DesignNews Magazine November 2011

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Accelerating Engineering Innovation

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The Truth About Compressed Air! If you think compressed air is too expensive and noisy - read this. The facts will surprise you!

Compare these Blowoffs

Facts about Blowers

There are a variety of ways to blow the water from the bottles shown in the photo below, but which method is best? To decide, we ran a comparison test on the same application using four different blowoff methods: drilled pipe, flat air nozzles, Super Air Knife (each using compressed air as a power source), and a blower supplied air knife (using an electric motor as a power source). Each system consisted of two twelve inch long air knives. The following comparison proves that the EXAIR Super Air Knife is the best choice for your blowoff, cooling or drying application.

Energy conscious plants might think a blower to be a better choice due to its slightly lower electrical consumption compared to a compressor. In reality, a blower is an expensive capital expenditure that requires frequent downtime and costly maintenance of filters, belts and bearings.

The goal for each of the blowoff choices was to use the least amount of air possible to get the job done (lowest energy and noise level). The compressed air pressure required was 60 PSIG which provided adequate velocity to blow the water off. The blower used had a ten horsepower motor and was a centrifugal type blower at 18,000 RPM. The table at the bottom of the page summarizes the overall performance. Since your actual part may have an odd configuration, holes or sharp edges, we took sound level measurements in free air (no impinging surface).

Here are some important facts: Filters must be replaced every one to three months. Belts must be replaced every three to six months. Typical bearing replacement is at least once a year at a cost near $1000.

Drilled Pipe

Blower Air Knife

This common blowoff is very inexpensive and easy to make. For this test, we used (2) drilled pipes, each with (25) 1/16" diameter holes on 1/2" centers. As shown in the test results below, the drilled pipe performed poorly. The initial cost of the drilled pipe is overshadowed by its high energy use. The holes are easily blocked and the noise level is excessive - both of which violate OSHA requirements. Velocity across the entire length was very inconsistent with spikes of air and numerous dead spots.

The blower proved to be an expensive, noisy option. As noted below, the purchase price is high. Operating cost was considerably lower than the drilled pipe and flat air nozzle, but was comparable to EXAIR’s Super Air Knife. The large blower with its two 3" (8cm) diameter hoses requires significant mounting space compared to the others. Noise level was high at 90 dBA. There was no option for cycling it on and off to conserve energy like the other blowoffs. Costly bearing and filter maintenance along with downtime were also negative factors.

Flat Air Nozzles

EXAIR Super Air Knife

As shown below, this inexpensive air nozzle was the worst performer. It is available in plastic, aluminum and stainless steel from several manufacturers. The flat air nozzle provides some entrainment, but suffers from many of the same problems as the drilled pipe. Operating cost and noise level are both high. Some manufacturers offer flat air nozzles where the holes can be blocked - an OSHA violation. Velocity was inconsistent with spikes of air.

The Super Air Knife did an exceptional job of removing the moisture on one pass due to the uniformity of the laminar airflow. The sound level was extremely low. For this application, energy use was slightly higher than the blower but can be less than the blower if cycling on and off is possible. Safe operation is not an issue since the Super Air Knife can not be dead-ended. Maintenance costs are low since there are no moving parts to wear out.

•

•

•

Blower bearings wear out quickly due to the high speeds (17-20,000 RPM) required to generate effective airflows. Poorly designed seals that allow dirt and moisture infiltration and environments above 125°F decrease the one year bearing life. Many bearings can not be replaced in the field, resulting in downtime to send the assembly back to the manufacturer.

Blowers take up a lot of space and often produce sound levels that exceed OSHA noise level exposure requirements. Air volume and velocity are often difficult to control since mechanical adjustments are required. To discuss an application, contact:

EXAIR Corporation 11510 Goldcoast Drive Cincinnati, Ohio 45249-1621 (800) 903-9247 Fax: (513) 671-3363 email: [email protected] www.exair.com/14/423d.htm

The Super Air Knife is the low cost way to blowoff, dry, clean and cool.

Blowoff Comparison Comp. Air Type of blowoff

PSIG BAR

SCFM

SLPM

Horsepower Sound Purchase Required Level dBA Price

Annual Electrical Cost*

Approx. Annual Maintenance Cost

First Year Cost

$5,478

Drilled Pipes

60

4.1

174

4,924

35

91

$50

$4,508

$920

Flat Air Nozzles

60

4.1

257

7,273

51

102

$168

$6,569

$1,450

$8,187

Blower Air Knife

3

0.2

N/A

N/A

10

90

$5,500

$1,288

$1,500

$8,288

Super Air Knife

60

4.1

55

1,557

11

69

$494

$1,417

$300

$2,211

*Based on national average electricity cost of 8.3 cents per kWh. Annual cost reflects 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year.

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Accelerating Engineering Innovation

Contents

November 2011 vol. 66 no. 11

www.designnews.com

46

42

60

Cover Story 42 Smarter Integrated Actuators Advanced communication options allow position feedback and data to flow more effectively between the actuator and controller. By Al PreSher

Features 46 Infotainment Grows Up The in-car PC is gone, but in-car connectivity is back, better and safer than ever. By ChArleS J. MUrrAy

56 retooling for Compliance Manufacturers are turning to PLM platforms and new supplier management processes to keep pace with the shifting compliance landscape and the need to manage more granular data. By Beth StACkPole

60 Injected Metal Assembly Can outperform Adhesives For small component joining and assembly production, injected metal assembly can outperform most adhesives while reducing manufacturing costs. By CAl CrAIG

Columns

MAde BY MonkeYs

18 lG refrigerator Gets Frozen out Design issues are evident in touchpanel lighting. C A P tA i n h Y B r i d

20 Chevy Volt: A Different kind of luxury TheVolt is smooth, quiet, and powerful, but the price tag is high. By ChArleS J. MUrrAy

Wolfe’s den

12 Digital Factory: Deal or No Deal?

sherloCk ohMs

The digital factory of the future faces challenges of cost, compatibility, and programmability as PLCs and PACs lurch towards an integrated production cycle.

66 the Case of the Mismarked resistor A tiny, nearly insignificant part can mess up a prototype. By MIChAel NeIDICh

By AleXANDer WolFe CAlAMities

P e t ro s k i o n e n g i n e e r i n g

14 A Design engineer’s Alphabet An A to Z guide of principles for good practice. By heNry PetroSkI

70 Fire Safety requires Proper repairs & equipment Design Careless repairs and questionable design result in a major fire loss. By MyroN J. BoyAJIAN

continued > Cover Image: La36 product illustration by Peter meder, Background by Hector Torres

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5

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Contents > continued

7

GADGET FREAK

80 Remote Control Fan Relief This remote is for a propeller fan that doesn’t require line-of-sight, which makes it easier to use in the dark.

Supplements

80

Trend Watch: Automation & Control

Departments 22 Engineering Matters New Technologies Can Extend Traditional Energy Supplies

24 Green Scene Environmental News Engineers Can Use

30 News Trends, Developments, Breakthroughs

64 Social Engineering WouldYou Buy an ElectricVehicle?

68 Design Decisions

26 Mechatronics Visualizing Fundamental Design Principles

28 Data Measurement & Analysis Six-Wire Technique Nulls Stray Resistance

CONEXAG-LS25027P

In-Line Equipment Innovation Ensures Full Cure of Light Cure Adhesives

71 Design Engineering Products Best of the Engineering Marketplace

Find information on the selection of controllers for brushless dc motors, pan and tilt applications with servos, cooling tower HVAC systems, interoperability in manufacturing, RFID automation, a new can seaming machine model, and a smallscale hydroelectric system that generates power from a nearby lake. These stories also appear online at www.designnews.com. DESIGN NEWS® (ISSN 0011-9407) is published monthly by UBM Electronics, 600 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030; 516-562-5000. Periodicals postage paid at Manhasset 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, $300.00 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 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 publisher 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: Pitney Bowes, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2. Printed in U.S.A. Copyright 2011 by UBM Electronics. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

Piezo Motor Innovations Designed For Your Needs Connect Easily, Control Simply. Since the introduction of its Agilis™ products, Newport has continued to deliver leading advancements in piezo-motor technology. Design and manufacturing innovations have led to a breadth of low-cost, high resolution,

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closed-loop or absolute positioning piezo-motor solutions used in cutting edge research and ideal for OEM applications in the areas of cytometry, ultrafast beam stabilization and genome research. Integrated CONEX™ controllers and our exclusive NSTRUCT™ enhanced instrument management software platform, simplify the setup and allows a single point of control for your entire instrument needs.

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If you’re looking for a solution – For Motion, Think Newport. Visit www.newport.com/piezo-11 or call 800-222-6440.

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automation & control

Mechatronics Zone

National Instruments has introduced two additions to its reconfigurable I/O (RIO) technology — a reconfigurable Camera Link frame grabber and a motion module for the NI CompactRIO platform.

Picking a right real-time operating system (RTOS) is crucial for medical device manufacturers, which obtain FDA and other regulatory approvals before releasing their devices for sale.

http://bit.ly/uH4gUj

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gadget Freak

Slideshow: Messiest engineering desks

A tree-climbing robot built by a high school senior uses the basic idea of a segmented robot with a front half and a back half, connected by a telescoping spine. The front half grips the tree, and the process repeats, with the robot climbing sort of the way an inchworm does. http://bit.ly/uuviN8

Here’s a slideshow of the messiest engineer’s desks submitted by readers of our sister site EE Times.

A recent study shows that vehicle production, including materials manufacturing, accounts for approximately 25 percent of the lifecycle emissions on a vehicle. The study looks at the embedded emissions that occur before a vehicle hits the road. http://bit.ly/umeRHW

Siemens PLM Software launches the first-ever 45-day free trial of the Solid Edge CAD and Femap simulation software, hoping a test drive will spark user adoption.

After a variety of experimental offerings, Autodesk took the wraps off Autodesk Cloud, a collection of a dozen Web services designed to deliver more flexibility for sharing, viewing, and collaborating on designs.

View now at: http://bit.ly/vAdXiu Automotive marketers have told us that cars are getting “smarter”, more efficient, and safer, but what is happening from a design engineering standpoint? This presentation looks at three areas where sensor and processing technology are helping to drive automotive design.

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OEM style daughter boards, like Maxon’s EPOS2 36/2 drive/controller, offer excellent flexibility in design, but require custom wiring solutions. This process is often too expensive and time consuming for designers who may not have the resources to undertake a complete development. The new EPOS2 36/2 motherboards make product development faster and easier, giving the designer either a standalone multi-axis motor controller or one that can be integrated into the final product as a sub board.

OEM Quick Guide to Surface Finishing

autodesk cloud Makes its official debut

Webcast: test with Better Sensor technology, Make Better cars

http://bit.ly/uZRSko

Product catalog

Maxon’s Multi Axis Motor Control EPOS2 36/2 Motherboard

training guide

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cad/caM corner

RESOURCE CENTER

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This preliminary guide, A Condensed Resource on Die Cast Part Surface Finishing for OEM Design Engineers & Specifiers, 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 ZA-8 — die casting alloys. http://dn.hotims.com/34948-501 aPPlication note

Top 5 Things You Need to Know When Selecting Directional Valves

Selecting the right valve to control system pressure, direction of flow and rate of flow is crucial when designing fluid power circuitry. This online resource features the top 5 things that must be considered when specifying directional valves for any pneumatic application. http://dn.hotims.com/34948-502

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The best color sensors and soap bubbles have something in common… thin-film technology. Perhaps the most interesting portion of a soap bubble’s life is when swirls of colors dance and move across its surface.

applications, it may not be good enough for precision control of high-brightness LEDs in lighting applications. This is due to their lossy filter characteristics (resulting is less sensitivity), dye stability and aging issues, and less than optimal passband overlaps. Transmission

Interference filter

Absorption filter

Passband

> 95%

60% – 70%

Out-of-band

< 1%

10% - 20%

Table 1 – Typical characteristics of interference and absorption filters

For demanding applications, especially when used in a feedback loop to control lighting, we need miniature color sensors built with interference filters covering the photodiodes. Such a sensor could leverage thin-film manufacturing techniques to deposit sequential stacks of Figure 1 – One of Nature’s interference filters filters directly on the photodiode surfaces. The end-product Recall that white light is composed of many colors, each would have high-sensitivity, precision passband control and corresponding to a particular wavelength. If you “absorb” edge-shaping, with superior long-term stability. certain wavelengths in the visible spectrum, the resultant reflected light is no longer white, as some colors will I recently started working with a company called be absent. One of the most precise tools for selectively MAZeT which is now introducing them. Their line of reflecting and passing colors is an interference filter. color sensors use interference filters deposited onto an array of PIN photodiodes. Particularly interesting in An interference filter is a sandwich of semi-reflective applications involving the human eye, some devices have surfaces separated by a “spacer” of given thickness. The interference filters tuned to mirror the eye’s tri-stimulus internal reflection causes some wavelengths to interfere response, as defined in DIN 5033 Color Measurement (e.g., a wave crest meets a wave trough and cancels out) Standard. It “sees” light the way we do. A complete colorwhile allowing a narrow spectrum to pass through. In controlled (or white light color temperature controlled) practice there are often stacks of these sandwiches placed system involves a color sensor front-end, microcontroller, sequentially to achieve the desired passband edge shapes. PWM-driven color or bi-chromatic LEDs, and an optical Since the refractive index of air (n = 1) differs from that feedback path for the sensor to sample the instantaneous of soapy water (n ≈ 1.3), the film is semi-reflective on mixed color/CCT being emitted. An evaluation board its inner and outer surfaces. Thus the soap film itself includes the sensor in a LCC8 package and USB becomes our “spacer”. Initially, this film might be interface. It’s shown below on my business card. many hundreds of nanometers thick, causing the longer wavelengths (red end of the spectrum) to destructively interfere. Without red reflecting back, the bubble appears greenish. As water evaporates and the film begins to thin, yellow wavelengths destructively interfere, leaving blue. Eventually green then blue wavelengths will no longer be reflected, and the bubble will appear magenta… then yellow… then… pop! Generally, color sensors are built using photodiodes having broad-spectral response. So to distinguish the individual values of red, green and blue light, the photodiodes have red, green and blue filters placed above them. These are absorption filters, made from dyes or pigments. While this is often acceptable for some

Cary Eskow is Global Director of the Solid State Lighting and Advanced LED business unit of Avnet Electronics Marketing. An ardent advocate of energy efficient LED-based illumination, he has 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 illumination-focused sales engineers who are experienced in thermal, drive stage and optics design. Prior to his LED 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]

Figure 2 – A MAZeT color sensor (with hexagonal window) mounted to a small PCB

If you’d like more information on MAZeT, visit our website (www.em.avnet.com/LightSpeed) or send a note to [email protected]. Your questions and comments are always welcomed

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

www.em.avnet.com/LightSpeed

12

Wolfe’s Den

Alexander Wolfe, Content Director, [email protected]

Digital Factory: Deal or No Deal? I’ve been thInkIng a lot about the “Digital Factory of the Future,” the term used to telegraph the increasingly hurried-up product to production cycles design engineers need to support via flexible automation setups. PLCs and PACs with higher capabilities for programmability and intercommunications are the cornerstone of this automated factory. The other linchpin is global programming capabilities, with the ability to deploy software out to remote or wirelessly connected production operations. Such tight interconnectedness lets plant engineers route sensor data back to a centralized location and monitor operations more closely than ever before. Whether you call this newfound f lexibility Totally Integrated Automation (Siemens) or Integrated Architecture (Rockwell) matters little; the benefits are the same. (I haven’t mentioned numerous other PLC vendors, nor National Instruments’ LabView graphical programming environment.) Yet there are roadblocks on the path towards a seamlessly integrated engineering tool chain and they’re often hard to articulate. How do engineers say that what they really want is a f lexible setup that can be reprogrammed at a moment’s notice without upsetting ongoing operations? Isn’t this what vendors are in some sense implicitly promising? Add to this the fact that you can’t know whether the f lexible chain you’ve bought into is all it’s cracked up to be until you attempt to implement your first stepfunction change. Yet you can’t get to that point without spending lots of money. That’s often not doable these days, and even when it is, guess who’s putting their job on the line? If you had to pin me down, I’d list the following as impediments we need to D e s i g n N e w s N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

overcome on the road to the digital factory of the future: • Cost, cost, cost. Engineers hear an attractive technological message from high cost, high value vendors in one ear, offset by the siren song of bargain online hardware in the other. • Understandability. I still don’t trust software where I can’t “see” the innards. Stuxnet makes that worse, by stoking my fears that gremlins might be permeating my plant. I want transparency, not just programmability. • Open standards and bus compatibility. When we can’t even agree on common terminologies amidst all the competing layers and standards, there’s a lot of work left to be done. • Safety. Strictly speaking, this is part of standards. A rising awareness of certifiable safety, spurring domestically by the need for global vendors to comply with European standards already on the books, is pushing this issue to the forefront. • Enterprisation of the factory. I’ve coined a word here — “enterprisation” — to put a name to another issue I have a hard time describing. What I mean is that the implementation of the integrated digital factory requires many more hands from the world of traditional information technology (IT) than plant people are used to. Do those people get it? Do they know what they don’t know? This is a soft, under-theradar challenge, but it could be the makeor-break issue. What do you think of my list? Send an email with your thoughts to [email protected].

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Sometimes you don’t know what you’re looking for until you find it. We might just have that solution for you. If your current design challenge involves access, positioning, or some kind of movement solution, talk to us—we’re the experts. From the discovery discussion to setting up the manufacturing line, we’ll be there with you, to help move your market forward.

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PETROSKI ON ENGINEERING An Engineer’s Alphabet of Thoughts on Design THERE ARE NO HARD and fast rules for achiev-

ing success in design, but there are principles of good practice. Here are some of my feelings on the subject, some thoughts and observations ranging from A to Z: Aesthetics. How something looks is always important. This does not mean that it has to be a work of art, just that it should Henry Petroski look appropriate to its function. Bugs. It is always better to assume that a design contains a bug than to believe that it does not. A designer should never check a design without having a supply of insecticide handy. Constraints. There should always be strings attached to a design idea; they keep it from f loating off into irrelevance. Design. This is the most creative and most fundamental aspect of engineering. Other engineering activities, including that called engineering science, should be in service to design. Economics. The self-made American engineer Arthur M. Wellington (1847-1895), in his book on the economic theory of the location of railways, defined engineering as “the art of doing well with one dollar, which any bungler can do with two after a fashion.” Failure. This thing that designers want most to avoid should always be first and foremost in their mind. Otherwise, how could they design against it? Glass Part Full. It has been said that engineers view a partly filled glass neither as optimists nor as pessimists: They simply see the glass as improperly designed.

Harmony. The members of any good design team should fit together like fingers in a glove: They need not lose their individual identities to work well together. Inventiveness. Engineers are as creative as inventors. Engineers just call their inventions designs. Judgment. Not all aspects of engineering can be quantified, and among those that cannot is judgment. This comes with experience, and it enables an engineer to make the right choice when there are no easy numbers to serve as guides. Know-How. Technical skill, also known as know-how, is a wonder to behold, whether in analysis or design.

Design without vision is like eyeglass frames without lenses. Lessons Learned. The old saying, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me,” applies to things made by people as well as to the people themselves. Mind’s Eye. This term has been used frequently by engineers to refer to their nonverbal visualization of concepts and designs. James Nasmyth (18081890), the Scottish engineer who invented the steam hammer, wrote at the time of its conception, when he sketched it out in his notebook, of “having it all clearly before me in my mind’s eye.” Neatness. Neatness always counts. A cluttered design, like a messy desk, can give an impression of

Henry Petroski is the Aleksandar S. Vesic Professor of Civil Engineering and a professor of history at Duke University. His latest book, An Engineer’s Alphabet: Gleanings from the Softer Side of a Profession, has just been published. He can be reached at [email protected]. D e s i g n N e w s N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

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Petroski on Engineering disorganization. It may be a false accusation, but why risk it? Overdesign. What overeating does to a person, overdesigning does to a product. Prototype. Nothing can be more beautiful to a designer than an ugly prototype that works. Quality. There is nothing more satisfying than a device that boasts quality of concept, quality of design, quality of components, quality of assembly, quality of appearance, and quality of operation. Redesign. If designing from scratch is akin to art, is redesigning akin to art criticism? Sketch. At the conceptual design stage, a sketch can be worth a thousand sentences. Theory. Throughout the history of technology, there has been the desire to make devices, like the steam engine and airplane, for which there was

insufficient theory on which to base design decisions. Sometimes engineering accomplishment has to precede scientific understanding.

accidents and worry which prevents them.” X. Embarking on a radical new design is like striking out into the unknown. While the letter x is associated with the unknown, it also marks the spot. Yes. Confronted with a design challenge, it is scientists — who think they know Nature’s secrets — who are likely to say, “No, it can’t be done.” Engineers are more likely to say, “Yes, we can do it.” Zen. In 1974, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by the American writer Robert Persig, was published; it has been assigned reading in many an engineering design course since. The book is a meditation on the nature of design and the idea of quality, good things for any designer to ref lect upon. DN

There should always be strings attached to a design idea; they keep it from floating off into irrelevance. Unknown Unknowns. Designing something that goes beyond the envelope of experience necessarily involves venturing out into unknown territory, where the “unk-unks” hide. Vision. Design without vision is like eyeglass frames without lenses. Worry. According the British aeronautical engineer James E. Gordon (1913-1998), writing of innovative designs, “It is confidence that causes

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LG Refrigerator Gets Frozen Out If the new deluxe LG fridge was not designed by monkeys, then it was surely designed by folks who never had to actually live with it and use it.The problem is design, not reliability. There are a number of areas where poor design is evident, starting with the lighting on the touch panel. There is no problem during the day, but at night there should be a photocell-controlled nightlight. There isn’t. Other companies have utilized lighting for years, but not LG. Does the sun never set in Japan? You can turn on the nightlight manually. That is, if you can f ind the switch in the dark. Good luck. Yet even with the nightlight on in a dark room, it’s still impossible to read the button nomenclature. Why not just leave the nightlight on permanently? It’s LED, so it should use minimal power. There is another design faux pas. My fridge is a “Frenchdoor” model, so the icemaker is necessarily in the refrigerator, not freezer, door. The tiny amount of additional heat from the extra illumination when you turn on the light causes the ice in the bin to melt just enough to jam. If you leave the light on overnight, your f irst job in the morning will be to empty a block of stucktogether ice from the bin. Looking further down, there are two freezer drawers. The two-drawer model costs extra, so it must be better than the one-drawer model, right? Not so fast. This is actually a capacity-decreasing option. Rather than using the same mechanism between the drawers that they use to seal the area between the refrigerator doors, the horizontal “ joint” between the freezer drawers is done the old-fashioned way, by adding a horizontal bar. This bar effectively casts a shadow across the freezer space. That means that nothing stacked above that line can ride back into the freezer when the drawers slide closed. In each of these design snafus, just a bit more thought could have resulted in a better design. Mine is a deluxe model with far-from-deluxe design.

There are a number of areas where poor design is evident, starting with the lighting on the touch panel.

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Made by Monkeys highlights products that somehow slipped by the QC cops. E-mail your examples to Rob Spiegel at [email protected]. D e s i g n N e w s N o v e m b e r 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

20

Captain Hybrid designnews.com/blog/Captain_Hybrid

Chevy Volt: A Different Kind of Luxury The Volt is smooth, quiet, and powerful, but the price tag is high. By CHARLES J. MURRAY, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics & Test

Reviewing a Chevy volt is a lot like assessing a low-end BMW, Mercedes, or Lexus. Although the Volt has a Chevy nameplate, it’s still a luxury car — albeit a car for those with an untraditional sense of luxury. The reason for saying that is simple: The Volt that I recently drove has a sticker price of $44,680. Most buyers will also need to add a 240V charging station to their homes or garages at about $1,500 to $2,000 a pop, installed. So the bottom line is that it’s going to be a tough sell for a young engineer with a family and an $80,000-a-year salary. That said, the Volt is a triumph of energy-efficient engineering. The 16kW battery and the 149hp electric drive unit provide a lot of oomph, making it accelerate in a way that few production vehicles can today. Moreover, the Volt’s launch is smooth and quiet — so quiet, in fact, that riders in our car universally felt that they were experiencing a new automotive phenomenon. The Volt, they said, really is different. The real question, of course, is whether the Volt uses energy as wisely as everyone hoped. I took the car on drives through stop-and-go traffic, as well as on 70mph expressways. During a 37.7 mile city drive, the Volt performed flawlessly, returning home with one mile remaining on its battery charge. For that drive, the vehicle estimated its fuel efficiency at 250+mpg. On an expressway drive, it burned through its battery charge in 33 miles and averaged 52.6mpg. Luckily, owners who are curious about their energy usage will have an

easy method of monitoring it. The Volt’s center console display offers a multitude of ways to look at energy consumption, using figures and pie charts. The display also incorporates a power flow diagram, which unmistakably shows where power is coming from in real time. It provides information for all modes: engine power, battery power, and even battery regeneration. That’s an important feature, given the fact that many prospective Volt owners are highly energy conscious. Most owners will want to recharge the Volt at 240V, which means that the extra home rewiring charge is almost inevitable. Our recharge time was 10 hours for 120V, 3.5 hours at 240V. As mentioned, our Volt sticker price was $44,680, which is about $4,700 more than the Volt’s published price of $39,995. The reason for the extra cost lies in its options: leather seating, premium door trim, heated seats, rear camera, park assist, and forged polished alloy wheels. Cost conscious consumers should also know that the 435 pound T-shaped battery will eventually need replacement. And if you like to keep your vehicles for 10 or 12 years, the cost could be substantial. GM is not saying what the replacement cost will be, however. The bottom line, though, is that the Volt is not just a vehicle for those who study their carbon footprint. It’s an astonishing vehicle — a lot of fun to drive, yet stingy in its use of energy. Whether or not you want to pay more than $40,000 for it depends on your definition of luxury. Read more about our Volt test drive at http://dn.hotims.com/34948-503. DN

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ENGINEERING MATTERS Focus on the Future of Engineering

New Technologies Can Extend Traditional Energy Supplies WITH THE WELL deserved celebration of new green

technologies and renewable energy sources, one might think that good old oil and gas were rapidly becoming a thing of past. However, the just released study, “Prudent Development: Realizing the Potential of North America’s Abundant Natural Gas and Oil Resources1,” produced at the request of Energy Secretary Stephen Geoffrey C. Orsak Chu by the federally appointed National Petroleum Council (NPC), makes the strong case that natural gas and oil will continue to be the dominant source of U.S. energy for many decades to come, and this might not be a bad thing. Today, we understand better than ever that access to energy is not only an economic necessity, but also drives our domestic and foreign policy leading to often polarizing debates around issues including the environment and national security. Because of this, the application of smart engineering to reduce the consumption of energy should be one of our field’s top technical priorities. While significant progress is being made along this path, there is still a great deal of efficiency yet to be wrung out of our transportation systems, buildings, and appliances, just to name a few. This hard work, today and into the future, will indeed have a major impact on our domestic energy needs. But with various projections of the global demand for energy dramatically increasing as a consequence of development and population growth, it would be wise for our nation (and others as well) to develop domestic resources that can ultimately lead us from our current energy position, through

a state of energy security, to a national goal of energy independence. The formula for doing this will certainly include energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, nuclear, coal, and hopefully others as well, but the 400 plus experts who contributed to this NPC report (more than half of whom came from industries other than the oil and gas sector) make the strong case that with proper federal oversight and regulation, oil and gas can be the dominant energy player well into the future. Some obvious questions emerge from these strong conclusions: Can we develop these resources in an environmentally responsible manner, and can we reduce our greenhouse gas emissions while utilizing these carbon-based energy supplies? Fortunately, recent technologies developed over the last two decades, such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, have reduced the environmental impact of exploration, while the potential of new carbon capture and sequestration technologies are beginning to look promising. However, the study also wisely recommends intelligent federal regulations that protect our environment while also allowing for the development of these energy resources to remain economically competitive. In accepting this report, Secretary Chu commented on the folly of long-term predictions by pointing out one recent estimate that turned out to be grossly in error. Before the turn of the century, it was predicted that vehicle growth in China would increase by a staggering six fold in the decade 2000-2010. Now that the date has past, we know that it actually increased by 20 fold. So, we should all be pleased to find that North American energy reserves are here to power our nation for decades to come. DN

1 www.npc.org/Prudent_Development.html. In full disclosure, I serve the secretary of energy as a member of the National Petroleum Council. I did not participate in this study.

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 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

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

P&W Engine Delivers Fuel Savings A new jet engine created by three aircraft suppliers has rethought engine design. Pratt & Whitney has teamed up with Japan Aero Engines Corp. and Aero Engines to create the PurePower PW1000G-JM engine for Airbus. The PurePower PW1100G engine series uses an advanced gear system that allows the engine’s fan to operate at a different speed from the low-pressure compressor and turbine. According to Pratt & Whitney, the combination of the gear system and an all-new advanced core deliver double-digit improvements in fuel efficiency as well as driving down emissions and noise.

Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower Aircraft Engine.

Federal-Mogul Ignition Offers 10 Percent Fuel Efficiency Gain

Major Savings from Fuel Standards

Turns out an advanced ignition system can signifi cantly cut fuel consumption. Federal-Mogul has announced an Advanced Corona Ignition System (ACIS) designed to outperform conventional spark-ignition systems in fuel efficiency. ACIS is currently undergoing development with several customers. The company reports that so far, custom- Federal-Mogul’s advanced ignition system. ers are seeing a 10 percent fuel efficiency spike over spark ignition. thorough combustion and enables adThe Corona ignition creates a larger, vanced combustion strategies such as high-intensity plasma ignition source lean burn, highly diluted mixtures, and that is spread throughout the combus- very high exhaust gas recirculation, to tion chamber. This provides a more further increase fuel efficiency.

Increases in automotive fuel standards could deliver some surprising savings, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Union of Concerned Scientists. The groups conducted a study on the impact of requirements that would force automakers to produce vehicles that would average 54.5 miles per gallon and emit 163 grams of CO2 per mile. They found that Americans would save $44.3 billion at the gas pump each year. U.S. dependence on oil would be slashed by 23.7 billion gallons per year, and heat-trapping carbon pollution would be reduced by 280 million metric tons — the equivalent of having 40 million fewer vehicles on the road each year.

GREEN UPDATES

For regular updates on sustainable engineering news, follow Content Director Alexander Wolfe at http://twitter.com/awolfe58.

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Visualizing Fundamental Design Principles With practice, these principles become transparent in a design. WHEN I WAS WORKING with him, I observed, listened, and

always learned. His understanding and insight brought fundamental design principles to light in both what existed and what was yet to be. For me, that person was Vittorio Castelli, Columbia University Professor and Xerox Senior Research Fellow. For over 30 years, Rino, as he was known to all, guided and inspired me and others as a mentor, educator, and inventor with unbounded energy and passion. Mentoring is a key element in fostering innovation. Each one of us can be that mentor for a young engineer or student. What are these fundamental design principles and how can they become ingrained in an individual? When viewing an existing design or creating a concept to solve a need, fundamental principles as images will guide the designer to achieve what was thought impossible. As breadth of knowledge has been continuously traded for depth of knowledge, awareness of these principles has diminished. Here is a top ten list with brief explanations, many from the works of A. Slocum and J. Skakoon. 1. Laws of Nature: Predict before you build! Understanding the basic laws of nature is essential to know the fundamental limitations of a design, to predict how a design will perform, and to know how to improve an existing machine. 2. Simplicity vs. Complexity: Create designs that are explicitly simple. Keep complexity intrinsic, buried, and invisible. The less thought and less knowledge a device requires for production, testing, and use, the simpler it is. 3. Exact-Constraint vs. Elastically Averaged Design: Use exact constraint when designing precision structures and mechanisms, i.e., apply just enough constraints to define a position or motion, no more, no less. Controlled compliance can make an overconstrained design more stable, however, e.g., a five-caster chair to improve load bearing, a multiple ball bearing to compensate for geometric errors. 4. Load Paths: Plan load paths in parts, structures, and assemblies. Keep them short, direct, symmetric, locally closed, and easily analyzed, e.g., the bicycle handbrake, which is squeezed rather than pulled or pushed. D e s i g n N e w s N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

5. Self-Help: Forces applied to a structure or mechanism are used to great advantage when they create new, useful forces, transform or redirect themselves, balance themselves or existing loads, and help to distribute loads. Examples are the tubeless tire, left- and right-handed scissors, and a balanced door with an articuKevin C. Craig, Ph.D., lated hinge. Robert C. Greenheck 6. Independent Functions: Keep the Chair in Engineering functions of a design independent from Design & Professor of one another. Of course, everything in Mechanical Engineerdesign is a compromise. Combining ing, College of Engineering, Marquette functionality might have benefits. University. 7. Accuracy, Precision, and Resolution: Accuracy, precision, and resolution of a machine’s components and the manner in which they are combined are the most important factors affecting the quality of a machine. Always identify the directions in which accuracy and precision are most important, i.e., the sensitive directions. 8. Stability: Before performance, there must be stability. Marginally stable designs work only on paper. Designs must have adequate stability margins. Beware of buckling of compression members. 9. Saint-Venant’s Principle: Several characteristic dimensions away from an effect, the effect is essentially dissipated. And if an effect is to dominate a system, it must be applied over several characteristic dimensions of the system. 10. Manage Friction: Friction is always present, that is certain. How much friction, and its consequences, are uncertain. Manage it! Avoid sliding friction and use rolling element bearings whenever possible. DN

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

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DATA MEASUREMENT & ANALYSIS

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

Six-Wire Technique Nulls Stray Resistance Insulator

Test Probes

Ra

THE BOSS PICKED YOU to design

equipment to measure in-circuit resistances on circuit boards as they reach the end of a production line, and a colleague suggested you investigate 6-wire measurements. But why would you need six wires to measure Jon Titus an in-circuit resistance? A four-wire ohmmeter, usually part of a digital multimeter (DMM), connects the DMM’s current source to a resistor via a pair of leads. A second set of leads connects the DMM’s voltmeter to the resistor. Resistances in the current leads do not matter because the DMM measures the voltage at the resistance. And the resistances in the voltmeter leads have little effect because the DMM draws a very small current. That technique works for a standalone resistor, but when you have a network of resistors and must measure the resistance of only one, things get complicated. The figure shows a typical circuit in which you must measure resistance Rx in the presence of two other resistances. In this case, resistances Ra and Rb will affect a 2- or 4-wire measurement because current from the DMM source will f low through them, as well as through resistor Rx. By using an

Rx

A B

Conductor Lead Resistance

6-Wire DMM Rb operational amC A plifier — essentially a buffer Ra – I amplifier — you V B Rx + drive point B Rb in the circuit C to the same potential as that A DMM that offers 6-wire measurements lets you guard an unknown found at point A. resistance with another resistance path that conducts current. The Thus, no current drawing on the left shows an equivalent test fixture that might include f lows through resistive paths. Ra. This technique goes by the name sulator, as shown in the figure. Nylon, “guarding.” When the op amp drives for example, will absorb moisture in a point B to the same potential as point A, humid atmosphere and thus its insulatcurrent will f low through resistor Rb, ing properties will change. You might hear of other 6-wire meahowever. That current can reach tens of milliamps, but it will not affect the volt- surement techniques, but they involve age measured across the unknown resis- shielding, or separate wires to drive a detance. You can buy 6-wire measurement vice, correct the drive signal, and measure a sensor output. They do not use equipment. Even if you won’t measure resis- guarding to null unwanted resistance. tance in a network, this type of guarding comes in handy in other accurate A Reed Relay Reference resistance measurements, such as those Several recent columns discussed the on a test fixture. Unseen dirt, absorbed use of reed relays in measurement moisture, and thin oil films on the insu- equipment. Pickering Electronics has lating portion of a fixture will provide published an informative 32 page refera high-resistance path in parallel with a ence, “Reed RelayMate,” that you can resistance you must measure. But split obtain for free.To receive or download a the fixture and insert a conductor be- copy, visit: www.pickeringrelay.com/ tween the two contacts, and you have relaymate.html. DN the equivalent of the resistances Rx, Ra, and Rb described earlier. A 6-wire For More Information: DMM can drive the conductor and pre- 1. “Obtain More Accurate Resistance vent current f low through or on the in- Measurements Using the 6-Wire Ohms

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 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

Measurement Technique,” http://dn.hotims.com/34948-504 2. “Improve Resistance Measurement Accuracy with 6-Wire Technique,” http://dn.hotims.com/34948-505

Name Dr. Christian Altenbach, Certified LabVIEW Associate Developer Job Title Research Ophthalmologist Area of Expertise Biophysics LabVIEW Helped Me Analyze and visualize data interactively using custom algorithms Latest Project Mapping molecular structure changes during activation of the light receptor, rhodopsin

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PROGRAM the way I think

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GM’s New All Electric Car 32 Machines Fabricated from MEMS 34 Smart Grid’s Tech Challenge 37

Trends \\\ Breakthroughs \\\ Developments

The SlapShot XT robot can execute a slap shot like a professional hockey player at speeds of up to 110mph.

Hockey Robot Stresses Sticks With Slap Shots Hockey Robotics’ testing robot takes professionalgrade slap shots, helping stick manufacturers more effectively evaluate design tradeoffs around performance and durability. changed the game of hockey, delivering lighter and more flexible sticks that promise to boost player performance. But all this muscular shot power comes at a price: Composite hockey sticks, particularly the two-piece designs, are notorious for breaking, often at inopportune moments that can cost teams the game. John McPhee, a mechanical engineering professor in the Systems Design Engineering Department at the University of Waterloo and an avid hockey player, saw

Composites have

an opportunity to improve those odds. Based on his experience using robots to evaluate the technical claims of golf club manufacturers, McPhee saw an opening to apply similar robotics testing to hockey stick designs, helping manufacturers develop high-performance sticks with lasting durability. Traditionally, hockey sticks — be it the old wooden kind or the more modern composite models — are put through their paces with player testing, which McPhee maintains is highly subjective. Robot testing, on the other hand, alleviates any potential guesswork. “Player feedback is great, but it’s not always trustworthy,” he told us. “Put a stick on a robot and you can take the same shot over and over again and compare one design against the other. You can have confidence that the design is better or not as good. It delivers very repeatable test results.”

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McPhee says the testing can encompass anywhere from 10 shots up to a few hundred with the robot. But it’s never around 1,000 shots, despite the fact the sticks being tested are scar- and nick-free, unlike sticks used in the rink, which are typically marked with gouges or chips that facilitate breakage. While the hockey stick testing application seemed like a no-brainer, the robot design was not. Unlike the golf robots that McPhee was familiar with, the hockey stick robot needed to have at least two arms, and the arms had to be synchronized so they could work in tandem to perform a slap shot. The fact that the design called for both mechanical and electrical control systems presented a second challenge. Undeterred, McPhee and his team opted to move forward. Their first step in creating the robot was to understand the motion of the hockey stick during a

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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slap shot. To do so, the team deployed advanced motion-tracking devices and high-speed cameras, harnessing real, live hockey players to capture the trajectory of the stick at different locations. Once the behavior was well understood, Siemens PLM Software’s NX 6 CAD tool was engaged to do the detailed geometry and finite element analysis work. Because NX’s focus is more on mechanical aspects, the team brought in a tool that enabled it to create a unified virtual model that addressed the mechatronics aspects of robot — specifically, both the mechanics and the electrical motor and control system, McPhee said. The physical modeling and simulation tool, Maplesoft’s MapleSim, let McPhee’s team, now formally incorporated and staffed as Hockey Robotics, do a number of things. Most significantly, MapleSim let Hockey Robotics efficiently simulate the coupled dynamic electrical and mechanical behavior of the equipment, while also letting the team quickly prototype the designs and investigate the motion of the mechanisms. With MapleSim, the team was also able to concurrently study the flexible body deformation and rigid body motion of the robot — a task, McPhee said, that would have been extremely time-consuming and error-prone if done by hand. “The beauty of having a unified model is that you avoid going back and forth between two separate models,” said McPhee, who serves as chief scientist at Hockey Robotics in addition to his professorial duties. “You avoid doing the electrical stuff independently of the mechanical stuff and then going to the mechanical side to see how the electrical side is turning out and vice versa.” Based on the MapleSim model, the Hockey Robotics team was able to complete its final prototype of the hockey stick robot last March. Called the SlapShot XT, the robot employs a four-bar mechanism to match the hockey player’s motion, and a flywheel maintains the stick’s momentum dur-

ing contact with the ice. There are also robotic hands that allow the stick to bend about two axes — a movement that stores and releases strain energy throughout the shot. The result of this design is a robot that can execute just like a hockey professional — in fact, the robot can take a slap shot at speeds of up to 110mph. Hockey Robotics is currently using the SlapShot XT robot in-house to deliver hockey stick testing services to customers. One customer recently used the robot to evaluate two possible designs, and as a result found that one stick could perform six miles an hour faster than the other, McPhee said. Do that a few times, and we’ll call that a hat trick. — Beth Stackpole, Contributing Editor, Design Hardware & Software

For More Information: Hockey Robotics: http://hockeyrobotics.com To watch a video, go to: http://dn.hotims.com/34948-506

Electronics & Test

GM to Build First AllElectric Car Since EV1

General Motors quietly resumed its commitment to electric cars last week, officially announcing that it will produce and sell a new vehicle called the Spark EV in 2013. Without a trace of the fanfare

that accompanied the announcement of the Chevy Volt in 2007, GM said its new car will be sold in limited quantities in select US and global markets, and will be powered by a lithium-ion battery pack from A123 Systems. The Spark EV will be the first all-electric vehicle built by GM since it scrapped its infamous EV1 program a decade ago.

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Chevy’s Spark EV will be powered by a lithium-ion battery pack from A123 Systems.

“This car will not be aimed at the mainstream buyer, as the Volt was,” noted Dave Hurst, senior analyst for Pike Research, in a Design News interview. “It’s just too small.” Indeed, a GM press release refers to the Spark as a mini-car, about “three feet longer than the Smart Fortwo and four inches longer than the Fiat 500.” GM is believed to be targeting the vehicle toward Asia. “The Voltec technology in the Volt certainly has a place in the US, China, and Europe,” Randy Fox of GM told us. “But there are other markets that will be best served by these vehicles.” Hurst said he expects India to be a key area of concentration for the Spark EV. There, he said, mini-car-sized vehicles are considered much more acceptable, and government agencies don’t require the same safety features that have become common in the US. The biggest factor, however, could be cost, he said. “You’ve got lower incomes there,” Hurst said. “In India, mainstream buyers are looking at two-wheel vehicles and much cheaper cars.” GM says the smaller vehicle is also better suited to Asia’s high population density. “When you get into the mega-cities and the shorter driving commutes that they have in those regions, the Spark EV might be a better fit than a vehicle like the Volt,” Fox said. GM will power the Spark EV with A123 Systems’ nanophosphate lithiumion battery technology. In August, the giant automaker said it would partner with A123 on the development of battery technology “at both the cell and system

Source: Chevrolet

32 News

Name Hector Guajardo Betancourt, Certified LabVIEW Architect Job Title Automated Test an d Control Engineer Area of Expertise Manufacturing Test LabVIEW Helped Me Reduce test time by more than 10X Latest Project Building a vision-based inspection system for washing machine drums

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34 News level” for vehicles in global markets. At the time, GM also announced that it was teaming with LG Group, a South Korean electronics and battery manufacturer, to jointly design and engineer future electric vehicles. The automaker has not yet announced any specific vehicle programs involving LG, however. Hurst said he expects the Spark EV battery to be smaller and less costly than the batteries seen in earlier EVs: “This vehicle is not going to need the same speed or the same range as other electric vehicles, such as the Leaf. There’s not going to be the same concern about going 50 miles per hour in India.” — Charles Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics & Test

For More Information: A123 Systems: www.a123systems.com Pike Research: www.pikeresearch.com

Materials & Assembly

Is There a Diamond Machine in Your Future?

Researchers at the Sandia Corp. have created complete machines with gears and microscopic transmissions fabricated from microelectromechanical systems. ScientiStS and engineers have created and used microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) since they mastered the fabrication techniques used to transform lab curiosities into sensors, microphones, security devices, engines, and even electromechanical switches for smartphones. Researchers at the Sandia Corp. have created machines complete with gears

and microscopic transmissions. But like all mechanical components, MEMS devices suffer from a variety of failure mechanisms. The US National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) recently publicized a new direction for MEMS devices by “machining” diamonds — the hardest substance known. According to NIST, semiconductor makers hope the diamond-etching techniques will let them develop components for long-lasting micro-machines. In the abstract for a research paper, authors Craig McGray, et al., note:

Etching of monocrystalline diamond in oxygen and water vapor at 1100C through small pores in a silicon nitride film produced smooth-walled rectangular cavities. The observed cavities ranged in size from approximately 1μm up to 72μm wide, in each case exhibiting smooth, vertical sidewalls,

Don’t slip up with ball screw actuators.

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Choose the all-in-one actuator solution with roller screw technology. Tritex™ is the compact, low maintenance motion solution with an integrated controller, amplifier, motor and advanced roller screw actuator, all in one efficient, sealed package. Eliminate complexity and get the most performance in the smallest footprint. Compare and learn more at www.exlarcorp.com Exlar’s patented roller screw actuators outperform ball screw actuators in life, load, speed and acceleration.

Controller Amplifier Motor Actuator

News 35

So far, the NIST researchers have created virtually indestructible nanorulers, but the etching technology might lead to improvements in MEMS devices because moving parts made of diamond should last much longer than those fabricated from silicon. The inherent cubic-crystal structure of diamonds should also help researchers — and later, engineers — create precision structures. According to NIST, the speed of the etching process depends on the orientation of the diamond crystal. Etching occurs more slowly in the direction of the crystal faces or planes, which can serve

Source: NIST

a flat bottom, and a depth equal to half its width. Cavity boundaries were determined to lie along slow-etching (100) crystallographic planes, suggesting the possibility of a powerful class of techniques for micromachining of diamond.

The NIST team etched a box-like shape of a pit into a diamond surface. The pit has smooth vertical sidewalls and a flat bottom.

as a boundary of sorts where etching would cease as desired. “We’d like to figure out how to optimize control of this process next,” said McGray, “but some of the ways diamond behaved under the conditions we used were unexpected. We plan to

explore some of these mysteries while we develop a prototype diamond MEMS device.” I don’t relish the idea of having to develop a diamond-etching process with 1100C water vapor formed from hydrogen and oxygen in a reaction chamber, but additional research might uncover other etching and manipulation techniques that lead to diamond-based MEMS. The NIST paper and announcement made no mention of creating structures on the diamond surface, but perhaps deposition of diamond or diamond-like materials could lead to layers of complicated mechanical movements. And even a diamond substrate might improve reliability of present MEMS structures. — Jon Titus, Contributing Technical Editor

For More Information: Craig McGray, et al. Research Paper: http://dn.hotims.com/34948-507

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Note: Pricing based on 100 units purchased at an industrial distributor. Loctite® pricing based on 50 ml bottle price and number of drops required per application.

Except as otherwise noted, all marks used in 7434 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. 7434 (8/11)

RESHAPE THE FUTURE OF PLASTICS From the plastics of today to the engineered materials of tomorrow, our industry unites in 2012 to Break the Mold at The International Plastics Showcase. For the first time ever, professionals from around the world will gather in Orlando to uncover the latest tools and techniques needed to reshape the industry itself — and continue our impressive evolution. Make plans now to participate in NPE2012 and see the latest in bio-renewable thermoplastics, injection molding, polymer nanocomposites, nanofibers and the green technologies that are changing the way we do business. Join tens of thousands of like-minded professionals to share success stories and explore solutions to the exciting challenges we face today and tomorrow. The must-attend NPE2012 promises to deliver everything plastics — and your greatest opportunity to reshape your organization for maximum productivity. Visit us online at www.npe.org.

The International Plastics Showcase April 1– 5, 2012 | www.npe.org Orange County Convention Center Orlando, Florida USA

News 37 Automation & Control

Source: US Energy Information Administration

Smart Grid’s Massive, Multidisciplinary Tech Challenge

Communications integration; advanced control, sensing, metering, and metrics; and a human interface methodology are still on the smart grid architects’ to-do list. The buildouT of the smart grid is a monumental task that will take decades to accomplish. The to-do list for its designers includes integrating communications across the grid, developing advanced control methods, and tackling advanced sensing,

systems, we should anticipate that new power technologies will give rise to innovative systems that may leapfrog our familiar lineup of power plants, wires, and meters,” Theodore F. Craver, Jr., chairman of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), stated in EPRI’s State of the Technology 2011 report. Meanwhile, as renewable energy sources are developed and Between 2009 and 2010, renewable energy consumption rose by 6 percent, to more than 8 quadril- deployed, industry participants lion BTUs. must find ways to connect those metering, and measurement issues. sources to the current, aging national They’ll also have to design advanced electric grid. At its most basic level, grid components that incorporate the task involves converting solar superconductive materials, power and wind energy sources to the US electronics, and microelectronics, and 60Hz ac standard, using power conhammer out a support and human verter technology such as an inverter interface methodology. to transform distributed energy into “Just as we saw cellphone tech- grid-compatible ac power. The search nology leapfrog the old wire-based is on for inverters that are smarter,

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Spec in reliability. Specify Loctite® Anaerobic Threadlockers. TO REQUEST A SAMPLE, visit www.useloctite.com/DA22. For technical assistance, call 1.800.LOCTITE (562.8483).

Except as otherwise noted, all marks used in 7434 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. 7434 (8/11)

THE ABILITY TO WITHSTAND PUNISHMENT IS GOOD...BUT AVOIDING IT IS EVEN BETTER

Miniature Sensors Broaden the Pepperl+Fuchs Portfolio

 

Bigger isn’t always better Durability vs Distance – It’s No Longer a Decision When selecting the best proximity sensor for abusive environments, the decision has always carried a difficult tradeoff – durability vs sensing distance. The 100% stainless steel X-series Pile Driver is the first sensor to deliver both. How durable? Impact withstandability is 20X beyond traditional plastic-face products. How far? Sensing ranges exceed industry standards by up to 2.5X. So what does this 1-2 combination mean to you? ■ Fewer sensor-target impacts ■ Increased machine uptime ■ Reduced maintenance and

troubleshooting ■ Fewer rejects and increased quality ■ Lower spare parts inventory

www.sensing.net/xpd Pepperl+Fuchs, Inc. • Twinsburg, Ohio • 330.486.0001

Inductive proximity sensors are indispensable in factory automation. They are very accurate compared to other technologies, have high switching rates, withstand high shock and vibration, and work in harsh environments. However, installation space for sensors is often limited on tooling and machinery.

Downsizing can be a good thing Pepperl+Fuchs’ miniature sensors open up new ways to fully utilize previously inaccessible areas. Don’t let the word miniature fool you. These industrial proximity sensors are more than capable of meeting the demanding requirements of the factory floor. They have all of the great features you would

expect to find in larger, more costly sensors, yet they come in 3 mm and 4 mm diameter housings that provide greater mounting flexibility for a variety of markets and applications. They come in a smooth or threaded IP67 stainless steel housing; they have a clearly visible LED for function display; and they are available in quick disconnect or cabled versions.

Size matters In a world where downsizing is the current trend, size really does matter. This holds true in automation technology on manufacturing floors around the world. Pepperl+Fuchs’ miniature inductive sensors are raising the bar and offering designers and planners greater freedom and a wider range of options in machine and plant design.

 

EVERY PLANT NEEDS A PARTNER TO KEEP THINGS BUZZING We’ll work hard to keep your plant buzzing using the most advanced sensing technology…all from a single-source partner. We’ve stayed busy as a bee for over half a century developing innovative products that take the sting out of applying sensors. Our sensors are crafted using state-ofthe-art components and the latest technologies to ensure precision, reliability, and functionality. In addition, we offer a wide selection of accessories to meet all your application needs. Go to www.sensing.net/buzz-i, or give us a buzz at 330.486.0001 and we’ll devote a swarm of technical experts to go to work for you.

Pepperl+Fuchs, Inc. Twinsburg, Ohio 330.486.0001 www.sensing.net/buzz

40 News more flexible, and much cheaper than those used today. EPRI has developed a solid-state “intelligent universal transformer” (IUT) prototype for voltage conversion. Combined with communications technology, the solid-state transformer becomes a smart node within the smart grid that can detect metering problems, track asset loading, and serve as a data source for real-time condition monitoring and load modeling. It will also help integrate distributed resources such as energy storage, photovoltaics, and plugin electric vehicles. The IUT converts ac power at various distribution-level voltages to dc and ac power appropriate for residential and commercial use. Unlike conventional, copper-and-iron transformers, the IUT deploys solid-state, high-frequency switching and fast-computing digital control

technologies to control and shape its output characteristics. For future smart grid applications, the IUT can be used to connect distributed renewable generation capabilities to the distribution grid without the distribution-voltage swings allowed by conventional transformers. EPRI has been working on the IUT’s solid-state technology for a number of years and has completed a proof-of-concept and various prototype designs that are ready for field demonstrations and early deployment. The institute successfully demonstrated a working IUT in December 2010 at its laboratory in Knoxville, Tenn. Earlier this year, a field prototype 2.4kV, 25kVA model with enclosure, packaging, and high- and low-voltage bushings was deployed for evaluation. IUT field demonstration projects at multiple host sites are scheduled through 2012 to finalize the

CH T A W DEO VI OW N

design, specifications, and manufacturing requirements. Separately, the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), with industrial partner Semikron, has developed a prototype 50kW inverter using National Instruments tools. The inverter contains a 50kW modular power block that’s roughly the size of a microwave oven. NREL predicts the design, when produced in volume, will come in at one-third the cost of other integrated power electronics of the same rating and foresees its use in such applications as photovoltaics, wind turbines, and batteries. DN — Nicolas Mokhoff, Editor in Chief, EE Times Digital

For More Information: To read more about developments impacting the smart grid, go to http:// dn.hotims.com/34948-508 for the complete version of this story.

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Smarter

Integrated Actuators Advanced communication options allow position feedback and data to flow more effectively between the actuator and controller. By Al Presher, Contributing Writer

The LA36 family of smart actuator products from Linak is used in agricultural equipment like combine harvesters, solar tracking, and building ventilation systems. Customized PCB modules in the actuators make it possible to implement specialized features required in specific industries.

Source: Linak

42

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Automation & Control 43

I

ntegrated actuators incorporating more advanced controls and broader network connectivity options are finding their niche in applications where the simplicity of an all-inone, actuator-motor-control package fits cleanly into new machine designs. The key is a single mechanical actuator-motor with onboard electronics that can provide both a broader set of controls and the simplicity of an integrated solution. “The sweet spot for integrated solutions is where distributed power and control offers a significant advantage,” says John Walker, vice president for Exlar Corp. “Mobile equipment is an example of applications where typically there are no traditional control panels to house the drives and controls for electric actuation on a vehicle. Actuators on mobile equipment are often powered from the vehicle’s batteries, and having a compact controller and power device right on the motor and actuator is a big benefit.” A typical packaging machine isn’t always the best fit for the integrated actuators. Packaging machines often use a traditional control panel with PLCs and drives and don’t have long distances from the drives and controls to the actuators. Integrated technology provides a larger benefit when there are longer travel distances between the central controller and the actuator or in applications that don’t traditionally have control panels at all. Control of independent, single-axis machine functions is an ideal candidate for distributed motion. Traditional hydraulic and pneumatic cylinder applications are inherently standalone, single axis, and provide point-to-point motion. In replacing f luid power solutions with electric linear actuators, coordinated motion is typically less common. These types of standalone, point-to-point applications are well suited for, and often solved with, integrated actuators. Walker says that developing additional network communication solu-

tions is an important factor for distributed motion products. One of the big advantages of the integrated solutions, compared to traditional servo systems with separate amplifiers, is the elimination of the expensive motor power and feedback cables. Traditional ac or dc power is still required for the distributed solution, and some applications require a multi-conductor I/O cable, which is far less expensive. Additionally, many applications can be controlled solely via network communications and can use simple communication cables. This network is often already distributed throughout the plant and the user just runs a drop to the integrated motion product. Because the networks are bidirectional, users can send commands to the unit and receive

Control of independent, single-axis machine functions is an ideal candidate for distributed motion. monitoring, status, and diagnostic information over the same connection. “The application of integrated power and control electronics on motors and actuators is slightly different than traditional plant-based industrial automation,” says Walker. “Distributed control and power becomes a bigger advantage for large scale production facilities with more expansive production lines compared to applications on discrete machines.” Automotive production is one example where integrated solutions are effectively applied for functions such as gripping parts and clamping fixtures throughout the assembly process. These axes of motion are widely distributed throughout the plant and often not conveniently located near an electrical panel containing motion controllers and servo amplifiers. Examples

in automotive assembly are clamping for sheet metal welding and frame fixturing. Electric clamps and fixturing throughout an automotive assembly facility are often done using distributed motion products. These solutions do not require discrete panels for servo drives and controls that would consume valuable space in an automotive assembly facility. Off-highway vehicles, such as agriculture, turf, and construction, are a growing market for smart electric actuation. As these pieces of equipment are becoming more sophisticated, using satellite navigation for example, more sophisticated and smarter operation is required throughout the vehicle, even down to the mechanical actuators and cylinders. “Being able to use bus communications creates an advantage for these mobile vehicle manufacturers because they can implement a single ECU [engine control unit] instead of multiple single function controllers,” says Håkan Persson, product line manager for Thomson Linear Actuators. “Commands can be sent to the actuators for execution and the actuator can provide status information in return, such as position and speed. It can also report on potential safety problems such as an overloaded unit or high temperature conditions.” Persson says that this approach also makes it possible for the vehicle manufacturer to optimize the vehicle cable harness. Larger gauge wires connect directly to the power source and a smaller gauge control cable connects the actuator to the vehicle bus. This reduces the number (and costs) of wires and cables. Using smart actuators simplifies the control in some ways but, more importantly, it can standardize controls, so that the same control could be used for headlights, fans, or the valves and actuators used on the vehicle. Persson says customers are also standardizing their control systems and using a standard ECU between different types of off-road vehicles, including excavators,

w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 D e s i g n N e w s

Automation & Control loaders, and tractors, reducing costs box,” says Aaron Dietrich, marketing for outdoor operation or other non-facacross different platforms. manager for Tolomatic. “An integrated tory environments where there are spe“The biggest advantage smart actua- solution alleviates these problems, and cial requirements that make it challengtors offer mobile off-highway equip- eliminates wiring and cables because you ing for onboard designs. ment is the ability to piggyback off what don’t need a motor power and an encoder “Integrated product solutions are a the automotive market has already per- cable from the drive to the motor.” growth area for us, and our ERD [prodfected,” says Anthony Smith, an electriHe says that integrated products are uct line] is a very low-cost, electric rod cal engineer for Thomson. “CANbus, also starting to incorporate more net- style actuator family,” says Dietrich. “It LINbus, and those types of commu- working options from RS-485 to Eth- looks like a throwaway pneumatic cylnication technologies were originally ernet protocols, which also helps elimi- inder except that a motor is mounted to designed for the automotive market. nate cabling and wiring and makes the unit.” These technologies facilitate reduced solutions a lot cleaner. Tolomatic has launched a drive and assembly times using simplified con“The two big trends are replacing stepper motor solution to provide highnection interfaces while improving the pneumatics and automating manual er levels of motion performance. The ability for all pieces of the vehicle to run processes,” says Dietrich. “But the focus with its new configurable drive in unison. Mobile off-highway vehicle price-cost pressures and expectations has been on how to make it easy to use manufacturers are starting to folwith “canned” modes, such as an low that trend because they can index-move mode where the drive achieve the same benefits.” is commanded via digital I/O and “Other smart technology used in an analog position, allowing the these vehicles, such as GPS steering user to provide an analog signal and speed automation, requires evfrom a PLC. Ethernet connectiverything to be more synchronized. ity options include Ethernet/IP With centralized communication, and Modbus TCP, along with imvehicle motion can be driven at the mediate plans to offer a pneumatic same time measurements are being mode that allows the drive to retaken, ensuring that safe and preplace a pneumatic valve without cise commanded movements are the need to rewire the system. made,” he adds. “While there will always be deIf you look at the past and how The Tritex IITM Series actuators from Exlar now include mand for electric actuators with mechanical actuators have been a dc linear unit that incorporates a servo drive, digital simple in and out movements, in used, standard industrial linear position controller, brushless motor, and linear actuator applications with more advanced actuators offered just a motor and in one compact, sealed package. control systems we definitely see no controls. As time went on and a trend towards motion solutions the technology improved, customers in these applications are typically very with additional positioning feedback started to add position feedback, limit aggressive, so any electric actuator solu- and communication capabilities built switches to stop at the ends of stroke, tion has to be very cost effective.” directly into the actuator,” says Randy and an H-bridge to control the speed or In replacing the pneumatic actuator, Bowman, Techline market manager at measure the current. valve, f low control, and other functions Linak U.S. “Our latest smart actuators Persson says that with intelligent ac- in a pneumatic system, Dietrich says are built with a printed circuit board tuators, all of those pieces are handled those axes are typically in the $100-$200 [PCB] inside the actuators and these inside the actuator itself. So instead of range. And while engineers are willing PCBs can be customized to meet spethe customer needing to design a sepa- to pay more, cost is still a major concern. cific customer requirements.” rate control to handle each one of these The types of manual processes being auIn advanced control systems, like add-on features, a single actuator with tomated include hand cranks, slides with larger off-highway equipment and soonboard electronics can provide speed, locks, or simple hand operations. lar trackers, it is becoming more and current, and position sensing, as well as One challenge for integrated prod- more common to use actuators that oftemperature and voltage compensation. uct application solutions is harsh envi- fer different types of bus communica“With integrated actuators, because ronments, such as the food and bever- tion. Modbus, for example, is typically you are often not replacing an existing age industry, where equipment may used in the solar industry, and CANbus motion solution, there may not be an ex- be sprayed with water or caustic wash- and LINbus are both commonplace in isting electrical cabinet for the drive and down. Other specialty or general auto- the larger mobile vehicle markets. The the desire to add a cabinet or junction mation applications have requirements HVAC and marine industries are also D e s i g n N e w s N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

Source: Exlar Corp.

44

Source: Thomson Linear

45 developing standard communication protocols for devices that could include smart actuators. “Positioning feedback and communication options are really separate items,” says Bowman. “With the newer trends towards more advanced communication options, like the various bus languages, smart actuators can allow positioning feedback and other information to f low even more effectively between the actuator to the controller.” Smart actuators enable control system designers to have information available, such as counting how many times the actuator has cycled in and out, the temperature of the microprocessor at any point in time, or even a signal to confirm that a command from the controller was executed. Another potential area of interest is preventative maintenance. If the amperage, for example, is starting to rise over historical values, it may indicate that the application needs to be

The new Thomson Electrak smart actuator is a single actuator with onboard electronics that can provide speed, current, and position sensing, as well as temperature and voltage compensation.

maintained, which can be important for remote installations. “Communication of various types of information via bus is a key benefit with other drivers, including lower materials and labor costs,” says Bowman. “When you can run one wire that transmits communications over multiple nodes and actuators and there is no pointto-point connection required for each

actuator, the amount of wiring and labor that is needed to install that wiring is reduced.” DN

For More Information Tolomatic: www.tolomatic.com Exlar: www.exlar.com Linak U.S.: www.linak.com/techline Thompson Linear: www.thomsonlinear.com

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46

Electronics & Test

Infotainment

Grows Up The in-car PC is gone, but in-car connectivity is back, better and safer than ever. By Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics & Test

R

Nokia’s Car Mode simplifies access to voice-guided car navigation, traffic updates, music, and voice calls through the company’s smartphones.

phones, with the touch gestures that have become familiar to users of iPads. At the same time, manufacturers of cars, trucks, and even buses have installed router-like devices to deliver Internet connectivity to contractors, salespeople, and students. “Manufacturers now know they have to deliver apps and services to their vehicles,” says Sterling Pratz, CEO of Autonet Mobile, a maker of vehicle-based Internet routers. “Not only do these technologies support the consumer, they also drive sales.” smartphone in the Car That hasn’t always been the case, however. On the road to in-vehicle nirvana, automakers and suppliers have occasionally misread the signals. In 2000, for ex-

D e s i g n N e w s N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

ample, Cadillac rolled out an in-car PC that intertwined such services as email, Internet browsing, navigation assistance, and cellphone capabilities. By late 2001, however, the luxury car manufacturer had pulled the plug on the technology. Several other manufacturers considered such efforts, and one supplier even rolled out an aftermarket in-car PC, but the demand for such systems was tepid at best. Today, however, the demand has clearly changed. Many smartphone owners want to bring their devices into the vehicle and access it through their center console, or even through steering wheel controls. They say they don’t want an in-car PC, but they do want connectivity.

Source: Car Connectivity Consortium

eady or not, the Internet is creeping back into the vehicle. This time, we’re not talking in-car PCs. Drivers won’t be Googling as they tool down the road. But the Internet is coming, just the same. This time, it has a lot to do with smartphones, low-cost navigation, fleet operations, and vehicle tracking, as well as an office-in-the-car, Facebook-inthe-backseat kind of mentality. Nothing’s more chic than mobile Internet connectivity, and the auto industry isn’t about to let that opportunity pass unfulfilled. “These days, along with computing, wireless communication seems to be the center of the innovation universe,” notes Don Butler, vice president of marketing for Cadillac. “This is the place where the cool stuff is happening.” Indeed, automakers know what’s cool, and they want to offer cool to their customers. In September, a powerful consortium of auto companies, cellphone makers, and electronics manufacturers unveiled an open standard to make it easier for a car’s head unit to communicate with Internet-enabled smartphones. Days after that announcement, Cadillac rolled out an infotainment system that enables users to control in-car devices, such as smart-

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“People get scared of the Internet-in-the-car idea,” Pratz says. “They think about texting and driver distractions and crashes.” In truth, the auto industry wants connectivity in the car; they just want to do it responsibly. The Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) — which includes such giants as Volkswagen,Toyota, General Motors, Daimler, Honda, Hyundai, Delphi, Alpine, Clarion, Denso, Garmin, LG Electronics, Mitsubishi Electric, Motorola Mobility, Nokia, Panasonic, Renesas, Samsung, Sony, and many others — recently took a step in that direction, rolling out an open standard that enables the majority of automotive head units and smartphones to communicate. Known as MirrorLink, the standard ensures that users will be able to link their phones to the dashboard in all of their vehicles, so they don’t need to buy separate handsets for separate vehicles. MirrorLink will also help deliver infotainment to entry-level vehicles in the United States, as well as to low-cost cars in such locales as China, India, Russia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. For developers, MirrorLink is a powerful step forward. Now, they need only create their app once, instead of writing different strains of software for different manufacturers. Moreover, they needn’t worry that certified apps will create a driving hazard. “There’s a mechanism that allows the automaker to control the content that’s seen on the (center stack) screen,” says Alfred M IL LIONS

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48 Electronics & Test

An in-car router enables multiple users to connect to the Internet from as far as 150 feet away from the vehicle.

Tom, investment analyst for General Motors Ventures. “The developer needs to create an interface that’s different than the one that is seen on the phone.” “Certain responsibilities belong to the players,” adds Floris van de Klashorst, head of Nokia’s automotive mobile solutions. “The OEM gets to filter out the applications that aren’t certified.” In essence, MirrorLink enables the car’s head unit to mirror what’s seen on the smartphone display. That means that a smartphone’s car navigation software gets channeled into the vehicle’s head unit. It also means that a wealth of Internetbased information — such as restaurant sites, movie data, or even newspaper articles — could find their way onto the car’s center console stack if the phone app is tested and certified. (CCC members say a MirrorLink Google app hasn’t yet been built or certified.) “The idea is to use the driver’s smartphone as an affordable way to connect to the cloud while a person is in the car,” Tom says. In-Car Routers The Internet-in-the-car phenomenon doesn’t end with smartphones, however. Autonet Mobile has taken the concept a step further, enabling vehicles to incorporate Internet protocol (IP) based routers. The routers provide an opportunity for nearby users to logon, whether they’re sitting in a passenger seat, a nearby office, or even a local café. In August, Chevy announced it would offer the router as an option in its Silverado truck. The device, which slides into a mounting bracket under the dashboard, enables kids in the back seat to connect to YouTube or Facebook. More importantly, it plays an important role for contractors and others who need an Internet connection at job sites. “If you’re a contractor and you want to write an estimate, you can pull into a driveway, take out your laptop, and check on parts availability and prices,” says Dan Tigges, fullsize truck product

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manager for Chevy. “Anything you can do on the Internet can now be done on the road with this system.” Tigges adds that multiple workers can linkup to the unit from as far away as 150 feet. Such in-car routers are considered a niche product for the moment, but Autonet Mobile’s unit has seen adaption in a wide variety of vehicles and applications. The technology was offered in the 2011 Subaru Outback and in the 2009 Cadillac CTS, as well as in Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge products. Prior to that, Novatel Wireless, Delphi, and Avis Rent-A-Car announced agreements with Autonet. The company’s technology has also been employed in school buses. Making such technologies work as reliably as a desktop computer, however, has been tricky. Using a scheme called TRU Technology, Autonet Mobile’s router is reported to deliver useful connectivity, no matter how fast a vehicle is traveling between cell towers. It works by combining

cellular network technology with the traditional IP suite (commonly called TCP/ IP). The key is the company’s patented “session proxy” technique, which enables the router to remember its TCP session, even during temporary service dropoffs. To accomplish that, the iPod-sized router incorporates a substantial bill of hardware materials, including Power PC-based processors from Freescale Semiconductor and four radios — a 1xRTT (single-carrier radio transmission technology), EVDO rev 0 (evolution data optimized), EVDO rev A, and Bluetooth — along with 2 GB of flash memory, two Ethernet ports, two USB ports, and a CompactFlash slot. Onboard software, which runs atop an embedded Linux operating system, handles movement between the radios. The software searches for available networks, enabling users to get the best one as they speed down the highway. Autonet Mobile executives say that such technologies can also move beyond

We’ve Covered All The Angles -Without Contact With more than a thousand different series, models, sizes, and options there is a Novotechnik non-contact rotary position sensor to match your application, and there’s one very good reason to choose Novotechnik: A level of precision that’s unmatched in the industry. Whether you’re looking for non-contacting, or even touchless, single-turn, or multi-turn rotary position sensors, Novotechnik has the sensor you need. They are all detailed in our 96-page rotary position sensor catalog. For your free copy, contact Novotechnik. Setting A Higher Standard: • Operating lives to: unlimited movements • Independent linearity to ± 0.3º • Resolution to 0.09º • Repeatability to <0.03% of signal range • Maximum rotating speed to: unlimited rpm • Sealed to protection class IP 69 • Absolute measurements to 360º • Housing diameters from 13 mm

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Source: Autonet Mobile

50 Electronics & Test

Autonet Mobile’s in-car router works by combining cellular network technology with TCP/IP.

the obvious Internet searches to encompass such applications as phone-based remote starting and door unlocking, as well as vehicle tracking and employee monitoring from remote desktop machines. “The demand is definitely moving toward fleet applications,” notes Pratz. “You have these small to medium-sized business that have between three and 50 vehicles in their fleets, and their owners are asking,‘How do I manage these fleets?’” Next Stop: CAN Bus Ultimately, experts foresee such Internet technologies drilling even deeper into the vehicle electrical architecture, even to the point of getting access to the CAN (controller area network) databus which carries vital powertrain information. Automotive engineers say that’s a trickier enterprise, but most acknowledge that it’s going to happen soon. The CCC, for example, plans to write CAN access into an upcoming version of its standard. Version 1.1, due out at the end of this year, will allow for use of car data. Engineers say that such access will give phones access to such items as vehicle diagnostics. “If the phone knows that the traction control system has turned on, it might be able to alert the driver,” says Tom of GM Ventures. “But we have to do it in a manner that doesn’t compromise the data that’s on the CAN bus. You want to be able to access the data without harming it.” Pratz of Autonet Mobile believes that accessing the CAN bus is the next big step for telematics.

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“The idea of the Internet in the car has evolved,” he says.“The Internet is just the transfer layer for the next generation of applications.” Those applications include fleet operations, which involves accessing the GPS system and the powertrain data, learning the whereabouts of a vehicle, or the speed at which it is traveling. If business owners want to know employee driving habits — hard braking or sudden acceleration, for example — they can track it. Or if parents want to know whether young family members are doing 75mph on the local expressway, they can find out through their desktop computer applications. Recently, Autonet announced that it is teaming with Option Wireless Technology to build a mobile IP-based telematics control unit for cars.The two companies hope to leverage the need for such CAN-based applications and are “aiming to become the app store for the car industry.” “People are accustomed to using their phones and going to the app store to download software that they can add to their

Autonet Mobile’s router enables backseat occupants to check Facebook while the car is moving.

phones,” Pratz says. “Ultimately, we see the automobile evolving in the same way.” In September, Nokia announced Nokia Car Mode, a standalone application with a user interface that simplifies access to voice-guided car navigation, traffic updates, music, and voice calls through the MirrorLink standard. Similarly, Alpine Electronics has rolled out an aftermarket in-car infotainment system, called Alpine ICS-X8 App Link Station, also based on MirrorLink. Clearly, the evolution is understood by automakers. In October, Cadillac unveiled

D e s i g n N e w s N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

an in-vehicle infotainment hub called CUE that allows users to operate entertainment and information controls with the taps, flicks, swipes, pinches, and other movements that have become familiar to users of smartphones and tablet computers. The bottom line, say Cadillac engineers, is that CUE lets drivers connect to their smartphones in ways they couldn’t do previously. “What the smartphone did for the cellphone, CUE is going to do for the infotainment space,” explains Micky Bly, engineering executive director for General Motors. “We feel like the best applications and the best engineers are developing for IP,” adds Pratz.“So why not harness that power and let those people build their applications? That’s where the future is.” DN

For More Information Autonet Mobile: www.autonetmobile.com MirrorLink: www.terminalmode.org Chevy Silverado: www.chevrolet.com/ silverado-pickups

Source: GM

54 Electronics & Test

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56

Design Hardware & Software

Retooling for Compliance Manufacturers are turning to PLM platforms and new supplier management processes to keep pace with the shifting compliance landscape and the need to manage more granular data. By Beth Stackpole, Contributing Editor, Design Hardware & Software

I

f there was ever any thought compliance burden falls on that environmental complithe design engineer, Stanance could be a passing fad, vick maintains. As opposed think again. Five years after the to being the point person Restriction of Hazardous Subfor tracking down the restance (RoHS) and Waste Elecquired materials and validattrical and Electronic Equipment ing data around compliance, (WEEE) regulations went into he believes design engineers effect in the European Union, the should have ready access to regulatory landscape has become systems that give them the even more complex, with counfull material makeup of a tries including India, Japan, and Agilent has created a centralized compliance database that part, allowing them to gauge China jumping on board, in ad- tracks more than 160,000 parts used in its test and measure- whether or not it meets dition to 25 U.S. states that have ment equipment. regulatory requirements. passed similar legislation. To meet that standard Factor in new directives, like Regis- solutions and business processes in place, doesn’t necessarily mean an investtration, Evaluation, Authorization, and otherwise you will never keep pace with ment in product lifecycle manageRestriction of Chemicals (REACH) efforts to globalize your product in the ment (PLM) or compliance systems, and the litany of revised guidelines and markets you’re selling to.” Stanvick says. But it does require comexemptions, and engineering groups In addition to the sea of new and panies to formalize some sort of tool are facing a hyper-changing compli- evolving environmental regulations is strategy while creating new processes ance climate that is becoming increas- the highly detailed and quantitative data and procedures for dealing with supingly impossible to manage with tra- that is now a requirement for proving pliers. “Make sure you discuss your ditional manual systems and supplier compliance. “Before, compliance was a environmental compliance specifimanagement processes. checkbox and went on trust,” says Ken cations with your suppliers and at the “The trend in this space is constant Stanvick, cofounder and senior vice same time, be sure to understand the change — there’s no question about president at Design Chain Associates, compliance specifications of your it,” says Mike Zepp, director of market a consultancy specializing in environ- major customers,” he says. “The botdevelopment for Dassault Systèmes. mental compliance. “Now, everyone is tom line is to have support functions “REACH was the beginning of need- looking for full accountability and full built in to assess [regulatory and part] ing more granularity and having to get disclosure.” changes and f lag parts that are usable. more quantitative data from suppliWithout the proper tools and That will allow design engineers to do ers. Today, you really better have system processes in place, too much of the their primary role, which is to design.”

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57 Changing the Game With Software For APC, a division of Schneider Electric, the speed in which the environmental regulations came down the pike created a massive challenge for the power distribution system manufacturer to revamp its tools and processes. On the eve of the 2006 introduction of the EU’s RoHS legislation, thwe stakes were incredibly high: A full third of APC’s product portfolio — accounting for nearly $600 million in revenue from European sales — was in jeopardy because the firm lacked the proper paperwork to demonstrate compliance, according to Ray Lizotte, who came on board as APC’s director of the product stewardship office in 2004. Unlike past regulations, which followed some sort of evolutionary path, Lizotte says the rules governing environmental compliance called for dramatic changes. “With this level of compliance change, we had to develop whole new ways of conducting business,” says Lizotte. “The old tools were not good enough. You were really talking about the new compliance requirements being game changers.” Historically, more than a few APC engineers would spend most of their time pushing paperwork to deal with the administrative burden around compliance, a scenario that was hardly sustainable going forward. By trading manual processes for a software solution — in this case, InSight Environmental Compliance (now known as PTC subsidiary Windchill Compliance) integrated with a homegrown PLM system — APC was able to collect and input nearly 60,000 pieces of data in less than 12 months and successfully convert its entire product portfolio to meet its RoHS deadline and avoid any revenue loss. In addition to the software tools, APC instituted new processes for collecting data from suppliers and built workflows that grab data from the Windchill Compliance platform and push it out to other systems (enterprise resource planning, for example).This makes the data readily accessible to non-engineering users, such as

Windchill Compliance ensures that product portfolios remain compliant throughout the product lifecycle as regulations like REACH and RoHS evolve.

With Dassault Systems’ ENOVIA Materials Compliance Central, engineers can view the material content information in the context of the product BOM and cross reference the data against multiple regulations.

purchasing agents, who can then factor compliance information into their evaluation of parts and suppliers. While the software has definitely helped automate the compliance process, Lizotte says the constant change and increasing levels of complexity around information demand a higher level of knowledge by the engineering team. “People who are managing the system are now having to delve into issues beyond their expertise,” he explains. “One of our ongoing challenges is around how to bring on a higher level of environ-

mental expertise without burdening the process with lots of additional environmental people.” Streamlining Supplier Collaboration Harmonic` Inc., which provides digital video hardware and software, also recognized early on that manual processes and spreadsheets were not going to suffice in terms of staying abreast of the moving compliance target. On top of an investment in Oracle’s Agile document management system, the firm

w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 D e s i g n N e w s

58 Design Hardware & Software deployed ENOVIA Materials Compliance Central (MCC) from Dassault Systèmes to serve as a central and dynamic database to handle all of its compliance data. LBP-015 (4.5 Xthe 7.5).ai software 1 2/1/2011 9:44:41 AM Implementing foundation was just one piece of the puzzle,

however. The firm also updated key business processes around supplier management to ensure it was well situated to meet current demands and to respond to evolving regulations, according to Thomas Farkas, the company’s compliance manager. Specifi-

C

M

Y

CM

MY

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CMY

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cally, the firm modified its first article of inspection procedure so parts are approved conditionally, even if substance data is not readily available in the ENOVIA system. Final approval, however, is only granted when the required material is compiled. This gives design engineers the flexibility to spec a part on a good faith, Farkas says, without having to wait until all of the data is compiled. Harmonic has also made efforts to work with its suppliers to facilitate compliance. Initially, getting compliance data from suppliers was done well after the company had taken delivery of the parts. Today, Harmonic includes compliance data requirements on all purchase orders so suppliers are clear what kind of information is expected from the beginning. “We try to work with our suppliers because suppliers are complaining it’s difficult to come up with this data,” Farkas explains. Instead of having engineers responsible for chasing down the data, Harmonic has appointed a specific environmental compliance engineer to spearhead the effort. In total, the investments are paying off, enabling Harmonic to easily stay on top of changing requirements and proving to its customer base that it takes environmental compliance seriously. “The system has helped us convince customers and potential new customers that we are serious as far as due diligence is concerned around meeting environmental regulations,” Farkas says. “We have been able to gain business because of the system.” A Three-Tiered Approach Like Harmonic, Agilent found the process side to environmental compliance equally (if not more) challenging than the technology piece, according to Frank Elsesser, director of environmental compliance and electronic measurement for the manufacturer of test and measurement systems. Agilent put a lot of energy

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59 into shifting the engineering culture to understand what goes into products from the standpoint of the entire value chain, not just from a subassembly perspective. “Raising awareness in the organization about monitoring the materials that go into our products, as well as centralizing the way in which design engineers choose components and assemblies, was not an easy task for a distributed organization like Agilent,” Elsesser says. The first step was to make design for compliance a fundamental step in Agilent’s overall product lifecycle model. The firm accomplished this by creating governance processes, including a checklist that provides a roadmap for engineers, as well as formalized management review and approval procedures. Leveraging its supplier management and procurement teams, Agilent revisited how it worked with suppliers on environmental compliance — the goal being to centralize requests and make it easier to comply. “Many suppliers don’t understand regulatory compliance and that either leads to a nonresponse or a response that’s inadequate,” he explains. “We are trying to provide as much education as we can upfront.” Accompanying the new processes is an automated enterprise compliance system based on ENOVIA MCC, which centrally manages materials data on more than 160,000 parts used across Agilent products. ENOVIA MCC compares the materials data with relevant environmental regulations, helping Agilent engineers determine if substance thresholds have been exceeded in individual parts, assemblies, or even in entire products. Thanks to the ENOVIA deployment and the organizational changes put in place about five years ago, Agilent is meeting RoHS requirements ahead of schedule. “Our investment paid off because by the end of this year, we’ll have a full suite of RoHS-compliant products and the

deadline for our products is 2017,” Elsesser says. “We’re really trying to come to market at least two years before any regulation is enforced for us. But we had to make sure we were there from a technology standpoint and a supplier standpoint.” DN

For More Information: APC: www.apc.com Agilent: www.agilent.com Dassault Systèmes: www.3ds.com Harmonic Inc.: www.harmonicinc.com Design Chain Associates: www.designchainassociates.com

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Materials & Assembly

Injected Metal Assembly Can Outperform Adhesives For small component joining and assembly production, injected metal assembly can outperform most adhesives while reducing manufacturing costs. By Cal Craig, Manager, Dynacast’s FisherTech Division

Parts optimized through Injected Metal Assembly: Shaft assembly (top left), computer printhead pivot block (top right), piston carrier assembly (middle right), adjustment lever (middle left), and cam cable shaft (bottom).

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61

T

raditionally, when engineers specify that parts should be securely joined in an assembly, adhesives, screws, or some other bonding solution are the most likely candidates. For many applications, there may be a better way. Injected metal assembly (IMA) can outperform most adhesives for small component joining and assembly production while reducing manufacturing costs. Most applications that require assembling two or more parts, using adhesive bonding, brazing, swaging, staking, press fitting, riveting, soldering, crimping, or other joining processes, are ideal for the IMA process. In fact the IMA process has much in common with adhesive bonding, such as excellent stress distribution, joining dissimilar materials, and joining materials of differing thickness. But the molten alloy bond requires no special surface preparation and has no peeling or thermal degradation issues common with conventional adhesives. The bond also performs well in harsh environments where only specialty adhesives and a few injection molding resins could maintain their integrity. The IMA process uses molten zinc alloy to join components in much the same way as adhesives are used. The use of zinc alloy as a bonding agent resembles injection molding around inserts; for example a screwdriver with a plastic handle. First, the components to be assembled are positioned in their correct relationship by a custom-designed assembly tool. After the tool closes, the components are aligned in their correct relationship (usually taking less than 20 milliseconds) and molten alloy is injected under pressure into the intersection of the components. The alloy solidifies in a fraction of a second, creating a strong, permanent mechanical lock between the components, free of flash or burrs. The completed

assembly is then ejected from the tool, ready for use. The zinc alloy has a predictable 0.7 percent shrinkage which is compensated for in the tool design. While the injected molten alloy is at temperatures up to 815F (435C), the solidification speed prevents the materials from thermally degrading. Any heat distortion stresses are extremely brief as the zinc alloy’s solidification behavior mitigates them within seconds. In the case of plastics, zinc’s extremely high thermal diffusivity (up to 100 times higher than that of plastic) lets solidification complete before the thermal influence zone of the heat-sensitive substrate material has progressed more than a few thousands of an inch. Once cast, the bond exhibits properties common to adhesives, such as stress distribution and the ability to join a diverse range of dissimilar materials and others of different thicknesses. In many applications, in fact, the IMA process has advantages over conventional bonding. For one, it is a onestep manufacturing solution. In addition, small components of just about any type of material can be joined by the IMA process including metals, ceramics, glass, fibers, paper, elastomers, and plastics. Individual components are often cast during the joining process to further eliminate fabrications, material costs, and inventory. For example, pinion gears can be cast in position as a gear and shaft are locked together by the alloy joint. Cable assemblies and varied automotive and appliance assemblies are also particularly well suited to the process. Brittle and delicate materials are well suited for zinc alloy bonding. In addition, the process has the potential for eliminating quality, consistency, and productivity issues that are often factors in traditional multi-step assembly processes. While the IMA process reduces costs, it also ensures assembly accuracy

This cam cable shaft is for automotive transmission assemblies. A steel stud (to which a cable assembly is attached) is assembled to a Dynacast die casting using injected metal assembly.

A ferrite rotor and stainless steel shaft are assembled with a zinc alloy hub and used in commercial refrigeration, electromechanical defrost controls.

and strength. Part-to-part consistency, for example, is maintained over long production runs with tolerances of ±0.05mm (±0.002 inch). In addition, the process creates a strong mechanical lock that can withstand high loads. Zamak 3 zinc alloy, the most common bonding material used, is a combination of zinc, aluminum, magnesium, and copper. As such, it exhibits a hardness of up to 82 BHN (Brinell) and shear and tensile strengths of 31kpsi and 41kpsi, respectively.The alloy bond can also stand up to operating temperatures of up to 230F (110C) and doesn’t become brittle at temperatures down to –40F (–40C). Zamak 3 zinc alloy is usually the top choice for bonding applications. Zamak 3 (an acronym for zinc, aluminum, magnesium, and copper) alloy contains, by weight, four percent aluminum and a small amount of magnesium, as well as copper. Zamak 5 alloy has 15 percent

w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 D e s i g n N e w s

62 Materials & Assembly

Examples of Applications

F

or a customer that makes components for oil pump assemblies used in recreational vehicles, the cost and waste associated with manufacturing the piston carrier assembly was a real problem. The customer was using a glassfilled plastic base with holes inserted to receive pistons and a metal guide bushing in order to function properly. But the holes had to be accurately positioned and sized or the piston carrier couldn’t do its job, which is to deliver fresh oil within the larger oil pump assembly. Using IMA, seven brass pistons and a sintered metal guide bushing were joined using an interconnecting zinc alloy base. As a result, the customer saved a significant amount by reducing the assembly steps to a single diecasting shot and there was a remarkable reduction of waste. For a manufacturing customer that makes industrial thermostats, the process solved a problem with air gaps resulting from crimping a heat sink to a bimetal strip. Using IMA, the heat sink was diecast directly onto the bimetal strip, becoming an integral part of the assembly with full-surface contact. As well as improved part-to-part production consistency, the premanufactured heat sink was replaced with a less expensive

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zinc alloy casting. Production was increased to 400 assemblies an hour and inserts for the basic tool reduced costs for production of two different sized assemblies. Similarly, production costs were reduced for an automotive customer by diecasting a zinc alloy stepped shaft to capture a steel collar and oil impregnated sintered bronze bearing. By adopting the IMA process, production increased to 600 assemblies an hour while maintaining dimensional tolerances of ±0.13mm (±0.005 inch). The same levels of speed, cost savings, and assembly accuracy have been applied to many other applications ranging from electronics and control cable assemblies to household appliance manufacturing. An aluminum shaft can be joined to a glass disc in seconds, with no deformation or cracking of the glass. In a ceramic magnet and shaft assembly, the shaft can be held within unparalleled concentricity, or a prefabricated shaft can be eliminated altogether by casting the shaft in zinc alloy and adhering it to the magnet in a single operation. The high solidification speed of the alloy allows large volume production rates, up to 1,000 component assemblies per hour, depending on the complexity of the components joined.

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Materials & Assembly 63

Abrasive stones are assembled to a knurled steel shafts by injecting molten zinc alloy into the clearance between them.

IMA enabled a zinc shaft to be cast through a stainless steel collar and a oil impregnated bearing. It forms the heart of a speed pick-up assembly for a transmission.

greater strength, plus hardness and corrosion protection. These Zamak alloys have a hardness of up to 82 BHN, and shear and tensile strengths of 31kpsi and 41kpsi, respectively. Eliminating Surface Preparation While adhesives need a carefully prepared surface for proper bonding, zinc alloy requires little, if any, preparation as its adhesion properties are forgiving of substrate impurities. The materials being bonded need only be industrially clean. The molten alloy’s high fluidity fills voids and, in fact, the mechanical bond is improved as these provide an even greater surface area for adhesion. This high fluidity compensates for the presence of release oils, as well as most coatings and paints that don’t outgas at low temperatures, allowing a strong mechanical bond. Even Teflon is no obstacle for zinc alloy’s bonding capabilities, and that is without the application of primers.

Withstanding Harsh Environments Zinc alloy also accommodates harsh environments for longer service life. The alloy performs well in operating temperatures up to 230F (110C). Bonds between most materials maintain integrity even when they have different coefficients of expansion. Where a component material’s shrinkage differs from the alloy, shrink-to features may be designed to compensate for the differences. The metal bond will not become brittle or show undue stress at temperatures as low as –40F (–40C). Zinc alloy has excellent corrosion resistance under normal atmospheric conditions and in many aqueous, industrial, and petroleum environments. It resists gases and most solvents, with the exception of strong acids and caustic solutions. DN

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Temp be stroke cteris of maderequir guard prote s, altern steel Cont Attention rate units without eratu unitstroke at any ctive steel,ative tics, ed damping stainless rols 1 to lock up. Moun rod unitsend other with other Inc. : dampers re range accountin 1.5 lengths, character ting istics,sleev with fitting · 800other stroke mm adap alternativ g for up have free : -22˚ other es stroke travel protective s and t to e brack Mechanic 521-to 20% end fittings to +176 moun et: Seerod sleeves al stop: 3320 of stroke and before page ting A and ˚F Mounting required· (248 inform end of brack E end 116 1 to )1.5 stroke mounting brackets Tempera ation : Afor et fitting 476mm end moun fitting ME14 GSB-05. brackets GSB-03, 0213 s to +80˚C),ture range: adapts. ACE Controls ting to · Fax GSB-04 adapts C end fitting, with special-22˚ to +176˚F brack and Inc. · 800-521 minus (248)to GSB-06. (-30˚ seals up et threaded See page476to 248˚F -3320 stud · (248) informati 116 2470 for mounting 476-021 · www bracket on 3 · Fax .acec (248) 476-247 ontro 0 · www.ace ls.co controls m· .com · emai email: l: shoc shocks@ ks@a acecont rols.com ceco ntrol

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w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 D e s i g n N e w s

www.acecontrols.com

64

Social

engineering

Would You Buy an System & Electric Vehicle? Product Design Engineering Group By ALEXANDER WOLFE, Content Director

Of all the fOrms of worry —

http://bit.ly/designnewsLI

career, project, or personal — surely the most vexing must be the range anxiety suffered by drivers of electric cars. With nary a charging station in view of most domestic roadways, we wondered whether members of our Systems & Product Design Engineering group on LinkedIn were similarly concerned or whether they’re ready to embrace vehicles like the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf. Bruce Hewes, a software controls engineer, is blunt: “Nope, I prefer the horsepower of a gas engine.” Contributing technical editor Jon Titus is also demurring, but for a more environmentally friendly reason. “Definitely no,” he says. “We forget to take into account the energy used to produce the electricity that recharges batteries. Electric vehicles look clean, but they simply move the energy source out to an electric power plant in someone else’s backyard. Also, if we look at the entire thermodynamic equation, from the materials used in batteries to the end devices, an electric vehicle just doesn’t make sense in terms of overall energy use.” However, other group denizens are ready to take the plunge. “I would go with Nissan Leaf,” says Ohio-based sales engineer Tom Medsker. “The range, price, and design are all good. There are fewer moving parts because there is no gasoline engine. I believe that if I make

the ‘all electric’ commitment, some smart entrepreneur will put a recharging station at a place where they want me to go, like a shopping mall or hotel.” Engineer William Ketel II says he would probably opt for the Volt, with one big caveat. “I am not really ready to do it until I figure out the replacement cost for the battery pack,” he explains. Glen Jenkins, a systems consultant in the Houston area, bought a Volt back in March and has driven 5,000 miles so far. “I typically use my Volt to go to work and back home driving less than the 40 mile range so I do not use any gas,” he says. “When I do make long trips, my Volt has gotten 45mpg on the highway. Try taking a Leaf over 90 miles in the summer or winter and you will be calling a tow truck!” “I have had a perfect and defect-free seven months of operation, making the Volt a fabulously reliable U.S.-made vehicle on par with my Lexus. Yes, the Volt is more costly than the Leaf, so if you are sure that you never need to drive over 80 to 100 miles between charges, then the Leaf is a better buy. So far I have used 22 gallons of gas during my 7 months of use, giving me 193mpg overall average.” To learn more about how the Volt performs from our EE Times colleague Brian Fuller, who’s driving one of the vehicles cross-country, go to, www.DriveforInnovation.com. DN

“Try taking a Leaf over 90 miles in the summer or winter and you will be calling a tow truck!”

Now there’s one place to do it all! NI Supports the improvement of engineering by connecting engineers with social media.

D e s i g n N e w s N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

66

SHERLOCK ΩHMS Famous investigations into engineering’s most diabolical real-world cases

http://bit.ly/SherlockOhms

The Case of the Mismarked Resistor By Michael Neidich, Contributing Writer IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS of the 1960s —

when everyone was gainfully employed — military equipment designers implemented amplifiers from discrete transistors, resistors, and capacitors from the approved list, rather than simply plugging in an op amp, as we would probably do today. While prototyping a circuit for a Navy f light-line ECM tester, I encountered an unusual problem. An amplifier circuit that was too simple to fail was not working correctly. My prototyping technician reported that the stage couldn’t support the signal levels and was clipping badly. I left my cube, sat in front of his bench, and checked the scope. Sure enough, the output was clipping. Yet there didn’t seem to be any obvious errors in the layout or connections. Nevertheless, the biasing of the transistor was way off. We prototyped using 1/4w 5 percent military RC05 resistors that were clearly marked. I checked the dc decoupling capacitor values and leakage, and there was nothing amiss. I pulled the transistor from the board, and it tested fine. Then I measured the voltage at the basebias divider network. It was very low, despite the divider consisting of 330k and 33k

to give roughly 9 percent of the supply rail. Finally, I unsoldered the two resistors and measured them. The 33k was actually 330 ohms! Clearly, the 33k resistor had been mismarked orange-orange-orange by the manufacturer and shipped as 33k. In reality, it was 330 ohms. The third most significant orange band should have been brown. So much for the minutia of the lesson learned many years ago. Yet it’s relevant today. When prototyping and when troubleshooting, we must never assume the components are the correct value, whether they be chip resistors, capacitors, or larger leaded components. Prototyping and test personnel should be instructed to measure each component before installing, as annoying and timeconsuming as that may be. Each part should be verified to make sure it is correct per the parts list and schematic. Then when problems arise, you will be certain that it is not a design issue, but rather a fabrication issue. It should be noted that wrong-value components apply equally to modern designs using op amps and chip components. Assume nothing is my mantra in troubleshooting, and it should be yours. DN

When prototyping and when troubleshooting, we must never assume the components are the correct value.

Michael Neidich is a circuit and system designer in disciplines ranging from dc to lightwaves, from discrete Germanium to GaAs, from ICs to VLSI, and from consumer to military equipment. He has worked at semiconductor firms such as Anadigics, Analog Devices and Zoran Corp., General Microwave Corp., and Sharp Electronics Corp. D e s i g n N e w s N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

DesignNews.com The Case of the Unplugged Orifice The difficulties of an aircraft airflow sensor set up challenges for Sherlock Ohms. http://bit.ly/nmmFd1

Have you applied your deductive reasoning and technical prowess to troubleshoot and solve an engineering mystery that even the fictional Sherlock would find most perplexing? Tell us about it! E-mail Senior Editor Rob Spiegel at: [email protected]

Join 1,000 design engineers who are members of the Sherlock Ohms Investigators Club at LinkedIn: http://designnews. hotims.com/27739-523.

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68

Design

Decisions

In-Line Equipment Innovation Ensures Full Cure of Light Cure Adhesives The Loctite AssureCure System shows that the adhesive has cured fully and reached the desired strength for the application. By ANNE FORCUM & JOHN LAFOND, Henkel

Light cure adhesives have become the assembly method of choice in high volume, automated manufacturing lines. They cure in seconds on exposure to UV or visible light wavelengths in the 200nm to 500nm range, offer infinite open times, and allow manufacturers to reposition parts as necessary before cure begins. These adhesives adhere to many substrates including glass, metals, and a wide range of plastics. Light cure adhesives process rapidly, cure on demand, dispense easily with- A simple and immediate in-line process, the Loctite AssureCure System includes a new adheout mixing, and fill gaps larger than sive technology, a fiber optic light source, a light detector unit, and software that ties into the 0.5 inches. Adhesives are available user’s existing PC or PLC. with temperature resistance up to 350F and offer very good resistance to polar and non-polar • Rapid processing speeds result in insufficient light exposure times; or solvents. Proven applications for light cure adhesives include hand- • Parts of the bondline are inaccessible to light due to opaque, held electronics, medical devices, appliances, optical equip- shadowed, or shielded areas. ment, speakers, and screens/displays. While the adhesive may appear solidified and the assemThe Challenge bly may seem strong, without extensive offline testing that To date, the greatest challenge for manufacturers using light involves either physical destruction of an assembly or timecure adhesives has been easily verifying the adhesive’s degree consuming analytical quality testing, manufacturers have of cure. Even the most conscientious manufacturer can expe- had no way to easily and conclusively confirm the degree of cure online. rience incomplete cure processes if: Physical or destructive testing processes will confirm cure, • An inappropriate or degraded light source is generating in- but just for that tested assembly. As the procedure cannot be sufficient irradiance to complete cure; integrated inline, detection is not immediate and a time lag Anne Forcum is application engineer and John LaFond is technology manager at Henkel. For more information go to, www.assurecure.com. D e s i g n N e w s N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

69

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Light Exposure, seconds (CureJet 405 nm) Figure 1. Percent conversion and probe response versus light source irradiance: as pull strength increases, the AssureCure output also increases, showing that the adhesive has cured fully and reached the desired strength for the application.

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New Inline Testing Technology Henkel Corp. recently developed a new system designed to quantitatively and cost-effectively confirm the complete cure of light cure adhesives. A simple and immediate inline process, the Loctite AssureCure System, includes a new adhesive technology, a fiber optic light source, a light detector unit, and software that ties into the users’ existing PC or PLC. Located on a very small footprint and easily integrated into existing production lines, the system is positioned directly after the assembly line’s existing light cure equipment. Immediately after cure occurs, an optical fiber illuminates the adhesive bond line. A second fiber measures the optical response from the adhesive and sends a signal to the system software. The AssureCure system’s outputs can be configured to provide a go/no-go response, or a quantifiable measurement of the curing process. The entire testing process takes 20 milliseconds per part, and every part is immediately verified. Baseline high and low limits for the end user’s application are determined by Henkel’s technical service group in advance of implementing the

Needle Assemblies 100.0

Pull Strength (lbf)

occurs between assembly of the defective part and detection of the problem. During this time, manufacturing continues, generating an inventory of defective parts. This same scenario holds true for analytical testing processes that must also be completed offline. Manufacturers have employed two other techniques in an effort to confirm the quality of bonded assemblies. Fluorescent adhesives confirm that adhesive is present in the required areas of the bondline, but give no indication that the curing process has occurred. Color changing adhesives prove that the adhesive has been exposed to light, but do not confirm conclusively that the curing process has initiated and progressed to completion.

4

Light Exposure, seconds (CureJet 405 nm) Figure 2. Correlation between pull strength and probe response versus light source irradiance: this graphic shows an excellent correlation between the baseline FTIR analysis and the AssureCure system response.

AssureCure process and are produced as correlation curves. Figure 1 shows a correlation curve that compares the adhesive’s degree of cure based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurement (FTIR) to AssureCure system output. This graphic shows an excellent correlation between the baseline FTIR analysis and the AssureCure system response.

Figure 2 shows a correlation curve of needle pull strength versus the AssureCure output over various time intervals of light exposure. As pull strength increases, the AssureCure output also increases, showing excellent correlation. The system shows that the adhesive has cured fully and reached the desired strength for the application. DN

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CALAMITIES

True Stories

Fire Safety Requires Proper Repairs & Equipment Design Careless repairs and questionable design result in a major fire loss. AT 3:00 A.M., the owner of a plumbing supply store was awakened by the insistent ringing of his bedside phone. He became fully awake when the caller reported that his store was on fire. The store was almost fully engulfed by the time firefighters arrived. A dispute arose between the store’s insurance carrier and the owner over the cause of the fire and the owner’s attorney retained me to help determine the cause of the blaze. Although a longtime client, I reminded him Myron J. Boyajian that I was not a fire expert per se, but he explained that since an engine-powered forklift was found near the epicenter of the fire, I might be able to help. At the store’s remains, I met with the attorney who retained me and the usual cast of characters, including other attorneys, other consulting engineers, city firemen, and fire inspectors. It was unusual, however, to see uniformed policemen and police arson squad members. When I asked about the reason for the arson squad, I was told that the area was a hotbed of gang activity and the store owner was once threatened by a gang member. Analysis of the fire and entry alarm logs showed, however, that there was no forced entry until the arrival of the firefighters. The fire detectors showed a spread of heat from the approximate location of the forklift outward. The fire experts’ consensus was that flames from the forklift spread to stacks of cardboard boxes of newly received plumbing fixtures. The flames spread quickly in the crowded storage area before any sprinkler was deployed, but no traces of an accelerant were found. The firefighters found an electric pipe threading machine in the debris. An engineer from the pipe threader’s company was summoned and later that day proceeded to disassemble the threader. It appeared that damage to the pipe threader was external and no burned or arced internal wires were found. Myron J. Boyajian, P.E., ([email protected]) is president of Engineering Consultants, a consulting service for forensic and design activities. Cases presented here are from his actual files. D e s i g n N e w s N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

The burn patterns on and near the forklift indicated that the fire started in or near the engine bay. The molded, glass fiberreinforced engine cover, driver’s seat, steering wheel, and plastic molded instrument panel were almost totally burned away. The solid rubber tires on the driver’s right side of the forklift were charred and melted. Although I pondered whether the fire spread from the stacked appliance boxes to the forklift, I continued with my inspection of the forklift. To permit site cleanup and demolition, the forklift was moved to a rented garage facility near the fire site where the forklift inspection could proceed safely. The owner and his forklift operator said that the truck was generally reliable, but that the hydraulic control linkages needed more than routine maintenance and adjustment. They also complained that the clamshell-style engine cover seemed flimsy and sagged to such a degree that drivers would sit on an extra cushion. I noticed that the cable from the battery’s positive terminal to the starter solenoid ran across the top of the stamped steel engine valve cover. The insulation was melted from the cable, but a close look revealed arced conductors. Hmmm, did the sagging cover press on the cable? And was the battery cable properly installed? I came armed with maintenance and repair manuals that clearly showed using clamps and ties to locate the cable ahead and below the surface of the valve cover. The forklift was purchased used from a repair shop that also did maintenance and repair work. That shop had made repairs, including replacing the battery cable in question. My attorney/ client retained a metallurgist to examine the exterior and interior surfaces of the valve cover. His microscopic examination revealed severe discoloration on both surfaces and confirmed the presence of temperatures high enough to ignite accumulations of residual fluids. I now had a grasp of the cause of the fire. My opinion report cited the sagging engine compartment cover that overnight pressed on an improperly installed cable, resulting in high temperature arcing that ignited residual f lammable f luids and dirt. The insurance company agreed that the loss was not due to the business owner’s wrongful action or inaction and agreed to settle the claim. DN

Design Engineering

Products

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

Electronics & Test Digital Humidity & Temperature Sensors The STS21 sensor is specifically for temperature measurement.

In addition to the SHT2x combined humidity and temperature (RH&T) sensors, Sensirion now offers the STS21 sensor specifically for temperature measurement. The humidity and temperature sensors, as well as the temperature sensor, feature excellent precision and reliability. They integrate sensors and full signal processing in a 3mm x 3mm x 1.1mm DFN 3-0 package. Overmoulding of the sensor chip provides protection against aging and ambient conditions for long-term stability. The sensors are fully calibrated and provide a I2C digital interface. Analog output modes are available on request. Digital communication mode enables a superbly low power consumption of 3μW in normal operation. Available on tape and reel, the reflow solderable sensors are suitable for high-volume applications. An extended quality assurance program ensures low PPM values. Sensirion www.sensirion.com/humidity-sensor-sht2x w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

Sealed Audible EZ-LIGHT Useful for washdown environments and mobile equipment.

Banner Engineering Corp. has added the K50L Sealed Audible EZ-LIGHT to its comprehensive line of lighting and indicators. The K50L is a rugged, cost-effective, and easy-to-install indicator light with an audible alarm, which allows it to be easily seen and heard from a distance. Featuring a fully sealed body, rated IP67 or IP69K depending on the model, Banner’s newest indicator light is for use in the food and beverage industry, processing lines, car washes, and areas prone to high levels of moisture. With a wide, 12V dc

71

72 Design Engineering Products –30V dc operating range, the K50L Sealed Audible is suitable for use in mobile equipment. The K50L is a compact device that is completely self-contained, requiring no controller for operation. This eliminates the need for wires, allowing the K50L to be installed in virtually any location. It is immune to EMI and RFI interference and is available in 1-, 2-, and 3-color models with green, red, and yellow LEDs. Both the IP67 and IP69K models feature 5-pin Euro quick disconnect with PNP input, while the IP67 model also allows for manual volume adjustment. Banner Engineering Corp. www.bannerengineering.com

Digital Pressure Gage Large backlit display allows readings from over 35ft.

Omega’s DPG409 series of high accuracy digital pressure gages feature a large backlit display, which makes it possible for the user to read digits from over 10.7m (35ft). The rugged stainless steel enclosure is designed specifically for wash down, sanitary, and marine applications. This DPG409 has also been tested to industrial CE specifications. Ranges from vacuum to 5000psi are available and all units included setup software

for fast installation and calibration via a USB connection. The wireless transmitter option sends readings

to remote locations and allows for PC-based chart recording and data logging. Omega is now offering new ranges on its DPG409 Series digital pressure gages. In addition to gage and absolute pressure ranges, new models are now available with sealed gage ranges from 100psi to 5000psi, compound gage ranges from +/–10inH2O to +/–15psi, vacuum (negative gage) ranges from 0 to –10inH2O to 0psi to 15psi, barometric ranges from 0hPa to 1100hPa to 880hPa to 1100hPa or 0inHG to 32inHg to 26 to 32inHg.

Omega Engineering Inc. www.omega.com

Three in One Hybrid Sensor Combines IR LED Emitter with proximity and ambient light sensors in one compact unit.

The “3 in 1” SFH 7773 digital sensor from OSRAM Opto Semiconductors installs both proximity and ambient light sensing in smart phones and similar devices by combining the functions of a digital ambient light sensor and a digital proximity sensor in a single compact unit. It also simplifies the elimination of crosstalk by combining the emitter and detector chips together — 3 devices in all — eliminating the design requirements that are usually necessary to suppress crosstalk. The SFH 7773 detects objects up to a distance of 15cm (5.9 inch) while simultaneously measuring the intensity of the ambient light. Its black package, measuring 5.3mm x 2.5mm x 1.2mm, is barely noticeable

D e s i g n N e w s N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

73 behind the transparent covers of smart phones. The power consumption is low, a maximum of 5mA flows in stand-by mode, 300mA in operational mode, making it suited for portable devices. A variety of sensitivity levels are available, ranging from 3lux to approximately 65.500lux and 0.03lux to 655lux.

Torque Measurement System with Modern Digital Telemetry Technology Offers true torque measurements with a non-contact, digital telemetry.

OSRAM Opto Semiconductors www.osram-os.com

Automation & Control Precise Atomization in a Compact Package Nozzles are available in airless and airassisted styles.

The Lee Company’s new atomizing nozzles generate a 50 degree cone spray pattern and offers precise, controlled atomization in a compact package. The airless atomizing nozzles do not need an external air supply and will atomize with pressures as low as 20psi (on water). The air-assisted nozzles utilize an external air source to control the atomization, allowing lower fluid operating pressures (as low as 5psi). The pressure of the liquid and the

air can be independently controlled to fine-tune the flow rate and nozzle performance. The nozzles are compatible with Lee’s VHS micro-dispense valves for fine flow rate control using pulse width modulation (PWM). Atomizing nozzles with special mounting configurations and PEEK wetted materials are available as special requests. The Lee Company www.TheLeeCo.com

The TMS 9250 Torque Measurement System utilizes non-contact digital telemetry technology and offers new options for mounting, installing, sensing, controlling, actuating, collecting data, and reporting data. Completely digital, its wireless design enables higher integrity of the torque data capture through higher resolution, higher sensitivity, faster response, and no mechanical interferences. Honeywell’s TMS 9250 noncontact digital telemetry design eliminates mechanical interference by measuring torque wirelessly. As a result, users realize more accurate data measurement with higher resolution and faster, better performance. The modular design can easily be adapted or customized to fit into many different types of test stands to meet specific test application requirements. Multiple mechanical configurations are available, including DIN, SAE, integral coupling, shaft-to-shaft, and custom mounting. The TMS 9250 is light, compact, and has quick-attach wiring connectors for fast installation. Easy setup parameters are readily accessible through the software system, enabling test parameter adjustments to be made quickly and remotely if necessary. The software accommodates multiple calibrations on the same sensor, allowing a single sensor to be reconfigured in a variety

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74 Design Engineering Products

of characterization arrangements, “on the fly” so that the test is not interrupted. Because Honeywell’s TMS 9250 is a non-contact system for torque measurement (i.e. no friction), its design also results in fewer sensor and instrumentation wiring issues, leading to lower maintenance needs. The TMS 9250 complies with all regulatory standards for safe RF emission standards and will not cause RF interference with other equipment.

This powerful pump is designed to deliver the highest flow rate of any electrically operated diaphragm pump. The pump operates without oil to eliminate risk of medium contamination and can be equipped with a double diaphragm system for in-

Honeywell International www.honeywell.com

withstand harsh environments; specialized leak-tight capabilities can be enhanced; and a wide range of available pump materials can be specified to expand application potential. Depending on model, these pumps can achieve flow rates up to 300L/min (10SCFM), maximum vacuums up to 29.3 inch Hg, and maximum pressure up to 30psig. They are designed to exhibit significantly low leak rates ranging from 6 x 10-3 mbar l/s (standard models) to 6 x 10-6 mbar l/s (doublediaphragm versions).

KNF Neuberger, Inc. www.KNFprocess.com

Diaphragm Process Pump for Gases The water-cooled head option prevents overheating.

creased safety critical when handling KNF N0150 diaphragm pumps can particularly dangerous gases. now be customized with water-cooled In addition to water-cooled heads, heads to prevent pump overheating in N0150 process pumps can be customprocess applications where exother- ized with a variety of options to satmic reactions from helium, xenon, and isfy application requirements. Pumps other gases may produce excessive heat can be supplied with explosion-proof and potentially shorten pump service motors for compliance with ATEX life. They can ideally serve industries and Class 1 Division 1 Groups C and ranging from specialty gases to radio- D hazardous locations; corrosionAIR006_DashDemoAd_DN7x3.375ƒ:AIR006 resistant 6/30/10models 7:31 can PM be Page 1 pharmaceuticals. developed to

Pneumatic Actuator Approaches Zero Friction For applications such as filament & wire tensioning, positioning and manipulating optics, liquids, or other delicate devices, and measuring weight, creep or tensile strength.

The Airpel Plus is Airpot Corp.’s newest line of high performance, low friction air cylinder actuators. The benefit engineers derive from the low friction levels the Airpel Plus exhibits is an enhanced ability to control ultra-precise

Get your hands on our free demonstrator. Visit us at airpot.com. With no seals to wear out and no hydraulic fluid to leak out, the super responsive Airpot dashpot can soak up unwanted motion indefinitely. See for yourself. Visit airpot.com and request our free Airpot demonstrator or call us at 800- 848-7681.

We make what you make run smoother. ®Airpot is a registered trademark of Airpot Corporation, 35 Lois Street, Norwalk, CT 06851 D e s i g n N e w s N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

Airpot.com

75

movements, including high speeds and extremely short travel distances with clean, long-life pneumatic devices. The inert qualities and tight tolerances of the glass and graphite materials used allow engineers to develop systems that will move, hold, or press accurately and with amazing repeatability.

perature range is –55C – 150C. Airpel Plus models are currently available in four standard configurations as single acting extension models with identical metric sizes, threads, mounts, and strokes as the Airpel- AB. Bore diameter choices of 9mm, 16mm, 24mm, and 32 mm are offered. Double acting configurations are not standard but available after consultation with Airpot engineering.

sensors within the integrated dovetail grooves. The standard drive ratios available from the motor to the screw are 2:1, 1:1, and 1:2, using lightweight aluminum pulleys and a fiberglass reinforced neoprene timing

Airpot Corp. www.airpot.com

Airpot Corp’s time tested borosilicate glass cylinder and graphite piston technology used in the standard Airpel is at the core of the new line. However, Airpot has adapted the piston configuration from their frictionless Airpel-AB Air Bearing Actuators to create, in the Airpel Plus, a product that approaches the zero friction of the -AB at a price closer to the low cost of the Airpel. This price/performance combination expands the possible uses in applications that demand accurate force control and moderate pricing. Airpel Plus maximum friction levels are approximately 0.5 percent of load and their operating tem-

Folded-Over Motorized Linear Rail System The design allows for a small footprint linear actuator system useful for precision motion applications where space is at a premium.

The Kerk RGS/RGW linear rail platform now includes a 180 degree folded-over motorized design. The folded-over linear rail contains all the components needed for a complete motion subassembly, including the stepper motor, belt and pulley, precision lead screw, bearing supports, and rail with load carriage. The rail also contains the capability of mounting

belt. Screw leads available range from 0.050 inch/rev to 1.2 inch/rev. When using a 2:1 ratio, a 0.050in/rev lead screw, and a 200 step/rev stepper motor, a positioning resolution of 0.125 thousandths is possible. For highspeed applications, a 1:2 pulley ratio and a 1.2 inch/rev lead screw provides a max speed of over 7 inch/s. All RGS and RGW linear rails feature standard wear-compensating anti-backlash driven carriages to insure

w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 D e s i g n N e w s

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” - Steve Jobs

As the leading manufacturer of OEM pumps and compressors, our innovation in design and technology has helped our customers create new innovative products and become leaders in their marketplace. For more information on how Thomas innovation can help you lead your industry, go to

gd-thomas.com/dn11.

Improving Lives through InnovationTM

Design Engineering Products 77

repeatable and accurate positioning. The splined aluminum guide rail and 303 stainless steel lead screw is coated using Kerkote TFE coating, providing a permanently lubricated surface. Maximum load capability of the folded-over motorized RGS is 35lb in the “Z” direction and 35lbs in the hanging/gantry load position. Maximum “roll” and “yaw” moment is 3.25 inchlb and maximum “pitch” moment is 5.66 inch-lb. Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions Inc. www.HaydonKerk.com

An implantable connector, for example, could feature Anomet Medical Clad Wire with platinum metallurgically bonded to a stainless steel or nitinol core. A radiopaque wire can feature platinum and platinumiridium, tantalum and tantalumtungsten, and similar alloys in clad composite with 316LVM stainless steel, nitinol, and MP35N. Anomet Medical Clad Wire is priced according to configuration and quantity.

Anomet Products Inc. www.anometproducts.com

ARCA Enclosures With Custom Color Options

Materials & Assembly Medical Clad Wire Custom manufactured clad composite wire lets medical device makers innovate more effectively by combining several properties into a single wire.

Anomet Medical Clad Wire combines one or more precious metals and a core material into a single wire with desired OEM properties. Formulated to achieve various combinations of strength, weight, conductivity, biocompatibility, and/or radiopacity, the clad composite wire is offered in 0.002 inch to 0.060 inch O.D. sizes with 2 percent or more cladding thickness.

Custom molded colors allow user customization.

The ARCA JIC enclosure family from Fibox can now be molded in custom colors. In addition to the standard RAL 7035 light grey color, volume users can specify a specific color matched to PMS (Pantone Matching System), FED STD 595C, or European RAL Colors. This ARCA in color program allows users color customization to specific application needs, for example, red for fire alarm control panels or white for use in solar industry applications. As well, OEMs can tailor product appearance by specifying custom colors identified with their brand image. The ARCA enclosure line consists of 10 standard JIC enclosure sizes ranging from 6 inch x 6 inch x 4 inch D to 18 inch x 16 inch x 10 inch D. Available in 120 configurations, Fibox ARCA enclosures feature opaque or transparent screw covers or hinged latched cover versions. This size range targets OEM instrumentation, controls, and automation applications, and accommodates larger components and high power applications. Stylized ARCA enclosures are manufactured using injection-molded polycarbonate, a high, impact-resistant plastic, that provides ease of customization, robustness, UV and

w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 D e s i g n N e w s

An illustrAtion in innovAtion

Jade Series BLDC Pump New innovative models 1410 and 1420 miniature Jade Series diaphragm BLDC pumps combine durability and performance. • BLDC electronic commutation is maintenance free with over 10,000 hours life • Lightweight and compact – For medical, lab and fuel cell applications • High torque and speed range of motor allows step-less variation in performance (2.5 – 11.0 lpm) • Available in 12V or 24V For more information on the innovative Jade series BlDC pump, go to gd-thomas.com/dn11.

Improving Lives through InnovationTM

78 Design Engineering Products

Materials Engineer & Metallurgist Bremen, IN

Direct complex design, manufacture and sale of highly precise roller bearings, manage heat treat operations, maintain quality systems and implement lean manufacturing concepts.

chemical resistance, and has a wide temperature range. ARCA features UL listing, NEMA 4X and IP 66 / IP 67 rating, and CE certification. These enclosures protect electrical and electronic equipment in applications including chemical manufacturing, food processing, wastewater treatment systems, clean energy including wind and solar, and hostile indoor and outdoor environments.

Must have MS (or foreign equivalent) in Materials Science or Metallurgical Engineering as well as an in-depth knowledge of quality systems, materials and various heat technology, courses in metallurgy. Fax cover letter, resume and references to: K. Hall RBC 574.546.5924

Fibox Enclosures www.fiboxusa.com

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in this issue

AdvertiserPage

AdvertiserPage

Accuride

13

EBM Papst

25

Pepperl & Fuch

38, 39

Ace Controls

63

Enertrols Inc.

62

Proto Labs Inc.

8

Airpot Corp.

74, 75

All Sensors Corp.

79

Allied Electronics

47, 49, 51, 52,

Allied Electronics

53, 80, C3

3, 34

Exair Corp. Harmonics Drive Technologies

27

Pyramid Inc.

62

RBC Precision Products

78

Henkel of America

35, 37

Renishaw

45

IMS Schneider Electric Motion

72, 73

Sensirion

10 67

Alpha Wire

16

Lin Engineering

41

Siemens Industry Inc.

APM Hexseal Corp.

10

Master Bond Inc.

18

Siemens Industry, Drive Technology Div. 17

Asco Automation Direct Avnet

4 15 11, 55

Mouser Electronics National Instruments

2, 6 29, 31, 33, 64

Smalley Steel Ring Co.

58

Solidworks Corp.

19

Naylor CMG

36

TDK-Lambda Americas Inc.

54

21

The Dow Chemical Company

65

Bokers Inc.

48

Newark Electronics

CIT Relay & Switch

20

Newport Corp.

7

Clippard Instrument Lab.

23

Northwire Inc.

40

Ulbrich Stainless Steel

59

Cooper Standard Automotive

71

Novotechnik U.S. Inc.

50

Yaskawa Electric America

C4

Digi-Key Corp.

C1, C2

Omega Engineering

D e s i g n N e w s N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m

1

Thomas Division

76, 77

79 High-Performance Plastic Bonding Adhesive Curing speed enables faster processing and reduces cost.

DYMAX Ultra Light-Weld 3069 is a UV/Visible light-curable adhesive designed for rapid bonding and laminating of a variety of plastic substrates. This high-performance, solvent-free adhesive cures in seconds to enable faster processing, increased output, and lower processing costs. It’s specifically designed to bond to a variety of both rigid and flexible plastics including PVC, polycarbonate, poly-

tives 2002/95/EC and 2003/11/EC. Typical applications include flexible lamination, plastic housing assembly, appliance assembly, speaker assembly, electrical bonding, and potting. Features: • Shore Hardness of D55;

• Fast UV/Visible light cure; • Adhesion to a wide variety of plastics; • Solvent free; • Flexible.

DYMAX Corp. www.dymax.com

urethane, PET, and PETG. Useful for bonding dissimilar materials, 3069 can offer manufacturers significant flexibility advantages over other fastening methods such as welding, mechanical fasteners, and traditional adhesives. When cured with DYMAX lightcuring spot, focused-beam, and flood lamps that offer the optimum balance of UV and visible light, the optimum speed and performance for plastic-bonding applications can be achieved. Ultra Light-Weld 3069 is in full compliance with RoHS direcw w w. d e s i g n n e w s . c o m N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 D e s i g n N e w s

80

GADGET FREAK The Gadget Freak® Files Case #198

ADVERTISEMENT “PROPELLER FAN REMOTE” Amt

Remote Control Fan Relief ANDY MORRIS HAS SOLVED an aggravating problem.You can get a remote control for a tower fan, but they’re too noisy for the bedroom. Propeller fans are nice and quiet, but they don’t come with remotes. So Andy devised a remote for a propeller fan that doesn’t require line-of-sight, which makes it easier to use in the dark.The gadget comes with off/on, three fan speeds, and multicolored LEDs to indicate the fan’s current speed. As an extra plus, it beeps to indicate that the fan got your message. 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 #

1

0.1uF 50V Ceramic Cap

852-1170

1

Capacitor, 4.7uF, 250V

862-0925

2

1N4004 Diode

411-0004

3

1N4148 Diode

411-0008

1

5.1V, 1/2W Zener 1N5231

431-0365

1

Yellow LED, 3mm, 2200mcd

436-0227

1

Blue LED, 3mm, 2500mcd

398-0202

1

Orange LED, 3mm, 1300mcd

436-0219

5

PNP Transistor, 2N3906

411-0030

1

10ohm, 1/4W, Carbon Comp

296-2122

1

470ohm, 1/4W, 5% Resistor

296-4768

DesignNews.com

Check out the remote control in action at www.designnews.com/gadget-freak.asp. More of What You Need: Find schematics, build instructions, and a full parts list at www.designnews.com/gadget-freak.asp. Sign up for the Gadget Freak RSS feed and get the posts delivered directly to your desktop at www.designnews.com/rss_simple.asp. To get Gadget Freak delivered directly to your inbox, go to www.designnews.com/register.asp. For parts information, call (800) 433-5700 or go to www.alliedelec.com/gadgetfreak. Sponsored by » Photo: Ron B. Wilson

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November 2011

A U T O M AT I O N & C O N T R O L

Pan & Tilt Succeeds with Servos

Think big but pay small! • USB local I/O expansion port supports up to four additional local I/O bases • Ethernet remote I/O expansion port supports 32 remote I/O racks and up to 64 GS series AC drives • High-speed Ethernet port for network of HMI (up to 32 C-more panels), other controllers, and enterprise system communications • Two serial ports for peripheral device interface or simple controller networking • USB port for data logging to removable drive, and project transfer

The Productivity3000 programmable controller can get your big job done easier and cheaper. The $599 CPU with 50Mb memory supports large programs, complete with tagname database and program documentation stored onboard. The huge (100,000+) I/O capacity gives you plenty of room to plan and expand. And the CPU’s seven communication ports make integrating a large system easier than you can imagine. Download the free programming software and check it out!

Where Do I Go for Automation Products?

omegamation.com, of Course! Your single source for process measurement and control products! Ideal for Small DC and Universal Motor Applications Adjustable DC Speed Control OMDC-15DVE $152

Visit omega.com/ omdc-15dve

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Variable Speed DC Control OMDC-125 Series Starts at $98

Visit omega.com/omdc-125

FREE! Visit omega.com to order your FREE copy of DilbertTM CONTROLCAT TM New Horizons® in Temperature, Pressure, Flow and More! Version No. 28 Featuring 105 DILBERT Cartoons!

Variable Speed DC Control OMDC-250 Series Starts at $299

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General Purpose OMAT Series AC Motors Starts at $115

Adjustable Frequency AC Drives

NFX9000 Series Starts at $192 Visit omega.com/omat_series

Visit omega.com/nfx9000

Voltage Signal Isolator Visit omega.ca/omdc-vsi OMDC-VSI $179 Closed Loop DC Speed Control OMDC-MD Series Starts at $515 Visit omega.com/omdc-md

For Sales and Service, Call TOLL FREE

1-888-55-66342 1-888-55-OMEGA ® Dilbert © United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

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Emerald Technology

TABLE OF CONTENTS Au t o m At i o n & C o n t r o l

12

Pan & tilt Succeeds With Servos

The phase offset feature of integrated servo stabilizes precision pan and tilt applications. By Hack Summer, Animatics Corp.

4 Practical Application of rFiD

The move to rFID automation requires a systematic approach to design and implementation. By Michael LaGrega, Siemens Industry Inc.

Emerald Automation Controller A new standard in motion control for the industrial automation marketplace using the SERCOS III servomotor drive network.

8 Selecting Controllers for Brushless DC motors

Depending on the application, a designer has many variables to consider when selecting controllers for brushless dc motors. By Phil Faluotico & Mike Tetmeyer, AMETEK Technical & Industrial Products Inc.

16 Permanent magnet technology Creates System Energy Savings

Permanent magnet technology within direct drive cooling tower motors achieves higher motor efficiency gains over standard induction motor efficiencies. By Roman Wajda, Baldor - A Member of the ABB Group

20 A Guide to Gliding, long travel Cable Carrier Applications

Cable carriers guide and protect moving cables and hoses in all types of automated applications, from low to high speeds, over long and short distances, and in all axes. By Joe Ciringione, Energy Chain Systems, igus Inc.

26 interoperability in manufacturing for Better Designed Products

Within the last 10 years, OPC has become a widely accepted communication standard in manufacturing. By Tony Paine, Kepware Technologies

29 Automating micro Generation

Using automation components from AutomationDirect, this small-scale hydroelectric system generates 20kW of power from a nearby lake. By Joel Froese, Red Bank Hydro

• • • • • • • • • • • •

32 axis of synchronous control 250 micro-sec position updates 512 points of I/O control Hi-speed input interrupts Multiple connectivity options Fieldbus network SERCOS III or II network interface Motor/drive systems up to 55K watts Electronic cam and ratio functions Easy programming Free servo system sizing support Call us for a quote today!

34 Equipment manufacturer increases Can Seaming machine throughput

Pneumatic Scale Angelus has developed a can seamer that can exceed 2,000 cans per minute on a 12 station machine. By Sandy Holden, Rockwell Automation

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Industrial Indexing Systems, Inc. +1 (585) 924-9181 Web: http://www.iis-servo.com Email: [email protected]

a u to m at i o n & c o n t r o l DESIGN

APPLICATIONS

Practical Application of RFID The move to RFID automation requires a systematic approach to design and implementation.

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A funded radio-frequency identification (RFID) automation project is underway. The technology is available, the application scenarios are formulated, and the economic benefit has been assessed. But how can the vision now become reality, and what are the next steps towards the practical application of RFID? With the trend to RFID in manufacturing to leverage low cost tags and achieve higher read distances, technology is making it possible for global producers to understand more completely its source supply chain. But what’s required for successful applications is a systematic procedure and model that will work irrespective of specific application With globalization, rFID has become even more important with the need for and industry sector. Assuming that companies to understand their source supply chain and begin the tracking of the first steps, including the process materials and products earlier in the process. analysis, target concept formulation, and economic feasibility study, have been comalways exist. That is why the findings obtained durpleted, now it is a matter of turning the analytical ing the course of the project must be incorporated results into reality. into the subsequent steps. The risk of the introduction of RFID technology real World Conditions can be controlled by specifically limiting its applicaThe implementation of a target concept under real tion to selected products, certain marking levels, and conditions can involve a few surprises even though predetermined processes. A feasibility test or field standard solution elements have been developed and test can also be regarded as a simulation in the broadtested by the manufacturers of RFID systems. To deal est sense. In order to prevent negative surprises at a with these issues, possible combinations of RFID very early stage, a field or feasibility test, based on the transponders and reader devices for certain applicatarget concept, should be the next step in the successtions are first measured, tested, and tried in practical ful implementation of an RFID project. The RFID applications under laboratory conditions. In special feasibility test/field test serves to check and adjust cases, for example under critical physical circumthe technical feasibility of a previously created RFID stances, an “out-of-the-box” RFID solution does not concept in the customer’s real environment.

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[www.designnews .com]

Source: Siemens Industry Inc.

By MIchAel lAGReGA, SIeMenS InDuStRy Inc.

Source: Siemens Industry Inc.

checks whether the RFID technology can be generally applied in the planned environment, the field test also checks the permanent environmental effect on the planned technology. A test concept accurately specifies the scope, period, objectives, and expected results. When creating this concept together with the customer, observe the definition of assessable test objectives. As existing IT systems should not be inThe trend to rFID automation solutions in production logistics and traceability terfered with at this stage, the respective applications is being driven by low cost software is provided based on which test tags, the ability to store larger amounts can be evaluated. of information on tags, higher read Depending on the RFID system used, distances, and the ability to present data environmental influences can have varmore effectively to production systems. ied effects. The result of the tests is the A feasibility test can be performed optimum attachment and alignment of before a profitability calculation, as oth- the transponders to the objects as well as erwise the creation of a return on invest the optimum installation of the anten(ROI) may not make sense for a solunas. The optimum attachment point is tion that is technically unrealizable at a found by attaching various transponAH0911A_ASG_ACT_7x4_625_Layout 1 10/6/2011 AM Page later stage. While a feasibility test only ders to10:59 different parts1 of the respective

object. Various attachment options (screwing, gluing, welding, etc.), the size of the transponder, and suitable installation points are included in the evaluation of the test to the same extent as the applicability by employees and the influences on the existing processes. The following are some of the most important aspects in creating a feasibility or field test. Each RFID location planned in the target concept must be tested individually. If required, alternative locations may have to be considered. Legal and internal security regulations must be complied with. When reviewing the locations, for example, ensure that all the already existing machinery that may emit electromagnetic interferences are switched on. The determination of the exact tag position on the identifiable objects is a trial and error exercise. Every transpon-

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a u to m at i o n & C o n t r o l

der position on the object and every possible angle between the transponder and reader device must be tested. Every possible packaging material must be tested, just as every object (product) that may be inside the packaging. Transponders are often too large to be attached to small objects, or the objects do not feature a suitable attachment point. Then, check whether alternative attachment options are available and practical. Verification of reading speed at production belts is easy to determine by increasing or decreasing the belt speed. Testing when the transport passes by reader devices at varying speeds and distances is more difficult. We recommend a testing series over longer periods of time. But probably the most important result of a feasibility or field test is the answer to the question of whether the application of the technology in the customer specific environment is executable as planned from a technical and economic point of view. Solution Design & Pilot operation The solution design phase deals with the concept and development of an extensive solution for the customer. In other words, it concerns the answer to the question of how the requirements as specified by the customer can be put into practice. Unlike the feasibility or field test, which basically concentrates on the selection of suitable hardware and its locations or the attachment on the objects, the solution design particularly involves the design of software integration. During this phase it is essential to integrate the process rules into the RFID middleware, to filter and select the data according to the workflow, and to transfer them in a targeted manner. Depending on the tasks, extensive pilot operation may also be expedient in order to review the feasibility of the RFID concept by incorporating the knowledge from the feasibility/field test into the customer’s real environment during continuous application. This pilot implementation requires the installation of the complete system into the real working environment. Unlike the final roll-out, operation and utilization of the system are reduced to manageable parts, and for security reasons, no complete in-

Using rFID for component tracking is the result of a greater focus on process manufacturing, quality, and compliance issues plus product genealogy requirements in specific industries such as pharmaceuticals.

tegration into the existing IT systems will take place. This will also provide the first conclusions on the load behavior and the integration of the new mass data as well as the effects on process control without unduly interrupting the operational process. The testable systems are more manageable during occurring problems, in which the detection of errors is simplified. A 100 percent read rate can be difficult to achieve in some applications with the current state-of-the-art. The design of an RFID application requires the development of reliable solutions or reversion to the provider’s wealth of experience. As a complete RFID solution often consists of components from different partners, the functioning project and partner management from this project phase onwards is also of great significance. The expense of conducting possible pilot operation strongly depends on the complexity and number of the respective processes. Simpler applications often no longer require a pilot phase due to the use of ready-made components. In the environment of, for example, a complex spare part management process with many edge processes (warranty processes, repair cycles, scrapping, etc.), pilot operation could take several weeks or even months. During the pilot phase, the achievement of the required accuracy, data flow, and performance in the real environment are tested and recorded over a longer period of time. Evaluation of the results then provides a useful troubleshooting tool and serves the employees as a document for knowledge exchange

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purposes. A well prepared pilot phase provides the option of assessing the subsequent system behavior during occurring errors as well as defining and taking suitable subsequent measures. Concepts for suitable software can already be developed within the assessment, but application only takes place during pilot operation. It is here that the interfaces to the superimposed IT systems can also be tested. The recorded data are checked and evaluated with simple aids such as Excel or ASCII files. Then, further suppliers/customers or products are incorporated in increments. This makes it easy to determine any errors that occur for which products, customers, or suppliers. Close cooperation between the involved associations can significantly expedite the solution to a problem. The load tests uncover any deficiency in the business processes and further system anomalies. This can help determine the volume of data up to which the system functions soundly. Cooperation with the involved partners must be ensured for compatibility reasons. To ensure the secure and uninterrupted process of daily work during subsequent roll-out, create emergency plans in case of error, prepare workarounds, and define the alarm events. The solution design’s task is not only the technical solution concept of the RFID system but also the consideration to the respective system software’s performance requirements. What is the use of the recording systems providing the data in real-time if the software is overburdened with processing? The weak points could be data complexity, financial influences, or a different understanding of how data exchange with business partners should take place. A complete test considers the examination of the correct transponder attachment, the communication between the transponder reader and the connected system, the data collection in the RFID system, and the data check. The exchanged data going back and forth between the participating systems, data exchange with auxiliary systems, and with trading partners must also be reviewed. Furthermore, the work flows between these systems should fol[www.designnews .com]

Roll-out Solution design Feasibility test

Preparation of wide scale application

Realization, pilot operation

Verification of RFID technology in a realistic environment

Profitability Cost-benefit analysis, ROI analysis Process analysis RFID assessment (Actual/Target) and RFID solution concept RFID Process identification quick scan with RFID benefit potential The typical process for an RFID introduction incorporates process analysis, formulation of the target concept and an economic feasibility study before the implementation phase turns the analytical results into reality.

low the entire process, from the start onwards to the consumption of the data or product. The interfaces must permit seamless integration between all the systems. The data flow must follow all the processes, and the corresponding data must correspond in every phase. Roll-Out If the transparency regarding the economic benefit and effects on the processes are established, the tests are successfully completed, and if a decision on the application of an area-wide RFID solution has been made, then the final step takes the form of the roll-out. A key element in every implementation is the integration of existing systems as well as existing ERP or WMS installations. Let us not forget that a further level is added to the system administration with regard to data management, hardware allocation, utilization of the RFID middleware, and the infrastructure behind the new level (e.g. new servers, which need to be connected to the domain). Integration requires new interfaces that have to cooperate with all the systems. At this point it becomes clear whether all the marginal conditions in the planning, design, and selection have been thoroughly checked and considered. Experience shows that the installation of an RFID system also requires extensive adjustment work and often a substantial amount of explanatory support. Larger investments are required in most cases, whether for technology or the required infrastructure (software, hardware, and others). RFID will not become a product that the end customer can buy over the counter, and not even in the near future. RFID introduction is too costly for that and also too demanding due to the contact with critical business processes. Michael LaGrega is RFID Systems Engineer at Siemens Industry, Inc. For more information, go to http://dn.hotims.com/34949-500. [w w w. d es ig n n e w s . c o m ]

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A u to m At i o n & C o n t r o l DESIGN

APPLICATIONS

Selecting Controllers for Brushless DC Motors Depending on the application, a designer has many variables to consider when selecting controllers for brushless dc motors. By Phil FaluotiCo & Mike tetMeyer, aMetek teChniCal & inDuStrial ProDuCtS inC.

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Motor controls receive supply voltages and provide signals to drives interfaced to motors. When selecting controllers for brushless dc (BLDC) motors, many variables will come into play for designers to consider within the context of an application; some of the most important are described in this article. Dynamic response. For optimum dynamic performance, the motor controller’s dynamic response should exceed the electrical and mechanical time constant of the motor and load. The motor dynamic torque response will be dependent upon both the bandwidth of the controller’s current regulating loop and the mo- Pictured is an AmETEK motor controller. many variables are tor inductance (electrical time constant). Motor considered when selecting controllers for bLDC motors. controllers with a motor current feedback loop will generally provide fastener dynamic torque response, but may require tuning the motor control Dynamic Speed. Designers should select a motor current loop to achieve ideal performance. Low induc- controller output frequency to match the maximum tance motors generally require high bandwidth to limit desired motor fundamental frequency (function of mocurrent ripple frequency and amplitude, along with tor rpm and pole count). High-speed motors controlled prohibiting wide excursions during fault conditions. via pulse width modulated (PWM) schemes require The motor dynamic speed response will be depenPWM switching frequencies in excess of 10 times the dent upon the motor and load inertia (mechanical fundamental frequency. time constant). Motors with high inertia require low RPM Range. For BLDC variable speed PWM movelocity loop bandwidth and, conversely, motors with tor controllers, the minimum motor rpm speed range low inertia require high velocity loop bandwidth to will be limited by the minimum allowable PWM duty generate the appropriate changes in speed demand. cycle (voltage) that is applied to the motor. The maxiAs in both instances of control, transducer type (cur- mum motor rpm will be limited by the available motor rent or velocity), accuracy, and resolution play a role in controller rated output voltage, controller maximum motor performance. output frequency, and motor controller motor field

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[www.designnews .com]

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weakening capability (exceeding rated speed at reduced torque output). Operating Environment. Temperature tends to limit motor controller life with expectancy halving with each increase of 10C. Designers should match the power/current rating with the expected temperature. (In helping to eliminate intermittent shutdown, drives often are equipped with temperature monitoring for self preservation.) For applications requiring precise regulation of speed or torque, the best rule of thumb is to select a motor controller with low performance drift over temperature. The effects of humidity and/or potential contamination will guide in determining the enclosure rating (IP classification) and/or applied protective coatings (urethane, acrylic, or epoxy) to a controller’s PC board assembly. Sinewave vs. Trapezoidal Winding. A BLDC motor’s construction (winding and rotor) should correspond with the drive topology (sine or trap). If properly designed and matched, the overall efficiencies of both sinusoidal and trapezoidal motor/controller combinations can be very high. It is essential that the type of controller is properly specified for the type of motor in the application. Mixing motor/controller types can result in reduced performance and efficiency. As a guideline, a sinewave motor/ controller combination typically will provide minimum torque ripple and precise dynamic torque response (vector field oriented control). A trapezoidal motor/controller combination usually will realize better motor controller root mean square (RMS) current utilization (lower controller peak amps will be required to produce rated RMS output current). In applications exhibiting very high operating output frequencies (i.e., very high motor rpm), trapezoidal waveforms generally will be much easier to generate than sinusoidal waveforms. Sensorless Control. This technology has advanced over the past five years to enhance motor controller functionality. Traditionally, a BLDC motor

controller has employed one or more digital or linear Hall sensors to deliver position feedback. However, sensors prove impractical for applications where the motor’s rotor resides inside a closed housing or where electrical connections may become problematic. Sensorless drives have introduced a cost effective and technically appealing alternative. Sensorless control serves as a method of starting from a stopped position and can provide reliable stability, even with load fluctuations. However, rpm may be limited by the processing capability of the controller and low speed/control operation will be limited by the black electromagnetic force (BEMF) amplitude. Switched Reluctance Motor/ Controller Design. Although typically loud, switched reluctance motor/ controller combinations can provide a robust and economical solution. Their topology is attractive for very high speed or mechanically demanding applications due to the simple pulsed drive output waveform and a motor’s all-steel rotor construction. Motor controllers have traveled far over the years and designers can benefit from an array of advances in onboard communication protocols and diagnostics, adaptive commutation to achieve wider speed ranges and optimum performance, and customized programmability, among other significant technology strides. Perhaps most importantly, the integration of controllers within existing end product design envelopes has emerged as a growing trend, replacing standalone motor controllers burdened by their necessary connections and costs. This trend underscores the importance of marrying controller to motor at the outset for a system that will deliver as promised. Phil Faluotico is director of motor engineering and Mike Tetmeyer is senior project engineer at AMETEK Technical & Industrial Products Inc. For more information, go to www.ametektechnicalproducts.com. [www.designnews .com]

a u to m at i o n & c o n t r o l DESIGN

APPLICATIONS

Pan & Tilt Succeeds With Servos The phase offset feature of integrated servo stabilizes precision pan and tilt applications. By Hack Summer, animaTicS corP.

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Fitting a filming camera to any jarring vehicle, such as an ATV or military tank, generally produces undesirable video quality. This becomes even more difficult when the camera needs to stay focused on a certain object or region, despite the movement of the vehicle to which it’s attached. Extremely precise positioning is a common challenge in many industries, including military, motion picture, and transportation, for security, tracking, and vision applications. In many cases, harsh environments make stability difficult, and time-sensitive projects make precision tracking capabilities an afterthought. Burchfield Automation’s Pan/Tilt positioning systems solve such application problems with the highest level of precision by utilizing an integrated servo motor such as Animatics’ Class 5 SmartMotor in their stabilization. Pan and tilt systems, or azimuth and elevation control systems, are mostly used to direct or aim cameras, laser distance sensors, or artillery at specified targets. The pan and tilt base may be on a stationary or moving vehicle, and in advanced Dynamic phasing in the Smartmotor allows offsets in physical cases the target may also be moving. As a result, base while maintaining position counter and load on target. controlling the pan and tilt to keep fixed on the moving target requires knowing where the target is and compensating for any movement at the base Burchfield Automation’s Pan/Tilt systems utilize of the pan and tilt. By placing the controls in a posi- zero backlash Harmonic Drive technology and tion closed loop operation aiming at the target is stabilization for any axis. In addition, all units are difficult enough, but adding that the unit itself is intelligent, making use of onboard microprocessors moving requires the additional gyro compensation. that allow system operation even if communication The control system inside Burchfield Automawith the host is lost. They also have control capabiltion’s Pan/Tilt systems takes in data from the gyro, ity that allows the Pan/Tilt system to communicate plus the location of the target in respect to the syswith and control any device the user selects as paytem, to then close the loop and maintain on target load. RS-232, RS-485, Ethernet, and DeviceNet at all times. are all available onboard and all units have discrete

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a u to m at i o n & c o n t r o l

The Pan/Tilt system takes in data from the gyro and the location of the target in respect to the system to stay on target at all times.

digital I/O and analog I/O under processor control to service payload requirements. Originally, Burchfield Automation approached Animatics with a request to reduce the calculation/communication time for offset correction. Soon after, Animatics engineers began working with Burchfield Automation at Burchfield’s headquarters in Covington, La., to solve the lack of precision in pan and tilt applications by perfecting the Phase Offset Mode feature Animatics had developed. Since 2009, Burchfield Automation has been commercially providing its Pan/Tilt systems utilizing the specialized phase-offset adjustments that are now a standard programming feature in the SmartMotor. Its Pan/Tilt systems successfully use the phase-offset feature as a vibration dampening measure to create stabilization. The system uses two servo motors: one that compensates for elevation changes and the other for azimuth changes. The phase-offset adjustment creates a differential velocity between the external gyroscopic measurement of the Pan/Tilt system and the motor’s

internal encoder at a rate of up to 2MHz update speed. Phase-offset mode also allows armend effectors to remain parallel to the base while the mid-arm section moves. This allows the physical measurement of the gyroscopic position sensors to tie in directly to the closed loop of the servo, allowing for the highest degree of accuracy, smoothness, and precision, all while contained in a compact unit. In addition, the SmartMotor can run in any other mode, such as position, torque, or velocity, while the phaseoffset feature is being used (with the exception of gearing and camming, because they use the external encoder input). Competitive pan and tilt or target tracking systems typically use worm gear reduction and open loop steppers or dc brushed motors to save on total system cost. As a result, they lose the benefits of a true brushless closed loop servo. Steppers often vibrate too much for steady targeting, causing targets at a distance to be difficult to track and leaving the end image shaky and unclear. Worm gear reduction has backlash, friction, and wear and tear issues that

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fall far short of harmonic gear reduction. Collectively, an integrated servo motor with a phase-offset feature, paired with a properly sized harmonic gear reducer, provides the stiffness and accuracy needed with closed loop precision that outshines the competition and keeps you on target, literally. Utilizing this technology, Burchfield was able to achieve an impressive stabilization resolution of 0.1 degree in heading, pitch, and roll directions and pointing accuracy on fixed platforms of 0.0083 degrees. With the availability of multiple onboard I/Os programmable as inputs or outputs from 5–24V, the inclusion of an integrated servo (such as the SmartMotor) allowed for full machine development. The result is a camera that can lock onto a target and hold it in focus regardless of vehicle movement. Hack Summer is director of application technology at Animatics Corp. For more information, go to www.animatics.com or www. burchfieldautomation.com. To watch a video demonstration, go to http://dn.hotims.com/34949-501. [www.designnews .com]

a u to m at i o n & c o n t r o l DESIGN

APPLICATIONS

Permanent Magnet Technology Creates System Energy Savings Permanent magnet technology within direct drive cooling tower motors achieves higher motor efficiency gains over standard induction motor efficiencies.

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BY RoMan Wajda, BaldoR - a MEMBER of ThE aBB GRouP

At a time when energy efficiency is of utmost importance, recent developments in motor technology have changed the playing field within cooling tower HVAC systems. This new technology — a permanent magnet (PM), laminated frame, direct drive motor — allows for the removal of all the mechanical components such as gearboxes, drive shafts, disc couplings, and existing motors. By removing these mechanical components you also remove their mechanical energy losses, thereby decreasing overall system energy demands. Additionally, you achieve higher motor efficiency gains with the PM technology over standard induction motor efficiencies found in old systems. To fully appreciate the benefits of this technology, it’s important to understand cooling tower application. There are typically two types of cooling towers: cross flow towers and counter flow towers. These are defined by the direction of air passed over the wastewater. A cooling tower is a structure, which extracts waste heat from a process and distributes it to the atmosphere. The most common method is to let heated water fall through a moving airstream created by a fan located at the top of the tower. This evaporation takes a large amount of heat from the process. The heated water is distributed over a fill material, which increases the surface area the water travels on and the cycle time within the tower. The water is cooled as it descends through

A cooling tower, like the one in this photo, is a structure that extracts waste heat from a process and distributes it to the atmosphere.

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a u to m at i o n & c o n t r o l

the fill. The cooled water is then collected in a cold water basin below the fill, from which it is pumped back through the process to absorb more heat. Commonly, the size of a tower is identified by the diameter of the fan. Fan sizes range from 6ft to 40ft, with the most common applications in the 10ft to 26ft range. The fan speed is typically limited by industry standards for stressing, which are typically rated as a max fan tip speed of 12,000ft per min. This max tip speed generates a fan speed in the range of 147rpm – 382rpm. The most common solution for driving the fan in current cooling tower designs utilizes a standard National Electrical Manufacturers Association induction motor, driveshaft, disc couplings, and gearbox arrangement. Cooling tower applications follow fan affinity laws, which state that horsepower (hp) varies by the cube of the fan speed. To put this in perspective, if we had an application requiring a 40hp load at full speed, but were able to reduce the speed 50 percent due to lower heat load requirements, the application need would only be 5hp, or only 12.5 percent of rated full load requirements. This reflects a great reduction of energy consumption. The use of variable frequency drives (VFDs) on new construction has become much more commonplace in recent years due to the energy savings associated with these fan affinity laws. Additionally, most upgraded or refurbished towers are also being equipped with VFDs. These drives have the advantage of a soft mechanical start, which means there is no large starting current draw, plus they enable the fan to run at any desired speed, from zero to the maximum design speed for the application. The energy savings realized by using a VFD are well recognized and documented, and in case study evaluations can be shown to achieve 37 percent to 47 percent in energy saving as compared to applications without VFDs. Historically, the mechanical components of the fan drive system, specifically the right-angle gearbox, have been the largest maintenance issue for cooling

tower installations. Gearbox failures, oil leaks, oil contamination, failed drive shafts, misaligned drive shafts, and excessive vibration are all significant problems related to this type of fan drive system. The Baldor•Reliance Direct Drive Cooling Tower Permanent Magnet (CTPM) technology’s features and benefits have been embraced by the industry. These include the following: • Reduces energy use; • Reduces overall tower stress through the soft start capability; • Removes alignment issues; • Removes mechanical rotating equipment; • Increases reliability; • Decreases noise levels; • Decreases yearly maintenance; • Decreases vibration levels; • Decreases ingress of contamination due to trickle current during idle periods; • Incorporates anti-windmilling option during idle periods; and • Increases safety by enclosing all rotating equipment inside the tower. Many of the problems associated with cooling tower maintenance and reliability are solved with the CTPM motor design. The relatively high speed gear input shaft, which typically runs at 1750rpm, has been eliminated. The CTPM direct drive motor runs at the typically slower fan operating speed, in the range of 147rpm – 382rpm. Vibration and noise concerns have been minimized. The driveshaft and associated disc couplings have been removed, thus eliminating problems associated with misalignment, natural frequencies, or driveshaft delaminating. The right-angle spiral-beveled gearbox has been removed. Difficult maintenance problems associated with changing the oil, proper oil fill levels, contamination of the oil, oil leaks, and gearbox failures are no longer a concern. New motor technology has led to an alternative solution, the direct drive of cooling tower fans. PM motor technology, combined with the finned, laminated frame design, now allows the construction of a low speed, compact motor for use in place of the existing gearbox. Data

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A traditional cooling tower fan drive features a right-angle gearbox mounted under the fan, powered by a drive shaft attached to an induction motor. Gearbox failures, oil leaks, failed drive shafts, misaligned drive shafts, and excess vibration are all significant problems related to this drive system.

The Baldor•Reliance RPM AC Cooling Tower Direct Drive motor is designed exclusively for the cooling tower industry. The motor combines the technologies of power-dense, laminated frame rpm ac motors with high performance, permanent magnet rotor designs. Combining this motor with a baldor cooling tower variable frequency drive results in a system that is quiet, energy efficient, and easy to maintain.

obtained to date indicates this solution will eliminate problems associated with the right-angle gearbox and drive shaft design. By eliminating the gearbox, which is a significant source of loss in the system, improved system efficiencies can be realized. Roman Wajda is engineering and business manager for the air handling industry for Baldor - A Member of the ABB Group. For more information, go to www.baldor.com. [www.designnews .com]

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A u to m At i o n & C o n to l DESIGN

APPLICATIONS

A Guide to Gliding, Long Travel Cable Carrier Applications Cable carriers guide and protect moving cables and hoses in all types of automated applications, from low to high speeds, over long and short distances, and in all axes.

O

BY Joe CirinGione, enerGY ChAin SYSTemS, iGuS inC.

Over the years, cable carrier manufacturers have raised the bar by designing carriers for even higher speeds, longer distances, and heavier loads. Cable carriers are an extremely low maintenance solution and can withstand extreme conditions, such as low or high temperatures, harsh weather conditions, sea water, chemical exposure, and more. Compared to cable reels or festoons, cable carriers offer a longer service life and increased system reliability. For long distance applications in particular, using a cable management system provides numerous benefits. Some cable carriers make travels of more than 1,300ft possible and can reach gliding speeds of 16ft per sec. Cable carriers also deliver This Energy Chain System from igus is being used for two ship unloading quiet operation, are capable of high cranes at a coal power plant in malaysia and has a total travel length of 1,447ft (441m). acceleration, and can deliver a service life of 10 years or more. Many different types of cables and hoses long travels the upper run of the cable carrier nests can operate side by side within one cable carrier syson the lower run. The upper run glides partially on tem and remain durable despite wind, weather, dirt, the lower run and partially at the same height on a and chemical exposure. glide bar. Figure 1 shows the gliding application principle. The Gliding Principle For lateral guidance, a guide trough is necessary. If The gliding principle comes into play whenever a the stationary mounting bracket and the fixed end long travel application is involved. This is because in of the cables and hoses can be placed in the center,

T20 Au to m At i o n & C on t r o l / t r e n d wAt C h s u p p l e m e n t NOvEmb Er 2011

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the cable carrier length is calculated as follows: Cable carrier length: L k = S/2 + K

Model 4400 Side Mount Level Sensor 1/2" - 13 bulk head at point of indication. FDA Polysulfone • UL recognized

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Model 3900 Side Mounted all SST

S = Length of travel R = Bending radius HRi = Trough inner height HF = Required clearance height K2 = Further add-on if the mounting bracket location is set lower K = Pi R + “safety” — add-on for bending radius (K is taken from individual igus Series data tables) D2 = Over length for long travels, gliding In these examples, an igus Energy Chain cable carrier is shown. The fixed end of the Energy Chain is located in the center of the distance to be traveled.

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Cable carriers guide and protect moving cables and hoses in all types of automated applications, from low to high speeds, over long and short distances, in all axes. [www.designnews .com]

Ultimate Networking Flexibility CC-Link IE Field uses proven Ethernet technology to provide high speed control, flexible wiring and predictive maintenance between the device and control layers of your production facility.  1Gbps communication for handling large amounts of I/O and device based data.  Simple network setting makes configuration easy.  Multiple network topologies available for flexible machine setup.  Straightforward connectivity permits easy network maintenance.

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A u to m At i o n & C o n to l

Guide Troughs A guide trough is an important element in long travel applications. The height of the trough must be at least twice the total chain link height and the sides should provide a chamfered opening. When the upper run cannot glide on the lower run, glide bars must be installed along the sides of the trough.

Important Tip: When assembling the trough parts, the following points must be given particular attention: • Properly align all trough parts upon installation; • All screw heads should be flush with the trough;

S S/2

S/2

D2

H1

K2 R

H2

R

HRi

ΔCL

S S/2

S/2

R

HRi

R

H2

K2

Figure 1. A solution with two inversely arranged energy Chain Systems from igus: for application in crowded spaces and high loads.

A guide trough is an important element in long travel applications. The height of the trough must be at least twice the total chain link height and the sides should provide a chamfered opening. Shown: An energy Chain System equipped with an igus guide trough. T24 au to m at i on & c o nt r o l / t r e n d wat c h s u p p l e m e n t novemb er 2011

• There must be a smooth leveled transition between the end of the chain and the glide bars; and • There must be a solid connection with the glide surface. Travel Speeds & Accelerations Travel speeds up to 16.4ft per sec in continuous operation are possible and exist on current applications. In special cases, even higher speeds are possible. For example, igus’ E4/100 and E4/4 Energy Chains achieve speeds of 72ft per sec and accelerations of 2,572ft per sec in crash test units. Acceleration plays a large role in the calculation. Differentiations must be made between normal operational acceleration and a sudden jolt of acceleration or deceleration, such as unexpected stops. Technical environment Long travel applications can run in water, in dirt, in the tropics, in explosion risk areas (if they have certain special design features such as material suitable for electrostatic-discharge applications), and many other conditions. Service Life In a test, cable carriers with 656ft travel distances have been in operation for eight years with minimum maintenance.* Cable carriers travelling up to 197ft have been in operation for 12 years with almost no maintenance.* Practical Application Igus offers Energy Chain cable carrier systems especially for long-travel applications. One such system, which is being used for two ship unloading cranes at a coal power plant in Malaysia, has a total travel length of 1,447ft (44m). Two large cranes unload coal from ships, and it is then transported by conveyor belt to a power station located 1.2 miles (2km) away. They can unload up to 1,500 tons per hour and the terminal itself has the largest capacity for unloading bulk goods in Southeast Asia. *Source: igus test laboratory [www.designnews .com]

Cable carriers from igus were selected for the two ship unloading cranes and installed as a fully preharnessed ReadyChain system to supply energy and data to the trolley and cabin ride. Longitudinal (Cross) Travel 1,447.8ft (441.3m):

Supply for the Crane Operator’s Cabin: • Travel: 239ft (73m) • Speed 1.1ft per sec (0.33m per sec) • Acceleration: 1.64ft per sec2 (0.5m per sec2)

Joe Ciringione is national sales manager for Energy Chain Systems, igus Inc. For more information, go to www.igus.com.

• Acceleration at 0.3ft per sec2 (0.1m per sec2) • Speed at 1.6ft per sec (0.5m per sec) The Energy Chain is filled with medium-voltage continuous-flex cables from the CF-Crane range, a fiber-optic cable, as well as a fine spray water hose to minimize the dust generated while unloading. Hoist Equipment (trolley): • Travel: 295ft (90m) • Speed: 612.2ft (189.6m per min) • Acceleration: 3ft per sec2 (1m per sec2) • Fill weight: 90.46lb (41.03kg per min)

MAXnet 10-Axis model utilizes the new DBnet daughter board to expand the capability to 10-axes coordinated motion. This very capable controller measures only 4” x 6.5”x 1.6”. Additionally this model includes additional I/O and unique customization options.

Special features of this chain: It has been operated with a four-band chain using two extension links due to the high speed in combination with the very high fill weight of 41.03kg per m. The Energy Chain together with its cables weighs almost 2.5 tons.

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TCP/IP Ethernet or RS232 16 general purpose I/O Servo or Stepper axis by axis Absolute Encoders up to 32-bit, optional on all axes  Accurate to +/- 0 counts  General use analog inputs

For long travel applications especially, using a cable management system provides numerous benefits. Shown: energy Chain cable management system from igus. [w w w. d es ig n n e w s . c o m ]

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N o vemb er 2011 aut o matio n & Co ntr o l / tr e nd wat Ch s up p le me nt T25

A u to m At i o n & C o n t r o l DESIGN

APPLICATIONS

Interoperability in Manufacturing for Better Designed Products Within the last 10 years, OPC has become a widely accepted communication standard in manufacturing.

I

By Tony PaIne, KePware TechnologIes

In a manufacturing environment, interoperability serves an integral component of a much larger and more complex manufacturing infrastructure. It can mean intelligent bidirectional plant floor communications to programmable logic controllers (PLCs), as well as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), material requirements planning (MRP), or often enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. At the very core of any manufacturing facility, automation communications technology is typically the initial component and the infrastructure builds out from there. Previously, industrial automation used direct wire connections among the sensors, actuators, and controlling PCs. Today, examples of communications technology in manufacturing can be seen through the use of analog sensors to measure real world conditions and where process-control systems perform analysis and control of manufacturing processes. Another instance can be illustrated through control commands converted to analog signals to control actuators. modular, Component-based machines Using standard logic and control hardware, machines today are starting to be built as modular components. The manufacturer now has a lot more choice in machine components such as cappers, conveyors, loaders, or labelers, which can be manufactured and tested separately, then plugged into the completed machine at the customer site. Communications technology comes into play once the components are installed and recog-

Kepware’s OPC server enables communication between the control system, manufacturing operations, and business systems.

nize each other after the bus connection is made. Then communication among controllers typically starts immediately and automatically without additional programming or configuration. There is a new generation of intelligent componentbased automation machines and devices that is beginning to emerge. Industrial communications technology will enable distributed intelligence and local control. To help improve a machine’s response times, logic functions are pushed down to the device level to achieve better local control. Local control can be used for safety functions such as light curtains and safety doors, eliminating the need for a safety bus. Controllers communicate laterally to other local controllers in sequential manufacturing operations, or send and receive status and command signals from a central controller. Thanks to information technology advances, manufacturers are able to deploy low power, low cost wireless communications. Wireless communications have become a desirable alternative to direct wired connections. Low powered wireless systems enable connections to machines and devices not easily monitored with previous technologies. In fact, almost all production facilities around the world now use some form of communications software to achieve industrial automation within manufacturing facilities. As it stands today, communications technology plays a key role in the automation of manufacturing processes usually under the control of PLCs. In the automation realm, communications technology can be

T26 au to m at i on & c o nt r o l / t r e n d wat c h s u p p l e m e n t NOvEmb Er 2011

[www.designnews .com]

oPC for Automation OPC’s key benefit is that it can enable data exchange among multivendor devices and control applications without any proprietary restrictions or limitations, and thereby it makes continuous real-time communication possible. The OPC Foundation is playing a crucial role as part of a communications technology initiative in manufacturing. The foundation adapts and applies fundamental standards and technology specifications from the general computing market specifically for manufacturing industry needs. OPC is known for its open connectivity in industrial automation, in addition to connectivity to enterprise systems that support industry. It is based on open standards and specifications to ensure interoperability can be achieved for communications in manufacturing. The latest standard, OPC-UA, is designed to be platform- and operating system-independent, supporting Windows, Linux, and a variety of embedded operating systems that communications technology vendors will be able to leverage. The OPC Foundation is developing and managing a standard set of operating system-independent communication interfaces (stacks). It is anticipated that OPC-UA will cross into [w w w. d es ig n n e w s . c o m ]

new markets, including medical devices and smart grid, in addition to the manufacturing sector.

effectively in order to achieve improved operations and efficiency. What this means for OPC drivers and interoperability technologies is that they will beData exchange Intelligence come more intelligent in acquiring data The communications trend in manufrom equipment, and using the data to 114,3x187,325_gb_5/2006usa 04.05.2006 14:50 Uhr Seite 1 facturing automation is to use data more auto generate content within the driver,

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applied to both discrete and continuous manufacturing processes. With continuous manufacturing, it is also called process control. As part of any communications technology in manufacturing, there needs to be a focus on connectivity within all manufacturing operations and among all the systems within a manufacturing facility. Embedded device communications have evolved tremendously over the past decade, especially in the areas of communication drivers for automation controllers, I/O, and field devices. Additionally, operating systems that support manufacturing communications technology have grown to include Microsoft Windows Desktop, Server, and Embedded (Windows CE and Windows NT/XP Embedded). Communication protocols to support interoperability in manufacturing have expanded in step with these.

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N o vemb er 2011 aut o matio n & Co ntr o l / tr e nd wat Ch s up p le me nt T27

A u to m At i o n & C o n t r o l thus improving its use in client applications and the way it uses data from server applications. For instance, assets can come from standardized tags, device models, equipment, and any sets of data collected that are triggered from the source. Kepware’s drivers are typically auto configuring, which means they can automatically configure most of the data on their own, generating the same space from information retrieved from either a program file or by interrogating the device itself. The OPC Foundation anticipates that its OPC-UA format will unleash a great deal more sophistication in how information is represented, transferred, and utilized. OPC is implemented as a distributed client/server architecture. And an OPC Server — a software application that acts as an application programming interface (API) or protocol converter — can connect to such devices as remote terminal units, PLCs, SCADA systems, and so forth. Basically, it can integrate with any data source, such as a database or graphical

user interface, and translate that data into a standards-based OPC format. Once translated into an OPC form of communications, it can bi-directionally communicate data to a historian, spreadsheet, trending application, or human machine interface (HMI), using any hardware or software from different vendors of OPC-compliant applications. The OPC client is able to display data or send commands, but it uses the OPC server to retrieve data. Collaboration Leads to Interoperability Gains One of several major advantages of OPC and how it has affected the communications technology market in manufacturing can be noted by the increase in collaboration among technology vendors. OPC is helping the industrial market leverage an open communications platform, which has given end users more choices and freedom to develop more sophisticated and robust automation applications.

Miniature Micro-Positioning Stages Linear and Rotary

The need for interoperability is being driven by the emergence of new technologies such as wireless communication and embedded systems, and its reach is extending beyond its domain. Budget constraints and leaner manufacturing operations have reduced the number of people manufacturers employ in both discrete manufacturing and process industries. Due to the fact that we have to do more with less, control architectures are seeing greater demands to adopt a more connected manufacturing environment and decentralize ongoing silos of automation and intelligence. Manufacturing communications technology relies on this decentralization to enable machinery to make decisions locally while intelligently communicating crucial data wherever it is needed. Tony Paine is the president and co-owner of Kepware Technologies. For more information, go to www.kepware.com.

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T28 auto m at i on & c o nt r o l / t r e n d wat c h s u p p l e m e n t novemb er 2011

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a u to m at i o n & C o n t r o l DESIGN

APPLICATIONS

Automating Micro Generation Using automation components from AutomationDirect, this small-scale hydroelectric system generates 20kW of power from a nearby lake. By Joel Froese, red BAnk Hydro

M

Micro hydroelectric power is making a comeback in electricity generation for homes, farms, and small businesses. This trend is fueled by factors including favorable regulation, rising energy prices, and advances in automation, and do-it-yourselfers worldwide are diving in. The only requirements to generate electricity are access to a stream with a 2ft drop in water level and two gallons of flow per minute. A hydroelectric system isn’t overly complicated, isn’t difficult to operate and main-

tain, has longevity, and is often more cost-effective than any other form of renewable power. Although we’d never built such a system before, we did so by using low-cost components and free technical support, both supplied by AutomationDirect. building a Hydroelectric Plant In 1980 my father, Arno Froese, began investigating the potential for generating hydroelectricity on his property. The land is situated near the dam of a 64-acre com-

This micro hydroelectric power plant generates 20kW of power, controlled by equipment from AutomationDirect. [w w w. d es ig n n e w s . c o m ]

NO vE mb Er 2011 auto matio n & Co ntr o l / tr e nd wat C h s up p le me nt T29

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Figure 1. The control panel contains an AutomationDirect DirectLogic 05 Micro Brick PLC, a C-More HMI panel, I/O, and associated components.

munal lake, allowing access to the 10ft height differential between the lake and the tailwater on the other side of the dam. My dad measured the water flowing over the spillway and determined that an average of 40 cubic ft per sec flowed through the pond, making it a marginally feasible hydroelectric project. In 2004, my brother Simon discovered our dad’s research and decided to move forward. In March 2004, Simon began excavation. For two years, the project was a challenging and sometimes disappointing excavation site, requiring us to dig 17ft below lake level for the foundation while groundwater and mud continuously seeped into the hole. By the end of 2006, the underwater portions of the plant had been built, a 4ft aluminum pipe through the back of the dam was in place, and a temporary cofferdam was removed. We then installed a refurbished 50hp Francis turbine. Testing determined that the turbine’s optimal speed would be 150rpm. Designing the Automation System The hydroelectric system is powered by water draining from the lake that flows through a turbine, which drives three

generators via a belt and pulley system. The generators are three Baldor Electric model L1177T 15hp single-phase induction motors. Driving an induction motor at greater than normal speed generates electricity. Output from the three motors was tied into the local electric grid via the same transformer that formerly only provided power to the property. The utility’s meter now turns backwards when our plant supplies more power than we consume. We realized that as a grid-tied induction-based generation system, the generator/motors would freewheel if the excitation current from the grid was lost. The grid acts somewhat like a battery being charged, providing a degree of needed resistance to the generators. If grid resistance were to disappear because of a power failure, the generator/motors could spin up to twice as fast as designed. We needed the ability to automatically shut down our hydroplant in case of a grid power failure. The turbine has an integral control gate to adjust water flow from 0 percent to 100 percent. This control gate was designed to be opened and closed by a 12 inch double-acting hydraulic cylinder, so the first piece of automation equipment installed was a Parker Oildyne 24V dc hydraulic reversible pump to operate the gate. The power for the pump and all the low-voltage control circuits is supplied by two deep-cycle 12V batteries which are connected to two 12V battery charger/maintainers. When a shutdown signal from the control panel or a fault condition occurs, the shutdown procedure is simply to run the pump in the “close” direction for 60 secs and open the contactor to the generators. The hydraulic pump has a built-in pressure relief valve that allows it to safely run a minute or two after maximum extension or retraction of the cylinder. It was crucial that the system also monitor rpm and shutdown based on either overspeed (caused by a disengaged generator or broken belt) or underspeed (insufficient power genera[www.designnews .com]

tion) conditions, so it was time to install a programmable logic controller. I decided that (although it was AutomationDirect’s smallest PLC) a DirectLogic 05 Micro Brick PLC would be sufficient (Figure 1). In October 2007, I ordered our first PLC, a proximity sensor to count shaft revolutions, a NEMA 1 enclosure, and various pushbuttons, terminals, DIN rails, and wire ducting. After a couple of weeks of learning ladder logic and playing around with the PLC, I began to install the basic automation system. A local bearing distributor determined what belts, sheaves, and shafts were needed to transfer rotation of the turbine to the three Baldor induction motors (Figure 2). Although generating electricity with induction motors is not unusual, a system of three identical motors running from one turbine seems to be unique. Initial tests in February 2008 confirmed that this would work. All three motors properly synchronized when coupled by the belt drive. Within a week, the first kilowatts of power were generated. Using only the demo version of the DirectSOFT 5 software, which limited

me to 100 instructions, I programmed the DL05 for the following operations: • An always-running monitoring stage that counts revolutions and calculates rpm;

• A startup stage that opens the turbine and engages the motors at the prescribed rpm; • A shutdown stage which fully closes the turbine and disengages the motors.

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The shutdown stage was triggered by any of three conditions: the shutdown button being pushed, an auxiliary contact on the motor contactors opening (meaning ac control power was interrupted), or rpm out of normal operating range. Making, Measuring, & Monitoring Power In May 2008, we signed an interconnection agreement with Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative (MCEC) and its supplier, Central Electric Power (CEP). In June 2008, we began feeding power into the grid. Throughout the summer, we started and shut down the plant manually at our discretion, taking into account the lake level and the utility’s time-ofuse tariffs. The utility paid us nearly double for power generated during peak demand summer hours, a financial incentive that remains to this day. Later that summer, we installed a submersible water level sensor to monitor the lake. This 4–20mA device was wired into an AutomationDirect 4-channel analog current-input module added to the DL-05 PLC.

Upgrading to the full version of DirectSOFT 5 added capacity and programming capabilities. I could now program the system to automatically shut down when the lake level fell below a certain point. I also added an autostart function that started generation whenever the level rose above the spillway in the dam. However, we still needed to know how much power we were producing. Although it’s possible to use transformers and signal conditioners to get voltage and current information into a PLC, it’s complicated in terms of hardware and ladder logic. Instead, we purchased an AccuEnergy Acuvim II panel-mounted power meter. By installing it and an AutomationDirect RS-232/RS-485 converter, I could poll the power meter over MODBUS to determine volts and amps, instantaneous kW, cumulative kWh produced, the power factor, frequency, and other relevant power parameters. I was only able to see these operating parameters, however, by remotely logging into the computer and looking at the DirectSOFT 5 programming software’s data view window. It

Figure 2. The turbine drives three electric motors via pulleys and belt drives. [www.designnews .com]

West Columbia, S.C., we expect to see a complete return on our investment after only eight years. Depending on rain and how much electricity our home and office use, we make $30 to $300 per month in direct revenue from the power company. This does not include savings on the power bill, which has gone down from almost $1,000 to around $300 each month. With this $700 savings and the average $200 check from the power company, the micro hydroelectric plant makes about $900 a month. Roughly, this means that we’ve already recovered about $30,000 of our $70,000 investment.

Figure 3. Connecting the control system to PCs on the property required only a wireless adapter, mounted in the window of the powerhouse.

Joel Froese is the chief engineer at Red Bank Hydro. To watch a video go to, http://dn.hotims.com/34949-502.

enabled me to do some rudimentary remote control, such as starting or shutting down the plant, but it certainly wasn’t user friendly. About this time, AutomationDirect added IP-based remote operation capability and a built-in Web server to its C-more touch panels. I installed a C-more panel and began learning how to program it with C-more’s software. By April 2010, I had four screens of valuable information and graphs that could be accessed in the power plant and also remotely via a Web browser. To avoid running an Ethernet circuit 100 feet between the power plant and the house, I installed an inexpensive Asus WL-220gE portable wireless adapter in the hydroplant building’s window (Figure 3). This ensured reliable communication with the house’s existing wireless access point. The wireless adapter is powered from a USB port on the C-more panel, meaning the entire turbine control system is powered by low-voltage dc. return on Investment Some experts say a successful micro hydroelectric plant will pay for itself in 15 years. At Red Bank Hydro in [w w w. d es ig n n e w s . c o m ]

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a u to m at i o n & c o n t r o l DESIGN

APPLICATIONS

Equipment Manufacturer Increases Can Seaming Machine Throughput Pneumatic Scale Angelus has developed a can seamer that can exceed 2,000 cans per minute on a 12 station machine. By Sandy HoldEn, RoCkwEll auToMaTIon

B

background Whenever a can is being sealed — whether it contains tuna, soda, or spray paint — it is essential that the cover is dropped into place at the right time and seamed to the container with precision. Even the slightest error can result in poor product quality, contaminated materials, downtime, and product waste. Pneumatic Scale Angelus, a division of Barry Wehmiller, is a manufacturer of can seaming machinery and provides equipment to help customers meet their demanding quality, productivity, and throughput goals. Sixty five percent of all finished cans in the world are seamed by a Pneumatic Scale Angelus machine.

The model 12m can seamer from Pneumatic Scale Angelus features an electronic servo control option using Allen-bradley Kinetix 6000 servo drives, allowing quick can and cover diameter changeovers for increased productivity and throughput.

Challenge End users have continued to look at innovative product packaging designs as an opportunity for competitive differentiation. To accommodate this growing trend, Pneumatic Scale Angelus needed to design a machine that could easily adjust to changing product needs, while offering greater throughput, accuracy, and reliability. “Our customers have come to expect superior precision from our machines and we wanted to provide

T34 au to m at i on & c o nt r o l / t r e n d wat c h s u p p l e m e n t NOvEmb Er 2011

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them with additional flexibility so they could use the same machine on a wider range of can shapes and sizes,” said Ed Varatip, manager of electrical engineering, Pneumatic Scale Angelus. “Rockwell Automation could deliver the control system technology our customers needed, and meet our rigid cost and production standards.” Solution To develop its newest can seaming machine model, Pneumatic Scale Angelus sought an integrated solution that would combine flexibility with high precision control and reliability. With assistance from local Allen-Bradley distributor Royal Wholesale Electric, Pneumatic Scale Angelus implemented the Allen-Bradley ControlLogix programmable automation controller (PAC) along with Allen-Bradley PowerFlex drives. Based on the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture system, the ControlLogix PAC shares a common control engine, networking technology, and communication services to improve functionality, scalability, and flexibility, while helping reduce costs. ControlLogix programming software uses real names with structured, tagbased memory rather than physical addresses. By doing so, critical information is logged and displayed in an easy-to-understand format, simplifying troubleshooting to the point of identifying exactly where a problem exists and how it needs to be fixed. “Because our machines call for high precision, the system could have been difficult to customize to meet our customers’ complex needs,” Varatip said. “With the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture, we were able to design a highly flexible and reliable system without sacrificing quality.” As part of the new design, customers can choose an electronic servo control option using Allen-Bradley Kinetix 6000 servo drives, which provide the machine with seamless, high speed, coordinated motion control and improved system synchronization. The flexible servo drives allow operators to [w w w. d es ig n n e w s . c o m ]

quickly and easily adjust speed, position, and timing parameters, resulting in a more controlled motion profile and improved machine throughput. With the servo-control capability, Pneumatic Scale Angelus machines can quickly and easily be shut down and brought back online, even after being disconnected. Once the machine is reconnected, it is automatically repositioned right where it left off, eliminating the need for manual positioning and reducing operator errors. “Manual positioning and homing is a difficult task, as the machine has to be repositioned precisely back to where it was before it was disconnected,” said Dallas Hogue, system integrator, Royal Wholesale Electric. “The Kinetix servo drives enable automatic repositioning to help our customers improve machine reliability, increase uptime, and reduce product waste.”

To simplify design and setup, Pneumatic Scale Angelus employed DeviceNet along with Allen-Bradley POINT I/O modules and Allen-Bradley ArmorBlock I/O modules to connect and mount various components closer to the machine. This reduces wiring and overall complexity of the system, enabling Pneumatic Scale Angelus to provide easy service access to I/O modules within a stainless steel safety enclosure. Using Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus interface terminals running Rockwell Software FactoryTalk View humanmachine interface (HMI) software, Pneumatic Scale Angelus can significantly improve ease of use by enabling operators to monitor machine and motion control functions. This provides operators with expanded monitoring capabilities, including trending, data logging, and animation.

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Results Through its Logix Control Platform, Rockwell Automation provided Pneumatic Scale with a control system that exceeded its expectations. “We have worked with several automation providers in the past and were unable to find one who could integrate both machine and motion control on one platform,” Varatip said. “By effectively integrating these functions using the ControlLogix controller, we were able to reduce design time on the control system from the typical three years to just five months.” With DeviceNet, Pneumatic Scale was able to reduce wiring costs and save at least 40 hours of labor on each machine. Machine homing, setup, and startup were reduced by an average of one hour per machine. On top of that, the integrated platform helped

Pneumatic Scale exceed its throughput goals. “Our goal was to design a system that seamed 1,800 cans per minute,” Varatip said. “With the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture, we can exceed 2,000 cans per minute on a 12 station machine.” More importantly, the high efficiency and reliable control platform has helped Pneumatic Scale Angelus boost its overall machine sales. The company is now considering other machines where it can employ the integrated control platform from Rockwell Automation. Sandy Holden is the market development manager for OEM Business at Rockwell Automation. For more information, go to www.rockwellautomation.com. [www.designnews .com]

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APPLICATIonS

In the Marketplace KnF Diaphragm mini Pumps for Air or Gases Tailored to meet OEM application requirements.

KNF diaphragm mini pumps and compressors introduce highly customized “built-to-suit” pump solutions benefiting OEMs with a wide range of available features and options that can be specified to

satisfy most application demands. These mini pumps (N85-N815 Series) can reliably handle gases, take samples (even liquids in a vacuum), or evacuate vessels. They are typically used for analyzers, medical instruments, and printers. Regardless of modification, these lightweight pumps (from 0.56kg to 1.8kg) share key features designed to optimize operation and performance. Depending on model, standard mini pumps can provide flow rates up to 20l/m, achieve up to 27 inch hg vacuum levels with a single stage, and operate against pressures up to 35PSIG. KnF neuberger Inc. www.knf.com/oem

Max Output Speed

Universal valve Actuator

Actuator reduces cost and minimizes the amount of equipment necessary to provide adequate valve automation. VICI Valco’s Universal Valve Actuator permits the use of a single motor and control software to operate virtually any Valco or Cheminert

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www.nabtescomotioncontrol.com T38 au to m at i on & c o nt r o l / t r e n d wat c h s u p p l e m e n t novemb er 2011 NM DN 3.375x4.625 Gears V4.indd 1

Motion Control Inc. North America

[www.designnews .com] 3/10/11 1:15 PM

rotary valve, both two position and multiposition. All Valco and Cheminert valves and selectors, with their wide range of turning torques, are covered by three actuator versions: high speed, medium speed/medium torque, and high torque. Actuators include a universal 24V dc power supply and manual interface. An OEM version that excludes these items is also available. The Universal Actuator is CE/RoHS compliant and has a variety of interface options including RS-232/485, USB, and BCD. Valco Instruments Co. Inc. www.vici.com

ESCON 36/2 DC

A compact and powerful 4 quadrant PWM servo controller. Maxon’s ESCON 36/2 DC is a 4 quadrant PWM servo controller for use with dc motors up to 72W. The drift-free yet dynamic speed behavior enables a speed range of 1rpm to 150,000rpm. It provides a wide range of functions,

on the direction of rotation, or to use speed ramps for acceleration and deceleration. The speed can be regulated by means of a digital incremental encoder (2 channel, with/without line driver), dc tacho, or without encoder (IxR compensation). Maxon Motor http://escon.maxonmotor.com with fully configurable digital and analog inputs and outputs and can be run in various operating modes: speed controller (closed loop), speed controller (open loop), and current controller. This compact servo controller is controlled by means of an analog set value. The value can be specified by means of analog voltage, an external or internal potentiometer, a defined value, or by means of a PWM signal with variable duty cycle. Other functions include the ability to enable or disable the power stage depending

Power-Off & Fail-Safe Holding Brakes Holding breaks for Pittman brush and brushless dc motors. A wide selection of power-off and failsafe holding brakes are available for integration with Pittman brush-commutated and brushless dc motor products for customized brake/motor packages. All of the brakes are factory-installed to promote quick and hassle-free startup. Each delivers safe and energy-saving performance. The power-off brakes suit parking brake applications with their capability

PRECISE. ACCURATE. EFFICIENT. LINEAR SHAFT MOTOR

ULTRA HIGH PRECISION The Linear Shaft Motor is the  rst linear motor designed for the ultra high precision market. No cogging, less generated heat, and use of all magnetic  ux allows for ultra high precision motion.

HIGH EFFICIENCY Because of its design features, the Linear Shaft Motor is 50% more energy ef cient than competing linear motors. *

SYSTEM APPLICATIONS You can design the Linear Shaft Motor into a wide range of systems, including high precision robots, Gantry/Cartesian robots, and high force actuators.

*-Energy ef ciency determined in an independent study conducted by the University of Virginia in October 2010.

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a u to m at i o n & c o n t r o l

IDeA Stepper motor Drive module

to decelerate and hold a load in position when power is deactivated. The holding brakes promote “fail-safe” operation by requiring power for their release. The power-off brakes include Type B30A in four models (supply voltages 12V dc, 19V dc, 24V dc, and 30V dc) and Type B49A in two models (supply voltage 12V dc and 24V dc). Depending on model, static holding torque from 1lb-inch (16oz-inch) to 3lb-inch (48oz-inch) can be achieved. AmeTeK Technical & Industrial Products Inc. www.ametektechnicalproducts.com

Communicates using an RS-485 data protocol. The IDEA stepper motor drive platform now has the capability of communication using an RS-485 data protocol. The main advantage of using the RS485 protocol, especially for industrial equipment such as stepper drives, industrial motor drives, and servo systems, is the ability for long data transmissions while exhibiting excellent immunity to electrical noise. The RS-485 protocol utilizes “differential” signal lines for limiting common mode noise coupling and twisted pair cabling for cancelling out induced noise current. This allows IDEA devices to communicate over a network of 1000ft without the need for termination resistors. The system architecture also allows up to 256 addressable device nodes. An industrial controller can send commands to all the drives at once, or each drive can be controlled separately when assigned a unique identifier, a number between 0 and 255.

The IDEA platform is a RoHS compliant, small footprint, electronic drive and fully programmable control unit with easy-to-use graphic user interface programming. Hardware features of the IDEA Drive platform include programmable current control, a single supply

voltage of 12V dc to 48V dc, 2.6Arms (3.68Apeak) max rated current per phase, and 8 opto-isolated general purpose I/O. The inputs are rated for 5V dc to 24V dc, 4mA max per input. The outputs are open collector, 5V dc to 24V dc, 200mA maximum per output. Kerk motion Solutions www.HaydonKerk.com

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Advertiser Aerotech Inc. All Motion

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Advertiser Farrand Controls Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions

Allied Electronics

T2

Igus Inc.

Automation Direct

C2

Industrial Indexing Systems

Autonics USA

C3

Magnet Applications

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National Aperture

T28

NB Corp.

T11

Nexen Group

T35

Nippon Pulse America Inc.

T39

Nook Industries

T13

Banner Engineering Corp.

T21

Maxon Precision Motors

Beckhoff Automation LLC

T19

Mayr Corp.

T27

Pro-Dex

T25

BEI Sensors

T33

Micromo Electronics

T37

Raco International

T39

Bosch Rexroth

T17

Micropower Direct

T31

Sepac

T10

Carlyle Johnson Machine LLC

T36

Mitsubishi Electric Automation

T23

Thomas Product

T22

Dunkermoteren

T15

Nabtesco

T38

Turck Inc.

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Advertiser

Omega Engineering

T1

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