Designfax articles from July 2003

Designfax archives from July 2003

Submersible valves. (Advertisement).
July 1, 2003... These water-resistant solenoid valves have encapsulated coils for use in wet environments or even when complete submersion is necessary. The Series 15 or 50 valves are intended for outdoor uses including HVACR, irrigation systems, off-road...

Stainless steel bodies. (Advertisement).
July 1, 2003... Two new Series 58 valves with stainless steel bodies supplement the series of six plastic-body valves from Peter Paul. Offered in 2-Way and 3-Way versions, they retain the same coil options, voltages, wattages, orifice sizes, pressure ratings...

Magnetic latching valves. (Advertisement).
July 1, 2003... New low-cost, magnetic latching valves for when your power is limited or you need to avoid coil heating. The latching components are external to the valve for adaptation to any Series 20, 30 or Series 80 valve with an internal spring change....

The son of the parts. (Up Front).
July 1, 2003... Writing this magazine is not like ice sculpting or whittling a good piece of basswood into a toothpick. Designfax has to be designed, as we are using a diversity of bits to make up the magazine you see before you. To that end, I like to juggle...

Snap ring application: centrifugal clutch.
July 1, 2003... The single turn snap ring in this application retains the entire assembly. The snap ring is available in high temperature and high corrosive resistant materials, and is easy to install. There are No Ears To Interfere[TM], with the mating...

Spiral retaining ring application: needle bearing.
July 1, 2003... Designed especially for flexing in a shallow groove, this retaining ring holds the needle bearing cage assembly in the bearing housing. A previously unreliable operation of roll forming the housing was eliminated when this Smalley ring was...

Heavy-duty pneumatic cylinder: utility through air power. (Five Star Product of the Month).
July 1, 2003... Changes and improvements in the electric motor industry have produced linear motors making deep incursions in places where hydraulic cylinders formerly held sway. Hydraulic systems are great for brute force operations but are difficult to keep...

New, Harmonic Drive Gearhead, zero backlash. (Advertisment).
July 1, 2003... The CSF-2UH series high torque gearheads use HO Systems' patented "5" 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...

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

New, hollow shaft actuators. (Advertisment).
July 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...

Uncovering magnetism's secrets. (Technology Spotlight).
July 1, 2003... For the first time in the world, researchers at EPFL, Switzerland, have examined the magnetic energy of an isolated atom and of extremely small groups of atoms (nanostructures) placed on a surface. This discovery allows for a description of the...

Feely phone. (Technology Spotlight).
July 1, 2003... The cell phone is not going away, despite their potential nuisance factor (Ever get caught behind someone at the produce counter, chatting into their hand? "Hi honey, this is Daddy. Mommy and I are at the grocery store blah-blah-blah.")....

Precision motion systems. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... Booth 5214 Precision Motion Systems for Flat Panel Display Processing features many of the high-precision positioning products for FPD applications. Included are multiple system configurations that can handle substrate sizes from Gen 3 to...

Integrated motor. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... Booth 9816 The SmartMotor brushless DC servomotor incorporates the motor, controller and amplifier into a single package. The unit is capable of multi-axis coordinated control through various industry-standard networks (e.g. RS232, RS485,...

Feedthrough/servo actuator. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... Booth 4017 The high-vacuum Chamberlink feedthrough and servo actuator is capable of delivering positional accuracy of Harmonic Drive Technology, Peabody, MA. Circle 166, or www.rsleads.com/307df-166

Test system. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... Booth 11231 Designed for applications such as testing fiber-optic telecommunication systems components, the Model 4500-MTS system is provides high-speed, high-channel count automated testing. The open-architecture modular can...

Level measurement. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... Booth 5536 IntelliScan and UniScan non-contact ultrasonic level measurement instruments provide radar-like performance at an ultrasonic price. The 2-wire intrinsically safe UniScan design allows simple installation without calibration or...

Panel-mount PLC. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... Booths 4020, 14126 The FP-e panel-mount PLC with LED display is packaged in a DIN 1/16 size. The compact PLC includes programming memory of 2.7K steps, with over 180 instruction sets. Standard features include two serial RS-232 ports, 6...

Vibration-free platform. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... Booth 10222 With a flatness of [+ or -]0.004-in over 24- by 24-in., Model 2212 vibration-free platform is available in 4 sizes up to 24- x 36-in., with load capacities up to 450 lbs. It is Class 100 cleanroom compatible with Class 10...

Embedded modem. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... Booth 14306 The 73M 1903 embedded modem analog front end (AFE) device eliminates the need for a dedicated crystal oscillator and features programmable sample rates. It is suited for DSP or RISC based soft modem applications and is designed...

Materials testing. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... Booth 14412 The 5848 MicroTester provides submicron-precise load (2 kN) and displacement measurement capacity combined with good cyclic fatigue testing. Applications included semiconductor die shear and pull tests, tensile testing of fine...

Self-contained stepper motors. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... Booth 12123 The expanded MDrive line is currently available with NEMA motor sizes 14,17, 23 and 34, in various stack lengths. The compact, powerful and inexpensive MDrive combines a high-torque stepping motor with on-board electronics....

Platen heaters. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... Booth 127 Cast aluminum bake and chill platens designed for wafer processing applications use a high-density mineral-insulated heating element formed with a specific heat profile and cast onto 99.7% pure aluminum. Cooling tubes can be run...

Heat exchangers. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The 730 Series super-clean liquid-to-air heat exchanger is designed to cool semiconductor manufacturing equipment, test equipment and other demanding applications. Sixteen models are available with and without at tached fans and finger guards....

Power semiconductor assemblies. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... Offered for applications requiring up to 400A, these power semiconductor assemblies include heat sinks and other components to provide pre-engineered assemblies designed to work within predetermined ambient operating environments. Options...

Wafer polishing pad adhesion. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... ARclad 8904 5- mil double- faced tape has U both a permanent and removable adhesive. This tape is used for bonding CMP polishing pads to granite or stainless steel platens used for semiconductor wafer polishing. The permanent adhesive surface...

Potting compounds. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... TriggerCure 2-part UV curing potting compounds have an instant-UV curing feature with the ability to cure at room temperature to depths of an inch or more, and in areas under components where the light does not reach. Following dispensing,...

Captive screws. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The Prism Series colored knob captive screw features a stylized overmolded knob that can be customized to color-match the application's color scheme, and can be used to designate access points. The screws use a durable UL94-VO rated composite...

Photoelectric sensors. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The KT9 and KT11 series miniature photoelectronic sensors offer an economical alternative to fiber optic cables. These 4 and 5 mm dia. cylindrical sensors feature a self-contained output that requires no external amplifier, a wide beam angle...

New pitch for microelectronics: CIC capillary design improves UFP bonding applications.
July 1, 2003... The consumer market demand for smaller and more complex electronic devices is driving the wire bonding industry to set new ball bonding limits. The demand for further miniaturization in microelectronic assemblies, higher density...

Reducing gestation time of medical systems: off-the-shelf embedded computing speeds time-to-market for medical equipment manufacturers.
July 1, 2003... In today's fast-paced medical market, original equipment manufacturers are facing major challenges: * Cost containment from new competitors and industry controls * Shorter development time for new products to capture growth market...

Antimicrobial elastomers: addressing cleaning challenges, material reduces downtime, part deterioration. (Editor's Choice).
July 1, 2003... Designed for medical and other applications where microbial growth is a concern, Elastoguard elastomer parts control the growth of bacteria, fungi and yeasts, while avoiding the difficulties posed by organic biocides. Rubber parts are...

Programmable linear actuator. (Medical Products).
July 1, 2003... The Smart M-Digit (Medical-Digit) brushless motor linear actuator line features an integral, programmable controller with a full 32-bit PID. Additional features include analog-to digital converters, optically isolated digital I/O, and an RS232...

Bar, tube. (Medical Products).
July 1, 2003... Precision ground and polished AccuRod medical-grade bar and tube is supplied straight, round and consistent for manufacturing implants and instruments. Materials include BioDur 316LS stainless and Custom 455, with tolerances of 0.0001-in./12 ft...

Flow restrictors. (Medical Products).
July 1, 2003... Used in gas circuitry of anesthesia delivery systems and other critical flow devices, these sintered metal precision flow restrictors maintain minimum oxygen flow and non-hazardous gas mixtures of nitrous oxide, helium and/or carbon dioxide....

Photomultiplier. (Medical Products).
July 1, 2003... The 2-in. square head-on 85011 Planacon MCP-PMT low-profile photomultiplier has an integrated voltage divider network and is less than 1-in. thick. Its 64 anodes provide 6 mm position resolution when used as a discrete pixel device, while...

Fiber array package. (Medical Products).
July 1, 2003... Suitable for various medical and direct-diode materials processing applications, FAP 400 series fiber-array package products feature a smaller 400 [mu]m dia. beam and high beam quality. Both the 808 nm and 980 nm products have a typical...

Implant-grade polymers. (Medical Products).
July 1, 2003... Designated for medical implant and device applications, BioPEKK polymers, having successfully passed 52-week biocompatibility testing, possess good strength, stiffness, low friction and wear and dimensional stability, with nearly twice the...

Disposable hygienic products. (Medical Products).
July 1, 2003... Standard and custom-molded name brand equivalent disposable products can be supplied loose or in sealed film packages. They can be furnished plain or irradiated, and molded entirely from olefin thermoplastic materials. Component kitting,...

Medical instrument design. (Medical Products).
July 1, 2003... This design company has expanded its services to include manufacturing of complex electro-mechanical medical instruments that it designs. Products include controllers (e.g. for ventricular assist devices), infusion pump software, graphical user...

Custom toroidal transformers. (Medical Products).
July 1, 2003... Ranging from 10 VA to 10 KVA, custom transformers include frequency ranges from 10 to 1000 Hz and ambient temperature of -150[degrees] to 212[degrees]F. They feature small, flexible dimensions, high efficiency, low no-load losses, virtually...

Titanium fabrication. (Medical Products).
July 1, 2003... This company has added titanium manufacture to its list of fabrication capabilities for precision thin-metal parts. The strength and biocompatibility of titanium suits its use to the medical market. Compared to traditional forms of...

Medical adhesives. (Medical Products).
July 1, 2003... Custom and standard medical-grade adhesives include tapes, bandages, adhesives for electrodes, pulse oximeters, blood glucose monitors and other sensitive devices, surgical drapes, wound care, transdermal patches and device assemblies. Products...

Foot switches. (Medical Products).
July 1, 2003... Developed for the medical industry, the Aquiline series of foot switches is offered in versions that meet the stringent requirements of 1P68 (JEC 601.2.2) and 1P20. It is available with either a metal or engineered polymeric material housing...

Data delivery: medical data made portable, more reliable via rugged PDA interface. (Application Ideas).
July 1, 2003... Frustrated by inaccurate patient data and manual gathering of information at hospitals, three years ago two surgeons founded MercuryMD Inc, Durham, NC, to address the problem. To streamline the flow of medical data, MercuryMD developed the...

Warm-white LED light. (Top Product).
July 1, 2003... * replicates incandescent light * long-term performance Due to be released for sale next month are versions of high-brightness Luxeon LEDs that will feature a correlated color temperature in the 3200K range. This is described by the...

UV array. (Electrical/Electronics: Lights, Lamps & LEDs).
July 1, 2003... A 395 nm UV LED array has been added to the Shark product line. Using 50 die in a TO-66 package, the LED achieves 300 mW of power when driven at a maximum peak current of 300 mA. Half max viewing angle is [+ or -]54 degrees. Applications...

Solid-state backlight. (Electrical/Electronics: Lights, Lamps & LEDs).
July 1, 2003... Designed for any display requiring uniform light over an area of 72 x 30 mm, the SSB-COB6929SGW7900 packs 50 LEDs to provide light over a wide 180-degree emission angle. The 6.5 mm thick unit emits light from its primary face and sides, in...

Electroluminescence. (Electrical/Electronics: Lights, Lamps & LEDs).
July 1, 2003... This company's line of EL products can be supplied in roll or sheet form, and customized to a customer's requirements for shape, color, configuration, conductive and pressure-sensitive elements. EL lighting can be incorporated into...

Explosion-proof devices. (Electrical/Electronics: Lights, Lamps & LEDs).
July 1, 2003... This line of pilot lights, pushbuttons, selector switches and potentiometers are suitable for NEMA 3, 4, 7 and 9 requirements, and can be used for rainand water- tight applications. Options for the pilot lights include transformers for 240V to...

Halogen lamp holders. (Electrical/Electronics: Lights, Lamps & LEDs).
July 1, 2003... A full line of halogen lamp holders can be supplied with customer-specified wiring and connectors. They are offered with back-, side- or bottom-leads; various wire gages and insulations; and AMP, Molex or other connector types. The holders...

HeNe replacement. (Electrical/Electronics: Lights, Lamps & LEDs).
July 1, 2003... The Radius 635 diode laser system features high output power, a circular beam, low power consumption and minimal heat load. It is suited for high-throughput screening, confocal microscopy, flow cytometry and particle counting. Packaged in a...

Surface mount LED. (Electrical/Electronics: Lights, Lamps & LEDs).
July 1, 2003... Designed with a wide 140-degree viewing angle and a dominant wavelength of 647 nm, the miniature BR1111C can provide illumination for a broad range of electronic devices, such as appliances, automotive accessories, medical devices, industrial...

Resins for LEDs. (Electrical/Electronics: Lights, Lamps & LEDs).
July 1, 2003... An application bulletin on LED assembly offers information on resin products for bonding, coating, potting and sealing. The company's seven UV/visible light curing products, offered under the names Ultra Fast and Ultra Light-Weld, are...

Ultra-bright for automotive interiors. (Electrical/Electronics: Lights, Lamps & LEDs).
July 1, 2003... The QTLP673C series of surface-mount, PLCC-4 package LEDs are top-illuminating for applications in car interiors, as well as traffic management signals and signage. Clear optics, moisture-proof packaging and a 120-degree viewing angle produce a...

InGaAs photodiode. (Electrical/Electronics: Lights, Lamps & LEDs).
July 1, 2003... Combining high-end performance and reliability with high sensitivity, low dark current and low PDL, the G8370-10 PIN photodiode is suited for laser diode applications, including design into power monitors and laser diode aging equipment. The...

Flying light. (Application Xtra).
July 1, 2003... * directly replaces incandescent lights * meets FAA standards The FAA, in March of this year, granted Parts Manufacturer Approval status to LEDtronics for their BSD-1884-0CW LED lamp to be used as a direct replacement for GE387...

Picking CDs to duplicate: simplified motion assembly yields cost, production advantages. (Tech Upgrade).
July 1, 2003... John Klein is a design engineer with Amtren Corporation's Optical Systems Group, Montgomery, AL, one of the largest volume manufacturers of CD/R & DVD/R automated recording systems, primarily for customers with low- to moderate-volume...

Gear design software. (Top Product).
July 1, 2003... * integrated modules * eliminates noise, failures The Integrated Gear Software (IGS) system combines over 70 individual modules, each representing a particular issue or stage in the gear design and manufacturing process, into a...

Roller chain. (Mechanical: Power Transmission).
July 1, 2003... The Dust Stopper pre-lubricated roller chain seals out dust and debris in applications where regular lubrication is not possible or practical. A one-piece powdered metal bushing/roller impregnated with oil the lubricant is sealed into the chain...

Chain tensioners. (Mechanical: Power Transmission).
July 1, 2003... Spann-Box and Spann-Boy automatic chain tensioners allow chains to glide over a wear resistant synthetic profile with self-lubricating properties. Variable tension is produced by three springs that can be released (and locked again)...

Synchronous belts. (Mechanical: Power Transmission).
July 1, 2003... The WhiteHawk and BlackHawk Pd synchronous belts offer universal tooth profile compatibility, high-Hp loads and reduced drive widths. Both belts contain the company's Hibrex rubber compound, an oil-resistant cross-linked elastomer formulated to...

High-angle CV joints. (Mechanical: Power Transmission).
July 1, 2003... The high-angle Cornay constant velocity joint features lower weight, less space, less vibration and noise and greater torque than traditional CV joints. They can conform to MIL-spec requirements, operate at higher rpm and greater flexibility,...

Gear-life calculation. (Mechanical: Power Transmission).
July 1, 2003... The stable properties of this company's gear material allow their engineers to calculate tooth root stresses while factoring the self-lubricating properties of the material in order to anticipate wear and predict gearlife. Thus, plastic gears...

Thermoweldable synthetic drive belts. (Application Xtra).
July 1, 2003... * easy to use * reduces downtime In order to ensure long-lasting operation of their drive belts, this French company developed and optimized a new welding process called the 'Overlap System.' The system functions by overlapping the...

Sinking heat, EME/RFI: in-die components provide thermal conductivity electrical isolation. (RevisionX).
July 1, 2003... Through a proprietary system of in-die component insertion, contract metal stamper Buhrke Industries, Arlington Heights, IL, has helped Photocircuits, Glen Cove, NY, a producer of printed circuit boards and related assemblies, achieve thermal...

Sealing retainers. (Top Product).
July 1, 2003... * eliminates solvent bonding * eliminates channel leaks As a replacement for cable ties, hose clamps and ear clamps, this company's retainers solve inherent leak path problems in demanding environments. They retain flexible tubing and...

Heat-shrinkable tubing. (Fluid Power: Tubing, Hoses & Connectors).
July 1, 2003... This company provides various heat shrinkable tubing. Irradiated materials include general-purpose polyolefin, Kynar, adhesive-lined polyolefin, dual-wall rigid polyolefin, and semi-rigid polyolefin. Other materials include cross-linked Viton...

RFID coupling. (Fluid Power: Tubing, Hoses & Connectors).
July 1, 2003... The insert portion of the Smart Coupling contains a radio-frequency (REID) tag that is programmed with unique product data, such as stocking history, package size, data code and product characteristics. The coupler's body reads the tag and...

Screened orifice. (Fluid Power: Tubing, Hoses & Connectors).
July 1, 2003... The IMH screened orifice is a miniature restrictor that provides more accuracy than orifices specified by hole tolerances. The restrictor is preinstalled in a male-to-female luer adaptor and features an integral safety screen to protect against...

Tubing. (Fluid Power: Tubing, Hoses & Connectors).
July 1, 2003... Offering a less-expensive alternative to fluoropolymer tubing, lightweight Prolite polypropylene tubing provides good chemical resistance, low moisture absorption, high dielectric strength, resistance to corrosion and low surface friction. Its...

Non-metallic conduit, fittings. (Fluid Power: Tubing, Hoses & Connectors).
July 1, 2003... Gator-Flex UV-stabilized, non-metallic, liquid-tight flexible conduit and fittings are suited for outdoor applications, including protection of wire bundles and harness, hoses, tubing and cable assemblies from mechanical damage, short-outs, and...

Rotary unions. (Fluid Power: Tubing, Hoses & Connectors).
July 1, 2003... Designed to provide long service life without lubrication, the Type 'C' rotary union handles a wide range of operating conditions, especially steam and hot oil rolls. A wear indicator reduces downtime. The 1-in, design features easy alignment...

Tubing configuration. (Application Xtra).
July 1, 2003... * precisely positioned holes * unusual tube shapes Developed initially for medical applications, such as catheters, embolic protection devices and stents, this laser process allows silicone and poly tubing to assume less conventional...

Pre-drilled shafting. (Top Product).
July 1, 2003... * high strength/weight * cools quickly This tubular steel shafting is composed of the company's 60 Plus 52100 material. Predrilled and tapped every 8-in., they are available in 1 1/2- and 2-in. dia. up to 12 ft long. The shafts can be...

Surface treatment. (Materials).
July 1, 2003... Placing particular emphasis on the application of advanced theories and experimental techniques in this multidisciplinary field, Surface Treatment VI: Computer Methods and Experimental Measurements for Surface Treatment Effects is organized...

Extruded films. (Materials).
July 1, 2003... Available in 48-in, wide extruded films and thin sheets in thicknesses ranging from 0.001-to 0.050-in., with some materials possible to 0.00025-in., base materials include PEEK, PEI, PVDF and others. These films and sheets are flat-die extruded...

Precision machined glass, quartz. (Materials).
July 1, 2003... This company offers precision-machined components made from various glass and quartz materials that can be made into complex features and shapes; full and partial cylinders; flat, spheric, aspheric and toric surfaces. Metallization, ID and OD...

Liquid silicone molding. (Materials).
July 1, 2003... This company specializes in extrusion of silicone tubing and profiles for medical and non-medical applications. In-house tooling provides quick turnaround. Silicone 0-rings are available in sizes from #5 to #22 with standard 70 durometer and...

Rubber extrusions. (Materials).
July 1, 2003... This company produces closed cell and dense rubber extrusions, moldings and fabrications, as well as thermoplastic extrusions. Custom performance characteristics, including expansion/contraction properties, are configured with in-house...

Post-mold fluorination sealant. (Materials).
July 1, 2003... Designed to replace expensive alternative materials with surface-modified plastics, this post-mold fluorination process exposes the surfaces of plastics (and other materials) to elemental fluorine under strictly controlled conditions of time,...

Fashionable overmolding. (Application Xtra).
July 1, 2003... * incorporates real fabric * retooling minimized In the market for electronic devices, electronics performance and ease-of-use are no longer competitive advantages -- they have become merely the price of entry. "Performance features...

Multi-jet modeling. (Engineer's Toolbox).
July 1, 2003... The InVision si2 3-D printer is a multijet modeling system which combines photocurable hot melt material with the ease of ink-jet printing. Intended to enable designers, engineers and other 3-D data users to produce cost-effective, high-quality...

Plastics software. (Engineer's Toolbox).
July 1, 2003... Dubbed "Plastic Engineer in a Box," this software can be opened at will from within leading CAD applications to help in selecting appropriate plastic materials. Given sufficient parameters, the software guides OEMs through material comparisons,...