UK News
- Forum aims to raise the profile of power electronics in the UK
- Motor Driven Systems hits the road
- US group acquires Kentish gear-maker
WORLD News
- ODVA plans standards for exchanging machine information
- Moog buys Aspen Motion Technologies from Pentair for $34m
- Free tools help to specify drives and calculate energy savings
TECHNOLOGY News
- Programmable light tower `will revolutionise the market`
- Wear-free rotary encoder is `first non-contact system`
- `Smart` breaker could cut power consumption by 15%
PRODUCT News
- I/O system squeezes 20 channels into 12.5mm-wide modules
- HVAC drives incorporate a fire mode
- Next-generation light curtains `set new standards`
FEATURES
LATEST ISSUE
Technology news: August 2012
Plastic roller chain is a finalist
A roller chain made from polymer materials has reached the finals of the British Government’s Make it in Great Britain Challenge, which aims to find the UK’s next big products, processes and concepts. The chain, invented by Stefan Karp, a former engineering lecturer at Brunel University, needs no lubrication, is corrosion-free, self-aligning and can be used under water.
“I originally designed it to be used in bicycles,” Karp explains. “Due to it being oil-free and light, it is particularly suitable for children’s bicycles. But there are a range of possibilities for this product – it could improve the reliability and versatility of machinery as varied as photocopiers, cars, bottling plants and even pharmaceutical machinery.
“It’s hugely exciting to be one of the finalists in this competition,” he adds, “and I’m looking forward to seeing the range of ways this roller chain will be put into use”.
The roller chain is a finalist in the Make it Stronger category of the competition. The winner will be announced in September.
