Machine Design

Compact
hydraulics
Doing more with less
page 48
March 18, 2010
A Penton Media Publication
Tune in to EngineeringTV.com
HYDRAULICS PLAYS A ROLE
IN FRICTION WELDING,
page 52
SPECIAL FOCUS:
FUTURE TECHNOLOGY
The promise of thorium
reactors, page 22
Better links between
mechanical, electronic CAD,
page 38
Supercharged imaging
with T-rays, page 44
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
MACHINE DESIGNs LitXpress
after page 64
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RS# 102
FEATURES
FLUIDPOWER TECH GUIDE
TheThompsonFrictionWeldingE100 can
weldupto15 in.2 while applying22,050 lb
of force. Servovalves permit fast, high-
amplitude motionfor automatic material
handlingof large workpieces.
22,050 lb of force to the joint
being welded.
To handle larger, heavier
parts and cut cycle times,
Thomps on t eamed wi t h
Moog Inc., E. Aurora, N.Y., to
develop a hydraulic servocon-
trol system.
Normal servo and pro-
portional valves arent suited
for this application because
spool speed and acceleration
prevent them from simulta-
neously delivering high am-
plitude and high-frequency
motion. A closed-loop, digi-
tal control system, in contrast,
delivers fast response at high
lands, U.K., developed the E100, a linear-friction-weld-
ing (LFW) machine capable of welding a surface area
of 15 in.2, twice the area previous machines could weld.
The 22,050-lb, 2.5-m-tall machine also applies a record
A welding supplier found that the key to taking its joining
technology to the next level lay not in the welding heads,
but in a hydraulic servo support system.
Thompson Friction Welding, Halesowen, West Mid-
Hydraulics
at the
welder
Moog servovalves
Forge head
Hydraulic power unit with
accumulators and radial
piston pumps
MARCH 18, 2010 MACHINE Design.com 52
CAD/CAM/CAE/FEA
The timeline shows the
evolutionof ECAD-MCAD
collaborationinpast years.
Examine most products today and youll likely find both
electrical and mechanical components. The cell-phone
and automobile industries are at the forefront of this
trend, with other industries such as medical, industrial,
and aerospace close behind.
That sophisticated electronics are being included in
ever-more-complex mechanical formfactors dictates that
the two formerly separate design disciplines electronic
CAD (ECAD) and mechanical CAD (MCAD) should
become more harmonized and the line between each
should become blurrier.
It is no longer acceptable or affordable to performthe
design and simulation of different domains in isolation
fromone another. In addition to considering the core de-
signof the physical PCBand the mechanical package itself,
designers must also study the downstream effects of the
environment in which the final product will operate.
ECAD-MCADcollaboration
Although there has been collaboration in some form
between ECADand MCADfor many years, different me-
dia, formats, and standards have blunted its effectiveness.
During the early days of electronic design, most collabora-
tion was through paper, whether formally such as an
ANSI-compliant drawing or informally, as with notes
and sketches passed between engineers.
This method progressed to that of exchanging elec-
tronic data formats, such as DXF, which facilitated the
transfer of 2D data between ECAD and MCAD. The big-
gest limitation here is that DXF is simply a dump of non-
intelligent and graphical data of little use in the other do-
main. Thus, the DXF format offers little collaborative
value.
The next step in collaboration came with the advent of
Asimultaneous viewof a design
collaborationshows Pro/Engineer
(PTC) andExpeditionPCBs EDMD
Collaborator (Mentor Graphics)
workingtogether.
design
The
futureof
Software developers have long given
lip service to the idea of crossing the
mechanical-electronic divide. New
and future developments may finally
deliver on such promises.
MARCH 18, 2010 MACHINE Design.com 39 MARCH 18, 2010 MACHINE Design.com 38
VOLUME 82
ISSUE 5
MARCH 18, 2010
52
Hydraulics at the
core of largest-
ever welder
High-powered hydraulics,
fast valve spools, and
electronic controls are
behind the worlds largest
linear-friction-welding
machine.
The future of
electromechanical design
Sophisticated electronics in
complex mechanical forms requires
concurrent electronic and
mechanical design.
38
22
48
44
Thinking nuclear?
Think thorium
Thorium, a readily available and slightly
radioactive mineral, could provide the world
with safer, clean energy without breaking
the bank.
Shine the light fantastic
Spanning the gap between radio and light,
terahertz radiation opens entirely new fields
of nondestructive inspection, test, and
measurement.
Compact hose does
more with less
A new hydraulic hose handles the same
flow and pressure of traditional hose, yet is
smaller, more flexible, and lasts longer.
Inside this issue:
MACHINE DESIGNs LitXpress
after page 64
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ELECTROMECHANICAL
largest-ever
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Record-breaking
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welding is made
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RS# 103
Doing more with less
Letters to the editor: Please
include your name, address,
and daytime phone number.
Letters may be edited for brevity
and to focus on essential points.
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ON THE COVER
Photo courtesy of
Parker Hannifin.
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EDITORIAL
The myth of free markets
EDITORIAL STAFF
LETTERS
SCANNING FOR IDEAS
Robot simplifies fastener installation
Noncontact shaft tachometer makes
it easy to monitor shaft speeds
REPORTERS NOTEBOOK
LOOKING BACK
BERKE ON SAFETY
Third-party vehicle modifications can lead to electrical fires
FLUIDPOWER TECH GUIDE PRODUCTS
FE UPDATE
CAD working hand-in-hand with CAE makes composite design fly
SOFTWARE PRODUCTS
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Plastics & elastomers
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Fastening & joining
PRODUCTS
BUSINESS INDEX
DATA FILES
AD INDEX
BUSINESS STAFF
BACKTALK
63
66
67
69
70
71
DEPARTMENTS READER SERVICES
hydraulics
Compact
RS# 104
Whats new online machinedesign.com
UPCOMING WEB
EVENTS
Learn about
Programmable
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Attend live or view prerecorded
Webinars on the newest PAC on
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April 7, 2010, 2:00 EST
Visit www.automationtalk.com
to view the complete schedule,
register for live events or view
prerecorded Webcasts.
Low-level measurements
handbook
This 244-page edition from
Keithley Instruments describes
theoretical and practical
considerations for measuring low
dc currents and voltages, and
resistances. Download or request a
copy at www.keithley.eu.com/art_
resource.php?sid=p1hm.1mtmksr.
Two-minute motion
videos
Galil Motion Control has a library
of 2-min videos with solutions to
common motion and I/O problems.
Designed for busy engineers, topics
include multiaxis motion through
arbitrary points, temperature
control of liquids, an overview of
RIO Pocket PLCs, and features of
Accelera Series motion controllers.
View these and others at www.
galilmc.com/learning/two-minute-
videos.php.
3D electromechanical
catalog
CUI Inc.s 3D catalog is now
available on Digi-Keys Web
site, www.digikey.com. Users can
download 2D and 3D drawings
in major CAD formats. The
electromechanical components
are for power electronics, motion
control, interconnect, and acoustic
applications.
Electric-drive resources
Bosch Rexroths Web site gives
users info on drive systems, I/O
components, CNCs, PLCs, and HMIs.
Content includes new-product
releases, instructional videos,
software tools, white papers, and
specific drives and controls for
food and packaging, printing,
automotive manufacturing, and
other industries. Visit the site at
www.boschrexroth-us.com/brc.
Conveyors Web site
Details on FlexLinks line of
conveyors, marking and handling
systems, controls, and software are
available at www.flexlink.com. The
site offers product information and
selection guidelines for standard
units and special platforms,
links to in-depth technical data,
and considerations for specific
industries ranging from converting
plants to laboratories.
Engineering TV takes a glimpse at the latest
display technologies from Samsung, including
3D televisions both with and without glasses for
viewing, low power and Hg-free LEDs, and ultraslim
notebook screens that are thinner than a quarter.
View the episodes at http://engineeringtv.com.
New videos:
CAN-over-Ethernet
Motion-control systems are only as good as the integrity and speed of the control
signals. An expert from Yaskawa demonstrates the CAN-Over-Ethernet option of
the Sigma 5 motor-control system, and how it can ultimately benefit the user.
Considerations for engineered coatings
Coatings can improve corrosion resistance, cut friction, or simply make products
look better. An engineer from General Magnaplate talks about special-purpose
coatings for metals in this 5-min presentation. See these and others at the Videos
section of http://machinedesign.com.
E
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New displays: 3D, green, and ultra-thin
RS# 105
EDITORIAL
Consumer confidence is at a 10-month low and the job situation isnt much better.
Meanwhile, pundits on TV seem to behave as though the loss of U.S. manufac-
turing jobs to Asia is like the law of gravity: It is a certainty we have to accept.
Thats not what youll hear coming from John Hofmeister, once the presi-
dent of Shell Oil Co. and now heading up an organization called Citizens for
Affordable Energy. Hofmeister has taken part in what he calls the globaliza-
tion of four different companies, and as such, has lived an appreciable amount
of time outside the U.S. The experience has given him no patience with the
idea that U.S. manufacturing resources must inevitably move offshore. In fact,
he feels the migration of jobs is a result of the way governments treat manu-
facturing industries.
What I have seen in every country other than the U.S. is a determined
effort by government to help manufacturers site, build, and operate new facili-
ties. There is a deliberate design of public policy to help manufacturers with
their costs as they invest in jobs, he says. The national tax code ought to take
into account that investments in manufacturing are creating value and grow-
ing jobs.
Hofmeister says it is no accident that the strongest U.S. industries are those
having modest capital-equipment needs. The financial industry doesnt have
the capital expenditures you find in manufacturing industries. Most IT com-
panies do their capital investing outside this country, he says. These practices
arent so much because of labor costs as from penalties imposed on companies
that must spend money on tools, buildings, and numerous other brick-and-
mortar items before they can make their first widgets.
Outside the U.S., on the other hand, tax codes are more likely to favor
manufacturers. Among the favorite methods: Tax incentives to rehabilitate
old facilities, writing-down investments rapidly to give a faster payback, and
reducing corporate income taxes of companies that make investments within
the countrys borders.
Such shenanigans dont exactly sound like the free markets preached by
economic purists. The only people who believe in the free market are a very
few who have had it pretty good throughout their lives, says Hofmeister. Ev-
ery other government in the world knows there is no such thing as a free mar-
ket. We perpetrate the myth of free markets because a few people can make a
heck of a lot of money talking about them. And the myth of the free market
comes at the expense of American jobs.
The frustrating thing about U.S. manufacturing is that it neednt be this
way. We have outsourced or closed whole industries where we can still pay
a competitive wage and stay in business, insists Hofmeister. Manufacturing
can be a primary absorber of people who are looking for purposeful work.
Our government has a responsibility to just do what other governments have
done in this area.
Certainly true, but it would take a change in mind-set at the federal level to-
ward creating private-sector jobs rather than more government bureaucracy.
Leland Teschler, Editor
The myth of
free markets
Worlds Smartest Design Engineer GAME UPDATE
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RS# 106
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EDITORIAL STAFF
Leland E. Teschler, Editor,
leland.teschler@penton.com
Kenneth J. Korane, Managing Editor,
ken.korane@penton.com
SENIOR EDITORS
Leslie Gordon,
Stephen J. Mraz
AUTOMOTIVE & NEWS
FEATURES
Stephen J. Mraz,
stephen.mraz@penton.com
CAD/CAM
Leslie Gordon,
leslie.gordon@penton.com
ELECTRICAL, ELECTRONICS
Robert J. Repas, Jr.,
robert.repas@penton.com
FASTENING, JOINING
Jessica Shapiro,
jessica.shapiro@penton.com
FLUID POWER
Kenneth J. Korane,
MANUFACTURING
Leslie Gordon,
Kenneth J. Korane,
MATERIALS
Jessica Shapiro,
MECHANICAL
Kenneth J. Korane,
Jessica Shapiro,
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Victoria Burt, vburt@gmail.com
EDITORIAL PRODUCTION
Denise Greco,
Editorial Production Manager
Randall L. Rubenking, Art Director
1300 E. 9th St. Cleveland, OH 44114-1503
RS# 108
RS# 109
540/552-3011 800/336-2112 (USA) mcg@moog.com
Motion Technology | Fiber Optics | Electronic Systems
www.moog.com/components
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RS# 110
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lish and ignored the
poison symbols.
Manuf ac t ur ed
i t ems a r e never
without flaws, and
l abel s and manu-
al s are never per-
fect no matter how
hard everyone tries.
The unexpec t ed
and unanticipated
happen, and we all
share genuine grief
when t her e i s a
tragedy.
But the Amer i -
can system of tort and liability is
a huge problem. We have juries
awarding other peoples money
to injured parties on the basis
of expert testimony instead of
appl yi ng common sense fi rst.
McDonalds coffee-temperature
control and warning labels on
lawnmowers telling consumers
not to hold them like hedge trim-
mers while inebriated are just
the tip of the iceberg. The Amer-
Engineers and liability
I always enjoy MACHINE DESIGN with
its mix of great content and rants
about American manufacturing
and engineering going down the
drain. But I realized that a real
culprit can be found in Mr. Lanny
Berke, who dedicates his engi-
neering expertise to finding flaws
in American machines and manu-
als that permit big lawsuits.
Mr. Berke, who I am certain is
a good, honest fellow who genu-
inely cares about other people,
spends his days checking to see
if extension cords were repaired
properly, instead of noticing that
the user of said cord waded into
water without unplugging it first.
Or he is considering the case of il-
legal migrant workers who drank
fertilizer sold in the U.S. despite
the warning labels because they
Is it ever
too
safe?
A handful of readers
seem to believe the de-
cline in U.S. manufactur-
ing is because of over-
zeal ous and perhaps
greedy lawyers and the
expert witnesses willing
to say any product de-
sign is faulty or defective.
RS# 111
336 Volts of Green Engineering
MEASURE IT
FIX IT
Developing a commercially viable fuel cell vehicle has been a significant challenge because
of the considerable expense of designing and testing each new concept. With NI LabVIEW
graphical programming and NI CompactRIO hardware, Ford quickly prototyped fuel cell control
unit iterations, resulting in the worlds first fuel cell plug-in hybrid.
Ford is just one of many customers using the NI graphical system design platform to improve the world around
them. Engineers and scientists in virtually every industry are creating new ways to measure and fix industrial
machines and processes so they can do their jobs better and more efficiently. And, along the way, they are
creating innovative solutions to address some of todays most pressing environmental issues.
>>
Download the Ford technical case study at ni.com/336 800 258 7018
2009 National Instruments. All rights reserved. CompactRIO, LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI, and ni.com are trademarks of National Instruments.
Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies. 2009 0836
Design
Design optimized
control algorithms
and systems
Acquire
Acquire and
measure data
from any sensor
or signal
Prototype
Prototype designs
on ready-to-run
hardware
Analyze
Analyze and
extract information
with signal
processing
Deploy
Deploy to the
hardware platform
you choose
Present
Present data
with HMIs, Web
interfaces,
and reports
FIX IT MEASURE IT
RS# 112
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LETTERS
every answer, the response was
that they had heard of the case,
but knew nothing more about the
details. The student finally decided
to change the thesis of his masters
program.
I am sure you are a person who
cares about the safety and well
being of the working person, and
agree with the mandate of OSHA,
and yet you throw stones at them
for stopping serious safety issues
such as stopping the use of exten-
si on cords that are possi bl y re-
paired improperly and could cause
serious injury or death.
I f manufactured i tems have
flaws that could be detected by a
good hazard analysis, and if some-
one is seriously injured or killed by
this defective product, why do you
believe the manufacturer should
not be held responsible?
Strange as it may sound to you,
jury found for the plaintiff against
McDonalds because it had a bot-
tomless-cup program at its res-
taurants and instructed these res-
taurants to heat the coffee to just
below boiling so that customers
would only drink one cup of cof-
fee. The jury decided this practice
was dangerously negligent and
decided to send McDonalds a mes-
sage. On appeal, the courts low-
ered the dollar amount drastically.
2. A student at the University of
Wisconsin (Madison) who was us-
ing this lawnmower as a hedge
tri mmer anecdote as par t of a
Masters Degree thesis couldnt find
any substantiation for this old-
wives tale. He contacted all manu-
facturers of lawnmowers, all insur-
ance companies, the National Trial
Lawyers Association (the plaintiff
l awyers organi zati on), and the
Defense Lawyers organization. In
ican light-aircraft industry was
virtually wiped out by lawsuits.
Now all you can buy is a kit or a
40-year-old used aircraft from a
defunct manufacturer, each of
which tiptoes the line of limited
liability.
I guarantee if the jurors had to
contribute to awards, even 1%,
verdicts would be different.
Mr. Berke i s guaranteed ex-
cel l ent l i feti me empl oyment.
Once all our manufacturing deep
pockets are gone, his industry
will switch to lawsuits against
American distributors of Chinese
equipment. Theres plenty of op-
portunity there, as any reader of
a Chinglish manual can attest.
Brian Winter
Just as a starter, let me discuss the
two examples you presented.
1. In the McDonalds case, the
RS# 113
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THE COMPLETE SEASON WILL BLOW YOUR MIND.
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RS# 114
Paper Tube Company
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LETTERS
mines to prevent people from
sl i ppi ng i n the mud (Lack of
foresight concrete factor in fall,
Dec. 9). Blocking equipment from
unauthorized entry during nor-
mal operation is one thing, but
purposefully making it unfriendly
for maintenance tasks is bad de-
sign. The platform in question is
obviously there to protect the
hydraulic lines when somebody
does tr y to stand there. Most
likely the original design also in-
cluded a handle to provide some
stability to the poor guy who has
to go up there in the rain. After a
safety review indicated it would
have to be modi f i ed i nto an
OSHA approved work platform,
the handle was removed and the
platform was renamed to pipe
cover. This is not safety it is aver-
sion to liability.
Eric Hutchenreuther
have found that when automakers
manufacture other products, such
as ATVs, lawnmowers, or water ve-
hicles, some are not as demand-
ing with these products as they are
with automobiles.
There are other manufacturers
that are recognized as poor targets
by plaintiff attorneys, also. That
is because they approach safety
properly and have the records to
prove it to juries.
In closing, it is not the lawyers
that are the problem, it is irrespon-
sible manufacturers who cannot
spell safety, much less put out safe
products. Especially in this econ-
omy, they are being thinned out.
Lanny Berke
Lanny Burkes suggestion that,
designers should have foreseen
it ( a platform) was a bad place to
stand, is akin to installing land-
an industry that turns out one of
the safest products available and
which has one of the best owners
manual that all industries should
follow is the automobile industry.
Automakers continually do hazard
analysis and safety testing, and
thei r manual s are wel l thought
out. The one problem they have is
when one of their products show
a defect after it is introduced to
the public. On rare occasions, they
do not admit the problem. But in
most cases, they are responsible
and have recal l s to correct the
probl em. The mai n reason thi s
is not recognized is that the rare
lawsuits that become public are
big-dollar lawsuits. In most cases,
plaintiff attorneys are afraid to
sue the auto industry because it
keeps records that prove the safety
of its vehicles and the attorneys
know they wi l l probabl y l ose. I
RS# 116
RS# 115
Choose the testing and certification organization that delivers the support you require. Today the CSA C/US mark is found on
millions of electrical products used in hazardous locations and on other electrical devices that must provide spark-free performance.
The CSA C/US mark signifies these products meet U.S. and Canadian standards for safety or performance. CSA International can
help you streamline product evaluation and reduce time to market. And when supply chain or market opportunities expand
your focus, we also deliver local service in Asia and Europe. Electrical products used in hazardous locations must inspire total
confidence. For total confidence in your testing laboratory, choose CSA International.
Hazardous Locations Product Testing and Certification
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Building Confidence in Products Worldwide.
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Start it Up!
RS# 117
SCANNING FOR IDEAS
Edited by Stephen J. Mraz
The Viper MBC robot from Visumatic Industrial Products, Lexington,
Ky. (www.visumatic.com), delivers and installs a wide range of fasten-
ers, including screws, nuts, bolts, pins, clips, brass rings, and barbed
darts. Conventional screw-installing robots use a pick-and-place ap-
proach that send screws to an intermediate location where they sit
until the robot picks one up. This means the robot must return from
the work area to the pick-up point for each screw. The Viper, by feed-
ing screws directly to the tooling tip, eliminates travel time and cuts
assembly times in half.
Robot simplifies fastener installation
The new installer also has a zero-offset design, an improvement
over conventional methods of mounting the installation tool at the
extreme end of the robot arm, which gives an exaggerated cantilever
effect. Screw-tightening torque is transferred directly to the extended
joints, and bulk of the tooling payload is magnified and applied to
them as well.
On the Viper, tooling is located at the end of the second Scara joint.
Joints 3 and 4 are never subjected to tightening forces, and loads on
these joints are reduced to roughly one-third of the tooling mass. This
results in fast motion, extended robot life, and lets users size their
robot for the work envelope. The robot can exert up to 150 lb-in. of
tightening torque.
RS# 401
Request free information via
our Reader Service Web site at
Torque-angle
control-screw
driver
Gearbox
Four-axis Scara
robot
Mount
Independent
Z stroke and
bit stroke
Screw-holding
tooling tip
Zero-offset quill
mounting
Quick
detach for
maintenance
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RS# 118
New! Contrinex Series 4055...IdeaIIy suited for
coIor controI as weII as coIor sorting processes
Visit our Design Site at www.contrinex.com
Contrinex Inc.
Old Saybrook, CT 06475
Toll free: (866) 289-2899
Fax: (860) 388-3574
E-mail: info_us@contrinex.com
www.contrinex.com
5 different switching toIerance IeveIs to recognize
minimaI coIor differences or permit coIor variation
3 teachable color channels with independent 200 mA outputs
Teach process offers 5 different switching tolerance levels to
recognize minimal color differences or permit color variation
Detection virtually independent of target distance
Rugged, small PBTP housing suitable for rough environments
High switching frequency: up to 4 kHz
10-bit precision of R, G and B signals
Adjustable pulse delay and stretching
Series 4055 offers
5 different switching tolerance
levels to recognize minimal
color differences or permit
color variation
SCANNING FOR IDEAS
Engineers often want to monitor a shafts
rotational speed but get bogged down
trying to get sensors, signal conditioners,
cabling, and bulky housings to work to-
gether. To solve this dilemma, designers at
Electro-Sensors Inc., Minnetonka, Minn.
(www.electro-sensors.com), have devel-
oped the ST420 shaft tachometer.
It combines sensing, signal processing,
and two-wire, loop-powered circuitry in
a sealed stainless-steel M18x1 housing. It
can sense rotational speeds from a shaft-
mounted pulser target (disc or wrap) and
outputs a proportional analog current.
Permanent magnets embedded in the
target rotate past the stationary sensor.
As each magnet passes, the internal sen-
sor puts out a pulse. Pulse frequency is
proportional to the shaft rpm and quartz-
crystal digital circuitry continuously con-
verts it to a linearly proportional analog
signal that ranges from 4 to 20 mA.
There are no sensor bearings to wear
out, as with shaft encoders, and the sen-
sor is uncoupled from forces, stresses,
and vibrations acting on the shaft. And
the sensor and embedded magnets,
separated by a gap, do not need to be
precisely aligned which simplifies instal-
lation. The sensor can also survive harsh
environments and is not affected by accu-
mulated dust, grime, dirt, and oil.
The tachometer is factory calibrated
and UL tested. Standards and custom rpm
ranges and pulser targets are available.
RS# 402
Noncontact shaft tachometer makes
it easy to monitor shaft speeds
RS# 119
Shaft for rotating
machinery such as
conveyors, pumps, and
bucket elevators.
Magnetic pulser
disc
Magnetic
sensor
Sensor output to
PLC, meter, or data-
acquisition device
Disc rotation
Magnetic field
Spec|Iy Loct|te
Aoaerob|c Thread|ockers
SPEC IN
RELIABILITY
By flling the thread roots and preventing side-to-side movement,
Loctite
threadlockers have dramatically increased the reliability of

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higher temperature resistance, improved oil tolerance and primerless
performance. Don't let your designs fall apart. Specify Loctite
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TO REQUEST A SAMPLE and learn more about our newest threadlockers -
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For technical assistance, call 1.800.LOCTlTE (562-8483j.
Plus enter for your chance to win a Richard Petty Driving Experience
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When it comes to:
resisting vibration
preventing corrosion and leakage
improving quality
reducing weight, size and cost,
mechanical locking devices
just dont hold up.
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RS# 120
REPORTERS NOTEBOOK
Thinking
nuclear?
THINK
THORIUM
From the early 1950s to the mid-
1970s, an active R&D program at
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
in Tenn. came up with a promising
way to use thorium for making large
amounts of energy cleanly and safely.
It was based on a revolutionary kind
of nuclear reactor that uses liquid
rather than solid fuel. Liquid fuel has
significant theoretical advantages in
operation, control, and processing
over solid fuel, but a basic question
had to be answered: Will it work?
To that end, Oak Ridge engineers
built four liquid-fueled reactors. Two
used water-based liquids, and two
were based on liquid fluoride salts.
The water-based reactors had to op-
erate at high pressures to generate the
temperatures needed for economical
power generation. They could also
dissolve uranium compounds, but
not those containing thorium, which
made fuel reprocessing as compli-
cated for the water-based rectors as it
is for solid-fueled versions.
The fluoride reactors had neither
of these drawbacks. They could op-
erate at high temperature without
pressurization. They could also dis-
solve both uranium and thorium in
their fluoride-salt mixtures, and the
mixtures were impervious to radia-
tion damage due to their ionic bonds.
Therefore, Oak Ridge engineers
opted to concentrate on the techni-
cally superior liquid-fluoride-salt ap-
proach in future R&D.
In the late 1960s, however, the di-
rector of Oak Ridge National Lab, Al-
vin Weinberg, was fired by the U.S.
Atomic Energy Commission for his
advocacy for this type of reactor and
his efforts to enhance the safety of
conventional light-water reactors, a
design he had patented. With Wein-
bergs departure, the AEC squashed
research in liquid-fluoride reactors in
favor of liquid-sodium-metal-cooled
fast breeder reactors, which were
based on converting conventional
uranium to plutonium. Technical
overlap between the two programs
was almost nonexistent, so after can-
Thorium, a
common mineral
in the world,
could supply
relatively
inexpensive and
abundant power.
F
U
T
U
R
E
T
E
C
H
N
O
L
O
G
Y
Thorium-based reactors
could be more efficient
and create less waste
than todays uranium-
based generating plants.
Comparing thorium and uranium fuel cycles
MISSION: MAKE 1,000 MW OF ELECTRICITY FOR ONE YEAR
URANIUM
250 tonnes of
natural uranium
35 tonnes of enriched
uranium containing
1.15 tonnes of U-235
215 tonnes of
depleted uranium
(disposal plans
uncertain)
Uranium-235 is burned out of
the fuel andsome plutonium is
formed and burned as well,
35 tonnes of fuel
containing 33.4 tonnes of
U-238, 0.3 tonnes of
Uranium-235, 0.3 tonnes of
plutonium and 1 tonne of
fssion products (long-
term radioactive waste
and disposal is uncertain)
THORIUM
1 tonne of
natural thorium
Thorium completed
converted to U-233
and burned
1 tonne of fssion
products with no uranium,
plutonium, or other actinides
Within 10 years,
83% of fssion products
are stable and can
be partitioned and sold
The remaining 17%
(less than 400 lb) must be
isolated for about
300 years, not 50,000 years.
Another approach to thorium
Thorium as a nuclear fuel has been proposed for a variety of diferent nuclear
reactors. One approach is to use solid thorium-oxide fuel rods in existing water-
cooled nuclear reactors. This was demonstrated in the Shippingport nuclear
reactor in the late 1970s and is currently advocated by a company called Light-
bridge, McLean, Va. (www.ltbridge.com). Used in conventional reactors, thorium
increases fuel performance by allowing longer fuel burn up, but the gains are
nowhere near the improvement possible in LFTRs. Thats because the thorium
fuel would have to be reprocessed to extract more of its energy, and reprocess-
ing thorium oxide fuel is substantially more dif cult than reprocessing uranium
oxide fuel, a procedure that is not currently cost efective.
three neutrons plus a million times
more heat (energy) than burning an
equivalent mass of fossil fuel. It takes
two neutrons to release energy from
thorium and U-233 can supply them,
which means it is theoretically pos-
sible to sustain energy release from
cellation, research into liquid-tho-
rium reactors faded away.
Interest in thorium reactors has
undergone a significant resurgence
in the last few years. Despite the lack
of funding, individual efforts con-
tinue to advance the technology. This
open-source effort has been greatly
aided by the Internet and the vast
amount of research done by govern-
ment scientists and engineers.
Thorium basics
Thorium is a naturally occurring,
mildly radioactive element. To use
it in reactors, thorium must absorb
neutrons, a process that eventually
converts it to an artificial isotope of
uranium, uranium-233. U-233 is fis-
sile, and when it absorbs a neutron
it generally fissions, releasing two or
Nuclear engineers can extract 100% of thoriums usable energy,
compared to just 0.7% for uranium. So, as this illustration
demonstrates, it takes much more raw material and leaves much
more dangerous waste to generate 1,000 MW of electricity in a year
using uranium than it does using thorium.
Authored by:
Kirk Sorensen
Nuclear-engineering graduate student
Univ. of Tennessee
Madison, Ala.
Edited by Stephen J. Mraz
stephen.mraz@penton.com
Resources:
Energy from Thorium, www.
energyfromthorium.com
Thorium Energy Alliance, www.
thoriumenergyalliance.com
REPORTERS NOTEBOOK
90% of natural lithium and has al-
most no propensity to absorb neu-
trons. The other ingredient is beryl-
lium difluoride (BeF
2
). It is toxic and
must be used carefully, but is well
understood by beryllium manufac-
turers. (This mix, lithium fluoride
and beryllium fluoride (LiF-BeF
2
) is
sometimes called FLiBe.)
Uranium tetrafluoride (UF
4
) is
dissolved in the FLiBe fuel salt, while
thorium tetrafluoride (ThF
4
) is dis-
solved in the blanket salt. Both mix-
tures have a volumetric heat capacity
comparable to that of water (or four
times that of liquid sodium and 2,000
times that of helium). This means
reactors can be smaller than con-
ventional ones with the same power
output.
The coolant salt could be a variety
of different mixtures, but the leading
candidate is currently a mix of lith-
ium fluoride, sodium fluoride, and
potassium fluoride (LiF-NaF-KF),
availability of cooling water. Waste
heat could also be used to, for ex-
ample, desalinate seawater, letting it
profitably produce potable water.
How it works
There are some key requirements
for the fuel and blanket salts. They
must:
be chemically stable
be impervious to radiation
have little appetite for neutron
absorption
be able to dissolve significant
amounts of uranium, thorium,
and fission products
have minimal melting
temperatures
have high heat capacities.
Fortunately, chemists long ago
identified a mix of lithium and beryl-
lium fluoride salts that fits the bill.
One main ingredient is lithium fluo-
ride (LiF), which is highly enriched
in lithium-7. This isotope makes up
thorium indefinitely. This is the basis
of a thorium reactor.
Recent efforts focuses on a con-
cept called the Liquid-Fluoride Tho-
rium Reactor (LFTR, pronounced
lifter). In a LFTR, the reactor vessel
contains two types of liquid-fluoride
salts. One, the fuel salt, holds the fis-
sile fuel (U-233) that sustains the nu-
clear reaction. The other, the blanket
salt, has enough thorium to absorb
about half of the neutrons from fis-
sion and produce more U-233.
The blanket salt also shields the
reactor vessel from neutron dam-
age and gamma-ray irradiation. As
thorium in the blanket converts to
U-233, it is physically transferred to
the fuel salt, where it fissions, releas-
ing neutrons and heat. Heat moves to
a coolant salt outside the core, then
to the working fluid of a closed-cycle
gas-turbine engine to generate elec-
tricity. Waste heat can be rejected to
either air or water, depending on the
Thorium is not rare. In fact, as shown here, the U.S. buried
3,200 tonnes of thorium in the Nevada desert when its interest in
thorium withered. And a single Idaho mine could supply 4,500 tonnes
of thorium per year. Its estimated there are already 1.2 million tonnes
of known economically extractable thorium in the world, with the
U.S. sitting on 160,000 tonnes of it, according to the U.S. Geological
Survey.
Theres thorium in them thar hills
Thorium is more common in the Earths
crust than tin, tungsten, mercury, or silver,
not to mention uranium. Out of a cubic me-
ter of average crust, there is the equivalent of
about 40 gm or four sugar cubes of thorium.
This is enough thorium to provide enough
electricity to fully support one person for
about 10 to 15 years if completely fssioned
to release its energy.
Our current regulatory environment re-
quires that mined thorium be considered
waste and disposed of at great expense. In
fact, the U.S. has buried 3,200 metric tonnes
of refned thorium nitrate in the Nevada des-
ert due to the lack of demand.
Its estimated that there are 160,000 tons
of thorium that could be dug out of the U.S.
And its easy to fnd the element on other
planets such as Mars. In fact, our Moon has
as much as the Earth. To make matters even
simpler, the increased demand for rare-earth
elements such as neodymium and samarium
will lead to large amounts of available thori-
um in the near future because it is commonly
found alongside these elements.
RS# 121
REPORTERS NOTEBOOK
Liquid-fuoride thorium reactor (LFTR)
Reactor core:
uranium-rich
lithium-beryllium
fuoride salt
Graphite rods
to moderate
neutron energy
New uranium fuel
gradually fed into
reactor core
Passively
cooled emergency-
shutdown system
Emergency
dump tanks
Freeze plug
(melts in an
emergency)
Reactor blanket:
thorium-rich
lithium-beryllium
fuoride salt
Hot fuel salt
Salt/salt heat
exchanger Warm gas
Heat
extracted to
desalinate
seawater
Hot gas
Cooled
gas
Compressor
Generator
Warm fuel salt
Hot coolant salt
Salt/gas heat
exchanger
Warm coolant salt
Turbine
Electricity to the grid
Seawater Fresh water
If water cools the gas in the tur-
bine, the heat exchangers (and capital
costs) will be much smaller. And us-
ing seawater as a coolant opens fur-
ther possibilities. Currently, power
plants using steam for power con-
version must reject heat through the
plants condenser isothermally (at a
constant temperature). So to improve
efficiency at these plants, condensa-
tion is done at pressures far below at-
mospheric pressure and at extremely
low densities. This leads to large
equipment, large capital costs, and
the need for lots of cooling water.
A LFTRs gas cooling, on the other
hand, rejects heat from about 100C
down to about 30. In properly built
heat exchangers, the waste heat could
be used to distill seawater into fresh
water. Multiple-stage distillation at
different pressures would even let
this waste heat be reused several
times to get even more fresh water.
Thus LFTR plants in coastal regions
could send both electricity and fresh
water to local consumers.
Burning it all up
The temperatures at which LF-
TRs operate (700 to 800C) let their
power-conversion system hit ef-
bines also let the core operate at am-
bient pressure even though the gas
loop is at high pressure. The coolant
salt that separates the gas and fuel salt
prevents pressurization of the fuel
salt in case of a gas leak into the cool-
ant by blowing out check valves, thus
preventing core pressurization.
The gas-turbine approach for
LFTR could use nitrogen as a work-
ing fluid, which is essentially identi-
cal to air for design purposes. This
would let engineers apply their vast
knowledge of open-cycle, air-based
gas turbines, saving time and money.
In the closed-cycle gas-turbine ap-
proach, the gas must be heated and
cooled externally. Heating comes from
the reactors coolant salt. Cooling, on the
other hand, will come from using either
air or water as a heat sink. If air is used, the
gas-to-gas heat exchangers will be large,
but the reactor will not need local cool-
ing water. This would let LFTRs be built
in arid regions and other locations tradi-
tionally not able to handle nuclear plants
because of scarce water supplies.
sometimes called FLiNaK. Cool-
ant salt pumped through the primary
heat exchanger pulls heat out of the
fuel salt, then gives up that heat to
a gaseous working fluid in the gas
heaters.
The closed-cycle gas turbine could
be based on a variety of different pure
gases or gas mixtures. It differs from
other gas turbines proposed for nu-
clear reactors because the gas in the
turbine never directly cools the nu-
clear fuel itself. This is referred to as
an indirect rather than a direct gas-
turbine cycle, which has been pro-
posed for pebble-bed and gas-cooled
solid-fueled reactors.
Indirect gas turbines have several
advantages over direct versions. For
example, the gas never has to with-
stand the damaging neutronic en-
vironment of the reactor. Contam-
ination concerns, which bedeviled
nuclear-gas-turbine efforts such as
pebble-bed reactors, are also nearly
eliminated by keeping the gas away
from the reactor fuel. Indirect tur-
This schematic of a liquid-fluoride-thorium reactor shows the safety system.
A plug of frozen material keeps salts in the reactor core. If power is lost, the
plug thaws, draining the salts into passively cooled dump tanks where nuclear
reactions would cease and prevent the spread of any radioactive material.
LFTRs also address the problem
of fission products building up. The
LiF-BeF2-UF4 fuel salt accumulates
fission products which need to be re-
moved every year or so. This could
be done by removing the valuable
uranium-233 from the salt by fluori-
nation, as was mentioned previously,
leaving a bare salt of FLiBe and fis-
sion products. Then in a high-tem-
perature distillation still, the LiF and
BeF2 are volatilized and separated
from the remaining fission products.
LiF, BeF2, and UF4 are then recom-
bined to reform the fuel salt which
is reintroduced into the reactor. The
remaining fission products contain
valuable stable minerals such as neo-
dymium, lanthanum, and praseo-
dymium which can be separated and
used commercially.
And one of LFTRs major benefits
is that because it completely uses up
the thorium, there is relatively little
nuclear waste.
The fuel choices, reactor config-
uration, and power conversion sys-
tem of LFTR have all been chosen
to make efficient energy from tho-
rium a reality. It will take research,
substantial development effort, and
national will to achieve this goal, but
the payoff will be immense. A world
powered by thorium safely for many
tens of thousands of years is the goal
of those working to realize the poten-
tial of thorium. MD
cally chosen to simplify fuel process-
ing. As uranium-233 fuel forms in the
LFTRs blanket, it can be removed eas-
ily by sparging with fluorine gas in an
external fluorination column. This
converts the uranium tetrafluoride
(UF
4
) in solution into gaseous ura-
nium hexafluoride (UF
6
). UF
6
perco-
lates out of the blanket and is directed
to the fuel salt, where it is reduced
back to UF
4
by hydrogen gas in a re-
duction column. The HF created dur-
ing reduction is electrolytically split
back into H
2
and F
2
to provide reac-
tants for the process all over again.
Within the fuel salt, gaseous fis-
sion products such as xenon are re-
leased during fission that can poi-
son the fission process and make
changing power settings quite dif-
ficult. All high-power civilian reac-
tors have to fight xenon poisoning
during power level changes, and
grid blackouts are especially trou-
blesome. If a conventional nuclear
reactor is shut down for more than
a few hours because of a blackout, it
has to remain shut down for about
a day to let the xenon decay suffi-
ciently before it can be restarted.
In LFTRs, xenon comes out of so-
lution as the fuel salt is pumped, let-
ting it be removed effortlessly and
disposed of properly. This lets the
reactor respond quickly and effec-
tively to changes in power settings
and changes in the power grid.
ficiency levels of nearly 50%, com-
pared to only 35% for conventional
nuclear plants. And the efficiency at
which a LFTR converts thorium into
heat lets utilities get 200 to 300 times
more useful energy of out of a kilo-
gram of thorium than they can from
a kilogram of uranium.
Current uranium-fueled reactors
can only extract a small amount of
uraniums potential energy before it
becomes too badly damaged from
radiation and depleted of fissile con-
tent. Currently, technicians remove
the spent and damaged uranium and
it is stored until eventual disposal.
The fuel could be reprocessed using
conventional methods such as plu-
tonium-uranium extraction (Purex)
to remove fissile material and refab-
ricate new fuel elements. But these
techniques are expensive and only
improve the energy payoff by a few
more percent. To access all the en-
ergy in uranium fuel requires a fast
breeder reactor, which costs signifi-
cantly more than a conventional
uranium reactor. Thus utilities have
powerful incentives to use fresh ura-
nium, extracting only a small amount
of energy before throwing it away.
LFTRs, on the other hand, can
profitably extract essentially all of tho-
riums energy without complicated re-
processing or excessive capital costs.
This is because the fuel type and reac-
tor configuration would be specifi-
RS# 122
REPORTERS NOTEBOOK
With its long hood, short deck, and open mouth, this years
Chevrolet Camaro evokes the sporty pony cars of lore. Loosely
styled on the 69 model, the two-door coupe aims straight for
the hearts of young guys out to get the girl. Our bright-yellow
test car came with a six-speed manual transmission and a GM
LLT 3.62 V6 engine that puts out 304 hp at 6,400 rpm. Clad in
clean lines and aggressive looks, this powerhouse aims to cap-
ture the original muscle in a modern vehicle.
You must be relatively slender and limber to climb down into
this car. Once inside, it feels a bit dark and claustrophobic, no
doubt due to the tiny windows and scant headroom overall,
the low-slung vehicle stands only 54.2-in. tall. A central instru-
ment cluster sits on a wide expanse of black dashboard. Black
leather seats contribute to the gloomy aura and the chunky
windshield pillars further diminish visibility.
But, step on the clutch, engage first gear, and goodbye
gloom. The car is a fun, fast, and powerful driving machine. Its a
surprisingly quiet cruiser with minimal tire and engine noise. We
felt bad about having to put the Camaro through its paces on
snowy city streets and freeways. Its kind of like having a tiger in
your backyard when what she needs is wide open spaces and a
sunny clime.
We had not driven a stick for awhile, so at first the car kept
us on our toes to avoid lugging or even stalling out. She has a
rather stiff feel the heavy, thick grip reminded us of a race
car. But staying engaged with the car by listening to the mo-
tor while shifting reaped large rewards in fast acceleration and
good handling. Interestingly, the faster we drove, the safer the
car felt. Her wide crouch hugs all hills and curves. Because the
car tempts you to speed, its fortunate there are plenty of avail-
able safety features such as traction control, antiskid brakes, and
front-side air bags.
A nifty feature: Pushing the gear shift down, to the left, and
up brings the car into reverse gear, upon which the vehicle
chimes. This lets you know you are, indeed, in R and not first
gear. We also liked the layout of the gear slot. They spread hori-
zontally instead of tightly vertical as in other manual-shift cars.
Options such as a rear spoiler, 20-in. aluminum wheels, and
high-density discharge headlights brought our tester from a
standard price of $26,875 to $29,175.
Leslie Gordon,
2010
Chevrolet
Camaro
RS# 123
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Hall Effect Controls
- Contactless Hall Effect Technology
- Grip, arm rest and panel mountings
- 8 output options, up to 3 million cycle life
- IP68S sealing, EMI/RFI immunity
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formed on a silicon
wafer, etched, and
then released inex-
pensively in hexago-
nal shapes. Electrical
contacts are pre-
fabricated on each
cell at up to 130,000
contacts/hr using
techniques borrowed
from IC fabs and
MEMS. Solar collec-
tors, optical devices that increase
the number of photons hitting the
cell, can be added to these new
cells. The collectors can be smaller
with shorter focal lengths, and
thus less expensive, than those for
current PV cells. MD
commercial wafers of any size. And
if one cell is defective, the rest can
still be used. This contrasts with
conventional practices where if
one unit goes bad, the entire wafer
often must be scrapped.
Each of these small cells is
Solar cells the size and shape of
tiny, sparkling snowflakes and
made of crystalline silicon could
soon be less expensive and more
efficient than current solar collec-
tors pieced together from 6-in.
wafers. The new cells measure
14 to 20-m thick, one-tenth the
thickness of ordinary wafers, yet
perform at approximately the
same efficiency as todays larger
cells. The new cells were made
by engineers at Sandia National
Laboratory, Albuquerque, N.M.,
using MEMS techniques common
in todays electronic foundries. The
cells could be mass produced and
added to a variety of objects ev-
erything from tents to high-rises.
Because the cells use so little
silicon, they have fewer mechani-
cal defects, making them more
reliable than conventional solar
cells. They can also be made from
Glittery new form of solar cells
These crystalline-silicon photovoltaic cells measure 14 to
20-m thick and 0.25 to 1 mm across.
Sandia National
Laboratory,
www.sandia.gov
RS# 124
Mechanical Components Inc.
216 North Main Street, Freeport, NY 11520
Phone: (516) 867-5665 Fax: (516) 867-5656
Call us at 1-888-260-7466 or fax us at 516-867-5656
or Email us at sales@rinomechanical.com
See us at www.RinoGB.com
Made right, priced right and customizable
+ Machined aIuminum housing + asiIy customized
+ 7orques to 40 inch-Ibs + Ratios 1:1 to 120:1
+ DuaI baII bearings + NMA 23 0ange aIso
+ Hardened worm & gear + StainIess shafts
+ Size: 2 x 2 x 1.9 + Speeds to 5000 rpm
Miniature Gearboxes, 1:1 to 120:1
Choose tough gearboxes because:
Made in USA
REPORTERS NOTEBOOK
LOOKING BACK
10 YEARS AGO 2000
Cartercopter damaged in hard
landing: The Cartercopter landed
hard during flight testing when its
pilot failed to lower the collective
fast enough after liftoff to retain
power for a safe landing, causing
the rotor blades to hit the tail as-
sembly. The impact also made the
aircraft turn left on roll out, which
substantially damaged the right
wing. There were no injuries and
repairs are expected to take four to
six months.
To prevent similar accidents,
engineers will add more instrumen-
tation, tie an audio warning to the
rotor speed, extend the nose gear
for a more-level landing attitude,
install dual controls, increase the ro-
tor diameter from 33 to 43 ft, add a
next-generation propeller, enlarge
the rudder and horizontal stabiliz-
ers, and move the air scoop from the
bottom of the fuselage to the top.
30 YEARS AGO 1980
Flight plan for tomorrow New
shapes and materials:
Intensive R&D will
culminate in a new
aircraft piloted by
a computer and
largely built of
plastic composites.
Better perfor-
mance with less
weight and lower fuel consumption is
the goal for the next generation of mili-
tary and commercial aircraft. Stealth
is the driving design factor behind this
Grumman Aerospace Corp. aircraft
concept. A single engine is mounted
on top of the fuselage and the exhaust
nozzles are shielded to reduce its
infrared signature from the ground.
The crafts radar-absorbent materials
would eliminate or confuse its radar
signature.
50 YEARS AGO 1960
Giant antenna is a
precision instru-
ment: Tolerance of
3/16-in. was main-
tained in building
this 84-ft-diameter
radar-tracking an-
tenna, built for the
U.S. Air Forces Bal-
listic Missile Early
Warning System. The antenna and its
support pedestal are taller than an
eight-story building and weigh almost
375,000 lbs. The radar will pick up a
hostile missile and electronic comput-
ers will determine its path and give
the probable target location a 15-min
warning. Goodyear Aircraft is build-
ing the antennas and 140-ft plastic
radomes for Radio Corp. of America,
prime contractor for the program. MD
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RS# 125
Mechanical Components Inc.
216 North Main Street, Freeport, NY 11520
Phone: (516) 867-5665 Fax: (516) 867-5656
Call us at 1-888-260-7466 or fax us at 516-867-5656
or Email us at sales@rinomechanical.com
See us at www.Rinomechanical.com/LBG
Low backlash in small boxes
8 arc-minutes Shaft or NEMA flange inputs
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REPORTERS NOTEBOOK
WE10 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Nov. 4-6: The Society of Women
Engineers (SWE) WE10 Annual
Conference, will take place in Or-
lando, Fla., The theme of this years
event is, Launching Innovation. De-
fining Success, where participants
will attend workshops, seminars,
technical tours, and presentations.
Workshops and seminars will focus
on seven tracks: career and life
transitions; careers in academia;
careers in government and military;
inclusion and cultural awareness;
innovation in technology and busi-
ness; management and strategy;
and outreach. Attendees may also
attend the WE10 Career Fair featur-
ing industry-leading corporations,
government agencies and gradu-
ate schools. For more information,
please visit www.swe.org/we10. MD
that can be spun into usable yarns.
The new production method,
called the pressurized vapor/con-
denser method, was developed with
Jefferson Labs free-electron laser
and later perfected using a commer-
cial welding laser. The laser is fired at
a sample of boron in a chamber filled
with pressurized nitrogen. The boron
vaporizes into a plume. A cooled
metal wire inserted in the plume acts
as a condenser to precipitate boron
droplets. These droplets combine
with nitrogen and self-assemble
into boron-nitride nanotubes. The
tubes, each about 1-mm long, can be
handled by commercial textile man-
ufacturing and handling techniques
once spun into yarn.
Researchers are still determining
the properties of the new nanotubes
and investigating methods of scaling
up production. They plan on blend-
ing the yarns into items such as body
armor and solar cells. MD
What to wear: Nanotube
fabrics? It could happen
Scientists at the Thomas Jefferson National Ac-
celerator Facility, Newport News, Va., have developed
a new technique for turning boron into highly crystal-
line boron-nitride nanotubes with small diameters
Thomas Jefferson
National
Accelerator Facility,
www.jlab.org
Boron-nanotube yarn
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READY FOR A
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www.moog.com/industrial
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RS# 126
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REPORTERS NOTEBOOK
has joined the U.S. Department
of Energys Industrial Technologies
Program (ITP) Save Energy Now
Leader initiative. Management
signed a voluntary pledge to reduce
its industrial energy intensity by 25%
over the next 10 years. Saint-Gobain
is a manufacturer and distributor
of building materials and produces
high-performance materials and
glass containers.
ENHANCED STAMPING
CAPABILITIES
Bokers Inc., Minneapolis, has
added a new 150-ton press to
enhance its comprehensive
metal-stamping capabilities. The
stamping press performs pro-
gressive tooling, accomplishing
multiple operations including
stamping, blanking, piercing and
forming at once, decreasing
secondary operations and lead
times. Bokers manufactures
high-quality stampings and non-
standard washers and spacers.
PERSONNEL
ProMold Plastics, Portland,
Conn., a contract manufacturer
specializing in quality moldmak-
ing and close tolerance injection-
molded components, has ap-
pointed Joseph V. Garelli as direc-
tor of manufacturing and Regina
M. Ruggiero, Ph.D. as director of
quality assurance.
David Porter has been named
Chief Executive Officer of Laser
Photonics, Lake Mary, Fla., a
manufacturer of fiber and CO
2

laser equipment for material
processing.
Lenze SE, headquartered in
Hameln, Germany, has appointed
Chuck Edwards as president
of Lenze Americas, Uxbridge,
Mass., which includes Lenze-AC
Tech. Lenze-AC Tech has pro-
moted Eric Klein to director
of sales in North, Central, and
South America. Lenze Americas
develops motion-control gear
,including servodrives and mo-
PARTNERSHIP
Specialty Motions Inc. (SMI) and
Rollon Corp. are partnering to
provide customers with fully inte-
grated solutions. Rollon, Sparta,
N.J., manufactures linear bearings
and belt-driven actuators. SMI,
Corona, Calif., is a manufacturer,
distributor, integrator, and assem-
bler of linear-motion systems and
components.
DOE INITIATIVE
Saint-Gobain, Valley Forge, Pa.,
RS# 127
RING-spring absorbs
approximately 67% of
the input energy and
returns it as heat. It also
dampens and absorbs
high kinetic energy of a
moving mass in compres-
sion or tension. Custom
spring configurations
available. Applications
include pneumatic
hammers and end stops
for machinery.
For information on
RING-spring and other
RINGFEDER dampening
devices, call us today at
800-245-2580.
Part ner f or Perf ormance
www.ringfeder.com
COMPANY NEWS
get product specifications, view
product photos, and learn about
new products and technologies.
Digi-Key, Thief River Falls, Minn.,
is a provider of both prototype/
design and production quantities
of electronic components. MD
Keys new iPhone application
is available to iPhone and iPod
touch users in the App Store on
iTunes. The free application lets
users search for parts, create
shopping carts, place orders, ac-
cess their My Digi-Key accounts,
tors, clutches and brakes, gears
and gearmotors, and variable-
frequency ac motor drives.
CONNECTOR OPTIONS
Colder Products Co., St. Paul,
Minn., has expanded its FitQuik
product line by offering color-
coding accessories for luer
connectors, tube fittings with
expanded hose barb sizes, and
-28-in. UNF threaded options.
Colder designs and manufactures
quick-disconnect couplings.
RELOCATION
WEG Electric Corp. has relocated
its North American headquarters
from Suwanee, Ga., to Duluth,
Ga. WEG is a supplier of motors,
drives, controls, transformers,
and generators.
WHITE PAPER
The National Electrical Manu-
facturers Association (NEMA) is
offering a new white paper, LSD
49-2010 Solid State Lighting for
Incandescent Replacement Best
Practices for Dimming. The paper
provides recommendations for
the dimming and design of screw-
based incandescent replacement
solid-state lighting (SSL) products.
NEMAs Solid State Lighting sec-
tion has also begun work on a
related NEMA standard.
CONTRACT AWARDED
RF Micro Devices, Greensboro,
N.C., a designer and manu-
facturer of high-performance
radio-frequency components
and compound semiconductor
technologies, has been awarded
$3.2 million in R&D contracts by
the U. S. Dept. of Defense related
to GaN microelectronics, includ-
ing materials, device fabrication,
and high-power circuits.
iPHONE PART-
SEARCH APP
Design engineers and purchasers
now have 24/7 access to Digi-
Key Corp.s in-stock inventory
of electronic components. Digi-
RS# 128
CONSIDER OPERATOR SAFETY WHEN
DESIGNING HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS
FOR FAILURE PREVENTION
Hydraulic assembly failures may be caused
by excessive pressure surges, flexing, kinking,
crushing, exceeding the minimum-bend radius
of the hose or reaching the end of the useful
life of the assembly.
To avoid hose failures, Gates recommends
design engineers:
1. Select a hose that has a working pressure
rating that is equal to or higher than the
maximum pressure (including surges) of
the application.
2. Consider a spiral wire-reinforced hose
rather than a braid-reinforced hose if the
application has a heavy-duty cycle or frequent
pressure surges that approach the maximum
working pressure of the assembly.
3. Reroute hoses to eliminate excessive flexing.
4. Make sure hose bends are not tighter than
the minimum published bend radius for the
hose. Use bent tube couplings, adapters or
bend restrictors to relieve stresses on the hose.
For hydraulic hoses containing fluid with a
pressure of more than 5MPa (50 bar) and/or
having a temperature over 122F (50C), and
which are located within a three-foot line-of-
sight of the operator, Gates recommends an extra
safeguard a double-layered protective sleeve.
Gates LifeGuard
sleeve has an inside layer

that elongates to absorb the energy of a burst
or pinhole leak. The outer layer restrains the
fluid and redirects it safely to the clamped ends.
Both nylon layers of the LifeGuard sleeve
provide containment of 6,000-psi bursts and
3,000-psi pinhole leaks at 212F, thus protecting
operators, equipment and the environment from
the hazards of catastrophic hydraulic hose failure.
Visit www.gates.com/lifeguard-md
BERKE ON SAFETY
Most people dont think about fire risk when installing third-party electronics
in their vehicles. But sound systems, two-way radios, and accent lights mean
additional wiring, and improperly installed wires can lead to electrical fires
hours or days after the initial installation. These fires can ignite the vehicle,
the garage where its parked, and in some cases, the home to which the garage
is attached.
In last months column (Safety reviews required when modifying equip-
ment, too, Machine Design, Feb. 18, 2010), I discussed the hazards a company
generates when it modifies its equipment without both a proper safety evalua-
tion and input from the equipment manufacturer. Likewise, many consumers
modify their vehicles or install third-party products that havent been properly
vetted.
One type of incident I frequently investigate is that of vehicle fires. Over the
course of my career I have worked on three vehicle fires caused by lightning
strikes, one caused by a dropped cigarette, and one caused by the rod that holds
up the hood falling across the battery. Every other vehicle fire Ive investigated
was an electrical fire originating in the vehicle wiring.
Five of the electrical incidents came from the same manufacturing defect.
The manufacturer failed to place a grommet in a hole drilled through the vehicle
frame. Wires that passed through the hole rubbed on its unfinished edges. Un-
der normal vibration, the wire insulation wore through, and a fire started.
The rest of the electrical fires came about after third-party suppliers improp-
erly modified the electrical system. In most cases, the extra wiring from sound
systems, radios, and lights passes through holes drilled in the frame. Missing
grommets, along with normal vibrations, led to excessive wear on the wire in-
sulation and caused the fire. A full safety analysis of the third-party electronics
could have uncovered this weakness.
Another common vehicle modification is the addition of 6-inch lift kits to
four-wheel-drive vehicles. Vehicle manufacturers should expect users of four-
wheel-drive-capable, high-ground-clearance vehicles will want to take them
off-road. It is also reasonable to expect users will modify the vehicles to improve
the off-road experience.
Manufacturers that havent designed for or analyzed the safety of this con-
tingency should say the vehicle is not meant for off-road use in their advertising
and owners literature. If they say nothing, they should expect this reasonably
foreseeable use. Yet, at least one manufacturer calls off-roading a misuse of the
vehicle when a user makes a warranty claim.
In cases where it is reasonably foreseeable that a user will modify a vehicle,
manufacturers should either address such modifications in their owners litera-
ture, or offer the modifications, like lift kits, as accessories. Such an approach
gives the vehicle manufacturer control of the design and installation procedures,
which it can subject to a full hazard analysis.
In any case, the manufacturer should not label a reasonably foreseeable and
common use as a misuse and refuse to honor its warranty.
Lanny Berke
Lanny Berke is a registered professional engineer and Certified Safety
Professional involved in forensic engineering since 1972. Got a question about
safety? You can reach Lanny at lannyb@comcast.net.
Edited by Jessica Shapiro
Third-party vehicle
modifications still
need safety reviews
RS# 129
THE FIRST TRUE PROTECTION IN
LINE-OF-SIGHT HYDRAULIC APPLICATIONS.
A burst or pinhole leak in a hydraulic system
can cause serious problems especially for
anything or anyone located within a three-foot
line-of-sight. Personal injury. Fluid burns and
injection. Fires and explosions. Electrical shock.
Mechanical failure.
Now, Gates has engineered the first sleeving
system specifically designed to protect operators,
equipment and the environment from the hazards
of catastrophic hydraulic hose failure.
The LifeGuard
line-of-sight sleeving system

(patent pending) provides containment of
6,000 psi bursts and 3,000 psi pinhole leaks
at 212F for up to
five minutes. Escaping
fluids are enclosed
by the unique, double-
layer, incredibly strong LifeGuard sleeve. Fluids
safely escape at hose ends via specially designed
channel clamps, creating a noticeable spill for
fast hose failure detection. The sleeving has
MSHA flame-resistance approval.
No other system provides this level of
protection and safety. For more information,
visit www.gates.com/lifeguard-md
THERE'S A BETTER WAY TO PROTECT AGAINST HYDRAULIC HOSE FAILURE.
LINE-OF-SIGHT SLEEVING SYSTEM
RS# 131
CAD/CAM/CAE/FEA

The

future

of
ELECTROMECHANICAL
design
Software developers have long given
lip service to the idea of crossing the
mechanical-electronic divide. New
and future developments may finally
deliver on such promises.
Examine most products today and youll likely find both
electrical and mechanical components. The cell-phone
and automobile industries are at the forefront of this
trend, with other industries such as medical, industrial,
and aerospace close behind.
That sophisticated electronics are being included in
ever-more-complex mechanical form factors dictates that
the two formerly separate design disciplines electronic
CAD (ECAD) and mechanical CAD (MCAD) should
become more harmonized and the line between each
should become blurrier.
It is no longer acceptable or affordable to perform the
design and simulation of different domains in isolation
from one another. In addition to considering the core de-
sign of the physical PCB and the mechanical package itself,
designers must also study the downstream effects of the
environment in which the final product will operate.
ECAD-MCAD collaboration
Although there has been collaboration in some form
between ECAD and MCAD for many years, different me-
dia, formats, and standards have blunted its effectiveness.
During the early days of electronic design, most collabora-
tion was through paper, whether formally such as an
ANSI-compliant drawing or informally, as with notes
and sketches passed between engineers.
This method progressed to that of exchanging elec-
tronic data formats, such as DXF, which facilitated the
transfer of 2D data between ECAD and MCAD. The big-
gest limitation here is that DXF is simply a dump of non-
intelligent and graphical data of little use in the other do-
main. Thus, the DXF format offers little collaborative
value.
The next step in collaboration came with the advent of
A simultaneous view of a design
collaboration shows Pro/Engineer
(PTC) and Expedition PCBs EDMD
Collaborator (Mentor Graphics)
working together.
Authored by:
Steve Hughes
Product Manager, EDMD
Collaboration
Mentor Graphics Corp.
Wilsonville, Oreg.
Mark Caradonna
Product Manager, ProductView
ECAD
PTC Inc.
Needham, Mass.
Edited by Leslie Gordon,
Resources:
Mentor Graphics Corp.,
www.mentor.com
PTC Inc., www.ptc.com
The timeline shows the
evolution of ECAD-MCAD
collaboration in past years.
CAD/CAM/CAE/FEA
The image shows how
the ProSTEP iViP ECAD/
MCAD collaboration
model acts as an
independent link
between two domains.
It supports only objects
and change transactions
relevant to the ECAD-
MCAD collaboration of
PCB designs. A conscious
effort was made to avoid
developing yet another
overweight full-design
database transfer format
and standard.
automatically from the PCB database itself.
The 3D viewer also supports the import of complex
MCAD models for both the electrical parts and the me-
chanical-packaging data itself. Thus, the PCB designer can
affect 2D placement based on real-time 3D visualization
and collision checking. However, this scenario is still not
true ECAD-MCAD collaboration. Data may be read from
one direction for improved visualization, but ultimately
the host application cannot exchange design intent based
on the changes made as a result of visualizations.
Conversely, the MCAD designer can also benefit by
having a better view into the electronic PCB through a
viewer. The same limitations apply though. The MCAD
user can make better decisions, yet is unable to communi-
cate them effectively to ECAD teams.
Addressing collaboration challenges
What was needed was a truly collaborative and inno-
vative product-development process between electrical
and mechanical design so engineers could communicate
incremental change(s) at any time during the (shortened)
design cycle. Also needed: Teams must be able to col-
laborate when a problem is identified (such as having to
change the mechanical profile during PCB placement and
routing), rather than at design hand-off.
So, what things do new collaboration processes entail?
They include:
Incremental data exchange, which means that do-
mains should only communicate proposals for objects that
have changed and affect the other discipline. Dont force
an entire database exchange. In addition, let the designers
determine the objects for collaboration.
Propose the changes; dont enforce them. Empower
the design-domain experts to make the final decision.
For example, an MCAD designer has limited knowledge
about signal and power-integrity constraints and thermal
characteristics of the PCB. And a PCB designer does not
understand how proposed changes to the enclosure can af-
fect its manufacturability.
Record changes. Track the history and description of
the intermediate data format (IDF). During
the early-to-mid 90s, David Kehmeier, with
Mentor Graphics at the time, realized that a
more-intelligent data format was necessary
to preserve the integrity of design data. IDF
(1.0, 2.0, and 3.0) progressively improved
the amount of data that
could be transferred back
and forth between ECAD
and MCAD.
These improvements
meant, for example, that
ECAD and MCAD could
share board-level objects
such as board outline,
mounting holes, and route-
and-placement keep-outs,
along with part-placement
attributes such as X-Y loca-
tion, rotation, and the side
of the board on which at-
tributes were placed.
Through IDF, the me-
chanical engineer could
predetermine the board outline and send it to the ECAD
system as the starting point for the PCB designer. After
placing the components on the PCB, the MCAD designer
could move the electrical parts if necessary. Multiple it-
erations could take place until both designers agreed upon
the initial boundary conditions. This approach ensured
that connectors and other electromechanical parts such
as switches and LEDs were correctly aligned with the me-
chanical package.
Additionally, the MCAD designer could visualize the
ECAD intent with regard to electrical-part placement in
relation to the mechanical-design data. This collaboration
allows the substitution of 2D electrical parts with more
complex assemblies created in the MCAD application.
For all these improvements, though, a significant limi-
tation still remained in that the data was nonincremental.
A file was just a data dump, and reading an IDF file usually
resulted in throwing away everything previously created in
the design and replacing it with the full content of the IDF
file. This might have been acceptable at the early stages of
the electromechanical definition but it became imprac-
tical as soon as the PCB design contained routing data.
Consider having to remove all the copper traces that had
been painstakingly routed by hand to ensure signal integ-
rity and then starting over again because the mechanical
profile had changed to satisfy a new pricing and packaging
constraint.
The next logical step for ECAD-MCAD collaboration
was for PCB designers to view the mechanical data, not as
2D, but as a full 3D representation at the same time they
placed and routed the PCB. More recently, some ECAD
vendors developed their own 3D viewers so that ei-
ther IDF data could be represented in 3D, or as in Mentor
Graphics case, a 3D view of the PCB could be generated
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RS# 131
CAD/CAM/CAE/FEA
collaboration capability to their mutual customers. Ad-
ditional ECAD and MCAD suppliers will follow suit. Ver-
sion 1.2 was published in April 2009.
Highlights of the schema besides supporting incremen-
tal data exchange include:
A flexible and extensible XML data model.
A baseline to establish a collaboration session.
Objects referenced by unique IDs (UIDs) include
ownership status, thus supporting true collaboration on
objects such as regions and mechanical holes.
A communication protocol for all collaboration
objects.
In detail, the schema facilitates the proposal of changes,
which can be initiated from either the ECAD or MCAD
domain. Either the PCB or mechanical designer can de-
cide what changes to accept, reject, or counterpropose
based on their domain expertise. When they agree on a
change, all databases can be synced so everyone is working
on databases that reflect real-time decisions.
A collaboration example
Consider a scenario in which a PCB designer has a
thermal-analysis tool to analyze the heat management of
the PCB by itself. The designer can do an initial analysis of
what changed, when, and who initiated the change.
Support both synchronous and asynchronous com-
munication, for instance, real-time messaging and file-based
transfer. Designers might be on the same shift in the same
country or different shifts in different parts of the world.
These proposals cannot be implemented in isolation.
So Parametric Technology Corp. (PTC), Needham,
Mass., and Mentor Graphics, Wilsonville, Oreg., part-
nered to develop software supporting the methods. One
goal was to support an open standard so any ECAD or
MCAD developer or OEM could develop their own col-
laboration around it.
The ProSTEP iViP Association sponsored the process
of defining a new ECAD-MCAD collaboration format.
The format, officially titled PS5 ECAD/MCAD Collabo-
ration borrowed heavily from existing STEP standards
such as AP210 (Application Protocol for Electronic As-
sembly, Interconnect and Packaging Design) and AP214
(Application Protocol: Core data for automotive mechani-
cal design processes).
In the Spring of 2008, Version 1.0 of the ProSTEP EC-
AD-MCAD Collaboration schema was published. Shortly
afterwards, PTC and Mentor released products that used
the schema and supplied the industrys first incremental
Mentors FloEFD is analyzing a complete PCB
and housing for proper cooling in Pro/Engineer.
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resistance Withstands long term immersion in water
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Prompt Technical Assistance
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ECAD-MCAD collaborator communicates the okay back
to the PCB designer and the change gets reflected in the
respective databases.
The future of collaboration
Version 2.0 of the ProSTEP ECAD-MCAD Collaboration
schema will be published in the first quarter of 2010. It sup-
ports additional collaboration objects such as copper shapes,
component identifications, and general annotations. In the
future, the format will evolve as advances in industry technol-
ogies dictate. Already identified for inclusion are bond wires,
support for cavities, and stacked and buried components.
Over the next years, the focus of ProSTEP will be,
among other things, to support an Implementer Forum
to provide tools to help more vendors and OEMs adopt the
standard. Tools will include:
An Implementer Guide for software programmers of
the ECAD/MCAD-Collaboration schema. The guide will
provide essential information on how to effectively imple-
ment the schema.
Certification Guidelines. These are schema validation
tools that provide a vendor-independent validation envi-
ronment, tests for verification, and a neutral platform for
interoperability testing. MD
component placement to avoid an obvious heat-buildup
situation. However, analysis of the PCB(s) in the full prod-
uct enclosure, including fans and heat sinks, is typically
a task for the mechanical designer using computational
fluid dynamics (CFD) to analyze air flow. This method re-
sults in an obvious disconnect.
In contrast, an approach called concurrent CFD lets
engineers perform CFD without leaving the MCAD soft-
ware, using interfaces native to the MCAD software. An
example is Mentors FloEFD product, which can be em-
bedded in PTCs Pro/Engineer. The approach uses several
of the industry standards described above.
Here, in the initial stages of product design, the PCB
designer might use an en-masse data-transfer standard
such as IDF to send the complete new-component place-
ment information to the MCAD system. Later in the pro-
cess, the PCB designer could propose a part placement or
a component number change. This type of incremental
collaboration requires the use of the ProSTEP EDMD
standard to initiate a bidirectional negotiation between the
disciplines prior to accepting the change.
The result is a full analysis of the product, including the
proposed-component location change to the PCB. If the
change is acceptable to the mechanical engineer, then the
RS# 133
RS# 132
ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC
Shine
the
light
fantastic
ing. Unlike X-rays, however, T-ray radiation is nonion-
izing, making it safe for long-term exposure. T-ray beams
can be focused as one might focus light, and the reflection
returns a signature or fingerprint capability called func-
tional imaging. Molecules react to the T-ray radiation,
adding their own vibratory, rotational, or translational
response to the reflection. By analyzing the changes in the
reflected waves, T-rays can identify the type of material
being imaged in a form of spectroscopy. The synchronous
frequencies of T-rays are much wider than those of X-rays,
meaning T-rays respond to a wider range of materials.
This identification of materials comes in handy for
security. A T-ray scanner can detect hidden threats that
an X-ray scanner or magnetometer (metal detector) may
There has long been a gap in the usable electromag-
netic spectrum where radio waves end and infrared light
begins. Called the Terahertz Gap, its name comes from
the metric prefix that represents its frequency: tera. Tera
means trillion, so terahertz represents frequencies in
the trillions of cycles per second. Whether these waves
represent radio or light is still open to conjecture. Some
research groups refer to them as microwaves, while others
prefer optical or photonic studies. Theres no doubt, how-
ever, that the field of T-rays, as terahertz radiation is
called, is just beginning to take off.
What makes T-rays so interesting is their interaction
with regular matter. Like an X-ray, T-rays can penetrate
many different types of matter to permit X-raylike imag-
Think of
terahertz light
as a super-
charged X-ray,
but without
radiation.
T-rays can detect
nonmetallic substances
through several layers of
clothing including leather.
This T-ray photo (left) plainly
shows the ceramic knife
and plastic explosive
located under the
sole of this shoe. The
standard photograph
in the middle shows
the bottom of the
show with the sole
reattached, while the
photo on the right shows
the ceramic knife and putty ball with
the sole removed.
The Terahertz Spectrum
10
0
10
3
10
6
10
9
10
12
10
15
10
18
10
21
10
24
ELECTRONICS
THz gap
PHOTONICS
Microwave
Visible
X-ray -ray
FREQUENCY
DC Kilo Mega Giga Tera Peta Exa Zetta Yotta
Terahertz light source and imaging
Delay
line
Beam
splitter
Femtosecond
light pulse
Sync
Beam
expander
Frequency
divider
THz light source
Sample
Polarizer
Analyzer
High-voltage
power supply
Polyethylene lens
CCD camera Electro-optic
crystal
100 mm 100 mm
miss. For example, a ceramic knife can pass right through a metal detector with-
out triggering an alarm. But ceramic becomes brightly illuminated under T-ray
light and is easily detected, even through several layers of clothing or the sole of
a shoe.
The ability of T-rays to identify materials also helps discern a female terrorist
carrying a hidden explosive from a woman with a tube of lipstick. The explosive
possesses a different molecular signature that the T-ray imager can detect.
With all of this capability, one might wonder why T-rays arent more widely
used? Two problems plague the widespread adoption of T-ray imaging. First is
finding a way to generate enough light in the T-ray frequency band. The second
is how to create a detector sensitive enough to react with the T-ray beam and
having resolution high enough for imaging. Research programs around the
globe search for these answers. And there have been some interesting solutions
forthcoming.
One method of generating light at terahertz frequencies is through a free-
electron laser or FEL. The Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility
in Newport News, Va., has generated terahertz light 10,000 brighter than any
other source. The researchers there, along with scientists from Brookhaven
National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y., and Lawrence Berkeley National Labo-
The terahertz band falls just below the visible spectrum of light but
above microwave radio.
This diagram
shows the optical
imaging system of
the Rayfact-RIM-
001EX real-time
imaging system
by Nikon Corp. A
femtosecond light
pulse from a laser
is used to generate
the terahertz-
frequecny light and
to convert that light
to an image the CCD
camera can record
using an imaging
plate.
Authored by:
Robert Repas
Associate Editor
robert.repas@penton.com
Key points:
- T-rays penetrate clothlng and other
materlals but at lower energy levels
than X-rays, maklng them lnherently
safer.
- T-rays can act as a spectroscope,
reportlng the type of materlal belng
scanned by molecular absorptlon of
speclflc T-ray frequencles.
- The ma[or drawback to T-ray adoptlon
ls the development of an effectlve
llght source and detector.
Resources:
Cambridge Consultants, http://tinyurl.
com/yz3d7a9
Center for Terahertz Research,
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,
http://www.rpi.edu/terahertz/
Jefferson Lab, http://www.jlab.org/FEL/
terahertz/
Nikon Corp., http://tinyurl.com/yjgvkv7
Riken, http://www.riken.go.jp/engn/
TeraView, http://www.teraview.com/
terahertz/terahertz.html
ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC
tectors, such as reso-
nant tunneling diodes,
can detect different
frequencies. But they
are typically overcome
by bolometric effects
that mask the sensitive
readings.
The ideal detector
would be based on a
chip, similar to the
CCD imagers used in
digital cameras. But
st andard si l i con i s
useless as T-rays pass
through silicon the
same way that visible
light passes through
glass. Nanoelectronic
technologies may hold
the key to creating us-
able T-ray detectors.
One such device is
a carbon-nanotube (CNT) quantum dot (QD). Quantum
dots are unique because they are so small, ranging from
2 to 10 nm (10 to 50 atoms) in diameter. Its possible to
fit 4 million dots in a straight line across the width of a
penny. When a CNT-QD is hit with terahertz light, it
changes the amount of current traveling through the
nanotube in proportion to the strength of the light. Right
now CNT quantum dots must be cooled to work prop-
erly. But the researchers are confident room-temperature
CNT-QD detectors are likely. Eventually, it should be
possible to produce a T-ray imager made from millions
of these CNT quantum dots that behaves like a CCD.
Nikon Corp. researchers came up with a different
technique for detecting T-rays that does use a CCD. In
this case, though, they convert the T-ray light source to
visible light using a laser. The T-ray light passing through
a test sample strikes an imaging plate, changing the plates
refractive index based on the strength of the light. A laser
scanning the plate transfers the refractive change into
visible light thats imaged by a CCD camera capable of
taking 30 fps. By using 1-psec bursts of terahertz radia-
tion and synchronizing the camera image capture, it was
possible for the first time to capture the light-wave front
as it impacted the imaging plate.
Today, special applications in terahertz imaging
are emerging in medical equipment and pharmaceuti-
cals. Short-pulse terahertz systems are used as a time-
domain spectroscopy to look at biological processes.
Many applications in the drug industry dont need
a wide-range frequency response, but can get by on
several key reference points to nondestructively verify
capsule contents and dosages. Theres no doubt that as
light sources and detectors continue to improve and
the science matures, terahertz technologies will con-
tinue to find new applications. MD
ratory in Berkeley, Calif., sent a beam
of electrons at nearly the speed of light
through a magnetic field called a wig-
gler. The electrons were accelerated
through a superconducting linear ac-
celerator (linac) and then fed into an
optical cavity with the wiggler in its cen-
ter. As its name says, the wiggler forces
electrons to wiggle through the cavity
giving up energy as light in the process.
The light is reflected back by the optical
cavity to induce new electrons entering the cavity to emit
even more light, the way an optical laser bounces light be-
tween two mirrors to amplify its effect.
Up to this point, no other method of generating T-rays
yielded more than a thousandth of a watt. The FEL-gen-
erated T-rays compared to those from other sources were
described as a floodlight compared to a candle.
The Tera-photonics Team at Riken, a research think-tank
in Japan, has another laser that plays a role in generating
terahertz-frequency light. There researchers pass a green
laser through a nonlinear optical crystal. The crystals prop-
erties divide the green laser into two beams of near-infrared
light of slightly different frequencies using a process called
parametric oscillation. The two infrared beams then re-
combine in another nonlinear optical crystal which creates
the terahertz light having energy equal to the difference in
energy between the two IR beams. The resulting terahertz
light is monochromatic, meaning it consists of only one fre-
quency. But by changing the angle that the green laser strikes
the first crystal, the researchers can change the frequency
of the infrared beams thus changing the frequency of the
terahertz light. Their installation can create T-rays from 1 to
40 THz, a critical need for substance identification.
A task even more difficult than creating a terahertz
light source appears to be the creation of a terahertz
detector having enough resolution for photographic
imaging. One drawback is that terahertz light goes right
through most materials used for light detection. As tera-
hertz frequencies are considered far infrared (FIR), ini-
tial detectors used FIR techniques of bolometric, photo-
nic, and plasmonic detection.
Heating because of absorbed FIR changes the conduc-
tivity of bolometric semiconductors. However, bolomet-
ric sensors are not sensitive to frequency differences a
key element in substance identification. Photonic de-
This optical micrograph (left) and schematic
(below) shows a highly sensitive on-chip
near-field THz detector. The aperture is 8 m
in diameter. The detector actually consists
of a 2DEG electron gas located 60 nm below
the chip surface. The chip material is gallium
arsenide and aluminum gallium arsenide
(GaAs/AlGaAs).
Aperture
Near-field probe
THz wave
Detector (2DEG)
Aperture
Near-field probe
5 m
9430 RALS
PELlCAN PPODCTS , lNC.
23215 Early Avenue, Torrance, CA 90505
866.628.9890 (TOLL FPEE)
Q
310.326.4?00
Q
FAX 310.326.3311
All trademarks and logos displayed herein are registered
and unregistered trademarks ol Pelican Products, lnc. and others.
Pelican's OEM solution kit provides you with
all the inlormation you need to customize your
Pelican or Pelican Storm case. Learn about
case properties, loam solutions, divider sets,
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ONE CASE,
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Photo N. 1agoda
RS# 134
Compact hose
does more with less
six-wire spiral; on pressure capacity that varies by size
(R9, R10, R11, R12); and on constant pressure ratings
regardless of size (R13, R15, R17, R19).
In recent years, however, the trend has been away from
SAE in favor of ISO specifications in particular the con-
stant-pressure classifications of ISO Standard 18752.
For engineers specifying hydraulic hose, SAE J517 tradi-
tionally provided the benchmark for pressure ratings and
performance. The standards 100R Series specifications
have been driven by hose manufacturers and were tradi-
tionally based on hose design and construction such
as one or two-wire braided reinforcement and four or
Authored by:
Andreas Weil
Chief Engineer, New Product
Development and Innovation
Greg Reardon
Business Development Manager
Parker Hannifin, Hose Products Div.
Wickliffe, Ohio
Edited by Kenneth J. Korane
Key points:
- Compact hose bullt to |SO specs has
the same pressure and flow rating as
slmllar SAL hose.
- Compact splral hose has longer llfe,
weighs less, and is more flexible than
traditional spiral-wire reinforced hose.
Resources:
Parker Hannifin Corp., Hose Products
Div., www.parkerhose.com
RS# 622
To learn more about Parker Compact
Splral hose, vlslt www.compactspiral.com
ISO Standard 18752 takes a different approach from SAE
J517. It reflects the design practices of users who construct hy-
draulic systems based on performance and pressure require-
ments. In the ISO standard, hydraulic hoses are classified into
four grades, A, B, C and D, according to their resistance to im-
pulse pressure at a specified temperature. Each grade is then
refined by the OD of the hose into standard (AS, BS, CS) or
compact types (AC, BC, CC, DC).
As shown in the table, ISO 18752 ratings, each grade
requires that a hose meet a minimum number of impulse
cycles at specific temperatures and impulse pressures. For
instance, grade D, type DC Series hoses must last at least
1 million impulse cycles.
While it is difficult to predict hose life in specific ap-
plications, experience shows that the service life of these
hoses will significantly exceed that of traditional hoses
built to meet less-stringent specs.
This is particularly true in applications with many cy-
cles repeated in a short time frame such as on injection-
molding machines. Replacing hose that meets the SAE
requirement of 500,000 cycles at 120% of working pressure
with ISO hose rated for 1 million cycles at 133% of work-
ing pressure can significantly extend hose life.
Overall, if routed and installed correctly and protected
from external damage, hose with higher impulse life-cycle
rating will last longer in nearly all real-world applications.
Compact spiral
A good example of hoses built to ISO specs is the new
Compact Spiral line from Parker Hannifin, Wickliffe, Ohio.
It provides OEMs with the performance of traditional spi-
ral hose, but with characteristics of braided hose lighter
weight, more flexibility, and a tighter bend radius.
Specifically, the new lines are designated 787TC (rated
for 35.0 MPa; 5,000-psi maximum working pressure across
all sizes) and 797TC (42.0 MPa; 6,000 psi for all sizes).
Key to the new design is a proprietary nitrile-based
inner tube that is stronger than comparable tubes in stan-
ISO 18752
Why ISO 18752? Many major mobile and industrial
OEMs have already switched to ISO standards in their
design and manufacturing processes to streamline global
sales and service of their machinery. Released in 2006,
ISO Standard 18752 for hydraulic hose is relatively new to
North American manufacturers.
Compact Spiral hose was subjected
to flex-impulse testing to mimic real-
world conditions.
Performance testing
ISO Standard 18752s toughest requirements are for grade D,
type DC hose. It specifes that hose must last a minimum of 1 mil-
lion impulse cycles with fuid at 120C and impulse pressure at
133% of maximum working pressure.
This accelerated test where a U-shape hose mounts on
the test stand puts impulse stress on the spiral wires and ft-
tings/coupling attachments for the minimum number of required
cycles.
Parkers 787TC and 797TC Series hoses have been tested un-
der those requirements for 2 million cycles, and at bend radii even
tighter than the standard requires. It indicates that the hose could
provide double the life required in the ISO standard.
Though not specifed by SAE or international standards, Parker
also subjected its hoses to fex tests. Here, the hose fexes while
impulse pressure is applied to gauge performance and longevity.
Results show superior life compared with standard spiral hose.
Compact spiral
hose built to ISO
specs weighs less
than comparable
SAE hose. Better
flexibility permits
tighter routing
with shorter hose
lengths. It reduces
the weight of
mobile machinery
that uses a lot
of hose, such
as construction
equipment and
on-road vehicles
such as garbage
trucks.
A new hydraulic hose handles
the same flow and pressure of
traditional hose, yet is smaller,
more flexible, and lasts longer.
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Weight reduction
Hose size
8 10 12 16
ISO 18752 ratings
Grades Types
Resistance to impulse
Temperature, C
Impulse pressure (% of
maximum working pressure)
Minimum number
of cycles
A
AS
100 133% 200,000
AC
B
BS
100 133% 500,000
BC
C
CS
120 133 or 120% 500,000
CC
D DC 120 133% 1,000,000
Calculate your
savings on-line
Parker Hannifn has a calculator program that helps
evaluate the value Compact Spiral hose can bring to a
machine. Get more info at www.compactspiral.com.
into limited spaces, and with it the
possibility of tighter routing in new
system designs.
Or equipment builders can spec-
ify hose thats one size larger with-
out requiring more space such as
going from a traditional size 8 to
size 10, or 10 to 12. This can im-
prove a circuits flow characteristics
without a redesign.
Flexibility. The new construc-
tion and smaller exterior dimen-
sions gives compact spiral hose a
tighter minimum bend radius com-
pared with standard SAE hose. This
means less hose is needed to make
port-to-port connections. For new
machines, a smaller bend radius
also lets designers place key compo-
nents such as pumps and valves
closer together, so systems can
be more compact. This gives engi-
neers more freedom in configuring
equipment.
Lighter weight. Due to smaller size, compact spiral
hose weighs as much as 26% less than standard versions.
This weight reduction can cut fuel consumption on mo-
bile and on-road equipment with many hydraulic hoses,
such as refuse trucks. It also translates into packaging,
dard spiral hose. Higher strength
means the new inner tube can be
thinner without sacrificing pres-
sure and sealing capabilities.
Reducing the tube wall thick-
ness, in turn, opened an oppor-
tunity to redesign the wire rein-
forcement, even though the num-
ber of spiral-reinforcement layers
remains the same as on standard
hose.
A thinner tube means each re-
inforcement layer subsequently
has a smaller OD. Also, using
higher-tensile-strength steel wires
let engineers reduce the wire di-
ameter without sacrificing rein-
forcement capacity and this
further decreases the diameter of
each wire layer.
In addition, the wrap angle
of each wire layer is set to maxi-
mize both flexibility and pressure
capacity. And, finally, all components are assembled to
tighter-than-ever tolerances. Added up, the new hose has a
smaller OD than standard spiral products but with the
same pressure rating.
Hose benefits
Heres a look at some of the advantages compact hose
offers:
Smaller OD with same ID. The ID of 787TC and
797TC hose is the same as common SAE spiral hoses,
ensuring consistent performance and flow characteristics
without the need to modify a hydraulic system. What has
dramatically changed, however, is the external size of the
hose, with space savings as high as 29%.
This offers a couple of advantages for OEMs. One, with
a smaller OD, designers will have more room to fit hoses
Compact spiral hose weighs up
to 26% less than standard SAE
100R13 and R15 spiral hose.
Specs for ISO
18752 show the
highest-rated
hose must resist
a minimum
1 million impulse
cycles at 133%
of maximum
rated working
pressure.
New fittings an industry first
New fttings the 77 Series for 787TC and 797TC hose feature a nipple
profle that bites into the wire reinforcement without removing (skiving) the inner
tube, reportedly an industry frst. Other fttings on the market require complex,
slow, and error-prone internal skiving to let the nipple grip the wire. The 77 Series
ftting also cuts through the outer cover to grip the wire OD, again without skiv-
ing.
The ftting clamps the hose-reinforcing wire from inside and out to give excel-
lent holding power despite high pressures and with shorter fttings than those
used with comparable spiral hose.
The ftting also requires less push-in force to insert it on the hose before
crimping, compared with the companys previous designs. Finally, to protect the
hose/ftting interface against contaminants such as dirt and rain, a weather seal
has been incorporated at the end of the 77 Series fttings. This prevents moisture
from penetrating the ftting and corroding the spiral wire.
to protect hoses and cables as they run the length of a
boom arm, potential savings include:
- Smallei OD hose may peimit a smallei, less-expensive
cable track.
- Bettei flexibility lets the tiack move smoothei and moie
easily, possibly with less hose abrasion and wear and
teai on othei components. And the machine might con-
sume less energy when moving the boom.
- Smallei and lightei cable tiack is easiei to handle,
iequiiing fewei man-houis foi installation and iepaii.
Its not unusual for total saving to add up to more than
$1,000 pei machine. Obviously, actual savings will vaiy
by application. MD
space, and shipping savings.
Installation. Hose that is smaller, lighter,
and moie flexible simplifies installation. Tiadi-
tional spiral hydraulic hoses are stiff and heavy.
That makes installation haid woik. Pulling hose
through equipment, moving it into place, and
connecting fittings is, at best, quite burdensome, and
may require two or three people. Compact spiral hose, on
the other hand, reduces installation time and manpower
iequiiements. As an added benefit, this may ieduce em-
ployee fatigue and the risk of injuries.
Long life. As mentioned above, spiral hose built to
ISO's highest specs will last longei, and that saves on
ieplacement paits and laboi. Also, the innei-tube com-
pound used in 787TC and 797TC hose impioves heat-
aging and fluid-compatibility chaiacteiistics. Although
actual hose life depends on the hydiaulic fluid, tempeia-
tuie, and opeiating conditions, tests indicate that com-
pact hose life is significantly longer than that of standard
spiral hose.
Potential savings
Changing fiom standaid SAE
spiial hose to ISO compact spiial of-
fers potential savings for equipment
builders. For instance, on mobile
equipment, savings might include:
- Smallei bend iadius ieduces oveiall
hose length, saving on costs.
- Lightei weight hose lessens vehicle
weight, saving on fuel. Oi it lets
users install additional equipment
with no increase in vehicle weight.
- Field life will exceed that of stan-
daid spiial hose. Less fiequent
repl acement l eads to obvious
savings.
In paiticulai, on mobile equip-
ment that uses movable cable track
Bend radii for 787TC and 797TC
hoses are much tighter than for
comparable standard SAE hose at
the same constant pressure.
21.0 in.
10.5 in.
797TC-12,
minimum
bend
radius =
5.25 in.
SAE
100R15-12,
minimum
bend radius
= 10.5 in.
Comparing bend radius
Parkers
797TC hose
has a smaller
OD than
comparable
SAE hose,
permitting
tighter routing
and potential
space savings.
The Thompson Friction Welding E100 can
weld up to 15 in.
2
while applying 22,050 lb
of force. Servovalves permit fast, high-
amplitude motion for automatic material
handling of large workpieces.
Hydraulics
at the
core of
largest-ever
welder
22,050 lb of force to the joint
being welded.
To handle larger, heavier
parts and cut cycle times,
Thomps on t eamed wi t h
Moog Inc., E. Aurora, N.Y., to
develop a hydraulic servocon-
trol system.
Normal servo and pro-
portional valves arent suited
for this application because
spool speed and acceleration
prevent them from simulta-
neously delivering high am-
plitude and high-frequency
motion. A closed-loop, digi-
tal control system, in contrast,
delivers fast response at high
lands, U.K., developed the E100, a linear-friction-weld-
ing (LFW) machine capable of welding a surface area
of 15 in.
2
, twice the area previous machines could weld.
The 22,050-lb, 2.5-m-tall machine also applies a record
A welding supplier found that the key to taking its joining
technology to the next level lay not in the welding heads,
but in a hydraulic servo support system.
Thompson Friction Welding, Halesowen, West Mid-
Record-breaking
linear-friction
welding is made
possible by high-
powered hydraulics and
sophisticated controls.
Hydraulic power unit with
accumulators and radial
piston pumps
Moog servovalves
Forge head
Force
Force
Stationary
workpiece
Oscillating
workpiece
joining piece. The relative velocity between the two sur-
faces is fairly high, so the two components being welded
need to be kept under high pressure at all times.
In contrast, rotary-friction welding, also known as in-
ertial welding, spins one of the joining pieces, so the two
parts must be radially symmetric. LFW requires more
complex machine architecture and control systems than
rotary techniques.MD
amplitude, which permits
precise control over the
weld process.
For t he E100, Moog
valve spools perform three
to four times faster than
normal. Valve frequencies range from 75 to 100 Hz
for large-scale welding. Special precautions ensure
valve integrity over a large number of welds.
Multiple digitally controlled servovalves oper-
ate together for peak flow rates of up to 1,200 gpm.
Having multiple valves also improves accuracy on
smaller, lower-force welds.
To drive the system, a hydraulic powerplant
with radial piston pumps delivers over 2 MW of
instantaneous power. Seven 105-gallon gas-volume
accumulators supplement pump flow to hit the
1,200-gpm flow rates required for the weld. The
accumulators recharge in about 30 sec, even for the
largest welds.
An automatic handling system positions large work-
pieces in place of manual fixturing. The automation saves
time on these larger parts. Rapid machine opening and
closing also cut production time.
LFW, sometimes known as solid-base additive manu-
facturing, forms complex shapes without the waste associ-
ated with machining from solid block, casting, or forging.
Manufactured parts require little final machining.
The process joins two parts of any shape by laterally os-
cillating a chuck holding one workpiece with respect to the
Authored by:
Jessica Shapiro
Associate Editor
Key points:
- The Ll00 welds up to l5 ln.
2
,
applylng 22,050 lb of force.
- Moog hydraullcs permlt
fast, hlgh-amplltude
motlon, hlgh flow rates, and
qulck recharge.
- Llnear-frlctlon weldlng
forms complex shapes wlth
llttle or no machlnlng.
Resources:
Moog Inc., www.moog.com
Circle 623
Thompson Friction
Welding, www.thompson-
friction-welding.co.uk
Three Moog D674 valves
(right) connect to a pipework
and manifold installation,
along with Moog Servo
Controllers (upper left) and
other components, to help
produce the E100s weld.
Linear-friction welding physically
welds components by rubbing
them together at speeds around
50 Hz and with forces as high as
800 kN. The final mass of the two
titanium pieces shown is 1,500 kg.
Linear-friction
welding (LFW),
or solid-base-
additive
manufacturing,
works by rubbing a
rapidly oscillating
part against a fixed
workpiece under forces
up to 22,050 lb. Oscillations are usually
under 3 mm in amplitude and 75 to 100 Hz.
Demand valve drlve
Frame impedance
Houslng
Servo-
valve
Carrlage
Feedback
weld Acc Pb Xh Pa Xo Ps Pr
Simple Cne-Piece Construction
No C-rins or Threads
Slips into a Drilled Hole
Press to Lock and Seal
Pre-tested for ubble-Tiht Leakae
The Lee Company
2 Pettipau Road
Westbrook, CT 06498
sorvillon@theleeco.com
Tel: 800-533-7584
Innovation in Miniature
Simple Cne-Piece Construction
Smallest Shuttle
Valves
Superior Performance, Compact Size
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T
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M
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D
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2.5mm Diameter
Low Leakae
Accurate Crackin Pressure
Installs Easily in Plastics
Available in Medical Fittins
100% Performance Tested
Smallest
Check
Valve
. . . Ever!
To Get Samples and See for Yourself,
Contact The Lee Company!
The Lee Company
2 Pettipau Road
Westbrook, CT 06498 USA
frenchm@theleeco.com
Tel: 800-533-7584
A
N
O
T
H
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A
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Piston pumps
The 420 open-circuit piston pump
line has a new hydromechanical
torque-control option. Torque
control automatically senses
heavy loads and adjusts
hydraulic fluid flow accord-
ingly. Other performance
upgrades include a pump
housing that cuts airborne noise
and a case-to-inlet check valve
that improves cold-weather operation. The 420 pump is
intended for moderate-flow, high-pressure mobile applica-
tions such as compact wheel loaders, telehandlers, backhoe
loaders, and garbage trucks.
Eaton Hydraulics, 14615 Lone Oak Rd., Eden Prairie, MN
55344, (952) 937-9800, www.eaton.com/hydraulics
RS# 624
Intermediate plates
Intermediate plates permit
flexible and straightforward
assembly of hydraulic con-
trols. Type NZP intermediate
plates with industry-stan-
dard NG 6 hole patterns are
for CDK and CLK pressure-
control valves. Both types of
directional-seated valves are
leakproof when closed. The
CLK includes a safety valve
for circuits subject to un-
wanted pressure increases due to temperature oscillations
or other external factors. The combination of NZP interme-
diate plate and pressure-control valve handles pressures to
500 bar (7,250 psi) and a flow to 22 lpm (5.8 gpm).
Hawe Hydraulics, 9009-K Perimeter Woods Dr., Charlotte,
NC 28216, (704) 509-1599, www.hawe.de RS# 625
Custom components
In addition to thousands of stan-
dard valves, cylinders, fittings, and
other pneumatic components, the
company offers custom products.
Options include compact and high-
flow components; special materials
seals, and lubricants; electronic
controls and sensing; custom ports
and connectors; and clean-room
assembly. It also offers engineering
and testing services and integrated
products that combine numerous
components into a single, simpler assembly.
Clippard Instrument Laboratory, 7390 Colerain Ave.,
Cincinnati, OH 45239, (877) 245-6247, www.clippard.com
RS# 626
RS# 137
RS# 138
Lee Self-Retaining Screens Protect
Components from Rogue Contamination
All Stainless Steel Insert Desin
Interal Retention System
5.5, 8, 10 and 12 mm Dia. Sizes
40-500 Microns Absolute
Make last-chance protection your rst priority.
The Lee Company
2 Pettipau Road
Westbrook, CT 06498
Tel: 800-555-7584
Precision Safety
Screens
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Smallest 6 GPM Check Valve Ever!

Save Space - Most Compact
Desin in it's Class
Low Leakae Metal-to-Metal Seat
100% Performance Tested
Easy to Install
The Lee Company
2 Pettipau Road
Westbrook, CT 06498
Tel: 800-555-7584
High Flow,
Compact Size
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Small brushless-dc
pump
The new 230 Series
brushless-dc WOB-L air
compressor is for medi-
cal and other applica-
tions requiring a compact,
lightweight pump with variable
output. The pump small: 3.8 2.64
3.63 in. and weighs only 1.2 lb. Output can
vary from 1,000 to 3,000 rpm and an enclosed crankcase
limits sound to 55 dB(A). Maximum flow is 0.50 cfm and
maximum pressure is 30 psig.
Thomas Div., Gardner Denver Co., 1419 Illinois Ave., She-
boygan, WI 53081, (920) 457-4891, http://gd-thomas.com
RS# 627
Bent-axis motors
New H1, 60-cc bent-axis motors
complement a range of H1
axial-piston pumps. The vari-
able-speed H1 motors are said
to improve reliability, flexibility,
and efficiency for OEMs. They
provide a high-displacement
ratio of 32 with 0 capability.
Electronic controls let users match
H1 requirements to specific vehicles by adjusting soft-
ware parameters. Typical applications suited for H1 motors
are rough terrain forklifts, combines, sprayers, road rollers,
wheel loaders, and road-building equipment.
Sauer-Danfoss Inc., 250 Parkway Dr., Suite 270, Lincoln-
shire, IL 60069, (847) 876-1700, www.sauer-danfoss.com
RS# 628
Poppet valve
The Model 785 poppet valve dis-
penses low-to-medium viscosity
materials such as adhesives, silicones,
greases, and other filled materials.
Its design minimizes friction be-
tween the actuating components
of the valve and the material being
dispensed, decreasing valve main-
tenance and downtime. The valves
stroke adjustment and control feature
offers precise adjustment of fluid-de-
posit volume and flow. Material is shut
off cleanly at the end of each cycle.
Tridak, 318 Industrial Lane, Tor-
rington, CT 06790, (860) 626-6700,
www.tridak.com
RS# 629
R
eq
uest free inform
ation via
ou
r R
ead
er Service W
eb
site at
RS# 139
RS# 140
w
w
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ach
in
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esig
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.com
/rsc
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RS# 136
Solenoid valves
Series 4600 two-way, normally open
or normally closed, pilot-operated
diaphragm solenoid valves have an
adjustable metering handle to restrict
or manually shut off media flow.
Media and pilot can be separated to
extend the life of the valve by keeping
corrosive material out of the pilot sec-
tion. These valves can be controlled
by either an internal or external pilot
at pressures from 15 to 150 psi and
temperatures between 10 and 50C.
The 4600s glass-filled nylon body
and cover are available in 0.75 and
1-in. sizes with a 25-mm orifice. The
nitrile diaphragm, stainless-steel in-
ternal components, nitrile seals, and
standard copper shading ring are
compatible with inert gas, water, air,
and emulsion.
Spartan Scientific, Box 9792, Board-
man, OH 44513, (330) 758-8446, www.
spartanscientific.com
RS# 631
Cylinder position sensors
A line of magnetic-cylinder position
sensors now includes the BIM-UNR, a
miniature sensor that mounts within
C-groove cylinders with no acces-
sories. It measures only 2.9 4.6
18 mm, reportedly one of the smallest
sensors on the market. A built-in tab
keeps the sensor in place to facili-
tate one-handed mounting, and an
integral 1.5-mm hexagon mounting
screw requires only a quarter-turn
to securely mount the sensor. The
BIM-UNR is protected from mechani-
cal damage, provides reliable
detection even on short-stroke
cylinders, and is immune to
EMC interference.
Turck Inc., 3000 Campus Dr.,
Plymouth MN 55441, (800)
544-7769, www.turck.us
RS# 630
RS# 142
FE UPDATE
Large and complex composite structures such as the
Boeing 787, Airbus A350XWB, and Lockheed Orion
CEV demand the design of lighter, less-costly, and
better-performing assemblies. Unfortunately, analysts
and designers usually work somewhat separately,
focusing on their own domains rather than seeing the
project from a more-comprehensive viewpoint. This
approach makes it slow, difficult, and expensive to
make changes after the first iteration. Product
development in this case is largely a serial
process, which doesnt support shorter prod-
uct cycles, less rework, or tight budgets.
The design of composite parts involves more
unknowns and interdependen-
cies than does that of metallic
part design. Serial product-de-
velopment processes eliminate
many chances to make complex
adjustments. This negatively
affects design benefits that are
specific to composites, such
as material directionality. Se-
rial processes routinely inflate
design allowances and safety
factors, effectively treating
composites as black aluminum
and forgoing the benefits to be
gained by the design of the material itself.
To help eliminate these problems, Vistagys Fiber-
SIM composite-design software works directly with
a variety of CAE packages, including SimXpert FEA
software from MSC.Software, Santa Ana, Calif. This
integration ties together the disciplines of composite-
part design (CAD) and analysis (CAE), facilitating con-
current engineering from preliminary sizing through
validation of final models with detailed ply-based
parts definitions.
Structural composites have been used in aero-
space for well over three decades but the volume
production of large and complex
assemblies is a recent development.
Todays focus is on overall structural
and design optimization instead of
traditional manufacturing concerns
such as drapability, fiber deviation,
residual stress and strain, and void
formation.
There are many obstacles to effec-
tive collaboration between design-
ers and analysts due to different do-
main knowledge, special techniques,
and the use of different languages.
Analysts think in
terms of material
properties, load cases,
stress and strains. Design-
ers work with ply coverage,
nonstructural details, and design rules.
The common framework between FiberSIM and CAE
software includes certain touch points. In composites,
these comprise zones, which are built from loft sur-
faces provided by the team systems group and from
material specifications and sizing data from the analysis
group. Touch points are unlikely to change frequently
or drastically and they represent logical information
that can be used as the basis for shared concepts.
In the current development process, the designer
provides the analyst with a definition based on the
initial laminate specifications. The analyst maps
this data onto the initial FE mesh of
the part. The designer moves on to
designing nonstructural wing ele-
ments, laying out transitions, detail-
ing the design of drop-off areas, and
preparing fasteners and inserts. The
analyst applies physical properties to
the meshed geometry (a critical con-
sideration with composites) as well
as loads and boundary conditions. It-
erations that take place now involve
concurrent data exchange between
CAD and CAE.
The interface between CAD and
CAD working hand in hand with
CAE makes composite design fly
Edited by Leslie Gordon
Olivier Guillermin
Director, Product and Market
Strategy
Vistagy Inc.
Waltham, Mass.
www.vistagy.com Circle 621
Acknowledgements:
Larry Pierce, senior applications
engineer at MSC.Software,
and Johan Grape, director of
technology at Vistagy, contributed
to this article.
The FiberSIM model
of a fuselage panel (top)
corresponds with the
associated SimXpert model
(bottom). FEA mesh information
designers create in SimXpert can be
communicated to FiberSIM with the
click of a button, creating a common data
representation and design tool for composite
layup. This lets engineers design, validate, and
optimize products without having to translate
volumes of data between different software tools.
CAE lets analysts directly use composite-design fea-
tures such as system lines and zone partitioning to
create and control a mesh for a composite skin. The
interface also let analysts use lines of beams for stiff-
ening elements such as stringers or frames in a fuse-
lage section. In addition, the common access to native
geometry exposes named attributes from CAD, which
supports automated responses to design changes.
Another touch point for collaboration is the as-
signment of physical properties. The capability to
seamlessly share detailed layup specifications helps
the analysts efficiency and productivity and has a
significant impact on a designs accuracy and fidelity.
The two programs working together supports every-
thing from simple linear static to nonlinear buckling
and progressive-failure analyses.
Optimization, too, should be multidisciplinary
to account for all the composite structures perfor-
mance requirements. There is more to designing a
layup than simply cutting weight. The design must
also meet multiple manufacturing constraints, de-
sign rules, and other requirements.
Here, the sharing of composite concepts across
disciplines allows the seamless exchange of opti-
mized layup data. Using a common geometry slashes
the number of complicated dependency failures,
while the logical relationship that persists between
CAD and CAE removes the need for frequent, compli-
cated refreshes.
In the new scenario, all changes flow from a con-
strained set of sources and allow for easy, automated
remeshing in analysis as well as the automated
translation and updating of designs. For example, the
software automatically assigns new specifications
to zones. Thus, increasing ply count or altering zone
thickness triggers an automatic update that adds
new ply drop-offs, while maintaining transition defi-
nitions, material choices, and detailed geometry.
With the detailed design almost finalized, the
shared geometry further supports collaboration in
the area of design validation. The analyst can access
mesh control curves, which let him include the ef-
fects of ply drop-offs for precision meshing. Mean-
while, the framework maps the correct layup onto
each finite element for detailed analysis.
Simulating the thermal loads the part will see dur-
ing curing gives information on possible laminate
spring-back potato-chip effects. This data can im-
pact the final part shape and require the use of differ-
ent tooling for the manufacturability of the part de-
sign. These functions close the feedback loop among
design, analysis, and manufacturing.
It is obvious that bringing together design and
analysis for composite structures has many benefits.
First, the team can make modifications earlier in
the development process, and it can accommodate
changes late in the process to enhance optimization.
Second, analysts can perform more-accurate analy-
ses on the as-designed part definition using the true
material properties.
Such concurrent engineering means shorter
lead times and a parallel workflow that supports
more and faster iterations. Both designers and ana-
lysts can continue working while synchronizing on
significant changes. Whats more, the technique
cuts the risks, program costs, and potential liabili-
ties associated with the use of new materials and
novel technologies. MD
Seamless workflows
between Vistagys
FiberSIM software
and MSC.Softwares
SimXpert move
a design from
preliminary sizing to
final part validation.
The parallel process
helps designers
and analysts
optimize the part
based on weight,
performance, design
specifications, and
manufacturing costs.
SOFTWARE PRODUCTS
Edited by Leslie Gordon
Free software for
creating 3D product
documentation
A free download, the Inventor Pub-
lisher Technology Preview on Au-
todesk Labs at http://labs.autodesk.
com lets users easily create interactive,
3D product documentation such as
animated assembly instructions or
repair and maintenance guides. The
software works directly with digital
CAD data to generate exploded views
and view sequences. Once authored,
documentation can be published in a
variety of formats including .SWF, .AVI,
.DWF, .PPT, .PDF, and other common
image file types. It can then be made
available on the Web or delivered
electronically via e-mail.
Autodesk Inc., 111 McInnis Pkwy.,
San Rafael, CA 94903, (415) 507-5000,
www. autodesk.com
RS# 429
Easily create graphics
and charts
SmartDraw software lets users create
graphics without manually drawing.
Simple buttons in the software let
users add shapes and the program
places them with the selected con-
nector, such as a flowchart arrow. A
mind map feature helps users plan
projects. The software also lets users
create charts and graphs without hav-
ing to make a spreadsheet first. Users
just pick a chart and type-in data di-
rectly, or import data from
Microsoft Excel.
SmartDraw.com, 9909 Mira Mesa
Blvd., San Diego, CA 92131, (858) 225-
3370, www.smartdraw.com
RS# 430
R
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uest free inform
ation via
ou
r R
ead
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eb
site at
Software lets users design
the way they think
SpaceClaim Style helps accelerate product
ideation by providing flexible tools to create,
edit, and validate design concepts. The soft-
ware lets designers work collaboratively with
customers and the entire development team.
It provides a way to realize new ideas and con-
vert hand-drawn, 2D and surface data to ac-
curate 3D solid models. Benefits include easier
design manipulation and reusable designs.
SpaceClaim Corp., 150 Baker Ave., Concord,
MA 01742, (978) 482-2100, www2.spaceclaim.
com
RS# 431
CAM with feature
recognition
Edgecam 2010 CAM
software has enhanced
feature-recognition capa-
bilities that help users effi-
ciently generate toolpaths.
The software captures
feature properties such as
depth, radius/chamfer, and
minimum/maximum XY
radius, letting users easily
select appropriate tool-
ing and cycle parameters.
A cutter-compensation
feature lets users make
adjustments to allow for
tool wear. In addition, the
release includes a Code
Wizard for the Siemens
840D ShopMill CNC cutter.
This cuts the time it takes
to compile the machine.
The software supports
Windows 7.
Planit Software Ltd.,
Limpley Mill, Limpley
Stoke, Bath, England BA2
7FJ, www.planit.com
w
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.com
/rsc
SPOTLIGHT PLASTICS & ELASTOMERS
Friction-reduced
elastomers
To reduce friction on
devices, an F-treat
process provides
a permanent low
coefficient of fric-
tion surface that
doesnt dissipate
with wear. Unlike
topical modifica-
tions (molybdenum disulfide,
graphite, silicone oil, or PTFE powder)
that can be washed or worn away, F-treat
modifies the entire compound so a low-
friction surface is always present.
Medical devices such as endoscopes
use F-treated seals to provide surgeons with
more sensitivity and feel for their instruments
than nontreated elastomer seals. Medical-product
designers improve nasal and liposuction canula with
custom-designed F-treated seals and devices.
Minnesota Rubber and Plastics, 1100 Xenium
Lane N, Minneapolis, MN 55441, (952) 927-1400,
www.mnrubber.com RS# 446
Thin-gauge materials
A new line of high-performance thin-gauge
materials come in sheets, coils/rolls, strips,
and punched parts. Product offerings include
Tecason S polysulfone (PSU) natural and
Tecanyl Noryl EN265
(PPO) black in 0.040 to
0.125-in. gauge; Teca-
tron 30% glass-filled
PPS black and Tecamid
12% glass-filled ny-
lon black in 0.031 to
0.25-in. gauge; Tecapet
natural in 0.031 to
0.125-in. gauge; and
Tecapeek (polyethere-
therketone) sheet.
Ensinger Inc., 365
Meadowland Blvd.,
Washington, PA 15301,
(800) 243-3221, www.
ensinger-online.com
RS# 447
Polypropylene
tubing
The semirigid Prolite poly-
propylene tubing is made
from an NSF-61 compound
for use in applications such
as potable water supply,
food processing, beverage
transfer, chemical lines,
dispensing equipment,
environmental monitoring, pharmaceutical
processing, refrigeration, compressed air, elec-
tronic equipment, and household appliances.
Prolite properties include chemical and cor-
rosion resistance; very-low moisture absorp-
tion; high dielectric strength; lightweight, ther-
moformable and weldable; and low-surface
friction. The compound meets UL94 HB burn
rating and meets FDA requirements for food-
contact surfaces. Prolite is available in nine
sizes ( through 1-in. OD).
NewAge Industries Inc., 145 James Way,
Southampton, PA 18966, (800) 506-3924, www.
newageindustries.com/polypropylene_tubing.
asp
RS# 449
Perfluoroelastomer
extends seal life
Seals made from Isolast J9876, a new
perfluoroelastomer, offer extended life
in aggressive high-temperature envi-
ronments. Benefits of seals made from
this material include reduced stocking,
simplified procurement, and prevention
of early failure due to fitment of a seal in
the incorrect compound.
The material features an oper-
ating temperature range of 19
to 527F with occasional peaks
up to 599F. The compound
is available in any size O-
ring, gasket, molded part,
or rubber-to-metal bonded
components, including door
and gate seals.
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions
Americas, 2531 Bremer Rd., Fort
Wayne, IN 46803, (260) 748-5895,
www.tss.trelleborg.com RS# 448
Request free information via
our Reader Service Web site at
SPOTLIGHT FASTENING & JOINING
Epoxy works to 600F
The EP46HT-1 epoxy features a continuous
operating temperature range of 100 to
550F, withstands intermittent exposures
up to 600F, and a glass-transition temper-
ature of over 235C. Designed to withstand
severe and repeated thermal cycling, the
epoxy is easy to apply and cures rapidly at
elevated temperatures. The 100%-reactive
epoxy contains no solvents or diluents.
Additional features include exceptional
physical strength, dimensional stability,
and chemical resistance, as well as excel-
lent adhesion to metals, glass, vulcanized
rubbers, and most plastics.
Master Bond Inc., 154 Hobart St., Hack-
ensack, NJ 07601, (201) 343-8983, www.
masterbond.com
RS# 451
Hinge pins
for PC-board
card locks
and ejector
clips
The high-performance
Series 880 Coiled
Spring Pin is designed
for PC-board card
locks and ejector clips.
The pin uses a special
spiral spring concept
and its combination of
strength and flexibility
let manufacturers and
assemblers of PC-
board card locks and
ejector clips maximize
hinge performance.
The hinge features low
insertion force and
compression of the pin
during and after instal-
lation, and its radial
spring force results in
controlled hinge movement that remains consis-
tent throughout the life of the assembly.
Manufactured from corrosion-resistant auste-
nitic stainless steel with an oil-free finish, the pin is
compatible with any type of plastic handle. Its con-
struction makes it suitable for manual or automatic
installation.
Spirol International Corp., 30 Rock Ave., Daniel-
son, CT 06239, (860) 774-8571, www.spirol.com
RS# 452
Double-ended studs
A line of double-ended studs are for use in applications demanding
reliability and consistent quality. The studs come in sizes #10 to
1-in. diameters in a variety of materials including alloy
steel, MP35N, MP159, Aerex 350, Waspaloy, H-11,
A286, alloy 718, and titanium in 160 to 2000-ksi
strengths. Available finishes include cadmium,
nickel-cadmium, plain-finish, silver, and passivate.
SPS Technologies, 301 Highland Ave., Jenkintown, PA
19046, (215) 572-3308, www.spstech.com/aero RS# 450
888-629-4867
www.cjmco.com
Standard or Custom Designs
for Virtually Any Application
Torque Ratings From
1 oz.in. to 3,000 lb.ft.
Single or Multiple Disc Designs
Power On or Spring-Set
Cost Effective and
Value Engineered
Electric, Mechanical, Air
or Hydraulic Actuation
Leading Edge
Clutches &
Brakes
PRODUCTS
Pipe caps
A full line of pipe caps in a variety of
styles, sizes, and materials are avail-
able. Styles include vented, beveled
edge, recessed end, American stan-
dard, open-ended, and heavy wall.
Each cap design comes in sizes rang-
ing from to 64 in. in diameter.
Also a new pipe-cap design re-
places the existing CE Series pipe
caps. The pipe caps skirts are de-
signed to easily stretch over the edge
of the pipe while retaining their shape
and snug fit, allowing the caps to be
installed without tools. The ribbed
skirt will also provide ventilation so
the cap wont blow off under pres-
sure. The 16, 18, and 24-in. pipe caps
are made from LLDPE.
Caplugs, 2150 Elm-
wood Ave., Buffalo, NY
14207, (888) 227-5847,
www.caplugs.com
RS# 465
Color sensors
The Series 4055 color
sensors, for use in
color-sorting processes and color
control, feature three teachable color
channels with independent 200-mA
outputs, allowing three color tones to
be programmed. The teach process
offers five different tolerance levels.
Small tolerances allow for minimal
color differences to be recognized
without fail and larger tolerances
permit certain color variations. Color
detection within the 30 to 40-mm op-
erating range is virtually independent
of target distance.
Additional features of the sensors
include high switching frequency up
to 4 kHz; 10-bit precision of R, G, and
B signals; adjustable pulse delay and
stretching. The sensors come in npn
and pnp versions.
Contrinex, 2 Business Park Rd., Old
Saybrook, CT 06475, (866) 289-2899,
www.contrinex.com
RS# 466
Speed regulator
The Super-K Model Kinechek speed
reducer handle loads up to 1,200 lb.
The regulators mirror-finished, hard-
ened tool-steel, high-pressure cylin-
der has an adjustable flow-control
passage. The cylinder is mated to an
all-metal piston with no sliding seals,
which lets the plunger rod move
smoothly at a constant rate through-
out the entire stroke. Super-Ks are
used extensively in robotics, food-
processing equipment. and packag-
ing machines.
Deschner Corp., 3211 West Harvard
St., Santa Ana, CA 92704, (714) 557-
1261, www.deschner.com
RS# 467
R
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uest free inform
ation via
ou
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ead
er Service W
eb
site at
RS# 143
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PRODUCTS
PLC features -40 to
80 range
The
HEC-1000-E-R
Harsh Environment
Controller allows for programmable
intelligence under less than ideal
conditions due to a sealed, watertight
enclosure with pluggable connectors.
The standard enclosure is submers-
ible to 3 ft and is screw and subplate
mountable. The controller is pro-
grammed using EZ Ladder software,
which supports ladder diagram with
function block programming. The unit
features an extended temperature
range of -40 to 80C.
Features include 8 to 32-Vdc input
power, I/O includes six 8 to 32-Vdc
inputs; two 40-kHz high-speed coun-
ters; two 10-bit analog channels rated
0 to 20 mA; and six digital/PWM
outputs rated to 3 A with automatic
overcurrent safety and programmable
status monitoring for each.
Divelbiss Corp., 9778 Mount Gilead
Rd., Fredericktown, OH 43019, (800)
245-2327, www.divelbiss.com
RS# 468
Linear actuator
The G4 37000 Series Can-stack step-
per motor linear actuator provides
high linear-force-to-size ratio. The
36-mm linear actuator features
optimized stator tooth geometry,
high-energy neodymium magnets,
an oversized output spline, custom-
engineered plastics, and larger ball
bearings for greater rotor support
and high axial-loading capabil-
ity. Three configurations of the
actuator are available: captive,
noncaptive, and external linear.
Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions
Inc., 1500 Meriden Rd., Waterbury, CT
06705, (203) 756-7441,
www.haydonkerk.com RS# 469
High-density motor
The RE 50 motor is a high-density
200-W power pack, featuring an iron-
less rotor for detent-free running and
minimized mass inertia.The combina-
tion of a two-pole neodymium per-
manent magnet with the companys
winding technology results in high
torque and above-average accelera-
tion. The drive measures
50 108 mm
and is
avail-
able with
four different wind-
ings. Features include pre-
loaded bearings, 0.38-Nm torque,
speed of 2,800 to 5,700 rpm,
90% efficiency, low 24.70-Vdc
voltage, and high-power
density.
maxon precision motors inc.,
101 Waldron Rd., Fall River, MA 02720,
(508) 677-0520, www.maxonmotorusa.
com
RS# 470
Induction motor
comes in three
efficiency levels
The new DR motor modular
system lets users specify
application-specific options.
Coating and sealing options
keep the motor protected in
wet environments in a wide
range of temperatures.
The motor meets international
energy standards and comes in three
efficiency levels: DRS Standard Effi-
ciency (IE1), DRE High Efficiency (IE2),
and DRP Premium Efficiency (IE3).
Other customizable options include
brake size (up to three sizes for each
motor), cost-optimized encoders, and
mounting type.
The motor is equipped with a
manual brake release, automatic or
lockable, that is field adjustable to one
of four different mounting positions.
A built-in encoder, installed between
the endshield and fan, is connected
at the terminal box so it can be easily
retrofitted.
SEW-Eurodrive Inc., 1295 Old Spar-
tanburg Highway, Box 518, Lyman SC
29365, (864) 439-7537,
www.seweurodrive.com
RS# 471
Power converter
The Model PC24-12-1 is a 1-A dc-dc
power converter that tolerates ISO
7637-2 and SAE J1455 voltage tran-
sients. The converter offers +2% out-
put voltage
tolerance
with line
and load-
rejection
characteris-
tics (60-dB
typical), 90%
efficiency,
short-circuit
protection, and operates in tempera-
tures to 85C.
Additional power converters are
available with voltage outputs down
to 3.3 dc and 0.5, 1, and 1.5-A ratings.
Power converters are available with
or without enclosures, and the en-
closures are available with or without
flanges.
Tech9 Corp., 5613 St. Stephen St.,
Mounds View, MN 55112, (763) 717-
0326, www.t9corp.com
RS# 472
VISIT LITS-ON-LINE: http://www.machinedesign.com
MARCH 2010
Aircraft Ouality
Rod End & 8pherical Bearings
PAVE TECHNOLOGY
Page 3 - Circle 11
FLOYD BELL INC
Page 4 - Circle 21
INTECH CORP
Page 2 & 5 - Circle 3 & 27
OKEEFE CONTROLS
Page 3&5 - Circle 16 & 25
ACE CONTROLS INC
Page 3 - Circle 10
REID SUPPLY COMPANY
Page 4- Circle 17
KANO LABORATORIES INC
Page 3 - Circle 9
BOKERS
Page 3 - Circle 13
SDP/SI
Page 5 - Circle 29
RADIAL BEARING
Page 2 - Circle 8
SMALLEY STEEL RING CO
Page 4 - Circle 18
BEI INDUSTRIAL ENCODERS
Page 6 - Circle 33
2 MARCH 2010 MACHINE Design.com
SMITH BEARING PRODUCT
CATALOG
Smith Bearing is a registered trademark of
Accurate Bushing Company. With over 50
years experience in designing and manufactur-
ing precision needle roller bearings, we can
handle your requirements for standard aero-
space and industrial bearings. As well as our
existing product line, we are ready to assist you
with the manufacture of custom made prod-
ucts, precision machine components and as-
semblies. ISO 9001 and AS 9100 registered.
Accurate Bushing Company
Garwood, NJ
(800) 932-0076, (908) 789-1121
FAX: (908) 789-9429
E-mail: sales@smithbearing.com
Web: www.smithbearing.com
FREE COPY - CIRCLE 7
TOOLING COMPONENTS
AND CLAMPS
Free 680-page catalog, in print or on CDROM,
features photos and specifications of align-
ment pins, knobs, handles, threaded inserts,
supports, locators, toggle clamps, modular
fixturing, chuck jaws, drill jig bushings and
power workholding. Order yours today.
Carr Lane Manufacturing Co.
St. Louis, MO
(314) 647-6200, FAX: (314) 647-5736
Web: www.carrlane.com
SORBOTHANE
NEW ENGINEERING
DESIGN GUIDE
Your Guide to Shock and Vibration Solutions
This guide has been developed to assist engineers in
a practical, hands-on approach to designing with Sor-
bothane
. A windows-based program, which parallels

this calculation method, is available. Sorbothane, Inc.
also offers additional technical support. Engineers
worldwide choose Sorbothane
for applications re-

quiring shock absorption, vibration isolation and
damping.
RAPID PROTOTYPING
LOW-COST TOOLING
IAST TURN AROUND
MADL IN USA
Sorbothane, Inc.
Phone: 8OO.888.89O6 Iax: 88O.678.18O8
Lmai: saessorbothane.com
www.sorbothane.com
ENGINEERING
DESIGN
GUIDE
Your Guide To
Shock & Vibration
Solutions
Sorbothane, Inc.
2144 State Route 59
Kent, OH 44240-7142
330-678-9444
www.sorbothane.com
AIRCRAFT QUALITY ROD END &
SPHERICAL BEARINGS (AS9100 / ISO 9001)
Since 1955 Radial Bearing Corporation has
designed and manufactured metal to metal
and self lubricating rod end and spheri-
cal bearings for use in aircraft, marine and
ground vehicles and industrial machinery.
Products range from standards to specials
designed to customer specifications and for
difficult environments. Bore sizes range from
1/8 to 3.
Aircraft Ouality
Rod End & 8pherical Bearings
Radial Bearing Corporation
Danbury, CT
(800)377-1937, FAX : (203)744-1691
sales@radialbearing.com
www.radialbearing.com
SELF-LUBRICATING GEAR SOLUTIONS CALCULATED
FOR LIFE
The Intech Power-Core gears are precision ma-
chined and offer solutions to applications in which
lubrication, wear, noise, vibration, inertia, shock load,
moisture and chemicals present a problem for ny-
lon, Delrin or metal gears. Metal Core provides for
a secure attachment to the shaft and higher torque
transmission. Gear design and sizing is backed by du-
rability calculation using proprietary software.
Intech Corp.,
250 Herbert Ave., Closter, NJ 07624.
(201) 767-8066;
Fax: (201) 767-7797.
www.intechpower.com
B210 ESBAND
WOVEN FLAT BELTS CATALOG

ESBAND
Truly Endless, Woven Flat Belts

BRECOflex CO., L.L.C. offers truly endless wo-
ven flat belts in their B210 Esband
catalog.
The catalog contains extensive technical infor-
mation about truly endless, woven flat belts,
including belt specifications & characteristics,
coating & carcass materials, coefficients of fric-
tion, calculation examples, crowned pulley de-
signs and much more! For free catalogs, samples,
and technical support call (732) 460-9500 or visit
www.brecoflex.com today!
BRECOflex CO., L.L.C.
Toll free at 888-463-1400
Phone: 732-460-9500
Email: info@brecoflex.com
EPOXIES MADE TO ORDER
For specialized needs, Master Bond can custom
formulate an epoxy adhesive, sealant, coating,,
potting, and encapsulation compound to meet
your specifications. We offer unsurpassed
technical expertise and have years of experience
in solving complex problems. Special formulations
can be made in small to large quantities. These
formulations can increase productivity, eliminate
waste and improve product reliability. Additionally,
our products can be supplied in simple, easy to use
packaging.
Master Bond, Inc.
Phone: (201)343-8983
Fax: (201)343-2132
E-mail: main@masterbond.com
www.masterbond.com
ADVANCED CERAMIC SOLUTIONS
Astro Mets unique advanced ceramics
provide cost effective solutions to material
performance problems in a wide range
of demanding applications. Amalox 68
a 99.8% alumina ceramic and Amzirox
86 an yttria stabilized zirconia provide
superior wear resistance, corrosion resistance,
high temperature stability, low thermal
expansion, high stiffness to weight
ratio, biocompatibility and high dielectric
strength.
Astro Met, Inc.
Cincinnati, OH
(513) 772-1242, FAX: (513) 772-9080
E-mail: fgorman@astromet.com
Web: www.astromet.com
3 MACHINE Design.com MARCH 2010
ELECTRICAL/OPTIC SEALS
Standard and custom hermetic designs.
Low or high pressures or vacuums. Any
cable type or pin connector may be spec-
ified. Circular or rectangular seals in-
cluding micro D-sub. Design flexibility,
low cost, compact sizes, high corrosion
resistance, easy installation. Small or
large quantity pricing. Fuel pumps,
semi-conductor, moisture-proof, defense
applications, etc. Website in-stock price
list, catalog, quote request form.
PAVE Technology Co., Inc.
Dayton, OH
(937) 890-1100, FAX: (937) 890-5165
Web: www.PAVEtechnologyCo.com
MINIATURE CHECK VALVES
& FIXED FLOW CONTROLS
Easily installed in-line check valves or fixed
orifice flow controls are available in 10/32,
1/8, 1/4 and 3/8 NPT sizes. The brass or
stainless steel bodies of the ball check types
are usable for liquids or gases up to 2000 psig.
Disk types are rated vacuum to 150 psig. The
free 20 page catalog includes specifications,
engineering data, and part drawings.
OKeefe Controls Co.
(800) 533-3285
www.okcckr.com
Email: sa@okcc.com
MONROE, CT
IN-LINE
CHECK VALVES
AND
FIXED FLOW CONTROLS
1/8", 1/4" NPT 1/8", 1/4" NPT
10-32 10-32
1/8", 1/4", 3/8" NPT 1/8", 1/4", 3/8" NPT
10-32
CATALOG CV2
10-32, 5/16", 7/16"
INSERT #6, #10
Controls Co. OKeefe

www.okcckr.com
NEW REVISED 2010 ELECTRIC
HEATER CATALOG
Hotwatt manufactures electric heaters including
cartridge, air process, immersion, strip and finned
strip, tubular and finned tubular, band, crankcase,
foil, flexible glasrope and ceramic heaters. We
have been manufacturing resistance heating ele-
ments since 1952 and offer a wide variety of heat-
ers for OEM, industrial, medical, commercial and
military applications.
HOTWATT, INC.
Danvers, MA
Phone (978) 777-0070
FAX (978) 774-2409
E-mail: sales@hotwatt.com
Web Page: www.hotwatt.com
MAINTENANCE IDEAS
FREE More than 100 maintenance ideas
collected from operations personnel are
revealed in a revised brochure. Included
are ideas for handling hot or frozen bear-
ings, loosening corroded bolts and frozen
brake cables, removing rust, and improv-
ing engine performance.
Kano Laboratories
Offer Code 98H10
Call 615-833-4102 or order from the
Website at: www.kanolabs.com
2010 SPEC
CATALOG
Select from many new products in Associated
Spring-Raymonds SPEC
2010 catalog, including

2,100 parts in our complete line of 316 Stainless
Steel compression springs, and a new line of spring
anchors. Check our extended line of Constant Force
springs, our CloverSpring Spring Washers and our
in-stock, precision-engineered springs and washers
for your prototyping and design needs (in metric
and English dimensions). And ask about our cus-
tom work capabilities for materials, coatings, kit-
ting, secondary processes, etc.
Associated Spring-Raymond, Barnes Group Inc.
Maumee, Ohio 43537 U.S.A.
Phone: 1.800.872.7732
Fax: 1.419.891.9192
speccs@asraymond.com
www.asraymond.com/spec/
NEW SPRING BROCHURE
New brochure, The spring for the 21st
century, describes Helicals special ex-
pertise in designing and producing single
piece, maintenance free, machined
springs for a broad range of applications.
It also features examples of integrated at-
tachments plus data comparing wire-
wound and machined springs. Helical
machined springs are used in industries
such as medical, aerospace, military, nu-
clear, industrial and electrical/electronics.
HELICAL PRODUCTS CO., INC.
Santa Maria, CA
(888) 211-9589, FAX: (805) 928-2369
Web: www.Heli-Cal.com
ACE CONTROLS MAIN CATALOG
Decelerate loads, prevent impact damage,improve
product performance, increase cycle speeds and
reduce noise.

New ACE Controls Main Catalog includes
industrial and safety shock absorbers, as well as
models for the PET & GLASS industries.

Additional motion control catalog products
include: gas springs, hydraulic dampers, velocity
and feed controllers.
ACE Controls Inc.
T: 800-521-3320 248-476-0213
E-mail: shocks@acecontrols.com
www.acecontrols.com
BOKERS FREE 2010 WASHER CATALOG
Washer Catalog features over 24,000 non-stan-
dard flat washer sizes available with no tool-
ing charges. ODs of 0.080 to 5.140, a range of
IDs and thicknesses, as well as 2,000 material
options provide endless washer possibilities.
Materials include numerous carbon steels,
stainless steels, aluminums, brasses, coppers
and non-metallics. ISO 9001:2008 Registered.
Bokers, Inc.
(888) 927-4377, FAX: (800) 321-3462
Email: sales@bokers.com
URL: www.bokers.com/mdlw
MARCH 2010 MACHINE Design.com 44 MACHINE Design.com
SPIRAL RETAINING RINGS &
WAVE SPRINGS
Smalleys complete product line is now
available in one easy to navigate catalog.
The new catalog includes over 7,000 stan-
dard wave springs, spiral retaining rings
and snap rings. Smalleys new catalog of-
fers simplified part selection, special de-
sign and engineering tools and the latest
applications of Smalley products.
Smalley Steel Ring Company
Lake Zurich, IL
(847) 719-5900, FAX: (847) 719-5999
E-mail: info@smalley.com
Web: www.smalley.com/getcatalog
FLOYD BELL PIEZO ALARMS
The i ndust rys l argest sel ect i on of
piezoelectric alarms. All products carry
an impressive 2-year warranty. Avail-
able in many tone types, body styles,
voltages and terminations. With an in-
house wire-harness division, Floyd Bell
is able to ensure that all alarms will be a
perfect match to your application. ISO
9001:2000 registered company all
products made in USA.
Floyd Bell Inc.
Columbus, OH
(614) 294-4000, FAX: (614) 291-0823
E-mail: sales@floydbell.com
Web: www.floydbell.com
NEW CLIPPARD PNEUMATIC CONTROL DEVICES
CATALOG
Clippard, a manufacturer of the most complete line of
miniature fluid power products, has a new 388-page
full product line catalog, with technical information,
product applications, and more. It includes features,
specifications, color photographs, and technical
drawings for over 5,000 standard products. Its your
complete source for miniature fluid power products.
Request your free copy today!
Clippard Instrument Laboratory, Inc.
888-439-6264
www.clippard.com/catalog-m
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES CATALOG
Free 864-page catalog featuring 12 color-coded
categories including: manual controls, clamps
and workholding, tooling components, fasten-
ers and hardware, leveling devices and vibra-
tion control, material handling, bearings and
power transmission, metalworking, MRO,
pneumatics and hydraulics, structural systems
and safety. Browse our online catalog or order
your printed catalog at ReidSupply.com.
Reid Supply Company
(800) 253-0421; FAX: (800) 438-1145
e-mail: mail@reidsupply.com
www.ReidSupply.com
CUSTOM MILITARY COMPONENTS
Visit Phillips Plastics Defense White
Paper and see four new manufac-
turing technologies defense indus-
try providers are using and learn
several potential applications
where these technologies can be
applied successfully to meet the
requirements for even the toughest
programs.
www.phillipsplastics.com/defensewhitepaper
Phillips Plastics
www.phillipsplastics.com
ENERGY CHAIN
CABLE CARRIERS
igus has published a new 2010 catalog
for its Energy Chain cable carriersde-
signed to guide and protect moving cables
on automated machineryand Chainflex

continuous-flex cables.
igus Inc.
401-438-2200 or 1-800-521-2747
sales@igus.com
www.igus.com
MECHANICAL CABLES, CABLE
ASSEMBLIES, & PULLEYS
Cable Solutions! Call Sava Industries to request
our comprehensive 36-page Design Guide featuring
miniature and small steel cable from .006-3/8, push
pull varieties, high fatigue drive and low stretch
cables. Also available plastic and still idler pulleys
from 3/8-6.0 and a large section of end terminals
for the steel cable. Specializing in fast service.
ISO 9001 Certified
Carl Stahl Sava Industries, Inc.
Riverdale, NJ
Tel: (973) 835-0882 Fax: (973) 835-0877
E-mail: bruce@savacable.com
Web: www.savacable.com
www.savacable.com/medical
Design Guide for
Cable Solutions
ISO 9001 Certified

CABLE
S
O L U T I O N
S

Precision Cable Assemblies

Miniature & Small Cables
Small MIL-SPEC Wire Rope
Push-Pull Controls
Design Guide for
Cable Solutions
DG0508
Plastic & Steel Idler Pulleys
Wire Rope Terminals
Fittings & Hardware
Ferrous & Nonferrous Alloys
www.savacable.com www.savacable.com
5 MACHINE Design.com MARCH 2010
SHOCK & VIBRATION ISOLATION SOLUTIONS FROM AAC
Catalogs V100 & V110 from AAC feature a
wide selection of off-the-shelf vibration
mounts, shock absorbers and shock absorb-
ing couplings for use in both commercial and
military applications. To assist in problem
solving and component selection two com-
prehensive technical sections are included.
Call to request your free catalogs or shop
online at: www.vibrationmounts.com
Advanced Antivibration Components
New Hyde Park, New York
Phone: (516) 328-3662 FAX: (516) 328-3365
www.vibrationmounts.com
INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION SOLUTIONS
New Quality Transmission Components Catalog
Q470 contains product specs for 16,000 off-the-shelf
standardized components for use in MRO, R&D and
production applications. Components available in-
clude: timing pulleys, timing belts, roller chains and
sprockets, belt and chain tensioners and planetary
gearheads. For free catalog and technical support call:
516-437- 6700 or shop online at: www.econobelt.com.
Quality Transmission Components
Garden City Park, New York
Phone: 516-437-6700 FAX: 516-328-3343
www.econobelt.com
NEW CATALOG
PRECISION ORIFICES
15,000 Precision Orifices are included in the 72
page 2010 catalog. Orifices in sizes from .0003
to .125 diameter are made of brass, stainless
steel or sapphire. Connections include barbs,
compression styles, press-in inserts, set screw
threads, and pipe sizes 1/8, 1/4, 3/8 and
1/2 NPT. Catalog also includes inline screens,
check valves and fixed flow controls.
OKeefe Controls Co.
(800) 533-3285
www.okcckr.com
Email: sa@okcc.com
FOR A GREEN FUTURE
All Metric Small Parts, a division of Designa-
tronics, Inc., has announced the availability
of a NEW 512 page catalog titled M100. The
catalog features over 5,600 RoHS compli-
ant, Metric components. The products de-
tailed include: Handles, Handwheels, Cranks,
Grips, Levers, Knobs, Latches, Locks,
Catches, Hinges, Screws, Washers, Springs,
Keys, Plungers, Pins, Leveling & Support Feet.
Request your FREE copy today.
ALL METRIC SMALL PARTS
New Hyde Park, NY
516-302-0152, FAX: 516-302-0153
Web: www.allmetricsmallparts.com
CROSS-REFERENCED TO METAL CAM FOLLOWERS
FOR EASY REPLACEMENT
Only our patent pending iCamFollowers offer all
these advantages: plastic tire eliminates rail wear; no
lubrication is required in the bearing or on the rail;
reduce noise up to 10dB; absorb shock and vibration;
high load capacity; ball bearings permit higher linear
speeds; lighter weight reduces inertia; are suitable for
use in clean rooms; wash downs; work well in subzero
temperatures (-40F). For load ratings and sizes go to
www.intechpower.com/icam.
Intech Corporation
201-767-8066
INTERACTIVE WEBSITE ALLOWS
CUSTOMERS TO ORDER ONLINE
Trim-Lok Inc. launches a brand new website fea-
turing an interactive 24-hours-a-day ordering sys-
tem, which showcases an expanded product selec-
tion of new trims and seals. Customers will relish
in the ability to build their own products through
selecting the available styles, colors and textures of
the particular product. It easily allows customers to
order products online without the hassle of calcu-
lating product codes and numbers. Customers can
request a FREE sample of the final product to con-
firm the product meets their specific needs. Addi-
tionally, customers can utilize the new site to re-
quest a FREE copy of our new Catalog 500.
Trim-Lok, Inc.
Buena Park, CA
(888) TRIM-LOK, (714) 562-0500
FAX: (714) 562-0600
E-mail: info@trimlok.com
Web: www.trimlok.com
METRIC AUTOMATION AND DRIVE COMPONENTS
New Stock Drive Products/Sterling Instrument Metric
Components Catalog D805 contains product specs
for over 40,000 items such as: gears, timing belts,
timing belt pulleys, bearings, couplings, gearheads
and speed reducers, right angle drives and linear mo-
tion systems.
For FREE catalog and engineering assistance call: 800-
737-7436 or download 3D models and shop online at:
www.sdp-si.com.
SDP/SI Stock Drive Products/Sterling Instrument
New Hyde Park, New York
Phone: 800-737-7436 FAX: 516-326-8827
www.sdp-si.com
FREE COPY - CIRCLE 31 FREE COPY - CIRCLE 27
FREE COPY - CIRCLE 28 FREE COPY - CIRCLE 32
Stock Drive Products/Sterling Instrument
2010 KIT CATALOG
The Hercules 2010 Kit Catalog contains over
900 pages of hydraulic and pneumatic seal
kit information for both in-plant and mobile
applications. Complete cylinder repair kits
are listed from over 100 different brands of
equipment for construction, logging, refuse
equipment, forklifts, cranes and dump bod-
ies. Popular kits include Caterpillar, John
Deere, Komatsu, Volvo and many more. On-
line ordering is now available.
Hercules Sealing Products
Clearwater, FL
866-625-0481; fax: 800-759-6391
website: www.HerculesUS.com
INDEX TO ADVERTISERS
To receive catalogs or brochures described in this
issue of the Literature Express, simply circle the
inquiry number on the Reader Service Card. We will
rapidly computer process your requests.
www.machinedesign.com www.penton.com
While every effort has been made to ensure the
accuracy of this index, the publisher cannot be held
responsible for any errors or o missions.
ACCURATE BUSHING CO., INC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
ACE CONTROLS INC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
ADVANCED ANTIVIBRATION COMPONENTS . . . . 5
ALL METRIC SMALL PARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
ALTECH CORP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
ASSOCIATED SPRING/RAYMOND . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
ASTRO MET ASSOCIATES INC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
BEI INDUSTRIAL ENCODER DIV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
BOKERS INC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
BRECOFLEX CO LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
CARL STAHL SAVA INDUSTRIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
CARR LANE MANUFACTURING CO. . . . . . . . . . . . 2
CLIPPARD INSTRUMENT LABORATORY, INC . . . . 4
FLOYD BELL INC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
GORTRAC, DIV OF A&A MFG CO., INC . . . . . . . . . 6
HELICAL PRODUCTS CO INC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
HOTWATT INC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
IGUS INC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
INTECH TRADING CORP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 & 5
KANO LABORATORIES INC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
MASTER BOND INC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
OKEEFE CONTROLS, INC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 & 5
PAVE TECHNOLOGY CO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
PHILLIPS PLASTICS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
QUALITY TRANSMISSION COMPONENTS. . . . . . . 5
RADIAL BEARING CORP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
REID SUPPLY COMPANY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
SCHUNK INTEC INC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
SMALLEY STEEL RING CO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
SORBOTHANE INC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
STOCK DRIVE PRODUCTS/STERLING INSTRUMENT 5
SUPERBOLT, INC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
TRIM-LOK INC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
MARCH 2010 MACHINE Design.com 6
ENGINEERED CABLE CARRIERS FROM GORTRAC
The Custom Metal Line of Carriers utilize standard
components customized to your specifications. En-
gineered, manufactured and delivered in the U.S.A.,
these carriers are available in a variety of plastic,
metallic and hybrid configurations. Gortrac provides
your company engineered solutions at standard
prices. All for our new CD and brochure!
Gortrac Division, A & A Manufacturing Co., Inc.
800-394-1547
Fax: 262-786-3280
sales@gortrac.com
www.gortrac.com
A & A Manufacturing Co., Inc.
2300 South Calhoun Road
New Berlin, WI 53151
BEI INDUSTRIAL ENCODERS FOR DUMMIES
Whether youre a novice or expert on industrial
encoders, you can discover more about these
multipurpose gadgets with this complimentary
guide. This survival guide to the industrial en-
coder world can be a quick reference, a refresher
or a complete top-to-bottom read on everything
encoders. Find out how encoders work, what
makes a quality encoder, and what environmental
and electrical concerns to assess before they be-
come an issue in your system.
BEI Industrial Encoders
(800) ENCODER or (805) 968-0782
www.beiied.com/dummies
encoders@beiied.com
THE SOLUTION TO BOLTING PROBLEMS
Patented Multi-Jackbolt Tensioners eliminate
common bolting problems. Only hand/air tools
are required for installation and removal of any
size tensioner. This increases worker safety and
does away with expensive equipment and time
consuming bolting methods. Tensioners are fast
to install and remove, accurate and reusable.
Superbolt, Inc.
Carnegie, Pa
1-800-345-BOLT (U.S. only)
1-412-279-1149
Web: www.superbolt.com
E-Mail: bolting@superbolt.com
SCHUNK UNIPLACE MULTI AXIS SYSTEM
SCHUNK designs and manufactures an un-
matched selection of industrial automation
components including
Grippers
Rotary actuators
Linear actuators
Robotic components
Sensors and accessories
The UNIPLACE is a fully integrated multi axis
system with an intuitive programmer inter-
face and can dramatically reduce startup
and engineering time. Order your SCHUNK
literature by calling or filling out the online
order form at www.schunk.com.
SCHUNK, Inc.
Morrisville, NC
(800) 772-4865
http://www.schunk.com
nical sessions aimed at engineers and technologists engaged in projects involving energy
e cient products and processes. Sessions will cover topics in LED lighting, energy e cient
motor and drive technology, energy monitoring, smart grid applications, energy e cient
power supplies, legislated energy mandates, and related subjects. The EET Conference is
one of the few venues focusing strictly on technology and innovations related to energy
e ciency. There will be educational, product exhibition, and networking opportunities
throughout the day.
Do you design specifically for energy efficiency? Do legislative
mandates, industry standards, and customer demands have you
searching for new solutions?
Join Us May 6, 2010
Visit eetconference.com today!!!
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A Pent on Publ i c a t i on
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Ultracapacitors for
super-efcient charging
and discharge
Pg. 19
Computer modeling
for energy efciency
Pg. 22
Harvesting energy
fromnature
Pg. 36
Getting a handle on
demand charges
Pg. 40
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Energy Efciency & Technology Energy Efciency & Technology
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1300 EAST 9TH STREET
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MARCH 2010 MACHINE Design.com 8
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Altech has combined its DIN Rail Terminal Block
and Printed Circuit Board Terminal Block catalogs.
A Perfect Combination!
Our new full color 196 page catalog contains DIN Rail, Panel Mount and
Printed Circuit Board Blocks. The DIN Rail and Panel Mount sections include
Screw and Spring Clamp connections. We have added new blocks including
the Angular Feed-Through Spring Clamp Series and Hinge Type Stud Blocks.
Our expanded Printed Circuit Board section
with a larger range of variations includes Fixed,
Pluggable and Panel type blocks. Smaller pitch
pluggables are now included and we
have added more panel mount blocks.
The catalog also includes Eurostrips,
High Temperature Ceramic Blocks,
Receptacles, Tools and a large
selection of Accessories.
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NEMB produces precision miniature balls
from .007" to .160" diameter in virtually all
machinable materials. An ISO 9001:2000
certified manufacturing process ensures
consistent quality.
Call us to
receive a FREE
sample packet
860-542-5543
or visit our website at
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Liquid DiaphragmTransfer Pump
advanced diaphragmpump technology - why settle for less?
For transfer, dosing, wasteremoval, recirculation
9in. Hgsuction, 15psigpressurehead
Maintenance-free, noperistaltic tubingtoreplace
AvailableinBLDC, Ironless-core, brushDCmotor types
Linear rpmvs. flowoutput for highrepeatability
KNFwelcomes your uniqueOEMrequirements
Designed for applications that require dosing of small quantities

of liquid. Conventional full-feature dosing pumps are often too
sophisticated or expensive for these simple jobs.The NF25 is an
ideal solution. Our highest performance to size ratio.
Highest Performance toSize RatioAvailable
Available SpeedControl Option Ouiet
NF25shownwithBLDC, IC&DCmotors
25-250ml/minadj. flowrange
KNF Neuberger, Inc.
TrehIoh, NJ
www.knf.com/usa
609/890-8600
Liquid Pump Selection Guide
F
R
E
E
!
RS# 141
Three-jaw centric gripper
The PZN-plus Series of three-jaw centric grippers
now includes Size 380, which handles weights up
to 190 kg (420 lb). Multitooth guidance of the three-
finger centric gripper employs a large gripping force
and high moment load capabilities. Different versions
are available for universal use in areas with special
requirements (temperature, chemicals, dirt, etc.).
The PZN gripper family offers grip forces to 59,500 N
(13,400 lbf ) and strokes of 2 in./jaw. Options for the
grippers include metallic dust covers and Viton seals.
Schunk Inc., 211 Kitty Hawk Dr., Morrisville, NC
27560, (919) 572-2705, www.schunk.com
RS# 473
RS# 145 RS# 144
BUSINESS INDEX
This index includes all significant
references to parent companies
mentioned in feature editorial material
within this issue of MACHINE DESIGN. It
doesnt cite companies listed solely
in the Products and Lit Section. Page
numbers listed refer to the pages where
the articles begin.
ProMold Plastics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
RF Micro Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Radio Corp. of America. . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Riken. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Rollon Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
SPS Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Saint-Gobain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Samsung. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Sandia National Laboratory . . . . . . . . 29
Sauer-Danfoss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Siemens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Smalley Steel Ring Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
SmartDraw.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Society of Women Engineers . . . . . . . 32
SpaceClaim Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Spartan Scientific. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Specialty Motions Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Spirol International Corp. . . . . . . . . . . 62
TeraView . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Thomas Div.,
Gardner Denver Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Thomas Jefferson National
Accelerator Facility . . . . . . . . . . 32, 45
Thompson Friction Welding. . . . . . . . 52
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions
Americas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Tridak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Turck. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
U.S. Air Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
U.S. Department of Energy . . . . . . . . . 34
Vistagy Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Visumatic Industrial Products . . . . . . 18
WEG Electric Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Yaskawa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Airbus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Autodesk Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
AutomationDirect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Boeing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Bokers Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Bosch Rexroth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Brookhaven National
Laboratory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
CUI Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Cambridge Consultants. . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Center for Terahertz Research,
Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Clippard Instrument
Laboratory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Colder Products Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Digi-Key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 35
Eaton Hydraulics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Electro-Sensors Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Ensinger Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
FlexLink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Galil Motion Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
General Magnaplate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Goodyear Aircraft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Grumman Aerospace Corp. . . . . . . . . 30
Hawe Hydraulics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
InteraXon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Keithley Instruments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Laser Photonics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Lenze Americas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Lenze SE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Lenze-AC Tech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Lightbridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Lockheed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
MSC.Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Master Bond Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Mentor Graphics Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Minnesota Rubber and Plastics. . . . . 61
Moog Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
National Electrical Manufacturers
Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
NewAge Industries Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Nikon Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Oak Ridge National Laboratory. . . . . 22
Parametric Technology Corp. . . . . . . . 39
Parker Hannifin Corp.,
Hose Products Div. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Planit Software Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
RS# 146
New Loctite
Threadlockers
Loctite
243
Medium Strength
Blue Threadlocker and Loctite
263

High Strength Red Threadlocker provide:
+ upgraded temperature resistance
up to 360F
+ oil tolerant curing on as-received
fasteners without cleaning
+ primerless performance on both
inactive and active metals
For a free sample and more info,
go to www.useloctite.com/MA23
Gems Sensors & Controls
Gems Fluid Sensors &
Controls Master Catalog
This 340-page Master Catalog
details the broad portfolio of
Gems liquid level, fow, and pres-
sure sensors, miniature solenoid
valves, and pre-assembled fu-
idic systems designed for OEMs
across a wide range of indus-
tries. Provides full specifcations,
dimensions and part numbers.
800-378-1600
www.GemsSensors.com
Stainless Steel
Tube Fittings
20-page catalog (#74-H) describes
these Mark VIII O-SEAL stainless steel
tube fittings that will not shake loose.
Unique leakproof sealing system al-
lows easy slip-in, slip-out connections
matched to your system. O.D. tube
sizes from 1/4 to 2. Reliable to 6,000 psi for liquids and gases.
Available in steel, bronze, monel, and titanium. Call 888-278-
5449, Web: www.cpvmfg.com
CPV Manufacturing Inc., Philadelphia, PA
EDGE WELDED
BELLOWS
BellowsTech, LLC de-
signs & manufactures
precision bellows in a
full range of diameters
and thicknesses rang-
ing from .394 (10 mm)
to 26 (660 mm) in
diameter. Available in
an array of dimensional
confgurations & alloys including Titanium, 316LSS, AM350 SS,
Aluminum, and Inconel/Hastelloy.
Email: www.bellows@bellowstech.com, for NEW 12 page brochure.
BellowsTech, LLC / PMG, LLC
CounterBalance Corporation
Motion Control with
CounterBalance
Corporation
CounterBalance
Corporation has many
solutions for heavy lid
applications. Designed to
provide precise balancing
of delicate or heavy
loads. CounterBalances can be designed to integrate
hinge and attaching featuresa complete system.
CounterBalance engineers offer design assistance to
improve quality and reliability of balancing systems. Call
or contact us at 215-957-9260 or http://www.cbal.com.
HDRT Stands Up to
Heavy Loads
The HepcoMotion
HDRT Heavy Duty

Ring and Track system is capable of
supporting loads up to 8,992 lbs. HDRT
is low maintenance, easy to install,
fully adjustable and tolerant of debris. It
offers a broad range of single edge
rings and segments, straight slides
up to 4m, two types of carriages,
and three sizes of concentric or
eccentric double row bearings. Ideal
for pallet systems, spool handling
units, & turbine handling fxtures.
888.580.8272; www.bwc.com.
Design & Specifying Guide
65 full color pages of product speci-
fcations, design examples, draw-
ings and accessories - all dedicated
to encoder feedback solutions.
Includes rotary and linear encod-
ers, electronic modules, wireless
interfaces, cables, connectors and
accessories. Special sections
include hazardous and extreme
environments. Call 800-ENCODER
or visit www.beiied.com/catalog
Automation Direct
Save up to 50% on Quality
Industrial Automation Products
AutomationDirects volume 12
catalog offers 6,500 industrial
automation products for a wide
range of applications. The latest
volume, with over 2,000 pages,
features product descriptions,
technical data, photos, and price
lists for PLCs, touch screen
monitors, AC drives/motors,
general purpose motors, text panels, sensors, encoders,
pushbuttons, switches, and more.
For a free copy or more information, visit
www.automationdirect.com or call 800-633-0405.
All Motion
4 Axis Driver + Controller
Measures Just 2.25 Square
The product is a miniature 4 axis
stepper motor controller and driver
measuring 2.25 x 2.25 x 0.6. The
controller-driver is capable of driv-
ing each motor at 1 Amp of current
at 1/16th micro-step resolution. The
controller performs fully profled
moves and accepts high level com-
mands from RS232, RS485 or USB. On boards program stor-
age allows stand alone operation. Connections for limit / home
switches for each channel , and dual encoders for position
monitoring and correction are supported.
www.allmotion.com
(408) 460-1345
ACE Controls Inc.
Hydraulic Dampers
ACE long life hydraulic dampers are
the cost-effective choice for solving
your automation damping issues.
Durable ACE gas springs are ideal
for lifting and counter-balancing
loads.
See our online catalog or contact
ACE Controls for your free catalog:
Farmington Hills, MI
(800) 521-3320 (248) 476-0213
Fax (248) 476-2470
Email: shocks@acecontrols.com
www.acecontrols.com
RS# 261
RS# 264
RS# 260
RS# 263
RS# 262
RS# 257
RS# 256
RS# 255 RS# 254
RS# 253
RS# 252
RS# 251
RS# 250
RS# 259
Pressure
Sensor Data
Book
All Sensors Corpora-
tion offers a free Pres-
sure Sensor Data
book. Thi s book i n-
cludes product specifi-
cati ons for pressure
measurement to one-half inch water full scale. Sensors
are offered with amplified, millivolt and digital outputs.
Additional information may be found at our website
www.allsensors.com.
All Sensors Corporation
Bokers, Inc.
Bokers Free 2010
Washer Catalog
Washer Catalog features over 24,000
non-standard fat washer sizes avail-
able with no tooling charges. ODs of
0.080 to 5.140, a range of IDs and
thicknesses, as well as 2,000 material
options provide endless washer pos-
sibilities. Materials include numerous
carbon steels, stainless steels, alumi-
nums, brasses, coppers and non-me-
tallics. ISO 9001:2008 Registered.
(888) 927-4377, FAX: (800) 321-3462
Email: sales@bokers.com
URL: www.bokers.com/mdd
RS# 258
Helical Products Co., Inc.
COUPLINGS, U-JOINTS
and MACHINED SPRINGS
Helicals 28-page catalog
features miniature fexible
couplings, u-joints, power
transmission couplings and
machine springs. Quick-
reference, product summary
chart highlights features and
technical data. Easy-to-use part
number builders make ordering
easy.
Visit: www.heli-cal.com
MACHINE Design.com 67 MARCH 18, 2010
Digital Thermometer For RTD Sensor: DTG RTD100
Omegas new DTG-RTD100 Series features a large
backlit display with 25mm (1) digits that can be
read as far as 10.7 m (35) away. Reading fea-
tures include, process, Min, Max, Alarm condi-
tion and battery status. An additional analog
output signal is standard on all models. The
rugged, splash proof, 316 Stainless Steel
enclosure is designed specifcally for wash
down, sanitary or marine applications. Models
are available with or without integral standard or
sanitary sensors. Low power operation and sleep
mode provides long battery life. Software and a USB
cable is included that allows for easy setup and
calibration via your computer. The Wireless
Transmitter Option sends readings
to remote locations and allows for
PC-based chart recording and
data logging. This proprietary
product is also CE compliant.
Price starts at $395
Trim-Lok Inc., Buena Park, CA
Vinyl & Rubber Extrusions
Trim-Lok Inc. releases a brand new
FREE Catalog 500 featuring How
to Order steps for the frst time
customer, along with an expanded
line of complete trims and seals.
FREE samples may be requested.
Latest additions include our Flap
Seal, Fire Retardanct Trim, adn
Hatch Seal. Contact us toll fee at
1-888-874-6565, e-mail us at info@
trimlok.com or visit us on-line at
www.trimlok.com
Roxtec Inc, Tulsa, OK
www.roxtec.com
Roxtec EzEntry the
new seal for cabinets
and enclosures. It is UL/
NEMA and IP rated and
allows for pre-terminated
cables of various sizes.
EPOXIES MADE TO ORDER
For specialized needs, Master Bond can custom
formulate an epoxy adhesive, sealant, coating,,
potting, and encapsulation compound to meet
your specifications. We offer unsurpassed
technical expertise and have years of experience
in solving complex problems. Special formulations
can be made in small to large quantities. These
formulations can increase productivity, eliminate
waste and improve product reliability. Additionally,
our products can be supplied in simple, easy to use
packaging.
Master Bond, Inc.
Phone: (201)343-8983
Fax: (201)343-2132
E-mail: main@masterbond.com
www.masterbond.com
Phillips Plastics Corporation
Custom Military
Components
Visit Phillips Plastics De-
fense White Paper and see
four new manufacturing
technologies defense in-
dustry providers are using
and learn several potential
applications where these
technologies can be ap-
plied successfully to meet
the requirements for even the toughest programs.
www.phillipsplastics.com/defensewhitepaper
RS# 282
RS# 281
RS# 280
RS# 279
RS# 278
Spring 2010
Catalog 113
General Industrial Catalog
Abrasives, Adhesives, Die-Cutting, Labels, Packaging, Tapes, Vinyl Films and More...
Phone: 800-798-3902
770-339-3900
Order Online @
www.thomco.biz Fax: 800-845-2370
770-339-1730
THOM
CO

w
w
w.thom
co.biz

Spring 2010
NEW!
FREE
2010 General Industrial
Catalog
Featuring Custom Converting
Solutions including Specialty
Die-Cut Components; CAD and
Plotter Cutting; Slitting, Laminating
and Sheeting and Custom Printed
Labels.
Also includes Specialty
Industrial Distribution items such
as Abrasives; Adhesives &
Sealants; Double-Coated &
Single-Coated Industrial Tapes;
Hook & Loop Fasteners; Vinyl
Films; Safety products & more!
www.thomco.biz
Suwanee, GA
800-798-3902
770-339-3900
ISO 9001:2008; TS 16949:2009
Registered
diecuts@thomco.biz
RS# 276
testing
superior
strength, reduced coefficient of
friction and uniform oil coating of
New stock catal og. (814) 894-
2461, www.symmco.com
SYMMCO, Inc., Sykesvillle, PA Smalley Steel Ring Company
Spiral Retaining Rings
& Wave Springs
Smalleys complete product line
is now available in one easy to
navigate catalog. The new cata-
log includes over 7,000 standard
wave springs, spiral retaining
rings and snap rings. Smalleys
new catalog offers simplifed
part selection, special design
and engineering tools and the
latest applications of Smalley
products. (847) 719-5900.
E-mail: info@smalley.com, Web: www.smalley.com/getcatalog
Seal Master Corp., Kent, OH
SEALS, ACTUATORS,
GRIPPERS AND BAGS
Solve difficult closure prob-
lems with custom-built, fab-
ric-reinforced, fully molded
elastomeric Seal Master
infatable seals. With close
tolerance capability and re-
sistance to compression,
theyre ideal for imaginative production and processing
applications too. Engineered specialties include fabric-
reinforced bags, bladders, plugs and other custom rubber
products. Design assistance offered.
RDP Electrosense
Miniature LVDT Displacement Transducers
RDPs D5/D6 and GT
series linear displace-
ment transducers are
ideal for gauging and
positioning applica-
tions where space is
restricted and micron
accuracy is required. Available in unguided, spring extended,
and air actuated mechanical confgurations with linear ranges
starting at 0.040 inches. The reliability, small size, and high
performance of these units offer excellent solutions for both
end user and OEM applications involving closed loop, preci-
sion gauging, and machine tool applications.
Pelican Products
Pelican Products
Protects Sensitive
Instruments
Pelican Products is the global
leader in the design and
manufacture of advanced
lighting systems and virtually
indestructible cases for
protecting valuable equipment.
Sales Contact: Mark Rolfes
E-mail: sales@pelican.com
Website: www.pelicanoem.com
23215 Early Avenue
Torrance, CA 90505
Phone: 310-326-4700
Toll Free: 800-473-5422
Fax: 310-326-3311
RS# 274
RS# 272
RS# 271
RS# 266 RS# 267
RS# 268
Precision Paper Tube
Precision Paper Tube
Insulating tubing, bobbins,
stand-offs, covers, etc.,etc!
Hi dielectric, hi temp, fame
retarding. Many material
choices.
For more information, visit:
www.pptube.com
SELF-LUBRICATING GEAR
SOLUTIONS CALCULATED FOR LIFE
The Intech Power-Core gears are precision
machined and offer solutions to applications
in which lubrication, wear, noise, vibration,
inertia, shock load, moisture and chemicals
present a problem for nylon, Delrin or metal
gears. Metal Core provides for a secure at-
tachment to the shaft and higher torque trans-
mission. Gear design and sizing is backed
by durability calculation using proprietary
software.
Intech Corp., 250 Herbert Ave., Closter, NJ
07624. (201) 767-8066; Fax: (201) 767-7797.
www.intechpower.com
High- Performance
Magnets
New catal og features hi gh
performance magnet materials
such as NdFeB and SmCo,
molded magnets, ceramic and
al ni co magnets. MCE offers
magnet ci rcui t desi gn,
custom fabrication, assembly,
and advanced coati ngs.
Complete traceability is offered.
P h o n e : ( 3 1 0 ) 7 8 4 - 3 1 0 0 ,
Fax:(310)784-3192; mcesales@mceproducts.com;
www.mceproducts.com
Magnetic Component Engineering
RS# 275
RS# 269
RS# 273
RS# 265
RS# 277
Proto Labs Journal
The Proto Labs Journal is a publi-
cation providing innovations, ideas,
and news on design and the appli-
cations of rapid injection molding
and CNC machining.
Catch up on past issues, or sub-
scribe to receive your own copy
today.
www.protomold.com/journal.aspx
RS# 270
High-Performance Ejector Clip/Card Lock Pins
SPIROL
Series 880 Coiled Spring

Pins have the ideal combination
of fexibility and self-retention
to enable manufactures and
assemblers of PC board card
locks and ejector clips to maximize
hinge performance and minimize
costs. Pins are manufactured
from corrosion resistant austenitic
stainless steel with an oil free fnish.
Visit www.spirol.com/s/880-md/
IBOCO
Introducing IBOCOs
new full-line catalog
IBOCOs new catalog features more of
the products you asked for:
TS Solid Duct
TSH solid duct with mounting holes
NEW Din Rail Cutter
Liquid-tight conduit and connectors
PLUS
Wire duct and conduit cutting tools
And ask for our New Brochure
featuring our full line of polycar-
bonate enclosures.
Fax: 732-417-1166
www.iboco.com
e-mail: iboco@iboco.com
Integrated Panel Management
ADVERTISER INDEX
RS# . . . COMPANY. . . . . . . . . . .PAGE
118 . . . Advanced Micro
Devices, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 19
146 . . . All Motion, Inc. . . . . . . . . 66
103 . . . Automation Direct . . . . . .3
106 . . . Balluff Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
152 . . . Belt Technologies, Inc. . 72
109 . . . Bokers Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
143 . . . Carlyle Johnson Machine
Company, LLC. . . . . . . . . 63
107 . . . Clippard Instrument
Laboratory, Inc. . . . . . . . . . .9
122 . . . Colder Products . . . . . . . 27
119 . . . Contrinex Inc . . . . . . . . . . 20
117 . . . CSA International. . . . . . 17
105 . . . Digi Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
104 . . . ebm papst. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
127 . . . Fabrico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
129 . . . Gates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
130 . . . Gates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
108 . . . Gortrac, Division of A&A
Mfg. Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 10
133 . . . J R Merritt Controls Inc. 43
151 . . . Kepner Products
Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
141 . . . KNF Neuberger, Inc. . . . 65
137 . . . Lee Company . . . . . . . . . 54
138 . . . Lee Company . . . . . . . . . 54
139 . . . Lee Company . . . . . . . . . 55
140 . . . Lee Company . . . . . . . . . 55
111 . . . LINAK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
120 . . . Loctite Corp, Division
of Henkel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
132 . . . Master Bond, Inc. . . . . . . 43
110 . . . Moog Components
Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
126 . . . Moog Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
112 . . . National Instruments
Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . 13
145 . . . New England Miniature
Ball Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
150 . . . Ogura Industrial Corp. . 71
101 . . . Omega Engineering
Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IFC
124 . . . Otto Controls . . . . . . . . . 29
121 . . . Parker Hannifin. . . . . . . . 25
134 . . . Pelican Products. . . . . . . 47
102 . . . Phillips Plastics
Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
116 . . . Precision Paper Tube
Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
131 . . . PTC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
144 . . . Protex Fasteners Ltd. . . 65
153 . . . Proto Labs, Inc. . . . . . . . .IBC
128 . . . Ringfeder Power
Transmission USA Corp 35
. . . . . . . Rino Mechanical
Components Inc. . . . . . . 30
. . . . . . . Rino Mechanical
Components Inc. . . . . . . 32
125 . . . SAB North America. . . . 31
142 . . . Smalley Steel Ring Co . 57
114 . . . SolidWorks Corp. . . . . . . 15
123 . . . Spirol International
Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . 28
149 . . . Symmco Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . 69
113 . . . Thomco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
115 . . . Trans-Tek Inc. . . . . . . . . . . 16
154 . . . Yaskawa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC
While every effort has been made to
ensure the accuracy of this index, the
publisher cannot be held responsible for
any errors or omissions.
Access our Reader Service
Website to quickly find and
request information on the
products and services found
in the pages of MACHINE DESIGN.
40 South Park St. Sykesville, PA 15865
Phone (814) 894-2461 FAX (814) 894-5272
www.symmco.com sales@symmco.com
WE MANUFACTURE
EVERYTHING WE SELL
FROM ASSEMBLIES
TO CUSTOM
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METAL
ADVANTAGE
Your Key To Quality & Savings
As a full-service
provider of complete
powder metal parts
and assemblies, Symmco
offers added
versatility
and precision
to a wide range of performance needs. In fact, our
engineers are experts at finding the most cost-
effective solutions to your unique design challenges.
Considering material factors like strength, weight
and corrosion-resistance, Symmco will work to meet
your particular requirements and deliver the
extended life cycles your industry demands.
Utilizing the latest technology and equipment,
Symmcos dynamic capabilities can accommodate
both short and long runs. And by creating parts
with net or near net shape, we can reduce or
eliminate the need for expensive machining.
Your Cost-Effective Choice For
Design Ingenuity
RS# 149
BUSINESS STAFF
1300 E. 9th St. Cleveland, OH 44114-1503,
Ph: 216-696-7000 Fax: 216-696-0177
STOP!
IF YOU HAVE
Career
opportunities
Products or
services for sale
OR
If you are trying to
buy products or
services
THEN ADVERTISE
TODAY
IN THE
FOR MORE INFORMATION,
contact
Laurel Hirkala
at
(800) 862-4034
laurel.hirkala@penton.com
CLASSIFIEDS
SECTION
Jane Maloney Cooper,
Marketing Manager
Debbie Brady, Audience
Development Manager
Vince Potochar, Director of Production
Michelle Modtland,
Production Manager, 913-967-7292
Denise Donaldson,
Administrative Manager
Bob MacArthur, Senior Vice President
Advertising Sales
Card Pack, Lit Express,
and Product Locator
Laurel L. Hirkala,
Special Services Manager, 216-931-9602
CA, OR, WA, ID, AZ, NV, UT, British Columbia:
Jim Theriault, jtheriault@penton.com,
Ph: 408-857-0322, Fax: 925-736-8705
GA, TX, AR, MO, KS, OK, NM, LA, MS, AL:
Franny Singleton, fsingleton@penton.
com, Ph: 770-205-4289, Fax: 678-455-2741,
WI, MN, IA, ND, SD, CO, NE, WY, MT:
Dennis Jensen, djensen@penton.com,
Ph: 952-368-0018, Fax: 913-514-6627
IL:
Melinda Hurley, mhurley@penton.com,
Ph: 847-784-9825, Fax: 847-784-9826
OH, MI, IN, KY, TN, WV:
Bill Rodman,
bill.rodman@penton.com,
Ph: 216-931-9636, Fax: 913-514-6841
NC, SC, VA, MD, DE, DC, S. NJ:
Brandy Bissell, bbissell@penton.com,
Ph: 919-773-1875, Fax: 919-773-1876
ME, NH, MA, RI, VT, Quebec:
Larry Berardinis,
larry.berardinis@penton.com,
Ph: 216-931-9393, Fax: 913-514-6596
CT, E. NY (New York City, Long Island), W.MA:
Dorian Olivera, dolivera@penton.com,
Ph: 860-561-4050, Fax: 860-521-9578
PA, N. NJ, W. NY:
Mike Boucher, mboucher@penton.com,
Ph: 610-353-2877, Fax: 610-356-3842
FL:
Vince Castell, vcastell@penton.com,
Ph: 941-359-0321
Belgium/Holland:
Peter Sanders, Ph: 011-31-299-671303,
Fax: 011-31-299-671500
Italy:
Cesare Casiraghi,
Casiraghi Pubblicit Estera, Ph: 011-390-
31-261407,
Fax: 011-390-31-261380
Spain:
Luis Andrade Publicad Internacional,
Carlos Garcia, Ph: 011-34-93-323-3031,
Fax: 011-34-93-453-2977,
Luis Andrade, Ph: 011-34-91-441-6266,
Fax: 011-34-91-441-6549
United Kingdom:
Hartswood Media, Paul Barrett,
Ph: 011-44-1277-812667
Fax: 011-44-1277-812697
India, New Delhi:
Shivaji Bhattacharjee, Information &
Education, Ph: 011-91-11-6867005,
Telex: 953-31-72278,
Fax: 011-91-11-6526055
Korea:
Young Sang Jo, Business Com., Inc.,
Ph: 011-82-2-739-7840,
Fax: 011-82-2-732-3662
Tokyo, Japan:
Yoshinori Ikeda, Pacific Business, Inc.,
Ph: 011-81-03-3661-6138,
Fax: 011-81-03-3661-6139
Joseph A. Fristik,
Vice President/Group Publishing Director:
Design Engineering Group,
Mechanical Systems/Construction Group
Dennis Jensen, Associate Publisher
Larry Berardinis,
Business Development Director
Virginia Goulding,
Online Sales & Marketing Manager
Julie Ritchie, Research Manager
"OO Randolph Road Sonerset, lJ OBB7B
Phone: 7BPP7"7BG" lax: 7BPP7"7LBO
vebsite: http:oguraolutoh.oon
Lnail: info@oguraolutoh.oon
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Kep-O-seal
Inline
Check Valves
The industry proven Flexible Seal Seat
combines metal-to-metal and soft seal seat-

ing to ensure superior leak-tight control and
longer service life. Nine sizes with wide
choice of connections and materials for sys-
tem compatibility. Flows to 500 GPM.
Pressure rated to 6,000 PSI; relief settings
to 150 PSI.
For details visit: www.kepner.com
BACKTALK
Thought-controlled
lighting
Visitors to the 2010 Winter Olym-
pics in Vancouver were able to con-
trol the lighting at major landmarks
in Ontario just by thinking about
it. Toronto-based InteraXons
Bright Ideas spans more than 3,000
km across Canada, making it the largest thought-controlled
computing installation. Peoples thoughts will completely
control light displays on Torontos CN Tower, Ottawas Parlia-
ment Buildings, and Niagara Falls.
The unique attraction features headsets that measure the
brains electrical output and reacts to alpha waves, associated
with relaxation, and beta waves, associated with concentra-
tion. As users relax or focus their thoughts, the headsets computer sends a message
over the Internet to the site they are viewing. Custom software connects users thoughts
to the lighting controls, which change the landmark sites display. The thought-gener-
ated light show can be seen by local residents in Toronto, Ottawa, and Niagara Falls, and
it was projected on massive screens in Ontario House during the Olympics.
Were working to bring thought-controlled computing out of research labs and into
the mainstream, explains Trevor Coleman, COO. InteraXon helps companies looking
to engage in the exploding thought-controlled computing market develop their own
brainwave-controlled products and services. As brainwave technology progresses, the
implications for use by the disabled are immense. Thought-controlled wheelchairs and
prosthetics are already a reality. MD
A spring in
your step
Shoe manufacturers are
putting a spring back in
your step by cushioning
the soles of both athletic
and casual shoes. De-
signers are incorporat-
ing wave springs in place
of conventi onal coi l
springs because of their
lightweight design and
space-saving abilities.
The wave springs, from
Smalley Steel Ring Co.,
Lake Zurich, Ill., are half
the height of coil springs
and provide an accurate
A user wearing a brainwave
headset interacts with the
InteraXon installation.
Panorama of the InteraXon
installation at Ontario House.
InteraXon Inc.,
http://www.interaxon.ca
RS# 151
RS# 150
MARCH 18, 2010 71 MACHINE Design.com
www.BeltTechnologies.com
11 Bowles Road, Agawam, MA 01001 Tel: 413-786-9922 Fax: 413-789-2786
800-732-2358
Complete Conveyor Systems
Teflon is a registered trademark of DuPont. ISO 9001 Registered
Designed For Todays Technology
OPTIONAL FEATURES
Teflon
Coated
V-Belt Tracked
Perforated, Attachments
Smooth Surface
VERSATILE
Accuracy to +/- .001"
Extreme Temperatures
Clean Room Compatible
Precision Indexing
Automated Assembly
STAINLESS STEEL BELTS
STAINLESS STEEL BELTS
Coated Steel Belts
BACKTALK

THE
GAME
iS ON ...
ARE YOU IN
YET?
G
iS
AR
For customized article reprints and
permissions please contact: Penton
Reprints, 1-888-858-8851, e-mail at
reprints@pentonreprints.com or visit
pentonreprints.com.
Editorial content is indexed in the Applied
Science Technology Index, the Engineering
Index, SciSearch and Research Alert.
Microfilm copies available from National
Archive Publishing Company (NAPC), 300 N.
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No. 0024-9114/10 $1.25 + .60).
Subscription Policy: MACHINE DESIGN is
circulated to research, development, and
design engineers primarily engaged in the
design and manufacture of machinery,
electrical/electronic equipment, and
mechanical equipment. To obtain a
complimentary subscription see our Web
page at submag.com/sub/mn. For change of
address fill out a new qualification form at
submag.com/sub/mn.
Printed in U.S.A., Copyright 2010. Penton
Media, Inc. All rights reserved. MACHINE DESIGN
(ISSN 0024-9114) is published semimonthly
except for a single issue in January and July
by Penton Media, Inc., 9800 Metcalf Ave.,
Overland Park, KS 66212.
Paid subscriptions include issues 1-21.
Issue no. 22 (Product Locator) is available at
additional cost. Rates: U.S.: one year, $130;
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issues are U.S. $10.00 per copy plus tax,
Canada $15.00 per issue plus tax, and Intl
$20.00 per issue. Product Locator, $50.00
plus tax. Prepaid subscription: Penton
Media (MACHINE DESIGN), P.O. Box 2100, Skokie
IL 60076-7800. Periodicals Postage Paid at
Shawnee Mission, Kans., and at additional
mailing offices.
Can GST #R126431964. Canadian Post
Publications Mail Agreement No.40612608.
Canada return address: Bleuchip
International, P.O. Box 25542, London, Ont.,
N6C 6B2.
POSTMASTER: Send change of address
notice to Customer Service, MACHINE DESIGN,
P.O. Box 2100, Skokie, IL 60076-7800.
repeatable load in both the heel and ball
of shoes. One Crest-to-Crest wave spring
in the heel and two parallel wave springs
in the ball of the shoe absorb the impact
associated with athletic activities, reduc-
ing stress on joints. The springs thicker
wire and radial wall let it compress within itself with only
a minimal pilot shaft to hold the springs in place. Designed
using 17-7 stainless steel, the springs are designed to out-
last the life of the shoe. MD.
RS# 152
Ral parts. Rally ast.
ln|ction Moloing in -5 oays.
Pst or C-C,CCC+ parts.
Prico rom $495.
Simply uploao your
3D C/D mool,
ano choos th
bst option or
your nos.
Choos rom
hunoros o
nginring-
grao rsins,
incluoing HDPE,
Polypropyln,
/PS/PC,
/ctal, PPT,
Polycarbonat,
Nylon 66,
Polyamio ano
LPDE.
2CC Proto Labs, lnc. lSO 9CC:2CC8 Crtino
CNC Machining in -3 oays.
Pst or -C parts.
Prico rom $95.
Its easy to work with
Proto Labs.
Choos CNC machining or in|ction
moloing, whichvr is bst or your
pro|ct. Uploao your C/D mool ano
rciv an automato, intractiv
uot in hours. Onc approvo, our
clustr computing tchnology ano
automato manuacturing systms
will olivr ral parts using ral
matrials in as littl as on oay.
/no that's th ral story.
Fast Doesnt Mean Simple!
Think Rapio ln|ction Moloing mans simpl? VRONG!
Gt a Protomolo
Torus to larn mor about complx

aturs that can b incorporato into your part osign.
Visit protolabs.com/parts ano rust a r
Torus Tooay! Entr coo M/C.
Call 877.479.3680 or visit protolabs.com
Choos rom
3C oirnt
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incluoing /PS,
Nylon, PC, Dlrin,
PEEK, ULTEM,
ano aluminum.
RS# 153
Available in 4, 8, and 16-axis
IEC61131-3 Global Programming
Language
PLCopen Function Blocks
Reusable code libraries and
integrated scalable architecture
Dimensions:
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SERVOMOTORS MOTION CONTROLLERS AC INVERTER DRIVES ROBOTICS The Drive for Quality
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best 1.6 kHz velocity loop bandwidth
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For more information - http://bit.ly/c3ajgl
RS# 154

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