A total of 46 million passenger journeys were made across the Irish Rail network in 2017, making safety and security a top priority. When the wire locking mechanism that had been previously used on the ‘22000 class’ InterCity Railcar (ICR) fleet began to show signs of weakness, Irish Rail then turned to look at the possibility of using the Nord-Lock wedge-locking washers to ensure reliability,...

Techsil provided a bespoke Form-in-Place Foam Gasketing service to TRT Lighting to produce an IP rated seal for the lid of an outdoor lighting luminaire. The new process replaced a manual system of gasket application saving time and allowing vital resources to be used elsewhere. UK-based TRT Lighting Ltd (Thorlux Road and Tunnel Lighting) designs, manufactures and supplies energy efficient, env...

Ever since the invention of the internal combustion engine it’s the heavy-duty trucks and off highway vehicles that have perhaps been most important to Europe’s growth. Such vehicles have built, harvested and supplied the nation since the dawn of motorisation. For example, 71% of all freight tonnage in Europe is delivered by truck. However, with the advent of Euro emissions standards, the desig...

Security fasteners are needed by industries far and wide, with each industry having its own reasons to use anti-tamper devices. Some are concerned with loss prevention and deterring theft, while others use them to stop unlawful entry and mitigate against the risk of death or serious injury caused by unlawful access or trespassing. A prime example is the transport and rail sector, where a wide r...

Concrete fasteners, once set, are not designed to be removed from concrete, brick or block without damaging the base material into which they have been set. If pulled on hard enough, the base material will fail, the anchor will become detached and there may be a hole in the concrete that is the shape of an upside down cone. However, sometimes it is necessary to remove concrete fasteners from ba...

Spring manufacture is rarely glamorous. However, all that changed when European Springs and Pressings was invited to design a bottle top for probably the most beautiful gin in the world. Tinkture, a new drink manufacturer, focused on delivering a purer, clean element to beverages, approached the Redruth company to create a signature bottle top like no other. The family firm, led by Hannah and S...

With customer requirements and demands ever increasing, how are fastener distributors adapting? Deputy Editor Claire Aldridge visited Achilles Seibert GmbH, and spoke to Managing Director Timo Scholle about how the role of the fastener distributor is changing to fulfil customers’ needs. Sat in Achilles head office in Henstedt-Ulzburg, Germany – approximately 10km north of Hamburg – Timo cuts st...

By Dr-Ing Hans-Albert Staedler, customer engineering director Europe, at Arconic Fastening Systems Industrial Products, Telford, UK Arconic Fastening Systems has many years’ experience in mechanical fastening technologies. Louis Huck (the founder of Huck fasteners) developed in the middle of the forties the very first lock bolt system – which functionality is based on cold forming/extrusion tec...

Semiconductors are used in all sorts of electronic devices and as such, global sales continue to grow. However, manufacturing semiconductors is a highly challenging and competitive market. Maintaining a responsive, efficient and reliable supply chain is a key aspect that can help semiconductor manufacturers to succeed. Optimas Solutions, a global industrial distributor and service provider, loo...

Well before you reach the factory gates, you can see them towering in the distance - the booms of the huge mobile cranes that undergo the most rigorous testing on the test site at Ehingen, Germany before they are delivered to every corner of the world. These cranes are built by Liebherr, the global corporation now managed by the third generation of the same family. To meet its own high standard...