WCA March 2010

17 / 119

news
Wire & Cable ASIA – March/April 2010 15
InnoVites BV has contracted Crypsis
to co-develop technology that allows
InnoVites’ customers to reduce
material costs.
Crypsis applies its state-of-the-art
optimisation technology to determine
the optimal cutting plans in cable
manufacturing and distribution
operations. InnoVites integrates this
technology into its ERP business
software, helping its customers to
minimise scrap and handling costs,
while maintaining highest delivery
performance.
InnoVites BV – The Netherlands
Email:
Website:
Crypsis – India
Email:
Website:
Software cooperation
From November 2009, Joachim Uhing
KG GmbH & Co will sponsor five
teams of students of the Department
of Mechanical Engineering of Kiel
University of Applied Sciences to
allow the future engineers to gather
first-hand engineering experience.
The startIng! project for freshmen
students was launched several years
ago and simulates a typical engineer’s
professional life. Sponsor companies
present a problem that the teams
must solve within a week. The teams
compete for the best solution.
Employees of the sponsors and upper
division students act as coaches.
The problem Uhing set was to
optimise an existing non-contact
spool flange detection system, used
to automatically reverse traversing
gears. A particular requirement was to
reduce the space requirements and to
increase resistance against damage
and soiling.
The realistic experience of an
engineer’s daily work gave the
participants the opportunity to put
their vocational choice to a test.
All of the offered solutions being
feasible, they were presented to a jury
of academics and employees of
sponsoring companies for judging.
The winning team solved the problem
of keeping the transmitter and
receiver of a light barrier clean using
rotating segmented discs.
Uhing’s favourite suggestion was to
exchange the delicate optical sensor
with a robust ultrasonic sensor, a
solution that not only reduces the
mechanic complexity but also solves
several aspects of the problem. Uhing
is currently investigating whether the
theoretical approach can measure up
to the metrological precision of a light
barrier.
Joachim Uhing KG GmbH & Co –
Germany
Website:
Student project
sponsored by
Uhing
Reach more than 12,000
readers with