Search

The U.S. has recently experienced two highly publicized examples of counterfeit drugs within its distribution system. Fake medications mimicking Lipitor tablets, a cholesterol-lowering medication and Procrit, an injectable drug used [...]

New Orleans-based Tidewater Marine operates more than 550 ships that support energy companies drilling offshore for oil and gas. Its vessels sustain the materials transport necessary to keep drilling platforms […]

Manchester, NH--Dean Kamen's much publicized Segway Human Transporter (HT) may or may not ever power a revolution in personal transportation (20% of Design News readers surveyed think it will). But […]

To effectively treat coronary disease, physicians need to see how blood flows through the arteries and heart. To accomplish this, an intervential cardiologist injects radiographic material (contrast) into the patient, […]

Fieldbus and PC technology deliver agile manufacturing As manufacturers travel down the road toward mass customization, they are using more open control architectures and fieldbus technology to improve agility. A […]

Editors report on hot technology trends to emerge from the biggest design engineering show of the year Chicago--Like many of his counterparts, Ray Ferriss, a senior design engineer at Fellowes, […]

First, it was "the global village." Now, it's "the global marketplace." From aerospace to telecommunications, companies are scrambling to develop products for international markets exploding with millions of potential industrial- […]

Without cupping your hands around it, a match in a hurricane quickly blows out. Today's ignition systems present engineers with a similar challenge. Piston motion, even at moderate engine speeds, […]

Gainesville, FL--While space station Mir has demonstrated sustained human space habitation, it has also revealed shortcomings of current oxygen-generating technologies for manned interplanetary exploration. Maintaining the required supply of chemical […]

Pity the poor minivan. Only a few years ago, it was king of the hill. Now it's being replaced in America's car-buying heart by the intimidating sport utility vehicle. This […]

Born from a "retro car" concept that made the auto show rounds, Plymouth's Prowler pounced off the brainstorming board and into the hearts of hot-rod enthusiasts. Picking it up, Chrysler […]

Changing markets, shrinking cycles, and rapidly evolving industrial-control standards drive today's automated assembly system design. While price and performance remain important, user/builder adaptability and deployment issues are more critical than […]

A Design News exclusive on how hydraulics, motors, processors, and graphic enable full-motion air-combat--and nobody gets hurt There are places where a person with no previous experience can spend fifteen-hundred […]

Automated optical inspection (AOI) can increase the accuracy and speed of fault detection on printed-circuit-board production lines, but the time and skill required to train vision systems on new board […]

With development of the much-publicized STEP standard for product data exchange predominantly CAD-centric, it's not surprising that many engineers think STEP is just another way to transfer drawing information between […]

Process integration and a change from electromechanical to hydraulic actuators let safety glass processing machinery supplier Tamglass Tempering System Inc. cut production times to speed up shipping schedules. The change […]

Star Linear Systems' interchangeable blocks and rails simply design and maintenance, and cut lead times Charlotte, NC--Star Linear Systems commands respect after surviving its passage from one parent company to […]

Casting process, with roots in China's Shang Dynasty, solves contemporary engineering problems As the Internet and global commerce expand, high expectations of "round-the-clock" communications availability increase. Rising sophistication, coupled with […]

RS rolling ring linear drives are designed with five pitch settings to provide linear motion system flexibility. The drives have a standard pitch setting of 0.5, as well as other […]

Twin-tapered bushings are available with the DODGE QUANTIS gear reducers on motorized shaft-mount and right-angle helical bevel products. The bushing system, compatible with undersized shafts, is designed to support the […]

RCML 15 is a single optical encoder with brushless motor commutation pulses and incremental position feedback. Featuring the company's patented slide/gap mechanism for installation ease, the encoder aligns the commutation […]

GOLDLINE[R] Direct Drive Rotary (DDR) features a high voltage option that, according to the company, offers faster index/cycle times. DDR uses the company's SERVOSTAR[R] 600 drive amplifier with integrated power […]

The 1769-SDN DeviceNet[TM] scanner, made for MicroLogix[TM] 1500 and CompactLogix[TM] controllers, uses backplane and native explicit messaging to enable communication between devices. A single wire connects several I/O modules, and […]

The ANT-25L Nano-Translator, available in a 100 x 100 x 66-mm package, offers 10 nm linear resolution in X, XY, and XYZ configurations. Reportedly fast positioning is achieved with 32 […]

Thanks to the short instruction-set length of its 32-bit RISC processor, Aromat's FP[sigma] (Sigma) consunes less overhead to execute its function set, according to Assistant Manager Gustavo Vargas. "The result […]

With Ethernet, stepper or servo control, expansion I/O, multitasking, enhanced position following, and useful software tools, the Gem6K drive/controller combines Compumotor's 6K controller functions within its Gemini drive line. "Now […]

Engineers interested in decreasing control cabinet panel size or in using a more compact machine may find the CJ1 series of controllers appealing. With each module roughly the size of […]

If you're in the market for both a controller and an operator interface, Mosaic Industries' Panel-touch Controller[TM]4 can take care of both problems. It's essentially a C-programmable embedded computer with […]

Designed for distributed control applications requiring a lower cost-point, the Allen-Bradley CompactLogix [TM] 5330 delivers the Logix control engine in a smaller package at a lower price, according to Product […]

As Ethernet migrates into low-end PLCs, engineers have more choices to achieve connectivity. Instead of buying a high-end controller, for example, or using serial connections from a PC or handheld […]

For years shops have chosen Anilam controls on smaller milling machines, for their easy machinist's language programming format. Now the same format is available for larger production machines with the […]

GE Fanuc displayed its new Series 0i-MA CNC with 256K part-program storage, and 32-bit processor that controls up to 4 axes. It offers many of the features found in high-end […]

As the economy grinds to a halt, engineers at job shops and machine builders are making the most of it. At the Eastec 2001 manufacturing exhibition in May, many said […]

Fagor Automation showed its 8055 CNC with integrated hard-disk drive and built-in SERCOS interface modules in its CPU. The controller uses reprogrammable flash memory instead of EPROMS in an effort […]

Not to be outdone, Siemens announced special pricing ($3,199) on its Sinumerik 802C CNC for analog drives until the end of 2001. 802C is part of the Sinumerik 802 family, […]

PC/CNC convergence helps OEMs realize productivity gains during development and integration WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA--While PC/CNC convergence began several years ago with the PC primarily supporting the HMI (Human Machine Interface), […]

Coupling a 42V ignition with engine's flow field ignites ultra-lean fuel mixtures The efficiency gains provided by 42V-dependent technologies such as integrated starter generators, electric water pumps, and by-wire brakes […]

Transceiver and DSP technology for position sensing reduce size, weight, and power consumption Chicago--At the National Design Engineering Show this past March, engineers visiting BEI Duncan Electronics Div. (Tustin, CA) […]

SSW-04 and SSW-03 soft starters have been redesigned and are said to match the ruggedness and reliability of the company's motors. The product reduces mechanical stress and limits inrush current […]

DEEPGROOVE [R] tooling for internal grooving consists of a DEEPGROOVE toolholder shank, head, and clamp, and is available for use with 2, 3, and 4-mm DEEPGROOVE inserts. The maximum depth […]

Clamp-type shaft collars feature a solid flat and square working face that can be modified to function as a component mounting collar, seal, or hardened thrust-bearing race. The Accu-Clamp [TM] […]

Zero-backlash bellows and torque-limiting safety couplings are for digital servo drives, spindles, and tools operating at speeds up to 10,000 rpm. The outside conical hubs automatically quick-release when disassembling, resulting […]

SCF Series Sub Micro Drives introduces a set-point control option. For process control applications where regulation of a process variable to a set point is important, the built-in PI regulator […]

Patented NEMA gearheads are energy-efficient alternatives to conventional "cut gear" speed reducers. Each unit uses a "composite gear" (precision roller chain mounted on a disc to form a pin gear) […]