Design World December 2021

www.designworldonline.com

December 2021

inside: LINEAR MOTION: Air bearings in

Linear Motion

p. 70

3D CAD: Designing out loud p.

76

TEST

& MEASUREMENT:

Keeping tabs on torque

Vibration isolation technique supports spacecraft ground testing

p. 82

page 66

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2021

Leadership in Engineering

Leadership Winners 2021 Advanced Materials Digital Manufacturing

Electrical

Here in our sixteenth annual issue on Leadership in Engineering,

Fastening & Joining

we announce the winners in the Leadership Awards Program that

Fluid Power

we have been promoting throughout the year.

The Design World User

Industrial Automation

Mechanical

Community has cast votes and we are pleased to celebrate the winners in this

Mechatronics Motion

special section of “Leadership in Engineering.”

Networks

Software

Switches & Sensors

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2021

Leadership in Engineering

Advanced Materials

Congratulations!

CS Hyde Company CS Hyde Company is always changing and adapting to suit the customer. We take the initiative to work on your project along with you, offering suggestions and our product knowledge wherever it may be useful. We enjoy learning new things and our team is always looking for a new challenge. We believe it is a necessity to take the time to give you our support.

The company’s capabilities include: Laminating Adhesives, Die Cutting Parts, Slitting, Sheeting, and Print & Bar-Code Packaging.

We stock a variety of different products including: Teflon® Fluoropolymer, Kapton®, UHMW, PEEK™, Mylar®, FEP & PFA,

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Ultem®, Kevlar®, Silicone products, and many more.

Advanced Materials

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DESIGN WORLD

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2021

Leadership in Engineering

Digital Manufacturing

Congratulations!

Proto Labs

Protolabs began in 1999 specializing in the quick- turn manufacturing of custom plastic injection- molded parts.

In 2007, the company introduced its CNC machining service and in 2014, began offering industrial 3D printing services.

In 2017, the company acquired Rapid Manufacturing, expanding its service offering to include rapid sheet metal fabrication. Protolabs is a global company with full-service manufacturing operations in the United States, Europe, and Japan.

Thus, Protolabs is the world’s fastest digital manufacturing source for custom prototypes and low-volume production parts. It offers customers an unprecedented speed-to-market value and an on-demand

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manufacturing resource throughout a product’s life cycle.

Digital Manufacturing ip W in n e r 2 0 2 1 L e a d e rs h PR ESENTED BY

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December 2021

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2021

Leadership in Engineering

Electrical & Electronics

Congratulations!

WAGO

Since its founding in 1951, WAGO has been pioneering innovative connection systems in electrical engineering and electronics; providing North America with innovative Interconnect, Electronic Interface, and Automation solutions. Now, WAGO is the leading specialist of spring clamp termination technology known as CAGE CLAMP® – “vibration-proof, fast and maintenance- ee connections.”

Headquartered in Germantown, WI, WAGO features state-of-the art manufacturing and 75,000 square feet of storage capacity for 37,000 product locations. Extensive engineering resources, a 25,000+ product portfolio, custom manufacturing, and a global network of dedicated professionals ensure WAGO has the

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resources and expertise to help you get the job done.

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DESIGN WORLD

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2021

Leadership in Engineering

Fastening & Joining

Congratulations!

BOKER’S, INC.

With more than 100 years of experience, Boker’s has earned the reputation as a stamping leader. They deliver precision stampings in a complete range of sizes: flat blanking and piercings up to 12” x 12” (flat) with thicknesses om 0.005” to 0.190” (varies by material) and draws up to 3” deep and 8” in diameter.

Boker’s also delivers a wide selection of standard and nonstandard washers, spacers and shims. With over 32,000 stock tools, and outside diameters of .080” to 5.140” along with a variety of inside diameters, you have millions of flat washer possibilities.

All stampings, washers, spacers and shims are available in short, medium and long runs with a 100-piece minimum with fast

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turnaround times.

Fastening & Joining ip W in n e r 2 0 2 1 L e a d e rs h PR ESENTED BY

DESIGN WORLD

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December 2021

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2021

Leadership in Engineering

Fluid Power

Congratulations!

YATES

Since our early beginnings in 1972 as a fluid power products distributor, our vision has allowed us to become one of the leading cylinder manufacturer and repair facilities in the U.S. With our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, we build your cylinders faster and with better quality than our competition. Our extensive machining department includes boring mills, CNC machines, manual lathes, OD grinders, radial arm drills and so much more. We have the means to handle your largest cylinder applications.

We combine efficient manufacturing with a professional and helpful staff devoted to service your request 24 hours per day, 7 days per week - ensuring that you get your

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cylinders on time, every time.

Fluid Power ip W in n e r 2 0 2 1 L e a d e rs h PR ESENTED BY

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DESIGN WORLD

11/29/21 1:30 PM

2021

Leadership in Engineering

Industrial Automation

Congratulations!

AutomationDirect

AutomationDirect provides quality products with ee award-winning in-house sales and technical support. Customers receive quick order and delivery through an online store and toll- ee 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, products include PLCs, 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 also provides online tutorial videos through their web store at www.automationdirect.com as well as their YouTube channel.

A Customer Forum provides peer support on technical and

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application questions.

Industrial Automation ip W in n e r 2 0 2 1 L e a d e rs h PR ESENTED BY

DESIGN WORLD

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December 2021

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2021

Leadership in Engineering

Mechanical

Congratulations! igus

igus® develops industry-leading plastic plain, spherical, and ball bearings, linear bearings and guides, cable carrier systems, and guaranteed continuous-flex cables.

These seemingly unrelated products are all linked in a belief of making technically advanced, yet affordable components and assemblies for almost any moving application. With more than 50 years of research and development, igus is able to provide the right solution for your application based on a massive range of tested, reliable components om stock with the ability to ship as early as same-day. igus works with all customers to find the best, most cost-effective solution for all applications via online chat, phone, email, or on site. Online tools and lifetime calculation, cable assembly, custom

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component manufacturing, prototyping, and testing is available.

Mechanical ip W in n e r 2 0 2 1 L e a d e rs h PR ESENTED BY

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www.designworldonline.com

DESIGN WORLD

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2021

Leadership in Engineering

Mechatronics

Congratulations!

Yaskawa

At Yaskawa, we help you explore what’s possible, and open new doors to opportunity. Rather than accepting the status quo, we invite you to wonder, “What if …?” And then we make it possible. That dedication to engineering and innovation is what makes us different.

Our global expertise is unmatched and unquestioned, with 100+ Years of manufacturing excellence, 30 countries with sales, service, and manufacturing locations, and $4.0 billion in global sales per year.

We continuously work to save you money, time, and energy, because we believe your machine can always run faster, smoother and more productively. It’s about making the correct diagnoses, creating the right automation machinery, and

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implementing it in the best way possible.

Mechatronics ip W in n e r 2 0 2 1 L e a d e rs h PR ESENTED BY

DESIGN WORLD

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December 2021

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2021

Leadership in Engineering

Motion Control

Congratulations!

ElectroCraft, Inc.

ElectroCra , Inc. is a global provider of dependable, applicationengineered actional-horsepower motor and motion products. The ElectroCra Powering Innovation custom manufacturing services cover the following products: AC motors, PMDC motors, brushless DC motors, stepper motors, servo motors, gearboxes, gearmotors, linear actuators, drives, servo drives, and integrated motor drives.

Our products are found in thousands of different applications within industrial, commercial, and consumer product markets. While ElectroCra provides a wide array of standard products with many configurable options, we have built our brand on custom OEM solutions that meet the precise performance, cost and quality our

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customers require.

Motion Control ip W in n e r 2 0 2 1 L e a d e rs h PR ESENTED BY

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DESIGN WORLD

11/29/21 1:34 PM

2021

Leadership in Engineering

Networks

Congratulations!

istockphoto.com

B&R Industrial Automation B&R Industrial Automation, a member of the ABB Group, offers ACOPOStrak intelligent track technology, which seamlessly integrates with robots to enable an adaptive machine that automates tasks requiring high variability, precision and mass customization. The adaptive machine

istockphoto.com

brings a new level or flexibility to product handling, assembly and packaging in the healthcare industry and beyond.

Such leadership is demonstrated in medical device assembly where users create solutions with the ability to produce multiple product types simultaneously – enabling small-batch flexibility without compromising productivity.

This is a new generation of adaptive machines, uniquely efficient at automating dynamic changes. The secret: a synergy of key technology breakthroughs integrated into a

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single system.

Networks ip W in n e r 2 0 2 1 L e a d e rs h PR ESENTED BY

DESIGN WORLD

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December 2021

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2021

Leadership in Engineering

Software

Congratulations!

COMSOL

COMSOL is a global provider of simulation so ware for product design and research to technical enterprises, research labs, and universities. Its COMSOL Multiphysics® product is an integrated so ware environment for creating physics-based models and simulation applications. A particular strength is its ability to account for coupled or multiphysics phenomena.

Add-on products expand the simulation platform for electromagnetics, structural, acoustics, fluid flow, heat transfer, and chemical applications. Interfacing tools enable the integration of COMSOL Multiphysics® simulations with all major technical computing and CAD tools on the CAE market. Simulation experts rely on COMSOL Compiler™ and COMSOL Server™ to deploy applications to their design teams, manufacturing departments, test laboratories, and

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customers throughout the world.

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www.designworldonline.com

DESIGN WORLD

11/29/21 1:37 PM

2021

Leadership in Engineering

Switches & Sensors

Congratulations!

MTS Sensors

MTS Sensors, a division of MTS Systems Corporation, is the pioneer of Temposonics® magnetostrictive technology and a worldwide manufacturer of non-contact linear position sensors and liquid level transmitters that enable reliable feedback control for automation and safety applications.

Our customers deserve extraordinary solutions, and we respond with an extensive range of measuring stroke options, simultaneous measurement of multiple magnets, smart electronic designs with built-in diagnostics, innovative housing concepts and a wide variety of controller interfaces. Our robust Temposonics® designs guarantee maximum reliability, high-precision position measurements and long-term operation even in the harshest environments. Compatible with a wide range of controllers with

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advanced outputs such as EtherNet/IP and SSI.

Switches & Sensors

ip W in n e r 2 0 2 1 L e a d e rs h PR ESENTED BY

DESIGN WORLD

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Contents 12 • 2021

•

vol 16 no 12

•

designworldonline.com

66 _MOTION CONTROL Keeping tabs on torque

Industrial robots, conveyors, wind turbines, machine tools, packaging machines and pumps are just some of the places you’ll find torque limiters.

70 _LINEAR MOTION Air bearings in linear motion

Air bearings are costlier than other options but average all surface imperfections along a bearing length — avoiding the detrimental effects of track deficiencies.

| istockphoto.com

82

INSIDE: Maintenance requirements for dynamic cable opportunities • Better connections help soldiers make better decisions faster

Interconnect

A supplement of Design World • December 2021

82 _TEST & MEASUREMENT Vibration isolation technique supports spacecraft ground testing

Negative-Stiffness vibration isolation has played an integral role in supporting systems for ground testing and development of spacecraft and components, both inside and outside of vacuum chambers.

2021

Cable & Connector Reference Guide COVER_Interconnect_2021_Vs1.indd 91

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91-99

86 _MECHANICAL How to make a gear-bearing from advanced polymer components

This novel gear-bearing, which uses motion components made from advanced polymers, is an alternative to large outer diameter bearings to support large ring gears or other large rotating components.

76 _3D CAD Designing out loud

Voice and haptic feedback could ease CAD complexity and speed design, but it is slow-to-market due to that very CAD complexity.

ON THE COVER

GOLD REGIONAL AWARD

asbpe.org

16

December 2021

www.designworldonline.com

Torque limiters employing friction torque, ball-detent action, and shear pins are suitable for different | Dreamstime.com applications.

DESIGN WORLD

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Precision Control for Your Operations

12.21

• contents departments 20

Insights

22

Teschler on Topic

24

Technology Forward

26

Green Engineering

31

Design For Industry

41

MC2 Classroom

42

Design Notes

54

CAE Solutions

58

Internet of Things

Clutches, Brakes and Motion Control Products

62

DfAM

Clutches and brakes for complete motion control, designed to meet exact specifications. From ultra-precise medical procedures to heavy equipment across a variety of industries – CJM is everywhere.

100

Product World

104

Ad Index

• electrical, mechanical, pneumatic and hydraulic models • system design and integration • expert engineers working on every order

Engineering Solutions for Clutches & Brakes

www.cjmco.com Phone: 860-643-1531 291 Boston Tpke, Bolton, CT 06043

CONTENTS 12-21_second.page_Vs1.indd 18

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December 2021

DESIGN WORLD

11/29/21 3:55 PM

DESIGN WORLD

Follow the whole team on twitter @DesignWorld

EDITORIAL

VP, Editorial Director Paul J. Heney pheney@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_paulheney Senior Contributing Editor Leslie Langnau llangnau@wtwhmedia.com @dw_3dprinting Executive Editor Leland Teschler lteschler@wtwhmedia.com @dw_leeteschler Executive Editor Lisa Eitel leitel@wtwhmedia.com @dw_lisaeitel Senior Editor Miles Budimir mbudimir@wtwhmedia.com @dw_motion Senior Editor Mary Gannon mgannon@wtwhmedia.com @dw_marygannon Managing Editor Mike Santora msantora@wtwhmedia.com @dw_mikesantora CREATIVE SERVICES

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

2011 - 2020

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Medical Design & OUTSOURCING DESIGN WORLD

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Looking for a positive year ahead A er a rough 18+ months, I think we’re all ready for positive news in the coming year. And 2022 is showing some upward trending signs. I recently attended an economic outlook talk given by Jim Meil of ACT Research Co., LLC, presented by the NFPA, and came away feeling moderately better about things.

For sure, Meil noted some issues that many companies are currently facing, including not being able to satis customer demand, a lack of good workers, inflation affecting costs of materials, the basic availability of those materials, and difficulty in predicting realistic delivery times.

However, for many companies, especially those related to the construction industries, 2022 and 2023 are looking to be good years.

In speaking to OEMs who produce off-highway equipment, the recent in astructure bill has them excited for a robust year ahead, especially stacked on top of (let’s be hopeful) a COVID recovery.

As for Meil, he sees plenty of good news: machinery and equipment demand is very, very strong. There’s a competitive advantage for asset holders. He said to just examine the asset and property prices.

“Take a look at the stock market,” Meil said. “If you own assets now, you’re in a strong, commanding position. Year-end holidays will be antic, so for anybody who deals in the world of materials and transportation, know that it’s going to be crazy out there.”

For U.S. farm machinery, there was a peak about a year ago, but he thinks that the market should see a tailwind in 2022 om commodity prices and demand om China. Oil & gas equipment is in the midst of a multi-year depression, but that is starting to turn positive as oil prices escalate. Meil said that oil prices of roughly $80/bbl is a game-changer for that industry.

“This is a promising market as we start to see a turnaround. I think that’s a solid bet for 2022 and 2023. A er that, energy is a crazy field. And then you also have this thought of a political will towards putting constraints on hydrocarbons as an energy source, so you have that element of growth,” Meil said.

I wish you and yours much health and success in the New Year, and I’ll end with another of Meil’s points. While there’s prosperity to be had, remember that good times are hard work — so that doesn’t mean we can sit back and relax. Let’s all put in the hard work and make 2022 memorable and satis ing. DW

30097 Ahern Avenue Union City, CA 94587

Paul J. Heney - VP, Editorial Director pheney@wtwhmedia.com

Te c h n i c a l S u p p o r t

On Twitter @wtwh_paulheney

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Teschler on Topic

Unrealistic expectations for PHEVs The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, recently convened in Scotland. Perhaps unsurprising to cynics, soon after COP26 came an analysis from the Washington Post that found a significant gap between the amount of greenhouse gases countries say they emit and what they’re really putting into the atmosphere.

There are many facets to this socalled greenhouse gap, but one of the more interesting items concerns plug-in hybrid vehicles, or PHEVs. A PHEV has both a combustion engine and an electric motor, like an ordinary hybrid. But the battery in a PHEV is much bigger, allowing a PHEV to drive much further on electric power alone. But the bigger battery can’t be recharged by the car as it drives along like a regular hybrid.

Instead, you have to plug-in a PHEV to recharge it as with a full-blown EV. PHEVs are claimed to put out less CO2 than ordinary combustion vehicles. And that brings us to tests run by Transport & Environment, a European environmental group, that reveal PHEVs pollute significantly more than carmakers claim. T&E says a big part of the problem is the use of weak electric motors and slow charging speeds. Worse, manufacturers challenged on these issues often blame the excessive CO2 output on consumer driving habits.

Problems arise once the PHEV combustion engine kicks in. PHEVs that T&E tested could only drive about 11 to 23 km (roughly 7 to 14 miles) in engine mode before they overshot their official CO2 emissions per kilometer. T&E’s results also showed that even in optimal conditions, the tested PHEVs emitted 28 to 89% more CO2 than during EU regulatory tests. When the combustion engine kicked in, emissions were comparable or worse than equivalent combustion-engine cars.

T&E claims that regulatory tests “fail to account for real-world driving conditions where the engine may come on even if the driver has requested the car to drive electrically.

They also use unrealistic assumptions on the share of electric kilometers driven by PHEVs which have been shown time and time again to not reflect their real world use. This allows manufacturers to claim unrealistically low CO2 emissions for these cars.”

T&E looked at the real-world emissions of 20,000 PHEVs and found that rather than emitting an average of 44 g CO2/km (the figure arrived at in lab tests) most PHEVs actually emit over 2.5x as much when driven on the road. T&E also points out it is almost impossible for a PHEV to regularly drive in zero-emission mode even for short distances.

Of course, the extra CO2 comes from the need for PHEVs to burn

petrol. These results might help explain a puzzling situation in Norway where almost two-thirds of new vehicle sales are now some kind of EV. (In the U.S., about 2% of new vehicles are EVs.) Yet according to a study by the banking firm Morgan Stanley, oil consumption in Norway basically has been stable.

And by extension, we might infer the same for Norway’s CO2 emissions.

Norway’s experience doesn’t bode well for the likelihood of reducing worldwide CO2 output. The wealth management firm Evergreen Gavekal points out that though petroleum consumption in the developed world has largely flatlined over the past decade, China’s oil demand has vaulted by about six million barrels daily since 2010. And by 2031, an estimated one billion Asian consumers will work their way into the middle class and likely consume more energy than they do today.

Evergreen Gavekal further says that despite the exponential growth of renewables over the last 10 years, every fossil fuel category has seen increased usage. And even if China gets up to Norway’s 64% EV market share of new car sales over the next decade, it will probably use a lot more oil, not less.

Taken together, these developments imply it pays to be skeptical about the headlines coming out of COP26 touting lower CO2 emissions.

DW

Leland Teschler • Executive Editor lteschler@wtwhmedia.com On Twitter @ DW_LeeTeschler

22

December 2021 www.designworldonline.com

Lee.Teschler.Column.12-21_V3_LT.indd 22

DESIGN WORLD

11/29/21 3:32 PM

OVER 25 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE WITH MANUFACTURING AND SOURCING OF MATERIAL, SUB-ASSEMBLIES AND FULL TURNKEY PRODUCTS. •

PRODUCTS: We offer component manufacturing, engineering, sourcing, custom component manufacturing.

Kingway offers components and subassemblies all the way to full box builds.

•

LOGISTICS: Kingway can help develop a custom Logistics plan to meet your needs including Expedited Air Freight, Sea Freight and Domestic Warehousing.

•

VISION STATEMENT: Kingway Electronics offers Direct Sourcing and Customized Logistics Management by utilizing our 25 plus years of relationships and experience to deliver better Pricing, Shorter Lead Times with the Goal of Maximizing our customers profitability.

STANDARD TO FULLY CUSTOM OEM SOLUTIONS Kingway 4-21.indd 23

kingway-usa.com (330) 205-4904

11/29/21 1:42 PM

Technology Forward The most interesting additive stories of 2021 2021 began as a continuation of 2020. Many employees continued to work from home. Work was getting done, with some businesses thriving.

Then along came a vaccine to fight the virus. As people received their vaccines by April, you could see some signs of returning to something resembling normal.

In 2020, the pandemic highlighted just how useful additive manufacturing technology could be for dealing with remote work, remote manufacturing, and supply chain issues.

Throughout 2020 and into 2021, the industry continued to move forward. As the industry matures, the big stories for 2021 involved announcements of partnerships, purchases, and going public. The technology focus was more on material development. As for markets, most of the stories revolved around additive advances in the medical market.

One example of the growth of additive in the medical market involves the range of new materials.

While additive continues to build applications in the dental industry, several interesting advances can be found in bio 3D printing. The additive industry has made strides towards 3D printing organs, transplantable ones, not just anatomical models.

Developments are ongoing, but there are advances in both the machines necessary to achieve this and the hydrogel materials needed.

Another major story for 2021 is the development of end-toend additive manufacturing flow software. Nearly every major vendor of additive machines introduced software or partnered with a company that can make the steps of going from CAD file to final product easier. Vendors report a tremendous amount of investment taking place on the design side, developing files and getting them prepared for manufacturing. And work continues on the machine side, where individual machines are now digital and connected to a network.

The pandemic highlighted some disadvantages of not having a supply chain close to home. Companies are rethinking their supply chain strategies and bringing more work closer to their customers, in many cases, turning to additive technology to solve supply chain shortages. Additive technology plays a key role in the concept of digital manufacturing.

As the use of additive increases, developers and users are also focusing on how this technology impacts the environment. An ASME survey of practicing

engineers involved in the design or development of plastic parts found that 88% of respondents now use 3D printing/additive manufacturing in some way. But prototyping with plastic materials tends to produce a lot of environmentally unfriendly waste.

A relatively new organization, the Additive Manufacturer Green Trade Association (AMGTA), introduced itself and now has an impressive list of leading AM companies that have joined to advance sustainability in AM. As of press time, the organization has 33 active members from 11 countries.

The other big story is the introduction of new materials for various additive processes. More metal materials for office-style 3D printers, more variety in materials, and more flexibility in how many and what kind of materials you can 3D print. The only drawback is that some of these materials are specific to an additive machine. Opensourced materials are emerging, so options are available. DW

Leslie Langnau llangnau@wtwhmedia.com On Twitter @ DW_3Dprinting

24

December 2021 www.designworldonline.com

Tech.Forward.12-21_Vs2.LL.indd 24

DESIGN WORLD

11/29/21 3:34 PM

THE DNA OF SAFETY. Machine safety is a complex topic. Companies are increasingly calling on qualified safety specialists for their specific know-how to guide them in making the appropriate decisions for their safety needs. For Schmersal, machine safety is part of our DNA: 75 years of technical knowledge and industry experience allows us to combine the building blocks of safety-rated components with control systems and software for customized and comprehensive safety systems.

Schmersal provides a Bluetooth interface for our safety light curtains. The data transmitted from the safety light curtains is accessible by the Schmersal SLC Assist App, available for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. The Bluetooth Low Energy system used offers secure data transmission up to 5 meters.

This unprecedented access to the operational data of the Safety Light Curtain has many advantages. The app serves as an installation alignment aid as it displays the signal strength of each beam. Real time monitoring of the active operation mode, the status of the OSSD outputs and the status of the protective field provides the information necessary to quickly resolve faults.

The app can provide documentation on the light curtain, either emailed or saved to the smartphone or tablet. Additionally, you can see which functions have been enabled and their parameterized settings.

SAFETY LIGHT CURTAINS WITH BLUETOOTH INTERFACE ■ Integrated bluetooth interface, standard on all SLC440 and SLC440COM safety light curtains ■ Access data via SLC ASSIST app, available for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets ■ Secure data transmission up to 5 meters ■ Real time status, troubleshoot faults quickly ■ Installation alignment aid setting ■ Verify enabled functions and their parameterized settings.

■ Generate & save documentation

Contact us for more machine safety solutions: 888-496-5143 | salesusa@schmersal.com | www.schmersalusa.com

Schmersal 1-21.indd 25

11/29/21 1:43 PM

Green Engineering

SKF commits to using 100% carbon-neutral steel Paul J. Heney

• VP, Editorial Director

SKF, a global supplier of bearings, sealing solutions, lubrication systems, and condition monitoring systems, has committed to using 100% carbon-neutral steel in its global supply chain by 2050. SteelZero is a global initiative bringing together forwardlooking organizations to speed up the transition to a net-zero steel industry Total greenhouse gas emissions om the steel sector account for around 7% of global annual emissions and are projected to rise in line with increasing demand, making decarbonizing steelmaking a critical part of overall efforts to combat climate change.

“Steel is by far the biggest source of carbon emissions upstream in SKF’s supply chain, and the transition om the current global steel production in astructure to one which is carbon neutral is a massive undertaking,” said Rickard Gustafson, CEO of SKF. “We are already working with our steel suppliers on this, but there are limitations on how much change we can drive unilaterally. We will be working together with other like-minded industrial users of steel to advocate for the structural changes needed, and we will do this through our active membership of the SteelZero and ResponsibleSteel initiatives.”

“We are delighted to welcome SKF as a member of ResponsibleSteel,” said Anne-Claire Howard, CEO of 26

December 2021

Green.Engineering 12-21_Vs1.indd 26

ResponsibleSteel. “We work with organizations om every stage of the steel supply chain — and partnering with companies who have the influence to drive the market demand for steel supplies to be sourced and produced responsibly will help accelerate the steel industry to become net-zero by 2050.”

SKF products and solutions are critical in enabling the transition towards a carbon- ee economy, making it a key enabling partner to many mature and emerging clean-tech sectors — om wind power and electric vehicles to tidal power remanufacturing.

The company’s engineers and technicians apply solutions like uptime contracts to help customers in more traditional process industries to understand and reduce their environmental impact. SKF has been measuring, reporting, and acting on its carbon emissions for more than 20 years — achieving sustained economic growth of the business while reducing the greenhouse gas impact in real terms. DW

SKF | skf.com

www.designworldonline.com

DESIGN WORLD

11/29/21 4:03 PM

Power REVIEW THE POWER BRANDS IN POWER TRANSMISSION

Vol. 10 | No. 4 | 2021

www.AltraMotion.com

Follow Altra Motion on:

Altra Brands Provide Certified Rebuild & Repair Services

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Boston & Bauer Washdown Gear Drives & Gear Motors for the Food & Beverage Industry Nuttall Gear Rail Station Escalator Speed Reducers Stromag Product Solutions for Industrial Applications Warner Electric Electromagnetic Spring-Set Pulse™ Brakes

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

Scan to download the interactive version of the Power Review

Altra Industrial_#1_12-21.indd 27

11/29/21 1:54 PM

Altra Certified Rebuild & Repair Services – Ameridrives, Formsprag, Marland, Nuttall & Delroyd MARLAND: Your old, worn Marland clutches can be refurbished for substantially less than the cost of a new replacement clutch. Our economical rebuild service applies to all Marland Clutch BCMA, CECON and CEBMAG models. The local Marland Rebuild Service team will perform the following to restore your clutch to like-new condition: Inspect and replace seals, energizing springs, alloy steel rollers, aluminum cages, bearings and fasteners as required, inspect and precision grind the outer race and cam if required, assemble and test to meet Marland original design and performance specifications, paint and prepare for shipment. For more details on our cost saving certified Marland Rebuild Program, call 1-888-216-3515 or download P-8117-MC from www.AltraLiterature.com. dustri Altra In

Look like New, New Warrantied like

tic.

is Not Just Cosme

designed This feature is with into the products of g the manufacturin and oversized sprags, reduce will significantly term the user’s long operating costs.

AFTER BEFORE

springs, retainer, sprags, energized or replaced to ished All internal components– are refurbished and hardware bearings, seal standards. noted new performance ground to specifications outer races are The inner and remain. no wear patterns below so that 58-62 Rc is hardened to • Sprag Surface microinches finish is 15-25 inch per inch • Sprag Surface taper limit is 0.0002 • Sprag Surface System is certified Management Formsprag’s Quality ISO 9001: 2015 D and AS 9100 Rev.

list Advantages: (compared to savings of 30% • Price A guaranteed unit). and rebuilt in price for a new are received, inspected • Speed Clutches time frame. all the shortest possible LLH has a 3 year warranty, same as The Model • Warranty labor and materials, are 1 year on other models All products that new clutches.

Breakdown Program Clutch plant are • Emergency into the Formsprag cases, are able to are air freighted and, in most processed immediately a 24-hour period. be rebuilt within

Consider These

to

om www.formsprag.c Road 23601 Hoover - USA Warren, MI 48089 586-758-5000

Marland remanufactured clutches look like new, perform like new and are backed by the same 3 year warranty as our new units.

Marland Clutch, part of Altra Industrial Motion, has appointed S & S Equipment & Supply, LTD to be our Master Stocking Warehouse and only Authorized Marland Rebuild and Service Center for North America.

S&S Equipment & Supply, LTD is the headquarters and administrative branch of the service. Its subsidiary company, Paducah Gear & Machine, LLC (PGM) located in Calvert City, Kentucky, performs all repair and rebuilding for all Marland products including BC-MA, CECON and CEBMAG clutches to "like new" condition with a new product warranty. In most instances, your Marland products can be refurbished for substantially less than the cost of a new replacement clutch.

As the Marland products are received at the repair facility, they are inspected, tested, quoted for rebuild, and if authorized, repaired to complete and exact standards in which the original Marland products are manufactured. The process in which this is accomplished is:

PGM facilities in Calvert City, KY

• Inspect and replace bearings, seals, springs, gaskets, stop-lugs, alloy steel rollers, aluminum cages, and fasteners as required.

• Inspect and precision grind the outer race and cam if required.

• Assemble and test to meet Marland original design and performance specifications.

• Paint, crate, and prepare for shipment.

n al Motio

tured Remanufac Clutches

The Difference

Altra Industrial M otion

Marland Clutch Certified Rebuild Center in North America

local Formsprag Contact your NOW! Clutch distributor

P-1060-FC

8/18

FORMSPRAG: Send Formsprag your old clutches to make them like new again. The difference is not just cosmetic. Consider these advantages: Price – A guaranteed savings of at least 30% or more versus new product, Speed – Clutches are received, inspected and rebuilt in the shortest possible time frame, Warranty – 1 year on labor and materials, same as new clutches, and Emergency Breakdown Program – All products that are air freighted into the Warren plant are processed immediately and, in most cases, are able to be rebuilt within a 24-hour period. For more information, call 1-800-927-3262 or download P-1060-FC from www.AltraLiterature.com.

AMERIDRIVES: Ameridrives Rebuild Service can refurbish your old, worn couplings for substantially less than the cost of a new replacement coupling. The economical rebuild service applies to all Ameridrives couplings including Ameridisc®, Ameriflex® and Amerigear® high performance, high speed couplings used primarily on turbomachinery, compressor and pump applications in the power generation, oil & gas and marine industries. Other coupling brands are accepted on a case-by-case basis. For details on the rebuild program, call 1-814-480-5095, download P-7948-AC from www.AltraLiterature.com.

n Altra Industrial Motio

I N T R O D U C I N G

Ameridrives Rebuild Service

Ameridrives remanufactured couplings look like new, perform like new and are warrantied like new For more information call (814) 480-5095 or visit www.Ameridrives.com.

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

• Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI) on all torque transmitting

your old, worn couplings for Ameridrives Rebuild Service can refurbish replacement coupling. The economical ® substantially less than the cost of a new , Ameridrives couplings including Ameridisc rebuild service applies to all ® high speed couplings used primarily Ameriflex® and Amerigear high performance, applications in the power generation, on turbomachinery, compressor and pump brands are accepted on a case-byoil & gas and marine industries. Other coupling case basis.

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

components.

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

• Precision dimensional and Total Indicator Run-out (TIR) measurement • Rebalancing to original API 671 certification if applicable. This recertification requires the return of the entire coupling structure.

in the shortest possible time frame.

Couplings are received, inspected and rebuilt down schedule.

We will work to accommodate your shut call (814) 480-5095 or visit For details on our cost-saving program www.Ameridrives.com. www.ameridrives.com 1802 Pittsburgh Avenue Erie, PA 16502 - USA 814-480-5000 Fax: 814-453-5891

P-7948-AC

10/15

Printed in USA

NUTTALL & DELROYD have extensive experience in gear drive applications, combined with the total manufacturing and design capabilities that enable them to provide a single, comprehensive source for improving productivity, and offers a cost-effective repair solution for any manufacturer’s gear drive.

All complete rebuilds include new factory warranty.

• • • • •

Repair and Rebuild Redesign and Rerate System Analysis Quality Assurance Load Testing

strial Altra Indu

Motion

Repair and Rebuild Services

• Field Service - 24-Hour Emergency Service - Mill Outage Support Services - Predictive Maintenance Services - Repairs - Torque Measurements - Training Seminars

For more information, download P-7010-ND from www.AltraLiterature.com

Boston & Bauer Washdown Gear Drives & Gear Motors for the Food & Beverage Industry As the leading innovators in gearing and gear motor technology, Boston Gear and Bauer Gear Motor present a full line of Stainless Steel and Aseptic products that provide sanitary protection and optimal performance in the toughest caustic environments.

Distinct Advantages of the Boston Gear and Bauer Gear Motor offering: 1. Wide Breadth of Products • Worm / Helical-Worm / Helical-Bevel or Helical / Parallel Shaft • Gear Drives (Speed Reducers) / Gear Motors / Shaft Accessories • Reductions of 3:1 thru 10,000:1 • Output Torque from 100 lbf-in thru 7,500 lbf-in 2. Critical Product Features for Washdown Suitability and Sustainability • NSF International Certified (Worm Gear Drives) • UL/ULc Certified (Gear Motors) • IP67 / IP69K Compliance • The Original Domed CrownTM Technology • 316SS Cast Housings

3. Performance Competitive Advantages • Proven: Longer Product Life • Proven: Higher Motor Efficiency • Proven: Higher Gearing Operating Efficiency • Proven: Lower Gearing Operating Temperature • Proven: Reduced Installation Time & Maintenance Cost

Scan to watch Boston & Bauer Washdown video

For more information download P-8026-BBG from www.AltraLiterature.com

Altra Industrial_#2_12-21.indd 28

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Nuttall Gear Rail Station Escalator Speed Reducers Nuttall Gear has grown to become a leading manufacturer of reliable heavy-duty speed reducers for a wide range of industrial applications.

Nuttall has recently introduced a new line of enclosed helical gearboxes designed as drop-in replacements for popular Westinghouse Modular 100, 220 and 250 escalator gearboxes.

FEATURES: • Carburized and ground gearing for enhanced wear resistance and improved shock load capacity • Heavy-duty cast iron or fabricated steel housings • USA steel • High-quality, anti-friction bearings

• Extended high-alloy steel input shafts • High-alloy steel or hollow output shafts • Proven engineered seals to keep oil in and contaminants out

Altra Motio n

I N T R O D U C I N G

Rail Station Escalator Speed Reducers Enclosed Parallel Shaft Gearboxes

Drop-in replaceme nts for Westinghouse gearboxes popular Nuttall Gear has grown to become a leading manufacturer heavy-duty speed reducers for a wide range of industrial of reliable applications.

Nuttall has recently introduced a new line of enclosed designed as drop-in helical gearboxes replacements for popular Westinghouse Modular 100, 220 and 250 escalator gearboxes.

• Westinghouse Modular 100 Reduction ratio: 35.4812:1, RPM in: 841/1122, RPM out: 23.71/31.61 • Westinghouse Modular 220/250 Reduction ratio: 1:32.39, RPM in: 768/1023, RPM out: 23.71/31.61 Features • Carburized and ground gearing for enhanced wear resistance and improved shock load capacity • Heavy-duty cast iron or fabricated steel housings • USA steel • High-quality, anti-friction bearings • Extended high-alloy steel input shafts • High-alloy steel or hollow output shafts • Proven engineered seals to keep oil in and contaminants out

We can rebuild or repair all escalator speed reducers. sizes of competitor See back for details.

For more information, download P-8908-NG from www.AltraLiterature.com

Stromag Product Solutions for Industrial Applications Vertical Lift Bridge Brakes – The elaborate drive system, enclosed in the bridge’s upper super structure, utilizes two electric motors that drive a single gearbox with dual output shafts. Each of these shafts connect to a secondary gear reducer to turn pinion shafts that move vertical gear racks which raise and lower the bridge span.

Aluminium Mill Pot Tending Machine Brakes – The compact NFF4F-LS brake was designed specifically for crane and other heavy industrial applications that require slow running drives with very high brake torque and a closed design. Built to perform in harsh environments, major brake components feature a special nitrocarburated and postoxidated surface treatment with an overall protection rating up to IP66.

Series 51 Limit Switches for Cruise Ship Ladder Systems – Limit switches, installed on both of the ladder’s winch cable drums, set the exact stopping points for the ladder (in both stowed and lowered positions). The switches ensure the safe stopping of the ladder’s cables, preventing potential damage.

2in1 Coupling/Clutch for Passenger Ship Hybrid Propulsion System – The ship’s hybrid drive system combines two 405 kW diesel engines and a pair of 180 kW electric motors that are connected to the vessel’s twin propeller shafts. A unique parallel hybrid transmission unit is positioned between the diesel engine and the marine gear on each of the two propeller shaft drives. The coupling connects to the diesel engine flywheel while the clutch engages and disengages the diesel engine from the driveline.

For more information, download Stromag literature from www.AltraLiterature.com

Application Profile

Application Profile

Application Profile

Application Profile

Photo courtesy tesy ©Fives

Product

Series SAB Drum Brakes with

Application

Vertical Lift Bridge

Highlights

• Drum brakes with electrohydraulic thrusters • Maintenance-free, self-lubricated bushes • Auto-aligning brake shoe device

Product

Application

performance.

electric super structure, utilizes two enclosed in the bridge’s upper of these shafts connect to a The elaborate drive system, with dual output shafts. Each lower gear racks which raise and motors that drive a single gearbox pinion shafts that move vertical secondary gear reducer to turn

• Automatic wear compensation • Hand release lever • Status switches • Ascent or descent valving • Special voltage • High temp thruster seals

the bridge span.

and between the electric motors ft.lbs. max. torque) are installed (with SAB 8” drum brakes (with 275 pair of SAB 19” drum brakes gear reducer. Additionally, a This input shafts of the dual-output on the secondary output shafts. installed on mid-ratio shafts 1800 ft.lbs. max. torque) are towers. both the North and South bridge configuration is the same on during normal operations. However, holding (parking) functionality feature The SAB brakes provide static E-stop functionality. All brakes the brakes can also provide high in the event of a power loss, valving, special voltage and switches, ascent or descent a hand release lever, status temperature seals in the thrusters.

US

Europe

+49 (0) 2303 102 0

1-860-238-4783

For a complete list of our global sales offices visit: altramotion.com/contactus

Highlights

• Electromagnetic four-face, spring-applied brake • High braking torque with small footprint • Robust, reliable design with very low inertia • 4,000 to 40,000 Nm brake torque range • Excellent heat dissipation • All components feature special surface protection • Simple assembly to motor, no brake disassembly required • Protection up to IP66

NFF4F-LS Brake Aluminum Mill Pot Tending Machine Fives Services Inc., a leading global designer and manufacturer of process equipment for the primary aluminum industry, needed a robust, reliable braking solution for an aluminum mill pot tending machine. The machine is installed in mill electrolysis halls and features an overhead crane with a 27-ton capacity hoist whose main function is the metal tapping, extraction and transport of liquid aluminum from the electrolysis tanks.

Based on its proven reliability and rugged construction, the engineers at Fives selected a Stromag NFF4F-LS brake to meet the hoist’s safety requirements.

The electromagnetic four-face, spring-applied brake provides emergency braking functionality.

The compact NFF4F-LS brake was designed specifically for crane and other heavy industrial applications that require slow running drives with very high brake torque and a closed design. Built to perform in harsh environments, major brake components feature a special nitrocarburated and postoxidated surface treatment with an overall protection rating up to IP66.

The NFF4F-LS design provides excellent heat dissipation, high wear-resistance and easy motor mounting with no brake disassembly required. Models are available in brake torques of 4,000 to 40,000 Nm.

Series 51 Limit Switches Cruise Ship Ladder System

• Geared cam limit switches • Patented planetary gears • Patented block adjustments • Large cam disc diameter • Easy to install and adjust • IP66-Rated housing

A major global marine davit and winch OEM needed extremely reliable, IP66-rated limit switches for the passenger accommodation ladder on a German cruise ship. The 6200 kg (13,668 lb.) ladder is suspended from dual electric motor-driven davits that telescope simultaneously. The pair of synchronized electrical winches lower the ladder to the boarding deck. Then, one side lowers the ladder to the swivel platform, the other side positions the ladder down on the pier.

Limit switches, installed on both of the ladder’s winch cable drums, set the exact stopping points for the ladder (in both stowed and lowered positions). The switches ensure the safe stopping of the ladder’s cables, preventing potential damage.

Based on many years of successful collaboration, the OEM contacted Stromag for a limit switch solution. After working closely with the OEMs engineering team to review the application requirements, Stromag ultimately recommended its IP66-rated Series 51 limit switches. The customer was pleased with the selection since the Series 51 units provided the high level of precision and reliability required.

Series 51 geared cam limit switches are universal, mechanical switchgear that can map a wide range of shaft rotations to the angular displacements of the installed cam discs. Units are easy to install and adjust.

The models supplied featured IP66-rated housings that met the special regulations and safety standards that apply to passenger vessels.

Europe

US

+49 (0) 2303 102 0

stromag.com P-8495-SG

US 1-860-238-4783

For a complete list of our global sales offices visit:

altramotion.com/contactus

11/21

9/21

Product

Application

Highlights

stromag.com

Europe +49 340 2190-0

stromag.com P-8212-SG

Product

Application

Thrusters

Wisconsin the Fox River in Kaukauna, large Memorial lift bridge spanning Built in 1984, the Veterans span that raises 55 ft. to allow features a 90 ft. long center drive of the bridge’s mechanical was in need of repair. The bridge focused on the replacement due to the vessels to pass. The refurbishment used since the early 1990s systems, that had not been components, including braking river’s lock closure. an construction contractor contacted braking solutions, the bridge In its search for economical collaborations. While competitor based on previous successful due to their reliable Altra Motion distribution partner Stromag SAB brakes were selected brakes were considered, ultimately,

P-8900-SG

8/21

1-860-238-4783

For a complete list of our global sales offices visit: altramotion.com/contactus

Highlights

Elastic coupling and switchable clutch combined into a smart, compact design Periflex® VN Coupling • Highly flexible elastomer disc couplings with linear spring characteristics • Torque range: 160 to 63,000 Nm • Aluminum alloy flywheel connection ring MWU Clutch • Torque range: 400 to 7800 Nm • Electromagnetically operated • Four-pole technology for high power density • Backlash-free

2in1 Periflex VN/MWU Coupling/Clutch Passenger Ship Hybrid Propulsion System ®

A leading global power transmission equipment manufacturer needed hybrid propulsion system used a coupling and clutch for its on a passenger ship. The 5-deck, treats passengers to a wide 63.5 m long, state-of-the-art selection of amenities, including vessel an underwater viewing area, it cruises scenic Lake Lucerne as in the Swiss Alps.

The hybrid vessel is Switzerland’s first climate-neutral cruise ship 20% less than a conventional with energy consumption that ship. is The ship’s hybrid drive system combines two 405 kW diesel engines and a pair of 180 kW motors that are connected to electric the vessel’s twin propeller shafts. unit is positioned between the A unique parallel hybrid transmission diesel engine and the marine gear on each of the two propeller drives. The coupling connects to the shaft the diesel engine from the driveline. diesel engine flywheel while the clutch engages and disengages To fit within the tight space requirements, VN/MWU combination coupling/clutch. Stromag supplied a unique, compact 2in1 Periflex® Stromag’s engineers performed and selected both parts from the necessary calculations Stromag’s well proven product portfolio to meet the drive specifications.

Stromag’s Periflex® VN (PVN) plug-in, highly flexible elastomer vibrations associated with a disc couplings eliminate the broad engine speed range. torsional Stromag MWU pole-face electromagnetic friction clutches are designed disengaging main propulsion for engaging and drives and auxiliary equipment, including hydraulic pumps, pumps and generators in ships centrifugal and vehicles. Units feature diaphragm technology for backlash-free torque transmission and disengagement free from residual torque.

Europe +49 (0) 2303 102 0

stromag.com P-8902-SG

US 1-860-238-4783

For a complete list of our global sales offices visit:

altramotion.com/contactus 8/21

Warner Electric Electromagnetic Spring-Set Pulse™ Brakes Warner Electric Electromagnetic Spring-Set Pulse Brakes require NO ELECTRICAL POWER to hold in either a clamped or released model.

Warner Electric can make all sizes and custom fit to meet specific application requirements.

• • • • • • • • • •

Brake remains Locked or remains Released without power consumption.

Lower release drag allows operation at high speeds.

Can be made into hundreds of existing configurations.

Mechanical Springs clamp the brake disc like conventional Spring-Set Brakes.

Can be custom made to fit most applications.

Can be Steel on Steel or smooth friction lining.

Controlled soft stop for sensitive applications.

Longer wear life.

Replaceable friction component.

Uses common DC Voltage. Simply apply a DC pulse to release the brake then a reverse DC pulse to engage the brake.

otion Altra M

etic ™ Electromagn Pulse Spring-Set Brakes hold CAL POWER to ELECTRI Requires NO or released mode! in either clamped

custom fit to all sizes and We can make tion requirements. meet your applica without power • Brake remains consumption.

Locked or remains

Released

at high speeds. drag allows operation ons.

• Lower release of existing configurati al into hundreds like convention • Can be made the brake disc l Springs clamp • Mechanica .

Spring-Set Brakes. any application made to fit most • Can be custom friction lining. on Steel or smooth • Can be Steel applications. stop for sensitive soft • Controlled life.

• Longer wear component. friction to le • Replaceab apply a DC pulse the DC Voltage. Simply to engage • Uses common then a reverse DC pulse release the brake brake.

For more information, download P-8840-WE from www.AltraLiterature.com

Altra Industrial_#3_12-21.indd 29

11/29/21 2:04 PM

TWIFLEX PROVIDES 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 • Braking Accessories • Flexible Couplings & Shafts Key Markets: • Mining & Aggregate • Power Generation • Transportation • Metals • Elevator • Material Handling • Renewable Energy • Marine

Twiflex Complete Hydraulic Brake Packages 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.

www.twiflex.com

Altra Industrial_#4_12-21.indd 30

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Design for Industry Medical

3D scanning helps create one-of-a-kind prosthesis

This unique prosthetic is waterproof and corrosion-resistant, even in salt water environments.

With more than 185,000 lower limb amputations every year in the US alone, and over 1 million carried out worldwide, prosthetics specialists struggle to keep up with the rising demand for their services.

The traditional method of creating prosthetic sockets, the part of the device that interfaces with the patient’s residual limb, involves plaster casting, hours of work, along with ample finesse and experience.

Specialists, such as those at Sanitätshaus Klinz orthopedics clinic of Bernburg, Germany, still employ plaster casting and other analog methods in their work, but for challenging projects, they equently turn to their 3D scanner, the Artec Eva. 3D scanners have been a leading tool among healthcare practitioners. The Artec Eva quickly delivers color 3D scans with accuracy below a millimeter, making it ideal for capturing the organic

DESIGN WORLD

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surface measurements of patients’ residual limbs and other body parts.

The specialists also make use of the Artec Space Spider, for projects with intricate details that demand the utmost in precision. Originally developed for use on the International Space Station, the Space Spider is a popular choice among designers, engineers, and researchers in many fields.

The specialists at Sanitätshaus Klinz developed a unique prostheses for a patient. Wolfgang K. lost a leg a er a forkli crashed into him, shattering his foot. When it came time for Wolfgang to get a new bath prosthesis, he was looking for one that could be used in the shower or while swimming.

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Design for Industry Medical It would need to be both waterproof and corrosion-resistant, even in salt water environments. When biomedical engineer Lisa Pabst saw his request, she decided to offer him something even better.

From their discussion, Pabst understood that Wolfgang’s passion was diving. So, she, along with Wolfgang and her colleague master orthopedic technician Carsten Suhle, came up with the idea to create a unique bath prosthesis with a maritime design that wouldn’t merely be cosmetic, but rather to have the prosthesis itself be a one-ofa-kind, maritime-themed design object.

“We wanted to pursue a different approach,” said Pabst, “to see whether it would be possible for us to integrate a prosthesis into our new design rather than adapting the design to an existing prosthesis.”

3D scanning the patient’s residual limb with Artec Eva and Artec Studio so ware.

Their goal was to combine all the water-resistant durability of a bath prosthesis with the esthetics of a cosmetic prosthesis, so when it’s being worn under long pants, no one can tell that there’s a prosthetic limb

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“We came up with the idea of using an octopus,” Pabst said. “The body of the

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octopus covers the upper part of the prosthesis, while the tentacles mimic the shape of the lower leg. A nostalgic diving helmet, entwined in tentacles, was added at the ankle. The ankle joint can be operated via the side openings of the helmet.”

The most vital part of any new prosthesis is the shape and fit of its socket, with a design that’s unique to each individual patient, where even a mildly incorrect fit can often result in patient discomfort and biomechanical dysfunction leading to future injury.

To help achieve a seamless fit for the new socket, Pabst used the Artec Eva to scan all of the surface geometry of Wolfgang’s residual limb in less than a minute. She also scanned his other leg, in order to use its precise volumetric and surface measurements for creating the shape and dimensions of the new bath prosthesis.

Right after the scanning session, prior to exporting the 3D meshes to Geomagic Freeform, the scans were processed in Artec Studio software.

The scans were aligned and registered, then merged together into one object.

Finally, the texture was brought in and applied to the mesh. In Freeform, Pabst designed the prosthetic socket and sculpted the cosmetic elements of the design to life.

After importing and arranging the meshes in Freeform, Pabst built up the prosthetic shaft, shaping it to the adapter and preparing the design for the functional elements. She then shaped the outer dimensions of the tentacles to achieve the same overall circumference of the lower leg.

At this point, Pabst created the tentacles’ suction cups, then connected the shaft, octopus, tentacles, and diving helmet. After several other steps, she embossed the design with the Klinz logo and the patient’s name.

After 3D printing the exterior components of the new prosthesis, they were merged with the mechanical

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The new design, showing its ability to angle the prosthetic foot, for attaching a swimming flipper.

Standing proudly: the new bath prosthesis in place and ready for use.

elements of the device and locked into place.

Pabst commented on the pivotal role that 3D scanning has gained in modern orthotics and prosthetics design, “Whenever you need to create an orthosis, or an upper- or lowerbody prosthesis, with high-tech or low-tech materials, first you absolutely must have accurate measurements of the patient’s body where the new device will connect.”

“Without this foundation to build on, eventually serious problems will arise, from the fit of the device, to the patient’s physical responses to it. By starting off with Artec scans, every device we produce looks exactly like the other side and a natural extension of their own body. The difference this has made in our work is truly significant.” DW

Artec 3D www.artec3d.com

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Design for Industry Food & Beverage

Compressed air in the food industry Reliable 24/7 access to oil- ee compressed air is essential in the food industry. Regardless of the application, all machines must be sanitary to avoid potential contamination.

From the beverage industry to dairy and om eggs to bakeries, a variety of food industry companies require access to compressed air for an efficient and product-safe operation. With these oil- ee turbocompressors, food processing companies can focus on the food, knowing the compressed air is contaminant ee for hygienic food products that meet and exceed industry standards.

The dairy industry relies heavily on compressed air. In addition to clearing out pipes, air is used to agitate raw milk in tanks, close and open pneumatic valves, clean and make product packaging, and palletize the finished products.

Because the air interacts heavily with the final product, it is imperative that it is ee om contaminants such as oil, water or moisture, bacteria, dust, or other particles. Many of these contaminants can be removed through intensive filtering, and traditional air compressors rely on oil to operate. These types of compressors come with a high risk of oil contamination, regardless of how clean and well maintained they are.

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These high-speed HSR turbocompressors do not require oil or any other lubricant because thanks to the active magnetic bearing (AMB) technology, the parts of the machine do not touch.

Baked goods, while delicious, leave crumbs everywhere.

To ensure that tools and machines remain crumb- ee, many bakeries and baked goods factories use compressed air to clean the processing machines. Beyond cleaning, compressed air is used in many process phases. For example, pneumatic pushers that guide material flows are directly in contact with the end product.

Regulation (CFR) Title 21 states that any food manufacturing plant, including bakeries, can only use contaminant- ee air, a suitable place for oil- ee HSR turbocompressors. Because the metal parts do not touch, no maintenance of critical components is required.

The remote monitoring of the compressors gives an alert when there is a potential problem. The constant monitoring means more uptime because potential issues can be solved before they become problems that could cause downtime.

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DESIGN WORLD

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Compressed air is essential in the packaging of fruits and vegetables. Due to the high cleanliness standards in the food industry, all fruits and vegetables are cleaned before packaging.

However, once washed, the products need to be dried before being packed in plastic. Too much moisture can result in premature ripening and the development of mold. Many fruit and vegetable companies use compressed air to dry their products before packaging. Compressed air speeds up the drying process and increases efficiency.

When using compressed air on fruits and vegetables, the air must be completely contaminant-free. For fruits and vegetables, air compression is one of the last steps before packaging. Using a fully contaminant-free compressor is healthy and safe.

In addition to being more efficient and ensuring less contamination, a 100% oil-free compressor is more ecofriendly than oil-run machines. Food companies that focus on sustainable production will appreciate the smaller carbon footprint of the HSR turbocompressors when compared to oilbased machines.

The HSR turbocompressors offer significant energy saving possibilities in the form of waste energy recovery as well. With the standard liquid cooling system, it is possible to capture over 90% of the used energy into hot water and reuse it in the process for heating or other needs. Most compressors waste this energy by blowing it into the atmosphere.

In the HSR, the metal components do not touch. This means there is little to no wear, and only few replacement parts are needed during the lifetime of the machine.

Besides saving money spent on replacement costs, saving the environment, ensuring product safety, boosting production uptime, and fulfilling governmental regulations, the customer will receive smaller energy bills. This is because the HSR turbocompressor is controlled by a variable speed drive to ensure the most energy-efficient air production for varying demands, providing excellent efficiency that does not deteriorate. DW

Sulzer Industry | www.sulzer.com

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Design for Industry Food & Beverage

Compact ac parallel sha gearmotor The 055 Series AC Parallel Sha Gearmotor fits applications that require a compact parallel sha , such as industrial machinery, food and beverage equipment, packaging applications, conveyors and the agriculture industry.

The compact 055 Series is only 7.8 in. in length by 3.36 in. in width. High-strength polymer and powdered metal gearing provide reliable performance. Rated at 1/25 horsepower, the speed range is 14-164 RPM, and the torque range is 12-67 in.-lbs. The 055 Series is continuous duty rated.

Designed with flexibility in mind, the 055 series gearmotor can be mounted in any direction and features easy switch leads to reverse output sha rotation. Six standard gear ratios are available. DW

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Design for Industry Semiconductor

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Interpower offers Same Day Shipping on in-stock products to help streamline production schedules.

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automated machine tending

Collaborative robots and an abundance of integrators have made it easier than ever to implement automated machine tending. Many small to medium size manufacturers are making the investment into automation and seeing returns in less than six months.

The TANDEM PGS3 vise supports this trend. Featuring reliable, quality construction, the pneumatically operated clamping force block TANDEM PGS3-LH 100 can be directly mounted on machine tables, dividing heads or VERO-S NSL 150 clamping stations of machining centers via an integrated flange. Its compact design and square shape ensures optimum accessibility and enables a stroke of 6 mm per jaw. With a clamping force of 4,500 N and a repeat accuracy of 0.02 mm, the low-maintenance vise is suitable for basic applications in aluminum and plastics machining.

Special quality features are the chip-repellent design, the surface-treated components in the force flow and the long base jaw guides that prevent the chuck jaws om buckling under load. The vise can be equipped with all standard top jaws with tongue and groove (KTR, KTR-H). With lateral air connections and built-in keyways on the bottom, the vise is ready for immediate installation in any machine tool.

PGS3 and VERO-S are a perfect combination to achieve automated workpiece clamping and quicker setup changeover. The quick-change system is the base for a machine table and can reduce setup times to a matter of seconds. Additionally, by having VERO-S on multiple machines, workholding such as the PGS3 can quickly be moved to different processes across a production facility. DW

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Open aperture XY stages

Transmitting Data Under Any Condition

deliver precision

Movement in the semiconductor industry requires small, precise and repeatable movement. These high resolution, high repeatability XY stages, the AU20015x15-01 Motorized Stage and the AU20015x15-04 Motorized Stage, are powered by two-phase stepper motors and have a 0.25-micron resolution and 1.5-micron repeatability. The AU200-15x15-04 stage includes Quadrature encoders for position verification.

Both stages have a 3.54 in. x 3.54 in. (90 mm x 90 mm) platform with large open aperture and feature standard 1 mm-perturn ground lead screws, and precision V-grove and Cross Roller guides. Typical applications include: Alignment, inspection, testing, scanning, laser drilling, machining, semiconductor handling, sampling, assembly, and optical applications in industrial, medical and research applications.

These high precision open aperture stages feature 0.58 in. x 0.58 in. (15 mm x 15 mm) travel in both X and Y axes. Their profile of 1.30 in. (33 mm) high, precision pattern of threaded holes, optional solid top, and accessible mounting holes allows for easy integration into new and existing applications.

AU200-15x15 -01 and -04 alignment stages can be ordered as a complete Plugand-Play system with compatible Motion Controllers and Drivers. DW

OES | www.oesincorp.com

DESIGN WORLD

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HELUKABEL® USA offers diverse Industrial Ethernet solutions to face the challenges of evolving industries. HELUKABEL® offers cables that span Cat 5 to Cat 7 transmission rates as well as withstand extreme temperatures, chemicals and oils. As a member of the SPE Industrial Partner Network, HELUKABEL® is at the forefront in designing new products to meet rigorous industrial demands while maintaining small diameters and compact connectors (ix Industrial™).

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11/30/21 2:18 PM

Design for Industry M a c h i n e To o l

Hub-sha locking bushing connects quickly

This “Plug & Play” sha locking bushing, the ETPHYLOC, has a hydro-mechanical design featuring hydraulic quick connectors for mounting. This feature makes it fast and easy to install compared to purely mechanical designs that have many fasteners requiring a high tightening torque or being mounted in a confined working space. The ETP-HYLOC has radial and axial ports for use in mounting.

The bushing offers a robust hub-sha connection in challenging operating environments while providing high torque and high radial load capacity, as well as excellent concentricity. Also important, its “Plug & Play” feature allows for fast changeout of the mounted component or quick repositioning either rotationally or linearly along the sha , all while maintaining precise concentricity of the mounted component.

Available for sha diameters om 50 - 220 mm, the ETP-HYLOC has an internal double-walled steel sleeve with a straight cylindrical diameter at the ID and OD,

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www.designworldonline.com

which encloses an internal piston. When pressurized using a hydraulic pump, the bushing’s tapered piston is moved, expanding the inner and outer sleeves uniformly against the sha and hub to form a continuous and rigid connection to the sha .

Additional ETP models such as the ETP-CLASSIC, the single actuating screw ETP- EXPRESS and others are available. Their applications range om food processing, packaging, automated assembly equipment, beverage can manufacturing and others om the very smallest to the largest sizes. DW

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w w w. d e s i g nw o r l d o n l i n e . c o m / M C 2

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Intelligent connectivity for electric automation Connectivity is at the core of modern automation in manufacturing and beyond. System links between devices, controls, machines, and the cloud facilitate the use of data so important to IIoT (Industrie 4.0) functionalities.

Here, leading trends include the rise of edge computing (including the use of industrial gateways), services that support cloud connectivity, Ethernet-based networks, wireless communications for industrial components, various forms of standardized protocols, open-source programming code, and uni ing so ware environments to facilitate interoperability.

When conjuring such systems, most engineers are likely to picture the traditional automation-communications pyramid.

Such architectures include data exchanges between field-level sensors and higher implementation layers … as well as some communications between controls … finally rising to the pinnacle of the enterprise level. But as the Design World editors illustrate in the latest Motion Classroom installment — online at www. designworldonline.com/intelligent-connectivity-classroom — several technologies have facilitated distributed and intelligent systems with flatter and more flexible machinery communication structures.

Access this and other MC2 installments by visiting designworldonline.com/MC2.

Festo CMMT-AS servo drives for industrial Ethernet offer hardware and software connectivity along with top efficiency and easy operation.

They excel in applications needing point-to-point and interpolated motion — and especially dynamic motion and precise positioning. They also allow direct fieldbus integration and easy commissioning with the Festo Automation Suite.

DESIGN WORLD

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This educational installment sponsored by:

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December 2021

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Design Notes

Siemens “drives” snack food maker to higher production Edited by Mike Santora • Managing Editor

A major U.S. producer of snack foods, with locations worldwide, faced a problem at their plant in Arkansas. As an integral part of their process, the production line features bowl feeders, vibratory conveyors, and stainless steel, washable components.

The vibratory conveyor, which is 55- long, moves cooked chips om the yer to the packaging area. Due to its age and degraded original equipment, it could no longer run the line at maximum production, with equent downtime and excess vibration that caused the chips to fall off the conveyor. Rather than make a major capital investment to change the entire line, the company looked for a cost-effective retrofit solution to their problem. Due to its existing relationship with 42

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The sensor used to look at product level in the vibrating tray. Drive amplitude is adjusted based on level to prevent damage and save power.

this customer, SE Packaging Systems helped them find the right solution.

Located in Acworth, Georgia, SE Packaging Systems is both an equipment OEM and retrofit/upgrade provider, who has been operating since 2003 in the automated packaging sector. Since 2015, they’ve partnered with Comek, an Italian producer of weighing, wrapping, and packaging systems. Plants built by the company are used in the food and non-food consumer goods industries. On behalf of Comek, SE Packaging Systems provides on-site assistance for lines already installed in the U.S., including repairs or upgrades, supply of new equipment, and optimized integration in existing processes. The company is owned DESIGN WORLD

11/30/21 2:38 PM

The enclosure of three drives for controlling one bank of the vibrating feeders. The system consisted of 18 banks of drives.

by its president, David James. Being an Authorized Solution Partner for Siemens, SE Packaging brought them on board for this project.

Ali Ali, the national accounts manager for Siemens, led the project with David James and a local distributor. The line control was re-configured, then updated with Siemens drives, motors, and related hardware automation. David James supplied the wiring diagrams

for the retrofit to Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) on the original equipment. Furthermore, Variable Speed Drive (VFD) technology was needed to properly synchronize the line elements.

SE Packaging also provided and engineered level sensors to help the line vibrators adapt to the increased weight and height, a problem the end-customer had encountered and one that literally made the chips fall off the conveyor.

Vibrating Feeder with low product level – Drive operates at low amplitude.

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Vibrating Feeder with high product level – Drive operates at a higher amplitude.

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Design Notes These sensors interface to analog inputs on a Siemens SINAMICS G120 VFD. The G120 drive system used on this job led to an overall production process improvement of over 10%, a substantial increase in line efficiency, compared to the original equipment om another controls supplier. Likewise, a significant energy savings of approximately 20% was achieved, according to David James. This savings resulted om the fact that the system could power down when the pans were empty, compared to a simple fastslow setting on the previous line controls.

“While the original controls on the line were om another manufacturer, SE Packaging and Siemens won the project thanks to their cost-effective solution that provided a 20% reduction in maintenance cost, zero downtime in the first year of operation, and much higher

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reliability,” said to James.

He notes the Siemens strategy involved technically empowering and partnering with the snack food plant to create a G120 application-specific drive solution, which is optimized for the operation. Siemens technical support also conducted G120 drive and so ware training at the snack food plant to ensure all operators and maintenance personnel were familiar with the new drive systems.

Over-current relays, for example, protect the single-phase motor output, while the VFDs onboard enable the motor current to remain within the torque limits set during vector control. The result is a more stable “ride” for the chips, James mused.

“I’m happy to report that everything is operating successfully. The company is very pleased with the results as well

www.designworldonline.com

as the training we’ve provided,” Ali concluded by saying he feels confident this relationship will continue, with additional retrofits and new line projects possible.

Other Siemens products incorporated on this project were the Simatic PLC and various food-grade components. DW

Siemens www.siemens.com

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Design Notes

Packaging upgrades increase brewery’s efficiency Edited by Mike Santora • Managing Editor

Molson Coors is one of the biggest brewery groups in the world.

The Serbian plant run by its subsidiary Apatinska Pivara Apatin has relied on technology engineered by KHS for over four decades. As a result of extensive modernization measures, Apatin Brewery has optimized its line efficiency and product quality. The traditional brewery also benefits om improved hygiene and savings in energy and media.

The cooperation between Apatin Brewery and the Dortmund systems supplier dates back to the 1970s and KHS’ predecessor companies Holstein & Kappert and Seitz Enzinger Noll Maschinenbau AG (SEN), who in 1993 merged to form KHS. When the brewery decided to modernize a few of its machines in 2014 — some of them almost 20 years old — it sought sustainable systems om KHS. The mechanical engineering company first 46

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The new filler processes up to 25,000 0.5-liter cans per hour and scores on sustainability and efficiency.

renewed two glass lines, and in 2020 the customer then invested in the Innofill Can DVD can filler. “Our old machines could no longer meet our current demands regarding product quality, performance, and sustainability,” said Tanja Popović, packaging manager at Apatin Brewery. “Together with our colleagues om KHS, we devised a sophisticated concept for modernizing our lines.”

KHS started revamping the first glass line back in 2014. The goal was to reduce media and electricity consumption on the bottle washer. By installing ECO carriers, the KHS engineers optimized the resource DESIGN WORLD

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Using HMI panels makes the machine much easier to operate. All processes are now-automated and many of them have been digitalized.

efficiency and economy of the system. “The machine now not only uses less water and fewer additives, but it also consumes less energy,” said Bojan Culibrk, KHS’ local service manager.

Just four years later, Apatin Brewery took the next step towards sustainable production by modernizing one of its glass fillers.

The KHS specialists replaced the old vacuum pump with a new ECO variant that feeds process water back into the system a er treatment. “On the one hand, we’ve cut media consumption, and on the other, the filler is now more economical and efficient,” said Culibrk. The ECO vacuum pump proved so convincing that the Serbian bottler also procured this equipment for its second glass filler.

The brewery also commissioned KHS to install a new capper turret. “This is a lot easier to clean than the previous model,” Culibrk explained. “It lowers the risk of product contamination, and as a result, hygiene is improved.” Furthermore, KHS was also able to optimize the cap quality on the glass bottles.

In addition to improved hygiene and product quality, the Serbian beverage producer also wanted to automate its plant technology. They accomplished this by using HMI panels integrated on the glass lines and new can filler. According to Popović, this

makes the machine easier for operators to use, as sequences are automated and many have been digitized. “The new programs for product changeover, sanitizing, and filling speed up our processes. Using this state-of-the-art technology, we achieve a much higher level of production efficiency and avoid unplanned downtime thanks to improved safety and reliability in filling,” said Popović. The HMI system also detects wear parts in advance, meaning that replacements can be ordered in good time.

In 2020, the brewery invested in an Innofill Can DVD filler.

“We had to boost our capacity in this segment to meet the growing demand for beverages in cans,” Popović said. “With our new filler, we can process up to 25,000 0.5-liter cans an hour.

We’re also more efficient and sustainable.”

According to the company’s own statistics, the output runs to more than two million hectoliters per annum. On the Innofill Can DVD, the brewery fills all its brands into containers holding 0.33 and 0.5 liters.

Besides the high throughput, hygiene and product quality also played a key role when making the new investment. The Innofill Can DVD permits warm filling of beverages at around

The brewery has a large portfolio that includes the brands Jelen, Jelen Chill, Jelen Cool, Apatinsko, Staropramen, Bavaria, Nikšićko and Nikšićko Tamno. The beverages are filled into glass bottles and cans.

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Design Notes 20°C. This method becomes more significant, particularly regarding the further processing stages, as it eliminates the formation of condensation. This rules out the risk of cartons, trays, and cans in six-packs growing soggy, forming mold, or being contaminated by microbes.

The brewery is convinced that the new CO2 purging process has an equally positive impact on the product quality. “Oxygen pickup impairs the quality of the beverage,” said Culibrk. “To prevent this, modern production containers are purged with CO2.” The KHS purging process is so efficient that less oxygen enters the containers than conventional methods despite lower amounts of carbon dioxide being used. Moreover, the volumetric filling principle also improves the filling accuracy.

The can filler was installed under restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Thanks to our local presence in Serbia and the Balkans, we were able to carry out all work quickly and efficiently. Travel restrictions and social distancing, of course, presented us with a challenge or two during our day-to-day activities. However, together with the customer, we managed to bring the project to a successful close within the given schedule,” Culibrk said.

Popović also draws a positive conclusion. “The dedication and commitment shown by the KHS team have le a lasting impression on us. We were always able to rely on them and their expertise.” DW

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Design Notes

Advanced prosthetics in the jungles

of Guatemala

Edited by Mike Santora • Managing Editor

LifeNabled volunteers and designers created a fully digital workflow to produce custom 3D printed prosthetic sockets with flexible inner liners. Now, 35 patients in the jungle of Guatemala are walking on the world’s most advanced prosthetic and orthotic devices. Funded by donors and sponsors, the team has been treating patients in the poorest regions of Guatemala for the past 15 years with ee, bi-annual clinics. Using traditional fabrication methods in a limited time ame required hard work.

In their last clinic, the team cut the cord on traditional fabrication and did everything digitally. Using patient scan data as input, they automatically generated the prosthetic socket designs in nTopology, and 3D printed them in durable TPU with HP’s MJF. The new digital workflow saved the team more than three days of laborious work. The process can be replicated in other parts of the world to significantly improve the quality of life of amputees in developing countries.

Brent Wright is a Certified Prosthetist and Orthotist. Together with his wife, Meredith Wright, they co-founded LifeNabled, a nonDESIGN WORLD

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Hospital Shalom is the only facility that provides prosthetics care to patients of the Petén region in northern Guatemala.

profit provider of prosthetic solutions for the developing world, based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Brent and his team are changing the lives of amputees in northern Guatemala who do not have the means to afford prosthetic care. Their bi-yearly clinics have treated hundreds of patients over the past 15 years.

However, fabricating prostheses is a highly technical job. Evaluating, manufacturing, and fitting prostheses to the 30-50 patients during the week-long clinics took a physical toll on Brent and his team of volunteers.

For their latest clinic, Brent and his team applied their years of experience in prostheses fabrication and additive manufacturing to develop a fully digital workflow. In this case study, we walk you through the steps they followed — om 3D scanning to design and manufacture — to create custom, 3D printed prosthetic sockets based on patient data in a cost-effective manner.

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Design Notes

Manual fabrication of prostheses is a time-consuming, expertise-intensive, and laborious process.

Traditional Vs. Digital Fabrication of Prostheses Traditional fabrication of prostheses is a laborious process. Since each socket needs to offer a custom-made fit for each patient, the fabrication is entirely manual. Typically, there are three steps involved in the process. First, the Prosthetist takes a cast of the amputee’s missing extremity during patient evaluation. Then, they use the cast to create a custom mold to thermoform the socket; the socket is connected to off-the-shelf components to manufacture the prosthesis.

Finally, the Prosthetist fits the prosthetic device to the patient and makes the necessary adjustments to ensure a good fit. Manual fabrication of prostheses is a time-consuming, expertise-intensive, and laborious process.

Brent Wright’s vision is to fully digitize the design and manufacturing steps. These steps are the most expertise-demanding phases of the prostheses fabrication process. At the same

time, his team can train locals (or guide them through video calls) to perform the evaluation and fitting steps, eliminating the need for an expert to be present in the remote location.

As a proof of concept, the team cut the cord to traditional manufacturing in the last clinic and followed a fully digital process. By digitizing the entire workflow, they could make the process scalable and as cost-effective. Here’s an overview of the new digital workflow:

• First, two team members flew to Guatemala to take 3D scans. In just two days, they were able to evaluate 35 amputees.

• Then, over the next two weeks, Brent designed and customized each device and manufactured the sockets using HP’s MJF 3D printing technology.

• Finally, the team returned to Guatemala a month later to deliver the devices and fit them to the patients.

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Flexible 3D Printed Inner Liners The inner liner is an essential part of the prosthesis, and the socket must be comfortable to the wearer while working or during prolonged hours of use. Moreover, it must be breathable to ensure good hygiene. “We need to make sure that the prosthesis breathes, especially in the jungles of Guatemala,” said Wright.

However, traditional gel-like inner liners are not very breathable, cost more than $160, and have a limited life span of only 3 to 6 months in the tropical climates of Guatemala.

This cost is prohibitively expensive.

Brent’s team wanted to replace the costly liners with knitted socks. Socks are very affordable, breathable, easily customizable, and washable. To ensure comfort, the team turned to 3D-printed foams to design a flexible inner socket liner.

3D-printed foams are flexible lattice structures that imitate the properties of traditional foams. They are manufactured om an elastic material like TPU and offer additional benefits over conventional foams.

For example, their properties can be tuned ( om so foam to stiff plastic) according to the physiology or preferences of the patient. This effect can be achieved by closely controlling the design input parameters of the lattice, such as beam thickness and porosity, using advanced engineering design so ware like nTopology.

The final design of one of the 30+ custom-made flexible inner linings — designed in nTopology..

Overview of the design process in nTopology — from importing a 3D scan mesh to exporting a manufacturing-ready 3MF mesh file.

Three of the 30+ patients fitted with their new 3D printed prosthetic devices.

From 3D Scan to Manufacturing Even a er the team has determined the 3D printed foam design parameters to achieve the desired cushioning, applying it to 30+ custom socket designs would be a challenge. Without nTopology, this step would be a “brutal process,” according to Wright. The legacy so ware he was using before nTopology would o en crush or take hours to generate a result.

“Designing custom flexible inner liners was going to be a challenging task if we would do it in any other so ware other

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Design Notes than nTopology. Once the workflow was done, all I had to do was to swap out meshes. The process ran over and over again,” said Brent Wright.

The workflow is semi-automated and straightforward to implement. Here’s the overview: • Using the mesh of the patient’s 3D scan data as input, they first generated a shell with variable thickness.

• They then used nTopology’s latticing blocks to create a flexible inner liner that provided the necessary level of cushioning.

• To repeat the process and generate a new design, they only had to swap in a new input mesh with 3D scan data om another patient.

With nTopology’s reusable workflows, the team saved more than a whole day of error-prone computational processing during the design phase and produced higher-quality and error- ee results.

For manufacturing, the team opted for HP’s Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing process in TPU. This process and material combination is excellent for manufacturing flexible lattice structures with variable thickness for padding. TPU is also very durable, making it a good option for the jungle of Guatemala. This digital process saved the team 2-3 days of fabrication and replaced a laborious manual step with streamlined digital manufacturing.

Wright’s goal is to create a global network of prosthetic device providers for the developing world. With digital

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manufacturing and engineering design tools like nTopology, this dream is achievable.

There are multiple industrial-grade 3D printing systems located worldwide (even in developing countries) that could be leveraged to manufacture the needed prosthetic devices. Local physicians can be trained through video calls to evaluate the patient and fit the prostheses. As for the design of the device, this can be generated using the automated processes that Wright’s team has developed. DW

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High Flow, Low Power, Low Leakage Across an Extensive Cycle Life The Lee Company is excited to announce a new generation of versatile and innovative 3-port solenoid valves. In a miniature 10mm package, the genvi® solenoid valve platform features high flow capacity, low leakage and ultra-low power consumption. Designed using innovative manufacturing techniques, this new valve offers not only unmatched reliability, but also an economical price point suitable for molecular diagnostics, respiratory therapy, compression therapy, environmental analyzers, breath analysis and other applications where performance and reliability are paramount.

When designing portable or stationary instruments, OEMs are often challenged with meeting aggressive size, power, and weight limitations, all without sacrificing the remaining elements of system-level performance.

Each subcomponent is therefore pushed to offer improved performance within a smaller footprint.

Featuring high flow and low power consumption, genvi solenoid valves are the solution. An extremely tight leakage rating reduces compressor demand and further underscores the valve’s ability to provide consistent long-term operation across an extensive cycle life.

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CAE Solutions

Using simulation to ensure multimode pacemakers synchronize communications Dixita Patel

Figure 1. Multinode LCP system with two implanted capsules.

Recent advances for pacemaker technology include improved electronics and smaller batteries, making the development of leadless cardiac pacemakers (LCPs) possible. An LCP is a self-contained (capsulelike) generator and electrode system that eliminates the need for pocket or transvenous leads that o en cause malfunctions. The current LCPs on the market pace at a single location of the heart, but for patients who require more than single-chamber stimulation, a multinode LCP system (Figure 1) can be used. Multinode LCP systems require synchronization between all of the implanted devices to function properly. However, the standard communication techniques used may 54

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The heart figure has been modified and reprinted by permission of Pearson Education, Inc., New York, New York. be unsuitable due to constraints in terms of power consumption and size.

To help make the system and communication more efficient, researchers at MicroPort CRM are using simulation to investigate these design challenges using galvanic intrabody communication (IBC).

IBC provides a power-optimized solution to facilitate communication between devices, which in turn helps to synchronize multinode LCP systems.

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Figure 2. LCP prototype for IBC channel studies.

Intrabody communication transceivers for LCP applications Intrabody communication (IBC) is a near-field communication method that uses an electrode pair to send an impulse through body tissue to a second electrode pair that receives the signal.

This method works with ultralow power, and no additional antennas are needed because the electrodes used for pacing also provide the electric field for the communication.

Mirko Maldari, an electronic engineer at MicroPort CRM, and his team proposed a new methodology to further characterize these types of communication channels. “With IBC, because electrodes are used to communicate [instead of coils and antennas], we can optimize both power consumption and size,” said Maldari.

In their research, an in vivo study was performed using a system that consisted of two capsules that were implanted in the right atrium and right ventricle of a heart shown in Figure 1. Further analyses involved the COMSOL Multiphysics software to measure the attenuation of the channel and estimate how much power is dissipated in the tissue.

Analyzing IBC pathloss with simulation The team at MicroPort collaborated with Synopsys Inc., an electronic design automation company, using the Synopsys Simpleware software to develop a model of a human torso that would be importable into the

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COMSOL Multiphysics software (Figure 3).

The model is based on a validated human phantom from IT’IS Foundation Zurich; more specifically, the “Duke” model, which represents a 34-year-old male.

The geometrical model was created to include organs, muscles, bones, soft tissue, and cartilage. After importing into COMSOL Multiphysics, an approximated version of the heart chambers was built to distinguish heart muscle from blood.

Maldari said: “It was important for my application for these features to be included because they have different electrical properties.” The team then designed two identical LCP capsules in COMSOL Multiphysics to estimate the attenuation levels of the intracardiac channel.

The capsules were studied at two different orientations, both at a channel distance of 9 cm. Simulations were performed with a quasistatic approach using the Electric Currents interface in the AC/DC Module, an add-on product to COMSOL Multiphysics, to calculate the channel attenuation in a frequency range between 40 KHz and 20 MHz. The results in Figure 4 show the positions of the right atrium (RA) capsule of the worst-case scenario (perpendicular) and the best-case scenario (parallel). The bestcase scenario shows a higher differential voltage across the receiving dipole. The attenuation levels of both scenarios can be seen in Figure 5, where the difference is ~11 dB. From 40 kHz to 20 MHz, the attenuation decreases by ~5 dB for both cases. From the results, Maldari and his www.designworldonline.com

Figure 3. Torso CAD model imported into COMSOL Multiphysics, cross-sectional view.

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CAE Solutions

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team were able to veri that relative position and orientation of the capsules strongly impacts the channel attenuation.

For MicroPort, it was important to estimate the attenuation levels before preparing the prototype. “As researchers and scientists, we try to reduce the amount of animal trials, and simulation has allowed that,” said Maldari. “It is a powerful tool to estimate the behavior of the signals within biological tissues before investigating them experimentally.” The use of simulation allowed the team to define accurate models for galvanic IBC communication and optimize transceivers for LCP systems.

Future plans for IBC MicroPort’s future plans involve further studies, where the effect of certain input parameters —

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such as the electrode size and dipole lengths — on a more complete set of electric field parameters will be investigated. This would help them point out the attenuation difference between diastolic and systolic periods. As of now, the researchers are working on the design of an ultralow power receiver for LCP synchronization purposes. The new receiver could potentially mark groundbreaking innovation for dual-chamber pacemakers. DW Reference Maldari, Mirko, et al. “Wide equency characterization of Intra-Body Communication for Leadless Pacemakers”, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, vol. 67, no. 11, pp. 3223–3233, 2020.

Figure 5. Attenuation levels of the intracardiac channel for both scenarios.

Synopsys and Simpleware are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Synopsys, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. COMSOL Multiphysics is a registered trademark of COMSOL AB.

It’s not a web page, it’s an industry information site So much happens between issues of R&D World that even another issue would not be enough to keep up. That’s why it makes sense to visit rdworldonline.com and stay on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.

It’s updated regularly with relevant technical information and other significant news to the design engineering community.

rdworldonline.com

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Internet of Things

Implement IIoT projects faster with ready-to-configure machine edge solutions Silvia Gonzalez and Nishita Palkar • Emerson OEMs and systems integrators are finding that they can speed development and reduce risk for edge computing, visualization, analytics, and IIoT project solutions by selecting fit-for-purpose hardware and so ware combinations.

Figure 1: Edge solutions for IIoT projects, such as those from Emerson, help developers streamline the selection and implementation effort and reduce risk. | Figures all courtesy of Emerson Designers of automated machinery and systems must truly be multi-discipline masters to combine mechanical, electrical, and automation elements into a comprehensive whole. The degree of complexity is only increasing as end users and OEMs demand more data and analytics om their systems. Seamless access to edgesourced data used to support analytics is necessary to develop insights for improving operational performance while enabling broader business possibilities, such as enhanced support and machine-as-aservice. These capabilities rely on effective edge solutions, which are combinations of hardware and so ware providing connectivity and computing for field-located assets.

Some larger organizations employ dedicated staff to handle the specialized aspects of automation engineering, but many companies

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must outsource the effort to systems integration (SI) firms.

With so many interrelated details involved with choosing the right automation hardware, so ware, and networking, implementers of all types could use a way of streamlining the design process.

Some product vendors have recognized this need and offer ready-to-configure combinations of hardware and so ware to fulfill various edge computing, visualization, analytics, and industrial internet of things (IIoT) roles.

These proven and optimized solutions significantly reduce the complexity of selecting, configuring, and supporting automation and IIoT solutions om different sources. This allows developers to focus their efforts more on creating DESIGN WORLD

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valuable applications and less on integrating various sub-components.

Edge solution challenges An ideal edge solution delivers substantial benefits and practical value to users at various levels: • Visibility: A clear portrayal of automation system status is applicable to operators on the factory floor, in the control room, and working remotely, as well as ont office personnel.

• Actionable information: Comprehensive analytics are important to higher-level personnel, engineering, and maintenance to optimize production, improve quality, expand sustainability, minimize waste, and boost uptime.

• Ease of use: Simple yet scalable edge solutions help designers and engineers efficiently create interoperable designs, which are convenient for users to work with and readily maintainable over the long haul.

Some typical concerns are: • How much effort and time will it take to choose a range of hardware and so ware?

• Is the hardware suitable and reliable for always-on industrial service?

• Are the various so ware packages compatible and do they interact securely?

• Are enough standard protocols available for connecting with the entire ecosystem?

• Does the selected hardware offer sufficient computing performance?

• Is the solution sufficiently scalable, without being overly specified?

• What happens if a user gets far into procurement/development and finds an incompatibility?

• What is the commercial impact of ordering om many suppliers?

• What are the long-term support costs?

Industrial automation and data handling projects typically require some arrangement of PLC and other edge controllers, HMIs, PC computing, networking, HMI/SCADA so ware, analytics so ware, and—now more commonly—cloud computing. It is becoming common to incorporate edge solutions into new designs, but it is equally important to select technologies that can be retrofitted into existing and legacy applications.

For new and retrofit edge solutions, designers and engineers sometimes use an approach of selecting many makes and models of hardware and so ware so they can openly connect to all sorts of edge data sources. However, there are technical and financial problems associated with these highly customized integration efforts, o en leading to increased risk and project duration (Figure 1). Users would rather focus their efforts on solving problems like improving reliability, equipment health, performance, and efficiency, rather than worrying if edge computing hardware and so ware will work together.

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Internet of Things

Obviously, many issues must be addressed when speci ing an edge solution before the configuration work can even begin. Therefore, it can be advantageous to build edge solutions on proven combinations of fit-for-purpose hardware and so ware.

Integrated solutions address issues Even for developers with significant automation experience, it is a difficult task to select and validate compatibility with the variety of hardware and so ware products needed to build an edge solution. Many of these implementers find ready-to-configure hardware and so ware combinations— offered by a single vendor with deep industrial experience—are the best way to address platform selection concerns, and can proceed into development rapidly.

There are many benefits to selecting platform hardware/so ware combinations for creating edge application solutions: • Operators gain increased visibility because a comprehensive platform provides options for local, mobile, control room, and cloud HMI functionality.

• Actionable information is enabled with on-site edge processors and/ or cloud-based computing to deliver analytics.

• Developers and maintainers find improved ease of use because they only need training on one set of tools and capabilities to deploy a solution with IIoT, local HMI, and plant analytics.

• Engineering is simplified because the effort associated with research, testing compatibility, and interoperability has already been performed, initially and for firmware/so ware upgrades.

• Overall project execution time, and therefore time-to-market, is reduced, because developers can focus on the project, and not compatibility issues.

• Users build a productive relationship with one vendor, beginning with selection and ordering, through development, and into support.

• Pre-installed so ware, with activation and licensing om one supplier, is more straightforward to implement and support.

• The overall cost/benefit is typically favorable for choosing a fit-for-purpose tailored edge solution, as compared with a mix-and-match endeavor.

For the ready-to-configure approach to be effective, there must be enough options to cover common use cases, as described below.

Tailored solutions for real-world cases Edge solutions are necessary to fulfill many roles, and sometimes more than one role at a time. They typically involve hardware more capable than a standard PLC, but o en do not need IT-grade computing. In most cases, an edge controller—a deterministic PLC that

Figure 2: Emerson offers edge solutions in combinations to address typical automation and data processing roles for visualization, edge computing, edge control, supervisory, and analytical. | Figures all courtesy of Emerson

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also includes general-purpose Linux computing—or an industrial PC (IPC) are the hardware platforms of choice (Figure 2). A range of connectivity, visualization, and analytical so ware needs to run on this hardware (Figure 3).

Following are five of the most typical edge solution roles: • Visualization: Improving visibility into machine operation and performance, and empowering operators with quick access to critical information.

• Edge Computing: Harnessing data om any source and using machine learning to create real-time insights immediately accessible to operators.

• Edge Control: Combining deterministic (PLC), non-deterministic (Linux), and visualization capabilities in a single device for real-time process optimization.

• Supervisory: Simpli ing access and visibility to plant-wide analytics and performance om a single, integrated platform.

• Analytical: Creating comprehensive views of plant operations, performance, and overall equipment effectiveness.

Here’s how one OEM used a ready-toconfigure edge solution to add valuable edge computing capabilities to their equipment.

OEM adds edge-based asset health option End users everywhere have become aware of the ways that digital transformation and intelligent automation can improve production, reliability, quality, and sustainability.

OEMs are taking heed and developing or updating their equipment to support key performance indicators (KPIs) necessary for improving uptime and increasing efficiency.

One consumer packaged goods machine OEM had already successfully automated their equipment with a

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Figure 3: Edge solution hardware generally consists of edge controllers or industrial PCs, running pre-tested interoperable combinations of connectivity, visualization, and analytical software. | Figures all courtesy of Emerson

PLC, HMI, AC drives, pneumatics, and I/O sensors. Building analytics into the existing PLC and HMI would take significant work. However, by speci ing an analytical edge solution consisting of an IPC and ready-to-configure so ware, it was possible to add a complete asset health monitoring suite to the equipment as an option, without impacting the underlying real-time control functions.

This platform makes it easy to monitor the PLC-derived calculations, drives, pneumatics, and IO-Link sensors. Data are stored in a historian and made available for trending and analysis. Information is available for the overall asset, for subsystems, and for individual components.

The OEM benefited om improved equipment visibility, remote access, a wide range of dashboards indicating KPIs, and alert notification early warnings for component life cycles and failures.

Access via any device capable of hosting a web browser—such as a laptop, smartphone, or tablet— ensures information can be viewed by credentialed users, wherever they are at any time. By developing on a ready-toconfigure solution, the OEM preserved their investment in existing automation and was able to quickly deliver a requested and valuable option for their customers.

www.designworldonline.com

Ready-to-configure combinations streamline edge solution deployment Industrial automation hardware and so ware has progressed rapidly over the years. The newest ontier is providing edge solutions that can connect with, analyze, and visualize field-sourced data. While some of this functionality is possible with traditional technologies or custom-assembled hardware/so ware, there is a better way.

Ready-to-configure combinations of proven industrial hardware and so ware provide fit-for-purpose options for quickly establishing edge computing platforms. These pre-engineered combinations let developers focus their efforts on developing innovative edge solutions, while minimizing the time and risk typically associated with these types of projects. End users, and their OEMs and SIs, are finding that using edge solution platforms is the best way to implement IIoT projects adding immediate value and capabilities to their systems. DW

Emerson www.emerson.com

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Remote collaboration smoothed the development of a new 3D printer

Collaborating on the design of a new 3D printer using 3DEXPERIENCE WORKS mobile capabilities.

Mark Rushton

3DEXPERIENCE Works Portfolio Senior Manager SOLIDWORKS Dassault Systèmes

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Taking its name om the popular Dutch drop licorice candy and 3D (ddd), dddrop B.V. has been introducing innovations in 3D printing systems since the company introduced its first 3D printer, the Recon, in 2012. The most recent 3D printer is the Rapid One Industrial 3D Printer, introduced in 2020.

The company’s engineers, who used 3D printing daily in their work, saw the pros and cons of this technology and set about making better-performing, more-effective 3D printers, according to CEO Al ed Uytdewilligen.

“The team used different machines for many years but could never find the perfect balance between quality and price,” Uytdewilligen explains. “We wanted an industrial 3D printer that is built for professional use, but is also affordable. At the time, the market offered only two categories, large machines that deliver industrial results but were out of budget, or smaller affordable machines that were not able to deliver reliable results needed in the business and R&D market. A er years of ustration, our team of engineers decided to do what any engineer would do: build our own.”

However, just as development of the modular, customizable, automated Rapid One 3D printer was ramping up, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, creating work and development challenges for the company. www.designworldonline.com

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3D Printing

UlteM® pei

The Rapid One 3D printer developed during the 2020 pandemic using collaboration and simulation software from Dassault Systemes.

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PEI PERFORMANCE: “When COVID hit in early 2020, we were already considering the addition of cloud-based solutions to the SOLIDWORKS product development ecosystem that we had in place because under our company structure, the development team is not all based in one location,” said Uytdewilligen.

“The COVID pandemic made this move urgent, so we quickly added cloudbased 3DEXPERIENCE WORKS solutions to our SOLIDWORKS implementation to continue our development progress without incurring delays,” Uytdewilligen notes. “We needed a solid method for collaborating remotely on product development and also for launching products, both of which 3DEXPERIENCE WORKS solutions provide. We implemented cloud-based solutions for Collaborative Design with SOLIDWORKS, Data Management, Project Planning, Change/Configuration Management, as well as Product Release Engineeer. With these solutions, we were able to meet all of our development deadlines in spite of the pandemic.”

Configuration engine drives modular design The dddrop design team leveraged the 3DEXPERIENCE WORKS Change/ DESIGN WORLD

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Configuration Management solution to efficiently manufacture the modular design of the newest 3D printer, the Rapid One. This printer allows customers to order printers with build areas in increments of 15 cm and prepares specific configurations for production.

“With the Rapid One’s modular design, we can quickly build a printer with a 300 cm x 300 cm x 300 cm build area or customers can order any size they want in 15 cm steps,” Uytdewilligen says.

“We used SOLIDWORKS configuration tools to create the modular design for the printer, but we really needed the 3DEXPERIENCE WORKS Change/ Configuration Manager to more efficiently connect different design configurations to production,” Uytdewilligen continues. “We’ve found the 3DEXPERIENCE WORKS Change/ Configuration Manager to be a simpler, more streamlined approach to handling design configurations in production.”

Simulating a lightweight, removable print head Just as dddrop engineers used SOLIDWORKS Simulation capabilities to reduce weight and maintain stiffness in previous print heads, they used SOLIDWORKS motion and structural

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December 2021

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dddrop used the SOLIDWORKS product development ecosystem and leveraged cloud-based 3DEXPERIENCE WORKS solutions to develop the Rapid One Industrial 3D Printer.

analysis tools to optimize and validate the Rapid One’s 57-gram, removable print head, and SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation tools to do the same for the printer’s innovative, water-based cooling system.

“We developed a new extremely lightweight aluminum print head that can be changed out in less than a minute,” Uytdewilligen points out.

“We also added a water-based cooling system, which increases the maximum temperature of the print head om 300°C to 450°C, and eliminates the need for special air blowers in the printing room,” Uytdewilligen adds.

“With the Rapid One 3D Printer, we cool the print head through air flow over a radiator instead of blowing air into the printing room, which is a more stable and effective approach. The Rapid One printer is four-to-five-times faster than other 3D printers, automatically calibrates and levels the print bed, and can print a range of materials simply by changing the print head.”

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Reshaping the future of collaboration The reason that ddrop was looking into cloud-based product development solutions before the COVID-19 pandemic hit is the fact that the company has embraced the future of collaboration in the cloud because it aligns well with the company’s structure. “The 3DEXPERIENCE platform and 3DEXPERIENCE WORKS solutions are more than radical evolutions of the SOLIDWORKS portfolio,” Uytdewilligen stresses.

“The 3DEXPERIENCE platform represents an entirely new way of working that has allowed us to reshape the company to support greater collaboration, innovation, and productivity,” Uytdewilligen says.

“It’s much more than a development platform. It’s a product launching platform in which not everybody is using a SOLIDWORKS seat. Instead, each person has access to the tools and portions of the process that affect them. In essence, the 3DEXPERIENCE platform stretches

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out the SOLIDWORKS portfolio for use in collaborative spaces in the cloud.

We work in a way that was simply not possible before. Using the combination of SOLIDWORKS desktop tools and cloudbased 3DEXPERIENCE WORKS solutions provides us with the best of both worlds while we prepare for the collaborative cloud-based development of the future.”

DW

Dddrop B.V. www.dddrop.com Dassault Systèmes www.3ds.com

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Keeping tabs on torque

Industrial robots, conveyors, wind turbines, machine tools, packaging machines and pumps are just some of

Lawrence Kren • Contributing writer

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the places you’ll find torque limiters.

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Torque limiters are indispensable on bottle-capping machines. | Dreamstime

Torque limiters actuate on the order of milliseconds to prevent overload, shock, and torque spikes that could otherwise damage components or shorten operating life. They also serve in equipment needing specific torque levels. A machine that installs bottle caps, for example, must apply sufficient torque to tighten a cap but not break the bottle.

Torque limiters span a wide range of rated torque — from much less than 1 N-m to over 10,000 kN-m. They come in three basic types: friction, ball detent, and shear pin.

Friction torque limiters Friction torque limiters slip in response to an overload event and fully engage other times. A spring-actuated frictional torque limiter applies spring force to opposing friction surfaces on input and output hubs. Exceeding a set torque level causes the surfaces to slip relative to one another, limiting power transmission. Pneumatic and hydraulic actuated torque limiters may also use friction material to transmit torque but rely on pistons or diaphragms moved by air or fluid pressure to force friction surfaces together and adjust torque limits.

Friction material may be dry or in an oil bath. Generally, higher-capacity units that dissipate more energy (or those designed to continuously slip) use oil cooling to maintain friction material at safe operating temperatures.

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These designs have a couple drawbacks. Frictionstyle torque limiters, dry or wet, wear over time and may need maintenance or eventual replacement.

Debris generated by friction material in open, dry designs make them unsuitable for certain environments such as in clean rooms. Available sealed units contain the wear debris. In contrast, torque limiters employing permanent magnets that couple loads through magnetic flux have no friction material to wear or produce debris. Some electromagnetic types also work without friction material but need external power to generate magnetic flux.

Ball-detent torque limiters Ball-detent torque limiters may be automatic or manually resettable, while hybrid models combine both automatic and manual reset functions in a single unit.

Detent-style torque limiters transmit nominal torque then fully disengage when they see excessive torque levels, and freewheel until reset. A typical design uses springs to push bearing balls into pockets (detents) on a drive flange that transmits torque. Exceeding a set value overcomes spring force, which in turn dislodges the balls and uncouples

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M o t i o n

C o n t r o l

Shear-pin torque limiter. | Howdon Power Transmission

Though torque limiters differ from clutches in that they can’t or shouldn’t continuously throttle mechanical transmission, some temporarily slipping limiters (especially those based on friction plates) are referred to as slip or overload clutches.

the load. Depending on the configuration, an overload trip may need that an operator manually reset the device, while other designs automatically reset when the overload condition clears. Some units reset in multiple clock positions, while those used in timed mechanisms reset to the same clock position each time. Pneumatic or hydraulically actuated units often incorporate sensors that detect an overload condition and cut pressure to decouple the load.

Shear-pin torque limiters A simpler, manually resettable design shears a replaceable pin when overloaded. These shear-pin torque limiters have been largely replaced by ball-detent types because the latter are easier and quicker to reset, which boosts machine uptime. Plus the torque level at which ball-detent types actuate or trip tends to be more repeatable than that of shear pins. Applications needing extremely high torque ratings, such as mining equipment, however, still rely on shear-pin torque limiters.

| Frictionplate torque limiter from Bondioli & Pavesi

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Ball-detent torque limiter

| Carlson-Dimond & Wright • CDWdrives

The key parameter of trip torque Regardless of the application, trip torque TP is a key metric when choosing a torque limiter: TP = SF x TL Where TL = Shaft torque, N-m = 60,000 ⋅ P/(2π ⋅ n) P = Transmitted power, kW n = rpm SF = Service factor Service factor scales with severity of operating conditions. A typical value for normal startup and stops is 1.25, while heavy shock and reversing loads may use a 1.5 service factor. Startup torque often exceeds running levels, so torque limiters placed in line with these drive components should be sized to provide ample margin without excessive slipping yet protect downstream components from overload. Best practice places a torque limiter as close to the load as possible, preferably

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D

upstream of high-value, torque-sensitive components.

For startup, trip torque must at least equal the torsional load from acceleration and applied load: Tp ≥ α ⋅ JL + TAL Where α = Angular acceleration = ω/t, rad/sec2 ω = Angular velocity, rad/sec t = Acceleration time, sec JL = Load moment of inertia, kg-m2 TAL = Applied torque, N-m

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Trip torque accuracy and backlash are other important considerations. In general, torque limiter manufacturers specify ±5 to 10% accuracy for repeated trips. Numerous models have minimal or even zero backlash. Low backlash is especially important when torque limiters reside in-line with positioning equipment or applications that see reversing loads.

One final note: All torque limiters, regardless of type, add inertia to a system. Be sure to follow established guidelines for inertia matching so motion system performance doesn’t suffer. DW

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Air bearings

in linear motion Air bearings are costlier than other options but average all surface imperfections along a bearing length — avoiding the detrimental effects of track deficiencies.

Danielle Collins | Contributing Editor Lisa Eitel | Executive Editor

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Electronics inspection and wafer probing machines often rely on air bearings for precise motion. |Dreamstime

Bearings are often considered solely

mechanical rolling or sliding elements, but linear or rotary bearings can also use a thin film of pressurized air to support a load. With no mechanical elements to generate friction or heat, air bearings are ideal for applications that require extremely high precision and stiffness.

Pressure generation and air delivery: Depending on how pressure is generated, air bearings are classified as either hydrodynamic or hydrostatic.

Hydrodynamic air bearings depend on relative motion between the bearing surfaces to generate pressurized air.

In contrast, a hydrostatic air bearing relies on an external supply to deliver pressurized air or other gas. Because they can maintain an air gap even when there is no relative motion between the bearing surfaces, virtually all air bearings used in industrial applications are hydrostatic.

The gaseous medium used for air bearings is typically compressed air, which is readily available in most industrial plants and processes. However, any moisture in the air supply can develop into condensation as the air transitions from high pressure to atmospheric pressure, resulting in corrosion on the bearing surfaces.

When the quality of supplied air is a concern and corrosion would be detrimental, another gas (typically nitrogen) can be used in place of compressed air. This is often the solution for clean room environments.

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Physik Instrumente’s A-311 line of low-profile planar XY air bearing stages offer travels to 300 x 300 mm. The planar scanning stages excel in semiconductor inspection, laser marking, optical metrology, and other precision motion applications. The compact A-311 air bearing planar series uses a hardcoat aluminum base and two motors for a more compact design than traditional granitebased planar XY stages. 1-µm straightness over 300 mm (and 10 nm per 10 mm) are standard with 10-µrad orthogonality over 300 mm. Integrated absolute measuring linear encoders provide 1-nm resolution; the stages are controlled by an EtherCAT-based motion controller with advanced features such as ServoBoost and NanoPWM.

Preload on an air bearing: Adding preload to an air bearing increases stiffness and helps maintain a constant air gap. As air bearings are loaded, the air gap gets smaller and the pressure in the air film rises — both of which contribute to higher stiffness. There are four common methods for preloading air bearings: by adding weight, through magnetic attraction, through vacuum, and by using two opposed air bearings.

The simplest method for creating preload in an air bearing is to use a weight that is heavier than the load to be applied. This makes the air gap smaller, which increases the system stiffness. The drawback of the weight method of preloading is just that — it adds mass to the system. It is also suitable only for horizontal applications — not inclined or vertical orientations.

Magnetic attraction between the moving and stationary parts can also induce preload. But most air bearings are made of non-magnetic material, so this method requires that that a magnetic material be added to both bearing surfaces.

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A third way to induce preload is to add a vacuum to the bearing surface, which creates a pressure differential and causes the external atmospheric pressure to exert force on the bearing.

However, this method is only useful if a vacuum source is available and practical to install.

The most common preloading method is to configure two air bearings opposite each other. Because stiffness is additive, an assembly preloaded in this manner will have double the stiffness of a single bearing. Another benefit is that the errors on either bearing will be averaged, resulting in much higher accuracy than other preload methods can achieve.

The drawback to using opposing bearings is that the load capacity will be reduced by approximately half. This method also requires additional space and doubles the mass of the bearing components.

Compensation and media types for air bearings: In addition to preload, another factor that affects an air bearing’s stiffness is compensation,

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which is the method by which airflow into the air gap is controlled.

Compensation works to create a restriction of airflow thru the orifice and into the gap before the restriction of the gap itself. By creating a reserve pressure at the orifice, pressure can be increased in the gap, which gives the bearing stiffness.

Gas can be delivered through one of two bearing types — those with orifices or those made from porous media. In an orifice bearing, pressurized air is supplied through precisely sized holes placed on the bearing surface. These holes are typically combined with grooves to distribute the pressurized air evenly across the bearing face. The drawback of orifice delivery is that air loses pressure and creates pressure gradients in the air gap as it expands away from the orifice or groove.

Porous media air bearings allow air to be supplied through the entire surface of the bearing, due to millions of holes in the porous material.

However, porous media are much more difficult to clear if they become clogged by oil vapor or other contamination.

Load capacity for air bearings: Theoretically, the load capacity of an air bearing is simply the input pressure times the surface area. However, pressure is not equal over the bearing surface. As mentioned above, as air exits the orifice, it expands and creates pressure gradients. In addition, there is unavoidable leakage of air around the edges of the bearing.

As a rule of thumb, the average pressure under the bearing surface is typically 50% of the supply pressure. In other words, air bearings are generally about 50% efficient. Bearings with more area near their edges, relative to their overall surface area, will be less efficient.

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A major air-bearing benefit is their surface-averaging capabilities.

Load capacity is determined by the surface area of the bearing, the input pressure, and the bearing’s efficiency: Load capacity = Surface area x Input pressure x Efficiency.

In fact, one of the primary benefits of air bearings is the elimination of frictioninduced wear and heat generation.

Their lack of mechanical contact also eliminates the need for lubrication, reduces particle generation, and produces much less noise than rolling

or sliding bearings. With no recirculating elements, air bearings can achieve higher speeds and accelerations than ball or roller bearings.

The fluid film in an air bearing serves to average out small-scale errors, allowing air bearings to provide more accurate motion than mechanical bearings. Because the fluid film fully supports the load, in contrast to the point or line contact of balls and rollers, it also enables high stiffness.

Air bearings are linear (or rotary) guides, and as such, are simply one part of a complete motion system. For a drive mechanism, the most common technology used in conjunction with air bearings is the ironless linear motor, due to its high precision and stiffness.

Ironcore motors can also be used, but their inherent cogging effect can generate unwanted errors.

Because of the tight tolerances required for air bearing operation, components used in an air bearing system must be extremely accurate. For example, bearings should be mounted on a precision base — preferably granite, for its ability to be precisely machined and its dimensional stability — with recommended flatness of 1 micron per 50 mm. All of this contributes to the extremely high accuracy motion and stiffness that are the main features of an air bearing system.

Air bearings are quite expensive but offer some advantages over some mechanical bearings for niche applications requiring extremely high precision. In addition, a growing number of manufacturers are working to bring the cost of air bearings down with advances in materials and manufacturing for the precision bearing surfaces.

MOTION DESIGN GUIDES A collection of key motion control technology topics available for download

CHECK OUT Design World’s online Motion

Design Guide Digital Library. The editors of Design World produce relevant content broken out by key technologies.

BOOKMARK: designworldonline.com/design-guide-library Additional Design Guides are added on an ongoing basis.

Motion Design Guide categories include (but are not limited to): • Linear Actuators • Gearmotors • Gearboxes • Couplings • DC Motors • Linear Guides + more

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L i n e a r

M o t i o n

Shown here is a Dover Motion AirGlide air-bearing stage for semiconductor manufacture.

Stages in this series can have travels to 1,000 mm and maintain positional accuracies to within ±2 μm or better.

When the quality of supplied air is a concern and corrosion would be detrimental, another gas (typically nitrogen) can be used instead. This is often the solution for cleanroom environments.

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To demonstrate how air bearings are becoming more common in industrial equipment and processes, here are some of the benefits they provide and the applications they serve.

High positioning accuracy and repeatability: Air bearings have no mechanical contact and are virtually frictionless. This means they do not experience stick-slip effects or hysteresis, allowing them to achieve nanometer-level positioning accuracy and repeatability. Applications leveraging these benefits include ultraprecision machine tools and optical grinding.

Straight and flat travel: With linear air bearing guides any pitch, roll, and yaw errors are virtually eliminated — as are tilt and wobble errors with rotary air bearings. This is due in part to the surface averaging effect, which occurs because an air bearing supports the load along its entire length, in contrast to mechanical rolling element bearings, which support a load only at the contact points of the balls or rollers.

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Applications leveraging these benefits include optical-inspection equipment and medical-device manufacturing.

Precise force control: The frictionless nature of air bearings, together with ironless linear motors or voice coils, create precision stages that can operate as force generators or transducers, even down to the milli-Newton (mN) level.

Applications leveraging these benefits include tensile and friction testing equipment.

Smooth constant velocity: With no rolling elements to cause perturbations in motion, air bearings can maintain a highly consistent, controlled velocity.

Applications leveraging these benefits include wafer scanning and digital printing.

Low particle generation: Because they have no contacting parts, air bearings (and stages built with air bearings and linear motors) produce virtually no particulates. And for use in the most stringent cleanrooms, where

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F O K SIC

?

S G N I R P S L I CO

nearly undetectable particle generation is required, they can be operated with 99.9% pure nitrogen rather than with air. Applications leveraging these benefits include semiconductor wafer processing; medical device manufacturing; and medical research and testing.

No change in performance characteristics over time: Friction is highly non-linear … and reducing or eliminating it means that settling times are shorter, as there is no need to wait for the (relatively) slow servo loop to overcome the effects of friction. This also means that the primary variables in performance become the servo bandwidth, payload, and machine resonances, making performance very stable and predictable over time. Applications leveraging these benefits include semiconductor manufacturing and equipment located in remote or difficult-to-access locations.

Virtually unlimited service life: Load, speed, acceleration, and other application parameters do not affect the life of an air bearing. In fact, the primary factor is wear from contaminated air, which can cause corrosion. For an air bearing stage driven by a voice coil or linear motor, the cables and cable management – which are, in most cases, easily replaced – become the limiting factor for wear and life. Applications leveraging these benefits include processes that require continuous operation or extremely high duty cycles. DW

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Designing

out loud Voice and haptic feedback could ease CAD complexity and speed design, but it is slow-to-market due to that very CAD complexity.

Jean Thilmany • Senior Editor “Computer, draw me a circle.”

You won’t be saying that to your computer-aided design system anytime soon. Even as Alexa and other speech-recognition systems have become ubiquitous over the past decade, voicecontrolled CAD remains elusive.

Developers say design software that responds to verbal commands could cut the learning curve, make it easier to work with a system, and slash design time.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that voice-controlled CAD isn’t here.

CAD is vastly more complex than the speech recognition tools we use today. Asking Alexa to turn up the thermostat or dictating a text message is very different than verbally controlling geometries, parts, and mechanical forces on a screen.

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While an AutoCAD image is depicted here, you can’t verbally ask any CAD system today to draw you a circle, much less to create and combine parts for the complicated assemblies used for heavy equipment. | Autodesk

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Developers say design software that responds to verbal commands could cut the learning curve, make it easier to work with a system, and slash design time.

When will voice-controlled CAD be commonly available? It’s difficult to know.

Yet CAD systems that “hear” and follow commands could allow design teams to zoom in on the specifics of a CAD model and to make changes during a meeting. Designers could quickly add, remove, or update information in design databases and could quickly make routine requests, like opening a screen or drawing a circle. Down the line, they may be able to do away with keyboard and mouse and to design a model via voice command.

The concept of voice-controlled CAD is not new, but getting there is difficult.

In 2009, researchers at University of Hong Kong proposed a method for voice-controlled CAD. A decade later, scientists at Purdue University and at two Spanish universities set out a method for using voice to capture design intent and annotation.

Throughout the years, other systems have been proposed but they remain expensive to realize and implement.

Meanwhile, designers still rely on their keyboard and mouse.

Is voice practical?

An AutoCAD LT user echoed this frustration, asking in mid 2020 in the software’s community forum why voicecommand wasn’t a feature on the CAD program.

“Voice command could result in titanic time savings. Consider the chains of actions that could be bypassed by a single voice command,” the user wrote. “Just stating a sketch sometimes requires moving your cursor to change from the manufacture environment to design.

Why not just double mouse click and say ‘concentric circle’ or whatever your first sketch move is to be?”

Answers varied, several suggesting the user learn keyboard shortcuts and write macros to speed drafting time.

Some point out the time spent voicing the words “concentric circle” could quickly be spent hitting a key for a macro to make the circle.

Others suggested training already available commercial voice-recognition technology to open the macros.

“Voice commands regarding drafting are just not practical,” one community member responded. “The only way I see voice commands being used is ‘Alexa, make a PDF and send this drawing to Gavin with subject: project voice.’”

Moving beyond today’s speech recognition systems isn’t yet practical, but would be necessary for CAD’s complexity, says Natalie Hutchins, an engineer and writer at IndiaCAD, which provides outsourcing services.

Hutchins created a table that compared the features of the voice-

While your Amazon Echo Dot may carry out your commands, don’t expect your CAD system to respond to the sound of your voice. | Wikicommons

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recognition programs from Nuance, Microsoft, and Google. None of the three could interpret spoken words in the correct context with complete accuracy, she found.

Not too long ago—though a lifetime ago by technology standards, so about 30 years—the mouse and the graphical display were huge engineering design breakthroughs. CAD came along at the same time as computer graphics programs. Both technologies allowed shapes to be depicted on the computer screen that had been dominated until then by blinking letters and numbers.

For the first time, engineers could depict images in on screen and make quick changes to the dimensions and shapes when needed.

CAD advancements have continued apace. Three-dimensional CAD became commonplace. Analysis software is now tied too CAD so engineers can immediately analyze their designs and make changes where needed.

Ironically, continued CAD updates keep the systems from being compatible with voice technology.

Today’s designers often browse among hundreds of CAD icons and menu scripts and switch between various command panels in order to do a modeling task, write the University of Hong Kong researchers. Ascribing voice commands to each or these actions is impossible and would make the designer’s life harder, not easier.

The researchers’ paper, “Natural Voice-Enabled CAD: Modeling Via Natural Discourse” appeared in the January 2009 edition of the journal Computer-Aided Design and Applications. Sukui Xue was lead author; the paper was his mechanical engineering postdoctoral thesis.

While voice-driven CAD commands would be of “tremendous benefit,” the technical challenge of creating and implementing the technology means it likely won’t be available in the near future, Hutchins says.

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Speaking in CAD talk That hasn’t held CAD companies back from trying.

The CADmaker think3 met with some success with a 2000 software update that included a speech-enabled graphical user interface, which allowed the user to issue commands without scrolling through icons and pull-down menu trees. This reduced the clutter of dialog boxes, saved time, and increased productivity, according to the company’s marketing materials of the time.

Voice input provides designers with a third option, along with the mouse and the keyboard, for entering commands or numerical inputs. The software was able to recognize several hundred voice commands, including basics like draw, zoom, redraw, fit view, and line.

The software also recognized numerical values.

The feature used Microsoft’s Speech Application Programming Interface version 5.0, an interface for third-party application developers, according to think3.

But as it added functionality to the new release, think3 had to steer a careful path between complex CAD and ease-of-use, since the company cites simplicity as a major selling point, the University of Hong Kong researchers say.

The California CADmaker closed its doors in 2011, though the move had nothing to do with its system’s voicerecognition capabilities.

In 2005, Enact Technologies introduced Speak4CAD, compatible with AutoCAD software. During betatesting, the software doubled CAD productivity, as measured by comparing manual drawings to those created by spoken drawing commands and dimensions, said Bruce Swan at the time. He was Enact Technology senior partner at the time.

The technology was specifically written for AutoCAD commands to make it faster than standard speechwww.designworldonline.com

recognition software that must search for terms, Enact wrote in its marketing materials at the time. The user would dictate commands and numbers as they move the mouse, to eliminate the use of the keyboard.

Enact Technologies is no longer around. It’s not clear whether the business folded or was purchased by another company.

The think3 and Speak4CAD systems relied on predefined, targeted words and phrases, which allowed users to use relatively complicated expressions such as “view from left” and “add a circle,” Xue writes.

“However, this method still restricts the user’s expressive style by all of predefined rules,” he and his teammates write in the paper. Users must also remember all the fixed words and expressions.

“This impedes the freedom that might have been brought by speech, because too many restrictions have been added to the users’ expressions,” the researchers say.

They put forward a verb-based semantic search approach that would extract useful information from voiceissued sentence commands. Users would say: “draw me a circle that has a radius of 2.5 inches.” Rather than “circle; radius; 2.5 inches.”

“Natural voice-enabled CAD frees CAD users from the buttons and menu by allowing natural discourse as the input. Natural discourse is also less restricted than the previous voice-based systems,” the researchers state in their paper.

Despite these merits, their system has limitations, they acknowledge. Because it doesn’t eliminate the mouse, those with paralysis or other types of disabilities can’t use it. Also, it should recognize more natural phrasing and should be able to be used without training, the researchers say.

Their proposed system isn’t yet included within commercially available CAD software.

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Because of technology’s inevitable march forward, engineers will one day be able to design via commands spoken aloud. | Wikicommons

Annotation while speaking In the face of technical limitations of using voice for design, some researchers are looking at voice-driven 3-D annotation to aid collaborative design, as voice-annotation may be easier to develop and implement than voice-driven design.

Annotation enables the exchange of design intent and rationale with other users directly through the 3-D model, says a research team of mechanical and construction engineering professors from Purdue University in Lafayette, In., and from Jaume I University and the Valencia Polytechnic University in Spain.

Their paper, “A voice-based annotation system for computer-aided design” appeared in the April 2021 edition of the Journal of Computational Design and Engineering.

Much of the information generated during the product design process is unstructured, writes Raquel Plumed, lead author and mechanical engineering professor at Jaume I University. That is, much of the design information is exchanged verbally and isn’t captured within the CAD system.

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This information takes the form of facts, suggestions, informal conversations, discussions, and opinions.

Such information—communicated during informal conversations or even formal meetings—can be critically important for data integration, collaboration, process efficiency, productivity, and error reduction, she and her colleagues write.

“But the knowledge is often not captured or archived for future use because the process is time consuming, inefficient, and not cost efficient,” they say.

The researchers give the example of design rationale, which aims to capture information about the reasoning, motivation, and justification for design decisions and to describe their relation to other decisions.

Much of this might take place during a quiet conversation between two engineers. But it’s time consuming to write down and store verbal conversations and then to find them again.

“Furthermore, engineers and designers often used vague expressions in their verbalizations of a problem or a design approach, particularly during the early stages of the design process, which makes it difficult to establish semantics in CAD models,” they say.

They put forward a voice-based software to annotate 3-D models directly within CAD software.

Their method automatically captures audio signals and transcribes them to a 3-D note, which is attached to the geometry in the right spot and is available to other product information and business processes across the enterprise, such as a product management system.

These researchers join others in describing how CAD systems could best incorporate voice commands. Still, voiceactivated CAD remains out of reach, likely due to cost and complexity.

Or, as one user put it in the AutoCAD LT forum: “Unless commercial CAD systems adopt voice technology, we won’t be seeing it anytime soon.” DW AutoDesk | www.autodesk.com

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A D V E R T O R I A L

The story behind Sorbothane

An American-made material that protects and isolates

A few decades ago, if the shoes fit…well, that’s what you wore. There was little consideration about heel support or shock-absorption because such technology didn’t exist. Then in 1975, England’s Dr. Maurice Hiles — a chemist and an avid runner at the time — started thinking a lot about his running shoes.

“He became interested in developing a material that he could put into a sneaker, which would help reduce the shock and especially in his legs, ankles, and knees from running every day,” shares David Church, president of Sorbothane.

Ohio-based Sorbothane has been developing materials and components that isolate vibration, attenuate shock, and damp unwanted noise for various industries for more than 35 years — and it all started in England with Dr. Hiles.

“He was an interesting man because he’d witness cadavers to see how different parts of the body would bruise,” explains Church. What the doctor noticed: If someone had either hit or fell on the palm of their hand, the fatty pad just above the wrist would never discolor like a bruise. The same goes with the heel of the foot.

“So, Dr. Hiles’ goal was to create a material that would act similar to that fatty pad in the human body, which seemed to have the best ability to absorb energy. That’s how Sorbothane began,” explains Church. “He went through extensive testing, even placing probes in his shins to test the Sorbothane material to see how much it would reduce the ‘G’ level when he was running.”

To this day, Sorbothane insoles are commonly used and designed to mimic the body’s natural ability to protect against impact shock. In fact, the material absorbs up to 94.7% of impact shock before it enters the body.

Originally, Sorbothane was part of a larger British company (British Titan Rubber) and was brought to America in 1981. The proprietary material is still manufactured in Kent, Ohio. Today, it serves hundreds of different industries — and is applicable nearly anywhere shock, vibration, or noise are present.

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“Sorbothane is a one-of-a-kind, visco-elastic polyurethane that exhibits the properties of a liquid, which flows, and it has a solid elasticity,” he says. “This means the material deforms under load and then its elastic properties allow it to return back to its original shape, so it’s ready for the next vibration or shock to hit.”

This is critical, for example, in industrial machinery where vibration might originate from imbalances inherent to motors, gearboxes, and other turning components that excite natural frequencies. Often dampers are used to counteract or isolate the vibration.

“A good vibration damper takes mechanical energy out of the system,” says Chruch. “However, such conventional components — such as metal springs or rubber mounts, or even magnets in some applications — can isolate in only one direction because they do not carry the same material properties as Sorbothane, which can dampen and isolate.”

Sorbothane combines shock absorption, vibration isolation, and vibration damping characteristics. Although several materials exhibit one of these characteristics, Sorbothane combines all of them in a stable material with a long fatigue life.

Its longevity and versatility mean Sorbothane can serve an extremely diverse marketplace. “It’s been used in space expeditions and with SpaceX, isolating batteries on satellites and in spaceships going into orbit. It’s been used in U.S. military vessels, isolating monitors on shipboards,” he says.

“It can also be used for isolating a microscope in a lab from ambient vibrations, or in protective sports equipment to absorb impacts.”

Church adds: “There isn’t a market with either shock or vibration that doesn’t have an application for our material or that wouldn’t benefit from it.”

To learn more about Sorbothane, listen to a podcast with David Church at tinyurl.com/SorbothaneMaterial.

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Vibration isolation technique supports spacecraft ground testing Negative-Stiffness vibration isolation has played an integral role in supporting systems for ground testing and development of spacecraft and components, both inside and outside of vacuum chambers.

Steve Varma Operations Manager • Minus K Technology

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Spacecraft ground testing is sensitive

.co | istockphoto

m

to the smallest vibrations, which can be caused by a multitude of factors. Every structure is transmitting vibrations from internal and external sources. Within the building itself, the heating and ventilation system, fans, pumps and elevators are just some of the mechanical devices that create vibration. Depending on how far away the testing is from these vibration sources, and where in the structure the testing is being conducted, will determine how strongly the testing will be influenced. External to the building, the testing can be influenced by vibrations from adjacent road traffic, nearby construction, loud noise from aircraft, and even wind and other weather conditions that can cause movement of the structure.

Many of these vibrations are low-hertz, transmitted horizontally. But because horizontal building vibrations are less obvious, they are typically undercompensated for in vibration isolation systems, and consequently transmitted straight through to the testing being conducted.

A solution to this horizontal, low-hertz condition, which has been adopted by many universities, government laboratories and space agencies engaged in high-precision testing and simulation, is Negative-Stiffness vibration isolation, a patented technology developed by Minus K Technology, Inc.

Negative-Stiffness vibration isolation Introduced in the mid-1990s, Negative-Stiffness vibration isolation has excelled in vibrationcritical applications, largely because of its ability to effectively isolate lower frequencies, both vertically and horizontally.

Negative-Stiffness isolators provide a unique capability in vibration isolation, employing a completely mechanical concept with no air or electricity required, and no electronics, motors, or pumps. They operate completely in a passive mechanical mode.

Vertical-motion isolation is provided by a stiff spring that supports a weight load, combined with a negative-stiffness mechanism. The net vertical stiffness is made low without affecting the static load-supporting capability of the spring.

Beam-columns connected in series with the vertical-motion isolator provide horizontalmotion isolation. A beam-column behaves as a spring combined with a negativestiffness mechanism.

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These isolators deliver high performance, as measured by a transmissibility curve. Vibration transmissibility is a measure of the vibrations that are transmitted through the isolator relative to the input vibrations. Every isolator will amplify at its resonant frequency, and then start isolating.

Negative-Stiffness isolators typically resonate at 0.5 Hz. Most buildings have little vibration in this region and it would be unusual to find a significant vibration at 0.5 Hz. Vibrations with frequencies above 0.7 Hz are rapidly attenuated with increases in frequency.

(Note that for an isolation system with a 0.5 Hz natural frequency, isolation begins at 0.7 Hz and improves with increase in the vibration frequency.)

The natural frequency is more commonly used to describe the system performance. When adjusted to 0.5 Hz,

Negative-Stiffness isolators achieve approximately 93 percent isolation efficiency at 2 Hz; 99 percent at 5 Hz; and 99.7 percent at 10 Hz. Some of the isolators provide natural frequencies of 1.5 Hz horizontally and 0.5 Hz vertically; most provide 0.5 Hz vertically and horizontally. Customized Negative-Stiffness isolators can deliver lower natural frequencies both vertically and horizontally. Negative-Stiffness isolators have the flexibility of custom tailoring higher resonant frequencies when lower ones are not required.

Cryogenic testing of NASA telescope The vault-like, 40-foot diameter, 40-ton door of NASA’s Johnson Space Center’s historic Chamber A sealed shut on July 10, 2017, signaling the beginning of about 100 days of cryogenic testing for

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope suspended from the Minus K vibration isolators on top of Chamber A at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Courtesy of NASA/Chris Gunn

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NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in Houston. Behind the hulking door, the process to transform the chamber’s interior to match the airless, frigid environment of space began. It took about 10 days to pull the air from the chamber, and then about one month to lower the temperatures of the Webb telescope and its scientific instruments to the levels required for testing.

The James Webb Space Telescope is the largest cryogenic instrument telescope to be developed for space flight. The final cryogenic test of the Optical Telescope Element (OTE) and Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM), as an assembly (OTE + ISIM = OTIS), was performed in the largest super-cold vacuum test chamber of its kind in the world – Chamber A at Johnson Space Center. The temperature of Chamber A was steadily dropped until it reached about 20 kelvins (- 424° F/ - 253° C). This ultimate test of OTIS, the cryogenic portion of JWST, was crucial in verifying the end-to-end performance of JWST. The telescope is supported by a set of six custom Minus K vibration isolators that use Minus K’s new (patent pending) Thermal Compensator Device.

“This is a passive mechanical device requiring no air or electricity, just like our isolators,” said Dr. David Platus, President of Minus K Technology, and principal inventor of the patented Negative-Stiffness technology. “The Compensator will adjust the isolators as the temperature changes throughout the testing at JSC, keeping the JWST in the proper position.”

In preparation for the Webb telescope’s cryogenic testing, engineers at Johnson suspended it from the ceiling of the center’s Chamber A. This setup consisting of six support rods attached to Minus K Technology’s Negative-Stiffness vibration isolators is meant to isolate the telescope from the vibrations Chamber A could produce once the door closes and testing begins, as well as from disturbances that might occur outside the chamber. The telescope needs an DESIGN WORLD

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Figure 4b

arrangement that holds it and its test equipment in precise relative alignment inside the chamber while isolated from any sources of vibration, such as the flow of nitrogen and helium inside the shroud plumbing and the pulsing of vacuum pumps. The complete range of test equipment includes an interferometer, auto-collimating flat mirrors, and a system of photogrammetry ‘precision surveying’ cameras already used for tests with a surrogate ‘pathfinder’ telescope.

“The system is designed to work in space, where the disturbances are highly controlled and only come from the spacecraft,” said Gary Matthews, an integration and testing engineer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who is testing the Webb telescope while it is at Johnson.

“On Earth, we have to deal with all the ground-based disturbances, such as the pumps and motors, and even traffic driving by.”

So engineers can keep an eye on the Webb while it is being tested, additional test support equipment including mass spectrometers, infrared cameras and television cameras are also being supported by the vibration isolators.

The James Webb Space Telescope is the scientific successor to NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Unlike Hubble’s single monolithic primary mirror, JWST’s primary mirror is made up of 18 individual, adjustable segments that will be aligned in space. The JWST is planned to be launched from Arianespace’s ELA-3 launch complex at European Spaceport located near Kourou, French Guiana in December of 2021 aboard an Ariane 5 launch vehicle.

Webb is an international project led by NASA with its partners, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

Vacuum testbed application Negative-Stiffness vibration isolators have also been used in other NASA applications. For instance, the Spectral Calibration Development Unit (SCDU) is a vacuum testbed built to demonstrate wavelength calibration accuracy and stability between sources of different color and polarization. SCDU was used for the stringent astrometric performance requirements on NASA’s SIM (Space Interferometer Mission)-Lite mission that came from the narrow-angle observing scenario. SIM-Lite was a spaceborne stellar interferometer capable of searching for Earth-like exoplanets in the habitable zones of nearby stars.

SCDU was designed to show that the chromatic effect encountered by SIM-Lite could be calibrated to the submicroarcsecond level. SCDU mostly consisted of a white light interferometer with a metrology system and a real-time control system representative of the science interferometer. It made measurements of external delay differences between pairs of stars. The differences in spectral energy densities between the two stars couple with the instrument optical dispersion and instrument wavefront error to produce a wavelength-dependent delay error.

SCDU successfully demonstrated the calibration of spectral instrument error to an accuracy of better than 20 picometers, which is consistent with the one microarcsecond narrow-angle DESIGN WORLD

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One of three NegativeStiffness vibration isolators used on the

Cryogenic Telescope Assembly, Spitzer Space Telescope.

Courtesy of Ball Aerospace/NASA/JPL

astrometry. SCDU measured and calibrated simulated spectral sources in the range from 450 to 950 nm. The light sources were intended to simulate the spectral energy differences between F, G and K stars. The testbed used wide-band white light to simulate starlight. The white light source mount required extremely stable pointing accuracy. This was accomplished with the use of Minus K’s Negative-Stiffness vibration isolators under the SCDU testbed. The isolation system consisted of three custom 1,350-pound capacity vacuum-compatible isolators that provided horizontal and vertical natural frequencies of 0.5 Hz. DW Minus K Technology | www.minusk.com

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How to make

This novel gearbearing, which uses motion components made from advanced polymers, is an alternative to large outer diameter bearings to support large ring gears or other large rotating components.

Edited by Mike Santora

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a gear-bearing from advanced polymer components When a design calls for a large bearing — for example, to support a large

outer diameter (OD) ring gear — choosing a sturdy yet lightweight mechanism with the properties and stability for reliable performance can be challenging. Finding an appropriate bearing that can operate in a hygienic cleanroom, food processing, or vacuum environments can be an even greater challenge.

The list of bearing considerations is lengthy, and it includes accuracy and rotational tolerances, load handling capabilities, maintenance, and cost. One factor that’s central to these considerations is the construction of the bearing and its constituent components. Not only must the bearing support accurate, efficient motion, but it must satisfy the need for lighter designs, which has been a constant trend across many industries and applications. And if the bearing’s intended environment is a vacuum, it can’t disperse any contaminants. At the same time, lubrication is not an option, making your material selection critical.

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To accommodate the application’s space restrictions, the PowerCore pinion, and the guide roller was designed as one unit. The guide roller’s OD prevents the gear teeth from bottoming out.

The supporting cam followers, spaced around the perimeter of the ring gear, locate the gear in place both axially and radially. The bearing surface profile can be designed to suit the application. For higher loads, additional cam followers can be used.

Unique design and materials excel in heavy-duty applications and difficult environments An example of a component that overcomes these issues is a versatile, large gear-bearing that is well-suited for hygienic or demanding environments and for other applications that demand precise rotary motion and lightweight designs. This unit has a novel design that combines several motion components into one: a large ring gear supported by several individually mounted guide rollers or cam followers driven by a pinion. The large ring gear is

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typically made from aluminum, and the pinion and supporting guide rollers are made from an engineered polyamide-based thermoplastic material. When the unit must operate in a vacuum, the gear is constructed from stainless steel.

The large ring may have an internal gear, or the teeth can be machined outside the ring. Spaced around the perimeter, mounted inside or outside the ring gear, are the supporting cam followers that locate the gear in place, axially and radially, and enable the rotating motion. By using engineered

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•• •• M e c h a n i c a l •• A large ring gear with supporting cam followers mounted internally. Two of the cam followers have eccentric shafts.

polymers as the bearing surface, these cam followers can withstand large forces, have a long wear-life, and offer many additional advantages.

Advantages of hybrid construction Engineered polymers offer several advantages over other materials. Due to its high crystallinity, the material can handle high mechanical loads that are prohibitive to plastics, and it even exhibits higher strength than similar injection-molded polymers. In fact, some larger structural parts made from this material can withstand continuous forces of several metric tons. Despite the advanced polymer’s high strength, it’s also very lightweight and is seven times lighter than metal, which can benefit high-speed applications where inertia mismatches can affect machine performance.

Together in this unique design, the aluminum and polymer materials create a lighter gear-bearing unit and deliver a host of benefits for a wide range of applications: ● Lighter weight. Combining the large gear’s aluminum, the drive gear’s

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engineered polymer, and the rotational support by individual cam followers results in a lightweight, simpler design that reduces inertia. ● Precision rotation. The precisionmachined outer guide rollers have a maximum OD tolerance of 0.004-in. and closely match the pitch diameter tolerances on the large ring gear.

Additionally, selectively placed eccentric guide rollers can tighten up any slag. ● No backlash. Besides the traditional methods to reduce or eliminate backlash in gears, engineers have developed several tooth mesh modifications for reducing or eliminating backlash. These modifications take advantage of the engineered polymer’s elastic properties. In addition, the pinion has a cast-in metal core for secure attachment to a shaft and reduces up to 50% of the thermal expansion of the plastic portion of the gears. The polymer remains dimensionally stable under varying process conditions and in moisture, contributing to backlash-free rotation. ● No need for lubrication. The polymer material used for the gears and www.designworldonline.com

cam followers is maintenance-free, eliminating the need for lubrication — even when running on aluminum, carbon, or stainless steel. ● No metal particulate contamination.

The polymer gears, cam followers, or guide rollers don’t wear out metal.

As a result, they don’t generate metal particles, which is an important feature in many industries and processes. ● Reduced noise. Because of its shockabsorbing properties and precision machined surfaces, the polymer reduces noise in gears by up to 6 decibels — and up to 10 decibels compared to metal cam followers.

In addition, the large-diameter integrated gear-bearing design is especially suited for harsh environments. The bearing is suitable to work in a vacuum. The large gear is available in a stainless-steel version; together with lubrication-free polymer and guide rollers with ceramic bearings, this construction makes the large gear-bearing desirable for vacuum environments where metal particulates, outgassing, and other contaminants released by greases are major concerns.

The type of bearing also provides chemical and corrosion resistance.

A 316 stainless steel metal core for the drive pinion can be specified.

Additionally, highly crystalline polymer withstands continuous exposure to many chemicals, including silicon vapors. The polymer does not absorb moisture, and the integrated gearbearing is suitable for equipment subject to washdown.

When a large bearing must meet strict requirements, achieve a long operating life, or run without lubrication, chances are a standard bearing might not be an option. To achieve optimal accuracy, performance, and service life, this large diameter gear-bearing can be modified to meet unique requirements.

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•• •• •• raise transmission efficiency, and lower power drive requirements to ensure the components perform optimally. The design of the guide rollers and cam followers is often also customized — from the shape of the bearing surface to customized shafts, to bearing selection.

Leveraging the benefits of highperformance polymers Designing large bearings for demanding vacuum environments comes with much uncertainty. Not only must a bearing provide highly accurate motion, but it must operate reliably without lubrication. And as more industries emphasize lighter components, engineers and installers should take a closer look at the materials that comprise their bearing.

This unique and versatile large gear-bearing design leverages the

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mechanical strength and stability of a crystalline polymer to deliver high performance with minimal backlash and noise, all while satisfying the demands for light weight, zero maintenance, and cost savings. DW

InTech www.intechpower.com

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INSIDE: Maintenance requirements for dynamic cable opportunities • Better connections help soldiers make better decisions faster

Interconnect

A supplement of Design World • December 2021

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Maintenance requirements for dynamic cable opportunities Understanding cable aging and industry requirements is necessary in preparing a cable maintenance plan and schedule.

Neal Allen • VP of Engineering, Helukabel

Machine automation has increased in implementation over the years as companies seek to increase production, improve quality and reduce lead times. This requires industrial cables to perform without failure during dynamic applications — torsion, continuous flex, etc. Wind turbines, material handling, automotive assembly, roller coaster rides, space exploration, food and beverage processing, robots and cranes, to name a few, are all industrial applications that push cables to their limits. Helukabel has been a trusted supplier of industrial cables for such industries that require dynamic applications.

Vibration — vibrations in machines With these types of applications, many of our customers have such as conveyors or in the nacelle specific maintenance schedules to ensure their machines stay caused by a spinning rotor might cause running safely and reliably. Periodic inspections and specified cables to chafe, crack or tear that could time frames to replace critical components, such as the cables, lead to an electrical failure. prevent downtime due to an unexpected failure. Shutting down an automotive assembly line or any high capital assembly line due to a Abrasion — cables that are installed failed cable because of wear issues can be very costly. close to each other may rub together during movements such as torsion and Factors that influence cable aging therefore cause the insulation to wear Torsion — torsional cables are subjected to a rigorous testing prior to away and cause shorts or arcing. Cables mass production to ensure the number of twists and torsional value with special jacket compounds can (+/- XXX°) per unit of length, according to the industrial application’s provide low surface adhesion, which requirements. Helukabel tests their cables in specially designed torsion test machines, even employing a custom test tower (accepted reduces abrasion on adjacent cables. as a benchmark standard for the wind industry), that realistically simulates the conditions in a cable loop for wind cables.

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Industrial cables must perform without failure despite torsion, continuous flex and more potentially damaging motions. Having specific maintenance schedules ensures safe and reliable operation. | Helukabel

Oil — another aging factor is contamination with oils, which impairs the service life of cables and wires, and why Helukabel carries out oil-aging tests using common industrial oils, but also with special oils found in specific industrial applications. Not to be underestimated is the oil mist buildup from rotating parts such as gears, motors and/or rotor hubs.

Temperature — thermal aging is usually calculated according to the realistic Arrhenius curve, which approximately describes a quantitative temperature dependency in physical and, above all, chemical processes and essentially depends on the strength of the load.

The rate of aging depends very much on the thermal load, especially the conductor temperature. If the permissible temperature is overloaded permanently, the aging of the conductor insulation accelerates and thus its service life is reduced. If the

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operating temperature increases, for example 10°C (70° to 80°C), the service life of the insulation is halved according to the “Van’t Hoff’s rule.” When dimensioning the cross section, this should be considered to achieve a long service life.

The ambient temperature as well as the temperature dynamics (lowest to highest temperature) also influence the service life.

Environmental: • Oxygen concentration in the ambient air • Ambient media (salt, fog) • Impurities (sand, solvents, etc.)

• UV exposure (outdoor area) • Radiation exposure intensity and wavelength • Ozone pollution (energetic radiation/ electromagnetic fields) • Humidity/water condensation (water treeing)

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Application — Often times cables need to be replaced simply because they are not the right choice for the application.

The most common issue is customers using cables designed for stationary use in continuous-flex applications or cables used in cable trays that aren’t tray rated. Cables that are installed in drag chains or twisting applications (robotics) need to have special manufacturing techniques like planetary cabling, flexingcapable conductor construction, special binding tapes and high abrasion jackets to allow for the natural movement of the conductors that occurs. Torsional and drag chain cables need to meet the specified movements without stressing the conductors. A symptom called cork screwing is a sure sign that cables have exceeded their design limitations.

Sometimes there are applications where cable designs just cannot meet the flexing or torsion requirements for system reliably. Larger cables that are continuously flexing will only last for

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multi million cycles before abrasion takes its toll. Torsion cables like the ones found in wind turbines can only be packaged a certain way so abrasion from twisting of the down tower cable bundle takes its toll. In these cases, the owners must establish a maintenance schedule based on the cable manufacturer’s estimates and replace the cables when the estimated flex life or cycle time approaches.

The service life of cables and wires can only be approximated using function and property tests such as artificial aging in a heating cabinet. However, when the cable is used in its intended application, superimpositions and interactions with different types of load can arise, which the user often cannot define or exclude. These could lead to accelerated aging of the materials used.

Maintenance requirements by industry — automotive The automotive assembly industry has been an automation leader because of their capabilities to test the latest high-tech controls and interconnect systems. They have progressed from hardwiring (pipe and wire) in the 60s, interconnect assemblies in the 70s, bus communication in the 80s and 90s, distributed control systems in 2000s to now using Ethernet-based control systems. With such a dynamic change many control systems become obsolete over the life of the platform (vehicle model line).

Automated assembly lines do not usually put constant loads on the controls or motors. The control and bus cables run at very low amperage. However, dynamic cables within the assembly line system are cycling very quickly and have high mechanical requirements such as acceleration (drag chains), torque stress (rotating tools/nutrunners), and long unsupported lengths (lifts and pendant stations). Some of

Ambient temperature and temperature dynamics can cause thermal aging, thus shortening the rated life of industrial cables. | Helukabel

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these cables may also be exposed to very aggressive cleaning solvents like MEK if they are on a robotic paint line. In many cases motor power cables are usually also in motion chasing the VFD motor wherever it goes.

The automotive industry has a planned maintenance schedule. Automotive manufacturers tend to shut lines down periodically throughout the year to do a thorough inspection and change out equipment that has reached the end of its service life. Additionally, automotive manufacturers have maintenance schedules that are based on the lifetime of each model. This occurs because platforms only last three to five years before that model is no longer made and all the equipment is retrofit or replaced for the new production line.

For the miles of cables installed, this means they are scrapped for their copper content.

When failures to the cables occur causing an unplanned shutdown, the manufacturer of the cables are usually called in to inspect the application and the maintenance crew are asked by management to fix the problem. Helukabel works with maintenance technicians to analyze the plant environment and cable usage in order to offer proper inspection and change out schedules based on potential cable life expectancy.

Maintenance requirements by industry — wind A wide variety of cables and wires are used in wind power plants, often thermoplastics – PVC or PUR insulated – or elastomers, such as rubber cables. In principle, all types of materials are subject to chemical and physical aging processes. The aging of plastics is influenced by internal and external factors. The intensity, duration, and type of load, as well as the surrounding media and other environmental conditions, influence the service life.

Wind turbine cables such as down tower and slip ring cables are usually switched out every 10 to 12 years on average. Replacements are usually done because of wear due to abrasion, degradation of the compounds due to elevated ambient temperature and high operating temperature.

When the wind is blowing, turbines usually run pretty close to the maximum operating temperatures specified by the manufacturers, which is associated with full load amperage of the system. They either run at full load or not at all.

Summary While there is no one-size-fits-all rule for cables and their service lives, having trained field support teams to evaluate specific applications and recommend the right cable is critical from the start. Furthermore, engineering technology can provide accurate estimates of the cycle life in the system so that degradation and wear on cables is accurately estimated and replacement schedules can be established for the most efficient cycles. DW Helukabel | Helukabel.com

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M8 Screw locking with 12 contacts Degree of protection IP67 Versions with and without shielding sheet Easy assembly Dip solder connection Various types

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Military OEM design engineers of wearable devices and tactical vests can simplify their designs and connectivity solutions with quality connectors and cable assemblies, which can optimize soldier productivity at every step of the decision cycle – observing, orienting, deciding and acting.

by Pfc. Vincent Levelev, from DVIDS (Defense Visual Information Distribution System)

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Better connections help soldiers

make better decisions faster Jack Midgley • Global Defense Market Leader, Fischer Connectors • www.fischerconnectors.com

Soldier modernization programs take on new urgency as funding priorities shift and operational demands increase. There are many challenges posed by resource constraints and changing operational environments. Defense connectivity solutions offer new capabilities and innovative, economical approaches to help soldiers and commanders at every level make better decisions faster — when observing, orienting, deciding and acting (OODA) in unforgiving operational environments.

There is no doubt that military forces worldwide are adapting their equipment and operating models to new levels of operational intensity. As the US Army Vision describes, forces are refocusing on “high-intensity conflict […] in dense urban terrain, in electronically degraded environments and under constant surveillance.” (1)

Advanced digital technologies Today’s modernization efforts are increasingly focused on optimizing the ability of individual soldiers and small units to share and process information using advanced digital technology. The digital “revolution in military affairs” is happening as four key technologies have matured: artificial intelligence, augmented reality, miniaturized inexpensive sensors and efficient wearable power supplies.

These four critical technologies create unprecedented demands for connections capable of handling massive amounts of data with minimal power and weight. The four revolutionary technologies are evident in the US Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS), recently approved for production. IVAS needs all four technologies to deliver its full capability, and the rush is on for effective, modular solutions to complement the massive latent capability of this new system.

In the US, Army acquisition authorities are searching for soldier modernization solutions including “body-worn systems, hand-held devices, smart lightweight electronic components and information processing to increase soldier maneuverability and protection through on-soldier sensing, remote sensing and knowledge management.” (2) DESIGN WORLD

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Accelerating tactical ...presents new challenges.... decision-making cycles...

...with new solutions.

OBSERVE

Integrate multi-source sensors for real-time data capture

Easy connections for multiple soldier-worn devices

ORIENT

Present data in soldierusable formats for fast analysis

Tactical hubs and connected vests integrate data and power between EUD and other body-worn devices

DECIDE

Connect soldiers, units and leaders reliably across the chain of command

Data and power connectors and cable assemblies deliver reliable connections in harsh environments

ACT

Move and communicate with confidence

360° connectivity and direct routing of cables minimize snag hazards, reduce weight and enhance mobility

But what advantages will these revolutionary technologies bring on the battlefield? Unlike a new warhead with easily measurable qualities like accuracy or penetration, soldier-worn systems require a different yardstick.

These systems connect soldiers with many types of information, and their advantage is measured in the quality and speed of decisions — those made by individual soldiers, and by commanders at every level. To take full advantage of revolutionary technologies, soldier-worn technology must collect and distribute information — that is, this technology must gain and maintain “connectivity” at each stage of the decision-making cycle.

Adapter

Our new connected world It is key to meet these new requirements with solutions that enhance connectivity at every phase in the OODA decision-making cycle. Soldier-worn technology has to contribute to rapid information processing, and a critical component to that is providing technology solutions to move information swiftly, reliably and with minimal power and size.

Observing - Orienting - Deciding Acting (OODA) Observing: Soldiers operating in dense urban environments need more than their own eyes to observe and detect threats. Observations from unmanned Sewing junction

Retaining ring

Fischer Connectors Freedom quick detach system for wearable connectivity features easy 360° mating, easy cleaning, and easy integration thanks to low-profile design and ergonomics.

Garment

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aerial vehicles (UAVs), sensors, advanced optics, even satellite imagery and video are now available at the lowest levels of the chain of command. How can these sources be sorted, integrated, and processed to understand the environment, without overwhelming the observer? Too many devices, connected in a web of cables, make tactical observations more difficult for soldiers in fast-changing situations. It is helpful to contribute to efficient tactical observation through a large variety of ultra-rugged, compact and easy-to-use connectivity solutions. The newest in connectors and cable assemblies offer the latest technology, with enhanced interaction design, integration capability, and plug-and-go functionality. Such technology allows soldiers to connect and route observation devices in any direction, ensuring that external cables always run straight to the device.

Straight connections allow soldiers to manage more devices with lightweight, uncomplicated connectors. Straight connections mean shorter cables, fewer tangles and better usability because equipment is lighter and faster to set up.

Orienting: Which observations require immediate attention? Which must be reported, and which can be ignored?

Unless the soldier can orient rapidly and accurately, observation data — and expensive sensor equipment — can be wasted. Sophisticated connectors help soldiers orient efficiently on tactical threats by providing reliable power and data connections to the new tactical hub. Using military standard connector solutions and a lightweight, bodyworn hub, a soldier can move data efficiently from multiple sensors and communication devices onto the EndUser Device (EUD) for processing and evaluation. Many advanced connectors and cable assemblies deliver rock-solid power and data connections with IP68level sealing, while eliminating key codes and delivering 360º mating freedom.

Cable-free solutions can also be achieved by integrating the panel plug directly into

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the housing of wearable devices such as radios, bodycams, LEDs, and alert systems or biometric sensors.

These wearables can be mated quickly and easily to ready-to-use cabled receptacles or receptacles with the new a quick detach system fitted into the fabric of a smart tactical vest. Keeping multiple devices in view and reliably connected through the hub allows soldiers to focus on the data — instead of on the devices and connections. Better focus can lead to faster, more accurate orientation to threats, maximizing the impact of soldier-worn sensors and communication devices.

Deciding: When the soldier and unit are correctly oriented, options have to be defined and a course of action selected. This takes fast, accurate communication within the unit, and between the unit and its headquarters, adjacent units and supporting elements. Defensecentric connectors add reliability and speed to military decisionmaking processes by keeping soldiers reliably connected to their communications and sensor suites. Shorter cables, a compact, efficient hub and tight power and data connections minimize “out of communication” challenges that slow decision making and add risk in tactical environments.

Acting: When a decision is made, soldiers need to be able to move, act and communicate rapidly and accurately. Connected vests minimize external snagging hazards and allow instant connection or disconnection of wearable devices. By using a single battery to power all the soldier’s body-worn technology, the solution lightens the soldier’s load, increasing agility and speed of movement. No soldier should have to think about connected devices when the time comes for decisive action, and a connector system — improved connectors, tactical hub, low-profile cables and optimized power management — is the ideal approach for helping soldiers act with maximum effect.

The next generation of soldier-worn equipment will allow individual soldiers to apply information and insight, once available, only to higher commanders and staff.

In summary Military OEM design engineers of wearable devices and tactical vests can simplify their designs and connectivity solutions with connectors and cable assemblies that optimize soldier productivity at every step of the decision cycle. Plug-and-go connectors that have 360° mating capabilities have been specially engineered to optimize cable and power management. The panel plug can be directly integrated into the housing of wearables such as sensors, bodycams, LEDs, IR beacons, flash drives, etc. Such wearables can quickly be mated to a ready-to-use cabled receptacle with a quick detach system fitted into a connected vest. DW 1 “The Army Strategy” www.army.mil/e2/downloads/rv7/the_army_ strategy_2018.pdf 2 US Army Devcom Broad Agency Announcement, March 2020. www. dsjournal.com/2020/03/26/us-army-combat-capabilitiesdevelopmentcommands-soldier-center-issues-broad-agency-announcement-baafor-basic-and-applied-research/

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Product World Electromagnetic actuated clutches Miki Pulley mikipulley-us.com These high-performance clutches function using electromagnetic force generated by an energized coil providing physical engagement of input and output members of the clutch. They provide an efficient connection between system motor and load with low inertia, minimal drag, and zero backlash.

CSZ Clutches have an integrated bearing design, making mounting fast and easy while ensuring application concentricity and excellent system runout. The clutch is designed as a single unitized assembled part with a pre-set factory air gap. Also important, CSZ Clutches operate well in temperatures from +14 to +104°F (-10 to +40°C).

Available in bores ranging from 10 to 15mm, with brake torques ranging from 1.77 ft. lbs. to 7.376 ft. lbs. (2.4 Nm – 10 Nm).

High-performance integrated motion control line Emerson Emerson.com/PACMotion The PACMotion servo motion control portfolio offers an integrated automation solution for highperformance industrial applications. The portfolio includes a new motion controller that connects directly into the PACSystems RX3i programmable logic controller backplane for high-speed, high-precision performance with synchronized motion for up to 40 coordinated axes, enabling end-users to scale up their motion systems without sacrificing performance.

The complete PACMotion portfolio includes motion controller, servo motors, servo drives, and motion configuration software for applications in packaging, printing, material handling, semiconductors, food & beverage, and general manufacturing. The new PACMotion PMM345 motion controller operates exclusively with PACSystems RX3i controllers, simplifying the architecture for seamless integration while enabling higher speeds and greater precision.

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Electrostatically dissipative AX500 tribo-polymer igus igus.com igus has developed a wear-resistant material for high-temperature applications that will help ensure reliable and durable operation and will be especially beneficial for the food and packaging industries.

The new material, iglide AX500, is a long-lasting bearing that can stand up to friction, heat, and electrostatic charges. Bearing points in food and packaging industry applications frequently experience high temperatures and speeds, and the new AX500 material functions reliably in such situations.

Dosing systems equipped with highly sensitive mechanisms can fill thousands of bags in no time. Slides and belts then move the products to a box. At these high speeds, all the packaging mechanisms, especially bearings, are subjected to wear.

Plain bearings made of the new iglide AX500 high-performance polymer help make bearing points maintenance-free and durable. The new material is electrostatically dissipative, ensuring that the bags do not stick to each other and employees do not receive electric shocks.

5- and 6-pin versions of M8 connector Binder binder-usa.com binder USA has introduced 5- and 6-pin versions of its M8 snapin circular connectors. Previously available in only 3- and 4-pin arrangements, the new versions increase the flexibility in a wider variety of applications. These cable connectors are suitable for signal transmission applications subject to space constraints, from industrial sensor and actuators to conveyor technology, to drones.

The secure snap-in locking mechanism does not use any rotating elements, ensuring quick, simple, and efficient installation. Latching is confirmed with an audible clicking sound. IP65-level protection offers highly reliable performance in harsh industrial environments.

Highlights:

• binder Series: 718 • >50 mating cycles • Protection rating: IP65 • Rated voltage: 30 V to 60 V • Rated current: 1.5 A to 3 A (5 and 6 pins) and 2 A to 4 A (3 and 4 pins) • Rated impulse voltage: 800 V (5 and 6 pins) and 1500 V (3 and 4 pins)

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Product World ¾-Length, Single-Slot PCIe Carrier Card Acromag acromag.com The APCe8775 carrier card offers a simple and costeffective solution that allows a PC to communicate with an XMC mezzanine module over a PCI Express (PCIe) bus. System developers can insert an Acromag FPGA module or other XMC module on the carrier card to perform several signal processing functions. The APCe8775 3/4-length PCIe card is suitable for smaller embedded computers and servers with reduced-depth expansion slots. Low-profile fans provide XMC cooling from within a single expansion slot. The carrier’s PCIe x8 interface supports up to eight serial lanes for rapid data transfer between the plug-in XMC module and the host computer. These carriers are suitable high-performance military and scientific research computing systems. They can also help test advanced defense and aerospace systems for later deployment on rugged computing platforms such as VME, VPX, or CompactPCI.

Industrial PC with IP65/67 rating in compact form factor Beckhoff beckhoff.com This Industrial PC (IPC) is designed with IP65/67 protection for direct installation on machines or other equipment. The Microsoft Azure Certified and AWS Qualified edge device is suitable for decentralized installation and provides powerful multi-core computing performance. As a robust control computer, the device also reduces control cabinet space requirements, optimizes machine design, and simplifies subsequent system expansions.

The C7015 ultra-compact IPC, which measures just 85 x 167 x 43 mm, is cost-effective and universally suited to highperformance automation, visualization, and communication purposes. Its applications range from classic machine control to the decentralized edge computing used in advanced Industry 4.0 concepts.

The C7015 uses Intel Atom multi-core processors with up to four cores. Compared to conventional ARM-based edge devices, it supports far more demanding applications and as decentralized data pre-processing, and the acquisition of large data volumes.

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Soft Starter MCD 600 Danfoss danfossdrives.com The VLT Soft Starter MCD 600 Enclosed provides a flexible solution to potentially long lead times that are currently seen in the industry. This product is in stock and ready to ship quickly — including the NEMA 3R enclosure.

The new MCD 600 Enclosed offers the latest in soft start motor control and protection for superior performance in fixed-speed applications wherever Drives are used. The product provides all the features and functions as a standard MCD 600 Soft Starter in a compact NEMA12 or NEMA3R enclosure, with circuit breaker, keypad, and operators on the door.

Features:

• Mains voltage range 3 x 480 VAC • Inbuilt impeller cleaning assistance with pump clean functionality • Advanced start, stop, and protection features • Auto start/stop clock • DC injection braking • 4-line graphical display

Threaded line vac EXAIR exair.com The 3 NPT Heavy Duty Threaded Line Vac is an in-line conveyor that transports high volumes of material through ordinary pipe. Designed for rugged, industrial applications, it is made of a hardened alloy to prevent premature wear when transporting abrasive or heavy materials like garnet, glass, sand, shot blast, tumbling media, or metal fittings. These units feature large throat diameters that make it possible to convey more material over longer vertical and horizontal lengths. The conveying rate is typically twice that of ordinary air-powered conveyors.

Heavy Duty Threaded Line Vac conveyors eject a small amount of compressed air through directed nozzles to produce a vacuum on one end, and high output flows on the other with instantaneous response. Using a pressure regulator, conveyance rate can be finely tuned to suit the needs of your application. There are no moving parts to wear out, and no electricity is required.

Seven sizes from 3/4 NPT to 3 NPT fit standard pipe and coupling sizes. Additional models made from aluminum, 303SS, and 316SS are also available in eleven sizes, with or without threads. Sanitary flange models from 1-1/2 to 3-in. are also available.

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Ad Index Actuonix Motion Devices ..................................... 48 Allied Moulded Products,Inc. ...............................52 AllMotion ......................................................................20 Altech Corporation ..................................................... 1 Altra Industrial Motion Corp. ..............27,28,29,30 Automation Direct .................................................. IFC Banner Engineering ............................................... BC Bay Associates Wire Technology, Inc. ..............32 Bird Precision ............................................................ 48 Bishop Wisecarver ................................................. IBC Canfield Connector ................................................. 59 Carlyle Johnson .........................................................18 Components Corporation .................................... 50 Cornell Dubilier Electronics, Inc. ..........................37 CS Hyde Company ...................................................63 Del-tron ....................................................................... 69 Digi-Key ......................................................................... 17 Engineering Week ................................................... 90 HELUKABEL USA .....................................................39 Interpower ...................................................................38 John Evans’ Sons, Inc. ...........................................44 Keystone Electronics Corp ....................................21 Kingway USA .............................................................23 METCASE .....................................................................19 PBC Linear ................................................................. 64 Pyramid Inc. ............................................................... 85 Ruland Manufacturing Co., Inc. ...........................45 Schmersal ...................................................................25 Smalley Steel Ring ...................................................75 Smart Products USA .............................................. 56 Sorbothane .................................................................81 The Lee Company ....................................................53 Trim-Lok .......................................................................36 Whittet-Higgins .........................................................35 Zero-Max, Inc ............................................................... 2

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