Product Design & Development articles from June 2007

Product Design & Development archives from June 2007

Product design going global: offshoring high-value tasks does not necessarily lead to major job losses at home.(At Issue)
June 1, 2007... Offshoring--it's a word that's sure to stir the emotions of many in the manufacturing sector. The idea that manufacturing jobs are being sent overseas--to India or China, or several other up-and-coming locations--so companies can reap the...

Magnetic angle sensing.(First Look: Smart Products and Technical Tools for Engineers)
June 1, 2007... ASM Sensors Inc. has developed a magnetic angle sensor in a compact M12 housing. The PRAS1 sensor is designed to provide absolute position measurement over a 360-degree sensing range and is part of the POSIROT family of magnetic angular...

Superalloy fastening.(First Look: Smart Products and Technical Tools for Engineers)
June 1, 2007... SPS Technologies offers fasteners manufactured from a superalloy designated SPS MP98T. This recently-developed material exhibits a combination of strength, toughness and corrosion resistance. The new MP98T fasteners offer users a minimum tensil...

CE-marked transducers.(First Look: Smart Products and Technical Tools for Engineers)
June 1, 2007... PCB Piezotronics (PCB) offers Series 4100 and 4200 rotating torque transducers in accordance with European Union EMC directives. The sensors use non-contact, rotary transformers for sending excitation voltage to, and receiving measurement...

Positioning for tight spaces.(First Look: Smart Products and Technical Tools for Engineers)
June 1, 2007... Macro Sensors offers the CD 375 Series of miniature LVDTs for linear position measurement in OEM and end-user applications with tight space restrictions. A compact 3/8-in. diameter design makes these AC-operated LVDTs suitable as an integral...

Hand-formable cables.(First Look: Smart Products and Technical Tools for Engineers)
June 1, 2007... YouForm high-quality, low-cost jacketed hand-formable cables feature stainless steel SMA plugs on each end. The units, manufactured by RFMW Inc. are available in straight and right-angle configurations. YouForm cables are available in lengths...

Miniature rails.(First Look: Smart Products and Technical Tools for Engineers)
June 1, 2007... Bosch Rexroth has expanded its offering of miniature Ball Rail Systems. The new offering covers sizes 7, 9, 12, 15 and 20 in the standard version and sizes 9, 12 and 15 in the wide version. Single-piece profiled rails up to 2,000 mm in length...

Measuring air velocity and volume.(First Look: Smart Products and Technical Tools for Engineers)
June 1, 2007... Omron Electronic Components LLC announces the availability of the D6F-W and D6F-V series of MEMS flow sensors which have the ability to measure air velocity and volume. The D6F-W01A1 measures a flow range of 0 to 1 m/sec and the D6F-W04A1 a...

Brushless DC servo motors.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... According to AMETEK Technical & Industrial Products, its new family of PITTMAN brushless DC servo motors incorporates patented coil-winding geometry in a slotless motor design to deliver more for various applications, these "micromotors"...

InteractX Version 2.2 Windows-based software.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Parker Hannifin's Electromechanical Automaton Division recently released InteractX Version 2.2 OEM-friendly, Windows-based, human-machine interface software. InteractX 2.2 offers several product enhancements, including: * Upload...

Connectors intended for demanding power applications.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... TURCK announces the availability of its M40 powerfast connectors, designed for demanding power applications. Ideal for motor applications, these connectors can handle up to 600 volts and 55 amps, which is enough to power a 30-HP DC motor or a...

Heavy-duty incremental shaft encoder.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... RENCO Encoders recently unveiled the RHDi heavy-duty incremental shaft encoder. According to the company, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) technologies allow the RHDi to bring new levels of performance and value to machine tool,...

O-ring power controllers.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Texas Instruments has developed a family of TPS241x O-ring power controllers to improve power distribution in 12-volt blade servers, N1 telecom systems and redundant, low-voltage processor power supplies. According to the company, the...

Industrial high-performance, all-digital servo drives.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Parker Hannifin's Electromechanical Automation Division has added 4 new high-current power levels to its Compax3 family of industrial high-performance, all-digital servo drives. Features of the servo drives include: * 4 output currents,...

Transparent front-of-panel sealing boot.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... APM HEXSEAL has designed the new 1113/49 Transparent Front-Of-Panel Sealing Boot to fit today's compact, lever-operated circuit breakers with a 1.66-in. (42.17-mm) center-to-center distance between mounting screws and a 0.75-in. (19.05-mm)...

Fuel cell and backup power.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Enclosures that house hydrogen fuel cells must be vented to prevent potential explosion. Fuel cell enclosure filters from Universal Air Filter keep air moving efficiently while keeping dust, debris, rain and mist from entering cabinets. Backup...

Positive locking at any position.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... New Variloc adjustable locking hubs from Carr Lane Mfg. Co. are available in stainless steel or plastic. These high strength hubs are positive locking at exact increments--10 or 15 degrees, depending on the model. Applications include: *...

LED indicators.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Components Inc's Q-Series LED indicators offer a vibrant selection of colors, long life expectancy and durable design. The Q-Series is designed to complement a broad range of existing panel-mounted switches. It is intended for multiple...

Cam-Action Rotary Switches.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Electroswitch's Cam-Action Rotary Switches are suitable for a wide variety of industrial uses. A reliable and versatile design, these cam switches boast continuous ratings ranging from 20 to 800 A at 120 to 600 V and various horsepower ratings....

Low installation cost blocks.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... These IEC terminal blocks from designed, manufactured and tested to meet the specifications and strict requirements of applicable UL, CSA and IEC standards and are rated for Code 1, factory wiring only, and Code 2, both factory and field...

Information integration: access to plant floor information helps improve product quality and efficiency.(Software Suite)
June 1, 2007... The automotive industry is one of the largest and most dynamic sectors of the global economy, Increased globalization and the saturation of mature markets have resulted in an intensely competitive worldwide industry. This has resulted in...

Speedy simulation: fluid dynamics software quickens the pace of a concept car design.(Software Suite)
June 1, 2007... Race cars are built for speed, but building them can be a slow process. For one company, CEEMO Engineering, the engineering process was put into overdrive with the help of an easy-to-use general-purpose engineering fluid dynamics software from...

A central communications center.(Software Suite)
June 1, 2007... Sopheon has introduced the latest version of its Sopheon Accolade product portfolio and process management system. The nearly 30 new features offered in Accolade version 6.0 are focused on eliminating the administrative, communication and...

Simplified file sharing.(Software Suite)
June 1, 2007... Changing the way computer users interact with documents and image files, LEAD Technologies Inc. announced the release of version 5 of LEADTOOLS ePrint, software that converts from any application, image or document file, such as PDF or...

SpecCheck/adhesives.(ADHESIVES)
June 1, 2007... SpecCheck/ADHESIVES DEVCON MASTER BOND INC. The 10 Minute Epoxy FR EP51M is a "three (flame-retardant) is minute" set up epoxy ...

Ethernet Powerlink-enabled controllers.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Parker's Electromechanical Automation Division announced that a selection of its motion control products are now enabled with Ethernet Powerlink motionbus technology to increase system performance while decreasing overall system cost and...

Low-profile connector for Micro SD/TransFlash cards.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Fujitsu Components America recently released the very low-profile FCN-560 Series connector for Micro SD/-TransFlash cards. According to the company, these connectors feature: * A depth of 15 mm, a width of 14 mm and a mounted height of 1.6...

Current sensors.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... AutomationDirect announced the addition of current sensors to its product offerings. Among them are: * The AcuAMP series is a family of high performance current sensors offering outstanding features, flexibility, and durability. The line of...

Low-cost ironless linear positioner.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Parker's Electromechanical Automation Division has released the latest additions to its family of Trilogy I-Force positioners. Built around the 110 model of Trilogy's I-Force ironless motors, the T1D and T1S include everything needed for...

Hybrid cabling solutions.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Hybrid cabling solutions from Phoenix Contact provide a high-speed connection alternative for applications where a complete cabling solution is restricted. By providing a keyed header on one side and flying leads on the other, this connection...

Real-time streaming rates.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... MicroStrain Inc. has released the latest version of its Agile-Link wireless nodes, which feature real-time streaming rates up to 4 KHz. According to the company, this is a significant increase in sample rate, which opens up many new...

Compact magnetic angle sensor.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... ASM Sensors Inc. has expanded its innovative line of POSIROT angular position sensors with the introduction of a new magnetic angle sensor in a 20 mm (0.8 in.) flat, 36 mm (1.4 in.) diameter servo flange housing. PRAS2 is a dependable,...

Quick vision sensor.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Cognex Corp.'s in-Sight 5600 is a fast vision sensor. In-Sight 5600 vision sensors offer the same rugged design and outstanding performance as the In-Sight 5400 series, but with twice the processing speed and memory to perform inspections at...

Electric linear actuators.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Thomson introduced the ElecTrak Pro Series of electric linear actuators. ElecTrak Pro linear actuators are a zero-maintenance electromechanical solution with standard features that boast machine builder and user benefits, including quick and...

Multi-axis motion card.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Performance Motion Devices Inc. has introduced the Prodigy-PC/104 motion card for multi-axis, multi-motor control. Available in one-, two-, three- and four-axis versions, the card provides advanced motion control features, including: *...

Spectrum Color Program for silicone rubber boots.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... New from APM HEXSEAL is the complete Spectrum Color Program, which makes it possible to order silicone rubber boots in almost any color for switches, illuminated switches and circuit breakers. The company can supply these toggle, pushbutton,...

Less complex controller.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Watlow has introduced the EZ-ZONE PM controller. The EZ-ZONE PM controller extends the integrated control loop functions first introduced in the EZ-ZONE ST integrated controller to the 1/32nd and 1/16th DIN panel-mount package sizes. The...

Compact, self-contained slide.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Kerk Motion Products' RGS 10000 is suitable for linear motion applications and provides both value and performance to engineers in almost any market, according to the company. The Kerk RGS 10000 Slide builds on the RGS platform first introduced...

OEM stepper drive drive.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Applied Motion Products has expanded its family of OEM stepper drive solutions with the ST10-S Stepper Drive. The ST10-S delivers up to 10 A with 24-80 VDC input, and is specifically engineered to deliver maximum performance benefits in a...

Wet-to-wet transducer.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Setra Systems Inc. introduced the Model 231 Multi-Sense wet-to-wet, differential pressure transducer. The Model 231 is suitable for users who need to monitor control pump differential pressures, chiller or boiler differential pressure drops,...

Custom manufactured die-cast parts.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Custom manufactured die cast parts, precision machined and assembled for hydraulic, engine and electrical end product applications are available from Fivestar Die Casting. Features include: * High integrity processes include squeeze casting...

Ground fault sensing module.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Bryant's ground fault sensing module functions interdependently with a magnetic branch circuit breaker. The module monitors the electrical circuit by use of an external differential current transformer. With the GFCI solution, no direct load is...

Loop-powered serial I/O.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... The LPM Series from OTEK is a 4-1/2 LCD digit process meter that is powered by the current loop (4-20 or 10-50 mA.) It has an optional loop-powered backlight (red or green) and is RS232/485/USB compatible. Only two wires are required (in series...

Fan control and alarm.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... SmartFan?Vortex is an 12C fan speed control and alarm designed for 12 VDC fans. The compact 1.5 X 5 Vortex, available from Control Resources can control and monitor tach pulses from up to four fans with a maximum current rating of 5 A at...

Low-end controllers and software.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... GE Fanuc Automation announced its Durus family of low-end controllers. The controllers provide a rugged deign and are built for use in industrial environments with standard features such as a built-in operator interface, a range of...

Braid-reinforced PVC hose.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... The Nylobrade brand of flexible, braid-reinforced PVC hose from NewAge Industries is available in twelve sizes. Three reinforcement options--thin wall, standard and high pressure--allow users to select the best fit for their individual needs....

Rigged up racers: four engineers develop a new simulation system for chassis and suspension testing, prepping cars for actual track conditions.(Engineers@Work)
June 1, 2007... Just a few miles outside of Charlotte, NC, the sounds of engines roaring and tires squealing can easily be heard. Here, in the heart of racing country, such sounds are an everyday occurrence. The majority of NASCAR racing teams base their...

Safety light curtains.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Omron Scientific Technologies Inc. introduces MiniSafe MS4800 series safety light curtains. Designed to satisfy the most demanding machine safety applications, the MS4800 is available in advanced, standard and basic versions to optimize the...

Portable digital refractometer.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Kernco Instruments' Model 300051 portable digital refractometer has a wide range of 0-65 percent. The model can be used in several different applications. The unit is low cost, yet with features and accuracy normally found in digital...

Case shafting.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... 60 Case Shafting is available from Thomson. The program's current product offering includes 3 in. maximum diameter shafting with cut-to-length and full length shafting. 60 Case Shafting is available in stainless or carbon steel, with standard...

Custom programmable encoder.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... DRS26 CoreTech incremental encoders from SICK STEGMANN INC. are user-programmable, allowing users to freely program the width of the zero pulse and the number of lines from 1 to 8,192. This functionality allows users to replace multiple...

Universal control system.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Bosch Rexroth offers a universal control system called IndraLogic PLC. Available with DeviceNet and EtherNet IP connectivity, the unit is the latest in the company's Indra automation family to serve the North American, European and Asian...

High-temperature accelerometer.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... The Model 600A13 high-temperature industrial-grade accelerometer from the IMI Sensors division of PCB Piezotronics (PCB) outputs a standard 100 mV/g (10.2 mV/(m/[sec.sup.2])) acceleration signal from its integral charge converter, allowing it...

Luminescence sensor.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... EMX Industries Inc. announced the UVX-300-GC luminescence sensor, a UV (ultraviolet light) sensor with a calibration function. Calibration is made possible through the use of proprietary software algorithms. The UVX-300-GC is a UV luminescence...

Luminaire Disconnect.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Thomas & Betts recently revealed the Sta-Kon Luminaire Disconnect--a device to enable disconnection of power to fluorescent lighting fixtures without exposure to live wires. Connected between a fluorescent lighting fixture or ballast and...

Clock management solutions.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... ON Semiconductor introduces three highly accurate, low-skew, 1:4 clock fan-out buffers with complementary metal-oxide semiconductor outputs. The NB3N551 clock fan-out buffer operates at up to 180 MHz, and at a [V.sub.cc] of 3.3 or 5.0 volts....

Tuning up the tube: silicon tuners are replacing CAN tuners in many products, and they're adding functionality to applications such as high-end TVs.(Consumer Electronics)
June 1, 2007... Once upon a time television was pretty simple. Everything was analog, and there was a single standard in the U.S. called NTSC (which some people thought stood for "never twice the same color"), while Europe had PAL and SECAM. Then things began...

Variable frequency drive.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Danfoss Drives introduced the VLT Micro Drive--a VLT variable frequency drive with reliability, user-friendliness and condensed functionality. Users simply connect the motor and power cables, turn the control knob, and watch the motor speed...

Liquid-cooled AC drive.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Manufacturers and industrial motor users requiring a high-horsepower drive with a space-saving design can use the AllenBradley PowerFlex 700L liquid-cooled drive from Rockwell Automation. Featuring the ability to withstand increasingly rugged...

Low-profile antenna.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Astron Wireless Technologies introduced a low-profile LP series antenna. Designed to meet today's dual band omni-directional requirements, the new LP provides coverage at PCS 1850-1990 MHz and 824-896 or 890-960 MHz. At 4.5 in. in diameter at...

Slotted brushless DC motors.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... PITTMAN brand ELCOM ST "Series N2300" slotted brushless DC motors from AMETEK Technical & Industrial Products incorporate * internal Hall sensor feedback for linear speed-torque characteristics, high starting torque, and variable speed control...

Linear actuation roller screws.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... SKF roller screws for linear actuation provide solutions for factory automation applications by delivering accurate and precise repeatability, rapid acceleration and deceleration and optimized performance at very high rotational speeds. They...

Temperature/process limit controllers.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... OMEGAs new CN7400 Temperature/Process Limit Controllers set new standards in 1/16 DIN limit controls, according to the company. They have universal inputs (10 thermocouple and four RTD types, voltage and current). Standard features include: ...

NFPA Cylinders.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Norgren recently launched the NEN line of NFPA Cylinders, Standard features of the NEN NFPA Cylinder include: * Magnetic piston for position sensing * Adjustable cushions * Low friction nitrile seals * Teflon wear band on the...

"Smart" bus extender.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Furaxa Inc. announced its PCIeEXT-16 "Smart" PCI-express bus extender board which, when installed in any PCI-express x16 motherboard socket, facilitates easy testing and debug of of PCI-express boards of all data widths (x16, x8, x4, x2 and...

High-clamping force vises.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... A 21-in. jaw opening and 20,000 lbs of clamping force makes Kurt's XL 8-inch vises suitable for very large parts requiring aggressive, high speed machining operations. These massive vises are suitable for the largest tool, die and production...

Current sensors and switches.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Eaton Corp. announced the release of CurrentWatch, a new family of current sensors and switches used to monitor current flowing in electrically powered equipment. The CurrentWatch family is accurate, highly reliable and easy to install in new...

A development cure: value models can help align medical product development strategy.(Medical Design)
June 1, 2007... All product companies wrestle with the intertwined business forces of revenue, profit margin, operating expense and R&D investment. When this cycle performs well, the company's R&D investments yield a timely stream of competitive products (both...

Motorized driven roller.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Interroll has developed a High-Performance Brush-Type RollerDrive in order to provide a cost-effective motorized driven roller for light- or intermittent-duty material handling applications. Designated the BT100 Series, this Rollerdrive has an...

Small, pluggable systems.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Molex recently unveiled a Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable (QSFP) product offering as part of a highly integrated system compatible with the QSFP Multi Source Agreement to combine optimal real estate, power and port density. The company...

Operator Interface Enclosure System.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Hoffman released the CC3000 Operator Interface Enclosure System designed to protect operator interface terminals and electronic monitors in UL Type 12 industrial environments. It eases the job of controlling a machine or entire processing line...

Shaft collars with clamp levers.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... With demanding applications, design engineers require a wide assortment of shaft collars. In response to this need, MISUMI USA Inc. offers an assortment of shaft collar shape types such as those with a set screw, side mounting hole, inside...

Low-cost planetary gearheads.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Low-cost, high-quality planetary brush and brushless gearmotors for OEM applications are available from Source Engineering Inc. Suitable for applications requiring high torque and speed reduction, they are available in ratios from 3:1 up to...

Microcontrollere with LCD displays.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... Microchip Technology Inc. announced six new members of the 8-bit PIC microcontroller family with an integrated Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD) module. The PIC18F85J90 series doubles the amount of Flash and RAM memory over existing 64- and 80-pin...

Power modules.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... MGE Office Protection Systems announced its new Pulsar MX Frame that accommodates the company's new Pulsar MX 5000 RT power and battery modules which give users a true modular and scalable power protection solution. As small and mid-size...

Stainless steel draw latch.(New Products)
June 1, 2007... The new Southco V7 stainless steel draw latch is designed to deliver smooth, quiet and durable performance n marine environments and other exterior applications. The sleek aesthetic design, combined with corrosion-resistant 316 stainless steel...

EGA Products Inc.(CATALOGS & BROCHURES)
June 1, 2007... EGA Products Inc. has unveiled a new product catalog called Performance By Design. The catalog provides at-a-glance access to the company's latest product offerings in a format that is visually appealing and user friendly. The catalog's...

J.W. Speaker Corp.(CATALOGS & BROCHURES)
June 1, 2007... The updated Technology Supplement Catalog from J. W. Speaker Corp. features the latest in highly efficient LEDs, "daylight bright" HID (Xenon) and rugged halogen lamps. The catalog includes a broad selection of uses, such as forward work lamps,...

Columbia Marking Tools Inc.(CATALOGS & BROCHURES)
June 1, 2007... The 24-page, four-color Roll Marking Methods & Machines catalog is available from Columbia Marking Tools Inc.. The new catalog provides a technical discussion of the roll marking method as well as descriptions and specifications of the six...

Tuthill Controls Group.(CATALOGS & BROCHURES)
June 1, 2007... Tuthill Controls Group offers an updated, four-page brochure describing all of the motion transfer solutions the company offers, including the new electronic pedals with a non-contact sensor. The brochure also details the other products of this...

Peerless Electric Motors.(CATALOGS & BROCHURES)
June 1, 2007... Peerless Electric Motors offers the Canned Hermetic Motors Brochure, which is designed to assist engineers in taking advantage of canned hermetic motors in complementing pump offerings for use in chemical processing, air conditioning, heating...

Elobau Sensor Technology Inc.(CATALOGS & BROCHURES)
June 1, 2007... Elobau Sensor Technology Inc. offers its newest machine guarding products brochure. Included in the brochure are several non-contact sensors and control units for industrial machine safety. This 12-page brochure includes information on a new...

Morgan Technical Ceramics (MTC).(CD-ROM)
June 1, 2007... Morgan Technical Ceramics (MTC) has released an interactive presentation CD-ROM, which provides users with information regarding the range of products and services the company offers. This educational and easy-to-use presentation allows users...

Lumex.(DESIGN GUIDE)
June 1, 2007... Lumex announced the availability of a 368-page LED and LCD design guide. The reference manual presents design and technical information. Each device is presented with electro-optical and mechanical specifications, along with suggested uses. A...