Design World December 2017

2017 Leadership Winne- rs 16

www.designworldonline.com

December 2017

Pages 3

inside: Motion Control: Sizing and selecting servos:

The system approach

p. 88

Linear Motion: How to maximize stage

precision.

p. 100

Medical: 6 challenges to address

before starting a wearable medical device project.

p. 108

Multidisciplinary for product tools development 50

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SMOOTH. PRECISE. SAFE. WHEN IT MATTERS THE MOST NSK employs cutting-edge friction control technology, precision accuracy and dedicated customer collaboration to deliver custom integrated solutions for medical diagnostic imaging systems and equipment.

PRECISION PRODUCTS FOR LINEAR MOTION AND CONTROL

www.nskamericas.com

DesignWorldAd_OptB.indd 1 NSK 12-17.indd 1

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2017 Leadership Winne- rs 16

www.designworldonline.com

December 2017

Pages 3

inside: Motion Control: Sizing and selecting servos:

The system approach

p. 88

Linear Motion: How to maximize stage

precision.

p. 100

Medical: 6 challenges to address

before starting a wearable medical device project.

p. 108

Multidisciplinary for product tools development 50

DECEMBER DW COVER 12-17_FINAL.indd 1

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AutomationDirect 12-17.indd 1

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2017 »

Lead e rs hip Winn e r s

Here in our eleventh annual issue on Leadership in

Advanced Materials

Digital Manufacturing Electrical Fastening & Joining

Engineering, we announce the

Fluid Power

winners in the Leadership Awards Program that we have been

Industrial Automation

Mechanical

promoting throughout the year.

Mechatronics

The Design World User Motion

Community has cast votes and we are pleased to celebrate the

Networks Software

winners in this special section of

Switches & Sensors

“Leadership in Engineering.”

®

SENSORS

Test & Measurement DESIGN WORLD

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Advanced Materials

Congratulations!

Eagle Stainless Tube & Fabrication Inc. Eagle Stainless is known for delivering stainless steel, high nickel alloy & titanium components to customers in medical, aerospace and high-tech manufacturing.

Since its inception in 1982, Eagle Stainless has a sterling record of on-time

delivery, fair pricing, product quality and highly skilled employees dedicated to continuous improvement and training. Eagle has earned its reputation as a supplier of choice for off-the-shelf stainless steel products and fabricated stainless steel products.

Laser welding/cutting: Eagle’s computer controlled laser welding equipment

enables for the production of extremely close-tolerance cutting, notching, etching and welding operations.

Cut-to-length tubing: The company can cut and deburr any diameter tubing

in quantities from a single piece to millions of pieces, from lengths of 0.010-in. and longer with standard tolerances.

Bending/coiling: Tubes can be bent without excessive distortion, wrinkling or

fracturing.

State-of-the-art tube bending

Custom shaped tubing is available from 0.040-in. to 1.00-in., in lengths to 17

ft., in a variety of cross-sections.

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

CNC/Swiss machining: Even the most intricately machined parts are no

problem. Working in diameters ranging from 0.030-in. to 2-in., the company can meet demanding application requirements.

Flaring and reductions: Special tools and procedures have

The company assures customers that 100% of parts

are made to specifications, with 100% on-time delivery and 100% traceable certified material.

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been developed to insure repeatability for proper mating of

ADVANCED MATERIALS

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2017

Le a d e r s h i p i n E n g in e e rin g

Digital Manufacturing

Congratulations!

Accumold

Accumold began in a rented garage in 1985. Its primary focus is on very small micro sized parts that other companies can’t produce. Today the company focuses on industries that require fast turn around and complex parts for high tech industries such as Micro Electronics, Automotive, Fiber/ Optics, Medical, and Military, as well as new emerging markets and new technologies.

The founders established high standards of quality when the company began. These standards still exist today. Many of the original customers that entrusted their most valuable parts production to Accumold continue to do so today. Accumold believes this is due to the professional management staff, expert tool makers, and top notch production people.

Accumold builds specialized molding machines to handle minute parts measured in microns and no bigger than 0.5 cubic inches. In addition to their size, these parts have very tight tolerances and must be molded efficiently and precisely – time and time again.

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But not every micro-molded application requires microscopic parts. Many

DIGITAL

MANUFACTURING

2017

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Leadership Winners

require demanding geometry and tight tolerances on a slightly larger

scale. Micro-features – incorporating very small features on a normal-

sized part up to about 3 inches in diameter – are another of Accumold’s capabilities. Insert micro-molding is another capability of Accumold.

Accumold is an ISO 13485:2003, ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 certified company with a state-of-the-art, 82,000 square foot production plant located near Des Moines, IA.

PRESEN TED BY

www.designworldonline.com

December 2017

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Le a d e r s h i p i n E n g in e e rin g

Electrical & Electronics

Congratulations!

IDEC Corp A leading manufacturer of automation and control products

technology and people anytime from

for 70 years, IDEC delivers reliable and innovative components

anywhere through responsible innovation;

backed by exceptional personalized support. This includes Field

transforming daily lives and creating a

Sales Engineers’ onsite expertise and hands-on PLC/HMI training

bridge to Human Machine Interface and

seminars. IDEC also offers technical support with no annual contract

sustainable global living.

and free software upgrades. Passion drives IDEC to design and build

only the highest-quality devices; constantly looking for ways to

and personalized support to provide the

leverage technologies and services to ensure increased safety and

most versatile solutions for automation

machine efficiency while protecting the environment.

needs. We provide customized solutions

to optimize the efficiency and flexibility

As we enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0),

IDEC utilizes innovative products

IDEC’s mission is to develop safer, network-compatible human-

of a system by offering engineers a wide

machine interfaces to connect the world and help advance the

product selection and easy-to-use

IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) for future generations. As real

programming to choose from.

and virtual worlds converge, it gives us an opportunity to connect

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Fastening & Joining

Congratulations!

Trim-Lok

Trim-Lok is well recognized and respected as a leader in the manufacture of top quality trims and seals. Trim-Lok provides service and competitively priced trim & seal products. Trim-Lok’s product development assistance unifies industrial design, engineering rigid prototyping and manufacturing to serve their customers. Trim-lok’s product development team brings high caliber mechanical design, excellent materials knowledge, and strong manufacturing expertise.

Additionally, Trim-Lok manufactures custom rubber and plastic extrusion

parts for over 20 different industries (RV, automotive aftermarket, marine, heavy equipment, machinery, etc.) The company has a 40-year track record of producing high quality products, on-time delivery, fair pricing, and highly skilled employees.

Trim-Lok is ISO TS 16949 certified for automotive supply.

Trim-Lok works with many types of rubber and plastic materials including

dense and closed cellular sponge EPDM, Silicone, Nitrile PVC, dense Neoprene, rigid and flexible PVC, ABS, PP, PE, TPO, TPE, TPV and TPR. The company’s extrusion lines provide the flexibility to run single material extrusion as well as multi- material extrusion (co-extrusion).

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

Trim-Lok was founded in the late 1960’s starting with an innovative

coextruded trim piece used on motorcycle helmets. The Trim-Lok mission states, “To be the leader and trusted supplier of choice for innovative the normal supplier service requests. Trim-Lok provides a

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Trim and Seal solutions.” Trim-Lok goes above and beyond

FASTENING & JOINING

Leadership Winners 2017 P R ESENT ED BY

DESIGN WORLD

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Fluid Power

Congratulations!

The Lee Company For more than 65 years, The Lee Company has pioneered the development of miniature fluid control components for aerospace hydraulic and fuel systems, automated liquid handling in medical and scientific instrumentation, medical disposable applications, down-hole oil tools, machine tools, inkjet printing, and other industries worldwide.

The company’s products include miniature solenoid valves, high-speed

micro-dispense valves, nozzles, dispense pumps, custom manifold systems, inert tubing, Lee Plugs, check valves, shuttle valves, pressure relief valves, directional flow controls, safety screens, flow restrictors and associated fluid handling components.

Lee’s unique capabilities in miniaturization and engineering

expertise (one of every eight employees here is a graduate engineer) keep the company at the forefront of fluid flow technology, and enable it to work effectively with customers to solve difficult fluid control problems.

The Lee Company employs more than 1,000 people at its

Technical Centers in Westbrook and Essex, Connecticut—where all engineering and manufacturing is performed. Lee Company sales offices, staffed by degreed sales engineers, are located throughout

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................. the United States and Europe, and the Company’s distribution

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network spans the entire globe.

FLUID POWER

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Industrial Automation

Congratulations!

Automation Direct A well-recognized name in the industrial automation market, AutomationDirect provides free award-winning in-house sales and technical support. AutomationDirect provides customers quick order and delivery with an online store and toll-free number. Prices on most products are well below the industry average and a 30-day money-back guarantee is offered on nearly all items.

With tens of thousands of part listings, new products

include the Productivity2000 PLC, C-more EA9 HMI, and SR55 AC motor soft starter. These products represent many years of design and development by AutomationDirect’s own engineering team as well as their strategic partners.

The company also offers AC drives/motors, sensors, pushbuttons, enclosures, circuit protection and more.

The state-of-the-art headquarters facility near Atlanta is designed throughout for maximum performance. Orders

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................. for in-stock items can be taken as late as 6 p.m. EST and be shipped for next-day delivery.

The company provides online tutorial videos through their

webstore at www.automationdirect.com site as well as

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their YouTube channel. A Customer Forum application questions.

AutomationDirect’s customer support

team has been rated top-notch by its

customers, consistently ranking the company’s service as better than other suppliers.

INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION

Leadership Winners 2017 P R ESENT ED BY

DESIGN WORLD

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Mechanical

Congratulations!

Helical

In 1958 Helical invented the beam style flexible shaft coupling by taking a novel concept and developing the method to generate the HELI-CAL Flexure into a piece of stainless steel. Over time, the adaptability of the HELI-CAL Flexure in flexible couplings, u-joints and machined springs has helped to solve thousands of mechanical misalignment problems.

Helical Products Company manufactures parts that provide a competitive edge combining simplicity of manufacture/ assembly with durability and quality in a compact design at a reasonable cost for virtually any industry from military and aerospace to medical and energy. AS9100 certified, RoHS Compliant and ITAR registered. Helical Products Company is part of the MW Industries family of premier manufacturers which includes Century Spring, Hyperco, Servometer and Bellows Tech.

The HELI-CAL Flexure used as a coupling will transmit torque

while compensating for lateral, axial, and angular misalignment movements. This technology enables customer specified end attachments such as tangs, clamps, flanges or threaded ends, to

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................. be integrated into a single multifunctional component. Helical offers

an extensive line of standard flexible couplings and has designed and

manufactured over 20,000 custom couplings to maximize value and

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performance for 1000’s of customers.

MECHANICAL

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Mechatronics

Congratulations!

Yaskawa America Inc. For nearly 100 years, Yaskawa has provided cutting-edge automation technology, operational excellence, and a breadth of engineering expertise to help customers solve specific motion challenges.

Products that perform: With motion control systems from Yaskawa, you have access to solutions that boost equipment effectiveness. You have the confidence that your machines will work as expected and give you a competitive advantage.

• Operational excellence: Yaskawa empowers you to consistently deliver reliable

equipment to your customers, and have that equipment continue to operate without unscheduled downtime.

• Engineering expertise: Yaskawa works as an extension of your engineering staff

to provide you with the time, resources, and confidence to create elegant and reliable automated setups.

Drives and Motion Products Our range of rotary, linear, and direct drive motors match with digital SERVOPACKS (3 W to 55 kW) and pair with our single or multi-axis machine controllers for reliable machine builds. Our

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................. industrial ac drives cover every application need in the industrial plant, offering the greatest

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selection of size and performance available, with power ranges from fractional to 2,250 hp.

Yaskawa Motoman Robotics

With nearly 300,000 robot arms installed worldwide, Yaskawa Motoman Robotics is

committed to a comprehensive customer-centered approach. Our line of industrial

robots increases efficiency, provides consistent quality, and boosts productivity to deliver

MECHATRONICS

Leadership Winners 2017

outstanding ROI. The Yaskawa Robotic product portfolio includes industrial robots with 4

to 15 axes (and load capacities of 2 to 800 kg) as well as special machines, devices, and turnkey systems.

PRESEN TED BY

DESIGN WORLD

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Motion Control

Congratulations!

NB Corp. of America Since its establishment in 1939, Nippon Bearing has been a pioneer of linearmotion product manufacturing. Established in 1987, NB Corp. of America’s Chicago location was the first overseas office for the company. Today, NB Corp. of America operates an ever-expanding sales network as well as offices on the East and West coasts.

Linear-motion components are core to the design of machinery. They use

sliding and rolling motion to carry loads and guide linear axes.

One new offering from NB Corp. of America is a linear bearing called the

eXrail. This linear guide rail uses recirculating needle rollers to support loads over linear strokes. It’s useful in applications needing high precision (such as medical equipment, for example) thanks to high rigidity and motion accuracy — as well as the ability to damp vibrations.

Detailed product drawings and tables that provide dimensional and mechanical information can be found at www.nbcorporation.com or through the NB Linear Mobile App. NB products are designed to be interchangeable with competing brands and come in Inch Standard

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along with both Asian and Euro Metric Standards.

MOTION CONTROL

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Networks

Congratulations!

Beckhoff Automation In the movement toward Industrie 4.0, PC-based control technology from Beckhoff Automation provides the ideal toolbox to implement the leading automation concepts. These concepts include IIoT, cloudconnected systems, centralized PC-based control systems, and ever more connected devices via industrial Ethernet and OPC UA. Many users are already integrating Beckhoff controllers into advanced production networks, enabling them to communicate with databases, perform remote maintenance over the Internet, or request cloud-based services.

TwinCAT, the PC-based control software from Beckhoff, permits the secure integration of a range of connected devices into the control system such as: smartphones, tablets and wearable technologies in the form of smartwatches and augmented reality glasses. Open industrial Ethernet technology in the form of EtherCAT and “vendor neutral” solutions via OPC UA are available from Beckhoff to ensure data security without restricting connectivity. By adding new networking breakthroughs such as EtherCAT P, which combines power and data lines into one 4-wire Ethernet cable,

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toward establishing meaningful Smart Factory practices while ensuring lean automation designs and streamlined system architectures.

While supporting all IEC 61131-3 programming languages, a range of

NETWORKS

Leadership Winners 2017

available computer science/IT programming tools, as well as other globallyrecognized standards for programming, networking and cloud connectivity, Beckhoff advances open and leading-edge automation solutions that deliver high performance and efficiency.

PRESEN TED BY

DESIGN WORLD

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Software

Congratulations!

PTC

PTC has the most robust Internet of Things technology in the world. In 1986 we revolutionized digital 3D design, and in 1998 were first to market with Internet-based PLM. Now our leading IoT and AR platform and field-proven solutions bring together the physical and digital worlds to reinvent the way you operate, and service products.

With PTC, global manufacturers and an ecosystem of partners and developers can

capitalize on the promise of the IoT today and drive the future of innovation.

PTC unlocks the value created by the convergence of the physical and digital worlds.

PTC brings to market 8 leading technology brands:

• Creo (CAD)

• Windchill (PLM)

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SOFTWARE

Leadership Winners 2017 P RESENT ED BY

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• Integrity (ALM)

• Servigistics (SLM)

• Kinex (Connected Apps)

• ThingWorx (IoT)

• Vuforia (AR)

• Kepware (Industrial Connectivity)

Visit www.ptc.com and discover why the most innovative

companies. partner with PTC.

December 2017 www.designworldonline.com

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Le a d e r s h i p i n E n g i n e e rin g

Switches & Sensors

Congratulations!

MTS Sensors

Absolute, Linear Position Sensors- Users deserve extraordinary solutions – MTS responds with an extensive range of measuring stroke options, simultaneous measurement of multiple magnets, smart electronic designs with built-in diagnostics, housing concepts and a variety of controller interfaces.

Its Temposonics magnetostrictive technology is maximized with electronics and double-shielded construction to assure immunity against interference.

Robust designs guarantee maximum reliability, high-precision position measurements and long-term operation even in the harshest environments.

MTS addresses users’ exact design and performance needs – from ultra-low

profiles and detached electronics to compact hazardous area approved housings.

They offer the first linear position sensor to combine SIL2 safety capability with hazardous area approvals for industrial applications. The T-Series sensor was created for safe use in settings where there is potential for exposure to flames and caustic substances, as well as the possibility of explosive atmospheres.

MTS Sensors offers a full range of solutions for Mobile Hydraulics (off-

highway) and Liquid Level applications. MTS position sensors and liquid level

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................. transmitters help customers automate functions and processes. The company’s

exclusive Temposonics magnetostrictive technology facilitates the highest levels of manufacturing speed, safety and efficiency.

Users enjoy trouble-free operation for years without the need for

adjustment or recalibration.

As an organization, MTS Sensors delivers value through a combination of

technology products and people with the experience to help customers optimize their design decisions. In essence, we help organizations around the world improve productivity and reduce total cost of ownership.

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Test & Measurement

Congratulations!

HBM

HBM designs and manufactures high quality products for an extensive range of measurement applications. Users worldwide rely on the perfectly matched components of the measurement chain that guarantees maximum accuracy of measurement results and enables optimization of the complete product life cycle, from the development through the testing stages, as well as in manufacturing and production. Their product range covers sensors (both standard and custom), strain gauges, data acquisition systems, and software for structural durability investigations, tests and analysis.

For over 65 years, HBM has earned itself a global reputation in its three key

competencies: flexibility, precision and innovation. HBM develops and manufactures its products at its seven locations in the United States, Europe and China.

HBM has vast application knowledge and proven ability to help OEM

manufacturers add strain gauge based pressure, force, reactionary torque or load measurements to their product. When catalog sensors are not an option, HBM will assist in designing a custom sensor solution all the way through to the final product, helping to meet the needs of today’s smart products and with as little change as possible to their existing system.

From strain gauges to sub-assemblies, HBM can design,

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................. build and deliver volume sensor solutions, for any industry and

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application type.

TEST &

MEASUREMENT

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December 2017 www.designworldonline.com

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DESIGN WORLD

12/5/17 12:20 PM

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It’s what’s on the InsIde that counts ® E L E C T R O N I C S

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DW-THiNK Lighthouse+PCBConnector_12-17.indd 1 Keystone 12-17.indd 17

11/9/17 11/29/17 10:11 8:43 AM AM

Contents 12 • 2017

•

vol 12 no 12

•

designworldonline.com

2017 Leadership Winners Pages 3-16

I

N

S

I

D

E : Fiber optic cable solutions • Spring-loaded connectors • Designing the right cable for your application

Inter

118

2017

Cable & Connector Reference Guide COVER_Interconnect_2017_FINAL.indd 66

114 _3D CAD

Sizing and selecting servos: The system approach

Is SolidWorks CAM better than an integrated system?

Never sized and selected a servo?

Here we outline the basics of how interrelated parameters need a system approach.

11/28/17 3:46 PM

66-87

| Courtesy of Tektronix

88 _MOTION CONTROL

A supplement of Design World • December 2017

A supplement of Design World December 2017

When the engineering software vendor announced it was moving from integrated CAM to a total CAD/CAM solution industry watchers took note.

developments in

132

100 _LINEAR MOTION

118 _TEST & MEASUREMENT

How to maximize stage precision

Oscilloscopes get in step with the times

Motion controller and drive features can address stage behavior that degrades throughput and accuracy.

Here’s how. .

108 _MEDICAL 6 challenges to address before starting a wearable medical device project

Before you start a medical wearable device project, consider the following challenges and suggestions on how to work with them.

What to expect when

3D printing software

you install a metal 3D

targets manufacturing

printer

11/28/17 3:49 PM

130-149

A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the new Tektronix 5 Series mixed signal oscilloscope reveals its next-generation design.

124 _MECHANICAL Babbitt and PTFE-Based polymers in hydrodynamic bearings

Hydrodynamic bearings are used in applications where the primary concern is protecting the shaft, so proper bearing material selection is critical.

Here’s a comparison between the properties of Babbitt/white metal and PTFE- based polymers in this bearing application.

December 2017 www.designworldonline.com

CONTENTS 12-17_Vs3.LL.indd 18

144

COVER_MPF 12-17_Vs2.indd 130

ON THE COVER Today’s cars contain 100 million lines of code.

Software that connects engineering disciplines organizes this effort. | Courtesy of Siemens

A | S | B | P|E

A | S | B | P|E

American Society of Business Publication Editors

American Society of Business Publication Editors

Fostering B2B editorial excellence

2017 Regional

Fostering B2B editorial excellence

2017 Regional

PR INT

DESIGN

Revenue of over $3 million

Revenue of over $3 million

Award Winner

18

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Award Winner

DESIGN WORLD

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Forming the Future

LEADING THE

INDUSTRY

DESIGN WORLD

Follow the whole team on twitter @DesignWorld

DESIGN & PRODUCTION SERVICES

EDITORIAL

Editorial Director Paul J. Heney pheney@wtwhmedia.com @dw_editor Managing Editor Leslie Langnau llangnau@wtwhmedia.com @dw_3dprinting Executive Editor Leland Teschler lteschler@wtwhmedia.com @dw_leeteschler Senior Editor Miles Budimir mbudimir@wtwhmedia.com @dw_motion

THE

BEST SPRING

CALCULATOR

For more than a century Newcomb Spring has been recognized as the industry leader, with unmatched capabilities and expert services.

Our precision manufacturing processes produce the highest quality custom springs, stampings and wire forms with:

• • • • •

The best spring calculator - the Springulator® The largest Wafios FMU in the USA CNC forming up to .625” wire diameter 9 facilities in the USA and Canada An Innovation Department that develops custom software & equipment

Senior Editor Lisa Eitel leitel@wtwhmedia.com @dw_lisaeitel Senior Editor Mary Gannon mgannon@wtwhmedia.com @dw_marygannon Associate Editor Mike Santora msantora@wtwhmedia.com @dw_mikesantora

Director, Audience Development Bruce Sprague bsprague@wtwhmedia.com

VP, Creative Services Mark Rook mrook@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_graphics Art Director Matthew Claney mclaney@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_designer Graphic Designer Allison Washko awashko@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_allison Traffic Manager Mary Heideloff mheideloff@wtwhmedia.com Production Associate Tracy Powers tpowers@wtwhmedia.com DIGITAL MEDIA/WEB/ DEVELOPMENT

Web Development Manager B. David Miyares dmiyares@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_webdave

Digital Media Manager Patrick Curran pcurran@wtwhmedia.com @wtwhseopatrick

Videographer Manager John Hansel jhansel@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_jhansel Videographer Bradley Voyten bvoyten@wtwhmedia.com @bv10wtwh Videographer Derek Little dlittle@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_derek

DIGITAL MARKETING

Digital Marketing Director Virginia Goulding vgoulding@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_virginia Webinar Manager Lisa Rosen lrosen@wtwhmedia.com Digital Marketing Specialist Aly Ryan aryan@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_aly Leadlift Onboarding Specialist Mike Ulanski mulanski@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_mike Events Manager Jen Kolasky jkolasky@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_jen Events Marketing Specialist Christina Lograsso clograsso@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_christina

Customer Service Representative JoAnn Martin jmartin@wtwhmedia.com Customer Service Representative Stephanie Hulett shulett@wtwhmedia.com Digital Production Specialist Reggie Hall rhall@wtwhmedia.com

FINANCE

Controller Brian Korsberg bkorsberg@wtwhmedia.com Accounts Receivable Specialist Jamila Milton jmilton@wtwhmedia.com

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Medical Design & OUTSOURCING newcombspring.com Staff page 12-17_Vs1.indd 20

20 December 2017 www.designworldonline.com

DESIGN WORLD

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24 Teschler on Topic 26 Technology Forward 28 Green Engineering 30 Design For Industry 40 Design Notes 50 CAE Solutions 56 Internet of Things 150 Product World 160 Ad Index

DESIGN WORLD

CONTENTS 12-17_second page_Vs2.indd 21

December 2017

21

12/4/17 10:19 AM

NEW!

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It’s not hard to see that robotics is growing—and the trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down. The International Federation of Robotics recently reported that 1.7 million new robots will be installed at factories around the globe by 2020. And this Fall, Germany’s VDMA said that its 2017 forecast for that country’s robotics and automation industry was being revised from 7% to 11%.

Here at Design World, we’ve long covered the world of robots, from the Robotic Trends column in the magazine to our RoboticTips.com website, to videos, webinars, and blogs. But we’ve seen this industry explode in importance, and I’m happy to tell you a little about how we’re expanding our coverage in the New Year.

Several months back, our company purchased The Robot Report (robotreport. com), a well-respected online portal that covers a little bit of everything in this space: AI, industrial robots, service robots, vision and sensing, drones and autonomous vehicles—even startups and funding. The Robot Report also features a fascinating interactive global map tied to a comprehensive database of public and private companies in the robotics field.

We’ve taken the content from the RoboticTips website and merged it into The Robot Report, which I encourage you to check out—it’s full of original, enterprise reporting and you can easily subscribe to the monthly eNewsletter. We’ll also be featuring special The Robot Report print sections here in the magazine four times in 2018: February, June, August and November.

What’s more, our whole editorial staff is truly excited about our big event launch tied into this acquisition. The inaugural Robotics Summit & Expo will be held May 23-24, 2018 at the Westin Boston Waterfront. This dynamic event will include presentations on cutting-edge, proven robotic applications and techniques, and will give you the opportunity to network with the brightest entrepreneurs, top engineering minds, and major investors as they implement robotics solutions across multiple sectors. Conference tracks will focus on automation, drones, healthcare/surgical, service, autonomous technology, industrial, logistics/warehousing, and AI. Details are at roboticssummit.com … hope to see you there in May. DW

WWW.ALLMOTION.COM

(510) 471-4000

Paul J. Heney - Editorial Director pheney@wtwhmedia.com On Twitter @ DW—Editor

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22

December 2017 www.designworldonline.com DESIGN WORLD

Insights 12-17_Vs2-1.3.LL.indd 22

12/1/17 2:37 PM

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Smalley 12-17.indd 23

11/29/17 8:46 AM

Teschler on Topic Which is better, looking at a video or just thinking?

There are plenty of jokes about people with their head down and their noses buried in their smart phones. But there may be a serious down side, in addition to bumping into walls, when most people have an instant distraction at hand to ward off boredom.

It turns out that a distracted society is an uncreative society. That’s the lesson coming out of several research groups that have studied the value of unstructured time. In one case, researchers from Penn. State found that people who are bored are more likely to let their mind wander in creative ways.

There is also anecdotal evidence that people spend less time musing if recent findings from Netflix are to be believed, The video giant commissioned a study of 1,600 Americans, balanced by age and gender, that found about 37% of them watch TV shows or movies at work. About 12% admit to having done so in a public restroom.

You might think that consuming video content isn’t necessarily a bad thing at least when it comes to engineers. After all, there are a lot

of YouTube videos devoted to technical education. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I’ve appeared in a number of these myself.)

But it’s clear that educational videos aren’t what most people answering the Netflix survey spend their time on.

About 40% said they had streamed content while riding a bus and about 12% of these admit to being so distracted by what they were watching that they missed their stop. It’s unlikely that videos on the fundamentals of calculus have caused many of these missed stops.

There has been a large body of research on creativity. One common thread in the results is that creative types tend to get ideas during periods of associative thinking—that is, letting the mind meander and just meditating.

There is evidence that time spent musing is time well spent, particularly for technical types. Consider a recent study by three business professors hailing from the University of Toronto and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It found a sharp rise in innovative projects posted on a major crowdfunding platform when top engineering schools are on break. The researchers concluded that slack time drives innovation to some degree.

“Our evidence suggests that although

creators may be able to perform their most important creative work during their spare time while they are at school or work, they are more likely to overcome the friction presented by mundane tasks when they have a solid block of slack time,” the researchers say.

Creativity arising from a little free time can take many forms. That might be the lesson from the antics of environmental engineer Michael Afanasyev. He recently complained to the Dutch Institute for Human rights because the Delft University of Technology would not let him defend his PhD dressed as a pirate.

Afanasyev says he is a priest of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a satirical religion that promotes buffoonery of special exemptions for religious beliefs. Pirates are a key part of the Spaghetti Monster religion. Among other things, its adherents have pointed out there is a direct inverse correlation between the number of pirates in the world and rising global temperatures.

Makes you wonder how bored you have to be to come up with a Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. DW

Leland Teschler • Executive Editor lteschler@wtwhmedia.com On Twitter @ DW—LeeTeschler

24

December 2017 www.designworldonline.com

Lee Teschler Column 12-17_Vs2.indd 24

DESIGN WORLD

11/29/17 2:27 PM

Get To Know Your Options. s Achieve squareness under load (SUL) s Integrated attachments s Assembly time reduction s Higher geometric precision s Increased life span s Multi-start helix configurations

M ac hi nedSprin g s.c o m Helical 12-17.indd 25

11/29/17 8:47 AM

Technology Forward Additive makes more strides

into volume manufacturing Not that long ago (maybe five years ago), experienced 3D printing experts were offering advice on how to make the case to your boss on purchasing a 3D printer for simple prototyping. It’s amazing how fast the focus has shifted to using additive technology to make as many parts as possible.

The success of additive in manufacturing will hinge on a couple of factors: • Materials. Materials that exactly match an engineer’s design requirements. Or sufficiently reliable new materials usable with additive technology that engineers will choose over traditional materials.

• Faster, smoother post processing.

As additive machines demonstrate faster and larger builds, the new focus is on the time it takes to finish parts.

The expectation is that additive will deliver finishes as quickly and as well as subtractive and injection molding technologies.

• Cost per part. Manufacturers will use the lowest cost-per-part technology to make any number of parts. The advantage goes to additive for custom designs. The advantage goes to subtractive for simpler designs geared for mass

production. Injection molding has a disadvantage in tooling, but an advantage in mass production.

Additive must compete here if it is to be used in manufacturing.

Additive manufacturers are working on these factors. Here’s a look at key developments in the additive industry during 2017.

Big name companies like GE continue to develop additive capabilities. Their belief in additive goes a long way toward making additive in manufacturing a reality.

Software that claims to help designers more easily go from the CAD design to the 3D print made a lot of news, especially during the last quarter of 2017.

Dassault Systemes, Siemens, Materialise, EOS, CoreTechnologies are some of the more recent companies announcing such software.

Stratasys Ltd. and Dassault Systèmes are collaborating on design and simulation capabilities for Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, which supports Stratasys’ FDM 3D printers and materials. Design optimization for lighter weight parts, strength and fatigue analysis, and print process simulation are a few features in the platform.

The latest version of Siemens’ NX software unites the next generation

of tools for additive manufacturing, computer numerical control (CNC) machining, robotics and quality inspection to enable the digitalization of part manufacturing within a single, integrated, end-to-end system. The new additive manufacturing feature in NX allows users to develop and manage parts in a single software environment for the HP Multi Jet Fusion 4200 3D printers to improve overall design-to-finished-part workflow efficiency.

EOSPRINT 2 is an intuitive, open CAM tool to optimize CAD data for EOS systems. Together with data preparation software like SIEMENS NX or Magics, it offers an extensive AM CAM environment for engineers who want to fully leverage the benefits of additive manufacturing with production-ready design.

And Materialise Magics22 offers improved workflow and design optimization tools, which should increase production speed and reduce material consumption. The latest version lets users generate metal support structure faster, create denser laser sintering platforms, and fit more parts on Stereolithography, DLP and FDM platforms.

There are plenty more examples now and coming soon as additive manufacturing matures. DW

Leslie Langnau • Managing Editor llangnau@wtwhmedia.com On Twitter @ DW_3Dprinting

26

December 2017 www.designworldonline.com

Leslie Column 12-17_Vs2.LL.indd 26

DESIGN WORLD

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Proto Labs 12-17_MPF.indd 27

11/29/17 8:48 AM

Green Engineering Paul J. Heney

• Editorial Director

Building better manufacturing plants

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Better Buildings, Better Plants Program and Better Plants Challenge is partnering with leading manufacturers and water utilities to improve energy efficiency and competitiveness in the industrial sector, saving on energy expenses throughout the process. Through the Better Plants program, partners voluntarily set a specific goal, typically to reduce energy intensity by 25% over a 10year period across all their U.S. operations.

Recently, two Better Plants partners were recognized at the 2017 Industrial Energy Technology Conference (IETC) for their efforts in industrial energy management and sustainability.

Charter Steel Received 2017 IETC Energy Award IETC recognized Charter Steel for its outstanding efforts in energy management and employee awareness.

These efforts include the development of a robust energy management program for all three Charter Steel facilities in the U.S. within a 2-year time frame. The

28

energy management program includes determining key energy performance indicators, partnerships with Better Plants and Focus on Energy, and identifying over $2 million in potential energy efficiency improvements. These improvements were identified through facilitated training sessions involving more than 60 key plant personnel.

More than $330,000 in grants, rebates and incentives have been awarded for projects, training, program development and equipment.

Aggressively implementing energy efficiency projects, including development of a preventative maintenance program to detect and repair leaks on air compressor systems to minimize electricity use at industrial facilities.

Charter Steel organized energy efficiency training programs and employee engagement events. For example, the company hosted its first DOE Process Heating In-Plant Training (InPLT) at their Saukville, Wis. plant in

December 2017 www.designworldonline.com

Green Engineering 12-17 Vs3.LL.indd 28

2016. The Saukville INPLT was a four-day training that included a process heating assessment using DOE’s Process Heating Assessment and Survey Tool (PHAST 3.0). The team at the Saukville plant was focused on identifying opportunities for reducing natural gas consumption in the reheat and annealing furnaces, and reducing the consumption of electricity in the electric arc furnace.

Participants from the company’s Cleveland plant used data from their plant and analyzed its reheat furnace.

The team collected temperature, surface area, and flue gas oxygen data for their Cleveland reheat furnace remotely and entered it in the PHAST 3.0 tool.

Participants from Saukville analyzed the energy performance of their continuous and batch annealing furnaces and identified production scheduling changes that would result in energy savings. A process heating energy management workshop (classroom training), held on the final day, offered the participants and the plant management team DESIGN WORLD

11/29/17 2:52 PM

opportunities to learn the requirements for conducting and reporting the results of a process heating energy assessment that considers the entire system, from energy inputs to the work performed as the result of these inputs. As a whole, the classroom training helped Charter Steel gain a better understanding of the necessary steps it had to take to become ISO 50001 certified.

As a result of these efforts, the participants identified significant potential energy consumption reduction opportunities at the Saukville facility. A large percentage of heat supplied to the continuous annealing furnace is going through the stack and furnace walls—this is wasted heat that can be reduced. Energy savings potential for the furnaces on which process heating assessment was carried out, varies from 9.3% to as high as 21% of the current energy use.

Nissan garners awards IETC recognized Nissan for their significant cumulative energy intensity improvement at their 3 U.S. plants (30% since 2010) which they achieved through a combination of energy management activities and upgrades of large-scale, energy-using systems.

In 2012, the Smyrna assembly plant, Nissan’s largest, achieved certification to DOE’s Superior Energy Performance program at the silver level with a 7% improvement in energy intensity over 3 years. The plant committed to continuous improvement and in 2015 was able to recertify, this time at the platinum level with an 18% improvement in energy intensity over the 2012 level.

This gave the plant a cumulative energy performance improvement of 24% over 6 years. Total energy cost savings were $2.4 million, of which $1.7 million resulted from operational changes to energy consumption (no capital investments). During this time, the Smyrna plant also upgraded the paint plant with multiple investments.

The new paint plant is 40% more energy efficient than its predecessor.

The new plant was designed and constructed with energy efficiency

DESIGN WORLD

Green Engineering 12-17 Vs3.LL.indd 29

as part of the specification. It replaces a vehicle paint plant that had been in operation since 1981. Since the start of production in 1983, Nissan’s Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant has built more than 10,000,000 vehicles, including the Nissan Altima, Maxima, and Infiniti QX60.

In late 2012, the Smyrna plant launched production of the all-electric Nissan LEAF, as well as the lithium-ion batteries that power the car. Paint System 4 is now one of three paint systems at the Smyrna site, which collectively account for approximately 70% of the total energy consumed by the Smyrna plant.

During the process of pursuing the ISO 50001 certification and SEP certification for their Canton, Miss. plant, Nissan identified chilled water generation as a Nissan North America–Canton (NNA-C) Significant Energy Use (SUE). Based on a 2014 benchmark, the chilled water system accounted for 15.06% of the plants total electrical consumption. This system consumed more than 34 Million kWh in electric power and cost around $1.69M per year to operate. In their efforts to meet the SEP goal, the plant decided to invest in upgrading their chilled water system by making upgrades to the existing system to improve efficiency and installing a dashboard to track performance. The upgrades consisted of installing an online, real-time dashboard to monitor the four main areas of the system. This online dashboard allowed them to track year-to-date and monthto-date system efficiency (kW/ton) of the project, and allowed multiple persons to view the progress of upgrades. To share information on the dashboard, the information is streamed to a live monitor in the manufacturing plant to allow plant employees to see the real-time performance.

As part of the chilled water optimization project, Nissan’s Canton plant made six major upgrades to the system. These six major items consisted of the follow:

• Reduced the thermal load from chilled water pumping by reducing the condenser water pump’s load and pulled more water through the chiller on the evaporator side.

• Added VFDs to the condenser water pumps to let them adjust the speed of the pumps depending on the season/weather • Optimized chilled water tempera- tures by adjusted the condenser water and evaporator water flows to maximize temperatures based on changes in the outside weather • Adjusted control of the two-stage fans on the cooling tower and optimized operations.

• Optimized the chiller sequence by adjusting flows and temperature of water going into the chiller and changing the flow of water through the chillers.

The actual savings during the first year of operation were approximately $498,000 and the project savings resulted in a 1.5-year payback. DW

DOE’s Better Buildings, Better Plants energy.gov/eere/amo/better-plants

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

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

• Upgraded the control of the variable frequency drives (VFD) on the secondary chilled water pumps and eliminated the primary chilled water pumps for the system. www.designworldonline.com

December 2017

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11/29/17 2:53 PM

Design for Industry

O

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Sensor handles harsh AS

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environments

The TopworxTM GO Switch Model 52M is a 12 mm proximity sensor for applications in outdoor and other challenging industrial environments. The sensor is suited for material handling, mobile equipment, industrial equipment, and food and beverage processing applications.

The GO Switch 52M is durable and does not require power. It operates across a wide temperature range. It can be a rugged alternative to inductive proximity sensors and reed switches.

The Model 52M incorporates the GO Switch’s dry contact proximity sensor technology that uses magnets to control a set of contacts. This technology’s durability and reliability have been proven in over 60 years of service in the process industries.

Its advantages include:

• No power requirement – provides application flexibility • High reliability – tested to 5 million cycles at full-rated load • Broad temperature range (-40° C to 100° C) – allows use across multiple applications

• Simple contact arrangement – enables highly flexible wiring schemes • Polarity insensitivity – eliminates need to specify NPN or PNP products • Weld-field immunity – for large magnet field applications • High and low current compatibility (5 mA to 2 A @ 24 Vdc) – permits use

with PLCs and relay-based control systems

DW

Emerson | www.emerson.com

Eagle Stainless

Tube & Fabrication, Inc. Franklin, Massachusetts

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www.eagletube.com 30

December 2017 www.designworldonline.com

DFI 12-17_Vs3.LL.indd 30

DESIGN WORLD

11/29/17 3:08 PM

Food/beverage

Smooth and safe These stainless steel motors meet the extreme environment needs of the food and beverage industry. Food Safe motors have smooth contours and sealing that exceeds IP69K for water to maximize motor life in high pressure, sanitary cleaning environments.

The high ingress protection rated enclosures offer fully encapsulated windings, sealing the motor inside and out.

Combined with a laser marked nameplate and a footless mounting design, crevices are kept to a minimum and allow the motor to withstand clean-in-place procedures.

Worker safety is another important component in the food safe stainless steel motor design. A 3 piece-rotatable conduit box gives workers easier access to route incoming power supply.

Color-coded leads also help to quickly, and correctly tie the motor into the electrical system, using the waterproof heat shrink connectors. On larger frame sizes, lift lugs are fully welded to the frame to easily set the motor in place before attaching to the driven equipment.

The platform spans single and three phase ratings. Three phase ratings meet NEMA Premium efficiency levels and are available in totally enclosed, non-vented enclosures in the power range of 1/2 - 3 hp. Totally enclosed, fan cooled designs are available in power range of 1/2 - 15 hp. They are available in 2, 4 & 6 pole versions for 230/460V at 60 Hz. DW

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DFI 12-17_Vs3.LL.indd 31

www.designworldonline.com 

December 2017

31

11/29/17 3:09 PM

Design for Industry Energy

Researchers take a step closer to using graphene in electronics

Graphene is a carbon consisting of one layer of carbon atoms. It is said to be an excellent conductor and thus offers potential in the electronics industry. Plus, it is said to be one of the strongest materials ever tested. And, it’s nearly transparent.

But, according to those who have worked with this material, once the electrons move, they can’t be stopped.

Scientists at Rutgers University-New Brunswick claim they have found a solution to this challenge and have published a study in Nature Nanotechnology.

The claim is that the researchers can electrically control the electrons. This ability should enable devices like a grapheme nano-scale transistor, or chemical and biological sensors, and other devices.

The control method used is based on control the voltage. The researchers send a voltage through a hightech microscope tip the size of one atom. This tip creates a force field that traps electrons in graphene or modifies their trajectories, similar to the effect a lens has on light rays. Changing the voltage releases the electrons. Thus, the researchers have can, in effect, turn the electrons “on” and “off” like a switch.

This development paves the way for greater use of graphene in electronics products. DW

Rutgers University-New Brunswick Newbrunswick.rutgers.edu 32

December 2017 www.designworldonline.com

DFI 12-17_Vs3.LL.indd 32

DESIGN WORLD

12/4/17 2:46 PM

Power Review

Altra Industrial Motion Vol. 6 | No. 4 | 2017

The Power Brands in Power Transmission

Featured in this Edition...

Sure-Flex Plus® Maintenance Savings Calculator

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Turboflex Plus High Performance Disc Coupling

Save money over the long term while satisfying applicable distributors’ cost savings program requirements.

Twiflex Brake Packages Stromag is Committed to the Farm and Agriculture Market Guardian and Stromag Flywheel Drive Couplings Kilian CB-14 Series Conveyor Bearings`

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Altra Industrial Motion Ameridrives Bauer Gear Motor Bibby Turboflex Boston Gear Delroyd Worm Gear Formsprag Clutch

Altra Industrial_#1_12-17.indd 33

The Power Of Experience

Guardian Couplings Huco Industrial Clutch Inertia Dynamics Kilian Lamiflex Couplings

Marland Clutch Matrix Nuttall Gear Stieber Clutch Stromag Svendborg Brakes

TB Wood’s Twiflex 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

11/29/17 8:49 AM

Sure-Flex Plus® Maintenance Savings Calculator Customers often debate the cost savings they will receive when deciding to use a lower standard product or one that is made for high performance. Now, there is a program to allow users to quantify just how significant the savings can be when replacing a copy-cat coupling sleeve with the high performance Sure-Flex Plus EPDM or Neoprene sleeve. The new Sure-Flex Plus Maintenance Savings Calculator does that for you. This program saves money over the long term and satisfies applicable distributors’ cost savings program requirements.

Available both on our website, or installed as a smartphone app on your Android or Apple device. Simply input your current maintenance interval, cost of downtime, sleeve replacement cost, etc. and the program will show you just how much you could be saving by using genuine TB Wood’s Sure-Flex Plus sleeves.

Sure-Flex Plus Maintenance Savings Calculator App • Save hundreds – or thousands – on maintenance • Sure-Flex Plus sleeve life is over 3x that of imitators • Maintenance intervals can be extended by 3x or more using Sure-Flex Plus • More durable: Minimize downtime from competitors’ premature sleeve failure For more information, download P-8367-TBW from www.AltraLiterature.com

Scan to download the Sure-Flex Plus® Maintenance Savings Calculator

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Turboflex Plus High Performance Disc Coupling This high-performance coupling is designed with technology that provides solutions for Turbomachinery applications.

As a cost-reduced disc coupling that provides exceptional value, the Turboflex Plus meets market demands for high performance at an economical price. Available are three different types of Turboflex Plus couplings, which demonstrate the flexibility that this solution provides. All models are fully API-671/ISO 10441 compliant for critical oil and gas, energy, and petrochemical applications. Features and advantages include: • Scalloped profile disc pack optimized for high speed compressor applications • Cost reduced, economical solution for today’s turbomachinery market • Fully compliant to API-671/ISO10441 For more information, download P-8366-C & P-8388-C from www.AltraLiterature.com

• • • •

Disc material – 300 series stainless, Inconel option Coated or uncoated discs Phosphate coating standard on components Shrouded fasteners for reduced windage

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Twiflex Brake Packages Twiflex brake packages combine world-class Twiflex spring applied, hydraulically released caliper brakes with the state-of-the-art LCS hydraulic power unit mounted on a custom fabricated base/pedestal. These compact units feature a small footprint allowing them to fit into applications with limited space available.

Twiflex standard brake packages are available with three different spring applied, hydraulically released brake models with braking force ratings ranging from 6.8 kN to 119 kN. These compact configurations are designed to meet the most common range of application requirements. All three packages are shipped complete with a hand pump, terminal box, and pressure gauge.

Complete, ready-to-install brake assemblies from Twiflex provide time-saving convenience to OEMs while ensuring component compatibility and optimized performance.

All Standard Packages Include: • Brake Assembly (spring applied, hydraulically released) • LCS Hydraulic Power Unit • Mounting Base/Pedestal

• Hand Pump (including manual detents) • Terminal Box • Pressure Gauge (0-250 bar)

For more information, download P-8454-TF from www.AltraLiterature.com

Altra Industrial_#2_12-17.indd 34

11/29/17 8:51 AM

Stromag is Committed to the Farm and Agriculture Market Stromag offers many critical drivetrain products utilized in farming applications including clutches & brakes, friction discs and flywheel couplings.

Stromag is uniquely positioned to leverage their products’ reputations, reliability and technologies to help farm equipment manufacturers achieve the necessary productivity and efficiency that farmers require. Every application is analyzed in order to provide efficient, easy-to-maintain, cost-effective solutions to our customers.

For this reason, many leading farm and agriculture OEM’s chose Stromag products when reliability and accuracy are necessary to avoid costly downtime and enhance operations.

Stromag products for the Farm and Ag market include: KEVO Pole-Face Friction Clutch, KHM 800/4 Double Piston Clutch, High Temperature Periflex VN, KUK Hydraulic Multi-Disc Clutch and Friction Discs.

For more information visit www.Stromag.com

Guardian and Stromag Flywheel Drive Couplings Guardian Couplings and Stromag offer a variety of flywheel couplings for a wide range of applications including but not limited to compressors, pumps, blowers, aerial lifts, excavators, diesel gensets, skid steer loaders, forklifts, and generators.

Guardian Guard-Flex® Nominal Torque: 2,625 in-lbs / 300 Nm

Guardian FL

Stromag Periflex® PS

Nominal Torque: 2,100-13,700 in-lbs / 240-1.550 Nm

Nominal Torque: 1,050-17,400 in-lbs / 120-2.000 Nm

Stromag Periflex® CS

Nominal Torque: 4,250-130,900 in-lbs / 450-15.000 Nm

Stromag Periflex® VN

Nominal Torque: 1,450-557,500 in-lbs / 150-63.000 Nm

Stromag GE

Nominal Torque: 17,700-2,389,700 in-lbs / 2.000-270.000 Nm

LOW TORQUE

Guardian NV Series Nominal Torque: 875 in-lbs/100 Nm

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Guardian Delta Series

Nominal Torque: 1,100-6,100 in-lbs / 125-700 Nm

Guardian FBA

Nominal Torque: 2,000-16,000 in-lbs / 225-1.800 Nm

Guardian FH

Nominal Torque: 2,500-88,500 in-lbs / 280-10.000 Nm

Stromag Vector

Nominal Torque: 58,500-199,100 in-lbs / 6.25022.500 Nm

Stromag TRI/TRI-R Nominal Torque: 10,175-1,106,300 in-lbs / 1.150-125.000 Nm

For more information, download P-8395-C from www.AltraLiterature.com

Kilian CB-14 Series Conveyor Bearings Kilian introduces the new CB-14 Series Conveyor Bearings. These unique and cost-effective bearings are designed to operate quietly and dependably in the most demanding material handling applications.

CB-14 bearings combine two major features that act together to reduce the metal-to-metal contact that is a common source of noise throughout the conveyor system. The entire CB-14 series has a one-piece, precision machined outer ring to prevent any spreading or splitting under load.

These bearings accommodate standard 7/16-inch hex shafting and dampen noise which is normally transmitted to the conveyor frame. Both inner and outer rings are precision machined from bar stock for maximum concentricity and true running performance. The solid, one-piece rings prevent spreading or splitting problems.

Benefits Include: • Noise Reduction

• A dependable, low-cost

• Easy Replacement

• Features for retrofit applications or new designs

• High-Speed Operation • One-Piece Outer Ring

For more information, download P-8455-KM from www.AltraLiterature.com

Altra Industrial_#3_12-17.indd 35

11/29/17 8:51 AM

Twiflex Complete Hydraulic Brake Packages Twiflex now has new compact hydraulic brake packages.

Standard packages are available with three different spring applied, hydraulically released brake models with braking force ratings ranging from 6.8 kN to 119 kN.

Standard Products

ADVANCED BRAKING SOLUTIONS FOR INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS Twiflex, founded in 1946, specializes in the design, manufacture and supply of advanced braking technologies for industrial applications. Twiflex offers the largest range of pneumatically-, hydraulically-, and mechanically-applied industrial disc brake calipers in the world, along with a full line of thrusters, disc brake systems, flexible couplings, and shafts clutch couplings.

Innovative Twiflex solutions are found in key markets including metals, mining, energy, elevators & escalators, entertainment and marine on applications such as rolling mills, conveyors, hoists and cranes, grinding mills, wind and tidal turbines, theme park rides and propulsion systems.

Products • Spring Applied Caliper Brakes • Direct Acting Caliper Brakes • Clutch Couplings

Key Markets • Braking Accessories • Flexible Couplings & Shafts

• • • •

Mining & Aggregate Power Generation Transportation Metals

• • • •

Elevator Material Handling Renewable Energy Marine

www.twiflex.com Altra Industrial_#4_12-17.indd 36

11/29/17 8:53 AM

POWER TRANSMISSION

RETAINING DEVICES &

Semiconductor

maintenance & assembly tools BEARLOK

SHOELOK

BEARLOK Shrink Disc

BEARHUG

CLAMPNUT

TANGENTLOK

PRECISION NUTS & WASHERS

Materials of: ALLUMINUM and CORROSION RESISTANT STEEL

of electric automation

including semiconductor, robotics, medical technology, and drive technology.

The ECIÂ 4000 absolute inductive rotary encoder is for hollow shaft diameters of 180Â mm. It is robust and accurate and has a modular system with a scale drum and a separate scanning unit.

Mounting characteristics make them suitable for use in robots.

The ECIÂ 4000 rotary encoder and the ECAÂ 4000 angle encoder and the WMRA from AMO, improve the absolute position accuracy of the tool center point on industrial robots by up to 70% - 80%.

Medical technology machines and systems must often be able to gently and safely handle patients and examination equipment. This includes, for example, being able to move a patient table or examination chair as smoothly as possible during an examination.  Motion control plays an important role in the precise control of a CT scanner’s X-ray system, as well as linear accelerator in radiation therapy.

The LICÂ 4000 absolute linear encoder and the ECIÂ 4000 inductive rotary encoder for a hollow-shaft diameter of 90Â mm suit these needs.

The inductive rotary encoders titled ECI/EQIÂ 1100 without bearing (diameter of 37Â mm) and ECI/EQIÂ 1300 (diameter of 65Â mm) provide position feedback in dynamic applications. These encoders provide control quality and system accuracy as well as high resistance to vibrations and electromagnetic influences. All variants support safety integrity level SILÂ 2, category 3Â PLÂ d. DW

ADAPTER SLEEVE ASSEMBLIES

Materials of: CARBON, ALLOY and HARDENED ALLOY STEELS

Encoders meet the needs These encoders suit a range of electric based applications,

INCH and METRIC THREADS LEFT HANDED as well as RIGHT -HANDED

NUTS & WASHERS

HARDENED TONGUE WASHERS

SPLIT COLLAR

RETHREADING DIES

ADJUSTABLE SPANNER WRENCH

BEARING ASSEMBLY SOCKET

W

HI

TT

ET

-H

IG

GI

NS US

A

WHITTET-HIGGINS manufactures quality oriented, stocks abundantly and delivers quickly the best quality and largest array of adjustable, heavy thrust bearing, and torque load carrying retaining devices for bearing, power transmission and other industrial assemblies; and specialized tools for their careful assembly.

Visit our website–whittet-higgins.com–to peruse the many possibilities to improve your assemblies. Much technical detail delineated as well as 2D and 3D CAD models for engineering assistance. Call your local

or a good distributor.

HEIDENHAIN | www.heidenhain.us

DESIGN WORLD

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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

11/30/17 3:21 PM

Design for Industry Medical

Ensure medical imaging stays cool

Medical imaging systems provide detailed pictures on the structure of a body in multiple topographies.

Detailed contrasts are visible between the different soft tissues and are useful in neurological, cardiovascular and oncological analysis. CT and PET scanners use ion radiation created by X-rays to capture topographical images, while MRI equipment use magnetic and radio frequency fields.

Temperature stability is vital in medical imaging equipment, as operating temperature fluctuations in these machines can significantly affect the image quality and resolution.

Liquid Cooling Systems (LCS) can deliver the needed temperature stability. When compared to compressor-based systems, standard and custom liquid cooling systems offer high heat pumping and high heat flux density with quiet operation, often in a smaller and lighter system.

In CT, PET and other X-ray based imaging techniques, X-ray tubes in gantry systems generate a large amount of heat. The heat load range can be as much as 5 KW. As a result, liquid cooling systems are often the preferred choice to move the heat away from X-ray tubes to ensure quality images are produced.

MRI machines generate a large magnetic field using a super conducting magnet and many coils of wires through which a current is passed. Maintaining a large magnetic field needs a lot of energy, generating significant amounts of heat. Liquid cooling systems combine high heat pumping capacity and heat routing with minimum power consumption.

In addition, components in these gantry systems are subject to tremendous rotational speeds and acceleration forces (G-forces). This particular LCS system uses spindle screw pump technology so that pressure changes have little impact on the LCS performance, as the pump easily moves fluids of higher viscosity without losing flow rate. The LCS with spindle screw pumps maintain constant flow and pressure while under high G-force stress, ensuring proper performance under these demanding medical imaging conditions.

This LCS offers high thermal conductivity of coolants to remove bulk heat in Kilowatts with rapid cool down. Liquid cooling systems recirculate coolant to a predefined set-point temperature, while dissipating the large amount of heat generated in the densely packed electronic environment. An LCS offers higher efficiency than air-based heat exchangers and provides more rapid cooling, quieter operation, higher reliability, and increased system uptime. DW

Laird | www.lairdtech.com 38

December 2017 www.designworldonline.com

DFI 12-17_Vs3.LL.indd 38

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Machine tool

Actuators for when space is limited

Tool and die, work-holding, specials manufacturing, and plastic injection molding industries need actuators that can fit into tight spaces. The Compact Hydraulic actuators save space without sacrificing performance.

This new product family offers two series: Medium (CMH) and High Pressure (CHH). The CMH offers pressures up to 2030 PSI (140 Bar) whereas the CHH offers pressures up to 3000 PSI (206 Bar). Both series offer extended cylinder life and standard features, including a hard-chrome plated steel piston rod that reduces wear on the rod wiper and seal. The CMH can provide an optional switch slot to integrate position sensing without compromising the space-saving design. DW

Bimba | Bimba.com

Break the Chains of Maintenance CONTI® SYNCHROCHAIN CARBON is among the world’s highest-performing belts. Its incredible strength gives it the power to replace chain drives in the same space and frees you from the need to lubricate or re-tension the drive, saving maintenance cost, increasing uptime and improving efficiency. www.contitech.us

DESIGN WORLD

DFI 12-17_Vs3.LL.indd 39

To learn more, contact customer service at (800) 235-4632.

www.designworldonline.com

December 2017

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11/29/17 3:12 PM

Design Notes

How to create an advanced combination machine Edited by: Mike Santora • Associate Editor

Rexroth’s axial piston pumps and motors combined with software n technology allows Vac-Co to control its Omnibus Precision Power option efficiently.

40

Vac-Con, Inc. manufactures custom-built, truck-mounted machines to serve public and private environmental markets worldwide. As far back as 1992, the company was looking for more efficient ways to drive vacuum systems and, as a result, began partnering with Bosch Rexroth and distributor partner Gulf Controls Company.

The mainstay of Vac-Con’s business has been the combination sewer cleaner market. Available in many sizes in both single and dual engine configurations, the Omnibus Precision Power (OPP) option is available on combination sewer machines.

December 2017 www.designworldonline.com

Design Notes 12-17_Vs4-MS.LL.indd 40

DESIGN WORLD

12/1/17 2:23 PM

Elesa The Original handwheel VD. Original Design



1963 The new innovative machine handwheel VD. made in Italy by Elesa, an original design in Duroplast, was introduced for the first time on the market.

1971

The first successful exhibition at the Chicago Design Show.

1977 The Industrial Design Award

from the

IF-Hannover (Germany)

VDN. Original Design



Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off.

2013

(fifty years later)

The new up-to-date and restyled machine handwheel VDN. Elesa Original Design always with the traditional, unmistakable feature:



the matte Aluminum ring contrasting with the high glossy black Duroplast surface The design that many Civil Courts (IPR sections) and Courts of Appeal in Europe over many years have declared

The machines use high pressure water and vacuum for sewer and storm drain cleaning, plus a variety of other applications like hydro excavation, which exposes underground utilities to daylight without risk of damage. The units include high pressure water systems capable of producing flows and pressures from 0-120 gpm and 0-3000 psi. The vacuum

DESIGN WORLD

Design Notes 12-17_Vs4-MS.LL.indd 41

systems are capable of vacuum pressures from 14 to 27-in. Hg and air flows up to 8000 cfm.

Vac-Con, Gulf Controls and Bosch Rexroth set out to find more efficient ways to not only produce the Omnibus option, but to support it in the field. VacCon worked with the Rexroth team on a project charter with goals and deadlines December 2017

“a unique and distinctive design”

Elesa USA Corporation www.elesausa.com Toll-Free 800-374-7686

Since 1941

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12/1/17 2:25 PM

Design Notes

Complete Motion Solutions Pneumatic, Electric & Hydraulic Actuators

to keep everyone focused on the tasks at hand. In conjunction with the charter, Vac-Con reached out to select team members to get their feedback: What did they want changed?

What worked well with the existing machine?

What didn’t?

From Vac-Con’s perspective, the ultimate goal was to develop a new system that enhanced performance, operator friendliness and safety, in addition to major efficiencies and machine reliability. All of this feedback provided an outline to use in strategizing the next generation of the Omnibus. After research and development, the result was a turn-key product that met all needs.

The Omnibus combination machine uses A4VG axial piston hydrostatic pumps, A2FM axial piston hydrostatic motors, and BODAS RC controllers and D13 monitors.

In talking with team members and customers, Vac-Con was able to clearly lay out a few mandatory features for the new machine: • Design parameters that can be replicated from truck to truck • No different versions of the same product • Technology and machine components that are configurable within the system • Remote troubleshooting ability

PHD offers an extensive line of pneumatic actuators that are known for long life and high quality. Over our 60 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

phdinc.com/complete • 1-800-624-8511

In addition to these parameters, Vac-Con wanted customers to be able to stock all of the machine’s components at their locations, and be able to have the trucks configured/ programmed remotely.

The new Omnibus combination machine uses several components including A4VG axial piston hydrostatic pumps, A2FM axial piston hydrostatic motors, BODAS RC controllers and DI3 monitors. The axial piston units are compact and have high power density, economy and reliability – characteristic advantages for hydrostatic transmissions.

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By combining components like the A4VG axial piston hydrostatic pump and A2FM axial piston hydrostatic motor, the new Omnibus combination machine is more efficient while meeting high speed and torque demands.

These pumps and motors meet high speed and torque demands, as well as optimum efficiency.

BODAS DC controllers and DI3 monitors help create complete intelligent hydraulic solutions through PC software for driving BODAS functions, an integrated simulation environment, signal measurement and testing. The system is user-friendly and allows for remote troubleshooting.

Given the collaboration and feedback of subject matter experts, engineers, sales team members and end-users, the new Omnibus control system is completely configurable on the manufacturing floor and doesn’t require any custom programming. This platform allows Vac-Con’s dealers to stock key components for the machine and enables them to turn on/off particular options according to individual customer specification.

The new technology is capable of controlling the truck chassis throttle and hydrostatic pump to bring the machine online as economically as possible. The end-user can slowly tune the chassis to throttle up and stroke the hydraulic pump in so it’s always at peak torque. Operators have three speeds to choose from. The second speed setting helps save fuel so trucks can run at this setting and do roughly 80% of the work. And, because of the system’s real-time data capabilities, the end-user can see exactly how much fuel the truck is consuming based on the fuel setting.

From a troubleshooting perspective, dealers are able to see live data on any truck as it’s being used and can make adjustments remotely. The system includes three levels of password protection for the user, dealer and engineer. DW

Rexroth | boschrexroth-us.com

DESIGN WORLD

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Design Notes Edited by: Mike Santora • Associate Editor

PC-based control keeps automation

provider on the upswing

To create consistent, repeatable results, ADC uses PC-based control technologies from Beckhoff.

44

Automated Design Corporation (ADC) is a custom automation company specializing in machines for sporting goods. More than half of ADC projects are now related to the manufacturing of sports equipment as well as load frames and impact testers. To create consistent, repeatable results, ADC uses PC-based control technologies from Beckhoff.

Since their introduction, the load frames have become a significant segment of the ADC product lineup. A load frame, in simple terms, is a platform upon which a testing assembly can be built. ADC has 3 options for their load frames: the GEN IV, CTS and SWC. Early in the company’s history, ADC purchased a traditional PLC from one company, an HMI from another, and a servo system from a third and sometimes additional control technology from a fourth. “The first few days when starting up a project back then were spent just connecting each of these very different systems and establishing acceptable communications. The PLC had its own programming software, the HMI had its own programming software, and the servo drive, another still,” said Tom Bitsky Jr., Lead Developer at ADC. The programmers at ADC needed to write the automation and control programs that ran the machine, but also required additional complex code just to handshake across different vendor platforms.

ADC soon discovered that this control system architecture was not sustainable and the team sought a better solution. Given the extensive software background of the developers, a colleague suggested using Microsoft Visual Basic (VB) for automation projects, moving away from traditional PLCs. ADC evaluated Beckhoff as a supplier, and found that the company offered a complementary solution with their Industrial PC hardware, TwinCAT PCbased control software, and EtherCAT as the high-speed industrial Ethernet communication system.

December 2017 www.designworldonline.com

Design Notes 12-17_Vs4-MS.LL.indd 44

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OUR MODULAR SYSTEM Flexibility, delivery performance and complete motion solutions

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Design Notes

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Design Notes 12-17_Vs4-MS.LL.indd 46

The load frame systems require a robust, flexible, controller for myriad application areas. Initially, ADC used a Beckhoff CX5130 Embedded PC coupled with a CP2907 Control Panel. Recently, however, the company has moved into an all-in-one option by standardizing on a Beckhoff CP6706 Panel PC for their sporting goods testing applications. This device offers an integrated 7-in. touchscreen display, 1.75 GHz Intel Atom processor (2 Cores) and Windows Embedded Standard 7 operating system installed as standard.

Bitsky discusses the benefits of the Panel PC: “For a project in the earlier days, we were implementing three axes of coordinated motion control and had to run some custom Windows services.

The CP6706 Panel PC covers all these needs, and provides us with ample power and flexibility in a very compact package.”

ADC uses the Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 automation platform as the software programming environment and runtime for the load frame systems, specifically leveraging the TwinCAT 3 PLC and PLC NC/PTP packages. This solved some longstanding programming challenges at ADC: “Before, the first batch of load frames created a bit of a headache. We spent an enormous amount of time getting everything to work together in harmony and talking to each other. It was frustrating, time consuming. By using TwinCAT 3 and EtherCAT, everything is handled by the system itself and connects automatically. Through the use of an ADS router, TwinCAT easily connects to custom user interfaces and third-party devices,” said Bitsky.

ADC also values the Windows operating system for industrial applications, particularly the ability to utilize C++ and .NET in the same environment as the machine control. “Coming from a computer programming background, the ability to program in

46 December 2017 DESIGN WORLD

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C++ makes things much easier as we integrate new features,” Said Bitsky.

Compact motion control in these machines is equally important, and ADC uses AM8121 servomotors with One Cable Technology (OCT), connected to EL7211 servo terminals. Bitsky continues: “Our previous motion control solution was chosen because it could easily switch 120/240 VAC, but it was expensive and required a lot of cabling.

OCT technology removes up to 50% of this cabling and greatly simplifies integration. In addition, the programming and machine runtime in TwinCAT make commissioning easier.”

The rapid acquisition, transmission and storage of data are the most important end results of the machine’s operation. To this end, ADC uses a variety of EtherCAT I/O terminals as

For motion control innovation, Solution City never sleeps.

well as EtherCAT Box I/O modules for mounting outside of electrical cabinets.

“EtherCAT has been a key technology for ADC because we need a fieldbus that can deliver high-speed communication and data collection for our applications.

Because it is widely accepted by thousands of technology providers, EtherCAT provides the basis to connect a vast range of automation hardware, and offers streamlined options to connect and transmit all necessary process data.”

He also commented that the ability to quickly add new functionality as needed via EtherCAT Terminals has made developing and upgrading ADC systems much easier. DW

Beckhoff | beckhoffautomation.com

Whatever keeps you up at night, we’ve got a solution—the largest selection of motors, pumps and air-moving devices available.

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Recently, ADC has moved into an all-in-one option by standardizing on a Beckhoff CP6706 Panel PC for their sporting goods testing applications.

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100 East Erie Street • Kent, OH 44240

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© 2017 by AMETEK Inc. All rights reserved.

12/4/17 2:58 PM

Design Notes Edited by: Mike Santora • Associate Editor

Remote pendant for waterjet

cutting machine

Semyx LLC out of Dalton, Ga., creates custom machines to meet the waterjet cutting needs for a variety of industries, from metal and stone to food and textiles.

Semyx is the only OEM that designs large, custom waterjet cutting machines for companies around the world.

48

Semyx LLC out of Dalton, Ga., creates custom machines to meet the waterjet cutting needs for a variety of industries, from metal and stone to food and textiles. Semyx is the only OEM that designs large, customized waterjet cutting machines for companies around the world.

When Semyx looked into upgrading the wireless remote pendant on its waterjet cutting systems, there was a concern that they would not find a remote pendant with all the desired features. While reliability and ease of use were top requirements, the company wanted a remote pendant that could address customers’ safety issues and boost productivity. With goals to expand operations in other countries and continents, Semyx needed to find a company that could deliver products and services globally.

When the engineering team at Semyx looked at the Harmony XAR wireless remote pendant from Schneider Electric, the search was over. The Harmony XAR industrial wireless remote pendant is part of a range of devices designed for simple

December 2017 www.designworldonline.com

Design Notes 12-17_Vs4-MS.LL.indd 48

and safe operation in material handling applications.

The wireless remote pendant has a transmission frequency of 2.4 Hz, so it can be used in many countries and its housing is designed to handle harsh environments. To keep production going, the remote can run for 30 hours before it needs a recharge, and once the remote is plugged into the charger, it takes only 15 minutes to get back to full power. The panel and LCD display simplify operation for even a less experienced worker.

Operators may be holding a remote pendant for hours at time, so the ergonomic handle on the XAR remote gives Semyx operators a more comfortable grip, and they can operate with one hand using the thumb trigger.

With other wireless remote pendants, operators need two hands to do the same work.

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For operators running waterjets from a wired control station, it usually required backand-forth eyeballing and adjusting from the opposite side of the table to get the cutting head in the right place. On larger equipment, that time for adjustments can add up. In an average 8-hour shift, an operator may go back and forth from the bevel to the control 30 to 40 times, which can be more than an hour just in walking. The wireless pendant cuts down this time by 50 to 75%.

With the wireless XAR remote pendant, an operator can move the cutting head in place from anywhere around the equipment, saving valuable uptime. In addition, the waterjet can be left to run while the operator works on two or three other machines across the room. An operator can even check diagnostics remotely on the pendant.

For additional safety, the XAR remote has a built-in e-stop in case of an emergency. If an operator is across the room and there’s a problem on the line, the e-stop button will shut down the machine immediately. DW

In an average 8-hour shift, an operator may go back and forth from the bevel to the control 30 to 40 times, which can be more than an hour just in walking. The wireless pendant cuts down this time by 50 to 75%.

Schneider Electric | schneider-electric.us/en/

1.800.933.4915

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December 2017

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CAE Solutions

Multidisciplinary tools

for product development

Siemens claims it’s latest version of NX software delivers the next generation of design, simulation and manufacturing solutions that enable users to realize the value of the digital twin in the end-to-end process.

This latest release unites electrical, mechanical and control

systems through close integration with Mentor Graphics Capital and Xpedition portfolios for electrical systems, harness and PCB design.

NX underpins tools used for systems driven product development based on the RFLP (Requirements, Functional, Logical and Physical) methodology, which provides a significant connection between the logical and physical abstractions in both electrical and mechanical domains.

Building on Convergent Modeling technology that lets designers seamlessly work and model with mesh geometry in combination with precise geometry, the new version combines tools for design optimization, advanced geometry creation, freeform shapes and parametric design to make generative design a reality.

As electronics become essential to all products, regardless of industry, it’s important that electrical and mechanical designers collaborate throughout the product development process. Using technology from recently acquired Mentor Graphics, the latest version of NX provides a direct connection between the design of

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CAE Solutions 12-17_Vs2.LL.indd 50

electrical and mechanical systems. Linking the electrical tools and the 3D model, enables co-design including cross-probing, allowing designers of wiring diagrams and harnesses to work closely together, preventing costly and time-consuming rework due to electromechanical issues.

Multidisciplinary work is not limited to electrical design. Industries involving large amounts of piping, such as ship building, will benefit from close integration between instrumentation diagrams and 2D schematic layouts. New tools in NX allow engineers to lay out piping and instrumentation diagrams in two dimensions, while maintaining the design tied to the 3D space model. This synchronization can help eliminate errors and save time as teams work more closely than ever before.

With increasing pressure to deliver products to market more quickly, generative design integrates a variety of tools to give designers more flexibility and choice when

DESIGN WORLD

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Connectivity between mechanical, electrical and control systems in NX 12 give engineers a holistic view, which is useful when designing complex products such as the ONE Aviation Eclipse jet pictured above

dealing with complex geometries. Using these technologies in combination also allows companies to go beyond traditional solutions that focus solely on optimizing shape to achieve multidisciplinary design.

In the constant drive to reduce component weight and improve resource usage, companies are looking to incorporate lattice structures into design to meet these goals without compromising on strength and structural integrity. The latest version of NX delivers new approaches to design for additive manufacturing, including the ability to add lattice. Convergent Modeling makes it possible to work directly with faceted geometry such as these lattice structures, saving companies from the lengthy data conversion process normally required.

This enables companies to deliver lighter, stronger products to market in much less time.

DESIGN WORLD

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The average car today contains 100 million lines of code, meaning that cars are increasingly complex systems comprised of mechanical and electrical components. NX 12 provides connectivity between the disciplines, giving engineers visibility into both systems and helping drive their design decisions early on.

www.designworldonline.com  

December 2017

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CAE Solutions “The fact that the faceted geometry now comes in as a convergent body and behaves pretty much as a sheet or solid body is beneficial. It will make our workflow more efficient and save time that we can spend on other things, such as more projects,� added Jonas Brochman, engineering method specialist of Manufacturing Engineering, GKN Aerospace Engine Systems, Sweden. “The ability to associatively compensate and reposition the faceted scan data of hardware in an associative and controlled way will greatly help us to increase efficiency and resulting quality.� DW

Siemens PLM Software www.siemens.com/plm

Lattice structures offer stronger lightweight alternatives to traditional part design, and the unique ability of NX 12 to modify these structures without data conversion using facet modeling shaves weeks off of the design process.

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CAE Solutions

MapleSim Explorer advances MBSE democratization through organization-wide

sharing of MapleSim models Bruce Jenkins | Ora Research

MapleSim Explorer supports informed decision making through organization-wide sharing of MapleSim models.

MapleSim Explorer, part of Maplesoft’s recently released MapleSim 2017 system-level modeling software, is a new “costeffective deployment solution” that enables product development organizations to ”make the knowledge embedded in their MapleSim models available to more people,” the company says. MapleSim Explorer “powers informed decision making throughout the organization” by helping systems modeling leads within engineering organizations “make the knowledge embedded in their MapleSim models available to other engineers to support informed decision making.”

This new advance in the democratization of model-based systems engineering (MBSE) follows on the company’s release this past summer of MapleMBSE, which helps engineers create, maintain and validate product requirements efficiently and with fewer errors—a technological breakthrough that, in our view, for the first time lets engineering organizations adopt an MBSE approach to requirements management without forcing every engineer on the project to be an expert in complex MBSE tools. See our MapleMBSE from Maplesoft radically expands accessibility of model-based systems engineering.

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MapleSim: Advanced system-level physical modeling and simulation platform MapleSim is an advanced system-level modeling tool suite that enables innovation and reduces development risk, allowing engineering organizations to create better products, faster. With MapleSim, engineers can easily create virtual models, now more and more referred to as Digital Twins, before the product design is finalized, allowing them to explore conceptual designs, discover and correct unexpected interactions between subsystems early in the design process, validate product performance, and more.

Now, with the easy way to share and explore models offered

by MapleSim Explorer, engineering organizations can avoid overloading their systems modeling experts with requests that do not require modeling expertise, while still getting the answers they need, Maplesoft says.

MapleSim Explorer lets more people run simulations of any MapleSim model The MapleSim Explorer runs simulations of any MapleSim model, and allows users to change model parameters, investigate and plot any model variables, view 2D simulations results and 3D simulation animations, and analyze the model using built-in MapleSim Apps such as Parameter Sweep, Optimization, and Monte Carlo.

“A lot of engineering knowledge gets embedded in Digital Twins and other virtual models, but it’s difficult to get that valuable information out to everyone who needs it, when only modeling experts can access the model,” says Dr. Chad Schmitke, MapleSim Senior Director at Maplesoft. “With the MapleSim Explorer, organizations can make their MapleSim models available to more people, so they can leverage the engineering knowledge contained in the model and get the answers that will help them make better decisions, quickly and efficiently.”

The MapleSim Explorer is a complementary deployment solution to the MapleSim Server. The MapleSim Explorer is a standalone product that provides individuals with direct access to MapleSim models and simulation results. By comparison, the MapleSim Server allows engineers to explore MapleSim models through interactive web applications, using only a standard web browser. DW

Maplesoft | www.maplesoft.com

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What’s new about the Industrial IoT? Alan Griffiths Principal Consultant Cambashi

Cambashi recently completed a research project into the industrial application of the Internet of Things (IoT). The aim was to establish the market’s structure and direction based on interviews with major players combined with desk research.

Many of the technologies that make up Industrial IoT are well established in their

own right. The diagram below shows six ‘layers’ that make up what most people consider to be the Industrial IoT.

Many of the technologies that make up Industrial IoT are established Here are the six layers that most people consider to be a part of the Industrial IoT.

Here’s a look at what’s new about each one: Mechanical parts This can cover anything from vehicles to component parts. Most publicity has so far been around personal IoT devices such as fitness monitors and home appliance controls. But recent surveys show that the Industrial applications of IoT are growing faster.

Electronics, software, sensors and actuators These days, every consumer and industrial item with a battery or an on/off switch almost certainly includes software-controlled electronics, technologies that have been around for decades. A recent trend is that component providers who offer all the digital metadata that describes their components may well have an advantage at this stage, because the metadata can feed into systems engineering and other tools, thus helping the project team structure, simulate, then plan the development project. Many teams responsible for control software are used to developing for the

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Internet of Things

closed environment of a standalone machine. Making use of new network connectivity can be a disruptive but positive change for these teams.

Connectivity This is the means by which products communicate with the backend systems and includes a range of methods from proprietary to standards-based. Of course, it has been possible to connect devices for some time, but historically this has used proprietary, custom-built systems. Today, cloud computing provides a more convenient and cost-effective way to connect to other systems.

Two other areas where innovation is improving connectivity are: Edge computing – such as servers located close to the smart products or factories that act as a collection point for the data. Because vast amounts of data can be collected from the billions of devices in the field, it makes sense to do as much data processing and selection as possible, near to the devices or

sensors. This means that less data has to be transmitted to the cloud and less processing will later be required.

Evolving connectivity standards: the Industrial Internet of Things Connectivity Framework (IIC:PUB:G5:V1.0:PB:20170228) from the IIC (Industrial Internet Consortium) lists ten Core Standard Criteria ranging from ‘Providing syntactic interoperability’ to ‘Having readily-available SDKs.’ Against these, it rates four Connectivity Standards – DDS; Web Services; OPC-UA and oneM2M. Each of these standards is evolving to provide specific advantages in Industrial IoT implementation. For example, DDS is an emerging, new standard; its main distinguishing feature is that, unlike the other three, DDS has no concept of messages – the software application talks to the ‘databus’ for a more efficient solution when the data has many destinations.

Product access and data routing Almost every connected product has more than one organization interested in reading its data, and sending it commands. The Product Access and Data Routing layer

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controls and manages who has access to what. For example, the manufacturer of a machine, and a third-party service company may offer machine monitoring, optimization and predictive maintenance. What data will they see? What settings can they change? If something is changed, who is responsible for documenting the change and matching it to other records of use of the machine (for example, batches of food production)? Can the machine owner, or a local operator, or an on-site service technician control this access? The company that supplied the electric motors inside the machine may offer an automated motor monitoring service. Who will authorize their computer systems to gather data from the motors? These data flows form a complex network, but it is worth noting that Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems have for many years handled access control to manage these kinds of data flows to and from design data. Repurposing and scaling this to cover all operational machines may not be straightforward, but PLM contains relevant experience of the necessary business logic and procedures.

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This is the heart of many new capabilities of smart, connected products. For example, a new capability to observe and analyze the status of a set of connected devices, and make a plan to operate or service them, will be provided by software in this layer. This layer also has the role of making appropriate connections and integration with other enterprise applications. For example, an update to embedded software will only be sent to devices used by customers with a valid subscription – and it is the CRM (customer relationship management) or perhaps sales order processing system that has this information.

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Other enterprise applications Maintenance, Repair, Operations (MRO) may well be the focus of a smart connected product initiative, perhaps a switch from fixing breakdowns to usage-based or predictive maintenance.

But many MRO issues stay the same: fault handling, whether real or predicted; configuration; part or software availability for fix; schedule technician or online access to product; fix problem, report the fix; share the know-how; customer acceptance.

So the emphasis on the use of tools is probably on tracking orders and configurations, scheduling technicians and parts for maintenance and fault fixing. Good integration of these applications enable companies to supplement their products with additional services.

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What is leading to the multi-trillion dollar market with billions of sensors on-line? This is answered succinctly by Rhonda Dirvin, director IoT vertical markets for ARM (now part of Softbank): “The first driver for the spread of Industrial IoT was

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These days, every consumer and industrial item with a battery or an on/off switch almost certainly includes software-controlled electronics, technologies that have been around for decades.

the proliferation of mobile phones, which drove down the cost of sensors – cameras, GPS, accelerometers.

“This drove down the cost of acquiring data. At the same time, Cloud computing emerged, which provided a platform where these data could be stored and analyzed relatively cheaply. Altogether, these developments provide the basic framework for IoT. Other technologies such as Big Data, AI (artificial intelligence) and Machine Learning are now coming into play to help make sense of this data, taking it to a whole new level.”

There is little doubt that the Industrial IoT will continue to be disruptive – changing conventional business and software implementation models – and that the main elements, shown in the six-layer model above, are in place to support this.

But there is still plenty of room for innovation in the way the Industrial Internet of Things is applied, the way smart-connected devices are developed and manufactured, and the capabilities of the tools and components used across all six layers of IOT. This innovation will increasingly be in response to business rather than technical needs or opportunities as the supporting technology becomes more mature and affordable. DW

Cambashi | www.cambashi.com

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What’s the security risk for industrial networks?

According to a cyber security study, many industrial networks connected to the internet and rife with vulnerabilities including legacy Windows boxes, plain-text passwords, and lack of anti-virus protection.

CyberX, the industrial cybersecurity company safeguarding ICS infrastructures worldwide, announced its findings in its “Global ICS & IIoT Risk Report,” a comprehensive review of the current state of Operational Technology (OT) security.

Operational Technology networks are used with specialized Industrial Control Systems (ICS) to monitor and control physical processes such as assembly lines, mixing tanks, and blast furnaces.

The data clearly show that OT networks are ripe targets for those whose motives range from criminal intent to operational disruption and even threats to human and environmental safety. Many are exposed to the public internet and easy to traverse using simple vulnerabilities like plain-text passwords. Lack of even basic protections like anti-virus can enable attackers to quietly perform reconnaissance before sabotaging physical processes.

As a result, once attackers get into an OT network — either through the internet or by using stolen credentials to pivot from corporate IT systems to OT networks — it’s relatively easy for them to move around and compromise industrial devices. According to a new US CERT advisory citing analysis by the DHS and FBI, threat actors are currently engaged in APT attacks using spear phishing to obtain stolen credentials from ICS personnel.

Although industry experts have been warning for years that OT networks are vulnerable — missing many of the built-in controls found in IT networks like automated updates and strong authentication — this is the first time there is real-world data to objectively evaluate the risk.

“The risk to OT networks is real — and it’s dangerous and perhaps even negligent for business leaders to ignore it,” said Michael Assante, ICS/SCADA Lead for the SANS Institute.

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To obtain this data, CyberX analyzed production traffic from 375 representative OT networks worldwide across all sectors — including energy and utilities, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and oil and gas — using its proprietary Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) algorithms. Similar to the methodology used for the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), the analysis was performed on an anonymized and aggregated set of metadata with all identifying information removed. Rigorous attention was paid to preserving the confidentiality of sensitive customer information.

Some of the eye-opening conclusions include: Forget the myth of the air-gap: Onethird of industrial sites are connected to the internet — making them accessible by hackers and malware exploiting vulnerabilities and misconfigurations.

This also explodes the myth that OT networks don’t need to be monitored or patched because they’re isolated from the internet with “air-gaps.”

Unpatchable Windows boxes: More than 3 out of 4 sites have obsolete Windows systems like Windows XP and 2000. Since Microsoft no longer develops security patches for legacy systems, they can easily be compromised by destructive malware

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such as WannaCry/NotPetya, Trojans such as Black Energy, and new forms of ransomware.

Weak authentication: Nearly 3 out of 5 sites have plain-text passwords traversing their control networks, which can be sniffed by attackers performing cyber-reconnaissance and then used to compromise critical industrial devices.

No anti-virus protection: Half of the sites don’t have any AV protection whatsoever— increasing the risk of silent malware infections.

Rogue devices and wireless access: Nearly half have at least one unknown or rogue device, and 20% have wireless access points (WAPs), both of which can be used as entry points by attackers.

WAPs can be compromised with misconfigured settings or the recently discovered KRAC WPA2 vulnerability, for example.

Remote control: 82% of industrial sites are running remote management protocols like RDP, VNC, and SSH. Once attackers have compromised an OT network, this makes it easier to learn how the equipment is configured and eventually manipulate it.

“We don’t want to be cyber Cassandras — and this isn’t about creating FUD — but we think business leaders should have a realistic, datadriven view of the current risk and what can be done about it,” said Omer Schneider, CEO and co-founder of CyberX. Added Nir Giller, CTO and co-founder of CyberX: “It was important for us to produce reliable, aggregated risk data and we’re hoping these results will serve as a wake-up call to the entire industry. The data is certainly consistent with what we’ve seen anecdotally in OT networks worldwide.”

Recommendations What can be done? It’s unrealistic to expect asset owners to perform massive upgrades to their OT infrastructures in the short-term, which would cost their industries billions of dollars.

Nevertheless, there are a number of practical steps organizations can take today to mitigate OT risk, including:

• Providing security awareness

training for plant personnel and enforcing strong corporate policies to eliminate risky behaviors like clicking links in emails, using USBs and laptops to transfer files to OT systems, and dual-homing devices between IT and OT networks.

• Top-down organizational initiatives

to break down barriers between IT and OT teams, such as temporarily assigning IT security personnel to OT organizations and vice-versa to understand the differences between IT and OT.

• Using compensating controls and

multi-layered defenses — such as continuous monitoring with behavioral anomaly detection — to provide early warnings of attackers inside your OT network, and to mitigate critical vulnerabilities that might take years to fully remediate.

The increased visibility, intelligence, and proactive actions defined by this approach enable organizations to significantly reduce risk to their vulnerable OT networks and move beyond the limitations of perimeter security, which is no longer sufficient to protect against new threats such as targeted attacks, sophisticated malware, and insider threats. DW

CyberX | CyberX-Labs.com

• Proactively addressing the most critical vulnerabilities with automated threat modeling.

SANS refers to this multi-layered approach as “Active Cyber Defense” — using security operations to continuously identify and counter threats. According to SANS, the Active Cyber Defense Cycle consists of four phases that continuously feed each other: asset identification and network security monitoring; incident response; threat and environment manipulation (e.g., addressing vulnerabilities); and threat intelligence consumption.

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Unpatchable Windows boxes: More than 3 out of 4 sites have obsolete Windows systems like Windows XP and 2000.

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Slim IO-Link Master Compact, Rugged, and Reliable 4-Port IO-Link master for EtherNet/IP, PROFINET and EtherCAT networks IO-Link masters, rated for IP67 protection, can be machine-mounted. This 4-port slim IO-Link master has the same functional features as the 8-port IO-Link master series in a more compact format. This module is available on three popular industrial networks: EtherNet/IP, PROFINET and EtherCAT. Available form factors come with IO-Link Type A or IO-Link Type B port functionality, as per the IO-Link consortium specifications.

The Type A and Type B functionality differs in the way output-power (or auxpower) is configured for each IO-Link master port. With 9 A of total available current at 24 Vdc, the Type A master can host up to 124 configurable I/O points or 4 IO-Link enabled smart sensors and 4 additional I/O. The Type B Slim IO-Link master, with the same power capacity, is suited for connecting IO-Link valve manifolds or devices that require galvanic isolation for output power like needle gippers.

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Internet of Things News Scalable computing for IoT data Industrial companies that want to use Industrial IoT (IIoT) data to make better business decisions must first make sure workers can access that data when and where they need it.

This scalable compute offering can give decision makers access to real-time data to solve analytical challenges and adapt to changes at every level of an organization.

At the Device Level Three compute offerings at the device level help operators make faster, more informed decisions closer to the source of information. Each offering lets users run applications in a Windows 10 IoT Enterprise environment.

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• The Allen-Bradley CompactLogix 5480 controller

combines Allen-Bradley Logix5000 control and Windows-based computing in one controller. The controller supports Windows applications, such as data collection, analytics and predictive computations.

• The Allen-Bradley VersaView 5000 industrial computers

provide modern visualization and data aggregation for smart manufacturing. The computers use an open architecture design, allowing users to install software specific to their applications.

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Rockwell Automation is also building IIoT and analytics into these compute offerings. For example, the recently released FactoryTalk Analytics for Devices software delivers real-time asset health and diagnostic information to the VersaView 5000 industrial computers.

At the System Level Companies can use the system-and plant-level computing capabilities of the VersaView industrial computers. The Rockwell Automation Industrial Data Center (IDC) tracks productivity and downtime data for predictive maintenance.

The scalable, pre-engineered IDC provides all the hardware needed to run multiple operating systems and applications from virtualized servers.

At the Enterprise Level At the enterprise level, companies can use the IDC as an IaaS offering or as a private, on-premises cloud platform. The FactoryTalk Cloud is a public, remotely administered cloud platform powered

by Windows Azure. The FactoryTalk Cloud platform that can help industrial companies monitor remote assets, track historical data and analyze multisite performance. DW

Rockwell Automation www.rockwellautomation.com

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O P T I C

S E N S I N G

Fiber optic cabling solutions for sensing applications Understanding the key factors that go into selecting fiber optic cabling for sensing will ensure the most reliable and easy-to-maintain system that reduces your maintenance operations.

Jean Baptiste Gay • Project Manager • Fischer Connectors

Fiber optic is mostly known for being the ideal solution to carry large amounts of data over long distances.

However, fiber optics can also be used to gather information about the environment. The physical properties of light into the fiber can be affected by strain, temperature or sound. Several technologies enable either local measurement points or distributed measurement all along the fiber. These technologies rely on the wave properties and quantum interactions of light with the fiber optic core matter.

We can distinguish two types of sensing: 1. Local measurement points • The sensor is localized along the fiber at chosen measurement points • Typical: - FBG (Fiber Bragg Grating)

2. Distributed sensing • The fiber itself is the sensor, with sensing occurring all along the fiber • Typical: - Rayleigh

- Brillouin

- Raman

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Local measurement points Local measurements over a fiber are achieved by using fiber Bragg sensors (or FBG for Fiber Bragg Grating). The technology is based on small (~5 mm) arrays of laser-induced discontinuities (Figure 1) along the fiber core that constructively interfere at a specific wavelength, which then acts as a mirror tuned for that specific wavelength.

The system uses a tunable laser to

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scan a spectrum range while checking for reflected light. The exact reflected wavelength is measured via a spectrometer and stored as the initial value. When a strain is applied to the fiber, the fiber will stretch according to its elastic properties. This will cause the FBG to change its step (“L” in Figure 2) between the discontinuities. Therefore, the associated reflected wavelength will be shifted and its measurement will be used to quantify

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the strain. If the fiber is mechanically linked to the material, the strain information will be measured. If the fiber is not mechanically linked to the material, the FBG will act as a simple temperature sensor (as the elongation of the fiber will only be induced by thermal expansion).

For FBG to work, the use of single mode fiber is mandatory. As the information is contained in the light reflected by the FBG, the requirement for ultralow return losses is a general concern when using this technology.

Distributed sensing Distributed sensing, unlike FBG sensing, uses the whole fiber as a sensor. No specific modification is needed on a

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standard telecom fiber for the system to work. It is based on the physical interactions of light along the fiber.

Light backscattering is the main physical interaction that drives distributed sensing measures. Backscattering occurs when a photon encounters an impurity inside the fiber core. This causes the light to be sent backwards into the fiber in the direction of the light source (Figure 3).

These small impurities are evenly distributed along the fiber, so when a discontinuity (externally induced by strain, temperature, vibration, etc.) is applied to the fiber at a certain location, the impurities density is modified. This causes a change in the backscattering

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Raleigh backscattering effect, enabling the exact location of a failure on the line to be found using the time of flight (Figure 4).

Brillouin backscattering Figure 1: The workings of Fiber Bragg sensors or FBG (Fiber Bragg Grating)

Rayleigh backscattering

intensity at that location. By measuring the time of flight (of a light pulse), it is possible to know precisely where (distance from the source) the discontinuity occurs (Figure 4).

As backscattering represents an extremely low amount of returning light, measurements must be taken over a long period of time to collect enough information for a precise measurement. Consequently, acquisition time is very low.

Rayleigh scattering is a phenomenon you experience nearly every day. It is the effect that makes the sky look blue (Figure 6).

Rayleigh scattering describes the elastic scattering of light by spheres which are much smaller than the wavelength of light. The most important discontinuity inducing Rayleigh backscattering into fiber optics results from small variations in the core refractive index. These discontinuities are, by construction, evenly distributed along the fiber and therefore induce a constant backscattering noise back to the source (Figure 7).

Rayleigh backscattering is the technology an OTDR (optical time-domain reflectometer) relies on. Most fiber optic telecom technicians use it every day to test and troubleshoot fiber optic links. It adds a time domain calculation to the

Different types of backscattering Following a specific monochromatic input pulse, the resulting backscattered light that comes backwards inside the fiber has the following profile (Figure 5): Same wavelength—Rayleigh backscattering Positive (Stoke) and negative (anti-Stoke) low shift—Brillouin backscattering Positive (Stoke) and negative (anti-Stoke) high shift—Raman backscattering

λBragg= 2nΛ

P

Figure 2: Unstrained and strained FBG. When a strain is applied to the fiber, the fiber will stretch according to its elastic properties, causing it change its step between the discontinuities.

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λ'Bragg= 2'nΛ'

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l L

Unstrained FGB

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Brillouin backscattering occurs due to the interaction between the light and acoustic phonons travelling in the fiber (caused by thermal excitation or strain).

As the light is scattered by a moving entity (phonon), its frequency (wavelength) is shifted by the Relativistic Doppler effect (by around 10 GHz or 0.1 nm for a 1550 nm wavelength). Light is generated at both at positive (Stoke) and negative (anti-Stoke) shifts to the original optical wavelength (Figure 8). The intensity and frequency shifts of the two components are dependent on both temperature and strain. By measuring the shifts’ absolute values, the two parameters can be calculated. However, as both temperature and strain are convoluted in the measured value, Brillouin-based systems usually consist of two fibers: one is linked to the structure, measuring both strain and temperature, and the other one is free from the structure, measuring temperature only and being used as a temperature compensation for the strain measurement.

l L'

Strained FGB

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AUTOMATION

Raman backscattering

to work flawlessly (with a good Raman scattering occurs when light is signal-to-noise ratio). Insertion scattered due to interaction with moloss must be as low as poslecular vibrations in the fiber. As with sible and return loss is a critical Brillouin scattering, positive (Stoke) and concern, as the returning light negative (anti-Stoke) shift components contains information about the are produced and these are shifted from measurement. Optical connecthe wavelength of the incident light. By tors are generally specified in measuring the ratio in intensity between APC end faces for Single mode, the Stoke and anti-Stoke components, as they guarantee the lowest an absolute value of temperature can possible return loss. Manufacbe measured (Figure 9). Usually only the turing a good and reliable APC anti-Stoke component, which is the most termination requires top-of-thetemperature dependent, is monitored. range polishing equipment and Raman backscattering is exclusively tem- skilled operators. Each terminaperature dependent, so only one fiber tion must be certified in terms of can be used (unlike Brillouin). end-face geometry to guarantee good physical contact (thus Interconnecting solutions ensuring ultra-low return losses).

Fiber optic sensing technologies require On the connector construction top-of-the-range optical performances stand point, each APC terminus

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HELUKABEL®’s high-quality cables and cable accessories (e.g. glands, connectors and cable tracks), guarantees durable and reliable cable systems that can handle the high mechanical stress and repetitive, movements in automated industrial applications.

TOPSERV PUR 600/1000V-rated, continuous-flex servo and motor cable for drag chains. PUR outer jacket is self-extinguishing and flame retardant.

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F I B E R

O P T I C

Intensity

S E N S I N G

Input pulse

RALEIGH

BRILLOUIN

BRILLOUIN

RAMAN

RAMAN

Îť

Anti-Stoke shift

(Wavelenght)

Stoke shift

Figure 5: How Raleigh, Brillion and Raman backscattering occur

has to be keyed properly and the shell must have been designed with fiber optic in mind, since the overall tolerances must meet the termini design requirements.

Sensing and instrumentation is by nature exposed to environmental constraints; the cable assemblies and connections that carry the measurement therefore have to be able to withstand these conditions. This can be challenging and requires premium materials and high-quality solutions. Having a strong, reliable, easy-to-maintain and quickly deployable fiber optic solution is the key to success.

Ease of maintenance is an important factor, as associated downtimes can lead to considerable loss of earnings when the sensing system is a critical part of the security loop associated with the main production.

Fischer Connectors can provide premium, high performance, robust fiber optic cable assembly solutions that are designed for extreme environmental resistance and ease of use, due to its unique push-pull locking system and easy maintenance.

For example, its Fischer FiberOptic series offers a ready-to-use solution for field deployment. Its ruggedness ensures quick and safe connections, even when handled by untrained operators.

Its extreme cleanability, coupled with its removable sleeve holder, enables a first level of maintenance even in the

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Rays from the sun

Spherical scattering of rays in the blue part of the spectrum

Atmosphere

Earth

Figure 6: Raleigh scattering: why the sky is blue

Intensity

Input pulse

Compression strain Natural unstrained Traction strain

Îť

Anti-Stoke shift

Figure 7: Evenly distributed discontinuities induce constant backscattering.

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(Wavelenght) Stoke shift

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field. You can also obtain pre-terminated cable assemblies in single Mode APC and other fiber types, for perfect integration into sensing applications. The rugged and sealed bodies ensure a high degree of mechanical protection, while making no compromise on optical performance, thanks to their shell design and best-inclass butt joint termini. Available in 1, 2 and 4 fibers, the range features a wide choice of body styles to fulfill all your integration needs.

In March 2016, Fischer Connectors launched its new single fiber optic connector (FO1) within its Fischer FiberOptic Series. This miniature, lightweight, rugged connectivity solution is easy to use and ensures premium performance even in harsh environments. The FO1 connector is also available either in pre-configured reels or integrated into custom assemblies for applications in instrumentation and sensing – to name only a few of the various fields for which this new product is ideally suited.

This new connector fulfills the growing market need for higher data transmission rates over long distances, while reducing space and guaranteeing performance by means of rugged miniature solutions. DW

Intensity

Input pulse

Temperature & strain Increase or decrese

Temperature & strain Increase or decrese

Natural unstrained

Natural unstrained

λ

Anti-Stoke shift

Figure 8: Brillouin backscattering generates light at positive and negative shifts to the original optical wavelength.

Intensity

Input pulse

temperature rise Initial temperature

Initial temperature

temperature drop

RAMAN

Fischer Connectors | fischerconnectors.com

(Wavelenght)

Stoke shift

RAMAN

Anti-Stoke shift

Stoke shift

λ

(Wavelenght)

Figure 9: By measuring the ratio in intensity between the Stoke and anti-Stoke components om Raman backscattering, an absolute value of temperature can be measured.

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Fischer’s FiberOptic Series single fiber optic connector (FO1)

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S P R I N G - L O A D E D

C O N N E C T O R S

Selecting the correct spring-loaded connector for modern interconnect applications Multiple high-quality precision-machined solutions give designers extensive choice.

Stephen Capitelli • Manager of Product Engineering • Mill-Max Mfg. Corp.

Connectivity is crucial in modern design. The availability of highly reliable and proven connector technologies that facilitate miniaturization and connectivity make a significant contribution to the growth of modern portable devices and other applications. Designers must achieve the right balance between reliability, suitability and cost for the connectors they specify. Therefore, the application and connectivity requirements need to be clearly understood.

In some applications, the connector is mated only once; in others—such as docking stations or chargers—the connector is integral, meaning that each of these applications requires a different solution. In all cases, a correctly applied connector functions better and lasts longer.

There are several methods for creating connector pins although the most dependable is precision machining as it provides excellent quality and reliability.

The process is highly accurate with exceptional repeatability. It also offers significant design and material flexibility, allowing designers to specify connectors to suit their exact needs. Typical high-precision pins have a basically cylindrical geometry and are sometimes called ‘turned’ pins.

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Typical turned pin sizes range from 0.008 to 0.250 in. (0.2032 to 6.35 mm) with tight tolerances of ±0.0005 in.

(0.0127 mm) on all features that are critical to using the pin as a connector.

Specifying spring-loaded connectors (SLCs) The main component in SLCs are the spring-loaded pins (sometimes called spring-loaded contacts, spring probes,

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or Pogo Pins) that provide a highly reliable, interconnect solution for many demanding applications. Each pin is precision-machined to ensure a high quality, low resistance and compliant connector, thereby giving it an edge over other technologies.

Spring-loaded pins typically comprise at least three machined components assembled with a spring allowing a range of movement. Each component DESIGN WORLD

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The spring is the critical component in an SLC.

is electroplated with gold over nickel ensuring excellent electrical conductivity, durability and corrosion protection for life.

Many options should be considered when specifying SLCs, including the basic requirements of voltage capability, current handling and contact resistance.

While vertical mounting is most common, certain applications require the horizontal mating of two (or more) boards. Right-angle pins and targets

(both through-hole and surface-mount) on a 0.100 in. (2.54 mm) or 0.050 in.

(1.27 mm) pitch solve this challenge.

SLCs often carry both power and signals within the same assembly. Standard power pins carry currents up to 9 A with only a 10°C rise above ambient. Where higher current (or lower temperature rise) is required, pins may be doubled up, or larger pins used, especially for ground connections.

Specifying different length spring pins

in an array allows ‘make-before-break’ connections. This is especially useful where power needs to be applied to a circuit before signal connections, or key signals need to mate sooner or later, based on the application requirements.

Depending upon the application, different travel distances or spring forces may be required. For complex, multiboard assemblies, double action SLCs are available.

SLC technology is inherently versatile;

Spring-Loaded pins are available in many shapes and sizes to suit a wide variety of applications.

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S P R I N G - L O A D E D

C O N N E C T O R S

Typical right-angle board-to-board SLC solution

pins with solder cups or crimp barrels are suitable for wire termination. Various sizes are available offering the ability to accommodate wires up to 16 AWG, with 9 A current handling capability.

Generally speaking, it is best to operate SLCs around mid-stroke, with 2575% compression, although ‘one-time compression’ applications often benefit from maximum compression. For very low profile spring pins, 50 to 85% compression is preferred. Good design practice in less-controlled applications includes incorporating a stand-off to provide mechanical support.

SLCs are able to mate with many different surfaces as a good connection is made when the plunger/piston contacts any flat or concave plated surface.

Spring pins can mate with non-parallel surfaces, provided the mating force is applied axially to the piston/plunger.

Lateral engagement or side-loading may cause damage.

By using spring-loaded connectors and mating with PCB pads, one side of the ‘pin-and-socket’ combination is eliminated, leading to savings in component cost and production time.

Although mating with gold-plated PCB pads is most common, other options are available. A dedicated through-hole nail head pin; surface mount target pin; low-profile, gold-plated discs; or a variety of target connectors can be used. All provide a highly conductive, wear-resistant solution. Combining spring pins with targets allows different mating distances to suit any application.

Reliability is required Poor quality connections negatively impact overall system reliability, making reliability crucial to specifying SLCs. As such, when specifying SLCs, designers should review all available test data.

IEC 60512 has been the definitive standard for connector testing since 1976. It includes multiple tests to ensure that the connectors will give long-term reliability in real-world applications.

Spring force, contact resistance, random, half sinus and sinusoidal vibration, rapid temperature change, dry heat, cyclic damp heat, cold test and current carrying capacity are examples of included tests.

Applications of SLCs SLC applications are only limited by the specifying designer’s imagination, although the most popular remains connectivity between two or more PCBs. As modular designs become more popular, PCB use in products is increasing. Versatile SLCs are a viable solution for parallel or perpendicular, vertical or horizontal boards and allow multiple boards to be combined easily, accommodating tolerance stack-ups due to non-parallel fixing or PCB warpage.

The larger 08xx series of power spring pins shown alongside standard 09xx series contacts

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HIGH SPEED DATA TRANSFER CONNECTORS FOR RUGGED APPLICATIONS

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Medical Interconnect Solutions

S P R I N G - L O A D E D

•

Ergonomic grip for easy mating and alignment

•

Embedded latching system for impact resistance

•

High density contact configuration

•

Four keyways to prevent cross connection

•

Plastic material for sterilization

•

Multiple colors for identification

•

4-22 contacts (crimp or solder)

Board stacking combined with limited design space is making ‘blind mating’ more common. However, engagement misalignment may lead to damage and poor connections with common socket and header combinations. SLCs are ideal here as no insertion is required; connection is made when the plunger contacts a conductive surface. Mating surfaces are often larger than the spring pin, eliminating alignment concerns.

While SLC’s simplify the manufacturing assembly process on the inside of the product they are also beneficial when designed as the interface to the outside world. In the example of handheld devices, utilizing spring-loaded pins in the battery compartment of the device eases the installation and removal of batteries, while positioning them in docking stations facilitates charging and signal functions. Easily integrated into any system with numerous options for height, travel and spring force, SLCs provide a durable, consistent connection, allow blind mating, and permit some misalignment when placing the battery or device in the cradle. This makes them the preferred choice for applications where the end user makes the connection.

Spring-loaded contacts with solder cups or wire crimp terminations can be used in harness applications by having them over-molded or press-fit into a plastic housing, thereby creating a cable terminated connector. This is excellent for blind mating and quick connect cable applications, especially as SLC performance under shock and vibration makes them a good fit for the constant handling and jostling of cables.

However, SLCs are not only used in end products. Many test departments rely on them for ‘bed of nails’ automated functional testers where they provide an easily accessible yet highly tolerant and reliable means of quickly mounting and demounting the board to be tested.

•

Cable Assembly Solutions

Technology examples

REDEL SP, Enabling New Connections

LEMO USA, Inc.

800-444-5366 info-us@lemo.com www.lemo.com

C O N N E C T O R S

70 different product families covering almost every conceivable configuration, alongside 45 different target connectors (and 28 loose pin target products).

The range includes single and double row headers suitable for through-hole, surface mount and wire termination that are available on 0.100 and 0.050 in. and 2 mm grids with various force, stroke and height options. In addition, bulk and tape-and-reel packaging is offered to suit a wide variety of production processes.

For rugged applications Mill-Max currently offers nine spring-loaded pins designed to withstand side loading, blind mating, over compression, high shock and vibration and other general rough handling by end users.

These pins in the 0850 series feature 20 micro-inches of gold plating over nickel giving durable performance up to one million cycles and have extended bearing surfaces and ample body wall thickness as well as solid plungers and stainless steel springs.

The high force spring provides double the force of standard spring pins at working travel and allows for strokes up to 0.090 in. (2.286 mm), allowing the SLCs to excel in rugged environments, operating from –55° to 125°C. The low contact resistance of 20 mΩ (maximum) allows for currents up to 9 A to be handled, with temperature rises below 10°C.

Summary In modern applications, space is at a premium and reliability is critical. Precision-machined SLCs bring a unique combination of quality, reliability and versatility to a wide range of applications, thereby solving many of the connectivity-related challenges faced by designers. DW Mill-Max Mfg. | mill-max.com

Mill-Max Mfg. Corp. is at the forefront of standard and custom spring loaded connector solutions with a comprehensive range of standard spring loaded contacts and connectors that comprises more than

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Sager EEWeb Design News 130 Anniversary.qxp_Layout 1 2/8/17 2:19 PM Page 1

It All Started in 1887 as a Small Boston Storefront Selling Speaking Tubes.

130 years later, Sager Electronics has grown into a leading North American distributor of interconnect, power and electromechanical electronic components. Acquired 5 years ago by TTI, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. company, Sager continues to operate with the same dedication to its core values – integrity, service and adaptability.

Celebrating 130 Years of Distributing Confidence®

130 YEARS

1887 - 2017

© 2017 Sager Electronics, 19 Leona Drive, Middleborough, MA 02346 • 1.800.724.3780 • www.sager.com

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Designing the right cable for your application

Ryan Satrom Signal Integrity Engineer Omnetics Connector Corp.

The cable is a critical part of most connector assemblies. It protects the wires from the external environment, as well as provides electrical paths for signals to reach their destination. Proper cable design takes into consideration many different variables that may impact its mechanical and electrical performance. The conductor, insulation, and jacket material must be chosen careful. Additionally, various shielding methods must be considered. In this discussion, these critical decisions are described.

Cables designed correctly should address all the needs of each specific application.

Conductor material Copper is the conductor for nearly all wires that are used in cable-connector assemblies today, but there are several different versions that can be considered. There is standard copper and copper alloys. There are also different platings to be considered, and the question of solid versus stranded wire.

Base material – copper versus copper alloy As mentioned, copper is the best and most popular option for the base material in wires. It provides an excellent balance of conductivity, formability and cost. Copper or copper alloy is the default conductor for nearly all cables used. There are a few other options such as platinum and stainless steel that are used sparingly, particularly in the medical industry which doesn’t use copper for A look at Hitachi’s Cat 7 cable shows the different styles of shielding, including wire braid and foil.

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THE DIFFERENCE IS CLEAR 221 Series LEVER-NUTS®

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implantable devices. High-strength copper alloys are typically used for space applications and for smaller wires (typically 32 AWG and smaller). They have a reduced conductivity but provide improved tensile strength which helps avoid breaking wires, which becomes a challenge with smaller wires.

Plating options – tin, silver, nickel Plating is typically added to the wire for three reasons: 1 To minimize oxidation and corrosion; 2 To facilitate a simpler and more effective termination (either solder or crimp); 3 To provide better high-frequency performance.

The platings used most often are: • Tin (150°C temp rating): Typically used in low-cost commercial applications, tin provides a protective layer over the copper, ensuring that the copper will not oxidize. This allows for a crimp to make a solid connection to the copper. The downsides to tin is that it introduces soldering challenges due to tin whiskers, and it is a poor high-frequency material.

• Silver (200°C temp rating): Silver has excellent solderability as well as excellent conductivity for high-frequency applications.

• Nickel (260°C temp rating): Typically only used for high temperature applications, nickel is higher cost and is not as good for terminations and solderability. However, nickel has an excellent temperature rating (around 250° C).

Solid versus stranded wires Stranded wires provide improved flexibility, improved flex life, and have significantly better crimpability. The most popular stranded wires include seven strands, but for applications that need additional flexibility, nineteen strand versions are available.

Solid wires are slightly cheaper and have a slightly lower resistance compared to the same diameter stranded wire. However, these slight benefits are rarely enough to justify their use. The only applications where solid wires are typically considered are very high-speed applications. This is because solid wires can provide lower skew (the difference in electrical length between two wires) due to a more concentric and symmetrical construction.

Table 1. Comparison of material characteristics for insulation materials.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

Polythylene (PE)

Polypropylene (PP) Teflon (FEP)

Teflon (PFA)

Teflon (PTFE)

Teflon (XL-ETFE)

Cable Insulation Material Summary

Cost

Dielectric Constant

Flexibility

Temp Range

Flammability

Outgassing

Low

5.0-8.0

Good

60°-105°C*

Fair/Good

Poor

Low

2.1

Good

Low

2.2

Good

80°C

Fair

Poor

80°C

Fair/Good

Poor

High

2.1

High

2.0

Fair

200°C

Good

Good

Fair

260°C

Good

Good

High High

2.1

Fair

200°C

Good

Good

2.7

Poor/Fair

150°C

Good

Good

*Varies by formulation

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Insulation material The insulation material is the material that surrounds the individual conductor wires. The purpose of an insulator is to protect wires from mechanical stress, and to prevent shorts and dielectric breakdown from nearby electrical signals.

Key considerations There are several parameters that should be considered when selecting an insulation material: • Dielectric constant: The dielectric constant impacts the impedance and loss through the cable. The dielectric constant, however, does not impact the performance for low-speed signals, so it is only a concern for high-speed applications.

• Flexibility: Given the relatives sizes, the overall flexibility of the cable is influenced much more by the braid and jacket material. The flexibility of the insulation material still plays a role, but it is less critical.

• Temperature range: Temperature is important because it may impact the processability of the wires as well as the usability in the end environment. Processability is important because the insulation material must not melt if it needs to be soldered. Additionally, the material must not melt if a shrink tube is heated up and shrunk in the surrounding area.

• Flammability: Describes the ability of material to burn. Materials with good flammability ratings help minimize the amount of toxins released during fires.

• Outgassing: Outgassing consists of the releasing of gas from a material. This is primarily a concern in space where low outgassing materials are required in order to maintain a clean environment.

Insulation material options There are many different materials that can be used for insulation material, but DESIGN WORLD

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the vast majority of applications can use materials from the following three categories: PVC, Polyolefin, and Teflon.

• PVC: There are countless different PVC formulations, all with slightly different characteristics, so it is difficult to provide specific characteristics of PVC. That said, there are general parameters that are relatively similar across most formulations. PVC is generally the cheapest material and is used widely in commercial cables. PVC is not a good material for any applications with high-speed, temperature, or outgassing requirements.

• Polyolefin: The polyolefin family includes both polyethylene and polypropylene. These materials are also popular in commercial markets due to their low cost. The low dielectric constant is what separates polyolefin materials from PVC, and makes them a great solution for high-speed applications. However, the low temperature range and poor outgassing limit the applications in which they can be used.

• Teflon: There are many flavors of Teflon, but the most popular Teflon materials used for insulation are FEP, PFA, and PTFE. For the significant majority of applications, these Teflon materials provide the best characteristics, both electrical and mechanical. Not only do they have a low dielectric constant for high-speed applications, Teflon has a high temperature rating and low outgassing characteristics. The other Teflon option used is cross-linked ETFE (XL-ETFE). Despite slightly lower electrical and temperature characteristics, XL-ETFE has good cold flow and radiation resistance, which is important in aerospace applications. The down- side of Teflon is that it can be up to ten times the cost of a material like PVC.

Cable shielding The cable shield is a conductive material that surrounds wires inside a cable. The purpose of a shield is to prevent noise from disturbing the signals within the cable and its surrounding environment. There are two different types of shields within cables: an individual shield, around a single twisted pair to prevent crosstalk inside the cable, and an overall shield, around the entire cable bundle to prevent electromagnetic interference (EMI) from radiating into and out of the cable bundle.

Key considerations There are several parameters that should be considered when selecting a cable shield: • Shielding effectiveness measures the shield’s ability to prevent EMI. Can also be described as “percent coverage.”

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• Flexibility has a significant impact on the flexibility of the overall cable.

• Flex life determines the ability of a cable to withstand flexing throughout the life of a cable.

• Low resistance ensures that the shield can mitigate low frequency signals.

Shielding options The various shielding options, shown in Figure 1, are described below.

• Foil shields have excellent shielding effectiveness—up to 100% in many cases—and is very thin which can lead to excellent flexibility. The downsides are poor flex life and high resistance.

• Braided shields have good flexibility, flex life and low resistance. However, they are not ideal for high frequency applications as it is impossible to achieve 100% shielding effectiveness. Typical braid coverage is between 80% and 95%.

• Foil and braided shields provide the best of both worlds and is the default choice for high-frequency applications.

It combines the shielding effectiveness of the foil shield with the flex life of the braid.

ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE EPOXY

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Hackensack NJ, 07601 USA ∙ +1.201.343.8983 ∙ main@masterbond.com

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11/30/17 9:25 AM

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(a)

(a)

(b)

(b)

(c)

(c)

(d)

(d)

Figure 1. Cable shield options. (a) Foil (b) Braid (c) Foil and braid (d) Serve

Good overall shielding effectiveness for a cable assembly is only achieved if the shield is properly terminated to the connector, on both ends of the harness.

• Serve shields consist of wires wrapped in a spiral around the wires. Serve shields work great for low frequency applications. However, the spiral wrap creates a coil effect that causes issues for signals above about 1 MHz.

Importance of cable-connector shield termination Good overall shielding effectiveness for a cable assembly is only achieved if the shield is properly terminated to the connector, on both ends of the harness. As a general rule, the overall shielding effectivess will be dictated by the size of the largest opening throughout the assembly (the smaller, the better). This large opening most often occurs at the cable-connector transition. To address this, it is important to maintain a termination across the full 360° of the cable-connector mate.

Cable jacket The cable jacket is a non-conductive material that surrounds the entire wire bundle. The purpose of a jacket is to protect the internal components of the cable from the outside environment—chemicals, flames, moisture, etc.—and to improve the organization and appearance of the wire harness.

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Cham pions M12 S-/T-coded molded

M12 X-coded

M12 Food & Beverage

M12 B-/D-coded crimp

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Key considerations There are several parameters that should be considered when selecting a cable jacket: • Flame retardancy: Measures the ability of a material to resist catching fire.

• Low-smoke-zero-Halogen (LSZH): Halogens emit toxic fumes into the air when burned. LSZH jackets ensure that no toxins are emitted if the jacket were to catch fire.

• Ruggedness: Defines the ability of the cable to withstand rugged environments.

Key factors in ruggedness are abrasion resistance—which is the ability to resist surface wear—and flexibility.

• Outgassing: The unwanted release of a gas from within the jacket material. Minimizing outgassing in components is critical in aerospace applications where outgassed substances condense onto nearby electronics and optics, impacting their functionality.

• Maximum temperature: The maximum temperature that a jacket can operate without noticeably impacting any of its critical properties.

• IP67/IP68: IP67 and IP68 ratings de scribe the ability of a component to remain dustproof and waterproof. In order for a cable assembly to achievw these ratings, the overmold must main - tain a leakproof bond to the cable jacket.

• Autoclavability: An autoclave is often used in medical environments to sterilize a cable assembly which is intended to be cleaned and reused.

Jacket material options The four cable jacket materials listed below make up the jackets in about 90% of the cables used in Omnetics cable assemblies.

• Polyurethane is an excellent cable jacket material. Its combination of excellent ruggedness, ability to meet IP67/IP68 requirements, and availability in LSZH make it a highly desirable option for a significant number of cable applications.

• PVC is a low-cost option that works great for applications that do not have stringent ruggedness or IP67/IP68 requirements. PVC is used in nearly all commercial cables.

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• Silicone is smooth, soft and flexible, and is a leading jacket material in medical applications. Silicone is desirable in applications where the look and feel of the cable are important, but there are no stringent environmental requirements.

• Teflon has an excellent temperature range and very low outgassing specifications. These characteristics make it the ideal solution for aerospace applications (low outgas) and down-hole applications (high temperature).

Cable Jacket Material Summary Polyurethane

PVC

Silicone

Teflon

Flame Retardant

Fair

Excellent

Good

Excellent

LSZH

Yes

No

No

No

Ruggedness

Excellent

Good

Fair

Fair

Outgassing

Poor

Poor

Poor

Excellent

Max Temp

80°C

90°C

200°C

260°C

IP67/IP68

Excellent

Poor

Poor

Poor

Autoclave

Poor

Poor

Excellent

Good

Figure 2. Characteristics of the four primary cable jacket materials used in Omnetics cable assemblies.

Conclusion Cables are one of the most important aspects of any assembly design.

By properly considering the materials and shielding options discussed in this article, designers should be equipped to successfully address the electrical and mechanical challenges that arise in cables in many of today’s applications. DW Omnetics Connector Corp. | omnetics.com

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Sizing and selecting servos: The system approach Never sized and selected a servo? Here we outline the basics of how interrelated parameters need a system approach.

Sizing and selecting a servo for a motion design begins by understanding the components that make a servo motor or servo-drive system. Most servo designs are highly dynamic systems involving rapid load accelerations and decelerations. They operate in all four quadrants, meaning they control torque and speed whether positive or negative.

Sizing a servo-driven design requires a system approach — in other words, a holistic view that accounts for global mechanical, electrical, and programming parameters. The system includes a definition of the mechanical load, motion profile (including positioning requirements), the servo motor characteristics, and the environment in which the motor and other components are placed.

Bob White | Manager | Training and Digital Services | Kollmorgen

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Here’s a typical machine and the various motor technologies it employs to actuate multiple motion processes.

Mechanical load and motion-profile parameters Let’s begin with an understanding of the implications of the mechanical load and motion requirements. Basic Newtonian physics assert that force (or torque in rotary terms) is proportional to the mass (rotary inertia) multiplied by the acceleration rate, whether positive or negative. Within the context of a motion design, a machine build has its own mass and the mass of the load being transported.

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Drive electronics aren’t so forgiving of heat, and typically are rated for cooler conditions—often for 25°C. So, determine where the motors and drives will be located once installed.

So, it’s important to accurately define the mechanics — specifically, the masses in motion and the required motion profile.

Motion profiles are inclusive of not only the move from one point to another but also what functions might be occurring during that motion, such as thrust forces associated with machining of parts. Acceleration, traverse, and deceleration (as well as dwell or rest periods) are segments included in the overall motion profile of the system.

Indexing moves can be simply a triangle move, variable trapezoidal or 1/3-1/3-1/3 (the most efficient tied to RMS torque).

Today’s sizing and selection tools help design engineers build out motion profiles based on the motion requirements of the application.

Some manufacturers’ software tools also let design engineers describe moves in different ways ... and then assist in calculations of acceleration rates, move times and distances, and traverse and dwell times.

Consider a classic motion-profile example — a basic 1/3-1/3-1/3 profile with the introduction of 50% jerk to smooth out the acceleration rates. Assume we choose to move eight inches in one second using 50% jerk and a dwell of two seconds. Software then calculates the move assuming 1/3 of the time is spent accelerating, 1/3 is spent at traverse, and the last 1/3 on deceleration.

Maximum speed is calculated by our software tool at 720 in./min. Refer to the actual software screen captures illustrating this feature, and note the S-curve profile based on the 50% jerk rate. For this move, also note the thrust load (plotted as a red line) applied during the traverse portion of the move — the portion of this move profile during which machining takes place. The dwell period runs this out to the three-second mark. (This dwell portion is quite important, as all parameters related to this profile ultimately go into calculation of the RMS torque — the one measure we use in selecting the correct motor.)

Along with the motion profile, it’s important to understand the actual positioning requirements of the load regarding resolution, accuracy, and repeatability. These parameters dictate what feedback devices are suitable and (more significantly) how much mechanical assembly lost motion (in the form of backlash and compliance) is acceptable.

Unless the design can use a direct-drive motor solution, it will include a mechanical transmission of some type. Rotary-to-linear power transmission (to translate rotational motion into linear motion) is often through a pulley-driven belt or screw-based mechanism such as a ballscrew. Rotary transmissions include gearboxes or belt-driven assemblies

Feedback selection is an important element of determining the precision of a given machine.

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to function as speed reducers using pulleys of various sizes. In some applications, parts being moved make a significant contribution to the total moving mass. One special case is when a machine axis must move a changing mass — as in the case of robotic systems in dispensing or machining, for example. Here, the total load change can be a factor in the tuning of the servo drive.

Remember: Sum the inertias of all components in motion and reflect that value back to the motor shaft. In addition, consider external forces as well as friction and inefficiencies during the design process.

Along with the motion profile, it’s important to understand the actual positioning requirements of the load regarding resolution, accuracy, and repeatability.

Environmental considerations for servo designs It doesn’t end there. When specifying a servo design, only some available mechanisms will cost-effectively deliver the required motion dynamics, loadcarrying capacity, and positioning accuracies. One often-overlooked consideration is the environment in which the servo system will operate. Most servo motors are rated for operating in 40° C ambient conditions — which is a very warm environment, but typical of many factory and industrial settings.

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Application sizing programs offer various mechanical setup templates. Kollmorgen’s Motioneering platform even offers design engineers a number of ways to describe moves … and then assists in calculating acceleration rates, move time and distance, and traverse and dwell times.

Drive electronics aren’t so forgiving of heat, and typically are rated for cooler ambient conditions — often for 25° C. So, determine where the motors and drives will be located once installed.

Motors mount or integrate directly into the machine to drive the mechanisms holding the load. In contrast, the drives in a centralized scheme are located within a control cabinet — which typically is cooled. Why is this of concern?

Manufacturers define motor performance in part by the ambient condition in which it will operate. As mentioned, many definitions assume 40° C, but occasionally motors are rated at 25° C. If the ambient temperature where the machine operates exceeds the rated ambient, the motor won’t perform at its rated capability.

Other environmental conditions can threaten the motor paint and seals and other mechanical subcomponents. Dust, dirt, moisture, spray wash-down, hygienic requirements, explosive settings, vacuum environments, and radiation all necessitate specialty servo motor features with physical characteristics tailored to the challenge at hand.

Selection process for servo components A lot of the upfront sizing effort in determining the motor-drive system power needed comes from the mechanics and installation environment. Now, as design engineers make their final component selections, they must consider the rest of the system components involved to deliver that power. Mechanism design and the application environment always influence suitable choices for a motor’s feedback element, cabling, and ultimately the control architecture chosen.

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Consider a classic motion-profile example — a basic 1/3-1/3-1/3 profile with the introduction of 50% jerk to smooth out the acceleration rates. Assume we choose to move 8 in. in 1 second using 50% jerk and a dwell of 2 sec. Kollmorgen’s Motioneering software then calculates the move assuming 1/3 of the time is spent accelerating, 1/3 is spent traversing, and the last 1/3 on deceleration.

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Feedback considerations and servo motor characteristics By definition, servo systems have feedback devices that measure velocity, position, and other system parameters during operation.

Manufacturers may have limited choices, but careful consideration of specific application parameters — including shock loading and positioning accuracy and repeatability — is essential. Resolvers tend to excel in harsh environments especially with higher shock loads. Resolvers are rotary transformers consisting of coils of wire wrapped around a core for both the stator and rotor portions. This architecture allows for higher temperature operation and is much more forgiving in high shock loads as opposed to encoders which likely contain a glass disc element.

Sinusoidal encoders offer high resolution —up to 24 bits or higher— for best positioning accuracy. Some hybrid feedback devices offer robustness of a resolver with improved resolution capabilities. These smart feedback devices are based on a resolver with an electronic element that interprets the sin and cosine signals and converts them into a highresolution digital signal which is passed to the servo drive to use in both velocity and position feedback.

The newest encoders today offer a variety of communication protocols (EndDAT, Biss, and DSL) and offer high resolution and noise immunity helping to reach the best feedback signal possible to the servo drives and controllers.

Another feedback choice that is dependent on the application requirements is the need for absolute position feedback versus incremental. In a rotary system, once the motor completes a 360° rotation, it starts over. An absolute encoder lets the system to know where it is within the 360° and how many times it made a complete turn in either direction ... so it knows exactly where the axis is positioned.

This may be very important to know in conjunction with positioning of tools and other axes. On the other hand, a simple incremental encoder identifies where the axis is in a single turn, so doesn’t know

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how many times that axis completed a complete cycle ... or what the absolute position is.

Cabling for servo installations We’ve talked a bit about the servo motor and servo drive, but cabling between the two is important as well. Cable flexibility as defined by its allowable bend radii is a key consideration here — especially where the cable travels with the axis.

Cable length may be limited by the type of feedback device considered.

Cable parameters such as impedance and voltage drop (along with the feedback device’s signal strength) dictate suitable cable length. Some newer devices available on the market are transmitting serial information to the drive (such as DSL, EnDat, and BiSS protocols) at very high transmission rates which again are

affected by length, specifically impedance and signal to noise ratios.

In fact, even connectors play a role in the feedback loop, as connectors must handle the kinds of signals being generated from these feedback devices. Another consideration related to the motor power that dictates allowable cable length is that of high switching frequencies from today’s PWM drives. Noise from this switching is always present in the motor power cable, and as the cable gets longer and reaches a half wavelength of the frequency riding on the cable, an antenna is created. Antennas like to transmit and receive information, and in this case, it’s noise … which isn’t desirable in highperformance systems.

Cable parameters such as impedance and voltage drop (along with the feedback device’s signal strength) dictate suitable cable length.

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reiteration of the holistic design process (as well as changes to the other specified components of the design) is the system architecture. The engineer must ask: Should I focus on a centralized control system with drives, controllers, and supporting electronics packaged in a centralized cabinet, or would it be more beneficial and cost-effective to distribute the drives throughout the machine — a decentralized system approach? A machine with a high axis count (where axes can be spread throughout the machine) is a suitable candidate for a decentralized approach.

Decentralized drives can drastically reduce cable requirements, saving costs associated with long cable runs, along with the cable trays and carriers that would accompany these cables. In addition, moving the drives out on the machine reduces the size of the cabinet one would need to house control

and support electronics – again reducing cost, and also, reducing the cooling requirements in the cabinet. On the other hand, a compact lower axis count machine would not benefit as much over the traditional centralized approach.

There are many things one must consider when diving into an application when sizing servos, and we’ve covered many of those in this article. Another choice that does affect component choices as well is the control system. The type of control is usually dictated early on in the machine design discussion and depends on a wide variety of factors. Control choice also tends to establish the fieldbus communication choice. These topics are left for future discussion. DW Kollmorgen | kollmorgen.com

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How to

maximize stage precision Motion controller and drive features can address natural stage behavior that degrades throughput and accuracy — including those from mechanical resonances, inertia mismatch, motor cogging, backlash, friction effects, and encoder signal distortion.

Jason Goerges and Boaz Kramer | ACS Motion Control

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NanoPWM drives from ACS Motion Control

Precision motion stages operate in industrial applications with demanding motion requirements — in equipment for semiconductor inspection, metrology, and lithography, laser micromachining and microprocessing, and genome sequencing equipment, to

exhibit a dynamic range to 200,000:1 so are suited for precision applications — especially when used with features that address natural stage behavior.

name a few.

Motion controller and drive features can address stage behavior that can otherwise limit throughput and accuracy — including those associated with mechanical resonances, inertia mismatch, motor cogging, backlash, friction effects, and encoder signal distortion. Such controller and drive features optimize overall motion system performance to meet or exceed demanding application specifications. More specifically, motion controllers can improve move and settle times, standstill jitter, and velocity regulation and smoothness, which in turn boosts machine throughput and accuracy.

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Adaptive algorithms are particularly effective in volume production environments where the resonant frequencies may shift slightly from one stage to another.

Addressing mechanical resonances with motion controllers and drives Indirect-drive stages such as ballscrew stages typically exhibit distinct low and high frequency resonances, whereas direct-drive linear and rotary motor stages only exhibit high frequency resonances. For more on this topic, refer to the classic paper by George Ellis: Cures for Mechanical Resonance in Industrial Servo Systems — Contained in the Proceedings of IEEE IAS, Sep. 30 – Oct. 4, 2001.

In general, the higher the resonant frequencies, the better. The catch is that getting higher resonant frequencies typically requires more expensive stage materials and designs. A motion controller or drive with user-configurable biquad filters, acceleration feedback compensation (refer again to the Ellis paper), and adaptive control algorithms can often minimize or eliminate the effects of mechanical resonances. This in turn allows for the use of more economical stage designs.

Adaptive algorithms are particularly effective in volume production environments where the resonant frequencies may shift slightly from one stage to another because of manufacturing and assembly tolerances. Adaptive algorithms

also significantly improve robustness in uncertain or changing operating environments — including on-the-fly load changes in pick and place or direct-imprint lithography applications. Powerful software tools facilitate optimization of the features and algorithms.

Besides resonant frequencies of the stage and coupled load, there can be other components in the system with resonant frequencies excitable by stage motion — such as cantilevered inspection heads or the machine frame itself, for example. Oscillation due to these resonances may or may not be observable by the motor or load encoders.

Useful techniques to minimize or eliminate the excitation and effect of such resonances include input or profile shaping, disturbancerejection algorithms, accelerometer-based compensations, and more.

How to address the challenge of inertia mismatch Depending on the motor-load coupling, inertia (mass) mismatch can make it extremely difficult to tune a servo system to stability and meet bandwidth goals. But system design constraints may make it impossible to avoid significant mismatch ratios on the order of 100:1 or even as high

NanoPWM motor drives can output ±10-V current commutation commands. The NPARM is an integrated servomotor drive system to operate with any motion controller with ±10-V current commutation commands interface.

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as 10,000:1. Traditional industrial motordrive servo algorithms can’t properly handle such mismatch ratios. In contrast, drives with advanced servo algorithms — including cascaded loops, high-order digital filters, and adaptive tuning — are proven capable of successfully controlling stages with such mismatches ... and with a high bandwidth. In other words, the axis will settle into position quickly, and that ultimately boosts overall machine throughput.

For an advanced algorithm to be generally effective, the controller or drive provider must make it simple to optimize. Abstracting complexity from the user by limiting the number of “knobs to turn” (so to speak) and providing a straightforward approach to optimize performance is generally desirable.

That’s why software tools for algorithm optimization are as important as the algorithms themselves. Automatic or minimal (even single) parameter tuning tools as well as frequency-response function-analysis tools are two examples.

Compensating for iron-core motor cogging issues Iron-core linear-motor-based stages generally suffer from motor cogging that generates inconsistent motor force during motion. That in turn typically degrades motion smoothness.

This can be especially problematic for applications needing smooth constant velocity motion such as high-resolution inspection or printing. Advanced servo algorithms can identify and compensate for cogging in ironcore motors to the extent that they can reach the same or similar performance as an ironless motor. This allows for the possibility of using iron-core motor stages in applications which would have otherwise been limited to ironless motors. Leveraging on higher torque (force) density of the iron-core motor can allow for a potential increase in achievable acceleration and throughput. Alternatively, an iron-core motor may allow for improved packaging and/ or reduced footprint and cost compared with an ironless motor based stage design.

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Solutions to the effects of friction Precision motion stages employ mechanical or fluid/air bearings which are typically calibrated

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to preemptively determine when a bearing may need maintenance or repair.

Shown here is a demonstration of resonance compensation. The plot in blue is the measured frequency response (amplitude) of the stage with noticeable resonance. Red is the measured frequency response (amplitude) of same stage with compensation algorithm active — showing how the system has compensated for resonance.

with a high degree of precision. Ideally, the friction within these bearings is uniform over the entire travel range (and for air bearings is effectively negligible). In reality however, friction and bearing load may change as a function of position in the range of travel, and the friction impact may even change over time and/or with environmental conditions (temperature,

humidity , and so on.). Furthermore, static friction is a highly nonlinear phenomenon and is typically very difficult to characterize.

Advanced controller algorithms can provide both feedforward and feedback-based compensation to minimize the effect of varying friction on the servo loops. Friction and its impact on motion performance can even be monitored over long periods of time

Shown here is a demonstration of cogging compensation. Advanced servo algorithms such as ACS’ ServoBoost can identify and compensate for cogging in iron-core motors so they deliver performance that’s the same as or similar to that of an ironless motor.

Addressing encoder signal distortion Encoder signal fidelity can have a significant impact on achievable motion performance. Alignment or calibration inaccuracy can spur signal gain, phase, and offset distortions in the case of incremental analog SinCos encoders, whose signals are typically measured and represented with Lissajous plots. Such distortions create disturbances which spur increased following error and are detrimental to applications needing extremely smooth motion such as high resolution digital printing and wafer inspection. Some advanced motion controllers offer important software tools to measure such signal distortions, and built-in parameters and algorithms to compensate for them.

Meeting or exceeding demanding motion-system specifications: Move and settle Perhaps the most critical spec for demanding test and measurement applications such as wafer inspection and metrology is the ‘Move and Settle’, since it has a direct correlation to machine throughput. Such an application spec may have multiple ‘move’ distance values ranging from µm to millimeters, and multiple ‘settle’ window values, ranging from nanometers to µm. Adaptive algorithms can enable the user to employ a single set of servo tuning parameters and still meet or exceed spec under all test conditions. Advanced motion profile generation techniques can also minimize the energy injected into the system by the stage motion, resulting in reduced following error and settling time.

Meeting or exceeding demanding motion-system specifications: Standstill jitter A frequent complementary specification to move and settle is standstill jitter — the maximum allowable motion of the stage between moves ... when the inspection or metrology measurement is made, for example. This can be on the order of nanometers or less for the most demanding

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applications. Getting such specification can be very challenging, especially for large format stages which need high power motors and drives to generate the forces (currents) necessary to meet high-throughput requirements.

In fact, traditional PWM drives may be unsuitable for such applications because (besides other nonlinearities): • They generate a switching noise, which can degrade feedback or other system signals • They generate a quantization noise that’s associated with the current and PWM control circuitry.

This is the impact of SinCos encoder distortion on position (following) error.

Some technologies combine the advantages of PWM and linear drives to enable nanometer or even sub-nanometer standstill jitter. The ACS Motion Control NanoPWM drive gets standstill jitter to less than 1 nm peak-to-peak.

Linear drives (because of their high dynamic range and minimal noise generation) are often favored for such applications. However, they have inherent disadvantages — including poor efficiency (resulting in a larger footprint and increased heat dissipation) and more complex and expensive protection schemes.

Some technologies combine the advantages of PWM and linear drives to enable nanometer or even subnanometer standstill jitter.

Meeting or exceeding demanding motionsystem specifications: Velocity regulation and smoothness Applications involving on-the-fly measurements may need the motion system to maintain a very high degree of velocity regulation. There are multiple ways to measure and quantify velocity regulation or smoothness. One of the simpler methods is to track following error while at speed. For example, one such a specification could be 100-nm (3-sigma) at 250 mm/ sec. To meet such demanding specifications, the drive must be able to make extremely small adjustments very rapidly. In other words, the drive must have a high dynamic range.

Using an advanced proprietary PWM drive technology, it is possible to achieve a dynamic range of 200,000:1, which is well suited for such applications — especially when paired with features we described earlier in the article that address natural stage phenomena. DW ACS Motion Control | acsmotioncontrol.com

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Bosch Rexroth is a global leader in engineering and delivering advanced drive, motion and control technologies, all from one source. Our automation portfolio—servos, HMIs, controls, I/O systems, conveyors, linear motion components and advanced software systems such as Open Core Engineering and Safety on Board technology—is matched by our efficient engineering tools and applications expertise.

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Challenges

to Address Before Starting a Wearable Medical Device Project Before you start a medical wearable device project, consider the following challenges and suggestions on how to work with them.

Diana Eitzman, Ph.D. and Kris Godbey | 3M Critical & Chronic Care Solutions Division

Skin is unlike any other substrate. It sweats, grows hair, secretes oil, harbors bacteria, constantly sheds old cells, regenerates new ones and changes with health, environment and age – characteristics that are far from universal.

Understanding these unique skin factors and the design challenges they present prior to delving into a stick-to-skin device project will help steer the product development process down a clearer path, the benefits of which will be felt by manufacturers, engineers and end users alike. Not only will implementation of this knowledge lower the likelihood of irritating or damaging skin – it will also work towards a more cost-effective and time-efficient process.

Not addressing these issues from the get-go can elongate a project’s timeline or cause the budget to prematurely run dry.

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How well and how long an adhesive will stick on an elderly person’s skin versus a two-month-old baby is one of the critical factors to the design process and selecting the proper adhesive. | Courtesy of JLG Industries, Inc.

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Skin is unlike any other substrate. It sweats, grows hair, secretes oil, harbors bacteria, constantly sheds old cells, regenerates new ones and changes with health, environment and age – characteristics that are far from universal.

The good news is that these negative outcomes are preventable.

1 Understanding the science of skin We recognize that an engineer’s first consideration may not be how well and how long an adhesive will stick on an elderly person’s skin versus a two-month-old baby, but it’s critical to understand the numerous skin variables of the end user. Differences in skin elasticity, moisture, oil secretion, and other characteristics can all impact what type of adhesive will perform the best for a device design. Healthy, young skin is less vulnerable, but the reality is that not all skin can handle the same level of sticking power.

Beyond the human factors listed above, there are other factors such as culture, diet, environment, age, and overall health of the end user to consider. The location of the device on the body also plays into this. The skin on your chest is different than the skin on your foot, so the adhesive’s needs and properties will have to reflect those differences.

2 Communicating effectively with the customer As obvious as it might sound, it’s incredibly important for the design team and their customer to be on the same page, from the beginning, on adhesive expectations. We’ve heard about too many

Differences in skin elasticity, moisture, oil secretion, and other characteristics impact what type of adhesive will perform the best for a device design.

The skin’s first layer, the stratum corneum, is the one that adhesives stick to and the one that completely replaces itself about every two weeks. With a constantly shifting substrate, extended wear time can be tricky to achieve.

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projects that stumble out of the gate because the perceived definition of, say, durability meant something different to the engineer than it did for the customer. Miscommunications, such as these, oftentimes are linked back to the two parties speaking different languages. Engineering jargon must be translated to an accessible language comprehended by everyone.

We recommend explaining requirements as clearly as possible and keep open lines of communication. Of course clearly defined specifications can also help overcome this obstacle, and reduce the product development cycle.

3 Finding the right adhesive for each application Adhesive and substrate choice affect a smooth design and development process, as not all adhesives were meant to pair with every substrate.

Finding the ideal adhesive-substrate combination on a project-by-project basis can help prevent the need to repeat clinical trials or studies, and such end-use consequences as irritated skin, premature device fall-off or difficult removal.

Below is a brief rundown of commonly used substrates in medical device applications.

• Polyester: Easy to adhere to and, although rather inflexible, can be molded into a part, fiber or film. It is also clear, hard and protective.

• Polyethylene: Soft to the touch, is relatively easy to work with and conformable. Polyethylenes are also reasonably priced.

• Polyurethane: Ideal for wound dressings and other medical needs because they’re breathable, soft, and offer great flexibility.

• PVC: While medical tubing is still mostly made out of it, PVC has its own set of adhesion difficulties. It’s hard to dispose of and can cause some tapes to become soft and soupy because of plasticizer migration.

But it is flexible and clear.

• Silicone: A popular choice for medical devices, but can be difficult to stick to. There are alternative materials that open up adhesive choices and exhibit similar characteristics known and loved by developers.

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Skin is dynamic.

It’s a living organ. Just like any other living thing, it can start to feel trapped if an obstructive foreign device is suffocating it, and it’ll react accordingly.

What’s exciting about the growing interest in designing wearable medical devices, is that new applications are continuously being developed and tested to optimize performance. The industry is making strides in strong adhesion and durability without sacrificing breathability and comfort expectations.

4 Extending wear times The skin’s first layer, the stratum corneum, is the one that adhesives stick to and the one that completely replaces itself about every two weeks. With a constantly shifting substrate, extended wear time can be tricky to achieve.

Tricky, but not impossible.

To give engineers insight into wear time with current adhesive options, 3M recently conducted 8-, 15- and 21-day adhesive wear time trials on human volunteers. These trials led to best practice recommendations in choosing the proper adhesive for a medical device project. Based on these, similar studies, and 3M’s more than five decades of www.designworldonline.com

experience in medical device adhesives, 3M engineers compiled some of the most critical questions to ask when determining wear time. These include: • How long does the device need to stay on?

• Who is the intended end user (i.e. newborn, child, adult, senior)?

• Where on the body will the device be attached?

It’s important to not over design. Only ask an adhesive to do what the device requires, not more, especially when it comes to wear time. If what’s being secured is only required to stay on for a day or two, designers shouldn’t pick an adhesive that’s meant to stay on for a week. This can heighten the risk of a Medical AdhesiveRelated Skin Injury, or MARSI, when the adhesive-to-skin bond is stronger than the skin-to-skin attachment.

5 The effects of sterilization While sterilization plays a critical role in killing bacteria and microbes, the process can produce negative outcomes, such as affecting adhesive performance and device function, if not properly addressed.

Two common radiation-based sterilization methods are e-beam and gamma. They’re both effective in their intended purpose, but can cause some plastics to turn yellow, acrylate adhesives to become firmer and synthetic rubber-based adhesives to get stickier, among other adhesive property changes. Sterilization processes have also been known to make liners more difficult to release from the adhesive, or cause a worst-case scenario – liners that don’t remove at all.

Understanding and evaluating sterilization effects will not only avoid these issues, but also help keep cost and time overruns in check during the production cycle.

6 Pairing adhesive with backing As stated before, skin is dynamic. It’s a living organ. Just like any other living thing, it can start to feel trapped if an obstructive foreign device is suffocating it, December 2017

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and it’ll react accordingly. With medical devices, that reaction is typically irritation and increased moisture in the covered area forcing the foreign device to no longer adhere to the skin, but it can also lead to further skin damage. Finding a breathable backing and adhesive solution optimized for the application will help keep the skin from having a negative reaction.

Backing and adhesive pairings can impact devices in numerous other ways, as well. For long-term wear, moisture management while maintaining breathability is desirable, as well as flexible backings to allow skin to perform as it normally does. Some extended wear devices may benefit if the skin contact tape extends beyond the device being secured, which will also allow the skin to move and flex around it.

Engineers must collaborate with their customers to work through wearable projects’ complexities – including the important features of medical adhesives – and determine how they apply to their project. It’s also important to note that engineers don’t have to navigate the terrain alone. Some adhesives experts offer support throughout the entire design and development process and are able to provide critical analysis of a project’s needs, discuss adhesive options, deliver design insights or help to translate jargon.

Addressing these challenges can be difficult, but the extra foresight will be worth it when the device succeeds in its intended function – improving the wearer’s quality of life. DW

Diana Eitzman, Ph.D., is Director of Agile Commercialization for 3M’s Critical & Chronic Care Solutions Division. Currently leading new product development and commercialization efforts in the division, Diana has over 20 years of experience at 3M in laboratory management, technology development and new product commercialization.

Kris Godbey is an Applications Development Specialist also in 3M C3SD with over 35 years in various 3M divisions in product development and technical support roles.

3M | www.3m.com

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C A D

Is SolidWorks CAM Better Than an Integrated System?

When the engineering software vendor announced it was moving from integrated CAM to a total CAD/ CAM solution industry watchers took note.

SolidWorks CAM could create codes for the end machine used for manufacturing.

Jean Thilmany | Contributing Editor

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For engineers and design companies, it’s not difficult to find integrated

SolidWorks CAM holds the potential for both designers and manufacturers--the possibility of a key to the elusive quest for CNC standardization.

computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing technologies. Yet, the announcement of SolidWorks CAM, released in October as a SolidWorks 2018 add-on, has created a small buzz in engineering technology circles.

Why? It’s no secret that engineers struggle to create designs that are easy to manufacture while machinists complain about receiving unworkable CAD models.

An imperfect fit CAM software uses the CAD models to generate the toolpaths that drive computer numerically controlled manufacturing machines. Engineers and designers who use CAM can evaluate designs earlier in the design process to ensure they can be manufactured, thus avoiding product costs and delays.

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Without CAM, manufacturers can be on their own when programming machines to make the CAD model. And not all those who design in CAD enter design features into CAM to control the machine tools. Without CAM, manufacturers use the CAD design to program the tools themselves.

“The general idea has been that engineers design something and then the manufacturing people eventually figure out how to manufacture it,” says Sandesh Joshi. “With integrated CAM, they’re not as disconnected as that, but there’s still a disconnect. This SolidWorks tool could close that disconnect.”

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Closing the CAD/CAM disconnect Joshi is chief executive officer at the CAD outsourcing firm Indovance. Previously, he spent six years on the SolidWorks research and development team.

The SolidWorks offering could ramp up the number of CAM users by making the tool available to more engineers and designers, Joshi says. The SolidWorks 2018 release marks the first time that SolidWorks is providing the CAM product as part of its design solution.

SolidWorks CAM is “powered by” CAMWorks, in the vendor’s parlance. Before the October release, CAMWorks, from HCL Technologies, was one of many third-party CAM tools available for integration with the vendor’s CAD program.

Of course other CAD vendors offer integrated CAD and CAM solutions.

Siemens PLM Software, for example, also offers CAMWorks as an embedded solution within its Solid Edge CAD program. NX CAM, also from Siemens PLM Software, is integrated

The SolidWorks 2018 release marks the first time that SolidWorks is providing the CAM product as part of its design solution.

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with other NX solutions, which allows NC programmers and manufacturing engineers to associatively access design, assembly and drafting tools in a one part-manufacturing environment, according to that software maker. And CAM features are integrated into the Fusion 360 design tool from Autodesk.

But rather than taking on two separate software solutions, CAD and CAM can act as one system within SolidWorks CAM, Joshi says. That could make CAM easier and more straightforward to the software’s users.

The solution is fully integrated with SolidWorks so users need not leave the familiar SolidWorks environment, says Mike Buchli, senior SolidWorks product and portfolio manager. It supports feature recognition and can generate machining operations directly from native SolidWorks files or from imported data. Toolpaths are automatically updated based on changes to the model.

If SolidWorks 2018 engineers and designers feel they’re working within one integrated system--rather than two separate but connected software systems—they might begin to automatically use CAM and to consistently consider manufacturability as they design the product, he adds.

The vendor’s tool opens the way toward making CAM ubiquitous on engineers’ desktops, much as 3D CAD is now more-orless used across an industry that once relied on 2D drawings, he said.

The part process from CAD to machining will never be a “one-click process,” Joshi says.

But it certainly can become more streamlined through the use of a common CAD and CAM system.

“The difference is engineers would be using CAM as they design so manufacturability is easier,” he says.

“When we build assemblies, we have clash detection. Similarly, CAM gives us red flags for manufacturability right at he design stage, saves a lot of time and money,” Joshi says.

“Today all design engineers don’t necessarily deal with CAM, so having access to that will help engineers design for manufacturing way ahead in the product design cycle.

“Some kind of machining cannot be done, and if that’s true it’s better to change the

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design right away rather than during the manufacturing process,” he says.

The system offers tools to validate and improve part and tool designs, including part-manufacturability checks and toolmotion simulation, Buchli says.

In a blog post introducing the tool, he outlined other benefits, such as the capability to: • Recognize certain types of geometry to understand how those features will be manufactured, and how much it will cost to manufacture.

• Read tolerances and surface finishes and make decisions about how to manufacture the product • Automatically apply best manu- facturing strategies so manufacturing processes faster and more standard • Automate quoting and compare it to traditional methods to ensure all aspects of the part are accounted for ahead of time

Fewer codes in the future?

The introduction of SolidWorks CAM holds the potential for another big benefit for both designers and manufacturers: the possibility of a key to the elusive quest for CNC standardization, Joshi says.

If the CAM tool becomes popular among SolidWorks users, Joshi can envision a day when the software automatically produces the G-codes that drive the machines that manufacture the part.

Right now, manufacturers struggle to drive their machining processes directly from their design software. The CAD systems don’t “speak the language” of various machines such as cutters and laser cutters, CNC mills and lathes.

“There are different flavors of G-codes depending on the CNC controller,” Joshi says. “The basic commands and operations generally will work on all machines but there are particular specialties and differences.

If SolidWorks CAM becomes widespread with designers who already use the vendor’s CAD program, the vendor “could potentially create codes for the end machine used for

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manufacturing,” Joshi adds. “The designer may not have to worry about that up front, but it makes manufacturing a lot smoother.”

With enough popularity, others will adopt those same end-machine codes, he says, creating a more-or-less-standard manufacturing-machine programming code.

And he knows of what he speaks. Currently, designers often rely on machinists and production engineers to develop strategies to effectively make the part.

“Job shops and manufacturing generate G-code for their CNC machine tools based on the CAD models they receive,” Joshi says.

Technologists at his company help interpret “on the back end” how to machine CAD designs, he says. He sees the issues manufacturers have with CAD designs.

“These companies get models from anybody and everybody and they don’t necessarily have all the types of CAD software. So they’re importing raw data rather than inclusive parametric models,” Joshi says. “It still works, but it’s more work.

“If the process is more integrated from end to end, it’s more likely to be seamless,” he adds. “If something has to be changed or modified it can be done quickly rather than going to engineering and coming back and being modified for machining.”

At SolidWorks World 2017, held last February, at which SolidWorks CAM was teased, Buchli related the benefits integrated CAD and CAM can mean for a company, specifically CP-Carillo, of Irvine, Calif., which makes pistons and connecting rods for highperformance race vehicles. The company saw a “significant increase in throughput” when using the then-integrated SolidWorks and CAMWorks, Buchli said in February.

Before using CAMWorks, the manufacturer input SolidWorks model geometry into the Mastercam program to create toolpaths and generate G-codes.

“We programmed each custom piston order manually, slowing down manufacturing,” says Karl Ramm, former CP-Carillo senior technology manager and project developer.

“Each job would take about 10 minutes for non-complex pistons and up to 40 minutes for complex pistons--and that’s programming time alone,” Ramm adds.

When the company brought in the integrated CAD and CAM solution, “custom orders that took days to design and program went down to hours,” Ramm says. “What used to take five to 15 minutes takes seconds now.”

The time-savings comes because the process is automated.

Designers load custom criteria into a database and launch SolidWorks. The design application automatically pulls in that criteria and the designer can then create the new piece, which it transfers into CAMWorks. The CAM program then automatically generates new toolpaths and posts them to CNC machines in the shop, Ramm says.

The capability to share that kind of design and programming knowledge between engineering and manufacturing speaks to one of the biggest benefits of an integrated CAD and CAM system, Buchli says.

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Another benefit is consistency of workflow. At CP-Carillo, custom orders always follow the same path. Design engineers and manufacturers know what’s expected of them when creating and manufacturing custom orders, Buchli adds.

SolidWorks CAM is much too new to see if any of Joshi’s predictions about standardization and popularity will play out.

But product lifecycle management consultancy CIMdata Inc. says it welcomes the decision to package and offer SolidWorks CAM. “It protects the investment of CAMWorks users and adds proven CAM capabilities to SolidWorks,” according to a CIMdata statement.

While it remains to be seen if SolidWorks CAM is a step beyond the type of integrated CAD and CAM systems that exist today, Joshi and CIMdata are certain the engineering software vendor has taken a step in the direction down which the industry must travel to iron out disconnects between engineering and manufacturing and to save manufacturers costs and development time in the future. DW Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corporation Solidworks.com

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Oscilloscopes

get in step with the times A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the new Tektronix 5 Series mixed signal oscilloscope reveals its next-generation design.

Dave Pereles | Tektronix

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As embedded systems used in everything from automobiles and airplanes to household appliances to IoT devices have gotten more complex, so too have the demands placed on test and measurement equipment. Oscilloscopes are just one example where changing technology

leads to revised user expectations.

Based on extensive research into the changing needs of engineers working on modern technologies, it became apparent to product planners at Tektronix that meeting these changing expectations would take more than an upgrade to its midrange oscilloscope family (between 350 MHz and 2 GHz bandwidth). A large team of electronics engineers, software developers, user interface experts and industrial designers was assembled to re-invent and re-design the oscilloscope.

The new 5 Series MSO features a new ASIC, a new lower-noise frontend amplifier, a new hardware architecture, a new software architecture and a new user interface. The scope incorporates several industry firsts, including reconfigurable scope inputs, models with six or eight analog input channels, a 15.6-in. capacitive touch display, a user interface natively designed for touch, and optional Windows operating system.

Below is a Q&A exchange with key members of the design team discussing the challenges they faced and how they overcame them.

The TEK049 ASIC is the heart of the 5 Series oscilloscope. With 400 million transistors, it’s easy to see why it’s called a scope on a chip.

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A large team of electronics engineers, software developers, user interface experts and industrial designers was assembled to re-invent and re-design the oscilloscope.

What led to the decision to develop a completely new platform?

What can you tell us about the new ASIC? Bart Mooyman-Beck, director of technology: My team

Gary Waldo, product planner in the mainstream oscilloscopes group: My job is to work with engineering to

figure out what our next generation products need to do. There are new application needs coming along that we wanted to be able to meet that we couldn’t do with our current products and platforms.

Basically, to meet the spectrum of customer needs, it was necessary to develop a new platform.

Everything about this platform is brand new, including the user interface. This is the first entirely new user interface in probably 10 to 20 years, and we did it because we wanted to make the product just as simple, intuitive, and usable as possible.

developed the chip that goes into the 5 Series MSO, a design we started about four years ago. We call the chip TEK049. It’s basically a scope on a chip. It has all the functions that are required for a scope—the ADC, the digital signal processing, the rasterization, the display formatting—this is the heart of the design.

The design is a 400 million transistor design. That was a design that we had not ever done before here at Tektronix. We used resources around the world, and we were going 24 hours a day, sometimes 7 days a week. Everyone had to contribute at all levels to make this happen.

The design team went through about $300 of copper tape in devising a mechanical shielding solution for the front-end inputs.

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The user interface on the 5 Series MSO is completely redesigned.

The TEK049 is groundbreaking in many respects. We were able to attract top talent, because when we sent out to the world that we were developing this, people came from all over the world to say that we want to be part of this solution.

What can you tell us about FlexChannels?

Gary Waldo: The goal here was to give the customer flexibility. With the traditional approach of an MSO being you either get sixteen digital channels or none, you were almost guaranteed to provide the wrong number of channels to the customer.

Steve Herring, software project leader: The difference with this product

is the digital was designed in from the beginning with the analog. Digital isn’t just an afterthought now. Previously, we added digital onto what had been traditionally analog scopes. The 5 Series MSO is designed from the beginning to be both analog and digital in one front end. Analog and digital are equal in this product, it’s the same front end, same signal path, same hardware, all the same software.

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What challenges did you face in trying to put up to eight analog channels along with up to 64 digital channels in the same space as four analog channels?

Brian Mantel, hardware design lead: We managed to fit eight analog channels into a similar form factor to existing products. It was really an incredible design feat. There’s so much circuitry packed into such a small area, that alone was a massive challenge. Also, a lot of mechanical design was involved with making sure we could cool everything properly.

How did you achieve low noise on the front end?

Brian Mantel: Keeping noise out of the system was a particular challenge because we have an ultra sensitive front end. We started by making sure that we had a low noise design to begin with, but then afterwards we had to put the final touches on all the mechanical shielding. As we were prototyping the design, I think we went through about $300 worth of copper tape trying to shield these up. We ended up with a good, lownoise design in the end.

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Because of the multitude of modular pieces in the instrument, the software itself needed to mirror that modularity.

How has the software architecture changed?

The new oscilloscope has a sleek, modern look. How did that come about?

Shane Arnold, software architect:

FlexChannels was probably the most significant impact on the software architecture. The configurability of FlexChannels was an opportunity to help customers with their problems, but it was also a big architectural challenge. Because of the multitude of modular pieces in the instrument, the software itself needed to mirror that modularity. Each of the different pieces of equipment embedded in this product has an associated software component, and that led us to developing a component-based software architecture.

Steve Lafrance, visual designer: I’m involved in the industrial design and the user interface design, trying to take our current products, what we’ve been doing for the last decade, and moving it forward. This required a paradigm shift from things that were button driven to things that were more touch-screen driven. We’re going from small screen products to large screen products, and that just required rethinking everything we had, physically, on the outside of the box. Then, because we’re going from button driven, that required changes on the inside as well.

Rob Kreitzer, mechanical engineering lead: One of the things that’s interesting

for people to understand is fit and finish and providing that last polish to a product.

Considerable attention was paid to making the touch interface responsive – no easy task when working with live signals.

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In the end, it looks simple and elegant, but that’s what actually took the time, the focus and the engineering. One of the things I’m really proud of is setting the vision for creating a product that would look like a technical piece of art.

What’s the story with the collapsible feet?

Gary Waldo: During one of our many rounds of customer testing to develop the industrial design of this instrument, we had a model mocked up that weighed about the same as the final product. We asked the customer to get up and physically evaluate it. As he leaned the prototype forward, it collapsed on his fingers. So that was the impetus to say we’ve got to do something about these front feet that collapse when the scope is brought forward. With the new design, when there’s weight applied on the feet, they don’t collapse. As soon as the weight is removed, you can easily fold them back.

who say one of their challenges with our previous scopes is they don’t have room for a keyboard or mouse. This frees up their bench space for other things.

How were you able to make the UI fast and responsive?

Giao Tran, software and user experience manager: During early

usability testing, we found that our customers expected to walk up to the touch screen and interact with it just like a mobile device, with pinch, zoom, and swipe gestures. We found that those gestures were challenging to implement because the software is operating on live signals and not just fixed objects. This required our engineers to be creative with improving waveform display algorithms to ensure the instrument operates smoothly with touch.

DW

Tektronix, Inc. | www.tek.com

What did you learn about the user interface from usability testing?

Bridget Fisher, senior software engineer/user interface lead: When

we first started, we had an outside consulting company give us ideas on how we should lay things out and recommend a font size, and we went ahead with that plan and used that information. Then in our first usability testing, we discovered that nobody could read the UI. People would come in and say I didn’t bring my glasses.

Based on that, we increased the font size of everything, and the second time we had testing, nobody complained.

We had one usability test where we didn’t allow the customer to use the front panel, a keyboard or a mouse. They had to do everything with the touch screen. When we first started this project, it seemed that the touch screen was kind of an “eh, we’re just doing it because it’s expected.” But with our testing we found out that customers really enjoyed using it. I was surprised to find out that there are customers

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Babbitt and PTFE-Based

polymers in hydrodynamic bearings

Hydrodynamic bearings operate by generating a pressurized oil film that fully supports a rotating shaft.

There is no shaft-to-bearing contact during normal operation, with minor wear occurring at startup and shutdown when the oil film breaks down. Hydrodynamic bearings are used in applications where the primary concern is protecting the shaft, so proper bearing material selection is critical. This article compares the properties of Babbitt/white metal and PTFE- based polymers as bearing materials in hydrodynamic bearing applications.

Steven Pasternak | C.O. Engineer | Sleevoil Bearings

Hydrodynamic bearings are a special type of fluid-lubricated plain bearing that operates by creating a fluid film that completely separates the shaft and bearing during normal operation. There are only three parts to a hydrodynamic bearing: the rotating shaft, the bearing itself, and the fluid lubricant, usually oil. Hydrodynamic bearings are found in hundreds of different applications and are known for long life, high load carrying capacity, and excellent damping capabilities.

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In ideal conditions, a hydrodynamic bearing could be made out of any material capable of withstanding the temperatures and pressures exerted by the system. During normal operation, the shaft and bearing are completely separated by an oil film. This means that theoretically, the shaft and bearing should never wear as long as the oil film is present. However, these bearings often operate in non-ideal conditions due to contamination, shaft misalignment, and rotor unbalance. In addition, these systems, which can be fans, motors, or other machines, are periodically stopped and restarted. Oil film thickness is a function of surface speed, so most bearing wear occurs during startup and shutdown. However, the oil film can break down and cause shaft wear for other reasons as well.

Large shafts, and the downtime required to repair or replace them, are very expensive, therefore bearings need to be able to operate in the presence of minor contamination and shaft misalignment without causing damage to the shaft. It is important to note that the shaft and rotor can be heavy and have large rotating momentum, meaning that they can require a long period of time to come to a complete stop.

Fundamentals of Hydrodynamic Bearings To select appropriate bearing materials, it is important to understand the fundamental operation of a hydrodynamic bearing. To allow room for the fluid film to develop, hydrodynamic bearings are designed so that there is radial clearance between the shaft and the bearing. Depending on the application, the amount of clearance can vary. When the shaft is not turning, it sits in the bearing and is separated by an extremely thin layer of oil. When the system starts, the lubricity of the oil molecules is the only lubrication between the shaft and bearing. This means that the asperities, the small “peaks and valleys” in the shaft and bearing surfaces, come into direct contact. This is known as “boundary lubrication,” and is where friction is greatest as well as where the majority of the bearing and shaft wear occurs.

As the shaft speed increases, oil is forced in between the two surfaces and a film develops that separates the two entirely.

This is known as “full film lubrication” or “hydrodynamic lubrication.”

Figure 1 shows (a) boundary lubrication, where the asperities come into contact and (b) hydrodynamic lubrication, where the two surfaces are fully separated by the oil film [1].

Figure 1

Figure 2 shows the pressure profile of a hydrodynamic bearing during normal operation.

During hydrodynamic lubrication, the shaft does not sit completely in the direction of the load, denoted by wr.

Instead, the pressures generated by the fluid shear force create a converging oil wedge that causes the shaft to sit slightly to the side, as shown.

Figure 2

Film Pressure, p

Hydrodynamic bearings are a special type of fluid-lubricated plain bearing that operates by creating a fluid film that completely separates the shaft and bearing during normal operation.

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For this reason, hydrodynamic bearings can be considered selfpressurized. The angle between the load direction and the minimum film thickness, denoted as Φ, is known as the “attitude angle.” The fluid pressure is also not uniform. It is highest at the maximum pressure angle, denoted as Φmax. Both the minimum film thickness and Φmax can be calculated. As the bearing operates, even slight rotor unbalance causes the shaft to orbit, or “bounce” on the film, creating cyclical variation in film pressure.

Bearing Material Selection Criteria In Bearings and Lubrication: A Mechanical Designers’ Workbook, Shigley identifies the following 9 characteristics of bearing materials to determine suitability in hydrodynamic bearing applications [2].

Embeddability Embeddability is the ability of the bearing material to embed small contaminants and prevent them from damaging the shaft. When contaminants come in contact with an embeddable bearing material, the fluid pressure forces them into the material, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3

At the same time, the shear forces in the fluid cause the bearing material to “cold flow” and cover the contaminants. An embeddable material can embed a small number of contaminants without being compromised. This protects the shaft not only during normal operation, but also during boundary lubrication.

Conformability Conformability is the ability of a material to “wear in” during the case of misalignment or manufacturing imperfections [2]. When there is misalignment between the shaft and bearing, there will be edge loading on the ends of the bearing, as shown in Figure 4.

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Figure 4

A conformable bearing will quickly wear at the edges, allowing the pressure to be distributed more evenly, whereas a nonconformable bearing will be more likely to fail and damage the shaft at these locations.

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion – Thermal expansion refers to the increase in size of a material in response to an increase in temperature. As the bearing temperature increases from the ambient temperature to the steady state operating temperature, the bearing should expand radially at a rate similar to the shaft to prevent excessive changes in clearance, which affects bearing performance and vibration. In hydrodynamic bearing applications, the shafts are usually made of a steel alloy and ground to their final dimensions. Therefore, the coefficient of thermal expansion for the bearing materials considered should be comparable to that of steel.

Thermal Conductivity Thermal conductivity refers to a material’s ability to transfer heat. The bearing material should dissipate heat generated by the fluid shearing and friction. A material with high thermal conductivity will allow heat to dissipate through the bearing material, whereas a material with low thermal conductivity will act as an insulator, allowing the heat to build up. This decreases the minimum film thickness and can cause the bearing to wear.

Compressive Strength The material should not deform excessively under the loads caused by the shaft and fluid film pressure. Hydrodynamic bearing characteristics are in part determined by the radial clearance, and excessive deformation can affect bearing performance. Usually, very high strength materials do not have the embeddability and conformability characteristics that are required in hydrodynamic bearings. The balance is often achieved by backing a thin layer of the bearing material with

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a liner made from a much stronger material supporting the bearing surface, such as cast iron or steel, as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5

Babbitt also has high thermal conductivity, allowing it to quickly transfer heat from the bearing surface to the liner. The coefficient of thermal expansion for Babbitt alloys is very similar to that of carbon steel, ensuring that the clearance between the shaft and bearing remains consistent in hot and cold conditions. Babbitt alloys are soft, providing very high levels of embeddability and conformability.

On the bearing shown in Figure 6, the shaft was ground inconsistently, resulting in chatters on the shaft. Because of its high level of conformability, the bearing “wore in” at the high spots on the shaft, distributing the shaft load and preventing the shaft from wearing. In the event of a loss of lubrication, Babbitt bearings will soften due to increased temperature and “wipe,” temporarily attaching to the shaft and protecting it from damage while the machine comes to a stop.

Figure 6

Fatigue Strength The material should not fail due to cyclical loading. In large bearings, fatigue is not limited to startup and shutdown. It may also result from the orbiting, or “bouncing” of the shaft during normal operation due to rotor unbalance.

Wear Rate – The bearing material should not wear excessively, especially during boundary lubrication. However, it should be softer than the shaft material. As with compressive strength, a bearing material with too much wear resistance may not be ideal. In the event of a lubrication failure or excessive vibration, the bearing should protect the shaft from damage.

Compatibility – Material compatibility refers to the resistance of a bearing and shaft combination to seizure, scoring, or galling due to the formation of micro-welds during boundary lubrication. In the case of steel shafts, the only bearing materials that would pose a compatibility risk are ferrous metals.

Corrosion Resistance – There are some applications where the oil can be exposed to contaminants that can corrode the bearing material, affecting its embeddability, conformability, and wear rate. Heavy contamination can affect the performance of a lubricant and should be avoided, regardless of the bearing material. However, a suitable hydrodynamic bearing material should have at least a mild level of corrosion resistance.

Babbitt/White Metal Bearings Babbitt, also known as white metal, refers to a group of tin or lead-based alloys first invented by Sir Isaac Babbitt in 1839.

Babbitt alloys have been the standard hydrodynamic bearing material for over 100 years due to their ability to successfully meet the above characteristics for proper bearing material selection.

On most hydrodynamic bearings, the Babbitt is directly cast in a thin layer onto bearing liners made of cast iron, steel, bronze, or other hard metal, creating a metallic bond. Although the Babbitt has lower compressive strength than cast iron or steel, the liner material provides sufficient structural support.

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A disadvantage of Babbitt as a bearing material is the cost associated with manufacturing the bearings. Babbitt is a relatively inexpensive material, but the process of casting it onto the liner can be labor intensive. Babbitt also has a relatively low upper temperature limit, at least when compared to other materials.

Although its melting point is over 500° F, its temperature limit for normal operation is less than 250° F. However, the properties of most industrial lubricants available limit the normal operating temperature to around 200° F. PTFE-Based Bearings In recent years, there has been increased interest in the use of polymers as an alternative to metallic materials in hydrodynamic bearings. There are hundreds of different polymers that are used in bearing applications including variations of nylon, polyoxymethylene (POM, also known as “acetal”), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Each of these materials are suitable for a wide variety of applications and have varying degrees of load carrying capacity, surface speed capacity, resistance to harsh chemicals, acceptable temperature ranges, and compatible materials.

In large bearings, PTFE and PTFE-based polymers appear to have the best combination of traits for applications as hydrodynamic bearings and are popular in thrust bearing applications.

The most desirable property of PTFE in hydrodynamic bearing applications is that it has a very high maximum operating temperature. Many PTFE-based polymers are advertised as being able to withstand temperatures in excess of 400° F, although very few oils available today can operate in this condition. It is also important

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The industry has found that the additional cost of manufacturing Babbitt bearings is worth the expense because of its shaft-saving benefits and proven history of success in industrial applications. to note that operating at temperatures above 200° F presents a safety hazard. PTFE also has a very low coefficient of friction when paired with steel, reducing the startup torque required [3].

However, once hydrodynamic lubrication is reached the coefficient of friction is of minimal importance because there is no shaft-to-bearing contact. Another benefit of PTFE in hydrodynamic bearings is that the manufacturing cost is significantly lower than Babbitt. Instead of requiring casting at high temperatures, PTFE can be bonded directly to the liner.

Several PTFE-based polymers are also advertised as having high embeddability, although available technical literature on the subject is limited.

Drawbacks to PTFE-based materials include their thermal conductivity and coefficient of thermal expansion. PTFE has low thermal conductivity, causing it to act as an insulator and preventing heat from flowing from the bearing surface into the liner. Even though the PTFE has a high maximum operating temperature, a relatively minor increase in oil temperature will reduce the oil viscosity and film thickness and a major increase can drastically reduce bearing life. If the layer of PTFE is thick enough, the high coefficient of thermal expansion can cause the clearance between the shaft and bearing to change excessively, which can affect bearing performance and can even cause rapid failure.

Recently, a PTFE-based polymer was tested in a hydrodynamic bearing application. The shaft was ground and the test was conducted in a controlled environment with an oil circulation system. The bearing was subjected to a constant load with minimal misalignment.

Initially, the material seemed very promising. However, after approximately 1,000 hours the bearing material failed and severely scored the shaft, as shown in Figure 7. The oil was also very discolored, leaving black residue on the thrust collar and oil rings. The surface finish of the polymer, which was very smooth at installation, was found to be very rough on both liner halves, as shown in Figure 8. It appears that the PTFEbased polymer did not properly embed the contaminants, which caused accelerated wear of the material and damage to the shaft.

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Figure 7

Figure 8

Based on decades of industry experience and the data available, Babbitt is the most suitable bearing material for hydrodynamic bearings at this time. Its level of embeddability and conformability are not matched by any material that the industry has encountered.

Testing of PTFE-based polymers will continue, but existing test data raises serious concerns regarding their suitability as hydrodynamic bearing materials.

Unlike the test environment, many bearing applications experience much higher degrees of rotor unbalance, cyclical loads, and misalignment, and some do not have oil filtration systems and are in dirty environments that experience much higher levels of contamination. Repairing or replacing a shaft, and the downtime required to do so will always be more expensive than replacing a bearing. Industry has found that the additional cost of manufacturing Babbitt bearings is worth the expense because of its shaft-saving benefits and proven history of success in industrial applications. DW Baldor Dodge | baldor.com

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6 E dito r i a l

Paul J. He ney • E d itoria l Director

Six insights

from HP’s Patel

Chandrakant Patel serves as HP’s Chief Engineer and Senior Fellow, and is well known around Silicon Valley. If you

have any doubts to how important he has been to the company, take a stroll through HP Labs, where one wall contains plaques for all the patents awarded to employees in three incredibly long rows. The top row? All Patel’s.

Patel recently discussed his thoughts on the future of manufacturing, how 3D printing will change how and where we

build things, and more. Here are six takeaways from the brilliant and engaging mechanical engineer.

1

Manufacturing will continue to evolve. “I started

on the drafting table in 1983,” Patel said. “I’ve gone through all the CAD, the evolution of CAD, gone through evolution of CAE. We are now entering a new world where the whole computer-aided design will change. It will get democratized. More people will have access to design by the tools we use. And design will occur in a traditional way—as an engineer, you may design a 3D part, you may analyze a 3D part. Design may occur by scanning [an existing part]. You make big parts that have been printed already and a parts library exists.”

This concept leads to some interesting ideas. It’s not hard to imagine a future with millions of parts in a learned parts library. People have built them, characterized them, and these parts are available—likely via the cloud.

2

3D printing allows for flexibility. Patel is

passionate about HP’s Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) technology, which makes use of powder as a raw material. “As we are building a part, we can build an array of parts. We can orient them in very different ways to get the maximum number of parts on a single bed. You can build a different array of parts. The print part goes and scans back and forth, putting droplets where we want that area to fuse. The bed itself is pre-heated to a given temperature, then we come in and the areas we want to fuse, we deposit the heatabsorbing ink, or agent. The parts we create have structural qualities of a part created by other means, and that’s what we want to assure.”

3

The coming cyber-physical age is going to be exciting, but data management is key. Patel

explained that everything from the Internet to collecting real-time data from systems as disparate as airplanes or offshore oil platforms requires a multi-disciplinary approach.

“We are operating at the intersection of data management, machine learning, and domain knowledge,” he said. “If you don’t have domain knowledge you can collect all

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the data, but you can’t get to causation. In this world, machine learning requires domain knowledge.”

4

3D printing is going to take more and more computing power. “As a whole, you have trillions of

voxels we are printing,” he said. “And if each of them can be characterized in different ways, think of the computing problem. It’s a trillion-voxel problem. What does the compute engine look like?”

Patel explained that HP’s large-format printers send so many bits that the digital pipeline is very complex. “We used to use a rack-scale computer, but we went from that to a board-scale computer. We have ASIC designers, we have chip designers, who made a special-purpose computer so we can take this digital pipeline and print on 2D objects. Now you’re telling designers, instead of a pixel, you can worry about a voxel. You have to carry all those properties and add changing voxel by voxel by voxel.

It’s a very complex compute engine. So, in the future, when we start to engineer at that level, we have to think about, what does the compute engine look like?” he said.

5

Don’t forget about security. Patel said that we have

to assure that a part being 3D printed is secure.

“It came out of our printer; does it have the right properties? How do we learn from what we have done and create secure, resilient entry of data—even with tomorrow’s much richer actuators and sensors? Today, I won’t say that this is all done, but this is how we have to think.”

6

Think about the engineers of tomorrow. “When I advise a young person, I tell them, as I tell my children: get a degree in a silo, like mechanical engineering. Broaden out into computer science. Get dual degrees. Strengthen your fundamentals, couple them with computer science. The world of just having data science is over. The cyber-physical age is a return to fundamentals.” n MPF

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For 3D printing / additive manufacturing to truly succeed, the machines and systems will need to be able to work with an array of materials.

Developers continue to introduce new materials, so here is a look at the latest introductions.

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A number of 3D printing materials were introduced in 2017. As noted by research firm IDTechEx, metal materials for 3D printing will be worth $12 billion by 2028. Such growth will work in tandem with the installed base for metal printers, which should see a strong CAGR of 23% between 2018 to 2028. Forecasters predict that material revenues will grow at a faster rate than 3D printer revenues.

The Digital ABS Plus, from Stratasys, helps users build strong functional prototypes, manufacturing tools, molds, snap-fit parts for high- or lowtemperature use, electrical parts, and product casings among others.

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One of the noteworthy materials development involves materials for 3D printing of electronics.

One example is Nano Dimension and its DragonFly 3D printer, which is used to 3D print printed circuit boards (PCBs).

Nano Dimension recently announced the opening of a facility to develop the special inks it uses for 3D printing electronics. This facility in Ness Ziona, Israel, will be used to increase the availability of its nano particle ink.

These inks have unique sintering and curing properties, as well as ink stability for precise, engineered metal particle size.

The combination of a dielectric material (for mechanical structure, high temperature resistance and electrical insulation) and a conductive material for the circuitry with a very low melting point, solve some of the major challenges that, thus far, have prevented widespread use of 3D printed electronics.

Nano Dimension’s inks make it possible to quickly print three-dimensional, high performance, low-cost conductive patterns as well as complex structures on relatively heat sensitive substrates with Nano Dimension’s DragonFly 2020 Pro 3D Printer.

Stainless steel offerings The ExOne Co. introduced 17-4PH stainless steel (also known as SAE Type 630 or UNS S17400) as a printable material at its North Huntingdon production service center (“PSC”). After printing, 174PH parts are heat treated according to Condition H900 to increase hardness.

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Parts build with Agilus30, from Stratasys, can stand up to repeated flexing and bending, with features that accurately simulate the look, feel and function of seals, gaskets, living hinges, soft-touch parts, over molds and other flexible parts and rubber-like elements.

“17-4PH is a chromiumnickel-copper precipitation hardening stainless steel used for applications requiring high strength and a moderate level of corrosion resistance.”

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17-4PH is a chromium-nickelcopper precipitation hardening stainless steel used for applications requiring high strength and a moderate level of corrosion resistance. Compared with other stainless steel alloys, it is also preferred for its weldability. Its properties suit a range of applications in various industries including aerospace, automotive, defense, and medical equipment.

17-4PH works with ExOne’s binder jetting technology. Binder jetting creates complex parts using freedom of design that cannot be produced using traditional manufacturing methods. The availability of 17-4PH complements the PSC’s other currently printable stainless steel alloys, which includes 420 stainless steel infiltrated with bronze, 316 stainless steel infiltrated with bronze, and 316 stainless steel highly sintered.

In other stainless steel material offerings, EOS announced its StainlessSteel 17-4PH IndustryLine, which consists of an iron-based metal alloy powder and a specially developed

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process parameter for manufacturing on the EOS M 290 metal system. EOS provides reliable and statistically proven data for the most important material properties of finished parts made from this material.

The material offers high-strength, is easily curable, and corrosion- and acidresistant. It is useful for the manufacture of surgical and orthopedic instruments.

Parts can be micro-blasted and polished directly after the additive manufacturing process or after heat treatment.

The material data sheets and batch-specific material test certificates contain information on the tests used as well as the material standards. These correspond to international standards or are derived from in-house quality assurance procedures in case of the absence of international standards.

New in steel NanoSteel, a leader in nanostructured steel materials, announced BLDRmetal L-40, a case-hardening steel powder that delivers high hardness and ductility DESIGN WORLD

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(case hardness >70 HRC, 10%+ core elongation) and prints easily on standard commercial equipment. This alloy provides superior performance to M300 maraging steel and is an alternative to difficult-to-print tool steels such as H13. Expanding the potential use of 3D printing in a variety of hard materials markets, BLDRmetal L-40 is for parts including tools, dies, bearings and gears.

The capabilities of BLDRmetal L-40 were demonstrated by printing an 8-inch roll thread die set, which outperformed dies machined from D2 and M2 tool steels.

“We tried nearly every combination of material and conventional CNC machining process to create our dualthread die sets, none of which could cut or grind the complicated dual-thread geometry,” said Mark Doll, President and CEO of Perfect Lock Bolt America Inc., a manufacturer of dual-thread fasteners that are resistant to self-loosening. “The NanoSteel solution delivers exactly what we are looking for, including excellent surface finish, flexibility, as well as strength and hardness for maximum die life.”

NanoSteel developed this high hardness alloy through rapid iterative development at CFK GmbH, an industry-

leading 3D printing service provider, whose expertise was instrumental in developing the die from concept to finished part. Key attributes of the steel powder included its ease of implementation and crack-free high hardness components.

Aluminum alloys Researchers at HRL Laboratories, LLC, developed a technique for successfully 3D printing high-strength aluminum alloys — including types Al7075 and Al6061. These alloys suit aircraft and automobile parts and have been among many that were not amenable to additive manufacturing. The technique can be applied to additional alloy families such as high-strength steels and nickel-based superalloys that are difficult to process today in additive manufacturing.

Additive manufacturing of metals typically begins with alloy powders applied in thin layers and heated with a laser or other direct heat source to melt and solidify the layers. Normally, if high-strength unweldable aluminum alloys such as Al7075 or AL6061 are used, the resulting parts suffer severe hot cracking--a condition that renders a metal part able to be pulled apart like a flaky biscuit.

For laser sintering systems, Xometry offers Glass-Filled Nylon. This material is stiffer than regular nylon-12, because of the glass infill along the entirety of the part.

Parts made of this material are highly heat resistant, making them suitable for use in the aerospace industry.

HRL’s nanoparticle technique solves this problem by combining high-strength unweldable alloy powders with specially selected nanoparticles. This blend is fed into a 3D printer, which layers the powder and laser-fuses each layer to construct a three-dimensional object.

During melting and solidification, the nanoparticles act as nucleation sites for the desired alloy microstructure, preventing hot cracking and allowing for retention of full alloy strength in the manufactured part.

Because melting and solidification in additive manufacturing is analogous

EOS offers StainlessSteel 17-4PH IndustryLine, which consists of an iron-based metal alloy powder.

The material offers high-strength, is easily curable, and corrosionand acid-resistant. It is useful for the manufacture of surgical and orthopedic instruments.

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UNLIMITED

The 17-4PH stainless steel (also known as SAE Type 630 or UNS S17400), from ExOne, is a chromium-nickelcopper precipitation hardening stainless steel used for applications requiring high strength and a moderate level of corrosion resistance.

to welding, HRL’s process can also be used to make unweldable alloys weldable. This technique is scalable and uses low cost materials. Conventional alloy powders and nanoparticles produce printer feedstock with nanoparticles distributed uniformly on the surface of the powder grains.

To find the correct nanoparticles, in this case zirconium-based nanoparticles, the HRL team enlisted Citrine Informatics to help them sort through the many possible particles to find the one with the properties they needed.

When you need flexibility While metal materials receive a lot of attention, developers continue to introduce plastic materials.

Stratasys announced new material compatibility for its flagship J750 full color, multi-material 3D printing system: Stratasys PolyJet Agilus30 is a rubber-like material and Digital ABS Plus is an engineering-grade material.

Agilus30 suits many prototyping requirements including design verification and functional performance testing. Models produced with Agilus30 can stand up to repeated flexing and bending, with features that accurately simulate the look, feel and function of seals, gaskets, living hinges, soft-touch parts, over molds and other flexible parts and rubberlike elements. Agilus30 also features improved surface texture for a more realistic rubberlike feel for functional evaluation. A durable, flexible PolyJet photopolymer material (Shore

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A 30), Agilus30 features enhanced tear resistance.

The Digital ABS Plus helps users build strong functional prototypes, manufacturing tools, molds (including injection molds), snap-fit parts for highor low-temperature use, electrical parts, and product casings among others. It simulates a range of durable production plastics, including standard ABS, with an enhanced toughness and Izod Notched Impact (90 – 115J/m, 1.69 – 2.15 ft lb/in.).

smallmachine

Nylon Xometry, a 3D printing service provider, offers glass-filled nylon as an alternative to standard Nylon-12 for parts that require higher stiffness. This material is for laser sintering systems.

Glass-Filled Nylon is stiffer than regular nylon-12, because of the glass infill along the entirety of the part. This infill prevents warping and breaking, especially for larger parts.

Glass-Filled Nylon parts are highly heat resistant, making them suitable for use in the aerospace industry.

But, because of the higher stiffness, very fine features could be more brittle.

The overall build volume for Glass-Filled Nylon is 26 in. x 15 in. x 23 in. The build volume can support a few large parts, or many smaller pieces. A design note: As the size increases, walls should thicken up to about 0.1- 0.2 in. max. n MPF

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A d d i t i v e

T e c h n o l o g y

What to expect when you install a

metal 3D printer

P

Do you wonder what it’s really like to install your first metal additive manufacturing system into your facility?

Here is what one user discovered.

Phoenix Analysis and Design Technologies, Inc., (PADT), a provider of numerical simulation, product

development, and rapid prototyping products and services recently installed a metal additive manufacturing machine, the Concept Laser MLab Cusing R. Senior Technologist at PADT, Dhruv Bhate, offers his observations of the experience.

While the steps and processes mentioned may seem daunting, PADT accomplished them within a few

months. As Bhate, notes, he went from knowing nothing to implementing all these strategies rather quickly.

The cautionary nature of metals Metal powders used in additive manufacturing can be viewed as nonreactive or reactive. The classification indicates how sensitive the powder or the material is to ignition and explosion.

For commercially available materials, this information is known and well understood.

New materials may not have enough data to evaluate their reactivity.

A metal’s reactivity is important in a laser powder-bed fusion process, such as that of the MLab Cusing R. But reactivity is not just a function of the metal, it is also a question of powder particle size.

The lower the particle diameter gets, the higher the explosion index gets.

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Metal powders can be viewed as nonreactive or reactive, which indicates how sensitive the powder is to ignition and explosion.

December 2017 www.makepartsfast.com

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When a metal powder undergoes fusion in a laser additive manufacturing process, during the phase changes soot is created, which can be ignited during the build. Soot is considered to be reactive no matter what metal alloy it came from, whether from stainless, or aluminum, or titanium.

A powder metal is typically between 20 to 100 microns in diameter. The fusion process uses a 30 to 70 micron laser beam spot size that converts an area of powder into a liquid melt pool, which then cools into a solid part. During these phase changes soot is created, which can be ignited during the build. Soot is considered to be reactive no matter what metal alloy it came from, whether from stainless, or aluminum, or titanium.

The U.S. Bureau of Mines has studied various metals for explosiveness. An index of 10 or more means the metal is a risk for ignition and explosion, and therefore reactive. If the index is below 10, then the metal is viewed as nonreactive. Aluminum and titanium, for example, have an index of 10 or more.

Stainless steel, on the other hand, is not reactive.

Safety comes first With metal additive manufacturing, certain practices are recommended for safety as well as the best build.

Begin with installation. Four people, besides the equipment supplier, are needed during the installation stage: the local building safety inspector, fire marshal, environmental safety officer, and electrician. These people will ensure the facility for the machine is safe, secure, and has enough supplied power.

In addition to vendor recommendations, follow local, state and federal regulations for installation.

Then, have the right ancillary equipment. Some of these pieces are included with the metal additive machine; some are not.

These are: 1 A wet separator, which is really a vacuum to remove excess metal powder. It includes a water tower that the vacuumed powder goes into, thus, “passivating” the reactive powder. To passivate means to suspend powder in water, which renders it essentially nonreactive.

2

Build preparation software helps determine the proper amount of support for a part. Too much support makes it harder to remove a part from the build plate. Too little support risks a build failure.

3

The sieve is used to recycle the powder. It uses a form of vibration, often ultrasonic, to remove all particles above the recommended size for the additive machine. It typically comes bundled with your equipment. If not, you should ask for it or seek it out elsewhere.

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Have an electrician look at facility drawings and specs early to ensure you have the right transformers for drop lines that must handle large voltage and current.

Ancillary equipment is important to a safe metal additive manufacturing system.

Some of these pieces are included with the metal additive machine; some are not.

These ancillary pieces include a wet separator, build preparation software, a powder sieve, and an ultrasonic cleaner.

4 The ultrasonic cleaner helps remove as much powder as possible out of the part and trap supports.

A few additional pieces that can be helpful are: • a glove box that makes access to the build part safer. Some boxes are integrated into a machine; some are stand-alone.

• a furnace for post-processing. A heat treatment after a build is useful to improve the microstructure of the part (stress relief) and reduce porosity. In some cases, it also eliminates any binding material that was used with the powder during the build. For metal additive manu facturing, an inert gas furnace is a common recommendation.

• a blade or wire EDM tool to remove the part from the build plate. Dremel tools and band saws are other options.

• hand tools such as die grinders

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with carbide tips eliminate the last remnants of the support material or any burs on a part.

• bead blaster for post processing.

Glass beads and alumina work well with metal additive parts. Bead blasters improve the surface finish of a part. Another option is an electrochemical post processing process.

• an end mill to ready the build plate for the next build. The build plate can be recycled in this manner until it gets too thin.

Preparing the facility for the additive machine Be sure you have the right voltage available, or devices to make the additive machines compatible with U.S. voltage. Many metal laser-based systems use European voltage, typically, 230 volts or 400 volts.

Consider a dedicated transformer just for the metal 3D printing facility. www.makepartsfast.com

You will also need: • Access to water for the wet separator to passivate the filter from soot and excess powder.

• Inert gas. If you’re working with nonreactive alloys, such as the steels and the Inconels, nitrogen is sufficient. Argon is recommended for reactive alloys. Argon will come in cylinders, so be sure to allocate sufficient space to store them.

• ESD flooring. You do not want electrostatic discharge in the same area as reactive metal powders.

Follow ESD procedures, especially if you have multiple operators using this equipment.

• Ventilation, especially when using inert gases.

• Restrict access. Portions of metal 3D printing require the use of special dress or equipment because of safety issues. Restricting access, such as with a badge or a number lock, will add to those protections.

Consider using doors that give some visibility into the room, as well.

• Environmental disposal. The safest route is to contract with a third party to pick up any wastes and dispose of them. The EPA categorizes users by the amount of hazardous material generated and stored. Each designation must meet specific requirements. A very small quantity generator (VSQG) means you’re generating less than 220 pounds per month of hazardous material for disposal, and you have less than 2,200 pounds stored at any given time.

For comparison, the average Concept Laser MLab runs about six, seven pounds of material at a time.

Be sure to work with the EPA regulations in your area or country.

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Additive Technology

Protective clothing is a must when working with metal powders. Such clothing ranges from labe coats and gloves to fire-retardant bunny suits, respirators, or Haz-mat type suits.

Checklist for metal additive safety Metal additive manufacturing is not without risk, which comes primarily from two sources—metal powder and lasers.

The following suggestions will mitigate problems that can occur.

• The risks include fire, explosion, inhalation, contact, and asphyxiation, which has to do with the inert gases used in the process and is not unique to laser melting or laser powder-bed fusion systems.

• To check safety measures involving fire and explosion, “follow the powder.” This means check the ultrasonic cleaner, which is filled with metal particles after part removal.

The ultrasonic cleaner water must be disposed of in a wet waste bin.

• Check for powder trapped in various areas of the build chamber and powder transfer system. A vacuum will help here. The vacuumed powder can be reclaimed for reuse.

• Check the sieves with a vacuum to ensure no powder is trapped in them.

• Check the vacuum and wet separator, which will need to be flushed.

• Don’t forget the soot or the combustible products. The first one is the filter itself. The soot gets trapped in the filter. Remove the filter, and if it is a reactive filter from a reactive powder, it needs to be put into wet waste.

• Be sure to passivate the filters and other areas where soot and powder can get trapped.

• Contaminated wipes and clothing will have to go into dry waste.

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• Have a class D fire extinguisher designed for metal. Store powders in a flammables cabinet and make sure that all temporary waste storage is done with blue antistatic bags in a fire-resistant can that can essentially snuff out any likelihood of flames igniting.

• When working with metal powders, protective clothing is a must. This protective clothing can range from lab coats and gloves to fire-retardant bunny suits, to respirators and haz-mat type suits.

• These safety measures apply to anyone who may work with the additive machines.

• Post the Safety Data Sheet in a prominent location. This sheet often comes from the additive machine manufacturer and can tell you what to do in case someone inhales or ingests metal powders.

If you are using inert gas, be aware of the possibility of asphyxiation. Inert gases are used to prevent metal powder explosion, but they can leak from the additive machines. You don’t see or smell these gases, but they can displace oxygen in a room, which can lead to asphyxiation.

Additive machines should come with leak detectors. O2 sensors mounted within the facility are needed as well.

Also, consider personal O2 sensors on garments. Emergency stop controls to shut off a leaking additive machine is also recommended.

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Basic housekeeping.

Properly cleaning the printer can take 30 minutes to an hour, depending on what machine you have.

• With metal additive printers, clean out the printer after every build.

Properly dispose of the wipes and gloves. Anecdotally, an ammonia- based cleaner like Windex works as well as Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA).

• Use lens-cleaning wipes to clean out the lens cover that sits between the laser and the print chamber.

• Clean the wet separator. Powder particles accumulate in the water column, which will need periodic draining. Reactive alloy powder gets trapped on the bottom of the water column. Plus, these powders can weld to the stainless enclosure or to your cage.

Daily cleaning of the wet separator is recommended when working with reactive alloys. Non-reactive alloys can work with a weekly cleaning.

These steps, which your additive manufacturer will recommend, will go a long way towards ensuring safe and efficient metal additive manufacturing builds. Follow your supplier’s recommendations regarding installation and use as their guidance is specific to their machines. n MPF PADT | www.padtinc.com (This material came from a recent webinar presented by Bhate for the Design World audience.)

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S o f t w a r e

3D printing software targets manufacturing

More companies are developing software that makes it easy to go from design to printing

Leslie Langnau • Managing Editor

T

The first 3D printing software was .STL. It was needed to convert digital design code into information the printers could use to additively build objects.

But 3D printers evolved, offering features .STL could not translate into code. So, developers introduced AMF and more recently 3MF to handle the conversion of digital design data into usable printer format. While these programs work, the challenge has been adoption. CAD developers were not racing to work with these codes.

Waiting for the market to decide which format to standardize on has led to a gap between digital design software and the type of software 3D printers need to accurately build an object. In the meantime, some developers, like Materialise, created programs that could fill in the gaps of .STL to make it more useful to newer 3D printers.

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The Cura Connect program for Ultimaker Cura systems, offers seamless print management and helps prepare files for digital fabrication.

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RenAM 500M, for a new era of metal additive manufacturing Renishaw’s new metal powder bed fusion additive manufacturing system for industrial production, RenAM 500M, features increased emphasis on automation and reduced operator intervention. The system is the first to be designed and manufactured in-house by Renishaw, applying over 40 years of cross-sector engineering excellence that spans electrical, mechanical and optical technologies. Highlights include: • Renishaw designed and engineered optical system with 500 W laser • Automated powder sieving and recirculation with SafeChange™ dual filter system • RESOLUTE™ linear position encoder on Z-axis for high accuracy operation

For more information visit www.renishaw.com/additive

Renishaw Inc West Dundee, IL

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www.renishaw.com

11/29/17 9:56 AM

Software HOOPS Exchange from Tech Soft 3D, is a fast and accurate CAD data translation toolkit for enabling applications with 3D data access of 20+ native CAD formats – Catia V4/5/6, NX, Pro/e, SOLIDWORKS, SolidEdge, Inventor, STEP, IGES and more. Techsoft3D additive software

Additive vendors continue to explore ways to incorporate this technology into manufacturing operations. For this effort to succeed, additive vendors must prove to manufacturing managers that additive can reproduce hundreds of thousands of the same part reliably in addition to custom parts.

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This year, however, has been very active in addressing the needs of better programs for CAD designers who need or want to use additive manufacturing and 3D printing. The software gap between CAD type design programs and build type 3D printing programs is still there, but it is shrinking.

Here’s a look at a few recently introduced programs.

data, can be passed to the ModuleWorks additive and hybrid manufacturing components to create complete, costeffective workflows for additive and hybrid machining applications.

The ModuleWorks additive software components offer tool path calculation and simulation, as well as nozzle and material definition, multiple STL capabilities, and automatic nesting.

Software toolkits

Minimizing material usage

Spatial Corp. is a provider of 3D Software development toolkits (SDKs) for design, manufacturing, and engineering (and a subsidiary of Dassault Systèmes). The company is working with ModuleWorks, a supplier of CAD/CAM SDKs for machining and simulation developed software toolkits. Together, they recently introduced SDKs that help CAD/CAM vendors create workflow solutions for additive and hybrid machining have developed software toolkits for additive manufacturing.

These kits help developers add surface recognition, checking and healing capabilities to software. For example, Spatial’s CGM Polyhedra SDK delivers a precise, watertight mesh. This mesh, along with high-precision CAD

The number of programs that help designers limit material usage in 3D

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3D Software development toolkits (SDKs) are one way to help designers handle the workflow between additive and hybrid machining. With these kits developers can add surface recognition, checking and healing capabilities to software. Spatial 3D interOp software development kits

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Software Sculpteo offers AMT, a program that addresses 3D printing part orientation. It uses a parametric algorithm that helps users customize “orientation profiles” for weighting factors such as z-height, supported surface area and more to specific requirements.

printing applications continues to grow.

One of the more recent introductions is LimitState:FORM Version 3.1 from software developer LimitState.

• LimitState:FORM reduces the time and effort needed to design strong and light truss forms for components and structures. The new version lets users specify in advance the desired simplicity of an optimized component form, for example, the target maximum number of members meeting at a joint. It also has new algorithms that help users more freely interact with an initially optimized component, adding or removing members to customize a design.

• LimitState:FORM can be used as a plugin to ANSYS Discovery Live real-time simulation tool that lets users immediately see the influence of CAD edits on stresses or flow dynamics.

Design to print One of the newer types of software for additive manufacturing projects improves managing the workflow. For example, most CAD software does not include complete 3D printing specific-feature sets for “designto-print” functions. Few programs combine the information for print preparation, build processing, and production management to create a seamless workflow in one user

interface software tool. And for metal additive manufacturing, there is a need for software that handles predictive modeling for stress in parts, post processing considerations and more.

Software that only reads STL files limits the customer base.

One solution is to enable users to create custom software for their 3D printing / additive manufacturing system.

According to a report by Sculpteo, by 2021 almost 30% of the 3DP/ AM software market will come from application-specific tools.

A few custom application specific tools can be found in dental and medical anatomical models and surgical guides applications. These tools translate 2D medical imaging data or 3D intra oral scan into specialty CAM data, and then generate specific solutions customizable by the user to a specific printer and process.

Tech Soft 3D helps companies of all sizes create application-specific software tools quickly and affordably. By enabling CAD data import, 3MF and STL export, mixed BREP and facet modeling, and robust mesh healing, anyone can create engineering applications that support their workflows.

According to research firm SmarTech, 3D printing is the digital manufacturing technology because physics-based limitations are alleviated, and the ability to actually digitally control the manufacturing process is increased by orders of magnitude. 3D printing processes are really ‘distributing mass in a volume of physical space.’

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Software

SOLIDWORKS 2018 includes features for handling mesh data for additive manufacturing. Engineers can work with mesh data similar to how they work with surface or solid geometry. Combine, intersect, split, move/copy, cut with surface, and check for interference. In addition, quickly fit surface bodies to regions of mesh models.

The technologies separating additive manufacturing, the Internet of Things, and others are being altered with newer programs that promise to merge design and manufacturing into one function.

Tech Soft 3D offers: • HOOPS Exchange: A fast and accurate CAD data translation toolkit for enabling applications with 3D data access of 20+ native CAD formats Catia V4/5/6, NX, Pro/e, SOLIDWORKS, SolidEdge, Inventor, STEP, IGES and more.

• Polygonica: A toolkit for processing polygon meshes – automatic mesh repair, mesh healing and preparation, point cloud meshing, mesh offsetting and Boolean operations.

• HOOPS Visualize & Communicator: 3D visualization of engineering graphics for desktop, mobile and web applications; Broad platform support with a framework for rapid application development.

• HOOPS Publish: 3D data publishing toolkit for native 3D PDF, 3MF, STL, HTML and standard CAD; Interoperability and Archiving.

• Siemens Parasolid Modeling Kernel: solid modeling component; New Convergent Modeling enables import of meshes from elsewhere; Analyze

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and repair meshes; Facet BREP models with topology.

• Desktop Metal uses HOOPS Exchange to import 22 native CAD formats into its system. The engineers at the company also use Polygonica for automatic mesh repair, mesh offsetting and Boolean operations.

• GrabCAD Print uses Polygonica for automatic repair of polygon meshes, meaning that any damaged models get fixed automatically.

• 3D Systems uses Polygonica for automatic mesh repair, mesh offsetting and Boolean operations in both their 3D Sprint and 3DXpert software.

• Renishaw chose Polygonica for its dental 3D Printing software for its key features: Mesh repair, Boolean operations, and Simplification. Also, Polygonica is growing in popularity for use in dental.

Help with build orientation Many companies are working on developing easier to use software that

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Software

handles such tasks as orientation, proper build location, and so on for each of the different additive technologies.

Sculpteo recently announced a 3D printing management software program it is calling AMT. One of its main features is part orientation.

Sculpteo developed a parametric algorithm for this feature. This algorithm allows customizable “orientation profiles” so that you can tweak the algorithm’s weighting factors such as z-height, supported surface area and more to specific requirements.

Manual orientation is also available for non-supported materials, such as SLS polymers, or for an in-house expert to tweak the calculated orientation for specific cases.

AMT can accelerate the orientation phase for most pieces so that the inhouse expert can focus on the tougher cases. For most parts, the computed orientation is fine and the expert needs only sign off on it, other times it finds a counter-intuitive solution that can inspire the expert for future pieces.

To use, a designer selects a predefined orientation profile, consisting of preselected weightings for the orientation algorithm, and hits “Orient.”

The system will then find the optimal orientation for that profile. User defined custom settings are also an option.

Merging design and manufacturing The technologies separating additive manufacturing, the Internet of Things, and others are being altered with newer programs that promise to merge design and manufacturing into one function.

One of those programs is SOLIDWORKS 2018, which includes new tools and enhancements to help engineers get their designs to manufacturing faster. One of these tools handles mesh data, a feature of interest to additive users. Engineers can work with mesh data similar to how they work with surface or solid geometry.

Combine, intersect, split, move/copy, cut with surface, and check for interference.

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In addition, quickly fit surface bodies to regions of mesh models.

Managing production flow Programs are also arriving that help with the management of multiple 3D printers. For example, the Cura Connect program for Ultimaker Cura systems, offers seamless print management and helps prepare files for digital fabrication.

Users can use it to manage an array of Ultimaker 3D printers.

This software provides an overview of pending print jobs in one intuitive interface. Users can select and group printers, queue jobs, monitor prints, and strategically schedule maintenance operations. Notifications alert users whenever a printer needs attention. Additionally, the software auto-recognizes which printers have Ultimaker materials and configures accordingly. n MPF

Dassault Systemes | www.3ds.com LimitState | www.limitstate.com Sculpteo | sculpteo.com Spatial Corp, a Dassault Systèmes subsidiary | www.spatial.com Tech Soft 3D | techsoft3d.com Ultimaker | www.ultimaker.com

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Product World Safety relays AutomationDirect automationdirect.com Viper Safety Relays are designed with enhanced LED diagnostics and simplified wiring. These DIN rail mount units have screw and pluggable connection options and can be used in conjunction with guard switches, E-Stop switches and non-contact switches. Six new configurations of 24 V ac/dc IDEM safety relays are now available.

The IDEM SCR21, SCR32 and SCR73 Series single/dual channel Viper safety relays have up to 7 safety output contacts and 3 auxiliary output contacts for E-Stop relay or safety gate relay applications.

The SCR3142TD Series Viper safety relays have a configurable delay function and 8 status LEDs for easy diagnostics.

Applications include guard door monitoring, emergency stop devices and sensors.

IO-Link simplifies analog integration Balluff balluff.com This new 8-channel analog measurement hub uses IO-Link to bring all measurement data through an IO-Link master module and into the controller seamlessly. The classical approaches to analog integration requires either purchasing expensive 2 or 4-channel analog-to-digital converter modules compatible to the controller in use, or purchasing a specific networkdependent analog remote module. This IO-Link-based analog hub eliminates the disadvantages of both of these approaches.Â

Working in concert with an IO-Link master block, the analog

hub expands the capabilities of the master to host multiple analog devices over a single IO-Link port, making the IO-Link-based architecture even more flexible and cost-effective.

PCIe bus interface boards Acromag acromag.com The AP471 has 48 general-purpose, bidirectional I/O points to economically monitor and control a large quantity of digital devices. Inputs and outputs of the AP471 are CMOS and TTL compatible. Programmable polarity event interrupts are software programmable for change-of-state, positive or negative input level transitions on all 48 channels. For safety, outputs go to a failsafe state upon power-up or reset without any instantaneous toggling to prevent false alarms.

A down-facing plug-in 100 pin connector ensures a secure connection for

the I/O without any cabling. These modules plug into AcroPack PCIe, VPX, and XMC carriers in any combination for embedded applications running on Linux, Windows, or VxWorks operating systems.

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Product World Planetary PMDC gearmotors Bodine bodine-electric.com Bodine Electric Co. now provides 24A4-60P planetary PMDC gearmotors. These integral gearmotors combine a type 24 A PMDC motor with the 60P (60 mm) planetary gearhead. It is suitable for applications that need higher torque than conventional helical or spur gearheads of a similar size can provide and where a low backlash gearhead isn’t required. Applications include conveyors, pumps, packaging, industrial automation and wide range of solar- or battery-powered equipment.

Bodine 24A-60P planetary gearmotors provide twice the torque of comparable helical and spur parallel shaft models. 24 standard models include gear ratios from 4:1 to 162:1. The stock models come with 90/130-V, 24-V and 12-V windings. Torque is 4.6 (0.5 Nm) to 226 lb-in.

(26 Nm). The 24A-60P gearmotor meets IP-66 ingress protection standards (though note that an optional face mount seal kit is needed to seal the output shaft to IP-66). Stock models are come in either imperial or metric drive shaft and mounting sizes.

Electromechanical plug-in relays Carlo Gavazzi GavazziOnline.com These RCI relays offer two styles, 8 or 11 pin terminals for circular bases or the RRM relays, with 8 or 14 blade style terminals for socket mounting. The RCI is a general purpose industrial relay, available in either 2 or 3 change-over contact arrangement and is rated up to 10 Amps per pole. The RRM is a more compact industrial relay that comes with either 2 or 4 changeover contacts. The 2-contact version is rated for 10 Amps, while the 4-contact version is rated for 5 Amps.

Both families of relays are equipped with diagnostic LED, push or twist to test mechanical flag and

an orange mechanical status indicator. Control input options include common coil voltages from 5-110 Vdc and 12-240 Vac. Both relays are complemented by DIN rail mountable sockets and metal hold down springs. All relays and sockets are UL recognized, CSA approved and CE marked.

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Product World Spiral chutes Dorner dornerconveyors.com

CNC manufacturing software Heidenhain heidenhain.us

Spiral Chutes are suitable for light weight products with a variety of package types, including cardboard, pouches, flexible packaging, corrugated boxes and others. The

StateMonitor is a software option with

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• Wall heights: 4 – 12- in. (depending on chute width) • Inside radius: 5, 10 or 20-in. (depending on chute width) • Maximum infeed height: 144-in.

• Minimum discharge height: 18-in.

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It could be a TNC control in production, for example, at which the statuses of several machines are displayed centrally. Or a mobile device such as a tablet or smartphone, so that the TNC user can also leave his machine, e.g., to get new tools from the warehouse or the tool preparation area.

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For further information about products on these pages visit the Design World website @ www.designworldonline.com

Spool and disc valve motors Eaton eaton.com The Xcel series low-speed, high-torque, spool and disc valve motors are designed to increase performance for light- and medium-duty applications in an economical package. The Xcel series is engineered with reliability in mind and backed by a twoyear warranty to give customers confidence in their motor selection.

The standard tier systems require operation time of up to 4,000 hours of life,

which meets the needs of the medium-duty market in terms of pressure, torque, and side load capability.

Xcel series motors have a three-zone design allowing true bi-directional operation

and a case drain option that improves resistance to pressure spikes, and extends seal and motor life. The motor’s easy-to-design-in features and displacements make it a suitable solution for applications with more generic design needs.

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Product World Shop-floor coordinate measurement machine Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence hexagon.com Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence has added improvements to the operating temperature range of its TIGO SF shop-floor coordinate measurement machine (CMM). The CMM, which has an operational range of between 15 (59°F) and 30 °C (86°F) as standard, now has the XT option to extend this range up to 40 °C (104°F).

The XT option can be applied to all new machine orders, and is also

available as an in-field upgrade for installed TIGO SF CMMs. A small footprint and air-free operation make the TIGO SF easy to install anywhere in the factory, while passive dampeners mitigate against the effects of workshop vibrations.

4.3-in. LCD screen for HMI IDEC IDEC.com/usa The HG1G display is TFT Color LCD with

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For further information about products on these pages visit the Design World website @ www.designworldonline.com

Five-ball tester Napoleon Engineering Services nesbearings.com The NES Five-Ball tester captures many of the intricate mechanics of bearing fatigue for simulation of full scale bearing testing of ball bearings without full scale costs. The upper drive ball simulates the inner ring, the cup supporting the lower four balls models the outer ring and the four planetary balls replicate the balls in a bearing. Five-Ball testing can be used to qualify ball manufacturers, verify material lot integrity, investigate lubricant effects on fatigue life, study ceramic ball material and process quality, and determine heat treatment life factors.

This modern version of the original NASA testers is designed to run at speeds up to 10,000 rpm and stress levels up to 900 ksi (6.2 GPa) on ball diameters up to 1¼-in. The NES tester controls lubricant flow, oil temperature, rotational speed and applied load while monitoring support cup temperature and system vibration for automatic shutdown.

Re-engineered mounted ball bearing units SKF skfusa.com SKF has launched a re-engineered product line of mounted ball bearing units with industry-standard inch series cast iron housings in several designs. Four cast iron housing types have been introduced: pillow block units (P2B, P2BL, and P2BM series), 4-bolt square flange units (F4B and F4BM series), 2-bolt oval flange units (F2B series), and tapped base units (P2BT series).

All housings conform to ABMA (American Bearing

Manufacturers Association) inch series dimensional standards and their solid construction adds strength and promotes stability in service. The housings in an assortment of bore sizes are supplied prelubricated and with grease fittings for re-lubrication. Housings easily slip fit onto a shaft. Set screw, eccentric, or concentric shaft-locking mechanisms can be specified.

DESIGN WORLD

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Product World CNC with separate Windows-based display Mitsubishi Electric us.MitsubishiElectric.com/fa/en The M80W computer numerical controller has a touch screen, Windows-based display that is separate from the control unit, providing expandability and flexibility. Incorporating the latest operating system and slim personal computer, the M80W includes two expansion slots for 32GB SD cards, allowing OEMs and end users to add up to 64GB more memory for even greater flexibility. The M80W CNC was designed for the automotive and machine tool industries, and is especially useful for applications like turning centers, machining centers, lathes, and mills.

Features:

• CNC-dedicated CPU for improved cycles times, faster program processing,

and more accurate machining

I-Line molded case circuit breakers Schneider Electric schneider-electric.us

• Touch-screen operation for optimal visibility

• Improved super smooth surface (SSS) control, reducing machine vibration

The PowerPact B-frame has been

• High-speed, high-accuracy mode comes standard

added to the existing PowerPact family of I-Line molded case circuit breakers.

Two component epoxy

PowerPact B replaces the legacy FA/FH

Master Bond masterbond.com

an expanded amperage range of 15-

Developed for potting, sealing, encapsulation and casting applications, EP110F8-5 is dimensionally stable and has low shrinkage upon cure. This system features electrical insulation properties including a volume resistivity exceeding 1015 ohm-cm, a dielectric constant of 2.91 at 1 KHz and a dissipation factor of 0.009 at 1KHz. EP110F8-5 is an easy to use, heat curing epoxy that is suitable for applications where dimensional stability, electrical insulation properties and thermal cycling

series with upgraded features, including 125 A, and field installable accessories, while keeping the same mounting space dimensions to ease retrofit and expansion of existing I-Line Panelboard installations. PowerPact B circuit breakers replace FA/FH molded case circuit breakers used in Square D brand I-Line Panelboards for power distribution applications and FAL/FHL breakers used in control panels.

resistance are required.

This two component epoxy has a one to two mix ratio by weight with

a moderate mixed viscosity of 7,000-11,000 cps and good flow properties.

It requires an elevated temperature cure at 250-300°F in 4-6 hours.

EP110F8-5 has a very long pot life of 2-3 days at room temperature.

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For further information about products on these pages visit the Design World website @ www.designworldonline.com

Fail-safe vibration mount Tech Products NoVibes.com The Bell Mount Series line of vibration isolators now includes global industry standard sizes of common diesel engine mounts. Typical applications include generator sets, compressors, pumps, off-highway, and construction equipment. Zinc plated steel protects the highstrength natural rubber from fuel, oil, and weather. The design uses inter-locking metal components that make these some of the most durable mounts on the market. The product line adds to the existing catalog of vibration isolators and shock mounts manufactured by Tech Products.

BD caliper brakes Nexen nexengroup.com Nexen Group now has three models of BD (brute disk) caliper brakes: air actuated, spring actuated/air released, and spring actuated/hydraulically released. The BD design uses arms for a mechanical advantage, allowing higher clamping force.

Torque ranges from 8,000 to 23,000 inlb., with disc diameters from 12 to 24-in.

Actuators mount on either side of the brake. Connections can be rotated 360° around actuator axis, and all pivot points have life lubricated bearings. Brake shoes are mounted with detent pins for quick replacement.

Features:

Thermal transfer printer upgrade

• Static brake torque: 8,000 to 23,000 in-lb.

• Maximum disc speed: 3200 RPM

WAGO wago.us

• Optional discs: 12 to 24-in.

• Disc thickness: 0.50 to 1.00-in.

The smartCUTTER automates cutting of marking material on the WAGO smartPRINTER. This thermal transfer printer, already the fastest terminal block labeling system in the industry, is now even faster with automatic cutting.

The compact smartPRINTER

(Version 1.1) prints and cuts a wide range of marking materials for terminal blocks, cables or conductors and devices.

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Product World Self-lubricating chains Tsubaki ustsubaki.com The new and improved Lambda chain now has NSF-H1 high-temperature,

Power distribution blocks Weidmuller weidmuller.com

food-grade lubricant impregnated into the bushings to improve chain

The design of the IP 20 Power

performance and extend wear life.

Distribution (WPD) Blocks incorporates

This improvement makes Lambda a

finger safety and offer reduced

suitable choice for food and beverage

installation cost, when compared to

conveying applications, packaging applications, hard-to-reach drive and conveyor systems, and

conventional terminal blocks, by joining

operations where lubrication is not possible.

individual blocks to create small bus

modules in the control cabinet. The

Tsubaki Xceeder Lambda chain, with patented felt seals for preventing particulates from

entering the critical pin-bushing area, also uses the new bushings and continues to provide

WPD blocks are suitable for power

maximum performance and wear life. The KF Series Lambda chain for high temperature

source distribution in low voltage

applications, not only includes the NSF-H1 bushings, but also NSF-H3 food-grade rust

applications (UL - 600V / 30 – 310

preventative to withstand the moisture rich conditions in the hot environments in which it

A, ac/dc) and accommodate a range

operates.

of wire sizes from AWG 14 – 3/0.

Constructed of UL 94 V0 halogen free

Bluetooth-configurable XMD electro-hydraulic drivers Sun Hydraulics SunHydraulics.com

materials, the WPD blocks provide safe and advanced technology connections to deliver power and performance for a wide range of industrial applications.

The XMD Bluetooth-configurable electrohydraulic drivers are both CE and E-Mark rated, achieving 100-V/m radiated immunity (Level 3, Class A) for demanding applications. They’re ready out of the box to meet the needs of international mobile and industrial equipment users to control electro-hydraulic actuators used in on and off-highway equipment in agriculture, forestry, construction, marine, earth moving, material handling and many other applications.

The compact, 3.381 x 2.303 x 1.403-in. (85.87 x 58.49 x 35.62 mm), XMD

driver is completely sealed in an IP69K-rated, solid-potted enclosure engineered to stand up to the extreme environmental conditions frequently encountered in mobile and industrial hydraulic applications.

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MOTION CONTROL

A Design World Resource

It’s not a web page, it’s an industry information site Stay current with the latest motion control tips, resources, and news, visit motioncontroltips.com and stay on Twitter, Google plus, Facebook and Linkedin. The site is updated regularly with relevant technical information and other significant news to the motion control design community.

motioncontroltips.com

MOTION CONTROL

A Design World Resource

Design World house ad (Motion Control Tips) 2017.indd 159

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Ad Index

I

N

S

I

D

SALES

Tom Lazar

Mike Caruso

Aignep USA ..............................................43,59

Haydon Kerk Pittman ................................... 21

All Motion ........................................................ 22

Helical Products Company ....................... 25

Allied Electronics .......................................... 53

igus Inc. ............................................................ 93

Altech Corporation ............................. Cover,1

ITT Enidine ...................................................... 65

Altra Industrial Motion ..............33,34,35,36

IXYS ...................................................................60

AMETEK DFS .................................................. 47

Keller America Inc ........................................103

Aurora Bearing Company ......................... 59

Keystone Electronics Corp. ....................... 17

AutomationDirect ........................................IFC

Nason ...............................................................94

AVX .................................................................... 43

Newcomb Spring Corp ............................... 20

Bird Precision ................................................. 117

NSK Americas ................................................BC

Bison Gear .....................................................IBC

OKW USA .......................................................... 61

Bosch Rexroth ..............................................107

On Semiconductor ....................................... 57

ChemTrend .....................................................46

PHD Inc. ........................................................... 42

mference@wtwhmedia.com 408.769.1188 @mrference

ContiTech ........................................................ 39

Proto Labs ...................................................... 27

Da/Pro Rubber ...............................................99

Pyramid Inc. .................................................... 95

Michelle Flando

Del-tron Precision, Inc. ................................ 92

QA1 ...................................................................... 21

Design-2-Part Shows .................................125

Rotor Clip ...................................................55,98

DieQua .......................................................64,97

Smalley Steel Rings .................................... 23

Digi-Key Electronics ...................................... 19

Tech-Etch, Inc. ..............................................105

Dunkermotoren ............................................. 45

The Lee Co. ..................................................... 91

Eagle Stainless Tube ............................. 30,31

Trim Lok ............................................................49

Elesa USA Corporation ............................... 41

Visumatics Industrial Products ............... 52

Encoder Products Company .................... 113

Weintek USA, Inc. ............................................2

Fluid Metering, Inc. ...................................... 95

Whittet-Higgins ............................................. 37

GRIPNAIL Corporation ...............................153

Xcentric Mold & Engineering .................... 58

mcaruso@wtwhmedia.com 469.855.7344

Garrett Cona

gcona@wtwhmedia.com 213.219.5663 @wtwh_gcona

Jessica East

jeast@wtwhmedia.com 330.319.1253 @wtwh_MsMedia

tlazar@wtwhmedia.com 408.701.7944 @wtwh_Tom

Jim Powers

jpowers@wtwhmedia.com 312.925.7793 @jpowers_media

Courtney Seel

cseel@wtwhmedia.com 440.523.1685 @wtwh_CSeel

Michael Ference

mflando@wtwhmedia.com 440.670.4772 @mflando

Mike Francesconi

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Publisher Mike Emich

memich@wtwhmedia.com 508.446.1823 @wtwh_memich

Managing Director

mfrancesconi@wtwhmedia.com Scott McCafferty 630.488.9029 smccafferty@wtwhmedia.com 310.279.3844 David Geltman @SMMcCafferty dgeltman@wtwhmedia.com 516.510.6514 EVP @wtwh_david

Marshall Matheson

Neel Gleason

ngleason@wtwhmedia.com 312.882.9867 @wtwh_ngleason

mmatheson@wtwhmedia.com 805.895.3609 @mmatheson

E : Fiber optic cable solutions • Spring-loaded connectors • Designing the right cable for your application

Inter

A supplement of Design World • December 2017

2017

Cable & Connector Reference Guide COVER_Interconnect_2017_FINAL.indd 66

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Interconnect Supplement Binder USA .....................................85

Master Bond ..................................83

Cicoil ..................................................87

Memory Protection

Fischer Connectors .....................77

Devices, Inc. ..............................67

HELUKABEL USA .........................71

Sager Electronics .........................79

LEMO USA, Inc. .............................78

WAGO ...............................................81

Make Parts Fast Supplement

A supplement of Design World December 2017

FOLLOW US ON

3D Platform .....................................139 developments in

CS Hyde Company .......................140

132

138

144

What to expect when

3D printing software

you install a metal 3D

targets manufacturing

Proto Labs ......................................143

printer

COVER_MPF 12-17_Vs2.indd 130

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Renishaw .........................................145 solidThinking ..................................136 Tormach ...........................................137

Follow the whole team on twitter @DesignWorld

DESIGN WORLD does not pass judgment on subjects of controversy nor enter into dispute with or between any individuals or organizations. DESIGN WORLD is also an independent forum for the expression of opinions relevant to industry issues. Letters to the editor and by-lined articles express the views of the author and not necessarily of the publisher or the publication. Every effort is made to provide accurate information; however, publisher assumes no responsibility for accuracy of submitted advertising and editorial information. Non-commissioned articles and news releases cannot be acknowledged. Unsolicited materials cannot be returned nor will this organization assume responsibility for their care.

DESIGN WORLD does not endorse any products, programs or services of advertisers or editorial contributors. Copyright© 2017 by WTWH Media, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

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Subscriber Services: To order a subscription or change your address, please email: designworld@halldata.com, or visit our web site at www.designworldonline.com DESIGN WORLD (ISSN 1941-7217) is published monthly by: WTWH Media, LLC; 6555 Carnegie Ave., Suite 300, Cleveland, OH 44103. Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, OH & additional mailing offices.

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Ag & Construction

Energy

Food & Bev

Industrial Machinery

Motion Control

Medical

No matter what your next challenge may be, our engineers at Bison are ready to help you take it on…head-on. We design gearmotors, reducers and drives that fit your exact needs, and provide superior results, for a variety of power transmission requirements. With our combined brainpower, we are here to fully support your efforts.

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SMOOTH. PRECISE. SAFE. WHEN IT MATTERS THE MOST NSK employs cutting-edge friction control technology, precision accuracy and dedicated customer collaboration to deliver custom integrated solutions for medical diagnostic imaging systems and equipment.

PRECISION PRODUCTS FOR LINEAR MOTION AND CONTROL

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11/27/17 4:54 PM 11/29/17 10:23 AM