Product Design & Development articles from March 2003

Product Design & Development archives from March 2003

Compact capacitors.
March 1, 2003... The Lo-Henry 88 Series of direct-mount snubber-type film capacitors boasts no internal wire connections, monolithic construction, direct-to-element tab attachment, and straight- and step-type terminal styles. Prices range from $4.50 to $7. ...

Moisture-sealed litepipes.
March 1, 2003... With 180 degrees of viewing angle, LMS Series litepipes provide moisture sealing and dust control for display panels when the LED is attached to a circuit board. They can be used with surface-mount and standard through-hole LEDs. The lens unit...

PSB compute blade.
March 1, 2003... The cPB-4305 is a Mobile Intel Pentium 4-based PICMG 2.16-compliant CompactPCI PSB compute blade designed for telecom and Internet IP-based applications. It's optimized for use as a system master or peripheral processor in Ethernet PSB...

Motion processor.
March 1, 2003... This Parallel Pilot motion processor communicates with the host processor via a bi-directional 16-bit parallel data port. Its parallel port communication speeds are up to six times faster than a serial interface of 414 k baud. Performance...

Go with the flow. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... The DryCal ML-500 is a +0.4 percent high-speed calibrator that offers data logging, communications, and interval operation. The CE-approved, field-rugged unit is used in the manufacture and recalibration of mass flow controllers, flow meters,...

Matrix of modules. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... AN-6100B Series alarm annunciators boast a range of performance features and custom configurations. Any matrix of modules in various window sizes is available--up to five high and four wide and with 1-156 alarm point combinations. The overall...

Nema 23 device. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... The BLM-N23-50-1000 is a brushless servo motor that features a 1,000-pulses-per-revolution incremental encoder and provides for a high torque-to-inertia ratio, making it suitable for point-to-point applications requiring fast, highly responsive...

Smooth operator. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... This vandal-resistant metal keyboard and integrated trackball are engineered to be tough without sacrificing the smooth key action of a normal PC keyboard. The unit is built from brushed stainless steel and Zamac (zinc alloy) and features...

Friendly snap action. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... Billed as an environmentally friendly alternative to mercury tube switches, the Series DS7300 bourdon tube pressure switch features an SPDT hermetically sealed snap-action switch. It boasts high sensitivity and reliability with an adjustable...

Intelligent interface. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... The OP7200 eDisplay is a C-programmable operator interface/HMI that offers I/O, built-in Ethernet connectivity, and optional A/D and touch-screen capabilities. The compact eDisplay can be used as a data acquisition and display device for OEM...

Blinking and dimming. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... The HI-QTBS programmable intelligent controller features variable programmable blinking and dimming of its display for visual alarm, dark room, or night vision applications. Behind its NEMA 4X Lexan overlay are 101 segments of semicircular...

The cutting edge. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... The swifty set is a multi-function tool that combines a unique cutting tool and a screwdriver for the tightening or loosening of screws, the cutting of cable to length, and the making of connections--all without changing tools. It's able to cut...

Data cable connector. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... The revos IT connector is designed for quick installation of pre-assembled information technology (IT) cables into panels or control cabinets. Each connector consists of a hood and housing with double-locking levers that provide IP65...

Brushless dc motors and gearmotors. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... Elcom SL slotless brushless dc servo motors and gearmotors feature a slotless stator design to eliminate magnetic cogging for smooth and quiet motion, high performance, and long life. Applications include imaging and medical diagnostic devices,...

Adapter ball bearing. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... The Dodge Grip Tight adapter The ball bearing has a concentric 360-degree inner ring and a patent-pending pull/push adapter system. The adapter is press fit to the shaft for full concentric contact, 360 degrees through the length of the...

Dispense valve for UV-cure adhesives. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... The 752V-SS despense valve has been engineered to produce accurate deposits and offer drip-free cutoff to increase productivity, improve appearance, and reduce downtime when dispensing UV-cure adhesives on automated and semi-automated assembly...

High performance microcontroller. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... The eZ80 F91 MCU is an eight-bit device engineered to let designers perform a number of concurrent tasks with the performance of a 16-bit controller. For example, it can be used to create point-of-sale terminals that can drive a display, print...

Non-ball lead screws for motion control. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... Non-ball lead screws with a proprietary coating are engineered to eliminate the need for external lubrication and maintenance. The lead screws are manufactured from 303 stainless steel with an exclusive precision rolling process. They are...

Laser scan bar-code reader. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... The ultra-compact BL-600 is a high-performance laser-scan bar-code reader featuring patented polygon mirror scanning technology. Weighing 115 g, it's half the size of conventional readers and operates at 500 scans per second. The BL-600...

Noise immune capacitive sensor. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... New BCF noise immune capacitive sensors are ac sensors that incorporate a filter principle that makes them immune to most industrial noise. This principle involves a fixed oscillator frequency combined with a rectifier filter. The fixed...

Finite element stress analysis. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... CosmosWorks 2003 finite element stress analysis software seamlessly integrates with SolidWorks 2003 so that users can click on an icon from within the SolidWorks window and begin conducting multiple "what if" scenarios to determine reliability....

Motion simulation software. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... CosmosMotion 2003 is a virtual prototyping tool that provides motion simulation capabilities to ensure that designs work before they are built. It lets engineers analyze bushings, reduce the number of contact definitions needed, and customize...

Ethernet-enabled graphics terminal. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... Qterm-G75 is an Ethernet-enabled graphics terminal that features a large 640 x 480 color TFT graphics LCD, 10 Base-T Ethernet with TCP/IP support, a touch screen with optional PS/2 keyboard connection, and EIA-232, -422 or -485 serial...

Ultra-miniature switches. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... The G Series of washable, ultra-miniature toggle and rocker switches can be used in low-voltage, low-current logic level circuits. A lightweight design makes the switches suitable for handheld equipment as well as various applications in the...

Ultraviolet discrete LEDs. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... New ultraviolet discrete LEDs have been engineered for use in portable devices designed for crime scene or forensic investigations, quality assurance, and document authentication as well as medical analysis and calibration systems. The...

Indicator tape. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... Tape 5557 is water contact indicator tape. It provides evidence of water damage due to carelessness of the user or during transit. When water contacts the edges of the tape, the tape color changes permanently from white to red. Each layer...

Development software. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... Version 4.0 of Accolade product development software features an idea management and screening module that allows organizations to generate, manage, and evaluate product ideas and seamlessly move the most commercially promising concepts into...

Laser diffuse sensor. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... The Series 14 diffuse background suppression laser sensor with a 14 x 35 x 31 mm IP67 plastic housing is designed to offer true background suppression by triangulation. It detects within a range of 5 to 350 mm regardless of color, texture, or...

Thermal circuit breaker. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... The 1180 Series thermal circuit breaker plugs into industry-standard terminal blocks. It's designed to reduce costly equipment downtime by replacing fuses commonly used in DIN-rail terminal block applications that protect factory control...

Free downloadable software. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... Version 6 of Simplorer SV is available for download at www.ansoft.com/about/academics/simplorer _sv/index.cfm. Simplorer SV is mixed-domain systems design software popular in the automotive, aerospace, and electric-drive industries. ...

Linear displacement sensors. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... New permanent magnet linear displacement sensors are suitable for many types of drives, machinery, automation systems, and conveyors. They also can be applied to rotary actuator applications. If necessary, a standard signal processing ASIC can...

Parts list software. (What's Hot).
March 1, 2003... Parts&Vendors 5.0 is parts list software for product designers. This latest version features a Report and Label Designer that enables users to customize their printed output. A custom report format can be used privately or shared with other...

Taking control of the tough ones: a measurement and control system has to be rugged if it's going to handle any situation. Here's a product that offers a new approach to solving some old problems. (Engineering Instrumentation).
March 1, 2003... A new system from National Instruments has been engineered to open the door to a variety of demanding measurement and control applications requiring rugged, industrially rated hardware and full-featured programming. Called the Compact...

Bitterly cold and uncomfortably hot. (Engineering Instrumentation).
March 1, 2003... Brian MacCleery, the distributed I/0 product manager at National Instruments, describes the Compact FieidPoint measurement and control system as having a unique combination of easy-to-use programmability. reliable real-time operation, direct...

Plummeting temperatures. (Engineering Instrumentation).
March 1, 2003... The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System moves nearly one million barrels of oil each day over an 800-mil. e path from the north slope of Alaska to the northern most ice-free port of Valdez. Researchers at the University of Alaska are now investigating...

Soaring temperatures. (Engineering Instrumentation).
March 1, 2003... Engine control rooms on ships experience high temperatures and constant vibration. The machine monitoring systems that are used to safeguard marine engines must protect powerful engines against unsafe operating conditions and premature...

No limit on bristles. (Plastic).
March 1, 2003... Overflex is a new urethane over-molding TPE grade suitable for such applications as toothbrushes, levels, disposable razors, and animal brushes. The compound is notable for the way it allows for higher tensile strength urethane products to be...

Material with memory. (Plastic).
March 1, 2003... Arm rests, wheelchair pads, mouse pads, and toys are just a few of the products that can make use of new Bayfit 582 memory-foam materials. These foams are designed to recover their shape much slower than ordinary foam. Bayer Corp., 100...

Varying cure rates. (Plastic).
March 1, 2003... Liquid silicon rubber (LSR) and platinum-cured room-temperature vulcanization (RTV) compounds are offered in a hardness range of 5 to 80 Shore A and a viscosity range of 1,000 to 7 million cps. Small and large-batch custom formulations with...

Light in motion: new glow-in-the-dark lighting system enhances skateboards and improves safety. (Plastic).
March 1, 2003... Safety and innovation are two words that can be connected to RTP Company's new glow-in-the-dark compound. Thanks to this glass-filled polypropylene material, skateboarders can roll through the night in style while making themselves more visible...

Epoxy for metal, plastic, ceramic, glass. (Plastic).
March 1, 2003... EP30LTE-LO is an epoxy system boasting low shrinkage, high dimensional stability, and a low coefficient of thermal expansion. It has passed ASTM 595 for low outgassing and can be used in applications requiring vacuum compatibility, sealant, or...

Flexible instant adhesives for medical bonding. (Plastic).
March 1, 2003... Loctite 4206 is a fast-fixturing, thermally resistance cyanoacrylate adhesive for use in assembling disposable medical devices. The product is a single-component, low-viscosity material that offers flexibility and resistance to heat,...

A mission of extremes: a huge bellows has been designed to prevent contamination of a high-purity environment where scientists are attempting to produce the conditions of high energy and density found at the center of the sun. (Mechanical & Power Transmission).
March 1, 2003... Usually protective bellows are used to keep contaminants away from hydraulic cylinder rods and other moveable precision components, but a huge bellows installed on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory...

Urethane belts fight static electricity. (Mechanical & Power Transmission).
March 1, 2003... A new power transmission belt prevents buildup of harmful static electric charges caused by friction between belting and pulleys or rollers. Designated the Static Dissipative Belt, it is made from Cyclothane-SD, a thermoplastic urethane...

Stainless steel bushings for food and dairy use. (Mechanical & Power Transmission).
March 1, 2003... ETP Express keyless shaft locking bushings lock into position gears, pulleys, sprockets, and other components on power transmission systems on food processing and dairy machinery. Providing concentricity to 0.001 in. TIR, these units are...

Hot water on demand. (Heating & Cooling).
March 1, 2003... A new line of microcontrollers has been designed for use in instant hot water heaters for home, hotel, and industrial use--whether for multiple "endless" hot showers, Jacuzzis, or manufacturing processes. Microcontrollers are wired to a...

Forced air drying and cooling. (Heating & Cooling).
March 1, 2003... Cast aluminum pressure blowers are suitable for high-pressure applications including forced air drying and cooling, combustion, fume and dust control, and light particle processing and conveying. The corrosion-free blower housings and wheels...

Patented fabric turns on the heat. (Heating & Cooling).
March 1, 2003... A patented technology, which was initially used for in-flight wing and rotor de-icing in aerospace applications, is now being used to make custom surface heaters for many different applications. Targeted industries are medical and scientific...

A new way to keep computers cool and quiet. (Heating & Cooling).
March 1, 2003... To deliver the high-speed performance expected in today's computers, chip makers are developing smaller chips that can handle faster speeds. But with every generation of computer processors, extensive redesign and re-engineering is required to...

Metal cord grips. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... Heavy-duty metal cord grips with PG or metric threads have been designed for flat or round electrical cords. They are engineered to provide a strong, long-lasting grip where metal is preferred for certain electrical wire, conduit, and cordset...

Tubular solenoids. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... Series TSL tubular solenoids are designed for continuous and intermittent applications. Three diameter sizes--0.75, 1, and 1.5 in.--are available. For their plunger guide, the solenoids do not depend on brass or stainless steel, which are...

Carbide wear parts. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... Custom manufactured carbide wear parts can be fabricated to specification to extend the life of wear-prone mechanisms. Both simple and complex shapes are available. The parts can be fabricated from tungsten, boron, and silicon carbides as...

Ultrasonic precision thickness gauge. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... The Krautkramer CL 400 precision thickness gauge has been engineered to offer advancements in ultrasonic performance and straightforward operation. Instrument capabilities can be extended with optional A-Scan and programmable data recorder...

Motion control chip. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... The PCL6025 is a motion control chip intended for use with stepper motors or with pulse/direction digital input servomotors. It comes in a 128-pin QFP and supports two-axis motion controls using independent control or coordination control. ...

Transient voltage surge suppressors. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... This line of UL rated power surge suppressors is designed for service entrance and downstream applications. it can handle up to 320 KA/phase of surge current and features a patented circuitry with thermal cut-out to ensure safe operation during...

Shuttered outlet with integrated fuseholder. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... The Type 4719 is a compact shuttered outlet containing both an integrated fuse holder and a neon indicator. The fuse blows in the event the equipment supplied by the outlet fails, a feature especially important for use in power strip...

Differential pressure transmitter. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... The Huba Controls 694 Series of differential pressure transmitters is a two-wire, 4-20 mA output device designed for pressure ranges from [+ or -]0.2 to 4 in. W.C. It features stable ceramic sensor technology and is suitable for...

Unlockable vibration-proof fasteners. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... These self-locking, vibration-proof nut and bolt fasteners can be unlocked for inspection and maintenance purposes with a task-specific nut removal tool. The unlocking procedure takes place when the tool--upon counter rotation of the nut...

Printer for cashless gaming applications. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... The PSA-66-2N is a new cashless gaming ticket printer for gaming and lottery equipment. A key feature is the presentation of a ticket only after it has been completely printed, which eliminates the paper jamming and illegible printing caused by...

Industrial relays with bifurcated contacts. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... Industrial relays in 24 Vdc, 120 Vac, and 240 Vac coil voltages feature bifurcated contacts for contact reliability and low current switching capability. All relay sockets are DIN-rail mountable for easy installation. Sockets include...

Oscillator with small footprint. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... The F330 Series is billed as the smallest oscillator on the market, measuring 3.2 x 2.5 x 1.2 mm. It's half the length of typical oscillators, which usually measure 3.2 x 5 x 1.2 mm. The small footprint makes them suitable for applications...

Jog lever switch. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... This surface-mount, three-way B6J jog lever switch offers confirming tactile feedback in all three directions--scroll up, scroll down, and select. Its tactile feedback for push and scroll functions is designed to simplify operation. With an...

Probe for temperature calibration. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... The small-diameter 12001 SPRT is for precision temperature calibration. The probe has a 1/8-in. diameter with Inconel sheathing and a proprietary sensor. The unit, which is suitable for industrial and laboratory environments, features [+ or...

In-line gear reducers. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... A new series of in-line gear reducers has been designed to be compatible with any positive displacement pump or equipment needing speed reduction. The gear reducers have the input and output shaft on the same centerline for easy alignment...

TFT LCD modules. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... The new T-51440 Series consists of 7-in.-diagonal TFT analog LCD modules engineered for readability and performance in automotive applications requiring high-resolution display of in-motion video. The modules are suitable for in-car TVs and...

Rack-mount power distribution units. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... New Interpower power distribution units feature a 1U slim design and provide domestic and international single-phase power to equipment racks. These 852Q2J22 units offer 10 individually switched IEC 60320 Sheet F outlets and a C20 inlet....

Brave new world: fast-track manufacturing techniques are shaking up how products are being produced. A good example of this involves the one-of-a-kind hummer H2. The H2 assembly plant in Indiana got rolling in warp speed-in less than two years. Here's the story of the real muscle behind this tough-as-nails vehicle. (Real-World Engineering).
March 1, 2003... As the "grandson" of the U.S. Army's Humvee high-mobility vehicle, the Hummer H2 is better known for its muscle and maneuverability than for its velocity. But manufacturer AM General broke a speed barrier of a different sort when it constructed...

Stainless steel enclosure. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... The SB stainless steel enclosure offers protection for field-mounted hockey-puck units. Meeting NEMA 4X and IP66 ratings, the enclosure's stainless steel 316 design is suitable for highly corrosive environments. The unit meets standards...

Multi-point ultrasonic level switch. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... The Model LU07 MicroSwitch is a multi-point ultrasonic switch that provides non-contact level measurement up to 4 ft. Each of three relays can be configured on a single setpoint alarm or two latched setpoints for automatic fill or empty...

Spur gears with hub fastening. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... Module 0.5, 0.8, and I spur gears feature a patented Fairloc integral hub fastening system, which has been engineered to eliminate marred shafts. The 20-degree pressure angle precision gears conform to JIS B 1702 Grade 4 standards. These...

Low-ferrite, low-porosity diaphragm valves. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... BBS-Systems sterile 2/2 way diaphragm valves are machined from traceable and certified 316 stainless steel bar stock. They are cavity free and compliant with DIN 1.4435 BN2 norms, eliminating problems associated with ferrite content, porosity,...

Switches for 19-in. racks. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... The RMD-515 and RMD-815 are two new models of the industrial-grade KVM switch. The RMD-515 consists of a monitor, keyboard, and touch-pad mouse unit for use with a single computer. The RMD-815 has the capability of interfacing the single...

Telecom system. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... A new telecom system is compliant with PICMG 2.16, a CompactPCI packet switching backplane specification. The system is a complete, flexible packaging platform for intelligent telecom and LAN network interfaces. It incorporates backplane,...

Cleanable air filters. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... New miniature air filters are fully framed, field-cleanable units designed for mobile rackmount computers in medical, telecommunications, and seismic imaging applications. They were developed to assist OEM designers who need to deliver smaller...

Explosion-proof pressure and temperature switches. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... Explosion-proof 120 Series pressure and temperature switches boast the flexibility of dual-conduit wiring and a cover lock to restrict unauthorized access to the wiring and adjustment compartment. The product line comes with a broad...

Conduit adapter. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... A new ruggedized conduit adapter can be attached to a standard conduit body for transition to minifast or eurofast connectors, allowing the user to minimize point-to-point wiring in Fieldbus systems. It's designed to be an efficient drop from...

Fabric-over-foam EMI gaskets. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... An optimized version of Soft-Shield conductive fabric-over-foam EMI gaskets, designated Soft-Shield 7000, features non-urethane soft foam core materials to provide high levels of shielding and long-term physical stability. The gaskets...

Digital temperature controller. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... The Model 2679 digital temperature controller with microprocessor-based technology features a wide temperature adjustment and control range for cooling and heating control. It displays measurement in either Fahrenheit or Celsius. Its...

High vacuum transducer. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... The HPS Series 909 Mini Ion Transducer is an integrated hot cathode electronics control package. Its wide measurement range makes it suitable for high vacuum applications including pressure measurement of high vacuum chambers and control or...

Fiberglass enclosures for corrosive environments. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... The HJ Series of fiberglass enclosures features an overlapping cover and an integral mounting foot. The series is designed for corrosive environments including petrochemical and water treatment applications. There are 51 new enclosures...

Industrial control transformers. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... A new series of industrial control transformers is designed to meet the most stringent requirements of IGBT, Gate Drive, Flyback, and Pulse applications. The units are engineered for high isolation capability and to meet corona-free or partial...

Transmitters with surface-mounted electronics. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... The PTX 7900 Series of rugged pressure transmitters combines a modular design with ASIC technology and surface-mounted electronics. The units are engineered as a lightweight alternative to traditional pressure gauges and switches. They have...

Surface-mount trimmer capacitors. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... Models in the GKRP Series of miniature, low-profile surface-mount trimmer capacitors measure 3.2 x 2.5 mm. They have a height of less than 1.3 mm above the mounting surface. A thin silicone coating for protection allows usage for...

Panel hardware for easy access. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... A line of panel hardware features thumb screws, captive screws, and shoulder screws. The thumb screws incorporate easy-grasp, easy-turn diamond knurled heads and are available in stainless steel, steel, and a variety of other materials,...