Designfax weekly eMagazine

Subscribe Today!

Archives

View Archives

Partners

Manufacturing Center
Product Spotlight

Modern Applications News
Metalworking Ideas For
Today's Job Shops

Tooling and Production
Strategies for large
metalworking plants

Intro to reed switches, magnets, magnetic fields

This brief introductory video on the DigiKey site offers tips for engineers designing with reed switches. Dr. Stephen Day, Ph.D. from Coto Technology gives a solid overview on reed switches -- complete with real-world application examples -- and a detailed explanation of how they react to magnetic fields.
View the video.

Bi-color LEDs to light up your designs

Created with engineers and OEMs in mind, SpectraBright Series SMD RGB and Bi-Color LEDs from Visual Communi-cations Company (VCC) deliver efficiency, design flexibility, and control for devices in a range of industries, including mil-aero, automated guided vehicles, EV charging stations, industrial, telecom, IoT/smart home, and medical. These 50,000-hr bi-color and RGB options save money and space on the HMI, communicating two or three operating modes in a single component.
Learn more.

All about slip rings: How they work and their uses

Rotary Systems has put together a really nice basic primer on slip rings -- electrical collectors that carry a current from a stationary wire into a rotating device. Common uses are for power, proximity switches, strain gauges, video, and Ethernet signal transmission. This introduction also covers how to specify, assembly types, and interface requirements. Rotary Systems also manufactures rotary unions for fluid applications.
Read the overview.

Seifert thermoelectric coolers from AutomationDirect

Automation-Direct has added new high-quality and efficient stainless steel Seifert 340 BTU/H thermoelectric coolers with 120-V and 230-V power options. Thermoelectric coolers from Seifert use the Peltier Effect to create a temperature difference between the internal and ambient heat sinks, making internal air cooler while dissipating heat into the external environment. Fans assist the convective heat transfer from the heat sinks, which are optimized for maximum flow.
Learn more.

EMI shielding honeycomb air vent panel design

Learn from the engineering experts at Parker how honeycomb air vent panels are used to help cool electronics with airflow while maintaining electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. Topics include: design features, cell size and thickness, platings and coatings, and a stacked design called OMNI CELL construction. These vents can be incorporated into enclosures where EMI radiation and susceptibility is a concern or where heat dissipation is necessary. Lots of good info.
Read the Parker blog.

What is 3D-MID? Molded parts with integrated electronics from HARTING

3D-MID (three-dimensional mechatronic integrated devices) technology combines electronic and mechanical functionalities into a single, 3D component. It replaces the traditional printed circuit board and opens up many new opportunities. It takes injection-molded parts and uses laser-direct structuring to etch areas of conductor structures, which are filled with a copper plating process to create very precise electronic circuits. HARTING, the technology's developer, says it's "Like a PCB, but 3D." Tons of possibilities.
View the video.

Loss-free conversion of 3D/CAD data

CT CoreTech-nologie has further developed its state-of-the-art CAD converter 3D_Evolution and is now introducing native interfaces for reading Solidedge and writing Nx and Solidworks files. It supports a wide range of formats such as Catia, Nx, Creo, Solidworks, Solidedge, Inventor, Step, and Jt, facilitating smooth interoperability between different systems and collaboration for engineers and designers in development environments with different CAD systems.
Learn more.

Top 5 reasons for solder joint failure

Solder joint reliability is often a pain point in the design of an electronic system. According to Tyler Ferris at ANSYS, a wide variety of factors affect joint reliability, and any one of them can drastically reduce joint lifetime. Properly identifying and mitigating potential causes during the design and manufacturing process can prevent costly and difficult-to-solve problems later in a product lifecycle.
Read this informative ANSYS blog.

Advanced overtemp detection for EV battery packs

Littelfuse has introduced TTape, a ground-breaking over-temperature detection platform designed to transform the management of Li-ion battery systems. TTape helps vehicle systems monitor and manage premature cell aging effectively while reducing the risks associated with thermal runaway incidents. This solution is ideally suited for a wide range of applications, including automotive EV/HEVs, commercial vehicles, and energy storage systems.
Learn more.

Benchtop ionizer for hands-free static elimination

EXAIR's Varistat Benchtop Ionizer is the latest solution for neutralizing static on charged surfaces in industrial settings. Using ionizing technology, the Varistat provides a hands-free solution that requires no compressed air. Easily mounted on benchtops or machines, it is manually adjustable and perfect for processes needing comprehensive coverage such as part assembly, web cleaning, printing, and more.
Learn more.

LED light bars from AutomationDirect

Automation-Direct adds CCEA TRACK-ALPHA-PRO series LED light bars to expand their offering of industrial LED fixtures. Their rugged industrial-grade anodized aluminum construction makes TRACKALPHA-PRO ideal for use with medium to large-size industrial machine tools and for use in wet environments. These 120 VAC-rated, high-power LED lights provide intense, uniform lighting, with up to a 4,600-lumen output (100 lumens per watt). They come with a standard bracket mount that allows for angle adjustments. Optional TACLIP mounts (sold separately) provide for extra sturdy, vibration-resistant installations.
Learn more.

World's first metalens fisheye camera

2Pi Optics has begun commercial-ization of the first fisheye camera based on the company's proprietary metalens technology -- a breakthrough for electronics design engineers and product managers striving to miniaturize the tiny digital cameras used in advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), AR/VR, UAVs, robotics, and other industrial applications. This camera can operate at different wavelengths -- from visible, to near IR, to longer IR -- and is claimed to "outperform conventional refractive, wide-FOV optics in all areas: size, weight, performance, and cost."
Learn more.

Orbex offers two fiber optic rotary joint solutions

Orbex Group announces its 700 Series of fiber optic rotary joint (FORJ) assemblies, supporting either single or multi-mode operation ideal for high-speed digital transmission over long distances. Wavelengths available are 1,310 or 1,550 nm. Applications include marine cable reels, wind turbines, robotics, and high-def video transmission. Both options feature an outer diameter of 7 mm for installation in tight spaces. Construction includes a stainless steel housing.
Learn more.

Mini tunnel magneto-resistance effect sensors

Littelfuse has released its highly anticipated 54100 and 54140 mini Tunnel Magneto-Resistance (TMR) effect sensors, offering unmatched sensitivity and power efficiency. The key differentiator is their remarkable sensitivity and 100x improvement in power efficiency compared to Hall Effect sensors. They are well suited for applications in position and limit sensing, RPM measurement, brushless DC motor commutation, and more in various markets including appliances, home and building automation, and the industrial sectors.
Learn more.

Panasonic solar and EV components available from Newark

Newark has added Panasonic Industry's solar inverters and EV charging system components to their power portfolio. These best-in-class products help designers meet the growing global demand for sustainable and renewable energy mobility systems. Offerings include film capacitors, power inductors, anti-surge thick film chip resistors, graphite thermal interface materials, power relays, capacitors, and wireless modules.
Learn more.

Laser revolutionizes sheet metal cutting at Army Depot

Corpus Christi Army Depot's new laser cutter zaps through metal to create parts for Army helicopters.

By Brigitte Rox, AMC

Nobody works on more Army helicopters than Corpus Christi Army Depot in Texas, so when it comes to repair and overhaul, they cut a lot of metal.

Gone are the days of hunching over a pristine sheet of metal, meticulously drilling holes and patterns by hand. Now, depot artisans are a step closer to automating the entire sheet metal manufacturing process at Corpus Christi Army Depot, or CCAD.

Corpus Christi Army Depot's new laser cutter zaps through metal to create parts for Army helicopters. [Photo Credit: Ervey Martinez]

 

 

"This automation will increase quality, reduce manufacturing times, and allow one standard time allotted for cutting and deburring patterns and formatting aircraft sheet metal parts manufactured at CCAD," said Roland de la Fuente, a sheet metal mechanic supervisor.

Their new laser was put into production in 2010, but it went virtually unnoticed next to the bus-sized fluid cell press that normally steals the show.

"It takes having to see the laser in action to really get the 'wow factor,'" said de la Fuente of the new laser cutter.

The fixture is described by the manufacturer as a high-performance linear motor that delivers high-speed cutting for fast, continuous processing of high-quality parts.

The laser cutting fixture is used to cut sheet metal patterns that are later formed with the fluid cell flex press or power brakes before they are put on a helicopter.

With a cutting speed of 40 m per min, the laser is faster than producing patterns by hand. The laser can cut through several thicknesses of different material, including plate steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. Patterns are guaranteed to cut within tolerance, with a repetitive accuracy of .0008 in.

A Corpus Christi Army Depot sheet metal mechanic operates the new laser cutter. The machine revolutionizes sheet metal cutting by making it safer, faster, and more accurate than ever. [Photo Credit: Ervey Martinez]

 

 

 

 

Aircraft sheet metal mechanic Jeremy Garcia has noticed a big difference in the time it takes to produce parts since they started using the new fixture.

"It took us 24 hours to manufacture by hand," he said. "Now manufacturing takes only eight hours."

In the past, a sizable product like a UH-60Black Hawk helicopter bulkhead required the part to be pressed by hand in multiple sections. It all changed with the new fixture. The laser cutter can cut a pattern in as little as 5 min.

"It's one run and that's it," said Garcia.

The advantage of the new laser comes with the computer technology. The laser is controlled using a computer and CADMAN software. The CADMAN is a computer-aided drafting program that specifies the laser's cutting path.

"The laser is the first member of a fabrication cell I am developing to support the fluid flex cell," said de la Fuente. Plans for another laser, a turrent punch, and two power breaks, all using the same CADMAN software, are in the works.

By utilizing the same CADMAN software, all the machines will be able to communicate with each other. According to software maker LVD, the CADMAN programming software offers offline integration of the key sheet metalworking processes of laser, punching, and bending.

"This will allow the artisans to create pattern-cutting and forming programs at the instant the flat pattern is drafted in CADMAN," said de la Fuente. "The artisan can then transfer the pattern-cutting program to a punch or laser or even transfer a brake-forming program to the power brakes without having to leave his seat."

"The laser has performed superbly thus far," he said.

The laser-cutting fixture and the subsequent automation implementations will allow CCAD to schedule accurately and allow the training of a more technologically proficient workforce to meet unpredicted surges in demand.

Published September 2012

Rate this article