DesignNews Magazine June 2011

BLACK BOXES NHTSA Wants Them in Cars 26

MEET SANTOS Avatar Is Helping the U.S. Military 44

JUNE 2011 $15.00

High-Tech Implants

GADGET FREAK New Twist on An Old Gadget 68

Accelerating Engineering Innovation

Recovery rates for wounded U.S. soldiers are improving thanks to advanced processes for producing custom cranial implants 40

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Accelerating Engineering Innovation

Contents

June 2011

vol. 66 no. 6

www.designnews.com

44

40

48

Cover Story 40 High-Tech Implants Recovery rates for wounded U.S. soldiers are improving dramatically because of advanced processes for producing custom cranial implants. BY DOUG SMOCK

Features 44 Putting Physics into Human Modeling The Santos digital human model software is helping the U.S. military and large manufacturers test quality, safety and ergonomics factors in a virtual world. BY BETH STACKPOLE

48 Roadway Barriers Go Electric Roadway barriers, the last line of defense for hundreds of military installations and utility plants, are undergoing a transformation. Once powered exclusively by hydraulics, the giant barriers are now moving to simpler, greener electric actuators. BY CHARLES J. MURRAY

50 Integrated Safety Moves Beyond Outlier Status Though still considered a heretical idea by some engineers, the integration of safety and machine control on one controller is gaining increased acceptance with the help of new safety standards and the push for greater productivity. BY AL PRESHER

Columns OPINION BY DESIGN

13 Energy Harvesting Design Advances A number of efforts are being employed across industries to harvest energy typically lost during production operations. BY DAVID GREENFIELD MADE BY MONKEYS

14 The Day the Music Died Monkeys got to the six-CD changer of a 2005 Jeep Liberty after a routine battery change. CAPTAIN HYBRID

16 EV Range Is Still An Issue Cold weather significantly reduces the driving range of the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf. BY CHARLES J. MURRAY

continued > COVER IMAGE: John Harrington Photography

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Contents > continued GadGet Freak

68 Rocket Controller Goes Wireless

7

68

William Grill re-tooled his rocket igniter so it can now operate without wires.

aerospace & defense In this special supplement you will find stories on drone design, a strategy for better test equipment management and how advanced materials improve aerospace engines.

Departments 18 engineering Matters From Treasure to Trash

20 data Measurement & analysis

Resistances Affect Voltage Measurements

22 Mechatronics

58 design decisions Pump Retaining Ring Selection

60 design engineering Products

Modeling and Simulation for Motor Selection

Best of the Engineering Marketplace

24 Green Scene

Environmental News for Engineers

26 News Trends, Developments, Breakthroughs

56 Social engineering Alt Energy Smackdown

duty robots; and ARM Automation’s EtherCAT-enabled robot for bowling equipment testing.

Supplements Mechatronics: robotics Look here for stories on unified components and controls for robot kinematics; simplifying the complex in high-risk

These stories also appear online at http://dn.hotims.com/34934-500. DESIGN NEWS® (ISSN 0011-9407) is published monthly by UBM Electronics, 11444 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064-1549; 310/445-4200; FAX 310/445-4299. Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, California, and at additional mailing offices. SUBSCRIPTIONS – Free to qualified subscribers as defined on the subscription card. Rates for non-qualified subscriptions, including all issues: U.S.A., $150.00 one year, $250.00 two years, $300 three years; Canada, $184.90 one year, $314.90 two years (includes 7% GST, GST#123397457); Mexico, $172.90 one year, $295.90 two years; Foreign air expedited $323.90 one year, $579.90 two years. Except for special issues where price changes are indicated, single copies are available for $10 U.S.A. and $15 foreign. For telephone inquiries regarding subscriptions, call 763/746-2792. Email: [email protected]. CHANGE OF ADDRESS – Notices should be sent promptly to DESIGN NEWS® P.O. Box 47461, Plymouth, MN 55447. Please provide old mailing labels as well as new address. Allow two months for change. NOTICE – Every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy of content; however, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for the correctness of the information supplied or advertised or for any opinion expressed herein. POSTMASTER – Send address changes to, DESIGN NEWS® P.O. Box 47461, Plymouth, MN 55447. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement 40685520. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: BleuChip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2. Printed in U.S.A. Copyright 2010 by UBM Electronics. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

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Automation and Control

An approach being deployed for improving energy efficiency in large engines involves the use of a function block to track and react to engine performance parameters. http://bit.ly/m7n1L9 The Gadgeteer

Turns out there are all kinds of plans for building everything from your basic threestring slide to a double-neck cigar box electric/acoustic guitar. Just type “cigar box guitar” into your favorite search engine and get started. http://bit.ly/mFpsb1 Engineering Materials

HyperSizer v6 Keys in on Manufacturing Optimization

Structural sizing and analysis tool have been enhanced to bring efficiencies to the design and manufacture of large-scale composite offerings. http://bit.ly/jn8btL

Plastic, wood, fake wood or concrete? That’s the question in a makeover of the iconic Coney Island boardwalk in Brooklyn, NY. The debate over the last year or so has become an interesting intersection of emotion, aesthetics, climate change and cold, hard cash. http://bit.ly/jEHDLQ

Additive Manufacturing Strongly Bounces Back

Use of the technology is spreading widely, even to examination and reproduction of ancient skeletons.

CAD/CAM Corner

Seems like everyone wants a piece of the low-end of the CAD market. The latest vendor to stake out a claim on that turf is Corel, a maker of such graphics and technical illustration design tools like CorelDRAW and Corel Painter. http://bit.ly/llFcBP Mechatronics Zone

Freescale’s new mechatronics board can control as many as eight RC-model servo motors. The board comes as part of a package that also supplies four RC servos; leg mechanics and associated hardware; assembly instructions for a two-legged, four-degrees-of-freedom walking robot; and user manuals. http://bit.ly/kGvVFg

http://bit.ly/lhaj7S Webcast : Designing With LEDs: Thermal Management View now at http://bit.ly/maUzoj

As LED power and current levels soar, engineers are looking to new metal substrates, heat sinks, fans and other products to keep LED-based systems operating at high efficiency. In this webcast, Design News will talk to makers of thermal management devices in an effort to help designers find better ways to beat the heat in high-power LED systems.

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Miniature Pneumatic Products Create Solutions

If you need a product that fits your application perfectly, Clippard has the capability to design or modify its standard products to suit your exact needs. We understand that a standard catalog product may be close, but not be exactly what you need. We have the ability and capacity to give you what you want. Our dedicated staff of engineers, application experts and manufacturing professionals is devoted to providing you with the best solution available. http://dn.hotims.com/34934-501 TrAininG GuiDE

OEM Quick Guide to Surface Finishing

“A Condensed Resource on Die Cast Part Surface Finishing for OEM Design Engineers & Specifiers” is a preliminary guide that will help design engineers evaluate die-cast surface finishing alternatives for product appearance, durability and protection to aid in cost-effective specification of parts produced in aluminum, magnesium and zinc — and ZA8 — die-casting alloys. http://dn.hotims.com/34934-502 WHiTE pApEr

Realistic User Productivity Comparisons for Upgrade Decision Making

While the overall performance of a software program or hardware platform can be measured using standard benchmarks, actual user productivity is a more difficult metric to gauge, since it often includes perceptions of the overall user experience and must account for differences in the methods employed while using the software. http://dn.hotims.com/34934-503

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From time to time, I see “glaring examples” of visually discomforting lighting. Glare is annoying at best and a safety hazard at worst. Understanding and managing it is important for well-designed lighting products. In this issue of I’ll explain a common metric used to quantify glare and present a mathematical model to predict it.

Researchers at RPI conducted studies of how glare is perceived under various conditions. Subjects reported their experiences using the De Boer scale while changes were made to the luminance (LS) and illuminance (EL) of the light source, the illuminance of the surrounding area (ES), and the natural ambient illuminance in the location if the light source had not been installed (EA). Based upon the data, a model was developed1 for discomfort glare (DG) and a formula to map this back to the De Boer values (DB) listed in Table 1.

Cary Eskow is Global Director of the solid

Figure 1 – A ‘glaring example” of lighting, about 4 on the De Boer scale

As you are probably aware from personal experience, glare from a poorly-designed ceiling light raises levels of tension and stress. The potential consequences with outdoor lighting are more dire—it can impede a driver’s vision. Glare and its physiological impact have been studied for at least 50 years, mainly to mitigate vehicular headlamp glare. It is also very applicable to new high-brightness LED (HBLED) indoor and outdoor lighting products. In 1967, De Boer introduced a nine-point glare scale with some subjective perception equivalencies, as in Table 1:

This model has good agreement between the observed and predicted glare levels, although if the luminaire is large enough (the glare source subtends more than about 0.3° of the observer’s field of view), a small correction factor is needed to convert DG into the corresponding De Boer value.

state lighting and LED business unit of Avnet Electronics Marketing. An ardent advocate of energy efficient LEDbased illumination, he has

Here’s an example of how the model can be used. Suppose a location near a building’s parking lot has an ambient illuminance (EA) of 0.5 lux. An HBLED luminaire attached to the building produces 8 lux in the eyes of someone walking near that parking lot (EL). The walls and windows on the building are reflecting the luminaire’s light as well, creating a surround illuminance (ES) of 0.2 lux. The luminaire is large relative to that person’s position, so it subtends an angle greater than 0.3° in their eyes. If the portion of the luminance directed towards them (LS) by the luminaire is 600,000 cd/m2, how would they experience it?

worked closely with LED manufacturers, advanced analog IC and secondary optics vendors since his first patent using LEDs was issued two decades ago. Avnet works with customers through their national team of illuminationfocused sales engineers who are experienced in thermal,

In this example the glare would probably be unacceptable and possibly present an unsafe driving condition at night. Obvious remedies would include maintaining a suitable optical cut-off angle in the luminaire’s housing so the Before we go any further, I’ll define two commonly-confused individual HBLEDs cannot be seen. The preferred solution terms—luminance and illuminance. Luminance is the total would be to use a well-designed lens or reflector to direct amount of directional light emitted by a source in a given the light only where it is needed in the parking lot area. area, measured in candela per square meter (cd/m2). It’s a This issue of Light Matters and many others are available useful indication of the amount of light entering the eye on the Avnet LightSpeed website. Questions and comments from a particular angle. Contrastingly, illuminance is the total amount of light that falls on a surface per unit area, and are welcomed www.em.avnet.com/Lighting. measured in lumens per square meter, also known as lux. Table 1 – The De Boer (1967) scale for glare

drive stage and optics design. Prior to his lighting focus, Cary was Avnet’s technical director and managed Avnet’s North American FAE team. To submit questions or ideas, e-mail Cary at [email protected]

1

ASSIST, A Method for Estimating Discomfort Glare…, RPI LRC 2011

To learn more about designing an LED-based illumination system, go to:

www.em.avnet.com/Lighting

(Repeat) There’s a reason 80 percent of Phillips medical business is repeat business. Well actually there are 1300 reasons. At Phillips, we have 1300 of the most committed people in the industry working as an extension of our customer’s team. People who help differentiate products by applying technology-based expertise to every area of product development. From industrial design, prototyping, and pilot production, through high volume clean room manufacturing, assembly, packaging and distribution, Phillips sets the bar for quality, skill and commitment that keeps our customers coming back for more.

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by des ig n David Greenfield, Editorial Director [email protected]

Energy Harvesting Design Advances A number of efforts are currently

being employed across industries to harvest energy typically lost during production operations. Many of these projects involve energizing low-power devices, such as sensors, through capture of wasted energy from vibrations or heat dissipation. But that still leaves a massive amount of energy being released by industrial systems that remains uncaptured for greater use. To help address this, the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology is funding a project at Deprag Schulz GmbH & Co. (a supplier of air motors) to capture excess process gas for energy generation. Of course, energy recovery from excess process gas in not a new idea, but Deprag Schulz’s new project does add a new twist. The Deprag Schulz project involves converting small amounts of residual energy (5 to 20 kW) directly into electricity using a small generator. Because no standard generator was small enough or employed suitable materials for use as the core of the energy unit (calculated rotational speed of the generator is around 40,000 rpm), Deprag Schulz had to develop an electric generator specifically for this purpose. The result is a turbine generator based on a permanent magnet synchronous induction machine for the generation of electricity. The prototype from Deprag Schulz is a compact unit made from a microexpansion turbine with an electrical generator

which produces electricity from gas. The core turbine generator unit, not including the electrical control box, is not much bigger than a shoebox and can be used locally where gas is either released unused by the industrial process or where a high level of pressure is reduced to a lower value. Here’s how the turbine generator works: Gas f lows into the turbine and is pressed through jets to accelerate its movement. When it meets the blades of the turbine and is diverted, it releases energy. This kinetic energy is then converted to electrical energy in the generator. The key to the design of this prototype is that the turbine and electric generator have one shared drive shaft. This means that, when the turbine rotates, the generator’s rotor rotates at the same time and electrical energy is generated. As an application example for this turbine generator, the tanks used in smelting of metals are cooled by compressed air. The compressed air flows through cooling channels and absorbs heat. Typically, this air is then released into the atmosphere without being used. With the turbine generator, the energy absorbed from the heat can be converted to electricity by passing it through the microexpansion turbine and the integrated generator and then feeding the resulting power back into the grid. DN

Energy being released by industrial systems remains uncaptured for greater use.

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The Day the Music Died I received a lot of enjoyment from the six-CD changer that came stock in my 2005 Jeep Liberty. There was plenty of power out of four speakers and good clean sound. It has kept me company for many a long drive and I never had a problem not being able to play my own music mixes burned onto rewritable CDs. But the monkeys were there when they designed this RBQ six-CD changer and they have not given me the real story to this day. The problem began when after 80,000 miles my car battery decided to call it quits. After tossing in a new battery and starting up the Jeep, I noticed that the CD option in the “am/fm/ cd” mode selector on the changer was missing — just gone completely from the menu. It is like the CD capability just disappeared. The only clue that it was a CD player was an occasional mechanical sound of the changer upon turning the radio on. The radio and everything else work just fine but six CDs are now being held hostage in the changer with no way to eject them. I tried everything I could think of — pulled the changer and looked for a reset button. I pulled the battery for a half-hour and reconnected it. Nothing. I tried pushing every combination of buttons on the changer hoping to stumble on the magic reset — no CDs. I Googled everything on Mopar radios, Jeep radios, RBQ model radios/CDchangers and came up with a lot of differing and vague responses. A lot of people claimed similar problems with their RBQ changers in their Plymouth Voyagers, Jeeps and Ram trucks after a battery change or a blown fuse on the changer circuit. No one on any of the forums that I found mentioned a real fix. A number of Chrysler techs came back with a variety of ideas. “Oh, that’s a security feature in case the CD changer is stolen.” “You will need to contact Chrysler and get a code.” Nice, except every Chrysler dealer I talked to had no idea about any codes. Some of the dealers said there are no Chrysler changers that have a code. “Something else must be wrong,” “Bring the car in and for $$$ we can hook it up to our computer.” Another said, “You have to keep 12 volts on the radio when changing the battery to keep this from happening.” Or, “You can’t play rewritable CDs on the changer … must have hosed it.” My owner’s manual says nothing about this. I have to take my car into the shop whenever I change the battery? Or blow a fuse on the radio circuit? That’s like saying your TV will never work again if it is unplugged but that’s a security feature because sometimes TVs are stolen! So I finally found a friend of a friend of a friend who knows a guy who does financing at a Chrysler dealer close to home. He talked to a tech that seems to think that the car needs to be plugged into the diagnostic “mothership” to determine the problem or reset the changer. I am going to bring it in and see. - BOB STOUT

Made by Monkeys highlights products that somehow slipped by the QC cops. E-mail your examples to Editor Rob Spiegel at [email protected]. D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

SolidWorks is a registered trademark of Dassault Systèmes. ©2011 Dassault Systèmes. All rights reserved.

LOOKING FOR DESIGNERS TO PUSH THIS BABY PROJECT 3: HOT ROD BABY BUGGY Help host Jeremy Luchini design the first hardcore baby buggy using SolidWorks®. You’ll share ideas, comment on designs and vote on key decisions throughout the project. If you think you’re ready, let’s go design. Watch. Share. Vote. LetsGoDesign.tv

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EV Range Is Still An Issue Cold weather significantly reduces the driving range of the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf. By CHARLES J. MURRAY, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics & Test

There’s good news and bad news for proponents of electric vehicles (EVs) these days. The good news is that EVs are here, more are coming, and all of us are going to have to adjust to the EV life. The bad news is that the early feedback on the latest EV introductions has been pretty underwhelming. Worse, batteries are still at the heart of the issue. Consumer Reports’ recent reviews of the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt cast a harsh light on those battery issues. For the Leaf, which is all-electric, the big problem is cold weather. The magazine said that one staffer found that the range was rapidly reduced from 36 miles to barely 19 miles on a frigid morning. The magazine’s reviewers added that they averaged about 65 miles between charges, rather than the 100 that Nissan has publicly proclaimed. “There are two things that hurt the range of electric vehicles,” says David Champion, senior director of the magazine’s Auto Test Div., during an interview with Design News. “First, if you get on the highway and trundle along at 70 to 75 miles per hour, the energy consumption is phenomenal. The EPA ratings are based on a lot of city driving and are based on 55-mph highway driving, so the EPA is getting higher ratings because they’re not driving it as people actually tend to. Second, the battery doesn’t like cold weather, and turning on the heater just exacerbates that problem.” Consumer Reports’ cold weather problems match those reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) late last year. Driving the Leaf for one day in Detroit’s harsh 20-degree weather, WSJ writer Jonathan D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

Enter xx at www.edn.com/info

Welsh found that the vehicle’s range indicator showed eight miles remaining after he traveled just 49.5 miles. The news for the Chevy Volt hasn’t been much better. Consumer Reports, which bought a Volt for $43,700, found it was getting an all-electric range of 23 to 28 miles in the cold weather at its Connecticut-based test facility. In its gasolinepowered mode, the Volt averaged about 10 cents per mile. In contrast, the magazine said that a Toyota Prius operates for about 6.8 cents per mile. “In some ways, you’ve got to be really dedicated to own one of these,” Champion told us. “It (the cost of operation) doesn’t make for a particularly efficient gasoline car and it doesn’t make for a particularly efficient electric car.” All of this goes back to what we’ve long said: These vehicles — and others that follow — will be a tough sell for middle-class consumers. Sure, green enthusiasts and wealthy consumers who want to make an environmental statement will snap them up. But for the average car buyer — whose pocketbooks are limited and who drive in largely unpredictable patterns — these vehicles still lack the range to make a good first car, and are too costly for a second car. If automakers are successful in significantly driving the cost down, that could change. Until then, adjustments are in order. “It’s going to take some re-learning of what you can and can’t do,” Champion says. “It’s something that we’ll all have to get used to.” DN Have a comment? E-mail Chuck Murray at [email protected].

Across town, there’s an engineer commissioning a drive. That engineer is not this engineer.

The Kollmorgen AKD™ servo drive. It’s just simpler. Commissioning isn’t glamorous. So why make it complicated? The Kollmorgen AKD servo drive offers the most intuitive and interactive GUI in any drive today, plus our proprietary Setup Wizard. Add in features like AKD WorkBench, Performance Servo Tuner and our embedded help database, and you’re done faster – and simpler. Now go catch a ballgame.

©2011 Kollmorgen. All rights reserved.

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1818

ENGINEERING MATTERS Focus on the Future of Engineering

From Treasure to Trash IN AN AGE OBSESSED with quantifying every- global population we discard more than 700 million thing, how do we turn numbers into action when we cell phones each year. Of course, other technologies have become a nation immune to scale? And there’s and industries have similar impacts on our environno better example of this than ment, but the phone — seemingly an extension of what we’ve seen occur with the ourselves — crystallizes a key issue for us engineers: severe recession and its various We all want to work on the next awesome piece of remedies over the past few years technology, but don’t want to have to be burdened where thousands turned into milwith the reality that our success will lead to an acculions, then billions, and now trilmulated environmental impact. lions with such ease that anyone This has posed a real challenge for educating fuhardly takes note any longer. ture engineers: How do we broaden our young Geoffrey C. Orsak When numbers cease to have students’ perspectives from one of “design for permeaning, what then? This is particularly true as we formance” to include “design for obsolescence” parwork to bring about a green shift in engineering. ticularly when waste at the individual levels seems so More than a few technology companies have insignificant? profited from the innate consumerism we all harTo bring this issue to life, we are trying something bor within. The must-have device purchased today new at my own engineering school. As a supplement becomes passé so quickly that to often dry federal reports, we find ourselves in a neverwe have recently brought the ending cycle of seeking the powerful show Running the next device that will estabNumbers by artist Chris Jordan lish our “tech cred” with our to the very heart of our main friends and colleagues. This engineering building. of course fuels innovation, but This now iconic collection it comes with a long-term cost of images of consumerism and we are just now beginning to technology provides the opappreciate. portunity for our future engiTake for example the emer- This piece by Chris Jordan depicts 2.4 milneers to physically confront an gence of cells phones over the lion pieces of plastic, equal to the estimated engineering issue that is awaitlast two decades. This marvel number of pounds of plastic pollution that ing their best ideas (www. has changed our lives for the enter the world’s oceans every hour. All of chrisjordan.com/gallery/ better in countless ways, but we the plastic in this image was collected from rtn/#moon). Reactions are are only now starting to see the the Pacific Ocean. often strong — there is a tentroubling environmental undency by some in the engineerderside of this communications revolution. When ing community to dismiss these works. But their real our collective need to upgrade this technology is ac- power is that they are images of facts — indisputable cumulated across our population, the environmental facts about rampant consumerism and technology’s impact becomes significant. Estimates vary, but as a codependence upon this most human of traits. DN Geoffrey C. Orsak is Dean of the SMU Lyle School of Engineering. He can be reached at [email protected]. D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

Source: www.chrisjordan.com

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20

DATA MEASUREMENT & ANALYSIS

Unbelievably useful info on data measurement, collection and analysis from the test expert

Resistances Affect Voltage Measurements WHEN ENGINEERS USE high-imped-

ance sensors or measure voltages from high-resistance sources, they must pay particular attention to sources of errors that might not affect other types of measurements. Suppose you want to measure the voltage in a circuit that has an impedance of, say, 1 Mohm. If you connect this signal Jon Titus to a handheld DVM, such as a Wavetek 25XT DVM that has an input impedance of 10 Mohms, the instrument’s internal resistance will affect the voltage measured, as shown in the figure. Use the ratio of the DVM’s resistance to the total resistance to determine the voltage you see on the meter. Vmeter = Vunknown * [ R meter / ( R meter + R sensor)] I put a 1.04 Mohm resistor in series with a power supply and measured the voltage across the supply output (1.96V) and then with the DVM in series (1.75V). That’s about a 10-percent error. When I ran the test with an HP 3478A digital multimeter, which has a 1010 ohm input resistance, the reading from the power supply (1.905V) matched the reading from the power supply with the resistor in series. To reduce this type of

error, Keithley Instruments recommends a measurement instrument have an input resistance at least 100 times the resistance of the voltage source. Most high-quality DVM and sourcemeasure units have an input resistance of 109 or more ohms. Oscilloscopes have input resistances of 1 Mohm. Unfortunately, specs for some plug-in data-acquisition boards and USB-plugin modules lack this information. Ask before you buy. You also must include all shunt resistances when you consider a meter’s input resistance. These resistances can arise from leakage in test leads, dirty connectors and contacts, closely spaced conductors, and even solder-f lux residue on a circuit board, which is particularly a problem on prototype PCBs. Many manufacturers of instrument cables do not provide a cable-leakage specification except for radio-frequency signals. Voltage-measuring instruments also have a small bias current that f lows in or out due to the nature of internal circuits. This bias current f lows through the circuit you want to test and causes a small voltage error. The Keithley 2182A nanovoltmeter, for example, specifies a bias current below 60 pA for -10 to +5V and 120 pA for 5 to 10V. You can use Ohm’s law to calculate the voltage that can add to or subtract from the voltage you want to measure. If you still have a

Jon Titus, a former designer and chief editor of EDN and Test & Measurement World magazines, remembers when “fast” signals operated at 10 MHz and programs came on paper tape. D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

a Rsensor Vunk

V Rmeter

b Rsensor Vunk

V Rmeter

Redrawing the sensor circuit shown in “a” illustrates how the sensor resistance and the test instrument resistance form a voltage divider “b” that introduces an error and reduces the measured unknown voltage, Vunk.

1 Mohm resistance in your circuit, the 60 pA bias current can cause an error of 60 μV. For a 2V signal, that might seem minor, but keep in mind that offset remains constant across a voltage range, so the error becomes more noticeable on lower-voltage meter readings. DN

For More Information 1. Brisebois, Glen, “Signal Conditioning for High-Impedance Sensors,” EDN, Feb. 16, 2006. http://dn.hotims.com/34934-504 2. “Low Level Measurements Handbook,” 6th edition, Keithley Instruments. www.keithley.com

Name Dr. Dave Barrett Job Title Professor, Mechanical Engineering Area of Expertise Robotics LabVIEW Helped Me Bridge the gap between teaching theory and realworld design experience Latest Project Building a robotic tuna to swim across the Atlantic Ocean

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Modeling and Simulation for Motor Selection Why trajectory planning, system modeling and control design are essential. MULTIDISCIPLINARY ENGINEERING systems are complex

and carry increased risk, development time and integration challenges. Model-based system design helps to manage the complexity and enhance integration while reducing the development time and risk. But just how does model-based design improve the process of choosing a motor for a motion application? First of all, consider that system requirements dictate a desired end-point trajectory. The motion can be defined as an electronic cam, characterized by different profiles and maximum values of velocity, acceleration and jerk, which will affect the level of mechanical stress, vibraSystem tion and noise in the Indentify Requirements Candidate motor, transmission Motors system and mechanEnd-Point ical load. It is thereTrajectory: Choose Motor fore essential that Electronic Cams Considering: the desired motion Cost, Energy, Inertia Mismatch profile be chosen System Kinematic Modeling & first, because the reInverse Kinematics Augment quired torque versus System: Motor speed curve to size Inertia & Losses Required Motor the motor depends Motion Profile on it. In addition, Tune / Modify Control System the motion profile Mechanical System has relevant implicaKinetic Modeling tions on the tracking Simulation errors through the Control System control system. A kiSpeed-Torque Design, e.g., Requirements PID nematic (geometry Trms ωrms of motion) model Simulation of the mechanical NO (e.g., MatLab & system is then develDoes Motor Simulink) Meet Requirements? oped and, through Torque/Speed, Stability, inverse kinematics, Application-Specific Speed-Torque Requirements the required moYES Trms ωrms tor motion profile END is determined. The D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

torque-speed requirements for the motor are determined by first developing a kinetic (geometry plus all torques and mass moments of inertia) model of the complete mechanical system and then applying an appropriate feedback control system (e.g., PID) to that model. A computer simulation (e.g., MatLab Simulink) of the mechanical and control systems will result in the necessary torque-speed Kevin C. Craig, Ph.D., curve of the load to size the motor. Robert C. Greenheck Once this process is complete, can- Chair in Engineering didate servo motors (e.g., permanent- Design & Professor of magnet synchronous motors) can be Mechanical Engineering, College of Engiidentified. Additional requirements, such neering, Marquette as cost, energy efficiency and load-to- University. motor inertia ratio, will shorten the list. The chosen motor, including any flexible couplings or gearing, becomes an integral part of the system, and its properties must be included in the system model. The control system will have to be tuned or even modified because of the motor addition. A computer simulation will reveal new torque-speed requirements for the system by presenting a number of issues to address. Is the motor’s torque-speed capability satisfactory? Is the control system stable? Does the system meet application-specific requirements regarding time response, relative stability and steady-state error? If the answer to any of these questions is no, iteration is required. With all of these factors addressed in detail, a model-based design approach, together with computer simulation, can lead to optimal motor selection and all the benefits that implies to overall system performance. DN

designnews.com Visit the Mechatronics Zone for the latest mechatronics news, trends, technologies and applications: http://mechzone. designnews.com

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Answers for industry.

24

GreenScene Environmental news engineers can use \\\ By Rob Spiegel, Senior Editor

Chevy Volt Production Goes Solar The plant that produces the all-electric Volt is about to become a super-green production facility. GM will build a large photovoltaic solar array at the General Motors Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, which will turn sunlight into electricity to help power the home of the much-hyped electric car. The 264,000-sq-ft project is expected to be completed at the end of the summer and is designed to save the facility roughly $15,000 per year over the 20-year easement agreement. GM says it chose the plant because it has available space for the array and because it is home to the environmentally friendly Volt.

Starting late summer, the Chevy Volt will be produced in a plant that runs on solar energy.

Make Your Own Fish Food Ready Home-Brewed Diesel to Fly Jets

EZBiodiesel’s processor cooks home-brew diesel fuel.

GREEN UPDATES

This home-brew processor may save you tons on the cost of diesel fuel. EZBiodiesel of Fruita, CO is producing a processor that allows consumers to brew their own diesel fuel at a cost significantly lower than the commercial pump. “Biodiesel can be made at home for about $1 a gallon,” says Guy Purcella, owner of EZBiodiesel. He says that biodiesel is an EPAapproved renewable fuel that has been proven safe in millions of miles of testing. The fuel is nontoxic and biodegradable. “Biodiesel will work in most any diesel engine and requires no modifications to the engine,” Purcella says.

Algae has been turned into a source for aviation fuel. Independence Bio-Products (IBP) of Dublin, OH has produced algae oil, which has been converted to jet fuel and then tested by the Air Force Research Lab at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. The algae is grown in open ponds in Ohio and harvested by IBP. The company says that the algae-derived fuel has a similar composition to fuel derived from other plant oils such as soybeans, jatropha and camelina — which are all being tested as sources for jet fuel. IBP’s algae-based jet fuel was developed as part of a federally funded project to examine algae-to-fuel processing strategies.

For green design materials guidance, visit http://www.designnews.com/ leadfreezoneblog. And for regular updates on sustainable engineering news, follow Editorial Director David Greenfield at http://twitter.com/djgreenfield.

D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

The Professionals’ Choice.

“When this rotor is installed in a windmill 300 feet off the ground, it has to last for 30 years. Using Loctite gives me that assurance. That’s why I’m a Genuine Loctite® User.” Ermias Amdemichael Industrial Engineer, Danotek Motion Technologies

For more information on Loctite® brand industrial adhesives and sealants, visit www.useloctite.com or call 1.800.LOCTITE (562.8483).

Except as otherwise noted, all marks used are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Henkel and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and elsewhere. ® = registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. © Henkel Corporation, 2011. All rights reserved. 7156 (03/11)

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News

Other Stories

MCU with Onboard Ferroelectric Memory 30 IDE Could Simplify Embedded Control 30 Phone Antennas on Decorative Films 32 GhostBridge Wireless Ethernet Bridge 36

Trends \\\ Breakthroughs \\\ Developments

NHTSA to Call for Mandatory ‘Black Boxes’ IEEE wants mechanical lockout to prevent investigators from downloading automotive black box data without the vehicle owner’s permission. THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA) is expected to call for mandatory installation of “black boxes” in automobiles in June, and engineering groups are weighing in on which data the boxes should collect and who should access it. The black boxes, aka event data recorders (EDRs), are fast becoming a center of controversy because officials from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) want to D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

ensure that the data from the devices is secure. “When the vehicle crashes, we want to make sure that the fi rst person who gets access to the data is the owner,” says Tom Kowalick, chairman of IEEE Global Standards for Motor Vehicle EDRs, as well as an author of seven books on EDR technology. “Right now, no data is secure. There are 20,000 tow-aways in America every day, and none of them has secure data.” IEEE engineers see this as the right time to bring up the issue, because the NHTSA recently introduced a notice of proposed rulemaking that would call for mandatory EDRs. The EDR mandate was expected to go to the Office of the Secretary of Transportation on June 15.

IEEE has petitioned NHTSA to incorporate a set of standards known as IEEE 1616 and IEEE 1616a into the EDR description. The IEEE standards call for EDRs to use 86 data elements, up from 15 on a voluntary standard that NHTSA created in 2006. Of primary concern is the issue of data security. Right now, data can be easily collected by anyone using a data retrieval system that links up to a vehicle’s onboard diagnostics (OBD-II) connector. Devices such as Bosch Diagnostics’ well-known Crash Data Retrieval (CDR) systems “image” the data in the black box and then make that data image downloadable to professionals with the right software tools. As a result, automobile manufacturers, insurance investigators, accident recon-

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28 News struction experts and law enforcement agencies often have access to a vehicle’s data before the owner does. Moreover, owners rarely have any idea what’s stored in the device, and don’t understand how the readout tools work. “Increasingly, readout tools are readily available through third parties,” says Sean Kane, president of Safety Research and Strategies Inc., a private research firm that serves as an advocate on motor vehicle and safety matters. “Anybody with any tech savvy can obtain the download tools for any car. That’s really troubling.” Consumer advocates believe that manufacturers and insurance investigators have altered EDR data in some cases, and will do it again in the future if given the chance. “You wouldn’t believe how people can change data,” Kowalick says. “They can tamper with it so it shows you were doing 112 mph in a 25-mph zone. All we want is that at the time of the crash, the data is sealed.” Securing the Data Many automakers have been incorporating the so-called black boxes in their vehicles for more than a decade. The technology, which became quietly available in the early 1990s as a means of monitoring airbags, enables automakers to determine such parameters as vehicle speed, engine speed, throttle position, force of impact, steering wheel angle, airbag deployment, seat belt usage and braking status at the time of an impact. Government agencies see the scientific data as a means of studying accidents, especially in cases such as Toyota’s highly publicized unintended acceleration. Today, 91.6 percent of vehicles sold in the U.S. are believed to incorporate EDRs, according to a baseline figure published by NHTSA. Most automakers incorporate the EDR in the airbag control module, but a few integrate it with the powertrain controller. Most EDRs can be accessed through the onboard diagnostics connector (OBD-II), usually located within about 3 ft of the steering wheel. D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

Is There a Debate about Acceleration Data?

A

utomakers say they have no objections to the availability of acceleration data in next-generation event data recorders, but some experts aren’t so sure. “Publicly, everyone says they love event data recorders and they’re OK with acceleration data,” says Tom Kowalick, chairman of IEEE Standards for Motor Vehicle Event Data Recorders. “But in the past, it hasn’t always been true.” Indeed, in a 2008 letter to the NHTSA (http://dn.hotims.com/34934-505), the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers petitioned the government agency to “remove lateral, longitudinal and normal acceleration data” from an earlier NHTSA rule that called for voluntary EDR compliance. Among other reasons, the Alliance’s nine-page letter cited cost penalties related to the inclusion of acceleration data. “… this recording of 125 data points (or 250 data points for two events) would involve a significant cost penalty, due to increased memory requirements, compared with today’s practice of recording 35 acceleration data points (2 millisecond data from time zero to 70 milliseconds),” the letter to NHTSA stated. Contacted by Design News in May, an Alliance spokesman said, “the Alliance doesn’t have a position on acceleration data,” and suggested that individual automakers are now making these decisions on their own. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers includes BMW Group, Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Co., General Motors, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz USA, Mitsubishi Motors, Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen. Ironically, the automotive industry has actually benefitted from the inclusion of acceleration data in vehicles in the past year. In February, U.S. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood uncategorically stated that Toyota’s electronic control systems played no role in the 2010 sudden acceleration case. Much of the evidence vindicating Toyota’s electronic control systems came from acceleration data stored in the event data recorders. “The verdict is in,” LaHood said in a prepared statement. “There is no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas. Period.” Still, Kowalick says the auto industry has resisted inclusion of acceleration data in the past, and wonders if they will do it again. “It seems crazy that they’d do this,” he says. “How can you measure sudden acceleration if you can’t measure acceleration?”

Experts believe, however, that the OBD-II connector can be accessed too easily by individuals other than the car’s owner. Moreover, the proprietary nature of the devices often requires that data be accessed by the vehicle’s manufacturer. “Right now, if you want to get a reading, there’s a chance you’ll have to turn everything over to the manufacturer,” Kane says. “And we’ve found that there are sometimes inconsistencies in the EDR data. We’ve seen it time and time again.” Kowalick wants to solve the problem by incorporating a mechanical lockout device. He is the founder of a company that makes Crash-Guard, a mechanical lock-and-key product that sits on the OBD-II connector and allows the

owner to determine who sees the data and when they see it. “The mechanical lockout is a nobrainer,” Kowalick says. “Once all these light vehicles have event data recorders, there will inevitably be attempts by people to tamper with the data.” Some experts, however, say that the lock on the OBD-II connector will only stop the first tier of data retrieval attempts. Determined crash investigators, they say, have other ways of obtaining the data they seek, without using the OBD-II connector. Bosch Diagnostics, for example, offers a data retrieval product for situations in which the OBD-II connector is damaged or can’t be accessed. “We also make cables and connectors to get data directly from

PRICE MEETS PERFORMANCE GALIL’S LOWEST PRICED MOTION CONTROLLERS JUST GOT SMARTER The DMC-41x3 Motion Controller uses a powerful RISC processor and offers sampling times twice as fast with double the memory of prior Econo controllers. All without an increase in price. The DMC-41x3 is the perfect choice for OEMs that demand cost-effective, high-performance motion control.

More for your money: UÊÊÊÊ
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DMC-41x3 Econo Motion Controller & Drives are available in 1-through 8-axis models as a box or card.

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View free web tutorials and specs at www.galilmc.com/dmc41x3_dn or call 800-377-6329 to speak to an Application Engineer.

30 News the module itself,” says Dan Walker, crash data retrieval business manager for Bosch Diagnostics. “An investigator can get the data directly from the connector on the module, and we know quite a few investigators who do that.” Still, IEEE’s goal is to get the NHTSA mandate to employ standards that would make the data that comes from the EDR as scientific and objective as possible. “We want NHTSA to include the 86 data elements and we want them to include the mechanical lockout,” Kowalick says. “It’s all about securing the data.” — Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics & Test

For More Information EDR Mandate: http://dn.hotims.com/34934-506 Crash-Guard: http://www.crash-guard.com/

than Flash (memory) and gives you a 250-times power savings. So you can do significantly more things with the same battery than you could with a Flash controller.” Known as the MSP430FR57xx, the new microcontroller is said to be the industry’s first ultra-low-power ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) 16-bit microcontroller. Texas Instruments has been working on FRAM technology for about a decade, but this is the first time the memory has been integrated into a microcontroller. The new MCU is said to reduce the industry’s best active power by up to 50 percent when executing code from FRAM, operating at 100 µA/MHz in active mode and 3 µA in real-time clock mode. It also offers virtually limitless write endurance at 100 trillion cycles. The new technology provides the ability to deploy and monitor sensors

Electronics & Test

Ultra-Low-Power MCU Uses FerroElectric Memory

Writes 100 times faster than Flash; uses 1/250th of the power. A

new

ultrA-low-power

microcontroller (MCU) with onboard ferroelectric memory could give a big boost to remote monitoring systems. The new microcontroller could be especially important for the monitoring of bridges, buildings and other remote structures. It also could make it easier for manufacturers to track products, such as pharmaceuticals, as they get shipped around the world. “It’s going to allow you to put more sensors in more places and monitor more things,” says Miller Adair, MSP430 product marketing manager for Texas Instruments, maker of the new microcontroller. “The key is the fact that FRAM writes 100 times faster D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

TI’s FRAM microcontroller writes 100 times faster than Flash and uses 1/250th of the power.

for years at a time. TI engineers foresee it being used on many of the country’s 600,000 bridges, or on other types of remote structures where safety and security is critical. “Imagine employing underwater seismic sensors for years at a time, so we can identify seismic threats and get notifications out faster,” Adair says. “You could also use it to monitor pharmaceuticals from the day they leave the factory

until the day they hit your medicine cabinet.” — Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics & Test

For More Information TI’s MSP430FR57xx: http://dn.hotims.com/34934-507

New IDE Could Simplify Embedded Control Open-source product supports more than 800 microcontrollers.

Microchip technology Inc. is

rolling out a new open-source integrated development environment (IDE) that could make it easier for engineers to get started with embedded control. Known as MPLab X IDE, the new product provides engineers with a single IDE for more than 800 of the company’s microcontrollers, including 8-, 16- and 32-bit devices. Introduced at the Embedded Systems Conference in May, it uses an open-source framework based on the NetBeans platform, and offers cross-platform support for Linux, Mac OS and Windows operating systems. The company’s engineers say they focused on ease of use, which could be critical for engineers who haven’t done a lot of embedded control work. “We’re making the system approachable,” says Derek Carlson, vice president of development systems for Microchip. “We want to attract new users who may not have as much experience in embedded control and we’re trying to make it less scary for them.” Microchip says they wanted the new IDE to be compatible with a wide range of development tools to shorten the learning curve for users. As such, MPLab X provides a single, unified graphical interface for Microchip devices and for third-party tools. The

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32 News company also wanted to make it simple for users to migrate up and down within its huge portfolio of PIC microcontrollers, dsPIC digital signal controllers and memory devices. “If you’re changing your application from one architecture to another, you LBP-017 (4.5 X 7.5).ai 1 2/3/2011 8:41:15 AM don’t have to re-learn” Carlson says.

“You can migrate up and down and still have the same set of tools.” Carlson adds that IDEs often get fragmented within a portfolio, causing users to have to employ different ones for 8-, 16- and 32-bit architectures. With MPLab X, Microchip made a concerted effort to prevent that from

happening, he says. The company says it is especially interested in appealing to mechanical engineers and other design professionals who don’t have a great deal of embedded programming experience. — Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics & Test

For More Information Microchip Technology Inc: http://www.microchip.com/

Materials & Assembly

New Technology Integrates Phone Antennas into Decorative Films The number of antennas in mobile phones may mushroom to 16 as bandwidths explode. C

M

Y

Economic intEgration of high-

powered, tiny antennas in mobile phones is rapidly becoming a major

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Polycarbonate films have a scratch-proof surface with a deep-gloss finish.

quest by many materials and manufacturing companies globally. In future devices, the number of antennas could grow to 16 to cover bandwidths such as GSM (Global System [News continues on page 34]

June 2011

SPECIAL supplement

Automating the Perfect Game DEC10-Snipe (DN).qxd:Layout 1

11/12/10

9:43

http://mechzone.designnews.com

TH IN K

A LL IE D

SM

ARM Automation develops ultra-high-precision, EtherCAT-enabled robot for bowling equipment testing.

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ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Al Schmidt 972-980-8810 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR David Greenfield 310-740-9072

MEChaTrONiCS

MANAGING EDITOR Jennifer Campbell 781-869-7974 Lauren Muskett, Assistant Editor Hector Torres, Art Director Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor Doug Smock, Senior Technical Editor Rob Spiegel, Senior Editor TECHNICAL SPECIALTIES CAE Software & Hardware: Beth Stackpole [email protected] Electronics & Test: Charles J. Murray [email protected] Fluid Power/Automation & Control: Al Presher [email protected] Materials & Assembly: Doug Smock [email protected]

A SUppLEMEnt to DESign nE wS J U n E 2 0 11 E.A.R.L. was developed by the engineering firm ARM Automation to help advance USBC bowling research.

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS CALAMITIES Myron J. Boyajian, [email protected] GREEN SCENE/GADGET FREAK Rob Spiegel, [email protected] DATA MEASUREMENT & ANALYSIS/ DEVELOPMENT KIT REVIEW Jon Titus, [email protected] PRODUCTION Donna Ambrosino, Production Director BUSINESS OFFICE Colleen Heckman, Project Manager Esther Aronov, Marketing Project Manager

CONTENTS

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Feature

M4 Automating the Perfect Game of 10-Pin

ARM Automation develops ultra-high-precision, EtherCATenabled robot for bowling equipment testing. By Shane Novacek Beckhoff Automation

Feature

M8 Simplifying the Complex in HighRisk Duty Robots

With the right design strategy going in, the creation of a robot using high-torque, compact motors and rugged design does not necessarily negate the creation of an economical, lightweight, bomb-disposal robot. By Kristin Lewotsky Micromo

[w w w. de s ig n n e w s . c o m ]

Feature

M12 Unified Components and Controls for Robot Kinematics With the automotive industry employing 95 percent of the robots in use for industrial purposes, this industry’s robotic trends point the way toward future robots designs, which increasingly involves modularization, reduction in the number of assemblies and elimination of proprietary hardware. By Marvin Tisdale Lenze Americas Feature

M14 Lunar Crane Design

Designing a robotic tool changer for use on the moon not only means dealing with the vacuum of space and moon dust, but also the changing scope of requirements for the device. By Larry Hansen NB Corp. of America

Ju n e 2011 Me ch atr o nics / a s up p le Me nt to de s ign news M3

SouRCE: BECkhoff AuToMATion

Mechatronics

autoMating the Perfect Game of 10-Pin ARM Automation develops ultra-high-precision, EtherCAT-enabled robot for bowling equipment testing. By Shane novacek, Beckhoff autoMation

T

o keep millions of American bowlers stocked with the highest performing, top-of-the-line equipment, the U.S. Bowling Congress (USBC) has led the charge of bowling research and testing technology at the International Bowling Campus. The latest USBC milestone marks the age of the higher-performance bowling robot, a technological curiosity with a concrete purpose dubbed E.A.R.L. (Enhanced Automated Robot Launcher) developed by the engineering firm ARM Automation.

M4 M ec h at ro ni c s / a s u p p l e M e n t t o d e s i g n n e w s j un e 2011

ARM Automation, based in Austin, TX, develops custom automation solutions for industrial applications. Through the years, ARM has developed and built multiaxis orthopedic implant testing systems, modular robots for handling nuclear materials, underwater robotics for the world’s largest fountain shows, packaging and assembly lines for PC production, mobile robots for warehouse automation and laser micro-machining tools for semiconductor photomask production. [www.designn ews .com]

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Mechatronics So it should come as no surprise that perhaps the company’s most unique robot project of 2010 was E.A.R.L. the bowling robot. “E.A.R.L’s abilities will aid us in quantifying the data relating to ball motion and overall scoreability, helping us maintain the credibility of our sport,” says Neil Stremmel, managing director of the USBC National Governing Body. “E.A.R.L has the ability to replicate virtually any bowler’s style, which will aid coaching staff by showing how conditions change as individual bowlers compete and how to properly adjust to the ever-changing bowling environment.” One of the ways the USBC serves its members is by testing bowling equipment to ensure that it adheres to its published specifications. To eliminate the variation that a human bowler would introduce during the tests, the USBC turned to automation and robotics. Microsecond MeasureMents

“The biggest challenge overall for the mechanical and electrical controls development was getting the timing of the bowling ball release within 1 ms,” says Greg Wiese, project engineer for ARM Automation. “Considering the 24 mph velocity for the ball release that USBC required, if the system dithered 1 ms, it equated to roughly a degree in difference for ball loft and 0.5inch difference relative to the foul line. Any additional dither and the ball could be thrown into the ceiling or slammed into the bowling lane.” With what may seem like a simple swing of an arm, there are actually a wide range of parameters that go into a single ball throw test. A typical E.A.R.L. test setup consists of: orientation of the robot gripper relative to the bowling ball’s center of gravity; release point of the ball relative to the bowling lane (height, position relative to foul line, position across the width of the lane, loft angle, ball trajectory); and ball release speed and rotation speed. E.A.R.L.’s motion system consists of a linear axis to position the ball across the width of the lane, a 5-axis positioning robot, a ball spinner and release mechanism installed on a gripper.

e.a.r.l. (enhanced automated robot launcher) was developed by the engineering firm arM automation to help advance usbc bowling research.

Pc-based controls over ethernet

there are 11 options for configuring different throws using the hMi to adjust speed and pick-up orientation. the e.a.r.l. robot with beckhoff controls can be reconfigured for completely different parameters in 10 seconds or less.

To tackle the tight precision requirements of this robot application, ARM Automation selected an EtherCAT- and PC-based control system from Beckhoff Automation. Via a Beckhoff HMI, USBC personnel can input their test setup on E.A.R.L. and adjust up to 11 variables for configuring different throws via the HMI to control speed and pick-up orientation. The E.A.R.L. robot with Beckhoff controls can be reconfigured for different parameters in less than 10 seconds. The system includes a Beckhoff C6920 Industrial PC running TwinCAT NC PTP software and Windows CE operating system along with EtherCAT as the I/O and drive fieldbus. For the HMI, E.A.R.L. is equipped with a Beckhoff CP6901 Control Panel display with touchscreen and visualization functions developed with TwinCAT software. Position of the E.A.R.L. robot’s end effector is communicated to the EtherCAT drives to determine the exact time at which the ball needs to be released. That position measurement is precise (within 1 ms) and creates the correct loft of the ball each time. E.A.R.L. is able to release a bowling ball under test within 250 µs of a scan of the position. M6 Mec h at ro ni c s / a s u p p l e M e n t t o d e s i g n n e w s j une 2011

“EtherCAT also allows us to diagnose the bus to detect broken links on the physical layer and easily determine exactly where the problem is located along the line,” says Joe Geisinger, ARM Automation’s CTO. “Traditionally ARM used SERCOS for high-end servo systems, but switched to EtherCAT years ago for several reasons,” he continues. “These include a common physical layer, a drastic increase in performance, declining interest in legacy fieldbuses, an increasing interest in Ethernet-based networks, and the ability to combine motion and I/O on same network.” “E.A.R.L. required the ability to flexibly gather the inputs from a range of devices and communicate easily with the drives in one flexible environment,” Geisinger adds. “TwinCAT System Manager and EtherCAT allow us to do just that; we can pull together different platforms easily. With this system, we can also run multiple tasks such as the I/O and drives at differ[www.designnews.com]

Mechatronics

the e.a.r.L. robot’s motion system consists of a linear axis to position the ball across the width of the lane, a 5-axis positioning robot, a ball spinner and release mechanism installed on a gripper.

ent scan rates, which provided a significant efficiency boost.” ARM Automation used the TwinCAT software platform to develop the robot motion controller and to coordinate the acquisition of I/O and position data from the drives, perform inverse kinematics, generate the next joint position commands, and output the new position commands and data to the drives. “We utilized the path programming functionality within TwinCAT for the multi-axis platform on E.A.R.L.,” Geisinger explains. “With NC PTP, we control the motion axes and constantly monitor the status of the EtherCAT drives.” OnbOard Safety

There’s also a safety system implemented in E.A.R.L. with TwinCAT monitoring all the safety devices. If anything goes wrong during operation, the drives are disabled and the robot immediately goes into a safe state until the system is reset prop[w w w. de s ig n n e w s . c o m ]

erly. E.A.R.L. is also enclosed in a protective cage with safety sensors, light curtains and safety relays installed all around to ensure optimum safety. “We now have more options and better resolution for release height, trajectory, ball speed, RPMs and loft,” USBC’s Stremmel says. “E.A.R.L is able to handle a larger range of ball diameters and RPMs. Moving E.A.R.L and changing his settings is much simpler and far more accurate than our previous robot solution.” Shane Novacek is marketing communications manager for Beckhoff Automation. For More Information: USBC: www.bowl.com ARM Automation: www.armautomation.com Beckhoff Automation: www.beckhoffautomation.com ju n e 2011 Me ch atr o nics / a s up p le Me nt to de s ign news M7

Mechatronics

Simplifying the Complex in High-Risk Duty Robots With the right design strategy going in, the creation of a robot using high-torque, compact motors and rugged design does not necessarily negate the creation of an economical, lightweight bomb-disposal robot.

I

n a world in which an abandoned suitcase, a box, or even a pile of rubble can conceal an improvised explosive device (IED), bomb-disposal robots have become essential. Many units in the field bristle with cameras, feedback devices and processors. Such sophisticated robots offer a significant amount of capability and autonomy, but their increasing complexity also drives up weight, size and cost. As a result, organizations often have to share one system across several units. To address this issue, Mechanical Mobile Platforms (MMPs), a family of simplified, man-portable robots from The Machine Lab Inc. has been developed to perform a range of surveillance and bomb disposal tasks at a price point low enough for wide deployment. For the cost of a high-end system, which can exceed several hundred thousand dollars, users can purchase nine or 10 MMPs. Powered by compact, economical, high-torque motors from the Faulhaber group’s value-added reseller Micromo, The Machine Lab’s robots are making a difference around the world. KicK-Starting the DeSign ProceSS

The Machine Lab engineering team started out with one overarching principle: keep

it simple. This required an immediate trade-off. Instead of a robot that can perform 95 percent of all possible tasks needed, an MMP might only handle 60 percent of the tasks. The bottom line, as all engineers know, is that a solution doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to be adequate to the application at hand. So, rather than focusing on building a single product, The Machine Lab took the big picture approach and developed a modular design platform that can be applied to a wide range of implementations. The basic line includes a quartet of direct-drive MMPs ranging from a four-wheel model that can carry a 4 lb payload to a six-wheel model that can handle up to 30 lb. For loose terrain, the company also offers two track-driven versions: a four-wheeled version and a six-wheeled version. Here, too, the focus on simplicity came into play. Instead of driving with all wheels, each of the trackdriven MMPs sports two passive wheels, providing savings in cost and weight without compromising performance. The team avoided onboard processors and feedback devices, opting instead for direct user control via wirelessly linked joysticks or switches. The operator determines the path of the robot based on images transmitted by the unit’s wide-

M8 Mec h at ro ni c s / a s u p p l e M e n t t o d e s i g n n e w s J UNE 2011

SourCe: The MaChine Lab

By KriStin LewotSKy, MicroMo

the tracked version of the MMP operates like a tank to easily travel over loose terrain. compact, high-torque motors allow the robot arm to safely handle improvised explosive devices (ieDs).

angle IR camera. The mobile platforms provide a zero-degree turn radius and linear speeds as high as 6.0 ft/s. They range in size from 5 lb and 11.5 x 11.2 inch to 40 lb and 29 x 19 inch, although custom versions can be larger, such as the 1,500-lb unit built for clearing vegetation in mine fields. Although cost control is important, a low price point would be meaningless if a unit couldn't perform or failed after a few weeks in the field. To obviate this issue, the foundation of each MMP consists of a rugged aluminum chassis mounted on nylon wheels with rubber tires. Steel gears and IP-rated motors [www.designnews.com]

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Mechatronics help ensure survival. “The robots we send to Afghanistan have to be pretty much IP62 weatherproof," says company president Zack Bieber. “They need to be able to be washed down and they need to be able to resist the very fine, abrasive dust that you find out there."

Gripper DesiGn strateGy

Perhaps the most critical aspect of a bomb-disposal robot is the robot arm. Here, the engineering team faced a number of challenges, particularly in the gripper and wrist-rotation elements. To maximize the amount of payload a robot could handle while ensuring stability,

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they had to minimize the weight of the arm. That meant working with the lightest possible components. At the same time, those components had to power the arm so that it could grip a wide variety of materials and not only lift but rotate payloads as high as 40 lb. One obvious way to get the torque required was to gear down a high-speed motor, but that approach adds size and weight, as well as complexity and cost. In keeping with the company’s philosophy of simplicity, The Machine Lab team decided to skip additional gearing in the wrist rotator and look for a motor that provided enough muscle to do the job on its own. Size presented another constraint. The design required a motor that would supply the required torque and still fit inside the 30-mm-diameter tube of the robot arm. “It was a very tight physical dimensional requirement,” says Bieber. “We picked the Micromo motor because of the power-to-weight ratio. It was really the only one we could find that would fit our application.” The actual gripper design was a little trickier. The device needs to operate

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M10 Mech at ro ni c s / a s u p p l e M e n t t o d e s i g n n e w s j u n e 2011

the MMp platform was designed from the ground up for operations in harsh environments, beginning with a rugged aluminum chassis, nylon wheels, steel gears and ip-rated motors.

[www.designnews.com]

Source: The Machine Lab

tactical robot features a 4-axis arm on a platform that provides higher speeds and the ability to climb stairs.

Mechatronics To eliminate overdriving or stalling the motors in those situations, the design includes adjustable slip clutches on both the gripper and wrist rotator. So far, attention to detail has paid off. “We’ve got over 200 robots out in Afghanistan and surrounding countries, and probably another 50 to 80 out

in law enforcement here in the U.S.,” says Bieber. The company also recently secured another U.S. Navy contract for 250 more robots. Kristen Lewotsky is a technical writer for Micromo. For more information, go to www. micromo.com.

MMPs can be customized, like this unit, fitted with a load cell to allow it to provide mechanical assistance to solo researchers operating in remote locations.

slowly to provide operators with the precision movement they need to handle explosive devices. At the same time, the grip needs to be fail-safe — once an arm picks up an IED, it cannot drop it. To handle these requirements, the design incorporates a gearmotor fitted with a planetary gearhead that provides a 246:1 reduction ratio. An additional wormdrive gearbox resists act driving, providing an additional 15:1 reduction ratio for a total of 3,690:1. Although using multiple sets of gearing can increase torque, in practice, stacking up gear reductions can actually rob the system of power. Using a motor with a high-efficiency planetary gearhead provided the performance the design required. Efficiency was another important design constraint. Running out of power in a cell phone is merely annoying. Running out of power during the disposal of an IED can cost lives. At every step the team focused on specifying components for the most efficient possible design. With the high-efficiency design used, the units can deliver as much as an hour-anda-half of constant operation on a single charge from a 25V lithium ferrous phosphate battery pack that weighs just 1.5 lb. Above all, the most challenging aspect of the gripper design was duty cycle, according to Bieber. The motors for the wrist and gripper are specified to run 24 hours a day, but their actual duty cycle is closer to 5 or 10 percent of that. During that time, however, they must routinely perform to their limits and sometimes beyond. “The types of tasks these robots have to do are all over the place, and it's all dependent on the operator,” he says. “So, if we say this can only lift and rotate 5 lb, we know that the user may well end up trying to grab a 20 lb object with it."

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Mechatronics

Unified Components and Controls for Robot Kinematics With the automotive industry employing 95 percent of the robots in use for industrial purposes, this industry’s robotic trends points the way toward future robot designs, which increasingly involves modularization, reduction in the number of assemblies and elimination of proprietary hardware. by MarvIn tIsdale, lenze aMerIcas

M12 Mech at ro ni c s / a s u p p l e M e n t t o d e s i g n n e w s J U n e 2011

SoUrCe: Lenze

R

obots and handling systems are critical components for factory automation, enabling motion sequences that would otherwise require extensive manual labor, such as automatic equipment assembly, loading and unloading, picking and palletizing. In modern automotive factories, up to 95 percent of “body-in-white” processes — where a car takes shape — are automated, thereby saving labor and materials costs. In a typical welding application, for example, a robot might place 30 welding spots every 60 seconds, thus achieving short cycle times and an extremely high level of repeat accuracy. Drive selection depends on the application, mass to be moved and the dynamic performance required. Elements used for the connection of the drives and mechanical components typically include shafts, spindles and toothed belts. Gearboxes are sometimes connected directly with the mechanical joints. Common designs of robots and handling systems include articulated robots, parallel kinematics systems, gantry systems and linear axis systems. For example, a 6-axis vertical articulated robot has six degrees of freedom and can therefore be used universally for mounting and handling of product parts in the automotive and plastics industries. Other robot types, such as gantry robots, are commonly used in larger working areas for bigger machines or palletizing and de-palletizing. Depending on the design, articulated robots can move a range of load sizes with a repeat accuracy in the range of one-tenth of a millimeter. A central robot controller coordinates control of the servo inverters, which together with servo motors or geared servo motors, enable dynamic and precise motion sequences.

robotic servo technology developed by lenze is used to control KUKa robots, among others.

IntegratIng robots Into MachInery control

Factory and building automation for manufacturing was a strong draw at the April 2011 Hannover Messe industrial trade fair in Germany. Highlights included a completely automated pick-and-place application (http://goo.gl/4hLg4). In this application, incoming and outgoing conveyor belts [www.designnews.com]

Source: Lenze

Mechatronics

A look inside a control cabinet at the L-Force Controls used to control robots.

run in parallel at the center of the Lenze demonstration rig. A Delta robot is installed at one end, and a SCAR A (selective compliant articulated robot arm) robot at the other end. The incoming conveyor belt transports unsorted colored discs. The material is then picked quickly and accurately by the Delta robot and placed in predefined patterns at the desired location on the outgoing conveyor. The deposit pattern is sorted by the SCARA robot. When the pattern is completely filled, the Delta robot runs a standard deposit cycle or robot path with the corresponding pick-and-place velocity, rotating and transferring pieces from belt two to belt one in a mirror image of the original. Simultaneously, the SCARA robot begins filling the next deposit pattern. A range of products and systems are available to handle this complex task. The core control element in this demonstration was the L-Force Controls 3200 C, which was designed to handle process and motion control applications. The L-Force coordinates the Delta and the SCARA in real time and in parallel, converting the Cartesian coordinates of the trajectories into the angular positions of the robots’ individual motion axes. The integrated control architecture significantly reduces the number of required components and simplifies intrasystem communication. The I/O system attaches directly to the controller via a common, fast backplane bus communicating with the six movement axes of the robots — all multi-axis servo inverters with integrated safety functions. Servo motors provide the dynamics and precision required in the execution of movements in combination with absolute value encoders for the delta robot and resolvers for the SCARA robot. Two 8400 HighLine Inverter Drives connected to the controller via [w w w. de s ig n n e w s . c o m ]

EtherCAT supply the asynchronous motors for the conveyor belts. All drives on the demonstration rig rely on the same dc bus, thereby requiring just one power supply unit or one brake chopper. In this system the controller acts as a hardware platform for the process and the motion control. The L-Force I/O-System 1000 modules are integrated through a shared fast backplane bus. Multiple 8400 drive packages are in operation. These are compact drives comprising an inverter, 3-phase ac motor and gearbox. The demonstration system was equipped with two visualization devices (Command Station CS 5050 DVI and Command Station CS 5700 with Ethernet interface) operating the machine modules. A CPC 5100 communicating with the visualization and command stations of the machine via Ethernet functioned as the hardware platform for visualization and the camera evaluation involved in parts detection. The visualization application was created using the VisiWinNET integrated development environment. Shortage of space is the rule in virtually every production facility. It is a condition exacerbated by the increasing complexity of modern manufacturing cells. In comparison to earlier iterations, the latest control cabinets are immediately appealing for considerably more compact dimensions. For example, the modular and compact KUKA Power Pack integrates a power supply module and up to two servo controllers as a standard offering. The KUKA Servo Pack combines three servo controllers in one unit with peak currents of up to 64A per axis. A control cabinet holding up to three units next to each other could potentially power eight axes with controlled precision. Use of modular control cabinets greatly simplifies installation and wiring. A power feed to robotic drives, implemented through a dc bus connection, lends energy efficiency. A robot’s drives normally do not all accelerate concurrently. So, the regenerative energy produced in braking operations is fed back to the bus. Because of the consistent modularization, particularly where external dimensions are concerned, the KPP power supply, with or without axes, and the KSP servo pack with three axes, reduce storage space and have the same standard compact footprint. Common and open industrial standards, such as MultiCore and Ethernet are replacing limiting, proprietary hardware solutions. And, many functions have been transferred to the control and drive software. All of this opens the way for new performance and development possibilities. So that maximum freedom is not achieved at the expense of complexity, parameter setting in a servo system should take place entirely in the background. The servo’s entire range of functions — synchronized set points and actual values, adapting process and diagnostic data to the integrated oscilloscope function, or a safe stop — remain available through a standard Ethernetbased communication interface. Marvin Tisdale is manager — Automotive & Mobile Solutions, Lenze Americas ju n e 2011 Me ch at r o nics / a s up p le Me nt to de s ign ne w s M13

Mechatronics

Lunar Crane Design Designing a robotic tool changer for use on the moon not only means dealing with the vacuum of space and moon dust, but also the changing scope of requirements for the device. By Larry hansen, nB corp. of aMerica

Lunar Crane Test Bed Summary

joint actuation cable

joint actuation cable

Crane Height (H) 4.5m Boom Sweep (R) 7.5m Lift Capacity at Full Extension 150kg

elbow rotation

shoulder rotation

R waist rotation

14.9 feet 24 feet 331 lbs

6 foot person

H

side view

Design scope

To start, NASA gave Honeybee a project envelope — a footprint to stay within — that Lunar crane Test Bed geometry. included all the requirements for load ratings and misalignment allowances. Lee Carlson, a systems engineer who was part of the HonThe scope expanDs eybee team, describes the project from a design perspective: Then NASA decided it wanted the capability of attaching an “The crane might be sitting on the lander deck or on the lunar electronic or electromechanical tool to the end of the crane. surface and then be driven quite a distance away from the tool Now the tool changer would also have to provide an electrical to be mated to. This required designing for large misalignment connection. Solving this problem fell to Carlson. allowances — and that was our first design challenge. We had “The contract was expanded to add an electrical connector to to design the device so that the end of the crane and target the existing mechanical connector, which meant that we had to tool could be misaligned by as much as a couple inches in any have a power source on the crane itself. However, space to acdirection with up to 20 degrees angular misalignment when commodate an electrical connector had not been accounted for attempting a mate.” because it was not a part of the original contract and the budget Other requirements included having the tool changer be did not allow for starting from scratch. capable of carrying about 1,000 lb. And since this was a lunar Carlson had to work within the constraints of the current design project, it has to be tolerant to moon dust. These two design because NASA did not want a redesign of the whole tool changer. criteria required special seals to protect large roller bearings. They just wanted to add an electrical connector to it without The original assignment called for “dumb” tools requiring no increasing the current envelope. With only about 2½ x 4 inch of power. The crane would do all the work. Tools would range from free space to incorporate the male side of the new autonomous a forklift attachment, a shovel or scoop for acquiring surface sam- connector (the connector has to mate itself to a female connector ples or digging, or even a bucket for lifting human passengers. mounted on the tool), the task before Carlson was not an easy one. M14 Mech at ro ni c s / a s u p p l e M e n t t o d e s i g n n e w s J U N E 2011

[www.designnews.com]

SourCe: NASA

W

hen NASA Langley Research Center hired Honeybee Robotics Spacecraft Mechanisms Corp. to develop a totally mechanical tool changer, the requirements were anything but simple. For starters, the tool changer was to be designed for the end of what Langley’s Lunar Surface Manipulation System (LSMS) team describes as a robot that could unload landers. After the landers are unloaded, the tool changer must also be able to mate with tools to perform various science experiments. In essence, this robot could be likened to a crane but with more dexterity. And on top of all the other requirements, this dexterous crane had to be able to work remotely so that it could be used on an unmanned mission without human interaction.

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Mechatronics

The NB Corp. Mini SEBS is one of the smallest guides on the market.

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Advertiser Allied Electronics Beckhoff Automation LLC

Page M1, MC1 M15

Bosch Rexroth

M9

Digi-Key Corp.

M2

Harmonic Drive Technologies

M10

Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions

MC3

NB Corp.

M5

R+W America

M11

Siemens Product Lifecycle

MC2

Wittenstein

MC4

Publisher does not assume any liability for errors or omissions in this index.

M16 Mech at ro ni c s / a s u p p l e M e n t t o d e s i g n n e w s j u n e 2011

CAD rendering of extended male connector (without enclosure). Mini-guide appears white.

To compensate for the new requirement, Honeybee designed both the male and female sides of the connector. The female side had to be inexpensive and easy to create because each tool would have to have its own female connector versus a single male connector attached to the crane. The male connector has all the moving parts. It is cylindrical and populated with 11 1/16-inch diameter aluminum pins plated with gold over nickel configured in a standard MIL/Spec pattern. The connector rides on compact slides — miniature guides made by NB Corp. The top faces of the two glides face each other and Honeybee’s components reside in between the two glides supporting the connector. This configuration reduces the moment loads on the slides. “We use a total of six slides within the space — three on each side,” says Carlson. “The slides ride on each other in the manner of drawer slides stacked to extend the distance they can open a drawer. Our configuration achieves an extension of the movement equal, approximately, to the length of three slides. So instead of a half-inch stroke, we could get an inchand-a-half stroke within a very, very small footprint. Low mass, low load and very low profile were all required for this application.” Larry Hansen is general sales manager — director at NB Corp. of America For more information, go to www.nbcorporation.com. [www.designnews.com]

Source: NB corp.

Top photo shows the top isometric view of connector within enclosure. Bottom photo is a view of connector extended — NB SEBS 5B is guide block.

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34 News [News continued from page 32]

Bayer MaterialScience has developed a technology in which polymer electronics are printed on polycarbonate films already used to decorate phones.

for Mobile Communications), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi, as well as RFID for near-field communication applications. But they must be contained within a shrinking — not expanding — space. Bayer MaterialScience has developed and applied for a patent on a technology in which polymer electronics are printed on polycarbonate films already used to decorate phones. “Besides the formability advantage, the process offers cost advantages over the common electrolytic deposition method,” says Elisa Picasso, business development manager for Functional Films at Bayer MaterialScience. “The printed antennas are extremely thin and easily accommodated even in small mobile telephone shells.”

Three-dimensional electronic components are made from printed films using the film insert molding (FIM) process in which film is fed into an injection-molding machine. Bayer MaterialScience is collaborating with Molex, a world-leading direct supplier to the mobile communications industry, and a German company that produces specialized films for forming plastic films. Polycarbonate films in the Makrofol HF range, which Bayer MaterialScience currently is expanding, offer other possibilities for the production of electronic components, according to Picasso.

The films have a scratch-proof surface with a deep-gloss finish (piano effect), and are gently and precisely formed in the highpressure forming (HPF) process. Even small radii and high depths of draw can be achieved. A pre-cured coating is given a final cure with UV light, before the film is back injected with plastic using the FIM process. Components with a rating of “1H” or better in the pencil hardness test can be manufactured using this approach. One of the first users of this product family, MakrofolTP 278, is Albrecht Jung & Co. for the display of a new KNX compact room controller. — Doug Smock, Senior Technical Editor, Materials & Assembly

For More Information Bayer MaterialScience: http://dn.hotims.com/34934-508

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36 News Automation & Contol

High-Speed Wireless Ethernet Bridge

GhostBridge offers solution for rugged wire replacement

applications, and pointto-point link between two devices or networks with zero setup. A new indoor/outdoor Ghost-

Bridge Wireless Ethernet Bridge from

The new GhostBridge Wireless Ethernet Bridge from B&B Electronics Mfg. uses 802.11n communications to provide highspeed operation.

B&B Electronics Mfg. offers a line-ofsight range of up to 15 km and 5 GHz performance. Used for cable replacements or extensions, it can create a transparent, secure, high-speed (up to 150 Mbps) point-to-point link between two remote devices or networks, eliminating up to 15 km of expensive and damage-prone wiring. “We have a variety of customers that need to do cable replacements or extensions for Ethernet to link together remote sites, support mobile devices, overcome physical obstacles or address cabling reliability problems,” says Mike Fahrion, director of engineering for B&B. “Historically, our only solution for these applications has been based on proprietary RF communications which can provide up to a 1 MBaud link but tends to be expensive and relies on lowvolume, niche market radios.” With the advent of the 802.11n version, backed by hundreds of millions of dollars of R&D invested in developing D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

38 News these chipsets, the performance of the system compared to 900 MHz solutions is considerable, along with increases in reliability and range by jumping to standards-based technology. “With this new product we wanted to leverage the latest technology and focus

on ease of use,” Fahrion says. “We factory pre-configure the units into a secure bridge mode instead of having the user wade through dozens of access point/ router network configuration fields required by most 802.11-based products.” Fahrion says that most customers

either don’t have the expertise or don’t want to spend the time configuring, so the goal was to take the chipsets and pre-configure the system to create an out-of-the-box, point-and-play experience with no configuration required. “There is no disk, driver or Web server setup required. You take the unit out of the box, plug it in and you’ve got a link,” he says. Another place where users can get into trouble with wireless is on the antenna side. Even if a user takes an access point and goes through all of the settings to turn it into a bridge, the next problem is how to make the antennas work. With GhostBridge, the antenna is fully integrated and functions as a sector antenna since the unit isn’t designed to be an access point. With the goal of providing a solution for cable replacement or extensions, the integrated sector antenna makes the unit user-friendly in terms of mounting and pointing. It can be easily attached to a pole and pointed at the other end until signal strength lights show a link. In less than 20 sec, the units will automatically pair up and there is a working Ethernet link. The 80-degree, 15dBi sector antenna is integrated into the housing of the unit. A 5 GHz radio built from the 802.11n 2x2 MIMO technology provides the long-range (up to 15 km) connectivity between remote stations and a central office. Or users can bridge two networks or hard-to-reach nodes together. The operating frequency is 5,470 to 5,825 GHz, and the unit consumes 8W maximum power. The package, available for $599, contains two GhostBridge wireless Ethernet bridges (a base station and a node), two ac PoE adapters with power cords, two dc PoE adapters with barrel plug adapters and four cable ties to secure the units. DN — Al Presher, Contributing Editor, Automation & Control

For More Information: B&B Electronics Mfg.’s GhostBridge Wireless Ethernet Bridge: http://dn.hotims.com/34934-509 D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

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40

Cover Story

High-Tech Recovery rates for wounded U.S. soldiers are improving dramatically because of advanced processes for producing custom cranial implants. By Doug Smock, Senior Technical Editor, Materials and Assembly

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ecovery rates for American soldiers with head wounds are improving significantly because of new technology to quickly produce custom cranial implants that are more resistant to infection. More than 70 cranial plates have been produced using the new process at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) in Washington, D.C., with an average surgical time of 90 minutes from first incision to completion of suturing. Previously, the same types of surgeries took from two hours to more than six hours. “The time savings can be directly attributed to the improved implant design and attached fixation,” says Stephen L. Rouse, DDS, a government contractor working in the 3-D Medical Applications Lab at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. “Large implants were previously multi-piece constructs, and were slower to place and fixate.” At the heart of the process is advanced application of 3-D digital scanning and highpowered additive manufacturing equipment that can make highly accurate custom shapes in medical-grade titanium alloys. The original systems were based on lasers that created 3-D shapes in processes called stereolithography (SLA) and selective laser sintering (SLS). Both are owned today by 3D Systems of Rock Hill, SC. The rapid prototyping market gravitated to inexpensive 3-D printers that can quickly make models from a wide range

D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

Source: Dr. Stephen Rouse

Titanium implants can be made with a mesh structure to promote bone ingrowth.

of materials, mostly plastic. High-End Focus Higher-end additive manufacturing equipment is increasingly focusing on dental, medical and aerospace applications, where engineers greatly value the ability to create precise, complex, strong parts often not possible with injection molding because of high costs or process limitations. The work at Walter Reed improves life expectancy and quality of life for wounded soldiers. One living, breathing example is Paul Statzer, who was a world champion weight lifter in 2000. He was a veteran of the first Gulf War and decided to reenlist. His unit was sent to Iraq, and in 2005 he was investigating craters created by roadside bombs. An improvised explosive device detonated near Sgt. Statzer, removing much of his skull, an

eye and parts of his larynx. He received emergency treatment in Iraq and Germany, and doctors told his family he might not survive. W. Lee Warren, the surgeon who performed the initial brain surgery on Sgt. Statzer at the 332nd Air Force Theater Hospital in Balad, Iraq, says: “My memory of Paul Statzer was of a man so desperately injured that even while operating on him I gave him no chance for survival.” Following emergency surgery and a transfer to Germany, Sgt. Statzer was taken to Walter Reed where Rouse’s lab performed a 3-D scan of the cranial opening and made a plastic implant to replace the missing bone. Bone and skin grafts replaced the missing area around his left eye. After months of rehabilitation, Sgt. Statzer learned to walk again and recovered most of his memory. Last year, Warren had a tearful reunion with his former patient in Pittsburgh near Sgt. Statzer’s home. He recalls the surgery in a recent book: “Called Out: A Brain Surgeon Goes to War.” SLA Master The standard cranial implant is made from PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate). A stereolithography-produced master is embedded in a two-part flask.The master is then removed and replaced by PMMA resin, which is then processed in a laboratory with pressure and heat.

Implants

41

Source: John Harrington Photography

Dr. Stephen Rouse is part of a team working at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. to develop new implant technology that is helping save the lives of wounded soldiers.

w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m J u n e 2 0 1 1 D e s i g n N e w s

Source: Arcam

42 Materials & Assembly “In large implant cases, the flask can weigh over 50 pounds, and is limited in contour complexity,” says Rouse. Polishing, drilling for fixation and gas sterilization using ethylene oxide (EtO) is done prior to delivery to the operating room. One significant problem with that approach is that EtO sterilization equipment is not available in many locations, and is being phased out or banned in many hospitals because of environmental issues. An alternative material used for transplants is PEEK (polyetheretherketone). The great advantage of PEEK is its hightemperature tolerance (its glass transition is 143C). PEEK can be autoclaved in any hospital operating room sterilizer, eliminating the requirement of gas or EtO sterilization. PEEK implants must be milled to exact shapes because of the expense of tooling. Rouse says that the cost of medical-grade PEEK blocks is very high. According to industry sources, medical-grade PEEK costs close to $400 per pound compared to about $44 per pound for industrial-grade PEEK. A leading medical-grade PEEK producer declined

Pore sizes on revision orthopedic cups can be engineered in another application of the EBM technology.

to comment on the cost issue. The biggest problem, however, is that human tissue does not bond to plastic. “This results in loss of muscle attachment to the skull replaced by the implant, and the formation of scar tissue which encapsulates the implant provides an area for bacterial growth that cannot be reached by antibiotics,” says Rouse. “In patients with history of antibiotic-resistant infections, this can result in the loss of the implant if a recurrence of the infection appears.” The plastic cranial implants at Walter Reed needed to be removed about 12 percent of the time to save the patient’s lives.

New Approach Rouse and the surgical teams at Walter Reed brainstormed the implant problem. Requirements from surgeons included: • Standard available non-gas sterilization methods; • Porosity in the implant to reduce trapped f luid pooling underneath; • Material compatibility with tissue ingrowth to reduce the free space for infection; • Ability to conform to complex contours and thickness changes, regardless of location; and • The implant needed to be visible on radiographs without causing radiographic artifacts and be safe to use MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). “The only material available to us for this purpose is titanium alloy, with its proven biocompatibility, strength and most importantly, its ability to promote fibrovascular ingrowth,” says Rouse. “The only manufacturing method capable of producing such a complex geometric structure is additive-based.” Walter Reed officials selected a new technology developed in Sweden by a

Additive Manufacturing Advances Globally

O

ther leading medical centers are also making increased use of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies to improve patient outcomes. “The introduction of AM and related technologies in medicine is a breakthrough in treatment modalities for very complex patient cases that were before untreatable,” says Jules Poukens, MD, University Hospital Maastricht, The Netherlands. The focus now is on cranio-maxillofacial surgery involving defects of the face, such as absence of a nose, ear or eye. Poukens says that radiological, optical and laser scans of the patient are converted into a virtual three-dimensional patient with subsequent virtual design of the medical device. Additive manufacturing equipment is used to fabricate custom implants made in a solid or resorbable material, or even in multiple materials. In a separate development, Materialise is now manufacturing patient-specific surgical guides using selective laser sintering technologies. The purpose of a surgical guide is to reduce the cost and complexity of a procedure such as a knee replacement. Materialise says its use may result in: fewer surgical instruments to sterilize, decreased time in the operating room, faster

D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

patient recovery and increased useful life of the implant. Another benefit is that the surgeon may try different approaches before operating and can avoid the requirement of making critical decisions on the spot. Researchers at North Carolina State University are working on implants that are fused with the bone in the stump of an amputee. The device protrudes through the skin where the prosthetic limb is attached. They say these implants give the amputees better control over their prosthetic, reduce the skin problems common with external sockets, give them a sense of feeling, and reduce the bone resorption. Technology used includes Mimics and 3-Matic by Materialise, Belgium and EBM technology by Arcam, Sweden. The Division of Engineering at Mayo Clinic has fabricated temporomandibular joint implants for an internal research study. “We have used a number of tools to accomplish this, including Mimics and 3-Matic software from Materialise, as well as a 3-D printer from Stratasys and a 3-D scanner from NextEngine,” says Joel Kuhlmann, a mechanical engineer at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

43

Electron Beam In the EBM process, fully dense metal parts are built up layer-by-layer as metal powder is melted by a powerful electron beam. Each layer is melted to the exact geometry defined by a 3-D CAD model. The build takes place in a vacuum at elevated temperatures, resulting in stress-relieved parts with material properties better than cast and comparable to wrought material, according to Magnus René, CEO of Arcam. The vacuum system is designed to provide a base pressure of 1x10-4 or better throughout the entire build cycle. The EBM machine produces precise titanium mesh shapes that allow bone ingrowth and prevent fluid pooling under the implant that can lead to infection. Arcam’s EBM technology is also used to make off-the-shelf orthopedic implants. René says that pores can be engineered to improve bone fixation. The goal is to improve bone ingrowth compared to current technologies of coating cobalt-chrome implants with titanium beads or other materials. The new implant technology is working well at WRAMC. Removal rates in the past three years have dropped to 4 percent. “None have had to be removed following the healing process,” says Rouse. Other technologies such as Selective Laser Melting (SLM by MTT Technologies, Staffordshire, UK), and Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS by EOS, Munich, Germany), were not available in the U.S. when Walter Reed began its testing. The implants are designed after segmenting CT scan data using Mimics software from Materialise that allows engineers to bridge 2-D data to 3D. 3-Matic, also from Materialise, and/or FreeForm Modeling Plus, from Sensable, are used for the actual implant design. Sections can be built in both mesh and solid, and the implant design includes the fixation plates. A skull model is created using a stereolithography machine and is

Source: Dr. Stephen Rouse

company called Arcam using the electron beam melting technique (EBM).

Paul Statzer enjoys life once again thanks to advanced cranioplasty surgery using additive manufacturing technology.

sent with the completed implant to the surgeon for approval. Seven Day Limit Speed is a critical factor. “Our goal is to keep the entire process, from CT scan to delivery of the finished implant, to seven days,” says Rouse. “In most cases, we are successful. Some of the issues, or problems that we have experienced include intermittent build failures, machine availability and shipping delivery delays.” One problem Rouse has faced is lack of space for a program that is rapidly growing due to its huge success. His five additive manufacturing machines are scattered across the Walter Reed campus where space permits. That changes soon under the Base Realignment Program (BRAC), which is designed to make more efficient use of military assets. Rouse’s group will soon move to a medical campus in Bethesda, MD, about six miles from WRAMC. The new campus will be called the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at Bethesda. His equipment and three-person staff will be in one location at the new medical center. That equipment includes an SLA 7000, SLA 500, Z Corp. 650, Z Corp. 450, and an Arcam A-1.

The equipment serves a myriad of roles, ranging from pre- and post-surgical medical models to custom cranial implants, subperiosteal dental implants, facial bone implants and custom fixation devices. Use of the additive manufacturing machinery is not necessarily simple, unlike milling machines, which can be left unattended. They require monitoring to make sure there has been no warpage of the part. It’s also important to ensure that the part is being produced to specification Rouse says the Ti6Al4V powder must be monitored for oxygen content. The final part must be tested to ensure that metallurgy is within specifications. Vigilant preventive maintenance is required to make sure machines are available when needed. Units like the EBM machine are too expensive to have backups on hand. “The bottom line for this entire process is the ability to build an implant that is designed for a specific patient’s needs, that reduces the operating room time requirement significantly, and provides better outcomes with more resistance to infection,” says Rouse. DN

For More Information: Walter Reed Medical Center: http://dn.hotims.com/34934-510 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m J u n e 2 0 1 1 D e s i g n N e w s

44

Design Hardware & Software

Putting Physics into uman Modeling

H The Santos virtual avatar was created by the University of Iowa as part of the Virtual Solider Research (VSR) program.

T

here are avatars and then there is Santos. Thanks to the broad availability of digital human modeling software, avatars are playing a more prominent role in evaluating the manufacturing feasibility and safety issues surrounding both product designs and assembly line ergonomics, mitigating the need for costly physical prototypes. Yet while most currently available avatars are digital representations of the static human form, the University of Iowa’s College of Engineering’s Center for Computer-Aided Design is taking the concept of human modeling a step further with Santos, an

D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

Using complex mathematical models, predictive dynamics and a sprinkling of robotics technology, the Santos digital human modeling software is helping the U.S. military and large manufacturers test quality, safety and ergonomics factors in a virtual world. By Beth Stackpole, Contributing Editor, Design Hardware & Software

avatar that is a high fidelity, biomechanically accurate model of a person, including the physics of bone and muscle. The combination of the biomechanical musculoskeletal model along with predicative dynamics technology means Santos doesn’t just mimic biomechanical motions — the avatar is being designed to predict motion and to react to movements on its own. Santos doesn’t just sit in the cockpit of a tank or move a piece of equipment from Point A to Point B on the factory floor so engineers can evaluate reach and other ergonomic factors. Instead, the digital avatar’s physics-based approach can deliver feedback on how a certain type of task or combination of movements will impact a

human’s level of fatigue, speed, strength and torque over a period of time. “We’re really trying to understand how a human behaves from a biomechanical point of view — why they take this particular motion or posture, and can a person really complete this task,” explains Karim Abdel-Malek Ph.D., professor at the University of Iowa’s Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, director of the Center for Computer-Aided Design and director of the U.S. Army’s Virtual Solider Research (VSR) program, the birthplace of Santos, which is funded in part by the U.S. military. “Any time you’re carrying a box from [Design Hardware & Software continues on page 45]

Aerospace & Defense

How Advanced Materials Improve Aerospace engines As aerospace manufacturers look for high-temperature materials that increase performance, improve fuel efficiency and satisfy safety standards, while lowering manufacturing costs, advanced ceramics and high-performance superalloys play an increasingly important role in aerospace engine design. By fred KiMocK, MorgAn TechnicAl cerAMicS

T

The AncienT And Modern ArT of BrAzing

Brazing alloys are used for metal-to-metal bonding in engine MRO (maintenance repair and overhaul), assembly of aerospace components and repair of micro-cracks. They are also used for ceramic-to-metal assemblies requiring joining by metallizing ceramic surface and brazing of components, including pressure and temperature sensors, thermocouple housings and fire-detection feed-thrus. Brazing is a term used for high-temperature joining at temperatures above 600C. In a general sense, brazing is a joining [w w w. d es ig n n e w s . c o m ]

Morgan Technical ceramics offers thermocouple housings for aircraft engine applications in the aerospace industry.

process that relies on the wetting flow and solidification of a brazing filler material to form a metallurgical bond, a strong structural bond, or both between materials. The process is unique in that this metallurgical bond is formed by melting the brazing filler only; the components being joined do not melt. Research into the development of advanced brazing materials for aerospace engine component repair has given rise to both precious and non-precious alloys. Precious alloys (for example, gold, silver, platinum and palladium) are used mainly in original equipment manufacturers’ assemblies for vanes, nozzles, sensors and igniters. Non-precious alloys are used in MRO and are constantly evolving as better and more heat-efficient alloys are developed. As shown in the table, a number of new brazing alloys are available for use in aerospace engine repair and reassembly. For example, Morgan Technical Ceramics’ Wesgo Metals business (MTC-Wesgo Metals) supplies Nioro, a low-erosion alloy that allows the base material to retain its properties and is a good choice for repairing fuel systems and compressors. Another example of the superalloys available for high-temper-

Ju n e 2011 ae r o s pace & De f e ns e / a s up p le me nt to D e s ign n e ws S1

Source: MorgAn TecHnIcAl cerAMIcS

o achieve greater engine fuel efficiencies, engines are running at higher temperatures and must be cooled with more intricate cooling schemes, requiring the casting of complex cooling passages. Stronger metal alloys are being used in the casting process, and the core material must be able to withstand the extremely high temperatures used to pour these alloys. As an example, consider the gas turbine, the efficiency of which is largely determined by turbine temperature since the less cooling air used, the more air is available for propulsion. Increasing temperature capability of the turbine is therefore key to improving such engines. Since engines run hotter as processing temperature is increased, there is a need for demanding materials to put together the engines. Seeking ways to lower cost and emissions while increasing fuel economy and performance, engine designers have been turning to advanced ceramics and high-temperature metal materials. The ability of these materials to withstand heat is key to making engine improvements.

Aerospace & Defense alloy

engine Part

Component/

ature braze repair applications are pre-sintered Base material preforms (PSPs), a customized blend of the su59.8ni-40.2cu titanium (ti) brazing exhaust first few ti peralloy base and a low melting braze alloy pow- (nickel copper) stages of compressor der in either a plate form, specific shape, paste or Alloy-30 new braze Hastelloys, inconels paint. PSPs are used extensively for reconditionAu-6 (gold) new engine crack repair Hastelloys, inconels ing, crack repair and dimensional restoration of icronibsi-13 compressor Hastelloy, inconels, waspalloy such aerospace engine components as turbine blades and vanes. Thin areas and crack healing is niBsi-4 Auxiliary power unit (Apu) Hastelloy, inconels, waspalloy done with paste and paints, while preforms are nioro (gold 82/ fuel systems/compressor stainless-steel-grade 304 used for dimensional restoration. nickel 18 Alloy) (304 ss) or inconel 600, 625 With turbine temperatures reaching up palnicro-36-m High compressor and low turbine Hastelloy, inconel to 1,300C (2,350F) and the presence of hot palniro-7 fuel systems 304 ss or inconel 600, 625 corrosive gases, aerospace engine components pre-sintered mro engine repair hot section/ superalloys experience considerable erosion and wear. The preform, paste, high-pressure turbine pre-sintered preforms are customized to fit the paint (psp) shape of the component and then tack-welded silcoro-75 fuel systems low-temp like fuel systems into place and brazed. PSPs are offered in varilow-pressure compressor/ti brazing ti-6-4 and ti alloys ous compositions and shapes, including curved, ticuni tapered and cylindrical, as well as paste and table 1. Brazing alloys paint. They save time and money and extend the life of engine components by up to 300 ing of blades and vanes for rotating and static parts of aerospace percent, making it a more reliable and cost-effective method engines. The process is used primarily with chrome-bearing than traditional welding, which requires post-braze machining steel alloys. Advanced ceramics with controlled material properor grinding. Brazing allows whole components to be heated in ties allow component designers to make special cooling chana vacuum furnace, reducing distortions and increasing consisnels that keep engines from overheating. These ceramic cores tency, resulting in a high-quality repair process. are capable of producing thin cross sections and holding tight PSP plate thicknesses range from 0.010 inch (0.3 mm) to tolerances, which help produce accurate internal passageways. 0.200 inch (5 mm). In addition to plates, MorThe ceramic cores are strong enough to withstand gan Technical Ceramics-Wesgo Metals supplies the wax injection step in the investment casting PSPs in pastes for filling oxidation corrosion process. While the casting is poured, the ceramic fatigue cracks, and paints, which are best suited core remains stable, yet is readily leached using for deep, narrow micro-cracks. standard foundry practices once the casting has Advanced ceramics are ideally suited for cooled. aerospace applications that provide a physical For example, Morgan Technical Ceramics' interface between different components, due to Certech business (MTC-Certech) has developed their ability to withstand the high temperatures, a ceramic core with its proprietary P52 matevibration and mechanical shock typically found rial, which exhibits greater dimensional accuracy in aircraft engines. For example, Morgan Techniwhile maintaining tight tolerances without distorcal Ceramics-Alberox business provides aerospace tion. The cores remain stable at high temperaengine pressure and temperature monitoring tures and do not prematurely deform, which is sensors, thermocoupling housings, and fire important, given the extremely high temperatures detection feed-thrus constructed from a variety required for engine component production. The of metal components and high-purity alumina cores can be chemically dissolved after the casting ceramic. Ceramic-to-metal components are sealed has cooled, leaving the clean air passage replica to metals by the high-performance brazing alloys, morgan technical Ceramneeded in today’s efficient turbine engines. ics offers pre-sintered providing a reliable seal. While dimensionally strong, the P52 core preforms (PSP) for highmaterial also exhibits improved crushability temperature braze repair InveStment CaStIng during solidification. This means that it remains applications. Investment casting is a key process used in the rigid and stable through the casting process but production of aerospace engine blades; high-qualis crushable when it needs to be during the metal ity ceramic cores have emerged as the material of choice for use solidification process. This is particularly useful for alloys that in the investment casting process. Investment casting of new are prone to hot-tearing (those that exhibit lower core temperasuper engine alloy materials enables the development of more ture in equiax castings) and/or recrystallization (castings that intricate designs that perform better in engines. Operating tem- are involved in directionally solidified or single-crystal castings). peratures have increased, from about 400 to 1,100C, and along Fred Kimock is vice president, technology, for Morgan Technical with that change has been an evolution in materials that meet Ceramics. the demand for surviving these higher temperatures. For more information on Morgan Technical Ceramics, go to Fused silica ceramic cores are used in investment airfoil casthttp://www.morgantechnicalceramics.com/. S2 AerospA c e & Defens e / A s u p p l e m e n t t o D e s i g n n e ws Ju n e 2011

[www.designnews .com]

Aerospace & Defense

Drone Design As unmanned drones play an increasingly important role in defense strategies and tactics, the demands on the electronic control systems in these vehicles include extreme portability, ruggedness and safety. Every component in these systems carries with it the weight of mission success or failure — all the way down to the switches. BY MARK WUOLLE, NKK SWITCHES

M

that has supported more than 1,000 high-reliability missions worldwide. Among the key challenges faced by engineers on this new design was the quality and durability of the individual switching components PATS would require. “For the command panel design we looked at many different vendors of push-button and toggle switches, but it always came back to quality and lead time,” Factor says. “We needed a supplier that could provide switches that could function reliably and safely in adverse environmental conditions and also support an accelerated delivery schedule of only six months; a schedule that is almost unheard of in the

S4 AEROSPA C E & DEFEN S E / A S U P P L E M E N T T O D E S I G N N EWS JU N E 2011

Control panel with 31 NKK toggles switches with black bat lever caps. The ruggedized control panel is designed to be portable and must meet certain performance, safety and reliability requirements.

industry.” Beyond principal considerations such as quality and lead time, Micro Systems needed the switches to have gold contacts and feature a solder lug connection option. “Gold contacts were a requirement due to the low electrical current that was available in various measurement circuits used in the system,” says David Ault, lead engineer on the PATS project. “The solder lug requirement was driven by cost and manufacturability considerations.” Factor says NKK was able to provide [www.designnews .com]

SOURCE: MICRO SYSTEMS INC.

icro Systems’ command and control systems have been used with virtually every U.S. aerial target drone for the past decade. These systems control unmanned aerial vehicles that use both weapon test and evaluation for the training of military personnel. They simulate threats ranging from cruise missiles to supersonic aircraft flying at altitudes ranging from 7 to 40,000 ft. Equipment designed to meet such high-performance requirements must meet stringent safety and reliability requirements. As a result, Micro Systems is extremely selective when choosing component vendors to support its system development efforts. “Micro Systems recently recognized a need in the industry for a new, portable, low-cost system that would be easy to use and maintain,” says Maynard Factor, Micro Systems’ business development engineer. “As a portable command and control system, we knew this system would also have to be extremely durable if it was to live up to our standards as well as the standards of our customers.” Micro Systems developed the design of the new portable command and control system (known as PATS — Portable Area Target System) from its existing MOdular Networked TAarget control Equipment (MONTAGE). MONTAGE is a field-proven design

Aerospace & Defense Micro Systems’ MOdular Networked TArGet control Equipment (MONTAGE), left, is an expandable control system for ground, sea surface and high-performance air vehicles. Typically used for target drone applications, MONTAGE can be adapted to a variety of unmanned vehicle applications.

The new Micro Systems Unmanned Aerial Target Vehicle Control System, above, can be transported to any flight test range and become functional in minutes. Micro Systems selected NKK’s toggle switches as the primary switch array of the PATS Command Panel.

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Micro Systems’ engineers with sample switches to aid them in their design and prototyping efforts. This allowed Micro Systems to ensure that they had the right solution before fully committing to a purchase. “When developing a new command panel, it’s always nice to be able to fabricate a functional prototype with the potential system components before fully committing to one solution,” Factor says. “It’s one thing to see specifications on a data sheet, but when it comes to cutting holes in metal as part of the manufacturing process, you want to make sure that you’ve got all your ducks in a row.” The new command panel is a sleek, ergonomic design using a lightweight, molded plastic enclosure and precision joystick. The entire system can be broken down and stowed in ruggedized transit cases for high mobility. Mark Wuolle is marketing manager for NKK Switches. For More Information: Micro Systems Inc.: www.gomicrosystems.com NKK Switches: www.nkkswitches.com [www.designnews .com]

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Aerospace & Defense

A Strategy for Better Test equipment Management At the heart of advanced product innovation and development speed in the aerospace and defense industries lies the improvement of test equipment utilization rates. By Paul McNaMara, The SeNTe GrouP

D

esign is often an iterative process of trying something, testing, modifying and testing again. In this environment, particularly for companies supplying the aerospace and defense industries, it’s critical to have an asset management system that can quickly adapt to changing schedules and changing technical demands. But too often, the management of test equipment consists of software solutions imposed from above or ad hoc processes that vary by department. These approaches rarely stick. They’re piecemeal solutions, addressing only symptoms and not the cultural causes at the root of the problem. As a result, typical test equipment utilization rates run between 6 and 20 percent. That’s a lot of equipment sitting idle on shelves, in drawers and elsewhere. This low utilization effectively prevents management from being able to invest in the newer and better technology that engineering organizations often need to get their jobs done. It’s clear that the realm of test equipment management is ripe for innovation and performance improvement. What’s needed is a more comprehensive approach involving not just processes and software, but also all the people who will make test equipment management work right at your company. By managing their test equipment assets in this more holistic fashion, numerous companies have increased utilization by a factor of four. Perhaps most importantly, they’ve also dramatically reduced the lead time for engineers seeking specific pieces of test equipment, and the equipment they get has far greater capability than what they used to get.

equipment is being used, where it’s housed and whether it’s enough to meet future demand. But a deep dive into the data about your equipment is only the beginning of an effective solution. The crux of the challenge, after all, is the lack of faith engineers have in the management of the equipment. The stockpiling that results is what exacerbates low utilization. This tactic, while it may appear to work in the short term, limits your company’s capacity to afford more technologically capable equipment and ultimately thwarts innovation and speed. How do you change those habits and drive lasting, meaningful change? Both accountability and incentive, two concepts often missing from test equipment management initiatives, will be crucial. To eliminate the hoarding of equipment and other behaviors that prevent success, a holistic solution must identify, measure and encourage change. You’ll need a system that pinpoints where process breakdowns occur and facilitates dialog to address the problems promptly and directly — thus injecting trust into the new processes. Meanwhile, effective test equipment management must also incorporate practices aimed at producing and maintaining strategic alignment — continually evaluating the satisfaction of all employees, creating communications that spur action in support of the new approach, and finally institutionalizing these improvements through ongoing measurement, analysis and adaptation.

BehiNd The NuMBerS

Don’t underestimate the need for investing in the culturefocused aspects discussed above. Otherwise, an incomplete solution inevitably will fade away, failing to provide the lasting changes need to do your job better. However, a more compre-

When you’re dealing with $100 million or more worth of test equipment, as is common in aerospace and defense product development, it helps to have an accurate picture of how that [w w w. d es ig n n e w s . c o m ]

MakiNG The PerSuaSive arGuMeNT

Ju n e 2011 Ae r o s pAce & de f e ns e / A s up p le me nt to de s ign n e ws S9

Aerospace & Defense

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hensive approach requires the buy-in of people from across the organization to succeed. That audience includes financial managers. Be sure to give them the full picture of the costs at stake. Often, objectives focus myopically on total bottom-line dollars saved, overlooking the myriad costs that comprise the total and directly impact the engineer’s ability to do his job. Time is your scarcest resource as an engineer. If an asset management solution costs an engineer time or distracts them in a way that prevents a schedule from being met or an innovation from occurring, then that solution has done more harm than good. The more complete the solution, the more quickly and fully it can deliver results in these areas that grab the attention of financial managers. One major multinational aerospace company, for example, produced savings of more than $10 million in the first year using its new test equipment management system. These savings were achieved through reductions in test equipment purchases and the labor associated with tracking maintaining and managing these assets.

Design is often an iterative process of trying something, testing, moDifying anD testing again. Another element of that company’s solution that made the transition easier was a phased rollout. They launched and tested the solution at one location, then implemented it throughout the company. People throughout the company aligned behind the changes because they’d already seen the results in action. Engineers soon embraced the program and became advocates because they could more easily and quickly get the test equipment they needed. As the new system matures, having accountability and incentive structures in place will be even more important to lasting success. So, too, will be ongoing communications with all the engineers who will make your program work. Leaders of a test equipment management initiative must continuously share a vision for the changes and the crucial role each person must play in its success. When you understand what drives financial performance on an income statement, you can quickly come to the conclusion that you must do everything you can to increase revenues. And in this domain, that means getting new products through development. Asset management has to keep costs low and leverage the infrastructure so that more people and resources can be devoted to additional product development to grow revenues faster. In this way, it will not only help eliminate the time-wasting search for equipment and make getting tests done easier for you and your fellow engineers, but it will also dramatically improve the future prospects for your job and your company. Paul McNamara is founder and CEO of The Sente Group, a national services provider that helps leaders in aerospace and defense improve business performance in their test environments. For more information, go to www.sentegroup.com. [www.designnews .com]

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New Marching Orders for Defense

Design

Engineers will need to harness new design and manufacturing approaches to address the DoD’s tough new guidelines for ground soldier equipment

I

f your company targets the defense market, it’s time to rethink traditional approaches to design. Heavy, cumbersome, unimaginative are out. Lightweight, flexible,

Precision molding technologies hold the key to creating a ground soldier ensemble that is lightweight, ergonomic and dependable.

user-friendly are in. With the military moving increasingly toward a fast-moving, quickstrike strategy, the Department of Defense is taking direct aim at the 80 lbs of gear that the average soldier takes into battle. Today’s desert and urban warfare places tremendous physical demands on troops. All that extra weight not only detracts from the soldier’s performance, but is also potentially life-threatening. To ease the burden, the DoD has challenged the EDGE Network, a consortium of leading defense industry suppliers, to find fresh approaches to trim 20 lbs of weight from the ground soldier’s equipment ensemble (GSE).

Designs for the modern soldier Meeting that goal requires design breakthroughs in virtually every part of a soldier’s gear: body armor, weaponry, communications equipment and more. With Defense officials calling Magnesium injection molding allows for equipment that is rugged, more production of very complex designs with little or no secondary operations. compact and more ergonomic, it will

take new approaches to realize a 25% reduction in GSE weight. “Engineers need to change their mindset on designing for the military,” says mechanical engineer Tom Rothgery, Defense Market Director for Wisconsin-based Phillips Plastics. “Methods that worked in the ‘70s aren’t sufficient for today’s needs.” Rothgery adds that the most effective way of meeting the DoD’s GSE goals is to replace conventional materials with new technologies. For example, redesigned equipment cases, housings, and internal components can provide significant weight savings, while offering superior water proofing, impact resistance, and overall durability. In addition, new manufacturing methods can reduce parts count in military assemblies, further trimming weight. Component miniaturization offers perhaps the single greatest opportunity for shedding equipment weight. Properly designed and manufactured molded parts can also outperform conventional components, while accelerat-

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A Wealth of Challenging Applications There’s no shortage of new opportunities in defense design for engineers who take advantage of the latest production processes. Among the many applications that DoD has identified: • Wearable antennas. Military radios for ground troops typically operate on the UHF band, with transmit power between 5 and 25 watts. Wearable antennas are needed in many configurations, including integrated helmet and fabric antennas. Radiation patterns and gain should be comparable to a whip antenna. Avoid designs that require wiring to the helmet. • Mobile battery recharging devices. Longer missions require soldiers to carry recharging systems for lithium ion batteries used on communication gear. Such duty requires lightweight designs durable enough to withstand combat environments. To date, vehicle-based recharging systems have been used, but longer missions require portability. Potential technologies include: solar power, fuel cells, power scavenging from available sources, and energy harvesting from human motion. • Soldier-worn information displays. These must be compact, lightweight, rugged and energy efficient. Designs should offer a color screen capable of displaying camera images, video, maps and GPS data. • Wireless PAN (Personal Area Network). Computer systems worn on the body require wireless networking technology with a range of 1-2 meters. Systems should be safe from hackers, difficult to jam, and have a low probability of intercept. Also preferred: transceiver power of less than 1 watt and an external power source of 10 to 18 volts DC. • Wired and wireless input devices. Focus for these devices should be on small size, minimum weight and ergonomic design. Functions include: cursor control devic-

es, such as joysticks and force buttons; discrete buttons and switches; mini keyboards; and system access control device readers. An advanced user input device should feature mouse-like cursor functions, talk group selection, activation of radio push-to-talk controls, data purging for security, texting and power activation/deactivation. • Soldier-worn computing. Both headless computers and computers with integrated flat panel displays are needed in configurations that can be worn by soldiers. Besides processing and memory requirements (Windows and Linux), these units must be lightweight, rugged, compact, passively cooled and externally powered from standard Land Warrior batteries. • Soldier video receiver. These units must receive four channels of analog video, allow the soldier to select one of interest, then output the chosen channel in analog or digital video via USB. Such devices let dismounted soldiers view signals from robots and unmanned aerial and ground vehicles. • Integrated Targeting Device. Used for close air support, these units should also be compact, lightweight and consume minimal power. The goal: Provide an integrated system that includes all functionality in a single portable device with its own power source. • Battery recharger. The Battery Renewable Integrated Tactical Energy System (BRITES) collects, stores and distributes energy, including an ability to recharge in harsh environments over long periods. This system would allow soldiers and airmen to recharge common batteries, such as AA, AAA, and Surefire™ type, using 15 volt DC power. Designs should occupy a volume only slightly larger than the batteries being recharged.

ing time to market. Four methods in particular are emerging as standouts for meeting the new DoD objectives: Magnesium Injection Molding (MAG). Magnesium demonstrates excellent performance, especially in communications gear. As durable as aluminum, magnesium offers superior EMI/RFI shielding, even in thin-wall designs. Bottom line: A magnesium housing performs better than one made from aluminum — at a 30% weight savings. MAG combines the best qualities of plastic injection molding with die casting to produce lightweight, highdensity, net-shape parts. Components demonstrate excellent properties for stiffness and strength-to-weight. Moreover, you can design MAG parts in sizes ranging in weight from 4 grams to 1800 grams. You can also specify plastic overmolding on magnesium components, as well as special coatings to prevent corrosion. And MAG won’t harm the environment. The material is recyclable, and no ozone-depleting gases are used in molding operations. Metal Injection Molding (MIM). Ideal for weapon components and other intricate assemblies, metal injection molding can produce high-volume parts with complex geometries, superior strength and excellent surface finish. Using MIM, you can typically produce precision-shaped parts for 50% less than comparable CNC machining or investment casting. Yet finished parts offer the same mechanical properties as those produced by machining. MIM really stands out for parts weighing 30 grams or less. The process can create tiny metal parts with total volume of as little as 0.0001 to 0.003 cubic inches, with tolerances as tight as +/- 0.001 of an inch. Density and mechanical properties are approximately 98% of wrought. Among the many material choices: stainless steels, titanium, Kovar®, nickel steels, tool steels, tungsten, super alloys, and soft-magnetic alloys.

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Micro Molding. This manufacturing technique answers the call for miniaturization in soldier equipment, yielding intricate finished parts as small as a pinhead. Parts measuring just 0.020 inch per side can be molded, and you can specify details such as undercuts, threads, and thin wall sections down to 0.002 inch. Micro molding also yields a larger proportion of finished part to molding runner versus conventional molding, and the investment necessary to produce a part is generally several times lower. In addition, prototype tooling can typically be used in final production. Materials options include: engineering-grade plastics, stainless steel, iron nickel, titanium and ceramics. Multi-Shot Liquid Silicone Rubber Molding (MS LSR). With this innovative process, a designer can get a molded part that combines traditional thermoplastics with liquid silicone rubber. MS LSR is ideal for parts, such as seals, that demand superior biocompatibility, chemical resistance, clarity, and the ability to withstand harsh environments. Among other advantages, the process can accept a wide range of colorants, while offering temperature resistance up to 410 deg F (210 C). It can also provide bacteria resistance, gas permeability, and excellent light illumination. Plus, you get excellent end-user ergonomics, including parts with a soft feel to the skin, such as goggles, head phones and ear pieces for communications.

Micro molding can produce high-precision parts as small as 0.020 inch per side, helping to answer the military’s demand for miniaturization.

Looking for a defense design ally? In Phillips Plastics, engineers will find a supplier with broad capabilities in the new technologies required to tackle the DoD’s ambitious weightreduction goals. A member of the Edge Network, a consortium of leading-edge defense suppliers, Phillips stays abreast of the new design objectives and performance specs that the military is seeking in next-generation equipment for ground soldiers. The company also offers extensive production facilities for magnesium injection molding, metMicro molding can produce high-precision parts al injection molding, micro molding, and multias small as 0.020 inch per shot liquid silicon rubber. In addition, you can side, helping to answer the harness Phillips’ engineering expertise at every military’s demand for miniastage of your development effort: design, prototurization. typing, testing, tooling and final manufacturing and assembly. For the special needs of defense designs, Phillips offers secure facilities, class 100,000 clean room production, ITAR registration (International Traffic in Arms Regulation), and ISO 9000:2000 and ISO 13485:2003 quality certification. Imagine the Possibilities For design engineers, such groundbreaking technologies vastly expand the opportunities for developing lightweight, high-performance soldier gear. Think about what changes you could make to any number of applications, including: mobile battery chargers, compact targeting devices for air support, as well as joysticks, keyboards and other input devices for communications. Also high on the military’s wish list: devices that soldiers can wear, such as antennas, computers, displays and video receivers. No matter what the application, you’ll need to pay more attention to factors such as ergonomics and ease of use. In communication gear, for example, a traditional rectangular metal box with buttons on the top doesn’t appeal to young soldiers who grew up with clever video game controllers in all sorts of shapes. If you want to be on the DoD’s preferred supplier list, don’t be limited by the design solutions that have dominated military products in the past,

such as machined or stamped metal parts. Instead, find a supplier who not only offers design, styling and prototyping assistance, but also provides the latest production methods, such as MAG, MIM, micro molding, and multi-shot LSR. With the right partner, you’ll not only get the help you need to create cutting-edge designs, but you’ll also save manufacturing costs, get products to market faster, and meet the military’s challenging tough new quality and durability standards. Engineers can download a detailed White Paper on new technologies and target applications for improving ground soldier equipment by visiting the Phillips Plastics Web Site: http://www.phillipsplastics.com/ http://www.phillipsplastics.com/ download-defense-white-paper defensewhitepaper.

Aerospace & Defense

IN THE MARKETPLACE BellowSTech’S MeTal BellowS Used in cryogenic refrigeration BellowsTech metal bellows are a solution for NASA cryogenic temperature chambers. A rectangular bellows assembly was chosen as the mechanical seal between the door and the refrigeration unit. The metal bellows seal provides a leak-tight seal once the door is closed to prevent temperature changes. By utilizing metal, the mechanical seal ensures survival through the cryogenic temperatures of the chamber; certain materials like rubber become brittle at extremely cold temperatures. Because edge-welded bellows technology is lightweight in comparison to other hermetically sealed technologies, the bellows is able to keep the overall weight of the system to a minimum. The thin metal convolutions of the bellows do not transfer as much heat as conventional machined parts because of their overall lower mass. BellowsTech BellowsTech.com

ThoMaS ProducTS’ Flow SwiTch For monitoring insufficient or excessive flow rates of liquids For operation of the Model 1100 inline flow sensor, a magnetequipped shuttle is displaced at the proper calibrated flow of liquid to actuate a SPDT hermetically sealed reed switch within the stem. This unit is available with a factory-fixed flow setting of .4 to 100 gpm in water or custom flow settings in oil. Other models are available with adjusting vanes for adjusting the set points in the field. Standard process connections range from ¾- to 3-inch NPT and optional silver braze or socket weld ports are available. Materials of brass, bronze, 316 stainless steel or monel are standard. Model 1100 has passed testing for accelerated life, salt sprat, shock and vibration. Maximum pressure ratings of 1,200 psi at 100F. Thomas Products Ltd. http://www.thomasprod.com/

[w w w. desig n n e w s . c o m ]

Ju n e 2011 Ae r o s pAce & De f e ns e / A s up p le me nt to De s ign ne w s S15

out of this world Adhesives for Aerospace/Defense • • • •

High/low temperature resistance NASA low outgassing approved Exceptional bond strength Withstands vibration and shock

Aerospace & Defense

R+W’s CompaCt safety Coupling A compact, flexible and vibration-damping option Making use of the existing EKL line of compact, elastomer couplings, the new SLE safety coupling offers a compact, flexible and vibration-damping option with integral torque overload release. Designed for aggressive servo-driven applications, the SLE is completely backlash-free, relying on preloads and frictional connections, along with a precision-molded, wear-resistant, polyurethane insert to damp vibration and relieve bearing loads resulting from misalignment In the event of a machine crash, power surge, or any other cause of unanticipated overload, the SLE will disengage the motor or gearbox shaft from the load in less than 3 msec. Re-engagement takes place automatically with slow speed rotation of the shaft subsequent to the overload occurrence. Available in four sizes, the SLE handles a range of disengagement torque values from 5 to 700 Nm, and English or metric shaft diameters from 12 to 60 mm. R+W America http://dn.hotims.com/34937-500

the lee Co’s miniatuRe side-exit CheCk ValVe Available in a forward flow configuration

154 Hobart Street Hackensack, NJ 07601 USA +1.201.343.8983 [email protected]

www.masterbond.com

The Lee Co.’s new 093 Lee Chek is an ultra-miniature, precision, side-exit check valve. This 0.093-inch diameter check valve is based on the same field-proven technology as the 0.187-inch diameter side exit Lee Chek. Weighing only 0.14 g nominal, the 093 Lee Chek offers a 90 percent reduction in weight over the 187 version and is 50 percent shorter, resulting in a corresponding reduction in installation boss size and weight. Available in a forward flow configuration, the new Lee Chek is constructed entirely of stainless steel and features a hard, metal-to-metal seat for durability and long life. Each Lee Chek is tested and inspected to ensure reliable, consistent performance. The Lee Co. www.theleeco.com

[www.designnews .com]

Aerospace & Defense

Servometer’S Atherm BellowS ASSemBlieS For temperature responsive applications The new “atherm” temperature sensitive bellows assemblies from Servometer are lightweight, extremely sensitive assemblies that are thin-walled. The electrodeposited nickel bellows are soldered to custom-end pieces filled with a working fluid (with a known coefficient of thermal expansion), and then sealed. By sealing a specific volume of fluid within a Servometer electrodeposited nickel bellows, the volumetric thermal expansion characteristic of the fluid is transformed into a precise, measurable linear movement. This movement can be used as an actuator, or calibrated to be read as control data, and is completely reversible due to the extremely low hysteresis of the bellows material. A Servometer atherm is presently being used in one defense application to compensate for the thermal growth of components within precision targeting devices. The response of the bellows ensures that the targeting image is not distorted by environmental changes in temperature from sub-zero to extreme desert heat conditions. These athermalization bellows assemblies are designed, manufactured and assembled to the customers exact specifications. Servometer www.servometer.com

Who Says You Can’t Be All Things To All People?

Forest City Gear helps customers in an extremely diverse group of industrial, medical, aerospace, sporting goods, research lab and high-performance racing markets, plus many others. Some might foolishly suggest this makes us “a jack of all trades, master of none,” as that old adage goes. Boy, are they wrong. Exactly the opposite is true. Forest City Gear is the longtime market leader in special gear solutions, precisely because we’ve seen and solved problems in virtually any application you can name that requires the highest geometrical integrity, superior repeatable performance, accuracy that’s often off-the-charts for other gear companies and a secure, reliable line of supply. O yes, and all at an affordable price that helps keep customers competitive and viable in their markets. Who says you can’t be all things to all people? Well, we suppose the size of our machining centers is a limit, if you can call what you see here limited? Call Forest City Gear and hear about all we can be… on your next gear challenge! Go to www.forestcitygear.com today.

11715 Main Street, Roscoe, IL 61073 815-623-2168 "For high-precision gears, we certainly can!" Fred Young, CEO

Brass gear for analytical diffractometer positioning

Articulating gear for the Utah Arm

Star gear for racecar fuel pump

Internal spline gear for a levelwind fishing reel

Gears for the drive wheels on the Mars Rover

Aerospace & Defense

MASTER BOND’S UV-CURABLE ADHESIVE/SEALANT Meets NASA low outgassing requirements Master Bond Inc.’s one-component, UV-curable modified epoxy system, UV10TKLO-2, offers optical clarity, high physical strength properties, and is chemical-resistant. It is not oxygen inhibited and cures rapidly at room temperature when exposed to UV light. Maximum UV absorption takes place in the 320-365 nm range. Master Bond UV10TKLO-2 is easy to apply and has a high viscosity. It has passed tests to meet low outgassing specifications as per NASA ASTM E-595. It can be used in a wide array of optical, electro-optical and vacuum applications that until now have been off limits for UV-curable compounds. To optimize low outgassing properties, UV10TKLO-2 should be preheated to 50C for 15 min prior to use and then allowed to cool to room temperature. It has a volume resistivity of >1014 ohm cm and a dielectric constant of 3.6 at 60Hz. UV10TKLO-2 has a service temperature range of -60 to 300F. It is available for use in half-pint, pint, quart and gallon containers. Shelf life in original unopened containers is six months at 75F. Master Bond Inc. www.masterbond.com

S18 AEROSPA C E & DEFENS E / A S U P P L E M E N T T O D E S I G N N E WS JU N E 2011

[www.designnews .com]

Aerospace & Defense

and vibratory conditions, the AM-M and AW-M series feature the heattreated raceway bearing construction combined with a heat-treated alloy steel body. Combining the standard feature of a one-piece steel raceway,

Automation Equipment

Material Handling

the MM/MW-M and AM/AW-M series are also offered with Aurora’s exclusive AT series PTFE liner for the optimum in self lubricating/long life service. Aurora Bearing Co. www.aurorabearing.com

Motion Control

Healthcare

Packaging Machinery

ULTRALIGHT SMALLER, LIGHTER, ONE OF A KIND

Three-Piece MeTric rod ends Useful for high loads or high vibration levels Aurora Bearing Co.’s MM-M and MW-M series parts are made with a low-carbon steel raceway. This construction offers ball/race durability greater than brass race parts, with a load capacity comparable to the more common configurations. For applications with vibratory loads, where the body strength or load capacity is not an issue, but severe demands are placed on the bearing itself, the Aurora KM-M and KW-M series offer a heat-treated alloy steel raceway around the alloy steel ball in a lowcarbon steel body. Concerning the most demanding applications, those that see high loads

TORQUE LIMITERS

THE ULTIMATE COUPLING FROM 0.1 - 160,000 Nm

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R+W America | Phone: (888) 479-8728 | E-Mail: [email protected] | Internet: www.rw-america.com

Aerospace & Defense MICROMO’S COMPACT DRIVE WITH AN INTEGRATED MOTION CONTROLLER 22 mm drive extends the portfolio of the BX4 range of four pole brushless dc servomotors from Faulhaber. MICROMO’s series 2232 / 2250…BX4 CSD/CCD combines the advantages of the BX4 four pole brushless technology with a single-axis motion controller. The drives are available with a RS-232 serial or CAN interface, are based on the Faulhaber motion control platform and are configured using the free Faulhaber Motion Manager 4.4 software. The compact motion controller, which fits within the diameter of the motor, combined with the motor and a full range of gearhead combinations provides a versatile modular platform. The drives have a wide operational temperature range from -25 to 85C with a continuous current up to 0.69A and a peak of up to 3A. The speed can be controlled from down to 5 rpm and up to 8,000 rpm. Custom firmware and software are available on request. All of the drives have factory preset current limits to protect the motor and electronics during normal operation. Upon request, the drives can be supplied with separate motor and electronics voltage supply connections. High reliability, high torque, compact slotless design with no cogging torque, and robust construction without the use of adhesives make this new series useful for applications like

ISO 9001

ISO 13485

robotics, automation, medical and laboratory technology, specialty machinery and aerospace. MICROMO www.micromo.com

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The Lee Co.

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Thomas Products Publisher does not assume any liability for errors or omissions in this index.

S20 AEROSPA C E & DEFENS E / A S U P P L E M E N T T O D E S I G N N E WS JU N E 2011

[www.designnews .com]

Design Hardware & Software 45 [Design Hardware & Software continued from page 44]

Santos is a digital avatar that performs actions in the virtual world to help companies, like Ford, improve quality, safety and ergonomics on the assembly line.

the ground up or swinging an engine — anything to do with motion and dynamics — there are moments of inertia involved that are not accounted for if you’re just doing static analysis (of human modeling). The new thing is physics, which adds a real-world element of reality to it.” Santos Lightens Soldiers’ Loads The Santos project got its start in 2004 at the University of Iowa and through the years has received a variety of funding from partners, including several of the major automotive manufacturers, among them, Ford and General Motors, in addition to other Fortune companies like Caterpillar to its most prominent proponent — the U.S. military. This April, in fact, the VSR team was awarded a five-year contract valued at up to $8.6 million from the U.S. Navy for Santos’ work related to a project aimed at helping military personnel carry lighter loads into combat.The project, formally known as “Enhanced Technologies for Optimization of Warfighter Load” (ETOWL), is being conducted for use in both the Navy and Marines, using Santos to simulate the effect of equipment loads on military personnel from the standpoint of mobil-

ity and physical stress without having to place real human fighters in the field. Among the project’s deliverables: A set of computational modeling tools along with easy-to-use planning tools that leverage the models to enable small-unit leaders to evaluate the trade-offs of different equipment profiles across a squad for better decision making. Given the fact that the military, just like mainstream business, is dealing with budget shortfalls, virtual prototyping and avatars like Santos are key to designing optimal gear without adding millions of dollars in costs or years of prototyping time to the development cycle.“The very top generals have identified modeling and simulation as the key component that will save their design cycles cost and time,” says Abdel-Malek. Depending on the project, the different military branches will be able to outfit Santos with different gear, a war-time backpack, for example, and test such factors as how carrying the pack reduces a soldier’s mobility or what kind of physical stress is created by carrying the load for an extended period of time. Traditionally, the military has done this kind of testing with physical prototypes of proposed equipment on real-world soldiers, oftentimes, in the field. “It takes a whole team of people to make decisions on this stuff and before they make any kind of decision, they test the gear on different types of bodies,” AbdelMalek says. “It takes forever to do that and it’s difficult to make design changes and then go back and retest. With virtual prototyping, we give them a tool that saves them an incredible amount of time. And by predicting motion, they don’t have to bring humans in.”

VSR university team in 2008 spun off Santos Human Inc., a company charged with bringing a commercial version of the digital human modeling software to the commercial market. Honda, one of Santos Human’s corporate partners and a beta tester of the technology, currently employs digital human modeling software as part of its V6 implementation of Dassault Systémes’ CATIA 3D CAD and DELMIA digital manufacturing software. Despite the utility of these programs, the physics-based Santos will up the ante in terms of evaluating fatigue factors or determining if a bend or reach is too much over a period of time during an employee shift, according to Bryan Beeney, engineering coordinator at Honda of America’s East Liberty plant. “The physics-based approach will show a reaction as a human body does,” he says. So, for example, if you put weight on the body, Santos can display what the human body will do to accommodate the additional weight — perhaps spread out the feet to find balance or lock in the hips to hold up the weight. “With a lot of these programs, you can load 80 pounds on an avatar and nothing changes,” he

Santos at Work In anticipation of similar needs Santos will play a key role in the U.S. Navy’s Enhanced Technologies in the corpo- for Optimization of Warfighter Load, a program to help military personnel rate market, the carry lighter loads into combat. w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m J u n e 2 0 1 1 D e s i g n N e w s

explains. “The data in the background changes, but visually, the avatar is static.” Ford, another Santos partner, has had great success with reducing factory floor injuries by employing traditional human modeling programs, including Jack from Siemens PLM Software. Today, digital Jack or Jill avatars assemble vehicles in the virtual world while a team evaluates manufacturing feasibility and assembly sequence, all well before any physical parts are produced, or tooling or workstations configured. While this approach has allowed Ford to reduce ergonomic issues related to its assembly operations far earlier in the R&D process when it is far less costly to reconfigure designs, there is even greater opportunity with Santos, according to Allison Stephens, Ford’s global technical leader in Assembly Ergonomics. Specifically, Santos will allow Ford to evaluate the long-term effects on tissue breakdown as it relates to repetitive tasks on the factory floor over the long term,

which as Stephens says, takes things to a whole new level. “The model is smart enough, because it’s physics-based, to calculate how much muscular force is needed to climb into a car, hold up an instrument panel or reach over to the center of a vehicle with a power tool to make something secure,” she explains. “This is not about comfort, but rather more about can I expect someone to do that once a Santos’ predictive dynamics capabilities apply general minute without going to rules of human body movement combined with complex the point of tissue damage mathematical models and robotics to deliver feedback or muscular fatigue.” on fatigue, speed, strength and torque. In the days prior to any kind of simulation, Stephens’ team would Static simulations through the use of Sieaverage around 300 design changes per mens’ Jack have helped Ford reduce that vehicle due to ergonomic issues related to number by 90 percent, but Santos can factory floor operations, costing as much help push it even further. “Even though as $45,000 per change because they were we’re down to only 30 issues (per vehicle), caught and made far into the design cycle. we’re still getting injuries on the plant floor because that requires more complex motion evaluation,” Stephens explains. Long term, she hopes to keep Siemens’ Jack on hand for static hand clearance and reach evaluations while leveraging Santos to do more complex and full simulations Get Reliable Angle Control to understand the cumulative impact on auto workers. Without Contact While Stephens is hopeful about SanThe RSC 2800 rotary tos’ promise, she admits there are still nagposition sensor features ging technical hiccups that prevent the non-contact technology, software from being exploited to its full high accuracy and clearly potential. Abdel-Malek, acknowledging the shortcomings, says we’re likely to defined specs for ultimate see significant progress within the year reliability and performance. that will ready Santos for a prime-time As with all Novotechnik • Angle measurements to 360º appearance. • Extended life >50 million movements products, the specs tell “The environment is so well-prepared • 12-bit resolution the story. Novotechnik’s now (for this kind of technology) with all • Independent linearity ±0.5% RSC 2800 Series sets the of the understanding of avatars, gaming • Repeatability <0.1% and Hollywood,” he says. “There’s been an standard against which • Sealed up to IP 67 incredible boost in terms of understanding others are measured. • Housing diameter of only 28mm (1.10 in) what it is and how it can help.” DN • Redundant output available

YourTurn...

For complete information, visit www.novotechnik.com/rsc28

Novotechnik U.S., Inc. 155 Northboro Road • Southborough, MA 01772 Telephone: 508-485-2244 Fax: 508-485-2430

D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

For More Information: Santos Human Inc.: http://www.santoshumaninc.com/ Siemens’ Jack: http://dn.hotims.com/34934-511

Source: The University of Iowa College of Engineering

46 Design Hardware & Software

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tighter spaces thinner materials lighter packages leaner designs stronger assemblies less “installed cost”

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48

Electronics & Test

roadway

Barriers Go electric

By Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics & Test

R Source: Moog Industrial Controls

oadway barriers, the last line of defense for hundreds of military installations and utility plants, are undergoing a transformation. Once powered exclusively by hydraulics, the giant barriers are now moving to simpler, greener electric actuators. For roadway barriers, that’s a big change. Designed to stop a 15,000-lb truck traveling at 50 mph, the beefy barriers have traditionally employed hydraulics as a means of quickly raising 6,000 lb of steel into the path of a truck.

Servo actuators lie in a pit beneath the concrete roadway. D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

“The idea was always to be able to stop the biggest, baddest truck you could find,” says Paul Roland, director of engineering at the American Physical Security Group (American PSG), a maker of roadway barriers. “They have to stop the truck with zero penetration and still be operable afterward.” Doing so with a servo motor and a ball screw, however, is a comparatively new idea. For more than a quarter-century, makers of the steel barriers have employed hydraulic actuators, largely because they offered — and still offer — tremendous power density. But barrier makers are teaming with electric actuator manufacturers to change that. “The servo is the only electric motor that can give you the power density you need for this application,” says, Don Bockhahn, product application manager for electromechanical actuators for Moog Industrial Controls, a maker of motion control products (including both electric and hydraulic products). “The power

Roadway barriers, which can measure 16 ft wide and weigh 6,000 lb, can stop a big truck traveling at 50 mph.

density is very similar to that of a hydraulic system, and that allows us to quickly raise the plates.” Protecting High-Value Targets Indeed, the roadway barrier plates need to be raised fast. The barriers, which came into being after the Beirut truck bombing that took the lives of 241 American servicemen in 1983, are called upon to lift giant metal plates into position in less than two seconds. The concept, originally proposed by the U.S. State Dept. more than a quarter-century ago, is intended as a means of stopping bombings like those in Beirut in ’83 and in Oklahoma City in 1995. The plates, which can measure up to 16 ft wide and weigh more than 6,000 lb, operate in a manner similar to that of a pre-hung door with an underground hinge. The actuators swing the

Source: American Physical Security Group

DC servo motor and ball screw replace hydraulics in barrier applications.

49

Configurable Connectors

Crash Arresting Chain System

Ball Nut / Rotor Actuator Translating Shaft

Vehicle Barrier

Encoder Stator

“door’s” free end upward, enabling it to stop a mammoth truck dead in its tracks. The U.S. military, along with utilities and private companies, use a surprising number of the barriers. They’re said to be employed at numerous government buildings around Washington D.C., at nuclear power plants, in hundreds of military installations around the world, and even at banks and courthouses around the U.S. “They’re used to protect any highvalue target that a terrorist could go after,” Bockhahn says. The barriers typically lie in a pit underneath a roadway. When a car or truck approaches, a guard can deploy the device’s steel plate by hitting an EFO (emergency fast operation) button. When the button is pushed, the system sends a signal to a servo controller. The servo controller, in turn, operates a servo motor that turns a ball screw, which moves a rod in and out of the actuator. American PSG employs a Moog Electric Linear Servo Actuator on its SW12 wedge barrier. During operation, the actuator is controlled by a Moog Servo Drive, which operates off standard three-phase, 230V or 460V ac current. The drive rectifies the ac current to a dc voltage, filters it, and modulates the pulsewidth to get the desired velocity. An encoder on the back end of the actuator “knows” the position and speed of the servo motor at all times. In essence, the servo drive closes the loop on the actuator by controlling current into the motor. As a result, it controls the torque of the motor and the force out of the actuator.

The electric actuator uses a 12-inch stroke length to raise the barrier to a height of about 40 inches.

“When the servo system gets a command to move, it accelerates at a pre-programmed acceleration rate, then decelerates to a target position,” Bockhahn says. “So we can make it accelerate smoothly up to pre-programmed speed, and then decelerate it to a position.” At high speeds, the actuator can travel a full 12-inch stroke length in about one second. It has a continuous force rating of about 6,200 lb and a peak capability of more than 16,000 lb. Engineers say that the choice of a dc servo motor is critical to moving the barrier plate into position. “If you use an ac motor, it’s not going to be able to move a barrier that big at that kind of speed,” Bockhahn says. Simplicity Is Key Until the last three or four years, hydraulics have dominated such applications, largely because of the need for power density. Today, hydraulics are still sold into roadway barrier systems, but electric actuators are growing in popularity. “It’s partly due to people wanting to go green,” says Roland of American PSG. “They feel there’s a positive environmental impact to be gained by using electrics, as opposed to hydraulics.” In truth, the environmental differences aren’t as great as they might seem. New vegetable-based oils don’t pose the same environmental worries as conventional hydraulic oils once did. With the vegetable-based products, maintenance workers can reportedly spill gallons of oil without concern.

“The real environmental threat of hydraulics is probably not as great as people imagine,” Roland says. Still, engineers say there are other advantages to be gained by using electric actuators on roadway barriers. The simplicity of a dc actuator, for example, makes it easy for users to speed up the movement of the barrier, merely by boosting the voltage. Moreover, Roland says that some users prefer the simplicity of maintenance that electric actuators offer. Unlike hydraulic systems, which incorporate pumps, cylinders, valves, accumulators and hoses, electric units have few parts and can be easily repaired and replaced. “Electric is much simpler,” Roland says. “It’s not nearly as intimidating to people as hydraulics.” To be sure, representatives at Moog aren’t proposing a universal move to electrics over hydraulics, especially since they manufacture both types of systems. But they do point to the higher force that’s now available from electric actuators, and they acknowledge that, as a result, the electrics are starting to move into applications such as the roadway barriers, which once were the exclusive province of hydraulics. DN Watch a video of the roadway barriers stopping a truck at http://dn.hotims. com/34934-512.

For More Information: American PSG: http://www.americanpsg.com/ Moog Industrial Controls: http://www.moog.com/ w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m J u n e 2 0 1 1 D e s i g n N e w s

Source: Moog Industrial Controls

The electric actuator uses a servo motor to turn a ball screw, which pushes the barrier into place.

50

Automation & Control

Integrated Safety Moves Beyond Outlier Status Though still considered a heretical idea by some engineers, the integration of safety and machine control on one controller is gaining increased acceptance with the help of new safety standards and the never-ending push for greater productivity. By Al Presher, Contributing Editor, Automation & Control

Impact of Safety Standards “The biggest dynamic for safety systems continues to be standards development with EN/ISO 13849 becoming mandatory this year,” says Tim Roback, manager of marketing — Safety Systems for Rockwell Automation. “That standard is fundamentally changing the way the industrial market thinks about safety. It is driving different behavior for the automation supplier, D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

Wireless safety panels are quickly moving into automotive and aerospace applications, especially for use on assembly lines.

Source: Siemens Industry Inc.

I

ntegrated safety continues to develop more potent solutions, driven by this year’s deadline for complying with European safety standards which make it a requirement to calculate the performance level achieved by each safety function in a system. But the equally important ongoing trend is a view of integrated safety as a key component in the drive to productivity and enhanced diagnostics. Along with a move to wireless operation, these developments are resulting in a new generation of machines that are increasingly being implemented using a single controller and one network for both failsafe and nonsafe devices.

RELIABILITY

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52 Automation & Control the machine builder and the end user.” EN 954-1 “Safety of Machinery” is a prescriptive standard that explains how to set up a safety system in terms of required component features and wiring configuration. However, EN/ISO 13849, which is scheduled to replace EN 954-1 at the end of this year, includes a reliability component associated with the determination of safety levels. Every component in the safety system consumes a certain amount of the safety budget needed to achieve a required safety level, and also affects the overall reliability of the system. Machine builders now have a greater burden to calculate the Performance Level (PL) achieved by each safety function. By following this standard, it’s possible that if the system is complicated enough, a user can select all Performance Level e- (PLe) rated products and not be able to achieve an overall PLe rating for the system. The reason is because individual components may consume varying amounts of the overall safety budget, and the reliability impact associated with the safety components is cumulative. “Now you have to be more knowledgeable regarding the design of your safety system and the parameters which affect the Performance Level calculations,” says Roback. “Additionally you need to access safety data associated with each component within a safety system.” Understanding these reliability aspects is challenging safety product providers to make sure that data is readily available and up-to-date. Increasingly, the safety market is introducing safety calculators to simplify the calculation process. Some calculators are developed by safety product providers, while others are developed by independent safety agencies and are free to use. Regardless of the calculator used, a critical requirement for the machine builder is that the libraries contain the safety data relevant for the components they intend to use in their systems. Machine builders who need to comply with EN/ISO 13849-1 will be forced to reevaluate their existing safety systems. Roback says that when they do that, they’re also going to learn some things D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

about what they actually need in terms of risk reduction and mitigation. “I think they’ll find that, in some cases, maybe they don’t need as much risk mitigation as they originally thought,” says Roback. “It’s also going to require some flexibility to implement exactly the level of safety they need. The macro trend we see coming is an industry that is becoming more intelligent consumers of safety, and helping drive optimized safety solutions.” One Network, One Controller An important ongoing trend with networked safety is the combination of failsafe operation and motion control in one controller. In the past, automated systems had a separate controller for motion and another controller for safety, but now all of these functions are often available in a single controller on one network. With the move to networked safety systems, especially those using industrial Ethernet, there are larger numbers of devices available on the network such as failsafe motor starters and drives. Most of these devices have traditionally been hardwired and provide a minimal level of diagnostics. “The main impetus behind putting safety on a network is to increase productivity,” says John D’Silva, marketing manager — Safety Integrated for Siemens Industry Inc. “The level of diagnostics that is available, for example, has a direct impact on reducing downtime.” “Now with safety networks, a large amount of safety data can be passed over the network in a failsafe way. This facilitates designing complex safety systems and architectures that are easy to implement,” he continues. Another key trend picking up speed is wireless safety. In automotive and aerospace assembly operations, plus warehouses, distribution centers or material handling applications, there is an incentive when it is difficult and expensive to do all of the wiring required to integrate the safety systems. Wireless is the perfect fit for applications because there is a desire to get rid of the wires. And the technology is easier and faster to implement, and uses a minimal amount of floor and

53

Robot

Source: CC-Link Partner Assn.

Lamp

Remote I/O unit

Safety romote I/O unit

Safety light curtain Safety switch

Safety power supply unit Safety CPU CC-Link Safety master module

CC-Link IE Field, the industrial Ethernet version of CC-Link, will be adding safety functionality and become the next-generation safety network within the CC-Link family later this year.

cabinet space. An added feature of wireless safety is mobile safety panels. Estops can be implemented on these panels because the location of the HMI panel has long played a central role in the diagnostic process. To determine the source of a problem, the operator often needed to go physically to the HMI. What the mobile safety panel does, using the wireless connection, is provide the operator with a safety panel in their hands. With the ability to walk around the machine and view diagnostic screens, using switching zone controls to view different parts of the process, the operator can control multiple machines with safety included. “Wireless is at the cutting-edge of technology for safety systems,” says D’Silva. “The feedback we get from customers is that it saves so much in terms of cable and cabling costs. It is great technology for OEMs because normally they would set up a system, test it out, take it apart and then ship it wherever it needed to go. Wireless makes it easier to build and ship systems and helps them with installation and commissioning of systems.” The mobile safety panel is an addition for a complete safety system with a PLC and a safety I/O. Now, the user has a wireless operator panel in their hand and can walk around and make changes from machine to machine. Wireless safety is quickly moving into automotive and aerospace applications,

especially for assembly lines.With final assembly in aerospace, for example, there are long lines for final assembly with a front section, back section and midsection all moving together. People are working on the plane as it moves very slowly. Imagine doing that with wires all around with the different front, mid and back sections of the plane turning nearly 360 degrees. “Now put a wireless system in and think of what it does for you,” says D’Silva. “It changes the entire outlook of the plant in relationship to flexibility and cost effectiveness.” Networked Safety Trends “The original driver for the safety network was to minimize wiring compared to hardwired systems in the past that required longer runs of wiring. But once you add a network, a more significant driver is access to status or diagnostic information,” says Chuck Lukasik, director of the CC-Link Partner Assn. “If a safety switch or pull chain causes the system to shut down, now it’s far easier to find out more information than in the past where components were individually wired. In general, safety networks are really driven by two areas: cost reduction and ease of troubleshooting,” he says. Going a step further, a safety system generally has a lot more going on than the actual safety inputs and other outputs that have to be controlled. Other devices such as indicator lights and devices might feed w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m J u n e 2 0 1 1 D e s i g n N e w s

Source: B&R Industrial Automation

54 Automation & Control

A relay-free SafeMC safety circuit from B&R Industrial Automation, installed in all ACOPOSmulti drives, automatically monitors how the motor responds to instructions from the servo drive using fully digital encoders that are certified according to EN/ISO 13849.

parts to a robot, for example, but aren’t considered part of the safety system. Increasingly, networks such as CCLink Safety are able to have these devices on the same network, including safety I/O devices as well as non-safety I/Os, so that the controller can perform those additional functions in addition to the safety functions. “It seems like more people have a desire to incorporate non-safe devices on the same network as the safe devices,” says Lukasik. “The reporting aspect is also growing significantly with intelligent devices providing more internal diagnostics.” Later this year, Lukasik says that CCLink IE Field, which is the industrial Ethernet version of CC-Link, will be adding safety functionality to become the next-generation safety network within the CC-Link family. The current version of CC-Link Safety is an RS485-based network, which is not Ethernet-based technology. This new safety network will operate at gigabit speed on Ethernet, and D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

allow safety devices and non-safety devices on the same network. “Like CC-Link IE Field, the safety version will feature a standard Ethernet physical layer,” says John Wozniak, P.E., automation networking specialist for the CC-Link Partner Assn. “One of the differentiators is the gigabit speed of CC-Link IE Field compared to other networks that typically operate at 100 megabit. As time goes on, the demand for faster networks just keeps marching on.” Another key differentiator is no requirement for the use of additional physical layer hardware such as switches in order to achieve absolute determinism. EtherNet/IP or Profinet networks, for example, typically require use of managed switches for every field device, which adds more hardware to the total system and increases setup complexity. With CC-Link IE Field devices, such as an I/O block or an HMI, each one has two RJ45 ports. So future devices compatible with the new IE Field Safety will

have a specific ASIC built into the device. Connecting additional devices is done in a daisy chain fashion rather than requiring additional network hardware such as Ethernet switches. Importance of Integrated Diagnostics “One of the biggest advantages with integrated safety is the integrated diagnostic functionality. In the past, machine and safety controls used to be separate from each other,” says Stephan Stricker, product manager for B&R Industrial Automation. “Machine builders were used to working with additional inputs for diagnostics, if they wanted to find out that somebody had pressed an E-stop button, etc. Now, more and more customers are realizing the value of the integrated diagnostics within their safety system because it brings added benefits to the machine.” Stricker says a key trend is that OEMs are starting to rethink their safety automation strategy when they design

55 this can be done through the operator interface. The safety controller will automatically make sure that the connected hardware has the correct safety setup. DN

For More Information: Rockwell Automation:

| BS11-02E |

machines. For them, safety is not a requirement anymore, but a way to improve their machine’s functionality that provides them a competitive advantage.With printing machines, for example, it’s a huge benefit if the end user can keep the machines running while refining the process or addressing potential safety issues. “If a person steps into a machine’s safety zone, there usually is a neutral area before the person reaches into the really dangerous zone,” says Stricker. “In this case the machine can slow down, once the person is in the neutral area, or at least decelerate more slowly rather than come to a complete full stop that would happen in a real emergency situation.That’s a huge benefit because these machines require a lot of effort to start them back up from a full stop.” The major issue is not just production downtime, but the effort and manual time required to restart the machine. In most cases, stopping one part of the machine line is affecting the whole production process.With a bottling machine, all of the production in front of the line would also have to stop. It’s a whole chain that comes to a complete stop and then needs to be restarted again. Stricker says that these kinds of situations can now be avoided with programmable safety. One interesting development from B&R Industrial Automation is the ability to change the safety system set-up on-thefly using an approved certification procedure. In the past, an engineer would need to be available to manually update a machine because an end user couldn’t change the safety software on a running machine. “Now we have a software and technology procedure that allows this for customers, and enables them to use a lot of different machine options,” says Stricker. If a machine has different sections that can be assembled or disassembled on a weekly or monthly basis a consistent safety solution can become difficult. The traditional way would be to see each section as an individual safety part. Integrated safety allows you to have one single safety controller that adjusts the safety configuration according to the hardware that is connected. With certified function blocks

http://dn.hotims.com/34934-513 B&R Industrial Automation: http://dn.hotims.com/34934-514 Siemens Industry Inc.: http://dn.hotims.com/34934-515 CC-Link: http://dn.hotims.com/34934-516

Cost-effective EtherNet/IP Products – Wherever You Need Them. Beckhoff I/O Speaks Your Language.

www.beckhoff.com/EtherNet_IP I/O and Beyond: Beckhoff EtherNet/IP Solutions in IP 20 and IP 67 ratings: Reduce EtherNet/IP infrastructure costs with Beckhoff I/O and connectivity solutions Beckhoff‘s direct sales and engineering can help you match the right I/O and controllers for your EtherNet/IP-enabled machines. Seamless connectivity to 3rd party EtherNet/IP devices is assured Clear path to EtherNet/IP controls connectivity via TwinCAT EtherNet/IP Slave and Beckhoff PC-based controllers. From Industrial Ethernet to legacy networks, most major fieldbuses are well-covered by the Beckhoff I/O system. IPC I/O Motion Automation

56

Need to vent?

Social

engineering

Alt Energy Smackdown By DAVID GREENFIELD, Editorial Director

Need informed feedback?

Now there’s one place to do it all! Design N ews’

System & Product Design Engineering group. http://bit.ly/designnewsLI NI supports the improvement of engineering by connecting engineers with social media.

Now that various forms of alternative energy have gained some serious credibility over the past few years — as well as a good dose of public and private funding — it seemed a good time to ask the engineers on our System & Product Design Engineering group on LinkedIn (http://bit.ly/ designnewsLI) what they thought. The question we put to them was this: Wind, solar or biofuels? Which do you think will have the biggest impact first? Like any group of people, our LinkedIn group is not without its wisecrackers. As Bob White, president and chief engineer at Embedded Power Labs, put it: “Wind and biofuels are simply different ways of harvesting solar power.” While he’s certainly correct, we could just end the discussion saying that all life and forms of energy on the planet wouldn’t exist without the sun, so it’s really all just various forms of solar power. But what fun would that be? So, on with the discussion … Weighing in on behalf of biofuels was Daniel JohnsonO’Mara, an instrumentation technician at the University of Iowa Power Plant. “Storage is the principle problem (when it comes to) megawatts of solar and wind,” he said. Storage issues aside, biofuels definitely had its detractors. “I usually get angry when I see someone mixing biofuel with renewable energies like wind and solar,” said Emilijan Iljoski, general

manager at EiP Elektronika Co. He maintains that biofuels are as polluting as oil or coal, plus the fact that setting aside crops for biofuels manufacture leads to food cost and production issues for humans worldwide. Chris Stergiou, a mechanical and manufacturing system engineer, doesn’t consider biofuel a renewable energy source and therefore gives his nod to solar. “Since it is practically unlimited, relatively low efficiencies are tolerable as long as practical amounts can be converted with minimum physical footprints,” he said. Taking a different tack on the discussion, Andrew Wright, machine design and electronics sales at Wright Track Enterprises Inc., suggests that it is not a question of which will have the most impact based on its own merits as an energy source. Instead he contends the answer will be all about which one experiences the biggest comeback (since none of them are new) once people “finally grow tired of rising fuel prices.” Based on his own experiences in building an off-thegrid home, Wright said that “while my county’s building restrictions aren’t prohibitive, trying to get someone to insure the home has proven a challenge.” He added that in North Dakota (where he’s building), the “individual and business tax incentives for adding alternative energy sources to your property were low to non-existent last time I checked.” DN

“Wind and biofuels are simply different ways of harvesting solar power.”

D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

CONNECTED CONNECTING PRODUCTS TO POSSIBILITIES. WE’RE IN IT.

We live in a world of connections. And for more than 50 years, no company has helped connect and protect the flow of power and data in more products than Tyco Electronics.™ We’ve changed our name to better reflect who we are and what we do. Connecting products to possibilities to help technology be smarter, faster and better than ever before. Learn more at te.com/dn

EVERY CONNECTION COUNTS

© 2011 Tyco Electronics Corporation, a TE Connectivity Ltd company. All Rights Reserved. TE Connectivity, TE Connectivity (logo) and Tyco Electronics are trademarks of TE Connectivity Ltd companies.

Design

Decisions

Pump Retaining Ring Selection Knowing the trade-offs associated with retaining clip options in centrifugal pump intake designs is critical to delivering optimal flow. By HENRY YATES, Rotor Clip Co. Inc.

Centrifugal pumps are used in a variety of appli-

cations where fluid has to be delivered from one point to another. Some applications require special materials because some of the components of the pump come in contact with corrosive mediums like acid, salt water, oil or mud. A well-known application for a centrifugal pump is to deliver liquid gas into a gas turbine of a power plant. A filter placed in front of the conveying units/impeller in these pumps prevents unwanted particles in the liquid gas from passing through the pump. This is important because these particles could cause damage if they find their way into the turbine. Because these pumps are designed to operate with the highest possible efficiency, the pump needs a nearly 100-percent homogenous incoming flow with a minimum amount of turbulence. Requirements such as these are why the positioning of the filter in the system design is so critical. When deciding how to fix the filter in the intake side of the pump, designers may initially consider a tapered section internal retaining ring. However, there is the risk that the lugs of the ring could cause unwanted turbulence, since the incoming flow could be influenced by these barriers. A constant section single-turn snap ring can be considered as an alternative, but the gap created by this type of ring can influence the incoming flow, as well. One solution to these issues is to use a retaining ring that offers a 360-degree closed surface without radial deformations, which could influence the incoming flow negatively. A two-turn, spiral-wound internal retaining ring will do the job. Another advantage to using this type of ring is that it can be combined with a single-turn wave spring with overlapping ends to balance possible axial play in the application, which can result from an array of manufacturing tolerances as well as thermal expansion during operation of the pump. When it comes to material selection for these rings, AISI

Source: Rotor Clip Co. Inc.

58

A two-turn, spiral retaining ring and a single-turn wave spring were selected to retain the filter element in this centrifugal pump. The 360-degree contact with the groove eliminates any unwanted turbulence as liquid flows from the pump through the filter.

316 Stainless Steel is the standard for salt-water contact. For other applications with high corrosive mediums and higher temperatures, Inconel X-750 is the most common material. Both spiral and wave springs can be made out of any material that meets the demands of the application. Using the combination of spiral retaining ring and wave spring to fix the filter element allows for the ring to be easily disassembled using the standard removal notches on the ring and a screw driver to service or change the filter element. DN

Henry Yates, is technical sales engineer of Rotor Clip Co. Inc., Somerset, NJ. For more information, go to www.rotorclip.com. D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

Flexible and compatible I/O.

Learn about B&R IP20 and IP67 rated solutions at

www.discover-automation.com ᪺ Intelligent diagnostics for maximum machine performance ᪺ 6upports open I/O platforms for Àeldbus technolog\ ᪺ Minimal wiring for maximum CPU performance ᪺ Innovative 3-piece design for “hot swapping” ᪺ (as\ integration into existing topologies ᪺ 20 high densit\ I/O options ᪺ Integrated safet\ functions

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60

Design Engineering

Products

Best of the Engineering Marketplace Compiled by Lauren Muskett, Assistant Editor

Electronics & Test Vicor’s Brick Bus Converters For 36 to 60V input power systems using 5:1 or 4:1 bus converters

Vicor Corp.’s IBC050 series of wide input range VI Brick Bus Converters are available as drop-in upgrades for industry-standard 5:1 and 4:1 converters. The new eighth and quarter bricks

verters, IBC050 modules cut transient response time by a factor of 10, eliminating the need for external bulk capacitors. Power density and conversion efficiency are useful for OEMs seeking to maximize performance across a range of applications, including telecommunications, computing, data storage, networking and Power-over-Ethernet.

Vicor Corp. www.vicorpower.com

Belden’s High-Definition Broadcast BNC Connectors For the professional broadcast and audio/video market

achieve up to 98 percent efficiency from a 36 to 60V input voltage range at power levels of up to 650W. With its wider input range, the IBC050 series also provides 2,250V dc isolation from input to output. The wider input range complies with ETSI EN300 132-2 for -48V telecom applications requiring 5:1 or 4:1 bus conversion from input voltages 36 to 60V. The higher input-to-output isolation complies with IEEE 802.3 Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) standards. Owing to their low effective output resistances, IBC050 series modules support output bus voltages of 7 to 12V (5:1) or 8.7 to 15V (4:1) over the line and load range. IBC050 series modules use Vicor’s Sine Amplitude Converter topology and are pin-compatible. The new VI Brick Bus Converters use the ZCS/ZVS resonant converter technology. Switching at approximately 10 times the frequency of square wave conD e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

Belden’s Brilliance High Definition (HD) BNC Connectors were designed for use with Belden Brilliance Precision Video Coaxial cables. The connectors provide better than -20 dB Return

separate components for faster installation. The 1-Piece connectors provide holding strength and weather resistance with the internal 360-degree compression rings. A non-blind entry ensures that the center conductor is properly inserted into the center pin. Improved insulation materials (PTFE) help to deliver maximum Return Loss performance. The HD Brilliance 1-Piece BNC Locking Connector has an optional patented screw-on locking collar, which securely aligns the connector and locks the bayonet nut of the BNC in place. By stabilizing and reducing the amount of potential movement between the connector and cable, the Belden HD Brilliance Locking Connector delivers a Return Loss performance exceeding -40dB at 4 GHz.

Belden http://www.belden.com/

Bel Fuse’s Medium-Blow Fuses For higher current applications

Loss performances through 4.5 GHz, exceeding the SMPTE specification requirements. The new Belden Brilliance HD Connector line is comprised of 1-Piece BNC Compression Connectors with optional locking feature, 3-Piece BNC crimp connectors and connector tools for both 1- and 3-piece connectors. Belden’s HD Brilliance 1-Piece BNC Compression Connector design eliminates the pin, collar and connector as

Bel Fuse’s square ceramic surfacemountable SMM Series of 3812 size medium-blow fuses have rated current values up to 30A and with voltage ratings up to 250V ac and 65V dc. They are RoHs-compliant, Pb- and halogenfree. The SMM Series have 20, 25 and 30A ratings and an operating temperature

62 Design Engineering Products

range of -55 to 85C with proper derating. At 100 percent of ampere rating, opening time is four hours minimum; 60 sec maximum at 200 percent of ampere rating. Fuses are manufactured of ceramic bodies with matte tin-plated brass caps. Parts are provided on 13-inch reels, 2,000 per reel. The new SMM fuses are useful for overcurrent protection in a broad spectrum of high-current applications in which a small form factor device is specified to optimize board space. Included among their most common usage is in the protection of highcurrent circuits (primary or secondary) of larger power supplies, as well as in the protection of (telecom) backplane structures from overloads or short circuits, which could disrupt an entire system. The SMM fuse can isolate a specific section or circuit, allowing the remaining circuits to function normally. Bel Fuse Inc. http://belfuse.com/

Automation & Control Baumer’s Compact Actuator with CANopen Interface Absolute multi-turn position detection and integrated controller

Baumer’s compact FlexiDrive MSBA actuator is a complete multi-turn absolute positioning system. It consists of a brush-type geared dc motor, a magnetic position sensing unit, a regulator and a CANopen feedback interface. The housing measures 42 mm in diameter and can be customized with flexible gear combinations, extended

functions and diagnostic options. The FlexiDrive MSBA actuator retains position data even when being moved or turned off. Incorporated dynamic overload protection via overspeed limiting protects against overload as the device’s internal thermal regulation shuts the motor down at temperatures in excess of 110C. System safety and performance is enhanced by current limiting and the intelligent blocking management. The actuator is available with a gear ratio between 3.7:1 and 307.54:1 and a maximum resolution of 15 degrees. The device requires no separate controller and includes digital hardware inputs and outputs for easy programming by the user.

Baumer www.baumerelectric.com/usa

AAC’s Series of Air Springs For air compressors, laundry machines and air blowers

A new series of five air springs from Advanced Antivibration Components are designed to offer a stroke-to-compressed-

height ratio when compared to air cylinders. They are designed for operating temperatures of -20 to 60C (-4 to 140F). Identified as the V11Z48M..., the mounts have a minimum load range of 51 (112) to 612 kgf (1,349 lb). Their maximum loading ranges from 102 (225) up to 1,020 kgf (2,249 lb). The diaphragm is made of synthetic rubber and the body is made of steel. Applications include their use in: air compressors, laundry machines, pumps, air blowers and grain vibrators. Advanced Antivibration Components http://www.vibrationmounts.com/

63

Banner’s Multi-Hop Data Radio Allows wireless connection of modbus nodes in up to 50 locations

The new Multi-Hop Data Radio from Banner Engineering extends the company’s SureCross wireless systems by repeating transmissions in 3 km “hops” to a multi-hop total of 20 km or more. Multiple units can be placed to allow signals to pass over hills and other obstacles that would block a single wireless hop. The Multi-Hop Data Radio can be used to directly connect field devices, including PLCs, Controllers, HMIs, DCSs, transmitters, level, pressure and temperature sensors. It allows extension of the Modbus communication protocol to many applications where wiring is impractical because of distance or accessibility. It can also be connected with digital, analog or

temperature signals using other Banner wireless products. The large wireless networks enabled by the new radio provide previously unavailable information to users in a wide range of industries. In irrigation, soil moisture can be measured, zone valves can be operated and flow rate measured. In automated

THE ROBOTICS INSTITUTE

parking applications, thousands of parking spots city-wide can be monitored. More traditional applications include tank level, pressure, flow and temperature monitoring in a variety of markets. Using the Multi-Hop Data Radio, clusters can be combined and connected to create systems with 2,400 wireless points, covering more than 100 square km. For even larger systems, multiple wireless networks can co-exist in the same physical area without interference. The radios are configured for rapid connection to all remote and central control elements in a network. They can be powered by 10-30V dc, battery or solar power supply, allowing wireless repeaters to be placed where power is not available.

Banner Engineering http://www.bannerengineering.com/en-US/

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Round, Flat and Connectable Polyurethane Belts Samples available at little or no cost.

DIAMETAPE BELT MEASURING TOOL

Allows for accurate, non destructive measurements on o-ring and belt inside diameter (ID) or inside circumference (IC). Available in Standard and Metric Sizes.

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64 Design Engineering Products

Materials & Assembly AZCO’s SUR-SIZE Sheeter TS-54 For materials including films and rubber products

AZCO Corp.’s SUR-SIZE TS-54 is a compact sheeter that can accommo-

date materials including films, foils, paper, nonwovens, corrugated and rubber products. Place the roll onto the unwind support and the material is fed to the traveling knife assembly. From a color touchscreen, the opera-

tor enters the length and the number of pieces and the unit automatically feeds out and cuts to the predetermined length and number. As the material leaves the unit, it exits to a takeaway conveyor for manual stacking or the takeaway conveyor can be replaced with an optional stacker. This unit requires 110V and air.

AZCO Corp. www.azcocorp.com

Master Bond’s Low Thermal Expansion Epoxy Formulated with a special blend of polymeric and inorganic materials

Master Bond EP30LTE-LO is a twocomponent epoxy with a low thermal expansion coefficient. Service-

able over the temperature range of -60 to 250F, EP30LTE-LO cures at room temperature with 85 percent of its maximum strength developed within 48 hours. Faster cures are possible at elevated temperatures. This 100-percent reactive epoxy features a low coefficient of thermal expansion of 12x10-6 in/in/C and a low shrinkage rate of less than 0.0002 in/in. It bonds well to metals, glass, ceramics, wood, vulcanized rubbers and most D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

Literature Plus

65

The latest in design guides, catalogs and other product information from the OEMs. Please enter reader service number at http://designnews.hotims.com for additional information from manufacturers. To advertise call 800-387-3469 DN55574078 LC.01

DN 1012 jp.01

ADVANCED CERAMIC SOLUTIONS

Boker’s 2011 Washer Catalog

Astro Met’s unique advanced ceramics provide cost effective solutions to material performance problems in a wide range of demanding applications. “Amalox 68” a 99.8% alumina ceramic and “Amzirox 86” a yttria stabilized zirconia provide superior wear resistance, corrosion resistance, high temperature stability, low thermal expansion, high stiffness to weight ratio, biocompatability and high dielectric strength.

Boker’s 2011 Washer Catalog features over 25,000 non-standard flat washer sizes available with no tooling charges. Outside diameters of 0.080” to 5.140”, a wide variety of inside diameters and thicknesses and over 2,000 material options provide endless possibilities. ISO 9001:2008 Registered

Astro Met, Inc.

Boker’s, Inc. T: 888-927-4377 • F: 800-321-3462 Email: [email protected] Web: www.bokers.com/dnlw

Cincinnati, OH 45215 T: 513- 772-9080 Web: www.astromet.com

http://dn.hotims.com/34936-6000

MINIATURE & SMALL MECHANICAL CABLES, CABLE ASSEMBLIES, & PULLEYS CABLE SOLUTIONS! Call SAVA Industries to request our comprehensive 36-page Design Guide featuring miniature & small steel cable from .006-3⁄8”, push pull varieties, high fatigue drive & low stretch cables, plastic & steel idler pulleys from 3⁄8” to 6”, a huge selection of end terminals for steel cables & much more.

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THERMOCOUPLES, MAKE YOUR OWN HotSpot welding unit allows tc wire to be formed into freestanding beads or welded to metal surfaces. The HotSpot provides a quick, simple, accurate, low cost means of fabricating thermocouples on a “when needed and where needed” basis. Photos and descriptions of thermocouple construction and use available.

DCC Corporation T: 856-662-7272 Web: www.dcccorporation.com

Carl Stahl Sava Ind Inc. 4 North Corp. Dr. • Riverdale, NJ 07457 T: 973-835-0882 • F: 973-835-0877 55566901 initials.pass http://dn.hotims.com/34936-6002

POSITION TRANSDUCERS

DN 55573889 http://dn.hotims.com/34936-6003

LC.1

Shake Me!

16-page Engineering Guide describes how to select and use Inductosyn® and Electrosyn® position transducers for demanding applications. Rotary Inductosyn® and Electrosyn® transducers provide absolute and incremental position information accurate to ±0.5 arc seconds or better. Resolution to 26 bits. Linear transducers are accurate to ±40μ inches or better, with sub-μ inch resolution.

Farrand Controls Valhalla, NY USA T: 914-761-2600 • F: 914-761-0405 E-mail: [email protected] www.ruhle.com

Magnum 6KM Mobile Ethernet Switch—military tough. When the going gets rough for rolling stock, vibration and shock can halt your network. Hook your industrial network up to this hardened Ethernet switch featuring • • • • •

M12 heavy-duty port connectors Hardened steel case Extended operating temperatures Fiber, copper wiring options, PoE Compliance with IEC 61373 standards

With all the things you need to worry about, your network shouldn’t be one of them. http://dn.hotims.com/34936-6004

http://dn.hotims.com/34936-6005

w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m J u n e 2 0 1 1 D e s i g n N e w s

66 Design Engineering Products

plastics, and produces bonds with a tensile strength over 5,000 psi. This electrically insulative system resists thermal cycling and chemicals including water, fuels and many acids, bases, salts and organic solvents. It has a long working life of up to 60 min for a 200 g mass. EP30LTE-LO has a 10:1 mix ratio by weight and can be applied with a spatula, knife, trowel, brush or paint roller. It can also be readily cast as thick as 1 inch without undue exotherm developing. Master Bond http://masterbond.com/

PennEngineering’s SpringLoaded Plunger Assemblies For quick repositioning of equipment without tools

PEM Type PTL2 spring-loaded plunger assemblies allow users to quickly and

easily move racks, slides, access panels and similar equipment to new positions without requiring tools. If necessary, a unique lockout feature keeps the fastener’s spring-loaded plunger retracted until the plunger pin drops into final position. A quarter-turn of the fastener enables the retracted locking and unlocking actions. Type PTL2 spring-loaded plunger

assemblies install permanently in aluminum or steel sheets as thin as .060 inch (1.53 mm) with hardness of HRB 80 or less or HB 150 or less. Their engineering allows the reverse side of the sheet to remain flush when the plunger is retracted These fasteners install into properly sized mounting holes in a sheet. The fastener is placed into a recessed anvil and then the work piece (punch side) is placed over the fastener’s shank. With punch and anvil surfaces parallel, installation is completed by applying squeezing force until the shoulder of the retainer comes into contact with the sheet material. As a variation of these fasteners, Type PSL2 spring-loaded plunger assemblies are available on special order without the lockout feature.

PennEngineering www.pemnet.com

DN55573945 LC01

SEAL MASTER® INFLATABLE SEALS, ACTUATORS & GRIPPERS Solve difficult, awkward design problems with Seal Master® Inflatable Seals. Custombuilt, fabric reinforced, and fully molded, these elastomeric seals and other pneumatic specialties offer close tolerance capability and resistance to compression. Use for imaginative production / processing applications too. Design assistance offered.

Seal Master Corporation

POWER TRANSMISSION STRETCH BELTS Pyramid Inc. has manufactured round and flat Pyrathane® belts for over 40 years. Pyrathane® belts are used in a wide variety of low and fractional horsepower drive applications such as live-roller conveyor systems, as well as transport devices for paper, currency and small parts. Pyrathane® belts are manufactured to our customers’ specifications and are of the highest quality with exceptional abrasion resistance and durability.

Pyramid Inc. 522 N. 9th Ave. E. • Newton, IA 50208 Phone: 641-792-2405 • Fax: 641-792-2478 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.pyramidbelts.com

T: 800-477-8436 • F: 330-673-8242 Email: [email protected] www.sealmaster.com http://dn.hotims.com/34936-6006

http://dn.hotims.com/34936-6007

New Pulley Catalog “B216”

2011 SPEC® Catalog

BRECOflex CO., L.L.C. announces its new pulley catalog “B216” for made-to-order and stock pulleys. The new domestic “CNC” state-of-the-art pulley manufacture allows for precise machining standards, leading to superior product quality and quick product availability. BRECOflex CO., L.L.C., is providing finished precision pulleys made to specification and stock pulleys with pilot bores, for immediate delivery. Made-to-order pulleys are available with normal backlash, reduced backlash “SE” or zero backlash “0” tooth gap design. Call for our free engineering support! Phone: 732-460-9500 or toll-free at 888-463-1400; Email: [email protected]

New products in Associated Spring-Raymond’s SPEC® 2011 catalog include complete lines of 316 Stainless Steel Extension and Torsion springs, Inconel® Compression springs and new lines of gas struts and associated hardware. Check our extended range of Belleville and disc spring washers, Clover®Spring Washers and in-stock, precision-engineered springs and washers for your prototyping and design needs.

http://dn.hotims.com/34936-6008

associated Spring-Raymond, Barnes group Inc. Maumee, Ohio 43537 U.S.A. Phone: 1.800.872.7732, Fax: 1.419.891.9192 [email protected]; www.asraymond.com/spec-spd/ http://dn.hotims.com/34936-6009

Advertisers Advertiser

Page

Ace Controls

65

Digi-Key Corp.

Allied Electronics

C3

Exair Corp.

APM Hexseal Corp.

10

Farrand Controls

65

Pyramid Inc.

Associated Spring Raymond

66

Galil Motion Control

29

Rockwell Automation

34

Astro Met

65

Garrettcom

65

AutomationDirect

27

Henkel of America

25

Rotor Clip Co. Inc.

62

Seal Master Corp.

66

Siemens Industry Inc.

23

11, 17

Avnet

Advertiser

67

in this issue

Page C1, C2

IMS Schneider Electric Motion

Kollmorgen Motion Technologies 16A, 16B

Banner Engineering Corp.

31

Lapp USA

51

Beckhoff Automation LLC

55

Master Bond Inc.

14

Bergquist Co.

35

Metal Powder Industries Federation 36, 38

10, 65

33

Moog Inc.

Brecoflex

66

Mouser Electronics

Carl Stahl Sava Industries

65

National Instruments

Carlyle Johnson Machine LLC

16

Northwire Inc.

Carnegie Mellon University

63

Novotechnik U.S. Inc.

Clippard Instrument Lab.

19

Omega Engineering

CSA International DCC Corp.

2 65

8 37

PTC (Parametric Technology Corp.)

52, 53

59

Page

Proto Labs Inc.

3

B&R Industrial Automation

Bokers Inc.

Advertiser

6 21, 56 7 46

63, 66

Siemens PLM Software

4

Smalley Steel Ring Co.

32

SolidWorks Corp.

15

TE Connectivity Ltd.

57

Tech-Etch Inc.

67

The MathWorks

C4

Turck Inc.

39

Ulbrich Stainless Steel

64

1

PennEngineering

47

Phillips

12

Publisher does not assume any liability for errors or omissions in this index.

Etched Metal Parts

Board Level Shielding

All Stainless and Copper Alloys Plus Tungsten, Titanium, Elgiloy, Molybdenum and Nitinol

New Low-Profile Board Level Shields with Snapon Dimpled Covers Offer Heights Down to .060"

● Photoetching and in-house forming, laminating and plating.

● Photoetching process and Universal Form tooling enable complex shields to be delivered in just a few days, including new SlimShield.

● Burr-free, stress-free parts in intricate and complex shapes. ● Shortens lead times and eliminates costs of hard tooling. ● Improves design flexibility. ● Permits specifying more intricate geometry without significant tooling cost. ● Materials as thin as .0005". ● Prototype quantities and large production runs. ● Provides true repeatability and accuracy.

● Internal dividers for multi-cavity designs.

Thrust Bearing Plate etched from .020" Stainless Steel with depth-etched fluidic channels.

● No tooling charges for standard designs.

MicroEtch® Screens etched from Stainless Steel with holes from .003" and up.

● Economical standard single-piece and two-piece shields.

Custom Shield etched from .008" BeCu, ● Over 25 years supporting formed, heat treated & Tin plated.

medical applications

● SMT or Through Hole Mounting features in any configuration.

● Through holes and slots for heat dissipation at no charge.

● Wide range of materials and finishing options. ● Soldered or resistance welded seams. ● Never an additional charge for depth etched logos or part numbers.

1-Piece Standard Designs save time and money. PDF sales drawings on website. 2-Piece Standard Designs have fence and separate cover. PDF sales drawings on website. New Low-Profile 2-Piece Standard Designs as low as .060". PDF sales drawings on website.

Capabilities Brochure and Full Specs at

www.tech-etch.com

ISO 9001:2008 REGISTERED

TECH-ETCH, INC., 45 Aldrin Road, Plymouth, MA 02360 • TEL 508-747-0300 • FAX 508-746-9639 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m J u n e 2 0 1 1 D e s i g n N e w s

68

GADGET FREAK The Gadget Freak® Files Case #188

ADVERTISEMENT “ROCKET DÉJÀ VU” Amt

Rocket Controller Goes Wireless HERE’S A WIRELESS WAY to launch a rocket. Gadget Freak William Grill modified his rocket igniter from an early Gadget Freak submission, Case #124: Controlling the Rocket Fire. The earlier model included an igniter “fuse” monitor and single discrete LED display. William re-tooled with this new gadget. This one has similar function, but now it comes with a wireless feature that eliminates the wired link, thus freeing the user ... to get out of the way. See William’s original gadget at http://dn.hotims.com/34934-517. DN Are you a Gadget Freak? Design News and Allied Electronics would like to send you a check for $500 to spend on Allied’s website at www.alliedelec.com/gadgetfreak or anywhere you please. And don’t forget to supply us with a video file of your gadget in action. E-mail Design News your proposed project (must incorporate electronic components and involve sensing, motion, timing and/or networking elements) to rob.spiegel@ ubm.com, along with a description of how it works, a parts list, schematic, photos and video. If your project is selected, you’ll receive a $500 check from Design News and will be featured in an upcoming issue of the magazine or at designnews.com with your invention.

Part Description

Allied Part #

2

Resistor 100 ohm 1/8W 2

840-0027

1

Resistor 220 ohm 1/8W 1

896-5869

5

Resistor 10K ohm 1/8W

895-0355

1

Diode 1N4148

431-0614

1

P+NMOSFET 1 AOP605

273-2704

1

NPN Transistor

411-0029

1

Controller

383-0386

1

LED

782-0030

1

Perf Board

977-0088

1

4-AA Battery Holder

736-0482

4

AA Batteries

729-5173

DesignNews.com

Check out the Rocket Controller in action at www.designnews.com/GadgetFreak. Sign up for the Gadget Freak RSS feed and get the posts delivered directly to your desktop at http://www.designnews.com/rss. More of What You Need: Find schematics, build instructions and a full parts list at www.designnews.com/GadgetFreak. To get Gadget Freak delivered directly to your inbox, go to http://reg.designnews.com/newsletter/subscribe. For parts information, call (800) 433-5700 or go to www.alliedelec.com/gadgetfreak Sponsored by » Photo: Darren Mahuron

D e s i g n N e w s J u n e 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

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1.800.433.5700 © Allied Electronics, Inc 2011. ‘Allied Electronics’ and the Allied Electronics logo are trademarks of Allied Electronics, Inc.An Electrocomponents Company.

NEW

fully-assembled turnkey solutions Run, drive, or fly your Simulink design in real time, using Rapid Prototyping or Hardware-in the-Loop simulations on low-cost PC-based hardware. xPC Target provides a library of device drivers, a real-time kernel, and an interface for monitoring, parameter tuning, and data logging. It supports a full range of standard IO modules, protocols, and target computers.

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