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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.
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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.

Solar mobile phone charging comes to rural Africa

Personal solar cell phone charging has come to rural Africa, and it's come in the form of rent-to-own equipment.

[Image: Azuri Technologies Ltd.]

 

 

ESCATEC, a Swiss product design, development, and manufacturing firm, has helped commercialize a novel solar power charging station design for its U.K.-based client, Azuri Technologies.

Called "Indigo," the system consists of a solar panel, two LED lamps, and a control unit with a charging point for a mobile phone. It has already won several major awards and is now in mass production in ESCATEC's Malaysian production facilities.

[Image: Azuri Technologies Ltd.]

 

 

[Image: Azuri Technologies Ltd.]

 

 

Reliable, quality illumination can change people's lives. Children can study at home, and their grades can improve. Shops can stay open past dusk. People can work in the evening to earn more money and improve the quality of their lives. Having a reliable source of electricity is similarly transformational -- especially as mobile phones are now a vital tool for communications, information, entertainment, and banking.

But in rural Africa, the typical source of light is a kerosene lamp, which is unhealthy, dangerous, and expensive. It is not uncommon for people to spend $2 a week on kerosene and a further $1 on mobile phone charging at a local (although sometimes quite far away) village charging station.

Since most homes do not have electricity, solar energy seems a prime contender for generating electricity for home use. But the challenge has been the upfront capital expense of a solar lighting system.

This is the problem Azuri aimed to solve by creating a pay-as-you-go business model for users. Customers pay a one-time install fee of around $10 and then purchase a weekly scratchcard for around $1.50, cutting their weekly energy spend by as much as 50 percent and benefitting from better quality illumination. The customer tops up their system with an Indigo scratchcard just as they would their mobile phone. A one-time top-up code is texted back and then input into the device's keypad, enabling it to be used as much as required for a week. After around 18 months, the unit is completely paid for and can be permanently unlocked.

"The vast distances and costs of installing traditional infrastructure in Africa have meant that mobile telephones have leapfrogged over the stage of landlines," says Nigel Preston, VP product management at Azuri. "Indigo provides the same leap for electricity over hardwired mains, using a mobile, solar-powered unit. Six hundred million Africans currently lack mains electricity, so whilst almost everyone has a mobile phone, they typically have to travel several kilometers to pay to get it charged. We needed a product that could withstand the extremes of temperature, be rugged and reliable, but, above all else, it had to be affordable. The build cost had to be as low as possible without compromising the quality, which is why we went to ESCATEC with our product. They offer a rare combination of top-notch design and development backed up with a high-volume manufacturing capability. Doing both means that they really do understand how to design for manufacture. They were able to view the entire project holistically, turning our prototype design into a commercial device, through component sourcing to mass production."

Gerhard Klauser, general manager at ESCATEC Switzerland, explains, "Our location in Switzerland enables us to have a close working relationship with Azuri, who are based in the U.K. Face-to-face meetings are easy to arrange, so they were able to be really 'hands on' at every stage as we optimized their design for manufacture. The initial low-volume production run was done in our facility here and then transferred to our factory in Malaysia for volume runs. As we deliberately use the same production equipment, this is a simple and very reliable transfer process that we have done many times for customers. This gives them a gateway to the high-volume, low labor-cost benefits of production in Asia but with a local contact to ensure that everything always runs smoothly."

"Indigo is a simple and effective way to transform the life of millions of people, and we are very proud to be making this happen," says Preston.

Source: ESCATEC

Published June 2013

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