Design News articles from January 2003

Design News archives from January 2003

The real crash test dummies. (My View).(seat belt safety)
January 13, 2003... I RECENTLY INTERVIEWED GREG HALE, DISNEY'S new chief of safety, for this month's cover story about the industry's efforts to help improve amusement park ride safety. He talked about how ride engineers are currently evaluating new kinds of...

Wanted: leaders; where engineers lead, companies prosper. (Flipside).
January 13, 2003... IT'S FASHIONABLE IN SOME CIRCLES TO proclaim that the way to success is to break the rules. Not always. In engineering, sometimes you have to follow the rules--the internal ones, the corporate procedures that dictate how a design moves...

Mail.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... SEATTLE, WA, SAY WHAT? I really appreciated your "Lost In Place" editorial (DN 11.18.02). I too have been the victim of a "Never Lost" in a rental car during a trip to Pensacola this last March. It informed me that the closest hotel of the...

An ogle at Google: engineers love it because engineers designed it. (Slant).(Google Inc.)
January 13, 2003... Recent Design News surveys show that Google is the favorite search engine for design engineers who are looking for technical information. Here is what Google is doing to deserve that vote of confidence--and to keep engineers coming back. ...

The Ethernet Monster: tame it by keeping it out of the control world. (Rant).(Column)
January 13, 2003... FIRST, LET ME SAY THAT I AM NOT TECHnically knowledgeable enough to make detailed recommendations about industrial communications and fieldbuses for any user's specific application. Also, since I run a company that is completely focused on...

Charging ahead. (B.M.O.C.).(Donald Robert Sadoway at MIT is developing a lithium polymer battery)
January 13, 2003... A leading electrochemist at MIT is developing a battery that could revolutionize product design NAME: Donald Robert Sadoway PRESENT POSITION: John F. Elliott Professor of Materials Chemistry, Department of Materials Science...

Chipmaker's sample screw-up. (Buzz: Heard on the Street).(Texas Instruments Standard Linear and Logic Semiconductor Group)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Mike Hastings, marcom manager for Texas Instruments Standard Linear and Logic Semiconductor Group, had a really big phone bill recently. Due to a computer glitch, several design engineers who ordered samples of TI logic parts received something...

No more plain-vanilla PLM. (Buzz: Heard on the Street).(EDS PLM Solutions to launch targeted versions of its Teamcenter Product Lifecycle Management suite)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... EDS targets specific industries If you buy into the idea of using Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) to improve design efforts, but you're turned off by the cost and hassle of adapting one of the standard systems to your specific needs, here's...

Nuts about a fastener. (Buzz: Heard on the Street).(Permanent Technologies Inc develops new vibration-proof fastener)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Clamoring for a product before it's priced Engineers at several automotive, aerospace, and marine manufacturers are apparently so interested in a new vibration-proof fastener that they demanded it before it was priced. That may seem like the...

Light-weight champ. (Flash: New and Notable Product Design).
January 13, 2003... Oreck [XL.sup.2]. Don't plan to work out with Oreck's newest vacuum cleaner; at 8 lbs, it's too light and you won't break a sweat. But the engineering team did some mental gymnastics to shave half-to-two-thirds of the weight of typical products...

Cradle and rock. (Flash: New and Notable Product Design).
January 13, 2003... Delphi's XM SKYFi' Radio. Can't live without your music? Delphi lets you take that nifty 101-channel satellite radio system for cars and bring it to your home stereo or into other vehicles. Using the vehicle cradle or home stand docking...

More (electrical) power to you. (Flash: New and Notable Product Design).
January 13, 2003... International Rectifier Active Integrated Rectifier Regulator. New cars demand more and more electrical power. Now, to boost alternator electrical output without having to resort to new 42V technology. International Rectifier has developed the...

World in the mirror. (Flash: New and Notable Product Design).
January 13, 2003... STMicroelectronics ST-GIPsy chipset for GPS. Everyone loves a free ride. Now engineers at STMicroelectronics have given automotive designers the option of placing a GPS receiver within the rearview mirror--eliminating external antenna holes and...

A blend of engineering and research. (Flash: New and Notable Product Design).
January 13, 2003... Oster [R] In2itive [TM] Blender. Here is a surefire recipe for user-friendly design: Start by watching how consumers use a product, then blend what you learn into the mix of features in a redesign. That's what Sunbeam and its partners at...

Pumped up on design. (Flash: New and Notable Product Design).
January 13, 2003... Powerbox Solutions fuel-pump control panel. Elegant electronic packaging is the key to design of a control panel for new gasoline pumps that may soon be gracing your local service station. Powerbox Solutions, a supplier to the gas-dispensing...

Easy configuration. (Flash: Motion Controllers).
January 13, 2003... National Instruments PXI-7344. This axis controller for steppers or servos first debuted in 1999, and has gained a large following since, says Motion Control Product Manager Jayson Wilkinson. New to the product is Motion Assistant, software...

Back to basics. (Flash: Motion Controllers).
January 13, 2003... Delta Tau PMAC-PC/104. Known for its high-end controllers, Delta Tau's newest offering has a list price of under $1,000. A single card can handle up to four axes, stepper or servo, in any combination. The compact (4-inch), DSP-based board is...

Low-cost control. (Flash: Motion Controllers).
January 13, 2003... Ormec Orion. "Our goal is to make distributed network drives available at analog drive prices," says David Carr, engineer and vp of product development and marketing at Ormec. To do that, engineers split the functionality of a board-level...

Call it the base model. (Flash: Motion Controllers).
January 13, 2003... Galil's DMX 21x2 and 21x3. This new controller is basically Galil's top-of-the-line controller (same 32-bit processor, memory, and PID), at half the price and half the size. Engineers reduced cost by eliminating some expensive features deemed...

All things to all axes. (Flash: Motion Controllers).
January 13, 2003... ACS-Tech80's SPiiPlus. Unlike other controllers, which use a single DSP for all axes, this controller is built on a distributed, multiprocessor platform. There's a dedicated DSP for each pair of axes and servo control loops, interfaced with a...

Real-time motion. (Flash: Motion Controllers).
January 13, 2003... Parker Acroloop ACR 8020. This new controller does floating-point math at the chip level, enabling it to achieve virtually real-time motion control. Using a 120 MFLOP DSP with 64-bit math and automatic roll trajectory, the controller processes...

Spirol helps customers solve assembly challenges: company has offered its customers value-added engineering services for more than 50 years. (Advertorial).
January 13, 2003... While in the early stages of developing a new power tool, Black & Decker engineers decided to seek application assistance on the assembly portion of the tool from one of their suppliers: Spirol International. A Spirol field engineer helped them...

Top engineering Websites. (News).(Brief Article)(Directory)
January 13, 2003... www.thomasregister.com Solves the million monkey problem with data on over 175,000 suppliers and their products www.globalspec.com Deep not broad, excels at component searches before the specs are locked down www.icrank.com...

Machine tools stay sluggish. (News).(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... If machine tool consumption is any indication, an economic recovery isn't going to happen anytime soon. Recent stats indicate a dropoff of nearly 30% compared to 2001, which itself was down from 2000. Year-to-date (through September 2002) total...

Night vision loses focus. (News).(popularity of night vision amongst automotive features depends on price)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Great technologies often get the hype, but can be slow to gain traction. Take night vision. First introduced in the 2000 Cadillac Deville, it ranked third in a list of the automotive features consumers crave most, according to a recent J.D....

Sorry, we can't fill your order: as requests for free samples on-line soar, companies re-evaluate their policies. (Switches).
January 13, 2003... CHICAGO--Like ordering sample parts over the web, without paying a fee or having a salesman contact you? If so, enjoy it while it lasts. Facing an increase in Internet orders, a growing number of electronic component manufacturers and...

Disney reduces the wait. (Software).(theme park uses FASTPASS technology)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... ORLANDO, EL--Nobody knows how better to manage a queue than engineers at Walt Disney. In fact, after the events of September 11, the Transportation Security Administration consulted Disney engineers on the design of security screening areas in...

Better to be safe. (Electronics).(SICK, Rockwell Automation, Omron Electronics develop open protocol for safety communications)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Automation and machine safety vendors SICK. Rockwell Automation, and Omron Electronics are developing an open protocol for safety communications. It will be based on common, standard protocol found in DeviceNet and Ethernet/IP and consists of...

Drive my car. (Electronics).(TTTech builds car using Time-Triggered Protocol technology)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Latest application of the Time-Triggered Protocol is the TTCar model built by TTTech to demonstrate drive, steer, and brake-by-wire functions. Seven computer nodes calculate and control all car functions, exchanging data over the TTP network....

Silicon power device challenges relays: it keeps cool even without a heat sink. (Relays).(Motorola introduces MC33982 solid-state relay)
January 13, 2003... PHOENIX, AZ--A new solid-state relay from Motorola is a cool operator--so cool, in fact, that it could be a formidable competitor for many electromagnetic relays. Unlike typical SSRs, which generate a lot of heat while passing large currents,...

Techies discover eBay. (The Internet).(major electronics companies are selling products on eBay)
January 13, 2003... SANJOSE, CA --Across the wasteland of failed Internet B2B marketplaces, there is a small-but-hardy sprout of new growth occurring on eBay, a site more associated with comic book collectibles than the latest electronic components. Large...

Phone home-or elsewhere: embedded systems gain features through wireless technology and phone lines. (Telecommunications).(Xecom offers new components)
January 13, 2003... MILPITAS, CA--Sometimes you need to be connected, but you don't need the Internet. Credit card transactions are a good example. When you make a credit purchase in a store, you or the cashier swipes your card through a slot to initiate an...

The sound of silence. (Fluid Power).(hydraulic equipment noise levels survey results)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... When it comes to hydraulic equipment, noise apparently does matter--enough so that many design engineers would be willing to pay extra to reduce sound levels. In a recent Design News survey, 74% of the respondents say that they are willing to...

Best fluid power sites. (Fluid Power).(Parker Hannifin)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Design News readers voted Parker Hannifin's website (www.parker.com) as the best one for fluid power technology. What do they like best about it? Ease of navigation in finding product and technical information got high marks. And in the event...

Tech tips. (Fluid Power).
January 13, 2003... Sure, there's plenty of product information out there with the web and all. But what engineers say they lack most is details on how to select and apply those products.. Well help has arrived. You can find all kinds of practical application tips...

Servopneumatics finding its niche, bit by bit. (Pneumatics).
January 13, 2003... Smart air cylinders are an option where high force and ultra-precise positioning aren't needed NEWTON, MA -- Makers of electric servo drives aren't glancing over their shoulders yet, but a new breed of smart air cylinders may be gaining on...

Rotary solenoid cuts size, adds speed to pneumatic butterfly valves. (Pneumatic Valves).(Circle Seal Corp. Aerodyne Controls Div.)
January 13, 2003... RONKONKOMA, NY--By employing rotary solenoids instead of conventional linear solenoids, design engineers from the Aerodyne Controls Division of the Circle Seal Corp. say they are creating smaller and faster pneumatic valves. The valves,...

Powder metal conversions made easy. (Materials/Joining).
January 13, 2003... Is powder metal the right choice for your existing metal parts? A new "conversion kit" from GKN Sinter Metals (Auburn Hills, MI) can help you find out. These free kits contain information on the design criteria that determine whether a part...

Die casting design aid now on-line. (Materials/Joining).
January 13, 2003... Rosemont, IL--Need some die casting design tips? Look no further than a new CD-ROM just released by the North American Die Casting Association (NADCA). Now in its second version, this multi-media guide includes information on alloy composition...

Can aluminum composites be cost-effective? (Metals).(product offerings from MMC Engineering Inc. and 3M)
January 13, 2003... Up-and-coming metal matrix technologies tackle the high costs that have limited the use of these materials CALDWELL, NJ -- Aluminum matrix composites seem like they should be more popular. Made from reinforcing particles or fibers...

Big, fast metal.(R10 ProMetal system from Extrude Hone Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Fabricating metal parts on rapid prototyping machines used to sacrifice part size for the sake of speedy production. This trade-off has now started to ease up a bit with the introduction of the R10 ProMetal system from Extrude Hone Corp....

Sandia, Boeing team up. (Motion Control/Power Transmission).(R&D agreement to focus on solar power technologies)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Two engineering giants are joining forces to develop a broad range of solar power technologies, including power towers, dish engine systems, solar troughs, and concentrated photovoltaics. The companies inked the deal, called the Cooperative...

Rewind motors with no penalty. (Motion Control/Power Transmission).(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Worried about whether rewinding a motor will degrade its efficiency? Well rewind away. Findings from a study by the Electrical Apparatus Service Association conclude that motors can be rewound multiple times with no loss of efficiency, so long...

Size does matter. (Motion Control/Power Transmission).(most important features when selecting a motor)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Six out of ten engineers say that standard sizing is the most important feature when selecting a motor, according to a recent survey by Design News and Control Engineering Magazines. Price follows as the second most important feature, followed...

When plastic meets rubber, you get big savings: ultrasonic welding makes a one-piece part. (Pneumatics).
January 13, 2003... DETROIT-What do you get when you drop rubber, two metal inserts, and a plastic piston into a single mold? Warn Industries got itself a stronger, high-tolerance diaphragm which saved the company $200,000 in equipment costs. This annular...

Thin but strong: bearing pulls more than weight. (Ball Bearings).(ASML uses Dynaroll ball bearings in lithography tool)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... WILTON, CT--As the saying goes, you can never be too rich or too thin. When engineers at ASML (Tempe, AZ), a semiconductor equipment manufacturer, designed their newest lithography tool, they needed an extremely thin, yet stiff pivot...

Real-time drivers save energy in energy production. (Variable Frequency Drive).(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... NEW BERLIN, WI--It seems ironic that to get energy, oil producers must use a lot of energy. But a variable frequency drive from ABB adapted for a multiphase pump may help the industry realize significant energy savings, along with time and...

Servo use to grow in packaging machines. (Servo Motors).(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Packaging machinery still accounts for a relatively small portion of the market for servo technology, both in the U.S. and in Europe. But in both regions, the packaging industry's use of servos is expected to grow more rapidly than servo use in...

Term limits. (Software/Hardware).(five computer aided design acronyms)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Think you know your CAD jargon? Here are some terms that have been around for a while. How many of these acronyms do you know? CGM: Computer Graphics Metafile. CSG: Constructive Solid Geometry. FORTRAN: Formula Translation. ...

Disney bound. (Software/Hardware).(rival CAD suppliers to hold meetings at Disney's Coronado Spring Resort)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Rival CAD suppliers have at least one thing in common: Both will hold major meetings this month and next at Disney's Coronado Spring Resort, Orlando, FL. SolidWorks World 2003 opens January 19. In addition to presenting several speakers who...

PDM grows PDQ. (Software/Hardware).(market for product-definition management software to reach $118 mil by 2006)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... Research and consulting firm CIMdata predicts that engineers will be increasing their use of PDm (product-definition management) software and services 25% over the next three years. The total market for PDm alone will be about $118 by 2006,...

Microsoft's nod nudges collaboration: adoption of software tool moves teamwork further into mainstream. (Brainstorming Online).(hopes to streamline engineering process with CoCreate's OneSpace software)
January 13, 2003... Adoption of software tool moves teamwork further into mainstream. (Brainstorming online) NEWTON, MA--Who said Bill Gates is not a team player! Microsoft recently announced that it has adopted collaboration software that should make it...

New, Harmonic Planetary high precision planetary gearhead.
January 13, 2003... Exclusively from HD Systems, the Harmonic Planetary [R] MPG Series provides the motion control and design engineer with a planetary gearhead that reduces backlash to less than 1 arc-min. This level of backlash is maintained for the life of the...

New, ultra flat gearing components.
January 13, 2003... CSD Series harmonic drive gearing from HO Systems delivers 1 arc-win positional accuracy in a compact package. The axial length of the CSD Series has been reduced by 50% versus the CSF series. This design is made possible by MD Systems'...

New, Harmonic Drive Gearhead, zero backlash.
January 13, 2003... The CSF-2UH series high torque gearheads use HO Systems' patented "S" tooth that delivers more than twice the torque, twice the life, and twice the torsional stiffness when compared to conventional Harmonic Drive Gearing. Positional Accuracy is...

Consultants' role in CAD grows: but engineers must decide if they want their services. (Service).
January 13, 2003... NEWTON, MA--The software industry isn't ready just yet to change the acronym CAD to consultant-aided design, but increasingly vendors are offering to help engineers in product development by doing more than just providing the software. ...

Ask the Search Engineer.(how to make a Slinky; cheap electronic fluid level sensor; how to keep anodized parts from fading)
January 13, 2003... The Search Engineer finds solutions to all your questions, problems, and dilemmas. Occasionally, he could be wrong. But he doubts it. How to make a Slinky[R]... Cheap way to sense liquid levels... Combating EMI under-the-hood......

The first forty years. (Design News Salutes).(MSC.Software)(Company Profile)
January 13, 2003... THE LAST 12 MONTHS HAVE TRULY BEEN A ROLLER coaster for all of us involved in the technology and manufacturing sectors. Between the conflicting economic indicators, the volatile global financial markets, and the upheaval in world politics, we...

Virtual instruments find their niche: they're great when many sensors are involved. (Measurements in the Design Flow).
January 13, 2003... They're great when many sensors are involved. CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN bench instruments and virtual instruments? If not, you're not alone! It gets more and more difficult to distinguish between the two. Virtual instruments,...

Design and ship faster with virtual instrumentation. (Measurements in the Design Flow).(LabVIEW)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2003... In order to get from design to shipping product faster, you need to 1) iterate on designs faster, 2) speed the designed product through validation, and 3) manufacture the product quickly with minimal problems. LabVIEW-based virtual...

Safe at any speed: to maintain high thrills and high chills, ride engineers are sharing secrets of good design.(Cover Story)(Biography)
January 13, 2003... "We are currently experiencing technical difficulties on the Rock 'n'Roller Coaster. We will advise you on our progress." "THE ENGINEERS ARE HERE--IT'S GOING TO BE A WAIT," EMMETT PETER, DIRECTOR OF RIDE & Show Project Development at the...

Rotational acceleration: why it's a real headache. (Safe at Any Speed).
January 13, 2003... THERE'S BEEN MUCH DEBATE ABOUT the possible hazards of high G-force amusement park rides and the issue of head rotational acceleration. What's the concern? Basically, you can get a big headache at high G-Force levels. If you want to know...

Dazzling plastics difficult engineering.
January 13, 2003... Ugly just doesn't sell anymore. Need proof? Just take a walk through any of today's big-box retailers, where even the most mundane household products have gotten a dash of style. The same goes for consumer goods ranging from computers to hand...

Simple. Not stupid.: smart sensors are too complicated for many applications. Plug-and-play sensors, although simpler, offer some of the same advantages. (Sensors).
January 13, 2003... ONCE UPON A TIME--ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO, ACTUALLY--VISIONARY TECHNOLOGISTS dreamed of an easier way to apply sensors in industrial automation, process control, and test and measurement systems. Instead of numerous sensors connecting to a system's...

Applying six decades of experience to your specific application. (Energy Control Solutions).
January 13, 2003... Solving your unique energy control challenges is the hallmark of Taylor Devices. We can adapt our proven energy management technology to meet the precise requirements of your application. One of every six Taylor employees is an engineer with...

Industrial and safety shock absorbers. (Proven Deceleration Technology).
January 13, 2003... Selected award winning self-compensating and adjustable designs offer up to 950% of the effective weight capacity plus up to 280% of the energy per cycle of previous models. Add ACE shock absorbers to help extend the life of your equipment and...

Velocity and feed controllers. (Proven Deceleration Technology).
January 13, 2003... Velocity controls solve automated control and damping issues. Feed controls provide exact speed control for machine motion. Enter 106

Gas springs & hydraulic dampers. (Proven Deceleration Technology).
January 13, 2003... Gas springs are ideal for counterbalancing loads and providing assistance in both lifting and lowering covers, guards and panels. ACE hydraulic dampers are the economical choice for solving your automation damping challenges. Enter 107

Rotary dampers. (Proven Deceleration Technology).
January 13, 2003... ACE offers a world class line of compact rotary dampers that enable products to function with smooth mechanical motion, resulting in that touch of quality. Enter 108

TUBUS bumpers. (Proven Deceleration Technology).
January 13, 2003... Outperform rubber, urethane and coiled steel. Excellent resistance to oil, grease, chemicals, salt wafer, ultra-violet light and microorganisms. Enter 109

Softer than rubber, thinner than foam: EMI gasket material meets needs of shrinking products. (Materials).
January 13, 2003... Unlike consumers themselves, many consumer products are getting thinner. And while losing bulk is good for products, it can cause other weighty issues, like gasketing. A new breed of softer, thinner, conductive silicones may offer a...

Fingerprint slide. (Electronics).
January 13, 2003... Ultra-small for wireless devices TruePrint[TM]-based biometric fingerprint slide sensor is reportedly ultra-small and uses little power, and is available for PDAs and wireless devices. The EntrePad[TM] AES2500 is billed as the world's most...

Sub-mini relay. (Electronics).
January 13, 2003... Standard and latching coil The T-series low-profile DPDT relay with a standard and latching coil reportedly meets FCC part 68's 1500V surge. UL and CSA listed for high quality and safety, they offer a mechanical life of 100 million cycles....

Fixed-gain amplifiers. (Electronics).
January 13, 2003... Wideband, low-noise op amps High-performance fixed-gain amplifiers are manufactured using the company's BICOM-III process, reportedly the first complementary bipolar silicon-germanium process. The high-bandwidth, low-noise units operate...

Heating blankets. (Electronics).
January 13, 2003... Provide controlled heat-ups Environmental factors in heating applications require products with the ability to withstand chemicals, moisture and abuse. SRMU silicone rubber heating blankets come in a variety of sizes and shapes, resist...

Circuit breaker. (Electronics).
January 13, 2003... High current-carrying ratings The 8345 is a single-pole magnetic circuit breaker available in ratings up to 125A and measurements of 0.749 x 1860x 2.500 inches. The additional 25A reportedly makes the 8345 the highest current-carrying...

Screw-clamp connector. (Electronics).
January 13, 2003... High power, increased amps The 7573 Series connector 10.16 mm pitch, screw-clamp PCB connector allows vertical wire entry through its 90[degrees] wire-to-screw entry orientation. The series is UL-rated for up to 10A, 300V, and VDE rated...

Wireless headset design. (Electronics).
January 13, 2003... Create safer automotive devices EtherMIND HS software for building hands-free wireless mobile Bluetooth[TM] headsets is available to automotive industry suppliers. Using Ether-MIND HS, headsets connect wirelessly to an automobile's speaker...

Microcontrollers. (Electronics).
January 13, 2003... Design control of power use PICmicro [R] FLASH microcontrollers feature nanoWatt technology, allowing flexible power managed solutions for system power consumption. These units feature electrically erasable cell process technology in an...

Software platform. (Electronics).
January 13, 2003... Small, for rough applications An industrial-distributed I/O line with a small, rugged form factor is reportedly suited for embedded control, data logging, and remote applications. Compact FieldPoint products extend the company's LabVIEW...

DC/AC inverter. (Electronics).
January 13, 2003... Powers in-vehicle electrical devices A 150W dc/ac inverter is available to power in-vehicle electrical devices, like televisions and VCRs. Reportedly the most powerful of its type, the inverter features 300W peak power, low battery warning...

FPC connectors. (Electronics).
January 13, 2003... Secure cable retention Design engineers can make secure PCB connections in hand-held devices using 6298 Series connectors with a space-efficient, low profile of 0.9 mm. Units feature front-hinged actuators and connectors that lock flex...

Voltage care plan. (Electronics).
January 13, 2003... Low uncertainty, downtime A Direct Voltage Maintenance Program is available for this company's 732 series and 734A reference standards. This program meets increasing demands for accurate, on-site calibration at low cost and allows...

Instrumentation modules. (Electronics).
January 13, 2003... Channel-to-channel isolation The DI-1000TC line of instrumentation modules is designed for use across all temperature-measurement applications including laboratories and heavy industry. Its channel-to-channel isolation feature is ideal for...