Design News articles from February 2002

Design News archives from February 2002

Collaboration trumps 'Gotchyas'. (Editorial).
February 4, 2002... Everyone hates Monday-morning quarterbacks--those dolts who only speak up after the fact, when all the work is done. You've had to deal with your share of them--people in the design chain who criticize a final product late in the game, telling...

Readers write: Opinions, suggestions, solutions, and more.
February 4, 2002... FOR LOVE...OR A CALCULATOR? Sorry to hear HP is closing down their Australia Calculator Organization (DN Editorial 12.17.01). The Aussies need the high-tech jobs and we still need HP's calculators. I was a junior in mechanical...

Device sees into patients. (Sneak Preview).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The next time your doctor says he can look right through you, he may be speaking literally and not just figuratively, especially if your doctor is George Stetten, a biomedical engineer at the University of Pittsburgh. Although doctors sometimes...

Custom Crystals double light frequency. (Sneak Preview).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Michael Ward is creating crystals that may eventually improve lasers and optical switching devices. The University of Minnesota researcher and professor of materials science designs solid-state structures. The crystals make possible the...

Cooking up OLEDs. (Sneak Preview).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The Eastman Kodak Company and Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. have formed a joint venture for manufacturing organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Unlike a discrete LED which has crystalline origins, an OLED is a film-based emitter of light. An OLED...

Cable packs in performance. (Hot Products).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... EYEOPENER[R] 2-mm cable assemblies from W.L. Gore & Associates offer high bandwidth, distances up to 50m, and high signal density from being packaged in smaller diameter cables. The latter is no detriment to signal fidelity and reliability,...

Media converters bring Ethernet to factory. (Hot Products).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 4, 2002... The FL MC fiber-optic media converters from Phoenix Contact are designed to ease implementation of fiber optics on the factory floor. The devices adapt an Ethernet 10BASE-T interface to polymer or glass fiber-optic technology. Industrial...

Connector takes copper to 10 Gbits/sec. (Hot Products).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 4, 2002... Connector-X[TM] from Winchester Electronics, a Northrop Grumman Component Technologies unit, is a one-piece compression-mount interconnect with a transmission rate up to 10 Gbits/sec. The connector thus extends the use of copper interconnect...

Thermoplastic weather seals pick up speed: TPV now used in car windows, headlights, doors, trunks, and hoods. (Materials).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... AKRON, OH--Thermoplastic automotive weather seals reached an important milestone last year. Though thermoset rubber and some PVC still hold sway with more than 90% of global sealing applications, thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPV) have now...

Chip makers seek Speedy Electrons. (Engineering News).(Amberwave Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... SALEM, NH--Moore's Law dictates that the number of transistors on microprocessors will double every 18 to 24 months. And indeed, the industry has kept up that blistering pace for nearly 30 years now. But the dimensions of cutting-edge chips...

Low cost PCB protection is a bump away. (Engineering News).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... ST. PAUL, MN--Manufacturers often use mechanical fasteners made of metal or nylon to protect PCBs and other electronic equipment from heat build-up, short circuiting, vibration, and board flexing. 3M recently adapted its existing Bumpon...

Cell phone + DVD = Laser sensor. (Engineering News).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... MINNEAPOLIS--Customers kept telling the engineers at Banner Engineering that they needed to sense objects at greater distances than the inches to feet possible with existing photoelectric and laser sensors; for example, "seeing" out to 10-15...

Curve tool eases motion programming. (Engineering News).(Delta Computer Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... VANCOUVER, WA--A new development tool simplifies motion controller programming and tuning by taking a graphical approach to spline-function programming. The curve tool feature, as it is called, in RMC Win development software from Delta...

Video tour shows Boeing C-17 plant. (Engineering News).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... LONG BEACH, CA--Assembly Expo West planned to highlight the Nov. 14-15 show with a site tour of Boeing's Long Beach facilities for assembling the huge C-17. But in view of continuing terrorist threats, Boeing had to cancel the physical tour,...

Channel your energy here. (Hot Spots in Cyberspace).(www.designnews.com)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... So you say you've been to the Design News website. But have you really indulged in all the resources the site has to offer you in your particular industry? The seventeen technology and market channels listed in the navigation bar at...

Robo-Register your creations. (Hot Spots in Cyberspace).(online service information)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Don't know what to do with your latest invention, perhaps a motorized creature made to wash the dishes AND paint the house? Register it with the Robot Directory (www.robotdirectory.org). The site indexes swimming, stationary, flying, walking,...

Rolling your way. (Hot Spots in Cyberspace).(rolling ring technology information)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... "Rolling ring" technology involves converting rotary input into linear motion output. At Amacoil/Uhing's new website (www.amacoil.com), users can download over 25 CAD drawings of rolling ring linear drive systems, get in-depth information on...

Make the plastic pilgrimage. (Hot Spots in Cyberspace).(Thomas Publishing Co. introduces PlasticsHQ website)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... From the folks who brought you the Thomas Register, PlasticsHQ (www.plasticshq.com) is the latest of seven industry-specific web portals launched by [Verdex.sup.sM], a division of Thomas Publishing Company. The site features over 200 materials...

Rings you can afford. (Hot Spots in Cyberspace).(Smalley Steel Ring introduces online services)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Smalley Steel Ring Company presents 91 different formats to download CAD models from their website (www.smalley.com). Designed for users of wave springs and retaining rings, it includes downloadable drawings, application guides, quote requests,...

Looking for a job, still? (Hot Spots in Cyberspace).(website information for job seekers in engineering)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... For engineers seeking a career in the specialized niche of optics, photonics, and imaging, don't bother with the generic engineering websites. At www.spieworks.com, job seekers can access resources maintained by the International Society for...

Fast answers for engineers: Emerging Trends in Manufacturing. (OEM Journal).(Textron Fastening Systems, multiple web sites)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Rockford, IL--At its best, the web pinpoints the precise information we need; at its worst, it can be a mindless maze. Textron Fastening Systems, with its huge line of mechanical fasteners, understands that truism, and has devised a web...

High dynamics, heavy loads: Useful Technology for your Idea File. (Designer's Corner).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Hexapod motion benefits are well known. Unlike serial drive systems, the stiffness of every axis adds to that of the overall system. And because no drive axis is built on top of another, all axes have the same power requirements, allowing high...

Clocks deliver Olympic gold: Medals are won by milliseconds--but few times are that accurate. (Cover Story/Olympic Race Timing).(Banner Engineering Corp., Lynx System Developers)
February 4, 2002... Olympic luge racers earn their medals by some of the narrowest margins in sport. Athletes add the times of four runs down an icy track, producing almost identical sums. At the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, the gap between gold and silver...

Processors pack in performance: Higher processing density brings intelligence to wide-ranging applications. (Embedded Systems).(Max Baron, Micro Design Resources, analysis)
February 4, 2002... The boom in communications, as in cellular phones, and beginnings of the mobile computing revolution, such as PDAs, are fueling the growth in the microprocessor and DSP (digital signal processor) market. That assessment, even in current...

How to analyze Positioning Systems: Integrated motion analysis tool uses simple spreadsheet software to link discrete component parameters with overall system performance. (Motion Control).
February 4, 2002... The physics of positioning systems relate the parameters of motion control components to the overall system performance. While the relationships obey, in general, known kinematics, dynamics, and structural equations, they become rather complex...

Sun's grid shares CPUs. (Computer Productivity Tools).(Sun Microsystems Inc., Sun Grid Engine, central processing units)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Ever since the first computers shrank to desktop size, engineers have been looking for more computational power. Networking the PCs to servers helped, but it wasn't enough. Predictions of the next step include: "the network is the computer,"...

Printer. (Product News).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The PIXI[TM] Receipt Printer offers up to 2.0 inches/sec print speed, control board, paper supply and transport mechanisms, a direct thermal printhead, and a 1,000,000 cut paper cutter. The graphics-capable thermal printer may be mounted...

Browser-based solution suite. (Product News).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... OneSpace Select, a browser-based collaborative product design suite, uses simultaneous information-sharing to improve real-time problem resolution and product design analysis. Users may position, rotate, measure, add/delete, and highlight 2D...

LCD module. (Product News).(liquid crystal display)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The 10.4-inch diagonal High Brightness thin film transistor (TFT) transmissive LCD module is intended for applications in ATMs, POS displays, instrumentation and gaming machines. Offering 550-nit brightness, it has a screen resolution of 800 x...

Keyboard and controller. (Product News).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The company's miniature keyboard and standalone cursor controller are both designed with up to ten levels of intensity of either red or green LED back-lighting. The miniature keyboard is NEMA 4 sealed, with full 101/104 key functionality using...

CAD/CAM/CAE. (Product News).(software from I-DEAS)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... I-DEAS[R] 9 is the latest in the company's PLM Solutions line of CAD/CAM/CAE software. Designed to ease collaboration, the software features an XML viewer to support more file types; a customizable user interface; functions for machine...

Design software. (Product News).(from COSMOS)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... COSMOS/Motion mechanical design simulation software uses ADAMS motion technology, allowing users to distinguish moving interferences between CAD and assembly parts. Based on Dynamic Designer/Motion, it presents CAD mechanical assemblies in...

Flanged valve. (Product News).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Wiebusch, Bruce The 2000 Series ANSI 300 full port, flanged valve is designed with low torque and a large fully machined ISO 5211 mounting pad. The valve features a blowout proof stem and anti-static device, face-to-face dimensions and...

Hydraulic actuator. (Product News).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... These rectangular hydraulic actuators offer single leak-proof SAE joint and virtual dry rod operation. Trepanned ports used for direct pad mounting reduce debris and avoid fluid lines. Suited for compact applications requiring large linear...

Solenoid valve. (Fluid Power).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Type 330 direct acting solenoid valve, available with brass body or stainless steel body and seat, works with both neutral fluids and corrosive and contaminated fluids. The two-way valve with isolating diaphragm operates in a 14 to 194F...

Isolation valve. (Fluid Power).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The ACV-2 Valve is a two-way, normally closed isolation valve with 5W power consumption and a 10 million cycle operating life. Operating on 12 or 24 VDC, it includes a polyphenylene oxide body and a soft elastic isolating diaphragm seal of FPM....

Temperature control valves. (Fluid Power).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... With the Series 1170/L1170 hot water temperature control valves, users can reportedly preset and maintain water temperature between 100 and 180F (for 1170) and between 80 and 120F (for L1170). The valves offer flow rates from 0.5 to 16 gpm, and...

Filter bag & strainer housing. (Fluid Power).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The Model 80 Top Entry Filter Bag & Strainer Housing features a carbon steel or stainless steel eye bolt design with two-inch NPT, sanitary or flanged fittings. Available in #1 and #2 industry standard sizes, the filter bag and strainer housing...

Dispensing pumps. (Fluid Power).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The SV600 Series of solenoid operated dispensing pumps are made for dispensing corrosive and high purity fluids by separating the fluid from metal parts. According to the company, users control the volume-per-stroke output and the flow rate...

Aluminum fans. (Fluid Power).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... MultiWing Aluminum H&Z Series Fans are designed to combine high air volume, low power consumption, and low noise using the company's airfoil blade design. Made in 7- to 49-in, diameters, the fans use 2 to 16 corrosion-resistant die cast...

Precision balls. (Power Transmission).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Silicon nitride balls are reportedly twice as hard, weigh 40% less, and exhibit 70% less thermal expansion than regular steel balls. With an operating temperature up to 1,800F, the balls are non-corrosive, anti-magnetic, and can be used in...

Microstepping driver. (Power Transmission).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The CY-21-LP motor drive can be programmed from 25 to 300 mA for microstepping. This bipolar, chopper-type drive works with 2- and 4-phase step motors and operates in full-and half-step modes. Providing 16 microsteps per full step and a step...

Positioning table. (Power Transmission).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The 401XR and 402XR linear positioners measure 1.6 x 2.3 inches for small payload and compact conditions. Standard features include protective strip seals, precision-ground ballscrews, a high-strength recirculating bearing system, and dowel...

Digital drive. (Power Transmission).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... DR100EE30A40NDC digital servo drive, featuring a 20 kHz digital current loop and Space Vector Modulation (SVM), reportedly achieves low heat dissipation and high current loop. The drive outputs up to 30A and accepts up to 400V dc supply...

Encoders. (Power Transmission).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The company's two new miniature incremental encoders, in both shaft (BSM) and hollow shaft (BHM) versions, are designed for mechanical rotary motion monitoring uses, with an 18-mm housing for space restricted areas. The encoders have angle step...

LED lamps. (Electronics).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Series L806T 20 mm Big Dome Discrete LEDs reportedly improve viewing and light dispersion, due to a larger-than-normal lens and a printed circuit board with six SMT LED diode chips arranged in a circle. Designed for indoor and outdoor use, the...

Flexible sensors. (Electronics).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The WORM Flexible Sensors for Thermowell Temperature Assemblies are designed to replace straight sensor probes used in connection heads, hockey-puck, and dual sided enclosures. Available in RTD and thermocouple configurations, they install by...

Video server. (Electronics).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The VIP video over TCP/IP system features the VIP-V TxC video and VIP-AV TxC video/audio transmitters, offering multicast capability and connecting the data network and any PAL/NTSC video source. It includes a high data compression rate and 352...

Ultrasonic sensors. (Electronics).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The SUPERPROX[R] Model SM602 series sensors are designed for dual-level control uses with limited space mounting. The 18-mm ultrasonic sensors operate on 12 to 24V dc at 500 kHz, and are available in threaded barrel-style housing in SS303...

Crystal oscillator. (Electrical/Electronics).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The latest addition to the F4100 Series of crystal oscillators has a frequency of 156.25 MHz, which may be used in applications requiring increased speeds. With less need to multiply the frequency upward, the oscillators reportedly provide...

Transducers. (Electrical/Electronics).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The KPSI[TM] level transducers now include a temperature output option, used for level and pressure measurements and measured process temperature gauging. The transducers operate at a temperature range of 0 to 50C and -20 to 60C, with 4-20 mA...

Sensor. (Electrical/Electronics).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The weld-thru sensor, combining the company's Model WEL weld-thru load cell and a Model WGM Weldmeter, reportedly controls force-triggered firing for spot and projection welds. Used with differential air or hydraulic pressure sensors, the...

Fiber optic panels. (Electrical/Electronics).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... These fiber optic panels reportedly generate less heat, take up less space, last longer than typical LED arrays, and require less current and fewer LEDs for remote light sources. Designed for medical instrumentation, digital controllers, and...

Interconnect utility keys on speed: Exclusive Interviews with Technology Leaders. (Guest Commentary).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Industrial controls suppliers have developed connection technologies that allow their customers to speed up system integration, reduce installation time, and increase manufacturing efficiencies. Here's an overview. DESIGN NEWS: What are...

Controls upgrade holds a few surprises: System Integrator Success Stories. (Break Time!).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Mike Kotecki, senior vice president, and Mike Wigington, senior solution consultant, HK Systems COMPANY: HK Systems LOCATION: Milwaukee, WI ENGINEERING SERVICES: Computer/software, mechanical subsystems, and electrical control...

Sleepless in your SUV. (Editorial).(IBM's automotive sleep prevention system)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... The U.S. patent office awarded IBM a record 3,411 patents last year, reaffirming the company's reputation as a technology innovator and ensuring a high number of billable hours for its intellectual property lawyers. Not surprisingly, many...

Readers write.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... OPINIONS, SUGGESTIONS, SOLUTIONS, AND MORE FOUR TIRES BETTER THAN TWO I just read your 'Terrible tires' report in Design News (DN Breaktime 01.21.02), and I wanted to thank you for the information. I've always assumed tire dealers...

Research could help shrink read heads. (Breakthroughs on the Horizon).(magnetic disk heads research at Oak Ridge National Library)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... What do digital cameras, computer game devices, laptop computers, and portable music players have in common? They all use magnetic disk drives that rely on magnetostrictive read heads. "The read head is like a jet flying at supersonic speeds a...

High-temp superconductors improve MRI images. (Breakthroughs on the Horizon).(research at Northwestern University)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Researchers at Northwestern University are studying superconductors using a hybrid magnet weighing 34 tons and standing 22 ft tall at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, Florida. The huge magnet improves the imaging of...

Mower uses water hydraulics. (Breakthroughs on the Horizon).(research at Perdue University)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Mary Kurtz estimates that using water instead of petroleum fluids in hydraulic systems could save 500 million gallons of gasoline in the U.S. alone. Saving fuel is one reason the professor of agricultural engineering and his students at Purdue...

Vacuum generator includes three-way valve. (Innovative Pneumatic Products).(Clippard Instrument Laboratory)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Clippard Instrument Laboratory's new modular vacuum generator combines a Venturi vacuum generator and three-way valve. "Usually an end-user would have to buy a separate two- or three-way valve," explains Rich Boutell, engineering manager at...

Air coupler eliminates pop-offs. (Innovative Pneumatic Products).(New Age Industries )(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... The SAFE AIR coupler from New Age Industries has a two-stage disconnect. "It is the first coupler to meet ISO standard 4414," says Donald Warner, the company's director of product development. "The 4414 standard requires the release of pressure...

Cylinder clamp twists. (Innovative Pneumatic Products).(from Bimba)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... The Twist Clamp from Bimba incorporates an internal mechanism that produces rotary piston motion throughout its stroke. "It's a cam and bushing design," says Bimba engineer and Product Manager Tom Kane, "The internal bushing has a key and the...

Mass customization comes a step closer: Design-to-order seen as first real step. (Software).(PTC's DynamicDesignLink software)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... NEEDHAM, MA--For the last few years, manufacturers trying to boost market share have asked the developers of CAD, PDM, and collaborative product development tools to help them institute systems for mass customization. Such tools will help them...

Don't sweat the PDM. (Engineering News).(exercise equipment maker Life Fitness' product data management)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... FRANKLIN PARK, IL-Walk into any high-end health club, and you 11 see rows of whirring machines, occupied by sweating and straining people. Those strength-training and cardiovascular tools are complex products, created through design cycles as...

Encoder enhances design flexibility. (Engineering News).(position sensing devices from Netzer Precision Motion Sensors Ltd.'s position sensing devices)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... MISGAV, ISRAEL--A new class of position sensing devices is manufactured with proven technologies such as pc-board assembly and injection molding techniques. Called the Sine/Cosine Rotary Electric Encoder[TM], from Netzer Precision Motion...

Dinosaur roars with silicone bones. (Engineering News).(sculpture by Train Hall for Fernbank Museum of Natural History)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... ATLANTA, GA--When curators at the Fern-bank Museum of Natural History wanted to build a full scale replica of the largest plant-eating dinosaur ever discovered-the 126-foot-long Argentinosaurus--they turned to Train Hall, a Toronto sculptor who...

Undercarriage lets Cat tread liqhtly. (Engineering News).(ASV Inc.'s maximum traction and support system for Caterpillar Inc.'s multi-terrain loader)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... PEORIA, IL-Caterpillar Inc.'s new 9,000-lb multi-terrain loader is gentler to the earth than a child in a pair of sneakers. Caterpillar accomplished the feat with the Maximum Traction and Support System (MTSS), a rubber-tracked undercarriage...

For monitors, thin is in. (Engineering News).(computer monitors)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... CUPERTINO, CA--When Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the new iMac in January, he said it sounded the death knell for the clunky CRT (cathode ray tube) monitor. The redesigned iMac looks like a grapefruit with a solar panel--no more...

Tiny valves orient pilots. (Engineering News).(Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory develops orientation vests for pilots)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... PENSACOLA, FL--Pilots experience spatial disorientation when they have an erroneous sense of their position and motion relative to the Earth's surface. It costs the Department of Defense hundreds of millions of dollars each year in aircraft...

Functional frames. (Designer's Corner).
February 18, 2002... Plastic-metal hybrid (PMH) technology, which creates load-bearing structures by injection molding a network of polyamide ribs into one or more metal stampings, is poised to move beyond its automotive roots and make its way into the home and...

Outsourcing in the semiconductor industry--avoiding the risks: Schneeberger contributes $20,000 to the Design News Engineering Education Foundation. (Engineering Awards Sponsor).
February 18, 2002... Outsourcing has facilitated tremendous growth in the high tech sector over the last Few years, especially in the semiconductor equipment industry. Large equipment manufacturers like Applied Materials, KLA-Tencor, and Kulicke & Soffa...

Planetary gear reducer corrects small misalignments: Mated splines float sun gear, protect against internal slippage. (Design Innovation).
February 18, 2002... Sioux Center, IA--Speed with low torque characterizes fractional horsepower motors. In applications such as checkout belts in supermarkets, however, no one wants their groceries to go whizzing by without stopping--so such applications get...

K to college: Playing to learn; LEGO ROBOLAB developers add camera support, USB connectivity. (Cover story/Electronics).
February 18, 2002... LIKE A KID IN A CANDY SHOP. That's the way many engineers felt when LEGO[R] Dacta's ROBOLAB[TM] teaching tool for K-12 use was unveiled in 1998 (see DN 9.7.98, P. 58). Since then ROBOLAB, which combines software, robotics, and LEGOs, has been...

Systems integrators deliver design help: For help with controls upgrades to turnkey designs, busy engineers outsource design tasks. (Systems Integrators).
February 18, 2002... The average engineer is working on two or three projects at once, with the average project lasting less than 12 months. This data from an October, 2000 survey of 5,000 Design News readers can also be described in one word--scary. Faced...

Meet your newest design aid: PLM; Product life-cycle management promises to speed up design through better collaboration and access to data. (Engineering Management).
February 18, 2002... Engineers have a new buzzword to add to their collection: product life-cycle management (PLM). It's the big sibling to several other buzzwords engineers have heard over the years--product data management (PDM), concurrent engineering,...

How PLM helps: It gives engineers access to more information. (Product Lifecycle Management).
February 18, 2002... Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) services and products are the next wave of strategic tools, which go beyond concurrent engineering and product data management (PDM) to make vast amounts of product design, performance, and...

Momentum builds for soft-motion. (Motion Control).(Product Announcement)
February 18, 2002... Two companies recently sent representatives to brief Design News on new software-only motion controller product introductions. Robert Reback, president and CEO of Cimetrix Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT) updated me on CODE 6[TM] (Cimetrix Open...

Motor + driver. (Product News).(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... The MDrive Speed Control includes integrated NEMA 17 or 23 torque stepping motor and drive with microstepping resolution for use in robotics, assembly, packaging, semiconductor manufacturing, medical instruments, and pick-and-place industries....

Chains. (Product News).(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Xceeder[TM] Chain features oil-impregnated felt seals developed to increase wear life by preserving lubrication and keeping out dirt and contaminants. Interchangeable with ANSI standard chains, it has the same load capacity and uses standard...

Industrial PC. (Product News).(processor product information)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... The passively-cooled Vision-Compact[R] IA (VCIA) features Intel's 266 MHz Mobile Pentium[R] MMX (Tillamook) processor, allowing for 0 to 50C operation without a fan. PC is used in industrial processing applications and includes up to 256 MB...

Gear motors. (Power Transmission & Motion Control).(Product Information)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Incorporating 9-slot stator and 12-pole rotor construction design, the TAM58-3E "Industrial Series" family of brushless do gear motors is designed to offer constant speed in a package made for small space applications. The motor and on-board...

Servodrive system. (Power Transmission & Motion Control).(Product Information)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... The BURNY[R] ServoPak[R] AC8 reportedly provides 8A continuous output current in a brushless ac servodrive system. Custom configurable to fit any output power need, it features a digital sinusoidal servo design, with Windows-based BURNY Motion...

Swivel casters. (Power Transmission & Motion Control).(Product Information)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Sussex 63 swivel casters are designed with a nylon wheel and roller bearing, holding up to 550 lb load capacity. Caster is available with a wheel diameter of 21/2 inches and a tread width of 17/18 inches. Made to fit a inch bolt, both the...