DESIGN WORLD JANUARY_MAIN ISSUE

Leadership in Engineering 2023

THK is committed to meeting the worldwide demand for linear motion products. We manufacture, assemble, and ship across North America from our location in Hebron, Ohio. We’ve also ramped up our automating processes at existing facilities, including our U.S. manufacturing plant, where over 70% of THK Robotics Components are manufactured. Automated processes at this state-of-the-art facility enable increased production while maintaining the high standard of precision associated with THK products. To learn more, call us at 1-800-763-5459 or visit www.thk.com. See us at ATX West, Anaheim CA, Feb. 7 - 9, Booth #4254

Need Pneumatic Components?

Everything you need at great prices, in stock and ready to ship same day

Pneumatic Air Preparation

All pneumatic motion requires clean and dry air. The process of filtering, regulating and lubricating compressed air is known as air prep. The Norgren and NITRA family of air preparation components include:

• Particulate filters with 40 micron filter element (5 micron option), coalescing type and oil vapor removal in sizes from 1/8” to 1” NPT port sizes

• Regulators with adjustment from 4-58 PSI, 7-60 PSI, 7-130 PSI and 4-145 PSI

• Combination filter/regulators available with same options in one unit

• Lubricators in 1/8” to 1” port sizes

• Total air prep units that combine all air preparation functions in one compact unit

Solenoid Valves

Solenoid valves are electrically controlled to direct air flow to sequence operations in pneumatic systems. Solenoid valves are used to control cylinders, rotary actuators, grippers and other pneumatic devices. Use a manifold to simplify plumbing for a bank of valves. Modular systems even allow networked control of valve group.

• Available as stand-alone units or as part of a compact modular valve system

• Stand-alone units can be used with optional manifolds to make system configuration simpler

• Available in 3-port/3-way, and 5-port/4-way styles

• 4-way valves come in 2-position or 3-position styles with center closed or center open

Pneumatic Cylinders

The most popular style of pneumatic actuator uses compressed air acting on a piston inside a cylinder to move a load along a linear path.

• Round body cylinders available in single-acting or double-acting styles, with up to an 18-inch stroke and 2-inch bore. Also available in stainless steel. Magnetic pistons are optional.

• NFPA tie rod air cylinders come in double-acting style, with up to a 32-inch stroke and 4-inch bore. All include a magnetic piston. Adjustable ai cushions are an option.

• ISO 15552 air cylinders are double-acting cylinders with up to a 600mm stroke and 100mm bore. All include magnetic pistons and adjustable air cushions.

• Metric and Inch compact air cylinders as well as dual rod guided air cylinders also available.

Insights

A thank you to two impactful editors

With the new year always comes change. Here at Design World, we’re bidding adieu to two fantastic editors who are retiring after long and fruitful careers. Leslie Langnau, who served for more than a decade as this publication’s Managing Editor, has truly been my mentor here. She’s covered a bit of everything for us, with a special focus on the additive manufacturing space — and her insights there have always been must-reads for that part of the industry. You may still see Leslie’s name around now and again, as she’s agreed to help on a few projects moving forward.

The other editor is Lee Teschler, who came over to WTWH a handful of years ago from a competitor and planned to stay a short while — but he enjoyed his stay here so much that he decided to push o retirement a few years until now. Lee’s long been a respected voice in the industry, and his columns always have something important to teach. His insightful editorials, well-researched feature stories, and brilliant tear-down videos will be sorely missed.

At the same time, I’m a bit overdue to welcome Rachael Pasini, our newest sta member, as Senior Editor on both Design World and Fluid Power World. Rachael, a multi-degreed engineer from The Ohio State University, brings with her a natural talent for technical writing, as well as the experience of a fascinating career that has even included teaching math and physics in Hawaii. Rachael started with us in September.

Speaking of Rachael, she’ll be joining three longtime Design World editors — Lisa Eitel, Miles Budimir, and Mike Santora — in taking over Leslie’s Technology Forward column. The four editors will rotate throughout the year to bring you their latest thoughts and opinions in a variety of industry niches, from motion control to engineering ethics, and robotics to digital manufacturing advances. The first column in this new series appears in this issue.

There’s a lot more excitement to come in 2023, so please stay tuned. We’re planning some strategic ways to keep you better connected to the news, trends, and technologies that a ect your job every day. As always, I look forward to hearing your feedback and ideas for improving the publication and its websites. DW

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

Compare These Blowoffs

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

e goal for each of the blowoff choices was to use the least amount of air possible to get the job done (lowest energy and noise level). e compressed air pressure required was 60 PSIG. e blower used had a ten horsepower motor and was a centrifugal type blower at 18,000 RPM. e table below summarizes the overall performance.

Drilled Pipe is common blowoff is very inexpensive and easy to make. For this test, we used (2) drilled pipes, each with (25) 1/16" diameter holes on 1/2" centers. e drilled pipe performed poorly. e initial cost of the drilled pipe is overshadowed by its high energy use. e holes are easily blocked and the noise level is excessive. Velocity across the entire length was very inconsistent with spikes of air and numerous dead spots.

Flat Air Nozzles is inexpensive air nozzle was the worst performer. It is available in plastic, aluminum and stainless steel from several manufacturers. e flat air nozzle provides some entrainment, but suffers from many of the same problems as the drilled pipe. Operating cost and noise level are high. For some flat air nozzles the holes can be blocked - an OSHA violation. Velocity was inconsistent with spikes of air.

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

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

Facts about Blowers

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

Here are some important facts:

Filters must be replaced every one to three months.

Belts must be replaced every three to six months.

Typical bearing replacement is at least once a year at a cost near $1000.

• Blower bearings wear out quickly due to the high speeds (17-20,000 RPM) required to generate effective airflows.

• Poorly designed seals that allow dirt and moisture infiltration and environments above 125°F decrease the one year bearing life.

• Many bearings can not be replaced in the field, resulting in downtime to send the assembly back to the manufacturer.

11510 Goldcoast Drive • Cincinnati, OH 45249-1621 • Phone (513) 671-3322 FAX (513) 671-3363 • E-mail: techelp@exair.com • www.exair.com

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

Manufacturing Intelligent Compressed Air® Products

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

Technology Forward

If it isn’t broken, make it better

In late October, I had the pleasure of attending the 2022 PTDA Industry Summit in Nashville. As a new editor and first-timer, I arrived with an open mind and eagerness to learn. Still, my expectations were quickly shattered during the annual business meeting and with every interaction thereafter. I didn’t expect such a tough industry to start with so much kindheartedness for friends and family. Each person who took the stage paid warm gratitude to the people in their lives who supported them so that they could excel in their careers and elevate the industry.

During the opening keynote, Alan Beaulieu discussed economic data and industry forecasts, assuring that manufacturers struggling to manage backorders may feel a sense of relief as the market eases. “We’re not looking at a recession. We’re looking at opportunities, just at a decelerated rate of rise,” said Beaulieu. But he cautioned against getting too comfortable because things aren’t returning to “normal” anytime soon. Though inflation is expected to take a break, it’ll creep back up again.

Speaking of comfort, Risha Grant encouraged attendees to have uncomfortable conversations that promote inclusiveness and diversity

appreciation in the workplace. Tough industries need to have tough talks about accepting others — because whether anyone likes it or not, the markets are already diverse, and customers and employees from all walks of life expect to be treated fairly.

With the lasting e ects of COVID-19, manufacturers continue to rethink how they do business. Brick-and-mortar businesses used to be vital for connecting and building relationships. Now, digital presence is more valued since customers use virtual means to research and learn. Therefore, manufacturers are paying closer attention to people’s preferences to create digital experiences that help customers find desired products and services.

Manufacturers are also refining their processes and adopting new technology to serve their customers better. “If you don’t accept new technology, you’ll be run over by time,” said Beaulieu. However, customers don’t care if OEMs are innovative or flashy. They want the exact part with the exact specifications within the needed time

frame at the best cost. And they want to know that the OEM will be there to help when they call.

More than ever, each OEM is part manufacturer and part customer service provider. But that doesn’t mean they’re not innovating or thinking of the future. There’s a reason why products are still flying o the shelves, even at a decelerated rate.

Aside from production lines and economics, I learned more than expected at this year’s PTDA Industry Summit. And the most important lesson that we can all take away is this: When considering parts for any motion system, don’t forget the most important part — the people part. DW

Rachael Pasini rpasini@wtwhmedia.com

Sustainable Engineering

Paul J. Heney • VP, Editorial Director

Global carbon capture capacity to rise sixfold by 2030

According to research company BloombergNEF’s (BNEF) newly released 2022 Carbon capture, usage, and storage (CCUS) Market Outlook, the global capacity for carbon capture in 2030 is set to increase sixfold from today’s level, to 279 million tons of CO2 captured per year. Drastic growth in the market has led to a 44% increase in expected 2030 capacity compared to last year’s outlook.

CCUS is a key technology needed to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors such as petrochemicals and cement, and to provide 24/7 clean power through gas plants fitted with capture equipment. Still, despite significant acceleration in the sector in the past two years, the world’s capacity for carbon capture is not being deployed fast enough to meet climate goals at the end of the decade, according to BNEF research.

Today, most capture capacity is used to collect CO2 from natural gas processing plants and used for enhanced oil recovery. By 2030, most capture capacity will be used for the power sector, for the manufacture of low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia, or to abate emissions from industrial sources.

The CO2 being captured today is 43 million tons, or 0.1% of global emissions. If all likely announced projects come online, there would be 279 million tons of CO2 captured every year by 2030, accounting for 0.6% of today’s emissions.

The destination for captured CO2 is also due to change significantly from the status quo. In 2021, some 73% went to enhanced oil recovery operations. By 2030, storing CO2 deep underground will overtake oil recovery as the primary destination, with 66% going to dedicated storage sites. This change is being driven by legislation that incentivizes storage over CO2 usage, and by projects that aim to use carbon capture and storage (CCS) as a decarbonization route and must store the CO2 to meet their goals.

“CCS is starting to overcome its bad reputation,” said David Lluis Madrid, CCUS analyst at BNEF and lead author of the report. “It is now being deployed as a decarbonization tool, which means the CO2 needs to be stored. A lack of CO2 transport and storage sites near industrial or power generation point sources could be a major bottleneck to CCS development. But we are already seeing a big increase in these projects to serve that need.”

The industry is still far from making a dent in global emissions. To be on track for net-zero and less than 2° C

of warming by 2050, between 1-2 billion tons of CO2 would need to be captured in 2030, an order of magnitude higher than current plans.

The Inflation Reduction Act passed in the U.S. increased tax credits for CCUS by 70%, making a viable business case for the technology in petrochemicals, steel, cement, and in some regions, power. Incentives like these mean that countries, such as the US, will remain global leaders for CCUS. The U.S. tax credits are now very generous, and the law is set to supercharge project announcements in the ethanol and petrochemicals sectors, as well as in direct air capture (DAC), to provide high-quality carbon o sets for the voluntary market.

“This 279 million tons of capacity in 2030 is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Julia Attwood, head of sustainable materials at BNEF. “We haven’t seen the full impact of these credits yet, making this outlook a fairly conservative view of the future of carbon capture and storage. We expect to see another jump in announcements in 2022, especially in the U.S. as developers there rush to make sure they meet the 2032 deadline for credits.” DW

BloombergNEF about.bnef.com

62 MOTION CONTROL

Sizing a dynamic brake resistor Dynamic brakes in electric motor drives divert rising DC bus voltage seen during load deceleration. Here we explain how to size the resistors that process that voltage.

68 LINEAR MOTION A straight line to e ective linear motion

Servo- and stepper-driven electrical linear actuators are an e cient and economical way to provide accurate motion control for a wide variety of machine applications.

76 ELECTRONICS

Focus on embedded microcontrollers

What you need to know about embedded microcontrollers, the brains behind embedded systems.

84 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

94 MECHANICAL

It is estimated that bearing faults account for around half of all failures in electric machines. The consequences of failure can result in unplanned downtime, machine breakdowns, equipment damage, and financial losses. To prevent this and ensure consistent performance, e ective bearing maintenance is essential. But when a single machine can contain hundreds of bearings, how can this be managed? Here, Chris Johnson, managing director of bearing supplier SMB Bearings explains.

120 PACKAGING

Order Up! New technology helps fry oil go green

Cooking oil is one of the most widely used products in restaurants and commercial kitchens. Nearly $80 billion of frying oil is used every year by the restaurant industry. That’s a lot of oil, which, unfortunately, ends up as waste once it degrades during the cooking process.

108 LEADERSHIP

Combining the benefits of 3D printing technologies into a hybrid platform cuts costs and time compared to traditional sand casting processes.

The nation’s newest Brigadier General is looking beyond herself to build up future leaders.

Follow the whole team on twitter @DesignWorld

EDITORIAL

VP, Editorial Director

Paul J. Heney pheney@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_paulheney

Managing Editor

Mike Santora msantora@wtwhmedia.com @dw_mikesantora

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

Senior Editor

Rachael Pasini rpasini@wtwhmedia.com @WTWH_Rachael

Associate Editor

Heather Hall hhall@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_heathhall

CREATIVE SERVICES

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

Senior Art Director Matthew Claney mclaney@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_designer

Senior Graphic Designer Allison Washko awashko@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_allison

Graphic Designer Mariel Evans mevans@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_mariel

Director, Audience Development

Bruce Sprague bsprague@wtwhmedia.com

WEB DEV / DIGITAL OPERATIONS

Web Development Manager

B. David Miyares dmiyares@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_webdave

Senior Digital Media Manager

Patrick Curran pcurran@wtwhmedia.com @wtwhseopatrick

Front End Developer

Melissa Annand mannand@wtwhmedia.com

Software Engineer David Bozentka dbozentka@wtwhmedia.com

DIGITAL MARKETING

VP, Digital Marketing Virginia Goulding vgoulding@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_virginia

Digital Marketing Manager

Taylor Meade tmeade@wtwhmedia.com @WTWH_Taylor

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EVENTS Events Manager Jen Osborne josborne@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_jen

Events Manager

Brittany Belko bbelko@wtwhmedia.com

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WTWH Media, LLC 1111 Superior Ave. 26th Floor Cleveland, OH 44114 Ph: 888.543.2447

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YATES CYLINDERS ALABAMA

55 Refreshment Place Decatur, AL 35601 Phone: 256.351.8081 alsales@yatesind.com

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YATES CYLINDERS OHIO 550 Bellbrook Ave. Xenia, OH 45385 Phone: 513.217.6777 ohsales@yatesind.com

Design for Industry

Tips on applying robots in food and beverage applications

Designed to help users with their initial foray into robotic automation, the KUKA Robot Guide makes the process fast and easy to apply the right automation to specific application needs. In three steps, users are presented with KUKA robot options based on their industry, application and environment.

Within the guide, users can choose between various industries, including automotive, food & beverage, medical, plastics, electronics, and metal. Users

can then drill down to almost any application environment. In addition, users can choose from a large family of robots suited for applications requiring extreme precision and repetitive tasks with fast cycle times and for those within large foundry operations. Application categories include arc and laser welding, machining, measuring, and inspection and range from applying/gluing and painting, to handling and assembly. Users can also indicate whether the robot will work autonomously in an isolated environment or collaboratively with humans.

From there, customers can select case studies, application videos, white papers, parameters, and details of each suggested robot’s technical specifications. These include payload, reach, mounting positions, and other pertinent features for providing an instant recommendation walk-thru without entering a sales consultation. DW

KUKA | www.kuka.com/en-us/robot-guide

Design for Industry

Aerospace

Motors help map the stars

Fiber optics collect the light om the celestial bodies. The extremely precise alignment of each of the fibers is performed by 500 small robots, which are driven by FAULHABER motors.

Over the next five years, Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) V plans to observe four million stars and 300,000 black holes, analyze spectra and material composition, reconstruct cosmic development histories, and verify physical models of the birth of the galaxy.

Two optical large-scale telescopes in the northern and southern hemisphere will be used for the major international project, among other things. Fiber optics collect the light from the celestial bodies. The precise alignment of each of the fibers is performed by 500 small robots, which are driven by FAULHABER motors.

SDSS is a cooperative alliance of astrophysicists from around the world. Over the past year, they have already presented the largest 3D map of the universe and thereby marked a milestone in astronomical research. Equipped with many telescopes and other scientific instruments, the researchers are working constantly on a range of projects.

The latest is SDSS V, which aims to enable another qualitative leap in the understanding of the physical processes in outer space. The project will make

possible the “first spectroscopic observation of the entire sky in various astronomical dimensions of time in the optical and infrared light spectrum.” In total, more than six million objects are to be targeted.

How planets are formed — Among the objectives of this endeavor is the reconstruction of the history of our home galaxy, the Milky Way. Moreover, researchers plan to retrace the formation of the chemical elements, decrypt the inner workings of stars, examine the formation of planets and answer many of the open questions that remain with

regard to black holes.

Another aspect is the mapping of the interstellar gas masses of the Milky Way — a thousand times more precisely than previously — to describe the “self-regulating mechanisms of galactic ecosystems.” The data related to black holes and for the measurement of the Milky Way are to be collected by two large-scale telescopes: Apache Point in New Mexico and Las Campanas in Chile.

“With the dual perspective from the northern and southern hemisphere, we can view the sky in all directions,” explained Jean-Paul Kneib, professor of astrophysics at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland. “We have also used the two telescopes in the previous SDSS projects. With SDSS V we are now making a true quantum leap with regard to the efficiency of the observation and the amount of collected data.”

Spotting supernova — Placed in the telescopes are optical fibers that are targeted at specific objects in the universe. Individual stars or the luminous accretion discs of black holes can be precisely observed and analyzed. “Previously, we had to have special plates fabricated for each of the different observation tasks. It took several weeks for each plate to be prepared. The mounting of the fibers was then secured in the plate by hand — a very complex and time-consuming process,” said Jean-Paul Kneib.

With the new technology developed specifically for SDSS V, the rearrangement of the fibers will take no more than a minute instead of weeks. Because now the fibers are adjusted by means of 500 small machines — referred to by the astronomers as “robots” — in each of the two telescopes. This also allows the researchers to respond immediately to unpredicted cosmic events.

If, for example, other telescopes discover a current event such as a supernova, one of the optical elements can be aligned with it with practically no time delay. This enables a detailed analysis of the physical-chemical processes within a time span of supernova development that was not previously possible with this type of instrumentation.

Placed in the telescopes are optical fibers that

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Aerospace Design for Industry

With micrometer precision. Each of the small robots consists of two slim cylinders arranged lengthwise with a curved extension at the front end. The rear, thicker cylinder is secured in the plate of the telescope. It forms the alpha unit and turns the central axis of the robot. Mounted eccentrically to the front of this is the beta unit. It likewise moves the fiber tips in the curved end in a circular path.

Through the combination of the two axial movements, the fiber tips can be freely positioned within a circular area. Each circle covered by one of the robots partially overlaps the circles of the adjacent units. In the detection range of the telescope, each point of the sky can thereby be automatically targeted.

Three optical fibers are arranged in the small robot. One is designed for light in the visible spectrum and one for the infrared spectrum. The third is used for calibration. With its help, the fiber tips are moved into position in three steps with an accuracy of just a few micrometers: In a first rough alignment, the two motors turn until the fiber intended for the observation is directed at the target object with a deviation of, on average, 50 micrometers. A camera in the telescope that is directed at the front ends of the robots now detects the tip of the calibration fiber and measures its position. In two further positioning steps, the robot head is then moved into position with a precision of better than five micrometers.

Researching faster — “Because we save an enormous amount of time with the automatic alignment, we can observe many more objects and perform a corresponding larger number of individual measurements,” explained Jean-Paul Kneib. “This e ect is raised to an even higher power through the high precision. The diameter of the optical fibers is one hundred micrometers. The diameter of the light spot from an observed cosmic object that hits the telescope is just as big. The more exact

these two small surfaces are aligned with one another the greater the light output we have for our measurements and the faster we obtain valid results.”

The technical prerequisites for this extreme accuracy are provided by motors and gearheads from FAULHABER as well as the mechanics developed specifically for this application by FAULHABER subsidiary MPS. The two robot axes are driven by brushless DC-servomotors of the 1218 ... B series for the alpha axis and the 0620 ... B for the beta axis. The first two digits of the type designation indicate the diameter of the microdrives: twelve and six millimeters. Their force is transferred to the robot mechanics by means of suitable planetary gearheads. The robot mechanics used here were developed and constructed by MPS. Integrated encoders report the rotary position of the motors to the controller.

Backlash-free precision. “To achieve the required precision, we had to eliminate the backlash in the system,” said Stefane Caseiro, who was responsible for the design of the components at MPS. The engineers accomplished this by, among other things, replacing the conventional coupling between the gearhead shafts and the mechanical axes of the robot with clamp connections and by installing a compression spring to make the gearhead backlash-free. “Finding the suitable springs alone took several months,” said the MPS engineer. DW

FAULHABER MICROMO LLC www.faulhaber.com

Harwin’s

n High-Rel connectors

n EMC shielding solutions

n Board-to-board interconnect

Design for Industry

Aerospace

Amplifier series covers broadband and ultra-broadband equencies

Temperature-compensated amplifiers address precision performance and test-and-measurement applications, including those in aerospace applications.

The coaxial packaged, temperature-compensated amplifiers cover broadband and ultra-broadband frequencies ranging from 0.5 GHz to 40 GHz. Designs incorporate pin diode attenuation circuitry that senses and adjusts broadband gain levels and maintains a minimum gain level of 35 dB over the full operational temperature range of -67 to +185° Fahrenheit.

These assemblies use MIC thin film and MMIC semiconductor technology in rugged, military-grade, compact coaxial packages that are designed for high reliability and meet a series of MIL-STD-202F environmental test conditions for altitude, vibration, humidity, and shock.

The comprehensive portfolio of temperature-compensated amplifiers is available with or without heat sinks to address multiple applications. Designs support internal voltage regulation that covers DC voltages ranging from +12 Vdc to +15 Vdc, an output of 1.0 dB compression and power levels from 15 dBm to 20 dBm. DW

Fairview Microwave www.fairviewmicrowave.com

IT’S WHAT’S ON THE INSIDE THAT COUNTS ® ELECTRONICS CORP.

Aerospace Design for Industry

Accelerating real-time digitization

Various real-time connected industries must support high-bandwidth and low-latency communication from devices to real-time clouds and back again. Providers of such end-toend solutions need highly homogeneous platforms along these data supply chains, from the edge servers of the network infrastructure to the distributed and mobile devices, to make implementation as easy as possible. This ecosystem for TSN is aimed at networked factories and critical infrastructures. The goal of the comprehensive edge computing platform portfolio for TSN is to make it as easy to build time sensitive networks for smart factory and critical infrastructure operators deploying standard Ethernet infrastructures. Such entirely connected solutions need secure real-time gateway technologies to connect the brownfield and real-time clouds — both synchronized via Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) for various real-time services. These platforms are prepared for reliable low-latency communication at the edge and include real-time hypervisor support for deterministic and secure data processing and data exchange between the devices and real-time clouds in harsh industrial environments. Target applications of the new TSN enabled ecosystem include industrial manufacturing, healthcare,

energy and utilities, transportation and logistics, aerospace, government, and public safety.

This particular platform from congatec provides everything needed for an all-encompassing solution platform — including all interface options to connect the distributed equipment and its peripherals and I/Os via 100Base-T1.

The TSN enabled edge computing ecosystem spans the entire range of latest Computer-on-Modules supporting even real-time enabled 5G cellular connectivity for real-time 5G clients and gateways, as well as server-grade real-time cloud and base station Serveron-Modules. All those modules are TSN enabled, support Real-Time Hypervisor technology and are prepared to host any third-party real-time enabled cellular 5G connectivity. OEMs can use these platforms to deploy their real-time applications in pre-configured realtime virtual machines, focusing all their attention on the development of the application instead of having to concern themselves with the specific settings required to enable the hardware to communicate via TSN. For local wired infrastructures between servers and clients, TSN enabled smart switching platforms are available as well. DW

congatec | www.congatec.com

CABLE SYSTEM SOLUTIONS FOR INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION

HELUKABEL is a global cable system solutions provider specializing in the production of cables, wires, accessories, cable assemblies, robotic dress packs, and drag chains. Our electrical solutions consistently and reliably bring power and transmit data to our customer’s applications in various automation-focused industries including food and beverage, material handling, and machine building, among many more.

With a comprehensive product portfolio of more than 33,000 stock items, and the capabilities to design and build custom solutions, HELUKABEL is your one-stop source for electrical connection technology.

Design for Industry Medical

New requirements for connectors for medical devices

Fundamental market and competitive changes are expected in the future, partly as a consequence of the COVID pandemic, bringing with them opportunities and challenges in equal measure, according to the “Medical Technology Trend Report” study by SPECTARIS. Accordingly, adjustments to the way companies work, expansion of digital sales channels, and digital service solutions were described as the three most important e ects. Likewise, corporate functions such as research and development and IT services are in particularly high demand - which poses renewed challenges for companies due to the shortage of skilled workers.

The political demands left clear traces in the health care system. A drastic shortage of health care and nursing professionals is driving the need for supportive processes. This increases the need to maintain productivity through the increased use of medical technology. The requirements for medical devices have changed significantly, and the focus is on the safety of patients and medical sta when operating medical devices. Added to this are the changed technical requirements. Possible problems due to human operator error should be reduced to a minimum.

“This also increases the demand for robotics and automation to make medical devices even more powerful and safer,” said Mathias Wuttke - Business Development Manager Medical Europe at ODU. Particularly with regard to plugin connections, this does not result in completely new products, but the detail requirements are increasing. From IEC 60601 requirements for MOOP and MOPP to product remanufacturing, extensive product testing is required. In addition, quality management controls are increasing, as defect-free, reproducible products are required more than ever.

From a technical point of view, one of the biggest challenges customers currently face is with regard to clearance and creepage distances. These take on a completely different meaning due to the new evaluation of the products based on the MDR. For example, the insulation diagram must be considered for the product and all safety-relevant points from IEC 60601-1 must be observed. In addition, there are the adapted requirements from the MDR, which demands not only the medical device manufacturers, but also the suppliers. To implement the MDR, ODU maintains appropriate technical documentation, risk and change management, and CMR substance management. Furthermore, complete traceability is ensured and there is the option of applying the Unique Device Identification (UDI) by laser

marking. The topics of patient and user protection (2 MOOP and 2 MOPP) are implemented in the products in compliance with IEC60601-1. Customer and application-specific applications or special designs with confections increase.

In general, companies face difficulties in procuring raw materials and correspondingly much longer lead times. Supply bottlenecks for raw materials and components are delaying production in all industries, and additionally rising costs for energy are making products more expensive. The mood of crisis is forcing companies to increase inventories, cut investments and attract more suppliers. Due to ODU’s high vertical range of manufacturing, challenges in the supply chain can be better balanced. The manufacturing sites on different

continents support and complement each other.

Collaboration has changed due to digitalization. “Customer and supplier have moved even closer together, and digital communication and cooperation options make processes more effective and faster,” said Stefan Wittmann, Application Manager at ODU. Nevertheless, personal contact is important, especially during initial contact and project start-up, in order to define requirements concretely and discuss possibilities. DW

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Sensor breaks new ground for prostheses

French startup Kurage is an industry leader in combining innovative medical technology and top-class sports in a more inclusive world. It uses intelligent products to help people with limited mobility move their paralyzed limbs. One key element of their neuroprosthesis is the silicone force sensor SXTSC1 from Sateco.

The sensor is integrated into the sole of a shoe and provides data on walking behavior. This information is evaluated by an AI-based algorithm that powers a system of neuromuscular electrostimulation electrodes. As a result, the system is able to reproduce functional movements in a personalized and secure manner to o set flaws in the sensomotoric performance of the movement apparatus.

The key is the soft structure of the sensor, which enables sensor integration in the shoe, and the force distribution on the foot can be measured across a large area. As a result, an exceptionally clear signal is created. The signal is created in conjunction with the sensor’s silicone material and the appropriate evaluation electronics. DW

Sateco | www.satecogroup.com

The eely designable base area and dimensions of the silicone sensor allow for an ergonomic design of input devices, prostheses, and exoskeletons.

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Off-shore

An alternative to silicon carbide bearings for off-shore applications

Water-lubricated elastomeric polymer bearings have been installed to well pumps aboard an undisclosed o shore oil platform operated by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).

Five KSB three-stage mixed flow impeller-type pumps were each retrofitted with Thordon pump bearings — 13 SXL intermediate bearings, four Composite bearings and a single SXL throttle bearing — replacing the original silicon carbide bushes.

An issue with silicon carbide bearings is that they have a long lead time, and are brittle which means there is a risk of the bearings chipping and breaking. They are simply not as robust and can be expensive to replace.

The new bearings resolve the price and lead time issues, are durable,

and are also more considerate to the environment as they don’t require lubricating oil or grease.

After OPI gathered all the parameters and reviewed the pump drawings, the bearings were delivered well within the requisite time frame, allowing KSB, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), to carry out the retrofit installation work and commission the pumps in quick time, avoiding any rig downtime.

KSB Abu Dhabi has now refurbished all five pumps with the bearings, the last of which was completed in August 2022. However, the company has been converting its pump bearings over to the Thordon polymer material over the course of the last 10 years. DW

Thordon Bearings www.thordonbearings.com

Raise a glass: pneumatic control panel solution helps winemaking production winemaking

Edited by Mike Santora • Managing Editor

The AVENTICS CL03 Clean Line Valve System features a high protection class of 1P69K, suitable for sanitary design in beverage processing applications.

| courtesy of Emerson

Fourage CTI is a designer, manufacturer, and distributor of equipment for the beverage industry. One of their key products is a wine filtration skid, a complete filtration system used to perform several filtration functions.

In winemaking and the production of distilled spirits, clarification and stabilization are critical processes by which insoluble matter suspended in the wine or spirits is removed before bottling.

Filtration, especially through carbonbased filters, contributes to the stability and long shelf life of the wine or spirits. Filtration also helps winemakers and distillers achieve specific, delicately refined tastes and aromas for their products and saves time waiting for spirits to age. These high-volume filtration systems can filter up to 23 liters in a few minutes and can filter multiple batches using just one set of carbon pads.

Conventional filtration systems from the beverage industry are also used in the spirits industry. These include sheet or stacked disc cartridge filters fitted with depth filter sheets or stacked disc cartridges made up of

depth filter sheets. Other filtration options include cartridge filters, crossflow filters, and pre-coat filters, in which diatomaceous earth, perlite, or cellulose are used as filter additives.

Fourage CTI provides these kinds of filtration products for the wine industry. However, some spirits and wine manufacturers require more advanced filtration capabilities. A high degree of initial haze may require multistage filtration with the same or di erent filtration systems used in combination. Beverage producers must assess what colloidal haze-causing substances need to be removed — materials such as polyphenols, proteins, polysaccharides, sugars, and microbiological loads — while preserving valuable ingredients that contribute to taste, aroma, and color.

Fourage works with its end-user spirits and wine producers to provide the most cost-e ective and e cient filtration skids based on the producers’ unique product and process requirements. As a result, they must have the right resources to let them

& International Power Cords

Interpower® manufactures durable American-made North American 5-15, 5-20, 6-15, or 6-20 cords and international cord sets. Interpower cords provide the correct amperages and voltages to connect to country-specific power mains right out of the box.

Every Interpower cord and component undergoes hipot testing, continuity testing, ground testing, and multiple inspections after each manufacturing process.

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Fourage collaborated with Emerson to create a complete pneumatic control panel solution.

| courtesy of Emerson

refine their designs and build filtration skids without having to make extensive investments in finding and integrating multiple components.

The Solution: A complete pneumatics control panel

Fourage CTI faced a complicated challenge: There was strong demand for its filtration systems, but supply chain constraints made it di cult to source all the components to operate the filtration skid. The time and e ort to obtain and integrate these components threatened to interrupt skid manufacturing and delivery to its customers.

That’s why Fourage partnered with Emerson to create a complete turnkey pneumatic control panel solution with all valves and other control devices preassembled and ready to install. The integrated panel includes a full cabinet with panel mounting and plexiglass door. While Fourage CTI and Emerson had partnered ten years prior, this was the first time Emerson provided a complete solution for Fourage.

The panel combined a range of Emerson devices with products sourced from other suppliers. The components include:

Filter: For the skid, Fourage needed prefiltration, coalescent filtration, charcoal filters, and nitrogen filters

Regulator: The AVENTICS AS2 pressure regulator used in the panel provides significant flexibility. Multiple regulators can be set in line while custom-configuring the pressure required from each regulator. On top of the AS2

regulator is a bicolor screen. If there is a pressure issue, the screen turns red to provide a quick and simple visual diagnosis for the operator.

AVENTICS G3 Electronic Fieldbus Valve Platform: A modular and flexible solution designed to replace conventional hardwired systems, the G3 platform provided an easy-toassemble and easy-to-commission solution to pilot the process valves and the filtration system’s pumps.

The G3’s functionality allows programmable logic controllers to more e ciently turn valves on and o and to channel data from sensors, lights, relays, individual valves, or other I/O devices via various industrial networks.

Proportional Control Valves: Two types of proportional control valves were needed as part of the complete panel. Proportional pressure regulation allows the aseptic valve opening to regulate the filtered fluid. To do this, Emerson’s AVENTICS 617 Sentronic LP was chosen, as it provides better regulation, response time, and precision. Emerson’s FlowtronicD 607 flow rate control valve regulates the movement of cleaning shell into the pipes. The product provides real-time control, giving Fourage precise control of the cleaning system’s speed.

The Impact: Simplifying sourcing and speeding time to market

In total, Emerson provided three complete panels. The installation

took only eight weeks and proved to be seamless; there were no issues with skid integration. The complete panel solution eliminated multiple headaches for Fourage: Rather than scour suppliers looking for di erent components and then spending engineering time integrating them all together, the solution saved time and provided a tested and proven solution with all pneumatic control functionality pre-installed and ready to be integrated into each filtration skid. Emerson worked closely with the Fourage team to develop a solution that would work specifically for the company’s needs. DW

Never Bring Unreliable Cords to a Supply-chain Fight —U.S.A.-made Power Cords!

Interpower® manufactures dependable, mission-ready North American 5-15, 5-20, 6-15, or 6-20 cords and international cord sets. Interpower cords provide the correct amperages and voltages to end users when connecting to country-specific mains power.

Our American-made cords are ready to use right out of the box—and downrange ready. Every Interpower cord and component undergoes hipot testing, continuity testing, ground testing, and multiple inspections after each manufacturing process.

“We test more than the standards require for our own benefit,” Interpower Product Development Manager Ron Barnett said. “We do so because it lends better reliability to our design.”

Emerson emerson.com/en-us ® ®

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The AVENTICS G3 Platform provided Fourage with a modular and easy-to-assemble solution.

The G3 o ers application performance and maintenance improvements, making it a reliable solution in the panel.

| courtesy of Emerson

How to make a diesel truck greener

Edited by Mike Santora • Managing Editor

For decades, the EPA has mandated that every diesel truck in America have a Diesel Particle Filter (DPF) to catch the huge plumes of black smoke emanating from the exhaust system. This smoke is harmful to our everyday environment and a major pollutant to the world’s atmosphere.

The problem with DPFs is that while they are good at catching smoke and soot, they shut down the truck’s engine when they become full. Thus, whether you are an independent trucker or own a fleet of trucks, it is essential to keep a tab on the filters and clean or replace them before they halt trucking operations.

CHALLENGE

The traditional way to clean DPFs has always been to bring them to a facility that bakes them at 1150°F for 12 hours. The problem is that they can only be cleaned 3-4 times before the high heat cracks and breaks apart the ceramic parts of the filter. When this happens, the filter must be replaced at a hefty cost of $3-7K.

EcoClean installed two of the Bishop-Wisecarver devices in each of its cleaning machines, and their business success has been remarkable.

After 15 years of this dilemma, EcoClean Advantage set out to develop a new and better way to clean the filters — one that was fast and would not destroy them in the process. Their idea was to design a machine that could inject a powerful stream of water perpendicular to the surface of the filter and then move it in a back-and-forth motion to ensure all the filter’s deep channels and pockets got cleaned. They knew that if the water was not injected perpendicular to the filter’s surface, it would simply spew o the filter. However, finding a mechanism with this flexibility, while also being rugged and durable, was not an easy endeavor. While there were many options to choose from, many were too expensive and had added features that were unnecessary and unusable for this process. Other low-cost solutions simply could not hold up the under intense use and in dirty conditions that EcoClean required.

SOLUTION:

To develop their new cleaning machine, EcoClean Advantage needed a solution that was not too expensive but was high quality and robust so it would work well in a harsh, dirty, and wet environment. The device needed to provide maximum flexibility to inject the water precisely perpendicular to the filter and then move the hose back-and-forth around the filter for a deep clean.

After looking at all other solutions on the market, EcoClean Advantage chose

The ECO60TM Linear Actuator.

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the Bishop-Wisecarver ECO60 linear actuator. The flexibility of this device allowed the hose to be positioned exactly where EcoClean needed it, and it allowed a smooth back and forth motion. It also had a strong, rugged design that was perfect for withstanding the rough handling and dirty conditions that the cleaning device would be operating in.

EcoClean installed two of the BishopWisecarver devices in each of its cleaning machines, and their business success has been remarkable.

RESULTS:

By leveraging linear motion technology from Bishop-Wisecarver, EcoClean Advantage has developed a new generation of cleaning machines that

enables the filters to be cleaned as often as the truck driver or fleet owner wishes. With a process so unique that it has several pending patents — these machines can clean in as little as an hour and eliminate the need to replace the filters every 3-4 cleanings. This enables fleet companies to save hundreds of thousands of dollars in DPF cleaning fuel costs and uptime per year! It’s also been proven that clean filters positively impact fuel mileage, increasing fuel economy by nearly 5%.

EcoClean Advantage has had its cleaning machines running for more than a year with excellent results. In fact, the cleaning machine has been so successful that EcoClean Advantage has expanded its business to develop the machines and o er cleaning

services. The company has already opened cleaning facilities in Orlando and Indianapolis and plans to expand even more in the future. In less than an hour, trucks can have their filter cleaned, keeping their vehicle running smoothly and minimizing any downtime due to dirty filters. DW

Bishop-Wisecarver BWC.com

Automation tool for robot production

Edited by Mike Santora • Managing Editor

When first implementing cobots, the engineers at Applied Cobotics quickly realized that the vision systems for picking parts from a bin lacked the sophistication to consistently complete tasks and the a ordability for further expansion. Without an automated loading and unloading system, cobots were sitting idle and falling far short of their potential.

Their solution was to build the Cobot Feeder around dunnage trays and combine it with a parts tray rack to continuously feed the robot. This automation package provided solutions to common core challenges:

• Provide the correct orientation for cobot grippers

• O er organized and repeatable placement of parts

• Allow for easier programming of cobots

• Increase the overall e ciency of cobots

The experience of PBC Linear and their e orts to automate with cobots illustrates how essential it is to have a unique machine like the Cobot Feeder. This is especially poignant when considering how the pandemic has amplified the shortage of skilled workers and exposed a supply chain fraught with severe backlogs and delays.

What started as a reconnaissance e ort into possible solutions quickly turned into a must-need imperative for the PBC Linear team due to the pandemic. With CEO Bob Schroeder’s backing, seasoned engineers, alongside a group of enthusiastic interns at

A cobot with a Cobot Feeder from Applied Cobotics can pay for itself in roughly two months on the power of the productivity boost that comes with added lightsout manufacturing.

Unique system solutions for motor & drive technology.

The facts at a glance:

– Highly diverse motor range for virtually all drive applications:

– AC or DC motors

– Internal or external rotor

– Mechanical or electronic commutation

– EC motor with integrated or external operating electronics

– System solutions including transmission, brake and encoder

– Drive units capable of communication with bus interface

– Customized motor solutions, motor parts sets and drive assemblies

– Motors for automotive applications: Power steering drives, drives for clutch actuators and various pumps in the areas of transmission lubrication and exhaust aftertreatment and more

Applied Cobotics, began designing and building prototypes while investigating di erent materials and linear motion systems. The highly repetitive tasks targeted for the initial automation were the CNC mills and lathes used to produce many of their signature bearings. With roughly 80 CNC machines in the PBC Linear shop and 15 cobot stations in operation, there was plenty of room to experiment.

Results

Over a recent span of twelve months, PBC Linear was able to increase its sales by 33%. In contrast, their labor has only increased 3%. This is represented anecdotally in several examples:

Project schedules: Often, lot sizes are gauged for a single work shift. The reality

The solution was to build the Cobot Feeder around dunnage trays and then combine that with a parts tray rack to continuously feed the robot.

is that a job rarely finishes within the allotted time. In essence, a five-day job can often really take eight or nine days to complete. The Cobot Feeder allows those jobs to finish overnight so that every day is a fresh setup, and each job stays in step with the production schedule.

Parts organization: The reliance on custom dunnage parts trays replaces the old tedious process of a worker stacking/restacking parts to and from a bin or machine and then repeating that process multiple times throughout that project’s timeline. In addition, quality-sensitive parts can be compromised using part bins. The Cobot Feeder model avoids quality issues, downtime, and potential costs.

Multiple parts processing: The options for multiple configurations of parts trays on the rack means di erent parts can be run during the same job run. This greatly reduces the setup and changeover time required, o ering greater e ciency on the shop floor.

An additional benefit is that their workforce has full buy-in to this new manufacturing model, supporting a higher degree of job satisfaction, skill sets, and potentially higher wages. Workers now act more as managers of multiple stations. They can load several machines and then either check on the quality of parts or go to lunch while the cobot and Cobot Feeder continue to operate without a break.

Regarding ROI, the complete Cobot Feeder solution can increase the e ciency of cobots and other types of robots by up to 1600%. Generally, a cobot can pay for itself within six months. A cobot with a Cobot Feeder from Applied Cobotics can pay for itself in roughly two months on the power of the productivity boost that comes with added lights-out manufacturing.

DW PBC Linear www.pbclinear.com

3D printing helps drive the future of sustainable mobility

At the recent Formnext conference, nFrontier, the Berlin-based innovation studio and venture builder, unveiled UILA, a new vehicle and brand concept.

As an industry first, the fully functioning prototype is a hybrid between an electric cargo bike and a small Electrical Vehicle (EV). Extensively leveraging 3D printing, UILA was presented in cooperation with nFrontier industry partner Stratasys Ltd. and is a showcase for integrating disruptive technologies into a sustainable mobility solution.

With a chainless electrical drive train, the vehicle e ortlessly accelerates to top speeds of 25 km/hr and has a range of 60-70 km. The four-wheeled two-seater also provides a cargo payload of up to 250 kg. With a length of 230 cm, the vehicle is only 170 cm high and 90 cm wide, weighing a total of 70 kg. With renowned engineering and manufacturing partners on board, nFrontier is preparing UILA for serial production and tra c registration in Germany some time in 2024.

“UILA is our response to some of the most pressing challenges of our time such as climate change and the current energy crisis. UILA is not only radically changing the way we are commuting, but also provides a truly sustainable, game-changing mobility solution. At the same time, it delivers a feature set of digital functions and assets exceeding current bicycle industry standards,” said nFrontier CEO Daniel Buening.

Current studies suggest that by 2040 there will be more than 750 million electric two- and three-wheelers on the road globally. Ultimately, the market for vehicles such as UILA is unlimited: Due to its dimensions and pedal-operated drive train it is technically a bike, so there is no need for a driver’s license, allowing users to drive it on bike lanes. Contrary to cargo bikes, UILA features additional comfort usually only o ered in small EVs: a modern infotainment system, including BYOD (smartphone) functionalities that will connect the internal display solutions. With the help of the UILA App, users will be able call the parked vehicle so it will drive autonomously towards you (‘Come to me Mode‘) or follow you without driver (‘Follow me Mode‘).

“UILA is designed to be a digital device featuring many useful digital features that will make driving from A to B more enjoyable. We like to call it an ‘urban device’ because we believe that these features will unlock UILA’s full potential as a product with a potentially huge impact on urban transportation” added nFrontier CVO Dr. Stephan Beyer.

UILA is an example of how 3D printing is transforming not only the product development process but also production. Using Stratasys FDM technology to 3D print large format body components significantly reduced the cost of producing those same parts using traditional manufacturing, such as injection molding, while also saving time because parts could easily be produced inhouse at nFrontier. In addition, the nFrontier team has designed UILA to also use 3D-printed parts in the production process by leveraging higher volume additive manufacturing technologies such as powder-based SAF or photopolymer-based P3 systems. This reduces costs and improves sustainability by printing fewer components with less material and doing so locally — in the markets where the UILA vehicles are sold — reducing supply chain challenges and transportation emissions.

UILA was designed by nFrontier lead designer Joschua Kranke and is a development by nFrontier’s EmTeCe (Emerging Technology Center), a leading facility of creatively applied Emerging Technologies in soft- and hardware in which Stratasys is a founding partner. (The EmTeCe converges the “Eight EmergingTechnologies” in one single facility: Additive Manufacturing, Augmented Reality/ Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Robotics, Generative Design, Drones, and Advanced Visualization.) DW nFrontier | n ontier.de Stratasys | www.stratasys.com

for 3D printing and Additive Manufacturing GE Additive and Shell use additive technology to create an oxygen hydrogen micromixer

This complex oxygen-hydrogen micromixer demonstration part was printed in nickel alloy 718 on a GE Additive Concept Laser M Line. This part needed to have multiple channels for hydrogen and compressed oxygen.

uring last year’s Formnext conference, Shell International B.V. and GE Additive unveiled the results of a joint design and engineering project — an additively manufactured oxygen hydrogen micromixer.

This complex, non-functional, demonstration part, was printed in nickel alloy 718 on a GE Additive Concept Laser M Line system, and installed at Shell’s 3D Printing CoE and Workshop, part of the company’s Energy Transition Campus Amsterdam (ETCA) in the Netherlands.

Shell maintains a 3D printing facility at ETCA in proximity to its scientists and partner companies to leverage additive manufacturing to prototype, and print functional parts. Having its own printing capability grants Shell’s R&D department the freedom and speed to create novel parts not available in the market, and solve new technical challenges in support of the energy transition.

Joost Kroon, an additive technology subject matter expert at Shell explained, “We really wanted to put the M Line through its paces and test it to its limits. Working with the GE Additive team we agreed to apply additive technology to reimagine a large, complex part, incorporating channels that would be di cult to manufacture conventionally. Working on an oxygen hydrogen micromixer aligns well with our companies’ strategies to play a positive role in the energy transition.”

Lead design engineer Sonali Sonawane Thakker at GE Additive’s AddWorks team based in Munich took inspiration from the ways pollen grains form in a flower head to arrange the more than 330 individual nozzles in a circular pattern. The curved wall and the conical shape also reflects the shape of a petal.

Taking inspiration from geometry in nature

Sonali Sonawane Thakker, a lead design engineer at GE Additive’s AddWorks team based in Munich handled researching, designing, and iterating the final design. Her brief was to design a part that was large, complex and incorporated channels for hydrogen and compressed oxygen. Sonawane Thakker was able to deploy the design freedoms that additive technology affords to rethink the structure and the shape of the part.

“Once we had settled on a part, our preliminary research showed that existing micromixers — also known as hydrogen-oxygen burners — are typically cylindrical, when conventionally manufactured, to accommodate the complex layout of tanks, pipes, and nozzles. For additional complexity we chose a large conical design and also moved from a flat to a curved structure with an ISO grid to increase the overall strength, rather than a customary flat one.”

Sonawane Thakker sought inspiration from geometries and symmetry in the natural world, in particular the Fibonnaci sequence replicated in flowers and petals.

“With over 330 individual nozzles to incorporate in a circular pattern, I took inspiration from the ways pollen grains form in a flower head. The curved wall

and the conical shape also reflects the shape of a petal,” she added.

Build and post-processing Following feasibility reviews and iterations by Shell and GE Additive teams, the design and dimensions of the reimagined part were finalized and nickel alloy 718 was chosen as the material for the build.

Dimension of the part: Height: ~296 mm Diameter: 484 mm

Other: X ~ 429 mm Y ~490 mm

The build preparation and printing of the part on the M Line was overseen by Lisa Kieft-Lenders, team lead and Dennis Boon, a technician at the Shell 3D Printing Center of Excellence and Workshop.

Existing micromixers – also known as hydrogen-oxygen burners – are typically cylindrical when conventionally manufactured to accommodate the complex layout of tanks, pipes and nozzles. Sonawane Thakker and her team chose a large conical design and also moved from a flat to a curved structure with an ISO grid to increase the overall strength, rather than a customary flat grid.

Design for 3D printing

“We have been involved in the project from the outset and have therefore been particularly close to this build and invested in its success. Given this is one of, if not the largest and most complex parts built on an M Line so far, we’ve remained in close contact with the GE Additive team in Munich and were supported, on the ground here in Amsterdam, by their local field service engineers. After some adaptions at the start, the build ran smoothly over nine days,” said Kieft-Leenders.

Post-processing was also completed at the Shell facility, and this was made easier through inclusion of powder removal holes, incorporated by Sonawane Thakker during the design phase. The part was completed in early November. The micromixer will be put on display at Shell’s ECTA.

“We are confident in the M Line’s ability to perform. Indeed, we grasp every opportunity to test it to its limits with both hands. I cannot underestimate the power of collaboration and problem-solving during this project. It has brought together some great additive minds and the end result is not only visually stunning, but it is also substantial in size, complexity, and equally strong,” said Rob Dean, GE Additive’s AddWorks leader in EMEA.

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Unlocking PEKK’s lightweighting potential for aerospace

exagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division and Stratasys have applied Hexagon’s simulation technology to capture the behavior of Stratasys’ ultra-lightweight Antero reinforced polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) materials and its additive manufacturing processes. These rigorously validated simulations help engineers develop lighter weight components for use in new sustainable aircraft and spacecraft.

3D printed plastic parts enable the ability to take excess weight out of parts for aerospace applications, reducing the energy use and potentially increasing the range of new aircraft. When the material and processes are fully exploited by product designers, it may also reduce the cost caused by over engineering and the waste and lead times of traditional manufacturing. However, the adoption of plastics and additive methods for structural components has remained slow due to the industry’s safety-critical nature and regulations. Providing engineering teams with simulation tools to validate these materials is the “missing link,” enabling designers to apply these breakthroughs today.

Rigorously validated multi-scale models of these new high-performance aerospace-approved materials — Stratasys Antero 840CN03 and Antero 800NA — have been added to Hexagon’s Digimat materials exchange ecosystem, with associated print process parameters from Stratasys’ aerospace-ready 3D printers. Using these detailed proprietary models, engineers can create digital twins that accurately predict how parts printed with the chosen material and approved aerospace-ready Stratasys printer will perform in a digital reality with real-world use cases and certification tests before any physical prototypes are manufactured.

Developed to be open, Digimat software gives manufacturers the ability to design lighter parts that can match metals in performance and avoid costly over engineering using their preferred finite element analysis (FEA) and computeraided engineering (CAE) tools. Moreover, companies that use Digimat in conjunction with Hexagon’s MSC Nastran and MSC Apex will accelerate the

This pie-shaped component is part of the hatch cover assembly for NASA’s Orion spacecraft. It was 3D printed using Stratasys Antero 840CN03, a PEKKbased thermoplastic with low outgassing and consistent electrostatic dissipative (ESD) properties. Antero 840CN03 gives manufacturers a high-performance, ESDcompliant 3D printing material that meets demanding applications such as space flight. Image courtesy of Stratasys Inc.

Design for 3D printing and Additive Manufacturing

certification and documentation of their work.

The Antero materials are already being used in aerospace engineering. Lockheed Martin, for example, used Antero 840CN03 to create NASA’s Orion spacecraft docking hatch cover. By making rigorous digital engineering and virtual manufacturing possible with these new simulation tools, more product development teams can apply and de-risk Stratasys’ aerospace additive manufacturing solutions.

Through the partnership between Stratasys and Hexagon, which has spanned more than a decade, several high-performance thermoplastic materials — including Ultem 9085, Ultem 9085 CG, Ultem 1010, and Nylon12CF — have been characterized and added to Hexagon’s Digimat material modeling software.

Antero materials

· The Antero 840CN03 material is a PEKKbased thermoplastic for Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) additive manufacturing that combines the physical and mechanical qualities of PEKK with carbon nanotubes for consistent electrostatic dissipative (ESD) properties. The high-performance polymer exhibits exceptional chemical and wear resistance, ultra-low outgassing properties.

· The Antero 800NA material is a PEKKbased FDM thermoplastic with mechanical properties that include high strength, high heat resistance, toughness, and wear-resistance. These qualities make it a lighter alternative to aluminum and steel in certain use cases. Chemical resistance and minimal outgassing provide suitability for aerospace applications where prototypes and parts are exposed to jet fuel, oil, and hydraulic fluid. Other uses include industrial applications where high strength and chemical resistance are needed. DW

Hexagon | hexagon.com/mi. Stratasys | www.stratasys.com

Non-explosible aluminum feedstock for additive manufacturing

quispheres Inc. has developed a non-explosible aluminum alloy feedstock for additive manufacturing (AM) that reduces the hazards associated with day-to-day handling of materials for 3D printing.

Identified as NExP-1, this material is specifically designed for production printing of aluminum parts. It can produce high-quality prints at high throughput rates, but unlike other metal powders for AM, it is dust-free and characterized as non-explosible per ASTM E1226, Standard Test Method for Explosibility of Dust Clouds.

The material is also non-combustible, per the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, Part 3, Subsection 33.2.1. for flammable solids.

“We have achieved these key safety properties without altering the quality of our material nor the chemical composition. In printing, this material performs just as well as our other aluminum powders, but it has the added benefit of being non-explosible and non-combustible,” said Evan Butler-Jones, Vice-President — Product & Strategy for Equispheres.

“It would almost be inaccurate to even call this a powder,” he continued. “It is almost totally free of dust; it flows like water and it is easy to clean o of equipment surfaces. It is a completely unique printing media for production additive manufacturing.”

The material is currently available in AlSi10Mg. Equispheres has developed recommended parameters for printing the new material, targeting several enduse applications DW

Equispheres www.equispheres.com

for 3D printing and Additive Manufacturing

Damping elastomers for additive manufacturing

The EPU 43 and EPU 45 are two damping elastomers recently introduced by Carbon. These materials o er new opportunities for breakthrough products in impact protection such as padding, gloves, and helmets.

EPU 43 is an energy-damping elastomer that is soft while o ering promising durability under high-cycle flexing, making it suitable for applications like comfort padding for helmet liners and safety gloves. EPU 45 achieves the highest level of damping performance and printability within the Carbon portfolio, making it the choice for many high-performance applications including sports padding and seating.

The dual-cure, damping elastomers o er opportunities and solutions for a number of impact protection needs, including:

• Damping performance: EPU 45 is a strain-rate-sensitive material that sti ens to absorb energy at higher impact rates, enabling the design of highly breathable lattice geometries tuned for comfort at low-impact speeds and energy absorption at high-impact speeds. EPU 43 o ers moderate sti ness, good damping, and excellent durability through flexing cycles in various temperature and humidity environments.

• Durability and comfort: EPU 45 has the toughness and recovery needed to survive repeated, high-energy impacts in a variety of environments. EPU 43 has moderate sti ness that enables softer and more conforming lattice structures.

• Production throughput: EPU 45 has the highest green strength of Carbon’s elastomers, allowing the widest range of part shapes and lattice geometries to be printed with a high yield. EPU 43 prints with moderate green strength, allowing for a broad set of production shapes with high yield.

• Proven-in-production: Products utilizing EPU 45 will be on the market soon and EPU 43 has been proven with well-known products like Hard Head Veterans and the CCM Hockey helmet.

Both elastomers are available now in North America, Europe, and China. Starting in 19L package sizes with high-volume production workflows, EPU 45 will also be available in 5L samples to support mid-volume production workflows. DW

Carbon | Carbon3d.com

The Power of Vision

Murrelektronik has developed efficient and economical system solutions for integrating industrial image processing systems. The advantages include minimal installation effort as a result of decentralized, pluggable modules that can be mounted directly on the machine.

This achieves the goal of maximum performance with minimum wiring effort. The compact, powerful module is located right where it is needed. All in all, this saves installation time and reduces installation efforts while offering maximum availability enhanced by LED diagnostics each module. As a result, control cabinet components for connecting camera systems are replaced by a decentralized installation systems.

A look at CADfix PPS 4

CADfix PPS 4 is the latest version of ITI’s CAD model simplification and file size reduction software. It helps plant and process, power industry, marine, and o shore engineers achieve up to 80% reduction in engineering design labor and costs associated with CAD model simplification.

All areas of the software have been enhanced, with a focus on enabling users to simplify large equipment assembly models more e ectively. Highlights include improved automatic model simplification with new Smart Deconstruction technology, extensive new manual simplification tools, and updated CAD interfaces.

The automatic simplification Wizard has been given a significant overhaul. A new Smart Deconstruction feature automatically splits complex or pre-joined solids into simplified primitive pieces, enabling a greater level of simplification than was previously possible. The box and cylinder simplification tool has been extended with a new conical primitive option. The hole, protrusion, and internal detail removal features are all faster and can handle more complex cases. The result is a simplification process that maintains the balance between processing time, file size reduction, and retaining the appropriate level of detail.

CADfix PPS 4 also adds the ability to automatically identify complex extrusions and convert them into simplified extruded profiles, with options to control the level of detail retained. This feature reduces file size for models containing a high number of structural members.

Lettering and logos are a frequent source of excess data in mechanical CAD models that is not required in plant design systems. ITI has implemented a new tool that identifies raised, sunken, and flat lettering or logos and automatically removes them, producing significant file size savings.

A new utility automatically creates assembly structures, allowing further processing time and file size reductions. It can quickly identify repeated parts, remove duplications, and then automatically create a new assembly structure using instances of the primary part.

As with every new release, the CAD import and export interfaces are updated with enhancements to the standard STEP, DWG, Parasolid, and SAT interfaces, plus updates to support the latest native CAD formats. DW

International TechneGroup Inc www.iti-global.com

What’s in Cloud Collaborator for E3.series

Cloud Collaborator for E3.series is a plug-in that connects to Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure for project storage and management. Companies of all sizes can take advantage of the convenience and security of cloud storage while using the design suite.

Cloud Collaborator for E3.series works with all E3.series design modules in single-user mode, including E3.schematic, E3.cable, E3.panel, E3.formboard, and more. The new plugin also supports specialized modules such as Harness Builder.

The plug-in is easy to set up and use with Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. Users can also directly connect to the Zuken Americas Community for quick access to articles, how-to videos, and user forums. The intuitive administrative options provide configurable settings for user password change, application theme color, iteration saving, language,

version increment type, and more. Commercial cloud services provide ondemand scalability, robust security, and unmatched flexibility.

Desktop application provides robust project management for the entire team while reducing the administrative overheads typically associated with vaulting and access control solutions. Quickly add users, create groups, define user access privileges, set passwords, and define theme color and version increment type for projects.

Complete design data check-in and check-out directly from E3.series. Cloud Collaborator for E3.series provides change history and the ability to compare versions, helping users visualize all changes in a clear, graphical representation. A release process is available to close the project for manufacturing when the project is complete.

Team design collaboration is more critical than ever. The plug-in

provides design data access across the E3.series project team. For better communication, project team members can access redlining, project status, and team messaging. Project changes can trigger an automated message or an email to stakeholders, keeping everyone updated. When the project is ready for review, users can generate PDFs for redlining and collaboration across the team DW

Zuken www.zuken.com

Works longer, harder and stronger than the competition. That’s the sign of a champ.

AMERICAN

Permco’s American Champ Dump Pump is built entirely in the USA with the highest quality globally sourced products. And every American Champ dump pump is 100% tested before it leaves our plant so you don’t have to worry about breakdowns. It works as hard as you do. The American champ minimizes down time and maximizes productivity. Quality, value and unprecedented customer service. That’s not just the American way, it’s the Permco way. You see, when it comes to your business,

take it personal.

resistor

Dynamic braking is indispensable in designs requiring frequent braking or the control of loads loading arrangements capable of overhauling — as in centrifuges, elevators, large conveyors, and amusement rides. Braking resistors often complement such designs to render emergency stopping capabilities maximally reliable.

| Printezis

Lawrence Kren | Contributing writer

Motion Control

Dynamic brakes divert rising DC bus voltage to an appropriately sized resistor where that voltage is then dissipated as heat. This process is triggered when a brake transistor in the drive switches on — when DC bus voltage exceeds nominal by a set amount.

Sizing a brake resistor requires knowledge of the drive and motor specs (power, voltage, rpm, and inertia) which can be found in manufacturer data sheets. So too does resistor sizing rely on quantifying process variables — including load inertia, frictional torque, deceleration time, and duty cycle. In general, equipment with high frictional torque such as fans and pumps don’t need dynamic brakes. In contrast, applications characterized by high inertia and low frictional torque can benefit from them.

Electric power dissipates in a braking resistor according to:

PPB = V2/R

Where PPB = Peak braking power (Watts)

V = Bus voltage at which the brake transistor turns on (vdc)

R = Resistance (ohms)

R is the maximum allowable resistance value; exceeding this value can trigger a DC bus over voltage. Drive manufacturers also specify minimum values of brake resistance keyed to a drive’s bus voltage and power rating.

Dynamic brakes in electric motor drives divert rising DC bus voltage seen during load deceleration. Here we explain how to size the resistors that process that voltage.

How fast and frequently a dynamic brake slows a load determines brake resistor wattage. Applications with overhauling or continuous loads (such as dynamometers) employ resistors with a wattage rating directly proportional to applied torque.

In contrast, a brake resistor used in an emergency e-stop momentarily sees peak power as a load slows to halt and may therefore have a smaller-than-peak wattage rating. Resistors (depending on type) can handle many times their rated power for durations on the order of several seconds. Resistor manufacturers quantify this energy rating in Watt-sec.

For emergency e-stops and other braking events that don’t happen frequently (so representing a lowpercent duty cycle) the task is to match rotational kinetic energy to a resistor capable of dissipating it in a prescribed time.

To do this, first calculate system total inertia:

JT = JM + JL x n2

JT = Total reflected inertia at the motor shaft (kg-m2)

JM = Motor inertia (kg-m2)

JL = Load inertia (kg-m2)

n = Gear ratio = load speed/motor speed (dimensionless); n = 1.0 for directly coupled loads

Next, calculate the rotational energy stored in the system:

E = ½JT x ω

E = Rotational energy (Joules)

ω = Angular velocity (rad/sec) = 2π x rpm / 60

The amount of time needed to decelerate a rotating load is:

Δt = JT x Δω / (τM + τF)

Δt = Time (sec)

Δω = Change in angular velocity (rad/sec)

τM = Motor braking torque (N-m)

τF = Frictional torque (N-m)

Braking circuits complement electric motors and VFDs tasked with controlling loads having high inertia.

| KEB America

Legacy plant equipment still uses AC brakes, but the trend is towards adoption of DC-powered brakes.

Dynamic braking systems and motor controls are core to the proper operation of baggage-handling conveyors subject to wildly fluctuating load conditions.

| Casanowe

| Eaton

Shown

| Fortress Resistors

Shown here is an Eaton Cutler Hammer HMCP circuit breaker to protect three-phase electric motor circuits with a 600-V trip rating.

here is the internal construction of a dynamic braking resistor.

A conservative approach neglects frictional torque, then all arresting torque is supplied by the motor through the brake resistor. Assume, for example, a brake resistor is sized to provide brake torque equal to motor rated torque.

PPB = P P = ω x τ

P = Motor rated power (Watts) ω = Angular velocity (rad/sec) = 2π x rpm / 60 τ = Motor rated torque (N-m)

The question may be how much inertia can be added to the system and bring it to halt while remaining within the brake resistor’s energy rating.

JL x n2 = (Δt x τM / Δω) – JM

A resistor’s energy rating indicates how long in seconds it can absorb a certain amount of power without damage. To check, calculate the rotational energy of the total reflected inertia at the motor shaft and compare it with the resistor energy rating. If rotational energy is less the resistor energy rating, the resistor can handle the specified braking load. If the total reflected inertia energy exceeds the resistor energy rating, either select a higher capacity resistor or reduce the brake torque.

Be sure to consider brake resistor ohmic heating in high duty cycle applications. Overuse of a braking resistor can thermally damage it. A separate motor circuit protector attached to the drive is often used to limit current level and duration to a brake resistor.

DW

Motion Control Tips | motioncontroltips.com

Servo- and stepper-driven electrical linear actuators are an efficient and economical way to provide accurate motion control for a wide variety of machine applications.

hen it comes to automated machinery, there’s no doubt that observing a high-speed robotic arm zoom through intricate movements can be impressive. But although the price and complexity of robotics has been decreasing somewhat, the reality is that a significant segment of automated machines rely on more straightforward linear actuation methods.

Linear actuators can be electrically, pneumatically, and even hydraulically driven depending on the force, speed, accuracy, and cost requirements, and there are specific use cases where each technology is preferred. However, there are many reasons why electrically-driven linear actuators in particular—especially those

Linear Motion

Chip McDaniel • AutomationDirect

operated by servo or stepper motors—can be the preferred solution for a wide variety of applications. This is especially the case when these devices are integrated with compact programmable logic controllers (PLCs) to provide a complete internet of things (IoT) capable motion solution.

Getting motion in line

Why is linear motion so important when designing such a wide range of machinery? Consider some of the most common motion tasks:

• Moving a product-holding tray or fixture for machining or assembly operations

• Positioning manufacturing functions like drilling, inserting, gluing, or taping

• Picking-and-placing products or parts into and out of trays and packaging containers

The simplest way to perform each of these actions is often to control the linear movement of a physical mechanism. Properly designed, linear motion can be easy to control and monitor, and it provides reliable force and accuracy.

Sometimes, linear motion only needs to be in a single-line direction, such as an “X” axis to move a cutter knife on a stationary product. Other times, users need the equipment to navigate over a plane, such as an “X-Y” axis to direct a laser over a surface to be engraved. In other cases, the equipment must move up and down in the “Z” axis, perhaps to apply a cutting tool. Whether the equipment motion is single- or multi-axis, users can develop grippers and end tooling to handle almost any application.

Mechanical systems moving in one or more axes are sometimes called Cartesian equipment, or perhaps a gantry. Depending on the application, designers will need to consider and balance the following physical details:

• The nature and magnitude of the load, as this will determine the support for carrying it and the force needed to move it

• Overall travel distance

• How to handle end-of-travel (overtravel) and intermediate stops

• Whether adjustable positioning is needed, or if position switches are suitable

• Travel speed

• Accuracy

Here, we’ll address motion distances and sizes of about a meter or less which can be implemented with readily available linear actuators and slides, as opposed to larger equipment which might require custom engineering. Othe-shelf linear actuators, especially when driven by servos or steppers, provide an ideal way for creating the necessary motion, and they are easily integrated with compact PLCs to provide a complete control solution, with IoT connectivity included.

Linear actuator basics

OEMs, systems integrators, and other personnel designing machinery would usually prefer to use o -the-shelf hardware, electronics, and software when at all possible—instead of performing custom development.

Motor-driven electrical linear actuators, and the mechanical slides associated with them, represent a readily available form of o -the-shelf equipment to help designers rapidly create machine motion solutions.

Linear actuators can be electrically, pneumatically, and even hydraulically driven depending on the force, speed, accuracy, and cost requirements, and there are specific use cases where each technology is preferred.

Ball screw, lead screw, and belt-driven linear actuators (shown here bottom to top), provide design options as

they vary when it comes to performance, actuation distance/accuracy, and price.

Linear actuators use mechanical methods to convert the rotational motion of a motor into linear motion. There are three major types of o -theshelf linear actuators:

• Lead-screw driven – Uses a threaded shaft with a simple nut. The motor spins the shaft within a fixed base, while a nut rides along the threads to move the carriage. This technology can be used for light or heavy loads, and it is a relatively low-cost option compared to ball-screw driven.

• Ball-screw driven – Much like a lead-screw driven actuator, but with ball bearings that are continuously circulated in between the ball nut and the shaft to provide heavy-duty load handling with reduced friction and a long life. This technology is suitable for both light and heavy loads, and it provides high performance, even at fast speeds and with frequent duty cycles.

• Belt driven – Consists of a toothed belt (often called a timing belt) mounted between two pulleys within the base to provide simple and dependable motion of a carriage over longer distances than the other two types, although with less precision than is possible with a screwdriven arrangement.

Some linear actuators come ready to accept a variety of motor sizes, while others are complete packages including the motor. Designers can arrange linear actuators as needed to drive equipment and mechanisms, but they also must make other provisions for guiding the equipment with suitable low-friction support along the length of travel. Sometimes this takes the form of wheels and rails, while other times they may choose to use undriven (passive) linear slides, which are typically available from the same linear actuator suppliers.

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(TwinCAT, PLC IEC 61131, Motion, Measurement, Machine Learning, Vision, Communication, HMI)

For use across all industries: assembly, packaging, food/bev, pharma, laboratory, entertainment, …

Linear Motion

The AutomationDirect CLICK PLUS is a modern micro-PLC enhanced with high-speed pulse train outputs and a straightforward motion instruction set for homing, velocity, and position moves, so users can implement practical and economical multi-axis control of stepper and servo motors associated with linear actuators, in coordination with other machine controls.

Controlling the drive

Linear actuators are available with various hardware and couplings to mount small NEMA frame stepper and servo motors as needed.

Stepper motors move in small increments when triggered with a pulse, one “step” for each pulse. A typical example may be 200 steps per a 360-degree revolution, but finerresolution microstepping modes are available. Most stepper motors do not incorporate built-in-encoder feedback, so extra provisions are required to periodically check their position status. Especially when oversized enough to overcome heavier loads, steppers are a useful and economical way to accurately move and position a linear actuator.

Servo motors are a higherperformance solution than stepper motors for precisely controlling position, velocity, and torque over

complex motion profiles. A complete servo system consists of a motor, drive, and feedback elements, and therefore is more costly and complex than other technologies. Because industrial servos incorporate constant position feedback, they can immediately determine when disturbances occur and can either apply more torque to overcome a disturbance, shut down and alert upstream equipment and/or the operator that a problem has occurred. The system designer has wide flexibility to determine how exceptions will be handled.

The performance required by the application will dictate which motor control type is best. The basic idea is that each linear actuator type will have a specific travel distance for each whole rotation of the motor. With this knowledge, users can command the stepper or servo motor as needed to accomplish the linear move. For more

advanced applications, users can specify motion profiles that accelerate and decelerate the actuator as needed to protect the payload, provide optimum positioning accuracy, and perform other functions.

Most linear actuation systems will require some other signals, provided by overtravel and homing position sensors. Overtravel sensors operate if an actuator has moved too far in a direction, providing a failsafe method of stopping the equipment before damage occurs. Homing sensors allow the automation to periodically—sometimes once a cycle—run the equipment to a “known” position to verify the calibration of the system. This is important for both stepper and servos, but steppers are likely to require more frequent homing in case they become stalled and “miss” or “skip” a step.

In years past, all this motion control would have typically required the

stepper/servo motor controls, one or more dedicated motion controllers, and a supervisory PLC. But today, some of even the most compact PLCs include built-in software instructions and high-speed input/output provisions to command stepper and servo controls directly.

Another benefi t of using a PLC as the all-in-one motion control solution regards how well it works with industrial human-machine interfaces (HMIs) for location visualization, and the extensive remote visualization and IoT connectivity natively available with these automation systems. Users can create a machine that works well, while keeping operators informed via web browsers and mobile devices.

Summary

Linear actuation is useful for many types of applications. For example, in pick-and-place applications (with a multitude of gripper types) for handling products and payloads. Also, industrial-grade automation of cutters, routers, CNC machines, and more, as well as commercial-grade control of 3D printers, laser engravers, vinyl cutters, and other similar applications.

By choosing o -the-shelf linear actuators and pairing them with stepper or servo motors commanded by modern PLCs, OEMs and designers have a reliable way of rapidly creating e cient, accurate, and powerful machine automation with IoT connectivity built in. DW

AutomationDirect www.automationdirect.com

Jeff Shepard • Contributing Writer

on

Embedded systems are paradigm examples of so-called mechatronic systems which consist of both mechanical and electrical/electronic components integrated together. At the heart of embedded systems is a microcontroller (or microcontroller unit or MCU) along with memory and input/output devices.

Embedded MCUs are purpose-built for use in various specific applications and rely on embedded peripherals, various communications protocols, conventional operating systems (OS), or specialized real-time operating systems (RTOS), middleware, application software, and development environments. MCUs can be interpreted as mission controller units because these devices are optimized for specific applications or missions. No designer would think of using an 8-bit central processing unit (CPU) in a desktop computer. However, billions of 8-bit MCUs are still used in highly important and specialized control functions every year.

One thing that makes MCUs special is that they are at the same time ubiquitous and mostly invisible. MCUs are found in applications that require repetitive operations such as microwave ovens and traffic lights and in a variety of well-defined control applications involving sensors and other inputs. It’s estimated that the average U.S. home has over five dozen MCUs in various devices, and an automobile with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) can have over twice that number.

An MCU contains one or more CPUs (processor cores) along with memory, input/output (I/O) peripherals, real-time clocks (RTC), timers, and other functions. For example, the analog/digital converters (ADCs) convert analog inputs (such as from sensors) into digital values that the CPU can use. In contrast, the digital/analog converters (DACs) perform the reverse function and take the processor’s digital outputs and convert them to analog values to support various system functions. A real-time clock (RTC) and one or more universal asynchronous receiver/transmitters (UARTs) convert parallel signals into serial ones and serial ones into parallel ones. Additional peripherals such as I2C interfaces, pulse-width modulators (PWMs), and so on are included to support specific application needs.

MCUs are used because they are cost-effective and compact. Integrating the processor, memory, and various peripherals on a single chip and testing them as a unit may increase the cost of a chip, but it produces a reduced solution size, generally decreases the overall cost of the system, and improves both quality and reliability compared with a collection of individual functional elements.

Interrupts make the difference

Interrupts are critical elements that make MCUs special compared with the CPUs found in desktop computers, servers, and similar computing platforms. MCUs are typically used to provide realtime (not necessarily high speed, but predictable) responses to events in an embedded system.

Certain events will have priority, and when they occur, an interrupt is sent that tells the processor to suspend its current activity and perform the processing required by the interrupt source before

On-Chip Peripherals

Embedded MCUs are purpose-built for use in various specific applications and rely on embedded peripherals, various communications protocols, conventional operating systems (OS) or specialized realtime operating systems (RTOS), middleware, application software, and development environments.

restarting on the original processing tasks. Sources of interrupts are application and device-dependent and can include an input signal from a button being pushed. This sensor input changes states, an internal timer alert, etc. For example, in a battery-powered wireless Internet of Things (IoT) node, an interrupt is used to wake up the processor to handle sensor readings, receive an incoming transmission, or perform another task.

In some applications, a GPIO input may change on a somewhat regular basis due to an external stimulus. Instead of using an interrupt, the system can periodically check the GPIO value. Periodic checking is called polling. While polling appears to be a simple technique, it can be challenging to implement. There can be too long a lag between the changed state in the GPIO value and its detection or the system may miss the change altogether. While a shorter polling interval will produce more reliable and faster detection, it consumes processing resources

because most checks will result in negative results.

Interrupts can be much more efficient and can occur due to devices internal to or external to the MCU. An interrupt from an external sensor, switch, or other device is called an “attached interrupt” because it’s generated by a device attached to an interrupt request (IRQ) pin on the MCU.

Interrupts from internal peripherals such as UARTs, timers, and so on are called “peripheral interrupts.”

Interrupts can serve several purposes, including:

Performance of routine tasks: Some applications need the MCU to do routine tasks at predetermined intervals, such as monitoring physiological signals in medical devices, blinking a status LED at a predetermined rate, etc. In these cases, a timer peripheral in the MCU can provide an interrupt to perform the task at the required interval.

Task completion alerts: Completing an intermediate task such as an A/D conversion may be important to the performance of some control function by an MCU. Sending a tack completion interrupt enables the MCU to continue its routine activities until the intermediate task has been completed. Then the interrupt would immediately send the MCU into the related interrupt routine before returning to its normal activities.

Safety-related or emergency actions: In cases where a system fault occurs or a dangerous condition is identified by an external sensor, an interrupt can force the MCU to take appropriate actions to protect the system and any people in the vicinity.

In many applications, there are multiple possible sources of interrupts. The interrupt controller on the MCU intercepts all incoming interrupts and forwards them to the CPU in the

CPU

An embedded MCU includes a CPU core, embedded memory, various peripherals, and input/output (I/O) ports.

| Renesas

correct order based on their relative importance. In some applications, interrupts can be disabled while certain tasks are being implemented, and the interrupt controller will ignore interrupts accordingly and not forward them to the CPU.

MCU architectures

MCU architectures can generally be described by the relative complexity of the instruction set, such as reduced instruction set computing versus complex instruction set computing, and the execution hardware design; Harvard versus Princeton.

Reduced instruction set computing (RISC) architectures have simplified instructions executed in a single clock cycle. RISC architectures are commonly found in MCUs and can only handle simple instructions. RISC-V is an emerging variation on RISC that is rapidly gaining adoption. RISC-V is an open standard instruction set architecture (ISA) based on RISC design principles. Unlike most other ISA designs, the RISC-V ISA is provided under open-source licenses that do not require fees to use. A growing number of RISC-V MCUs are available.

Complex instruction set computing (CISC) employs instructions that can take multiple clock cycles to complete on a RISC machine. CISC instructions operate directly on the computer’s memory banks and do not require the programmer to call any loading or storing functions explicitly. In CISC, the emphasis is on hardware, with small code sizes and high clock frequencies. RISC emphasizes the software and the RISC instructions need fewer transistors of hardware space than CISC instructions, leaving more room for general-purpose registers. Because all instructions execute in a single clock cycle, pipelining is possible with RISC cores.

Harvard vs. Princeton

Another way to classify MCUs is by their internal bus structure. In a Harvard architecture, separate buses access the instructions and data. A common bus is used for both in a Princeton (also called von Neumann) architecture. Each architecture has advantages and disadvantages, and both are used in MCUs. The Princeton architecture is used over Harvard much of the time since it’s less costly to implement, but the Harvard has the advantage of being faster.

Program Flow

Instruction 1 Instruction 2 Instruction 3 Instruction 4

Interrupt Occurred Program Flow

Instruction 5

Instruction 6 Instruction 7 Instruction 8

Interrupt Instruction 1 Interrupt Instruction 2 Interrupt Instruction 3 Interrupt Instruction 4

Interrupt Routine

In this example of an interrupt, when a button switch is pushed, the main program flow stops at Instruction 4 to perform the Interrupt Routine and then resumes with Instruction 5 of the main program once the Interrupt Routine has finished. | Arduino

Since the Harvard architecture has separate buses for instructions and data, the CPU can access instructions and read/write data simultaneously. In addition, the word widths of the instruction and data memories are independent. The costs for these performance advantages are that more electrical connections are needed, and two memories are required.

The lower-cost Princeton architecture has its advantages: The memory controller gets data and instructions in the same manner (potentially from one memory), making the controller simpler, lower in cost, and faster. Data from I/O devices and memory are also retrieved in the same way, further simplifying the implementation, and fewer electrical connections contribute to lower cost. The Princeton architecture is

inherently sequential, limiting overall performance. Since the CPU is typically much faster than the data bus, the CPU can be idle waiting for data (this is called the von Neumann bottleneck).

Summary

MCUs are generally inferior to the CPUs found in computers and servers in terms of raw computing power. But while they are lacking in raw power, MCUs are optimized for embedded systems where a wide mix of analog sensors, valves, motors, and various human-machine interface (HMI) technologies can be found. A typical MCU can have several dozen GPIOs and will be able to respond to interrupts as needed to implement real-time control functions. MCUs can include various peripherals, including ADCs, DACs, PWM controllers,

MCUs are optimized for embedded systems where a wide mix of analog sensors, valves, motors, and various HMI technologies can be found.

timers, and even integrated wireless communications capabilities. And a typical MCU costs much less than a CPU found in a computing platform. DW

References

Embedded Control Solutions, Microchip

Essentials of Microcontroller Use Learning about Peripherals: GPIO, Renesas

Microcontroller, Wikipedia

What it Takes to do Efficient and Cost-Effective Real-Time Control with a Single Microcontroller, Texas Instruments

The Princeton (von Neumann) architecture (bottom) shares one bus for code and data. The Harvard has separate buses for code and data, providing higher performance. | Digital Ciruits and Systems

Precision Control Solutions

Designing efficient systems involves much more than simply understanding a few basic principles. There is a true art to balancing the specific requirements of an application in order to achieve the desired goals in the best possible way. Help us understand the unique needs of your application and together, we’ll develop something that surpasses what any of us could have done alone.

Contact your distributor to learn more, or visit clippard.com to request a free catalog and capabilities brochure.

sand casting lead times with hybrid 3D printing

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Hybrid platform solutions combine the benefits of additive and subtractive methods to save time and reduce costs.

Marshall Miller Applications Engineer • 3D Systems

The sand

casting process has undergone dramatic changes in recent years due to the benefits of 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM). Rest assured, sand casting practitioners and traditional casting companies won’t go out of business because of 3D printing. Instead, AM can assist the conventional sand casting process, making it faster, more coste cient, and more agile.

With 3D printing, the fundamental sand casting methodology remains essentially the same:

• It still uses a replica or pattern of the intended final part.

• The pattern is still placed within a two-part mold with cores to make internal passages when needed.

• Specialized molding sand is still compacted within the flask or mold chamber and on the pattern face.

• An in-gate, sprue, risering, and pouring basin are still required.

• One still pours in the molten metal.

|courtesy of PSSI

Method Advantages Limitations

Pellet extrusion

High variety of material at very high print speeds with low material cost

Filament extrusion

Integrated CNC spindle

Relatively good part resolution, fine detail, and surface quality

Typically, lower part resolution, detail, and surface quality versus filament

Slower speed, higher material cost, less material variety versus pellet extrusion

Limited geometric freedom (only 3 axes currently)

The only step in this traditional process that changes because of 3D printing is the fabrication of the actual replica or pattern and core equipment.

Subtractive patterns versus additive manufacturing patterns

The traditional method for fabricating patterns uses subtractive manufacturing technologies, such as CNC milling of metal or plastic basic shapes. These processes use machine tools to manipulate a block of material into the desired shape by selectively removing unwanted material.

Contrarily, the AM process starts from nothing and adds only the material required layer-by-layer within a build volume or build platform. The additive technology process delivers parts made of various polymers, including standard thermoplastics, thermosets, and filled and photopolymer resins, and even metals.

For casting patterns, 3D printing is recommended over traditional manufacturing in certain use cases:

• When reverse engineering old, worn-out pattern equipment — AM makes the sand casting process more accurate, automated, and repeatable.

3D scanners scan the original part or pattern equipment. Then, the design file can be adjusted or completed using 3D CAD software and 3D printed to the proper tolerances and shrinkage factors.

• When alloys for a casting design change — When alloys change, so do the shrinkage factors. 3D printed tools can be reproduced quickly to properly produce castings to the correct alloy shrinkage factor, eliminating lagging and pattern damage.

• When fast lead time is of the essence — 3D printed patterns can be produced in just hours and days, which is advantageous for prototyping or delivering a batch of short-run parts.

There is a vast number and range of 3D printing technologies, including binder jetting sands/ metals, powder bed laser/EBM, SLA polymer/ ceramic, filament extrusion, and pellet extrusion.

Extremely high surface quality, accuracy, smoothness, and tolerances

Except for the replica or pattern fabrication method, the sand casting process remains fundamentally the same when incorporating 3D printing. | courtesy of 3D Systems.

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• When multiple iterations, constant adjustments, or significant adjustments of the pattern equipment are required — It’s much faster, cost-e ective, and automated to adjust and re-print a pattern’s CAD file than it is to adjust traditionally fabricated pattern equipment.

• For lower volume complex core castings – Combined 3D process applications of 3D printed polymer patterns and 3D printed sand cores allow for rapid production of castings without producing expensive and time-consuming core equipment. If the casting is scrap, it is much less costly and time-consuming to make conventional molds and purchase or create additional 3D printed sand cores.

Not all 3D printing technologies are the same

There is a vast number and range of 3D printing technologies, including binder jetting sands/metals, powder bed laser/ EBM, SLA polymer/ceramic, filament extrusion, and pellet extrusion. Factors such as part geometry, pattern size, and material requirements should be considered when selecting the best technology for sand casting pattern

equipment. A large format 3D printer will serve the larger size requirement of many sand casting patterns.

Direct pellet-fed 3D printing enables the use of a wide range of materials with deposition rates up to 10 times higher than filament 3D printing. Additionally, pellet material costs are up to 10 times lower than filament costs, which makes pellet extrusion a cost-e ective alternative to subtractive technologies.

While 3D printing technologies bring significant advantages to the casting process, there are several advantages for sand casting applications when combining additive and subtractive into a hybrid platform. For example, each of the key methods — pellet extrusion, filament extrusion, and spindle subtractive tooling — have advantages and limitations when considered in isolation. However, when combined in a hybrid platform solution, all the benefits can be realized without limitations.

To help illustrate the e ectiveness of a hybrid platform for sand casting applications, consider a real-world use case. Proveedora de Servicios y Suministros Industriales (PSSI) wanted to employ additive manufacturing to

reduce the cost of manufacturing pattern equipment while compressing time. Its target was to reduce time and cost by 50% while maintaining pattern dimensional quality.

By using a Titan pellet extrusion 3D printer as a hybrid platform, PSSI eliminated the wood assembly and machining of typical wood pattern equipment. Unlike a CNC machine, the Titan 3D printer doesn’t require continual labor, which enabled lightsout manufacturing and reduced time by more than 60% — from seven weeks down to 2 ½ weeks — while lowering total cost. Additionally, the material selected, PETG, has better durability than wood and equivalent benching properties for final postprocessing. This yielded a faster, lower cost near net shape solution directly o the printer.

“3D Printing has helped us accelerate the manufacturing process of our products due to the confidence we have for the 3D printer to work 24/7 without the need for special care during printing,” said Alonso Alvarez, CEO of PSSI.

Regardless of the additive manufacturing technology used to

Shown here is a filament print in PLA (left), a pellet print in ABS with a 0.4-mm nozzle in 0.2-mm layers (center), and a pellet print and machined in ABS (right). | courtesy of 3D Systems

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ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

produce sand casting patterns, there are some important tips to keep in mind.

For sand casting patterns with improved surface finish:

• Consider using high-performance polymers such as glass or carbon fiber

filled ABS, PC, nylon, or PEKK, which deliver higher durability and can be sanded or machined better than lowertemperature polymers such as PLA and PETG.

• Consider that primer and paint adhere well to most high-performance polymers, except for polyolefins, such as PP and PE. Coatings designed specifically for printed objects are available.

3D printers reduce labor time costs by running continuously on their own.

| courtesy of PSSI

Shown here is a slicer view of a 3D model (left) and the corresponding print pattern (right). | courtesy of PSSI

For solvent resistance and chemical sand resistance:

• There are no known reactions to nobake, oil sand, green sand, or ISO-Cure.

For low wear, high throughput patterns using stronger polymers:

• AFS studies documented up to 30,000 cycles with almost no visible or measurable wear (3D Printed Tooling for the Disamatic Process, Garret Iverson, Scenic Industries LLC, AFS AM Division, 3D Hard Tooling Committee, AFS Cast Expo, 2019).

• When reasonable, print in segments and assemble the pattern equipment. This reduces print issue impact and produces tools in parallel over multiple printers rather than in series.

• Always design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) to minimize material, print time, support, and print defects such as curling. Remember the 45° rule and design to it.

• For high-wear areas, the area may be assembled to the pattern and replaced when excessive wear occurs.

• Gating is also an excellent additive application because it is fast (overnight), precise, and repeatable.

• Open market slicing software makes integrating the technology into the organization reasonably simple.

• CAD capabilities, dedication to the technology, and su cient resources are essential.

• Experience with designing and producing pattern equipment makes AM integration seamless.

By integrating additive manufacturing into the sand casting process, foundries and pattern shops are becoming more agile and competitive, bringing highquality castings to market faster and at a lower price point compared to traditional methods. DW

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How to cut your bearing failures in HALF

It is estimated that bearing faults account for around half of all failures in electric machines. The consequences of failure can result in unplanned downtime, machine breakdowns, equipment damage, and financial losses.

To prevent this and ensure consistent performance, e ective bearing maintenance is essential. But when a single machine can contain hundreds of bearings, how can this be managed? Here, Chris Johnson, managing director of bearing supplier SMB Bearings explains.

Edited by Mike Santora • Managing Editor

Of the often hundreds of bearings found in machines, most will outlive the machine itself. In fact, only a small fraction of bearings actually fail in service. Unfortunately, when they do, the impact can be significant. Having a condition monitoring strategy in place can help to mitigate this risk.

Vibration analysis

Vibration monitoring and analysis are one of the most common ways to measure bearing performance and implement predictive maintenance. Machinery emits vibration signals, as does the movement and interaction between components within the bearing. Any changes in these signals that aren’t caused by changes to operational conditions can indicate an issue with machine health.

Typically, faults in moving components such as bearings are responsible for signal changes, and these changes can be detected using equipment such as accelerometers and vibration velocity transducers. These defective signals may be caused by geometric imperfections, surface roughness, improper lubrication, or contamination.

Only a small fraction of bearings actually fail in service. Unfortunately, when they do, the impact can be significant. Having an effective condition monitoring strategy in place can help to mitigate this risk.

With bearings, a crucial component of many machines, monitoring their condition effectively should be a priority for any industrial operation.

Vibration monitoring and

Vibration monitoring is an acceptable and reliable form of condition monitoring, with standards such as ISO 10816 available for vibration evaluation. When implemented correctly, it can be an e ective way to detect bearing faults, but it can be costly to set up and requires direct access to the machine for sensor installation.

It may also not be suitable for lowspeed machines or environments with high noise levels, where defective signals may be weaker and harder to detect. This has been the case in applications such as turbines, engines, and transmissions. For these cases, other methods might be more appropriate.

Acoustic emission

In environments with high levels of noise, low-frequency vibrational changes caused by such small parts are often almost undetectable compared to the background noise and signals. However, these defects produce waves in higher frequency ranges(100kHz), known as acoustic emission (AE).

These transient elastic waves are produced by the release of energy caused by defects on the surface of a material or component. They can be generated by faulty or damaged bearings and picked up by an AE transducer with little interference from surrounding machinery. Though this

can be a little more costly, and the signals require expert analysis, this method can provide a high signalto-noise ratio and be used in various environments to monitor bearing condition.

Chemical analysis

Bearings often rely on oil and grease for lubrication and to ensure their function. Exposure to heat can degrade lubricants and produce chemical byproducts. General wear can also result in the production of debris. Oils and greases can be analyzed to examine the debris present and to determine whether it has resulted from the wear or the bearing itself, which may suggest a wider fault and can be used to monitor conditions.

Performing chemical analysis on oils and greases is a simple and e ective way to detect degradation, but this method is most suited to larger machines with lubricated bearings.

Temperature analysis

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers standard IEEE 841 states that at a rated load, the stabilized bearing temperature rise should be no more than 45°C. Many factors can influence temperature rise, including bearing or

analysis are one of the most common ways to measure bearing performance and implement predictive maintenance.

Mechanical

lubricant degradation, operational speeds, or the temperature within the motor itself.

Monitoring this temperature increase for unusual levels can alert engineers to a fault within the bearing and allow for investigation. This method is traditional and e ective as it allows quantitative measurement of specific parameters, but it does require the installation of embedded temperature sensors.

Stator current monitoring

Current monitoring is most often used for measuring the condition of bearings in electric machines and motors. A faulty bearing in a motor can cause changes in flux density, leading to stator current variation. This variation can be measured to identify bearing faults and is very

It is estimated that bearing faults account for around half of all failures in electric machines. The consequences of failure can result in unplanned downtime, machine breakdowns, equipment damage, and financial losses.

straightforward and non-invasive to implement.

The required parameters can be measured using existing systems in electromechanical operations, meaning that additional sensors are often unnecessary, and the implementation cost is lower. In some cases, it can be carried out remotely from a control room.

Measuring stator current can also give a wider overview of machine health rather than just that of the bearings. The main limitation is that signal-to-noise ratio can be low, and signatures are sometimes harder to detect in some applications. Though research has identified frequencies associated with singlepoint faults, more general issues such as roughness are not as well

characterized, but overall, this is an e ective method for electric machinery and motor systems.

Infrared thermography

Measuring infrared emission can give insight into bearing performance. Thermography equipment or infrared cameras can measure the release of infrared energy and highlight areas where temperatures vary. Improper lubrication and other faults impacting speed or load can induce heat variation or overheating and, using infrared can visually identify areas for concern, allowing engineers to see the exact location of the potential fault.

This technique does rely on the defect producing excess heat, meaning that it is not always sensitive enough to detect early issues or those not severe enough to generate infrared emissions, but it does allow for rapid analysis of bearing condition in many cases.

With bearings, a crucial component of many machines, monitoring their condition e ectively should be a priority for any industrial operation. There are many techniques available to achieve this depending on the industrial operation, the type of machinery used, and the equipment available.

The best method to monitor bearing condition will depend on the operation itself. Implementing a suitable strategy to measure bearing health and detect and identify faults before they become more serious is an invaluable way to ensure bearing performance and prevent failures, costly breakdowns, and unplanned downtime. DW

These tips not only adhere to food safety guidelines, but also serve to improve machine usage and performance.

Steve Bain • Food and Beverage Industry Segment Manager

Before describing the four pneumatic automation design tips for food and beverage packaging applications, it is a good idea to answer a fundamental question: Why apply pneumatic automation in the food zone instead of electric automation?

Pneumatic automation remains a key solution because of its lower relative cost compared to electric automation in food and beverage applications. In the food and splash zones, components must withstand harsh cleaning processes — even in dry cleaning applications, they still need to be cleanable. Moisture, chemicals, and electronics do not mix well.

While electric automation can and does exist in food and beverage packaging automation, the cost of protecting the electronics and motor drives up the price. When electrics are applied, they therefore tend to be used selectively. Furthermore, components in many food applications have shorter operational lives due to the harsh environment, which means parts need replacing sooner. Replacing a less expensive pneumatic actuator keeps operational costs lower. Taken as a whole, pneumatic automation is the predominant solution for its lowest total lifecycle cost due to the harsh environments.

The following advice taken together achieves three important design objectives:

• Conformance to food safety and sanitary design guidelines

• Improved machine usage

• Increased machine performance

Tip 1: Standardize on metric pneumatic systems for food and beverage packaging applications

The reason for standardizing on metric pneumatic systems is that tubing and fittings for metric cylinders use G-thread fittings that have parallel threads. Parallel threads seal flush to a gasket and eliminate exposed crevices. Using G-threads with metric tubing is optimum for Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) compliance.

On the other hand, imperial NPT fittings pose a contamination risk. The imperial fittings seal by wedging threads together. They require sealing tape. These tapered threads risk contamination, not only with exposed threads, but also through metal fragments or flaking tape. Using G-threads lowers the risk of contamination and cleans faster, which equals greater machine utilization.

Parallel

| courtesy of Festo

Pneumatics

Tip 2: Select a clean-design cylinder family

Instead of designing with generic cylinders, begin by identifying a metric cylinder family that was created for washdown and cleanability in food and beverage applications. Then design the pneumatic automation system around that family. Food and beverage cylinders are intended to be easy and fast to clean. They have large radii that do not pose a hygiene risk because they promote high flow velocities of the cleaning agents and disinfectants. There are no tight spaces where required cleaning cannot be achieved.

These cylinders feature high-gloss surface finishes, which are essential for components in the food zone. High gloss reduces microbial contamination. FDA-approved seals and NSF-H1 grease protect against unintentional adulteration of the food product. Be sure the cylinders have dry run seals for long service life.

Scenario Manifold in a panel Machine Mounted Manifold

Tubing length 20-ft 6-ft

Tubing volume 75 cm3 23 cm3

Cylinder volume 25 cm3 25 cm3

Total volume/cycle 200 cm3 96 cm3

Annual energy cost* $85.43 $41.01

*Assumptions: 20 cycles/min, 16 hours/day, 300 days/ year, 6 bar pressure, $0.35/1000 SCF

Other key qualities for these cylinders include machine parts that resist corrosion, are mechanically and chemically stable, and rigorously designed to conform to cGMP criteria. A cylinder’s self-adjusting endposition cushioning system should be constructed without contaminant-susceptible adjusting screws.

Tip 3: Do not exhaust valves over the food zone

Exhausting a valve over the food zone is similar to holding a blow gun and blasting unfiltered air directly into the food or packaging. The only di erence is that rather than the air coming directly from the compressor, air exhausted from the valve has also passed through the valves, into and out the cylinder, and back through the valve, picking up contaminants along the way.

Either mount the valves below the food/packaging zone or mount them above and duct the exhaust below the food zone. Check valves are often overlooked in the food zone. While check valves can help improve machine cycle time because the air does not exhaust back to the valve, this means the air is exhausting over the food zone. If a check valve must be used, the exhaust should be ducted below the food zone.

Tip 4: Shorten tube length between valve and cylinder

One of the most important developments of the last several years has been machine mountable valve manifolds rated at IP69K washdown that, like washdown cylinders, conform to cleandesign principles. The elimination of cracks and crevices reduces cleaning time for faster changeover and improved machine availability.

The new ability to move the manifold from the control panel to the machine in the food zone cylinder delivers advantages, not the least of which is energy savings. Chart One shows the dramatic energy cost saving of moving a manifold out of the panel and closer to the cylinder — 50% in this example.

The shorter the tubing length between valve and cylinder, the faster and more repeatable the cylinder’s

The shorter the tubing length the faster the pressurization, lower left in the chart, means higher cycle rates and more repeatable cycles.

| courtesy of Festo

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cycles. Faster cycles improve performance. In applications like filling, more precise cycles achieve better control of the process for higher consistency in product volume and lower waste.

The trend today is for smaller machines. Mounting valve manifolds on the machine allows control cabinets to be smaller or eliminated, which can reduce cost and footprint. Moving the valve manifold outside of the control cabinet also eliminates pneumatic connections installed into the wall of the control cabinet, lowering machining costs in materials and labor and reducing the components required.

Greater control

There are also new opportunities for achieving both the benefits of on-machine mounting and greater control flexibility. The Festo MPA-C IP69K-rated manifold can be configured with supply and exhaust ports

on each valve slice. All ports for every position can be independent of the valve next to it. For complex pneumatic situations where several di erent pressure zones are used, this can be one of the most cost-e ective solutions.

For some applications, the designer may face the choice of either locating an adjustment point for easy access in a panel or on the machine where it may be di cult to adjust. The latter means losing all the advantages of machine mounting. The MPA-C, in a second example, allows the OEM to plumb each valve slice to a pressure regulator. This solution achieves both objectives: easy adjustment and machine mounting.

There are other design considerations for food and beverage packaging applications like selecting tubing materials that withstand harsh chemicals and resist plastic transfer to

food. Hydrolysis-resistant polyurethane (PUN-H) and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFEN) tubing are ideally suited for use in the food and beverage industries. Both resist cleaning agents, microbes, and hydrolysis and are FDA compliant. PUN-H is more flexible and economical, while PTFEN is ideal for the harshest environments.

Designers can use free online tools o ered by Festo to size the pneumatic system appropriately so that the system runs as energy e cient as possible. Of course, specifying air filtration units to achieve 0.01 µm filter with 99.9999% e ciency is a must. It is the four tips, however, that lay the foundation for compliance, usage, and performance in food and beverage packaging applications. DW

Festo | festo.com

A leader for the next generation:

Antoinette R. Gant

By Paul J. Heney | VP, Editorial Director

LEADERSHIP

s a child, Antoinette Gant didn’t dream about a career in engineering or the military — she wanted to be an actress. Gant was part of a theater group in school, and that seemed like the perfect career to her, something in the theater arts. But her parents’ careers and influence showed her a di erent direction.

“I had a mom who taught biology, chemistry, and physics. So, in having her be the teacher, every summer, she ensured that my brothers and I had summer activities that included science, math, or computers,” she said. “When I got to my high school years, I had an opportunity to go to Northwestern to study theater. And my parents talked about being in that industry and how sometimes you do not know where your next meal is coming from — or how to pay your rent.

“I always enjoyed math and science. At that point, I thought I wanted to be a chemist, seeing some of the things my mom was doing during the summer. She was a teacher for nine months, and then she always did something di erent during the summer. I saw that and thought, ‘Okay, I’m pretty good at this science and math, so maybe a chemist is what I actually want to do.’ One of my mom’s students came and spoke to a group that I was a part of called Upward Bound. She talked about being a civil engineer and what they did.”

The nation’s newest Brigadier General is looking beyond herself to build up future leaders

Brig. Gen. Antoinette “Toni” Gant (center) is joined by Ms. Cheree Peterson, SES, USACE South Pacific Regional Business Director (left) and Col. Julie Balten, Commander of the USACE Los Angeles District, on a visit to projects in Southern California.

| Dena O’Dell (USACE)

Gant comes from a family made up of what she calls community servants — individuals who always talk about giving back. That kind of idea interested her, and of all the engineering disciplines, civil engineering was the one that spoke to her as the best way to give back.

College and the military

For her undergraduate degree, Gant attended a historically black university, Prairie View A&M University in Texas, known as one of the top schools for producing minority engineers. Unlike what’s reported at some schools, she never felt like an “other” as a female in the engineering program there.

“I was around other females who wanted to be engineers, so we had this camaraderie of just understanding. Plus, civil engineering was a much smaller group, but there were quite a few of us who were females. I consider myself very fortunate,” she said. “Even going to the conferences, we were able to see other female engineers, which excited me and reinforced that this was something I could do. When I got my master’s degree at the University of Missouri Science and Technology, it was a little bit di erent. A lot of us were military, so of course, being an engineer and being military, our cohort was a little bit smaller. I was one of maybe three females in the room. But there was a very supportive group of guys who were with us.”

Her decision to enter the military was predicated on finding enough funds to attend college, and it wasn’t anything she thought she’d stay with once her four-year commitment was over. But the Army turned out to be exactly what she was looking for in a career.

“I was a basketball player, and I graduated second in my class in high school,” she said. “I was in the ROTC program at my local high school. I told my counselor I was looking for an Air Force scholarship. She said, ‘I don’t have an Air Force one, but I do have an Army scholarship application. Why don’t you fill it out? Maybe it’s transferrable.’ So, I filled out the scholarship and had the right requirements as far as an ACT score. I did my interview and was accepted and could select the school I wanted to go to. The military was not something that I thought I would be in forever.

In being a leader, sometimes you have to use various leadership styles. If you’re trying to get something done and you have a group that’s not as focused, you have got to be able to focus them.

‘‘

Brig. Gen. Toni Gant leads a group through a section of the Upper Truckee River Marsh during a visit to Sacramento District’s The Upper Truckee River and Marsh Restoration Project in the Lake Tahoe Basin in August 2022. | Lucas Burns (USACE)

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“But I felt very welcome in the group that I was a part of. And lo and behold, to be accepted, to be commissioned as an engineer, to say you would do four years — and now being here with a 28year career behind me — it’s amazing to see. This wasn’t the career I chose for me, it was the career, that path, that had already been chosen. I just had to do my part in participating.”

“The great thing about being an engineer in the Army is that you can do so many different things,” Gant explained. “You can go from blowing things up to building things. You can go from serving overseas or in deployed environments to being a member right here as a green-suiter in the United States — and doing something each and every day that helps the community in which we live. I find it to be the most diverse and most exciting branch of any of the branches in the Army.”

Beginnings of a career and a leader

Gant said that in her military career, every job has been very different. Unlike many who’ve made the Army a career, she’s never served in the same place twice. She’s served in locations as varied as Fort Hood (Texas), Korea, Albuquerque, Afghanistan, Louisville, and San Francisco. She also points to her husband, a middle school math teacher, as being critical to her success, explaining that a supportive and willing spouse is a must-have for any career military professional.

Gant decided around the 10-year mark that she was going to stay with the military for good, and before she knew it, 15 and 20 and 25 years crept up on her.

“I always say that a job is not a job. It really should be a passion. It should be something that you actually enjoy doing. And although there are trials and tribulations as you go through life, if you are enjoying what you’re doing, if you’re enjoying the impact that you are providing and the value that you’re adding, then there’s a passion there. And that passion has never stopped going for me,” she said.

Gant explained that in the military, you always feel like you have to prove yourself. She found value in constantly listening and learning, being a part of the team, and getting people to understand what value she brought, but also what value her fellow soldiers brought to the organization. Moving up through the ranks, she also felt

a healthy fear of not wanting to fail her soldiers or missions. So, she channeled that into learning her craft, understanding the particulars of each project, and being open to saying she didn’t know so she’d be able to learn.

New challenges

In October, Gant was the first African American female active-duty engineer to achieve the rank of general officer when she was promoted to Brigadier General. She currently serves as the Commander, South Pacific Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,

If you are enjoying what you’re doing, if you’re enjoying the impact that you are providing and the value that you’re adding, then apparently there’s a passion there to be able to do it.

which covers all or part of 10 states, with four operating districts headquartered in Albuquerque, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Francisco. Gant has also received numerous national and community honors, such as the 2021 Black Engineer of the Year Conference Awards, Army Stars and Stripes Award, the 2020 Women of Color Career Achievement in Government Award, and the YWCA Women on the Move Award.

Gant feels that it is important to celebrate these types of achievements, to inspire our country’s youth, and to get more of them into STEAM careers.

“We talk a lot about the fact that we are this big melting pot, not just the United States, but as a world. Individuals have to see people who look like them so they can understand they have the possibilities and the opportunities,” she said. “I didn’t even know what an engineer was in my younger days;

if you asked me what an engineer was, I probably would’ve said it was a train conductor. But again, having an engineer, a female African American come and talk to me about what it was that she was doing made me look and think — if she could do this, then there’s a possibility that I can do this as well. Because we all come from various backgrounds, it allows others to see that there’s no one-size-fits-all. There’s no one particular race or gender, it’s all of us together that help to make the organizations or even the world better. Some little girl is looking and saying, ‘I want to be in the Army,’ or saying, ‘I

While Gant acknowledges that diverse teams are important within the engineering discipline, she’s quick to note that it’s critical to define what diversity is. She said that many times, the first thing people think about is race and gender, but it’s much more than that, including things like culture and background and people with disabilities.

“Understanding and knowing that everyone has a difference in perspective because of their backgrounds and where they’ve come from is important,” she

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want to be an engineer,’ and now she can see a photo of someone who looks like her and shows that it’s possible.”

Brig. Gen. Toni Gant delivers remarks at her promotion ceremony on Oct. 29, 2022, at her alma mater, Prairie View A&M University, in Prairie View, Texas.

| Andre Mayeaux (USACE)

said. “They each bring something to the table; we look at all those things and then determine what the best things for us to be able to do are. How can we make sure that we are touching more of the population than actually just a small subset of a population or just a community because of how we’re doing things?”

Full STEAM ahead Gant is a big believer in STEAM (which is STEM plus the arts, which she thinks is important to include). Two of the things she feels we need to make sure to develop a better pipeline is to start really early and to make it fun.

“I was very fortunate when people saw potential in me and allowed me to have opportunities. We have to start very young. It’s not just when a person gets to high school. It’s the elementary

school and middle school where we have to incorporate things that are fun for them and getting them to see that what they’re doing is a part of science, a part of math, and the technology piece of it,” she said.

“When you’re having fun with what you’re doing, then it’s more about, ‘I can do this.’ My husband is a math teacher, and many times, math and science are subjects of which people are so afraid. But I love the stories when he hears from students, ‘Man, I never thought I could actually do math,’ or ‘Now I want to do math. I want to come to your class because I enjoy it.’ It’s getting kids to see that everything that we do in life has something to do with those five areas of STEAM.

“We don’t do anything in this world right now without technology. Let’s make it fun for them in a way that now

they see, ‘Oh, that’s what technology is about, that’s what science is about, that’s what engineering is about.’ We’ve taken marshmallows and spaghetti sticks and put them together and had students build towers, and we say, ‘That’s engineering.’ Getting our students to understand at a much younger age that everything in this world that you touch and do has something to do with those categories is the key.

“And also providing those opportunities. If I could be a genie and close my eyes and give more money to the underrepresented or underserved communities so that they can have these opportunities, what a great world we would live in — and we would have more individuals understand the importance of those areas.”

Becoming a true leader

Plenty of engineers have stumbled into leadership roles without much official training, depending on the company or the organization they’re with. So many times, they have to literally learn on the job. Gant, for one, actually saw the writing on the wall and smartly returned to college mid-career to pursue a master’s degree in engineering management.

Some little girl is looking and saying, ‘I want to be in the Army,’ or saying, ‘I want to be an engineer,’ and now she can see a photo of someone who looks like her and shows that it’s possible.

Brig. Gen. Toni Gant (far right) joins other federal, state and local partners for a groundbreaking ceremony to commemorate the start of construction on the South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Project in April 2022. | Brandon Beach (USACE)

Brig. Gen. Toni Gant visits MLK Academic Middle School in March 2022, in honor of Women’s History Month. Gant fielded questions from 7th grade students to help Break the Bias and promote equality and diversity in the growing minds of her audience.

| Honey Nixon (USACE)

“For me, it was a stepping stone and an opportunity. Engineering, to me, is the technical competence. Management is the leading and the planning and the organizing. I knew if I was going to stay in this field, I’d have to have both. And even if I decided to transition out of the military, it would still be something that would be relevant and make me marketable,” she said.

“I think that the technology, the engineering side of the house, you learn as you go, but with the management side of the house, how do you plan, how do you organize, how do you meet individuals where they are?” she said. “Sometimes we don’t talk about the soft skills because management and leadership right now — I know we say one is different than the other — but I think they go hand in hand. And the soft skills when you become a manager or a leader are not necessarily about you doing, being the executor, but how you are able to empower others? How are you able to support and challenge those who you see potential in to meet the potential they actually have, whether it’s in an organization or whether it’s just in life?”

As for her personal leadership style, she goes back to watching her parents, both of whom were schoolteachers for a long time. Her father eventually left teaching and went into public service. But whether at school or in organizations they were a part of, she was always cognizant of what kind of leaders they were.

“As I matriculated through high school and college, I somehow

ended up in these roles where I was in charge. I don’t know — somebody saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself, but I say it starts there. One time we were in church, and I was not doing what I was supposed to do. And my father told me, ‘Understand that everything you do, there’s someone watching you, and they’re watching you because they see things that they want to emulate, whether good or bad. What are you going to do to make sure that you’re helping make a difference and making a positive impact on someone else’s life?’” she recounted.

“Because he said that to me, it stuck with me all my life. Now, you go through these iterations of being leaders. If I were to solidify what type of leader I hope people say that I am, I would say it was a servant leader — one who wants to make sure that I’m helping someone else to be the better person that they can be,” she said. “But we also know that in being a leader, sometimes you have to use various leadership styles. If you’re trying to get something done and you have a group that’s not as focused, you got to be able to focus them.”

“If you need a decision on something really quick, it may not require a goaround and consensus, and you have to make a decision. But there are times when you can corral the group and get a consensus before you make those decisions. I try to incorporate all of those things in being a servant leader, but more important to me is for people to understand and know that I am here to serve you, to help you to be better,” Gant said. “There’s a quote that says

a leader is not put in place to form or to have followers, but a leader is put in place to develop other leaders. And that’s definitely how I look at things and want to leave as an impact.

“Sometimes we are put in positions where we have no idea of the impacts we’ll make. I think being a leader is about taking on the challenge. Again, it’s not about you, but it’s about helping an organization or helping people be better than what they were before. A lot of times what I’ve found is, especially with individuals, they just need to be challenged. They need someone to understand and know that there’s someone who has their back. There’s someone who’s pushing them to do things more than they thought they were capable of actually doing, to challenge them a little bit.

“What I found is in doing that, we are helping to make individuals better. We’re helping to grow more leaders, and we make organizations better. And I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to wear a uniform and to work in a civilian organization where I am able to do that each and every day.” DW

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Placed in a deep fryer at the end of each day, pods absorb impurities in cooking oil and extend its life by 25% or more.

| courtesy of FreshFry

Order Up! New technology helps fry oil go green

Cooking oil is one of the most widely used products in restaurants and commercial kitchens. Nearly $80 billion of frying oil is used every year by the restaurant industry. That’s a lot of oil, which, unfortunately, ends up as waste once it degrades during the cooking process.

Edited by Mike Santora • Managing Editor

About eight years ago, an engineering student at the University of Louisville named Jeremiah Chapman began looking for methods to keep frying oil fresher and usable longer. When it degrades, frying oil gets contaminated with moisture, oil polymers, and other compounds that accumulate during the cooking process. Chapman discovered a combination of various scrap materials that absorbed these compounds that would otherwise darken and degrade the oil to the point that it needed to be discarded.

Chapman joined forces with a classmate studying mechanical engineering, Jacob Hu , and together they developed a package that would hold the plant materials so it could absorb the impurities in the oil. They called their product a “pod,” which was put in the bottom of a deep fryer at day’s end so it could absorb impurities — a process that extended the life of the cooking oil by 25% or more. That led the team to create their company, FreshFry LLC.

Ultrasonic Weld

FreshFry pods are made of a nonwoven fabric that is ultrasonically sealed to form a pouch containing scrap plant materials.

| courtesy of FreshFry

The partners started out using a stitched, cellulose-fiber-based paper product to create their first pods. Unfortunately, the pods often ripped open when exposed to the intense heat of commercial frying oil.

After the partners were approached by a national food distributor wanting to market their product nationwide, Hu recalled, “We had no idea what the next step would be.” That’s when the friends happened to encounter a Louisville classmate who was a sales representative for Emerson’s Branson ultrasonic welding equipment. Hu describes the opportunity as “the perfect solution.”

The Emerson representative had a benchtop plunge welder that was used to continue refining the product, a process that resulted in the successful redesign of the FreshFry pods.

After an extensive period of researchtesting di erent materials to see which one held up best and satisfied the requirements of the food industry, FreshFry switched from the original cellulose-plant-based paper material to a nonwoven fabric.

FreshFry then began producing pods using an existing, in-house benchtop plunge welder, and while this process produced satisfactory pods, it required manual operation and made one pod at a time. At first that wasn’t a problem since

FreshFry pods were being distributed by just two small regional distributors. The success of the pods, however, resulted in FreshFry expanding from two warehouses to over 73 by 2018.

“At that point,” Hu said, “it was obvious that we had to find a better way to do this.” Hu and Chapman consulted with their Emerson representative and made a trip to PACK EXPO 2018, where the FreshFry partners discovered their “better way.” They purchased and installed an automated form-fill-seal ultrasonic welder that incorporates the Branson DCX power supply and two ultrasonic stacks for making vertical and cross welds.

The production cycle involves feeding the nonwoven fabric from a roll, folding it back on itself, and sealing the sides and bottom to create a rectangular pouch, which then receives the impurity-absorbing filler material. The top edge is then sealed, and the completed pod is separated and sent to a conveyor.

Hu explained that the machine creates a staggered, triple-stitch weld pattern that resembles the pattern produced by FreshFry’s original sewing machine. The new stitching has proved to be highly repeatable, looks secure, and is aesthetically pleasing, as the

Nearly $80 billion of frying oil is used every year by the restaurant industry. That’s a lot of oil, which, unfortunately, ends up as waste once it degrades during the cooking process.

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The ultrasonic welding process also produces extremely strong welds, which is critical since the pods’ absorbing action makes them swell when they’re put in the hot oil. That expansion puts stress on the joints — a big reason the original paper pods failed frequently.

There are several advantages to ultrasonic welding in addition to clean, attractive, and strong weld joints. For example, the ultrasonic welding process is highly energy e cient. The heat required to create the seal occurs at the seal itself and is produced by the vibration action. No external heat source is needed to complete the weld, and there’s no need for adhesives that can release volatile organic compounds when heated.

FreshFry’s vertical, form-fill-seal system incorporates two Branson ultrasonic welding stacks that seal the side, top, and bottom of each pod. The system yielded a 10-fold increase in productivity to support the company’s rapid growth.

| courtesy of FreshFry

| courtesy of Emerson

Booster 20KHz Ultrasonic

Converter

Stack

The Branson DCX Series ultrasonic welding power supply from Emerson delivers industry-leading performance and configuration flexibility to simplify the layout and installation of complex industrial automation systems.

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In addition, ultrasonic welding is suitable for joining biopolymers, including compostable and biodegradable polymers, and FreshFry is currently researching using other materials to o er a fully biodegradable pod.

Ultrasonic welding also delivers greatly increased production volumes, which has allowed FreshFry to meet its increased distribution demands. The ultrasonic weld process takes one second or less. Because of that, Hu notes FreshFry went from “producing two or three pods per minute in 2018 to about 20 per minute today using our automated system, and we’re not fully using its capabilities yet.” The new system has been such a success that FreshFry is now selling into Canada and hopes to expand into Europe and

Asia, where distributors are already requesting the product.

As a practical matter, of course, all frying oil will eventually need to be replaced. But before FreshFry’s innovative pod, keeping cooking oil clean and fresh was a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, often resulting in workers neglecting to follow procedures and not meeting the goals of fryer-management programs.

Also, food quality and operating savings may be enough to attract customers to FreshFry, but Chapman says, “there’s actually a much larger objective: sustainability.” As Andres Abreu, business development manager, Packaging and Nonwovens, Branson Welding and Assembly at Emerson noted, “It is always great when our technology and our knowledge of

joining can be used by a company like FreshFry to advance their own sustainability goals. Emerson is committed to building a more sustainable business and contributing to a more sustainable world.”

FreshFry repurposes food waste products, principally hulls from rice seeds, and uses them as the filling of the pods. Since the company’s inception, FreshFry has recycled over 11 million pounds of food waste with the pods and pledges to increase that number to 1 billion pounds by 2031. DW

Emerson | emerson.com

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ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

In the category of Additive Manufacturing, this year’s LEAP Award winners are…

GOLD HP hp.com

Product: Arize Orthotic Solution

Arize Orthotic Solution is designed for podiatrists and specialty orthotic clinics focusing on improving customer service and patient outcomes. The end-to-end digital solution empowers clinicians to use a powerful design engine that applies modifications in real-time, relying less on a technician’s interpretation, and increasing customization.

Rather than traditional cast molds to fit patients for orthoses, podiatrists can capture 3D renderings of a patient’s foot, fine-tune and prescribe personalized orthoses for their patients — all in less than five minutes. With Arize, the design is done by the practitioner using the app with just a click of a button with a quick-turn delivery of 2 weeks or less. The clinical app is fueled by a design engine that applies design modifications as podiatrists select them based on a set of parameters that consider a patient’s foot size, weight, and feet proportions, whereas traditional labs rely on a lab technician’s interpretation and a manual process. When the insoles eventually wear out or if the patient wants a pair of orthotics for a di erent style of shoe, the same measurements can be used to reorder, saving the patient another trip.

SILVER ARRIS arriscomposites.com Product:

Molding – Airbus Bracket Project

This research project focused on the production of Airbus cabin brackets, which aimed to demonstrate significant reductions in aviation emissions by leveraging Additive Molding by ARRIS’ innovative manufacturing methods and materials.

The research project profoundly concluded that by replacing a metal bracket (220g) with an ARRIS topology-optimized, 3D-aligned continuous fiber composite part (50g), a weight savings of more than 75% could be achieved, translating into major fuel savings because hundreds of these brackets are part of a single aircraft. For example, 100 aircraft manufactured in a year with 500 brackets each add up to 50,000 lighter-weight brackets that contribute to major lifetime fuel savings. The impact Additive Molding by ARRIS can have on replacement parts, and future aircraft structures, show that meaningful reductions in carbon emissions are truly within reach.

Additive

2022 WINNERS

ADVANCED MATERIALS

In the category of Advanced Materials, this year’s LEAP Award winner is…

GOLD Jabil jabil.com

Product: PK 5000

The PK 5000 is an ecofriendly, powder-based additive manufacturing material engineered to deliver improved strength, chemical resistance, and resilience compared to general-purpose nylon powders, such as PA 12. As a result, this patent-pending material is disrupting the market for polymer powder-bed fusion technologies by delivering a formulation better suited to supporting highly demanding automotive, consumer electronics, defense, medical, and industrial manufacturing applications.

Jabil PK 5000 combines unique chemical and mechanical properties, such as high impact strength, high abrasion resistance, and improved elongation over other nylon materials to withstand functional testing and use. Equally important, PK 5000 has high barrier properties and low moisture absorption, which are critical for addressing the quality and resilience of certain parts and products exposed to fuel and water. The manufacture of the polyketone resin used to make PK 5000 involved using carbon monoxide. The ability to consume carbon monoxide, a leading cause of atmospheric pollution, may reduce the overall carbon footprint through the product lifecycle.

PK stands for “polyketone,” which represents a class of olefinicengineered polymers known for being strong, tough, and ductile. Additionally, PK 5000 o ers a suitable balance of critical mechanical properties at a lower cost than typical polymer-based materials. Jabil is developing process parameters for all major SLS platforms to drive the adoption of PK 5000. Currently, EOS, Farsoon, and 3D Systems are validating the material for use on their printer platforms.

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CONNECTIVITY

In the category of Connectivity, this year’s LEAP Award winners are…

GOLD Silicon Labs

silabs.com

Product: BG24 and MG24 families of 2.4 GHz wireless SoCs

Silicon Labs’ BG24 and MG24 Wireless SoC families have the industry’s first integrated AI/ML accelerators and are designed for Matter, Zigbee, OpenThread, Bluetooth Low Energy, Bluetooth mesh, and proprietary and multi-protocol operations. These SoCs incorporate the highest level of security certification, PSA Level 3 Secure Vault, with the best RF performance/energy-e ciency ratio in the market. They are suitable for diverse smart home, medical, and industrial applications. Target applications in the smart home include gateways and hubs, sensors, switches, door locks, and smart plugs; in lighting, LED bulbs, and luminaires; in building automation, gateways, sensors, switches, and location services; and in AI/ML, predictive maintenance, glass break detection, and wake-word detection.

WINNERS

The Han-Modular Domino module o ers the next level of modularity in industrial connectors. Modular connectors combine multiple media types into a single connection point using o -the-shelf modules. This makes building a custom connector fast and easy. The Han-Modular Domino module takes this concept a step further by allowing the customization of modules themselves with smaller, standardized cubes. Two cubes can be combined into one module, allowing for up to 50% size reduction of a connector solution or the ability to add even more functionality into an existing cutout.

CONNECTIVITY

2022 WINNERS

HONORABLE MENTION

LEMO USA, Inc. lemo.com

Product: M Series High Power

An innovative new electrical contact design to handle the highest possible power in the smallest possible connector size. Five size options of new crimp Gold-plated Copper contact sets accommodating large conductor sizes from 8AWG to 1AWG.

EMBEDDED COMPUTING

In the category of Embedded Computing, this year’s LEAP Award winners are…

GOLD Ambarella, Inc. ambarella.com

Product: CV3 AI Domain Controller SoC Family

The target application for the CV3 family is assisted and autonomous driving systems. This family enables centralized, single-chip processing for multi-sensor perception — including high-resolution vision, radar, ultrasonic, and lidar — and deep fusion for multiple sensor modalities and AV path planning. The result is robust ADAS and L2+ to Level 4 autonomous driving (AD) systems with greater environmental perception in challenging lighting, weather, and driving conditions for driver viewing and machine perception and decision-making.

At the launch, Fermi Wang, President and CEO of Ambarella, commented: “With our new CV3 AI domain controller family, we are now capable of running the full ADAS and AD stack with a single chip while providing unprecedented performance and power e ciency. Through enhancements to our on-chip ISP, along with simultaneous radar processing that can take advantage of our Oculii adaptive AI algorithms, Ambarella is helping the automotive industry unlock greater levels of perception accuracy across all environmental conditions to realize the promise of autonomous driving.”

With FPGA fabric architecture combined with a low-power FD-SOI manufacturing process, Lattice CertusProTM-NX advanced general-purpose FPGAs deliver exceptional performance while consuming up to 4X less power than similar competitive devices. By supporting 8 programmable SERDES lanes capable of speeds up to 10.3 Gbps, CertusPro-NX FPGAs deliver the highest system bandwidth in their class, enabling popular communication and display interfaces like 10 Gigabit Ethernet, PCI Express, SLVS-EC, CoaXPress, and DisplayPort. To meet the demand for robust data co-processing in edge artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) applications, CertusPro-NX FPGAs also feature up to 65% more available on-chip memory than other similar FPGAs and are currently the only low-power FPGAs supporting the LPDDR4 DRAM memory standard, which is preferred due to its projected long-term availability.

The OAX4600 is the automotive industry’s most advanced AI-enabled application-specific integrated circuit that controls dedicated driver and occupant monitoring systems seamlessly and simultaneously. By implementing a stacked-die architecture, it integrates RGB-IR image signal processing with two in-chip AI neural processing units and embedded DDR3 (2 Gb) memory in a low-power, small package.

2022 WINNERS

FASTENERS

In the category of Fasteners, this year’s LEAP Award winners is…

GOLD HellermannTyton

hellermanntyton.com

Product: Stud Mount Ratchet Clamp

The Stud Mount Ratchet Clamp is a one-piece, adjustable wire harness and tube clamp designed to bundle and fasten a routing to an existing threaded stud in an installation.

In applications where threaded studs already exist, the Stud Mount Ratchet Clamp can be pushed on. It requires no additional hardware and no drilling, so installation is instant and reliable.

The ratcheting closure allows one clamp to secure a range of diameters, so three clamps cover bundle widths from 0.5 to 2-in. Unlike metal clamps, there is nothing to bend or get in the way of inserting a bundle or closing the clamp.

The Stud Mount Ratchet Clamp has an inline design, which means it attaches to a stud directly beneath the clamp as opposed to an o set like a P-clamp. This results in a smaller footprint, which is desirable for applications where space is constrained.

HYDRAULICS

In the category of Hydraulics, this year’s LEAP Award winners are…

GOLD DGD Fluid Power

dgdfluidpower.com

Product: Cartridge Flow Transmitter (CFT)

The CFT is a turbine flow meter configured as a cartridge valve. The CFT o ers easy integration into hydraulic systems, requiring no additional hardware or connections for continuous flow monitoring of all critical hydraulic functions. It provides real-time data for predictive maintenance and remote troubleshooting and o ers turbine flow accuracy. The CFT is available in standard M42 cartridge style design and Sun Hydraulics cavity T-18A. A patent is pending for the CFT, which is centered around the design of a turbine flow meter within a cartridge body. The speed of the turbine is sensed di erently than existing in-line meters on the market. Existing units use a sensor positioned to sense the tips of the turbine blades passing by.

Currently, the geometry necessary to do this made packaging within a cartridge body impossible. To overcome this challenge, the design uses a Hall E ect sensor to monitor the speed by sensing magnets in the hub of the turbine. This allowed design engineers to have the sensor placed along the axis instead of positioned on the circumference of the turbine. This also allows DGD to have a design without any dynamic seals or rotating parts other than the turbine, which rides on two bearing points on the shaft and with a finite spherical point against the sensing element. What is unique about the CFT is the ability to design it into a hydraulic manifold. Current manifold assembly often requires designers to disassemble in-line flow meters and reassemble the internal components inside integrated manifolds. The CFT eliminates the need to do that and makes replacement feasible.

WINNERS

The Danfoss shhark low-noise gear pump improves operator comfort by reducing noise in the cab of o -highway machinery. Compared to standard gear pumps, the shhark pump reduces noise levels by up to 10 dB(A). Noise generation is at lower frequencies, which operators are less sensitive to, thus improving sound quality. In addition, flow pulsation is reduced by 78%, resulting in less vibration.

The shhark pump features a patented asymmetric gear tooth profile that ensures low-noise performance, better sound quality, and higher e ciency, even after many hours of heavy-duty operation. Unlike dual-contact flank pumps, in which the low-noise performance can decline over time, shhark pumps maintain consistent low-noise performance throughout the life of the pump.

When used in place of standard gear pumps, the shhark pump eliminates the need for end-of-line noise reduction measures, reducing costs and saving space.

The shhark low-noise gear pump is available in displacements ranging from 6.18 to 29 cc/rev. It has a rated pressure of up to 250 bar and an operating speed of up to 4,000 rpm.

Suitable for recording the time that the equipment is operational in the hire market, apportioning use of shared hydraulic tools between many users, or accurately monitoring the service interval of attachments. The RFS200 Run-time Meter ensures that maintenance can be conducted on a time-used basis rather than machine hours, allowing for more astute and coste ective management of hydraulic system health.

The design is based on Webtec’s Reverse Flow Indicator (RFI) technology, repackaged, and enhanced to provide the desired timing functionality.

INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION

GOLD Banner Engineering bannerengineering.com

Product: DXMR90-X1 Industrial Controller

The central component of Banner Engineering’s Snap Signal system for device monitoring, the DXMR90-X1 is a smart controller that consolidates, processes, and distributes data from multiple inputs. This data can be used for analytics, condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, OEE analysis, diagnostics, and troubleshooting via the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The slim and rugged IP67/IP68 housing features four dedicated Modbus ports and provides simplified installation by eliminating the need for a control cabinet. After signals are converted to a serial protocol, the DXMR90-X1 receives and combines them into one unified stream of insightful diagnostic data which, can be exported through industrial protocols, including Modbus TCP, EtherNet/IP, and PROFINET and sent to PLCs, HMIs, and SCADA systems. This data can also be sent to cloud platforms via MQTT and HTTPS push methods for real-time equipment monitoring, alerts, trends, data storage, and more. The Snap Signal platform enables retrofitting existing pieces of equipment to gather actionable data without disturbing an existing control system. By using the overlay network concept, users can quickly and easily start gathering data by teeing into existing sensors, consolidating it with the DXMR90-X1, then pushing the aggregate data to a cloud system for alerting and analysis. For more complex solutions, custom programming, and logic capabilities are available using ScriptBasic and MicroPython.

WINNERS

SILVER ELESA USA elesa.com

Product: M.2000-SWM

The M.2000-SWM handle combines ergonomics, functionality, and compactness. It has been developed for assembly on machine doors or protections. In addition to the handle function, M.2000-SWM handles integrate the function of a signaling light column and control box with safety contacts in 2NC (Normally Closed) or 1NO (Normally Openend) + NC (Normally Closed) configuration in a single product. With the appropriate electrical connection, it is possible to configure the color of the LED strip to indicate the status of the guard.

The body is a self-extinguishing UL-94 V0 certified technopolymer (glass-fiber reinforced polyamide based) with a microswitch button; the RGY-type LED light di user is a self-extinguishing polycarbonate opal color.

The electrical and mechanical characteristics of the safety button allow these handles to be integrated into a safety system. By pressing the button, the operator requests access to the protected area through external logic: the power supply circuit is interrupted to allow the operator in with maximum safety.

BRONZE Universal Robots universal-robots.com

Product: UR20

The UR20 is reimagined, redesigned, and rebuilt from the ground up. Every detail from software to end caps has been strategically architected to deliver next-generation performance and quality, complimenting Universal Robots’ highly successful e-Series. UR20 is not just a bigger version of existing UR cobots; it’s the cobot redefined, with an all-new joint design that increases all joint torques approximately 25% and joint speeds by as much as 65% with an increase in TCP speed of 100% (2 m/s vs. 1 m/s). The UR20 can handle heavier loads — up to 20 kg with a greater reach of (1750 mm). It’s the lightest robot on the market in its payload and reach class, weighing only 64 kg with a small footprint (Ø 245 mm).

The updated software brings unprecedented motion control capabilities with smoother motion (especially beneficial for dispensing applications) and less wear on the joints for increased uptime and decreased maintenance.

2022 WINNERS

INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION

HONORABLE MENTION

Red Lion Controls

redlion.net

Product: Graphical Panel Meter, PM-50

Red Lion introduces the next generation of panel meters, PM-50. This graphical panel meter, PM-50, expands Red Lion’s existing award-winning panel meter portfolio. The PM50 is available as a 3.5-in. or 4.3-in. graphical touchscreen display. Using simple “swipe” technology, users can easily switch between relevant screens and receive comprehensive operational data for monitoring equipment and production.

HONORABLE MENTION

Richardson Electronics, Ltd. rell.com

Product: ULTRA3000

Richardson Electronics’ ULTRA3000 product line has been widely accepted in the industry, with over 20,000 units installed and an ever-growing backlog of orders from new and existing customers.

The patented ULTRA3000 Pitch Energy Modules (PEM) is a direct oneto-one replacement for the GE Lead Acid batteries and chargers and can be installed with no modifications to the battery box.

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»

MECHANICAL

GOLD System Seals, Inc. systemseals.com

Product: VORTEX Main Bearing Seal

The VORTEX main bearing seal is a corkscrewstyle seal that uses the turning action of a rotary shaft to pump escaping grease back inside the bearing where it belongs. During deflections, when grease naturally migrates toward the seal, the Vortex pumps it back inside.

For wind turbine OEMs, traditional radial lip seals can damage main shafts, resulting in leakage and subsequent premature seal failures. VORTEX eliminates these issues due to its low contact force and wear-resistant materials.

For turbine owners/operators, VORTEX designs allow for retrofitting existing seal housings or can be custom-made to uniquely fit into the existing metal work, adding a seal where one was not originally designed. VORTEX has increased grease retention, resulting in increased bearing life and significant savings in grease.

The Vortex Seal is a completely new approach to rotary seals. The idea came when one of the world’s largest manufacturers of wind turbines approached System Seals with a problem: Turbines were leaking significant amounts of grease from the main bearings when wind deflected the main shafts. The deflections compressed the seals on one side and created gaps on the opposite sides, which allowed grease to escape.

Understanding that leakage was likely inevitable, System Seals developed a corkscrewstyle seal that used the turning action of the main shaft to capture escaping grease and redirect it back to the main bearing. The idea was entirely novel, and the turbine manufacturer was happy to beta-test the prototypes in the field on troubled turbines in service.

In the category of Mechanical, this year’s LEAP Award winners are…

WINNERS

SILVER Ogura Industrial Group ogura-clutch.com

Product: MCNB-HS series brakes

Ogura has developed a new line of small brakes for robotics and medical equipment applications. The MCNB-HS Series power-o spring applied brakes have oversized bores to allow wires to pass through the shaft’s hollow bore. They accommodate encoders, cables, hoses, shafts, and tools. The ratio of the brake’s field core diameter to outer diameter is leading the industry.

Internal designs allow for reduced backlash, high cycling, long life, optimized torque per size, thin profile, low weight, limited drag, low heat generation, and low power requirements. Reduced backlash is important for precision and accuracy. Special attention is made to supply stable performance and response during total life for high-cycle applications. Torque is optimized to provide a smaller package size and lower weight. The thin profiles give an advantage where space constraints are tight. Low power requirements reduce energy consumption and limit heat generation.

BRONZE

Bishop-Wisecarver bwc.com

Product:

The expanded LoPro product line makes it more versatile than any other linear actuator on the market. Bishop-Wisecarver’s LoPro linear actuators have always provided best-in-class reliability — especially in harsh and extreme environments. This includes resistance to particles, shards, abrasive debris, weld splatter, liquids, corrosion, washdown pressures, extreme high and low temperatures, vacuum conditions, and more. The options for belt, chain, lead screw, and ball screw drive systems capture a wide range of speed, thrust, debris-resistance, and accuracy capabilities. As tough as LoPro actuators are, they still come with a low profile and o er smooth, quiet motion over long lengths.

MOTION CONTROL

In the category of Motion Control, this year’s LEAP Award winners are…

GOLD ADVANCED Motion Controls

a-m-c.com

Product: 60-amp Continuous FlexPro Servo Drives

The 60C FlexPro models can output 60 amps of continuous current and take an input voltage of 10-55 VDC. These servo drives are available in multiple form factors, the smallest of which is a PCB-mount architecture with a footprint of just 1.5x1-in.

FlexPro can communicate in a network with real-time Ethernet-based protocols such as EtherCAT and EtherNet/IP and classic serial protocols such as CANopen and RS485/232.

While FlexPro drives are primarily designed to operate within a network, they can also operate stand-alone via stored indexes and sequences with I/O, step and direction, encoder following, and analog commands.

FlexPro drives are capable of brushed, brushless, stepper, and linear motor control. They also support various feedback options, including incremental encoders, Biss-C encoders, EnDat 2.2 encoders, hall sensors, and more.

WINNERS

The Kyntronics SMART Electro-Hydraulic Actuator (SHA) is an all-in-one, totally sealed actuator that combines the best features of hydraulic power with the precision of servo control found in EMAs while eliminating their shortcomings. It delivers an actuator capable of providing high force in a small package and is energy e cient and rugged enough for outdoor use. BRONZE

PNEUMATICS

In the category of Pneumatics, this year’s LEAP Award winners are…

GOLD Norgren

norgren.com

Product: Excelon Plus Integrated Electronic Pressure Sensor

Norgren’s Excelon Plus Integrated Electronic Pressure Sensor (IEPS) represents the latest generation of pneumatic air preparation equipment, aligning it with Industry 4.0 by incorporating IO-Link functionality. The first fully integrated digital gauge, it has a visual display of secondary pressure readings:

• Green — at or above pressure setting

• Red — secondary pressure is below setting

• Amber — system fault

In addition, the IO-Link mode, operating via the PLC/ automation system, improves monitoring by providing real-time process data. Pressure sensor calibrations can be adjusted for o set and span correction, while built-in diagnostics, self-testing, and fault reporting present an accurate measure of gauge status. This sensor also protects against corrosion with micro fog and oil fog lubrication. It can achieve up to 98% of water extraction, has a flush-fitting integrated gauge to reduce damage and with a unique, double-safety bowl lock, the bowl cannot be removed when the sensor is in use.

WINNERS

SILVER

Emerson

emerson.com/en-us

Product: AV/AES Valve System with integrated OPC UA

Emerson’s AVENTICSTM Series Advanced Valve (AV) valve system with Advanced Electronic System (AES) Profinet and Ethernet/IP is available with preinstalled Open Platform Communications United Architecture (OPC UA) functionality, making it the first and only valve system to o er this directly integrated capability. The AES helps users solve interoperability challenges and access data more easily, while the integration of the digital twin can improve productivity and e ciency.

POWER ELECTRONICS

In the category of Power Electronics, this year’s LEAP Award winners are…

GOLD

Nichicon America

nichicon.co.jp/english/

Product: SLB Small Lithium-Titanate Battery

The development of IoT infrastructure, real-time condition monitoring, and asset management through IoT terminals and sensors is growing significantly. Using renewable energy and rechargeable batteries in energy harvesting instead of disposable dry batteries is an e ective way to achieve carbon neutrality.

Until now, there has been no optimal energy storage device that can achieve this goal. The Nichicon “SLB” series is a family of “Small Li-Ion Rechargeable Batteries” suitable for IoT and wearable applications. However, the SLB series is not a conventional Lithium-Ion battery as it utilizes lithiumtitanate (LTO) for the negative electrodes, providing the following benefits:

• Long life of more than 25,000 charge/ discharge cycles.

• High-density input/output approaching electric double-layer capacitors. (EDLCs/ Supercapacitors)

• Capable of charging at a low rate using energy harvesting.

• Compared to conventional Lithium-Ion batteries, the SLB series has a low risk of explosion or ignition, even when used under harsh conditions.

WINNERS

In 2022, Power Integrations added two new AEC-Q100-qualified, 1700-volt rated ICs to its InnoSwitchTM3-AQ family. The new devices are automotive-qualified switching power supply ICs that incorporate a silicon carbide (SiC) primary switching MOSFET. InnoSwitch ICs are highly integrated and reduce the number of components required to implement a power supply by as much as 50%. With the new parts, designers save significant circuit-board space, enhance system reliability, and mitigate component sourcing challenges.

With the launch of these new devices, the InnoSwitch family is now available with a choice of either cost-e ective silicon, high-e ciency gallium nitride (GaN), or high-voltage SiC transistors, permitting designers to optimize their power solution across a broad range of consumer, computer, communications, industrial, and automotive applications.

Delivering up to 70 watts of output power, the new ICs are targeted for use in 600- and 800volt battery and fuel-cell electric passenger vehicles, as well as electric buses, trucks, and a range of industrial power applications.

Building on more than two decades of experience developing new isolation manufacturing technologies and integrated circuits (ICs) for high-voltage systems, TI has introduced a new portfolio of solid-state relays, including automotive-qualified isolated drivers and switches that deliver reliability to help make electric vehicles (EVs) safer.

Designing for higher reliability in isolated high-voltage environments, such as EV battery management systems, typically requires adding components that can increase the size, weight, and cost of a vehicle. TI’s new solid-state relay portfolio integrates power and signal transfer in a single chip, helping engineers eliminate components from their designs and reduce solution size and cost.

2022 WINNERS

HONORABLE MENTION

Empower Semiconductor

empowersemi.com

Product: EP71xx series of Integrated Voltage Regulators (IVRs)

Empower Semiconductor has launched a series of quad-output DC/DC buck converters that combine the industry’s highest current density, fastest dynamic voltage scaling (DVS), fastest load transient response, and extensive fault protection, all with no external discrete components. This allows designers and system architects to quickly implement power management solutions while keeping power consumption to a minimum.

HONORABLE MENTION

Navitas Semiconductor

navitassemi.com

Product: GaNFast Half-Bridge IC with GaNSense Technology (NV6247)

Gallium Nitride (GaN) is a next-generation ‘wide-bandgap’ semiconductor, replacing legacy silicon chips in power electronic systems.

Motion Controls for any project

… simple to complex, Single axis to Multi axis

OMS has gained the confidence of designers for more than 40 years, not only through the clever use of their patented technology in their products, but also by being a great business partner to their customers. Let OMS help identify the best solution for your project success.

Control Motion and I/O

Many applications require multiple points of control through a given process. This often leads to fragmented controls and undesirable process behavior. A multi -axis controller from OMS Motion can bring the complete process together into a fluid predictable and controlled process. Visit us at: http://www.OMSmotion.com sales@OMSmotion.com 800.707.8111

SOFTWARE

In the category of Software, this year’s LEAP Award winners are…

GOLD Gates gates.com

Product: Design Power™

Design Power significantly reduces the time it takes to design a belt drive by automating the drive design process for both application engineers and customers. Gates did this by creating detailed performance models of products and working with its experienced engineering teams to codify best practices into the program and turn tribal knowledge into scalable institutional knowledge. Design Power evolved from multiple Computer Aided Engineering programs at Gates, combined into one powerful platform. In creating the new Design Power platform, the company’s employees spent a tremendous amount of time investigating improved methods for modeling belt drive performance to improve the company’s capabilities and ensure that customers can feel confident in their drive’s performance — without having to resort to wasteful overdesign.

With Design Power, an engineer can easily and accurately design industrial synchronous or V-belt drive systems that fit their specific design parameters. They can lay out complicated belt drives and determine appropriate belt widths. Easily determine proper belt installation tensions, calculate belt pull, and estimate the cost savings of replacing roller chain with a Gates belt drive. Design Power also adds new organizational features on par with the best digital collaboration tools for those engineers that frequently collaborate on drive design by tracking design derivatives and iterations, holding multiple designs in a single project file, and noting who made what changes along the way.

SILVER Paro

Software B.V.

paro.nl Product: HydroSym

IHydroSym is software created by hydraulic engineers for hydraulic engineers, specifically for designing hydraulic systems. It is a dedicated, stand-alone software solution with all the tools needed to draw flawless hydraulic schematics. With the intuitive and smart features of HydroSym, and an extensive built-in library of more than 40,000 hydraulic parts, HydroSym helps engineers save hours of design time, eliminate human error, and deliver perfect designs faster.

HydroSym’s schematics can be used with HydroMan to design hydraulic manifolds. HydroSym is a stand-alone software, making it light and quick. Intuitive features make it possible to start and draw the first schematic in minutes. The large library of hydraulic components and symbols includes data sheets with extensive product information. This enables the engineer to automatically generate a Bill of Materials once they are done with the design. The development of HydroSym software, and continuing monthly updates, are done with input and feedback from a global base of users ranging from large multi-national companies to solo engineers.

BRONZE

Beckho Automation

beckhoff.com

Product: TwinCAT/BSD Hypervisor

TwinCAT/BSD Hypervisor, a new feature of the TwinCAT/BSD operating system from Beckho , enables simultaneous execution of virtual machines and TwinCAT realtime applications on an Industrial PC (IPC). Optimized hypervisor integration in TwinCAT/BSD, plus matching configurations of Beckho hardware and software provide maximum performance for virtual machines — often called VMs — while maintaining TwinCAT realtime properties for automation.

The high-performance execution of virtual machines means di erent operating systems can be used on one IPC so that users can take advantage of the features and strengths of each. In addition, users can enhance the security properties of the overall system by operating user environments in a modular and isolated manner. For example, TwinCAT real-time applications can operate separately from a Windows desktop environment for machine operation on an IPC. In this context, the Windows operating system runs in a virtual machine environment. Therefore, when Windows restarts, e.g., due to software updates, it will not interrupt machine control execution.

SWITCHES & SENSORS

In the category of Switches & Sensors, this year’s LEAP Award winners are…

GOLD Texas Instruments

ti.com

Product: AWR2944 single-chip radar sensor

Changing lanes and visibility around corners have historically been challenging for autonomous and semiautonomous vehicles. To create a safer driving experience, driver assistance systems must quickly and accurately process massive amounts of data and clearly communicate with the driver. This challenge presents the opportunity to design highquality, premium advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) technology that helps enhance vehicle perception. For automated parking and driving, seeing farther with devices like Texas Instruments’ AWR2944 sensor leads to improved awareness and safety.

Empowering automakers to develop vehicles with increased visibility of their surroundings, the high-resolution 77-GHz AWR2944 single-chip automotive radar sensor can help automakers meet the latest automotive safety regulations. Additionally, it provides best-in-class radio frequency performance in a small form factor — approximately 30% smaller compared to radar sensors today. The AWR2944 sensor integrates a fourth transmitter to provide 33% higher resolution than existing radar sensors, enabling vehicles to detect obstacles more clearly and avoid collisions. In addition, the new sensor’s unique hardware supported by Doppler division multiple access (DDMA)- based signal processing improves the ability to sense oncoming vehicles at distances up to 40% farther away.

SILVER

Festo Corporation

festo.com

Product: SDBT-MSX

The Festo SDBT-MSX is the world’s first and only proximity switch with automatic switching point adjustment. Simply install the SDBTMSX near the approximate end position, connect the cable to the controller, and turn on the system. That’s all there is to it. Since the switching point is learned during operation, there is no need for a power supply during installation. Or use the capacitive control button to teach the switching point manually. Programmable to PNP/NPN and NO/NC, and defining the switching window range. This flexibility reduces the variety of switches in inventory. SDBT-MSX is designed for T-slot mounting.

BRONZE

SCHURTER

schurter.com

Product: Capacitive Hidden Switch – CHS

SCHURTER introduces its new Capacitive Hidden Switch, series CHS, intended for use behind non-conductive surfaces. The new series expands on potential applications by enabling interface designers more flexibility in custom panel design.

Consumers have become accustomed to the touch of a surface to carry out software commands that have increasingly become part of our technology-directed lives. These devices often use varying capacitive touchpoints to carry out the desired command. The CHS is a stand-alone capacitive switch designed for use as a single key or in arrays behind non-conductive surfaces.

2022 WINNERS

SWITCHES & SENSORS

HONORABLE MENTION

Omega Engineering

omega.com

Product: HANI Clamp Temperature Sensor

Omega Engineering’s high-accuracy non-invasive HANI Clamp-On Temperature Sensor is the first-ever technology to achieve the precision performance of an invasive sensor from a surface-mount design.

Why use Roller Screws?

Rollvis is situated in a high-tech business park near Geneva. For more than 50 years we have relied on the highly specialized local work force and manufacturing partners to develop our products and production methods.

Since the beginning we have dedicated ourselves to the design and production of the highest quality Planetary Roller Screws. Our experienced engineering and production team allow us to be trusted partner to many companies across range of industries

Marcus

2022 WINNERS

TEST & MEASUREMENT

In the category of Test & Measurement, this year’s LEAP Award winners are…

GOLD Liquid Instruments

liquidintruments.com

Product: Moku:Pro

Moku:Pro introduces a unique combination of flexibility, performance, and ease of use to deliver an integrated platform for engineering and research labs.

Moku:Pro allows engineers and researchers to dynamically switch between more than 10 integrated powerful instruments, including an oscilloscope, lock-in amplifier, PID controller, phasemeter, arbitrary waveform generator, data logger, spectrum analyzer, frequency response analyzer, waveform generator and digital filter box, in one compact device. Using a revolutionary field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based approach and partial reconfiguration, Moku:Pro is reconfigurable in an instant and softwareupgradeable.

2022 WINNERS

TEST & MEASUREMENT

SILVER

MTI Instruments — A Vitrek Company mtiinstruments.com

Product: 1520 Signal Simulator and Calibrator

The 1520 Portable Signal Simulator/Calibrator is an NIST-traceable signal source providing laboratory-grade precision for testing and calibrating sensor-driven systems in the field. Rugged and reliable, the 1520 o ers market-leading WiFi connectivity, ergonomic design, visualization features, and 10-hour (max) battery life. Its intelligent sensor database simplifies simulation of various sensor types, including accelerometers, pressure transducers, strain gauges, tachometer generators, flow meters, and microphones. Custom simulations are easily added using common SQL queries.

BRONZE

Tektronix, Inc. tek.com

Product:

2 Series Mixed Signal Oscilloscope

The 2 Series MSO is the industry’s first portable oscilloscope that provides benchtop performance in the field and lab without sacrificing functionality. Weighing less than four pounds and only 1.5-in. thick, the scope fits easily into a backpack, allowing engineers to go beyond traditional workflows.

Product World

Micro850 and Micro870 2080-Lx0E

controllers

Rockwell Automation rockwellautomation.com

The improved Allen-Bradley Micro850 and Micro870 2080Lx0E controllers using the latest Connected Components Workbench software o er greater connectivity and design e ciency through the new Class 1 implicit messaging capability with up to eight EtherNet/IP devices support. The 2080-Lx0E controllers streamline the integration of controller to drives, supporting PowerFlex 520 series and Kinetix 5100 drives over EtherNet/IP with pre-defined tags and pre-developed user-defined function block (UDFB) instructions. More significant is the easy programming and simpler workflow through a familiar and intuitive design environment.

Connected Components Workbench software version 21 is the required minimum to support the Class 1 implicit messaging capability in Micro850 and Micro870 2080-Lx0E controllers. The controller and software enhancements can help drive industrial operations productivity while lowering costs. Users can benefit from a more connected and simplified control system for their automated designs.

Intrinsically safe isolators

AutomationDirect automationdirect.com

AutomationDirect has added more intrinsically safe isolation barriers from STAHL. These modules ensure that only a safe amount of energy resides in an electrical circuit installed in a potentially explosive atmosphere so no ignition sources are created.

More digital, analog, and temperature modules, new frequency transmitter isolators, and a Zener Barrier for thermocouple signals have been added. Additional accessories include a configuration kit for the temperature and frequency modules and replacement fuse kits for the Zener Barrier.

Product World

GT Series adds 4-pin connectors

Canfield Connector canfieldconnector.com

The GatorMate line of products has been expanded with 2-, 3-, and now 4-pin GT Series of connectors that are both fully molded and customizable. The connectors are designed to eliminate the need to purchase expensive crimping tools while reducing the labor required to assemble former field-wire versions. Additionally, the rugged GT Series is an all-in-one molded connector assembly proven to work in the harshest environments with an IP67 rating resistant to dust, vibration, shock, and moisture.

Compact and over-molded, the GT series is built to enhance connection performance and ensure that high stress or vibration will not cause unintentional disconnection. The connectors can be highly customized to include various media compatibility or high-flex, special use, or high-temperature cable. An optional LED indicator light and MOV or diode surge protection are also available.

Enduro LF10 PTFEbased coating

Green Tweed gtweed.com

Enduro LF10, a thin, conformal, PTFEbased coating, is suitable for enhancing the performance and extending the lifetime of elastomeric, thermoplastic, or metal manufacturing equipment components. By reducing the sticking force between component interfaces or friction-related wear, Enduro LF10 reduces particulate generation.

In static or dynamic sealing applications, Enduro LF10 coating reduces friction between surfaces and can be applied to elastomeric, plastic, and metal components. It can also reduce the sticking force (separation force) for seals, including vacuum seals. Continuous use at high temperatures equal to PTFE meets the thermal needs of most processes. Deposition occurs at low temperatures, allowing the coating of delicate structures and temperature-sensitive materials. With deposition at low temperatures, it can be applied to many surface material types and works well for both static and dynamic applications. Enduro LF10 coatings can also convert the surface property from hydrophilic to hydrophobic in aqueous chemical environments, enhancing process equipment e ciencies.

RTD temperature transmitter

Endress+Hauser endress.com

The iTEMP TMT31 temperature transmitter for analog 4-20mA signals improves upon its RTD transmitter predecessors with better connection technology, available in two optimized formats. The first incorporates push-in terminals enabling tool-free, secure field wiring in seconds. It is also available in the classic screw terminal format, with an optimized design that makes wire terminations in the connection head easier. Corrosion-free contacts ensure maximum reliability of measured value transmission for both connection variants.

For fast commissioning, users can receive the TMT31 transmitter conveniently preconfigured from the factory or to apply custom parameterization on-site with free configuration software such as Endress+Hauser FieldCare or DeviceCare.

These software packages run conveniently on a host of operating systems, both on laptops and tablets. The USB configuration kits required for this, such as TXU10 or Commubox FXA291, are also available from Endress+Hauser as accessories.

The TMT31 is approved for safe operation in Zone 2 / Div. 2 hazardous areas (non-sparking) by ATEX and CSA C/US standards, along with Pt100 and Pt1000 sensors.

Additionally, the sensor adjustment parameter in the head transmitter can be modified according to Callendar-Van Dusen equations (CvD) to match the connected RTD sensor characteristics, further refining the temperature measurement accuracy of the entire system.

FMAB NEO single-phase filter series Schurter schurter.com

The FMAB NEO single-phase filter series is now o ered with enhanced asymmetrical attenuation performance in higher frequencies, achieved by adding a ground line choke on the earth conductor. The new filter series o ers a simple solution to filtering critical earth conductor currents generated by today’s power conversion technologies, such as those using high-speed switching power supplies, frequency converters, and motor drives.

Due to the inherent electromagnetic interferences being generated in and between di erent systems, inadequately suppressed interferences can a ect the operation of the equipment or other nearby devices. To meet these EMC challenges, engineers are searching for high-performance filters, which will also fit in smaller spaces. In addition to the current-compensated choke on the line and neutral conductor, the FMAB NEO o ers a second choke on the earth line. The ground line choke is located between the filter input and output. With the two earth connections at the input and output, the earth connection at the main input is insulated from the housing. This ensures that possible high-frequency interference currents on the earth conductor cannot bypass the filter via the housing. Applications with critical high-frequency earth line currents include medical and laboratory equipment, audio and video, as well as industrial automation systems. Medical filters without Y-capacitors especially benefit from an improved asymmetrical attenuation in the higher frequency range due to the earth conductor choke.

The single-stage FMAB NEO filter family is ENEC and cURus approved. Rated current range is 1-60 A at 40° C. The temperature range is from -40° to +100° C with deratings according to rated current. Rated voltage is 125/250 V. Variations include models with PE Choke, Protection Class II, Standard leakage current at 1 mA, and Medical low leakage M80 or M5. Mounting options include bolt and nut or quickconnect

The (lowest) Loss Leaders

Coilcraft’s XGL Family of molded power inductors is available in a wide range of inductance values (from 82 nH to 56 µH) and current ratings up to 117 Amps. With up to 60% lower DCR than previous-generation products, they are the most efficient power inductors available today!

Their ultra-low DCR and higher Irms also allow XGL Family inductors to operate

much cooler than other components.

All XGL Family inductors are qualified to AEC-Q200 Grade 1 standards (with a maximum part temperature of 165°C) and have no thermal aging issues, making them ideal for automotive and other harsh environment applications.

Download the datasheets and request free samples at www.coilcraft.com/XGL . ®

XGL Family power inductors feature the industry’s lowest DC resistance and extremely low AC losses for a wide range of DC-DC converters

EGS low-profile precision rail

AMETEK Haydon Kerk Pittman (HKP) haydonkerkpittman.com

The EGS “e cient guided system” is suitable for lab automation and electronic assembly where applications require high speed and highly e cient point-to-point motion. Its stage base combines RGS-style screw supports and a ball-bearing profile rail for a lower carriage ride (<16 mm), higher speed capability, and more e cient, sti er load support than competitor products.

The EGS also provides an up to 50% smaller alternative to more traditional belt + gearbox designs. It has the advantage of an easily integrated “bolt-in” design, which eliminates many facets of a multi-component design, like the need for additional engineering, managing multiple vendors, and integrating a precision assembly.

Power relays product line

CUI Devices cuidevices.com

Group product expansion with the addition of a new line of power relays. Suitable for high-level current switching in a range of industrial applications, measurement, and control equipment, and safety systems, CUI Devices’ power relays boast industry-best lead times and o er max switching currents from 5 A up to 40 A.

The PR family of power relays has SPST (1 Form A), SPDT (1 Form C), DPST (2 Form A), or DPDT (2 Form C) contact forms, various contact ratings, and Ag Alloy overlay contact material. Housed in through-hole packages, the models carry max switching voltages up to 440 Vac or 120 Vdc, coil power ratings from 200 to 900 mW, and coil voltages of 5, 12, or 24 Vdc.

Low-profile touchless switches

IDEC Corp. idec.com

The new line of CW low-profile touchless switches is suitable for many hygienic industrial and public automation applications, addressing cleanliness concerns for protecting against COVID-19 and other contamination. The switches are designed with a sleek, nearly flush (2 mm rise), low-profile surface silhouette. They are built for an industry-standard 22 mm mounting hole and require only a shallow 35 mm space behind the panel face, plus room for the wiring connector. Operating temperatures range from -25 to +55° C. A rubber washer and locking ring ensure IP65/67 and NEMA Type 4X ratings are maintained. The CW1H housing and bezel are black plastic resin, and the CW4H is silver aluminum alloy metal. Although the switches are rated for outdoor use, are made from weather-resistant materials, and are highly resistant to visible light, excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays from direct sunlight can cause material degradation, color fading, and even false signals.

The switch front face contains a central emitter, a receiver sensing lens, and an LED indicator ring. Infrared LED di use reflection technology is used to detect objects. The detection distance is adjustable, typically ranging from 70 to 270 mm, depending on the object’s color, material, and surface condition to be detected.

Ultrasonic airtight integrity tester

Saelig saelig.com

The Portascanner AIRTIGHT is a unique, powerful handheld tool designed to ensure that a room, compartment, or building is su ciently airtight. It uses ultrasound to detect, identify, and quantify air leakage sites. The Portascanner AIRTIGHT kit consists of a handheld, portable, battery-powered 7-in. touchscreen tablet, a highly directional, sensitive sensor wand for precise and accurate location of leak sites, and an ultrasonic generator that creates a powerful ultrasonic signal to fill or target a room or compartment with ultrasonic waves to identify any leaks.

The generator has a variable output power for greater versatility in various situations. A headphone set, tripod, and adjustable clamp complete the kit to facilitate using the generator anywhere in the test space. The tablet features a built-in 8-megapixel camera to allow users to record the location of any leaks found. This kit enables regular and speedy checking of facilities for any air leaks to comply with relevant standards or for quality control purposes.

Electrically isolating epoxy

Master Bond masterbond.com

Master Bond EP5TC-80 is a one-part, NASA low outgassingrated epoxy that achieves a thermal conductivity of 3.3-3.7 W/ (m·K) while retaining its electrical non-conductivity. It requires a cure at only 80° C for 1.5 to 2 hours. To optimize performance properties, a post-cure of 1-2 hours at 80° C is recommended. Featuring a thixotropic paste consistency, this compound adheres well to many substrates such as metals, composites, glass, ceramics, and many plastics. It is formulated for bonding, sealing, and small encapsulating applications.

EP5TC-80 is electrically insulating, with a volume resistivity greater than 1014 ohm-cm. It features a thermal resistance of 6-10 x 10-6 K·m2/W and can be applied in very thin sections due to its ultra-fine particle filler. The high-strength system has a tensile modulus exceeding 1.5 million psi and a compressive strength ranging between 25,000 and 27,000 psi. EP5TC-80 exhibits good dimensional stability with low shrinkage upon cure, a Shore D hardness of 90-100, and an elongation of 0.5 to 1.5%. It is serviceable over the temperature range of -50° to +150° C and has a glass transition temperature of 110-115°C. Packaging is available in 3 cc, 5 cc, 10 cc, and 30 cc syringes and ships in dry ice.

Sensorless

Standard or custom designs up to 98% efficient, up to 200,000 rpm.

Highest power density in the industry.

Slotless and slotted designs. Available with encoders and gearheads and separate or integral electronics.

Quantities 1 to 10,000.

Data sheets at www.koford.com

For technical assistance, mail@koford.com 937-695-1275

When great things are being moved with hydraulics, HAWE is involved. HAWE Hydraulik is a leading manufacturer of technologically advanced, high-quality hydraulic components and systems. HAWE products are used wherever high quality, high power and maximum precision is required - whether in machine tools, construction machinery or wind turbines.

Partner with HAWE to always have the right solution! www.hawe.com | info@haweusa.com | 704-509-1599

Differential displacement measurement system

Kaman Precision Products kamansensors.com

The KD-5100+ high-reliability di erential displacement measurement system with nanometer resolution has a stable design and is suitable for laser communications satellites and ground stations, image stabilization systems, and directed energy systems for ground, shipboard, and airborne applications.

The KD-5100+ is an upgraded, higher-reliability version of Kaman’s proven KD5100 measuring system and uses the identical proprietary hybrid microcircuit. The KD-5100+ incorporates upgrades to the circuit layout, ground connections, and sensor connectors, and adds higher-reliability diodes and capacitors.

Featuring a small package size — only 2 x 2.12 x 0.75-in. thick — the KD-5100+ is a suitable solution for meeting SWaP-C requirements. It is manufactured to Mil-PRF-38534 Class H, with MILSPEC components used throughout the electronics. The KD-5100+ features a mean time between failures exceeding 238,000 hours in a space flight environment and 55,000 hours in a tactical environment. Kaman also o ers the DIT-5200, a commercial version of the KD-5100+ for applications where mil-spec requirements, size, weight, and power consumption are less critical.

Field-wireable M8 connectors

binder USA binderusa.com

808 M8 connectors are used for data and power transmission in factory processes and building applications. Designed for single-pair Ethernet (SPE) applications, these miniaturized industrial connectors are easily integrated into standard sensor technology housings. They meet IEC 63171-5 and 63171-6 standards for mechanical, electrical, test specification, mating faces, ruggedness, reliability, and signal integrity.

The connectors also o er flexible termination in the field. SPE refers to Ethernet transmission via a single pair of copper cables. It is suitable for high-speed data transmission and the simultaneous supply of power to end devices through a power-over-data line (PoDL). SPE allows only high-performance, energy-e cient wiring of field components quickly being integrated into the existing data infrastructure. SPE can also transmit data at speeds of up to 10 Mbps with the potential to reach 1 Gb/s.

Product highlights:

• binder Series: 808

• 2-pin and 4-count versions

• Degree of protection: IP67

• Locking technology: Screw locking

• Shielded or unshielded

Facing a design challenge? SDP/SI engineers provide problem solving, customized solutions. With over 70 years of engineering development and precision manufacturing experience, SDP/SI is a proven partner to the most recognized names in medical, aerospace, defense, and robotics industries.

From prototype to high-volume production, SDP/SI high-quality components and subassemblies provide the reliable performance your application requires. Our products are found worldwide in surgical gear drivers, pharmaceutical processing & packaging, robotic surgery, patient positioning, drug delivery, pumps, and aerospace & defense applications including actuation/positioning systems, instrumentation, door releases, stabilization systems, camera positioning, weapons targeting, and cargo movers.

Product World

Hermetically sealed 4-20 mA position sensors

NewTek

Sensor Solutions newteksensors.com

Hermetically Sealed Position Sensors have a 4 — 20 mA current loop output that has become the data transmission standard in the process control industry. O ering rugged operations and high performance with low power consumption, the HI Series of Hermetically Sealed 4-20 mA LVDTs ensure highly reliable and consistent data output for factory automation, materials testing, and packaging equipment applications. Requiring less power than similar DC-operated LVDTs and signal conditioners, these 4-20mA sensors also satisfy low-power budgets.

Sustaining accuracy with no errors over long-distance transmissions, the 4 – 20 mA current does not degrade over long connections and is less sensitive to background electrical noise. Simple to connect and configure, the 4-20 mA output position sensors o er plug-and-play compatibility with most PLCs and controllers. Units also require less wiring and connections than other signals to reduce startup costs.

High-speed connectors

Lemo lemo.com

LEMO is completing its existing USB 2.0 compliant portfolio with a new range of USB 3.1 connectors providing data transfer speed up to 10 Gb/s. Their state-of-the-art inserts ensure optimum shielding & absolute signal integrity. They are also equipped with a pair of USB 2.0 contacts to ensure backward compatibility and a low-voltage power contact.

The company is also extending its Ethernet-compliant portfolio that includes 1000 Base-T4 & 10G Base-T4 compliant solutions with a new range of Single Pair Ethernet connectors providing data transfer speed up to 1 Gb/s. Proposed with either 1 or 2 High-speed SPE pairs, these miniature models ensure robust, safe, and lasting compact integrations.

•

Vertical lift stage

Optimal Engineering Systems (OES) oesincorp.com

The new AT20-600 series of motorized vertical lift stages have a vertical lift of 600 mm. The AT20-600-01 is driven by a two-phase stepper motor and has a repeatability of 5 microns, positional accuracy of 20 microns, and a knob on the motor for manual adjustment. The AT20-600-02 is driven by a brushless DC servo motor with a quadrature incremental encoder, and the AT20-600-03 is driven by a DC servo motor with a quadrature incremental encoder. Each of the Servo Motor options, the -02 and -03 versions, o er higher travel speeds, increased positional accuracy, and repeatability. The AT20-600-04 is driven by a Two-Phase Stepper Motor with a Quadrature Incremental Encoder mounted on the motor for position verification.

The large 600 mm x 600 mm stage table has a pattern of threaded mounting holes, and the rigid box construction of the moving component of the elevator stage travels on six slide rails, always assuring smooth vertical travel and parallelism of the table and mounting surface.

The high 50 kg load capacity of the AT20-600 Series Stages allows for the positioning of multi-axis stages, flasks, stirrers, hotplates, and other lab equipment, testing, inspection, assembly, sampling, laser drilling, and machining in a range of industrial, medical, semiconductor, and research applications.

Bi-directional latching solenoid

Magnetic Sensor System

magneticsensorsystems.com

Latching Bi-Directional Solenoids are low-cost, economical, and easy to integrate into an application. The S-18-100LC2 and S-18-100LF2 Latching Bi-Directional Solenoids have the same compact dimensions: 1.00-in. wide x 0.84-in. high x 1.73-in. long with 6-32 threaded Push/Pull plungers. The plungers have a travel of 0.19-in. and in the extended position are 0.50-in. long. Two 8-32 (or optional M4) threaded mounting holes are located on the underside of the solenoids.

An application will dictate the selection of either an S-18-100LC2 or S-18-100LF2 solenoid. The “C” in the S-18-100LC2 suggests the plunger ends and the mating stops are conical shaped, whereas “F” in the S-18-100LF2 indicates the shape of the plunger ends and stops as flat. The di erence is realized when the two coils of the solenoids, connected in parallel, are supplied with 7.5 watts of power. The conical ends and mating stops of the S-18-100LC2 have a lower latching force (1.4 lb) and a higher push/pull force (0.5 lb) in comparison to the S-18-100LF2 with its high latching force (5 lb) and lower push/pull force (0.3 lb) Typical applications include: Valve control, o ce equipment, switch activation, clamping, positioning, games and toys, vending machines, and door locks.

Product World

Additions to camera line

Teledyne FLIR flir.com

Introducing new additions to the Teledyne FLIR Blackfly S GigE line of cameras:

• BFS-PGE-80S5M/C-C featuring 8MP Sony IMX546: Color and Mono

• BFS-PGE-120S6M/C-C featuring 12.3MP Sony IMX545: Color and Mono

• BFS-PGE-200S7M/C-C featuring 20MP Sony IMX541: Color and Mono

These models add to the company’s range of GigE Vision-compliant cameras with a lineup of sensors, resolutions, and powerful on-camera features.

Leveraging Sony’s Pregius S series sensors, they deliver exceptional low-light performance with superior quantum e ciency and low absolute sensitivity making them suitable for a range of challenging applications like microscopy, non-contact metrology, inspection, SLAM, 2D measurements, and more.

Specs:

• 8MP to 20MP Sony Pregius S global shutter CMOS Sensors

• Frame rates up to 30 fps with Lossless Compression

• High QE and low noise yield for low Absolute Sensitivity Threshold (AST)

• Superior Quantum E ciency (QE)

• Excellent low-light performance

Low-cost 30W DC-DC converter

Traco Power tracopower.com

The next generation of 30W DC-DC converters in the standard 1 x 1-in. footprint is available with the new THL 30WI series. The product improves cost/performance ratio in the 30 W, 1 x 1-in. industry-standard product area.

Combined with safety approvals to the latest IEC/EN/UL 62368-1 standards, the product is suitable for mobile equipment, instrumentation, distributed power architectures and industrial electronics, and any application where cost, quality, and small size are critical factors.

Features:

• Shielded 1 x 1-in. metal package

• Wide 4:1 input voltage range: 9-36 or 18-75 Vdc

• 1500 Vdc I/O-isolation

• Full load -40 to +60° C (ambient) without derating

• Operating range of –40 o +80° C

• Remote On/O and Trim function

• >1.3 million hours MTBF with a 3-year product warranty

EtherCAT-enabled power supply

Beckhoff beckhoff.com

The broad portfolio of PS power supplies has been expanded with the new PS2000 device series featuring a built-in EtherCAT interface. The new series can remotely collect additional measurement and device diagnostics for comprehensive system monitoring, which can increase availability and reduce downtime. As a result, the feature-filled power supplies combine compact design and high performance with predictive maintenance functions for the first time.

In the case of system monitoring, important operating parameters such as output current and voltage are transmitted in real-time and continuously updated. This enables transparent data exchange and, subsequently, automatic detection of additional load in the system. Furthermore, voltage, current, and temperature data can be added to the monitoring scope — for example, to monitor heat generation in the device and collect basic plant data such as the number of switchon operations or operating hours. By monitoring the single-phase input voltage, fluctuations such as under and over-voltages are detected. Another special feature is the detection of high-voltage spikes in the power source. Remote access via EtherCAT also makes it possible to specifically shut down sections of a plant in the event of machine downtime or a fault.

Safety air gun

EXAIR exair.com

The VariBlast Precision Safety Air Gun has won the 2022 People’s Choice award from Professional Tool and Equipment News (PTEN). These safety air guns provide a focused blast of air capable of handling tough jobs with remarkable strength while minimizing air consumption and noise. This OSHA-safe air gun employs an engineered, full-finger, variable flow trigger able to produce varying force upon a target simply by pulling the trigger. The VariBlast is available with a standard, 12-in. or 20-in. extension which can also be outfitted with type 316 stainless steel or PEEK thermoplastic air nozzles for non-marring applications.

The 1/4 NPT VariBlast Precision Safety Air Gun has a convenient hanger loop built into it. The air gun body is made of high-impact acetal thermoplastic. The airflow that exits the nozzle can’t be blocked, assuring safe operation and meeting required OSHA standards 1910.242(b). A quiet 75 dBA noise level is well below the limits of the OSHA noise exposure standard 29 CFR 1910.95(a).

A variety of other Super Air Nozzles with di erent force and flow values are available. All EXAIR’s Safety Air Gun product lines are CE-compliant and use engineered air nozzles for high performance and safety. All are available with extension pipes and Chip Shields.

Product World

Compact splicing connectors

Heilind heilind.com

The 221 Series Compact Splicing Connectors are now o ered as part of the company’s full line of WAGO connectors.

The WAGO LEVER-NUTS 221 Series Compact Splicing Connector brings ease of use to a new compact form factor. The 221 Series is 40% smaller than its predecessor which frees up to 40% more junction box space for the end user.

WAGO’s lever technology accepts solid, stranded, and flexible wires up to 12 AWG. The clear housing allows visual verification of proper wire insertion. As project parameters change or scale, the 221 Series of Compact Splicing Connectors is completely reusable to meet the demands of the job. Applications for the WAGO 221 Series include lighting, home automation, and junction boxes.

Miniature pinch valves

Beswick beswick.com

Beswick miniature pinch valves are now available for 1/8-in. OD and ¼-in. OD tubing. The PV series miniature pinch valve is designed to control fluid when it is advantageous to avoid fluid contact with mechanical components and elastomeric seals. Pinch valves achieve fluid control by clamping down on the outside diameter of the tubing to limit or stop flow. The PV has a port for pneumatic actuation and a manual knurled knob for extra flexibility.

The valve itself will fail with an actuation pressure of 5,000 psig; however, it is strongly recommended that you use an actuation pressure that doesn’t exceed the burst pressure of the tubing you are using in your application. This will most often be much lower than the burst pressure of the valve itself.

Maximize the lifetime of your hydraulic systems

Effective sealing in demanding hydraulic applications requires seals and lubricant to work together. Trelleborg’s Lubrication Management technology transforms hydraulic sealing by adjusting lubrication conditions of all single sealing elements within a sealing system.

Find out more by visiting www.tss.trelleborg.com/accelerate or scanning the QR code.

Product World

Helical bevel gear units

NORD DRIVESYSTEMS nord.com/us/home-us

NORD’s helical bevel gear units feature its tested UNICASE housing that delivers long service life, easy maintenance, and all components fully enclosed for increased safety. They provide high-e ciency for low operating costs and thanks to their low maintenance, have a low Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Heavy duty bearings and spread bearing/ flange mount designs support high axial and radial load capacity with minimum backlash. These versatile units o er 11 case sizes, various bearing concepts, various shaft options, and foot, flange, or shaft mounting for a complete drive solution configured for application-specific needs.

Performance Level c safety sensor

SICK sick.com

The safeVisionary2 is the first 3D time-of-flight (ToF) camera with Performance Level c (PL c) on the market. It was developed to support customers in becoming fully autonomous in addition to providing 3D localization and object recognition. It is e ective on autonomous mobile robots because it provides precise 3D measurement data that allows autonomous and intelligent mobile robot navigation.

This compact 3D camera helps to increase productivity and provides precise 3D measurement data to enhance automation. It is the first product of SICK’s 3D safety portfolio that will continue to grow, and it is also the first of its kind on the market.

The 3D environment detection enables seamless protection of numerous applications requiring PL c. With a 2m safety range and up to four field switching cases, the safeVisionary2 takes productivity to a new level. Based on the same ToF platform used by SICK’s Visionary-T Mini, the safeVisionary2 is suitable for a range of applications, including industrial mobile robots, cobots, and mobile service robots.

Next-generation machine visualization solution

Emerson emerson.com

Machine builders in any industrial application can now use Emerson’s PACSystems RXi HMI, a next-generation machine visualization solution designed to help set their systems apart for customers. The new system easily helps users overcome the limitations of lower budgets, fewer people, and higher productivity demands. This intuitive human-machine interface (HMI) addresses the needs of today’s industrial workforce with easy-to-use, smartphonelike graphical displays without sacrificing rugged, industrial performance.

Unlike traditional resistive displays, PACSystems RXi HMI is designed with projective capacitive touchscreen technology that allows users to interact with the visual display with 10-point multitouch capabilities like swipe, pinch, or zoom to move to the next screen or expand a chart, enabling easy operation by a wide range of personnel with varying levels of training and experience.

DCX System

Belden belden.com

DCX System, an innovative, high-density, end-to-end fiber infrastructure solution with built-in futureproof functionality for any data center, provides extremely high fiber termination density in a small footprint, with 3,840* terminations per DCX cabinet, and 1,280 terminated fibers per square foot.

The DCX System is designed to maximize signal integrity through bend radius control for incoming and outgoing cables. Patch cord access is made simple with pull-out trays and plenty of clearance around each connector. The DCX System also supports many fiber termination methods and migration from any combination of 8- or 12-fiber pre-terminated adapter frames without infrastructure changes.

As an end-to-end fiber infrastructure solution, the DCX System includes: Space-saving optical distribution frame front-access cabinets that are completely configurable and scalable by assembling side-by-side and/or back-to-back Cabinet components, including additional cable entry brackets and patch cord telescopic spools, that are simple to install to dress incoming cables and patch cords

Optical distribution frame housings that are available in left-to-right and right-to-left configurations, with a front-access design that pulls out for easy access to cables

The adapter frames and cassettes maximize ROI by migrating networking technologies in the same housing such as the assembly of two (Base-24), four (Base-12), or six (Base-8) cassettes per housing tray

Rack-mount patch panel housings available in 1U, 2U, and 4U configurations that are compatible with all DCX Cassettes and Adapter Frames

Modular linear axis

igus igus.com

The drylin Endless Gear linear module (EGW), a modular, lubricationfree linear guide with rack and pinion drive, can be extended to any travel length, costs little, and is almost as light as the guide for a toy train. Several carriages can travel on it in di erent directions and at di erent speeds. Users can also extend the linear guide after installation and add more carriages.

Unlike a toothed belt drive, the system can also be used with several carriages, each with its own electric motor, traveling in di erent directions and at di erent speeds. The drylin EGW modular kit gives users everything from a single source, from linear guidance and carriages to chains and cables for energy supply — ready to install upon request, including a motor and control system.

The basis is the WS-20 from the drylin W series, a guide rail made of hard-anodized aluminum with a round profile on which the carriages slide. The second component is the drive carriage. It is supported on the rail by four plain bearing bushings made of iglide J200 high-performance plastic. An electric motor in the carriage drives a gear that engages in the gear rack. The motor cable moves in an energy chain running parallel to the rail. The third component is directly attached to the drive carriage: a towing carriage, on which such elements as a camera, picking robots, or sensors can be mounted.

The drylin EGW linear guide is durable, as tests in the in-house igus laboratory prove. Engineers loaded a carriage to 200 N and moved it at a speed of 1 m/s along a stroke length of 15,000 mm. The result was that even after 45,000 cycles, there was no significant wear on the rails or plain bearing bushings.

If the linear guide does reach its wear limit at some point, users can replace the liners directly on the rail in just a few minutes without disassembling the bearing mounts. Another advantage is that it requires no external lubrication because the high-performance plastic contains solid lubricants that are released over time, allowing for low-friction dry operation. Maintenance costs are correspondingly low.

Secured cable management

icotek Corp. icotek.com

The new hook-and-loop tape fasteners, KBH-R and KBH-S, in combination with the hook-and-loop tape cable tie, o er a versatile alternative to conventional cable ties. The KBH series is used for cable support and cable routing. The KBH-R hook-and-loop fasteners are mounted with a toolless 90° twist lock. Whereas the KBH-S hook and loop options are mounted with screws. The KBH-R is a flexible, two-part cable routing system and can be used for various mounting profiles: Rittal, MiniTec, BoschRexroth, and more.

With the two-part system, the upper part, or “cradle” of the cable holder can be installed parallel or perpendicular to the base, depending on the desired routing direction of the cable. If lines are removed or added later, the “cradle” size can be adjusted without dismantling the base. The KBH-S hook-and-loop fastener can be used universally and o ers fast and secure assembly with a screw. It is also easy to remove or add cables as necessary.

Able Electropolishing ................... 189 Accumold .......................................... 185 Ace Controls ................................... 167

Actuonix Motion Devices ............ 34 Aerotech ............................................ 48

ALA Industries ................................ 195 AllMotion 4 Altech Corporation 3 Automation24, Inc. 7 AutomationDirect 1 Banner Engineering 113 Bay Associates Wire Technologies, Inc. 27 Beckhoff Automation 73 Beswick Engineering .................... 138 binder USA ....................................... 99 Bishop Wisecarver .......................... 111 Bodine Electric Company ............ 38 Boker’s ............................................... 100 Cadence ............................................ 39 Canfield Connector ........................ 171 Canon U.S.A. Inc ............................. 89 Carlo Gavazzi ................................... 98 CGI Inc. .............................................. 123 Chieftek Precision ......................... 162 Clippard .............................................. 83 CMT .................................................... 121 Coilcraft ............................................. 173 Components Corporation ........... 65 COMSOL, Inc. ................................... 30 CS Hyde Company ......................... 112 Del-tron .............................................. 66 Diequa ............................................... 177 Digi-Key Electronics .......................... 11 Dorner ................................................. 43 Eagle Stainless Tube ................... 79 ebm-papst ..........................................41 Encoder Products Company ..... 126 Exair Corp 5 Fabco-Air, Inc. 127 FESTO Corporation 20 GAM 165 Harmonic Drive 183 Harwin 21 HAWE Hydraulic 179 HELUKABEL USA 25 Hunger Hydraulics ......................... 117 igus ...................................................... BC InduSol America ...............................42

iNTECH Power-Core ....................... 26 Interpower ................................... 33,35

ITT Enidine ....................................... 106 J.W. Winco, Inc. .................................. 17 John Evans’ Sons, Inc. ................ 134 Keystone Electronics Corp ........................................ 23,197 KHK USA Inc. ...................................... 51 KNF Neuberger ............................... 97

Koford Engineering ....................... 178 Kyocera AVX ...................................... 57 LEMO USA ........................................ 115 Lenze Americas ............................... 91 Main Mfg ........................................... 175 Master Bond ...................................... 17 METCASE ............................................ 13 Miki Pulley U.S. .................................. 12 mk North America, Inc. ................. 141 Murrelektronik, Inc. ......................... 58 Nason ................................................. 55 NB Corp 71 NBK America 193 New England Wire & Tubing Technologies 139 Nitto Kohki U.S.A. Inc. 72 Norgren 147 nVent Hoffman 49 Ogura Industrial Corp. 34 OKW Enclosures, Inc. 37 OMS Motion, Inc. ............................ 157 Opto 22 .............................................. 28 Oriental Motor Corp ...................... 187 OTTO Engineering ......................... 67 P-DUKE Technology Co., Ltd. ..... 101 Parvalux ............................................ 169 PBC Linear ......................................... 81 Performance Motion Devices ... IBC Permco ................................................ 61 PI (Physik Instrumente) LP .......... 82 PTI Engineered Plastics ............... 93 Pyramid Inc. ..................................... 178 Renishaw ........................................... 114 ROLEC Enclosures, Inc. ................... 9 Rollvis ................................................. 163 Rota Engineering ............................ 75 Rotor Clip ........................................... 53 Ruland Manufacturing ................. 125 SCHURTER Inc ............................... 105 Siemens Corporation .................... 131 Siko ........................................................ 31 Smart Products ................................52 SMC Corporation of America .... 135 Sorbothane 171 Stock Drive Products/ Sterling Instrument 181 Super Swivels 172

Telemecanique Sensors 59 The Lee Company 119 THK America, Inc IFC Trelleborg 191 Trim-Lok, Inc. .................................... 92 US Tsubaki ........................................ 87 Veljan Hydrair ................................. 198 Whittet-Higgins ................................ 19 Yaskawa America, Inc. ................. 107 Yates Industries ...........................14,15 Zero-Max, Inc ...................................... 2

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Ryan Ashdown rashdown@wtwhmedia.com 216.316.6691

Jami Brownlee jbrownlee@wtwhmedia.com 224.760.1055

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Leadership in Engineering

Able Electropolishing 200

Accumold .............................................. 201

ACE Controls ....................................... 202

ACS Motion Control 203

Actuonix Motion Devices 204 Aerotech ............................................... 206

ALA Industries .................................... 207

AllMotion 208 Altech Corporation 209

AMETEK Programmable Power .... 210 Automation24, Inc. ............................ 205

AutomationDirect 211

Banner Engineering 212 Bay Associates Wire Technologies, Inc. ........................ 213 Beckhoff Automation 214 Beswick Engineering 215 binder USA............................................ 216

Bishop Wisecarver ............................. 217

Bodine Electric Company 218 Boker’s Inc. 219

Cadence ............................................... 220

Canfield Connector ........................... 221

Canon U.S.A. Inc ................................ 222

Carlo Gavazzi 223

CC-LINK PARTNER ASSOCIATION ............................... 224 CGI Inc. .................................................. 225

Chieftek Precision Co., Ltd. 226 CIT Relay & Switch 227

Clippard ................................................. 228

CMT ........................................................ 229 Coilcraft 230 Components Corporation 231 COMSOL ............................................... 232

Control Techniques Americas ...... 233

Cornell Dubilier Electronics, Inc. 234

CS Hyde Company ............................ 235

Del-tron Precision, Inc. ..................... 236 Diequa 237

Digi-Key Electronics 238 Dodge Industrial ................................ 239 Dorner .................................................... 240

Dynatect Manufacturing, Inc 241 Eagle Stainless Tube 242 ElectroCraft, Inc. ................................ 243

Encoder Products Company ......... 244

EXAIR 245 Fabco-Air, Inc. 246

FAULHABER ........................................ 247

FESTO .................................................... 248

FluiDyne Fluid Power 250

GAM ........................................................ 251

Harmonic Drive ................................... 252 Harwin ................................................... 253

HAWE Hydraulik 254

HEIDENHAIN CORPORATION ........ 255

HELUKABEL USA .............................. 256 Hilscher North America ................... 257 Hunger Hydraulics 258 igus 259 InduSol America ................................. 260 Intech ..................................................... 261 Interpower 262 ITT Enidine 263

J.W. Winco, Inc. ................................... 264 John Evans’ Sons, Inc. .................... 265 KEB America, Inc. 266 Keller America Inc 267 Keystone Electronics Corp. ........... 268 KHK USA Inc. ....................................... 269 KNF Neuberger 270 Koford Engineering 271 Kollmorgen ........................................... 272 Kyocera AVX ........................................ 273 LEMO USA, Inc. 274 Lenze Americas 275 LinMot USA Inc. .................................. 276 Main Manufacturing ......................... 277 Master Bond 278 maxon - v 279 METCASE ............................................. 280 Midwest Motion Products, Inc. ..... 281 Miki Pulley U.S. 282 Mitsubishi Electric Automation 283 mk North America, Inc. .................... 284 MOCAP .................................................. 285 Murrelektronik, Inc. ............................ 286 Nason 287 NB Corp 288 NBK America LLC ............................... 289 New England Tubing Technologies 290 New England Wire Technologies ................................. 291 Nitto Kohki U.S.A. Inc. ...................... 292 NORD DRIVESYSTEMS 293 Norgren 294 Novotechnik ........................................ 295 nVent Hoffman ................................... 296 OFCO (Ohio Fabricators) 297 Ogura Industrial Corp. 298 OKW Enclosures, Inc. ....................... 299 OMS Motion, Inc. ................................ 300 onshape 301

Opto 22 302

Oriental Motor .................................... 303 OTTO Engineering ............................ 304 P-DUKE Technology Co., Ltd. 305 Parvalux 306 PBC Linear ........................................... 307 Pepperl + Fuchs ................................. 308 Performance Motion Devices 309 Permco 310

PI (Physik Instrumente) LP ............. 311 Pilz Automation Safety L.P. ........... 312 Pivot Point Inc. 313 Pyramid Incorporated 314 R+W America ....................................... 316 RAM Industries ................................... 317 Renishaw 318 ROLEC Enclosures, Inc. 319 Rota Engineering .............................. 320 Rotor Clip .............................................. 321 Ruland Manufacturing 322 Sager Electronics 323 Schmersal ............................................ 351 SCHURTER Inc .................................... 324 SDP/SI-Stock Drive Product ........... 325 SEW-Eurodrive 326 Siemens Corporation ....................... 327 SIKO Products ..................................... 328 Smart Products USA ........................ 329 SMC Corporation of America 330 Solidworks 331 Sorbothane ......................................... 332 Spir Star ................................................ 352 Super Swivels 333 Technosoft 334 Telemecanique Sensors ................. 335 Temposonics ....................................... 336 The Lee Company 337 THK 338 TLX Technologies .............................. 339 Trelleborg Industrial Div .................. 340 Trim-Lok, Inc. 341 US Tsubaki 342 Veljan Hydrair ..................................... 343 WAGO Corporation ........................... 344 Weidmueller 345 Whittet-Higgins 346

WIN SOURCE ELECTRONICS ......... 347 Yaskawa Electric America .............. 348 Yates 349 Zero-Max, Inc. 350

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