MD_Motion Monitor_: Putting energy into American manufacturing

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March 4, 2009

Putting energy into American manufacturing

Gloom and doom aside, hope springs eternal for American manufacturing. One of the most promising areas, sure to involve engineers and scientists, is energy conservation. From creating new and improved battery technology to making efficiency gains in wind and solar to conserving fossil fuels, energy could be the golden ticket to the next wave of American manufacturing success. Why shouldn’t it be our own homegrown technical talent who figures out the best ways to make, use, and conserve energy for the benefit of the entire planet? If you have any success stories, ideas, or opinions on the future of American manufacturing, we’d really like to hear from you.

—Frances Richards

Articles

Actuator saves space in sorting application

Manufacturing and packaging facilities may move and sort tons of bulk on conveyors, but the sorters, diverters, and pull-offs that route products to their next destination must be as trim as possible to make the most of valuable floor space. Engineers at Hytrol Conveyor Co., Jonesboro, Ark., needed such a space-saving solution when designing a diverter for an overhead pull-off system to divert 150-lb boxes to a different conveyor line. For help with this task, they turned to Tolomatic, Hamel, Minn., a manufacturer of rodless-style actuators. To read the story in its entirety, click here.

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.

www.heli-cal.com

Webinar to discuss CANopen for machine control

If you’ve ever wished you knew more about CANopen — the industrial networking system used in millions of applications worldwide — a webinar taking place March 12 at 2 p.m. EST is for you. The free webcast will be presented live and then will be archived online to view anytime for a year. CANopen is based on Controller Area Network (CAN) technology, a proven serial bus that links multiple devices, allowing them to work together. To read the story in its entirety, click here.

Vision system downsizes defects for parts supplier

Defective parts are extremely unwelcome in the automotive world, and nobody knows this better than parts suppliers such as The Meister Group, a Belgian industrial outfit that largely caters to the automobile market. With factories in Belgium, France, and the Czech Republic, Meister specializes in the mass production of cut steel parts. The challenge facing Meister, whose production units use specialty precision lathes, is that it must manufacture complex parts in seconds and guarantee parts conformity on delivery. The Meister factory in Haute-Savoie, France, manufactures electric valve parts for automobile equipment manufacturers specializing in ABS braking systems. Nearly 24 multi-spindle lathes produce 120,000 parts each day, with an annual production of 35 to 40 million parts. To read the story in its entirety, click here.

New Products

Ac induction servomotor

High Dynamics Performances (HDP) ac induction servomotors are designed for rough operating conditions where compact dimensions and high dynamics are critical. Motors feature low rotor inertia and high torque density, dynamic response, high efficiency, and are available in six sizes: H100, 132, 160, 200, 250, and 315 with two different configurations, IP54 (C type) and IP23 (V type). An optional mechanical integrated holding brake and positioning encoder are also available. Visit ABB Inc. for more information.

Couplings

CD Couplings are suitable for use with fixed-displacement hydraulic pumps driven by servomotors, as they provide both high dynamic load capacity and high torsional stiffness to ensure reliable system operation. The composite disc design withstands the punishment and stress of a servomotor and couplings are available in single and double flex aluminum hub models with or without keyways. Single-flex models have a torque capacity range from 40 to 1,436 Nm and beyond with speed ratings from 4,400 to 17,000 rpm. Couplings are manufactured of RoHS compliant materials. Visit Zero-Max Inc. for more information.

News from MD

Energy Efficiency Web Conference & Expo –
May 14

Do you know you can get in-depth education on energy-efficiency and all the benefits of an in-person trade show without ever leaving your desk or spending a dime?
The intelligent use of energy is making headlines. Product designers and manufacturers are striving to deliver products that consume less power, extend battery life, generate less heat, or work from alternative energy sources. Our Energy Efficiency Web Conference and Expo will educate design engineers, product developers, and managers on how to make the best use of energy-efficient product innovations and devices, and on how to arrange them in systems to lower power consumption and stay "green." This special one-day event will include sessions on such areas as:

Power-efficient drive techniques for lighting
ROI for high-efficiency capital equipment
Energy monitoring and energy standards
Designing for SEMI S23 and the Energy Act of 2007
Working with alternative power and battery technology

Make plans now to attend the Energy Efficiency Web Conference and Expo. The event offers a full day of live webinars and interactive booths, along with a Resource Center where visitors can download or link to additional materials.

Register Now!

Machine Design Video Spotlight

	Machine Vision for Compliance
	Vision systems aid compliance with the growing volumes of regulations in the manufacturing sector. John Lewis of Cognex Corp. demonstrates some of those methods to Lee Teschler of Machine Design.

Check Out the New Machinedesign.com

Our newly redesigned web site still features the best content and information for engineers provided by engineers but with these new great features.

Multiple Path Navigation
Find content your way. Improved site navigation creates multiple ways to find the content you are looking for.

Supercharged Search
The search function has been highly improved and tested to provide the most effective results for engineers.

Highlighted Resources
Looking for CAD drawings? Find them in our CAD Library. Download whitepapers in the Whitepaper Library. Valuable educational content is featured in the eBook section. Check out the latest in editorial and sponsored video in the Video section.

UPCOMING WEBCASTS

Take Advantage of Web-based File Sharing
Sponsored by PTC
DATE: March 5th, 2009
TIME: 2:00pm ET/11am PT

Collaboration is essential to successful product development in today’s difficult economy. However, facilitating and managing the process is growing increasingly difficult. Design teams must participate from all parts of the world, develop products that are more complex than ever before, and deal with product-update cycles that move faster and faster.

Do you have the right CAD collaboration platform?

Do you use network folders or an FTP site to manage CAD files?
Have you experienced trouble locating the latest versions of CAD files?
Are you looking for an easy way to collaborate internally?

Companies of all sizes face Product Data Management and Product Lifecycle Management challenges. Fortunately, quick-to-deploy solutions can help companies overcome these challenges. In this Webinar, we’ll explore how design teams in small and medium-size companies can use these solutions to work concurrently, find the right files, share data and enable social product development.

Click here to learn more and register!

The Fundamentals of CANopen for Industrial Machine Control
Sponsored by Maxon Precision Motors
DATE: March 12th, 2009
TIME: 2:00pm ET/11am PT

CANopen is an industrial networking system used in millions of applications worldwide. It is based on Controller Area Network (CAN) technology, a proven serial bus that links multiple devices, allowing them to work together.
Optimized for reliability and real-time control, CAN/CANopen is especially well suited for motion systems consisting of actuators, sensors, controllers, and analog and digital I/O. It also offers a competitive edge. Unlike other serial-bus systems, CANopen maintains a certain level of manufacturer independence through standard device profiles with layered flexibility.
In this overview of the CANopen specification, we will give designers a fundamental understanding of the platform, advantages and disadvantages, and where the standard is headed. We’ll also take a focused look at device profiles, including an actual multi-networked application, and explore the various communication layers and how they can be optimized for industrial control applications.

Click here to learn more and register!

ARCHIVED WEBCASTS AVAILABLE FOR FREE VIEWING

Click Here for a list of archived Machine Design webcasts.

Energy Efficiency Web Conference & Expo –May 14

Machine Design Video Spotlight

Check Out the New Machinedesign.com

Energy Efficiency Web Conference & Expo –
May 14