Around the Industry

Firstsight Vision can now offer a low cost alternative for high-speed imaging for use with cameras that operate at variable frame rate but do not have their own on-board memory. Using a codec from Cineform Inc in conjunction with Streampix 3 software from Norpix Inc, it is possible to record images directly to a laptop disk drive or USB memory stick connected to the laptop in real time, with a choice of resolution and speed.

With the overall increase in turnover of 16.5 percent, igus®, manufacturer of tribo-plastic components and systems, has closed its books on the business year 2007. The consolidated group turnover has increased to 276 million euros from across its 26 branches around the world. igus® manufactures, tests and researches within a vast area of 20,000 m² at its headquarters in Cologne. In November 2007 construction work began on increasing factory space, as Managing Director Frank Blase reported at the Hanover Fair.

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Rencol put the spotlight on health and safety as part of a company-wide International Environment, Health and Safety Day. The 120 employees at Rencol’s site in Bristol joined 212,000 colleagues from Saint-Gobain companies around the world to mark the day with a series of events designed to raise awareness of the need for the highest levels of health and safety both at work and at home.

As the market leader, Miller by Sperian is strengthening its range of webbing self-retractable lifelines by launching the Falcon 6m. While ensuring increased safety, this new 6 meter retractable lifeline is incredibly lightweight at only 1.5 kg and is ideal for professionals in construction and general industry, as well as telecommunications and transportation.

Serapid, Inc., of Sterling Heights, Mich., specializing in the horizontal and vertical movement of loads announces a new staff member.

There are many reasons why customers turn to Pilz Automation Technology for safety design services. In some cases it is because of the pressure of other projects and limited in-house resources, but it can equally well be due to customers acknowledging that they - and their own engineers - do not posses the necessary competences to develop a safety system design. There are also clients that simply like the reassurance that comes from using a trusted external resource for something as critical as a safety-related machine control system.

Presses can be extremely hazardous, so it is important to know about the relevant standards and official guidance if safety is to be maintained. Kevin Ives, a consultant with Pilz Automation Technology, introduces the key documents.

Adept Scientific is pleased to announce a major upgrade to EndNote® for Windows® from Thomson Reuters.

Machine designers in the UK and Europe are familiar with designing guarding in accordance with the requirements of EN 294, 'Safety of machinery - Safety distances to prevent danger zones being reached by the upper limbs,' but this standard has now been superseded and replaced by a European/International standard EN ISO 13857:2008, 'Safety of machinery - Safety distances to prevent hazard zones being reached by upper and lower limbs.' Furthermore, this standard also supersedes and replaces EN 811, 'Safety of machinery - Safety distances to prevent danger zones being reached by the lower limbs.' Of course, the British Standard equivalents of these three are BS EN ISO 13857:2008, BS EN 294:1992 and BS EN 811:1997.

Catalog Data Solutions today announced that International Gas Springs (IGS) has reported spectacular results from their CDS CAD Model download solution.