Product Design & Development articles from July 2003

Product Design & Development archives from July 2003

Locking ejector for cPCI.
July 1, 2003... Gen II cPCI-E3 Series locking ejectors eliminate accidental tripping of hot-swap switches associated with PICMG 2.0+ circuitry interfaces of peripherals engaged in CompactPCI enclosures, improving the lifecycle of standard hot-swap switches...

Low-cost power monitoring I/O.
July 1, 2003... The KL3403 power measurement terminal allows engineers to incorporate measurement and control of three-phase motors into the Bus Terminal I/O system. Pre-processing within the KL3403 provides rms values in the process image, without requiring...

Right-angle fault indicator.
July 1, 2003... The LPF-C041304S right-angle quad LED fault indicator is a passive light guide for use with surface-mount LEDs. It snaps into any standard circuit board, fitting over four surface-mount LEDs. It's right-angle design carries the light from the...

Analog laser distance sensor.
July 1, 2003... New programmable analog laser distance sensors offer resolutions to four microns. They provide longer range measurement with sensing distances of up to one meter. Response times as fast as 900 microseconds allow sensors to track very high-speed...

Fluid capabilities. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... With no moving parts, the AVM3003 is a fluid viscometer designed to provide either discrete sample or continuous real-time in-process viscosity measurements. Sample sizes can be as small as 120 [micro]l. The complete system includes an IBM...

Upgrade for measurement and automation. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... A culmination of four years of engineering effort, LabVIEW 7 Express is billed as a major upgrade to the entire family of LabVIEW graphical development products. It is meant to dramatically simplify the creation of measurement and automation...

Heat-shrinkable shapes. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... Raychem QFT configurable heat-shrink transitions are designed to form a watertight seal around cable splices. They protect against rough mechanical conditions and corrosion while maintaining electrical insulation. Special crimps are employed to...

On the level. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... Designed for equipment that does not require floor fastening, M-Series heavy-duty machine mounts can be used for automatic lathes, grinding machines, injection molding machines, and drilling/milling machines. They handle loads from 100-12,000...

Isolated solution. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... The Model 207 PC/104 isolated power supply converts input voltages of 9-36 Vdc to output voltages +5 Vdc at 2 A maximum rating and [+ or -] 12 Vdc at 0.42 A maximum rating. It has a -25[degrees]C to +71[degrees]C operating range and 1,500 V...

Keeping voltages low. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... The 000-0166 brushless dc motor is designed for low-voltage operation where economy is a major consideration. It can be used for reciprocating load requirements and is appropriate for blower, pump, and industrial process applications. With an...

Magnetic attributes. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... Featuring more than 200 W output, the 4490 brushless dc servomotor measures 44 mm in diameter and 90 mm in length. It's appropriate for medical and laboratory equipment and robotics as well as factory automation, aerospace, and aviation...

Dedicated to motion control. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... The Navigator-PCI is a high-performance 1- to 4-axis PCI-bus card for dc brushed, brushless dc, and step motors. Designed in surface-mount CMOS technology, Navigator-PCI provides dedicated motion control features such as trajectory generation,...

Linear options. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... A long-life Acme screw linear actuator is an option in every MDrive high-torque stepping motor including NEMA 14, 17, 23, and 34 sizes. Linear actuator versions include non-captive shaft, captive shaft, and external linear. Standard screw...

Rocker switches. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... The miniature DA panel-mount rocker switch is available with a wide range of actuator colors and styles including two-tone and illuminated. There is a choice of switch functionality--single and double pole, momentary and maintained. The...

Embedded telemetry system. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... A new embedded telemetry system is a hardware and software reference platform that streamlines the design, development, and deployment of customized telemetry systems. Its embedded software enables devices to deploy via multiple spectrums and...

Air motor and gearbox. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... Designed for the food and pharmaceutical industries, this non-lubricated Acetal air motor with gearbox is capable of transmitting up to 30 ft/lbs and has a speed range of 0.65 to 180 rpm depending on its gearhead ratio. The motor is...

LCD touchscreen monitors. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... A new family of LCD touchscreen monitors has been developed for the kiosk and industrial markets. Called the MicroTouch ChassisTouch line, it consists of three distinct products designed for targeted usage environments. They are described...

Planetary gearheads. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... These 10-mm planetary gearheads allow for high torque in a small diameter package. Various ratios are available to enhance speed reduction and/or torque multiplication. Concentric input and output facilitates simple mounting arrangements....

Compact rotary switches. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... The 72100 line of rotary switches are available illuminated or non-illuminated for use in the operation of lighting and motors. Specifically, the switches perform on/off and low/medium/high functions for headlights, marker lights, running...

Charger and battery system. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... A new charger and battery system consists of a two-position charger powered by a universal input power supply that is UL, cUk, TUV, and CE recognized and a 7.4 V, 1050 mAh lithium-ion battery. The standard battery is 2.1 x 1.625 x 0.8 and...

Ball valve. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... The Type 546 ball valve features a short overall length, buttress thread design, and universal multifunction module. These features are designed to provide added safety and functionality for a diverse range of applications. Available in...

Encryption board. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... The XCalibur1000 is targeting the growing IPSec/SSL requirements in the VPN, Firewall, and Web Server markets. It's a 6U CompactPCI board supporting Broadcom's Super E-Commerce processor. Also known as the Encryption Blade, the XCalibur1000 is...

Military switches. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... A new line of detent-action rotary multipole and selector switches has been designed for military applications. Produced in a modular design, these heavy-duty switches permit a variety of specialized configurations and are available in a large...

Magnetic shaft encoder. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... The ED-12 is a drop-in replacement magnetic encoder for optical encoder applications. Designed for use as a feedback sensor in industrial and commercial motion control applications, it is engineered not to be subject to contamination, high or...

Linear pententiometer. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... The CLP Series linear pententiometer is suitable for a range of motor-driven and hydraulic industrial applications requiring up to 10 million cycles. Its dual combination of felt and O-ring seals boosts longevity and operational precision by...

Wide-angle led. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... Designed with a 140-degree viewing angle and a dominant wavelength of 647 nm, this miniature surface-mount BR111C LED can be used for a wide range of electronic devices. With a footprint measuring 1.6 x 0.8 mm in an industry standard 1608...

Current sense transformers. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... The new CT319 and CT320 surface-mount current sense transformers feature a low-seated profile of 0.16 and 0.394 in., respectively, above the circuit board and operate over a temperature range of -55[degrees]C to +155[degrees]C. The CT319...

Water-washable solder paste. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... Multicore WS200, a water-washable solder paste, boasts superior cleaning characteristics, print definition with long open and abandon time capabilities, wetting to a wide range of surface finishes, and an exceptional reflow process window. The...

Intelligent control relays. (What's Hot).
July 1, 2003... This new line of intelligent control solid state relay assemblies can interface with a variety of control input signals. Rated for loads up to 100 A at a maximum 40[degrees]C ambient temperature, nine models are available to meet the needs of a...

Line meets FDA requirements. (Seals & O-rings).
July 1, 2003... These seats, which are produced from Chemraz pharmaceutical,-grade perfluoroelastomer compounds, comply with FDA and USP requirements. They are designed to combine the chemical, compatibility of PTFE with the resilience of rubber. The line...

New material offers strength. (Seals & O-rings).
July 1, 2003... Sealing products are available in carboxylated HNBR, a material that combines the temperature resistance of highly saturated nitrile with the durability of carboxylated nitrile. They boast very high tensile strength, high heat resistance, and...

Seals silence irritating squeals. (Seals & O-rings).
July 1, 2003... Consider the high-pitch squeal that emanates from certain dishwashers and washing machines when they are about to finish their cycle and are pumping out the remaining water. Such a sound does not fill consumers with confidence about their...

Self-clinching devices help move high current. (Fasteners & Assembly Components).
July 1, 2003... Bus bars, in general, serve as customary methods to distribute high current from power supplies to components. One company, however, is designing bus bars to provide a power-distribution solution that is custom-made to meet specific application...

Spray bond process for locknuts.
July 1, 2003... The Blue Torq-Patch process is designed to spray bond blue nylon powder onto the threads of locknuts and provide self-locking ability and vibration resistance. It can be applied--with patch coverage up to 360 degrees--to any grade standard hex...

PC screw terminals for high-density packaging.
July 1, 2003... Vertically or horizontally mountable, new metric-type PC screw terminals offer an anti-rotation, non-locking design suitable for high-density packaging. The metric PC screw terminals have four snap-in legs and are rated at 15 A. They are...

Gearmotors help bring stars into focus. (Motion Control).(NexStar GPS telescopes )
July 1, 2003... When astronomers look to the skies, they now can forget about punching complicated data into a keypad to locate heavenly objects. That's because NexStar GPS Series telescopes combine an integrated global positioning system with...

High-tech epoxy keeps bicycles moving. (Manufacturing Processes).
July 1, 2003... Manufacturers of high-performance bicycles and accessories such as handlebars, bar ends, and seat posts are turning to state-of-the-art adhesives to produce durable joints on substrates including aluminum, titanium, and fiber composites. ...

Clear PVC tubing. (New Products).
July 1, 2003... Clearflo PVC tubing provides an unobstructed view of the materials within it. Used to transfer gases, liquids, or granular materials, it can be used in pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and pump feed and discharge applications as well as for...

Flowmeter with pelton wheel principle. (New Products).
July 1, 2003... The C-OK45-DL Series flowmeter uses the pelton wheel principle to measure the flow of water and other low viscosity liquids. Liquid passes through a nozzle at the inlet of the flow body and is directed onto a flat blade pelton turbine. The...

Low-pressure relief valves. (New Products).
July 1, 2003... The L500 Series of low-pressure relief valves is designed to eliminate inefficiencies common with typical low-pressure relief valves. The units are accurate to [+ or -] 5 percent at crack pressures from 0.2 to 15 psi. They eliminate sticking...

Quiet by design: new cordless electric lawn and garden equipment is being engineered for low noise and high performance. Here's how ... (Real-World Engineering).
July 1, 2003... Yard work is a chore many of us dread--not only is it a hot and dirty task, but the roar of gasoline-powered garden equipment forces courteous neighbors to wait until a respectable hour to get started. The noisiest beast in the suburban jungle...

Dispensing system. (New Products).
July 1, 2003... The 9000DS dispensing system combines 9000 Series metering pumps and stepper motor control technology with a simple Palm PDA interface. The PDA interface boasts quick setup, intuitive programming, and easy operation of a wide variety of...

Low-capacitance TVS array. (New Products).
July 1, 2003... The ET723 is a low-capacitance six-line steering diode array for 10/100/1000 BaseT Ethernet, USB1.1/2.0, FireWire, and other high-speed-interface uses. With a capacitance less than 5 pF per line, this protection array imposes little effect...

Compact solenoid. (New Products).
July 1, 2003... The SP1421 Push Pull solenoid is designed for demanding push or pull applications such as printers, electronic locks, parking meters, vending machines, dispensing equipment, safes, cash drawers, and similar applications requiring compact design...

Transmissive switch for non-contact use. (New Products).
July 1, 2003... The QVE00033 transmissive switch has a small size, a surface-mount package, and the performance to make it suitable for non-contact switching applications in disk drives, card detectors, mice and trackballs, and motors and motion controllers....

Mounts and hooks. (Show Stoppers).
July 1, 2003... TY-D self-clinching hardware is designed to provide secure attachment points for mounting wires inside electronic chassis or enclosures. The hardware, which installs permanently without screws or adhesives, is offered in several sizes for...

Power level switches. (Show Stoppers).
July 1, 2003... These miniature rotary switches feature metal construction that offers increased durability for bushings and housing. Available in a variety of packaging options, MR Series shaft-actuated rotaries are 1/2 in. in diameter and have 6-mm threaded...

Molded cordsets. (Show Stoppers).
July 1, 2003... Interpower NEMA 6-15P cordsets, which are for equipment rated up to 15 amps with service at 250 Vac, are UL listed and CSA certified. are available with 2.5m of 3 X 14 AWG, SJT cable. The cordsets are configured with a NEMA 6-15 plug and are...

Miniature film capacitor. (Show Stoppers).
July 1, 2003... The Minifilm PPS surface-mount film capacitor for low-loss, fight-tolerance applications offers protection from hostile environments. It features a wrap-and-fill configuration, which incorporates Kapton film wrap with epoxy end seals and tinned...

Software for creating computer printable labels. (Show Stoppers).
July 1, 2003... Easy-Mark labeling software is designed for fast and easy creation of computer printable labels. The software allows users to create labels for a wide variety of electrical and network system applications such as wire/cable marking, patch...

Modular encoder with small axial length. (Show Stoppers).
July 1, 2003... Featuring surface-mount technology, the RM21 Series is a high-performance size 21 modular encoder with a small axial length of 0.84 in. maximum. A single push on the patented slide lock mechanism results in the modular encoder being aligned,...

Finding a way for fuel cells. (Case in point: automotive design).(Company Profile)
July 1, 2003... Hydrogen fuel-cell technology for automobiles can create pollution-flee vehicles, a nearly unlimited fuel source, and an alternative to dependence on foreign oil supplies. However, designers of fuel-cell-powered cars face a number of...

Machine vision guide on CD. (Free stuff! Catalog cds brochures samples).
July 1, 2003... VisionGuide is a machine vision reference and application guide on CD. It contains application examples, an interactive tutorial on building vision applications, lighting and optics videos, and a utility program that helps determine the field...

Metric drive components handbook. (Free stuff! Catalog cds brochures samples).
July 1, 2003... This 1,240-page catalog, Handbook of Metric Drive Components, Catalog 785, boasts a comprehensive 234-page technical reference section that includes design theory, calculations, and tables for designing spur, internal, helical, screw, bevel,...

Circuit protection catalog. (Free stuff! Catalog cds brochures samples).
July 1, 2003... This 112-page catalog contains information of hydraulic/magnetic and equipment leakage circuit breakers from 0.1 to 700 amps for circuit protection, power switching, and circuit control applications. It has an up-to-date listing of...

Vinyl plug/cap samples. (Free stuff! Catalog cds brochures samples).
July 1, 2003... Samples are available of a new vinyl plug/cap designed to meet a variety of product protection needs. The PnC Series plug-n-cap works as both a plug and a cap. Sizes can be customized to the specific dimensional and process requirements of the...

Ball bearing catalog. (Free stuff! Catalog cds brochures samples).
July 1, 2003... A new 32-page catalog details a line of precision ground and semi-ground radial bearings and heavy-duty precision ground radial bearings as well as unground radial, thrust, and combination radial and thrust ball bearings available from Nice...

Laser measurement catalog. (Free stuff! Catalog cds brochures samples).
July 1, 2003... This 128-page catalog on laser measurement instruments includes information on photodiode, thermal, pyroelectric, repetitive pulse, and OEM measurement heads. There are also selection guides, detailed charts, and a tutorial on laser power and...

Metric strain relief fitting samples. (Free stuff! Catalog cds brochures samples).
July 1, 2003... Samples are available of new metric strain relief fittings. Since Europe is switching from PG to metric threads for all new developments, M6 to M63 have been introduced for cables ranging from 1/16 to 1 3/4 in. Materials are nylon and...

Switch selection guide. (Free stuff! Catalog cds brochures samples).
July 1, 2003... This 750-page guide boasts clearly identified sections to aid design engineers in specifying the right switch for their application. It's organized by actuator type, instead of series, to simplify selection. Actuator sections include toggle,...

A thermoplastic horse helper. (The Last Word).(from Supracor Systems Inc.)(Company Profile)
July 1, 2003... A line of therapeutic saddle pads has been designed to take pressure off horses. Featuring a Stimulite honeycomb cushion fabricated with Stevens Urethane thermoplastic polyurethane sheet, these saddle pads from Supracor Inc. provide shock...

Dilbert. (The Last Word).
July 1, 2003... IS THIS NUMBER ACCURATE? IT SEEMS LOW. WHY ARE YOU ATTACKING ME? STOP ATTACKING ME! I THINK THE NUMBER IS LOW. IT'S TOO LATE TO APOLOGIZE. NOW I HAVE YOUR GUTS. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]