Designfax articles from November 2000

Designfax archives from November 2000

The Artistic Power Meter.
November 1, 2000... An aesthetic design contest? The Viridian competition to design a consumer-friendly power consumption meter has ended, and the winning design is a real pip, worthy of the cash award the three designers received. What's a Viridian, you ask?...

As I Was Saying.
November 1, 2000... In my last editorial, I noted that Designfax and its editors enjoy exploring new ground along with our readers. Our twentieth-year anniversary has passed now and we're finding that working on this magazine is more fun than it's ever been. Not...

Tubular Linear Motor.
November 1, 2000... Linear motors have evolved quickly in their short lifetime, so much so that they have applications in nearly all industries. Not only have their speed and torque capabilities changed, hut they have been packaged in a number of configurations....

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
November 1, 2000... F-16 fighter pilots alerting the tower that they're "coming in hot" convey more than one meaning. Not only are they making a fast approach-and-land, but the speeds they'll be landing at will produce temperatures in the braking components at the...

3M Corp.
November 1, 2000... Another hot technology that's taking wing is a paper-thin, flexible sheet material that will be used in the aerospace industry as a flame barrier and containment system. Developed by 3M Corp., St. Paul, MN, the Nextel 312 Flame Stopping Dot...

Reader CONNECTION.
November 1, 2000... That's alotta money Your September "Up Front" is exactly on target, although you may catch a ton of flak on this one since $60 billion pays a lot of engineering salaries. But those are people who could be using their talents in beneficial...

Unitized DC motor and control.
November 1, 2000... A series of brushless DC motor products has been introduced. The INTEGRA motor integrated control circuit simplifies installation and minimizes any EMI problems. The sigle plug-in connector for power and logic reduces wiring cost and design...

Repackaged integrated servo.
November 1, 2000... The latest of the Smart Motor series moves the control board from the end of the motor and Onto the top for a very compact package. The company also introduced the SM2315 device at a cost low enough to compete with many stepper systems. The...

Small AC servos.
November 1, 2000... The slim and cylindrical "W" series motors have rated speed up to 3000 RPM and maximum speeds of up to 5000 RPM, with a range of 30W to 5.5 kW. An integrated keypad with a 5 digit display on the drive can he used for programming parameters and...

Sine encoder option on servomotor.
November 1, 2000... The PLATINUM DDL (Direct Drive Linear) line of frameless, permanent magnet brushless servomotors are now offered with a high-resolution sine encoder option. This type of encoder improves velocity control and repeatability, increases system...

CAM controller.
November 1, 2000... Designed for use with steppers and digital input servo motors, the ECMO1O-Electronic CAM Controller in creases the flexibility of motion control systems. The compact single axis controller can be connected to 15 other controllers to coordinate...

Servo drives and motors for machining.
November 1, 2000... High bandwidth servodrives for these industrial motors assure fast positioning of spindles and axes, while the elimination of following error guarantees precision contouring. Motors can be supplied with resolvers, high-resolution incremental or...

Brushless servo drive.
November 1, 2000... Rated at 60A peak and 30A continuous output, the brushless DC B60A40AC servo amplifier has an adjustable accel/decel feature that benefits stand-alone velocity applications. The trapezoidally commutated PWM amplifier operates in current or...

Hybrid stepping motors.
November 1, 2000... Two 1.8 deg full, step angle stepping motors are designed for use in robotics, production line machinery, and other instrumentation applications. Identified as the D34D62424 Series, both 108mm dia., 8-lead motors operate at 200 steps per...

Multiplexing system.
November 1, 2000... A combination of advanced hardware and software provide control of multiple motors from a single variable frequency drive. The system can be applied to multi-pump or multi-fan arrays where system flow or pressure can be maintained by a...

Brushless servomotors.
November 1, 2000... The PMA1 series of servomotors are a compact 55 sq. mm, with standard frame lengths of 125 to 175mm (150 to 200mm with integral brake). With a 240 VAC input, the continuous torque range is from 0.21 to 0.60 Nm, and an anti-cog stator design...

Brush-type motors.
November 1, 2000... These motors and gearmotors offer compact size, high reliability and low cost to designers. The brushed motors range from 0.5 to 10 oz-in. of running torque, and 2.0 to 110 oz-in. of stall torque. The gearmotors have output torques from 4l to...

Space-rated motors.
November 1, 2000... Two-phase hybrid stepper motors, three-phase brushless motors, feedback devices and mechanical assemblies have been developed by this company to suit requirements for missions into outer space. The components are designed to tolerate vacuums of...

Control chip.
November 1, 2000... The PCL-6045 motion control chip offers 4-axis independent control in a 176-pin QFP. It supports linear or circulation interpolation, or a combination of the two. Positioning nod speed parameters can be changed on the fly, and the chip also...

Amplifier-motor paired for robotics.
November 1, 2000... This pre-engineered drive package consists of a choice of fast accelerating size 23 servomotors powered by a Model 5224AC servoamplifier. The package operates directly from 120 VAC wall power, eliminating concerns for DC power supplies. The...

Servo position control.
November 1, 2000... The IndexBlok family of servo drives have been enhanced with complex profiling, better position tracking and faster response to inputs. Additionally, IndexBlok in now bundled with IndexWare, which permits users to set up move profiles, I/O and...

IEEE Std 841 motors.
November 1, 2000... A line of motors designed for the chemical processing industry have been upgraded to meet IEEE standard 841 which applies to petroleum and chemical industry -- severe duty, totally enclosed fan-cooled (TEFC), squirrel cage induction motors up...

Servo drive and control with PLC option.
November 1, 2000... AMKASYN is an open, modular vector drive and control system that offers all the advantages of digital drive technology. A drive-integrated PLC-Option card adds preprogrammed application modules for cam profiling, feed-to-length, and winding and...

Compact DC brushless speed control system.
November 1, 2000... The AXH Series of 30W and 50W motor-and-drive packages provide speed regulation of [+ or -]1% maximum over a 25:1 speed range (100 to 2500 RPM). The 30W motor is 2.36 in. sq. and provides 16.9 oz-in. of constant torque, while the 50W motor is...

Space-rated motor drive.
November 1, 2000... The PWR-82520R motor drive is 100 krad tolerant and SEU immune to 36 mev. The self-contained, 3-phase torque controller contains the command amplifiers, pulse width modulator (PWM), commutation control, tachometer, current sense amplifier, gate...

Four-axis motion controller.
November 1, 2000... Designed for demanding, harsh industrial environments, the PCI-8134 is a 4-axis stepper and servo control card for x-y tables, robotics, conveyors, material handlers, textile machinery and palletizers. The plug-in card provides a pulse train...

Compact geared stepping motors.
November 1, 2000... Suited for restricted-space applications, these motors range in size from 35mm to 56mm dia. Configured as direct drive or two-phase synchronous devices, they operate on 5 or 12 VDC from conventional stepper controllers. Speeds range from less...

AC servo drivers with SERCOS.
November 1, 2000... The PE-Series of servo drives incorporate SERCOS, a standard motion bus that uses fiber-optic connection between control, drives and I/O stations. The system also includes the AML multi-axis controller which the company states is the world's...

Linear motors.
November 1, 2000... The model P Hollow Slider industrial linear motor enables material, such as wire or tubing to pass through the 37mm-dia. center of the motor, or can, provide a vacuum effect for air-gripping application. Electronic sensors or actuators can be...

Linear motors drive aerospace machining to higher speeds.
November 1, 2000... Trade shows are always an excellent time to witness advanced thinking -- a chance to peer into concepts and products that are "coming down the pike." The annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is one of those, and another is the National...

PMC module.
November 1, 2000... This user-programmable and highly flexible general purpose PMC card allows the designer to configure the module to meet virtually any I/O need for almost every board's requirements. The GPIO-1 provides a high-performance 66 MHz PCI interface...

Printed circuit board terminal blocks.
November 1, 2000... An expanded line of PCB products includes over 2,500 terminal blocks and connectors, specialty blocks, accessories, plus electronic rotary switches and more. To meet virtually all industrial requirements, multi-pole terminal blocks from 2 to 36...

Capacitor.
November 1, 2000... The ACHE series of Surface-Mount Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors satisfy many long-life, surface-mount requirements. The operating temperature ranges from -40[degrees] to 105[degrees]C. Available voltage range is from 16 to 50 VDC with a...

Form factor extender boards.
November 1, 2000... The VME64X 6U is specifically designed to permit power and ground assignments in accordance with VME 64X specifications. The board allows smaller-size cards of various depths to be installed into much deeper card slots, thereby ensuring perfect...

Miniature quartz crystal.
November 1, 2000... The NSF Series are footprint-compatible with MC 306 and SSP-T6 parts that have recently been in short supply. The miniature crystals are ruggedly encased, and the unique square package design means the crystals are less likely to roll about...

System-on-board.
November 1, 2000... The SOB-104 embedded computer board includes a complete PC-compatible CPU, l0BaseT Ethernet, and comprehensive analog and digital I/O circuitry. By using this board in place of three conventional PC/104 boards, embedded systems designers can...

Circuit board assembly holders.
November 1, 2000... The WY Series printed circuit board assembly holders are fitted with conductive foam for use with static-sensitive components. Models WY10. WY20. WY30 and WY40 are free-standing units designed to reduce, assembly times in the manufacture of...

Schottky diode terminators.
November 1, 2000... The DN5 and DNA series terminator networks are good for relieving problems that can occur in high speed I/O. Both series are designed with low parasites, low forward voltage drop an fast recovery time. The networks are each designed as an...

Flame retardant moisture guards.
November 1, 2000... Produced from a flame retardant, UL-recognized polypropylene plastic material, these precision die cut components prevent arcing between electronic components on a printed circuit board and the metal cabinet or enclosure. Typical production...

Connector system.
November 1, 2000... The AMP Mate-N-Lock 3mm pitch soft-shell connector system is a wire-to-board pin and receptacle system featuring dual-beam contact design for improved contact and high-temperature housings for IR processing. The connectors are available in 2...

Rocker switch.
November 1, 2000... The 3600 Tippmatic intelligent, automatic shut-off rocker switch is particularly suited for use in applications such as household appliances, water heating systems, hand dryers, climate controls, shoe cleaning machines, and supplementary...

Pluggable PCB terminal block.
November 1, 2000... This 3.55mm printed circuit board terminal block features both horizontal and vertical entry for high-density PC boards. Designated the 8513 Series, the connectors' screwclamp contact system provides secure wiring connections in the detachable...

Interconnect system.
November 1, 2000... Xcell high-speed/ high-density connectors are targeted to the telecommunications, networking equipment and computer industries. The connector boasts a 42 percent increase in signals-per-linear inch, and signal risetimes as fast as one hundred...

Machine vision Board.
November 1, 2000... The PCVisionplus is a half-slot PCI bus frame grabber designed for high-speed inspection applications. Able to digitize monochrome analog video at ultra-high frequencies of up to 53 MHz, the unit features 4 MB of on-board memory and hardware...

Medium-voltage quad-SCR trigger board.
November 1, 2000... Created in response to the industry's move toward increased control at higher voltage levels, the MV4TB is a solution for thyristorbased systems that require enhanced hard DC gate firing and complete electrical isolation from the control...

DC/DC converters.
November 1, 2000... The CostCutter Series line of miniature SIP and DIP packaged DC/DC converters provide output power over the range of 0.75 to 3W. The series accept single-range and 2:1 wide-range inputs from 5 to 72 VDC, and over 50 models with single and dual...

Card guides.
November 1, 2000... Grip-O-Gide deep-channel conductive insert card guides feature a 0.200-in. slot depth for improved board retention in high-vibration and shock conditions, such as in automotive and outdoor industrial applications. The guides are offered with a...

Current-carrying-capable board stiffeners.
November 1, 2000... Rigid/Bus stiffeners add mechanical stability to printed circuit boards during the assembly process, preventing board warpage. The single-layer stiffeners also provide ground bussing while two-layer stiffeners offer both ground and voltage...

High speed interface.
November 1, 2000... An expanded line of full surface mount, micro pitch interfaces are designed for quiet and high speed applications including pitches from 0.4 to 0.8mm with 80 I/Os up to 200 I/Os For higher power, skyscraper board stacking or through hole...

Interface board.
November 1, 2000... The Horizon 4-LC board addresses the demand for continuous high-speed PG-based acquisition of images generated by digital line scan cameras. The board is the newest member of the 12S family of line scan acquisition and processing that includes...

Physical And Mechanical Properties of Plastics.
November 1, 2000... This article is the second in a 5-part series that reviews basic concepts for designing and fabricating plastic parts. The first, in August of this year (http://www.lrs.com/0ll df-525), looked at design considerations for injection-molded...

Coupling Makes Splash with Juice Packer.
November 1, 2000... After 30 years, Jersey Juice of Ewing, NJ, has steadily increased production to include more than 300 juice concentrates for national markets. Packaging for the products have changed many times in those three decades as trends evolve, prompting...

pH controller.
November 1, 2000... The Type 8205 pH controller combines easy control functionality with an integrated or remote sensor probe for an intelligent, low-cost, on/off or continuous process pH control solution. The controller directly links with a full range of process...

Motion module.
November 1, 2000... The Ethernet RMC motion controller provides direct connectivity to the state-of-the-art ControlLogix PLC. The controller, with its Ethernet fieldbus communications supporting the applications protocols of the PLC, provides solutions for...

Dual channel controller.
November 1, 2000... The GF+ Signet 8860 conductivity/resistivity controller features a twochannel input device equipped with three scaleable 4 to 20 mA outputs and four programmable relays. The 8860 provides automatic calculations for percent rejection, difference...

Flow controller.
November 1, 2000... The XpandAir flow controller can improve the efficiency of a compressed air system by up to 60%. By supplying only the quantity of air demanded by the treatment system, the unit maintains consistent air pressure for decreased energy usage and...

Ultrasonic controller.
November 1, 2000... The RicoRelay or LA21 level controller combines microprocessor-based electronics with non-contact, ultrasonic technology for reliable and continuous level measurements at depths ranging from 0.56 to 12 ft. Echo-Safe filtration eliminates false...

Japanese company catches 3D bug.
November 1, 2000... Matsushita Graphic Communications Systems Inc. of Japan develops products, such as facsimile machines, that are used in both corporate networks and personal home use. Each new product is developed after a series of complete user requirement...

Engineering Associations Promote Education Awareness.
November 1, 2000... With the understanding that its members believe that education is vitally important to the short- and long-term future of the fluid power industry, the National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) recently announced the formation of a $500,000...

National Fluid Power Association.
November 1, 2000... The National Fluid Power Association's mission to "accomplish together what can't be done alone" focuses on promoting fluid power technology and applications. More than 200 manufacturers of hydraulic and pneumatic products and systems make up...

Society of Automotive Engineers.
November 1, 2000... The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE International) is comprised of 80,000 engineers, business executives, educators and students from more than 97 countries who share information and exchange ideas for advancing the engineering of mobility...

American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
November 1, 2000... The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is dedicated to better enabling its 125,000 engineering professionals to contribute to the well-being of humankind. Currently conducting a "Call for Mentors," ASME's E-Mentoring Program is...

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
November 1, 2000... The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) promotes the process of creating, developing, integrating, sharing and applying knowledge about electrical and information technologies and sciences for the benefit of humanity and...

The American Ceramic Society.
November 1, 2000... The American Ceramic Society (ACerS) is the world's leading organization dedicated to the advancement of ceramics providing technical, scientific and educational information to its members and others in the materials field. Its website promotes...

e-Commerce Goes Industrial.
November 1, 2000... When we first looked at the concept of "commerce" on the Web, the thought of actually selling things was an anathema to many Webbies. After all, the Web was a repository of free information and a medium for the rapid exchange of ideas and...

Solid Edge upgrade.
November 1, 2000... Version 9 includes new Capabilities to assist in machinery and large assembly design, web publishing tools, an engineering handbook and new utilities to assist in the migration from 2D design techniques to 3D solid modeling. Two DesignAssistant...

Parametric sheet metal models.
November 1, 2000... Version 8DT of AutoPOL, a sheet metal application for creating and unfolding fully parametric sheet metal models, supports Autodesk Mechanical Desktop 4 and 5. With an enhanced profile-to-sheet metal command, fully dimensioned and constrained...

Circuit sim software.
November 1, 2000... Automation Studio is a completely integrated package that allows engineers, teachers and students to design, simulate and animate circuits comprising pneumatics, hydraulics, PLCs, Grafcet or electrical controls. The most recent release, Version...

Small-scale design.
November 1, 2000... Engineers working on microelectro-mechanical systems will benefit from this software for design and simulation of MEMS devices. Designated MEMS Xplorer (for UNIX) and MEMS Pro (for PC), the package is integrated with ANSYS/Multiphysics software...

File converter.
November 1, 2000... A feature-based conversion utility provides direct translation of files created with Autodesk Mechanical Desktop into the SolidWorks solid modeling software environment, complete with feature information. Previously, users migrating from...

Modeling software.
November 1, 2000... Vellum Solids 2000 offers faster modeling of complex shapes, improved file translators, and enhanced product stability. Available on both Macintosh and Windows platforms, the 2000 version extends advanced surface creation and editing...

Temporary adhesive.
November 1, 2000... MB600 adhesive provides a cost-effective alternative to the deficiencies of currently used temporary adhesives. The adhesive is a single component, storage-stable, inorganic compound that features heat resistance and good adhesion to metals,...

Acrylic fastener.
November 1, 2000... The Microspheres line of water-based microencapsulated acrylic adhesives are designed to be factory pre-applied to threaded fasteners. The room-temperature curing material remains inert until the shearing action of engagement to a mating part...

Ceramic adhesive.
November 1, 2000... Ceramabond 685, a high-temperature ceramic adhesive, is used to bond ceramic gasketing materials to galvanized steel ductwork used in exhaust flue applications to 1850[degrees] F. The adhesive is a single component, dispensable, silica-based...

Abrasion/chemical resistant epoxies.
November 1, 2000... Titanium Putty is an advanced precision-machinable, titanium-reinforced epoxy for making repairs to machinery and equipment. Its durable formulation yields high compressive strength and achieves functional cure in four hours. Brushable Ceramic...

Lead-free paste.
November 1, 2000... CR39 solder paste is designed to solder numerous metal finishes without requiring nitrogen during reflow. The paste leaves a minimal, clear, pale residue after reflow using a wide thermal profile. This product, which reflows in air, meets the...

Solder pastes.
November 1, 2000... ESP 477 water-soluble solder pastes can be used across multiple production shifts without drying, clogging or degradation of print quality. Their robust, formulation allows them to easily fit into most existing processes. The pastes exhibit...

Expanded line of adhesives.
November 1, 2000... A complete line of antisotropic conductive films for the flex interconnect industry offer a thinner, lighter weight and less expensive alternative to mechanical connectors. Z-Axis adhesive film uses established adhesive technologies and a...

Optical grade adhesive.
November 1, 2000... The single component 140 Series Medical Optic Adhesives line is a high performance UV/visible light curing material for optical applications in medical devices that require Class VI biocompatibility. Their low shrinkage and low outgassing...

Extrudable epoxy paste.
November 1, 2000... Axson SC261 is used primarily for situations involving a large number of prototype models or a high volume of surface area. The process brings simplicity, speed, and quality. An extrusion machine feeds a 1:1 resin- hardener mixture directly to...

Tailor-made flat cables.
November 1, 2000... Confined space conditions are serious obstacles in putting complex round cables to work, especiatly when high-flex performance is required. This line of tailor-made band cables need less space and offer good flex-life capabilities. Because all...

VCXO enables Optical networking solutions.
November 1, 2000... The F17355 VCXO is a Positive Emitter Coupled Logic oscillator powered by a 3.3V supply voltage with an output frequency of 155.52MHz. Other features include minimum deviation of [+ or -]60 ppm, low jitter characteristics, fast rise and fall...

Tubular filter product line.
November 1, 2000... The Sefar Micro Tube, designed for the injection molding market, is an ultrasonically seamed tube with inner diameter ranging from 10mm to as small as 2mm. The seam is an overlap construction and provides a true circular cross-section. The...

All-metal keypads.
November 1, 2000... S-Series keypads are designed for high-use public access applications and heavy commercial or industrial duty. Rugged, all-metal construction ensures extended, vandal-resistant operation under the most difficult conditions. The front- or...