N E W S
tbwom.com
The Bright
World
of Metals
25– 29 JUNE
2019
DÜSSELDORF/GERMANY
Metals
19
For further information and assistance
with travel and accommodation planning
Robert Laing _ Messe Reps & Travel
Tel. +64 (9)5219 200
robert@messereps.co.nz
www.messereps.co.nz
www.engineeringnews.co.nz
worldwide
EFFICIENT PROCESS SOLUTIONS
World market – metallurgy
The Bright World of Metals: The
international trade fair quartet is the
world’s leading meeting place for
foundry technology, metal production
and processing, as well as thermal
process technology.
Networked synergies
Four showcases, one goal: Technology
forums, covering all topics of the “Bright
World of Metals”, offer interfaces for the
comprehensive transfer of know-how.
Welcome to
Düsseldorf!
REN259
gif1902_GMTN_102x286_NZ.indd 1 14.01.19 10:06
Smart plastics make railway
equipment maintenance easy
Thousands of commuters depend on
a punctual rail service. But defective
trains are often a hindrance to this.
Unhappy customers and economic
losses are the consequence.
"Digitisation can change this,” says
Thorsten Mersch, industry manager
railway technology at igus. In order to
be part of this digital transformation in
rail transportation, igus develops intelligent
cables and energy chains under
the name of "smart plastics", which
are monitored in real time and whose
service life can therefore be predicted.
Trains, trams and high-speed suburban
vehicles are subjected to continuous
wear and tear. One example that
igus points out is doors, which open
and close hundreds of times every
day. A common problem is that if a safe
edge, which offers protection against
people getting injured by closing
doors, becomes defective, the door in
question is usually immediately disabled.
Boarding and alighting times are
therefore longer and the timetable is
thrown into disarray with delays being
a consequence. A solution for transportation
companies is to equip the
safe edges with CF.Q modules from
the igus isense range from Treotham.
The modules monitor the condition of
the cables and send the status data
to the control centre of the operating
company by means of the igus mobile
Communication Module (icom). In the
control centre, employees use dashboards
to monitor the condition of the
safe edges in all trains.
The system manages all limits and
gives advance notice of the imminent
failure of a safe edge. Thanks to this
advance information, operators can
plan preventive replacement centrally
and carry it out during scheduled
stops. The principle of predictive
maintenance also applies to other
components such as energy chains
and linear units that are used as part
of a train's interior equipment. Railway
technology companies using smart
plastics have a precise basis to plan
their maintenance and servicing. Parts
are only repaired or replaced when really
necessary – and this happens before
any failures or delays occur.
"The expectations of train manufacturers
and operators when it comes
to digitisation are just as high as those
of industry,” says Mersch. At Innotrans
2018 Siemens Mobility presented,
among other things, the new possibilities
of high-performance plastics
from igus which enable intelligent
monitoring, analysis and prediction
of failures. The planned collaboration
is based on the Siemens "Railigent"
application suite, which offers a wide
range of digital services, in areas such
as predictive maintenance.
Top structural engineering
lecturer steps down
An award-winning engineer, who provided
technical direction and led the
assessment of major structures in the
aftermath of the Canterbury quakes,
has given his last lecture at the very institution
where he completed his own
Master’s degree.
Internationally recognised for his expertise
in structural engineering, concrete
structures, and seismic design
and durability, Des Bull (60) has taught
at the University of Canterbury for
more than a quarter of a century.
Des lectured more than 1,500 students
over the past two decades in
the fields of reinforced concrete and
structural concrete. In addition to
this specialism, Des also co-lectured
courses including bridge design,
structural concepts & systems, and
engineering materials.
Looking back at his time at the university,
Des says that interacting and
working with the students is what he
will miss the most.
“Working with bright young minds was
definitely the highlight and something
I’ll really miss."
/tbwom.com
/www.messereps.co.nz
/www.engineeringnews.co.nz
link