Product Design & Development articles from April 2003

Product Design & Development archives from April 2003

Integrated planetary gearbox.
April 1, 2003... Low-maintenance planetary gearboxes come fully assembled and integrated with MDrive high-torque stepping motors with on-board electronics. The gearbox option expands the application range for the MDrive product line by increasing torque at...

Stainless steel marine latch.
April 1, 2003... Constructed of 316-grade stainless steel, this new flush pull latch combines corrosion resistance and durability with a brightly polished finish. Available in two sizes, it's designed for easy installation in either 2 or 2 1/2 in. round holes...

Ultra-sensitive system.
April 1, 2003... The SpectroCam merges the color sensitivity of a spectrophotometer with an inline vision sensor. It boasts more detailed color information across the entire spectrum, allowing the CCD to capture more data for more accurate measurements and...

Compact brushless blower.
April 1, 2003... A new high-speed 24-V brushless dc blower is 3.4 in. in diameter and 2.64 in. long. Drive and commutation electronics are embedded in the brushless motor design, providing a two-wire input. The impeller and rotor are balanced to provide a...

Plug-and-play power converters. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... Non-isolated LSN D5 Series dc/dc converters accept 5 V inputs (4.5 to 5.5 V input range) and deliver 1/1.2/1.5/1.8/2/2.5/3.3 V outputs fully rated at 10 A. The single-in-line packages (2 x 0.5 x 0.34 in.) can be configured in either vertical or...

Point-of-load converters. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... The SMT15E Series of dc/dc converters has an industry-standard footprint of 1.3 x 0.53 in. and an above-board height of 0.32 in. These 15-A non-isolated point-of-load converters are designed for surface mounting. Some models are capable of 95...

Single-phase power line filters. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... These single-phase power line filters, the RP100 and RP110 are compact EMI filters that are suitable for home, office, medical, and industrial appliances and equipment. They meet international and domestic safety requirements including Europeg...

Measurement and control. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... The iR2 is a temperature measurement and control system for difficult applications in semiconductor processing. It uses a two-color ratio technique for precise measurement and control of temperatures from 300[degrees]C to 3,000[degrees]C, comes...

Offering a lift. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... Volumeline Series gas springs have been engineered to simplify the lifting of lids, doors, hatches, panels, and louvers at controlled extension rates. These compression gas springs are available with 2 to 10 in. strokes, forces to 160 lbs, and...

Transmission mission. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... Suitable for use in the aerospace, machinery, paper, and automotive industries, these rotary transmitters transmit electrical measurement signals from a rotating part to a stationary measurement system or PC. They are especially suited for the...

Dispensing hot melt adhesives. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... Hysol 175-Spray and 175-Spray-HT applicators can cover large areas with hot melt adhesives, replacing duct tape, staples, beads of adhesive, and other fastening techniques. These patented pneumatic spray applicators feature adjustable flow...

Oil in. contaminants out. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... The Alpha Series low-profile indexing drive, which has input and output characteristics that meet or exceed most common indexing requirements, has a wide range of sizes, stops, and index periods. Its oversized cam followers are custom...

Shielding solution. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... The snapSHOT EMI shield, a boardlevel multi-cavity shielding product, provides protection against electromagnetic interference. The metallized thermoformed plastic shield, which is engineered to be easy to install and remove, can accommodate...

Quiet and compact hybrid. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... A new size 14 non-captive linear actuator has been built for long life-several million cycles. This hybrid linear actuator features engineering thermoplastics in the rotor drive nut and a stainless steel Acme lead screw. The patented design,...

Mirror, mirror on the ... (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... The LMR Series mirror rotate control has been designed for the transportation industry to handle dashboard and interior switching and control needs. Features include a four-axis joystick-style actuator, 1-A 12-V and 0.5-A 24-V ratings, an...

Keeping it on the level. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... Detector MIR liquid level sensors, which are micropower impulse radar devices, come in two versions: the MIR-800 and the MIR-900. The sensors measure any liquid with a dielectric equal or greater than 3.0 including foaming liquids, viscous and...

Acoustic measurement products. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... A new line of acoustic measurement products has been added to a line of accelerators to provide a range of sensor solutions for engineers making sound and vibration measurements. The line includes precision and array microphones,...

Manual dispense valve. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... The 2200-1021 manual dispense valve provides operator control for dispensing silicones, mastics, and other single-component materials. Engineered for use with materials of all viscosities, it incorporates a no-drip internal design with...

Keyless locking assemblies. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... The PSV 2001 keyless locking mechanisms in industrial sizes from 20 to 200 mm and 3/4 to 7-7/8 in. can handle torque loads up to 50,000 ft/lbs. They provide a backlash-free, 360-degree grip without the use of keyways, which can cause frequent...

Thermoelectric-cooled RF test sockets. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... Interposer, Spring Probe, and Microstrip Contact RF test sockets are available with thermoelectric cooling. Test sockets with the new conduction-cooling system are suitable for BGA, LGA, and CSP package designs. The system eliminates the...

Flexible sensing fibers. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... SteelSkin plastic sensing fibers with Dura-Bend multi-core construction are engineered to carry light through tight radius bends with no signal loss or fiber damage. The incorporation of a braided 304 grade stainless steel over-jacket provides...

CCFL high-voltage inverter transformer. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... This cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) Inverter Transformer Series comes in a surface-mount package. The device is used in power supplies for producing the high voltage needed to initiate lamp operation for backlighting of liquid crystal...

Cables with copper conductors. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... Tailor-Made Cable boasts a wide range of copper conductors featuring conventional, tinned, and silver-plated copper. Tinned copper conductors are suitable for applications where corrosion resistance and easy connector soldering are...

Split-sheath cartridge heaters. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... Watt-Flex split-sheath cartridge heaters can be manufactured with a groove along the outside of the sheath to accommodate a needle-type thermocouple. They are designed to provide sensing and control for temperature-critical processing...

EMI shielding tapes. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... ARclad 90038 is a highly conductive tape designed for EMI shielding in a variety of electrical and electronic products. It's a 2.4-mil, acrylic-based, pressure-sensitive tape that features a 1-oz tin-plated copper foil backing. Its shielding...

High-precision motors. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... The Faulhaber 32 mm Series is an extension of the CR Series of high-precision motors with graphite commutation and a high power-to-volume ratio. Its low current consumption makes it suitable for battery-operated or fuel cell applications....

Patent-pending servo actuator with integral motor. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... HT Series actuators are high-thrust servo devices designed for maintenance-free performance in scissor, pinch, and C-style welding guns. They feature integrated motors, actuators, and feedback for decreased weight and footprint. Suitable for...

Power switches for mobile applications. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... The TPS211x family of ultra-low rDS (on) power switches enables seamless transition between two power sources such as a single-cell lithium-ion battery and a wall adapter. Suitable for mobile phones, PDAs, and other handheld devices, the...

Personal safety device. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... The Mini-Strobe is a personal safety device for low-light environments that continuously emits a flashing light that can be seen up to five miles, depending on line-of-sight and weather conditions. It flashes 50 to 70 times per minute for 72...

Positive displacement pump. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... This positive displacement pump, the 1000, is an alternative to gear, lobe, peristaltic, and air-operated diaphragm pumps on the market. It is engineered for trouble-free operation in shear sensitive chemical feeds and viscous fluid crude oil...

Pushbutton switches. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... Brighter LEDs have been designed for YB, LB, and KB Series illuminated pushbutton switches. Engineers can specify single-element LEDs with or without built-in resistors. The LEDs with built-in resistors are available in 5, 12, and 24 V...

Momentary switches. (What's Hot).
April 1, 2003... New SW44217 and SW44220 pushbutton momentary switches with dual- and quad-lamp design are engineered for maximum lamp/LED redundancy and brightness. They are suitable for use as warning lights in industrial and avionics displays, audio...

A shine of the times: new technological advancements allow a spider LED indicator light to brighten up a number of modern day applications. (Displays & Indicators).
April 1, 2003... In recent years, manufacturers have made great advancements in the development of new doping materials, which have increased LED brightness levels immensely. These brighter "spider" LEDs have been developed specifically for sunlight...

New encoders take aim at accuracy and speed. (Motion Control).
April 1, 2003... New Flex-Mount commutating motor feedback encoders use the same physical mounting as resolvers but promise accuracy up to 2,048 pulses per revolution and real-time feedback for faster servo loops. Previously, engineers who wanted the...

A driving combination: a permanent magnet ac motor, controlled by a low-voltage ac drive, is doing away with the need for gearboxes and pulse encoders. Here's a look at this new technology at work. (Motion Control).
April 1, 2003... Motors make the world revolve and are an integral part of our everyday life; they run everything that turns and use much of the electrical energy in the world. Imagine if there were an advancement that was able to save energy and run things...

Non-ball lead screw assemblies. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... The non-ball lead screw assemblies in the Mini Series are designed for demanding miniature applications such as data storage drives, miniature pumps and dispensing systems, micro-actuators, and laser and optical focusing mechanisms. These...

Four-pole brushless motor. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... The EC45 four-pole brushless motor is electronically commutated for long motor life; its design has no mechanical brushes to wear out. The electronic commutation also minimizes electrical noise. Other features include Hall effect sensors,...

Patented servo gearmotor. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... A new servo gearmotor with a patented design promises high performance, efficiency, high power density, reliability, and optimized heat transfer. A low-backlash, single-stage gearbox is integrated with a high-performance servomotor. This...

Heavy-duty gear reducer. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... The RV-E gear reducer offers high ratio gear reduction in a compact design. The unit promises high torsional rigidity and overload torque capacity--at 500 percent of rated torque. The rated torque range is 637-60,710 in.-lbs with a peak...

Dolling up die castings: various surface treatments can bring out the best in die-cast parts. The following article offers help for deciphering your die-casting options. (Coatings & Finishes).
April 1, 2003... The enduring popularity of die castings is owed, in part, to the ease with which die-cast parts can be enhanced with a wide variety of surface treatments. Using techniques such as painting, coating, plating, and anodizing, product designers can...

Soft materials for medical use. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... The NexPrene Series is a new line of U.S. Pharmacopoeia VI certified TPEs. They are offered in grades of Shore 40 A and 45 A as well as in grades up to 50 A. These medical-grade compounds are an alternative to trasilicone and latex...

Sewn sleeves for hoses, tubes, cables. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... Sewn sleeves, made from woven fiberglass laminated to aluminum foil, can reduce the component temperatures of power steering hoses, air conditioning hoses, water hoses, wire harnesses, brake tubes and hoses, and spark plug wires. The...

The fundamental question about cables. (Electrical & Electronic Design).
April 1, 2003... While it might be trite to say life is full of choices, this tried and true saying certainly applies to the specialized world of electrical cable. A project engineer can choose off-the-shelf cable--the manufacturer's way--and then adapt it to...

Fiber-optic backlighting solution for critical devices. (Electrical & Electronic Design).
April 1, 2003... Portable communications equipment used by paramedics, firefighters, and police officers must have a bright, uniform, and dependable backlight for the critical information being displayed. Mobile radio units, for example, have traditionally...

Absolute cam encoder. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... This new absolute cam encoder can monitor speed, direction, and position. It also allows the user to control 16 outputs through 250 programmable cams and retains its cam position information in the event of power loss. The unit's IP65...

Gearmotors with strengthened shafts. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... V Series ac gearmotors have strengthened shafts that mate to GV Series gearheads. The gearmotors operate at the low noise threshold of 29 dB--a reduction of approximately 6 dB when compared to other ac motors--and the gearheads promise 10,000...

Inverter/vector duty motors. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... A line of standard efficiency motors has been upgraded to high-performance inverter/vector duty designs in order to handle demanding applications. The motors conform to NEMA MG-1-1998 Section 31.4.4.2 standards. They include Class H...

Completely sealed protective bellows. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... ThermiSeal bellows, which boast an air-, dust-, and light-tight design, provide protection for precision medical equipment, semiconductor equipment, clean room applications, coordinate measuring machines, and inspection and test equipment. They...

Elastomer bumpers. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... The materials used in new high-performance elastomer bumpers incorporate UV light inhibitors to increase product life in outdoor environments. The bumpers are made from an inert-grade polyester polymer, making them lightweight, compact,...

DC/DC quarter bricks. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... Two new quarter brick series, the KHQ030 and the KHQ040, have been added to a dc/dc converter line. Both accept an input voltage range from 36 to 75 Vdc (48 V nominal) and offer five different voltage outputs ranging from 1.2 to 3.3 V. ...

PCI A/D board. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... New 32channel PCI-417N Series boards for desktop computers use an A/D converter for each channel. They sample all channels exactly in parallel at rates up to 80 KHz per channel (5.12 megabyte/second aggregate rate). This concurrent A/D sampling...

Pump oil cooler and filter system. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... This new oil cooler and filter system is suitable for high-temperature applications. The compact free-standing pack; age is designed to provide cooler pump operation to extend oil life and reduce bearing wear. The system reduces the impact...

Direct drive linear motors. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... Platinum DDL direct drive linear motors for electronic assembly applications are an alternative to mechanical-based equivalents such as ball/lead screws and rack and pinions. They eliminate all mechanical transmissions, resulting in a compact...

Solenoid control module. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... The energy-efficient CoolCube solenoid control module the placement of an overdrive voltage on a solenoid valve, which can decrease valve response time, increase operating pressure, and reduce power consumption. The compact module provides...

Safety contact strips. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... SGE Series safety contact strips feature molded end caps as well as wiring plugs that are inserted directly into the safety contact for simplified assembly. They meet safety requirements for machine guarding applications. In fact, they can...

Loop-powered digital metering system. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... New loop-powered digital panel meters, along with a compatible TZ-41 transmitter, have been designed as high-visibility, low-powered metering solutions. The displays and transmitter do not require a power supply and simply run off the...

Mission critical engineering: thanks to a technical recipe called the `digital thread,' the Joint Strike fighter program is capturing the essence of engineering know-how. (Real-World Engineering).
April 1, 2003... For the airplane aficionado, the appeal of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is clearly its sleek, powerful contours and its stealth capacity. For the military, JSF symbolizes combat air dominance with next-generation, affordable tactical...

Foil strain sensors. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... DTD 2684 Series strain sensors come in various models to match the materials commonly used in aircraft manufacturing. These integral, full-bridge, fully encapsulated, temperature-compensated strain sensors can be bonded to critical...

Dynamic pressure sensors. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... The Model 116B03 dynamic pressure sensor operates in environments to 750[degrees]F. The unit is designed for detecting pressure fluctuations in harsh environments such as exhaust systems, compressors, and turbines. Pressure monitoring can lead...

Flow measurement. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... The Access BA200 Series includes compact rate totalizers, a heat calculator, and an intrinsically safe batch controller. Designed for remote locations where external power is not readily available, these watertight instruments allow for direct,...

Sensing system combination. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... A new system solution combines the GS0 precision gram sensor and the DPM-3 panel mount meter. It's suitable for a variety of industrial and OEM force measurement and weighing applications. The DPM-3 can be scaled to a full five digits. It...

Terminal blocks with matching headers. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... The EM3583 IDC pluggable block and the EM3593 header are molded of green polyamide Type 6/6, 94VO with brass, tin-plated contacts. These Euro-Mag terminal blocks are designed for PC boards and have UL/CSA approval and CE certification. ...

Speeding over long distances. (Show Stoppers).
April 1, 2003... This new linear system is suitable for high travel speeds over long distances. Designated the CKR, it uses a highly dynamic toothed belt drive system to achieve speeds up to 5 m/s with smooth running characteristics. Two mounting positions are...

Driving up power. (Show Stoppers).
April 1, 2003... Featuring sensorless vector control, the Altivar 58 TRX ac drive has direct connectivity for Ethernet networks and power ratings up to 500 hp. Built-in connectivity simplifies the exchange of equipment and process information in real time. With...

High torque, small size. (Show Stoppers).
April 1, 2003... The BSM C-series of servomotors is designed to provide high torque in a small package. The units offer a solution for torque ranges of 20 to 200 lbs-in, with wide speed capability and medium inertia. Various feedback devices are available...

Caged for speed. (Show Stoppers).
April 1, 2003... Based on the design of the Type KR actuator, this new high-speed Type SKR actuator features a double dose of Caged Technology. The actuator's LM guide and ball screw both include this patented technology. Caged Technology works by isolating...

Little space, little problem. (Show Stoppers).
April 1, 2003... The V-Drive high-precision right-angle servo gearhead is a low-backlash unit suitable for applications where space is at a premium. The gearhead has an optimized tooth profile that promotes longer life due to less friction, resulting in reduced...

Aggressive tack. (Show Stoppers).
April 1, 2003... The GS Series of high-strength adhesive tape features a second liner on its permanent pressure-sensitive adhesive. Suitable for metal, wood, polyethylene, polypropylene, glass, rigid composites, hook-and-loop fasteners, and extruded polymers,...

Let the heat rise. (Show Stoppers).
April 1, 2003... This new ceramic-sheathed immersion heater is designed to supply temperatures up to 2,100[degrees]F for direct immersion in processes. The ceramic sheath provides extreme temperature protection for the heating elements inside. The non-metallic...

Putting it all together. (Show Stoppers).
April 1, 2003... This new miniature CFKII five-phase hybrid microstepping motor and driver create a microstepping motor system that promises extremely low velocity vibration. The motor is 0.79 in. sq 0.11 lbs. Combined with the microstepping driver, it produces...

Getting a grip. (Show Stoppers).
April 1, 2003... Patented Skintop liquid-tight strain relief connectors can be used with a wide range of cables in automated manufacturing systems. Available in PG, NPT, and metric thread sizes as well as a dome top and flex version for additional strain...

Serial I/0 remote display. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... The SLIM-1 is an eight-digit numerical or limited-alpha character remote display for RS232-C/422/485 systems. It can be used as a [+ or -]five-digit (50,000 counts) DPM for Vdc/mAdc (including current loop signals) or as an eight-digit TTL or...

Fiber-optic laser encoder. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... The RLE fiber-optic laser encoder is an interferometer-based system that produces high-resolution linear position feedback signals while maintaining an ease of installation comparable with traditional tape- and glass-based encoders. With axis...

Optical commutation encoder. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... The RCML15 is a compact optical encoder that combines brushless motor commutation pulses and incremental position feedback in a low-profile (0.35 in. height) package for applications where space is critical. Its LED and sensor arrangement...

Encoder with low temperature capability. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... The Model 260 Accu-Coder through-bore encoder is available in operating configurations of up to 120[degrees]C or as low as -40[degrees]C. Featuring a flexible mounting system to ease installation, the Model 260 incorporates sensing...

Compact peristaltic pumps. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... Models EV025 and EV045 bench-top peristaltic pumps provide variable speed and flow rates. They boast a fast prime switch for quick priming, offer flow rates to 220 ml/min, and accommodate tube sizes from 1.6 to 4 mm. Available in two and...

Ac/dc TIG inverter. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... The Dynasty 200, an ac/dc TIG inverter that weighs 47 lbs, is for those who need to TIG weld both steel and aluminum in hard-to-reach places. It has a welding range of 5 to 200 amps (ac) and 1 to 200 amps (dc) with a stable ac and dc arc...

Wireless modems for Modbus. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... The BusWorks OS2400-485 RF modems enable wireless communication between remote Modbus I/O devices. They operate in the 2.4 GHz ISM band to minimize interference from other wireless devices. Advanced digital signal processing, frequency hopping...

Dc/dc converters for telecommunication use. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... Designed for telecommunications HDSL/xDSL system applications, CPK-0305/0308 open-frame isolated, 6.5 W dc/dc converters offer an input range of 36 to 130 Vdc for operation in TNV 48 Vdc line systems without the need for additional dc/dc...

Processor board. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... The PP 120/01x is a low-power dual Pentium III single-slot CompactPCI board supporting four individual Gigabit Ethernet channels. It uses two 933 MHz low-voltage Pentium III processors. Each processor supports a 133 MHz front side bus with 512...

Digital linear gauge with metric display. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... The Model DG-525 digital linear gauge with metric display is designed to measure dimension, thickness, curvature, eccentricity, displacement, height, depth, flatness, variation, run-out, roundness, distortion, and deflection. The unit...

Stepping motor controller/driver. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... The MCB-4B is an integrated stepping motor controller/driver board for simultaneous control of up to four stepping motors. Each axis is addressable and several boards can be controlled by a single computer communication port. It can...

Compact dc/dc converters. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... High-density DH Series dc/dc converters are designed to meet the needs of telecommunications and distributed power applications. The 1 x 2 in. open-frame devices offer up to 50 W of output power at currents to 25 Amps. Using integral...

Dc-dc power converter. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... Eagle dc-dc power converters are available in the new industry standard eighth brick package. They deliver currents of 25 amps at efficiencies as high as 91 percent. The single-output converters have a power density of 93 watts per cubic...