Designfax articles from March 2003

Designfax archives from March 2003

Santa and the monsters of Hollywood: what's making that elf so jolly? He likes his work! (Layer One).
March 1, 2003... See that gentleman behind the wheel of that car, Virginia? He's really Craig Kackert, and he's "kind-of" an engineer. That is to say, he has no formal college diploma (post-high education was a year of night school at a technical college), but...

Veni, vidi, schmoozi. (Up Front).
March 1, 2003... Last November was my high school reunion, my -- ahem -- 30-year reunion (who needs Grecian Formula when you can use Photoshop?)(or implants, for that matter). I like to attend these, and I was pleased, to see how many of us grew up to do really...

Precision strain gage measurement: compact chip offers analog alternative with lower current, faster updates. (Five Star Product of the Month).
March 1, 2003... Designed for strain or piezo gage measurement, the purely digital Picostrain PS01 chip, made by ACAM-Messelectronic GMBH, Germany, and distributed by Transducers Direct LLC, Cincinnati, OH, capitalizes on time-to-digital (TDC) technology to...

United Technologies Corporation. (Technology Spotlight).
March 1, 2003... Penn State acousticians have achieved proof of concept for a compact ice cream freezer case based on green technology that substitutes sound waves for environmentally damaging chemical refrigerants. Dr. Steven Garrett, the United Technologies...

University of California. (Technology Spotlight).
March 1, 2003... MIT engineers and colleagues from the University of California are reporting a unique design of a "smart surface" that can reversibly switch properties in response to an external stimulus. In the Jan. 17 issue of Science, the researchers...

Sensors and switches. (Electrical/Electronics).
March 1, 2003... Booth 5357 This company manufactures photoelectric sensors and inductive switches, including safety light curtains, barcode scanners and laser sensors. They will also be showing a laser sensor with CCD-technology for improved linearity and...

Fans, keyboards, power supplies and more. (Electrical/Electronics).
March 1, 2003... Booth 5933 Products displayed by this company will include AC & DC axial fans and blowers ranging from 25 mm to 172 mm in diameter. Their miniature ball bearing line ranges in size from 0.1191- to 1.00 in. CD. There are hybrid and PM step...

Industrial control switches. (Electrical/Electronics).
March 1, 2003... Booth 5861 The A01 series of rotary lever and keylock switches features completely modular construction consisting of an operator and an interchangeable switch block that snaps securely together. Electrical ratings are 10 mA 5 VAC min. to...

Touch screens. (Electrical/Electronics).
March 1, 2003... Booth 6551 This manufacturer of digital and analog resistive touch screens will present five-wire resistive touch screens. Other products being displayed will include X-Y matrix and 4-wire touch screens. Design options include hard coat...

Electronic packaging products. (Electrical/Electronics).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7801 An expanding line of packaging for electronics offers 8- and 11-pin plug-in models and encapsulation shells, providing a means of packaging and potting components. The 2- x 2-in. encapsulation shell has covers with standard...

Rocker power switch. (Electrical/Electronics).
March 1, 2003... Booth 6554 The CR Series power switch offers a 20A switching capability. Typical applications include appliances, office equipment and lighting controls. The switch is available in a wide variety of colors, and in lighted and non-lighted...

Fiber-optic connector. (Electrical/Electronics).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7608 The REDEL D snap-on connection system has a plug that measures only 3.2 mm OD and less than 6 mm in length. The coupler is 5 mm OD and 10 mm in length. The device is capable of being mounted onto either 250 micron coated fiber...

Component supplier. (Electrical/Electronics).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7842 The catalog from this supplier provides complete information for more than 200,000 components from manufacturers like ST Micro Kemet, Bourns, Condor, Fluke, Molex and more. Products include semiconductors, passives,...

Thin sensors. (Electrical/Electronics).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7018 FlexiForce Sensors are ultra-thin, flexible and reusable force sensors with high repeatability. All models in the line are trimmable, permitting the customization of lead length. They will also be terminated with a male square...

Distance measuring. (Electrical/Electronics).
March 1, 2003... Booth 5458 Unaffected by dirt and debris, the MLA magnetic distance measuring system provides absolute position feedback for a variety of industrial applications. Features include: exact position indication to three decimal places; 0.0004...

Position sensor. (Electrical/Electronics).
March 1, 2003... Booth 5348 The Temposonics L Series LD4 position sensor has a short installed height, making it suitable for limited space applications. The sensing element and overlapping electronics module allows the complete assembly to be mounted...

Circuit breakers. (Electrical/Electronics).
March 1, 2003... Booth 6345 Designed to plug into industry-standard terminal blocks, the 1180 series thermal circuit breaker can reduce downtime by replacing fuses commonly used in DIN- rail applications. Designed for voltages up to 250 VAC or 65 VDC the...

Electroluminescent displays. (Electrical/Electronics).
March 1, 2003... Booth 6453 This company offers full service manufacturing of Polyweld electroluminescent solutions, graphic overlays, membrane switches and conductive printing technology. Capabilities include volume manufacturing, prototypes, quick-turn...

Pressure indicating sensor. (Electrical/Electronics).
March 1, 2003... Booth 6033 Tactilus is an electronic tactile force and pressure-indicating sensor that allows engineers to monitor precisely how force is disbursed between any two contacting or mating surfaces in real time as the event occurs. The sensor...

Power supplies. (Electrical/Electronics).
March 1, 2003... Booth 4701 The QUINT Power Supply offers industrial 3-phase 24 VDC with a 20A output and a wide input range to suit both North American and European machine tool, material handling and automotive environments. The DIN-rail design provides...

Programmable relays. (Electrical/Electronics).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7403 The compact KBMS Series of programmable relays can replace PLCs in many machine automation and process control applications. Several models offer a choice of input power (AC or DC), number of input/outputs (10, 12, and 20), and...

Pushbuttons, switches. (Electrical/Electronics).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7653 This manufacturer of heavy-duty industrial controls will be exhibiting a line of time switches that includes analog, digital and hour counters and a time switch that compensates for sun- and moonrise. The company also produces...

Mechanical design service. (Hardware & Software).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7105 This company offers a complete range of MCAD services using software like Pro/E, CATIA and Solidworks, Unigraphics and SDRC IDEAS. Services include concept development, reverse engineering and packaging studies. Staff engineers...

Network server. (Hardware & Software).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7004 The Celerra NS600 provides multi-protocol access to all file systems, as when handling MCAD/ECAD files in the same directory as W2K documentation files. As an alternative to complex add-on clustering, the mid-sized server can be...

Viewing software. (Hardware & Software).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7005 This company's Universal Viewers help design teams that need to share product lifecycle information within an organization and across the extended enterprise. The products - Imagenation, ViewCafe and Image a*X -- can be rapidly...

Fast reverse engineering. (Hardware & Software).
March 1, 2003... Booth 6906 FlashCT is an industrial computed tomography system for high speed 3D imaging used in reverse engineering, NDT&E, explosive ordnance inspection, and models-based engineering (MBE). The system incorporates an amorphous silicon...

Fluid dynamics software. (Hardware & Software).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7103 This company's CFD software has been used to simulate applications ranging from air flow over an aircraft wing, to bubble columns, to blood flow through an aneurysm. The program offers a wide array of state-of-the-art models and...

Freeform modeling. (Hardware & Software).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7108 Version 21 of CADKEY software will be unveiled at the show. The lineup includes major enhancement releases of their geometry- and Windows-based freeform software: Workshop Solid and Surface Modeling; GraphX, for 2D drafting; and...

Embedded PCs. (Hardware & Software).
March 1, 2003... Booth 8121 The STX88600VEA is a low power consumption, Pentium III-level, compact, all-in-one, system-on-module board in a PC/104 form factor. Features include an Ethernet port, CRT/LCD and audio support. Clock speed is 100/133 MHz FSB,...

Product development software. (Hardware & Software).
March 1, 2003... Booth 6511 The IX SPeeD Suite aids design authoring and product development in an Internet environment. It supports the practice of simultaneous product development, a process in which members of worldwide development teams co-develop...

Integrated CAD/CAM. (Hardware & Software).
March 1, 2003... Booth 6311 Version 7 offers dozens of new tools and major enhancements that boost performance and ease assembly modeling. A new tool optimizes package design, and new interface elements boost productivity. Surfacing enhancements quickly...

Specialized engineering integrator. (Hardware & Software).
March 1, 2003... Booth 6914 EnCapta software enables engineers to capture, structure and communicate non-geometric design data vital for complete product definition, and links this information with features of the geometric CAD model. The company also...

3D CAD parts. (Hardware & Software).
March 1, 2003... Booth 6501 To help engineers reduce design time and bring products to market faster, this company offers 3D ContentCentral, a free online directory of downloadable 3D CAD parts from leading component manufacturers. Solid models of parts...

Rapid prototyping platform. (Hardware & Software).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7542 Two important upgrades have been made to the FDM Titan, which builds models from polycarbonate and ABS plastic. Surface-finish resolution has been increased to 0.005 in., creating models with smoother surface finish and...

CAM software. (Hardware & Software).
March 1, 2003... Booth 6514 Mastercam Direct now allows users of Mastercam software to open a model while in an Inventor, Solid Edge, Solidworks or Rhinoceros session. Toolpaths can then be updated to reflect changes to that model. Additionally, an entire...

Lending an ear: stereolithography templates support prosthetic ear surgery. (Application Ideas).
March 1, 2003... To provide surgeons with an accurate drilling template for implanting a prosthetic ear on a patient and reduce the time and costs typically associated with anatomical models, maxillofacial prosthetists at the Morriston Hospital in Swansea, UK,...

Training real doctors on virtual patients: haptic technology improves treatment skills.
March 1, 2003... Endoscopy and minimally invasive surgery (MIS) now account for more than 25% of all surgeries in developed countries, according to Millenium Reseach Group. Even as these procedures put patients at less risk of complications and post-surgical...

Welding services suited for high-volume disposable medical devices. (Medical Products).
March 1, 2003... This welding job shop provides micro welding services to medical device manufacturers including surgical specialty instruments, complex orthoscopic assemblies, micro-mechanical assemblies, thin wall tubring, enclosures and hermetic sealing....

UV discrete LEDs. (Medical Products).
March 1, 2003... Designed for incorporation into portable devices for chemical analysis, forensic investigation, quality assurance, etc., these T1 3/4 (5 mm) LEDs are available in wavelengths of 370, 390, 395, 400, 405 and 410 nm. The compact, low-power...

Seal-less pumps. (Medical Products).
March 1, 2003... The Model 335 series pump is a larger version of the company's 320 series and is available with threaded and smooth inlet/outlet connections. The seal-less, magnetic coupled centrifugal pump is suited for applications requiring maximum pressure...

Fluid handling products. (Medical Products).
March 1, 2003... Standard models, configure-to-order and custom OEM configurations are available for this line of medical fluid handling products. Products include low flow external gear pumps, micro annular gear pumps, piston pumps, peristaltic tubing pumps,...

Micromini medical cable. (Medical Products).
March 1, 2003... Insulating a conductor of 0.002-in. dia, with 1.5 mils of Teflon results in an insulated ultraflexible wire no larger than 0.005-in. dia. Cables are available in various conductor and insulation materials, including non-electrical components...

Toroidal isolation, power transformers. (Medical Products).
March 1, 2003... The AW series of toroidal isolation transformers and AM series of toroidal power transformers are specially designed for medical applications and are recognized under one or both UL544 and IEC60l-1 safety standards. Power ratings range from 100...

Non-metallic metering pump. (Medical Products).
March 1, 2003... The compact KBA/KBR bellows pump is suited for applications that require intermittent chemical replenishment in a small range, such as X-ray, photo-processing equipment and blood analyzers. The virtually silent pumps are offered in three basic...

Germicidal lamps. (Medical Products).
March 1, 2003... These cold cathode UV fluorescent lamps do not require ballasts and, unlike filters, are unaffected by pathogen particle size. They feature spectral distributions of 300 to 400 nm with a peak wavelength of 350 nm, and 200 to 300 nm with peak...

High voltage capacitor charger. (Medical Products).
March 1, 2003... Designed for use in applications such as non-contact medical environments, the CC1000 high voltage capacitor charger features high frequency switching techniques that combine power factor correction and a resonant converter in a single, compact...

Peristaltic pump. (Medical Products).
March 1, 2003... The Model [micro]PC 3000 bench top peristaltic pump is Windows-compatible for repeat line and science applications. Rated for continuous operation and designed for flexibility, these pumps allow users to set dose, time and speed variables, as...

Medical extrusion tooling. (Medical Products).
March 1, 2003... Applicable for OEM and medical fluoropolymers, this ultra-low volume cross head design produces multi-layered thin-wall extrusion accuracy. The MicroFlow spiral crosshead features a FeatherTouch adjustment in the die holder, and a...

Torque sensor. (Medical Products).
March 1, 2003... Model 01286 pulley torque sensor features a highly accurate sensing element and slip ring assembly to measure the belt drive torque, while allowing the motor to be used in normal operation (test stand and on-vehicle). All products can be...

Soft TPE. (Medical Products).
March 1, 2003... Optiflex ultra-clear, soft TPE grades are available in ranges from 30 to 60 Shore A. Clarity is 75 to 93%, offering advantages for see-through grips and other applications where visual clarity is important. It is well-suited for overmolding...

Bearings to die for: die casting spray system slides on non-metallic bearings. (Tech Upgrade).
March 1, 2003... An automatic system that sprays lubricant on dies between die casting cycles incorporates non-metallic, self-lubricating square bearings to simplify design and eliminate the need for bearing lubrication. The mechanism uses a 3-sided Duralon...

Filter screens. (Fluid Power).
March 1, 2003... Booth 6061 This company has added a PEEK filter screen line. The polymer is highly resistant to elevated temperatures and harsh environments, bridging the performance gap between traditional polyamide and polyester polymers and exotic...

Restrictors. (Fluid Power).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7421 This company's expanded line of Cv Restrictors includes both threaded and Press-in style restrictors. The press-in style requires no tapping or other special hole preparation; an expander pin presses into the body after...

Strainers & filters. (Fluid Power).
March 1, 2003... Booth 8038 This company specializes in combining wire and synthetic meshes with thermoplastics and plastisols. Insert molding capabilities have been expanded with rotary vertical injection molding equipment. Insert molded strainers and...

Pressure sensors. (Fluid Power).
March 1, 2003... Booth 5742 The MediaSensor family of pressure sensors, transducers and transmitters provides temperature-compensated output for both harsh and benign media with accuracy of [+ or -]0.5% from -40[degrees] to 105[degrees]C. These compact...

Custom filters. (Fluid Power).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7604 This company custom man u f a c hires filters in any shape or configuration from simple traditional components to highly complex devices. Services include design, modeling, prototyping, building and testing. High-speed automated...

Digital gauge. (Fluid Power).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7418 The Ashcroft Type D1005PS general-purpose digital pressure gauge has 1/2% full scale, terminal point accuracy, including linearity, repeatability and hysteresis. Nine selectable unit measurements are standard, including kpa,...

Hose & tube assemblies. (Fluid Power).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7606 This company offers hose assemblies, custom tube assemblies (including tube end forming, bending and swaging), standard and custom hose fittings, and precision turned parts. Services include working closely with client...

Precision orifices. (Fluid Power).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7747 This company offers micron orifices from 0.00029- through 0.081-in. Laser-drilled, wire-palled ruby and sapphire orifices handle flows under 1 cc/mm. These components are preinstalled in standard stainless steel, brass and...

Pinch valves. (Fluid Power).
March 1, 2003... Booth 5736 AirPinch valves operate using air at the control inlet. The pressure at this point collapses an internal rubber sleeve, providing immediate, positive shut-off. The sleeve closes completely, even on large particulate matter,...

Vacuum products. (Fluid Power).
March 1, 2003... Booth 5844 The VGS3010 vacuum gripper system features an integrated suction cup and efficient, multi-stage air-driven pump that avoids pressure loss problems associated with decentralized systems. This unit can function at operating...

Valves. (Fluid Power).
March 1, 2003... Booth 5340 As an addition to the Series 8 valve family, the Model 8273 2-way diaphragm valve is available in stainless steel for controlling neutral or slightly aggressive gases. The valve operates at 1.5 to 232 psi, with NPTF ports from...

Plungers. (Fluid Power).
March 1, 2003... Booth 169 This company's line of spring, ball, hand-retractable and press-fit plungers provide accurately controlled pressures and positive holding action. A wide range of sizes, spring pressures, types and materials is available....

Disconnect couplings. (Fluid Power).
March 1, 2003... Booth 5535 The NSH series of couplings offers high-flow, corrosion-resistant, non-spill, quick-disconnect properties in a lightweight package. The 100% metal- and spring-free flow path provides high flow and low turbulence with no...

Spring-energized seals. (Fluid Power).
March 1, 2003... Booth 6148 This company offers a complete range of polymeric bearing products and materials, as well as spring-energized PTFE (and other polymer) based, radial, face and rotary shaft seals. According to the company, spring choice is...

Custom membranes. (Fluid Power).
March 1, 2003... Booth 5863 This company offers alternatives to products normally used for minimally invasive surgery. Custom membranes provide filtration to cost-effectively protect expensive equipment while protecting patients and workers. Contamination...

Filter resin resists heat, fluids: polymer suited for corrosive liquids and high temperatures. (Revision X).
March 1, 2003... When Purolator, Fayetteville, NC, was designing a transaxle fluid filter, they looked for a housing material that would withstand the stresses associated with automotive applications. The transaxle is part of an electric powertrain being...

Rubber parts. (Materials).
March 1, 2003... Booth 6039 Custom and standard molded and stamped rubber parts are manufactured from neoprene, SBR, nitrile, EPDM, silicone, Viton, Hypolon, butyl, urethane and TPR. Standard, in-stock parts include bumpers, grommets, feet, O-rings,...

Thermoforming. (Materials).
March 1, 2003... Booth 8001 This custom thermoformer extrudes its own sheet stock. Forming capabilities include pressure and twin sheet forming on both large rotary and in-line formers. Large parts can be accommodated up to 7- x 11-ft with 33-in draw...

Cold-roll forming. (Materials).
March 1, 2003... Booth 5245 This company specializes in cold forming standard and custom shapes onto long bars. Other capabilities include forming shapes on a blank or just the end of a shaft. Unlike hobbing, where material is removed by cutting, cold...

Thermoplastics. (Materials).
March 1, 2003... Booth 5859 This thermoplastic extruder has expanded into injection molding (gas-assisted), foamed PVC profiles and secondary operations, including pad printing, sonic welding and complete assemblies. CAD/CAM design capabilities include...

Rubber molding. (Materials).
March 1, 2003... Booth 8126 Specializing in liquid injection molding of silicone rubber, this company uses USP Class VI and FDA grade materials. Other materials include gum stock silicone, fluorosilicone, Viton, nitrile, neoprene and EPs using compression...

Engineered thermoplastics. (Materials).
March 1, 2003... Booth 6328 This company provides engineered thermoplastics that offer high-performance mechanical, electrical, chemical, thermal and other specified properties. Products include Celcon and Hostaform POM; Celanex PBT, Impet PET, Riteflex...

Coatings. (Materials).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7435 This company provides PVD coating solutions for high tech machining situations. New "productivity enhancer" offerings include AlTiN for dry machining applications and TiB2 for aluminum machining. Engineering staff provides...

Finishing services. (Materials).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7936 Angstrom level tolerances ([+ or -]20[Angstrom]) are offered for prototype or production components, such as mirrors for optical imaging/scanning, air bearings, optical disc molds, large area reference surfaces and custom...

Neodymium magnets. (Materials).
March 1, 2003... A full line of neodymium magnets is available in disc, ring and block shapes, in grade 35 plated or non-plated material. Custom shapes and sizes are also available. These rare-earth magnets are highly resistant to demagnetization and have heat...

Aerodynamic seal material. (Materials).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7939 This company has designed a high-temperature compound that can be molded to fit launch vehicle applications. The company has designed seals and thermal barriers that combine ceramics (for temperature), Teflon (for low friction...

Electronic silicones. (Materials).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7652 Designed to help reduce system size and weight while increasing performance under severe conditions, this family of electronic silicones is available for advanced applications. R-2634 electrically conductive RTV paste maintains...

Vibration control. (Materials).
March 1, 2003... Booth 5961 The Zetacom series of noise and vibration damping sheets simultaneously contains sound-absorbing and insulating properties. Zetapet series' thermally fused fibers reduce noise level by absorbing sound created by vibrating air...

Plastic tubing. (Materials).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7509 Suited for packaging, storing, shipping or displaying product, the ClearView line of clear plastic tubing is available in flexible PETG or rigid PVC for stronger wall strength. Both materials offer excellent clarity and are UV...

Visco-elastic solid. (Materials).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7417 This company's proprietary polyurethane is a visco-elastic solid that behaves like a liquid and exhibits high damping properties over a broad temperature range. Custom molded products are suited for applications that require...

Ceramics. (Materials).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7919 The highlight of this company's display will be their AmAlOx 68 alumina ceramic, which exhibits superior wear and corrosion resistance. Other featured products include AmZirOx 68 yttria-stabilized zirconia ceramic and ZTA-96...

Injection molding. (Materials).
March 1, 2003... Booth 7615 This company molds various materials and part sizes. Modular and conventional molding is offered for greater flexibility. Specially-designed side-action multi-cavity mold bases are used to run multiple parts at one time. This...

Silicone nitride. (Materials).
March 1, 2003... Booth 8023 Particularly suited for structural applications, strong, tough, light-weight silicone nitride ceramic components display excellent mechanical reliability and high temperature, wear and corrosion resistance. Successful...