COVID-19 has forced many manufacturers to review their operations, with agile businesses reacting quickly to this new trading environment. Once the COVID hurdle is behind us, we will see a different manufacturing sector and I think the industry will be better for it as adversity drives change, says Cuong Vo, vice president of RS Components … Continue reading Pandemic manufacturing industry changes →

VEGA adds to its portfolio of level sensors with a new non-contact radar instrument series for standard measuring tasks and price-sensitive applications. A new era in radar level measurement began a few years ago when VEGAPULS sensors based on 80 GHz technology were introduced. Thanks to the more precise focusing of the radar beam, the … Continue reading Radar – The better ultrasonic →

Ever since Dr. Georg Schaeffler first invented caged needle roller bearings over 70 years ago, the bearings have found extensive applications in a range of industries. While commonly used for power transmission in the automotive industry, needle roller bearings are also used extensively in the building material manufacturing sector; including for manufacturing power tools, machine … Continue reading A journey from innovation to perfection →

It’s not uncommon for machinery in building material manufacturing to be exposed to large amounts of dust or water splashing. Be it in cement production plants, brick kilns or steel mills, heavy air-borne dust and high humidity can greatly impact the bearings’ performance. That is where Tony Tormey, Product Manager for Industrial Bearings at CBC, … Continue reading Sealing the deal with NTN triple-sealed bearings →

Hydraulic systems are the lifeblood of every industrial setting, regardless of the size or complexity of the operation. Steve Keown, CBC’s National Product Manager for Lubricants, says the life of the hydraulic system is primarily tied to the life of the oil. “High performance Synthetic Fluids that provide extended drain intervals, system cleanliness, maximum component protection … Continue reading Keeping hydraulic systems ‘happy’ with lubrication best practices →

The cost of energy in manufacturing building materials is a major contributor to the overall cost of the product. Steve Hittmann, National Product Manager at BSC, says upgrading from wrapped belts to raw edge cogged belts is a low-cost option to achieve higher energy efficiencies in drive systems. “Unlike wrapped belts, the raw edge construction does … Continue reading Get a grip on energy bills with the right belt drive →

Vibrational loosening is a common contributor to equipment fails. And in water and wastewater applications, the risk of fasteners coming apart is further exacerbated by the amount of moisture in the environment. According to industry specialist Michael Rowe, who is the Product Manager of Adhesives and Sealants at BSC, the combination of vibration and moisture … Continue reading Keeping fasteners locked tight in high moisture applications →

Operators at water and wastewater treatment facilities can cross much of the tedious lubrication work off their maintenance checklists when the plants implement automatic, multipoint lubrication systems. “Maintaining a large water or wastewater treatment plant is time consuming, and at times hazardous,” says Steve Keown, CBC‘s National Product Manager for Lubricants, who suggests using multipoint lubrication … Continue reading Ace the Maintenance: Streamlining operations with multipoint lubricators →

How many different lubricants are used at your plant? Does your lubricants store contain multiple versions of similar lubricants? Can oil drain and re-greasing intervals be further extended with product upgrades? These, and similar questions are addressed by the CBC Australia technical team when they conduct a lubrication survey for their customers – a program … Continue reading Formulating the right lubricant solution →

A chirping sound, however pleasant when you are taking a stroll through the park, is an unwanted noise when it emanates from a revved up engine at your plant – as it’s often indicative of a misaligned pulley. Belt drive systems are used extensively in water and wastewater treatment plants to rotate the fans, pumps, and … Continue reading Preventive maintenance puts the ‘shhh’ in belt drive systems →

A chirping sound, however pleasant when you are taking a stroll through the park, is an unwanted noise when it emanates from a revved up engine at your plant – as it’s often indicative of a misaligned pulley. Belt drive systems are used extensively in water and wastewater treatment plants to rotate the fans, pumps, and … Continue reading Preventive maintenance puts the ‘shhh’ in belt drive systems →

A chirping sound, however pleasant when you are taking a stroll through the park, is an unwanted noise when it emanates from a revved up engine at your plant – as it’s often indicative of a misaligned pulley. Belt drive systems are used extensively in water and wastewater treatment plants to rotate the fans, pumps, and … Continue reading Preventive maintenance puts the ‘shhh’ in belt drive systems →

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many manufacturers must keep running to provide essential services. The Institute of Instrumentation, Control and Automation’s Peter Veron shares his observations on how the process engineering market has been operating. As countries continue to reduce exports during the COVID-19 shutdown, Australian-based businesses have been given opportunities to manufacture locally. The Institute … Continue reading Less imports lead to boom in manufacturing opportunities for essential services →

PACE speaks to Treotham Automation managing director Mikael Paltoft about how the company is overcoming challenges to their supply chain during COVID-19. Paltoft counts his company as lucky during the COVID-19 pandemic. The disruption in air freight and delivery costs, which according to Paltoft have been raised by nearly 600 per cent, has not stopped … Continue reading Positivity and connection during COVID-19 →

Prevention is the name of the game when it comes to maintenance of electrical equipment in water and wastewater treatment facilities, according to Steve Keown, CBC‘s National Product Manager for Lubricants. “Why risk spending thousands of dollars on repairs when you can prevent those damages?” says Keown. “When you are running a water treatment plant 24 … Continue reading Shine on: Keeping electrical parts clean and glowing →

Water transfer has both the requirement for delivery and suction hoses. Pumps require suction hoses to draw the water from one point, and then a pressure hose to transfer water to a delivery point. Commissioning the wrong fittings or cover for an industrial transfer hose can be a costly mistake. Expertise is needed right from … Continue reading Running water seamlessly with the right hose variables →

Driven by the many advantages of a smart home or smart building, the demand for comprehensive, intelligent and safe automation of buildings using KNX is increasing worldwide. An increasing number of system integrators, installers and craftsmen are joining the world’s leading standard for intelligent building networking. KNX already has more than 90,000 partners in 167 … Continue reading KNX launches a free virtual solution →

When a major water pumping station approached CBC Australia about a shaft coupling problem, they not only received a product type that was better suited to their application but managed to reduce the amount of inventory they had in stock by over 500 per cent. This resulted in improved pump performance and significant cost savings. … Continue reading Pumping for the long haul →

Total-loss bills resulting from large recall events are having major impacts across the globe, in all manufacturing sectors. Quality Assurance Managers and Chief Operating Officers are understandably becoming increasingly overwhelmed in a complex environment where they cannot account for everything. They are faced with increased focus on safety and regulation by authorities; complex global supply … Continue reading Traceability – is your company hoping for the best or planning for the worst? →

The challenge for any water and wastewater operation is in keeping the equipment running efficiently in spite of the harsh conditions and contamination it is exposed to. Foul water contamination in particular will affect the life of essential components such as bearings in rotating machinery. This is why a triple-sealed bearing is often recommended for … Continue reading Bearing the contamination of foul water →