Design News articles from January 2006

Design News archives from January 2006

Wanted: a better mousetrap.(MY VIEW)
January 9, 2006... THE FIRST TIME I SAW A BLURRY OBJECT OUT OF THE corner of my eye streak through the kitchen of our new brownstone, I figured I better cool it on the chocolate martinis. However, the hollowed-out loaf of bread on the counter was the obvious...

Resolve to exercise yearly: even breakers need to move.(WEB LOG)
January 9, 2006... AS YOU'RE COMING DOWN OFF YOUR treadmill this month, vowing to keep a resolution to get in shape, you might want to give each of your circuit breakers a little flip, too. That's the recommendation at this website, anyway...

Bad chimp, good chimp.(Readers Sound Off)(Letter to the Editor)
January 9, 2006... Editor's note: The debut in November of our new superhero comic strip, Slack Variable, generated an unprecedented amount of feedback from readers. A sampling of their comments, along with the corresponding rating from our new Chimp-O-Meter...

Corporate responsibility in a global economy: helping impoverished countries help themselves.
January 9, 2006... THE RECENT LIVE 8 CONCERTS AND THE G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, re-focused the international spotlight on the plight of Africa. The numbers are staggering: 30,000 children die every day because of a vicious combination of poverty,...

RAQ's rarely asked questions: strange but true stories from the call logs of Analog Devices.(SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION)
January 9, 2006... It's easy to drive an EE to drink--but what drives one to poetry? Q. My SPICE simulation worked perfectly, but now I've a large production batch which doesn't meet its specification. A. Analog circuit simulation is one of the most...

Ethernet-based motion.(A look at the hottest trends from a big automation show)
January 9, 2006... Although automation companies usually reserve their "big concept" themes for the management types who go to Hannover Fair, an increasing number shared that vision with rank-and-file engineers at the SPS/IPC/Drives show in Nuremberg, Germany in...

PC-based control.(A look at the hottest trends from a big automation show)
January 9, 2006... Beckhoff staunchly defended its concept of PC-based control and stands resolute in its drive to deliver all the necessary components its customers need to realize this genre of automation practice. Beckhoff's mainstay in intellectual property...

Out-of-the-box controls.(A look at the hottest trends from a big automation show)
January 9, 2006... WAGO entertained the crowds with stunt bicycle riders to herald an unusual step the company is taking: announcing its new product, Speedway 767, a year in advance of its delivery. It will do everything a conventional cabinet-based control...

Complete automation in-a-box.(services)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... Siemens Automation & Drives took a huge leap into the future with an idea machine builders and systems integrators have dreamed about--and until now, believed it to be another 20 years away. The software concept, called "Automation Designer,"...

New and notable product design.(FLASH)
January 9, 2006... There is no need to wonder what happened to analog electronics. Find a digital product and there is always analog circuitry. Here are five applications of analog technology in digital products. 1 AMPLIFYING IN CLASS D AUDIO JVC...

Miniature golf: nanotechnology may soon help you improve your golf game.(THE SPORTS PAGE)
January 9, 2006... If you are the kind of guy who reads Design News, we can predict with certainty that nanotechnology will not help you beat Tiger Woods--ever. But it may soon help improve your handicap. Engineers working on golf equipment see nanotech as a...

EU ready to ban more chemicals.(european union)(environmental aspects in chemical and electronics industry)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... As analysts predicted, more environmental laws are headed toward the electronics industry. At a November meeting in France, the European Parliament backed a bill entitled Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH). The law...

Toyota struggling to meet hybrid demand.(hybrid car introduced)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... You'll have to wait four months if you want a Prius, Toyota Motor Co.'s first mass-produced hybrid. People were skeptical about the commercial viability of the car when it was introduced in 1997. Today Toyota can't meet the demand. The Tokyo...

Say goodbye to the famous Harley roar.(Environmental news engineers can use)
January 9, 2006... In the future, your Harley may start with a purr instead of a roar. The motorcycle of the future may run on fuel cells and create no emissions. A British company, Intelligent Energy, opened up a California sales office to sell its hydrogen...

High gas prices? Try this: variable Venturi could improve engine performance, fuel efficiency.(TECHNOLOGY YOU CAN USE)
January 9, 2006... Using a laminar airflow wing and a pair of pivoting throttle valves, a new air-fuel pre-mixing chamber promises to improve the performance of internal combustion engines and boost their fuel efficiency. The system, which mounts to the intake...

Collecting Stardust: scanning system adds precision to analysis and categorization of extraterrestrial samples.(EXTRATERRESTRIAL)
January 9, 2006... On January 2, 2004, NASA's Stardust Mission flew through the tail of the Comet Wild 2 with a series of aerogel collectors exposed to gather extraterrestrial materials for scientific investigation upon return to Earth. And now, with the Stardust...

Molecules perform Boolean calculations: HP researchers build basic logic chips without silicon.(research on boolean calculations)
January 9, 2006... Researchers at Hewlett-Packard Co. have built molecular-level processors capable of performing basic Boolean functions, thus opening the door for silicon-less electronic devices, possibly as soon as a decade from now. The molecular...

Making connections: micro fuel cells imbibe fuel without dribbling any juice.(FLUID POWER)
January 9, 2006... According to plan, portable electronic devices powered by a hybrid fuel cell/battery, dubbed "Formira," should begin working by 2007 in places where the electrical grid has yet to reach. Its developer, Tekion Inc., is applying the new power...

Better prototype printing for less: a popular 3D printer gets a makeover that allows it to tackle smaller features.(quality printing using 3D printing devices)
January 9, 2006... If feature-size limitations have kept you from considering entry-level 3D printing, it may be time to think again. Z Corporation has revamped its lowest cost printer, giving it a materials, hardware, and firmware upgrade that drastically...

SPS/IPC/Drives Show draws record attendance: the popular trade show in Nuremberg, Germany has become a central point of information exchange for automation challenges.(trade shows)
January 9, 2006... The engineer-to-engineer relationship is invaluable, and it's that high level of personal interaction--along with the chance to see new products--that brought a record 34,000 visitors this year to the SPS/IPC/Drives Show in Nuremberg, Germany,...

High bandwidth server boards for telecom and beyond: AdvancedTCA, the architecture of the future for the telecom industry, could find use in military and aerospace, as well.
January 9, 2006... After struggling through a devastating multi-year economic slump, makers of telecommunications gear might finally be ready to begin large-scale implementation of the vaunted Advanced Telecom Computing Architecture (AdvancedTCA) in their...

Sizing up the field: software streamlines motor selecting.(Motor sizing software )
January 9, 2006... Motor sizing software won't do anything that a motion control engineer couldn't do by hand, but a little automation among an expert's tools surely couldn't hurt. Two of the vendor companies here will open up their catalogs freely to your...

Omron optical network devices.
January 9, 2006... Omron's new P1L Multimode Micro Lens Arrays, P1X CWDM Mux/Demux, and P15 Optical Switches turn recent theory into real solutions for tomorrow's high-speed, free-space fiber/data communication links. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Sharp photocouplers.
January 9, 2006... These VDE certified products are for general applications such as telecommunication devices, white goods, and PLCs. Sharp is an industry leader in Optocomponents. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] mouser.com/sharpsma/a

Amphenol RADSOK[R] power bus connectors.(Advertisement)
January 9, 2006... RADSOK[R] technology provides higher power in a smaller package. Features include higher ampacity, lower insertion force, high cycle durability, and high reliability. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] mouser.com/amphenol/a

Jae Micro Dimm connector.
January 9, 2006... This WA6 Series is the new DDR2 MicroDimm standard. The WA6 is a memory module for many consumer products. The current rating is 0.3 A. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] mouser.com/jae/a

Chipcon CC1100 & CC2500 RF transceivers.
January 9, 2006... The CC1100 UHF RF transceiver and the CC2500 2.4GHz RF transceiver are built upon the advanced 0.18 [micro]m CMOS technology offering superior RF performance, the market's lowest system cost, and very low-power consumption in tiny 4 x 4 mm,...

Lamina BL-4000 LED light engines.
January 9, 2006... Lamina's newest LED light source delivers 120 lumens of blended RGB and 120 lumens in white (5500[degrees]K) from a single point. Designed for decorative effects using color, the RGB is the brightest and smallest RGB LED Light source available,...

Exporting deformed shapes: here's an easy trick for exporting COSMOSWorks deformed shape results plots to SolidWorks.
January 9, 2006... FEA RESULTS PLOTS OFTEN SHOW STRESS OR DISPLACEMENT VALUES displayed on geometry that has been deformed by the applied loads. In addition to visualizing the effects of applied loads graphically, if used as part of the CAD assembly model,...

PEZ MP3 player: familiar face, unusual use.(SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION: REFERENCE THIS!)(Complex Programmable Logic Devices)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... Cleverly disguised as a classic candy dispenser, this PEZ Pal Boy dispenses MP3 tunes and has 512 MBytes of storage. This limited run first edition had two fundamental design goals: 1) be true to PEZ and 2) keep it simple. The trick to getting...

Design News Engineer of the Year.(Alec Brooks from Aerovironment Design Development Center)(Tom Watson from Ford Motor Co)(Michael Dhuey from Cisco )
January 9, 2006... Here at Design News we are big on recognition. Actually some people think it's just our excuse to have lots of parties, but the truth is that we love to recognize engineers who do great things. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For over 20 years,...

Sun rises on big solar: historic and modern technologies converge in the desert.(Stirling Energy Systems Inc.)(California Public Utilities Commission)(plans for sun farms)
January 9, 2006... LATE LAST OCTOBER, THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION APPROVED PLANS FOR a 4,500-acre sun farm that will begin harvesting solar energy in late 2008. By 2012, this first of two huge energy farms could be supplying 500 MW daily, enough...

PEM[R] ReelFast[R] SMT fasteners: speed assembly, improve quality and reduce costs.
January 9, 2006... New PEM[R] ReelFast[R] SMT fasteners are designed to be mounted on printed circuit boards in the same manner and at the same time as other surface mount components utilizing standard automated surface mount techniques. [ILLUSTRATION...

Green engineering: new chairs from Haworth and Steelcase tread lightly on the environment.
January 9, 2006... THE VERY IDEA OF DESIGNING "GREEN" PRODUCTS may be the kind of thing that keeps you up at night. After all, you might have to reconsider all your time-tested design practices, materials, and manufacturing processes. Maybe you'll even have to...

Directindustry's Product Watch: reaching over 600,000 targeted subscribers.(WEB RESOURCES)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... DirectIndustry has created a monthly e-mail newsletter for new products called the Product Watch. For exhibitors at DirectIndustry it only takes 30 seconds to upload a press release. Each release is then sent out in the Product Watch and links...

DirectIndustry.com: the virtual industrial exhibition.(WEB RESOURCES)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... Aimed at industry professionals, DirectIndustry, is a B-to-B site presenting all the industrial equipment and components available on national and international markets. Available in five languages, the virtual industrial exhibition offers...

New parametric searches to website: enables quick, detailed searches.(UltraVolt Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... UltraVolt Inc., a world-leading manufacturer of high-voltage power supplies, announced the addition of two parametric searches to its website that enable users to search for the characteristics they require and compare results quickly to find...

Cylinders: corrosion-resistant.(International Organization for Standardization)
January 9, 2006... The C85 series of ISO 6432 cylinders are constructed of stainless steel and is designed for long service life. It offers dimensional interchangeability with other manufacturer's cylinders, and it features corrosion-resistant anodized covers,...

Flow meter: wide standard configuration selection.(Fluid Components International flow meter info)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... The model CMM Coriolis mass flow meter is engineered to be compatible with virtually every industrial process fluid in use today. With the widest standard configuration selection of the industry's most popular and exotic wetted surface material...

Selector valve: with or without detents.(Beswick Engineering Company Inc valve info)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... The company's selector valve is designed for use as a quiet replacement for solenoid valves. A single input can be switched between 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 output ports. It can be ordered with detents for manual operation with a knob or without...

Digital display: for flow meters.(FLUID POWER)
January 9, 2006... The DM 15 serves as a remote digital display that indicates flow rate or temperature readings using the company's' ST and GF series thermal-dispersion mass flow meters. It represents a best value dc input indicator that also offers a high/low...

Manifold system: improved sealing integrity.(FLUID POWER)
January 9, 2006... The IMPACT 2000 (International Modular Pneumatic Actuator Control Technology) is designed to allow all of the elements of a pneumatic control circuit to be connected into one manifold unit. It features improved sealing integrity, a 30 percent...

Positioners: for pneumatic rotary actuators.(FLUID POWER)
January 9, 2006... The series 265 Precisor II pneumatic and electro-pneumatic positioners are engineered to offer steady and dependable valve control when combined with any of the company's rotary valve actuators. Its rugged, durable design can withstand harsh...

Gage: stainless steel.(FLUID POWER)
January 9, 2006... The series SSL stainless-steel gages have dual English/metric scales with 1 percent full scale accuracy. It is a 4-inch glycerin-filled gage that is designed with a 304 SS housing and 316L SS wetted parts for chemical compatibility. The product...

High flow volume booster: aluminum construction.(FLUID POWER)
January 9, 2006... The Type 6000 high flow volume booster is engineered to deliver high air flow capacity and fast-action throttling control. It is offered in aluminum or 316 stainless-steel construction. It is a one-to-one signal to output relay, which when used...

Platen heaters: cast aluminum.(FLUID POWER)
January 9, 2006... The company's cast aluminum bake and chill platens for waver processing applications use a high-density, mineral-insulated heating element, formed to offer a specific heat profile and cast onto 99.7 percent pure aluminum. The surfaces can be...

Viscosity control systems: sensitive.(FLUID POWER)
January 9, 2006... The company's line of viscosity control systems are designed for fluids ranging from hypodermic needle coatings at 1/2 CPS to silicone caulk at 1 million CPS. They are engineered to be sensitive enough to detect changes in the viscosity of...

High flow valves: for large bore actuators.(FLUID POWER)
January 9, 2006... The VQ5000 series of high flow valves are designed for use in automotive, brickwork, forestry, mineral processing, machine tool, and metal casting industries to drive large bore actuators. The five-port solenoid valve is engineered for large...

Meter, mix, and dispense system: piston-based.(FLUID POWER)
January 9, 2006... The EZ-mixVR variable ratio meter, mix and dispense system is a piston-based, software-driven, positive displacement system that offers accurate mixing without changing gears or other time-consuming mechanical adjustments. It features 0.1 ml...

Solenoid valve: instant acting.(FLUID POWER)
January 9, 2006... The company's new solenoid valve features a typical response time of less than 30 msec, enabling nearly instantaneous correction of payload position or rotation through thrust vectoring. It features a compact and lightweight design that uses a...

Miniature vacuum gauge: with dual scale.(FLUID POWER)
January 9, 2006... The company's miniature vacuum gauge is provided with a dual scale for accurate indication of vacuum ranging from 0 to -30 in HG. The dial diameter is 7/8 inch with an overall depth, front to back, of 17/64 inch. It employs a brass-geared...

Miniature slide switch: variety of actuators.(ELECTRONICS)
January 9, 2006... The 1000 series subminiature slide switch offers both SPDT and DPDT with a variety of actuators and terminals. It offers switch function of On-None-On, On-None-(On), and On-Off-On. With an operating temperature range of-40 to 80C, the product...

Expansion boards: eliminate alias frequencies.(ELECTRONICS)
January 9, 2006... The company's signal-conditioning expansion boards for its DAP boards are designed to make it easy to implement signal conditioning in data acquisition systems. MSXB 064 and MSXB 065 provide differential instrumentation amplifiers with optional...

Dc-dc converters: housed in a five-sided aluminum case.(ELECTRONICS)
January 9, 2006... The VHB50W series of industry standard half-brick dc-dc converters feature a 4:1 input voltage range. The 50-watt series is housed in a five sided aluminum case, making it ideal for a variety of telecom and industrial product applications. They...

Temperature recording label: provides permanent record.(ELECTRONICS)
January 9, 2006... The Wahl Breaker WB 140 is a self-adhesive temperature-recording label that features a silver gray indicator that turns permanently and irreversible black in less than one second with [+ or -]1 percent accuracy, traceable to NIST. It is...

Mosfet: for isolated dc-dc converters.(ELECTRONICS)
January 9, 2006... The IRF6648 is a 60V DirectFET power MOSFET that features a maximum on-state resistance of 7m[ohm], which enables up to 30 percent lower device conduction losses compared to similar solutions. It is ideal for isolated dc-dc converters commonly...

Spring connection system: easy wire terminations.(ELECTRONICS)
January 9, 2006... The FRK spring connection system is designed to reduce wiring time up to 80 percent when compared to screw clamp terminations. It provides fast wire termination for solid wire or stranded wire with a ferrule. The system requires no tools and...

Potentiometers: in a range of configurations.(ELECTRONICS)
January 9, 2006... The MR267 motorized potentiometers are engineered to provide a simple and inexpensive solution for automating existing systems controlled by manually-operated potentiometers, rheostats, or rotary cam switches. They are reportedly simple to use...

Sensors: oversized status indicator.(ELECTRONICS)
January 9, 2006... The WORLD-BEAM QS30 Series sensors are available in standard 10 to 30V dc or 12 to 250V ac universal voltage formats. They feature a 30-mm threaded barrel or side hole mounting option, IP67 sealed housing with EMI/RFI protected circuitry, and...

Rolling bearings: increased reliability.(MOTION CONTROL)
January 9, 2006... Designed to promote increased reliability and machine uptime by protecting against potential damage caused by the passage of electric currents in ac and dc motors, the INSOCOAT electrically-insulated rolling bearings feature a thin aluminum...

Alignment kit: intuitive.(MOTION CONTROL)
January 9, 2006... The Microgage Universal Alignment Kit is engineered to enable maintenance personnel and production teams to check and align their machine tools for improved operation and efficiency. Quick and precise measurements of machinery rail...

Transducer: for linear measurements.(MOTION CONTROL)
January 9, 2006... The SP2 string-pot transducer is designed for linear measurements in environmentally-challenging OEM and testing applications where a compact, single voltage divider device is necessary. It is offered in stroke lengths of 4.75, 12.5, 25, and 50...

Scara robots: compact bodies.(MOTION CONTROL)
January 9, 2006... The TH550 and TH850 scara robots are engineered with high-speed operations, high-payload capacities, and compact bodies. The TH550 reaches composite speeds of 6.21 m/sec, and the TH850 accelerates to 8.03 m/sec. Three-axis speeds for both reach...

Motor reverser: for industrial applications.(MOTION CONTROL)
January 9, 2006... The solid-state series EMCRT is engineered to control and invert the direction of a three-phase motor just two legs. The maximum current is 50 Arms, and the products reportedly incorporate very-high-immunity components. Ideal applications...

Grounding device: boosts reliability.(MOTION CONTROL)
January 9, 2006... The AEGIS SGR conductive MicroFiber shaft grounding brush is designed to improve the reliability of HVAC/R systems by extending motor life. By protecting bearings from electrical damage for the life of the motor, the product prevents bearing...

Linear guide systems: multiple configurations.(MOTION CONTROL)
January 9, 2006... DryLin W linear guide systems join the DryLin suite of linear bearings and slides with plastic guide elements. They are available in multiple rail configurations and styles to provide more design options. They are engineered as a low-cost,...

Stock lifters: for progressive dies.(MOTION CONTROL)
January 9, 2006... The T2SL series of stock lifters now includes the T2SL-170 model, which is available with either a threaded piston rod or a slotted top plate. Both versions are engineered for use in self-contained mode or hosed system mode. It features all...

Bus technology: saves money.(MOTION CONTROL)
January 9, 2006... The company's bus control system is engineered to enable system operators to save money on multiple automated valve installations. It enables actuators in systems that use eight or more electric or pneumatically-actuated valves to be controlled...

Mounting option: compact size.(MOTION CONTROL)
January 9, 2006... Designed as a practical alternative to traditional helical shaft mounted reducers, the company's new hollow shaft mounting option is part of its Planetgear Reducer series. The modular design and interchangeable components make it fast and easy...

Plugging joint: improved lubrication properties.(MOTION CONTROL)
January 9, 2006... The third generation of the company's GI-3 tripod plunging joints is designed to boost vehicle torque ratings. Located in the vehicle gearbox, the torque-management device represents the third generation of the company's...

Linear drive slowdown: simplifies operation.(MOTION CONTROL)
January 9, 2006... The company is offering an option for its model RG rolling ring linear drive assemblies; the end stop assemblies are fitted with specially machined v-shaped cams to decrease the linear speed of the drive prior to reversal without using...

Linear stepper motor stages: four models available.(MOTION CONTROL)
January 9, 2006... The company has introduced new linear stepper motor stages that travel at speeds up to 80 inches/sec with stroke lengths to 144 inches, and acceleration to 1G. Four models offer 2, 6, 10, and 20 lbs of continuous force. The 2- and 4-phase...

Open-loop operation: for slower applications.(MOTION CONTROL)
January 9, 2006... The company has added open-loop operation to its servo controller, the SilverDust. It is optimized to operate a step motor in the traditional open-loop configuration, making it ideal for slower applications that do not require encoder feedback....

Motorized pulleys: with integrated encoders.(MOTION CONTROL)
January 9, 2006... The company's motorized pulleys with integrated shaft encoders are designed to enable conveyor system operators to accurately synchronize product movements. The encoders use SKF or SNR pulse outputs to monitor motorized pulley movement to...

Stepping actuator: miniature.(MOTION CONTROL)
January 9, 2006... The company's size 17 DSM 2344H-C6231 miniature stepping actuator is made of a hybrid step motor and an internal lead screw cut directly into the shaft. It features an M5X2.0 lead pitch configuration that develops a linear force of 13.5 lbs....

Precision orifices and filters.(PRODUCT MART)
January 9, 2006... From biomedical to hydraulics and pneumatics, Bird Precision orifices are creating possibilities for new designs and applications [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Unique micron orifice series .0004" through .081" * HUGE variety of...

Table top machining center: MAXNC 10CL.(PRODUCT MART)
January 9, 2006... Machine prototypes, 3D shapes etc. in a variety of materials including steel. Program it with standard CNC code written by hand or with most CAD-CAM programs. Controlled by a PC Computer, it operates in the same fashion as the large industrial...

Slack variable.(Cartoon)
January 9, 2006... THE SERIOUSLY CAFFEINATED ESCAP ADES OF A MUTANT ENGINEERING SUPER MONKEY!! STORY: KAREN FIELD ART: DANIEL GUIDERA SLACK VARIABLE VS. THE SEGWAY SAMURAI... EPISODE III: BREAK-IN AT THE EPA!!! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

The case of the critical key.(True Stories)(investigating product defect on a golf cart)
January 9, 2006... WORKING FOR A MAJOR LIFT TRUCK MANUFACTURER, I GOT A JOB assignment that a young engineer usually only dreams about. While our staff hustled to prepare new forklift models to be introduced at a dealer show, our company finalized purchase of a...

The gadget freak files case #53: Craig was a diehard dashboard DIYer.
January 9, 2006... When Craig discovered his local BMW dealer charges $50 to reset the oil change indicator light on his 1999 BMW 528i, he did what any good engineer would do: He built his own reset tool. The simple, money-saving tool is essentially a wire with a...