Product Design & Development articles from July 2006

Product Design & Development archives from July 2006

Electronic advancements charge forward.(Future: Focus)
July 1, 2006... A new generation of batteries, a more powerful version of Wi-Fi, and Windows for embedded applications provide a glimpse of future moves in electronics. The new technologies offer better power sources, better communication, and better embedded...

Low-voltage board.(PD&D Exclusive)
July 1, 2006... The TPC-1570H is designed with the Intel Celeron M 600 MHz/1 6Hz processor as its core. The Intel Celeron M has low power consumption and 600 MHz/1 GHz operating frequency. This system is fanless although the kernel is powerful. In addition,...

Vortex flowmeters.(First Look: Smart Products and Technical Tools For Engineers)
July 1, 2006... A line of vortex flowmeters uses ultrasonic technology to measure tiny vortices that form when media in the pipe move across a strut. The number of vortices shed is directly proportional to flow rate, and the resulting product is the RWG and...

Fluoropolymer tubing.(First Look: Smart Products and Technical Tools For Engineers)
July 1, 2006... A line of fluoropolymer tubing is designed for use in a variety of fluid handling applications, including gas, water and ozone sampling, heat exchangers, wastewater transfer, and filtration. The characteristics of fluoropolymer tubing include...

Step motors/drivers.(PD&D Exclusive)
July 1, 2006... This new high-resolution (M-type) series of five-phase step motors and drivers is RoHS-complaint. The CRK family consists of the three step angle of 0.36 degrees. The improved vibration stability of the five-phase step motors can usually be...

Chip capacitors.(First Look: Smart Products and Technical Tools For Engineers)
July 1, 2006... A new series of Niobium Oxide (Nb0) ceramic multi-anode chip capacitors, designated the CoreCap NPV Series, offers low ESR, high ripple current absorption, safety, and high reliability. The NPV Series meets all RoHs requirements and operates in...

Planetary gearheads.(First Look: Smart Products and Technical Tools For Engineers)
July 1, 2006... These helical planetary precision gearheads are designed for direct attachment to popular servo and stepper motors. These durable, long-lasting units are suitable for packaging, medical, material handling, robotics, and automotive applications....

3D CAD software.(First Look: Smart Products and Technical Tools For Engineers)
July 1, 2006... SolidWorks 2007 software offers more than 200 new features. This latest version of the 3D CAD soft-ware introduces SolidWorks Intelligent Feature Technology (SWIFT), which for puts expert-level techniques for 3D CAD's most challenging design...

Polypropylene coupling.(First Look: Smart Products and Technical Tools For Engineers)
July 1, 2006... The PMC12 coupling has an integrated 1/4-28 flat bottom port designed to save the user time by eliminating the need to thread and re-thread a separate fitting whenever a fluid line is disconnected. Compatible with standard compression fittings,...

Building engineering education through 'Extreme Redesign'.(Interview)
July 1, 2006... For the past two years, Extreme Redesign: The Ultimate 3D Printing Challenge has awarded scholarships and acclaim to high school and college students for "redesigns" of existing products and new ideas. Once again, the contest, which is held by...

Careful consideration needed when making material selections: material selection is fundamental to the success of a new product, design, or application.(Focus On Materials)
July 1, 2006... Today's engineer is faced with a myriad of design considerations, coupled with an extraordinary number of available resin grades when selecting the optimum material candidate for a functional product. The problem lies in fully knowing what will...

Light diffusion materials help designers display uniformity.(Engineering At Work)
July 1, 2006... Walk down any street in any city and you'll see a common site. Whether it's a teenager listening to an iPod Nano or a businessman checking his messages on his PDA, handheld electronics are everywhere. But while their numbers are increasing,...

Robotic ladling lowers costs; improves quality.(From The Field)
July 1, 2006... Robotic ladling applications are improving manufacturers' efficiency in the casting market. With the inherent flexibility of robots, casting manufacturers can improve part integrity, safety, quality, and throughput, while reducing material and...

Why is EDM/PDM relevant?(Tech Watch)
July 1, 2006... Over the years many different types of solutions have come and gone for managing data within an organization but engineering data management/product data management (EDM/PDM) remains relevant today for three key reasons: its ability to search...

Taxis in the sky: very light jets, or air-taxis, are shuttling passengers across airways and providing a convenient and cost-effective form of air travel.(Cover story)
July 1, 2006... Back in the 1990s, Bruce Holmes of the NASA Langley Research Center was thinking about the actual peed of air travel--not just after takeoff, but overall. Using his palmtop computer, he began recording the door-to-destination travel time for...

Q&A: combining control loop functions.(Questions & Answers)(Interview)
July 1, 2006... Every now and then, a product or technology comes along that compels people to reconsider their traditional way of thinking. Watlow believes its new integrated control loop, designated the EZ-ZONE ST, is one such product. Craig Dennis, a...

Microelectronics by the bay: thousands to exhibit new semiconductor technologies.(Show Stoppers)
July 1, 2006... Semicon West 2006, Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA, July 10-14 Electronics are getting smaller and microelectronics and smart devices are playing an ever-increasing role in design engineering. Semicon West is the largest event in the...

Integrated scanning system.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... The ScanWorks Handheld Laser Scanning System features an advanced optical measurement system. The integration of the advanced digitizing probe with the ScanWorks system makes the probe capable of both contact and non-contact laser scanning. The...

Flow/temperature switches.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... FlexSwitch FLT Series flow and level switches provide monitoring, controlling, and alarming of flow rates or levels of critical fluids, such as water, air, gases, coolants, and lubricants used in metals and material processing and equipment....

Programmable controller.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... The Jazz is a programmable logic controller that includes on-board I/O and a full-function operator panel with numeric keypad. It enables users to replace "smart relays" with a smarter, more powerful device, while keeping the same low budget....

Membrane-switch solutions.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... A line of custom-built membrane-switch solutions features illuminated controls and a tactile response. They can be designed and built with complete operator interfaces using technically advanced, PC board-mounted Series 70 switches rather than...

Achromatic lenses.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... The TECH SPEC line of achromatic lenses is available in 6.25, 9, 12.5, and 25 mm achromats. The units are offered with the VIS 0 multilayer broadband anti-reflection coating designed to minimize reflections in the visible spectrum. These BBAR...

Non-resettable fuse.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... The new RoHS-compatible non-resettable fuse series, designated TF 600, offers a rated breaking capacity of 60 A at 600 VAC, over a current range of 0.5-2 A. The fuse is designed to assist manufacturers of telecommunications equipment in meeting...

Machined springs.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... These "machined" springs provide for the integration of components such as flanges, squares, hexes, rounds, bearing seats, gears, splines, bell-crank arms, threads, and other machinable shapes into a single piece. Helical Products Co. Inc....

Motion controller.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... The E-761 motion controller is a PCI-bus digital nanopositioning controller for closed loop piezoelectric positioners and scanners. The unit is designed to provide more flexibility and better overall value than any other digital piezo...

Aerospace wire/cable.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... Raychem brand SPEC 55 is a low-fluoride aerospace wire and cable. This new product is designed to fill a need for aerospace electronics designers since previously; low fluoride XL-ETFE wire was not available to the industry. Minimizing fluoride...

Liquid-level sensors.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... A line of liquid-level sensors is suitable for railroads in order to improve the efficiency of fuel management systems. The sensors replace outdated manual gauge- and fuel flow-reading processes that cost railroads time, money, and personnel....

Toggle switch.(New Products)
July 1, 2006... A line of heavy-duty electrical, electronic, and digital products for the vehicle industry includes an illuminated-tip toggle switch. This toggle switch's tip lights red in the "on" position and white in the "off" position, allowing the...

ITT electronics Optek Technology has developed a product selector guide to provide specification information for the company's offering of infrared and magnetic components, sensors, and visible LEDs.(Catalogs & Brochures)
July 1, 2006... ITT electronics Optek Technology has developed a product selector guide to provide specification information for the company's offering of infrared and magnetic components, sensors, and visible LEDs. The selector guide lists standard...

The Aerospace Fasteners Group of SPS Technologies has published an 80-page brochure describing the company's line of Flexloc self-locking nuts.(Catalogs & Brochures)
July 1, 2006... The Aerospace Fasteners Group of SPS Technologies has published an 80-page brochure describing the company's line of Flexloc self-locking nuts. Standards and specifications, engineering, and background information are provided for the 24...

Metso Automation's brochure, High-Performance Valve Solutions for Chlor-Alkali Production, highlights the company's valve solution offering for the chlorine industry.(Catalogs & Brochures)
July 1, 2006... Metso Automation's brochure, High-Performance Valve Solutions for Chlor-Alkali Production, highlights the company's valve solution offering for the chlorine industry. The six-page brochure highlights products and services that have been...

PolyOne Corp. has joined with Greenpak Inc. to offer an industrial package recycling and returns program.(Recycling Program)
July 1, 2006... PolyOne Corp. has joined with Greenpak Inc. to offer an industrial package recycling and returns program. Through this free program, users can divert industrial packaging materials, such as pallets, metal, and fiber drums, and boxes from...

Switch catalog and CD-ROM.(Free Stuff)
July 1, 2006... A newly updated switch products catalog and companion CD-ROM are available from ITT. Included in the catalog are new low-profile surface mount tacts, panel mount rockers, navigation switches, and the C&K ELUM illuminated pushbutton. The CD also...