By Laura Carrabine, Senior Editor Many of the design requirements for NASA’s latest Mars explorer Curiosity are related to the Sample Acquisition and Sample Processing and Handling (SASPaH) subsystem that will gather soil samples from Mars’ surface. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) collaborated with Helical Products Company engineers to develop flexible couplings and machined springs…
Electronic Access Solutions Extend Security to Medical Equipment
The Health Information Portability and Accounting Act (HIPAA), enacted in 1996, changed the face of security in the medical industry. Medical equipment manufacturers are legally mandated to develop tools, technologies and protocols to protect patients’ medical records in ways that have never existed before. Thus, physical security in medical facilities extends beyond the grounds, buildings…
Casters Help Prevent Injuries in Dangerous Work Environments
When Lifline, a company specializing in portable fall arresting systems for all kinds of uses, began to have issues in some systems with the wheels, engineers worked with Caster Concepts to develop a custom-designed wheel. Rugged and fail-proof wheels are critical because if a component fails it could be the difference between life and death.…
Simpler Current Load Monitoring
In many applications adjusting the trip point of a current monitoring sensor can be frustrating. The control cabinet must be open while power is on so that the load being monitored is energized and the tight space makes getting a small screwdriver in the right position challenging. The ASM Self Calibrating Smart-Switch solves this problem…
Cables Suit Mission Critical Oil Drilling Applications
When drilling for oil, the last thing operators want to deal with are broken cables. These highly flexible silicone cables are designed for extreme temperatures (-65°C to +260°C), punishing weather and harsh operating conditions. Suitable in downhole oil drilling and flare ignition systems, these halogen-free cables are an alternative to stiff and bulky cables. The…
Faster Scanners Help Medics See Inside Live Cells
With the expansion of life science research in recent years on subjects such as induced pluripotent stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and the human genome (for personalized medicine), researchers need faster observation tools with higher sensitivity, multi-wavelength capability, and greater versatility. The CSU-W1 confocal scanner unit is a versatile tool that satisfies all these requirements.…
Titanium Strips for Medical Applications
The Ti 6/4 ELI (Grade 23) titanium strip comes in thickness gauges as low as 0.004 in. The result of a newly developed proprietary technology, these ultra-thin Ti 6/4 ELI (extra low interstitials) titanium strips demonstrate improved ductility and formability, making them ideal for such applications as pacemaker and neurostimulator enclosures. This titanium alloy is…
Gearboxes need little space
The newly designed right angle bevel products let you install gearboxes in confined spaces. The right angle bevel series is more compact compared to the existing parallel helical screw conveyor package. Its right-angle design is compatible with standard CEMA mounting. The three-hole tapered CEMA drive shaft is easy to mount and remove if needed. Its…
Bearings for “underwater windmills” keep gearboxes operating
The development of bearings for renewable energy concepts presents both interesting opportunities and exacting challenges. For example, tidal current turbines are among the latest developments in renewable energy use. Installed undersea, the turbines are driven by the tidal flow of water. Bearing manufacturer NKE Austria supplies the bearings for the gearboxes of these “underwater windmills.”…
Innovative Materials Help Protect LCDs and Touchscreens
By Leslie Langnau, Managing Editor The touchscreen display market should reach $14 billion in 2012, according to a report from IDTechEx, with an ongoing compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 36% through 2014. While the largest growth will continue to be in consumer products including tablets and smart phones, there is also growth in LCDs…
Storage Choke Reduces Energy Loss
Saving energy that would otherwise have been wasted, and storing it for use when needed later, is the function of the Dynamic Energy Storage device (DES) from Michael Koch GmbH, a manufacturer of braking resistors. The storage choke installed in the DES ensures that the device will be efficient with minimal power loss. The DES…
A Better Way to Protect Machine Spindles from Collisions
Machine tool operation has traditionally focused on “speeds and feeds,” and today’s advanced machining technology, particularly high-speed milling, has delivered both in terms of the forces that can be created during peak operation. However, higher speeds and faster feeds can lead to collisions in the machining area during the production process. Tool collisions at high…
Brad® Ultra-Lock® (M12) EX Connection System from Molex
Molex Incorporated introduced the Brad® Ultra-Lock® (M12) EX Connection System, providing process automation installers a safe, quick connection interface for instrumentation and control devices in potentially explosive and hazardous areas. As with other Brad Ultra-Lock connectors, the Ultra-Lock (M12) EX features patented push-to-lock technology, providing a simple and secure operator-independent connection. In addition, the Ultra-Lock…
LEE LINEAR introduces new “SBI” linear guides
LEE LINEAR® introduces the new SBC Linear Profile SBI linear guide system with a higher load capacity and increased operating speeds. By utilizing a low profile and wide base design, there is less noise, less vibration, and increased life over caged ball assemblies. The SBI high load guide system offers an optimized state-of-the-art ball recirculation design […]
Indexing Plungers with T-Handle from J.W. Winco
J.W. Winco, Inc. now offers series GN 817.4 Steel or Stainless Steel Indexing Plungers with T-Handle, with and without Rest Position, in metric sizes. These RoHS-compliant plungers are similar in design to GN 817, but have a T-handle instead of a round knob. This shape is advantageous when greater unlocking forces occur. It also allows…
Automotive Push-Pin Seal Capabilities from Lauren Manufacturing
With the growing drive to make cars more efficient, the automotive industry is determined to improve today’s vehicles through ingenuity and engineering. Lauren Manufacturing is no exception to this process. Lauren is once again expanding capabilities by offering push-pin seals. Sold to tier-one automotive companies, push-pin seals provide an alternative to standard laminated seal methods…
Kaman Corporation to Acquire Assets of Zeller Corporation
Kaman Corporation (NYSE:KAMN) announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of Zeller Corporation by its subsidiary Kaman Industrial Technologies Corporation (KIT). The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Zeller Corporation is a value added distributor of electrical and automation components and…
Edge Welded Bellows Store Available Online
BellowsTech edge welded bellows are now available for purchase online. With AM350 alloy material and end plates, BellowsTech is offering eleven different diameters. Each diameter product can be ordered in specific segment lengths, for a total of fifteen length options per size. Rather than the customer needing to weld segments together, BellowsTech offers the specific…
Do you really need integrated CAD/CAM?
By Evan Yares, Senior Editor & Analyst, Software Why you may—and may not—want to consider an integrated solution. There’s a simple question you can answer that will help you figure out whether you should consider using an integrated CAD/CAM system: Is your current CAM system the biggest source of frustration in your work life? If…
The ins and outs of single axis actuation
By Cale Reese, Electromechanical Products Manager, PHD, Inc. Single axis actuation devices have proven to be the MVP in many successful machine designs, using the fundamentals of pneumatic, hydraulic, and electric components. Performance of a fluid power actuator’s physical dimensions and properties of its driving medium (pressure, flow and compressibility) have a similar correlation. Pneumatic…
Eliminate the Cause of Threaded Fastener Failure
By Doug Lescarbeau, Loctite Brand Anaerobic Technology Director, Henkel Corporation With more than 300 billion fasteners used in the U.S. every year, it is critical that they never fail in service. The latest threadlocking adhesives defy the root causes of fastener failure and are designed to ensure that threaded fasteners remain secure and sealed for…
Fundamentals of Signal Integrity in Embedded Systems
By Christopher J. Loberg , Tektronix Inc. Here are tips on ensuring digital signals have good integrity, clean and fast transitions, stable and valid logic levels, accurate placement in time, and are free of any transients. Evolving technology makes it increasingly difficult for system developers to produce and maintain complete, unimpaired signals in digital systems. Since the…
Flying with the Greatest of Ease
By Gary Kirckof, PE, Applications Engineer, Beckhoff Automation, Burnsville, Minn. Consider these tips when optimizing flying shear motion applications. The term “flying shear” refers to general applications where the work performed by some type of tooling must be done on a moving target. At the beginning of a machine cycle, the tooling must reach a synchronized position on the…
Molex Capacitive Touchpad Panels
Molex Incorporated has partnered with a multinational manufacturer of major appliances to develop capacitive touchpad panels for two high-end Class-A energy saving clothes washers. Molex capacitive switches and panels use capacitive-field-sensing technology to enable user interfaces with no moving parts in a range of medical, industrial, consumer and home appliance product applications. “Capacitive switch technology…
Caster Concepts Acquires Canadian Caster Manufacturer
Caster Concepts, Inc. has acquired LARCASTER/Owl Welding of Selkirk, Manitoba, torsion caster manufacturer. President William H. Dobbins stated, “This is an exciting opportunity for Caster Concepts. LARCASTER pioneered torsion casters and we will carry on the manufacturing of their excellent products and superior customer service. Their products fit in well with our existing product lines…