Metro Madrid selects Guyson

Finishing equipment manufacturer, Guyson International, with its Spanish distributor Materias Primas Abrasivas, has recently installed a Guyson Euroblast 8 air-wash cabinet into Metro Madrid’s main maintenance workshop for removing dust particles and other contaminants from the braking systems of underground trains.

The health, safety and wellbeing of Metro Madrid’s maintenance staff was the primary concern when selecting the system. Guyson’s Euroblast 8 blow-off cabinet provides a sealed work chamber for safely air washing braking systems utilising a hand-operated air-wash gun. Removing dust, dirt and debris from underground train braking systems is a daily maintenance task for the Metro team, so keeping a clean and safe environment without leaking dust, dirt, debris or noise into the work area is essential.

In terms of design, the cabinet is fitted with two air-wash guns – high pressure and low pressure – which the operator can easily select depending on the type and/or volume of contaminant: high pressure for the aggressive removal of caked-on dust, or low pressure for lighter material.

In order to retain high visibility during the brake cleaning process, a Guyson C400 cartridge dust collector connects to the rear of the cabinet, effectively removing the loosened dust and airborne particles into the collection bin so they can be safely disposed of, while maintaining a clean working environment.

Due to the numerous types of braking systems, some of which are extremely heavy, the Madrid Metro maintenance team selected the Euroblast 8 blow-off system with optional side-loading turntable, which enables large/heavy items to be loaded directly on to the turntable via crane or forklift. The turntable pushes into the cabinet, with hand rotation providing all-round access during the cleaning process.

For further information
www.guyson.co.uk

Technology partnership

Williams Racing has struck a new technology and innovation partnership with B&R Industrial Automation, a unit of ABB’s Robotics and Discrete Automation business. The agreement will see B&R Industrial Automation embed its PLC hardware and I/O modules in the wind tunnel facilities at the team’s base in Grove, Oxfordshire. Controlled by B&R Industrial Automation’s APROL edge controller, the enhancements will measure and record the energy consumption of wind tunnel infrastructure.

For further information
www.williamsf1.com

Remote maintenance solutions

The potency of remote maintenance and customer assistance – especially harnessing the power of smartphones – has never been demonstrated more forcibly than during the past year when the COVID-19 pandemic has forced lockdowns across the globe. However, the United Grinding Group has increasingly used technology to support its worldwide customer base and, in many cases, keep machines running with minimal downtime.

According to United Grinding Group company Walter Ewag UK, the group’s digital solutions embrace three main offerings: Production Monitor, Service Monitor and Remote Service. The first two help customers keep track of production – for example, highlighting when maintenance work is required and where/when problems may arise in production, while Remote Service helps support the help desk over a data connection.

One example of Remote Service in action concerns the machine’s back-up battery. This system maintains the power supply of a control system in the event of a power failure and it requires changing from time to time. The machine operator receives a notice on the operating panel in a timely manner, which the production manager would see on the Production Monitor. Notably, the user manual and installation instructions are available to both the operator and production manager via the Customer Cockpit, but they can also send a service request directly through the Digital Solutions app.

The service technician will be connected live via the Conference Center app and be provided with tips and hints. It is possible to send images via the whiteboard function – and the helpline technician can draw markers directly into the images.
According to the United Grinding Group there were 2500 demands for remote service during 2020.

For further information
www.walter-machines.com

Promotion at Bowers

Martin Hawkins is now the deputy managing director of Bowers Group. Working closely alongside the current managing director Steve White, Hawkins will begin a transitional period before White steps down from his full-time duties in May 2021. Hawkins joined Bowers Group in 2016 as UK sales manager before taking up the position of UK sales director in 2019. He brings with him a wealth of experience and success within Bowers Group, as well as vast product knowledge and existing relationships as part of the company’s senior management team.

For further information
www.bowersgroup.co.uk

Restructuring and new jobs at Rocol

Following a strong year of business for Rocol, the cutting-fluid specialist is now recruiting three new metalworking fluid sales engineers. This positive news from the industrial lubrication expert is the result of an internal restructuring process that will see it create dedicated sales teams for specific market segments. The restructure will establish an industrial plant and facilities maintenance team, and a process lubricant team, with the latter dedicated to increasing market penetration in the metal cutting-fluid sector.

For further information
www.rocol.com