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Now that the CARS rebate program, aka “Cash for Clunkers,” has
officially ended, it’s time to think about the results. Was the
program worth it? I wrote an editorial about the initiative last month and
received several responses, one from a reader saddened that my
mini-fleet of five high-mileage vehicles contains only one American car.
I felt sad, too, after reading the e-mail.
But then the program results rolled in: The Top 10 clunker trade-ins
were all American trucks, SUVs, and vans, while the Top 10 purchases
included eight foreign models and only two Americans, both Fords. As the
program was funded with American tax dollars, some people feel greater
incentives should have been given for American car purchases. Others
call this protectionism. If you have any final opinions on the matter,
please drop us a line.
—Frances Richards
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Artists who are skilled at delicate and detailed hand engraving now
have some steep competition – a Spanish machine builder. With
increased demands for quality engravings on products from jewelry to
cell phones, Artesà of Barcelona, Spain, has developed a machine
capable of mimicking the craftsmanship of hand engraving. A DMC-2143
4-axis motion controller from Galil Motion Control, Rocklin, Calif.,
guides the machine’s precision movements. To read the story in its
entirety, click here.
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Have you been wondering where and when to apply various coupling
styles? If so, grab a cup of coffee and take five minutes to watch this
short and informative video. Andy Lechner from R+W Coupling Technology
gives editor Lee Teschler of Machine Design magazine some tips on
the selection and use of bellows and elastomeric insert couplings. To
view the video, click here.
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17-4PH Stainless Steel
Couplings
 Flexible couplings
made from 17-4PH stainless steel have twice the torque when compared to
either 303 stainless steel or 7075-T6 aluminum. Machined from a solid
piece of 17-4PH stainless steel, they are ideal when high strength,
fatigue resistance and high torsional stiffness are called for in your
application. Helical is the only company that manufactures beam
couplings out of 17-4PH stainless steel. They are ideal for heavy duty
uses such as pumps, lead screw, positioning systems, and processing
equipment.
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Wish you knew more about SERCOS but were afraid to admit it? Help is
just a seminar away.
Free one-day courses on the latest advances for the SERCOS interface for
motion, safety, and I/O are scheduled on September 14 in the Minneapolis
area and on September 16 in Atlanta. Each seminar includes a half-day
general introduction to SERCOS and a half-day technical discussion on
how to develop and implement SERCOS. To learn more about the free
classes, click here.
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Control system developers must quickly respond to changing
performance, safety and feature requirements. Learn how the Intel®
Industrial Control Reference Design facilitates the migration to a
flexible modular architecture, simplifying system development.
Download White Paper from Machine Design
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Durable cable transducer offers simple,
adaptable installation
 BEI Industrial
Encoders' new linear cable transducer provides digital position and
speed feedback information in a rugged, easy-to-install package. Model
LT25 cable transducer utilizes a flexible measuring cable mounted to an
internal spring-loaded spool and quadrature encoder output to precisely
measure linear motion applications. With an IP66 rating, the LT25 is a
perfect solution for a variety of industrial measurement challenges
including wet, dirty, or outdoor environments or applications where your
measuring range travels over a harsh environment.
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P/S13 Series hermetically sealed actuators are now built with an
internal preload. The hermetically enclosed casing allows use of the
piezos under aggressive working conditions including wet or extremely
moist surroundings. The new series, specifically developed for
situations that call for positioning in high humidity environments, also
works well under cooling liquids. For example, positioning can be
carried out in tool machines where coolants flow directly around the
actuator. Translators are available with a stroke of 18 to 70 µm with
voltage ranging from -20 to 130 V. With the M3 threaded screw hole in
the base plate, installation is simple.
Visit piezosystem
jena for more information.
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'Specifying Linear Motion Systems'
White Paper Now Available from ROLLON
 ROLLON Corporation is
offering engineers a detailed white paper with valuable information on
critical areas of consideration for engineers who are looking to specify
a linear motion system. With over 25 years of linear applications
experience, ROLLON is a leading international manufacturer of linear
bearings and actuators designed to meet the requirements of design
engineers involved in machine design applications across all
industries.
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Thermoplastic housings are now available for the company’s full
line of flange and pillow block mounted units that come in two, three,
and four-bolt flange units, as well as two-bolt pillow blocks. Bearing
inserts for the line include UHMW with maintenance-free lube strip, cast
nylon, stainless steel ball bearings, chrome steel inserts, and other
plastics for special applications.
Mounted bearings are interchangable with traditional cast iron housings,
furnished with available stainless steel sleeves for shaft protection
and positive locking, as well as standard end caps for contamination
protection. Bearings meet FDA and USDA standards. Thermoplastic housing
sizes are from 204 to 208 with bore sizes of ¾ to 1 9/16 in. Inserts
are corrosion and moisture resistant, survive washdown environments, and
are self-lubricating and maintenance-free.
Visit Slideways for more information.
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Check Out the New EET Website
Are you looking for more information on energy efficiency? EETweb.com
features the latest efficiency updates, information on the basics of
energy efficiency and products available for energy efficient designs.
Click here to
visit the site and learn more!
Machine Design Video Spotlight
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Learn more about Proto
Labs |
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See how Proto Labs, through its First
Cut and Protomold services, provides new product designers and engineers
with the easiest, fastest and least-expensive way to obtain real parts,
really fast. |
Now Available On-Demand
The Energy Efficiency Web Conference & Expo
Engineers saw and heard great educational content at the Energy
Efficiency Web Conference and Expo. If you missed the live virtual
event, don’t despair! An archive of the full day’s agenda is now
available.
Design engineers are required to integrate energy efficiency into their
designs while maintaining lower costs, the highest reliability or both.
The editors of Machine Design understand these challenges
and have developed this conference to help engineers understand the
recently imposed energy mandates. The information presented at this
educational event will help engineers compare the different technologies
and product related to energy efficiency. Attendees will gain access to
the technical information needed to help them make the best decisions
without having to travel or take time away from current projects.
Visit the archive to:
- View informative webinars on energy efficiency
- Visit interactive booths where you can contact suppliers
- Peruse the Resource Center where you can download or link to
additional pertinent energy efficiency information
Register Now!
UPCOMING WEBCASTS
Optimizing Mechatronic Systems Using Simulation
Sponsored by The MathWorks
DATE: September 10th, 2009
TIME: 2:00pm ET/11am PT
Are you encountering integration errors in mechatronic systems late in
development during hardware prototyping?
Simulating mechatronic
systems in one environment that combines mechanical, electrical, and
control system modeling makes it easier to find performance errors early
in your development process. In addition, current simulation technology
allows integration of engineering data from different CAE tools, such as
CAD and EDA, reducing translation errors.
Attend this live webcast and learn how simulation can help you:
- Build multidomain mechatronic system models
- Predict and optimize system performance
- Understand and manage complex system interactions
- Detect design inefficiencies and integration errors during
development
- Verify and test mechatronic systems before building hardware
prototypes
Click here learn more and to register!
How to Select the Right Dispense Valve
Sponsored by EFD
DATE: September 17th, 2009
TIME: 2:00pm ET/11am PT
This webinar will provide an overview of the different types of dispense
valves and review criteria for matching valves to specific fluids and
applications.
Topics will include:
- Common types of assembly fluids
- Fluid/valve compatibility
- Matching the valve to the application
- Choosing a fluid reservoir
- Benefits of using a dedicated valve controller
Click here learn more and to register!
ARCHIVED WEBCASTS AVAILABLE FOR FREE VIEWING
Click
Here for a list of archived Machine Design webcasts.
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Don't settle for a standard coupling when a custom will do it
better!
Need to fit a high performance coupling into a small space? Have an
application requiring high misalignment? How about high stress
applications? Or greater torque capacity and greater torsional
stiffness? Custom designed CD® Couplings from Zero-Max solve
difficult requirements. Let our engineers help.
www.zero-max.com
SmartActuator series saves time, space, money
Tolomatic's SmartActuator – servo motor, drive, controller and
actuator in one compact package -- gives you 100% duty-cycle performance
at half the price of traditional electric actuator systems. See
the video!
Exlar's patented actuator technology offers many times the
life of ball screw actuators and provides an efficient
electro-mechanical replacement for hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders.
These digitally controlled products
offer several advantages over other technologies.
www.exlar.com
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