Designfax articles from March 2005

Designfax archives from March 2005

Brother, can you paradigm?(Up Front)
March 1, 2005... I had the rare pleasure of attending a software conference recently--pleasurable in that, rather than endless aisles of products and promoters (who are all fine people. Really. They're the source of most stories presented in DFX), I was able to...

Grooved shock absorber: hydrostatics improve deceleration.(Five star: product of the month)
March 1, 2005... We write a lot about motion control and the products thereon. There have been tremendous advances in motors and drives, feedback devices and quiet rails, reported on these pages over the years. Still, all that movement has to stop sometime....

Fatigue rosettes.(Technology Spotlight)
March 1, 2005... Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company and Direct Measurements Inc. (DMI), Columbia, SC, have completed phase-one tests of a new strain/fatigue gage technology. DMI uses laser bonded SSR (Symbolic Strain Rosette) fatigue gages and a handheld,...

Lab-on-a-chip update.(Technology Spotlight)
March 1, 2005... A diagnostic device being developed at the National Nuclear Security Administration's Sandia National Laboratories promises better healthcare diagnostics for millions of Americans, replacing off-site labs for analysis and waiting days to obtain...

Pb-free TPVs.(News From The Green File)
March 1, 2005... Aimed at reducing or eliminating health concerns regarding lead contamination, stringent new regulations are being introduced worldwide to establish limits for lead content in products and materials. These include: Directive 200/53/EC, European...

Pb-free switching.(News From The Green File)
March 1, 2005... Further lead-free components are available from ITT Industries Cannon, Newton, MA. Not only does the company's portfolio of switch products include lead-free devices, but also devices that contain no cadmium, mercury or other toxic substances,...

Green grocer.(News From The Green File)
March 1, 2005... The US Green Building Council administers the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) national green building certification program aimed at offering environmentally responsible standards for building architecture and operating...

Self-sealing poly liner.(Materials: top product)
March 1, 2005... * does not leak * protects from punctures QuikGel is a self-sealing polyurethane liner that reduces downtime from flat tires by providing protection from punctures up to 1/4-in. diameter. This liner offers sidewall coverage to the...

Antimicrobial services.(Materials)
March 1, 2005... As an adjunct to the lines of writing instruments manufactured by this company since 1912, a service has been added to provide antimicrobial solutions. Initial product offerings include paper wheelchair covers, drinking fountain sinks, and...

Abrasion-resistant metallic coatings.(Materials)
March 1, 2005... Wear-Tuff abrasion-resistant metallic coatings feature proprietary carbide and nickel base formulation that is applied as a slurry or sprayed onto a cast or machined part, then sintered and fused in a controlled atmosphere. Providing an Rc...

High-gravity elastomers.(Materials)
March 1, 2005... RTP 1200 Series high-gravity polyurethane thermoplastic elastomer compounds are specialized formulations that allowed a tennis racket manufacturer to improve its custom tennis racket designs. These elastomers have multiple densities that...

Machinable ceramic.(Materials)
March 1, 2005... Aremcolox 502-1100 is an aluminosilicate, machinable ceramic suitable for producing reliable, low-cost ceramic parts for applications to 2100[degrees]F (1150[degrees]C). It demonstrates good mechanical, electrical and thermal properties,...

SBC copolymer.(Materials)
March 1, 2005... K-Resin RK54 styrene butadiene copolymer (SBC) provides low-temperature shrinkage control and conformity for shrink sleeve labels while maintaining the clarity, gloss and stiffness required by this application. The typical shrink curve for RK54...

Pre-treated edging for steel.(Materials)
March 1, 2005... This company offers custom machine-edged strip steel coils in a choice of square, round or any combination of machine-beveled edges. The uniform, precision-cut edges eliminate metal distortion and the performance chatter that is characteristic...

High-strength, lightweight polyurethane system.(Materials)
March 1, 2005... FPT/FFT (foiled polyurethane technology/foiled fiber polyurethane technology) combines the benefits of polyurethane processing with the attractive surfaces that are characteristic of thermoplastic films. To make a trolley for GMP S.p.A., two...

PEEK takes the heat for high power stove.(Materials: application xtra)
March 1, 2005... * heat resistant * light weight When the Coleman Co. Inc., manufacturer of camping and outdoor recreation equipment, decided to make the switch from metal to thermoplastic, the company chose PEEK polyaryletherketone, by Victrex USA...

Green tram rolls on CAD/CAM: software aids vehicle design from concept to CNC.(Cover Story)
March 1, 2005... The story is legendary in the lore of community planning how the Red Car, an extensive intercommunity railway that linked together the distant corners of Los Angeles, was bought out by oil companies in the 1930s to make way for the automobile....

Using rapid injection molding to improve product design: speed adds time to design process.
March 1, 2005... Innovative technology is rapidly changing the way one medical-device manufacturer upgrades its products to better meet customer needs and maintain a competitive edge in the market. San Diego-based Tensys Medical Inc. often relies on prototyping...

Miniature poppet valves.(Editor's Choice)
March 1, 2005... * High switching rates * High flow rates The Type MH2 fast-switching miniature valve can provide a flow rate of 100 1/min., while supporting high switching rates of 2 to 6 ms. With accurate repetition, requiring 24 VDC power supply,...

TPE grades.(Medical Products)
March 1, 2005... Dynaflex G2706 and G2711 thermoplastic elastomers are ISO 10993-certified, rendering them compliant for use in medical devices. Dynaflex G2706 is engineered to exhibit a soft touch and rubbery feel with 28 Shore A hardness and exceptional...

Rocker switches.(Medical Products)
March 1, 2005... DA miniature single-pole rectangular rocker switches measure 21 x 15 x 5.6 mm and are available with a range of actuator colors and styles, including two-tone and illuminated rockers. Both neon lamps and LEDs are available. The current rating...

Surface mount thermistor.(Medical Products)
March 1, 2005... The NB23 Series 0402 thermistor is intended for applications such as handheld electronic devices in medical applications. These NTC (negative temperature coefficient) thermistors can be used as a temperature sensor for the battery pack's charge...

Low-noise JFETs.(Medical Products)
March 1, 2005... The LSK170 series of JFETs offers low noise at both high and low frequency with a narrow rang of IDSS and low capacitance. The unit's voltage noise is 1 nV/Hz at 1 kHz, 2 nV/Hz at 10 Hz typical, and a high gain (yfs, 22ms) with 22 pF of...

Encapsulated transformers.(Medical Products)
March 1, 2005... These encapsulated transformers provide enhanced mechanical strength, improved shock/vibration and humidity/moisture resistance, and good insulation reliability due to the use of epoxy rather than tape/paper insulation. They have reduced...

Acrylic polymers guide.(Medical Products)
March 1, 2005... This company is offering a complete guide to its medical-grade compounds and alloys. Detailed charts and graphs illustrate lipid and isopropyl alcohol resistance, heat aging and sterilization of their acrylic polymers. This reference tool...

Laser diode bar.(Medical Products)
March 1, 2005... This company has achieved 364W of continuous-wave (CW) power from a single, 1 cm diode laser bar at 808 nm. In addition, the company's 100W Cascade diode laser bar is suitable for simplified system architectures such as those found in...

Clear electrical cords.(Medical Products)
March 1, 2005... These electrical cords feature a clear casing that allows the cords to blend into their environment, ending unsightly cord clutter. There is a choice of wire colors within the cord, including red, white and blue. Available in PVC, the cords are...

Pressure sensors.(Medical Products)
March 1, 2005... The 50S series offers amplified pressure sensors from 1 to 100 psi. They are precision-calibrated and temperature-compensated from 0[degrees] to 85[degrees]C using ASIC technologies. In addition, the 50S series reaches an overall accuracy of [+...

Miniature tube/rod components.(Medical Products)
March 1, 2005... These custom rod and tube components can be made in diameters from 0.032- to 1.250-in. from stainless steel, titanium, inconel and other exotic materials. Applications include miniaturized medical devices for minimally invasive surgical...

Metal matrix composite.(Medical Products)
March 1, 2005... These AlSiC (aluminum silicon carbide) substrates are suitable for power supply substrate applications, including carrier plates and heatsink materials for medical equipment power supplies. The composite offers high strength, stiffness and low...

Latching solenoids.(Medical Products)
March 1, 2005... This family of miniature latching solenoids uses permanent magnets to create a holding position without the need for a power supply. The energized holding force varies from 7.2 oz for the T1L-0420, the smallest model, to 8.1 lbs for the...

Syringe heater.(Medical Products)
March 1, 2005... This syringe heater ensures precise liquid temperatures and reduces fluid viscosity, maximizing patient comfort. It is customizable to meet most requirements and features an optional precise and repeatable temperature sensing controller. The...

Medical air filters.(Medical Products)
March 1, 2005... Dual EMI/RFI honeycomb air filters for medical electronics enclosure applications incorporate flame-resistant coatings and anti-microbial additives. These anti-microbial additives have a fungus growth rating of zero. They provide air filtration...

Intelligent implants: radio transceiver meets MICS standards.(Application Ideas)
March 1, 2005... An advancement in intelligent radio transceiver architecture combines very low power requirements with robust wireless communications, providing a new level of power economy and performance for in-body medical diagnostic and therapeutic...

National Manufacturing Week's annual National Design Engineering Show will take place March 7-10, 2005 at the McCormick Place Complex in Chicago (www.manufacturingweek.com).(Product News)
March 1, 2005... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: National Manufacturing Week's annual National Design Engineering Show will take place March 7-10, 2005 at the McCormick Place Complex in Chicago (www.manufacturingweek.com). It is co-located with the...

Flex shafts.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Flex shafts, Booth 1419 This company offers custom and standard flexible shafts and flexible drive technology suitable for power transmission in automotive, medical, lawn & garden, and industrial applications. Sizes range from 0.025-to...

Durable elastomer.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Durable elastomer, Booth 1424 Developed for seals and gasket applications requiring minimal cure times with a good balance of oil resistance and heat aging, Vamac DHC ethylene acrylic elastomer exhibits low compressive-stress relaxation...

ZD connector cables.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... ZD connector cables, Booth 1427 The EYE-OPENER ZD Cable Assembly provides an interconnect that delivers high signal fidelity and reliability at bandwidths of 5 Gb/s and higher. The digital cable uses helically wrapped ePTFE for its...

Cable carrier.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Cable carrier, Booth 1727 Suited for cable carriers used on swivel arm robots and similar applications, the Robotrax cable carrier system has added 2 sizes: R085 having an 85 mm OD and 175 mm bend radius, and R100 with 100 mm OD and 195 mm...

Electric blowers.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Electric blowers, Booth 1927 This company's medium- and high-pressure regenerative I blowers offer motors from 1/20 to 30 hp, air flows up to 630 cfm, pressure ranges from 0.5 to 8 psig and vacuum pressures from 10 to 185 in. [H.sub.2]O....

Caged roller guide.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Caged roller guide, Booth 2011 The ultra high rigidity Roller Guides SRG series with integrated roller retainers has been expanded with new sizes, providing low friction and smooth maintenance-free motion. Rollers exhibit little elastic...

Custom gearmotor.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Custom gearmotor, Booth 2024 The Series 750 right angle gearmotor can be custom built with multiple mounting configurations, including single, double, hollow shafts, footplate and flange. Shafts and worm are made from hardened steel, and...

Linear slides.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Linear slides, Booth 2039 The GL series of linear slides features high accuracy and high load capacity, as compared to other low-noise type slides. Cushions eliminate contact between bails, reducing dust, excess grease spatter and noise. A...

Triple-axis controllers.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Triple-axis controllers, Booth 2043 The TMCM-303 and 310 1- to 3-axis stepper controllers have an output current of up to 1.5 A/phase and are capable of 16x microstepping. They can be remote-controlled by a host via CAN, RS-232 or RS-485...

Mini linear actuator.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Mini linear actuator, Booth 2143 The Size 8 hybrid external linear actuator measures just 0.8-in. square and replaces motor, coupling, lead screw and nut. Shaft to lead screw couplers are not needed with this design. The rotating acme...

Customized motors.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Customized motors, Booth 2243 This company offers built-to-order motors ready to ship in 48 hours with their FastTrack modification program. Fractional horsepower AC and DC motors, gearmotors and reducers are offered with this program. The...

Ballscrews etc.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Ballscrews etc., Booth 2242 This company offers ballscrews, flanges & wipers, pre-loaded ballscrews, free-wheeling ballscrews, pre-loaded bridge port kits and bearing mounts. The latest product is the Acme ballscrew featuring 1/4 to 1...

Design analysis.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Design analysis. Booth 2411 COSMOSWorks Designer enables designers to perform stress and displacement analysis on models made within this company's software. Key features include the ability to analyze how assembly components may come into...

CAD/CAM.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... CAD/CAM, Booth 2416 Free to SolidWorks and Mastercam users, Mastercam Direct add-in opens a Mastercam model within a SolidWorks session and applies existing toolpaths to that model. The resulting model can be imported into Mastercam with...

Machine simulations.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Machine simulation, Booth 2417 FeatureCAM has been expanded with Machine Simulation to display machine movements for the purpose of detecting possible collisions without requiring production stoppage for dry runs. Simulations can...

Rail assembly.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Rail assembly, Booth 2420 Featuring high rigidity and low profile designs from 33 to 55 mm, the MCH Monocarrier rail system includes a position sensor with LED that can be mounted anywhere along the length of the sensor rail. Other...

3D printer.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... 3D printer, Booths 2516 & 3222 The Zprinter 310 system employs Hewlett-Packard inkjet printing technology to produce physical models in hours, rather than days. Suitable to an office environment, the machine has a build volume of 8- x 10-...

Brush-commutated DC motors.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Brush-commutated DC motors, Booth 2543 Designed for applications requiring the power of an ironless core or coreless motor without the associated cost, Series 6000 22 mm brush-commutated iron-core DC motors feature a skewed 5-slot armature...

Absolute linear encoder.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Absolute linear encoder, Booth 2741 The redesigned LC 400 sealed linear encoder now features single-field scanning. The unit offers increased resistance to contamination, higher traversing speeds, increased natural frequency, and a variety...

Foams.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Foams, Booth 2750 This company specializes in designing, engineering and fabricating precision foam assemblies. Materials include foams and plastics as rubber and Mylar materials. Foam materials include polyether, polyester and hydrophilic...

Stainless, brushless servomotors.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Stainless, brushless servomotors, Booth 2816 The SSBSM series of stainless steel brushless servomotors has been designed for durability in IP67 and 1500 psi washdown conditions. They have UL, CSA, CE and BISSC agency approvals and are...

Motorized sliders.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Motorized sliders, Booth 2827 The EZ Limo series of linear motion products combines step motor, ball screw and controller. The company's integral stepping motor has a built-in feedback system with closed loop control for stable operation....

Power blocks.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Power blocks, Booth 2833 The EPB series of IEC enclosed power blocks combine proven wire termination methods with the safety of European touch-proof design. Suited for electrical control panels, these blocks feature integral dovetail...

Weld fasteners.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Weld fasteners, Booth 2835 This company produces resistance weld fasteners, in inch and metric sizes from both low carbon and stainless steel, along with a line of levelers and special adjusting screws. They are suited for use in molding,...

PCB spacers.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... PCB spacers, Booth 2842 Designed for fast, automated installation on PC boards as thin as 0.060 in., ReelFast SMT spacers/nuts are available in sizes #4-40 through #8-32 and M3 through M4, with thru-hole types in sizes 0.116- and 0.143-in....

Wires & cables.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Wires & cables, Booth 2850 This company specializes in engineering custom wire and cable solutions for commercial, industrial and military flexing applications, portable equipment, etc. They have pioneered the use of advanced compounds to...

Piston pumps.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Piston pumps, Booth 3032 Powered by 12 or 24 VDC permanent magnet motors and incorporating heavy-duty pump components, the 327 series of WOB-L piston less pumps ate designed for long life in mobile use. The pumps provide up to 25 in.-Hg of...

Membrane switch panels.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Membrane switch panels, Booth 3036 This co showcases its range of custom integrated membrane switch panel assemblies. Panels can be designed ergonomically for ease of use. Features include embossing graphics, integrated LEDs, selective...

Custom filters.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Custom filters, Booth 3219 This company custom manufactures filters in any shape or configuration from simple traditional components to highly complex devices. Services include design, modeling, prototyping, building and testing....

Mini O-rings.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Mini O-rings, Booth 3327 With over 2000 sizes, the MicrOring series of microminiature seals ranges in size from 0.008- to 0.039-in. ID. Custom-engineered seals include composite designs incorporating the seal and another component in a...

Nip roller software.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Nip roller software, Booth 3332 Operating on Palm OS 2.0 and higher compatible PDA devices, the Nip-Stat software program enables fast calculation of different nip roller equations for Palm-based platforms. Web-oriented calculations...

Custom electroforms.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Custom electroforms, Booth 3333 This company offers custom, rugged, precision, lightweight electroforms that can be used at cryogenic temperatures or up to 1000[degrees]F. Diameters range from 0.030- to 8-in. Wall thicknesses can be...

Flex shafting.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Flex shafting, Booth 3430 This company offers pre-engineered and custom designed flexible shaft assemblies and rotary cables for mechanical power transmission remote control, signal transfer and actuation; bulk flexible shaft and casing;...

Linear motion.(Products News)
March 1, 2005... Linear motion, Booth 3336 This company specializes in linear motion devices including ball and roller type linear motion guides, table systems and others. A maintenance-free type ball guide--the C-Sleeve linear way--is newly introduced,...

In-office prototyping.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... In-office prototyping, Booth 3436 The Eden333 prototyping machine uses PolyJet technology to jet UV plastics in precise, superfine layers down to 16 lain, all without messy materials or post processing. Like the company's FDM technology,...

Porous metals.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Porous metals, Booth 3624 This company specializes in customizing metal media, with its sturdiness providing flow control, filtration, distribution of flow and controlled porosity in harsh environments. Uniform porosity and pore size...

Fixturing components.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Fixturing components, Booth 3627 Co-located in Fairlane's booth, this company will exhibit its lineup of precision clamps, stops and supports as well as other fixturing, work-holding and positioning components. Clamp configurations include...

Hardware catalog.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Hardware catalog, Booth 3637 Stock and custom hardware is described in this catalog, including cam locks, drawer slides, handle pulls, desk and cabinet hardware, case hardware, padlocks, rivets, identification hardware, snaps and rings,...

HardRubber parts.(Products News)
March 1, 2005... HardRubber parts, Booth 3639 Custom and standard molded and stamped rubber parts are manufactured from neoprene, SBR, nitrile, EPDM, Viton, Hypolon, butyl, urethane and TPR. Standard, in-stock parts include bumpers, grommets, feet,...

Tube clamps, linear actuators.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Tube clamps, linear actuators, Booth 3727 This company is featuring a high-quality line of metric tube clamping components and linear actuators. The clamping components use standard round and square tubing, with single-piece split clamp...

Cordsets.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Cordsets, Booth 3730 This company provides power system components with international safety agency approvals, featuring cords, cordsets, power entry modules, accessory power strips and power distribution units. Other products include...

Position transducers.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Position transducers, Booth 3733 A series of easily installed rotary and linear position transducers are now offered that accommodate the SAE J1939-based CAN protocol. The cable-extension linear position devices are available in full-stroke...

Springs.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Springs, Booth 3843 Wave springs can reduce assembly size up to 50% over conventional coil springs, with half the height providing equal deflection and force. Over 2000 standard wave springs are available from stock in both carbon and stainless...

Precision orifices & filters.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Precision orifices & filters, Booth 3921 This company offers micron orifices from 0.00029- through 0.081-in. Laser drilled wire-lapped ruby and sapphire orifices are available with flows from Bird Precision, Waltham, MA Circle 197...

FEA software.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... FEA software, Booth 4016 Version 6.5 of the ABAQUS product suite offers improvements in contact, fracture & failure analysis and parallel computing performance in the Standard and Explicit products. Integrated, interactive modeling and...

Extruded aluminum.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Extruded aluminum, Booth 4244 Custom aluminum extruded components are offered with high tolerances and finishing techniques that include 90 standard anodizing and powder coating colors, as well as image graphics. Automated fabrication...

Additions to sensor line.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Additions to sensor line, Booth 4411 This company's sensor line has been expanded to include 5 mm extended distance sensors; AC and DC rectangular photo sensors; light screens; and DIN-rail mountable fiber optic amplifiers, which offer a...

PROFINET I/O.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... PROFINET I/O, Booth 4416 Programmable according to IEC 61131-3, one version of this PROFINET I/O bus coupler can be used as decentralized intelligence for preprocessing. Using the bus coupler, a large number of single- or multi-pole...

Automation control.(Product News)
March 1, 2005... Automation control, Booth 4423 This company showcases its PAC programmable automation controller line of products. Powered by LabVIEW Real-Time, these products include the CompactRIO, industrial control system that combines a real-time...