Mg pd1may15 web by design2pro

Omron has announced its human vision components module. See page > 9

Measurement Specialties has s released a high temperature,, miniature accelerometer. See page > 20

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Engineering Answers

A Small Robot for Compact Spaces Robotic assembly is becoming the cornerstone of many factories, and as manufactured goods become smaller and more intricate, robots must follow suit.

Manufacturing

Connecting to the Industrial Internet of Things

cover story

TableofContents

Engineering Answers

REPLACING THE HUMVEE After 25 years, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps are upgrading the iconic Humvee.

The promise and potential benefits of the Industrial Internet of Things are real and accessible to all.

Brainstorm

Wearables How does the design and usability of wearables need to change in order for the market to see widespread consumer adoption?

Enclosures

5 Concerns of Military Computer System Configurations Developing a rugged computer that lasts involved a defined process of identifying the need, designing the system, and specifying the equipment.

Departments 6

At Issue

From pddnet.com

First Look

New Products

Marketplace

Final Thought

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May 2015

Rapid Manufacturing with a Polite Disregard for Tradition Tech-driven injection molding, CNC machining and 3D printing for those who need parts tomorrow

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AtIssue M e l i s s a

F a s s b e n d e r ,

his month’s Brainstorm asks what design changes must be made in order for wearables to become adopted by the general population (Brainstorm, page 24). The consensus? Smaller, longer lasting batteries. While I don’t contest these answers, the reason that I don’t wear my Fitbit has nothing to do with its size or charging requirements – it was comfortable on

E d i t o r

According to a recent report by Pew Research Center, 83 percent of experts say wearable technology will have a “widespread and beneficial effect” on the public by 2025. While I don’t doubt the consensus, I don’t think this “beneficial effect” will be the ability to count how many steps we take in a given day. Recently, I had to wear a Holter monitor, a medical device that continu-

When Wearables Actually Work my wrist, water-resistant, and since I charge my phone every night, I had no problem plugging in one more device. My issue was that the wearble didn’t provide me with any real benefit. Although I quickly jumped on the bandwagon, as my dad and sister decided we would compete to see who could get the most steps on any given day (we are a wildly competitive family), the novelty soon wore off, and I removed my Fitbit for good. What my Fitbit did tell me was that I really don’t walk that much some days (so is the life in a cubicle) and I really don’t sleep that soundly at night. But I knew these behaviors already. The wearable just made it difficult to deny. Apparently walking to the coffee machine and back doesn’t force me up and around as much as I had hoped (even though it happens regularly, all day, because of the aforementioned sleep issues and general caffeine addiction). My other qualm: It didn’t give me any credit for going to yoga but my dad racked up his steps by simply rocking in his La-Z-Boy. Needless to say, my dad still wears his, although he did take a short hiatus from the tech in a period of frustration, as he has less patience with the device’s charging time.

May 2015

ously recorded my heart's rhythms for 24 hours (don’t worry, I am quite positive any issues stem from my aforementioned coffee consumption). However, I was able to avoid a long stay in a hospital bed because of this technology. Although the technology is not new (Norman J. Holter invented telemetric cardiac monitoring in 1949) it is an example of where wearables have an opportunity to really improve quality of life. The device let me go along about my day as normal, but it was very uncomfortable and bulky. Simple tape was still used to secure the electrodes to my skin – apparently some instances offer no high-tech solutions. My issues with consumer wearables persist, and I remain hesitant about the many expert reports that predict our future. Yet any time I find myself feeling doubtful about impending technology, I remember that my grandfather grew up nothing during the Great Depression, and now he can FaceTime with his grandchildren on his new iPhone. That is pretty amazing. What do you think? Will wearables change our lives for the better? Email me at Melissa.Fassbender@advantagemedia.com.

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Planes Leave on First Around-the-World Flight On April 6, 1924, four planes left Seattle, WA on the first around-the-world flight. Before the flight took place, the U.S. Navy delivered 30 spare engines to various places around the world.

Spacecraft of the Week is a feature showing the engineering and design that went into creating the vehicles that explore our universe.

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6 Hilarious Tech Pranks for April Fool's Day DoD Contracts Every business day at 5 p.m. the U.S. Department of Defense releaseU a list detailing the contracts that it has awarded. Some of the companies that frequent the list include: The Boeing Company, Northrop Grumman Corporation, the Raytheon Company, BAE Systems, and Lockheed Martin.

Many companies took advantage of the date to release a variety of new products. If you missed the run down, visit www.pddnet.com/blogs/tech-pranks to see them all.

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Engineering Newswire 135: TRON Lightcycle Breaks Out of the System

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx www.xxxxxxxx

(Courtesy of RM Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s)

PDD www.pddnet.com www.pddnet.com 7

FirstLook First Look Silicon Carbide XY Air-Bearing Stage

Shielded Power Inductors Coilcraft's (Cary, IL) new MLC75xx Series of shielded, high-current power inductors have soft saturation characteristics that make them suitable for VRM/VRD designs and other applications with occasional overcurrent requirements. Features include: • Isat ratings up to 59.2 A. • A DC resistance down to 1.2 m. • A measurement of 7.0 x 7.5 mm. • A max height of 4.2 mm.

Why Would I specify? • The MLC75xx Series inductors are constructed of proprietary materials that are not subject to thermal aging issues associated with other iron powder core inductors. • Coilcraft offers the series in 7 inductance values ranging from 0.10 to 2.17 µH. • The inductors feature RoHS compliant tin-silver (96.5/3.5) over copper terminations and offer a maximum reflow temperature of 260°C. www.coilcraft.com

Aerotech (Pittsburgh, PA) has developed the PlanarHDX, a commercially available planar air-bearing platform for semiconductor manufacturing and test and inspection. Features include: • Directional gain scheduling. • Iterative learning control. • Harmonic cancellation. • An ETM (enhanced throughput module) option. • Passive or active isolation systems. • Speeds to 1.5 m/s. • Accelerations to 5 g.

Why Would I Specify? • The PlanarHDX structural elements were designed using an advanced silicon carbide ceramic with a specific stiffness (elastic modulus/density) 5 times higher than aluminum and a coefficient of thermal expansion approximately 5 times lower. • Using proven air-on-air preloading in critical bearing elements improves turnaround and settling times over vacuum-preloaded designs. • A proprietary reaction-mass design reduces stage-induced forces in the step-axis that are transferred to the isolation system or customer’s structure. By minimizing the dynamic forces, move-and-settle time is reduced and process throughput is increased. www.aerotech.com

Reverse Displacement Motor Danfoss (Ames, IA) has expanded on its Reverse Displacement Motor (RDM). The open circuit piston motor offers reverse circuit functionality without external valves offering a hydraulic system solution for mobile equipment applications. Features include: • A 12 or 24 V integrated proportional shifting valve. • A speed sensor option. • Increased displacements.

Why Would I Specify? • The RDM enables customers to achieve up to 10% power savings, a 15% average reduction in total system cost, and reduced system complexity. • The reverse functionality of the RDM enables the fan to purge trapped dirt and debris, restoring cooling efficiency. Additionally, the fan drive packages can be tuned to meet the cooling requirements of Tier 4 equipment applications. • The simplified design of the RDM eliminates the external valves and pressure supply required in typical reversing solutions and eliminates the cost and pressure losses associated with them. www.powersolutions.danfoss.com 8

May 2015

Evaluation Board for Software-Defined Sensor Offering

From the Cover

Melexis (Belgium) has introduced an evaluation board (EVB) to strengthen the support available for its MLX90393 programmable magnetic sensor IC. Features include: • SPI and I2C interfaces. • A measurement of 30 x 30 mm. • An operational temperature range from -20° to +85°C. • A provision for thermal measurement.

Human Vision Components Sensor

Why Would I Specify?

• Each HVC offers 10 functions, including face detection, face recognition, age estimation, gender estimation, facial pose estimation, gaze estimation, blink detection, facial expression estimation, hand detection, and human body detection. • The module is applicable in home appliances, marketing research, industrial equipment, and robotics. www.omron.com

Omron (Hoffman Estates, IL) has announced its Human Vision Components (HVC) module. The HVC integrates Omron's image sensing technology (OKAO Vision) with a camera, processor, and external interface onto a single PCB. Features include: • A footprint of 60 x 40 mm. • A power supply voltage of 5 V ±10%. • A power consumption <0.25 A. • An operating temperature range from 0° to 50°C. • An operating humidity below 90% RH. • RoHS compliance.

Why Would I Specify?

• The EVB offers engineers a platform for constructing a variety of human machine interfaces with slide, push/pull, and linear swipe switches, in addition to more complex 3D sensing systems, such as joysticks or rotary knobs with push functions included. • Melexis’ proprietary Triaxis technology gives the 16-bit resolution MLX90393 sensor IC on each EVB the capacity to deliver a digital output proportional to the detected magnetic flux density along 3 perpendicular axes (X, Y, and Z). • The IC acts like a building block for position sensing systems in a spectrum of applications, presenting engineers with an array of configurable parameters, allowing them to optimize their system for either high speed measurement, elevated signal integrity, or low power consumption. www.melexis.com

Programmable DC Power Supplies

Slotted Brushless DC Motors Pittman Motors (Harleysville, PA) has introduced its latest offering in a range of DC brush and brushless motors: EC044A Series of slotted brushless DC motors. Features include: • A 1.7” (44 mm) diameter. • No-load speeds of up to 15,000 rpm. • A continuous output torque rating of up to 15 oz-in (0.11 Nm). • Preloaded, shielded ball bearings. • Low vibration and quiet operation. • A combination of aluminum and a 400 Series stainless steel shaft.

Why Would I Specify? • The EC044A Series is designed with 3 motor lengths and 24 winding variations to suit a variety of projects. Custom lengths and windings are also available to maximize exacting end-product requirements. • An internal circuit board supports hall sensor feedback spaced at 120 electrical degrees. • The Series’ compact size and power density makes it suitable for portable medical, industrial equipment, and power tools. www.pittman-motors.com

TDK Corporation (Lincolnshire, IL) has added 600 W high voltage models to TDK-Lambda’s Z+ series of programmable DC power supplies. The series is now available with output voltages of 0-10, 0-20, 0-36, 0-60, 0-160, 0-320, or 0-650 VDC and with output powers of 200, 400, 600, and 800 W. The higher voltages address the requirements for applications such as deposition processes, remotely operated underwater vehicles, ATE systems, as well as general laboratory and industrial use. Features include: • Built in analog, USB, and RS232/485 interfaces. • Optional LAN, GPIB, and isolated analog programming. • Bench or rack mount options. • Constant current or voltage operation. • An input voltage range from 85 to 265 VAC. • A universal 85-265 VAC input.

Why Would I Specify? • All the Z+ series can be programmed via the front panel controls or remotely using the USB, RS232/485 or analog control interfaces. Optional LAN, GPIB (IEEE488), and isolated analog programming interfaces are also available. • The power model is CE marked for the EMC, Low Voltage, and RoHS Directives, the Z+ series also conforms to EN55022/EN55024 as well as IEC/EN61326-1 for conducted (FCC part-15-B) and radiated (FCC part15-A) EMI. • Safety certifications include UL/EN/IEC61010-1 and the series is designed to meet UL/EN60950-1. Additionally, all models carry a 5-year warranty. www.tdk-lambda.com www.pddnet.com

ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS

NewProducts VME SBCs Using Intel & PowerPC

Ground Reference Component

Aitech Defense Systems (Chatsworth, CA) has announced two 6U VME SBCs, one based on the Intel Haswell processor and one that is Freescale QorIQ-based. Aitech’s rugged, industrial SBCs offer a range of memory storage options and I/O, making them suitable for a variety of embedded commercial, industrial, and Naval applications. Operating temperature for the boards is from -20° to +60°C.

ColossusEPC (Gilbert, AZ) has developed a ground reference component that uses light energy to present a viable method of grounding electricity that improves the operation of electronics, while providing adaptability and efficiency in amplifying, generating, converting, transforming, and otherwise conditioning power and isolating signals. Working prototypes are now available. Features include: The ability to store and amplify light photons before converting them into electricity, allowing it to provide isolated power rails. The ability to produce 1 to 4 true isolated single point grounds in a contained component package from a single low-power input. The ability to create 100% isolated lines with no impedance. www.colossusepc.com

Ai-VM163S features include: An Intel 4th gen Core i7 quad core processor running at 2.4 GHz. 8 GB DDR3L with ECC. 32 GB onboard SATA flash disk. Ai-VM111S features include: Freescale’s QorlQ T4 quad core, dual-threaded, Altivec-enabled T4080 processer with a speed of up to 1.5 GHz. 4 GB DDR3L with ECC. 128 MB NOR Flash. www.rugged.com

Linear Voice Coil Actuator BEI Kimco Magnetics (Vista, CA) has introduced a miniature linear voice coil actuator, LA10-08-000A. Key to the product’s design specification was a device that would deliver a high force in frequencies up to 75 Hz in a small enough size to mount onto the manufacturer’s existing ultrasound probe. Features include: A 75 Hz frequency. Measurements of 1” in diameter and 0.8” in length. A peak force of 6.67 N. www.beikimco.com

May 2015

Bandwidth Socket Ironwood Electronics (Eagan, MN) has introduced a high performance BGA socket for 1 mm pitch, 2577 pin BGA IC's. The SG-BGA-6422 socket is designed for IC size 52.5 x 52.5 mm and operates at bandwidths up to 27 GHz with less than 1 dB of insertion loss. The sockets are designed to dissipate up to several watts without extra heat sinking and can handle up to 100 W with custom heat sink. The contact resistance is typically 20 m per pin. Features include: Mounting on the target PCB with no soldering. A shoulder screw and swivel lid. Ball guides for precise alignment of BGA balls and PCB pads. A temperature range from -35° to +100°C. A pin self-inductance of 0.15 nH and mutual inductance of 0.025 nH. A capacitance to ground of 0.01 pF. A current capacity of 2 A per pin. www.ironwoodelectronics.com

Multiport Gigabit Ethernet Switch Men Micro (Blue Bell, PA) has released the new G101, a managed 3U flexible multiport Gigabit Ethernet switch, with a 29 GBit/s switch matrix, implemented as a CompactPCI Serial board. Designed for rugged mobile communication in harsh environments, the new Ethernet switch conforms to the EN 50155 railway standard. Features include: Up to 25 Gbit Ethernet ports; all on rear I/O or 3 on front and 22 on rear. An operating temperature range from 40째 to +85째C. EN 50155 compliance. The ability to support IEEE1588v2 on ports 1 to 12 and EEE (Energy Efficient Ethernet) as a standard on all ports. Special ring protocols, including RSTP, MSTP, G.8031/G8032v2, as well as transmission technologies like PB-EVC(Provider Backbone Ethernet Virtual Connection). A fault-tolerant switch. www.menmicro.com

Board-to-Board, LED Connectors

The new LEK Series connectors introduced by JST Corporation (Waukegan, IL) provide a space saving and low profile connection for LED lighting. Any misalignment between the horizontal connections between the PCBs is absorbed by the LEK plug and receptacle. The spring contact in the receptacle is designed with a hook that provides a secure locking system. Features include: A 3 A (AC/DC) rating. An available side entry configuration. An operating temperature range from -55째 to +85째C, including temperature rise when applying an electrical current. Tin plated copper alloy PCB mounted contacts. Headers molded from RoHS compliant 94V-0 PBT material. Insertion guides for mating. www.jst.com www.pddnet.com

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS

NewProducts

Composites in the U.S. Where is Innovation?

Where is Discovery?

Where is the Future?

Houston 2015. It’s the place to be!

Composites Show & Conferences • Houston, TX • June 2-4, 2015 George R. Brown Convention Center Co-located with Techtextil North America, JEC Americas continues to lead the way in innovation, research, education, and trends. Be at the hub of the industry for three days in Houston where you’ll meet potential business partners, enhance your knowledge and expand your professional network.

Learn more at www.jeccomposites.com

Houston, TX • June 2-4, 2015 George R. Brown Convention Center Special Guest Keynote Speaker Ron Garan, Astronaut, Social Entrepreneur & Motivational Speaker Ron Garan, a former NASA astronaut who has traveled more than 71million miles in 2,842 orbits of our planet, will serve as the Special Guest Keynote Speaker for the JEC Americas Houston Composites Show and Conference.

Aerospace

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MILITARY

EngineeringAnswers

REPLACING THE HUMVEE After 25 years, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps are upgrading the iconic Humvee. By Melissa Fassbender, Editor

ockheed Martin began its foray into the tactical wheeled vehicle market in 2004. Two years later, after purchasing HMT vehicles LTD, Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract for the Army Future Tactical Truck System Army Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD). The JLTC program was born soon after when the U.S. Congress directed the U.S. Army and Marine Corps to replace the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) – the vehicle commonly known as the Humvee – which has been in use since 1985.

May 2015

Lockheed Martin developed its first JLTV Combat Tactical Vehicle prototype in 2007. The next year the company successfully competed for the JLTV Technology Demonstration contract, which it used to continue developing the technology. In 2014, after successfully completing the U.S. Government’s Production Readiness Review (PRR), in which they demonstrated assembly, integration, and production capabilities, Lockheed Martin submitted their production proposal. Joining Lockheed Martin, however, is AM General LLC (who builds the current Humvee) and Oshkosh Defense, the two other companies vying for the contract to produce the next generation vehicle.

Protecting Soldiers & Marines The Lockheed Martin JLTV Team is made up of various companies with decades of military vehicle production experience, including production partner BAE Systems, which is responsible for the JLTV’s occupant-centric protection system. Additionally, the vehicle is equipped with an independent air bag suspension from Meritor, and a unique scalable power generation/exportable power solution from L-3 Communications. The 4.5-liter, 4-cylinder engine is provided by Cummins, and an Allison six-speed transmission completes the drive train. Even with this impressive lineup of partners, the design process began with a simple blank sheet of paper, as the vehicle was designed from the ground up to meet the JLTV’s specific requirements. “Our design and prototyping efforts were extensive, as we knew we had to design in not only new technologies, but also allow for growth and expansion in the future,” explains Kathryn Hasse, Lockheed Martin JLTV program director. From day one, sustainability was one of the key considerations in the JLTV’s design. “We realized early on that we had to design and produce a vehicle that was sustainable over decades, so we designed in modularity and expandability in every possible aspect of the vehicle,” says Hasse. To facilitate a smooth design process, the team applied robust systems engineering and lean manufacturing techniques to the entire design and production chain. Hasse explains that the processes were even applied down to the individual component manufacturers to ensure that all of the parts could handle the rigors of a military grade vehicle. Various software tools were also used for simulation and modeling purposes prior to drawing generation. The production system for the factory layout and the production processes were also modeled.

“The challenge was to engineer a family of vehicles capable of restoring protected mobility to our soldiers and marines, but doing that in an affordable manner for our customers,” explains Hasse. While she couldn’t be too specific, as the JLTV program is still in an active competition, Hasse explains that the vehicle’s protection solution is able to provide higher levels of blast protection than has traditionally been available in a vehicle of this size and weight. “We were able to design a combat tactical wheeled vehicle system that provides MRAP [mine-resistant ambush protected] levels of protection to soldiers and marines without compromising our mobility or weight while keeping vehicle cost affordable,” she adds. According to Hasse, achieving this was also the biggest challenge.

Closing the Capability Gap According to the Army, while the Humvee has been a reliable vehicle for the past 25 years, there has been a growing capability gap between what the vehicles can handle and what modern day soldiers need. The most important capability is protection. “The challenge of our JLTV design was to engineer a family of vehicles capable of restoring protected mobility to our soldiers and marines,” explains Hasse. “The Lockheed Martin team takes a holistic approach to providing the best protection possible in our new JLTV.” Providing this protection is a patented hull design that dissipates blast effects, providing MRAP-levels of protection. The vehicle also features an adjustable ride height that places occupants farther away from potential blasts, further increasing survivability. “Internally, our isolation floors, shock-absorbing seats, and restraint harnesses provide significantly higher levels of protection,” adds Hasse. Vibration dampening also provides a much smoother ride, reducing crew fatigue and stress on the vehicle components and electronics, such as the vehicle’s NetEnabled, Information-Assured Digital Backbone, which provides secure communication. “In an age where up-tothe-second information is vital to mission success, crews riding in a Lockheed Martin Team JLTV will always be well connected,” explains Hasse. “All these elements combine

to assure our soldiers and marines are the most effective fighting force in the world.” However, all of this technology must also be reliable, and sustainable. To date, the vehicle has undergone more than 250,000 miles of testing. “Our commercial Cummins engine and Allison transmission have proven to be extremely durable in testing, and are easily maintained and supported with a global supply chain,” adds Hasse. “Our JLTV was also designed for chassis commonality and ease of configuration for maximum mission adaptability. Modularity is built in to our JLTV design to make both maintenance and vehicle expansion simple and painless.” However, Hasse acknowledges that any vehicle that cannot quickly expand and adapt can become obsolete. “The JLTVs were engineered with expandability options built in with no redesign needed, making them easily reconfigurable, which provides high levels of mission flexibility.” Showcasing this expandability is the vehicle’s integrated starter-generator with a significant growth capacity. Today it is capable of delivering 15 kW, however it can reach 75 kW for future requirements, far exceeding government expectations. Another government expectation in the JLTC competition is that the assembly line cost is below $250,000. “Budgets are constrained,” says Hasse, “That’s why we designed our JLTV to deliver greater fuel efficiency, greater range, and reduced operational energy consumption, which all contribute to lower total operating cost-per-mile for our vehicle, as well as reducing the logistics sustainment requirements of the Army and Marine Corps.” With a range of more than a 300 miles, the vehicle can reach speeds of more than 70 miles per hour at tactical weight. It is also CH-47 and CH-53 helicopter-transportable. “The JLTV is far more than just a truck,” says Hasse. “Our design is a fully integrated combat tactical wheeled vehicle system that meets today’s requirements and was designed with the future in mind.” The Army will award the contract to a single vendor at the end of fiscal 2015 and is expecting initial deliveries in 2018, with the full production cycle ending sometime after 2030. The production will total 49,000 JLTVs for the Army and 5,500 for the Marines. PDD

(Image credit: Lockheed Martin) www.pddnet.com

MOTION CONTROL

NewProducts NewProducts Linear Drive Pitch

Electronic Braking Torque Regulation

Amacoil (Aston, PA) has announced the changing linear pitch on Uhing rolling ring linear drives. The linear pitch is now faster using a lever control option on the drive unit. The pitch control lever permits manually setting and changing linear pitch independently of the drive motor speed or other controls. Features include: 17 models of Uhing rolling ring drives that have a different maximum linear pitch. The smallest drive that has a maximum linear pitch of 6.2 mm. The largest drive that has a pitch of 76 mm. 100 notched settings on the pitch control scale. Axial thrust from 30 to 3,600 N. www.amacoil.com

Mayr’s (Germany) new, intelligent braking torque control decelerates devices and machines evenly and gently. The intelligent braking torque control module offers a solution to generate a variable braking torque for ROBA-stop safety brakes. Features include: The ability to compensate for negative influences on the braking torque consistency in applications requiring a constant braking torque within narrow tolerance limits. 24 or 48 V DC voltage. The ability to control brakes with a coil nominal current of 10 or 5 A. A clamping force for the brake rotor that can be specified to 25, 50, or 75% of the nominal spring force by means of two digital inputs. The possibility of a continuous, analogue default signal from 0 to 10 V. The ability to determine, without using a sensor, whether the armature disk is attracted or has dropped. The ability to recognize unpermitted high temperatures if required. Dimensions of 30 x 69 x 103 mm. www.mayr.com

Caliper Brake Twiflex (Braintree, MA) has announced the T30 hydraulic pressure applied, modular caliper brake. The brake provides greater braking force and withstands greater operating pressures in a compact assembly. Features include: A split housing for side or center mounting flexibility and accommodation of a variety of disc thicknesses. A 120 bar (1740 psi) operating pressure which produces 25.4 kN (5710 lb.ft.) of braking force. An operating range between -20˚ to +70˚C. www.altraoilandgas.com

Unimeasure 1.5” (38 mm) Measurement Range Internal Hall Sensing Element Anodized Aluminum Housing Nylon Jacketed Wire Rope Integral Mounting Threads Through Hole Mounting

May 2015

NewProducts KB Electronics (Coral Springs, FL) has introduced 2 battery powered DC/DC low voltage motor speed control models. The KBBW Series of Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) DC/DC motor speed controls provide dynamic response to load variations. Features include: An almost pure DC current to the motor. A low audible motor noise, and long brush life. Pulse-by-pulse current limit. A Plug-In Horsepower Resistor (supplied separately). Quick-connect terminals. Inhibit Circuit to start and stop the drive electronically with a switch or contact. Adjustable trimpots. A 5 k potentiometer (supplied), a 0 – 5 V DC analog signal, or a PWM microprocessor output signal that can be used to control motor speed. An optional Auxiliary Heat Sink Kit (Part No. 9142). www.kbelectronics.com

System Controller for Large AGV Systems

Kollmorgen (Radford, VA) has announced the release of the Kollmorgen NDC8: Version 2.6. Kollmorgen’s NDC8 is an application-independent automation platform used by AGV suppliers to build their solutions. It consists of system software, vehicle hardware and software, as well as design and service tools. Features include: Optimized system performance for larger (100+ vehicle) systems. Optimized for up to 1,000 simultaneous transport requests. The ability to accommodate thousands of load/ unload stations. Improved block storage applications. www.kollmorgen.com

Pressure And Vacuum Electrical Seals Hermetic with no detectable leakage through any insulated wire or pin connector type Wide range of industries: Aerospace, Automotive, Defense, Semiconductor, Cameras/ Optics, Petrochemical, Marine, Process Controls, Medical

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Wide range of design performance: • Low pressure moisture-proof seals • Vacuums up to 10^-8 Torr • Seal designs for high pressures to +10K psi (700 bar) • Seal designs for all temperature ranges between -100ºC to 200ºC • Hermetic designs for signal, power, high voltages or amperages, coaxial, shielded cables, thermocouple, fiber optic (single mode, multimode, polarized), EExd • High reliability, compact space-saving, corrosion resistant, laborsaving designs In-stock standard seals or custom designed seals for all quantities Contact a PAVE sales engineer for prompt assistance at 937.890.1100 x6 or visit our website with extensive product drawings at

www.PAVEtechnologyCo.com.

MOTION CONTROL

DC/DC Low Voltage Motor Speed Control

MACHINE BUILDING

EngineeringAnswers

A Small Robot for Compact Spaces By Kaylie Duffy, Associate Editor

obotic assembly is becoming the cornerstone of many factories. From large vehicles to small electronic components, robots are assembling many of world’s most popular products. However, as manufactured goods become smaller and more intricate, robots must follow suit. Comau had this in mind when it unveiled its six-axis articulated Racer 999 robot in January.

(Image credit: Comau)

May 2015

“The robotics industry is moving toward faster applications in smaller and smaller layouts,” explains Alessio Cocchi, Comau marketing manager. “The requests that come from the markets are for increasingly safer robots.” The project was derived from the Italian company’s Racer 7-1.4 robot, saving the company months of development. The Racer 999 retains the same technology platform as its older brother, but with a reduced mechanical size that is 30 percent more rigid. The new robot features a reach of less than one meter (999 mm) and a repeatability of approximately 0.05 mm, making it more suitable for limited space applications, such as assembly, materials handling, machine tooling, and packaging. “We carried out a series of tests measuring the speed of our robot compared to the speed of other robots in the same product category,” says Cocchi. “On a standard cycle, and with a 10 kg payload applied on the wrist, there was no match.” The company spent about 11 months developing the robot, from the first concept to pre-series validation.

Small Benefits Comau predicts that hundreds of the Racer 999 will be sold in 2015. “From the beginning, the robot has had a great [reception],” says Cocchi. “The first installation was only a few days after the robot was unveiled.” The base of the Racer 999 was designed for maximum stability, and can be mounted on walls, ceilings, and even inclined supports.

The new robot also adopts the Racer 7-1.4’s control (C5Compact), teach pendant (TP5), engines, and spare parts. However, the market’s transition to smaller component assembly requires a robot that could perform these tasks in a compact environment. The TP5 Teach Pendant is a control box for programming the robot’s motions. It features a user interface, simplified keyboard, and enhanced ergonomics from previous versions. Both of the robot’s control units (C5G and C5Compact) are modular systems for the drive unit and I/O. The C5G drives up to 16 axes in a multi-arm configuration, while the C5Compact drives up to 8 axes. Designed for a 7 kg payload, the robot is capable of carrying up to 10 kg, with a limited excursion of the axis 5 for high-speed pick-and-place. “The most challenging part of the robot’s development was creating a robot that was fast and reliable at the same time,” muses Cocchi. “The robot’s stiffness and speed are the robot’s most competitive advantages.” According to Cocchi, “The robot allows a considerable cycle time savings from 10 percent to 20 percent for a joint work cycle, and from 15 percent to 30 percent for a work cycle with Cartesian movements.” In terms of production, this means an increase in performance, efficiency, and productivity. Although the development process was relatively quick, every new Comau robot must go through a rigorous prototyping process. The Racer 999 had to go through parts and assembly engineering, 3D printed prototypes, functional prototypes, control tuning, and various tests before pre-series validation.

Human Physiognomy The geometric shape of the robot was designed to match the physiognomy of a human muscle. However, the curves of the robot are more than just aesthetically pleasing, they are directly related to the robot’s speed with which the trajectory points are met. Additionally, the robot

can utilize the company’s E-motion software to increase fluidity. “The trajectories generated by E-motion enable companies to make the most of the technology installed,” says Cocchi. “For example, in the start and stop phases, the jerks, or variations of acceleration, are limited because the acceleration profiles are smooth.” The design was created to emulate the muscles and nerves ready to spring into action. “The robot accelerates constantly and is performing at tops speeds, but any movement also takes into consideration the other mechanical characteristics,” explains Cocchi. “This prevents the possibility that the excessive speed in the start phase or excessive delay in the slowdown phase will affect the accuracy or repeatability of the robot’s action at a given point in the trajectory assigned.” Due to the fluidity, reduced dimensions, and the robot’s installed energy reduction system, the Racer 999 consumes less energy. “On the mechanical arm, we mount high efficiency servo-motors to reduce energy consumption,” says Cocchi. “And the cabinet used to control Racer 999 is the C5Compact, a version of our control units (CUs) with less installed power. Moreover, in all our CUs, the high efficiency fan cooling system works only when really needed.”

Robots of the Future Although Comau has 40 years of experience in advanced manufacturing systems, it still strives to be better, whether through energy efficiency, design, or new market needs. As manufacturing spaces become more compact and product parts become more intricate, it will become more essential than ever to have robots that can keep up with the changing face of manufacturing. “The robots of the future will be like smartphones of today,” predicts Cocchi. “They’ll have multiple sensors, be more open, intelligent, easier, more intuitive to implement, and be able to exploit many more motion axes.” PDD

www.pddnet.com

TEST & MEASUREMENT

NewProducts Viscometer for Oil-Condition Monitoring

RheoSense (San Ramon, CA) has announced the release of its viscometer, microVISC-m. The microVlSC-m is designed for oil-condition monitoring, and it is portable, fast, and requires only a few drops of oil. Features include: A 1-minute test. A sample volume as small as 100 µL. The ability to display ambient conditions. The ability to extrapolate kinematic viscosities at 40°, 80°, and 100 °C. www.rheosense.com

SLICK?

From the Cover Miniature Accelerometer Measurement Specialties (Hampton, VA) has released the Model 7132AHT, a high temperature, miniature accelerometer with linearity across dynamic ranges from ±50 to ±2000 g. The triaxial IEPE accelerometer is suitable in high temperature, high frequency, shock, and vibration testing. Features include: A temperature range from -55° to +163°C. A flat frequency response across a bandwidth up to 10 kHz. Stable piezo-ceramic crystals in annular shear mode for long term operation. A rugged, hermetically-sealed, titanium housing. Residual noise as low as 0.001 g RMS (@ ±50 g). A maximum residual noise of 0.005 g RMS (@ ±2,000 g). An output impedance > 100 . A full scale voltage output of ±5 V across all dynamic ranges. An excitation current of 2 to 10 mA. A compliance voltage of 22 to 33 VDC. Transverse sensitivity of < 5%. Non-linearity of ±1% FSO. www.meas-spec.com

SLICK?

(maybe)

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AMA & DMA MEMS Accelerometers

Jewell Instruments (Manchester, NH) has announced the AMA and DMA series MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems) accelerometers. Features include: A chip-based technology, consisting of a suspended mass between two capacitive plates, to cover a range of movement (+/-1 to +/-40 g). 0-5 VDC and 4-20 mA analog outputs (AMA series). RS232 and RS485 digital outputs (DMA series). Availability in single, dual, and tri-axis. www.jewellinstruments.com

ZFM Intelligent Mass Flow Meters Aalborg Instruments (Orangeburg, NY) has announced the ZFM Mass Flow Meters, which are designed for multi-gas/multi-range functionality up to 8 bar (currently 6 gases) and standard accuracy of ± (0.5% RD + 0.2% FS) based on actual calibration. By connecting the instrument to the RS232/ RS485 port of a PC or laptop and running free “ZFM Configuration Utility” software, the user can select different gas types and flow ranges within a few minutes without removing the instrument from the installation. Features include: Self-diagnostics with status LED or OLED (optional) indication. Automatic sensor zero offset adjustment (digital interface or local push button). A digital interface (RS-232 or RS-485) test/configuration port (optional Modbus RTU with isolated RS-485 transceiver). 2 programmable totalizers. Full scale covered flow ranges from 3.5 to 10 sl/min in 7 models. Selectable analog 0-5 VDC, 0-10 VDC, or 4-20 mA outputs. Universal 14-24 VDC power supply input. www.aalborg.com

Ultrasonic Distance Sensor Hoffmann + Krippner (Woodstock, GA) has announced P49, a compact line of ultrasonic distance sensors from German manufacturer PIL. P49 is a solution for distance measurement in applications where fast activation is essential. Features include: Availability in 3 housing models (M18, M30, and cubic 80 x 80 mm). Measurement distance ranges from 30 to 6000 mm. Analog output (0-10 V), output with fixed characteristics, and models with switching output. Sensors that meet IP67 and are suitable for ambient temperatures from -20° to +70°C. www.hoffmann-krippner.com

TEST & MEASUREMENT

NewProducts

INDUSTRIAL

Trends: Manufacturing

Connecting to the Industrial Internet of Things A proactive approach for enabling intelligent manufacturing solutions. By Tom Mariano, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Foliage

or the first time in its brief and storied history, the Internet has more machines and inanimate objects talking to each other than people. Cisco, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest provider of Internet equipment, estimates there are now 10 billion devices and data-gathering sensors connected online â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with that number expected to reach 50 billion over the next six years.

May 2015

The Internet of Things (IoT) is considered the fourth evolution of the Internet (the first three major developments being the introduction of email and websites, e-commerce platforms, and the combination of social media, video sharing, and the cloud). The much hyped IoT describes the use of web-enabled sensors embedded in physical objects to gather, track, and analyze data in the cloud, then acting on that information. At the consumer level, the poster child for the IoT is Googleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent $3.2 billion purchase of Nest, which makes smart thermostats and smoke detectors that can be monitored with a mobile app. IoT is extending its reach to the manufacturing floor as well. For manufacturers, the ability to remotely operate and gather data from their manufacturing machinery, communicate this information through the cloud, and achieve improvements in their operations through analysis of this data is transforming the way they do business.

The Move to Automation & Connectivity The vast majority of industrial equipment today is still standalone and manually operated. Cisco estimates that only 0.6 percent of physical objects that could be connected to IoT are currently gathering and streaming data. But inside the manufacturing world, there has been a 300 percent increase in the number of connected machines over the past five years. The potential benefits of deploying the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) are significant for manufacturers. A connected and automated factory can decrease downtime, increase output and quality, all while reducing labor costs. The benefits also extend to the suppliers of capital equipment used in manufacturing who can be the enablers of the IIoT. Consider the following: • Introducing equipment data tracking, remote equipment service, and predictive failure analysis can improve product reliability and minimize downtime. • Acting on this information in real time can boost customer return on investment (ROI) through productivity and quality gains. • Automating the operation of equipment can result in lower customer labor costs and increased manufacturing throughput. • Leveraging the knowledge gained from 24/7 connectivity can ultimately increase long-term market share through product performance improvements. By remotely tracking data, capital equipment suppliers can offer more value to customers by always knowing what’s happening and why, and being able to diagnose and fix problems over the Internet instead of the more timeconsuming and costly approach of sending a repair person. Suppliers also can use this data to improve their next-generation machines. These benefits aren’t hypothetical. The first generation of smart factories is experiencing them now. Earlier this year, Intel reported that connecting their assembly and testing equipment for semiconductor chips to the cloud resulted in a 2X improvement of their mean time between failures (MTBF) metric – the statistical benchmark for a hardware product’s reliability. In Amberg, Germany, Siemens’ 100,000-plus square-foot factory makes automated industrial equipment for manufacturing giants such as BASF, Bayer, Daimler, and BMW. The facility is now 75 percent automated with machinery able to retrieve and assemble components with little human supervision. As more multinational companies migrate their manufacturing plants from China to the United States, pursuing more automated production lines to offset high labor costs is becoming the norm. In 2014, Apple invested a record $10.5 billion in robotics and automated equipment to make and test its iPhones, iPads, and other gadgets in the U.S.

Deer in the Headlights Capital equipment suppliers realize their world is dramatically changing and know that their customers are – or soon will be – demanding full connectivity and automation for many types of machines on the manufacturing floor. They see that their customers’ needs are evolving, yet it is not so

easy to shift gears. For starters, there are no universal connectivity standards for the manufacturing floor. Nearly two dozen competing software platforms assert they are the best Intelligent Manufacturing solution. Complicating matters is that legacy equipment with long lifespans employs a multitude of different connectivity protocols. Faced with this chaotic situation, many suppliers of industrial equipment are frozen in their tracks as they ponder two unsatisfactory options: 1. Wait for a potential customer to specify their preferred automated interface as part of the purchase requirements, requiring a large engineering effort with a tight delivery timetable that would result in a one-off solution for that particular customer. 2. Pre-emptively pick a solution to standardize on and develop an interface to the IIoT based on that solution, ignoring the odds that a customer may choose a different software standard or platform.

Adopt a Proactive Approach There is a third option that capital equipment suppliers may not have considered. Suppliers can develop their own interface that is independent of the connectivity standards being used by potential customers. Some suggested elements: • Aggregate the equipment control and data collection into a separate layer of the system architecture creating an “abstraction layer.” This will enable the equipment to adapt to any communication solution/platform that a customer may deploy. • Include a data and control port in the interface that can remotely collect data and provide remote diagnostics. • Include an application programming interface (API) so that third-party integrators can buy your equipment and integrate it into automated work cells. Offering up your API flips the current process on its head. It empowers manufacturers to stop guessing what customers will choose for a platform and gives them their interface specifications instead. The customer can then bring in a systems integrator to make the two systems compatible. At bare minimum, this approach gives suppliers a huge head start in creating connectivity rather than be held hostage to working with multiple systems at the whim of the customer. The promise and potential benefits of the Industrial Internet of Things are real and accessible to all. The biggest obstacle for many equipment suppliers is likely insufficient experience and expertise on how to leverage the IIoT in new systems – and also a lack of expertise on how to retrofit legacy equipment for connectivity. Leveraging the right technology and product development partner can help manufacturers proactively prepare to meet customers’ needs and anticipate what they’ll want tomorrow. Competition in the capital equipment market is intense, and getting a jump in IIoT connectivity is critical to keeping and increasing your market share. More machines than ever before are talking on the factory floor. As the growing demand for more intelligent systems dramatically expands the Industrial Internet of Things, you can’t afford to be left out of the conversation. PDD

www.pddnet.com

THE

BRAINSTORM

In the Product Design & Development Brainstorm we talk with industry leaders to get their perspective on issues critical to the design engineering marketplace. In this issue, we ask:

How does the design and usability of wearables need to change in order for the market to see widespread consumer adoption? Mark de Clercq, Product Marketing Group Manager, Dialog Semiconductor We’re at the start of a wearable electronics revolution that will bring new meaning to personal connectivity. We’re going to be sharing more information with friends, with medical professionals, and perhaps even with our personal fitness coaches. Some experts predict a market of 175 million wearable computing devices will be sold every year by 2018. Wearables will integrate a growing number of sensors, including biosensors, environmental and motion sensors, and microphones. The data gathered will enable wearables to become more accurate and more context sensitive. They’ll deliver only relevant data, where and when it’s needed. Security will be critical to ensure that only the data you want to share is shared. Much of this data may be sent to cloud infrastructures via smartphones or other wireless links, where it can be analyzed. Some wearables will be multi-purpose access devices, automatically opening doors and logging you into systems. Others will be able to control your environment and monitor your health and fitness. With battery lifetimes being a powerful driver of consumer preference, achieving low power consumption will be a critical focus for wearables designers. This effort needs to extend to sensors, system and communications hardware, and the software. The Holy Grail is the wearable that monitors you continuously, a wearable you never remove. This could be made possible through wireless charging or powering the device using energy harvesting. Of course, such a wearable should be as small and light as possible too. Integrated semiconductor devices – Systems-on-Chip (SoC) – will be at the heart of successful wearables. These ultra-low power integrated circuits feature flexible processing power, built in flash memory, circuits for sensor control, analog and digital peripherals optimized for wearable products, and an advanced power management unit. It eliminates a lot of external components from wearable product design, enabling 24

May 2015

smaller form factors, lower system cost and frugal power consumption. In fact, it’s effectively a ‘Wearable-on-Chip.’ Designers just add sensors, a power source, packaging, and creativity. Rob Parenti, Technical Marketing Engineer, Alta Devices A survey by Endeavour Partners published in 2014 of 6,223 U.S. adults over the age of 18 revealed that one in ten (623 adults) owns a modern activity tracker. However, a third of those 623 adults abandon these devices within six months and over half stop use within a year. Why did those surveyed abandon the devices? In the study, lack of habit formation was identified as one of the key behavior parameters that led users to abandon their devices. In fact, users were not forming the habit of wearing the device because of inconsistent charging centered on usage. For example, an activity tracker uses small amounts of power except during times when users perform activities. If the user performed the activity during varying times of the day or for varying durations both the charge time of day and duration would also change. How can designers increase user habit? In two ways, the first would be to create a device that the user would never need to charge. The second would be to provide a robust charge during peak activity to increase battery life. As energy harvesting chips begin to reach their limits, experts agree that solar could provide a substantial increase in battery life to the wearables market. Adding solar to existing wearables can significantly increase the battery life and in some instances increase the battery indefinitely. Now, the user can begin to form the habit of wearing their device consistently. Furthermore, consumers consistently rate battery life as the number one feature of portable electronic devices. By both wearing the device longer and increasing battery life, solar will provide a key link for widespread consumer adoption of wearables.

Paul Karazuba, Director of Marketing & Media, QuickLogic Corporation In order for wearables to become mainstream, OEMs need to determine a way to make them invisibly ubiquitous while providing value and feedback that cannot be had from smartphones. Wearables generally take the form of wrist-worn devices. This allows them to be a much better gauge of the user’s activity and health/wellness levels versus smartphones, as a smartphone’s carry location changes by the user (some users carry their smartphones in their pants pocket, others in a pocketbook, and others are only carried when needed). This provides wearables a unique ability to give real-time bio-feedback that cannot be done with smartphones. If a wearable could provide feedback like “your pulse is suddenly elevated – are you OK?” or “you have been sitting for some time – perhaps you should take a walk?” consumers could perceive a value that can’t be delivered by their smartphone. However, no matter how valuable the feedback, unless a wearable is something that can be invisibly ubiquitous (you don’t notice it, but it’s always there), they may never become mainstream. Consumers are accustomed to wrist watches lasting two years or more with a single battery. Today’s wearable device may last less than a day with even basic use – this is likely a huge barrier to mainstream acceptance. Furthermore, consumers will continue to demand advanced features on each successive generation of wearables, increasing the power burden on already over-taxed batteries. Wearables could be designed with much larger and

Are you a thought leader in your industry?

To participate in the next Brainstorm, email Melissa.Fassbender@advantagemedia.com heavier batteries, but would consumers be willing to sacrifice sleek designs for something more bulky and costly, but with a week’s worth of battery life? Most of us have a hard enough time remembering to charge our phones – and how many times have we been caught with a dying battery on our phone, desperately searching for a charger or wall socket? Consumers are not likely to accept this from another device – especially if it offers no advantages over their smartphones. Without a clear application differentiator from smartphones (for instance, coaching), and without greatly improved battery life (perhaps through alternative processing architectures), wearables may never achieve widespread consumer adoption. Mike Salas, VP Marketing, Ambiq Micro Rather than get overly technical, let’s address this question by taking a cue from the likes of Donna Karan and Giorgio Armani. In these classical wearables, it is the aesthetics, form, and function that help drive them into the mainstream. Put another way, they must look great, feel great, and provide a sense of value to the consumer. To look great, one must be able to design a solution that the mainstream will find appealing. The problem with today’s wearable solutions is that it is typically the size of the battery that drives the form factor, when what is actually needed is to have the aesthetics drive the solution. Unfortunately, this will not be possible until we are able to dramatically reduce the size of (or even eliminate) the battery. Similarly, to have a wearable feel great requires making it virtually invisible to the end user. Put another way, I want to wear shirts that fit comfortably on my body – why would I want a wearable that interferes with my comfort level? Unfortunately, making the wearable invisible also requires the batteries to either be incredibly small or not there at all. Finally, to make a wearable valuable means providing users with a range of information that they find interesting or necessary. To do this requires not only the utilization of a larger array of sensors, but also that the sensors are on all the time in order to provide accurate and relevant information. Again, the requirement to keep sensors always on – much less adding even greater varieties of sensors – drives up the power budget which only compounds the battery problem. In summary, power consumption is the key to unlocking the door. By solving this problem, it will be possible to truly unleash the potential of wearables.

www.pddnet.com

ENCLOSURES

NewProducts

Concerns of Military Computer System Configurations

By David “Avi” Shefet, President, Daisy Data Displays

There is zero tolerance for failure in the battlefield. Developing a rugged computer that lasts involves a defined process of identifying the need, designing the system, and specifying the equipment. 1. Space Allocation

The system’s footprint is as large of a consideration as its ability to operate reliably in its intended environment. Minimizing the size of the hardware is important, but sometimes this desire is taken too far. A small form factor is desirable, but it isn’t always practical. First: Stop thinking ultra-thin Consumer market computers are not the same as ruggedized computers, and while engineers know this, it’s desirable to specify a ruggedized computer that is super thin even when then installation footprint will not support it. Specifiers must change this mindset and stop creating configurations that include ultra-thin computers or displays like those available on the commercial market or in embedded solutions. Now: Start thinking custom — and collaboratively Consult the manufacturer at the beginning of the design process, not at the end when it’s time to request a quote. By consulting the manufacturer you will ensure smooth integration of ruggedized computer into your system and avoid issues related to inadequate space allocation.

2. Life Cycle What’s standard in rugged system development is to consider the lifecycle of the entire system. Three years or better is the norm, but to avoid in-field failures related to product and component life cycle, engineers should look at all parts instead of just the sum of the parts. Not all components are considered mainstream and can be difficult to replace in the result of a failure, or may not be able to be replaced at all. If the latter issue arises, the cost is significant. Typically a complete replacement of not just the components but the entire system itself is required. To avoid this, ask questions at the beginning of the specification process: • What is the MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) of the entire system? What is the time measurement between the replacement of a failing part and the next failure? • Which component is the limiting factor of the MTBF? Example: a fanless system with low power i7 processes will significantly increase the MTBF. • Have all of the individual components within my system been tested to and validated at the same level of testing and 26

May 2015

standards as the ruggedized computer itself? Are all components designed to withstand the range of environmental requirements that my application demands? • What is the life cycle for all components? • What is the replacement or service plan associated with the computer?

3. Compatibility

Operating System Compatibility – While many government agencies and military branches choose Linux as their primary Operating System (OS) there is no acrossthe-board standard. With this lack of standardization and the many different versions of OS (using Linux’s Ubuntu vs. Debian as an example), system engineers cannot assume that the chipset will be compatible with the OS. To avoid compatibility problems, it is best to test the OS using the CPU card to make sure the system operates without problems. EMI/RFI Compatibility – Ensuring EMI/RFI compliance for a system is critical. Electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio-frequency interference (RFI) are among the most dangerous environmental conditions that can impact the performance of electrical equipment. However, certain components, such as power supplies and touch screens do not always meet EMI/RFI compliance for all military standards.

4. Restricted Materials Certain dangerous substances commonly used in electronic equipment in consumer applications are restricted in military equipment. Mercury, often found in older generation LCD panels with backlight using CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp), is one example. In spite of the fact that LED backlights are rising in prominence due to significant advantages over CCFL, parts containing CCFL — and therefore mercury — are still available. Systems engineers should be aware of the amount of restricted material that may exist within a computer system, particularly when using COTS.

5. Longevity & Serviceability Serviceability may be an afterthought during the initial specification process. But rising technology costs make the longevity of a solution more important than ever. To create a system that lasts 10 or even 20+ years, customization and vendor capabilities are key. PDD

Steel & Stainless Steel Hinges J.W. Winco (New Berlin, WI) has announced it offers GN 129.2 steel and stainless steel hinges, in metric sizes. The RoHS-compliant hinges are used for doors, which are flush with the frame on the outside. Once assembled, they cannot be unhinged. Features include: Availability in steel, with a zinc-plated, blue passivated finish. Availability in European Standard No. 1.4305 stainless steel (American Standard Series 303). Availability in European standard 1.4408 stainless steel (American Standard Series 316). A brass, nickel-plated hinge pin and hinge washer (steel version). A steel hex nut and serrated washer which are zinc-plated, with a blue passivated finish (steel version). www.jwwinco.com

Adhesive-Backed Nylon PCB Lock-Fit Supports Keystone Electronics (Astoria, NY) has announced an assortment of adhesive-backed nylon stacking spacers/supports. Supports are engineered to lock-fit a chassis-to-board without the use of tools. These devices have an adhesive backing for securing to a chassis while the other end easily snaps into a PCB with a retentive grip. Features include: Availability in sturdy mount or slim line design. Adhesive lock-fit supports available in heights from .187” (4.75 mm) to .825” (15.9 mm). 1-piece flame resistant molded nylon, UL rated 94V-0. www.keyelco.com

Self-Clinching Captive Panel Screws PEM Types PFC2 and PFS2 selfclinching captive panel screws from PennEngineering (Danboro, PA) provide secure and permanent attachment for thin-metal assemblies, enable subsequent access to an assembly whenever necessary, and eliminate typical issues and risks associated with the handling, installing, and potential loosening of screws in service. The fasteners can be actuated by tool or hand. Features include: Spring loaded, stainless steel (Type PFC2) and steel (Type PFS2) captive panel screws. The ability to attach aluminum or steel sheets as thin as .060” (1.53 mm). Availability in multiple screw lengths and thread sizes #4-40 through ¼-20 and M3 through M6. An optional DuraBlack finish. www.pemnet.com

PINS, PLUNGERS, HANDLES & HAND WHEELS.

Standard USB Enclosures TEKO (Bridgeville, PA) has launched its TEK-USB standard USB enclosure. TEK-USB is suitable for a range of OEM applications including USB dongles, pen drives, and wireless transmitters. The enclosures have a snap-together design with an integrated soft touch protection ring in the middle. The PCB and USB connector are captured inside the enclosure. Features include: A separate cap that is supplied for the protruding USB connector. An LED light pipe on the cover. A recessed area on the bottom for labels and markings. Availability in one size (2.28 x 0.98 x 0.40"). A molding in white/light gray plastic as standard. The availability of custom colors. A top and base that are molded in Novodur P2H-AT. An intermediate ring that is molded in LARIPUR. www.tekoenclosures.com www.pddnet.com www.pddnet.com

2727

Fixtureworks® is your source for quick release ball lock pins for fastening, spring loaded plungers for positioning, pull handles for holding, hand wheels for wheeling and other machine elements. Call us at 888.794.8687 for technical assistance and sales or go to www.fixtureworks.net for online ordering, specs & CAD files.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX FASTENING & ASSEMBLY

NewProducts

HARDWARE XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

NewProducts NewProducts LED Lights for Harsh Environments

300 W Portable LED String Light Set

Binder (Camarillo, CA) has announced its industrial LED light bar. The IP69K rated lights are suitable for diverse automation and industrial machinery. The LED lights are designed to provide energy efficient illumination while defying harsh work environments and are able to withstand high pressure washdowns and exposure to liquids such as oils and coolants. Features include: 3 standard bar lengths (9.8, 14, and 16.25”). A rating of 24 V per lamp. 5.7 W for the smaller LED bar. A neutral white light color at 4,000 K. A lifespan of 50,000 hours. A Binder M12 male connector for connection to a power supply or crossover cable. www.binder-usa.com

Larson Electronics (Kemp, TX) has announced a 300 W LED lighting system that is designed for portability within the job site. The WAL-RPS-WBC2XSL10.5-LED is a cart mounted temporary LED work area light with 30 high output LED lamps producing a combined 31,500 lm of light. Features include: A string light system that is powered by a 140 amp-hour rechargeable battery bank mounted within a wheelbarrowstyle cart. Globes equipped with a 10 W high output LED bulb producing 1,050 lm. The ability to screw each light into a molded E26 lamp socket. A bulb that is enclosed in a bird cage style plastic guard. 2 sets of 10 hand lamp and 2 sets of 5 hand lamp stringers. Each string light consisting of industrial grade LED lamps with 10 ft. of 12/3 SJTW cable between each unit. A lighting system that will run uninterrupted for 2.5 hours. A cart that is plugged into standard 120 V power sources. www.larsonelectronics.com

AdvertiserIndex Astro-Met Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Automationdirect.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Brecoflex Co LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Digi-Key Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 3 Fixtureworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 JEC Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12–13 Keller America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Minalex Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Pave Technology Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Pivot Point, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Proto Labs, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Raco Int’l. LP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Shear-Loc Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Smalley Steel Ring Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Unimeasure Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 28 Vi-Cas Manufacturing Co Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Louvered Fan Guards Orion Fans (Dallas, TX) has expanded its offering of fan. Designed for harsh environments, the heavy-duty louvered fan guards are available for use with the 80, 92, 120, 172, 225, 254, and 280 mm fans or individually depending on the application. Orion's expanded offering also provides a complete line of fan guards, filters, kits, cords, power cords, and Air Flow Monitor (AFM) modules. Features include: The ability to mix-and-match products to create a Louvered Filter Fan Kit. The ability to create a Louvered Filter Fan Kit that can be rated to IP54, IP55 or IP56, and meets NEMA 12. Availability with or without a finger guard. DC fans that are also available upon request. www.orionfans.com 2828

May Month 2015 2015

PRODUCT DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

RESOURCE GUIDE

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Esband® Truly Endless, Woven Flat Belts

Vacuum Cups Catalog offers over 1,000 styles of vacuum cups, bellows, and oblong cups in sizes from 1/8” to 14.5” for the packaging, printing, and material handling industries. Made of long-lasting polyurethane, vinyl, or silicone. Other items include cup adaptors, rollers, and fittings. Call for free samples and new expanded catalog.

BRECOflex CO., L.L.C. offers Esband truly endless woven flat belts for your demanding drive, conveying and vacuum applications. Esband® belts are woven without a splice which produces the smoothest, straightest tracking and most consistent running characteristics. Elimination of the splice yields the highest flexibility and pulleys as small as 8mm [5/16”] can be used. Cover and carcass materials are selected per your requirements and combined with custom machining options for limitless opportunities and optimal belt design.

Vi-Cas Mfg. Company (513) 791-7741 E-mail: vicas@juno.com

Fax: (513) 791-6484 www.vi-cas.com

Advanced Ceramic Solutions Astro Met’s unique advanced ceramics provide cost effective solutions to material performance problems in a wide range of demanding applications. “Amalox 68” a 99.8% alumina ceramic and “Amzirox 86” an yttria stabilized zirconia provided superior wear resistance, corrosion resistance, high temperature stability, low thermal expansion, high stiffness to weight ratio, biocompatibility and high dielectric strength. AstroMet, Inc. (513) 772-1242; Fax: (513) 772-9080 E-mail: fgorman@astromet.com www.astromet

Marketplace

For your FREE brochure, samples and technical support, visit our website at www.brecoﬂex.com or call 732-460-9500

Linear Position Transducers Catalog describes both low cost OEM models as well as rugged environmentally sealed models for heavy duty industrial measurement applications. Use catalog selection guide to determine which linear position transducer is most suitable for the application. Electrical outputs include voltage divider, 4 to 20 mA, 0 to 10 VDC, ±10 VDC and digital. Thirty measurement ranges from 0 to 2 in. to 0 to 2000 in. are available. Unimeasure, Inc. (541) 757-3158 Fax: (541) 757-0858

Email: sales@unimeasure.com www.unimeasure.com

Electric Actuators

Raco Ball & ACME screw Electric Actuators cover a broad range of applications, are environmentally friendly, robust & low maintenance replacements for hydraulic/pneumatic cylinders. The modular systems design allows for Straight/RightAngle/C-Design variations. Thrust up to 225,000 lbs, speeds up to 30”/sec, strokes up to 20 feet. For fast linear movements up to 400”/sec RACO produces the belt driven LM-Actuator. X-Y-Z arrangement can be easily designed for paint/cutting/sorting/ testing/material-handling applications.

To place a Marketplace ad call: Nick Pinto at 973-920-7745 or nick.pinto@advantagemedia.com

RACO International, L.P. 1-800-BUY-RACO www.racointernational.com

FinalThought

Farming Young Design Engineers The next generation of engineers are experts with design tools and less iterative in the physical space. y old friend, and the man company is looking at the ecosystem who owned this column for around gallium nitride (GaN ) (TI years, Mike Rainone and I launched the industry’s first 80-V, 10-A often discuss the state of innovation GaN field-effect transistor (FET) intein our country. While many companies grated driver at the show), as well as boast a commitment to innovation, we expanded efforts in R&D, as TI continquestion whether that commitment is ues to invest in its University Research better defined as one to acquisition Program. Established in 1982, and By David Mantey, rather than new product development. operating in 35 countries, the program Editorial Director, PD&D The American Dream seems to offers educators discounted tools, lab have shifted from building a socially donations, and teaching materials. etc., then something is lacking, and and economically responsible comWhat I find most interesting, is that it’s less likely that you’re going to pany based off a game-changing the program works like an engineering stick around – or at least maintain new product, to a turn and burn fivefarm system (sports metaphor; if lost, some semblance of job satisfaction. year plan built off of lean principles Google). The company helps “fuel the You could argue that the program and a near mercenary-like mentality. passions of students and educators in merely provides four to six fiercely Essentially, the goal is to run lean university labs worldwide” in exchange loyal job candidates each enough to stay alive until year, and while that may be the proper suitor is found partially true, it also ensures – and the staff conteman annual new crop of pasplates whether or not sionate and innovative thinkthey’re still going to be ers who come with an inheraround on the other side ent sense of self-worth and of this transition. continue to raise the quality of Mike will further discuss work with a bit of (hopefully this topic in an upcomhealthy) competition. ing keynote speech at the According to Freeman, the 2nd Annual ECN IMPACT diversity pays off. The next genAwards, co-located with eration of engineers are experts the EDS Summit 2015, with design tools (reference which is held at the Las boards, simulation software, Vegas Mirage on May 13, etc.) and less iterative in the 2015, and I encourage The view outside of APEC 2015, held at the Charlotte Convention Center in space.BOARD The environall of you to attend. While EDITORIAL physical ADVISORY North Carolina. Credit: David Mantey ment causes veterans to bring my sensibilities have been • Tim Balz, Founder & President, Freedom Chairs up their game and continue shifting closer to Mike’s • Marty Boykin, Ph.D., Director of Consumer contribute asChemical many new engineers Durables &toTritan, Eastman Company pessimistic outlook – if we choose to for what can be described as a scoutChief Operating Officer & lack relevant experience inGeneral creating a stay the current course – I will admit ing report on the professors’ best• Robin Gray, Counsel, Electronic Components Industry that a recent conversation with David and brightest pupils. According to Associationproduct. (ECIA) ForGustafson, me, the program couldofstill be • Ron Jr. “Reg” Vice President Freeman, Texas Instruments (TI) Power Freeman, TI will select four to six stuBusiness Development, Clinkenbeard defined as innovation through acquisition, Management CTO, provided a much dents each year, those who professors • Mike Littrel, President & Founder, C.ideas but instead of hunting for IP and compleneeded shove towards optimism. have identified as the most promising, • Harry Moser, President, Reshoring Initiative mentary product lines, they’re looking for Though sleep deprivation and a and sponsor their projects. • Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions, LLCindividuals to take ownership self-starting full schedule at the Applied Power The program is positioned to steer • Mike Rainone, Co-Founder, and challenge thePCDworks status quo. Electronics Conference and Exposition students away from a mentality •that Drew Rink, Senior Manager of Manufacturing (APEC) 2015 had Freeman describsees design engineering as moreMarketing, NVIDIA • Paul Scheidt,What Product Manager, LED in is Marketing the best way to invest ing his mental state as “halfway in than a succession of jobs, but rather Components, Cree innovation? Buy low and sell high, or between zombie and dead,” we still as a career. Freeman stated that• Lanny if Vincent, General Partner, Vincent & new product development inmanaged a fruitful conversation that you can’t identify something newAssociates,cultivate Ltd house? Sendofyour thoughts to David. • Anna Zevelyov, Director Business discussed TI’s “commitment to innoevery year of your career, be it new Artec Group PDD Mantey@advantagemedia.com. vation.” Freeman discussed how the challenges, information, projects,Development,

May 2015

www.PDDNET.com

Entry Deadline Approaching

$75,000 IN PRIZES TO BE AWARDED

Submissions for the Inaugural Awards Are Due May 31st! Advantage Business Media’s Young Mind Awards will recognize inspired designs in science, technology, engineering, and math from the next generation of entrepreneurs, innovators, scientists, and engineers. The awards are open to all Middle School, High School, and Undergraduate students, giving these future innovators the opportunity to demonstrate their passion and showcase their ability to tackle real-world challenges as they pursue their dreams in STEM.

A panel of distinguished industry professionals will review all submissions based on the core principles of creativity, comprehensiveness, clarity of expression, and demonstration. Students can submit a project in one of ﬁve innovation categories: • Research and Development • Electronic Design • Medical Device Design • Electromechanical/Mechanical • Wireless Design

Join us in saluting the efforts and achievements of our future innovators. For more information and to enter, visit www.youngmindawards.com. All submissions are due by May 31, 2015.