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In this issue of the Mechanical Monthly Newsletter there are
articles on TPE for bridge cables, the $2,500 car, and a software
program that helped build a better golf club.
The highlighted products are miniature ball valves, no-spill couplings,
and ball-bushing bearings.
Be sure to check out the industry update to read up on synchronous
belts.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!
— Julie Kalista
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Bridge Cable Fails, TPE to the Rescue
After large rubberinsulated cables for a lift bridge connecting
Minnesota and Wisconsin failed after less than two years, Northwire
Inc., Osceola,Wis., replaced them with 40% smallerdiameter cables
insulated with Hytrel thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) from DuPont,
Wilmington, Del. "TPE's high dielectric strength and toughness let
Northwire spec thinner cables that have longer flex life at a given bend
radius," says Northwire Director of Sales Ted Beach. The old cable used
ethylene- propylene rubber for insulating its 50 conductors (16 awg) and
measured 1.86 in. (47 mm) in diameter.
Full Article
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Here Comes the $2,500 Car
Radio is a "luxury." How do you halve the price of a passenger car?
It takes more than savvy negotiations at the dealership. In 2004,
Tata Motors took on the challenge of bringing a 100,000-rupee
($2,500) car to the Indian market. Tata's closest competitor, the Maruti
800 retails for about $5,000. The result of Tata's efforts, the Nano,
was unveiled in January 2008 and will reach consumers in October. Tata
has squeezed low prices out of its suppliers with high-volume,
single-source contracts. About 100 suppliers will build 90% of the
Nano's parts, three-quarters of which are single-sourced.
Full Article
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Pro/Engineer Builds a Better Golf Club
The design of adjustable golf clubs can quickly get tricky because
of the many variables involved. The clubs have changeable weights in
their head soles so players can select from 15 center-of-gravity (COG)
settings and change the trajectory of fades or draws by about 13 yd. To
get a better grip on the design of a new driver, Mizuno Corp. in
Japan turned to Pro/Engineer 3D software from PTC in Needham, Mass. The
manufacturer says the software helped it develop the new Mizuno MP-600
Fast Track driver. Initially, the project was put on hold because the
company's development method couldn't hit target production costs.
Full Article
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Miniature Ball
Valves
The MBV-1010 standard shut-off, MBVT-1010 three-way diverting, and
MBVMD-1010 three-way mixing diverting miniature ball valves are designed
for light weight, nonrestricted flow, and applications to 250 psig. The
stainless-steel shut-off version weighs 9 gm and the two stainless-steel
diverting models weigh 12 gm. The mixing diverting valve lets users
select either or both ports with no shut-off. All models use 316
stainless-steel ball elements and are available with Buna-N, EPDM, or
Viton seals. Inlet and outlet ports are 10-32 UNF standard.
More Information:
Beswick Engineering
Co. Inc.
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Goodbye Cable Failure, Hello Chainflex
Continuous-Flex Cables
 Chainflex®
continuous-flex cables are ideal for high-flexing, automated
applications and designed for installation in an Energy Chain® cable
carrier. Chainflex cables eliminate corkscrewing, conductor damage and
general cable failure. They withstand extremely tight bending radii and
have been field proven for more than 15 years. Chainflex cables perform
better than traditional cables when constantly cycling at high speeds
and exposed to abrasion. Choose from more than 700 sizes and styles,
including control, signal, bus, power, fiberoptic, servo, Ethernet or
custom cables. Extend the service life of your machine and lower
maintenance costs. Igus offers complimentary design consultation and
samples.
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No-Spill Couplings
Thread-to-connect S51 Series double shut-off quick couplings are for
use with most industrial fluids. The high-flow, fluid-transfer coupling
connects under full system pressure by rotating a female threaded
heavy-duty cast-iron wing nut or plated-steel hex nut onto the mating
male threaded tip. Couplings are available in standard brass or optional
electroless nickel-plated steel for corrosion resistance, added
strength, and lower cost. Both versions use the same high-strength
internal parts. The couplings minimize air inclusion during connection
and fluid spillage during disconnection. They are available in full-flow
0.75, 1.0, and 1.25-in. sizes.
More Information:
SafeWay
Hydraulics
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Ball-Bushing Bearings
With a coefficient of friction as low as 0.002, Thomson Super Ball
Bushing bearings permit the use of smaller, less-expensive motors,
belts, gears, and ball screws in place of high-friction plain bearings.
A self-aligning capability up to 0.5° automatically compensates for
inaccuracies in base flatness or carriage machining. The bearings come
in adjustable, closed, and open configurations and feature acceleration
rates to 150 m/sec"; steady-state travel speeds to 3 m/sec without
derating factors; double-lip integral wipers that keep contaminants out
and retain lubrication; and lightweight, wear-resistant polymer
retainers and outer sleeves that reduce inertia and noise. The bearings
are available in metric sizes 16, 20, 25, 30, 40 and 50 mm.
More Information:
Danaher Motion
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Introducing Engineering TV, an innovative online video
program by engineers for engineers. Twice a week, each 5-8 minute
episode shows cutting-edge technology in
action and looks behind the scenes as today's engineers shape tomorrow's
breakthroughs. Brought to you by the Penton Media Design and Electronics
Engineering groups.
View
Videos
Rev up your interdisciplinary design skills
What happens when a microcontroller turns on a power FET, sending a
current pulse to a motor coil that develops a magnetic field which turns
the rotor shaft, advancing a timing belt that drives a pair of nip rolls
suspended on bearings in a web-processing operation on a form, fill, and
seal machine installed on a potato chip line at a Frito Lay plant in
central California? And how can you be sure that the encoders, prox
sensors, and other feedback devices you plan to use will accurately see
and report every relevant motion, machine state, and process condition?
And will the signals get through the networks fast enough, without being
corrupted, giving the controllers time to execute their algorithms as
intended? It's a lot to think about, and it only scratches the surface
of what many engineers grapple with today. If you happen to be one of
them, then the place for you — where you can find answers and meet
others with similar concerns — is www.Mechatronic-Design.com.
Backed by some of engineering's top information sources including
Machine Design, Electronic Design, Motion System Design, and Power
Electronics, Mechatronic-Design.com is the interdisciplinary engineer's
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Find. Learn. Apply.
Mechatronic-Design.com.
Experience National Instruments Technologies From
the Comfort of Your Own Computer!
 With more
than 200 on-demand webcasts, videos, interactive
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available from National Instruments.
Begin your search here with a collection of
webcasts specifically chosen for design and automation engineers.
CAD Library offers advanced CAD Resources
The Machine Design CAD
Library, includes millions of configurable 2D and 3D CAD models
of
components and assemblies downloadable for easy use in new and existing
designs. Our models are in native CAD formats. No translation
required!
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Sponsored
by:
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UPCOMING IN-PERSON EVENTS
Design-2-Part Shows are America's longest running and most trusted
events for sourcing custom parts and services.
Ten shows covering the country offer OEMs, engineers and purchasing
personnel the opportunity to meet job shops and
contract manufacturers face-to-face.
UPCOMING WEBCASTS
Best Practices for Design Reuse in Product Development
Featuring a special customer presentation by Callaway Cars
Sponsored by PTC
DATE: March 26th, 2008
TIME: 2:00pm ET/11am PT
In this sixty-minute presentation, PTC's Director of MCAD Product
Management, John Buchowski, will discuss how Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 4.0's
integrated solutions and advanced functionality ensures improved design
reuse, resulting in reduced design cycle times and accelerated
time-to-market. In a special PTC customer feature segment, we will hear
from Pat Hodgins, Chief Engineer of Callaway Cars, as he shares how
Pro/ENGINEER's capabilities have enabled him to achieve rapid design and
development cycles, ensuring their competitive advantage in the design,
development, and manufacture of high-performance vehicles, systems, and
components.
Click here to register!
Two-Shot Silicon and Thermoplastic Molding:
The Innovative Cost Saving Solution for Medical OEM's
Sponsored by Saint-Gobain
DATE: April 2nd, 2008
TIME: 2:00pm ET/11am PT
Medical device designers are facing intense pressure to create
innovative designs and maintain the highest quality over a product's
lifecycle while also being forced to design for lower cost
manufacturing. This is a challenge we recognize, but one that can be
overcome by leveraging the cost savings and benefits of two-shot molding
technology. Saint-Gobain's engineering team will present on two-shot
molding, how this process innovation can provide cost savings, increased
design freedom, and provide the quality and performance you demand.
Click here to register!
Gearmotors: Achieving the Perfect Match
Success through optimized motor & gearbox integration
Sponsored by Groschopp
DATE: April 9th, 2008
TIME: 2:00pm ET/11am PT
How do you select a motor and a gearbox (speed reducer) separately, then
perfectly match them for your OEM application? Is it better to specify
a pre-engineered gearmotor? Does it make a difference?
These are the questions that will be answered in Groschopp's upcoming
webcast. Groschopp engineers Matt Decker and Loren Kamstra will share
tips, tricks and techniques for specifying the most efficient and
cost-effective choices given a variety of application considerations.
Review of actual Case Studies will bring their experiences to life and
reinforce your new motor/gearbox/gearmotor knowledge.
Click here to learn more and register!
2008 Online Manufacturing WebExpo & Conference
Presented by New Equipment Digest and Machine Design
DATE: May 21st, 2008
TIME: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm ET
The Online Manufacturing WebExpo and Conference brings you and your
management team the advantages of a traditional trade show without any
of the travel cost! Participate in a webcast, visit a trade show booth
and pick up valuable literature - all from the comfort of your
office.
Webcasts:
This all day online event will feature a series of "LIVE" Webcasts
covering a broad range of manufacturing-related topics. Tune in to any
or all of the Webcasts. Ask questions during the broadcast, hear what
your peers are asking too. Register today for the series featuring
Parker Hannifin - Tube Fittings Division, AutomationDirect and Bimba
Manufacturing.
Trade Show:
Visit company booths at the virtual exhibition hall where you can learn
about new products, subscribe to newsletters, download white papers or
literature from Sealevel Systems, AutomationDirect, Bimba
Manufacturing, EFD, FactoryMation, Parker Hannifin - Tube Fittings
Division and Strong Hold Products.
Stay for an hour or stay all day - you decide. Without burdensome travel
costs, you can invite your whole management team to view a Webcast or
review product features at company booths.
People who should attend:
All types of Engineers, Plant Managers, Facilities Managers,
Maintenance, Plant Operations, Analysts, Research and Design, VP of
Operation, Managers, Directors, CEO, President, and Safety
Directors.
To register for this free event, visit www.newequipment.com/webexpo
ARCHIVED WEBCASTS AVAILABLE FOR FREE VIEWING
Click Here for a list of archived Machine Design
webcasts.
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Components for Drivelines: Synchronous
Belts
Potential for slip in conventional belts prevents their use where
input and output shafts must be synchronized. Synchronous belts, often
referred to as timing belts, were developed to overcome this limitation.
They have a toothed profile that mates with corresponding grooves in the
pulleys, thereby providing the same positive engagement of chain or
gears. A stable belt length is critical for synchronous applications, so
they were originally reinforced with steel. Today the most common
reinforcement is glass fiber, but aramid is used if maximum capacity is
required. Standard sections are MXL, XL, L, H, XH, and XXH.
Full Article
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Zero-Max Corporation
The new CD couplings feature zero backlash precision and high torsional
stiffness required in today's demanding servo motor applications with
high reverse loads and positioning requirements. Newly improved CD
couplings are designed with new clamp style hubs for increased torque
capacity on shafts without using keyways.
Now you can select and configure the exact CD® coupling solution for
your coupling application with 3D Partstream, the configurable 3D CAD
downloads at www.zero-max.com
9 Plastic Gear MAQs Booklet from UFE
UFE's FREE Parts SmartsTM booklet "The
9 Plastic Gear Must Ask Questions" addresses fundamental questions to
consider when designing plastic gears.
Download your copy today!
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Contact Information
Editorial questions: Julie Kalista
216-931-9458
Advertising/sponsorship opportunities: Virginia Goulding
216-931-9893
Machine Design
1300 E. 9th St.
Cleveland, OH 44114
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