SHOWCASE Advantage ITF
- Automated tester enables rapid, reproducible testing of tennis balls
Discover How
to Optimise Accuracy with Completeness Control
A
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METTLER TOLEDO Tel: 0116 234 5212 Web:
www.mt.com
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he International Tennis Federation (ITF) has taken delivery of a new automated tennis ball testing system from Mecmesin. Ball manufacturers are required to submit samples of their products to the International Tennis Federation for testing and approval, in accordance with the official Rules of Tennis, to ensure uniformity and consistency in performance during tennis tournaments. The ITF required a versatile test system that can accommodate “standard” size tennis balls as well as the larger sized, slower foam balls which are designed for use by beginners.
T Having a long standing relationship with
Mecmesin going back 15 years the ITF knew they could rely on Mecmesin’ s expertise in designing and developing a cost effective,
Manager, yet
leading-edge automated testing system to meet their exacting requirements. Jamie Capel-Davies,
Science
& Technical, ITF said, “Mecmesin was our first choice when we decided to upgrade our tennis ball testing system. They provided a bespoke service: meeting our specific requirements and providing a fully-integrated solution. We value their understanding of our business, attention to detail and prompt support.”
By using an automated sample handling
system, testing is more reproducible and does not require constant attendance from technicians who are free to perform other duties. The automated
YASKAWA has developed a standard robotic solution for cutting and welding of lighting masts
he system features five MOTOMAN robots for handling, cutting and welding of lighting masts with a length from 3 up to 13 m, delivering an output of 20 to 30 masts per hour depending on size and weight. This flexible and completely automatic system can accommodate many different variants of masts, either circular, hexagonal or with 12 faces and is designed to reduce manual handling operations as well as dramatically improve weld quality.
T
smart conveyor system on show at IMHX
New plug-and-play Operating sequence
Masts are fed into a conveyor system and collected by two ES280D MOTOMAN robots with a handling capacity of 280 kg. These robots are equipped with Synchromotion, which means that the handling operation is carried out smoothly without putting stress onto the robots or the mast. The mast is then fed from above into one of two work stations; each comprising two servo controlled “through type” positioners that hold the mast at each end. When the positioners close they firmly clamp the mast into position and allow the mast to rotate for the subsequent cutting and welding processes. A third MOTOMAN HP20D robot is equipped with a 3D laser sensor that references the mast prior to cutting using Kjellberg high definition plasma cutting equipment. This robot is suspended from a gantry with a linear axes. A fourth MOTOMAN ES165D handling robot automatically places a base plate to the end of the mast and a final fifth MOTOMAN MA1400 arc welding robot welds the base plate to the mast. Excellent welding quality is achieved using the TPS5000 Fronius welding package. Since the overall tolerance of the mast cannot not be accurately controlled in the steel mill, the arc welding robot is equipped with a “ComArc” through the arc tracking sensor that ensures that the weld is always in the correct position. The final sequence in the operation is for the plasma cutting robot, that is suspended from the
gantry, to cut the apertures in the doors. The finished masts are then handled by the two ES280D robots to an out feed conveyor for further processing.
Success story Following the successful installation at a major mast manufacturer in France, the system has since been replicated at two other companies in Europe.
YASKAWA UK Ltd Tel: 01295 272755 enter 802
Email:
info.uk@
yaskawa.eu.com Web:
www.yaskawa.eu.com Automation MAY 2013
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revolutionary plug-and-play conveyor system that can be put into operation by end-users was the focal point of the European Conveyor Systems stand at IMHX 2013. Developed by Gebhardt F rdertechnik, the System 600 is based on modules with integral mechanical and electrical connectivity, enabling users to respond to changing logistics demands without installing a permanent dedicated conveyor system for every requirement. The system featured on the ECS stand at IMHX included some of the main elements of the system, including straight sections, curves, merges and transfers along with integral RFID sensors.
Energy-efficient 24V DC
motors drove the powered rollers, while PLC-based software controlled the system. Maximum weight of individual boxes is 50kg. The System 600 can be used independently of conventional conveyors or in combination with them, including integration with peripherals such as weighing scales and labelling machines. The layout can be quickly adapted at any time if circumstances change. In addition to the 24V DC system at IMHX, a 400V version is also available.
European Conveyor Systems Ltd Tel: 0115 987 4363 E-mail:
sales@europeanconveyors.co.uk
43
Mecmesin Ltd Tel: 01403 799 919 Web:
www.mecmesin.com
enter 801 enter 803
system can safely be left unattended to perform all the required tests, and on completion, a comprehensive test report is available with graphical display of the test results. The system is driven by Mecmesin’s powerfu Emperor™ software which has a simple interface, allowing the user to select which tests are to be made from a menu of options. To ensure consistent match
performance, samples of the ball are tested by being compressed to a specified load, and the amount of movement measured. This is termed “forward deformation”. The load is then released and the “return deformation” is also found. To make sure each ball behaves uniformly, precision grippers rotate the ball and the test is repeated on three perpendicular axes.
In addition, the
diameter of the ball and its weight are also recorded. Up to 12 balls can be loaded onto the sample carousel, and when testing is completed, the test report can include pass and fail criteria simplifying the interpretation of the results.
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