Focus on Applications
**3rd Place Winner**Material handling system promotes rise in bakery
production
Weldon Solutions of York, PA, through
their Emtrol division, is a supplier of in-process
storage and retrieval systems to the baked-foods
Industry. Their total automation systems for pan
storage and retrieval, pan unstacking and stacking,
and pan conveying has had a positive impact on
production cycles for companies such as Butterkrust
Bakeries in Florida, Mrs. Smiths, and Interstate
Brands. To provide power and control to the pan
storage systems, Weldon engineers selected System
E4/0 Energy Chains from igus inc., along with igus'
Chainflex power and control cables.
Read
the full article.
**1st Place Winner**
Making plastics choices for the
solar energy market
Solar energy is
aggressively driving new material developments in
the emerging green industry. Both photovoltaic cells
and water applications are a good fit for Lexan and
Noryl resins due to their proven weatherability,
electrical properties, and hydrolytic stability.
Read the full article.
Looking for actuators to move a load 300 to
3000 lbs. with a specific gear ratio or
motor voltage?
Burr Engineering &
Development Company builds high performance
linear actuators in smaller quantities with
custom-made specifications, and at prices
competitive with other brands' stock models.
Visit Burr
Engineering online for more
information.
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**2nd Place Winner**Custom-designed machine guards fill market niche
After
working on weekends in his garage, and equipped with
over 30 years of industrial maintenance experience,
Ken Brisk was granted patent protection for the Type
CGU-Machine Coupling Shaft Guard in January 1997. He
then founded a company to manufacture his UniGuard
product. Simple in concept, this nonmetallic
coupling guard allows distributors to offer a trim
and fit, economically priced, OSHA-compliant
coupling guard right off their shelf.
Read the full article.
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Design
engineer's Ultimate Toolbox now includes iPod
Shuffle
Congratulations to Mike Sanders for
being chosen as the winning entry in our "Ultimate
Toolbox" November giveaway--and winning an iPod
Shuffle, to boot. Sanders is an Engineering Manager
at Enardo, a provider of safety and environmental
vapor control equipment and engineering solutions in
Tulsa, OK. Sanders said that he would add "SolidWorks
with Cosmos add-in" to the toolbox. Notable entries
included high-end software and hardware, the
venerable scientific calculator, the latest copy of
"Machinery's Handbook," and--of course--Folger's
Coffee Singles. |
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NYLON
FASTENER NEWS: In a hurry? Need to meet
fast-paced design requirements with low
volume production? Now there is Rapid Soft
Tooling (RST) for washers, shoulder washers,
and spacers. Just one week delivery from the
day of approved drawing! Micro Plastics,
Inc. is a family-owned company providing
fast, economical ideas in plastic fastener
production.
Visit Micro Plastics online for more
information. |
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Design Duds
Is there a
product design in the marketplace that
you think can be improved upon?
History is filled with instances of
design failures -- and, gladly, re-tries
that ended in triumph. In a recent
example, Chrysler’s new MDS engines seem
to have perfected Cadillac’s 1981 (some
say dismal) attempt at an engine that
deactivates some cylinders while
cruising. Read more.
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Five-Star Products
Our best of the best
Digital design DC converter
Customizable seals on gear pumps
Uni-form epoxy preforms are alternative to
liquid epoxy
Low-cost stepper stages for 2- and 4-phase devices
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Electric Replacement for Hydraulics!
Exlar’s electric linear actuators deliver
the force of hydraulics and the speed of
pneumatics. The patented roller screw
technology offers peak forces in excess of
40,000 lbf., speeds to 60 in/sec, and stroke
lengths to 96 inches, all with the ease and
reliability of servo control.
Visit Exlar online for more information. |
New
Products
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DECCO®
INDUSTRIAL SOLENOIDS
are the reliable solution to many of your
most difficult actuation problems.
Laminated AC, tubular DC, push or pull
models, horizontal or vertical mount -- we
build them to fit your specs.
Visit DETROIT COIL COMPANY online for more information. |
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