Now that we have your attention, let’s cast our minds to the burgeoning business of micro breweries.  In the aftermath of the recession, simple activities became luxury experiences.  Greater attention was afforded to the simple things in life whilst the majority of the population adjusted to a different interpretation of disposable income.

Craft beers continue to be a way of enjoying the finer things on a budget, with the number of UK breweries rising by 10% last year to around 1,700.  There’s much opportunity for local influence and interpretation, as well as for entrepreneurial flair.  There is of course a deep science to perfecting this craft , so the opportunity to lessen the headache of production and financing is of course very welcome to the budding brewer.

Welcome to Carmichael’s Mobile Bottling solution.  With inbuilt 2M control systems, this fleet delivers the bottling line straight to the brewery.  The beers are bottled conveniently on site, enabling the client to finish their product.  Given that bottling lines cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, it’s easy to see how freeing this development is for more unique and delicious concoctions to enter the public realm.

With the ability to Accumulate, Label, Rinse, Fill, and Crown, this nifty solution compliments the ethos of not only the breweries it serves, but so too of the consumer buying the beer down at the local bar or pub.  Slowly but surely, these independent brands are taking position on supermarket shelves too – beckoning a shift towards real variety at our fingertips.   Finally, different labels are beginning to mean different producers not all owned by the same big firms.

It doesn’t matter which continent you land on, it’s a given that denim will be a familiar sighting.  This cross cultural and cross class material manages to weave it’s way into lifestyles not only for it’s durability, but so too for it’s versatility.  As with most automated processes, the journey for denim is a long and multi layered one, as you’re about to see.

So whether it’s a dress down or dress up day, or whether you wear your denim single or double (some would even go for the treble!), I’m sure you’ll enjoy seeing the intricate stages and stations involved in getting pieces to your taste.  My personal favourites are the sand blast and stone wash stages – who knew the term “stone wash” means precisely that?

It’s great too to see people and machines working side by side in semi automated processes, illustrating the very successful interplay between human intuition and bespoke technology.

Some interesting denim facts ~

• The indigo plant originally gave jeans their colour.  Today it’s mostly synthetic.
• Denim has often been banned from schools and institutions and branded as an act of rebellion against authority.
• George W. Bush banned denim from the White House six days after his inauguration.
• “Waist overalls” were the original name given to jeans.
• Over 200 pairs of jeans may be made from just one bale of cotton.
• 2.7 billion metres of denim is produced each year globally.
• 1871 was the year in which Jacob Davis, a Latvian immigrant in the USA, invented the first pair.

(This position has since been filled. Look out for new posts on the blog, at which time it may be suitable to send in your CV. Thank you.)

What might you need to create your very own motion control system?

A sharp inquisitive mind.

A thorough approach to design, testing, and implementation.

Initiative, creativity, energy, and persistence.

Fluidity for ever updating software programmes, hardware parts, client specifications, and onsite factors.

Are you self-driven and communicative with your team?

Are you able to meet deadlines and surpass client expectations?

If so, then you’ll fit well at 2M.

Here is our job vacancy below:

Control Systems Engineer

Essentials:

1) Graduate degree in a discipline such as Control Systems, Control Engineering, Automation & Control, or extensive experience in the field.

2) Hands on experience with a proven track record in industrial automation, robotics, and mechanical systems.
3) Experience in designing software solutions using platforms such as B&R, Siemens, Rockwell, Mitsubishi, Omron, and Trio Motion.

4) Experience in developing systems with SCADA and Visual Basic.  Electrical design experience would also be beneficial.

5) The ability and desire to travel around the UK and worldwide – including Europe, Latin America, the US, the Middle East, and the Far East.

Please send your CV with covering letter to sahar@2m-automation.co.uk.  Good luck!

We’ve all played with them – we’ve all stepped on them!  These memorable and colourful building blocks are a gateway to childhood memories.  Billions of pieces are created each year in Denmark, with an automated process that involves many chambers along the process chain.

The continued popularity of Lego isn’t least due to its ability to cross generational gaps.  Indeed, with advances in technology, the kits available today include all levels of complexity and problem solving.

Some interesting Lego facts ~

• The word Lego is made up of Danish words “Leg” and “Godt”, which mean “play well”
• Using 3.3 million bricks, James May made a full size house made completely of Lego in 2009, including a working shower and toilet
• In 1958 Lego introduced its universal system, meaning a brick from 1958 will interlock with a brick from today
• 12-year-old Shubham Banerjee used a $350 Lego set to make a braille printer, his prototype a fraction of the retail price at $2,000
• With 5,922 pieces, the Taj Mahal set is the largest commercial Lego set on the market 

We’ll end for now with this fantastic collation by Be Amazed.  Running down from 10 to the number 1 slot, it’s a glorious visual demonstration of the versatility Lego has gained with the helping hand of innovating programmers – creating things like Lego Pneumatic, Lego Technic and the Lego Mindstorms.

Some interesting pencil facts ~

• Over 14 billion pencils are thought to be used around the world each year
• Graphite was first discovered in Keswick in the UK in the 1500s
• Italians were the first to encase graphite sticks in wooden cases
• An average sized tree can make up to 170,000 pencils
• Pencils can write in space and also underwater
• Steinbeck and Hemingway both wrote their books in pencil
• Before the invention of erasers, people used breadcrumbs to rub away mistakes
• The largest pencil in the world lives in New York, check out the video below ~

2M have created a bespoke module which slots onto existing labeling machines.  Integrating seamlessly, this liberates clients – opening up a whole new range for them.  This engineering task requires a bespoke approach for each site, with 2Ms seasoned site experience assuring the best fit approach.

Our client Compact Foilers introduces beautiful rainbow flexographic prints into the market.

As you can see, this is a two stage process – firstly the adhesive is applied, then the metalized film is introduced at the following print station.  Here a printing blanket applies the pressure required to transfix the metallic film onto the areas laced with adhesive.  With this method, incredibly fine and intricate details can be transferred onto paper, boards, and plastics.