Product Design & Development articles from March 2004

Product Design & Development archives from March 2004

Scanning/select switch.
March 1, 2004... The Trackball 360[degrees] is designed to replace navigation keys or mini joysticks used in mobile and smart phones, PDAs, cameras, camcorders, keyboards, remote controls, and GPS systems. The 8-mm diameter ball is housed in a unit measuring 12...

Circular connector.
March 1, 2004... HyperGrip is designed and manufactured for the medical industry. The user-configurable unit is color-coded, keyable, and available in sealed and shielded configurations. The sealing option offers IP67 protection when mated to prevent electrical...

Panel indicator.
March 1, 2004... The CNX 440 5-mm LED panel indicator is pre-assembled with wires and terminations. It is available as a single unit or in a multi-unit cable harness assembly. The indicator allows the socket to be mated with the panel-mounted lens from the...

Pneumatic valve system.
March 1, 2004... Moduflex is an adaptive modular system for electro-pneumatic automation. Users can select from two standard valve sizes and assemble dual 3/2, 4/2, and 4/3 configurations in one island. A single tie-rod connection makes it easy to add of delete...

Continuous-flexing tray cables.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... Chainflex CF130US and CF140US continuous-flexing tray cables are designed as a cable option and can withstand the stress of tight bending radii. The flame-retardant units are constructed with TFFN/THHN insulation and a UV- and...

Screened twisted pair networking cables.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... The DataTwist line of networking cables features the DataTwist 5e screened twisted pair. These cables offer performance characteristics that meet or exceed TIA/EIA-558-B.2 Category 5e standards and, because they are overall shielded, they...

Servomotors.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... Kollmorgen AKM servomotors offer an advanced electromagnetic design with a global feature set to satisfy a broad range of motor application requirements. They are uL, cUL, and TLW listed, and carry the CE mark. The motors are available in...

Pressure-sensitive film.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... Dublfilm $920 is a double-coated pressure-sensitive adhesive film designed for difficult bonding and splicing applications, general product assembly, and lamination to EPDM rubber. The film is made up of a highly conformable clear UPVC film...

Position feedback encoder operates at maximum speed.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... The Mercury 3500Si is a high-performance position feedback encoder designed to operate at maximum speed and maximum resolution. Using the industry-standard SPI serial data interface, the Mercury 3500Si can achieve speeds of 7.2 m/sec, while...

Safety relay.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... The forcibly guided G7S-E safety relay can switch up to 10 A of current. The high rating makes the relay appropriate for a wide range of applications, including direct switching of small motor and solenoid loads. The unit can save valuable...

Planetary gearhead with low noise levels.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... The SP+ planetary gearhead features low noise levels to 64 dB. It offers up to 20 percent higher torque capacity with 17-750 nm nominal and 40-1,100 nm acceleration torque. An output bearing design gives the SP+ longer bearing lifetime. ...

Small-package encoder with few components.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... The Model R351 small encoder incorporates a custom state-of-the-art ASIC that includes fewer components, increased performance, and high product quality in a small package. It provides both brushless motor commutation and high resolution...

Sterile-design visual flow indicators.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... Designed to be mounted inline for high-purity applications, these sterile-design visual flow indicators provide operators with a clear view of the flow of virtually any process pipeline fluid or powder. They feature an internal-flush style...

Medical-class thermoplastic compounds.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... Dynaflex G2711 thermoplastic elastomer compounds are designed for injection molding and extrusion applications to provide products with a soft touch, rubbery feel. The compounds have Shore A hardness of 43. The naturally translucent...

Intermediate bus converter.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... The KlQ025 Series quarter-brick intermediate dc/dc converter is able to produce 25 A in a 12 V nominal output at efficiencies up to 96 percent. The unit offers a low-cost solution for applications requiring high currents at very low voltages...

Vents for processing protection.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... The Foog Vent is designed to prevent overpressure caused by outgassing of a product during and after processing. It can prevent damage caused by nitrogen and eliminate moisture and humidity as well as inhibit oxygen. The integral...

Hybrid stepper motors deliver open-loop control.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... All three series of MAE hybrid stepper motors can deliver accurate open-loop control for high-performance positioning applications. MAE "Y Series" motors (sizes 16, 17, and 22) incorporate A1NiCo magnets and are suitable for high-speed...

Fiber-optic support system.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... A new IDB-1394, S200 System supports new technologies for applications in the automotive industry. This new product family is designed to work in conjunction with the previously introduced copper solution called the CCP (Convenience Consumer...

Biodegradable packaging film.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... Cortec VPCI-126 Blue packaging film is available in 100-percent degradable versions. When the film comes into contact with organic materials during disposal, its microbial activators start the process of degrading the film into basic organic...

Front-panel data port PCI mezzanine card.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... The new PMC-FPDP is a front-panel data port PCI mezzanine card designed to provide high-speed data acquisition in VME or CompactPCI single-board computers used for digital signal processing. The board is available in air-cooled as well as...

Two-phase, bipolar step motor.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... The SilverPak 17, NEMA size 17, two-phase, 1.8-degree bipolar step motor with an integrated microstepping driver is designed to deliver high-performance in a small package. The SilverPak 17 features selectable step resolution from full step,...

Liquid level float switches.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... These liquid level float switches are designed as low-cost alternatives for chemical processing, petrochemical, food and beverage, and marine applications. The compact, rugged, top or side mounting devices can be installed in very small spaces....

Secured with a split.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... These universal bushings with open/close rings are designed to mount around pre-assembled wires, cable, and hose bundles, routing them and securing them inside electrical panels. These bushings have a split design. They allow side entry and...

Aluminum profiles with inch-based components.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... The iSeries of inch-based components has been added to the IPS modular aluminum profile system. The series is designed for applications where inch dimensions are required. The iSeries includes 21 profiles plus a full-range of fasteners and...

Light pipe with new lens geometry.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... This 5-mm panel light pipe, designated the PLP 5 Series, features a new lens geometry that is engineered to create improved lighting intensity for use with surface mounted or through-hole LEDs. The PLP 5 design enables designers to immediately...

Self-contained inductive analog sensors.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... This line of ultra-miniature self-contained inductive analog sensors is designed with increased installation flexibility for precision gauging and measuring applications. These sensors are engineered to offer highly precise measurement and...

Four-way control valve.(What's Hot)
March 1, 2004... The Magna-Cycle magnetically detented four-way control valve is a spool type, air pilot actuated valve. An adjustable permanent magnet in each actuating chamber hold the spool in position until the pilot pressure exceeds the holding power of...

Acrylic coating accentuates car navigation system.(Coatings & Finishes)
March 1, 2004... Electrical and electronic hardware is quickly becoming a major portion of options available on new vehicles. According to a recent study by Roland Berger & Partners, 22 percent of vehicle costs are electrical devices--and this percentage could...

Formable steel.(Coatings & Finishes)
March 1, 2004... Because hot-dipped galvanized coil stock steel often lacks good formability, surface finish, and corrosion resistance. Steelshield has been developed as an alternative. The coating combines electrogalvanized coil steel with layers of zinc,...

Uniform agent.(Coatings & Finishes)
March 1, 2004... FlexFoam release agent 6947 is formulated for the release of products where uniform, fine detail over the entire surface area of the part is critical. The finishing agent is specially formulated for molding potyurethane components. It can be...

What's new online @ www.pddnet.com.
March 1, 2004... Would you like to discover the secrets behind some of today's most successful designs? Then, you'll want to make sure you visit Product Design and Development's Web site this month. At www.pddnet.com, you will find intriguing bonus articles on...

Lithium coin cell.(Power Supplies)
March 1, 2004... TLH-2450 is a long-life lithium thionyl chloride coin cell specialty designed to withstand high temperatures of up to 125[degrees]C. making it suitable for a variety of applications, including automotive tire pressure monitoring devices and...

Passive switcher.(Power Supplies)
March 1, 2004... The PAS150 is the first model in the PAS Series of passive PFC-based, switch-mode power supplies for 1U height single-output applications. The PAS150 employs passive PFC technology. It not only meets all Class A PFC requirements, but also...

Enclosed power supply.(Power Supplies)
March 1, 2004... The PSF-149 enclosed power supply delivers up to 150 W of power with increased reliability, stability. and overall, lifetime of the power supply. This industrial, power supply features four dc outputs of +5, -5, -12, and +12 V. The unit...

Curing power supply ills.(Power Supplies)
March 1, 2004... OEMs today are constantly seeking ways to improve their products, lower manufacturing costs, and improve efficiency. This is an especially critical challenge for medical OEMs because of the length of the FDA approval process and the possible...

Touchscreen technology plays tunes.(Displays & Indicators)
March 1, 2004... Sound Leisure, a company that specializes in commercial digital jukebox technologies, has chosen to implement Zytronic Ltd.'s, touchscreen technology into it's free-standing and wall-mounted products. The company uses Zytouch Through Glass...

Graphics controller supports multiple displays.(Displays & Indicators)
March 1, 2004... A new graphics controller card can drive two independent digital displays, alternatively with identical or with different screens. The unit, manufactured by MEN Micro Inc., features a 235-MHz, 24-bit RAMDAC (random access memory...

Torque display.(Displays & Indicators)
March 1, 2004... The Model 3400 torque transducer display is designed for use with TM. TMHS and TMB In-Line Torque Transducers. This device powers the transducer and uses high speed digital signal processing (DSP) to display torque, speed and mechanical power,...

Temperature display.(Displays & Indicators)
March 1, 2004... These three 1/16 DIN temperature controllers, the 0116. 0216 and 0316. are available as a single line display unit or a dual line display unit. These controllers have been designed as fixed build controllers that are easy to understand, easy to...

Panel-mount coupling bodies.(New Products)
March 1, 2004... This set of panel-mount coupling bodies for the APC product line provides added flexibility and mounting options to create secure connections for applications that include water filtration, distillation equipment, commercial dispensing...

Telecom system.(New Products)
March 1, 2004... This 14-slot AdvancedTCA system is designed to provide a broad range of configuration options. The new system is suitable for telecom and networking applications, including wireless IP, telephony, and optical switches. The system's...

Three-color backlit screen.(New Products)
March 1, 2004... The GT-01 has a three-color LED backlit LCD screen with 384 KB of memory. The programming software is designed to be user-friendly and supports bitmap graphics, true type fonts, key switches, function keys, lamps, multiple message texts, bar...

Light curing adhesives.(New Products)
March 1, 2004... Ultra Light-Weld 3094 Series is a family of UV/visible light curing adhesives that form strong, durable bonds to most plastics in only a few seconds. The bonds formed are clear and cause no crazing or blooming on plastics. Bonds have...

Two-way solenoid isolation valve.(New Products)
March 1, 2004... This two-way solenoid valve is designed to mount directly to a manifold that may contain several valves and other components. The manifold approach reduces total fluid volume in an instrument as well as potential leak paths. The materials...

Molded rubber parts.(New Products)
March 1, 2004... For certain specific applications, custom molded rubber parts are available with wear resistant numbers and codes printed on them for fast and easy lot and batch traceability. Lot number printing is a secondary operation designed to eliminate...

Dc-dc converters.(New Products)
March 1, 2004... The 70A dc/dc converter HEHB-70A series in an industry standard half brick, true open frame package delivers 70 A at efficiencies as high as 90% at high current/low voltage outputs required by next generation semiconductors used in telecom and...

Submersible pressure transmitter.(New Products)
March 1, 2004... The WW517 is designed for use in wastewater applications. The Model WW517 is a 316L liquid level transmitter with a 3-in. diameter opened faced Teflon coated sensor. It's designed for instances when the media is chunky. Features include an...

Inside Intel: the technology company goes wireless on the factory floor.(Real-World Engineering)(Cover Story)
March 1, 2004... In August of 2002, the management at Intel made a major decision to go wireless on the factory floor in their Rio Rancho, NM, chip-manufacturing facility. "Our IT organization is completely wireless, and after seeing how well organized that...

Floating panel fasteners.(New Products)
March 1, 2004... These panel fasteners are designed to compensate for mating hole misalignment up to 0.06 in. and can be installed into any panel material. These PEM Type PFF floating panel fasteners features fully captive steel screws in thread sizes #10-32...

Duplexing pump controller.(New Products)
March 1, 2004... The APC100 duplexing pump controller is engineered to be a cost-effective, field-programmable, NEMA 4X setpoint controller for submersible pump applications when analog sensors are used for level detection. Standard options include a wide...

Brushless dc servo motors.(New Products)
March 1, 2004... This new line of brushless dc servo motors is available in two frame sizes. Based on the 22 and 36 mm frame sizes, the simple, rugged housing was developed with flexibility in mind. The length of the motor is designed to be easily customized to...

Parallel shaft gearmotor.(New Products)
March 1, 2004... The PS2300 parallel shaft gearmotor provides up to 320 in.-lbs of high-torque turning power, which is suitable for demanding applications such as commercial garage doors or industrial conveyors. The PS2300 is compatible with ac, pm, and dc...

Jets and droplets keep 'em cool.(Consumer Electronics Design)
March 1, 2004... There are two new technologies that could help future generations of electronics and high-powered military equipment stay cool despite growing power demands. Designed for removing heat from electronic devices, these technologies, synthetic jets...

Chokes and inductors catalog.(Free Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... The 2004 edition of Chokes and Inductors for High Frequency and EMC is an 86-page catalog that provides an overview of products. The catalog describes chokes and inductors for RF and EMC applications. It describes the components with their...

Surfacing technology brochure.(Free Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... This brochure details thermal spray and cold spray services. Information is also provided on machining, grinding, and welding services and data on release coatings, traction surfacing, friction surfacing, and thermal barrier surfacing....

List of overrun optics.(Free Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... This list contains first quality overrun optics that are available from the company's stock and can save designers up to 20 percent over the cost of custom fabrication. The 2004 Stock Parts List features production overruns and is organized by...

Hot-swap power systems brochure.(Free Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... This 12-page brochure features hot-swap power systems from 200 to 7,500 W. There are eight series of products, each consisting of hot-swap power modules and a compatible 19.in. system rack. Systems are available in 1U, 2U, or 3U heights. The...

Liners brochure.(Free Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... This liners brochure describes custom silicone and castable release coating development, contract manufacturing, and standard release films and papers. It describes the variety of silicone release coatings produced on film and paper and...

Electrical conduit catalog.(Free Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... The Flexible Electrical Conduit Catalog showcases the latest lines with more than 30 types of flexible electrical conduit. These products can be used in several applications, including medical, food, construction, plumbing, computing, and...

Product Web site.(Free Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... This new website includes interactive features for users. Features include product searches using descriptions or part numbers, online sample requests with virtual sample charts, prints, catalogs available in pdf format, online print request...

Online timers and controls catalog.(Free Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... This timers and Website provides product selection options. The timers and control relay products are carefully cross-indexed for fast production selection. Design engineers, purchasing managers, service contractors, production engineers, and...

Double enveloping on the 'L'.(The Last Word)
March 1, 2004... There are more than few things that are identifiable with Chicago--the Sears "lower, Navy Pier Wrigley Field, the Loop, and the "L" trains. Without that last one--the famed elevated urban transit system--residents of the Windy City would find...

Dilbert.
March 1, 2004... OUR COPIER IS BROKEN. MAY I USE YOURS? ONLY IF YOU USE YOUR OWN PAPER. I JUST NEED ONE COPY AND MY OFFICE IS ABOUT A MILE AWAY. DON'T MAKE ME UNLEASH THE HOUND. THAT'S A HOUND? TECHNICALLY HE'S A WEB DESIGNER IN A TIGHT...