DESIGN WORLD NOVEMBER 2021 by WTWH Media LLC

www.designworldonline.com

November 2021

inside: LINEAR MOTION: Accounting for belt and pulley inertia

p. 56

ELECTRONICS: Basics of printed circuit milling machines

p. 68

MECHANICAL: Aerospace bearings: where did it all begin?

p. 74

Rack and pinion drives: A new look at an old technology

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Taking automation om the factory floor to ... everywhere? One of the constant threads we hear about in the manufacturing world is how much automation is taking over processes that were once manual in nature. That’s a good thing for motion control component manufacturers, as it means more business. And while some decry the potential loss of jobs, those jobs are o en times unfulfilling, menial positions, and are supplanted by opportunities for more technical careers, such as with the recent growth in demand for factory workers with Mechanical Engineering Technology degrees. But there’s more to be gained here. In their book, Intelligent Automation — Welcome to the World of Hyperautomation, authors Pascal Bornet, Ian Barkin and Jochen Wirtz assert that intelligent automation (IA) deserves as much attention as artificial intelligence (AI) has been getting for years. The authors lay out several key things that we need to get right as we move forward, and automation becomes a bigger part of our lives:

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• We have to evolve our skills and adapt education to a world of IA. Job roles will need to be redesigned, and reskilling employees is imperative. • Wage inequality will only increase with technology, and some sort of Universal Basic Income can be a way to solve this problem. • We need to rethink work and focus on more fulfilling and meaningful occupations. A work-obsessed culture is an obstacle to creativity. A focus on thoughtful education, which can help people find their purpose in life, is key here. The idea of a society eed om much of what we call work today is hard to fathom — and will require governments around the world to plan ahead (something they don’t always seem to excel at). Work isn’t going away, but will be different. Imagine explaining to a telephone or elevator operator in 1940 what some of today’s jobs are like. The World Economic Forum predicted a few years ago that automation would displace 75 million jobs by 2022, but that it would also create 133 million new jobs in that same time period. Covid-19 surely recalibrated those numbers, but the net concept remains true. Jobs have changed over the centuries and if you think they won’t continue to do so in your lifetime, you haven’t been paying attention. What’s sobering and different this time, the authors contend, is the pace at which change will happen. A survey of 352 AI experts by Yale and Oxford researchers predicts that AI will soon outperform humans at writing high-school essays (by 2026), driving a truck (by 2027), working in retail (by 2031), and writing a bestselling book (by 2049). These experts believe there is a 50% chance of AI outperforming humans at all tasks in 45 years. Maybe it’s time for us all to head back to school. DW

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Teschler on Topic

Did you foresee Facebook? Back in the dark days around the end of the year 2002, the NASDAQ-100 had dropped 78% from its peak, and the country was in the middle of a recession. Many early dot-com companies had run out of capital and gone bankrupt. Supporting industries such as advertising were hurting as well because demand for their services had fallen drastically. I can still recall an elevator conversation I had back then with one of the executives where I worked. “The internet isn’t coming back,” he said dejectedly. “All the analysts we talk to say there’s nothing on the horizon that’s going to make online commerce anything like what it once was.” A few months after this prediction of doom-and-gloom, a Harvard University student put together a website he called Facemash. No one in 2002 foresaw the rise of a company that, ten years later, had 955 million monthly active users and revenues of $7.8 billion. Ditto for social media in general though early social media platforms such as GeoCities and Classmates.com had been around since the middle of the 1990s. That brings us to the current call by U.S. policy makers for an industrial

policy to fix perceived market failures and counter China’s growing economic prowess. A principle part of this idea is subsidies for U.S. producers of semiconductors, electric vehicles, and other goods, as well as legislation to subsidize American industrial R&D. There’s only one thing wrong with calls for a U.S. industrial policy: Past government interventions of this sort have a terrible track record. Attempts by politicians to identify critical technologies in the past failed because government bureaucrats are unlikely to do the equivalent of foreseeing the next Facebook. History is rife with examples of federal industrial programs that contributed little in the way of technological advances but endured long after the technical handwriting was on the wall. Examples include synthetic fuel from coal, the Clinch River Breeder Reactor, and the Supersonic Transport in the 1960s. But a more recent example concerns supercomputers made by Cray Research Inc. In the 1990s, politicians decided supercomputers were a strategic technology. There was considerable pressure by the U.S. government on Japan to buy Cray machines. The fear was that Japanese makers of

supercomputers would dominate the industry. U.S. officials seemed to think that keeping a functioning supercomputer industry in the U.S. hinged on making Cray viable. The U.S. eventually did armtwist Japan into buying a few Cray boxes. Meanwhile, competitors such as the Thinking Machines Corp. and Intel claimed the government was singling out Cray for special treatment. They complained that Cray lagged in developing massively parallel supercomputer technology that signaled where the industry was headed. Cray Research eventually was bought out by what is now the Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Co. On the current list of top-ten supercomputers in the world, a machine from Japan occupies the top spot. But of the other machines on the top ten, two are made by IBM, two are by Dell Computer, two are by Nvidia, one is Chinese, and one is French. Not every U.S. industrial policy effort has resulted in disaster. But most past efforts at boosting “critical” industries have had expensive, underwhelming outcomes. So it pays to be skeptical of policies that only work if politicians prophesy the technological future. DW

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

November 2021 www.designworldonline.com Lee.Teschler.Column.11-21_V2.LT.LL.indd 6

DESIGN WORLD

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Technology Forward

Winning through innovation Every year, we award innovators in technology through our Leadership in Engineering Achievement Program (LEAP Awards). This year’s winners were selected by an independent judging panel of 14 professionals. In the additive manufacturing category, the winners developed innovative solutions to challenging problems. While much of the news in the additive industry is focused on partnerships, mergers, acquisitions, and going public on the stock market, it’s nice to see that innovation can still be found. For example, many users need an additive system that can handle a range of production needs; growing and shrinking in capacity as necessary. EOS developed a printer that can deliver on that need, and won the Silver for its EOS M 3004 metal 3D printer. The innovation here is the multiple configuration options available on this one printer. For industrial applications, this printer lets users choose the degree of automation that suits their needs. As demand for production increases, the machine can be configured to adapt. Up to four precision fiber lasers work over a 300 x 300 mm area, with

each laser covering the entire space, improving productivity. The modular platform offers a process chamber, dispenser module, setup and unpacking module, and a periphery module. These modules can be changed in the future; for example, a new dispensing module to connect continuous refilling setups, or an open interface for third party unpacking solutions, and automated unpacking solutions. Another example comes from our Gold Award winner, HP Inc., for its Molded Fiber Advanced Tooling Solution, which addresses issues in recycling paper packaging. Additive technology users are interested in working with plastics for additive prototyping and production, but in ways that won’t hurt the environment. Thus, recycling is a hot topic. In Canada, for example, at least six types of single-use plastics will be banned by the end of 2021, and countries around the world are following suit. The recycled paper packaging market is growing, making use of molded fiber or molded pulp typically made from recycled paperboard or newspapers when creating packing for a variety of products. Molded fiber is renewable as it typically comes from many plant cellulose fibers, including bagasse,

bamboo and wheat straw. The challenge was the equipment and tooling needed to create molds from this renewable source material. HP developed a solution using its industrial 3D printing technology alongside its digital manufacturing software. The HP solution enables on-demand design and creation of molds for recycled molded pulp for packaging. The company’s Molded Fiber Advanced Tooling Solution replaces the need for handcrafted screens, CNC machining, and manually drilled form tools. It eliminates the time consuming and intensive manual fabrication involved in the traditional molded fiber tooling manufacturing process. The HP printed durable molds can be turned around fast and in more innovative packaging designs. Additive manufacturing’s flexibility, and its economic benefits continue to help engineers develop innovative solutions to today’s challenges. Congratulations to the winners! DW

Leslie Langnau llangnau@wtwhmedia.com On Twitter @ DW_3Dprinting

November 2021 www.designworldonline.com Tech.Forward.11-21_Vs2.LL.indd 8

DESIGN WORLD

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— ABB Ability™ Smart Sensor

motors that let you know when it’s time for a service. ABB’s new condition monitoring solution revolutionizes maintenance for low voltage motors. ABB Ability™ Smart Sensor monitors key parameters and sends the data to a secure server for analysis. Users can access detailed status reports from their smartphone or PC. The solution enables proper maintenance planning for longer motor lifetimes, lower energy consumption and big reductions in downtime. www.abb.com/motors&generators

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11/3/21 11:33 3:23 PM 10/11/21 AM

Green Engineering

European oilfield services sector committing to green energy Paul J. Heney

• VP, Editorial Director

The oilfield services sector is radically restructuring to survive in a world moving towards net-zero carbon emissions, according to a new industry report. Fully 73% of U.K. respondents to “Decision Time,” a Summer 2021 Protolabs report that explores the challenges and opportunities for Europe’s oilfield services sector, are already redefining what their core business should be due to energy transition. The majority of business leaders in the sector see sustainability as an opportunity, with 77% saying sustainability is a way to differentiate and grow their business, and with 80% saying that experience in sustainability gives European businesses an edge in global markets. The research saw more than 180 senior leaders om oilfield services companies across Europe, including Welltec and Swire Energy Services. It found that most highlighted the need to innovate in order to survive. Within the next 12 months, 87% of U.K. respondents plan to implement robotics and automation and 83% plan to engage in Manufacturing-as-a-Service (MaaS) – 3D printing and on-demand manufacturing to streamline component production. “Innovation and technology are hallmarks of oilfield services, which is encouraging given the extraordinary pressures on the sector,” said Bjoern Klaas, VP and Managing Director of Protolabs Europe. “The 10

November 2021

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sector’s appetite to secure a long-term future means companies are branching out into other industries and extending their capabilities. With energy transition revolutionising the sector, combined with a much lower profit environment, it is imperative that companies continue to innovate and embrace renewable markets.” Results om the survey also indicate a clear departure om fossil fuels, with respondents expecting the majority of their portfolio to be non-oil and gas business. “The ‘Decision Time’ report shows that respondents expect to have shi ed 64% of their projects to new energy or non-energy business within the next five years, compared with 56% of projects today. This, too, is testament to the willingness to meet the challenges faced by the sector,” said Klaas. Roughly 42% of respondents across Europe see new renewable energy technology as the greatest energy transition opportunity for DESIGN WORLD

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F O K C SI

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their business over the next two to three years. And 22% consider CO2 management as the greatest energy transition opportunity over the same time ame. However, 31% consider innovation in enhanced oil recovery to be key to growth over the next 12 months. “That the oilfield services sector, and the wider energy sector, will transition to renewable energy is well understood. But this report makes clear the transition already being undertaken along the supply chain,” said Klaas. “Companies in the sector appreciate the value of environmental credibility, not only to secure their own reputation and funding, but also in response to the legislative need to cut down on emissions and the competitive need to be sustainable within the global marketplace. “And it’s the same for Europe’s battery industry: our ‘In Charge’ report earlier this year showed that 58% of respondents believe sustainability principles will give European battery makers an edge in the international market. Also mirroring our battery industry report, 83% of U.K. respondents to the ‘Decision Time’ report say they are planning to move their supply chain closer to their manufacturing base within the next 12 months. “This is an important tactic when considering the need to rely on innovation, create a leaner business and turn to Manufacturing-as-a-Service to deliver an operation that will flourish in the new era,” Klaas said. To view the full report, please visit https://get.protolabs. co.uk/oil-and-gas/decision-time/ DW

Protolabs www.protolabs.com

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Contents 11 • 2021

•

vol 16 no 11

•

designworldonline.com

50 _MOTION CONTROL Rack and pinion drives: A new look at an old technology

Comparing rack and pinion drives with other linear drives such as belts and ball screws shows that sometimes simplicity can be the ultimate sophistication.

56 _LINEAR MOTION Accounting for belt and pulley inertia

For a motor to accelerate or decelerate a load, it must overcome the load’s inertia, or resistance to change in motion, as explained in Newton’s First Law.

62 _INTERNET OF THINGS

| Shutterstock.com

Medical www.designworldonline.com

A Supplement to Design World - November 2021

68 _ELECTRONICS Basics of printed circuit milling machines

Specialized machines designed for prototyping printed circuit boards can drastically speed up development efforts.

74 _MECHANICAL

5 challenges

Boston Scientific overcame to make single-use scopes work

Medical Tips cover 11-21_V1.indd 43

Aerospace bearings: where did it all begin?

11/4/21 9:25 AM

43-49

Chris Johnson, managing director of SMB Bearings, explores a brief history of bearings in the aerospace sector.

78 _SENSORS Sensor fusion—How does that work?

A primer on this technology and its use in Industrial Internet of Things applications.

The push to shift to collaborative digital twins

According to some, the next phase for the IoT involves collaborative digital twins. This phase will involve measures that encourage collaborative behaviors, including new procurement and contracting practices, creating what is being called a “golden thread.”

ON THE COVER GOLD REGIONAL AWARD

Plasma cutting applications, which require highly dynamic moves, can benefit from the high stiffness and low inertia that rack and pinion drives offer. | Shutterstock.com

asbpe.org

November 2021

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www.designworldonline.com

DESIGN WORLD

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10/7/21 3:34 2:40 PM PM 11/3/21

11.21

• contents departments

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Insights

Teschler on Topic

Technology Forward

Green Engineering

Design For Industry

Design Notes

Connector Notes

Internet of Things

MC2 Classroom

Product World

Ad Index

Our Innovative design features a very thin profile, reducing weight and space. For more information: Call: 800.533.1731 www.mikipulley-us.com

CONTENTS 11-21_second.page_Vs1.indd 16

November 2021

DESIGN WORLD

11/5/21 2:42 PM

DESIGN WORLD

Follow the whole team on twitter @DesignWorld

EDITORIAL

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

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

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FINANCE

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

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2011 - 2020

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Medical Design & OUTSOURCING DESIGN WORLD

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November 2021

11/4/21 9:47 AM

Design for Industry O f f- s h o r e

Building a binder-jetting 3D printer for offshore wind turbines

The basic binder jetting process is defined by spreading a layer of particle material onto a building platform. Subsequently a print head applies a binder into the powder bed where the part is to be printed. Then, a new layer of material is applied and the process repeats until the final part or mold ist printed.

GE, Fraunhofer IGCV, and voxeljet AG plan to develop the world’s largest 3D printer for offshore wind applications to streamline the production of key components of GE’s Haliade-X offshore wind turbine. The Advance Casting Cell (ACC) 3D printer under development will be capable of printing molds to cast components for the nacelle2 of the GE Haliade-X that can each weigh more than 60 metric tons, reducing the time it takes to produce this pattern and mold om ten weeks or more to just two weeks. In addition, the use of the 3D printer is expected to reduce the product’s carbon footprint by eliminating the need to transport the large parts om a central manufacturing location. The partners expect to launch the project during the third quarter of 2021 with initial printer trials starting during the first quarter of 2022.

The project involves the development of a new, large format 3D printer capable of producing sand molds for casting the highly complex metal parts of different shapes and sizes that make up an offshore wind turbine nacelle. The modular 3D printing process, which is based on voxeljet’s core Binder-Jetting technology, can be configured to print molds for castings up to 9.5 meters in diameter and 60-plus tons in weight, dimensions. Juan Pablo Cilia, Senior Additive Design Engineer at GE Renewable Energy, said, “The 3D printed molds will bring many benefits including improved casting quality through improved surface finish, part accuracy and consistency. Furthermore, sand binder jet molds or additive molds provide cost savings by reducing

The ACC printer will be designed to print molds for key components of wind turbines, with sizes up 9,5 meters in diameter and 30 to 60 tons in weight. (© GE Renewable Energy)

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machining time and other material costs due to optimized design. This unprecedented production technology will be a game changer for production efficiency allowing localized manufacturing in high-cost countries, a key benefit for our customers looking to maximize the local economic development benefits of offshore wind.” The Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV is responsible for casting and materials technology issues as well as digital process monitoring. “We are taking a close look at thermal management during casting, and we will evaluate the ideal proportions of the printing materials,” said Dr. Daniel Günther, Head of Department Molding Processes and Molding Materials at Fraunhofer IGCV. “Also, we will develop and test new approaches to process monitoring as part of the project.” Based on prior experience the team expects to significantly improve the environmental footprint of processes involved in producing the Haliade-X type wind turbines. This sustainability aspect is a firmly established guiding principle of research at Fraunhofer-Gesellscha , according to the institute’s director, Prof. Dr. Wol am Volk, who adds: “We aim to optimize the mold printing to avoid costly misprints or even miscasts, to save on binder and activator, and to improve mechanical and thermal behavior during casting. By developing a process that conserves resources as much as possible, we want to help to improve the environmental and cost balance in the manufacture of wind turbines.” “While offsite on-demand 3D printing provides many benefits for small quantities of cast parts, running a 3D printing system on-site leverages the technology to its fullest capacity. Given the demand for offshore wind turbines, that will help a lot to fulfill project schedules and high market demands,” adds Dr. Ingo Ederer, CEO at voxeljet. The International Energy Agency has projected that global offshore wind capacity will increase 15-fold by 2040, becoming a 1 trillion dollar industry, thanks to falling costs, supportive government policies and technological progress. DW

GE Renewable Energy www.ge.com/renewableenergy

DESIGN WORLD

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Design for Industry Packaging

The Adaptive Machine Platform Prolynk mini AGV allows individual production a level of flexibility in production processes that is not compatible with a permanently installed path of a conveyor belt.

Motion controllers power small AGVs

The Internet of Things makes it possible to produce individual products automatically – in batches as small as a single product. The path of a component through the assembly process thereby takes on new meaning. In the Adaptive Machine Platform Prolynk, manufacturing machinery and assembly stations can be configured and combined with total flexibility. The parts move individually om station to station, in a mini-taxi so to speak. This drive technology fits the “mini-taxis” or small AGVs. The small AGVs are an update of the old Henry Ford moving assembly line idea. While countless products are produced according to the assembly line principle, it is less suited to small series production

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and not at all for individual, automatic production. Individual production a level of flexibility in the processes that is not compatible with the permanently installed path of a conveyor belt. With the Prolynk technology, the configuration of the “assembly line” can be eely adapted or reconfigured, following changing requirements. The components no longer travel on a predetermined path, but instead take a taxi in the form of a small driverless transport AGV. The processing steps, whether performed manually or by robots, can occur completely individually. Yet, the sequence is still automated. A platform made of standard table-shaped DESIGN WORLD

11/4/21 10:01 AM

modules serves as the physical basis of the system. It consists of standard plates and can be designed eely with respect to size and shape. Simple metal plates form the base unit and serve as the movement surface. A variant of the base plate is equipped with fastening indexing units. For production steps that require high precision or for which a larger application of force needs to be compensated, they hold the vehicle and component in position. Here, the plate element also has an opening in the middle. This can be used to perform processing om below as well, as it corresponds exactly to the shape of the opening in the AGV. The Prolynk AGV is available in two sizes (325 x 230 and 450 x 350 millimeters); the maximum load is between 5 and 35 kilograms depending on the model. The component to be processed is secured for travel to the individual assembly stations via the opening in the middle. These stations can be eely attached, including manual jobs as well as tasks performed automatically by machines or robots, e.g., laser rule to function. The motion controllers of type MC 5004 P and encoders of the IE3-1024 series play an important role here. They detect the rotation of the brushless motors of the BX4 series, which is used by the Prolynk electronic motherboard to do the odometry, calculate AGV position and manage motion control. The motor’s force is transferred to the drive belts of the wheels by planetary gearheads of the 32/3 design. The motors offer several advantages essential to the application. There is very little space in the vehicle. Even so, a great deal of motor power is needed to move what are o en heavy parts at the required speed. The BX4 series offers the needed power density. DW

FAULHABER www.faulhaber.com/en/markets/automated-guidedvehicle/

The motion controllers of type MC 5004 P and encoders of the IE3-1024 series power the Adaptive Machine Platform Prolynk mini AGV during its deliver rounds of individual components. DESIGN WORLD

DFI_11-21_Vs3.LL.indd 21

November 2021

11/4/21 10:01 AM

Design for Industry Packaging

Position sensors are programmable Getting exactly the right position sensor for a specific packaging application can be challenging, but these programmable rotary encoders give designers a cost-effective and convenient way of configuring sensors to deliver exactly what’s needed. With programmable IXARC encoders, key performance characteristics such as resolution, communications interfaces and measurement ranges can be set up through firmware updates, with no need for mechanical changes. This helps users fine-tune their devices according to performance needs. The UBIFAST programming tool provides an easy-to-use wireless interface for making so ware updates. For these programmable incremental encoders, resolution (anywhere between one to 16384 pulses per revolution), direction and communications interface driver (HTL or TTL) can all be defined through so ware parameters. In the case of

November 2021

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www.designworldonline.com

DESIGN WORLD

11/4/21 10:02 AM

encoder assemblies can measure position directly om the surface of materials such as fabric, paper, wire, or sheet metal. Accuracy in this operation will improve productivity and reduce scrap losses. DW

absolute encoders with analog interfaces, their outputs – current or voltage - can be ‘scaled’ so that a predetermined range of mechanical motion (anything om a action of a turn to several hundred rotations) can be set span the full electrical output range, significantly improving accuracy for simple analog control systems. Accessories for these encoders include measurement wheels and draw-wire mechanisms. These transform rotary encoders into accurate linear measurement tools. For conveyer belt systems, for example, wheel-equipped encoders can take measurements directly om the moving surface to provide precise speed and position feedback. For cut-to-length applications, wheel/

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Design for Industry Aerospace

Wireless servers connect CNCs for

aerospace OEM

With the 5-axis CNC machines already running 24 hours a day up to 7 days a week, Tech Manufacturing, a Pennsylvania-based supplier of machined metal parts for aerospace clients such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Bombardier, needed better real-time machine performance data for a smarter operation. The company’s goals were to raise production capacity, reduce lead times for clients’ largest and most urgent orders, and expand the useful service life of existing machines. “We needed a better understanding of how our machines were actually performing for us in real-time. Live and historical machine performance data would also help us identi technical or process issues that were detrimental to productivity,” said Jerry Halley, Chief Engineer of Tech Manufacturing, and one of the company’s 70 employees. Purchasing additional machines would, of course, be one way to achieve this. But Halley was interested in finding a smarter, more efficient approach that did not require a large capital investment. That “smarter way” was a CNC monitoring system that would collect, analyze, and visualize necessary performance metrics. Before taking the next step, however, Halley weighed the productivity gains of such a system against the cost and effort of deployment, especially if it involved a new and unfamiliar server-based IT in astructure. The ideal system would be easily deployed without specialized IT equipment, knowledge, or effort, and would not require repeated so ware installation, updates or configuration. Tech Manufacturing selected Shop Floor Automations, a prominent systems integrator in North America, to assist with a cloud-based CNC monitoring system. Each of Tech Manufacturing’s CNC machines were connected to the existing local area network, so no additional IT in astructure was required. For legacy machines that did not have a readily available Ethernet port, the integrator provided an easy-to-deploy solution

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Legacy machines without a readily available Ethernet port can be connected wirelessly with Moxa NPort W2150A and W2250A wireless device servers. Being wireless they required far fewer cables and lets users roam between several access points.

that was based on Moxa NPort W2150A and W2250A wireless device servers. These servers permit communications so ware to access serial and Ethernet devices over the wireless LAN. Being wireless they required far fewer cables and lets users roam between several access points. As such, the servers offered a solution for devices that are equently moved om place to place, as is the case in many factory settings. “Getting our CNC machines connected and monitored has made it much easier for us to deliver on our clients’ build-to-print orders with maximum efficiency and minimum lead time. It is a lot easier to get connected than many people may realize,” said Halley. With the local network connected to the Internet, CNC machine performance data at Tech Manufacturing can now be easily viewed and analyzed by cloudbased so ware such as Scytec DataXchange or Predator Machine Data Collection. Key performance metrics are organized on a visual dashboard so

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DESIGN WORLD

11/4/21 10:03 AM

Connect with confidence

“Getting our CNC machines connected and monitored has made it much easier for us to deliver on our clients’ build-to-print orders with maximum efficiency and minimum lead time. It is a lot easier to get connected than many people may realize,” said Halley.

the company’s owners and machine operators can see exactly how productive each cell is performing, down to the machine level. With a cloud-based monitoring system, Tech Manufacturing was able to minimize their up ont cost and deployment effort, explained a representative om Shop Floor Automations: “Many clients perceive it to be difficult and expensive to set up a CNC monitoring system. However, with today’s cloud-based solutions, you can be set up in less than a day, with almost zero additional IT in astructure or maintenance effort.” With the system now up and running, a live dashboard has made it easy for Tech Manufacturing to identi critical productivity issues. For example, one

immediate finding was that set-up times on certain machines were unnecessarily long, leading to hours of lost productivity every day. By rearranging setup sequence and on/off times, Halley quickly achieved significant productivity gains with those machines. Having comprehensive machine performance data on hand also provided an additional benefit: better service om CNC manufacturers. Service calls are now backed by a rich set of historical data, making it easier to identi and troubleshoot potential hardware issues. DW

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Design Notes

HMI provides assist in aerospace

forging equipment Edited by Mike Santora • Associate Editor

Although the aerospace forging industry has been in existence for many decades, today’s forge press HMIs are enhancing production uptime and control. A Human-Machine Interface (HMI) is a user interface or dashboard that connects a person to a machine or forging system. HMIs are so ware applications that graphically present information to operators about the state of various processes in a format that looks like the actual machine or display panel. In the aerospace forging industry, design engineers are creating HMIs that enable users to see how equipment is functioning and anticipate how it should be performing. This is accomplished with dynamic animated models and schematics, live trending, and diagrams. “Cutting edge HMIs are visual learning tools for forging operators to observe the 26

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Design-Notes-11-21-MS-Vs3.LL.indd 26

normal machine operation, to expedite troubleshooting when something goes wrong,” said Bill Goodwin, Vice President of Sales and Engineering, Erie Press Systems. “Even less experienced personnel can look at a well-designed HMI screen, watch the press run, and then learn how it functions. Operators can monitor live press positional and force data as the machine transitions through the production cycle. When something is out of sequence or stops abruptly mid-cycle, they can quickly troubleshoot because the HMI provides a graphical window into the machine control system and its processes, identi ing problem areas,” added Goodwin. Traditional limitations With massive forging presses wielding tons of force to shape workpieces, www.designworldonline.com

Within aerospace manufacturing, various heavy-duty, metal forming, hydraulic presses are required to bend, form, bond, or straighten aluminum, titanium, and alloys into structures and components such as fuselages, spars, and airframes.

maintaining production uptime and minimizing unexpected repairs and maintenance is critical. However, aerospace manufacturers with forging equipment have long had to rely on experienced operators using manual gauges to take a momentary snapshot of individual components’ condition. While useful, this was not comprehensive, and if not caught in routine maintenance, typically le developing problems undiagnosed until costly production line breakdowns resulted. “With manual gauges, if a pump started to fail, the operator might not notice until the machine was unable to complete a cycle,” said Goodwin. O en, newer operators did not have the experience to recognize if forging equipment was operating as it should. Complicating matters, if problems DESIGN WORLD

11/4/21 10:08 AM

Isothermal (hot die) forging from AjaxCECO-Erie Press can help eliminate some problems associated with manufacturing related to more complex parts. occurred, they equently wasted valuable time trying to track down experienced operators or technical documentation. “At times, a forging machine would stop, and no one knew what was wrong with it, why it stopped, or where [in the production cycle] the error occurred,” said Goodwin. HMIs in forging Aerospace forging presses with the most advanced HMI capabilities help operators see and monitor what is happening with enough insight to successfully troubleshoot and promptly get the equipment back online when required. Although HMIs are becoming popular in the industry, there are distinct differences in capability between basic and advanced options. The most rudimentary HMIs are visual terminals where information can be entered and data viewed, but no new information is stored. In contrast, advanced HMIs enable saving/retrieving data, custom searches, and the display of historical trends. Far om rudimentary, up-to-date PDF technical documents and the schematics of each component on the machine are searchable and can be quickly displayed as needed. However, the most distinguishing capability of HMIs is how the so ware applications ease operator understanding and control of the forge DESIGN WORLD

Design-Notes-11-21-MS-Vs3.LL.indd 27

press, along with any necessary troubleshooting. Advanced HMIs provide dynamically animated schematics that allow the operator to watch the forging equipment while it’s running. Operators can quickly “drill down” om a toplevel animated schematic to review the performance of specific components, such as valves and pumps, and locate information on part numbers and wiring schemes. Goodwin said that Erie Press engineers start with a digital SolidWorks model of the press, import it into HMI so ware, and then “break it apart” and dynamically animate it while displaying vital operational statistics. With an animated hydraulic schematic, for example, the hydraulic pressure source om multiple pumps is displayed in one location for instant verification. The operator can monitor the current press state shown in a text box, and fields indicating the pressure in the main and pullback cylinders. The valve command and actual spool feedback are displayed for each proportional valve. According to Goodwin, the press operator can also monitor main ram tonnage, main cylinder pressure, moving platen position, last cycle time, and current cycle time.

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11/4/21 10:08 AM

Design Notes

A hot stretch straightener machine like this from AjaxCECO-Erie Press, is used to resistively heat, stretch, and straighten long extruded tubes or flat plates because the cooling process after the heated extrusion cycle tends to introduce curvature.

Using this information, forge personnel can more effectively learn the press’s internal operation by observing all this data as it cycles through operation to enable quick diagnosis and action if there is a potential issue. For example, Ajax-CECO-Erie Press has developed an online diagnostic system for remote monitoring and support through a remote Ethernet diagnostic connection provided on all new equipment. The Ethernet-based control system provides OEM engineers with a platform to remotely view the machine’s health as it is operating. “The goal is to avoid production downtime by preventing problems as well as reducing the time to find, diagnose, and solve them,” said Goodwin. “Remote diagnostics allow us to monitor the forging equipment to resolve any potential issues promptly.” According to Goodwin, such capability — along with implementing some redundant components like electronic position transducers — can keep production online even if a part fails. “If

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Design-Notes-11-21-MS-Vs3.LL.indd 28

one fails, we can dynamically switch to the good one. Traditionally, one failed transducer leads to downtime until a technician can acquire the correct part and change it out on-site,” he said. He noted that such a system also enables the viewing of historical trends and up-to-date, searchable PDF technical documents and schematics, and dynamic animated schematics. “With historical data, if a component is starting to fail, maintenance can o en identi and replace it before catastrophic failure,” said Goodwin. He pointed out that next-level HMIs enable a historical review of how forging equipment functioned at specific dates and times. When the operator simply “pins” certain types of data or moves a graphic slider representing a slice in time that serves as an icon on a smartphone, the HMI displays the data on how the forging equipment was performed at the exact day and time. In the case of Ajax-CECO-Erie Press, forge equipment with an HMI includes a library of datasheets for its electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic devices. Electrical schematics, hydraulic schematics, and mechanical assembly drawings can be viewed and printed www.designworldonline.com

om an HMI. The data sheets are in PDF format, which enables keyword searching within the document. “Instead of spending days trying to locate the right technical documentation and reading through data sheets or wiring schematics that can be 100 pages long, the data is searchable and immediately available to operators,” said Goodwin. In fact, next-level HMIs take search capability much farther by enabling the “drilling down” om a high-level, dynamic, graphic animation of the equipment to quickly “zero in” on the specific data, schematic, or drawing required. While aerospace forging presses are traditionally viewed as decades-old technology, advanced HMIs are becoming virtually as simple to monitor and use as an operator’s favorite smartphone while making critical performance data readily available as well. The bottom line for manufacturers relying on the efficient use of forging equipment is that new capabilities can significantly increase production uptime and profitability, providing a critical edge over competitors. DW

Ajax-CECO-Erie Press www.AjaxErie.com DESIGN WORLD

11/4/21 10:10 AM

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Design Notes

An exoskeleton’s drive technology that’s got your back Edited by Mike Santora • Associate Editor

Adverse strain and continuous overloading of the spine are the most common causes of chronic back pains. The excess strain can easily be avoided by observing a straightforward rule: always li loads with the knees while keeping the upper body upright. However, in daily life and with many jobs, this rule can be difficult to follow. Helping a patient out of bed, li ing a postal package out of the car, handling heavy parts in a production process, or working with heavy, portable machines on a construction site can make it difficult to keep back strain in the ergonomically correct range. The li ed weight then unavoidably presses on a flexed spine. The leverage effect can be devestating here: depending on the degree of bending, a 10-kilogram package can press an equivalent force of up to 50 kilograms on the lumbar discs of the lower spine. While these 30

November 2021

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www.designworldonline.com

The leverage effect can be highly debilitating: depending on the degree of bending, a 10-kilogram package can press an equivalent force of up to 50 kilograms on the lumbar discs of the lower spine.

natural shock absorbers made of fibrocartilage are exceptionally tough and resilient, they age over time and, when constantly subjected to improper strain, can wear prematurely: they shrink, the damping effect subsides, and the adjacent bone tissue also changes, o en with painful consequences. In the case of a slipped disc, the intervertebral disc ruptures, the core slips out, and presses painfully against the surrounding nerves. “If the excess strain cannot be consistently avoided, measures that provide relief must be considered,” said Antoine Noel. In 2015, the robotics DESIGN WORLD

11/4/21 10:12 AM

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engineer, together with Amelie Blondeaux and Damien Bratic, founded the company Japet in Lille. “Our objective was to develop an active support corset for the lumbar spine. Undesirable strain should be compensated for by motor power, thereby protecting the intervertebral discs.” Relief through actuators The result of their work is the exoskeleton Japet.W. It consists of two belts connected by four actuators — two on each side of the body. The upper belt supports the back and the lower belt is seated on the hips. The actuators are so-called series-elastic actuators (SEA). They “feel” a force acting upon them and use their own motor power to counter it. Their most important elements are a motor, a lead screw, and a spring. A potentiometer measures the applied force, for example, if the wearer of the exoskeleton bends forward and picks up a weight. This measurement signal puts the motor, coupled to the drive lead screw by a gearhead, into operation. The turning of the lead screw transfers the motor power to the spring. It presses om the lower belt on the upper belt, supports the upper body, and relieves the lumbar spine. For the level of relief provided by the exoskeleton, the wearer can select om four levels. The controller and the battery of the device are integrated into the double belt. “The hips experience only a slight additional strain as a result of the added pressure; they are, in any case, able to withstand even heavier weights without problem,” said Noel. “The force that acts on the lumbar spine is, on the other hand, greatly reduced. It is, above all, the excessive strain on the intervertebral discs while in a bent position that is significantly reduced or avoided completely. At the same time, the position of the upper body is also improved.” Micromotors li four cars The founders of Japet first met FAULHABER at a trade fair. At that time, their company was still a technical testing lab in a side room of a clinic in northern France. The first sale was still in the distant future. In their first test devices, the three young entrepreneurs DESIGN WORLD

Design-Notes-11-21-MS-Vs3.LL.indd 31

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Design Notes had installed inexpensive and noisy motors that could be controlled only poorly. The experts om FAULHABER took a liking to the ideas of the young engineers. They supported them with intensive consulting and prototypes of high-quality motors that could meet the needs of the demanding application. “That played a big part in making our product ready for series production,” emphasized Noel. In the Japet.W exoskeleton, four DC-motors with precious metal commutation of the 1524...SR series supply the supporting force for relieving the spinal column. Responsible for the load transmission are the planetary gearheads of the 15A series with a reduction of 52:1. Because the device is worn on the body, every gram matters here — at 18 g per motor, the drives account for just a action of the total weight. Nevertheless, they are strong enough to relieve the intervertebral discs of the weight of three to four medium-sized cars over the course of a workday. The Japet.W has now been on the market for over a year. It is already used in numerous industries, including the railway industry, construction, and medical care. Its use serves to counter the possible development of chronic back pain. It is also used by people who have already developed this syndrome and are searching for a way to continue working. “75% of all wearers who had previously developed back pain while working report om an effective reduction in pain,” emphasized Noel. “That is a noteworthy value om a medical perspective, especially as chronic back pains are a persistent and difficult condition to treat. Because we all tend to work longer and because the know-how of the older employees is becoming increasingly more valuable, the exoskeleton The exoskeleton Japet.W. has great potential om consists of two belts connected an economic vantage by four actuators — two on each point as well.” DW

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Connector Notes

Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) allows an

interconnected industry

By Ruud van den Brink • Product Manager for Industrial Communications • TE Connectivity

Industry 4.0 is all about enhancing efficiency and productivity. Part of these improvements can be realized in a more optimized communication in astructure in industrial networks. Modern-day industrial automation systems are complex. Different layers in the network use different communication standards. A mix of Ethernet, industrial Ethernet, fieldbus and analog communication is used today, creating a communication in astructure that is not fully transparent. This interoperability challenge makes it difficult to make data-driven decisions about machines and factory operations in real time. Now there is a solution: using Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) with existing Ethernet and industrial Ethernet on the network edge. SPE technology enables the network in astructure to be IP-based and fully transparent, eliminating the need for expensive gateways that reduce transparency and add delays to communication. SPE found its roots in the automotive industry, triggered by the growing amount of communication nodes in a car network and the corresponding demand on data. Now, it’s finding its way into the industrial space for the same reasons: the need for transparent communication, space savings, high-performance and shared-weight solutions.

TE's SPE industrial combo plug

November 2021

Connector.Notes.11-21_Vs2 MG.indd 34

www.designworldonline.com

DESIGN WORLD

11/5/21 10:59 AM

SPE replaces communication technologies on the network edge, part of the industrial network not serviced by Ethernet today. This means that SPE connectivity solutions are targeted for this application and configured differently than Ethernet solutions. SPE uses a single signal pair rather than 2 or 4 pairs, reducing the size of cables, improving flexibility, and requiring fewer contacts for the interface. This simplicity reduces overall costs. In addition, SPE also addresses typical industrial specifications, including requirements like a 10Mbps connection, 1-kilometer reach, and a high-power, single-cable solution — requirements not covered in current Ethernet standards. SPE enables transparent IP communication om the sensor to

the cloud, eliminating communication barriers and increasing network transparency. Combined with a reduced cost and complexity, it provides a flexible solution complementing existing Ethernet solutions used in an industrial network. As industry trends move toward smarter and more autonomous solutions, SPE technology will serve as an important complement to existing Ethernet technology and the myriad of devices that continue to connect to the IIoT network. Meeting these demands that shape tomorrow requires integrating SPE into the industrial space today. DW

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A D V E R T O R I A L

Do more with less

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WAGO’s new 2773 Series WALLNUTS® Splicing Connectors.

WAGO continues to push the boundaries in the electrical and lighting industries with the introduction of the 2773 Series WALLNUTS® Splicing Connectors. Similar to its predecessor, the 773, WAGO’s 2773 provides a compact, easy, and reliable connection for a variety of different wire sizes and types. But there are some obvious and subtle differences in this new connector. “The biggest difference between the 773 and 2773 is the size. Our 2773 is 30% smaller than our 773 and 45% smaller than our competitor,” says Nick Holzman, WAGO’s Product Manager for Electrical Splicing Connectors. “Ultimately, this means more connectors can fit in a junction box or small space without having to worry about sacrificing the reliability of the connection.” Aside from its compact design, another big change comes with the low insertion force. With the slogan, “Your Wrists Will Thank Us,” the 2773 promotes PUSHWIRE® connection technology without having to twist together wires as is typical of twist-type connectors. Not only are the insertion forces low, but WAGO also ensures higher than standard retention forces. This is all thanks to its innovative spring design — the conductor termination comes with the highest degree of safety and reliability. “Using the 2773 makes every project easier, from your professional electrical installer to your weekend DIYer,” shares Holzman. “We take the guesswork out of the wire gauge type and how many wires can be inserted into the connector. Nobody has to wonder if the twist-type connector is effectively twisted or whether it has been rated to accept a certain number of wires. Just push the wire in and you’re done.” One of the more subtle changes with the 2773 series is the number of variants available. Both the 773 and 2773 come with 2, 4, 6, and 8-conductor versions. However, the 2773 has added a 3 and 5-wire variant to expand the PUSHWIRE® connector portfolio to accommodate common uses in the field.

November 2021

WAGO_ADVERTORIAL - 11-21.indd 36

The transparent housing has also been upgraded to provide users with a clearer visual, ensuring that the wire has been inserted completely and correctly. The strip length gauge along with the transparent housing window provides assurance that there is proper wire termination every time. These versatile, space-saving, reliable 2773 WALLNUTS® are the compact and clear choice for any PUSHWIRE® connection and yet another reason why WAGO continues to be an innovative leader in wire and splicing connection technology. Features of the 2773 Series WALLNUTS® • It’s 30% smaller, allowing for more connections in junction boxes or small spaces • Convenient wiring, thanks to an extremely compact design • Push-in termination with up to eight solid and stranded conductors • Checks the conductor’s position at a glance, thanks to a highly transparent housing • Reliable connection due to a low insertion force and high pull-out forces

www.designworldonline.com

DESIGN WORLD

11/4/21 9:04 AM

Internet of Things

An IoT lesson in IT/OT collaboration Shubham Garg • Automotive Industry Manager • Rockwell Automation

Digital transformation in manufacturing, and the Industry 4.0 implementations that define these transformations, are increasingly critical for post-COVID resilience and competitive advantage overall. Yet for many companies, the benefits lie on the other side of significant implementation challenges. This is especially the case for established global manufacturers, who must transform at scale with minimum disruption and maximum alignment of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) teams – not unlike the proverbial changing the wheels on a vehicle while traveling at full speed. For National Engineering Industries, Ltd. (NEI) – a producer of ball bearings for the automotive, railway and industrial sectors – that was a particularly apt analogy in mounting a successful Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) transformation to improve operations and performance. The NEI team sought their own IIoT transformation of replacing paper logs and non-real-time systems with a digital system connecting hundreds of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines and Programmable Logic

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www.designworldonline.com

Controllers (PLCs) to a single IIoT network, which became a lesson for mastering strategy and implementation at scale. Helping the team with this transformation was Rockwell Automation and other strategic partners. Tackling production challenges with real-time visibility and decision support NEI is part of the CK Birla Group, a growing $1.6 billion conglomerate with 20,000 employees at 24 manufacturing facilities and business operations on five continents. The company has been in business more than 75 years and operates five facilities to manufacture different types of bearings – which are part of any rotating equipment or machinery. As India’s largest bearing manufacturer and a company

November 2021

11/4/21 10:42 AM

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that has built trusted customer relationships over the years, NEI has embraced the Connected Smart Factory as a strategic priority for transformation to meet quality and production capacity demands. The specific focus of the transformation has been an Industry 4.0 implementation to render real-time data, reports and dashboards that are accessible by the shop floor and the top floor, with the goal of driving enhanced plant-floor decision making, improved predictive maintenance and increased overall equipment efficiency (OEE). Previously, data had been captured on paper and logged into a non-real time system – resulting in a 24-hour delay that, in effect, had manufacturing teams looking at yesterday’s data to make today’s decisions. At various stages of the production process, the data were captured in data sheets and collated at end of a shi . Management saw the need for an Industry 4.0 solution to enable real-time data analysis so breakdowns and maintenance could be better predicted before a potential failure. To replace the paper logs and non-real-time systems, the team developed a digital strategy to connect more than 300 CNC machines and PLCs to a single IIoT network. This would be done using a diverse set of controllers of various generations, makes and models – creating an OPC Unified Architecture data layer and IoT Platform deployment. The result would enable various users in the organization, om shop floor to the top floor, to render real time data with sophisticated, accessible reports and dashboards for decision support. Cross-disciplinary collaboration was critical for IT/OT alignment In building a strategy, the team placed importance on cross-disciplinary and inclusive teaming, particularly across IT and OT teams. This included a comprehensive change management program and engagement om all stakeholders in the organization. IT and OT collaboration was formalized as part of the digital transformation playbook, and standards were aligned for the data architecture design. The IT team focused on hardware, networking and connectivity; OT teams dealt with machine data and machine so ware. Review and governance at the highest level helped keep these team members aligned and collaborating to ensure the project remained on track. Team members also brought in domain experts and organizational stakeholders om the technical, functional and business perspectives. Digital team members acted

Internet.of.Things.11-21_Vs2.LL.indd 38

November 2021

DESIGN WORLD

11/4/21 10:43 AM

as translators and facilitators om business to technology realms, and IoT Platform experts were hired to roll up the data of machines into a visualization layer and provide decision making empowerment to ont line supervisors, plant heads and other personnel. Project implementation and outcomes All five NEI factories are currently executing the Industry 4.0 DX initiative, with contingency planning in place to ensure upgrades pose minimal disruption to the implementation of the new systems. The Jaipur factory is already at scale implementation – having been chosen as the first location for full scale deployment based on its existing emphasis on automated operations. The remaining four plants are now targeted to be brought onto the real-time data and application mode in the next eight months. Rockwell’s focus for NEI has been on developing an agnostic solution to bring all machines on the same IIoT platform, which was made more challenging by having a mix of earlier generation

controllers and equipment. Rockwell handled application development services, with management and IT consulting handled internally by NEI team members, as well as the machine connectivity to the OPC layer. Already, the project is achieving success toward specific goals that included driving the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) of the factory 2-3% above baselines of 78-80%. As such, the 2-3% goal is a significant stretch in OEE, and it’s being made possible by a more paperless factory; real time shop floor data; decision making empowerment at all levels; and a new workforce culture focused on a proactive, versus reactive, mindset for work and problem-solving. Continuous learning and improvement As this digital transformation continues, the company is researching and developing new use cases around advanced analytics; augmented and mixed reality for shop floor training; collaborative workflows for streamlining information flow and process integration; machine vision for inspection and other

Industry 4.0 innovations. Continuous learning is a priority throughout, with feedback loops for team optimization, technology data architecture adjustments and insights on failure points leveraged for process optimization. Given that any shop floor deployment will have many unknowns, these insights form the learning for future deployments and a ready checkpoint for resolution. As they prioritize use cases for digital transformation, the NEI team constantly assesses factors such as business impact, ease of implementation, organization-wide coverage, number of users impacted, cost of implementation, returns and benefits. And to ensure everyone stays aligned on the roadmap and goals for the transformation, the team maintains a dynamic and a comprehensive execution plan; with the project represented as part of team members’ Key Responsibility Areas (KRAs) and Objectives for the year. DW

Rockwell Automation www.rockwellautomation.com

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November 2021

11/4/21 10:45 AM

Internet of Things

Wi-Fi antennas for 2.4GHz and 5GHz applications

The X9001748 Series external, dual-band Wi-Fi antennas have a standard, ready-to-use, RoHS-compliant design with IP67 sealing for reliable outdoor operation and provide highgain, high-efficiency, and high-reliability performance in low- and high-band applications with a variety of device configurations and equencies spanning 2,400–2,485MHz and 5,150–5,850MHz. The series’ ready-to-use, and RoHS-compliant design results in fewer design changes, enables quick and easy implementation using standard or reverse-polarity (RP) SMA connectors, and hastens product development and time-to-market. Its range of equency options, high-gain, -efficiency, and -reliability performance, and IP67rated protection against both dust and immersion (1 m for 30 minutes) make

November 2021

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it suitable for use in 2.4GHz and 5GHz indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ISM, and Zigbee applications including routers, gateways, access points, IoT gateways and devices, smart meters, home automation equipment, smart city in astructure, smart agriculture, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, telematics, structural health monitoring, and predictive maintenance. The external, dual-band Wi-Fi antennas are currently available as four part numbers, all of which have linear polarization and thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE) radomes, measure 180 mm ±2 mm in height and 12.98 mm ±0.20 mm in diameter, and weigh 24 grams. They are also available in black and white and with SMA or RP-SMA male connectors for additional design www.designworldonline.com

flexibility. In terms of performance, these Wi-Fi antennas exhibit 50Ω feed-point impedance, less than -9.00 dB return loss, 3.2 dBi peak gain, and 71% average efficiency in low-band (2.4GHz) applications and less than -7.33 dB return loss, 3.6 dBi peak gain, and 68% average efficiency in high-band (5GHz) applications, and are rated for operating temperatures spanning -40°C to +120°C. Leadtime for the series is currently nine weeks. DW

AVX www.avx.com

DESIGN WORLD

11/4/21 10:46 AM

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

Danielle Collins

Linear stages and tables for high-accuracy applications Linear stages and tables are typically characterized by a machined steel mounting surface or granite base, designed to provide both high positioning accuracy and very high travel accuracy. While stages can be single- or multi-axis designs, linear tables are typically two-axis designs that allow the load to be centered on the Y, or top, axis. Although various configurations exist, linear stages o en pair a linear motor drive with crossed roller slides or air bearings to support the load. Linear tables, on the other hand, o en use ball or lead screw drives with profiled rail guides or crossed roller slides to support the load. In this Motion Control Classroom, you’ll learn about the different types of linear stages and tables, key components and design elements that make them unique among linear motion systems, and how they’re used in the most challenging applications. Topics include: • Planar stages • XY tables versus Cartesian and gantry systems • Monolithic XY tables • How to maximize the performance of precision stages • Linear motor types, benefits, and drawbacks in dynamic applications • Air bearings for high precision motion • Crossed roller slides for stages and tables Access this and other MC2 installments by visiting designworldonline.com/MC2.

This educational installment sponsored by:

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November 2021

11/4/21 10:49 AM

DeviceTalks Tuesdays is a weekly virtual event that brings the insights and energy of our in-person events to your desktop. Each DeviceTalks Tuesday will kick off with a quick brieﬁng from the editors of MassDevice and Medical Design and Outsourcing. These presentations will give attendees insights on what trends will be moving medtech in the days to come

presented by:

Topics include:

TUESDAYS

devicetalks.com

• • • • •

Innovation & Finance Manufacturing & Sourcing Medtech People New Tools & Technology Prototype & Product Development • Regulatory/Reimbursement

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Sponsorship opportunities are available for future DeviceTalks programs.

For more information, contact Courtney Nagle. 440.523.1685 | cseel@wtwhmedia.com

DeviceTalks HOUSE AD 6-21.indd 42

11/4/21 9:01 AM

Medical www.designworldonline.com

A Supplement to Design World - November 2021

5 challenges

Boston Scientific overcame to make single-use scopes work

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11/4/21 9:25 AM

M e d i c a l

T i p s

5 challenges Boston Scientific overcame to make single-use scopes work FDA wanted single-use scopes to reduce potentially deadly superbug infections. Here’s how Boston Scientific made it happen. Ray Marcano | Contributing Writer

The Exalt Model D

Image courtesy of Boston Scientiﬁc

BOSTON SCIENTIFIC’S EXALT MODEL D single-use duodenoscope received FDA clearance in December 2019. It was the first device of its kind to hit the medical market. Just five months earlier, the FDA urged device manufacturers to move away from fully reusable duodenoscopes to scopes with disposable endcaps — or even fully disposable duodenoscopes. A culturing study had found an up to 5.4% contamination rate for high-concern bugs like E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. As it so happened, Boston Scientific was already working on a single-use scope. Now on the market, Exalt is making its way into physician’s offices, but it was a complicated journey. Dr. Brian Dunkin, chief medical officer of Boston Scientific’s Endoscopy division, recently told Medical Design & Outsourcing that the company overcame five challenges to make Exalt a reality: 1. Predicting the future “The whole impetus for developing this technology came out of the observation in the endoscopy community of some outbreaks of infections in patients,” Dunkin said. Researchers

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DESIGN WORLD

11/5/21 12:02 PM

knew the outbreaks were from drugresistant organisms, but they didn’t have the data to understand the gravity of the problem. “We had to predict the future a little because that data was coming in through different avenues, and it was entirely possible that it would say, ‘It’s not really a big problem.’“ That didn’t turn out to be the case. The result was that the FDA wanted to move away from fully reusable scopes. 2. Design requirements Boston Scientific’s design process was daunting. Based on the feedback of some 150 doctors, the company designed a scope that went through about 9,000 iterations. When complete, the processor connected to the camera box contained 2,000 parts, and the scope itself had more than 150. It took six manufacturing facilities and a development team of 200 to build the device. In simplest terms, Dunkin put it like this: “We need to make this work like a state-of-the-art reusable scope, and turn it into a single-use device.” Boston Scientific also had to solve the intricacies of how the device navigates during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), a demanding procedure that requires a specialized scope that has different features. “It doesn’t look just front way, it looks sideways, so it has different lens angles. It has an elevator mechanism so that when we put tools through it, we can move those instruments in a much more refined fashion,” Dunkin said. Dunkin added that there was another important consideration. “If it changes my technique as an endoscopist, I’m not going to adopt it.”

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"We had to predict the future a little because that data was coming in through different avenues, and it was entirely possible that it would say, 'It's not really a big problem.'" So Boston Scientific talked to experts, asking, “Is this right? Is that right? We had to make our own model of ERCP because nobody had one out there that you could use,” Dunkin said. And then Boston Scientific tested in animal labs and eventually in humans to make sure the device performed as expected. 3. Cost Boston Scientific officials considered all the costs associated with reusable scopes — like cleaning, training and monitoring — and factored that into creating a single-use device with a strong value proposition. “If cost is similar to what a reusable scope costs, that’s not going to help you necessarily — because I don’t throw that scope away every day,” Dunkin said. To strengthen that proposition, Boston Scientific worked with CMS so doctors get extra reimbursement for outpatient procedures. The company announced on Aug. 2 that it has also secured additional Medicare reimbursement for inpatient care. “You will actually get paid to use that scope,” Dunkin said. “You’ll get an additional payment to offset the cost of that scope. That is, to us, an indication that Medicare has made a decision that, ‘We think this is a significant enough problem that we want our patients managed with this technology.’”

problems. And then you’ve got to convince people that it can do the job, and they have to see the value in that,” Dunkin said. 5. Professional development Boston Scientific quickly figured out it didn’t need to train people in ERCP; it needed to get health providers to understand the infection problem. “It’s very likely that I could have the impression that I’ve never seen a patient with an infection from a contaminated scope,” Dunkin said. But he noted the infections don’t present immediately and could take weeks or months to show up in patients. The infection might even show up in an area that has no immediate connection to ERCP. The healthcare community needed to better understand the infection problem and the need to transition to new technology. For those looking to turn a device into a single-use model, Dunkin had this advice: “You’ve got to get those design requirements right and you got do that iteratively with the experts that you work with so that you don’t waste time going down false pathways that aren’t going to get you where you need to go. Ray Marcano is a longtime journalist who started his career covering health and medicine. He’s the former president of the Society of Professional Journalists, a twotime Pulitzer juror, and a Fulbright Fellow.

4. Performance In short, it’s got to work and work well. “You’ve got to make the device that can do the job, not compromise the procedure and cause patient

www.designworldonline.com

November 2021

11/5/21 12:03 PM

M e d i c a l

T i p s

How Medtronic fit a battery into a tiny pacemaker Medtronic’s Micra pacemakers are one-tenth the size of what was previously out there. How the medtech giant did it provides lessons for anyone looking to shrink an implantable device.

Chris Newmarker | Executive editor, Medical Design & Outsourcing IT WAS AN all-hands-on-deck effort that consumed Medtronic in the early 2010s: the in-house creation of a pacemaker small enough to go inside the heart via a catheter. The tiny pacemaker could be a game-changer because it would do away with connecting wires to the heart — a major source of complications. To get there, though, the Medtronic development team had to solve significant challenges involving battery life and energy use. How could they create a pacemaker that was roughly one-tenth the size of a traditional pacemaker but still last at least seven years inside someone? “It would be like taking your car and reducing the size of the tank by a factor of 10 — and now asking this same car to go the same amount of distance,” Leonardo Rapallini told Medical Design & Outsourcing in a recent interview. Now VP of R&D for Medtronic’s cardiac diagnostics and services business, Rapallini was the Micra effort’s senior program director for nearly five years. Rapallini and his colleagues solved the challenge — and more — as they boosted device longevity to 12 years for many patients. The FDA initially

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The next-gen Micra AV is the size of a large vitamin pill — the same as its predecessor. Image courtesy of Medtronic

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11/5/21 11:53 AM

approved the Micra in 2016. Last year, it approved the next-gen Micra AV that uses additional internal atrial sensing algorithms to provide therapies associated with dual-chamber pacing systems. During a May earnings call, CEO Geoff Martha announced that Micra has quickly grown into a $400-million-a-year business. Here are three insights that Rapallini gained from the Micra’s creation: 1. Keep the whole system in mind “We obviously couldn’t only think about the battery in isolation. We also had to think, ‘How do we make sure that we use the energy that we have in that battery as smartly as possible?’” Rapallini said. “It was pretty clear from the beginning that we couldn’t have a team just building the battery in isolation from the team that was building the electronics and then put them together.” The core team that Rapallini led had representatives from all the different areas of expertise needed to put the Micra system together versus the previous approach of different groups working on various components. Rapallini credits the setup with enabling his team to think of the whole system at once as it considered potential efficiencies. They asked about making the Micra’s electronics more efficient. They examined how they might better position the device in the heart to use the least amount of energy, and they considered battery design improvements. Said Rapallini: “Take a system view first because the whole thing needs to work together.” 2. Be picky about what you change The Micra’s creators needed to push the envelope to enable the device’s battery and electronics to last for years. However, they intentionally kept some things the same. The Micra battery’s chemistry, for example, was a proven variation of a lithium-ion. “What we had is something DESIGN WORLD

November 2021

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BECAUSE LIFE ISN’T MEASURED IN MINUTES. The heartbeat of any component supplier is performance; and perhaps nowhere is this truer than for those that supply the medical device industry. Performance, then, is our heartbeat; and for over 60 years we have been providing vacuum and pressure pumps that support the life of our customers’ products and the lives of those who use those products. Nitto Kohki’s linear-piston design means quieter operation, lower vibration, ease of maintenance, exceptional energy efficiency, and long, consistent product performance. Find out why this beat goes on and on.

FIND OUT WHY YOU SHOULD KNOW NITTO: 800.843.6336 | NITTOKOHKI.COM/PUMPS

11/5/21 11:54 AM

M e d i c a l

T i p s

"The Micra is a combination of incredible innovations — and also portions of the system that are really proven." we had a lot of knowledge of, and we knew that it was a really stable battery. We could guarantee that it would last long.” The electrode — the part of the device that stays in contact with the heart — was a proven component from another catheter-based device. What Rapallini and his team chose to radically change was the battery’s form factor. Instead of the battery being a wafer-shaped component that went inside the pacemaker’s “can,” the can itself became the battery’s container.

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November 2021

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• • • •

Built to Print Assembly Long Term Agreements Engineering Support

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The lesson is that it’s best to quickly decide where to push the envelope — and where not to innovate, according to Rapallini. “You probably cannot change everything at the same time.” Changing everything adds too much risk, Rapallini said. “The Micra is a combination of incredible innovations — and also portions of the system that are really proven.” 3. Understand the use condition As the Micra moved into clinical studies, its creators gained another vital insight: that the majority of the patients only needed pacing part of the time. “That obviously saves a lot of energy,” Rapallini said. Patients who only needed occasional pacing could see the Micra last more than 12 years, well past the original seven-year goal. Medtronic could have added even more battery life to the Micra by making it longer. However, the Micra team still opted to make the device shorter compared with the Nanostim pacemaker that St. Jude Medical acquired, according to Rapallini. (St. Jude Medical, now part of Abbott, halted Nanostim implants in 2016 over potential battery problems.) The decision to go shorter — even if it made the battery life challenge tougher — was based on an analysis of the range of heart sizes out there. The Micra simply had to be shorter to accommodate a broader range of heart anatomies, Rapallini and his colleagues decided. “Try to really understand the use condition in which this device will be used.”

DESIGN WORLD

11/5/21 11:54 AM

MEDICAL MEDICAL DESIGN WORLD

Medical Tips 11-21_Vs1.indd 49

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November 2021

11/5/21 11:09 AM

•• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• M o t i o n

•• ••

C o n t r o l

Rack

n o i n i p and drives:

A new look at an old technology Comparing rack and pinion drives with other linear drives such as belts and ball screws shows that sometimes simplicity can be the ultimate sophistication. YYC North America

November 2021

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DESIGN WORLD

11/4/21 10:56 AM

•• ••

These days

engineers have quite a few options for actuation in a

linear motion system. From various screw drives to linear motors to hydraulic systems, each comes with unique pros and cons, with some fitting better in some applications than others. The result is that there may not be a “perfect” linear motion actuator to fit every application requirement. However, there is one kind of linear actuator that may come close to a perfect ideal; the tried and true rack and pinion drive. Here we discuss the modern quest for the perfect linear motion solution and how rack and pinion systems fit a lot, if not most, of the criteria. Although some may think of rack and pinion technology as “old and clunky,” we’ll show how this isn’t true of modern day rack and pinion systems, providing a new appreciation for an old technology that - when properly selected and applied - can achieve the dynamic moves and positioning accuracies of the latest technologies, such as advanced ball screw drives and linear motors. Re-evaluating the linear motion status quo When a linear motion system requires high accuracy, high thrust forces, or high dynamics – or any combination of these – designers typically turn to one of three drive options: belt and pulley, ball screw, or rack and pinion. The general thinking regarding these technologies is usually something along the lines of:

• • •

DESIGN WORLD

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Belts are great for high speeds, but have limited thrust force capabilities and lower stiffness. Ball screws are great for high thrust forces and positioning accuracy, but travel and speed are limited. Rack and pinion systems are great for high dynamics, high thrust forces, and high positioning accuracy, but they’re old and clunky.

November 2021

11/4/21 10:56 AM

M o t i o n

C o n t r o l

Preloading methods for rack and pinion drives Preload can be achieved in a rack and pinion system by using either a dualpinion or a split-pinion design. In the dual-pinion design, one pinion drives the system and the other is preloaded, with the amount of preload determined by the motor controller. In the splitpinion design, two pinion halves each mesh with opposite tooth flanks on the same rack. One pinion half is driven while the other is preloaded via an axial spring.

(and, therefore its mass and inertia) increases by a factor With high stiffness and low of approximately two as the inertia, rack and pinion stroke length increases. drives can execute highly And for ball screws, longer dynamic moves with better stroke lengths typically control than belt or ballmean both the length and screw drives, in applications the diameter of the screw such as plasma cutting will increase – resulting in a (shown here). significant increase in mass and inertia. And the higher the inertia of the moved load, the more difficult it is to achieve dynamic moves – especially those that require high thrust forces at high accelerations. On the other hand, one of the main strengths of rack and pinion systems is that their moved inertia doesn’t increase with length, so they can achieve high speeds and highly |Shutterstock.com dynamic moves, regardless of the travel One of the reasons that machine length. builders choose rack and pinion drives is for their ability to provide extremely Case study: Rack and pinion vs. long stroke lengths. In fact, rack and ball screw for long length and high pinions are often the drive option of accuracy choice for applications that require Although ball screws are often long travel, where properly tensioning perceived as the most accurate of a toothed belt drive becomes difficult. the three drive mechanisms, rack and And for ball screw drives, the critical pinion systems can provide accuracy speed of the screw – the speed at and repeatability that approaches or which the screw begins to whip as it even exceeds that of most typical ball rotates – is directly proportional to screw applications. As specified by the screw’s diameter and inversely DIN/ISO and AGMA quality standards, proportional to the square of its racks with helical teeth can have tooth unsupported length. So for long travel pitch errors in the single-micron range lengths with even modest speeds, the and cumulative pitch errors of less than screw diameter needs to be relatively 25 microns per meter. And preloading large in order to prevent ball screw a rack and pinion system can eliminate whip. Rack and pinion drives, on the backlash, for excellent repeatability, other hand, can be made in virtually especially when the application unlimited lengths by mounting sections requires directional changes. of rack end-to-end, without requiring an One of the key things to look for increase in the module (size) of the rack when selecting a rack and pinion is or a larger pinion. the manufacturer’s ability to produce What’s more, for both belt and ball higher quality racks in longer lengths. screw drives, as the stroke length In many cases, quality class and length increases, so does the inertia that go hand-in-hand, with higher quality the load must control. At long stroke racks only available in short lengths. lengths, this inertia can be significant. But consider the case of an application For belt drives, this is because the that requires multiple sections of rack belt is essentially circular, so its length to achieve a long travel length. Here,

November 2021 www.designworldonline.com

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the cumulative pitch error of each rack section becomes very important, as it determines the error that will be seen over the total length of the multi-part rack. The best way to minimize the total pitch error over the full length of the rack is to use longer sections of rack with a better quality level – something that very few manufacturers can offer. For example, a rack with DIN/ISO quality class 5 (cumulative error of 0.025 mm/m) might only be available in 500 mm lengths. So for a 3,000 mm total length, six sections of rack will be required, and the total error will be 0.150 mm. However, if a manufacturer can produce racks of DIN/ISO quality class 5 in 1,000 mm lengths, only three rack sections will be required, for a total error of 0.075 mm. Now compare this to a class T5/P5 ball screw at 3,000 mm long, which, according to DIN/ISO standards, can have a lead fluctuation (v300p) of 0.023 mm per 300 mm. This means that for a 3,000 mm long screw, the lead deviation can be 0.230 mm – more than three times the cumulative pitch error of our three-part, Q5 accuracy rack at 3,000 mm long. Precise, dynamic motion requires control Whether over an extended length at constant velocity, or for short, highly dynamic moves, the drive mechanism must be able to produce sufficient force to move the load with precision and control. Although belt drives can achieve long travel lengths, if the application requires a high thrust force, they’re out of the running. Ball screws and rack and pinion drives both rely on metal-on-metal contact (balls and raceways for ball screws and meshing gear teeth for rack and pinion drives) to produce high thrust forces for moving heavy loads in dynamic applications. But even at similar lengths and force capabilities, rack and pinion drives have lower inertia than ball screw DESIGN WORLD

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assemblies, giving rack and pinions an advantage, particularly in precision motion applications. This is because the motor only has to overcome the inertia of the pinion (the rack remains stationary), so the inertia of a rack and pinion system is quite low compared to that of a ball screw assembly, where the motor must control the inertia of the entire screw shaft and nut. In fact, in many applications, a smaller motor can be used for a rack and pinion system than would be required for a ball screw system with similar performance. And lower moved inertia means the system can execute highly dynamic moves – higher acceleration and deceleration rates – with better control and less complex servo tuning. This brings up another point regarding the motor’s ability to control the system for the best performance – particularly in terms of positioning accuracy, oscillation, and settling time. For applications that require long travel lengths but don’t require high thrust forces, belt and pulley systems are often the go-to choice. However, belt drives have low stiffness, and therefore

can introduce significant compliance and vibrations into the system. Even if the positioning accuracy of a belt drive meets the application’s requirements, this lack of stiffness can make precision control difficult. And because belts experience wear and stretch, stiffness changes (worsens) over time as well, meaning a system that is tuned for acceptable performance upon startup may need mechanical adjustments such as re-tensioning the belt and re-tuning the controls, well before the system reaches the end of its useful life. Rack and pinion systems – with or without preload – have inherently better stiffness than belts. And unlike belt drives, the stiffness of a rack and pinion system doesn’t change over time, so performance is stable and predictable over the life of the system. Modern rack and pinion drives excel in critical applications Unlike their “down and dirty” counterparts of decades past, modern rack and pinion systems are manufactured with advanced technologies that produce high gear

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Rack and pinion drives provide high accuracy and stiffness for machining applications that require the utmost precision, such as this water jet application.

quality, accuracy, and strength, by way of precision hardening and grinding. This makes them suitable for the most critical automation and processing applications. For example, rack and pinion drives are now the standard on machining centers requiring the utmost precision – whether for milling, routing, waterjet cutting, plasma cutting, or laser cutting – where they control the X and Y (horizontal) movements of tools with high accuracy and stiffness. Pick and place applications – especially in automotive manufacturing – use rack and pinions for their combination of long travel lengths, high thrust forces, and high speed capabilities. And robot transfer units – which transport articulated robots across factory and warehouse floors – use rack and pinion drives for their high stiffness and smooth motion. DW YYC North America www.yycdrives.com

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Accounting for belt and pulley inertia Danielle Collins | Contributing Editor Lisa Eitel | Executive Editor

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Belt-drive subcomponent inertias can be estimated using standard inertia equations for simple shapes. |Dreamstime

For a motor to accelerate or decelerate a load, it must overcome the load’s inertia, or resistance to change in motion, as explained in Newton’s First Law. In belt-driven linear motion systems, the motor must

overcome not only the inertia of the applied load but also the inertia of the belt, pulleys, and motor coupling. The inertia of each component can typically be estimated with sufficient accuracy by using the standard inertia equations for simple shapes. Since inertia depends upon the axis around which the component rotates, we can start by considering the applied load and the belt together, since they both rotate around the axis of the driven pulley. The applied load and the belt can be modeled as a point mass that rotates around the driven pulley, and their inertia can be calculated as:

JL = mr2 Where JL = Inertia of belt and applied load (kg·m2) m = Mass of belt and applied load (kg) r = Radius of driven pulley (m)

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The belt and the load can be considered a point mass that rotates around the driven pulley. Belt manufacturers typically provide mass (or weight) information per unit length, so the mass of the belt can be found by multiplying the mass per unit length by the total length of the belt. (Be sure to use the full, circular belt length … not just the length of the stroke.) Also, remember that the applied load is typically mounted to the belt via a carriage or table, so the mass of this part should be included in the mass of the applied load. The pulleys and the coupling can be treated as solid cylinders that rotate about their own axes, and their inertia can be calculated as:

Jp = 1 mr2 2

Where Jp = inertia of a solid cylinder — in our case, a pulley and coupling (kg·m2) m = Mass of cylinder (kg) and r = Radius of cylinder (m)

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L i n e a r

M o t i o n For our calculations, the belt and load together are modeled as one point mass rotating around the driven pulley. Pulleys of the same diameters may have different inertias if one is toothed and the other is smooth.

described as an object’s resistance to motion, with momentum being the tendency of an object to continue moving. Both have implications for linear-motion applications. However, while inertia is a fundamental sizing parameter, momentum isn’t directly addressed in system calculations.

DRIVEN PULLEY

DRIVE PULLEY

Keep in mind that although the pulleys may have the same diameters (and radii), if one pulley is toothed (driven) and the other is smooth (idler), as is the case in many belt driven actuators, they will have different masses and therefore different inertias. Although the solid cylinder approximation shown above is typically sufficient, more accurate inertia values for the pulleys and coupling can be found by considering that these components have a center bore and using the inertia equation for a hollow cylinder:

Jph= 1 m(r2o +r2i ) 2

Where Jph = inertia of hollow cylinder (pulleys, coupling) (kg·m2) m = mass of cylinder (kg) ro = outer radius (m) ri = inner radius (m) It’s common for belt driven systems to use a gearbox to increase torque, reduce speed, and reduce the inertia of the load reflected to the motor. In this case, the total inertia of the moved mass (applied load, belt, pulleys, and coupling) should be divided by the square of the gear reduction — and then the inertia of the gearbox should be added. This will give the total inertia

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reflected back to the motor, which can be used for motor sizing and selection.

Jtotal =

JL+Jp1+Jp2+Jc

Where Jtotal = Total inertia reflected to motor (kg·m2) JL = Inertia of belt and applied load (kg·m2) Jp1 = Inertia of first pulley (kg·m2) Jp2 = Inertia of second pulley (kg·m2) Jc = Inertia of coupling (kg·m2) i = Gear reduction and Jg = Inertia of gearbox (kg·m2) Of course, the concepts of inertia and momentum are often confused — possibly due to the similarity of their definitions. Inertia is generally

Inertia: Resistance to change in speed Inertia is a body’s resistance to change in speed and is related to its mass and the distance of that mass from the axis of rotation. This axis of rotation I = mr2 where I = mass moment of inertia (kg·m2 or lb·ft2); m = mass (kg or lb); and r = distance from axis of rotation (m or ft). Note that this is a general equation for the inertia of a point mass. Specific equations are available for various shapes, such as hollow cylinder, solid cylinder, disc, and so on. Momentum: Mass in motion Momentum, on the other hand, is the product of an object’s mass and velocity, and is sometimes referred to as mass in motion. While a change in shape — the distance of mass from the axis of rotation — will change a system’s inertia, the momentum of a system cannot be changed unless an external force acts on it. This principle is known as the conservation of momentum. The classic example of momentum is a game of billiards. Think of a moving

Calculations for hollow-centered bodies are applicable to pulleyinertia estimations.

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The classic illustration of inertia is a figure skater spinning on the ice. When her arms are outstretched, a part of her mass is far from the axis of rotation, and therefore she spins at a relatively slow speed. But if she pulls her arms in close to her body, her rate of spin increases because her entire mass is now close to the axis of rotation. The same phenomenon affects the motion of belt-driven systems. |Dreamstime

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ball, such as the cue ball, colliding with a non-moving ball. If the cue ball stops moving (v=0), its momentum has been completely transferred to the second ball. If the collision results in both balls moving, then the cue ball’s momentum is shared by the two balls. The equation of momentum for a linear system is simply P = mv where P = momentum (kg·m/sec or lb·ft/sec); m = mass (kg or lb); and v = velocity (m/s or ft/sec). This equation neatly correlates with DESIGN WORLD

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In inertia calculations, pulleys can be treated as solid cylinders that rotate about their own axes.

the earlier description of momentum as mass in motion. But when the motion is rotational, the distance of the mass from the rotational axis comes into play. Therefore, angular momentum is expressed as the product of rotational inertia and angular velocity L = I ω where L = Angular momentum (kg·m2/sec or lb·ft2/sec); I = Rotational moment of inertia (kg·m2 or lb·ft2); and ω = Angular velocity (rad/sec). For motion applications, inertia is an important factor in motor sizing calculations. If the motor’s inertia is significantly smaller than the inertia of the load or system, the motor will have difficulty driving and controlling the load, and response time and resonance will be high. Conversely, if the motor inertia is much greater than the load or system inertia, then the motor is likely oversized … and the system will be inefficient. Although momentum is not directly considered when sizing motion components, its effect is evident. Consider the example of an ice skater: It’s the conservation of angular momentum principle that dictates that the skater’s speed must increase when her arms are pulled in close to her body. By reducing her inertia (I = mr2 where r has been decreased) her angular velocity ω must increase for the angular momentum to remain constant. DW

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I n t e r n e t

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T h i n g s

The push

to shift to collaborative digital twins Leslie Langnau • Senior Contributing Writer

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next phase for the IoT involves collaborative digital twins. This phase will involve measures that encourage collaborative behaviors, including new procurement and contracting practices, creating what is being

Will we ever reach the goal of totally

automated manufacturing, where no human hand touches a product at any time from order entry to shipment to the customer? Perhaps. This vision of total autonomous manufacturing requires—at minimum—that every machine and process needed to make products has intelligence and is interconnected through some type of communication network. Every few years, the components, devices, systems, and equipment necessary to execute such a vision move closer to this goal. Like so many engineering projects, it’s an iterative process, but then, those who will design these systems know this. The needed communication part is a bit farther along than the intelligence piece. In many plants, field buses from the 1980s and 1990s are either being replaced or are connecting to an Industrial Internet of Things network. Sensors and semiconductor chips are moving intelligence further into machines and processes, but there is still a way to go here. Artificial intelligence will be needed to enable those components, devices, systems, and equipment to analyze the data and make decisions about what to do on their own, and this field is still in development. A necessary part of this vision will involve digital twins—a software platform that uses data gathered from sensors connected to the digital twins’ physical counterpart.

called a “golden thread.”

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| AdobeStock.com

According to some, the

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Asite promotes the idea of reducing the data fragmentation seen across industries from siloed engagement with data. This fragmentation prevents reaping the full benefits of a digital twins platform.

In June, Molex commissioned third-party research firm, Dimensional Research, to conduct The State of Industry 4.0 Survey, polling 216 qualified participants in a variety of roles, such as R&D, engineering, production manufacturing, strategy, innovation, and supply chain management. The primary research goal was to capture data on practical real-life Industry 4.0 experiences and opinions. Overall, the survey respondents validated continued growth, potential customer benefits and expected business outcomes emerging from the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and smart manufacturing. Among the customer benefits cited; 50% said the use of advanced analytics or Digital Twins to self-optimize operations was a key benefit. With greater access to more data, some claim digital twins will convey an interesting capability, claiming they will deliver users into a “prescient digital era.” From a more down to earth perspective, digital twins offer three main benefits.

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• For a number of markets, the digital versions of physical devices and all the data collected about them provides an historical record of device behavior. • That data may also provide answers on how to enhance and improve those devices to the point where they operate autonomously. • The data can also be used to simulate a range of performance possibilities, leading, it is hoped, to autonomous operation. Rich, reliable data are key to the success of digital twins. Customers intent on improving their manufacturing operations must understand what data sets are needed before design engineers can deliver the needed data gathering pieces in the equipment and manufacturing processes they design. One way to obtain these data, according to many in the IoT and IIoT communities, is through the use of a “golden thread.” This golden thread1 concept introduces formal processes for digital information to assure accuracy, accessibility, and security. It is

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being viewed as a foundational step in the use of digital twins. Developing this golden thread, will, according to some, require that organizations alter their current operations to include collaboration and interoperability. The end goal is for machines and equipment, processes, and software to “talk” to each other and log these conversations to create the golden thread of information. An issue is whether management should focus on data within their organization or share data among and within industries. Notes a report (Digital Twins, Weaving the Golden Thread) from Asite, a platform that supports the collaborative possibilities of digital twins, the “fragmentation, seen across industries, results in siloed engagement with data and prevents us from reaping the full benefits from the data we are collecting. For digital twins to excel, industries need to establish new forms of collaboration and introduce measures that encourage collaborative behaviors, including new procurement and contracting practices.” Asite is pushing for the creation of a global digital framework to establish how data are used, maintained, and shared in order to set global open interoperability standards and extract actionable insights from data that can then be used across organizations. The company claims that the ability to freely share and interpret data and insights will create an accurate record of a project, providing the optimal conditions for digital twins to thrive. Sharing data with business partners is a goal, however. But there are examples of this sharing. PTC and the Volvo Group recently announced they will increase collaboration around digital engineering. The companies will leverage the capabilities of PTC’s Windchill product lifecycle management (PLM) software and Creo computerDESIGN WORLD

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aided design (CAD) software to promote collaboration across Volvo Group’s PLM and CAD functions to increase the reuse of digital product data across the Volvo Group. “Using one PLM and CAD platform will act as a key enabler in our digital engineering transformation,” said Lars Stenqvist, CTO at Volvo Group. “Leveraging this foundation, we see great possibilities in connecting PTC’s IoT and AR solutions into our digital thread strategy. By aligning with PTC around the CAD platform, we will work together to create a worldclass capability that we expect will be a competitive advantage for years to come as we pursue the future landscape of sustainable transport and infrastructure at Volvo.”

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Group support In addition to Asite, the Digital Twin Consortium is another group promoting the use of digital twins. The consortium is a program established by the Object Management Group (OMG) – an international industry standards association for a range of technologies. Experts from industry, academic, and government entities come together to share knowledge in the hope of driving the adoption of digital twins as well as advancing research and development. The consortium group is a collaborative global ecosystem of technologists who define the standards requirements, architectures, and opensource code needed for digital twins and who identify any gaps in these areas. The consortium is open to any business or organization interested in digital twin technology.

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Digital twins in manufacturing The manufacturing industry is seen as a key area where digital twins will have the most effect on how products are designed, manufactured, and maintained. With all the data gathered by a digital twin, it is hoped the twin will deliver insights for better design of the part, better design of the system that will build the part, and reduce throughput times of the production process. The technology for digital twins is still in the early stages of development and deployment. Here’s a look at what is available now. The enhanced version of Rockwell Automation’s Studio 5000 Simulation Interface connects with Ansys digital twins. The Interface connects Rockwell Automation industrial control systems with simulation and modeling

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For digital twins to excel, industries need to establish new forms of collaboration and introduce measures that encourage collaborative behaviors, including new procurement and contracting practices.

tools. The latest release of the tool expands that connectivity to Ansys Twin Builder, software that is used to create simulation-based digital twins. The software uses multiphysics to identify how real-world elements like flow rates, mechanical stresses, and thermal profiles can impact equipment performance and health. The Studio 5000 Simulation Interface allows users to connect a digital twin to either an emulated or physical controller. Connecting to an emulated controller can help them optimize production at the design stage before they have a physical controller or equipment. Connecting to a physical controller allows them to create a digital twin of how the equipment should run and compare it against actual performance.

A look at the leaders of Industrial IoT platforms for manufacturing.

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“By connecting a control system to Ansys Twin Builder, users can simulate complex physical processes and give realistic inputs to the control system,” said Julie Robinson, business manager, Rockwell Automation. “This can provide insights throughout the equipment lifecycle. For example, running a simulation model in parallel to a physical system during production can reveal opportunities to optimize performance in real time.” Engineers can use digital twins and simulation to improve system design, delivery, and performance by: • Creating and testing equipment designs in a virtual space to save engineering time and reduce the need to build costly physical prototypes. • Virtually commissioning equipment to avoid surprises during start-ups at production sites. • Comparing simulated and actual system performance to identify adjustments that can improve efficiency, output and more. • Testing process changes in a virtual space, before they’re made on a physical system, to boost throughput or other performance aspects. • Calculating the remaining life of components so they can be replaced before they cause unplanned downtime as part of a predictive maintenance strategy. • Providing operator training in a virtual environment, where having equipment available isn’t a factor and operators can be trained on uncommon or dangerous scenarios. “Connecting the digital and physical worlds with Studio 5000 Simulation Interface can give users useful insights during production,” said Shane Emswiler, senior vice president of products, Ansys. “For instance, users can apply what-if scenarios to understand the impact of changes on a DESIGN WORLD

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process. They can create virtual sensors to estimate values that are otherwise too expensive or not possible to get today, and they can predict outcomes like failures that hurt the bottom line.” MindSphere, the industrial IoT as a service solution from Siemens, was developed for applications in the context of the Internet of Things. MindSphere stores operational data and makes it accessible through digital applications to allow industrial customers to make decisions based on the data. Siemens notes that the platform gives industrial companies a common way to access, manage, and visualize IoT data, as well as build and deploy IoT applications. In July 2020, SAP and Siemens announced a strategic partnership to deliver a digital thread that bridges engineering, manufacturing, and business. The goal is to help customers break down siloes so product design teams, manufacturers, and service managers have the information they need to quickly create and manage product and service offerings. The partnership will deliver a roadmap for the integration of SAP S/4HANA and Siemens’ Teamcenter software. SAP and Siemens will deliver the integration in three phases through the end of 2022, with additional phases planned beyond to address new digital threads. The roadmap should provide clear direction to users to help them manage increasingly complex and configurable products and meet the challenge of an ever-increasing rate of innovation. This end-to-end solution aims to allow teams across the business network to efficiently work together. The Manifest augmented reality work-instruction platform, from Taqile, enables front-line workers to use the capabilities of virtual digital twins. Viewed and manipulated within Manifest, digital twins are static or animated 3D models of real-world DESIGN WORLD

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equipment that can be fused with Internet of Things (IoT) data, such as such as RPMs, pressure, and temperature. The key benefit of Manifest digital twins is the ability to view and virtually interact with physically large pieces of equipment. Digital twins provide access to clear, uncomplicated views of the equipment and its individual components, making it easier to follow repair and maintenance procedures onsite, perform training in a classroom, and review equipment remotely. DW

Precision Control for Your Operations

Ansys www.ansys.com Rockwell Automation www.rockwellautomation.com PTC www.ptc.com SAP www.sap.com Siemens www.plm.automation.siemens.com Taqtile www.taqtile.com 1. The “golden thread” is a concept that came out of the Hackitt Report, published in 2018 in the aftermath of the Grenfell disaster in London.

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E l e c t r o n i c s

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Basics of

printed circuit milling machines

Specialized machines designed for prototyping printed circuit boards can drastically speed up development efforts.

Leland Teschler • Executive Editor

Examine advice columns online pitched at engineers and you’ll often see posts advocating an investment in a milling machine specifically designed to produce prototype circuit boards. Engineers who use these machines point to benefits that include a dramatic speed-up in their ability to iterate printed circuit board designs. The usual approach is to order free samples of substrates from PCB suppliers, then mill out a rough prototype PCB which is then populated and tested. Often, having a PCB mill available allows engineers to fabricate and test multiple designs in a day’s time. The basic function of PCB milling machines is to selectively mill away a copper layer on the circuit board substrate to form traces and other conductive areas on the surface of the board. Some of these specialized machines also have the ability to form vias.

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The Bantam CNC milling machine. A previous version handled PCB work exclusively. This one also can mill plastic, aluminum, and similar soft metals.

There are, of course, limitations on what can be accomplished on a PCB produced with a milling machine. The primary constraint is that only two-layer boards are possible on simple mills. The creation of a solder mask is also problematic. In addition, milling machines good enough to produce PCBs can be expensive. The bottom end of the price range for these machines is around $4,000, but more sophisticated equipment able to do vias can be in the $25,000 range. Even more sophisticated laser-based machines get into six figures. These devices use lasers to remove material and thus have some advantages compared to mechanical milling that include higher precision and no drill bits to wear out. In addition, additive approaches to PCBs are starting to become more practical. These rapid-prototyping machines can be inexpensive alternatives to PCB mills for boards having just a few layers. But there are also a few high-end additive machines DESIGN WORLD

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said to handle complex high-layer-count circuits as well as electro-mechanical parts. Basic mills One PCB mill in the budget-priced category is the Prometheus from Zippy Robotics Inc. in Northport, N.Y. The $3,000 machine has a spindle that runs at 50,000 rpm and has a runout smaller than 2.5 microns. It lists a precision of 0.15625 mils (4 microns) in X and Y, and just 1.25 microns in Z. Its maximum feed rate is 3,800 mm/min, and the machine includes surface tracking said to enable consistent results in cutting depth. The mill comes with control software called ProCAM that takes industry-standard Gerber files of designs and uses them to plot out up to 6x4-in. board features. Zippy says the machine can create 4-mil trace/5-mil space

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E l e c t r o n i c s

The Prometheus milling machine from Zippy Robotics.

An LPKF ProtoMat machine.

designs with numerous surface-mount chip packages and do a double-sided board with drilled holes in an hour or so. A point to note about the 30-lb Prometheus is that is uses special bits only available from Zippy. The company says typical off-the-shelf bits will be slightly larger than the maximum allowable shank diameter and will not enter the spindle. Also of note is that there is no automatic tool-change mechanism. Bantam Tools in Peekskill, N.Y. once made a desktop milling machine optimized for PCB use. That device has been superseded by a more generalpurpose implement called the desktop CNC milling machine which can also handle aluminum and plastic parts. The whole machine weighs 70 lb. It has a working envelope of 7 x 9 x 3.5 in. and makes cuts with a repeatability of ±1 mil. The spindle motor is a 0.25-hp unit that spins up to 25,000 rpm. This machine clearly has prototyping applications in mind as the tool-change process is strictly manual. The Bantam CNC machine lists for about $4,000. Bantam makes a milling machine software package that runs $200 for an annual subscription.

Bantam also provides a number of specialized cutting tools for the machine that includes one for PCB engraving. CNC machines like those from Bantam have general-purpose capabilities that enable them to create PCBs as well as, potentially, the enclosures in which the PCB will sit. But machines from LPKF Laser & Electronics N.A. in Tualatin, Ore. are optimized for making PCBs. The company is perhaps best known for its ProtoMat series machines. There are three models in the ProtoMat lineup which start at about $9,800 and go up to around $27,800. Spindle motor speed in these range from 40,000 to 100,000 rpm, and two of the machines employ automatic tool changing. The faster rpm spindle motors provide cleaner milling edge quality, with less burring. The edge quality is especially noticeable with smaller end mill tools and when milling softer RF substrates. The 40,000 rpm spindle on the ProtoMat E44 allows for a minimum feature size of 4-mil traces with 8-mil spacing. The 60,000 and 100,000-rpm spindles on ProtoMat S64 and S104 systems allow for 4-mil traces with 4-mil spacing. . Also available on two of the machines are fiducial alignment cameras. These come into play in the

DragonFly LDM® 2.0 Specifications* Deposition Technology

Piezo drop on demand inkjet

Number of Printheads

2, one for each ink: conductive and dielectric

Minimum Trace Layer Thickness

17 micron

Minimum Dielectric Layer Thickness (Prepreg)

25 micron

Inks

Optimized Silver nano particles and dielectric inks

Trace Conductivity Relative to Copper

Up to 30%

Dielectric Constant**

From 2.9 @ 200MHz to 2.69 at 20GHz

Build Volume

160mm x 160mm x 3mm

Mechanical Accuracy

0.001mm (1 micron)

External File Compatibility

Gerber & Excellon, STLs

Network Connectivity

Ethernet TCP/IP 10/100/1000

Dimensions

1400mm x 800mm x 1800mm

Weight

520Kg, (1150 lbs)

Power Supply***

230VAC, 20A, 50-60Hz

Operational Temperature

18°C (64°F) to 25°C (77°F)

Operational Humidity

Above 35% non-condensing

Regulatory Compliance

UL, CE, FCC

DragonFly LDM 2.0 ®

Lights-out Digital Additive Manufacturing for Printed Electronics

* Based on current design rules (not the technical limitation of the system) ** See Dielectric Properties table *** Must use UPS

Dielectric Properties Table

200MHz

An LPKF ProtoLaser machine.

November 2021

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500MHz

1GHz

2GHz

5GHz

10GHz

15GHz

20GHz

Dielectric Constant (Dk)

2.80

2.81

2.80

2.78

2.76

2.75

2.78

Tangential Loss (Df)

0.000

0.004

0.006

0.011

0.012

0.013

0.012

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A Dragonfly machine from NanoDimension. DESIGN WORLD

techno

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•• ••

fabrication of two-sided PCBs by noting the position of fiducial marks on the board so structures on both sides of the board match up. Higher-end models as well include sensor and software feedback for copper thickness to more precisely control the cut depth, a capability the comes in handy for RF/ MW applications. Another point to note is that some LPKF machines can create multilayer PCBs when teamed up with a lamination press and a through-hole plating kit. There are two levels of sophistication in through-hole kits. The least expensive uses a conductive polymer that’s manually applied to the holes drilled in the board. There is also a special LPKF machine that applies galvanic and chemical processes to plate holes in an enclosed chamber. Machines in the LPKF ProtoLaser lineup are clearly designed to handle far more than rough prototyping tasks. These use lasers for cutting and shaping operations and range in price from about $91,000 to $373,000. The laser beam ablates the copper next to the future traces without leaving any residue. The resulting structure exhibits sharply cut edges. Typical applications are where precise, steep sidewalls are required or where there’s a need for ultra-fast laser etching, cutting and drilling. There are four models of ProtoLasers. Among their features are laser beams with a small spot size that makes it possible to cut channels down to 15 μm in width. These kind of precision dimensions are said to be particularly useful for RF applications where striplines are frequently employed. Where less expensive machines might work well enough for garden variety PCB substrates, laser machines can handle laminated substrates and alumina based ceramics allowing fabrication of fine-pitch boards. The ProtoLaser ST, S4, U4 or ProtoLaser R4 models are often employed for ceramic processing, smaller traces and DESIGN WORLD

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•• ••

•• •• •

super-fast metal removal as well as laser etching on select flex materials (U4 and R4). These machines are also billed as providing the most advanced trace/space capabilities with pristine edge definition available without using chemical etch. High-end LPKF laser machines incorporate a patented hatch and delamination removal process for large copper rubout areas. The laser cuts the area into thin strips and detaches the strips from the organic substrate by heating. This technique is said to drastically reduce the processing time. for sensitive substrates, creating traces below 1 mil (25 µm) wide, pocket engraving and for working with materials such as glass and Teflon or thin-flex substrates. Other features on the LPKF laser machines include use of a laser wavelength that leaves substrates essentially untouched but which can also reliably process copper surfaces with inhomogeneities up to 6 μm thick. These machines can as well create microvias, and openings in solder masks, cut and structure LTCCs, fired ceramics, ITO/TCO substrates, and delicate prepregs. Additive machines Additive 3D printers that can handle PCB work have long been available. Among the principle attractions of this approach is the low cost of the 3D printer. Moreover, 3D printers can potentially fabricate whole multilayer circuit boards complete with solder masks and insulation layers. Some printers also can double as pick-andplace machines to populate the board with components. Among the primary drawbacks to 3D-printed PCBs is that the conductors are comprised of conductive inks rather than plated-on copper. The resulting traces and pads aren’t as conductive as a conventional copper-plated board— conductive particles only account for about 10%-20% (by weight) of inkjet conductive ink makeup. The lower

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November 2021

•• •• •

Interpower® North American & International Cords!

Why wait months to get the electrical cords and components you need? Interpower North American and international cords and cord sets provide the correct country-specific amperages and voltages, ensuring they are ready to use right out of the box. Interpower offers Same Day Shipping on in-stock products to help streamline production schedules. Interpower also offers value-added options such as custom lengths, colors, packaging and labeling with no minimum order requirements. Manufactured in Oskaloosa and Lamoni, Iowa!

Toll-Free Phone: (800) 662-2290

E-mail: info@interpower.com

Business Hours: 7 a.m.–6 p.m. Central Time

Order Online!

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E l e c t r o n i c s

handled via riveting. Finally, it is worth pointing out that the process of 3D printing PCBs can be faster if the printer can use two print heads simultaneously, one for conductors and the other for dielectric. That’s the approach used by high-end machines such as the Dragonfly line from NanoDimension in Israel. These range in price from $50,000 on into six figures. Besides producing ordinary PCB features, Dragonfly machines can print components that are embedded on the board. Embedded capabilities include printing capacitors, coils, coax, and sensors that detect torque, touch, and strain. DW The BotFactory SV2.

conductivity may make it impractical to do the same narrow traces available with a PCB mill. Traces made with conductive inks may also have slight variations in height which may cause impedance issues in some highfrequency circuits. Additionally, the process of producing PCBs on 3D printers can demand a fair amount of intervention from a human operator. Consider the BotFactory SV2, which starts at about $7,500. Every time the printer completes a layer, the human operator must swap out the print head for the next layer, as when going from printing conductors to printing an insulation layer. Before storing the just-removed printhead, the operator must wipe any residue from the nozzles. The operator must also fill a cleaning station with isopropyl alcohol, if necessary. And insulating layers are manually wiped with isopropyl alcohol before the next layer goes on. Some 3D printers can’t produce conductive through-holes themselves. The usual practice for making throughholes in these cases is to put the completed board on a drill press and manually drill the hole, then add a rivet that is pushed into place with a rivet press.

Increasingly, 3D printers incorporate pick-and-place capabilities. The SV2, for example, also has a pick-and-place head. Another 3D printer offering pickand-place is the V-One from Voltera in Ontario, Canada. The $4,200 V-One as well sports a drill attachment that not only drills holes but can handle milling. Spindle speed is 13,000 rpm and runout is 0.076 mm. As with BotFactory printers, conductive through-holes are

The Voltera V-One.

November 2021 www.designworldonline.com

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References Bantam Tools CNC machine, www.bantamtools.com/cnc-millingmachine BotFactory Inc., botfactory.co LPKF Laser & Electronics N.A., www.lpkfusa.com/ NanoDimension, www.nano-di.com/ Voltera, voltera.io Zippy Robotics, Prometheus mill, shop.zippyrobotics.com/products/ prometheus-pcb-milling-machine

DESIGN WORLD

11/4/21 11:30 AM

5G TECHNOLOGY WORLD Delivers the Latest 5G Technology Trends

5G Technology World is EEWorldOnline’s newest site covering 5G technology, systems, infrastructure, and wireless design and development. Get caught up on critical 5G information, check out the following articles on 5GTechnologyWorld.com: Massive MIMO performance testing: Emulate the channel Performing MIMO testing using real-world conditions is critical for successful 5G deployments. www.5gtechnologyworld.com/massive-mimoperformance-testing-emulate-the-channel

5G is hot, keep your components and systems cool 5G’s antennas and the devices that drive them generate more heat than their LTE predecessors. That creates new cooling problems for wireless devices and systems. www.5gtechnologyworld.com/5g-is-hot-keep-yourcomponents-and-systems-cool

5G moves into production, causes test issues 5G Technology World talks with Teradyne’s Jeorge Hurtarte, who explains components and over-the-air production test of 5G components. www.5gtechnologyworld.com/5g-moves-intoproduction-causes-test-issues

IEEE 1588 adds timing performance while reducing cost and risk GPS and GNSS have been the standards for network timing, but they have security issues. A Master clock and IEEE 1588 reduces the risk and lowers installation costs. www.5gtechnologyworld.com/ieee-1588-adds-timingperformance-while-reducing-cost-and-risk

For additional content, go to: www.5gtechnologyworld.com

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M e c h a n i c a l

•• ••

•• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Aerospace bearings:

where did it all begin?

November 2021

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www.designworldonline.com

DESIGN WORLD

11/4/21 11:38 AM

Often, aircraft must maneuver through extreme winds, requiring bearing materials resistant to these conditions. Modern reinforced composite bearings will stay intact because they do not absorb any moisture and can cope better in harsh environments than metal. This increases the lifespan of the aircraft and avoids costly repairs caused by corrosion.

According to Report Linker, the aerospace market is expected to grow from USD 9.6 billion in 2021 to USD 17.7 billion by 2026, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.9%. From personal flying vehicles to a greener aerospace, it’s clear the aerospace sector is developing fast — but where did it all begin? Here, Chris Johnson, managing director of SMB Bearings, explores a brief history of bearings in the aerospace sector.

By Chris Johnson

k.com | Shutterstoc

Humanity has always had the desire to fly.

DESIGN WORLD

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In fact, achieving flight has been on our agenda since before the common era. The history of aviation began with the invention of kites, with the origin of the first manufactured flying object occurring in 200 BC in China. Leonardo da Vinci took flight to a whole new level. His plan for a helicopter, most notably known as the Aerial Screw, did not go to plan. Although the helicopter design was ahead of its time, it went down like a lead balloon. It was, however, the first recorded use of ball bearings in aerospace design, and since then, bearings have played a vital role in this sector. November 2021

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•• •• ••

•• •• M e c h a n i c a l •• Beyond the high-profile headlinegenerating innovations, materials science is a key area of research and development in the aerospace sector that has garnered much attention.

How have bearings evolved? Bearings have had a long and complex history. From Agostino Ramelli’s published sketches of modern roller and thrust bearings, to John Harrison’s invention of the H3 marine timekeeper — bearings have evolved. Inventor and ironmaker Philip Vaughan was the first to patent ball bearings, reducing friction and improving efficiency in machinery. The industrial revolution saw further advances in ball bearing design. Today, we use bearings for various products and applications, from heavy machinery and equipment, to manufacturing, power generation, and aerospace. There are many exciting innovations happening in the aerospace sector. For instance, a flying car may seem futuristic, but the hybrid car-aircraft Klein Vision AirCar, can fly 1,000 kilometers at the height of 8,200-ft. It has narrow wings on each side of the vehicle and is equipped with a BMW engine. Beyond the high-profile headline-generating innovations, materials science is a key area of research and development in

November 2021

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the aerospace sector that has garnered much attention. Benefits of lightweight composite bearings Bearings may be small, but the material choice of each component counts. They are featured throughout the entire aircraft, including aircraft wing systems, flight control, and aircraft interiors. Design engineers work with precise specifications in aerospace design, and the chosen bearings must be lightweight, low-friction, and longlasting. Bearings in aerospace design must withstand harsh conditions, extreme temperatures, demanding load profiles, and high speeds. There are many types of materials that are used in the composition of components for the aerospace sector. Composite bearings are one of them. One advantage of this material is the weight. A plastic bearing is five times lighter than steel in weight. However, some reinforced composite bearings can deliver the same, or enhanced, www.designworldonline.com

technical performance while using less material. Composites are a good choice for general interior aircraft use, lowering the total weight while allowing a smoother take-off and journey in the air. Not only that, but some plastic composites are resistant to heat, UV exposure, and harsh environments. At times, aircraft must maneuver through extreme turbulent winds; therefore, they require bearing materials that are resistant to these conditions. Modern reinforced composite bearings will stay intact because they do not absorb any moisture and can cope better in harsh environments than metal. This, therefore, increases the lifespan of the aircraft and avoids costly repairs caused by corrosion. Much has changed since Leonardo da Vinci’s Aerial Screw, but we cannot deny the powerful impact bearings have had on the aerospace sector. Bearing manufacturers are regularly developing new designs to extend the service life of these components in the aerospace sector, and much of this depends on the research and development in material science. As aerospace innovation continues to advance, the choice of material, even for the smallest mechanical components, will remain important. Design engineers should team up with the best component suppliers to guarantee lightweight, good-quality bearings for extended service life. DW

SMB Bearings www.smbbearings.com

DESIGN WORLD

11/4/21 11:41 AM

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DesignFast aggregates product data from thousands of suppliers and distributors and makes it available for searching. DesignFast provides pricing, availability and product data sheets for free download.

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S e n s o r s

Sensor fusion— How does that work? A primer on this technology and its use in Industrial Internet of Things applications Jeff Shepard

• Contributing Writer Each sensor type, or modality, has inherent strengths and weaknesses. Sensor fusion is the process of bringing together inputs from multiple sensors to form a single model or image of the environment around a platform. The resulting model is more accurate because it balances the strengths of the various sensors. Sensor fusion brings the data from a heterogeneous set of sensor modalities together and uses software algorithms to provide a more comprehensive, and therefore accurate, environmental model.

While the ultimate goal of sensor fusion is to provide more accurate and comprehensive models of the environment around a platform, it can also serve several other functions: • Resolution of contradictions between sensors • Synchronization of sensor outputs, for example, by accounting for the short time differences between measurements obtained from multiple sensors. • Using heterogeneous sensor systems to provide an output that is greater than the sum of the inputs. • Identifying potential sensor failures by detecting if one sensor consistently produces outputs that are unlikely to be correct compared with other sensors.

November 2021

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Sensor fusion can be used to create a 9-axis orientation solution, enabling autonomous platforms to make more informed decisions that support more intelligent actions. Combining a gyroscope, magnetometer and accelerator can provide all the benefits of each sensor modality while compensating for their respective weaknesses: • The gyroscope tracks instantaneous heading, pitch, and roll, and it is not influenced by lateral acceleration, vibration, or changing magnetic fields. Still, it does not have an absolute reference and can drift over time. • The accelerometer tracks the direction of gravity, while the magnetometer tracks the direction of the Earth’s magnetic field. Both have an absolute long-term reference but are susceptible to acceleration, vibration, and interference from changing fields. DESIGN WORLD

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Sensor fusion is a complex process of gathering, filtering, and aggregating sensor data to support the environmental perception needed for intelligent decision making: • The first level consists of the raw input data collected from various sensors and sensor clusters. • Level two includes the processes of filtering, temporal and spatial synchronization of sensor data, and uncertainty modeling comparing various sensor outputs. • Object detection and feature extraction to generate representations of objects such as sizes, shapes, colors, speeds, and so on occur at level three. • Level four aggregates the inputs from level three to identify specific objects and their trajectories (or anticipated trajectories) to create an accurate dynamic model of the environment.

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November 2021

| background image AdobeStock.com

Sensor fusion algorithms combine inputs from multiple sensor modalities to produce improved information about the environment. (Image: STMicroelectronics)

11/4/21 11:44 AM

S e n s o r s

Finding the best fusion method

Feature extraction

Accuracy

Fusion method 2

Friedman and Holm test

Fusion method n

The best fusion method (tag)

Tagged raw date of various sensors

Tagged data features from various sensors

Fusion method 1

Data features of several sensors

Fusion method

Supervised classifier

Generalization Statistical signature Statistical signature dataset

Predicting the best fusion method

Finding the best sensor fusion methodology using machine learning.

Two communications standards are emerging to enhance vehicle sensor networks; the intelligent transport system G5 (ITS-G5) and the cellular V2X (C-V2X) platform.

November 2021 www.designworldonline.com

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Extraction and aggregation of features are critical activities for successful sensor fusion. Machine learning (ML) algorithms are being developed to compare various fusion methodologies and identify the optimal solution for a given group of sensors in a specific application. In one case, ML employs: • Friedman’s rank test, a non-parametric statistical test, to detect differences in the accuracy of outputs across multiple sensor fusion methods and • Holm’s test is used to identify the probability that one or more false positives have occurred by adjusting the rejection criteria for each of the individual hypotheses. Those tests can be used to identify significant differences, in terms of accuracy, between raw extraction and aggregation (defined as the baseline for comparison) and other more complex fusion algorithms such as various forms of voting, multi-view stacking, and AdaBoost methodologies. IIoT sensor fusion Sensor fusion is expected to be a key factor to maximize the utility of the IIoT. Sensor fusion can provide the comprehensive real-time operational data needed to avoid unexpected maintenance and unplanned downtime. One of the uses of sensor fusion is to provide context for measurements. For example, monitoring equipment temperature without also monitoring the temperature in the ambient environment could lead to a flawed result. Combining a vibration sensor with a speed sensor can provide enhanced information about the condition of motors and gearboxes. Correlating the vibration and speed data could identify a shaft misalignment or bearing wear that could not be identified using a single sensor. Even more complex sets of sensors can be used simultaneously to analyze multiple operational parameters. As a result, IIoT sensors are increasingly co-packaged with two, three, or even four different sensors in a single package. Co-packaging of multiple sensors reduces system complexity and cost while multiplying the benefits from sensor fusion. A growing range of IoT applications, including wearables, medical devices, drones, white goods, industrial systems, and transportation, are employing co-packaged sensors to monitor DESIGN WORLD

11/4/21 11:44 AM

SMARTER

BRAKE & CLUTCH pressure, temperature, force, vibration, and more. Sensor fusion standards Sensor fusion standards are just beginning to appear. The following are two examples, one for in-vehicle interfaces between sensors and the sensor fusion unit and two others for the development of ad-hoc sensor networks to fill the gap between traditional sensors such as radars, LIDARs, and cameras and infrastructure-based communication networks. A standardized logical interface layer between the various sensors and the sensor fusion function is needed to maximize the reusability of various sensor fusion applications and to minimize the development time needed for the sensor/fusion communication link(s). That’s the goal of ISO 23150:2021. The standard specifies the logical interface between the fusion unit that interprets the scene around vehicles using a surround fusion model and in-vehicle environmental perception sensors such as radar, lidar, camera, and ultrasonic. The interface is described in a modular and semantic representation. It provides information on object level (for example, potentially moving objects, road objects, static objects) as well as information on feature and detection levels based on sensor technologyspecific information. ISO 23150:2021 is focused on interface level 2: • Interface level 1 is the highest logical interface and connects the fusion unit and the automated driving functions. • Interface level 2 is the middle logical interface and connects sensors and sensor clusters with the fusion unit (this is the focus of ISO 23150:2021.) • Interface level 3 is the interface layer for the raw data level of a sensing element. Two communications standards are emerging to enhance vehicle sensor networks; the intelligent transport system G5 (ITS-G5) and the cellular V2X (C-V2X) platform. The ITS-G5 has been adopted by several automakers, while DESIGN WORLD

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C-V2X has gained momentum with road infrastructure owner-operators and some carmakers. ITS-G5 was developed jointly by the CAR 2 CAR Consortium and the European Telecommunications Standard Institute (ETSI). It employs dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) technology that enables vehicles to communicate directly and with other road users without cellular or other infrastructure. ITS-G5 is an ad-hoc sensor network that connects on-vehicle sensors such as cameras and radars with infrastructure-based communication networks. Also designed for direct communication between vehicles and their surroundings, C-V2X is the newer of the two technologies. It is defined by 3GPP based on cellular modem technology, leading to a fundamentally different non-interoperable access layer with DSRC. Both ITS-G5 and C-V2X address the same use cases, and some efforts are underway to develop interoperable solutions. Looking to the future Sensor fusion is an increasingly important technology across various applications from health care to automated vehicles, industrial systems, and even white goods. It can bring together the measurements from multiple types of sensors to form a more complete image of the operation of a piece of equipment, or of the environment surrounding an automated vehicle. While sensor fusion is not new, there are recent efforts to apply ML to develop ongoing improvements to the operation of sensor fusion systems. And there are standardization efforts underway to enable the interoperability of sensor fusion systems across multiple platforms, further amplifying the benefits of the technology. DW

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CONTROL

SmartSense(IoT)

Sensor-less Brake and Clutch Controls with Status Monitoring Introducing a new way to control and monitor spring-applied, electrically-released brakes and clutches. Electronically sensing armature movement after power is applied, the controller provides real-time operation status and wear condition while communicating with your IoT system. Tracking the brake or clutch lifecycle, scheduling maintenance accurately, reducing energy and extending the lifespan has never been simpler. The SmartSense (IoT) offers:

• Avoidance of motor and brake/clutch drive overlap

• Remote armature motion monitoring • Variable holding voltage • Enhanced positioning and stopping • Increased cycle rates • Real-time brake wear monitoring • Auto-adjust timing to holding voltage

www.regentcontrols.com A Carlyle Johnson Company November 2021

11/4/21 11:45 AM

Product World Magnetic couplings Miki Pulley mikipulley-us.com These magnetic couplings are suitable for machine designs involving food, pharmaceutical, and laboratory applications requiring clean, noncontact connection between motors and shafts. The mechanically isolated magnetic coupling transmits torque through the air. This occurs through both input and output hubs of the coupling, which contain powerful rare-earth neodymium magnets. These magnets create a magnetic field that transmits torque through plastic, glass, aluminum, and other minimally ferrous materials without physical engagement. These magnetic couplings’ non-contact design is important where cleanliness and motor isolation are required in the mixing system design. The coupling is clean and operates with no vibration. There is no dust, debris, or mechanical wear using this coupling than conventional couplings. Also important, this coupling has a “softer” start/stop function compared to conventional, general-purpose couplings. In addition to mechanically isolating the connecting shafts and motor, the coupling also isolates thermal and electrical occurrences.

Motion controller and remote I/O module AutomationDirect automationdirect.com PS-AMC motion controllers are designed to work with select Productivity PLCs to provide accurate, coordinated, plug-and-play motion control. These controllers are capable of up to 4 coordinated axes of motion per controller (PSAMC4) with differential encoder feedback for each axis and a maximum switching frequency of 1MHz. Up to 24 general-purpose high-speed inputs and 12 general-purpose high-speed outputs are also included. Available in 1, 2, 3, or 4 axes models, AMC controllers are auto-discovered in the Productivity Suite programming software, which has numerous built-in motion instructions allowing for easy configuration of standard motion profiles, including flying cut-offs and rotary tables.

November 2021

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DESIGN WORLD

11/4/21 11:49 AM

Product World High-current terminal blocks Weidmuller weidmullercom Klippon Connect high-current terminal blocks help save time and space and ensure the safe and efficient distribution of electrical power to the consumers. The UL approved (cURus) Klippon Connect product family has been extended to include the new A2C 50/70 and A2C 95/120 high-current terminal blocks. They connect of solid and stranded conductors up to a rated wire range of 2/0 AWG to 4/0 AWG. Further characteristics are a rated voltage of 1000 V AC/1500 V DC and a rated current of 150 A (A2C 50/70) or 232 A (A2C 95/120). Equipped with the PUSH IN-Power connection with the operating lever, a wired connection can be established in seconds — simply insert the conductor into the open contact point, actuate the lever, and a long-term stable, gas-tight, and vibration-proof connection is established. When the lever is closed, the conductor can be inserted directly into the connection point without any tools. This time-saving connection guarantees a high degree of flexibility during wiring while maintaining process reliability.

Size 8 21-mm hybrid actuators Haydon Kerk Pittman haydonkerkpittman.com Size 8 21-mm hybrid stepper motors are now available with an integrated connector. Offered alone or with a harness assembly, the connector is RoHS-compliant and has a positive latch to allow high connection integrity. The connector is rated up to 3 amps, and the mating connector will handle a range of wire gauges from 24 to 28. The connector is suitable for users who want to plug in directly to pre-existing harnesses. Additional specifications:

• • •

Motor connector: JST part # S04B-ZESK-2D Mating connector: JST part # ZER-04V; Haydon Kerk part # 56-2369-1 (12-in. leads) Wire to board connector: JST part # SZE-002T-P0.3

DESIGN WORLD

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November 2021

11/4/21 11:50 AM

Product World Software for developing and scaling advanced machine analytics Emerson emerson.com/industrial-edge The PACEdge industrial edge platform is designed to help manufacturers accelerate digital transformation projects by helping users create and scale up performance-improving applications. The PACEdge platform simplifies application development by bringing together open-source tools into a flexible, integrated, and secure platform for using machine data and analytics. The PACEdge release coincides with the launch of Emerson’s new PACSystems RXi2-BP edge computer, a small formfactor industrial PC that enables high-performance analytics to be run close to the machine. The PACEdge platform helps users securely collect, analyze, store, and serve up machine data near the source or across enterprise systems. End users can easily build and deploy applications for a range of uses including, monitoring energy, machinery health, and productivity.

DC-microdrives and motion controllers Faulhaber faulhaber.com The motion controllers of the MC V3.0 family, which have been tried and tested for years, have limited usability for the micromotors from FAULHABER due to their size and the resolution of the integrated motor current measurement. This is where the new MC 3001 B/P comes in: The first motion controller perfectly suited to smaller servo drives, both in terms of its size and the resolution of the current measurement. With a maximum supply voltage of 30 V, the motion controller sized 16 x 27 x 2.6 mm (W x L x H) achieves a continuous current of 1 A and a peak current of 5 A. At lower supply voltages, such as in 12 V systems, continuous currents of up to 2 A can also be easily achieved. At the same time, they do not compromise on function compared with their large family members. The I/O options and encoder interface are the same as the rest of the product family. USB, RS232, and CANopen are available as communication interfaces. A compact EtherCAT interface can then also be provided via a customer-specific carrier board (motherboard).

November 2021

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AC parallel shaft gearmotor Bison Gear & Engineering Corp bisongear.com The 055 Series AC Parallel Shaft Gearmotor is an excellent option for applications that require a compact parallel shaft solution at an affordable price point. These applications include industrial machinery, food and beverage equipment, packaging applications, conveyors, and the agriculture industry. The compact 055 Series is only 7.8-in. in length by 3.36-in. width. High-strength polymer and powdered metal gearing provides reliable performance at an affordable price. Rated at 1/25 horsepower, the speed range is 14-164 RPM, and the torque range is 12-67 in-lbs. The 055 Series is continuous duty rated. Designed with flexibility in mind, the 055 series gearmotor can be mounted in any direction and has easy switch leads to reverse output shaft rotation.

Stepper motor motion control systems OES oesincorp.com OES has added the ADAGIO-X-STPR Series of Motion Control Systems. The ADAGIO-X-STPR Series of rackmounted Stand-alone Stepper Motor Controllers are costeffective solutions for controlling and driving single and multi-axis stepper motor stages such as AQ single and dual axes X and XY series stages, the YPR Series of Three-axes Yaw, Pitch, and Roll Stages. Each 19-in. rack-mounted ADAGIO-X-STPR Motion Controller includes a power supply and motion controller cards for 1, 2, 3, or 4 axes, and micro-stepper drivers for single and two-phase steppers requiring up to 7 amps per phase. Capabilities include Set Acceleration, Set Velocity, Set Position, Absolute Move, Relative Move, Find Home, Zero Position Counter, Go to Position Zero, Stop All Motors, and limit switches.

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Product World Robotic cycloidal gearbox GAM gamweb.com These new GCL cycloidal gearboxes provide high precision and rigidity for horizontal and vertical robotic and motion control applications. The GCL is designed to withstand the frequent start-stop impact loads of industrial robots and other motion control applications with impact resistance five times nominal torque. The GCL series is available in various sizes with ratios from 36:1 to 192:1. Output options for the GCL series include component boxes with a solid flanged output (GCLC F) or a hollow shaft flanged output (GCLC-H). Also, the solid flanged output gearbox is available with a cover and motor mount (GCL-F). The GCL series can be used in various applications, from robotics and automation to medical equipment, where zero-backlash and high tilting and torsional rigidity are required. Features:

• • • •

Backlash of ≤1 arcmin with lost motion of ≤1 arcmin. Withstands the frequent start-stop impact loads of industrial robots with impact resistance 5x nominal torque. Multi-tooth meshing for torsional rigidity. Flange output in 7 sizes with nominal output torque of 167 to 4410 Nm and ratios of 57:1 to 192.4:1.

Rigid couplings for food equipment Ruland ruland.com These rigid couplings have high torque capacity, accuracy, and repeatability, making them suitable for food equipment. Designers of food processing, baking, and packaging equipment benefit from the Nypatch anti-vibration hardware, precision-honed bores, and high torque of Ruland rigid couplings. The straight bore rigid couplings are manufactured with precision honed bores for concentricity to ensure the coupling does not introduce misalignment or vibration into the system. This reduces wear on components such as bearings and shafts and helps maintain consistent system performance. Ruland supplies clamp-type rigid couplings with proprietary Nypatch anti-vibration coating to prevent screws from loosening during operation. Nypatch is a 360° coating applied to several screw threads allowing for multiple screw insertions and providing the necessary dissimilar material to prevent galling on stainless steel type couplings. Significant time is saved in assembly as hardware needs no additional treatment before use.

November 2021

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Gripper finger change system SCHUNK schunk.com The new manual BSWS-M system only requires the push of a button to mechanically unlock the top jaw and pull away from the gripper. Attaching a new jaw and connecting it with the gripper is also just as easy. As a result, the toolless jaw quick-change system reduces set-up times to a minimum, therefore increasing the productivity and flexibility of the entire system. Dowel pins and a corresponding bore hole are available options, serving as additional mounting aides. For example, in asymmetric finger pairs, this ensures that they can only be mounted in the correct position.

IO-Link photoelectric sensors Carlo Gavazzi GavazziOnline.com The PD30 Photoelectric Sensor family with IO-Link offers the most functionality in a single photoelectric sensor on the market. Endless configurations, preventative maintenance capabilities, and special application functions provide users with unparalleled flexibility for their applications. Four special application functions pre-programmed into these sensors are being introduced: Speed & Length, Pattern Recognition, Divider/Counter, and Object & Gap Monitoring functions. Each has been developed to optimize common industry applications through design simplification, flexible configurations, and ease of maintenance/troubleshooting.

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Ad Index

Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (Requester Publications Only) 1. Publication Title

Design World

SALES

ABB Motors US .......................9 AllMotion ....................................4 Altech Corporation ................2,3,19,21,61 Automation Direct ..................1 Boker’s Inc .................................38 Bunting Magnetics ................32 Canfield Connector ................38 Carlyle Johnson ......................67 Clippard ......................................IBC Components Corporation ....35 Cornell Dubilier Electronics ..........................29 Del-tron ......................................53 Diamond Wire Spring ............60 Digi-Key ......................................15 Exair Corporation ...................5 Fabco-Air, Inc. ..........................59 Harwin ........................................25 icotek Corp. ...............................32 Interpower .................................71 Keystone Electronics Corp ................7 Master Bond ............................60 Miki Pulley U.S. ........................16 Misumi USA, Inc. .....................BC NB Corporation .......................13 New England Wire & Tubing Technologies .......55 Novotechnik .............................65 OKW Enclosures, Inc. ............27 Opto 22 ......................................11 PBC Linear ................................33 Regent A Carlyle Johnson Co. .......................81 ROLEC ........................................17 SIKO .............................................39 Smalley Steel Ring .................12 THK America, Inc .....................IFC Trim-Lok .....................................23 Wago ...........................................36 Whittet-Higgins .......................31

4. Issue Frequency

Monthly

Ryan Ashdown

rashdown@wtwhmedia.com 216.316.6691

Jami Brownlee

jbrownlee@wtwhmedia.com 224.760.1055

Mary Ann Cooke

mcooke@wtwhmedia.com 781.710.4659

Jim Dempsey

jdempsey@wtwhmedia.com 216.387.1916

Mike Francesconi

mfrancesconi@wtwhmedia.com 630.488.9029

2. Publication Number

3. Filing Date

0 2 5 _- 1 4 6 12

Bruce Sprague

Telephone (Include area code)

(888) 543-2447

8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher (Not printer)

9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor (Do not leave blank) Publisher (Name and complete mailing address)

Mike Emich; WTWH Media, LLC 1111 Superior Ave., Suite 2600, Cleveland, OH 44114 Editor (Name and complete mailing address)

Paul J. Heney; WTWH Media, LLC 1111 Superior Ave., Suite 2600, Cleveland, OH 44114 Managing Editor (Name and complete mailing address)

Leslie Langnau; WTWH Media, LLC 1111 Superior Ave., Suite 2600, Cleveland, OH 44114

10. Owner notpublication leave blank. If the publication is owned bythe a corporation, give theofname and address of the corporation followed by the Owner(Do (If the is owned by a corporation, give name and address the corporation immediately followedimmediately by the names and addresses of all stockholders owning holding 1 percent or or more of the amount of stock. not owned corporation, give names and addresses the names and addresses of allorstockholders owning holding 1 total percent or more of theIftotal amountbyofastock. If not owned by a corporation, giveofthe individual If owned a partnership or other unincorporated ﬁrm, give its name and address as give well as those of each individual owner. If theof names andowners. addresses of theby individual owners. If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated firm, its name and address as well as those publication is published nonproﬁt organization, name and address): give its name and address.) each individual owner. If by theapublication is publishedgive by aits nonprofit organization, Complete Mailing Address Full Name

WTWH Media, LLC

1111 Superior Ave., Suite 2600, Cleveland, OH 44114

Scott McCafferty

1111 Superior Ave., Suite 2600, Cleveland, OH 44114

Mike Emich

1111 Superior Ave., Suite 2600, Cleveland, OH 44114

Marshall Matheson

1111 Superior Ave., Suite 2600, Cleveland, OH 44114

11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities. If none, check box None

�

Full Name

Complete Mailing Address

Jim Powers

jpowers@wtwhmedia.com 312.925.7793 @jpowers_media

Courtney Nagle

cseel@wtwhmedia.com 440.523.1685 @wtwh_CSeel

12. Tax Status (For completion by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at nonprofit rates) (Check one) The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes:

N/A

Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months Has Changed During Preceding 12 Months (Publisher must submit explanation of change with this statement)

PS Form 3526-R, September 2007 (Page 1 of 3 (Instructions Page 3)) PSN: 7530-09-000-8855 PRIVACY NOTICE: See our privacy policy on www.usps.com PS Form 3526-R, July 2014 [ page 1 of 4 (see instructions page 4) ] PSN: 7530-09-000-8855 PRIVACY NOTICE: See our privacy policy on www.usps.com

13. Publication Title

Design World

15. Extent and Nature of Circulation

14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below

September 2021

Average No. Copies Each No. Copies of Single Issue Published Issue During Preceding Nearest to Filing Date 12 Months

a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. (Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing and Internet re(1) quest s from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.)

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Publisher

Mike Emich memich@wtwhmedia.com 508.446.1823 @wtwh_memich

Managing Director

Scott McCafferty smccafferty@wtwhmedia.com 310.279.3844 @SMMcCafferty

EVP

Marshall Matheson mmatheson@wtwhmedia.com 805.895.3609 @mmatheson

b. Legitimate Paid and/or 13. Publication Title In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. Requested (Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing and Internet reDistribution (2) quests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, (By Mail employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.) 15.and Extent and Nature of Circulation Outside Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter the Mail) (3) Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS®

28,111

Nonrequested Distributed Outside the on MailPS (Include Pickup Stands, Outside CountyCopies Nonrequested Copies Stated Form 3541 (include (4) Shows, Showrooms and Other Sources) Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a (1) Trade Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association Requests, Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other sources) Total Nonrequested Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3) and (4))

d. Nonref. In-County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and e) quested (2) Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Distribution Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association Requests, g. (By Copies (See Instructions to Publishers #4, (page #3))and other sources) Mail not Distributed Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and Outside h. the Total (Sum of 15f and g) Mail) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of (3) Mail (e.g. First-Class Mail, Nonrequestor Copies mailed in excess of 10% Requested Limit mailed atCirculation Standard Mail® or Package Services Rates) i. Percent Paid and/or (15c divided by f times 100) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail (Include Pickup Stands, (4) Trade Shows, Showrooms and Other Sources) Electronic Copy Circulation 16. Publication 16. of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the issue of this publication. e. a. Total Nonrequested Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3) and (4)) Requested and Paid Electronic Copies 17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner f.

35,967

30,463

Average No. Copies Each No. Copies of Single Issue Published Issue During Preceding Nearest to Filing Date 12 Months

Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation of 15b (2), (3),telemarketing and (4)) (Include direct written (Sum request from(1), recipient, and Internet re(1) quest s from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.) Outside County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include b. Legitimate Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Paid and/or (1) In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association Requests, Requested (Include direct written recipient,Lists, telemarketing Internet reNames obtained from request Businessfrom Directories, and otherand sources) Distribution (2) quests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, (By Mail employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.) and d. NonreIn-County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include Outside quested Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter (2) the Mail) Distribution (3) Premium, Sales Requests including Association Requests, Sales, andBulk Other Paidand or Requested Distribution Outside USPS® (By Mail Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other sources) and (4) Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS Outside (e.g. First-Class Mail®) the Mail) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of (3) Mail (e.g. First-Class Mail, Nonrequestor Copies mailed in excess of 10% c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4)) Limit mailed at Standard Mail® or Package Services Rates)

35,831

14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below

a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run) (4) Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail®)

Total Distribution (Sum 15cPrint and e) b. Total Requested andofPaid Copies (15c) + Requested/Paid Electronic copies (16a)

30,463

28,111

5,176

7,513

176

238

5,352

7,751

35,815

35,862

105

35,831

35,967

85.1%

78.4%

6,000 36,463

Date

6,000 34,111

41,815

41,862

87.2%

81.5%

Total Requested Copy distribution (15f) + Requested/Paid Electronic copies (16a) g. c. Copies not Distributed (See Instructions to Publishers #4, (page #3)) I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form d. or Percent who omits material information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil Paid and/ororRequested Circulation h. Total (Sum of & 15f and g) copies (16b divided By 16c x 100) sanctions (including civil penalties). (Both print electronic PS Form 3526-R, September 2007 (Page 2 of 3) i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c divided by foftimes 100) X I certify that 50% all my distributed copies (electronic and print) are legitimate requests or paid copies.

Pat Curran, Senior Digital Media Manager

A Supplement to Design World

Contact Person

WTWH Media, LLC 1111 Superior Ave., Suite 2600, Cleveland, OH 44114

17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner 18.

www.designworldonline.com

6. Annual Subscription Price (if any)

$125.00

7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication (Not printer) (Street, city, county, state, and ZIP+4®)

WTWH Media, LLC 1111 Superior Ave., Suite 2600, Cleveland, OH 44114

17. 16. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the issue of this publication.

Medical

10/20/2021

5. Number of Issues Published Annually

November 2021 Date

10/2021

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties). - November 2021

PS Form Form3526-R, 3526-R, September July 2014 2007 (page(Page 2 of 2 4)of 3)

Medical Tips Supplement Nitto Kohki USA ............................. 47 Stock Drive Products/ Sterling Instrument ................. 48

5 challenges

Boston Scientific overcame to make single-use scopes work 11/4/21 9:25 AM

43 Medical Tips cover 11-21_V1.indd

DESIGN WORLD does not pass judgment on subjects of controversy nor enter into dispute with or between any individuals or organizations. DESIGN WORLD is also an independent forum for the expression of opinions relevant to industry issues. Letters to the editor and by-lined articles express the views of the author and not necessarily of the publisher or the publication. Every effort is made to provide accurate information; however, publisher assumes no responsibility for accuracy of submitted advertising and editorial information. Non-commissioned articles and news releases cannot be acknowledged. Unsolicited materials cannot be returned nor will this organization assume responsibility for their care. DESIGN WORLD does not endorse any products, programs or services of advertisers or editorial contributors. Copyright© 2021 by WTWH Media, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. Subscription Rates: Free and controlled circulation to qualified subscribers. Non-qualified persons may subscribe at the following rates: U.S. and possessions: 1 year: $125; 2 years: $200; 3 years: $275; Canadian and foreign, 1 year: $195; only US funds are accepted. Single copies $15 each. Subscriptions are prepaid, and check or money orders only.

Subscriber Services: To order a subscription or change your address, please email: designworld@omeda.com, or visit our web site at www.designworldonline.com

DESIGN WORLD (ISSN 1941-7217) is published monthly by: WTWH Media, LLC; 1111 Superior Ave., Suite 2600, Cleveland, OH 44114. Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, OH & additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Design World, 1111 Superior Ave., Suite 2600, Cleveland, OH 44114

November 2021

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11/4/21 12:00 PM

Precision

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DESIGN WORLD NOVEMBER 2021

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