Designfax articles from April 2001

Designfax archives from April 2001

Gems in the Dust.
April 1, 2001... Revolutionary battery will make electric cars practical The call came in and the voice at the other end said, "You really ought to think about designing a new battery, Al. They've already developed pretty good motors and controllers to make...

Knee Deep: A Review.
April 1, 2001... Terry Persun Designfax is now knee-deep into 2001 and already we've brought you some of our best pieces in years. In January, our Automobile industry feature didn't discuss the latest cars and trucks coming into the market (our competitors...

Embedded Chip Rides Several Busses.
April 1, 2001... Multi-function communications system on a single component The market that comprises communications bus systems is presently nearing 2 dozen different formats. There are buses for industrial and automotive applications, and others for...

NASA.
April 1, 2001... Another technology developed for NASA has found an application in an earth-bound task. LEDs designed for commercial plant growth research in space are being studied as treatment for hard-to-heal wounds such as diabetic skin ulcers, serious...

Georgia Institute of Technology.
April 1, 2001... More light news--nanoclusters composed of 2-8 silver atoms could be the basis for a new type of optical data storage. Fluorescent emissions from the clusters could potentially also be used in biological labels and electroluminescent displays....

Cornell University.
April 1, 2001... While you're peering through that microscope, you may want to examine the biological motor under study in Cornell University's nanofabrication lab. The prime mover doesn't involve windings and stators--rather, the device runs on the enzyme ATP...

Interactive Prototyping Overhauls Design Process.
April 1, 2001... Restructuring development propelled company from zero-percent to market leader within 18 months At many companies, traditional development processes entail combining artists' renderings with hardware mock-ups of the product, then...

Enclosure Design Eliminates Screws.
April 1, 2001... Simplified design saves time, money during production and in the field When enclosures must withstand extreme vibration and shock during tests in the lab and subsequently in the field, engineers typically overcompensate in their designs by...

Near-net extruded steel shapes.
April 1, 2001... This company reports OEMs are increasingly specifying near-net extruded steel shapes for the manufacture of their products due to the economics, quality and speed of production inherent in the process. Advantages include reducing material usage...

Ultra-high molecular weight plastic parts.
April 1, 2001... This company produces machined industrial-grade parts made from GARDUR UHMW plastic. The material's performance characteristics help manufacturers reduce downtime, eliminate the need for lubrication, replace steel parts and lower their...

Single source anodizing, coating & fabrication.
April 1, 2001... The company has no minimum metal order and can package exact quantities of both aluminum sheet and extrusions from stock, or processed to order. PVDF-coated and anodized aluminum sheets are stocked in many sizes and colors. Custom finishing of...

Fabricated parts.
April 1, 2001... This new division reduces assembly costs and decreases time to market. Often incorporated into electronic, medical, industrial, appliance and automotive equipment, production capabilities include adhesive coating and more.

Specialty metals.
April 1, 2001... This company redesigns and retrofits obsolete components by adding ports, remachining and fabricating adapters. Capable of processing any alloy, they specialize in improving the Quality of wetted surfaces by oxygen cleaning, passivation and...

Gone Fishin'.
April 1, 2001... Precision die cut magnetic mount buoys electronic marine fish finder application * The manufacturer of an electronic marine fish finding device required custom precision die-cut mounts to use in the installation of the sensor. Presscut...

Distributed Power Poised to Surge into the Grid.
April 1, 2001... The dwindling power re serves in California will further compel the development of alternative energy sources from both renewable and nonrenewable sources. Rolling blackouts and power interruptions place a premium on developing and employing...

Smart micro servo drives.
April 1, 2001... The PC3400 series of brushless servo drives combines intelligence with power to handle a variety of applications. The unit is available in continuous output current levels between 2.5-20A. The PC3400 is the first drive available in the...

Low-horsepower drive.
April 1, 2001... Thc ACS 140 compact drive for industrial and hvac applications responds to input signal changes in 8ms, covers the 1/2- to 3-hp range, and is available in 200-240 VAC single- and three-phase configuration.

High-speed linear drive.
April 1, 2001... For automated assembly and handling systems, the Wiesel SpeedLine linear drive features a steel-reinforced tooth belt drive that offers high power transfer, outstanding dynamics and low noise.

Cooling tower duty motors.
April 1, 2001... This company's cooling tower motors arc designed for long-life and low motor maintenance. The Epact and Premium Efficient motor lines are offered in 2 to 100 hp ratings, and operate in 100% humidity and the most corrosive environments. Features...

Brushless servo motors.
April 1, 2001... The G330 Series delivers dynamic servo control in material handling, packaging and forming machinery applications. It offers a continuous torque range of 0.5 to 5 Nm and speeds up to 9300 rpm.

High-efficiency motors.
April 1, 2001... Motor improvements have been made to allow all motor ratings to meet the efficiency levels set by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency and its members. The TEFC motors are tested to IEEE 112 std., method 'B'.

Miniature motor series.
April 1, 2001... These precision 12mm series mini-motors and gearheads offer high-performance and compact drive solutions to customers. These DC-Coreless motors are available in 6, 12 or 15 VDC versions. They feature low inertia for fast acceleration and high...

AC servo actuator.
April 1, 2001... The TP series is an innovative servo gearmotor package consisting of a brushless AC servomotor and a low-backlash, high-precision TP planetary gearhead. Designed for servo applications that require dynamic moves and a minimal footprint, the TPM...

Multi-axis controller driver.
April 1, 2001... SIXPACK and QUADPACK provide decentralized control of up to six axes. SIXPACK controls up to six 2-phase motors with coil currents up to 800mA. QUADPACK drives four axes @ 1.5A coil current.

Two-axis stepper controller.
April 1, 2001... This motor controller uses the PC104 Bus, and features 2-axis control, a high pulse rate (to 4.9 Mpps) for microstepping, S-curve ramp up/down, encoder feedback input and linear interpolation.

Thrust tube linear motors.
April 1, 2001... These motors have passed class 1 cleanroom compliance testing. Thrust tube systems are available as plug-and-play modules and are compatible with standard servo drives.

Brushless DC motors.
April 1, 2001... This line of compact 1.7-in. (43 mm) diameter brushless motors offers no-load speeds up to 15,000 rpm and stall torque up to 8 oz-in. These 8-pole, 12-slot and 4-pole, 6-slot, three-phase motors can be ordered for 12, 24, or 36 volt inputs....

Microstepping motor driver.
April 1, 2001... The DCB-261 is a bi-polar chopper driver with intelligent controller for operating small stepping motors. The voltage range is from 24 to 40 VDC and the output current is up to 1.2A per phase.

Mini DC motors.
April 1, 2001... The 16LN motor can be delivered with any of three different gearboxes. incorporating spur or planetary gears. With a gearbox, the motor can cover a dynamic torque range of up to 0.6 N-m. Windings are available from 4V to 12V.

[1] Brushless DC motors.
April 1, 2001... These NEMA 34 flange mount designs are available in three lengths of 2.0- to 3.2-in. The DIN34 is capable of peak torques ranging from 250 to 350 oz-in and speeds to 18,000 rpm.

Stepper motor series.
April 1, 2001... The series 44M100D permanent magnet stepper motor is lightweight and quiet. It was designed for limited space applications, capitalizing on its thin profile and high torque-to-inertia ratio. Applications for this series include electronics...

Rugged AC motors.
April 1, 2001... These AC motors are available with custom windings and voltages in a variety of designs for OEM applications. Variable speed designs and inverter duty insulation systems are also available.

Compact motor driver.
April 1, 2001... The AXH Series 30 and 50 watt mini-brush-less DC motor and board-level driver packages are more than 50% smaller than equivalent power AC induction speed control motors. Models offer stable speed and various torque ratings.

High-torque stepper.
April 1, 2001... The NEMA size 17 motor provides holding torques up to 58 oz-in. Based on 1.8 degree step angles, the two-phase hybrid stepmotor achieves bi-directional position accuracy of [+ or -]3%.

Network interface controllers.
April 1, 2001... These controllers are low-power (operating from 115 VAC line for the SO16 Series and 230 VAC line for the SO17 Series) motor controllers used to control the speed of one-tenth to one horsepower single-phase AC induction motors.

Large AC motors.
April 1, 2001... The G30 Global Series motors offer more hp per frame than other similarly configured motors. Features include bi-directional rotation, corrosion-resistant metric hardware, dowel pins and vertical jackscrew holes.

Motor soft-starter.
April 1, 2001... This simplified motor soft-start is a compact economical solution for reducing stress in low-hp 3-phase motors and drive components. The soft-start is phase-insensitive and is available as an open-frame assembly or mounted in its own enclosure....

Smart motors.
April 1, 2001... The 2300 and 3400 series IP65 SmartMotors offer a fluid protected integrated motor design, which contains the controller, amplifier and encoder built into a brushless DC servomotor. This eliminates NEMA cabinet and extra cable needs.

Unitized brushless motor package.
April 1, 2001... ELCOM ST slotted brushless DC motors can now be custom ordered with control electronics seated inside the motor housing. Smaller, lighter, more versatile and more cost effective to operate than conventional brushless DC motors, these units can...

Just Let It Slide.
April 1, 2001... Engineer's steel to ceramic solution posts yields, lowers internal costs When engineers at power component manufacturer Vicor Corporation, Andover, MA, got tired of watching newly-manufactured parts jam up and/or short to the fixtures in...

Linear motion system.
April 1, 2001... Consisting of a single-piece, ground bearing core and two recirculating ball bearing circuits with 3.5mm dia. steel balls, the Econo Rail system has two bearing elements mounted on a specially-machined plate to provide precision alignment. The...

Metric cantilever slide.
April 1, 2001... Series SK/SL slides are offered with series CV cylinders, sizes 72-76. Standard features include internal shock pads and provisions for 8mm proximity switches. Options include noise control and position control.

Dovetail slides.
April 1, 2001... Where manual feed or general positioning with infrequent movement is involved, the M-series dovetail slide provides precise linear motion and tracking accuracy. The dovetail design allows light to moderate static and dynamic loading. Standard...

Ball slide positioner reduces setup time.
April 1, 2001... * Royal Master Grinders Inc., Oakland, NJ, produces centerless grinders for smoothing the surface finish on guidewires used in surgical procedures. The tips of these wires must be ground to a particular profile so that they can travel easily...

Double-sided low shaft guide.
April 1, 2001... The Double Life guide can be turned over when wear becomes evident on one side. Both sides of the all-steel shaft are counterbored during manufacture. Shafts are between 3/4- and 2-in dia., in any length.

Guidewheel-based system.
April 1, 2001... For use in corrosive environments, the DualVee linear motion system includes stainless steel track, guidewheels and support bushings and journals. Wheel bearings are lubricated "for life."

Precision linear positioner.
April 1, 2001... The RC6 continuous duty positioner offers straight line accuracy to 0.0002 in./in. of travel, drive accuracy to [+ or -]0.0001 in./in. and bi-directional repeatability to 0.0001 in. They include linear guide bearings, helicoil-reinforced...

Multiple Disc Brakes.
April 1, 2001... Instead of being stationary with the output hub, the MDB series brakes have been redesigned to permit the friction discs to rotate with the rotor. Along with a new spring release mechanism, this design change allows the friction and pressure...

Gear Boxes With Keyed-Shafting.
April 1, 2001... Designed around 45-degree helical cut gears, the Add-a-Shaft series of gear boxes operate at lower temperatures, making them more efficient than comparable "floating" types. They provide easy installation by sliding user-supplied keyed shafts...

Rotary Encoders.
April 1, 2001... Designed for use in corrosive and/or explosive atmospheres, the Series X25 encoders provide speed feedback, cut-to-length measurement and positioning data. The incremental optical encoders have an environmentally-sealed cast aluminum housing....

Soft Motion Control.
April 1, 2001... Providing a soft PLC and data server in a single software application, WinMotion does not require motion control cards or proprietary hardware to provide continuous maintenance, production and quality information in real-time. Running Windows...

Low Profile Encoders.
April 1, 2001... Combining brushless motor commutation pulses and incremental position feedback in a 0.35-in. profile, the RCMLI5 single optical encoder is designed for applications where space is critical. A built-in servo groove allows [+ or -]20 degrees of...

Turning in the Sky.
April 1, 2001... Simple motion transmission component has been flying for decades Even before two brothers succeeded in making an internal combustion engine airborne for 120 feet under its own power, certain design principles for flight were pretty clear....

Rotary actuators.
April 1, 2001... The Pneu-Turn series of actuators provides smooth, almost unlimited rotation in a lightweight package. Configurations include a rack-and pinion unit that can apply up to 500 in-lbs of torque; a unit with a rotary potentiometer for position...

NFPA cylinders.
April 1, 2001... DM2 series NFPA-interchangeable cylinders have an extruded aluminum barrel that eliminates tie-rods. Wear-compensating seals arid PTFE wear rings on the pistons ensure long service.

Linear pick & place modules.
April 1, 2001... A series of non-servo robotic modules provides a gripping action oriented inline or perpendicular to short axial motion. Basic modules are air-operated and controlled through solenoid-actuated 4-way valves. Rated payload is 5 lb with motion to...

Rodless linear drive.
April 1, 2001... The DGPL drive offers a high degree of force in a small space, high rigidity and torque resistance. Installation lengths are only slightly more than stroke lengths, ranging from 10 to 3000mm.

Automation components.
April 1, 2001... This manufacturer offers a complete line of pneumatic modular automation components. Features include proportional cushioning, fully adjustable end-of-stroke hard stops and sensing.

Pneumatic swing clamps.
April 1, 2001... The 8300 series quick-acting swing cylinder clamps feature a 0.50-in vertical stroke and 75-lb clamping force at 100 psig, operating pressure with standard arm. Clamps adjust automatically on every cycle. The 90-degree swing-and-clamp movement...

Cylinder with positioner.
April 1, 2001... The 2MA pneumatic aluminum cylinder has a linear position sensor that accurately senses a piston's position in relation to its stroke to the nearest one-thousandth of an inch. Capable at operation with service pressures up to 250 psi, the...

In-line torque transducers.
April 1, 2001... Non-contact differential transformer measuring technology avoids rotation of electronic components during operation. Four models have an integrated electronic module providing 0 to [+ or -]10 VDC torque output.

Edge-belt conveyors.
April 1, 2001... Designed for automation equipment, Quick Edge conveyors transport both large and miniature PCBs, BGA flex arrays, MCMs and ceramic substrates within electronic assembly equipment.

Planetary gearhead.
April 1, 2001... When compared to fixed planet configurations, low-cost, quietly-running Equalizer gearheads provide up to 11% efficiency increase and 20% decrease in torque ripple. The planet gears dynamically adjust their radial position between the mating...

Hollow-shaft servo actuator.
April 1, 2001... Incorporating high-precision harmonic drive gearing, a brushless DC servomotor and an optical encoder, the FHA-C actuator delivers 30 arc-second accuracy, high stiffness and short axial length.

Servo amplifiers.
April 1, 2001... One and two axis E-VF series servo amplifiers interface with standard motion control products, allowing the company's linear motors to be integrated into multi-axis systems without an external linear position encoder.

Helical lead screws.
April 1, 2001... PowerAc Speedy Metric High-Helix lead screws provide fast-moving travel rates and high load rates at low rotational speeds. The standard lead accuracy for these screws is [+or-]0.21 mm/300mm and custom accuracy up to [+ or -]0.1mm/300mm. They...

Custombore couplers.
April 1, 2001... Designed for applications with nonstandard circular, square, hexagonal and rectangular shafts, Multibeam couplers with custom bores are constructed from a variety of materials, including stainless steel. The couplers can take care of the...

Positioning controller.
April 1, 2001... The VLT5000 series controller allows both horizontal and vertical positioning with minimal programming and requires no external programming software. A user-friendly control panel is included.

Helical speed reducers.
April 1, 2001... The 1000 series speed reducers offer double- and triple-reduction ratios. Non-flanged and NEMA C-face input styles are available. Output-shafts have between 3/4- and 1-5/8- in. diameters.

Compact servo actuators.
April 1, 2001... The AR series combines amplifier, driver and controller into a compact single unit. The self-contained electronic gear allows positioning data to be set without considering the reduction gear ratio.

Programmable master controller.
April 1, 2001... AS-i master controllers sport a freely programmable interface. They include a PLC with IEC 1131-3 base programming software. The integral display provides local diagnosis of system operation, including faulty slaves, configuration errors or...

Captive linear actuator.
April 1, 2001... The customizable and durable Size 23 actuator has thermoplastic threads in the rotor drive nut to ensure long life. Resolution ranges from 0.0003125 to 0.001 in., with up to 200 lb thrust.

Couplings.
April 1, 2001... The parallel-linkage, flexible disc design of Control-Flex couplings provides parallel, angular and axial misalignment capability with low bearing loads. Various hub designs and bore sizes are available.

Cycloidal speed reducers.
April 1, 2001... Absorbing shock loads in excess of 500%, these silent, vibrationless speed reducers are available in a wide range and combination of sizes, ratios, input power, mountings and configurations.

AC brakes.
April 1, 2001... Designed to hold a load like a parking brake, Temporiti AC brakes are "failsafe" brakes, stopping a load completely when power is shut off. The units mount easily to the back of a 3-phase AC motor and are wired directly to the AC input of the...

Servomotor couplings.
April 1, 2001... Torsionally-stiff, flexible X-series couplings replace bellows-type couplings on AC/DC servomotors. Sizes range between 15 and 50mm OD, 3-22.22mm ID, and torque ratings range from 0.30 to 10.0 Nm.

Cylindrical bearings.
April 1, 2001... The 5200/5300 ABMA series of heavy-duty bearings feature polynomial crowned rollers that provide excellent shaft-to-housing alignment; extra-tough retaining rings; formed steel cage; and a swaged pocket design that creates line contact for...

Automotive Design.
April 1, 2001... Automotive design has traditionally been an area of compromises. When I first worked in this area for emission control and engine design power programs, we always ended up on the bottom of the barrel. That is, "marketing" decided what the...

High-performance valve.
April 1, 2001... This Furon PFA injection-molded High-Performance Valve (HPV) features a visual position indicator that clearly shows at a glance whether the valve is open or closed. The indicator, which also supports fiber optic position indication, is...

Miniature stainless steel fittings.
April 1, 2001... This company introduces a variety of miniature fittings in type 303 stainless steel. Sizes range from 1/16- through 3/8-in. ID barbs and 10-32 through 3/8 in. NPT threads. Fittings are available as straight connectors, elbows, tees, y's,...

Brass, bronze and 316 stainless steel valves.
April 1, 2001... A new range of these components is being introduced for corrosive fluid, air, steam, vacuum and other fluid control applications. Features include compact design; working pressures up to 600 psig; and operating temperatures from -22[degrees] to...

Poly ball valves.
April 1, 2001... This polypropylene ball valve is designed for efficient fluid control of water-based fluids, oil-based fluids, chemicals and certain acidic fluids. Available in 1/2- to 3-in. standard post sizes, the valve offers many features for industrial...

Manifold check valve.
April 1, 2001... This multiport manifold-style check valve offers installation convenience and improved appearance. Designed to prevent reverse flow while simplifying installation of multiple check valves, users can specify flow circuitry.

Flow meter.
April 1, 2001... These flow meters for hydraulic systems using phosphate ester fluids are redesigned to feature improved accuracy, an additional material option and more port sizes. Often used to monitor hydraulic systems of aircraft, and in industrial plants...