Pushing the limits
In honour of the upcoming London Olympic Games, this issue is dedicated to motion control in the world of sport. We cover a robot which has broken the world land speed record and another which holds the world distance record for swimming. On the subject of London there is also a story on the Moog electric actuation system that operates the retractable roof above Wimbledon’s Centre Court, an impressive piece of engineering. Also in London, did you know that the passenger capsules on the London Eye are mounted on 3,6 metre circular slew bearings from SKF? On the winter sport side, Siemens has a story about the world’s first solar powered ski lift based on Siemens technology; and at a recent SAFPA technical evening Steve Henderson from Presssure Dynamics described Alcoa’s massive 50 000 ton forging press. At five storeys high, they do not come much bigger or more powerful than that.
Safer landings
In our aerospace feature another Moog contribution is the highly specialised servo valves and digital valve technology which were developed for the motion control system used to test the landing flap systems for the Airbus A350 – making flying safer for us all. On the lighter side, Eqstra has sponsored an aerobatics team which is taking the airshow circuit by storm in five Harvards. Having been to one of these airshows, I can guarantee that they are great entertainment.
Hydraulics
There is also plenty happening hydraulics-wise. In our cover story, Hydac announces that it is extending its product range, and the Hydac brand now covers all areas of fluid technology. Meanwhile BMG has set up a new facility for the servicing, repair and manufacture of hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders. On the agricultural side Commercial Shearing has a hydraulic application in fruit tree cropping, while Hydraulic & Automation Warehouse (HAW) recently fitted out a customised maize planter. A contribution from Pneumatic Electric Control Systems (PECS) describes how high pressure rotating unions contribute to the control of pitch on wind turbine blades, an extremely demanding requirement.
The Internet is changing our brains
Jim Pinto is back with his thoughts on how the Internet is changing our brains and on the next three grand technological transformations. He says the Internet is addictive and I think I have to agree.
Motion Control Buyers’ Guide
We are very proud of our annual Motion Control Buyers’ Guide (MCBG) which is being posted with hard copies of this issue. It is a detailed reference guide for the controlled mechanical power industry and a useful addition to any bookshelf, giving directory listings of vendors, manufacturers, service providers, agencies, brand names, products and services. The MCBG is also published online, making it quick and easy to access the information you need. It is also a great way to have your company name and products promoted to a qualified audience.
A new online format
Our online subscribers will have noticed that our electronic Newsbrief now comes in a different format. Instead of one big newsletter coming out to coincide with the printed version of Motion Control, we are now sending shorter versions in a more streamlined format at more regular intervals which are easier to digest. We at Technews believe that this is a more effective way of getting the marketing message across. Since we often receive far more information than we are able to publish in print, and it is disappointing not to be able to present it all, we will also be able to make sure that all the contributions have a wider audience.
Getting the balance right
There is a perception nowadays that printed literature is in decline and the electronic medium is the best way to target a highly technical audience; but recent research from technology marketing company Napier in the UK found that engineers generally like printed literature and marketing materials more than digital: 39% had a preference for print, 38% had no preference and 23% had a preference for digital. This is reflected in the USA where a well known engineering magazine has 16% of its subscriptions online (up from 8% two years ago) and the rest in hard copy. Motion Control online subscriptions are around 38% of the printed version. So what advertising medium works best? While print is still a very effective way to reach your audience, it appears a combination of print, electronic and personal marketing is the best way to reach as many potential buyers and specifiers as possible, and the way to go is to offer a choice to readers about the way they receive information. At Technews we use the print medium to drive traffic to our electronic newsletters and e-books. To subscribe to any version of Motion Control visit www.motioncontrol.co.za
Kim Roberts
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