Design World December 2015

www.designworldonline.com December 2015

INSIDE:

MOTION CONTROL: Protecting against mechanical overload damage PAGE 66

LINEAR MOTION: Linear encoders improve accuracy PAGE 72

TEST & MEASUREMENT: Space vectors aide drive for optimal efficie y PAGE 80

IoT Enabled Mechatronics

Integrating Internet Connected Smart Robot Modules 86

2015 Lea d e r s hip Winner s 3 - 15

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Leadership in Engineering

2 0 1L 5 eadership » Here in our ninth

Winners

Advanced Materials

Digital Manufacturing

annual issue on Leadership in Engineering, we

Electrical Fastening & Joining

announce the winners in the Leadership

Fluid Power

Awards Program that we have been

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promoting throughout the year.

The Design World User

Mechatronics

Motion

Community has cast votes and we are pleased to celebrate the

Networks

Software

winners in this special section of

Switches

“Leadership in Engineering.”

Test & Measurement

www.designworldonline.com

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Leadership in Engineering

Advanced Materials

Congratulations Herrmann Ultrasonics When it comes to welding thermoplastic materials with ultrasonic vibrations, Herrmann Ultrasonics has you covered.

The HiQ VARIO is a flexible machine that can be configured to fully satisfy the needs of the user. Experienced project management supports machine automation concept designs, proposes machine work area layout, and performs extensive collision analysis. Founded in 1961, the company now has three headquarters spread around the world and multiple tech centers across the U.S. Local support teams allow customers global access to Herrmann personnel for

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sales, service and training.

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Leadership in Engineering

Digital Manufacturing

Congratulations Accumold Accumold’s primary focus is on manufacturing micro-sized plastic parts and components for industries that require fast turn around and complex parts, such as micro-electronics, micro-optical and medical. The original Micro-Molder was designed to help manufacture parts with minimal waste and short cycle times for electronic component manufacturing. These minute parts are often measured in microns, are no bigger than 0.5 in.3 and typically weigh less than 1 g. In addition to their size, these parts have tight tolerances and must be molded efficiently and precisely.

Incorporating small features on a normalsized part (up to about 3 in. in diameter) is SH ER AD

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another of the company’s capabilities.

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MANUFACTURING Leadership Winners 2015 P RESEN T ED BY

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Leadership in Engineering

Electrical/Electronics

Congratulations Cicoil Cicoil was founded in 1956 with an innovative new product for the early mainframe computers—the flat ribbon cable. The cable allowed companies like IBM to replace bulky, stiff, round cables with sleek, flexible, ribbon cables. Called ribbon cables, variations of these flat cables are still used today in most computers, printers and many electronic devices. In addition to the strong, flexible cable jacketing, every Cicoil cable incorporates finely stranded, ultra-flexible wire conductors.

Conductors and shields are specially heat-treated and plated to maximize their flexibility, while providing an extremely long

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flex life in the most demanding applications.

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Leadership in Engineering

Fastening & Joining

Congratulations Master Bond Master Bond’s expansive line of epoxies, silicones, UV curable and LED curable compounds can be customized to meet a myriad of property requirements, including high/low temperature resistance; electrical conductivity/insulation; thermal conductivity; high/low viscosity; and chemical resistance. Developed to withstand harsh environmental conditions, products feature longterm durability and are certified for the following: NASA low outgassing; USP Class VI; UL 94V-0 and UL 94V-1; and ISO 10993-5. To keep customers informed of the latest developments in adhesive technology, Master Bond offers a collection of white papers, catalogs, case studies and videos

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on its website.

FASTENING & JOINING Leadership Winners 2015 PR ESEN T ED BY

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Leadership in Engineering

Fluid Power

Congratulations Humphrey Products Michigan-based Humphrey Products has been in the manufacturing industry for more than 100 years as a leading producer of fluid control products, serving organizations worldwide. The family-owned company designs and manufactures pneumatic fluid control components—valves and cylinders—for a variety of applications, including medical devices, analytical instrumentation, factory automation and SH ER AD

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suppliers are from the U.S., has a subsidiary company, South

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package conveyor systems. Humphrey, who said 96% of its

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Haven Coil, also based in Michigan.

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December 2015

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12/2/15 11:22 AM

Leadership in Engineering

Mechanical

Congratulations Smalley Steel Ring Co. Smalley Steel Ring Company offers a variety of rings and springs for myriad applications. Product offerings include: wave and compression springs, constant section rings, Spirolox retaining rings, laminar sealing rings and hoopster rings. Spirolox Rings, also known as Spiral Rings, offer a 360° retaining surface and are interchangeable with standard stamped ring grooves.

The company offers an exclusive Circular-Grain process, which is not a stamping, but rather a continuous coil that is made from edge-wound, pre-hardened, spring-tempered flat wire.

Smalley’s unique manufacturing process reduces scrap, allowing for the economical production of exotic alloy, carbon and

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stainless-steel products.

MECHANICAL Leadership Winners 2015 P RESENTED BY

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Leadership in Engineering

Yaskawa

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Congratulations

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Mechatronics MECHATRONICS Leadership Winners 2015

Yaskawa’s broad product range of rotary, linear and direct-

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drive motors, accompanied with digital SERVOPACKS (3 W to 55 kW), can be matched with single- or multiaxis machine controllers. The company adds value to its offerings by consistently delivering reliable service for more than a century, working in tandem with customers to provide them the resources, time and confidence needed to develop reliable automation solutions. With nearly 300,000 robot arms installed worldwide, the Yaskawa Robotic product portfolio ranges from 4- to 15-axis industrial robots with load capacities of 2 to 800 kg, to special machines, devices and turnkey systems.

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Leadership in Engineering

Motion Control

Congratulations Haydon Kerk Headquartered in Connecticut, Haydon Kerk’s linear motion products are used in much of today’s medical equipment, laboratory instrumentation, machinery automation, aerospace, analytical equipment, computer peripherals and semiconductor manufacturing equipment that requires precision motion. Established in 1976, the company’s Products Division has been building electric motors and stepper motor-based linear actuators for almost half a century. It has grown to be one of the world’s largest exclusive manufacturers of non-ball leadscrews, linear rails

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and actuator systems.

MOTION CONTROL Leadership Winners 2015 P RESENTED BY

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Leadership in Engineering

Networks

Congratulations PC-based control technology from Beckhoff Automation provides the ideal toolbox to implement leading automation concepts, including the Internet of Things, cloud computing, centralized PC-based control systems and ever-more connected devices through industrial Ethernet and OPC UA. Users are integrating Beckhoff controllers into their production networks, enabling them to communicate with databases, performing remote maintenance over the Internet or requesting cloud-based services.

With the Power of One controls philosophy from Beckhoff (one PC-based controller, one software platform and one network), manufacturers and machine builders can make great strides toward establishing meaningful Industry 4.0 practices while ensuring lean

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automation designs and streamlined system architectures.

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Leadership in Engineering

Software

Congratulations PTC PTC enables manufacturers to achieve sustained product and service advantage.

The company’s technology solutions help customers transform the way they create, operate and service their products across the entire product lifecycle—from conception and design to sourcing and service. The company’s solutions for Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Computer Aided Design (CAD), Application Lifecycle Management (ALM), Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Service Lifecycle Management (SLM) let users aggregate, analyze and deploy product information to drive the strategy and dynamic decision-making processes on which their success depends. PTC employs more than 6,000 professionals to help customers

supply chain and manufacturing, and from sales to service.

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of their organizations, from engineering to

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optimize activities within individual functions

SOFTWARE Leadership Winners 2015 P RESEN TED BY

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Leadership in Engineering

Switches & Sensors

Congratulations BEI Sensors BEI Sensors manufactures reliable position sensors for harsh environments, including encoders, potentiometers and Hall-effect sensors.

The company’s goal is to produce the finest products that not only perform in the harshest environments, but change with the advance of technology. BEI Sensors understands the need to have high-performing encoders and sensors no matter how severe the environment, and offers a wide array of products to meet these challenges.

Its linear position sensors are designed to take the heat relying on strong, proprietary, conductive-plastic resistive inks that are tough enough to withstand operating temperatures from -40 to 200° C, high linear velocities exceeding 2,000 mm/sec and aggregate mechanical travel exceeding one million meters. The company also understands the need for functional safety, which is why it has developed a range of functionally safe incremental encoders

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for use in systems up to SIL3 and PLe.

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Leadership in Engineering

Test & Measurement

Congratulations National Instruments National Instruments (NI) provides tools for engineers and scientists developing next-generation control and monitoring systems in the energy, industrial control, life sciences and transportation industries. NI’s embedded systems combine LabVIEW software with off-the-shelf hardware to simplify development and shorten time to market. All hardware enabled by the LabVIEW RIO architecture features floating point processors, reconfigurable FPGAs and modular I/O. With LabVIEW, engineers can customize hardware and integrate custom timing, signal processing and high-speed control without requiring expertise in low-level hardware description languages or board-level design. The company offers a variety of hardware platforms based on the LabVIEW RIO architecture, including CompactRIO, Single-Board RIO, R Series devices and PXI-based FlexRIO modules. With varying degrees of performance, cost, I/O rates, form factor and ruggedness, NI RIO hardware devices can meet the unique needs of most SH ER AD

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embedded control and monitoring applications.

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Insights Thinking outside the [box] College has changed a lot since I was a student. Shortly after I graduated from Georgia Tech, the campus underwent quite the building boom, thanks to its upcoming status as the Olympic Village for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. Touring the school in the subsequent years always left me amazed at the new amenities. And I can recall looking at the University of Arizona when I was considering graduate school, my jaw dropped at the prospect of high-rise dorms with huge swimming pools right beside them. It was like spring break compared to what I’d known.

But changes in the college experience today go far beyond mere physical structures. While touring the new Sears Think[box] innovation hub on the campus of Case Western Reserve University, I was blown away ... what these engineering students have at their disposal today is incredible.

Think[box] functions as a comprehensive fabrication laboratory, a place where the University hopes members of the engineering, design, arts, humanities, science, medical and business communities will interact. The goal is to help both students and faculty become the entrepreneurs and technology leaders of the future. Think[box] is also open (and free!) to the public, which I think will add a great mix to this campus hub.

Think[box] has been around since 2012, but it’s just moved into a new $35M home, a seven-story, 50,000 sq-ft building. The layout of the project is quite impressive: The fir t floor includes interactive presentation and workshop areas, an inventor’s hall of fame and social meeting spaces focused on users from outside the university, including K-12 students, industry groups and community groups.

The second floor has open space to support generation and development of ideas. There is a range of informal, re-configurable spaces for users to meet, think and develop their ideas. It will include multi-media equipment to support group collaboration and expression.

The third floor focuses on prototyping, with a wide range of state-of-the-art digital manufacturing equipment for users to quickly turn their ideas into some form of physical object.

The fourth floor houses traditional fabrication/manufacturing workshops.

The next phase of the project, to happen over the next year, will add a garage-style project floor; a floor devoted to startup assistance (including business planning, intellectual property and legal advice), and a floor for incubating startup companies that develop both within and outside the university.

I’ve been told that top-notch universities have been visiting Think[box], to see how to create similar spaces on their campuses. My thought was: What a great recruiting tool for CWRU. I tried to imagine prospective engineering and design students getting a campus tour and then seeing this lineup of toys: 3D printers, circuit-board routers, laser cutters, a computer-controlled ShopBot router, a Lynx 3D Microscope, a 3D scanner, a mixed signal oscilloscope and a vacuum chamber.

What aspiring engineer wouldn’t want to play—and learn—here? DW

How much will Maker spaces play a role on campuses in the future?

Pa ul J. Heney - Edi tor i al D i re ctor pheney@wtwhme di a.com

Comment on Paul’s blog on Pneumatic Tips, www.pneumatictips.com/blog

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December 2015

On Twitter @ DW—Editor

12/2/15 12:09 PM

Encoder solutions for a world in motion Advanced Opto-ASIC circuitry and intelligently designed, robust mechanical packaging combine to deliver reliable, high-performance rotary motion feedback. Made in the USA, and backed by an industry-best three year warranty, fast delivery and global support, Encoder Products Company rotary encoders work when it counts – which is all the time.

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12/2/15 11:48 AM

Te s c h l e r o n To p i c

What do engineers really do? And do computer programmers really do it?

There’s a lot of public lamentations that too few youngsters see engineering as a profession worth pursuing. I’ve come to think part of the problem is with experts trying to describe what engineers really do, giving explanations that are murky and unsatisfying. So kids have trouble distinguishing the activities of engineers from those of car mechanics or maintenance personnel.

One who has taken a stab at explaining what engineers do is Guru Madhavan, a biomedical engineer. He wrote a book called Applied Minds—How engineers think, in which he claims engineers visualize the structure of a problem by breaking it down into elements linked by logic, time, sequence and function.

Madhavan also says engineers work under constraints, make tradeoffs o get reasonable solutions and divide complicated problems into manageable pieces.

This description sounds reasonable—until you consider that real estate developers, scrap yard managers and movie producers might all claim to go through similar sorts of processes to get a job done.

Alternatively, some might say Albert Rothenberg gets closer to the essence of engineering in another book called Flight from Wonder: An Investigation of Scientific Creativity.

Rothenberg is a psychiatrist who does research on creative thinking processes. He said the creative thinking techniques he describes in his book come from Nobel laureate scientists, not engineers. Nevertheless, engineers reading the book are likely to recognize cognitive tricks they use themselves.

For example, a visual imagery exercise called homospatial reasoning involves overlaying and combining ideas in different ways. With another technique called the sep-con method, you conjoin functionally separate ideas or objects in odd ways to see what happens.

Rothenberg also takes a crack at describing broader qualities that Nobel laureates possess.

They include passion, self-confidence, openness, courage and domain expertise.

Many of us would probably say we’ve often seen colleagues display those qualities and thinking processes. Trouble is, passion, selfconfidence and an ability to combine ideas in novel ways aren’t exclusively found in either engineers or Nobel laureates. It’s not out of line to say farmers, fire ghters and construction workers can display the same qualities.

The inability to defi e what engineers really do has lead to a disagreement about who an engineer really is. That brings us to video game

designer Ian Bogost. Writing in The Atlantic, he recently suggested that software experts are programmers, not engineers. “The title ‘engineer’ is cheapened by the tech industry,” he writes.

Bogost asserts that an engineer is someone who is regulated, certified and subject to continuing education requirements.

He or she has to jump through these hoops because “something could go terribly, horribly wrong with unqualified actors at the helm …

When it comes to skyscrapers and bridges and power plants and elevators and the like, engineering has been, and will continue to be, managed partly by professional standards, and partly by regulation around the expertise and duties of engineers. But 50 years worth of attempts to turn software development into a legitimate engineering practice have failed,” he said.

Bogost argues that, in contrast to maintaining professional standards, there is an informality to software work that is being made worse by movements such as agile development, which focuses on rapid iterations rather than long-term planning. This sort of slap-dash fi -it-later thinking is the antithesis of engineering.

Bogost didn’t set out to explain what engineers do, but he helps show what separates engineering from areas where a cobbled-together solution is acceptable.

Simply put, engineers are people who have a responsibility to produce a product that is safe and reliable. Their expertise as builders and designers originates from that responsibility. DW

Le la n d Te sc h le r - Exec u t i ve Edi to r ltesc h ler@wtwh m edi a .co m

On Twitter @ DW—LeeTeschler 18

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December 2015

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SOLUTIONS FOR SURGICAL TOOLS, MEDICAL DEVICES AND IMPLANTS

@ MachinedSprings.com

For more information on Machined Springs, including custom applications, go to MachinedSprings.com or call (877) 435-4225 Š 2015 Helical Products Company | www.heli-cal.com

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12/2/15 11:49 AM

Te c h n o lo gy Fo r wa rd

Riding the Tiger’s tail

Then we have the news that traditional printer companies Canon and Ricoh have decided to enter the 3D printing market.

Investors are showing a disappointing lack of knowledge about 3D printing/additive manufacturing (3DP/AM). And this ignorance is harming those involved in this industry.

Investors should have done due diligence; their actions (selling off tocks, short selling the market, fili g lawsuits) indicate they did not.

A 3D printer in every home? Eventually.

Just not this year. Probably not next year either.

Will 3DP/AM revolutionize manufacturing? Not likely. Ever. 3DP/ AM is not a replacement for traditional manufacturing. It’s simply another tool for traditional manufacturing to use—when it makes sense. When you can stamp out thousands of parts for fractions of a penny, why would you install a slower, more expensive process to accomplish that?

Could 3DP/AM get as fast or faster than traditional manufacturing? Maybe. But it will take years. Meanwhile, traditional manufacturing technology is not standing still.

3DP/AM is a long-term buy—probably 10 years. Why? Education. What’s needed now is

3D printing stocks have been tanking for several months. 3D Systems CEO Avi Reichental stepped down. Everyone is waiting for HP to introduce its super-fast new 3D printer next year—and blow established 3D printing vendors out of the water. According to stock analysts, this is practically a fait accompli because HP has more money than the other players, and obviously money trumps all other capabilities. If HP doesn’t introduce a new 3D printer, it can just buy Stratasys or 3D Systems, say the stock analysts, and achieve market dominance that way.

the ability to design to 3DP’s advantages.

Just wait until today’s students, who are exploring 3DP now, graduate. Stock investors will see a different market then. And they may wish they had stayed in this market early. Several companies in this industry have the potential to be the next Apple.

This industry is just beginning to fi d its legs. Developers have known what problems it solves for some time. But the message is still getting out. As of today, and tomorrow, the best problems that 3DP solves are those that involve creating custom, one-off products and developing parts impossible to make other ways. Just consider the weight reduced Airbus brackets—there is no way to machine these parts.

The industries that can best take advantage of these capabilities are where 3DP is working best today, like medical, including dental and prosthetics, and aerospace.

Rather than short sell companies in this market, smart investors will see that they can get in on the ground floor of this industry now. DW

Le sli e La n gn a u - M a n ag i n g Edi to r lla n g n a u r@wtwh m edi a .co m

On Twitter @ DW—3Dprinting

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December 2015

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Proto Labs 11-15.indd 21

12/2/15 11:55 AM

Follow the whole team on twitter @DesignWorld We don’t just sell the high end materials your company needs, we cut to order, so you are never stuck with wasted material again Cut to Width Roll Slitting Custom Lamination Custom Sheeting Custom Belting Custom Shape Die Cutting

With a comprehensive selection of specialized materials such as Teflon®, Kapton®, Silicone, PEEK, Kevlar®, FEP, and PTFE coated fabrics, if your application demands performance, we can provide a solution.

EDITORIAL

GRAPHICS

Editorial Director Paul J. Heney pheney@wtwhmedia.com @dw_editor

VP, Creative Services Mark Rook mrook@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_graphics

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2011 - 2015

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12/2/15 12:15 PM

SV200 Digital Servo Drives offer a wide range of control options including pulse & direction, analog torque or velocity, streaming commands, stored program execution and fieldbus.

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Applied Motion 12-15_New.indd 23

800.525.1609 sales@applied-motion.com www.Applied-Motion.com

12/2/15 11:56 AM

HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M TALKING TO AN ENGINEER OR A SALESMAN? Ask Smalley. We have nothing against sales people. But when it comes to differentiating Inconel from Elgiloy or overcoming dimensional variations within a complex assembly, wouldn’t you rather work with an engineer?

Our customers would. That’s why they collaborate directly with our world-class team of Smalley engineers—experienced professionals whose only focus is helping you specify or design the ideal wave spring, Spirolox® retaining ring or constant section ring for your precision application.

Smalley wave springs reduce spring operating height by 50%, saving space and weight, fitting tight radial and axial spaces. We offer more than 4,000 stock sizes in carbon and stainless steel.

Visit smalley.com for your no-charge test samples.

Smalley Wave Spring

Coil Spring

THE ENGINEER’S CHOICE™

38139_Smalley_BrandAd_DesignWorld_r3.indd 1 Smalley 10-15.indd 24

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l Contributors Spotlight

MATT RECK

Protecting against mechanical overload damage

Product Line Manager Air Bearing Systems Physik Instrumente

EDD BROOKS Technical Representative Nexen Group

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66

Why you should consider air bearings Matt earned his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. While in school, he participated in a co-op program where he spent 16 months working as a junior engineer for a Fortune100 company full time. “(Students should) take every chance to engage in internships and co-op programs,” he said.

After his time in the co-op program, Matt said knew so much more about how things get done in the industry than he would have without that experience. “The work experience also helped guide my class selection in my last year of school, as I became more interested in certain topics.” But, he also wishes he had learned more about the manufacturing processes during his time as a student. “I think schools should do a much better job teaching students how metal parts are machined, PCBs and ICs are made, plastics are molded, optics are ground and so on,” he said. “When you understand how the things we use every day are actually made, I think you become a more creati e engineer.”

Throughout Edd’s 47-year career, he has developed, designed and marketed power transmission devices. He also provided selection and performance data to help customers with their machines. “A lot of people think engineers have answers to any technical question, whether the subject is in the area of expertis of the individual or not,” Edd said. “Often times, the answer is available with a little research.” Edd used to work with Horton Industrial Products, where he was responsible for the design and patent of clutches, breaks and torque limiters from conception to market ready. As a custom business unit manager, he was responsible for the design of special products for specific applications. He now has three patents for fluid-powered products and has written white papers on rotary and linear motion. During his time developing and designing, Edd found that a en ve engineers are the key to success. “Engineers must pay attention to the markets they serve and design products that have appeal as usable items that are cost effective,” he said.

fun fact

Edd loves to spend time with his sons and their families. He can be seen at a variety of sporting evens or at car shows that range in subjects from the latest technologies to collectables.

Top 10 benefits of IoT enabled mechatronics

MARK HUEBNER Marketing & Market Development PBC Linear Mark Huebner is a graduate of Hyles-Anderson College and has been with PBC Linear since 2010. He is an experienced field sales and account manager for linear motion and bearing manufacturers. In addition, he has experience managing projects in a variety of capacities, helping to streamline processes, develop new products and deliver them to the market place.

86

fun fact

Matt doesn’t think a robot take over will happen anytime soon.

“Personally, I think we have bigger problems to worry about, such as global climate change, long before AI becomes a threat,” he said.

Space vectors aide drive for optimal efficiency

JOHANNES TEIGELKÖTTER HBM Johannes has worked in the industry for 14

years, from 1986 until 2000. He worked in fields ranging from power electronics and instrumentation to drive technology for locomotives. But recently, he has been teaching and researching as a professor in the fields of electrical machines, power electronics and drives at the University of Applied Sciences in Ascheffenburg. “Sometimes young engineers only rely on outputs of a computer calculation without verifying,” he said. “I think it’s very important to learn how to check these results on the basis of physical phenomenon.”

The best thing about his job, he said, is working with students to find a creative solution for technical problems. “A few years ago, I developed an electric powered kart with my students. … We carried out several test runs to optimize the system,” he said. “During one test run, the right rear wheel broke and the kart was overtaken by the wheel. Luckily, the kart was able to run on three wheels and could be brought to a halt without any accidents.”

And while he works with the future of engineering, he still doesn’t see a predictable future.

“To quote Niels Bohr, ‘Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future’” he said.

“The world is changing very fast so it´s impossible to predict what’s going to happen in 20 years.”

fun fact

Johannes enjoys both the Harry Potter novels and movies. He especially likes watching the movies and reading the novels with his children.

Contributor Page 12-15_Vs2.MD.indd 25

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July 2015

DESIGN WORLD

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Co nten t s |

December 2015 • vol 10 no 12

|

designworldonline.com

F E AT U R E S CONTROL 66 MOTION Protecting against mechanical overload damage

Mechanical torque limiters help remove energy from drivetrains, reducing machine faults and downtime.

MOTION 72 LINEAR Linear encoders improve

92

3D CAD

The capability to design, test and validate in the digital world helps get products to market faster for less money.

100 Why you should consider MECHANICAL

accuracy

air bearings

Linear encoders boost accuracy by correcting errors downstream of mechanical linkages.

It’s easy to overlook air bearings. Most of the time, mechanical bearings work well enough for a motion application. Most, but not all. Here are tips that will smooth out the specification process.

80 Space vectors aide drive for TEST & MEASUREMENT

A supplement of Design World • December 2015

How simulation helps accelerate the design process

Inside: 110

How do you really use 3D printing systems?

114

3D printing aids in design of patient simulator

Material advances in metal 3D printing

120

COVER_MPF 12-15_FINAL Vs2.MD.indd 107

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MAKE PARTS FAST

107 - 127 I

N

S

I

D

E

:

Selecting VFD Cables • Board Connector Challenges • Trends

Inter

A supplement of Design World • December 2015

2015

Cable & Connector Handbook

optimal efficiency

Using space vectors in test equipment helps engineers get a clearer, more precise picture of three-phase motor electromagnetics.

Cover photo courtesy of Fischer Connectors

COVER_Interconnect_2015_Vs1.indd 129

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INTERCONNECT

129 - 158

OF THINGS 86 INTERNET Top 10 benefits of IoT enabled mechatronics

The latest trend in machinery design is to take advantage of the Internet of Things benefits, which are seen throughout a machine’s life cycle.

ON THE COVER Operators no longer sit in a control room waiting for something to happen on the factory floor. Thanks to networking technology and data analysis, better information is leading to greater efficiencie Photo courtesy of PBC Linear​

26

DESIGN WORLD

CONTENTS DECEMBER 2015_first page_Vs3.LL.MD.indd 26

2015

2015

2015 O N LIN E

revenue over $3 million

3

12/3/15 9:42 AM

FOR MOTION CONTROL INNOVATION, SOLUTION CITY NEVER SLEEPS.

Whatever keeps you up at night, we’ve got a solution—the largest selection of motors, pumps and air-moving devices available. Plus, one-of-a-kind solutions ready to be custom-engineered for your precision industrial, commercial, combustion or transportation application. If you can dream it, you’ll find it at Solution City.

100 East Erie Street Kent, OH 44240 ametekdfs.com

© 2015 by AMETEK Inc. All rights reserved.

AMETEKPMC Never Sleeps Ad_9x10.875.indd 1 AMETEK PMC 18611_City (Solutions City) 8-15 (NEW).indd 27

7/29/15 12:02 9:14 PM AM 12/2/15

Aurora-Where_the_Action_Is:Aurora 11/5/10 1:10 PM Page 1

Con te n ts

Rod Ends and Spherical Bearings designed and manufactured to Aurora's exacting standards for quality and durability.

Registered and Certified to ISO-9001 and AS9100.

From economy commercial to aerospace approved, we've got it all !

Aurora Bearing Company 901 Aucutt Road Montgomery IL. 60538 Complete library of CAD drawings and 3D models available at:

w w w . a u r o r a b e a r i n g . c o m

12.20 1 5 D E PA R T M E N T S 16 Insights 18 Teschler on Topic 20 Technology Forward

25 Contributors

30 Green Engineering

34

32 Engineering Exchange 34 Design For Industry 46 Design Notes 54 CAE Solutions 60 Internet of Things 1 59 Product World

60

164 Ad Index

46

28

Contents DECEMBER_second page_Vs1.indd 28

DESIGN WORLD

December 2015

12/2/15 12:40 PM

LOWEST TOTAL COST OF

OWNERSHIP Motion solutions that require no (zero, nada) maintenance over their design life of 20 years.

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Get prototypes in 24h dunkermotoren.com/express

Call on the global quality and value leader.

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1500 Bishop Bis Ct - Mt Prospect, IL 60056 Call: 773-289-5555 www.dunkermotoren.com info@dunkermotoren.com

Dunkermotor 11-15 (new).indd 29

12/2/15 12:03 PM

» Gree n E n g i n e e ri n g n Paul J. Heney • Editorial Director

Danfoss cutting energy consumption by half

The International Energy Agency has stated that energy efficiency can deliver 38% of the greenhouse gas reduction required to avert climate change. Danfoss is now accelerating its own eff rts by introducing new ambitious climate targets.

Most of the world’s energy consumption comes from industry and buildings, and the potential for cutting it is huge. Danfoss, wanting to be a role model, has set new ambitious targets for itself ahead of the COP21 climate summit in Paris. By 2030, the company plans to use half as much energy to run its business, and emit half as much CO2 from the energy it uses.

“Worldwide, we deliver some of the most innovative and efficient technologies for saving energy, helping cities and companies to reach their targets,” said President and CEO Niels B. Christiansen. “Now, we are

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DESIGN WORLD

Green Engineering_12-15_Vs3.MD.indd 30

December 2015

intensifying our own eff rts in the form of a new, ambitious climate strategy, which builds on what we have already done and achieved. We see this as a natural part of leading the way within the climate sector.”

The company is already making progress in living up to these targets. Between 2007 and 2014, its net sales increased by 55%, whereas energy consumption dropped by 29%. Danfoss has been running energysaving projects, among other things, at the largest factories worldwide. Typically, this reduces energy consumption for operating the buildings by 25 to 30%. The savings are primarily obtained through the optimization of the systems controlling the ventilation, heating and cooling using their own products.

Based on the positive experiences, the company is now intensifying its eff rts

to energy-optimize the company’s buildings all over the world. In addition, production line processes will be systematically examined for further energy cuts.

Green energy sources are another focus area. In 2013, for example, the manufacturer set up a solar cell park—likely the biggest of its kind in Scandinavia—next to its headquarters in Nordborg, Denmark. The park produces electricity corresponding to the annual consumption of 400 single-family houses, and has a total capacity of 2 MW. A 1-MW solar-cell system was also opened at the company’s new campus in India last year. Moreover, the new campus has received the international LEED Platinum rating, whereby it is certified as a green and sustainable building complex. DW

Danfoss danfoss.us

12/2/15 12:20 PM

What’s 15 years to one of our blowers?

A warm-up.

Nothing moves air with more rock-solid reliability than AMETEK® Rotron regenerative blowers.

Fifteen years’ service life is not unusual. These low-pressure, high-volume blowers feature rugged, compact construction and quiet operation. Their proven design makes them ideal in applications from chemicals, wastewater and furnaces to vapor recovery and more. Plus, they’re backed by the industry’s most knowledgeable engineering experts. AMETEK can customize your blower for harsh environments, high voltage and specialized applications, too. So make your next air-moving challenge a breeze.

Call us at +1 330-673-3452 or visit our website to get started.

100 East Erie Street Kent, OH 44240 ametekdfs.com

© 2015 by AMETEK Inc. All rights reserved.

AMETEKDFS Blower Ad_9x10.875.indd 1 AMETEK 6-15Regen (NEW AD).indd 31

6/1/15 12:04 5:03 PM 12/2/15 PM

connect

with Design World DIGITAL ISSUE Visit designworlddigital.com for our latest issue!

www.designworldonline.com December 2015

YOUTUBE

FACEBOOK

INSIDE: MOTION CONTROL: Protecting against mechanical overload damage PAGE 66

LINEAR MOTION: Linear encoders improve accuracy PAGE 72

TEST & MEASUREMENT: Space vectors aide drive for optimal efficie y PAGE 80

Top 10 benefits f

IoT Enabled Mechatronics

Integrating Internet Connected Smart Robot Modules 86

2015 Leadership Winners 3 - 15

Cover_DW_December 2015_FINALFINAL.indd 1

How do dynamic bearing loads affect bearing life Bearings are subjected to certain levels of repeated stress or dynamic loading on their raceways and rolling elements during operation under proper loading, appropriate mounting and sufficient lubrication.

http://dwo.me/1QPUxa7

What are Ball Screws?

Ball screws are mechanical devices that convert rotational motion to linear motion with a minimal amount of friction.

Ball screws are used in an array of applications ranging from low accuracy transport guides to high accuracy precision grade screws. They are also used in robots, machine tools and precision assembly devices.

12/3/15 3:05 PM

FOLLOW US

Over 13,000 members - global educational engineering community - join today. engineeringexchange.com.

http://dwo.me/1QPWy6e Connect with 339,805 engineers at facebook.com/ DesignWorldNetwork.

ENGINEERING EXCHANGE

Legacy CAD and Engineering Data: Keep it Updated Legacy information and original drawings are being lost as enterprise software is updated beyond the package used to create the original drawings and as the engineers who made the original drawings retire or move to another position or company. The issue,should be of concern to everyone, including designers.

TWITTER

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NASA helps puch additive manufacturing boundaries

GOOGLE+

Find meaningful links and tweet along with us @DesignWorld.

Check the boards and see whats being pinned up at pinterest.com/ engineeringex.

Grow your network.

Join the Design World group on LinkedIn.

http://dwo.me/1QPVO0R Hot products and topics are streaming at youtube.com/DesignWorldVideo.

A team at Marshall Space Flight Center is exploring additive manufacturing (3D printing) for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The team is looking into the capabilities, costs and benefits of using additive manufacturing on their latest liquid rocket injector.

http://dwo.me/1QPVH5p

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December 2015

Hang out and track what's new at plus.google.com/ +DesignWorldOnline.

Quantum tunneling and tunnel diodes Posted by David Herres

See shared slides at slideshare.net/ DesignWorldOnline.

12/3/15 3:06 PM

BGS™ Linear Rail Systems...

ACCURACY REDEFINED BGS™ (Ball Guide Screw) linear rail systems from Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions® raises accuracy to a new level

BGS04 – Size 11, Standard Assembly, 1.1-in. 2 (28 mm)2, (22 lbs. [100 N] max. horizontal load)

BGS06 – Size 17, Standard Assembly, 1.7-in. 2 (43 mm)2, (135 lbs. [600 N] max. horizontal load)

BGS08 – Size 23, Standard Assembly, 2.3-in. 2 (57 mm)2, (225 lbs. [1,000 N] max. horizontal load)

NOW... 24 HOUR SHIPPING

of standard assembly BGS™ linear rails, ordered online at www.HaydonKerkExpress.com BGS06 – with optional programmable IDEA™ stepper motor drive

Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions BGS™ products are designed to position heavy loads and maintain repeatability and accuracy while withstanding significant cantilevered loading. A Black Ice® TFE coated lead-screw drives a precision nut embedded in a machined aluminum carriage mounted to a stainless-steel ball rail. The result is a smooth operating, yet rigid linear motion system. Maximum stroke lengths: BGS04 – 18 in. (460 mm); BGS06 – 24 in. (610 mm); BGS08 – 30 in. (760 mm).

All motorized BGS rail systems utilize Size 11, Size 17 or Size 23 hybrid linear actuator stepper motors. A programmable IDEA™ Drive is available for Size 17 or Size 23 frame sizes. By combining technologies into a single pre-assembled motion system, Haydon Kerk is able to improve system integration for the OEM or end user.

Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions also offers BGS Linear Rail design and manufacturing flexibility. A system can be customized to accommodate a customer’s unique application.

The BGS product line is supported by an experienced technical team recognized for innovation, customization, and dedicated customer service.

For more information: www.HaydonKerk.com > Linear Rails, Guides & Splines > BGS Linear Rail Systems ®

Call 1.8OO.243.2715 • www.HaydonKerk.com

24 -HR SHIPPING / E-COMMERCE

Haydon Products Division 1500 Meriden Road Waterbury, CT 06705 U.S.A. Telephone: 203.756.7441

Haydon Kerk 12-15 (Accuracy Redefined).indd 33

Kerk Products Division 1 Kerk Drive Hollis, NH 03049 U.S.A. Telephone: 603.465.7227

12/2/15 11:59 AM

military/aerospace

1

0

» Design for Industry

food/beverage

Modular conveyor system for quick assembly Noise reduction is an increasingly attractive way to improve factory work environments. VarioFlow plus is one of Bosch Rexroth’s major contributions to noise reduction, with particularly low-noise operation thanks to sliding bars with lateral fi ation, low-friction materials and patented hinge bolts. At the same time, modular chain conveyor system provides optimum sliding properties for reduced wear, even with chain tensile forces up to 1,250 N.

An example of its flexible application can be found in the automotive industry.

To improve handling and save space during transport, an innovative manufacturing cell based on VarioFlow plus can convey roof linings, at a height of about 3 m, directly to a robotic unit at a processing station.

Attaching and uncoupling the finis ed roof linings are the only manual procedures required in this fully automated system.

This system helps increase productivity as factory personnel may use the time savings to complete other tasks. Currently, this automotive manufacturer operates four complete manufacturing lines using the same application of VarioFlow plus.

In combination with MTpro planning software, the modular chain conveyor system saves time during project planning.

The complete conveyor system can be designed in just a few steps—all the way from “drag and drop” selection of

components to order placement, including verification of workpiece carriers and complete system configuration.

The VarioFlow plus chain conveyor system is available in six conveyor widths between 65 and 320 mm; seven chain types and two models in aluminum and stainless steel with FDA-compliant materials opens up a wide spectrum of applications. DW

Bosch Rexroth boschrexroth-us.com

The VarioFlow plus modular chain conveyor system offers universal and quick application, easy planning and assembly. The system also boasts extremely quiet and low-wear operation.

34

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DFI 12-15_Vs4.LL.MD.indd 34

December 2015

www.designworldonline.com

12/3/15 8:49 AM

Power Review

Altra Industrial Motion Vol. 4 | No. 4 | 2015

The Power Brands in Power Transmission

Featured in this Edition...

SVENDBORG BRAKES Industrial Product Line

Svendborg Brakes SOBO® iQ and Industrial Product Line Warner X-Small Brakes Bauer Stainless Steel Products Kilian Application Profiles for the Medical Industry TB Wood’s Sure-Flex® Plus Ameridrives Repair Program Boston Gear Expanded Stainless Steel Line Altra’s YouTube How-To Video Series

SOBO® iQ Controller

Twiflex Brake Calipers

Find Altra Industrial Motion on:

Altra Industrial Motion Ameridrives Couplings Ameridrives Power Transmission Bauer Gear Motor Bibby Turboflex Boston Gear

Altra Industrial_#1_12-15.indd 35

The Power Of Experience

Delroyd Worm Gear Formsprag Clutch Guardian Couplings Huco Dynatork Industrial Clutch Inertia Dynamics

Kilian Manufacturing Lamiflex Couplings Marland Clutch Matrix International Nuttall Gear Stieber Clutch

Svendborg Brakes TB Wood’s Twiflex Limited Warner Electric Warner Linear Wichita Clutch

For more information contact us at: info@altramotion.com or visit www.altramotion.com

Scan to download the interactive version of the Power Review

12/2/15 11:41 AM

Svendborg Brakes: SOBO® iQ and Industrial Product Line Svendborg Brakes introduces SOBO® iQ controlled braking for general and conveyor systems for any application with hydraulic failsafe brakes where consistent stopping times or distances are desired and less wear and tear on equipment. The SOBO® iQ provides a soft and predictable braking sequence and is typically utilized in applications such as conveyors, cranes, hoists, water gates, bridges, barge unloaders, plus many others.

As a standalone unit, the SOBO® iQ is capable of controlling up to four different hydraulic power units up to 100km away. The SOBO® iQ is meant to be a single control unit for all of the brakes in a single mechanical chain.

Svendborg Brakes’ comprehensive product range also includes: custom, active and failsafe hydraulic brakes, hydraulic power units, brake discs, etc. Complete braking solutions include extensive design services, market-leading products, a quality-focused supply chain and unmatched after sales services.

For more information download P-7916-SV, P-7923-SV & P-1723-18-SV from www.AltraLiterature.com or visit www.Svendborg-Brakes.com

Warner’s Custom Designed X-Small Brakes

Bauer Gear Motor Stainless Steel Products

X-Small Brakes are electrically released spring-set holding brakes for applications where weight or space are major constraints.

XS Brakes have been designed with two key constraints in mind: optimize the torque level in the smallest space design and at the lightest weight. XS Brakes are highly reliable, fail safe devices designed as statically engaged/disengaged holding brakes. These brakes provide low cycle rate stopping action in emergency situations.

Bauer Gear Motor provides a full complement of worm and helical gear drives with varying degrees of sanitary protection to meet the needs of the diverse requirements within a production facility. From standard cast iron and aluminum housings with white or stainless epoxy paint, to fully aseptic or complete stainless steel units, Bauer Gear Motor can provide a drive solution to meet the application requirements.

XS Brakes are particularly suited for applications where very small space envelopes and extra low weights are critical: aerospace, medical machinery, machine tools, etc.

For more information download P-7665-BBG from www.AltraLiterature.com

For more information download P-7778-WE & P-7899-WE from www.AltraLiterature.com

Kilian Provides Solutions for the Medical Industry Kilian Manufacturing provides unique solutions for several facets of the medical field. Precision and custom bearing assemblies are provided for hospital overbed tables, mobile medical workstations, x-ray tables, ambulance stretchers, and blood centrifuges.

Kilian engineers can develop custom solutions to meet OEM requirements. Kilian works to design cost-effective, easy-to-install assemblies to satisfy custom application requirements.

For more information download Application Profiles P-7846-KM, P-7847-KM, P-7848-KM, P-7850-KM & P-7851-KM from www.AltraLiterature.com

Altra Industrial_#2_12-15.indd 36

TB Wood’s Sure-Flex® Plus For over 50 years, TB Wood’s has led the coupling industry with the original TB Wood’s Sure-Flex® design. And we haven’t stopped innovating: this industry favorite just got even better.

Our new Sure-Flex Plus EPDM and Neoprene sleeves are best-inclass for coupling performance and value. Here’s why: – High Torque Rating - 30% Increased Torque Rating – Longer Life - Lasts Over 3X Longer than the Competition – Better Value - Save Money Using a Smaller Coupling – Interchangeable - Retrofits to Existing Flanges

For more information download P-7819-TBW from www.AltraLiterature.com or visit www.TBWoods.com

TB Wood’s Incorporated

12/2/15 11:44 AM

Ameridrives Repair Program

Boston Gear Expanded Stainless Steel Line

Ameridrives remanufactured couplings look like new, perform like new and are warrantied like new.

Boston Gear has recently expanded the Stainless Steel product line to include:

Ameridrives Rebuild Service can refurbish your old, worn couplings for substantially less than the cost of a new replacement coupling.

The economical rebuild service applies to all Ameridrives couplings including Ameridisc®, Ameriflex® and Amerigear® high performance, high speed couplings used primarily on turbomachinery, compressor and pump applications in the power generation, oil & gas and marine industries. Other coupling brands are accepted on a case-by-case basis.

As a leading global coupling manufacturer, Ameridrives has the team, facilities, and nearly 100 years of inspection and repair experience to rebuild and replace all coupling components as required. Repairs are completed to meet the exacting standards of the original coupling.

For more information download P-7948-AC from www.AltraLiterature.com.

For details on the rebuild program, call 814.480.5095 or visit www.Ameridrives.com

Altra Indus trial Motion

I N T R O D U C I N G

3 New Sizes of SS700 Series - Worm Gear – 713, 715 and 724 center distances now available – SSHF713 redesigned to include hollow bores up to 1.00” All SS700 Series Now Available With QC Option – QC Quick-Connect motor mount option – Compact coupling for quick and easy motor disassembly 3 New Sizes of SS2000 Series - Helical Inline – 2030, 2050 and 2070 frame sizes with full compliment of mounting options – Output torque to 7500 lbf-in Larger AC Motors Now Available – 5, 7.5 and 10 HP TEFC motor sizes – 208-230/460 -3-60 VAC, 1800 RPM nominal 2 New Styles of SS Mounted Bearings – Offering now includes 3-bolt drop bearing and wide slot take-up styles – Expanded range of bore sizes New Coupling Bore Sizes, Universal Joints and Shaft Accessories – More complete offering of shaft accessories

For more information download P-7631-BG & P-1998-BG from www.AltraLiterature.com

Ameridrives Rebuild Service Ameridrives

remanufactu look like new, perform red couplings like are warrantied like new new and

For more information call or visit www.Ameridrive (814) 480-5095 s.com.

The Ameridrives Rebuild Service Team will conduct a comprehensive inspection of your coupling and perform the following to restore your coupling to its original specifications with a new coupling warranty: • All potential wear components – metallic and gear flex elements, shims, and fasteners are refurbished or replaced to new performance standards.

• Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI) on all torque transmitting components.

• Removal and repair of surface defects on a lathe and glass bead blasting as appropriate while maintaining original coupling integrity.

• Precision dimensional and Total Indicator Run-out (TIR) measurement • Rebalancing to original API 671 certification if applicable.

This recertification requires the return of the entire coupling structure.

Ameridrives Rebuild Service can refurbish your old, worn couplings substantially less than the cost of a new replacement for rebuild service applies to Ameridrives couplings coupling. The economical Ameriflex® and Amerigearall including Ameridisc® ® , high performance, high on turbomachinery, compressor speed and pump applications couplings used primarily oil & gas and marine in the power generation, industries. Other coupling case basis. brands are accepted on a case-byAs a leading global coupling manufacturer, Ameridrives and nearly 100 years has the team, of all coupling components inspection and repair experience to rebuild facilities, and standards of the original as required. Repairs are completed to meet replace the exacting coupling.

Couplings are received, inspected and rebuilt We will work to accommodate in the shortest possible time frame. your shut down schedule.

For details on our cost-saving program www.Ameridrives.com. call (814) 480-5095 or visit www.ameridrives.com 1802 Pittsburgh Avenue Erie, PA 16502 - USA 814-480-5000 Fax: 814-453-5891 P-7948-AC

10/15

Printed in USA

Altra’s How-To Video Series on YouTube Visit Altra Industrial Motion on YouTube to see our newest videos, including our recently added instructional How-To Video Series.

The How-to Video Series offers helpful how-to videos on a variety of industrial applications. We upload new videos routinely, so check back often.

Warner Electric, TB Wood’s, and Boston Gear currently have videos featured in the How-To Series that include installation instructions and troubleshooting.

www.YouTube.com /user/AltraIndMotion

Twiflex Brake Calipers Twiflex offers the largest range of industrial disc brake calipers in the world. Spring applied units may be retracted pneumatically, hydraulically or electrically (depending on caliper design) while most direct acting brakes have some form of positive retraction device.

Pneumatically Applied Brakes are best suited for light to medium stopping duties and for tensioning applications where a high degree of control is required.

Hydraulically Applied Brakes address higher torque requirements, while spring applied calipers are essential where braking must be maintained in the event of supply system failure Mechanically Applied Units are suitable for light tensioning duties or where no external power is available. They may also be specified when designers wish to use their own means of actuation.

For more information download P-1648-TF from www.AltraLiterature.com

Scan to visit the How-To Video Series

For more information download P-7949-C from www.AltraLiterature.com Call Twiflex Toll-Free: 844.723.3483

Altra Industrial_#3_12-15.indd 37

12/2/15 11:45 AM

Power Transmission and Motion Control Solutions for Industrial Applications

The Power Brands in Power Transmission Ameridrives Couplings

Delroyd Worm Gear

Kilian Manufacturing

Svendborg Brakes

Ameridrives Power Tranmission

Formsprag Clutch

Lamiflex Couplings

TB Wood’s

Guardian Couplings

Marland Clutch

Twiflex Limited

Bauer Gear Motor

Huco Dynatork

Matrix International

Warner Electric

Bibby Turboflex

Industrial Clutch

Nuttall Gear

Warner Linear

Boston Gear

Inertia Dynamics

Stieber Clutch

Wichita Clutch

Altra Industrial_#4_12-15.indd 38

www.AltraMotion.com 12/2/15 11:47 AM

food/beverage

» Design for Industry

2

0

Brakes ensure precise control

As products move along automated packaging systems, accurate positioning is key to operation. PBZ variable torque brakes handle needs for variable torque tensioning control in automated packaging systems and similar applications.

Unlike conventional mechanical brakes, the variable torque brakes are magnetic particle brakes. They use self-contained magnetic particles that slow, stop, hold and restart a system with repeatable accuracy. The torque is independent of slip speed and is variable from zero to the rated torque.

The brakes’ precise, fast engagement ensures accurate positioning without jolts or jerking motion. This feature enables repeatable positioning of plastic film in luding labels, bar codes and other packaging elements with accuracy. A gradual or fast

engagement setting is adjustable for different application requirements. The adjustment range is variable up to the brake’s control circuit capacity.

Another feature: These brakes do not have components that can wear. They are unaffected by atmospheric conditions, so are suited for temperature extremes in a range of operating environments.

Available in three 24/80 V models with rated torque of 3, 6 and 12 Nm, all three sizes have a 400-rpm allowable rotation. DW

Miki Pulley Industrial Brakes mikipulley-us.com

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3D printers prototype winding body for MRI scanner 3D printing is becoming a common tool for the design of prototypes for medical equipment.

This includes, for example, the development of components of a patient table for use in MRI scanners. The specific project for Popp Group involved the development of a winding body for a rotating device, which later had to be fitted directly on the patient table.

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12/3/15 2:57 PM

POWER TRANSMISSION

RETAINING DEVICES & maintenance & assembly tools

The designed part had to accommodate the fixi g and assembly components as well as the cover. While the end product was injection molded, the entire prototyping was carried out with an X400 3D printer from German RepRap. “Only when we are certain that no more modifications are required do we create the expensive injection mold,� said Rene Schneider, project leader. “Up to that time, we do everything with 3D printing. Any faults or changes required by the customer are easy to rectify and implement. We previously had to wait several days for a new prototype, such as for CNC milled parts.

But the 3D printed prototype is often already available in a matter of hours. The printing of this winding body took around 10 to 12 hours.�

Thanks to the large build area of approximately 40 Ă— 40 cm, Popp is able to print three parts at the same time.

For Popp Group, compared to conventional prototyping, there are no disadvantages with 3D printing for prototyping.

Prototypes are required to have the same properties as the end product, both mechanically and functionally, as well as with regard to their material characteristics. “The PLA frequently used in 3D printing is ideal here for medical technology since it is non-imaging and is not therefore shown in an MRI scan,�

Schneider said.

“3D printing has become firm y established in product development at the Popp Group. Our X400 3D printer runs at full capacity,� Schneider added. DW

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33 Higginson Avenue, Central Falls, Rhode Island 02863 Telephone: (401) 728-0700 • FAX: (401) 728-0703 E-mail: info@whittet-higgins.com Web: www.whittet-higgins.com

12/3/15 9:06 AM

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» Design for Industry

Steering system integrates safety An intelligent steering option incorporates both a steering and a safety controller into an electrohydraulic actuator, saving development resources and accelerating time to market for OEMs across agriculture, construction, road building, material handling and specialty markets.

The system connects directly with GPS to allow automatic steering for an array of off-h ghway machinery—including tractors, combines and sprayers. It also improves driver comfort with “Quick Steering” functionality and enables joystick or mini wheel steering for all applications. Previous steering systems used an external safety controller to monitor the electrohydraulic section of the steering valve.

The OSPE with PVED-CLS actuator option is part of the Danfoss Functional Safety Solution. Designed with the safety of machine operators in mind, the flexible software-based system comes preconfigured with a number of steeringspecific safety functions informed by comprehensive safety analysis and customer research. It can be easily adjusted 42

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to meet the specific output and safety requirements of each application. It also includes integrated electrical follow-up (EFU). EFU aligns the steering wheel with the tires to ensure precise, unwavering drive trajectories. With this automation comes easier operation, higher productivity and reduced driver fatigue.

With PVED-CLS, system designers no longer need to ensure that multiple parts are communicating. Now that the PVED-CLS is in direct contact with system pressure and feedback from the LVDT transducer, the operator is able to react more quickly and accurately than with an external controller.

When it comes to safety, this fast and precise reaction is crucial, and the tight sensor coupling also means less machine downtime and fewer false alarms. In case of a fault, the monitor gives operators manual control within the electrohydraulic safe state.

In addition to improving functionality, the integration of the safety controller into the steering unit reduces the system complexity.

The OSPE with PVED-CLS is certified

by TÜV SÜD, the German safety validation organization, for functional safety of electronic equipment (SIL2 for IEC 61508) and functional safety of control systems (PL d, ISO 13849 and AgPL d for ISO 25119 [EN 16590]).

The PVED-CLS hardware is based on a fully redundant Category 3 system architecture. The system takes care of steering hazards off oad. Additionally, the PVED-CLS has received the “E-mark” stamp from VCA (the United Kingdom Vehicle Approval Authority). The “E-mark” is a general certification regarding EMC (directive ECE R10), which OEMs can use toward fi al vehicle homologation. DW

Danfoss Power Solutions powersolutions.danfoss.com

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12/3/15 9:08 AM

machine tool

» Design for Industry

5

0

Precisely synchronize conveyor belts and robots An increasing number of processes in production lines require synchronization with conveyor belts. Ensuring the high levels of speed and precision needed to accomplish this previously required highly complex control solutions. Production lines with conveyor belt tracking have an advantage: Since the production process never comes to a stop, they can achieve higher production volumes.

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machine tool

» Design for Industry

The complexity of these systems is constantly increasing, for example, as robots are added to these systems. One way to reduce the complexity is to use tools inherent in systems like PLCopen. The function blocks in PLCopen can be used for all types of robot kinematics and even allow robots to be synchronized with multiple conveyor belts. The interfaces are also suited for integrating HMI applications for all types of kinematic systems.

The robot can move freely during the synchronization phase, which also enables complex product manipulation. B&R offers a system in which the conveyor belt is fully integrated into the application. An external sensor that supplies information about the current position of the conveyor belt is all that is needed.

The conveyor belt tracking system is hardware-independent, which allows the use of different drive systems with different kinematics. The application can be created quickly and easily upgraded at a later time. The robot can be replaced or the conveyor belts can be upgraded at any time without a significant amount of application engineering work. A large portion of the software can be used as is. DW

B&R Industrial Automation br-automation.com

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The NEW encoder module that gets the job done.

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Often invisible AlwAys essentiAl

extreme temperAtures leAve us cold!

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Freudenberg 11-15.indd 45

the most adverse conditions. And our engineers are always striving to find new solutions for the next big challenge. So, when the temperature drops below –40°C, we’re cool with that. www.fnst.com

12/2/15 5:43 PM

» D e s i g n N o te s

Edited by: Mike Santora • Associate Editor

Electric linear motors “picked” for swab application US Cotton, a domestic manufacturer of cotton swabs, was considering the replacement of the pneumatic cylinders on one of its major production machines. The application involved picking a layer of cotton swabs out of the assembly section of the machine and placing it in a stack before going into the retail package.

The company was looking for better control and reduced maintenance. Control, because operators had to make frequent adjustments to the machines to compensate for changes in air pressure. Maintenance, because the air cylinders in each of the several dozen machines had to be replaced every one to two months. The company needed an actuator that would last much longer.

The search led the engineers to linear motors made by LinMot. These linear motors differ from others in that they are tubular-style linear motors, as opposed to open, track-style linear motors. The tubularstyle linear motor actually looks and acts somewhat like a pneumatic

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cylinder. The motors are sealed so they can operate in dirty environments and don’t require any moving cables.

Cost is always a factor in design, but it’s important to balance cost over benefit. In this case, energy savings can justify the price of the linear motors. But the staff t US Cotton needed convincing.

The company said that it would volunteer machines to use test beds (along with some personnel) if LinMot would provide the equipment needed to perform a test. LinMot agreed. US Cotton chose one of the systems (linear motor and drive) and installed it on a machine to evaluate the technology. After running for more than 18 months, there were no adjustments required and no replacements needed.

For the fi al test, LinMot and US Cotton enlisted two production machines to perform a side-by-side comparison between a pneumatic cylinder and linear motor. The air for the pneumatic cylinder (and only the single pneumatic cylinder) was supplied from a separate, free-standing air

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After running for more than 18 month s on the

compressor connected directly to the cylinder.

Test administrators used a standard compressor rated at 150 psi, 1.5 hp, 120 Vac, 3.5 cfm (at 90 psi), with a 15 gal tank. The regulator on the compressor was set to 80 psi to match the normal running pressure used on the machine.

To measure the energy used, an AllenBradley PowerMonitor 5000 was chosen. This “revenue-accurate” instrument detailed data about energy usage.

The machines were each run for 30 min at a rate of 48 operations per minute. The energy consumed was recorded by the PowerMonitor.

For that time, the compressor consumed 1.875 kWh hours of energy. The machine equipped with the linear motor consumed 0.060 kWh. This meant that the linear motor equipped machine consumed only 3.2% of the energy of the pneumatic-cylinder equipped machine.

Because the life of these linear motors can be well over 1 billion cycles, US cotton is expecting many years of trouble-free operation.

Better control also meant a 35% increase in machine speed. DW LinMot linmot-usa.com

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Design Notes 12-15_Vs4.LL.MD.indd 47

cotton swab pr oduction machine, the lin ear motors needed no adju stments or replacements. Be tter control also meant a 35 % increase in machine speed.

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IS

» De sign Note s

Tube bending

perfection in stainless Eagle has the expertise and the specialized machinery for bending tubing exactly to spec.

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Edited by: Mike Santora • Associate Editor

How to heal a wound care product’s life cycle concerns Alliqua BioMedical is known for developing wound care options, including MIST Therapy, a painless ultrasound treatment that accelerates the natural wound healing process. But with a plan for expansion into new applications and markets, Alliqua knew it needed an updated platform. To do this, Alliqua chose to partner with product development company, Logic PD to help design, engineer and manufacture their next generation device and platform.

The Logic PD design team began by working with Alliqua on a study of similar products to better understand the expectations of the device. Field studies were conducted at healthcare facilities to learn about healthcare professionals and patient experiences with the existing product. From these exercises, Alliqua and the design team found a need for the redesign of a new pistol-grip-style treatment wand. The design team also noticed the need for the console display to be relocated to the treatment wand. This move would let the user focus on the patient without having to look over their shoulder at the console. The saline control function also made its way to the treatment wand—this feature gave clinicians better control during treatment.

The next phase was designing the Ultrasonic Driver Board, which interfaces with Alliqua’s Ultrasonic Transducer Assembly. The system’s electronics (software and hardware) were

developed using technology for improved control and greater flexibility while allowing more efficient driving of the Transducer Assembly. In addition, a tightly coupled feedback loop helped keep the device within the specific target resonance. By creating a more efficient system, the design team reduced the cable size, making the treatment wand more ergonomic and easier to use. Engineers also developed the Ultrasonic Driver Board to be modular to support a range of power levels and frequencies so the treatment can be integrated into new applications and markets.

Like most medical device companies, monitoring reuse of equipment and disposables is becoming a big challenge. To deter the reuse of the applicator, engineers selected a short range radio frequency identification tag (RFID) to be used with each disposable applicator. The treatment wand reads the RFID tag prior to use and writes to the tag during treatment. Therefore, if a used applicator is placed on the treatment wand a second time, the system will disable itself until a new applicator is inserted.

The finis ed product was the UltraMIST, a Class II, next-generation MIST Therapy

Phone (800) 528-8650

www.eagletube.com Design Notes 12-15_Vs4.LL.MD.indd 48

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platform device that is easier to use, more efficient, and provides opportunities for growth and expansion.

The UltraMIST System offers clinicians a pistol-grip treatment wand and smaller cable to make the user experience and delivery of the treatment easier and more precise. Additionally, the display was moved to the treatment wand. This relocation eliminated the need to look back at the console so full attention could be on the patient and the treatment area. The The red development of the new Ultrasonic Driver Board esigned Alliqua UltraM provides the capability and flexibility to allow for IST—In t h is new vers the user use in other therapies and can be used in a wider interface ion, a n c d o saline n trol func range of applications than before. After months tion hav consolid e been of development and testing, Alliqua received ated on the trea wand. T tment his w FDA clearance for the UltraMIST Therapy uses RFID ound care devic e also tagged a system and launched the product into the pplicato eliminat rs e to t DW h e possib wound care market in March of 2015. ility of re use.

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» D e s i g n N o tes

Edited by: Mike Santora • Associate Editor

The carts, which

weigh in at 9,00 0 lb each, are not propelle d individually, bu t in st ead, the first cart is pu shed using a pa ir of servo-controlle d hydraulic cylin ders that propel the entir e line of carts. Ea ch pusher incorporates po sition feedback th at is fed to a PID servo-hydrau lic controller en ab ling precise control of posit ion, velocity an d acceleration of each pusher.

Canadian farm equipment manufacturer Bourgault Industries recently unveiled its 370 × 25-ft moving-floor assembly line. The movingfloor system is designed for manufacturing the company’s pneumatic seeding/tillage equipment, which can reach widths of 125 ft and upward of 75,000 lb. Bourgault sought a new design that, with higher efficiency operation, improved safety and increased productivity compared to conventional large-machinery assembly systems. To do this, the company enlisted Milwaukee-based PFLow Industries to engineer and build the new equipment. The result was a giant moving-floor system weighing in at just under one million pounds.

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Like many farm equipment manufacturers, the company’s equipment can be quite large. Assembly-line systems, conventionally employed for large equipment—such as drag-line conveyors—lose efficiency, productivity and safety when dealing with assembledequipment requirements of such large size.

The manufacturing of the company’s tillage equipment was segmented into two different sections. The framework was welded together and powder coated, then hydraulic cylinders were installed in one section of the plant. This assembly was then moved to another section of the plant where ground openers, fertilizer and

www.designworldonline.com

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A 496 x 32-ft

x 9-ft deep concrete-lined pit had to be

constructed whe n the foundatio n of the building was la id. By February, 20 15 the moving-floor as sembly system , consisting of al most 1 mil lb of fabricated steel, was fully installed and op erational.

seed dispensing systems were assembled and tested. It was in this assembly stage that engineers confronted their biggest challenge.

“We conducted considerable research on different systems for assembly of our tillage equipment,” said David Konopacki, lead engineer, Bourgault. “We consulted with a number of system manufactures, but none could provide a solution to meet our needs because the sheer size and weight of our tillage equipment exceeded their systems’ capabilities.”

The engineering team determined that a moving-floor assembly line was best for the company’s needs. The idea was to have the moving floor not only support the tillage equipment during assembly, but to also have it support the kitting systems and parts to be assembled, as well as the workers doing the

assembly. By the time the tillage equipment reached the end of the assembly line, it would be completely assembled and tested, and ready to be discharged from the moving assembly floor.

To make it all happen, the engineering team brought in PFlow Industries to co-engineer and build the moving-floor assembly system.

Working in tandem, the PFlow and Bourgault teams came up with an ultra-large-scale moving-floor assembly system. The design uses a string of 25 × 10-ft wheeled carts, with a working surface of steel plates to support the tillage equipment and the workers performing the assembly functions. These 37 cart segments were designed to be queued end-to-end to form a continuous 370 × 25-ft floor, which would be pushed along on rails by hydraulic cylinders. As the carts reached the www.designworldonline.com

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end of the line, the completed tillage equipment would be rolled off he assembly system. The carts would then be lowered and transported underneath the assembly system, back to the front of the line to be reused.

Engineering on the project was started in July of 2013, in conjunction with the design of the building site. Because the assembly surface of the moving-floor system was designed to sit level with the manufacturing plant’s floor, virtually the entire system resided below floor level. A 496 × 32-ft × 9-ft deep concrete-lined pit had to be constructed when the foundation of the building was laid. By February 2015, the moving-floor assembly system, consisting of almost one million pounds of fabricated steel, was fully installed and operational.

The moving-floor system uses 37 wheeled carts at any given time on the working surface.

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The carts ride along on an underneath treble-rail system. An additional 9 carts are simultaneously in transition at the ends of the floor and being transported underneath the system.

The carts, which weigh in at 9,000 lb each, are not propelled individually, but instead, the fir t cart is pushed using a pair of servocontrolled hydraulic cylinders that propel the entire line of carts. Each pusher incorporates position feedback that is fed to a PID servohydraulic controller enabling precise control of position, velocity and acceleration of each pusher.

While the fir t pusher moves the string of carts at a constant speed, the second pusher

extracts the next cart from a front-end vertical lift (bringing returning carts up from below the system), accelerating it to catch up to the moving line of carts. The second pusher matches the speed of the line and ultimately takes over, moving the entire line at the same established speed. Once the second pusher has control, the fir t pusher returns to the front end of the string of carts and then takes over moving the string again. The second cylinder now moves to extract the next cart from the front-end vertical lift and accelerates it to catch up to the moving line of carts. This sequence of synchronized handoffs etween the two hydraulic pushers is repeated over and over to continuously move the floor surface.

“This synchronized handoff of the hydraulic pushers is a key feature of the design,” said Mark Webster, VP of engineering at PFlow. “We looked at many different ways of accomplishing the movement of the floor. The tillage machines impose multiple 20,000-lb point loads to the moving surface. Because of this, and other characteristics, conventional assembly line systems, such as tow conveyors or flat-top conveyors, were quickly ruled out as options.”

“Each cart contacts adjacent carts at a single contact point, mid-point of the width,” he

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ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING CNC MACHINING INJECTION MOLDING

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of

string n uses a ig s a e d rts, with The eeled ca

to ft wh l plates 25 × 10e of stee c a rf u s ent and working e equipm g la il t e th support ing the perform rs e rk o the w ions. ly funct assemb DesignWrld_5_12x8_37_Layout 1 1/8/15 5:19 PM Page 1

Stock & Custom Springs

continued. “This arrangement allows each individual cart to follow the rails in sequence, eliminating the need for highly accurate rail alignment and adjustment of contact points.

The carts remain in contact entirely due to the backpressure created by the normal friction in the system. Deceleration of the moving floor is precisely controlled to be less than the normal deceleration due to friction, such that the carts never lose contact with each other during normal operation.”

The speed of the moving floor is userselectable, ranging between 0.125 and 3.25 ft/min, effectively taking between 1.75 and 45 hours for the floor to make a full transition.

Although the system has just gone into operation, Bourgault estimates a productivity increase of 30%, due in large part to the ability to stage components and materials along the line at the specific point when they are needed, and to have them travel along with the tillage equipment. DW

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»»

» CA E Solu t i o n s

Accelerate the design of reinforced plastic parts The design of reinforced plastic parts is traditionally based on a “black metal” approach, where the plastic behavior is highly approximated, often resulting in over designed or too heavy parts.

Digimat-RP/Moldex3D (an OEM version of Moldex3D embedded in Digimat-RP) addresses this issue because it simulates injection molding for easy and accurate nonlinear analysis of reinforced plastic parts through nonlinear micromechanical material models and an intuitive user interface. Multiple process and design iterations for part optimization (such as confident, lightweight design) can be achieved in one day of work.

Users can obtain an accurate description of the local composite behavior for inclusion in FEA simulation. DW MSC Software mscsoftware.com

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12/2/15 5:39 PM

Your Custom Gearbox Solutions are CGI Standard Products.

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CGI 8-15.indd 55

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»»

» CA E »Solu CA Et iSo onlut s ions

Theorem’s product rebranding

FROM PRECISION INDEXING TO SMALL PRODUCT TRANSFERS,

SMART SOLUTIONS MOVING YOUR PRODUCT WITH SPEED AND CARE.

In an effort to simplify and streamline the choices for CAD to CAD, CAD to STEP, CAD to Visualization or CAD to Publishing, Theorem Solutions has rebranded its product portfolio.

The brands are now defi ed as follows:

CADverter The CADverter brand has a product focus specifically on the direct translation of 3D data to or from an alternate mechanical CAD or Standards Based format.

CADverter products translate assembly structure, geometry, attributes and, where available, 3D Product Manufacturing Information (PMI) (FTA) (GD&T) and Metadata, between the world’s leading mechanical CAD/CAM systems.

These products help solve the issue of working with and sharing incompatible data formats.

Multi-CAD When developing large and complex products, such as cars or airplanes, designers may need to use multiple CAD systems. MultiCAD products support the introduction of assembly structure, geometry, attributes, 3D Product Manufacturing Information (PMI) (FTA) (GD&T) and Metadata from foreign CAD and Visualization data with additional support for the processing of Model Based Defin tion (MBD) information from native CAD.

Publish 3D

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The Publish 3D suite helps create documents with 3D content directly from the native source CAD or JT data. The products focus specifically on the publishing of 3D mechanical CAD and Visualization data 56

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» CA E S o lutions

into an interactive document format. It supports the translation of assembly structure, geometry, attributes, 3D Product Manufacturing Information (PMI) (FTA) (GD&T) and Metadata from leading mechanical CAD/CAM systems, and in doing so, facilitates Model Based Defin tion (MBD) processes.

Visualize 3D The Visualize 3D suite of products directly translate 3D data from mechanical CAD systems for the purpose of Visualization.

These products create visualization data for users of digital mockup, virtual reality or desktop applications. They support the lightweight data formats: 3DXML, Creo View and JT. They also support the translation of assembly structure, geometry, attributes, 3D Product Manufacturing Information (PMI) (FTA) (GD&T) and Metadata between leading mechanical CAD/CAM systems.

Process Automation The Process Automation programs manage and automate the process of creating, sharing and exchanging data with suppliers and customers to aid the collaboration process. These programs manage high volumes of data transfer and translation to and from varying formats for different design disciplines or document creation, streamlining workflows and eliminating repetitive manual work while enforcing consistency.

This suite of products allows users to automate, schedule, monitor and control repetitive translation and document creation.

It is Theorem’s belief that there is no one single solution for collaboration. The right solution is set by the individual use case and not by product. No one product can answer all data exchange issues. DW Theorem Solutions theorem.com

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» CA E Solu t i o n s

Connecting lean NPI flow with I T One of the newer trends in CAE software is the addition of features and functions compatible with the Internet of Things (IoT), sometimes known as Industry 4.0. The latest upgrade is the Valor Process Preparation software, which has been updated to address engineering requirements of Industry 4.0. It helps users orchestrate product allocation to multiple production configurations, quickly and seamlessly shift between them, bringing the flexibility that Industry 4.0 requires. This flexibility is achieved by consolidating the full product model and any number of related manufacturing process defin tions into a single efficient container.

The software uses process simulation and automated machine library generation techniques to create complete

“ready to go” machine programs, operational data and work instructions for processes such as SMT, assembly, test and inspection, and stencil creation. This ensures minimal changeover downtime and start-up risk when executing manufacturing changes.

This release includes enhanced support for rapid test programming, including the ability to intelligently link schematic, PCB layout and bill of materials (BOM) data. DW Mentor Graphics mentor.com

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Encoders connect to Ethernet/IP For extreme environments, such as in steel and mining applications, the 1000 series encoders now from HEIDENHAIN now support Ethernet/IP and provide a range of configurations including incremental and absolute.

The 900 series encoders with Ethernet/IP also provide incremental outputs, thereby allowing them to support high-performance drive applications.

And in demanding environments where space is an issue, the 600 series encoders with Ethernet/IP offer a viable option. This 58-mm encoder is available in anodized aluminum or stainless steel with hollow and solid shaft configurations.

A gateway enables connection to Ethernet/IP for EnDat encoders. The gateway allows an integrator to use encoders capable of withstanding ambient temperature up to 100° C, while the connections to Ethernet/IP can be physically located hundreds of feet away. Moreover, the encoders can be replaced without interrupting 60

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SOLENOID VALVE

CONNECTION

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Nobody offers a solenoid valve connector that can match the combination of performance, quality and price of our 5F and 5J connectors from Canfield Connector. Made in the USA, the 5F and 5J are virtually indestructible at a price that has the competition shaking their heads.

We’ve set a standard to provide you with a level of cost-effective quality components. communications since network contact is still maintained through the gateway function.

With automatic addressing, the encoder can receive and configure, off et or set limit values, or scale measurement values—all with a cycle time of 1 msec and without needing to open the encoder. DW

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.......................................... ................................ ........................ ................... .............. ........... ........ ...... .... .. » I n te rn e t of Th i n gs Motion control in a small package

Compact EtherCAT drive modules for servo, step and voice coil motors feature a dual/quad-axis universal drive. The UDMSD Series is for motors with a continuous power range of 10 to 100 W (200 W peak). The type of motor is selected by the user and can be set differently for each drive.

These drives address the needs of multi-axis motion applications with limited space, such as moving inspection heads, small manipulators, moving coil actuators and table-top motion stages.

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The small size, low weight and minimal cable interface makes them suitable for mounting remotely on moving stages. The compact EtherCAT drive module supports up to four digital incremental encoder channels and up to two absolute encoder channels. It includes a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) to support other feedback devices, such as autofocus signals.

The UDMSD Series operates under any ACS EtherCAT Master Motion Controller. Such a controller can manage networks with up to 64 axes and thousands of I/O points.

It is available with currents of 1.25/2.5 A and 2.5/5 A (continuous/peak). The unit is powered by a 12 to 48 Vdc drive supply voltage and by a separate 24 Vdc ± 20% control supply that keeps all logic signals alive during emergency conditions. DW ACS Motion Control acsmotioncontrol.com

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12/2/15 5:31 PM

Smart motors feature Ethernet/IP

Complete Motion Solutions Pneumatic, Electric & Hydraulic Actuators

The Class 6 Ethernet/IP SmartMotor is available in standard servo and hybrid versions. In addition to standard features, the Ethernet/IP version easily integrates as a position controller device for: • access to SmartMotor commands and parameters • improved uptime and optional redundant cabling through device level ring (DLR) • simplified, modular programming through Add On Instructions (AOI) Additionally, the motor includes specific AOI for use with an Allen Bradley PLC to reduce development and implementation time and improve speed to market. DW Moog Animatics animatics.com

PHD offers an extensive line of pneumatic actuators that are known for long life and high quality. Over our 55 years of innovation, we have extended our product offerings to include built-to-need components, price alternative components, electric actuators, specialty workholding clamps, and motion control robots.

From single actuator solutions, to multi-unit systems, PHD and Yamaha Robotics can provide complete solutions for practically any application requirement.

To order a catalog, visit

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» I n te rn e t of Th i n gs

...................................... .................................... ........................ ................... .............. ........... ........

Magnetostrictive sensors connect to ...... .... ..the Ethernet

The R-Series of magnetostrictive sensors for absolute position measurement conforms with the latest version of the Ethernet/IP communication protocol with device-level ring (DLR) compatibility.

Their DLR capability permits direct connection to a ring topology without the inconvenience of external switches. Through the DLR device-level network, re-routing and failure point identification customers can realize the benefits of improved reliability and shorter network recovery periods.

These sensors are available in a choice of rod style, profi e style and flex style configurations, with stroke lengths of 25 to 7620 mm (1 to 300 in.); 25 to 5,080 mm (1 to 200 in.); and 255 to 10,060 mm (10 to 396 in.), respectively. The rod style units are for implementation in hydraulic cylinders, while the profi e style units facilitate machine mounting and the flex style units are a flexible sensor offering for applications requiring long stroke lengths and linear measurements on

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an arc. Based on proprietary Temposonics magnetostrictive sensing technology, these sensors all maintain repeatability to within a margin of ±0.001% (full stroke). The rod and profi e style units support 1 µm resolution levels and their linearity deviation is less than ±0.01% (full stroke). The flex style unit specifications have 2 µm resolution and ±0.02% linearity deviation. DW MTS Sensors mtssensors.com

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12/2/15 5:32 PM

Industrial IoT gateway for Cloud applications The UNO-1252G industrial computer acts as a gateway for industrial applications. As small as a micro-sized PLC, it is 10 cm high and DIN-rail mountable. It comes with a low power Intel Quark processor that only uses 10 W but is powerful enough to perform data transmission and sensing in IoT gateway applications.

Gateway computers are useful because they help connect legacy devices to the IoT without replacing the entire infrastructure.

This unit has an array of integrated I/O ports and the ability to expand even further by

using a choice of iDoor modules, which offer a modular way of choosing functions that are needed without purchasing ones that are not or devices that have excess cost. iDoor modules can be used to add additional cards such as WiFi and GPS, enabling the UNO1252G to function in remote locations.

The gateway includes a 1-GB SD card to run a Yocto Project Linux distribution.

The Yocto Project is an open source Linux distribution that allows the development of applications using an SDK. Also, two 10/100 LAN ports, a mPCIe card slot, fi e LED

indicators for power, battery, SD card, COM ports and three programmable indicators are available to assign your own functions. DW Advantech advantech.com/ea

Transducer BTL with real-time Ethernet interfaces The transducers in rod and profi e housings with an Ethernet interface offer multiple advantages for machine manufacturers and operators with respect to startup and machine output. The standard communication protocols and automatic address assignment simplify integration of the transducer into the controller and the plant network. Because of this, a complex programming process is no longer necessary. This leads to a shortened machine startup time, low implementation costs and reduces fault sources simultaneously.

The four diagnostic LEDs on the sensor head can check both the sensor status and the status of the Ethernet connection. This supports easy maintenance and quick service.

The transducer is suited for use in advanced applications (those involving controlled axes,

for example) due to synchronous, extremely fast and secure real-time data transmission and the precise, highly dynamic position measurement with 1 µm resolution. This advantage contributes to a higher machine output and improved production quality. The transducers of the BTL7 series can detect and process up to 16 position encoders.

Two values can be output for each position encoder: the position and the speed. Because of this, a single measurement can yield up to 32 measured values.

Selectable real-time Ethernet interfaces include Profi et IRT, EtherCAT and Varan.

The product portfolio includes a total of four designs: the classic rod housing for installation in the cylinder and three profi e versions for flexible mounting on a machine. www.designworldonline.com

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The profi es are divided into a square 36 × 36-mm design, an extremely flat profi e with an overall height of 21 mm and a round profi e of 30 mm in diameter.

The transducers with real-time Ethernet interfaces can be used in any setting in which high control dynamics and accuracy are required. This includes areas of material processing, the plastics industry, reshaping technology and the food industry. DW Balluff balluff.com December 2015

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Mechanical torque limiters help remove energy from drivetrains, reducing machine faults and downtime.

mechanical

Protecting against

overload damage

Edd Brooks â&#x20AC;˘ Senior Technical Support Representative â&#x20AC;˘ NEXEN Group

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critical requirement in the design of many machines is

the need to protect against damage and downtime that is often caused by machine overloads. Torque limiters address this challenge by behaving as 1:1 transmissions as long as torque is less than a specified value. When the torque surpasses the limit, torque limiters operate as a clutch to disconnect the drive from the driven system in a short period of time. By disconnecting the motor from the driven load, the torque limiter removes much of the inertial energy from the drive train, typically in a time period between a few milliseconds and tens of milliseconds. Typical applications for torque limiters include packaging machinery, conveyors, assembly lines, machine tools, woodworking machines, textile machinery, industrial robots, sheet metal processing equipment, printing and converting machines, and servo and dc motor drives.

Simple torque limiter devices The simplest type of mechanical torque limiter is a shear pin that links two rotating bodies and is designed to break at a certain torque level to separate the drive system from the load. However, shear pins are rarely used when protecting missioncritical machinery because it can be difficult to accurately control the level of torque at which the shear pin will break. Thus, the potential exists for either nuisance failures if the shear pin breaks at too low of a torque or damage to the machine if the shear pin breaks at too high of a torque.

Friction torque limiters operate in a similar manner to automotive brakes with a drive

component sandwiched between friction linings connected to a driven component that grips the drive component in normal operation.

An overload causes the drive component to slip relative to the friction innings, protecting the machine from damage. Removal of the overload causes the drive to resume transmission of torque. The spring pressure of a friction torque limiter is adjusted to accurately change the level of torque that will cause the device to slip. Friction torque limiters offer simple and relatively low-cost overload protection so they are generally used in sprocket drives on conveyors and other similar applications. A

>> All of Nexen’s torque limiters feature a ball/detent interface. Mechanical torque limiters (MTLs) are available in ten model sizes with three to six

engagement spring selections up to 24,000 in.-lb of trip torque. MTLs are available in three interface designs—single-position, which automatically re-engages after a trip at a single position; multi-position, which automatically re-engages at multiple points; and the full disengagement MTL free wheels when an overload occurs. Re-engagement is not automatic; the spring must be manually moved into position after an overload occurs.

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>> Nexen air-engaged torque

limiter with double-flex coupling accessory. Couplings are used to connect companion shafts inline and provide misalignment protection for the TL drive flange bearings.

disadvantage of friction torque limiters is that considerable amounts of wear occur when the torque limiter is operated at high speed in an overload state.

Ball detent designs The ball detent style of torque limiter uses a series of balls or rollers to connect the drive element and the driven elements. The balls or rollers are positioned in mating sockets or detents in both the drive and driven elements and held in position under normal operating conditions by spring force. When a torque overload occurs, the balls or rollers overcome the spring pressure and force the drive and driven element apart. The balls or rollers then slide out of the sockets. This disconnects the driving and driven elements from each other so they rotate relative to each other in tracks around the plates.

Some torque limiters are designed so that when the overload is removed, spring pressure forces the balls back into the detents. This restores the drive connection, while others must be manually reset. Ball detent torque limiters more accurately control the torque value at which the load is disengaged and their response is more predictable than shear pins or friction torque limiters.

>> Nexen TL torque limiters are pneumatically-engaged ball/detent clutches equipped with proximity overload sensors. Trip-out torque is remotely set with an air regulator using the torque versus air pressure charts found in the catalog. Nexen offers more than 200 pneumatically-engaged torque limiters in torque ranges up to 28,000 in.-lb at 80 psi, operating speeds up to 2,000 rpm and bore sizes

Pneumatic and hydraulic designs More advanced ball detent torque limiters use pneumatic technology instead of springs

up to 2.438 in.

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to engage the torque limiter. An advantage of the pneumatic approach is that adjusting air pressure to increase or reduce the set torque can remotely control the trip-out torque.

Another advantage of pneumatically-engaged torque limiters is that a proximity sensor is used to detect an overload condition, signal the directional control valve to exhaust the air, disengage the torque limiter interface and, if desired, interrupt power to the motor.

Hydraulic torque limiters apply hydraulic pressure between the drive and driven element of the torque converter to connect the power source to the load. When the input load exceeds the desired release torque, the hydraulic pressure is no longer sufficient to connect the drive and driven elements; the driven element will begin to slip against the driving element. The operating pressure level accurately controls the release torque.

Hydraulic torque limiters are primarily used in extremely high torque applications.

Magnetic and electronic designs Magnetic torque limiters can provide advantages in certain niche applications.

In this type of device, the drive and driven elements do not touch each other, but instead are connected together through electromagnets that exert force at a distance.

Magnetic torque limiters do not wear, do not require lubricant and can be used at nearly any temperature. Additionally, magnetic torque limiters are used to reduce the transmission of torsional vibrations. On the other hand, magnetic torque limiters are expensive and limited to applications involving low levels of torque.

An alternative approach is to electronically monitor the torque output at the motor and apply a braking torque when an overage is detected. This approach is well suited to

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12/2/15 5:19 PM

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“IGUS”, “DryLin” are registered trademarks of igus, inc and/or igus GmbH.

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Proximity Sensor

Ball (Included in Drive Flange Assembly)

Dowel Pin

Ball Seat (Included in Drive Flange Assembly)

Mounting Bracket

Drive Flange Assembly

Ball Bearing

>> Cross-section

of Nexen’s Air Engaged torque limiter.

Ball Bearings

Back-Up Ring Seal O-Ring Seals

Hub

Back-Up Ring Seal

Backing Plate

Drive Ring

Compression Spring

Rotary Seal

address situations where the load increases in a linear fashion at a relatively slow rate.

But there are often many mechanical drive components between the motor and load that have a lot of rotating inertia. These components increase the time required to sense an overload and continue to drive the load even after a brake is applied to the motor. Thus, when torque suddenly jumps— because a part has broken and become jammed in a mechanism, for example—there is a good chance that the inertial energy stored in the drivetrain will damage the machine.

Application of torque limiters The drive torque is the most important criteria for selecting a torque limiter. The torque limiter should be selected or adjusted to slip at a high enough torque to avoid unnecessary tripping, such as during start up of the machine (the point at which most applications experience the highest torque during normal operation). When the torque limiter is placed between the gearbox and the driven equipment, it protects both the gearbox and motor from overloads. Placing 70

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Ball Bearing

the torque limiter between the motor and gearbox protects only the motor from overloads.

Another consideration is that torque limiters provide longer service life if they are installed on a relatively low-speed shaft, such as between the gearbox and the load. On the other hand, a torque limiter that is positioned between the motor and gearbox can have a lower torque capacity because torque is usually lower on this side of the gearbox.

It’s important to protect the most expensive part of the drivetrain—the gearbox—so torque limiters should be placed on the output side of the gearbox whenever possible.

Conclusion One of the primary responsibilities of the machine designer is to protect against damage due to overloads. Mechanical torque limiters that help address this challenge are available in a wide range of styles and sizes to suit practically any application. Selecting the right torque limiter for the application can help protect against damage at a relatively low cost. DW

Nexen nexengroup.com

http://dwo.me/1N28w7u

Mobi l e Integra ti on Powered By

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12/2/15 5:20 PM

Smarter Embedded Designs, Faster Deployment

The combination of NI LabVIEW system design software and reconfigurable I/O (RIO) hardware helps small design teams with varied expertise develop demanding embedded applications in less time. Using this graphical system design approach, you can take advantage of the same integrated platform to program embedded processors and FPGAs for faster application development in industries ranging from energy to transportation, manufacturing, and life sciences.

LabVIEW system design software offers ultimate flexibility through FPGA programming, simplifies code reuse, and helps you program the way you think–graphically.

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800 453-6202 ©2015 National Instruments. All rights reserved. LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI, and ni.com are trademarks of National Instruments.

Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies. 23874

Nat'l Instruments 12-15.indd 71 Ad_SED02.indd 1 23874 Smarter Embedded Design

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Linear encoders improve accuracy

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Linear encoders boost accuracy by correcting errors downstream of mechanical linkages.

Linear encoders track axis position without intermediate mechanical elements. The encoders even measure transfer errors from mechanical linkages (such as rotary-to-linear mechanical devices), which helps controls correct for errors originating from the machine. Thus, this feedback lets controls account for all mechanics in positioncontrol loops.

How photoelectric scanning works in encoders Many precision linear encoders work by optical or photoelectric scanning. In short, a read head tracks periodic graduations just a few micrometers wide and outputs signals with small signal periods.

The measuring standard is usually glass or (for large measuring lengths) steel bearing periodic graduations—marks on the carrier substrate. It’s a contact-free mode of position tracking.

Used with incremental grating periods between 4 and 40 μm, PRC (absolute) code image-scanning linear encoders work with light-signal generation.

Two gratings (on the scale and scanning reticle) move relative to each other. The scanning reticle’s material is transparent, but the scale’s material can be transparent or reflective. When the two pass each other, incident light modulates. If gaps in the gratings Product Management Dept.

HEIDENHAIN CORP.

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align, light passes through. If the lines of one grating coincide with gaps of the other, it blocks the light. Photovoltaic cells convert the variations in light intensity into electrical signals with a sinusoidal form.

Another option for graduations with grating periods of 8 μm and smaller is interferential scanning. This linearencoder mode of operation leverages diffraction and light interference. A step grating serves as the measuring standard, complete with lines 0.2 μm high on a reflective surface. In front of that is a scanning reticle—transparent grating with a period that matches that of the scale. When a light wave passes through the reticle, it diffracts into three partial waves with -1, 0, and 1 orders of roughly equal intensity. The scale diffracts the waves so luminous intensity concentrates in diffraction orders 1 and -1. These waves meet again at the reticle’s phase grating where they diffract once more and interfere. This makes three waves that leave the scanning reticle at different angles. Photovoltaic cells then convert the alternating light intensity into electricalsignal output.

In interferential scanning, relative motion between reticle and scale causes the diffracted wave fronts to undergo a phase shift. When the grating moves by one period, the wave front of the first order moves one wavelength in the positive direction, and the wavelength of diffraction order -1 moves one wavelength in the negative. The two waves interfere with each other when exiting the grating, so shift relative to each other by two wavelengths (for two signal periods from a move of just one grating period).

Two encoder-scanning variations Some linear encoders make absolute measurements, so the position value is always available when the machine is on, and electronics can reference it at any time. There’s no need to move axes 74

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to a reference. The scale graduation has a serial absolute code structure and a separate incremental track is interpolated for the position value while concurrently generating an optional incremental signal.

In contrast, linear encoders working off incremental measuring use graduations with periodic grating, and the encoders count individual increments (measuring steps) from some origin to get position.

Because this setup uses an absolute reference to ascertain positions, scale tapes for these setups come with a second track with a reference mark.

Absolute scale position established by the reference mark is gated with exactly one signal period. So the read head must locate and scan a reference mark to establish an absolute reference or to find the last selected datum (which sometimes requires long-stroke reference runs).

One solution here is distance-coded reference marks—multiple reference marks spaced according to a mathematical algorithm. Then electronics can calculate absolute position after traversing two of these reference marks successively— which often only takes a move of a few millimeters. Encoders with distance-coded reference marks calculate the absolute reference by counting signal periods between two reference marks and using:

Linear encoders working off

incremental

measuring use

graduations with

grating, and count

individual measuring steps from an origin to get position.

P1 = Position of first traversed reference mark in signal periods B = 2 × MRR - N MRR = Number of signal periods between the traversed reference marks D = Direction of traverse motion, for a value of +1 or –1; the sign convention is that D = +1 when the scanning unit is to the right (when properly installed) N = Nominal increment between two fixed reference marks in signal periods (as in the following table): Maximum travel

Signal period

Nominal increment N in signal periods

Encoder model one — LF

20 mm

4 µm

5,000

Encoder model one — LS

20 mm

20 µm

1,000

Encoder model one — LB

80 mm

40 µm

2,000

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Scanning carriage

DIADUR linear scale

Light source

Electronic scanning Sealing lips

Mounting block

This is a side view of a linear encoder. Some manufacturers use Linear encoder iterations One challenge in linear encoder integration is that the devices operate right at the motion axis, so are exposed to the machine environment. For this reason, some linear encoders are sealed.

An aluminum housing protects the scale, scanning carriage and its guideway from chips, dust and fluids, and downwardoriented elastic lips seal the housing.

Here, the scanning carriage travels along the scale on a low-friction guide. A coupling connects the scanning carriage with the mounting block and compensates for misalignment between the scale and machine guideways. In most cases, lateral and axial offsets of ±0.2 to ±0.3 mm between the scale and mounting block are allowable.

photolithographic processes to get precision graduations on the tape—for example, matte-etched lines on gold-plated steel tape with graduation periods of 40 µm; chromium lines on glass with a period of about 20 µm; three-dimensional chromium structures on glass with a graduation period of about 8 µm; and reflective 3D planar structures for graduation periods of 2 µm and fine .

First, there’s drilling and reaming on a cold machine.

Next, there’s contour milling (on a hot machine).

series production of small parts.

This is the CAD model— the target.

A machine under closed loop (not subject to thermal drift) makes this part.

A machine under semi-closed loop (and subject to thermal drift) makes this part.

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the effect of drive accuracy on the

Case in point: Machine-tool application

Productivity and accuracy are paramount to myriad applications, but changing operating conditions often make those design objectives challenging. Consider machine tools. The manufacture of parts has moved to increasingly small batch sizes, so setups must maintain accuracy under various loads and strokes. Perhaps most demanding is the machining of

Shown here is

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Here, workpieces to the left (made in series) show variation from one end to another. In contrast, those on the right (machined in closed-loop mode) show no thermally induced tolerance drift. aerospace parts, which needs maximum cutting capacity for roughing processes and then maximum precision for subsequent finishing processes.

More specifically, milling quality molds needs fast material removal and high surface quality after finishing. At the same time, only fast contouring feed rates let machines output parts with minimum distances between paths within acceptable machining times. But especially with small production batches, it’s almost impossible to maintain thermally stable conditions. That’s because changes between drilling, roughing and finishing operations contribute to fluctuations in machine-tool temperatures.

What’s more, workpiece accuracy is key to making production orders profitable.

During the roughing operations, milling rates increase to 80% or better; values below 10% are common for finishing.

The problem is that increasingly high accelerations and feed rates cause heating in the subcomponents of machines’ linear feed drives, particularly those that use rotary-motor-driven ballscrews. So here, 76

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position measurement is essential to stabilize machine-tool corrections for thermal behavior.

Ways to address thermal instability issues Active cooling, symmetrical machine structures, and temperature measurements and corrections are already common ways to address thermally induced accuracy changes. Yet another approach is to correct for a particularly common mode of thermal drift—that of rotary-motor-driven feed axes incorporating recirculating ballscrews. Here, temperatures along the ballscrew can rapidly change with feed rates and moving forces. Resulting changes in length (typically 100 μm/m within 20 minutes) can cause significant workpiece flaws. Two options here are to measure the numerically controlled feed axis through the ballscrew with a rotary encoder or through a linear encoder.

The former setup uses a rotary encoder to determine slide position from the feedscrew pitch. So, the drive must transfer large forces and act as a linkage in the

measuring system—providing highly accurate values and reliably reproduce screw pitch.

But the position-control loop only accounts for rotary-encoder behavior. Because it can’t compensate for changes in the driving mechanics due to wear or temperature, this is actually semi-closed-loop operation. Drive positioning errors become unavoidable and degrade workpiece quality.

In contrast, a linear encoder measures slide position and includes complete feed mechanics in the position control loop (for truly closed-loop operation). Play and inaccuracies in the machine’s transfer elements have no influence on positionmeasurement accuracy. So, accuracy depends almost solely on the precision and installation of the linear encoder.

One side note here: Direct encoder measurement can also improve measurements of rotary-axis motion.

Traditional setups use speed-reduction mechanisms that connect to a rotary encoder on the motor, but high-accuracy angle encoders deliver better accuracy and reproducibility.

Ways that ballscrew design addresses heat Three other approaches to address ballscrew heat have their own limitations.

1. Some ballscrews prevent internal heating (and heating of surrounding machine parts) with hollow cores for coolant circulation.

But even these exhibit thermal expansion, and a temperature increase of only 1 K causes positioning errors to 10 μm/m. That’s

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significant because common cooling systems can’t hold temperature variations to less than 1 K.

2. Sometimes engineers model thermal expansion of the ballscrew in the controls.

But because the temperature profile is difficult to measure during operation and is influenced by wear of the recirculating ball nut, feed rate, cutting forces, traverse range used, and other factors, this method can cause considerable residual errors (to 50 μm/m).

3. Some ballscrews get fixed bearings at both ends to boost the rigidity of the drive mechanics. But even extra rigid bearings cannot prevent expansion from local heat generation. Resulting forces are considerable, and deform even the most rigid bearing configurations—sometimes even causing structural distortions in machine geometry. Mechanical tension also changes the friction behavior of the drive, degrading the machine’s contouring

Linear encoders for position accuracy. What’s more, semi-closed-loop operation can’t compensate the effects of bearing-preload changes due to wear or elastic drive-mechanic deformation.

feedback directly capture the actual

First runs matter When production runs are small, even the first workpiece’s quality counts. But regular changes between workpiece setup, drilling, roughing and finishing vary temperatures.

Typical feed rates for roughing a workpiece are 3 to 4 m/min, but finishing feed rates

have no influence on measurements,

position of feed axes and then send their output to the controller’s position control loop. Mechanical components which eliminates positioning error due to thermal behavior; reversal errors due to deformation of drive mechanics; and kinematics errors through pitch error in the rotary-tolinear recirculating ballscrew.

Linear encoders — scanning imaging

Linear encoders — interferential scanning

LED light source Photovoltaic cells

Condenser lens

LED light source Condenser lens

Measuring standard

Scanning reticle

Photovoltaic cell array

Scanning reticle

Measuring standard C = Grating period ψ = Phase shift of the light wave when passing through the scanning reticle Ω = Phase shift of the light wave due to motion X of the scale

Left: Image-scanning linear encoders work by light-signal generation. Right: Interferential encoders output signals that are largely free of harmonics and can be highly interpolated.

That makes them useful for applications needing high resolution and accuracy. www.designworldonline.com

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L of 0.5 to 1 m/min are typical. Mix in rapid traverse movements during tool exchanges and medium-feed rates during drilling and reaming (negligible for heat generation in recirculating ballscrews) and there’s wide variability of temperature distribution.

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Greater Accuracy. Higher Performance.

Case in point: Many parts from one blank

Consider an application in which a machine drills and then reams a 500-mm-long aluminum blank. Medium feed rates during these operations are low, so heat generation in the recirculating ballscrew is initially negligible. But the next production step is to mill contours, so feed rate spikes—causing considerable heat generation in the ballscrew.

If the milling machine runs in a semiclosed loop, recirculating ballscrew thermal expansion causes deviations between the drilling and milling pattern (in one actual case, deviations to 135 μm near loose bearings of the ballscrew). Closed-loop operation avoids these errors.

Refer to the illustrations of the machining application. Note how the functional dimension between the hole position and a bisecting workpiece line is 12 mm and must meet tolerance grade IT8 (which allows for deviation of ±13 μm). Deviations up to 135 μm occur in semi-closed-loop mode, which means the workpiece only complies with tolerance grade IT13 (and not the required tolerance grade IT8). DW HEIDENHAIN heidenhain.us

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Space Vectors aide drive for optimal efficiency Johannes Teigelkรถtter HBM

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Using space vectors in test equipment helps engineers get a clearer, more precise picture of three-phase motor electromagnetics.

With the continuing emphasis on the use of renewable sources of energy, as opposed to the reliance on fossil fuels, advances in induction motor design are allowing for greater efficiencies in both consumer and industrial applications.

The tried and true squirrel cage induction motor has been used in many applications due to its reliability and low maintenance cost, while providing a high power rating. Ac induction motors can be found in simple household appliances like window fans, refrigerators or dishwashers. When paired with a VFD, an ac induction motor allows highly efficient operation of compressors, pumps and blowers in industrial applications.

Perhaps the most notable use of this technology recently is the usage of inverter-fed ac induction motors in the design of electric and hybrid vehicles. The number of electric and hybrid vehicles on roads has steadily increased during the past ten years, with consumers looking to capitalize on the economies offered by such vehicles, or perhaps looking to reduce their personal environmental impact. But, it has not been as simple as throwing an induction motor into an aerodynamically gifted car, all the while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. There is some heavy-duty electromechanical science involved in getting those wheels moving.

Ac induction motors work because of the principal of electromagnetic induction, where an electrical current is generated by passing a metal wire through a magnetic field. Controlling the speed and torque output of ac induction motors can be complex, as magnetic fields and their reactions under many different operating parameters can be difficult to predict and quantify. Thanks to K.P. Kovács, who developed the space vector theory in 1959 to facilitate a mathematical description of three-phase systems, induction motor systems can be modeled by design engineers to achieve smooth control of motor speed and torque.

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The HBM GEN3i Data Recorder features up to 96 fully configurable input channels as well as live power visualization with simultaneous continuous storage.

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The drivetrain components of a

typical batterypowered electric vehicle include the traction motor, gearing, battery and inverter.

Space vector theory Kovács’ space vector theory is often used to describe control methods for induction motors. The electrical and magnetic quantities of a three-phase system cannot be easily defined by traditional mathematical methods, such as plotting those values in relation to an origin and an X and Y axis. The operating parameters for a three-phase induction motor occur in three dimensions; these values can be plotted within the volume of a cube.

Of course, that is much easier said than done.

Kovács understood the importance of being able to quantify the parameters of a three-phase system, when at rest and also when rotating.

Essentially, his space vector theory takes that threedimensional cube where those operating parameters exist and transforms them into values that can be mapped onto a two-phase orthogonal system plus a zero sequence system that is present under certain conditions.

The two-phase orthogonal system can then be interpreted as a complex number, which is designated as a space vector. The real and imaginary parts of the complex number correspond to the projections of the complex number displayed as a vector on the α and β axes in the complex plane.

The corresponding zero-sequence system is calculated by:

x0(t)= 13 (x1(t)+x2(t)+ x3(t)) The real part of the space vector appears on the abscissa α, the imaginary part on the ordinate β. In this figure, the coordinate axes (α, β) are at rest. The line quantities can be obtained by projecting the space vectors onto the axes when rotated 120° a, b, c.

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The figure shows the realization of space vectors in the complex plane in a) coordinate

systems α, β at rest and b) in rotating coordinate systems.

Equation 1.01 defines the rules for calculating the complex space vector:

x(t)= xα (t)+jxβ (t) from the three line variables x1, x2 and x3:

x(t)= 23 (x1(t)+a.x2(t)+a2.x3(t)) with a=ef120t where

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a is a complex rotation operator.

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Data acquisition and processing While it can be difficult to understand space vector theory or the impact that it has on induction motor design, it is an even more daunting concept to grasp how the operating parameters of a three-phase induction system can be captured and turned into useful data that can be used to increase the efficiency of the drive components of an electric or hybrid vehicle or industrial motor.

“With the continuing emphasis on the use of renewable sources of energy as opposed to the reliance on fossil fuels, advances in induction motor design are allowing for greater efficiencies in th consumer and industrial applications.”

To measure the efficiency of electric motors, power analyzers traditionally have been used on the motor input, and torque transducers traditionally on the motor output. The energy loss is the difference between the electrical power and the resulting mechanical power generated by the electric motor.

However, this method doesn’t allow for statements about the causes of the energy loss. Being able to understand how the motor is performing under a wide array of operating parameters in real time is an invaluable resource for developers. It’s the raw measurement data from basic research, not the final results that provide important insight into the process so developers can make the motors more efficient.

While the traditional methods of analyzing motor efficiency provide reliable results, those results

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HBM’s Genesis HighSpeed data recorder with

an integrated PC running Perception software

is used for measuring, saving and conditioning

signals for physical quantities in electric drives.

are limited in their scope. A power meter can determine efficiency, but it can’t explain that efficiency or help identify approaches that increase efficiency.

Some data acquisition systems and calculation software packages are designed to do just that. For instance, when paired with HBM’s Genesis High Speed data recorder, HBM’s Perception software is fully capable of gathering three-phase quantities (x1, x2 and x3) and transforming these into space vector quantities.

HBM’s eDrive solution, pairing HBM’s GEN3i High Speed data recorder together with HBM’s T12 torque transducer and Perception software package, continuously stores all relevant data—including currents, voltages, torque, rotational speed and even motor temperature—at high resolution in an integrated system. Additionally, root-mean-square (RMS) values—along with active, apparent and reactive power—are displayed in real time during the measurement, just like with a power meter. Raw data from the motor is captured in real time, allowing detailed analysis during measurement to determine active and reactive power, as well as energy conversion efficiency. Space vectors are determined and transformed with each half cycle, providing an extraordinary amount of usable data for the system designer.

Currents, voltages, torque, rotational speed and even motor temperature can all

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be monitored in high resolution with a data acquisition and processing package.

Developers can also carry out further, more detailed analysis of additional parameters such as fundamental and switching frequency, air-gap moment, slip, iron loss and control behavior.

Given the wealth of information that can be accessed through such systems, developers can optimize efficiencies and performance parameters by being able to model a variety of applications and operating conditions. Motors for specific applications can be designed and manufactured to meet the specific needs of that particular function, rather than end users having motor selection limited to offthe-shelf, standard units.

The efficiencies that can be gained and incorporated into an ever increasing number of ac induction motor applications by using such acquisition and processing packages are seemingly limitless. As the shift away from the gasoline combustion engine to electric and hybrid vehicles progresses, vehicle manufacturers will continue to improve their electric motor efficiencies in an effort to gain a competitive edge. While remaining mostly unseen in the software code of three phase performance calculation software, space vector theory

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will constantly be called upon by designers looking to optimize motor performance and efficiency. DW

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WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Connect and discuss this and other design engineering issues with thousands of professionals online

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Top Benefit of IoT enabled mechatronics Mark Huebner â&#x20AC;˘ PBC Linear

Manually adjusted slides can be upgraded with smart stepper or step-servo motors to take advantage of recipe-driven setup speed and flexibility.

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Closed-loop integrated motors A critical component of the smart

The latest trend

robot module is the closed-loop integrated motor used to drive the

in machinery

axis. Integrated motors that combine

design is to take

and communications into a single

advantage of the

motor, feedback, amplifier, controller device offer great flexibility to the machine designer, with the controller

Internet of Things

and communications elements

benefi s, which are

technology. Closed-loop performance

seen throughout a

acceleration rates, increased efficiency,

machine’s life cycle.

being the biggest enablers of smart means more torque, higher better machine throughput, cooler operation and less audible noise than traditional open-loop systems. Simple point-to-point motion of a single axis

Internet connected “smart” technology has become intertwined with almost every aspect of our daily life. The smartphone we all carry keeps us connected to people and lets us automate notifications or responses based on personal preferences. Automobiles are outfitted with increasing capabilities to automatically adjust, producing higher fuel efficiency and increased safety based on driving habits and surrounding conditions. The smart house can be programmed

or complex coordinated motion of multiple axes, along with an expanding menu of industrial Ethernet options— including Ethernet/IP, EtherCAT and Modbus TCP—contribute heavily to the long term success of smart technology.

for tighter security, maximized electrical efficiency in lighting and HVAC, and greater comfort driven by an array of ergonomic sensors.

Eric Rice

Similar technology in connectivity, control and automation are found throughout industrial applications, including motion. Internet enabled machines can deliver new levels of flexibility, performance and cost advantages.

The old way of addressing machine integration and motion control focused

National Marketing Director

on basic engineering disciplines— mechanical and electrical—and each dedicated engineering group worked independently. In the end, somehow the two had to be brought together and made to operate. The typical result would be a functional, but far from optimized, machine that was www.designworldonline.com

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Applied Motion Products, Inc. applied-motion.com

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Traditional Confi uration

IoT Confi uration

POSITION FEEDBACK SENSOR

POWER SUPPLY

WIRELESS CONNECTION OR CONNECTED DEVICE

Smart robot modules combine mechanical and electrical with optimized motion elements, easing the implementation of Internet of Things functions into motion systems.

CONTROLLER AMPLIFIER

BREAKERS & SWITCHES

SPEED & POSITION CONTROL

I/O

I/O

I/O

OVERTRAVEL SENSOR

PLC

PROCESS SENSOR

PROCESS SENSOR

OVERTRAVEL SENSOR

A new model has emerged that simplifies the machine design and build process while easily enabling Internet integration. This model involves the use of â&#x20AC;&#x153;smart robot modules.â&#x20AC;? These modules are the marriage of mechanical and electrical optimized motion elements components, including smart stepper or step-servo motor technology with integrated controls. They can easily be applied to single-axis, multipleaxis or XYZ Cartesian configurations.

Here are the top 10 advantages machine

cumbersome to build, wire and connect, and difficult to monitor, change or adjust.

In the old paradigm specifically, mechanical engineering would work on the physical motion created. Things like the bearings, rails, leadscrew, belt or other drive mechanism, and how to connect to a motor. Electrical engineering would select the sensors, attach the I/O, driver, PLC, controller, amplifier and power supply. The motor would fall somewhere in between, most often with the electricians because it had to be connected to power and controlled.

builders and users gain when combining these enhanced mechanical components with smart motor technology and control strategies.

Top 10 benefits of In ernet enabled mechatronics

1

Lower cost and better function

Each component must have a positive impact on the financial bottom line. Less wiring and connectors, fewer components

These smart robot modules can easily be applied to single-axis, multiple-axis or XYZ Cartesian confi urations.

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BREAKERS & SWITCHES

BREAKERS & SWITCHES

POWER SUPPLY

POWER SUPPLY

and sensors, less labor invested, reduced time spent in setup and maintenance and maximized operational uptime all substantially reduce the overall cost of ownership and operation.

2

Less space

By building the driver, controller and amplifier into a smart motor, less panel space is needed, which saves material, time, labor and overall cost.

3

Simplified wirin

4

Reduced troubleshooting

PLC

Combining the driver, controller and amplifier means fewer sensors are needed, especially when an encoder is used, fewer I/O connections, and a less complicated wiring schemes.

PLC

With fewer components and less wire connections, the job of tracing down problems that may arise is greatly reduced.

5

BREAKERS & SWITCHES

Streamlined commissioning

Machine installation and start up is made easier with pre-programmed homing routines and with the ability to make changes at an individual axis without working through the PLC. This distributed control model frees the installation team to work on multiple axes simultaneously, and report progress through Internet connectivity. It also allows an operator to make in-process adjustments at an individual axis without affecting the PLC or entire production line.

6

Modular integration

7

Automated adjustment

BREAKERS & SWITCHES

POWER SUPPLY

POWER SUPPLY

CONTROLLER AMPLIFIER

CONTROLLER AMPLIFIER

Standardized smart robot modules make integration into multiple axes or multiple machines a natural and easy process.

Switching a packaging or assembly line to a different size or part can become automated and “recipe driven,” increasing manufacturing flexibility and speed.

Such adjustments eliminate time consuming manual changes.

8

PLC

I/O

By moving the driver, controller and amplifier on o the motor, cabinet space is opened up or the cabinet SPEED & I/O PLC can be downsized.

Maximized uptime

Real-time monitoring of temperatures, friction, motor torque and other performance related data can be routed to a mobile device allowing operators, maintenance or engineers to proactively handle issues related to maximizing machine uptime.

POSITION CONTROL

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SPEED & POSITION CONTROL

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IoT Confi uration

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WIRELESS CONNECTION OR CONNECTED DEVICE

PROCESS SENSOR

Established time frames for periodic maintenance based on cycles, number of pieces run or other dynamic conditions can easily be monitored and reported to any IoT connected device, such as a work station, tablet or mobile phone, allowing teams to proactively keep equipment running at peak efficiency.

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Traditional Confi uration POSITION FEEDBACK SENSOR

POWER SUPPLY

A bottling company, setting up a new production line, switched from a traditional setup to using IoT enabled mechatronics. By eliminating components in the control panel, bulky complicated wire harnesses, and the setup labor, overall cost was cut by more than 50%.

In addition, smart robot modules created new flexibility. Local monitoring and adjustment with handheld devices reduced changeover time and down time by 60%.

The end result is increased capacity and profi ability.

CONTROLLER AMPLIFIER

BREAKERS & SWITCHES

SPEED & POSITION CONTROL

I/O

I/O

I/O

OVERTRAVEL SENSOR

PLC

PROCESS SENSOR

OVERTRAVEL SENSOR

Preventative maintenance

Increased output

All of these things are working together in an IoT connected motion system, driving greater flexibility, less downtime, increased performance and greater bottom line output for manufacturers, assembly lines, packaging equipment and production equipment.

With todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s integration of IoT processes and equipment, traditional disciplines are merging and the benefits are seen throughout the machine life cycle. The design phase is shortened with cross discipline communication, design development and project management tools.

Procurement and build cycles are shortened due to the need for fewer components along with the use of online configuration and purchasing tools.

With IoT connected programming and real-time analytics, ease of use, maintenance and overall life are increased for the user. All of these things combine adding to the bottom line, creating more opportunity and increasing financial returns. DW PBC Linear pbclinear.com

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Designing

for the IoT-enabled operator Matt Newton

Director of Technical Marketing Opto 22

Modern operators no longer simply sit in a control room while waiting for something to happen on the plant or factory floor. In today’s world of doing more with less, operators perform many additional tasks within their plant or factory to maximize efficiency and ensure optimum output. And as a result, operators have become mobile.

Today’s design engineers in the OEM and machine builder markets must address this newfound requirement for mobile monitoring, notification, and control of the modern plant or factory. Machine designers must develop their systems with the intent of providing operators with situational awareness no matter where they are in the plant or factory.

Machines with these capabilities will open the door for OEMs and machine builders to offer their customers a new competitive advantage— the IoT-enabled operator.

IoT-enabled operators use a common and familiar platform, such as a browser or app on a smartphone or tablet, to obtain visualization into remote systems from wherever they are. IoT-enabled operators maintain situational awareness at all times through email and text message notifications sent to their mobile devices; these notifications are automatically generated through their IoT-enabled machines. Predictive maintenance through IoT-connected systems offers the ability to literally fix a problem before it occurs. Information on system health and performance is available anywhere IoT-connected operators find themselves, without having to be in front of their traditional HMIs.

Moving data from machines on the plant and factory floor directly into the hands of the IoT-enabled operator through the use of industry standard protocols and familiar platforms will greatly increase productivity and ensure optimum output. DW

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3D CAD

How simulation helps accelerate the design process

The capability to design, test and validate in the digital world helps get products to market faster for less money.

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Testing is a critical part of the design process. No matter how complex or simple, every design must be vetted to ensure it works as intended.

Typically, powerful finite element analysis (FEA) or

computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software simulate how a design would work.

Simulation software is also useful for conducting

virtual tests on designs long before time-intensive and costly physical prototypes are made.

When the goal is to get a product to market quickly,

simulation software integrated into CAD software shortens the learning curve because of the similar workflows in these programs.

PTC Creo Simulate is a simulation tool that

complements the modeling environment within PTC Creo Parametric.

“Engineers can design their parts and make modifications, but at the same time be able to analyze them,” said Mark Fischer, director of product management within PTC’s CAD segment.

“An engineer can easily use Creo Simulate to find a problem or a potential problem in their model around high stresses or strains and resolve it,” he said. “But the tools are scalable; there’s advanced functionality that an analyst can use as well.”

Simulation tools let you isolate and correct design flaws, reduce problematic variables, improve design quality and rely on fewer prototypes. You can alter models early in the design process, when changes cost less to make.

That’s not to say these simulation tools eliminate the need for experienced analysts; the combination of engineering expertise and powerful simulation tools are still a critical part of the design process. By the time you

Engineers at Dräger Medical use SolidWorks Simulation in their design process to reduce the design cycle by 50%, slash analysis time from months to days, and reduce the total number of prototypes by identifying design flaws early in the design process.

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CFD tools often require a level of experience among engineering users. FloEFD, from Mentor Graphics, takes away much of the prerequisite numerical competence, automating and hardwiring some of, or most of, the numerical settings that would otherwise have to be made manually.

and then the engineer can move on in the design process.”

Can you have confidence in these simulation tools? Fischer thinks so. He said the workflow and user interface must be familiar to users so they can quickly and easily leverage the power of simulation.

“Some engineers might say they don’t have the expertise. But with these simulation tools, they can do simulations early and often, and let the heavy

receive the model, however, its overall quality will be improved, which will help speed cycle time and time to market.

In addition, simulation tools help reduce the bottleneck that often occurs when there is a backlog of designs to test, Fischer said.

“Engineers can verify and validate their designs, and come up with new innovative designs based on those findings early in that design process,” he said. “Any issues that are discovered can easily be modified and fixed,

simulations be done by the analysts,” he said.

CollegePark, a company that makes prosthetic limbs for amputees, improved its product by using simulation in the design process. Engineers there use Creo Simulate to design products that are both strong and lightweight. They used the tool to refine the design of a prosthetic foot, making it 40% stronger and 10% lighter.

Engineers at Dräger Medical, a manufacturer of breathing and anesthetic

PTC Creo Simulate is a simulation tool that complements the modeling environment within PTC Creo Parametric.

It lets you design parts, make modifi ations and analyze at the same time.

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equipment for operating rooms, intensive care units and ambulances, use SolidWorks Simulation in their design process. Their challenge was to shorten their development time by half for the life saving devices, a task they accomplished. They reduced the design cycle by 50%, slashed analysis time from 3 months to 2 days, dropped the total number of prototypes from eight to two and saved thousands of dollars by identifying a design flaw early in the design process.

“Using SolidWorks Simulation means that we can run calculations on the various design approaches during the design stage easily and quickly,” said Karsten Hoffman, Dräger project leader. “SolidWorks Simulation saves us time and expense.”

SolidWorks offers several different simulation solutions that help improve product performance and quality by indicating how product designs will behave before they are built.

They include SolidWorks Simulation for FEA and structural analysis; SolidWorks Flow Simulation for CFD, fluid flow and heat transfer; SolidWorks Motion for kinematic and dynamic analysis; SolidWorks Plastics for plastic injection molding; and SolidWorks Sustainability.

Karim Segond, founder of E-Cooling, an engineering consultancy that provides 3D thermal and flow analysis, enhancement and development supporting electronics, electric engines, and power electronics, uses Mentor Graphics’ FloEFD simulation tool.

“The biggest benefits I got from FloEFD was that it was embedded; I could work within a CAD system and use parametric CAD models,” he said. “This made it easier to change any geometry and run several variants very easily.

Another point that lifted a heavy burden for me is the automatic meshing. Basically, the meshing as I knew it became obsolete and I could spend my time with other things than manually mesh the geometry.”

To further emphasize its ease of use, FloEFD, which stands for Engineering Fluid Dynamics, makes it possible for engineers to access its CFD simulation capabilities within their mechanical CAD design environment.

“We believe that CFD as a simulation technology should first and foremost be used to satisfy engineering goals and be used by

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Digimat, from e-Xstream Engineering, an MSC Software company, includes a suite of tools that you can integrate within the FEA process to bridge the gap between structural analysis and the manufacturing process.

engineers, not PhD simulation specialists,” said Robin Bornoff, market development manager for Mentor Graphics.

That’s not to say engineers using the software should have no knowledge of the principles of simulation. “You’ve got to have a good understanding of the physics of airflow and heat transfer to be able to correctly construct a simulation model,” Bornoff said. “Although it’s much more automated, it doesn’t take away the need for the engineer using the tool to have a good physics grounding.”

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Analysts will always have a role in the design process. But when it comes to fixing design problems, a lot of the day-to-day CFD design simulation work doesn’t require a high level of expertise, he said.

“General-purpose CFD tools are highly capable, functionally rich; there are many different options and choices the user can make that control the numerics of the CFD simulation,” Bornoff said. An engineer who can understand and control the numerics will get good results.

“But the problem is, you need

prerequisite experience to choose your CFD tool to get the required results,” he said.

“So what we’ve done in FloEFD is to take away a lot of that prerequisite numerical competence, automating and hardwiring some of, or most of, the numerical settings that would otherwise have to be made manually.”

Another use of simulation is to use it to check whether the proposed design is compliant. Designers can accomplish this during the conceptual stage of the design process, when it’s easy to make major decisions about how the product should be configured.

Engineers set out to create an accurate model, and simulation can prove whether they’ve accomplished that goal. Indeed, the more physics phenomena that can be included in any one simulation, the more accurate the final model will be. COMSOL Multiphysics helps engineers solve systems of multiple physics effects as they would occur in nature, empowering them to base their design decisions on accurate data.

“Simulation allows companies to cut costs by reducing the number of physical prototypes and bring innovative products to market faster,” said Bernt Nilsson, COMSOL’s SVP of marketing.

The company also offers COMSOL Server software, which allows access to simulation applications throughout an entire organization, extending the benefits of simulation from conceptual design to manufacturing.

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Model of a corrugated circular horn antenna. Simulation results show the electric fie d and radiation patterns around the antenna.

In addition, the company offers an Application Builder that expands the research and development expertise behind multiphysics simulation to app users who don’t need to know everything that went into the full model. Engineers build specialized versions of their COMSOL Multiphysics models with specific inputs, outputs, and interfaces, and save them as applications.

They then send these apps to colleagues and customers who can run them on COMSOL Multiphysics or COMSOL Server.

For example, R&D engineers at Cypress Semiconductor are creating simulation apps for their customer support team to make it easier to explore the outcome of proposed designs while serving customers in real time.

Apps such as these can be useful to speed up the process.

Often, the turnaround time for design simulation is slow due to the limited number of analysts who are capable of using advanced CFD tools. As a result, a design may have changed by the time the simulation has been conducted, said Bornoff. Engineers can conduct virtual simulations of their

models and make crucial changes that refine and perfect their designs earlier than ever in the design process.

Digimat, from e-Xstream Engineering, an MSC Software company, includes a suite of tools that engineers can integrate within the FEA process to “bridge the gap” between structural analysis and the manufacturing process.

Digimat-VA makes it possible for engineers to generate virtual “allowables.” The tool, which is powered by a non-linear FEA solution, lets them digitally compare materials, explore material sensitivity to parameters’ variability and get a better understanding of a composite’s performance. The ability to screen, select and compute the allowables of composite materials in a virtual environment saves time and money typically spent on physical allowables.

The Application Builder allows simulation experts to turn a COMSOL Multiphysics model into a custom simulation app that can be shared with a colleague or customer. For example, the thermal properties of a finned pipe a e derived from the results of a conjugate heat transfer simulation.

The app user can change aspects of the design such as the arrangement of the inner grooves and outer fins www.designworldonline.com

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Personal CNC Prototyping - Product Design - R&D - Engineering Eisertech, a medical device company in San Diego, CA, designs and manufactures spinal implants and surgical instruments with the help of their Tormach PCNC 1100. What started out as garage shop prototypes has grown into a successful medical device product line.

COMSOL comsol.com

To read more about this story, and to see what others are doing with their PCNC mills, visit www.tormach.com/design.

PCNC 1100 Series 3

Solvay Engineering Plastics, which supplies materials for polyamide engineering plastics, used Digimat-MX, Digimat-CAE and Digimat-MAP to determine the possible stiffness and failure of a multi-functional seat pan for use in the automotive market.

Simulation predicted three failures early in the design process.

“The added value of predictive modeling with an integrative simulation approach was demonstrated,” said Olivier Moulinjeune, simulation expert, Solvay Engineering Plastics. “Thanks to Digimat local material behavior and failure criteria, we captured the right chronology of all failure events.”

Using simulation tools to design, test and validate in the digital world is akin to creating physical prototypes early in the design process; products get to market faster for less money. DW

e-Xstream Engineering, an MSC Software company e-xstream.com Titanium bone screws and surgical spinal implants manufactured by Eisertech LLC.

Mentor Graphics mentor.com/products/mechanical/ floef PTC ptc.com/cad/simulation SolidWorks solidworks.com/sw/products/ simulation/simulation.htm

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PCNC 770 Series 3 PCNC mills shown here with optional stand and accessories.

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M e c h a n i c a l

Why

you should consider

air bearings

It’s easy to overlook air bearings. Most of the time, mechanical bearings work well enough for a motion application. Most, but not all. Submicron bearing rumble not an option? Is geometric performance and angular repeatability paramount? Here are tips that will smooth out the specific tion process.

Matt Reck • Product Line Manager • Air Bearings Systems • Physik Instrumente

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Shown here is a three-motor planar XY air-bearing stage with active yaw control.

Air bearings offer distinct advantage

in precision positioning, including no backlash

Image courtesy of PI

or static friction; they are also suitable for most high-speed applications. But some conditions are not conducive for the use of air bearings. Knowing air bearing parameters can be the key to a truly optimized bearing system application.

Friction is the enemy

Frictionless drive and bearing technology is a prerequisite for vibration-free precision motion with nano-scale resolution, repeatability and guiding accuracy. There are several ways to achieve frictionless motion. Piezo drives and flexure guidance are well established for short travel ranges. Another principle is based on magnetic levitation (magnetic bearings).

These motion systems are more exotic, but not travel limited, and are often designed for multi-axis motion applications. Another solution for long travel ranges consists of air bearings driven by electromagnetic linear and torque motors.

Air-bearing stages are rotary or linear positioners that float on a cushion of air, using one of several preload mechanisms, nearly eliminating mechanical contact,

and thus wear, friction and hysteresis effects. They deliver high throughput and precision, especially for multi-axis motion.

Benefits for motion-control applic tions

Here are some of the most common factors supporting the use of air-bearing stages for motion-control applications:

1

Frictionless, accurate positioning

A direct-drive motor and high-resolution encoder can position a moving carriage supported by an air bearing to within nanometers in a linear application, or within tenths of arc-seconds in rotational applications. The lack of friction and mechanical contact means there is minimal hysteresis or reversal error, making it highly repeatable and suitable for many

â&#x20AC;&#x192;â&#x20AC;&#x192;

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Air Flow in a planar XY air bearing stage. The bearings are vacuum-preloaded for higher stiffness Image courtesy of PI

inspection and manufacturing operations.

Stiction is virtually eliminated, improving resolution capabilities and reducing in-position “hunting“ (limit cycling). Position repeatability can also be obtained within a few encoder counts. Similar precision can be obtained by piezo flexure guided stages, however over much smaller travel ranges. Magnetic levitation is another option.

2

Velocity stability and scanning

The lack of mechanical bearing elements means there is nothing to get in the way of smooth, controlled velocity (stability to better than 0.01%). Experiments and processes, like inertial sensor testing, tomography, wafer scanning and surface profiling—which require continuous motion at tightly controlled speeds—are best served by air-bearing systems.

3

Low error motions due to surface averaging effec

Linear air-bearing stages have straight and flat travels; pitch, roll and yaw errors can be measured in tenths of arcseconds. Rotary stages can have tilt (wobble) errors less than 1 arc-second. Additionally, the angular performance of an air bearing is 102

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repeatable. This capability guarantees part quality and measurement reliability for applications like mirror and optics inspection, semiconductor inspection and medical device manufacturing.

4

Long travel requirements

5

Wobble-free or high-speed rotary motion

Piezo-driven flexure stages and actuators can satisfy many highprecision positioning applications. However, these designs are usually limited to a few millimeters of travel. Air-bearing linear stages can be used for travels of 25 mm or more.

Manufacturers can provide linear air bearings with travels up to 1 m or more with custom design.

Rotary air bearings are exceptionally stiff and can deliver highly precise rotary motion. Radial, axial and wobble error motions are much smaller than most mechanical bearing systems can provide, and the rotary motion is exceptionally smooth since there are no roller elements. Rotary positioning stages generally can achieve speeds up to 600 rpm, while air bearing spindles are used in higher-speed

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1.2

1

Flatness error (μm)

0.8

0.6

0.4

NMean NMean-2sig NMean+2sig

0.2

0 0

50

100

150

200

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Position (mm)

Flatness and repeatability of flatness measurement of a PIglide LC 230-mm travel stage. The 2-sigma repeatability of the flatness error is less than 50 nm in this case. applications. Rotary bearing designs can be mounted with the plane of the table in either the horizontal (a turntable, for example) or vertical orientations.

6

Minimal maintenance

7

Cleanliness

There are no contacting parts to undergo wear and tear, and no regular maintenance procedures to be performed, like lubrication. An air-bearing stage is essentially maintenance-free.

Further, the system is highly stable; because there is no wear, the performance characteristics should not change over the life of the system. There is little need for recalibration. Moving cables and hoses are often the only wear items in an air-bearing system.

Because air bearings are wear-free, they generate virtually no particulates that can become airborne.

This feature makes them an option for cleanroom applications like optics inspection, wafer inspection, bio-pharma research and flat-panel display inspection. For extremely clean applications, it is recommended that the air bearings operate using 99.9 % pure nitrogen.

Here is a six-axis stage with magnetic bearings—magnetic levitation.

Image courtesy of PI

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M e c h a n i c a l

Surface Averaging effect of the air bearing.

The result is elimination of high-frequency bearing rumble and much better straightness and flatness of motion compared to mechanical bearings.

Image courtesy of PI

8

Precise force control and sensing

Air bearings are frictionless, which means when they are coupled with a direct-drive motor or voice coil, they work well in micro- and nano-Newton force control applications. Such applications can include pick-and-place of delicate items, materials testing and coordinate measuring applications.

Precision applications

Linear, planar, spherical and rotation stages with air bearings are optimal motion-control components for industry and research.

Spherical air bearings can be used to simulate zero gravity.

Air bearings ensure frictionless motion, a fact that makes them the preferred choice for zero-gravity simulations. Their guiding accuracy (straightness and flatness of motion) is well below 1 Âľm over long travel ranges. This precision guarantees optimal part quality and measurement reliability for applications such as flat panel inspection, optics inspection, semiconductor inspection and medical device manufacturing.

An example of a rotary air bearing

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A flexure-guided, UHV-compatible, XYZ piezo nanopositioning stage.

Environments unsuitable for air bearings

By the nature of their design, air-bearings are not suitable for all operating environments.

1

Vacuum environments

2

Dirty, dusty applications

3

Unavailable pressurized air or nitrogen

While it is not impossible to operate an air bearing in a vacuum, it is challenging. Vacuum applications should generally be avoided. Instead, stages based on mechanical bearings, magnetic levitation or flexure guiding systems should be used.

Air bearings are generally used in clean environments. Applications where heavy amounts of dust, dirt, debris and fluids are present should generally be avoided.

Air bearings require a continuous supply of clean compressed air or nitrogen. If the application does not allow for such a supply to be present, an air bearing can not be used. DW

Physik Instrumente physikinstrumente.com http://dwo.me/1LMabMS

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A supplement of Design World â&#x20AC;˘ December 2015

Inside: 110

How do you really use 3D printing systems?

114

3D printing aids in design of patient simulator

Material advances in metal 3D printing

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ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING CNC MACHINING INJECTION MOLDING

12/2/15 3:53 PM

Le s li e La n g n a u M a n ag i n g Edi to r

Ed i to ri a l

lla n g n a u @wtwh m edi a .co m

3D printing defies abeling Just exactly what is 3D printing? Is it a tool, a machine, a toy or something else?

A recently conducted online survey of our audience gave some pretty interesting insights into this question. While 3D printers were initially designed to speed prototyping, the survey indicated that only about one-third of our audience uses them for this purpose. The majority of respondents use CNCs for initial prototyping.

CNCs! Remember, these are supposed to be slower as far as turnaround time, and more expensive because of all the tooling that must be done. Yet, these machines are still preferred over the newer 3D printing technology.

Why? One possible answer is habitual design practices. I hear this over and over—today’s engineers need to start over as to how they design for additive rather than subtractive. But I think time is a factor here too. The emphasis on fast time to market and low-cost designs do not encourage designers to investigate something new—no time, you see.

Many view 3D printers as revolutionary devices. Others disagree. Dr. Phil Reeves gave a talk at the recent TCT Live show in England; his view is that 3D printing/additive manufacturing is a manufacturing technology and not a revolution, as so many pundits would like to claim. What Reeves sees this technology doing is dispersing manufacturing out of the traditional factory and into the hands (homes) of individuals. He noted that 3D Hubs, for example, has roughly 24,000 connected 3D printers among its members around the world. All of these connected printers become a defacto factory, efficiently producing one-offs.

www.makepartsfast.com

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As a customer, all you do is upload your STL fi e, choose a print location (maybe get a quote fir t), and then pick up your product. This model brings manufacturing much closer to the customer, which will alter the supply chain. Even if the printers in this model are desktop versions, manufacturing could be forever altered.

Speaking of desktop printers, with all the desktop 3D printers around, it is easy to view this technology as a toy. In this part of the market, you do get what you pay for—a lower cost model will not necessarily produce high quality parts.

Working with plastics and making models of Star Wars items, small phone attachments, napkin rings, bud vases and so on defin tely leaves the impression that this technology is not serious.

But on the other end of the 3D printing scale, you have the additively manufactured car bodies—full size.

This technology is still maturing (even after 30 years). We are still exploring its capabilities, which are many. It is a tool, a machine, a toy, an enabler, and who knows what else it will evolve into. What we do know is that it’s far too early to pigeonhole it. n MPF

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The assumption is that engineers already use 3D printing machines for prototyping and will soon use additive

How do you really use

3D printing systems?

manufacturing machines Leslie Langnau • Managing Editor

for production. But is that an accurate

3D printers were initially developed to build prototypes of an engineer’s designs. Over the past few years, it became obvious that these systems can also

assumption? Results

be used for final part production. Thus, some observers see a territorial battle between additive manufacturing (AM) and traditional machining technologies.

from a recent survey

The reality, though, is that such a battle won’t occur, at least not for many years, if ever.

give intriguing data.

First, CNC machining technology is not standing still. Siemens, for example, introduced four-axis turning on lathes. Two turning tools, opposite one another, machine the work piece simultaneously—reducing machining time. Such developments will make it all the more challenging for AM to reach machining speeds.

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Second, a recent survey* we conducted with our engineering audience showed engineers still have a strong preference for traditional machining, even for the task of creating prototypes.

Here’s a closer look at the questions we asked and the answers we received.

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Expert V i e w p o i n t

80 70

How many prototype iterations?

We asked our audience how many prototypes they make before reaching the final design. On average, 30% of the respondents make three prototypes for a new product; 21% make two prototypes.

A criticism of some 3D printing machines is that they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t deliver a high enough quality prototype.

But, just how high a quality is really needed? We asked respondents to rate quality on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 equaling a rough prototype and 5 equaling quality and accuracy that replicates the final design.

For the initial prototype, nearly one-third (32.05%) of the engineers responding wanted decent looking quality. More than one-quarter (28.21%) of the engineers wanted an initial prototype that was better than a rough realization. For about 17%, a rough prototype was good enough.

Not unexpectedly, after the first iteration, more engineers (38.36%) wanted a higher quality prototype.

Nearly one-quarter (23.29%) wanted a prototype that is closer to the final look needed.

At the third iteration, more respondents (31.94%) are looking for a version more finished than the second prototype iteration; 29.17% are looking for a near finished version; and 22.22% do not use prototyping for this stage.

Which customers need high quality prototypes?

The needed quality of a prototype varies for the different departments designers interface with. We asked, â&#x20AC;&#x153;On a scale of 1 to 5, rank the quality needed for manufacturing, the end customer, marketing, upper management and other.â&#x20AC;? One equaled a rough prototype and 5 equaled a prototype that replicates the finished product.

Of course, high-quality prototypes are needed for the end customer, said 50% of the respondents replying 112

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What process do you use for initial prototypes?

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to this question. Then, 30% said the marketing department needs highquality prototypes.

Only about a quarter of the respondents needed a high-quality prototype for manufacturing. For the other departments, the need was low.

Prototyping equipment When asked what process was used for the initial prototype, the surprising answer was CNC machines, with more than two-thirds (67.61%) of the respondents turning here first. The next most popular process for initial prototyping was stereo-lithography and extrusion, at 42.25 and 43.66%

12/2/15 4:15 PM

If you use 3D printing, which style of 3D printer do you use?

respectively. About one-quarter (25.35%) used polymer powder bed technology. 18% use polyjet, and 18% use laser sintering. Finally, 17% use injection molding.

For the mid-level prototype, again CNC was the favored choice at 55.71%.

Stereolithography and fused deposition modeling came in at 43% and 30% respectively. Injection molding came in at 22.86%.

For the final prototype, CNC machining received 71% of the replies.

At this stage, though, injection molding comes in at a distant second of 37.66%.

Stereolithography and extrusion came in at 28.99% and 21.74% respectively.

What type of 3D printer?

In general, there are three classes of 3D printing machines: professional units that typically cost more than $25,000; professional desktop units priced between $25,000 and $5,000; and entry-level desktop units that are priced at $5,000 or less. The majority of the survey respondents use a professional 3D printing machine when they use a 3D printer. But the next most used printer, said 61.76%, is the entry-level type, especially for initial design and prototyping tasks. About one-fifth (20.59%) continue to use entry-level 3D printers for second and third stage prototyping.

Whether an entry-level 3D printer satisfies prototyping needs, though, the answers were 52.94% saying yes, 47.06% saying no. The respondents were given a chance to write in the features they would most like to see from entry-level 3D printers. Better quality, more material options, larger build size and higher resolution were the most often requested, with materials and size leading those choices.

Based on their experience with entry-level 3D printers, 43.28% would consider buying a higher priced professional 3D printer. 32.84% would not. The reasons range from no budget

20.6% 41.2%

Entry level version (less than $5000 versions) Professional desktop version (more than $5000 version but less than $25,000)

38.2%

or no need to a need for a variety of 3D printing processes and cost.

Outsourcing versus in-house 3D printers were initially created out of frustration—it took weeks to get a prototype from a service bureau. Today, though, outsourcing is still a popular way to get prototypes—64.18% of respondents outsource the prototype soon after the CAD design. 38.81% outsource when they are closer to a final product design, and 37.31% outsource after they have done a few rough prototypes in house.

Service bureaus have improved on prototype deliver time, which seems to satisfy engineers. Most respondents need their prototype in about 3 to 7 days (55.22%). Less than a quarter (22.39%) need a prototype in two days.

3D printing is also viewed as helping to lower the cost of prototypes, especially when compared to outsourcing. However, according to our respondents, cost is not a huge issue. 40.30% said cost somewhat affects their choice. 31.34% said it affects a lot, and 28.36% said not much at all.

Materials When it comes to the material respondents want for their prototypes, www.makepartsfast.com

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Professional 3D printing unit (more than $25,000 versions)

59.70% want a material that can handle testing and fit. Almost 20% want the exact material needed for the final design. Materials desired include carbon fiber, stainless steels of the 303/304 and 174 variety, low carbon steel, and higher resolution and high temperature materials.

Based on these results, one might be tempted to question the future viability of the 3D printing/additive manufacturing industry. First, these results cover only a small segment of the 3D printing population, and the questions did not address the unique capabilties of this industry, such as cost-effectively making geometrically complex parts. While these results are interesting, they are only part of the bigger picture. n MPF *Survey was conducted by email over the Design World subscription list.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Connect and discuss this and other engineering design issues with thousands of professionals online

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A d d i t i v e

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3D

printing aids in design of patient simulator

To create the highly complex, integrated maternal fetal simulator, both 3D printing and subtractive CNC machining were critical.

It’s not an easy feat to create a medical model that simulates breathing, heart rate and childbirth.

Essentially, such a model should be a fully articulated machine replicating, in a test environment, the exhaustive physical complications a mother and fetus experience in the delivery room. To ensure obstetric doctors and nurses have the optimal training to best prevent and care for conditions a mother and fetus might experience during birth, CAE developed the Fidelis Maternal Fetal Simulator (MFS). This simulator trains obstetricians in the most dangerous of complications as well as problem-free birthing circumstances to provide the highest level of preparedness, which, in turn, ensures the protection and ideal care of mothers and babies during birth.

However, the task required a simulator made of

www.makepartsfast.com

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Articulated legs and arms were developed with selective laser sintering, a 3D printing process that seamlessly lends itself to intricate geometries.

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SL creates parts in a vat of liquid resin that is cured in patterns with a UV laser, whose energy is directed with dynamic mirrors. The other half of the model required a special process termed IDLight, offered solely

by Stratasys Direct Manufacturing—who provided the entire show model—to incorporate such a large unit devoid of visible seams while resembling skin.

hundreds of considerably involved components.

“The design of the human patient simulator is a complex endeavor requiring extensive validation of the components and, in particular, the interaction of the physical parts,” said Giuseppe Mallaci, senior mechanical designer for the CAE Fidelis MFS. “The complexity increases as we introduce moving parts and deformable components in a confined space.

Small incremental changes are required to validate such a complex design. In addition, the competitive nature of our industry fuels a growing need for relatively short product development cycles. So, rapid prototypes are essential to the success of any product development initiative.”

CAE used rapid prototyping processes from Stratasys Direct

Manufacturing, including fused deposition modeling (FDM), stereolithography (SL), selective laser sintering (SLS) and QuantumCast cast urethanes and rapid machining.

“Stratasys responded to our needs for timely prototypes and changes,” said Mallaci. “In all cases, whether it be FDM or SL rapid prints, QuantumCast parts, molded foam parts or molded urethane parts, their team advised on the manufacturing approach best suited to meet our functional needs.”

These technologies helped the design team create the interlocking and interacting components that culminated in a fully functional, incredibly true-to-life simulator. The critical components for the simulator were: • Airway—a molded part consisting of complex geometry that also had to be deformable. It needed UV stability and

resistance to abusive user interaction in the form of oral intubation using medical airway adjuncts.

• Ribcage—a flexible/deformable body to accurately represent the anatomical features while deforming in a realistic fashion. Subject to much user abuse when CPR is performed.

• Articulations—the simulator has extensive articulations to best mimic the human body articulations. To validate the articulations as well as the cable management and component placement, it was imperative to have physical prototypes.

• Head assembly—the head assembly consists of many small parts in a confined space. The rapid prototypes were instrumental in validating the design for manufacturability and assembly purposes.

The original simulator was introduced to an audience of December 2015

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healthcare simulation experts as a fully 3D-printed model in June 2013. It was outfitted with an internal fetus, visible through a clear, 3D-printed wall using SL with Accura 60 material.

The model received articulated legs and arms from SLS, a 3D-printing process that seamlessly lends itself to intricate geometries.

The other half of the model required a special process termed ID-Light to incorporate such a large unit devoid of visible seams while resembling skin. ID-Light is a specialized 3D printing process that takes the basic principle of the SL process and reinforces the part with a proprietary inner lattice-like structure, allowing huge parts to be built at what is often 1⁄12 the weight of solid models.

The final simulator, an amalgam of technologies, was introduced as a functioning training unit in May 2015.

QuantumCast cast urethanes became a standard rapid production solution for the final model.

“Every now and then, there would be a highly complex part that required CNC machining,” said Sheryl Regalado, project engineer, Stratasys. “Jaime, our anatomical models specialist, would work on a design and present it to CAE for cost savings and manufacturability.”

QuantumCast works through a soft tool, to save on costs, and machined or 3D-printed master patterns. The tool is injected with advanced formula polymer polyurethanes and subjected to heat and pressure for a strong and accurate final part.

The 3D-printed and other rapidly produced parts will serve the development of future simulators as well. Said Mallaci, “In addition to design and fabrication validation, the

rapid prototype parts were also used extensively for validation with our subject matter experts who rely on having fully functional simulators.

These simulators must represent the manufacturing intent and consist of all of the electronic components, firmware and software. It is inevitable that changes come at every validation gate. Rapid prototype parts are essential to minimize development costs.”

The use of 3D printing, cast urethanes and advanced axis CNC machining afforded the MFS with organic shapes. The simulator exhibits waist, hip, thighs and pelvic tilt articulative maneuvers and responds to pressures and exercises doctors would be required to undertake during actual childbirth.

The simulator executes multiple childbirth procedures and scenarios, including: normal delivery; instrumental vaginal delivery; fetal tachycardia due to maternal pyrexia; breech delivery; fetal central nervous system depression by narcotics given to mother; shoulder dystocia; major post-partum hemorrhage due to uterine atony; maternal cardiorespiratory arrest; eclampsia; and umbilical cord prolapse. These simulations were chosen, in part, based on the most common childbirth experiences to give an adequate range of training to doctors and nurses.

The simulator is equipped with an electronic monitoring system to display the physiological data of the fetus as well. The entirety of the MFS is meant to give the closest real-life practice, just one step removed from an actual human being. The software (or user interface) additionally emits

» Childbirth, which continues to benefit from advanced medicine and studies, remains complicated.

The body is undergoing a veritable storm of (sometimes dangerous) physical and mental exertion during birth.

the cry of the baby, and other sounds from the birthing room, for full sensory bombardments that doctors will encounter. The operations that the MFS completes provides wellrounded training and preparedness.

The simulator is currently being received by hospitals, universities and training facilities throughout the U.S. and Canada. n MPF Stratasys Direct Manufacturing stratasys.com

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Connect and discuss this and other engineering design issues with thousands of professionals online

December 2015

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Material advances in metal 3D printing

Materials have always been key to 3D printing success.

But metal materials are enabling new designs as well as new mechanical properties.

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very year 3D printing seems to have a new hot subject. This year, it was materials.

Several research groups have forecast strong growth in this part of the industry. IDTechEx, for example, said that 3D printing of metals for the 2015–2025 timeframe will grow at a 32% rate.

Supporting that forecast, GE Aviation plans to invest $3.5B in new plants to house the EOS M-280 additive machines to print 100,000 fuel nozzles by 2020, and Arcam will use AM machines to make more than 50,000 orthopedic implants.

Thus, the purchase of titanium alloys is expected to reach 31% of the metals market. Other metals expected to grow include cobalt, nickel and aluminum alloys.

The ability to additively make drill bits out of metal powder is quite an achievement in the manufacturing world. This ability led to a more efficient form of delivering coolant through the bit, using spiral, slightly triangular shaped ducts that could not have been made using CNC machining.

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Âť The shape of the drill bit coolant ducts optimizes coolant geometrical moment of inertia and flow rate. Tests found that choosing a cross section of this type increases the flow quantity by 30%. The coolant flows at a pressure of 1.6 to 3 bar.

Making machine tool drills One of the more exciting developments this year was the additive manufacture of drill bits.

Mapal is a think tank for high-tech drilling solutions. Recently, it used LaserCUSING systems from Concept Laser to make metal QTD insert drill bits.

The design behind the QTD bits delivers good chip deformation and reliable chip removal thanks to its geometry. The insert is held in a stable prism connection. Mapal offers four types of the inserts for steel, stainless steel, cast iron and aluminum.

The Mapal QTD insert drill has a lot to offer in detail. But additive manufacture from metal powder and laser-melting systems makes entirely new design approaches possible.

The QTD insert drill was previously available in diameters of 13 mm and greater because the coolant supply is usually housed in the tool body. Such

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The design behind the QTD bits delivers good chip deformation and reliable chip removal thanks to its geometry.â&#x20AC;?

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a design, though, weakens the core of the drill, which makes it unstable. In addition, the cooling channels must be small, which reduces coolant flow to the insert.

The new steel tool body design has spiral cooling channels not usually used for small diameters. But it allows even solid drills to be produced in the 8 to 12 mm diameter range.

New spiral cooling concept The new QTD-series insert drills are manufactured using additive laser melting. These are hybridmanufactured parts; the tool shank is machined conventionally and the drill is laser melted with additive methods. This approach makes the manufacturing process significantly more economical. Hybrid strategies are a good choice; simple component parts are machined and more complex areas are then built up additively.

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» BLDRmetal powder steel products from NanoSteel are based on the combination of complex metallic phases that provide wear resistance and a steel matrix that delivers ductility and toughness.

The greatest advantage of moving from a conventional manufacturing strategy to additive manufacturing was that it facilitated an entirely new geometry, increasing the performance of the tools. The additively made insert drill uses a cooling concept with spiral ducts, which cool the bit better. Compared with the previous central coolant supply with y diversion, a spiral coolant routing increases the coolant flow by 100%. It also increases the core stability because the coolant ducts run parallel to the flute.

The coolant ducts also have a slightly triangular shape, rather than the usual circular form. This shape optimizes the geometrical moment of inertia and the flow rate. Tests found that choosing a cross section of this type increases the flow quantity by 30%.

Coolant profiles like this cannot be produced conventionally through CNC machining. The coolant flows at a pressure of 1.6 to 3 bar.

The new design allows the manufacture of smaller drill diameters. Stainless steel 1.2709 was used. These bits were made through the Concept Laser LaserCUSING process, which also removes any build tension in the bits that can occur in a CNC process.

The QTD insert drills were created as 10 × 10 or 11 × 11 units. 100 to 121 drills are produced in one setup. The build rates of the 400 W lasers are between 6 and 18 cm³/h.

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During processing, the laser heats the powder material to 60 to 70° C for fusing.

Using 3D printing to make new materials Missouri University of Science and Technology researchers Frank Liou, the Michael and Joyce Bytnar Professor of Product Innovation and Creativity, and Jagannanthan Sarangapani, William A. Rutledge-Emerson Electrical Co. Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, are developing materials not currently in existence with the aid of 3D printers.

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They hope to create new metal materials that are stronger and lighter than conventional ones. The benefit is that these materials may be less expensive and more efficient to manufacture. The researchers call their process cyber manufacturing technology, and it includes additive manufacturing process modeling, sensor network and seamless process integration.

The materials that result from this cyber manufacturing are known as Structural Amorphous Metals (SAMs).

Like other powder-based 3D printing techniques, a laser melts blown powder metal that is deposited layer by layer to create objects. The key is to get the cooling rate correct so that the metal is amorphous instead of its natural state of crystalline formation.

The internal structure of SAMs is random, like grains of sand on a beach. Whereas a crystalline metal will break along its orderly cellular

“The internal structure of Structural Amorphous Metals (SAMs) is random, like grains of sand on a beach.” structure, an amorphous metal has no pattern and thus will resist breaking.

In addition, the smaller the grains, the stronger the metal material.

Thus, SAMs are harder, stronger and have more fracture toughness than conventional metals. These materials also tend to have low corrosive

properties and high strength.

Another form of materials possible through 3D printing are known as Functionally Gradient Materials (FGMs). These materials combine two metals that don’t combine easily, such as stainless steel and titanium or copper and steel. The benefit is you can obtain properties of the individual metals, such as thermal conductivity and mechanical strength, that might be needed in specific applications, such as an aircraft or spaceship part.

To make the FGMs so that there is, for example, 100% copper on one side and 100% titanium on the other, the researchers have to blend them by using other metals to bridge the gap.

When done, the new material—which doesn’t appear in nature—exhibits the traits of copper and titanium.

But because they’re also made through laser melting, they are formed in extreme heat. In this situation, the cooling rate is critical. It is important

» New steel powders are emerging in the metal materials market for 3D printing. These powders, from NanoSteel, suit binder jetting 3D printers. Parts made from this variety of steel can handle highly abrasive environments.

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to fuse the materials before the microstructure formation or chemical reaction.

New steel materials for 3D printing Steel powder for 3D printing is high on the average engineer’s list of desired materials. One of the newer entrants into the powder steel arena is NanoSteel, a leader in nano-structured steel materials design. Recently, the company introduced its first powders designed for binder jet 3D printing processes. These materials, BLDRmetal J-10 and BLDRmetal J-11, enable 3D printing of components for highly abrasive environments.

Industrial components made using J-10 feature two times the elongation and three times the wear and impact resistance of an equivalently infiltrated 420 stainless steel.

BLDRmetal J-11 is good for parts in extreme wear, low-impact applications. Components made with J-11 provide 10x the wear resistance of an equivalently infiltrated 420 stainless steel.

The performance of both BLDRmetal products is based on the combination of complex metallic phases that provide wear resistance and a steel matrix that delivers ductility and toughness.

Engineering grade Nylon Desktop printers have new materials available for them as well. 3D Systems introduced a new nylon for its CubePro 3D printers. The engineering-grade material brings strength, flexibility and durability to

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“Components made with BLDRmetal J-11 provide 10x the wear resistance of an equivalently infiltrated 420 stainless steel.” desktop production of functional parts for design, testing and small-scale manufacturing.

The nylon is a blend that includes Nylon 6 and is compatible with Infinity Rinse-Away water-soluble support material. The material enables 3D printing of complex, articulated and fully assembled end-use parts.

Features of this material include:

• Tensile Strength: 4,785 psi, with flexibility of a dog bone-like shape of 1⁄8 in. thick, 1⁄2 in. wide • Elongation at break value: 22 %; 1 in. can stretch to 1.22 in.

• Strength-to-weight ratio: 174 psi, for light and strong parts with honeycomb infill structure • Tensile Modulus: 248,005 psi • Flexural strength: 8,270 psi • Hardness, Shore D: 75 by needle penetration

Conductive Graphene may aid 3D printing for electronics Within the 3D printing industry, the prospect of using Graphene with other materials causes some excitement, especially for designers exploring 3D printing and electronics. One example of a conductive Graphene material comes from Graphene 3D Lab. The material comes in filament form.

The filament incorporates highly conductive proprietary nano-carbon materials to enhance the properties of PLA. In addition, it is compatible with most commercially available 3D printers. The conductive filament can be used to print conductive traces (similar to those used in circuit boards) within 3D-printed parts for electronics.

New developers In other news on materials, big name companies are entering the market.

One is Alcoa, which is expanding its R&D center in Pennsylvania to accelerate the development of advanced 3D printing materials and processes. Alcoa will produce materials for a range of additive technologies for aerospace, automotive, medical, and building and construction. The $60M expansion is under construction at the Alcoa Technical Center near Pittsburgh. It should be completed by first quarter of 2016.

Alcoa unveiled its Ampliforge process, a technique combining materials, designs, and additive and traditional manufacturing processes.

Using this process, Alcoa designs and 3D-prints a near complete part, then

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Additive Manufacturing

treats it using a traditional manufacturing process, such as forging. The process can enhance the properties of 3D-printed parts, increasing toughness and strength.

In the near future, Alcoa’s material scientists will produce proprietary aluminum, titanium and nickel powders for 3D printing. n MPF 3D Systems 3dsystems.com Alcoa alcoa.com Concept Laser conceptlaserinc.com Graphene 3D Lab Graphene3dlab.com Mapal mapal.com NanoSteel nanosteelco.com Missouri University of Science and Technology mst.edu

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Connect and discuss this and other engineering design issues with thousands of professionals online

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Moog has developed direct replacement pitch control slip rings for today’s wind turbines. The slip ring provides reliable transmission of power and data signals from the nacelle to the control system for the rotary blades.

The Moog slip ring operates maintenance free for over 100 million revolutions. The slip ring uses fiber brush technology to achieve long life without lubrication over a wide range of temperatures, humidity and rotational speeds. In addition, the fiber brush has the capability to handle high power while at the same time transferring data signals.

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Selecting VFD Cables • Board Connector Challenges • Trends

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A supplement of Design World • December 2015

2015

Cable & Connector Handbook

Cover photo courtesy of Fischer Connectors

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SPECIAL THANKS Special thanks to the following companies for their content and graphic contributions. This handbook would not have been possible without them:

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MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF TODAY’S DEVICES

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n our heavily automated world, safe electrical connections are critical. And as manufacturers build smaller and smaller devices and need to pack more equipment into tighter, more compact spaces, it is often on the cable and connector manufacturers to find ways to meet those needs.

In the third iteration of our Interconnect Handbook, we take a look at the trends and markets driving the industry. You’ll learn how the medical, military and mobile device markets are shaping the designs of miniature connectors that can withstand harsh environments and repeated mating cycles. Cables, too, are being tasked to flex more, with tighter bend radii in challenging environments that require tough jacketing materials.

New this year are two feature-length articles on the challenges board-toboard connector manufacturers are facing with the huge growth of wearable devices. These miniature designs are often fragile, causing reliability issues.

Learn what to consider when looking for these miniature interconnects. We also take an in-depth look at VFD cable designs, how to select them and how they continue to change in a constantly evolving automated world.

As always, I hope you learn something new or get a refresher on something you may have forgotten. Feel free to email me at mgannon@ wtwhmedia.com or follow me @DW_MaryGannon. Don’t forget to visit our two websites, www.WireAndCableTips.com and www.ConnectorTips.com, where you can find more FAQs, technical articles, historical perspectives and more on interconnect technologies.

Thanks for reading!

M a r y G a n n o n Se n i o r Edi to r m ga n n o n @wtwh m edi a .co m

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What industries are making the most impact on cable designs?

Mary C. Gannon • Senior Editor

It has become clear that labor-intensive and automated processes are using more industrial cables than ever before. Here, a number of cable manufacturers discuss what industries have been key in the design innovations that are helping to change data, networking and power cables to keep machines and industry running smoothly.

Automation is number one Any industry where automated machinery is in use has had a tremendous effect on cable designs, including warehousing and distribution, automotive manufacturing and food and beverage. These repeatable, high-speed and often high-power applications require safe, flexible designs.

“As all types of industrial automation advance to be more productive, machines are running at higher speeds than ever before,” said Rick Orsini, product manager at SAB North America. “As these industries take advantage of the developments in robotics, the need for faster communications and faster motors and drives requires more movement and more flexible cables to go along with them.”

In high-pressure, repeatable manufacturing, like stamping presses, tension on bolster cables is critical for safe designs, said Tim Hannigan, cable engineer, TPC Wire & Cable.

“One of the things that we’ve been able to do is use insulation that can withstand multiple repeated flexing cycles that you don’t need a real thick wall on. You can use a thin wall so it reduces the size. The caveat on the backside of that is it’s going to be a more expensive cable, because you’re using materials and techniques that are costly to use to begin with,” he said.

Cables used in medical applications require special shielding and jackets that meet FDA requirements and may even have antimicrobial qualities, like this Nanoflex design from HELUKABEL.

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“It may cost you a little more on the front side, but you’re going to save all kinds of money on the backside.”

Designing with health in mind Most agree that a lot of recent changes have been spurred by the medical industry, with designs that are hygienic, safe and extremely durable.

According to Neal Allen, key account and industry manager, HELUKABEL. “We see more motion cables in the medical industry as they increase their use of robotics in more advanced applications.

These machines need anti-microbial cables for these applications, which we can provide.”

Hannigan added that X-ray and MRI machines are requiring reliable motion cables to prevent downtime. These medical-grade cables must also meet FDA directives, he said.

And, said Rich Buchicchio, national sales and marketing manager for Cicoil, hospital equipment, like other labor intensive industries, “requires a 24/7 labor force, uninterrupted service, accuracy, and no injury issues from its cable designs.”

Materials to match harsh environments To survive harsh environments, like machine tool, mining and construction, special jacketing materials have been developed to protect both the cables and their users.

Hannigan said that cables used in construction equipment must withstand the chemicals used in those industries.

And Allen added that the machine tool industry requires more motion cables

More manufacturers are starting to develop Category 7 cables, such as this Apogee 100 series 3 Ethernet cable from Hitachi Wire & Cable America. This design delivers maximum throughput up to 100 m and is rated for high temperatures and speeds.

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When Size and Performance Matters Medical-Industrial Actual Micro-Coax cable bundle diameter compared to a penny.

The direct end result of using thin-walled insulation systems is a reduction in cable diameter. Smaller cable diameters allow end-users to specify a tighter bend radius, or gain additional flex life compared to an equivalent cable with a larger cable diameter. Additional benefits include a smaller footprint, allowing for more cables in a given space, and the use of low profile connectors. Photo courtesy of TPC Wire & Cable

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that can withstand cutting fluids and oils, making it even more challenging to cable designers.

“The biggest change in the last five years in the U.S. for cable designers has been the need for UL listing, in many cases, tray cable requiring exposed-run (TC-ER) approvals. Even though the cable track sections of a system are exempt from the NFPA requirements, what happens to the cables once they exit the cable tracks is routinely scrutinized by local inspectors,” Allen said. “In many cases, the cables are put in trays to get to the control panels. However, having two different designed cables in the system—one being the cable track and the second being the tray cable—is not cost effective, so we designed the track cables to be tray rated cable as well, which is difficult to do.”

Additionally, Allen said, tray rated cables use flame retardant additives to meet FT-4 requirements. “The additive helps extinguish flames, but reduces the elastic properties of the compounds used in the insulation and jacket materials. We are always challenging compound manufacturers to help us retain good, continuous flex properties while still meeting the necessary flame requirements,” he said. “Ford Motor Company recently addressed this issue

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with its latest power train specification, which is primarily a conformance requirement for its machine tool equipment suppliers to use TPE-based cables that are UL tray cable approved.”

Industrial Ethernet cables, too, must be rated for long distance runs while being able to withstand high speeds and temperatures, noise, and even sun and oil. The use of Cat5 cables minimum are recommended, but many manufacturers are rating their Ethernet cables for Category 7. This is directly related to the growth of their use in cable tracks and robotic applications.

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How are cable carriers simplifying machine designs?

Mary C. Gannon â&#x20AC;˘ Senior Editor

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The need for lightweight designs that can operate in harsh environments is continuing to bring changes to the manufacture and use of cable management systems.

More end users are looking for lightweight, nimble designs that allow more compact motors to power them. This, in turn, allows steel carriers to generate less noise and continue to improve along with the machinery they drive, said David Smith, director of sales for U.S. Tsubaki Power Transmission’s KabelSchlepp Div. “We’ve improved the technology so that cable tracks can travel at a higher speed than they’ve been able to do in the past,” Smith said. “As you see an increase in productivity and higher machine rates, the cable tracks can now handle those.”

Mark Cunningham, sales manager, Gortrac Div., Dynatect Manufacturing, concurred, saying, “Productivity is a focus of manufacturers, and machines are required to have longer travels and higher speeds that lend themselves to the use of cable carriers to protect and manage cables and hoses.”

Research into the plastic cable carriers that igus is known for has allowed it to optimize how they function, said Dan Thompson, junior product manager for Energy Chain systems at igus. For example, “recent developments in machine tools have allowed cable carrier manufacturers to refine the details and precision of their designs, and create more complex geometries,” he said. “This leads to a part that is more efficient as far as strength to weight, as well as more aesthetically pleasing.”

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While a number of new machines are driving some of these changes, nothing has had a greater impact on the manufacture of cable carriers than the automotive industry.

“Traditionally, cable carriers have been used on machine tools, transfer carts and so on, but are just recently making their way into vehicles as more moving parts are added and systems become increasingly complex,” Thompson said. “igus is currently developing custom cable carriers to be used by several automotive manufacturers in vehicle doors, windows, convertible tops, and wiper arms.”

Smith added that working with auto manufacturers has led to a change in how the cable carriers are manufactured and supplied to the end user. Not only must the carriers adhere to strict regulations, they must be lowcost and easy to assemble and install. This has led to the greater use of modular, preassembled units.

Cunningham agreed, adding, “Many customers are seeing the advantages of plug-and-play assemblies to reduce complexity and takt time. In addition to simply installing cables and hoses in tracks, many customers are looking for the cable carrier to come as a complete system with all associated mounting fixtures, junction boxes, manifolds

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and support structures.”

Thompson added that simplicity in use is also growing in importance. Consider how difficult it can be to open a carrier and change out the cables or hose that are running through them. Eliminating that hassle is another opportunity for preassembled units. “Advances in molding technology have enabled advances in the opening mechanisms of cable carriers. Some new carriers have an integrated molded hinge that allows the carrier to be opened completely flat, allowing for easy filling. Another example is the igus E2.1 micro, which has a special opener, specifically designed to rapidly open and close the carrier.”

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How have miniature connectors

evolved?

Mary C. Gannon • Senior Editor

As systems and components become smaller and smaller while at the same time requiring greater efficiency and higher speeds, connector miniaturization has become the norm. And with industrial-grade connectors, maintaining reliability and power with compact designs is critical to safe, secure and long-lasting equipment.

Harsh, dirty environments featuring mud and dust spurred ODU to create its Easy-Clean AMC line, which is rugged and rated to IP68 and IP69K.

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Meeting the needs of military and medical markets Industries driving this miniaturization include military, medical and mobile, handheld devices. The move is to create smaller products with lower profiles, while keeping the power as high as possible and minimizing the connector package.

“If you think about it, each of us carries around probably a dozen connectors in our pockets everyday, but when you look at our medical and military customers, we’re seeing that need for small being balanced with a need for robust, reliable solutions,” said Brendan Dempsey, business develop manager, ODU-USA. “Where there’s an environment, let’s say in an operating room or a combat environment, a failure could mean injury or loss of life.”

Steven Lassen, products and applications manager for LEMO USA, added that this move to miniaturization began back in 1984, as the medical industry began to demand 14-contact designs.

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The pre-cabled FiberOptic Series of miniature connectors from Fischer Connectors is designed for extreme applications, with up to IP67 (unmated) and IP68 (mated) ratings.

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ODU’s Medi-Snap miniature push-pull locking connectors were desigend for re-usable and disposable medical applications, where equipment must be kept sanitary at all times.

“The demand for more contacts is The evolution of size reductions steadily increasing over the years. Now Dempsey said that the origin of micro-miniature we have up to 34 contacts in some of connectors can be traced back to the 1960s, with the larger sizes,” Lassen said. “We definano-sized connectors that go back almost as far. nitely see requirements for lower weight, “Those older generations of products carry with higher contact density and to maintain them the baggage of being not very user friendly. the highest degree of reliability. That’s Again, with this explosion of handheld electronics, the ultimate requirement.” it really created this demand for small, lightweight, Lassen added that in addition to board-level I/O connectors that are easy to use. making them smaller, many applications With each application there’s a unique balance of require a combination of multiple signals size, reliability, price and usability.” and high currents simultaneously. “You could maybe think of it as having a connector within a connector,” he said.

Fischer Connectors continues to downsize its miniature connectors. Pictured here is its MiniMax Series, which is suited for handheld or bodyworn applications, for instrumentation and for test equipment where user-friendliness and easy handling are a must.

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Pitch sizes have had to shrink, too, said Mike Higashikawa, regional project manager for Micro Products Div. of Molex. When it comes to those board-to-board connectors, Molex offers designs with pitch size from a 0.4 down to 0.35 mm pitch, in EFDC connectors in a pitch size from a 0.3 down to 0.2 mm.

Standing up to harsh environments As these connectors are used in hostile environments such as those encountered by military personnel, rugged designs that combine power and signal in one product are growing, said David Ptacek, national sales manager and U.S. product manager for Fischer Connectors’ MiniMax Series.

For example, there is a trend toward IP68 and IP69K, which is the ability for the connector to withstand high pressure, high temperature, water and steam. To this end, Fischer’s

connectors are submersible to 2 m for 24 hours, and Dempsey said ODU has recently incorporated these ratings into its AMC line.

Is there such a thing as too small?

Ptacek added that whole solutions must be considered when designing with miniature industrial connectors. “What we see is it really comes down to a solution.

Not only do you have to worry about the connector, but you also would have to worry about the cable and the data rates that you’re going to be passing through it,” Ptacek said. “In today’s environment, with USB 3.0 and some of the other data signals that are required, you really have to have the expertise in not only your connector but also your cable assembly.”

This is true of M8 and M12 designs, which have grown in popularity as manufacturers need more compact, safer ways to connect machinery and communication devices to a more secure form of

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distributed control. For example, Turck recently launched its first-ever M8 Ethernet connector for bus connection.

“We wanted to offer our customers an Industrial Ethernet connectivity solution for applications with limited space,” said Laura Schweitz, product manager for Turck. “Not only are we able to offer our customers an M8-sized Ethernet solution, but we are able to do so without compromising the functionality they enjoy from the rest of our industrial Ethernet line.”

Lassen cautioned, however, that it’s easy to out-design ourselves. “It’s kind of up to user dexterity,” he said. “You can only go as small as the user can easily manipulate the connector. There is some limitations physically with the grip ability there.”

Dempsey agreed, adding, “I’ve seen people struggle to pick up a pencil with a glove,” Dempsey said. “If you make the connector on that order of magnitude, you’re really going to be hindering the end user.”

Higashikawa concluded, saying that Molex had to add a metal cover to provide protection for the mold wall to prevent breakage and ensure alignment on its SlimStack Armor type connectors. “The challenge is in how to provide robustness and a user friendliness in the shrinking package size,” he said.

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Design considerations when selecting VFD cables Mary C. Gannon • Senior Editor

Cables used with VFDs need to match the operating environment and other components in the system. Selecting the right VFD cable can help ensure the drive’s reliability and lifecycle. The following are key specifications to consider when selecting a VFD cable.

Voltage and ampacity Knowing both the motor and cable’s voltage and ampacity is perhaps the number one consideration in selection, said Neal Allen, key account and industry manager for HELUKABEL. Chris Daulton, global industrial marketing manager for Belden, added that the cable’s voltage must be able to support those of the VFD, so their ratings should be equal or higher than the VFD. David Sedivy, senior product manager and mining segment manager, TPC Wire & Cable, added that VFD motors are available in low and medium voltages, so voltage rating is a key characteristic to specify. “The voltage rating of the cable must meet or exceed the source voltage,” he said. “With respect to design, the cable must withstand the higher voltages generated within a VFD system due to reflected waves and voltage spikes from high-speed switching circuits.”

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December 2015

motor voltage, horsepower should also be known. These specifications can be found on the motor plate. For example, a 100-hp drive might be powering four 25-hp motors, he said.

If you don’t have the AWG cable charts provided by cable suppliers, you need to use Table 430.250 (Full-Load Current [FLC], Three-Phase Alternating-Current Motors) in the NEC book to get the amps required.

“For protection, it is required to multiply this value by 1.25 for FLC,” Orsini said.

Allen cautioned about undersizing the conductors to the ampacity or else the cables will fail. “The biggest no-no is using portable cordage (SO cord) for VFD applications. SO cord is usually not rated for the overvoltage produced, ranging from 600 to 1,000 V, from VFD drives, and it is not tray rated,” he said. “Its lower quality

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12/2/15 1:31 PM

insulation material and conductor insulation technique will cause these cables to fail.”

defines cable ampacity requirements for motor circuits per Article 430 of the NEC.” Allen added that an understanding of Conductor sizing basic cable design is necessary in VFD Knowing load size is critical in helping to cable selection. “The biggest choice to properly size the conductors, said Sedivy. make here is between having symmetri“Under-sized conductors pose the risk of cal grounds (three grounds and three increased conductor heating which may power conductors) or a four-conductor degrade the insulation material and lead design (three power conductors and to premature cable failure. Over-sized one ground),” he said. “Research shows conductors add cost and increase cable a symmetrical ground structure proOD which, in some applications, may vides a smaller cable outer diameter and create physical sizing issues,” he said. reduced electromagnetic interference “Installers should keep in mind the NEC (EMI). A four-conductor VFD cable is

An angled look at the TOPFLEX-EMV-UV-3Plus 2XSLCYK-J VFD power cable from HELUKABEL. This cable features a three-conductor, threesymmetrical-ground configuration, which provides a smaller cable outer diameter and reduced EMI. The UL/CSA-approved equivalent is the TOPFLEX-EMV-UV-3Plus 2XSLCYK-J UL/CSA.

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A view of TOPFLEX cables from HELUKABEL with a fourconductor configuration (clear jacket) and three-conductor, three-symmetrical-ground configuration (orange jacket).

more flexible and better suited for continuous flex.”

Allen added that one must also consider other items used to build a continuous flex cable, such as low-friction tapes and fillers, and cable machines that neutralize the cable twist during the cabling process.

Construction Jacketing and insulation are critical, said Orsini. After determining AWG size, next you must evaluate the environment and application. “Are there oils or chemicals present?” he asked. “If yes, you will want a cable with a jacket that can withstand them.”

Allen said that chlorinated polyethylene (CPE), polyurethane (PUR), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are the most com-

mon types. More exotic compounds are available but usually with limited demand. Stationary or continuous flex applications may dictate a better performance jacket material such as PUR. Daulton noted that special attention should be paid to cable insulation, as cables that use a heavy wall of thermoset insulation offer temperature stability and electrical benefits.

“A cable combats voltage spikes through its wall thickness and the insulation material used. Belden’s VFD cable uses thick XLP insulation, which

has much lower capacitance than THHN and generic control/tray cables that use PVC,” he said. “The wall thickness of VFD cable withstands voltage significantly better and cannot melt from heat buildup.”

The XLP insulation and lower capacitance also extends transmission distance, Daulton said.

Allen points to the variety of insulation materials available for cable conductors. “The most common types are thermoset, such as cross-

Typical insulation and capacitance values from the 2014 NEC Table 310.104(A) for 12-AWG XLPE and PVC insulations can be misleading, as they are for standard THHN cables, and some manufacturers, such as SAB North America, make VFD cables with thicker insulation. SAB’s 30-mil VFD lean products are better at protecting against corona discharge, plus have lower capacitance.

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linked polyethylene (XLPE); PVC; semiconductive (semi-conductive polymer/ PVC); and PVC/nylon insulation,” he said. “XLPE insulation can withstand higher heat and has a higher melting temperature than the others, but it is more expensive due to the crosslinking process required to insulate the conductors.”

In addition, semi-conductive insulation is believed to dissipate launch point, which occurs when the voltages exceed the capabilities of the cable.

Launch points with fewer capabilities help extend the life of a cable.

Finally, said Allen, PVC/nylon insulation provides lower OD of the conductors and is extremely robust.

Orsini added that with PVC products, insulation thickness needs to be 20 mil, minimum.

Shielding is critical VFDs emit electrical noise, which can interfere with other circuits. This interference can cause motor torque loss or cause motors to stall out or fail completely. It can also reduce system efficiency, pose a hazard to personnel in the area, and create false trips of drive overcurrent. To protect those circuits, VFD cable shielding is critical.

This shielding should be constructed of either a foil and tinned copper braid or a 5-mil copper tape with minimum overlap of 25%, said Orsini. “The higher the percentage of overlap, the better the protection will be,” he said. “The

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goal is to keep the noise within the cable and not allow it to interfere with other cables.”

Armored cables also offer effective shielding, as they too provide a low impedance path for common-mode noise to return to the drive. According to Daulton, limiting run length of VFD cable parallel to instrumentation cables to less than 10 ft can also reduce radiated noise.

As Sedivy, pointed out, “The shield system in a VFD cable serves two main purposes: to contain radiated electrical noise and provide a low impedance path to ground. Radiated noise can potentially interfere with external

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circuits and create nuisance lockouts or error conditions in controllers.

Shielding should effectively reduce radiated noise levels and the risks associated with such noise. To a lesser extent, the shield also inhibits external noise from interfering with signals internal to the cable.”

Sedivy added that another issue with VFD systems is common mode noise.

This can cause damage, especially to motor bearings. “In simple terms, common mode currents will find the path of least resistance to ground.

Often, this path is through the motor bearings,” he said. “To control common mode noise, we need to supply a low impedance path to ground. A low impedance shield system can provide this path of least resistance and help reduce the effects of common-mode noise.”

EMI usually affects the environment more than the cable. Frequency changes, pulsing, reflective wave phenomenon and coupling effects are more likely to affect the cable than EMI, said Allen.

Orsini agreed, adding that EMI/noise does not affect VFD cables if grounded properly. “Using a grounding gland at the enclosure (metal) and motor will remove the noise from the shield and take it to the earth ground for the enclosure and motor,” he said. “There are also two PE terminals on the motor and drive. Affixing the shield to one of the PE terminals will continue the protection. In essence, you create a Farrady Cage to keep the noise contained and safely removed to earth/ ground.”

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charging currents that can damage VFD controllers. “We continue to look at alternative insulation materials that improve the electrical characteristics pertinent to VFD systems,” he said.

Allen echoed these thoughts, adding that higher voltage requirements, up to 2,000 V, have been a force in cable redesigns. “Cable companies are able to offer improved features as advances in plastic compounds continue to be developed, and then use those compounds to achieve more industry approvals,” he said. “Smaller OD, more flexibility and more industry approvals like UL, CSA, CCC and HAR will always be driving changes in the VFD designs.”

Fulfilling changing need As VFDs change, so too must the cables that are used to supply power to them. Daulton highlighted how an emphasis on smaller footprints and lower-cost drives has changed the characteristics of drive performance.

As a result, cable manufacturers are seeing more demand for lower cable capacitance to reduce the effects of

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Miniaturized electronics

pose board connector challenges Edited by: Mary C. Gannon • Senior Editor

Wearable and mobile electronics are getting smaller, and that’s a big problem. Their lack of internal space makes it difficult to find electrical components that will not only fit, but also perform reliably. This difficulty can be particularly noticeable when it comes to board level connectors.

You can now source high-density connectors with terminal pitches as tight as 0.35 mm and widths down to 1.7 mm on the socket side. Just a few years ago, connectors with a similar terminal pitch would have been at least 33% larger.

This miniaturization creates a number of electrical and mechanical issues for both board-to-board and board-to-flexible printed circuit (FPC) connectors. Fortunately, you can work around the engineering constraints related to miniaturization by paying attention to connector design features.

Here’s what you need to know.

Maintain key electrical properties The small form factor of fine-pitch connectors makes it all the more difficult to meet key electrical requirements—such as protection against electromagnetic interference (EMI) and impedance matching.

Shielding—As terminal pitch narrows, it becomes much more difficult to manage EMI. Fine pitch connectors can lack the internal space for EMI shielding and ground terminals. In highperformance mobile products, radio frequency interference (RFI) between internal electric parts and the antenna circuit has been an issue because it causes severe degradation of receiver sensitivity. To avoid the degradation, we provide small, shielded board-to-board connectors with a multi-ground contact. When using this type of 154

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connector, electromagnetic noise from the connector is attenuated. Some connectors, however, do manage to strike a good balance between size and EMI reduction.

For example, Panasonic’s P4S Shield Type has a terminal pitch of just 0.4 mm and still manages to incorporate EMI shielding and ground terminals every 2.4 mm. When mated, this connector attenuates electromagnetic noise by 2.1 dB (average of 100 MHz to 3 Hz), a significant reduction that all but eliminates EMI from the connector itself.

Despite the addition of the shielding features, this narrow pitch connector still takes up very little room at just 1.5 mm high and 3.80 mm wide. The P4S Shield Type is also available in 50- and 74-pin versions for even higher density connections. It also has versions for both board-to-board and board-to-FPC connections.

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As wearable devices get smaller, it can be challenging to fit board level connectors in these miniature designs.

Image courtesy of iFixit, www.iFixit.com

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Impedance matching—In the growing number of applications involving highspeed data transfer, impedance matching between the board and connector helps preserve the signal integrity—by preventing signal reflection. In the past, you would typically have to trade off impedance matching and connector size.

But recently, fine-pitch connectors that allow impedance matching and support high-speed data transmission standards have become more widely available.

One such connector is the Panasonic Y4BH, which is among the first impedance matched fine-pitch connector of its size. It features a 0.4-mm terminal pitch, 1.0-mm height and 3.2-mm width. The Y4BH has no fixed ground pin, which allows any contacts to be used as ground or signal. In cases where the connectors are used in high-speed differential data, it’s still best to use a GSSG pin assignment pattern for optimal performance.

Intended for high-speed data transmission, this new connector precisely matches the differential impedance of

Compared with an otherwise identical unshielded design, the shielded connector exhibits an average magnetic near field eduction of 2.1 dB across a frequency range from 100 MHz to 3.0 GHz.

the FPC. It supports high-speed data transmission standards with characteristic impedance values of: • 100 ohms for 6 Gb/sec, SATA 3.0, DP 1.2, HDMI 2.0 • 90 ohms for 10 Gb/sec, USB 3.0, USB 3.1 • 86 ohms for 10 Gb/sec, PCI Express 2.0, PCI Express 3.0

Tough contact construction Panasonic narrow-pitch connectors feature a rugged contact geometry called Tough Contact and use advanced materials to maximize reliability. Tough Contact connectors are built around a metal bellows whose spring forces strike a balance between easy insertion and resistance to shock loads. The Tough Contact design also features a notched cross section to ensure a high-force, edge-to-edge contact between connector halves. This V-shaped notch has the side benefit of sealing out contamination from flux or other particulate.

Tough Contact also features an integrated nickel solder barrier and a proprietary anti-corrosive treatment. Finally, these connectors also offer a coplanarity of 0.08 maximum up to 60 pins with a 0.35 mm pitch.

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An illustration of how Panasonic’s Tough Contact designs are constructed.

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Panasonic’s A4US Series Board-to-FPC Connectors. In addition to 1.0 and 1.5 mm mated heights, the series is now available in a 0.8 mm height for added space savings in compact electronic devices.

Make robust connections As board-level connectors get smaller, they tend to become more delicate.

Yet these connectors still need to be mechanically robust to withstand challenging conditions on the assembly line and in use. These conditions include:

• High mechanical forces—In these mobile devices, board-to-board and board-to-flex circuit connections must withstand substantial forces—from insertion forces during assembly to shock and vibration forces. The best line of defense against these forces is a connector designed with a rugged contact

Intended for high-speed data transmission, the new Y4BH connector from Panasonic precisely matches the diffe ential impedance of the FPC.

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Optical connections between devices Some of the same miniaturization trends affecting board-to-board and board-to-FPC connectors also come into play with device level data connections. Machine vision, medical and test-and-measurement systems are all becoming more compact. At the same time, they require fast, noise-free data transmission between peripheral sensing units and control boards. One emerging solution for these applications is the use of compact optical connectors.

The Panasonic Active Optical Connector (AOC), for example, consists of small, PCBmounted connectors that communicate over an optical cable at distances up to 10 m.

Board-mounted optical transceivers have been available for years, but earlier models tended to be rather large in relation the AOC. Compared to SFP Type optical connectors, the AOC technology reduces the amount of space needed on the PCB by more than 80%.

The space savings result, in large part, from the integration of the connector’s optical-electrical converters into the optical cable.

In high-speed data transmission applications, optical connectors, such as the AOC, offer some compelling assembly and performance benefits over traditional wired connections:

The Panasonic Y4BH has no fi ed ground pin, which allows any contacts to be used as ground or signal. In cases where the connectors are used in high-speed diffe ential data, it’s still best to use a GSSG pin assignment pattern for optimal performance.

geometry. Panasonic’s S35 Series, for example, has a removal force of 0.215 N per pin.

terminal pitch, for example, coplanarity should be no better than 0.08 mm to enhance solderability.

• Solder rise—Low-profile, narrow pitch connectors are susceptible to damage from solder rise. The best connectors will provide an integrated nickel barrier to keep the solder in its place.

As wearable and other space-constrained mobile electronics become more prevalent, you’ll see a continuing push toward even smaller form factors.

Because many of these small devices will need to maximize signal integrity, expect to see even more efforts to enhance electrical performance and mechanical reliability of narrow pitch connectors.

• Corrosion—Corrosive gases generated can damage connectors, ultimately shortening their life. Look for connectors with an anti-corrosion surface treatment.

• Coplanarity—Coplanarity of the connector pins directly affects solderability.

On a 60-pin connector with a 0.35-mm

Easy wiring and assembly. Optical connectors simplify wiring process. Connecting the AOC is as simple as plugging the optical cable to the two receptacles on the board. And unlike optical transceivers, the AOC does not need to be aligned.

Panasonic na.industrial.panasonic.com

High transmission speeds. AOC offers singlechannel, bidirectional data transmission at speeds up to 6 Gb/sec.

Electrical isolation. Because the connection between devices is optical, the AOC provides electrical isolation, which is essential in applications that require reliable data transmission. The AOC has passed isolation voltage tests at 5.5 and 7.0 kV on 5 cm of fiber.

Reliability. With traditional optical receivers, dust can interfere with data transmission. AOC has no exposed optical connections—all optics are encapsulated within the plug and cable.

Panasonic evaluates coplanarity to verify quality during the reflow p ocess.

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Acopian ......................................................... 134 Advanced Interconnections Corp. ............. 152 Canfield Connector ...................................... 150 Fischer Connector ....................................... 144 HELUKABEL USA ...........................................157 Hitachi Cable America, Inc. ..........................135 igus, Inc. ........................................................139 Keystone Electronics Corp. .........................151 Master Bond, Inc. . ....................................... 138 Methode ....................................................... 130 SAB North America .......................................149 Turck ...................................................... 143,145 Wago USA . .................................................... 153

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