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ENGINEERINGTALK
The Independent Weekly Product Information
Guide
for Product Design and Automation Engineers
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ISSN 1470-627X - Free subscription
Last week's delivered
circulation: 47,451
Published every Thursday from the UK.
Issue 246: 23 December 2004
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27,390 product announcements and technical articles on our web
site,
all fully searchable at http://www.engineeringtalk.com/ -
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In this issue:
* Editor's Message
* Our Top new
products selection
[1] Liquid level switches find themselves in
hot water
[2] Digital controller regulates enclosure climate
[3] Machinery performance analysis maximises OEE
[4] DC drives
save space for panel builders
[5] BSI document offers advice on
fieldbus choices
[6] Miniature guides keep it quiet
[7]
Precision vertical positioning on the table
[8] Subscription
service keeps AutoCAD up to date
[9] Flatwire springs save space
headaches
[10] Digital interface offers faster motor feedback
* Other industry news
* New technical articles & case
studies
* Other featured product news
====================================================================
Chris Rand, Editor, writes:
In the Richard Dimbleby
lecture this month, James Dyson defended
moving his manufacturing
plant to the Far East by pointing out the
logic of not having
having assembly located halfway around the world
from the
component suppliers (who are almost inevitably going to be
in the
Far East too). He also suggested that the resultant profits
enable him to employ more engineers in the UK than he'd ever had
people working in assembly before. That doesn't mean
manufacturing
here should be allowed to go the way of mining and
farming, but it
does perhaps make you wonder if the silver lining
in the cloud of
current events may be a renaissance in
engineering - or at least the
opportunity for one.
For
those still keeping the manufacturing flag flying, operating
more
smartly has never been as important as it is now. This gives me
the opportunity to mention AME UK, the UK chapter of the
Association
of Manufacturing Excellence, the 6,000-strong
US-based organisation
which is doing so much to promote reduced
operating costs in
production. Membership is not expensive, and
it gives access to a
genuinely valuable network of contacts,
publications and events.
Take a look. And of course, happy
Christmas!
AME UK: http://www.mynott.com/AME-UK/
AME (USA):
http://www.ame.org/
I hope you find this issue of our
weekly newsletter useful. In
addition to the new products, news
and ideas featured here, there
are hundreds more on our website
and dozens more being added daily,
so do take a look if you
can.
Alternatively, the full stories behind all the
summaries and
headlines in this newsletter can be retrieved by
email alone: see
details below.
In the meantime, if
you have any suggestions as to how we might make
the site or the
newsletter better, email me directly.
Best wishes
Chris Rand, Editor
mailto:ne[-email
removed-]ringtalk.com
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OUR TOP NEW PRODUCT SELECTION
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[1] LIQUID LEVEL SWITCHES FIND THEMSELVES IN HOT WATER
(PVL, 17 Dec 2004)
PVL has added a high temperature
version to its RFS range of
cost-effective liquid level switches.
Suitable for use in a wide
range of liquids, the RFS-12H provides
heat resistance up to 180C,
with a rugged, simple design that
brings maximum reliability to
high, low or intermediate liquid
level detection.
Request free details from the
supplier:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/pvl/111/4
*
Read more: http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/pvl/pvl111.html
or
send a blank email to mailto:pvl1[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
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[2] DIGITAL CONTROLLER REGULATES ENCLOSURE CLIMATE
(Rittal,
17 Dec 2004)
A new digital controller, with a 3-digit
display, enables users to
monitor the temperature inside an
enclosure. The controller governs
both cooling and heating and
has the facility to manage both
simultaneously. Designed to work
with all heaters as well as fans
and filters including Rittal's
own SK range, and with small
dimensions, it is ideal for small
enclosures where space is at a
premium.
Request free
details from the supplier:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/rit/219/4
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/rit/rit219.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:rit2[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
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[3] MACHINERY PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS MAXIMISES OEE
(Rockwell
Automation, 21 Dec 2004)
A new package of hardware,
software and engineering allows
manufacturers to quickly and cost
effectively measure and improve
the operating equipment
effectiveness (OEE) of machinery. The DMP
discrete machine
performance solution includes a robust industrial
PC loaded with
Rockwell Software RSBizWare designed to automatically
gather
real-time manufacturing data and turn it into instantly
useable
information. This enables the performance of machinery to be
analysed in real time to solve the problems causing lost
production
at the time rather than just report them at the end of
the shift.
Request free details from the supplier:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/roc/307/4
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/roc/roc307.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:roc3[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
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[4] DC DRIVES SAVE SPACE FOR PANEL BUILDERS
(Sprint
Electric, 22 Dec 2004)
With a footprint of just 35 x 105mm,
Sprint Electric's new range of
DC drives claim to fit easily into
existing control panel or save
space in new designs. Easy access
to drive adjustments, plug on
screw terminals and the
DIN-rail-mounting package mean that these
controllers clip into
place without needing further engineering.
Power ratings range
from 0.55 to 1.8kW at 180V DC.
Request free details from
the supplier:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/spr/116/4
* Read more: http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/spr/spr116.html
or send a blank email to mailto:spr1[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
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[5] BSI DOCUMENT OFFERS ADVICE ON FIELDBUS CHOICES
(Pilz
Automation Technology, 22 Dec 2004)
BSI recently completed
work on BIP0014, "Selecting the best fieldbus
for your
application", which is an updated replacement for BSI's
earlier
DISC PD0014:2000 document, and now it has been published and
is
available for sale direct from Pilz, an official BSI distributor.
BIP0014 aims to provide a guide to fieldbus technology so that
the
best protocol can be selected for a particular application,
and it
includes an important section about the use of fieldbuses
in
safety-related applications.
Request free details
from the supplier:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/pil/186/4
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/pil/pil186.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:pil1[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
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[6] MINIATURE GUIDES KEEP IT QUIET
(THK UK, 20 Dec 2004)
THK is bringing its Caged Ball technology into a new range
of
miniature SRS LM guides. The benefits of caged ball
technology, most
notably, silent movement, virtually maintenance
free operation and
high speed, make the new miniature linear
motion guides particularly
suitable for use in semiconductor,
electronics manufacture, biotech,
medical and precision
automation and measurement applications.
Available in 9, 12 and
15mm rail widths, the new miniature SRS LM
guides maintain
compact dimensions in all planes.
Request free details
from the supplier:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/thk/164/4
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/thk/thk164.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:thk1[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
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[7] PRECISION VERTICAL POSITIONING ON THE TABLE
(Parker
Hannifin - Electromechanical Division (EME), 17 Dec 2004)
With a lifting capacity of 75kg, acceleration rates up to
7.2m/s2,
positional repeatability of +/-3um and a continuous duty
rating, the
ZP200 elevator table from Parker Hannifin's
Electromechanical
Automation Division is a highly dynamic lifting
platform for use in
a wide range of precision vertical
positioning applications. The
ZP200 uses a unique wedge design to
convert horizontal motion into
true vertical elevation of the
platform with absolutely no
displacement in the horizontal (x-y)
plane.
Request free details from the supplier:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/phe/132/4
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/phe/phe132.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:phe1[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
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[8] SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE KEEPS AUTOCAD UP TO DATE
(Leonardo
Computer Systems, 23 Dec 2004)
From 15th January 2005
Autodesk will "retire" AutoCAD 2000i and
AutoCAD Lt 2000i. This
means that users of these CAD packages may
continue to use them,
but will be unable to purchase upgrades to the
current version
(AutoCAD 2005 and AutoCAD Lt 2005, respectively).
Most users will
have been informed of this by Autodesk, but a large
proportion of
users will never have registered their software and
may be
unaware of this change of status. AutoCAD 2000i was released
before Windows XP was written and thus is not supported, and is
known to be unstable on this operating system. To avoid upgrade
problems Leonardo Computer Systems now offers an AutoCAD annual
subscription service to ensure that AutoCAD software is always
kept
up to date.
Request free details from the
supplier:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/leo/121/4
*
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or
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[9] FLATWIRE SPRINGS SAVE SPACE HEADACHES
(TFC, 21 Dec
2004)
TFC is using an innovative mailer in the style of an
aspirin blister
pack to promote its range of Smalley Spirawave
flatwire springs.
Aimed at design engineers having trouble
specifying a suitable
spring for compression applications, each
pack contains a sample of
two flatwire springs with a leaflet
explaining the benefits of the
Spirawave range. Spirawave springs
deliver equal deflection compared
with conventional coil springs
but typically consume 50% less space,
providing an effective
solution to compression applications where
radial or axial spaces
are tight.
Request free details from the supplier:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/tfc/128/4
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/tfc/tfc128.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:tfc1[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
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[10] DIGITAL INTERFACE OFFERS FASTER MOTOR FEEDBACK
(Danaher Motion, 22 Dec 2004)
Danaher Motion drives and
servomotors now support a new high speed
digital interface, BiSS,
for motor feedback. This open technology
has been developed to
meet the demands of increasingly popular
"smart encoders"; it is
bidirectional and has an asynchronous mode
especially for writing
to and from configuration registers. It is
capable of 10Mbit/s
datarates during operation in synchronous mode,
resulting in
short cycle times for the most demanding control
applications
Request free details from the supplier:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/tho/205/4
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/tho/tho205.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:tho2[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
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This week's industry news
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AWARDS PROGRAMME OFFERS FREE CONSULTING ADVICE
(Institution of Mechanical Engineers, 21 Dec 2004)
The
Institution of Mechanical Engineers is to provide more than a
million pounds worth of free consulting advice to UK companies
next
year as part of its Manufacturing Excellence Awards
programme.
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/ime/ime113.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:ime1[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
ETHERNET/IP CONFORMANCE
TESTING COMES TO EUROPE
(ODVA, 17 Dec 2004)
The ODVA has
authorised Europe's first test service provider for
EtherNet/IP
conformance testing.
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/odv/odv100.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:odv1[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
COLOCATED SHOWS BOAST
400-PLUS EXHIBITORS
(European Trade and Exhibition Services, 21
Dec 2004)
The forthcoming Southern Manufacturing Show, and its
sibling event,
Southern Electronics are generating record levels
of interest from
visitors and exhibitors alike.
Request
free details from the supplier on Southern Manufacturing
Show:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/eub/112/4
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/eub/eub112.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:eub1[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
ENGINEERING BODIES SLAM
GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION
(IEE (Institution of Electrical
Engineers), 22 Dec 2004)
Four of the UK's largest professional
engineering bodies have
expressed concerns regarding the
scientific viability of Defra's
consultation on the milestone
review of the UK Climate Change
Programme.
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/iee/iee134.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:iee1[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
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New Technical Articles and Case Studies
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PRECISION PUMPING PROVIDES A RACING EDGE
(Flux Pumps
International (UK), 21 Dec 2004)
Team Veloqx has used a precision
pumping and measurement system from
Flux Pumps to improve the
accuracy of fuel and race management.
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/fwo/fwo108.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:fwo1[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
MONSTER CORIOLIS METER
MONITORS CLAIR OUTPUT
(Able Instruments and Controls, 23 Dec
2004)
Able Instruments has been working with Amec on the
supply,
installation and commissioning of a 12in diameter Rheonik
Coriolis
meter for the Clair Onshore Facilities at the Sullom Voe
Oil
Terminal.
Request free details from the supplier on
Rheonik Coriolis meter:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/aei/116/4
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/aei/aei116.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:aei1[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
BEARINGS AID COMPACT DESIGN
FOR WELDING MACHINE
(Rodriguez, 23 Dec 2004)
In specifying
a bearing for its new Gator 500 pipe-welding machine,
Derbyshire
company Fusion Provida faced a dilemma.
Request free details
from the supplier on Kaydon Reali-Slim range:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/rod/169/4
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/rod/rod169.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:rod1[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
COUPLING SELECTION IS
CRUCIAL TO RELIABILITY
(Huco Engineering Components, 23 Dec
2004)
For many power transmission systems, the selection of the
most
appropriate coupling can indeed be made on the basis of
torque,
speed and duty cycle requirements.
Request free
details from the supplier on Flex-P couplings:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/huc/143/4
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/huc/huc143.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:huc1[-email
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DAIRY AUTOMATION ANSWERS
ECONOMIC PRESSURES
(Festo, 17 Dec 2004)
FlexLink, Krones
and Elopak have worked together with Festo to
provide the right
answers to the demands for automation in dairies.
Request free
details from the supplier on Pneumatic components:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/fes/185/4
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/fes/fes185.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:fes1[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
MOTORS KEEP PRIMA DONNAS ON
THE MOVE
(AEG Electric Motors, 20 Dec 2004)
The new
advanced stage operating systems at La Scala in Milan offer
a
million permutations of scenery movements using 170 special brake
motors from AEG Lafert.
Request free details from the supplier
on Brake motors:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/aeg/139/4
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/aeg/aeg139.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:aeg1[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
SOFTWARE ENABLES NOVEL
SHOWER DESIGN CONCEPTS
(SolidWorks Corporation, 22 Dec 2004)
Roman Showers is reducing product development time and helping
customers experience innovative shower design concepts with
SolidWorks 3D mechanical design and CosmosWorks design analysis
software.
Request free details from the supplier on SolidWorks
and
CosmosWorks:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/sol/193/4
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/sol/sol193.html
or send a
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CABLE REELS GET TO GRIPS
WITH HYDRAULIC HOSES
(Kabelschlepp Metool, 17 Dec 2004)
Kabelschlepp Metool has been chosen to supply hydraulics
specialist
TA Savery and Co with cable reels for the largest and
most complex
hydraulic ring main system ever installed in the
UK.
Request free details from the supplier on Metool cable
reels:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/mlp/107/4
*
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or
send a blank email to mailto:mlp1[-email
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Other featured new product news
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DC MOTOR TAKES WORM GEAR ONBOARD
(EMS, 17 Dec
2004)
The Valeo DCK31 series DC motor range available from EMS
has been
extended with the addition of a new motor gearhead.
Request free details from the supplier on Valeo DCK31 series:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/ems/138/4
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/ems/ems138.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:ems1[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
OSCILLATING MOUNTS STAND UP
TO COMPARISON
(Lovejoy, 21 Dec 2004)
Lovejoy Rosta
oscillating mounts contain precisely fit elastomeric
elements.
Request free details from the supplier on Rosta AB and AB-D:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/lov/132/4
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/lov/lov132.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:lov1[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
STAINLESS-STEEL SWITCHES
ADDRESS HARSH DEMANDS
(EAO, 21 Dec 2004)
A range of robust
and extremely reliable stainless-steel switches,
keypads and
keyboards addresses the ergonomic risks associated with
harsh
industrial and externally located applications.
Request free
details from the supplier on Stainless-steel
switches, keypads
and keyboards:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/eao/155/4
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/eao/eao155.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:eao1[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
LOGGING SYSTEM REMEMBERS
INFRA-RED DATA
(Land Instruments International, 22 Dec 2004)
A new data logging system allows users of Cyclops portable
infra-red
thermometers to download and analyse temperature
measurements of
production plant or products.
Request free
details from the supplier on Cyclops DL-1000:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/lad/135/4
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/lad/lad135.html
or send a
blank email to mailto:lad1[-email
removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
JUNCTION BOXES MEET
DEMANDING PROCESS REQUIREMENTS
(MTL Instruments Group, 17 Dec
2004)
MTL Instruments has launched its new series of Process JB
junction
boxes for fieldbus installations.
Request free
details from the supplier on Process JB junction
boxes:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/mtl/107/4
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/mtl/mtl107.html
or send a
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removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
PATENT DATABASE PUTS KOREAN
INNOVATIONS IN ENGLISH
(FIZ Karlsruhe, STN Europe, 22 Dec
2004)
FIZ Karlsruhe has added Koreapat, a new bibliographic file
covering
Korean patents, to its comprehensive product
portfolio.
Request free details from the supplier on
Koreapat:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/fiz/120/4
*
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or
send a blank email to mailto:fiz1[-email
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SENSOR GAINS LED SWITCH
STATUS INDICATION
(Pepperl+Fuchs, 17 Dec 2004)
Pepperl+Fuchs has recently added the new NCB2-V3-N0 to its range
of
V3 style switches.
Request free details from the
supplier on NCB2-V3-N0:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/da/ppp/123/4
* Read more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/ppp/ppp123.html
or send a
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removed-]ngineeringtalk.com
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