Tough material for PolyJet 3D Printers is ideal for parts with flexible living hinges or snap fits

Stratasys Ltd., a leading global provider of 3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions, have introduced Endur, an advanced simulated polypropylene material for use with all Objet EdenV, Objet Connex, Objet500 Connex3 and Objet 30Pro 3D Printers.

“Beta field trials showed high user satisfaction with Endur for models and prototypes of polypropylene parts”

As a durable and flexible addition to Stratasys’ growing materials portfolio, Endur offers both high impact resistance and elongation at break, resulting in tough parts. The material also has a heat-deflection temperature up to 129°F / 54°C (HDT @ 0.45MPa per ASTM D-648-06) and has excellent dimensional stability for its material class.

These properties make the new material suitable for a wide range of form, fit and assembly applications, including:

• Flexible living hinges
• Moving parts
• Assembled parts
• Snap-fit parts such as those used for lids and packaging case applications.

In addition, Endur, which is available in bright white, features an excellent surface finish, for a smooth look and feel. This makes the material well-suited for prototyping household appliances, consumer goods, automotive parts and lab equipment.

“Beta field trials showed high user satisfaction with Endur for models and prototypes of polypropylene parts,” says Stratasys product director for materials and applications, Fred Fischer. “During Beta testing, customers testing Endur acknowledged its toughness and flexibility, and they believed the material would address future needs. Due to Endur’s excellent simulated polypropylene properties, testing customers were able to address a variety of applications, including moving parts, snap-fit components and small cases and containers.”

For more information, visit: Endur:

Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq:SSYS), headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. and Rehovot, Israel, a leading global provider of 3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions. The company's patented FDM® and PolyJetTM 3D Printing technologies produce prototypes and manufactured goods directly from 3D CAD files or other 3D content. Systems include 3D printers for idea development, prototyping and direct digital manufacturing. Stratasys subsidiaries include MakerBot and Solidscape, and the company operates the RedEye digital-manufacturing service. Stratasys has more than 1800 employees, holds over 550 granted or pending additive manufacturing patents globally, and has received more than 20 awards for its technology and leadership.

reader-contact information, please use:

• USA 1-877-489-9449
• Europe/Middle East/Africa +49-7229-7772-0
• Asia Pacific +852 39448888

It’s a fact that relatively few machine tools are acquired direct from the manufacturer as a complete, turnkey package. Indeed, some 70 per cent of new machines are sold un-tooled by machine tool suppliers, agents or distributors. For this reason it’s easy for customers to overlook the issue of tooling, a factor that could easily hamper the transition time from machine delivery to full production. To address this problem, Sandvik Coromant offers a range of start-up toolkits designed to get new machines up and running immediately. Adding a start-up toolkit when buying a machine means customers can start making profit straight away and subsequently reduce the payback period of their investment.

In total, 66 different start-up toolkits are now available for the most common turning centres, machining centres and sliding head machines. Included in the toolkits is a selection of typical tools required to commence machining (the contents are supplied in their original packaging). Kits include cast iron and steel production, aluminium production and die and mould production.

Sandvik Coromant has created a dedicated webpage at www.sandvik.coromant.com/startuptoolkits where site visitors can be guided through how to choose the right kit. There are also links to the Sandvik Coromant Machine Investment support service, and links to tips and tricks that help optimize set-up. There is also a brochure available for download that describes the toolkits in detail.

The toolkits are easy to specify based on machine style and interface with just a single order code. Furthermore, the tools are delivered together in one convenient kit with a high quality plastic carry case, and are available to be purchased by anyone, including machine suppliers, agents, distributors and customers.

About Sandvik Coromant

Sandvik Coromant is a global leading supplier of cutting tools, tooling solutions and know-how to the metalworking industry. With extensive investments in research and development we create unique innovations and set new productivity standards together with our customers. These include the world's major automotive, aerospace and energy industries. Sandvik Coromant has 8000 employees and is represented in 130 countries. We are part of the business area Sandvik Machining Solutions within the global industrial group Sandvik.

For more information visit the website at www.sandvik.coromant.com.

Nikki Stokes

PR & Advertising, EMEA

Sandvik Coromant

Tel: +44 (0) 121 504 5422

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: www.sandvik.coromant.com

New design extends valve's lifetime and lowers life-cycle costs in a delayed coking process

Metso has won a second major order for advanced valve technology from Sino-Venezuela Guangdong Petrochemical Company for its 20 million ton-per-year heavy crude oil processing project in China. The new delivery includes large Neles® valves for the delayed coking process, which is one of the demanding subprocesses in oil refining. This process sets especially high requirements for valve reliability and tightness.

Metso holds a strong position as a technology supplier for the delayed coking process especially in North America. China is the world's second largest valve market with significant growth potential. "Guangdong Petrochemical Refinery Project is the largest oil refinery project in China in terms of processing capability from.The follow-up order strengthens Metso's position as one of the leading suppliers for the oil and gas industry in the world," says Hangpheng Tan, Vice President, Flow Control Sales & Services, Automation, Metso, China.

The deliveries will take place during the second quarter of 2015. Last October, Metso announced an order for over 4,000 intelligent Neles valve controllers for the same refinery project.

Metso's valve technology decreases life-cycle costs

The delivery to the Guangdong Petrochemical Refinery includes four-way valves and tower bottom feeding valves. The largest of them are 400 mm in size and can work under Pressure Class 900. Metso's technology ensures long-lasting tightness in the highly challenging process. Significantly longer lifetime of valves lowers their life-cycle costs and extends overhaul intervals at large refineries.

Metso has a long track record of delivering engineered performance and reliability to the oil & gas industry through its leading product brands - Neles®, Jamesbury® and Mapag® - and has delivered millions of valves, control valves, and on-off valves globally more than 90 years, and has become one of the leading suppliers of intelligent valve controllers. Metso has valve technology centers and production facilities in Finland, the United States, Germany, China, South Korea, India and Brazil.

Metso supplies refineries around the world with high-performance valves applicable to the entire process, from steam cracking of crude oil to finished products. By adopting Metso's valve technology, refineries are able to ensure the lowest possible health, environmental and safety risks, meet the set quality targets, as well as reduce maintenance work and downtime costs.

The Sino-Venezuela Guangdong Petrochemical Company oil refinery project

The Sino-Venezuela Guangdong Petrochemical Company oil refinery project with a 5 km2 footprint is located in the Jieyang Nandahai Petrochemical Industrial Zone in Guangdong province. It is the largest oil refinery project in China in terms of processing capability. Once completed, the complex will process 20 million tons of heavy crude oil annually with 29 processing units, have a 300,000-ton crude oil terminal and a 30,000- to 50,000-ton product terminal. Total project investment amounts to 58.6 billion yuan (USD 9.54 billion) with PetroChina a 60% stakeholder and Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. of Venezuela holding a 40% stake.

Metso's automation solutions are designed to maximize the profitability of our customers' businesses by improving their production performance and their cost, material and energy efficiency. Our extensive range of flow control and process automation solutions and services is supported by a worldwide network of automation experts. The Automation business' biggest customer industries are oil & gas, and pulp and paper. We also have a strong growth focus in mining and construction and power generation. www.metso.com, www.twitter.com/metsoautomation

Metso is a leading process performance provider, with customers in the mining, construction, and oil & gas industries. Our focus is on the continuous development of intelligent solutions that improve sustainability and profitability. Metso's shares are listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd. Metso employs around 16,000 professionals in 50 countries. Expect results. www.metso.com, www.twitter.com/metsogroup

For more information:
Li Zhaoyang, Marketing Manager, Automation, Metso
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,
Tel. +86 159 2177 2052

Work on the final phase of Keighley Laboratories’ ambitious new heat treatment facility is nearing completion, with its state-of-the art nitriding furnace newly commissioned and undergoing production trials and its sealed quench gaseous nitrocarburising unit currently being installed. Ancillary process equipment, including a solvent degreaser and pre- and post-treatment washers for removing any surface contaminants, are also being integrated into the streamlined workflow arrangement.

Housed in a 5,000 sq ft purpose-built department, with a thermal insulation envelope designed to ensure optimum energy efficiency, the £1 million plus development adds the latest low temperature, low distortion thermochemical processes to the Keighley Labs’ heat treatment portfolio. It will meet more sophisticated surface engineering requirements for its existing customer base in the railway, mining, oil & gas and general engineering sectors, whilst opening up new applications in the aviation, nuclear power and renewable energy markets. In due course, the West Yorkshire company is hoping to gain NADCAP accreditation for this new department, to match the Materials Testing Laboratory accredited status for its Technical Services division.

“We will have the new vertical pit, gaseous nitriding facility up and running in the spring of 2014, at which point we shall have amongst the best, most up-to-date low temperature, low distortion resource in the independent heat treatment sector, with the very latest process control software,” says Michael Emmott, Divisional Commercial Director for Keighley Laboratories Heat Treatment division.  “We’ve had a lot of interest from customers wanting to send jobs for processing already, but we wanted to conduct sufficient trial runs in order to obtain repetitive results, which will ensure meeting the quality and precision standards that the industry expects of Keighley Laboratories.”

Gaseous nitriding and nitrocarburising are heat treatment processes that enhance the surface properties of finished and near-finished metallic components. The gaseous nitriding process promotes wear resistance, together with corrosion resistance in the case of nitrocarburising, and these low temperature techniques ensure minimal distortion of the workpieces. In nitriding, the surface of the ferrous metal is enriched with nitrogen to improve wear resistance, fatigue strength and other characteristics; whereas with nitrocarburising small amounts of carbon are also introduced into the process, resulting in a more flexible compound surface layer, with good lubricant retention properties, as distinct from the classical white layer of gaseous nitriding.

The furnace interface is via the latest SuperData SCADA software package, complete with full colour HMI touchscreen. This provides recipe-driven process control, continuous data logging, an EasyTrack load entry system, paperless recording and rapid access to historical records; accurate temperature control is achieved by three zones of heating elements, controlled by a sophisticated internal cascade system. SSI technicians have already delivered on-site software training, so that Keighley Labs specialists can adjust the basic programming to suit the company’s own processing routes.

Keighley Laboratories gaseous nitrocarburising sealed quench furnace is an IPSEN TQ7 gas-fired unit, which consists of a process-tight chamber with an integrated double-walled quench chamber, enabling the complex heat treatment cycle to take place in a protective environment.

The new heat treatment department will offer gaseous nitriding and both ferritic and austenitic nitrocarburising, the latter enhancing indentation resistance, and both methods can be used for upgrading components made from relatively inexpensive, lower alloy materials. The load bearing characteristics and other beneficial properties of these treatments make them typically ideal for rail industry components, bearing shafts, cams and crankshafts.

For their new processes, Keighley Labs envisages treating a wide variety of components, helping to substantially improve wear resistance, fatigue life and anti-corrosion properties. Both low distortion techniques mean that finishing operations such as post-grinding and machining can be eliminated or kept to a minimum.

“With some of the most modern furnace equipment and process control technology outside the captive heat treatment sector, this enables us to compete with independent contractors throughout Europe,” says Keighley Labs MD, Debbie Mellor. “We shall be able to regulate the precise parameters for single- and multi-stage processes to suit exact customer specifications, allowing us to provide a service that is second-to-none.”

For further information, contact Keighley Laboratories Limited, Croft House, South Street, Keighley BD21 1EG, tel 01535 664211, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , www.keighleylabs.co.uk

ABB's new safety PLC has provided the platform for Sandvik Materials Technology to add zoned safety guarding to a large cold rolling mill at its Sandviken plant in Sweden. The mill is a key part of the production line for precision strip steel at the plant.

Sandvik's cold rolling mill has been upgraded a number of times throughout its life - including recent changes that added servomotors, and new machine control using ABB's standard AC500 PLC and touchscreen operator interface panels.

The latest upgrade adds safety PLC modules from ABB's AC500-S PLC to the machine control system to enhance the safety of the 20m-long mill with a networked architecture using the PROFIsafe protocol over PROFINET to provide independent control of six separate safety zones. The zoned arrangement means that parts of the machine can remain operational while an operator gains safe access to some other zone - where safety is assured by disabling power.

Some 50 safety PLC I/O channels are employed to link to gate switch and light curtain guarding, and emergency stop buttons. The I/O also monitors pressure switches to sense that hydraulic power is disabled so that maintenance can take place, and controls power supplies to the motor drives. Safe speed control is another aspect of the safety control provided by the new PLC - to ensure that hands or fingers cannot be trapped between the mill's belt and rollers.

Sandvik chose ABB's AC500-S safety PLC for this application because of good experience of the standard non-safety AC500 PLC architecture on both this machine and other machinery control projects. The AC500-S safety PLC also offered Sandvik the possibility of using floating point numbers, which simplified the safety programming required for this project for tasks such as calculating speed.

The fact that the standard version of the ABB PLC was already used on the mill measurably simplified the safety upgrade. This is because the safety PLC hardware shares the same look and feel as standard AC500 PLCs allowing safety and non-safety functions to be mixed in the same system. This compatibility includes identical dimensions to CPU and I/O modules, and the same mounting and wiring scheme.

The new dual-processor safety CPU module and the safety I/O channels have been integrated alongside the machine's existing AC500 PLC - which controls a total of six DC and AC drives and motors. The DC motors drive the main steel belt and rollers. The AC motors adjust roller position to achieve the desired pressure during strip steel processing. The standard PLC also links with four operator interface panels from ABB's CP600 series.

Programming the safety solution was made simple by the fact that ABB's integrated PLC development tool, Automation Builder, included support for safety PLC programming in its CODESYS-based integrated development environment - and support for the PLCopen Safety Library. ABB also provided its own safety code analyzer tool, SCA, which verifies the safety programming rules.

The familiarity of the programming environment and the sophistication of these tools helped Sandvik's developers to quickly understand safety PLC programming concepts. This allowed them to develop the enhanced machine safety architecture in a very short time - meeting the company's tight timescales set for this upgrade project - and quickly bring the enhanced mill into operation.

This project also took place before ABB had actually launched the AC500-S safety PLC. Prior to commercial release, the new PLC was extensively field tested in a large number of pilot applications. Sandvik was one of ABB's pilot customers and developed this safety control system before the product and tools were formally launched. This was made possible by good support from ABB's product development team. Since this application, Sandvik has gone on to use the safety PLC on three other machine refurbishment projects.

"We were very pleased to find such an easy-to-apply solution for adding state-of-the-art protection, in the form of the ABB's safety PLC - which integrated directly with the machine's existing PLC," says Torbjörn Pettersson, an engineering development specialist with Sandvik Materials Technology.

"The fact that ABB could supply the spectrum of machine control components required for this project, from the non-safety and safety variants of the PLC, to the operator panels, motor drives, contactors and safety hardware, both simplified and speeded this upgrade," says Jonas Rehnberg of ABB Sweden. "The modularity of the new safety solution also means that it is now very easy to upgrade or modify safety functionality in the future, to enhance the safety of the mill even further, or to integrate additional aspects of the production process."

The safety PLC - the AC500-S - is a recent addition to ABB's well-known AC500 PLC range and features a dual processor architecture that complies with SIL3 (IEC 61508:2010 and IEC 62061)/PL e (ISO 13849-1) functional safety levels. The integrated AC500-S safety PLC can run even if the non-safety PLC is stopped for maintenance. This means that personnel can still easily move within the machine during the maintenance phase, because the safety PLC will continue monitoring the state of the machine's safety sensors and executing its safety function.

In the field of plastic injection molds, producers are very careful when it is time to decide which basic material should be used for their molds. Up to now, some companies still use conventional tool steels, but if this material is less expensive for the buyers’ side, it still presents a lot of inconveniencies compared to high conductivity copper alloys.

A high conductivity copper alloy is—within the context of this article—a copper based material that through a combination of alloying and manufacturing techniques, retains the higher thermal conductivity that is inherent in copper, but with a degree of hardness that allows it to be used in the machined condition within a production environment.

The Switzerland based company AMPCO METAL, who celebrates its 100^th birthday this year, is specialized in copper alloys and is recognized worldwide for copper alloys, so-called AMPCOLOY® , and is largely used in plastic injection applications. But what are the real benefits whilst using copper alloys?
Mr. Luis J. Bento, Chairman of AMPCO METAL, explains: “Cycle time can be reduced by at least 20 percent, and some users report reductions of up to 80 percent, resulting from the significantly faster cooling rates achieved with AMPCOLOY® alloys. This means that productivity can be increased by at least 25 percent, with some users in the automobile headlight production industry reporting up to a 500 percent production increase simply because a reduced cycle time means more components can be made per shift.”

But gains in productivity can not only be also achieved due to their conductivity.

The excellent polishing ability of AMPCOLOY® alloys has been proven when used in contact lens packaging manufacture, which requires the packaging to be transparent so the lenses can be checked through the packaging. Such high quality plastic packaging is achieved with high conductivity copper alloy inserts that are highly polished. The polishing time of such inserts has proven to be four times faster than steel inserts, and the cycle time to be reduced by 57 percent.

Reduced warpage

Part warpage can be greatly reduced as, with the improved cooling, the molded component spends less time at an elevated temperature, thus the number and severity of “hot spots” within the mold are reduced and part quality is greatly improved. This means for the producer more constant part quality, shot after shot.

Heat removal

Due to the superior thermal transfer characteristics of high conductivity copper alloys, (typically five to 10 times better than steel), heat can be moved away from sensitive areas of the mold at such a rate that the need for complex cooling channels in the immediate location of the molded component is reduced, or eliminated altogether. Because the number of cooling channels required in the tool is less, the machining costs of the molds can be greatly reduced—up to four times less than that of a comparable cooling rate on a steel mold.

Diffusivity

High quality copper alloys absorb the heat wave in a mold when a plastic part is injected. The initial absorption of the heat wave is a key factor. Heat removal in the backstage with the cooling system leaves plenty of time to do it. This is where AMPCOLOY® alloys really stand for—absorbing the first heat wave, shot after shot.

Coating

In order to increase wear resistance, the high quality copper alloys can be very easily coated with electroless nickel, hard chrome or even PVD (physical vapor deposition) coatings. Electroless nickel allows the coating to penetrate into each and every hole with a constant coating thickness, which is not the case with a galvanic process, such as hard chrome plating. Hardness of up to 60 to 70 HRC can be achieved. For easier plastic part removal when demolding, electroless nickel can be combined with Teflon (PTFE) or boron nitride. Such mold parts have a surface that feels as slippery as soap when coated with PTFE or boron nitride electroless nickel, which results in molded plastic parts that will not stick and that will demold very easily.

After having resumed the specific physical aspects for high quality copper which really present unique features, Mr. Bento explains us the current market situation: “Today, the users of plastic injection machines are under high price competition. Although the quality level for plastic injection products is not the same all over the world, more and more companies even in European countries buy installations with conventional steel molds. But at the end, they lose in terms of productivity all over the production cycle. Ampco offers a worldwide presence, also in emerging countries, in order to offer the same quality standard for products and service.”

Makers of seamless pipe, tube, profiles and bars now have access to ZUMBACH gauges, which have just been enhanced, now offering even more significant advantages:

• A new big PROFILEMASTER^® model SPS 800-S8 completes the line of hot and cold in-process gauges for rounds up to diameter 600 mm (23.62 in.) or profiles of up to 550 mm (21.65 in.) edge lengths. PROFILEMASTER^® gauges are based on the principle of light-section technology and machine vision, and can handle any shape or profile.
  Relevant dimensions can be entered into the program and are then monitored during the production run at all times. Typical applications are hot seamless pipe and profiles of any kind, cold rolled/welded tubes and pipes (ERW) and inspection stations for tube, pipe, profiles and bar.

PROFILEMASTER^® systems are available in multiple designs, depending on the requirements of the customer and product. The systems are best suited for the continuous measurement and monitoring of dimensions and the complete cross-section of profiles made of steel, metal, plastics or rubber.

• The new series of STEELMASTER hot and cold gauges, based on high-speed laser scanning, now offers up to 12’000 measurements per second, with new Calibrated Single Scan (CSS) technology. This results in a highly accurate and fast non-contact measurement of diameter, ovality and width/height at production speeds of 100 m/s (19,685 ft/min) and beyond.

STEELMASTER Gauges are available in static (SMS models), oscillating (SMO models) or rotating (SMR models) configurations and for diameters of up to 500 mm (20 in).

This non-contact measuring solution opens tremendous potential to tube and rod manufacturers for in-line quality assurance - and is achieved without laborious, manual measurements. Many manufacturers of pipe and steel bar are constantly faced with the same problem, as straightness is a significant criteria of quality. ZUMBACH offers solutions with its BENDCHECK system.

Advantages for the quality control

• Synchronous real-time scanning in the production process
• Quality assurance right after the straightening process - Important for the steel industry
• Direct integration into the production process (customer specific installation)
• No time-consuming and laborious checks with manual tools

Basic System Function

The basic function of the BENDCHECK system is the measurement of any bend / deflections within round products. The system measures the position and diameter of the product at 3 different locations along its axis. BENDCHECK calculates the deviation of position measured by the central measuring head from a virtual straight line projected from the position measurement of the left head in comparison to the position measurement of the right head. The operator can select the preferred formula for the bend calculation depending product requirements. Thanks to this information, the bend of the product is continuously calculated and graphically displayed. As soon as the product leaves the measurement field, a complete data log file is released for each product, featuring position, diameter and bend measurements.

Software

The relevant data is visualized on a clearly arranged display. Diameter, absolute bending value, bending angle as well as the individual current measurements of the 3 measuring heads are visible at a glance.

Bruno Mühlheim

Technical Editor

Zumbach Electronic AG

CH-2552 Orpund

Switzerland

Switchboard: +41 (0)32 356 04 00

Direct:           +41 (0)32 356 04 09

E-mail:         This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

www.zumbach.com

Brigl & Bergmeister, one of the world's leading manufacturers of papers for labels and flexible packaging, will upgrade its existing Metso quality control system at its Niklasdorf mill in Austria. With its modernized quality control system the mill will be able to further enhance the quality of its labels that are found on world-renowned beverage brands. The investment will also extend the life cycle of the whole label paper production line.

"Our papers wear the face of countless familiar brands. The customer's first contact with a branded product is often the label or the packaging, made of our paper. A label is much more than an information carrier; it can enhance a product's lasting success," says Michael Sablatnig, Managing Director of Brigl & Bergmeister.

Automation-related technology cooperation between Brigl & Bergmeister and Metso goes back several decades and has covered several automation and quality control system generations. Metso also provides the company with a wide range of professional automation services locally. Today, the mill runs its functions on a single automation system, Metso DNA. The single system architecture saves on both costs and effort, ensuring open growth for future challenges at the same time. The modernized quality control system will be installed on the same automation platform.

"We prefer to cooperate with Metso because they ensure the best compatibility between their state-of-the-art technology and our existing equipment," adds Wilhelm Fandler, Electrical Manager at Brigl & Bergmeister.

Metso will modernize five Metso IQ Scanners and equip them with Metso IQ MD and CD Controls on PM 3 and the coater. The delivery will also include a Metso IQ Dilution Profiler for the PM 3 headbox. The modernized quality control system will be commissioned in April 2014.

Technical information

Metso IQ Scanner is a distortion-free platform for Metso IQ sensors, providing fast high-resolution sheet quality profiles from edge to edge. A solid construction plus built-in intelligence and diagnostics ensure trouble-free operation year after year. The scanner is designed to produce accurate and stable sheet quality measurements in the hot, humid and dusty environment of a paper machine. A unique stiff beam design combines a low scanner height with high mechanical stiffness.

Metso IQ CD Control is a high-level intelligent application that optimizes the cross-machine performance of tissue, paper and board machines and pulp dryers, including coater and calender applications. Based on the optimization of high-resolution measurements, this unique algorithm handles all cases from a single-loop control to the most complex multi-variable control solutions to provide the best possible profile during changing process conditions.

Metso IQ MD Control's model predictive control (MPC) integrates fast-responding wet end process controls and dry end feedback controls to achieve increased performance in paper quality control. Paper process variability is controlled before the wet sheet is formed, attenuating any cycling or upsets that are difficult or impossible to control using only traditional feedback controls from the dry end. The results include better runnability and quality through a more stable short circulation and uniformity of the sheet.

Metso IQ Dilution Profiler is a profile control system for the advanced positioning of headbox valves. It has been especially designed to achieve the best possible weight profile that a headbox can produce.

Metso has the world's widest scope of automation solutions and services for the pulp and paper industry - from single measurements to mill-wide turnkey automation projects. It is the market leader in quality control systems as well as in control and on-off valves for this industry sector. The company also holds a leading position in pulp performance optimization with its advanced controls. Metso's system-independent solutions help customers lower their operating and maintenance costs.

Brigl & Bergmeister GmbH is a leading producer of paper for labels and flexible packaging with mills in Niklasdorf (Austria) and Vev?e (Slovenia). It is part of ROXCEL Group, based in Vienna, Austria. www.brigl-bergmeister.com

Metso's automation solutions are designed to maximize the profitability of our customers' businesses by improving their production performance and their cost, material and energy efficiency. Our extensive range of flow control and process automation solutions and services is supported by a worldwide network of automation experts. The Automation business' biggest customer industries are oil & gas, and pulp and paper. We also have a strong growth focus in mining and construction and power generation. www.metso.com , www.twitter.com/metsoautomation 

Metso is a leading process performance provider, with customers in the mining, construction, and oil & gas industries. Our focus is on the continuous development of intelligent solutions that improve sustainability and profitability. Metso's shares are listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd. Metso employs around 16,000 professionals in 50 countries. Expect results. www.metso.com , www.twitter.com/metsogroup 

For further information, please contact:
Markus Kohl, Service Area Manager, Process Automation Systems, Metso
Markus.Kohl(at)metso.com
Tel. +43 1 79552 443 or +43 664 1824146

3DTubeCAD extends its measuring methods with two new revolutionary measuring applications:

• freehand Laser measurement without cable
• measure glass and glass fibre parts with a newly specially developed laser

The tube application software “3DTubeCAD”, which supports and comes along around the tube during construction, design, production, quality-control and documentation of data, applying new measuring technologies to handle new top actual measuring materials to guarantee quality assurance.

The Munich based company Precitrack3D developed a very new measuring system which measures with a new tactile system – if needed

with a non-contact fork – which can measure with different lasers depending on the necessities of the surface of the materials.

New is primarily the technical solution of laser-measuring freehand without cable in wide and long volumes. Until now it was usual to measure long distances, amongst others, with measuring arms which had to be moved when the length of the arm was too short, the necessary solution was measuring leap froging which means loss of time and less accuracy

This special laser of Precitrack reads seven different light channels (like a rainbow) and can measure glass-surfaces for instance in medical industry or other industries which work with shiny transparent plastic materials.

Please follow this link to download a german version if needed