Owners of mobile plant equipment are plagued by theft, so must invest heavily to try and minimise this happening. However, the need for convenient access means that a single key code is often used for a number of vehicles – making a thief’s job easier. Around only 5% of stolen plant equipment is ever recovered so owners are keen to increase protection but without sacrificing flexibility. Engineered access solutions specialist Southco has an answer: it is working with equipment manufacturers to develop keyless entry systems – similar to the wireless keyfob used to open your car – that trigger an electro-mechanical latch. Each vehicle can then have a unique entry code, yet still be easily accessible to authorised people. As an added benefit, the locking mechanism can be incorporated within the vehicle, so there is no visible lock for a thief to target. Such systems could be designed directly into the machinery, rather than being added as a retrofit device.
Could a company specialised in mechanical transmission components be happy with the emergence of low cost countries? This is the case for REDEX-ANDANTEX, which has been able to build successfully on a family shareholder base for several generations, by putting innovation and quality to the fore, and by opening up to international markets at a very early stage in its history; all these key factors of success are usually attributed to the industrial companies on the German side of the Rhine.
As an alternative to concrete structures, Tata Steel now offers a full range of steel modular platforms – a fast and inexpensive way to extend existing platforms, or create new ones, without any significant traffic interruption.