Designfax articles from July 2002

Designfax archives from July 2002

Putting the medium where the mouth is. (Layer One).
July 1, 2002... Responses to our April editorial "That Which We Sow" varied from kudos to condemnation to "yes, but it isn't practical to merge environmental and industrial concerns..." This statement gains a certain level of credibility with a quick trip to...

Spiral Retaining Rings. (Advertisement).
July 1, 2002... Select from over 4,000 stock Spiral Retaining Rings, available in both carbon or stainless steel. Diameters range from 9/32" to 84". Spirals have No Ears To Interfere[TM]. Spiral Rings install easily and can be removed with a screwdriver....

Wavo Springs. (Advertisement).
July 1, 2002... A new round wire wave spring which offers accurate, high force loading. Wavos have the ability to fit in tight radial spaces and have greater deflection than Bellevilles. Stock sizes in carbon & stainless steel from 1/2" to 6". Specials from...

Short-term and long-term design. (Up Front).
July 1, 2002... In April I was back in my old stomping grounds of Southern California, meeting with friends of Designfax and visiting with personal friends. Such a trip provides opportunity for dropping in on my folks, too, so north I motored on State 101 to...

Hot sounds: micro speakers resist reflow heat. (Five Star Product of the Month).
July 1, 2002... Tough problem in design and manufacturing -- how does one create an electronics package that provides the greatest throughput in production? Automated systems can stuff PC boards at rates of 500 components a minute, then whisk the assemblies...

Imaging Inc. (Technology Spotlight).
July 1, 2002... Nearly 40 years have elapsed since Stephen Boyd, Raquel Welch and several others were miniaturized and injected into a diplomat to save his life in the movie, "Fantastic Voyage." While some may have little problem with imagining Ms. Welch...

Evolution Robotics Inc. (Technology Spotlight).
July 1, 2002... The open platform concept has been bandied about in industrial automation for the last several years - here's the first non-industrial application that we've seen. Declaring it the first personal robot system for consumers, Evolution Robotics...

Nanopowders. (Materials).
July 1, 2002... * outstanding formability * enhanced material properties This company produces large-scale quantities of talc and calcium carbonate nanomaterials. Very chemically active, these ultrafine nanopowders, called NanoTalc and NanoCalc, have...

Polyolefin foams. (Materials).
July 1, 2002... Relying on advanced extrusion, crosslinking and foaming processes, Volara HPT radiation foams achieve tight gauge and density control over 0.012- to 0.075-in, thicknesses. Roll lengths of 2500 ft can be produced without gauge banding. Voltek,...

Diecast assembly. (Materials).
July 1, 2002... This company's Injected Metal Products service joins two or more assembly components using molten metal (usually zinc alloy) injected under pressure into a cavity located at the intersection to permanently bond in milliseconds. Fishercast,...

Tackless processing aid. (Materials).
July 1, 2002... * reduces tack * improves mold release A proprietary mix of alkanes and alkanols, off-white in color and soft-solid at room temperature, provides a processing aid suitable for applications such as automotive mechanical rubber goods...

Little blue: IBM in nano-wonderland.
July 1, 2002... Conjecture and speculation have drifted about for years, debating what products will be miniaturized and how tiny they'll be. come. Even Dick Tracy's two-way wrist radio evolved into the wrist TV, though Chester Gould probably never foresaw the...

Safety relief valve. (Valves & Cylinders).
July 1, 2002... * low cost * ASME UV certified Designed for high flow air, gas and liquid service, the series 1400 low-cost safety relief valve features the company's replaceable O-ring design for seal tightness and maintenance ease. O-ring materials...

Hydraulic cylinders. (Valves & Cylinders).
July 1, 2002... Available in capacities ranging from 380 to 8800 lbs, these specialty hydraulic cylinders can be used in a variety of manufacturing applications including clamping, positioning, punching and pressing. Enerpac Free info--Circle 232. ...

Water inlet valves. (Valves & Cylinders).
July 1, 2002... Designed to complement the company's existing line of low-pressure liquid dispensing valves, the DSVP40 series handles water pressures of 3 to 145 psi with internal flow regulation. Inlet connections consist of either an external 3/4-in. hose...

Check valve. (Valves & Cylinders).
July 1, 2002... The CCPI series Press-In Chek miniature cartridge-style check valve is specifically designed for installation into plastics. It is offered in a range of cracking pressures from 0 to 72.5 psid and is compatible with most fluids. The Lee...

Diode rectified solenoid valve coils for quiet operation. (Valves & Cylinders).
July 1, 2002... Most solenoid valves now in operation are powered by AC current, primarily because AC voltages are more readily available. AC solenoids have faster pull-in (cycle) times, with higher ratios compared to DC power. However, AC-powered valves have...

Flexible couplings. (Couplings & Adapters).
July 1, 2002... * torsional vibration Isolation * shaft-to-shaft Isolation The use of 73 durometer molded neoprene isolates the ends from torsional vibration and isolates the shafts from one another. Both the Neo-Flex S50F and S50P series of couplings...

Cross-slot coupling. (Couplings & Adapters).
July 1, 2002... The X-series stainless steel cross-slot flexible coupling is designed to meet exacting positioning requirements of servo motor applications. It has high torsional stiffness, low radial loads, one-piece integrity and zero backlash. Helical...

Locking assembly. (Couplings & Adapters).
July 1, 2002... Adding to the company's lines of keyless locking devices, the RfN 7110 locking assembly is designed for low profile applications. Easy to install and remove, adjustment and tightening is accomplished via standard cap screws. These assemblies...

Rotary unions. (Couplings & Adapters).
July 1, 2002... The RU-Series rotary unions are designed for precision hydraulic control of rotary table operations. Rated for use in operating pressures to 7000 psi, these rotary unions also feature internal oil bearings and multiple fluid capabilities. ...

Rolling in the new: leadscrew actuator ensures precise repeatable positioning in color scanner. (Revisionx).
July 1, 2002... The ImageTrac II scanner, made by Imaging Business Machines (IBML), Birmingham, AL, supports printing applications that require a versatile print head. While conventional scanners do very well with being fed documents of smooth, consistent size...

Side-facing LEDs. (Lights, Lamps & LEDs).
July 1, 2002... * side-looking surface mount * five output ranges The ESM-3070 series of surface mount GaP LEDs are suited for flat profile packaging designs. The devices, molded in clear, high-temperature material, are offered in green, yellow-green,...

Double reflection LEDs. (Lights, Lamps & LEDs).
July 1, 2002... Double reflection LEDs. Unlike conventional LEDs, the DR LED directs all light forward in a constant, intense beam. The reflective surface can also be designed asymmetrically, to reflect light in a direction other than straight ahead. ...

Light night traffic. (Lights, Lamps & LEDs).
July 1, 2002... * Inductive or solar powered * 100 candela output (undirectional) Highway lane demarcation moved, in some states, from painted lines to raised, dome-shaped reflectors about two decades ago. Recently, an Australian company developed a...

Enhancements. (The Engineer's Toolbox).
July 1, 2002... For users of trueSpace who wish to enhance their creations with realistic lighting, shaders and presentation effects comes rayPak. Novices and professionals can use trueSpace and rayPak for real-time authoring in hardware-accelerated, 3D...

Freeform surface modeling. (The Engineer's Toolbox).
July 1, 2002... Designed for use in the design and manufacture of products with complex shapes, Geometry Works3D Version 2.04 is a freeform surface modeling software with single window integration to SolidWorks 200 iPlus. New functions include spine fillet...

Graphics accelerators. (The Engineer's Toolbox).
July 1, 2002... The Quadro family of graphics boards for workstations is powered by NVIDIA's fastest graphics processing units (GPUs) -- the Quadro4 XGL, Quadro4 NYS and Quadro2 series. The Quadro4 XGL and Quadro4 NYS series deliver scalable, top-to-bottom...

Drafting for Linux. (The Engineer's Toolbox).
July 1, 2002... Operating like a drafting board, LinuxCAD 2002 v4.0 provides for 2D and 3D renderings in the Linux OS. All major features of AutoCAD are implemented -- experienced AutoCAD users do not need additional training to start. The drawing editor's...

Precision slides & stages. (Product News).
July 1, 2002... Suited for semiconductor and multi-axis pick-and-place applications, the aluminum MicroStage 46 linear stage provides a drop-in replacement of heavier steel-based products, yielding a lower inertia. Thomson Industries Inc, Port...

Mini-coaxial connector. (Product News).
July 1, 2002... The AYU-l series connector is reportedly the smallest cable-to-board coaxial connector. The low-profile unit has a mounting area of 3 [mm.sup.2] on PCBH and 2 mm height when mated with applicable cable plug. JST Corp. Waukegan, IL....

Edge sealing. (Product News).
July 1, 2002... This multi-tasked part creates a mechanical bond to almost any edge, as well as sealing against almost any surface. Trim-Seal is a flexible PVC trim, with sponge rubber tubing attached to provide a secure seal for a variety of applications. The...

Actuator. (Product News).
July 1, 2002... The high-vacuum Chamberlink feedthrough and servo actuator is capable of delivering precise motion control in a vacuum without the need for shaft seals. Output torques range from 10to 300-in.-lbs in vacuums up to E8 torr. Harmonic Drive...

Light curtain. (Product News).
July 1, 2002... The MCJ4700 series multiple-segment safety light curtain is connected via solid electromechanical joints. Eliminating cabling between segments reduces failure from accidentally-severed or snagged cables. Scientific Technologies Inc, ...

Dielectrics. (Product News).
July 1, 2002... Microlam 600 series Microvia dielectric products have optimized electrical and mechanical properties. The materials are toughened to ensure reliability in portable devices. They pass new handset OEM drop tests, and offer very low loss...

Pressure transducers. (Product News).
July 1, 2002... Pressure transducers. Model 227 ultra-high purity capacitance pressure transducers feature a space-saving 1-1/8-in. Down-Mount "C" seal interfacing base, suitable for use in monitoring specialty gas processes in semiconductor process tools. ...

Fiberoptic sensor. (Product News).
July 1, 2002... The FS-V20 fiberoptic sensor amplifier features a dual digital LED display that simultaneously shows light received and preset threshold values. Detection distance is up to 1800 mm and remains stable in harsh environments. Keyence Corp of...

Standard Rubber products. (OEM Designer's Literature Digest).
July 1, 2002... Since 1963, Syntex Rubber Corporation, an ISO 9002 Certified company, has developed and produced standard and custom rubber parts for OEM applications worldwide. Our experience in engineering, manufacturing, quality and management help our...

Precision mini-linear actuators. (OEM Designer's Literature Digest).
July 1, 2002... Ultra Motion's brochures describe 3 series of precision mini-linear actuators: The Smart Actuator - a self contained motion control system. The Digit - a stepper motor actuator with repeatabilities up to 1 micron and thrusts to 300 pounds. ...

Precision aluminum extrusions. (OEM Designer's Literature Digest).
July 1, 2002... New! An informative brochure from MINALEX, a leader in close tolerance shapes to 3 1/2 -in., illustrates typical applications and describes capabilities including short runs. MINALEX, quality leader, delivers on time, every time. ...

Pittman Express (Bulletin PE). (OEM Designer's Literature Digest).
July 1, 2002... The PittmanExpress [TM] program lets you choose from a selection of over 100 quality Pittman motors that can be ordered and shipped immediately. Next-day shipment is standard for all motors and same day shipment is also available upon request...

Getting the message: 'speed director' radar display just the ticket for mounting hardware. (Just One More).
July 1, 2002... Portable message boards, flashing directional arrows, and similar LED-display roadway signs serve to alert motorists about road conditions, work zones, or repatterned driving lanes. This technology requires internal bundled cables and wires to...