Designfax articles from March 2000

Designfax archives from March 2000

$100,000 Helps Turn Inspiration Into Reality.
March 1, 2000... Innovation In Communication Award Seeks World-Changing Ideas for the Greater Good As numerous design awards are distributed at this month's National Design Engineering Show in Chicago, here's another contest you still have time to enter....

Industrial-Strength Voltage Relay.
March 1, 2000... High power handling in a small, board-mounted package This PCB/surface-mountable AC solid state relay employing the patented POWERTHERM allows enhanced thermal performance resulting in lower thermal resistances from junction to case....

B & W Nautilus.
March 1, 2000... Loudspeaker designs have long wandered between the technically exotic to the visually exciting and back again, from the sinuous speakers perched atop early Atwater Kents, to the remarkable B & W Nautilus units that were on our February '98...

Argonne National Laboratory.
March 1, 2000... As sensors become easier and less expensive to manufacture, they have grown to be near-ubiquitous in products in consumer, medical and industrial arenas. Unfortunately for these devices and the processes they support, life is not so inexpensive...

Reader CONNECTION.
March 1, 2000... Alternative Transport Applauded I enjoy every issue of Designfax, and I find something of value every month, but I especially appreciated the January 2000 issue for the articles on the drive mutations that may evolve into a dominant form of...

BIRD-DOGGIN 'THE INTERNET: Think small! Nanotechnology Comes of Age.
March 1, 2000... Although Nanotechnology as a defined discipline has only been around for a decade, it has had a lively and checkered journey. While the fascination of assembly of devices and processes at the atomic level draws respected academics and...

National Design Engineering Show.
March 1, 2000... Welcome to our preview of the 48th annual National Design Engineering Show. Over the course of four March days, more than 1,000 vendors in over 280,000 square feet of exhibits are expected to host 35,000 industry professionals in search of...

Model viewer.
March 1, 2000... 3D View can be used to view Parasolid models generated by any system that exports native Parasolid. Since Parasolid is the core geometric modeler of many design and manufacturing systems. 3D View facilitates the sharing of 3D data, among...

FEA software.
March 1, 2000... InCAD DesignPak works from within popular CAD solid modelers to provide access to powerful FEA tools. It also features an all-new solid tetrahedral mesh engine for faster solid FEA meshes, enhanced plate/shell modeling static stress analysis,...

Freeform 3D tools.
March 1, 2000... The Parametrics product will provide complete, fully integrated parametric definition and editing of dimension-driven solid models of CADKEY 99 and CADKEY DESIGN SUITE. This rounds out a line of freeform 3D automation tools that include...

Sheet metal modeling.
March 1, 2000... AutoPOL 7Dt quickly creates parametric sheet metal models with Autodesk Mechanical Destop 4. Unfolding capability incorporates bend factors for automatic bend compensation. The software has the ability to create flat patterns from NURBS or...

Solid Modeler.
March 1, 2000... Solid Designer 7.0 allows designers to modify designs irrespective of design history It was developed to support extensive design changes without the need to understand previous modeling steps. Relations between geometrical entities such as...

CATIA for NT or UNIX.
March 1, 2000... CATIA Version 5 introduces a comprehensive set of products for process integration, delivered on two fully scalable middle-ware platforms called P1 and P2. With Platform P1, CATIA is targeted to small- and medium-sized process-oriented...

Software management.
March 1, 2000... All CAD and office documents can be viewed with Auto Manager View 3.1, which features AutoCAD 2000 DWG format viewing. Users can apply AM-View 3.1 to view and browse through the external references/X refs of an AutoCAD document. It also...

Fluid simulation software.
March 1, 2000... AMESim greatly as assists in the modeling of fluid power systems used in cars, aerospace vehicles, and con construction and materials handling equipment. Advanced simulation capabilites, plus new representations of system components and their...

Development software.
March 1, 2000... Knowledgist 1.5 is a software tool designed to enable engineers in manufacturing industries to shorten the conceptual phase of product development. Knowledgist uses semantic technology to read and analyze documents, extracting the technical...

Modeler/drafter.
March 1, 2000... DesignCAD Pro 2000 combines powerful 3D modeling with easy-to-use 2D drafting. The versatile CAD system is easy to learn and use, but it also has the power and number of features to satisfy those with complex CAD needs. DesignCAD Pro 2000...

Wire harness design.
March 1, 2000... Embassy v2.5 can automatically route wires and calculate wire length in 3D product designs. Wire harness ID can be propagated to all affected components, and a new attached part type (loom) has been defined to represent channel coverings....

Hybrid solid modeler.
March 1, 2000... Mastercam Solids is an add-on to other Mastercam products, and when combined with Mastercam Mill provides fully integrated solid modeling and machining Based on a Parasolid kernel, functions include solid body construction, automated filleting...

Calculation and analysis software.
March 1, 2000... The Image Processing Extension Pack for Mathcad 2000 provides more than 140 features for image processing analysis and visualization. There are new and enhanced functions for filtering, morphology, edge detection and object identification Other...

Simulation tools.
March 1, 2000... e.visual Nastran, the com s first simulation tool in an Application Service Provider (ASP) environment allows engineers to quickly and easily simulte motion, stress, animate and review results -- all through the Web, This model removes the up...

SAT model viewer.
March 1, 2000... Version 5.2 of the ACIS 3D Open Viewer provides immediate and corporate-wide access to the most up-to-date SAT models used within an engineering and manufacturing enterprise. It can be used as a stand alone or as an embedded OLE application in...

Simulation for Solid Edge.
March 1, 2000... The company offers Dynamic Designer/Motion mechanical design simulation software for use with the PC Windows-based Solid Edge package. The software provides fully embedded 3D dynamic simulation capabilities, allowing Solid Edge users to study...

CAM and toolpath software.
March 1, 2000... The company will be showing four new products -- hyperMiLL Version 5, an integrated CAM package for Mechanical Desktop and Think3 software; hyperFORM Version 5, a standalone CAM package for molds and dies; hyperMlLL Version 6.6 for CATIA for...

3D CAD viewer.
March 1, 2000... SolidView/Lite allows Windows 95, 98 and NT users to view popular 3D CAD formats such as STL, OBJ, VRML and SolidWorks parts and assembly data. Users can also use the program to view and measure 3D data saved in Solid File eXchange (SFX)...

Drawing file distribution.
March 1, 2000... This electronic drawing file, called eDrawings, enables users to create, view, send and receive mechanical design drawings via email. Available for existing users of SolidWorks, AutoCAD, or any CAD system outputting a DXF or DWG file, each...

Design analysis.
March 1, 2000... Cosmos/Design STAR is a design analysis program that communicates with, and analyzes geometry from, virtually all CAD programs. It offers analysis in a native Windows program powered by the Parasolid and ACIS modeling kernels, as well as a STEP...

3D design suite.
March 1, 2000... With thinkdesign 4.0's single-click drawing generation, 3D models can be automatically converted to 2D drawings with a single mouse click. In this version, templates can be created from existing drawings, and fully associative post-layout...

Parts libraries.
March 1, 2000... Part Spec and Plant Spec are titles used by designers, engineers and others in such industries as machine design, automotive, HVAC, plant design and electronics. The software allows users to access a wide range of electronic versions of...

Large assembly modeler.
March 1, 2000... Solid Edge Version 8 will be shipped in late March with hundreds of customer-driven enhancements, with significant tools for machine design. The package provides advanced 3D part modeling, large assembly design and powerful drafting, as well as...

Assembly capability analysis.
March 1, 2000... Sigmund is available as a stand-alone product that allows a direct application program interface with Solid Works 98 Plus. The software provides engineers with quantitative analysis to evaluate the assembly capability of their designs. This...

Solid modeler.
March 1, 2000... IronCAD 3.0 permits engineers to easily import and export native geometry from most of the leading CAD, CAM and CAB systems. Supported by ACIS and Parasolid, data moves readily into any like-kerneled package. Model behavior is easier with new...

The Next Age of Design: Better Looking Products Through Technology.
March 1, 2000... Changes in tools ultimately created shift from functional to aesthetic design How do you like those sexy, wrap-around sunglasses you just bought. What about the smooth, palm-fitting feel of your cell phone? The flowing surfaces and organic...

Disconnect switches.
March 1, 2000... Featuring reversible terminals through a sliding terminal bar system, these Reverso switches provide front, DIN rail or rear mounting. Standard switches with reversible terminals are available in three switch sizes: 25 or 32A, 50 or 63A, and 80...

Terminal block.
March 1, 2000... The Series 86 offers a style 45 plug with mating style 96 and 99 high temperature headers. The latest addition to the company's Eurostyle family of terminal blocks, the 5.08mm pitch plug, features captive retention screws to ensure mating...

Speed & proximity sensors.
March 1, 2000... These solid-state sensors bring excellent performance and reliability to consumer, commercial and industrial equipment designs. A variety of packages and wiring options are available. If part customization is needed, this company's in-house...

Connector line.
March 1, 2000... This complete automotive relay connector line satisfies most switching and wiring applications. Sockets are available for the standard ISO, micro and power 70 amp plug-in relays. For harnessing jobs, connectors come with or without mounting...

Instruments.
March 1, 2000... Adding to its extensive line of more than 3,500 products for measuring and controlling pressure, temperature, level and flow, this company will feature as many as 80 new products at NDES. They range from explosion-proof differential pressure...

HMI solutions.
March 1, 2000... This company offers more than 50 hardware configurations and 130 communications drivers. The HMIcontrol is an all-in-one device that integrates an operator interface, a PLC and local I/O into one package. Designed for applications demanding...

Male terminals.
March 1, 2000... This company's anti-rock design SturdiMount male terminals provide increased PCB mounting strength. This design increases the force necessary to deflect the terminal, and prevents mounting leg breakage that can cause connection failure....

Inverters.
March 1, 2000... The KBVF series are easy-to-use inverters designed to control standard 3-phase motors rated through 1hp, from either 115 or 230 V, 50/60 Hz, single phase supplies. The drives are simple to install since no programming is required. Complete...

Foot switch.
March 1, 2000... Features of the Aquiline foot switch series include SPDT, DPDT or single and 2-stage operation, plus optional watertight modification to IP68. The switch is encased in an engineered polymeric material or cast aluminum housing, and is...

Disposable connector.
March 1, 2000... This REDEL connector has 8-pins to satisfy various medical applications. PYH.M0.8GG.AB is a fixed disposable receptacle, snap-on mounting, with an alignment key (H) position. It is a multicontact type with male solder contacts. The outer shell...

Pressure switches.
March 1, 2000... The MPL-600 Series are miniature, adjustable, SPDT pressure switches. Actuation settings range from approximately 0.11 in. of mercury (1.5 in. of water) to 91 in. of mercury (45 psig). Depending upon pressure settings, ratings are available...

External dust cap.
March 1, 2000... This cap is available in the 1801 series of miniature rocker switches. The switch comes fully assembled with a rubber boot, which is prelubricated for longer life. Switches are dust protected and splash resistant, and come with or without...

Optical encoder.
March 1, 2000... Model QD110 is designed to provide high resolution digital feedback in an industrial standard Size 11 mounting format. Quadrature with reference pulse output format, resolutions up to 2048 lines per revolution (direct read), and a variety of...

Gaskets.
March 1, 2000... The Tecksof 2000 series consists of conductive fabric over foam gaskets. It has been designed to meet commercial EMI shielding application demands. The foam core is flexible and comfortable, making it ideal for situations requiring low closure...

Operator interface.
March 1, 2000... The rugged, hand-held TouchLite includes a number of display options, from a 5.7-in, diagonal monochrome to a 6.1-in, color VGA. Display and touch panel are housed in a rugged enclosure sealed to IP-65 standards. Features include two PCMCIA...

Joystick.
March 1, 2000... The multi-axis JC400 has been developed for applications where compact size and functionality are important. It is designed for use with an electronic controller, offers proportional or digital fingertip control in up to three axes, and is...

Sensors.
March 1, 2000... A line of position, fluid level and flow sensors includes the LDS liquid level sensor, which offers closer differential swithching between "on" and "off" with the repeatability and reliability of reed switch operation. This makes it ideal for...

Sensor modules.
March 1, 2000... The HOA6299 Series through-beam infrared sensor modules offer fast response time, direct TTL interface and buffer logic. The emitter and detector are in separate modules. Both are encased in dust-protective thermoplastic housings that prevent...

Flexible sensors.
March 1, 2000... Based on the principle of magnetostrictive sensing, these flexible sensors provide non-contact and trouble-free performance for very long stroke lengths and linear measurements on an arc. They are available with all Temposonics III or L Series...

Photoelectric sensor.
March 1, 2000... The E3GL1 sensors offer a pinpoint beam of 1mm diameter with a range of 5-50mm. This beam can detect the presence or absence of minute targets without the use of a laser beam, which reduces costs. The sensor incorporates a 1-touch threshold...

Pressure tranducers.
March 1, 2000... The Model 224 Flow-Through transducer is designed for applications involving specialty gas handling. It enables users to monitor specialty gas processes on an in-line basis and is used in gas delivery systems, semiconductor process tools and...

STTS Safety Mat System.
March 1, 2000... The STTS (Soft Tactile Transducer Sensor) system is a tactile sensor that provides information and magnitude of tactile force applied to its surface. The technology creates a uniform activation threshold throughout the entire mat surface area....

Self-adjusting sensor.
March 1, 2000... This event-driven photoelectric sensor automatically compensates for deteriorating or detrimental changes as they occur during operation. These changes include dirty lenses or reflectors, broken light guide fibers, light source drift and more....

Rotary position transducer.
March 1, 2000... Series U-222xxx RVRTs (rotary variable reluctance transducers) are part of the company's customizable line of rugged rotary position sensors. Critical electrical parameters and construction features of these RVRTs can be customized to meet...

Controller/amplifier.
March 1, 2000... The RTC-3000 will operate virtually any small brushed or brushless DC servo motors up to 1A continuous and 3A peak, yet is only about the size of a credit card. The complete stand-alone system includes controller, amplifier, logic power...

Linear motors and controls.
March 1, 2000... Many products, including linear motors and controls for medical equipment applications requiring flexibility, accuracy, speed and repeatability, will be on display in this company's booth. Other products to be featured will include low-inertial...

Precision motion systems.
March 1, 2000... The Stealth gearmotor line combines helical planetary gearing with a brushless DC servo motor in a compact package. Available with or without an amplifier, the units are available in frame sizes of 60, 90 and 115mm. Micro Plus Positioning...

Brushless DC motors.
March 1, 2000... The company's NEMA DIN34 series brushless DC motors are available in three standard frame lengths of 2.0-, 2.6- and 3.2-in. A rear shaft extension provides for encoder mounting. Typical operating speeds range from 6,000 to 18,000 RPM, with...

Pneumatic sensing cylinders.
March 1, 2000... A line of magnetic position sensing cylinders that range up to 3/4 in. in bore size now includes 5/16- and 7/16-in. bore sizes. They can be used with the company's Giant Magnetorestrictive (GMR) switch, as well as a new reed switch. The...

Linear motion system.
March 1, 2000... The GV3 linear motion system combines the proven benefits of the Hepco V bearing principle with the highly successful Generation II and CM slide systems. Slides are now available in P1 precision -- ground on V surfaces and all mounting faces;...

Timing belts.
March 1, 2000... Keviar-or steel-reinforced polyurethane timing belts provide outstanding reliability and long service life expectancy. Belt backings are available in a wide variety of cover materials with different thicknesses, hardness, density and...

Matched amplifier-motor.
March 1, 2000... The VALUE-PACK motion control package combines the Model 7427AC servoamplifier with a choice of two matched Size 34 brushless servomotors. Both motors incorporate resolver sensors for positive feedback and amplifier commutation. Rated speed on...

End effector.
March 1, 2000... The BodyBuilder End Effector System offers users increased durability and a longer life cycle for the tool. An octagonal provides increased stiffness and resistance to radial twisting, compared to conventional designs that use square...

Quick connect gearheads.
March 1, 2000... A low backlash planetary servo speed reducer will be introduced. The integral two-piece bellows coupling eases assembly, and compensates for shaft misalignment. Also exhibited will be low backlash spiral bevel gearboxes, the WATT drive helical...

Timing belts and pulleys.
March 1, 2000... The FHT pitch belts and pulleys provide higher torque, reduced noise levels and minimal vibration in a smaller pitch design. The position of the belt's chordal path surrounded by urethane minimizes meshing stresses created as the belt moves in...

Linear actuator.
March 1, 2000... A ballscrew used in place of a traditional leadscrew provides longer life for the motor of a linear actuator. The Size 23, single stack DC stepping motor achieves up to 300 lbs. of linear force, while providing up to 10 in. of linear travel per...

Cable carrier.
March 1, 2000... The E-Z Triflex cable carriers are ideal for robotics and other space-restricted, multiple-axis applications, where maximum freedom of movement and minimum assembly time are crucial. The E-Z Chain series incorporates a special crossbar design...

Control system.
March 1, 2000... The MicroLYNX system integrates a bipolar stepper motor microstepping drive and a versatile, programmable indexer with expandable I/O and multiple communication ports. It is offered in two power ranges -- the MicroLYNX4 runs at 12 to 48 VDS...

Face motors.
March 1, 2000... Round body NEMA C face motors up to 50 hp are available in cast iron frames. Models of C face cast iron motors that also incorporate a rigid base mounting are being offered through 75 hp. The heavy-duty motors feature totally enclosed,...

Shaft coupling.
March 1, 2000... Curved jaw ROTEX couplings can connect shafts that are separated by extended gaps. The spacer allows the user to disassemble the coupling without moving either the driver or driven component. Repairs and maintenance can be made without...

Planetary gearheads.
March 1, 2000... A wide array of planetary gearheads are offered in diameters from 22 to 120mm. Made with Swiss precision, they provide a typical service life of up to 10,000 hours, for motor speeds up to 5,000 RPM. They are available in low backlash and extra...

Pancake motors.
March 1, 2000... The EC series of brushless pancake motors are electronically commutated, thus enabling extremely long motor life since there are no brushes to wear out. Ball bearings also add to the life of the motor. Assembling the coils outside of the rotor...

Drive belts.
March 1, 2000... Endless Flex Belts are designed for power transmission and positioning applications Having no splices or seams they are ideal for higher torque drives and increased loads. High quality urethane with reinforcing steel cords gives these belt...

Miniature ball bearings.
March 1, 2000... These miniature precision and instrument ball bearings can he typically found in automotive, medical tool and computer disc drive applications. They, are offered in sizes ranging from 0.1181 to 1.000 in. (3 to 25.4mm), with either crown or...

Stepping motors and drivers.
March 1, 2000... The PULSTAR-V Series of 5-phase stepping motors and matched drivers easily integrate into existing systems. High-efficiency magnetic circuit technology greatly increases usable torque in the industry-standard frame sizes of NEMA 17, 23 and 24...

Compact brushless packages.
March 1, 2000... The FBL II Series of high-speed, small, brushless DC motor-and-driver packages are available with output powers of 75 and 120 watts at 3,000 r/min. Speed range is from 300 to 3,000 r/min. with constant torque, rated at 34.7 oz-in. for the 75W...

22mm brush motors.
March 1, 2000... The LO-COG Series 6000 iron-core, brush-commutated 22mm motors and gearmotors offers all the performance of traditional coreless motors at a substantial cost savings. They are available in lengths of either 1.256- or 1.556-in., and provide...

Rubber and elastomer components.
March 1, 2000... Products are offered to control vibration, shock and noise in HVAC, machinery, vehicle and electronic applications. Product lines include vibration and shock mounts, leveling feet, air spring isolators, steel spring mounts, end-of-travel...

Brushless motors.
March 1, 2000... A full line of autoclavable motors for medical and extreme operating environments is based on System Faulhaber ironless rotor technology. The design combines no cogging, high acceleration dynamics with powerful rare earth magnet systems....

Flexible coupling.
March 1, 2000... The Reli-a-Flex coupling offers high torsional stiffness and low bearing loads, achievable due to the unique slot pattern of this coupling. The Reli-a-Flex is able to outperform traditional one-piece couplings, and can even approach the...

Bellows couplings.
March 1, 2000... Belflex bellows couplings combine stainless steel bellows and aluminum hubs. Belflex fuse high torque capabilities and high torsional rigidity in a zero-backlash, low inertia flexible coupling. They accommodate parallel and angular...