February 1, 2011

Volume 7, Issue 5

World’s Most Compact Drive
with an Integrated Motion Controller
MICROMO is pleased to announce a new 22mm innovation that extends the portfolio of the BX4 range of four pole brushless DC servomotors from FAULHABER. The series 2232 / 2250…BX4 CSD/CCD is the world’s most compact drive with an integrated single axis motion controller. Robust construction without the use of adhesives makes this new series ideal for complex applications such as robotics, automation, medical and laboratory technology, specialty machinery and aerospace. Click here for more info.

  Feature Articles

DFMA takes lean to the next level
When the design engineering team at Hypertherm used Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) software to redesign a CNC controller for plasma cutting, they achieved an overall reduction in part count of 27% while adding new features and performance capability. On the manufacturing side, the team saw even bigger gains, including a whopping 50% decrease in build and test time.
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Click the ad above to find out what makes Forest City Gear the best in high-precision gear manufacturing.

NEW! GE develops energy-saving “treasure hunt”
Inspired by Toyota’s continuous-improvement concept, GE teams are constantly scouring the company’s offices and factories for measurable ways to save water and energy. Now the company is offering its energy-saving savvy to cities, universities, and private industry in the form of the “ecomagination Treasure Hunt,” a program launched in collaboration with the Environmental Defense Fund. Roosevelt Hospital (NY, NY) became the program’s first medical site and identified opportunities for $2.1 million in energy savings with a payback of 2.6 years — all with little capital investment.
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GROWit demonstrates rapid prototyping using Polyjet
OK, we know … we’re supposed to call it “additive manufacturing” and not “rapid prototyping,” but it’s a lot more fun to get the “fast” part in there. This is Episode 1 of a series of video blogs on additive technologies from the GROWit service bureau in Irvine, CA. Multi-material Polyjet machines can mix both rigid and soft materials together on the fly to grow parts that simulate over-molding and other complex applications. The process is great for small to medium-size parts (it's not always cost effective for large parts) and is often used for a variety of prototyping applications. Some very impressive stuff
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New Scale M3-L developer's kit steers a laser beam
The M3-L closed-loop linear motion module is a compact, high-resolution motion system integrating a piezo motor and all controls in one tiny module. It is ideal for precision automated control of variable inductors and trimmer capacitors in RF and microwave tuning systems, and of optical elements in photonics tuning applications. It provides reliable performance in a wide range of optical, hand-held, and precision instrumentation for defense, security, and biomedical products.
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