RS (formerly RS Components) news from Engineering

Simple but powerful projects inspire young engineers

Through sponsorship of designers across the globe, RS Components aims to inspire the next generation of engineers and designers, using simple ideas to illustrate wide-reaching capabilities. To inspire R&D engineers, students and young engineers about the great things that can be done with individual components and technologies available from RS, the company is sponsoring designers across the globe with some interesting and very cool projects.

27th October 2017

Talking to escape contestant from Channel 4 engineering show

Bright young engineer, Neera Kukadia, who appeared on last night’s episode of Escape – the new Channel 4 reality TV programme that brings together a small group of highly skilled engineers and drops them in some of the harshest natural environments across the globe, has been interviewed by RS Components (RS), the trading brand of Electrocomponents, the global distributor for engineers.

25th October 2017

Ball bearings target power transmission applications

A significant expansion of its portfolio for power transmission applications has been announced by RS Components (RS) with components from two leading companies – Schaeffler and Timken. The products now available from RS include ball bearings, roller bearings, sprockets, belts, pulleys, and many other parts necessary to build up or maintain different kinds of motion-control applications.

17th October 2017

Design challenges top the agenda at EDS 2017

Insights on the challenges holding back next-generation applications and the solutions aiming to address them will be shared by RS Components (RS) at the Engineering Design Show (EDS) at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry (18-19 October). Technical Marketing Manager Simon Duggleby, Electronics Product Manager Simon Lummis and Head Technology Evangelist Pete Wood will be on hand to discuss physical technology, security and the need to educate engineers.

16th October 2017

Electrical testers deliver safer measurements

Electrical testers and an electrical proving unit from Fluke have been added to the test and measurement equipment portfolio at RS Components (RS). These devices especially target use by electrical safety and installation engineers, as well as commercial electrical technicians working in areas such as automation and electrical maintenance.

10th October 2017

Datasheets

Users offered support for industrial control migration

Customers looking to migrate to the latest generation of the Siemens SIRIUS line of industrial control products are being offered support by RS Components. The modular system offers a comprehensive range of control panel products with numerous combinations to cover every possible application.

6th October 2017

Tool kits support variety of requirements

A comprehensive series of RS Pro toolkits has been introduced by RS Components to support a wide range of requirements in markets and applications, such as maintenance, machine safety, transportation and utilities, as well as robotics, motion control and industrial IoT projects. The new RS Pro toolkit series includes kits and sets for general electronics applications and kits for maintenance engineers, technicians, mechanics and electricians.

28th September 2017

IoT design competition issues leak detector challenge

An IoT design competition — the ‘LeakKiller Challenge’ has been launched by RS Components and Legal & General. They have issued an open call to the world’s engineering and maker community to develop a prototype of a low-cost, open source IoT leakage detection and warning system. There is a £15,000 prize for the best design.

6th September 2017

Inverters target AC motor-control applications

The RS Pro series of products from RS Components has been extended with a large range of simple-to-install and easy-to-use AC inverters. Complementing the wide range of AC inverters available from RS, the RSAC, RSMK, RSMA and RSDA series of devices are ideal for AC motor-control applications required by maintenance engineers and machine builders in processing and infrastructure industries.

1st September 2017

Datasheets

Sensor communication devices deliver data demand

The range of IO-Link compatible hardware and ancillaries at RS Components (RS) has been expanded, an initiative which has quadrupled its stock of the devices over the past six months. IO-Link, the first standardised IO technology (to IEC 61131-9) for communication with sensors and actuators, will play an important part in the growing creation and adoption of fully connected solutions based around Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) concepts.

24th August 2017

Label printer aids cable, component identification

A high-end thermal-transfer label printer that has been designed for quick and efficient customised identification of wires, cables and components has been introduced by RS Components. The BMP61 label printer from Brady is a tool for those working in market sectors that use a sizeable amount of cables that require labelling, such as the electrical, power, telecom and ICT industries.

17th August 2017

Datasheets

Network tester troubleshoots wireless interference issues

Availability of a wireless network tester from Netscout, which provides fast, simple and accurate isolation and troubleshooting of wireless issues, has been announced by RS Components. The AirCheck G2 supports a large variety of maintenance and troubleshooting issues such as interference problems or access-point access and configuration.

27th July 2017

Kits enable safer visual inspection capability

Two inspection kits from Laserliner are in stock at RS Components. The kits offer maintenance engineers and technicians visual inspection capability in areas that are difficult to reach or in potentially dangerous environments. The first kit is the Laserliner VideoFlex G3 Ultra Plus for professional recordable digital video inspection, which is exclusive to RS.

25th July 2017

Datasheets

Monitoring system wins Hackster IoT design contest

A rolling material monitoring system that can sit inside a bulldozer and collect data from the vehicle has been revealed as the winner of the Hackster community design contest based on the SIMATIC IOT2020 industrial IoT gateway. The contest was aimed at engineers, makers and students and challenged them to come up with innovative applications and solutions based on the open and highly flexible IoT gateway, which is manufactured by Siemens.

14th July 2017

Thermal imaging camera heads off expensive problems

A thermal imaging camera from Fluke’s Ti range is available at RS Components. The Fluke Ti480 is a rugged 640 x 480-pixel thermal imaging camera that delivers precise and reliable information for engineers, enabling them to quickly and easily identify and diagnose potential problems before they become expensive failures.

4th July 2017

Datasheets

Components range offer flexibility to panel designers

The range of products from Schneider Electric’s Harmony Range has been extended at RS Components. The new additions – which comprise robust and ergonomic push buttons, switches and pilot lights, indicators, timers, sockets and potentiometers – will allow panel designers to incorporate additional functionality and flexibility into their electrical panels.

2nd July 2017

Students get taste of technology to celebrate INWED17

‘Engineering isn’t just for blokes’ was the message from RS Components and the University of Northampton when they came together to host an event at the Avenue campus site, to celebrate International Women in Engineering Day #INWED17. The event was attended by over a hundred year 7-9 female students and showcased the RS Live truck, the company’s mobile innovation experience.

25th June 2017

Contactors deliver reduced energy consumption

A series of AC/DC coil compatible contactors from Schneider Electric is now being shipped by distributor RS Components (RS). Schneider has upgraded its TeSys D range with the TeSys D Green range that features lower energy consumption and AC/DC coils, meaning every coil can be energised with either AC or DC current.

22nd June 2017

Datasheets

Versatile sensors optimised for specific gas types

Availability of a diverse range of compact gas sensors from Figaro is announced by RS Components. Targeting a wide range of gas monitoring and detection applications across many industrial sectors, the Figaro range employs multilayer, semiconductor and electrochemical detection methods that are specially optimised for specific gas types.

20th June 2017

Bermondsey branch ushers in new look to service centres

As part of a plan to transform its service centre network RS Components (RS) has relocated its Bow branch from the existing site on the Old Ford Trading Centre in East London, to a new unit a short distance away on the Surrey Canal Trading Estate in Bermondsey. New sites, branded RS Local, will have a product and service offer to support engineers locally across the design, build and maintain phases of the product life cycle.

31st May 2017