Designfax articles from June 2003

Designfax archives from June 2003

Changing one's design: when the product needing an upgrade is the designer. (Layer One).
June 1, 2003... Being laid off is never pleasant, even in a good economy. The pink slip incurs an entire Kubler-Ross range of emotions -- shock, anger, denial, fear and depression. From that state of mind, one cheerfully begins the job hunt, which can result...

Immelmans into summer. (Up Front).
June 1, 2003... With the same affinity I bear towards vintage movies and vintage cars, do I view older propeller aircraft, although I'm not in the market to take out a mortgage for one of my own. The difference between props and jets is like football before...

Switchable permanent magnets: get a grip...or don't. (Five Star Product of the Month).
June 1, 2003... Permanent magnets are among the most useful components of our technological age. They provide a constant, reliable source of energy for many magnetic circuits without the need for external electric currents. Advances in metallurgy and...

Rutan's spaceship. (Technology Spotlight).
June 1, 2003... Burt Rutan, the aerospace designer who set the aviation world on its collective ear with creation's like the Vari-Eze kit airplane (and the cool forward canard wing), unveiled in April his company's concept for a sub-orbital manned spacecraft....

Waste to oil. (Technology Spotlight).
June 1, 2003... From the "Too good to be true?" department -- an industrial installation in Missouri stands ready to convert 200 tons of waste per day from ConAgra Foods' Butterball Turkey processing plant into 600 barrels of light oil (number two heating oil...

Flame-retardant additives. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 9762 This company provides a comprehensive range of flame-retardant additives for PP, PA, PBT, ABS, PPA, SPS and other plastics. Over 100 compounds are UL-recognized, and many comply with strict UL94 (flammability), UL746B (thermal...

Elastic polymer. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 9312 PermaFlex resin combines the elastic properties of traditional rubber materials with the abrasion resistance of the most durable plastics. FDA-approved ingredients suit this material for medical, food and packaging applications....

Antimicrobial additive. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 6108 The MicroBlaster additive package, available in select grades of the company's Icorene resins, prevents microbial growth in microcracks, dead spots and rough surfaces. With the advantages of inorganic properties, this Ag-ion...

Permeation modeling. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 4392 This company has an exclusive, world-wide license to perform M-RULE Permeation Model calculations for third parties. The web-based software predicts permeation of [0.sub.2], [CO.sub.2], [N.sub.2] and [H.sub.2]O for plastic...

Purging compound. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 2013 Dyna-Purge thermoplastic purging compound cleans plastic processing equipment without the use of chemicals or abrasives. It is formulated to flow naturally through the barrel of the extruder and injection machine, allowing a...

Secondary resins. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 8431 Hard-to-find engineering plastics and immediate supplies of particular resins can be found online, updated daily at this website. Over 3.5 million lbs of inventory are stocked, from acrylic to xenoy. An in-house quality-control...

Pigmentation. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 1832 The StanTone EP additive expands this company's line of color for the elastomer and rubber markets. An online Color Selector displays technical information, including pigment type, physical properties, color index and light...

Active controller. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 142 The USC dynamic-response controller for plastic welding systems features single-button operation. Programmable amplitude values are held through an auto-tuning module that measures the status of the oscillating system 1250 times...

Polymer additives. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 3214 This company will display its latest offerings, including Hyperform HPN-68, a hyper-nucleating agent that speeds polymer solidification while reducing anisotropic shrinkage; ClearTint transparent colorant for polypropylene;...

Purging compounds. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 2549 Designed for high-detergency, high-and low-temperature and enhanced general purpose applications, the Asaclean line of purging compounds delivers low residue characteristics in hot runner cleaning of open or closed molds. Tough...

Recycled PET. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 7242 This company produces food-grade recycled PET resins and has won both FDA and Canadian approval, with the capability of mass-producing 100% RPET bottles for the soft drink industry, contingent upon (and so far exceeding)...

Rubber alloy. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 7146 To be introduced at the show is Raupren 707 melt-processible rubber alloy certified as a replacement for Alcryn 2070BK. Also on display will be the company's full range of premium and standard PVC compounds. Their flexible...

SBC grades. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 7935 K-Resin XK40 and XK4l grades of styrene-butadiene copolymer are intended for use in sheet extrusion and thermoforming, and are available in commercial quantities. The new grades achieve high blend ratios with less expensive...

Materials testing. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 4352 This provider of testing equipment for evaluating the mechanical properties of materials and components will be featuring its 5500 series systems at the show. Designed to test plastics and elastomers, these systems are available...

Processing aids. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 10526 This company manufactures a complete line of processing aids for plastics manufacturers. The line includes mold releases, mold cleaners, rust preventives, purging compounds, lubricants, cutting oils and a variety of related...

Custom thermoplastics. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booths 2015, 2215 This company will showcase its seven customizable product lines: Colorcomp pre-colored unfilled resins; Konduit thermally conductive fillers and engineering thermoplastics; Lubricomp internally lubricated compounds;...

Bellows. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 12432 ThermiSeal bellows protects and seals equipment from air, dust and light. The bellows are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, in urethane or PVC materials. Designed for a variety of traveling and cleanroom applications,...

Medical TPEs. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 13137 To be introduced at this show is the company's line of Mediflex TPEs for medical product and tubing applications. A variety of grades from 8 Shore A to 60 Shore D is available. For tubing applications, the grades are designed...

PTT compound. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 8523 This company specializes in custom thermoplastic compounds. Their 4700 series glass-reinforced polytrimethylene terephthalate compound provides an economical replacement for metal brackets used to fasten this truck's grab...

TPE lines. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 4161 This company will introduce three new product lines: Versalloy 8000 TPE alloys, available in a range from 45 to 70 Shore A; super-soft 30 Shore 00 Versaflex CL2003 water-clear, non-tacky and non-oil free TPE; and Versollan TPU...

Mold software. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 5393 This company's CAD/CAM software synchronizes among product design, mold design and manufacturing. The Mold Edition add-on to their software includes such mold components as cooling channels, face vents, swabs, electrode...

Extrusion heads. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 4381 Series 400 extrusion heads have been engineered for increased design flexibility, enhanced durability and improved crush resistance. The tooling includes the company s multi-port spiral flow design that balances compound...

Plastics coatings. (Materials).
June 1, 2003... Booth 5149 Imagio resin-plus-coating provides a range of colors -- from Candy Apple Red to Silver Chrome -- and various soft-feel effects options. These coatings are spray-applied to TPE resins using a 2-or 3-step process for special...

Anti-coagulant copolymer catheters. (Revisionx).
June 1, 2003... Biochemical research improves tubing architecture Throughout its history, Vestolit, Marl, Germany, has concentrated on highly specialized PVC products. During the 1990's they teamed up with Professors Marcel and Jacqueline Jozefowicz of the...

Improved film is under control: upgrade to temperature management benefits production line.
June 1, 2003... The manufacture of blown plastic film is affected by many variables. Blown films are produced by extruding molten plastic resin through a small annular die, where it emerges as a film. It is then blown upwards with a flow of refrigerated air...

Drive programming. (Innovations).
June 1, 2003... The 2-part Electronic Programming Module (EPM) system contains a tiny memory chip that interfaces with the company's SC drive. An optional hand-held battery-operated device can store up to 30 drive programs and transfer them to an EPM system in...

Brushless drive amplifiers. (Innovations).
June 1, 2003... Designed to reduce installation time by minimizing wiring, the GeoDrive family of brushless motor drive amplifiers consists of 1- and 2-axis, 3-phase amplifiers that operate directly off power mains (up to 230 and 480 VAC) for motor power and...

Miniature encoder. (Innovations).
June 1, 2003... Said to be the world's smallest high-resolution incremental encoder, the 15g, 16 mm dia. 2MC offers line counts up to 5000 puls/rev (20,000 counts). High accuracy is achieved using true lines on disk rather than interpolated lower line counts....

Programmable control system. (Innovations).
June 1, 2003... The APECS 5000 fully programmable control system features engine protection and diagnostic features. Suitable for small spark ignition engines that power mobile equipment, the controller can be calibrated on any PC using the company's ACT...

PC motion controller. (Innovations).
June 1, 2003... The eXMP-SynqNet stand-alone motion controller uses dual-processor architecture with a scalable Celeron processor running VxWorks, embedded NT or other real-time operating systems, along with the company's XMP family Sharc DSP motion...

Managing robot machinists: software controls speed versatile, complex machining operations.
June 1, 2003... The engineering community knows full well that an automobile factory does not take raw material in at one door, and eject finished vehicles out the opposite side. There are so many subassemblies, systems and accessories in the modern car that...

Positioning racks & pinions. (Top Product).
June 1, 2003... * precision ground teeth * customizable designs A range of precision ground round racks, with accurate helicoidal tooth forms, is available in hardened round bearing shafting and 316 stainless steel tube. Round rack in standard...

Distance sensor. (Motion Spotlight Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... The GP2Y0D340K distance measuring sensor has a range of 10 to 40 cm. Start-up delay is 10 msec with a 7 msec response time, with on/off cycling in less time. The compact sensor is 9.6 x 15 x 8.7 mm and it consumes 35 mA current. Standard...

Rotary index tables. (Motion Spotlight Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... This company has added a line of rotary indexing tables and A/B axes that are universally applicable to be integrated on wire and die sinking EDM machines as well as CNC machining centers. Standard equipment includes face place or taper type...

Gas spring. (Motion Spotlight Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... The GSSX stainless steel-shafted gas spring is designed for applications requiring extensive corrosion resistance for a longer service life. A lip seal inside the tube provides extra protection against potential contaminants and high-strength...

Tilt sensor. (Motion Spotlight Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... The True-Tilt narrow-angle, electrolytic tilt sensor features good sens-or-to-sensor repeatability and reliability. Angle range is [+ or -]3-degrees, resolution is 1 arc-sec and null repeatability is [less than or equal to]5 arc-sec. The 0.3- x...

Elastomer bumpers. (Motion Spotlight Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... Four lines of high-performance elastomer bumpers are offered, including three distinct versions of load vs. displacement characteristics and one line designed for overhead cranes. All materials incorporate UV light inhibitors for use in outdoor...

Thickness sensor. (Motion Spotlight Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... The Polaris laser sensor series is suited for measuring thicknesses, widths, lengths, profiles and displacements from 10 to 400 mm of a variety of materials. These units measure up to 15.7 in. at high resolution (60,000 steps) with an accuracy...

Optical alignment stage. (Motion Spotlight Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... Designed for both test and production applications, the Fast6 6-axis optical alignment system provides unconstrained part access. The linear axes feature 5 nm resolution yet deliver 25 to 50 mm X-axis, up to 6 mm Y-axis and up to 75 mm Z-axis...

Piezoelectric positioning. (Motion Spotlight Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... The Piezomotor line of piezoelectric actuators and drive electronics features displacements from 10 to 300 [micro]m (0 to 1000V). Capacitance is from 0.015 to 12.8 [micro]F. Stack diameters are 5.6 to 32.3 mm while stack lengths are 11 to 185...

Microscope stage system. (Motion Spotlight Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... The Bio Stage system is mechanically positioned onto a manual stage 200 x 200 mm or larger. Setting firmly on sorbothane pads, the system has good clamping characteristics and includes a 3-axis joystick controller, power supply, cables and...

Robot achieves in-mold labeling. (Application Xtra).
June 1, 2003... * shortens cycle times * reduces after-molding steps Seeking faster production to meet customer demands and provide a better return on investment, designers and producers of injection molded plastic items -- from electronic plugs, to...

Step-motor driver. (Motion Products Positioning Decives).
June 1, 2003... The R208 unit offers a low-cost stepmotor driver with low power dissipation and automatic current reduction. It is able to provide up to 2.0A of phase current to any bipolar step motor. One can set the micro stepping resolution from full to...

Variable frequency drive controller. (Motion Products Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... The PFix M4288 series variable frequency drive controller is a self-contained, field-mountable pump and drive controller suited to be a supplement or alternative to PLC-based controls. Operational features include fully-scalable speed setpoint...

Brushless servodrive. (Motion Products Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... The MicroBNET AC brushless servodrive is designed for AC sinusoidal servomotors up to 6 Nm encoder and resolver feedback. The Micro B Net ifier is a compact, stand-alone, 4-quadrant converter with sinusoidal wave is powered directly from the...

Hub motors. (Motion Products Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... These devices feature a DC brush motor, housed in a wheel geared to provide the highest torque at low speed of any motor in its class, with an integrated changeable solid rubber tire. The 12V Gray model is lightweight, whereas the 12V Blue...

DC motor. (Motion Products Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... The MD 1622 series of DC-Ironcore motors has precious-metal brushes with outer diameters ranging from 12 to 48 mm. It can provide up to 0. 14 oz-in. of continuous torque. Higher torque values are possible in conjunction with the company's...

Sequential control logic element. (Motion Products Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... The State Block control device allows programming from simple, repetitive steps to a variable sequence that follows different paths according to input conditions, eliminating the high cost of specialized software. The solid-state blocks use...

Microstep driver. (Motion Products Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... The DR-38M intelligent microstep driver uses step and direction signals to operate a motor, but unlike similarly priced simple drivers, this 4A/40V driver includes such features as CW and CCW limit inputs, speed Sensed fast/slow decay and...

Planetary gearhead. (Motion Products Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... These 10 mm planetary gearheads allow high torque in a small package. Concentric input and output facilitate s simple mounting arrangements. A wide range of ratios -- from 4:1 up to 1024:1 -- is available to enhance speed reduction and/or...

Expansion controller module. (Motion Products Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... The D2-CM expansion base controller module is placed in the CPU slot of each expansion base in the company's DL205 PLC products. It includes PWR, RUN and DIAG LEDs for system status indication. The modules can be run at a total distance of 30m...

Harmonic drive gearheads. (Motion Products Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... The PSA-G line of harmonic drive gearheads is available in standard gear ratios from 50:1 to 100:1. These compact gearheads measure as little as 33 mm dia. and 50 mm long, and are specifically designed to handle high axial and overhung loads....

Combination starters. (Motion Products Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... A series of Type E and Type F combination starters is rated for motors up to 42A and 30 hp at 460V, with high fault ratings up to 65 kA at 480V, depending upon configuration. Modules include a self-protected, stand-alone Type E starter, and a...

Brushless planetary gearmotors. (Motion Products Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... These 1.4-in. slotless brushless gearmotors feature planetary gearboxes with high power density and quiet operation. They are suited for applications with speeds up to 2000 rpm and torque up to 3000 ozin. For servo applications, a 500 line...

DC motor speed control. (Motion Products Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... The 65 series of battery operated DC motor speed controls has been expanded with the 65E10 control rated for 10A continuous current. It provides high performance PWM control for 12, 24 and 36V battery powered equipment. Features include...

Control/display module. (Motion Products Positioning Devices).
June 1, 2003... These customized modules are supplied in finished or semi-finished versions. They are capable of monitoring any combination of time, temp, humidity, speed, pressure, motion and other variables. Most modules are microprocessor-based,...

Pressure relief valve. (Top Product).
June 1, 2003... * eliminates premature wear, instability * maintains seal near set point Suited for applications requiring overpressure protection and fluid loss minimization (e.g. volatile fluids/gas production and fluid transfer), the PRV95 relief...

Gas spring/cylinder CAD templates. (Fluid Power Valves & Cylinders).
June 1, 2003... This company's CD-ROM literature on nitrogen gas springs, metric air cylinders and hydraulic core pin cylinders provides both pdf-format specifications and CAD templates for facilitating design. Standard 2D dwg and dxf formats are available, as...

Pneumatic pinch valve. (Fluid Power Valves & Cylinders).
June 1, 2003... The EZ-pinch pneumatic pinch valve with tubing up to 3/8-in. OD has a removable cover plate that eliminates the mess of pulling tubes through a hole for insertion or removal. The valve has a flat bearing surface and an adjustable pinch blade...

Spray nozzle website. (Fluid Power Valves & Cylinders).
June 1, 2003... This manufacturer has expanded its line of industrial spray nozzles which can be ordered online. New product lines include flat spray, solid stream and spiral full and hollow cone nozzles in a wide range of pipe sizes and capacities. The...

3-way pneumatic valves. (Fluid Power Valves & Cylinders).
June 1, 2003... The F-5700, F-5800 series pressure piloted 3-way valve has an adjustable pressure pilot setpoint. The adjustable pressure pilot can be set to sense pressure between 0.5 to 100 psi. Valves are offered in both normally-open and normally-closed...

Cylinder systems, gas springs. (Fluid Power Valves & Cylinders).
June 1, 2003... The Nitrogen Die Cylinder Systems and Gas Springs CDROM contains CAD drawing templates and all product literature. Templates are available in dwg, igs and dxf formats for streamlining the die design process. Components include manifold...

Flanged ball valve. (Fluid Power Valves & Cylinders).
June 1, 2003... The Triac series D9 direct mount 150# and 300# ANSI class flanged ball valve is available in valve/actuator packages with ISO5211 automation pad and choice of electric or pneumatic actuator. A "pyramid power," live-loaded packing system...

Pressure reducing valve. (Fluid Power Valves & Cylinders).
June 1, 2003... The stainless-steel DR20 compact, lightweight valve uses a flow-up design and flat valve-and-plug arrangement to promote secondary pressure stability. This stability augments pressure reduction to reach a turnover ratio of 30:1, virtually...

Trap valve station. (Fluid Power Valves & Cylinders).
June 1, 2003... The Big Block universal mount steam trap valve station combines isolation valves, test ports, strainer and blowdown valve in a trap mounting block that conforms to the 2-bolt universal swivel mount connection patern. The compact, durable block...

Solenoid valves. (Fluid Power Valves & Cylinders).
June 1, 2003... These 10 and 15 mm direct-acting, 2-and 3-way solenoid valves feature a variety of voltages, orifices and connectors for design flexibility. Fast response times and high flow rates suit these lightweight, miniature valves for various...

Fluid systems components. (Fluid Power Valves & Cylinders).
June 1, 2003... A Quick Look at Fluid System Components offers a broad range of components, including tube fittings, quick connects; weld, pipe and sanitary fittings; instrumentation, process and high-purity valves; and tools and accessories. Valve types...

Sensing system improves valve assembly. (Application Xtra).
June 1, 2003... * inspection during assembly boosts output * consistency in meeting tight tolerances Valve manufacturers today are able to inspect parts during assembly, rather than afterwards, to produce near-perfect fluid check valves. The key to...

Prototyping in cast metal: avoiding the pitfalls. (Tech Upgrade).
June 1, 2003... A prototype-proven design can significantly shorten "time-to-market" by eliminating false starts and costly design changes in the construction of tooling and the die-casting production phase of a project. For the designer, the prototype serves...

Superalloy fastener. (Top Product).
June 1, 2003... * strong, tough * corrosion resistant This company now offers fasteners manufactured from MP98T superalloy. The new fasteners offer a minimum tensile strength of 180 ksi, and typical fracture values tested per ASTM E1820 exceed 200...

Adhesive tapes. (Mechanical Fasteners & Adhesives).
June 1, 2003... Manufactured from a variety of rigid and extensible films and laminates, such as aluminum foil, LLDPE, LDPE or MDPE, PVC, polyester and polyurethane, these specialty tapes have standard and custom-blended, solvent-based, pressure-sensitive...

Ball lock & detent pins. (Mechanical Fasteners & Adhesives).
June 1, 2003... Offering precision alignment for various applications, the Marine Ball Lock Pins have a 300-series stainless steel handle and button, while the Marine Detent Pins are constructed from 316 stainless steel. Both standard and heavy-duty ball-lock...

IFI standards. (Mechanical Fasteners & Adhesives).
June 1, 2003... Newly published technical information, including combination drive systems, plus updated guidelines on fastener design, selection, materials, strength properties, test methods, quality assurance, purchase and installation, is featured in the...

Quarter-turn fastener. (Mechanical Fasteners & Adhesives).
June 1, 2003... In its simple form, the Bi-Fix quarter turn fastener uses just finger pressure to click the fastener into locked position. This connection will not open by vibration or shock less than 100 g. Under axial tension, the fasteners become more W...

Rubber-metal adhesive. (Mechanical Fasteners & Adhesives).
June 1, 2003... The Robond TR series of water-borne adhesives provide rubber-to-metal bonding comparable to that of solvent-based adhesives. Some of the formulations are suited for bonding seismic pads in the construction of bridges and buildings....

Retaining rings. (Mechanical Fasteners & Adhesives).
June 1, 2003... This company supplies various retaining rings from spiral-wound to round-and square-section, snap rings and disc springs. Both metric and inch sizes are available in a variety of standard and custom sizes. Materials include steel phosphate...

Fuse clips. (Mechanical Fasteners & Adhesives).
June 1, 2003... An expanded selection of snap-in or press-in 2AG, 3AG and 5 mm PCB mounted fuse clips are rated for 6.3 to 1 5A operation. They are available with or without orientation tabs and end stops to ensure safety and design integrity. Manufactured...

Plastic fastener with universal tie strap. (Application Xtra).
June 1, 2003... * cuts production time in half * reduces wire harness parts In an effort to reduce the high costs and part number complexity associated with wire harness applications, Emhart Teknologies designed a universal tie strap fastener....

Accelerometer. (Top Product).
June 1, 2003... * dual-axis * low-g With high temperature stability, dual sensing, and integrated signal conditioning electronics on a single monolithic IC, the ADXL203 iMEMS (integrated Micro Electro Mechanical System) accelerometer addresses a...