Designfax articles from April 2003

Designfax archives from April 2003

Drawing a lion in the sand. (Up Front).
April 1, 2003... Let's see...March comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion. If that's so, then doesn't that lion pose a threat to all those people on the Mayflower that April showers bring? No, that's not right...Actually, here n Cleveland, OH, March is...

Permanent magnets and multiple horses: synchronous AC motor eliminates gearboxes. (Five Star: Product of the Month).
April 1, 2003... Many of the advances in motor technology over the last 10 years have occurred in the small motor market; that is, those of 1 hp and smaller. How about motors with high accuracy and reliability for industrial applications that require high...

Terahertz imaging. (Technology Spotlight).
April 1, 2003... NASA does not have exclusivity on commercializing extraterrestrial scientific research. Its sister agency in Europe, the European Space Agency coordinates multinational projects in space. Among the fruits of the ESA's labors is included a new...

High impact amorphization. (Technology Spotlight).
April 1, 2003... Ballistics experts have puzzled over the loss of impact resistance in an extremely hard and lightweight ceramic material called boron carbide, sometimes used in protective armor. The material does an excellent job of blocking low-energy...

Ultra flat gearing components. (Advertisement).
April 1, 2003... CSD Series harmonic drive gearing from HO Systems delivers 1 arc-mm positional accuracy in a compact package. The axial length of the CSD Series has been reduced by 50% versus the CSF series. This design is made possible by HD Systems patented...

New, hollow shaft actuators. (Advertisement).
April 1, 2003... The FHA Series of actuators feature a through-bore up to 45mm in diameter and provides high torque and exceptional positioning accuracy. This performance is achieved in a compact design using a patented 5" tooth harmonic drive gear coupled to a...

NEW, Harmonic Drive Gearhead, zero backlash. (Advertisement).
April 1, 2003... The CSF-2UH series high torque gearheads use HD Systems' patented "S" tooth that delivers more than twice the torque, twice the life, and twice the torsional stiffness when compared to conventional Harmonic Drive Gearing. Positional Accuracy is...

Packaging resin. (Top Product).
April 1, 2003... * warp resistant * reduces cycle times Developed specifically for electronic media applications, such as DVD, CD or video game packaging, Petrothene PP TR513 polypropylene homopolymer provides colorable contact clarity to enable...

Strain testing. (Materials).
April 1, 2003... The Super L series hydraulic universal testing machine features digital control and capacity up to 3000 kN. Control options include remote handheld controller with LCD to position the adjustable cross-head, optional instrumentation and signal...

Sapphire windows. (Materials).
April 1, 2003... Custom fabricated sapphire windows for use in centrifuges, gas cells, analytical instruments and as wafer carriers are unaffected by caustic fluids and abrasive particles. Featuring Moh 9 surface hardness, they can be fabricated with flatness...

Optical materials. (Materials).
April 1, 2003... Various optical materials offered include precision molded or ground and polished components from 3 to 260 mm in size, including singlet, doublet, triplet, achromatic, aspheric, spherical, cylindrical, fly's eye array, free form, integrator...

Epoxy adhesive. (Materials).
April 1, 2003... Solarite EA-0504 epoxy structural adhesive maintains high peel and shear strengths even after prolonged exposure at 140[degrees]F, remains flexible at low temperatures, and offers better adhesion to dissimilar surfaces than comparable...

Polymer stabilizer blends. (Materials).
April 1, 2003... The Anox NDB line of polymer stabilizers is a homogeneous, custom blend of additives incorporated into a free flowing, dust-free, mechanically resistant physical form. The NDB form has an "alloy effect," which can be achieved when polymer...

Custom single crystals. (Materials).
April 1, 2003... Single crystals of more than 30 metals and alloys are grown to order using a range of techniques (e.g. Bridgman, Czochralski, etc.). Specific or random orientation and a variety of shapes and sizes can be specified. Beyond traditional materials...

Engineered plastic shapes. (Materials).
April 1, 2003... This company's line of Extreme-Materials provides machining grade polymer materials. Techtron HPV has the high heat-and chemical-resistance, strength and stiffness of PPS with extra wear resistance and low cf. Ketron HPV has the high heat-and...

Thermoplastic polyesters. (Materials).
April 1, 2003... Petra Endurance Enhanced glass-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polyester resins balance high fatigue strength and good surface appearance. The Petra 7300 series and upcoming Petra 7500 series are produced from post-consumer recycled polyester...

Finned tubing. (Materials).
April 1, 2003... This company has developed a production method for internally, longitudinally finned, cold finished tubes for use as pyrolysis tubing in ethylene furnace applications. Such an environment sees temperatures between 900[degrees] and...

Nylon CAC end caps. (Application Xtra).
April 1, 2003... * meets high-temp requirements * low-temperature molding "Getting the maximum torque with minimal fuel consumption and consequently low exhaust out of automotive diesel engines has been a driving force in Europe that is coming to North...

On-the-bubble design: modeling solves design of optical switcher.
April 1, 2003... While fiber-optic cable has provided dramatic increases in data communications throughput, there continues a strong desire to switch large volumes of fiber optic data without the inefficiency of turning optical signals into electrical signals...

Rust-free brakes. (Motion Control Marketplace: Innovations).
April 1, 2003... This company's brakes have new friction elements that eliminate rust. Friction material composition and surface coatings have been developed to provide a rust-free surface treatment that enhances durability and appearance while avoiding...

Web-based motion control. (Motion Control Marketplace: Innovations).
April 1, 2003... The RMC 100 family of web-based motion controllers uses an interactive Configuration Tool accessible via the company's website. The family offers five communications modules supporting over twenty-five protocols and eight interface modules to...

Semiconductor servo. (Motion Control Marketplace: Innovations).
April 1, 2003... Suited for semiconductor applications, the zero-maintenance Goldline DDR system consists of a servomotor and Servo-star CD series digital amplifier. These motors extend the peak torque capability up to 100 lb-ft and continuous torque up to 250...

Automation control. (Motion Control Marketplace: Innovations).
April 1, 2003... Combining Microsoft embedded operating systems with this company's TwinCAT CE PLC and motion control software, the CX1000 Automation Control is a modular, DIN-rail mounted industrial PC suitable for use in various industrial control and machine...

Servo gearmotor. (Motion Control Marketplace: Innovations).
April 1, 2003... This company's servo gearmotor features a low backlash, singles stage gearbox integrated with a high performance servomotor, with lifetime lubrication. It is available in 55, 70 and 100 mm frame sizes with 2 defined gear ratios per frame size,...

The (load) path to ball screw reliability: design considerations from aviation experience.
April 1, 2003... Since ballscrews were first developed commercially in the 1940s, they have served in almost every use imaginable: aerospace, military, agricultural, industrial, automotive, marine, mining, medical, recreational, and nuclear, to name some. In...

Hybrid actuators. (Top Product).
April 1, 2003... * simple geometry * powered by any air source These actuators earn the prefix "Hybrid" because they combine actuation powered by compressed gas with self-contained, hydraulically governed motion. Using air pressures starting at shop...

Injection cylinder control. (Motion Spotlight).
April 1, 2003... The DPQ digital controller has advanced control algorithms for fast, accurate system response. Designed for use with hydraulic cylinders with analog feedback, the controls feature user-selectable internal or external injection profile control,...

Non-servo automation components. (Motion Spotlight).
April 1, 2003... This product line may be integrated into many different configurations for simple bench-top pick and place applications, where cost and sophistication of servo systems is not justified. The design is structured in the Cartesian coordinate...

Pneumatic gripper. (Motion Spotlight).
April 1, 2003... Exerting 50 lbs of grip force, the DirectConnect Parallel Gripper has a shielded design to repel contaminants. The one-piece body can be mounted to linear slides on its top or side, without the use of adapter plates. Available in stroke lengths...

Air prep components. (Motion Spotlight).
April 1, 2003... The Module/Air 3000 compressed air treatment component line is offered in 3/4- and 1-in, port sizes, and handles up to 300 SCFM flows. Providing high flow capacity, the system is configured either as a piggyback filter/regulator or a piggyback...

Sealed keyboard. (Product News).
April 1, 2003... The KIT6003 compact NEMA 12 sealed keyboard and integral 1.3-in. trackball provides full 101/104 key functionality. The full-size molded silicone rubber keys feature 2 mm travel and hard gold contacts for reliability. The enclosure is small...

Miniature vacuum pumps. (Motion Spotlight).
April 1, 2003... This line of venturi-style pumps creates a vacuum right at the load, with instant attach and release. The VR Series is designed for use in high-speed assembly and packaging machinery. They use compressed air logic and components, and can be...

Scroll compressor suits medical equipment and howitzers. (Application Xtra).
April 1, 2003... * completely oil-free * vibration-free Originally created to clean a laser window for the Army's Crusader mobile howitzer, the tiny P18H36 scroll air compressor from Air Squared delivers a big shot of air -- 12 CFM at 130 psig. The...

PTFE flow controllers. (Motion Spotlight).
April 1, 2003... The Model 401 Flo-Controllers are available for flow rates as low as 15 ml/min. Several I/O options are offered, including 4-20 mA or 0-10 VDC. The PTFE devices are designed for corrosive and UHP fluids. The Model 401 automatically adjusts its...

Process controllers. (Motion Spotlight).
April 1, 2003... Offered in 2- and 8-channel configurations, the E Series programmable process controllers are designed for applications requiring digital readout for flow rates, or monitoring of tank level or temperature display. Both units in the series can...

Rotating shaft guards. (Motion Products).
April 1, 2003... This company now provides close-coupled, spacer and line shaft guards to complement its flexible shaft couplings as a standard shaft connection product. A type MCG motor coupling guard is now offered as an economical addition for NEMA and IEC...

Fiber-optic laser encoder. (Motion Products).
April 1, 2003... The RLE fiber optic laser encoder is an interferometer based system designed to produce high resolution, linear position feedback signals with easy installation. The system has single- or dual-axis capability with lengths up to 1 m. A single...

Piezoelectric accelerometers. (Motion Products).
April 1, 2003... Models 378 and 379-HT piezoelectric accelerometers are designed for prolonged use in high shock, vibration, temperature, humidity and excessive oil environments. The high charge sensitivity of 1000 pC/g and mounted resonance of 10 kHz provides...

Rotary transmitters. (Motion Products).
April 1, 2003... This company's rotary transmitters do not contain slip rings, brushes, wire loops and similar devices. The transmitters feature 4, 8 or 12 channels and can operate up to 40,000 rpm. Other features include resistance Magtrol, Buffalo, NY....

Actuators. (Motion Products).
April 1, 2003... The explosion-proof linear actuator is mounted on a single glove valve. The company has a full line of linear and rotary actuators with features that include digital positioning, explosion proof ratings, manual operation, stainless steel...

Programmable control relay. (Motion Products).
April 1, 2003... Featuring 25 different function blocks to handle 32-bit math processing, plus high-speed counter and encoder functions, the economical easy 800 PCR permits networking of up to 8 relays. It can program in ANSI, IEC and Easy formats. Each relay...

Servo drives. (Motion Products).
April 1, 2003... The PCE800 series of servo drives features 480 VAC operation and is compatible with European voltage requirements. The compact drives have a footprint 40% smaller than comparable drives and are small enough to fit into a 10-in, cabinet. ...

Gear reducer. (Motion Products).
April 1, 2003... Offering high ratio gear reduction in a compact design, the RV-E rotary vector gear reducer displays high torsional rigidity and overload torque capacity -- at 500% of rated torque (ranging from 537 to 60,710 in.-lb). Peak torque is 2600 to...

Linear motion system. (Motion Products).
April 1, 2003... This company's linear motion system can be linked to a main rotary drive motor via a simple pulley system without requiring a separate motor or controller to provide automatically reciprocating linear motion. Additionally, the main drive motor...

Harmonic drive gearing. (Motion Products).
April 1, 2003... The Quantum series harmonic drive gearing delivers 50% more torque than the company's CSF series while maintaining zero-backlash, 1 arcmin positional accuracy and [+ or -] 5 arc-sec repeatability. The size 14 gearing component has a 50 mm OD...

Vacuum pump. (Top Product).
April 1, 2003... * maintenance free * lubrication free The EcoDry M piston vacuum pump is free of oil and hydrocarbons, yet has the same vacuum performance as oil-sealed rotary vane pumps. Unlike scroll pumps, this model emits very few wear particles...

Positive displacement pump. (Fluid Power).
April 1, 2003... This line of positive displacement circumferential piston pumps has capacities to 150 gpm and pressure capability up to 200 psi. All models have 4-way mounting and the three smallest sizes have a stainless steel gearcase. Standard features...

Rotary vane pumps. (Fluid Power).
April 1, 2003... These rotary vane pumps offer high intermittent pump capacity in a low profile, modular design. Reversible models are available. Pressure and vacuum sides are switched by reversing motor polarity -- no additional valves are needed. Pumps can...

Flow indicator. (Fluid Power).
April 1, 2003... Designed to enhance the company's line of injector pumps, the Sight-Rite flow indicator can be used in any lubrication or process equipment that carries a pulse of fluid of less than 0.012 in. (3) Each pulse of liquid cycled through the...

Chemical transfer pump. (Fluid Power).
April 1, 2003... Specifically designed for pulse-less fluid transfer at variable flow rates, the Variable-Flow chemical transfer pump operates with fluids with a viscosity up to 200 centipoises from 120 ml to 2.2 liters per min. The suction lift is 10 ft wet,...

Pulse-free metering pump. (Fluid Power).
April 1, 2003... Designed for applications requiring extremely precise continuous pulse-free fluid flow, the QX series metering pump can be operated through a computer interface using the company's PumpWorks software or through a touch screen front panel...

Dispense pump. (Fluid Power).
April 1, 2003... The IDS 2000 dispense pump is intended for industrial process applications requiring maintenance-free, precision fluid control. The integrated pump and electronics are housed in a stainless steel enclosure and is suitable for wall mounting in...

Differential pressure gauge. (Product News).
April 1, 2003... Two types of convoluted diaphragm instruments detect small changes in differential pressure while eliminating fluid migration between high and low pressure. Series 1516 reads ranges of 0 to 1 and 0 to 50 psid at line pressures up to 1500 psig....

Rotary positive displacement pumps. (Fluid Power).
April 1, 2003... Using gear and lobe principles, these rotary positive displacement pumps offer an alternative to centrifugal pumps in applications where system pressure or fluid viscosity fluctuates. Near-constant flow rates with minimal efficiency change are...

Feed verification. (Fluid Power).
April 1, 2003... The Flow Checker oval gear meter mounts directly to the discharge of any of the company's PZ, PZi4 or PZi8 pumps, and provides 1 pulse output for each 1 ml of liquid measured, thereby adding feed verification. The output can be connected to a...

Micro annular gear pumps. (Fluid Power).
April 1, 2003... This line of micro annular gear pumps offers very compact size, precise flow rate control and pulseless fluid delivery. Measurements are 13 mm dia. by 68 mm length. Tight flow rate control is available for pressures up to 1160 psi. High...

Compact solenoid pumps. (Fluid Power).
April 1, 2003... This line of manifold mountable inert solenoid pumps and valves offers a footprint as small as 0.5 in. for space-saving mounting. The efficient, locked-in threaded mounting collar design secures the pump or valve to the manifold port with...

Compact metering pumps. (Fluid Power).
April 1, 2003... The M-03 metering series pump provides maximum capacity of 3.0 gpm at 1750 rpm, maximum inlet pressure to 250 psi and pressure variable to 1200 psi. They provide linear flow throughout the pressure range, and offer accuracy and repeatability at...

Reversible vacuum pump. (Fluid Power).
April 1, 2003... This reversible, anti-clogging, air-powered material transfer pump is designed for conveying complex shapes, bulk materials (powders/pellets), small parts up to 4 in., continuous strips, hazardous chemicals, etc. Instantaneous vacuum flow, high...

Peristaltic pumps. (Fluid Power).
April 1, 2003... Model EV025 and EV045 bench top peristaltic pumps feature a "fast prime" switch for quick priming and variable speed/flow rates. Flow rates to 220 ml/min accommodate tube sizes from 1.6 to 4.0 mm. Available in 2 and 3 roller models, both models...

Bushings prevent pump production losses. (Application Xtra).
April 1, 2003... * Seal-less design * High pressure, low flow Silicon carbide bushings are critical to the design of a new two-stage pump whose seal-less design helps prevent production losses. Positive displacement pumps are normally used in...

Putting all your ergs into one basket: hydrostatic actuator energy from a self-contained package. (Tech Upgrade).
April 1, 2003... Fluid power has been part of daily life for decades. Much of the high-powered machinery for building highways, constructing buildings and driving industries have been made possible only through the brute force that hydraulics technology...

Conductive grease. (Top Product).
April 1, 2003... * metal-less design * synergistic conductivity Electrostatic discharge from motor shafts or other nearby sources is known to reduce the life of shaft-support bearings from years to a matter of months. Conductive bearing greases help...

Bearing grease. (Mechanical).
April 1, 2003... Designed for high-speed machine tool spindle bearings, G-75 grease combines a synthetic base oil with a polyurea thickener instead of barium complex soap thickener, resulting in exceptional viscosity/temperature behavior characteristics,...

Contact bearing. (Mechanical).
April 1, 2003... This company's new contact bearing uses a zero clearance design to increase precision and tracking. Maintaining contact with the shaft and various temperatures, the bearing provides shaft self-alignment and absorbs resonance vibration. Linear...

Bearing lubricant retainer. (Mechanical).
April 1, 2003... QuickSilver composite metalpolymer retainer improves performance and operational life in applications that require maintenance free reliability in extreme environments. Combining the solid film lubricating properties of silver with the strength...

Precision bearings. (Mechanical).
April 1, 2003... Designed for ball screw applications requiring maximum axial rigidity, low drag torque and extreme control of lateral eccentricity, Fafnir MMN/MMF series double-row bearings feature integral, low-torque contact seals to exclude contaminants....

Thin-film lubricant. (Mechanical).
April 1, 2003... Ultra-Film thinfilm lubricant is tackless and odorless and withstands loads up to 400,000 psi and temperatures up to 600[degrees]F. Containing no moly, nor zinc, it deposits only a clean, semidry film that does not attract airborne pollutants...

Why we use fiber-optic backlighting. (Just One More).
April 1, 2003... Around for decades, the commuter bus is enjoying a renaissance of positive attention, particularly as gas prices appear to be inching past $2 a gallon this summer, and SUVs are being targeted by religious groups. Perhaps the time has come to...

Snap-in polymer bearings. (Mechanical).
April 1, 2003... Typ 7 snap-in Nylon engineered polymer bearings are designed for easy installation in thin plates, with a double-flange construction to assure positive bearing retention. Available in both mm and in. sizes, the bearings feature a minimum dia....

Polymer bushings. (Mechanical).
April 1, 2003... Ketron PEEK bushings have replaced PTFE bushings to quadruple bearing life. The new bushings are non-galling and nonseizing in contact with metal, and can withstand 180[degrees]C operating temperatures. The low-thermal expansion material can be...

PTFE wear strips, guides. (Mechanical).
April 1, 2003... Available in a range of configurations, a full line of custom and extruded PTFE wear strips and conveyor guides resists temperatures of -350[degrees] to 500[degrees]F and are chemically inert. Sizes range up to 1 1/4-in. wide, in standard 5-...

Hybrid ceramic bearings. (Mechanical).
April 1, 2003... Offered as an alternative to steel bearings, these hybrid ceramic ball bearings prevent electrical arcing, resist wear, operate at higher speeds and lower operating temperatures, while promoting extended service life. The light, hard silicon...

Tapered roller bearings. (Mechanical).
April 1, 2003... Featuring a logarithmic raceway profile that allows more uniform load carrying capabilities, these tapered roller bearings have optimized the roller flange contact and improved flange and roller end surfaces. Casehardened inner and outer rings...

Adapter ball bearing. (Mechanical).
April 1, 2003... With its fully concentric 360-degree inner ring, pull/push adapter system and completely interchangeable housing design, the Dodge Grip Tight Adapter ball bearing provides damage-free shafting, reduced vibration and lower cost. The press-fit...

Thrust washers. (Mechanical).
April 1, 2003... This company's Teflon thrust washers matches the dimensions of the shaft collars to provide a bearing surface for high thrust, low speed applications, such as rotating components or pivoting robot arms. They are available in sizes ranging from...

Graphite alloy bearing in restaurant oven. (Application Xtra).
April 1, 2003... * reduces maintenance * eliminates expensive food-grade lubricants Restaurant warming ovens designed to keep chickens warm can require frequent maintenance. These ovens are produced specially by Julien Industries for a large Canadian...

Nano-miniature connectors. (Top Product).
April 1, 2003... * high reliability * customizable Designed for critically reliable applications requiring extremely small size and light weight, the N-Series connectors offer design-in flexibility in terms of size, termination configuration, hardware...

Appliance connectors. (Electrical Electronics).
April 1, 2003... A 5 mm pitch version of the RAST 2.5 connector system provides designers flexibility to use mains voltage. The RAST 2.5 PRO carries a rating of 6A/250V, and can be used either with vertical or horizontal pin headers, or for PCB direct board...

High voltage interconnect. (Electrical Electronics).
April 1, 2003... The MINISNAP PC Size 3 connector offers six high-voltage contacts in a rugged push-pull housing. Suited for medical electronics and instrumentation, the device's contacts are tested at 5.000 VAC and are rated at 10A. The 1.3 mm dia. crimp...

Edge-connectors improved with LC Polymer. (Application Xtra).
April 1, 2003... * connector accommodates two PC boards * tight packaging requirements met When Meritec, Inc, of Painesville, OH, was developing a 4.2-in. long compression mezzanine connector for a money-changer system, they selected Vectra L130 liquid...

Cable assemblies. (Electrical/Electronics).
April 1, 2003... Specialty cables with optimized conductors -- including coaxials and fiber optics -- are designed and manufactured by this company, and include super-fine stranded conductors with thousands of bare or tin-plated copper wires as fine as AWG 40....

Confined area termination. (Electrical/Electronics).
April 1, 2003... E-Line compression terminal connectors and maintenance kits are specifically designed for applications in which an electrical connector is terminated in a confined area. A narrow tongue lug makes these connectors suited to installation in...

Wire routing kit. (Electrical/Electronics).
April 1, 2003... This company's wire handling hardware can be used in such applications as elevated routing of wires and tubing. The polyethylene clips feature double-backed foam adhesive, and an extension pole in the application kit means that the clips can be...