NEWS


Kanban storage space and time saving continuum


Standard container storage systems that do not properly support Kanban because of their size or nature will waste space and time, denting the efficiency of production processes. Alan Friel, solution design manager of BITO


Ireland, said: “Manufacturers require small components such as nuts, bolts, fasteners and screws in their thousands, relying on these ‘C-parts’ to keep the lines flowing just as much large components. “Naturally enough they will be kept in the highest quantity, and it is not uncommon to hold tens of thousands of these parts – often in bins on racking to make them available for picking. Many of these manufacturers will also be operating a Kanban system to provide efficient control of production processes.” Kanban is a method of self-regulating production using the pull or fetch principle in which data cards – called Kanban in Japanese – or the more advanced option of RFID tags are used to trigger individual production processes and logistics processes. It fits best with a high proportion of identical parts that have a small number of variants.


“An operator working to Kanban decides how


many of the necessary small parts, such as screws and nuts, he needs and when,” Mr Friel said. “In doing so, he is guided exclusively by his own requirement. This reduces long-term stockholding and at the same time guarantees a continuous supply to the workstations and assembly points. The advantages of this method are decentralised control, lean warehousing and just-in-time (JIT) logistics of parts needed in production.”


EMS supplies new FAULHABER IEP3 magnetic incremental encoder


Electro Mechanical Systems, the sole UK & Ireland supplier of FAULHABER drive systems, has expanded its product range with the new IEP3 incremental encoder series from FAULHABER. Characterised by high accuracy in a small installation space, the encoder will benefit a variety of precision applications including medical technology, optics and semiconductor production.


With a diameter of just 8mm, the new three-channel IEP3 incremental encoder offers accurate positioning information from a compact space.


Resolutions of up to 10,000 lines per New chair for Manufacturing


Manufacturing NI, the trade body representing Northern Ireland’s production sector, has appointed a new chair, Richard Hogg. Limavady native, Mr Hogg has been involved with the campaigning group since its inception, joining the Manufacturing NI board in 2009 on behalf of his family business, Macrete Ireland. Macrete is one of the UK and Ireland’s leading pre-cast concrete manufacturing firms, producing materials for major infrastructure, utility and sports stadia projects including the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.


Mr Hogg has replaced Con O’Neill, who has


served as chair since 2011. “Manufacturing NI has and continues to


deliver when it matters most,” Mr Hogg said. “However, as we enter 2024, political


paralysis has resulted in the misguided questioning of one of the few positive economic growth enablers of the last two decades – our industrial derating policy. “Equally, our energy market does not serve consumers well by imposing some the highest energy prices in Europe.”


revolution are possible for extremely precise measurement. Furthermore, customer-specific resolutions are freely programmable, enabling a customised solution for any application. Based on a 2-pole sensor magnet design, the IEP3 offers simplistic construction for a robust encoder. In terms of operational requirements, the IEP3 can be powered with supply voltages of 5V and 3.3V, making it suitable for battery- powered applications. A wide operating temperature range of -40 to +125 °C means it can be safely used in a variety of industrial environments.


“The new IEP3 incremental encoder


delivers high resolution from an extremely compact module. And it doesn’t compromise on precision,” explained Dave Walsha, sales manager at EMS. “This makes the IEP3 the ideal solution


for applications that prioritise measurement accuracy as well as installation space.”


8 January 2024 Irish Manufacturing


www.irish-manufacturing.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44