cost and disruption traditionally associated with production changes .”
The launch starts with Tray and Conveyor variants , with further variants due for release over the coming months . The FlexLoader M Conveyor uses a simple but powerful vision system to enable easy loading of workpieces with complex shapes , providing the flexibility
to handle a variety of workpieces with a single cell .
“ The FlexLoader M Tray is a drawer solution offering easy machine tending . With a minimal footprint that allows it to be located almost anywhere , it is suitable for handling a variety of workpieces with variable shapes such as cubes , cylinders , plates and pipes ,“ said ABB .
Featuring standardised interchangeable modules , the FlexLoader M offers a flexible and expandable solution for a wide variety of machine tending applications . A key benefit is the ability to use the same base machine , exchanging in and out feed modules as requirements change . Its modular approach makes upgrading and scaling-up easy , said ABB , with just one to two days needed on average for installation and commissioning .
“ The FlexLoader M meets the demand from manufacturers for a simple automated solution that produces more workpieces in less time . A smart wizard enables new workpieces to be programmed in less than five minutes with no vision programming expertise required , while changeover between pieces which are already programmed is possible in less than one minute , making ‘ Batch Size One ‘ production a reality . The simplicity of the programming
software means that full operator training can be completed in less than half a day , further reducing the time needed to put the cell into operation ,“ added ABB .
All the variants can be equipped with a vision system that identifies the workpiece ’ s position and gives commands to the robot , machine tools and other cell equipment such as air cleaning stations , part marking , deburring and measurement systems . The vision system can use either a 2D camera or 3D sensor , depending on the application .
The FlexLoader M also incorporates databased optimisation features , including remote monitoring , enabling operators to monitor , troubleshoot and optimise their robot systems , while its vision software provides added functions including condition monitoring , fleet management and performance and order management . See https :// new . abb . com / products / robotics / application-cells / flexloader n
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