Designfax articles from August 2001

Designfax archives from August 2001

Mr. Hargrave's Box Kite.
August 1, 2001... Technology's past heroes ensure its future From the Model T to the Space Shuttle, our benchmarks of manufacturing success are matters of cumulative brilliance. Likewise, the so-called giants of industry-stretching from Henry Ford to Bill...

The Past in our Tomorrows.
August 1, 2001... Richard Mandel At the end of West 37th Avenue in Manhattan, a broad highway and two handsful of steps across from the Jacob Javits Center, are several service shops devoted to taxicab repair. There is also an operations base for Verizon...

Free Useful Stuff.
August 1, 2001... Remember when a government agency lost a lot of money on a satellite project? Apparently, two engineering groups--in separate locations--performed calculations using different units of measure. Perhaps they didn't communicate; perhaps there...

Chillin.
August 1, 2001... A dynamic system for component cooling Heat is the killer. Circuits fail, adhesives weaken, insulation softens and burns away. The heat is not just exothermic, from sources outside of the package, but also from within the package itself,...

The Toyota Motor Corporation.
August 1, 2001... The Toyota Motor Corporation isn't wasting time watching for acceptance of its duel-fuel Prius--the company has introduced the Estima Hybrid minivan, applying the same gasoline/electric technology to a four-wheel drive platform. Vehicle specs...

Carnegie Institution of Washington.
August 1, 2001... Nitrogen as a semiconductor? Researchers at the Carnegie Institution of Washington compressed samples of nitrogen gas between two diamond faces at pressures of 240 gigapascals, which produced a transformation to an opaque, semiconducting solid...

Superior Council for Scientific Research.
August 1, 2001... FYI from the Telegraph, a British news service: scientists have found a fungus that eats compact discs. Victor Cardenes and colleagues at the Superior Council for Scientific Research in Madrid, Spain, stumbled across the microscopic creature...

Extended surface pocket filter.
August 1, 2001... * high efficiency * low resistance The Multi-Guard pocket filter is made with a dual-layer, electrostatically enhanced synthetic fiber medium that provides high efficiency with low resistance and high dust holding capability. The...

Snap ring filter.
August 1, 2001... Designed for use in liquid media, the QVA filter bag features a welded side seam that provides a smooth surface that seats reliably to provide a leak-tight seal. Micron ratings of 1 to 200 are available.

Polyurethane seals.
August 1, 2001... CoolPac low-friction, liquid-cast seals feature improved abrasion resistance and lower operating temperatures, diminishing the need for lubricants in air cylinders. Standard and custom designs are available.

Rotary seals.
August 1, 2001... PFTE-based rotary seals feature an easy to install locking-ring design that securely retains them through temperature and pressure cycling environments. Variable shades, sizes and materials are available.

Large diameter seals.
August 1, 2001... This company has installed a new CNC controlled turning lathe that allows them to make seals quickly up to 60-in. ID and any metric size up to 1500mm. The company makes oil seals, lip seals, hydraulic packings like U-cups, bushings and even...

Static face seal gaskets.
August 1, 2001... Injection-molded liquid silicone rubber static face seal gaskets improve design function and cost efficiency over traditional millable gum materials. They offer thinner cross sections and chloramine resistance.

Filter media.
August 1, 2001... Designed for air-venting applications, hydrophobic Emflon PTFE material is produced with consistency that provides highly reproducible airflow. High water intrusion pressures repel low surface tension liquids while venting gases.

Gasketing materials.
August 1, 2001... A heat-curable, cured-in-place gasketing material, Durafoam 5975, is designed for a range of automotive gasketing applications. Offering good high- and low-temperature performance and compression set resistance, this material conforms well to...

Silicone seals.
August 1, 2001... This company has liquid injection molding equipment to provide high quality silicone parts and seals with fast turn around and competitive prices. Seals offer high consistency purity and cost-effectiveness.

O-ring sizing guide.
August 1, 2001... This company provides O-Rings and custom-molded rubber components for a diverse range of industries including automotive, lawn & garden, plumbing, medical and hydraulics. An O-ring sizing guide is now available.

Ironing Out the Kinks.
August 1, 2001... Technical support eases pain of product development When design engineers begin the product development process, significant time is often spent weighing material options. Is rubber better than plastic? If so, which is a better fit:...

Conical Rotor Motors Raise Standard for Industrial Crane.
August 1, 2001... Corrosive environments demand rugged hoists and gearmotors In 1996, Invacare, a manufacturer of wheel chairs, crutches and other healthcare equipment, set out to modernize its Elyria, Ohio, facility. An operation such as Invacare's involves...

Spiral retaining rings.
August 1, 2001... * concealed fastening * no assembly tooling Benefits to the ID/OD lock include concealed fastening, no assembly tooling requirement, and a 360-degree rotational capacity. Spiral retaining rings can simultaneously operate in an internal...

Epoxy.
August 1, 2001... Bond-It 7040 epoxy cures at room temperature. It withstands temperatures up to 400[degrees]F and maintains strength up to 5000 psi. It bonds to metals, plastics, glass, ceramics and dissimilar materials with good electrical and chemical...

Hand knobs.
August 1, 2001... An expanded line of stainless steel nine-lobed solid hand knobs were developed for the food industry and non-corrosive environments. Various bore-types, threads, and English or metric sizes are available.

Wire saddles.
August 1, 2001... The micro-wire saddle, side entry, blind-hole (MBHWSSE) series is available in different sizes to accommodate different bundles. The micro-size is designed for low-profile applications and mounting can be done on various materials.

Epoxy adhesives.
August 1, 2001... Three of this company s products meet stringent NASA outgassing requirements. Epoxy 6202 is UV-curable, thermally conductive, 5200 cures at room temperature, and 5010 is fast-curing with a high glass transition temperature.

Self-locking fastener.
August 1, 2001... Made of a polymer applied to internally or externally threaded parts, the Nytemp patch withstands temperatures up to 450[degrees]F and satisfies torque and vibration requirements of MIL-DTL-18240F.

Fastening system.
August 1, 2001... Small Diameter HuckSpin fastening system eliminates pintail waste and the threat of corrosion to fracture surfaces. The key is the low-swage system which involves a swaging action between fastener collar and pin, so that there is no pintail and...

Cable wrap.
August 1, 2001... Spirally-cut UV-resistant Heli-Tube polyethylene cable wrap is offered in a 1.5-in, size that is designed for bundling, organizing and protecting large cable groups up to 10-in. OD outdoors. It can be installed with hand tools.

Self-aligning nuts.
August 1, 2001... Frequently used in assembly to solve mating-hole misalignment problems, these nuts assure the load path of the bolt is aligned with the nut. Various sizes, materials, and tensile strengths are available.

Aliphatic TPU.
August 1, 2001... Providing a clear, strong adhesive interlayer in multi-layer transparent laminations, aliphatic thermoplastic polyurethane is optically clear, resists UV light and reliably bonds dissimilar substrates.

Structural adhesives.
August 1, 2001... A family of non-corrosive structural acrylic adhesives has been specifically formulated for sensitive copper or other electrically conductive surfaces. Permabond 581 and 681 are especially suited for bonding magnet and metal surfaces and set...

Adhesive selection guide.
August 1, 2001... MIXPAC Adhesive selection guide is a comprehensive, 254-page book containing hundreds of acrylic, epoxy, silicone and urethane adhesives, organized by manufacturer and adhesive type. All adhesives are available off-the-shelf for immediate...

Isolation mounts.
August 1, 2001... Available in both Isodamp and VersaDamp damped elastomers, this line of isolation mounts are designed specifically for small fans employed in electronics and electromechanical equipment.

Fastener catalog.
August 1, 2001... Self-clinching floating fasteners provide load-bearing threads in metal sheets as thin as 0.04 in. and permit up to 0.03-in, adjustment for mating hole misalignment. The catalog profiles all four types of these steel or stainless steel...

All-purpose fastening system.
August 1, 2001... Long recognized as a critical component in many prototype systems, this fastener is rugged and durable. It is readily adaptable to uneven and narrow surfaces, and it meets the MIL-100MPH standard for strength and durability. Various industries...

Thermally conductive adhesive.
August 1, 2001... Tra-Bond 2151 with glass beads is designed as a thermally-conductive, chemically-resistant adhesive for heat sink attachment, where heat sensitive components and a consistent bondline are required.

Cable tie holder.
August 1, 2001... This screw-mount cable tie holder is molded in a natural color nylon 6/6 material and offers 2-way entry that is secured with a 1/4-20 or M6 mounting screw. Additional mounting hardware is available.

Handles.
August 1, 2001... A line of attractive, functional and rugged handle designs for applications from rack-mounted equipment to carrying cases is available in an extensive choice of sizes, materials and finishes.

Pressure-sensitive adhesives.
August 1, 2001... Electrically-clean ARclean 8769 and 8855 PSAs are double-sided tapes manufactured with an acrylic acid-free adhesive. These tapes have low extractable ions and resist environmental aging.

Structural adhesive.
August 1, 2001... For bonding metals and dissimilar substrates, Metal Welder is a high-performance methacrylate structural adhesive. With good impact and peel resistance, it provides high-strength, durable bonds to a variety of metals and metals to plastics....

Part redesign service.
August 1, 2001... * improves mechanical sub-assemblies * reduces production costs Seeking to improve productivity and profitability of sub-assemblies for its customers, a manufacturer of special bolts, studs and high-performance mechanical assembly...

DC power jacks.
August 1, 2001... Designed to snap into any pre-set holes, the MJ-60 and MJ-61 panel mount DC power jacks have a tolerance of [+ or -] contact resistance of 30[micro][omega] and insulation resistance of 500V DC/l00[micro][omega] min.

Voltage regulators.
August 1, 2001... S-818 series of LDO voltage regulators features a low quiescent current of l00-500nA with the power off and 30-40[micro] A during operation. Low power consumption and high-output current allow it to be used in a wide range of portable...

Synchronous rectification.
August 1, 2001... When used with the cornpany's DC-DC converter-specific HEXFET power MOSFETs, the IR1176 SRIC enhances 1.5 and 1.8V DC-DC converter efficiency ratings to 85-86%.

3-phase bridge rectifiers.
August 1, 2001... Available in voltages from 50 to 1200V, the 3PB series of compact 25- and 35-amp three-phase bridge rectifiers feature low forward voltage drop, low reverse leakage currents, high single cycle surge current, 2500V terminal-to-base minimum...

Toroids and cores.
August 1, 2001... The Polygap core line, including micro-gap toroid, nanogap cores and pseudo distributed gapped formed cores, is composed of ISKRA 75G materials for performance at temperatures above 125[degrees]C.

Decoupling filters.
August 1, 2001... Designed for domestic and industrial PLCs, these filters protect transmitted data from unintentional or deliberate signal corruption or eavesdropping. Signal attenuation is reduced to enhance long-distance reliability.

Photoetched anodes & cathodes.
August 1, 2001... For use in fuel cells, oxygen generators and hydrogen generators, these pure titanium anodes and cathodes can be photochemically etched without inducing the stresses common to machining, allowing the material to be friction-bonded or brazed....

Power inductor.
August 1, 2001... For use in high-speed computer applications, this self-leaded, fixed-clip, flat-coil power inductor provides a low 6mm profile for easy SMT mounting. Operating temperatures are 0[degrees] to 100[degrees]C.

Chip inductors.
August 1, 2001... Designed for use in power supply circuits for portable devices, the LQ series of wire wound chip inductors provides extremely low DC resistance characteristics to reduce heat generation and power loss. A zero-dead-space structure uses the core...

Telecom power modules.
August 1, 2001... Low-cost 48V DC-DC power modules have outputs between 7.5 and 30W. These modules have a typical 80% efficiency, and I/O isolation ranging between 500 and 3,000 VDC.

Power conversion.
August 1, 2001... The A100R series of power modules features miniature 24-pin DIP packaging, 1W output power, tight 0.1% line/load regulation, continuous short circuit protection and low noise. Single and dual outputs are available.

Lithium ion batteries.
August 1, 2001... Tripling power levels, rechargeable lithium ion and polymer lithium ion batteries have longer life spans, smaller sizes and higher energy densities than nickel-cadmium cells. Available in more than 12 different sizes, the Li-ion batteries offer...

Custom PC-board battery packs.
August 1, 2001... Featuring special brackets or stand-offs that piggy-back existing PC boards, custom-engineered battery packs can be made to fit over populated PG boards to save space. Based on user application requirements, a variety of shapes can be made,...

Battery.
August 1, 2001... Providing 25% more energy than front terminal VRLA batteries with similar footprints, the Independence PowerLock battery has a capacity of 125 Ah. The PL-125 is valve-regulated and retains acid between the plates for long life.

DC/DC converter.
August 1, 2001... The 6E04 25/30W DC/DC converter offers pi input filtering, a wide 4:1 input voltage range and isolated outputs. Units are available with single, dual and triple, low ripple, regulated outputs.

Toroidal transformers.
August 1, 2001... As a replacement for B-I transformers, toroids are smaller with low no-load losses, higher efficiency and lower operating temperature. Toroids have no airgaps since the primaries and secondaries are wound uniformly around the entire core,...

AC/DC switching power supplies.
August 1, 2001... The MPM series of medical-approved open frame switching power supplies provides outputs over the range of 40 to 110W. All models accept universal input from 85 to 265 VAC, with 5 to 24 VDC ouput.

Bridge rectifier.
August 1, 2001... The PO/POT bridge rectifier series has added a 120A version to the line. The plastic, epoxy-filled, heat sink package measures 2.25- by 1.75- by 1.08-in. and has integral porcelanized, high-thermal-conductivity.

Ultracapacitor.
August 1, 2001... Measuring 155- by 61- by 33mm, the PC1000 1,200-farad capacitor caches 3750 J of energy at a nominal 2.5V for high-powered discharges ranging from fractions of a second to one minute.

Transformers.
August 1, 2001... Designed for instrumentation applications, SPCT-250 and SPCT-251 standard printed-circuit-mount current-sense transformers have outputs that vary based on the termination or loading resistor on the secondary winding. When a single turn is...

Slides.
August 1, 2001... Precision BiSlide assemblies have dual 45-degree opposing "V" ways to provide high rigidity in all directions. The carriage moves on low-friction PTFE compound bearings which are fully adjustable to customize pre-load. The slide is extruded...

Medium-torque gear drives.
August 1, 2001... Drive One gear drives provide 6-sided mounting. For use as general-purpose parallel or right-angle shaft drives, they are also suited for application-specific duty such as shaft-mounted drives, mixer drives or alignment-free drives. The design...

Absolute output encoder.
August 1, 2001... Providing a non-contacting, full rotation absolute output, the Sine/Cosine Rotary Electric Encoder eliminates the need for index pulses, quadrate issues, or homes during start-up. Insensitive to mechanical mounting inaccuracies, the 58mm OD...

Rotary actuator.
August 1, 2001... The Series RI Rotary Actuator incorporates internal air passage within the rotary pinion to facilitate pneumatic coupling to other devices without external tubing. The hollow pinion also allows for the routing of items such as electrical cable....

Digital motor controller.
August 1, 2001... Superseding the company's CX-1000 unit, the CX-1010 has embedded motion control intelligence, eliminating the need to write code. With performance in a 1 mse-loop time, the controller handles encoder frequencies up to 180 KHz, equal to 720 KHz...

Elevating Elderly Life.
August 1, 2001... Redesigned stairlift incorporates DC motor to increase lift capability and decrease mechanism size A large percentage of the British population resides in narrow, multi-story dwellings with the bedrooms typically upstairs--an arrangement...

Sub-micro AC drive.
August 1, 2001... * inexpensive * multi-function Designed for single phase 220V supply and covering the power range 1/4 to 3 hp, the SCL series AC sub-micro drives require smaller panel space than comparable variable frequency drives. This series has an...

Dustproof motors.
August 1, 2001... Designed to survive conditions with airborne powdered materials, these Dust-proof Motors are pressure rated to 15 psi to lock out contamination. They include seals that eliminate dust leaks at penetration points and provide features for...

Hybrid stepper motors.
August 1, 2001... The series H39Y high-torque 39mm hybrid stepper motor is designed for replacing NEMA17 motors with a smaller NEMA16 motor. The 1.8 degree-step motors are available in 4 motor lengths: 20, 34. 38 and 44mm. Available in both unipolar and bipolar...

Brushless DC motor.
August 1, 2001... Providing quiet, efficient, and smooth operation, Silencer BN series motors have torque ratings between 2.4 and 519 oz-in. The inside rotor construction allows quick acceleration and speeds to 20,000 rpm.

Size 17 brushless servo motor.
August 1, 2001... With quick acceleration and deceleration, this motor achieves no-load operation to 8,000 rpm with peak power output up to 250W. Integrating with all three-phase amplifiers, peak torque is to 33 oz-in. and continuous torque is rated at 10 oz-in....

Microstepping motor driver.
August 1, 2001... A bi-polar, chopper-type drive, the CY-21 driver works with all 2-and 4-phase step motors as a microstepper and also in full- and half-step modes. Maximum motor current is 290 mA.

Variable frequency drives.
August 1, 2001... Network ready and CE-, UL- and CUL-certified, VF-CE vector control variable frequency drives are controllable with an analog reference signal, digital pulse or digital input control. These AC drives are available in single-phase and 3-phase...

Limited-angle torquer.
August 1, 2001... Developed to provide stabilization and relatively low-bandwidth position control features, the LATH23-10-001z is a non-cogging 2-terminal bi-directional torquer with rated stroke of [+ or -]50 degrees.

Steppers and drivers.
August 1, 2001... A line of 212 single- and double-shaft hybrid steppers ranges in torque from 7 to 4200 oz-in, with voltage ranges from 1.5 to 12 VDC and current ranges from 0.04 to 8A/phase. Drivers for these steppers are available.

Microstepping drive.
August 1, 2001... Geckodrive G201 drives weigh 3.5 oz, have a 2.5- by 2.5- by 0.85-in. footprint, have 1 to 7A phase currents and provide speeds to 200,000 microsteps per second with ultra-smooth 10-microstep circuitry.

Synchronous and step motors.
August 1, 2001... Designed to withstand IP-56 conditions, SLO-SYN wash-down synchronous and step motors feature bonded epoxy coating, integral wet/dry shaft seals and a liquid-tight cable connection.

Multi-horsepower motors.
August 1, 2001... Designed to provide one-size-fits-all flexibility, the Rescue series multi-horsepower motors cover 3/4 down to 1/5 hp units and replace various gas or electric furnace motors and condenser fan motors.

Brushless DC motors.
August 1, 2001... The ELCOM ST series N2300 motors feature low-cost, slotted design to deliver high power, fast acceleration, consistent performance and long life. Four standard stack lengths--0.5-, 1-, 1.5-and 2-in.--are available.

Washdown servo motors.
August 1, 2001... These washdown servo motors are designed to prevent water and cleaning agents from entering their housings in high-pressure washdown environments. Stock continuous stall torque ratings of 14 to 177 lb-in, are available, with custom designs up...

DC micro-motors.
August 1, 2001... Skew wound ironless rotor combined with a rare earth magnet produces high efficiency and excellent dynamic response on the 2642 and 2657 26mm DC micromotors. Gear reduction ratios range from 3.71:1 to 1526:1.

Microstep drive.
August 1, 2001... The PD2400 micro step drive operates quietly with its 40 KHz pulse wave modulation frequency. Designed for the semi-conductor manufacturing and electronic assembly industries, this 5-in, footprint stepper drive operates on DC power levels....

Ultra-high torque steppers.
August 1, 2001... Available in NEMA sizes 17 and 23, the PF series 2- and 4-phase compact steppers have holding torque ranging from 60 to 187 oz-in. A wide variety of windings and shaft sizes--including double-shafted--is available.

Low-voltage DC gearmotors.
August 1, 2001... Designed for use in mobile, battery-powered applications or other times where 12 VDC is preferred, 20 new ratings of stock low-voltage permanent magnet DC gearmotors have been introduced. Generating from 25 through 1087 lb-in. of output torque,...