March 2009
Festo - the globally aligned, independent family enterprise with headquarters in Esslingen, Germany, has evolved over a period of 50 years as a result of innovation and problem solving competence covering all aspects of pneumatics, and thanks to its offerings in the field of industrial training and vocational education. Brian Abbott, product manager at Festo, talks about the importance of pneumatic tubing - often the most overlooked piece of equipment on a plant floor - and selection options for different applications.
For more information contact:
Joanne Dix
Marketing Coordinator
phone: +27 (0) 11 971 5560
email: joanne_dix@festo.com
Regular Features
Comment
On the cover
Industry forum
Product and services round up
Nota bene
Hydraulics, pneumatics and pumping technology
Delicate hydraulic solution for complex bridge structure
Two thousand years after the Romans built some of history’s most celebrated arches, one of their ancient cities has given rise to a new engineering phenomenon. The Third Millennium Bridge at Zaragoza – Spain’s fifth-largest city and formerly the Roman fluvial port of Caesaraugusta, serving the Ebro Valley of Spain – is a showpiece of the city’s Expo 2008 and one of the world’s most extraordinary bridges.
Cat engines - the preferred choice for opencast customers
Innovative Engineering
ABB's modern, green building - a solid investment in efficiency
Modern transport and vehicle solutions
Rolling stock and the freight lifelines
Norman Taylor – DCD-DORBYL, Rolling Stock Division’s business manager – talks to MechTech about RSD – its contracts for locomotive bogies on the Coallink and Orex lines and its hopes for the future of rail in South Africa.
Designing a low noise propeller for an unmanned aerial vehicle
Power generation, energy and fuel
Building a sustainable energy future for Africa!
This paper was presented at the Energy 09, Solutions for Africa conference earlier this year by Brian A Statham, chairman of the South African Energy Association (SANEA). It outlines some work done by the World Energy Council and looks forward to how we might achieve a sustainable energy future for the African continent.
Biofuels - time for transition
Robotics, mechatronics and automation
Wachendorff components ensure accurate rotation during printing onto glass bottles
Wachendorff Automation has retrofitted a specially designed inkjet printing system to the existing bottling plant at the Ohlig Sekt winery, in Rüdesheim. Karlheinz Bubeck, technical plant manager talks about the challenge and the solution.
Special report
Merseta – driving skills development beyond 2010?
Merseta – the manufacturing, engineering and related services sector education authority – held its first annual conference at the Birchwood Conference Centre in February. In the final year of its current mandate under the second national skills development strategy (NSDS2), the conference title – ‘Driving skills development beyond 2010’ – signalled the SETA’s willingness to transform. MechTech talks to Dr Raymond Patel, the CEO, about the Merseta and its future.
