'NET ROUNDUP

Downloads, Demos & Deals

A number of websites offer value-added content, such as broad-based tutorials and web-centric tech tools, to educate designers on the technology's applications and gain a few customers in the process.

One such tool is the interactive Center Distance Web Tool from Stock Drive Products, New Hyde Park, NY. http://www.OneRS.net/102df-690 It allows designers to automate the process of selecting correct timing belt drives. You quickly select the proper timing belt drive in real time, and then download the appropriate .DWG drawing into your CAD design. The program automatically calculates the minimum center distance and the number of teeth in mesh on both the larger and smaller pulley. It also provides alternative pulley and belt combinations to select from, and links to the actual SDP/SI catalog pages for detailed specs in .PDF format.

On the tutorial side, mechanical engineers might want to visit the INCAD^Plus Tutorials on the Algor, Inc. website. http://www.OneRS.net/102df-691 The Pittsburgh, PA, company provides five keystroke tutorials that show engineers how to save time and effort by conducting finite element analysis within the same CAD solid modeling program used to build the model. Engineers walk through the INCAD^Plus technology working within CADKEY, Mechanical Desktop, Pro/ENGINEER, Solid Edge and SolidWorks. Each tutorial comes with a compressed model file featuring a 3D bearing assembly drawn in the particular CAD software. This 3D bearing assembly features a cast iron pillow block housing and steel bearing insert. Using the Algor Mesh option in the CAD menu, engineers generate a surface mesh, perform surface mesh matching, generate a solid mesh and add boundary conditions and other finite element data to the model.

Vision, robotics and motion control tutorials can be found on the Coreco Imaging Online website, Bedford MA. http://www.OneRS.net/102df-692 Dedicated to machine vision tools for OEMs, the site also contains industry news and case histories in industrial inspection and machine guidance applications. It features company products, including NetSight, a new series of embedded vision subsystems, which the company reports was the first in the industry to combine robust, machine vision software tools with on-board MMX-accelerated processing, remote networking, artificial intelligence and industry standard development tools.

The Support and Learning Center website of Cognex, Natick, MA, http://www.OneRS.net/102df-693 provides information on and technical support for In-Sight users. InSight is a powerful, low-cost vision sensor used to build vision applications. Aimed at guiding customers through all aspects of using the sensor, the Center features computer-based building applications using sam ple job templates. A number of online courses are also offered that give users access to desktop training. The site includes a searchable knowledge database of frequently asked questions, a case submission form for submitting specific questions to the support team, a file transfer area for uploading and downloading files, and a hardware troubleshooting guide.

The Forging Industry Association, Cleveland, OH, hosts the online Forging Engineering Center. http://www.OneRS.net/102df-694 The site provides engineers with information ranging from straightforward overviews for those not familiar with the forging process to sources of in-depth design and application information on forged metal parts in the aerospace, automotive, construction, materials handling, hand tool, agricultural and industrial equipment industries.

A Rotomolding FAQ highlights the new website of Meese Orbitron Dunne (MOD) Company, Saddle Brook, NJ. http://www.OneRS.net/102df-695 The site provides a practical introduction to rotomolding, revealing how the process compares with injection and blow molding; when cost-efficiency peaks; the range of ideally suited materials; and why the process effectively accommodates complex product designs.

Readers: Send your comments to editors@designfax.net. What web tools have you found useful? What "must-see sites" do you want to share with your peers? Or what are you searching for that we can help you find?