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February 23, 2010


So you think you're a pretty smart engineer? Have all those equations down pat and material data sheets organized in the ol' noggin, eh? Well just how smart are you? Find out in March as MACHINE DESIGN kicks off The World's Smartest Design Engineer competition. You score points as you correctly answer engineering questions while competing against other engineers around the globe for fun, prizes, and the prestige of being The World's Smartest Design Engineer. Challenge your friends and colleagues to a grudge match! Remember, the competition for The World's Smartest Design Engineer starts in March, so keep your eye out for it! In the meantime, keep reading Motors Monthly and MACHINE DESIGN magazine -- you'll never know where questions may come from! (Hint! Hint!)>

-- Robert Repas, Assoc. Editor

You can follow the search for The World's Smartest Design Engineer on the MACHINE DESIGN Blogs, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook accounts, or visit the virtual MD Office in Second Life.


Articles

Sizing Up Linear Drives
Linear motors, ball screws, and precision rack-and-pinion gear drives are all good options for engineers designing electromechanical linear-motion systems.

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High-Density Servos Make Possible Compact Recon Missions
A pair of high-torque servomotors was key in making it possible to field a miniature unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) agile enough to climb uneven terrain.

Hotter than You Think
Conventional thermal models can be inaccurate enough to cause trouble when servomotors get pushed to their limits. The thermal models that servomotor manufacturers provide may not hold for brief periods of superhigh torque. More accurate thermal models for periods of high performance use equations with more terms.

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Connector Motor Mounts for AC/DC Motors & Encoders

SEALCON carries a large assortment of Hummel Cable Management Components consisting of Liquid Tight Cord Grips, Circular Connectors (M16, M23, M27, M40, RJ45, Profinet & Twintus), Industrial Enclosures (Plastic & Metal). Types: Dome, Flex, Elbow, EMI/RFI, Clamping, X-Large, Mini, PVDF (Teflon®), Stainless Steel, Zinc, etc. Threads: NPT, Metric & PG. Industries Served: Rotary and Linear Encoders, Stepper Motors, Linear Motion Control, Coordinate Systems, Electro Vehicles, Communication, Testing Labs, Industrial Controls, Instrumentation, Medical, Robotics, Food & Beverage, etc. Request Catalog or Sample your application today!


Teaching an Old LVDT New Tricks
The linear variable-differential transformer, or LVDT, first saw use in laboratory measurements for the military during World War II. Industry got its first look at the device after the war, when Herman Schaevitz of Schaevitz Engineering wrote an article entitled, “The Linear Variable Transformer.” Schaevitz proclaimed the LVDT viable technology for linear-displacement measurement.

Featured Content

Video: Variable Frequency Drive Cables & Grounding Connectors
Rick Orsini from the Lapp Group USA shows Lee Teschler of MACHINE DESIGN a new line of electrical cables specifically for variable frequency drives and methods to assure complete shield grounding. Length: 3:51

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DC Motor Sizing Made Easy Seminar in Montreal and Toronto March 16 & 17th
This half-day seminar with Dr. Urs Kafader, maxon motor ag, provides the practical information you need to successfully select the right DC motor – be it brushed or brushless – for your application. You’ll learn about the interpretation of motor data and how you can use this information for motor sizing. Whether you need high speed and dynamics or just high torque, this seminar will teach you to size a drive with just the right power reserves avoiding costly oversized motors.

New Products

Servo rod-style actuator
The new integrated-motor actuator (IMA) combines a servomotor with a rod-style actuator. The IMA’s integrated design provides higher dynamic performance by eliminating the need for separate motors, couplers, motor mounts, gearing, and belts.
Tolomatic Inc.

Continuous-flex motor cables
A line of continuous-flex interconnect motor cables are harnessed in accordance with manufacturers that include Siemens, Rexroth (formerly Indramat), Fanuc, and Allen-Bradley.
igus Inc.

Low-harmonic drives
The VLT low-harmonic drives ensure high-quality sine waves from the power-supply grid by actively imposing currents, as needed. The drives come in 132 to 630-kW high overload, 160 to 710-kW normal overload, and voltage range of 380 to 480 Vac, 50 to 60 Hz.
Danfoss Drives

Nanopositioning stage
The SCR100 is an ultrahigh precision, single-axis stage that integrates a slide guide, encoder, and linear-shaft motor. The stage’s moving-magnet design, locates all cables and connectors in the stationary base.
Nippon Pulse America Inc.

Featured Links

Leeson
With over 30,000 custom designs and experienced application and design engineering support, LEESON can react quickly to your production & application needs.
www.leeson.com

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Contact Information
Editorial questions:   Robert Repas 216-931-9319
Advertising/sponsorship opportunities:   Virginia Goulding 216-931-9893

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